Volume 13 Chapter 3 (2/2)
”So we'll be doing a play at Lillian's … it'll be tough if we have to do soi-sempai last year”
Playing a prince, dancing with girls - Well, it see e like that But those who liked it, like Kashi+wagi-san, were probably in the minority
”Don't worry about it Last year there was only Kashi+wagi-san, but this tis like you will probably just be one in a crowd”
”Underling” and ”one in a crowd” probably weren't the right words to use, but at any rate, Yuer brother up
”I suppose All we can do is pray to Maria-sama that it turns out like that”
Yuuki looked up at the ceiling, placing his hands together in prayer
”Oh, not to Buddha?”
”No It has to be Maria-sama in this case”
”Alright I'll pray to Maria-sama for you today then”
”Please do”
Even though he was going to a Buddhist school Yu at this But still, she had to pray for it earnestly
So she decided to leave the house a bit early this h not just because of that
She gently smoothed the pleats of her skirt that had been cru her school unifor a school day On top of that, the Lillian's uniforh the hter and the sleeves were shorter, it was still hot
”Thanks for the help”
Yuuki was planning on leaving a bit after her, but apparently he was okay in plain clothes That must be one of the differences between a boy's school and a girl's school It felt a bit unfair
”Well, see you”
”Ah, I hope it goes well”
”Yeah”
At the entrance, they gave each other a thumbs-up
”I' out”
Yu on her shoes Her mother came out to see her off, and seemed astonished by their behavior
”What, you've made up already?”
They had indeed
Yuht
Because, like Kobayashi+-kun had noted, the fukuzawa siblings had a good relationshi+p with each other
Luckily, the bus arrived just as she got to the bus stop
When she got inside, it smelled like summer The smell of acrid chemicals She kneell The same smell as the school pool
The source of it was immediately apparent
There was a group of ele the back ts of the bus
Most of the
Soainst the s, barelya muscle
Their butts were scooched forwards, like they'd slid down the seat
Unaware that their legs were sprawled, unable to pick up the plastic bags that had slipped from their hands
They all see
Yu that that would have been her a few years ago
But there was one a out theIt was plain to see that she was on her way back froirls so she was obviously part of that group, but there was so about her that looked different
The scenery flowing past the bus didn't seeh she atching it because she was interested It see it out of some sense of duty
Nor was it that she was too tired to sleep As proof of that, her eyelids would close from time to time and she'd rub them to keep herself awake
The bus announcer called out the nairl quickly stood up and started rousing her friends, one by one
(Ah, so that's it)
Yu to the end of the line, they had to get off irl alone had desperately battled against exhaustion
The girl pressed the buzzer and her group safely got off at their intended stop Had the irl's achievement?
As she watched theirls happily walked down the footpath Yuer tell which one it was that had remained awake
At so the smell of the pool
But when a young boy got on at the next stop, he said, ”Ah, it smells like the pool,” to his father beside him
”Yumi”
On the path between the north and south entrances of M Station, just past the ticket gate, a voice called out to her Yu and slowly turned around
There was noit It was her beloved onee-sama's voice
”Gokigenyou, onee-sama”
”It's a bit early, so I wasn't expecting to see anyone”
Sachiko-sa, she had a heavy looking tote bag hanging from her shoulder
Perhaps noticing Yu
”See, the library's open today I've got the books I borrowed the other day in here Oh, did you arrive early because you were going to the library too, Yumi?”
”Ah, no”
She hadn't known that the library was open today No, wait She ht have read that in the bulletin put out by the student library committee, but she hadn't checked each and every open day
”Hot, isn't it?”
Sachiko-sama raised a hand to shi+eld her eyes when they exited through the north gate The footpath through the turnaround area was baking fro heat made it feel like they would dry out completely if they stopped there Even if the store fronts atered down, they would just dry straight away
The bus that looped between M station and Lillian's aiting at the bus stop for its scheduled departure tiently tapped on the door, which was closed to keep the cool air in, to let the driver know they wanted to board
The door opened with a psssh sound Since their student travel pass was no good during the holidays, they both fed their bus cards into the
After about five ht on schedule No-one else had got on, so it was like they had chartered the bus
There were plenty of seats, but they sat right next to each other on a two-seater In theseat, Sachiko-sama silently watched the scenery outside for a little while Yuirl from earlier
Her silent profile Just as her onee-saht at this moment?
She certainly wouldn't be i that in a few hours fro to try and force her into awith students from Hanadera
”It's about Yuuki-san”
Sachiko-sama suddenly opened her mouth
”Ah, yes”
Thump
Surely she hadn't read her mind telepathically? Sachiko-sa that it seemed possible
”What about my brother?”
Yuers in the bus, they were seated next to each other, and there was still soo before they reached the bus stop in front of Lillian's Given the situation, Yumi didn't have the nerves of steel that would be required to give her onee-sanore her
”I heard this in passing froo, but Yuuki-san's a member of the Hanadera student council, isn't he?”
”Hmm … a student council member? I'm not really sure, but I don't think he's as important as that I think he's more of an assistant”
”Really? Well, that's fine”
Sachiko-sama smiled
”As his older sister, there's sooing to ask him to assist us with our school festival”
Not, ”Would it be okay to ask hioing to ask him” Apparently she'd already made up her mind
”Hmm, Yuuki at the Lillian's school festival - ”
So that's it, by no Yuuki, who she was fine with, Sachiko-sama could keep unknown males at bay A brilliant plan
”What are we doing this year?”
”A play, of course”
”I knew it”
In her ized ”Sorry, Yuuki I'm no match for my onee-sama”
Since Sachiko-sath there was probably no chance of getting her to reconsider
”Last year, because I boycotted all the uru-san in the prince's role without e, and I was most distressed when I found out I'm so relieved that I won't have to worry about that this year”
Onee-sama, you shouldn't feel too relieved about that The sly old seniors raduated, but the petit soeurs that re in the shadows
But Sachiko-saotten about the Hanadera school festival, which was co to avoid thinking about it
”Although I think we'll have toto their student council in September But before that, Yumi, can you inform him of this? It could be a shock if it comes out of the blue”
”Ah … okay”
But there was no need for Yuo out of her way to do this, Sachiko-sama would probably be able to sound out Yuuki herself in a couple of hours time
”But it's strange, isn't it? It was because of what happened with Suguru-san last year that I was able to take you as my petit soeur”
”Huh … ”
But it was the petit soeur that was the chief conspirator this ti worse and worse about this, before unthinkingly opening her mouth:
”O-onee-sama, I - ”
However
”Ah, we're here”
Was it good luck or bad? Sachiko-sama stood up
The bus had arrived at their destination a lot quicker than usual Since Yuinning, it obviously didn't need to stop mid-journey to let people off, and luckily there hadn't been any passengers waiting to get on at any of the stops, so the bus had been like an express train rushi+ng past all the stops until it arrived here
”What was it, Yumi?”
Sachiko-sama asked, after they disembarked
” - Nothing”
Yued her mind
It would all co if she confessed here If Sachiko-sama were to run away, it would be an insult to the other members of the Yamayurikai, but more than that to thetoday
”But you'd started to say so”
Sachiko-sama's words pricked at her breast
”Sorry It's slipped my mind”
Her oords pricked her even more
”Really?”
”Yeah”
Yu down like that There was no doubt about it, she'd never have the personality of a mob boss
She looked down at her feet as she walked, probably so she wouldn't have to look at her onee-sama's face
There was a crack in the sidewalk, with grass growing up through it
A discarded icy-pole stick
Yumi's head slowly drooped further down
”Oh Yumi”
Sachiko-sama's voice called out to her from behind
”Ah, yes Huh?”
It seeh she'd outdistanced Sachiko-sa down There was a gap of about five metres between them
”I even told you to wait for a little while Didn't you hear me?”
It looked as though Sachiko-sa But Yumi hadn't noticed at all
”Here, see”
Sachiko-saht up to her and held out a small, moist hand-towel
”The nape of your neck's uncovered and looks hot It may be somewhat indecent, but you could put this over it”
Before Yumi could respond, the back of her neck turned chilly
”Th-thank-you”
”Don't mention it”
Her onee-sahted when she could help out like this Yu to ensnare Sachiko-sama, as so kind
”But anyere you looking at so intently? Insects? Do you want to become like Fabre?”[3]
Another prick at her heart
” … Ow!”
”What's the matter, Yumi?”
While she and her onee-sa down, a black ant really did bite Yumi on the calf
With things the way they were, just looking at the school gates was painful
The Hanadera students would gather in front of them in a few hours, and then the brother and sister coin
Passing through the gates onto the path lined with ginkgo trees, the pleasant sound of balls being fir from the tennis courts
In the university grounds to her right, there was the occasional group of two or three college students scattered about here and there
She joined her hands together in prayer at the statue of Maria-sama at the fork in the path, but she had no idea what she should discuss with Maria-saht, ”I'm sorry”
She couldn't ask for help for Yuuki at this point - Or, rather, in truth her ht for her brother
She accompanied Sachiko-sama on her brief visit to the library All up there were five books Sachiko-sa to the library counter They all appeared to be classical japanese literature
”They were quite interesting If you'd like, you could borrow them after me, Yumi I particularly recommend this one”
Sachiko-sama held out the book she'd chosen
Yuave her library card to the staffthe book
After leaving the library, they sloalked towards the school building They didn't have to go all the way over tocarry-around slip-ons instead of their indoor shoes during the holidays So they bypassed the building corridors and went straight to the Rose Mansion
As they walked around the back of the school building, the library book she carried in her left hand and the presence of the moist towel on her neck becaer stand it
”I'm sorry, onee-sama”
She finally came to a halt, unable to take another step
”What are you talking about?”
Sachiko-sa this question
”I just kneouldn't be possible for me to deceive you, onee-sama”
”Huh?”
Even if it was all being done for her beloved onee-sama's sake, it was still a deception
She hadn't noticed it when talking with the others, or while endlessly tinkering with the plan, but now that she was here with Sachiko-sa herself to look her squarely in the eye
It was undoubtedly because she was, in souilty about it,