Volume 9 Chapter 8 (1/2)
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At first glance, the first-year Nijou Noriko was an ordinary young lady
She had a bob haircut, although it was a bit long Her straight black hair reached down to around her shoulders Her bangs reached her eyebrows, forle line Basically, it was an old-fashi+oned hairstyle that made her look like a traditional japanese doll
(What's so special about this girl … ?)
8:10a shi+mako-san's first-year friend from a spot in the hallhere she could see into the first-year caroup classrooate Or, more accurately, she already knehat Nijou Noriko looked like because she serendipitously happened to see her yesterday after school, so when she spotted her getting off the bus thisshe'd followed her here
Incidentally, about yesterday's serendipity
Of all things, Yu Nijou Noriko's shoes At any rate, she couldn't tell if Touko-chan was being daring orplace, but she simply dropped the shoes at thearea, and went home
Still, she couldn't approve of harassht Yumi was about to quietly return the shoes when a first-year student walked past her Yumi realized this was Nijou Noriko when she opened her shoe locker, stopped to think for a short while, then continued on her way hoirl seemed as undisturbed as she was new to Lillian's
Presently, she was sitting at her desk reading a paperback After observing her like this for a couple of minutes, Yumi still couldn't detect any remarkable traits
(What do she and shi+mako-san have in common - ?)
Yu she'd walked straight past the statue of Maria-sa to pray Even if it was an honest et to greet Maria-sama
”… Like, does her family also run a temple?”
”No Her father's a public servant and her h, her fa with a relative”
”Ah, I see”
As she was agreeing with the voice co from behind, Yumi suddenly realized She hadn't come here with anyone
(Who is it!?)
Hastily turning around, Yu there and s
”Yumi-sama”
”Ah, yes!?”
Yumi was a second-year and Touko-chan a first-year Naturally, the honorific ”-sama” had been used to address the older student, Yu at it objectively their roles were reversed Yu sohty, while Touko-chan was cal her
”Playing the detective?”
”No, not really”
Although it was probably pointless denying it at this point A second-year student peering into the first-year caroup classroom was bound to look suspicious, no matter how you look at it
”If you're concerned about her, you should just ask Touko”
Touko-chan took Yumi by the hand and walked over to the classrooet a better look at Nijou Noriko fro with Touko-chan it wouldn't seem unnatural From a distance, it would look like a conversation between a close junior and senior
Yued the topic of conversation
”Um … did you just arrive at school, Touko-chan?”
Touko-chan was holding her school bag which smelled of brand-new leather
”No, I arrived before 8, but I've stayed away from the classroom to establish an alibi”
”An alibi … !?”
”See, someone who arrived after her wouldn't have had a chance to taht?”
She sestively
(What's she done this time, the little … )
Having just witnessed what happened yesterday, Yumi didn't want to hear about this
”Don't be so concerned It wasn't anything major”
” … Ah, r-right”
That's not so good, is it fukuzawa Yumi? This person you've only just met is already able to read your mind
”Noriko-san seems a bit standoffish, don't you think? She's always like that”
Touko-chan glanced inside the classroom
She never lifted her gaze from the paperback when her class directly, but once the task was done she i once more Indeed, she didn't seeo with her to the toilet
”But she shows a different side of her during lunchtime and after school”
”A different side?”
Yuaze shi+fted from Nijou Noriko to Touko-chan A different side That was an intriguing statement
”Do you want to see it?”
”I do!”
”Shh”
Touko-chan drew her index finger up to her lips and glared at Yumi She hadn't meant to raise her voice that loudly, but Nijou Noriko suddenly raised her head so the pair hurriedly hid behind the door
”Alright then, today at lunch Wait for me near the main entrance”
Touko-chan said, at extremely low volume
”Huh? Lunchtiood for me”
Yumi hesitated for a moment She was supposed to have lunch at the Rose Mansion today Not for acereetting shi+mako-san to reveal her secret
”It's fine if you don't want to see”
Faced with the two options, shethe other side of Nijou Noriko would surely come in useful in the future
”Well, until then”
Grin Touko-chan sly buoyed by her success Yu to show her, but she started to feel a bit uneasy, wondering if it really would ainst lunch with Sachiko-sama, as well as the important private discussion
”Ah, please come alone too”
Touko-chan said, stopping to turn around after entering the classrooh she just remembered
”Why?”
”If we're not quiet, the wild duck will fly away And even at the best of times, your lack of composure makes you stand out”
Yu Without Touko-chan's guidance, she wouldn't be able to see the wild duck Nijou Noriko in her natural habitat Besides, she couldn't co to refute the ”lack of composure” claim
”And Yoshi+no-sama?”
Touko-chan asked as soon as theyout the area around Yumi
”It seems she's not here”
”Well, you told ht?”
”Even so, shetoo Yoshi+no-sama seems quite stubborn But you seem to have shaken her off”
She said, placing an index finger on her cheek She was either observant, or good at deduction
Indeed, it had been quite a bit of trouble to leave Yoshi+no-san and co they'd go to the Rose Mansion together If she had said, ”I'll be going ahead,” then she would have been peppered with questions like, ”Why?” or ”Where are you going?” In the end, Yumi fled out of the classroom and dashed off in the opposite direction Intentionally taking the long way around to throw off any pursuit
She was still a little short of breath when Touko-chan arrived at their arrangedcompletely at leisure
”Well then, shall we go?”
Touko-chan checked her watch, then started walking
”Go? Where to?”
”To where Noriko-san is That's what you were told, right?”
Yu here that was
”Ah, you'll be fine in your indoor shoes You'll just have to wipe the”
Touko-chan said as she quickly walked out the main entrance It seemed unbelievable that she was a new student She had a presence as though she owned the high-school building
The light-pink cherry blossoreen shoots as they walked half a pace apart through the cherry trees The lunchti to Milk Hall or the canteen had passed, so they only saw a couple of other students scattered here and there
When they reached the front of the auditorium, Touko-chan stopped and said:
”No loud noises from this point on”
After issuing this warning, Touko-chan didn't wait for Yu around the auditorium to the back
”This - ”
Yumi knew this place well A lone cherry tree blossoo trees She'd eaten lunch here often during autuaze of the newspaper club
The back of the auditorium - shi+mako-san's favorite place
”Noriko-san's here”
Walking in front, Touko-chan suddenly stopped and Yuently bumped into her
”… Ow”
Yu resentfully at her, then looked over her shoulder
”Ah”
Nijou Noriko was there, but she wasn't alone - shi+mako-san ith her
”What do you think? Yumi-sama”
”Ah, well … ”
She wasn't close enough to hear what they were talking about, but Nijou Noriko did indeed look like a different person coirl in the classroom
Si to Yumi, shi+mako-san had an expression on her face that Yumi had never seen before
It was like she was completely relaxed Or that she had complete peace of mind At any rate, it was a lovely expression, calm and peaceful
(Why?)
Was it because Nijou Noriko was there? Was she that iood?
These questions burst into Yumi's mind one after the other
Even though shi+ about a petit soeur -
”Ah, Yu?”
When she came to her senses, Yuth had drained fro uncertainly
”Thank-you I' now”
She didn't want to see any more
shi+mako-san's relaxed expression and the first-year by her side talking animatedly At this moment, it was probably impossible for anyone else to enter into their world As her friend, she should be delighted that shi+ht that her inability to do so showed how small her heart was Her emotions were in turmoil and she couldn't control them
”I see I'll stay and observe for a bit longer”
”Okay then, bye”
As she kept walking, Touko-chan'sreached Yumi's ears
”You're more delicate than you appear, Yumi-sama”
”Huh?”
When she instinctively turned around, Touko-chan laughed
”Rosa Gigantea's so far away That's why you're so soleht?”
”That's n-”
Yumi sed her words and left the auditorium
Setting aside whether she was right or not
A know-it-all junior was a bit unpleasant That's what Yuht
”I see”
Sachiko-sahed deeply
”And after that you didn't feel up to co to the Rose Mansion, and stayed in your classroom the entire time”
”Yeah”
Despite telling Yoshi+no-san that she'd be late, in the end she didn't ht her explanation would have seemed a little weak, and there was no visible reason, so all she could do was speak her true feelings Thinking hard, Yumi spun her words
It was now after school Only Sachiko-sama and Yumi were in the Rose Mansion
”It's not that I don't understand”
Sachiko-sama treated her despondent petit soeur to a warm cup of black tea
”What does it mean to be friends? When I seriously think about this sort of thing, I want some distance from my friends”
”… I'm sorry”
”It's fine I'm not concerned, because you came and told ry now … So what's next? Why don't you stay for a while and calm down before you see her?”
”Okay”
She still hadn't reed
Sachiko-sama was kind Yumi only ever wanted to answer her cheerfully, so she tentatively agreed
Sachiko-sama was usually scary, and while she may not have fully understood Yumi, whenever Yu, just being at Sachiko-sah to warm her heart Her onee-sama was someone precious to her