"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." "Thank you." "Shimako." "I think the time is about right for you to officially welcome the Rosa Gigantea en bouton to the Rose Mansion." "The Rosa Gigantea en bouton?" "Who do you mean?" "Noriko, of course." "Who else?" "Um..." "But it is not as if Noriko is my little sister." "You're kidding!" "T-Then, what about your rosary?" "I have not given it to her." "It has already been half a month since the Maria Festival." "What are you dragging your feet for?" "Do you wish to have Noriko brought into the fold?" "For the sake of putting the Yamayuri Council on a solid footing, the birth of the Rosa Gigantea en bouton is being greatly anticipated." "We don't mean to compel you, but that is the tradition, after all." "Pardon us for being late!" "Pardon us for being late!" "What a rush you're in." "You needn't run, you know." "Shimako." "If you don't mind, why don't you have Noriko come by every so often to help out here with the Yamayuri Council?" "But that's not to say that we'll force you to make her your soeur." "Noriko is no one's little sister, and yet you would have her come regularly to the Rose Mansion?" "It is not as if that would be unprecedented." "We will leave it to your discretion, Shimako." "This is just like a year ago, with me and..." "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" "Tears of the Rosary" "Honestly!" "What in the world is Shimako thinking?" "Now, now, you didn't settle on a little sister until the school festival last year, too." "In my case, it was because I did not know of Yumi's existence until then." "And before Yumi," "I had the unpleasant experience of being rejected by Shimako, too." "At the very least, I was being proactive." "Come to think of it, Shimako and Lady Sei also dragged their feet for about half a year, didn't they?" "I wonder if it is a White Rose tradition." "It was because you asked Shimako to be your soeur that Lady Sei made up her mind, right?" "I'll make Shimako my little sister." "I wonder if Shimako also needs some kind of motivation..." "Shimako." "What's wrong?" "I was thinking we could go home together, if it's all right with you." "Oh, yes, let's!" "Wow, I'm so happy!" "What about your errands?" "Are you done now?" "Errands?" "I didn't have any." "I was just running around, because Toko was pestering me." "Who did you say was pestering you?" "Good afternoon, Rosa Gigantea." "Good afternoon, Toko." "Please listen to this, Rosa Gigantea." "No matter how much I recommend it," "Noriko refuses to even go observe clubs." "Clubs?" "Noriko, are you joining a club?" "I'm not interested in joining at all." "I've just been invited, that's all." "Everyone seems eager to try to make me fit in more at the Academy." "Our time in high school may seem long, but it's not." "So don't you think it would be better to have something else to devote yourself to besides your studies?" "Besides the Drama Club and I, the Literary Club, the Tennis Club, and the Bible Study Club have all extended invitations to Noriko." "The Bible Study?" "No way, right?" "Or are you putting off joining any clubs, because you anticipate that your time will be taken up elsewhere?" "What?" "Now then, I think I'll head off to my club." "If I don't hurry, I'll miss the vocal exercises." "Shall we go home?" "Yes." "Um..." "Um..." "You go ahead, Shimako." "No, you go ahead, Noriko." "Then, I'll go first." "Toko made a weird speculation about my motives, but it's not like I'm resisting joining any clubs because of that." ""Because of that"?" "What Toko said is kind of like a paranoid preconception." "In other words, that I'm trying to stay free of obligations or something, because I expect to be working for the Yamayuri Council in the future." "Noriko..." "Um, so don't get the wrong idea, okay?" "There's just no club that I'm interested in." "So, I'm thinking about just forming my own club, once and for all." "How about like a "Society for Viewing Buddhist Statues"?" "Noriko, do you want my rosary?" "But you said that it wasn't the right time." "I thought so, but if you..." "Did someone say something to you?" "About me?" "What?" "Someone who's not even the Rosa Gigantea's little sister, always hanging around her..." "It must be causing trouble for you, right?" "That is not what this is about." "It's okay." "Don't worry about it." "I'm already a misfit at this school and it seems I stand out in a weird way." "Noriko..." "I don't believe at all that you think of me that way, but when you think about it rationally," "I guess I've been too familiar with someone who's idolized here at school." "Noriko!" "Yes...?" "I feel that I want to spend time with you of my own will." "You must know that." "Shimako..." "Am I wrong?" "You're not wrong, but the world isn't composed of just us two." "You're right." "Shimako, tell me what's really going on." "Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida have said that you should drop by the Rose Mansion." "They've extended an invitation to you." "What?" "!" "Why would I go to the Rose Mansion?" "As long as you don't mind, they would like for you to help out." "You mean, as volunteer work?" "Well, I suppose you could call it that." "But are you fine with that?" "If I weren't, I wouldn't have told you." "I see." "Right, that makes sense." "All right, I'll think about it." "My name is Noriko Nijyo." "Good day." "Welcome to the Rose Mansion." "Noriko, please sit over here." "Would tea be fine?" "No, thank you." "Since I only came to help anyway." "My..." "You can be a guest for today." "Here, sit down." "Talk with us for today." "Yumi, please make us some delicious tea." "Certainly." "Shimako, what are you doing just standing there?" "Why don't you sit?" "Oh, right..." "Noriko, do you want any sugar or cream?" "Noriko, what do you want?" "Do you want sugar and cream?" "Or no?" "I'm fine." "Noriko, what is your family like?" "My family?" "Noriko is staying with her great aunt right now." "Her home is in Chiba, which is too far to commute, so..." "What are you doing answering for her?" "Pardon me." "It must be lonely to be living away from your parents." "Yes, but my great aunt is an alumna of Lillian, so I get to hear old stories from her and I enjoy that very much." "We are not of a similar age, but you could say our relationship is like that of friends." "My!" "Friends?" "That's so wonderful." "Thank you." "I hope you'll continue to visit us here at the Rose Mansion, Noriko." "Am I allowed to come whenever?" "Of course!" "You could even come here to eat lunch during lunch time." "Tsutako..." "I got a shot of the Rosa Gigantea sighing." "That kind of expression isn't bad, but I like this expression better." "Oh, my." "You looked so good, I couldn't help myself, so I sneaked a shot." "If you don't mind it, I hope you'll keep it." "Thank you." "This first-year student with the bob cut..." "Um..." "Noriko?" "Right, Noriko." "She's great." "As a subject?" "As a reflector." "Reflector?" "You know, those mirror-like boards used to illuminate people in photography?" "Those things." "Someone who shines light upon Shimako Todo." "Light..." "But it's clouded now." "Like today's weather." "Did something happen?" "I don't even know, myself..." "No matter what I do, I feel like I'm getting nowhere..." "Shimako, you really are Lady Sei Sato's little sister." "What?" "You're stuck in the same maze." "It's probably that I'm clumsy at this." "Maybe you're thinking too hard about this, Shimako." "You're too considerate of those around you and you get tired." "I guess you can see everything clearly, can't you?" "I'm a photographer, so when I release the shutter, it's my hope that I'll also capture what's in people's hearts." "If I could see into people's hearts, too, maybe I wouldn't agonize so much like this." "I think it's okay to agonize." "After all, there's no right answer when it comes to relationships." "There might be a sample answer out there somewhere, but it would be boring to copy that straight up." "You're right." "I have no choice but to find the answer myself." "Um..." "G-Good day, Rosa Gigantea." "Oh..." "For the sake of putting the Yamayuri Council on a solid footing, the birth of the Rosa Gigantea en bouton is being greatly anticipated." "We don't mean to compel you, but that is the tradition, after all." "You really are Lady Sei Sato's little sister." "You're stuck in the same maze." "The same maze..." "Oh..." "Goronta?" "Wait." "Dear sister..." "Dear sister, when you made me your little sister, how did you convince yourself to do so?" "Shimako?" "The tea is ready..." "Oh, thank you." "Noriko, could we not do something about how you call her "Shimako"?" "Pardon?" "It is standard here to address upperclassmen as "Lady."" "Here at the Academy, address her as "Lady Shimako" or "Rosa Gigantea."" "Y-Yes, ma'am." "These are things you should be teaching her properly, Shimako." "For it is Noriko who will be embarrassed later on." "I am very sorry about that." "Um, I do not mind it for myself, but it seems wrong that Shimako..." "I mean that Lady Shimako should feel the repercussions of this." "After all, it is not as if Lady Shimako is my big sister!" "Noriko!" "It is the duty of upperclassmen to offer guidance to underclassmen who have no big sisters." "You two have a close relationship, so even if you are not sisters, it is only proper that Shimako should admonish you about it." "If you do not want to be admonished by upperclassmen in general, you had better hurry up and find a big sister." "That is none of your business." "What did you say?" "Dear sister, Noriko is still unused to life at Lillian, so..." "Shimako, you should admonish her as well." "This underclassman, who is so ignorant." "What?" "But..." "As I said, why do you keep bringing Shimako into this?" "There you go again." "Not "Shimako." It's "Lady Shimako"!" "Please do not nitpick at my words when we are fighting!" "Fighting?" "!" "You must be joking!" "I am counseling an underclassman." "You're a mere first-year student, yet you think you're a third-year student's equal?" ""Mere"?" "!" "We are only two years apart in age!" "When you are in school, two years is significant." "I am against seniority systems!" "Please stop already!" "I'm sorry!" "It's all my fault!" "All because I have not done my part properly," "I've caused you and everyone else to worry and I'm putting a strain on Noriko." "So, what will you do?" "How will you make sure that you do not cause us to worry?" "How will you make sure you do not put a strain on Noriko?" "Would you please tell us that?" "How?" "There are many ways to do it, right?" "For example, as an extreme solution, this will be resolved if you sever ties with either us or Noriko." "Sever ties with one or the other?" "Abandon your fellow Yamayuri Council members, and instead of being Rosa Gigantea, you can go back to being an ordinary student and spend your days at the Academy with Noriko, free of care." "Or go back to how you were before Noriko came." "What will you do, Shimako?" "I'm sorry!" "Shimako!" "I don't want to lose either of them..." "What in the world am I to do?" "If it starts raining in earnest, you're going to catch a cold." "There's something I realized today." "You're a greedy person." "And you don't want anyone to hate you." "That's right." "So you've tried to keep yourself from wanting things, haven't you?" "Because once you have something, you become afraid of parting with it." "But you need those people." "[Sachiko, Yoshino, Yumi]" "Don't tell me to cut ties with you, just because that's true." "I won't." "Because I'm of the conceited opinion that you need me, too." "Hasty Miss Shimako." "Rosa Chinensis only gave you an extreme example." "If you don't want to let go," "I don't think you need to force yourself to discard either." "But that's..." "Hold on to your friends with one hand and hold on to me with your other hand." "Let me borrow this rosary." "What?" "Borrow?" "That's something that's very precious to you, right?" "But to me, it's nothing but a bauble." "I don't understand the weight of this rosary, so it probably won't wear on me." "Maybe you could take the rosary off for a while, consider it letting me borrow it, and unburden yourself." "Let you borrow the rosary..." "Yes, just like the prayer beads." "Are you still hesitant?" "Is it because I love Buddhist statues and I'm not a Christian?" "That isn't it." "Just that, if you become my little sister, you will become a member of the Yamayuri Council." "Incidents like what happened earlier will happen again..." "Don't worry." "I think I'll be able to do well." "It's not like I don't like Rosa Chinensis." "But you were arguing..." "That was admonishing encouragement offered with love." "Rosa Chinensis sent me out with a gentle push from behind." "Please take care of Shimako for me." "Lady Sachiko did?" "I think Rosa Chinensis has accepted me as one of them." "Because she seems like the sort of person who would totally ignore someone if they were of no interest to her." "You've been very observant." "Yes, because they're the people that you like." "So, I can put this on you?" "Until you graduate," "I'll stay fast by your side and never leave you." "How strange..." "I'm soaking wet, and yet I don't feel cold at all." "Rose fortune-telling." "If you like red roses, you are..." "Passionate." "If you like white roses, you are..." "Spiritual." "If you like yellow roses, you are..." "Out of control." "It is not as if I go crazy so often." "Character fortune-telling." "If you like Yumi, you are..." "Populistic." "If you like Shimako, you are..." "Intellectual." "If you like Yoshino, you are..." "A person with unusual tastes." "What?" "!" "Next time on "Maria Watches Over Us,"" ""Yellow Rose Weather Advisory"." "I would like to firmly state that I object."