Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume22 Chapter5.4

Section 4

The wintry night finally came upon them.

From the window, the outside looked completely dark.

"Oh wow, it's already time to go huh."

As they were walking down the stairs, Sayako Obaa-sama came to meet them quickly.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Rei-san?"

"No, not today, I'm sorry. I've already stayed for too long."

As Rei was leaving, Sayako Obaa-sama looked pointedly toward Rei.

"I won't be cooking tonight so you won't have to eat any new experiment."

Sayako Obaa-sama seemed to think that Rei was running away from Obaa-sama's cooking. Obaa-sama seemed to have realized that the always prepared insane amounts of food and she'd put too much time into the whole thing.

"No, it's not the cooking."

"Then what is it?"

"Um, well."

While Rei was wondering how to politely decline the dinner offer, Sachiko came in from the side in a rescue boat.

"Mom. Rei came on a bike. It's already dark, and it's not good for her to be out so late."

".... I see."

Sachiko's persuasive reasoning stopped Obaa-sama's insisting. A woman with a daughter wouldn't still insist on a guest staying after all.

"Lately all the guests have been leaving by evening and it's becoming boring at night. Rei-san next time come and stay over at our house."

"Sure."

Obaa-sama didn't look like she would let Rei come in the house next time without staying over. Next time she came she'd have to bring a pack of pajamas.

"Guests, right..."

Sachiko whispered as Rei put on her shoes.

"Who was here earlier?"

"What do you mean?"

Sachiko's mother asked Sachiko.

"You know, twenty minutes ago or so. I heard the doorbell ring."

"Ah, it was Suguru-san."

Sachiko's mother laughed. He wasn't a guest.

"It was Suguru-san?"

When Rei heard the name "Suguru", she decided to stay away from the conversation. But as she heard the Ogasawara women talk about him, she began remembering him.

Kashiwagi Suguru. Sachiko's cousin.

"What did he come here to ask?"

"Hmm. I wonder what it was."

When Sachiko's mother remembered, Rei was putting on her sneakers and Sachiko was putting on her shoes.

"Right right. He had come to return the Furoshiki from the Mille Feuille wrapper."

(TL Sukoshi: Furoshiki are special Japanese wrapping paper especially used to ornamentally wrap boxes and gifts.)

"That's all he came to do?"

Sachiko could make no sense of the answer and so she asked again.

"That's it. Even though he could have given it whenever he wanted."

"Like when he borrowed the umbrella a year ago and came back to return it? But why?"

"I honestly don't know."

Sayako Obaa-sama shook her head. The two Ogasawara women folded their arms together and wondered why he had come. They looked like reflections of each other.

"Was the Furoshiki a very special one? Or was the umbrella made of vinyl or something?"

Rei tried to join in but the two shot down her line of thought with a simple "No that's not it".

"The Furoshiki was one of those you use to wrap snapper or sekihan, not something you should return because it is used to wrap wedding gifts!"

Obaa-sama walked over to a table next to the door. On the table was a vase, and next to it was the furoshiki. "Look", Obaa-sama showed it around. Just as Obaa-sama had said, this wasn't some special handmade furoshiki. It was one designed to be used and then thrown.

"The borrowed umbrella had been a women's umbrella and had been bought in Italy. Kashiwagi-san being a guy couldn't use that umbrella, unless it was raining very badly outside.

"... I see."

It was a real mystery. If Rei wanted to figure it out, she too would have to cross her arms and think.

"Well if you come back next week you can help us unravel the mystery."

Sachiko's mother laughed. They'd continue this conversation next time.

Tooru Oji-sama and Sachiko's grandfather hadn't returned yet.

Rei looked down at her watch. It was six fifty-five. She had come a bit late to avoid lunch but she was going back late enough for dinner so she had made up for it.

Rei's bike had been parked in the parking lot. Even though the parking lot was covered the seat was still wet, perhaps with dew.

Rei cleaned the seat with a handkerchief and took out her keys.

"Can I ride?"

Sachiko said as she pointed toward the bike. Rei didn't want Sachiko to walk along as she rode.

"You can ride a bike, right Sachiko? Or can't you?"

"Come on. I can at least ride a bike. Let me on, please."

Sachiko's long heavy skirt extended past her knees when she finally managed to push herself onto the bike. The handle got in the way of Sachiko's shawl so she placed it in the bike's basket in front of her.

At first Sachiko simply spun the tire around a few times. Then finally, she pushed the bike off smoothly and rode with it. Rei followed.

Rei ran down the road which cut through the middle of the forest-like park in the chill night air.

Sachiko hit the brake, then spoke.

"Let's ride together."

"Huh?"

"It's fine. This is private grounds so no-one can fine us."

"I see. Okay, then let's go."

Rei's body was hot and she felt a bit light-headed. Maybe because she had run.

"Rei, you're warm."

Sachiko let Rei hold the handle and she sat behind Rei on the rear cargo box.

"Let's go!"

Rei pushed the pedals down as hard as she could. Sachiko was holding on tightly to Rei's waist.

The wind rushed by them as the bike sped down the path.

The lamps spaced around the path seemed to shine like stars.

Rei and Sachiko began to laugh as they rode.

They felt like a shooting star, zooming through the galaxy.

Could they ride this path forever, into eternity?

Could they reach out with their hands and touch the stars themselves?

With the wind rushing around her and her friend's warmth surrounding her, Rei had no doubt that they could.