Volume 26 Chapter 3 (2/2)
This was also a new experiment this year
They wanted toany of the staff and non-high school students - as rounds But if they wrote down all of the things to be mindful of, the rules would have to be written in such a set bored and just skip over thes at places where the students would have to take extra care, and since it would be boring just to have warnings, they decided to mix some hints in too
”Now if you could all check that you've filled out your narade, class, and student number correctly on the entry form”
After answering all the participant's questions, Mami-san surveyed the courtyard and lazily nodded The participants were all focused on Mami-san so they probably hadn't noticed, but the newspaper clubback and the last one had just returned
”The event ends at 4:40pm You can start once you've handed in your form”
With that, the curtain was raised on the Future Roses' Treasure Hunt
It was the same as last year, in that while the participants could be seen as a single group, once they'd submitted their forms there was a wide variety of subsequent actions
Some ran away froether in groups of friends to discuss, and others started by searching the courtyard -- perhaps re the proverb that it's hardest to see what's right under your nose And then
There were those that kept watch over the one student that had been given a delayed start About ten girls Probably all first-years
”You don't have to worry about me You can start your search already”
Sachiko-sa that she didn't need the company
”Is it a bother if ait until you start, Rosa Chinensis?”
”Not at all, but if you wait for me then it makes the handicap pointless, doesn't it?”
Sachiko-sairls were going to follow her around
(You girls, stop following me!)
It seemed like Noriko-chan's i Yumi probably wouldn't be present to witness it, but she shuddered just i it The first-years would probably break down in tears
”Your five minutes is up”
Ma that she could now start
”I see”
But Sachiko-sa into action immediately She handed her entry form to Mami-san, then looked at the sky over the courtyard and took a deep breath
”Yumi-san, please come with me”
Yuued by her onee-sama's actions, but she followed Maned to the three future Roses was to wait in the headquarters -- the Rose Mansion's second-floor salon -- for the cards to be found, or the time limit to be reached
As Mah the Rose Mansion foyer, they heard Sachiko-sama's voice call out from behind
”I thought I irls?”
(Huh…?)
Yumi and Mami-san's eyes met They looked back and, just like she'd said, Sachiko-sa towards them
”Hey, Yu for tea instead of looking for your card?”
Ahead of them, Yoshi+no-san had also been surprised by this and stopped to turn around and inquire Was it because she'd given up on the treasure hunt already, or because she was so confident in her belief that she was the only one who could find Yumi's hidden card?
”You didn't let anything slip to Sachiko-sama, did you?”
”… I don't think so”
Yuaze
She certainly hadn't let any verbal hints slip Or rather, they hadn't had many opportunities to meet of late, and when they had met they didn't discuss the treasure hunt at all She couldn't have let anything slip, although that didn't hold if Sachiko-sama has ESP
”Tea! I'll get the tea ready!”
Realizing that they would soon have visitors, Noriko-chan dashed up the stairs, passing both shi+mako-san and Yoshi+no-san
Sachiko-sama entered the Rose Mansion accompanied by five first-years Last year, Satou Sei-sa students back to the Rose Mansion
Naturally, not all of the first-years had accepted Sachiko-saone off to search on their own rather than sit around and drink tea
”So this is how it's going to be”
Yuet there first and welcouests when they arrived
It would be fine They had prepared plenty of teacups and extra chairs because they'd expected that soht happen While there were certain physical imitations, it had been the dream of the previous Rosa Chinensis, Mizuno Youko-sa with students, and those ideals had been inherited by the current Red Rose sœurs
”Alright, let's start with Yumi-san here, Yoshi+no-san there, and shi+mako-san over there”
Maiven soether in a group it ht have made it harder to approach them As tio, but it seeht foot
Yumi sat down ”here,” Yoshi+no-san sat down ”there,” but before shi+mako-san could sit down ”over there,” the sound of souests As the closest person to the door, shi+mako-san went to open it
”Welcome to the Rose Mansion”
The trio called out in unison, santly at their visitors
So it was that the treasure hunt's coot off to a modest -- but at least outwardly respectable -- start
It began with a gathering of the Rose Mansion inhabitants and five other girls
But as time went on, the tea party would prove to be neither ””
At first, it was a leisurely tea party
Since the treasure hunt had only just started, the participants were relaxed, thinking, ”It won't have been found just yet,” but forgetting that the early bird catches the worh the truth of that matter was reflected in the fact that no-one had appeared at the headquarters clai victory
The only sounds that could be heard on the second floor of the Rose Mansion were the chattering of girls that sounded a bit like birds singing, bursts of laughter that sounded like bells ringing, and the bubbling and whistling of the electric kettle All soft sounds
Even after finishi+ng her cup of tea, Sachiko-sama still didn't leave the room And since Sachiko-sama didn't make a move, neither did the first-years that she'd invited
”May I have another cup?”
Sachiko-sa her teacup Apparently she planned on staying for so this to detain the first-years, or if she wanted to experience Youko-saer
But apparently she was over-thinking it
”Rosa Chinensis, are you so caluessed where the card is hidden?”
One of the first-years asked, unable to endure the wait any longer Depending on the answer, she was probably going to reconsider her own actions up to now
”Hmm?”
Sachiko-sama tilted her head in confusion Apparently she didn't understand what she was being asked
”You've guessed where Yumi-sama's hidden her card, and it's such an obscure location that you've got plenty of tiht? Otherwise, I can't understand why you'd be relaxing here drinking tea”
Then another first-year leaned in and asked:
”Or did you never intend to look for the card?”
Quite right They'd followed Sachiko-sama because they expected that the onee-sama of a host would search for her card But if Sachiko-sama never intended to look for her card, they'd have to quickly abandon their strategy
”You're both wrong”
Meaning that she hadn't guessed where the card was, but she hadn't given up searching either
”It's because here … I'm by Yumi's side”
”Huh?”
The first-years responded, looking like they'd been tricked Yu in, and while she didn't have a mirror, she was sure she had the same dumbfounded expression Sachiko-sama had said that she was here because she didn't knohere the card was -- it was incomprehensible
”If I don't knohere it is, I' at random, am I?”
Well, that may be true But even so, if she just stayed here and didn't search, she'd eventually run out of time
”But, Rosa Chinensis, didn't you say that you haven't given up?”
”Yes, of course”
Sachiko-sama smiled
”I entered into this event because I wanted to find Yumi's card”
”Um…”
The second-floor of the Rose Mansion was filled with looks of confusion
”You don't understand?”
Sachiko-saht at Yumi
”Waiting for Rosa Chinensis en bouton to reveal her faults”
In a way, that y
About that time, kendo club member Tanuma Chisato's eyes were drawn to a round, CD-sized piece of drawing paper affixed to the committee notice board
The top part -- basically, from 11 to 1 o'clock -- contained an illustration of a white rose and the word ”Hint” The lower part, at 6 o'clock, had ”1/7” written
And then
The rest of the space in the center was taken up by the single hiragana character ”, bold strokes
”'Ma'?”
It didn't take ht to realize that this was a clue to the whereabouts of shi+mako-san's card
But, ”ma”
What the heck did that mean?