In the end.
The White Roses remained close. They'd arrived at different conclusions because they loved each other too much.
Ah, how moronic. It had been a little bit exciting but it all came to naught.
"I'll get everyone a refill of tea."
Yoshino placed both hands on the table and shot out of her seat.
"I'll help you."
Yumi-san followed her.
"Ah."
Noriko-chan stood up after a short pause, but two people were enough to do the job so she was turned down. Overly happy people were an eyesore, so she should just stay out of sight for a little while longer.
"Nice to be Shimako-san."
Yoshino mumbled, even though she knew it wouldn't help anything. Not only did Shimako-san already have herself a petit soeur, but she didn't have to see off her onee-sama either.
"That's true."
Yumi-san agreed. But Shimako-san had had to say goodbye to her onee-sama on her own a year ago, and she'd taken it upon herself to find her new partner Noriko-chan, so Yoshino couldn't really hold it against her.
And Yumi-san knew that Yoshino knew this. Which was why she'd simply agreed. Because Yoshino would be satisfied with that.
The teakettle had switched to the "keeping hot" mode a while ago.
As she rinsed the collected teacups, Yumi-san whispered:
"Nana-chan will be in high-school soon."
"… Yeah."
Thinking about this, Yoshino's chest ached a little. Nana would finally be in high-school. Swapping in for Rei-chan. Of course, Rei-chan wasn't being driven out to free up a space for her.
Yoshino understood the reasons. But even so, the look of loneliness on Rei-chan's face immediately after her bout against Nana during the winter break remained in Yoshino's heart.
It wasn't as though Yoshino had chosen Nana. But, in that moment, Rei-chan had let go of Yoshino.
"Yoshino-san, you're spilling the tea leaves."
Yumi-san took the tin of Darjeeling tea and teaspoon off her. She'd apparently finished washing the teacups while Yoshino had been distracted. Now she was looking in the teapot, and had estimated the amount of tea leaves Yoshino had already put in there as, "Two, no about three teaspoons, I guess."
"Say, Yumi-san."
"Mm?"
Yumi-san responded as she added another two teaspoons of tea leaves.
"You're so calm. What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't really know, you've just been calm recently."
"Well if you don't know, then I don't know."
Yumi-san laughed.
Indeed. Still, that was how she felt, so she couldn't offer a better explanation.
"Setting aside me and Nana, what do you intend to do about Touko-chan?"
"Even if I wanted to do something, there's not a lot I can do."
Yumi-san mumbled, pouring the hot water into the teapot.
"You're not going to be soeurs?"
"I'd like to, but it's not going to happen if she won't say yes."
"That's true, but … "
She didn't know what Touko-chan was thinking, but Yumi-san had clearly conveyed that she wasn't going to give up. And because Yumi-san wasn't going to give up, it seemed as though those feelings had earned Sachiko-sama's respect, and Noriko-chan seemed to think that Touko-chan actually liked Yumi-san.
Given all that, even Yoshino expected that Touko-chan would eventually become Yumi-san's petit soeur. Even though when she first heard that Yumi-san had been turned down, she had wondered what sort of a person could do that.
"If I appear calm, it's probably - "
Yumi-san said, as they waited for the tea leaves to dissipate.
"Because I'm not in a hurry, I guess."
"Not in a hurry?"
Yoshino asked and Yumi-san responded with, "Yeah."
"Like, do I have to find a petit soeur before my onee-sama graduates? Or, do I have to do everything I can to make Touko-chan my petit soeur? It's strange, but I'm not really in a hurry."
Yoshino didn't really understand. How had she arrived at that point of view?
"But what caused it?"
"I'm not sure if it's actually the cause, but if I was forced I'd probably say the student council election."
"The election?"
"Yeah, the election. I'd been thinking about what sort of relationship I wanted to have with Touko-chan after the election. Racking my brain. And all I came up with was that I wouldn't get an answer if I rushed."
Hearing her friend talk like that, Yoshino hurriedly grasped her hand. Yumi-san had been about to pick up the teapot, so she looked at Yoshino with a, "What are you doing?" expression.
"Yumi-san, don't become an adult on your own."
Yoshino pleaded in a strangled voice.
"Huh? I'm not, not at all."
"Don't leave me behind."
"What are you worrying about? You're being strange, Yoshino-san."
Really. For some reason she suddenly wanted to cry. However.
"Because."
She could hear the ongoing chatter from the five people at the table behind her. The topic of conversation had switched from last year's treasure hunt to the half-day dates and had just now returned to the treasure hunt.
"Oh, right. I just had a great idea."
Yumi-san said, having just finished pouring tea into the teacups.
"But, hmm. It could be tough. Although if it comes off, I think it'll get you excited for the event."
"What is it?"
Don't just think about it on your own, share it. Yoshino didn't even know what would be tough.
"Well, there's nothing to lose."
Yumi-san turned around.
"Hey, Mami-san."
Naturally, the idle chatter that had been floating around the table came to a stop. Yumi-san paid no attention to that as she made her proposal, eyes sparkling.
"How about we let the middle-school students participate this year? There were some that snuck over to have a look last year, right?"
"Hang on, Yumi-san."
Yoshino called out to stop her meddling friend, but Yumi-san apparently didn't hear as she was engrossed in her conversation with Mami-san.
The seven cups had been left behind in Yoshino's care.
Perhaps there was a chance that Nana would be able to participate.
"Geeze, that Yumi-san."
The corners of Yoshino's mouth had spontaneously curved upwards.
Because, didn't she just tell Yumi-san not to leave her behind?