Volume 26 Chapter 1 (1/2)

She knew she could be a bit forgetful.

But the fourteenth of February, the day of the newspaper club's ”Future Roses' Treasure Hunt,” was also the nationwide celebration, Valentine's Day.

So even though she went to school a fair bit earlier than usual, the bus and the school grounds were surprisingly full of students, causing Yumi to groan.

She'd been expecting it, but not this much.

It was particularly busy at the fork in the path by the Maria-sama statue, with groups of sœurs on standby, waiting for breaks in the flow of students saying their morning prayers, then approaching the statue one group at a time to exchange chocolates.

With that many students around the school, there was no way she'd be able to hide her card in the morning and let it rest until after school. The swift rejection of this idea at their earlier planning meeting had been correct.

Even so, Yumi thought it was amazing that her onee-sama, Ogasawara Sachiko-sama, had done just that last year. How early did she have to arrive at school?

Opening the door of her locker, Yumi saw a small light-brown bundle with a red ribbon around it, and a cute pink floral paper bag quietly sitting there.

Her initial reaction was that she'd mistakenly opened someone else's shoe locker, so she hurriedly closed the door. But for the last ten months, she'd been coming to this same spot day after day, so she should have been able to find her own locker without checking the nametag for confirmation. So how had this happened today?

For the time being, Yumi hid her embarra.s.sment by scratching her head. Luckily, there weren't that many students around, so hiding her embarra.s.sment wasn't actually necessary.

Setting that aside, she read the nametag on the shoe locker door.

”Huh? It says 'f.u.kuzawa'.”

And there was only one f.u.kuzawa-san in the second-year Pine cla.s.s.

”So that means&h.e.l.lip;.”

Naturally, she made the very f.u.kuzawa Yumi-esque a.s.sumption that whoever placed the package and paper bag in there had made a mistake, and wondered what she should do with this lost property.

But then.

”Oh my, you're so popular, Yumi-san.”

Yumi turned around when she heard this and found Katsura-san from Wisteria cla.s.s standing there, grinning as she peeked into Yumi's shoe locker.

”Huh!?”

”Why are you so surprised? Today's Valentine's Day, right?”

Katsura-san pulled a box about the size of two stacked CD cases out of her bag and said, ”right?” Presumably, they were chocolates she was going to give to her onee-sama in the tennis club.

”So you're saying&h.e.l.lip;?”

That they were both equivalent.

”They're chocolates, for you, Yumi-san.”

Yumi hesitated, so Katsura-san reached past her and took the parcel and paper bag out of Yumi's locker and presented them to her, saying, ”See.”

Indeed. Whether it was because they understood the personality of that shoe-locker's owner or not, both gifts were clearly labeled with the recipient's name: ”f.u.kuzawa Yumi-sama.”

She'd been beaten. Yumi cooled her feverish brow with the back of her hand.

”... I never imagined this sort of thing could happen.”

Even though she gave out chocolates on Valentine's Day, she never expected to receive any. And, apologies to the senders, but Yumi couldn't recall who they were, even though she'd seen their names.

”Ah, you're still the same natural airhead, Yumi-san.”

Katsura-san murmured in astonishment.

”Well, I mean, I don't have a pet.i.te sœur.”

”What are you muttering about? Valentine's Day isn't just for giving chocolates to your sœur. You saw that last year, right?”

”Ah, yeah.”

She had indeed seen it. The oversized paper bag full of chocolates, given to Rei-sama by way of her pet.i.te sœur Yos.h.i.+no-san, and Sachiko-sama's refusal of chocolates from everyone except Yumi. On top of that, there was a certain unnamed graduate who had pestered people other than her pet.i.te sœur for ”Chocolates, please.”

But, to think that it could happen to her.

”Anyway, well, good luck.”

After patting Yumi on the shoulder, Katsura-san disappeared towards the cla.s.sroom at a jog, having already changed into her indoor shoes.

As for Yumi, who'd been left behind ... she took off her outdoor shoes, put the (presumably chocolate) gifts into her bag, changed into her indoor shoes, and closed her locker door.

As she walked down the hallway, she thought about what to do with the chocolates.

”Good luck, huh.”

If she was going to follow in the footsteps of her beloved onee-sama, then she couldn't accept them. Having said that, she didn't think she had the courage or conviction to send them back.

Naturally, she was happy to receive chocolates as an expression of someone's good will towards her. She wanted to gratefully accept those feelings.

Although, by accepting them, she would have to provide a return gift on White Day. And while it was obviously a pointless concern, what would she do in the incredibly unlikely event that she ended up with a haul like Rei-sama last year? Such were her concerns; even as she was soaring with joy, another part of her was applying the brakes.

”I see. So that's something else I'll need 'good luck' for.”

Even though there were already so many things she had to do today.

The number of pressing concerns she had just increased by one.

The second-year Pine cla.s.sroom was filled with a sweet smell.

That wasn't a metaphor; it really was the smell of chocolate.

There were chocolates, both still-to-be-given and already-received, in the desks, in the bags, and in the lockers. Of course, that's not to ignore those girls secretly snacking on chocolates they'd made for taste-testing, or just happened to make too much.

Students entering their regular old cla.s.sroom were met by this unusual aroma, reinforcing the fact that, ”Ahh, it's Valentine's Day.” But that was only at the beginning. Soon enough, they became accustomed to it and didn't notice the smell.

Yumi left her coat and school bag in the cla.s.sroom and headed out with only her handbag. After a little bit of indecision, she decided to leave the chocolates from her shoe locker in her cla.s.s locker.

After that she headed towards her onee-sama, so she could give her chocolates. It would have been a mistake to take easily confused packages with her. Yumi hadn't forgotten last year's debacle.

There were a couple of students standing outside the third-year Pine cla.s.sroom, as though they were waiting for someone.

(What if they're all here to give chocolates to my onee-sama?)

Knowing what happened last year and the year before, only m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic second and third-years would be so reckless as to think of giving Sachiko-sama chocolates. But the first-years wouldn't know.

It wasn't as though Yumi was jealous, but she didn't want to witness any other students giving Sachiko-sama chocolates. Since not only would they be turned down, they probably wouldn't want her pet.i.te sœur to see that either.

But those worries were unfounded. Watching from a safe distance, Yumi saw the waiting girls give their chocolates to other third-years, one by one, and then leave.

”Oh, it's f.u.kuzawa Yumi-chan.”

One of the third-years called out to her, after receiving their chocolates.

”Sachiko-san's already here.”

”Oh, is that so?”

”Should I get her for you?”

”Please.”

”Oka~y.”

The girl grinned as she went back into the cla.s.sroom.

Yumi had been loitering outside her onee-sama's cla.s.sroom on the morning of February 14. It was pretty obvious why she was there.

”Yumi.”

Before long, Sachiko-sama appeared in the hallway.

”Gokigenyou, onee-sama.”

She was as beautiful as ever. The dry winter air was having no effect on her at all. Her skin was smooth and her hair was silky.

”Gokigenyou.”

”Um.”

Yumi was about to pull the chocolates out of her handbag when Sachiko-sama stopped her with a ”Wait.”

”Let's go some place else.”

”Huh?”

”Don't worry.”

Sachiko-sama walked off down the hallway, holding Yumi's hand. Yumi had thought she'd just hand over the chocolates and then quickly leave, but now she was thinking that perhaps she should have chosen a more suitable location.

”You may not have noticed, but some of my cla.s.smates had come out of the cla.s.sroom in order to satisfy their curiosity.”

”Ah.”

”Plus, there were so many people around, I couldn't relax.”

But it went without saying that today was Valentine's Day. There would already be people at any of the places Yumi could think of.

”It feels like it's overcapacity everywhere we go.”

Of course, in comparison to the trains during rush hour, it was quite empty. Even so, it was hard to ensure there was an adequate separation from other people. It would be inexcusable to have their arrival intrude upon other people that were exchanging chocolates too.

The Rose Mansion came in handy at times like these, but Sachiko-sama seemed to be avoiding it, perhaps because it was being used as the treasure hunt's headquarters. It wasn't as though outsiders were forbidden from entering the Rose Mansion, but Yumi understood that feeling since she'd found it hard to step inside during last year's event too.

In the end, Sachiko-sama finally stopped walking when they were around the back of the Rose Mansion.

”Why were your cla.s.smates spying on you, onee-sama?”

Yumi asked the question that she'd been pondering for the entire time they'd been walking. Since there shouldn't be anything that unusual about the Red Rose sœurs being together at this point.

”Last year, I rejected everyone's chocolates except yours, right? They wanted to see my expression --”

”Your expression when you accepted my chocolates? Please show that only to me.”

Yumi removed a red package from her handbag and held it out to her onee-sama.

”&h.e.l.lip; Is that a demand?”

Sachiko-sama smiled shyly.

”Not at all.”

Yumi shook her head, and Sachiko-sama accepted the chocolates with a ”Thank you.” Then she boldly unfastened the silver ribbon and opened the package.

”Oh my.”

What she saw were ten home-made chocolate truffles, each about the size of a pickled plum.

”Are these &h.e.l.lip; surprise chocolates?”

Sachiko-sama inquired, their appearance sparking a memory. That was the name Yumi had hastily made up last year, partly out of desperation and partly to cover her embarra.s.sment at the accident. But this year.

”Version two.”

”Version two?”

”You'll be surprised how much love is mixed in.”

”Hehehe.”

Sachiko-sama took one of the chocolates and put it in her mouth.

”It's true.”

”Right?”

They looked into each other's eyes and laughed. Such bliss.

”Well then, this is from me.”

It was only now that Yumi realized Sachiko-sama was still carrying her handbag, as a small package emerged like magic.

”Wait, are you telling me those are chocolates?”

The package was wrapped in green wrapping paper with dark brown lines and tied with a yellow ribbon.

”Wouldn't that be the most likely conclusion, when receiving a gift on a day like today?”

”I suppose &h.e.l.lip; but I wasn't really expecting this either.”

”Either?”

”Ah, never mind that.”

Back on topic, while she gave her onee-sama chocolates, she never expected to receive any either. Of course, she knew that different sœurs had different approaches - like Rei-sama and Yos.h.i.+no-san's tradition. She knew that, but she still couldn't imagine her onee-sama, Ogasawara Sachiko-sama, making chocolates.

”Last year, I was so happy when you gave me chocolates. So I thought I'd do the same this year.”

Then she added, ”I wanted to convey my feelings.”

”Onee-sama&h.e.l.lip;.”

This was probably why she had wanted to escape the gaze of her cla.s.smates. Sachiko-sama was famous for refusing any chocolates given to her, so for her to give chocolates in return would undoubtedly cause an uproar.

”Thank-you very much.”

Accepting both the chocolates and Sachiko-sama's feelings, Yumi clasped them to her chest.

”Although I'm afraid they're only store-bought chocolates. I wasn't confident I could make chocolates like you did, but they're still quite good.”

Apparently these chocolates had her onee-sama's seal of approval.

”I've got an emotional attachment to those chocolates.”

Sachiko-sama said, pointing.

”When I was in kindergarten, I received a box of these chocolates from a cla.s.smate on the day she moved away. I've since forgotten that girl's name and face, but I never forgot the taste of those chocolates. As a result, every so often I find myself searching them out.”

It was unusual for Sachiko-sama to be reminiscing about her barely remembered time in kindergarten. This episode with her cla.s.smate must have left a large impression on her.

”I even looked after the wrapping paper it came in, ironing it out.”

”Is this it?”

Yumi asked, looking at the green and dark-brown lined paper.

”No.”

The current wrapping paper was Valentine's Day specific, so wouldn't typically be used for an everyday gift. But even if it were just a normal gift, the wrapping paper designs would have changed somewhat over the decade between then and now.

”But the taste should be the same. Try one of them.”

At Sachiko-sama's urging, Yumi carefully undid the paper so as not to tear it, opened the box, and ate one of the chocolates.

”It's good.”

The taste of Sachiko-sama's memories. They offered each other one of the chocolates they'd received, and also put one of the chocolates they'd brought from home into their mouths. Then they both smiled simultaneously. At that moment, the two flavors were mixing, filling their mouths.

As Sachiko-sama took her second chocolate from the box, and third in total, she quietly asked Yumi:

”Did you make these just for me?”

”Huh?”

”Last year, you gave some to Sei-sama too, didn't you?”

”Ah --”

It seemed like she was asking whether Yumi had made chocolates for anyone else.

”They're just for you. That's why they're so full of love.”

”A surprising amount.”

”Yeah.”

Yumi understood that her onee-sama wasn't jealous, she just wanted confirmation. While Yumi hadn't been consciously aware of it at first, now that she'd been asked and had to put it into words, her feelings crystallized.

”I thought I'd keep some distance from Touko-chan for the time being.”

”I see.”

”There seems to have been some sort of misunderstanding. I want to give Touko-chan some time to compose herself, because it will just deteriorate even further if she's not willing to listen to what I have to say.”

”That sounds about right.”

After agreeing, Sachiko-sama ate another chocolate truffle.

”It really is a shame, there's so much love in these.”

She said.

After that they parted company, and Yumi went into the Rose Mansion by herself.

Yumi had explained that it wouldn't matter if she came inside, but Sachiko-sama still refrained. She may have been worried about causing a needless misunderstanding by being too close to the headquarters when she was a partic.i.p.ant in the treasure hunt.

There were already benefits to being the sœur of a host. Even though they wouldn't be leaked all the details, Yumi could understand why some people might mistakenly believe that. In reality, knowing their personality and preferences probably made it easier to reason where they would hide their card.

Yumi considered this as she opened the door.

It was probably for this reason that Sachiko-sama had left so quickly after their exchange of chocolates.

The other partic.i.p.ants wouldn't begrudge sœurs exchanging chocolates on Valentine's Day, no matter the circ.u.mstances. This brief interlude did not require them to be in the Rose Mansion; neither Sachiko-sama nor Rei-sama.