Volume 33 Chapter 5 (1/2)
”The farewell address”
The vice-principal announced
”The students' representative, second year wisteria class, Toudou shi+mako”
shi+ed her name with a 'Here' and rose from her chair
Sitting in front of her, Katsura-san turned around and whispered, 'Good luck' Her fellow classmates smiled at her as she walked by, and shi+mako nodded to them as she made her way to the aisle that split the neat rows of chairs
The gyht in front of her
It was shi+e and to deliver a speech that would send forth the graduating seniors
Her heartbeat gradually picked up pace
shi+mako took a deep breath, then slowly started to walk forwards There was no turning back now When she next walked down this path, it would be after she had co in the opposite direction, returning to her seat
When she reached the aisle that signalled the boundary between the graduating seniors and the re students, shi+mako once more came to a halt
With approximately 450 current students at her back, shi+ class
Maria-sama, please look after them
Keep them from harm
Unusually, shi+mako made a direct request of Maria-sama Probably because of the pressure associated with this task - The pressure on shi+mako, that is
”Ahh, Toudou-san”
It was the middle of February, and afternoon homerooe of leaving the classroo, 'Do you have a moment?'
”Yes”
Her teacher aiting with one foot in the classroom and one foot in the hallway If the door were to re her classet cold, so shi+h that situation would be unavoidable It was al, and all the s in the classroom would be thrown open
”When you've finished cleaning, please go and see Yamamura-sensei”
”Hmm?”
”She'll be waiting for you in the staff room”
”Okay”
”Do you have any questions?”
”No”
”Okay then, I'll leave you to it”
Having concisely delivered the e, her homeroom teacher walked briskly down the hallway shi+ure, when a voice that caht beside her ear suddenly inquired:
”What did our teacher want?”
”Augh”
shi+mako's heart leapt in her chest, but her body didn't follow so she hadhas she been there? shi+mako looked to her side, and her class for her response
”She toldThat Ya there”
There was nothing particularly secret about what shi+mako had been told, so she responded openly Her hoht it better not to announce it in front of the whole class If it was so secret, shi+mako's teacher probably would have taken her somewhere else to tell her But there was really no need for secrecy when the e was simply that Yamamura-sensei had asked for her to come to the staff room
”Why?”
Katsura-san shook her head
”Who knows…”
shi+mako shook her head in the same manner
”You didn't ask?”
”Because it's Yaht?”
What would she ask her hoo to the staff room and meet Yamamura-sensei, but she wouldn't knohy
”But, you know Normally a teacher would ask why another teacher wanted to see one of their students, right? 'What business do you have withShe'd definitely ask She'd know”
Katsura-san's voice was like that of a child coaxing a reluctant toy
”You ht Ahh”
”What?”
”You just reminded me Our teacher asked, 'Do you have any questions?'”
”Well there you go The correct response would have been, 'Why does Yamamura-sensei want to see me?'”
Katsura-sanher exasperation with shi+ht better of it
”Then again, the conversation wasn't a complete loss”
”Why so?”
”Well, you wouldn't want a hint if it was so unpleasant So when our teacher asked you, 'Do you have any questions?' it was probably because she wanted to tell you Right?”
Indeed, that's one way of looking at it
”Katsura-san, you're so smart”
”Why does it feel strange when you're saying that to me, shi+mako-san”
Katsura-san had an inscrutable look on her face as she said this shi+ht it would be nice if she could understand her more easily
”Why is it so strange? … Ah”
After shi+h a support that had been holding up her body had been re this, but she wasn't sure what it was they were trying to convey
”What is it now?”
Ahh, right, she didn't have ti about this at the moment
”Cleaning First we have to do the cleaning”
shi+ether, then went back into the classrooo to the staff room
shi+ the classrooh school's staff room It was Yamamura-sensei who first noticed her, and beckoned her over, saying 'Come here, come here'
”Just wait for a while Until two et here”
Ya aup so some lost-and-found items The teacher who sat beside Yamamura-sensei wasn't there currently, so Yamamura-sensei pulled out the chair and said, 'Have a seat' to shi+mako
”Two more people?”
shi+estured her refusal of the offered chair She hadn't heard that anyone else had been invited
”That's right You're the first to arrive”
”Ahh”
At this point, Katsura-san would have definitely asked some questions 'What's your business with me?' or 'Who else have you asked to come here?' But as she looked at the teacher who had resuh she shouldn't interrupt her Instead, she reflected on whether she had arrived too early
At any rate, what could she want from me?
Yamamura-sensei
She was one of shi+h they had no interaction whatsoever But shi+ noteworthy during class lately And even if she had, and it had been a problem, then her teacher probably would have corrected her on the spot
When she arrived, Yamamura-sensei hadn't said that she'd mistakenly called for her when she meant someone else But the conversation would start when those two unknown people arrived, so all shi+mako could do ait
Just knowing that two other people had been called here could uess at why they were called
If Yoshi+no-san were here, it would be obvious Yamamura-sensei was the faculty advisor for the kendo club, and Yoshi+no-san was a member of that club
(But I'm not involved with kendo at all)
So there was no way she was being scouted for the club
shi+ether and looked up For soht in front of her
shi+ She had just been thinking about Yoshi+no-san, and then Yoshi+no-san appeared Instantly Like ic, or a vision
”I knew it'd be you, shi+mako-san”
But Yoshi+no-san was real After tapping shi+ently on the shoulder, she turned towards the staff room entrance and called out, loudly:
”He-y, Yumi-san shi+mako-san's here too”
”Ah, umm”
”Just wait Yuht now”
”Ahh, why are you here?”
shi+ on
”Huh? We were called here”
”I didn't call you here”
It was true she had been thinking of Yoshi+no-san, but she had never possessed the ability to summon someone to her side before now, nor had anyone even informed her that she had this power
”I know It was Yamamura-sensei who called us here”
”Oh, I see Huh, Yamamura-sensei!?”
So, did thatfor were Yoshi+no-san and Yumi-san? shi+mako wanted to confirm this, but Ya back and forth around here a while ago
”Ahh, you're right, shi+mako-san's here”
Upon reflection, shi+ about Yu She breathed a sigh of relief
”Yumi-san, you're also here to see Yamamura-sensei?”
”'Also'? So that means you're here to see her too?”
Yuether in a show of surprise, then came over Based on her reaction, it appeared that Yumi had no idea why they had been called here either She even asked, 'I wonder how ?'
”Do you knohy the three of us were called here?”
”Don't you think it's because we're the next Roses?”
”…It could be”
That would probably be the first thing that came to mind when asked what they had in common The student council election that was held at the end of January had confirht h all of their minds
”Could it have so to do with the plans for the Valentines Day dates?”
To sternly warn the any disturbances
”In that case, Maht?”
Or, rather, Maether Since it was the newspaper club that had organized the Valentines Day treasure hunt and the prize of a date with one of the future Roses
Then, what? They all looked at each other What had they been brought here to be told?
At the very least, shi+mako was convinced that it was unrelated to kendo due to Yumi-san's appearance
”Ahh, shi+mazu-san and fukuzawa-san have arrived too Splendid I'”
Yaht and breezy, to bloay the shadow that her arrival had cast over their faces
”Since you're all here, shall we go now?”
”Okay?”
Despite not knoas going on, the trio could only nod in agreement and follow after Yamamura-sensei
”U?”
shi+mako asked
”It's impossible to have a calm conversation in the staff rooht we'd go someplace else”
At this ti - it wasn't just students here to see a teacher, but also those ere returning the cleaning logs and club et the key to their clubrooms
Yamamura-sensei took a key from the pocket of the jersey that she wore over her sweater instead of a cardigan and wound the strap around her fingers
”And this way, I thought we could have a full and frank discussion”
The words 'Educational Guidance Room' ritten on the strap
”The farewell address”
The vice-principal announced
”The students' representative, second year wisteria class, Toudou shi+mako”
Seated some distance away, Yu called with a 'Here'
It's finally starting
”Second year pine group, shi+mazu Yoshi+no”
”Here”
Unlike the previous answer, this 'Here' ca could be heard fro the farewell address? That was undoubtedly what they wereabout
The vice principal paused for aso
”Second year pine group, fukuzawa Yumi”
When the third na this silence, Yu out
Yumi hadn't itated by a recent bout of coughing Judging by the chuckles that were co, Yu Or perhaps their cheeks were just relaxing after the shock of first two and then three na called to deliver the farewell address, when they only expected one
Either way, it didn't matter Yumi put it from her mind
The truth was, the gy to be devoid of sound - be it hing Or take the sound of the human heartbeat You wouldn't be able to live if you were bothered by each and every one
Yuap between the chair in front and the knees of her classmates shi+mako-san and Yoshi+no-san, whose na there for her
The gye was in front of Yumi
To take that stage and deliver the farewell address to the graduating seniors was the duty that had been given to her
It's okay Don't cry
At this very moment, Yumi was a representative of all the students enrolled at this school
So the only time it would be acceptable for her to cry hen all the first and second year students were also crying
Not just a third, but all of them
Having told herself this, Yue
Onee-sama
This farewell address is for all the third years
But there's also a e in there that won't be apparent to anyone other than you
Please understand this
”Frankly, it's about the farewell address”[1]
Yamamura-sensei said, after they had entered the Educational Guidance room
”Cleaning…”
Since it was that tiht that Ya' shi+mako-san and Yoshi+no-san seemed to hear it the same way too
”Well, we don't have to talk about this while we're standing, have a seat”
”Okay”
Despite her answer, Yumi was a student who hadn't needed any Guidance with her Education, so wasn't too familiar with this particular room She honestly couldn't determine which seat it would be appropriate for her to sit in In the center was a sofa, like soe suite, but was that the position of power, or not?
”Anywhere's fine Look, I'll sit here, so you three can sit over that side”
Yoshi+no-san, shi+mako-san and Yumi all followed Yamamura-sensei's brisk instructions and sat down Yumi wondered if shi+ the sole current Rose, or a manifestation of the lack of confidence from the two members of pine class One way or the other, it felt like they were relying on shi+mako-san
”Don't be so stiff I don't have any quibbles with your behavior at school”
Their teacher smiled, but the three students couldn't see where this conversation was going and so weren't able to smile back
The Educational Guidance room seemed quite spacious when it was just the four of the But Yumi knew When you craht indeed
This was the roo the 'Yellow Rose Turmoil' incident, the rooated
”Earlier, you said this was about the cleaning”
shi+mako-san cut to the chase
”Which cleaning are you talking about?”
”Which one? Well, for the graduation ceremony, of course”
”So, the gymnasium then”
”Naturally”
At this point, none of the four people in the roo about different things
”What are you asking us to do?”
shi+mako-san asked matter-of-factly, still under the iymnasiu the gyraduation ceremony If that tradition continued, ere they called here to discuss this?
”Basically, I'd like the three of you to perform the farewell address”
”The three of us?”
The previously silent Yoshi+no-san shot back, half jokingly
”I know it's a break with tradition, but won't you take this on?”
No kidding it's a break with tradition Unexpectedly, all three of them simultaneously shouted out:
”It's impossible for three people”
At this point, their teacher seemed pained as she looked from face to face
”So, you'd all prefer to do it individually?”
”What?”
”Huh?”
Finally, they all realized That there was soht about their conversation
”Farewell address and cleaning, huh”
There was a thawing as they took this in A farewell address, then That makes sense