Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume3 Chapter1 5

The semester exam and the paperback. Part 5.

Deciding that they wouldn't be able to solve anything by thinking without any new information, the four decided to breakup and leave the Rose Mansion.

After all, none of them had actually seen the book yet (save Yumi, who'd seen Katsura-san holding the book from a distance), so guessing and pondering would lead nowhere.

It was already past three.

After saying farewell to Rei-sama and Yoshino-san, who'd decided to purchase "Forest of Thorns" at a bookstore near their homes, Yumi headed by bus to M Station with Sachiko-sama.

There was a big bookstore inside the station. They had an abundance of Cosmos Book Collection products, so even if it were a heavily-anticipated book, it probably was unlikely to be sold out, Rei-sama had advised.

Sachiko-sama stood silently next to her in the rumbling bus.

"I wonder if it's really Rosa Gigantea."

"… I doubt it."

"Why do you think so?"

"No reason."

Whenever she tried to start a conversation, it would end up one-sided like this. And in the end, Sachiko-sama would just resume staring out the window, so Yumi began wondering if her existence there was a bother.

The bus rounded the rotary and stopped at the station bus stop.

They climbed the stairs to the station, glanced at the wickets, then went into the station's building. Their objective, the book center, was on the third floor.

When they went through the glass doors, and when they went on the elevator, Sachiko-sama still remained silent. (Did I say something bad…?)

The sight of the two of them standing together reflected off of the elevator panes.

When she looked carefully, she noticed Sachiko-sama didn't look particularly displeased, but rather she seemed to be deep in thought. If only a sign saying "Deep in Thought" were to hover over peoples' heads in such situations, then she wouldn't have to end up worrying so much.

(-As if.)

Sachiko-sama probably never thought such pointless thoughts.

The book center, occupying almost half of an entire floor, radiated a very book-store-esque atmosphere so much it felt like they were in it before they even got off of the elevator. Sachiko-sama wordlessly ploughed ahead, skipping past the magazine racks at the front and entering the store.

"May I enter a small inquiry?"

Oh, what a lady with impeccable form. Sachiko-sama asked a male employee sorting through books.

"Where might I find the new publications of Cosmos Book Collection?"

Dancing around the subject was not something Sachiko-sama would do. As always, she was cool and composed, and on top of it all, she was beautiful.

"Ah… uh, umm, Cosmos Books."

The employee was trying to recover his composure. Yumi couldn't blame him, because when he looked up, a person so beautiful it put even some models to shame was right in front of him.

(Or something like that. Gosh, I'm a totally obsessed little sister…)

Straightening herself out, she followed Sachiko-sama. Leading the way was the employee, who this time was no longer stunned, but was blushing all the way to his ears.

"Over here."

The two of them were guided to the corner labeled "Junior Novels" between the book collection shelves and the comic shelves. All of the books here had florid cover illustrations and a gorgeous mood. This was the shoujo novels section.

"Thank you. And, the 'Forest of Thorns' that was published today…"

Sachiko-sama, you're incredible. She was going to make the employee do all the work, without her laying a finger on anything. Like she was purchasing drapery at a draper, or having a diamond ring taken out of a glass case at a high-grade jewelry store. I mean, she must know about finding things yourself via self-service, taking them to the cashier and buying them, the more common way of purchasing, right?

"Is this what you are looking for, ma'am?"

(… Wow, the employee's speaking differently now, too.)

Sachiko magic. This employee, he looks under twenty, I wonder if he's ever said "ma'am" to someone before in his life.

"May I have two copies of that?"

Sachiko-sama said. She probably meant one for herself and one for Yumi.

"Yes, hold on-"

But the employee's face grew dim. The hill of books was a valley at one place, and that valley had only the thickness of one book. And that was where the employee had retrieved the "Forest of Thorns."

"It's sold out?"

Sachiko-sama asked, noticing.

"I apologize."

The employee lowered his head – he didn't have to bow so much though.

"There's no helping it."

Then I'll just have the one, Sachiko-sama told the employee, and then she turned around to Yumi.

"I'm sorry, Yumi. You'll have to find a copy somewhere else."

"Ah, yes."

Well, in Yumi's case, it was probably going to be easier for her to buy the book than Sachiko-sama. But she wondered if the book was still in stock inside the drawers under the shelf. Apparently not, though.

"We were supplied two hours ago, but they're all gone…?"

The employee seemed to have question marks floating around his head, so they must have sold out extremely fast. Yumi knew the reason. The Lillian students going home probably snapped them up like piranhas.

(There's no helping it.)

Yumi mimicked Sachiko-sama's speech in her thoughts. She would have to stop by different book stores on her bus-ride home to find "Forest of Thorns."

After paying at the cashier, Sachiko-sama went straight toward the second floor, where the wickets were, without even glancing at the year-end super-bargain show-window. Of course she wondered about Rosa Gigantea, too, but Yumi was a bit disappointed, because she was hoping for the possibility of going shopping with her onee-sama.

Well, it WAS after school, and they were still in uniforms, and Sachiko-sama probably barely had time to even stop by at the book store. But still, they were sisters, but they never went out together, so she wished they could slow down and enjoy some time together, and she thought that wasn't entirely being greedy.

"… Yumi."

In front of the wickets, Sachiko-sama fixed Yumi's tie, as always, and then spoke in an unusually doubtful voice.

"I wonder if we shouldn't."

"What?"

Because it was so abrupt, Yumi blinked, confused.

"Shouldn't… what?"

She fearfully asked. Sachiko-sama wasn't going to say we shouldn't be sisters, was she?

"Read this."

"Huh?"

She was surprised, because "this" was pointed toward the newly-purchased book that was settled into Sachiko-sama's bag.

Because.

"But you bought it to read it, didn't you?"

"… That's true, but…"

Why was Sachiko-sama having doubts about reading the last copy of the book in the store, that she'd gotten by even having her little sister give up on it?

"It feels like we're digging up Rosa Gigantea's past on the merits of simple curiosity."

"Ah."

"How do you feel?"

How…

(Onee-sama's always so self-confident, but now she's asking for my opinion-)

I don't think it would be any useful.

Frantically resisting the urge to run away, she glanced up at Sachiko-sama's face, and noticed Sachiko-sama was simply awaiting Yumi's answer.

"Umm, I think."

She reluctantly opened her mouth. Yumi wasn't grand enough to ignore her onee-sama's question.

"Assuming that means what I would do…"

"Of course?"

Sachiko-sama tilted her head to the side, urging Yumi on. Her straight black hair swayed.

"I would read it."

"Why?"

"Because I like Rosa Gigantea."

"I like her, too. But still."

Because she likes her, it wasn't right to uncover things, and her role was to protect Rosa Gigantea. Yumi understood Sachiko-sama's feelings painfully well.

"Onee-sama, you said so yourself, that Rosa Gigantea probably wasn't the author of 'Forest of Thorns.'"

"Did I?"

"Yes. Then I would want to read the novel right away and find proof that it isn't her."

"And what if it turned out to be definitively Rosa Gigantea?"

"Nothing…"

"Nothing?"

"If Rosa Gigantea were Suga Sei, I would probably respect her. I might even ask for an autograph."

When Yumi finished, Sachiko-sama sighed.

"Um… onee-sama?"

Did she say something completely out of line, again? But Sachiko-sama was laughing.

"It's good, your attitude."

"?"

"You're right. I should learn from you. I should just read it, and think about it afterward."

"Um…"

She couldn't figure out what Sachiko-sama was talking about. There was no way that Sachiko-sama meant lining up together to receive an autograph from Rosa Gigantea, of course.

A bit of a summarizing, but Sachiko-sama vanished on the other side of the wicket without expounding further. If they lived closer together, like Yoshino-san and Rei-sama, it would be so much better. Because then they'd be able to share more time.

The book store she stopped by on the way home was a small family business that only received one copy of Cosmos Books on release dates, but aided by the long distance away from the train station as well as the store's rather plain appearance, Yumi was able to safely obtain a copy of "Forest of Thorns."

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