Chapter 2

``Sorrry for intruding.'' (Me: It's used more like a comic formality here.)

Recognizing the name on the plate on top of the door, Yumi opened it and found Yoshino-san on her bed reading a paperback book.

``Aah, Yumi-san.''

Yoshino-san looked up to Yumi and smiled as if she were a blooming flower.

Because it seemed like Yoshino-san's room was a private room, nobody else was with her. On the side of the bed was a small desk on top of which there were piles of paperback books which probably helped Yoshino-san fight boredom.

``Here ......''

Yumi gave some flowers that she had spent time picking out. At first she was going to bring a cake and some fruits, but her mom had asked her whether Yoshino-san would be able to have that much, and she ended up bringing flowers.

``Thanks a lot! They're beautiful!''

There were many types of flowers, but she choose three varieties of cute-looking yellow flowers. For some reason it suited Yoshino-san very well.

``I didn't really pick it out myself, but I picked it up at the florist. I was looking for lilies and ones that didn't smell very string. There were lots.''

So that she didn't waste time arranging the flowers, the florist reccomended her to buy a vase. In the middle of a shape that looked like a backwards straw hate was an oasis, and in the middle of the oasis was arranged the flowers. She placed this on the table and let it decorate the area.

``I found out that a potted plant is bad.'' (Me: I'm not quite sure if this is what the translation would be, but in context, this is the best I could mangle.)

``Ahh, yeah, because it's ``taken root''. I didn't really pay much attention to that.'' (Me: You'll see why ``taken root'' is set off.)

Taken root or To go to bed, Yoshino-san could've meant either one, because she was in a hospital. It was just like continuing Sadness and Death or avoiding the numbers Nine and Four. Just like Hospital or Sick Person. (Me: This paragraph is laced with Japanese puns. She was confusing Taken Root or To go to Bed, both ``Netsuku''. Sadness and Death is ``Ku ya Shi'' in this case. And the numbers are ``Kyuu ya Shi''. Also, ``Kuyashii'' is an adjective meaning regrettable or mortifying. Lastly, Hospital is ``Byouin'' and Sick Person is ``Byounin''.)

``I'm sorry for calling you over on a Sunday.''

Yoshino-san placed the book she was reading on top of the mountain of other books, turned to face Yumi, and locked eyes.

``Nah, it's alright.''

Yumi sat in the suggested round seat and turned her head. More than coming on a Sunday, Yumi had come because Yoshino-san had purposefully called her and said ``Come over''. She had gotten a happy win.

``What's wrong? You sound angry.''

The two had not met outside of school before. Even though Yoshino-san wore a pajama and gown and Yumi wore a jumper skirt with a mohair style cardigan, they both shrugged a bit and laughed.

``What happened?''

Yoshino-san's question changed the subject quickly, but while Yumi was normally only average at Japanese, she was able to follow who Yoshino-san was talking about. (Me: The original Japanese didn't contain any subject in the last sentence, so I decided not to put it in.)

``She's been a bit absentminded for a while. But I think she's alright.''

``I see.''

Then she was right in thinking that she should've answered Yoshino-san's question with information about Rei-sama.

``Well, is she still absentminded?''

``Yup. Welll, we're trying to help her out.''

When she said this, Yumi thought. Yoshino-san seemed happy that Rei-sama was absentminded. It should be the other way around.

``Next week Saturday. Rei-chan has a sports meet. It's kendo.''

``Yup.''

``I hope she totally wins.''

Well, it was good that her merriness came back to her. Yoshino-san's face looked as if it was relieved. Something had made Yoshino-san seem like she was angered at Rei-sama. But if Yoshino-san had already heard everything, there was nothing wrong in Yumi saying this about Rei-sama. While listening to Yoshino-san like this, it seemed that Yoshino-san didn't actually hate Rei-sama.

``Yumi-san. Did you read the special article about Rei-chan and I in the Lilian Kawaraban?''

The subject of the conversation suddenly changed.

``Y, ......yes. I read it.''

Actually, Yumi had brought this special edition of the Lilian Kawaraban with her in her purse. While the newspaper wasn't very uplifting, Yumi brought it along because she would have to show it in case Yoshino-san asked.

``Well, didn't the whole thing seem fake?''

``Huh?''

``It was a misprint. Well, was it a misprint? Well anyways, they made big mistakes in those answers.''

``Eh?!''

Yumi hurriedly opened her back, pulled out the Lilian Kawaraban, and looked. Because she was in a hurry, the two pages of the newspaper that had the story fell on Yoshino-san's bed, and she grabbed them quickly.

``- - Ara. Some really bad things have happened.''

Reading the story sideways, Yoshino-san laughed.

(I don't think that story is something you should laugh about- -)

On one page thwas an example of the crisis. This week's newspaper featured an article about all the crises that followed after the crisis with the Rosa Foetida en Bouton sisters. On the page were printed the names of twenty different people from ten different classes. On the page was Oyamada Miyuki-san's name and Katsura-san's name. It had happened on that day Yumi had turned her head backwards to look at the crying girl. Obviously the Newspaper Club would push this all the way.

But this list only contained the people that the Newspaper Club knew who had returned their rosary. In reality, who knew how many sisters had said goodbye to each other. What in the world would happen.

``- Eh. So, anyways, where's the misprint?!''

Yumi thrust out the Lilian Kawaraban with her hand and pressed it on Yoshino-san. Once again Yumi ran her eyes over the newspaper but she had absolutely no idea where the mistake could be.

``Well. Whoever would read this article would think that it's the truth.''

``So, it's just something like a Kanji mistake?''

``It's the contents.''

After Yoshino-san pointed this out, she once more regarded the paper carefully. She had absolutely no idea what Yoshino-san meant. After giving up, Yoshino-san took the Lilian Kawaraban in hand. ``All of this here.'' she said, while tracing her index finger throughout a large area on the paper.

``All of this?''

``Rei-chan and my questionairre. We had given two papers put, but they entered them in incorrectly.''

``Eh ......? Ehhhh - ?!'' (Me: Yumi's responses are just great sometimes.)

There was birthdate and height and bloodtype. There was also a variety of healthy-showing clinical records that were arranged as if they had no data but simply compiled together notes. But the big part of it was their personal tastes.

``No way.''

Rei-sama read girls novels and Yoshino-san read books with Samurai killing each other? It really really didn't match their looks.

And Yoshino-san had much evidence piled up to back it up, in the form of paperback books. She took one off, opened the cover, and showed Yumi.

``......Ikenami Shoutarou.''

It was like suddenly she lost all her energy.

``Yup, it seems like the whole thing is wrong.''

The final blow was when Yoshino-san pointed to the tower of paperbacks. It was good to read books not assigned in class, but in order to completely forget school, she would read and reread books about her favorite swordsman.

``Wait, wait. Yoshino-san's hobbies are- -''

``It doesen't seem like me. I like watching sports programs.''

She liked sumo and basketball and soccer, and she loved the olympics to death. Yumi's image of Yoshino-san changed.

But then, it was Rei-sama who sewed. (Me: This section's sentence rythym is paced out more uniformly in Japanese. I tried, but I couldn't really imitate it.''

``That lap blanket I use in class. Remember it? Rei-chan made that herself.''

``- -'' (Me: Another great Yumi moment.)

Yoshino-san had much more to say, and Yumi just couldn't handle it right now.

Who would believe that the cool-looking Rei-sama who waved around a bamboo stick at school goes home and works with a sewing ball?

It didn't suit them at all. She could bet that, without Yoshino-san telling anyone this, nobody would be able to find the mistake. While it wasn't very nice of the Newspaper Club, it wasn't a very unexpected mistake.

``I think the thing with Rei-chan is useless.''

``Useless?''

``She's always been protecting me like a knight. Plus, have you seen how she looks? Among all the girls, she looks just like a boy.''

But inside, she was really a girl. Before she had talked to Yoshino-san, Yumi had thought that Yoshino-san was a real girl inside who also looked like a girl.

``Yoshino-san, you know. I see what you mean by useless.''

Where that came from and why Yumi interrupted, she had no idea.

``Because of me Rei-chan acts in this weird way.''

Yoshino-san said with a serious look.

``Is that why you gave back the rosary?''

Well, after reading the Newspaper Club's story, it didn't seem like that. Breaking the soeur relationship because she was worried about Rei-sama's future, it was almost like a world in a ballad.

But Yoshino-san had given the newspaper article a sidelong glance and dismissed it as totally incorrect.

``It isn't very brave of me. It's like turning my back from a friend.''

``Huh?''

``It's just that, I don't feel that our relationship was right. I was just talking about returning our relationship to a new piece of paper.''

``What do you mean?''

``I have to be strong because of Yoshino, she says. Well, if I wasn't there, then what would she do? In reality, Rei-chan isn't a very strong person, so now she uses me as a shield to get stronger. I didn't realize that quickly.''

Rei-sama wasn't supporting Yoshino-san, she was getting close to her.

Yoshino-san realized from a long time ago that for some reason Rei-sama wanted to get close to her. She tried her hardest to seperate from Rei-sama, but unfortunately, she went to the same school as Rei-sama and loved next door to her. So she had no other way left other than to break their soeur relationship. While Yoshino-san had thought about saying it over and over again, she eventually put it off, until that day came.

Yoshino-san forcefully gave back her rosary to the very overprotective Rei-sama.

``I really hope Rei-chan gets stronger.''

said the girl whose favorite phrase was none other than ``The first move will win the match'' with a fierce facial expression, and then smiled.

``Because of this, Rei-chan isn't the only one affected. I also will become stronger.''

``Become stronger - -''

Yoshino-san was already very strong, Yumi thought, but she understood what Yoshino-san intended. What would she do with all this strength, though?

But while Yoshino-san ponited out what she wanted to do, Yumi had no idea why she wanted to do it.

``I've decided to have surgery.''

She had been strong for twenty minutes.