Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume17 Chapter10

The Absence of Rosa Chinensis en Bouton

One day at the end of September.

The Rose Manor was quiet.

No, not just the Rose Manor. The entire school was rather quiet.

The second-year students are gone. That's all.

Six classes. It might not be such a big deal compared to the whole school from kindergarten to university. But without the students who were usually here, it seemed deserted.

Rosa Chinensis, Ogasawara Sachiko, was drinking tea alone in the Rose Manor.

It was quiet.

Rei was not there. She had gone to club activities.

There was work related to the school festival, assorted tasks, but nothing urgent. So she was taking a little break.

It had been too busy lately. She had said something like that to the first-year students.

Although it had been so long since she could go home early, Sachiko somehow ended up coming here.

Slowly sipping tea in the Ros Manor. What a luxurious time.

It was a big task, preparing for the Yamayurikai's play. But without the second-year students, it was difficult to progress smoothly.

Sachiko smiled as she flipped through the pages of the completed script.

Yumi's face when Sachiko revealed the story and cast.... Just remembering that made her happy.

She poured herself some more tea. Sitting in her chair, Sachiko suddenly looked up after hearing something.

"Oh?"

It sounded like someone had come to the Rose Manor. It was so quiet that even from the second floor, she could clearly hear the first-floor door open and close.

There was no call. Soon the stairs began to creak. It was probably a student who comes frequently to the manor. Sachiko lowered her cup and waited for the biscuit-like door to open.

Nothing. Then.

"Ah."

The visitor opened the door, blurted out that word, frozen stiff for a moment. She had come here not thinking there would be anyone else already here.

Sachiko, knowing that someone could come up here, remained composed. But still, she was a bit surprised that the someone was this girl.

"Gokigenyou."

Sachiko called out first.

"G, Gokigenyou, Rosa Chinensis."

Regaining her composure, Hosokawa Kanako bowed her head. Her hair was long and her body tall.

"Excuse me. I had heard that there was no meeting after school today, so I thought nobody would be here."

"Yet you came?"

"... Yes. Well..."

Yet she had decided to come anyway, Sachiko noticed. Hosokawa Kanako picked up her handbag that was sitting by the window. It looks like she had come to pick up something that she had forgotten.

Having understood the reason for this visit, Sachiko returned to her script, sipping her tea.

But Hosokawa Kanako showed no signs of leaving.

"Please, don't mind me."

Sachiko announced.

"But."

She might find it difficult to go home, leaving an upperclassman all alone to check a script. Even so, Sachiko did not want to be so familiar as to tell her "go home" or to pull her tie, so she decided to leave it alone.

"If you want to stay, that's fine. Please, have a seat."

Sachiko pointed to a chair. Saying, do whatever you like. The tall Hosokawa Kanako cannot help but be noticed, even when just standing there doing nothing.

"Rosa Chinensis."

"Hm?"

"But won't you be uncomfortable, knowing that I'm here?"

"Did I not just say you should sit down if you want to stay?"

Oh, bother. Sachiko made a face like she found this frankness tedious.

"No, that's not it."

Hosokawa Kanako said.

"I'm not talking about today."

"Ah..."

It appears that she was talking about helping with the school festival, coming to the Rose Manor. Either way, that doesn't change that this conversation is bothersome.

"You and Touko-chan are a big help."

"But, I'm an eyesore?"

Well, that was a straightforward question.

"Why?"

"...The day before the Hanadera school festival, in the old greenhouse."

Speaking of that, that was indeed a thing. It was indeed a thing for Kanako, but not for Sachiko.

"Like I said then, if there's something you want to say, say it."

But it appears that there was still something that she wanted to say, still buried under the gloom. Although they had met many times since then, they'd not had the chance to talk privately. So she'd been dragging along up to today.

"Could you ever forgive me for hurting your precious Yumi-sama?"

Hosokawa Kanako's words contained a bit of sarcasm.

"I forgive and don't forgive. Like you, I am not the law of the world. That you made a mistake and unknowingly hurt others, that much is certain. But we are just small, imperfect humans. ...I am in no position to judge."

"Imperfect.... If Rosa Chinensis' fans heard that, I wonder what they'd say."

"I would rather that you heard it."

Sachiko said, raising her voice.

Generations of Roses have gained too much of a perfect image. Because of that, the gulf separating the Yamayurikai leaders and the general student was not easily filled. It was good to be looked up to. But being celebrated was not their original purpose.

"If you think about it for a bit, you will quickly understand the reason for Yumi's popularity with the first-year students."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I wonder."

I wonder, indeed, Sachiko said softly. I myself do not know.

"So then, it does not matter if I become Yumi-sama's little sister?"

"If Yumi chose you, I would not particularly object."

The setting sun, shining through the curtains, darkened a bit. It was probably a cloud.

"But you don't want to be Yumi's little sister?"

"That's right."

"Well, then isn't that okay?"

"Yes."

It was quiet.

"Would you like some more tea?"

Saying that, Hosokawa Kanako stood up.

"Didn't I say don't mind me?"

"No. I want some, too."

"Well then, if you're getting some too. Please?"

Sachiko offered her cup.

Then the two of them both, in this quiet room, drank one cup of tea apiece, then went home.

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