Volume 29 Chapter 5 (1/2)
On Mondayinto her indoor shoes, Yuht detour and made her way over to the third-years' shoe boxes She had arrived at school earlier than usual, but only by a little bit There were other students all around her, but everyone wasat a leisurely pace so there was no need to worry about bu into anyone It wasn't empty, but it was quiet
(Excuse me)
She opened that familiar lid in the third-year pine area Inside the shoe box, the left and right indoor shoes were neatly arranged
(Okay)
Her onee-sa outside Yumi's classroom on Saturday didn't seem to have happened today
Yumi took a piece of paper from her pocket and left it on top of Sachiko-sama's indoor shoes When she closed the lid, it caused a slight puff of wind Concerned, Yumi opened the lid once htly froht, so it didn't take much wind to affect it If the lid were opened or closed enthusiastically, then the paper ht just fly away to some unknown location
Reconsidering, Yuht shoe This way, there was no need to worry about it being bloay by a slight breeze
(That's better)
This time around, Yumi shut the lid and headed to her classroom
”Gokigenyou, Yumi-san”
Yumi was pounced upon as soon as she entered the hallway Tapping her on the shoulder from behind was the president of the arts club
”I'nboard for the 'Third-Years' Sendoff' When I got a quote for the paint, they said they probably didn't have enough in stock I asked theent order, but it looks like they won't get any until toet our hands on it until Thursday”
Yumi listened as they walked She suddenly recalled a scene fro bread crusts as she sketched with charcoal
”Will you have it done by Friday?”
”We will We'll finish painting on Thursday, so by Friday it should have dried completely and be safe to move”
”Roger that”
Yuave the thumbs-up Their schedule had a little bit of slack in it They seemed to have a realistic outlook, so it would probably be okay
They parted ways at the arts club's president's classroom
”As an apology for being late, we'll bring it around to the Rose Mansion ourselves”
The voice called out to Yu down the corridor, and she stopped and turned around She brought her eht-hand up to the side of her cheek to amplify her voice and called out:
”Thanks, that'll be really helpful”
It looked like today was going to be another busy day
Lunchtime
While waiting behind the Rose Mansion, Yuh the courtyard and waved at her, saying, ”Over here”
”Gokigenyou, Yumi By the hat is it that's 'over here?'”
”Huh?”
What's over here? In this case, the subject of the sentence was ”I” so Yumi had shortened the sentence ”I'm over here” to ”Over here”
”Umm, onee-sama Didn't you come here to meet me …?”
”Oh?”
( - That response would seem to indicate a 'no' then)
If she had come here to see Yumi, then she certainly wouldn't have asked the question about as over here
”You didn't read my letter?”
Yumi had suspected that she would be busy today, so she'd left the letter so there was no chance of the each other It would have been better to visit Sachiko-sa one of their breaks between classes, but people were always asking her questions about the third-years' send-off while she was in her classroo down the corridors, so she didn't have any ti those breaks So, as rude as itto meet
”Letter?”
Shaking her head So then it was just a coincidence that Sachiko-sa past here? Then you'd have to say it was lucky But was that really the case? It just seeood to be true
”A letter from you, Yumi? Where did you put it?”
”In the shoe racks … in your locker … inside your indoor shoes”
”Inside my indoor shoes? Oh, I wonder how I didn't notice it Perhaps it's still inside my shoe”
”Well, I don't really think that's likely”
Even thought it had been a light piece of paper, Yumi had folded it in four At that level of thickness it would definitely have been noticeable earing the shoes, and would probably havesound as well Despite this, Sachiko-sama placed one hand on the wall, lifted her left foot and slid her index finger into the back of her left shoe, taking it off
And then
”Ah”
A folded piece of paper fell out
However, watching this chain of events unfold, Yu was up
”Onee-saht shoe”
Yumi ventured timidly Even if Sachiko-sama hadn't noticed when she put her shoes on, ould it have changed placed?
Sachiko-sarinned
”What a relief It looks like you've still got some of your wits about you”
”Hey-”
It appeared that Sachiko-sa her, for soht answer
”What do you ht?”
”I said you still had some of your wits about you”
Sachiko-sa the paper that still retained the warmth fro written in her fairly ordinary looking handwriting
”Which part do you think is strange?”
”Have a closer look”
Onee-sa for you behind the Rice Mansion Yumi
Sachiko-sama pointed to a spot on the paper
”Ahh”
She'd written the 'Rice Mansion,' instead of the 'Rose Mansion' A building made out of rice? In that case, it was only natural that her onee-sa senile[1]
”Were you feeling tired?”
Yumi briskly shook her head
”What probably happened was, I started thinking about as in my lunchbox after I wrote 'lunch'”
It wasn't an explanation she was particularly proud of, but Yu continue She'd written the letter first thing this , and was still yet to do any homework or Yamayurikai work today So, if she had been tired, it wasn't because of either of those things
”Then that's fine You don't want to push yourself too hard”
”Okay”
Her onee-saave her the kind of look you would use when ad a baby, at which point Yumi finally turned an embarrassed red
”What are you s about, Yumi?”
There was no way that Yumi could say she was overjoyed that her onee-sama was concerned about her, so she turned away There was some work she really had to do today, so that it didn't becoe problem in the future
Just as Yumi was about to leave her and enter the Rose Mansion, Sachiko-sama called out, ”Wait”
”You're still not thinking straight Didn't you call ive me an answer to my question from Saturday?”
”Ah That's right”
So it wasn't aherself - Yumi was just naturally absentminded
”The answer is 'okay'”
Yumi stopped, turned around, and used her arms to form a circle over her head
”Thank-you for your efforts”
In return, her onee-saer
That sy
There was a guest waiting for Yumi in the Rose (not Rice) Mansion
”Gokigenyou, Yumi-san”
Her exa back to life, like an ani from its winter hibernation
”Go - gokigenyou”
Yuoing on as she took a seat beside her Their guest was still standing, but that wasn't a problem Noriko-chan, Yoshi+no-san and shi+mako-san were all in the room It was inconceivable that no-one had offered her a chair already, so Minako-sa because she wanted to
”What's the matter?”
Touko was silently working on so, so Yumi asked shi+mako-san as closest to her on the other side
”That's …”
Mindful of Minako-sama's presence, shi+mako-san spoke softly To summarize, Minako-sama had come to the Rose Mansion because she had a job for Touko and aiting for Touko to finish because she wanted it as soon as possible
”And then”
shi+mako-san half-rose fro mindful of Touko
”Touko-chan said she shouldn't just suddenly ask for this, and they had a bit of a quarrel But in the end …”
Apparently Minako-sama had used her position as a senior to twist Touko's arm
Yumi peered at Touko's hands to try and deter her hand, Touko said:
”I' for the Lillian Kawaraban”
This week's edition was the special feature on the dates that the Valentine's Day event winners had with the next Roses Touko was checking over the report that she had sub corrections on the test print with a red pen Yu last week, however unlike the extra edition that contained hardly any writing, it looked like this was taking soer
”Hey, what are you going to do?”
Yoshi+no-san inquired, from the seat opposite
”There's not a lot I can do”
If Yu their dispute then perhaps she could have doneit was a bit late for her to be butting in
Yumi opened her lunch-box and started to eat Noriko-chan poured her a cup of tea and brought it over Minako-sa she wasn't going to be staying long
Ordinarily, all visitors to the Rose Mansion were offered tea, however they had decided to suspend that practice for this week as they expected there would be a large nu But they would stilltea, and if requested would of course serve their guests
Just as Yu her lunch, Touko stood up beside her
”Here It's done”
Touko walked over to where Minako-saave her the Lillian Kawaraban test print Always the actress Her face didn't shoas in her heart Knowing that she was really sulking just
Yumi closed her lunch-box and stood up Ready to support Touko, just in case Yurande soeur, she couldn't let this go unacknowledged
”I'm so sorry to have made you wait”
”Not at all, I apologize for rushi+ng you”
Touko then said, ”Excusethere Touko then started heartily biting into her half-eaten rice balls, although it was unclear whether she was trying to insinuate sory
”Still, for a third-year to come all the way out here, Minako-sama … ”
It would be reading too much into this statement to interpret it as sarcasirl?” Unfortunately, Yumi didn't have that sort of skill on tap, so the onlyhat the words theht that Minako-sama's involvement in last week's extra edition was some kind of exception, but perhaps she was still fully participating in all newspaper club activities
”My juniors are all busy, so I volunteered to help Or, should I say, I talked the me do this”
So it appears that this Tsukiyama Minako-sama isn't sensitive to such barbs, for she took it as stated and provided a normal answer Peace and tranquility Yoshi+no-san and Noriko-chan had both pricked their ears up, their hearts racing, but, of course, they went unnoticed
”I want to be part of the Lillian Kawaraban, in whatever way I can”
Minako-sa to ad dedication to the school newspaper
Having no reason to stay now that she had received the corrections to the test print, Minako-sa you,” and walked towards the exit Thinking she should see her off, Yumi followed Minako-sa, ”Here will be fine”
”Anyway, hey, did you hear?”
Minako-sah she had just re
”Sachiko-san's completely stopped her eccentric behavior”
”Eccentric”
Is that really the kind of word you'd use to describe soh a book of problems?
”So, as it all about?”
Minako-saainst her
”I told you, I don't know”
Yumi herself had never actually seen Sachiko-sa for an exam So, now that she heard that Sachiko-sama had suddenly stopped, it made her doubt the validity of the earlier rumors entirely
”At any rate, it doesn't concern me”
Yu her off with, ”That's enough for today” Though she heard Minako-sa about it?” Yu on the door knob so that Minako-sama couldn't open it, and eventually she heard the sounds of so the stairs Perhaps she had remembered that she didn't have any time to waste
Touko watched carefully as Yumi returned to her seat, relieved
”Rosa Chinensis' eccentricities, do they have anything to do with Suguru onii-sama?”
That was a curious question to ask
”Why would you i-san?”
It seemed quite a leap After all, Minako-sama had said 'Sachiko-san' but she hadn't i-san' at all
”It uru onii-saasawara house every day”
”Every day? I wonder what for”
Still, that's what you'd expect from a blood relative Touko heard conversations that Yumi wasn't even aware of
”I don't know But perhaps he has sorandfather that requires a daily visit”
”Well, who knows”
Still, there was a chance that he was going there to see Sachiko-sama Well, it felt like that was actually the most likely possibility
Sachiko-sas to attend to, and then went hoined that it was because she had an appointi-san
”Hmmmm”
Yuave this report, didn't know, then Yumi didn't know either And if Yumi didn't know, then chances are no-one else here knew either All they could do was look at each other and think about it, although that felt like a waste of time