Volume 14 Chapter 4 (2/2)
”So what's troubling you, Tsutako-san?”
”Do I look troubled?”
”Totally”
Since she was sitting alone in the gloo deeply Even if she wasn't troubled, she was thinking deeply about so difficult
”What is it? Is there a problem with your subject?”
”Yumi-san is cute Wonderful as always”
”… Is that so?”
Tsutako-san would often praise her even though Yuh, if pressed, she'd admit that recently she'd come to realize that Tsutako-san liked those sorts of photos Instead of photos of everyone saying ”Cheese” and looking at the camera, Tsutako-san preferred ones where the subjects were looking off into the distance, or nonchalantly going about their daily lives
”But when did you take these?”
As well as the ones at school, there were so to or fro side-by-side with Sachiko-sa excitedly with shi+h as expected, there weren't any of her lying in bed with her sto, nor any bath scenes
”Yumi-san is fine”
Tsutako-san repeated
”Then what's wrong?”
”You don't know?”
”Don't knohat?”
She tried to remember earlier photos she'd been in but couldn't see how they differed to these Of course the situations and the times were all different It didn't seenificant irapher's skill either
”It's not so obvious in the first few”
Tsutako-san gathered the photos into a bundle then sorted them and placed a couple in front of Yumi
”But by this point it should be incredibly obvious”
”Huh?”
Tsutako-san pulled out three ”incredibly obvious” photos and lined them up on the desk Then
”Ah!?”
Even someone as slow as Yumi could see it clearly She'd co over them, but with them laid out like this the problem became apparent Then once she'd worked it out, she took another look at the ”not so obvious” photos and while the problem didn't stand out it was indeed there too
”- So you see, I can't display these”
Tsutako-san said
”It's a shaatives It'd be a disaster if the newspaper club got their hands on these”
”What a waste”
”Yeah Although, I didn't notice it until I developed them Since you didn't seem to know about it either, maybe nobody would notice if we played dumb and displayed one of these at the school festival”
But Tsutako-san would know Yumi would know too If one of the photos was on display they'd probably be irrationally irritated by the problem
”I could trim them down to just you”
”No, there's no need”
Up until now, Yumi had received a copy of most of the photos Tsutako-san had taken of her, but this time she held back
Holding a photo that was trimmed down to just her, she wouldn't be able to keep herself fro about the world left behind That said, she had neither the talent nor the nerve to take responsibility for the dozen or so photos that Tsutako-san had decided to destroy To say nothing of the wisdoht decision
”It's kinda scary”
”Looking at it from your point of view, it is a bit”
Tsutako-san gathered the photos and put them in an envelope
”It ends for me when I destroy these, but ill you do, Yumi-san?”
”I don't know”
”Maybe you'd have been better off not knowing”
”No, it's alright Thanks”
Yu with her PE clothes and walked unsteadily out of the classroom
Should she talk to Sachiko-sama about this?
(I know I shouldn't hide things fro to her)
But she didn't want this to get blown out of proportion On top of that, she still hadn't sorted out her own feelings
Tsutako-san's photos Was there a chance it was just a coincidence?
(A dozen coincidences?)
Could that sort of thing happen?
In the photos, her hair was tied with a variety of ribbons That was definitive proof that they were taken on different days And yet, in each of them, that shadow behind her -
On her way back to the Rose Mansion, Yumi looked over her shoulder a number of times
Maybe there was someone there
The dozen photos were causing a disturbance in Yumi's chest
The following day was Friday so Yu she had to attend to, then put in an hour of work before leaving the Rose Mansion early
It was halfway bethen school let out and when after-school activities ended, so there were hardly any students walking along the path lined with ginkgo trees
It had been a while since she'd left school on her own
It felt a bit strange to not have her friends beside her She wondered if she'd get used to it before too long
With no-one in front, behind, or to the left or right of her, Yuht of the young lady that had caused the cool breeze of uneasiness to blow through her heart
Perhaps that girl would call out to her A part of her was expecting this as she walked
If she did call out to her, Yuether Then as they walked, she'd have a chance to ask the question she had to ask
Yu back The wind that blew through the ginkgo leaves ruffled both her hair and her heart
”Yumi-chan”
However, the voice that called out to her belonged to someone else
”… Sei-sama”
The forantea and current Lillian's University student, Satou Sei-sama, flew over to Yumi's side like she'd jurounds Her blue-and-white-striped shi+rt had a white sailor collar, showing the barest traces of Sei-saantea
”Heading home?”
”Yeah”
Yu home, then Sei-sama put her arm around her shoulder and whispered into her ear:
”By the way, you know there's a creeper?”
”A creeper? That's a bit rude”
”Ah, so you did know My apologies”
But she only knew because of Tsutako-san's photos, without those who kne long Yuured it out after a quick glance Just proving she wasn't an average hu
”So how far you taking that?”
Sei-sama didn't turn around, instead she jerked her fist up, pointing her thumb behind her
”To the school gate, for now”
”The school gate? Is there soate?”
”If I lied you'd find out soon enough … there is so”
This was an unexpected development So would the addition of essence of Satou Sei-saood luck or bad? It was impossible to predict
”I won't get in your way so can I watch?”
”You're not going to quietly walk away if I say no anyway”
”Exactly”
What choice did she have? Yuned herself to fate Sei-saly persistent
Upon recognizing Yuatepost lazily waved and smiled
”Yo, Yumi-chan”
As she looked up at his face, Yureet me with, ”Yo””
”Either way, sending Kashi+wagi-san … ”
Why did he stand out soa plain cotton shi+rt over a deep blue T-shi+rt and a completely ordinary pair of jeans? Was it his actions, or his face bri with self-confidence? At any rate, he was tall and stylish, which would make his presence felt Yumi was once more relieved that there were hardly any students around The handful of students at the bus stop were obviously conscious of as happening as they kept glancing her way
”You're as cute as ever”
Kashi+wagi-san played with her hair bunches like he ht with a puppy's tail
”Don't you think you're going a bit too far?”
Yurinned as she batted away his overly-familiar hands
”Going too far? Don't be like that This isn't an act, I's out”
He placed his right hand over his heart as he brought his face closer to hers His expression looking like he was about to shout, ”Juliet!”
”My apologies But, I'm female”
Kashi+wagi-san was drunk on himself so she pushed his head back to its norh they ht have kissed
”Fe with that? I adore women Because without women there would be no men”
”Well, that's true, but”
It wasn't that she'd said the keyword ”feet into that kind of conversation It was just that Kashi+wagi-san preferredthat as a feet for his affection
”Setting that aside, what's up with your creeper? She seems a bit different to what Yukichi described”
”Creeper? How rude”
Having just been christened a creeper, Sei-saate and scowled at Kashi+wagi-san
”Sei-sama”
”Oh right, I said I was going to watch on quietly, didn't I? But how could I walk ahen I saw the ginkgo prince sinking his poisonous fangs into cute little Yuht before my very eyes?”
”You're wrong”
There was a reason for this But Kashi+wagi-san and Sei-sa without giving her a chance to explain She tried to start, but the tempo of the conversation was too fast and she couldn't really break into it
”So we're in agreeo prince? That's inexcusable You couldn't possibly be referring to me, could you?”
Couldn't possibly
”Who else is there but you, you prick?”
As usual, Sei-sai-san
”Wos like that”
”Is that why you said what you did before? Stop putting boxes around men and women Your adoration of women just sho indelibly stained you are with those old ways of thinking”
”Men and women are fundamentally different Since you want to be treated as an equal, saying that just makes you come across as childish”
”While I'd very reat detail, I don't think we'd ever cou, Yumi-chan?”
Yuoldfish, waiting for the right ti last that chance had arrived
”U friendly because ht?”
Yui-san, since it would be bad for both of the to rei-san
”Not at all I volunteered”
”V-volunteered?”
”Yep Yukichi and the others were secretly discussing so in the student council rooot them to entrust it to me”
Hearing this, Sei-sa words in shock:
”Seriously, showing up at school after you've graduated Don't you know that people who do that are the raduates?”
Sei-saotten her initial pro at Kashi+wagi-san like a dog that was looking to pick a fight while being taken for a walk Yuot involved it ht just excite matters further so she decided to watch on From a distance, it probably looked like they were all close friends
”That's too bad for you then I was invited back by h when you're an adored senior”
”Asked back? By the student council?”
”No, by the mystery novel club”
”Why would a guest of the mystery novel club be in the student council room? Or, what? Does the mystery novel club meet in the student council room at Hanadera Academy?”
”Well, since I was already there, I decided to pop in and pay them a visit”
”I suppose you et a look at Yuuki's face”
”You got it But where's the harm in that?”
”Alright However, I can't ignore your overly familiar behavior towards Yumi-chan”
”That's what I've been trying to tell you, that Kashi+wagi-san's just pretending to be close”
”I' I really do want to be close to you”
”I' until I tell you to You're co the conversation”
Enough already She had to go back to the start and correct her explanation
”Basically, what I was saying was - ”
Yuood that Kashi+wagi-san was staying silent, she was no longer sure just how she should explain this
”The goal was to let your annoying chaperone see you being close to a guy A, Yumi-chan?”
Sei-sa at the conclusion early
”No, that's right”
The ”annoying chaperone” part was a bit wrong though
”Was this plan so you came up with on your own?”
” … No It was my brother and his friends”
”I'll bet Ah, the bus is here Shall we get on?”
”Yeah”
Yu just as the bus to M station was leisurely pulling up and opening its doors The students already waiting there had formed into a line and climbed on board in turn Students that had just walked out the school gate, and those that had been chatting to their friends who came by car, spotted the bus and quickly ran over
”You're co too?”
Sei-sa thei-san was being the creeper
”So what happened to your pretentious chili red car?”
No reply was forthco
”You can talk now, Kashi+wagi-san”
Yui-san took a deep breath and laughed, saying, ”It's hard not to talk”
”Still, my chilli red car? You're one to talk, Satou-kun What about your mustard yellow car?”
”Lillian's University doesn't allow co by car”
”Same with Hanadera University I was on my way home after class today”
”Ohh”
”Given the choice, I'd much rather have hidden my car somewhere and taken Yumi-chan for a drive, but if we did that then we couldn't be tailed”
”By the creeper?”
”Yeah So let's move a bit further towards the back”
To be more easily tailed
A single Lillian's student got on right at the very last moment and then the bus took off She slid into a seat in the front row and didn&39