Volume 8 Chapter 8 (1/2)
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Theseeinning of April
After their flowers had blossomed, the larvae that would become butterflies and moths made their presence felt, froht the way through until midsummer
Black specks of feces would be scattered like seeds on the ground beneath the branches, and every year there were incidents with clu into the hair or onto the uniform of some unfortunate student below
That being said, this area behind the school building was a stopover point connecting the second gy part of the route used by students to get to the back gate It wasn't shunned by anyunder the trees during that ti attention to both as underfoot and as overhead That was the accepted behavior at Lillian's
Autus and flown off, and it brought with it days of sweeping up the mass of fallen leaves
Naturally, the blosso of the cherry flowers h these cherries weren't harvested If anything, the ginkgo trees along the main path should be harvested, as that would at least lessen the smell somewhat
But of course that was only a selfish human concern
The cherry trees knew nothing of this as, year after year, they were irowing new leaves, scattering seeds and shedding dry leaves
In this manner, they'd stood there for decades
And they would probably continue watching Lillian's long after the current crop of students was gone
”Right It's no big deal”
I muttered as I looked up at the cherry tree, just like one o
The floere on the verge of blooer by my side
Before I knew it, I'd reached the final year of high-school
I re around ht wrist Having it hanging around my neck wasn't in any way inconvenient, but now that raduated I hated the constant re it around my arm like a bracelet-substitute was perfect
A petal coiled up, like a spring, then dropped off right before ht hand, palht it
Was it co feebly? Either way, it looked like the cherry tree was trying to tell
”That's right”
As I was agreeing, the round petal on the palm of my hand was bloay Soon the small existence that had been on the palround, where it quickly blended in with the other fallen petals,it hard to tell which one it was
Right It really was no big deal
There was no doubt that these cherry trees, which had survived the war, had witnessed far more disastrous events They would know the serious tears and unbearable memories of sorrowful people
Even though I could be said to have lost a loved one, in my case, she was still alive somewhere out there
It's si there is a corresponding parting The hole that was left in h that I would be able to mend it myself
A gust of wind blew past The branches of the cherry tree shook and the petals fell relentlessly I looked up at heaven and gently closedpetals were painting over me
Countless tis of beauty far beyond the reach of huretted being given the life of a sinful ”huiveness Running away frohtly condemned, and that's all there is to it
What attractedthe divinity inside her While she was besideontoo
”Rosa Gigantea … huh”
Since April, the nu me that had risen I still wasn't used to it It was, until a o, the title used to address my onee-sama
My onee-saratitude to me, then pay that forward to so?
No It was unthinkable that someone as weak as me would be able to attract a junior to them
I no longer looked down on those innocent students like I once had Instead, I foundwas such an ordeal But they possessed the strength to take everything in their stride and enjoy life
So within , it had no concrete shape that I could definitively point to
The wind had strengthened further, so round also became involved in the creation of this white world
But despite all the petals swirling in the air, the human was a human, the cherry tree a cherry tree, and the boundary between them remained clear
Such was the way of all things
shi+ori and I Despite both being hu down the evolutionary path until we could
Tears didn't come
Feelings of sorrow had accunation
The wind suddenly stopped
Then in my expanded field of vision I saw someone that wasn't myself
”Ah … ”
I wonder which one of us spoke up
Less than two irl, bathed in flowers, as looking back at me with the same expression of wonder
Instantly, I reirl for shi+ori, I just remembered her
A fair-skinned ave the ientle wave of her light-brown hair
Was she a first-year, or a transfer student? At the very least, hers wasn't a face I recognized But then again, I wasn't the type of person to remember everyone's face
I have a weakness for these kind of encounters
”You're … ”
I started to speak, then sed my words
Deja vu
I was assaulted by a sweet and bitter bout of deja vu
It was like this with shi+ori too
shi+ori had known about me beforehand, but I first became aware of her existence e met in the deserted chapel
So was the rest going to be like it ith shi+ori too? Persistently asking about her, eventually following her around like some kind of stalker, and then -
It ending in ruin
I didn't kno to proceed in this situation I readied enyou,” like shi+ori
Would I kneel at her feet, or run away?
At any rate, it was obvious I wasn't in a normal state of mind
”Pardon me”
However, she was the one that fled She blushed and quickly bowed Then ran off towards the school building
I was saved I leaned against the trunk of the cherry tree and let out a sigh of relief
”Don't worry, it's a huirl”
A strange sensation came over me as I muttered this
What had I been thinking?
I knew of her existence
Well, I knew her name but not her face, that level of awareness
Rosa Gigantea, Satou Sei-sama
On the day of the entrance cereossip fron features” and ”melancholy expression” made her look ”totally sexy”
We would have been in the sa middle-school, but I couldn't recall her face
The forging of an intier students was a tradition reserved solely for the high-school division of Lillian's Girls Acade compulsory education, it fell to the teachers and sisters, as well as fellow classuidance Even so, some precocious middle-school students who adored the soeur systeh-school would secretly ossip
Gossip such as, Rosa Foetida, Torii Eriko-sama, had silky hair and tied her ribbon beautifully, as well as being a superwo But she never looked triumphant It took a connoisseur to appreciate her cool expression
Or, Rosa Chinensis, Mizuno Youko, had aher the quintessential class representative This was balanced against her flawless beauty, giving her a charm that no-one else could possibly imitate
We sat in alphabetical order at the start of the year, and the girl who sat beside me ell acquainted with the seniors, so the air around ossip
”shi+mako-san, which Rose is your type?”
The first time I was asked this I was taken aback and answered truthfully with, ”I don't know”
”Yeah, they're all wonderful, aren't they?”
My classmates chose to interpret my response favorably That hen I realized that roups based around which one of the Roses was their favorite This made someone like me, who didn't really knoho the Roses were, a somewhat unusual creature
All of the various cliques adored their chosen Rose Treating the There was a certain distance because the Roses were two grades ahead of us,their existence ed soeur vows joined in the coh it was unthinkable that their onee-sa about the Roses
But I digress
Eventually the day of the ”New Students Welco Ceremony” arrived, with me still unaware of so a petit soeur
The reports froirl who sat beside es I had of Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetidathe Ya the ceremony in the chapel
All except for one Rosa Gigantea was the sole exception
Or, rather, I didn't have a concrete iht Perhaps it would be ly ined that she ot frustrated part way through i her
The girl standing there with the calm expression was unmistakeably the same one that I had met beneath the cherry tree
But, as it, I wonder? The i ceremony was different to back then Despite the fact that she was sh there had definitely been a loneliness in her expression as she'd gazed off at so invisible, while her entire body was baptized by flower petals, there hadn't been this sensation of wanting to reach out to her in pity
”shi+mako-san”
I came back to earth when I was tapped on the shoulder from behind
”There's a gap opening up”
My classh for two people had opened up in front of me
”Ah, sorry”
I quickly closed in on the student ahead ofthat I was a new student, and was lined up to receive a medallion from one of the Roses
What had I been thinking?
It was quite presumptuous of me to consider a senior as ”pathetic” or ”someone to pity,” even if it had only been for a moment
Plu the in front of us was Rosa Chinensis But antea, on the far side, with Rosa Foetida between us
I wanted to know Even though it was painful to look at her, why couldn't I look away?
The three Roses placed the medallions around the necks of the new students, one by one Were the students assisting them their petit soeurs?
Eventually, my turn arrived
”May the Virgin Mary bless you and watch over you”
Rosa Chinensis placed the lanced our way, but that ination
shi+mazu Yoshi+no, of the first-year chrysanthemum class, came to visit the peach class after school one day, about a week after the welco ceremony
”Yes?”
”You see, I ondering if you could co today, do you?”
S away
I'd been in the sa middle-school She had a rare heart condition and the only impression I had of her was that she was often absent or had to leave early But it wasn't just her, I didn't have many memories stuck in my head for any other classmates either Since I'd joined Lillian's, it had been especially hard for me to make close friends
So, since eren't particularly friendly, I couldn't iine what business Yoshi+no-san had with me
”Where to?”
”The Rose Mansion”
”The Rose - ”
I sed my words
The Rose Mansion
That was the na that served as the headquarters for the Lillian's Girls Acadeh-school student council, or Yairl who sat next to me, that the Roses usually met there after school But it was hard to approach, especially for first-years, so I hadn't heard any stories of anyone actually going there to visit
The Rose Mansion was located in the courtyard between the high-school buildings Despite its s had a majestic appearance
”Is it alright for us to just walk in like this?”
I impulsively asked when Yoshi+no-san opened the front door
”Huh? … Ah”
Yoshi+no-san reached down the front of her sailor collar, and pulled so out to show me, just for a second
”I've been Hasekura Rei-sama's petit soeur since the day of the entrance ceremony”
It was a pretty, green rosary
Hasekura Rei-sama was the second-year student known as Rosa Foetida en bouton, since she was Rosa Foetida's petit soeur Yoshi+no-san apparently had access to the Rose Mansion due to that relationshi+p I really was stunningly ignorant of this news
”There's so here who said she wanted to meet you, shi+mako-san”
”Is that Rosa Gigantea … ?”
I asked In the h-school, I'd had practically no contact with the student council There was only one thing that came to mind My accidental encounter with Satou Sei-sama in the blizzard of cherry blossom petals
”No”
Yoshi+no-san said, as she entered the building, then started up the staircase that came immediately into view
”Rosa Chinensis is one of the people waiting for you”
The interior of the building looked as orn as the exterior When I put h it were going to break at any moment
”Why did Rosa Chinensis ask to see me?”
”Who knows”
It was obvious that Yoshi+no-san didn't know either She walked ahead, looking puzzled
”The only reason I went to get you was because I knohat you look like”
”I see”
I gave up, and followed Yoshi+no-san Thinking about it, it seeantea would have asked someone else to fetch me If she wanted it done, she probably would have done it herself I had no reason to think that, it just soht
Yoshi+no-san had said, ”Rosa Chinensis is one of the people waiting” If there were a number of older students who didn't know me but wanted to talk to me, then it made sense for them to send Yoshi+no-san
Yoshi+no-san finished clie, brown door and knocked
”I've brought Toudou shi+mako-san”
”Well done, show her in”
The gentle reply came from inside the room
”After you”
Yoshi+no-san pro the door open, and I stepped inside
”I'm Toudou shi+mako”
I introduced myself and bowed The two students inside rose from their chairs and ushered me in
”Sorry for having to summon you like this”
”We just wanted to have a little chat”
They offeredit out fro me to sit down In a spot that was directly opposite where they had been sitting It looked as though the topic of this chat wasn't going to be so simple
”I wonder if it's necessary for us to introduce ourselves as well”
”No, that's alright”
They were fah-school that even someone as tenuously connected to other people as myself kneho they were - Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida
”Well then, I'll excuse myself now”
After placing a cup of tea in front of me, Yoshi+no-san left the room
”Thanks, Yoshi+no-chan”
”Good work today”
The two Roses showered Yoshi+no-san's back with these words of appreciation, then after she'd disappeared beyond the door, started to chat ast themselves
”Rei has club activities, doesn't she? Will she be alright going home by herself?”
”She told 's easier on her”
It seeh they were concerned about Yoshi+no-san's physical condition
”Ah, now that youhealthier”
Rosa Chinensis seemed satisfied with this, but then she suddenly turned to me and said:
”Now then, do you have an onee-sama?”
”Huh!?”
Based on our positions, it was only natural that they would be asking h I knew that, it was such an astounding question that I couldn't avoid reacting
”Do you have an onee-saht?”
Rosa Foetida was all s the final blow
”I-I don't … but”
”Letabout a blood-related sister here”
”Right”
Either way, it was the same An onee-sama from the soeur system, or an onee-sama born to the same parents I had neither
”I see”
”I'm relieved to hear you say that”