Volume 6 Chapter 6 (2/2)
”After I've gone, can you lock the ? And keep it a secret that you saw me here, please”
”… Yeah, alright”
It seeain
(I see, she's thought about this)
If it was locked from the inside, they wouldn't think that she's fled back outside
”Well, I'll leave it to you”
After the sound of so, the as shut and locked It seemed like Yumi had safely escaped
”I wonder what that was all about”
Yu to herself as she left Youko shook her head then left her cubicle
After washi+ng her hands and walking out into the hallway, she ran into the group of students ere apparently chasing after Yumi-chan
”You girls”
Being a bit of a prankster, Youko called out to them
”Ro Rosa Chinensis!”
All up there was six of theht, as though they had been practicing together
”Be quiet in the hallway”
”Yes Rosa Chinensis”
Having just been scolded, theythen almost immediately picked up the pace and rushed towards the toilets
(Hey, don't do that)
As she heard the sound of the door closing, Youko suppressed a laugh
Even though they had hurried there, Yumi-chan had already left
The pain in her abdo
However, whether it was from the fever or a side-effect of theIt felt like it wasn't being held down by the usual gravity
That's it It felt like she alking through water
Like she had fallen into a giant fish tank
The students in the hallway, in the stairwell and outside
When she first arrived at school her body had probably been in too bad a shape for her to notice it, but there were an incredible nurounds There werein the treasure hunt than she had expected
Youko too blended in with the fish as she walked Like walking in a dreao very fast But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling
”Gokigenyou”
A student she didn't know called out to her A first year, or a second year At any rate, not sorade
”Gokigenyou”
Youko returned the greeting
”Uether”
”Of course?”
She didn't knohether they were heading to the sareed to travel with her Thereupon, another student appeared fro a respectable distance After a short while, she too careeted her
”Just like Momotarou”
Youko squealed delightedly Before she knew it, the nuht students
”But, why? I don't have any dus”
”It's not like that”
The hter
”We didn't cos”
”Huh?”
”We just wanted to be by your side Or , the s as a pretext”
The other girls nodded
”I've alanted to make your acquaintance, but you always see, Rosa Chinensis”
”No opening?”
”But I'lad that I impulsively called out to you”
”Yeah, yeah I don't knohy, but today you seeentler, or less intense It makes it much easier to approach you”
”That's a bit rude”
”Ah, sorry”
Though she was rebuked by her friend, there was beauty to be found in that student's slip of the tongue
”It's okay”
Youko smiled wholeheartedly
”… Ahh, I see That's the sort of ie I usually project”
She hadn't noticed it herself She hadn't intentionally been trying to preserve the majesty of Rosa Chinensis, but that was how she was perceived She hadn't wanted to be an honors student But that was the only way she kne to be
”You know there's always been a fondness for each other”
Us in the Rose Mansion and the regular students outside She'd alanted to get closer to them, to meet them halfway, but hadn't been able to do it very well
”Hey, will you please accompany me to the Rose Mansion?”
”Yes, of course”
Thinking back on it, she'd always been busy She'd never just aimlessly wandered the halls like this Never had the time to stop Never been free to take the scenic route
Maybe being busy was her way of reassuring herself that she wasn't useless
When she slowly looked up, the Rose Mansion that she had become accustomed to had an unusual tint to it
Upon reaching the entrance, the door was opened from the other side
”Ah, Youko”
Standing there was Rosa Gigantea, Satou Sei One of her friends as also called a Rose
”I orried you weren't going to ht from the exam?”
Sei's usually handso her look foolish
”What have you been scoffing into?”
Wiping so at it, Youko saw that it was crue cake Perhaps she couldn't wait until she got home and had taken a cake she received for Valentines Day somewhere and eaten it in secret
”Ahh, nothing Hahaha”
As she tried to deceive Youko with an insincere laugh, Sei spotted the group of people behind Youko's back and beckoned them inside
”Come inside, cute visitors Welcome to the Rose Mansion”
”Pardon the intrusion”
One by one, Youko's companions entered
”Good heavens, what a lot of followers you have Just like Momotarou”
Happily, Sei saw the situation the same sway she had
”Although regrettably I didn't have any dus for them”
”Ahh, in that case we should at least offer them some tea shi+mako and the others are probably still upstairs”
Youko had warned the visitors to take care on the old staircase so that it didn't break and then urged the open
”Hey, is it true that the yellow card has been found?”
The new arrival's uniquely shaped tie was crooked Even her trademark hair-band had faint specks of dust on it
”Eriko ah, Rosa Foetida”
”Ohh, Rosa Chinensis is in here”
After greeting each other with 'Gokigenyou', Eriko came over to the staircase
”I don't know much, but I heard a rumor that Rei's card had been found so I came here to check”
”I just got here this minute, myself”
Last in line, Youko cli them, so she wasn't worried about the students who had followed her here
”Is that so? Oh yeah, you're wearing your coat, aren't you That's right, you had an exam today, didn't you?”
”Yeah”
”But I'ht?”
”Hmm, I wonder”
After cli roo in front of the door they could hear the commotion from inside
After exchanging glances with Eriko, Youko opened the biscuit shaped door
And then
What was going on?
Afor her inside
A warm room
You wouldn't call it a huge space, but therewomen inside
So for treasure
Each of the the time as they pleased
”Eriko”
Youko stopped dead Standing next to her, Eriko squeezed her hand tightly
”Yeah Isn't it wonderful”
”There's more”
Sei, who had gone in ahead of them, took them by the hand and led them over to theDespite the cold, she opened theand said 'Well?'
”This is - ”
From the second floorof the Rose Mansion, they could see into the courtyard
In the courtyard, the nu
”To fill you in, it's because time's almost up”
Sei saathered in the courtyard
”But it's a nice view, isn't it?”
”… Yeah”
Frorounds, it felt like everyone wastheir way towards the mansion
”Youko's request”
”Ahh!”
This scene hat she had wanted to see
Before she graduated, she had desperately wanted to see the Rose Mansion alive with students She had wanted to hear their laughter ring out, both inside and outside the building
”Onee-sama”
The students parted, and she saw the boutonstheir way over
Joyfully she went toher happiness with her
”Onee-sama, would you like some tea?”
Sachiko inquired
”Don't worry about us The treasure hunt will be ending soon, right?”
”Well then, I'll skip ahead a step and give you these”
Rei put soiven as prizes to all participants in her hand In total there were three She was given Sei's and Eriko's too
”Truly, I can rest easy now”
Eriko re around the chocolate The boutons seeame drew near
As she watched her juniors a short distance away, Youko suddenly thought of God
A student she didn't know pulled out a chair and waved them over
She waved back and was slowlyher way over there as the tears slowly started to fall The chocolate she had popped in her ly sweet
Youko thought, 'This is a dream'
”Ityour exam on Valentines Day”
Sei smiled But Youko shook her head
”It's the best”
”Huh?”
”Today has been the best day of my life so far”
The announceame had finished was broadcast
The best, huh?
That's probably because she still hadn't woken up from her dream