Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume33 Chapter2 4

The Green Bird and the White Flower. Part 4.

They returned to their classroom, opened the boxes and counted out the number of flowers.

The corsages looked like roses, with many white petals. They glittered and sparkled with such brilliance it was almost painful to look at them.

After confirming there were the correct number of corsages and practicing the ceremony from start to finish, there was nothing more left to do. They were all probably thinking that they could have arranged to meet ten minutes later, but no-one said anything. Anyway, it was good that they weren't rushed.

The morning prayers weren't broadcast over the PA system during homeroom today. The roll call was quickly dispensed with and the six of them promptly left the classroom heading for the third year classrooms.

"A while ago Minato-san told me that the art club's president's class … is it peach? or camellia? … did something incredible."

Itsue-san said as they walked down the hallway.

"Incredible how?"

The other five asked for specifics. They were walking double-file, so they were all bunched together.

"The classroom decorations. Minato-san and the others were worried about theirs, so they had a look at what the other classes had done. Only one of them stood out as being on a different level."

"You say it was on a different level, but there's a limit to how good it could be, right?"

Because there were established traditions about how the decorations of the third year classrooms should be done, to avoid classes trying to outdo each other. The front and rear blackboards, the windows and the surface of the walls could all be decorated. The allowed materials were imitation Japanese vellum, paper streamers, tissue paper (a limited amount) and the chalk that was in the classroom. They could also use cellophane tape, glue or magic markers they had in their own classroom.

"There were pictures drawn on the blackboards in chalk that looked like ink and wash paintings. And they made a dragon out of the imitation vellum."

"A dragon?"

A revitalized Yoshino-san mumbled, while Yumi just shook her head.

"A flying dragon."

This was all hearsay, so some of the specifics may be wrong, but it seems the blackboard had a picture of carp swimming up a waterfall and the dragon (sculpture?) was above the blackboard. The cheerful sketch showing carp turning into dragons was probably intended to represent the seniors graduating from school. As you would expect from the head of the arts club. Her interest piqued by the conversation, Yumi wanted to have a look at this later, if possible.

The group arrived at the third year classrooms after discussing various things, including an update from Satoe-san about her cat, Mii-tan. The third year pine group's classroom door was closed tight, and they could hear the teacher's voice coming from inside. It seemed as though they were still in the middle of homeroom.

While they were waiting outside, the homeroom finished and the teacher in charge came out to get them.

"Thank-you for your effort."

Looking at Yumi's group, the teacher gave them the okay to enter.

"Excuse us."

Mami-san bowed before stepping foot inside the classroom. Yoshino-san, who until recently had been exultant, handed over her lead position right before entering the classroom.

This was a solemn occasion for the graduating seniors. They couldn't afford to make a single careless mistake. Whether or not Yoshino-san was reflecting on this, she seemed to be frozen to the spot.

On that point, Mami-san was the type of person who could handle anything flawlessly. She wasn't even slightly perturbed about suddenly being asked to go in first. Her comment to a worried Yoshino-san of, 'I'm just the herald. The king comes afterwards,' was said with irony.

The remaining five girls filed in after Mami-san. Yumi located her onee-sama instantly, but she repeated, 'I'm here as a representative of everyone,' to herself and tried earnestly to restrain her face, hands and feet from moving of their own accord.

The inside of the classroom was beautifully decorated. A group of girls wearing the Lillian's uniform with a speech bubble saying, 'Congratulations on your graduation' were drawn on the blackboard. The illustrated figures were holding a bouquet of flowers made out of tissue paper. The flowers weren't just ordinary folded flowers either, the center of the flowers were all different colors, and the variously colored petals were intricately woven together. And on the windows, they had created constellations of stars out of paper streamers – .

Minato-san may have lost confidence after seeing what Ayane-san's class had done, but Yumi thought it turned out wonderfully. If Minato-san were here, Yumi would congratulate her, saying, 'That's what you'd expect from the manga club,' but unfortunately she wasn't there.

"Congratulations on today."

Mami-san acted as their representative and greeted the third years.

"We will now pin the flowers to your chests. We will try our best to do this properly, but if we make a mistake please don't hesitate to tell us."

The line of six girls all bowed as one, then stood as three pairs beside the three boxes they had brought. The pairs were Satoe-san and Misa-san, Itsue-san and Mami-san, and, finally, Yumi and Yoshino-san.

"Yumi-san and Yoshino-san, please take the center."

Hearing Mami-san's instructions, Yumi was taken aback when she realized their significance. The second year students would be walking around to the graduating students desks to pin the flowers to them, and towards the back of the center area was the desk of none other than her onee-sama, Ogasawara Sachiko-sama.

(So then – )

That wasn't just coincidence, nor would it be arrogant to say that everyone seemed to be looking out for her. Allowing her to pin the flower to the chest of her onee-sama was a huge gesture of kindness from her friends.

Could that be it? Surely it must be. She wasn't given this position just so she could watch her onee-sama. If she were to refuse now, it would be an insult to Michiyo-san, who gave her this position. Therefore, Yumi obediently stood in the center.

At any rate, her onee-sama's seat was still a way off. Yumi resolved to do her best for all the students she would pin a flower to.

"Congratulations."

Yumi took one of the white corsages from the box that Yoshino-san was carrying, unfastened the safety-pin and attached it to the chest area of the girl's school uniform.

"Thank-you."

There were students who would just say that, and others who would talk more.

"Congratulations."

Tall or short, long-haired or short-haired, buxom or slender, the corsage was always put on in the same way, but there were times when it went quickly and easily, and other times when it took longer.

And in the middle of that.

"Congratulations."

"Thank-you."

Normally, this was where Yumi would say, 'Excuse me,' and then pin the flower to the girl's chest, but for some reason her hand stopped. Huh? That girl's previous movement had been kind of awkward. What was this feeling?

Yumi withdrew her arm that was holding out the white corsage, and had another look at the person in front of her.

She was the short and cute type. Yumi had the feeling she had seen her somewhere before, but couldn't remember who she was. Yumi had come to this classroom many times asking for her onee-sama, so there were many students who had acted as an agent for her. Could this girl be one of them?

Yumi couldn't remember who this was, but she did know why her hand had faltered. The girl was looking at Yumi as though she wanted to say something. And Yumi had noticed that. What could it be?

"Umm."

It would be strange to ask 'who are you?' but Yumi felt that just standing there like that wasn't helping either of them. Engaging in a staring contest until her memories returned was no good. Yoshino-san, who was standing beside her holding the box, was probably starting to wonder what was going on. Perhaps seeing the commotion in Yumi's heart, that girl let out a soft sigh, smiled, and then moved both her hands behind her neck.

(Huh?)

That movement had been a prelude to her changing her hairstyle. She took her hair that reached just below her shoulders, split it between her two hands and pulled one bundle alongside each ear before looking at Yumi.

"Ah."

Yumi had definitely seen someone who looked like that before. Although, at the time, her hair had been shorter – barely long enough to tie in two. And she had said something to Yumi. It was… this:

Yumi-san, have you come here to look for the card?

"Valentine!"

It was on Valentines Day. During last year's Valentines Day treasure hunt, she and Yumi had both looked for the crimson card inside the greenhouse. Yumi had dug in the ground beside the Rosa Chinensis plant, but found nothing. She was the only one who had seen the entire event, the sole witness.

When Yumi had said 'Valentine,' the girl had initially looked surprised, but then seemed to remember and smiled as she let her hair down.

"I'd been worried about it ever since. That I'd done something wrong by you, Yumi-san. But now that we've reached the end, perhaps it's Maria-sama's blessing that you're the one to pin the flower to my chest."

"Huh?"

"Should I tell Sachiko-san about what happened on that day … that's what I was thinking."

She didn't turn around as she spoke of Valentines Day, but there was no doubt that Sachiko-sama, sitting two rows behind her, was on her mind.

Yumi too had spent some time thinking about it.

On that day, if Yumi hadn't met 'that person' in the greenhouse, would she have found the crimson card herself?

On that day, if 'that person' hadn't stayed alone in the greenhouse, would the crimson card have remained missing, and the event finished without anyone knowing who had found the card and spirited it away?

On that day, why hadn't the person that found the crimson card come forth as the winner of the treasure hunt?

Why had the crimson card been dug up and then returned to its original hiding place?

Yumi didn't know. No matter how much she had thought about it, she could never come up with a plausible theory.

Not without solving the riddle of who 'that person' was.

Not without talking to 'that person.'

And now, 'that person' was here in front of her. And was wondering if she should talk about the events of that day.

"It's okay as is."

Yumi answered.

After all, her onee-sama had believed what Yumi had said back then and they had been able to reconcile after the previous day's quarrel. And even though Yumi hadn't been able to find the crimson card, the two of them had been able to go on a date.

To go over the things that had happened back then wouldn't change a thing. There was nothing that had to be regained.

"But, well… you."

She was about to say something about Valentines Day, but Yumi shook her head. There was no need to force the truth to light. That was why Yumi chose to quote the words that Sachiko-sama had said back then.

"That was Saint Valentine's prank."

And with that, Yumi caused a white flower to bloom in Valentine's chest.

But even so, that person had been a senior. No wonder Yumi hadn't found her when she searched her classmates. It would be impolite to say it, but even now she looked so young that she wouldn't seem out of place amongst the first years.

Yoshino-san looked at her and said 'what was?' but Yumi didn't really have time to explain now, so she let it drop. Yoshino-san seemed to understand this too, but she made a signal with her eyes that said, 'I'll ask you about this later.'

After three more people, it was Sachiko-sama's turn.

"Congratulations."

She may be her onee-sama, but it would be odd if Yumi were to treat her any differently to everyone else. So Yumi tried her best to act impartially, but despite her efforts something special happened.

"Ahh, yeah."

Sachiko-sama cleared her throat. At which point the people around her hastily looked away. Yumi hadn't noticed, but it seemed that the Red Rose sisters had become an exhibition. Come to think of it, her onee-sama had been worried about her classmates spying on them when they had exchanged chocolates on Valentines Day too.

(Hmmm.)

So what can we draw from this previous exchange?

1. There are a lot of sticky-beaks in the third year pine class.
2. Ogasawara Sachiko is highly attuned to when people are looking at her.
3. In contrast, Fukuzawa Yumi is completely oblivious to this.

That's probably everything.

"It's okay, please pin the flower to me."

Sachiko-sama said. Yumi glanced around, to see how many people were looking at her. Everyone seemed to be minding their own business, but they would still steal the occasional glance. Despite this, nobody was openly staring at them and Sachiko-sama had apparently decided that was sufficient. If she were to wait until no-one was looking their way, they would probably be there all day, and things were already strained.

"Well then, please excuse me."

Yumi took a white corsage from the box and quickly pierced the chest of her onee-sama's school uniform with the safety pin. After traveling about one centimeter beneath the dark fabric the tip of the pin surfaced.

Ahh, she'd run the pin exactly horizontal. And the length was perfect too. Consequently, the flower wasn't lopsided nor would it sway. Yumi was thinking, 'All I have to do now is catch the pin in the clasp and I'll be done,' but then:

"Huh?"

Sachiko-sama hooked something long and black over Yumi's right wrist.

"Keep going."

"...Ah, yeah."

In the interval between returning the safety pin to its original state and adjusting the flower, the long, black object was loosely tied around her wrist.

It was the black ribbon.

The Christmas present that Sachiko-sama had received from Yumi on Christmas Eve two years ago.

The ribbon that Yumi found in the first floor of the Rose Mansion yesterday, causing her to run off in search of her onee-sama, thinking that she had to return it.

The ribbon that had tightly bound their wrists together as they cried and embraced each other.

That ribbon was here, now.

"Look after it."

Sachiko-sama spoke.

"Until the ceremony is over."

Yumi understood that Sachiko-sama was saying that this was a charm. That she wanted Yumi to look after the ribbon that originally had been hers, but was now Sachiko-sama's property.

During the graduation ceremony, the graduating students all sat towards the front of the vast gymnasium, clearly separated from the rest of the students who sat towards the back. But the two of them would be tightly bound together by this ribbon. So it will be okay, was undoubtedly what Sachiko-sama wanted to say.

Perhaps thinking that it wouldn't be good to have it in such a conspicuous location, Sachiko-sama gently untied the ribbon and placed it across the palms of Yumi's hands.

"You can just keep it in your pocket."

"Okay."

Yumi snapped both her hands shut around the ribbon like a clam, wrapped it up and then put it in her pocket, as she had been told to. Then she said, 'I'm done,' and moved one row back to pin the flower to the chest of the next student.

For some reason, a round of applause broke out.

Ahh, that must be it.

It seems they had put on quite the show.

Still, no matter how much they applauded, there would be no encore.