Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume1 Chapter4 2

Spicy and Bitter Weekend. Part 2.

Kashiwagi-san is a third-year at the Hanadera Institute. As he'd already received an early acceptance into the Hanadera University, he was able to be the student council leader despite it being this otherwise busy time period for third-year students, and he was also able to help out with other school festivals. A man of such elegant social status, is how he introduced himself on the roadside while walking with Yumi.

"I must say, unlike Lillian, it seems like Hanadera's rather prepared for examination conditions?"

"Indeed. Thus, I was saved because the early-acceptance entries were low in number."

"Right…"

Hanadera University was extremely high level, so it supposedly only accepted up to thirty students with exceptional records from its affiliate high schools without any exam. Those that failed to grab an early acceptance would then take an exam for Hanadera University, as well as other schools, so it had an image of a school that had high examination requirements.

(That means, this person is a super elite…!)

A slender figure, a generous mask, a well-mannered attitude to other people, and a brilliant mind and leadership ability to boot. Just how could Sachiko-sama complain about a man like this?

"Ah, the Maria statue."

Kashiwagi-san stopped at the fork in the road.

"When Lillian students pass by, they always stop and put their hands together, correct?"

"You're very knowledgeable."

"Yes. For whatever reason, in my household, men go to Hanadera, and women go to Lillian. My mother, my grandmother, my aunt, and my cousin all went to Lillian."

Whether he was just acting the part, he put together his hands and closed his eyes. Because of this, Yumi was also able to pray, in peace. Because it was such a habit, she felt bad every time she neglected to perform the rite.

"With Maria-sama watching like this, Lillian students really cannot do anything bad."

Kashiwagi-san mumbled, having opened his eyes.

"Anything bad?"

"I don't know. Girls' schools and boys' schools have bad standards of 'bad,' so I can't give a specific example."

"Shakyamuni watches over Hanadera, though, right?"

"Even so, there is no statue in clear view like this."

Hanadera Institute was a Buddhist school.

After taking a left at the fork, there was another fork. When you took a right, the high school facilities were on your left.

"Please come in here."

She led him to the visitor entrance and took a slipper from the shoe box.

"I should have brought indoor shoes, it seems. I heard we were to rehearse in the gymnasium, so I just brought my indoor athletics shoes."

"It's alright."

He seemed to feel awkward wearing visitor slippers while wearing a school uniform.

"I apologize, could you wait here a moment? I'm going to change into my indoor shoes."

With that, Yumi hurried outside. Ah, how busy. She turned around, entered from the main entrance, changed shoes, and now had to return, this time from indoors.

(Huh…?)

She thought she saw Sachiko-sama.

(Was I seeing things? Sachiko-sama should be at the Rose Mansion still.)

That shadow vanished to the library road as Yumi watched. She thought she should chase, for a moment, but then realized there was no need for her to investigate whether that was Sachiko-sama or not, and she had a guest to attend to, anyways.

(Oh, well, I guess I'll ask Sachiko-sama later.)

Thus, Yumi remembered her original mission and ran to the other side.

"Welcome, Kashiwagi-sama."

"Thank you for transporting yourself all this distance today."

"Ahh, please, put down your luggage here."

The Roses smiled their special smiles and welcomed the visitor.

"Thank you for the invitation. It is a wonderful mansion."

The person named Kashiwagi Suguru seemed extremely used to the situation. He was very settled down, a curious man, who was pulled into the Rose Mansion, a building that could only be called "strange" by an outsider. Then, despite being surrounded by girls of similar age, conducted himself sociably without any hint of timid-ness.

"My little brother would come home flushed and crying from this situation…"

Having completed her important job, Yumi stood off to the side, relieved, and watched the scene.

"Oh, Yumi-chan has a little brother?"

Rosa Gigantea was unwrapping the curry dish, having stepped out of the circle and walked next to Yumi.

"Yes. At Hanadera Institute."

"Being flushed is more normal. Being this sociable at a high school age is kind of creepy."

She was talking about Kashiwagi-san, and although they were far away and probably couldn't be heard, Yumi still felt a pang of fear.

"Rosa Gigantea's mouth is as sharp as the taste of coconut curry…"

"Then it wasn't that spicy?"

Rosa Gigantea laughed heartily.

She was searching around with her hand, so Yumi handed her the spoon, that was being guarded by a paper napkin.

"Thank you."

"It's cooled, you're still serving it to him?"

She asked with a whisper, and the response she got was a childish "well, duh."

"Speed is the name of the game. If we don't make him eat, soon, Lillian students will be stuck with the label, 'smell like curry.' Unfortunately there is nothing quite as handy as a microwave in the Rose Mansion, anyways."

It would have been faster if she just said that. Regardless, Rosa Gigantea said, "I apologize for keeping you waiting," a decidedly uncharacteristic sort of behavior, and placed the cold curry in front of the student council leader from the neighboring school.

"Sakuratei special menu, named 'Curry that's good even when it's cold.'"

What a liar.

As she walked back, Rosa Gigantea, out of view of the customer, stuck out her tongue and laughed.

"You may have already eaten lunch, but as you are a man, I hope you could eat this, too?"

"As you will be participating in the rehearsals with us, please, do fill your stomach, first."

Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida both spoke in a nonchalant manner, but they very proactively recommended him to eat. As expected, even if he were to never notice, they were not so keen on having eaten curry and being near a guy who hadn't.

"Of course. Thank you for the treat."

And as expected of a man, Kashiwagi. He said, "Thank you for this meal," with full expression and began eating the two-colored curry. Even with people watching, he ate fluidly and without hesitation.

"What do you think?"

"What, do you mean?"

"What do you think of him?"

At first, she didn't know what Rosa Gigantea meant. So she responded, "He eats like they do in the curry commercials," but that was a huge miss.

"Not that. The Hanadera student council leader, it's your first time seeing him isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I'm asking about your impression of him."

"Impression."

Yumi glanced at Kashiwagi-san. He was half-finished with eating. Perhaps it was his personality, but both colors were evenly diminished.

"Intellectual, sociable, and punctual. Also, he is refreshing."

Rosa Gigantea nodded, "yes yes," as she listened to Yumi.

"Objectively, how do you think of him as a guy?"

"How…?"

What in the world are you talking about, Rosa Gigantea? Was she trying to be a formal marriage mother?

"I'm not really good with that angle, so I'm asking Yumi-chan, a normal girl."

"Huh!?"

She had no idea what was going on. So she answered half-heartedly.

"Objectively, he's a pretty good line to follow…"

Still chewing away at curry, he probably couldn't have even imagined two girls standing by the sink would be talking about this.

"- so that would mean, he passes."

As Sachiko-sama's partner, Rosa Gigantea said. In this play, there was an ulterior motive of trying to beat Sachiko-sama's hate of men.

"Sachiko's household is quite bizarre. Her grandfather and father both have many mistresses. There are people that stupidly think that's the true nature of men, but those type of men really don't know how women feel. So, girls like Sachiko, stuck around that sort of men, end up with an intense hatred of all men."

The concubines of the Ogasawara family men were quite famous, Rosa Gigantea whispered. People with stature and prestige had a hard time keeping that sort of thing under wraps, apparently. Of course, that means Sachiko-sama knew about her father's relationship with women.

"I see, hating men, has a reason behind it."

"Pretty much. I mean, liking men takes so much less explaining."

So what they needed was a perfect, clean man with absolutely no chinks in his armor.

If Sachiko-sama were to be in a play with such a man, she might recognize the better virtues and qualities of men, and everything would end happily. Was how they wanted to script everything.

"But, I wonder if it'll go that well…"

"Don't worry. He won't draw near Sachiko-sama too much, even by mistake."

It had nothing to do with making them a couple, or anything. The first step was simply placing a "good man" near her. It was none other than Rosa Gigantea who fired the white-plumed arrow at him, saying he was the perfect fit for the job. And, now that the plan was coming into fruition, she had decided to ask for someone else's opinion.

"Has Sachiko-sama not met Kashiwagi-san yet?"

As she asked, Yumi suddenly realized.

Sachiko-sama was not there.

(Huh? Was she here when I came into the room? Or was she not?)

"Yumi-chan heard, right? That girl always ran away."

She didn't go to help Hanadera Institute with their school festival, she would not attend if they were having a meeting, and she even began complaining about wanting off the role when she found out the Hanadera student council leader was the prince.

"Speaking of which, where is Cinderella?"

With good timing, Kashiwagi-san put down his spoon and asked.

"Sachiko seemed to be discontent, and ran off to the gymnasium first."

Rosa Foetida seemed to feign curiosity, but it seemed everyone had already known.

Discontent could only have meant one thing, and that was the prince. Cinderella hated the prince, and even though the midnight bell had not yet been struck, she had fled somewhere. –Ah, the story of Cinderella was changing into something else entirely.

"I was looking forward to seeing her."

Thank you for the meal, and he stood up. He pulled out his script and his indoor athletics shoes from a vinyl bag. He was itching to get going.

Yumi thought about what had transpired earlier as she began cleaning the dish.

That shadow she saw outside of the guest entrance must have been Sachiko-sama.

(But, why was she there…?)

If she continued on the path through the library, she would arrive at Maria-sama's fork. The other two roads from that intersection were to the main gate and the auditorium, and both cases were simply longer routes to get to the first or second gymnasiums.

(Did she, return home!?)

If she, if she really did not want to even touch the hand of man, and had run away-. Yumi could not hold herself any longer, and took off.

"Yumi-chan?"

"I'm sorry, I'm going on ahead."

Yumi took her gymnasium shoes in hand and rushed down the screeching stairs by herself.

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