Maria-sama ga Miteru Volume 24 Chapter 5
"Like - I - said."
Yoshino-san said, with a bit of bite.
"Even if you were s.p.a.cing out during the information session, its all written on the printout. Youd know if you read the series of events for the election. If you read it. Here!"
Lunch time in the Rose Mansion. Tapping on the doc.u.ment she held in her hand.
"Election Announcement, Candidate Registration &h.e.l.lip; "
Feeling a bit like she was being pushed, Yumi read aloud the section indicated. She was better off going with the flow here.
"&h.e.l.lip; Candidate Speeches, Election Day &h.e.l.lip; thats all."
There was a reason that Yoshino-sans attack was focussed on Yumi alone. Shimako-san had answered Yoshino-sans questions properly, plus Yoshino-san already understood exactly what would be happening next. Even Noriko-chan, who wasnt directly involved in the election, seemed to know. Yumi was a potential candidate, so why was she so inattentive?
"Right. And todays the first day of candidate registration. So, lets go."
Yoshino-san had been on her feet the moment she put her lunch box back in the carry bag that Rei-sama had made for her.
"Go? Where?"
"What are you asking? To the Electoral Committee Office. Now youre going to ask me where that is, arent you?"
" &h.e.l.lip; Its next to the staff room."
"Wonderful. And what are we going to do there?"
"&h.e.l.lip; Register as candidates?"
"Why was there a question mark at the end of that sentence? Its a statement about yourself. Yumi-san, you need to be more self-aware."
The printout was brought down on her head a couple of times. Yumi thought that in the past Yoshino-san would have held back more, but recently shed been showing no restraint, like when she faced off against Rei-sama. But it was 3 pieces of A4 paper so it didnt hurt.
"But, you know."
Yumi said, fending off the printout.
"We dont have to register on the first day."
"Wha~t."
Yoshino-san opened her eyes wide with feigned surprise.
"Well, like, last year, Shimako-san cut it really really close, leaving it to the last hour."
Their gaze turned to Shimako-san, who smiled and said, "Thats also an option." But she didnt seem to be doing that this year. She was getting ready to stand up and go with Yoshino-san to the Electoral Committees office.
"Back then, Shimako-san hesitated because she had all sorts of doubts. So then, if I have some doubts - "
Shimako-sans doubts were due to her being a first-year, and wondering whether the second-year Rosa Canina would be more fitting, and other such internal conflicts. At the time, she was also keeping secret the fact that her family ran a temple.
"Well then, Yumi-san, can you tell us these doubts of yours that rival Shimako-sans?"
Yoshino-san pressed her for an answer, saying, "Come on, come on."
"Uh."
"Is the current Rosa Chinensis en bouton and second-year Yumi-san less fitting as a Rose than the mere first-year Touko-chan?"
"Thats not what I said."
"Are you nervous because youre going to be leaving Lillians in the near future?"
"No, thats not it either."
Yumi recoiled as she answered, then Yoshino-san grinned like she was pulling out her trump card.
"In the past you told me, Yumi-san, that we should be Roses. Have you forgotten that promise?"
"Huh? Wasnt it that we should be good friends, like the Roses?"
"Same thing."
Yumi thought that there was a little, no, a huge difference between being a Rose, and being a good friend like the Roses.
"Speaking of which, didnt you say that wed be friends regardless of my t.i.tle, Yoshino-san?"
"Did I say that?"
She had. It was during the rainy season, when Yumis relationship with Sachiko-sama was strained and she was keeping her distance from the Rose Mansion.
But Yoshino-san was playing dumb because it was inconvenient to her. In truth, she should remember it.
"So, what? Youre saying youre not interested in being a Rose, Yumi-san?"
Before Yumi could respond to this direct question, an answer came from the side.
"Thats not true, Yoshino-san."
Shimako-san said decisively, having remained silent until now.
"Some time ago, Yumi-san told me that she wanted to lead the Yamayurikai with me as a third-year, and that she wanted to be a Rose."
The sole statement of a taciturn person held more persuasive power than the words of a chatterbox.
"Right?"
Yumi nodded without thinking, and when she said, "Lets go then," Yumi allowed her hand to be taken and to be led out.
Was "bewildering" the right word to use to describe this situation? Watching them leave from the doorway, Noriko-chan mumbled, "Incredible, Shimako-san."
"Whats weighing you down like that?"
During cleaning, as she was wiping the blackboard with a cloth, Tsutako-san called out to her from behind.
"You can tell?"
"I can. Ive been watching you since first-year, Yumi-san. Do you really think you can fool my eyes?"
They were in the same cleaning group and Tsutako-san had come over to help - apparently finished moving the desks and chairs back to their original position from where theyd been stacked off to the side. That said, Yumi was pretty much finished too.
"I was told off by Yoshino-san."
Yumi rinsed her cleaning cloth in the bucket and wrung it tightly. A quick check of the other cleaning cloths showed they had all been rinsed, so she picked up the bucket of dirty water.
"Oh, why was that?"
Tsutako-san walked with her. It would have been dangerous to have two people carry a bucket full of water, so shed declined Tsutako-sans offer of help, but Tsutako-san followed her anyway. Perhaps at a loose end, Tsutako-san pulled a miniature camera out of her pocket and held it in one hand, occasionally pointing it at Yumi.
"At lunch time, we went to register as candidates in the election, but we were a bit slow to get going and Touko-chan got in first."
"I see."
"She said it was my fault we got a late start."
And looked incredibly angry when she said it too.
"My goodness. But the order in which you register doesnt determine the order you finish in the election."
Tsutako-san cackled.
"Thats what Shimako-san said too."
For the record, Shimako-san was second, Yoshino-san third, and Yumi fourth to register.
"Hmm. I wonder if Yoshino-san is a bit fl.u.s.tered."
"Fl.u.s.tered?"
"Most students fully expect the three second-years to be elected. But you cant say for certain. There could be an upset, with Touko-chan elected. In that case, one of you three would lose, right?"
"And thats Yoshino-san?"
"She might think so, dont you think? It goes without saying that Shimako-sans an inc.u.mbent, and youre popular with the first-years, right?"
"Thats not going to happen."
Having arrived at the drain, she tipped the bucket over and poured the water out.
"Yeah, its not going to happen, but she might still be worried about it."
The silver faucet was shining. The students responsible for cleaning this area had done a good job.
"But, well, its Yoshino-san, so shell get over it soon enough. Something else will catch her attention and shell forget something as trivial as this."
Tsutako-san said.
"I suppose."
Yumi picked up the bucket and walked back the way theyd come.
They walked in silence for a while and when they arrived at the cla.s.sroom entrance Tsutako-san mumbled under her breath.
"So then it isnt about Yoshino-san."
"Huh?"
Theyd already concluded that Yoshino-sans anger would sort itself out. But despite that, Yumi was still weighed down.
"Is Touko-chan the cause of it?"
"Uh."
Tsutako-san laughed, before Yumi could even ask, "How did you know?"
"Well, that much seemed obvious."
Tsutako-san had attended last years Christmas party in the Rose Mansion. She wasnt a member of a Rose family, but she obviously knew the details about what happened between Yumi and Touko-chan.
"I dont understand Touko-chan at all."
Yumi spoke frankly as she put the bucket away with the rest of the cleaning equipment.
Shed been thinking about it constantly. Where had it gone wrong?
If there was something wrong with the proposal, was it the wording, or the timing, or the situation, or was it a problem with Touko-chan? If some of these changed, would she get another chance to ask, or not?
"You say you dont understand Touko-chan. Naturally, since shes her own person."
Tsutako-san said, as though it were obvious.
"But you understand all sort of things, Tsutako-san. Like how Yoshino-sans anger will pa.s.s quickly, or that Im feeling down because of Touko-chan."
For a while now, Yumi had thought that Tsutako-san was an adult. She knew all sorts of information and could understand why things happened. Like some kind of superwoman, who could answer any question she was asked.
"Well, thats because Yoshino-sans behavioral pattern is easy to understand, and all your thoughts show clearly on your face, right?"
Tsutako-san walked around, checking that the windows were locked. It sounded like Tsutako-san wasnt able to figure out what everyone was thinking, its just that her targets were easy to figure out.
"Then what about Touko-chan?"
"I dont really know about her. Because most of the time it feels like shes wearing a mask, dont you think?"
"A mask &h.e.l.lip; "
"Youve never got that impression?"
"I have."
Quite strongly.
Touko-chan was an actress, right to her core. But, sometimes, even when she wasnt standing on a stage it felt like she was playing some other character.
"As for me, I think one of your good points is the way youre always showing your open and honest feelings, Yumi-san. Forcing yourself to smile when you feel like crying, even if you think youre doing a good job, just makes you look even more pitiful to me. I hate to say it, but youre not a good actor."
Even so, it felt better to hear her say this directly, rather than beating around the bush. Although if shed said it a bit earlier, say before the school festival, Yumi may not have accepted the lead role in the Yamayurikai play.
"But I like that. So I think you look great when youre not acting. But when an amateur gets on the same stage as a professional actress, do you think she can win?"
"So, youre saying that even if I understand Touko-chan, its impossible?"
"For how things are now. Shes just too far ahead of you."
Tsutako-san finished her check of the windows, and gave the "OK" signal to their cla.s.smate at the podium, writing in the cleaning log. To show her understanding, that girl made the "OK" sign back.
"Your opponents wearing a mask, but youre going at her with your honest feelings. Theres no way you can win. Ah, Im not talking about the election here."
"Yeah."
Yumi nodded. It was about whether she could do something for Touko-chan, and what she should do. Yumi decided to think about it some more.
"Thanks for the advice."
Yumi thought that Tsutako-san was definitely an adult. Even though she said she didnt know anything, she was still able to say something pertinent. A hint. But Yumi had to come up with the answer herself.
"Ill take your smiling face over words of thanks."
Just as Tsutako-san was steadying her camera, Yoshino-san raced into the cla.s.sroom, back from where her group had been cleaning.
"Yumi-san, Yumi-san."
Yoshino-san grabbed her by the arm. Just as the light from the flash and the sound of the shutter went off, so it must have ended up as a weird photo of the two of them.
"Come with me."
Yumi and Tsutako-san exchanged glances and smiled.
"Come on."
Yoshino-sans mood had changed quickly, like the weather.
Yoshino-san dragged Yumi to a rather delicate position - the hallway next to the first-year camellia cla.s.sroom.
"Got it? Well walk past slowly, having a friendly chat, so get a good look at whats going on inside that cla.s.sroom."
"Um."
Slowly, friendly, good. Overly complicated orders would just result in confusion. So if she dropped the adverbs and just focused on the verbs, then, basically, they were going to walk and chat and look in to that cla.s.sroom. "That cla.s.sroom" was obviously the first-year camellia cla.s.sroom.
"Because of whats going on, you havent had a chance to check it out, have you Yumi-san?"
"No, not really."
Yumi didnt know how shed react if she saw Touko-chan. So for the last couple of days shed been avoiding the first-year cla.s.srooms as much as she could. The hallway alongside Touko-chans cla.s.sroom was right in the danger zone.
"I figured as much. So I thought we should do this."
But even so, Yoshino-san herself had obviously checked things out. Like last year, when she started investigating Rosa Canina as soon as she heard about the new contender.
"At any rate, take a look. Well talk about it after."
Yoshino-san grabbed Yumi by the arm and started walking off.
Walking slowly and having a friendly chat by itself wasnt that bad, but adding on "getting a good look at whats going on in the cla.s.sroom" made it a bit more difficult.
Because, wouldnt it look unnatural if she was walking along, apparently engrossed in conversation, but staring into the cla.s.sroom instead of looking at who she was talking to?
Luckily, the first-year camellia cla.s.s looked like they were still in the middle of cleaning, with the front and back doors wide open despite it being the middle of winter, allowing for a good view into the room. But on the flip side, it allowed those inside to get a good view of them too, so they may have looked like a rather suspicious duo. To the trained eye, they may have looked like they were scoping out the enemys positions.
"Well?"
Yoshino-san said, after theyd hidden themselves around a corner - since it would have looked strange if they stopped walking just past the first-year camellia cla.s.sroom.
"Nothing much. What was strange about it?"
Yumi tilted her head to the side in confusion. Wondering if shed overlooked something.
Yumi expected Yoshino-san to get angry, saying, "Have a better look," but instead she cracked her knuckles and said, "Thats it."
"Whats it?"
"Its normal. Nothings changed in first-year camellia cla.s.s. Dont you think thats odd?"
Nothing had changed in first-year camellia cla.s.s.
"Its odd that it hasnt changed?"
"Think back to last year, and second-year wisteria cla.s.s."
"&h.e.l.lip; Ah."
With that, Yumi suddenly understood too.
"Right?"
Last year, Kanina Shizuka-sama, Rosa Canina, was in second-year wisteria cla.s.s. In a sense, she had been in the same position that Touko-chan was in now, despite their difference in grades.
"That is indeed strange."
Last years second-year wisteria cla.s.s and this years first-year camellia cla.s.s were noticeably different.
"We should ask Noriko-chan."
Yumi turned back. She was probably in the cla.s.sroom. Either that or shed gone to the Rose Mansion. Either way, she wouldnt be where they were.
Then a voice called out to her from behind.
"Ask me what?"
Yumi turned around and there she was.
"N-Noriko-chan!"
"Gokigenyou &h.e.l.lip; Oh, whats the matter?"
Noriko-chan was on outdoor cleaning duty this week, and had been returning to her cla.s.sroom when she spotted the two boutons from behind.
Noriko-chan wanted to return to her cla.s.sroom and get her belongings before heading to the Rose Mansion, so they accompanied her back through the hallway. This time they had a proper conversation, unlike before, so there was no need to worry about appearing unnatural, and there were no orders to get a good look at the cla.s.sroom either, which made it a lot easier.
"Our cla.s.s is normal?"
Noriko-chan asked. Apparently not immediately understanding what they were saying. The cla.s.s was normal. Indeed, there was nothing unusual about that by itself.
"Well, one of your cla.s.smates is running in the election, right? And shes taking on the favorites - the current council and their successors. So why is your cla.s.s acting like its business as usual? Shouldnt they be getting all fired up?"
Yoshino-san went on and on. Caught on the back foot a bit, Noriko-chan instead posed a question.
"So, youre saying the second-year pine cla.s.s is - "
"Were about as fired up as normal."
Like many other cla.s.ses, they had a handmade board showing "X days until the election." They also had a "Certain Victory" prayer doll, although it was made of drawing paper, not a proper one. On the back blackboard there were messages of support - "Good Luck Yumi-san, Good Luck Yoshino-san," and they had light pink and cream (presumably meant to be red and yellow) origami flowers adorning their lockers. There were rules against doing anything in the hallway or other places, but their cla.s.smates were still getting into the spirit and showing their support by decorating their cla.s.sroom.
Thats the level of support there was for the favorites (to borrow Yoshino-sans phrase). The show of support for their cla.s.smate Touko-chan should have been relatively larger, to make up for her lack of name recognition.
"Even if you say that."
Noriko-chan muttered.
"Theres not a lot of support for Touko."
Noriko-chan had only entered into Lillians at the start of high-school, so, naturally enough, she didnt know anything about Rosa Canina. Consequently, she may have been under the impression that it was like this every year.
"But Toukos at fault here too. In the beginning, our cla.s.smates would ask her questions about the election, but she ignored them or ran away. Its hard to support someone that acts like that."
Theyd just arrived at the first-year camellia cla.s.sroom and Noriko-chan looked at the door and let out a sigh.
Was Touko-chan feeling isolated inside her cla.s.sroom?
"I wonder if shes okay."
Yumi said, also staring at the closed door.
She knew there was nothing she could do to help in that cla.s.s, no matter what she wanted.
- I wonder if shes okay.
Yumi-samas words rang in her ears.
So when she took another look at her cla.s.s, a couple of things caught her attention.
Touko ate her lunch alone.
She was alone during breaks too.
After school, when she didnt have club activities, shed sit in her seat and work on her poster, but not a single cla.s.smate approached her. Even if they didnt help, they could at least have taken a look.
Touko was isolated.
Like a single drop of oil in water. She didnt mix with anyone in cla.s.s.
"Ah, I asked her if she wanted any help once, but she turned me down."
Kanako-san said. Noriko had called out to her during a break and they were talking in the hallway.
As for why she was talking to Kanako-san, that was because she alone possessed an aura that was different to everyone else.
"You called out to her?"
Kanako-san immediately answered, "Pretty much."
"But it was only once. Im not a fan of high-pressure sales tactics, where you keep going after youve been turned down. Plus Ive been busy with my club activities. Of course, Id still help out if she asked me to."
"Thank-you."
This elicited a smile from Kanako-san.
"I havent done anything to earn your thanks, Noriko-san."
Still, thank-you. Noriko bowed her head in Toukos stead. In her position, she couldnt help Touko even if she wanted to, which made her all the more grateful.
"And I told you she turned down my offer &h.e.l.lip; besides."
Kanako-san had a somewhat serious expression.
"What?"
"I dont think shell ask for help."
"Yeah."
Noriko felt she might be right too.
"Hey."
Suddenly, Noriko wanted to hear Kanako-sans opinion.
"Why do you think Toukos acting like that?"
"Im not sure but &h.e.l.lip; faith? Thats not quite right. But I get a vague feeling its something like that."
Vague though it may be, Noriko thought Kanako-sans reasoning was on the right track.
"She doesnt want to be a bother to anyone, wouldnt you say? Thats why I decided to leave her be."
Indeed. Maybe that was all she could do for now.
The strained relationship between Touko and her cla.s.smates was brought into the open through a trivial incident one day during recess.
"Does Touko-san really hate Yumi-sama that much?"
Touko had continued to pointedly ignore the election chatter, but this new approach caused her to unthinkingly raise her head.
"Now, Ill admit that Yumi-sama doesnt have the sort of good looks that make Ogasawara Sachiko-sama so hard to approach, nor does she exude intelligence or dignity. We probably shouldnt expect her to gain these any time soon either. But she more than makes up for that with her likeability and warmth. Id like that kind of Rose. I think the future Roses should look for more people like that too."
This girl was a fan of Yumi-samas.
"You cant accept Yumi-sama so youre pulling this crazy stunt of running in the election. Do you think youre any better?"
As a pa.s.sionate fan, with her blood rushing to her head, she could only see what was on the surface.
What did she think she was going to achieve by telling Touko about Yumi-samas appeal at this point. It had already progressed well past the stage for such an elementary argument. Touko wasnt that simple.
"Say something."
Yumi-samas fan was getting more and more enraged as Touko sat there staring at her and not saying a thing.
The way Touko hadnt talked to her cla.s.smates, or offered any excuses, or done anything except sit alone and silently work on her campaign materials had obviously stuck in this girls craw, leading to her current explosion.
She couldnt tolerate that Yumi-samas rival was one of her cla.s.smates. Her friends tried to get her to stop but she shook them off and kept going.
"You were the one responsible for the temporary falling out between Rosa Chinensis and Yumi-sama at the start of summer, werent you, Touko-san? But despite that, you pretended not to know and acted in the Yamayurikais play for the school festival. You cozied up to Yumi-sama because you wanted to be a Rose, but now youre turning your knife against her?"
Ah, so that was it. Noriko understood now. She was envious. Of the deep connection Touko had to the Red Rose family. This impromptu protest was because she didnt know how to handle the envy she felt for the way Touko flitted about inside the Yamayurikai at will (or appeared to).
Did she understand her cla.s.smates feelings or not? Either way, Touko laughed scornfully and spat out a single sentence.
"So, what?"
This antagonized not only the cla.s.smate that had been complaining to Touko, but also the other students around her.
Noriko watched all this unfold from a distance, judging that the situation would only deteriorate further if she tried to intervene, but even she could see that Touko was acting like a fool.
- I wonder if shes okay.
Yumi-samas words echoed in her ears once more.
Monday of the last week of January, two days out from the candidates speeches.
At lunch, before heading to the Rose Mansion, Yumi timidly approached the library.
For no real reason. Maybe she was reminded of what happened last year. Looking behind the counter for Shizuka-sama, who obviously wasnt there.
If Shizuka-sama was still enrolled at Lillians, Yumi would have been able to ask her all about what transpired back then. Maybe it would have explained some things about Touko-chan, who was, in a way, in the same position.
(Thats probably it.)
She didnt even consider discussing it with her soon-to-be-graduated onee-sama. Since it had to do with Yumis relationship to Touko-chan, she had to somehow stumble upon a solution herself, even if she didnt know what it was just now.
Why was Touko-chan running in the election? Was it because she wanted to be a Rose?
If Yumi continued on and graduated without a pet.i.t soeur, then the seat of Rosa Chinensis would automatically open up. At that point there would be no problem with her running in the election.
Why couldnt she wait a year?
Or did she want to beat Shimako-san and the two boutons in order to become a Rose?
Maybe she was dissatisfied with the current student council? But then, two of the three were changing, so it was bound to change too.
So then, was the problem the boutons? Yumi, or Yoshino-san. Had she nominated herself to show that she wouldnt recognize one of them as a student council leader?
"A fresh breeze for the Yamayurikai."
That slogan was written on Touko-chans poster.
If Touko-chan thought she wanted to be a student council president for all the right reasons, shouldnt Yumi admire that determination?
(Even though in the one-in-a-million chance that Touko-chan wins, one of us will lose.)
Yoshino-sans scary face stole into her mind.
Following in the footsteps of her onee-sama.
Continuing to do her best to support the Yamayurikai with her friends, like she had up to now.
How was that for a motive?
(While that may be true, what can you do, Yumi-san?)
This time the gentle face of Shimako-san floated by. Yumi was one person, she didnt have hundreds of ballots to cast.
That was exactly right. Even if Yumi voted for Touko-chan, it was very rare that an election was decided by just one ballot. But, even if that one vote was the difference between victory and defeat, they wouldnt know who it was that lost and was left behind until the votes were tallied. Speculate however she may.
(Hold on, Yumi-san. What are you thinking?)
The phantoms of her two dear friends seemed to overlap each other.
(If you do that, Ill never forgive you.)
But there was still time, even now.
The deadline for candidate registration had already pa.s.sed. There were four candidates. If one dropped out, that would leave the requisite three. Those three would become the next Roses through a vote of confidence.
She could continue to fight Touko-chan, or she could withdraw her candidacy and cede the position of Rosa Chinensis.
Shed gone over this countless times in her mind.
"Haa .. "
In the end, she couldnt come up with an answer just by changing her location. Yumi sat in the reading room for about ten minutes before leaving the library. The number of students whod come to the library during lunch to study or research something had increased. If she was just going to sit around sighing, she didnt have to do it there.
As she was walking back towards the school building, she noticed a middle-aged lady walking back and forth in front of the visitors entrance.
"Um &h.e.l.lip; ?"
Upon hearing her voice, the ladys shoulders jumped in surprise and she turned around.
"My apologies. I could guide you to your destination, if youd like."
"Oh my."
She was probably a students mother, or maybe an alumni. She was a little bit plump, wearing a fine looking tailored coat, and smiled elegantly.
"Thank-you, that would be a great help. I brought something my daughter left at home, but I wasnt sure how best to go about it. I set out when I noticed shed left it behind, so I havent been in touch with her. To be honest, I was thinking about just going home. Ive been here for school festivals and sports festivals, but its somehow hard to approach the school building on a regular day, dont you think?"
"I see. Ah, here, use these."
Yumi led the lady to the entrance and laid out a pair of blue slippers for her.
"Thank-you."
After putting on the slippers, the lady unb.u.t.toned her coat. After sliding her coat back past her collar, she stood there for a little while. Yumi looked at her, unsure what she was doing, and eventually the lady blushed and said, "Ah."
"Oh no. Silly me."
It looked as though typically someone else would remove her coat for her. As befitting the daughter, no, wife of a high-cla.s.s family.
"Which cla.s.s is your daughter in?"
Yumi asked, pulling herself together.
"First-year - no, could you perhaps guide me to the high-school staff room?"
"Okay?"
Yumi asked, and the lady said:
"I dont think youd like it if your mother brought something youd forgotten to your cla.s.sroom, right?"
In front of her friends.
"That &h.e.l.lip; might be true."
Yumi tried replacing the lady in front of her eyes with her own mother.
(Thank-you for always looking after Yumi. Ive brought something she left at home today. Ah, Yumi-chan, look, here. You left it in the entrance. Honestly, youre so absent-minded.)
Imagining it, it was indeed painful.
"I dont want to embarra.s.s my daughter, so it would be better to leave it with her homeroom teacher. Dont you think so?"
In addition to her handbag, the lady held a simple brown paper bag, which probably contained the thing her daughter had left behind - so it didnt look like it required any special care.
"I understand completely."
In full agreement, Yumi obediently headed towards the staff room. She tried to imagine what the forgotten item could be. Typically, itd be something like a forgotten lunchbox. In that case, the sooner it was delivered the better. Even though Yumis lunch still sat untouched in her bag.
The lady looked around restlessly as she walked, apparently finding the school on a weekday an unusual sight.
"Student council election &h.e.l.lip; ah."
The lady said, reading from a poster in the hallway.
"Youve heard about it?"
It wasnt a candidates poster, just an informational one about the election. Stating when the candidates speeches would be held, as well as the election day and other such things.
"Yes, my daughter told me all about it. She said that, this year, the current Rosa Gigantea, Rosa Chinensis en bouton and Rosa Foetida en bouton were running. It sounds like my daughters supporting them all too. She said theyre all lovely onee-samas, so theyll surely be elected. Isnt that wonderful?"
She probably couldnt imagine that the girl in front of her was Rosa Chinensis en bouton. And since the praise had been made unknowingly, it wouldnt be appropriate for Yumi to respond humbly with, "Oh, youre too kind." That said, they werent close enough that shed introduce herself formally either, so Yumi simply smiled vaguely as they arrived at the staff room.
"Thank-you very much. Youve been a great help."
The lady said, implying that shed be able to handle it from here, having seen the teachers seating chart posted near the doorway.
"Im sorry for prying, but you still have your lunch left in your bag, dont you? Id feel terrible if lunch ended before you finished eating, so dont worry about me."
So that meant it probably wasnt her daughters lunch in the bag. Yumi excused herself, and thought shed head to the Rose Mansion to eat. As she was leaving, the lady said:
"Say, have we met somewhere before?"
"No?"
Yumi looked uncertain, having no memory of any s