Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume6 Chapter4

Dessert

Part 1.

"You've been crying a lot lately."

Rosa Gigantea murmured.

"I'm sorry."

Shimako separated herself from the arms she had been leaning against. She wondered how long she had been like that. It was already starting to get dark.

"If you like, I'll stay with you until the morning."

"That's not..."

"It might do you some good. Shall we go someplace else?"

With great effort, she stood up and stretched. Perhaps thinking she had recovered, Rosa Gigantea did not lend her a hand. For that, Shimako was again grateful.

"… But, crying might be a good sign."

Rosa Gigantea went back to cutting the cheesecake into pieces with her fork and eating it. The lights in the room weren't turned on. Because it was the weekend, the guard probably wouldn't patrol this area but it would still be bad if light were to leak out.

"It might be good for you to show some more of the weakness befitting your age, Shimako."

"My weakness"

Shimako took a seat facing Rosa Gigantea. It felt like the first time in a long time that it had just been the two of them in the Rose Mansion. They were the type of soeurs that always kept some distance as they looked at each other.

After all, the two of them were mirrors. They could see themselves in each other.

"If you try to shoulder everything yourself, you'll be crushed. Nobody is going to criticize you if you show some weakness. Or if they do, it just means they're a worthless human being and you should cast them aside. That's not the sort of thing friends do."

"Yeah"

She understood Rosa Gigantea's reasoning.

The people who loved her knew of the secrets hidden within her heart, so would not change their behavior towards her. So the only one worrying about it was herself. As long as she stayed calm it would be no big deal, and her world would probably open up further.

"But I can't take the next step."

"Spring will arrive very soon."

As she said this, Rosa Gigantea stood up and took a clean fork from the cutlery drawer. She then skewered a piece of the cheesecake and offered it to Shimako.

"Things will change when Spring arrives, right?"

Shimako took the offered fork and ate from it. It was sweet and sour. A hint of salt was mixed in, from her recent tears.

"Yep. The cherry blossoms will bloom. You'll meet new people."

"I first met you in Spring, Rosa Gigantea."

"Right. I first met you in Spring, Shimako."

The two of them ate their way through the cheesecake, little by little.

"Shizuka-sama tricked me."

"Shizuka? Oh yeah, what happened to Shizuka? I came here because she called me, you know."

"Yeah"

Having washed the cutlery, Shimako smiled as she dried her hands on her handkerchief.

"Her forte is surprising people, don't you think?"

"Yeah"

"A real criminal mastermind. But she's also quite considerate."

"Really?"

Rosa Gigantea shut off the space heater. As they hadn't turned the lights on, it was now almost pitch black.

"So now I finally understand."

The front gate may already be shut, in which case they would have to climb over the wall. But even that would be okay. Given the way things were going today, it seemed likely.

"What is it you understand?"

Rosa Gigantea asked her, waiting by the open door.

"The main reason for my date with Shizuka-sama."

Shimako answered as she hurried over.

"The reason?"

"So there would be no acrimony between Shizuka-sama's class and the boutons."

"Acrimony, huh"

Rosa Gigantea gently closed the door and then spoke.

"… Aren't you perhaps over-thinking this?"

Part 2.

"…"

Yoshino had come out of her room because her mother had told her that her friend was here, but when she saw who was standing there, she was lost for words.

"Gokigenyou. Can we talk for a bit?"

Her frilly dress could be seen poking out from underneath her coat. Her wavy hair that appeared to have been styled with a curling iron was already wilting, no longer able to defy the passage of time.

In the entrance was her hated rival for Rei-chan's love, Tanuma Chisato.

"… I guess. Although are we really friends?"

"What else could I do? It would look suspicious if I didn't say we were friends, right."

"Well, that's true."

Chisato-san's position was actually 'Rei-chan's fan,' but it would seem a bit odd if she said that when visiting Yoshino. Certainly, it was convenient for both Yoshino and her family that Chisato-san had called herself a friend from Lillian's.

"Won't you come in?"

Her mother had called out, asking 'Why don't you invite her inside?' so, unpleasant though it was, Yoshino reluctantly asked her in.

"It's okay."

Chisato-san shook her head and said she'd be going home soon.

"So? Why did you come here? If you're looking for Rei-chan's house, it's next door."

"I know."

"And what about Rei-chan? You didn't come here together?"

"No. She'd still be riding her bike now."

"Bike?"

Yoshino left Chisato-san in the entry and went outside. Rei-chan's usual bike was definitely missing from the Hasekura family's bike shed.

"What do you mean? Are you saying that Rei-chan rode her bike to K station today?"

She asked, returning to the entry. Chisato-san said 'Yeah' and nodded, looking slightly proud.

"Rei-sama was so incredibly kind. When we were planning the date, I said I wanted to see a movie. And she said 'Let's do that, then.' And then she said 'But if we do that, we won't have any money left over for lunch or train fares, right? So we can each make a box lunch and eat them in the park.' Rei-sama's cooking was really good. She even ate my failed attempt without complaining."

"Uh huh. So what is it you want to say?"

"It's about Rei-sama's kindness. I was fine because I used my commuter pass to get to K station, but Rei-sama doesn't have a commuter pass, does she?"

"Well, yeah. Since we walk to school."

"So she rode her bike there, for my sake. Because the 3000 yen had to include transportation. And we have to write a report, so the numbers have to match up."

That was pretty stingy of her, Yoshino thought. Because she wanted to see a movie, they had to bring their own lunch. Because she wanted to see a movie, Rei-chan couldn't catch the bus. While they were doing that, Yoshino had been eating her extravagant lunch and reading her book.

"Because it was dark, Rei-sama took me home."

"Huh?"

"She said that I didn't have to write it in the report. To say that we had split up at K station."

"… I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"She bought a ticket with her own money, and accompanied me to my home."

Now it made sense.

Saying that they had split up at K station was camouflage, to hide the fact that the budget had been blown by Rei-chan spending several hundred yen of her own money in order to properly escort her date home. Just what you'd expect from Mr. Lillian. Impeccable, wouldn't you say?

Yoshino understood Rei-chan's immense popularity.

"She even went as far as buying a magazine at a convenience store in my neighborhood."

"That's typical of Rei-chan, being so serious. She'd even prepared an excuse about doing some personal shopping to go to the station closest to your house."

"That's what I'm talking about. Rei-sama's kind, right?"

Yoshino knew about kindness. But in Rei-chan's case, it went beyond kindness to stubbornness. Not just Mr. Lillian but Mr. Perfect.

"So? What is someone that was escorted home like a princess doing in a place like this?"

Unable to see the theme of the conversation even after all this time, Yoshino was getting irritated. Just having Chisato-san standing here in front of her wasn't putting her in a good mood.

Yoshino couldn't believe her ears when she heard Chisato-san's response to her question.

"Me? I returned home for a few moments, then headed out again."

"Ehh?"

Involuntarily she cried out. All of the effort Rei-chan had gone to by buying a train ticket and escorting Chisato-san home had just been casually tossed aside, hadn't it?

But that wasn't the only surprising part. What Chisato-san said next was even more amazing.

"I quietly followed Rei-sama and caught the same train to K station."

"Huh? Then? No way... Did Rei-chan – "

"She didn't know. I was in a different carriage, and she was reading her magazine. Then I caught a bus and came here ahead of her."

"That's pretty stupid, yeah?"

The words were out of her mouth before she knew it. The pussy-cat image she hid behind while at school was too restricting. They didn't have time to mince words.

"I know it was stupid. I get it."

Chisato-san shot back, angrily.

Well, that was probably true. There was no need for Yoshino to objectively point this out. Chisato-san would have been able to realize subjectively that her own behavior was quite odd. But if she hadn't realized her strange behavior, it may have explained their confusing conversation.

"Once more, why?"

Yoshino asked, after she had calmed down. Chisato-san's response to her question was curt.

"Because I had something I wanted to tell you."

"Something you wanted to tell me?"

You've already said plenty, Yoshino thought. About how kind Rei-chan had been.

"The movie was fun. Rei-sama listened to my request and took me to see a romantic movie even though she probably wasn't interested in it."

"Well, that's …"

That's precisely her tastes, Yoshino thought. Chisato-san must have believed the incorrect information that had been printed in the Lillian Kawaraban, so she didn't know Rei-chan's preferences. There's no doubt that Rei-chan would have happily watched the romantic movie.

"We also went window shopping. There was a cute antique doll but it was expensive, so we only looked at it. And Rei-sama accompanied me everywhere we went."

Chisato-san continued.

"We couldn't go to the zoo or the amusement park because they have an entrance fee, but we walked around the lake in the public park. They had rowboats that some families and couples were using, but I was content just to watch. Because Rei-sama was by my side. When I would turn to look at her, her smiling face would be looking only at me."

"So, what. You came all this way just to give me your report?"

"That's right. Something wrong?"

Chisato-san grinned evilly. Her matter-of-fact attitude was grating.

"I came to brag to you. About how fun my half-day date was with Rei-sama. About how kind Rei-sama was. I"

Chisato-san's voice faltered at that point.

(Huh?)

The proud look on her face that had been so grating gradually contorted and then the tears tumbled down in large drops.

"… Hey, why are you crying?"

Yoshino was trying to understand, but Chisato-san just gave a small sniffle and cried. The half-day date was fun, right? Rei-chan was kind, right? So why was she crying and looking so miserable?

"Chisato-san..."

Yoshino gently put her hands on Chisato-san's shoulders. Even if she was an annoying rival for Rei-chan's affection, there's a temporary truce when your opponent is crying.

Chisato-san slowly raised her downcast head.

"I saw you, Yoshino-san."

"Huh?"

"On the pedestrian bridge, in front of the park."

"Oh, really?"

She had failed, and been seen. Even worse, it was by the person she least wanted to be seen by.

"So I thought I'd make you jealous by clinging to Rei-sama's arm."

"Then you succeeded splendidly. I was so jealous I wanted to slap you."

Yoshino was starting to get angry just remembering it.

"I hated you, Yoshino-san."

"Oh, really."

Yoshino hadn't thought that Chisato-san liked her, so it didn't come as a shock. Indeed, it would have been worse if Chisato-san had told her that she liked her.

"Before your surgery, you had the image of a tragic heroine, and Rei-sama was always by your side, helping you out. That was exactly how I interpreted it."

"I wasn't forcing her to do that, you know. Rei-chan enjoyed fussing over me."

"That's something else that I can't stand."

"What now?"

Even though Yoshino thought she was offering up a truce, Chisato-san showed no indication of letting up her attack. Yoshino was troubled. Not wanting to brag, but she didn't really have a lot of patience.

"How you're monopolizing gentle Rei-sama's affection. After flaunting it during the Yellow Rose Revolution, you simply got back together with her."

"Hold up"

"And how you call Rei-sama, 'Rei-chan.'"

"Chisato-san. You're – "

"I've always hated that, but, just for today, I didn't think there would be anything for me to hate."

Chisato-san paused momentarily, then continued in a barely audible voice.

"Rei-sama wasn't aware of it, but she called me 'Yoshino' five times today."

"Huh...?"

"No matter what we talked about, it wasn't long before Yoshino-san popped up. 'How Yoshino did this' or 'when I came here with Yoshino.' … So I was jealous of you. But I couldn't say anything to Rei-sama. When I got home, my anger wouldn't go away, so I …"

" – Chisato-san."

"I know it's not fair to complain to you about it."

Chisato-san started to sob uncontrollably.

She was hurting. It was only natural that she would be crying. It wasn't just her anger that had driven her to do this.

Chisato-san was pitiable.

You couldn't help but feel for her.

"I'm sorry."

Yoshino embraced Chisato-san.

It was Rei-chan's fault.

It was all Rei-chan's fault.

"I'm sorry my older sister is so insensitive."

In the cramped entry, the two of them embraced and continued to weep, until the end.

Like fools, until the end.

Like friends.

Until the end.

Part 3.

"Hello, is this the Ogasawara-san residence? My name is Fukuzawa Yumi and I am a student in the first year peach class in the high school section of Lillian's Girls Academy. I apologize for calling so late in the evening, but may I please speak to Sachiko-sama?"

Yumi spoke in a whisper.

She was sitting on top of her bed, with her legs folded back underneath her. Her hand was clenched around the telephone handset.

"Is it strange to use 'san' with Ogasawara, but 'sama' with Sachiko? Then perhaps Ogasawara-sama?.... I'll try it one more time. Hello – "

The phone was switched off. This was a dry run.

"Okay, that's perfect."

This was the fifth time she had practiced it, making amendments along the way. Finally it had taken shape. However.

"That's what I'll say if one of the household staff answers the phone. Next is what to say if Aunt Sayako answers the phone."

"And then? Are you going to run through what to say if her father or grandfather answer the phone? Give it a rest."

An unexpected voice called out from behind her and she spun around to see her younger brother standing at the door, his body jutting half-way into her room.

"…. You scared me. What is it, Yuuki. You can't just come in here as you please."

"I knocked first."

It seems she had been so wrapped up in her practice that she hadn't heard him.

"I thought I heard some Buddhist chanting coming from the room next door, and it gave me the creeps."

"Buddhist chanting !?"

A Lillian's student doing Buddhist chanting? You moron.

"If you keep rehearsing like this, it'll be too late to make the call. It's already after 9 o'clock. Don't you think you should call soon? Take your chances with who answers the phone. Who knows, Sachiko-san herself might pick up."

Yuuki strolled into the room and shut the door as he was talking. It stopped the heat from escaping, so she didn't mind.

"Sachiko-sama"

"Picky, picky. Correcting me over such a minor matter."

For some strange reason, Yuuki had good intuition, so he had probably foreseen that Yumi would want to call Sachiko-sama to thank her for today, but would have trouble going through with it.

"If you like, I could call her."

He deftly snatched the phone.

"Stop – right – there."

Yumi grabbed it back, flustered.

At least spare her from that. Nothing could be more embarrassing than her younger brother phoning and saying 'thank you for taking care of my sister.' First of all, what would Sachiko-sama think?

You aren't even able to make a single phone call yourself?

Just thinking about it made her want to run away. It would be better to not make the call and be a discourteous disgrace than that.

Come to think of it, she also had that option of leaving things as they were and not making the call.

"Ahh, you were just thinking about not calling her, weren't you?"

Yuuki whispered.

"How did you know?"

"It's written all over your face."

"Oooh."

It was a shock to be told that by a relative. Although they had matching raccoon-like faces, Yumi could never guess what Yuuki was thinking.

"So, if you don't call her?"

"It'll be okay, I think."

"So either way is fine then."

"Yep."

"But didn't you originally think you should call her?"

"I guess."

"So all your practice was pointless then."

"…"

"It's just a thought, but Sachiko-san won't be expecting you to be able to speak flawlessly when you call her. Even if you make a mess of it, there's still value in receiving the call. Especially for her."

"So you're telling me to call her after all, aren't you."

"I'm not telling you."

"You are."

But what Yuuki was saying was definitely correct. Despite being her younger brother, he was usually pretty reliable for this sort of thing.

Yumi wiped her sweaty palms on the bed cover then turned her attention back to the phone.

"Can you stay until I've dialed the number?"

She wanted Yuuki to watch, to make sure she didn't try and get out of it.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"But you have to leave the room while it's ringing. It would be embarrassing if you heard our conversation."

"Such complicated orders."

Nonetheless, Yuuki went on stand-by with his hand on the door knob.

Everything was ready.

Yuuki gave the 'go' sign, and Yumi's finger reached for the call button on the receiver.

And at the same time as this.

The muted sound of the phone ringing on the first floor was heard, followed a split-second later by the louder ringing of the handset in her hand.

"Aaah"

Her heart was pounding, and she instinctively let go of the receiver, but not before her finger had reached out and pressed the call button.

(Damn it)

Now she had no choice but to answer the phone. Yumi hurriedly retrieved the handset, put on her best telephone voice, and spoke.

"Ahh, hello. Fukuzawa residence."

And then.

"I apologize for calling so late at night. My name is Ogasawara Sachiko and I am a second year student at Lillian's Girls Academy – "

"Onee-sama!?"

"Ahh, I'm so glad that's you, Yumi."

There was no mistaking it. What she was hearing from the receiver was her beloved onee-sama's voice.

"Just now, right this second, I was going to call you, onee-sama."

"It seems so. I could tell because you answered on the first ring."

Laughter was coming from Sachiko-sama's side of the phone.

"Umm, thank you very much for today, onee-sama."

Yumi was sitting with her legs tucked under her, facing the wall with her head bowed down. She knew she couldn't be seen, but that type of behavior was ingrained in her.

She could sense that, behind her, Yuuki had left the room. She was a bit annoyed by his snort of laughter, regardless of whether it was from relief or from shock.

"To tell you the truth, I was a bit nervous"

"About what?"

"About calling your house. I was wondering if I would be able to properly greet your mother or father if they answered the phone."

"…"

What Yumi heard was so unexpected that she was doubting her ears. It was hard to believe that Sachiko-sama, who was always so majestic and fearless would be nervous about greeting her parents.

"Hello, Yumi? Are you there?"

"… Yeah. Umm, onee-sama, is that really true?"

"Of course it is. Apart from Yuuki, I haven't met any of your family. I don't know what type of things you've been telling them about me."

"What type of things? Naturally, I've been telling them that you're a wonderful onee-sama."

"Really? You haven't been telling them that I'm a selfish and hysterical onee-sama?"

"… Just a little."

"Hey"

They both burst into laughter simultaneously.

Despite the distance between their houses, they were able to laugh together. She could picture Sachiko-sama's smiling face in her mind.

Telephones are fantastic.

They're like a telepathy machine, she thought.

"I had fun today, Yumi. We should do this again."

"Yes"

Yumi put all her effort into sending an 'okay' sign. The electro-magnetic wave flew from her handset to the base unit, and from there down a thin copper line to Sachiko-sama's house. All to deliver her cheery voice.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Yumi."

"Yeah. Good night."

"Good night."

Yumi pressed the button to hang up after Sachiko-sama had ended the call from her side.

"Ooooh."

Yumi laid back against her bed.

Thump. Thump.

"Onee-sama called me."

A couple of minutes later, she still hadn't calmed down.

It was hard to explain, but it was a joy that she wasn't even able to imagine a few minutes earlier. That a single telephone call could bring her so much happiness.

Yumi went to bed earlier than usual that night.

Today had been such a fun day, but tomorrow would probably be a wonderful day as well, she thought.

Good night.

See you tomorrow.

The sooner tomorrow comes, the better.

Because her beloved onee-sama was waiting for her tomorrow.

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