Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume14 Chapter2 3

That's a Problem. Part 3

"Those two are plotting something, don't you think?"

Yoshino-san said, coming to a stop at the library entrance.

"Plotting something?"

Yumi looked back over her shoulder at the Rose Mansion which they'd just recently left.

"It was like they were forcing us out. Telling us to accompany you. Why would they have something that they had to discuss today?"

"You're right, it is a bit unusual for just the third-years to be tidying up."

Shimako-san looked puzzled too.

Especially since the petit soeurs were there to do those sort of odd jobs for the Yamayurikai. Not counting Yumi, who had to hurry to the library, there was no reason for Yoshino-san and Noriko-chan to leave early. If they wanted to have a discussion with just the Roses, then Shimako-san, as Rosa Gigantea, should have been asked to stay as well.

"Do you think it's about the play for the school festival?"

Noriko-chan mumbled quietly.

"I thought as much."

They hadn't said anything, but the three second-years had been thinking the same thing.

"I heard Rei-chan and Sachiko-sama talking about commissioning something from the handicraft club and the art club the other day. Do you want to try hitting them up for some info?"

Yoshino-san was always racing off and it was usually Yumi's job to apply the brakes.

"… Let's not. If there's something they don't want us to know, we shouldn't be trying to uncover it."

"I guess."

Yoshino-san gave up on the idea surprisingly easily. Perhaps she reconsidered whether hitting someone up was appropriate behavior for a Yamayurikai member.

"Have you heard anything, Shimako-san?"

"Unfortunately, no. I don't think it means we're on the outer, but I did think that perhaps if we found out too early we would refuse."

Like something that was announced at the last moment so they couldn't run away. Or where the preparations were already done, so they should just give up. That was the same sort of thing that happened with last year's Cinderella.

"What terrible things will they make us do!?"

Yoshino-san pressed Shimako-san with a terrible looking face.

The man-hating Sachiko-sama was made to dance with a man. What sort of punishment could rival that – no, not a punishment, it was supposed to be a play after all.

"I told you, I don't know. Really."

Yumi felt like she had just glimpsed one of the reasons that Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama hadn't told Shimako-san. They may have had well-founded fears that Yoshino-san would force Shimako-san to spill the beans. Of course she wasn't about to mention this, because they'd both be offended.

"At any rate, what on earth do you think they'll make us do?"

"Who knows."

The three second-years stood there and pondered this for a while. Then Noriko-chan looked incredulous as she made a proposal:

"Yumi-sama. Why don't you return your book before you start worrying about this?"

"Ah, right."

So with that, they decided to relocate inside the library.

Luckily, the reading room was still open and the library assistants were still processing loans and returns. There were quite a few people like Yumi rushing in at the last minute.

"This doesn't seem like your kind of book, Yumi-san."

Yoshino-san said, spotting the book Yumi had placed on the counter.

"My onee-sama recommended it to me."

"I see."

It was the anthology of classical Japanese literature that Sachiko-sama had been returning on the library open day during the summer vacation, which she'd handed over to Yumi to borrow. It had taken a while for her to begin reading it, but with the due date looming, she'd made a start and got caught up in what was a surprisingly enjoyable read. Naturally she hadn't read the original versions written in ancient Japanese, but the modern translations on the bottom half of the page.

After completing the process of returning the book, the library assistant asked:

"Were there any books you wanted to borrow?"

"No."

Yumi shook her head and put away her library card, but then Noriko-chan poked her head forwards and said:

"Um, if no-one's placed a hold on that book, I'd like to borrow it."

"This book?"

The library assistant asked, pointing at the book that Yumi had just placed on the counter.

"Yes, that one."

"I don't think there's a hold on it … "

She tapped away on the keyboard to confirm it, but even without that it was obvious that nobody would be borrowing an anthology of classical literature, except in the lead up to exams or before a report was due. It didn't have the same level of popularity as the novels listed on the whiteboard next to the counter with "Current wait list: 20 people."

"But, you know, this book doesn't have any stories about Buddhist statues, so are you sure you want to borrow it?"

Yumi asked Noriko-chan, pointing at the book.

"Um, there's more to my life than just that, you know?"

"Well sure. Come on Yumi-san, not even Noriko-chan's bookshelves would be full of books about Buddhist statues."

"… No, that's actually pretty accurate."

Noriko-chan laughed. With the words echoing around the reading room, what else could she do but laugh at her book collection.

"My apologies."

Yumi and Yoshino-san both bowed simultaneously.

"Don't worry about it. I'm used to it."

She was used to it. Apparently she'd had all sorts of problems due to having a hobby that didn't really match her age.

"Um, so what did you want to do with this book?"

The library assistant timidly inquired. She'd confirmed that no-one had a hold on it and was about to lend it out when Yumi had started the conversation with, "Are you sure?" so had probably been waiting for their conversation to end to confirm this.

"Ah, I'll borrow it."

Noriko-chan presented her library card and the book was handed over to her, so a happy ending all around … or so they thought, but:

"Oh my, that looks interesting. I wonder if I could borrow it after Noriko."

This time it was Shimako-san making a reservation after seeing the book her petit soeur was carrying, so naturally the library assistant was perplexed.

Had that book ever been so popular before? And with the student council leaders no less. No, it hadn't. Probably.

"Um, is this year's Yamayurikai play going to be something like Princess Kaguya, by any chance?"

Was the sparkly-eyed library assistant perhaps a fan of mystery novels?

Like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot or Kogoro Akechi and Kosuke Kindaichi.

Unfortunately, however, Yumi had to refute her deduction. Although they didn't know for sure what this year's Yamayurikai play was going to be, they could say for certain that it wasn't going to be Princess Kaguya. Why? Because the book did not contain The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

"That's a shame."

Still, it was fascinating how much speculation was generated by Sachiko-sama borrowing a single book over the summer vacation.

"Shimako-san was sticking up for me though."

Yoshino-san said, sighing.

The group of four had left the library, walked for a little while, stopped and prayed together in front of the statue of Maria-sama and were just about to start walking again.

"Sticking up for you?"

"Yeah. In the Rose Mansion."

The Rose Mansion. In other words, Yoshino-san was reopening a conversation from quite some time ago without any introduction.

"I really was jealous. Probably."

Upon hearing this, Yumi finally understood. She was referring to her objection of Yumi having Kanako-chan as a soeur.

"Shimako-san got Noriko-chan as a soeur and now it's Yumi-san's turn … on reflection, I probably am bitter. No, I guess it's something more like loneliness. Like I'm getting left behind, in a way."

"… Yoshino-san."

"Having said that, it feels like I've got to move in that direction too and find a petit soeur of my own. 'Know what I mean?"

"Mm."

Yumi nodded and Yoshino-san turned her head to look straight at her.

"Mm, you say. Do you really understand?"

Yoshino-san's face saying that she wouldn't forgive her if she was just being agreeable.

"Let's just say I understand what you're trying to say, in general. Because I feel the same way too. From time to time."

"Hmm."

Yoshino-san looked a bit pleased as she walked along.

Even though she knew it was impossible, she wanted things to stay like this forever.

Even though in her head she knew she should catch up to her friends and walk alongside them instead of standing and watching them leave. Leaving that place under her own power was scary.

She didn't want things to change.

But having taken a step forwards, she'd definitely changed in some way from before she took that step.

Shimako-san and Noriko-chan were listening in silence. They probably understood what Yoshino-san was trying to say and what Yumi was feeling. But they weren't about to presume to say that either. Yumi liked that about those two.

"A petit soeur … it's a problem."

Yoshino-san stretched her arms.

"Really, I wonder what I should do."

Yumi wasn't about to give up either, so she thrust her hand carrying her bag forwards and gave a cheer.

"That girl, Kanako-chan. Do you think she really was looking to become your petit soeur, Yumi-san?"

"I wonder about that."

Thinking about it in general, that possibility certainly existed. Or, rather, it was easy to understand why someone would think that.

"So what do you think you'll do?"

"I don't know."

Even if Kanako-chan hoped to become the petit soeur of Rosa Chinensis en bouton, that by itself didn't mean they had to become soeurs.

"If you're not interested in her as a petit soeur, wouldn't you be better off telling her that directly?"

Shimako-san agreed with Yoshino-san's opinion, saying, "That's right."

"If she's helping out because she wants to be Yumi-san's petit soeur, don't you think her expectations will grow as time goes on? Everyone around you may start to see it that way too. Turning her down after it got to that point would be bad for both of you."

There was some weight to Shimako-san's words, since she hadn't been anyone's petit soeur when she first helped out at the Rose Mansion.

"But Kanako-chan's never said a word about wanting to be my petit soeur. Don't you think it'd be strange to go ahead and turn her down?"

"Well, that's true."

Yoshino-san shrugged. However.

"You don't have to force yourself to turn her down. You might want her as your petit soeur."

Shimako-san said gently, like she was giving detailed instructions to a child, while Yoshino-san spoke in a comparatively forceful manner.

"But won't that be setting a bad precedent?"

"A bad precedent? How?"

Yumi asked and Yoshino-san excitedly raised her index finger in the air.

"If you set the precedent of taking an uninvited stalker as your petit soeur, it'll cause problems for those that come later."

"Problems later … I see."

Yoshino-san was obviously worried about herself.

The straight path lined with ginkgo trees.

It was less than an hour since it would have been swept during cleaning time, but every so often then there were unripe ginkgo nuts that had fallen from the trees.

The ginkgo trees were so tall that human hands couldn't even reach the lowest branch.

Perhaps some large birds, like crows, had mischievously shaken the branches. Maybe they'd been brought there by the wind.

Noriko-chan suddenly came to a stop and mumbled.

"Speaking of uninvited stalkers – "

"Huh?"

Was the simultaneous response from the other three.

"There's another one over there."

Noriko-chan's outstretched finger pointed straight at the front gate, towards the figures of Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama who had arrived some time ago. And then.

"Ah, Yumi-sa~n."

A boy poked his head around the two Roses. He was immediately recognizable.

"You made it."

The way he was happily waving his hand above his shoulder was cute. Undoubtedly cute, but.

Yumi was totally perplexed, as though she needed to squat down to recover her bearings.

– Doing that while wearing a boy's school uniform just ruins the effect completely, Alice.