Maria-sama ga Miteru Volume 30 Chapter 1

 

 

 

A certain day in March (Sunday).

 

 

 

 

On that day, at 10:30am, the group of ten youths that had appeared, as though by prior arrangement, greeted each other sheepishly with "Gokigenyou." It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, amidst the couples and excited children that flock to amus.e.m.e.nt parks, this was the only group that didn't look jubilant.

 

 

 

 

Just where to start this story?

 

 

 

 

Right, right, they had held their private farewell party for Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama after the send-off a.s.sembly for all the third-years yesterday, on Sat.u.r.day.

 

 

 

 

The first-years had done party performances, they had danced and had a wonderful time, but of course that kind of joy could not last forever and it had ended when the security guard had cautioned them to leave as he did his rounds.

 

 

 

 

Such is life.

 

 

 

 

Everyone was finding it hard to leave, not wanting to say "I'm going home," so it was probably just as well that there had been some external impetus. If not, they may have stayed at school until 7 or 8 at night.

 

 

 

 

One thing led to another, and as they were heading home it looked as though everyone would be joining Yumi and Sachiko-sama on their date at the amus.e.m.e.nt park the following day. They had decided that it was only proper that they should invite the other partic.i.p.ants from the Christmas party, so had stopped at a phone booth near the school gates and called Takeshima Tsutako-san and Hosokawa Kanako-chan.

 

 

 

 

"Huh? What? What do you mean?"

 

 

 

 

Tsutako-san asked, on the other end of the phone. Perfectly understandable. Even the people who had been present at the farewell party when Sachiko-sama had made her sudden announcement hadn't understood immediately.

 

 

 

 

She'd said that they were going to the amus.e.m.e.nt park tomorrow, so if anyone else wanted to come along they were welcome. However, they weren't going to arrange to meet so everyone was free to do as they pleased.

 

 

 

 

See, it'd make you question your hearing. It's not the kind of thing you'd usually be asked over the phone.

 

 

 

 

"You see."

 

 

 

 

Yumi persevered with her explanation and, eventually, Tsutako-san started to (somewhat) understand. Although she'd apparently forgotten that the idea that they all go to the amus.e.m.e.nt park together had been floated during last year's Christmas party.

 

 

 

 

"I wasn't sure when it happened, but I do remember a conversation about going to the amus.e.m.e.nt park."

 

 

 

 

Yumi was initially skeptical but decided Tsutako-san was probably telling the truth. After all, Tsutako-san had been the first to respond during the Christmas party when Sachiko-sama suggested that they all should go together sometime. She'd loudly and enthusiastically endorsed that idea.

 

 

 

 

"Although I'll have to find out if I can go once I get off the phone."

 

 

 

 

Yumi responded with, "Of course." Since everyone was free to do as they wished, there was no need for an RSVP or anything.

 

 

 

 

"So, is it okay if I bring someone else?"

 

 

 

 

As she was putting the telephone receiver back on the hook, Yumi thought that Tsutako-san was probably going to invite Shouko-chan.

 

 

 

 

Next she called Kanako-chan but she wasn't at home. Her mother must have been out as well, because the phone rang about ten times and no-one answered.

 

 

 

 

"I'll call her when I get home."

 

 

 

 

Touko offered, and they all agreed to leave it to her. Originally, Touko and Kanako-chan had seemed like natural enemies, always at loggerheads with each other, but at some point there had been a thawing in their relationship and they now had a quiet friendship. Even their mutual cla.s.smate, Noriko-chan, trusted Touko on this.

 

 

 

 

"What shall we do about Nana-chan?"

 

 

 

 

Shimako-san looked at Yoshino-san. It wasn't as though she was Nana-chan's patron, but since Nana-chan was the closest thing there was to Yoshino-san's pet.i.t soeur, it seemed like she should be the one to ask.

 

 

 

 

"About Nana - "

 

 

 

 

Yoshino-san hesitated. She glanced at Rei-sama, but then quickly looked away. In contrast, Rei-sama was looking directly at Yoshino-san. Staring, even.

 

 

 

 

"We were inviting the people who were at the Christmas party, right?"

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama asked Yoshino-san. Implying that they should obviously invite Nana-chan as well.

 

 

 

 

"But Nana's situation is a bit different, don't you think?"

 

 

 

 

Even if she was just about to graduate, Nana-chan was still a middle-school student. Their school buildings were located only a short distance apart, but the invisible wall that separated middle-school students from high-school students was both thick and tall.

 

 

 

 

"That's true..."

 

 

 

 

High school students taking a middle school student out with them. It did make you question whether it was okay or not.

 

 

 

 

"And since it's a private get together, she'd have to pay for herself."

 

 

 

 

So they couldn't just ask her without thinking about it. Yoshino-san's hesitation had some merit to it. Even so, it seemed a shame that Nana-chan was the only one they weren't going to invite.

 

 

 

 

"I'll give her a call after I get home."

 

 

 

 

There was unanimous agreement with Yoshino-san's statement. It was better that the conversation occur somewhere quiet, rather than with everyone crowded around a telephone booth. And they were willing to leave it up to Yoshino-san to see how that conversation played out.

 

 

 

 

Yoshino-san was the one who thought the most about Nana-chan out of all of them. And everyone agreed that Yoshino-san was the one that Nana-chan thought about the most.

 

 

 

 

"Just for reference, what time were you planning on arriving at the amus.e.m.e.nt park tomorrow, Yumi-san?"

 

 

 

 

Yoshino-san asked as they walked past the school gates, the brightening of her demeanor as abrupt as the change in topic.

 

 

 

 

"What time &h.e.l.lip; "

 

 

 

 

The truth was, they hadn't yet decided on a specific time that they would meet. Yumi shot Sachiko-sama a glance that said, "What should we do?" and in exchange Sachiko-sama answered for her.

 

 

 

 

"I was thinking we'd be there when the park opens."

 

 

 

 

Ohhh. Typical of Sachiko-sama, her fighting spirit wasn't just constrained to the announcement.

 

 

 

 

"Copy that."

 

 

 

 

Yoshino-san grabbed hold of Rei-sama's arm with her right hand, and gestured a salute with her left hand.

 

 

 

 

"Wouldn't it be better if you didn't copy that. Do you want to impose on Sachiko's date right from the start?"

 

 

 

 

Rei-sama said, freeing her arm. She then flicked Yoshino-san on the forehead, telling her that she was getting a bit carried away.

 

 

 

 

"I was only asking as a reference - "

 

 

 

 

"A reference, huh. And then we'd probably leave home in time to catch the same train as them, I suppose."

 

 

 

 

It was very much like watching a lover's quarrel - "We'll be bothering them," "If we run into them by accident then it's no problem," "Just because you say it's by accident doesn't mean it is."

 

 

 

 

"I'd say there's absolutely no chance of that happening."

 

 

 

 

Yumi said, interrupting the Yellow Rose sisters.

 

 

 

 

"Well, I suppose the chance of us being in the same compartment is pretty small."

 

 

 

 

After saying this, Rei-sama made an inquisitive face. Apparently she'd latched on to Yumi's phrase 'absolutely no chance.'

 

 

 

 

"Yumi and I are going by car."

 

 

 

 

This time it was Sachiko-sama that spoke. Then, without a moment's pause, Yoshino-san responded.

 

 

 

 

"Say what? You two are going to be chauffeured in one of the Ogasawara household's shiny, black sedans?"

 

 

 

 

"No, no."

 

 

 

 

Yumi shook her head and waved her arms simultaneously.

 

 

 

 

"So, a taxi!?"

 

 

 

 

As though any healthy high-school student would take a taxi when they went out. Not even the daughter of the elite Ogasawara family would do that.

 

 

 

 

"We're going with Kashiwagi-san."

 

 

 

 

Kashiwagi-san was a student at the neighboring Hanadera University. Even those who hadn't driven with him had heard tales of his bright red car and dynamic driving technique.

 

 

 

 

"Whaaat?"

 

 

 

 

After the initial slump that greeted their exposition of the trick, and having some time to ponder Kashiwagi-san's presence, Yoshino-san said, "Oooooh," as though playing along with a joke.

 

 

 

 

"So it's not just going to be the two of you? Why are you three going?"

 

 

 

 

"No, it's not us three. My younger brother is going as well."

 

 

 

 

"Yuuki-kun too? What's up with that?"

 

 

 

 

Adding Yuuki in while they were still trying to figure out Kashiwagi-san's role was only ever going to lead to confusion.

 

 

 

 

"Is it a double date?"

 

 

 

 

Noriko-chan asked, joining in with the Yellow Rose sisters.

 

 

 

 

"Keeping it in the family?"

 

 

 

 

On the one hand you have Yumi's younger brother, and on the other hand you have Sachiko-sama's cousin. Neither would have been romantic.

 

 

 

 

Basically, it was all a part of Sachiko-sama's revenge. She was trying to recreate the same circ.u.mstances as their trip in autumn so that she could correct her mistakes, and that meant inviting Kashiwagi-san and Yuuki.

 

 

 

 

She skipped over this, as it was a matter of pride, instead stopping the explanation by saying that the group that went last time had agreed to go to the amus.e.m.e.nt park again.

 

 

 

 

"Well, if you're going in Kashiwagi-san's car then I guess we won't be traveling with you after all."

 

 

 

 

Rei-sama chucked at Yoshino-san. Well, that's true. He wouldn't be able to take everyone unless he had a minivan. Perhaps that was another reason why Sachiko-sama had said that everyone else was free to come and go as they pleased.

 

 

 

 

"We'll have to have our own private get-together then."

 

 

 

 

The compet.i.tive Yoshino-san was already looking towards Monday.

 

 

 

 

"What will you do, Touko?"

 

 

 

 

It'd be impossible to take everyone, but there was still room in the car for one more. She might even have heard about this before today, since their driver, Kashiwagi-san, was her cousin. And when they went in autumn, Kashiwagi-san had originally invited Touko and not Yuuki to accompany him.

 

 

 

 

"Don't worry about me. I won't know whether I'll be able to go or not until I get home."

 

 

 

 

"Ah, right."

 

 

 

 

Already Yumi had pictured them going for a drive with Kashiwagi-san in the driver's seat, Yuuki in the front pa.s.senger seat and the three Red Rose sisters chatting merrily in the back seat. But since they had only told them today about going out tomorrow it obviously wasn't going to be as simple as that. The normal course of action for a high school student would be to get their parent's permission. That's what Yumi had done, talking with her mother and father about it.

 

 

 

 

"Ah. The bus."

 

 

 

 

Shimako-san said softly. Looking down the road, Yumi saw a bus with "M Station" on the front glide towards the bus stop. Everyone except Rei-sama and Yoshino-san suddenly broke into a run. Luckily there were some other students already waiting so they didn't have to frantically wave the bus down.

 

 

 

 

"Well then, see you tomorrow."

 

 

 

 

"Yep. See you there."

 

 

 

 

As they called out, both those within the bus and those without were undoubtedly thinking, "Will we actually see each other?"

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow was Sunday, all across j.a.pan.

 

 

 

 

On top of that, the forecast for the Kanto region was clouds followed by sunshine.

 

 

 

 

The absolute best weather for an outing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, just like that, the evening had pa.s.sed and today had arrived.

 

 

 

 

There was no need to consult the weather report; brilliant sunlight streamed in through the east window. It was already sunny, despite yesterday's forecast of clouds followed by sunshine. Surely sunshine followed by sunshine.

 

 

 

 

"Regardless, I'm so happy to be going out I could just throw my hands up in the air."

 

 

 

 

Yumi scanned the newspaper's weather forecast section. The sunshine symbol was there for the whole day. The amus.e.m.e.nt park would definitely be packed.

 

 

 

 

"At least it's not raining. They probably stop the outdoor rides during heavy rain, and when they start again you'd get wet riding on them."

 

 

 

 

Yuuki said, his brow furrowed as he carried his bag down the stairs.

 

 

 

 

"Yeah, that's true."

 

 

 

 

Yumi stretched and then smiled. She was going on a date with her onee-sama. It would still be fun even if it was raining. But it was sunny. So there was no reason to complain. Bring on the packed amus.e.m.e.nt park. They'd have a fun time chatting while they waited. - The more Yumi thought about it, the more her antic.i.p.ation grew.

 

 

 

 

It would soon be 8 o'clock. That was the time that Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama had arranged to pick them up from in front of the f.u.kuzawa house. But because they were coming by car, they could be either earlier or later depending on traffic.

 

 

 

 

"Sorry, Yuuki."

 

 

 

 

She called over her younger brother's shoulder, as he watched a taped program and fiddled with the TV remote control. Without turning around, he answered, "What for?"

 

 

 

 

"For making you accompany my onee-sama."

 

 

 

 

"Ahh."

 

 

 

 

Yuuki switched off the TV and turned to face her.

 

 

 

 

"I was a bit worried because of the way it ended last time. It's not like I don't understand what Sachiko-sama was feeling. Besides, I don't mind the amus.e.m.e.nt park."

 

 

 

 

"...Yeah."

 

 

 

 

Pleased that she had such a fine brother, Yumi instinctively patted him on the shoulder. He responded by running away, saying, "That feels kind of wrong." When they were young, Yumi would always be grumpy whenever Yuuki followed her around. Although she was never actually mean to him.

 

 

 

 

"Hey, Yumi-chan. Are you going to invite Sachiko-sama and Kashiwagi-san into the house? If you do, we should probably offer them tea, right?"

 

 

 

 

Her mother was taking off her rubber gloves as she walked out of the bathroom. Based on her appearance, she had just been cleaning the bathroom.

 

 

 

 

"Don't worry about it, it's okay."

 

 

 

 

Yumi waved her right hand.

 

 

 

 

"If you're worried about their car, they can park in my office car park, since it's Sunday."

 

 

 

 

Even her father was joining in. Both her parents had taking a liking to the superficially handsome, young Kashiwagi-san. As for Sachiko-sama, they admired her like a celebrity - initially because they were brainwashed by their daughter, but then voluntarily after their first chance meeting with her. Consequently, it wasn't just the f.u.kuzawa children, but also their parents, that wanted to be good friends with Sachiko-sama and Kashiwagi-san.

 

 

 

 

"That's not the problem. There's only enough time for them to pick us up if we're going to make it to the park when it opens."

 

 

 

 

If they were to invite them in to the house, it would take at least 30 minutes to an hour. Of course, there was a little bit of leeway in their travel plans. But that was there in case they got caught in traffic - they hadn't planned to spend much time at the f.u.kuzawa household.

 

 

 

 

"Really?"

 

 

 

 

Even as she said this, her mother was swapping out the towels in the bathroom for the nicer ones that they used when they had company. Just in case, despite what she had just heard.

 

 

 

 

"When I see you two like that, you really do look alike."

 

 

 

 

Her mother smiled, because they were both wearing their coats in antic.i.p.ation of their visitor's arrival. It hadn't been noticeable when Yumi was just wearing jeans and a pink floral blouse, and Yuuki was just wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. But now that they were both wearing similarly colored denim jackets, it appeared as though they were going for the same look. Add to that their similar looking faces, and the impression of a ma.s.s-produced product was apparently quite funny. Pointing and laughing at the two children you gave birth to was either innocence, or irresponsibility.

 

 

 

 

"I'll go change."

 

 

 

 

Yuuki sullenly ran up the staircase.

 

 

 

 

"Ohh, now he's upset. Ahh, Yuuki's so delicate."

 

 

 

 

"Indeed. I wonder who he gets that from."

 

 

 

 

The words, "Not from you, that's for sure," almost made it out of Yumi's mouth but she was just able to contain them.

 

 

 

 

The f.u.kuzawa intercom buzzed at about the same time that Yuuki was making his way downstairs, having finished changing clothes.

 

 

 

 

"h.e.l.lo."

 

 

 

 

Yumi was waiting by the intercom, having heard a car pull up outside, so was able to press the reply b.u.t.ton almost instantaneously.

 

 

 

 

"Ogasawara here."

 

 

 

 

"Okay. We'll be right out."

 

 

 

 

Buoyed by her onee-sama's voice, Yumi swung her bag over her shoulder and hurried to the entrance. Her mother and father followed her, as though that were perfectly natural. Obviously intending to offer their greetings.

 

 

 

 

Yuuki was one step ahead of her, his b.u.t.t parked on the wooden step, tying the laces of his sneakers. The denim jacket had been swapped for a beige-ish synthetic leather pea coat, and Yumi's now very different looking younger brother moved to one side so that she could put on her sneakers too. After tapping her toes into the shoes, Yumi hurriedly turned the doork.n.o.b and rushed out.

 

 

 

 

"Good morning."

 

 

 

 

Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama were standing right in front of the door.

 

 

 

 

"Morning."

 

 

 

 

"Thanks for coming today."

 

 

 

 

It was regrettable, but had to be acknowledged. The impression that Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama gave was of a beautiful couple. In comparison... Yumi glanced at Yuuki as he walked past.

 

 

 

 

"Don't mention it."

 

 

 

 

On her side of the door was the racc.o.o.n-faced duo. Although the two parties may have been genetically quite different, it seemed that there were still some things in common: The beautiful people were wearing jeans and a jacket too.

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama and Kashiwagi-san both simultaneously adopted an identical expression as their attention was drawn to the area behind Yumi. Without turning around, Yumi knew that her parents had made their entrance.

 

 

 

 

Our children are probably going to be a bother to you. No, no, not at all. After exchanging the standard pleasantries, they decided to make their way over to the car.

 

 

 

 

"Oh?"

 

 

 

 

This time it was the f.u.kuzawa household acting in unison.

 

 

 

 

"Kashiwagi-kun, did you buy a new car?"

 

 

 

 

Yumi's father was the first one to ask. The car parked on the side of the road wasn't his usual chilli red car.

 

 

 

 

"No. This isn't mine, it's grandfather Ogasawara's car. He lent it to me, saying that I should have a more substantial car since I'm giving these ladies a lift."

 

 

 

 

"The president of the Ogasawara Group's car? Indeed - "

 

 

 

 

Her father didn't say anything further, but was probably thinking, "It looks expensive." Yumi couldn't tell much other than that it was left-hand drive and the paint was either dark green or dark blue, but it seemed that the value of this automobile was immediately obvious to anyone with even a pa.s.sing interest in cars.

 

 

 

 

"It's second-hand though."

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama said.

 

 

 

 

Right, right. Even Yumi could tell that it wasn't brand new, since there were some light scratches on the front and sides.

 

 

 

 

"For the time being, Yumi and Yuuki-san can ride in the back."

 

 

 

 

"Oh?"

 

 

 

 

Yumi said, a little dejected, as she had expected that she would sit in the back together with her onee-sama.

 

 

 

 

"I said it was just for the time being, didn't I? We'll swap seats en-route. See, there are cars coming from behind us."

 

 

 

 

"Okay."

 

 

 

 

Even if she wanted to protest further, it wasn't worth making a scene over. Reluctantly, Yumi climbed into the back seat with Yuuki.

 

 

 

 

"Well then, we're off. I'll make sure they're home on time."

 

 

 

 

Kashiwagi-san bowed to Mr. and Mrs. f.u.kuzawa then settled into the driver's seat, adjusting the position of the chair and the angle of the mirror. In the pa.s.senger's seat, Sachiko-sama fastened her seat-belt and said, "Okay Suguru-san," curtly giving him the signal to proceed.

 

 

 

 

After they'd turned the corner in front of the Kakinoki-san's house and could no longer see Yumi's parents waving them goodbye, Sachiko-sama said:

 

 

 

 

"I wonder if there's a street wide enough to park the car in around here."

 

 

 

 

"Huh?"

 

 

 

 

They'd only just set off, so why did they have to stop so quickly? Kashiwagi-san chided her, saying , "Sacchan," before Yumi could ask this question. It looked as though he knew the intent behind Sachiko-sama's statement.

 

 

 

 

"Hey, Yumi. Do you know anywhere?"

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama asked once more, completely ignoring Kashiwagi-san, so Yumi chose to give her preference.

 

 

 

 

"A wide road?"

 

 

 

 

When she looked to Yuuki for help, he had a complicated expression that was part anguish and part bewilderment.

 

 

 

 

"What's wrong?"

 

 

 

 

They hadn't gone a kilometre from their starting point. They hadn't even made it to a main road yet. Kashiwagi-san was famous for his rough driving, but it was still a bit too early to be getting carsick.

 

 

 

 

"I've got a bad feeling."

 

 

 

 

Yuuki whispered.

 

 

 

 

"Huh?"

 

 

 

 

Yumi thought she heard him say that he had a bad feeling, but that must have been a mistake. After mishearing his first statement, Yumi cupped her ear with her hand to try and focus on what her brother was saying.

 

 

 

 

"If it were up to me, I'd say we go to the amus.e.m.e.nt park like we are now, non-stop."

 

 

 

 

Was what he said. So it looks like Yumi hadn't misheard him earlier after all. Still.

 

 

 

 

"What do you mean?"

 

 

 

 

Yumi challenged him, not understanding what was happening.

 

 

 

 

"Yukichi's bad feeling is probably right on the mark."

 

 

 

 

Kashiwagi-san spoke matter-of-factly as he turned the steering wheel.

 

 

 

 

"How rude."

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama said indignantly.

 

 

 

 

What, what?

 

 

 

 

Yumi gaze leapt from forwards, to diagonally forwards and right, to the right and back again, desperately trying to find some kind of hint. Even so, the conversation continued steadily, minus a single stranded member.

 

 

 

 

"All those who agree with staying like this and not stopping."

 

 

 

 

In response to Kashiwagi-san's statement, Yuuki gave a hearty, "Me," and raised his hand.

 

 

 

 

"Okay, all those opposed."

 

 

 

 

This time Sachiko-sama raised her hand. Yumi hadn't raised her hand for either option, since she didn't know what was going on.

 

 

 

 

"Two against one."

 

 

 

 

"Yumi, you should side with me, your onee-sama."

 

 

 

 

"Ah, but."

 

 

 

 

How could she agree when she didn't know what was going on. And siding with her onee-sama would mean voting to see Yuuki and Kashiwagi-san's bad feeling realized.

 

 

 

 

"There were three valid votes."

 

 

 

 

"Wait a minute. You can't just say that Yumi's vote is invalid. Someone who doesn't understand can't be expected to make a decision just like that."

 

 

 

 

Well then somebody please explain clearly what's going on. It was all because they'd ignored her earlier cries for clarification.

 

 

 

 

"If Yumi-chan did understand what was going on, she'd probably take your side, Sacchan."

 

 

 

 

Kashiwagi-san laughed derisively.

 

 

 

 

"Well, who can say."

 

 

 

 

Still, Yumi started to question the accuracy of Kashiwagi-san's theory when Sachiko-sama grumbled instead of offering up an explanation.

 

 

 

 

Realizing that she was getting nowhere, Sachiko-sama took drastic action.

 

 

 

 

"If you don't stop the car, I'm going to pull on the wheel and we'll see where we end up."

 

 

 

 

It wasn't just an idle threat, she'd already placed a hand on the wheel. Kashiwagi-san's hands were at 10:10, in other words where the numbers 2 and 10 were on a clock's face, while Sachiko-sama's hand had darted in at about 4.

 

 

 

 

"Waaaah."

 

 

 

 

Yuuki cried out.

 

 

 

 

"Stop! Stop! I get it. I'll find somewhere we can pull over and stop."

 

 

 

 

The usually aloof Kashiwagi-san begged miserably. It was almost like he was some TV comic that had just been given an overinflated balloon. Which would make Sachiko-sama the balloon - as she was thinking this, Yumi suddenly realized how dangerous a position they had been in. This was a highjacking, or, more precisely, a carjacking.

 

 

 

 

Later, after quiet reflection, Yumi realized that Sachiko-sama probably wouldn't have gone through with her threat because, seated in the pa.s.senger's seat, she would have come off the worst. However, she wasn't able to a.s.sess things that calmly in the heat of the moment.

 

 

 

 

Eventually, Kashiwagi-san spotted a gas station close to the main road and pulled in. He stopped at a pump and let out a sigh of relief.

 

 

 

 

"Hi there, fill it up."

 

 

 

 

After opening the window and instructing the attendant on what to do, he turned to Sachiko-sama.

 

 

 

 

"Don't be so unreasonable, Sacchan."

 

 

 

 

"Isn't it your fault for not keeping your promise, Suguru-san?"

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama took her hand off the wheel. Her recalcitrance in not removing her hand before now was incredible.

 

 

 

 

"I'm sorry Yukichi. I hope you'll forgive my cowardice."

 

 

 

 

Kashiwagi-san switched off the engine then turned to face them in the back seat.

 

 

 

 

"Not at all. You've worked hard, sempai."

 

 

 

 

"So you understand?"

 

 

 

 

"I think that fight told the whole story."

 

 

 

 

"Yukichi!"

 

 

 

 

"Sempai!"

 

 

 

 

The two guys high-fived each other. Yumi looked on questioningly.

 

 

 

 

"Quit your grumbling. Now, let's swap seats."

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama unfastened her seat belt.

 

 

 

 

"Huh? Swap seats?"

 

 

 

 

Yumi's twin ponytails bounced around. That's right, Sachiko-sama had said earlier that they would swap seats en-route. So that's what this was about. Sachiko-sama had been looking for a place to stop because she wanted to sit next to Yumi as soon as possible.

 

 

 

 

(Huh?)

 

 

 

 

But, why would there be a bad feeling about that? Why would Kashiwagi-san and Yuuki oppose it?

 

 

 

 

"Oh geez."

 

 

 

 

Kashiwagi-san unfastened his seat-belt too. Perhaps he was going to buy something from the gas stand. From memory her father would just open the window, hand over his credit card and that was it. As her mind was going in circles thinking about this, both Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama got out of the car.

 

 

 

 

"Huh? What about you, Yuuki?"

 

 

 

 

Her younger brother wasn't moving at all, despite being told that they were swapping seats. Instead, he let out a small sigh.

 

 

 

 

"Say, Yumi. You have your moments of brilliance, but you're usually pretty slow."

 

 

 

 

"What?"

 

 

 

 

"You don't understand what she meant when she said swap seats, do you?"

 

 

 

 

"You two are swapping seats, right?"

 

 

 

 

Yumi crossed her fingers over, indicating that Yuuki and Sachiko-sama would be swapping.

 

 

 

 

"Nope."

 

 

 

 

"Huh? Then..."

 

 

 

 

Herself and Sachiko-sama swapping seats? That way Yuuki wouldn't have to move. But why would Sachiko-sama want her in the front seat?

 

 

 

 

"&h.e.l.lip; There's one other combination."

 

 

 

 

"Huh?"

 

 

 

 

Well that was no help. Kashiwagi-san was the driver, so he couldn't change seats, and there was no other combination involving the front pa.s.senger seat swapping with someone in the back seat. The two people in the back could swap, but what would be the point of that?

 

 

 

 

(Oh.)

 

 

 

 

Hold on a minute - an alarm was sounding somewhere inside her head.

 

 

 

 

(So why did Kashiwagi-san get out of his seat?)

 

 

 

 

The seat he had been sitting in was special because only someone with a driver's license was allowed to sit there. Yumi could happily sit there while they were stationary at the gas stand, but there was no way she could take hold of the wheel and drive out onto a public road. Both legally and practically. Naturally, neither could Yuuki. And - .

 

 

 

 

"Ah."

 

 

 

 

Yumi suddenly had a flashback.

 

 

 

 

(How on earth!)

 

 

 

 

That had been her reaction when a driver's license was thrust in front of her. Back then, Satou Sei-sama was still a high school student.

 

 

 

 

"Huh!?"

 

 

 

 

No way. No way!

 

 

 

 

"Took you long enough."

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama gracefully sat down in front of Yumi just as Yuuki muttered this. In other words, the two people in the front had swapped seats and Sachiko-sama was now at the wheel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her onee-sama sat down in the driver's seat. Then she adjusted the seat position and the angle of the mirror. It was the same thing that Kashiwagi-san had done in front of the f.u.kuzawa's house.

 

 

 

 

"O-onee-sama!?"

 

 

 

 

While all this was going on, Kashiwagi-san handed his card to the pump attendant and returned to the car, seating himself in the free s.p.a.ce in the front - the pa.s.senger's seat.

 

 

 

 

"Don't worry Yumi. I've got my license."

 

 

 

 

Ahh geez. That was the exact same thing that a certain someone had cheerfully said to her some time ago. Even the pose was similar. This time, the proffered license had a photo of the exquisite Ogasawara Sachiko-sama. Yumi felt just a little bit nervous.

 

 

 

 

"Umm. When did you get your license?"

 

 

 

 

"Let's see. I didn't come to school last Friday, right? That's when."

 

 

 

 

Indeed. She had been absent. And Yumi hadn't inquired as to why.

 

 

 

 

"So this is what you had been uncharacteristically studying for - "

 

 

 

 

"Oh, you noticed? I was going over a workbook for the written exam. Normally I wouldn't have to study for that, but the test has all kinds of trick questions that I needed to familiarize myself with."

 

 

 

 

So that explained what Minako-sama had referred to as 'her eccentricities' and why they had suddenly stopped after Friday.

 

 

 

 

"Did you go to a driving school &h.e.l.lip; ?"

 

 

 

 

"Yes, of course I did. I've been going since not long after the student council elections. I'd go in the evening on weekdays, during the afternoon on Sat.u.r.days and all day Sunday."

 

 

 

 

So that was why she went home straight after school.

 

 

 

 

"Then, that's why Kashiwagi-san was going over to the Ogasawara household - "

 

 

 

 

"My, you were concerned about quite a lot of things."

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama seemed pleased.

 

 

 

 

"I was her tutor. She was determined to get it on her first attempt, so I went over to help before her temporary license exam and final exam."

 

 

 

 

"I didn't say anything because I wanted it to be a surprise to you, Yumi."

 

 

 

 

In that case, her plan was a huge success. Yumi was completely surprised.

 

 

 

 

"You don't have to make that face, it'll be okay. I made it from my place to your house without accident."

 

 

 

 

"It would be a huge problem if there were an accident."

 

 

 

 

So why would they change and have Kashiwagi-san drive them away from the f.u.kuzawa household when Sachiko-sama had driven there? It seems that was done so Yumi's parents wouldn't worry about an inexperienced driver driving them around. Yumi had no way of knowing for sure, but she suspected that there had been a bit of an argument about this, and it was only after Sachiko-sama had extracted the promise that they would switch at an appropriate time that she allowed Kashiwagi-san to drive. But Kashiwagi-san had become faint-hearted once the f.u.kuzawa siblings were in the back seat, thinking it would be safer for them to continue on to the amus.e.m.e.nt park with him as the driver. Was Sachiko-sama's driving really that stressful?

 

 

 

 

"How long have you known, Yuuki?"

 

 

 

 

"Since my sempai sat down in the driver's seat."

 

 

 

 

"Out the front of our house?"

 

 

 

 

That was quick.

 

 

 

 

"If he had driven there, then he wouldn't have had to adjust the seat and the mirror as much as he did."

 

 

 

 

"Ah, was that it."

 

 

 

 

Five minutes earlier, Kashiwagi-san had adjusted the seat and the mirror so they were comfortable for him, in the same way that Sachiko-sama had just done. Because someone else had been driving the car just before. But only two people came to the f.u.kuzawa residence in this car, making it trivial to deduce the ident.i.ty of the driver.

 

 

 

 

"Although I became suspicious when he said that Sachiko-sama's grandfather had lent them the car for the day."

 

 

 

 

Kashiwagi-san laughed at Yuuki's statement.

 

 

 

 

"I guess that was pushing it."

 

 

 

 

Kashiwagi-san had taken numerous young women driving in his usual red car. The ones Yumi knew about were Sachiko-sama and herself, Youko-sama and Touko. So why hadn't this car made an appearance before now?

 

 

 

 

The gas station attendants cleaned the car windows. There were three of them, and Yumi found it strange that they were doing such an incredibly thorough job. Initially, she thought it was because they were admiring Sachiko-sama's beauty, but they spent just as long on the rear windows. Apparently they were fascinated with the car itself. Was it really that rare an automobile?

 

 

 

 

"Is this Sachiko-san's car?"

 

 

 

 

Yuuki asked.

 

 

 

 

"No. Didn't I tell you? It's my grandfather's."

 

 

 

 

"But her grandfather doesn't drive. He bought this a month ago, for Sacchan."

 

 

 

 

It was nominally her grandfather's. However, it was essentially Sachiko-sama's personal car.

 

 

 

 

After filling up the tank and returning Kashiwagi-san's credit card, the attendants reluctantly stopped cleaning the windows.

 

 

 

 

"Umm."

 

 

 

 

The f.u.kuzawa siblings nervously asked if Sachiko-sama was really going to drive the rest of the way there.

 

 

 

 

"It'll be fine. She's pa.s.sed the license exam."

 

 

 

 

Kashiwagi-san said soothingly, stifling any retort from Sachiko-sama. But there would be far fewer traffic accidents if having a license meant that you were a completely safe driver.

 

 

 

 

"Just take it carefully. After all, you've got your precious Yumi-chan on board. Right, Sacchan?"

 

 

 

 

"Of course."

 

 

 

 

That was slightly rea.s.suring. Still, even though Sachiko-sama had said that, they didn't know what kind of a driver she was. Yumi knew that people could change when they got behind the wheel.

 

 

 

 

"Check front and rear."

 

 

 

 

After pointing out the front and to the mirror, Sachiko-sama slowly started to drive. The attendants got out of the way and the next car pulled in behind them.

 

 

 

 

"Blinker."

 

 

 

 

Instructed Kashiwagi-san.

 

 

 

 

"I know."

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama grumbled after switching on the left indicator.

 

 

 

 

"Aren't you noisy. I was just a bit slow turning it on that time."

 

 

 

 

Yumi no longer wished she was sitting beside her onee-sama. Kashiwagi-san, with his year-long driving history, was the only one who could cover for Sachiko-sama's faltering driving. To make matters worse, this car wasn't fitted with something as convenient as satellite navigation. Kashiwagi-san, with the map spread across the pa.s.senger's seat, had to rely on street signs to know where they were.

 

 

 

 

Still.

 

 

 

 

"You have to speed up, so we're part of the flow."

 

 

 

 

"Somebody said to drive carefully."

 

 

 

 

After the f.u.kuzawa siblings went quiet, leaving everything to Kashiwagi-san, the two-person conversation gradually started to heat up.

 

 

 

 

"Don't turn the blinker on so early."

 

 

 

 

"But you said I was too late last time."

 

 

 

 

"You have to time it just right."

 

 

 

 

"Could you be quiet for a bit?"

 

 

 

 

This had probably gone on for the entire drive from the Ogasawara residence to the f.u.kuzawa's house too.

 

 

 

 

"Ah - we had to turn right there."

 

 

 

 

"Then you should have said so sooner."

 

 

 

 

"But you told me to be quiet."

 

 

 

 

"It was Sei-sama that said this, but you really do have a bad personality."

 

 

 

 

"Or maybe it's because you were rushing."

 

 

 

 

Then, to top it all off, they got stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway, completing their foul mood. A sunny Sunday morning was the perfect time for an outing, after all. The congestion wasn't anyone's fault, but the extra irritation caused by inching their way along made for an intolerable atmosphere within the car. The f.u.kuzawa siblings tried to brighten the atmosphere by talking about cheery things, but no matter where they tried to steer the conversation to, the fatigue still remained.

 

 

 

 

So, not only did the Red Rose sisters, Kashiwagi-san and Yuuki arrive at the amus.e.m.e.nt park thirty minutes after its opening time, no-one was in a good mood when they got there either.

 

 

 

 

"We didn't make it in time, even though we left home two and a half hours ago."

 

 

 

 

Sachiko-sama muttered ruefully as she locked the car. This was the part of her personality that hated to lose coming out. Although it was unclear who she was competing against.

 

 

 

 

"Well, it hasn't been half an hour since the park opened, so we're not that late."

 

 

 

 

Cheering up her irresponsible onee-sama may be a lot of work, but if her bad mood continued then today would be no fun at all.

 

 

 

 

"Anyway, let's go and buy a ticket."

 

 

 

 

Yumi took hold of Sachiko-sama's hand and walked towards the ticket-counter, right next to the main entrance. There was a queue of about ten people in front of each of the windows. Looking around, she could see a surge of people heading this way from the train station. The sooner they bought their tickets, the sooner they could enjoy the rides.

 

 

 

 

Even so. Yumi started to feel dizzy, thinking about all the people that were going to the amus.e.m.e.nt park. After all, the people she could see now were just a small fraction compared to the people that had already entered in the last thirty minutes, and those that would come later. Probably.

 

 

 

 

"Oh?"

 

 

 

 

Even though they'd arrived ma.s.sively late due to the traffic jam, Yumi saw someone she knew standing in front of the ticket counter.

 

 

 

 

"Yumi-san..."

 

 

 

 

The girl with braids dangling over her shoulders smiled weakly.