Section 3

``Are, Yoshino-san is ......?''

After the main members reached their seats, Yumi noticed that Rei-sama's soeur Shimazu Yoshino-san could not be seen. Because pouring tea was a task for first-years, Shimako-san was the only one doing it, and Yumi began to help in hot haste.

``Because her fever from yesterday hasn't receded yet.''

Rei-sama answered as if she were talking to herself.

``It's probably because she was in such high spirits for the Gakuensai.''

After the event, her physical strength had collapsed. Everyone but Yumi seemed to know this, did not think it was very special, and the talk flowed on smoothly.

As she was distributing the black tea that Shimako-san had put on her tray, absent-mindedly she thought ``Yoshino doesn't have a strong body, does sheee''. That being said, the girls had looked over Yumi countless number of times as if scrutinizing her physicality. (Me: I had a bit of trouble on the last bit.)

Shimazu Yoshino-san, from Lilian Jogakuen kindergarten, had never been in any of her classes with Yumi. While she didn't know her very well, at the Gakuensai she helped prepare loudly, and didn't engage in soft meetings. (Me: Many of the students at Lilian have been going here their entire lives.)

Yoshino-san whose appearance and actions were always in the middle of the public gaze, did not seem like someone of an image of a cute girl with an always reserved smile. To draw a comparison, it was like, among the roses and the lilies, the one shining lily of the valley. (Me: I know that metaphor was very badly translated, and I hope it comes out comprehensible.)

While handing out Rosa Foetida's teacup, Rei-sama's idle conversation entered her ears.

``So. The Newspaper Club has chosen Rei and Yoshino-chan to speak with.''

``Newspaper Club? I and Yoshino?''

Rei-sama, with a look that asked ``Why?'', inclined her neck. Lured Yumi turned her neck. It was laudable. Stalwart Rei-sama and truly obedient Yoshino-san were not mad that the Newspaper Club were following them.

``Hora, Yumi-chan, don't look away. The tea will spill.''

Rosa Gigantea, while taking her teacup from the tray, watched with a rapt expression on her face.

``Sorry.''

First apologizing, there was no way she could notice the Rosa Foetida sisters' conversation.

``Well. Wasn't there a scandal in the Newspaper Club? Oh yeah, making a big example of those two sisters, I think they restricted all their coverage to them.''

After saying this, Rosa Gigantea looked thankfully at Sachiko-sama and Yumi to include them.

``Is that so - -''

``Absentmindedly trying to remember a Newspaper Club story, she understood why the Newspaper Club was not fighting scandal. Normally, they diligently covered school functions and the results of athletic competitions. The coming-tomorrow Newspaper Club would probably make a special feature of the Gakuensai.

``You and Yoshino-chan, through questionnaires the Newspaper Club has handed out, have been named Best Soeurs. After an official request, there isn't really a reason to refuse, but - -''

Rosa Foetida talked as if she were discussing a mathematical equation, and asked in a business-like facial expression to Rei-sama ``What will you do?''

``But, I don't no when Yoshino will be able to get back to school, so ......'' (Me: Note that Rei does not refer to Yoshino in honorifics.)

``I see.''

Understanding this, Rosa Foetida coldly nodded, held her teacup in both hands, and cooled her finger off. Rosa Foetida wore this uninteresting-seeming facial expression. But she wasn't lethargic, and after deciding her work, she saw that no-one was neither not here nor late. Seeing everything was well, she watched everyone with a please-be-interesting face. (Me: I had a pretty hard time with the last two sentences, so I could've translated the completely incorrectly.)

It was awe-inspiring.

Rosa Foetida and Rei-sama were sisters, not in the thrilling way that Sachiko-sama and Yumi were, also not quite in the self-endowed ``Resembling friends'' relationship of Rosa Gigantea and Shimako-san, but something she couldn't quite grasp.

Why did Rosa Foetida choose Rei-sama as her soeur? Why does Rei-sama answer back in that way? After getting an Onee-sama of her own, Yumi wanted to try to understand the relationship of the others.

``Has everyone picked up their cup? Then, let's have a toast.''

Rosa Chinesis stood up and said this. Called a review meeting, it somehow seemed as if one had to meet in a `` `Thank you for your hard work' meeting'' before returning to normal days. The day after the Cinderella play finished, the executive community of Rosas once again became busy, after this work finished, they had to plan the Night Festival, and since then, they had not all met in the same building once. (Me: I translated ``Otsukaresama'' as ``Thank you for your hard work'' because it is a phrase typically used to congratulate work.)

``First, congratulations for the success of the Gakuensai.''

They toasted their Darjeeling Tea straight outward. The tea that Shimako-san had poured in was different from Sachiko-sama's, it had a more mild taste. With pet expressions on their face, they drank the tea, and Rosa Chinesis straightened up a second time and held out her cup.

``And, let fortune smile on the memory of Sachiko having made Yumi-chan hers.'' (Me: The same expression used here ``Mono ni suru'' can also be used as ``to become my girl'', so, you can take it both ways.)

``Bu''

Inattentively, just as Yumi had looked like she would spit out the black tea, Rosa Chinesis had already spoken.

``Aramaa, I'm so embarrassed.''

``- - Ro, Rosa Chinesis''

``It's alright, these are young people'' said the third years, and made a smile as if they were getting older. If you took them seriously, you would think they betrayed your hopes as friends. But even then, she didn't ``become Sachiko's''. Finding the words, Yumi flapped open her mouth like a goldfish.

``When you close your mouth, you should wipe the area around it. It's unseemly.''

Sachiko-sama took out her gorgeous lace white handkerchief. Almost getting tea spit on it, she wiped the outside of the lips dry.

``Ara, you would wipe her lips for her?''

Rosa Gigantea raised her eyebrows high.

``Rosa Gigantea, is there a problem with wiping Shimako's mouth?''

``Shimako wouldn't let me but, I would reeeally want to do it to Yumi-chan.''

``Please say things more clearly and also, please do not spoil my sister.''

Delivering a person attack, Sachiko-sama was cool. What was that switch that transformed her from Elegant Mode to Hysteric Mode, she did not know. Even though they were sisters, Sachiko-sama was an ununderstandable person.

Because morning prayers were coming up soon, everyone quickly downed their tea and stood from their seats. While cleaning cups, Shimako-san said:

``There are many types of sister relationships, huh.''

The water, starting from last week, was a little cold.