Maria Sama Ga Miteru:Volume12 Chapter1

Chapter 1

Dropping her glance onto her clipped stack of copies, Rosa Cinensis Ogasawara Sachiko(小笠原祥子)-sama cooly said.

"I am not going."

"Pardon?"

"I said, I am not going. By the way, would you please do something about your unattentive replies?"

Even if you tell me to do something about it... And I cannot take back now what I have blurted out of my lips-- Fukuzawa Yumi (福沢祐巳), who had finally got accustomed after three months of bearing the rather heavy title of Rosa Cinensis en Bouton, thought to herself.

The Rose Mansion (Bara no Yakata, 薔薇の館) had nothing like air-conditioners to refresh one's mind, so all the windows were opened. As a result, cicadas' dry cries attacked from all around like TV broadcasts.

The rainy season had finally ended, and it had turned remarkably hot.

The season was already mid summer.

Sachiko-sama's beautiful forehead was also slightly moistened by sweat drops like freshwater pearls.

Leaving that aside.

For the moment, what Yumi had to do was to ask to repeat onee-sama's unbelievable words that reached her ears just now. I am not going. This line could not be neglected.

"But, onee-sama, your promise..."

Yumi reached out her body and pressed on with her words, and Sachiko-sama lifted her head off the printouts and gave a sigh.

"In no case am I trying to break my promise. However, Yumi, your pose is as if you are going to jump on me."

"...Why shouldn't I?"

Yumi mumbled with her slightly pouted lips. She knew full well that she was really like a racing horse behind the starting line, with her heart anxiously crying aloud being quicker, quicker.

The gate was the final tests. Only if they are over, Yumi convinced herself as she drilled on her studies with all her strength, reached the final day today unscathed, and had her spirits all hyped up. It was just natural to dash with all her power like a boar, towards something right in front of her that she had been waiting for so long. -- Though the analogy somehow turned from a horse into a boar.

"I have been waiting for so long... Amusement park"

Exactly.

Now the topic of discussion between the Red Rose sisters was about the suspended Amusement Park Date. During the rainy season, the issue became the centerpiece of a complicated big fight between the sisters, but the rain had been lifted, and the sisters had reconciled. Therefore Yumi thought it was natural to bring up the issue again. However, Sachiko-sama didn't seem to think likewise.

"I am not saying I will never go, am I? I am only suggesting that going right now seems a little..."

"That is not true. Onee-sama, you have just flatly said 'I am not going.'"

"Stop picking words for me. How defiant you have become lately! I mean 'I am not going right now,' and you have made such an ruckus over my omitting the 'right now.'"

"Ruckus? Then you should choose your words with greater attention, onee-sama. Each one of your words is rubbing against my timid heart."

"Oh my, I am so surprised by a timid heart talking back like this!"

Sachiko-sama hit the stack of printouts onto the table. Shocked by such force, Rosa Gigantea Toudou Shimako (藤堂志摩子) gave a cute little cry.

The Red Rose sisters' conversation was so exciting that everybody else's existence faded off. In reality, however, all six of Yamayurikai （山百合会）'s executive members had gathered in this conference-room-cum-salon, on the second floor of Bara no Yakata (薔薇の館), the headerquarters of Lillian Girls' Academy (リリアン女学園) student body.

It was the afternoon of the last day of final tests. From the day after began the post-exam break, and everyone was summoned here to make various confirmations on events happening in the summer vacation.

"Is it really a good idea to leave the two like that?"

In a low voice Shimako asked the Yellow Rose sisters, who took no notice of the Red Rose sister's debate.

"They are havign a quarrel between close sisters, so we are not butting in." Rosa Foetida Hasekura Rei （支倉令） was pushing the core of her automatic pencil, as she put checkmarks onto the printout she was reading.

"Even if we do not interfere--?"

Rosa Gigantea en Bouton Nijou Noriko (二条乃梨子) raised the same question seriously.

"Let them be, let them be. Fights of intimacy, that's all."

Rosa Foetida en Bouton Shimazu Yoshino (島津由乃), having the same experience but more composure than Yumi as a petite soeur (younger sister), said nonchalantly as she supported her chin with her knitted fingers.

"Fights of intimacy?"

The White Rose sisters exchanged glances and cocked their heads. The two might not be able to understand through experience what it means by "quarrels between close sisters" or "fights of intimacy." They were brand new sisters, having transferred the rosary for less than a month

The problem was, Yumi has heard all of their talks.

However, it was in fact fights of intimacy, so Yumi could not protest a thing.

When the strong bonding was confirmed, Yumi could now do even things impossible when their emotions didn't quite reach each other. Rather, Yumi would like to try everything. Before, Yumi could only watch unbelievably at Yoshino and Rei-sama exchanging snaps. Now that Yumi realized that it felt good to speak straight about her feelings, and it did her body no good to swallow back her words, Yumi decided to do exactly that.

Even onee-sama's little retorts was enjoyable to listen to.

"Anyway,"

Sachiko-sama said as she touched her teacup with her finger and pulled her finger back.

"Oh, seconds? Just a moment."

Yumi stood up and hurried to the electric pot. Onee-sama had a couple of preferences about food, and cooled tea didn't suit her taste.

"Great that you know."

"Well..."

I am your petite soeur after all. Sachiko-sama returned a smile on her face, delighted that her feelings got through.

"See?" Yoshino said to Shimako. "Not even dogs or bacteria can withstand the smell of sisters' fights."

"I see. What a lesson!"

Hey, I heard everything! You other sisters, please stop teasing us.

"Amusement parks are crowded in the summer vacation, aren't they?"

Sipping the freshly prepared red tea in satisfaction, Sachiko-sama said.

"Yeah..."

Yumi gave a vague reply as she served the others with the warm tea. Every place for entertainment would be the same though.

"The School Festival is coming as well, you know."

"Argh"

Yumi was out of words as the unexpected School Festival excuse was pulled out.

What is that? What is that? Sachiko-sama is lining up small obstacles on the road towards the amusement park.

"Above all, I feel most uncomfortable by the heat."

There it went, the attacks of a princess' self-indulgence.

Pulling this excuse meant the end of conversation. Then not only a date at amusement park, any outings between the sisters during the summer vacation would have been ruled out.

"Also, I go to the summerhouse at our summer resort every summer."

"For the whole time this one and a half months?"

"Not for the whole time. This year, the plan is to be from the end of July to the beginning of August."

"Then, what about the latter half of August?"

Yumi just would not let go. Taking into consideraton Sachiko-sama's grandma passing away just a while ago, she had refrained from choosing the obon (お盆) period. -- Though Yumi didn't know exactly what religion Sachiko-sama's grandma believed in.

"The latter half of the summer vacation is spent preparing for the School Festival back at school."

"What?"

"Haven't we mentioned it to you? This is Yamayurikai's custom for its executive members -- voluntary school-commuting in the summer vacation."

Rei-sama said as she opened the fridge.

"Therefore, the real vacation is only at the first half."

Hearing the high-pitched sound of ice cubes from the ice-maker hitting cups, Yumi drooped her head.

What a tight schedule! Then, even if one was not uncomfortable of the heat, and the place was not crowded in the summer, one could not even wingle out a drop of time to go to amusement parks.

"Then, the date in amusement park..."

"Let's wait till winter."

"...I guess."

Well, the result had been clear from the very beginning though. However, Yumi had already put up a good fight in front of her onee-sama. When Yumi returned to her seat, Yoshino greeted her with face that said "Great job."

"Well, the amusement park would not fly away even if you take it easy."

"But..."

I would love to get out together in the summer. Yumi mumbled in a low voice. Yoshino tuned down her volume as she whispered.

"Listen. If you suggest somewhere you can only go in the summer, even Sachiko-sama cannot just dismiss it and say to wait till winter. I did exactly this."

Yoshino advised, somehow like a demon's whisper. In fact, Rei-sama turned back her head upon Yoshino's words, so the analogy was not off the mark.

"You did exactly this? Where are you going, Yoshino?"

"He-he-he"

"He-he-he?"

"Climbing Mt. Fuji."

"What? Really?"

(To be continued)

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