Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume1 Chapter2 2

Tuesday of Storms. Part 2.

Apparently Japan was around the only country that introduced a system such as "cleaning duty" to school. In the US and Europe, schools were thoroughly ingrained as "places in which to learn." -I forget the exact details, but I vaguely remember a foreign commentator mentioning that on television.

(Certainly.)

It was a strange feeling, in that she was polishing the school's floors, but her mother cleaned her bedroom. You could put it off as being linked to home economics class, but the cleaning process for a school and an ordinary home was too different.

Perhaps it was a matter of morals. Return things you borrowed in a clean fashion.

By the way, while Yumi was quite ordinary in that she was not particularly fond of cleaning, for some reason she disliked it much less while in the music room.

Possibly as a result of soundproofing, the floor was made of a packed, felt-like material, meaning there was no need for water mopping nor the weekly waxing. Because the walls were made of a special soundproof material, they only needed to be dusted once in a while, and as the chairs and tables were built-in, there was no need to move them around.

You simply needed to move around the special vacuum cleaner, rinse the top of desks, and clean the blackboard and the scaffold around the windows. The usual portraits of Mozart and Beethoven were left up to the supervisor for the room.

"Yumi-san. Shall we leave it at that?"

Said the classmate in the same cleaning group, as she shut a window.

"Yes…"

Normally, she scurried off immediately upon finishing cleaning duties. But today she felt like taking her time.

"Everyone may go on ahead, I'll take care of the cleaning diary."

If you were to step out of the school now, you would run into the end-of-school peak. She didn't mind crowded buses, but having become the center of rumors, she did not have the courage to jump out into the open on her own. But, she had no place else to go to spend time.

"Then we shall stay with you until it is completed. It would not be suitable to leave Yumi-san alone, after all."

The kind classmates offered to help.

"But you do have club activities, do you not? All I have left to do afterward is to go home, and I did hand over diary duty yesterday, so I'll take care of it today."

When Yumi insisted, the other three discussed among themselves, "Shall we leave then?" and then left the music room.

"Gokigenyou."

"See you tomorrow."

Tap tap, their footsteps faded into the distance at a rapid pace.

So as to not disturb the plaits in their skirts, so as to not toss their white sailor scarves into disarray. They were actually so busy that such standards had slipped their mind.

"Ahh. I'm so bored."

Having no attachment to a club or a committee left her quite lonely at this time of day.

The class' presentation was to be an exhibit about the "path of the Cross." They intended to reproduce 14 pictures from the proclamation of Christ's execution, to his walk to Golgotha hill, to when he was buried after crucifixion, and then place captions under each of those pictures. However, as honest Lillian students should, they had already completed most of their preparations over the summer. Maybe everyone had realized that they would become busy for their respective clubs as the school festival drew closer, thus preparing for the inevitability that they would not be able to extend much of a hand to their classroom exhibit.

"I wonder how much time I should take."

It would be bone-headed to take so much time that her departure coincided this time with the club-activity students.

"Oh, I should go hand in the diary."

However, she did not yet want to move. She could hear the excited sounds of students still moving to classrooms or club houses or the gymnasium beyond the half-opened door.

Yumi absent-mindedly opened the cover to the piano. There was nothing to be afraid of, even alone in the piano room.

-Maria-sama protects this school, after all.

Because of this, there were no horror stories of midnight pianos or Beethoven's eyes at Lillian.

Mi-.

With her right index finger, she pressed down the higher Mi key. Yes, she thought everything started from that sound. Yumi drew up a chair and properly faced the piano.

It had been quite some time since she had last touched a piano. She had attended piano school once a week for the six years of elementary school, but as it never managed to become a significant part of her, she quit as she entered middle school.

Mi-.

She played the same sound once more. This time, depending on her memory of sound, she tried to reproduce that song she heard half a year ago. If it were just her right index finger, she could somewhat reproduce the melody.

Fa-.

So-ReMi-.

This was Gounod's Ave Maria.

Half a year ago, Ogasawara Sachiko-sama, introduced as Rosa Chinensis en bouton, played this piece for the freshmen during the Yamayurikai-sponsored freshmen welcoming ceremony. That was the first time Yumi had encountered Sachiko-sama.

Having been played on an organ inside a sanctuary, the sound echoed deeply and stained a part of her soul. Sachiko-sama, who was playing the piece, looked almost like Ave Maria herself.

Even after the performance, Yumi was unable to take her eyes off of Sachiko-sama. Not just her lovely appearance, but the way she carried her each and every conduct with dignity, and with her upper-classman tone of voice, she was absolutely beautiful.

She wanted to become a person like Sachiko-sama.

She wanted to get even an inch closer to a person like Sachiko-sama.

When she thought so half a year ago, she did not imagine in her wildest dreams things would end up like this. No, not even yesterday, at this same time, had she even imagined this.

Her school life just changed drastically. –Just as she leaned into the piano with such thoughts, she saw something at the edge of her vision.

"☆×■◎※△――――!?"

Before she could even begin to recognize what had appeared, an indescribable and curious sound jumped out of Yumi's vocal chords.

That was because a human hand had reached out from behind her, toward the keyboard. There could be no helping her heart leaping out of her chest.

"What a sound you make, as I were attacking you."

She jumped, once again, when she looked up at the face of that hand.

"Anyone would shriek if someone came up silently from behind, Sachiko-sama."

On top of that, if that person were the person for whom the thoughts were about, it would be further surprising.

"I was being considerate, about not intruding on your piano performance."

Sachiko-sama pressed down on the Do key with her still-stretched left hand. It's the key you first learn to press with the thumb of your right hand when you begin learning.

"Play."

"Eh!?"

"Once more, play just as you did earlier."

"Ehh?"

When she tried to scramble off the seat, Sachiko-sama held her down by the shoulder with her open right hand.

"The rhythm is… one, two, three, four, two, two, three, four."

"Ah, umm…"

Sachiko-sama notched the rhythm into Yumi's right shoulder as truthfully as a metronome, and signaled, "Start," on the third count.

When humans are told, "Start," they seem to have the trait to begin doing something. Yumi had begun playing out of momentum.

Then a second sound jumped in, intertwining itself with Yumi.

DoMiSoDoDoMiSoDo.

Sachiko-sama was playing the left hand's part. Plus, she was using the pedals, so the sound had an echo.

(It's a four-handed performance.)

Her own sound, combining with the other sound, returned to her ears in a pleasant fashion.

However, the fun feeling only lasted for a short while. Soon, she remembered that Sachiko-sama was near, and the excitement turned into fear.

The song was not designed for a four-handed performance, and because it was being played with Yumi's right hand and Sachiko-sama's left, it was a case of one person closing in on the other's personal space. Sachiko-sama's breasts kept brushing with Yumi's left arm, the glossy straight hair fell on Yumi's shoulder, and the pleasant fragrance began making Yumi feel like this was all commonplace.

Even so, the performance continued. Sachiko-sama probably would not stop for as long as Yumi's right hand could keep up the melody line.

On one hand she wanted this to last forever, but part of her also wanted this to end, immediately. Deep within Yumi, those two contradicting feelings fought.

Sachiko-sama's breathing softly swayed Yumi's hair. However, that breath was almost irritatingly calm. Unlike Yumi, Sachiko-sama was not one to be thrown in disarray from just this.

The beautiful harmony was broken.

Yumi purposefully went off-key.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't keep up with Sachiko-sama, after all."

Chuckling softly, she scrambled off the chair and turned away.

"Is that so? You were playing wonderfully."

Sachiko-sama shut the cover softly. The small clunking sound felt oddly loud in the room devoid of anyone but them.

She noticed Sachiko-sama was slowly walking toward her. The soft floor absorbed most of the sound from the indoor shoes. She thought, ah, no wonder she didn't notice Sachiko-sama entering earlier.

"Well, shall we get going?"

"Huh!?"

"What do you mean, huh. Just why did you think I came all this way?"

"Ah, why DID Sachiko-sama come here?"

"Of course, to pick you up."

Sachiko-sama raised an eyebrow, adopting an "isn't that obvious?" sort of tone.

Yumi was spared the need to ask where to, as Sachiko-sama began explaining.

"Alright? From now until the school festival, you will take part in performance recitals with everyone else. That is your obligation, after all."

Sachiko-sama's reasoning was thus.

There was a degree of impossibility to Sachiko-sama persuading Yumi within the small time frame given, before the school festival. In conclusion, in order to help make things fair, Yumi, who had no after-school obligations anyways, was to take part in Yamayurikai business.

"How unreasonable."

"What do you mean, unreasonable. The Roses were already quite aware of this. Also,"

Sachiko-sama placed her index finger on Yumi's jaw and looked into her eyes.

"Do think about it. You are the substitute for Cinderella. Of course you are expected to attend rehearsals."

"Substitute… But that's only if I accept the rosary-."

"Do you plan on missing rehearsals because you are confident you will not accept? If so, by that logic, I can miss out on rehearsals, too."

"But."

Sachiko-sama admonished Yumi with a faint, quiet voice.

"However, I will attend rehearsals. There are not too many things in the world where you can claim 'absolutely.' Plus, the bet with the onee-sama, aside, ignoring confidence and probability, there are only one or two results lying in the future. If the Cinderella role is down to either you or I, then I will practice. Even if it were to contradict how confident I feel, it is better than running the risk of being embarrassed during the actual performance."

Sachiko-sama chuckled, curling Yumi's straggling hair over her ear.

"Sachiko-sama…"

There was nothing she could say. Even if she were to refuse, raising hysteria, Sachiko-sama was certainly being reasonable. There was no doubt that, in her mind, right and wrong were organized neatly just like garbage and recycling.

Her heart constricted, have I disappointed her? It was the same feeling as the four-handed piano performance, a feeling totally different from the excitement or dread. Rather, it was a mysterious mental state, in that she felt that, left alone, she would have ended up in tears. Similar to the feeling of, as a child, having lost sight of her mother in the middle of a crowd.

Had Sachiko-sama not lifted her head that moment, Yumi probably would have latched onto Sachiko-sama and cried "I'm sorry."

"Of course."

Sachiko-sama blurted out, as if just thinking of something.

"You have your own way of thinking, so I will not coerce you. However, will you not at least come watch me practice?"

"… Yes."

"Then, take your bag."

Having been urged onward, Yumi took the bag she had left on a table, as well as the cleaning diary.

She wondered if she was allowing herself to be swept along into Sachiko-sama's pace in a nice way. However, as she tilted her head slightly, she admonished herself for such damning thoughts.

Despite her hysteric behavior yesterday, Sachiko-sama was supposed to be like Maria-sama: pure, right, and beautiful, like an artist's depiction of the perfect onee-sama. No, she had to remain like that in Yumi's thoughts.

"What is the matter? Yumi, come along."

Sachiko-sama called from the doorway.

"Ah, coming."

When she hurried over, Sachiko-sama informed her, "Be quiet," and fixed Yumi's tie.

It was the same as yesterday morning. For a moment, it synchronized with that moment in front of the Gingko trees.

"Ah."

Sachiko-sama blurted, stopped, and looked at Yumi.

"That photo. Was it taken yesterday morning?"

"Ehh?"

Unbelievably, Sachiko-sama had just remembered that scene.

"Could you not remember from the photo?"

"I could see it was myself, and that it was Yumi with me. But I could not remember when it happened. Because Takeshima Tsutako-san's photo had no date on it."

She thought, that's not the problem. There was no need to confirm once again that Yumi was too unmemorable.

"Then Yumi and I truly did just meet yesterday."

"Yes."

Yumi nodded as she shut the door to the music room. It had been mere hours before Sachiko-sama's sœur declaration. When they mentioned "warashibechouja," she had no retort.

"I feel so much better now that I remembered."

The two of them walked down the hallway together. She felt it was awkward to be walking together the same day the rumors spread like a wildfire, but Sachiko-sama seemed to give it no mind. Particularly as there was almost no one left in the corridor, Sachiko-sama probably would have disliked being shadowy about it.

"Sachiko-sama, do you fix underclassmen ties that frequently?"

In that case, Yumi felt there was no helping her forgetting Yumi. However, the answer Sachiko-sama imparted from her lips.

"Quite the opposite."

"Eh?"

"Seldom. … No, basically never. I wonder why I did such a thing."

As they walked down the stairs, Sachiko-sama wondered, truly fascinated. She had presumably kept thinking about it, as after descending one flight of stairs, she had an answer.

"I am not much of a morning person, so I am always in a daze in the mornings, so I might have subconsciously called out to you. That might explain why I could not recall the incident immediately."

"You do not seem the type to be weak to mornings."

"I am told that all the time. … But in reality, I have low blood pressure."

"Ah, low blood pressure."

It seemed like, more and more the character of Ogasawara Sachiko-sama became a mystery. Right next to her was definitely that person of adoration, but the image of her had changed quite a bit since three days ago.

Yet, normally, you were supposed to learn more and more about a person as time passed.

When they stopped by the staff room to hand in the diary, Yamamura-sensei, who was in charge of Yumi's class, said, "Oh my."

"I thought there must have been a mistake, but what was that rumor true, after all?"

It seemed the story had spread to even the teachers.

"But, that is fascinating. I heard Ogasawara-san was rejected by Fukuzawa-san? But why are you two walking together? Or was it actually an OK?"

As expected of a former Lillian student. Her eyes twinkled and she asked with the curiosity of a young girl, shedding the 20-year differential in their ages.

"Umm, that's, that's-."

When Yumi became stuck, Sachiko-sama spoke out from her side.

"We apologize for making a fuss. I will leave what happened between us to your imagination."

She smiled, and then, "Well, excuse us." Sachiko-sama took Yumi's hand and walked away elegantly from the staff room.

Yamamura-sensei smiled bitterly, having had the opportunity to speak sealed.

"Sa, Sachiko-sama."

After they had walked a fair distance from the staff room did Sachiko-sama finally let go of Yumi's hand.

"There is no need to say more than what is necessary."

"But."

"The more you respond, the greater and wilder the rumors become. If you wish to explain, explain it at once, in great detail, to a large audience, rather than explaining little by little. When it is still a big fuss, be a willow in the wind."

But being able to silence people with just a smile like Sachiko-sama is impossible to replicate for a normal high school student. Sachiko-sama's reasoning was, well, quite reasonable, but difficult to put into practice.

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