Volume 4 Chapter 3 (1/2)
Before long, the election was formally announced
The election h school buildings, announcing the schedule leading up to the election Voting would take place on the last Saturday of January, and three days before that, on Wednesday, the candidates would give their speeches
The candidate registration deadline was a week before those speeches, so there was still some time, but Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama completed the formalities as soon as the receptionist was ready, and received 20 sheets of Kent paper, for posters, and a white cloth they were to place over their shoulders during the speech presentation The two second-year boutons were not the only ones to quickly declare their candidacy- Rosa Canina did the same
For now, the three were the candidates What was shi+ They weren't going to be elected based on the order hich they signed up, so it didn't really matter But if she wanted to appeal her dedication, she should register quickly -Even Yuht that much
One lunch break, a week after the election announce It wasn't an especially iht as well finish looking up Rosa Canina at the library, plus she hoped she could see that upperclassain
”Oh, gokigenyou”
And as expected, she was sitting at the reading roo counter
”What brings you here? Researching roses again?”
Yuain that this person was ood to be around
”Well, yes”
When Yumi nodded, she spoke to another student behind the counter, then left her place and followed Yu room
”Um, but aren't you in the middle of work…”
”Oh, don't worry about it”
But still The other student was glaring at her with a vicious scowl Didn't that mean she really shouldn't have left?
”I thought Yuht come back later, so I looked up a few encyclopedias and marked two or three down”
She said, with a clear voice, as they walked
”Zealous work habit?”
”Not really I' ti and at noon a lot”
”But, supporting a first-year with her research?”
”Oh That was just by chance”
When they walked to the shelf with encyclopedias and picture books, she picked out a few books and handed them to Yumi
”You can't take them out, so read them here”
”Yes … umm”
But before Yuers
”It would trouble uiltier”
”Huh?”
”You'll find out, soon enough” With that, she left
(What…?)
Soon enough-, Yumi was confused
Nevertheless, she took her books, placed thelanced at the counter The student who'd glared at her earlier was now coirl
Maybe it really was bad that she left her spot-? She pulled out the seat, while she thought, and sat down Then, the student seated next to her spoke in a low voice
”Traitor”
”What!?”
”When'd you become friendly with the enemy?”
When she looked to the side in surprised, she saw Yoshi+no-san
”What are you talking about? Enemy?”
Traitors, enemies, she used harsh words, but Yoshi+no-san wasn't particularly angry Rather, she looked filled with curiosity, edging her seat closer and whispering
”Feigning ignorance? Of course I mean Rosa Canina when I say enemy”
”Wait Why would looking up Rosa Canina be treachery?”
”Then Yuation, too? I didn't think you were the type to do that”
”'Too?' Then Yoshi+no-san came to research Rosa Canina too?”
”Of course 'Know your enemy' first”
But Yoshi+no-san didn't seem to care for the books in front of her Like Yu books, but they were like, Edo-period pricings, or maps of ninja mansions How did that fit into research?
”Mmm”
Folding her are her mind But she still didn't understand
”Umm, Yoshi+no-san, have you made a mistake?”
”What?”
”Our conversation”
”What?”
Yoshi+no-san seemed to have finally realized, as she noticed the books Yuht, and her ”what?” was followed by, ”No way”
”The 'Rosa Canina' Yu is the rose?”
Of course Yu up the rose Then Yoshi+no-san's reaction, of course, meant-
”Then, what? Yoshi+no-san is researching Kanina shi+zuka-sama!?”
”Exactly What are you looking up the rose for, now, Yumi-san?”
You're so slow, Yoshi+no-san seeer like a metrono room
”What, where!?”
”Idiot”
When Yued her down Ah, that's right, it wouldn't be a stakeout if they looked so obvious
”Yumi-san-”
”What?”
When Yumi answered, Yoshi+no-san suddenly see over the table
What happened? She wasn't ery, but did she feel-
”Yoshi+no-san?”
When Yumi placed a hand on Yoshi+no-san's shoulder, worried, Yoshi+no-san turned her face toward her and looked extremely disappointed
”… I didn't know I didn't think Yumi-san wouldn't knohat Rosa Canina looks like”
”Wh, why!?'
After all, she didn't recognize Kanina shi+zuka-sa roo if she'd hed and shook her head
”Because, the upperclassman who lead Yumi-san here, that was Rosa Canina”
Indeed, Yumi had no idea what Rosa Canina looked like
Tsutako-san had brought a photo, but it was a complete hidden picture, as there were obstacles in the way, on top of the crazy posture Tsutako-san had to place herself in, so it was a surprisingly blurred picture And she wasn't able to get close enough to take other pictures, so there was no photo that could confir her, was one of Tsutako-san's biggest probleht now
”I saw a photo of her at the school festival, but it was a distant shot, and she earingard so I couldn't see how she looked”
So that ”no idea what she looked like” was more like she'd never seen Rosa Canina in person Well, no, she'd seen her in person, but she didn't know that was Kanina shi+zuka-sama
”Mmm”
Yoshi+no-san nodded, well, things happen She seemed to understand that Yumi simply saw her as a kind, librarian upperclassman
But, really
She couldn't believe that kind person was Rosa Canina
Because Rosa Canina was an enemy of Sachiko-sama, Rei-sama and shi+mako-san Yumi wished Rosa Canina would have been simple to spot, like a villainous pro-wrestler Like Tsukiya, ”ohohohoho,” that sort of upperclasse is costress
(I see)
Everything started fitting together That student wasn't angry at her colleague for leaving her spot, but was instead showing animosity at Yumi If the sister of Rosa Chinensis en bouton was happily standing by Rosa Canina's side, things weren't as a
She glanced at the counter That student was definitely still standing vigilant Of course, she'd probably noticed Yoshi+no-san, too, so two of the sisters of bouton sitting in the reading room was suspicious
”Yu at the encyclopedia, while we're here?”
Lunch break would end soon Yoshi+no-san placed her books back on the shelf
”If youback to the library until after the election”
”You're right”
Nodding at Yoshi+no-san's pertinent advice, Yuh, her fingers stopped at one page
(What?)
A tag was placed on one page, so that you couldn't see it if you closed the book But that page was loaded with pictures of roses
”Did she really?”
Incredulously, she reht red rose, one that also was in the encyclopedia at home To its side, read: ”Koushi+nbara / Technical name - Rosa Chinensis”
(Rosa Chinensis was a Koushi+nbara…)
This tiht at the counter This had to be athere And if that was the case, it had to be Kanina shi+zuka-sa up roses, and said she couldn't even find Rosa Chinensis in her book at home
(shi+zuka-sama, was it you?)
But she wasn't at the counter anymore, so she couldn't ask
(But, why?)
Relying solely on the tags, she flipped to the next page As she expected, there was a tag in each of the three books she was given, right on the page with Rosa Chinensis
”Yumi-san, still?”
”Hold on”
Right before the third book completed its chapter on roses, for the first tis in one book And Rosa Chinensis had already been mentioned
Then, what?
What was that tag pointing to?
Deep down, Yuantea nor Rosa Foetida There was going to be a picture of Rosa Canina
She carefully peeled the tag off As she expected, in katakana, the caption under the tag read, ”Rosa Canina (ロサ・カニーナ)
However, the photo
It completely betrayed Yumi's expectations
”Why?”
Confused, she looked at the page before and after An inexplicable motion
”What do you mean?”
But the person who could answer that question was gone
Yuain And she confirmed the truth with her eyes
”'It would trouble uiltier'”
Her words sprang back to mind And she finally understood what they meant
”… I've been had”
Yuo, felt exhausted Now she really didn't knohat kind of person Kanina shi+zuka-sama was
A beautiful, kind librarian
An extravagant second-year who declared war on the rose boutons
The chorus songstress, who sang Aria with a beautiful voice
And one more ”Incredibly boastful,” needed to be added to that list
Rosa Canina wasn't a black rose
It was a cute rose, with five beautiful, pink petals
Onee-sahed
Secretly
Staring at so in the air
”Onee-sama, would you like another cup of tea?”
”I've had enough”
But she'd been rubbing her finger along the edge of the empty cup for some time
”Shall I e your shoulders?”
”No need, they're not stiff”
Nevertheless, she washer own shoulders
Sachiko-sae as of late She didn't kno she was during class, but when Sachiko-sama sat in the Rose Mansion, she was always spaced out Like she wasn't being responsible for her oords or actions
Her-That phrase fit this Sachiko-sama perfectly
Tencandidacy, she'd made the election posters and subement committee, answered interviews for the newspaper club, and did other things in her packed schedule, so sheher exhaustion At least, that's what Yumi assumed, at first, but when this continued for four or five days, it was clearlythan just exhaustion
”If you have anything you want”
Unlike a government seat, or a mayoral election, street, or school speech presentations were forbidden Whichyou needed to do, the candidate and her supporters were all left with simple boredoement committee, and the flyers with candidate public coeistration deadline hadn't passed yet, so they didn't seem to be in any hurry, yet
As a result, the only thing Sachiko-saard to the election was to write a draft for her election speech But, what a heavy sigh Her draft see well, but in the blank spaces, it was like she'd been doodling while speaking on a phone, with rando been drawn
”Do you have any concerns?”
Despairing, Yumi asked Yoshi+no-san and Rei-sa their posters, so they were off in their own little world, shoulders hunched together shi+mako-san had still not come
”It would be of no use telling it to you”
Sliced in tith one swing
On top of ad her, Sachiko-sa it with
Of course, she had no confidence whatsoever she could help out with that concern, but she thought she could at least be a listener, so it was a shock
”shi+mako's pretty late”
Rei-sa at the clock
”She doesn't feel co with us Every ti pressured to register for candidacy”
Sachiko-sama expressed a little bit of interest in that topic
”Yumi How's shi+mako in class?”
”She didn't seem to look any different”
Sachiko-sahed heavily, this time to Yumi's answer
”I see I wonder what she's thinking”
And then everyone went silent
Yu, either
At least shethe posters, but Sachiko-sama finished it all at home
Sachiko-saless ?
Was she thinking about Rosa Canina, or so else?
With nothing to do, Yumi spun her cup around They hadn't moved from their seats, but Sachiko-sama seemed further and further away
Loneliness fro next to each other
What you can see, and the mind you can't see
Yu Sachiko-sama than shi+mako-san
By contrast, Rosa Canina's caaudy She, or rather, the second-year wisteria classmates of hers, backed her up with extraordinary unity
According to Yoshi+no-san, ent to observe them, it wasn't quite the level of a mass election prayer, but it was so, ”O days until the election,” and it was like an election office
Apparently, only a few students actually participated at first, but because it began feeling like ”you're not a class to help Of course, it was a bother to everyone who'd been a fan of Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama from the start, as it left them in a dilemma
But despite everyone around her becoonist, hardly did anything
Yuone to the library since that day, because it felt uncoet a peek of her once, though, as she walked through the hallway, surrounded by her SP-esque classmates
She wanted to interject, what kind of danger could possibly lurk in school, but she could sympathize with their desire to be part of the election
What kind of person is Kanina shi+zuka-sama-
One day, after school
After finishi+ng her cleaning duties, as she pondered that, Yumi ran into the person herself in the hallway And for once, she was alone Not even the scary-faced librarian ith her
”Gokigenyou”
shi+zuka-sareeted her first
”Go, gokigenyou”
She hurried to respond Even though they were standing on opposite ends of the battlefield, she couldn't sinore an upperclassman Even now, Yumi couldn't help but think of shi+zuka-sama as ”Sachiko-sama's enemy”
Yoshi+no-san, upon realizing that the opponent was the person named Kanina shi+zuka, basically inserted data into her mind: the person in front of you is an enemy So she always looked at shi+zuka-sama as a hostile But Yumi was different, in that she s So the ie of a kind upperclassman wasn't one to fade easily -Even despite the fact that she'd lied about Rosa Canina being a black rose
”Cleaning duty for the music room?”
”Oh, yes”
Seeing the rasped the situation, ”Oh, that's right” She was heading to her club activity, which would take place in the music room
And she understood why there were no classues with her
”It's been a while”
shi+zuka-sa her walk toward theto Rosa Canina in theto thefor misinterpretation
But unfortunately, Yue to simply cut off their conversation and say ”farewell” to an upperclassman
”Um, you're quite early”
She didn't knohat to say, as shi+zuka-sa that could do no harood
”Yes When we have a clubBecause I love the empty music room”
”Oh, is that so”
When she answered, shi+zuka-sahed bitterly, lowered her eyes, ”I knew it”
”Yumi-san never took notice of me, after all”
”Eh?”
”When we ht, oh dear”
”Umm”
But did she mean? She tilted her head to the side It sounded like they'd been relatively close friends in the past, or so
”No, nothing special happened But I remembered you quite well Because I met Yumi-san several tis a few times”
”Eh, really!?”
It was a sort of discourtesy to have not realized at all Yuh, despondent
”I'm sorry”
”No problem We'll call it even, after I told you a lie The flower, Rosa Canina, you did see it, correct?”
”… Yes”
”That was a s me”
shi+zuka-saled mischievously
According to her, one of her class ”Kanina,” thought of Rosa Canina And the student council election hy the nicknaed to stick, despite the deep-rooted tradition of calling each other by their names The three candidates for the Roses each had their own names, as in Rosa Chinensis en bouton, Rosa Foetida en bouton, and Rosa Gigantea en bouton, so it was shi+zuka-sa to that But shi+zuka-sama herself wasn't too fond of it
”A black rose would have been much cooler Because pink in japanese is ”peach-colored,” or ”cherry-blossom colored,” or else in soht? And I think that's impolite to roses”
”Oh, I see”
The red rose, white rose, and yellow rose sounded nice, but peach rose and cherry-blossoht-criht shi+zuka-sa
”If Yumi-san didn't remember me, either, I suppose that means I don't stand out”
shi+zuka-sah up on a tree
”No, no Everyone around me knew of shi+zuka-sama … I don't really have much data on other people… I only recently found out about the names of the Roses And I found out that Rei-sa the 'Yellow Rose Revolution' … Oh, what a”
She was flustered She was trying to cheer shi+zuka-sama up, but instead it turned into a confession of her e points
”I see”
shi+zuka-saled Then continued
”But, in Yuasawara Sachiko-san was special”
”… Well, yes”
”How enviable”
Yumi didn't understand yet why she was envious But then, after a ht, she realized, ”Oh, maybe”
”Um… excuse me, shi+zuka-sama do you have a sœur?”
”I'le There were many that proposed to me when I was a first-year, but I turned them all down And I don't feel like I absolutely must have a little sister”
Come to think of it, she'd been spoken of as a candidate for becoantea's little sister, so at the very least, shi+zuka-sama didn't have an onee-sama this time last year And so she'd remained free, and without a sister
”But it's nothing too unusual, is it? Toudou shi+mako-san also turned down Sachiko-san's proposal, and Rosa Gigantea also didn't have a sister when she was a second-year”
”But”
Yue to remain alone this whole time
People weren't entirely about their faces, but you couldn't just forget the face, either
Katsura-san said, so sisters was a race Which would er students whom you weren't familiar with, the face would be one of the antea mentioned she knew of people who ”chose based on looks”