Maria-sama ga Miteru:PremiumBook Answer

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Ogasawara Sachiko looked like a monster.

The way she walked in silence, a heavy bag slung over her shoulder, was somehow reminiscent of a special-effects monster rampaging down the main street of a miniature city.

She was always angry at something.

Fighting against something invisible.

Her fight wasn't with something in front of her right now; rather it was likely an intentional repeat of an earlier fight.

Something too big for her to handle herself.

Struggling, but unable to adapt to the world.

Every time the monster went for a walk, the town was destroyed.

Perhaps the monster knew that it caused harm wherever it went.

That was the monster's sorrow.

Lillian Girls' Academy high school first-year, Ogasawara Sachiko.

* * *

"Youko, have you decided?" asked Rosa Chinensis from behind her.

Pretending to have her focus on making tea, Youko hesitated slightly. "What are you referring to, onee-sama?" she answered, without turning around.

"Don't play dumb," Youko's onee-sama laughed. "That pause before your answer was a dead giveaway. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"My apologies." As she spoke, Youko poured the Darjeeling tea into teacups. The scented steam softly embraced her whole body. Her abilities were completely insufficient. She took a deep breath to help pull herself together. "You're talking about a petite sœur?"

After school, in the Rose Mansion. She carried three teacups over to the table. Rosa Chinensis and Youko, and —

"A girl with a straightforward personality is one option, Youko-chan."

Rosa Gigantea. Satou Sei's onee-sama.

"A straightforward personality?"

"Or, for example, a really tall girl. Or one that's round, like a sumo wrestler, or with a voice that sounds like a frog. Or a girl with frizzy hair."

"Or one with a western face?" Youko asked.

"Exactly." Rosa Gigantea nodded her head happily. "Rather than naming a specific person, you could just say something like, 'That boyish girl,' and the person would come to mind."

"Ah, you mean Hasekura Rei?"

The name of a new first-year came from Rosa Chinensis' mouth. With her very short hair and sharp features, at first glance she looked like a young man. She'd apparently caught the interest of Rosa Foetida en bouton, Torii Eriko, so they all knew her face and that she'd joined the Kendo club.

"That's just like Eriko-chan. Zeroing in on something good."

"Apparently she didn't even check with Rosa Foetida, never mind us."

"Eriko-chan's never stayed within the expected norms. But she's taking Rosa Foetida along to watch the Kendo club's practice today. So, it's just a bit delayed."

"She's taking her onee-sama?"

"She's turning up the pressure on the Kendo club second-years. Letting them know that the Yellow Rose family already has its eye on Hasekura Rei. After all, a lot of sœur relationships are established between older and younger students in the same club."

"I see . . ."

If things continued, the Yellow Rose family's petite sœur problem would be neatly resolved. The conversation stopped with Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Gigantea sipping their tea, showing their envy.

It was the beginning of May, so it hadn't even been a month since the new first-years arrived. Youko herself wasn't feeling particularly rushed, but the way the Roses heckled her about it wasn't exactly enjoyable. She was in the same position as Sei, who hadn't found a candidate either . . . but Sei never showed up to any of the meetings in the Rose Mansion, which meant that Youko had to sit on that bed of nails alone.

"Which means that next is Youko-chan's turn. You have to bring us someone at least as interesting as Hasekura Rei."

"Rosa Gigantea, if you have any requests, please address them to your own petite sœur."

"Sei. . . ? I don't know if she'll be able to take a petite sœur. It feels like she's got her hands full just with herself, don't you think?"

"You're as indulgent as ever." Rosa Chinensis looked accusingly at Rosa Gigantea. This wasn't the first time Rosa Gigantea had been overly protective of her petite sœur.

"Stop trying to force Sei into a particular mold. She'll break into a million pieces. And then who's going to pick up those sharp pieces scattered all over the floor?" Rosa Gigantea was going to continue to protect her petite sœur against that sort of threat.

When it came to picking up the pieces, Youko was always up for the job, but Satou Sei was her friend and she didn't want to see her hurt or shattered. So, when it came down to it, she went along with Rosa Gigantea's handling of matters. She was just as indulgent. They were equally responsible.

"Why was it that you chose such a bothersome petite sœur, Rosa Gigantea?"

Rosa Gigantea laughed at Rosa Chinensis' question. "Because I wanted to decorate myself with, and gaze upon, such a fine crystal ornament." She had said, "I like your face," and Sei decided to become her petite sœur. In a way, it was the purest form of courtship. "Although, I know that the practical kind of petite sœur like Youko-chan is a treasure."

"By the way, if you think Sei-chan's fine crystal, what is Youko?"

"A furoshiki cloth."

"How so?"

"Always useful, and easy to use. Never in the way. Unbreakable."

"Brilliant! Twenty points." Rosa Chinensis clapped her hands. It was a fitting analogy. Sadly, even Youko couldn't think of a better item to liken herself to. "But as Youko's onee-sama, a request. If you can, I want you to think 'high-class.' Not plastic, but a proper cloth furoshiki. One with embroidery, or her name sewn into it."

Youko was grateful for Rosa Chinensis' meager sympathy, but even that follow up didn't make her feel like smiling. With a conflicted expression, Youko sighed. Her onee-sama then said, "Forget about it," and handed her a notebook.

"What's this?"

"We made a list of the main first-years. But don't think you have to choose someone in here. Why don't you use it as a reference?"

"I'll take a look."

Sei would probably violently oppose this sort of meddling. As she thought this, Youko accepted the notebook. Inside was a basic profile of about twenty first-year students, covering such things as their name, class, club activities, and so on. Since Hasekura Rei had gone unnoticed by all the Roses, her name was obviously not in the book.

Youko flipped through the notebook. But there weren't any photographs, and she couldn't tell who most of the first-years were just by their names.

"This would be quite difficult to use as a reference, onee-sama."

"Yeah, I guess so. You don't have to rely on the notebook though."

It looked like it was made half in jest. Either that, or for the enjoyment of seeing Youko's reaction. They were the sort of people to put that much effort into a practical joke. Probably a reaction against studying hard for exams.

"Ah . . . ," Youko's eyes stopped on a certain student's page. "The monster."

"Monster?"

"Ah, never mind."

Despite her unintended utterance, there was, of course, no actual monster on the list. The girl was, in one sense, a celebrity within the school. Youko knew who she was even without a photograph.

"Ahh, Ogasawara Sachiko?" Rosa Gigantea said, peeking at the page Youko was on.

"Why is her page crossed out?"

"Her name came up as a possibility, but we unanimously agreed that it would be impossible to make her a petite sœur, so we took her name off the list."

Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Gigantea, Rosa Foetida. So this was the collective view of the three Roses.

"Is she hard to deal with because she's a rich princess?"

Ogasawara Sachiko was the daughter of the president of a large company.

"It wouldn't matter whether she was a rich princess or a poor princess. Well, assuming someone takes her as a petite sœur, then to get to know her properly they'd probably have to deal with the question of whether she was easy to get along with or not. But that's much further down the track."

"Then what is it?" Youko asked, wanting to know why Ogasawara Sachiko had been eliminated.

This time Rosa Chinensis answered. "It's pretty simple. Ogasawara Sachiko doesn't have any free time."

"Because of her extracurricular lessons?"

Youko said the first thing that came to mind, and the two Roses sounded a bit surprised when they asked, "You knew?"

"I've seen her coming and going from school carrying her schoolbag and another, heavier bag a couple of times now."

"A couple of times, you say," Rosa Chinensis said for emphasis, but Youko pretended not to notice and continued talking.

"But, if it's about club activities . . ."

Hasekura Rei was going to become Eriko's petite sœur while still being a member of the Kendo club. And it wasn't unusual for a young lady to have one or two extracurricular activities. It seemed unlikely that all of the other students profiled had none.

"Club activities aren't every day."

"She has extracurricular lessons every day?"

Rosa Chinensis nodded. "A personal tutor comes to her house on the days she doesn't have extra bags."

Rosa Gigantea continued, "But even if they were every day, club activities would still be more compatible with the student council. She could split her time between the two depending on how busy each was, and, in extreme cases, she could go back and forth between them because they'd be on the same campus."

But once she'd left school for the day, there was no coming back. For that reason, Ogasawara Sachiko had been struck from the list.

"That was the only reason she was taken off the list?"

"That was the only one. But that reason would be hard to shift, no?" Rosa Chinensis smiled and sipped her tea.

"Understood," Youko replied, closing the notebook. And then —

"You're not allowed to persuade Ogasawara Sachiko to quit her activities, Youko," Rosa Chinensis said, without raising her head, as though she were talking about the weather.

"Onee-sama . . ."

As expected, she was no match. Before the petite sœur was even conscious of it, the onee-sama had accurately guessed her intentions.

"It's outside of school. No school student has any standing in the matter."

"Then what should I do?"

"What should you do? Well, tell me, what situation do you think you want to be in?"

"What situation?"

"Have you decided on Ogasawara Sachiko as your petite sœur."

"Not really."

She couldn't say "yes." But a straight "no" would be a lie too. There was no doubt that she was interested in Ogasawara Sachiko, but that didn't necessarily mean that she wanted her as a petite sœur. Youko had to make up her mind as to whether or not they would be compatible. She'd probably turn out to be a "bothersome partner" like Satou Sei. And that looked like it would be a harder problem than after-school lessons.

"Then you don't have to do anything. It has nothing to do with you."

Getting no response, she spoke again.

"Youko, answer me."

Youko's response was slow to come. "Okay." She knew that her feelings were leaning in the opposite direction of her words. They were leaning towards Ogasawara Sachiko.

On the way to school —

She subconsciously searched for the figure of Ogasawara Sachiko.

After school —

She would slip off to the restroom after she'd finished cleaning and other tasks, rather than heading straight to the Rose Mansion, and wander aimlessly along the path lined with ginkgo trees.

No, there was an aim. Seeing Ogasawara Sachiko . . . that was her goal. She was always beautiful, with a strong will showing on her face. But sometimes it pained Youko to look at her. What was she fighting against? Why did she have to fight? From the outside looking in, Youko couldn't tell anything. She wanted to reach into her center; to see into her heart. This feeling slowly expanded.

One day . . .

Finally, Youko called out to Ogasawara Sachiko.

"Ogasawara Sachiko-san."

It felt as though she'd been possessed by something as she watched the first-year moving in her usual "monster destroying the town" manner, right in front of Maria-sama.

"Yes." Sachiko looked over her shoulder, appearing momentarily startled. But her usual strong, or combative, expression soon returned, asking, "What?"

"I just wanted to talk to you for a little while. How much time have you got?"

Sachiko looked at her watch. "About ten minutes."

"Ten minutes. That should be fine. Come with me," Youko smiled, and started walking.

They were on the tree-lined path and students were streaming past them on their way home. She wasn't particularly concerned about being seen, but it wasn't the place for a leisurely conversation.

"Calligraphy?"

Something like a sushi mat protruded from Sachiko's cloth bag, and Youko caught a glimpse of a calligraphy brush inside it.

"Yes."

She hadn't introduced herself, but it appeared as though Sachiko knew of Youko. However, she didn't seem to understand why Rosa Chinensis en bouton had called out to her.

"You can relax. I'm not going to ask you to be my sœur," Youko said, anticipating the question. Sachiko had a conflicted look on her face, so perhaps that possibility had fleetingly crossed her mind. "I know you've got lots of after-school lessons. So I'm not about to ask you to come and help out with the Yamayurikai." Youko followed up her initial statement, conveying that it wasn't because Sachiko was unsuitable as Rosa Chinensis en bouton's petite sœur.

The pair crossed over to the university grounds and sat down on a bench facing the water fountain. There were still people milling about, but no-one in the same uniform as them, so they were unlikely to be interrupted. Youko looked at a small rainbow created by the spray from the fountain as she spoke.

"Which do you like the most?"

"Huh?"

"Which extracurricular."

Sachiko paused for a while before answering. "It's not a matter of liking them. That's not something I've ever considered."

That was a completely unexpected answer.

I like calligraphy. I like ballet. While she hadn't been expecting that kind of simplistic answer, she never imagined it would be "something I've never considered." A more appropriate answer to an older student she'd just met might have been to evade the question with, "I like them all," or, "They all have their merits." But, "That's something I've never considered." Youko shivered. Sachiko said exactly what she thought, with no sugarcoating. So Youko blurted out her next question, wanting to hear the answer.

"So, you're not doing them because you like them. Then, is it inertia? Just doing what your parents told you?"

"Who blindly follows their parents at my age? While my father and grandfather may have found the tutors, I continue the lessons of my own volition."

"Even though you don't like them?"

"I have an appreciation for them."

An appreciation. That wasn't the sort of thing a first-year high-school girl would say. Had she meant it as a joke?

"Is it for a marriage interview?"

"A marriage interview. . . ? No." Sachiko immediately refuted the suggestion. Then, after thinking for a little while, she changed her answer. "I don't know. Perhaps it is for a marriage interview."

What had gone through her mind in those few seconds? But Youko couldn't pry that deeply. They weren't sœurs. But more than that, Youko had seen a shadow flicker across Sachiko's face. Perhaps the daughter of a prestigious family had to deal with drama that was completely unknown to the common people.

"To add to your appeal."

Youko ended the conversation, even as she was thinking that Sachiko had enough appeal just by being a rich, beautiful and smart young lady. She felt like, somehow, she'd chased down Sachiko as they talked. However —

"It's nothing like that," Sachiko retorted. "It's as though there's something missing from me. I'm doing it so I can fill in that missing part."

"A desire to better yourself?"

"I just don't think I'm fine staying the way I am now. I'm not dismissing my fifteen years of life so far, but I think I'm searching for something."

"I hope you find it. The thing you're searching for." Youko stood up. "It's been ten minutes."

That was dangerous. Just a little bit more, and Youko would have offered Sachiko her rosary. She felt like she wanted to search for that "something" with Sachiko.

"Just what were you trying to achieve by this?" Sachiko stood up too, slinging the bag over her shoulder and picking up her schoolbag.

"I told you, didn't I? I just wanted to talk to you."

"Is that so?"

For a moment it looked like she was smiling, but that could have just been Youko's imagination.

"Gokigenyou."

"Gokigenyou."

They exchanged the customary Lillian Girls' Academy farewell, then went their separate ways from the fountain. Youko headed over to the ginkgo tree path on her way back to the Rose Mansion, and ran into Sei standing there.

"Huh. So it's true that you've got your sights set on Ogasawara Sachiko."

She was heading home. It looked like she was skipping out on the meeting again today.

"That's just like you. Totally."

"Like me?" Youko asked, and Sei laughed cynically.

"You like to involve yourself in other people's problems, Youko, and she's a first-year who needs help."

"I beg your pardon. It's not like I go around helping anyone and everyone."

"Right. My apologies."

It was just that Youko wanted to have a connection to the people that interested her. And the people that interested her were generally considered "bothersome" people.

"Did you ask her?"

"No. For various reasons. My onee-sama would stop me before I got too deep into it anyway."

"She'd stop you? Really? When something has to be done, you do it, Youko."

"Hehe." Youko laughed; Sei knew her well.

"Setting that aside, red and white are being skillfully manipulated, no?"

"Manipulated? By our onee-samas?" The unexpected words came flowing out. "But they gave me a convincing reason why Ogasawara Sachiko couldn't be my petite sœur."

"Well, I don't know about that. Don't you enjoy overcoming tough obstacles?" Sei twirled her index finger in Youko's face, as though she were trying to catch dragonflies.

"Obstacles . . ."

Of all the first-years listed, only one name had been crossed out: Ogasawara Sachiko. They could have easily torn that page out, so why had they put a cross through it?

"So they were setting the stage?"

"Who knows."

In that case, resolving the problem was a challenge that had been sent by her onee-sama. If you can make Ogasawara Sachiko your petite sœur, you would clear it. But what should she do? She'd been forbidden from persuading Sachiko to quit her lessons.

"Well, I'll be happy if you can get a petite sœur. Do your best."

"Sei."

They were both boutons, but Sei was completely ignoring the question of her own petite sœur.

"Tomorrow's the welcoming ceremony for the new students." Youko called out as her friend walked away, towards the school gate.

"I'll be there," answered Sei, without turning around. "I promised my onee-sama."

Ahh, right. That was why she said that Youko "involved herself in other people's problems."

The Yamayurikai-organized welcoming ceremony typically took place in the middle of May, in the afternoon after the Maria ceremony. The Yamayurikai executives gathered the first-years in the church, handed out small medals that symbolized the first-years' joyous entry into the school, and presented a basic program of songs and speeches to welcome them. A large part of it was probably also to familiarize the new first-years with the student council members, referred to as Roses.

Youko made her way to Rosa Chinensis' side in preparation for the ceremony.

"Onee-sama. I may not be able to find a petite sœur."

Inside the box she carried were the celebratory medals. After this, the three Roses would share the load of placing one around the neck of each first-year.

"Oh my. That is troubling."

The way she spoke completely failed to convey any sense of trouble. She probably wasn't being serious.

"I'm sure it will be a burden to you, onee-sama."

"It's okay. The tough times will come for you after I've graduated, no? For me . . . let's see, all I lose is one strawberry milk."

"Huh?"

"I've got a bet going with Rosa Foetida. Over whose petite sœur can find a petite sœur of their own first."

"And the loser has to buy the winner a strawberry milk?"

"That's what's at stake."

Her words slowly soaked into Youko's heart. Youko thought she'd probably never be a match for her onee-sama. "So that's it. I knew Sachiko would be good for you," Rosa Chinensis quietly murmured.

Rosa Gigantea spoke into the mic, her words echoing around the church. "New first-years, congratulations on your entry into high school." The Yamayurikai-organized first-years' welcome ceremony was starting.

Youko picked up the box and stood beside Rosa Chinensis. The first to be called out were the Plum, Wisteria and Chrysanthemum classes, and the relevant students stood up.

"May the blessings of Maria-sama be with you," her onee-sama intoned, then quickly placed the medal around the first-year student's neck.

"May the blessings of Maria-sama be with you."

After medals had been handed out to all students in those three classes, they continued on to Peach, Pine and Camellia classes. As Youko looked at the first-year Pine class, she felt a sense of inevitability. Because, from that large mass of students, Ogasawara Sachiko was the only one she could see. So to turn her abnormal gaze into a normal one, Youko had to make Sachiko her petite sœur. Right, there was no one else it could be. If she couldn't make Sachiko her petite sœur, then taking a petite sœur at all would be a mistake.

Her name appeared early on the class role, so Sachiko was soon before them.

"May the blessings of Maria-sama be with you."

After Rosa Chinensis placed the medal on them, the students were supposed to step to the side to allow the next person to take their place, but Sachiko ignored this assembly-line motion and stepped forwards, to stand in front of Youko.

"Rosa Chinensis en bouton."

"Yes?"

Youko was surprised by this unexpected behavior. Perhaps finding this amusing, Sachiko smiled. It was a radiant smile. Youko hadn't known that she could smile so sweetly.

"I've quit all my after-school lessons," Sachiko announced, smiling, with strong meaning in her eyes. Then she bowed, turned and went back to her seat.

"Looks like I'll be getting that strawberry milk after all," Rosa Chinensis murmured, so that only Youko could hear.

Ah, right. Youko nodded.

Now it was her turn to respond to Sachiko's answer.

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