Volume 1 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Sat.u.r.day.
Just about two and a half hours after noon, there was a gift from the cooking room to the Rose Mansion.
”Second-year cherry blossom. We're opening a curry stand for the festival, and we'd like to request a tasting.”
”Wah!”
A strong, spicy scent roused her appet.i.te. They had been rehearsing for the play on the second floor, but everyone had stopped, and quickly moved the table back from the corner to the center.
”Please.”
Three students wearing pink ap.r.o.n-dresses labeled ”Sakuratei” took out three dishes each from a Ramen-shop delivery box and placed them on the table.
”Oops, there's one extra.”
They c.o.c.ked their heads. They had brought nine, for eight.
”Who said it was three times three?”
”Oh, oops. Rosa Gigantea had no second-year.”
They were whispering to each other, but it was very audible. Yumi had already been counted, in a very matter-of-fact way.
”It's better than too little, isn't it? May I have the extra one, too?”
The three students from Sakuratei were relieved by Rosa Gigantea's suggestion, and so the problem with the number of dishes was resolved. Finally, they could get to sampling the food.
”It's a trial product, so please, be honest.”
There was a bank of rice in the middle of the elliptical dish, and on either end was a different curry sauce. A red curry with ripe tomatoes, and a white curry using coconut milk as its base.
They had eaten lunch two hours earlier, but as they were hungry from rehearsal, everyone eagerly lifted their chopsticks, or spoons.
”Being able to eat two types of curry on one dish is nice. &h.e.l.lip; But, I think there might be too much sauce compared to the amount of rice?”
Was Rosa Chinensis' first impression.
”The colors, also, might be a bit bland?”
Rosa Gigantea said.
”Green is missing. Boiled broccoli, asparagus&h.e.l.lip; turnips or pickles, anything, but I think you should place something green on the dish.”
”Green. Come to think of it, that's true.”
The Sakuratei students earnestly took notes.
”Maybe you should cook rice with a little less water? Personally, I prefer a bit drier rice.”
Said Rosa Foetida, and s.h.i.+mako-san answered, ”I like rice puffed up like this.” Then, they took a survey of everyone at the table, which resulted in three preferring ”drier” rice, three preferring ”puffy” rice and two not caring either way. Yumi raised her hand for ”not caring,” and she felt to a certain degree, her personality was shown in her answer.
There were some selfish comments, like Sachiko-sama's ”I don't like coconuts, in general,” but as expected of the people at the Rose Mansion, everyone was offering earnest advice for the tasting. By contrast, Yumi could only offer the unhelpful comment of, ”I think it's good,” and so she felt a bit apologetic.
”We'll head back and discuss it, then. We'll come back later to pick up the dishes, so feel free to just leave them there.”
They hurried back to the cooking room, saying they were scheduled to take a peek into the staff room, count the number of heads, and deliver food.
”Speaking of which, what time is it?”
Rosa Chinensis flipped her hand and looked at her thin, silver wrist.w.a.tch in response to Rosa Gigantea's question. Not just Rosa Gigantea, but almost everyone glanced at a nearby clock to confirm. -Two fifty. The three first-years began cleaning up the dishes.
”Almost three. Oh, yeah.”
”We need to go pick him up.”
”Who shall we send?”
The Roses softly discussed among themselves.
”Um, what should we do about the extra dish?”
Yumi pointed at the dish Rosa Gigantea mentioned earlier, as she wiped the table. Perhaps Rosa Gigantea planned to eat it now, or perhaps she meant to keep it until after the rehearsal. If she was going to save it for later, it was probably prudent to move it to a different plate and stick it in the refrigerator, as cleaning the dishes for the cooking students was something she preferred to have done now.
”Perfect. Yumi-chan can we ask you to do a ch.o.r.e?”
Rosa Gigantea said.
”Eh?”
”There's a person waiting for us by the main gate, if you could bring that person to us.”
”Fine with me&h.e.l.lip;?”
Yumi wondered who it could be. The main gate meant it was not a person from within the school.
”We'll have that person eat the curry.”
”Ah.”
Rosa Gigantea explained, today was the day the Hanadera student council leader was arriving to join rehearsals. They had gotten permission from the school, but a young man walking alone into a girls' school was not a good idea, so they had promised to send someone to escort him.
”Why are we treating an outsider?”
Sachiko-sama spoke, unpleasantly, and Rosa Chinensis curtly answered.
”It would be impolite if only we are spicy.”
Even Sachiko-sama had to feel sorry for the Hanadera guy, who would be surrounded by people who had just eaten curry with garlic. Either that, or she preferred not to have that image of herself, regardless of who the opponent was.
”Eight minutes left.”
Rosa Foetida began counting down.
”But I don't know how that person looks?”
”There are not a whole lot of Hanadera students waiting by the main gate. His name is Kas.h.i.+wagi-san. He's a pretty nice-looking guy, so you'll recognize him immediately.”
Yumi hurried out, spurred on by the words, seven and a half minutes left.
It took a bit over ten minutes to walk from the Rose Mansion to the main gate. How long would it take if she walked quickly?
(Ahh, shoot.)
Yumi hurried back after stepping out. She could keep her indoor shoes on if she were just traversing the courtyard, but she would need shoes to walk to the main gate. There was a barrier of fallen gingko nuts, after all, along the way.
One minute lost due to the detour to the shoe box. She would have to run.
She disturbed her plaited skirt just a tad, she let her sailor scarf overturn a tiny bit, and she paid care to not step on gingko nuts. It was exactly three o'clock when she arrived at the main gate.
(Please don't be here, yet.)
When she stepped out of the gate, a Hanadera Inst.i.tute uniform was waiting right in front of her. Still, even though the uniform was identical to the one her brother wore, his height allowed him to look 20% more grand, a fascinating effect.
”Excuse me, are you Kas.h.i.+wagi-san?”
”Ah, yes.”
He lifted his head and smiled.
”Are you the person sent by the Yamayurikai? Kas.h.i.+wagi Suguru, pleased to meet you.”
The pitiful prince that was hated by Cinderella was a pretty good looking young man.
Kas.h.i.+wagi-san is a third-year at the Hanadera Inst.i.tute. As he'd already received an early acceptance into the Hanadera University, he was able to be the student council leader despite it being this otherwise busy time period for third-year students, and he was also able to help out with other school festivals. A man of such elegant social status, is how he introduced himself on the roadside while walking with Yumi.
”I must say, unlike Lillian, it seems like Hanadera's rather prepared for examination conditions?”
”Indeed. Thus, I was saved because the early-acceptance entries were low in number.”
”Right&h.e.l.lip;”
Hanadera University was extremely high level, so it supposedly only accepted up to thirty students with exceptional records from its affiliate high schools without any exam. Those that failed to grab an early acceptance would then take an exam for Hanadera University, as well as other schools, so it had an image of a school that had high examination requirements.
(That means, this person is a super elite&h.e.l.lip;!)
A slender figure, a generous mask, a well-mannered att.i.tude to other people, and a brilliant mind and leaders.h.i.+p ability to boot. Just how could Sachiko-sama complain about a man like this?
”Ah, the Maria statue.”
Kas.h.i.+wagi-san stopped at the fork in the road.
”When Lillian students pa.s.s by, they always stop and put their hands together, correct?”
”You're very knowledgeable.”
”Yes. For whatever reason, in my household, men go to Hanadera, and women go to Lillian. My mother, my grandmother, my aunt, and my cousin all went to Lillian.”
Whether he was just acting the part, he put together his hands and closed his eyes. Because of this, Yumi was also able to pray, in peace. Because it was such a habit, she felt bad every time she neglected to perform the rite.
”With Maria-sama watching like this, Lillian students really cannot do anything bad.”
Kas.h.i.+wagi-san mumbled, having opened his eyes.
”Anything bad?”
”I don't know. Girls' schools and boys' schools have bad standards of 'bad,' so I can't give a specific example.”
”Shakyamuni watches over Hanadera, though, right?”
”Even so, there is no statue in clear view like this.”
Hanadera Inst.i.tute was a Buddhist school.
After taking a left at the fork, there was another fork. When you took a right, the high school facilities were on your left.
”Please come in here.”
She led him to the visitor entrance and took a slipper from the shoe box.
”I should have brought indoor shoes, it seems. I heard we were to rehea.r.s.e in the gymnasium, so I just brought my indoor athletics shoes.”
”It's alright.”
He seemed to feel awkward wearing visitor slippers while wearing a school uniform.
”I apologize, could you wait here a moment? I'm going to change into my indoor shoes.”
With that, Yumi hurried outside. Ah, how busy. She turned around, entered from the main entrance, changed shoes, and now had to return, this time from indoors.
(Huh&h.e.l.lip;?)
She thought she saw Sachiko-sama.
(Was I seeing things? Sachiko-sama should be at the Rose Mansion still.)
That shadow vanished to the library road as Yumi watched. She thought she should chase, for a moment, but then realized there was no need for her to investigate whether that was Sachiko-sama or not, and she had a guest to attend to, anyways.
(Oh, well, I guess I'll ask Sachiko-sama later.)
Thus, Yumi remembered her original mission and ran to the other side.
”Welcome, Kas.h.i.+wagi-sama.”
”Thank you for transporting yourself all this distance today.”
”Ahh, please, put down your luggage here.”
The Roses smiled their special smiles and welcomed the visitor.
”Thank you for the invitation. It is a wonderful mansion.”
The person named Kas.h.i.+wagi Suguru seemed extremely used to the situation. He was very settled down, a curious man, who was pulled into the Rose Mansion, a building that could only be called ”strange” by an outsider. Then, despite being surrounded by girls of similar age, conducted himself sociably without any hint of timid-ness.
”My little brother would come home flushed and crying from this situation&h.e.l.lip;”
Having completed her important job, Yumi stood off to the side, relieved, and watched the scene.
”Oh, Yumi-chan has a little brother?”
Rosa Gigantea was unwrapping the curry dish, having stepped out of the circle and walked next to Yumi.
”Yes. At Hanadera Inst.i.tute.”
”Being flushed is more normal. Being this sociable at a high school age is kind of creepy.”
She was talking about Kas.h.i.+wagi-san, and although they were far away and probably couldn't be heard, Yumi still felt a pang of fear.
”Rosa Gigantea's mouth is as sharp as the taste of coconut curry&h.e.l.lip;”
”Then it wasn't that spicy?”
Rosa Gigantea laughed heartily.
She was searching around with her hand, so Yumi handed her the spoon, that was being guarded by a paper napkin.
”Thank you.”
”It's cooled, you're still serving it to him?”
She asked with a whisper, and the response she got was a childish ”well, duh.”
”Speed is the name of the game. If we don't make him eat, soon, Lillian students will be stuck with the label, 'smell like curry.' Unfortunately there is nothing quite as handy as a microwave in the Rose Mansion, anyways.”
It would have been faster if she just said that. Regardless, Rosa Gigantea said, ”I apologize for keeping you waiting,” a decidedly uncharacteristic sort of behavior, and placed the cold curry in front of the student council leader from the neighboring school.
”Sakuratei special menu, named 'Curry that's good even when it's cold.'”
What a liar.
As she walked back, Rosa Gigantea, out of view of the customer, stuck out her tongue and laughed.
”You may have already eaten lunch, but as you are a man, I hope you could eat this, too?”
”As you will be partic.i.p.ating in the rehearsals with us, please, do fill your stomach, first.”
Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida both spoke in a nonchalant manner, but they very proactively recommended him to eat. As expected, even if he were to never notice, they were not so keen on having eaten curry and being near a guy who hadn't.
”Of course. Thank you for the treat.”
And as expected of a man, Kas.h.i.+wagi. He said, ”Itadakimasu” with full expression and began eating the two-colored curry. Even with people watching, he ate fluidly and without hesitation.
”What do you think?”
”What, do you mean?”
”What do you think of him?”
At first, she didn't know what Rosa Gigantea meant. So she responded, ”He eats like they do in the curry commercials,” but that was a huge miss.
”Not that. The Hanadera student council leader, it's your first time seeing him isn't it?”
”Yes.”
”I'm asking about your impression of him.”
”Impression.”
Yumi glanced at Kas.h.i.+wagi-san. He was half-finished with eating. Perhaps it was his personality, but both colors were evenly diminished.
”Intellectual, sociable, and punctual. Also, he is refres.h.i.+ng.”
Rosa Gigantea nodded, ”yes yes,” as she listened to Yumi.
”Objectively, how do you think of him as a guy?”
”How&h.e.l.lip;?”
What in the world are you talking about, Rosa Gigantea? Was she trying to be a formal marriage mother?
”I'm not really good with that angle, so I'm asking Yumi-chan, a normal girl.”
”Huh!?”
She had no idea what was going on. So she answered half-heartedly.
”Objectively, he's a pretty good line to follow&h.e.l.lip;”
Still chewing away at curry, he probably couldn't have even imagined two girls standing by the sink would be talking about this.
”- so that would mean, he pa.s.ses.”
As Sachiko-sama's partner, Rosa Gigantea said. In this play, there was an ulterior motive of trying to beat Sachiko-sama's hate of men.
”Sachiko's household is quite bizarre. Her grandfather and father both have many mistresses. There are people that stupidly think that's the true nature of men, but those type of men really don't know how women feel. So, girls like Sachiko, stuck around that sort of men, end up with an intense hatred of all men.”
The concubines of the Ogasawara family men were quite famous, Rosa Gigantea whispered. People with stature and prestige had a hard time keeping that sort of thing under wraps, apparently. Of course, that means Sachiko-sama knew about her father's relations.h.i.+p with women.
”I see, hating men, has a reason behind it.”
”Pretty much. I mean, liking men takes so much less explaining.”
So what they needed was a perfect, clean man with absolutely no c.h.i.n.ks in his armor.
If Sachiko-sama were to be in a play with such a man, she might recognize the better virtues and qualities of men, and everything would end happily. Was how they wanted to script everything.
”But, I wonder if it'll go that well&h.e.l.lip;”
”Don't worry. He won't draw near Sachiko-sama too much, even by mistake.”
It had nothing to do with making them a couple, or anything. The first step was simply placing a ”good man” near her. It was none other than Rosa Gigantea who fired the white-plumed arrow at him, saying he was the perfect fit for the job. And, now that the plan was coming into fruition, she had decided to ask for someone else's opinion.
”Has Sachiko-sama not met Kas.h.i.+wagi-san yet?”
As she asked, Yumi suddenly realized.
Sachiko-sama was not there.
(Huh? Was she here when I came into the room? Or was she not?)
”Yumi-chan heard, right? That girl always ran away.”
She didn't go to help Hanadera Inst.i.tute with their school festival, she would not attend if they were having a meeting, and she even began complaining about wanting off the role when she found out the Hanadera student council leader was the prince.
”Speaking of which, where is Cinderella?”