"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." "Dear sister." "Yumi." "Good morning." "Good morning, dear sister." "Lady Sachiko Ogasawara and I are soeurs." "In other words, we are sisters." "The breeze is strong today." "The first spring gale." "Yes..." "That time..." "I had felt admiration for my dear sister since long before and it was also before this statue of Maria that she first noticed me." "That eventually led to her asking me to be her petite soeur." "And I became Lady Sachiko's little sister." "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" "Upon the Long Night" "A lot has happened since then, but what happened during New Year's was particularly memorable." "During New Year's this year," "I was not able to see my dear sister because of winter break and I was feeling a little lonely." "Yes, this is the Fukuzawa residence." "Yes." "Oh, allow me to thank you for being so good to her." "Yumi." "Yes?" "Telephone." "From someone called Miss Sato." "What?" "Miss Sato... as in, Rosa Gigantea?" "!" "Hello, this is Yumi speaking." "Oh, Yumi?" "Did you hope, even for a moment, that it was Sachiko?" "No..." "Happy New Year." "Happy New Year!" "Best wishes for the New Year!" "Bonne Annee!" "Man, what a joyous occasion!" "Did something happen?" "If you've got time, how about a date?" "A date?" "also known as the Yamayuri Council New Year's Get-Together." "Nah, it's actually a last-minute thing." "I'll go!" "I'll get to see Lady Sachiko!" "So, is this tomorrow?" "The day after tomorrow?" "Are you free on both days?" "It's a retreat sort of thing, two days, one night." "A retreat...?" "Is that a no?" "Oh, no!" "I'll go!" "It would be my pleasure to go!" "You sound like some monster baby." "Rosa Gigantea!" "Then, shall we get going?" "What?" "But, I mean..." "No one else has..." "Did I ever say that there was anyone else coming?" "Huh?" "You fell for it, Yumi." "What?" "Uh..." "Um, Rosa Gigantea...?" "Who in the world is going to drive?" "What?" "Don't tell me..." "Off we go!" "E-Exactly since when have you been driving?" "!" "Since when?" "If I have to say..." "Since today." "What?" "!" "Don't worry." "I went to a proper training school and got my license." "Even though that was just the other day." "P-Please let me off!" "We're not gonna die." "Besides, this thing has airbags." "Rosa Gigantea, where in the world are we?" "Oh, I wonder where." "Is this a hospital?" "Or maybe a school?" "I see." "The nameplate's right there." "Ogasawara" ""Ogasawara"... wait..." "What?" "!" "Uh, um, then is this Lady Sachiko's...?" "!" "Bingo!" "The gate opened automatically!" "Incredible..." "There's a forest on the grounds of their residence..." "Not only that, but I can't see the house from the gate..." "I figured it must be large, but I never expected this..." "Well, Yumi?" "Are you happy?" "Honestly, Rosa Gigantea!" "You could have told me we were coming here from the start!" "Who cares?" "You wanted to see Sachiko, right?" "W-Well, yes, but..." "Still, I would've liked more time to prepare myself for this." "Welcome." "Everyone is waiting." "Thank you." "Yuki..." "Yumi..." "And..." "Kashiwagi..." "I figured you might be here." "Sacchan and I are cousins, after all." "That's right..." "But honestly, I don't have a very good impression of him." "But why are you here, Yuki?" "I don't really know, either." "We met at a game arcade and just sort of..." "I won a bet we made playing a game." "A bet?" "You're the same as ever." "Welcome, Rosa Gigantea." "Yumi." "Dear sister..." "H-Happy New Year!" "Happy New Year." "Welcome." "I am so happy to have so many visitors." "Happy New Year." "It is good to see you again, Mrs. Ogasawara." "Mother, allow me to introduce you to my little sister, Yumi Fukuzawa." "I-I am pleased to meet you." "Thank you for having me today." "My, how adorable." "That's my Sachiko." "You have such a discerning eye." "Wow..." "I can't believe I'm getting to spend time at Sachiko's house." "Yumi, Happy New Year." "Happy New Year." "Happy New Year." "Happy New Year." "A Happy New Year to you all." "Wow, so everyone from the Yamayuri Council is here." "Lady Yoko Mizuno is Rosa Chinensis." "And she is Lady Sachiko's big sister." "Lady Eriko Torii of the Yellow Rose Family is known as Rosa Foetida." "She is also Lady Rei Hasekura's big sister." "Yoshino Shimazu is in the same year as me and she's Lady Rei's little sister." "Shimako Todo is in the White Rose Family and is the little sister of Lady Sei Sato, also known as Rosa Gigantea." "They look so splendid together, gathered here, out of uniform." "To think I'm also a member of this Yamayuri Council..." "Honestly, it still hasn't sunk in for me." "Yumi." "So Yuki is your younger brother?" "What a surprise." "But now that you mention it, they do look alike." "Their eyes are exactly the same." "Well, it can't be helped because we come from the same "manufacturer," but..." "Yumi, you just drew the Old Maid, didn't you?" "What?" "!" "We have only just begun, so it's nothing to worry about." "Right..." "Yumi, you're so honest." "You're giving too much away." "Pardon me." "Nothing." "We will be passing." "We can't play anything, either." "Why?" "Is someone holding things up?" "So you two will be passing then?" "Done." "My, so you were the one holding things up." "Yumi, remember this." "Men who are good at the game of Sevens are ill-natured." "In that case, a woman who's good at the game of I Doubt It is practically proving that she's a liar." "Come to think of it, Lady Sei won like crazy playing I Doubt It earlier..." "You always need to get the last word in, don't you?" "I'll take that as a compliment." "Honestly, these two are natural enemies." "This place is so big." "This way." "Rosa Gigantea, you've been here before?" "Indeed, I have." "Last summer." "This is the restroom." "For guests." "What?" "!" "You know, when we graduate..." "Yes?" "You should come visit on a regular basis." "If possible, days like today might be best, when her father and grandfather are away." "You see, the men of the Ogasawara family are with their mistresses today." "What?" "The men have many other residences outside of the main residence." "On the first day, they have a lavish New Year's party with the family, but on the second and third days, they give the help time off and the men go see their mistresses." "No, maybe it's the other way around." "Maybe the employees get time off because the men aren't around." "Rosa Gigantea, you seem to know an awful lot." "Sachiko's big sister is my good friend, after all." "What?" "Then, you heard this from Rosa Chinensis?" "Yes, but having been told all this, it means I have no choice but to do exactly as she wants me to." "Um..." "My role was to bring you along and make things merry." "I see." "Lady Sei knew things would be lonely at Lady Sachiko's home, so she brought me..." "What are those?" "Takoyaki from a food stand." "My, how unusual!" "I guess when you get to be as rich as Lady Sachiko, takoyaki from food stands become unusual." "I knew from the start that we were from different social classes, but still..." "Here, say, "Ah!"" "What?" "Taste test it to see if it's good." "You want me to do it?" "Yes." "Here, "Ah!"" "Ah..." "Hot!" "Oh, sorry!" "Was it hot?" "Come on, you got some around your mouth." "Rosa Gigantea." "I would ask that you not instill in my little sister the habit of eating while standing." "Yes, ma'am." "And you too, Yumi." "That was ill-mannered of you." "Y-Yes, pardon me." "Care to have some takoyaki too, Sachiko?" "No, thank you." "So, Sacchan..." "That's the kind of fun you have every day at school?" "What?" "Fun?" "Even if you hide it, I can tell." "You seem to have the most fun when you're being silly with Yumi like that." "What?" "She seems to be having fun?" "Really?" "My dear sister has fun being with me?" "If it's about the tea, I will bring it out now." "Don't you dare go after Yumi, too." "As if I would." "So, you are all going home?" "You should all stay the night, too." "Well, not that it's my place to say that." "It is the New Year, after all." "Everyone has their own plans." "I'm so envious." "Yoshino, you're going to Hakone with Lady Rei?" "Yes, both of our families together." "Wow..." "Dear sister, you are leaving on a trip with your family tomorrow, correct?" "Yes, it's an annual thing." "I'm a little tired of it." "Yoko, when do your winter classes start?" "Tomorrow already." "It's a little depressing." "Shall we excuse ourselves now?" "Kashiwagi, I expect you and Yuki to keep the ladies safe." "Yes ma'am." "Rest assured that we will." "What?" "So Yuki's staying the night..." "I hadn't heard about that." "Sachiko, thank you so much for today." "I had fun." "I hope you'll have us over again." "Thank you very much for coming so soon into the New Year." "Please do come see us again." "It must be nice for you, Yumi." "You're staying the night at your dear sister's, right?" "Y-Yes..." "Rosa Gigantea called it a sort of retreat, so she must be intending to stay over, but..." "What will I do if I'm told to go home?" "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" "What?" "N-No, I don't." "Nothing at all." "Then you needn't be so restless." "Make yourself at home." "What?" "Then, do you mean..." "As long as it isn't inconvenient for you," "I hope you'll stay here tonight." "I will!" "Yumi, what are you looking around so curiously for?" "Well..." "There's another small room here." "It's like a traditional inn." "You were behaving pretty normally when you saw Sachiko's room earlier." "That, you see was because I was struck speechless by how amazing it was." "I feel unworthy somehow, even to speak of it..." "I wonder if Yuki and the others have gone to sleep already." "Oh yes, I hope Yuki's all right." "Huh?" "All right?" "Dear sister." "Rosa Gigantea, do you do "Upon the Long Night" at your home?" ""Upon the Long Night"?" "It's a good luck charm." "You write a poem starting with "upon the long night" on a paper sailboat and if you sleep with it under your pillow, they say your first dream of the New Year will be a good one." "I see, a good first dream of the New Year..." ""Upon the long night, from the depths of sound slumber, all awaken now,"" ""the good fortune treasure ship, sounds so fine upon the waves."" "How elegant." "Here, you too, Yumi." "Y-Yes." ""Upon the long night, from the depths of sound slumber, all awaken now,"" ""the good fortune treasure ship, sounds so fine upon the waves."" "Yes, that was very good." "Good night." "Oh, good night." "May you have a good New Year's dream, Rosa Gigantea." "Yes, same to you two." "Good night, dear sister." "Good night." "Sleeping like this next to my dear sister..." "I never thought I'd spend my New Year like this." "My dear sister turned out to be even more extraordinary than I imagined, but I have a feeling this is sure to be a good year." "I wonder if she's gone to sleep." "Yumi?" "Y-Yes?" "It made me happy that you came today." "Yes..." "If you wouldn't mind, come visit me again." "I will." "Good night." "She said it made her happy..." "And she asked me to come visit again..." "It made me happy..." "I felt so happy the day I went to spend the night at my dear sister's house..." "That was now already two months ago." "I suppose spring is here already." "What?" "What are you talking about?" "No, it's nothing." "What is it?" "You are acting strange, Yumi." "Even a year that starts this way will pass by like a dream." "No matter how I struggle, time will continue to pass mercilessly." "But, Mother Maria..." "Please make it so the brilliance of these moments will last forever." "Yodl-lay-hee-hee." "Yodl-lay-hee-hee." "Y-Yoshino, are you...?" "I have this yodeling image of the Rosa Foetida." "Now that you mention it, I can sort of see that..." "So, when greeting the Rosa Foetida, instead of saying, "Good day," let's do, "Yodl-lay-hee-hee."" "And a one, two..." "Yodl-lay-hee-hee, Rosa Foetida." "That is easy for you to say, but I cannot keep up." "Next time on "Maria Watches Over Us,"" "Yodl-lay-hee-hee." "Dear sister, that was impressive!"