Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume11 Chapter2 2

Classmates. Part 2

Lunchtime soon arrived.

"Yumi-san. In the Rose Mansion – "

When their fourth period class finished, Yoshino-san approached Yumi, lunchbox in hand.

"I guess you're not coming, after all."

She'd derived the answer upon seeing Yumi's expression.

"Sorry."

"No, I was just checking. Still."

Yoshino-san didn't withdraw immediately, instead she whispered:

"Sachiko-sama's absent today, so she won't be at the Rose Mansion … okay?"

"Absent … Huh?"

Yumi hadn't known that.

The likelihood of accidentally running into someone from a different class in the vast campus wasn't that big. And for people in different grades, the probability was even lower still.

"Rei-chan told me. During a break, she went to Sachiko-sama's classroom on an errand. That's how."

How she came to know about Sachiko-sama's absence.

"I wonder why."

"Rei-chan said she didn't know."

Recently, Sachiko-sama had frequently been absent or had left to go home early. Perhaps there was something wrong with her health. No, when they'd met yesterday, she hadn't seemed to be in fantastic health, but she didn't look like she was ill either.

"What will you do?"

Yoshino-san asked, once more. Will you go to the Rose Mansion, or not?

"I decided not to go."

"That's true."

Yoshino-san nodded, keeping her promise not to badger Yumi to come to the Rose Mansion.

Going to the Rose Mansion because Sachiko-sama wouldn't be there wasn't something that Yumi could bring herself to do. It would be like she was an adulterous wife's lover, going to visit while the husband was away. That sort of sneaking around was deplorable.

If she was going to go to the Rose Mansion, it was better to do so when Sachiko-sama was there.

If she couldn't walk in there with her head held high and her chest out, it was better not to go at all.

After Yoshino-san had exited the classroom, three classmates took her place, surrounding Yumi.

"Yumi-san, if you'd like, why don't you accompany us to Milk Hall?"

"Huh?"

Hearing this sudden proposal, a jolt of tension ran through her.

"Please, if you're not going to the Rose Mansion."

"We were just thinking we'd like to get to know you better, Yumi-san."

The common trait among the three of them may well have been that their second-year of high-school was the first time they'd been in the same class as Yumi. They'd been in the same class for about two months now, but Yumi hadn't really talked to them all that much.

"What do you say? Let's go together. Misa-san went ahead to reserve five seats for us."

Misa-san was the name of another classmate that Yumi had had very little contact with.

"Well, since you've gone to all that trouble."

It would be a shame to waste those seats, so Yumi left the classroom with the girls who had invited her. Milk Hall was a cafeteria and dining hall, so it could also be used by students who brought their lunch.

As they walked through the halls, they talked about their impressions of their fourth period class, magazine reports on natural cosmetics targeted at teens, and who they liked from the latest pop bands.

The Yamayurikai wasn't mentioned at all. Perhaps sensing the true cause, the question "Why aren't you going to the Rose Mansion?" never came up.

"Did you see that new sunscreen lotion ad? I heard the model in the swimsuit's the same age as us."

The topic of conversation soon changed. It was bewildering, like flipping pages in a magazine.

Perhaps this was how she would have spent her days if she hadn't become Sachiko-sama's petit soeur. That thought floated into Yumi's mind as she listened to the conversation. With that assumption, the way she drifted along was pleasant enough.

"Then Miitan started sulking, and it turned into such a drama."

"Ah, Miitan is Satoe-san's cat."

"She's a Persian-Japanese mix. Satoe-san showed us a picture a while ago, and she's sooo cute."

This was probably a regular topic of conversation, so the explanation wasn't necessary between the friends. Her kind classmates had provided this commentary for her sake. This consideration made Yumi happy. But on the other hand, it was also something she felt she had to apologize for.

Because she'd caused the conversation to pause momentarily.

As a guest, she'd feel more at ease if the conversation progressed at its usual break-neck pace. But she couldn't say that. There was the question of whether it would be interpreted correctly.

Therefore she obediently chimed-in to the conversation.

"Next time you bring one, could you show me a picture of Mii-chan too?"

"Yumi-san. It's not Mii-chan, it's Miitan."

"Ah, oh no. My apologies."

Yumi smiled as she walked down the corridor. It seemed unbelievable even to herself, but she was indeed smiling.

She didn't know what was so amusing.

But the silly chatter made Yumi smile. She wasn't smiling in her heart, it was only on the surface of her face.

Because that was more comfortable.

Perhaps it would stick, and bring comfort to her heart.

After they'd left the school building, when Milk Hall came into view, she caught sight of someone she knew walking along the path in the opposite direction.

The girl was headed her way, chatting to what looked like a couple of her classmates. Trademark vertical curls on both sides of her head. Probably heading back to her classroom after buying something from Milk Hall. A strawberry milk carton held in her hand.

As they reached point-blank range, Yumi's heart was engulfed in a storm of emotions, but she kept a calm facade, smiling and responding to her classmates' conversation appropriately.

This was to convey that Yumi was unconcerned. That when she looked at Touko-chan's face, she could do so serenely.

It was, ultimately, a display.

This matter didn't concern Touko-chan, it was between herself and Sachiko-sama. Even though Yumi accepted this, that wasn't all there was to it. Because when the person who started it all was right in front of her, she couldn't help but think bad thoughts about her.

"Despicable."

As they crossed paths, Touko-chan said this loud enough that Yumi's group could hear.

Even though she should have ignored it, Yumi turned around. To question why she felt that she had to say this. The rebuttal she wanted to say was, "You're the one stealing my onee-sama."

When she turned around, Touko-chan was standing right there, waiting for her.

"I misjudged you, Yumi-sama."

Yumi had no idea why Touko-chan was acting so boldly. The strength of her gaze made Yumi want to turn away, but she managed to hold on, just. If she looked away, she'd have lost. She wasn't exactly sure what contest they were having, but, at the very least, she recognized the scornful words that had been directed at her.

"You have no right to say something like that."

Yumi wasn't used to arguing. Consequently, those were the only words that she could squeeze out.

"Even if I don't have the right, I'll say what I want to say."

One of Touko-chan's companions said, "Hold on now," grabbed her arm and started to pull Touko-chan away. A first-year student was picking a fight with one of her seniors, so the correct course of action for her friends was to put a stop to it.

"Let's go, Yumi-san."

After there was some distance between them, thanks to Touko-chan's friend dragging her away, Yumi's classmates decided it was best to take her to Milk Hall. It was like they were two dogs, growling at each other, and being separated by their owners.

"If you've got some objection, it's better to speak out. If there's something you want to say, go ahead and say it."

Touko-chan was still barking.

"How can you look away from something so serious and laugh like a ditz?"

"D … ditz?"

Hearing these unexpected words sapped Yumi of her strength. Even if Touko-chan was looking to stir up trouble, saying 'ditz' was being too cruel.

"Just as I thought, Yumi-sama's not suitable for Sachiko-sama."

In the end, Touko-chan's mouth was muzzled by her classmates, and they marched her back to the high-school building.

"The nerve of that kid."

It looked like even Yumi's classmates had been affected by Touko-chan's bile.

"Yumi-san, are you okay?"

"Yeah … I'm fine."

Despite what she said, the truth was that she wasn't fine.

Ditz though she may be, Touko-chan's words had pierced her heart and remained lodged in there even after she'd finished eating her lunch.