Volume 30 Chapter 1 (1/2)
A certain day in March (Sunday)
On that day, at 10:30ah by prior arrangeenyou” It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, amidst the couples and excited children that flock to aroup that didn't look jubilant
Just where to start this story?
Right, right, they had held their private farewell party for Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama after the send-off assembly for all the third-years yesterday, on Saturday
The first-years had done party performances, they had danced and had a wonderful time, but of course that kind of joy could not last forever and it had ended when the security guard had cautioned them to leave as he did his rounds
Such is life
Everyone was finding it hard to leave, not wanting to say ”I' home,” so it was probably just as well that there had been some external impetus If not, they ht
One thing led to another, and as they were heading ho Yumi and Sachiko-sa day They had decided that it was only proper that they should invite the other participants from the Christates and called Takeshi+ma Tsutako-san and Hosokawa Kanako-chan
”Huh? What? What do you mean?”
Tsutako-san asked, on the other end of the phone Perfectly understandable Even the people who had been present at the farewell party when Sachiko-sama had made her sudden announcement hadn't understood immediately
She'd said that they were going to the amuse they elcoe to meet so everyone was free to do as they pleased
See, it'dyou'd usually be asked over the phone
”You see”
Yumi persevered with her explanation and, eventually, Tsutako-san started to (sootten that the idea that they all go to the a last year's Christmas party
”I wasn't sure when it happened, but I do re to the amusement park”
Yumi was initially skeptical but decided Tsutako-san was probably telling the truth After all, Tsutako-san had been the first to respond during the Christo together sometime She'd loudly and enthusiastically endorsed that idea
”Although I'll have to find out if I can go once I get off the phone”
Yumi responded with, ”Of course” Since everyone was free to do as they wished, there was no need for an RSVP or anything
”So, is it okay if I bring someone else?”
As she was putting the telephone receiver back on the hook, Yu to invite Shouko-chan
Next she called Kanako-chan but she wasn't at home Herabout ten times and no-one answered
”I'll call her when I get home”
Touko offered, and they all agreed to leave it to her Originally, Touko and Kanako-chan had seeerheads with each other, but at so in their relationshi+p and they now had a quiet friendshi+p Even their mutual classmate, Noriko-chan, trusted Touko on this
”What shall we do about Nana-chan?”
shi+h she was Nana-chan's patron, but since Nana-chan was the closest thing there was to Yoshi+no-san's petit soeur, it seemed like she should be the one to ask
”About Nana - ”
Yoshi+no-san hesitated She glanced at Rei-sama, but then quickly looked away In contrast, Rei-sa, even
”We were inviting the people ere at the Christht?”
Sachiko-sa that they should obviously invite Nana-chan as well
”But Nana's situation is a bit different, don't you think?”
Even if she was just about to graduate, Nana-chan was still a s were located only a short distance apart, but the invisible wall that separated h-school students was both thick and tall
”That's true”
High school students taking a middle school student out with them It did make you question whether it was okay or not
”And since it's a private get together, she'd have to pay for herself”
So they couldn't just ask her without thinking about it Yoshi+no-san's hesitation had some merit to it Even so, it seeoing to invite
”I'll give her a call after I get home”
There was unanireement with Yoshi+no-san's statement It was better that the conversation occur somewhere quiet, rather than with everyone crowded around a telephone booth And they illing to leave it up to Yoshi+no-san to see how that conversation played out
Yoshi+no-san was the one who thought the reed that Yoshi+no-san was the one that Nana-chan thought about the most
”Just for reference, what ti at the amusement park tomorrow, Yumi-san?”
Yoshi+no-san asked as they walked past the school gates, the brightening of her dee in topic
”What time … ”
The truth was, they hadn't yet decided on a specific tilance that said, ”What should we do?” and in exchange Sachiko-sama answered for her
”I was thinking we'd be there when the park opens”
Ohhh Typical of Sachiko-sa spirit wasn't just constrained to the announcement
”Copy that”
Yoshi+no-san grabbed hold of Rei-saestured a salute with her left hand
”Wouldn't it be better if you didn't copy that Do you want to iht from the start?”
Rei-sa her ar her that she was getting a bit carried away
”I was only asking as a reference - ”
”A reference, huh And then we'd probably leave home in time to catch the same train as them, I suppose”
It was verya lover's quarrel - ”We'll be bothering them,” ”If we run into them by accident then it's no problem,” ”Just because you say it's by accident doesn't mean it is”
”I'd say there's absolutely no chance of that happening”
Yu the Yellow Rose sisters
”Well, I suppose the chance of us being in the same compartment is pretty small”
After saying this, Rei-sama made an inquisitive face Apparently she'd latched on to Yumi's phrase 'absolutely no chance'
”Yu by car”
This time it was Sachiko-sama that spoke Then, without a moment's pause, Yoshi+no-san responded
”Say what? You two are going to be chauffeured in one of the Ogasawara household's shi+ny, black sedans?”
”No, no”
Yumi shook her head and waved her arms simultaneously
”So, a taxi!?”
As though any healthy high-school student would take a taxi when they went out Not even the daughter of the elite Ogasawara family would do that
”We're going with Kashi+wagi-san”
Kashi+wagi-san was a student at the neighboring Hanadera University Even those who hadn't driven with hi technique
”Whaaat?”
After the initial slu soi-san's presence, Yoshi+no-san said, ”Oooooh,” as though playing along with a joke
”So it's not just going to be the two of you? Why are you three going?”
”No, it's not us three My younger brother is going as well”
”Yuuki-kun too? What's up with that?”
Adding Yuuki in while they were still trying to figure out Kashi+wagi-san's role was only ever going to lead to confusion
”Is it a double date?”
Noriko-chan asked, joining in with the Yellow Rose sisters
”Keeping it in the family?”
On the one hand you have Yuer brother, and on the other hand you have Sachiko-sama's cousin Neither would have been romantic
Basically, it was all a part of Sachiko-sa to recreate the same circumstances as their trip in autumn so that she could correct her i-san and Yuuki
She skipped over this, as it was athat the group that went last tiain
”Well, if you're going in Kashi+wagi-san's car then I guess on't be traveling with you after all”
Rei-sama chucked at Yoshi+no-san Well, that's true He wouldn't be able to take everyone unless he had a minivan Perhaps that was another reason why Sachiko-sao as they pleased
”We'll have to have our own private get-together then”
The co towards Monday
”What will you do, Touko?”
It'd be impossible to take everyone, but there was still rooht even have heard about this before today, since their driver, Kashi+wagi-san, was her cousin And when they went in autuinally invited Touko and not Yuuki to accompany him
”Don't worry about o or not until I get home”
”Ah, right”
Already Yui-san in the driver's seat, Yuuki in the front passenger seat and the three Red Rose sisters chatting merrily in the back seat But since they had only told the to be as sih school student would be to get their parent's per with her mother and father about it
”Ah The bus”
shi+ down the road, Yulide towards the bus stop Everyone except Rei-sama and Yoshi+no-san suddenly broke into a run Luckily there were so so they didn't have to frantically wave the bus down
”Well then, see you tomorrow”
”Yep See you there”
As they called out, both those within the bus and those without were undoubtedly thinking, ”Will we actually see each other?”
Tomorroas Sunday, all across japan
On top of that, the forecast for the Kanto region was clouds followed by sunshi+ne
The absolute best weather for an outing
Then, just like that, the evening had passed and today had arrived
There was no need to consult the weather report; brilliant sunlight streah the eastIt was already sunny, despite yesterday's forecast of clouds followed by sunshi+ne Surely sunshi+ne followed by sunshi+ne
”Regardless, I' out I could just throw my hands up in the air”
Yumi scanned the newspaper's weather forecast section The sunshi+ne symbol was there for the whole day The amusement park would definitely be packed
”At least it's not raining They probably stop the outdoor rides during heavy rain, and when they start again you'd get wet riding on them”
Yuuki said, his brow furrowed as he carried his bag down the stairs
”Yeah, that's true”
Yu on a date with her onee-sa But it was sunny So there was no reason to co on the packed a while they waited - The rew
It would soon be 8 o'clock That was the tied to pick them up from in front of the fukuzawa house But because they were co on traffic
”Sorry, Yuuki”
She called over her younger brother's shoulder, as he watched a taped progra around, he answered, ”What for?”
”Foryou accompany my onee-sama”
”Ahh”
Yuuki switched off the TV and turned to face her
”I was a bit worried because of the way it ended last time It's not like I don't understand what Sachiko-sa Besides, I don't mind the amusement park”
”Yeah”
Pleased that she had such a fine brother, Yumi instinctively patted hi, ”That feels kind of wrong” When they were young, Yuruh she was never actually mean to him
”Hey, Yui-san into the house? If you do, we should probably offer theht?”
Her loves as she walked out of the bathroo the bathroom
”Don't worry about it, it's okay”
Yuht hand
”If you're worried about their car, they can park in my office car park, since it's Sunday”
Even her father was joining in Both her parents had taking a liking to the superficially handsoi-san As for Sachiko-sama, they admired her like a celebrity - initially because they were brainwashed by their daughter, but then voluntarily after their first chancewith her Consequently, it wasn't just the fukuzawa children, but also their parents, that wanted to be good friends with Sachiko-sai-san
”That's not the probleh ti to make it to the park when it opens”
If they were to invite them in to the house, it would take at least 30 minutes to an hour Of course, there was a little bit of leeway in their travel plans But that was there in case they got caught in traffic - they hadn't planned to spend much time at the fukuzawa household
”Really?”
Even as she said this, herout the towels in the bathroom for the nicer ones that they used when they had company Just in case, despite what she had just heard
”When I see you two like that, you really do look alike”
Hertheir coats in anticipation of their visitor's arrival It hadn't been noticeable when Yu jeans and a pink floral blouse, and Yuuki was just wearing jeans and a black t-shi+rt But now that they were both wearing sih they were going for the sa faces, and the impression of aand laughing at the two children you gave birth to was either innocence, or irresponsibility
”I'll go change”
Yuuki sullenly ran up the staircase
”Ohh, now he's upset Ahh, Yuuki's so delicate”
”Indeed I wonder who he gets that from”
The words, ”Not from you, that's for sure,” almost made it out of Yumi's mouth but she was just able to contain them
The fukuzawa interco his way downstairs, having finished changing clothes
”hello”
Yu heard a car pull up outside, so was able to press the reply button almost instantaneously
”Ogasawara here”
”Okay We'll be right out”
Buoyed by her onee-sa over her shoulder and hurried to the entrance Her h that were perfectly natural Obviously intending to offer their greetings
Yuuki was one step ahead of her, his butt parked on the wooden step, tying the laces of his sneakers The denie-ish synthetic leather pea coat, and Yuer brother moved to one side so that she could put on her sneakers too After tapping her toes into the shoes, Yumi hurriedly turned the doorknob and rushed out
”Good ”
Kashi+wagi-san and Sachiko-saht in front of the door
”Morning”
”Thanks for co today”
It was regrettable, but had to be acknowledged The iave was of a beautiful couple In colanced at Yuuki as he walked past
”Don't mention it”
On her side of the door was the raccoon-faced duo Although the two parties enetically quite different, it sees in co jeans and a jacket too
Sachiko-sai-san both simultaneously adopted an identical expression as their attention was drawn to the area behind Yu around, Yumi knew that her parents had made their entrance
Our children are probably going to be a bother to you No, no, not at all After exchanging the standard pleasantries, they decided to make their way over to the car
”Oh?”
This ti in unison
”Kashi+wagi-kun, did you buy a new car?”
Yumi's father was the first one to ask The car parked on the side of the road wasn't his usual chilli red car
”No This isn't asawara's car He lent it tothat I should have athese ladies a lift”
”The president of the Ogasawara Group's car? Indeed - ”
Her father didn't say anything further, but was probably thinking, ”It looks expensive” Yumi couldn't tell much other than that it was left-hand drive and the paint was either dark green or dark blue, but it seemed that the value of this auto interest in cars
”It's second-hand though”
Sachiko-sama said
Right, right Even Yumi could tell that it wasn't brand new, since there were soht scratches on the front and sides
”For the ti, Yumi and Yuuki-san can ride in the back”
”Oh?”
Yumi said, a little dejected, as she had expected that she would sit in the back together with her onee-sama
”I said it was just for the ti, didn't I? We'll swap seats en-route See, there are cars co from behind us”
”Okay”
Even if she wanted to protest further, it wasn't wortha scene over Reluctantly, Yumi climbed into the back seat with Yuuki
”Well then, we're off I'll make sure they're home on time”
Kashi+wagi-san bowed to Mr and Mrs fukuzawa then settled into the driver's seat, adjusting the position of the chair and the angle of the er's seat, Sachiko-sauru-san,” curtly giving hinal to proceed
After they'd turned the corner in front of the Kakinoki-san's house and could no longer see Yuoodbye, Sachiko-sama said:
”I wonder if there's a street wide enough to park the car in around here”
”Huh?”
They'd only just set off, so why did they have to stop so quickly? Kashi+wagi-san chided her, saying , ”Sacchan,” before Yuh he knew the intent behind Sachiko-sama's statement
”Hey, Yumi Do you knohere?”
Sachiko-sai-san, so Yuive her preference
”A wide road?”
When she looked to Yuuki for help, he had a couish and part bewilderment