Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume3 Chapter4 2

If I could meet Eve. Part 2.

Her second semester grades weren't as bad as she feared.

But she still didn't feel like her day was any brighter, so the reason for her gloominess was Sachiko-sama, after all.

There's a Mass for students on Christmas Eve. Fundamentally, you're free to participate if you wish, but most people attend, anyways.

This day makes even atheists believers, so it wasn't surprising many students in a Catholic school prayed. Even students who intended to go on a date with their boyfriends later on attended Mass. Most non-attendees' reasons were like, going out to a different Mass with their families, or needing to be away because they volunteered to help with a Christmas party. Basically, most Lillian students ended up being pretty serious about it.

"Hey, over here."

At the front of the sanctuary, Rosa Gigantea waved her hand.

They'd come from the same class, so Yumi and Shimako-san, who'd come together, both went to "here." Even though many people were coming in and out of the sanctuary, it was a pretty bombastic action to take in a sacred place. She wanted her to stop, because she became embarrassed just being the target of it.

"We've got plenty of seats, so sit down, sit down, oh, Yumi-chan, you sit here."

She froze when she saw where Rosa Gigantea pointed. Right next to the empty seat was Sachiko-sama.

"O-onee-sama…"

"What are you surprised about? How rude."

Of course she'd be surprised.

Because she'd assumed on her own they'd first see each other at the Rose Mansion after Mass, it felt like she'd been hit by a surprise attack. She didn't think Rosa Gigantea would secure seats for everyone, so she thought she would sit in the back or somewhere discrete like that, and secretly admire Sachiko-sama from behind, however impure and disrespectful to Jesus that thought may have been.

"Onee-sama, long time no see. Ah, I'm sorry for being late, go-gokigenyou."

"Oh hush, just sit down."

Sachiko-sama coldly said.

"… Yes."

Like a pet dog who'd leapt with joy at its owner returning home, only to be scolded for being overexcited. Ahh, but even if she was scolded, she felt at peace just being by her side.

When Yumi sat down with good manners, she noticed Shimako-san had already sat down next to Rosa Gigantea, naturally. A soft distance between them, like their arms may or may not touch, but it felt like that was where Shimako-san belonged.

It was a "White Rose Incident," to quote Minako-sama, but the matter was surprisingly suppressed, despite it being the last day before vacation. Maybe it was because Rosa Gigantea flat-out refuted everything in front of the first-years, or maybe they were placated by Cosmos books' countermeasures. Or maybe they simply lost interest. Anyways, you didn't hear anything about Rosa Gigantea in class anymore. At worst, it would simply be by the classmates who just now began reading "Forest of Thorns," being behind the times.

The newspaper club didn't manage to turn it into an article, either.

"During the break, did you fare well?" Sachiko-sama asked, still staring forward.

"Ah, yes."

"I did wonder what you were up to, but I hope you didn't do anything absurd."

Like she saw through everything. Well, it was true, so she couldn't say anything back.

"It's not that I don't trust you."

She wasn't even looking at her, but Sachiko-sama today seemed to be able to read Yumi's mind. She giggled, and re-worded herself.

"Even if I trust you, I can't help but be concerned about my little sister when I can't see you. Especially because I was out of the country because of circumstances involving my father's work."

"What?"

"I was in France."

She said it so matter-of-factly, like she said she was in Shinjuku. Yumi was so stunned all she could say was, "Oh, is that what happened."

But.

Oh, Sachiko-sama was out of the country.

Then it was obviously they couldn't see each other during the break. It began feeling foolish, how she felt lonesome on her own.

The choir entered, so she had to stay silent, but she resolved to tell Sachiko-sama everything that happened during the break after Mass ended.

Even if Sachiko-sama didn't show that much interest. She would just speak quickly.

She had to become proactive.

They were such similar sisters, in that they were both just a hair off of communicating well.

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