Chapter 1

It happened quicker than she thought.

``The Rosa Foetida en Bouton sisters are in crisis.''

Yumi heard this news after class had finished and was in the middle of the integral part of school student life, after school cleaning.

Her other classmate in cleaning Katsura-san who had returned to class noisily spoke quietly to those around the door. Yumi picked up the words as she was washing the blackboard.

``Is that true?!''

Without a lady's flattery, Yumi descended from the platform in a daring pose and jumped on Katsura-san.

``B ...be quiet Yumi-san.''

She almost could not be quiet (Me: I couldn't translate this sentence well). Both of Yumi's hands gripped onto Katsura-san's arms, and took her to the corner to press her for answers.

``I, in the first place, don't grab my seifuku while touching the cleaning rag.''

Katsura-san appealed in a voice that resembled a scream. If one looked, her seifuku's green-black texture had become thicker around the area of her arm.

``Ah, sorry.''

Yumi hastily dropped her hand. Because she was in a trance, she had still held on to the rag.

``It's alright. Now that you've removed your hand, I can try to dry it off.''

After this, Katsura-san began relaying her newly learned information. As always, she had sharp ears.

``Because it happened after sixth period, it's old news.''

So talk had already started.

Yoshino-san who had just come back to school for two days had gotten a home room pass to leave school early for the hospital. She already had an appointment with the doctor, and because there were so many people around her when she was leaving, Yumi thought it was useless to approach her.

``The Crysanthemum class just thought it was swelling, right? It's alright if she just misses cleanup.''

``Why?''

``Because, Yoshino-san - -. Are? You've never had Yoshino-san in the same class as yourself?''

``Nope.''

Yumi shook her head and Katsura-san whispered ``From Kindergarten to the first year of high school, because classes change once every two years, that's very rare'' and because she had no other choice, began to explain about Yoshino-san.

``If you've never been in the same class with her before, what do you think is wrong with her?''

``Doesen't she have a weak body?''

``That's probably also there, but look here.''

Katsura-san pointed to the middle of Yumi's chest.

``Tie?''

``You stupid. The heart.''

Because she had no reason for being an idiot, Katsura-san poked Yumi on the head with all her might.

``If you had been in the same class as her, you would have seen it once.''

``What?''

``Her fits. If you see them, you'll see that her heart is bad. The heart is vital to life, you know.''

``Well, I guess.''

Sometimes it seemed like Yoshino-san became short of breath and had to sit down to control her breathing. So that's what this ``swelling'' business was about.

``Is that why she always rests during marathons? And hikes? And she only watches everyone else in gym class? Because she can only hover around happily?''

``Of course.''

That's why she doesen't have any close friends. That's also probably why her cousin Rei-sama has to help with everything. Because she cannot get close to any classmate, she has never had any intimate friends.

``And?''

Yumi went back to the earlier conversation.

``Are, how far did I get in the story? Since I got sidetracked, I don't really remember.''

Katsura-san began stammering ``Uhhhh'' with a facial expression like that of a middle-aged woman. Yumi immediately sent out a boat to save her.

``Yoshino-san had an appointment with the doctor, so she left early.''

``Ah, yeah.''

Katsura-san clapped her hands together.

``Yoshino-san had to leave early, and it seemed like Rei-sama would go too. Of course, Rei-sama would have to skip homeroom, right? So, then it seemed that Yoshino-san forbid Rei-sama. The plan was to meet a taxi in front of the school gate, and she tried to convince Rei-sama that she would go alone.''

``Ah.''

``It seemed like just an ordinary argument. Rei-sama said ``We'll go together'' and Yoshino-san replied ``You won't go'' in argument. Eventually, the time for the medical appointment came, and Yoshino-san just walked to the school gate and walked out to the taxi.''

``And Yoshino-san left just like that?'' (Me: Was an odd translation.)

``Yeah.''

``What was the main reason for her leaving?''

``Rei-sama had gotten permission to put her name in the student notebook for early leave from her homeroom teacher. Yoshino-san got mad at this, and she gave back her rosary. They did it right in front of Maria-sama.''

``- -''

My god, Yoshino-san. Yumi was wondering just what Yoshino-san would do, but she never thought that Yoshino-san would return her rosary- -.

``Hm. Now that she returned the rosary, what happens?''

``That's why I said crisis. Just what did you hear?''

Katsura-san with her face in wonder whispered ``Oh, yeah''.

``Rosa Foetida en Bouton getting her rosary back is huge, something like this has never happened before.''

``Crisis, huh? Isn't it like a breach on vows?''

Yumi asked, and Katsura-san stuck out her index finger and waved it around furiously.

``It's more like divorce.''

``......Huuuuh?'' (Yumi here said ``Heeeeee'')

Her surprise put her in a pose as if she had been through a tornado. A younger sister who shows her older sister deference giving her rosary back is like a proper wife suddenly announcing that she wants a divorce. No, it's worse than that. Because it's never happened before.

``Also, how do you know so much about this, Katsura-san?''

``I heard it straight from Rei-sama.''

``Eh?''

``She's walking around in the school garden like a ghost. She looks really bad, and she keeps walking around and mumbling complaints as if she were in a trance.''

Hearing this, she realized that everything Katsura-san had said had been the truth.

``Rei-sama is''

``I believe I had just gone out from the classroom. She was walking around as if she were sleepwalking. That was the first time I saw that side of Rei-sama.''

``I have to speak to her quickly.''

Handing off the cleaning rag to Katsura-san, she sprang out of the classroom with large strides. Because Katsura-san believed she had seen Rei-sama in the school garden, first Yumi descended the stairs, and opened the door next to them and went outside.

``Where should I go?''

The outside of the Lilian premises was large. If Katsura-san had already heard the story in such detail, then it was probably already very late.

``Eh, as always.'' (Me: I'm not really sure what this means. The Japanese is ``Eei, mama yo''.)

She whispered the last words she had ever heard from a drama, turned North, and ran. Trying to put the conversation together, Rei-sama had probably suffered a great shock. When people received shocks, they either wanted to be alone, or they wanted to talk with someone. Even though Yumi had no idea which kind Rei-sama was, she had a feeling that Rei-sama was the former. So, wouldn't she go to a place that no-one ever goes to, she was thinking.

Peering into the old greenhouse that Sachiko-sama had run away to the day before the Gakuensai, she peered inside and as expected found Rei-sama. Mistaking Rei-sama for someone else for a moment, it seemed that Rei-sama had not really talked to anyone.

``Rei-sama.''

She caught a sidelong glimpse of the handsome Rei-sama and called out to her, but stopped after that. Why had she come to find Rei-sama, thought Yumi to herself. Rei-sama was loitering around the school, she had heard, and without pause to stand and think, she sprang out of the classroom. But now, she had found Rei-sama, she wondered what she should do. She had no idea what she could do for Rei-sama.

Maybe I'll just become an annoyance to Rei-sama. Rei-sama chose this place to come to because she wanted to be alone, right.

``Ah, Yumi-chan.''

Rei-sama recognized Yumi and weakly smiled back at her, a slightly painful smile. On her left hand, the rosary dangled like a deep-green rock. That must be the rosary that Yoshino-san gave back.

``Whyyyy?''

Why had Yoshino-san given the rosary back? She would like to know that. Saying these words as if she really were in a trance, she sighed out.

``Yumi-chan, have you ever wanted to give back Sachiko's rosary?''

``Eh? Ah? ......No, not yet.''

She interjected honestly, not even thinking once about it. But she thought Rei-sama would do the same. That's why when she heard about people who broke their sisterly vows, she thought it was absolutely unbelievable.

``Sorry. Since you've only been sisters for a week, you've never had that experience.''

``Yeah.''

If that conversation were to occur, she would find it very difficult to think about removing herself from such a relationship. She might hand Sachiko-sama a divorce letter, but she would never hand back her rosary.

``Ah, what's this. I think I'm going to die.''

Rei-sama cried out unexpectedly, and squatted in obstinacy. Instead of ``I want to die'', ``I think I'm going to die'' somehow seemed more like Rei-sama, or at least Yumi thought.

``Please, for my sake, don't die.''

From behind, a cold voice called out.

``Sachiko-sama!''

Turning around, she saw Ogasawara Sachiko standing.

``Please compose yourself, Rei.''

Sachiko-sama crossed Yumi, went to Rei's side, and commanded.

(She's so awesome ......)

It was mournfully decided. (Me: I'm not sure what this means). This command in this tone of voice was one no-one else could mimic.

``Rosa Foetida en Bouton just shouldn't die. Come, let's go.''

As Yumi was watching Sachiko-sama with wonder thinking ``My Onee-sama is awesome'', Sachiko-sama grabbed the frozen Rei-sama's wrist and began to walk.

``Ah, where to?''

Rei-sama asked, and was answered that Sachiko-sama would lead her to the Bara no Yakata.

``Since you're moping around here, it would be troublesome to stay.''

(Kuh -)

That's that. There was no other choice. Consoling Rei-sama, she had to then be forced along to a place with friends. The answer that Yumi had been searching for Sachiko-sama had simply turned into action. Even though Sachiko-sama had come here because she was worried about Rei-sama, Yumi had never seen anything like this before. When she called Rei-sama ``troublesome'', that was nothing but elegance.

Of course, if Rei-sama spent an hour quietly at the Bara no Yakata, it would help. In that hour, Rei-sama's older sister, Rosa Foetida would probably be there. Even if Rosa Foetida wasn't there, there would be some other third-year there who could help.

Maybe the Rosas could do something about what happened between Yoshino-san and Rei-sama. At least the useless Rei-sama would not come back here again.

While she was thinking this, Sachiko-sama and the trailing-behind Rei-sama left the greenhouse. From the back gate of the school, she recognized the figure of a person who turned and walk slowly through.

``That's ......''

Half believing half doubting, Yumi saw them off. That figure in the distance seems just like that person. No, it can't be.

(I'm thinking of the wrooong person.)

Because she wore the same seifuku, she looked like a girl of the same year as Yumi, and looked as if she fit in completely in this school.

``What are you doing Yumi? You must hasten.''

Sachiko-sama noticed Yumi being late, turned, and said.

``Ah, yeah.''

``Please don't make any more problems. I could go alone but, it would help if the two of us could go along.''

Saying this, she had no choice but to follow, but she didn't really feel an obligation, but felt happy, and ran up to Sachiko-sama. Whether that figure she had seen in the distance a little while ago she was mistaken about or not she would find out when she arrived at the Bara no Yakata.

``You don't have to run.''

But, I would like to be next to you for a little. Being here made her content, and it felt like a fulfilling existence.

So if that's the case, why would Yoshino-san give Rei-sama back her rosary?

Always proper and gentle Rei-sama had received a huge shock, and had deadened. The two's bond had seemed so strong, so why - -.

Understanding other people's affairs was very difficult. In her sixteen years of living, she had groped onto this idea.