Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume5 Chapter5 1

St. Valentine's prank. Part 1.

The reason her eyes were red wasn't because she'd cried the day before.

After all, that would mean a third of her class had been crying for some reason.

Obviously the probability that a chunk of her class had run into a disaster wasn't zero.

But this time it was almost certainly another cause.

Everyone had picked this day to become a rabbit. The cause of red eyes? Lack of sleep.

Think about it, you can't just make it and leave it for a couple days. So the first-year peach-class girls had challenged themselves to work late into the night – something they wouldn't do even for exam studies – and cook up marvelous chocolate pastries.

When she stepped into the room, Yumi was struck speechless by the amount of energy bubbling around. It was almost like how everyone was during the school festival.

"The recipe, you know, it said to let it sit for three days, so I made a batch three days ago and brought the best one. I guess you'd call it beginner's luck? The first one I made turned out the best. But I have to tell onee-sama, 'Please eat today.'"

"I'd promised to hand it to her during lunch, but now I'm worried about the chocolate melting because of the classroom temperature. It might be cooler in the locker."

"Oh no, the box got crushed a bit. But it's too late to make sure everything's alright inside…"

"I was worried about the cookie becoming moistened, so I included a drying agent from a nori can."

-And such.

Talk talk, clatter clatter.

Yumi had come to school thirty minutes earlier than usual, but most of the class had arrived before her. Maybe they'd left home early to beat the rush. Or maybe so they could hand chocolate to their onee-sama first thing in the morning.

Along the way, she'd noticed there were already pairs of sisters performing a chocolate presentation ceremony in front of the Maria-sama statue. On top of working late into the night, they'd come to work early. It was like, thank you for your efforts.

The people that had decided to just use store-bought chocolate might have been able to rest easier, but then they might have had to struggle over hand-made cards, so they might have ended up being sleep deprived, too. And people who'd challenged things like last year's Rei-sama and her cake probably looked in even worse shape, sleep-wise. Some people that were intending to give a hand-knit sweater couldn't finish in time and ended up presenting vests, instead.

"Yumi-san, gokigenyou."

Katsura-san, one such bunny, bounced over to Yumi.

"Katsura-san, you already presented your chocolate, didn't you?"

"Bingo. How'd you know?"

"You look much more relaxed than everyone else."

Everyone who was still needing to present their chocolate had a mysterious quality to them, expressing their anxieties. What if onee-sama rejects it? What if the chocolate runs into an accident before I can present it? No one was letting their guard down, so they looked extremely tense.

"How about Yumi-san? Are you giving chocolate to Sachiko-sama? Aren't the boutons busy after school?"

"… Yes."

Because we hadn't actually made any promises yet, Yumi laughed. Katsura-san, not knowing what was going on, simply pointed out that there didn't need to be any promises. They were sisters. But even Katsura-san had called her onee-sama to the tennis court first thing in the morning to present the chocolate.

"I'm going to step out for a bit."

Yumi left the school coat she'd just taken off and her handbag, then left the classroom. Then she headed straight for the corner leading to the second-year classes.

Inside her handbag rested two little boxes of chocolate truffles that she'd been working on yesterday… no, more like today, at two in the morning.

She'd hoped to make her own variation based on Rei-sama's original, but that was a mistake. She found out that a newbie should always work on the orthodox. While she was trying to find her own special taste, she'd created a number of astonishing things using weird spices and western liquor. So she actually ended up using three times the ingredients she'd intended to use, and even then she barely managed to make enough "proper" ones for Sachiko-sama.

But as she put them in a box, Rosa Gigantea drifted across her head, so as a bit of a prank, she put the others, hardly distinguishable from the right ones from looks, into another box. If she was acting proud after squeezing chocolate from Shizuka-sama, then Yumi would make Rosa Gigantea eat these.

So, there were two boxes in her bag. They were in different-colored boxes, so there was no way she would mix them up. The ivory box was for Sachiko-sama, the brown box was for Rosa Gigantea.

The second-year pine class wasn't as boisterous as Yumi's class, but there were still a fair number of students inside. In the case of second years, they were both on the side of presenting chocolate and on the side of receiving chocolate. In front of the pine class, as well as the next-door camellia class, first-years were waiting like fans looking for stars.

"Oh, Fukuzawa Yumi-san."

Right as she'd been hoping to catch someone's attention, a student came out of the classroom and recognized her face.

"Sachiko-san? Hold on."

And then she turned on her heels and walked right back into the classroom.

"Um, umm…"

But it was too late to stop her. Of course, she was hoping to call Sachiko-sama anyways, so there was never any need to stop her.

(-Umm.)

Things were happening without her even saying anything. And it was deflating enough that she felt a big burden lifted from her shoulders and knees. Essentially, Yumi's face and name were already input into the brains of students as Ogasawara Sachiko's little sister.

She was nervous about approaching an upperclassman's classroom. She had to make sure she didn't mess anything up. She had to make sure she wouldn't embarrass her sister. But all of that worrying was moot.

(Hmm…)

So she sighed. One problem was solved, but the next waited for her. The reason she'd mustered the courage to come here was to see Sachiko-sama.

"I'm sorry. Sachiko-san did arrive, but she's not in the room. Have you gone to the Rose Mansion?"

"I have not."

It was the headquarters for today's treasure hunt, so she'd been avoiding it under the assumption that she shouldn't stop by. That's why she was hoping to catch Sachiko-sama before she went to the Rose Mansion.

"My guess is that she'd there. Why don't you take a look?"

"Okay."

Regardless of whether she would or not, she replied, "Thank you very much," and bowed her head.

"You're welcome. Oh, Yumi-san, you're participating today, aren't you? Good luck, we're all cheering for you."

It probably wasn't her intent, but Sachiko-sama's classmate ended up putting more pressure on Yumi.

She wondered if the second-years just didn't care as much about the treasure hunt as the first-years did. But of course, if you think about it, a half-day dating ticket with a friend who you might even sit next to in class probably isn't that exciting. Yumi herself would probably hand Shimako-san's ticket to someone more worthwhile if she were to happen upon it.

Back to the classroom, or to the Rose Mansion. –Yumi wandered around the hallways as she mulled over her options.

Wherever she went, she kept running into students exchanging chocolate. At the landing of stairs, in front of the faculty room. Some students even met in the courtyard despite how cold it was. "Warmth" and "Quiet place to be alone" had to be weighed carefully.

As she milled about the school grounds, she found the newspaper club distributing copies of "Lillian Kawaraban Petit – etc. –" by the entryway.

"This is finally the day. After school starting three forty-five, the newspaper club presents the 'Yamayurikai Rose bouton treasure hunt festival.' You can find out how to enter here. Please finish exchanging chocolate during lunch break so you can make it on time."

Minako-sama's sister was the one raising her voice. The fact that she was reading bits of the article really made her seem like a street kawaraban merchant, so Yumi felt a twinge of admiration for her.

"Yumi-san."

When she'd picked up her copy, someone tapped her shoulder from behind. When she turned around, she saw Minako-sama.

"Thank goodness. I was worried you might miss school today after what happened yesterday."

Come to think of it, Minako-sama might have seen Yumi's ragged face yesterday. She was in such a panicked state she could only vaguely make out bits of her memory, though.

"I apologize for causing you concern."

"Indeed. If the sister doesn't participate, things become less exciting."

"… Ah."

Minako-sama's worries began and ended at the hype level surrounding the event.

"How about Sachiko-sama? Have you seen her yet?"

"Not yet."

"That's no good, come."

"What?"

Minako-sama grabbed Yumi's hand and walked straight down the hallway.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'd prefer you two settle things down by after school. If the bouton and her sister were fighting, it'd make everything feel glum. But, Yumi-san, if things don't work out just yet, you'll still participate, won't you?"

"What?"

"OK, gotcha, it's a promise!"

(… Promise?)

She didn't remember ever agreeing to it. But Minako-sama was just sliding things along to her own hopes. Anyways, she was intending to participate to begin with, so she didn't bother correcting her.

She was brought to the Rose Mansion.

"Umm."

"Yes?"

"Is an outsider allowed in?"

A piece of paper with "Treasure hunt headquarters" written across it was taped on the door.

"Of course. We're leaving the Rose Mansion open for the treasure hunt anyways, so there's event-related left inside. And the boutons are tight-lipped, so I don't think they'll let anything slip."

"Do come in."

Minako-sama was acting completely like a regular inhabitant of the Mansion. By contrast, Yumi was acting the part of a customer, saying, "Excuse me," as she stepped in. The roles were completely reversed today.

"Well, wish you luck."

Yumi was expecting her to come in, too, but instead Minako-sama simply turned back around and left. She had a lot to do before the morning prayers, she said. If she was that busy, she shouldn't be poking her head into the affairs of other sisters like this…

She carried herself heavily toward the stairs when the first-floor door opened.

"Wah!!"

Both people on opposite sides of the door. Neither expected the other to be there, so they both put a hand to their heart and froze.

"… Oh it's just Yumi-san, you surprised me so much!"

"Oh, Shimako-san."

"Wh… what is it?"

Shimako-san was acting extremely flustered. A very rare sight to behold. Like she'd been caught doing something bad.

"Is Sachiko-sama in?"

"What? Umm, yes, she's upstairs… I think."

"Thank you."

She thanked Shimako-san and walked right up the stairs. She wasn't busy like Minako-sama, but if she didn't hurry, she wouldn't make it back to the morning prayers.

(Shimako-san was really sweating, though.)

Yumi stopped half-way up the stairs and looked at the door Shimako-san had appeared from. It was hard doing things you don't normally do. Yumi assumed Shimako-san was doing something treasure hunt-related, so she acted like she didn't see anything.

When she got to the door to the salon, also known as the meeting room, Yumi heard not just Sachiko-sama's voice, but many voices.

Yumi froze, her fist placed over her chest. It wasn't really like she found the room itself menacing, but there was definitely an emotional hurdle in the way. She remembered how disgraceful she was yesterday, and it made her want to just run away and go home, but it was an obstacle she would have to make it past if she wanted to stay Sachiko-sama's sister.

This time, when she opened the door, Sachiko-sama would be on the other side.

(First, I'll apologize for yesterday, and then-)

She mentally planned out what she would do, then knocked. There was no answer. Then she worried that if she were to wait until there was an answer, she'd lose her momentum, so she opened the door and went in.

"Cut it out, Yoshino."

The first thing that greeted her was Rei-sama's shout.

"You don't have to tell me, just listen to my predictions."

She was being yelled at, but Yoshino-san showed no signs of backing down. Forget backing down, it looked like she'd grabbed her prey by the throat and didn't want to let go. Yelp, yelp, like a noisy little puppy. There was no way they'd have heard Yumi's knock through this.

"You're probably hoping to check right or wrong based on my facial expression, but I won't fall for it. … Oh, Yumi-chan, good timing. Sorry, but can you take this loud bother elsewhere?"

"Eh… uhh, what?" As she stood there confused, Rei-sama grabbed both of Yoshino-san's hands, dragged her to Yumi, and held her out to Yumi, like she was giving something to her.

"You could at least give me a hint. Stingy sister!"

She scowled and stuck out her tongue. For whatever reason, that hateful face suited Yoshino-san well. It actually made her look cuter.

"I can't tell you, you know that. You've already got an advantage just by being my sister."

In short, Yoshino-san had been persistently dogging Rei-sama trying to find out where the treasure was. Of course Rei-sama would yell at her.

"Umm."

Yumi wasn't especially pleased at being told to handle something this dreadful. But Yoshino-san had calmed down, her last words having expressed everything, so it was at least somewhat more manageable.

"Fine. I won't rely on onee-sama. … Yumi-san, let's go."

At first she was supposed to be taking Yoshino-san away, but now it looked more like Yoshino-san was taking her away. All of her mental preparations had gone down the drain.

Sachiko-sama was sitting beyond Rei-sama. She was sitting in her favorite chair and calmly looking this way-

"W-wait a second, Yoshino-san."

Just as she'd been dragged to the other side of the door, Yumi planted her foot and shook herself free. It'll be just a moment, she said, and then she dashed back in the room.

"Onee-sama."

"Y… yes?"

Yumi had walked back in with such force that Sachiko-sama looked astonished.

"Umm, I apologize for how I acted yesterday. And, if you're willing, I'd like to request some of your time today."

Yumi said everything in one breath.

"Continuing from yesterday? … Okay."

After a moment of silence, Sachiko-sama clasped her hands, looked up, and suggested.

"How about in the evening. After the treasure hunt?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"If possible, somewhere we can be alone… Like the old greenhouse."

"Greenhouse?" Sachiko-sama furrowed her brows.

"Yes. If that's an inconvenient place, I can try to think of another."

"It's not inconvenient, but… Well, no, the greenhouse it is."

"Okay."

Thank you very much, she said, and she turned away. Then Sachiko-sama stopped her with, "Yumi."

"Are you going to participate in the treasure hunt?"

"Yes."

Of course, she answered. After all she became an "outsider" to participate. And everything went downhill because of this. So if she decided not to participate now, of all times, then her priorities would definitely have been all over the place.

"I see."

Curiously, Sachiko-sama looked conflicted.

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