Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume3 Chapter6 1

Summer Greenhouse. Part 1.

Ever since we met that spring day, Shiori and I slowly, but certainly, grew closer.

We were in different grades, but we found as much time as possible to be together, so that we'd see each other at least once a day. Sometimes I'd find Shiori at the sanctuary in the morning, and sometimes we ate lunch together at noon. Both of us weren't in any clubs, so sometimes we'd stroll through the campus together after school.

I wanted our time together to be precious. So I'd never to take her to the Rose Mansion, and I didn't even think about introducing her to onee-sama, much less the rest of the Yamayurikai.

I became even more distant from the Rose Mansion, becoming absorbed by Shiori.

"Shouldn't you distance yourself a bit more?"

On the first day of summer.

Youko came to my class after school and warned me.

"What are you talking about?"

I was supposed to meet Shiori after class today, so it irritated me.

"You know what I'm talking about. Kubo Shiori. What is she to you?"

"What?"

She came to see me just to ask that stupid question? There's a limit to how intrusive you can be. Stuffing my thin English-Japanese dictionary in my bag, I laughed, bitterly.

"It's not a laughing matter."

"Oh, sorry. But you don't have time to be bothered by other people, either, do you? You've got your hands full with your own sister, anyways. … The rumors about you making Sachiko quit all of her lessons, are they true?"

"This is not the time to be talking about my sœur. The problem is you and Kubo Shiori."

"Problem?"

I understood what Youko wanted to say.

I knew Shiori and I had a special relationship. It wasn't like Youko and Sachiko, and it was different from onee-sama and I.

It was hard to explain it, but it was like, we'd been born with two hands, but we're busy grasping each other's hands. As a result, we eliminate everything else.

It was decisively different from most people, who, while holding hands with one person, always leave one hand open to take ahold of other things. Youko's "distance yourself" probably meant that. I should let go of one of Shiori's hands.

It might be dangerous to only accept one, single person, and ignore everything else. But I couldn't help it. I didn't want to cut any bond with Shiori, and if we changed anything, it wouldn't be us anymore.

"If you want to make her your sister, that's fine. I don't want to force you two apart, or anything. But the way things are, isn't it bad? You should present her your rosary and formally introduce her."

"I'll think about it."

Grabbing my bag, I shoved my seat under the desk. I didn't want to continue this conversation any longer.

"I'll think about. … May I?"

"… Sure. Hopefully."

Surprisingly, Youko let me off easily. She was smart, so she must have known if she pressed further it would backfire.

I ran down the hallways, now devoid of students, to get to Shiori.

I said I'd think about it, but I had no intention of making Shiori my sister. Because we were always even. I didn't want to present her my rosary just so other people would acknowledge us. That would be ridiculous. I laughed at the people who needed the sisterly symbol to ease their hearts.

"What happened?"

Shiori knew, the moment we saw each other.

"Nothing."

I grabbed Shiori's shoulders and began walking, to a place where there was no one else. I didn't care how dirty a place it was. As long as no one else could see us, there was no place more pure.

I didn't want to dirty Shiori. I didn't want dirty eyes looking at our relationship.

No one would be bothered by our becoming intimate. At the very least, because of her influence, I'd begun paying attention in class, and I stopped being late or missing class. That was worthy of praise, not criticism.

We just wanted to be together. That was all.

I hugged Shiori behind the school buildings.

"Were you told something?"

Shiori rested her chin on my shoulder and whispered.

"Maybe there's no one who will support us."

"You shouldn't say that."

She must have been taking more flak than I, but Shiori never said ill of anyone. Even if I'd stopped being with them, I was still Rosa Gigantea en bouton, and the shadow of the Yamayurikai loomed over me. If people didn't like Shiori and I's relationship, and wanted to take it up with someone, they'd go to the new, young Shiori. She wouldn't ever say it, but she must have been going through harder times than I.

"You shouldn't just cast everything aside like that."

We further isolated ourselves from school, and we began treasuring each other more, in turn.

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