Series: Maria-sama ga Miteru (Oyuki Konno)
Characters: Fukuzawa Yuki and Ogasawara Sachiko
A/N: Maria-sama ga Miteru and the associated characters herein are property of their respective owners and Oyuki Konno. I own nothing except the Fan Fiction story concept below and the character of Maziuki Seriho.(I don't even know if that is a real name. I just made it up.)
The author wishes to thank Oyuki-sama for creating such a beautiful world and for graciously allowing those of us who enjoy her work to come in and play on occasion.
This is my second attempt at story writting in the MSGM universe. It all started with the question: What would make Yumi angry? What follows is my interpretation of that theme.
Please enjoy and feel free to leave constructive comments and advice.
Yumi's Bad Day
-Chapter 1-
It was a balmy wednesday morning. A day no different than any other at Lillian High School. Except for the sounds of a heated discussion emanating from the Rose Mansion. The Red Rose sisters Yumi Fukuzawa and Sachiko Ogasawara were arguing over some minor details for an upcoming council supported event. This was not sitting well with Sachiko. She had not been sleeping well for several days. And now her headache was back and worse than ever. Yumi's constant interruptions and protestations were not helping matters any.
From Yumi's perspective, she was annoyed with Sachiko's stubborness. She appeared to be even more disinterested than usual. Yumi was concerned that her fellow students ideas were being ignored purely for expediancy by Sachiko. Truth be told, she hated pushing her grande-soeur like this, but sometimes it was the only way to handle her.
Sachiko was just exasperated with the entire discussion. She just wanted to move on to next item on the agenda. They were behind this morning already because of extensive discussion on the current item. Finally, Sachiko had reached her limit. "Really...Yumi, must you whine so much?" she said in irritation. Yumi stopped mid-sentence not believing what she had just heard coming from her onee-sama. Her only response was an uncharacteristic icy stare at Sachiko.
Her fellow Yamayurikai members were shocked that Sachiko would say that to Yumi. They maintained their silence out of respect for both of their friends. While this was not the first time the two had had an argument during council business, it was the first time they had heard Sachiko say such unkind things to Yumi.
Hearing no further argument from Yumi, Sachiko was grateful to continue on to the next item of business with Rei. She did not bother to look at Yumi. Yumi for her part decided to say nothing more on the previous subject. As Sachiko and Rei contemplated a request from the second year drama club members for a mid-week presentation, Yumi attempted to ask a question that a classmate had regarding the presentation. "Ano..." Yumi began to interject into the discussion. Sachiko looked sideways in Yumi's general direction. "Are you still here?" She asked more harshly than needed of her petite-soeur. Gasps were given by other members of the Yamayuriai, specifically Yoshino and Shimako. Treating Yumi this disrespectfully was way out of line, even for Sachiko.
Yumi to her credit, maintained self control. But the redness growing in her face made her anger obvious. In order to prevent herself from doing anything as equally appalling as Sachiko had, she stood up and collected her bookbag. She did not say another word as she exited the meeting room. Her only obvious reaction was the slamming of the biscuit colored door loudly on the way out.
An obviously annoyed Rei commented, "That was rude." Sachiko, having gone back to looking over her meeting notes only said. "I will set her straight later." Rei just shook her head, saying "I was talking about you Sachiko. She was trying to help you with the details. That is her purpose you know." Sachiko stunned by Rei's nerve, replied. "My petite-soeur is my problem. Please do not interfere." She gave her friend an icy glare before continuing from where they had left off.
The pair did not see each other again until lunchtime. Yumi elected to eat at the Rose Mansion as was her normal routine. While everyone else on the council noted that Yumi was silent all through lunch, the usually detail oriented Sachiko failed to notice this oddity. As they left the Rose Mansion afterwards, Sachiko remembered that she needed to reprimand Yumi for slamming the door earlier in the day. "Yumi, your behavior at the meeting this morning was unacceptable. I don't understand why you were mad. Time was of the essence. We had to finish up before class. Either way, you had no reason to treat school property in that manner. You need to set the example by controlling yourself at all times. Do you understand?" Yumi continued walking back to class, the tension in her obvious to everyone except Sachiko. She had still not said anything, nor had she even reacted to Sachiko's question.
"Are you off in your own little world again Yumi?" Sachiko asked in annoyance. "Honestly Yumi, what is the point of being your onee-sama if you fail to listen to what you are being told. It's annoying and childish when you don't pay attention. Do you even hear me?" Sachiko gave a heavy sigh in exasperation. What she said next overstepped the boundaries of what even Yumi allowed her. "I really don't know why I chose you as my petite-soeur..." This time Yumi's self control lost out to her emotions. 'I'm childish and annoying? She doesn't know why she chose me? Nor does she see the point of being my onee-sama?' Yumi thought angrily. Sachiko's remarks were offensive and extremely hurtful to Yumi. She came to an abrupt stop and turned to face Sachiko.
Sachiko was not paying attention as she almost ran into Yumi. She tripped and dropped her book bag as she stopped short. Annoyed by this, she started to say "Baka! Yumi, seriously what are..." The sound of Yumi's slap was loud enough to be heard by every student around them. Those close enough to see what happened gasped in disbelief. The force of the blow caused Sachiko to stagger back.
Sachiko slowly recovered and put her hand up to the spot Yumi hit her. She was confused by this sudden onslaught. Gritting her teeth, Yumi said in an angry voice, "Count to 100, and DO NOT follow me!" Sachiko opened her mouth in an attempt to ask what she had done. Yumi cut her off as she raised her hand abruptly in a knife edge and pointed it at Sachiko. "DON'T!" Yumi yelled at her. She then turned around and walked angrily away.
Sachiko was obviously hurt by the slap and her petite-soeur's words. Her legs suddenly gave out causing her to drop to her knees. She began crying as Yumi continued to storm off.
The students around Sachiko were whispering in awe and concern regarding what they had just witnessed. Thankfully, none of them were loud enough to be heard by Sachiko as she recovered from the shock of the attack. She slowly stood and turned to walk back to the Rose Mansion alone.
-0-0-
After school let out later that afternoon, Rei and Sachiko were walking from Rose Mansion. Yumi had not attended the afternoon meeting. Sachiko had informed the council members that Yumi had not been feeling well and had left early. Rei was commenting on Yumi's absence as they walked towards the Maria-sama statue. "I hope Yumi-chan is feeling better tomorrow." She didn't believe the story about Yumi. The red welt that was visible on Sachiko's face was evidence enough that something had happened between the two. However, Rei was not going to press her friend for an answer just yet.
Sachiko replied, "I wouldn't worry. I will speak with her tomorrow morning. I am sure she will be back to her normal self by then." They both turned to face Maria-sama and bowed their heads. Rei finished her prayers first. She looked up at the statue and immediately froze in place. Her face showed her obvious shock at what she was seeing. She finally managed to say, "I do not think she will be Sachiko. I believe you made an enemy of Yumi today."
Sachiko was confused by her friends statement and looked at Rei with a questioning look. "What makes you say that?" she asked. Rei said nothing as she continued to stare. Her only response was to point at the Maria-sama statue. Following her lead, Sachiko looked at the statue. There, hanging on Maria's praying hands, was the Rosa Chinensis Rosary. Sachiko was overwhelmed with the sudden realization and shock of what its presence meant. She cried out a feeble "No!" and immediately fainted. Rei sensed rather than saw her friend start to go down. Using her kendo trained reflexes, she managed to catch Sachiko before she fell to the ground. She then picked her friend up and began carrying her to the front gates of Lillian.
Once outside the gates, she spotted Sachiko's car and driver there. Yelling for his attention, he rushed over to her and assisted Rei in getting Sachiko into the car. By way of explaination, Rei told him only that she wasn't feeling well earlier. Sachiko's driver nodded his understanding before getting back into the car and driving Sachiko home. Watching them go, Rei turned and started making her own way home. In her rush to assist her friend, she forgot about the rosary in Maria-sama's hands.
Ten minutes later, a tired Sato Sei was walking out after her last class of the day at the university. As she passed by the Maria statue, she looked up and smiled at her. Sei had walked another two steps before she stopped in her tracks. As she spun back around to look at Maria-sama, she caught sight of the rosary that had grabbed her attention. As she realized which rosary it was, an astonished Sei said out loud. "This is bad, this is very bad..." Sei stepped in closer as she pulled out her cell phone. She used its camera function to take two close-up photos. Stepping back onto the pathway, she sent the photos to her friend Mizouno Youko. She then dialed her number.
Youko, having heard the incoming mail message tone, had already picked up her phone. She answered Sei's call on the first ring. "Hello?" Sei voice was unusually serious as she told Youko. "Check out the photos I just sent. Now." Youko was taken back by Sei's abruptness. She nervously replied. "O-okay, I'm checking it now." She then pulled up the photos on her phone. Sei heard an audible gasp come through the line from Youko as she saw the pictures. She could hear her friend exclaiming "What the Hell?"
Youko came back on the line. "What is going on Sei?" By the sound of her voice, Sei knew she was upset. "I don't know. I just found it as I was walking by a minute ago. Whatever it is, this cannot be good." Youko replied with, "I agree." She was silent for several seconds. She then told Sei in a solemn almost heart-broken tone. "My friend, would you please take care of MY rosary." Sei, hearing her friend's sadness, replied in an equally reverent tone. "As you wish Rosa Chinensis. I will personally return it to you tonight." She paused as Youko, appreciating Sei's respect and use of their former titles, said "Arigato Rosa Gigantea."
Sei then asked her, "Sachiko or Yumi?" Youko aswered. "Sachiko, but I'll check with Rei first." "Hai" Sei said merrily. "Yumi-chan it is then." They traded their goodbyes before hanging up. Sei then stepped in as close as she could get to Maria's statue. Checking to make sure no one was around, she reverently addressed Maria-sama as she reached for the rosary. "Arigato for watching over the Rosa Chinensis rosary Maria-sama. I shall return it to it's rightful owner on your behalf." As she stepped back again, she gave a slight respectful bow to the schools matriarch before turning and walking away.
-0-0-
Youko's next course of action was to call Rei and find out what was going on. Rei saw Youko's number on her phone and answered promptly. She guessed that Youko had somehow heard about the incident earlier was probably concerned. As Rei answered, Youko came straight to the point. "What happened with Yumi and Sachiko?" Rei took a deep breath before she began reiterating the days events as she was aware of them up to when Sachiko fainted. She voiced her suspicion that Yumi and Sachiko had come to blows sometime after lunch, but she did not know the circumstances as to how or why. Youko had grimaced at that news. Sei had been right, this was not good. Especially, if their normally quiet and meek friend Yumi had found enough just cause to physically attack Sachiko. Rei, remembering why Sachiko had fainted, apologized for not getting the rosary before she left.
Youko told her, "It's nothing to be concerned about, and it has been taken care of. The important thing was getting help for Sa-chan. Thank you for taking care of her." Youko then paused for a moment before asking Rei. "What is your impresssion of all this?" Rei answered simply, "I think they are just having a really bad day. I do not believe Sa-chan intended to offend Yumi. Nor do I believe that Yumi was intentionally trying to annoy Sachiko. You know these two tend to blow small things into large ones. Mostly because they don't communicate well to start with." Youko sighed in frustration. "That is the truth. Add in a foul mood or a misunderstanding and it gets a lot more complicated." Rei agreed with Youko's observation of the Rosa Chinensis sisters.
Rei cautiously voiced her next thought. "Youko, I know you're concerned for Sachiko. But, has anyone talked to Yumi yet? If she really did hit Sachiko, I am seriously worried about her. I cannot imagine what it may have been. Something would have to have gone horribly wrong between them for this to occur." Youko reflected on her concerns momentarily. "I share those concerns Rei. I would never have contemplated Yumi doing such a thing. While I do not condone what Yumi did, I am sure that Sachiko probably brought it on herself. I am calling Sei soon, she was supposed to try and talk to Yumi to find out that answer. I will call you back when I have more information." Youko and Rei then said their goodbyes and quickly hung up.
Youko's next call was to the Ogasawara Estate. One of the maids answered and she asked for Sachiko. She was asked to please wait while they did. Sachiko's cousin Touko Matsudaira surprised Youko when she answered the line instead. Touko greeted Youko with a happy "Gokigenyou!" Youko replied in kind before asking her, "How is my petite-soeur?" Touko aswered with concern in her voice. "Not well. After she was brought home, she woke up and immediately went into hysterics." "Were they her usual rants?" Youko asked. Touko replied. "No Youko-sama. Worse. Much worse. She was screaming so much that the doctor had to be summoned and she was given a strong sedative. It worked, but she's really fighting it though." 'This is much worse than I suspected' Youko thought to herself.
"Did she say anything about what happened?" Youko asked her. "A lot of it was unintelligible." Touko said. "The only thing that made any sense to me were the words, 'Yumi', 'Rosary', and I think she said 'I lost her.' Beyond that, we have no idea. Do you know?" Youko proceeded to give Touko a brief rundown of the incidents prior to Sachiko fainting. "Oh," Touko replied "Yumi must have been hurt by what occurred." She went on to state that Sachiko has not been sleeping well for several weeks and had a bad headache that morning. Touko also noted the fact that Sachiko had a red hand-sized welt on her face. She correctly surmised that it was probably Yumi. Youko agreed with her and told her that only Yumi and Sachiko know why it's there. Touko then voiced her concern for both her cousin and Yumi.
"I am trying to piece this together Touko-chan. I am concerned about Yumi as well. As soon as I know something, I will let you know. Thank you for your time. Please extend my love and concern to Sachiko, Sayako and Tooru." Touko said that she would and they exchanged goodbyes. Youko then hung up.
Youko gathered her thoughts for several minutes. 'One last call and maybe I can get this mess to start fixing itself.' she thought. She then picked up the phone again with determination.
-0-0-
