Volume 6 Chapter 2 (1/2)
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Sunday 10:40 am
Outside the second floor ticket gate in the station building of the JR line's K station stood Yuirl with a tiny camera that seemed like it was a part of her hand? - If anyone doesn't already know, 'Camera-chan' is Miss Takeshi+ma Tsutako
Even though it was the weekend the station was still croith people K station had ates, but Yumi had chosen this one because it looked the least cold And because it was so narrow, it should be easy to find her partner She had not anticipated that it would be this congested
”You know, it's pointless waiting here with me Sachiko-sama won't come for another 20 minutes”
The agreed upon time was 11am Sachiko-sama wasn't the type of person to be late, but neither was she the type of person to get excited and leave home early Like Yumi had today
”Don't you worry about me As soon as we find Sachiko-sama, I'll leave your side”
And then take pictures from the shadows That was Yu
”Anyway, how did you know that it would be here?”
Yumi hadn't told anybody And Sachiko-sama wasn't the type to talk about it
”To tell you the truth, it was only a co-incidence that I found you, Yumi-san Actually, I'm here to watch the white and yellow dates”
”Ehh?”
”Although this is a secret”
Tsutako-san lowered her voice But is it okay to let others in on a secret conversation?
”I was commissioned by Minako-saet me at least a two-shot of each of them,' she asked Ahh, you have heard that each of the winners will subht?”
”Yeah”
Yu with shi+mako-san
”The report will be published in the date special edition of the Lillian Kawaraban So it would be better to have soraphs as evidence, to make it more real The newspaper club's president is definitely wandering so a disposable camera too”
They hadn't been able to get any information about the date's course in advance, so it see the trip ”We can't pay you anything, but we'd be glad to have you along,” was apparently how they invited Tsutako-san Well, she was elated by that anyway
”So this is a secret from Rei-sama and shi+mako-san?”
”It would be rude to bother them Before they're put in the paper, I'll et their full consent”
”Uhuh”
Is that okay? It feels a bit wrong She wanted to protest, but her opponent was Tsutako-san, who had been invited to join the debating club She could eloquently and skillfully win you around
So, she changed the conversation
”Why K station?”
”The location has to clear the require your coh to do to keep you interested for half a day The first place that coht?”
”I see”
Although Rei-sama, alks to school, doesn't have a cole bus Above all, because everything has to be done for 3000 yen, going somewhere nearby was important
”In other words, Yumi-san racked her brain and squeezed out a location that everyone would think of”
” damn it”
In that case, if theyaround, there was a possibility that they could encounter so Like another pair on a date or, worst of all, a group secretly taking photographs
”- Not only that K station is like a garden to students fro on their day off Or they could be people-watching”
”Cut it out”
”Of course, nobody would have heard a ru a date today in the vicinity of K station But it's coantea en Bouton will be having their dates today It was bad ti to have it on the same day”
”Are you getting involved in the show?”
”I' for my audience, the whole of Lillian's Girls Academy”
”Uwaa”
Yu, she tried to squat but barely s
She wanted to leap over to that pay telephone and call Sachiko-sa at the clock, it was already 10:50am However much she may have liked to do that, Sachiko-sama probably wasn't in her house now
”Well, it'll be alright The sightseers won't be looking to make direct contact with you either”
Tsutako-san softly patted the crestfallen Yumi on the shoulder It's okay The words of consolation didn't really console her
”Ooooh Nice photo opportunity!”
Tsutako-san seemed to scream the words, then turned towards the first floor plaza in the station building and clicked the shutter This area was an atriue you could see the entire first floor
”What's happening?”
When Yumi asked, Tsutako-san see the shutter
”Rosa Foetida en Bouton has o Miss Tanu it out”
It see the ticket gate as a pretext, while her real goal had been to watch over the plaza Shethat if there was somewhere that had a complete view of Tanuma Chisato-san, she could keep lookout from there
”Now to get closer for one more”
Tsutako-san waved bye-bye, then descended the staircase
Watching on from above, she saw Rei-sama, who had entered the plaza draw close to Chisato-san They greeted each other a little nervously
Thank you for taking the time today
No, no, thank you Let's enjoy ourselves
- Like that She felt like she could almost hear the words just from the mood
Despite the cold, Chisato-san had taken off her coat and had been waiting in an incredibly cute red, white and pink frilly dress She was going all out for this date, based on her clothes
And, in coht she had done a fashi+on show, alternating between different clothes before eventually settling on a sweater and jeans with her usual duffel coat When herout with her onee-sama, she offered to lend her a suit, or a dress, or a kiht it wouldn't be fitting to wear so
Besides,the extremely stylish Sachiko-sama like that would be, to put it bluntly, really e To have it be coy into this would be a bit unsightly
(However)
Watching Chisato-san, her thoughts changed Going all out in her effort to select her clothing would also have been sweet, after all
Like a gentleman, Rei-sama put Chisato-san's coat on her, and they exited the station building via the escalator Some distance away, Tsutako-san was also visible as she tailed after them
”Yumi”
The voice greeted her from behind, and when she hurriedly turned around there was Sachiko-sama
”What ever is the matter?”
I Yumi, Sachiko-sama peeked down on the first floor For some reason or another, she smelled nice
”Umm, ahh, just now”
”Just now?”
”I thought I saw an acquaintance”
Yumi prevaricated Because she didn't want Sachiko-sama to hear about what she had learned from Tsutako-san She wouldn't enjoy the date at all if she knew that so
”An acquaintance? Is it okay to leave without saying hello to them?”
”Yeah, it was probably a case of mistaken identity”
”Really?”
Without a trace of doubt, Sachiko-saently Like this, she really does reseht But Yu Sachiko-sama either
”Gokigenyou”
”Gokigenyou”
Belatedly, the pair exchanged s
Yumi had wondered what she would do if Sachiko-saeous dress, but instead she had a simple outfit ht skirt that reached to below her knees But it was by noell done just frohtly, and the gold, green and white scarf that hung nonchalantly around her neck, and the black leather pumps -To top it all off, as inside the clothes onderful so it just made her outward appearance look even better
”Right, right, before I forget”
Sachiko-saloves and took a delicate white envelope out of her black handbag
”Is it really alright, like this?”
”Yes”
Yu, and put the contents of the two envelopes together
1500 yen plus 1500 yen equaled 3000 yen This was the expenses for their date today
”Really, Yumi, you're so stubborn”
”Onee-sama's the same”
The two of theates
They split the cost at 1500 yen each Arriving at this decision had been quite an ordeal
Yus, but in the end concluded that since she was the one who asked Sachiko-sama out, it was only natural that she should be the one ould cover the date's expenses
However, Sachiko-sama said that since she was the onee-sama, she should be the one to pay
When Yua to make Sachiko-sa appreciation for the chocolates
So, in the end, they agreed to split the cost down the middle Sachiko-sama's appreciation for the chocolates would be shown on White Day, and, for now, they were back where they started
”Ahh, is it okay if I look in here for a little bit?”
Sachiko-sama stepped inside a bookstore
”I want to buy a dictionary, you see”
”A dictionary?”
”What's with that look? Personal purchases are unrelated to the 3000 yen, right?”
”That's true, but”
”But?”
”If you buy it now, it will just be extra weight The bookstore has plenty of the home?”
Truthfully, Yus by her s you would walk around with on a date, so she planned to buy them on the way home after she had parted with Sachiko-sama
”That's true Yumi, you're so smart”
That was so that anyone would normally think of Perhaps Sachiko-saasawara faoods are delivered to the household Oroutside, they're accos for them
”Okay then, I'll get it on the way home”
And like that, the pair returned to the ay frole step inside the bookstore
(Hmmmm?)
When she turned on her heels, Yumi felt like she saw the reflection of someone she knew out of the corner of her eye
”What's the matter?”
Sachiko-sa and, after a few steps, turned and inquired
”Nothing”
Yuht up When she had turned and looked again, that person was no longer there
I wonder who that was
She had only caught a glance, but she felt it was definitely someone she kneell
But it wasn't either Rei-sama, Chisato-san or Tsutako-san
I wonder who that was
”Why is Yumi-san here with Sachiko-sama?”
Behind the shelf of reference books, Yoshi+no murmured to herself
The K station building's bookstore
I wonder if she saw me No, I quickly hid so I should be fine nobody can observe the face of each and every shopper they pass as they walk along If they could, bounty hunters would have a lot more free time
(… either way, it's not me)
Yoshi+no shrugged her shoulders and s to hate herself Why on earth did I come to this place?
She could probably loiter around here for a while longer, so she didn't have to leave the bookstore right away To kill some time, she took a thin book on cheh it It was one of her poorer subjects - she had absolutely no idea ritten in it
The near miss with Yumi-san had somehow been avoided, so then, what should she do next?
She had already bought the paperback that she had used as a pretext for going out If she hadn't, she could go to several places and search for the best looking copy
(That's foolish)
It wasn't a well thought out idea It was a new release book from a popular writer, so no matter which bookstore she went to she would surely find a stack of mint-condition copies in the New Books corner, just like the one she had now
Thinking only about Rei-chan being on a date with somebody, she couldn't just stand idly about and went out Wanting to show that she was co with jealousy, Yoshi+no had left the house before Rei-chan and got on the bus to K station Thanks to that, she had arrived at the station building before it opened
(Am I a masochist?)
Her usual aggressive self had, for today only, turned ti (and she didn't want to hear either) She had, however, anticipated that it would be so on the bus and co here to buy her book
What would she do if she saw Rei-chan and that girl - was it Chisato-san? - walking closely together, chatting?
(But, look, Rei-chan would get engrossed in talking about a subject like kendo and end up talking to herself When that happens, poor Chisato-san ht leave her, so therefore)
Therefore?
She asked herself Therefore, I caht?
That was still nothing but a pretext
Yoshi+no frankly ad other than that
Before she knew it, they had become too familiar Rei-chan was always her onee-saed by Rei-chan's side was her Like during the 'Yellow Rose Revolution' Although returning the rosary had been a catastrophe, she hadn't believed that it would be the end It may have been contradictory, but she had believed that it would be a temporary cancellation
(Jealousy Being jealous What's wrong with that?)
However, while she e the situation While she was filling in ti out for them, she couldn't intrude
Unfortunately, she could only watch the spotted Hoould it reflect on her if she was caught unawares and suddenly surprised It would obviously look like she was driven by jealousy to tail them
That would be a probleed pride, which wasn't set that high to begin with
(I'll go hoht)
Yes, she nodded to herself and walked off When she had taken five steps, she realized she was still holding the chemistry book, and returned to the bookshelf
Those few steps back proved fatal
” Yoshi+no … san ?”
”Ehh!?”
Whoa, the sudden surprise had turned into reality, so she took up guard However, it wasn't Rei-chan and Chisato-san in front of her And it wasn't Yuain, either
”Hey, what are you doing here? I knew it, you orried about Rei-san and Chisato-san being together and caht Yoshi+no-san?”
Because she was in plain clothes, Yoshi+no didn't recognize her immediately, but when she took a notebook out of her pocket and started taking notes, Yoshi+no realized it was the head of the newspaper club
But, what Ita beanie with a po, and black-riave the same impression Yoshi+no wanted to inform her that it actually made her even more conspicuous, but … she didn't
For a start, this person was the one who planned the Valentine's card hunt that caused Rei-chan to have to go on a date with a girl she didn't love
”Unfortunately for you, I have no interest in that”
Having first replaced the chemistry book on the shelf, Yoshi+no replied with a composed smile
”Oh come now, that's just false bravado Come to think of it, Yoshi+no-san was vehemently opposed to this from the start Naturally, you're jealous”