Note: I generally dislike deviations from unambiguous canon in my fanfiction. That said, I am going to take a single liberty with the Season 3 timeline. In this story, the class trip to Italy occurs shortly after summer break, perhaps a week or two after Yumi returned from Sachiko's summer home and before the Hanadera meet-and-greet. The adjustment is minor, and will have no upstream or downstream effects. The events below begin a few days after the meet-and-greet between the Hanadera Student Council and the Yamayurikai.
Looking In
A Friend in Need
2nd year, early September
"Fujisawa-sensei, do you have a moment?" Fukuzawa Yumi asked the woman passing in the hallway. It was Saturday, well after the last class of the day. Yumi had cleaning duty, which was notorious to run longer on Saturdays. She was surprised to see the instructor in question still on campus, although what she had heard about the woman suggested this happened routinely. Rumors even of Sunday availability abounded.
Ever since summer break, she had been meaning to have a discussion with Fujisawa Aika when the opportunity arose. Unfortunately for her, the summer trip to Italy had hampered her opportunities to make that happen. It had been almost a month, now. She couldn't pass an opportunity up now when it walked right by her. As the woman turned to regard her, Yumi noticed for the first time general similarities to Sachiko-sama. Both were lithe and tall, with long raven-hair and sharp facial features and fine fingers.
I wonder if they have a common ancestor, Yumi mused in her nervousness.
"Rosa Chinensis en bouton. Fukuzawa Yumi, correct?" Since Yumi had never taken a class taught by the instructor in question, it made sense that she'd be unsure.
"Yes, Sensei. I wanted to speak with you about a private matter."
The striking middle aged woman seemed thoughtful a moment, then said, "I don't see why not. I was just heading up to check on some students drilling in the music room, but otherwise have nowhere in particular I need to be right now." She then motioned to Yumi to lead wherever she desired.
Although Yumi had never taken a class from the orchestral and voice instructor, the teacher's reputation preceded her as one of the instructors most sincerely interested in student success and fulfillment. Yumi had never heard an unkind word said of Fujisawa, and in fact the praise was often gushing from those who sang or played strings and learned under her guidance. Yumi was counting on that understanding nature.
Yumi led the teacher in the direction of the music room, where along the way also lay her almost certainly empty home room. She peeked into the familiar room, and found it as she expected. She opened the door and motioned Fujisawa in before entering herself and closing the door behind her. Yumi motioned the teacher across the room to stand near the windows, well away from the door in case someone was to come walking by.
The raven-haired woman surprised Yumi by taking a seat at a nearby student desk and indicated for Yumi to sit as well at the adjacent desk, thereby bringing them both more or less to the same level. Fujisawa then crossed her legs, folded her hands around her left knee, and leaned a little toward Yumi before saying, "What can I do for you, Fukuzawa-san?" Yumi marveled at this person, truly feeling that she was the center of this woman's world at this moment.
"As you've already pointed out, I am the en bouton of the current Rosa Chinensis, Ogasawara Sachiko. She's a student of yours, I understand." Yumi paused and saw her audience nod, so continued. "This summer I found myself…shall we say out of my element when joining her for a social gathering. I was expected to be able to perform musically and I could only draw on my experience with the choir in middle school. I was lucky that things turned out well when I went with my instincts and chose to sing the right song." She paused again to take a deep breath and let it back out as a sigh. "Unfortunately, I have a feeling something like this might happen again and I may not be so fortunate next time. I'm thinking it might be best for me to build on the piano skills I learned in elementary school. I don't want to embarrass oneesama now that I know this is something that can happen."
Fujisawa nodded thoughtfully and then chuckled with a smile. "Forgive my expression. In no way do I find your situation humorous, rather I am remembering some similar events in my own life. I come from a family of Osakan factory workers, yet when I pursued music due to a beloved mentor, talent, and dumb luck I found myself out of my element, as you say. There are plenty of conceited musicians from highborn backgrounds, I can assure you." She shook her head with a wry expression. "Now, in your case, unfortunately, it would be next spring before you could begin taking classes in piano, or any other instrument, as part of your coursework. I get the sense that is far too long, and the shared class process would be too slow for your liking. You'd also be a senior then, presumably the standing Rosa Chinensis, taking beginner classes."
Yumi nodded, feeling her stomach drop as she sensed her cause was going to be hopeless.
"You also don't want to pursue this with Sachiko-san as you don't want to burden her or embarrass yourself."
Another nod.
"I have had requests like yours before. Every year I have a couple of outstanding students who desire to pursue music education when they leave Lillian. I will occasionally pair these students with peers like you who are properly motivated, have talent, and will treat seriously the value of these advanced students' time. We'd be talking essentially having a one-on-one student tutor, but I would precept the experience so it would be professional level. Your tutor may expect nominal reimbursement, but I'd do my piece simply for the reward of seeing a bud bloom that otherwise would never have felt the sun of their musical potential. Thoughts?"
Yumi turned the idea over in her mind. She liked the concept, but kept running into the same anxiety. "I very much appreciate the offer, but as you probably know, anything I do around students at Lillian ends up as fodder for rumors, more often than not in the Lillian Karawaban. There is at least one girl on campus other than oneesama and I that was there at the event I mentioned, and I'd rather not invite further embarrassment for Sachiko-sama or myself."
"Hmmm, you do present a conundrum," the teacher said with her brows creased in thought. "As much as my heart goes out to you, I have a policy I must stick with to not provide one-on-one tutoring services outside of the classroom routine. I was once accused of favoritism earlier in my career, and the accusation was justified. I don't want to cause distress like that again."
Yumi's face fell, although her impression of Fujisawa rose to see for herself validation of the general peer sense of the integrity of this woman. She sighed, then stood and bowed. "I apologize for taking your valuable time, Fujisawa-sensei. You have been most gracious."
Before she could turn to leave, Fujisawa spoke again. "Your words just now remind me of another option." Yumi turned to regard the teacher again, who was biting the lower edge of her lip in a thoughtful expression. "I have an assistant who helps me on occasions when she isn't redirected by outside commitments. She provides additional training for my most advanced or motivated students. These are students who would normally outstrip my ability to provide complete instruction since I only have so much time and must focus also on those struggling in order to keep the whole class moving along. She's also a master of some instruments of which I am not, for example the harp, and allows Lillian to provide instruction we otherwise wouldn't provide. She's something of a prodigy with strings, anything with strings as far as I can tell…someone a teacher like me sees a handful of times in a career if we're extremely lucky. She's a high school student, your own grade level actually, although she doesn't attend Lillian due to family issues. Still, circumstances occurred which encouraged her own school's primary music instructor to request that I consider her as a protégé."
Yumi wasn't sure where this was going. "Fujisawa-sensei, I must believe I would be wasting such a person's time."
Fujisawa smiled, a gentle and reassuring smile that calmed Yumi's anxieties rather than added to them. "Normally with someone like I describe, I would agree. Gifts like hers often lead to conceit. This young woman, however, is about as self-effacing as anyone can be. She comes from a family with status equivalent to that of your oneesama, but like Ogasawara-san I've never seen her dwell on it. If anything, she has confidence issues, which admittedly is about all I can help her with now given her technical skills. She recently saw a dear friend transfer away and it's left her somewhat adrift. Honestly, Fukuzawa-san, based on what I have heard about you and have seen right now, you two might be very good for each other. If that's true, it would greatly enhance your potential learning."
Yumi had to admit she was curious, if nothing else. She trusted this woman, and wanted to believe this might work after all. She knew her tendency toward optimism would likely be her undoing, but it seemed worth a shot. "I would be willing to meet her," Yumi allowed.
"Excellent," Fujisawa said as she arose from the chair. "It just so happens she's here right now. It is her drilling the students that I was going to check on. If you would follow me, you can at least get a sense of her teaching style, and perhaps the two of you can have a moment alone to speak."
Yumi had been planning to join Yoshino at the Rose Mansion, but they had made no specific plan to meet or do anything in particular. She knew Sachiko had family plans this afternoon and would no longer be there now. "Thank you for the offer and I would be happy to accept," Yumi said with a bow.
***PGBR***
Yumi and Fujisawa-sensei made their way up to the music room. As they approached the door, Yumi could hear the distinctive sound of harp playing, and from her limited experience listening to the instrument it sounded pretty good. She immediately recognized the music as an arrangement of Ave Maria, a common enough piece for the harp although it seemed always to remind her of Rosa Canina, and likely always would given the woman's personal gravitas. Yumi found herself pausing just before arriving at the open door, not wanting to interrupt someone's effort. She turned to look back at Fujisawa-sensei, who indicated that they indeed should remain there for the time being.
As Yumi would readily admit, she was a much more experienced spectator for instrumental music than a participant. She wasn't ignorant of music; having had a reasonable amount of training in music theory and voice in middle school. Still, she knew she was no expert, hence her presence here. As she listened to the current performance, she could tease out mild timing issues such as slowing during complex parts, and some of the notes sounded a little weak. All in all, to her it appeared a solid performance for what she had to assume was a challenging instrument based on appearance.
When the piece was complete, she heard a quiet, slightly childlike voice she had difficulty clearly hearing from her vantage point in the hallway praise the effort but suggest changes in wrist placement and posture. The patience and gentleness of the speaker was remarkable, even without having a mental image or being able to see her body language. She had to agree with Fujisawa-sensei that this tutor was non-threatening. The students, she could place at least three voices, seemed very engaged and comfortable. The conversation ended with the tutor agreeing to a consensus request that she demonstrate.
What came next stunned Yumi. The rendition of Ave Maria now coming from the room could only be compared to an instrumental equivalent of Rosa Canina's voice. Although she would forever hold her oneesama's piano version dear, from an artistic and technical perspective Yumi had to admit this equaled or perhaps even exceeded Sachiko-sama. She realized now that the version played by the previous student had been stripped of notes; she could only imagine the superhuman fingerings that were producing what she heard now. Beyond the technical acumen, the heart she felt infused in the piece filled her. She looked back at Fujisawa and could see the teacher felt likewise, eyes closed and slowly rocking her head with the music.
Maybe not threatening, but perhaps still intimidating. She mentally imagined now someone like Rosa Canina in her mind, although the voice had sounded younger. Her curiosity grew to at least meet this "prodigy" as Fujisawa had termed her.
She then heard the voice again, encouraging her students to focus on their posture and hand placement, assuring them that they could achieve similar results if they kept making such things an unconscious habit.
"I think we can go in now," Fujisawa-sensei said with a light tap on her shoulder.
Yumi moved as quietly as possible to slip into the room and then aside so that Fujisawa could lead. She saw there were three girls in Lillian uniforms arrayed before the harp, none of whom she was familiar with although she recognized one as a fellow second year from a different class. Sitting behind the harp was another girl, clad in the conservative skirt and blouse manner of female Lillian instructors despite her youthful stature, hands apparently on her lap although Yumi didn't have a clear view given the girl's back was facing her. The girl's brown hair was held in tight curls. Although she couldn't see her face at all, something about her felt familiar.
"Good afternoon, ladies," the teacher began. "It sounds like practice is going well. I was hoping the students wouldn't mind me borrowing your tutor for a moment."
"We're at a good point for a break," the tutor girl said as she stood up to turn around to face the door. "Let's start again in fifteen…" The voice trailed off as recognition dawned and a look of mild panic briefly followed.
"Arisu…" Yumi began, almost ending in 'kun' before stopping herself in uncertainty. By doing so, however, she ended up suggesting a great deal of familiarity with the subject named.
"Oh," Yumi heard Fujisawa say and then pause. "You two know each other?" she then asked, herself now clearly uncertain.
Yumi didn't know exactly what to say, and she was sure her face was cycling furiously through her entire repertoire of expressions.
"Yes, Fujisawa-sensei," Arisu began with a deep breath, confidence apparently returning along with Arisu's trademark infectious "girl-mode" smile. "I tutor Yumi-chan's younger brother in electric guitar through a similar arrangement at Hanadera. More or less." That last was added after the briefest of pauses and with a disarming smile and a quick wink at Yumi- the classic Arisu that Yumi had already become fond of in the handful of times they'd met.
Yumi felt herself blush and she dropped her eyes, not missing the reference to the embarrassing, for her and Yuuki at least, events a few days prior during the formal meet-and-greet between Hanadera's and Lillian's student councils. Guitar. That must explain why Yuuki has been improving so much lately when I hear him practice. He used to be downright awful.
The three students seemed oblivious to the undertone of events between Arisu and Yumi. They had risen from the chairs and were filing out of the room past Yumi and Fujisawa so they could enjoy their break. When the three had departed, Fujisawa closed the door behind them.
"I didn't know you played the electric guitar as well. Then again, it has strings. Why am I surprised?" Fujisawa asked rhetorically, head shaking and with a smile indicating she was impressed yet more with the young musical prodigy.
"I'm barely passable at it, Aika-sensei," Arisu explained. "I had acoustic guitar to build from and you knew I can play that, although I must admit they're different enough that I have a host of bad habits. Yuuki-kun expressed vexation with his attempts at playing his, and after hearing him I shared his pain. Quite literally, in fact."
Yumi could hear Arisu's gentle humor behind those words directed at her, and she couldn't help but smile.
"I promised I'd help him. I've been self-teaching just enough to stay ahead of him, although I must admit it's a fun instrument so I haven't minded. Kobayashi-kun keeps saying we should start a band, but he's even worse than Yuukichi, so I've been trying hard to dissuade him."
Arisu smiled as she finished with the teacher and turned her voice toward Yumi. "So to what do I owe the honor of a visit from the Rosa Chinensis en bouton," Arisu began again, looking toward Yumi, standing straight with hands clasped demurely at waist level in front of her skirt.
"You know about Lillian's student council structure, Arisu-chan?" Fujisawa inquired.
Arisu-chan. The term tossed about in Yumi's head as she wondered if Fujisawa knew Arisu's full background. Yumi knew students at Lillian Women's College occasionally obtained credentials to act as teaching assistants at the other Lillian schools, but Arisu wasn't a Lillian College student…could never be one in fact. How did Arisu become a music tutor at Lillian?
"Your school newspaper," Arisu explained logically. "I pick one up every time I come on campus. Yumi-san is regularly covered, as are the other members of the Yamayuri Council. You forget also that the Hanadera Student Council and the Yamayurikai interact together a lot more than the rest of the student body members of either school."
Fujisawa looked back and forth from Arisu to Yumi several times, trying to gauge something for sure.
Arisu took pity on the teacher. "The bottom line is Yumi-san knows who I am, that I attend Hanadera with all it implies, that I'm on the student council with her brother, and that I would be attending Lillian had life been more fair." Arisu grimaced and shrugged at that last, sighing in apparent frustration.
"I suppose that makes sense with you both being on your respective student councils. As usual, I didn't think through the non-audible details." She chuckled, apparently at her own folly. "Well, that certainly does make things easier for me. Fukuzawa-san, this may make things harder or easier for you, however. Arisu-chan is the tutor I had in mind for you. I don't know if you know this, but she's a very good pianist; although it isn't her primary instrument she's at least on par with your oneesama. As you desired, she isn't part of the Lillian student body. A side benefit is she knows exactly the audience you described you're striving to satisfy.
"Unlike most who play at her level, she's just as good a teacher as she is a player, even to novices. If I wasn't certain she had a future in the concert halls of high-class society, I'd be trying to make her my own protégé as an educator. I still maintain she's wasted on Hanadera, despite my respect for Saito-sensei. I've told him as much, and he even agrees." She shrugged. "Anyway, I trust her discretion to keep a secret, although you may have more basis to form an opinion on that than I." She then turned to Arisu. "Fukuzawa-san would like to learn piano. She had some training in elementary school and I understand has a reasonable grasp of music theory based on more extensive voice experience in middle school. She has reasons for not wanting tutoring from a Lillian student, which was my first option, but I'll leave those details for her to share."
Arisu closed the distance and stood before Yumi. "I think Yumi-san and I will need to talk a bit before this is decided," Arisu began, bending down and turning her face upwards a little to meet eyes with the downcast Yumi. Yumi felt herself smile at Arisu's attempt at defusing tension. "First off I want to apologize for being so familiar back when the students were here. I fully appreciate you didn't mean to use just my given name, and I am grateful you didn't finish off the way I know you were originally intending."
Yumi looked back up, knowing she now wore a guilty expression. Arisu straightened up as well so they were face-to-face.
"It's okay, Yumi-san. Really, I appreciate it. Few people are so understanding." Arisu turned her head a bit to smile gratefully at Fujisawa-sensei before returning her attention back to Yumi. "I didn't want to embarrass either of us, so I kept with it. I know you let me call you Yumi-chan back during summer break when we spent the afternoon together with the rest of the Hanadera student council. It was fun to go shopping together given the boys would have been bored with us. Still, I wouldn't presume that extends back to 'real life'. I don't want another misunderstanding like we had a few days ago."
Yumi was feeling overwhelmed, but at the same time she couldn't help but like Arisu. Her…her?...yes her manner was infectious and made it impossible to fix anything negative on her for any length of time. Even now, she was giving Yumi every chance to back away from everything- familiarity and tutoring- now that Yumi was gathering all the pieces together. "Yumi-chan is fine for now, at least until we can talk more. It would seem odd if the music students saw a change based on the story they now have. May I call you Arisu-chan?"
"You may," Arisu said with a pleased look.
"I have to admit I am envious of your ability to think on your feet, perhaps even more than I envy your music skills. You handled the students marvelously given my faux paux."
"Oh Yumi-chan, don't feel that way. I'm sure it was quite a shock, and you went along with it seamlessly. I've just had a lot more experience slipping out of difficult situations. My life if full of them, as you could probably guess," she finished with a wry grin and rolled eyes.
Sounds of conversation became audible outside the door. "I think the others are starting to collect again," Fujisawa interrupted further discussion between the two. "How shall we proceed, ladies?"
Ladies. I really do need to talk with Fujisawa-sensei about something having nothing to do with music. "I'd like to stay and observe the rest of the session, if that's okay," Yumi announced.
Arisu's smile returned. "I'd like that."
"Fine with me. Arisu-chan, if you wouldn't mind taking charge again, I'm going back to the teacher's office to work on papers." She turned to Yumi and went on, "I'll be here until about four-ish if you want to speak more to me, or you can try and tag me next week." She then turned to the door, but added to Yumi before opening it, "I want to commend you for your open-mindedness, Fukuzawa-san. It will bring me great joy to see you as the next Rosa Chinensis. You've made a new fan, so please let me know if I can ever be of more assistance to you." Fujisawa smiled warmly as she turned the knob, opened the door, and departed down the hallway.
"Yumi-chan, if you'd like to have a seat over there by the piano, we can proceed with the rest of the lesson." Arisu motioned in the direction of the piano as she herself moved back to join the girls arrayed around the harp. One of them, the second year, had already claimed the seat behind the harp, apparently certain she was next up.
She's well organized if nothing else, Yumi thought to herself. I guess that should go without saying for a Hanadera Secretary.
***PGBR***
"You really are amazing, Arisu-chan," Yumi shared once the students were all safely gone and they had the room to themselves.
"I wish you wouldn't say that," Arisu responded uncomfortably. "My father was a concert violinist and my mother is a noted pianist and composer. My grandfather is a highly noted composer. It runs in my family, I just happened to exist, such as it is."
Yumi looked at her newest friend before her and felt unsure how to respond. Just as with Touko and Kanako, there was something major about Arisu that Yumi couldn't put her finger on, something Yumi felt compelled to help with but which wouldn't become apparent until the others talked or circumstances brought it out. Like with the others, she knew she'd just have to 'wing it' for now with Arisu and follow her instincts. In Arisu's case, though, she planned to have some long conversations with Yuuki. Just as Yuuki had indicated with her, she was impressed with how her brother was growing and she trusted in this instance that he could be a helpful ally with his peculiar classmate and friend…or was that vice versa that she would be Yuuki's ally? Yumi was flummoxed over which it would be with the dichotomous Arisu.
I just wish Yuuki would be more forthcoming sharing about his life with me. Imagine, Student Council President and I find out along with the rest of the Yamayurikai, and only because Shimako thought to ask the question!
Then again, am I any better? I was the one who said we're 'more or less'.
"You know, you get the funniest expressions when you're thinking intensely about something," Arisu said, interrupting Yumi's thoughts and making her realize the other girl was regarding her.
"I'm sorry, Arisu-chan," she said, feeling her cheeks warm as she blushed with embarrassment.
"It's okay. I know being around me is awkward for people." Arisu got up to start putting the cover on the harp and finish preparing the room for her departure.
"Please believe that's not it, or at least not any more so than for any new friend I'm just getting to know. You're intriguing, Arisu-chan, of that I can't lie. I don't understand what it must be like to be in your position, but I'm hoping you'll share and I can learn to be a better friend."
Arisu had heard this as she was jumping up to flip the soft cover over and down the harp. She stopped her effort, holding the fabric bunched up at the level of her chest. "You know, Yuukichi said much the same thing to me last year when we started interacting as assistants to Kashiwagi-senpai. You two are more, rather than less, alike you know." She then continued sliding the fabric down the harp and smoothing the cover to make it look nice.
"I know," Yumi said with a sigh. "It can just be embarrassing. During elementary school, we were often confused for true identical twins. We were pretty much the same height then, with essentially the same build and with similar voices. Obviously, if we were identical though, that meant either Yuuki was a girl or I was boy. It got us into a lot of trouble at times. Sometimes we'd be confused for each other, like the time I got in trouble going into the girl's bathroom at a store because a Hanadera teacher only knew about Yuuki and thought I was him. He'll probably say it differently if you ask him, but I think I got the short end of the confusion. I once was randomly attacked at a park by a particularly violent rival of his and had to fight my way out. He didn't give me a chance to explain and didn't hold back. It was three weeks before my black eye faded and we thought for a brief moment that my nose might have been broken." Yumi paused to sigh deeply. "After that, I grew my hair out and started wearing skirts and dresses all the time, even in the summer, rather than shorts or jeans. It was frustrating since I didn't like skirts at the time at all and didn't like fussing over long hair."
"That's horrible," Arisu empathized, having come back to sit next to Yumi. "I've been the subject of fights, but at least they've all been my own. Usually it's others who are getting pulled into my fights."
Yumi looked at Arisu with a quizzical expression.
"You saw the rest of the student council. Like you, I'm half the size of some of my peers at Hanadera. Unlike you, I'm not granted female privilege just by making it outwardly clear I'm a girl. I've tried to learn some martial arts, but have never really gotten good at it. If I'm unable to run I just have to ride with it, humor them until they get bored or someone rescues me. I guess now's a good time to express my gratitude to you for your brother's kind heart. He, Kashiwagi-senpai, and Takada-kun have consistently been my protectors since I started high school at Hanadera. I'm not sure I'd still be around if it weren't for them."
Arisu's eyes were downcast at the last, but Yumi sensed by "around" that Arisu meant in this life. I guess I never thought about what it must be like for her at an all-boy's school. It's like what I experienced when I was occasionally mistaken for Yuuki, only all the time and with no simple solution.
"I'm going to say it again, Arisu-chan. You are amazing. I don't think I would have been strong enough to handle it if I had been forced to continue living in Yuuki's world. I don't know how he handles it, but he's a guy and he seems to thrive on it for all the complaining he does at home."
"He whines a lot in the student council room, too. We tease him over it. Outside, though, he's all business. He is a remarkable leader, strong and gallant, and is turning the school upside down on the strength of his character."
Yumi watched Arisu's eyes as she described her brother and couldn't help but smile as she realized something. "You have a crush on my brother, don't you?" Yumi realized her observation could be interpreted as threatening to Arisu, so she worked hard to convey her good humor in her expression.
Arisu did, indeed, look like a child caught climbing a chair to get at a cookie jar.
"It's okay, Arisu-chan. Seriously, I don't mind. I obviously don't share your feelings since he IS my kid brother, but listening to him described through your eyes, I can see why another girl would find him attractive."
Arisu's eyes shimmered with emotion, but she didn't repeat the histrionics of a few days ago. "You really do see me as a girl?"
Yumi thought it over, not wanting to insult her friend with a quick answer since the question was clearly serious business for Arisu. "I guess it would have to depend on the circumstance. You yourself switch roles back and forth between your worlds. Right this minute, absolutely and without hesitation I see you as a girl. Someone I can talk about crushes with, share tidbits of gossip, be affectionate with and the like." Yumi emphasized the point as she was saying this by reaching over and placing her hand on Arisu's forearm. She squeezed the spot she was touching before sitting back again in her chair. "Put you in your Hanadera uniform and stick you in a group of guys, and I'd have to say probably not." A thought occurred to her. "You're like a chameleon. You change colors based on the environment you're placed in. Like the chameleon, you can't really help it. It's not what you want, per se, but rather an unconscious defensive mechanism."
Arisu's tears had already faded and she now looked thoughtful before chuckling slightly. "You're right, of course. Not that I have much of a choice right now, as you say, but I do slip back and forth. I wear that uniform like a costume, playing out a role so ingrained that I become it. Perhaps that's why I love acting so much and am told I'm so good at it. Given my body and the expectations of the world, I've had little choice. It won't be forever, though," she added with an inscrutable expression.
Given Yumi's previous recognition that Arisu could be driven to drastic lengths, that last made her nervous. She reached over and placed her hand again on Arisu's arm, looking into her eyes. "Arisu, don't do anything to hurt yourself, okay? I know Yuuki and I, and your friends in the Yamayurikai and Hanadera Student Council would be very sad if something bad happened to you."
Arisu smiled in embarrassment. "I think you misunderstood me. Trust me, there's nothing to worry about. I'm not sure how to explain, but it's certainly not a bad thing. Anyway," Arisu began as she lifted herself up from the chair, stretching and then unconsciously smoothing her blouse and skirt, "I think it would be nice to get outside and enjoy the rest of the day. Summer won't be here forever and we'll miss it when it's gone."
***PGBR***
Yumi and Arisu walked the gingko tree-lined paths of Lillian with no specific destination in mind. It was late afternoon, but there were numerous students still making their way around campus. Saturdays were prime club time. They tended to lesser traveled walkways, but they still occasionally passed students known to Yumi, or more often students for whom Yumi was known to them. The greetings shared were natural, with no one remarking at all at Arisu's presence. She blended perfectly, a nondescriptly dressed off-campus guest, and Yumi marveled at the naturalness of it all.
"You know the paths really well, Arisu-chan." Yumi noted, unsure how to ask the question on her mind.
"I do, don't I?" Arisu answered with a smile, and then paused a few moments as a gentle tease to Yumi. She then continued on to appease her friend's infamous curiosity. "I've been wandering Lillian grounds since I was 12. I actually have explored the middle-school grounds better than I have the high school, although I've never actually been inside the middle school buildings."
"Oh. I guess that would make sense. Have you known Fujisawa-sensei that long?"
"Oh no, she and I only met last year, when I started high school. Now there's a story." Arisu smiled, apparently remembering something pleasant. "I'm willing to share it, but it's a long one and requires more privacy."
"We could go to the Rose Mansion. I want to check to see if anyone is still there, and I need to retrieve my book bag before I go home."
"Is it okay for me to go in there," Arisu asked nervously.
"That's up to you, I suppose. Oneesama isn't there this afternoon, if that's what you're worrying about." Arisu's embarrassed nod indicted that was at least part of it. A small part of Yumi felt satisfaction at Arisu's continued contriteness at her gauche action of a few days prior, an action which had distressed her beloved oneesama dearly. Still, most of her was starting to realize how difficult it must be for this girl; a girl denied being a girl, always on the outside looking in.
Yumi gently grasped Arisu's wrist and coaxed her along in the direction of the Rose Mansion. "If anyone else is still there, I'm sure it'll be fine. We're all friends now." Yumi smiled in an effort to reassure the clearly nervous girl. Arisu smiled slightly, but remained silent for long enough that Yumi thought her friend might be having serious reservations about continuing the conversation. Still, she didn't protest as they arrived at the Rose Mansion and stepped inside. Before they could continue up the stairs, however, Arisu motioned Yumi to stop. In the end, they settled on the bottom the stairs, sitting side by side.
Oneesama would chide me if she saw me now, sitting on the ground in my uniform.
"Yumi-chan, your class went to Italy for several days, coming back just a few weeks ago."
Yumi's head spun slightly from the apparent change of topic. Arisu had made it a statement, but Yumi answered it as a question. "Um, yes. It's our second year class's equivalent to the trip you and Yuuki will be taking in October to India to visit places like Bodh Gaya and Uttar Prisesh."
"How did it feel to be away from your family?"
Yumi thought for a moment about it. "I really didn't think about it much. It was only for about a week, and I had all my friends there."
Arisu nodded, clearly not surprised at all with the answer. "Not all your friends. How did you feel being away from your oneesama?"
Yumi's wasn't sure where this was going, but she could see in Arisu's somewhat sad expression that this was serious for the confusing girl. Although embarrassed, she answered truthfully. "I missed her dearly, Arisu-chan. Rarely did an hour go by that I didn't wish she was there with me, that I could hear her voice, that I could share the wonderful experience with her. I missed her even as we were seeing some of the most precious and amazing things in the world."
"I know. While you were there, you saw one of the most precious things in my life."
Yumi was completely confused now, both by the words and the deep emotion currently displayed by her friend. "Arisu-chan, what is this all about? You're crying."
Arisu leaned across toward Yumi and placed her forehead on Yumi's shoulder. Yumi wasn't disturbed by the action in the slightest, and turned slightly toward Arisu so she could place her hand on Arisu's shoulder in support of what was obviously something very hard for Arisu to talk about.
"When I committed my horrible blunder with Sachiko-sama in that meeting, it was because she touched feelings in me very similar to what you were feeling back in Italy. When I spoke of wanting to be Sachiko-sama's little sister, I meant Sachiko-sama in a generic sense, although I didn't say it like that and I fully understand why you and the others came to the wrong conclusion." Arisu stopped briefly to sniff back tears. "Even in an alternate universe where I could have attended Lillian and where I wasn't reproachful to Sachiko-sama, I would never have been a threat to you or what the two of you have. I wouldn't ever threaten you because I know how precious what you have is. I too have an oneesama, and I miss her so very much."
At this Arisu began softly crying into Yumi's shoulder. Yumi tightened her embrace of the brown-haired girl and allowed her to cry herself out. Only when her distressed friend pulled away of her own accord did Yumi reach into her pocket and pull out her handkerchief to hand to her rather disheveled friend. Arisu accepted it graciously and wiped her eyes and cheeks.
"I'm sorry for making the shoulder of your uniform wet," Arisu began once she was reasonably settled again.
"I get the feeling when you say oneesama, Arisu-chan, that you're talking in the soeur sense, and not in the familial sense." Yumi gently stated to ensure she was clear.
"You would be correct," Arisu responded with a shy smile. "Given I'm not a Lillian student and never will be, it's technically unofficial. Oneesama knows, of course. Fujisawa-sensei knows and one other at Lillian before now you. If anyone else here knew, I'm sure they'd laugh at me for feeling so serious about it."
"Arisu-chan," Yumi said with very intense feelings of her own. "It's clearly serious to you. Does your oneesama feel just as strongly?"
Arisu in answer reached down the neck of her blouse and brought a simple but remarkably elegant, hand-carved wooden rosary into view.
"It's beautiful, Arisu-chan. I'm sure your oneesama must care for you very much to have given you such a lovely rosary. Anyone who would laugh at you either has never had an oneesama or imoto, or must have no heart."
"Or is a boy," Arisu commented with a wry smile. "But thank you for the kind words. I do appreciate it."
"So may I ask who it is? Do I know her?"
"You may, and yes you do. She recently left Lillian. That said, you saw her just recently." Arisu then just smiled, looking expectantly at Yumi.
Yumi's brow furrowed at the riddle. Recently left Lillian. I know her and recently saw her.
Recent memories of sitting on grass came to the front of her mind, along with a harp playing Ave Maria. 'While you were there, you saw one of the most precious things in my life.'
"Rosa Canina!" Yumi exclaimed.
Arisu smiled widely, clearly proud to have someone else to share the knowledge with. "In a more fair world, I would be the Rosa Canina en bouton if there were such a thing. So no, other than wishing she didn't find me disgusting, I have no aspersions on your beloved oneesama."
"Wow, that does sound like quite a story." Yumi expressed, still trying to reconcile the new knowledge to her own previous assumptions about the phenomenal woman in question as well as what was and wasn't possible for Arisu.
"Would you be willing to listen to something?" Yumi saw Arisu pull out a small MP3 player with ear buds. The device looked well loved.
"Um, sure."
Yumi placed the ear buds while Arisu explained it was an adaptation of an ancient Latin chant called Lux Eterna performed to the music of Edward Elgar's Nimrod from the Enigma Variations. Once again, Yumi wasn't sure where Arisu was going, but she now trusted it would likely be profound. Arisu began the music, and from the quick action Yumi suspected this particular track was listened to frequently.
The piece began quietly to the sound of a lone violin in long notes. A voice began, which she identified as Rosa Canina's stunning crystal soprano singing in Latin. The blending of the two was among the most harmonious things she had ever heard in her life. Soon a counter violin came in and then over time other instruments in warm tones as the piece rose to its peak, but ever the violin and voice played point and counterpoint to each other through the crescendo and the end. By the time there was silence, Yumi felt she better understood Shimako's feelings while viewing Michelangelo's The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
"What did you think, Yumi-chan?"
Under other circumstances, Yumi might have felt uncomfortable since Arisu's heart was clearly unprotected and wholly invested in Yumi's answer. Fortunately, it was easy in this case. "It was about the most beautiful thing I've ever heard, Arisu-chan. The voice was Rosa Canina. Were you the lead violin?"
Arisu needn't have consciously expressed an answer at all given the grin she was wearing at the moment, but she nodded. "This was recorded two days before Oneesama flew to Italy. We performed at St Mary's Cathedral. She's devout Catholic and her parents pulled some strings to allow us the time to do this. Given her history of performances for the Tokyo Archdiocese, it wasn't hard. The supporting violin was Aika-sensei, the viola was my mother, and the bass was my familial sister. The horns were provided by the music instructor at Hanadera, Saito-sensei, and his partner. He's not Catholic, but he was easily convinced to participate being eager for a chance to play in a venue normally closed to him. He's actually quite a charming man, gay as all get out and keeps trying to convince me I am too."
Arisu's smile now was amused and she rolled her eyes. "I suppose I like boys, but only after I'm all girl." Arisu's eyes became distant as she finished the description with, "And most amazing, grandfather was there to hear it. He'd arranged the music." Arisu blinked and seemed to return to Earth. "Anyway, I shouldn't keep us on these steps forever. I'll follow wherever you lead." Arisu put away the player as she was saying the last.
Yumi nodded, realizing she'd be thinking a lot more on what Arisu had just said. "I'm excited to hear how this all came about. I must say you are about the most interesting person I've ever met, Arisu-chan. I also want to explain a little more about my own oneesama, which will hopefully put your mind a little more at ease about why she is the way she is. Honestly, my reaction a few days ago was as much the fact Sachiko-sama responded as positively to you as to what you said. Can we, however, move it upstairs to someplace more comfortable and where I can serve my new piano teacher some proper tea?" Yumi smiled at Arisu, then lifted herself up and reached down to help Arisu up as well. They dusted off the bottoms of their skirts and started their way up the stairs to the Yamayuri gathering room.
As they arrived at the top of the steps and turned down the hall, they could see Noriko standing at the open door, face downcast and looking contrite. Yumi moved ahead of Arisu, concerned that there was something wrong with Shimako's petite soeur. She came up to Noriko and asked, "Is something wrong, Noriko-chan?"
Noriko looked to her side and into the room. Yumi peeked around the corner to see Shimako sitting alone at the table, expression troubled and looking back to her en bouton. Noriko turned her face back to Yumi. "Forgive me, Yumi-san. I saw you and Arisu-kun walking up to the Rose Mansion. When you didn't arrive soon after, I insisted on checking on you despite Oneesama's assurance you would be alright. I overheard your conversation at the bottom of the stairs."
Yumi was unsure what to say at this point, reviewing in her mind what had been said and realizing what a big mess this made of things.
Shimako arose from her seat and came out to stand next to her petite soeur. "Please forgive my petite soeur Arisu-chan," Shimako said. "We have already had a brief conversation about discretion and spying and will follow up later with polite references to guests. It is a failure of my guidance, for which I am most sorry." Shimako bowed. Yumi didn't miss the way Shimako referred to Arisu, using familiarity unusual to her in an apparent point to Noriko, whose eyes widened in apparent realization of her newest gaffe.
Arisu slipped around Yumi to stand before Shimako, and the latter rose herself back up to regard Arisu who was smiling broadly. "It's alright, Shimako-san. You can stay around for me to tell the story to both Noriko-san and Yumi-san, or you can handle telling Noriko-san on your own. I don't know how much you've told her about Oneesama and I wouldn't want to tell the story poorly to someone so important to you."
Yumi's jaw dropped, and she could see Noriko's eyes raise up in similar surprise. Both girls turned to regard Shimako. "Oneesama?" Noriko said as a question, leaving Yumi unsure whether it was in query to her own sister or in reference to Arisu's phrasing which implied Shimako knew more than the current events.
Shimako looked to Arisu, who nodded back. Shimako turned then to Yumi and said, "I've known about Arisu-san and Shizuka-sama being soeurs since it became official. Shizuka-sama presented Arisu-san with her rosary," Shimako gestured at the artifact which still hung in view on Arisu's chest, "immediately after the performance I believe Arisu-san just shared with you. Arisu-san, would you be so kind as to loan Noriko-chan your player long enough for her to hear it? I'd very much like her to hear it." She turned to her petite soeur and added, "Please understand this means a lot to me, Noriko-chan. I promise you can reciprocate with a musical reference of your choice later."
Yumi knew this was in reference to their habit now of trading back and forth Catholic and Buddhist perspectives. Arisu pulled out the player and handed the ear buds to Noriko. As Noriko listened, Shimako went on. "Shizuka-sama invited me to her send off performance at St Mary's. I'm very glad to have gone since, as you know, she and I have continued corresponding while she's been in Italy, and our pen-pal arrangement grew from that event. Arisu-san and I often share our letters since Shizuka-sama is often too busy to write both of us as often as she…or Arisu-san," Shimako added with a smile at Arisu, "would like. She and Arisu-san explained about Arisu-san's background afterwards as we strolled the cathedral together. I promised to be supportive of Arisu-san in Shizuka-sama's absence. Hopefully by hearing the whole story, Noriko-chan may be of assistance as well and we can avoid any more unfortunate faux pauxs."
By now, Noriko had finished listening to the piece. "You've mentioned Rosa Canina was a fine vocalist, Oneesama, but your description was unable to do her justice. She's truly gifted. Arisu-san, I went back to Oneesama when you were sharing the piece with Yumi-san so I didn't hear anything after that. Am I to assume the lead violin was you?" Arisu nodded. "I hope then to hear you play more. You are very good." Arisu smiled in response to the praise.
"Now, may I suggest we each have a seat and let Noriko provide us some tea," Shimako offered. "If we're going to be telling a story, we'd best get started."
***Background***
The Lux Eterna, or Eternal Light, has ancient roots. Modern composers have merged it with Sir Edward Elgar's Nimrod from the Enigma Variations. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the 2000 Clint Mansell "Requiem for a Dream" piece. I encourage anyone interested to type "Lux Eterna Elgar" into Google. The Choir of King's College, Cambridge version on YouTube is pretty good, only a little over 3 minutes, and gives you a sense of how it sounds in a proper cathedral as I depict for Rosa Canina and her petite soeur. St Mary's is a real cathedral in Tokyo, and from what I have been told has superb acoustics (see next paragraph). I don't think it's unreasonable to believe someone of Rosa Canina's abilities would be able to get time mid-week to perform there as a send off before studying in Rome.
For an idea of the internal appearance and acousics of St Mary's in Tokyo for a mixed string/vocal performance, Google "Heinrich-Schutz Chor Tokyo & Ubiquitos Bach plays J.'s BWV147-6" and choose the top YouTube link. This isn't the piece I envision given what I describe is obviously unique having been written for the event by grandfather Arisugawa, but it gives you a sense of the ambiance that Rosa Canina, her petite soeur, and their co-performers would experience.
I was immediately drawn to the character of Arisugawa Arisu (Alice) ever since I first watched Season 3. Although some might argue my point that she's a transgirl, given her description of herself in the anime during her breakdown to Sachiko there is no doubt in my mind exactly what she is. Until now, I just couldn't figure out the right background for her.
I recently had the honor of making the acquaintance of a young transwoman who is a world-class musician in a major city orchestra in North America. She's not exactly out, so I will leave this description generic. Suffice it to say, she's my template for Arisu. Someone with a rare gift for strings, who had to overcome some major hurdles, and who is now happy and complete. Like her, my own experience is that successful trans people, and there are a lot who are quite successful thank you very much, are such because of someone(s) in their life who stood by them and befriended or mentored them. That someone needn't be trans, and in fact usually isn't. What they have in common is open-mindedness, insight, and compassion. Although she is seen as manipulative, and deservedly so, Rosa Canina is all the things I describe. She also was particularly focused on the topic of Yumi finding an imoto when she spoke with Yumi in Italy. Given she told Shimako she lacked a petite soeur during Season 1/Episode 6, this seemed perplexing and out-of-place. It got me thinking of an alternate possibility for why Rosa Canina might have little sisters on her mind when seeing Yumi. As much as Yumi was missing her oneesama at that moment on the lawn in Pisa, in my mind Shizuka was missing her petite soeur just as much...albeit in her own more mature and long-viewed fashion.
The final link was how to bring them together. I was clued in by a friend who writes Marimite fanfic to a story Konno-sensei wrote about Arisu borrowing one of Yumi's uniforms and wandering the Lillian campus. I chose to adapt the idea for my own nefarious purposes and run with it as a way to bring these two intriguing young women together.
Next up we go back to reunite poor Arisu with her wayward purse. :-)