Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume24 Chapter2 1

The Bout. Part 1

The day after returning home from the women-only New Year's sleepover party at Sachiko-sama's house was the fourth of January.

It seemed kind of sudden, since we'd ticked over into the New Year, but on reflection it had only been about a week away when Rei-chan had said, "The fourth or fifth." A trick of the calendar.

As for Rei-chan, she had neither forgotten about nor been blindsided by the agreed upon day, and she'd even received permission from her father to use the dojo during the day.

Feeling nervous, I peeked into the dojo about half an hour before their 2pm meeting time and Rei-chan was already there.

Already dressed in her kendo clothes (sans armor), she was kneeling, eyes closed. Like she was meditating or focusing her mind. The air in the dojo was bitingly cold, the wooden floorboards shone a deep black, and a fresh-cut sprig of the sakaki tree had been offered up at the household shrine.

I sat down next to Rei-chan, still dressed in my sweater and skirt. I thought about whether or not I should have worn my kendo clothes.

First of all, just what was my position?

Referee? Witness? Announcer? Onlooker?

Nana had said she wanted a bout with Rei-chan. There was no mention of me. But still, what if I showed up in my kendo clothes? Like we were having some kind of group training?

I didn't want to be left out, but that said I didn't want to stick to them like glue either. So, I wanted to come across as though I'd just come to take a look at their bout.

"Yoshino."

Rei-chan opened her eyes and spoke.

"You must not interfere, in words or deed."

"Huh?"

"If you can't promise me that, you'll have to leave the dojo."

"But, I."

Wasn't I bringing Nana along? Well, we aren't yet soeurs, so I suppose Rei-chan doesn't need my permission to cross blades with Nana. But, but, hadn't I introduced Nana as someone I was interested in? Didn't I arrange today's bout –

"I don't really know what you had in mind when you introduced me to Nana-chan. But if we are to cross blades, then this is a kendo match."

A kendo match.

"But."

One was a middle-school student and the other a high-school student. Was it okay to have such a massive difference? – But more than this, what I wanted to do was pin down my own conspicuously neglected feelings that led me to want to blurt this out.

Rei-chan reiterated:

"The shinai is a sword."

Long ago, people who set themselves upon the path of the sword did so literally, not with bamboo shinai, using real swords to test their skill. Losing was death. Therefore, third-parties could not interfere.

"Alright."

I didn't need Rei-chan to tell me that the sword fraternity was strict. It wasn't like I'd read all those swordsman novels just for show.

"I'll just watch. So I can stay, right?"

I asked for confirmation and Rei-chan gave me permission with a, "Yeah."

Taking advantage of this opportunity, I said, "Okay then," and stood up.

"I'll go and get Nana."

I'd sent Nana a map showing the route we usually took home from school, but since they were in the same business she probably had access to more detailed information (like a map showing how to get from the Arima dojo to the Hasekura dojo, or a photo of the street frontage) so I wasn't really worried about her getting lost.

But, for no reason in particular.

It might have been hard to stay with Rei-chan, her "game face" already on, just the two of us waiting in silence in that huge dojo for the appointed time when Nana would arrive.

I love Rei-chan.

But, more than love, occasionally I get scared.

Scared of what?

For the moment, I was scared of the unknown.