Volume 32 Chapter 5 (1/2)
She wasn't sure who it was that initially proposed the idea of having a sweet bun feast
Was it Minori-sempai, or had she proposed it herself - Ayane pondered this as she ran her pencil across her sketchbook
It must have came from one of them
It came from one of them, but that proposal had been taken up and now looked like it was going to happen Why? Because they had been searching Searching for an excuse for the two of theether
Two o'clock in the arts rooraduation ceremony
Until last week, the walls had been filled with oil paintingsclass, but these had all been returned to their creators In contrast, the plastic busts that usually looked down fro cans used for still-life pictures, dried flowers and other such things were casually piled on one of the tables in the corner The floor looked as though someone had cleaned it, but there still re
The first thing you noticed when you walked into the art roos - the oil paints, the chelue as well as a nuet used to it 'Just like the smells in the toilet,' was how Minori-seh Ayane didn't really approve of that
The art club's farewell party took place about a week ago After school, their faculty advisor had bought cake sets for each of the club's members from a local cafe which they ate here It was the first tirettably, it smelled of oil paints (Incidentally, last year when they had ramen noodles at the farewell party, the smell was unaffected)
So the farewell party was quickly wrapped up The third years all retrieved their belongings from the club room and the preparation roooodbye was over, but Ayane felt as though there was still so that hadn't been done
She hadn't been able to properly say 'Goodbye' to Minori-se around in her head
So when she heard about the half-day holiday on the day before the graduation cere a sweet bun feast with just the two of the was still too difficult for the two of theht
Needless to say, there were no club activities today, so after school the two of them were free to paint whatever they wanted in the art room
Ayane would often eat bread crusts When she sketched with charcoal, she used the white part of bread in place of an eraser, so the crust would always be left over Not wanting to let it go to waste, she'd pop the crust into her mouth
That's right, it was because she didn't leave anything behind that the conversation turned to eating bread, which led to today's sweet bun feast
Unfortunately, they weren't taking food around to the classes today so she couldn't put in an advance order It would be a disaster if they were sold out She had planned on rushi+ng over to Milk Hall after horoup raduation cerehly,' and she hadn't been able to easily slip away
Ayane had arranged with Minori-seot there first would buy the buns When Ayane got to theirmachines, she didn't see Minori-seht four buns Just as she was collecting her change, someone tapped her on the shoulder
”What should I do with these?”
When Ayane turned around, Minori-se wryly as she held six buns she had just purchased
”I called out to you three times Didn't you hear me?”
Minori-sempai said she hadn't called out a fourth ti such a spectacle of herself The short senior had been hidden ast the crowd of people
So that hy the table in front of her currently held six buns
Four of them had already been eaten
Even so, it was re the set of ten they didn't have two of the same item It may just be her sense of style, but Ayane found the , as well as their contents, aesthetically pleasing
Because the goal of this wasn't just to eat pastries in the arts roo once they had eaten their fill
”Since ent to all that trouble, why don't we sketch the buns?”
Minori-sempai took two sketchbooks from the shelf and handed the one that had 'Ayane' written on it to her
”Oh? Sempai, you haven't taken your sketchbook home yet?”
”Nope”
The sketchbook that her senior had placed down for her own use had 'Minori' written on it
”I was going to take everything home, but I felt like I'd have to co So I took a chance and left it here”
”Hmm”
Ayane understood, somewhat It was the same as her - Minori-se left to do
”So I' to take it home today”
It was at that time that Ayane realized this really was the end But what could be a more appropriate way to end it than this
”I'm sorry, but can I borrow one of your pencils, Ayane-chan?”
Minori-sempai had only left her sketchbook here, so she didn't have any pencils suitable for sketching
”Sure”
Ayane retrieved her plastic case which contained about 15 pencils fro the lid, she said, 'Take whichever you want,' to which Minori-sempai said, 'Any one is fine,' and picked out a 2B pencil without looking
”Any one but that”
Ayane split her kneadable eraser in two and tossed one of the parts to her senior
Right, right
Despite having all these buns, they didn't have any plain white bread so today they wouldn't be able to do charcoal sketches
And so the two of the each other, with the sweet buns on the table between thean to sketch
The rule was that when they got hungry they could reach out and take any of the buns they wanted Because they were facing each other, they didn't kno far the other's picture had progressed So there was always the possibility that the bun you were currently working on would be eaten, and vice versa, ame
”That reminds me”
Minori-sempai stretched out her hand and took one of the buns
”Ah”
Ayane wasn't disciplined enough to keep herself fro out
”Oh, was that a 'bingo'?”
”No, not really”
Not really, how? Actually, she'd hit the jackpot Ayane was in thetouches on that cream bun in her picture
But there was no point saying anything Now that the package had been opened and a bite taken out of the bun, putting it back on the table wouldn't have helped
”Hehehe, you don't look like you'd be very good at 'Old maid', Ayane-chan”
Not only that, but she'd been co to hide it Ayane brazenly turned the pages of her sketchbook until she arrived at a clean page There were still four buns reain
Old maid was probably Minori-sempai's specialty When Ayane had taken one of the buns she hadn't even batted an eyelid When Ayane had tried to feint and hold her hand over various buns to try and get a reaction, nothing But it didn't see From the other side of her sketchbook ca across the paper Occasionally, there was also the sound of her using the kneadable eraser
”What did you mean by 'that reminds me'?
Flustered, Ayane changed the topic
”Huh?”
”You said that earlier As you were taking the bun”
”Oh, really? Hmm, what could it have been”
She'd already forgotten You're probably no good at the card gaht Minori-sempai? Perhaps her shoulder had become sore, as Minori-sempai stood up from her chair and stretched
”Oh, Rosa Chinensis en bouton is running through the courtyard”
Having been beckoned over, Ayane walked to Minori-sempai's side and looked out theReally, it wasn't so interesting that Ayane would noro out of her way to see it Because she was in the sarade as Rosa Chinensis en bouton, fukuzawa Yumi-san, she'd often see her in the hallway or wherever So it wasn't a rare sight for Ayane
”Shall ager on where she's going?”
”Ehh - ”
For a , 'Nice to have so much free time,' but then it's not like they were in a rush to finish their sketches In that case, she thought it would be okay and when Minori-sempai said, 'On the count of three,' she readied herself to say the location she had struck upon
”Milk Hall”
”Milk Hall Huh, the same? Why?”
Why indeed Usually you could tell the destination of so from the direction they were headed And earlier, when they'd been in Milk Hall, Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida had been in there, so she was probably running to meet them
”Oh well I suppose I'll take the old greenhouse then”
”But how are we going to find out the answer?”
It would have iven them a piece of paper with the answer on it beforehand, but she hadn't, so they had no way of finding the answer The could have called out, 'Hey Yumi-san,' but their voices wouldn't have reached her from this distance
”Ho up and ask Yumi-san directly, as punishment?”
Minori-seh she had just hit upon a great idea
”… so then hoe decide who the loser is?”
”Ahh”
Minori-seh only just realizing this Must be soer was the buns, the bet was abandoned
”That Yunboards all by herself”