Volume 23 Chapter 6 (2/2)
That her onee-sama's roo that nothing more could fit in
When she got out of the bath and returned to the japanese-style room, she saw that the futons were already laid out
”Ooh”
Feeling excited, she i, so shefreestyle for a bit Although, naturally, she didn't get anywhere
The futons were arranged in ts of three, with all of the pilloards the center In other words, everyone's face would be visible when they tossed around in their sleep
Last year there had been three girls so they only had one row, and with ts it was a bit tight They could open up one of the sliding doors to join two rooether, but with the extra space it would be colder and, above all else, it was ht next to each other on these sort of overnight stays anyway
The table and their luggage were in the next roo door Last year, that here Kashi+wagi-san and Yuuki's futons had been laid out And then And then -
(Huh?)
She felt there was one more event before bedtime
(What was it?)
The pillow-fight was between the boys Getting wrapped up in her futon by Sei-sahts were turned off But hadn't there been so before that?
(Umm)
There was sohts were switched off From memory, Sayako-oba-sama had come to see them -
(Ah)
”I know It was Nagakiyo”
”Nagakiyo?”
shi+er, was the first to ask Then everyone joined in, asking, ”What's this?”
”You write out a palindroakiyo” and put it under your pillow It's a charood one”
While Yu door to the hallway opened and Sachiko-sama entered
”Oh my, you remembered it all”
”Ahaha”
As she was feeling good about being praised, Sachiko-sama rebuked her
”But be that as it may, why are you sprawled out across so many futons? Pick one place to sleep already”
”Oka~y”
Noantics and she obediently stood up, off the futons Sachiko-saently and said, ”Can you all come with me for a minute,” and beckoned the that Kashi+wagi-san had given her
”Although you fold the paper into a sailing boat after you write the palindrome on it”
Once everyone had sat down at the table, Sachiko-sama continued to speak
”Reame earlier had instructions to fold paper cranes? That used up ami paper we had in the house”
Since it was close to the final square, one of the teaain because they couldn't roll the nue nuami cranes About the amount you'd make for a sick loved one
”And we used akiyo last year”
”Um, in that case, couldn't we just use lined paper or wrapping paper? Cut it into a square and it's just the saami paper”
Noriko-chan said, after raising her hand
”Yes That's what I was thinking too That we'd have to do that But, there's no need See”
Then Sachiko-sa from before on top of the table
”It's Suguru-san's gift”
From inside, she pulled out pieces of beautiful decorative paper They were all different colors and patterns As the brightly colored paper was spread out across the table, it was just like watching a huge patchwork tapestry being made
Kashi+wagi-san had probably been thinking of Nagakiyo when he bought these Although he wouldn't have known that they'd be low on origami paper
Perhaps he'd been i face as she looked at the pretty paper
Perhaps he was satisfied just by giving the gift and wouldn't have minded if Sachiko-sama hadn't happily accepted it
But Sachiko-sai-san was again showing Yumi his maturity
”My mother's already taken a piece of paper so choose whichever you like There's calligraphy pens and felt-tip pens over here”
At first everyone was acting restrained, but this was a gathering of girls Soon they were all chattering away as they picked their favorite piece of paper Unusually, even Rei-sah spirits Apparently she quite liked this sort of thing
”Yumi Write out the poem for everyone to copy”
”Ah, okay”
At Sachiko-sa, Yumi reached for the closest piece of paper She turned it over and wrote on the back, so as not to blemish the lovely pattern
Na-ka-ki-yo-no (Of the long night)
To-o-no-ne-fu-ri-no mi-na-me-sa-me (everyone awakens from a distant sleep)
Na- boat's)
O-to-no-yo-ki-ka-na (pleasant sounds)
”See? It reads the same forwards as backwards”
Yu learned this a little bit before the others
”I see Like a long version of to-ma-to”
”shi+-n-bu-n-shi+”
”Ko-i-ke Ke-i-ko … -san”
”Ah, we have sorade”
She felt like she'd heard this conversation soht alike
Once everyone had copied the poe it was a sailing boat, the group was split into those that knew and those that didn't Those that didn't know the sailing boat probably wouldn't know the double-hull canoe either
”Well, do you kno to make a pinwheel?”
”Yeah”
Those that didn't know - the Yellow Rose petit soeur Yoshi+no-san - said, ”Like this, right?” and folded a pinwheel
”Then you fold that diagonally like this”
By following Yumi's instructions, Yoshi+no-san's sailboat was completed
”Ah, we call this the trick boat at home”
With that, she had Yumi hold the tip of the sail and said, ”Like this,” and folded the prow of the sailboat down, turning the sail into the prow It was a child's ga the trick on each other That sort of siame could keep children interested for quite a while
Their sleeping positions were decided by ladder-lottery Yumi was in the middle of the bottoht In the top row, Yoshi+no-san was in first position, shi+mako-san in the middle and Sachiko-sama in third Soeurs and classmates were all completely split up
”I'hts”
Sachiko-sama said
”Huh!?”
This caer They wanted to talk some more They didn't want their fun tihts off
”We have to wake up at 6:30 toet to bed early”
”6:30!?”
Yoshi+no-san grumbled, ”We don't even have school tomorrow” That's when Yumi remembered that they'd woken up early last year too
”That's right Everyone has to tidy up their futon and then we'll make breakfast”
They had to occupy the kitchen before Sayako-oba-sama, lest their breakfast become lunch or dinner
”If you'd like, Yoshi+no-chan, we could have soba or udon What do you think?”
Sachiko-sama asked of Yoshi+no-san alone It was the dinner menu they'd rejected earlier
”… No, that's okay”
Yoshi+no-san had jumped on board with Sayako-oba-sama's proposal simply because she didn't want to eat leftovers, not because she was desperate for noodles
”Then how about the more traditional New Year's foods, like mochi rice cakes and zouni soup?”
”I suppose”
The pair of third-years discussed to atop their futons
”There's still some prosciutto left over fros, so we could do bacon and eggs”
(Uh, you don't cook prosciutto, onee-sama)
Just as Yu how much of a waste this would be, Rei-sama said, ”We could just have the prosciutto as is”
”It feels like that h it does match the New Year's colors of red and white”
”Ah, in that case, I could make a radish salad I saw it on TV earlier”
”Rei … ”
Sachiko-sa else, but the continuation was probably, ”You'd ht so too Everyone would surely agree with that
”Any objections?”
Rei-sama asked, now that their conversation had ended It was just like home room Since no-one raised their hand, the menu for tomorrow's breakfast was decided
Sachiko-sahts The hands of the clock informed them that it was just after 11
Without taking a vote, the lights were diloom, but Yu
”Night”
”Good night”
Yumi pulled the blanket up to her neck and roped around for her treasure shi+p beneath it
Don't worry, it's there Since she'd gone to the effort ofher pleasant drea and turning in the night, so she placed it inside the pillow cover
Turning to the left, she could see the back of Rei-sauess she sleeps on her side”
Turning to the right, there was Noriko-chan's profile
Even though she usually see
Although there were plenty of people in different grades at school despite their birthdays being only a few days apart Yumi was born in April, so she was at least a year older than Noriko-chan
One year, it was a re She'd seen one year old babies, and they were already capable of walking and saying words That was how much development could happen in a year
Noriko-chan's sleeping face looked so innocent, even though she was her friend's petit soeur If that had been her own petit soeur, ould her feelings be?
Even though thinking about it wouldn't help anything
If her rosary had been accepted back then, that hts ca face of Touko-chan's classmate, Noriko-chan
shi+ caet Nana-chan by her side It would be good if Touko-chan was by her side
She didn't even have to be s un-cute
Either way, as long as it was Touko-chan, it would be good
She'd been expecting it, but Touko-chan made an appearance in her first dream of the year
Outside theof Yumi's roolass separating their rooms had clouded over
Yumi wanted to see Touko-chan's face, on the other side of the glass No matter how hard she wiped, she could only clear half of the cloudiness of the glass
Even though it was completely unscientific, inside the dream, Yumi understood
”So that's it”
Since both of the roolass wouldn't clear up unless Touko-chan also wiped clean her side
”Touko-chan, wipe clear your side”
Yumi pleaded
But Touko-chan didn't respond Yumi could definitely see the shape of someone that looked like Touko-chan, but they didn't utter a word
”Hold on a minute,” would have been fine ”I don't want to,” would have been fine too Yu
Since she wasn't saying anything, there was no hint as to how Touko-chan was currently feeling, or what she was thinking
”Touko-chan”
She must have made some mistake
How could she find out what it was?
Yulass as she cried That way, there was still the chance that soht miraculously clear up
As she single-lass, Yoshi+no-san and shi+mako-san appeared
”What are you doing, Yumi-san?”
”Uh, nothing”
Yulass and pulled the curtain closed
”It was nothing”
”Really? Then how about we continue the party?”
The pair s, ”Come on”
”Uh”
Looking over her shoulder, there was the Rose Mansion But it was a strange space, with parts of the Ogasawara's japanese-style room mixed in - like the flower alcove and the tatami mats
It was hard to tell if the party was for Christmas or the New Year Even the participants - Sayako-oba-sama was there but so too were Nana-chan and Tsutako-san Naturally, she could also see the faces of Sachiko-sama, Rei-sama, and Noriko-chan
”Co for you, Yumi-san”
”Ah, but I - ”
Have to wipe away theBesides
”What's the matter?”
”… Nothing”
She'd have liked to invite Touko-chan, if possible But with theclosed, she couldn't call out to her
What on earth should she do? She couldn't even wipe clean the , let alone open it
”Let's sing, Yumi-san”
”Ah, okay”
Yumi looked at the curtain covered
She was probably still there
If so, may she re place here
- In her dream, this is what Yumi prayed for