Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume23 Chapter7 5

The Heart in the Frosted Glass. Part 5

All through the morning she went back and forth over this matter but couldn't come to a conclusion, so she decided to head out since all she could do at home was worry.

"Oh, where are you going?"

Her mom was listening to the morning news as she ironed.

"I haven't decided."

That was what she truly felt. She might go to Kashiwagi-san's place, or she might just walk around the block.

"What about lunch?"

"I'm not hungry."

That was true too. Her body may have been hungry but her mind was filled with thoughts, so she wasn't interested in eating.

"I wonder if you're sick."

After temporarily returning the iron to its stand, Yumi's mother walked over to her and placed her hand on her forehead.

"There's no fever."

Since her mother had been using the iron, her hand was much warmer than Yumi's head.

After confirming that Yumi's recent absentmindedness wasn't due to a fever, her mother quickly gave her permission to head out.

"Okay then. But take this with you."

She was holding out a box of almond chocolates.

"Even if you're not hungry now, you might feel like something while you're out, right? Before you start staggering and fall down, you can eat something sweet."

"Okay. Thanks."

Regardless of whether she'd eat it or not, she expressed her gratitude and put it in her bag.

Yuuki had snuck out at some point without Yumi realizing it. She asked her mom about it and was told that he left the house at 10am.

"You'll be back for dinner, right?"

"Of course."

Even if she collapsed, she should be able to get back by then.

"I'm heading out."

"Take care."

Just as she was at the gate, she saw the old lady that lived next door.

"Such good timing. Can you give this circular to your mother?"

"Uhh."

Even though Yumi was heading out, she didn't have a fixed destination so it wasn't like she was in a rush, so she said, "Okay," and took the piece of paper.

"It's dangerous these days. I wonder if I should get your father to make sure my house is safe."

Yumi had no idea what her neighbor was talking about, so she gave a business-like smile and said, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

As Yumi went back to her house, she glanced over the flier which was from the neighborhood association. In amongst things like reports on the association's activities, rules for taking out the trash, and upcoming events for the next three months was a notice from the local police station.

"There's been a spate of local robberies."

The lady next door had probably been referring to this. By a safe house, she probably meant one that was hard for robbers to break into.

"Mo~m. There's a circular from the neighborhood association. I'm leaving it here."

Yumi called out, after opening the front door.

"Oka~y. Tha~nks."

Her mother had gone back to the ironing and was probably in the middle of something, as she just called out in response.

"It's dangerous, huh."

Yumi was a bit concerned since she'd just been told this, so she took her house key out of her bag and locked the front door before heading out.

She peeked into her father's office from outside, but she couldn't tell what he was doing. Light was leaking out between the blinds, so he was probably doing some work in there.

Yumi thought it was a bit similar to the frosted glass. If her father opened the blinds a bit right now, she could wave and say, "I'm heading out." She felt vaguely disappointed about it.

After walking a little way she got on a bus.

Arrived at the station.

Got on a train.

Little by little, she was drawing closer to Kashiwagi-san's house. She hadn't yet made her decision. But despite this, the distance between them narrowed minute by minute.

She got off the train and got on a different bus.

What should she do? If she got off here, she'd be almost at Kashiwagi-san's house. As she was thinking this, the bus stop's name was announced.

There was a phone box next to the bus stop where she got off.

Should she call Kashiwagi-san's cell phone? She only pondered this for a little while. By all rights, that was the polite thing to do when visiting someone's house.

But she didn't. Despite drawing near to Kashiwagi-san, she still hadn't made her decision.

Even after coming all this distance, she wasn't leaning towards asking about Touko-chan. Instead, now that she was here, it was about fifty-fifty.

She could have mulled this over at home. But if she came to a decision that evening – say she decided to go ahead and ask, she wouldn't be able to get here before nightfall.

So she'd closed in on him, so that she could act immediately if she came to such a decision. And even if she decided not to proceed, all she had to do was go home.

That said, she couldn't vacillate forever. She probably couldn't stand in front of someone else's house for an hour or two.

What if she arrived at Kashiwagi-san's house like this? At that moment, Yumi decided she'd press the intercom button.

Despite having been there only once before (and even then she hadn't been alone, she'd been with Yuuki), she quickly remembered the way to Kashiwagi-san's house.

The ten minute walk seemed neither long nor short and she soon arrived at her destination.

In front of that recognizable house, Yumi took a deep breath.

Finally, she had arrived.

The massive wooden gate was wide open. As though waiting for an expected visitor.

Inside the gate was that marvelous garden. At the end of the stone path was the front door.

She quickly found the intercom. Yumi brought her index finger up to the call button.

If she pressed that, Kashiwagi-san would come out. Then she'd have to ask him about Touko-chan.

Her finger shook. Even though she'd decided to press the button earlier, she couldn't do it.

She wanted Touko-chan to be her petit soeur.

She wanted to know everything about Touko-chan.

She wanted to take Touko-chan by the hand.

In that case, she should reach out her finger and summon Kashiwagi-san immediately. Call him and request, "Please tell me."

(But … !)

Just before her mind short-circuited from overthinking, a cool breeze suddenly blew through it.

Was this really okay? Her voice whispering this in her mind was strangely composed.

She wanted Touko-chan to be her petit soeur.

She wanted to know everything about Touko-chan.

She wanted to take Touko-chan by the hand.

But those were all feelings from Yumi's side.

(In that case, what about Touko-chan?)

Was she thinking that she wanted to be Yumi's petit soeur?

Did she want Yumi to know everything about her?

(I don't know.)

That was a matter for the other side of the frosted glass.

Yumi brought her left hand up and used it to pull her frozen right hand down. She'd realized that asking Kashiwagi-san would be equivalent to forcing open Touko-chan's closed window from the outside.

That was something she couldn't do. If she did that, she felt like Touko-chan would close her heart even further.

Someone who would do that was not an onee-sama.

They would have no right to be called by that name.

Yumi turned on her heels and walked away.

After taking a couple of steps, she turned back and looked at Kashiwagi-san's house. There was a second-floor window right at the spot where she was looking. There may have been someone there, but Yumi couldn't tell from her position.

Yumi retrieved the chocolates from her bag, popped one into her mouth, and started walking towards the bus stop.

Reflected by the glass window, the afternoon sun was dazzling.