A/N: Hello!

Many of you know that I take the time to thank people for reviewing my chapters; my PMs convey how thankful I am for having people like you reading my stories and giving me feedback. When I receive Guest reviews; however, I am not able to answer to them privately; therefore, I would like to take a second to respond to a guest:

Guest chapter 9 . Jan 7

This is getting draggy. When will be the meeting of noriko and shimako?

- I accept your opinion. Thank you. Noriko will be introduced to Shimako soon.

Nevertheless, here's another chapter where Noriko does not get introduced to Shimako.

Sumireko had poured Sei, Yumi and Noriko a cup of ginger tea then made herself comfortable on her recliner, sipping on her own hot drink.

"So…" Sumireko looked at the girls sitting on the couch across from her. Since the older woman was Noriko's best friend, and had welcomed Noriko's friends with so much care and attention, Sei felt no need to have her guard up.

"So…" The blonde gave Sumireko a shy smirk, "I'm kissing her, right, and I'm not proud of it, but it just felt so much like the perfect avenue for me to finally get closure…" Putting the way Sei felt at that instant into words was incredibly difficult; closure was all she could come up with – a long awaited opportunity to finally say goodbye to a love that had been remarkable in every single sense of the word. Sei knew; however that behaving any other way would have given Shiori the false impression that she might still have a chance to reconcile with the blonde.

To be true, that kiss was absolutely nothing like the ones Sei and Shiori had shared before; Sei might have been an inchoate boor, but with Shiori she was tender and loving and giving. That kiss Sei offered Shiori that afternoon was brash and rough and passionate, yes, but ultimately, it was selfish – and that said a lot about what Sei was feeling when she allowed Shiori's lips to find hers.

"And I felt confused and angry and sad and it was like that feeling you get when you walk into your parents' house as an adult and immediately feel like you're twelve-years-old again…" At that remark Sumireko chuckled; the older Lillian maiden felt it hit home for her, "It's almost like replacing all of the knowledge and wisdom you've learned throughout the years with the ill-equipped feelings of a younger version of yourself – the version you hate the most, that is. Or like being caught off guard and just choosing to be angry when you have no control over things…"

"Exactly! Sei exclaimed then looked at Yumi and winked, "Ring a bell?" She continued, making the brunette blush profusely.

"…Hai."

Sumireko's eyebrow-raise was followed with a question, "Yumi-chan was a little rebel? Who would have thought!"

"Sei is exaggerating, Sumireko-sama…"

"Yumi dropped the F-bomb in front of the Yamayurikai the first day we met!" Sei blurted out, a smile from ear-to-ear plastered on her face.

"Sei!"

Sumireko chuckled, "Oh my!"

"Can you please just continue with your story?"

"You're so sensitive, Yumi-chan…"

"We're here so you can tell Noriko how incredibly messed up your head is and how lucky you are to have Youko-sama around… Go on now…" Yumi tried hard to keep a straight face, but failed miserably at it.

"Riiiiiiight…." The blonde reached for her teacup and saucer, drinking the sweet tea all the while collecting her thoughts before continuing, "Uh. Yeah. So, before I can break the kiss and let Shiori down easy, Shimura-sama catches us…"

"Shimura-sama…" Sumireko half asked half wondered.

"I was with Takuya-kun yesterday, remember?" Noriko explained.

Sumireko shook her head, "How do you know that idiot?"

"He's good friends with my Petite Soeur's father."

"Buddhist statue aficionado, too?" Sumireko asked.

"Buddhist Priest."

"Of course…"

Sei continued on, retelling the entire story and finishing it with a "Could you imagine my face when she asked me who I loved more?"

"And your answer was?" Noriko asked.

"What do you think, Noriko-chan?" Sei probed.

Noriko didn't think twice, "Youko-sama."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because otherwise you wouldn't have brought Yumi-san with you…"

"And that's why I keep saying Yumi did a really good job when she found you, Noriko-chan!"

There it was again, that swell in Noriko's chest, that feeling of belonging, of having a heart which was once almost empty, slowly being filled with love from those girls. What a wonderful feeling it was to have a room full of people who thought so highly of you.

"So…" Sei continued, "I basically ran out of the art gallery as fast as I could, feeling elated and guilty at the same time… I felt ten kilos lighter but dirty. It was weird." Sei went on to explain the talk she had with Noriko and her drive to the Ogasawara Mansion then, "I wasn't even completely inside the house and Sachan…" Sei looked at Sumireko, "Yumi-chan's bratty girlfriend," she explained, "was about to kill me..."

"Sei…" Yumi shook her head, "Sachiko was doing what any good petite soeur would have done when they saw their Onee-sama hurting…"

"I never would have pictured Sachiko as being the overprotective kind…" Noriko added.

"Sachan? When it comes down to protecting her people, Sachan is a beast! This one time, Rei was wandering around school aimlessly not knowing what to do with herself after Yoshino had the brilliant idea to return her rosary – can you believe that kid? – so Sachiko finds Rei hiding in the green house, drags her butt all the way to the Rose Mansion so she could get herself together… Ah, and let us not forget the times she obliterated Touko-chan trying to protect our one and only Yumi, here. The woman is a savage!"

"Sachiko is just earnest to a fault." Yumi explained.

"Yumi has become a softy…" Sei smiled, "don't believe her, she's bias—" Before Sei could finish her teasing sentence, her phone started to go off, "I really have to get this, it's work…" she stood, walking toward the kitchen, and the last thing the other girls heard was a faint, "Hello."

"Sumireko-sama, I deeply apologize for Sei's, uh, unconventional antics. She is our wild child," Yumi said.

"If every group of friends had someone like Sei-chan around, the world would be a better place," Sumireko smiled, reaching for the ceramic kettle on the coffee table, topping off Yumi's teacup, then Noriko's and finally Sei's, "You should never apologize for having a blessing around," the older woman finished.

As the girls discussed Sei's quite unorthodox ways, the blonde returned from her phone call with the biggest smile on her face, "So… where were we again?"

"Sei…" Yumi sounded serious, "You can't just answer a phone call and then cheese like that afterwards without telling us what's going on..."

"Well," Sei jumped on the couch, tucking in one of her legs under her bottom, then she leaned forward to get closer to Yumi, "Rosa Gigantea has tickets to come home."

"You're kidding!" Yumi's face was bright as a sunny day.

"Would I ever lie to you, Yumi-chan?"

"That means… Rosa Canina?"

"Yup!"

Yumi was all smiles when she explained to Noriko and Sumireko that their dear friends were finally headed home.

"How wonderful!" Sumireko brought her hands together and clapped once.

###

It was Friday afternoon and the girls had planned on meeting at Sei's apartment for dinner, which Rei and Nana were preparing together – hopefully with enough booze on her, Yoshino would probably stay away from the kitchen.

Because of the last-minute shenanigan, Noriko found herself in K station right before noon. She knew it was a terrible idea to be going north at that time, but she had promised Takuya she would drop off an old juzu they were supposed to be working on before "disappearing for the weekend," like he started to call the weekend-long rendezvous of the Yamayurikai. Takuya feigned annoyance but he was more than happy about the way things had turned out for his friend.

Noriko had gone up a flight of stairs and then down another in order to take the northbound train back to Sumireko's to clean up when she spotted Kanako from across the tracks. Not thinking she would have been seen, Noriko stood there waiting for her train when she looked toward where the tall girl was one more time and found her waiving eagerly, a smile no one could deny was beautiful, plastered on her face. Then she pointed at herself, the stairs and then Noriko; at Noriko's nod of understanding the tall girl started her trek up the stairs. And it didn't take long for Kanako to find Noriko.

"Gokigenyou," Noriko said first, which felt strange but was absolutely the correct thing to start a conversation with any Lillian alumna. She then continued, "I can't believe you were able to see me in that sea of people!"

"Gokigenyou, Noriko-san!" Kanako blushed after admitting that, "you're about the same height as Touko, it was easy to spot you." The girl had lost count of how many times she had lost Touko when they were out running errands for the Yamayurikai in the beginning of their friendship. She went from always looking up, aimlessly, to finally having a focus: a short-tempered, cantankerous at times, but loving focus, and Kanako wouldn't change that for the world.

"And talking about Touko-san, where is she?" Noriko asked.

"She spent the night at Yumi-sama's."

"Oh. I see."

"Touko-san is really fond of Yumi-sama, huh?"

Kanako nodded yes.

"I guess it's good for Touko-san to have someone like Yumi-san around."

"Touko needs someone who's stern in the most loving way and Yumi-sama is that person…"

Noriko smiled big, "She also has you, Kanako-san. I'm sure she is thankful for that…"

"I h-hope so…" Kanako's eyes never met Noriko's when she spoke.

"…"

"A-are you going to Sei-sama's?"

"Stopping by the Rose Mansion first," for some reason Kanako was the only person able to stop by Lillian and help Nana sort through old boxes that still belonged to the former Roses. "Don't ask me how I was voluntold, but I was…"

Noriko explained she only lived a few stops from K station and that she wouldn't mind helping, "I can shower really quick and grab my overnight bag. It shouldn't take more than half-an-hour…"

"I don't want to impose, Noriko-san."

"I'd love to see where the Yamayurikai met…"

"You're going to be disappointed," Kanako chuckled, " It's just an old house…"

###

Since Sumireko wasn't home, Kanako sat by herself in front of the T.V. in the living room while Noriko showered. The home looked lived-in in the coziest of ways; DVD cases laid on the coffee table, a DVD still atop of the Playstation, a wireless controller rested on the arm of the couch and Kanako spotted another controller on a recliner, making it known that video-game battles went down in that space.

In the corner of the living room, paperbacks and hardcovers were neatly arranged side-by-side on a tall wooden shelf; Hemingway, Bukowski, Marquez and Verlain shared space with light novels and textbooks. What Kanako didn't realize at that time was that, that room was an extension of her new friend, and it was simple yet filled with intricate nuances.

"I hope I didn't make you wait too long…" Noriko's hair was still wet from her shower when she sat on the couch by Kanako.

"Pretty sure that was the fastest shower anyone has ever taken – and believe me, I'm used to Touko's so called…" Kanako lifted her arms and made air quotes while saying, "med school showers," then she continued, " those are super quick!" she chuckled to herself, "sometimes I question how the heck she does it, but she always smells so nice afterwards… I guess it just takes talent…" She trailed off realizing she was mostly just talking to herself. Though, stopping the rambling didn't keep Noriko from smiling at how Kanako clearly cherished the curly-pigtailed girl.

"Oh!" Noriko looked at the T.V. trying to help the tall girl's situation by changing the route of their conversation, "you could have changed the channel if you wanted to…"

"To tell you the truth I wasn't even paying attention…"

Kanako said goodbye to Sumireko's house, but promised Noriko she'd come back to have tea and a proper tour soon. From K station the pair took a westbound train toward Lillian. Noriko made sure that the conversation the two new friends had while traveling was much less compromising than the one they ended up having previously. If Kanako wanted to disclose her feelings for Touko, then be it, but prying wasn't something Noriko would do – at least at that point in their relationship – even though Kanako's feelings toward Touko were clear as a summer day.

The Lillian gates were wide open, standing tall as ever and the bright sun made its gold-colored metal look dark orange. It was a wonderful image, one which could have been in Noriko's everyday life for three years had she listened to Sumireko's request. Perhaps those gates, all almighty and grand, would have just become a small part of the bigger picture of Noriko's life at Lillian.

Unfortunately, thought, there was no time for counting losses, and Kanako – who like any other Lillian student had overlooked the gates – kept following the neatly-kept path toward the Rose Mansion. As the tall girl passed buildings, she explained to Noriko what they housed and who studied with whom, then she stopped and turned around, "Behold."

"So, this is it…"Noriko looked up.

"Yup."

"It's… beautiful," she smiled.

"You don't have to be so proper."

"No! I mean it! The structure, the old windows with the mosaics, the bricks, everything!

"You're too kind, Noriko-san."

Inside, Kanako and Noriko found Nana in a back room in the first floor, where boxes upon boxes were neatly stacked in a corner of the large bedroom-turned-storage area.

"Noriko-sama, Kanako-sama, gokigenyou."

The honorific was starting to sound a bit less unnatural, but Noriko still felt awkward by such propriety, "Gokigenyou," she uttered back mechanically, her lips, protesting for the second time that day.

Nana offered to go upstairs and bring back a cup of tea for the two older girls, though, before she left she pointed to three boxes that were sealed with clear tape,

"One of them should be Touko-sama's but the other two I think belong to the older Roses."

"I see," Kanako said.

"I just didn't know who the handwriting belonged to..." Nana said before finally leaving the room.

Kanako looked at Noriko and removed the tape from the box with the mysterious handwriting before asking, "Ready to invade the privacy of the Roses?"

"Are you sure, Kanako-san?"

"If there were secrets in these boxes, I am sure they would have come to take things themselves."

"H-hai," Noriko agreed with a nod.

The first box was full of old Christmas decorations, ribbons, a happy birthday banner, never used balloons, and dried-out markers – a complete waste of time if one would have asked Kanako.

By the time Nana had returned with tea, Kanako and Noriko were almost done moving things into a trash bag, "You're quick!" the younger girl chuckled, then offered a tray with three teacups to Noriko, then Kanako. She finally took the last teacup and saucer and placed the tray by the door so she wouldn't forget to take it back upstairs when they were done with the drinks.

"I don't ever remember seeing those decorations during Christmas so they must be from the time Youko-sama was Rosa Chinensis," Kanako explained and then moved toward the second box, "This box looks even older…"

Kanako thought she was right for a second as she pulled even more old decorations from the box, but then, before she had finally reached the bottom, she stopped with a loud "Oh," and looked at her friends as she reached into it again, bringing up a large manila envelope with the initials TT on it.

"Takeshima Tsutako…" Kanako smile widened when she opened the envelope to find dozens of pictures carefully arranged in it.

"Those are…"

"Old pictures!" Kanako squealed and Nana came running toward the brunette.

It was funny and wonderfully intriguing to watch those girls interact, to feel their connection, the red string of fate, the bond which brought them together in the most elementary of ways. Noriko was slowly understanding through the most simple of exchanges, that love ran deep amongst those who were lucky enough to be part of that group of girls. And right then and there Noriko smiled and thanked Maria-sama – even though she knew nothing about that old house, she was home.

Nevertheless, girls would be girls and Noriko's fond moment was interrupted by Nana squealing, "Kanako-sama! It's…"

"I know…"

"Can I have it?"

"You're gonna have to ask the ladies first." Kanako said, then looked at Noriko with a smile, "You really should come look at these with us!"

"Are you sure?" Noriko asked with hesitation.

"You're not gonna want to miss this…" Nana answered and watched Noriko walk behind the two girls, " Okay, let me see…"

"Look at the children!" Kanako handed Noriko a picture of Sei, Yumi, Youko and Sachiko dressed in their Cinderella costumes in front of Maria-sama's statue. "This was the year before Touko and I became high school freshmen. "You can see that Sei has always been…energetic, look," Kanako handed another picture to Noriko, that one was of Sei and Yumi – both in their Lillian attire – Sei had one arm around Yumi's neck, her free hand made a V sign.

Noriko chuckled.

"But look at this one!" Nana handed another picture to Noriko who took the photo in he hands.

"Isn't she beautiful, though?" Nana asked, drawing an eye-roll from Kanako.

Looking at the picture carefully, not wanting to miss the most miniscule details of that photograph, Noriko felt once more a tightening in her chest, a nostalgia, an incredible urge to go back in time, to jump in a Kyoto-bound train in hopes she could see the Kannon statue and maybe, only just maybe, a winter storm would have stricken, and it would have stopped train operations that day which would have kept her from taking her entrance exams, forcing her to attend Lillian – all of that angst, and want and longing ignited by a simple smile in an old picture.

"She is…" Noriko answered, handing the old photo back to Nana.

Once again Tsutako had found the perfect moment to take the shot, capturing Sei, Shizuka and Shimako smiling at one another with the front door of the Rose Mansion as a background.

Clearly, Nana and Noriko were speaking of different beauties.

###

"What the heck?" Sei opened the door to her apartment to find three cute brunettes and a large box waiting in the hallway.

"I was told to go through boxes, remember?" Kanako walked in and left the box to be carried by Nana and Noriko.

"And throw away stuff!"

"I did! I threw away two boxes worth of old Christmas decoration!"

"Then what the heck is this?" The blonde pointed to the box, "and was Noriko inside one of the boxes?" Sei laughed at her own joke.

"Kanako couldn't make herself throw anything of Touko's away," Nana laughed.

"Oh c'mon now! I don't even know why I had to go help…"

"You're responsible," Sei started, wrapping her arm around Kanako's shoulder, "you know us all very well and you get the job done – well, kinda, at least."

At Kanako's sigh of indignation, Sei couldn't help but poke the bear just a little more, "You're all of those great things but you gotta be a bit more confident about Touko…"

"Sei-sama!" The girl wiggled her way away from Sei's arm, "What are you talking about?!

"Just tell her you like her!" Sei said, and Kanano's eyes immediately landed on Noriko, who lifted both her hands, palms toward Kanako, then the brunette shrugged awkwardly, "I thought you guys were already together," she tried to help.

"What the heck!?"

"See!" Sei laughed, "Even Noriko who hasn't been around that long can tell!"

Kanako looked at Nana, who nodded. "Really?! That obvious, huh?" The tall brunette sat down on the couch defeated, hiding her face behind a pillow. "Uuuuugh!" The pillow muffled her scream, "fuuuuuaaaahhhh."

"Whatever, don't be so dramatic about it," Nana chuckled.

"Can you imagine how she'd handl—?"

"Who's handling what?" Touko asked as Yumi closed the door behind her.

"Nah! We were just talking about this stupid box Kanako brought from Lillian," Sei swiftly evaded the question.

"I thought you were supposed to throw stuff away," Touko said looking at Kanako.

"I did! But there were pictures and some of your costumes that I thought didn't deserve to be tossed…"

As Kanako unboxed Tsutako's pictures, Sei allowed Yumi and Touko to look at them first – a perfect excuse to give Noriko a tour of the small two-bedroom apartment. From the living room, Sei walked Noriko to the kitchen then proceeded to the small corridor that connected the living room and the bedrooms.

"And this is my bedroom," Sei turned the light on and walked in after Noriko. "It's nothing amazing…"

"But it's homey," Noriko smiled and moved away from the bed, lured by a corkboard full of pictures which hung atop of Sei's desk.

"Sei-sama…" she started.

"What's up?"

"The blonde by you in this photo, who is she?"

"The pretty one with gray eyes?"

Noriko nodded yes.

"That's Shimako-chan!" Immediately after answering the question, Sei realized that she had never really said Shimako's name around Noriko before. As a joke, the blonde had always referred to Shimako as Rosa Gigantea, "Uh… A.K.A. Rosa Gigantea, my petite soeur," she tried to explain.

Shimako, Noriko repeated the name silently in he mind, before allowing her lips to speak them out loud, "Shimako," each syllable widening Noriko's smile, "that's a lovely name…" she finished.

"Shimako-chan is the most wonderful girl you'll ever meet. I think you kids would get along just fine."

"You think so?"

"I know so!" Sei finished with a smile of her own.

A/N: As always, thank you for reading!