Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume5 Chapter4 3

The thirteenth of February. Part 3.

After stopping by the classroom for her bag and coat, she walked home together with Rosa Gigantea. She could see the Rose Mansion lights from the window facing the courtyard along the way.

As Sachiko-sama said, they probably shouldn't speak today. She just had a gut feeling.

She rinsed her face with water using the hallway lavatory, then looked at the mirror. Her eyes were still bloodshot, but her face was much less swollen. Maybe it was because she'd been talking in the greenhouse for an hour. It would probably really become indistinguishable if she were to let the night breeze blow at it on the way home. Which meant she would probably avoid worrying her family.

As they walked along the gingko pathway, Rosa Gigantea explained that the sisters with both similar and different aspects get along best. And that most sisters were like that, anyways.

"Then Rosa Gigantea, do you see bits of yourself in Shimako-san, too?"

"Mm? Me in Shimako? Yeah, sometimes. I think, wow, what a pain in the butt. But I also think she's much better than how I used to be. If I could, I'd love to free Shimako from some of her shackles, but I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I know Shimako too well. So I can only patch things up."

So she was envious of sisters who would get in fights because they didn't understand each other completely. And she'd poke her head into things because of that.

I kinda understood her, and kinda didn't.

As she put her hands together in front of the Maria-sama statue, Yumi tilted her head to the side. Why was it that whenever she spoke to Rosa Gigantea, the conversation would always steamroll ahead without her understanding things? At least in the greenhouse she could keep up…

"By the way. I imagine the chocolate Yumi-chan makes being really sweet."

As she stepped on the bus, Rosa Gigantea cackled, as if remembering. Sheesh, the conversation really had a knack for skipping around.

"You're going to make some for Sachiko, right? Tonight?"

"Well, yes."

Actually, she'd just been reminded. She was really just intending to go home and finish it before dinner, but so many things happened that those plans went awry. When would she be able to take a bath, she wondered.

"I hope it turns out good."

Even as they sat down, Rosa Gigantea continued on the topic of chocolate. Like chocolate from one store should fit really well with blue mountain tea from a certain café, but it was a shame she couldn't actually try it. Or the right temperature to store chocolate. It sounded like she was just hungry.

"So, like, I prefer ones that are a bit scaled-back on sweetness. And if Western liquor is dripped in just a teensy weensy, like a hidden taste, that'd be best."

Now she got it, now she understood what Rosa Gigantea was getting at.

"Umm. Rosa Gigantea, I never said I was giving you chocolate."

"Wait, seriously!? I thought it was a given!?"

A given, just where did she come up with that? She'd already given up on receiving chocolate from Shimako-san, too…

"People who go pester Shizuka-sama won't receive even store-bought chocolate."

"Woah, why do you know about that?"

And she said that without even a hint of remorse. So it left a bitter taste. She was probably going around pestering everyone for chocolate, at this rate, that Rosa Gigantea.

"Aww."

She puckered her lip and pouted like a child. Reverted back to the usual Rosa Gigantea, from to that wise high school senior.

"If you want to eat chocolate, they sell it at stores."

Especially at this time of year, they were lined up everywhere.

"I want to eat ones that're filled with love."

"Then call Shimako-san's house. And tell her you want chocolate."

"Don't wanna."

"Then all you can do is give up."

"Don't wanna don't wanna. I'll eat Yumi-chan if you don't give me chocolate!"

"Yes, yes."

There was no use talking sensibly to her anymore.

"If I say I'll eat you, I'll definitely eat you!"

Because the bus was sparse, her perverted-old-man mode was on full blast. She'd dropped her voice to a level that other people would barely not make out what she was saying, and her head was turned, so it must look like innocent Lillian students chatting away. That a somewhat exotic-looking girl with such a beautiful face would be spewing this sort of vulgar language… the driver, the middle-aged men, even the silver-seat old women wouldn't imagine that.

Until they arrived at the train station, Rosa Gigantea continued to chant "chocolate" at Yumi. For some reason, she began to feel a bit sorry for her, so she decided if she felt like it, she would make chocolate for Rosa Gigantea, too.

Of course, it would probably be left-overs from her cooking for Sachiko-sama.

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