Volume 32 Chapter 3 (1/2)
For sos
It's not so that could be put into words, but for the last two or three days she hadn't been able to calm down
It was as though so her - that kind of sensation
It could just be her iination Or oing for too long she'd have to have an exorcis that would make it leave
”Ma?”
Tsukiyama Minako asked her petit soeur, who she had unexpectedly encountered in the hallway
”Nope?”
Maed her shoulders
”If you're talking about signs of life, then there's a lot of high school students scattered around all over the place - ”
”That's not what I was talking about”
It wasn't long ago that theclasses and hoh school buildings were filled with students going here and there
”Are you sure you haven't caught a cold?”
Ma her hand to Minako's forehead Minako shook her off, saying 'Quit it'
”Toraduation cereet some rest? Or maybe have a lie down in the infirmary?”
”Don't treathoo to the infirmary”
”Oh? You have business to attend to?”
”… Pretty much”
During that pause, Minako thought she was being set-up for a one-liner froot:
”Well then, I'll give you this”
”A bread roll?”
What she was offered was a single bread roll in a thin paper bag
”We were planning on having an editorial ht you a bread roll froo ahead and eat it Or if you brought a lunch-box, I could go and fetch it for you”
”I didn't bring one Anyas thecanceled?”
”Hidemi had a sudden toothache”
”What a spoiled child She's your petit soeur It's just a toothache If she had any willpower, she'd still be able to attend a ”
”Well, that's true”
Maht hand, and folded her arms across her chest
”If it was just Hide But two others left with a stomachache and a headache, so I didn't press the matter”
Two others?
”They're not faking it?”
”Geeze, onee-sa paranoid?”
”… I guess”
This is Lillian's Girls Academy We are all children of our mother in heaven, Maria-san an illness, or doubt people without any proof - Well, let's just set that aside for now
But if that was true, then the newspaper club was full of sick people More than Minako, it was her juniors that needed the school infirmary
”They've all gone home to rest up, but I expect they will all be perfect for toraduation ceremony All of us are the Lillian's Girls Academy Newspaper Club and - ”
”Yeah, yeah I get it”
Maument, but Minako wasn't in the mood to hear it, so she took the bread roll she had been offered When she went to take out her purse, she was told 'It's a graduation gift'
”Thank-you”
After saying this, Minako turned away frole bread roll More surprisingly, it was enough to bring tears to her eyes
And, as usual, the bread roll that Ma tears to her eyes as well
A spicy potato-salad sandwich
Such an intense and unique iteain widespread popularity, but it always had a number of incredibly obsessive fans which meant its na time They didn't keep a lot in stock, so it was rare to be able to buy one over the counter at Milk Hall It was probably because they hadn't taken orders from the various classes today
There were no classes this afternoon because of preparations that were being raduation cereone hoone off so in the classrooroups had taken in people fro a small party
Seeing Minako eating her lunch alone, they had invited her to join them but she politely declined She appreciated their kindness But being the outsider in a group of close friends having a farewell party, she would either have been an intrusion or they would have gone out of their way to make her feel included It was better that she remained by herself
These … the previous Rosa Gigantea, Satou Sei, used to like these Minako reminisced as she bit into the spicy potato salad sandwich
Really, what had she become
Keeping data on soo She should have erased that from her brain
Minako didn't knohat she would do with all the inforathered up to this point, like student's home phone numbers
Certain student's blood types
Birthdays
Characteristics of how their school tie was knotted
Minako had a mountain of this data that she would have no use for after she had graduated
”Business to attend to, huh”
Ma definite to attend to then she wouldn't have just been sitting around like she was
And yet, somehow
Right, soo home, so she stayed at school
She didn't have anything she wanted to do She just wanted to be here
Even if Minako stayed back late, she couldn't work on the Lillian Kawaraban any out conversations that could be turned into articles Thinking of eyeball-grabbing headlines Her fingers were itching to be tapping away on the keyboard
Having been so engrossed in the creation of the school newspaper, this must be the fade-out now that she was at the end Toraduation cere students would be able to report on it for the graduation commemorative edition
Even so, just being here like this wasn't too bad Minako smiled wanly then stuffed her mouth with the remainder of the bread roll
(Nevertheless)
That Maht a milk coffee with the bread roll
”… That's fine”
The taste definitely grew on you
Of those spicy potato-salad sandwiches
”Minako-san”
When she went out for a settling walk after lunch, there was Ogasawara Sachiko-san
Looking just as beautiful as ever Her long, silky, black hair The tasteful, shapely parts all exquisitely arranged on her face Everything about her just seerace A beautiful voice that you listened to in rapture
”I'd like to talk with you, is that okay?”
”Huh? What's this about?”
Even as Minako maintained an outward calm, her voice rose with excitement
Her heart beat in anticipation Since she was standing out here, it must have meant that Sachiko-san had come here especially to see her
The newspaper club alanted to hear her conversations And they were always following her around Surely Sachiko-san ressive actions by now
So then, as she here? Sachiko-san had approached her, saying she wanted to talk What on earth could have happened?
(So happened…?)
Yes, undoubtedly so had happened
”Here's not really a good place How about we go somewhere where there's fewer people - ”
(So she can't talk about!?)
Sachiko-san didn't usually pay any attention to whether or not people atching her, so this must be some top-secret information
Certainly, so like this had happened before About a year and a half ago, when the newspaper club had been chasing after fukuzawa Yumi-san as rumored to be a potential petit soeur for Sachiko-san
(Well)
Minako glanced sideways at Sachiko-san Back then they had been quite forceful in the way they went about gathering data According to what she heard afterwards, Yumi-san was quite troubled by it because she wasn't used to being the center of attention Apparently unable to stand idly by, one day Sachiko-san had shown up at the newspaper club and dazzled them with an offer to provide information about it, on the condition that they pro after Yumi-san Naturally, the intervieith Sachiko-san that ran in the following day's paper ildly popular with the readers
This pattern of events was just like what had happened back then Just like before, a huge story seemed to have dropped into her lap
And because Sachiko-san had approached her about it first, there should be no proble their conversation as part of an article for the Lillian Kawaraban It wasn't just that she wanted to write an article, but if things ell this would be a nice parting gift to her juniors
(All right!)
When Minako clenched her fist in front of her chest, Sachiko-san looked at her doubtfully and asked 'Minako-san?'
”Oh, excuse me”
Danger, danger By letting loose in front of her guest, Minako was letting them in on her world
”I was thinking we should go somewhere quiet with no-one around to have our talk Minako-san, do you know of anywhere we could use?”
”Let me think”
Minako looked back at the classroom At this time of day, all the third year classrooms were probably in a similar state to hers So they were out
Looking out the hall into the courtyard, there were fewer students but still soood either
The library would be quiet, but it would probably be too quiet and their conversation would leak to others
And because they were just two students talking, they wouldn't be able to borrow the guidance counselor's room
Sachiko-san's stronghold, the Rose Mansion, usually had people in it after school And she ht even want to keep this a secret from her friends
There conversation had reached an impasse after Sachiko-san had posed the question of 'where?'
Where else is there? - thinking this, Minako had a flash of inspiration
”How about the newspaper club's clubroom?”
”The newspaper club's clubroom?”
Sachiko-san asked to confirm
”But, won't all your club members be there?”
”Don't worry about that”
Ma was canceled The girls with toothache and headaches had already left, and even those one ho was canceled
”It'll be a bit crah”
”Not at all, I apologize for intruding”
With Sachiko-san's consent, the two of them headed towards the clubhouse
”How did it come to this?”
Sitting on a chair in the clubroom, Minako looked at the two people in front of her
”What do you mean, this?”
One of the tas Sachiko-san, who had accompanied her here
”Didn't Sachiko tell you? That anted to speak to you?”
The other one you could call Sachiko-san's partner in crime, Hasekura Rei-san Rosa Foetida
The Red and Yellow Roses were seated on the other side of the desk to Minako, and looking at her with composed expressions Usually, the inneruests stubbornly refused to move from their positions Encamped by the door, they probably intended to block any atteht make to flee
”Well, she definitely said that Although I didn't hear anything about you lying in wait for me, Rei-san”
”Oh, I one on ahead of ht be suspicious if we both showed up, so we thought one of us should go and bring you here That's all”