Volume 29 Chapter 2 (1/2)
After school that day, having finished her cleaning duties, she ran into Rei-sama as she walked past the third-year classrooms
”Oh -Yumi-chan”
”Gokigenyou”
Yureeting Rei-sa her school coat
”Have you just arrived? Or are you just about to head home?”
Usually, the second option would be the iven the time, but Yumi knew that Yoshi+no-san had walked to school alone today, so she thought she check just in case And then, as suspected:
”Just arrived”
Was the response Because of entrance exams, results publications and all kinds of other for to other universities were often absent or ca would probably have a manila envelope with the name of a university printed on it somewhere in there
”Have you finished what you came to school to do? If so, won't you join us at the Rose Mansion?”
”Yeah, I was planning on heading over there next I've just co left to do here”
Rei-sama had taken hold of her arm and was about to walk off when Yumi hastily called her to a stop
”Wait, please I was just going to visit my onee-sama”
Yuroup classroo around She had a purpose
”Sachiko?”
Rei-sama tilted her head
”If you're looking for Sachiko, I ran into her earlier”
As she said this, Rei-sa in the opposite direction to the third-year classrooms
”Huh? Where?”
”Just as I was going through the ate In front of the library entrance”
Yulad she had met Rei-sama here Without that piece of infor blindly But after she'd taken a single step forward, this time it was Rei-sama that called her to a stop
”I know you want to chase after her, but she ot on the bus already”
Rei-sama explained that quite so at her watch, Rei-sama said, ”I went to the staff room after I left Sachiko, and I talked to my teacher for about ten minutes”
”So, in other words, she's probably gone home My onee-sama”
Yu voice
”Yep Why, had you arranged to meet?”
”We hadn't, but”
Yue to Sachiko-sa her there
”This time of year, there's hardly any third-years around because of entrance exams So our class will use the ho”
”I see”
Not only that, some third-year classes would alternate who had to clean each day, since they had a smaller area they were responsible for Satou Sei-sao, but it had slipped her mind
”Sachiko said she had sos to take care of”
”Ahh”
Suddenly, Yumi felt drained
”Well, just like our onee-saenerally won't visit the Rose Mansion now that we're on the verge of graduation”
So that's hoas Rei-sama patted her on the shoulder
”Yeah”
That's hoas Yu experienced it last year
Moreover, the main topics of conversation at the Rose Mansion were currently the third-years' send-off and the farewell party for Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida The seniors probably didn't want to get in the way, knowing their juniors would be busy preparing for these
Still, Yumi had a faint expectation that they should coht her onee-sa in her classroom for Yumi to invite her
”Well, you'll have to make do with me for today”
Rei-saently in the back
”Let's go!”
Perhaps she intended to sound like a steam train's whistle Incredibly enthusiastic
”Rei-sama, have you heard about the farewell party?”
”Oh, I've heard of it Saturday week, right? After the send-off Yoshi+no told o See quite early this year”
”Because of what happened last year”
They both giggled, knowingly
Exactly one year before, the current members of the Yaetting about the private farewell party for the Roses Back then, they were able to salvagethe party after the third-years' send-off, which was for all graduating students
”Very dignified of you”
”Yep”
Yumi accepted the compliment without humility Learn from your mistakes Turn calamity into opportunity If they were to repeat the same mistake, would their onee-samas really be pleased to have started such a tradition?
”Oh yeah, is Yoshi+no doing okay?”
”Yes?”
Yumi turned to look at Rei-sama as she answered Rei-sama leaned over and whispered in her ear:
”ThisDid she make it on time? The results for one of ht I'd have a leisurely sleep-in But there was a shout froh to wake'I'm laaaate'”
”Sheprayers”
”Ahh, that's a relief The last thing I heard was, ”Rei-chan you idiot,' so I was afraid that she was going to bla late”
”Ahaha”
Yu out of her house, bla up out of her bed in confusion
Then, suddenly, Rei-sae decoupled froine, Yumi too came to rest
”I a better I just wish she'd show a bit more restraint”
Yu from behind her
”Oh”
”Yumi-chan Please look after Yoshi+no”
Ambushed
Yumi hadn't been mentally prepared to hear a last will and testament
”You and shi+mako-chan are the only two people I can ask this of”
It seeh Rei-sama had said, 'Because Yoshi+no doesn't have a petit soeur,' but the sound itself was drowned out by the thud fro on the nape of Yumi's neck
The White Rose Soeurs, Yoshi+no-san and Touko, formerly Touko-chan, were already present in the Rose Mansion's second floor room
”Oh, you're here, Rei-chan”
Yoshi+no-san spared only a quick glance at the appearance of her beloved Rei-sarabbed Yumi, who had arrived with Rei-sama, by the arm and walked her over to a corner of the room
”Could it be, could it possibly be”
Yoshi+no-san whispered furtively
”Oh, umm”
”When I arrived, Touko-chan and Noriko-chan were cleaning the roo, they started preparing tea”
”Ahh, I'll explain properly”
Yumi had asked everyone to come to the Rose Mansion after school to introduce so otten to rande soeur Thankfully, her level-headed petit soeur had taken the right approach
”It was i out of her Noriko-chan wasn't saying anything either shi+, but was politely pretending not to notice We were all just waiting anxiously for you to arrive”
So the moment Yoshi+no-san saw Yu over
”I have to make a formal report”
Upon hearing this, Yoshi+no-san let go of Yumi's arm, as if to say 'Go ahead'
”A report to everyone”
”Sachiko-sama's fine with it?”
”I spoke to her at lunchtime”
”I see”
It was a shaone home before Yumi had a chance to invite her
”Touko”
Yumi invited her over Yoshi+no-san let out a s, but Yumi continued, unfazed
”I, fukuzawa Yumi, and Matsudaira Touko, have today perfor us officially soeurs As soeurs we're very new, and still a bit raw around the edges, but please watch over us fondly Please take care of us”
Yumi and Touko both bowed deeply
When they both sireeted with applause and congratulations froift of happiness
There had been plenty of doubts along the way Yumi truly believed that this day was only possible due to everyone's support
”Noriko?”
Touko suddenly dashed out fro, Yu down Noriko-chan's face Plonk, plonk Like drops from the God of crybabies
”Noriko's ecstatic”
shi+mako-san said Noriko-chan was unable to speak because her throat was blocked froreement
”Noriko”
Touko embraced her friend
”Just like a baby”
Touko joked, but Yumi could see the sparkle from a teardrop that had formed in the corner of her eye
Just for a moment
Then Touko adjusted her bangs and used that opportunity to wipe her tear aith her fingertips
Yu it That would have been honest
”Ahh If I may”
Rei-sah she were in class
”I'm overjoyed that I could be present on such an auspicious occasion It's not at the same level as this major news, but may I also make an announcement?”
Everyone urged Rei-sama to continue, whereupon she beamed happily
”I, Hasekura Rei, have today h the entire university application process”
In other words, she had completed all her entrance examinations and received all the results
”So, how did you go?”
There was tension as the question was asked, then Rei-saht hand
”All passed”
”Woo”
”Incredible”
It was justnews itself It's no wonder she was in such high spirits The sense of relief fro that she had finished her exah
”So, have you decided?”
Yoshi+no-san asked, o to Since she only had one body, no matter how many universities had accepted her she could only attend one
”I'ht tonight”
”Humph”
Based on her bored response, there was no doubt that Yoshi+no-san found this uninteresting Since there was no chance that Lillian's Wost them, they were all the same to Yoshi+no-san
At any rate, everyone raised their black tea in a toast The happiness h
Even so, Yuretted that her onee-sama could not be there If Sachiko-sama had kno enjoyable a time they would have, surely she would have postponed whatever it was she was doing
The following day, after school, Yumi was in the newspaper club's clubroom
”How tie”
Soh
”Who would have thought that the day would come when a future Rose would volunteer material to the Lillian Kawaraban”
It wouldn't have mattered if she had remained seated, but the pony-tailed student deliberately stood up and turned her back on the co in a loud, clear voice - She was in fine form
”It's been a while since we've talked, Minako-sama”
Yu with so in wait, but she could still
”You seeood mood”
”Indeed My ood”
Yumi was surprised, so Mami-san whispered into her ear:
”My onee-sama was accepted into her first choice university”
”Ahh, is that it”
Yu to talk to Ma secret, so Yuht be other club members here ould overhear their conversation And then that one student with her back to thee'
That person was Tsukiyama Minako-sama, the former head of the newspaper club and former editor-in-chief of the Lillian Kawaraban, the one who had passed all this responsibility on to her petit soeur, Yauchi Mami-san
On a somewhat related note, Mami-san and Yumi were in the same class so they could have talked in their classroo to say to Mami-san in her capacity as editor-in-chief of the Lillian Kawaraban and not as a class to the newspaper club's clubroom
The supposedly-retired Tsukiya aside the person she had originally been talking to
”The newspaper club is delighted to take you up on your offer”
Ahh, so cheeky of her to act as the newspaper's representative The real representative, Ma her onee-sama's personality, Mami-san seemed content to let Minako-sama continue until she had worn herself out Hurriedly abandoning the battlefield, Ma over some documents
”So, to sum it up, you want to use the Lillian Kawaraban to announce that you have taken a petit soeur That's e're talking about, right Yumi-san?”
”Yes”
Reluctantly, Yu to Minako-sa to, as long as Maht still be able to achieve her goal
”Just so small, in the corner of the Lillian Kawaraban, would be fine”
Yuer, about the size of an azuki bean, as she said this
”So small?”
Minako-sama's eyes sparkled
”Yeah So small”
Annoying Yu s the size of a sesame seed
”Ho-hohoho”
Suddenly, Yuhter Naturally, the source of this was Minako-sama