Notes on the Eighteenth Maria-sama ga Miteru Novel, Part 2

Are you changing?

1

Even if we're speaking of men, there are in the world many who do not resist the idea of dressing as a woman.

"How nice, how nice, playing a female role. I'm jealous of you, Yukichi. Not fair, not fair, not fair."

In fact, it was the exact opposite, they want to. This was surely one of these men. Here was that person. Rolling the Yamayurikai version of "Torikaebaya" up into a cylinder, he slapped his classmate's shoulder as if that might, if at all possible, permit him his wish.

"It's not a female role. It's the role of a brother that changes clothes to disguise himself as his sister."

"Well, that's the same thing."

"It's not the same thing." As far as Yuuki was concerned, it seemed that it was important that this be made clear.

Speaking of Yumi, it seemed that Arisu was saying, for him there was no difference in playing the female role or disguising one as a woman, and although her younger brother was telling the truth, and not to be trivial, but the idea of Arisu and Yuuki gazing upon one another happily did not make her very pleased.

Sachiko-sama, who did not like coming into contact with men, seemed fairly immune to this situation between Arisu and Yuuki. Probably because the situation between them could be called man to man, Yuuki did not look very happy.

The second-years had been restored to the school safely last Saturday. Today, those Hanadera students who were helping had been come to Lillian for an arranged meeting to practice and concurrently work on costumes.

Next to one another were the third-years Nikkou and Gakkou, aka Yakushiji Akimitsu and Tomomitsu, brothers who were, incidentally, twins. Then the second-years. First of all was over-muscled Takada Magane-kun. Accounts-loving Kobayashi Masamune-kun.

The single flower petal blooming at the boy's school, Arisu, aka Arisugawa….(abbreviation used by the person himself)...-kun. No, -san.

Last was Yumi's same year in school younger brother, Fukuzawa Yuuki. Those were the six.

It might have been because the dressing room in a girls' school is so feminine, or because they realized that they were surrounded by twice as many girls as their own numbers, but those from Hanadera were much more reticent than previously. Only one, Arisu, took to it like a fish in water.

"Yumi-san will make a terrific otokoyaku. (E: A woman playing a man's role.) It really is a fantastic idea, Sachiko-sama. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. Until the school festival, no, until the school festival is completely over, I'm here for you. So please, tell me, how I can serve you best."

"Arisu, you're bubbling over too much." Among the five of them, the one who was youngest, currently Student Council President, Yuuki warned him lightly. But even so, Arisu was far too stimulated to stop.

"But it's a girls' school festival. I had given up on ever being able to participate in one in my lifetime. Ah - are these the basted costumes?" (E: basting is temporary stitching in clothes, which
allows the item to be tried on for fitting.)

The members of the Performance Arts club entered the preparation room carrying costume after costume, which they removed from the folds of cloth and spread out upon the desk.

"Wow, wonderful. I want to try them on."

"Arisu." Yuuki said again.

"Oka-y."

"It's all right. We can try them a little while, anyway. We're not all gathered together yet." Sachiko-sama crosschecked all the costumes with the actor's names while she spoke.

Looking around at the women gathered in the clothing room, it appeared that the trio from the First-year Tsubaki class was not there. With the presence of the Performance Arts and Invention club members in the room, it was a little difficult to identify who was there or not.

"Really!?"

"Don't get them dirty now. Look, take off your slippers, there, and put them on this vinyl sheet." Rei-sama chose an appropriate kimono and handed it over to Arisu.

"Yes-. I'll be careful~." Following instructions, Arisu excitedly put on the costume. In the circumstances, it really looked like a girl changing into her clothes; that precisely folded gakuran that he had taken off was sure to induce pathos.

"...It looks good...." Yumi-muttered, while Yoshino-san looked at him a little jealously.

"Mm."

"No offense to Rei-chan, but it feels like Arisu positively looks like someone who should be called 'Princess.'"

Ah, um."

Directly in front of him, about five meters away, stood Rei-sama, and although she thought it too, there was no way Yumi was going to say it out loud. It was fine for her relative Yoshino-san to say it, though.

"I wonder. Arisu doesn't look like a son and Rei-chan doesn't look like a daughter. It looks as if their fathers inadvertently switched them, huh."

"Ah, then, maybe Rei-chan and Arisu can do it? The 'Torikaebaya Monogatari.'"

"Please stop, Yumi-chan." Rei-sama said over her shoulder, panicking. Mm, of course Rei-sama could hear her, since she was standing behind her. "Don't say such things, not even as a joke." Her eyes were scary. In the past, Rei-sama might have seen things come to pass that had been nonchalantly mentioned. Arisu, however, did not seem dissatisfied in the least.

"Well. If we did do that, I was just saying they would do it well."

"There you go, talking in your sleep again." Sachiko-sama thrust herself into the conversation, handing over folded kimono to Yumi. "I won't have last year's changing of who plays what over and over again continue this year. Those of us who are third-years have already stood on the stage undertaking many and various roles, therefore, we shouldn't be the lead actors, you understand, don't you?"

Script writer, stage director, and it looked like today, the person who coordinated a meeting between the art and stage crew clubs, that what they would do.... Well, that was the way it was, so Yumi had no choice but to withdraw. If you said it the other way that, because they did not want to play the lead roles, they had probably taken on a lot of other difficult work, it would not be reading too deeply into it.

"Then, everyone from Hanadera, it's a little small, but please change your clothes in the preparation room. As soon as your preparations are complete, please call out, thank you for your cooperation."

In other words, please don't come out of your own accord. Because the women will be changing in here, right. Arisu pulled his hair back a little, and took off the women's kimono he wore, took the men's kimono that bore his name into his arms and disappeared into the changing room.

When there were no more men in the clothing room, Yumi and the others began to try on their clothes, as well. Because this time was a Heian period play, it was traditional kimonos. The women's form was a simplified version of the 12-layered kimono.

Of course, they did not have pure silk to use at a girls' school for the school festival. The cloth was something picked up at a discount or wagon sale, so it was just cheap cotton that had been died with black tea or onion. Basically, what they would wear was four layers.

First was red hakama, which were baggy, slippery pants. Because it wouldn't be seen from the outside, it was gathered at the waist with elastic, so it had the feeling of a large, baggy pajama.

Next, a kimono on which both the collar and the sleeves had many layers sewn into them. This was a trick to make it look like they were wearing one garment over another. It was to be expected that they could not make something to wear that would be the full twelve layers.

From there came the pleated skirt called a "mo" that was wrapped around the stomach from behind and then the long coat worn over the kimono and all was perfect. With the budget they had Katsura had not been able to buy wigs, so they wrapped their hair up in black cloth, like bandannas, with the leftover portion hanging loosely down their backs. From close up it had the feeling of "what were you thinking?" but seen from a distance it wasn't too bad. The invention club had taken a hint from the nun's wimples for this masterpiece. Now that Yumi saw it in practice, it was like "chose the knots for your sideburns" kind of idea, and the clubs seemed to carry back with them a very positive spirit.

When Yumi saw the costume for the lead role, that of the Princess's chief councilor, she noticed something.

"Isn't that a little big?"

"Which? Ah, yes."

As the Princess of the Heian period, tugged herself along to compare herself with Yoshino's hem, there seemed to be a lot trailing. Because she was the lead actress, her hem was longer as a little service, free of charge, it seemed.

"If I pick this up little, it'll be the same as Yoshino-san's."

Sachiko-sama stopped the arts club member's needle as she made the suggestion by calling out "No, don't."

"Don't try to fix that on your own. That has to be worn by Yuuki-san after all."

"Ah?"

Two people of a different size were wearing the same outfit, and there hadn't been a way to estimate how much superfluous material they needed. The Fukuzawa siblings would be using it alternately standing on the stage while turning.

Better too big than too small. In fact, the garment had been made to fit the larger Yuuki's size. Now she could see, that was why it seemed so loose. Luckily there had been a change of course just in time, since if they had matched the hem to Yoshino's, he might not be able to move.

Still, the women's outfit hid the feet, which was good. When the man and woman switched and Yumi got into a men's kimono, the length of her leg being less wouldn't be given away.

"Look at it and think hard, Yumi," Sachiko-sama said. "I realized at the Hanadera Academy school festival."

"Hanadera's?"

"Yuuki's school uniform."

"Ah." As she said when, at the Hanadera Academy school festival Yumi had worn Yuuki's school uniform, the obviously looseness and length had caused her problems. At that time, certainly--.

"No way, Onee-sama, you're not thinking of making me wear geta again..." The Princess would walk clip-clopping.

The son of a court noble might walk clip cloppingly. However, letting the feet be seen was more like something a crow goblin would do, rather than a young man.

"I'm not saying we should go that far. But something with lift wouldn't be bad." From somewhere, Sachiko-sama picked up a box and held it out to Yumi. She took off the cover,

"This is..."

"It's the kind of geta that an maiko-san (E:apprentice geisha) wear. I did some research into the period and these will match your kimono."

"Ah."

Of course. Apprentice geisha moved around Gion (E:Kyoto's entertainment district) snappily, like one saw in movies or on television. Yes, but, how did Sachiko-sama get a hold of a pair? That was the real question, she thought.

"Eh-" It wasn't normal, to have shoes that a maiko-san would wear in one's home. ----Although, now that she thought about it, no matter how Yumi looked at the Ogasawara household, there was a part that deviated greatly from "normal household."

"Nothing bad. These weren't being used by anyone regularly, they were in the cellar."

"Cellar." See, normal households did not have these kind of things. Not unless it was an old person's house in the sticks. This was hardly separated from the center of an urban area, it was Tokyo.

"My father and grandfather received these from a childhood friend who was a maiko-san, really - don't react, just ignore it, please."

"Ah...yes."

With that warning, Sachiko-sama made it plain that they had touched upon a point about her father and grandfather's other women, Yumi was certain. This conversation was taboo. It would be best if she responded quickly. So she took the shoes that Sachiko-sama was proffering without a word. --Really, why on earth would those men of the Ogasawara family go outside the household?

The women's group finished changing clothes and called the men in, and they got into full-blown alterations. The performance arts club members divided the labor, working around the costume-wearing actors, checking to make things bigger or smaller, and making alterations.

Yumi also behaved well and became a sewing mannequin, when a loud shout of 'waaaah!' came from around the corner.

"Yakushiji-san, you two really are big, aren't you? I'd heard the rumors, but. Mmm, what should we do? If you stand up to your full height, there might not be enough length."

The Yakushiji brothers seemed to take this as a compliment, with happy expressions that said, "Yes, we're big."

"Should we lengthen it, do you think, Rosa Chinensis? If we get the same cloth and match it up, I even think we have the same color, another 20 centimeters might be enough, I think."

Sachiko-sama, who had been spoken to, came over for a moment. "Wait one moment. Let's hold off on that."

"Hold off?"

"I just had a good idea. But, because the first-years aren't here, I can't yet make a decision. Just before we were matching the costume to fit Yuuki-san and Yumi. I'm terribly sorry to trouble you,
gentlemen, but could you join Yuuki-san in the preparation room and wait on standby? Ah, and will the others please join them as they are." This last to Takada-kun's back, as he was loosening the string to his costume.

"Swapping, huh?" Yumi muttered, as she shed her kimono.

What did that remind her of? A year ago, when they were fitting the costumes for "Cinderella', right, she had switched costumes with Sachiko-sama.

Cinderella and Sister B. Because she was not sure which one of these two different roles they would play. This was before the two of them had had their talk about becoming soeur.

In the end, it was Sachiko-sama who had been Cinderella and Yumi had been committed to the part of Sister B. This time too, it was decided which of them she would play.

When Yumi, now in her underwear, had changed out of the kimono, the arts club members had taken it and knocked on the door to the preparation room. It was Arisu who opened the door holding the removed kimono and returned after the "exchange." It was significant to be doing costume for so many men. Last year it had just been Kashiwagi-san, who had been extremely open.

"Well well."

"Aha."

When she had changed, they looked at Yumi, the girls in the place all suppressed a smile.

"Really, it suits you."

"With the exception of the length."

That could be modified with the false-bottomed clogs. The kimono would hide her figure, which would make it harder to tell which would which. Looking at herself in the mirror, for one second Yumi thought that she was looking at Yuuki.

"Fantastic."

She didn't quite know why, but someone applauded. It wasn't particularly laudable that the Fukuzawa siblings looked the splitting image of one another, but Sachiko-sama continued to applaud as if she were doing something meritorious while saying. "Mark that down well." When the tempo slowed down, she could hear laughter coming from the preparation room. Apparently Yuuki had finished changing.

"Gentlemen, please return." Sachiko-sama called out and, as the door to the preparation room opened, there was the sound of a door and vigorous noise in the hallway.

"Sorry," the three girls of first-year Tsubaki class called out. "We're...late."

In their attempt to make their sempai not have to wait another second, the three seemed to have not imagined what was going on inside the room. Finding everyone wrapped up in nearly completed costumes in a confined space, much more than just in pieces of the handicrafts club's work, the room was full of a considerably strange atmosphere. Noriko-chan's "Sorry we're late" tailed off and disappeared, while from Touko's mouth came a little "Wah" sound.

"Hey, what do you think, Kanako-chan? Doesn't Yumi look lovely?" Rei-sama smiled, which confirmed that standing in front of Kanako-chan was Yuuki.

"Please, Rei." Even if Sachiko-sama's wasn't reproving her, her glance was understandable. It had been said over and over that they look alike; they weren't identical twins, because they were different genders.

"..." Kanako-chan looked at Yuuki for a full five seconds, then her expression clearly said that he looked foolish. "What is the meaning of this 'Find the difference" puzzle?" Turning from Yuuki dressed as a woman, she asked Yumi dressed as a man with a serious face.

"A, um...Kanako-chan?"

There was no deep meaning, really. Rei-sama was only joking without taking anything seriously. Therefore, that kind of response was a little troubling, she thought.

"Um, Kanako-chan. If you're going to protest, then direct it at me. Yumi-chan had nothing to do with it."

Look. As expected, Rei-sama was all in a dither. That Rei-sama was, little by little, becoming more like Yoshino-san. Some time, not too far in the future from now, she was going to explode. A Yoshino explosion.

If she did explode, the post-processing would be difficult. She understood that but, even if she mollified Kanako-chan, Rei-sama's nervousness wouldn't be at an end. However, there was no way to warn Kanako-chan that easily. But, either way it went, she might be wrong and there would be no problem. Therefore, she decided to find a way to restore things, however difficult.

Now then, what was the atmosphere like, inside the thoughts of the female students? And, the bewildered folks from Hanadera.

"Re-"

"Ah-"

As Yoshino-san started the "Re-" or "Rei-chan," Yumi erased it.

"Ah, um, this is the first time those from Hanadera Gakuin have met two of them. Um, this is Matsudaira Touko-chan. And next to her is Hosokawa Kanako-chan. These girls are in the same first year class as Noriko-chan, and are helping us out until the school festival.

Yumi was conscious of acting like a clown. But there was not helping it. Once something started to come out of her mouth, there was no stopping it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Cleaning up after his sister's plan, Yuuki took the initiative with the introductions, although it looked a little weird, as he was dressed like a woman.

"Which one of you is Yumi-chan's little sister and which is Yoshino-san's little sister?"

Sorry, but the question asked by Kobayashi-san was completely ignored. That was more than they wanted to mix into this particularly situation.

Into the middle of this.

"Did something happen in class?" Shimako-san asked Noriko-chan. Tell me why you were late. One hour is not a "little" late.

"After cleaning, we got into a discussion about the school festival, which dragged on longer more than expected. Because we were taking a simple vote, I thought it would be over in ten minutes. But once it began, it went on and on..."

"Something got all confused, right? Touko said something, then it was like which one, that got changed, or something like that. There are some prejudiced people. It was really annoying that they were thinking about something else at all much less 'Please think about this carefully' that those two people were so adamant about. It was a surprising development."

"A surprising development. Touko-chan."

That people in her class would talk to her like that, she could believe there were classmates like that. Yumi had her own unhappy memories, however how she dealt with it, she couldn't remember all that well, but if she was troubled where would Touko be able to turn for advice and Touko-chan wouldn't want to cry in front of her.

Immediately, Sachiko-sama demanded that they get their costumes fitted.


2

After the latecomer first-years had finished changing, all the actors for the Yamayurikai's production of "Torikaebaya" were once again gathered in the clothing room, Sachiko spoke unexpectedly.

"Who here has learned all their lines?"

With a pitter-patter hands were raised; it seemed that not too many knew their cues or lines. In fact, it was Takeda-kun and Arisu.

"I see." Looking around her once again, Sachiko-sama nodded. This was probably the best thing to do in regards to Onee-sama, that those who did not know their lines did not raise their hands. This was Sachiko- sama, after all, lies would surely be seen through. Thinking about what would happen afterward, Yumi began to tremble a little.

"With sincerest apologies to those people, please forget all of your lines."

...

A few seconds passed.

"Eh------!?" Everyone's voice was raised at once.

"Just those people? Don't you mean all of us?" Everyone desperately sought to confirm. Of course. Those who had not memorized had a lot of lines to get into their heads.

"Is the script being changed?" Rei-sama asked, but Sachiko-sama shook her head.

"Some parts of it may be changed, I don't doubt. We should keep that to a minimum. And not until the day of the performance."

If she understood that, why then did she say to forget the lines--. Everyone sucked in their breath, as they realized what Sachiko-sama meant. Then, the words came out.

"We're changing the cast."

There it was.

"Eh--_?!"

This time because they were squaring of for "what's coming", there was less shock among them. No, "less" was a faulty expression. This was "not more than before." Or something like that.

Of course, Yumi also in as one more joined in the cry of "Eh---!?" If she had though about it "changing the cast" would be something to welcome, since she had the most amount of lines to remember, something which popped into her brain just then. The other lead, Yuuki, had a similar expression on his face. -- These two, the sibling destined for poverty.

"What do you mean? Who will be switched with whom?"

"Everyone."

"Eh....?" Come on, it was getting tiring, being surprised.

"Why?"

"Because of the good idea that just came to me, I realized that it would be stranger to not do it, I think. Does anyone have a different idea from mine?"

Different, you say, Sachiko-sama.

While that was a sound argument, so far as it was cultivated, for the rest of them, if you might left us some time to think about it, it might not be one that can be launched into.

"If tomorrow were the day of the performance, this would undoubtedly be a reckless proposition. I think it's fair to say that with two weeks to go, it's still modifiable."

"Even so."

Switching all the roles. We're not just thinking about tempo here. It might be a truly great idea, but if you don't tell us, we won't understand.

"Um. So what you're saying is that I won't be the lead?" Timidly, Yumi asked Sachiko-sama modestly. Then.

"Don't worry. Yumi will still play the lead."

"...Okay."

She wasn't worried about that. Only a little hopeful. And just for a moment before she was disappointed.

"Then, I'll be knocked out as a lead?" Yuuki asked, naturally. Worry and anticipation visible on his face.

"Not that, either."

"But, you said that all the roles will be switched, didn't you. Sachiko-san."

"I did." Sachiko-sama grinned, with a "weren't you listening"-like expression.

"Therefore, in the way that Yumi and Yuuki-san are switching their roles. So, every role should be switched, don't you think?"

"Ehh-"

"Not just Yumi and Yuuki-san, it's my intention that all of the men and women should switch."

"...."

No way. All of the people present in the room with the exception of Sachiko-sama moved to say that. Not only the actors, but the costumers the props and the stage crew, too.

"Now?"

"Now." Sachiko-sama nodded. "I want it to be a double "Torikaebaya" on the stage." Upon seeing the sincerity in Sachiko-sama's gaze, everyone started to calculate what had to be done.

The stage set wouldn't have to be changed. It was possible to put the cast's name directly onto the poster without adding the roles. Where the problem lay was, of course, in the actor's costumes.

"We can make Yakushiji-san's costumes a little smaller, right? If Kanako-chan wears it, then we won't have to fix it too much." The truth was that Sachiko-sama has come up with this idea when Arisu tried on the women's kimono, and she became convinced of it as the Yakushiji's costumes were being fitted.

"That's right. They're about the same height, the women's kimono is just straight lines to be sewn, so it could be comfortable." The president of the handicrafts club nodded. "We need to start breaking up the hakama worn by the men right away."

"The women's hakama will have to be lengthened, and we'll have to put something on the bottom of the kimonos and avoid them being seen as men, something to the back, as well." Gradually the members of the handicrafts club, who had originally hesitated, got going.

"Um, it's hopeless, I say it hopeless--"

Pulling a pin from a bracelet-type pincushion, the girl's energy was now running wildly, as Yumi called out. However.

The words that came back to her were "It's not hopeless."

"What, this is all doable. This is all basted, so of course it can be fixed. It's fine. We can do it. It'll be an easy victory." "Team Handicrafts" laughed loudly. When they brought themselves under
control, they turned with fire to the challenge at hand.

So that's how it was.

"We don't want to do it either." Yoshino-san, who hated to lose, lifted her fist and shook it. That energy flowed almost visibly, so that the Yakushiji brothers and Takeda-kun who stood behind them said "wahhh".

"...So then, we'd better increase the number of practice days for the play. We'll have today and Saturday this week, I wonder if we should also add two days this week. The remaining time can be independent for each school." It was a snap for Kobayashi-kun to arrange the schedule in his head.

"Excuse me. Will this get approval from the Lillian school side?"

"Ah, if that's it, it'll be fine." Rei-sama waved her hand.

"If, for that time, we meet this and next Wednesday at Hanadera Gakuin, I can prepare the application."

"I'll be an onnagata, huh." Arisu bubbled over. (E: "onnagata" is the name for males who play female roles in Kabuki.)

"This is Touko-chan's debut as a male actor," Touko-chan was a little giddy.

"I'm saying all this, but I should probably ask. Rosa Foetida, what is your opinion?" Sachiko-sama glanced at Rei-sama.

"I definitely think that if we do this, it'll make it an interesting play."

"And Rosa Gigantea?"

"It presents no burden to either Noriko or I. But--" The elder of the White Rose sisters turned her gaze towards the Fukuzawa siblings.

That was it. The problem was the feelings of the lead actors. There were already a lot of lines, and a play that was mixed up with the role switching, would it be safe to add another twist? Honestly, she had no self-confidence.

"That's so." As Sachiko-sama turned and spoke over her shoulder, she waked slowly over to where the young men were, until she stood and stopped in front of her target.

"Yuuki-san."

"Y, yes."

"I wonder, is this hopeless?" Sachiko-sama looked at him patiently. Although she wasn't the actual person, she could tell that that gaze was exerting a tremendous pressure on Yuuki.

"Eh, no."

More or less used to it because of his sister Yumi, as she drew near, he resigned himself and shook his head back and forth. As expected, Yuuki caved pretty fast.

"It's not absolutely impossible..."

"Thank goodness. Please give it your all."

"...Yes."

A woman's beauty is the greatest weapon of all time. This was not anything her brother could be blamed for at all.

Having extracted the response she had hoped for, Sachiko-sama returned to her original position in front of Yumi, saying, "Then it's decided."

"Um. Rosa Chinensis? Shouldn't we confirm it with Yumi-sama?" Noriko-chan asked, confused.

To which Sachiko-sama replied, "If it's Yumi, it'll be fine." With a self-satisfied smile. "She'll do it."

"...Onee-sama."

Occasionally.

When Sachiko-sama got like this, she had a tendency to overestimate Yumi. At those times, Yumi was happy to have Onee-sama speak for her, but it was often above her actual merit. But this time, she was clearly on a roll.

"Of course I'll do it."

It was a profound mystery. Onee-sama's magic.



3


There are, in this world, men whose intuition is as sharp as a woman's.

From the point of the discussion of the changing process on, they continued with the fitting of the costumes, and soon it was approaching 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Nevertheless, even though they only had an hour left, the new cast commenced reading the script, after which the six members of the Hanadera council, the six members of the Yamayurikai and the two helpers began to leave in succession. Their aim was for the territory of the Rose Mansion.

Walking at the tail end of the group, Arisu said to Yumi, dryly, "She doesn't like me."

She looked around, wondering to whom he was replying.

"Eh?"

"Um, that Harigane."

"Harigane?"

Harigane, as in "wire?"

Yumi inclined her head questioningly at which Arisu quickly pointed with his chin towards the group of first-years who were walking ahead of them.

"Harigane....you know, that Kanako-chan."

"Don't you think that suits her, harigane. As soon as the new first- years came in together with Noriko-chan I thought so immediately. That girl is like a wire spring."

"...Please don't say that kind of thing." However, in contrast to her words, Yumi smiled.

A wire spring. That kind of nickname was in no way meant as a compliment. Although it was maybe a little too perfect, they really meant it as somehow kind of sweet. Yumi and Arisu looked in front of them where, through the others, they could see the forms of Kanako-chan, and Touko-chan behind her, appearing and disappearing, until a bend in the corridor.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Yumi said to Arisu. "Kanako-chan is, how should I put this...well, she doesn't do well with men. So, don't think it's just you that she dislikes especially."

Arisu laughed with self-derision.

"Ah, sorry."

"Um, it's okay, it's okay. I'm asking to be treated like a woman, after all. But, I see. That girl doesn't like men. Then, as I thought, she must see me as something unpleasant."

"..."

(That disgusting transvestite.) Kanako-chan's voice echoed uncomfortably in Yumi's head. Definitely, this must be the case, although she hadn't thought about it.

"But, why do you think that? I didn't see anything, but did Kanako-chan say anything to you?"

"She didn't say anything." Arisu shook his head. "When we were fitting the costumes, I had the feeling of something on my back. So, I turned around to find her there. There was nothing particularly hostile on her face or anything. But there was just something there, I felt. Now that I think about it, about a month ago, something similar happened, huh."

"Arisu, can you feel spirits?" Yumi asked, feeling a little weird.

"Oh no, did Yukichi tell you about that?"

Although she didn't dare tell Arisu, it had been Kanako-chan who, out of concern for Yumi, that had tailed the Hanadera council member. At the time, Arisu had just had a "unpleasant feeling." Although it might not be directly related to the revelation, it did seem like it was a correct intuition.

From that point on, as she walked with Arisu towards the Rose Mansion, they discussed other feelings he had picked up with his sensitivity, but for Yumi her memories did not stop.

One reason for that was that she was thinking about Kanako-chan.

For another, the topic at hand, her dislike of men, was not simple. She had to make her right ear ignore what her left ear had heard. Although she watched her own speech and shook herself when it was impolite, scary was scary. There was no helping that.

"Anyway, leave Kanako-chan to me. You don't have to worry about it much. Although she dislikes men, she's not going to scratch or bite." And with that, Yumi gave her her metaphorical seal of approval.


4


"I don't want to do it."

Kanako-chan bit. Not Arisu, Yumi.

"Kanako-chan." And when she said "bit" it was a metaphor. Resisted, is what she meant. Yumi almost dropped the cup, which was covered with bubbles.

It had been a pretty rough rehearsal of the script - they had finished just past 5 o'clock, when the day finally came to a conclusion. Noriko-chan and Touko-chan had seen the guys from Hanadera to the main gate, and Yumi had undertaken the washing up with Kanako-chan. Her previous words flew out in the middle of their task quite suddenly.

"You don't want to do what?" Yumi responded in a low voice so that behind them, wiping the table, closing the window, picking up the garbage, replacing the chairs, their companions would not overhear.

"I don't want to do this play, is what I am saying." Her hand in the middle of the bubbles stopped, as she answered indifferently. "It causes me pain enough to have to do this play with the males from the neighboring school. Why should I have to play a male role--?"

"But, why now all of a sudden?"

She had read the script. She had done the rehearsal. Certainly, she had not looked like she was having fun at the time, but Kanako-chan had been in step with the others. Naturally, she thought that she had been in agreement. But, obviously not.

"That's it." Yumi grabbed the soapy sponge with her right hand. "When we were in the changing room, we never asked for your opinion. It's not just now."

"..."

"Right. You didn't like it. I'm sorry, I didn't notice." Yumi lowered her head a little.

To which Kanako-chan shook her head just slightly. "I'm not anyone's soeur. I had no place stating my opinion."

But, she was one of the group who would be putting on the play. Since she had missed this fact, Yumi determined to watch Kanako-chan with all her might.

If Kanako-chan was made to feel alienated, that was Yumi's fault. It was undoubtedly Yumi who had brought Kanako-chan in to assist them.

"I understand your feelings. But, more than that, I want to have you be part of the play." Yumi considered it. Why "why all of a sudden" she wondered. In the costume room, they had definitely never asked for Kanako-chan's opinion. But when they had read the script and rehearsed, why had she participated. If she had really intended not to do it, then declaring it when the people from Hanadera had been there would have been more effective.

Of course, she might have been concerned with the Yamayurikai's face, she couldn't help but think. If that were the case, then why would she choose to challenge the situation at this point. Looking quickly over her shoulder, she could see the responsible parties; the Red, White and Yellow Roses were there.

"Hey, Kanako-chan." Therefore, Yumi thought. Maybe no one had ever wanted to understand Kanako-chan.

She had not wanted to destroy the relationship with Hanadera Gakuin for the school play. However, here she was. Embracing her dissatisfaction in her existence.

I want to stop were her words, but that might not be her real intention. It looked as if there were innumerable inexpressible emotions hidden behind those words. Therefore taking the words "I
want to stop" at face value was no good.

If she wanted to stop, all she had to do was stop. It was easy enough to throw off. But that probably wouldn't resolve anything. Inside Yumi there would surely be some lingering regret.

"I shouldn't have made you promise, to help with the school festival, I mean." Oh no, she shouldn't have said it that way. What Yumi was thinking was that she couldn't find words that would bring their connection to an end.

"I'm glad I had to promise," Kanako-chan said as she rinsed the final cup and put it in the basket.

"Ah, Kanako-chan." Yumi reached out for the faucet to wash the bubbles from her hand. Shortly Kanako-chan would be leaving her side and Shimako-san would be coming in to do washing. "You are glad you had to promise, huh?"

Kanako-chan had said that clearly. Which meant that it was her desire to continue helping out, was that what she way saying? But, this brought her no feeling of relief. Kanako-chan still felt
dissatisfaction. And that held within it some possibility of dangerous conflict with the Hanadera council members. "One way or another, this is no good," Yumi muttered. Why did she say this is the Kansai dialect, she poked herself.

(E: Kansai dialect is from western Japan, and strongly associated with Osaka. I think it's just Konno Oyuki playing with the fact that Kana Ueda, Yumi's voice actress, often does roles with a Kansai-ben. I checked the date and the anime had already started production by the time this chapter was published.)

To Be Continued in Part 3


Tags: Maria-sama ga Miteru, Marimite, Tokubestsu Denai Tada no Ichihi