Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume4 Chapter3 4

What do you think? Part 4.

By contrast, Rosa Canina's camp was extremely gaudy. She, or rather, the second-year wisteria classmates of hers, backed her up with extraordinary unity.

According to Yoshino-san, who went to observe them, it wasn't quite the level of a mass election prayer, but it was somewhat close. The classroom had posters reading, "O days until the election," and it was like an election office.

Apparently, only a few students actually participated at first, but because it began feeling like "you're not a classmate unless you support her," everyone ended up having to help. Of course, it was a bother to everyone who'd been a fan of Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama from the start, as it left them in a dilemma.

But despite everyone around her becoming excited, Rosa Canina, the protagonist, hardly did anything.

Yumi hadn't gone to the library since that day, because it felt uncomfortable, so she'd not seen Shizuka-sama. She did get a peek of her once, though, as she walked through the hallway, surrounded by her SP-esque classmates.

She wanted to interject, what kind of danger could possibly lurk in school, but she could sympathize with their desire to be part of the election.

What kind of person is Kanina Shizuka-sama-.

One day, after school.

After finishing her cleaning duties, as she pondered that, Yumi ran into the person herself in the hallway. And for once, she was alone. Not even the scary-faced librarian was with her.

"Gokigenyou."

Shizuka-sama, upon recognizing Yumi, smiled and greeted her first.

"Go, gokigenyou."

She hurried to respond. Even though they were standing on opposite ends of the battlefield, she couldn't simply ignore an upperclassman. Even now, Yumi couldn't help but think of Shizuka-sama as "Sachiko-sama's enemy."

Yoshino-san, upon realizing that the opponent was the person named Kanina Shizuka, basically inserted data into her mind: the person in front of you is an enemy. So she always looked at Shizuka-sama as a hostile. But Yumi was different, in that she met Shizuka-sama without knowing their standings. So the image of a kind upperclassman wasn't one to fade easily. –Even despite the fact that she'd lied about Rosa Canina being a black rose.

"Cleaning duty for the music room?"

"Oh, yes."

Seeing the music score in Shizuka-sama's hand, Yumi immediately grasped the situation, "Oh, that's right." She was heading to her club activity, which would take place in the music room.

And she understood why there were no classmates or colleagues with her.

"It's been a while."

Shizuka-sama didn't show signs of resuming her walk toward the music room. Speaking to Rosa Canina in the middle of the hallway leading to the music room. It was a situation screaming for misinterpretation.

But unfortunately, Yumi didn't have the courage to simply cut off their conversation and say "farewell" to an upperclassman.

"Um, you're quite early."

She didn't know what to say, as Shizuka-sama stared at her, so she simply blurted out something that could do no harm nor good.

"Yes. When we have a club meeting, I hurry here as soon as I'm finished cleaning. Because I love the empty music room."

"Oh, is that so."

When she answered, Shizuka-sama laughed bitterly, lowered her eyes, "I knew it."

"Yumi-san never took notice of me, after all."

"Eh?"

"When we met in the library, I thought, oh dear."

"Umm."

But did she mean? She tilted her head to the side. It sounded like they'd been relatively close friends in the past, or something.

"No, nothing special happened. But I remembered you quite well. Because I met Yumi-san several times as you cleaned the music room. We even exchanged greetings a few times."

"Eh, really!?"

It was a sort of discourtesy to have not realized at all. Yumi was so surprised that Rosa Canina seemed to sigh, despondent.

"I'm sorry."

"No problem. We'll call it even, after I told you a lie. The flower, Rosa Canina, you did see it, correct?"

"… Yes."

"That was a small retribution to Yumi-san for not remembering me."

Shizuka-sama giggled mischievously.

According to her, one of her classmates was knowledgeable about flowers, and upon hearing "Kanina," thought of Rosa Canina. And the student council election was why the nickname managed to stick, despite the deep-rooted tradition of calling each other by their names. The three candidates for the Roses each had their own names, as in Rosa Chinensis en bouton, Rosa Foetida en bouton, and Rosa Gigantea en bouton, so it was Shizuka-sama's supporters' way of responding to that. But Shizuka-sama herself wasn't too fond of it.

"A black rose would have been much cooler. Because pink in Japanese is "peach-colored," or "cherry-blossom colored," or else in some way needs to use the name of another plant, right? And I think that's impolite to roses."

"Oh, I see."

The red rose, white rose, and yellow rose sounded nice, but peach rose and cherry-blossom rose was strange. But light-crimson rose also sounds like a joke. Through it all, Yumi thought Shizuka-sama was quite playful, pondering about such a thing.

"If Yumi-san didn't remember me, either, I suppose that means I don't stand out."

Shizuka-sama looked away, out the window and at a withered branch high up on a tree.

"No, no. Everyone around me knew of Shizuka-sama. … I don't really have much data on other people… I only recently found out about the names of the Roses. And I found out that Rei-sama and Yoshino-san were relatives during the 'Yellow Rose Revolution.' … Oh, what am I saying."

She was flustered. She was trying to cheer Shizuka-sama up, but instead it turned into a confession of her embarrassing points.

"I see."

Shizuka-sama giggled. Then continued.

"But, in Yumi-san's case, Ogasawara Sachiko-san was special."

"… Well, yes."

"How enviable."

Yumi didn't understand yet why she was envious. But then, after a moment of thought, she realized, "Oh, maybe."

"Um… excuse me, Shizuka-sama do you have a sœur?"

"I'm single. There were many that proposed to me when I was a first-year, but I turned them all down. And I don't feel like I absolutely must have a little sister."

"…"

Come to think of it, she'd been spoken of as a candidate for becoming Rosa Gigantea's little sister, so at the very least, Shizuka-sama didn't have an onee-sama this time last year. And so she'd remained free, and without a sister.

"But it's nothing too unusual, is it? Toudou Shimako-san also turned down Sachiko-san's proposal, and Rosa Gigantea also didn't have a sister when she was a second-year."

"But."

Yumi couldn't believe someone this pretty would manage to remain alone this whole time.

People weren't entirely about their faces, but you couldn't just forget the face, either.

Katsura-san said, some time ago, that picking sisters was a race. Which would mean, when looking through the crowds of younger students whom you weren't familiar with, the face would be one of the most crucial, outstanding points. Even Rosa Gigantea mentioned she knew of people who "chose based on looks."

"Huh? Yumi-chan?"

As she thought of Rosa Gigantea, all of a sudden she had an auditory hallucination of Rosa Gigantea. But when she turned around, the real Rosa Gigantea stood not ten meters behind her, so she became doubly surprised.

"Well, I shall be going now."

Shizuka-sama tapped Yumi's shoulder in a "see you" way, and walked toward the music room. Perhaps she was pressured into leaving, now that someone as grand as Rosa Gigantea had appeared.

Well, Shizuka-sama was an enemy of the boutons right now, and Rosa Gigantea, the onee-sama of Shimako-san, would be included as an enemy, so it might have been the prudent course of action to call it a "near-miss" and escape. –Though she spoke to Yumi quite defenselessly.

"Was I a third wheel?"

Said Rosa Gigantea as she crept closer, and then she said something unbelievable.

"What a beautiful girl. Yumi-chan's friend?"

"Eh!?"

"My, what a voice. The student that was with you just now."

"… Is that a joke?"

It wasn't like she could say anything about other people, but Yumi thought it was strange she wouldn't remember the name of someone who was her sister's enemy.

"A joke?"

But Rosa Gigantea was serious. She was seriously pondering over why Yumi would wonder if it was a joke. "Rosa Gigantea was a comrade."

Yumi slid into a relieved smile. Here was another person who didn't store data on other people. Right, not everyone in the world is perfect. Everyone has things they're weak at.

Yes, yes, she agreed with herself. Then the chorus members started gathering.

"Let's go somewhere else."

Yumi took Rosa Gigantea's hand and walked down the closest stairs. It wouldn't be proper to gossip about the enemy leader while standing next to their headquarters, the music room. Even if the enemy leader was amicable, her supporters were terrifying.

"What is it, Yumi-chan?"

"That was the rumored Rosa Canina."

After going down two flights of stairs and stopping in front of the science room, Yumi faithfully reported.

"Oh."

And then Rosa Gigantea added, "What's that?" Perhaps you begin to neglect the world around you when you're busy studying for exams? Although not knowing Shizuka-sama's face meant the problem was present long before the exams.

"Um… Rosa Gigantea? You don't recall hearing Kanina Shizuka-sama's name?"

"I feel like I've heard it somewhere, but I don't remember. Though I don't think I'd have left her unchecked if she was that beautiful. … Oh, I get it, the second-year that wanted to take part in the Yamayurikai audition, it's her?"

Combining Yumi's hasty departure from the music room and the remark about the current gossip, Rosa Gigantea seemed to have pieced the puzzle together.

"Well, yes."

But that's an election, not an audition.

"Mmm. She's pretty, so it's all good, right?"

After making sure the science room door was locked, Rosa Gigantea leaned against it.

"Wait a second, Rosa Gigantea, that's not how you're supposed to react!"

Rosa Gigantea's simple statement was screaming for complaints.

"How was I supposed to react?"

"You're supposed to cheer for your sister, Shimako-san!"

Isn't that obvious? Yumi puffed her chest.

"Maybe. But Shimako isn't announcing her candidacy, is she? So wouldn't it be better to let someone who wants to, do it?"

"No! I want Rosa Gigantea to persuade Shimako-san."

"Did Shimako say she wanted me to persuade her?"

"Of course she wouldn't."

Why would that Shimako-san complain to Yumi?

"Right? Then I won't talk to her about it."

"Why!?"

"Third-years are fundamentally supposed to stay out of the election process."

"Huh?"

"That's why the election takes place while the third-years are busy with exams. We don't even get to vote, why would we bother ourselves with it? Even I'm studying for exams, okay?"

Why would they bother themselves with it? Oh, Rosa Gigantea.

"Why are you so cold?"

When Yumi whined, Rosa Gigantea laughed.

"I can't help it. Every student titled a "Rose" at Lillian went through this period without depending on their onee-sama."

She said proudly, but of course, when they ran, they were the only ones up for election, so it wasn't right, comparing their situations equally.

"Think about it. Student presidents need to lead the students. And the election tests your ability to do that, right? You fail, if you need to rely on your onee-sama. Shimako is my sister, but I've never once thought she must become Rosa Gigantea after me. If she wants to, she can find a way to do it. If she doesn't, she doesn't have to run. It's simple."

"…"

Well, that was true. But it was hard to explain, that even if it didn't make logical sense, they were sisters, so they needed to support each other.

"So are you saying to just silently watch?"

Truth be told, she was disappointed. She was so disappointed she wanted to cry.

Because they were sisters, Yumi wanted to support Sachiko-sama. Onee-sama and little sister, they were on different sides of the relationship, but she believed Rosa Gigantea would feel the same way. So she had a bit of hope. That Rosa Gigantea would show the way.

But she was wrong. Rosa Gigantea was completely unreliable.

"I never said you have to just watch."

Like she was talking to a child, Rosa Gigantea peered into Yumi's eyes, rubbing her head.

"I'm just saying, I'm not going to do anything. So if Yumi-chan wants to stick her head into things, that's Yumi-chan's prerogative."

"What?"

"See you."

Abruptly cutting the conversation off, Rosa Gigantea stopped leaning against the science room door and stood up.

"See you? Rosa Gigantea, didn't you have something-"

Yumi called out to Rosa Gigantea, who'd quickly begun walking away. Come to think of it, she'd never asked why Rosa Gigantea was in school, and near the music room, which was on the far, far end of the school, during such a busy time.

"I was looking for Yumi-chan because I wanted to ask some questions, but I've gotten the general gist of what was going on, so it's alright."

Bye bye, waved Rosa Gigantea as she turned the corner in the hallway and vanished.

"What was that?"

She couldn't figure out what people close to her were thinking.

For some reason, Yumi felt like she was thinking that almost all the time lately.

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