Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter3 2

Those two, on the other hand. Part 2.

She hadn't imagined that things would turn out the way they had. Last night, she'd received an unexpected phone call from Tsutako-sama.

"I don't really understand, but …"

Was how Tsutako-sama prefaced their telephone conversation. And the contents of that conversation were appropriately baffling.

Apparently Rosa Chinensis had announced that they were going to the amusement park tomorrow and that other people could come along if they liked. But it wasn't really an invitation as such, since they weren't arranging to meet, instead people could come and go as they pleased.

"When you said an amusement park, umm, you meant that place with the roller coasters and a merry-go-round?"

Shouko moved as far away from the phone's usual position in the foyer as the cord would let her, making it to the staircase. Still carrying the handset, she sat down. Since she ended up here, she would have been better off putting Tsutako-sama on hold and getting the handset from the second floor. But Shouko didn't want to keep Tsutako-sama waiting, and above all else was too intrigued to interrupt this conversation. She'd been excited ever since she heard her mother call out, "Phone call from someone called Takeshima-san," and had leapt at the telephone receiver.

"Yep, that's it. That amusement park. I got a call from Yumi-san not that long ago. It sounded like she was calling from a public phone, and I didn't really catch all the details."

"A phone call from Rosa Chinensis en bouton…"

So that would make this third-hand information. It would probably be impossible for Shouko to understand the full picture. Like in the game 'Chinese Whispers,' the further away from the source you were, the stranger the message you received.

"I was planning on going and I thought you might be interested, so I gave you a call. Even if we can't get any good photos, we can still have fun at the amusement park."

Shouko cherry-picked the phrases she wanted to hear, ending up with, "Going to the amusement park together would be fun." Yep, it definitely would be fun. Shouko was elated, because that made it sound something like a date!

"I'll have … !"

Shouko shouted into the handset.

"Huh?"

On the other end of the phone, Tsutako-sama seemed surprised by the volume of her voice.

On Shouko's side, her older sister, Katsumi, walked out of the living room and asked, "What's going on?" Shouko responded with a look that said nothing was happening, and Katsumi gave a bored "Hmmph," before heading up the stairs. In other words, not only was Shouko's telephone conversation an annoyance but so too was her location on the stairs.

"… Pardon me. I'll have to ask my parents."

Speaking in a quieter voice, Shouko corrected herself.

Shouko was, by and large, an honest person. Asking her parents meant they might forbid her from going, but she didn't have the nerve to go without asking for permission.

"I guess so. Since it's tomorrow it's quite sudden, so you'll have to talk it over with them."

Then Shouko realized she would also have to consult the contents of her purse.

(Let's see.)

Having fun usually costs money. Shouko tried to remember what the entrance fee was for the amusement park, but couldn't. Until now, she'd only been with her parents.

(I wonder if there's enough left from this month's allowance.)

Suddenly, she pictured the contents of her purse. Her New Year's money had been spent on a camera and a book on photography.

(I'll have to dip into my bank account.)

After thinking this, she realized something else.

(Tomorrow's Sunday, the bank won't be open.)

Shouko considered asking her parents for an advance on her allowance, but discarded the idea. It seemed more likely that they would just forbid her from going to the amusement park in that case. Her position was stronger if she could say she was using her own money.

"Shouko-chan? Do you want me to call you back?"

"Ah, okay. No, wait, I'll call you."

Then someone prodded her in the back.

"Huh?"

Turning around, Shouko saw that her older sister had reappeared. Sitting two stairs further up, looking like she wanted to talk.

"Umm, Tsutako-sama. Could you excuse me for just a minute."

Shouko pressed the 'hold' button. Her older sister had a strong personality, but was generally straightforward. She wasn't the type of person to try and childishly disrupt someone else's phone call, so the conversation would probably be pretty quick.

"What is it?"

"Here."

Shouko's sister was offering her a thin envelope.

"You can have it."

"Huh?"

Initially Shouko thought it might have been money, but in that case surely her sister would have said 'borrow' rather than 'have.'

Still wondering what was inside the unmarked envelope, Shouko opened it and withdrew two slips of paper.

"How did you get these!?"

Shouko cried out, loudly. She could tell what they were from a single glance. The words 'All-day Pass' were printed over a picture of the amusement park's mascots laughing. The thing that Shouko most desired at this moment. Her sister must be a magician, or an ESPer.

"I won it in a contest about six months ago, but then forgot about it. I was really aiming for the next prize down – a pre-paid card for a bookstore – so it was still a loss for me."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I wouldn't go anyway. It expires at the end of March, so you're only just in time."

"Thank-you, Katsumi."

Shouko impulsively hugged her sister, who smiled awkwardly and said, "You shouldn't keep Tsutako-san waiting," before disappearing once more into the living room.

"I'll go! I should be able to go!"

After pushing the 'hold' button, Shouko spoke cheerfully into the handset.

"Your parents are fine with it?"

"Ah."

Persuading them would be her next task.

In the end, Shouko's parents agreed to let her go to the amusement park fairly easily, especially after her older sister had, unusually, put in a good word for her. It seems the fact that she was going with older students from her school counted in her favor too. Since the friends of her straight-laced graduating older sister were themselves mostly straight-laced and studious, her parents had apparently decided that 'Lillian's student = serious and diligent'. Even in this, her sister had played a role.

Of course, that's not to say that Tsutako-sama wasn't serious or studious. But a 'camera freak' wasn't quite the same as an 'honors student.'

Shouko arrived at the JR station where she was to meet Tsutako-sama about twenty minutes before their agreed time, which was five minutes earlier than Tsutako-sama.

"Shouko-chan."

When she turned around, she heard the sound of a shutter clicking and was dazzled by the flash. She'd had no time to compose herself for this surprise attack.

"Hehehe. Gokigenyou."

Shouko hated to be photographed, so this was Tsutako-sama's signature method for getting 'nice photos' of her.

"Go-gokigenyou."

"You're looking very grown-up today."

"Oh?"

It wasn't an outright compliment like saying she was pretty or cute, but it still made Shouko's heart flutter. Actually, it was a bit embarrassing. Since she hadn't been out with Tsutako-sama in quite a while, Shouko had borrowed her older, taller sister's spring coat. When viewed dispassionately, that slight over-extension, combined with the over-eager way she had shown up so early, were actually quite amusing.

The clothes that Tsutako-sama wore effortlessly – the jeans, T-shirt and jacket that looked like a jersey, seemed far more stylish. At the very least, they were better suited to the amusement park.

Just as she was starting to feel depressed, the shutter clicked once more.

"But that doesn't really suit you."

That single phrase was enough to bring her back from the depths. Simple, but effective. It was such a pointless thing for Shouko to beat herself up about.

"So, shall we go?"

Tsutako-sama put the small camera in her pocket then pointed towards the staircase. Since they met by the entrance gate, they wouldn't have a chance to buy a ticket here. Shouko had used her commuter pass when she entered, intending to pay any excess when they arrived at the amusement park.

Even though it was Sunday, the station was still incredibly busy. A train had probably just arrived, as the people coming up the stairs from the platform spilled out across the line that demarcated the ascending and descending sides of the staircase. They found a gap at the edge of the wall of humanity and carefully descended the staircase.

"It's been a while since we last went out together."

"Yeah."

The last time was for New Year's. Shouko had worried about inconsequential matters, such as where they should go or if they should meet at school on a Sunday. However, she'd since realized that when they met up at odd times it was usually because Tsutako-sama wanted to take someone's photo. Today was probably no exception, despite what Rosa Chinensis had said, and Shouko was fine with that. Because she liked the camera-toting Tsutako-sama, and wanted to spend time with her. And if she was satisfied with that, then what would it be called if not a date.

" – Right. So I have to be upbeat," Shouko thought to herself. However, her introspection made her oblivious to what was happening right in front of her.

"Watch out!"

Tsutako-sama, walking right behind her, shouted. By the time Shouko had noticed, a suitcase-sized sports bag was directly in front of her eyes.

Shouko couldn't think of any way to escape. And by the time she would think of one, it'd be too late. She'd have to rely on instinct, and even then it would be close.

So, idiotically, Shouko closed her eyes, unable to do anything else. And then, a miracle happened. Shouko didn't do anything, but some outside force moved her body, just a little.

Opening her eyes after the light impact, Shouko saw Tsutako-sama standing right beside her. Well, it was probably more accurate to say that Tsutako-sama was the meat in a Shouko and wall sandwich.

"Sorry."

The sports bag apologized. Ah, no, it was the tall guy with the sports bag hanging over his shoulder. He'd been looking the other way as he flew up the stairs, right until the point of impact with Shouko.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

The guy with the sports bag asked, looking at Shouko and Tsutako-sama.

"I'm fine, but – "

Shouko looked at Tsutako-sama. Tsutako-sama had probably taken the impact with the wall in order to save Shouko. If anyone was injured, it would be her.

"I'm fine too."

Tsutako-sama shook her right arm, which had made contact with the wall, as she said this. Shouko let out a sigh of relief. If Tsutako-sama had been injured trying to save her, all the apologies in the world wouldn't be enough to express the regret Shouko would have felt.

"I'm really, really sorry about it."

The guy with the sports bag bowed to them a couple of times, then walked off.

"Thank-you."

Shouko formally thanked Tsutako-sama after they'd made their way through the crowd on the staircase and down onto the platform. She shivered when she thought about how things could have turned out if she'd taken a direct hit to the face. Ending up with a nosebleed may have been getting off lightly. If she had been really unlucky, it may have required some stitches to her face.

"Don't mention it."

Tsutako-sama smiled. Then, as though she'd just remembered something important, Tsutako-sama started fidgeting.

The answer came before Shouko had a chance to inquire.

"I'm sorry, Shouko-chan. Do you mind if we take a detour on the way to the amusement park?"

"Huh?"

"It seems something's not okay after all."

"Oh."

So she's injured after all!? That was the conclusion that Shouko jumped to.

"No, it's not me."

Tsutako-sama held out the precious camera that had been in her pocket.

They stopped at a station about halfway to the amusement park – geographically it was still in the city and the station building was impressive. However, after leaving the main road in front of the train station and walking for about five minutes, they came to an area full of narrow alleyways and old buildings.

Tsutako-sama's goal was a camera shop somewhere in this area. Shouko had been told that she could wait at the platform, but she pressured Tsutako-sama to let her tag along since she didn't have a fixed-destination ticket. Even if she did have such a ticket, she probably would have followed Tsutako-sama out through the gate anyway. Since the camera had been sacrificed for her sake, it would have been inexcusable to stand idly by.

"I'm so sorry."

Shouko repeatedly apologized while they walked.

"I told you not to worry about it. It wasn't your fault."

Shouko stubbornly persisted, even though she knew Tsutako-sama was probably finding it annoying. She couldn't think of anything else to say as they walked down the road, and it was less frightening than silence.

"But that camera's more important to you than life itself."

At which point Tsutako-sama burst out laughing.

"My life is waaaaay more important to me than a camera. And so are you, Shouko-chan."

Shouko should have been happy hearing this, but she wasn't.

"Those kind words are tough for me to accept right now."

It would have been better if Tsutako-sama had voiced her displeasure, saying something like, "You should have been watching where you were going," or, "That camera was expensive." However, it was precisely because Tsutako-sama would never think of saying those things that Shouko loved her. Probably.

"Then I'm in the wrong, for putting you in that position."

"Not at all."

"Let's stop this. Why don't we say this makes us even for the amusement park ticket you gave me earlier? Look, we've arrived."

Tsutako-sama stopped in front of a small building.

"What is this place?"

It looked somewhat like an old house, but its street frontage was unlike that of a normal house. The sliding door made it look like one of those old-time candy stores shown on TV, although without a glass inset. The upper half of the door, which should have been glass, looked like it had been filled in. Finally, the street frontage was very narrow.

"This is my uncle's store. He runs this place as a hobby."

Tsutako-sama opened the door, which made a loud rattling noise. Upon closer inspection, Shouko saw the words "Takeshima Cameras" written on the door. A casual glance revealed nothing, as the lettering was largely the same color as the door.

"Uncle."

Shouko followed Tsutako-sama into a room that was, for a store, unbelievably poorly lit.

"Uncle."

There was no response.

"He might be out."

"If he were out, he would have locked the door. And since he knows I'm his customer, he's probably taking his time. If it were someone he didn't know, he would have been out right away. Regardless of what he was doing, even if he was on the toilet."

"Ah."

Just as Tsutako-sama had said, about five minutes later a middle-aged man appeared in front of them.

"Sorry about leaving you in the dark like that."

The middle-aged man flipped the light switch as he was speaking. The gloominess must have been an energy-saving mode for when he wasn't there.

"Oooh."

Looking around the brightened store interior, Shouko saw that both walls of the narrow corridor-like space were lined with shelves full of cameras. Antique cameras, that she had only recently read about, were lined up alongside strange looking objects that Shouko could only assume were also cameras.

While Shouko was admiring the items in the glass case, the store owner asked Tsutako-sama:

"Who's this young lady?"

"A junior from the photography club. Shouko-chan."

"Ah, I'm Naitou Shouko. A pleasure to meet you."

Shouko hurriedly turned around and bowed. She had been so engrossed, she'd forgotten to greet Tsutako-sama's uncle.

"Welcome to my store."

He smiled at Shouko beneath his beard before turning to Tsutako-sama and asking, "What happened?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I can tell just by looking at you that you're here because something happened."

"That's what I'd expect from my uncle. Actually, it's about this."

Tsutako-sama held up her camera towards her uncle.

"Ah. Well, I can see that it's obviously broken."

He took the camera and shook it lightly, the strange sound coming from within apparently confirming his suspicions.

"Can you fix it?"

"Hold on a minute."

Tsutako-sama's uncle said, before withdrawing deeper into the store with the camera. No matter how big stores were, they always had deeper areas.

"This place looks like a museum."

Shouko said to Tsutako-sama.

"Pretty much. He only stocks rare cameras, so there's not a lot of turnover. Well, it's not like he never sells anything."

"So it's a hobby?"

"From time to time he'll do some repair work on old cameras as well, but that's about it. He has another job that he does for a living, which is why he can do this."

Tsutako-sama's uncle returned soon after.

"Nothing I've got back there will work. I'll have to order a part in. It'll take about a week to fix it."

"I see."

Tsutako-sama looked down in resignation.

"It's a shame. Well, since you came all the way here, the least I can do is offer you some tea. I've got some Youkan jellies to go with it too."

Tsutako-sama's uncle pointed behind him with his thumb, but Tsutako-sama declined by shaking her head.

"We're on our way somewhere."

"Is that so? And I suppose you were planning on using your camera when you got there."

"Well, yeah."

Tsutako-sama owned a number of cameras, but that was the only one she had brought along today. She lived too far away to return home and get a new one, and they'd already spent enough time on the train today.

"I'll lend you one of these if you'd like."

"That's a joke, right?"

"Are they a bit big for you?"

"… The price-tag is."

Listening to their conversation, Shouko thought to herself:

(Now would be the time, if I'd brought along my reasonably priced camera.)

It was about then that Shouko's confidence began to falter.

(Why didn't I bring my camera today!?)

She was in the photography club. Tsutako-sama had probably invited her with the intention that they would go and take photos together.

(Idiot, idiot, idiot!)

Why had she only realized now, when it was too late.

"So, where are you going?"

Uncle Takeshima asked.

"The amusement park."

"Oh, the amusement park."

He smiled to say, 'That's nice,' before continuing his soliloquy.

"Still. The amusement park's not really a place you go to take photos, it's a place you go to have fun, right?"

Then, suddenly, he turned to Shouko.

"The photography club – there's no rule that says its members have to carry a camera with them everywhere they go, is there young lady?"

"Ah, no."

Shouko answered promptly, but then thought it through.

" – but how did you know?"

Both uncle and niece responded at the same time.

"Because I'm camera mad."

"Huh?"

"I love cameras so much, that I have this sense that goes 'beep beep beep' whenever a camera's nearby – like a fishfinder or a wiretap detector."

Shouko doubted this was true, but decided to humor him.

"So is it hereditary? Do you have it too Tsutako-sama?"

"As if. You have to take my uncle's stories with a grain of salt. He just has good intuition."

"Ah."

Still, it was amazing that he hit upon the fact that Shouko hadn't brought a camera with her, despite being in the photography club. Although it was equally amazing that Shouko hadn't brought a camera with her, given that she was in the photography club.

"What do you say, Tsutako? It looks like the gods have decreed that today is a camera-free day. Are you up to the challenge of going the entire day at the amusement park without taking a photo?"

"That's impossible."

Was Tsutako-sama's immediate response. She would probably know herself better than anyone else. Shouko rated the possibility that Tsutako-sama wouldn't be able to make it through the day at 80, although she was less sure about what total that 80 was out of.

"Well, how about playing a game with your uncle then?"

"A game?"

"Right, a game," uncle Takeshima reiterated, nodding his head.

"If you're able to do it, then I'll cover the cost to repair your camera, including the parts."

"And if I can't?"

"Then you'll have to pay for the repairs."

Well that was a strange development. Shouko decided to keep her mouth shut and watch how this played out.

"I can see how I would gain from winning, but you don't get anything out of it, uncle. How odd to have a game where only one side benefits from winning."

"Quite the contrary – this game isn't going to cause me any pain. I'll be sitting here in my store laughing while you're out there suffering."

"… What are the rules?"

Tsutako-sama seemed quite interested. Was the cost to repair her camera really going to be that high? Or was her personality such that she wouldn't back down from a challenge? Shouko thought that if it was the former, she'd feel bad if she didn't pay part of the cost. If it was the latter – well, all she could do was cheer Tsutako-sama on.

Tsutako-sama's uncle said, "Hold on a minute," then rifled through several desk drawers before finding what it was he was searching for. It obviously wasn't an antique camera like the ones lining the walls, but instead a small camera, about five or six years old.

"Will you be able to walk around with this, without using it?"

Having received the camera, the first thing Tsutako-sama did was start pressing buttons, including the shutter button. But it looked like there was no film in the camera so, obviously, it didn't take a picture.

"If the cravings get too bad, then you can use it. I'll even let you borrow some film and the camera case."

Basically, Tsutako-sama would lose the game if, when she returned the camera, she'd taken a single photograph.

"Did you consider that I could just use up all the film and replace it with another roll of the same brand? Or I could just leave it alone and buy a disposable camera from a convenience store?"

"You're not that kind of a girl."

With that level of trust shown by her uncle, there was no way Tsutako-sama could cheat now. Well, there was some truth to what uncle Takeshima had said – Tsutako-sama was the kind of person who felt a greater sense of defeat from cheating than they did from actually losing the game.

"I'll take you up on that challenge."

Tsutako-sama grinned. Uncle Takeshima took back the camera and put a roll of film in it. He slowly turned towards Tsutako-sama and Shouko, then quickly pressed the shutter button.

"There, now you'd better not break it."

Clever. By the time Shouko had noticed the lens, the photo had already been taken.

"Umm."

Shouko called out to Tsutako-sama's uncle, who was wandering off to find the camera's case.

"That photo you just took. If Tsutako-sama wins the game, can I have it?"

"Huh?"

"… Umm. I don't have a photo of the two of us together."

Uncle Takeshima responded with a bright smile and said, "Ahh, I see," to Shouko's hesitant request. The photography club were usually out taking photos together, but it was rare that they would be the subject of a photograph. And, since he was her uncle, he probably knew that Tsutako-sama didn't like having her photo taken.

"No matter who wins, I'll give you a print of it, young lady. As a chaperone's fee."

"Thank-you."

Shouko bowed deeply for a full ten seconds, during which time uncle Takeshima returned with the camera case. Apparently he'd found it almost immediately. He'd already put the camera into the black synthetic-leather case.

"Don't just carry it around in your pocket."

Tsutako-sama hadn't said anything about how her camera came to be broken, but her uncle seemed to have figured it out anyway.

"I'll put it right at the bottom of my bag, then there's no chance I'll take it out."

"Good idea. If you open the case, you'll have no chance of stopping your fingers from pressing down on that shutter."

Tsutako-sama opened her shoulder bag, and uncle Takeshima forced the camera case down to the bottom.

"Good luck."

After that, they retraced their steps back to the train station.

Putting an end to their stopover, they again boarded the train. It eventually arrived at the amusement park, 30 minutes after they had originally intended.

Tsutako-sama said that she'd be fine, since she didn't usually have her camera with her during class or on the way to school, but Shouko saw through that.

Occasionally, Tsutako-sama's fingers would drift into her pocket, searching for her camera. Then she would become aware of what she was doing and jerk her hands back.

Shouko was reminded of when her older cousin would come to visit. He was forbidden from smoking at their place, but his restless fingers would occasionally search for a cigarette. And then he'd look either slightly irritated or depressed.

Tsutako-sama was showing the same symptoms.

It was probably easier for Tsutako-sama to accept defeat when her camera was broken, because there was nothing she could do about it. But it was much harder for her now, consciously restraining herself from using the camera that she had.