Chapter I
The Yamayurikai Student Council
"Look at this mess," a boy in school uniform muttered to himself in his mother tongue while picking up some magazines and scattered notes and crumpled music sheets from the bedroom floor. He caught a glimpse of what her sister had been doing all night as he flipped over the notes and uncreased one of the sheets. "Brainiac-sama," he said in a perfect Japanese accent, his lips growing into a smile. After gathering all the crumpled sheets in one disorganized heap onto a corner, he walked noiselessly toward the study table and piled the notes and magazines up on the desk. After putting the things in order, he went back to the door and called out loud, "Yumi, wake up!"
A brunette stirred beneath the thick, crumbled blanket, her arms and feet sticking out in an ungainly way.
"Get your butt out of bed or we're going to be late, Yumi."
Yumi groaned and heaved the sheet off her face. "I'm awake. I'm awake," she said and sat up woozily when she felt heavy footsteps marching toward her bed. She yawned, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and then smiled at the brown-haired boy who was standing threateningly at the foot of her bed. They looked so much alike as if she was smiling at her own reflection in the mirror. "Good morning, my dearest brother," she said, shrugging off the glower thrown at her. "Didn't I tell you many times to knock first before entering my chamber? The Queen might be naked, you know."
Her brother folded his arms against his chest. "Oh, I apologize, my dearest Queen, for deliberately forgetting to do that. However, Her Highness wouldn't wake up had her faithful manservant waited for her to answer the door."—his stance and tone of voice changed dramatically—"If you are so against me barging into your holy chamber, Yumi-sama, you should have locked your room before going to sleep—and you only take your clothes off in the summer. Now, get up before I kick your butt out of bed!"
The brunette chuckled heartily even though she had heard it almost on regular basis. "Your Japanese spiel never gets old, Yuuki," she said and got off the bed lazily. Her sluggish movements made her brother sigh. "I know, geez, I'll be ready in a minute," she said, tottering toward the bathroom.
Yuuki glanced at his watch as his sister was washing her face. "Ten minutes. And no more breakfast for you."
"You don't have to tell me," Yumi said, grabbing her toothbrush and toothpaste.
Her brother was walking out of the room when she was done brushing her teeth. Her winter uniform—the traditional dark, long-sleeved sailor outfit that she was so looking forward to wearing since spring—was laid neatly on her bed. She pulled a face when she noticed something missing.
"Aren't you a careless servant? Where's the other sock, and my hair ribbons?" she said to her brother, who was standing at the doorway.
"I'm sure you can find them on your own, Your Majesty. I don't want to delve in your closet a second longer. It's virtually a replica of Aokigahara forest in there," he said and added flatly in their native language, "And I resigned as your servant."
"And here I thought you were the best servant I ever had. Such a disappointment you are," Yumi said before closing the door in his face. She went to her closet, rummaging for her missing sock and hair ribbons in the drawer when she heard her brother stifle a laugh.
"I was your only servant, Yumi-sama," he said. "Hurry up! We're seriously going to be late!"
"Then stop talking to me! You're slowing me down," Yumi said while putting on her uniform. She stood in front of her full-length mirror and started working on her scarf. She was struggling to tie the white ribbon around her neck in a decent knot despite doing it every day and practicing it tirelessly for months.
Yuuki burst into her room unannounced, startling his sister. "Honestly, Yumi, what is taking you so long? The bus is coming."
"Like in an hour," she grumbled. "The tie," she said with a sigh. "It won't straighten right—ah!"—her brother grabbed one of her hands that was fixing her ribbon and pulled her toward the door—"Yuuki, wait! I need to fix my tie—"
"You can fix your tie on the way to school," he said, snatching a satchel bag that was hanged from the chair at the study desk before forcefully pulling his sister out of her room.
"Why are you in such a rush? We still got a few minutes till the bus arrives," Yumi protested as she walked begrudgingly behind her brother through the narrow hallway.
"Well, I can't afford to get another slip," Yuuki said as they walked down the stairs.
"You only got one—you're being extra," she said, now walking across the living room beside him.
"One tardy slip is already bad for my record," he said. "Worse, I would have to run into that guy again."
"Who are you talking about?" Yumi asked curiously. Her brother had never talked about someone else outside their family. This was something new.
"A senior," he replied succinctly.
"Why, what did he do to you?" Yumi was starting to worry. Yuuki had never gotten into a fight before and, as far as she knew, would never engage into a fight or an argument with someone even if his life was depending on it.
"Nothing, really," her brother said. "Seeing him just makes me a bit uncomfortable."
Yumi wrinkled her face in thought. "Does he look that bad?"
"No," he said, laughing hard. "He's very . . . good-looking."
"Yumi-chan, aren't you going to eat your breakfast? Your miso soup is going to get cold," a woman, who was standing behind the counter, said when they entered the kitchen. If she was wearing a uniform matching the younger brunette instead of a pair of pajama shorts and white baggy shirt underneath an apron, which had a large animated picture of a proud mama bear on it, she would be mistaken for an older sister.
"There's no time. We're going to miss the bus," Yuuki answered for his sister. "Don't worry, mom. Yumi will eat her bento as soon as she gets to school," he added promptly when he caught the frown on their mother's face.
"But what about lunch?" their mother asked worriedly. "I only prepared enough for one meal."
"My faithful servant is giving me his bento for breakfast," Yumi said, grabbing the two nicely wrapped bentos from the counter. "I'm kidding," she said with a laugh and handed the other bento to her brother, who was giving her a look. "I'll eat something at school," she told their mother.
"Forget about eating breakfast," Yuuki said to her sister. "We barely get to school on time thanks to you."
"That's because my body clock isn't adjusting to the new time zone," Yumi reasoned. "My brain thinks we're still in L.A."
"We arrived in Japan six months ago, Yumi," he said. "How could that even be possible?"
"How should I know? I don't muse on stuffs like that. I hate putting pressure on my brain," Yumi said. "You're the genius one. Think about it for me, will you, Einstein-sama?"
"That's the reason your brain is shrinking to a nut," Yuuki retorted. "You're not using it."
"Yumi, Yuuki, please, that's enough bickering," their mother said with her hands on her hips. "You are really going to miss the bus if you won't go now."
"Yuuki started it, not me," Yumi said in their native tongue. She bumped her brother's shoulder as she walked past him and seized her bag from his hand. She thanked their mother for the bento before exiting the kitchen, forgetting to say goodbye.
Yuuki sighed, and then smiled when he saw their mother shake her head. The woman was trying so hard not to show her displeasure of her daughter's lack of manners in front of her son.
"I will take care of her," he told his mother as he embraced her goodbye.
She planted a peck on his cheek. "Thank you for looking after your twin sister, Yuuki."
"Here, take it," Yuuki said, pushing his bento to his sister's lap. They had not spoken a word to each other since they got out of their house. He just could not bring himself to talk to her after he noticed the distant look on her face when they were walking to the bus stop.
Yumi turned her head sideways to meet her brother's gaze. "Are you giving me your food for real? I was only joking." She pushed the bento back to his lap. "I don't want it."
"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes on the blue lunchbox.
Yumi frowned. "I said I don't want it. I'm not that hungry to get mad at you. And it's always my fault why we're almost late every day," she said, feigning indifference. She looked away and opened her bag, grubbing about in the side pockets for her hair ribbons. "I took the red ones again," she said when she found her ties. She glanced at her reflection in the window and brushed her hair up in pigtails.
"This is not about you skipping breakfast," he said and smiled in secret when he heard his sister huff under her breath. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Yumi. I know how you feel about coming here, but I had never attempted to speak with you about it until now. I—I didn't know what to say. I was really being selfish and mean to you—"
"What are you saying all of a sudden, Yuuki?" Yumi interrupted him, a look of frustration on her face. "I should be the one saying that. I'm the older twin, but I'm always giving you a headache, not to mention our parents."
Yuuki smiled sadly. "You hated coming here. You're doing your best to settle in because of me."
"You were given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you couldn't help it," Yumi said. "And dad was also given a big promotion. There was really nothing I could do."—she paused, as if hesitating to voice her thoughts—"And you did the same thing for me before, too, so stop feeling guilty about it already."
"That was a very long time ago. We were just kids back then," Yuuki tried to argue.
"But still," Yumi replied adamantly.
Yuuki shook his head to emphasize his point. "If I didn't accept the scholarship, dad wouldn't be forced to take the promotion. And you wouldn't be forced to move in here and leave everything behind."
"Yuuki, listen," she said with a sigh. "This scholarship is great for you. After high school, you will be attending the finest university in whole of Asia if not the world." She took his hand that was resting on top of his lunchbox and gave it a gentle squeeze. "This is your dream. Be selfish for once and don't be sorry about it. Don't worry about me. I'm your sister. I will always support you no matter what." She pulled her hand back to her side and fiddled with her loose ribbon. "And it's not like I'm going to spend the rest of my life here in Tokyo. I'm going somewhere, anywhere, after graduation. We'll be nineteen by then. I think I can live on my own."
His brows pulled together. "But—"
Yumi broke him off hastily. "I'm not like you, okay?" she said. "I'm careless and have no plans of the future. I just want to have a normal yet crazy life. Maybe I'll travel the world and work at cafés and find my soul mates while I serve them tea or coffee and maybe some of their favorite pastry . . ."
"You're still having those fantasies?" Yuuki said with a weak laugh. "Geez, Yumi, we're not children anymore. Having several lovers at a time doesn't happen in real life. And most importantly, you're a girl, so it's out of the question."
Yumi pouted. "A girl can dream. Stop making fun of it."
"I'm not making fun of it," Yuuki said. "It's just that you keep on saying that since forever, but you haven't had a single crush on a boy. Not once I heard you liking someone at school."
"Liking someone, in a romantic sense," Yumi said with a hint of distaste, "that won't happen to me anytime soon. I'm just glad I got accepted in a prestigious all-girls school. I'm so done with smelly boys hitting on me all the time."
He laughed and then became silent for a moment. The sadness and guilt in his eyes were more transparent than before. "Yumi," he said after a short while, "aren't you going to go back to the—"
"I'm not," Yumi said, trying to sound cheerful for his sake. "Like I told you, I want to work at cafés while travelling the world now."
Yuuki knew that her sister could not really lie even if she wanted to. He could plainly see the lie on her face. "I just don't want you to feel regretful about not following your dream," he told her grimly.
"I won't," Yumi said with a tight smile. "That's no longer my dream. I'm already done with it."
In the end, Yumi regretted declining Yuuki's offer to take his bento. She was starving, and she still got ten minutes before homeroom. She lost count of how many times she yawned and staggered as she trudged wearily through the tree-lined pathway to the school building. She could not understand why the gate was so far from the main grounds. This got her so late on her first day. Good thing their headmistress excused her tardiness because she was basically a foreigner. She could not even speak fluent Japanese when she first arrived. Yuuki was not as fortunate. He was given a tardy slip, not taking into consideration that he was a newcomer. His school was known for its draconian system and a headmaster who governed the students with an iron fist. But she had not heard her brother complain about it.
The brunette paused in front of the colossal ivory statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her head tilting skyward toward its heavenly face. The morning sun was kind to her eyes. It was heartening as if she was being welcomed by her mother with a loving embrace after a long day. A smile graced her lips as she clasped her hands together. She bowed her head and asked the Virgin Mary for an exciting day, and maybe a little miracle before the school week ended. This was the first time she paused and prayed at the statue. She did not consider herself religious. Her family did not practice any religion, so she was relatively confused at first to see students assemble around the statue to pray, bow, or make a sign of the cross.
She opened her eyes and unclasped her hands with a broader smile. She was feeling better and lighter for some reason. Probably because of the short talk she had with her brother earlier on the bus. Despite their closeness, they never talked about their feelings. Her disinclination to move to Japan was not a secret to her family even though she was keeping her reluctance to herself. She did not make a fuss about it because she did not want Yuuki to feel bad and guilty for coming here. And this morning, she finally shared her thoughts and feelings to her twin.
She made a curtsy to the statue after thanking the Virgin Mary for the comfort. Feeling a huge weight being lifted off her chest, she took a deep breath with a grin on her face. What a lovely day, she thought contentedly and carried on walking to the school building.
"Please wait," a voice as icy as the morning breeze yet as mellow and rich as the colors in the sky called, halting her steps.
Yumi turned around almost immediately. She could swear that her heart had stopped beating when she saw the face of the person who had called her attention. Her beauty was striking. She was familiar, like she had seen her before, but the brunette could not really recall seeing her in the hallways or in the cafeteria. Considering how tall and mature and sophisticated the person was with her bearing, she must be at least a year her senior. Her heart started pounding hard as the person was coming closer, her pace smooth and unhesitating. She was unsure if she would move back or stay still. She decided to ask, "Um, is there something you want from me?"
"Yes, I was certainly talking to you," the person answered briefly and stopped in front of her. She was so close that her sweet-scented perfume was filling up her nose. It smelled expensive. She smelled wonderful. Yumi had to look up a bit to see her face. Her alabaster skin was free from any make-up. It was flawless, not a single blemish in sight. Her beauty was simple and yet second to none. "Hold this," she said, handing her the executive-looking sachet bag.
"Ah—yes," Yumi said and took her bag clumsily with her free hand. She stood stiff while the person reached for her neck and straightened her tie. She held her breath as two deft hands were glazing down her shoulders, smoothing the invisible creases on her collar.
"You should tie your scarf in a proper knot . . ." the person said as she pulled the round edges of her ribbon to secure the knot. "Maria-sama is watching." She leaned forward and took her bag from her hand. "Gokigenyou," she said and walked off.
Yumi just blinked, unable to grasp what just happened. She looked down at her scarf and saw that it was knotted impeccably. Her gaze spontaneously went after the person. She watched her walk away for about a minute before she realized that she had forgotten to thank her for straightening out her tie. "Um, thank you very much! Go—gokigenyou!" she said and made sure to execute a bow that would make all of her Japanese ancestors proud. When she straightened up, the person was gazing at her with a tender smile. She was standing so elegantly, even the way she carried her bag was graceful. Her long, silky black hair waved in the wind. Her lily-white cheeks glowed with warmth. It was then that the brunette realized who she was and where she got a glimpse of her for the first time . . .
The person was Benibara's Tsubomi, the Rosa Chinensis en bouton, Ogasawara Sachiko.
"I'm so embarrassed," Yumi said to her classmate who was seated in front of her.
"Stop worrying about it," her neighbor said in a dismissive tone.
"You're saying that because it didn't happen to you," Yumi said, burying her face in her arms. "This is a serious matter, Kyoko-san. I just humiliated myself in front of Rosa Chinensis en bouton."
"I couldn't agree more," Kyoko said. "But Ogasawara Sachiko-sama is the star of Lilian Girls School. And a star can't tell all its thralls apart. I'm sure she forgets about you already."
Yumi raised her head from her folded arms to answer to her classmate's remark when someone walked passed them. It was their beautiful yet aloof class representative, Toudo Shimako. She was gliding down the aisle in smooth, confident strides, her wavy hair bouncing to and fro against her back.
"Even Shimako-san can't possibly memorize all our faces," Kyoko said, watching the Class Rep settle at her desk. Yumi had to look at her neighbor as she went on speaking. "Didn't you know, before Shimako-san accepted Rosa Gigantea's rosary, Sachiko-sama had asked her to be her petite soeur?"
"Wow, really," Yumi said. "I had no idea."
"Because you're oblivious to everything, Yumi-san," Kyoko replied teasingly.
Yumi gave an uneasy laugh. "So, um, why did Shimako-san reject Sachiko-sama's rosary?"
"Who knows," her neighbor said. "But I heard Shimako-san hated the Rosa Chinensis en bouton."
Yumi could not help but ask, "Why would Shimako-san hate Sachiko-sama?"
Her neighbor glanced at her with a knowing smile. "You got a lot of questions, Yumi-san. What got you so interested to know now? Tell me, are you more interested in Sachiko-sama or in Shimako-san?"
Yumi shook her hands in front of her face. "I—I'm only wondering."
Kyoko giggled. "You're funny," she said. "I really don't know, but students are saying that Shimako-san is jealous of the Rosa Chinensis en bouton, though she is the most admired among the first-years."—she shrugged—"Well, it's just a rumor, but I can't really blame Shimako-san if she was. I mean, look at Ogasawara Sachiko-sama—she's pretty as a picture. She's rich, smart, popular, and she excelled at almost everything. She's essentially perfect. Have you met anyone like her?"
Yumi did not respond to that, instead she laid her eyes back on their class representative, who was silently reading a book. She found it difficult to believe the rumor to be true. It was even harder to imagine her classmate hating on someone, especially because of something as petty as jealousy over who was more beautiful and accomplished. Shimako might be reserved and unsociable, but she was not that shallow. At the very least, that was how the brunette felt about her. Shimako did not become their leader because she presented herself to the class. She was nominated and the majority had voted for her. Looking back on that day, she even seemed reluctant and uncomfortable when everyone was clapping their hands and congratulating her after she won the position. Now, six months later, she was still doing her job excellently, and not to mention modestly. Even with her impressive accomplishments and popularity, she had never tooted her own horn. That was the reason why Yumi could not really sympathize with the school scandalmongers, who were spreading baseless rumors and creating unnecessary drama like it was their calling to make other students miserable.
Yumi thought Shimako was brilliant and beautiful in her own right. She even considered her the most beautiful student in school. Before she saw Ogasawara Sachiko up close.
"Yumi-san, do you have a minute?"
The brunette averted her gaze from their class representative and looked up at her bespectacled classmate who always had a camera slung around her neck. Takeshima Tsutako was her name, if she remembered correctly. She never talked to this girl before. "Um, Tsutako-san?" she responded tentatively. "Do you need something from me?"
Her classmate chuckled. "I'm sorry, but your accent is really cute, Yumi-san. Couldn't help but laugh."
Yumi just laughed since she did not know what to else do to. It sounded remotely like a compliment, and compliments embarrassed her.
"Can you come with me? I have something important to show you," Tsutako said, her head nodding toward the door.
"What is it?" she said, reluctantly standing up from her seat. Curiosity prodded her to follow her classmate into the hallway. They walked a few more steps around the corner, away from the busy classrooms. "Um, Tsutako-san, what is it that you want to show me?" she asked apprehensively when they stopped behind the stairs that was more or less abandoned because the area had always been an accident-prone, and most of all, because of how eerie its surrounding atmosphere was.
"Relax, I didn't drag you here to murder you or something," her bespectacled classmate said with a laugh. "I wanted to show you this," she said, passing her a photograph.
Yumi took the photograph and gazed at it for a long time. She was speechless with awe, her eyes twinkling and wide. "Tsutako-san, c—can I keep it?"
"Now, now, stop gawking at the picture," Tsutako said, taking the photograph back. "I thought you'd ask, so I prepared a copy for you. I promise to give you the copy, only if I get your help in return."
"Help?" Yumi said in confusion.
"I'm sure you're aware that I'm a member of the Photography Club," Tsutako said. Yumi did not know, but had only presumed since she had not seen her classmate without her camera in class. She nodded nonetheless. "Well, the Photography Club is having an exhibit during the school festival. I am planning to submit this picture to put on display, but I need to ask permission from you and Rosa Chinensis en bouton before doing that."
"You're joking, aren't you, Tsutako-san?" Yumi said with a nervous laugh.
"Why would I make a joke that concerns Ogasawara Sachiko-sama? I'm very far from being suicidal," her classmate said. "I'm serious, Yumi-san. I need you to get her consent for me."
"You're asking me the impossible," Yumi said, shaking her head frantically. "Couldn't you do that on your own?"
Tsutako sighed. "Just as you said, this task is pretty impossible. Even thinking about being in the same room with the Rosa Chinensis en bouton frightens me."
"It's even more frightening for me," Yumi said, stepping back. "I'm sorry, Tsutako-san, but I can't help you with that. I can give you my permission, but asking Sachiko-sama—"
"Please!" her classmate urged, pressing her hands together with desperation. "Please, Yumi-san, I really think Sachiko-sama will agree if you're the one asking it."
"Eh, what made you say that?" Yumi said, her face crunching up. "I'm a transfer student. She doesn't know who I am. And I had only talked to her this morning."
"But Sachiko-sama doesn't concern herself with other students, especially the underclassmen. And this morning, she called out to you and fixed your perpetually crooked scarf. She even smiled at you," Tsutako reasoned vehemently. "Sachiko-sama doesn't smile at anyone, for any reason, Yumi-san!"
Yumi scratched her head. "Er . . . that was—"
"The Rosa Chinensis en bouton is not someone who easily warms up to anyone," her classmate continued. "I heard a lot of rumors about how she completely ignored the students who acted in an improper manner as if looking at them was a waste of her time. Sachiko-sama is not named the 'Ice Princess' for nothing."
"Um, I still don't see your point—" Yumi tried to make an escape, but she was cut off when her classmate bowed to her.
"Please, Yumi-san," Tsutako said. "I cannot afford to lose in this competition."
"Eh? So this exhibit is a competition?" Yumi said. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm sorry. Please let me explain again from the top," Tsutako said, straightened her back. "Two weeks from now, our club officers will select ten pictures to be displayed at the cultural festival. The picture that garners the highest vote from the student body is the winner. And the winner will later receive a VIP ticket to Akemi Aya-sensei's exhibition in Taito in December. I need to be there, Yumi-san."—she bowed again—"Please, this exhibition is very important to me. It will be Akemi-sensei's swan song. I need to meet her in person and see her art before she retires in Germany with her cat, Sushi, and her son and his wife and four grandchildren."
"You are very well-acquainted with her life it's almost creepy," Yumi said, gesturing her classmate to lift her head. "But I'm impressed."
"So you're going to help me?" Tsutako asked eagerly.
Yumi hesitated, but after a while of internal debate, she nodded her head and said her okay. "But in one condition," she added in a serious voice.
"A—anything," Tsutako said, disconcerted by her sudden bluntness.
"I can't promise you anything, but I will try my best to ask for Rosa Chinensis en bouton's consent. And just to be fair, whether Sachiko-sama will approve or not, you'll give me a copy of the photo after I approach her."
Her classmate beamed and shook her hand. "You got yourself a deal, Fukuzawa Yumi-san."
"How could you not know where the Rose Mansion is?" Tsutako said for the umpteenth time, stopping in front of an old, grayish door. "You're not serious, right?"
"Geez, I told you already. This is the first time I've seen this building," Yumi said. "And I'm not lying."
Her classmate was looking at her suspiciously. "There's no one at Lilian, whether in Middle School or High School, who doesn't know where the Rose Mansion is," she said and crossed her arms. "Why, you asked?"
"I'm not asking," the brunette replied dryly.
"Because it is the home of the glorious and honored Yamayurikai Student Council," Tsutako said, pride glittered in her eyes.
"I'm aware of the Yamayuri student council, so would you please cut me some slack now?" Yumi said, sighing deep down. "I had just transferred here. I don't know much about the school yet."
"Don't shorten the sacred name," her classmate told her off. "Yeah, you transferred here like six months ago," she said. "Didn't you memorize the school handbook? Everything is in there."
"Huh," Yumi said, her eyes widening. "Why would we memorize the school handbook?"
Tsutako slapped her forehead. "Don't tell me you didn't also bother to read it?"
"I did," Yumi said. "I pretty much know what's in it."
"You've read the whole handbook?" Tsutako said, distrust firm on her face.
"I read the table of contents," Yumi replied confidently. "It's the same thing as reading the entire book, isn't it?"
Tsutako mussed up her hair. "I didn't know talking to you could be this frustrating, Yumi-san. Is it because you didn't grow up in Japan?" she said. Yumi shrugged. "Anyway, how are we going to approach Sachiko-sama? Do you have a plan?"
The brunette grinned, ignoring her concern. "You're going in with me, Tsutako-san?"
"I'm already here," her classmate said with a sigh. "I better accompany you, or else the Roses will jump all over me for letting a simpleton go in alone and ruin their day."
"What—a simpleton?" Yumi said, frowning at her bespectacled classmate. Tsutako just giggled at the expression on her face.
"Do you need something from the Yamayurikai?"
A weak, toneless voice made them turn their heads toward the back. Their class representative, Toudo Shimako, was waiting a couple of feet behind them with her satchel bag hanging from her hands.
"Ah, Shimako-san, why are you here?" Yumi asked unknowingly.
"Shimako-san is the Rosa Gigantea en bouton. She is Sato Sei-sama's petite soeur. It's only natural to see her here," Tsutako explained. "This is perfect," she said, smiling at the bouton. "Shimako-san, can we go inside the Rose Mansion with you? Yumi-san and I need to speak with the Rosa Chinensis en bouton."
"Sachiko-sama is probably inside," Shimako replied simply. She opened the door and stepped into the entrance hall. "Please come with me," she said, glancing over her shoulder.
They passed through the door and followed their classmate into the foyer. Yumi was glancing around as they climbed the stairs. The simplicity and elegance of the place were pleasing and aesthetic to the eye. The afternoon light was shining through the windows of stained glasses. One masterfully designed rose on each glass. The colors were red, white, and yellow respectively. When they got on the second floor, they only found one heavy-looking, wooden door with a door hanger hanging from the vintage doorknob that read, 'Meeting ongoing. Please do not disturb.'
Yumi was wondering about the door and asked, "Uh, Shimako-san, why is there only one door on the second floor?"
"The second floor is where the Yamayurikai gather. They hold their meetings, do their work, and receive guests in this room," the bouton said, her eyes on the rectangular, cardboard sign.
"Wow," Yumi said with amazement. "So it's a very big room."
"Yes," Shimako replied tersely, not removing her gaze from the sign.
A feeling of uneasiness came over Yumi when she noted that their class representative was deliberately not meeting her gaze. She was not the most perceptive, but the bouton was making it so obvious that even her most obtuse mind had easily caught on. Shimako was looking at Tsutako when she was speaking with her. But when the brunette was the one talking, she just could not look at her in the eye.
Did Shimako-san hear us talk about her in the classroom? Is she mad at me? Yumi thought anxiously. She almost wanted to apologize to the bouton when they heard a loud, angry voice on the other side of the door.
A fiery yet silvery voice cried out, "You're being inconsiderate and unfair, Onee-sama!"
"Seems like Sachiko-sama is here," the bouton said, edging closer to the door.
"So—so that voice is—" Their bespectacled classmate was beginning to fret, stepping away from the door.
"Don't worry," Shimako said, glancing at Tsutako. "This happens all the time."
"A—all the time?" Tsutako stuttered nervously.
"The Yamayurikai have been meeting every day since September to prepare for the school festival," Shimako clarified. "This is nothing out of the ordinary," she said and reached for the doorknob.
Yumi was too hung up on her own thoughts to notice a slender figure rushing out of the room as soon as her classmate opened the door. As it happened so quickly and unexpectedly, they were knocked into each other and fell hard on the floor. The tall body was sprawled against her, her hands sweeping at her sides. She could almost feel the voluptuous curves underneath the velvety uniform. When she tried to move her head, she caught a whiff of a specific perfume on her skin. She froze on the spot when she recognized the expensive scent.
If the scent was any indication, and if she was not hallucinating, then the person she had collided with and was now lying on top of her was none other than the Rosa Chinensis en bouton, Ogasawara Sachiko, herself. Yumi became dazed with dread at the thought.
The body pulled back, the warmth leaving her immediately. Yumi could feel the person's face hovering inches above her own.
"Are you all right?" the person said, her minty breath tickling her face.
Her head was spinning fast when she confirmed the voice. Yumi opened her eyes hesitantly. Dark sapphire eyes were staring back at her. They were icy, almost entirely barren of emotion, yet it made her cheeks flush with embarrassment and some other feelings she could not put her finger on.
"Are you all right?" the Rosa Chinensis bouton asked the second time. She furrowed her brow when she did not hear a response from the brunette. "Are you hurt somewhere? Did you hit your head?"
"I—I'm okay," Yumi managed to say when she heard the worry in her tone. Yet it was hardly detectable, she felt revived after hearing a tiny bit of emotion in her voice.
"Are you sure?" Sachiko said, standing to her feet. She offered her hand and helped the brunette stand up. Her hand was so smooth and soft to the touch, just as Yumi suspected it to be.
"I only hurt my buttocks. But I think it's nothing serious," Yumi answered unthinkingly. She winced when she realized that it was not something she should say out loud, especially to the Rosa Chinensis en bouton, who was also known to be the most prim and proper among the members of the Yamayurikai.
"I'm glad," the bouton sounded apathetic, as though she did not really care if the brunette was hurt or not. "Are you a first year?" she asked suddenly, her eyes scrutinizing her up and down.
"Y—yes," Yumi stuttered, feeling sheepish at being stared at so intently.
"Do you have an Onee-sama?" she went on asking, her gaze on her getting sharper.
"N—no, I don't have," Yumi said. Her face was glutted with confusion at her random questions.
"Please follow me," the bouton said to her and walked back inside the room.
Tsutako hurried to Yumi's side and neatened her uniform. "Yumi-san, are you really all right?"
The brunette had just remembered that she was not alone in the hallway. She glanced at their class representative and caught her gaze for a fleeting moment. She appeared more detached and unfriendly than minutes ago. Without saying a word, Shimako went in the room, leaving the door open for them.
Yumi was sweating bullets. She was told to sit beside Rosa Chinensis en bouton at the meeting table, in front of the three Roses, the leaders of the Yamayurikai, by Rosa Chinensis—the only Rose that Yumi was actually familiar with because of the several times she had seen her walking with the Headmistress around school. Their gazes were keen and thoughtful as they stared at her. Her bespectacled classmate, who was the root of this problematic and awkward situation, was not helping her at all. Tsutako got to sit next to her, but she was too busy enjoying herself with tea and biscuits while chitchatting with her classmate in middle school, the Rosa Foetida en bouton petite soeur, Yoshino Shimazu. And her other classmate, Shimako, was still avoiding her gaze.
"So, what is this about, Sachiko? Why did you bring two first years here in the middle of our meeting?" Rosa Chinensis said to her petite soeur, who was calmly taking a sip from her cup of tea.
Yumi wondered if the Rosa Chinensis en bouton was unaware of the tension around her or just indifferent. She was acting cool, seemingly unbothered by the disapproving looks the Roses were sending her way.
The teacup did not clatter in the saucer when the bouton set her cup down. "I have an important announcement to make, Onee-sama," she said and stood gracefully from her chair.
"What are you up to, Rosa Chinensis en bouton?" Rosa Chinensis said in a voice filled with uncertainty, as though she had already anticipated that whatever her petite soeur was announcing to the council, it was something to concern greatly about. She stood up and so as the two Roses.
Sachiko looked briefly at the brunette who was seated at her right. "Please introduce yourself."
"Ah—y—yes," Yumi said, standing clumsily from her seat. "My name is Fukuzawa Yumi. I—I'm a first year."
The blonde Rose, Rosa Gigantea, chuckled. "We know that already," she said. "How do you spell your name in kanji, Fukuzawa Yumi-san?"
"Um, well," Yumi said, her gaze upward in thought, "'Fukuzawa' is like in 'Fukuzawa Yuukichi'. The 'yu' is the shimesuhen radical and kanji for 'migi'. And 'mi' is like in 'midoshi'."
"I see," Rosa Gigantea said with a smile. "That's a very promising name you have there. I'm quite sure I heard it from somewhere before—"
"So, what about her, Sachiko?" the third Rose, Rosa Foetida, said as she moved in front of the blonde Rose.
All eyes were on the brunette now, including Shimako's. This made her wriggle restlessly under their blatant stare.
"Don't you think it's rather rude to stare at her like that? Look how flustered she is," Sachiko said without casting a glance at the brunette.
Yumi caught that and felt embarrassed. Why am I even here? she thought as she dropped her head to her chest.
"Rosa Foetida, we should at least hear what my petite soeur has to say first," Rosa Chinensis said. "Tell us, Sachiko."
"Thank you, Onee-sama," Sachiko said and turned toward the brunette.
Yumi lifted her face and met her gaze. She was trying to search her eyes for a clue on what she was about to do, but the bouton was putting on a thick mask and she was very adept at it that the brunette could not find a crack.
"I'm going to fulfill my promise to you before," Sachiko said to her grand soeur, placing her hand on Yumi's shoulder. The touch was gentle and barely felt, but it still made the brunette flinch back a little and avert her gaze. "I have chosen Yumi to be my petite soeur," she said, her voice clear and steady.
Yumi looked up at the bouton in surprise, her mouth agape.
Rosa Chinensis stepped forward, nearing the edge of the table. "Are you sure about this, Sachiko?"
"Yes, Onee-sama," the bouton said. "I am proclaiming Fukuzawa Yumi my petite soeur."
"Does that mean that you have already given your rosary to Yumi-san and she accepted it?" Rosa Foetida asked the bouton suspiciously.
"Not yet, but I do not mind performing the ceremony in front of the council right now," Sachiko answered unwaveringly.
"Rosa Foetida, if Sachiko has her mind on something, then there is nothing to debate on," Rosa Chinensis said. It was not subtle to her fellow Roses that she was being protective toward her petite soeur.
Yumi was shaking inside. It felt so wrong. Being told that she was going to be the Rosa Chinensis en bouton's petite soeur came out of nowhere. She did not even know the bouton until this morning when she called her out all of a sudden and fixed her tie. That's right, Yumi thought and remembered. This had all started because of what happened this morning in front of Maria-sama's statue and her classmate from the Photography Club was able to capture that breathtaking moment on camera. She came in the Rose Mansion to ask for her permission to display that photo at the school festival. She did not come here to be dragged into this muddle.
Yumi had to delay her thoughts as the Roses became more vehement in voicing their views. They were arguing about whether or not they would accept her to be Rosa Chinensis en bouton's petite soeur.
"We can't accept it quite yet, at least not until the person in question will stop squirming on her feet," Rosa Gigantea said to Rosa Chinensis, her hand toward the brunette.
"That's right, Rosa Gigantea," Rosa Foetida said. "Yumi-san seems so frightened of Sachiko. She should at least act all thrilled and happy of being next to her Onee-sama, don't you think?"
"Who is not frightened of Sachiko, Rosa Foetida?" Rosa Chinensis retorted. "Even our teachers are intimidated by her."
"You know that's not the point here, Rosa Chinensis," Rosa Gigantea said. "Didn't Sachiko just run out of the meeting then suddenly bring two first years with her? Isn't that too shady?"
"Let's give Sachiko the benefit of the doubt, please," Rosa Chinensis said with a sigh.
Yumi did not understand why the leaders of Yamayurikai had to be at odds with each other over something so trivial. She felt so confused. If she was already involved in this sticky mess, then she should at least ask for an explanation. Mustering up all the courage she had, she clenched her hands, took a deep breath, and opened her mouth. "Um, excuse me—" she began, but was cut off instantly by the person standing close to her.
"Please be quiet," Sachiko said. "The Roses are still speaking."
It took all of Yumi to hold back her tears as she hid her face from the bouton. She was too embarrassed for words. She was not only told to shut her mouth, but was also told, in a way, to shut her feelings down, as if her opinion and feelings on the matter were not needed and important. She could not take the humiliation anymore. She wanted to make herself scarce thereon.
"I'm sure Sachiko didn't even know her name until she asked Yumi-san to introduce herself," Rosa Gigantea said.
"I don't think that was the first time they met, Onee-sama," Shimako spoke for the first time in a meeting, surprising everyone in the room. She could not stay silent any longer while someone she knew was rapidly falling into a very tight position, a situation that did not even concern her. "Yumi-san and Tsutako-san came here looking for Sachiko-sama. I led them inside the Rose Mansion," she continued to say, looking at the brunette, almost in a furtive way, to get a glimpse of her reaction.
Rosa Chinensis turned her attention to the brunette with pigtails. "Is that true, Yumi-san?"
Yumi could not answer. She could not even look at her classmate while she was talking and, obviously, helping her get away from her predicament. She was too upset to care.
"Yes, it's true, and I have the proof," Tsutako said, standing from her seat. Rather than feeling anxious and embarrassed when she showed the photograph to the Roses, she felt proud, especially when they expressed their astonishment after seeing the winning image.
"They know each other?" Rosa Foetida and Rosa Gigantea chorused with disbelief.
Rosa Chinensis looked apologetic when she passed the photograph to her petite soeur. "We are sorry for our brash presumptions, Sachiko. We did not know that the two of you actually knew each other."
Yumi watched Sachiko stare at the picture. She was paying close attention to her face, but it was as bare as a blank sheet of paper. Did she remember? Did she forget? Was she surprised to see them together? There was no way of telling what was going on in her mind. But somehow, the brunette had a sneaking suspicion that the bouton did not remember her, or what happened in that morning.
"As you can see in the photo, Yumi and I know each other," Sachiko said, showing off the photograph to the council. "I hope the Roses would stop doubting me and accept Yumi as my petite soeur."
The bouton had no qualms about lying to everyone, Yumi thought. Why would she have to lie about knowing her? Why would she insist on making a complete stranger her petite soeur? The brunette had so many questions, which challenged her regard for the person whom she honestly thought was an impeccable star.
Rosa Chinensis sat on her seat, propping her chin on the back of her hands. "As your grand soeur, I will accept Fukuzawa Yumi-san as your petite soeur, however . . ." she said, her face unsmiling, "I want you to do the ceremony after the school festival."
"But you promised," Sachiko said in a subdued tone.
"I did not promise anything," Rosa Chinensis said. "You came up with that on your own and ran away from the meeting."
Sachiko pressed her lips. For a splint second, Yumi caught the anger and the defeat flash across her face. The brunette could not explain it, but she felt a sudden sympathy for the bouton.
"As the future Rosa Chinensis, you know very well what will happen to the play, to the school festival, if you back out from your role now," Rosa Chinensis said.
"Please, pardon me, Roses," Tsutako said, barging into the conversation politely.
"Yes, Takeshima Tsutako-san," Rosa Gigantea said, nodding her head at her.
The bespectacled photographer smiled happily. "I'm surprised that you know my name, Rosa Gigantea."
The blonde Rose laughed at the girl's enthusiasm. "The Yamayurikai have heard of you, the ace of the Photography Club. The portraits you displayed at last year's cultural festival were especially worthy of praise." She glanced at the brunette with pigtails. "It's Yumi-san that we know nothing of."
"I'm truly honored having to hear those words from you, Sato Sei-sama," Tsutako responded proudly. "I don't like to intrude in the Yamayurikai's affairs, but I don't really understand what's going on."
"Allow me to explain, Takeshima-san," Rosa Chinensis offered.
"There is no need to go into details, Onee-sama," Sachiko interrupted. "They are not part of the council. The play is still confidential, and must not be disclosed to anyone, until the roles are decided."
"There is no need to be rude, Sachiko," Rosa Chinensis chided. "In the first place, I wouldn't have to explain anything to anyone if you did not bring them here in our meeting."
Rosa Foetida sat back on her seat next to Rosa Chinensis, paying no mind to the Chinensis sisters giving each other a sour look. "To make the long story short, Tsutako-san, the Yamayurikai have decided to give the starring role in this year's play to the star of Lilian," she said. "Sachiko had no problems with that, as she was initially been told that her leading partner would be her friend and classmate, Hasekura Rei, the Rosa Foetida en bouton, my petite soeur."
The Rosa Foetida en bouton, who was seated in between Rosa Foetida and the petite girl with braided hair, flashed a smile. Yumi thought she was charming, like a modern-day prince in her short, stylish hair.
"But when Sachiko found out that Rei was just a stand-in and that somebody else would be her partner in the play, she decided to withdraw," Rosa Gigantea added.
"It goes without saying that we, the Roses, cannot let that happen," Rosa Chinensis said. "Sachiko will ruin the highlight of the festival if she backs out now."
Tsutako raised her hand. "Um, how is Sachiko-sama's withdrawal from the play has to do with accepting Yumi-san as Rosa Chinensis en bouton's petite soeur?"
"Rosa Chinensis bid anyone who can't find a soeur to speak in the meetings," Rosa Gigantea said. "Since Sachiko doesn't have a soeur, she doesn't have the right to express her disapproval, all the more so disobey the Yamayurikai."
"You made this decision when I was not here," Sachiko said, her voice weak and vulnerable.
"That's because you're never here when we're having a meeting with Hanadera's Student Council President," Rosa Chinensis said with a trace of disapproval in her tone. She sighed when she realized her mistake. "I'm sorry," she apologized to her fellow Roses. "I shouldn't have said that."
"It's okay, Youko," Rosa Gigantea said, giving her friend a reassuring smile and a pat on her shoulder. She turned her gaze to the first-years. "The Yamayurikai is having Cinderella, and the Hanadera's Student Council President will be playing the prince."
Rosa Foetida rolled her eyes at the blonde Rose. "Have you not considered the potential consequences of what you just did? We haven't announced anything to the public yet."
Rosa Gigantea shrugged. "There is no use of hiding the truth from them. They're not stupid." She looked at the brunette. "You're not stupid, are you, Yumi-san?"
Yumi blinked, glancing at the blonde Rose.
"N—no, she's not stupid," Tsutako said, to the brunette's rescue. "She just can't keep up with us sometimes, just sometimes."
"In any case," Rosa Chinensis said, rubbing her temples. "I cannot let you drop the role, Sachiko."
"Then this meeting is finished. I'm done here," Sachiko responded coldly. She turned on her heel and began to walk away.
"Wait, Sachiko," Rosa Chinensis called and stood up. "Before you go, there is something I need to hear from you."
Sachiko was at the door when she halted her steps. She did not say anything in response, prompting the Red Rose to continue.
"Are you still going to make Yumi-san your petite soeur?"
Unbeknownst to Sachiko, the brunette saw her narrow her eyes in vexation before she turned halfway around to answer her grand soeur. "Of course," she said. "What do you think of me, Onee-sama? Are you trying to insult me in front of my petite soeur?"
Rosa Chinensis smiled wryly. "Good," she said. "I would have had to dissolve our bond if you had cast Yumi-san aside."
"Does it look like I am only using her?" Sachiko retorted snappishly. She walked back in the middle of the room, stopping beside the brunette. "Yumi," she called, her voice hushed yet pleasantly strong.
Yumi had to force herself to meet her eye. They faced each other, a few inches apart. She swallowed hard, feeling the heat crawl up to her cheeks as the bouton stepped even closer. The small gap in between them was no more.
"I am going to perform the ceremony in front the Yamayurikai, right here, right now," Sachiko said. She took her rosary from her neck and raised it in front of the brunette, who cringed at seeing the string of pearly beads.
Shimako stood up silently from her seat. The only person who noticed the change in her demeanor was her grand soeur, who was leaning her back restfully against the wooden column in between the panel of curtained windows. Concerned, Rosa Gigantea went to her petite soeur when she spoke.
"Aren't you all forgetting something important?" Shimako said right before the Rosa Chinensis en bouton put the rosary around Yumi's neck. Everyone looked at her, other than her classmate. "About Yumi-san's feelings," she said, fixing her gaze on the brunette.
Rosa Gigantea stood behind her petite soeur, her hands on her shoulders. "Do you think Yumi-san will not accept Sachiko's rosary, Shimako?"
Shimako shook her head slightly. "I'm not saying that," she said. "But I think it is important that we hear Yumi-san's feelings on the matter as well. We did not give her a chance to speak her mind."
"Rosa Gigantea en bouton is right," Rosa Chinensis said. "Even if it's an offer from Sachiko, it isn't a guarantee that she will be accepted."
"There might be another person aside from Shimako that would turn the Rosa Chinensis en bouton down," Rosa Foetida agreed snidely.
Shimako did not feel the need to comment on the latter. Her gaze remained on the brunette as she kept her silence.
"But it really seems like Yumi-san admires Sachiko," Rosa Gigantea said, glancing at her petite soeur and saw the slight quirk in her eye. She frowned at herself, feeling as though she had said something wrong.
"I think so, too," Rosa Chinensis concurred. She glanced at the blonde Rose when she heard her heave a sigh of relief. She brushed her off and looked back at the brunette with pigtails. "But let's hear her out anyway," she said with finality. "Yumi-san, the Rosa Chinensis en bouton seems determined to make you her petite soeur. Do you accept her rosary?"
Yumi did not answer while she pondered the situation in her mind. She got the whole picture. She was only picked by chance and nothing more. She understood that Rosa Chinensis en bouton had to choose a petite soeur at random without reluctance and feelings of guilt and discontent—as if choosing a soeur was as simple as choosing what she would be having for snacks—because she was too desperate to pull herself out of the role the Roses had forced her into. What caused her to become so desperate? The answer had something to do with the Hanadera Student Council President as her partner in the play, the brunette surmised after some serious thought. Rosa Chinensis questioning her sincerity had put the bouton on a spot. To erase her grand soeur's doubts, she had no choice but to offer her rosary right then and there. Even though the brunette knew that she was basically being used, she was not angry. Rather than feeling sulky and resentful, she was sorry that the Yamayurikai had put the bouton through hell. But if she would really be honest with herself, she was also somewhat hurt that she was just a casual pick.
"Yumi-san?" Rosa Chinensis called, prodding the brunette to look at her. She gave her a smile and a nod, encouraging her to express her thoughts freely.
Yumi looked downward, a sad smile on her face. "I cannot accept Sachiko-sama's rosary, I'm sorry," she said in a low voice. She did not say this out of spite or hurt or self-respect, but of sympathy. She made this decision to save the bouton, whom she thought was boxed into a corner and had no way out of her plight, from a relationship that was forced and superficial. She was, in essence, pulling her out of the fire.
Sachiko dropped her hands and slipped the rosary in her pocket. The look on her face was impossible to interpret, but it did not fail to give the brunette a fright of her lifetime when she looked at her dead in the eye. "At least I have the right to ask why, don't I?" she said, her voice cold and empty.
Yumi could only stare at the bouton, unable to get the words out of her mouth. She wanted to tell her that it was for her own good, that she did it for her sake as much as her own. But she could not do it. She had no courage left to speak. She used them all up when she uttered her rejection.
"Are you disappointed in Sachiko after knowing that she isn't the perfect Rosa Chinensis en bouton you thought she would be?" Rosa Chinensis asked the brunette kindly.
Yumi shook her head. "No," she answered timidly. "She doesn't need to be perfect to be perfect in somebody's eye. I still think that Sachiko-sama is amazing. She is, in every sense of the word."
"That sounds very much like a love confession to me," Rosa Gigantea commented with a chuckle.
"Yet you rejected her rosary," Rosa Chinensis said. "Do you already have someone—"
"No," Yumi said without hesitation. "I—I don't have someone like that. I can't explain it very well, but I think only people who definitely want to become soeurs should be engaged with each other."
"Are you saying that Sachiko doesn't want you to be her soeur?" Rosa Foetida asked accusingly.
"I cannot say," Yumi said in a whisper.
"No matter how we put it, Rosa Chinensis en bouton has been rejected once again," Rosa Foetida said. "These first years are really something else."
"Poor Sachiko," Sei teased. "Yumi-san's rejection was truly unexpected. I thought for sure she would accept her rosary."
"If you feel sorry for Sachiko, could you do something about her role?" Sachiko retorted sarcastically.
"That's a different story, my dear," Rosa Gigantea said with a laugh.
Rosa Chinensis went over to the brunette. "Yumi-san, even if you are not Sachiko's petite soeur, you are still welcome here in the Rose Mansion. And if you have something you need from the Yamayurikai, do not be afraid to ask."
Yumi nodded. "Um, there is something I need to ask you now, if it's okay. I can't afford to hold back this time."
"What is it?" Rosa Chinensis said, taken aback by her frankness.
"It's about Sachiko-sama's role in the play," Yumi answered quietly.
Sachiko could hardly look at Yumi after her rejection. She did not bother to hide her surprise, but only for a fraction of a second, when she glanced at the brunette.
"You still care for Sachiko after what happened?" Rosa Foetida said.
Yumi could not stop herself from blurting out at that, "But you're the one to blame why Sachiko-sama is in this predicament. It's not right that you're forcing her to play a part she doesn't want. You don't consider her feelings at all—"
"Please stop," Sachiko said, a stern expression on her face. She composed herself with an inward sigh after seeing the brunette cower at her voice. Gently, carefully, she reached for her shoulder and gave it a soft, comforting squeeze. This time, she was being mindful not to scare her. "I know that you are trying to help me, but please do not hate them. The Roses are doing right not to allow me to quit the play. They are only thinking about the school festival."
Rosa Chinensis let out a weary sigh. "She's right," she said, rubbing her forehead with her thumb. "We're forcing Sachiko to be in a play with a boy when we all know about her aversion with men. Coercion is bullying and bullying is not something the Yamayurikai, or anyone, should do."
Rosa Foetida stood up. "But Rosa Chinensis, changing the star now is . . ."
"I have an idea," Rosa Gigantea chimed in eagerly. "Like Yumi-san said, it is not right to force Sachiko to play the role and be paired with a guy. So how about giving Sachiko a fair chance to quit by having her play a 'batsu game'?"
"A 'batsu game'?" Yumi said. The bewildered look on her face prompted her bespectacled classmate to explain the famous Japanese game to her.
"'Batsu game' is a penalty game," Tsutako said. "Basically, after a competition or a bet, the loser will do anything the winner says."
"This is not a variety show, oh for Pete's sake," Rosa Foetida said with an eye-roll.
"What's the bet?" Sachiko joined in, surprising the Roses, especially her grand soeur, who did not expect her to accept the game peacefully, without raising objections.
"Make Yumi-san your petite soeur a week before the school festival," Rosa Gigantea said. "Then you can quit the play. This time, we promise."
Sachiko was looking at the blonde Rose steadily, her gaze calculating. "I understand."
"And one more thing," Rosa Gigantea added with mischievous smile, "to prevent Yumi-san from accepting your rosary so you could get out of the play, in a word, out of pity, the role will be given to her when she accepts you as her soeur." She winked at the brunette. "Soeurs help each other, right, Yumi-san?"
"Interesting," Rosa Foetida said and glanced at her petite soeur. "What do you think, Rei? Is Yumi-san good enough for the role?"
Rei examined the brunette with curious eyes. "She's shorter than Sachiko, but I think she would look good in the Cinderella dress and dancing with the prince."
"I think Yumi-chan has her own charm most people neglect to see," Rosa Gigantea said, smiling widely at the brunette. "But I can see it just fine. She'd be a wonderful Cinderella."
"So in short, this contest is between you and Sachiko-sama, instead of Sachiko-sama and the Yamayurikai," Tsutako explained to the brunette enthusiastically. "Rosa Gigantea is absolutely brilliant, isn't she?" she added and glanced at her classmate. "Do you understand it now, Yumi-san?"
"No," Yumi replied automatically.
Tsutako scratched her head. "In which part did you still not understand?"
"The part where I was included in that silly bet," Yumi said with a long sigh.
"If you had only accepted Sachiko-sama's rosary, you wouldn't be having this problem and I could get her permission to display the picture at the festival," Tsutako said. "And everyone would be happy."
"Except me," the brunette said with a weak glare. "Are you really more concerned about the picture than me?"
Her bespectacled classmate aimed her camera at her face. "Smile, Yumi-san. Sachiko-sama wouldn't want you to be her petite soeur if you keep on glaring at me like that," she said in between laughter. Yumi made a face when she heard a click of the camera.
"Please wait," the cold, mellifluous voice called, stopping the first-years from walking further.
Yumi did not have to see to know who was calling them, but she turned around on reflex. The Rosa Chinensis en bouton sauntered gracefully through the tree-lined pathway and halted a foot before the brunette.
This feels like déjà vu, Yumi thought, remembering a similar scenario that happened this morning.
"Yumi," Sachiko said, her voice kind and affectionate, "you will definitely become my soeur. I know it in my heart." Her dark sapphire eyes flickered with warmth and confidence. For the second time that day, she bestowed a tender smile on the brunette. Without waiting for a response, she bid her farewell and walked away.
Yumi followed the bouton with her eyes, her stomach full of butterflies.
"I have never seen anyone as beautiful as Sachiko-sama. I think I want to marry her and have her babies right away, Oh, Sachiko-sama, I love you so much . . ." Tsutako said in an overly-dramatic, girlish voice-over, wiggling her eyebrows as she watched the brunette stare after the bouton.
Yumi looked away from the raven-haired beauty and shot her classmate a dagger. "Stop putting weird things in my head."
"I don't have to read your mind to know what you're thinking," Tsutako said with a laugh. "It's obvious—you're practically drooling at Sachiko-sama."
"I am not," Yumi said, crossing her arms defensively.
Tsutako laughed even more. "Just accept her rosary already so you can be with her and ogle at her all you want. And then you can ask her about the picture."
"That picture can wait. And I have my pride," Yumi said the latter with a huff. She walked ahead before her classmate could stop laughing and making fun of her. She was at the statue when she heard a familiar melody that she had not heard in a while. The song that was harmoniously sang by their school chorale, which were having their daily practice in the nearby chapel, brought goose bumps on her skin.
"It's Maria-sama's Heart, isn't it?" Tsutako said, stopping behind the brunette. "How time flies."
"I've been thinking about this since I came here and heard it for the first time . . ." Yumi trailed off with a pensive look on her face. She closed her eyes, hummed the tune of the song, and then softly began to sing the lyrics, "The vast blue sky, the evergreen trees, the forest nightingale, the white mountain lilies . . ." She opened her eyes, which were bright hazel brown against the early evening light, and gazed at the statue of the Virgin Mary. "All of those beautiful things are being compared to Maria-sama's heart. At the beginning, I did not understand why sapphire was among them. But I think I understand it now." Thinking about the person with dark sapphire eyes, she continued to sing, "Maria-sama heart is the sapphire. The shining sapphire that adorns us . . ." She smiled wistfully and said, "It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life." She glanced over her shoulder a moment later to see why her classmate was not answering back. "Tsutako-san? Are you okay?"
Tsutako was staring at her open-mouthed. She shut her jaw, blinking a few times, and then opened her mouth again. "Yu—Yu—Yumi-san," she stumbled over her words, "you—you have a very beautiful—enchanting—beautiful—"
"What?" Yumi said, a quick, boisterous laugh escaping her throat. "Come on, let's go home." She grabbed and pulled her classmate's hand to walk with her. As they were passing by the ivory statue, she nodded her head and smiled at the Virgin Mary. Oh, Maria-sama, she prayed, this was indeed an exciting day. You've heard my prayer. Thank you very much. She smiled giddily. I finally found her.
"You finally found who?" Yuuki was pretending to listen to her sister babble about her day and about meeting someone in her school as he worked on his math homework.
Yumi was lounging on her stomach on her brother's bed, her chin on his pillow. "The one I told you about—the one who played this musical piece on our entrance ceremony."—her legs and arms waggled up and down the mattress—"Ugh, I couldn't forget her performance! It was flawless . . . It was incredible . . . She was so talented I was literally breathless."
Yuuki put his pen down on top of his notes and swiveled his chair around to look at his sister seriously. "So, you mean to say," he said, putting two and two together, "you had no idea who that person was until this morning, when she fixed your scarf?"
"Yes!" Yumi said and sat up, her untied hair falling down her shoulders. "I mean, no, I knew she was the Rosa Chinensis en bouton because my classmates were all gushing about her after the ceremony, but I did not get to see her face up close." When she saw her brother screw up his face with disbelief, she explained further, "I know this sounds crazy, Yuuki, but during her performance, we were all standing and I was assigned on this seat very far from where she was playing piano at. It was unfortunate, really, that I only saw a glimpse of her back and her long jet-black hair . . ." Her gaze was far and reflective. "I never had the chance to see more of her after that. She just disappeared after her performance."
Yuuki felt strange seeing Yumi talk and act so excited and giddy about someone. He felt like he was talking to a totally different person. Her sister was never the one who exposed her real, unsuppressed feelings willingly to other people, even if he was her twin. This was the first time he had seen her get all worked up over something in years. But more than his bewilderment, he felt glad and relieved to see her act free and easy, so open and unforced for once.
"I don't know, Yumi," he said, teasing her sister a little. "Lilian is smaller than Hanadera in terms of population, and I'm fairly sure that I have seen everyone in the academy."
"That's what I'm saying," Yumi said, her palms raising up in emphasis. "Rosa Chinensis en bouton is a mystery. I have seen her grand soeur, the Rosa Chinensis, many times, but not a shadow of Sachiko-sama's hair after that, until the incident this morning."
"And now you're in a bet with her?" her brother said and she nodded. "So, if you accept her rosary, she'll be your grand soeur and you'll be playing Cinderella in your cultural festival?" Yumi sighed with another nod. "Yumi, you like her, don't you?"
His unexpected question was almost making her choke on her saliva. "I—I don't like her like that. I'm—I'm not, you know . . ." she said, her face reddening.
Yuuki bit back a laugh, grinning slyly instead. "Why are you blushing?" he said. "I was only asking if you like her as a person, as someone to look up to or something."
Yumi let out an uneasy laugh. "O—of course," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, she's—she's fine, I guess. She's very classy."
"But why would she want to back out from the play all of a sudden?" Yuuki asked with unfeigned curiosity.
Yumi suddenly remembered why she was in her twin's bedroom. "Yuuki!" she exclaimed, making her brother jump on his seat. "There's something I need to ask you."
"W—what is it?" he said, giving his sister a black look. "Can you not ask me without shouting?"
"This is important!" Yumi said. "I need to raise my voice to stress how important this is."
"Is this a life-and-death kind of question," he replied dully, "or you just wanted to know the name of the fish we ate at dinner again?"
"It's 'unagi', and no, it's not about the delicious kabayaki we had for dinner—mom told me," Yumi said, hopping off the bed. "This is about the Hanadera Student Council President. Do you know him?" It was her turn to catch her brother off guard. Her question visibly fazed him on his seat. "Why, what's wrong?"
"N—nothing," Yuuki said, wheeling his chair around to his desk. "W—what about him?" he said, picking up random notes to his face. He suddenly did not know what to say.
"Do you know him?" she asked again, approaching her brother. "What's wrong with you?"
Yuuki twirled his chair back around, facing his sister with a nervous smile. "I—I'm fine."
Yumi narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her brother. "Just now, you looked like you were caught—"
"I know Kashiwagi-senpai," Yuuki said, dismissing whatever her sister was about to say. "I—I mean, who doesn't know him—he's being worshiped at Hanadera. He's like a deity in our school."
"Is he super handsome, talented, smart . . ." Yumi said, pausing when she could not think of another word to describe a perfect man.
"You could say that," Yuuki said, scrunching up his face. "Everyone adores him."
"Including you?" Yumi asked without thinking.
"What?" her brother said, jumping to his feet. "There is no way I could like that obnoxious guy! He's pesky, annoying, a pain in my butt—" He cut himself short when he caught the weird look on his sister's face. "I—what I meant to say was . . ."
"Yuuki, can you be honest with me," Yumi said. Her brother gulped. "Are you . . ." she drawled out, narrowing her eyes even more, "okay?"
Yuuki blinked stupidly like he was expecting to hear an entirely different question. "W—what?" he said and shook his head. "I mean, yeah—yeah, I'm fine."
"So tell me what the Hanadera Student Council President is like," Yumi demanded impatiently. "I need to know something about him."
"Why do you want to know?" Yuuki said. "There's nothing interesting about him."
"Because he's playing the prince in our play," she said. "I feel like the reason why Sachiko-sama wanted to quit is because of him."
"If he's going to be in your play, then I'm sure you'll see him during practice," her brother said, plopping back down on his chair.
"Eh," Yumi whined. "I won't be in the play until I accept Sachiko-sama's rosary. Can you not tell me now?"
"No," Yuuki replied stubbornly. "I hate talking about the devil."
"The devil?" Yumi said with confusion. "What do you mean?"
Her brother sighed. "You'll find out soon enough."
To be continued
A/N:
Customarily, I would always leave clues in every chapter. This chapter is no different. I actually left tons of them.
And oh, Yumi and Yuuki are twins in this story. You didn't read it wrong.
So I'll see you around on the next chapter?
-Queen of Yuri (I'm taking this username since no one threatened me or reacted violently on my last post)