Volume 10 Chapter 8 (2/2)
Noriko-chan objected with, ”That's none of your business,” and ”I'ainst seniority based on time served” So much so that it made Sachiko-sama's beautiful face contort
Yuht between the Yaed to s reached a point where she couldn't stand the pressure any more and finally fled
”shi+mako!”
”shi+mako-san!”
Sachiko-sama and Noriko-chan's voices were in lovely har shi+mako-san back froo up or down the stairs quietly, but this tiroaned as she ran down them
”… I wonder if I overdid it”
Sachiko-sa, black hair
”Now it's your turn, Noriko-chan”
”Huh?”
Noriko-chan asked, returning to her senses from a shocked daze
”Look after shi+mako-san You can do it”
”Ah”
”Please”
Sachiko-saently pushed her forwards Noriko-chan looked back over her shoulder and nodded
”Leave it to me”
Rain fell, covering the sound of her running down the stairs This situation would probably be cleaned up quite skillfully
But despite the likely happy ending, there was still so left that Yu that her onee-sama could be so concerned about theher own petit soeur
”Onee-sa so”
Yumi said, as she closed the s
”Meddling?”
Sachiko-sama asked in return
”Just before You manufactured an excuse for shi+ht?”
”Well, who can tell”
Sachiko-sa to leave Apparently she'd decided that that was enough for today, since they'd reached a break in their work and shi+mako-san and Noriko-chan weren't there anymore
”A moment please, onee-sama”
It was only the two of the Yumi wanted to tell her onee-sama, noas the chance
”Please arrange another time”
”Another time?”
”For us to go to the a about”
”I can't proain”
”Even so”
Yumi pleaded
”If you set a date, I'll have peace of mind until then”
Yu That wasn't what she'd wanted to say But perhaps the words that spring forth impulsively are the truth after all
”Even if it coement, until that day, I'll - ”
”Yumi…”
Sachiko-sa had it been since she'd last looked at her so directly?
Surrounded by the sound of the rain, now much louder, the silence between the two of them spun out
As they both waited for the other to speak, they heard the sound of footsteps ascending the staircase If that was Noriko-chan, then she'd returned awfully quickly
”Sachiko onee-sama!”
Touko-chan entered without knocking She ran straight over to Sachiko-sa in her ear
Sachiko-sama nodded her head a number of times, then finally said, ”I understand” The contents of the e hadn't reached Yumi's ears, but she could see that Sachiko-saether
”Onee-sama We're still in the middle of our conversation”
Impulsively, Yumi called her to a halt One way or another, she wanted an obstruction At the very least, she wanted anyone but Touko-chan to accompany Sachiko-sama at that point in time
”Yumi…”
Sachiko-sama told Touko-chan to wait downstairs, then turned to Yumi and said:
”At the moment, I can't make any plans, so I can't make a promise to you”
The sound of Touko-chan's footsteps faded
”Then, ill you be able to?”
”I don't know the answer to that”
Sachiko-sa down
”Onee-sama”
Like, suue promise would be okay Because with that, Yumi would know that she had a place in Sachiko-sama's heart
”Please understand”
Sachiko-sa and turned to leave
”Don't go, onee-sama”
Even begging was no good Her onee-sa, unconcerned
The burdenso petit soeur - Surely, this ht of
”Rosa Chinensis - ”
Touko-chan's voice ca her to hurry As Sachiko-sama put her hand to the door, Yumi cried out in desperation:
”You're choosing Touko-chan over me!”
Sachiko-sama stopped immediately She turned around sloith a face that wasthan Yumi had ever seen it before
”… I'ry”
Sachiko-sa her with those words She walked down the stairs to where Touko-chan aiting
”Ohhh - you're angry”
Left alone in the roory, then be angry It was entle smile and sords Sachiko-sama had used when she felt indebted
So, solad that she'd seen that scary face Because it ry Whether it was the anger or so her emotions so directly
Yuht about how she'd twist that around to affection Badgering her about a prory reaction
Her heart thrashed around Yulass
This rain
Surely it was because of the weather
Which would hten either
After watching raindrops flon the glassfor a while, Yumi washed the tea cups and left the Rose Mansion Since they'd left their bags there, eventually shi+mako-san and Noriko-chan would return, but she didn't wait for them
She opened her blue uround She chose a different route to usual because she didn't want to go past the place where the hydrangea were bloo
If the flowers had changed color since this et back on her feet
”Yumi-chan”
As she walked along the path lined with ginkgo trees, someone unexpectedly called out to her When she turned around to confirm who it was, that person rushed over to her
”Let me share your umbrella”
”Sei-sama!?”
It was shi+mako-san's onee-sa shelter fro for so prey to wander by And Yumi was the one that she captured
”I'll bet you have plenty of friends that would share their umbrella with you”
As she gasped in amazement, Yumi held her umbrella out to cover Sei-sama
After quickly wiping her wet blouse with a handkerchief, Sei-sahed and snatched the umbrella's handle
”But it only started raining just recently It wasn't raining when my friends went home”
”So did you stay back for some reason, Sei-sama?”
”M deal, but - ”
After taking a quick look back at the high-school buildings, Sei-sama asked:
”There's nothing happening with shi+mako, is there?”
”shi+mako-san?”
Yu Sei-saraduated so you shouldn't rely on me,” had stayed around because she orried about her petit soeur
”Yesterday at lunch, someone who looked like shi+mako was seen around here I skipped out on classes yesterday, so I only heard about it this o ai around by the university section So I was thinking ”
So Sei-sama had apparently decided to wait around and a it had been since Sei-sa since before it started raining She'd chosen a place where she could keep an eye on the high-school students heading home, and would head home once she'd taken a look at her petit soeur
Yuht that shi+mako-san was quite fortunate She had a kind onee-saraduated, still cared for her Yu to cry, so she hurriedly looked away If she suddenly burst into tears, Sei-sama would think she eird
”If you're after shi+ from the rain somewhere with Noriko-chan…”
”- Then that's okay I'll go home with you, Yumi-chan Just to the train station, anyway”
Yuies to shi+mako-san, but she'd decided to borrow Sei-sa Sei-sama with her, Yumi felt like she could return to the normal 'Yumi-chan'
She'd been helped by Sei-sama in the past too It was just before Valentine's Day and there had been some minor altercation with Sachiko-sareenhouse and Sei-sama came to see her
Back then, as it that Sei-sa it to the surface? Yumi couldn't remember what it was It was a memory of the distant past
” - What?”
Sei-saate
”Huh?”
She said, ”What?” Yu immediately prior to that, so she answered with a question Then Sei-sa quite unexpected
”You can tell me what's on your mind, just let it all out I'll listen as thanks for letting me share your umbrella”
Yu show on her face since they'd met But this person obviously knew Even if she didn't know exactly as happening with Sachiko-sah
While she was still working out how to respond, Yumi silently looked up at Sei-sama's face
”Are your present troubles caused by the girl with the hair rolls?”
”… How did you know?”
”Sachiko cah she didn't notice me”
As Yumi had suspected, Touko-chan ith Sachiko-sama Since they hadn't noticed Sei-sa away
”They weren't sharing an umbrella”
”That's not - ”
”Yeah, it is”
Even so, Yumi was a bit relieved to hear that they hadn't been sharing an u an umbrella with Sei-sama It was quite self-centered of her
Even at the bus stop, while waiting for the bus, Yumi couldn't 'let it all out' If she talked about it with Sei-sa about it, Yu
This was so that she should solve on her own She couldn't rely on soraduated forever
Sei-sa had happened either She'dwith profound benevolence, like Maria-sama
”Yumi-chan, don't abandon Sachiko”
I' abandoned - As Yumi sed those words
The lights of the bus illu its way towards them