Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume28 Chapter17

Frame of Mind 9

"Take a look at this."

It was an out-of-focus photo. It was of a different quality to the rest of the photographs that had so far appeared on the table, and a fairly poor effort considering the photographer was Tsutako-san.

"Do you know who this is?"

"Huh?"

There were all kinds of things she wanted to ask, but Tsutako-san shut her down by saying, "Without prejudice," so Yumi reluctantly stared at the photograph. No-one other than Yumi could see the photograph, and they watched and waited for her response.

"It looks like someone I know … but it's not all that clear so I'm not sure. It's dark, so it's hard to tell for sure, but it looks like it was taken at our school. But they're wearing street clothes… and the date … that was during summer holidays, the year before last. So, that's not right, I guess."

"What isn't?"

Tsutako-san asked. Meaning, What isn't right?

"I must be mistaking them for someone else. It's not the person I thought it was."

Yumi held out the photograph to return it, but Tsutako-san pushed it back towards her, saying "Take another look."

"Without prejudice."

Tsutako-san repeated and, once more, Yumi reset and looked only at the face.

"It looks like a friend of mine."

"They don't go to our school, right?"

Based on that, Tsutako-san probably knew the person she was thinking of too. Yumi agreed, saying, "Right," and Tsutako-san mumbled, "That's what I thought."

"What is?"

"Actually, this is something Minato-san gave me."

The name of Yumi's classmate burst forth.

"Oh? Ah, right. So this is Minato-san then?"

A slender body and short hair. A boyish figure teamed with a pink T-shirt may seem like a mismatch at first glance, but having heard her sweet voice it all became clear.

"That's what you'd think from looking at it."

So was Tsutako-san saying that that wasn't the case? That was probably why she'd been so insistent about saying, "Without prejudice."

"But she told me that this was a spirit photograph."

"A spirit photograph?"

"That the photograph was proof of her doppelganger. At the time, I thought it just an out-of-focus shot that she'd taken of herself, so I laughed it off. But since last Autumn it's been kind of blurry."

"Blurry?"

"Yeah. Like the photo."

And as a result, she'd apparently been left wondering if this really was a photograph that Minato-san had taken of herself. Indeed, it seemed like Tsutako-san had started to reflect on it. At first she'd overlooked it, but now she seemed convinced that it was someone other than who she had initially thought it was.

"Not always, but occasionally I'd think about it. Then, suddenly, I had a flash of inspiration the other day. Like things came into focus. So I thought I'd ask you to take a look, Yumi-san."

"I see."

Indeed. After all, she'd been a lot closer to the person that Tsutako-san seemed to have in mind than Tsutako-san had been. At least, that's what Yumi thought.

Yoshino-san and Shimako-san both had a look at the photograph, but didn't say anything. Since Tsutako-san had specifically mentioned Yumi, and since the subject was someone in street clothes who wasn't from their school, they probably assumed it was someone they'd never met.

Therefore, Yumi thought she should keep this to herself too. If her reasoning was correct, and this photo came to light, then that person would be in a bit, no make that a lot, of trouble. Because it meant they'd crept into a girls school in the middle of the night while there were school camps taking place.

The spitting image of the boyish-looking girl Minato-san was a girlish-looking boy.

It was probably forbidden that he should appear on Lillian's school grounds without formal permission or, at the very least, wearing his school uniform.

Still, it was possible that that was nothing more than Yumi and Tsutako-san's imaginations running wild, and that it really was just a photograph of Minato-san. Minato-san was a member of the manga club, so she may tell strange stories as material for her manga.

Therefore, it was a complete coincidence that the student council members from their neighbors at Hanadera Academy came and helped out for the Lillian school festival in autumn of the previous year. Tsutako-san's talk about the blurriness coming into focus was all in her imagination. Thinking about it that way, there was no problem whatsoever.

"Which reminds me. Was there something you wanted to see me about?"

Tsutako-san asked Mami-san. Shouko-chan may have mentioned something on the way over.

"There was something, but now it looks like it won't happen."

Mami-san said.

"Won't happen?"

"I was going to ask you to take photos of the Valentines Day dates like last year, but I've thought better of it."

"Ah, about that."

Tsutako-san said that she wouldn't be able to do it because she'd already made other arrangements. Hearing that, Yumi remembered that the dates were scheduled for next Sunday and that Tsutako-san was coming to school that day to take photos of the tennis club. It was all organized a short time ago.

"But I can't let you go empty-handed, since you came all the way here to see me."

Tsutako-san reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope which she held up to Mami-san, saying, "Here you go."

"Use whichever ones you want in the 'Lillian Kawaraban.' All the people in the photos gave their permission."

"Ah –. Thanks, that's a huge help."

The envelope had 'Valentines Event' written on it. Inside would undoubtedly be a bunch of photographs of various girls taken by Tsutako-san as she moved around during the treasure hunt.

(Hmm? Inside would surely be … ?)

Yumi tilted her head. Just now, she'd been struck by something.

Tsutako-san called out, "Ah." She'd probably realized it just before Yumi. Everyone else had probably noticed it too.

"The words written on it don't necessarily have to be the owner's name."

"… Right."

Like the 'Valentines Event' written on the envelope, they could be used to index what was contained within.

"Which means."

The photos contained in the film were – . Everyone looked at Tsutako-san. It had been an oversight to not consider this possibility before now. That Tsutako-san, who was inseparable from her camera outside of class and never hesitated in pressing then shutter button when there was a photo opportunity, had been captured on film.

Tsutako-san's initial reaction was disbelief. But after about five seconds her expression changed to one that said, "Maybe."

Tsutako-san's gaze slowly passed over them. Before it reached its target, one person dropped her head, as though unable to stand the tension.

"I'm sorry!"

"Huh? Shouko-chan!?"

The three future Roses plus Mami-san cried out in unison.

"I thought as much."

Tsutako-san alone had a grim smile on her face, as though she'd finally figured out some difficult puzzle.

"This is yours, Shouko-chan."

She said, holding the film canister with 'Takeshima Tsutako' written on it between her thumb and index finger.

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