Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume26 Chapter1 4

Good Morning Chocolate. Part 4

"You're late."

When they got to the room on the second floor of the Rose Mansion, they were met with a scowl.

"Honestly."

Yoshino-san continued.

"The White and Red Rose families were all so busy this morning exchanging chocolates. But, sadly, the head of the Yellow Rose household is absent today with an entrance exam."

Yumi had a vague memory of this being the sort of line a wife would say when her husband was transferred to a distant city, leaving his family behind.

"Rei-sama's not coming?"

"We'll see. She said she wanted to come once her exam was over, but who knows? She's put an entry in the second-chance draw, so even if she comes she can't participate in the treasure hunt."

So that was it. Yoshino-san was more upset by Rei-sama's absence than she was about chocolates. Last year, the Yellow Rose sœurs – cousins and next-door neighbors – had exchanged chocolates after they got home from school.

"Relax, Yoshino-san. Everyone made it in time for the 8 o'clock meeting."

Mami-san, the president of the newspaper club and editor-in-chief of the Lillian Kawaraban, tried to pacify Yoshino-san. The eight members of the newspaper club had already arrived.

"I don't want to hear that from someone standing there with her sœur."

Mami-san's petite sœur, Hidemi-san, was a member of the newspaper club, so naturally she was also present.

"Oh? But we're not exchanging chocolates."

Mami-san responded immediately.

"You're not?"

Yoshino-san asked, arbitrarily deciding that all sœurs were required to exchange presents on Valentine's Day.

"The newspaper club's focusing all our energy on today's main event. We don't have any spare time for something frivolous like that. Right?"

Mami-san shifted her gaze to her petite sœur, looking for confirmation. But, no matter how long she waited, there was no response of "Yes," or "Of course," forthcoming from Hidemi-san.

"Um … Hidemi-san, did you…?"

Noriko-chan timidly inquired. Then Hidemi-san angrily thrust a cute paper bag at Mami-san. It was undoubtedly a thrust, not just an offer.

"Hidem–"

"So sorry for spending my energy on something as frivolous as this when we don't have any spare time."

"No, it's not like that."

Mami-san was reeling from the unexpected attack. That pair had a relationship more like a boss-and-employee's, rather than sœurs. Mami-san probably didn't know how to cope with this situation, since she couldn't usually spoil or indulge her petite sœur.

(First of all, "thank you.")

Yumi moved around behind Mami-san and whispered in her ear.

"First of all, thank you."

"It's frivolous to say 'first of all'."

(I'm so happy.)

Shimako-san joined in too.

"I-I'm so happy."

She was just saying what she was told. Mami-san was acting like a ventriloquist's dummy.

"That's enough."

Hidemi-san turned her back, like she was sulking.

"My Onee-sama's the newspaper's ogre-in-chief; I wasn't really expecting much."

(An ogre, huh.)

Everyone considered this for a moment, but then:

"Exactly."

The previously deflated Mami-san straightened up and answered heartily.

"I'm the Lillian Kawaraban's ogre. I'm not about to loosen up and have fun even on Valentine's Day."

"Don't say that, Mami-san."

It was like she was verbally trampling all over the gift her petite sœur had gone to great efforts to give her.

"My mind is completely filled with today's event. Hidemi wouldn't be my petite sœur if she didn't understand something like that."

After saying this, Mami-san turned to her petite sœur.

"So? What's this?"

"Ch-chocolate cookies."

"I see. Then I'll eat them after the event, since I usually crave sweet things when I'm tired."

"Okay."

Hidemi-san responded cheerfully.

Wait, wait. Was that okay? Somehow it had all been resolved peacefully. It wasn't just Yumi – Yoshino-san, Shimako-san, Noriko-chan, and all the other newspaper club members were equally bewildered.

Sœurship was an unfathomable thing. Ten pairs would have ten different ways of doing things, same for one hundred, and none of them would have the same sort of relationship as another.

But it was probably those differences that made it so interesting.

"Well then, let's start our final briefing."

With Mami-san's declaration, everyone took their seats and adopted serious expressions.

"First of all, let's review everyone's movements against this timetable, and then —"

Everyone was united in wanting this event to be a success.