Section 1

After the Gakuensai:

The Sunday vacation after the Gakuensai change progressed along like a cat (Me: literally, like a cat) for Yumi, who waited in much anticipation to return to those confusing days before the Gakuensai.

After getting off the bus, Yumi went through the school gate in a hurry, passing through the rows of Gingko trees where a very small number students were still entering school, and hurriedly walked ...no, lightly ran.

With the hem of her skirt mussed and her collar fluttered about, Yumi entered the morning which loomed ahead largely. Anyhow, today was an important day.

``Aaah. Why did I have to forget to set the alarm like I normally do?"

Right before going to sleep on Sunday, as she sat on the toilet seat, she said to herself ``I will set it" but as soon as she returned to her room, she completely forgot. She washed her hands as she remembered, and closed the toilet seat, and closed the door, the deadly thing happened. As she was dancing up the stairs, she met her little brother and began to talk to him. That was probably the reason she forgot.

Why did she make such a mistake? Oh why was she such an idiot, to be late on such an important day?

As the Maria-sama statue that sat in the middle of the two forking roads came to view, she hurried to a stop in front of it, clasped her two hands together, and began to pray as custom said.

``Maria-sama. Today, as always, please look after me. Please allow me to go through the day without mistakes"

As soon as she opened her eyes, she began to run ...well, as she just started walking ...

``Please wait"

From behind the voice called out to her, and without thinking, Yumi straightened her back. For an instant, Yumi became very angry. Was there a boy here, thought Yumi to herself, but she was soon proved wrong.

``Yumi, why are you in such a hurry?"

Yumi recognized the voice and began to turn, as she recognized the lens of a newest-style small camera.

``Gokigenyou. Hmm? Did you think I was Sachiko?"

Saying those words and with a tone of confidence was the Photography Club Ace - Takeshima Tsutako.

Even when simply talking with Tsutako-san, she would not let go of her camera. It was almost like meeting a cyborg.

``Gokigenyou. I'm sorry but, I don't have the time to play this game."

Yumi once more rejected the request, turned her back to Tsutako-san, and began to walk on in silence.

``Ara, you don't have the time?"

Putting her camera in her pocket, Tsutako-san began to follow Yumi. If Yumi was to be the subject of a photo, it would be a grand school entry.

``Hmmm. Yumi is hurrying onward for some reason I don't know. Also Yumi, if I'm not mistaken about your relationship with Sachiko, where is she?" (Me: ``where is she'' is not quite the phrase that's adequate here, but it conveys the general sense of a question of Sachiko presence in Yumi's relationship with her).

After saying this, Tsutako's glasses shined. This Tsutako was a lot like a sempai in the Newspaper Club. She would eventually get what she wanted to know.

``I must admit, you weren't mistaken"

Inappropriate for a friend but with no other choice, Yumi answered as she kept walking towards the school. This was not a place to spend her time.

``From usual you're entering school a lot faster. Your face says that you're late for something"

Tsutako stepped out in a half step and turned towards Yumi's face in a motion of fluidity. Her footwork was good. This was also the results of a girl who took hidden pictures.

Of course if Tsutako had not noticed Yumi, she might not have been this late and would have been able to hurry. She would be written about as ``Number 1 Late" in the papers with much enjoyment, it seemed. (Me: I could not translate this part very well. `Number 1 Late' refers to `Chikoku 1'.)

``Oh, I see. Sachiko-sama is waiting for Yumi-san? So this morning, you two wanted to meet without spectacle in a hidden Rendezvous?"

``Rendezvous?"

``French. Literally translated, it means `Meeting' doesn't it? The romanticist Tsutako-san would of course call it `hidden meeting'. Rendezvous, the conversation meant to only be heard by those closest to you." (Me: `Rendezvous' is literally found as the Katakana `Randebuu'. `Hidden meeting' is the Japanese word `Deai'. I had a beast of a time translating this sentence, and would love it if somebody gave me a hand.)

``Only meant to be heard closest to you" Tsutako had said incredibly. Just when was this person from? By the way Tsutako speaks, sometimes you would not think of her as a 16-year-old just like Yumi.

``It's not something as tender as a hidden meeting!" Yumi answered in a cold glance, after which Tsutako shifted her glasses and slightly raised the edge of her lips, as she looked at Yumi with a searching glance.

``Arama! So, then what is that proud shining Rosary on your chest?"

``Uh"

Tsutako had sharp eyes. The Rosary was, of course, from the night before yesterday, by Ogasawara Sachiko. With the receiving of the Rosary, Yumi had become the soeur of the ``Target of Affection'' of the entire school - Sachiko. (Me: ``Target of Affection'' is a title given to Sachiko from book 1. Literally ``Akogare no Mato").

Just remembering made her blush. On that strong night, Sachiko had presented her Rosary with great seriousness, and she received it with a feeling as if she had taken a plunge into the dark. Trying to remember that in the middle of the daytime light, she soon realized that reality was waiting. As she plunged into the dark, she had felt a sudden drop. Then all of a sudden, a soft bed opened up beneath her because of an archangel. Of course, reality was harsh. While jumping, if one made a mistake with their footing, one may break their feet. If one made a mistake, their neck could break, and it would mean instant death.

``Anyways, it's visible. Yumi-san, you should hide it underneath your seifuku in a place where others can't see"

``This is a place where others won't see it, so it won't be noticeable ...and I don't have time to just talk like this!"

Yumi sighed, and then began to run, before talk could start that she had been idling around like idly gossiping mothers. She was already late, and now she would be completely late.

``Yumi-san, next time, please listen to me carefully"

This time Tsutako did not chase after Yumi. Instead, from behind, various shutter noises could be heard. A high school girl that ran with all her might, that was an enjoyable thing.

And anyways, Yumi began to notice that the number of eccentrics around her began to increase (Me: I'm not sure what this means. ``Eccentric" here is the Japanese word ``Kawarimono")