Volume 33 Chapter 4 (2/2)
The small sound came out of Sachiko's mouth for an instant Then she started to s
When she thought about it, Rei supposed that it was probably a forced sreatly at the time That was because Rei could only stand there with herthe composure to smile But you'd expect that behavior from a princess
At any rate, they both becahly the same time
The introduction to Eriko-sa as Rei had expected Because there were two of them, the amount of attention they each received was halved It wasn't as though her teeth were chattering together But with Sachiko beside her, Rei was able to stand tall
It wasn't that Rei was concerned about a comparison between the two of the able to stand next to Sachiko, rather than just watching her froh they both wanted to see themselves reflected in each others eyes
That was probably a premonition
Rei see other than the five usual senses, a vision of their future selves, and their invaluable friendshi+p
On that day, the five existing inhabitants of the Rose Mansion welcomed the t arrivals with a toast of strawberry antea en bouton, Satou Sei-sao and buy thepenalized with these menial tasks now that they had some first year students
Thinking back on it, that was probably the penalty that Sei had earned by co last in the race to find a petit soeur
Well, that was how Rei's life as the petit soeur of a bouton started, but it didn't ht away
At first Sachiko naturally used the honorific '-san' when addressing her, saying things like, 'Rei-san, can you pass me that,' or 'Rei-san, this happened while you were at your club' Sachiko reat efforts to be a good petit soeur for Rosa Chinensis en bouton Co to participate in cleaning Instead, she would actively participate And the quality of her as outstanding
Co to the Rose Mansion due to club activities, Sachiko worked harder And silently, as though she were in serious training
Then one day, Rei's kendo practice ended early because thewas unavailable due to repair work So she cheerfully headed off to the Rose Mansion Today she'd be able to do all of the chores she usuallyon a day when she normally had club activities would probably make her onee-sama happy too
Opening the 'biscuit door' to the second floor clubrooantea The three of therossed in their conversation that they didn't notice Rei She should have walked in and greeted theenyou' In fact, she started to do just that But she was stopped when she heard the words that Sachiko spoke next:
”I don't think Rei's doing anything wrong”
(I'?)
No, that wasn't it Sachiko had stood up for her, denying that she was doing anything wrong
”Then what could the probleheadedness?”
”I wouldn't say that Certainly, there's a slight problem with Rei, but it's such a trivial ”
(Proble in my duties as a bouton's petit soeur because of my club activities? But my onee-sama said it was fine if I just did what I could for the Yamayurikai - )
That was certainly playing on Rei's mind, but there was another matter that had captured her attention
(Did she just call me 'Rei,' without an honorific?)
”You're not going in?”
Right at that moment, someone called out to her from behind
”Uwaah”
”What a strange greeting, froiant pipsqueak”
Rei turned around, and standing there was Satou Sei-saiant pipsqueak?'
”Oh, Rei You're here?”
Eriko-saiven that the person they had just been gossiping about had suddenly appeared In comparison, Rei was considerably more flustered
”Ah, yeah”
Sachiko and Rosa Gigantea were much the same as Eriko-sama
”Gokigenyou, Rei-san”
”Gokigenyou”
”Co the person behind you in too Heheh, I see you've finally made it here, Sei”
”You'd sue me for breach of contract if I didn't show my face around here from time to time”
Sei-sa the door knob, to Rosa Gigantea's side The usually gruood mood today
Sachiko was clearing sos down and went to prepare the tea The electric kettle wassound that indicated it was ready
As Rei was adding the tea leaves to the tea pot, she was thinking back to what Sachiko had just said
Maybe she had misheard it
”Hey, Rei-chan”
”Uwaah”
When she turned around, Satou Sei-sama was there once more
”The greeting doesn't change, huh”
”I'm sorry”
The junior wondered what they were apologizing for as they offered up the words of excuse Please forgive me, excuse me, I'm sorry, pardon me, etc etc
”You noticed it, just before, right?”
”What do you mean?”
Rei tried to teht behind her at the biscuit door It wasn't that she had heard anything Rei hadn't, but that she had seen how Rei had been too shocked to enter the room
”The lack of honorifics”
”Huh?”
”That were used By prinny[1]-pipsqueak”
Sei-sa with her back to the to Rosa Chinensis, who had just arrived
”Are you talking about Sachiko-san?”
Sei-saiant pipsqueak and prinny pipsqueak, so it was hard to follohat she was saying The convention at Lillian's Girls Acadeher grades and '-san' to the narade were usually addressed with '-san' or '-chan,' although if you were especially close you could use no honorific
”Ohhh? The giant pipsqueak is sticking with 'Sachiko-san'”
”Can you please stop calling iant pipsqueak'”
”In that case, I think I'll call you 'Rei' without an honorific If it's good enough for prinny-pipsqueak, it's good enough for me, don't you think?”
”Do as you please”
When she was in a bad h Rei didn't want to get ood lare' that the foul tempered Sei-sama menaced people as actually a form of kindness
”But, ya know, there's a bit of a disparity”
Rei was in thea cup of tea when Sei-sama said this It seemed their conversation wasn't over just yet
”You're both in the same year and both petit soeurs of a bouton Yet one of you uses an honorific and the other doesn't You'd just want to , and who has the power in the relationshi+p”
Rei was reeling slightly froestion The Yaether to lead the students, so there shouldn't be any power struggles, right?
”Pardon me Rei-san, I'll help out”
Sachiko called out and made her way over to them
”Ahh, it's okay You usually have to do everything, Sachiko-san, so while I'h it probably won't taste as good as yours”
After Rei turned to face Sachiko and replied, Sei-sama chimed in from beside her
”Don't worry, I' so it'll turn out okay”
”I wasn't worried at all”
Sachiko turned her back, apparently offended
”She used '-san'”
While Rei resuer of her left hand back and forth and said, 'No no no'
”That's because it's hard to say it to someone's face But don't you think she really wants you two to address each other in that way?”
”She wants to?”
”See Rei, about Sachiko Even though she wants to, her pride keeps her froet it?”
Is that so?
Rei looked at Sachiko's back onceto Youko-sama now
In that case
Maybe Rei should try calling her 'Sachiko' from now on
It wouldn't be possible today, so tomorrow
It was a fairly high hurdle, but if she could clear it then maybe they could have a relationshi+p more like their onee-samas
'Youko' 'Eriko' 'Sei'
It onderful how they called each other by just their given name
”Sei”
The 'big-headed' girl waved to the 'Airl as she approached the statue of Maria-sao trees
”Ahh, Eriko”
Youko, who had noticed her first, waved back Sei took a quick glance in her direction, then her shoulders started to shake as she frantically tried to keep herself fro
”What's this about?”
Eriko asked, pointing at the strange figure that was hunched over and gently oscillating Youko shrugged, seely uninterested
”Who knows?”
”Huh? You ith her, right?”
Eriko asked, after first praying at the statue of Maria-sa to pray for, it was purely for form's sake
”I ith her But then she suddenly started s I have no idea why”
Youko looked at Sei coldly
”Just out of the blue? Well that's strange”
Eriko glanced at Sei, as one into convulsions Finally, she burst into laugher, clutching her sto down her face
”Before I arrived, she didn't happen to eat soic mushrooms?”
”It's scary to think what she'd be like if she did”
The two friends folded their arirls think this was a 'good student' back when they were still at school It was a mystery
Eventually, Sei's waves of laughter subsided and she called out to Eriko and Youko, ere still standing back and watching her from a distance
”Coather around fair maidens”
”Huh?”
”And I'll regale you with a comedic tale”
A co on about, oblivious to the performance she just put on
”Like I was saying before, you're being quite strange What was so funny?”
”Sorry, sorry I was just laughing at so I remembered”
In that case itincredibly hilarious Normally you'd just snicker at a ed to suppress her laughter as she looked back this time
”So as it?”
Sei was really starting to grate on Eriko's nerves Well, they had quarreled with each other from the start Mainly that was because they both wanted different things
”Your petit soeur”
Sei said
”Rei? What happened to her?”
”TheSachiko without an honorific… heheheh”
”What are you talking about?”
Eriko grabbed Sei by the collar and said, 'Speak clearly' Sei was s as she continued
”I dunno when it was, but you and Sachiko and so in the Rose Mansion about so”
”How aue description?”
Eriko was still gritting her teeth, but the corners of her lips turned upwards as she spoke
She couldn't remember when, couldn't remember who and to top it all off they were at the Rose Mansion, chatting That left nothing to search on There were probably a few hundred separate occasions that matched those criteria
”It wasn't long after Rei and Sachiko started co to solve soazine - they were a bit of a fad within our grade - solve the puzzle and you'd win a prize”
”Ahh”
Eriko let go of Sei's collar as she reh she was talking about soo
”So what does that have to do with our petit soeurs?”
This ti, somewhat forcibly That was to be expected It was different when it was just Rei, but now that Sachiko's name had been mentioned there was no way she would stay quiet Sei continued, after giving a knowing smile
”I wasn't there at the start, so I don't know all the details, but it looked like you were getting Sachiko to do one of those probleazine was open on the table And then Sachiko got all agitated about it, right?”
”Sachiko was agitated… ”
Eriko could feel theback, bit by bit She definitely re exactly what she had been thinking for the puzzle, so she had been deliberately saying the opposite in order to provoke a reaction froh, unfortunately, Eriko couldn't recall how it had ended
”And there was soument about how to solve it”
”There probably was Although I can't remember it”
Maybe if it was so, but Eriko didn't keepthat was said when she was just chatting
”And Rei heard Sachiko talking about this, and thought she was talking about her”
”Huh?”
”Shethis is wrong,' for 'Rei's doing so'[2] It was brilliant See, she was under the i her just by her name So she should do the same”
”Say what?”
”Sachikoher without an honorific Although she recovered pretty quickly, and they've been like that ever since Pretty funny, don't you think?”
Sei laughed, and it appeared as though she would succumb to the waves of hysteria once more As for the onee-samas of the two people involved, they looked at each other with expressions of disbelief
”And you didn't think to inform Rei of this when you realized it?”
Youko asked
”What would I tell her? The funny story?”
Sei responded, poker-faced
”I see You egged Rei on, didn't you Telling her to call Sachiko, 'Sachiko'”
”Would I do that?”
Looking at Sei's s face, Eriko started to doubt her own beliefs About what type of senior Sei had been Although it was too shocking to put into words
No, it was Youko that spoke next
”Yes That's exactly what you'd do”
She said
This is supposed to be a nonsense word derived from princess The pronunciation for the two sentences is identical in japanese