Volume 1 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Saturday
Just about two and a half hours after noon, there was a gift fro room to the Rose Mansion
”Second-year cherry blosso a curry stand for the festival, and we'd like to request a tasting”
”Wah!”
A strong, spicy scent roused her appetite They had been rehearsing for the play on the second floor, but everyone had stopped, and quickly moved the table back from the corner to the center
”Please”
Three students wearing pink apron-dresses labeled ”Sakuratei” took out three dishes each from a Ramen-shop delivery box and placed them on the table
”Oops, there's one extra”
They cocked their heads They had brought nine, for eight
”Who said it was three times three?”
”Oh, oops Rosa Gigantea had no second-year”
They hispering to each other, but it was very audible Yumi had already been counted, in a very matter-of-fact way
”It's better than too little, isn't it? May I have the extra one, too?”
The three students froestion, and so the problem with the nuet to sa the food
”It's a trial product, so please, be honest”
There was a bank of rice in the middle of the elliptical dish, and on either end was a different curry sauce A red curry with ripe to coconut milk as its base
They had eaten lunch two hours earlier, but as they were hungry froerly lifted their chopsticks, or spoons
”Being able to eat two types of curry on one dish is nice … But, I think there ht be too much sauce compared to the amount of rice?”
Was Rosa Chinensis' first impression
”The colors, also, ht be a bit bland?”
Rosa Gigantea said
”Green is us… turnips or pickles, anything, but I think you should place soreen on the dish”
”Green Come to think of it, that's true”
The Sakuratei students earnestly took notes
”Maybe you should cook rice with a little less water? Personally, I prefer a bit drier rice”
Said Rosa Foetida, and shi+mako-san answered, ”I like rice puffed up like this” Then, they took a survey of everyone at the table, which resulted in three preferring ”drier” rice, three preferring ”puffy” rice and two not caring either way Yu,” and she felt to a certain degree, her personality was shown in her answer
There were some selfish comments, like Sachiko-saeneral,” but as expected of the people at the Rose Mansion, everyone was offering earnest advice for the tasting By contrast, Yumi could only offer the unhelpful coood,” and so she felt a bit apologetic
”We'll head back and discuss it, then We'll come back later to pick up the dishes, so feel free to just leave them there”
They hurried back to the cooking roo they were scheduled to take a peek into the staff room, count the number of heads, and deliver food
”Speaking of which, what time is it?”
Rosa Chinensis flipped her hand and looked at her thin, silver wristwatch in response to Rosa Gigantea's question Not just Rosa Gigantea, but allanced at a nearby clock to confir up the dishes
”Almost three Oh, yeah”
”We need to go pick him up”
”Who shall we send?”
The Roses softly discussed a themselves
”Um, what should we do about the extra dish?”
Yuantea antea planned to eat it now, or perhaps sheto save it for later, it was probably prudent to erator, as cleaning the dishes for the cooking students was so she preferred to have done now
”Perfect Yumi-chan can we ask you to do a chore?”
Rosa Gigantea said
”Eh?”
”There's a person waiting for us by thethat person to us”
”Fine with me…?”
Yuate meant it was not a person from within the school
”We'll have that person eat the curry”
”Ah”
Rosa Gigantea explained, today was the day the Hanadera student council leader was arriving to join rehearsals They had gotten per alone into a girls' school was not a good idea, so they had promised to send someone to escort him
”Why are we treating an outsider?”
Sachiko-sama spoke, unpleasantly, and Rosa Chinensis curtly answered
”It would be impolite if only we are spicy”
Even Sachiko-sauy, ould be surrounded by people who had just eaten curry with garlic Either that, or she preferred not to have that iardless of who the opponent was
”Eight minutes left”
Rosa Foetida began counting down
”But I don't kno that person looks?”
”There are not a whole lot of Hanadera students waiting by the i-san He's a pretty nice-looking guy, so you'll recognize him immediately”
Yumi hurried out, spurred on by the words, seven and a half minutes left
It took a bit over ten ate How long would it take if she walked quickly?
(Ahh, shoot)
Yu out She could keep her indoor shoes on if she were just traversing the courtyard, but she would need shoes to walk to the ko nuts, after all, along the way
One minute lost due to the detour to the shoe box She would have to run
She disturbed her plaited skirt just a tad, she let her sailor scarf overturn a tiny bit, and she paid care to not step on gingko nuts It was exactly three o'clock when she arrived at the ate
(Please don't be here, yet)
When she stepped out of the gate, a Hanadera Institute uniforh the uniforht allowed hi effect
”Excuse i-san?”
”Ah, yes”
He lifted his head and smiled
”Are you the person sent by the Yauru, pleased to meet you”
The pitiful prince that was hated by Cinderella was a pretty good looking young man
Kashi+wagi-san is a third-year at the Hanadera Institute As he'd already received an early acceptance into the Hanadera University, he was able to be the student council leader despite it being this otherwise busy time period for third-year students, and he was also able to help out with other school festivals A ant social status, is how he introduced hi with Yumi
”I must say, unlike Lillian, it seems like Hanadera's rather prepared for examination conditions?”
”Indeed Thus, I was saved because the early-acceptance entries were low in number”
”Right…”
Hanadera University was extreh level, so it supposedly only accepted up to thirty students with exceptional records froh schools without any exarab an early acceptance would then take an exam for Hanadera University, as well as other schools, so it had an ih examination requirements
(That means, this person is a super elite…!)
A slender figure, a generous mask, a well-mannered attitude to other people, and a brilliant mind and leadershi+p ability to boot Just how could Sachiko-sama complain about a man like this?
”Ah, the Maria statue”
Kashi+wagi-san stopped at the fork in the road
”When Lillian students pass by, they always stop and put their hands together, correct?”
”You're very knowledgeable”
”Yes For whatever reason, in o to Lillian My randmother, my aunt, and my cousin all went to Lillian”
Whether he was just acting the part, he put together his hands and closed his eyes Because of this, Yumi was also able to pray, in peace Because it was such a habit, she felt bad every tilected to perform the rite
”With Maria-sa like this, Lillian students really cannot do anything bad”
Kashi+wagi-sanopened his eyes
”Anything bad?”
”I don't know Girls' schools and boys' schools have bad standards of 'bad,' so I can't give a specific example”
”Shakyaht?”
”Even so, there is no statue in clear view like this”
Hanadera Institute was a Buddhist school
After taking a left at the fork, there was another fork When you took a right, the high school facilities were on your left
”Please come in here”
She led him to the visitor entrance and took a slipper from the shoe box
”I should have brought indoor shoes, it seeyht my indoor athletics shoes”
”It's alright”
He see a school uniform
”I apologize, could you wait here a e into my indoor shoes”
With that, Yumi hurried outside Ah, how busy She turned around, entered froed shoes, and now had to return, this time from indoors
(Huh…?)
She thought she saw Sachiko-sama
(Was I seeing things? Sachiko-sama should be at the Rose Mansion still)
That shadow vanished to the library road as Yuht she should chase, for a moate whether that was Sachiko-sauest to attend to, anyways
(Oh, well, I guess I'll ask Sachiko-sama later)
Thus, Yuinal mission and ran to the other side
”Welcoi-sama”
”Thank you for transporting yourself all this distance today”
”Ahh, please, put down your luggage here”
The Roses smiled their special smiles and welcomed the visitor
”Thank you for the invitation It is a wonderful mansion”
The person nauru seemed extremely used to the situation He was very settled down, a curiousthat could only be called ”strange” by an outsider Then, despite being surrounded by girls of sie, conducted himself sociably without any hint of timid-ness
”My little brother would co from this situation…”
Having completed her important job, Yumi stood off to the side, relieved, and watched the scene
”Oh, Yumi-chan has a little brother?”
Rosa Gigantea was unwrapping the curry dish, having stepped out of the circle and walked next to Yumi
”Yes At Hanadera Institute”
”Being flushed is e is kind of creepy”
She was talking about Kashi+wagi-san, and although they were far away and probably couldn't be heard, Yu of fear
”Rosa Gigantea's mouth is as sharp as the taste of coconut curry…”
”Then it wasn't that spicy?”
Rosa Gigantea laughed heartily
She was searching around with her hand, so Yuuarded by a paper napkin
”Thank you”
”It's cooled, you're still serving it to him?”
She asked with a whisper, and the response she got was a childish ”well, duh”
”Speed is the naame If we don't make him eat, soon, Lillian students will be stuck with the label, 's quite as handy as a microwave in the Rose Mansion, anyways”
It would have been faster if she just said that Regardless, Rosa Gigantea said, ”I apologize for keeping you waiting,” a decidedly uncharacteristic sort of behavior, and placed the cold curry in front of the student council leader fro school
”Sakuratei special ood even when it's cold'”
What a liar
As she walked back, Rosa Gigantea, out of view of the custohed
”You may have already eaten lunch, but as you are a man, I hope you could eat this, too?”
”As you will be participating in the rehearsals with us, please, do fill your stomach, first”
Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida both spoke in a nonchalant manner, but they very proactively recommended him to eat As expected, even if he were to never notice, they were not so keen on having eaten curry and being near a guy who hadn't
”Of course Thank you for the treat”
And as expected of a i He said, ”Itadaki the two-colored curry Even with people watching, he ate fluidly and without hesitation
”What do you think?”
”What, do you mean?”
”What do you think of him?”
At first, she didn't knohat Rosa Gigantea meant So she responded, ”He eats like they do in the curry coe miss
”Not that The Hanadera student council leader, it's your first ti him isn't it?”
”Yes”
”I' about your impression of him”
”Impression”
Yui-san He was half-finished with eating Perhaps it was his personality, but both colors were evenly diminished
”Intellectual, sociable, and punctual Also, he is refreshi+ng”
Rosa Gigantea nodded, ”yes yes,” as she listened to Yumi
”Objectively, how do you think of hiuy?”
”How…?”
What in the world are you talking about, Rosa Gigantea? Was she trying to be a fore mother?
”I' Yuirl”
”Huh!?”
She had no idea as going on So she answered half-heartedly
”Objectively, he's a pretty good line to follow…”
Still chewing away at curry, he probably couldn't have even i about this
”- so that would mean, he passes”
As Sachiko-saantea said In this play, there was an ulteriorto beat Sachiko-sama's hate of men
”Sachiko's household is quite bizarre Her grandfather and father both have many mistresses There are people that stupidly think that's the true nature of men, but those type of irls like Sachiko, stuck around that sort of men, end up with an intense hatred of all men”
The concubines of the Ogasawara faantea whispered People with stature and prestige had a hard ti under wraps, apparently Of course, that means Sachiko-sama knew about her father's relationshi+p omen
”I see, hating men, has a reason behind it”
”Pretty ”
So what they needed was a perfect, clean man with absolutely no chinks in his armor
If Sachiko-sanize the better virtues and qualities ofwould end happily Was how they wanted to script everything
”But, I wonder if it'll go that well…”
”Don't worry He won't draw near Sachiko-sama too much, even by mistake”
It had nothing to do withThe first step was siood antea who fired the white-plu he was the perfect fit for the job And, now that the plan was co into fruition, she had decided to ask for someone else's opinion
”Has Sachiko-sai-san yet?”
As she asked, Yumi suddenly realized
Sachiko-sama was not there
(Huh? Was she here when I came into the room? Or was she not?)
”Yuirl always ran away”
She didn't go to help Hanadera Institute with their school festival, she would not attend if they were having aoff the role when she found out the Hanadera student council leader was the prince