Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume27 Chapter5 1

"Why?" Part 1

The bus stopped in front of Lillian's Girls Academy, discharged the three uniform-clad girls, then resumed its journey.

"Please go on ahead to the Rose Mansion. I'll follow you in a little while."

Ami-san instructed Shimako after they had descended the steps.

Shimako had thought that since they'd come here, they wouldn't have to worry about drawing any unwanted attention. But this was their school after all, and perhaps because of that Ami-san was being extra cautious, so in the end Shimako just followed her orders without objecting.

Unlike last year's date, the main gate was open today despite it being Sunday.

"Working hard I see. Which club are you with?"

The security guard cheerfully called out once she was inside.

"Oh. The, ah, student council."

Surprised by the unexpected question, Shimako answered without considering it. She was, quite obviously, a president of the student council, but they weren't scheduled to meet today. She should have said she was there to pick up a book she'd left behind, or something.

Shimako nervously wondered if she should change her answer, but there didn't seem to be any follow-up questions.

"I see. Good luck."

She wasn't asked to show her student identification card, probably because she was wearing her school uniform.

Shimako bowed, then walked down the ginkgo tree lined path.

(So that's … )

She realized something. Even though it was Sunday, it looked like a number of clubs had activities today.

Shimako glanced back over her shoulder. Ami-san was just passing the security guard.

Maybe she'd known about this already. Since it was the weekend, access to the grounds would usually be restricted. But Ami-san was so watchful, perhaps she'd investigated which clubs would be holding practices ahead of time.

The main entrance to the school building was open too. Shimako went to the second-years' shoe-box area, opened her locker, and changed into her indoor shoes.

Suddenly remembering what Noriko had done, Shimako then walked over to the first-years' shoe-box section.

The name "Nijou" was written in methodical lettering on one of the first-year camellia group lockers. Surrounded on all sides by lockers adorned with stickers, colorful nametag paper, and other decorations favored by girls, Noriko's plain locker stood out like a sore thumb.

(Hehehe.)

Shimako smiled to herself. Last year, her own locker had been equally bare. Even Yumi-san, who usually didn't bother about that kind of thing, had had a small sticker on hers.

Decorating one's locker was a characteristic peculiar to first-year students. Most students didn't bother by the time they reached second-year. It just caused heartache when, at the end of the third semester, they were told that they had to return them to their original form.

Even though the stickers were the easy-to-peel type, after being attached for a whole year they were stuck on quite stubbornly. Those who got carried away and drew beyond the borders of their nametag had to use all kinds of cleaning agents to erase the pen marks. Shimako remembered the sight of her classmates frantically scrubbing away with washcloths.

Whether they didn't want to repeat that a second time, or they simply thought such behavior was too childish now that they were a year older, the second and third-year's shoe boxes were largely untouched. – Quite strange, that.

As she started heading towards the Rose Mansion, Shimako found herself standing in front of the lockers for the first-year peach group.

Like Noriko the previous week, she looked for the locker with 'Igawa' written on it. Soon enough she found it, and like the others around it, it had a number of stickers on it.

" – Oh."

Shimako instinctively brought her hand up to her mouth. The locker had five stickers on it, all of them white roses.

Shimako wanted to run away, since it felt like she was snooping around inside Ami-san's mind. Ami-san would arrive soon. She had to get away quick.

Just as she was about to go, her eyes fell on the locker immediately below.

"Huh?"

For a moment, she thought that Ami-san had two lockers. Why? Because that locker was decorated exactly the same, with five white rose stickers.

(Emori … )

She ran her finger along the nametag. It looked like they were quite good friends, since they'd be seated next to each other too.

(I wonder if these are popular with this class.)

Shimako was deep in thought as she walked. If Ami-san were the only person to have the stickers, then perhaps that meant she attached some deeper significance to them, but since others had them then they were probably less meaningful. It may just have been a case of someone getting hold of a bunch of white rose stickers and sharing them with her friends. As she considered this, Shimako started to relax.

She entered the Rose Mansion and plugged the electric kettle into the wall. Looking at the clock, it was almost midday.

"It'll be lunchtime soon … "

Thinking this, Shimako put the food she'd bought into the refrigerator. Cheesecake, marinaded fish and vegetables. They would all be just as good cold.

Shimako thought she should prepare tea while waiting, but unfortunately she didn't know Ami-san's preference.

(I wonder if I should go and meet her.)

While it was unthinkable that she wouldn't know where the Rose Mansion was, Shimako had seen plenty of students falter at the doorway, unable to take that step inside. Since students with club activities were unlikely to be lingering nearby, Ami-san probably wouldn't be worried about being seen with her either.

Ami-san wasn't anywhere in sight of the front door. Shimako entered the school building and looked down the long corridor.

However, there was no-one in the direction of the shoe-boxes.

(What happened to her … ?)

Perhaps they'd strayed too far apart in an effort not to be seen together. She had confirmed that Ami-san made it past the entrance, so she should undoubtedly be on her way to the Rose Mansion.

Shimako started to walk down the corridor. Unknowingly, she hastened her pace.

It would be best if nothing had happened. It wasn't helpful to obsess about what may have happened. Since the school was largely deserted, Ami-san might not be found if she was in distress, particularly if she was crouched down.

As she was walking past the toilet block, Shimako heard voices coming from inside.

At first she dismissed them, since Ami-san was by herself, but after she'd walked past she reconsidered and turned back. Ami-san had been by herself, but it was entirely possible that she'd run into someone at school. In that case, it was obvious why she wasn't at the Rose Mansion. She was deep in conversation with the classmate she'd accidentally met.

Shimako wasn't intending to eavesdrop. She simply wanted to ascertain whether or not one of those voices belonged to Ami-san, so strained to hear them.

"Like I said … "

" … from here … "

"I can't."

" … come on … "

She could only hear fragments of the conversation. But it definitely sounded as though one of those was Ami-san's voice. Consequently, Shimako walked back down the corridor. Thinking that she would wait in the Rose Mansion until Ami-san had finished her conversation.

Just as she was about to leave the school building and enter the courtyard, Shimako heard the sound of a door being flung open, and instinctively turned around. What she saw surprised her – the girl that came out first was grabbed around the wrist by the girl who came out second, who then attempted to drag her back into the toilet block.

The one being grabbed was Ami-san, the one doing the grabbing was the classmate that Ami-san had shared that burst of laughter with the other day.

"Ami-san … "

When Shimako called out, the two girls turned towards her simultaneously. On seeing Shimako, Ami-san's classmate hurriedly dropped her arm.

"Ah … I … "

As the girl struggled for something to say, she nervously stepped backwards. Still unable to find the words she was looking for, Ami-san's classmate turned tail and fled.

"A – "

Ami-san reached out her now free hand and called out to stop the other girl, but then gave up and lowered her arm, perhaps realizing it was too late to chase after her now.

"Are you alright?"

Shimako didn't understand what had just happened. So she walked over to Ami-san, who had been left in the hallway outside the toilet block.

"I'm sorry I caused you trouble. We were just playing around."

However, as she was speaking, Ami-san's wrist was turning red. Additionally, one of her shoes had come off and fallen beside the door. Probably from a scuffle that they'd had inside the toilet block.

"Wait."

Shimako picked up the shoe and placed it in front of Ami-san. Then she whispered.

"Why … ?"

"I told you, we were just playing around."

After bowing slightly, Ami-san put her shoe back on. She spoke the same words as before, as though they were a charm.

We were just playing around.

However, that's not what it had looked like at all. They weren't laughing like they had been when Shimako saw them in the courtyard the previous week.

"I did something wrong to her."

When Shimako heard those despondent words, for some reason she felt as though she were the one who had done something wrong.