Maria-sama ga Miteru

Chapter 87

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"Gokigenyou."

The clear morning greeting travels through the serene, blue sky.

Today, once again, the maidens that gather in the Virgin Mary"s garden smile purely to one another as they pa.s.s under the tall gateway.

Wrapping their innocent bodies and souls in a deep-colored school uniform.

Walking slowly so as to not disturb the pleats in their skirts, so as to not toss their white sailor scarves into disarray... such is the standard of modesty here. Running here because one is in danger of missing cla.s.s, for instance, is too undignified a sight for students to wish upon themselves.

Lillian Private Academy for Women.

Founded in Meiji 34, this academy was originally intended for the young women of n.o.bility, and is now a Catholic academy of prestigious tradition. Placed in downtown Tokyo, where you can still see traces of Musashi Field"s greenery, it is protected by G.o.d, a garden where maidens can receive tutelage from pre-school to university.

Time pa.s.ses, and even now, in Heisei, three era-names past Meiji, it is a valuable academy, where nurtured ladies raised in greenhouses are shipped out in carefully packaged boxes after 18 years of schooling - an arrangement that continues to survive.

The season is early summer.

Despite the change into lighter clothing, the mood had not lightened alongside it.

The reason for the sighs wasn"t something as obvious as mid-term test results. A faint outline was visible, but nothing that could be definitively pointed to as the cause.

The closest expression would be, "There"s just something not quite right."

So it was all the more troubling.

Like sighing when looking up into a cloudy sky with a prediction of rain, that kind of feeling.

Was it going to rain or not? If it does rain, how long will it last?

Would it be better if it just started pouring down immediately? Those kinds of thoughts.

But, just by waiting quietly, perhaps the rain clouds would dissipate soon enough.

Hah.

Three silhouettes sighed simultaneously.

It was obvious that only someone deeply important could be the cause of that kind of feeling.

It all started with something trivial. Perhaps a pa.s.sing statement from Sachiko-sama.

"Say, Shimako, when are you going to bring Noriko-chan?"

"Pardon?"

Shimako asked, uncomprehending. She thought it was with the same tone of voice she used in the cla.s.sroom when she didn"t understand a question.

"I thought I heard you say Noriko, but - "

Mindful of the steam rising from the kettle, Shimako turned around still holding the teacups.

"Yes, that"s unmistakeably what I said. And since I was asking you, the "Noriko-chan" in this case would be Nijou Noriko."

Was she in a good mood or a bad mood? Sachiko-sama politely moved the conversation forwards. Speaking as though ordering the conversation towards a conclusion that she already knew.

"What of Noriko?"

If the conversation were about Noriko, then it wasn"t as though Shimako had no idea what it was going to be about.

No, it was more accurate to say that she had some expectations. However, she hadn"t yet had time to practice her answers to the antic.i.p.ated questions, which was troubling.

It was lunch time, much like any other.

The two boutons in Shimako"s grade had not yet made their appearance, so it was only the three Roses in the mansion they lent their name to.

As it was just the three of them, they weren"t actively engaged in conversation, nor was there the awkward silence that came when there was nothing to talk about, instead they were going about their own business and occasionally trading remarks, as they would on most other days.

A pleasant guitar melody from the folk-song club came drifting in through the window that faced the courtyard. Rei-sama was reading a new novel, Sachiko-sama was writing something in her student diary, and, as the "heating" light on the kettle had just gone out, Shimako had reached out for the teacups.

It was at that point that Rosa Chinensis, Ogasawara Sachiko-sama, had made her remark. So, to Shimako, it was nothing more than a feint.

"As I was saying, when are you going to bring her to the Rose Mansion?"

Sachiko-sama closed her student diary and put it back in her pocket.

"To the Rose Mansion?"

As she asked for confirmation, Shimako turned her back on the other two Roses and resumed her task.

The water was poured into three cups, then the teabags were set drifting.

Shimako idly watched as the teabags slowly stained the water inside the white cups.

It was a crude way of making tea, but Shimako was abiding by Sachiko-sama"s request of, "Anything as long as it"s quick." Her fourth period cla.s.s had been PE, so she seemed to be prioritizing appeasing her thirst over taste.

June had arrived, along with the fine weather that precedes the rainy season. Even without PE cla.s.ses, cool water and tea seemed to taste better.

So as not to keep Sachiko-sama waiting, Shimako carried a teacup across to her immediately after taking the teabags out.

"Obviously I meant to the Rose Mansion. Where else would you be taking her?"

Shimako swallowed her reply of, "To an exhibition of Buddhist statues." It didn"t seem like a smart joke to make.

"Shimako, Sachiko"s saying that you should properly introduce her to the group. You understand, right?"

Rosa Foetida, Hasekura Rei-sama, joined the conversation, her explanation attempting to cut through the confusion. She, like Sachiko-sama, was a third-year.

"Understand? &h.e.l.lip; Yes, however."

Carrying her own teacup, Shimako sat down in an empty seat.

"By becoming your pet.i.t soeur, she became Rosa Gigantea en bouton. She"s no ordinary first-year student."

By becoming your pet.i.t soeur. Rosa Gigantea en bouton. No ordinary first year. - Sachiko-sama"s words caught in her heart like small fish bones in the throat.

"What is it, Shimako? Is there something you want to say?"

After finishing her tea, Sachiko-sama raised an eyebrow. So Shimako nodded, "Yes." If she didn"t clear up this misunderstanding now, those small bones would remain stuck.

"Umm &h.e.l.lip; Noriko isn"t actually my pet.i.t soeur."

It was said at the exact moment that the idly listening Rei-sama had the misfortune of bringing her cup to her mouth to take a sip, therefore:

Splutter!

The next instant, a splendid stream of black tea came spouting out of her mouth, like she was a fountain statue.

"No way. Then, then, then, then, the rosary!?"

"I haven"t given it to her."

After Shimako answered, it was Sachiko-sama who spoke next.

" &h.e.l.lip; n.o.body would believe it."

While frowning slightly, Sachiko-sama took a handkerchief trimmed with lace from her pocket and patted down her face and hair. Regrettably, she had been sitting directly across from Rei-sama, so had been struck with a shower of black (Darjeeling) tea. Still, the fact that she could retain her composure while being embroiled in such a dreadful incident was quite admirable. As expected of a princess.

"Not believe it &h.e.l.lip; Is that so?"

"That"s not the correct response. Why are you dilly-dallying?"

"Dilly-dallying &h.e.l.lip; "

While that expression wasn"t exactly uncommon, it still seemed new to Shimako.

Was she really dilly-dallying? It was true that she had been exposed alongside Noriko in front of the first-years at the Maria ceremony the other day, which surely led to this misunderstanding that was coming from all sides.

"How long do you think it has been since the Maria ceremony? About half a month. We"ve entered into June and changed into summer uniform - what on earth have you been doing?"

Sachiko-sama shifted her shoulders back and puffed her chest out.

Even if it was called a change of uniform, the color and the design didn"t alter much. It used a lighter type of cloth, and there was the choice of short sleeves, but that was the extent of the changes. The ivory collar and long black dress that was Lillian"s signature kept going strong as the seasons changed.

Incidentally, the three people called Roses currently on the second floor of the Rose Mansion had all opted for long sleeved uniforms.

At first glance, everything looked as it always had. But something had changed.

Shimako and Noriko"s relationship, as well as something closer. Due to the events of the Maria ceremony, their connection was out in the open. However, there hadn"t been any visible progress. A friendly second-year and first-year student. That was the truth of the matter.

But the people surrounding them apparently expected something more than that.

"Do you wish to include Noriko in our group?"

"What are you saying? That you can"t make up your mind until you"ve heard our opinion?"

Sachiko-sama looked displeased as she flicked her long black hair over her shoulder.

"Then, let me tell it to you. Shimako, is there anyone other than Nijou Noriko that you would want as your pet.i.t soeur?"

"Noriko-chan"s your number one, right?"

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