Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume25 Chapter1 2

Sometimes Falling, Sometimes Pulling. Part 2

The "Future Roses" photo-shoot was completed in about five minutes, thanks to the photography club member and newspaper club affiliate Takeshima Tsutako-sama. Since the newspaper club only wanted a single comment from each of Shimako-san, Yumi-sama and Yoshino-sama, that was completed quickly too.

"Congratulations, you three. Cheers!"

So, when they returned to the Rose Mansion, all six Yamayurikai members celebrated. Although, since they were minors and at school, they obviously weren't toasting with champagne. It was just tea, like usual, but having been standing around in the open air for a little while, a warm drink was most welcome.

"Whew, I can let it out now, but I was kind of worried deep inside. Remember how Yoshino suddenly went off script during her speech? She let her emotions take over, and kept going until she ran out of time, sort of losing the plot at the end. I was nervous right up until the results were revealed."

Holding her cup, Rosa Foetida let out a large sigh of relief. Hearing this, Yoshino-sama cast a sidelong glance at her onee-sama.

"Oh my, onee-sama. You really didn't show any of that at all."

Noriko thought, "That's true." After the candidate's speeches, Rosa Foetida had kept saying things like, "Good job, Yoshino," and, "You're going to be fine." There had been no indication of her being nervous.

"Well, of course. You were so excited about your speech that I couldn't tell you what I really thought, could I? The smart choice was not to burst your bubble. You were in such a good mood that I couldn't bring you down. Just try and imagine it. For the last three days you'd have been walking around in a foul mood. Even the votes cast for you would run away."

So that was it. As expected of Rosa Foetida. She knew what she had to do for her petit soeur. That probably came from the long time they'd spent with each other.

"Are you done?"

Yoshino-sama aloofly ended the conversation. They'd been expecting a, "Rei-chan you idiot," but it didn't look like that was coming.

(Ah, is that it?)

Since she'd accomplished her major task (victory in the election), Yoshino-sama was in a good mood and it looked like she wasn't about to flare up no matter what was said. Maybe that's what Rosa Foetida's earlier remark about, "I can let it out now," had been based on. If that was the case, then Rosa Foetida was commensurately incredible.

Speaking of incredible, there was Rosa Chinensis. Even though she forced the three second-years to attend the election information session, she hadn't lifted a finger to help her petit soeur, Yumi-sama, with her election campaign.

At first, Noriko had thought, "What a cold person." However, through observing her behavior, Noriko's impression had gradually changed.

Having made the decision not to help, she could have stayed away entirely, but instead Rosa Chinensis came to the Rose Mansion fairly frequently. As for what she did, she didn't get involved in the election at all – instead she simply read a book by herself. But when Noriko stealthily observed her, she noticed that often twenty minutes would go by without Rosa Chinensis turning a page. So it looked as though she was going to the Rose Mansion because she couldn't keep herself from worrying about how her petit soeur was going with the election.

That Rosa Chinensis was now quietly smiling next to Yumi-sama. Her expression showing that it was because she had faith in her petit soeur. Where did she get that sort of composure from? And Yumi-sama was responding by looking back at her, with an expression saying that she was able to win because her onee-sama was by her side. Even without words, they understood each other.

But in comparison to the dignified and composed Yellow and Red soeurs – Noriko looked at Shimako-san's profile. Just what had she been able to do for Shimako-san?

Naturally, she'd done all sorts of things to help prepare for the election, but Shimako-san was competent enough that she would have been elected even without a petit soeur. Right. Rather than helping out, it felt like she'd been allowed to help. Maybe the way she'd been constantly following her onee-sama around had been a hindrance.

Standing beside these perfect people, her own inexperience was only too obvious.

It was the same with Touko. She was hopeless – she hadn't even been able to guess her friend's feelings. Thoughts like this were bringing Noriko down.

"At any rate, there was a lot of power behind Noriko-chan's support."

Yumi-sama suddenly said.

"Huh?"

"Even the Electoral Committee members were talking about it. The way you kept going, "Good luck, you'll be fine, I believe in you.""

"And then … "Fight?""

Rosa Chinensis added, and then Yumi-sama stuck a finger in the air.

"That's right, "Fight." All so rapid fire like a machine-gun."

"Huh."

Since she did indeed remember that, the only rebuttal Noriko could offer was to ask, "Is that so?" It didn't feel like it was particularly substantive assistance.

"Ah, I heard about that."

Yoshino-sama stuck her nose in from the side.

"It was just before the candidate speeches, right? I didn't hear you say it, but Hanae-san was talking to some of the others about how honest and straight-forward you were."

Incidentally, the reason Yoshino-sama hadn't witnessed that scene was because the Yellow Rose soeurs were busy with something while Noriko was giving Shimako-san a pep talk.

"Right. It had the power to make anyone witnessing it raise their fist and say, "Yeah, that's the spirit." There's no way Shimako-san wouldn't have been cheered on by hearing that."

"… Is that right?"

Noriko glanced at Shimako-san.

"Of course."

Apparently so, since her response and gentle smile came simultaneously.

Noriko was pleased that it was true. That smile was enough to power her.

That compliment had come at just the right time.

Saying that she was fine as she was.

Despite her happiness, Noriko was also feeling a bit teary-eyed.