Volume 5 Chapter 3 (1/2)
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”So, how'd it go?”
Tsutako-san leaned in, bri with curiosity
It was lunch break a few days after the ”special roup, but her hand that was holding her chopsticks was frozen
”How'd it go? I' at me”
Because she'd been eating lunch in the classrooht days
”My, hing Which means the little sisters aren't particularly amused by all this”
”Pretty much”
It wasn't like they were expelled fro there Because even if they were eating lunch together, the boutons would gather and discuss things ast themselves And when that happened, the ”outsiders” would feel obliged to remain ”outsiders” and scoot themselves to a corner, so they wouldn't hear
Then, it would be better if they weren't there to begin with So after discussing it with Yoshi+no-san, they decided not to frequent the Rose Mansion for the ti were to happen, shi+mako-san would notify them, anyways
The boutons were all in different classes, and Rei-sama had club activities after school, to Yus together So when they did ather in one place at once, it would be better to let them be
”Tsutako-san, would you like to sit here?”
Katsura-san said as she stood, and offered her seat
”Oh, don't worry about me, I'm fine”
”No, no We finished eating, and we're going, now”
The five had pushed their tables together for lunch, and other than Yumi, everyone had stood up Her four classmates neatly packed up their lunches and placed thes
”Everyone?”
Tsutako-san put a finger to the bridge of her fralasses and raised them
”Yes We invited Yumi-san, but she doesn't see lunch alone, so please, Tsutako-san”
Katsura-san quickly explained, before she hurried to catch up to the class by the door, and then they all skipped along to their destination
”… What was that?”
Now that only Yuuard down and muttered
”They're going to the library to look up chocolate recipes”
Apparently one of them had found a wonderful recipe book at a bookstore, but it was extraordinarily expensive, so she couldn't afford it with her allowance Well, she could, but then she'd be short on ingredients for the chocolate itself, or so Anyways, someone else pointed out that she thinks she saw that book in the library, so they all decided, ”let's look for that wonderful book!” and that was that
And on a side note, the speed at which they ate lunch after deciding to go was incredible Katsura-san had taught Yumi that it was better for one's health if one deliberately chewed and ate their food, but that sa down food after four or five bites
”I see A wonderful chocolate book That would be fascinating, indeed Why didn't you go with them, Yumi-san?”
Tsutako-san stretched back to her seat and grabbed her milk box, then sat down on Katsura-san's seat, which had been warmed like a zabuton
”Sachiko-sama seems to hate chocolate”
Yumi meekly replied She didn't want to talk about this
”You jest Sachiko-sa Rosa Foetida en bouton's handmade Bûche de Noël on Christmas”
That was delicious, said Tsutako-san as she stared off into space It wasn't really handood, but Tsutako-san didn't really see it being made, so she didn't know about that
”… That's right”
The Bûche de Noël is in fact filled with chocolate crea it, too, and it was not like she was eating so she disliked out of courtesy
Sachiko-sama was extremely picky with food They'd only known each other for four rasped Sachiko-sa she disliked So wouldn't be able to completely hide that fact
”Then I wonder if she's just against the act of giving chocolate on Valentine's Day? It's all the sah”
”You lost the joy of giving chocolate on your anticipated Valentine's Day, is it?”
Even though you went through such lengths to do research, re sound as she drained the rest of it Shecompassionate, but that spontaneous noise was intrusive, and so if she was being cordial, it ruined the feeling
”Well that's indeed harsh You've basically been kicked out of the Rose Mansion, but the classroom is filled with Valentine's Day talk”
Tsutako-san glanced around the lunch-time first-year peach-class
Exactly
It wasn't just Katsura-san and others Two-third, maybe even three-quarters, whatever the nu almost entirely of Valentine's Day, so outside of class, conversations naturally drifted in that direction
How to give the chocolate, which chocolate stores are good, I saw a chocolate recipe on TV, that sort of thing The ones that were truly excited to the point of intending to present hand at every non-class opportunity
For the teachers that put up with us every day, for that senpai we admire, for that boy from another school that we have a one-sided love for, everyone had different people they wanted to gift, but everyone was thinking along the same lines
It was just a week until Valentine's Day
”So, what are you going to do?”
What is she going to do? She was gloo to do
”If this is how it'd be, I should have stayed an insider Even if I become an outsider, it's not like I'm confident I can find Sachiko-sama's card”
Hearing Yumi's complaint, Tsutako-san mischievously prodded back
”Mmm So you don't care if someone else dates Sachiko-sama” ”Of course not”
Absolutely positively not
”Then there's nothing else you can do I in with What an ungallant way of thinking”
She knew that al shot
That's why Yoshi+no-san was gallant Because she kneould be a long shot, but she stepped on that plane without any hesitation, and on top of that, she was proactively trying to figure out where Rei-sama would hide it She only has one body, after all, so she was already planning out where she'd start looking, and so even though she wasn't with Rei-sama, her days were always busy Plus, Yoshi+no-san still had the joy of giving Valentine's Day chocolate, on a completely different note from the date
”I wanted to give Sachiko-sama chocolate, too”
Said Yumi, as she somberly looked up at the dreary sky
”Then, why don't you ive it to her?”
Gosh, Tsutako-san, she even clapped her hands, as if she'd coenius Furthermore, Yumi could do it like how Yoshi+no-san returned Rei-sa Sachiko-sa to grab a photo
”Do you think I could do it? Me?”
After all, her onee-sama was her onee-sama Yumi didn't think she could even call Sachiko-sama out anywhere
”That's true, it ht be an i chocolate, and those tears drip into thethat this chocolate would never be eaten And the chocolate that should be sweet ends up being a bit salty”
Tsutako-san acted out a melancholic face and balled her hands, but all Yuh
”… That's just enka”
Plus, how do held-back tears drip? She wished Tsutako-san wouldn't make fun of it just because it was someone else's problem
”But Yuive her chocolate, think of it fro, okay? If on the fourteenth of February Sachiko-sama suddenly wants chocolate, hoould you feel if you weren't prepared? You would regret it forever So you should start off bychocolate, and if she wouldn't accept it after all, then you can call ether in the classroom”
I'll even treat you to canned coffee then, she concluded Because after all, friends exist to be there for you And Yuan to feel better
Tsutako-san then finished things off by adding that, if possible, she'd like to be present (if hidden) during the chocolate presentation, but Yuraciously declined It wasn't a documentary, and she wouldn't be able to speak with seriousness to Sachiko-sa there was a camera somewhere If she wanted a perfect shot that badly, Tsutako-san could try to track them down Her very own treasure hunt
”Well then, good luck!”
While they were conversing, the early bell for the afternoon classes rang After seeing Tsutako-san back to her seat, Yumi wrapped her empty lunchbox with a bandana
Katsura-san and friends came back fro students see until the late bell
-Which is when Tsutako-san ca
”I forgot to tell you This treasure hunt, actually the photography club is going to get a bite of the pie, too But we're more like assistants rather than cooperatives, so on't be told who hid here, but the photography club is in charge of the photographs for the 'Lillian Kawaraban'”
That's all, said Tsutako-san as she walked back in good humor
And froive anyone chocolate this Valentine's Day The ca to chase young ladies this year, without any holidays, again
”Ah, Yumi-chan?”
After school
Would you call it habit? After finishi+ng cleaning duties, Yus had absent-mindedly carried her to the Rose Mansion
”Are you alone?”
Rei-sarinned in her school coat while holding her bag
”Long tiive you … Hold on, -hmm”
She tried to sort through her bag, but she see while standing was difficult, so she said, ”Well, let's go in for a bit,” took Yumi's hand and went inside
”Uh, umm”
It was bad enough that Yumi had come by the Rose Mansion, wasn't it really bad if she actually went in?
But Rei-sa free and escaping wasn't an option So Yu as Sachiko-saht
”Ooh, first!”
When they entered the rooleeful exclamation
”I'll prepare the teakettle”
Out of habit, Yumi dashed to the electric pot
”Don't worry about it”
”Okay”
She tossed the old water from the pot, rinsed it, and filled it with neater Then when she plugged the cord into the electric socket, it beganthe water now” sound After that, she rinsed the dish rag, drained it, and wiped the table She wanted toand decided against it
”Well, I'll be going now, then”
When her cleaning habit came to an halt, she suddenly realized, ”Why aet away
”Hold on Thanks for doing all these chores, but that doesn't o as soon as you're done, you know?”
”U now?”
Because Rei-saht to the Rose Mansion, so thereplanned today
”Well, we are”
Rei-sahed as she pulled out the seat next to her and beckoned for Yumi to sit
”But I said I had soive Yumi-chan, didn't I?”
”Oh”
She'd coht, that's why she came to the Rose Mansion
”Here”
Rei-sa and placed it in front of Yuazine
”This…?”
”I was thinking of handing it to you when I ran into you, so it was inthe whole time A cookbook for pastries There're a lot of recipes for handmade chocolate, and the directions are really clear, so it should come in handy The recipe for Rei-san's specialty chocolate truffles is pasted somewhere inside, too”
”But, Rei-sama, won't you need this, too?”
”Don't worry The iredients, I jotted them down And I have a bunch of other books like this, anyways Or do you not need it anymore?”
”Nonsense”
”OK Then, let's keep it a secret from Sachiko and surprise her How about this?”
Rei-sama was lively, because it was her field of expertise Her handsoe, but she was always caring to begin with After all, she'd been able to get along with that Yoshi+no-san for this long
While they were leafing through the chocolate pastries book, filled with color photos, the door suddenly opened behind them
”Sa-Sachiko-sama…”
They'd been so absorbed they didn't notice the footsteps on the stairs, so the two of thes
”- Why are you so surprised?”
”No, nothing At all”
Since she'd gotten up anyways, and the electric pot had finished boiling the water, Yumi poured tea for the two second-years
”Yumi, how about yours?”
Sachiko-sama coldly asked
”Ah, I'm about to leave”
”Do you have so to do?”
”… Yes, kind of”
Because she couldn't ansell it's unco here” Truth be told, she didn't mind if she stayed until Minako-sama or shi+mako-san arrived, but Sachiko-sama seemed to be in ill spirits today If she milled about and displeased her any further, it would be horrible, she thought When Sachiko-sama was this stressed, you had to exercise extreuess it from how she usually conducts herself, but she did have a tendency to enter full hysteria
”Then quit o”
Ouch, pretty harsh
”Sachiko, stop acting like that I pulled Yumi-chan in here”