"A Notice from the Yamayuri Council When watching "Maria Watches Over Us ~Printemps~" please have the room brightly lit and sit well away from the television set." "Shimako's family runs a temple." "What?" "I didn't know that..." "You know how she has always kept herself at a distance from everyone?" "I think it is something she is very self-conscious about." "I had no idea..." "So, Shimako's had this secret she's been unable to reveal all this time." "Keeping it all to herself in her heart..." "I'm so sorry." "We only get one bus every hour on non-business days." "N-Not at all..." "Don't move." "[Shoguji Temple]" "So, no questions...?" "What?" "About how I am the daughter of a temple household, and yet, I attend Lillian Girls' Academy..." "About how that is contradictory..." "The maidens, who flock to Mother Maria's garden, pass through the tall gates today yet again with innocent, angelic smiles." "Their pure hearts and bodies are clad in deep-colored uniforms." "So that the pleats of their skirts are not disturbed and so that their white sailor collars are not set aflutter, it is customary here to walk slowly and with decorum." "The Private Lillian Girls' Academy, a garden of maidens." "Maria Watches Over Us Printemps" "In the morning mist, Asamoya no naka the white path goes on." "tsuzuku shiroi michi" "The birds sing." "Tori no saezuri" "We exchange greetings." "Aisatsu kawashinagara" "At times, the clouds hang low, Toki ni kumo ga tarekomete and the sun may grow dim." "hizashi kagerou tomo" "But I will walk with my chin up, Sesuji nobashite aruku for I know, watashi wa shitteru kara that above those heavy clouds..." "omoi kumo no ue wa ...is the blue sky." "aol sora" "The Cherry Tree Among the Gingkos" "You see, I wanted to become a nun." "What?" "When I was little, I was so naive." "But gradually, you become more aware of your surroundings, right?" "And when that happened, I began to feel my dream for my future was something I must not speak about." "But my yearning grew more and more, and I finally told my father when I was in the sixth grade." "What did you say?" "That I would join the convent when I turned 12, so I wanted him to disown me." "What?" "!" "You don't look it at all, but you're actually very bold, aren't you?" "My parents were hasty to respond, saying I should first enroll at a Catholic school, and properly study there before I made my decision." "And thus, Lillian?" "One upperclassman, who has graduated, knew about this, but there is no one now." "Just you." "You keep this a secret at school?" "It was a promise I made with my father." "At school and outside, we are to keep it a secret that I am the daughter of Shoguji and that I am attending a Catholic school." "It's a large temple, so I imagine it could be troublesome if the patrons found out." "I feel better now somehow." "Shimako, could it be that you intend to drop out of school?" "Here it is." "I won't tell anyone." "What?" "You don't want to drag me into this, so you can't ask me to keep it a secret, right?" "But I'm already being unfaithful to the Mother Maria myself anyway." "The same as you..." "Why didn't you tell us about Shimako?" "We were keeping quiet about it on purpose, okay?" "Why?" "!" "Because we decided that Shimako needed normal friends." "If you had learned of Shimako's secret, you would probably have come to interact with her differently, right?" "Even without knowing her circumstances, we wanted you to be friends who would be there for her unconditionally." "I don't think finding out about it would make anyone hold it against her, but she's self-conscious about it, so..." "Lady Sei knew about it too, right?" "Maybe it was because Lady Sei knew Shimako too well, that she couldn't bring herself to take any drastic measures." "But we cannot let things drag on like this." "She's Rosa Gigantea now, after all." "At any rate, we need to make Shimako reveal the secret herself." "How?" "If we only had a good pawn at our disposal..." "If it is a pawn you want, there is one." "Toko!" "When did you get here?" "Were you listening the whole time?" "I just heard it, dear sister Sachiko." "Because you were all so absorbed in your discussion." "So, what pawn?" "I believe she will work, without fail." "So, who is it?" "Miss Noriko Nijyo." "Noriko seems rather cold, right?" "She is always like that." "But even so, during lunch break and after school, she shows a different side of herself." "Different side?" "Would you like to see it?" "What?" "If you're not interested, that's fine too." "N-No, I'll go!" "I will go!" "Then meet me behind the auditorium." "Please be sure to come alone." "What do you think?" "I've never seen Shimako look like that..." "Why?" "Is it because she's with Miss Noriko Nijyo?" "Is she that precious to her?" "Are we no good?" "Lady Yumi?" "Thank you." "I'm going back now." "You are more sensitive than I had thought." ""Rosa Gigantea is growing farther apart from us..."" "Could a sad thought like that have crossed your mind just now?" "I thought I would get to see you if I came here." "I wanted to see you, too." "Um..." "I've been thinking, but..." "Not saying isn't necessarily the same as lying, right?" "Besides, it just so happened that you were born to a temple household, so I don't think that's being unfaithful to God..." "I'm not sure how to say this well..." "You said it just fine." "Uh, um..." "I was off looking at a Buddhist statue on the day of the test and got stuck on my way home, so I had no choice but to enroll at Lillian, which I had applied to out of respect for my great aunt..." "Thank you." "That's enough." "I won't drop out just yet." "Just yet?" "If my circumstances become publicly known and it makes trouble for someone," "I think I really should not remain at this school." "But Shimako, you like this school, don't you?" "Of course." "Then..." "I never imagined that I would find myself having conversations like this at school." "If you feel you can talk to me," "I would be happy to be there for you whenever you like." "Oh yes." "I almost forgot." "Do you like prayer beads, too?" "Prayer beads?" "I remembered that the prayer beads that my grandmother had left me includes a bead that contains a Buddhist statue..." "Thank you, Shimako!" "I see." "And thus, you were reluctant to even come to the Rose Mansion during lunch and you kept to your classroom the whole time after that." "Yes..." "I won't say that I don't understand." "I am sorry." "It's fine." "I am not bothered by it." "After all, you came and told me all about it." "So?" "Do you feel a little better now?" "Yes." "You dummy." "Are you tearing up?" "Because..." "Come here." "Shimako no longer has a dear sister, who will be kind to her like this." "Someone who will accept her without a word..." "If Shimako is looking for someone she can comfort and be comforted by..." "Dear sister, I..." "Dear sister Sachiko!" "What is it?" "During lunch, Lady Shimako and Noriko were meeting in secret..." "I heard about that." "But the problem is what happened after Lady Yumi left." "Lady Shimako gave something to Noriko." "Something?" "It was a drawstring pouch." "I was unable to see what was inside, so I hardened my resolve and I looked inside Noriko's bag when she was away from the classroom on cleaning duty!" "Toko, that is a little..." "This is friendship!" "So, what was inside?" "Prayer beads." "To think Shimako would bring prayer beads to school..." "Sounds like something we could use as a prop, right?" "To make Rosa Gigantea reveal her secret herself..." "True..." "I already have a scenario in mind." "I call it," ""The Maria Festival Inquisition"!" "And so, the day of the Maria Festival came." "Noriko." "The Lady Roses are here to see you." "Good day." "Miss Noriko Nijyo, correct?" "Yes." "So, this girl is Shimako's..." "Still in the rough, from the looks of it." "What are you doing?" "!" "Oh?" "She fought back." "She's pretty ferocious." "Sorry for disturbing you." "Please hold on a minute!" "You summoned me out here and you're not even going to explain?" "!" "The reason we came was because we wanted to see your face." "We have a question for you as well." "Do you like Shimako Todo?" "I... do, but..." "Okay then." "Good luck." ""Good luck"?" "With what?" "It's gone!" "The prayer beads Shimako lent to me are gone!" "To all of you first-year students, let me begin by congratulating you on your enrollment." "Now, here at the high school division of Lillian Girls' Academy, the student council is called the "Yamayuri Council,"" "which comes from the song "The Mother Maria's Heart."" "What should I do?" "Thus, every year, on Mother Maria's Day," "Who in the world...?" "we conduct this ceremony to welcome the new first-year students." "Shimako..." "First, we have the presentation of medallions." "When your class is called, come forward in a single file." "May the Mother Maria watch over you." "May the Mother Maria watch over you." "Shimako, never mind the Maria Festival..." "May the Mother Maria..." "Please wait!" "She is not worthy of receiving a medallion from Rosa Gigantea!" "What?" "!" "Toko..." "I am sorry for interrupting this sacred ceremony." "What do you mean by that?" "She is not worthy of receiving a medallion?" "No." "This is yours, isn't it, Noriko?" "It is not." "Can you swear that to the Mother Maria?" "Yes." "Then you won't mind if I throw it away, right?" "!" "If these prayer beads do not belong to you, you should not care what happens to them." "So the prayer beads are to be my test of faith." "I understand." "I will acknowledge it." "You are right, that is something I brought with me." "Shimako, don't say anything unnecessary." "But..." "It's okay." "Their issue is with me right now." "A good attitude." "Please return those prayer beads to me." "If you want them back, tell us who they belong to." "You said you brought them with you, but you did not acknowledge that they belong to you." "What should I do?" "But right now, I have no choice but to lie and say they belong to me..." "Those prayer beads belong to me." "Shimako!" "Will you explain yourself?" "Miss Noriko Nijyo was only holding on to my prayer beads for me." "Shima..." "Please, don't interrupt her." "What?" "You are more devoutly Christian than anyone here." "Why?" "Because my household is that of a Buddhist temple." "I am sorry, after you went through the trouble of defending me." "Shimako!" "She finally said it." "Good grief." "This year's sideshow sure was a big production." "For having shown us such beautiful sisterly love, please give a warm round of applause to Shimako and Noriko!" "Why did you keep it a secret all this time?" ""The daughter of a temple must not attend a Catholic school..."" "Did you seriously believe that was true?" "Lady Sachiko..." "Honestly!" "I can't quite decide if you're earnest or just stubborn." "Then, the circumstances of my family..." "We knew, of course." "Keeping it a secret seemed to pain you, so we thought it would be best for you to declare it in front of everyone, but I'm sorry it ended up like we tricked you." "Not at all..." "That was so fun!" "I felt like I was playing a villain!" "My!" "I mean..." "The Lady Roses most insistently asked me to do this." "Noriko, you really should make sure to lock up your bag." "Toko!" "Never mind that!" "Apologize first!" "Shimako's laughing..." "The weight has been lifted from Shimako's shoulders now, right?" "Yes." "I'm glad." "Yumi, is there anything you want?" "Pardon?" "I will give you something as a present." "Since I didn't get you anything on White Day, either." "Various things came up and it is long overdue now, but..." "Dear sister..." "It has been on my mind, you know." "Um..." "What is it?" "Then, how about a date for half a day?" "All right." "Where do you want to go?" "The amusement park!" "Perhaps she dislikes noisy places like amusement parks..." "I am not getting on any roller coasters, though." "All right!" "The Rosa Gigantea, Shimako, feels a special closeness to Noriko, a new student, but she could not yet bring herself to give her the rosary." "Watching them, I feel pitiful for being unable to take that next step." "With the rosary, Lady Sachiko and Yumi became soeurs and their relationship seems so beautiful and pure..." "And there's the example of Yoshino and Lady Rei, who continue their pleasant relationship even after the rosary..." "This preview is lacking punch somehow." "Next time on "Maria Watches Over Us,"" ""TEARS OF THE ROSARY"!" "That sounds so threatening!"