Volume 33 Chapter 3 (2/2)
Youko prodded Sei lightly on the forehead with her finger She understood that the 'interesting event' froed the topic
”And? What about Eriko? She probably thought that you raduation ceremony was over, too”
”Probably not, since she wasn't invited”
”Huh? Why not?”
For the second tiht that since she was invited Eriko would also have been invited Even after a whole year had passed, perhaps even for the rest of their lives, she seeether as one group
”Even so, I think she'll probably come”
Goronta walked off, finally tiring of people patting her
”Was that also so Yoshi+no-chan said?”
”She didn't say it, but…”
Sei looked up at the sky
”It's just a feeling I get”
”It's just a feeling I get”
Youko found herself intuitively agreeing with Sei's assurance Eriko would probably come No, make that definitely
”She'll come, but I don't want to just idly wait around for her”
Youko took out her e Of course it was to Eriko Are you really coht nohere are you? We should probably s could be said more concisely, but that wasn't in her nature
The response froe, but a direct call
”Oh, didn't Yoshi+no-chan say that ere to meet after the ceremony was over?”
Eriko was still at home Of course
”You two should go inside I'll be coate”
”Oh, that's right Okay”
Eriko's house was closer to the school's back gate When she was at school, Youko had taken that inforer part of her daily routine, it seemed to have slipped her mind
”So, anyway, how about you wait near the statue of Maria-sa like this”
”It's alright Take your time”
Youko ended the call and turned around Sei was still looking upwards
”What's up?”
This tiaze seemed to be a bit lower than that Probably at a branch of the pluht pink floas bloo
”A bird”
”Bird?”
”A warbler was chirping tweet-tweet-tweet as it pecked at a flower Fascinating”
In that case it was probably a white-eye Despite liking animals and plants, Sei was disinterested in their names or species Inna them to classify people
”Eriko said we should go inside”
Youko thought that as long as she could remember her friends, it was fine
”Did she say she was co?”
Sei's upward looking face returned to its normal position
”She said she was co”
It would have been inexcusable for Youko to laugh at such an innocent looking face
Passing through the ates they entered into a reception area where two desks and chairs were set up, with a student receptionist at each one One was resting her chin on her hands, the other was stifling a yawn
They probably would have beenpeak hour Since there would be hardly anyone arriving now, they had probably reduced the number of students rostered on
”Huh”
When the girls at the reception desk saw the faces of the people standing before them, they were so surprised they juure of speech Their backsides literally left the chairs
”Ro, Rosa…!”
Except for the first years, everyone probably still remembered the faces of Youko and Sei
”The former ones”
They were no longer high school seniors So they no longer had an obligation to correct students if they were resting their chin on their hands, or stifling a yawn While they didn't have an obligation, it wasn't in Youko's nature to let this pass Thankfully, the students corrected their behavior voluntarily Youko felt like she was getting dragged back into the past
Sei showed her Lillian's Girls University student card and Youko signed in with her nah the reception area Even though they had arrived at such a half-baked time, the reason they weren't questioned was probably because they were graduates No, wait, they were questioned Theto the security guard, and, upon seeing the?' and 'How's university?'
”This takes me back”
Sei said as they walked along the path lined with ginkgo trees
”Even though you go to Lillian's university?”
”I've walked in a little way past the gates, but I haven't been this far along the path”
”I see”
”And if I have soh school area, I can just take the path fros”
Ahh, so that's how it is Maybe it would be a little bit e too That's understandable
You would see road wearing so other than a school uniform
During special events, like the athletics festival, or the school carnival, or the graduation cere ht that it would be an incredibly strong sensation
”You're praying?”
Sei asked Youko, as she clasped her hands together in front of the statue of Maria-sama
”Yeah”
Even though Youko had graduated, it would be strange to suddenly stop She didn't pray at hoht, but she had no reason not to pray when in front of the statue of Maria-sama Much the same as she would pray when in front of an altar at a shi+nto shrine
”You once told rave site was in a Buddhist temple, Youko And to make matters worse, you came to Lillian's at the start of middle school”
”What do you mean, to make matters worse?”
Sei probably wanted to say that her Christianity was a convenience Well, Youko couldn't really deny it
”Even at university there's people like that Every day during lunch, they'll voluntarily go out and pray But they're not the same type of person as shi+ it out of inertia A habit, if you like If they don't pray, they'll feel bad That kind of thing”
”Yeah, I guess so”
There's probably a lot of japanese people like that Even the pious shi+ets home
”Well then, what should we do?”
Eriko had said she didn't want to keep the, but it would probably take her 5 to 10 minutes to arrive since she had still been at home
”How about we take a stroll over there?”
That should be okay, as long as they didn't go too far
”Ahh, wait up”
Sei called out to Youko, who had started to walk off Youko ondering what that was all about and turned around to see Sei standing in front of the statue of Maria-sa
”You're praying”
Somewhat surprised, Youko called out in wonder
”Oh, it's nothing”
Sei said, see time, but still didn't really understand her
”Well, let's go then”
Having finished her prayer, Sei walked down a different path to the one Youko had been heading down
”Wait, where are you going?”
Youko hurriedly stopped Sei by grabbing her elbow For soly without any destination in rin on her face when she had said, 'Let's go'
”Well… look”
Youko stepped in without waiting to hear Sei's admission
”We can't go to the gymnasium”
”It'll be fine We'll just take a peek”
Youko had been spot on Sei had been planning on going to watch the graduation ceremony
”No means no”
There was no way they could 'just take a peek' If that was allowed, they wouldn't have receptionists and security stationed at all the entrances That hy Eriko's boyfriend (as his narounds last year, but wasn't allowed in to see the graduation ceremony
”Then we'll ht in”
Youko braced herself and put all her strength into stopping Sei's forward motion
”Absolutely not”
If they went to the gymnasiunized But people who arrive late are incredibly conspicuous, even if they take their seats quietly That's okay for regular parents and relatives But they would be recognized by most of the students and that would cause a s to a huge disruption inside the gymnasium
Youko couldn't let that happen
Graduation cereraresses solee success
”I' petit soeur's graduation ceremony”