Volume 2 Chapter 1 (1/2)
After the school festival
Awaiting fukuzawa Yumi, who had idled away her Monday holiday like a cat, were not the ordinary, peaceful days she had been looking forward to, but rather an extension of the busy, lively days that had begun prior to the school festival
”Ugh, I'm late”
She quickly walked down the gingko tree pathway after scurrying under theabout … No,a bit
Even though the heh her collar was aAfter all, it was a special day
”Ahh, why did I forget to switch alarm clocks?”
She had thought, ”I should switch clocks” while sitting on the toilet on Sunday, but she had forgotten about it entirely by the time she returned to her room
Perhaps washi+ng her hands had stih to put a lid on thatperfectly had irritated her No, speaking to her brother at the landing of the stairs probably was the number one reason
Plus, as she had decided to sleep in during the holiday, she switched off her alarht, so she had co
What a blunder What a disgrace Late on such an important day
The Maria-sah she was in this ether That's what habit is
-Maria-sama, please watch over uided conduct
Then she opened her eyes and ran, … no, walked, and that's when she heard the voice
”Wait right there”
When she heard the voice, Yuhtened For a ht she heard the voice of the person Yumi ”feared” the
”'Yumi, why are you in such a hurry?'”
She slowly turned around to confir straight into a camera lens
”Gokigenyou Hoas I? Did you think I was Sachiko-sama?”
As she spoke, her caraphy club's ace, Takeshi+ma Tsutako-san
In the case of Tsutako-san, she doesn't even let go of her ca, so it al
”Gokigenyou … I'm sorry, I'm in a bit of a rush, so I don't have the tiht now”
Yumi turned down a request for one more and turned her back to her class silently
”Oh, what do youthe time?”
Tsutako-san ran after her after pocketing her cah there must be better subjects elsewhere in the school
”I see Yumi-san, for some reason, is in an incredible hurry May I take this as having to do with Sachiko-sama?”
Her borderless glasses glioes into this mode, Tsutako-san seems just like her newspaper club seniors In the end, she's just a curious cat
”Sort of Not entirely wrong”
As she was not the type of person that could be warded off with half-hearted words, Yus as she answered She didn't have the ti time here
”An earlier arrival to school than usual Yet an expression screa”
Tsutako-san jumped out ahead by a half-step, turned around, and deftly walked backwards while staring at Yuht Maybe it was a result of her peeping photo style of photography
Leaving that aside, just as Tsutako-san insinuated, Yumi was not about to be late for class Still, she would have much preferred her report card to have ”Tardy: 1” rather than be in the situation she was currently in
”I get it Yu rendezvous at the back of the Sanctuary?”
”Rendezvous?”
”French If you were to translate it, it would be a 'uess? As the romanticist, Tsutako-san would very ' Speaking of which, you only see the word rendezvous used in space stories nowadays”
”Nowadays” What generation did Tsutako-san coin to wonder if Tsutako-san is actually the same sixteen-years old as you are
Of course, there are many people around Yuh school student,” so it wasn't that big of a deal
”It's not so”
When she answered truthfully, Tsutako-san adjusted her glasses, lowered her posture and looked up at Yumi
”Oh, dear Then,rosary on your breast is?”
”Ugh”
She's sharp-sighted That rosary was indeed the saasawara Sachiko-sama And because she accepted the rosary, that meant she became the sœur to one of the most prominent students in the school-
She blushed just thinking about it It was a spur of the moment, or Sachiko-sama had pressed her in earnest, or whatever, in any case, she accepted the rosary with the feeling of leaping off of a stage ht about it this clear, ht, she realized the enor around the corner
There was a steep cliff right under the stage of clear water, and there was no angel on stand-by at the bottom of the cliff with a fluffy, feathery mattress
Reality was harsh If she , or worse, snap her neck and instantly die
”And this is in full view Yus under your uniform”
”I' it, so I didn't think about what you do with it after wearing your unifor about this!”
Yuotten so engulfed in the conversation that she had stopped, likeas they draater She was already late as it was, but now she was definitely tardy
”Yu about this later”
Tsutako-san stopped following In exchange, she heard the repeated clicking of the camera's shutter fro photos of the backside of a student running at full speed-
Anyways, Yu surrounded by strange people
She arrived at the Rose Mansion, the student council's headquarters standing at the corner of the school grounds, at seven fifty
”I'm sorry I'm late”
When she opened the door to the first-floor rooe for the ”Yaeous faces of the distinguished Yamayurikai members all turned around at once
(Eek)
Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Foetida, Rosa Foetida en bouton Hasekura Rei-saantea en bouton Toudou shi+mako-san, and-
”Were you caught in traffic?”
She was supposed to be weak against lared at her and spoke with her usual, icy tone
”N, no”
”Then, what happened?”
Her trademark raven-black hair fell off her shoulders and stretched down her breasts Her expression, with her angled eyebrows and her cold eyes, looked chillingly beautiful -But it wasn't the tih she used kind words in her questioning, it wasn't so as nice as a ”question,” and no matter how you tried to twist it, it was, at the very least, a cross-examination
”Hey, Sachiko”
Rei-sama tapped her shoulder, but Sachiko-sama quickly shut her out with a ”please stay silent” and advanced to Yuain
”If you have a reason for being late, be clear about it”
Even so, it was hard for her to say, ”I overslept,” when being pressured by Sachiko-sama so much
”Just, what time do you think it is?”
”Seven fifty-two”
She bluntly looked at her wrist-watch and answered, and behind Sachiko-sa
On the Tuesday after the school festival was to be a quick cleaning, followed by a brief reflection ht Technically she'd arrived before eight, so she wasn't actually late, but Sachiko-sama had sternly told Yumi that, since she was a first-year, she should arrive at worst fifteen- and welcome her seniors
”Just what is your reason for being later than the third-year onee-sama?”
She had no idea Sachiko-sas, was as strict as an athletics club leader- Just as she thought that
”Sachiko's become quite eminent, hasn't she”
She heard a voice from behind her Before she could turn around, Yumi's neck was pinioned, so all she could do was screech, ”Ugeh”
”Gokigenyou, everyone”
”Rosa Gigantea!”
This was its own style of entrance that truly reflected the person's personality One of the three-colored Roses of the Lillian Girls' Acadeantea yaithout covering her mouth, one arm still wrapped around Yumi's neck It was a shame, as if she never opened her mouth, her looks were like that of a mannequin
”My bad, ot, so I caood, right, Sachiko?”
Rosa Gigantea looked like she was an ar a puppet, as she stepped forward, dragging Yumi with her
”Y, yes… but Yumi-”
”I think that's enough”
This time Rosa Foetida interjected
”The ht”
”But! I want Yumi to be a bit more self-conscious”
”Says the person who made her seniors wait 25 minutes the other day You don't sound very persuasive, Sachiko”
Rosa Chinensis laughed uproariously, but as Yumi was also late by 25 minutes to the play preparations, she could only shrivel evenbeen struck where she hadn't expected, Sachiko-sama protested
”Onee-sa far too soft on Yumi”
But she was protesting to people that easily made her dance upon their palms Rosa Chinensis folded her arms and proudly replied
”Of course! For us third-years, second-years are like children and first-years are like grandchildren Training is fundamentally up to the parents Grandmothers simply irresponsibly find them cute, and treat them as such”
Hearing Rosa Chinensis describe herself as a grandlances with shi+mako-san, as also a first-year, and then roll her eyes a bit Ah, I see, the Roses are like grandmothers
”Sachiko, when you were a first-year, you were treated quite kindly byonee-sama, were you not?”
”Th, that's…”
Sachiko-sama could not find the words to retort It seerandmother” when she was a first-year
”That's how the world is Give it up”
Sachiko-sama was utterly defeated Not that anyone actually won
She wondered if the Roses were fundamentally rather sadistic Or maybe Sachiko-sama was masochistic Every time, Sachiko-sah she was the object of the school's affections, and she was a genuine, named household's princess, the Roses themselves were not simple peasants overwhelmed by love, either
But, she wondered why Sachiko-sama felt so different when surrounded by the Roses The usual Sachiko-sama was like a perfect princess
”Oh antea had finally stopped being a stalking ghost and had turned, instead, into a sexual harassingher hand into Yumi's sailor uniform
”Kyan!”
She yelped as the cold hand touched her collarbone Rosa Gigantea quickly giggled, ”Sorry,” and dragged out the rosary Yumi had hidden
”Ah hah, so this is why Sachiko's all uptight”
”Oh, dear”
”So she pulls through when it matters”
The Roses spoke alances between the rosary and Sachiko-sama Yumi felt like a panda in a zoo
”Onee-sa”
She didn't see attention in this way, so Sachiko-sa extre her embarrassment, but that was probably what it was, nonetheless
”Oh coe vows?”
”S, service?”
Sachiko-sary As the Roses had deliberately used a wording to agitate Sachiko-saht they seemed quite evil
”And why must I perform a service task to the onee-sama?”
”Oh, if you say so Then we'll just ask Yumi-chan Yuht?”
”Umm-”
What a conundrum Sachiko-saive you if you tell theest students in Lillian Girls' Academy was not any better
What should she do-, Yuulped Just then, she felt a stimulus in her stomach
(Th, this…)
The first stier, and she felt another wave There was no stopping it, so horrible was about to happen
(What should I do?)
But there were so sheer force of will, and there were other things that they were helpless with Because Yu the latter, she tried to come up with a way to lower her embarrassment
(One, to warn the to happen and simply accept the embarrassment Two, raise my voice and try to confuse everyone Three, run) Yu to confuse herself, she at least wanted to be spared ”that”
”Ah, wait!”
But when she started running, Rosa Gigantea snagged her right before she got to the door and dragged her back
”What, do you not want to say? Was it so fabulous a memory you don't want to tell us?”
Yumi shook her head No She hadn't run because she wanted to hide the story behind the ceremony
(Ahh, but… it's too late)
She should have eaten breakfast if it were going to co sound, like the croaking of a frog, arose from Yumi's body And, unbelievably, it ran for about ten seconds, her longest ever, and as the room was dead silent, it echoed off the walls
(Ahh, it's all over…)
Ah, toIf there were a hole, … no, she wanted to tear a hole ten-meters wide and then hide in it for ten years
”… kuh”
Rosa Gigantea broke the silence Because it was her, it was not chuckling nor giggling, but rather an uproarious ”hah hah hah” Lead by that, -no, they probably weren't actually lead, but rather their attempt to hold it in was in vain, as everyone other than Yu
”Nice, Yumi-chan, you're the best!”
”I ondering how she was going to get out of this !”
”We shall pay our respects to Yumi-chan's natural comedy and allow them to reprieve, then”
She didn't knohy it turned out that way, but in any case, the Roses smiled, apparently more than satisfied The quick clean-up was indeed very quick, and Rei-sama and shi+mako-san, who'd arrived first, had actually cohter and cli, they were headed toward the second-floor room, which was supposedly the no more like a salon
There was one room on the second floor and one roo called the Rose Mansion, it was extre s it a cabin or shed would be disrespectful It was constructed out of wood in the corner of the school grounds, and was rather clearly older than the other buildings A triangular roof, stained-glass s, ivy that crawled around the outer walls, bay s ht expect to see in a sepia-colored photo Once inside, you couldn't help but be constantly ree by the warped floorboards and stairs that squeaked with every step, but even so, it had been used with utenerations of student councils, so it was a mansion with a clean, soft atmosphere
The beautiful seniors cli sounds Although it one ahead and prepared the roohtness of the staircase meant it would have been iave up and followed after Yu classmates with shi+mako-san and ask about how the Yamayurikai was run
Starting today, well, o the moment she accepted the rosary, she had become Sachiko-sama's sœur As for Sachiko-sama, she was the sister to Rosa Chinensis, one of the three Roses that lead the Lillian Girls' Acadeh school's student council, and thus was slated to becoine that she would also be destined to become Rosa Chinensis, but as she was the sister to the Rosa Chinensis en bouton, Sachiko-sama, it was expected of her to help out around the Rose Mansion In actuality, she was htest of help to Sachiko-sama, to prove her worth as a little sister
So, today was a special day Her first day as Sachiko-sama's little sister
Even so
(I wonder if I disappointed her already)
Yuht black hair sway coolly in front of her with every step What was Sachiko-sa of her little sister at this verywas filled with mistakes at every turn, Yureat deal of her, but she wondered if her error this tireat
(I hope she wouldn't be asking for her rosary to be returned)
Screech, screech As the heavy footsteps cliht, ”You never know” Sachiko-sama, with her unpredictable personality, ell, unpredictable
(I 's croak)
There were only up to around twenty steps, but the stairs felt intolerably long It would be so , but because she was silent, Yuative directions If she was thinking about putting a blank slate to their sisterly relations, Yu to just sht that, Sachiko-sa
She still had a sharp look in her eyes But her relatively elevated position emphasized her splendid beauty
Even though it wasn't the ti Sachiko-sama's sister because of her looks, but her looks were definitely the starting point for Yumi's adoration of her
”Put out your hands, with your palms up”
As ordered, she put our her hands Because it wasn't likely to be pal, she assumed Sachiko-sama meant for her to put out both hands, and then noticed so about how she looked
( This)
Looked eerily si punished by a private tutor She had seen, in an insert picture for a novel, the illustration of a boy sticking out both hands and being slapped on the palot about what the book was for
(Is Sachiko-sa to?)
She felt like flying away She said she would prefer a bolt of lightning - but, when it came down to it, she couldn't help but think, ”But I don't like pain”
But, Yu in front of Sachiko-sah the biscuit-shaped door, so it was only the two of them left in the hallway
Yet, despite waiting, no pain could be felt froh her pocket ”Huh?” she thought, and then she felt soht placed on her hands
”This-”
When she opened her eyes, two cough drops were placed on her hands
”Well, it's better than nothing, I hope”
”Eh?”
”I understand you hurried so et the chance to eat breakfast”
Sachiko-sama turned on her heel and walked away
”Just, don't embarrass me too much”
”Sachiko-sama”
Yuination was foolish But, she couldn't iive her cough drops
When she caught up at the door, Sachiko-sao of the doorknob
”Also, please stop with the 'Sachiko-sama'”
”Eh?”
”You'reme 'onee-sama,' please”
As Sachiko-sama said that and fixed Yumi's tie, she asked, ”And your answer?”
” Yes”
Still trying to grasp as asked of her, Yuh, as Sachiko-sama smiled full of satisfaction and disappeared to the other side of the biscuit-shaped door
”Onee-sama”
She whispered, trying to get used to it She felt like she was going to blush, so un-used to using the word she was
Onee-sama
It felt ticklish, and it was enough to speed up her palpitations
It may seem foolish, but she touched her rosary fro was real The rosary was still there The rosary she received froo
So, Yumi was the only one allowed to call Sachiko-sama ”onee-sama,” in the whole school Yumi was so overcome with emotion she made a fist with her hand
”Co”
Sachiko-sama called from the room
”Y, yes”
Yuh drops into herbeen war
”Oh, where's Yoshi+no-san…?”
After the regular members had taken their seats, Yumi finally noticed that Rei-sa shi+ the tea, a job normally reserved for first-years, so Yumi quickly went to help
”Her fever hasn't gotten down since yesterday”
Rei-sa to herself
”I think it's because she was over-excited because of the school festival”
Apparently her body always broke down after events Everyone other than Yumi seemed to be aware of that, so discussions si any further comment
As she distributed shi+uess Yoshi+no-san's body is frail” When she thought about it, she'd never seen Yoshi+no-san participate in athletics activities
Although shi+mazu Yoshi+no-san had also attended Lillian Girls' Acadearten, they'd never been in the sah they'd become acquainted with each other recently, because of the school festival, they'd never actually sat down and spoken
In regard to Yoshi+no-san, she seemed to have a special personality on top of her frail body that created the iirl, with a relatively weak but perpetual sle lily of the valley in between roses and lilies
When Yumi placed a teacup in front of Rosa Foetida, she heard a bit of idle chatter between her and Rei-sama
”By the way, the newspaper club said they wanted to interview Rei and Yoshi+no-chan today”
”The newspaper club? Yoshi+no and I?”
Rei-sama seemed to wonder, ”Why?” and tilted her head to the side Yuh, stern Rei-saent Yoshi+no-san didn't seeh cause for the newspaper club to co
”Oh, Yu elsewhere or you'll spill!”
Rosa Gigantea seemed to scold Yumi as she took her teacup from the tray
”I'm sorry”
Even though she apologized, she was still curious about the Rosa Foetida sisters
”You know Even the newspaper club doesn't just print scandalous stories Well, not that I bla fuss you raised in beco sisters”
Rosa Gigantea looked at Sachiko-sama and Yumi as she spoke
”I see-”
She vaguely remembered that there weren't a whole lot of scandals on the school newspaper that she could think of Norular school events, or reporting athleticscirculated tomorroas most likely based on the school festival, too
”You and Yoshi+no-chan apparently were voted best sœur in the school-wide survey It's a formal commission request, and I don't see why you would reject-”
Rosa Foetida spoke in a business-likemathematical formulas, as she asked Rei-sama, ”What do you want to do?”
”But, I don't knohen Yoshi+no can come to school”
”That's true”
Rosa Foetida war, ”I understand” Rosa Foetida always looked bored like this But it wasn't a disinterested feeling you got from her, as she completed every job requested of her perfectly, and she was always present at classes Because she did everything perfectly, she see
It was quite mysterious
That Rosa Foetida and Rei-sa” relationshi+p like Yumi and Sachiko-saantea and shi+mako-san Rather, it was hard to place
Why did Rosa Foetida make Rei-sama her sœur? And how did Rei-sama respond? Perhaps because she herself had found an onee-sama, Yumi became curious about others
”Has everyone received a cup? If so, let's have a toast”
Rosa Chinensis stood up and spoke She called it a reflective , but it seeood work everyone” party before returning to normalcy Even after the Cinderella play was over, the Roses had to run around as the executive co that duty they were called upon for the night celebration, so they had not been able to gather everyone in one spot
”First, a toast to a successful school festival”
A toast to straight Darjeeling tea Unlike Sachiko-sama's tea, shi+erly poured herself another cup, Rosa Chinensis once again stood up and spoke
”Second, as commemoration of the moment Sachiko-sama made Yumi hers”
”Pbbt”
Partly because she had let down her guard, Yu tea out of her mouth
”Oh my, she's embarrassed”
”-Ro, Rosa Chinensis!”
The third-years ,” like they were old wo her, but there was no use in acting up about it But the phrasing, ” Yumi hers” was rather extre her oldfish
”Close your mouth, and wipe your face How indecent”
Sachiko-saeous, laced, white handkerchief Because she had co out tea, the area around her lips et
”Oh, you won't wipe her face for her?”
Rosa Gigantea raised her eyebrows in feigned shock
”Rosa Gigantea, you may wipe shi+mako's face any time you please”
”I won't do it for shi+mako, but I'd be more than happy to wipe Yumi's face”
”I want to take this opportunity to make it clear Please do not spoil my little sister”
Perhaps it was because she wasn't being attacked directly, but Sachiko-sama was quite level-headed this time Yu her froh they had beco
As the ti and stood up from their seats shi+mako-san said, as she cleaned the cups
”There are many shapes of sisters, aren't there”
The fountain water felt colder than before
”Yoshi+no, are you awake?”
Acting out of her own convenience, she opened the door without waiting for a reply and stepped in Yoshi+no was lying face-up on her wooden bed, and shi+fted herself just a bit to confirm who had stepped into the room
”- Why”
She hadn't been expecting to be greeted with, ”Welcoht a chair to the side of the bed while thinking ”as a bit of a harsh greeting
It was a chic rooht that every tiinally been Yoshi+no's uncle's study roo other than the ivory walls were dark brown Floor, ceiling,sills, shelves, everything It was enough to make her think, at least use a flowery curtain!
”Has your fever gone down any?”
A chick-design handkerchief was placed on Yoshi+no's head - the same handkerchief was used every time she came doith a fever Yoshi+no couldn't calm doithout that handkerchief Even now, despite the pattern fading away, the toas still used, its outer edges sewn back over and over again
Her aunt had just wrung the towel a little while ago, so when she felt the methodically folded towel, it still felt cold
”Do you still feel ill?”
Perhaps she still felt terrible, as Yoshi+no didn't open herused to it, continued
”Rei-san's a delivery- her mail”
She took out a binder fro and placed a set of papers in a clear case on the table
”The English reader prints are homework for next week The archaic report came back, so I collected it And-”
”How about your club?”
Yoshi+no suddenly interrupted While at school, they used fore to be polite, but otherwise they reverted to their regular, casual tones She even deftly made sure to use ”onee-sama” and ”Rei-chan” correctly, to suit the situation
”Club?”
Rei closed her bag and asked
”Your inter-school , soon, so you said you needed to put in some extra practice”
”I did, … so?”
”Did you skip out, for me?”
Yoshi+no deliberately reated She, loving her detective stories and hard-boiled stories, always look about with insightful eyes, so Rei always had to catch herself froether ht becoht cause undue stress on her heart
So, Rei smiled and denied it
”That's not true I asked father to help me practice, today, so I came home earlier for that”