Volume 25 Chapter 7 Part3 (1/2)
After counting to 100 on the spot, she felt like she'd calmed down a little bit
Just a little bit
While her boiling blood had gradually cooled, the waves of anger, sadness, disillusionment and despair that had accompanied it did not also disappear
The thing she hated most was pity
So she couldn't stand the thought of beco a petit soeur due to pity How could so her onee-sama? It was unbelievable
She'd reached 100 a while ago But still Touko remained rooted to the spot
Touko looked towards the school gate, where Yuroup of university students walking together
She could follow along behind theet on a bus, then a train, and arrive home
But once she arrived hoo Her only option would be to crawl into bed and cry
Rejecting that, Touko turned towards the school buildings The way things were, she wouldn't be able to contain her anger
Even if it didn't change the situation, there was so she had to say
(I wonder if she's still here)
Touko looked at her watch 1:30
Her target o In that case, all Touko could do was confirm that and head home She retraced her footsteps
Touko walked back alone along the path she had earlier taken with Yuirls that looked like third-years, but none of the for
She made her way to the third-year shoe-box area and had a look inside one of the lockers Sure enough, there was a pair of outdoors shoes in there This was proof that her target was still at school
(Noriko said there wasn't aat the Rose Mansion today)
Touko headed for the third-year classrooms
She heard voices co froh there were a few students still there
”Pardon me”
Touko flung the door open, not waiting for a response to her knock
Five girls turned to look at her siet was one of them
”Touko-chan … ”
The third-years inside were puzzled by this younger girl who had thrown open the door and then stopped , like a toy with its batteries reasawara Sachiko-sama
”Whatever is the matter?”
”We have to talk”
That was all she said, but Sachiko-saave a sroup of students, gathered her belongings, said, ”I'll leave you here,” and exited the classroom
”Yeah Gokigenyou”
”Thanks for helping us out”
Sachiko-onee-sama's classmates said their various farewells
”Is that alright?”
Touko asked, worried that she'd interrupted so There had been sheets of paper spread across the desks, like they'd been working on so
”Yeah, it was just the non-entrance-exa azines”
As she said this, she shi+fted her school bag to the side and fastened her coat buttons
”I don't knohat you want to talk about, but this doesn't seeree?”
Touko nodded slightly
In winter, after one home for the day, the halls echoed o back to the third-year pine classroom, and the specialty classrooms were either locked or had people in them
They walked out into the courtyard
The air was cold, but with a coat it wasn't too cold to bear More importantly, their voices wouldn't bounce off the walls or s or ceilings, so they didn't have to worry about being overheard The words they spoke here would be picked up by the wind and carried off into the sky
”Have you been talking to Yumi-sama?”
Touko started by asking this question
”About what?”
Sachiko-sanored this and continued
”Didn't you say so to interfere in Yumi-sama's choice of a petit soeur?”
”Certainly, Ithose lines”
Sachiko-onee-sa hair flowed in the breeze
”And? What do you think I've been saying to Yumi?”
She asked quietly, as though she had no idea whatsoever
”Well”
Touko was struggling for words Even though it related to herself, she had considerable resistance to saying it out loud
”Just say it It's obvious you've co, but Yumi and I have all sorts of conversations every day I won't knohich one of those has apparently offended you if you don't tell me”
Now that she'd said this there was no other option Touko firan to speak
”About my birth”
”Your birth?”
For a ed It was the look of so
”There, I knew you'd remember it”
Touko was convinced Sachiko-onee-sae that at all
”So? When did you tell Yumi-sama?”
Was it just before Christe the current situation, but Touko desperately wanted to know
When did Yu at her with pity? That was a very important question to Touko
But Sachiko-onee-sama made no allusion to that Instead, she repeated her question
”What would I even tell Yumi about your birth?”
Acting like that at this point in the game? Annoyed, Touko spat it out
”Don't play dumb Obviously that I'm not the Matsudaira's child!”
The moment she heard this, Sachiko-onee-sama's expression froze Touko knew This was surprise
”Touko-chan … you're not the baby that Mrs Matsudaira gave birth to?”
Those black pupils started back at her, unblinking Touko put herself on guard
”No way”
”I'm afraid to say, this is the first I've heard about this”
”There's no way that's true”
She found it hard to believe that Sachiko-onee-sama hadn't heard about it
Saionji or Ayanokouji or whoever knew about it three years ago So how could the heiress to the Ogasawara fa their relatives and lived in Tokyo to boot,about it?
But Touko had felt it earlier Sachiko-onee-sama had been shocked by Touko's words There was no way that was an act
”Then why did you look like you'd just re before?”
Wasn't it strange? It was her first ti
”I si questions”
”Suguru-onii-sama … ?”
Touko asked, and Sachiko-onee-sahed
”I' to determine whether or not I knew He askedfrom when you were born”
”And you said?”
”I told him I didn't remember That's the truth I couldn't answer any more than that”
Her story was too concrete for an on-the-spot lie Plus Suguru-onii-sa questions
”So then as it?”
Suguru-onii-sa to Yumi-sama That much was obvious from their conversation the other day
”Honestly, acting so high and hty”