Maria-sama ga Miteru Volume 28 Chapter 7
"Huh?"
Yumi murmured. She had a feeling shed forgotten something.
"The keyword was photography club. &h.e.l.lip; No, probably just photograph. What was it, something that I had to remember to do."
Even with this hint, theres no way that Tsutako-san would be able to give her the answer. But when the ball that she had half-heartedly thrown out returned, it landed fair in the middle of her glove.
"Say, Yumi-san, wasnt there something you wanted to see me about."
"Something I wanted to see you about? No, I only asked you to the Rose Mansion because you were doing your club work all alone."
"Not that. After youd emptied the rubbish bin, when you came back into the cla.s.sroom. You saw me and said something like, "There she is. Lucky.""
"Arent you thinking of Katsura-san?"
But as she said this, Yumi slowly remembered.
"Right, I definitely said that."
Ah, there she is. Lucky.
Shed said those words when she saw Tsutako-san sitting there and was relieved that she wouldnt have to walk all the way over to the clubhouse. But then shed completely forgotten about it as she looked over the photographs spread out across Tsutako-sans desk and theyd talked about her eviction from the clubroom.
"If you knew about this, why didnt you tell me?"
"Ah. Id forgotten about it too, until just recently."
"Just recently?"
"Katsura-sans arrival. It blended with your arrival back in the cla.s.sroom and triggered the memory."
But then Tsutako-san too had forgotten about it while she talked to Katsura-san. Geeze, this wasnt the kind of thing youd expect from two young people.
"So, before I forget again."
Yumi reached her hand into her skirt pocket, pulled something out and offered it to Tsutako-san. Looking slightly triumphant as she did so. Ahh - thank-you Yumi-san. Id been looking for that, wondering where it went. That kind of expression of grat.i.tude was what Yumi had been expecting to hear. However.
"Whats this?"
Tsutako-san tilted her head and took a long, hard look at what Yumi was holding. Obviously, Tsutako-san didnt mean that literally. She would know better than anyone else on campus what that was.
"You must have dropped it, Tsutako-san. Some kind first-years picked it up. They asked me to give it to you because were in the same cla.s.s."
That was a roll of film used for taking photographs, from the top selling brand. Small enough to fit in your hand. Alongside the brand name, which resembled that familiar cylindrical shape, the katakana for "Takeshima Tsutako" were written in magic marker. Things found around school were usually taken straight to the lost property office, but there was no reason to do that with this item.
"Its got your name written on it," Yumi said as she pressed the roll of film into Tsutako-sans hand. Some time ago Yumi had gone through the experience of having her umbrella stolen, go missing and then be returned to her by virtue of having her name written on it.
"But this isnt mine."
Tsutako-san looked at the roll of film sitting atop her hand with a confounded expression.
"Huh?"
"For starters, this isnt my handwriting, and Im not missing any rolls of film either."
Yumi thought, "Well thats just foolish." Shed agreed to return it, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence, because shed been under the impression that it was Tsutako-sans.
"So, this Takeshima Tsutako is - "
Probably someone else with the same name. Of course, Takeshima Tsutako was written in katakana, not kanji, so it didnt conclusively point to this Takeshima Tsutako.[1]
"I wonder if theres anyone else in school with that name."
Perhaps using different kanji characters, or maybe even the same ones that Tsutako-san herself uses.[2] At any rate, Takeshima Tsutako didnt seem like it would be that common a name.
They both crossed their arms and looked at the roll of film, wondering what to do about it.
"Oh, why the look of concentration?"
A new visitor had appeared. Although its probably more accurate to call her a tenant rather than a visitor. It was Rosa Foetida en bouton, Shimazu Yoshino-san. Shed been in the chrysanthemum group cla.s.sroom, discussing with Tanuma Chisato-san the particulars of their upcoming date, and had just stopped in at the Rose Mansion on her way home. When Yoshino-san found her two cla.s.smates deep in thought, instead of the empty room she had expected, it had apparently been interesting enough that she just had to stick her nose in.
"Whenever youre in trouble, you can count on the great detective Yoshino - "
Tsutako-san and Yumi looked at each other and surrept.i.tiously sighed. Yumi had the feeling that they were now more likely to thrash around than come to a conclusion. Sadly, Yoshino-san was the most obstinate person in the Rose Mansion. Putting it bluntly, it was obvious that things were about to get worse.
"Ive got it."
Yoshino-san nodded, holding her right hand out, palm upright, with her arm bent at the elbow. Perhaps shed intended it to look as though she was holding a brandy gla.s.s, but, if so, she wasnt swirling it around. A fair bit of time had pa.s.sed before Yumi realized it was somehow meant to look as though she was holding a pipe. Yoshino-san was apparently going for the Sherlock Holmes look.
"The criminal wrote Takeshima Tsutako on it so that it would be delivered to Tsutako-san, no?"
"Delivered to her?"
Again, something absurd. Plus, criminal?
"Right. Delivered to Tsutako-san."
What Yoshino-san had just said was apparently a trick used in detective novels. To have a letter delivered to a certain person in a few days (for example, if you knew you were going to die soon) then you could send a letter with that persons name and address as the sender, and a non-existent address as the recipient. Letters that cant be delivered are generally returned to the sender, so while it would take longer than usual it would still be delivered fairly reliably.
"Isnt that against the rules?"
As soon as the question was out of Yumis mouth, Yoshino-san shrugged her shoulder slightly and sighed in exasperation.
"Like - I - said, its a trick used in detective novels. Its fictional. Everyone knows you cant do that kind of thing in real life."
Detective novels werent the sort of thing to read if you were going to start talking about the legality or morality of things, it seemed. Thats probably true. Having refuted her friend, Yoshino-san looked pleased and triumphant.
"So, then, that would make the intended recipient Takeshima Tsutako."
With her name written on it, it would undoubtedly be delivered to Tsutako-san after some time had pa.s.sed. Made sense. But still.
"From who? And why?"
"Well, I dont know that."
The great detective didnt know.
"You know. If someone wanted to deliver this to me, wouldnt it be easier just to put it in my shoe box on the day they wanted me to get it?"
Tsutako-san pointed out.
"Thats true."
Yumi thought that seemed more realistic. Not only would it remove the time it took for the lost property office to contact Tsutako-san, but it would also make the intention obvious.
"So? Whats inside?"
"Dont know."
They wouldnt be able to tell that until the film was developed. Tsutako-san may be called Camera-chan, but theres no way shed be able to tell what photos were inside just by looking at the casing.
"Let me have a look at it."
Yoshino-san held out her hand. Tsutako-san took a step backwards, protecting the film. Why? Because she had no idea what Yoshino-san was planning to do if she got her hands on it.
"Hey &h.e.l.lip; !"
Yoshino-san desperately lunged forward but didnt come away with the prize, instead losing her balance and grabbing on to the table with both hands to stabilize herself.
"Stop it. What do you think Im going to - "
Yoshino-san moaned as she straightened herself up, but then caught sight of something and suddenly fell silent.
"This is &h.e.l.lip; "
She picked up one of the photos spread across the table and looked at it, eyes narrowed.
"This is Eriko-sama."
Yoshino-san looked to Tsutako-san for confirmation.
"You can tell, even though shes wearing street clothes?"
It wasnt a straight "yes," but the answer was undoubtedly in the affirmative.
"Of course. Were eternal rivals."
It was probably taken during the New Years period because there were numerous people wearing kimonos. In amongst that crowd, Yoshino-sans onee-samas onee-sama, Torii Eriko-sama, was smiling at the camera.
"Even now, were still tightly bound through Rei-chan."
Yoshino-san said, her eyes quiet and serene as she looked at the photograph of her "eternal rival."
Theres a level of uncertainty introduced by using katakana rather than kanji, because multiple kanji can be represented with the same katakana. In the original, Yumi provides two examples of alternate names that would be read as Takeshima Tsutako: 竹島津田子 and 竹島ツタ子, as well as Tsutakos 武島蔦子