Volume 1 Chapter 5 (1/2)
It was the next Wednesday that Tsutako-san told Yue
”Strange…?”
”Well, e is a faulty expression Not her usual self”
”They're both basically the sa”
The school festival was only three days away, soaround wild Most classes were s this week, so that the afternoon would be freed for individual activities, such as club work, coroups The last spurt
On the path to the different club houses, Yumi was told this
”So, strange in ay?”
”She's like a fish-paste cake”
”Fish-paste cake?”
Tsutako-seemed to want to say that Sachiko-sahty princess, an al dente that still had a wick Yet, right now, Sachiko-sah wick She stared off into space, sighed, and at the end of that-
”She even ca for me”
Tsutako-san bit into her handkerchief, frustrated, ”That's not Sachiko-sama”
”Even if it involves her, she's more the type to call people to her”
”I don't think it's about type or suitability?”
Tsutako-san's aesthetic sense was peculiar But anyways, that raphy club house to settle so
”And guess what she said? 'If you want to use the photo of Yuht on ahead'!”
”Sachiko-sama…”
That, was definitely strange The usual Sachiko-sa so the topic up in person Even if she heard about it from other sources, if the person did not conore it
”Anyways, this is, happily, yours Congratulations”
Tsutako-san lowered her shoulders and handed Yu
”Ah, this”
It was the two-shot photo fro Yumi's scarf Come to think of it, this was how it all started
”She looks different now than she used to I wonder what happened to Sachiko-sama”
Tsutako-san said, as she stepped over the newspaper sheets for a class that had spilled working on their sign board to the hallway Yus, so she walked around everything
Yumi felt she knehat happened” to Sachiko-sama
That Sachiko-sama had become fish-paste cake or a wick-less pasta was because she i-san on Saturday
”Also, Yumi-san About the newspaper club, I heard”
”The newspaper club? That they stopped asking about an interview?”
”Yes Apparently that was because of Sachiko-sama, too”
Because of Sachiko-sama, sounded os
”Last week, Yu chased around, right? Maybe because she felt a bit responsible when she found out, Sachiko-sama spoke directly to the newspaper club captain Because they're both second-years, it was probably easier for her to negotiate things”
”But I don't think they would pull back just because Sachiko-sama asked”
”Exactly I heard Sachiko-sama took the interview in Yumi-san's stead For the promise that they wouldn't chase Yumi-san around”
”Eh…!?”
She had no idea That Sachiko-sah they met every day, she never noticed
Tsutako-san said the newspaper club had become silent, because they had received the full story
”Half of the article is already complete Whether Sachiko-sama can make Yumi accept the rosary before the school festival, or not And, whether she beco for the aftermath”
”You're knowledgeable”
”The newspaper club is in the neighboring roo photos by , whether I want to or not”
”Whether you want to or not”
”Indeed, even if I don't”
When they finished descending the stairs and reached the first floor, they split left and right to head to their respective ways
”Don't you, so?”
Tsutako-san spun around and asked
”Uneasiness?”
”You know You hear about it all the time A strict person becomes nice all of a sudden, and then they vanish When you suddenly receive so”
”Oh come on, it's not an omen”
Yumi chuckled The newspaper club had drawn back in the e on Saturday, so they were unrelated
Plus
Sachiko-sama would not run away -Yumi believed her
Sachiko-sama would never run away Because, she promised
On the second floor of the Rose Mansion, Sachiko-sa outside
The cotton curtains were swaying, a telling tale of the visitations of the soft wind Sachiko-saht hair also swayed a bit around her ears
Sachiko-sa the roo out, like an imprisoned princess
”When did you come?”
Eventually, the princess noticed Yumi
”About ten o”
”I see”
”Has no one else arrived?”
”They're probably busy with their class business, I think? How about shi+mako?”
”… Environmental Care Committee”
”Ah”
Even the residents of the Rose Mansion did not spend their entire non-class lives devoted to the student council They all took part in other clubs or committees, so when they were inquired upon, they would appear there
”Sachiko-sama, are you in any clubs…?”
”No”
Her answer caatory lessons her entire life, it ht have been a result of that As a result, the two people with no class or club or committee activities milled about in the Rose Mansion
Sachiko-sahed out the
She was probably thinking of Kashi+wagi-san -She intuitively thought
Such a glooathered her wits and asked
”Sachiko-sama”
”Eh?”
”What is the matter?”
”Matter…?”
Maybe she had been intending to be acting as usual Sachiko-sa about?”
”U”
”If I were, would you save me?”
As she was asked with a straight face, Yumi timidly responded, ”If it's within my power”
”Then, accept my rosary”
”Eh!?”
”You would help, if it were in your power, correct?”
Sachiko-sa over it again, it was sparkling and beautiful But, it cae, and she couldn't simply say, ”okay,” and accept it
”If there is anything else-”
”This is all I request of Yumi” Without any further ado, the rosary was stashed back into her pocket She had si it, it seemed
”Do you dislike it that much?”
Her desire to have Yumi accept the rosary was not based on the pure intent ofas she could seduce Yumi by the fixed date, Sachiko-sama could extricate herself from the Cinderella role
”Of course”
She had not specified about Kashi+wagi-san, but Sachiko-sa behind the question and answered in kind
”But you have practiced with him a number of times…”
”It is not aused to it”
Sachiko-sa venom
But that was opening a whole new set of probleantea's plan was to have Sachiko become used to men
”I hoped, ht, if I met him … But that was not the case”
Sachiko-saain
Yuht
Was it not the case because Kashi+wagi-san was a i-san
It seemed the same, at first, but she felt it made a difference
Sachiko-sama seemed to feel that there was, in fact, a difference
Tihs
There were s that needed to be done and still more than people wanted to do, so there was no choice but to flutter around wildly in the last three days Even after receiving entire afternoons froreedy, so they were unable to use their time as wisely as possible
Last spurt, Yumi memorized Cinderella's lines at ho recess, she practiced the dance steps with shi+rass
She didn't know herself why she worked this hard, but Yuated to do her best, for eency's sake
But as that eencies were extremely rare, she decided not to think about it
And the day of the time limit crept ever closer
”Okay, we'll finish with testing Yumi-chan's transformation scene one last time”
Rosa Chinensis shouted, using her rolled-up script as a aphone
”I mean, I've said it a nu off our skill”
”Yes”
Yumi put on the dress that was a collaborative effort between the handicraft club and the invention club At first glance, it was a servant-work dress ed material and covered with soot, but it had a trick, where pulling a nu the saeous ivory dress But this was just a tened for this transformation For the ballroom scene, they would switch to their petticoat and skirt dress
Even Lillian, on the day before the school festival, was savage Had the ordered goods not arrived yet, or they'd found a misprint on the fliers, or seats borrowed from the school had been double-booked, et cetera The pleats for the angels' skirts were always completely disordered, and their sailor scarves tossed and turned Today, even the Sisters consciously tried to reht as much as possible They did not want to see their students act like this
Even Yumi and the Yamayurikai were like this
They could only borrow the gyi-san, who slid in just at two, put on the prince costuh of the play twice A Sachiko-version and a Yumi-version
”When the s then, okay?”
They made a screen of dry-ice smoke, just like they would in the actual performance
Sachiko-saet the hang of the transformation
”Bippity boppity boo!”
Rei-sa her conductor's stick She, too, wore a young nobleman's costume under her cloak, and would join the next scene as a noble dancer, as if that was all she was
Rosa Chinensis lowered her rolled-up script Yumi pulled on the thin cords Yoshi+no-san crawled over, hidden by the smoke, and pulled down the cords on her waist
(Huh…? Yoshi+no-san)
Yumi tilted her head It was actually the job of Sister B, so when Yuh she had coround,” she had performed her duty the last five times
There was applause, and the illumination that was covered by smoke became more clear
”Eh…?”
The transfor Oh yeah, and she noticed the ivory dress was in full view
”Yumi-chan, succeeds!”
Rei-sama patted her shoulder, as she was closest
”If you pull this off this well during the actual perforive you”
Rosa Chinensis laughed as she said those carefree words
”But I'm surprised Yumi-chan would work this hard She's remembered the lines well, too I look forward to the real deal tomorrow”
As Rosa Foetida commented thus, Yumi quickly interceded
”I appreciate the praise, but Sachiko-sama is the real Cinderella”
”Oh, yeah”
Everyone looked at each other, as if they had just remembered
”Sachiko's orthodox Cinderella, or Yumi-chan's comedy Unfortunately we can only run one of them tomorrow”
”Co, comedy…?”
The word ”shock” slammed into Yu to get even a bit closer to Sachiko-sama resulted in a comedy
”Ah, Yumi-chan's depressed”
”No, no All I' is, both of you have your own distinct flavors”
”It's so effort-filled and cute, like a home-drama, Yumi-chan's Cinderella”
”Exactly Just as Yumi-chan can't imitate Sachiko's Cinderella, Sachiko can't imitate Yumi-chan's Cinderella That's what individuality is, right?”
Hearing the rather relentless words that could be taken as consolation as well as encouragement cheered Yumi up
Ahh, so that's how it is She felt she understood things better
The Roses were not expecting perfection out of Yumi Even if Yumi were a comedy, they loved the comedy for what it was
When she thought about it, that was always the case Even when Sachiko-sama declared Yumi to be her sœur, while they worried about the circu it, they never had any dissatisfaction with Yumi herself
Yumi was the only one fixated on whether she orthy” of being Sachiko-sama's little sister
”Speaking of which, where's the prince?”
”Isn't he changing out of his costume?”
Rosa Gigantea looked around
”Sachiko's gone, too”
”Ah, Sachiko stepped out, saying she felt ill I offered to accoht, and requested that I take over for Yus”
Yoshi+no-san reported
”Oh Then we shall have to check on her later”
They began cleaning up, as the ti About five an arriving, so Yu chased out
Sachiko-sayht of Sachiko-sama
When she reported back to the Rose Mansion with that truth, everyone's faces turned pale Apparently the first-floor rooi-san's te roo, with no trace of hi arrived
”Maybe they're together…”
Someone anxiously mentioned
”But they went out separately, did they not?”
”Yes, Sachiko-sama left earlier”
”I don't think anything would happen between the two of them…” As they spoke, their tones became more and more distressed
”Uo look for them”
Yumi stood up
”Sachiko-sai-san may have become lost”
”Y, yes, that's true, what Yumi-chan says is correct”
The Roses acted quickly, having regained their composure Yoshi+no-san was told to stay behind, and they would split the search party into three pairs, each scouring a different section The three pairs would go around the high school site in a surrounding path, so that they would ether by Maria-sa is so that if so were to happen, one could run off to find help
Yuyrounds, the tennis court, and other such athletics locales, before taking the path by the library and appearing at Maria-sama's intersection
”Thanks for saving us back there”
Rosa Gigantea said, as they quickly shuffled down the hallway
”Eh?”
”Yuh the hts, you know”
”Depressing thoughts…”
”Even though we h school students, so we get scared, soht have happened There's a feeling that we shouldn't probe any further”
She understood exactly
She would prefer to skirt away fros of roup, or who do you think looks good froh to rouse the interests of a classroo down relationshi+ps because they were afraid of being in one
The world of iination was beautiful, but reality was very raw and scary
Kissing, and further She preferred not to think of that sort of thing as being close to her
They requested per club to check the back and storage of the stage, as well as the changing rooi-san were nowhere to be found Rosa Gigantea looked relieved after scouring the darkness
”If they're not here, they must have moved somewhere That would mean they've moved to a place where there would be witnesses Luckily, there're tons of studentsabout, today”
There was no high school student who didn't know Sachiko-sai-san would also be quickly spotted in a girls' school Plus, he was currently a flamboyant prince
”Sachiko-sama and the prince? Yes,thee”
The story-telling club captain said, ”right?” to the girl on the stage
”Were they together!?”
Rosa Gigantea and Yu club captain's shoulder
”H, hold on, you two, calm down”
The captain looked uncomfortable, so they quickly retracted their arhed
”They didn't see quite a distance behind But where they went, … well, we passed by the for the passage?”
”Thank you!”
The two of theymnasium
When they started backtracking froantea stopped them
”We just came froo there”
”Then, where should we look!”
”Let's just take the planned route Even if we don't find them, someone else should”
”… But…”
She agreed with Rosa Gigantea, but she still wanted to find Sachiko-sarasped the first clue, they had the right to find her first
Rosa Gigantea leaned into Yumi's face
”Do you like Sachiko?”
When she nodded, Rosa Gigantea patted her head and said ”thanks”
”I like Sachiko, too So does Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Foetida, Rei, shi+mako, Yoshi+no, everyone likes Sachiko”
So leave it us Is what Rosa Gigantea said Because that was the best way
Yumi silently nodded
Yuathered at the Rose Mansion There was no way she couldn't trust them
They glanced across the grounds as they hurried to the tennis court
”However, as Kashi+alking after Sachiko?”
Rosa Gigantea was already calling Kashi+wagi-san purely by name
”Is he a stalker?”
”But, Rosa Gigantea You said you trusted Kashi+wagi-san, right? I forget when, but you did say that?”
”Yes I said that”
There was no one in the tennis court They checked the parking lot through the wire fencing, too, but only Matsuyama-sensei from the social department's beloved car was there
”Well, not so much trust, but I had confidence that he would not touch even the super beautiful Sachiko”
Rosa Gigantea said, as they went back
”On what grounds?”
”Intuition, I think We're the same kind of people”
”Same kind?”
Again, she was confusing things by talking about so she didn't understand There were soaround Yuantea turned, sht”
”Then you rong?”
”I', but I can't read Sachiko, at all”
They took a turn on the road and walked along the library