Volume 25 Chapter 1 Part2 (1/2)
”Touko wasn't looking to win”
The moment after she said this, Noriko spotted Yuh no sound came out
She knew it, Touko had run in the election in order to lose
It wasn't as though Noriko doubted her own intuition, but if Yu that then it was further proof Therefore the conclusion was correct That was how she felt
Yumi-sama should have been one of the chief revelers in the crowd of students cheering on the announcement of the next student council, but her face was pale
On the sheet of paper put up on the noticeboard in front of the auditorium, the name ”fukuzawa Yumi” sparkled with the mark of victory - a red flower sticker But despite this, the owner of that nah she'd just lost the election
Still, Noriko wasn't in a position to talk either Her onee-saside Yumi-sama and Yoshi+no-sama But Noriko's current expression wasn't that of a petit soeur overjoyed at her onee-sama's success
”Congratulations, Rosa Chinensis en bouton”
”Do your best, Yumi-sama”
Even while she was talking to Noriko, voices called to Yumi-sama, one after another, and she responded to them with, ”Thank-you,” and, ”I'll try” She didn't kno Yu theratulations and ishes were like a video recording To the extent that there was a marked difference between their and her levels of excitement
With those sort of phrases flying about, and amidst numerous interruptions, Noriko continued their conversation
”But why?”
Touko ran in the election in order to lose They both shared that opinion, so the obvious follow-on question hy did she have to lose the election?
Typically, people would run in an election in order to win So, why?
”I see So you don't know either then, Noriko-chan”
”… So you're saying … ”
She was saying that she didn't know either Seeing Yumi-sama nod, Noriko did an about-face
”Wait, where are you going?”
Yumi-sama called out to her after she'd taken a step
”I' to ask Touko herself”
If she ran, she should be able to catch up to her soon enough
”You could come too, if you want”
When Noriko said this, a look of unease passed across Yumi-sama's face
”… Um”
Until just a little while ago, it felt like Yumi-sama's expression had been a reflection of her own But noas different While Noriko was all fired up, Yu her head
”I won't go”
”Why not?”
”Why not? I'm not sure, but for now it's fine”
”It's fine?”
What was fine? Noriko didn't understand She'd said it was fine for now If she didn't ask now, then just ould she ask Touko?
”But if you want to, you can chase after her, Noriko-chan I' that I won't”
”Don't you want to know Touko's real motive, Yumi-sama?”
”How can I put this? It's like, that doesn't really matter anymore - ”
Against her better judgered by this remark
”Are you planning on abandoning Touko?”
At tiainst a senior Noriko herself recognized this was a bad habit, but it was hard for her to restrain herself
”Is that how it looks?”
”Yes”
Yumi-sama smiled at Noriko's answer and said, ”You're honest”
”But actually it's the opposite”
”The opposite?”
”That's right”
Yumi-sama nodded Just as Noriko was about to ask her what she ed fro students and spoke
”Sorry for interrupting your conversation”
It was shi+mako-san
”Yu that she wanted to take a photo of all three of us lined up with the bulletin board in the background”
”Ah, okay, I'll be there”
Yumi-sama turned to face shi+mako-san and responded cheerfully
”Also, Mami-san wanted a comment to print in the Lillian Kawaraban”
”Huh? Wasn't the intervieith the Lillian Kawaraban supposed to be after school next Tuesday or Wednesday?”
”This is separate to that She said it was supposed to be an initial reaction, while the exciteh”
”Alright - So you see, Noriko-chan, we'll have to pick this conversation up again some time later”
”… Okay”
It was none other than Noriko's onee-sa her away There was no way Noriko could stop her
”You can come too, Noriko”
When shi+mako-san called out to her, Noriko instinctively looked at the path lined with ginkgo trees, along which Touko had disappeared
”Um”
Until just recently, she'd been planning on catching up to Touko
”I'm - ”
But now she was hesitating Should she chase Touko, or not? Yumi-sama's declaration that she didn't want to chase after Touko had most definitely reined in Noriko's enthusiasm
”You can go if there's so back to the Rose Mansion once this is over, so we can meet up there”
”No”
Yumi-sama had probably made this offer so that Noriko could chase after Touko, but Noriko shook her head and accompanied them
Noriko's glooered But
She wasn't abandoning Touko Yuh
In that case, perhaps Touko could be saved
Rather than letting the blood go to her head and running around recklessly, she wanted to avoid throwing the situation into chaos Noriko had cooled down enough that she could make that sort of decision
The ”Future Roses” photo-shoot was coraphy club member and newspaper club affiliate Takeshi+le comment from each of shi+mako-san, Yumi-sama and Yoshi+no-sama, that was completed quickly too
”Congratulations, you three Cheers!”
So, when they returned to the Rose Mansion, all six Yah, since they werewith cha around in the open air for a little while, a warm drink was most welcome
”Whew, I can let it out now, but I was kind of worried deep inside Re her speech? She let her e until she ran out of tiht up until the results were revealed”