Disclaimer: I do not own Maria-sama ga Miteru and its characters. Credits to Konno Oyuki-sensei.
A/N: Let us allow Sachiko and Yumi a short break to enjoy their time as soeurs before we get to the *difficult* part of Yumi's past ^_^. Pure Yumi & Sachiko moments coming up! Please enjoy!
Chapter 10:
Soeur Stories (Part 1): The Problem with Yumi
- - o 0 o - -
Despite leaving Yumi's room early, the two of them were the last to arrive at dinner. The rosary ceremony took only a few minutes and their conversation before that didn't really consume the time she had allotted for her planned proposal. She had been nervous the whole time, despite being confident that Yumi would undoubtedly accept her rosary. Because there was always a slim possibility of Yumi saying 'no' due to the younger woman's self-depreciating attitude. Although, she was indeed surprised when Yumi bravely admitted that she liked her the most, which was probably a response to her obvious jealousy of their two white rose friends. She had to applaud Yumi for her perceptiveness back then. Or probably, she was just too obvious that her petite soeur (she smiled at the thought that she could now call Yumi that) easily figured her out.
There was also a time during their conversation when it seemed to her like Yumi was starting to remember their past bit by bit. She was so tempted to remind the younger girl of the countless instances when she played the piano for her or even of the times when she taught Yumi how to play, but in the end, decided against it. As her father had said, it was better to let Yumi remember her past slowly…not forced.
So, no, the reason why they were late was not due to the discussion they had before the ceremony, it was the one they had after. They were already on their way back inside when Yumi kept on addressing her as 'Sachiko-sama'. The younger girl argued that she should be allowed at least a few days to get herself accustomed to addressing her properly, but Sachiko wouldn't allow her. She even threatened Yumi that she would not speak with her unless she started calling her 'onee-sama'. It was just so frustrating on Sachiko's part. And stubbornly sticking to her words, she continued to ignore Yumi even as they sat down on their respective chairs at the dinner table.
"Where were you? We've been waiting for some time, Sachiko." Sei-sama whined.
"Were you together?" Eriko-sama asked curiously.
It wasn't necessary for her to look beside her, to know that Yumi was blushing. Really, what would she do with her imouto? She was being too obvious. It was not like Sachiko wanted to keep their relationship a secret. She just wanted to resolve their argument first before formally announcing the news to everyone.
"You were, weren't you?" Eriko-sama insisted.
And because Sachiko knew they would not be able to begin dinner before they satisfied their senior's curiosity, she decided to answer.
"Yes, we were out in the garden." She curtly replied.
However, upon her admittance, she also knew that her onee-sama would hint at the reason as to why she was there with Yumi. She just hoped her grande soeur would choose to not say anything.
But clearly, she assumed wrong.
"That's very rare of you, Sachiko. To go out in the garden at night." Youko-sama commented with a meaningful smile.
And before her onee-sama posed the question, she immediately pleaded. "Please onee-sama. Can we just eat now?"
"Oh, you're starving already, Sachiko? And you just had a satisfying drink from Yumi-chan a few days ago." Sei-sama said with a smirk as she leaned her elbow on the table and rested her chin on the palm of her hand.
Sachiko chose not to respond to that. She would not be dragged into this useless conversation, which was obviously a ploy for her to tell them everything that happened between her and Yumi.
And just as she was thinking of a way to get them off their backs, Yumi timidly said.
"I am actually quite hungry too, Sei-sama" came Yumi's shy voice. "I haven't really eaten anything since last Saturday."
Upon hearing this, all thoughts of teasing them and coercing them into sharing their stories seemed to have left everyone's minds. And Sachiko could not blame them, because she too felt guilty for forgetting that Yumi had been asleep close to 48 hours and haven't had a proper meal since she passed out.
At that moment, she wanted to forget the fact that she was irritated with Yumi and just reach under the table to give the younger girl's hand a squeeze. It was her first day as a onee-sama and she was already failing…miserably.
"I'm sorry, Yumi-chan." Sei-sama sincerely said.
"Yes, please go ahead and eat." Youko-sama urged. "I apologize too, Yumi-chan."
Yumi offered a smile before picking up her spoon and started eating her soup.
Like Sachiko-sama, Yumi was well aware of the route the conversation was going to take. She was so sure that they would be teased to no end, until it came to the point wherein they would have to share their story. To Yumi, it wasn't really an issue to admit that they were soeurs already. However, it seemed to her like Sachiko-sama wasn't willing to share the detail that they'd already performed the rosary ceremony. Or probably, at least until they resolved their argument. And that was an argument that was solely her fault. Yumi had wanted to address her soeur properly, but somehow, it was just too difficult and embarrassing.
She sighed, and the person across from her seemed to have noticed.
"Are you okay, Yumi-san?" Shimako-san asked.
Yumi nodded her head smiled reassuringly.
But her friend was not satisfied and continued to ask, "Is it because the meat is too difficult for you to eat? We could ask the cook to prepare some rice and miso soup, which would be easier for your stomach to take. Or we could just ask for some more soup and bread."
Yumi wanted to say that her 'sighing' was not due to the food. But she chose to just agree because what Shimako-san said was also true, her stomach would indeed be having a difficulty in digesting meat after not eating for nearly two days.
"Yes please. Thank you, Shimako-san."
But just when Shimako-san was about to call a servant, Sachiko-sama interjected.
"Let me do that for her." And Sachiko-sama stood up and spoke with a servant standing by the wall.
Her seniors exchanged glances, but chose not to say anything, probably in consideration of her. But surely, tomorrow dinner, they would not be able to escape their questioning and teasing.
Sachiko-sama soon returned and continued eating.
"Thank you, Sachiko-sama." she muttered.
But the older woman just gave her a cold shoulder.
It was somewhat painful for Yumi, to be ignored like this by Sachiko-sama. But since it was her fault, she had no choice but to bear with it.
Yumi proceeded to eat in silence and no one spoke until after dinner was over. Everyone was beginning to stand up when Sei-sama approached Yumi.
"Let me escort you to your room, Yumi-chan." The older woman said, as she took hold of her hand.
And from the corner of her eye, Yumi could see the irritation starting to line Sachiko-sama's face.
"Do whatever you like." Sachiko-sama said before walking away.
Yumi froze. Sachiko-sama was now angry with her. Not just irritated and frustrated, but genuinely angry. And she didn't want to end their first night as soeurs this way.
Sei-sama continued to walk, dragging Yumi with her. But Yumi's feet refused to move.
No. She would not allow Sachiko-sama to walk away and to remain angry with her. She knew she could just come to her room later and try to reason out with her, but panic and worry already overcame her heart and Yumi was not thinking rationally anymore. So even though all of her friends were still in the room, Yumi shook out of Sei-sama's grasp and rushed to Sachiko-sama.
"Yumi-chan?" Sei-sama asked curiously.
But Yumi still proceeded to approach Sachiko-sama and called out to her.
"Sachiko-sama, wait."
But the older woman just kept on walking, obviously pretending not to hear her.
At this, the four other people in the room exchanged glances. They remained standing where they were and just watched the drama before them unfold.
"This will be interesting" Eriko-sama whispered to Youko-sama.
But Yumi didn't hear her because she was starting to panic as Sachiko-sama neared the door.
I can do this.
She then squared her shoulders, lowered her chin, balled her fist to her sides and called out in a quiet voice.
"O-o-onee-sama"
Despite how weak her voice had been, she was clearly heard by all the people present.
The whole room was enveloped in silence.
Sachiko-sama stopped in her tracks, her back unmistakably straighter.
Youko-sama raised her eyebrows.
Eriko-sama muttered, "I knew it."
Shimako-san smiled.
Sei-sama smirked victoriously.
But to Yumi, it was as if it was only her and Sachiko-sama present in the whole room, as she patiently waited for a reaction.
"I can't hear you."
But she clearly did.
Still, since it was asked of her, Yumi gathered her resolved and tried again. But this time, it came a little louder than she had intended.
"Onee-sama!"
Sachiko-sama then turned and faced her with a brilliant smile on her beautiful face. "Yes?"
Cheers erupted from around them.
"I knew you were already soeurs!" Eriko-sama exclaimed.
"Congratulations" Shimako-san greeted.
"Finally!" Sei-sama said.
"It would have been better if you announced it properly. Although, I did enjoy the show." Youko-sama said as she approached her imouto and gave her a hug.
"I think what they did was a much better way of informing us, Youko." Eriko-sama started. "And those adorable blushes on your two soeurs faces are priceless. Even Sachiko blushes once in a while, huh?"
"Only when Yumi-chan is involved." Sei-sama commented.
The happiness of finally being able to hear those words from her little sister's lips filled Sachiko with happiness. But upon realizing that they did just put on a show made her feel embarrassed. Yumi may have lost herself in the moment and temporarily forgot that they had an audience, and unexpectedly, so did Sachiko.
But now, amidst the teasing of their friends, she was starting to get irritated again.
"Would you please stop it with the teasing?"
"Oh, you're not getting away that easily, Sachiko." Sei-sama said.
"We were considering giving you two a day to rest, in consideration of Yumi-chan. But this show just made us want to hear more." Youko-sama said, obviously delighted.
"Come on, give us some service." Eriko-sama jeered.
"Why would we give the onee-sama's some service?!" Sachiko-sama said heatedly. She was not the type of person to be toyed with like this.
But since she clearly was no match for the onee-samas, her outburst had not been effective.
"If you won't say anything, then we'd ask Yumi-chan instead." Youko-sama said.
"Oh yes, Yumi-chan is a good girl. Right, Yumi-chan?" Eriko-sama's eyes were twinkling in amusement.
"At least indulge us with the story of Sachiko feeding off of you. Stories about exchanging rosaries is something I've heard a dozen times. Hearing about how and when she fed from you is something that I find to be more interesting." Sei-sama said mischievously.
Sachiko shot a look to Yumi, warning her to not open her mouth and to not say anything.
But despite her warning…
"I-" Yumi seemed to be breaking under pressure.
Everybody leaned forward, ready to hear what Yumi has to say.
But Sachiko would not allow it.
"Enough!" Her voice was laced with hysteria as she grabbed Yumi's wrist and dragged her out of the room.
She could hear their friends calling out to them but thankfully, no one followed them as they rushed to the stairs, up the steps and onto the left wing where their rooms were situated.
She only released Yumi when they were already in front of the younger woman's bedroom door.
Yumi was then scolded and instructed to be more resilient even when pressured by their seniors. It would really be embarrassing if they found out that a strong-willed person like her had been effectively tempted by a timid person like Yumi. Also, whenever she thinks of the time she fed from Yumi, she still could not stop herself from getting flustered. It was a very intimate and unforgettable experience for her, and she secretly hoped that it had been the same for Yumi.
Call her stubborn, but that one particular memory was something that she wold never ever share with anyone.
- - o 0 o - -
The next day, Sachiko made a rare trip to the newspaper's clubroom. She disliked the fact that most of the articles in their school paper was about them, and she still could not understand why the students found their lives to be interesting (don't they have their own lives to think about?). But still, the fact remained that she needed to make an announcement that Yumi was now her soeur. It was better for the news to come from her own lips and using her own words, rather than just from baseless assumptions. And true enough, Minako-san was more than happy to publish the news. The Lillian paper is released every Wednesday and today's already Tuesday. Minako-san was even considering stopping the on-going printing so they could change the front page. There was no need for that of course, such was Sachiko's opinion. But really, whether they make it into the front page or just a small article in the corner, she didn't care. And if they chose to change this week's paper, make a special issue or publish it next week, was the least of her concerns.
So with that out of the way, she left the clubroom. She had more things to think about and most of them had something to do with her now sister, Yumi.
The fact that the other girl was able to start calling her 'onee-sama' was a huge relief. She knew Yumi didn't like being the center of attention very much and have remained to be an 'unknown first year' until the newspaper would be released, contrary to her, whom always lived a life under the scrutinizing eyes of the society.
'Ogasawara' is a difficult name to bear, and something that her family had prepared her for since the day she could walk. But it didn't mean that she liked it. So the day that she turned and moved to the manor was like a breath of fresh air. Aside for the summer vacations she spent with Yumi, living in the manor with her friends was the next best thing for Sachiko. It had been difficult of course, to be separated from her family. But somehow, it made her feel freer. Her housemates saw her as herself, not as an Ogasawara, just as Sachiko. And now that Yumi was her soeur and she was starting a new life with her, it felt like everything in her life was perfect and she had nothing to worry about.
Well, that was supposed to be the case. Because the said younger girl was unknowingly giving her a headache. Surely, it was unintentional on Yumi's part to irritate her.
Like that one time…
She was already in her room when she remembered that she should inform Yumi that they have a Yamayurikai meeting during lunch break the next day. So after finishing her homework, she went to the younger girl's bedroom. And she was beyond surprised when it was Shimako who opened the door for her.
"Sachiko-sama, good evening." Shimako greeted. "Is there anything you need from Yumi-san?"
A vein twitched in her temple at the younger girl's calmness. To Sachiko, it appeared like the younger girl was giving off the impression that it was the most natural thing in the world for her to be there. But still, Sachiko tried to maintain a calm demeanour when she asked, "Where's Yumi?"
"Oh, she's in the bathroom."
Taking a bath while Shimako is out in her room? What is Yumi thinking?! Sachiko wanted to shout.
But she didn't, instead she calmly replied. "Then I would wait for her."
Shimako quickly stepped aside to let her in. "Yes, of course."
She was only a few feet from the door, which was still held open by the younger girl, when she asked, "How about you, what was it that you needed from Yumi?"
"Yumi-san and I were assigned as partners for a project. We agreed to discuss it tonight, since we didn't have enough time to talk about it at school due to our Yamayurikai work. But when I arrived, she was just going in the bath, so I volunteered to wait for her."
"I see. Then I will ask onee-sama to excuse you and Yumi from tomorrow's meeting. There's not much work to do anyway."
Shimako seems to have hinted at her apparent irritation, as the younger girl's face donned a thoughtful expression before quietly saying, "I see. Then I shall take my leave and just speak with Yumi-san tomorrow."
"Yes. I will inform Yumi that you just left." She said with finality as she stood and watched Shimako left the room.
Sachiko then sat down on Yumi's bed and massaged her temples. And soon enough, Yumi stepped out of the bath.
"Ah, onee-sama! Where is Shimako-san?"
Upon seeing how Yumi looked, Sachiko swallowed down hard and unconsciously pushed down her supposed response to Yumi's question.
Yumi's hair was dripping wet and her skin was so pale and partially opaque, probably due to the cold shower she just had, that the veins beneath her skin were slightly visible. And the small, involuntary trembles of her body, due to the cold no doubt, made her look like a wet little kitten that Sachiko wanted to hug and bite.
Sachiko shook her head to clear her improper thoughts.
"Why are you dipping wet? And a cold shower at night?" Sachiko almost exclaimed.
"I was suddenly in the mood for a cold shower, onee-sama. Also, I forgot my towel outside." Yumi shyly admitted. "So I don't have anything to wipe myself with."
Sachiko sighed. If it were Shimako out here waiting for Yumi, what would the other girl's reaction be?
Sachiko shook her head again in exasperation.
- - o 0 o - -
Sometime early June, another incident happened…
It was a few hours before midnight when Sachiko suddenly felt thirsty. It had been almost three weeks since her last feeding from Yumi and her thirst was starting to bother her again. So that night, she decided to go to the kitchen and have some warm blood.
Asking for blood, whether from Youko-sama or Yumi, was something she was still hesitant about. And since her onee-sama knew about this, the older woman was the one who always offered it to her, except for that one time before she overcame her fear of draining Yumi. But somehow, her onee-sama hadn't offered yet, probably thinking that she would now be drinking from her petite soeur. But she just couldn't ask Yumi somehow.
So that night, she decided to settle for her usual animal blood and probably some hot chocolate afterwards. But just as she was about to enter the kitchen, she heard voices.
"This is dangerous, Sei-sama. I would be scolded by onee-sama if she found out about this."
Yumi?
"Then don't tell her. Just hold still, I wouldn't want to hurt you."
Sei-sama!
Sachiko finally decided that she just couldn't stand there eavesdropping. She pushed the kitchen door a little harder than necessary, to get the attention of the two people already inside.
"What…" the question was caught in her throat when she saw them.
"Sachiko" Sei-sama greeted amusedly.
"Onee-sama!" Yumi was flustered and quickly moved away from the kitchen counter, letting go of what she was holding.
Sachiko was flustered. What was I thinking?
But upon seeing the teasing look on their senior's eyes, her blood started to boil.
No, it was Sei-sama's intention to tease me like this. She mused angrily.
"I was suddenly in the mood for some apples and I asked Yumi-chan to hold them for me, while I cut them up into bite size pieces." Sei-sama smirked deviously.
She must have seen me coming through the partially opened door and put on this little show.
"Yumi-chan was moving around so much." Their senior continued to explain.
"Because you were so close. Also, you almost cut my finger." Yumi reasoned.
"I would never intentionally do such a thing do such a thing, Yumi-chan." Sei-sama feigned innocence.
"And why don't you cut your own apples? You have two hands. Why ask for Yumi's help?" Sachiko replied heatedly.
"Where's the fun in that?"
Sachiko was shooting daggers at their senior when Yumi suddenly blurted, "Ah onee-sama, is there anything you need? For you to come down in the kitchen this late?"
Sachiko turned to look at Yumi.
"I just completed my homework and I went down to make myself some hot chocolate. Do you need some hot chocolate too? I heard from Youko-sama that you liked having one before you go to bed." Yumi continued, obviously a desperate attempt to cool down her temper.
She exhaled audibly. She was just being teased by their senior and she should not have fallen for that.
She then walked towards Yumi and answered, "Yes, Yumi. I would like some hot chocolate. I can actually share with you how onee-sama and I make them."
She sighed. She should probably warn Yumi to be wary of Sei-sama. Or better yet, she should ask Yumi to be more perceptive as to the intentions of their eccentric senior.
She shook her head. What would she do with her gullible petite soeur?
- - o 0 o - -
Next Chapter Preview:
"It's been a month since we became soeurs." Sachiko-sama began.
'Are monthsaries supposed to be celebrated among soeurs?' Yumi mused.
"And a month since I…" her onee-sama swallowed hard before continuing in a smaller voice, "…fed from you."
It took a few seconds before it clicked into Yumi's mind.
Ah
"And with how you were yesterday, and even today, I think it was just so cruel of you to tempt me like that."