Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume29 Chapter1 3

Onee-sama, Rosary and Petit Soeur. Part 3.

"Huh? She hasn't arrived yet?"

Sachiko-sama's classmate said, 'Yeah,' as she looked pityingly at the junior who had come all the way from a separate school building to ask the question.

"Which is unusual for Sachiko-san."

She said, as though reading Yumi's facial expression. Since this girl's seat was right next to the door, Yumi had probably talked with her on numerous occasions.

"Umm, is it just that she's not currently in the classroom?"

Like if she'd arrived at school, but just ducked out to go to the toilet. Or if she was on duty. Yumi considered the possibilities.

"I'll check."

The girl swiveled her upper body around, looking behind her. Focusing on the seat in the exact center of the classroom. Taking the bait, Yumi also leaned forwards a fraction.

"Too bad. Sachiko-san's bag isn't there."

"I guess not."

From what Yumi had seen over the girl's shoulder, the classroom was deserted. There were probably only five people in there. Yumi had only caught a glimpse inside, but she hadn't seen any unattended bags either.

"Ah... In general attendance is poor, but since Sachiko-san doesn't have to take an entrance exam, she's been coming every day."

"That's true."

Yumi nodded. Naturally she was already aware of this, since it concerned her onee-sama. Yumi knew that Sachiko-sama had been coming to school every day without fail. Even if Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama hardly ever visited the Rose Mansion now that they were 'comfortably retired' and had entrusted the running of the Yamayurikai to the three second-years, they were still close soeurs. They would still meet at least once a day to talk, even without the Rose Mansion. Well, there were some days when they did little more than exchange greetings.

"I understand. Thank-you for your assistance."

Yumi expressed her gratitude, then turned to leave the third year pine group classroom behind.

"If Sachiko-san arrives, I'll tell her that Yumi-san came to see her."

"Ahh, don't bother. I'll come back at lunch-time to see if she's here."

Yumi bowed once more to the kind senior, then strode off down the corridor.

Yumi then went directly to the main entrance and took this opportunity to peek into the shoe box room.

And even though she walked all the way there, it goes without saying that she didn't run into the person she was looking for – those fairytale stories just don't happen. Ogasawara Sachiko-sama's figure was nowhere to be seen amongst the students hurriedly changing their shoes atop the wooden floor.

The flow of students changing their shoes was uninterrupted, but in one of the quieter moments Yumi stealthily positioned herself in front of the shoe box with the 'Ogasawara Sachiko' name-tag.

(Will it be her indoor shoes? Or her outdoor shoes?)

Heads or tails. Odd or even. That was the feeling Yumi had as she opened the locker door.

( – Indoor shoes.)

Which meant that she hadn't arrived yet, after all.

Yumi glanced at her watch. The first bell would ring soon. The students' movements were even more frantic. They had probably been running, several of them were breathing heavily.

Indeed, late.

(I wonder if she's taking the day off.)

Truthfully, Yumi had thought about calling her last night. To give her onee-sama a report on the date.

Mami-san had taught her the phrase 'suppression order' to help her escape from a barrage of questioning, but there had been no formal request to keep this private. She was free to talk, as long as it didn't affect the soon-to-be-published Valentine's Date special edition of the Lillian Kawaraban.

However, when Yumi asked Sachiko-sama 'May I call you after the date?' on Saturday, Sachiko-sama had immediately replied with a firm 'No.' Her reason being that she had various events she had to go to, so didn't know what time she would return. And since Sachiko-sama had said that she could wait until Monday to hear how the date went, she had, at least on Saturday, been planning on coming to school today.

Maybe she caught a cold? Just as Yumi was idly pondering this.

"Yumi-san!?"

Yumi returned to her senses after hearing her name called out so emphatically. Turning towards the voice, she saw a surprised looking person standing near the second-year lockers, looking back at her. Naturally, she knew the girl with the trademark twin long braids veeery well. They were both in the same class, and both in the same position as boutons. That fearless warrior, Shimazu Yoshino-san.

"I have no idea what you're doing, but if you keep standing there you're going to be late."

Looking around, Yumi saw there was hardly anyone left. Everyone had dashed off to their classrooms.

"Oh no."

No matter how early Yumi had arrived at school, if she wasn't in the classroom in time for morning prayers she was out. She had been saved by Yoshino-san's arrival. As Yumi chased after her friend, who moved with unbelievable speed for someone whose weak body meant they could only spectate during PE until midway through their first year of high-school, she felt an inexplicable need to look over her shoulder.

(Huh?)

Yumi couldn't believe her eyes. What she had seen was just too incredible.

"What, why have you stopped? Let's go."

At Yoshino-san's urging, she resumed running.

The chimes started ringing all too soon, so Yumi couldn't run off to double-check. Therefore, the most likely conclusion was that she had been wrong about what she saw.

Because.

The girl with the long, disheveled hair running in the direction of the third-year classrooms had been, well, Ogasawara Sachiko-sama.

And that was absolutely, completely, impossible.