Chapter 4

After her classroom cleaning was done, ``Shall we go to the Bara no Yakata'' called out a face Yumi recognized as she was walking down the corridor by Crysanthemum Class.

Crysanthemum Class's cleanup had already finished, and the desks and chairs were precisely arranged in a line. Because all the students were immersed in club activities, there were an uncountable amount of school bags hanging on the wall, and there was no other life.

Fufufu, smiled Yoshino, slightly raising her lips. Now that Yumi was getting used to it, it seemed like it was a calm smile.

On top of her desk was piled up a stack of notes that it seemed she had borrowed.

After saying this, Yoshino once again started coping the notes. Because she was doing the copying here, Yumi decided to pull out a seat and sit behind Yoshino.

While Yumi was absentmindedly staring at Yoshino, she wondered ``What kind of a person iiiis Yoshino-san?''

She was a bit slight of height. She was losing some weight, but it did not seem as if she was doing this on purpose. Her whole body gave off the impression of a slight build, and it seemed adequate for her. She was wearing a lap blanket on top of her skirt that she had probably handmade. Not conspicuous, it was a dark green color made of knitting wool and matched her seifuku.

Her forelocks split straight down above the eyebrows, and split into two parts in the middle, and down lower stitched together in three parts. While not as dark as Rei-sama's hair, the color Yoshino's hair wore was a little brown, and the stitched together braids did not seem very heavy.

Her eyelashes gave the impression that they were not as long as they were thick. If she was in any danger, Yoshino-san could hang her head down at an angle, and she would be well hidden. Because of this, her number one soeur candidate could nod. (Me: I wasn't quite sure how to translate this, oh, and ``number one'' is in Katakana). When Yoshino-san became a second year, it would be good of her to take a feminine soeur.

Because of her wild thoughts, Yumi became embarassed. She tried to stop her blush by bringing her hands up to her cheeks.

Unexpectedly, Yoshino-san lifted her head. It seemed as if she had felt Yumi's gaze upon her.

In the confusion, it was already too late to fix things. Also, because she had no excuse for what was what, Yumi was in trouble.

``Rosa Gigantea was right. Yumi-san is interesting.'' (Me: This refers to Rosa Gigantea's first meeting with Yumi in the first novel, where Yumi let her emotions play out on her face, and Rosa Gigantea thought that amusing.)

Looking at Yumi's face closely, Yoshino-san did not look particularly unhappy. Having finished copying the notes, she was smiling as she was placing a sharp pencil and an eraser in her in her pencil case.

Her face caught on fire. Why was it always that when she was in front of beautiful women, she could only thing embarassing thoughts?

No, that's not it. Recently, the number of beautiful women around her was increasing. That was the problem.'' (Me: ``Beautiful women'' here is ``Bishoujo''.)

Putting her school bag in the hand she had copied the notes with, Yoshino-san whispered.

``Your appearance?'' (Me: This wasn't quite accurate, but it was the most natural translation I could think of.)

Being attacked with the question, Yumi could not find words to frame the answer. Of course, Yoshino-san's eyelashes were thick, and her hair was long, but that wasn't what she wanted to hear. Not what she could see with her eyes, but something more like an internal image - -.

Trying to save herself from a capsizing boat, without thinking Yumi blurted out her idea, and Yoshino-san seemed to agree, but now if she tried to think about it more closely, it was probably quite embarassing.

``You're feminine, I think. You're gentle around those around you, you aren't too conspicuous, and you're cute. You have a brother at home, and you're the type of person people like. ......Are?''

While she chose to build up an image not using impolite words, her words were turning in a weird direction. She wasn't asking about everyone else's interest in her. But Yoshino-san said ``Honorable'' and then giggled.

``At home, it seems like Yoshino-san wears a frilly apron and bakes cake, and sews lace tableclothes.'' (Me: Wow Yumi, just wow. You sure have an overactive imagination.)

She makes mini flower patterns from lace and ribbon.
Rather than tight skirts, she wears flared ones.
She has an A-line coat.
Her favorite fruit is strawberry.
She prefers pink over blue.
She likes ice cream and cake and candy.
She has pride in her English and her country, but she's not very good at math and science.

This girl gave of an impression of a ``seeming like a true girl'', and it probably would not change much. At least Yoshino-san and her agreed on that point, her thought swelled in her mind.

With a breath that resembled letting out a sigh, Yoshino-san smiled, lifter up her lap blanket, and folded it. The motif created with the lap blanket and the color's texture was suited for a maiden. ......But she probably had not sewed that herself.

For some reason, it was a little disappointing. But, now, Yumi began wondering what sort of a person Yoshino-san was, and a new interest boiled up in her.

``I'm not, so I'm not.'' (Me: Here I wasn't quite sure how to translate the phrase to English well. ``Inai koto mo nai to omou keredo.'')

Yoshino-san whispered this with emphasis and rose. Then she walked to the back of the room, opened her locker, and put the lap blanket inside.

``We can't return together bcause it's getting close to the time for my Onee-sama to meet me''

Rei-sama's kendo match was close, so every day she was pursuing her club activities with great energy. Also, the Bara no Yakata was probably in the middle of one of its frequent afterschool ``Tea Party Meeting'' with little talking actually gonig on. (Me: Here, ``tea party'' has a much more formal meaning than the typical English idea of it. It's sort of like a business meeting.)

``Since today's my first day back at school after a while, my Onee-sama is worried about me.''

The knight must see the princess off and meet her later. The princess must be protected well by the knight. (Me: I didn't catch ``boroku'' in the last sentence, so, caveat emptor.)

Now the image that Yumi was embracing was a little different. She was thinking that Yoshino-san was the type of person who would never say bad things about other people.

Why Yoshino-san said that Yumi did not know, and so she tilted her head. As if watching herself in a mirror, Yoshino-san also turned her head in the same direction.

Having heard they were cousins were the first time, she was surprised, but not as much as the shock she received for hearing Yoshino-san call Rei-sama ``Rei-chan''.

It seemed like this was a very well-known piece of juicy gossip at school. This year in summer, Rosa Foetida en Bouton Rei-sama had chosen Yoshino-san as her soeur, the ``Lilian Kawaraban'' made a story about them, and the whole school including the incoming new students seemed to learn about them. It was embarassing for Yumi, because she, who had attended Lilian from Kindergarten, did not know at all.

Well, since there was no changing it, nothing could be done. Because she thought of the Newspaper Club as bad, she had no interest in reading the ``Lilian Kawaraban''. The time she met the Yamayurikai members for the first time, the time when she started following Sachiko-sama.

Because it had only happened a week earlier, that scene was still fresh in her mind. Her beloved Onee-sama, with a face full of determination, had given her the rosary. Out of her 16 years of life, this was probably the time she felt the happiest. In the middle of her heart, it had felt like a fire of flowers had opened up.

``Both I and my Onee-sama had been going to Lilian this whole time, right? From a long time ago, it was already tacitly decided that when we enter high school, we would become sisters.''

``On the day of the High School Entrance Ceremony, I was sick, so I couldn't come. Later, Onee-sama came, and while I was sleeping, gave me the rosary. That was all.''

``I know. But it's not a story that involved any heart pounding. It was like the last story in a mystery book.''

Basically, Yoshino-san wanted a heart-pounding experience. Yumi, on the other hand, just wished to be able to lead a normal student life.

``But, Yoshino-san, time you spend wishing won't come back. Rei-sama and your cousin relationship, there's no reason that you couldn't change them, right?''

``Yep. That's why that's my only little complaint. Somehow, Yumi-san wanted to only listen.''

While her cousin relationship was strong, it can't be that she complains about Rei-sama to Rei-sama.

(Wait a second. If that's true, Yoshino-san is very sociable with others, but never opens her heart to her classmates?)

Other people don't notice her. Ah, Sachiko-sama wasn't the only person she needed to learn from.

Holding her chin in her hands, Yoshino-san laughed lightly. But across the room from the angel-like smile, Yumi was thinking something surprising.

Narrowing the small silence that had been born between the two, Rei-sama strode in the classroom with vigor.

For some reason, staying there had become intolerable, and she stood quickly. Before Rei-sama wasn't here, and now she came in and started talking, it was as if Yumi was a bug interrupting a meeting of lovers. She didn't know where to go.

``Yeah. Because we haven't been made soeurs just yesterday or today, we don't want to be so close to each other.''

So, Rei-sama said that, because we had only become soeurs yesterday or today, we wanted to be very close to each other.

``It's nothing big, scoldings, fixing mussed ties, secretly giving candy. After becoming a big sister, Sachiko seems to be having a lot of fun.''

Without thinking about hello, she pushed on. Giving candy, scolding, fixing and checking garments, those were normal things, not close things-. Rei-sama and Yoshino-san's relationship really did not resemble Yumi's. Truly, theirs was a cousin relationship. In a weird portion, they had found something valuable. (Me: Not quite sure what the last bit means.)

``Yumi-chan, when you go to the Bara no Yakata, would you please tell the Onee-samas my messages, it'll be until the match is finished. I'm sorry for troubling you.''

``Gokigenyou, Yumi-san. After listening to what I had to say, you cleared it up.''

Yoshino-san said, while looking as if she would tilt her head. After Rei-sama, she turned towards the corridor and walked out. But, what had been cleared up, Yumi had no idea.

Without thinking, Yumi called out for her to stop, Yoshino-san turned quietly and took one night to ask ``Why?'' in return.

Rei-sama disappeared through the door. To the question Yumi threw out in the air, Yoshino-san answered ``What am I doing.'', and with these vague incomprehensible words, she left.

What was she thinking? Also, if Yumi wasn't mistaken, Yoshino-san had answered Yumi's question with a question back.

From when she had said ``What am I doing'', it seemed as if a power had entered her eyes. Just what in the world did she plan to do. Maybe it would be good to stop her. Yumi wondered who she should talk with.

Because after Yumi listened to her conversation, Yoshino-san said that Yumi ``cleared it up'', Yumi felt somewhat responsible.

But, without life experience, when people like Yoshino-san got an idea in their heads and began thinking about it with enthusiasm, first year girls would not understand it. (Me: This sentence was tough, and I hope I got it right.)