Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume8 Chapter8 5

Spring Breeze. Part 5

"It seems the vacuous are walking in their uniforms."

I thought I heard a displeased voice and, as usual, standing there behind me was Youko.

"What?"

""What?""

As she spoke, she turned her gaze to the group ahead of me. About a dozen brand-new uniforms were assembled at the entrance to the first-floor walkway. All in a neat little line.

"P-pardon me."

Perhaps faltering under Youko's gaze, one of the students went bright red, held her sailor collar down, and ran off. Then the rest of the students scattered in all directions, like baby spiders.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing much. Just the morning greetings. "Gokigenyou, Rosa Gigantea." "Gokigenyou, angels." … What's the problem?"

"Why was it necessary to tie their ribbons, as a morning greeting?"

"Ah."

"Don't "ah" me."

"There's nothing wrong with it, really. Obviously it's the job of a senior student to point out when a ribbon's untied. Then she said, "Could you tie it for me?" Quite the precocious child."

I followed the scattering groups of students with my eyes. Which classroom had the "precocious child" been sucked into.

"So then why did you get carried away and tie all of their ribbons?"

"Well, it wouldn't have been fair to single out one of them."

"Caring about fairness … that's not like you."

"Go on, attack me. What, did you want your ribbon tied too, Youko?"

I reached out my hands but Youko hastily took a step backwards.

"Stop that. I don't intend to participate in your little farce."

"Farce?"

I asked.

"That's right."

Youko angled her chin towards the courtyard.

"I don't know what you were planning. But if you're trying to put some distance between you and her, then putting on a performance with the vacuous was foolish."

Over there was Shimako. Doing some committee work or something. Crouched beside a flowerbed in her PE tracksuit, it looked like she was repairing some of the edging.

I knew that Shimako was over there.

Our eyes met. Looking into Shimako's clear pupils, I instantly regretted it.

I wanted her to look away. To turn back and decide there was nothing here.

But, as expected, Shimako saw me. In the season of new leaf sprouts, I sparkled annoyingly.

"Don't self-destruct, Rosa Gigantea."

Youko murmured, shaking my shoulder.

Shimako noticed Youko standing beside me and bowed. Youko waved in response.

Time, which had been frozen for me, resumed flowing slowly.

Shimako turned back and continued on with her work while I moved to a part of the corridor that couldn't be seen from the courtyard.

I was saved.

I had Youko to thank for that. As much as I hated to admit it, perhaps I'd never be a match for her.

Toudou Shimako came to the Rose Mansion after school.

"Gokigenyou."

I greeted her and she stiffened, still holding onto the door knob.

"Were you here to see Rosa Chinensis?"

"Yes … ah, no, any of the Roses will do."

"They'll be along soon. Come and wait inside."

I was the only person in the second-floor room. Initially I'd thought it was Youko arriving, but now my only option was to struggle onwards. Invite Shimako in, politely entertain her, then quickly ask her to leave.

"Japanese tea? Black tea? Coffee?"

"Ah, I'm fine."

"Unfortunately we're all out of, "I'm fine.""

For whatever reason, the words that came from my mouth were antagonistic. This girl had done nothing wrong, but the words from yesterday's conversation with Youko seemed to linger in the room like dustballs. Combined with my display of shameful behavior this morning meant I couldn't meekly accept her help. My heart was such a brat.

"Then I'll have the same thing you're having, Rosa Gigantea."

Shimako responded calmly, not discouraged by my teasing.

"It's just black instant coffee though."

"That will do."

Was she showing off, or just plain dumb? Still, it was good that she had guts. As I was asking myself what would be better, I put the coffee granules into an empty cup and poured in hot water from the pot. I noticed that the cup I'd instinctively chosen was my onee-sama's favorite.

"Here you go."

I added sticks of creamer and sugar to the teacup then set it down on the table in front of Shimako. It didn't look like she was a regular drinker of black coffee.

"Thank-you very much."

Shimako bowed, then sat where I'd placed the coffee. I also sat down, choosing the seat facing her. Possessing a stubbornness that wasn't in keeping with her outward appearance, Shimako sipped at her coffee, not reaching for the sugar or creamer. She struggled valiantly not to let it show on her face, but it was obvious she wasn't enjoying it.

On reflection, it was like she was making an incursion behind enemy lines. The tension must have been a lot higher for her, so she was probably feeling the stress.

"Did you come to help?"

Ignoring the matter of the coffee, I asked about the real issue at hand. Neither Youko nor Eriko had arrived. Nor had either of the boutons or Yoshino-chan, so I could only assume this was a well planned operation.

"If you're opposed to it, Rosa Gigantea, then I won't impose."

"This has nothing to do with me, right?"

"… That's what Rosa Foetida told me too."

Shimako looked down and smiled bitterly. So she could make that expression too. I relaxed and gazed at her face. Thinking about it, this was the first time we'd spoken to each other properly.

"So if I say I'm fine with it, you'll come to the Rose Mansion."

"Yes."

"Let me just say, that doesn't mean you'll become my petit soeur."

I said, intending it as a reminder. I was always sensitive about that when asking someone to help out because we were short-handed. It was useful getting girls from lower grades to help out, so initially I'd been asking Rei and Sachiko's classmates, but that led to a number of misunderstandings about them being potential petit soeurs. As a last resort, I'd recently taken to imposing on my classmates.

"I understand. If this were about becoming Rosa Gigantea's petit soeur, then I would not accept."

Shimako said, looking straight at me.

"That's quite direct of you."

"Ah, pardon me."

There wasn't any real reason for her to apologize to me, but oddly Shimako's, "Pardon me," wrapped itself firmly around my heart.

"So, what? Toudou Shimako-san's going to devote herself to the Yamayurikai just as an assistant? Why?"

Why couldn't I stop talking in this prickly manner? But Shimako responded seriously.

"Because this is a place where I'm needed."

"–"

I was suddenly struck by a memory.

I like your face, Sei. So stay by my side.

My onee-sama said that to me, and that's how I came to inhabit the Rose Mansion.

At the time, I'd said, "If you like my face," and accepted the offered hand.

Everybody wants to be needed by somebody.

Even though I hadn't been able to hit it off with most of my classmates, I still wanted to believe that there was someone out there who understood my feelings. Whether it was my face or anything else, just being told by someone that they liked me was a massive relief.

"Alright."

I stood up and grabbed my bag.

"Please assist the Yamayurikai."

The conversation was over. I walked out of the second-floor room, leaving Shimako there.

"Your first job is to wash those cups."

I couldn't look her in the eye.

Because Shimako and I were the very same thing.