Volume 29 Chapter 3 (1/2)

The same rumor had apparently been heard in a different location.

”What's Sachiko-san doing?”

The following day, as Yumi was just leaving her cla.s.sroom and thinking she should spend the lunch break in the Rose Mansion, she was captured by Tsukiyama Minako-sama, who had been lying in wait by the door, and dragged to the newspaper club's clubroom.

”There's no point in asking me.”

I don't know. Perhaps the point of Minako-sama's question was to see what kind of a response she would get. Minako-sama changed her questioning method after drawing a blank from Yumi.

”Strangely, she's cramming. Sachiko-san, that is. Did you know, Yumi-san?”

”Mmm.”

Yumi answered non-committally. Even though she had heard that, it was only a rumor. Minako-sama probably didn't know anything more either.

Minako-sama hadn't said anything yesterday afternoon, so she probably hadn't personally witnessed Sachiko-sama studying often. Still, she moved quickly when her antennae caught wind of something. Her species had a talent for laboriously gathering reports from all over and organizing them for their own benefit.

Yumi obediently parked her rear on the seat that was drawn out and offered to her. Although she really didn't want to be here all that long.

”I don't know anything.”

Yumi thought that she would be able to straighten everything out by talking to her onee-sama. Even so, this wasn't something that would take Yumi out of her way to see her onee-sama, rather, it was something that she intended to casually raise the next time they met.

After all, it's not like the rumor was a matter of life and death, it was merely that Sachiko-sama was studying. And if Yumi were to confront Sachiko-sama over such a rumor, she would probably be scolded for wasting time.

”Cramming at this time of year, she could be preparing for the end of year exams. Except third-years don't have end of year exams.”

”That's true.”

Since she knew nothing, Yumi steeled herself to do nothing but listen. If she foolishly opened her mouth, she wouldn't just be causing trouble for her onee-sama.

Besides, now that Minako-sama had started, it was in her nature to keep going.

”Anyway, Sachiko-san isn't the kind of person who studies for exams.”

”Is that so?”

Upon hearing Yumi's vague response, Minako-sama tensed. Oops. Some other phrase had been called for.

”Don't play dumb with me. Who do you think I am?”

”Umm.”

What could possibly be the right answer under these circ.u.mstances? The former head of the newspaper club? The former editor-in-chief of the Lillian Kawaraban? While Yumi was pondering this, Minako-sama stood up.

”The Yamayurikai Freak. The Rose Chaser. Someone willing to become a stalker to learn more about those girls, someone who gladly gave her youth in the service of the Lillian Kawaraban. Tsukiyama Minako.”

Someone who referred to themselves as a stalker.

”For three years now I've watched Sachiko-san. Of course I know that she never studies for exams.”

Minako-sama looked at Yumi with a triumphant smirk.

”Don't you think it's odd that Sachiko-san, who doesn't study for exams, would be studying for an exam?”

Indeed.

”But how do you know that she's studying for an exam?”

Minako-sama would be well aware of Sachiko-sama's love of literature. So she shouldn't consider it unusual to see Sachiko-sama with a book on her desk, reading intently.

”She's scribbling answers in some kind of question workbook. But the book itself has some kind of sweater-like cover on it, so you can't tell what it's for.”

”The sweater-like cover, is it the same color as powdered green tea?”

”I don't remember the color, but it looked like it was knitted.”

”Is that so?”

Suppose it was the book cover that Yumi had given her as a Christmas present last year, then based on size alone you could rule out various types of books. There were several brands of question workbooks that each came in different sizes, but it would be quite a coincidence if one of the major ones just happened to be the same size as the book cover Yumi had knitted.

”What kind of exam is she - ”

”I've told you, I don't know. Why don't you try asking her directly?”

Yumi leaned back against the chair in desperation as she spoke.

”Oh, so naive Yumi-san. Didn't I tell you that I was a stalker?”

Tsk-tsk-tsk, Minako-sama swung her finger back and forth like a metronome. Well, she had a point, probably.

”She's going to Lillian's Women's University.”

”That's what I've heard.”

It was around Christmas when she said it. ”I'm going to Lillian's University.”

Yumi had never actually seen the notice, but a.s.sumed that Sachiko-sama was granted priority entrance not long after that.

It hadn't even been three months since that declaration, so it seemed unlikely that Sachiko-sama would have changed her mind. But supposing she had changed her mind, it would be strange for her not to tell her pet.i.t soeur about it. For one thing.

”Are there still entrance exams going on at this time of year?”

”They're pretty much all finished.”

”In that case...”

Before Yumi could finish her reb.u.t.tal, Minako-sama coolly interrupted her.

”Do you know about second round applications?”

”...I guess.”

It's a system where universities have a second round of examinations to fill places that were left over after the first round of exams. Therefore, it's not unusual for these exams to be held towards the end of March or the beginning of April.

”By second round application, you mean for Lillian's?”

”As usual, you're quite the airhead. Why would someone who was granted priority entrance to Lillian's Women's University be taking the second round exam? Besides, Lillian's doesn't usually have a second round of offers.”

”Oh, I didn't know that.”

But her onee-sama said she was going to Lillian's University. So why would she have to study for some other university's exam?

”Maybe there's something she wants to learn to do, so she's considering going to a technical school. That must be it.”

Minako-sama said, full of confidence, as she held her finger aloft. However, wasn't she fundamentally missing the point?

”Wouldn't the technical schools have their exams about the same time as the universities &h.e.l.lip; ?”

”Ah.”

Was she really someone who had only recently been studying for university exams? However, Tsukiyama Minako-sama was not one to back down quickly.

”There are schools where you don't have to take an entrance exam.”

”But if there's no entrance exam, there's no reason to study, right?”

”d.a.m.n it.”

Now who's the airhead?

”Maybe she's going to study abroad?”

”I have no idea.”

Yumi's head was spinning in circles. The first she'd heard of any of this was yesterday after school, during the conversation about Sachiko-sama's study addiction.

Well, Sachiko-sama had seemed kind of busy recently. She no longer came to the Rose Mansion, she was only just making it to school on time, and two days ago she had hurried back to her cla.s.sroom immediately after Yumi had presented Touko with her rosary.

(Oh &h.e.l.lip; ?)

It was strange, after all. The way she acted back then just wasn't normal for her.

Looking at each incident individually, there was nothing there. But when you put them all together in a short period of time, it seemed to point to the existence of some unseen force.

”Anyway, we'll have to end our little chat here.”

Yumi was still thinking about it when Minako-sama held something out to her.

”Huh?”

”Sorry, but I need you to read this now. If there's no problems, we'll print it today and distribute it tomorrow.”

It was the Lillian Kawaraban extra edition. Well, the test print of it anyway. There were some places where corrections had been written in red pen over the top of the printed words.

Even if it was called an extra edition, it was about half the size of the regular one. The headline and photos of Yumi and Touko took up most of the page, the article itself wasn't that long. The review was quickly completed.

”So you didn't drag me here just to talk about the rumor?”

Yumi handed back the test print as she said this. There weren't any particularly worrying pa.s.sages. Probably no need to check with Touko.

”Well of course. Everything we've talked about up to now has been just a friendly chat, nothing more.”

”That you'll turn into a newspaper article.”

”Not really.”

Minako-sama turned away.

”It's just that I'm worried about Sachiko-san.”

Using the test print as a subst.i.tute folding-fan and fanning herself. Even though it was cold in the club room.

On her way back from the clubhouse, Yumi spotted Touko.

Running through the courtyard like a galloping steed.

”Tou - ”

Yumi started to call out, but stopped herself.

Right now, Touko wouldn't be able to hear her. There was a light s.h.i.+ning in her eyes, but she wasn't seeing her current surroundings.

The words that Noriko-chan spoke were hazy, but Yumi felt as though she could now understand them better.

About the clear distinction between the real and the fictional. About the mess you make when you put a fresh layer of paint next to a still wet layer of paint in a different color.

Touko was, at present, not here.

The girl with her hair rolls swinging as she ran, inside, was someone other than Touko. Someone Yumi didn't know, a character from a play.

Touko flew into the clubhouse building that Yumi herself had left not long ago.

She had probably eaten her lunch in her cla.s.sroom and would spend the rest of the lunch break rehearsing.

After watching for a little while longer, Yumi walked off towards the Rose Mansion.

Touko would be fine.

There was nothing Yumi could do about the b.u.mps and bruises. She couldn't raise a fuss or distract Touko from her task.

They were probably essential for Touko to become that 'someone.'

”If I knew you were going to the clubhouse, I would have asked you to stop by the manga club's clubroom.”

A regretful s.h.i.+mako-san was waiting for Yumi when she arrived at the Rose Mansion.

”Oh, right. Today's the deadline for the questionnaire, isn't it?”

”Hey, you, you're always slow.”

Having finished eating and returned her lunch-box to its bag, Yos.h.i.+no-san was leaning back grandiosely, looking up at the ceiling. In contrast, Yumi was just opening her lunch-box. Ooh, chicken for lunch today.

After thanking Noriko-chan for bringing over a cup of roasted green tea, Yumi spoke.

”But I talked to Minato-san about it today, and she said she thought they should be able to complete the form.”

Minato-san from the manga club was in the same cla.s.s as Yumi and Yos.h.i.+no-san.

”Hey?”

Yos.h.i.+no-san shot Yumi a look that said, 'Why didn't I hear about this since we're in the same cla.s.s?' before she spoke.

”If they can do it, why haven't they handed it in?”

Now Yos.h.i.+no-san had curled forwards, and spoke in a low voice. The busy-work was increasing and things weren't progressing as smoothly as planned, and this was how Yos.h.i.+no-san was trying to deal with it.

Well, Yumi could understand, kind of. The 'Third years send-off' was, in a way, their debut as Roses. The pressure to put on a wonderful display, without any a.s.sistance from their onee-samas, was enough to make Yumi want to scream like never before.

”Their club president has been absent and it seemed like the regular members didn't know about the deadline.”

Yumi was deftly brandis.h.i.+ng her chopsticks. Incidentally, the manga club's president was a third-year - Minato-san's onee-sama.

”Surely she would have known the dates for her exams and results publication beforehand? If she was going to be absent, she should have delegated to someone.”

”Oh, it wasn't exams, she's had a cold.”

”...Well, not much you can do about that.”

Yos.h.i.+no-san finally backed down. Catching a cold was one of those things you couldn't plan for in advance. Although Yos.h.i.+no-san did have a short whinge about how, regrettably, her cold seemed to be lingering for quite some time.

In contrast to that.

”Did the club president take the form with her?”

Already Rosa Gigantea, and having organized a successfully 'Third Year's Send-off' last year, s.h.i.+mako-san was calm as she inquired.

”Nope. Minato-san thought it was probably somewhere in the clubroom, so was going to look for it at lunch. Even so...”

'They might not have enough time,' Yumi thought. She'd been to their clubroom a while ago and there had been paper everywhere, with ink and pens stuffed into what little free s.p.a.ce there was. The impression you got of the place was more of a storage room than a clubhouse. Finding a single print-out in there would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

”Sounds like it could be difficult.”

The other three seemed to have guessed the general state of affairs.

”It might be quicker to write out another one for them.”

Yumi took a blank survey sheet from the shelf and folded it in half.

”Anyway, leave the manga club to me. I'll get it from them today, one way or another.”

Having a.s.sumed this responsibility, Yumi returned to her lunch.

Yumi made her way over to the clubhouse after school and successfully collected a completed survey from Minato-san, just like she had promised.

Apparently Minato-san had spent the entirety of her lunch-break unearthing the one-page printout from within the mountain of paper. In other words, she had been in the clubhouse while Yumi was having her little chat with Minako-sama in the newspaper club's clubroom, as well as while Touko was having her one-on-one rehearsal session with the president of the drama club.

”Sorry about that. Making you come all the way out here to get it.”

Minato-san giggled nervously as she gently scratched her short hair. Her voice was as cute as ever. Her appearance was boyish but her voice was sweet, and yet she drew horror manga. The discrepancy was huge.

”The lunch-break was almost over when I found it, and there wasn't time to take it to the Rose Mansion so I left it in the clubroom thinking I'd do that after school. I was worried I'd lose it if I took it with me.”

The clubroom seemed tidier than the last time Yumi had been here, probably as a direct consequence of Minato-san's lunchtime search. Initially, Yumi had been fascinated by a row of vividly colored ill.u.s.trations that looked like they were on display.

”What are these?”

Yumi asked, pointing at a pile of monochrome sketches in the corner.

”Ahh. If we had the s.p.a.ce, those would be on display as well. They were an experiment to see how differently you could draw mangas with the same layout and the same text.”

It looked like there was one page that served as the layout template, and then within that template the club members were free to draw whatever they wanted. The layout and the text were all identical, but the final products were all wonderfully different. A school story, a mystery, a period drama, and a horror piece. Even though the text was the same, they could use it however they wanted. The fact that they were all in black and white seemed to reinforce each piece's individuality.

”They're good.”

Yumi admired them one at a time. Yeah, it had a strong impact.

”No, no. Our manga club still has a long way to go.”

Minato-san demurred, waving her hands like windscreen wipers.

”The drama club are incredible, the way they're slamming around.”

”Slamming?”

”They'd come flying out into the hallway when they used too much force. I only saw that two or three times though.”

”I had no idea.”

The slamming seemed to be happening quite frequently. If that's the case, then it's no surprise that Touko would have a few cuts and bruises.

”Are they doing some kind of pro-wrestling play?”