Volume 20 Chapter 2 (2/2)
”Rei-chan”
Rei-chan looked as if she was co at the newest edition of Cos on the bed
”Huh, Yoshi+no What's wrong?”
”I came to share some pastry with you”
”Huuuuh”
”-- Well actually, I came to ask you for some help on homework”
Yoshi+no placed a glass platter where she had put her aunt's peeled apple and the paper she had brought from home onto the low table
”What's it about?”
Rei had no choice but to get out of bed
”It's not that simple But if you just told me which formula to use, I could solve it”
”I know that But you came here just to ask me which formula to use?”
Those were not the words of a person who taught, Yoshi+no thought to herself
”There's no way you can use the wrong formula here Open your book Hey, wait a second It's the second-year book, so I need to find out where it is”
Rei-chan would look over her problems, no matter how much time it took Yoshi+no held the hand of the person who, in her heart, was her Onee-sahbor, and was her beloved cousin
”Rei-chan, you know, today at the Rose Mansion ”
” Yoshi+no We'll gossip later”
Rei-chan looked busily through her bookshelves The ends of her disheveled hair had dust that rese
”Uh the list of applicants for the Tea Party, the name of a first year kinda like Naitou Katsumi-sama's little sister was there What should we do?”
”Huh?”
Rei-chan turned back swiftly She had said that they would gossip later, but she fell straight into it
”Don't you have a bad feeling about this? Because wasn't Naitou Katsumi-sama Eriko-sama's rival?”
”Aren't you changing the subject, Yoshi+no? If Eriko-sama or Katsumi-sama were still in school, then maybe Now that they're at different universities, there's no reason for the a bit too much on the affairs of Katsumi-sama's real little sister?”
Rei-chan said, as she took out the math book she used last year Yoshi+no loved Rei-chan's textbooks If only one word could describe them, then they would be 'beautiful' They had not the beauty of disuse, but the beauty of ins, and colorful underlines It had an unirl's textbook'
”Well, the two sisters”
As if having won a competition with a small hint, Rei-chan whispered about memory
”Last year when I fought in that Taisho's Fight with that girl Tanaka-san”
”Oh yeah, I should be the one who gets revenge for you Rei-chan”
Unfortunately, because she was a third year last year, Yoshi+no's wish to cross swords with her could not be fulfilled Even though she didn't yet have the strength needed to play in an actual match
”That Tanaka-san who graduated, you know this year her little sister is entering As a high rank too”
”Hhly ranked?”
”Well she's rurandfather runs a dojo, and the four Tanaka sisters have a big reputation”
”Four sisters? From the top, which sister is this?”
From her shelf Rei-chan searched in the book and pulled out a fat volume named ”Kendo 3” These were scrapbooks where Rei-chan cut out azine and newspaper articles There were others like ”Pastries 6” and ”Handicrafts 2”
”Hey look It's in here”
Rei-chan pointed to so that seemed as if it had been copied out of an area or municipality map There were even pictures One picture, which looked as if it had been copied countless ti person in it who Yoshi+no did not recognize at all
”But it says 'The Three Tanaka Oonakas'”
”No, I'o, when I was in middle school, I had seen the four lined up on a map”
”So then maybe the fourth one isn't an Oonaka?”
”I see Maybe because she's a middle school student, she's not an Oonaka yet!”
Yoshi+no hit Rei-chan with her palm
”Hey, Rei-chan They oes to same school”
”Ah”
Both the Naitou sisters and the first three Tanaka sisters went to the sah school seemed like some illusion
”Of course Fufufufu”
”Haha”
Rei-chan's laugh was for souts out After laughing, stopping, then laughing again three ti Yoshi+no spoke while she wiped tears off her face
”Rei-chan You know, I'd be happy, if I had a soeur”
”Eh?”
Rei-chan looked up with a slightly surprised face
”Whatever kind of soeur she will be, I think my relationshi+p to her will be completely different than my relationshi+p to you”
” Yoshi+no”
Rei-chanface, and then Yoshi+no clapped her hands together
”It's not like I'ether, Rei-chan Don't get ether, we're great friends, and I' really well But you know, it's a very special relationshi+p If you look around, there aren't other soeurs like us”
”Yeah You're right”
”Rei-chan, were you happy being Eriko-sama's soeur?”
Rei-chan nodded, but a bit guardedly
”I'm really jealous If Rei-chan looked at it later, she'd understand But even now, I think you'll understand Growing up in a different style with a person you don't know Making new acquaintances How should I say this, it's a very refreshi+ng feeling So I won't just let whatever happen to Rei-chan Whatever happens, even if I find a soeur, I will always really love Rei-chan”
Clasping their arled a bit, and flicked Yoshi+no's forehead
”Well then, I wonder if soon I'll be able to enjoy both Yoshi+no and her soeur”
That would be nice too
Tuesday
During lunchtime, Hosokawa Kanako-chan came to visit the Rose Mansion
At the time, because Yumi and Yoshi+no-san were in front of the first floor stairs looking through the letters, when Kanako-chan first caht that she had come to enter the Tea Party
”I'm sorry that I came while you were in the middle of work I wanted to speak with you, Yumi-sama, but it looks like I can't”
Kanako-chan said as she observed the scene But before she set foot into the Rose Mansion, it seemed as if she did not know that this was the place next to thefor the Tea Party applicants
”It's fine One person can handle the letters If you need some help, just call up to the second floor, and Noriko-chan or shi+mako-san will come down”
Yoshi+no-san replied to Kanako-chan, or perhaps to Yumi
”Oh? Alright, then have fun talking”
Yu in, and joined Kanako-chan in walking outside
Earlier there had been a number of first-years who had co applications, so the Rose Mansion began rese area now, it see would be okay
She left the Rose Mansion, and began walking towards no direction in particular
In the clear autu walks after eating, and were having fun, but they turned around abruptly behind the school, and the figures of the others disappeared
”A while ago, I had thought I'd try to come after school to see First-Year Camellia Class”
”Ah, yeah”
Unfortunately, neither Kanako-chan nor Touko-chan were in the classrooone ho had felt a bit odd
”I'h every day after school I just plod around”
”It's fine” Yumi said, as she patted Kanako-chan
”I wanted to say sorry for asking you to help out during the School Festival I also wanted a two shot picture with you, so”
”A pictureahhh”
Kanako-chan whispered as if a she had just come up to a realization Yumi wondered what had happened to the picture, but when she thought the idea shown on her face, she added ”Of course, I haven't forgotten about it”
”Maybe, if you work hard during the School Festival, then we can take a picture together, is what I had promised”
”Take a picture together? You have the gall”
It was that, the Kanako-chan she knew directly after the Athletic Festival looked dangerous, so she used an excuse to become friends with her Because in spite of what had happened, Kanako-chan had once been a person who hoped to have a two shot with this now un-deified Yumi-sama
”Well, whatever you had said about the pictures, Yu the School Festival, and recognized my value Then I'm happy”
”Of course”
”Good If I can return the favor, then”
It had been a long time since she had last talked to Kanako-chan like this, even though it hadn't really been that long since she had last talked to Kanako-chan If Kanako-chan felt the same, Yumi wondered what she would do
”Because during the School Festival, I put myself in a place where I have to thank everyone so”
Kanako-chan laughed
”Eh? Huh?”
”For my Dad, and Yuuko-sempai And Chikako”
Ah, that she nodded and then shook her head
”But I didn't do anything”
”No, you definitely did That's why I have to get you so soon”
”Kanako-chan”
Kanako-chan had really changed, Yumi observed A lot in a very short tied, Yule word It was as if she had taken off her heavy shell, and becaht and nimble
”So then, the reason I came here”
Kanako-chan cut in
”You said you had so to talk about”
Yumi confirmed, and then nodded
”The talk of the Tea Party is beco pretty lively even around me”
”Sorry Has it been tough?”
'Even' she had said, so then it was probably the sa to Touko-chan, but noas happening to Kanako-chan too
”It has But I didn't really come here to complain I'm pretty detached in class, so it's not much of an itch or a pain But I wanted to talk to soht that Yu with about this”
”Feelings?”
The heavy echo that accouard
”I have no desire to participate in the Tea Party”
”Aaah”
Not only was she letting others know that she did not want to find an Onee-sa that she did not want to be Yumi's soeur
And Yumi understood this somehow
Kanako would not become her soeur
It wasn't aKanako-chan, or Kanako-chan rejecting Yuue The two of them could not become soeurs, so
Perhaps Kanako-chan had picked up on this before Yumi did From much earlier, at least that was obvious
It's soht, then it felt too harsh It was like a balloon she let go into the wind, whose direction she would watch
When she felt the conversation becaed the subject
”I joined a club”
”Eh? Really?”
That was like a crack of thunder in her ears
”Is it the Basketball Club?”
It was the only club that fit her When Yumi asked, Kanako responded ”Yes”
”Before, I had rejected an offer I had been given to enter the club, but noanted to join again so”
She was a beginner, so first she had to go to the gym and practice with the wall, Yumi daydreamed It seemed fun in a way So that's what she had meant when she had said ”after school I just plod around”
”Do you think you can find an Onee-sama in your club?”
”No The way I am now, I don't think I want to become anyone's soeur Next year, maybe I will try to find a soeur of my own, or”
”I see”
She didn't say but, to Kanako, Yuuko-sempai was the only person in the world who she could call Onee-saht
”I think I had been just guessing, but I thought of Yumi-sama like I did of Yuuko-sempai”
”Yeah”
Yu for someone She knew that when Kanako-chan saw Yuuko-san froht ”She's the one”
”When I otten fro at Yuuko-sempai when I was in middle school I won't antly I said, I will protect you”
This stuff really happened, Yuically
”But I was mistaken”
The thing that Kanako-chan had been after was soher, and of course she did not follow the real Yumi
Kanako-chan nodded quietly, then laughed as if she suddenly re
”What?”
”Yu like, if one of a pair of twins goes to Mars Remember?”
”Yeeeah”
It seemed as if she had and had not said it Had it been before the Athletic Festival?
”I've let it go As soon as I let it go, it was like a strange force in o too Like, it's fine to not pointlessly fight alone”
”Kanako-chan”
”I couldn't see ain It was sad that I could not see her, but that person was someone who lived on Mars If I broke off from this person whose face rese with the Yumi-sama as still on Earth And when I tried to do just that, she turned out to havethe way, I had become close with the one on Earth”
That was a very laudable speech, Yu
”Yue of Yumi-sama I had held on to Back then, when you looked at ination, so I thought there was no way I could be saved The phantohts I had held toto deny ”
” Yeah”
Of course It must have been painful
But now, Kanako-chan laughed
”When Ito think of what I needed to do When I met her, Yuuko-sempai too was like Yu I could do, I thought Maybe The Yuuko-seo chased after the sa in Mars”
”Eh, Mars again?”
Kanako-chan squarely nodded when Yuain
”Yes Together with Yu It's Maria-sama's planet, I think”
”Well Maria-sama's planet Well that's”
It was a sort of quixotic thing to thing about, but now that she thought about it more, quixotic wasn't really
”No, please don't look like that It's a world that Yumi-sama created And I've come to love it”
It here the things we loved from our past lived
Far away, in the night sky, today too it shone well
Of course, it was so that ould not forget those things that had once existed in this world
The things we needed to protect, in order to move forward
”Kanako-chan”
Yumi held Kanako-chan's hand What's this Her chest felt heavy
”We have to take a two shot”
”Ehh”
”Yes We have to, right now”
She hurried fate Without waiting for an answer, she walked on Where would Tsutako-san be now? In her classroom? If not, maybe in the clubhouse
”But, Yumi-sama”
”It's not because I made a promise with Kanako-chan It's because I want to take a picture with Kanako-chan”
For a moment, Kanako-chan just blinked, but eventually she nodded and laughed
Holding hands, they made off to a slow run
The dead leaves crinkled and cracked in laughed
The cold breeze, it felt wonderful
Kanako-chan Yuht
Good luck
We ht not become soeurs but, ere friends after all
Wednesday, after school
Rosa Chinensis finally arrived at First-Year Camellia Class
”Has the cleaning been finished? Please call Touko-chan for me”
Noriko cahtened class ”Well nohat sort of business do you have with s
”Noriko-chan looks like Touko-chan's knight today”
”I'm sorry”
It was almost like, to play a prank on someone, her mother bumps into her Noriko smoothed the pleats of her skirt with the pal for the pocket around her thighs A knight, what a comparison!
”I've heard that the Tea Party has caused her a lot of difficulty So when I come to visit, here you come out as if on watch”
”No, well that's”
At thatto the Staff Roo in front of the door, perhaps she thought it didn't involve her, so she simply nodded towards them and headed towards the wall
”Touko”
Noriko called out to the figure whose back straightened suddenly
”Rosa Chinensis has come to see you”
”Me?”
Touko-chan said slowly, as she turned
”Well, what sort of business do you have with me?”
Maybe Rosa Chinensis found it funny that Touko's words were the exact sahed dryly
”I just have one thing to ask you It'll be over soon”
”Is that so?”
So please listen to me, it seemed that Rosa Chinensis would add The corners of Touko's face changed slightly as she waited Noriko had become a third party whose role of mediator was finished and who could take the stairs out and leave, but she looked back and found so
”Uh, whatever you want to do, can we do it somewhere else?”
At all times of the day, the entrance to a classroom which had just been cleaned was full of people
”You're right”
Rosa Chinensis nodded, when Touko stiffly said
”I don't mind Please speak your mind”
Noriko-chan listened and felt her heart beat faster Rosa Chinensis wryly smiled
”I too do not mind But, Touko-chan, you tellwhat I want to talk about So maybe you have an idea of what I want to talk to you about”
”Touko”
Leave this to ency came into Noriko, and her eyes reflected it It was as Rosa Chinensis said Even though she did not knohat Rosa Chinensis was to talk about, Touko had rashly come to her decision, so Touko herself would be the one to suffer
”Touko-chan You should listen to your friend's advice”
Touko gave no answer to Rosa Chinensis's remark But it was obvious that that was Touko's obstinate sort of agreement
”It would be better if we didn't do it at the Rose Mansion”
When Yoshi+no heard about what Rosa Chinensis was planning, Noriko thought to herself ”Maybe what Rosa Chinensis has to say has to do with Yumi-sama”
Rosa Chinensis began walking, but she stopped once and looked back
”Noriko-chan, won't you come with us?”
”Huh?”
Noriko was of course surprised, but Touko ht that Rosa Chinensis's news dealt only with herself
”You're Touko-chan's knight, aren't you?”
”What does Rosa Chinensis intend to do with Touko?”
Rosa Chinensis laughed
”I already told you I have so I want to ask her about”
It was the laugh of an evil bad guy Whether Noriko would play the role of knight or not, she wound up having to co
”Why aren't you applying to participate in the Tea Party?”
Rosa Chinensis asked Touko as soon as she began walking
”Why? If I wanted to apply, then shouldn't I have a reason to apply?”
”It seems to me as if you do”
While she was looking for a place to talk, it seemed like the talk was already nearly finished Orbecause of the other people ere around the Noriko, alked behind them, tried her utmost to pick up leaked words from the conversation
”I wanted to say this so nowould come between us I care not who becomes Yumi's soeur Except I do not think it best that she choose you”
”So then why are you trying to push ?”
”I didn't come here to tell you to apply I only ca were”
This hat Rosa Chinensis had said With words like those, Touko could not help but feel instigated
”Why do you want to know it? I want to ask you so If I tell you, ill you do?”
”I won't do anything I've been watching you lately and getting a bit irritated I want to find out a reason that will letlike this”
What selfishness What high-handedness But this was Rosa Chinesis's cunning, this was the part of her which was her strength
”Of course our little chatfor you I've come here just to fulfill my own selfish desire after all”
'Ah She noticed it herself,' Noriko thought
”Looking at Touko-chan is like a painful look at , but there are several shades of that”
Touko said nothing She held her head down, became expressionless, and stayed silent Whether she was listening or not I did not know But Noriko felt that she was very carefully, very acutely hearing each word
”That was all I had wanted to say Take some time will you”
Even though they were only part of the way down the corridor, Rosa Chinensis nal that showed that this was the end She exited and left the two alone
”Rosa Chinensis probably made a mistake That's what I really think”
Noriko told Touko They eren't meant for Touko, rather than to follohat Rosa Chinensis had said
”But I think Touko-chan is thinking 'No ht now, so it'll be better if I leave”
Touko had no need to do what any old person told her to do If she believed the advice in her heart, then she would follow the person's advice and do exactly what they said
”That's why, I' way too much but, just stop”
Noriko took out the application addressed ”First-Year Camellia Class Matsudaira Touko” out of her pocket, and ripped it into pieces She had predicted that Touko would not coistrar for the Tea Party until the last moment, so just in case, she had one application prepared The issue wasn't whether she would use it or not, but more that it would be used as insurance
”That's ”
Touko opened her mouth slowly
”I've already ripped it apart, so I'll go home and throw it away”
She took the pieces and made them into a ball, and put the ball into her pocket
”Noriko-san”
”Well then Let's go back to class”
Nothing had happened yet
Let the pebble that Rosa Chinensis had thrown grow and ripple in her heart, and spur its own action
That was all Noriko could do
E: It ht suular, ie heavier, cloth, you'relittle