Volume 29 Chapter 7 (1/2)

They could say it was because of all the tasks they had to complete. Or how they were constantly bombarded by one thing after the other.

But, really, how could they completely forget such an important thing?

Especially me, Yumi thought to herself.

s.h.i.+mako-san and Yos.h.i.+no-san were still fine, since they hadn't remembered it at all.

What had been forgotten? The conversation they had to have with Touko and Noriko-chan about the party performances, of course. Despite Yumi's surprise when she remembered it on the bus this morning, she had then completely forgotten about it, perhaps because her memory playback system had broken down or she simply lacked the ability to learn.

It was embarra.s.sing to blame it on something like the impact of Touko's hairstyle, or the third-years' send-off completely filling her head.

Anyway, Yumi had totally forgotten about it for the entire morning. It was only just before the second farewell party of the day, the ”Farewell Party for Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida” that she foolishly remembered.

While Yumi recognized that telling them about it today would probably be too late, no matter the time, telling them immediately prior to the event would just be too cruel.

The curtain closed on an incredibly successful ”Third-years' Send-off.” Although it went about 30 minutes overtime, there hadn't been any significant mishaps. Yumi dutifully thanked Maria-sama for seeing them safely through such a large event.

After sitting through their respective homeroom cla.s.ses, it was time to start preparing for their private farewell party. The two guests-of-honor had agreed to wait in their cla.s.sroom until called, allowing the first- and second-years to transform the second-floor of the Rose Mansion into a party zone.

There were still a few of the roses bought for the ”Third-years' send-off” remaining even after one had been given to each senior. s.h.i.+mako-san put these into small vases that she decorated the room with.

Yos.h.i.+no-san cut the sandwiches that she had bought on the way to school this morning into bite-sized pieces and arranged these on plates that she then put on the table.

Yumi was taking some cookies that had been given to them by the confectionery club out of a tin when she belatedly remembered.

”Ah.”

It was like telepathy. Yos.h.i.+no-san and s.h.i.+mako-san stopped what they were doing. Then, before Yumi said anything, they both put their hands over her mouth.

”Erp.”

Luckily, Touko and Noriko-chan were both over at the sink pouring tea into teacups, so they didn't see this bizarre behavior from the three second-years.

They knew what she was going to say, so there was no need to make a fuss. After nodding to this message conveyed through Yos.h.i.+no-san's eyes, the hands that blocked Yumi's mouth were removed and she was able to breathe freely.

”What do we do?”

They huddled together and spoke in a whisper. It looked like the thing they had shelved had come cras.h.i.+ng down to the ground.

”It's a bit late to tell them now.”

”But what if we don't tell them?”

Then they'd have to host the party dreading the moment when the third-years would utter the phrase, 'Party performance.' That wouldn't be good for their hearts.

”But if we do tell them, won't that just mean that the first-years will be nervous during the party.”

That was the heart of the problem. But there was no-one there who could solve it.

While they were still having their whispered conversation, Touko turned towards them, followed by Noriko-chan. Then Touko said:

”Isn't it about time we got Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida?”

Yumi looked at the clock and saw it was almost 2pm. Even though it was ratcheting up the pressure, they had originally planned for a 1pm start so it had already been a lengthy wait for the two Roses.

”Th, that's right. Can I ask you to do that?”

”I'll go with Touko. We've already finished preparing the tea.”

They continued their conversation after seeing off the first-years.

”Then how about we sneakily tell our onee-samas that there won't be any party performances today.”

”Sneakily, you say.”

”Even so...”

Right. Since the first-years had gone to fetch the third-years, there wasn't any opening in which they could surrept.i.tiously talk to their onee-samas. And it would look very strange if they were to chase after Touko and Noriko-chan and order them back to the Rose Mansion so that they could retrieve the third-years themselves.

”If the third-years say so, then there will be a performance.”

”I know.”

Fundamentally, Lillian's Girls Academy was a school where the juniors obeyed their seniors. If their onee-samas asked for a performance, then they would be expecting someone to do something.

”I'll dance.”

s.h.i.+mako-san stood bolt upright.

”Although I don't have the ca.s.sette with me.”

Yos.h.i.+no-san asked what she intended to do about that. If there was some suitable music that she could dance to.

”I'll sing as I dance. It'll be okay. Sachiko-sama sang as she performed Swan Lake.”

s.h.i.+mako-san was visibly trembling. The story about Sachiko-sama singing as she performed ballet was just something that her onee-sama, Satou Sei-sama, had made up.

Still, Yumi understood the painful feeling of wanting to spare your darling pet.i.t soeur from embarra.s.sment.

”Okay. And I'll sing as I do the loach scooping dance.”

They started collecting the necessary props - s.h.i.+mako-san made a basic folding-fan out of paper and Yumi tied some thread around a five-yen coin she found in her purse. She could use a hand-towel in place of a regular towel, but what to do about the strainer? Just as Yumi was wondering whether the basin from the sink would do:

”They're that precious to you, huh?”

Yos.h.i.+no-san, who had no pet.i.t soeur of her own, looked amazed.

”But without the right props, I can't do my magic act.”

Nonetheless, Yos.h.i.+no-san had lined up her handkerchief, a 500 yen note and a safety-pin on the table and was quietly fiddling around with them.

Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama arrived at the Rose Mansion right on two o'clock.

The second-years had just hidden their makes.h.i.+ft props in the back of the room, underneath their school coats, when they heard the sound of people climbing the staircase. Just in time.

When they opened the door to greet their guests, Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida smiled brilliantly.

”Thank-you for everything you've done for us today.”

They both had a salmon-pink rose, with the stalk cut off, pinned to their chest.

”We talked about it on the way over, but we really enjoyed today's third-years' send-off.”

”Indeed. Everyone's hard work really paid off.”

Yumi had received similar compliments from many third-years today, but when it came from Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama she didn't feel the need to reply with 'Thanks for the compliment.' She was grateful for their praise, but there was something else as well, so she couldn't just respond with that.

These people were the reason why they had worked so hard. The third-years' send-off was for all third-years, so as presenters they obviously wanted to make everyone happy. But setting aside their position as the next Roses, it was these two beloved people that they had thought about as they worked. Surely all the individual members of the various clubs and groups that partic.i.p.ated today had some cherished person for whose sake they were working hard. And when you added all that hard work together, what you got was the ”Third-years' Send-off.”

”Anyway, please take a seat, and have some tea.”

As she was saying this, Yumi made a startling realization. They were so busy preparing their props that they had forgotten to place the teacups on the table. She was hastily heading towards the teapot when Touko said to her:

”Onee-sama, Noriko and I will do that.”

”&h.e.l.lip; Sorry.”

Dejected, Yumi returned to the table and found Rei-sama looking intently in her direction. Yumi looked back, thinking that Rei-sama had something she wanted to say, but Rei-sama just smiled and shook her head. Perhaps Rei-sama was looking for something else.

”Cheers.”

The farewell party started with their standard toast using black tea. At any rate, it was 2pm. The first order of business was satisfying their hunger, so everyone reached for a sandwich or a cookie. The main topic of conversation was, naturally, the third-years' send-off. They recounted all the things that happened during their preparation. The story of the kind Santa's presents was incredibly well received.

As they ate, the words started to flow. Their mouths were kept busy.

”Rei-chan?”

Yos.h.i.+no-san said, her tone asking if anything was wrong. Come to think of it, Rei-sama had been kind of quiet just recently. As though she were daydreaming, or there in body but not in spirit, or searching for something that wasn't there.

”Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking of everything that's happened since Christmas.”

Rei-sama smiled as she spoke. So had she been looking at something that had gone away? It didn't look like she were yearning for the past.

”Christmas, huh?”

Sachiko-sama smiled broadly. There was no mistaking that this was the face of someone reminiscing fondly about the past. A face that said that so much had happened.

”Yeah.”

Yumi nodded.

Back then, Touko wasn't yet her pet.i.t soeur.

Kanako-chan and Nana-chan had been invited, and they'd played games and eaten cake. Right, right, and Tsutako-san had taken a ton of pictures with her camera.

Normally there were eight seats at the table, so they had to bring an additional two over. And they'd chosen where to sit by drawing from a deck of cards.

Now, there were the seven close friends in the room. So there was one chair left over. Rei-sama's gaze was continuously drawn to that empty chair.

Yumi understood.

Rei-sama was undoubtedly looking for Nana-chan.

Time pa.s.sed, and still the request for a party performance didn't come from the third-years.