Volume 26 Chapter 5 (2/2)
It wasn't out of pity, so why had Yumi-sama chosen a fool like her?
”'A fool'?”
After saying this out loud, Touko let slip a smile
Yu herself like that; to stop devaluing the person she wanted as her petite sœur
But, after all, Touko didn't think she had that in with
Even now, she didn't knohether she should believe Yu as Touko-chan is Touko-chan”
(I wonder if that still holds, after I said all those horrible things to her)
Touko wanted to knohat Yus were currently
Thinking this, she stood up, unaware that she was doing so The desire to track down Yumi-sama's hidden card welled up within her
Of course, she knew that ”card” did not equal ”heart” Even so, Touko's thoughts were racing frantically Where could the card be?
If it were her, where would she hide the card?
Touko drew an X on the map
If it were her
(There)
Clutching the map, she flew out of the classroom
Because she knew she'd definitely want Yumi-sama to find it
Touko had arrived in front of the social studies prep room
She checked the map, just in case It was inside the treasure hunt area
The door wasn't locked Touko didn't know if anyone was already in there, but she opened the door without knocking anyway
The rooht it was plain to see that no one else was inside
The light switch was right by the door She didn't have to look for it, it was right in the spot she expected when she reached out her hand Touko walked to the center of the now bright room
Standing right in the middle, she surveyed the roo aids used in the different social studies classes -- japanese History, World History, geography, civics, and economics
Her gaze was ilobe It didn't look to be all that new, as it had stickers with hand-written naed name There was also rolled-up wall scrolls and old textbooks
Touko let her gaze pass over these as she sloalked forward, before colass door
There was a stack of thin booklets of varying sizes next to the atlases It was hard totheir spines because they were so thin, but if she strained she could see they all had the same words written on them:
- Blank Maps
She opened the glass door and took out one of those books
In a sense, these were forms, but none of theo, and soes had brown stains, but they were all brand new as they rested here
Touko took the next book off the shelf After flipping through all the pages, she moved on to the next one
Her heart was thu with her uncertainty about what to do if it wasn't
She ordered herself to cales of their own accord Instead of slowing down, they sped up
”I hate to break it to you, but it's not in here”
These words reached her just as she finished flipping through the last book
”So it seems”
Touko returned the books to the cupboard, closed the door, and turned around She'd known it was Noriko standing there from the first word she spoke
”What's with the blank maps?”
Noriko asked From Noriko's position, she'd only be able to see Touko's back, so the blank uess It didn't see was in here because there was so special stored here
It wasn't here Since Noriko had said that, it was pretty certain that the red card was hidden in a different location
So why had Noriko appeared? It was hard to ihts, she should be in the Rose Mansion
”Was there so between you and Yumi-sama related to blank maps?”
Noriko questioned her again
”--”
Touko didn't mind if Noriko knew about this, but she didn't kno to explain it
Noriko may have interpreted her silence as a desire to not discuss this, as she changed tack with her next question
”Do you think Yumi-sama hid her card where she did because she wanted you to find it? Is that why you're here?”
That was exactly right As expected of Noriko Even though she didn't know the significance of the blank maps, she'd deduced the reason that Touko had come to the social studies prep room
”Are you here to laugh at my conceit?”
Touko fired back and Noriko looked completely serious as she denied this
”Not at all If you think that Yumi-sama hid her card here so that you could find it, then there's so I have to tell you”
”What--”
”You're taking Yuhtly”
Those words pierced Touko's heart Sachiko-onee-sa similar the other day, so maybe it was just that she couldn't block it out any more
She'd been acting high anddown on Yumi-sama
”Yumi-sama cherishes you, but she's not the sort of person to hide her card somewhere where only you could find it”
She was Rosa Chinensis en bouton; she would soon be Rosa Chinensis -- Noriko's eyes were saying this
”I get it, truly You're here in this s for Yumi-sama But no matter how you look, Yuer than you i that she can't fit in this room That's why you can't see her, Touko”
Noriko sniffled
”You don't understand Yumi-sama's heart”
Noriko ?
”You like Yuht Touko? She's the only one you rely on Why can't you trust your own instincts? You have to face her head on”
Noriko grabbed Touko's hands and squeezed theht, like Touko had done in the courtyard after school last Saturday
”Back then, I thought you wanted to escape fro?”
”--”
”But if you keep yourself hidden away in this small room, you won't reach Yumi-saoing to find Yumi-sama's card”
Noriko freed her hands from Touko's and wiped the back of her hand in a line across her own cheek Then, apparently satisfied hat she'd conveyed, she walked off towards the door
Noriko looked like she was going to leave it at that, so Touko called out to her friend's back
”Aren't you just saying what you want to say?”
Then Noriko stopped, turned around, and said:
”I' even if I didn't want to”
After Noriko had left, Touko looked up at the ceiling and let out a sigh
”Good grief”
Only Noriko and herin this roohtly to herself, Touko left the social studies prep room
There was no point stopping here, since no one she cared about as in the room
(What should I do when I leave?)
She'd made up her mind
She'd go and see her
The second floor of the Rose Mansion was a lot more lively than when Noriko had left
”I'm back”
The waves of people entering and exiting were pretty large It wasn't just students that had found hints for the white card, some also stopped by to hear any news about whether or not the cards had been found
But, judging by the state of the room, none of the cards had been found so far
”Welcome back”
Noriko thought her return one unnoticed in the hubbub of the roouests and walked over to the door to greet her
”Were you cold? Your nose is red”
As she said this, shi+mako-san placed her hands on Noriko's cheeks A momentary look of confusion passed across shi+mako-san's face, probably because those cheeks weren't as cold as she was expecting
”I took care of some other matters while I was out”
”I see”
That was all she had to say for shi+
Yu with the first-years that surrounded her, as though no time had passed at all She probably still had the sa Noriko, she gave a small wave and smile
Yoshi+no-sa in her direction, but she see up the stairs Noriko too found herself instinctively looking towards the door
It wasn't just Noriko -- shi+uests turned their attention to the door
(Someone's finally found a card, huh?)
It was about the time when they would expect a card to be found But it was more than just thatthose footsteps seeh they didn't contain even a hint of doubt The reaction in the room was completely different to when Noriko had entered barely a minute earlier
”Yoshi+no!”
The door opened and the figure they saas Rosa Foetida, Hasekura Rei-sama
The girls that had been waiting in anticipation sluned the beaten to a card perked up The Rosa Foetida fans were simply surprised and excited, and over by the kettle Yoshi+no-sama flinched, overwhelmed by the force of Rei-sama's initial shout
”W-what is it, Rei-chan?”
Ignoring everyone's gaze on her, Rosa Foetida strode over to Yoshi+no-sah there were plenty of conversational openers they could have used, like ”Gokigenyou,” or, ”Have you finished your exams?”
”Here, Yoshi+no”
When she'd arrived in front of Yoshi+no-sa out What she placed in Yoshi+no-sama's palm was a piece of cardboard, folded in half
”Huh?”
It was yellow
”Huuuuuuuuuh!?”
The silence in the Rose Mansion was shattered and the roo