Volume 29 Chapter 2 (1/2)
After school that day, having finished her cleaning duties, she ran into Rei-sama as she walked past the third-year cla.s.srooms.
”Oh - . Yumi-chan.”
”Gokigenyou.”
Yumi quickly checked Rei-sama's appearance as she said her greeting. Rei-sama wasn't carrying her school bag, but she was wearing her school coat.
”Have you just arrived? Or are you just about to head home?”
Usually, the second option would be the most obvious given the time, but Yumi knew that Yos.h.i.+no-san had walked to school alone today, so she thought she check just in case. And then, as suspected:
”Just arrived.”
Was the response. Because of entrance exams, results publications and all kinds of other formalities, students who were applying to other universities were often absent or came and went at odd hours. Even Rei-sama's handbag would probably have a manila envelope with the name of a university printed on it somewhere in there.
”Have you finished what you came to school to do? If so, won't you join us at the Rose Mansion?”
”Yeah, I was planning on heading over there next. I've just come from the staff room, so I have nothing left to do here.”
Rei-sama had taken hold of her arm and was about to walk off when Yumi hastily called her to a stop.
”Wait, please. I was just going to visit my onee-sama.”
Yumi said, pointing at the third-year pine group cla.s.sroom. She wasn't just aimlessly wandering around. She had a purpose.
”Sachiko?”
Rei-sama tilted her head.
”If you're looking for Sachiko, I ran into her earlier.”
As she said this, Rei-sama repositioned Yumi's arm so it was pointing in the opposite direction to the third-year cla.s.srooms.
”Huh? Where?”
”Just as I was going through the main gate. In front of the library entrance.”
Yumi was glad she had met Rei-sama here. Without that piece of information, she would have been searching blindly. But after she'd taken a single step forward, this time it was Rei-sama that called her to a stop.
”I know you want to chase after her, but she might have got on the bus already.”
Rei-sama explained that quite some time had elapsed since she had seen Sachiko-sama. Looking at her watch, Rei-sama said, ”I went to the staff room after I left Sachiko, and I talked to my teacher for about ten minutes.”
”So, in other words, she's probably gone home. My onee-sama.”
Yumi said, in a miserable sounding voice.
”Yep. Why, had you arranged to meet?”
”...We hadn't, but...”
Yumi had come here because they hadn't made any arrangements. She had thought it would be a simple matter of heading to Sachiko-sama's cla.s.sroom straight after cleaning and catching her there.
”This time of year, there's hardly any third-years around because of entrance exams. So our cla.s.s will use the homeroom and self-study periods to do the cleaning.”
”I see.”
Not only that, some third-year cla.s.ses would alternate who had to clean each day, since they had a smaller area they were responsible for. Satou Sei-sama had told her that long ago, but it had slipped her mind.
”Sachiko said she had some things to take care of.”
”Ahh.”
Suddenly, Yumi felt drained.
”Well, just like our onee-samas before us, we generally won't visit the Rose Mansion now that we're on the verge of graduation.”
So that's how it was. Rei-sama patted her on the shoulder.
”Yeah.”
That's how it was. Yumi understood, having experienced it last year.
Moreover, the main topics of conversation at the Rose Mansion were currently the third-years' send-off and the farewell party for Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida. The seniors probably didn't want to get in the way, knowing their juniors would be busy preparing for these.
Still, Yumi had a faint expectation that they should come, if only for today. She thought her onee-sama would have felt the same, and been waiting in her cla.s.sroom for Yumi to invite her.
”Well, you'll have to make do with me for today.”
Rei-sama smiled brightly, and nudged Yumi gently in the back.
”Let's go!”
Perhaps she intended to sound like a steam train's whistle. Incredibly enthusiastic.
”Rei-sama, have you heard about the farewell party?”
”Oh, I've heard of it. Sat.u.r.day week, right? After the send-off. Yos.h.i.+no told me about it, maybe a week ago. Seems like you started preparing quite early this year.”
”Because of what happened last year.”
They both giggled, knowingly.
Exactly one year before, the current members of the Yamayurikai had the bitter experience of almost completely forgetting about the private farewell party for the Roses. Back then, they were able to salvage matters by hurriedly organizing the party after the third-years' send-off, which was for all graduating students.
”Very dignified of you.”
”Yep.”
Yumi accepted the compliment without humility. Learn from your mistakes. Turn calamity into opportunity. If they were to repeat the same mistake, would their onee-samas really be pleased to have started such a tradition?
”Oh yeah, is Yos.h.i.+no doing okay?”
”Yes?”
Yumi turned to look at Rei-sama as she answered. Rei-sama leaned over and whispered in her ear:
”This morning. Did she make it on time? The results for one of my entrance exams were published this afternoon, so I thought I'd have a leisurely sleep-in. But there was a shout from next door that was loud enough to wake me. It was Yos.h.i.+no, shouting 'I'm laaaate.'”
”She made it just in time for the morning prayers.”
”Ahh, that's a relief. The last thing I heard was, ”Rei-chan you idiot,' so I was afraid that she was going to blame me for being late.”
”Ahaha.”
Yumi could picture it. Yos.h.i.+no-san flying out of her house, blaming everyone else and poor, innocent Rei-sama bolting up out of her bed in confusion.
Then, suddenly, Rei-sama came to a stop. Like a train carriage decoupled from the engine, Yumi too came to rest.
”I am glad that she's feeling better. I just wish she'd show a bit more restraint.”
Yumi heard the somber voice coming from behind her.
”Oh.”
”Yumi-chan. Please look after Yos.h.i.+no.”
Ambushed.
Yumi hadn't been mentally prepared to hear a last will and testament.
”You and s.h.i.+mako-chan are the only two people I can ask this of.”
It seemed to Yumi as though Rei-sama had said, 'Because Yos.h.i.+no doesn't have a pet.i.t soeur,' but the sound itself was drowned out by the thud from Rei-sama's brow impacting on the nape of Yumi's neck.
The White Rose Soeurs, Yos.h.i.+no-san and Touko, formerly Touko-chan, were already present in the Rose Mansion's second floor room.
”Oh, you're here, Rei-chan.”
Yos.h.i.+no-san spared only a quick glance at the appearance of her beloved Rei-sama. Instead she grabbed Yumi, who had arrived with Rei-sama, by the arm and walked her over to a corner of the room.
”Could it be, could it possibly be...”
Yos.h.i.+no-san whispered furtively.
”Oh, umm.”
”When I arrived, Touko-chan and Noriko-chan were cleaning the room together. Then when they finished cleaning, they started preparing tea.”
”Ahh, I'll explain properly.”
Yumi had asked everyone to come to the Rose Mansion after school to introduce someone, but she hadn't said anything more. Or, rather, she had carelessly forgotten to mention that she was now a grande soeur. Thankfully, her level-headed pet.i.t soeur had taken the right approach.
”It was impossible to get anything out of her. Noriko-chan wasn't saying anything either. s.h.i.+mako-san looked as though she suspected something, but was politely pretending not to notice. We were all just waiting anxiously for you to arrive.”
So the moment Yos.h.i.+no-san saw Yumi, she just couldn't contain herself and came rus.h.i.+ng over.
”I have to make a formal report.”
Upon hearing this, Yos.h.i.+no-san let go of Yumi's arm, as if to say 'Go ahead.'
”A report to everyone.”
”Sachiko-sama's fine with it?”
”I spoke to her at lunchtime.”
”I see.”
It was a shame that she had gone home before Yumi had a chance to invite her.
”Touko.”
Yumi invited her over. Yos.h.i.+no-san let out a small squeal of delight when she saw what was happening, but Yumi continued, unfazed.
”I, f.u.kuzawa Yumi, and Matsudaira Touko, have today performed the rosary ceremony, making us officially soeurs. As soeurs we're very new, and still a bit raw around the edges, but please watch over us fondly. Please take care of us.”
Yumi and Touko both bowed deeply.
When they both simultaneously raised their heads, they were greeted with applause and congratulations from their friends. The greatest joy was the gift of happiness.
There had been plenty of doubts along the way. Yumi truly believed that this day was only possible due to everyone's support.
”Noriko?”
Touko suddenly dashed out from beside Yumi. Looking over at what was happening, Yumi saw tears streaming down Noriko-chan's face. Plonk, plonk. Like drops from the G.o.d of crybabies.
”Noriko's ecstatic.”
s.h.i.+mako-san said. Noriko-chan was unable to speak because her throat was blocked from crying, so instead she nodded her head repeatedly in agreement.
”Noriko.”
Touko embraced her friend.
”Just like a baby.”
Touko joked, but Yumi could see the sparkle from a teardrop that had formed in the corner of her eye.
Just for a moment.
Then Touko adjusted her bangs and used that opportunity to wipe her tear away with her fingertips.
Yumi thought Touko would have been better off not hiding it. That would have been honest.
”Ahh... If I may.”
Rei-sama had her hand raised, as though she were in cla.s.s.
”I'm overjoyed that I could be present on such an auspicious occasion. It's not at the same level as this major news, but may I also make an announcement?”
Everyone urged Rei-sama to continue, whereupon she beamed happily.
”I, Hasekura Rei, have today made it safely through the entire university application process.”
In other words, she had completed all her entrance examinations and received all the results.
”So, how did you go?”
There was tension as the question was asked, then Rei-sama made the peace sign with her right hand.
”All pa.s.sed.”
”Woo.”
”Incredible.”
It was just modesty to suggest this wasn't big news itself. It's no wonder she was in such high spirits. The sense of relief from knowing that she had finished her exams and pa.s.sed would have Rei-sama on a high.
”So, have you decided?”
Yos.h.i.+no-san asked, meaning which university Rei-sama would go to. Since she only had one body, no matter how many universities had accepted her she could only attend one.
”I'm still undecided. I'm going to give it some serious thought tonight.”
”Humph.”
Based on her bored response, there was no doubt that Yos.h.i.+no-san found this uninteresting. Since there was no chance that Lillian's Women's University would be amongst them, they were all the same to Yos.h.i.+no-san.
At any rate, everyone raised their black tea in a toast. The happiness multiplied, joyously, and everyone shared a laugh.
Even so, Yumi regretted that her onee-sama could not be there. If Sachiko-sama had known how enjoyable a time they would have, surely she would have postponed whatever it was she was doing.
The following day, after school, Yumi was in the newspaper club's clubroom.
”How times change.”
Someone said, letting out a theatrical sigh.
”Who would have thought that the day would come when a future Rose would volunteer material to the Lillian Kawaraban.”
It wouldn't have mattered if she had remained seated, but the pony-tailed student deliberately stood up and turned her back on the computer she had been using. Both arms open, talking in a loud, clear voice. - She was in fine form.
”It's been a while since we've talked, Minako-sama.”
Yumi had initially recoiled from this unexpected meeting with someone who had seemingly been lying in wait, but she could still manage a greeting.
”You seem to be in a good mood.”
”Indeed. My mood is incredibly good.”
Yumi was surprised, so Mami-san whispered into her ear:
”My onee-sama was accepted into her first choice university.”
”Ahh, is that it.”
Yumi had come here because she had something to talk to Mami-san about. It wasn't something secret, so Yumi didn't mind that there might be other club members here who would overhear their conversation. And then that one student with her back to them had suddenly turned around and said, 'How times change.'
That person was Tsukiyama Minako-sama, the former head of the newspaper club and former editor-in-chief of the Lillian Kawaraban, the one who had pa.s.sed all this responsibility on to her pet.i.t soeur, Yamaguchi Mami-san.
On a somewhat related note, Mami-san and Yumi were in the same cla.s.s so they could have talked in their cla.s.sroom. However, Yumi had something to say to Mami-san in her capacity as editor-in-chief of the Lillian Kawaraban and not as a cla.s.smate, so going through official channels meant coming to the newspaper club's clubroom.
The supposedly-retired Tsukiyama Minako-sama moved in front of Yumi, brus.h.i.+ng aside the person she had originally been talking to.
”The newspaper club is delighted to take you up on your offer.”
Ahh, so cheeky of her to act as the newspaper's representative. The real representative, Mami-san, was smiling ruefully beside her. Understanding her onee-sama's personality, Mami-san seemed content to let Minako-sama continue until she had worn herself out. Hurriedly abandoning the battlefield, Mami-san started looking over some doc.u.ments.
”So, to sum it up, you want to use the Lillian Kawaraban to announce that you have taken a pet.i.t soeur. That's what we're talking about, right Yumi-san?”
”Yes.”
Reluctantly, Yumi decided to continue talking to Minako-sama. It didn't matter who she was actually talking to, as long as Mami-san was in the room she would hear and Yumi might still be able to achieve her goal.
”Just something small, in the corner of the Lillian Kawaraban, would be fine.”
Yumi made a small gap with her thumb and index finger, about the size of an azuki bean, as she said this.
”Something small?”
Minako-sama's eyes sparkled.
”Yeah. Something small.”
Annoying. Yumi hadn't really known what would be considered something small. Perhaps she should have started with something the size of a sesame seed.
”Ho-hohoho.”
Suddenly, Yumi heard loud laughter. Naturally, the source of this was Minako-sama.
”No can do, Yumi-san. You are Rosa Chinensis en bouton. Can the gigantic news that you have taken a pet.i.t soeur be let go of that easily? I certainly wouldn't be able to let it go. It's the will of our readers. The public demands it. It's comparable to my earlier article with Sachiko-san, 'Exclusive Interview with Rosa Chinensis! She Tells All About Her Pet.i.t Soeur,' - no, I think it needs even more s.p.a.ce than that. In that case, we have no choice. For something this big, we have to replace next week's edition with a special devoted entirely to the birth of the Rosa Chinensis en bouton soeurs - ”