"Gokigenyou."
"Gokigenyou."
The clear morning greeting travels through the serene, blue sky.
Today, once again, the maidens that gather in the Virgin Mary's garden smile purely to one another as they pass under the tall gateway.
Wrapping their innocent bodies and souls is a deep-colored school uniform.
Walking slowly so as to not disturb the pleats in their skirts, so as to not toss their white sailor scarves into disarray... such is the standard of modesty here. Running here because one is in danger of missing class, for instance, is too undignified a sight for students to wish upon themselves.
Lillian Private Academy for Women.
Founded in Meiji 34, this academy was originally intended for the young women of nobility, and is now a Catholic academy of prestigious tradition. Placed in downtown Tokyo, where you can still see traces of Musashi Field's greenery, it is protected by God, a garden where maidens can receive tutelage from pre-school to university.
Time passes, and even now, in Heisei, three era-names past Meiji, it is a valuable academy, where nurtured ladies raised in greenhouses are shipped out in carefully packaged boxes after 18 years of schooling - an arrangement that continues to survive.
School had finished and Yumi was returning to her classroom having taken out the rubbish. As she was walking past the lockers on the first-floor a voice called out to her from behind, saying, "Umm, Rosa Chinensis en bouton." She turned around and three students were standing there, huddled together as though for warmth.
"Sorry to bother you while you're in the middle of something."
Yumi didn't recognize the girls, but they were probably first years. They had that characteristic nervous air about them that younger students had when addressing seniors that they weren't all that close to. They'd all clammed up, obviously hoping that someone else would take the initiative in this conversation. Ah, a clam bake, huh?
"It's okay, I was just heading back to my classroom."
Yumi smiled, setting down the rubbish bin. So, what's this about?
Two of the girls prodded the other one forward, saying, "Go on." The singled-out girl nervously held something out towards Yumi.
"Huh?"
Seeing what she was holding out, Yumi tilted her head in bewilderment.
This took place a few days after the Valentine's Day project.
A minor event that occurred a short while before the half-day dates.