Volume 20 Chapter 5 (1/2)
Well, she didn't have very high expectations Having appeared at theplace at the appointed hour, the Rosa Chinensis sisters and the Rosa Gigantea sisters only made a total of four people
”Did Yoshi+no-chan leave already?” Sachiko-sama asked Yumi
”Yes She isn't in theshe's only tentatively in the Kendo Club But because she ith Rei-sah they normally hold ional tournah schools Yumi and her friends, ere ordinary students, would be attending class through the fourth period, go to hoather at the entrance All of which was identical to last year's regional tournaed Sachiko-sa Noriko-chan was joining the group this year Youko-sama and Sei-sama from last year were absent More than an entire year had passed since that time
”The others I guess they won't be co, huh”
”Seems like it” The bouton's five little sister candidates, because it was a fun outing, had been asked if they wanted to cole one had come
”Yumi's three sister candidates, and Yoshi+no-san's two, no ht have added, they should still have come” That appeared to be her standpoint but, there was Yoshi+no-san, who had said, ”You're fired” to one girl Another person had already left in tears Probably neither would be co
”We've waited five ment, no one opposed it
”Yoshi+no-san wasn't able to introduce Torii Eriko-sa
”Yeah” Yumi also nodded Probably because Yoshi+no-san had still not met up with Eriko-sama, it certainly seemed like she wouldn't be able to noever, if those two candidates couldn't come to the match, it seemed it was only a matter of time before, ”I wasn't able to make it,” would be the reason for all of them
”If you think about it” Sachiko-sama muttered ”Noriko-chan was quickly able to coed theirit” Somehow, compared to the five sister candidates, they at least have valid excuses
”I'm sorry”
”There's no reason for Yue feh, it needs to start with you leading them properly”
Even if I had wanted to guide the to be done if they choose not to come I'm only able to pull them so far Onee-sama, I can say with confidence that these candidates were terribly inadequate Yuht they were shameless
”That was probably a flight-of-fancy, wasn't it?” Noriko expressed her opinion
”Flight-of-fancy”
”To be with a Rose or a Bouton They were only acting on their longing 'I want to approach her, if only a little' They were thinking that hat they wanted 'If I can be by her side, only wonderful things will happen' It was that kind of a flight-of-fancy But, such a thing has no basis in reality”
”They became disillusioned?” It reht For her, if she became a little sister to a Bouton, she believed it was possible to glitter like in a photograph
”If it was a flight-of-fancy, didn't they co for the Rose Mansion, they hadn't actually thought about what they would do when they got there Since they sih - to one day be abruptly thrust into the real world would be baffling The tea party guests were like that, they would have been happy” It was just an educated guess, but Noriko-chan ended her supposition It certainly seeht If that was the case, about this tiirls
In the park that surrounds the civic gymnasium, there were irls and boys A fa When they arrived at the assembly hall, more seats were filled than there had been last year As expected, they were divided into couples who see but sit Thus, the Red Rose sisters and the White Rose sisters decided on where they would roups On the way to finding their seats, they each bought and carried a sandwich and a carton of an to search for a pair of empty seats
”Look, Onee-sama, over there,” Yumi pointed and then ran
”Huh, Yuht she'd discovered a pair of chairs that had not been taken However, there was also the possibility that sos to reserve their seats First she approached the scene
”” Okay No personal affects ”Um, these aren't taken, are they?” she tentatively asked the person in the next seat
Then that person answered, ”If you want to sit, leave the sandwich”
”” Was this the Oitekebori spirit?
”Why is Sei-sama here?”
”Because it's probably going to be interesting Or so Eriko heard”
”EEriko-sama?” The absent ”Eriko-sama” was simply repeated in question It wasn't that she called out in particular But nevertheless, from Sei-sama's side, a voice responded
”Yes” Whoa It was the person in question She raised her hand in terribly good humor
”GoGokigenyou, Eriko-sah it was natural that Eriko-sama would be here, when she appeared before Yuht, ”Oh, Yoshi+no-san you really should not make such rash promises”
She said incidentally, it was not only Sei-sama that Eriko-sama had invited
”When seen from the back it's possible to think that”
When Sachiko-sa next to Eriko-saht; she was addressing Youko-sa the school festival it had not been possible to visit with them And now before her the set of all three former Roses sat, so today she could make the time
(Oh) She had brought along her two best friends Then, Eriko-sa forward to It's only natural: if Yoshi+no-san could've introduced her little sister, she would've said, ”Please look upon her” Then she would feel drunk with victory and would have happily waited for the evaluation of that little sister Anyway she would have, if she were able to introduce her This will not be pleasant
”Yu?” As soon as Yumi was seated, Eriko-sama stretched her body and asked
”How's that?” She must exercise discretion in her response Eriko-sa made to speak, it was not necessary to say too much All the while, Sei-sama and Youko-sama, who sat nearby, reh this crisis? It was interesting and they wanted to see the outco
”When she saw the box of sweets, she felt resentful, right?” Ah, that
”I'm very sorry, but as her best friend it's not possibly for me to say” As she was convinced that a discussion of Yoshi+no's little sister was perilous, her interaction became aard
”I'm disappointed By all means, I wanted to see her”
”I, I can't say anything, but”
”I understand without your having to say so If you could only see Yumi-chan's face” Youko-sa into laughter In a small voice, Sachiko-sa, would have been declared Yumi's loss
While Yuiven But i and the last droplets of h her straw, round two had begun
”By the hat kind of girl is Yoshi+no-chan's little sister?”
”Who knows” Incidentally, it see here the three former Roses had supped at a family restaurant Sei-sa her mind wander a bit, as expected, one piece had been eaten
”Yumi-chan, don't play dumb Didn't you just say that Yoshi+no-chan is your best friend? As a best friend, it's not that you don't know” It figures Even though she should have been more attentive, she may have already tipped her hand
”That's because, I haven't been introduced yet” However, the key point here was Yuirl” she was As this was so, there was no way she could answer
”Probably, Rei-sama doesn't know either I don't think Also, Eriko-sama is probably the first person Yoshi+no-san will notify” Hearing this, she seemed to have become more relaxed Eriko-sama ended the second round too quickly You could say it was a tie game
”You've created a good ser the anticipation, the greater the payoff Noyou hope to delay it, the h sheEriko-sama was serious It seems she means to settle this today, in this hall, by any means necessary
She wanted to send a telepathic e to Yoshi+no-san to ”run away” It seeh, Eriko-sama would have definitely followed
”So Yoshi+no-chan's little sister, which one do you think she is? Didn't she have three candidates? She should be somewhere in this assembly hall” To kill time until the start of the match, Eriko-sama had hit on a terrible pastime
”Oh, that's good” She began to feel dreadful, since in reality only the Rosa Chinensis sisters knew that none of the soeur candidates had come Why did Sei-sareat alacrity?
”Ah, umm”
”Don't give us any hints, you'll spoil the fun Yumi-chan and Sachiko should stay silent” There aren't any hints Because there is no candidate Even if she had wanted to give a hint, she could not have done so
It was just too ridiculous Sachiko-saan to read Already, one had escaped If possible, Yu next to her reached out and gripped her ared in by her peer Apparently, while seeing Yuency She see her complexion, she knew Yumi wouldn't be able to offer a hint
”Ah, so it's me” Sei-sama won at Rock, Paper, Scissors First of all, she pointed ”Froirl in the third row”
”That girl who is pinning back her bangs? No, Sei That's a second year You've probably seen her: she's in the Newspaper Club”
”Ah, That's Tsukiyairl next to her” That neighbor happened to be the newspaper club's rookie, Hidemi-chan It wasn't that the possibility didn't exist, but she probably hadn't become Yoshi+no's little sister Since she had been instructed not to give hints, she of course didn't say that
Next it was Youko-sa next to shi+one to the Yamayurikai's play”
”Unfortunately, that's shi+mako's little sister,” Sei-sama answered
”Ah, yes” Youko-saave thelance and bowed in their direction Noriko followed suit and bowed her head
”They look just like a japanese person and a westerner” The for up at the joke For shi+mako as in a far-off seat this reaction was probably unexpected
”What about the girl standing next to Camera-chan? Is that her little sister?” Youko-sama asked Yumi hen she looked, Tsutako-san, who had just entered the assembly hall, was accompanied by Shouko-chan
”I haven't heard She's definitely a first year, but…”
”Right Well, she gets my vote because she has a cute face”
”Huh?” In the end, they were just screwing around Froment on but her face and the way she carried herself But, Youko-sama chose people based on their face It had come to Yumi as a bit of a shock She was an unexpected pushover for a pretty face But she had already proved this bySachiko her little sister
When Youko-sama made this declaration about Shouko-chan, Eriko-sairl next to Camera-chan, I think I've seen her before I can't remember from where” Since Shouko-chan is Naito Katsuer sister, it was likely that Shouko's features htn't she have actually raduated at the sah school, there shouldn't have been a point of contact Although Eriko-saave up in lieu of a renewed search for Yoshi+no-san's little sister
”My last try Let's make it either of those two over there” With that, she pointed, and Youko-sahter” And the other of the tas definitely Touko-chan They were two people sitting next to each other, so one could even assuether But at what point had they formed a relationshi+p? Up until today, they should have been natural enemies
”Youko, how is it you know her hed
”I also know it That one over there she called Yuuko-chan's daughter Certainly, that's Kanako-chan, isn't it?” Seeing the expression on Yumi's face she knew it had been confir That's a correct answer” expression ”Ibelieve I was ht Last year about this ti like this Could it be déjà vu?” But it wasn't déjà vu Indeed, while being hospitalized for her wisdoo unnoticed on a small school campus Here was a person who carried a unique history
”And? That Yuuko-chan's daughter, Kanako-chan, is a first-year, yes?”
”That's right But Kanako-chan is a different story”
”Eh? Different story?”
”She wouldn't be Yoshi+no-chan's little sister, is what I mean Kanako-chan likes Yuuko-chan”
”She has a complex for her mother?!”
”Yeah, that's the feeling I get” As Eriko-sama didn't know Kanako-chan's circumstances, Sei-sama and Youko-sama enjoyed her confusion
”What about the girl next to her?”
”That's Electric Drill-chan That girl also isn't really Yoshi+no-chan's type” Pointing at the student, she completely threw out this idea Eriko-sama finally said, ”She's just not here” In reality, there were plenty of other Lillian students who had not been mentioned Apparently the difference between the amount of personal infor
At which point, Sei-saardless of uniform or school year” Hey, hey Gradually, the object of the search was changing This idea penetrated Yu Yoshi+no's little sister, ould happen if you re a first-year in Lillian High School?
”Uood huirl This was an opponent from the opposite side She was far away, but because she was in front, she was visible It was a girl who had seth hair
”Go on” Youko-sarinned
”What?”
”I like the type of person who resembles me”
”Resembles?”
”More so her bearing than her face”
Sei-sama took this in stride and said, ”If she wears a barrette and had a more prominent forehead I think her face would look alike too”
”Sigh Well then, by all means I want to recommend her to Yoshi+no-chan” Apparently not as dissatisfied as she lead us to believe, Eriko-sairl to Yoshi+no-san to be her little sister based on the fact that she looked like her It surely would be a pleasant thing
”I regret that she's wearing plain clothes”
”To make matters worse, she's an opponent” True Eriko-sama decided that Yoshi+no-san's little sister would not only wear a baby pink sweatshi+rt, but was also hidden aroup of students from the rival school, Ohnaka
”That wouldn't go well” Eriko-sah she wanted to, she couldn't force Yoshi+no-san to take that girl However, the three former Roses were able to enjoy thean
”I' up at staging area Rei-sama and company were behind those players She was also able to confire
Sachiko-sama put a bookmark in her paperback book and shut it At last, it was 2 o'clock; the un
While being a standby player in back for the hed, ”Fuu” Basically a standby player a If she wanted to participate and represent her school, she had to be a rank-holding member And as such, she would have had bout-experience She would be accusto At which point, she could easily put on her own hakairls, if she tried to lend a hand, rather than helping out, she'd be told she was, ”in the way” The way a mood builds before a match: it reflects the pace of the participants Until they ask for your help, there's nothing you can do, seeht approach
In other words, watching the e was Yoshi+no's primary task for today However, Rei-chan had said, ”Yoshi+no should conificance in seeing the match up-close” Was it that only when Yoshi+no was nearby, could Rei-chan put her strength in context? If that as hted But how is ”observing theanother person's match: she had definitely called this practice Especially watching the high school intraiven that normally you can't observe another school's style Therefore this is an ideal opportunity By all means, she should burn this into hershe could
She hadn't said any of this, but it was understood Yoshi+no's hobby was spectator sports No reatest happiness, to say nothing of giving her whole attention to Kendo
(And yet it's no good)
Right before her eyes there was Lillian's second guard, even brandishi+ng a shi+nai Yoshi+no was not able to concentrate at all Next to her, sitting in the stands was Tanuma Chisato She was bent forward in curiosity, al them on
After this was over, she would have to ht have coeh school exchange ile wishful thinking was shattered the ure seated in the asse
That's right That person doesn't give up her little amusements quite so easily There is no way she had re Rei-chan's match, she stood up and slowly and left the hall She too was perforirls fro the assembly hall, so she followed But just then, Rei-chan called out So the h the entryway, she stopped
”That re ”Why hasn't Yoshi+no-chan chosen a little sister?” (Ah) That detail had stayed with her throughout When she thought that in the not so distant future, that reality would actually occur, it would be really impossible to concentrate on a match (Oh brother)
When she comes to realize that Yoshi+no doesn't have a little sister yet, Eriko-sa it ry She understood it was unwise to choose a little sister recklessly However, since Eriko-sama was a for forgiveness and saying, ”I'm sorry”
(Speaking of which, on the Vanguard I can't even reht?” She asked since she was suddenly worried
”Right”
Her face must have seemed very odd As expected She was relieved that her memory was not totally bombed out Settle down The opponent's school nauards: the character's written there were ”Takarazawa” Certainly, last year that school had not participated
Last year
It hadn't been possible for her to coe tournaery on her heart Before the surgery, she couldn't have iined that she would be able to watch Rei-chan's match as a member of the Kendo Club only one year later
She had no idea Eriko-saraduation (But, well She had been able to oppose her It was evidence that her health had becoht such opposition had becoht? If it came to this, should she thrust out a captured Lillian student and call her ”my little sister?” Or, could the excuse be that her little sister couldn't come today because it would coned illness?
”It's over”
”Huh?”