Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume3 Chapter3 4

Who's Suga Sei? Part 4.

The career-woman-ish lady's name was Sasaki-san.

The drained Yamagishi-san told Sasaki-san what had happened, and she said, "I see," and nodded. Well I came at the perfect time, didn't I.

"Well, I'm in charge of Suga Sei-sensei, but I think everyone would tell you the same. And no one in the editorial department would tell her secret, either. Also, I have work to do now, so I'm sorry-"

Sasaki-san glanced at her watch.

"Hmm."

Suddenly, another person joined the conversation. It was a woman who'd just finished signing in.

"Oh come on, Sasaki-san, it wouldn't hurt to hear them out, at least?"

That person handed the sign-in sheet to the receptionist and received a badge, then walked over in high-heel shoes. She had a diminutive stature and was a bit thin, and you couldn't really tell from afar, but relatively old.

"I'm the one you're working with, anyways, and I don't mind waiting a bit."

"But, Kasuga-san…"

Both of them looked bewildered at the unexpected help.

"You shouldn't shut everyone out like that. You should listen to what they have to say, and then explain based on their situation. That's how human relationships need to be, right?"

Yumi thought she was about the age of her grandmother. People this age tend to make somewhat intrusive lectures. Though they were saved by this one.

"On the other hand, because I helped out, would you mind if I sat in?"

She wanted to hear what young people had to say, she smiled. She was like a cute grandmother.

Of course, the three of them firmly nodded. Without her, Sasaki-san wouldn't have listened, anyways.

Sasaki-san sighed, "Fine."

"It might end with just me listening to you three, is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Come in, it's better than standing around and talking."

After asking the receptionist about an empty room, Sasaki-san lead them to a café-like room that was just off to the side of the front desk. Yamagishi-san ran away, saying, "Not my problem anymore," so the five ladies ended up sitting around the square table.

In one room that she glanced into while they walked down the corridor, Yumi saw two men sitting over manga-like documents spread out over a table, thinking hard with their arms folded.

Yoshino-san, urged on, explained in detail about Rosa Gigantea, referring to her as "Senpai," and Shiori-san, "her friend." Sasaki-san, in response, replied with "and?" and "I see," and listened intently to the end. Good listeners, would be how you would describe those sorts of people.

"I see. You three just want to make sure your senpai is proven innocent, and you don't really care for the identity of the author, Suga Sei, as long as she's not related. I understand that much. But you know, that's already taken care of."

"What?"

Rei-sama, Yoshino-san and Yumi all tilted their heads to one side, like you'd see in an anime.

"This Satou Sei has some good friends."

When the old lady smiled, she brightened everything around her. Yumi hoped that when she grew old, she'd also be able to smile like that.

"-Wait, hold on a second!" Yoshino-san leapt up from the table using her hands.

"I never once said 'Satou Sei'!!"

(… Ah!)

Yumi noticed that, too. Yoshino-san never said Rosa Gigantea or Satou Sei. But how did the old lady know?

"Lillian Girls' Academy's Rosa Gigantea. I don't think anyone at Cosmos books doesn't know of Satou Sei-san."

Sasaki-san smiled bitterly and explained.

"In the past four, five days, a lot of people called us about whether Suga Sei is Satou Sei."

And then the only lady said she and Sasaki-san were just talking about "young women these days being quite proactive," as they ate lunch. Rosa Gigantea had become famous without knowing it.

"When we decided to publish Suga Sei without announcing her name, we didn't really expect this to happen, so we do feel bad for Satou Sei-san."

"The unfortunate happenings of having a similar name."

"Exactly."

Sasaki-san and the old lady both nodded in agreement, and that's when Rei-sama asked another question.

"Um, that means Satou Sei-san isn't Suga Sei-sensei, right? And the school already knows?"

"That would be the case."

"Lillian Girls' Academy made a formal inquiry?"

"No, that's-"

The old lady began speaking, but then she noticed Sasaki-san glaring at her, and she stopped, then said, "Oh, it's alright, isn't it?"

"Well, even if I were to stop you, you'd tell them anyways, right? … In return, you three must agree to this being kept off-record."

Sasaki-san deliberately made a scary face, so they nodded vigorously.

"That's-"

Returning to where she'd left off, the old lady began explaining.

"Because yesterday, a person called the Cosmos editorial department."

"A person?"

"Yes. But I'll keep that person's name a secret, for now. But this person asked about Suga Sei, but instead raised a name very different from Satou Sei. And the Cosmos editorial department was stunned when they heard that name. Do you know why?"

"Because it was Suga Sei-sensei's real name."

Yoshino-san answered.

"That's right. And when they asked who she was, they were even more surprised."

"Because she was the other protagonist of 'Forest of Thorns.'"

"Correct. After reading 'Forest of Thorns' three days ago, she realized she was the one the book was based on. But she didn't know how to get in contact with her friend, so she called the editorial department."

When she heard that, Yumi thought the caller was Rosa Gigantea. And Rosa Gigantea wanted to confirm Kubo Shiori was Suga Sei, and called.

"Kubo Shiori-san is Suga Sei-sensei?"

Rei-sama asked before Yumi could.

(Bingo!) She thought.

It felt like the jigsaw puzzle was coming together. She was sure of it.

But Sasaki-san said something unexpected.

"Kubo Shiori-san… who is that?"

They were frozen in place, like someone had stopped time.

Even though they didn't say it, Yoshino-san and Rei-sama and Yumi had come to the same agreement. The expressions on their face said it clearly.

"Hold on a second…"

Yoshino-san placed her head on her hand, like she was gathering herself back together. Then, she weakly asked.

"If the editorial department doesn't know of 'Kubo Shiori,' that would mean Satou Sei-san has nothing to do with 'Forest of Thorns,' correct?"

Of course they'd be stunned. Even if it weren't Suga Sei, they'd all believed "Sei" was Rosa Gigantea.

Clatter clatter clatter.

The finished jigsaw puzzle noisily crumbled apart. Something like, could this be happening?

"Yes. We did say that, didn't we?"

The old lady said, matter-of-factly, but all they were told was that Satou Sei wasn't Suga Sei, so the fact that Satou Sei had nothing to do with 'Forest of Thorns' was a first.

"But the fact that the school knows of Rosa Gigantea's innocence-"

"That's right, Yumi-san. That would mean whoever called the editorial department has to do with Lillian."

Yumi and Yoshino-san were both excited, but when they wondered, "Then who?" they couldn't think of anyone.

"Wait."

Rei-sama mumbled.

"That person would be Kahori, in 'Forest of Thorns,' right? Would that mean the story took place at Lillian? But isn't that weird? We ruled that possibility out immediately. Because other than Rosa Gigantea, no one like that exists."

And the assumption that Kahori was still at the school. Or maybe Kahori is who wrote it, and Sei is the one at school.

(Ahh, my head's going to explode.)

Without training her mind to do deep thinking, she realized she probably wouldn't survive the next two years.

"Do you give up already?"

Sasaki-san aside, the old lady seemed to like quizzes, and was amused by the sight of them struggling. Come to think of it, these two women already knew the answer.

She wanted to raise her hand and say, I surrender, but Yoshino-san probably wouldn't forgive her if she did that, so she decided against it. And Rei-sama was fiercely competitive, so she wasn't the type to give up easily.

"The person is supposed to be there, but isn't."

Rei-sama mumbled.

"What?"

"It takes place at Lillian, but the person isn't there. Then-"

"… Time machine?"

Yoshino-san answered. I've got it, she looked like she was about to say. Rei-sama nodded in agreement.

Time machine.

Yumi first imagined Kahori riding off in a time machine, but she knew that couldn't be the case. After all, Yoshino-san had to have said time machine as a joke.

"It's a different time period. Of course. And that way, there won't even be any rumors left."

If Sei and Kahori did attend Lillian, that would explain why they didn't know about them.

If it had happened just a few years ago, it would probably have remained as a legend.

Even with Rosa Gigantea, what happened to her slowly permeated to the clueless first-years. And when Rosa Gigantea graduated, the rumors would become a legend. And legends became myths, over time, and then eventually vanish, altogether.

"A time machine. I see, yes, that would do it."

Yoshino-san and Rei-sama both responded to the old lady's words.

"It seems like both of you figured it out."

They looked unsure, but they nodded, anyways.

(Wa-wait, how did you two get it, with that hint?)

Yumi panicked, having been left behind.

Maybe she just doesn't understand things well enough? Maybe her ever-average language test scores were because she didn't understand what was behind the lines, or because she could only answer certain types of questions?

She understood it was a different time period, but how do you go beyond that?

Where did the time machine carry them?

Who are Sei and Kahori?

"Your friend is confused, why don't you two help her?"

That friend, Yumi, was in serious thought. Yoshino-san and Rei-sama both got it. So the hint had to be there, somewhere.

The important thing was what was said, here. By the two ladies sitting across from them.

One was a late-twenties, maybe thirties lady. Sasaki-san, the Cosmos editorial department worker.

She didn't know the age of the other. Probably somewhere between sixty and eighty, but she was like a refined, fashionable grandmother. Her name, Sasaki-san said her name once, but she couldn't remember.

(Huh…?)

Yumi looked away from her once, but she found herself looking at her again.

Who is this person?

She worked with Sasaki-san, and she'd happened upon them here. A bit intrusive, but inquisitive.

(… But she seems to be knowledgeable about all this?)

Come to think of it, the old lady was the only one that looked out of place. But she didn't seem like she was out of place, or rather, she seemed the most at home. Like she'd invited everyone to her home, that's how freely she spoke to everyone.

"Th-then…"

How long ago could something have been, to make everyone forget? Ten, twenty, thirty. No, it could have been even older.

Fifty, sixty, how old would someone be now if they were an adolescent then?

"Correct."

Everything Yumi thought ended up on her face, so the old lady gave her a "good job!" smile.

"Then- you- you're-"

Even though she'd been affirmed, she couldn't believe it, so Yumi sat there, her mouth trying to make words.

"I am Suga Sei. Thank you for reading my novel."

Yoshino-san's hope of running into Suga Sei came true. However unbelievable it may have been.

What if that editor was actually meeting with Suga Sei, so when we arrive at their doorstep, she's already back? Yoshino-san had precognition, or maybe she drew Suga Sei over with her powers?

Either way, Yumi couldn't shake the feeling that Yoshino-san was an ESPer. What a formidable friend, she thought.

Return to Main Page

Back to Part 3

Forward to Part 5