Volume 24 Chapter 1 (1/2)
The written invitation from Sachiko-sama arrived three days after that eventful Christmas party
”A New Year's party … ”
I see Bravo, Sachiko-sama - That was the initial reaction that I, shi+mazu Yoshi+no, had
Why? Because I fully understood that this event was being done for Yumi-san's benefit
On the day of the second-ter ceremony, we'd had a Christmas party in the student council roo up, Yumi-san had chased after Touko-chan as she ht up to her outside Then, in front of the statue of Maria-sama, she had offered her rosary, but it hadn't been accepted In short, Yumi-san's offer of soeur-hood was rejected by Touko-chan
Naturally, when I heard of it, I was floored Because Yu the party that she'd do this Well, I knew that so had happened between them in the past, but at the very least it was really sudden My feelings were so like, ”Hey, hey, why didn't you discuss this with me, your friend?”
But I couldn't lib complaint to Yumi-san, already devastated by Touko-chan's rejection
Well, it was only natural that she was devastated Yu it less kindly, ”indecisive,” so for her to take action it must have been a ic defeat Tears Her face downcast
Despite all this, I had no idea what to say at the ti to console her would have made it all the more painful That's e didn't touch upon that subject on our way ho happier topics to chat about Even though we cultivated, it was ihtly like a sunflower The best we could do was sorows on the side of the road
But even so After about a day or two the agitation in my heart had settled (I wasn't aware of it, but at first it was quite violent) and I started to worry about how Yu But it would have seeh I had a reason), and I couldn't come up with an excuse for us to meet I didn't even knohat I'd do if we ht that if I saw her face, I'd know if I should encourage her, or listen to her complaints, or badmouth Touko-chan, or cry with her But, either e'd have to meet
Then, just as I was about to spring into action, Sachiko-sama's invitation arrived
It was probably inevitable that Sachiko-sama was also still concerned about Yumi-san There's no way she'd leave her alone until the third terasawara estate for New Year's this year (although intuitively it feels like last year), so Sachiko-sa me a written invitation without any advance notice there was nothat this New Year's party was actually a ”Cheer up Yumi Party” And since I'd received an invitation, that meant that Rei-chan, and of course shi+mako-san and Noriko-chan would probably have received one too
I reached for the phone straight away I now had a valid reason for calling her Like hell I was going to miss this chance
It rang two or three tiot a response from the other end
”hello”
”Ah, Yumi-san?”
Hearing that faot the proper protocol for calling someone's house
”Huh?”
Hearing this response, it suddenly dawned on me There were plenty of children that sounded identical to their parents When I called Yumi-san's house last time, what had her mother sounded like? - I didn't have ti for now
”… Uh, this is the fukuzawa household, right?”
”That's right And you must be shi+mazu-san, no?”
Fro that it was Yumi-san on the other end of the line
”Wha~at”
I was relieved to hear she was surprisingly cheerful Although obviously I hadn't expected she would have spent the whole three days crying
When Yu, I declared that I'd be going too If Yu, I probably would have held off too Since it was a ”Cheer up Yumi Party,” it probably wouldn't happen if the person ere cheering up wasn't there Of course, it was called a ”New Year's Party” so it shouldn't have mattered to me whether or not Yu around in Sachiko-sama's house without her petit soeur there, and Sachiko-sama surely would have felt the same
But since Yuet excited too I was currentlythe house by myself so I hadn't heard directly from Rei-chan, but Ithen I'd lasso a rope around her neck and drag her along
After letting Yuain to work out so the telephone handset, I punched in a nue in my student notebook There was one more close friend that I really wanted to share this with I felt that such thoughts were quite natural
”Is this the Toudou-san residence? My nah school student at Lillian's Girls Academy If shi+mako-san's there, could you - ”
I did a quick rehearsal before placing the call Making a slip-up like I had in the earlier conversation was not fitting for a student of Lillian's after all
However
”Beep beep beep”
Instead of hearing the phone ring, I got the busy tone
”A”
I'd only been a little bit excited, but the feeling of it all coh me
”For crying out loud Who the heck is shi+ phone call with?”
I gru the telephone handset down
I didn't actually knohether or not shi+ the Toudou's ho phone call since I'd only rung one - those weretorn to shreds, I just wanted to complain
I found out soon after that it was actually shi+ the phone at that point, so my instincts weren't too shabby
”But it was only about threephone call?”
shi+mako-san asked, her tone serious She'd called the fukuzawa household, ie Yumi-san, before she called me
When she received the invitation from Sachiko-sama, she'd also instinctively reached out for the phone
The same pattern of behavior as me
- That made me kinda happy
Rei-chan returned home about an hour later The local bookstore hadn't had the reference book she wanted, so she'd had to go K station
”Here, look at this”
Waiting oing in and out of the entrance, and when I eventually spotted Rei-chan's bike co up to our house, or the Hasekura house, either way, onto the property, I rushed over and handed her the red envelope that I'd already retrieved from the letterbox The one addressed to Rei-chan
”At that?”
Rei-chan parked her beloved bike in the bike shed and looked at what I had in my hand
”Yeah There's a New Year's party at Sachiko-saht stay Sounds fun, doesn't it? Hey, we'll go, right? Let's go, yeah?”
”… And I suppose that's what's written in this letter”
Rei-chan took the envelope from me and I waited, excited and expectant, as she used her bike key in place of a letter opener to open the envelope and then read the printed invitation in silence And as Rei-chan's conclusion after doing all this?
”I see”
After she finished reading, Rei-chan put the card back into the envelope and smiled
”We'll go We have to cheer up Yumi-chan”
”Yeah”
As expected Rei-chan understood And it was pretty impressive of me to understand that too
”So then”
Rei-chan said
”I suppose it'll be the fourth or fifth of January”
”What will?”
The tension gone, I said the first thing that came to mind Rei-chan had suddenly said the fourth or fifth, and I didn't i about
”What will? When Nana-chan's going to visit”
”Nana's visit … ?”
As I said this, I thought, ”Dammit”
”For the bout We said we'd have it during the winter break, re for the end of year, so it'll be better to have it in the new year I can't believe you forgot, Yoshi+no”
”Uh, no way I didn't forget”
Actually, the truth was ”unbelievable” But that was because that conversation had taken place right in the middle of the Christmas Party, and after that there had been Rei-chan's announce to take entrance exams to other universities and Yumi-san had been rejected by Touko-chan So that topic had slippedon, Iit was fine to let it remain hazy
But, as up with that? Rei-chan had clearly re on, but that was that and this was this She hadn't even been distracted by the invitation to the New Year's party
”I'll ask Nana Whether the fourth or the fifth are good for her”
If Rei-chan was concerned about her promise to Nana, then I didn't have much choice I accepted my fate
”Okay She told me her phone number, so I could call her - ”
”No, I'll do it”
”Alright I'll leave it to you then”
Nana and Rei-chan were going to cross blades Why wasso hard?
It wasn't apprehension Nor was it exhilaration
It's a bit of a grandiose si the end days Like Jesus had appeared to performent, or the Maitreya Buddha had finally arrived after 567 billion years, that sort of thing
It didn't change that I'd run out of time to do what I should do But that day was undoubtedly closing in I wasn't worried about ould befall me - whether I'd be saved or daht, between Nana and Rei-chan would turn my world upside down That was the hunch I had
I'd watched Rei-chan's matches countless times before So as so different about this one?
Because her opponent was Nana
I had no idea about her true strength No, it'd be the same even if I knew Nana's approximate skill level
Her opponent was Nana Therefore -
”Yoshi+no?”
”Uh … hoill get to Sachiko-sama's house?”
”How? We'll get a bus to the station, then catch a train, then walk the rest of the way Ah - I think Sachikoabout a bus between their house and the station But I'm not really sure, I never asked her about it”
Rei-chan said, scratching her head
”Sounds like a long trip”
”Yeah, I guess Although it's not that far in a straight line”
”You rode your bike there last tiht?”
This was followed by a brief silence Rei-chan broke the silence by suddenly lowering her head
”I'm sorry, Yoshi+no”
”Huh, why?”
”I should have got my license, like Sei-sama Then I could drive you - ”
I had to consider what to say next
”That wasn't what I was thinking”
Rei-chan was so busy with student council and club activities that there was no way she'd be able to find the ti On top of that, she was also currently studying for university entrance exams With that said, Sei-sama had done it at some point last year But she wasn't in any clubs, so she probably went to a driver training school during the holidays and got her license through that
”Then what the heck were you thinking about during that silence, Yoshi+no?”
”Bike”
”Huh? But, Yoshi+no - ”
”Ah, don't worry My dad'll buy me a bike”
In truth, I hadn't had my own bike for many years
”No, it's not that Well, there's that too What I' to say is”
”I know So, you'll help ht?”
Rei-chan's face clearly showed that she thought this was going to be a pain
”You're serious?”
”Totally serious And it'll be way quicker than you getting your license”