Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume1 Chapter2 3

Tuesday of Storms. Part 3.

She was brought to the second gymnasium.

This was a bit to the back of the school facilities, and was nowhere near as expansive as the primary gymnasium, which could hold every middle school and high school student. It was about the size of a basketball court, but had no stage. In its stead were a changing room, bathroom, washroom, and lounge, making it rather popular among students. It was used quite often for friendly matches with other schools, or for other athletics or club activities.

"Put on those slippers and come up."

Sachiko-sama pointed at the vinyl slippers on the shelf, furnished for visitors. Every gymnasium required the use of athletics shoes – regular shoes were forbidden.

While Yumi took off her indoor shoes and put on the slippers, Sachiko-sama simply walked up in her socks.

"Ah, Sachiko's here."

"You're late."

Amidst the echoing voices of the Roses, Yumi chased after Sachiko-sama and entered the gymnasium. After one step, she felt a painful number of stares.

Awaiting them were yesterday's members, sans Tsutako-san, plus another twenty or so students. Among them was one student in Yumi's class, and that was all she needed to see to realize this was the dance club.

Sachiko-sama instructed Yumi to watch from the side, and joined the dance club.

"I apologize for disrupting practice. Please, continue."

Then, classical music flowed in from somewhere, and Sachiko-sama held hands with Hasekura Rei-sama in the middle. Every other student likewise found a pair and began dancing to the music.

It was triple time, a waltz.

"Welcome, Fukuzawa Yumi-chan."

When she turned to look, Rosa Chinensis was beckoning with her hands.

"The view is better from here."

Rosa Gigantea and Rosa Foetida were with her as well. The three were leaning against the wall and watching the dance. Yumi stood next to Rosa Chinensis, as per invitation.

The young ladies danced to the elegant music.

Even though they all wore the same uniform, her eyes were magnetized by Sachiko-sama. She spun around like a flower, as if controlled by the music, performing even the most difficult of steps with the ease of walking.

It was not that other students were inadequate dancers. They, too, danced smartly, living up to their name proudly as the Lillian Girls' Academy dance club. Yet, none of them could beat Sachiko-sama when it came to being described as a flower. Even without any costumes, it was easy to tell Sachiko-sama was the lead role.

"It's decent enough, what do you think?"

Rosa Chinensis asked Yumi, still staring straight ahead.

"Decent,… even though it's this spectacular?"

When she asked how long they'd be practicing, she was surprised to hear they had just started that day.

"About thirty minutes before Sachiko arrived, I think? Shimako and Rei learnt the steps from the dance club, and they just tried fitting everything together for the first time now."

"For the first time?"

"You learn the rudimentary aspects of dancing in class, and Shimako is already experienced with Japanese dance, so she seems quite good at learning dancing styles. Rei memorized it with the concentration she gained from martial arts, but she is struggling a bit… See, she just stepped on her foot."

Rei-sama had just stepped on Sachiko-sama's foot. Even so, the two of them continued dancing as if nothing happened. That they weren't wearing shoes probably was out of consideration to the possibility of stepping on one another's foot, it being their first rehearsal.

"In the case of Sachiko, you know. She is an authentic lady, so it's expected of her to be able to dance socially."

Rosa Chinensis spoke rather proudly of Sachiko-sama. She had been doing ballet since she was five, but began private tutelage of social dancing from the first year of middle school. English conversation, piano, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, all the way through middle school she had at least one tutor every day.

"It's like, she's from another world."

She sighed. She'd been alive for fifteen years, but society was still an immeasurable thing.

"Right? You'd suffocate. So, I made her quit them all. I made it so she had to quit, I guess? I made her my sœur and pulled her into every task imaginable for the Yamayurikai."

"… Wow."

Sachiko-sama was amazing to be able to do all of that practice all the way through middle school, but Rosa Chinensis, in her second year of high school, to be able to make Sachiko-sama quit everything was also amazing.

"Sachiko is just so diligent to the core, so if someone expects something of her, she does exactly what is expected. That's why, sometimes, she needs to be allowed to breathe. Do you understand?"

"… Sort of."

"Sort of. … Well, that's fine."

The song was reaching its climax. Sachiko-sama was sweating a bit, and a line of black hair had adhered itself to her white nape.

"But, even if she knows how to dance, would she ever have the opportunity to dance?"

When Yumi blurted out the question, Rosa Chinensis returned with the question, "Why do you think that?"

"If she were dancing frequently, I don't think she would all of a sudden refuse to dance with a man…"

"Exactly. Actually, we were wondering the same thing. For Sachiko, this is 'just a dance.' Yet, she refused it so desperately. She wanted out so badly we began wanting to know the reason, too, so we were waiting a bit to let her off the hook, but-"

But it turned into something even more amusing, Rosa Chinensis happily laughed.

"A spice named Fukuzawa Yumi was added to the mix, now I wonder what it will cook up."

(Eek…)

It felt like dry wind has sliced straight through her body.

It was like a scene from a historical play, where a person with no place to stay, and with no place willing to let him stay, despite being in an inn town, stands out in the open, alone. The dusty, dry wind was irritating to the skin, and enemies were to his left and right, with no knowledge of what the future held for him.

Even though in the background was an elegant waltz. Ah, how unsuitable.

"Just as Rosa Gigantea said."

"Eh?"

"When Yumi-chan starts thinking, she goes through life's many phases."

Rosa Chinensis' intellectual expression broke down, and she began giggling.

When the song ended, Rosa Chinensis imagined them to have been on a stage and began giving directives about starting positions, body position, and other things. Even though she had been talking to Yumi, she was still paying careful attention to details.

"Yumi-chan have you danced before?"

Rosa Gigantea had come close and began fiddling with Yumi's curled hair, which had been split in two and individually tied.

"N, no. Not at all."

"Really-? Hey, did dance class start from second year?"

She twisted her body and asked Rosa Foetida.

"That was the case, I think."

Rosa Foetida answered indifferently as she re-winded the cassette tape.

"Then, I'll teach you. Here, put out your hands."

"Eh!?"

"Here."

Rosa Gigantea forcibly grabbed Yumi's hands and glued her body to hers.

"Ah."

"Yumi-chan uses so much 'eh' and 'ah' and wah!"

Even if she were told that, she couldn't hold back her voice. She thought there was some responsibility on the person who surprises her.

"It's in three-time because it's a waltz. One, two, three, one, two, three."

Left with no choice, Yumi took off her slippers.

Left foot back a step on one, spin 3/8 while stepping to the side with the right foot on two, move the left foot to the right foot on three. Right step forward and then a half turn right on the next one, left foot back diagonally and turn another 3/8 to the right before collecting both feet back together on two, then a small step forward with the right foot on three.

She tried to do as she was told, but it wasn't going very well.

"Your hip's too close. See, don't look down. You can step on my foot."

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

Just as she became accustomed to not looking down, she noticed the crowding atmosphere around them. The dance club, having finished their review of the rehearsal, all stared at Yumi and Rosa Gigantea as if they were watching some curious animal.

"Ah, that's bad, now Yumi-chan's two-timing rumors might spread!"

Rosa Gigantea laughed and let go of Yumi. Then, she raised one arm high and shouted to everyone.

"Alright-! I'm introducing our new friend, Fukuzawa Yumi-chan. She's joining the group dance from today on, so please be kind to her-!"

"-!"

She wanted to shout "eh!" but, having just been teased about it, Yumi covered her mouth.

"It's boring if you just watch, isn't it? Plus, if we think about what 'could' happen, you probably should get used to dancing."

Whispering that dangerous line in Yumi's ear, Rosa Gigantea pushed Yumi's back.

However, 'could' would be a case of her standing up on stage in Sachiko-sama's stead.

(Rosa Gigantea was betting on me winning, so is it alright to be giving such a negative image to her playing piece?)

However, winning or losing hardly mattered to the Roses. They were just watching, amused by the course of events.

"Someone pair with her."

Rosa Foetida requested, looking at the faces in the circle.

"Alright, I will."

When Yumi looked up at who replied so simply, it was none other than Rosa Foetida en bouton, Hasekura Rei-sama.

"B, but. Rei-sama, is with Sachiko-sama."

"I'm just a stand-in. Once the real prince arrives I say so farewell to that role, so there's no problem with pairing with Yumi-chan."

Oh dear. This didn't seem like it would end with just the level of dry wind.

No matter how alien she was to the scene, she could feel the inquisitive stares stab her like knives. No, rather than inquisitive, it might have been more like envious.

First was the rumor that she rejected the Rosa Chinensis en bouton, Sachiko-sama. Then, when she appeared like friends together anyways at the gymnasium, she was on friendly terms with Rosa Chinensis. Then she learnt dancing from Rosa Gigantea, and now was a dance partner with the Rosa Foetida en bouton, Rei-sama.

Just who does that girl think she is. –They were no doubt thinking that.

Even though she had no intention in the least of garnering attention. Ah, why do things always have to flow away in a completely different direction from her hopes?

Then, when practice resumed, she felt like a pincushion.

Although the boutons dancing with her hardly seemed to care, the majority of the people, the dance members, kept staring at her.

From straight ahead, from behind, whether she looked left or right, she would always lock eyes with a dance club member. On top of that, Rosa Gigantea's practice was quite slow, so, unable to keep up with the pace of the song, she kept stepping on Rei-sama's feet, and Rei-sama kept stepping on her feet, and it was all-in-all a mess.

Through it all, Sachiko-sama remained elegant. She turned aside Rosa Gigantea's offer to be her dance partner, instead dancing her steps alone. As she arched her torso, and softly curved her arms, she gave the impression that the prince was, in fact, dancing right there with her.

What sort of prince was Sachiko-sama looking at? What sort of prince would Sachiko-sama be willing to stretch her arms out to?

"Don't look elsewhere."

When she snapped back to attention, Rei-sama was deliberately feigning anger.

"It looks like you can't take your mind off Sachiko."

"No, that's not it."

Even as she answered, she thought, maybe I can't. Because immediately, her eyes followed Sachiko-sama again.

Sachiko-sama danced as lightly as a winged creature with the invisible prince.

Assuming there were a prince the likes of which Sachiko-sama imagined-, Yumi thought. The one definite thing was that the Hanadera student council leader was not he. That thought made her feel a certain amount of compassion for the Hanadera council leader.

What a pitiable Prince.

The Lillian Girls' Academy Cinderella was, unlike the fairy tale, proud and idealistic.

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