Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume23 Chapter1 3 nr

Onee-sama's Lead. Part 3

Yumi's parents gave her permission to attend the Ogasawara's New Year's party surprisingly easily, given that she'd intruded on them for New Year's this year (although that was almost a year ago so it felt more like last year) and visited their holiday house.

It was after the Fukuzawa family dinner.

"Still, I feel guilty that we're always the ones imposing on them. Why don't you invite Sachiko-sama around to our house next time?"

Her mother said while wiping down the dinner table, then added, "Although it's a bit small," at the end. But since Sachiko-sama didn't really like her overly large house, she'd be fine in that regard. Sachiko-sama had once told her that she longed for a home where she would know where the rest of her family was. Although if she were to tell her parents that, they wouldn't believe her and say, "She's just being humble."

"Hey, you know you can't come, Yuuki."

Clearing the chopstick holder and nabe pot stand, Yumi called out to her brother who was walking ahead of her, carrying the nabe pot to the kitchen. Incidentally, tonight's main dish had been oden.

"Why? Because I went last time?"

Yuuki looked back at her.

"Yeah … something like that."

Sort of. She was just a bit concerned that it might follow the same pattern of events as last year.

"I won't go."

Yuuki suddenly laughed, temporarily setting the earthenware pot down on the gas range.

"I only went because Kashiwagi-sempai forced me to accompany him there."

Yumi's heart went "thump" when she heard the name "Kashiwagi" mentioned. It wasn't the usual heart flutters that were implied by that phrase, just a simple "thump." It didn't go as far as a "stab," but it was basically a light "stab."

As her rival for Sachiko-sama, Yumi had various thoughts about Kashiwagi-san. But right now, the thing that most stuck in her mind was the promise he made about the Touko-chan incident.

(If you ask me about it again, I'll answer you.)

Remembering this, her heart went "thump" again.

But whether it was a "thump" or a "stab," if Yuuki noticed he'd surely be suspicious. Consequently, Yumi put the chopstick holder and the pot stand back in their positions and said, "I know," then left the kitchen with her back still turned to her brother.

However.

"I wonder if Kashiwagi-san will be there as well."

She returned to the living room where her mother was waiting with starry eyes. Apparently the conversation between the two children had reached her ears.

"I'm not sure … "

Yumi could only offer a vague answer because she really didn't know, but her mother stubbornly persisted.

"He's Sachiko-sama's cousin, right?"

Oh boy. For various reasons, Kashiwagi-san had been visiting the Fukuzawa house quite frequently of late, and her fad-following mother had become quite taken with him.

"But Kashiwagi-kun's a man."

Her father muttered disinterestedly, his eyes fixed on the newspaper's TV listing.

"The New Year's party is supposed to be women-only."

Despite seeming disinterested, her father had fully grasped the contents of the written invitation. Women only. That was quite important.

"Then I suppose they might have invited Touko-chan?"

Touko-chan. That name made Yumi's heart go "thump" too. She hadn't yet told her family about Touko-chan's refusal.

Touko-chan had said, "Your family talks about everything, Yumi-sama," but there were some things that were surprisingly hard to discuss.

"I don't know. Sachiko-sama may or may not have asked her."

"Honestly, Yumi-chan, you really don't do any intelligence gathering, do you?"

Her mother said, "You're her little sister." Sure, she might have been Sachiko-sama's little sister at school, but it wasn't like they lived together, so there were things she wasn't informed of.

"It was a written invitation, so we haven't talked yet."

She'd spoken to Yoshino-san and Shimako-san on the phone, but not yet with her onee-sama.

"Huh, why not?"

"Well, I thought I'd reply over the phone after I got permission from you and dad."

"Don't you think you're being a bit too serious, Yumi-chan? Say, are you feeling alright?"

"…"

Her mother was worried that she was being too serious. Yumi headed to her room, thinking that her parents were a bit off-kilter. Well, maybe it was because she'd been raised by parents like them that she became the daughter she was.

"She's fine. Although I have my doubts about a high school student who can only use the phone with their parents' supervision too. Yumi's different."

Yuuki surreptitiously advised their mother, seeing Yumi grab the extra handset before she headed up the stairs.

Indeed. It wasn't a secret phone call, she just wanted to be alone, with no-one around her, when she made it. But it was a bit annoying that her brother had seen through her like that.

When she got back to her room she called the Ogasawara's house and Sachiko-sama answered.

"I thought I'd get a lot of telephone calls today."

Ah-hah. Since the invitation should have been arriving about now, it looked as though she'd been prepared for people ringing to accept or decline, or ask any other questions.

"Rei called me a little while ago, to say that she and Yoshino-chan were coming. It looks like they've had enough of Hakone."

So the topic of Hakone had come up between Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama, just like it had with her and Yoshino-san. New Year's for Yoshino-san was watching the marathon relay. Because it had such a huge impact, everyone seemed to have input that as an annual event, even if she'd only gone once to see what it was like.

On that note, summer for Yoshino-san was climbing Mt. Fuji. Same thing as above.

"So, how about you, Yumi?"

Asked by Sachiko-sama if she'd attend, Yumi gave a big nod, still gripping the handset tightly.

"Of course I'll be there."

"I'm so glad. Just for you, I gave serious thought to crossing out "if you feel so inclined" and writing "no matter what.""

Sachiko-sama laughed splendidly over the phone.

Just for you, no matter what, she said.

Just for you. Just for you. Repeating this over and over in her mind, Yumi blushed on her own. It looked as though making the call in her room had been the right decision after all.

After discussing a couple of things related to the event, Sachiko-sama said:

"I sent an invitation to Touko-chan too."

Since she was completely unprepared for this, when Yumi heard Touko-chan's name her heart responded with a "thump" once more.

"… Is that so?"

Yumi mumbled. She thought that Sachiko-sama might start to worry if she remained silent, since she couldn't see her face over the phone.

"It was my own decision. I'm sorry I didn't inform you earlier, Yumi."

"No."

On reflection, this was probably something she wanted to ask about far more than what to bring, or how to get to Sachiko-sama's house from the train station.

"She might not come."

"Yes."

"But even so, I thought it was better to invite her. You may still be suffering some shock from the rejection, but I felt that if we did nothing then Touko-chan would gradually drift further and further away."

Indeed. Given how harshly Touko-chan had spoken, it seemed unlikely that she would take any action. Even if they didn't end up as soeurs, Yumi felt they'd both be worse off if they remained apart like this.

By retracting the soeur offer, perhaps she could build a healthy relationship with Touko-chan, like she currently had with Kanako-chan. Although now that she'd realized her feelings, it was incredibly sad to think that she'd never call Touko-chan her petit soeur. But it was much better than keeping her back turned to her.

Not giving up was important, but sometimes, after considering the other person's feelings, giving up was the more meaningful choice.

But even so, come on, onee-sama.

"Are you shocked? Because I asked everyone to watch over you from afar, but I was the first to meddle."

Sachiko-sama said, like she was reading Yumi's mind.

"Are you a mind-reader too, onee-sama?"

"I'm not a mind-reader. But, I am your onee-sama."

Onee-sama.

"So it's okay, for me."

To meddle. What she was saying was unreasonable, but it was said with such self-confidence that it was strangely persuasive.

Yumi giggled.

Saying that it was okay.

Just for her onee-sama.