Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume11 Chapter4 3

Welcome. Part 3

The rain fell gently all through Tuesday morning.

When lunchtime arrived, the sun didn't come out, but there was at least a break in the rain.

The morning TV weather forecast had said, "Rain, with occasional cloudy periods," so they were currently in one of those 'occasional' times.

"So?"

The young lady with vertical hair rolls stood on the rain-slicked pavement, looking straight ahead, almost glaring. Raindrops glistened on the shrubbery leaves.

"What did you want with me?"

Was her bad mood because she couldn't stand being called out by a senior? Or was it because she didn't want to look at Yumi's face?

Well, maybe it was both.

Touko-chan was being honest, and hadn't tried to conceal her displeasure ever since they left the classroom.

"Are you going to continue where we left off before?"

She looked straight at Yumi, her eyes open wide.

"Continue what?"

Yumi asked, not immediately recalling. Touko-chan snorted, perhaps thinking she was feigning ignorance.

"There's quite the rumor on the streets, perhaps you plan to turn that rumor into reality."

That Touko-chan had slapped Yumi, or that they'd fought over the rosary? Either way, if they got into a physical scuffle, the sisters would put a stop to it. Well, things had been quite lively up until a little while ago.

Still, even if there was a rumor doing the rounds, it was only within the high-school. To call that 'the streets.' Touko-chan was exaggerating a bit.

"Perfect. There's quite the crowd, we're not lacking witnesses. Now to give them something."

"Witnesses … "

Yumi discreetly glanced around. While there weren't that many people in the courtyard, there were students gathering around the windows in the school building that faced the courtyard, obviously watching them.

"If you do anything to me, Yumi-sama, I'll cry. Even if it doesn't hurt, I'll bawl."

" … Ever the actress."

Yumi thought Touko-chan was trying to make a big scene. As if that was the way to behave over a simple misunderstanding. While the rumor about her and Touko-chan was finally dying down, who knows how she'd be labeled if she called a younger student out here and made her cry.

Seeking to change the mood, Yumi cleared her throat and said:

"First of all, I wonder if you could relax your fighting stance."

"Okay?"

Touko-chan asked, looking dubious. Probably trying to find some hidden meaning to her words.

"Look around. Umm, you said it yourself, Touko-chan, there's lots of people watching."

Not just from the first-floor windows either, there were students watching from the second and third-floor windows too.

"Then, why did you chose this place?"

"For the appeal."

"Huh?"

Touko-chan's voice sounded strange as she questioned Yumi's answer.

"You and I don't have a bad relationship. Right, Touko-chan?"

Yumi turned towards the school building, then smiled and waved at the gallery.

"Wait, hold on, what are you doing, Yumi-sama!?"

Touko-chan hastily grabbed Yumi's hand and pulled it down.

As for the people watching, they had all sorts of reactions ranging from awkwardly looking away to happily waving back.

"Geeze, that's embarrassing, stop it already."

"They're so far away that our voices won't carry. So if we smile as we talk, it'll look like we're friendly."

" … You're overdoing it."

Touko-chan sighed in exasperation. With one thing and another, her fighting stance had been completely canceled.

In truth, Yumi had chosen the courtyard because the rain had stopped and it felt good, so this had been an unintended side-effect.

"But when you said before that we don't have a bad relationship, that's not quite right, is it?"

Touko-chan muttered, her brow wrinkled.

"Oh, so you're boldly declaring that we have a good relationship? But, don't you think that's going a bit too far, too fast?"

"That's not what I meant!"

Touko-chan balled both her hands into fists, reached up, then swung down with them. Performing such a violent action in front of the crowd would probably count against her if she pretended to cry later.

"Ah."

Whether she'd just noticed this, or simply decided that her actions were improper, Touko-chan seemed to calm down and straighten herself up, then she brought a handkerchief up to her mouth and said:

"You and I do not have a good relationship. And that's fine."

She leaned in close to Yumi, as though whispering a secret. But Yumi didn't agree with that sentiment.

"Don't say that."

Right, speak plainly. Don't take a stance that prevents the message from being conveyed.

"Why not?"

"That's, umm … Uhh, what was it?"

The reason had completely slipped her mind momentarily, perhaps because they'd been talking too much.

"Umm … Yumi-sama?"

Like she'd just been struck by a headache, Touko-chan touched her temples and creased her brow.

"Please think things through properly before speaking."

It wasn't as though this was completely unplanned. Last night, Yumi put her usually under-utilized brain to work and eventually came up with a solution. But, since she had forgotten the main point, she still had a way to go. Having said that, she'd have also looked quite stupid if she kept referring to notes during the conversation.

"Ahh, right. Now I remember. I wanted to ask you to help out with the Yamayurikai, Touko-chan. So it'd be a problem if we had a bad relationship. That's what I wanted to say."

"Huh?"

This time Touko-chan brought a hand up to her ear, like a granny that had forgotten her hearing aid. Her hand brushed a hair roll, causing it to sway like a spring.

"Just until the end of semester. There's no pay, but there's all-you-can-drink tea. What do you think?"

"… And that's why you called me out?"

Naturally, Yumi nodded vigorously. Other than calling her out, how would she have seen her?

"Rei-sama's semester's packed, she's busy with club activities at the moment. So, just for now, we need an additional pair of hands."

The kendo club had an unexpectedly large number of new members this year, and most of them were beginners. But the number of people who could lead hadn't kept pace, so it seemed to be quite a struggle. Most of the third-years had retired, to prepare for their university entrance exams. The only remaining ranked members were Rei-sama and the club president, as well as two second-years.

Since these girls had gone to the effort of joining the club, Rei-sama wanted to watch them practice, at least while they were learning the fundamentals, which meant she was going to club activities as often as she could. Yumi thought this was because she wanted to ensure they knew the joy of kendo.

After summer vacation, focus would shift to the school festival and she'd squeeze in some Yamayurikai work, but after the school festival came the autumn kendo tournament after which she'd retire, well, that was the plan anyway.

"That's quite a selfish tale."

Touko-chan responded coldly, having listened to Yumi's explanation.

"How so?"

Yumi thought it best to progress the conversation as calmly as possible, and put all her effort into smiling.

"Rather than having Rei-sama and Yoshino-san stop club activities, you're looking for outside assistance. Don't you think that's a bit odd? Even if it was a farce, the Roses were elected to be the students' representatives. If it's an obstacle to their Yamayurikai work, shouldn't they stop their club activities? If they wanted to do something like kendo, they shouldn't have signed up for the school council."

"While they are representatives, they're still students first of all. Even the Roses have the right to participate in club activities … umm, on top of that, each and every high-school student is a member of the Yamayurikai, an organization that's there to support the Roses – "

Yumi trailed off towards the end, but she felt like she'd offered something of a rebuttal. Maybe she would have looked better if she'd had more confidence and spoke more powerfully … Speaking truthfully, she dreaded arguments.

"I understand what you're saying. But, Yumi-sama? Aren't you forgetting that, much like Rei-sama and Yoshino-san are busy with club activities, I'm busy with the drama club?"

"So come on the days you don't have club activities."

"In the lead up to the school festival, I'm busy e-v-e-r-y day."

Touko-chan looked away.

"Has the drama club finalized their rehearsal schedule? They still haven't got a script, so there shouldn't be practice every day, right?"

"…"

Yumi was, at least for now, Rosa Chinensis en bouton. She'd looked over reports and schedules from all the various clubs. Naturally, before she made the offer, Yumi had tried to understand Touko-chan's situation as best she could.

"The drama club president did say that things would start in earnest during summer break."

Touko-chan seemed to sense her general position. Although she didn't say anything, she sighed as if to say, "I'm beat."

"I suppose the others know about this?"

"Huh?"

"That I'll be coming to help."

"Ah, that – "

Yumi was beaming ecstatically, and Touko-chan didn't miss the chance to burst her bubble.

"However, I'll only help out while Rosa Chinensis is absent. I have no intention of helping out with Rosa Foetida or Yoshino-sama's work."

"Okay, I can accept those terms."

That was what Yumi wanted. In truth, Rei-sama and Shimako-san weren't really interested in the idea, so Yumi had gone out on her own to scout someone to help for a fixed term.

"But, why did Yumi-sama come?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, no, nothing … Wait, what are you doing?"

Touko-chan threw herself backwards.

"Huh? I just thought we should link arms."

Yumi had only lightly brushed her arm, but Touko-chan didn't seem at all pleased by it.

"I told you, there's no need to try and be all friendly, geeze."

As she spoke, Touko-chan shook free Yumi's arm that had been entwined around her elbow.

"If our conversation is finished, I'll leave."

Touko-chan walked ahead, looking angry.

Her ears were just a little bit red.