Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume9 Chapter6 3

When the Cherry Blossoms Fall. Part 3.

"You know, Yumi-chan."

She spoke slowly, as though admonishing a three year old.

"I know. You told me I couldn't rely on you after you graduated."

" … So you seem to understand."

Letting out a sigh of amazement, she treated Yumi to a cafe au lait in a takeaway cup, as Yumi sat uncomfortably at a round table in the cafeteria.

"My deepest apologies that canned sweet red-bean soup isn't available during this season."

Was she being serious or sarcastic when she said this? Probably the latter.

"Ha. Thank-you."

Despite her thirst, Yumi blew on the coffee to cool it down before indulging.

She'd blindly run around the university buildings but hadn't found the person she was looking for. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that university students didn't stay in the one classroom for all their subjects, but Yumi was naïve enough to think, "I'll find her straight away."

To begin with, starting a manhunt across the vast campus knowing only her target's name and major was an exercise in futility. She didn't have a car with a bull horn, so going around shouting out her name wouldn't be all that fun, and she couldn't go into any of the classrooms either. For one thing, Yumi wasn't even exactly clear on whether or not she would be on campus.

But still they'd met like this because, luckily, Yumi had run into some recent graduates who had brought her here. If not for that, she probably wouldn't have found the former Rosa Gigantea, Satou Sei-sama, any time today. Sadly, Sei-sama had been laughing it up with her university friends, so it wasn't an emotional reunion.

"And? If you knew how I'd react, why did you come here Yumi-chan?"

"Will you help with a serious situation involving Shimako-san?"

"A serious situation with Shimako-san? Is she talking about leaving school?"

"No, nothing like that."

Yumi mumbled, then took another sip of her cafe au lait. Rosa Gigantea still had it. She'd added enough sugar to perfectly match Yumi's tastes.

"You know, it's pretty common for teenage girls to stare at cherry blossoms, lost in thought. Everyone does it."

"I'm certain that Shimako-san wants to see you, Rosa Gigantea. But she's fighting it."

"She's hardly doing much of that. It's only been a month."

Sei-sama quipped. She'd cut her hair a lot shorter than before. Her white shirt and jeans outfit was simple, but all the more adult. It may seem obvious, but she looked like a regular university student. It didn't feel as though, up until a month ago, she'd been wearing the same uniform as Yumi.

"It's because you're injudiciously close."

The high-school buildings and university buildings were right next to each other. Close enough to see someone at any time, if you wanted to. Like Yumi right now.

"Injudicious, huh. Yumi-chan, you know some difficult words."

"Rosa Gigantea, stop making fun of me."

"I'm not really making fun of you … and could you stop calling me "Rosa Gigantea?""

Indeed, Shimako-san was now Rosa Gigantea, and while Yumi knew this intellectually it was difficult for her to make the switch. Because, for Yumi, there was a long history of using Rosa Gigantea to refer to Satou Sei-sama.

"Then should I call you Sei-sama?"

"Hmm. That's also a bit … "

Sei-sama was still hesitating. Perhaps she wanted to avoid anything that seemed like an extension of high-school.

"Then what would you like me to call you?"

Yumi was in a mood to say, "Just tell me already." But of course she was here to ask a favor, so she made sure her blunt words stayed just as thoughts and weren't spoken.

"Sei-san. Or Satou-san. Actually, I'm on a bit of a Satou-san kick at the moment."

"Huh."

Students who came to Lillian's university from other schools via the entrance exam system probably wouldn't know about Lillian's high-school traditions, so they'd probably call each other by their surname. It seemed somehow fresh and pleasant.

"Satou-sa~n. Biology's next, are you coming?"

The group that Sei-sama had been with earlier were all standing up, cleaning away their empty coffee cups, snacks, candy wrappers and other trash.

"Ah, I'm coming, I'm coming. Save me a seat."

Indeed, it was "Satou-san."

"Sorry, Yumi-chan. It's the first lecture, so I can't skip it."

Sei-sama held up a hand in the pose of apology and winked. Then she downed the rest of her cup of black coffee in one swig, gathered her belongings and stood up.

"You're majoring in English, but you've got a Biology lecture?"

"First-years have to take some general subjects. It's not that different to high-school."

"Oh, I see."

Even if it wasn't that different, Sei-sama was no longer a high-school student – she'd made new friends and was spending her time as a university student well.

It made Yumi feel a bit sorry for Shimako-san. It was unfair. Does the bond between soeurs naturally dissolve upon graduation?

It was fine for the one who left. But what should the one who was left behind do?

When the flowers blossomed or when snow fell, she wanted her to hold in her heart the visions of one year earlier when they'd watched those same scenes together. Well, Sei-sama had probably gone through the same experience herself. But with the start of her new life, she seemed to have forgotten those old feelings.

"See ya."

"… Bye."

Watching her go, Yumi felt lonelier and lonelier. She wanted to cry. Shimako-san's current state was nothing more than Yumi's state one year hence, after she'd been abandoned by Sachiko-sama.

"Ah, that's right."

Sei-sama suddenly turned around.

"You don't have to coddle her too much."

"Huh?"

"Shimako-san."

"Ah – "

Even though she'd said not to rely on her, Sei-sama was still thinking of Shimako-san.

"So there's no pressure on you to rescue Shimako-san from her crisis. If you're thinking about taking it all on yourself, you're barking up the wrong tree."

"… The wrong tree."

"If there's something only you can do then you should act, but until then you should stay neutral."

"But."

Would the time come when she had to act? And what should she do if she couldn't recognize when that time came?

Sei-sama laughed as Yumi thought this through.

"Don't worry about it. Even if you don't act, someone else might. In that case, can you support them? The right person in the right place, and all that."

"Hah."

"Do you understand?"

" … A little."

"Good. That's about as much as me then."

Sei-sama gently stroked Yumi's cheek, then disappeared down the hallway at a jog, shouting out, "Oh no, I'm late."

"Late … ah!"

That's when Yumi remembered.

"– oh dear."

There was supposed to be a meeting in the Rose Mansion once cleaning was over.