Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume6 Chapter1

Order

Part 1.

It had just been a slight slip of the tongue.

So she had no great expectation that she would receive an OK.

Nevertheless.

"Date?"

Sachiko-sama's eyes widened for an instant and she looked at Yumi (well, that's to be expected – even the one who said it was surprised) then smiled and said, "That sounds like fun."

"Eh?" Yumi was taken aback. As though the commotion in her heart was being faithfully played out on her body, she jerked backwards, almost scattering the painstakingly gathered "Surprise Chocolates" once more.

Valentine's Day evening.

The treasure hunt organized by the newspaper club had finished, and a number of other things besides, until at last the two of them were alone on the second floor of the Rose Mansion.

There had been a slight accident and the chocolate box had erupted, and it was all so unexpected she wanted to close her eyes.

The problem was with what Yumi had jokingly blurted out to try and smooth things over.

Lacking anything else to say, she had said it was a game of hit or miss. How on earth did she have the nerve to smoothly say such a random thing.

As a consequence, she was asked what the prize for getting a hit was, and her own wish of "A ticket for a date together" came flying out of her mouth. Overcoming her shock, she was feeling quite pleased with herself.

Even still, Sachiko-sama's reaction was a surprise. Or, rather, Yumi hadn't been expecting any reaction at all, since she had said what popped into her mind.

Instead, Sachiko-sama was asking her questions about it.

"When?"

"Ummm."

It seemed like they really would be going on a date. If Sachiko-sama was simply being diplomatic, she would have followed up 'That sounds like fun' with 'some day.'

Back to the problem.

While Yumi was overjoyed at the prospect of going on a date with Sachiko, she hadn't been planning this at all. She was just saying whatever came to mind.

"Well, how about next Sunday?"

Once more, Yumi was just going with the flow.

To the question of 'when,' the first thing that came to her mind was the date on the tickets that were the special prize in the newspaper club's treasure hunt. And so just like that, thank you for the help, newspaper club, but I'll be taking that. You could even say it was fitting, given that it had been the newspaper club's plan that had lit the fire of her desire to go on a date with her onee-sama.

"Sunday? That's fine."

Sachiko-sama had not turned her down.

Thinking about it, Sachiko-sama would have blocked off that day for the date with whoever found her hidden, red card. But with the card now invalid, her schedule would have opened up.

"Where will we go?"

"... Umm, I'm thinking of a couple of places."

Confusion.

"Ahh, onee-sama, if there's somewhere you'd like to go...."

"There's nowhere in particular. Wherever you want to go will be fine."

Ah, that type of answer was the most painful. If Sachiko-sama had given something specific about where she wanted to go, it would have been easy. But as the one who brought it up, it was up to Yumi to come up with a plan. But first she had to weather the storm here somehow. If her deceit unraveled, it may not be just the date itself that comes to nothing.

"... Well, I'll come up with a list of several destinations by tomorrow."

"Oh well."

Sachiko-sama looked out the window. Yumi followed her gaze. The sun had long since set, but a light snow was falling, so it was somewhat bright.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Taking hold of her school coat that was hanging over a chair, Sachiko-sama smiled. "Shall we go home?"

It was already well past the time for leaving school.

After stuffing the box of chocolates into her bag, Yumi followed Sachiko-sama out of the room.

Rosa Gigantea and Shimako-san, who she had supposed were still on the lower floor, were no longer there.

Part 2.

Shimako realized she had left her mittens in the classroom just as she was returning her indoor shoes to the shoe box. She hesitated for a moment over whether or not to go back for them. It was cold outside, plus she didn't really like leaving things behind.

But.

"What's up?"

Her onee-sama greeted her, having returned from the third year's shoe boxes. "Nothing" was her response, and she hurriedly closed the shoe box.

"It's cold, isn't it."

Leaving the entrance, the night air stung her exposed skin. It felt like it was snowing intermittently, but it didn't seem to be building up. She had brought a folding umbrella, but the two of them walked along without opening it. It was just too lovely, with the leaves of the bushes and the light reflecting off the thinly falling snow that seemed to act as a veil around the deserted pathway.

"Oh yeah. Shizuka gave me some chocolate bon-bons. That might warm us up a bit."

As she said this, she was rummaging around in her pockets, searching for them.

"Onee-sama, that's a bit inconsiderate."

Shimako let out a sigh.

"Why so? I'll give you some too, Shimako."

"That's not what I was saying."

"I see. It was mentioning Shizuka's name in front of you. But, okay. It's still true that I received some chocolates. So there's no problem with store bought bon-bons."

So come now, eat up, she urged as she offered up the small, open box she retrieved from her pocket. Inside was a neat row of five chocolate bon-bons, individually wrapped in silver paper. There was a gap about the size of a bon-bon, probably from where she had unwrapped one and tasted it in front of Shizuka-sama.

"No, what I was saying was - "

Shimako made a gesture of refusal, as she turned to look straight into Rosa Gigantea's eyes.

"What I was saying was, what about Shizuka-sama's feelings, onee-sama?"

"Huh?"

"If you were to share the present she gave you with me... If Shizuka-sama knew of this, how do you think she would feel?"

"Shizuka's feelings?"

Rosa Gigantea stopped walking and looked down in thought, then, at length, raised her head and smiled.

"I see. You're right. I've learned something."

The small box of chocolate bon-bons was once again returned to her coat pocket.

If it had been an act of kindness to try them in front of the giver of the present, then it had also been an act of kindness not to eat one when her little sister was showing self-restraint.

Shimako's onee-sama, Rosa Gigantea, was sensitive, had good intuition and was a very kind person, even if she had done something a bit inconsiderate.

"I'm sorry if I sounded patronizing."

"Not at all. I think I'm fortunate to have such a conscientious little sister. I can be relaxed about ..."

"Please don't say it."

Graduation was the word that Shimako was afraid Rosa Gigantea would say before she interrupted.

"When onee-sama leaves, I'll definitely ..."

With her equilibrium thrown off balance, her thoughts had become scattered and Shimako was unable to finish her sentence.

"You'll be fine. Everyone loves you, Shimako. The world is a much easier place to live in than you think. When I leave, you'll definitely become even stronger. So my work here is done. My leaving here won't be an ordeal for you, Shimako, but the start of a journey for both of us."

"I can't think of it like that at all."

"You will be able to think of it like that, definitely. Spring will come, summer will come... You'll be busy with your daily school life and notice that it's normal that I'm not there. When you start your second year, there will be new first years to take our place. When that happens, Lillian's will be filled with students."

"But...!"

Onee-sama won't be among the new first years. Shimako swallowed her words. Even if she said it, there was nothing that could be done about it and she didn't want to embarrass Rosa Gigantea.

Certainly, she had become good friends with her fellow first years, Yumi-san and Yoshino-san. And although they were in different grades, she had become close with her fellow boutons, Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama.

Still, none of them were Satou Sei.

And none of the new first years would be Satou Sei either.

In the whole world, the Satou Sei in front of her was the only one. There was no-one else who could take her place.

"What's the matter? This isn't like you, Shimako."

"I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. Now then, what should I do?"

Rosa Gigantea gently wiped away Shimako's tears that had been falling unnoticed before speaking.

"Should I embrace you, like during the election? If you wish, I'll give you a kiss or anything else."

"That's enough."

Shimako shook her head.

That Rosa Gigantea had said that to her was enough.

The two of them were well matched. Therefore, they didn't get too close. Closeness, fawning over each other, would just be re-opening each other's wounds.

In this way, Rosa Gigantea was Shimako's guardian. When Shimako seemed hurt, this was how Rosa Gigantea would comfort her. In looking at each other, it was as though they were looking into a mirror, and they saw their own existence.

So Shimako's wish was only that Rosa Gigantea would be by her side. If she could look at Rosa Gigantea, that was enough. She didn't want to be held close.

"Really, what should I do? You seem a bit uneasy today."

Shimako wiped away the remaining traces of her tears from her cheeks with her left hand, and put on a smile. In a slightly self-deprecating way. But Rosa Gigantea didn't laugh.

"Your gloves."

"Huh?"

"What happened to your gloves? You always wear them, right?"

"Ahh."

The time to recall had arrived.

"I seem to have left them in the classroom. What with the treasure hunt, and the commotion in the evening."

"Hold out your hand."

"Huh?"

"The commotion was the cause? I think it must have been me."

Rosa Gigantea swiftly grasped Shimako's empty left hand and put it into her coat pocket. Not the left side pocket she had put Shizuka's chocolates in, the right side one.

"Onee-sama."

"The marble cake was incredibly delicious."

After giving Shimako's hand, still inside her pocket a tight squeeze, Rosa Gigantea slowly walked off. Shimako too walked off, as her hand was still held inside Rosa Gigantea's pocket. Although their temperature was probably the same, Rosa Gigantea's hand felt very warm. And somehow Rosa Gigantea's pocket felt warmer than her own, even though they were made from the same material.

As they walked along, they had a conversation about matters unrelated to graduation. Rosa Gigantea steered the conversation towards food, probably because she was hungry.

When they arrived at Maria-sama's statue, Shimako made as if to stop, while Rosa Gigantea tugged on her hand, a little forcibly.

"Onee-sama?"

"That's enough for today."

Without waiting for a response, she walked off in silence. It was as though she wanted to leave this place without even a second's delay.

"..."

Somehow comprehending Rosa Gigantea's mental state, Shimako accompanied her in silence. As a result, today was the first day she had not performed the custom of praying in front of the statue of Maria-sama.

It seemed like Shimako's uneasiness was being reflected.

When they arrived at the bus stop, outside the school gates, Rosa Gigantea let out a sigh and finally returned to normal.

Part 3.

"I hadn't really thought about it, because she didn't receive any other than mine."

Yoshino-san sighed.

"And how many do you think Rei-chan received?"

"... A decent catch."

"Darn right, a decent catch. Fisherman will be lining up to dance with her, with a catch this big."

It was a different kind of catch though. But pointing this out would only double Yoshino-san's grumbling, so she didn't say anything.

The Rose Mansion, on the day after all the excitement.

It was lunch time, and the boutons were having a lunch meeting with Minako-sama from the newspaper club. They stopped by to say this, then headed out to the newspaper club's clubhouse for a review of the event.

And so, just as before, Yumi and Yoshino-san were left by themselves. On the table, Yoshino-san had an over-sized paper bag from which she pulled out box after box, all apparently full of chocolates.

"Those are all for Rei-sama?"

"Yep. Since Rei-chan's so popular."

This time, she wasn't saying that fondly. But, still, Yumi refrained from pointing this out. When started, Yoshino-san's "Rei-chan material" went on and on and on.

"I thought I'd at least be able to commiserate with Yumi-san, who'd be in the same position as me, but what happens? Sachiko-sama doesn't accept chocolates from anyone other than Yumi-san."

"I humbly apologize. For my fastidious onee-sama."

Coming from Yumi, it was filled with love.

"Oh, is that what you call it. In that case, my onee-sama is overly kind."

"Aww, how sweet..."[1]

"Same to you."

The pair turned to each other and bowed in thanks. Well, they had just finished eating their lunches, so it did have the proper appearance.

"So how come you have all these chocolates for Rei-sama?"

"Why indeed? Rei-chan's collector gave them to me."

"Collector?"

"Like, yesterday, the boutons were busy, yeah? So it'd be hard for them to deal with everyone individually. So somebody took charge of being the collector for Rei-chan. They were going to present them after the treasure hunt, but Rei-chan skipped out straight afterwards."

"Hmmm."

"So they gave them to me, because they couldn't catch her. By handing them off to me, I would undoubtedly be able to get them to Rei-chan that day."

"I see..."

Plus, Yumi thought, by using Yoshino-san as the intermediary, they didn't have to put up with her on the way home.

Even if you didn't know how scary Yoshino truly was, surely they would have some hesitation in giving chocolate to someone with a petit soeur. As for Yoshino-san, it was probably much better for her to be given a single bag with all the chocolates, rather than publicly be given them one at a time.

Still, is such a business-like approach really appropriate on this once-a-year memory making opportunity?

"It's good, don't you think?"

Yoshino unfolded the report writing paper she had brought along with her lunch, and started writing some kind of list.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's best that they can make the "I gave you chocolates" appeal to Rei-chan. It's not like she's Rosa Gigantea, no-one has huge expectations of Rei-chan."

As Yoshino-san was speaking, she was also picking up the presents one-by-one, carefully looking at the wrapping paper as though inspecting them, then jotting something down on the report writing paper, for some reason or another.

"Oh, how fortunate. Everyone's name and class is written in a visible location. The collector must have made sure of that. Even though I'm her petit soeur, I still wouldn't open anything addressed to Rei-chan."

She had been grumbling, things like 'Oh look, someone from our class,' when something silenced her.

"Umm, Yoshino-san. What the heck are you doing?"

Yumi thought it rude to interrupt, but she had become concerned and asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'm making a list. Silly Rei-chan, on White Day she'll give return gifts to all of them." As she continued her task, Yoshino-san sighed once more.

It seems that on Valentine's Day last year, despite only being a first year, Rei-sama received a number of chocolates. Because it was Rei-sama, she gladly accepted them. Then, on White Day, she made a batch of cookies and candies, and went around and gave them to the people she had received gifts from. So those who were jealous about missing out last year had joined in this year, and so the decent catch.

Apparently Yoshino-san wasn't depressed about Rei-sama's popularity, so much as fed up with both the effort of making the list of the stack of chocolate, and thinking about Rei-chan conscientiously making sweets in one month's time. It was rough on the petit soeur who had to follow such a broad minded onee-sama like Rei-sama.

Thinking she should do something to help, Yumi lined up the scattered presents on the table so that the names where visible when, suddenly.

"Uwaaah."

Yoshino-san cried out.

"What is it?" When Yumi hastily looked up, Yoshino-san remained frozen, looking at the package she held in her hand.

"I saw an unpleasant name."

Yumi asked, "Which one?" and came over beside her to take a look.

"Tanuma Chisato?"

Who was she?

At times like this, Yumi was cursed with insufficient personal information. She'd heard that name somewhere before. Probably a first year, but she couldn't distinctly remember a face.

"So for Yumi-san, you don't mind who the other person is."

" - Which means for Yoshino-san, she's an undesirable partner... Ahh!"

"You've got it. She's Rei-chan's partner for the date."

Her memories of yesterday came back – Yoshino-san clicking her tongue, grinding her teeth, stamping her feet on the floor and even raising her voice a little. At any rate, it had been very easy to see the chagrin written all over her face.

Yoshino-san had almost made it to the end-game, but had not been able to find Rei-sama's hidden card. In a come from behind victory it went to Tanuma Chisato-san's group. That by itself was vexing, but what made it twice as bad was that they were the girls that had been shadowing Yoshino-san along the way.

Really, she looked like she wanted to rip that present apart, or spit on it, but at sixteen her judgment told her that she couldn't do that.

"Well then."

Having let her feelings out, Yoshino-san matter-of-factly jotted down her rival's name and returned the present to the paper bag.

"What is it?"

Yoshino-san asked, noticing Yumi's gaze.

"You seem to be handling this quite well."

"Well, of course. It's not good for your health to store up bad feelings. And if you spit it out, you can't change that you'll have to suck it up a second time... Especially now, no matter how I think about it, it's unjustified resentment. And that's not a good thing to carry around."

"Incredible. I understand."

"Well yeah, we've been hanging around each other for a while."

But don't get me wrong, I'm not concerned about whether other people can see this, Yoshino-san said. Hearing this, Yumi was a bit gladdened. Because she heard it as 'I can confide in you.'

She didn't take pleasure in finding fault with other people, but remembering the words that Rosa Chinensis once spoke, "Friends are there to take up such unpleasant duties," she thought that perhaps this was what she meant. Of course, there was a friendship between them, so this was excusable.

"Yoshino-san"

"What?"

"Let's be good friends forever."

Letting out a giggle as she tried to cope with the surprise attack, Yoshino-san went a bit red in the face and said, seemingly a bit angrily.

"Wh... What are you thinking, saying that, Yumi-san?"

Averting her gaze with all her might, Yumi focused on the table. As for Yoshino-san, she forced herself to resume drawing up her list.

"You don't have to feel shy."

"It's not shyness."

Yoshino-san raised her head and retaliated with a glare.

"Well then, why don't you respond? I like you, Yoshino-san, so I want to be good friends with you, like the Roses.... Or do you dislike me?"

When Yumi asked this, Yoshino-san's guarded expression loosened, but she took on a serious look.

"... I don't dislike you, okay."

"Then, you like me?"

"Yumi-san, how is it that you can say these things and not be embarassed."

"It's not something I could say in front of Sachiko-sama."

"Ehh, I could say this as much as I want to Rei-chan. I could say anything to her."

For both of them, it changed. What they could say when facing their soeur. Once more, the two of them burst into laughter simultaneously. The style may be different, but again they matched quite well.

Yoshino-san stood up and held out her hand.

"I look forward to working with you."

Yumi also stood up and held out her hand.

"Likewise."

In the air above the chocolates that were spread out over the table, the two right hands were tightly joined.

They may be a way off from an adult friendship like the Roses, but at least they had a target, so they should be able to build a good friendship. If the occupants of the Rose Mansion remained as they were, her second and third years would also be spent associating with Yoshino-san.

"Now that we've confirmed our friendship, can I ask you a question?"

Yumi said, as they were still shaking hands.

"What?"

"It's about the date."

"What's with that."

Yoshino-san started with a dubious expression, then muttered, fed up with it.

"I don't want to remember such an unpleasant thing."

Part 4.

"And? Can you tell me?"

In the break between fifth and sixth period, Tsutako-san had her glasses and her camera lined up upon her desk, and was using a special cloth to clean them both.

"I'll answer your questions, but it won't be very helpful."

"Maybe so. Why do you think that?"

"Yumi-san, why is it that you always make a mistake in choosing your research partner?"

"Ehh."

"Not 'Ehh.' Yoshino-san and Rei-sama are like real sisters, right?"

"Real sisters."

People that were born to the same parents and live together, she's trying to say. Certainly, the two of them are cousins, so they're blood related, and they live as neighbors on the same premises, so they are quite close.

"Look up 'date' in a dictionary, and what will you find? Well, there will be meanings like a day in a year, or determining the age of something, but the nuance closest to what we're using is 'a promise to meet.'"

Tsutako-san wasn't wearing her glasses, so she had an unfamiliar face. On top of that, her eyes were narrowed, so it felt like she was talking to a different person.

"... date."

d a t e.

To confirm this, she took her Japanese-English dictionary out of her desk and looked up 'date.' Certainly, 'a promise to meet' was there. Incidentally, 'tryst' was alongside it.

Tryst.

Now she needed her regular dictionary.

Yumi was going to get her dictionary, but Tsutako-san lent Yumi hers. The words of the editor were 'When people who are in love with each other secretly meet." This was close to one of Tsutako-san's favorite words, 'rendezvous,' but unfortunately, there wasn't a Japanese-French dictionary nearby, so she gave up at that point.

"Do you understand?"

Having finished wiping her glasses, Tsutako-san smiled with her normal face.

"A date is, essentially, a prearranged time that people will go out. Yumi-san, when you go out with your mother, do you say that's a date? You don't call it that, right?"

"Ahh, I get it. And Yoshino-san and Rei-sama are like family."

"Exactly. And they're on such intimate terms that they almost certainly do go out together. And sometimes they'd make plans to meet up outside, but they're inoculated to it, so they can't offer any advice to Yumi-san who's got the jitters about her 'first outing with just the two of us.'"

"I see."

Certainly, Yoshino-san had replied with an extremely displeased attitude, and the reason the contents of the reply were of no use to her fitted with what had just been said.

When she asked "What should I do?" the response was "Well, that depends on where you go." To the question of "So where should I go?" the counterattack was "First, what's your objective for going out?" In Yoshino-san's case, they didn't need to go out to meet each other, so there was no cause to worry about where they should go.

After the first Valentine's Day was the first date.

But Yoshino-san's first with Rei-sama was most likely completed a long time ago, so asking her for advice had been a mistake from the outset.

"I'd like to do a dry-run beforehand, but the real thing is next Sunday, so I won't have time."

Tsutako-san offered up some kind words, but despite what she said, Yumi was running out of time.

"By the way, Yumi-san, what experience do you have with dates up until now. How about you use that as a frame of reference."

The flash didn't go off, but the shutter clicked.

You usually asked someone before taking their picture, but Tsutako-san didn't play by the rules.

"I guess you could call that shrine visit with Rosa Gigantea a date."

"Ahh, that. I would have loved to have taken hidden camera photos of it. Why wouldn't you say that was a date?"

"I haven't called it that until now."

There must be some dreadful word you call someone who can say 'hidden camera photos' so boldly. She would never be able to relax and enjoy a shrine visit now, instead wondering where a camera might be set up.

"I've got it. I'll tell you the course for the best date ever."

Tsutako-san returned her camera to the desk, and clapped her hands as though she had just been struck by a brilliant idea.

"... I get it too. You plan to lie in wait on this course and secretly take photos of us, right?"

"Hahaha."

It seems like Yumi's inference was right on the mark.

"It's not something to laugh about. Give me a break."

The sixth period would be starting soon, so Yumi turned to go back to her own seat. That's when Tsutako-san grabbed her by the wrist and told her to stop.

"Ahh, wait up."

"What, you've had another brilliant idea?"

"Someone else. It wouldn't hurt you to ask them."

When she heard this, Yumi retraced her steps. Tsutako-san would tell her who would be a suitable advisor on this matter. After Tsutako-san said 'lend me your ears,' Yumi brought her ear close to Tsutako-san's mouth.

"Shimako-san."

"Heh?"

"Try to ask her. She's also having her first date on Sunday."

"Ah....!"

She had completely forgotten.

Shimako-san would somehow have to go on a date with her rival for Rosa Gigantea, Kanina Shizuka-sama.

Of course it would be her first date.

Moreover, the newspaper club would be sweating on their plans.

It would be a good idea to ask her, so Yumi gave a huge nod just as the bell for sixth period rang.

Part 5.

"You say that, but."

As soon as Shimako-san heard her situation, she had a face that said "I won't be able to live up to your expectations."

Sixth period class, home room, and then cleaning – a fair wait before she could at last ask her question. Yumi had caught Shimako-san in the corridor on the way to the Rose Mansion and dragged her to a staircase landing.

"Even though we're the prize for the dates, it doesn't mean that we decide on the course for the date. The prize winner and the boutons will discuss this, and then decide on where to go."

As though the exhaustion of yesterday was still with her, Shimako-san had a listless air about her.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It's not something we're taking lightly, but it's causing all kinds of difficulties."

She surreptitiously sighed. Shimako-san's exhaustion probably wasn't solely because of past events but also mixed with mental fatigue from thinking about what they had just been discussing.

The head of the newspaper club, Tsukiyama Minako-sama wasn't an ordinary person, after all.

She wasn't satisfied with getting just a single special edition out of her massively hyped Valentine's Day plan. Since she had been willing to go as far as to invest spare money from their budget into this plan, it was only natural that she would seek some kind of equivalent repayment.

"Perhaps it's harder on the winners than on us. They have to do a report on the date."

"Ehhhh."

Submitting a report. Will they really be able to enjoy their much anticipated date while carrying such a heavy burden? She thought that if she had found the red card, she would be able to enjoy the date to her heart's content, but it seems like the prize is quite a chore. Especially for someone like Yumi, who dreaded report writing, she thought it was just as well she had missed the card at that time.

"Minako-sama's reasoning is that, it's regrettable, but it's the duty of the winner to share with those participants whom victory eluded.... Although I think that's just a front."

"And her real reason would be? Does she intend to use this event for every issue?"

"I think it may just be that. Although I do find it unpleasant that the date will be offered up to the students in such a mercenary manner. The conditions imposed were that the boutons will account for the total money spent and the prize winner would submit a report about the day. For the time being, this is because the date's expenses will be covered by the newspaper club's budget."

"Expenses...? Uwaa!?"

Yumi suddenly cried out. They were on a landing, so her voice echoed up and down the stairway.

"What's the matter?"

Uwaa, uwaa, uwaa, uwaa.....As her voice echoed, Yumi squatted down.

"What an idiot."

"Eh?"

Having no idea what was going on, Shimako-san also squatted down and looked into Yumi's eyes.

"Until now, that hadn't even occurred to me."

"That?"

The date's expenses. Initially she had been provoked by the treasure hunt's prize of a half-day date into inviting Sachiko-sama to a date, but she hadn't actually obtained the privilege of being the true winner. In short, this was a private and independent event, so she was in charge of everything related to it.

Where to go, the date's expenses, and so on.

As the one who did the asking out, should she pay for everything or should they split the expenses? About how much would be necessary? Where should she raise the money from?

"Ahh, geeze."

Her head felt like it would crack just from thinking about it.

At any rate, this kind of conversation about money could spoil the romantic mood, so she wanted to try to avoid it. Especially while there was this kind of distance between her and Sachiko-sama.

"By the way, the date's expenses, about how much will they be?"

Having come this far, she had no choice but to ask this. Having picked out the only part that could serve as a reference, she could come up with a plan. At any rate, this was data that she was lacking.

"It's 3000 yen."

"3000 yen?"

That's 3 Natsume-san's.[2]

"That's per group, not per person?"

"Yeah."

Shimako-san stretched her back and nodded.

3000 yen.

Since she had never been on a real date, Yumi had no idea whether that was a lot or a little.

"At the very least, you can't go to Disneyland with that much money."

"And if you see a movie, there's not enough for lunch."

For Shimako-san, it seems that a date = a movie. But that's definitely the sort of image you would get when you heard the phrase 'first date'. And afterwards to a cafe. Due to the budget, she would have to pass on the amusement park this time.

However. She didn't want to go to a movie theater somewhere within range of their commuter pass, watch a movie, and then say "Goodbye." You could call that a film festival, but not a date.

So now that she'd learned all this, what should she do?

"But first of all, I think I have to have a discussion with Shizuka-sama."

Shimako-san stood up, and straightened the hem of her skirt. Left squatting by herself on the landing, Yumi also stood up. One of her legs had gone to sleep.

"Are you okay?"

Shimako-san lent Yumi a hand, for which she was grateful, supporting her while she grabbed the staircase's railing.

As she was looking over her shoulder, Yumi thought she could see Shimako-san's white sigh.

"Shimako-san, are you depressed about something?"

At which point Shimako-san, who looked like she had been caught doing something wrong, said 'Oh', and smiled.

"It's a bit different to what you just said. It's about Shizuka-sama – it's not that I hate her, it's just..."

"It's just?"

"It's just that I can't even imagine what Shizuka-sama is planning on doing."

Yumi wanted to lend her some strength, but she couldn't imagine either.

Part 6.

"What am I planning, huh?"

Shizuka-sama put on a slightly evil looking face and smiled.

"Yumi-san, who told you to come here? Shimako-san? Or maybe Sachiko-san?"

Thump.

"No, it's not like that. Nobody sent me here."

Hastily, Yumi swung her hand over her heart and vehemently denied it.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Yes, of course. It would be a stain on my honor to do such a thing to Shizuka-sama."

Her intended grin turned into an insincere smile. What she was saying wasn't a lie, but she was feeling a little bit guilty after all. She broke out into a cold sweat.

After she parted from Shimako-san, Yumi returned to her classroom to pick up her bag and coat. In the first floor hallway she had spotted Shizuka-sama, who must surely have been on her way home, and without thinking had chased after her and caught her at the entrance. That was all. Although, to be honest, if it hadn't been for Shimako-san's sigh, she probably wouldn't have called out to Shizuka-sama.

But Shizuka-sama wasn't conducting a detailed investigation. She smiled good-naturedly and said, "Well that's okay then." That was how Yumi had wanted to smile just recently, so her feelings were somewhat complicated.

Students on their way home were passing around them. So as not to be a bother, they moved to one of the closed doors before Shizuka-sama gave her answer to the initial question.

"What am I planning? Well, nothing. I'm neither a god, nor a magician nor do I have ESP, so of course I didn't know where Shimako-san had hidden her card. Therefore, my finding it was just a co-incidence. Mere chance."

"Haa."

Shimako-san's hidden white card. It had been put up on the committee notice board. She had only heard this afterwards, but while Sachiko-sama had arrived early in the morning and took the time to bury her card in the ground herself, Rei-sama and Shimako-san's cards were hidden by a first year newspaper club member moments before the treasure hunt started. While the participants were gathered in the courtyard and having the rules explained to them. Since Shizuka-sama was participating in the treasure hunt, she obviously didn't have an opportunity to witness Shimako-san hiding her card.

"I have a question though, what made you think of taking part in the treasure hunt in the first place?"

"Why, indeed. To be brief, it seemed like fun, I guess."

"It seemed like fun?"

"It seemed like fun, didn't it? I was hungry for some festivities at this school, you could say. I definitely made some happy memories this Valentine's Day that I can take with me to Italy."

Shizuka-sama said that her school life had always been centered around singing, so she hadn't been able to participate with her class in school festivals and the like. So her goal wasn't really to get a date with one of the boutons but simply to have fun with everyone, she said. Was that really it?

But, what if it was? To be safe, she would have been looking for her classmates Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama's cards. If she had chanced upon it, as she claimed, wouldn't it have been better to hand it over to someone who desired Shimako-san's card. Despite being a first year, Shimako-san was popular as a bouton. She was admired by her classmates, but there were also a lot of second years who would like to make her their petit soeur.

"I thought it would cause an uproar if I found Shimako-san's card, so I aimed for it from the beginning. But I never thought I would actually find it."

"An uproar, huh."

To cause an uproar, huh, Yumi grumbled in her mind. The person who tried to usurp Shimako-san's role as a Rose in the student council elections got a date with her.

What does it all mean?

"So I'm incredibly satisfied."

Shizuka-sama made the peace-sign with her right hand, which wasn't holding her bag.

"So, about the date with Shimako-san."

"Of course I'm going. It's going to be super fun."

The tone she said that in wasn't thoughtless, like Yumi's, but it seemed like the number of people mistakenly wondering whether Shizuka-sama liked Shimako-san would increase.

I'm sorry, Shimako-san. – Yumi prayed silently.

I have absolutely no idea what Shizuka-sama is thinking.

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