Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume6 Chapter2 1

Hors d'oeuvre. Part 1.

Sunday. 10:40 am.

Outside the second floor ticket gate in the station building of the JR line's K station stood Yumi. But why was there a figure beside her of a young girl with a tiny camera that seemed like it was a part of her hand? – If anyone doesn't already know, 'Camera-chan' is Miss Takeshima Tsutako.

Even though it was the weekend the station was still crowded with people. K station had many ticket gates, but Yumi had chosen this one because it looked the least cold. And because it was so narrow, it should be easy to find her partner. She had not anticipated that it would be this congested.

"You know, it's pointless waiting here with me. Sachiko-sama won't come for another 20 minutes."

The agreed upon time was 11am. Sachiko-sama wasn't the type of person to be late, but neither was she the type of person to get excited and leave home early. Like Yumi had today.

"Don't you worry about me. As soon as we find Sachiko-sama, I'll leave your side."

And then take pictures from the shadows. That was Yumi's perspective on what Tsutako-san was thinking.

"Anyway, how did you know that it would be here?"

Yumi hadn't told anybody. And Sachiko-sama wasn't the type to talk about it.

"To tell you the truth, it was only a co-incidence that I found you, Yumi-san. Actually, I'm here to watch the white and yellow dates."

"Ehh?"

"Although this is a secret"

Tsutako-san lowered her voice. But is it okay to let others in on a secret conversation?

"I was commissioned by Minako-sama from the newspaper club. 'Would you be able to get me at least a two-shot of each of them,' she asked. Ahh, you have heard that each of the winners will submit a report on how the date went, right?"

"Yeah"

Yumi nodded. She had caught that from talking with Shimako-san.

"The report will be published in the date special edition of the Lillian Kawaraban. So it would be better to have some photographs as evidence, to make it more real. The newspaper club's president is definitely wandering somewhere around here clutching a disposable camera too."

They hadn't been able to get any information about the date's course in advance, so it seems a number of the newspaper club's members were taking the trip. "We can't pay you anything, but we'd be glad to have you along," was apparently how they invited Tsutako-san. Well, she was elated by that anyway.

"So this is a secret from Rei-sama and Shimako-san?"

"It would be rude to bother them. Before they're put in the paper, I'll make sure to get their full consent."

"Uhuh..."

Is that okay? It feels a bit wrong. She wanted to protest, but her opponent was Tsutako-san, who had been invited to join the debating club. She could eloquently and skillfully win you around.

So, she changed the conversation.

"Why K station?"

"The location has to clear the requirements that you can get there using your commuter pass, and there's enough to do to keep you interested for half a day. The first place that comes to mind is here, right?"

"I see."

Although Rei-sama, who walks to school, doesn't have a commuter pass, she can get here by a single bus. Above all, because everything has to be done for 3000 yen, going somewhere nearby was important.

"In other words, Yumi-san racked her brain and squeezed out a location that everyone would think of."

"... Damn it."

In that case, if they met a lot of people they knew while walking around, there was a possibility that they could encounter something a little bit embarrassing. Like another pair on a date... or, worst of all, a group secretly taking photographs.

"– Not only that. K station is like a garden to students from our school. They could just be here shopping on their day off. Or they could be people-watching."

"Cut it out."

"Of course, nobody would have heard a rumor about Yumi-san and Sachiko-sama having a date today in the vicinity of K station. But it's common knowledge that Rosa Foetida en Bouton and Rosa Gigantea en Bouton will be having their dates today. It was bad timing to have it on the same day."

"Are you getting involved in the show?"

"I'm bleeding for my audience, the whole of Lillian's Girls Academy."

"Uwaa"

Yumi hid her face behind her hands. Without thinking, she tried to squat but barely managed to survey her surroundings.

She wanted to leap over to that pay telephone and call Sachiko-sama's house right away. To change the location. But looking at the clock, it was already 10:50am. However much she may have liked to do that, Sachiko-sama probably wasn't in her house now.

"Well, it'll be alright. The sightseers won't be looking to make direct contact with you either."

Tsutako-san softly patted the crestfallen Yumi on the shoulder. It's okay. The words of consolation didn't really console her.

"Ooooh. Nice photo opportunity!"

Tsutako-san seemed to scream the words, then turned towards the first floor plaza in the station building and clicked the shutter. This area was an atrium, so if you lent over the edge you could see the entire first floor.

"What's happening?"

When Yumi asked, Tsutako-san seemed to be quite busy, as she answered while pressing the shutter.

"Rosa Foetida en Bouton has made her entrance. A while ago Miss Tanuma Chisato was in the plaza, so I've been scoping it out."

It seems that Tsutako-san had taken up position here, using the ticket gate as a pretext, while her real goal had been to watch over the plaza. She must have been thinking that if there was somewhere that had a complete view of Tanuma Chisato-san, she could keep lookout from there.

"Now to get closer for one more."

Tsutako-san waved bye-bye, then descended the staircase.

Watching on from above, she saw Rei-sama, who had entered the plaza draw close to Chisato-san. They greeted each other a little nervously.

Thank you for taking the time today.

No, no, thank you. Let's enjoy ourselves.

– Like that. She felt like she could almost hear the words just from the mood.

Despite the cold, Chisato-san had taken off her coat and had been waiting in an incredibly cute red, white and pink frilly dress. She was going all out for this date, based on her clothes.

And, in comparison, I'm – Yumi thought. Last night she had done a fashion show, alternating between different clothes before eventually settling on a sweater and jeans with her usual duffel coat. When her mother learned that she was going out with her onee-sama, she offered to lend her a suit, or a dress, or a kimono, or anything else but Yumi thought it wouldn't be fitting to wear something that she wasn't accustomed to wearing.

Besides, meeting the extremely stylish Sachiko-sama like that would be, to put it bluntly, really embarrassing. To have it be completely obvious that she had poured all her energy into this would be a bit unsightly.

(However)

Watching Chisato-san, her thoughts changed. Going all out in her effort to select her clothing would also have been sweet, after all.

Like a gentleman, Rei-sama put Chisato-san's coat on her, and they exited the station building via the escalator. Some distance away, Tsutako-san was also visible as she tailed after them.

"Yumi"

The voice greeted her from behind, and when she hurriedly turned around there was Sachiko-sama.

"What ever is the matter?"

Imitating Yumi, Sachiko-sama peeked down on the first floor. For some reason or another, she smelled nice.

"Umm, ahh, just now"

"Just now?"

"I thought I saw an acquaintance."

Yumi prevaricated. Because she didn't want Sachiko-sama to hear about what she had learned from Tsutako-san. She wouldn't enjoy the date at all if she knew that somewhere, someone was probably watching.

"An acquaintance? Is it okay to leave without saying hello to them?"

"Yeah, it was probably a case of mistaken identity."

"Really?"

Without a trace of doubt, Sachiko-sama smiled gently. Like this, she really does resemble Maria-sama, Yumi thought. But Yumi didn't hate the hysterical, screaming Sachiko-sama either.

"Gokigenyou."

"Gokigenyou."

Belatedly, the pair exchanged morning greetings.

Yumi had wondered what she would do if Sachiko-sama had arrived wearing a gorgeous dress, but instead she had a simple outfit made up of a cream colored turtle-neck sweater and a gray, tight skirt that reached to below her knees. But it was by no means plain, you could tell everything was well done just from a single glance. Even the black long-coat that she wore lightly, and the gold, green and white scarf that hung nonchalantly around her neck, and the black leather pumps – . To top it all off, what was inside the clothes was wonderful so it just made her outward appearance look even better.

"Right, right, before I forget"

Sachiko-sama unfastened her leather gloves and took a delicate white envelope out of her black handbag.

"Is it really alright, like this?"

"Yes"

Yumi also took a manila envelope out of her shoulder bag, and put the contents of the two envelopes together.

1500 yen plus 1500 yen equaled 3000 yen. This was the expenses for their date today.

"Really, Yumi, you're so stubborn."

"Onee-sama's the same."

The two of them started walking away from the ticket gates.

They split the cost at 1500 yen each. Arriving at this decision had been quite an ordeal.

Yumi had worried about various things, but in the end concluded that since she was the one who asked Sachiko-sama out, it was only natural that she should be the one who would cover the date's expenses.

However, Sachiko-sama said that since she was the onee-sama, she should be the one to pay.

When Yumi insisted that, as the winner of the hit-or-miss game with the chocolates, it would be wrong to make Sachiko-sama pay, Sachiko-sama countered that this was a way of showing appreciation for the chocolates.

So, in the end, they agreed to split the cost down the middle. Sachiko-sama's appreciation for the chocolates would be shown on White Day, and, for now, they were back where they started.

"Ahh, is it okay if I look in here for a little bit?"

Sachiko-sama stepped inside a bookstore.

"I want to buy a dictionary, you see."

"A dictionary?"

"What's with that look? Personal purchases are unrelated to the 3000 yen, right?"

"That's true, but"

"But?"

"If you buy it now, it will just be extra weight. The bookstore has plenty of them, so how about you buy it just before going home?"

Truthfully, Yumi had also been asked to buy some things by her mother. But they were not the sort of things you would walk around with on a date, so she planned to buy them on the way home after she had parted with Sachiko-sama.

"That's true. Yumi, you're so smart."

That was something that anyone would normally think of. Perhaps Sachiko-sama isn't used to shopping. Perhaps at the shops the Ogasawara family goes to, the goods are delivered to the household. Or maybe, whenever they go shopping outside, they're accompanied by a porter who carries their bags for them.

"Okay then, I'll get it on the way home."

And like that, the pair returned to the walkway from a single step inside the bookstore.

(Hmmmm...?)

When she turned on her heels, Yumi felt like she saw the reflection of someone she knew out of the corner of her eye.

"What's the matter?"

Sachiko-sama had started walking and, after a few steps, turned and inquired.

"Nothing."

Yumi shook her head and caught up. When she had turned and looked again, that person was no longer there.

I wonder who that was.

She had only caught a glance, but she felt it was definitely someone she knew well.

But it wasn't either Rei-sama, Chisato-san or Tsutako-san.

I wonder who that was.