Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume4 Chapter3 2
What do you think? Part 2.[edit]
Indeed, Yumi had no idea what Rosa Canina looked like.
Tsutako-san had brought a photo, but it was a complete hidden picture, as there were obstacles in the way, on top of the crazy posture Tsutako-san had to place herself in, so it was a surprisingly blurred picture. And she wasn't able to get close enough to take other pictures, so there was no photo that could confirm her face. Rosa Canina's supporters were tightly guarding her, was one of Tsutako-san's biggest problems right now.
"I saw a photo of her at the school festival, but it was a distant shot, and she was wearing make-up, and her hair was long, and the lighting was awkward so I couldn't see how she looked."
So that "no idea what she looked like" was more like she'd never seen Rosa Canina in person. Well, no, she'd seen her in person, but she didn't know that was Kanina Shizuka-sama.
"Mmm."
Yoshino-san nodded, well, things happen. She seemed to understand that Yumi simply saw her as a kind, librarian upperclassman.
But, really.
She couldn't believe that kind person was Rosa Canina.
Because Rosa Canina was an enemy of Sachiko-sama, Rei-sama and Shimako-san. Yumi wished Rosa Canina would have been simple to spot, like a villainous pro-wrestler. Like Tsukiyama Minako-sama, from the newspaper club, cackling, "ohohohoho," that sort of upperclassman. Of course, then that image is completely different from a songstress.
(I see.)
Everything started fitting together. That student wasn't angry at her colleague for leaving her spot, but was instead showing animosity at Yumi. If the sister of Rosa Chinensis en bouton was happily standing by Rosa Canina's side, things weren't as amusing.
She glanced at the counter. That student was definitely still standing vigilant. Of course, she'd probably noticed Yoshino-san, too, so two of the sisters of bouton sitting in the reading room was suspicious.
"Yumi-san, how about looking at the encyclopedia, while we're here?"
Lunch break would end soon. Yoshino-san placed her books back on the shelf.
"If you miss this chance, it could be difficult coming back to the library until after the election."
"You're right."
Nodding at Yoshino-san's pertinent advice, Yumi took the first book in hand. As she flipped through, her fingers stopped at one page.
(What?)
A tag was placed on one page, so that you couldn't see it if you closed the book. But that page was loaded with pictures of roses.
"Did she really?"
Incredulously, she removed the tag, and under it was a bright red rose, one that also was in the encyclopedia at home. To its side, read: "Koushinbara / Technical name – Rosa Chinensis."
(Rosa Chinensis was a Koushinbara…)
This time Yumi looked straight at the counter. This had to be a message to Yumi by the person who placed the tag there. And if that was the case, it had to be Kanina Shizuka-sama. After all, she mentioned she was looking up roses, and said she couldn't even find Rosa Chinensis in her book at home.
(Shizuka-sama, was it you?)
But she wasn't at the counter anymore, so she couldn't ask.
(But, why?)
Relying solely on the tags, she flipped to the next page. As she expected, there was a tag in each of the three books she was given, right on the page with Rosa Chinensis.
"Yumi-san, still?"
"Hold on."
Right before the third book completed its chapter on roses, for the first time, there were two tags in one book. And Rosa Chinensis had already been mentioned.
Then, what?
What was that tag pointing to?
Deep down, Yumi knew. It wasn't Rosa Gigantea nor Rosa Foetida. There was going to be a picture of Rosa Canina.
She carefully peeled the tag off. As she expected, in katakana, the caption under the tag read, "Rosa Canina (ロサ・カニーナ).
However, the photo.
"…"
It completely betrayed Yumi's expectations.
"Why?"
Confused, she looked at the page before and after. An inexplicable motion.
"What do you mean?"
But the person who could answer that question was gone.
Yumi calmed herself down and looked at the page again. And she confirmed the truth with her eyes.
"'It would trouble me if you thanked me. I'll feel even guiltier.'"
Her words sprang back to mind. And she finally understood what they meant.
"… I've been had."
Yumi, like Yoshino-san a few minutes ago, felt exhausted. Now she really didn't know what kind of person Kanina Shizuka-sama was.
A beautiful, kind librarian.
An extravagant second-year who declared war on the rose boutons.
The chorus songstress, who sang Aria with a beautiful voice.
And one more. "Incredibly boastful," needed to be added to that list.
Rosa Canina wasn't a black rose.
It was a cute rose, with five beautiful, pink petals.
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