Before long, the election was formally announced.
The election management committee hung up posters throughout the high school buildings, announcing the schedule leading up to the election. Voting would take place on the last Sat.u.r.day of January, and three days before that, on Wednesday, the candidates would give their speeches.
The candidate registration deadline was a week before those speeches, so there was still some time, but Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama completed the formalities as soon as the receptionist was ready, and received 20 sheets of Kent paper, for posters, and a white cloth they were to place over their shoulders during the speech presentation. The two second-year boutons were not the only ones to quickly declare their candidacy- Rosa Canina did the same.
For now, the three were the candidates. What was Shimako-san thinking, as she was still dilly-dallying. They weren"t going to be elected based on the order with which they signed up, so it didn"t really matter. But if she wanted to appeal her dedication, she should register quickly. -Even Yumi, being a complete newbie to elections, thought that much.
One lunch break, a week after the election announcements, Yumi went to the library, remembering something. It wasn"t an especially important reason. But, she thought, she might as well finish looking up Rosa Canina at the library, plus she hoped she could see that uppercla.s.sman again.
"Oh, gokigenyou."
And as expected, she was sitting at the reading room lending counter.
"What brings you here? Researching roses again?"
Yumi noticed it before, but she felt again that this person was mellow, or well-mannered with people. Basically, she felt good to be around.
"Well, yes."
When Yumi nodded, she spoke to another student behind the counter, then left her place and followed Yumi to the back of the reading room.
"Um, but aren"t you in the middle of work&h.e.l.lip;"
"Oh, don"t worry about it."
But still. The other student was glaring at her with a vicious scowl. Didn"t that mean she really shouldn"t have left?
"I thought Yumi-san might come back later, so I looked up a few encyclopedias and marked two or three down."
She said, with a clear voice, as they walked.
"Zealous work habit?"
"Not really. I"m usually stuck at club after school, so it"s like filling time. I"m around in the morning and at noon a lot."
"But, supporting a first-year with her research?"
"Oh. That was just by chance."
When they walked to the shelf with encyclopedias and picture books, she picked out a few books and handed them to Yumi.
"You can"t take them out, so read them here."
"Yes. &h.e.l.lip; umm."
But before Yumi could thank her, she covered Yumi"s mouth with her fingers.
"It would trouble me if you thanked me. I"ll feel even guiltier."
"Huh?"
"You"ll find out, soon enough." With that, she left.
(What&h.e.l.lip;?)
Soon enough-, Yumi was confused.
Nevertheless, she took her books, placed them on a nearby table and glanced at the counter. The student who"d glared at her earlier was now complaining to the girl.
Maybe it really was bad that she left her spot-? She pulled out the seat, while she thought, and sat down. Then, the student seated next to her spoke in a low voice.
"Traitor."
"What!?"
"When"d you become friendly with the enemy?"
When she looked to the side in surprised, she saw Yoshino-san.
"What are you talking about? Enemy?"
Traitors, enemies, she used harsh words, but Yoshino-san wasn"t particularly angry. Rather, she looked filled with curiosity, edging her seat closer and whispering.
"Feigning ignorance? Of course I mean Rosa Canina when I say enemy."
"Wait. Why would looking up Rosa Canina be treachery?"
"Then Yumi-san came to the reading room for investigation, too? I didn"t think you were the type to do that."
""Too?" Then Yoshino-san came to research Rosa Canina too?"
"Of course. "Know your enemy" first."
But Yoshino-san didn"t seem to care for the books in front of her. Like Yumi, the books in front of her were non-borrowing books, but they were like, Edo-period pricings, or maps of ninja mansions. How did that fit into research?
"Mmm."
Folding her arms, Yumi tried to re-arrange her mind. But she still didn"t understand.
"Umm, Yoshino-san, have you made a mistake?"
"What?"
"Our conversation."
"What?"
Yoshino-san seemed to have finally realized, as she noticed the books Yumi had brought, and her "what?" was followed by, "No way."
"The "Rosa Canina" Yumi-san is researching is the rose?"
Of course. Yumi was looking up the rose. Then Yoshino-san"s reaction, of course, meant-.
"Then, what? Yoshino-san is researching Kanina Shizuka-sama!?"
"Exactly. What are you looking up the rose for, now, Yumi-san?"
You"re so slow, Yoshino-san seemed to say, as she wagged her index finger like a metronome. Which meant Kanina Shizuka-sama was in the reading room.
"What, where!?"
"Idiot."
When Yumi stood up, Yoshino-san dragged her down. Ah, that"s right, it wouldn"t be a stakeout if they looked so obvious.
"Yumi-san-"
"What?"
When Yumi answered, Yoshino-san suddenly seemed to become exhausted, sprawling over the table.
What happened? She wasn"t moving. Is she okay? She looked alright after the heart surgery, but did she feel-
"Yoshino-san?"
When Yumi placed a hand on Yoshino-san"s shoulder, worried, Yoshino-san turned her face toward her and looked extremely disappointed.
"&h.e.l.lip; I didn"t know. I didn"t think Yumi-san wouldn"t know what Rosa Canina looks like."
"Wh, why!?"
After all, she didn"t recognize Kanina Shizuka-sama in the reading room, but the reading room was expansive, so it wouldn"t be surprising if she"d missed her. But Yoshino-san sighed and shook her head.
"Because, the uppercla.s.sman who lead Yumi-san here, that was Rosa Canina."
Indeed, Yumi had no idea what Rosa Canina looked like.
Tsutako-san had brought a photo, but it was a complete hidden picture, as there were obstacles in the way, on top of the crazy posture Tsutako-san had to place herself in, so it was a surprisingly blurred picture. And she wasn"t able to get close enough to take other pictures, so there was no photo that could confirm her face. Rosa Canina"s supporters were tightly guarding her, was one of Tsutako-san"s biggest problems right now.
"I saw a photo of her at the school festival, but it was a distant shot, and she was wearing make-up, and her hair was long, and the lighting was awkward so I couldn"t see how she looked."
So that "no idea what she looked like" was more like she"d never seen Rosa Canina in person. Well, no, she"d seen her in person, but she didn"t know that was Kanina Shizuka-sama.
"Mmm."
Yoshino-san nodded, well, things happen. She seemed to understand that Yumi simply saw her as a kind, librarian uppercla.s.sman.
But, really.
She couldn"t believe that kind person was Rosa Canina.
Because Rosa Canina was an enemy of Sachiko-sama, Rei-sama and Shimako-san. Yumi wished Rosa Canina would have been simple to spot, like a villainous pro-wrestler. Like Tsukiyama Minako-sama, from the newspaper club, cackling, "ohohohoho," that sort of uppercla.s.sman. Of course, then that image is completely different from a songstress.
(I see.)
Everything started fitting together. That student wasn"t angry at her colleague for leaving her spot, but was instead showing animosity at Yumi. If the sister of Rosa Chinensis en bouton was happily standing by Rosa Canina"s side, things weren"t as amusing.
She glanced at the counter. That student was definitely still standing vigilant. Of course, she"d probably noticed Yoshino-san, too, so two of the sisters of bouton sitting in the reading room was suspicious.
"Yumi-san, how about looking at the encyclopedia, while we"re here?"
Lunch break would end soon. Yoshino-san placed her books back on the shelf.
"If you miss this chance, it could be difficult coming back to the library until after the election."
"You"re right."
Nodding at Yoshino-san"s pertinent advice, Yumi took the first book in hand. As she flipped through, her fingers stopped at one page.
(What?)
A tag was placed on one page, so that you couldn"t see it if you closed the book. But that page was loaded with pictures of roses.
"Did she really?"
Incredulously, she removed the tag, and under it was a bright red rose, one that also was in the encyclopedia at home. To its side, read: "Koushinbara / Technical name - Rosa Chinensis."
(Rosa Chinensis was a Koushinbara&h.e.l.lip;)
This time Yumi looked straight at the counter. This had to be a message to Yumi by the person who placed the tag there. And if that was the case, it had to be Kanina Shizuka-sama. After all, she mentioned she was looking up roses, and said she couldn"t even find Rosa Chinensis in her book at home.
(Shizuka-sama, was it you?)
But she wasn"t at the counter anymore, so she couldn"t ask.
(But, why?)
Relying solely on the tags, she flipped to the next page. As she expected, there was a tag in each of the three books she was given, right on the page with Rosa Chinensis.
"Yumi-san, still?"
"Hold on."
Right before the third book completed its chapter on roses, for the first time, there were two tags in one book. And Rosa Chinensis had already been mentioned.
Then, what?
What was that tag pointing to?
Deep down, Yumi knew. It wasn"t Rosa Gigantea nor Rosa Foetida. There was going to be a picture of Rosa Canina.
She carefully peeled the tag off. As she expected, in katakana, the caption under the tag read, "Rosa Canina (ロサ・カニーナ).
However, the photo.
It completely betrayed Yumi"s expectations.
"Why?"
Confused, she looked at the page before and after. An inexplicable motion.
"What do you mean?"
But the person who could answer that question was gone.
Yumi calmed herself down and looked at the page again. And she confirmed the truth with her eyes.
""It would trouble me if you thanked me. I"ll feel even guiltier.""
Her words sprang back to mind. And she finally understood what they meant.
"&h.e.l.lip; I"ve been had."
Yumi, like Yoshino-san a few minutes ago, felt exhausted. Now she really didn"t know what kind of person Kanina Shizuka-sama was.
A beautiful, kind librarian.
An extravagant second-year who declared war on the rose boutons.
The chorus songstress, who sang Aria with a beautiful voice.
And one more. "Incredibly boastful," needed to be added to that list.
Rosa Canina wasn"t a black rose.
It was a cute rose, with five beautiful, pink petals.
Onee-sama sighed.
Secretly.
Staring at something in the air.
"Onee-sama, would you like another cup of tea?"
"I"ve had enough."
But she"d been rubbing her finger along the edge of the empty cup for some time.
"Shall I ma.s.sage your shoulders?"
"No need, they"re not stiff."
Nevertheless, she was ma.s.saging her own shoulders.
Sachiko-sama had been strange as of late. She didn"t know how she was during cla.s.s, but when Sachiko-sama sat in the Rose Mansion, she was always s.p.a.ced out. Like she wasn"t being responsible for her own words or actions.
Her mind was wandering. -That phrase fit this Sachiko-sama perfectly.
Ten more days until the election. Right after registering candidacy, she"d made the election posters and submitted them to the election management committee, answered interviews for the newspaper club, and did other things in her packed schedule, so she might have been finally showing her exhaustion. At least, that"s what Yumi a.s.sumed, at first, but when this continued for four or five days, it was clearly more troubling than just exhaustion.
"If you have anything you want."
Unlike a government seat, or a mayoral election, street, or school speech presentations were forbidden. Which meant once you finished everything you needed to do, the candidate and her supporters were all left with simple boredom. The submitted posters would be put up by the election management committee, and the flyers with candidate public commitments were created and distributed by the election management committee. Of course, the candidate registration deadline hadn"t pa.s.sed yet, so they didn"t seem to be in any hurry, yet.
As a result, the only thing Sachiko-sama could do with regard to the election was to write a draft for her election speech. But, what a heavy sigh. Her draft seemed to be progressing well, but in the blank s.p.a.ces, it was like she"d been doodling while speaking on a phone, with random spirals and flowers having been drawn.
"Do you have any concerns?"
Despairing, Yumi asked. Yoshino-san and Rei-sama were still in the midst of creating their posters, so they were off in their own little world, shoulders hunched together. Shimako-san had still not come.
"It would be of no use telling it to you."
Sliced in two with one swing.
On top of admitting that she had something bothering her, Sachiko-sama said Yumi wasn"t worth discussing it with.
Of course, she had no confidence whatsoever she could help out with that concern, but she thought she could at least be a listener, so it was a shock.
"Shimako"s pretty late."
Rei-sama mumbled, looking at the clock.
"She doesn"t feel comfortable being with us. Every time she sees our face, she feels like she"s being pressured to register for candidacy."
Sachiko-sama expressed a little bit of interest in that topic.
"Yumi. How"s Shimako in cla.s.s?"
"She didn"t seem to look any different."
Sachiko-sama sighed heavily, this time to Yumi"s answer.
"I see. I wonder what she"s thinking."
And then everyone went silent.
Yumi didn"t know what Sachiko-sama was thinking, either.
At least she might have been able to help with making the posters, but Sachiko-sama finished it all at home.
Sachiko-sama"s mechanical pencil made meaningless motions on top of the draft page. What was she thinking?
Was she thinking about Rosa Canina, or something else?
With nothing to do, Yumi spun her cup around. They hadn"t moved from their seats, but Sachiko-sama seemed further and further away.
Loneliness from not seeing each other, and loneliness by sitting next to each other.
What you can see, and the mind you can"t see.
Yumi might be more heavy-hearted at seeing Sachiko-sama than Shimako-san.
By contrast, Rosa Canina"s camp was extremely gaudy. She, or rather, the second-year wisteria cla.s.smates of hers, backed her up with extraordinary unity.
According to Yoshino-san, who went to observe them, it wasn"t quite the level of a ma.s.s election prayer, but it was somewhat close. The cla.s.sroom had posters reading, "O days until the election," and it was like an election office.
Apparently, only a few students actually partic.i.p.ated at first, but because it began feeling like "you"re not a cla.s.smate unless you support her," everyone ended up having to help. Of course, it was a bother to everyone who"d been a fan of Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama from the start, as it left them in a dilemma.
But despite everyone around her becoming excited, Rosa Canina, the protagonist, hardly did anything.
Yumi hadn"t gone to the library since that day, because it felt uncomfortable, so she"d not seen Shizuka-sama. She did get a peek of her once, though, as she walked through the hallway, surrounded by her SP-esque cla.s.smates.
She wanted to interject, what kind of danger could possibly lurk in school, but she could sympathize with their desire to be part of the election.
What kind of person is Kanina Shizuka-sama-.
One day, after school.
After finishing her cleaning duties, as she pondered that, Yumi ran into the person herself in the hallway. And for once, she was alone. Not even the scary-faced librarian was with her.
"Gokigenyou."
Shizuka-sama, upon recognizing Yumi, smiled and greeted her first.
"Go, gokigenyou."
She hurried to respond. Even though they were standing on opposite ends of the battlefield, she couldn"t simply ignore an uppercla.s.sman. Even now, Yumi couldn"t help but think of Shizuka-sama as "Sachiko-sama"s enemy."
Yoshino-san, upon realizing that the opponent was the person named Kanina Shizuka, basically inserted data into her mind: the person in front of you is an enemy. So she always looked at Shizuka-sama as a hostile. But Yumi was different, in that she met Shizuka-sama without knowing their standings. So the image of a kind uppercla.s.sman wasn"t one to fade easily. -Even despite the fact that she"d lied about Rosa Canina being a black rose.
"Cleaning duty for the music room?"
"Oh, yes."
Seeing the music score in Shizuka-sama"s hand, Yumi immediately grasped the situation, "Oh, that"s right." She was heading to her club activity, which would take place in the music room.
And she understood why there were no cla.s.smates or colleagues with her.
"It"s been a while."
Shizuka-sama didn"t show signs of resuming her walk toward the music room. Speaking to Rosa Canina in the middle of the hallway leading to the music room. It was a situation screaming for misinterpretation.
But unfortunately, Yumi didn"t have the courage to simply cut off their conversation and say "farewell" to an uppercla.s.sman.
"Um, you"re quite early."
She didn"t know what to say, as Shizuka-sama stared at her, so she simply blurted out something that could do no harm nor good.
"Yes. When we have a club meeting, I hurry here as soon as I"m finished cleaning. Because I love the empty music room."
"Oh, is that so."
When she answered, Shizuka-sama laughed bitterly, lowered her eyes, "I knew it."
"Yumi-san never took notice of me, after all."
"Eh?"
"When we met in the library, I thought, oh dear."
"Umm."
But did she mean? She tilted her head to the side. It sounded like they"d been relatively close friends in the past, or something.
"No, nothing special happened. But I remembered you quite well. Because I met Yumi-san several times as you cleaned the music room. We even exchanged greetings a few times."
"Eh, really!?"
It was a sort of discourtesy to have not realized at all. Yumi was so surprised that Rosa Canina seemed to sigh, despondent.
"I"m sorry."
"No problem. We"ll call it even, after I told you a lie. The flower, Rosa Canina, you did see it, correct?"
"&h.e.l.lip; Yes."
"That was a small retribution to Yumi-san for not remembering me."
Shizuka-sama giggled mischievously.
According to her, one of her cla.s.smates was knowledgeable about flowers, and upon hearing "Kanina," thought of Rosa Canina. And the student council election was why the nickname managed to stick, despite the deep-rooted tradition of calling each other by their names. The three candidates for the Roses each had their own names, as in Rosa Chinensis en bouton, Rosa Foetida en bouton, and Rosa Gigantea en bouton, so it was Shizuka-sama"s supporters" way of responding to that. But Shizuka-sama herself wasn"t too fond of it.
"A black rose would have been much cooler. Because pink in j.a.panese is "peach-colored," or "cherry-blossom colored," or else in some way needs to use the name of another plant, right? And I think that"s impolite to roses."
"Oh, I see."
The red rose, white rose, and yellow rose sounded nice, but peach rose and cherry-blossom rose was strange. But light-crimson rose also sounds like a joke. Through it all, Yumi thought Shizuka-sama was quite playful, pondering about such a thing.
"If Yumi-san didn"t remember me, either, I suppose that means I don"t stand out."
Shizuka-sama looked away, out the window and at a withered branch high up on a tree.
"No, no. Everyone around me knew of Shizuka-sama. &h.e.l.lip; I don"t really have much data on other people&h.e.l.lip; I only recently found out about the names of the Roses. And I found out that Rei-sama and Yoshino-san were relatives during the "Yellow Rose Revolution." &h.e.l.lip; Oh, what am I saying."
She was fl.u.s.tered. She was trying to cheer Shizuka-sama up, but instead it turned into a confession of her embarra.s.sing points.
"I see."
Shizuka-sama giggled. Then continued.
"But, in Yumi-san"s case, Ogasawara Sachiko-san was special."
"&h.e.l.lip; Well, yes."
"How enviable."
Yumi didn"t understand yet why she was envious. But then, after a moment of thought, she realized, "Oh, maybe."
"Um&h.e.l.lip; excuse me, Shizuka-sama do you have a sœur?"
"I"m single. There were many that proposed to me when I was a first-year, but I turned them all down. And I don"t feel like I absolutely must have a little sister."
Come to think of it, she"d been spoken of as a candidate for becoming Rosa Gigantea"s little sister, so at the very least, Shizuka-sama didn"t have an onee-sama this time last year. And so she"d remained free, and without a sister.
"But it"s nothing too unusual, is it? Toudou Shimako-san also turned down Sachiko-san"s proposal, and Rosa Gigantea also didn"t have a sister when she was a second-year."
"But."
Yumi couldn"t believe someone this pretty would manage to remain alone this whole time.
People weren"t entirely about their faces, but you couldn"t just forget the face, either.
Katsura-san said, some time ago, that picking sisters was a race. Which would mean, when looking through the crowds of younger students whom you weren"t familiar with, the face would be one of the most crucial, outstanding points. Even Rosa Gigantea mentioned she knew of people who "chose based on looks."
"Huh? Yumi-chan?"
As she thought of Rosa Gigantea, all of a sudden she had an auditory hallucination of Rosa Gigantea. But when she turned around, the real Rosa Gigantea stood not ten meters behind her, so she became doubly surprised.
"Well, I shall be going now."
Shizuka-sama tapped Yumi"s shoulder in a "see you" way, and walked toward the music room. Perhaps she was pressured into leaving, now that someone as grand as Rosa Gigantea had appeared.
Well, Shizuka-sama was an enemy of the boutons right now, and Rosa Gigantea, the onee-sama of Shimako-san, would be included as an enemy, so it might have been the prudent course of action to call it a "near-miss" and escape. -Though she spoke to Yumi quite defenselessly.
"Was I a third wheel?"
Said Rosa Gigantea as she crept closer, and then she said something unbelievable.
"What a beautiful girl. Yumi-chan"s friend?"
"Eh!?"
"My, what a voice. The student that was with you just now."
"&h.e.l.lip; Is that a joke?"
It wasn"t like she could say anything about other people, but Yumi thought it was strange she wouldn"t remember the name of someone who was her sister"s enemy.
"A joke?"
But Rosa Gigantea was serious. She was seriously pondering over why Yumi would wonder if it was a joke. "Rosa Gigantea was a comrade."
Yumi slid into a relieved smile. Here was another person who didn"t store data on other people. Right, not everyone in the world is perfect. Everyone has things they"re weak at.
Yes, yes, she agreed with herself. Then the chorus members started gathering.
"Let"s go somewhere else."
Yumi took Rosa Gigantea"s hand and walked down the closest stairs. It wouldn"t be proper to gossip about the enemy leader while standing next to their headquarters, the music room. Even if the enemy leader was amicable, her supporters were terrifying.
"What is it, Yumi-chan?"
"That was the rumored Rosa Canina."
After going down two flights of stairs and stopping in front of the science room, Yumi faithfully reported.
"Oh."
And then Rosa Gigantea added, "What"s that?" Perhaps you begin to neglect the world around you when you"re busy studying for exams? Although not knowing Shizuka-sama"s face meant the problem was present long before the exams.
"Um&h.e.l.lip; Rosa Gigantea? You don"t recall hearing Kanina Shizuka-sama"s name?"
"I feel like I"ve heard it somewhere, but I don"t remember. Though I don"t think I"d have left her unchecked if she was that beautiful. &h.e.l.lip; Oh, I get it, the second-year that wanted to take part in the Yamayurikai audition, it"s her?"
Combining Yumi"s hasty departure from the music room and the remark about the current gossip, Rosa Gigantea seemed to have pieced the puzzle together.
"Well, yes."
But that"s an election, not an audition.
"Mmm. She"s pretty, so it"s all good, right?"
After making sure the science room door was locked, Rosa Gigantea leaned against it.
"Wait a second, Rosa Gigantea, that"s not how you"re supposed to react!"
Rosa Gigantea"s simple statement was screaming for complaints.
"How was I supposed to react?"
"You"re supposed to cheer for your sister, Shimako-san!"
Isn"t that obvious? Yumi puffed her chest.
"Maybe. But Shimako isn"t announcing her candidacy, is she? So wouldn"t it be better to let someone who wants to, do it?"
"No! I want Rosa Gigantea to persuade Shimako-san."
"Did Shimako say she wanted me to persuade her?"
"Of course she wouldn"t."
Why would that Shimako-san complain to Yumi?
"Right? Then I won"t talk to her about it."
"Why!?"
"Third-years are fundamentally supposed to stay out of the election process."
"Huh?"
"That"s why the election takes place while the third-years are busy with exams. We don"t even get to vote, why would we bother ourselves with it? Even I"m studying for exams, okay?"
Why would they bother themselves with it? Oh, Rosa Gigantea.
"Why are you so cold?"
When Yumi whined, Rosa Gigantea laughed.
"I can"t help it. Every student t.i.tled a "Rose" at Lillian went through this period without depending on their onee-sama."
She said proudly, but of course, when they ran, they were the only ones up for election, so it wasn"t right, comparing their situations equally.
"Think about it. Student presidents need to lead the students. And the election tests your ability to do that, right? You fail, if you need to rely on your onee-sama. Shimako is my sister, but I"ve never once thought she must become Rosa Gigantea after me. If she wants to, she can find a way to do it. If she doesn"t, she doesn"t have to run. It"s simple."
Well, that was true. But it was hard to explain, that even if it didn"t make logical sense, they were sisters, so they needed to support each other.
"So are you saying to just silently watch?"
Truth be told, she was disappointed. She was so disappointed she wanted to cry.
Because they were sisters, Yumi wanted to support Sachiko-sama. Onee-sama and little sister, they were on different sides of the relationship, but she believed Rosa Gigantea would feel the same way. So she had a bit of hope. That Rosa Gigantea would show the way.
But she was wrong. Rosa Gigantea was completely unreliable.
"I never said you have to just watch."
Like she was talking to a child, Rosa Gigantea peered into Yumi"s eyes, rubbing her head.
"I"m just saying, I"m not going to do anything. So if Yumi-chan wants to stick her head into things, that"s Yumi-chan"s prerogative."
"What?"
"See you."
Abruptly cutting the conversation off, Rosa Gigantea stopped leaning against the science room door and stood up.
"See you? Rosa Gigantea, didn"t you have something-"
Yumi called out to Rosa Gigantea, who"d quickly begun walking away. Come to think of it, she"d never asked why Rosa Gigantea was in school, and near the music room, which was on the far, far end of the school, during such a busy time.
"I was looking for Yumi-chan because I wanted to ask some questions, but I"ve gotten the general gist of what was going on, so it"s alright."
Bye bye, waved Rosa Gigantea as she turned the corner in the hallway and vanished.
"What was that?"
She couldn"t figure out what people close to her were thinking.
For some reason, Yumi felt like she was thinking that almost all the time lately.
Shimako-san announced her candidacy after school, the day of the deadline. Apparently she turned in her registration 15 minutes before it closed.
She was so punctual that she never once forgot her homework, and always submitted her reports with plenty of time to spare, so her persevering until the very end was proof that she agonized over the decision for a long, long time.
She expressed a clear fighting will when she first heard about Rosa Canina, but she changed her mind, or perhaps more accurately dragged out making the decision until the very end, and finally fortified her resolve to run. Some criticized her for her indecisiveness (of course, the second-year wisteria-cla.s.s students), but this was a result of her personal agonizing for ten days, so in a way it didn"t matter whether she signed up on the first day or the last day.
"You"re not running?"
During lunch on the last day, Yumi invited Shimako-san to the Rose Mansion for lunch. There were too many outsiders in the cla.s.sroom, and because of the seasonal weather, eating outside wasn"t an attractive option. Fortunately, no one seemed like they were on the second floor of the Rose Mansion. Yoshino-san"s cla.s.s after lunch was physical education, so she was probably eating lunch in her cla.s.sroom. And without Yoshino-san, the probability of Rei-sama coming dropped. For the Yamayurikai staff, there were days where they gathered at the Rose Mansion for lunch and plenty of days where no one came. Of course, before school festivals, for instance, when there was a compulsory meeting, everyone would gather.
So even today, there was the chance of someone coming in later. But they could deal with that then. Yumi was prepared to persuade Shimako-san, today, for the first and last time, as her cla.s.smate.
She could drop out any time, but at least she could sign up to buy herself more time, was the only direction Yumi could think of taking the conversation. But, Shimako-san had probably delayed her decision even to this day because she didn"t want to make such a careless decision, so it would be difficult to sway her.
"It"s quiet."
Placing the earlier question aside, Shimako-san narrowed her eyes at the winter sunlight coming in through the window.
"&h.e.l.lip; Actually, I"m perplexed."
After a minute, Shimako-san finally answered.
"May I ask why?"
"I haven"t been able to sort things out, myself."
"Yes."
Even so, she urged. Shimako-san placed her empty lunchbox on the big handkerchief she was using as a luncheon mat, wrapped it, and then began speaking.
"I don"t know about Yumi-san, but I didn"t become Rosa Gigantea"s sister because I wanted to become a student president."
"Me, too!"
Yumi was about to stand up and lean into Shimako-san, who was sitting across from her.
"Me, too. I just like Sachiko-sama-"
"&h.e.l.lip; Yes. Yes. Even if onee-sama wasn"t called a Rose, you would accept her rosary. And that is the proper sisterly relationship."
"Shimako-san, you like Rosa Gigantea, too, don"t you?"
"Yes. And that"s why I a.s.sisted the Yamayurikai, to be of some help to her. And that"s why, once onee-sama graduates, I"ll feel no obligation toward the Yamayurikai. I did feel like I would follow in onee-sama"s footsteps, but that was because I a.s.sumed, as usual, no one else would try to step in."
"Eh-!?"
When Yumi cried, Shimako-san chuckled and said, "I"m sorry."
"To me, an "attachment" is just a burden. I simply wish that I can keep myself as carefree as possible, so that I could go anywhere whenever I want."
"Then, you dislike school?"
"I don"t dislike it. &h.e.l.lip; But it"s not a question of dislike or like."
"Hard."
"Really. And because this is my personality, my father sends me to school, worried about me, and onee-sama probably pulled me into the Yamayurikai for that reason. I don"t mind being alone, so I naturally gravitate toward isolation. That"s why people that know me well always try to force me into groups."
Finally, although it was just a tiny bit, Yumi began to understand Rosa Gigantea and Shimako-san"s relationship. Rosa Gigantea understood Shimako-san "well." And because Rosa Gigantea understood her well, Shimako-san accepted her rosary. Because in her sixteen years of life, not many understood her like that.
"Then, wouldn"t it be better if you remained in the Yamayurikai?"
"If that is onee-sama"s intent. That"s what I felt, at first. As I walked in and out of the Rose Mansion, as I a.s.sisted the Yamayurikai, as I was called Rosa Gigantea en bouton by people I didn"t know well. Before I knew it, my bonds to people had grown. And sometimes I think fondly of that sensation. And I became Yumi-san and Yoshino-san"s friend."
"I"m also glad I became Shimako-san"s friend. That"s why I want to be together more. Please, why isn"t that enough?"
"I never said it wasn"t, did I? But, there are other things I think about."
"Like?"
"I"m not the type of person who can lead students."
"What are you talking about?"
She laughed. Shimako-san was so reliable, everyone adored her, she was kind, and was good at studying, so when someone who could be the perfect anecdote for a leadership book says something like "I"m not the type to lead students," that meant no one could try to become a Rose. As proof, Shimako-san was scouted by the Yamayurikai twice. -Rosa Gigantea and Sachiko-sama.
But Shimako-san wasn"t laughing.
"That"s not all."
She looked serious.
"What else?"
"Lillian, without me."
"Eh?"
"If I had not entered Lillian Girls" Academy."
"What do you mean?"
Shimako-san entered Lillian through a middle-school exam, Yumi remembered.
But still.
People like Yumi, who"d been tossed into Lillian since Kindergarten, from when they first became conscious of the people around them, those people wondering about "if" they hadn"t come to Lillian made sense. But at twelve, you"re certainly conscious of the world, so your own will is acting in some way, however small.
"I mean, if."
"If."
"Yes. Then Rosa Gigantea wouldn"t have chosen me as her sister, correct? Even if it may have taken time, she may have chosen a second-year student, as tradition holds."
"And that would be Shizuka-sama? So Shizuka-sama is fitting to be the next Rosa Gigantea?"
That"s wrong, Yumi thought. It was true Rosa Gigantea may have taken quite some time to find a little sister, after her heartbreaking separation with a dear friend. But it wasn"t a question of time for choosing a student a year younger than her. It was because there was no student "capable of becoming her little sister."
"Indeed. She may have never found a sister."
Shimako-san nodded, and continued.
"Then let"s imagine a scenario where she never had a sister. Then what happens?"
"What happens?"
"In the end, it becomes an election. Just like it is now."
But that didn"t mean she had to give up her seat without fighting.
"But in reality, Shimako-san is here."
"That"s why it"s an "if.""
But what did she want to say, talking about an "if" scenario? It was like she was hinting that the "if" could turn out to be true.
"Shimako-san, you"re not leaving, are you?"
Shimako-san curled her lips up a bit, to that question.
"I do not desire such a thing, but-"
But she never finished her sentence. Shimako-san stopped.
"Is someone there?"
"What?"
Yumi also listened carefully.
Creak, creak, creak, she could hear the stairs creaking.
"But, who?"
She was still inexperienced at figuring out whose footsteps they belonged to, but she could somewhat generalize. It was in the group of Sachiko-sama, Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida. Or maybe like a hurried Yoshino-san or Rei-sama. That was about it.
Her tempo, and the way she placed her weight into her footsteps was very conscientious, or prudent. It only creaked about a third as much as Rei-sama"s footsteps. Only Shimako-san walked like this, but she sat in front of Yumi.
When she finished climbing the stairs, she knocked on the biscuit-shaped door.
It was an effective staccato. A pretty sound, like a xylophone.
But, strange.
The usual members would simply open the door without knocking. It felt like she was waiting for them to respond.
"I wonder who it is?"
Yumi, sitting relatively closer to the door, answered, "Coming," stood up and placed her hand on the k.n.o.b. Really, she was still thinking lightly about it, a.s.suming it was someone from the Yamayurikai who was carrying something heavy and couldn"t spare a hand for the door, or something. She didn"t think hard enough to realize such a person wouldn"t really be able to knock, either.
Click clat.
The door opened with a familiar, click clat sound.
She opened a jack-in-the-box. Someone unexpected stood there.
"Gokigenyou, Yumi-san."
Rosa Canina, or Kanina Shizuka-sama, stood up straight and presented a polished smile.
(What"s going to happen-!?)
Yumi forced a smile as she screamed inside.
Shimako-san is in the room!
"I tried calling out downstairs, but no one responded, so I let myself in."
After being lead to the middle of the room, then recommended a seat, and then sipping on the tea she was given, the visitor asked, "Was it a bother?"
"Not at all. Actually, we"re sorry. When we"re on the second floor, we often don"t notice anyone knocking on the door. So it helps us greatly that you walked in."
Incidentally, it was Shimako-san that lead Shizuka-sama into the room, pulled a seat out for her, and then poured her tea. Yumi was frozen in place, stuck between Rosa Canina in front of her and Rosa Gigantea en bouton behind her, so she was rendered immobile.
Shizuka-sama was alone. Without being accompanied by her cla.s.smates or her colleagues, she entered the Rose Mansion, the nesting place of her enemies. She probably came, not minding how many could be inside. As proof, she was actually surprised it was so empty.
The visitor took another sip, very elegantly.
Someone other than the usual members sitting at this table and sipping tea. It felt mysteriously natural, but it also felt a bit odd.
She blended into the room, like she was in a place she was used to being in. Even so, a part of Yumi refused to believe what she saw. Like she was trying to find a mistake, and only Shizuka-sama was out of place. It might have just been that she was unused to the sight.
But if Shizuka-sama won the election, this would be the norm. But it was still difficult to imagine that with the addition of Shizuka-sama, someone else would vanish.
"There"s not much time, so I"ll leave the pleasantries aside. I came here today to speak to Shimako-san."
Somehow managing to thaw herself, Yumi looked at her wrist-watch. There were only about fifteen minutes left until lunch break ended.
"Then, shall I&h.e.l.lip; shall I take my leave?"
"That would be unnecessary. On the contrary, please remain, Yumi-san."
Shizuka-sama stopped her. Shimako-san nodded, too. They were both calm. They looked so amicable to each other that it was difficult to believe they were actually enemies. Of course, it may simply be the people around them believing them to be enemies.
Yumi sat down in a seat that saw them from the side. In truth, she was more on Shimako-san"s side, but she felt it would be awkward if she chose a side here. Plus, she couldn"t say it aloud, but she didn"t dislike Shizuka-sama. Rather, she leaned more toward liking her.
"May I ask what you want?"
Shimako-san said. It felt like her drifting personality had vanished, and now she was completely locked in.
"You are aware, I believe, that I"ve announced my candidacy for the student council."
Shizuka-sama began.
"Yes." Shimako-sama smiled, gently. In this case, Yumi was basically just a spectator, so she kept silent.
"But it"s not out of nonconfidence in you or the other boutons. Will you believe me?"
"Of course."
Shizuka-sama didn"t decide, "I"ll do it," because she felt Shimako-san and others weren"t up to the task, in other words. And Shimako-san basically replied, "I know that already." Yumi knew that much, too. Actually, she hadn"t even thought about the possibility of people being dissatisfied with the boutons, so the confirmation took her by surprise.
"Then, why have you not registered? Wouldn"t you have registered with Sachiko-san and Rei-sama if I hadn"t?"
"I may have."
"The deadline is today, after school."
"Yes."
Shimako-san understood that perfectly well, without the need for Shizuka-sama to point it out. Because Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama seemed to be rushing her every time they saw each other. And she was just talking about it with Yumi.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don"t think I am obliged to tell you."
Surprisingly, Shimako-san used a harsh tone. Of course, this reaction was wildly different from when Yumi asked essentially the same question.
"&h.e.l.lip; Indeed."
While Shizuka-sama made a "how unexpected" face, she didn"t show any signs of backing down as she continued to speak.
"I have come simply to present you with another road, because you seem to be lost."
"Road?"
"I think you"re hesitating over running because you"re not the same age as the other boutons. You"ve done well as a bouton despite being a first-year. And now, after working harder than anyone else, I can also sympathize if you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of working even harder for your second, and third, years."
"What do you want-"
Shimako-san"s angelic smile became a bit strained. I"m glad I"m not the only one that can"t see where this is going, Yumi thought.
"If you want to become like Yumi-san, use me. -That"s all."
It was still beating around the edges, so Shimako-san rephrased Shizuka-san"s words quite directly.
"Are you saying I should step aside and let you become the Rosa Gigantea next year?"
(What!?)
She didn"t think Shizuka-sama would say such a thing, so Yumi almost jumped out of her seat in surprise. You"re joking, aren"t you? was how Yumi felt as she searched Shizuka-sama"s face, but she, in turn, simply stared at Shimako-sama, with a benevolent smile.
"Of course, but I have no intention of kicking you out of the Rose Mansion. Fortunately, I have no sister, either. Once Rosa Gigantea graduates, I have full intention of welcoming you as my sister."
"Shizuka-sama, you liked Shimako-san!?"
She was trying so hard, but finally Yumi burst out.
"No, Yumi-san. Shizuka-sama isn"t saying that."
Please stay silent a bit longer, Shimako-san seemed to scold, so Yumi zipped her mouth shut again. Shizuka-sama didn"t confirm nor deny that, but she glanced at Yumi and giggled, so it proved Yumi"s logic was off. She thought Shizuka-sama had ended up running because she wanted Shimako-san as her sister, but apparently that was wrong.
"I don"t think it"s a bad proposal for you, at all."
Shizuka-sama repeated. Yumi nodded inside, "That"s true."
That way, Shimako-san automatically became Rosa Gigantea en bouton again. And she would take up the same duties in the Yamayurikai. And then when she became a third-year, she would become Rosa Gigantea. It sounded great. It sounded too great, so it was scary.
"Think about it."
The fifth period bell rang, so Shizuka-sama stood up.
"Wait, please."
Shimako-san followed her.
"I have not made up my mind about running, yet, but I must answer this now."
"What is it?"
"No matter what happens, I have no intention of becoming your sister. Of becoming anyone"s sister. My onee-sama is Satou Sei-sama and Satou Sei-sama alone."
"&h.e.l.lip; I see. I understand."
Shizuka-sama simply nodded, quietly.
And then, Shimako-san announced her candidacy after school. In the end, you could say Shizuka-sama took it upon herself personally to blow away all of Shimako-san"s worries. And only Yumi, who"d been present at their conversation, knew about that.