Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume6 Chapter6 4

Rosa Chinensis' best day of her life. Part 4.

The pain in her abdomen was subsiding.

However, whether it was from the fever or a side-effect of the medicine, her body seemed to be gently floating. It felt like it wasn't being held down by the usual gravity.

That's it. It felt like she was walking through water.

Like she had fallen into a giant fish tank.

The students in the hallway, in the stairwell and outside moved around slowly, as though they were fish swimming.

When she first arrived at school her body had probably been in too bad a shape for her to notice it, but there were an incredible number of students flitting about the grounds. There were more people participating in the treasure hunt than she had expected.

Youko too blended in with the fish as she walked. Like walking in a dream, she didn't go very fast. But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

"Gokigenyou."

A student she didn't know called out to her. A first year, or a second year. At any rate, not someone in her grade.

"Gokigenyou."

Youko returned the greeting.

"Umm, Rosa Chinensis? Is it okay if we walk together."

"Of course?"

She didn't know whether they were heading to the same place or not, but Youko agreed to travel with her. Thereupon, another student appeared from somewhere, walking in the same direction while maintaining a respectable distance. After a short while, she too came over and greeted her.

"Just like Momotarou."[1]

Youko squealed delightedly. Before she knew it, the numbers had increased and in the end she had an entourage of eight students.

"But, why? I don't have any dumplings."

"It's not like that."

The members of her entourage burst into laughter.

"We didn't come over here because we wanted your dumplings."

"Huh?"

"We just wanted to be by your side. Or maybe it is the same, and the dog, the monkey and the pheasant just used the dumplings as a pretext."

The other girls nodded.

"I've always wanted to make your acquaintance, but you always seemed so perfect that there was never any opening, Rosa Chinensis."

"No opening?"

"But I'm glad that I impulsively called out to you."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't know why, but today you seem to be gentler, or less intense. It makes it much easier to approach you."

"That's a bit rude."

"Ah, sorry."

Though she was rebuked by her friend, there was beauty to be found in that student's slip of the tongue.

"It's okay."

Youko smiled wholeheartedly.

"… Ahh, I see. That's the sort of image I usually project."

She hadn't noticed it herself. She hadn't intentionally been trying to preserve the majesty of Rosa Chinensis, but that was how she was perceived. She hadn't wanted to be an honors student. But that was the only way she knew how to be.

"You know there's always been a fondness for each other."

Us in the Rose Mansion and the regular students outside. She'd always wanted to get closer to them, to meet them halfway, but hadn't been able to do it very well.

"Hey, will you please accompany me to the Rose Mansion?"

"Yes, of course."

Thinking back on it, she'd always been busy. She'd never just aimlessly wandered the halls like this. Never had the time to stop. Never been free to take the scenic route.

Maybe being busy was her way of reassuring herself that she wasn't useless.

When she slowly looked up, the Rose Mansion that she had become accustomed to had an unusual tint to it.

Upon reaching the entrance, the door was opened from the other side.

"Ah, Youko."

Standing there was Rosa Gigantea, Satou Sei. One of her friends who was also called a Rose.

"I was worried you weren't going to make it. Did you come straight from the exam?"

Sei's usually handsome face was sprinkled with crumbs, making her look foolish.

"What have you been scoffing into?"

Wiping some of the stuff off Sei's cheek and looking at it, Youko saw that it was crumbs of brown and yellow sponge cake. Perhaps she couldn't wait until she got home and had taken a cake she received for Valentines Day somewhere and eaten it in secret.

"Ahh, nothing. Hahaha."

As she tried to deceive Youko with an insincere laugh, Sei spotted the group of people behind Youko's back and beckoned them inside.

"Come inside, cute visitors. Welcome to the Rose Mansion."

"Pardon the intrusion."

One by one, Youko's companions entered.

"Good heavens, what a lot of followers you have. Just like Momotarou."

Happily, Sei saw the situation the same sway she had.

"Although regrettably I didn't have any dumplings for them."

"Ahh, in that case we should at least offer them some tea. Shimako and the others are probably still upstairs."

Youko had warned the visitors to take care on the old staircase so that it didn't break and then urged them upwards when suddenly the entry door was flung open.

"Hey, is it true that the yellow card has been found?"

The new arrival's uniquely shaped tie was crooked. Even her trademark hair-band had faint specks of dust on it.

"Eriko... ah, Rosa Foetida."

"Ohh, Rosa Chinensis is in here."

After greeting each other with 'Gokigenyou', Eriko came over to the staircase.

"I don't know much, but I heard a rumor that Rei's card had been found, so I came here to check."

"I just got here this minute, myself."

Last in line, Youko climbed the stairs. Sei was leading them, so she wasn't worried about the students who had followed her here.

"Is that so? Oh yeah, you're wearing your coat, aren't you. That's right, you had an exam today, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"But I'm sure it was a piece of cake for you, right?"

"Hmm, I wonder."

After climbing the stairs, they arrived at the meeting room / salon on the second floor. While they were standing in front of the door they could hear the commotion from inside.

"…?"

After exchanging glances with Eriko, Youko opened the biscuit shaped door.

And then.

"–"

What was going on?

A miracle was waiting for her inside.

A warm room.

You wouldn't call it a huge space, but there must have been close to forty smiling young women inside.

Some were chatting, some were sipping tea and some were hunting for treasure.

Each of them was passing the time as they pleased.

"Eriko..."

Youko stopped dead. Standing next to her, Eriko squeezed her hand tightly.

"Yeah. Isn't it wonderful."

"There's more."

Sei, who had gone in ahead of them, took them by the hand and led them over to the window. Despite the cold, she opened the window and said 'Well?'

"This is – "

From the second floor window of the Rose Mansion, they could see into the courtyard.

In the courtyard, the number of students gathered was gradually swelling.

"To fill you in, it's because time's almost up."

Sei smiled. It had been decided that the game would end just like it started, with everyone gathered in the courtyard.

"But it's a nice view, isn't it?"

"… Yeah"

From the scattered classrooms and the school grounds, it felt like everyone was making their way towards the mansion.

"Youko's request."

"Ahh...!"

This scene was what she had wanted to see.

Before she graduated, she had desperately wanted to see the Rose Mansion alive with students. She had wanted to hear their laughter ring out, both inside and outside the building.

"Onee-sama."

The students parted, and she saw the boutons making their way over.

Joyfully she went to meet them, bringing her happiness with her.

"Onee-sama, would you like some tea?"

Sachiko inquired.

"Don't worry about us. The treasure hunt will be ending soon, right?"

"Well then, I'll skip ahead a step and give you these."

Rei put some of the bite sized chocolates that were to be given as prizes to all participants in her hand. In total there were three. She was given Sei's and Eriko's too.

"Truly, I can rest easy now."

Eriko remarked as she was undoing the silver wrapping around the chocolate. The boutons seemed busy as the end of the game drew near.

As she watched her juniors a short distance away, Youko suddenly thought of God.

A student she didn't know pulled out a chair and waved them over.

She waved back and was slowly making her way over there as the tears slowly started to fall. The chocolate she had popped in her mouth was enchantingly sweet.

Youko thought, 'This is a dream.'

"It must have been bad having your exam on Valentines Day."

Sei smiled. But Youko shook her head.

"It's the best."

"Huh?"

"Today has been the best day of my life so far."

The announcement that the game had finished was broadcast.

The best, huh?

That's probably because she still hadn't woken up from her dream.