Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter7 3

Amongst the Stardust. Part 3.

After they got off the merry-go-round it was almost time for the fireworks to start.

"Ahh, this is bad."

Like Cinderella hearing the clock strike 12 o'clock, the two women hastily fled. And following them were the two princes.

"Hey, where are we going?"

"I found a good spot to view the fireworks from a while back."

Yumi explained, turning her head to look back at the guys. It was away from the buildings and not brightly lit. It was also somewhat elevated and near a lake, so both the view and the scenery would be nice.

Still, they probably weren't the only ones who had this idea, so the place might be packed already. At any rate, all they could do was try. If it was full, it was full. Essentially, the sky was so vast that they'd be able to see the fireworks regardless of where they were.

When they reached their target destination, they found there were people there but it wasn't overly full. Since the fireworks happened at the same time as the evening parade, most people were probably watching that. This lookout was away from the parade route.

"Excuse me."

Yumi said to the patron that had arrived just before her, then proceeded to survey the area. Yumi was checking her watch, thinking it was almost time for the fireworks to start, when she felt a withering gaze coming from beside her.

"Huh?"

Yumi turned to see what it was, and there was...

"Touko!"

Her drill-like hair rolls swayed beside her ears.

"Onee-sama."

Instinctively, the pair embraced tightly. – Well, that's what Yumi expected, but the cute petit soeur ensconced in her open arms didn't respond that way at all.

"What kind of greeting is 'excuse me?' No matter how dark it is, you should still be able to recognize your petit soeur's face with just a single glance."

In reality, her petit soeur was playing it very cool.

"Ah, sorry."

"By all rights, you should even be able to identify her from behind."

On top of that, she was also very strict.

Yumi had been worried that she wouldn't see Touko today since, despite the signs that Touko was there, they hadn't run into each other yet. Now that they had met when she wasn't really expecting it, Yumi was getting excited. But only a little bit, nothing too over the top.

"Touko-san's just saying that she's very happy to see you, Yumi-sama."

As they looked at each other with somewhat conflicted expressions, these words suddenly slipped into the space between them.

"Gokigenyou, Yumi-sama."

Yumi searched for the owner of the voice and standing there smirking was Kanako-chan. She was bursting with style, wearing one of the character's caps and with a bag of popcorn hanging from her shoulder. It looked like she had been fully enjoying her time at the amusement park.

"Kanako-san, please don't put words in my mouth."

Touko glared at her, but Kanako-chan seemed completely unfazed.

"Translation: I'd be embarrassed if I told the truth."

"Oooh."

Thrust and parry, Kanako-chan seemed happy to provide her own translations of Touko's comments, which made Touko fall silent. Still silent, Touko leaned in close to Yumi and whispered, "I was worried we weren't going to meet." This time around, Kanako-chan didn't supply a translation.

"Did you hear someone call out 'Touko' just now?"

From some distance away Yumi heard a voice she knew well. She looked around and, sure enough, a group of people were making their way over.

"See, I told you it was Yumi-san."

Yoshino-san lead them over. Following her were Shimako-san and Noriko-chan. Just as Yumi was starting to worry that the Yellow Rose sisters were still fighting, Rei-sama appeared. It seems she had stopped to pick up a handkerchief that Yoshino-san had dropped.

They explained that they'd run into each other at the slow boat ride and had decided to come here together.

The Red Rose sisters, the Yellow Rose sisters, the White Rose sisters, and Touko and Kanako-chan, plus, as a freebie, the two guys from Hanadera. It felt like the whole gang was there.

"Now if Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan were to appear – "

They'd have a royal straight flush, the best possible hand.

"But things never work out that well."

While everyone shared a laugh, a hand slowly raised a short distance away, amongst the crowd.

"You called?"

"Tsu-Tsutako-san!?"

Was she like the devil, speak and she appears? Because there was no mistaking that it was Tsutako-san standing there.

"I noticed you a while ago, but Yoshino-san beat me there so I was just waiting for the right time to make an entrance."

"What an incredible coincidence."

As Yumi chuckled to herself, a chorus of "Nope" came from around her.

"We've been waiting here because Yumi-san and Sachiko-sama said that this was the place to go if you wanted to watch the fireworks. It's no coincidence."

Shimako-san said.

"Right. And earlier Sachiko asked if we were going to watch the fireworks, so I took that to mean that we'd meet up here."

Rei-sama too smiled in amazement.

It was then that the fireworks they'd been waiting for started.

Hyuu ––– , bang!

A section of the amusement park was decorated with a giant ethereal flower.

The fireworks came one after the other, without a break.

The surface of the lake reflected the sky, becoming a dream-like flower garden.

"Waah."

The group of friends smiled broadly watching the fireworks make their heavenly journey.

Twinkle,

twinkle.

When they went off they shone like hundreds of stars sparkling in the night sky.

Yoshino-san turned to Rei-sama, smiled and said, "Your mouth is open."

Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan were portioning off sections of the sky, using their fingers to make a frame.

Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama were talking, she agreed to let him drive them home.

Shimako-san and Noriko-chan were holding hands.

And Yumi, she was looking up at the sky with the same expression as Kanako-chan, Touko, Yuuki, and probably everyone else.

Shine,

shine.

Sparkle.

At first she had been concerned about how it would turn out, but looking at the sparkling faces of her friends it felt like everyone was glad that they came today.

Shine,

shine.

Sparkle.

The firework's brilliance was just a moment in time.

But they'd never forget it.

Everyone was smiling.

All sorts of things had happened, but everyone would carry with them some happy memories.

Undoubtedly.

Eternally.