Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume5 Chapter4 1

The thirteenth of February. Part 1.

"-Anyways, while I know why everyone may become over-excited, but please conduct yourselves in a manner appropriate to a Lillian student. After all, classes will go on as usual."

After listening to their homeroom teacher, Yamamura-sensei, with faithful ears, the students answer, "Yes." But they weren't really paying much attention. The teachers were warning them beforehand, but that was also a bit more for show, because they weren't really holding very high expectations tomorrow, either. The students were this excited, so it was far, far too late to expect that to settle down.

Homeroom was ended quickly, too. If there were any important papers to distribute, it would be more definite if they were distributed the day after tomorrow. She's a veteran as well as a Lillian alumni, so sensei knew exactly how we felt and would act.

"That's all."

Stand, bow[1].

After homeroom, the teacher disappeared on the other side of the door. And Yumi, who'd sprung up and hurried out, was stopped by a classmate.

"Yumi-san, we don't have to clean the music room today."

"What?"

"The contracted floor cleaners are in today, so feel free to spend time as you please."

She was in Yumi's cleaning group, so she knew why Yumi was in such a hurry.

"Thank you, gokigenyou."

She was told to "feel free to spend time as she pleased," but Yumi dashed out to the hallway anyways. After all, it wasn't a warning about her hasty departure. Rather, Yumi had always been visiting a certain place before going to the music room lately, and so she was actually being told that she didn't have to scurry to the music room after she was done.

Tomorrow awaited a joyous Valentine.

As well as a somewhat suspenseful Valentine.

Moving her legs forward, she began silently singing impromptu.

Trotting down the hallway, and then resuming her trot after going down the stairs. After entering the courtyard, she went straight to the Rose Mansion. And it didn't feel like anyone had gotten there.

"Safe."

Creak, creak, creak, creak, she climbed up the stairs, opened the biscuit-shape door, and walked straight toward the electric pot and began setting things up.

When she glanced at the sink, she noticed there were no dishes awaiting cleaning. Shimako-san had probably stopped by during lunch break and finished that. With that aside, Yumi went to open the windows for ventilation. She did a light sweeping of the floors, wiped the table, rinsed the washing rags, and was done. She didn't have cleaning duty at the music room today, so she didn't really need to hurry back to the school, but she didn't feel comfortable staying here. So she began leaving.

-And then.

"Are you gongitsune[2]?"

"Gyah!?"

The person who'd been standing in the shadow of the door suddenly spoke, so Yumi almost had a heart-attack.

"- Haven't I been telling you to start using 'kya'?"

"…R- Rosa Gigantea."

Yumi'd also thought that most people can't control what they say when they're surprised. "You didn't even notice me standing by the entrance when you flew into the Rose Mansion, so I was wondering what was going on."

Rosa Gigantea coldly said.

"So, what is this? Yumi-chan's sense of aesthetics? Coming here every day without being seen, cleaning everything up, and then leaving?"

"Umm."

She wasn't really doing this every day. Because if homeroom ended late, or if Shimako-san beat her here, she didn't come.

"Oh well, not really my place to say anything. … It would be coarse to dampen Yumi-chan's sense of self-satisfaction."

Rosa Gigantea groaned as she stretched, and then began walking down the stairs. But Yumi couldn't let those words be, and she quickly pursued.

"Umm, am I making a mistake!?"

"Hmm?"

Thump, thump, thump, thump, the stairs sounded.

"Because, self-satisfaction, dampening…"

"I said those words, yes?"

When they reached the bottom, Rosa Gigantea finally turned to Yumi.

"You know, I think Yumi-chan's just charging ahead with your emotions. Like a mother doing ohyakudo[3] for the success of her child."

"Ohyakudo."

She'd seen that acted out in historical plays. She couldn't remember if it was a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple, but people with wishes would go back and forth to pray. If she remembered correctly, sometimes they'd have conditions, like not being caught doing it.

"But you shouldn't stop someone doing ohyakudo and say 'come come, that's eerie, so stop,' either "

Said Rosa Gigantea, who was saying she shouldn't be doing so, but had already done it.

"Eerie?"

"Yep." "How direct."

"Well you followed me because you wanted to hear me be direct, didn't you?"

"Umm."

Yumi didn't think that was her exact reason, but it wasn't wrong, either.

"Rather than a mother doing ohyakudo or cold-water ablutions, I'd prefer a mother who'd make me warm dinner every day."

"Huh?"

"Just my personal opinion. Because my mother's more like the former, so a delinquent child is too heavy a burden for her. … Umm, but that's an example, my mother doesn't actually use sorcery, so you don't have to worry there."

"Uhhh."

Wow, she was able to understand Rosa Gigantea before, but now the conversation was taking quite the detour and was going beyond her grasp.

And that's when Shimako-san came in through the door, having finished her cleaning duty, so the conversation abruptly ended. Of course, it might have been ended in Rosa Gigantea's mind anyways.

"Ah, onee-sama."

Noticing Rosa Gigantea, Shimako-san smiled like an angel. She was already like an ephemeral beauty, but her smile was on a different level. Even though they were of the same age, how could people be so different?

"I passed."

No preface. Rosa Gigantea faced Shimako-san and made a V with her hand, in a peace sign.

(Eh……? What?)

"Congratulations, onee-sama."

But Shimako-san's bouncy reply made Yumi realize what happened. Rosa Gigantea was accepted into her first-choice school.

(Oh, so that's what happened.)

Rosa Gigantea wanted to let Shimako-san know first, and that's why she'd come here.

Because the way she looked at Shimako-san was gentle and kind. It wasn't the old-man version of Rosa Gigantea that'd generally been teasing Yumi.

"Congratulations."

She felt bad for intruding on their world, but she felt compelled to say that word, being a bystander.

"Thanks, Yumi-chan."

Rosa Gigantea patted Yumi's head, then tossed her front hair and laughed.

"Gosh, it was tough. I mean I didn't plan on going to university at all, so I only started studying after the turn of the year. But whatever, I'll be a student at a women's college this spring."

She only had one university she was aiming for, so she was set. Still, she managed to get into a university after a little more than a month of studying, so Rosa Gigantea was definitely superhuman.

"Then you must feel relieved." "But Eriko and Youko aren't done yet, so…"

Yumi didn't even think about Rosa Foetida and Rosa Chinensis there. But Rosa Gigantea didn't seem to notice she'd called her friends by their names, either.

The university exam dates differed depending on the universities, so some people had even finished last year, while others will be waiting until graduation. Of course, most schools had their exams take place during January and February.

"But, anyways, it looks like I can enjoy myself to the fullest tomorrow."

Snap, crackle. Rosa Gigantea cracked her white knuckles and let the somewhat pleasant sound echo off the ceiling.

"Then I shall have to do my best for onee-sama, too."

Shimako-san forced a smile.

Knowing Rosa Gigantea was going to participate, she may decide to change her hiding place. Placing it in an easier spot? No, probably the opposite.

Shimako-san knew Rosa Gigantea understood her. So if she hid it in an obvious spot, it'd be too easy. And Rosa Gigantea wouldn't be able to have fun.

"I'll be waiting."

She looked completely excited. Rosa Gigantea was like a child when she was like this.

Like, I won't let anyone else get Rei-sama's card! Well, it's a harsh way of putting it, but Rosa Gigantea wasn't like Yoshino-san in that regard, because Yoshino-san would use any means necessary to win. Rather, Rosa Gigantea was more the type of person to enjoy the treasure hunt, itself, so the harder the better.

Then how about herself? Yumi thought, but she didn't really know.

Thinking is hard.

She didn't know how she felt, so it was even more difficult imagining how others might feel. Or maybe she didn't know how she felt because it was herself.

That's when she noticed a person was standing on the other side of the wooden door to the courtyard, the person's shadow visible through the ornamental glassing.

Yumi quickly opened the door.

"Ah."

There stood Sachiko-sama.

"Onee-sama, gokigenyou."

"---"

But she knew onee-sama wasn't in good spirits, before the fact that a response never came, just by looking at her. She didn't know why, but Sachiko-sama looked particularly angry. Her whole body screamed "displeased."

However.

Why didn't she come into the Rose Mansion if she was standing outside? Just as Yumi was beginning to wonder, Sachiko-sama's mouth opened.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself."

Yumi didn't know how long Sachiko-sama had been standing outside, but their laughter had definitely been heard. "Oh. Rosa Gigantea was here, and-"

She was going to relate the news of Rosa Gigantea's university acceptance, but Sachiko-sama cut her off.

"I see. If Rosa Gigantea is here, you can enjoy yourself."

"… Huh?"

"So? Since when have you hated me so much you don't want to look at me?"

"What?"

She didn't know what Sachiko-sama meant.

Because she'd never even imagined Sachiko-sama saying such words, so even if her ears could take it in, her brain wasn't able to keep up. Peoples' nervous system works better when there's a precedent.

"I… hate onee-sama?"

She repeated the words she'd heard, and immediately doubted them. Where did Sachiko-sama come up with such a thought?

"Are you saying I'm wrong? Then why are you avoiding me?"

"I haven't been avoiding…"

But Sachiko-sama didn't believe her.

"You are."

She stated clearly, and didn't budge. Yumi didn't intend it that way, but her actions and behavior might have been working against her.

"At first I tried to understand, because I am a bouton, but you've been interacting with Rei and Shimako just fine. Even when you come to the Rose Mansion you leave before I come, and when I arrive earlier than usual, you dash out like you're escaping."

"That's-"

Because she was going to be late for cleaning duty.

And she was speaking with Rei-sama because she was being taught how to make chocolate for Sachiko-sama.

"What's the matter? If you have something to say, speak it clearly."

But she couldn't.

She couldn't say it was for Sachiko-sama. Because she was the one forcing everything on her.

She'd been conceited.

As Rosa Gigantea said, self-satisfaction. No, even worse, she finally realized it.

Yumi looked at Sachiko-sama.

"Why are you silent? Why don't you throw your thoughts at me? I can't possibly understand otherwise."

Onee-sama looked extremely scary.

"I'm sorry… onee-sama."

That was all she could muster. She was ashamed of herself, for making onee-sama look like this, for forcing onee-sama to speak like this.

But no matter what, she would never hate onee-sama.

Still, all Yumi could do was watch as her vision of her most beloved person became blurred.

"Um, Sachiko-sama?"

Perhaps realizing the situation was going downhill, Shimako-san stepped toward the door and spoke, but she was powerless in this strained atmosphere.

"… Shimako, come."

Rosa Gigantea held Shimako-san's shoulder and dragged her away.

"Why do you cry?"

With the foyer left to the two of them, Sachiko-sama whispered.

"Please, stop. Now it just looks like I'm picking on a kouhai. I'm the one that wants to cry. I'm being avoided by my sister, and I don't know why-"

"Ukk."

A strange sound was emitted from Yumi's throat. She tried to speak, but she couldn't formulate words, because it felt like a lump of meat was lodged in.

"Why won't you tell me? Is that all I was to you? Then why are we sisters? Why did you accept my rosary?"

She wanted to say that's not how it is, but her tears just kept flowing. She could tell her eyes were beginning to swell.

She felt incredibly stupid. Sachiko-sama was angry, she knew that, but she could only keep crying.

But, this was the first time Sachiko-sama had ever shown her such strong emotions, and it confused her.

"… Enough."

Sachiko-sama said, exasperated.

"Let's talk about this again some other time. I may be high-strung, myself, so I may have been too harsh."

"Ah…"

Sachiko-sama had turned around, and she looked so lonely that Yumi instinctively began following, and that was when Rei-sama and Minako-sama arrived at the Rose Mansion.

"W-What happened, Yumi-chan?" Rei-sama shouted.

"Nothing. Let's just finish the final meeting."

Sachiko-sama quickly went ahead, leaving Yumi behind.

"Nothing…? Umm."

"Yes."

Minako-sama and Rei-sama looked at each other. Well, it was obvious just by looking at Yumi's face that it was clearly not "nothing." But Yumi just wanted to be left alone. It would be worse if someone acted kind to her.

"Are you two going to label me a villain, too!?"

A hysteric-sounding voice came from above.

"… eally, it's nothing."

Finally managing to wring her voice out, she ran in the complete opposite direction from Sachiko-sama, out the Mansion. She felt like she heard Rei-sama and Minako-sama's voices, but she didn't turn around.

Or rather, she couldn't.

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