Volume 33 Chapter 4 (1/2)

The graduation cereymnasium, just as Youko had hoped

”Take your seats”

The voice of the vice-principal, as leading the cerehout the auditorium

With the singing of the japanese national anthem just completed, everyone sat down in their seats as directed Other than the rustling of clothes, there was also the sound of paper rubbing together, or being used as a fan but no hint of whispering Print-outs that contained the words of the hys had been placed on the guests seats prior to the commencement of the ceremony

They were called hymns, but they weren't particularly difficult They had chosen fas that even those not well versed in Christianity would have heard before So when they heard the introduction, they would re at the lyrics

In aht as she sat down

Not just her parents, but Yoshi+no's parents too Rei's uncle had taken a day of paid vacation just so he could watch his niece's graduation ceremony - Ahh, ould you do that?

(Norht?)

However, the Hasekura and shi+ under two roofs, so what general society considered 'normal' didn't really apply to them

(Four seats for the relatives of one graduating student)

But then again, she had heard that last year her onee-sama, Torii Eriko-sama, had six people froy inside) so she wasn't as bad as that

(And that's not considering Mr and Mrs Torii, who came to see Yoshi+no)

So this was okay Rei set aside the issue of her aunt and uncle

(More importantly)

Reiabout what had happened with Chisato-chan The usually s How could that be explained?

(She said 'Rei-chan you idiot?' - Ahh)

It was certainly devastating to be called an idiot by someone other than Yoshi+no Back then Chisato-chan had nonchalantly followed that up with, 'Excusebehind Rei as still frozen from the shock Even now, Rei was still duh so back to it

(Just what kind of an idiot am I?)

Of course, it had been impossible for the 'idiot Rei-chan' to ask why she had been called an 'idiot'

And immediately before that, Chisato-chan had pinned the flower to her chest The h, with Chisato-chan expressing her gratitude

(Then)

Rei had absolutely no idea what had happened in the following one or twoabout Yoshi+no, but -

(It's no good)

Unfortunately, Rei couldn't re called an idiot

(Ahhh)

Was this okay for the graduation ceremony?

Despite having a leading role, she just couldn't concentrate

Then again

Maybe it was okay for there to be one student like this, fro class of about 230 people

They were starting to hand out the diplomas

To use a food analogy, the main dish had arrived Which wouldthe soup The scripture reading was the hors d'œuvre, and the opening speech was the apéritif Although since over half of the people in this assee, this would have to be a non-alcoholic drink

(… Why a about this?)

I'raduation cereht as she sat in the area at the front of the gy students

One by one the narade were called, at which point they would walk on stage to receive their graduation certificate before returning to their chair It felt a bit like watching television, everything seemed distant

There were probably so students ere overcome with emotion and broke down in tears, but Sachiko couldn't see anyone like that around her

If they were to start crying now, they probably wouldn't have the energy or strength to last until the end of the graduation ceremony It's never explicitly stated, but the traditional time when an announcer could say, 'Okay, you can cry now,' would be towards the end of the Lillian Girl's Acade was about to be sung

- In other words, crying during the farewell address was starting quite early

(That's fine I wasn't graduating last year)

Even as she told herself this, Sachiko realized her mistake Because now there was absolutely no way that she could cry prior to the farewell address

(Oh no)

Sachiko s beside her noticed this, and the edge of her lips turned fractionally upwards

(Don't be silly There's no way I' to cry)

Yesterday, Sachiko hadto cry during the cereraduation ceremony was Sachiko's only chance to make amends for her failure last year She'd be fine Yu that ribbon for her And Sachiko could relax, knowing that Yu after a piece of her heart

And yet, despite it being her own graduation ceremony, Sachiko couldn't concentrate on the ceremony Co like that That in the raduation cereo

”Third year chrysantheroup”

Sachiko heard the vice-principal's voice coh the microphone She raised her head This was Rei's class It also raduation certificates to two classes

Rei's family name was Hasekura, so it would be a little while before it was her turn Fast the alphabet as ordinary words, but starting with 'Ha' put it about two-thirds of the way through the alphabet

Hasekura Rei It's a good naht

They'd both attended Lillian's since kindergarten, so it was inevitable that they would meet And before Sachiko are of it, she knew Rei's face and name, and could converse with her if necessary All the while the years kept passing by They had probably been in the sah she couldn't remember when Sachiko hadn't paid much attention to who her classmates were, so events from years past hadn't really stuck in her memory

Sachiko wondered when she first became aware of Rei's existence

(… Oh)

Thinking back on it, Sachiko felt as though they hadn't had much contact until they both became a bouton's petit soeur

(But)

Sachiko had a good impression of Rei when she saw her She couldn't find a suitable word to describe it, but so close to 'admiration' was mixed in there

Perhaps a siroards, directly towards the sun Rei was that kind of radiant being

Rei's presence was gentle and fresh, never cliquey or two-faced It always felt like she was surrounded by clear air, or pure water

That was how Rei alas, both in appearance and on the inside

Years ago, Sachiko had been irls in her grade as they perfor the irl was Rei

Each individual scene was brief but shi+ning, and Sachiko's ether like the beads in a rosary to produce so

(I'd never say this to Yuhtforward type)

Speaking of Yuo

”Onee-sa each other by just your given name?”

It was probably still on Yu the '-san' honorific when addressing Yoshi+no-chan and shi+mako

”Let's see At so to do”

That had been her answer at the tih truthfully Sachiko remembered it precisely

”Ah, Sachiko”

Rei said, blushi+ng

It was co into June or July, the first se after they had both been made the petit soeur of a bouton The location was the second floor of the Rose Mansion It was after school, and the two first years were preparing tea or doing so until Rei suddenly opened her mouth

”Ye-s?”

Sachiko was surprised that the '-san' honorific had been oed

”Umm, ahh, as it?”

Rei was flailing It was obvious that it had taken all of Rei's nerve for her to be able to call out 'Sachiko' and she had cootten what she had planned to talk about

So the i wasn't what followed Rei's initial statement, but the use of 'Sachiko' itself

The specifics weren't clear, but Sachiko could tell that Rei would crumble if she were to be teased about her use of 'Sachiko' Re the honorific '-san' fro wheels from a bicycle, so there's an understandable sense of insecurity that accompanies it

”I”

Sachiko said, referencing the start of their conversation

”Wonder ould go ith black-tea cookies or teacakes”

Sachiko hadn't intended it as a life-preserver However, she couldn't stand to see Rei so flustered and silent

”Huh?”

Rei seele hole in her face wide open as she looked at Sachiko

”Having coffee with theht be a bit questionable Green tea is a definite no”

Sachiko looked away, and silently started to make some tea Black tea was normally served in the Rose Mansion, unless a special request had been made Anyway, it was not like they had any sweets prepared for today So the black-tea cookies were merely a hypothetical And if they did have black-tea cookies, there was absolutely no way they would be openly discussing it like this That would likely earn the from their seniors, who the the tea in previous years

”Well, what do you think would go ith them?”

Even though she asked this of Rei, Sachiko answered her own question after thinking about it for a short while

”Warm milk”

”Warm milk? Ahh”

Rei nodded, as though brought back to life

”What do you think, Rei?”

Sachiko thought it was proper that she should refer to Rei without an honorific If she were to address her as 'Rei-san' now, or to continue using that in the future, Rei would start to doubt herself She would then probably return to using 'Sachiko-san,' h Sachiko hadit still made her blush

It was too perfect

Even though it was couched in terms of a conversation about black-tea and cookies, it could only be interpreted as a conversation about personal preference

”Is it okay if I agree with your opinion, Sachiko?”

Rei said This tihtest shake when she said 'Sachiko'

”You're okay arm milk?”

”For now Although, I don't think I'd be able to find anything better”

”Then it's settled”

Having heard the back-and-forth, their onee-sa about that's so interesting?'

It was strange that she could still remember that Satou Sei-sama, as usually moody and rarely visited the Rose Mansion, had been there, and the burst of laughter fronificance of their conversation

(Even so)

Sachiko pondered, as she idly watched the graduation certificates being awarded Whatthe way she addressed her back then? Up until that point, Rei had always followed the convention at Lillian's by addressing Sachiko, as in the same year as her, with the honorific '-san'

And although Sachiko didn't object to being called without an honorific, no-one else had adopted Rei's way of addressing her

(Oh well, maybe I should ask her about that)

It's not like Rei was going to return to aardly addressing her as 'Sachiko-san' after all this time

”Hasekura Rei”

Sachiko's dear friend took a step forward onto the stage to receive her graduation certificate

Having received her graduation certificate and resust the third year chrysantheht:

That was fast

The graduation certificates they were given on stage were collected again as they stepped off the stage, leaving her hands currently e she had

Actually, her onee-saraduation ceremony That she had felt hollow, couldn't concentrate, worried about other things and reh the actual graduation was happening to someone else

It was exactly like she had said And so, for those graduating students who had received their diploma and had no further role to play in the ceremony, 95 of them looked at peace

”Third year pine group”

It was Sachiko's class's turn

Because Ogasawara started with an 'O', Sachiko would be called fairly early

”Ogasawara Sachiko”

Well, there you go It was her turn already

There were a lot of things that were done in alphabetical order at school, and Rei usually thought itcalled early as you wouldn't have time to prepare yourself

In that regard, 'Hasekura' was closer to the end than the s in reverse alphabetical order, but she was in the fortunate position of always being able to watch what the front-runners did and copy theh it did

As Sachiko strode onto the stage, scattered sighs of adymnasium

Sachiko was beautiful even without the rose-tinted glasses that accoure shone with the light of the proud and intelligent soul it housed Recently, this had been joined by a kindness and tenderness that polished her beauty even further This was probably Yumi-chan's influence No h, Sachiko was the epitome of an onee-sama at Lillian's Girls Academy

Sachiko received her graduation certificate and stepped down froh show-time was over It was a bit unfortunate for the next student

They had both been at Lillian's since kindergarten, but Rei had no recollection of talking privately with Sachiko prior to high school Ever since kindergarten, Sachiko had an aura about her that was different to the other students - it was as though she was already a lady Back then, Rei hadn't knohat it ht of Sachiko as the school's sole princess The polar opposite of herself, who had brandished the shi+nai ever since she becarace that was attributed to her ballet lessons

An incredibly pretty little girl

Rei was intrigued by Sachiko, but didn't kno to go about becoarteners probably felt the sa Sachiko that made her hard to know, they either kept their distance and merely watched, or spread malicious rumors about her because they didn't kno else to cope As a result, Sachiko was often alone The current Rei would have called out to Sachiko and played with her, but the Rei back then hadn't been as mature and had revered the solitary Sachiko as an 'independent woman' Of course, Rei only learned this phrase much later

During elementary school and middle school they had been in the same class numerous times, but Sachiko still remained a 'pretty princess' to Rei Eventually, Rei learned that Sachiko was the daughter of the president of a huge corporation, and realized that Sachiko really was a princess

And a princess doesn't laugh out loud, or assereeable, but because this hat she was earnestly striving for

(Which reminds me)

There was soo 'When did you start addressing Sachiko-sama without an honorific? She's a princess, so she wouldn't think of addressing you like that, right?”

Certainly, it had taken a lot of courage to first call her 'Sachiko' After all, you were talking to a 'princess'

”That's harsh I started because that's how she was addressing me When ere both bouton's petit soeurs I was still calling her Sachiko-san”

That was how she had answered, but it wasn't the truth Well, she was the first to be addressed without an honorific, but it wasn't really said to her face

- In other words, it was… one of those things

Rei could clearly re Sachiko fro much closer to her

It was May and the welcoanized by the Yamayurikai had just finished Rei was in her classrooroup, when her onee-sama-to-be, Torii Eriko-sama, approached her out of the blue, and said:

”Will you be my petit soeur?”

Since she was being asked by Rosa Foetida en bouton, Rei probably would have refused if she was allowed to sleep on it Instead, she was pressed for an im tended to dull her animal instincts Rei's intuition told her that it would be fun to be with Eriko-sa

Rei was dragged out of the classroo to be introduced to Eriko-sama's companions before the presentation of the rosary As they walked through the corridors holding hands, Rei became hesitant when she realized who Eriko-sa taken

Eriko-sa Not only her, but Rosa Gigantea and Rosa Chinensis would probably be there as well

Until then, Rei had only looked up at the Roses as they stood atop the suh school student council and aspired to be like them She hadn't yet had ti Rosa Foetida en bouton's petit soeur seemed to have been left behind in the corridor outside her classroom and replaced with anticipation

”Oh”

Eriko-sama came to a halt They were in front of the Rose Mansion

”What's this, I wonder”

That came from Rosa Chinensis en bouton, Mizuno Youko-sama

There was nothing out of the ordinary about Rosa Chinensis en bouton being near the Rose Mansion The same could be said for Eriko-sama, since she was Rosa Foetida en bouton So the reason the two boutons were looking at each other with expressions of surprise was due to the inclusion of soot it Youko-sa beside Eriko-sama And Eriko-sama was -

She recognized the first year student that was standing behind Youko-saasawara Sachiko

Eriko-sa back at her Sachiko's gaze then shi+fted to Rei, as still holding hands with Eriko-sama

Their eyes met

”Huh”