Volume 27 Chapter 5 (1/2)
The bus stopped in front of Lillian's Girls Acadeirls, then resumed its journey
”Please go on ahead to the Rose Mansion I'll follow you in a little while”
Ami-san instructed shi+mako after they had descended the steps
shi+ht that since they'd co any unwanted attention But this was their school after all, and perhaps because of that A extra cautious, so in the end shi+
Unlike last year's date, theSunday
”Working hard I see Which club are you with?”
The security guard cheerfully called out once she was inside
”Oh The, ah, student council”
Surprised by the unexpected question, shi+ it She was, quite obviously, a president of the student council, but they weren't scheduled to meet today She should have said she was there to pick up a book she'd left behind, or so
shi+e her answer, but there didn't seem to be any follow-up questions
”I see Good luck”
She wasn't asked to show her student identification card, probably because she earing her school uniform
shi+o tree lined path
(So that's … )
She realized soh it was Sunday, it looked like a number of clubs had activities today
shi+lanced back over her shoulder Auard
Maybe she'd known about this already Since it was the weekend, access to the grounds would usually be restricted But Aated which clubs would be holding practices ahead of time
Thewas open too shi+mako went to the second-years' shoe-box area, opened her locker, and changed into her indoor shoes
Suddenly re what Noriko had done, shi+mako then walked over to the first-years' shoe-box section
The na on one of the first-year caroup lockers Surrounded on all sides by lockers adorned with stickers, colorful nairls, Noriko's plain locker stood out like a sore thumb
(Hehehe)
shi+mako smiled to herself Last year, her own locker had been equally bare Even Yu, had had a small sticker on hers
Decorating one's locker was a characteristic peculiar to first-year students Most students didn't bother by the time they reached second-year It just caused heartache when, at the end of the third semester, they were told that they had to return theinal form
Even though the stickers were the easy-to-peel type, after being attached for a whole year they were stuck on quite stubbornly Those who got carried away and drew beyond the borders of their naents to erase the pen ht of her class aashcloths
Whether they didn't want to repeat that a second tiht such behavior was too childish now that they were a year older, the second and third-year's shoe boxes were largely untouched - Quite strange, that
As she started heading towards the Rose Mansion, shi+ in front of the lockers for the first-year peach group
Like Noriko the previous week, she looked for the locker with 'Igawa' written on it Soon enough she found it, and like the others around it, it had a number of stickers on it
” - Oh”
shi+ht her hand up to her mouth The locker had five stickers on it, all of them white roses
shi+ around inside Aet away quick
Just as she was about to go, her eyes fell on the locker immediately below
”Huh?”
For a ht that Ami-san had two lockers Why? Because that locker was decorated exactly the same, with five white rose stickers
(Emori … )
She ran her finger along the naood friends, since they'd be seated next to each other too
(I wonder if these are popular with this class)
shi+ht as she walked If Ami-san were the only person to have the stickers, then perhaps that nificance to them, but since others had theful Ithold of a bunch of white rose stickers and sharing them with her friends As she considered this, shi+mako started to relax
She entered the Rose Mansion and plugged the electric kettle into the wall Looking at the clock, it was almost midday
”It'll be lunchtime soon … ”
Thinking this, shi+erator Cheesecake, ood cold
shi+, but unfortunately she didn't know Ami-san's preference
(I wonder if I should go and meet her)
While it was unthinkable that she wouldn't knohere the Rose Mansion was, shi+mako had seen plenty of students falter at the doorway, unable to take that step inside Since students with club activities were unlikely to be lingering nearby, A seen with her either
Aht of the front door shi+ corridor
However, there was no-one in the direction of the shoe-boxes
(What happened to her … ?)
Perhaps they'd strayed too far apart in an effort not to be seen together She had confirmed that Ami-san made it past the entrance, so she should undoubtedly be on her way to the Rose Mansion
shi+ly, she hastened her pace
It would be best if nothing had happened It wasn't helpful to obsess about what ely deserted, Aht not be found if she was in distress, particularly if she was crouched down
As she alking past the toilet block, shi+ from inside
At first she dismissed them, since Ami-san was by herself, but after she'd walked past she reconsidered and turned back Ami-san had been by herself, but it was entirely possible that she'd run into someone at school In that case, it was obvious why she wasn't at the Rose Mansion She was deep in conversation with the classmate she'd accidentally met
shi+ to eavesdrop She simply wanted to ascertain whether or not one of those voices belonged to Ami-san, so strained to hear them
”Like I said … ”
” … from here … ”
”I can't”
” … come on … ”
She could only hear fragh one of those was Ami-san's voice Consequently, shi+ that she would wait in the Rose Mansion until Ami-san had finished her conversation
Just as she was about to leave the school building and enter the courtyard, shi+ open, and instinctively turned around What she saw surprised her - the girl that cairl who ca her back into the toilet block
The one being grabbed was A was the classhter with the other day
”Ami-san … ”
When shi+irls turned towards her si shi+mako, Ami-san's classmate hurriedly dropped her arm
”Ah … I … ”
As the girl struggled for so to say, she nervously stepped backwards Still unable to find the words she was looking for, Ami-san's classmate turned tail and fled
”A - ”
Ami-san reached out her now free hand and called out to stop the other girl, but then gave up and lowered her ar it was too late to chase after her now
”Are you alright?”
shi+mako didn't understand what had just happened So she walked over to Ami-san, who had been left in the hallway outside the toilet block
”I' around”
However, as she was speaking, A red Additionally, one of her shoes had come off and fallen beside the door Probably from a scuffle that they'd had inside the toilet block
”Wait”
shi+mako picked up the shoe and placed it in front of Ami-san Then she whispered
”Why … ?”
”I told you, ere just playing around”
After bowing slightly, Ami-san put her shoe back on She spoke the sah they were a charm
We were just playing around
However, that's not what it had looked like at all They weren't laughing like they had been when shi+mako saw them in the courtyard the previous week
”I did so to her”
When shi+mako heard those despondent words, for soh she were the one who had done so
”You really have no idea what people find insulting, do you?”
Yoshi+no grumbled, their lunch spread out in front of them in the park
”Huh?”
Chisato-san asked, as she wiped the tears away fro in a boat With that kind of backdrop, sitting together at a bench, Chisato-san just had to crack up at the lunch that she'd brought along, didn't she
”Exactly my point I shouldn't have to tell you that it's rude to laugh like that when you see someone's lunch”
”Ah, you're right It was rude However”
Having hter again, like the aftershocks of an earthquake
”It really is completely different to Rei-sama”
It was hopeless This girl obviously didn't know theof the word 'introspection'
”Could you not co?”
”Ah, you're right I'm sorry Rei-sama's fried food was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, like a professional's Obviously, it'd be wrong to compare you to a pro”
”Hmmph”
Even though she said that, Chisato-san was probably thinking that it was pretty laughable when compared to an amateur's too Yoshi+no herself ell aware of that The exterior was black and the inside was half-cooked, so rather than looking like so deep fried it more closely resembled a botamochi completely covered in sesame seeds Incidentally, her wieners weren't too badly burnt, but the ones that were supposed to resemble crabs looked more like sooty bamboo mats, while the ones that were supposed to reserass with heads And as for the fried egg - well, better not to say anything more about that
When Chisato-san first said that they'd bring their lunch, Yoshi+no naturally assumed her mother would make it for her, but then she'd added, ”Of course, you have to make it yourself,” and so, reluctantly, Yoshi+no had picked up the frying pan Rei-chan would usually prepare lunch for them whenever they had picnics like this, so it wasn't so to end hen you're suddenly asked to perfor that you don't do nor that's obvious without needing to test it
”Well, even if thethat would be inedible”
Apparently all that laughing had ry Chisato-san wolfed down one of the brown 'silver-grass' pieces, and so with another egg poured on top of it and then frozen
And in exchange
”Have some of mine”
Chisato-san's lunch was lovely She had nori), and they looked like a colorful flower bed when they were all lined up She also had bell pepper, octopus, and broccoli pieces that had been coated in batter and lightly fried, and given the different ingredients and require time this obviously would have been quite a handful
Sadly, Yoshi+no couldn't stop herself fro
”A while back, I heard on TV that the color red is supposed to increase your appetite But after seeing thatme of all that blood”
”Sop it”
Having just put one of the bell pepper pieces into her e She probably meant to say, ”Stop it”
”Just don't think about it That eerie, gloomy shrine in the estate, and the drip-drip-drip onto the Buddha statue … Eeeek”
”Eeeek”
Even though she brought up the subject, Yoshi+no still squealed when she remembered the scene from ”The Tale of the Blood-stained Mansion” that they'd just seen Was this sadism, or masochism? The couple on the boat looked at them in surprise
”You put on a brave face, pretending you weren't scared But I knew you were frightened, Yoshi+no-san”
Chisato-san chortled
”You can talk The rabbing hold of htly”
Yoshi+no shot back
”I'rabbed on to me first”
”No, that was you First to grab, and first to scream”
”That wasn't a screah!”
In the end, although they had sat through the horror film, they hadn't been able to quietly endure it and had clutched each other by the arain Since neither of the - but the first one to make such a proposal would have been branded a coward, so neither of the It would also have been a waste of the ticket money too, but that wasn't the main reason And so, they watched to the end All the way to the ending credits
Right, right The five seconds after the final, ”The End,” were theof all As they watched the couple they'd seen earlier running to the et up and leave as soon as the ending credit , they were always in such a hurry
”I can't remember when,”