Chapter 5: Beautiful Sisters Fighting a Phantom Tell the Truth Before the Sea God
Chapter 5
Beautiful Sisters Fighting a Phantom
Tell the Truth Before the Sea God
Intermission: Nagisa-chan’s Miator Diary
I’ve just gotten called out again, during lunch break today.
Fourth Year, Moon Class, Aoi Nagisa-sama.
There are a few things I would like to ask you regarding the Étoile competition.
Today during lunch break, come to the roof of John Hall.
We will discuss the particulars then.
President of the Association for Conveying the Love of Lady Shizuma and Kaori
Fifth Year, Flower Class, Yamashina Sen
Eek… This is a letter of challenge!
Waah. I’m scared!
Tamao-chan, who’s sitting next to me, is pointing and chuckling, though. ‘Goodness, Nagisa-chan, you got called out again? The same thing happened yesterday too, didn’t it? Wow, you’re really popular, aren’t you! You’re so popular with the upperclass oneesama—I’m jealous!’
Uugh—she doesn’t have to tease me like that. It’s only been a month since I came to Miator, and I feel like I’m between heaven and hell.
By hell, of course, I mean being called out by scary oneesama.
It seems weird to say this, but ever since the Étoile competition announcement, it feels like I’ve suddenly become the center of attention of the entire school. Just walking down the hallway, I can hear people whispering about me.
‘Hey, look. It’s that girl Aoi Nagisa!’
‘She doesn’t look like anything special at all.’
They whisper stuff like that as if they don’t even care if I hear it. I feel so small.
—They’re right, though. I’m really not anything special. I want to scream at them that it’s all some sort of mistake, but I can’t do that, either. But I can understand how everyone feels.
When I transferred in, and I happened to meet Shizuma-oneesama in Maiden Park…I didn’t know she was such a special person. I just thought Miator had some really pretty girls in it.
That’s right. Now that I think about it, there’s no way there’d be many people like her. I still remember the beautiful hand of the goddess, reaching out to me. I felt like if I took her hand, I could float all the way to heaven. I had no idea she was the number one goddess in Miator. And when other girls saw her paying attention to me, a really normal girl who had just transferred to Miator…
It wasn’t funny.
I guess the only thing I can do right now is do my best to endure being called out—just like I did yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that—every day this week.
Tamao-chan says I’m being soft. But I feel like I can’t calm down, even when I’m alone.
Shizuma-oneesama is falling in love with me, and it’s kind of like, it just…doesn’t seem real. It feels like I’m having some sort of self-serving dream.
And when I get called out by scary oneesama, I suddenly realize it isn’t a dream.
Tamao-chan offers to go with me every time, and I’m grateful for that, but I turn her down. There’s absolutely nothing I can do except bear with it and try with my whole heart to explain it to them—and hope they understand.
Doesn’t that sound like I’m hopeless?
Ahh, the door is opening. It’s another upperclassman—
“Excuse me. I am Ebisawa Koharu from Fifth Year Snow Class. Where is Aoi Nagisa-san, the girl who is entering the Étoile competition with Shizuma-oneesama?”
Waah, I’m scared…
Somebody help me—!!
***
Patter patter patter patter patter patter…
The distinct sound of flat shoes against the floor echoed through the pitch-black hallways of the Strawberry Dorms.
10:45 P.M. The blurry light of a flashlight moved dimly past the room.
“Room 218…no problems,” Sister Catherine muttered with a smile.
Yawn…
This isn’t good. If I’m not careful, I’m going to fall asleep. I guess I’ll end my night watch here and go back to my room to get some rest.
She had been reading The Legend of St. Francis, a thick book, every night of late, so she was a little sleep-deprived.
It was a quiet spring night. When she glanced through the window, she saw a big, round, yellow moon shining in the sky.
***
“Try your best not to make a sound, all right?”
“Yeah!”
Tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe… Nagisa repeated it in her head, like a spell. She nervously left her own room, her body shivering in the pleasantly cool air, and followed Tamao.
Wearing a gown over her pajamas, holding her shoes in her hands, breathing as softly as she could, Nagisa looked down the silent hall and sighed in relief.
Thank goodness—somehow we’ve managed to get this far without being caught. Only a little farther to the courtyard, she thought, then suddenly started to worry again.
Doesn’t it kind of seem—a little too quiet? It’s really tonight?
“Hey, Tamao-chan, is there really a midnight party tonight?”
“Shh!”
“Ah, sorry, sorry.” Nagisa lowered her voice even more. “But it’s so quiet… It’s like there’s no one here—or, actually, like everyone’s sleeping, but—”
“You’re going to be shocked when we get to the courtyard. Oh, hey, try listening very closely.” Tamao put a finger to her mouth to silence Nagisa.
Nagisa listened with a serious look on her face. A faint din reached her ears from across the silence. “Oh!”
“Did you hear it?”
“Yeah! But the Strawberry Dorms have someone patrolling at night, right? This is the first time I’ve ever been invited to a midnight pajama party, but won’t we get yelled at if we get caught?”
“You don’t have to worry about that, Nagisa-chan. We’ve got everything arranged.”
“Oh, okay. I just transferred a month ago, so that’s not something for me to worry about, huh?”
“Oh, come on, don’t be like that. Your naïveté is the best thing about you. Besides, you might not have noticed, but we let the nun on patrol pass by us just a few minutes ago, you know? Sister Catherine’s on duty tonight. She’s a heavy sleeper and she’s nice. We’ll be fine from here on out!”
“Oh, I see! Then I’ll relax. I’m such a klutz, I’ve been afraid I’m going to mess up and make a loud noise.”
As soon as the words fell from her mouth, Nagisa’s shoes fell out of her hand.
Ktnk bthd clop!
“Ssshh!”
Nagisa cringed.
“You are seriously clumsy, Nagisa-chan. Come on, let’s get out of here fast. I’m sure the party’s in high gear by now. I don’t think your coming will cause many ripples. But just in case, you’d better not get too far from me, okay? Don’t go by Shizuma-oneesama! Tonight is a really important celebration, the eve of the Étoile competition. It’s the most important social gathering for the Strawberry Dorms. If you cause some sort of trouble tonight…the oneesama are going to do a lot more than just call you out, you know?” Tamao said with a wink.
She picked up the shoes Nagisa had dropped and looked around to see whether the coast was still clear. Then she took Nagisa’s hand as if she were a lost kindergartner, squeezed it tight and walked on.
***
The sound of elegant music—a three-beat song, maybe a waltz—came softly from somewhere. Someone had snuck a CD player into the party.
The courtyard of the Strawberry Dorms spread out in front of Nagisa. In the center were several large tables, decorated with white crosses and piled high with cakes and sweets. Lit by countless candles, there were dishes of various colors and even warm teapots. It was like an outdoor party. Around the tables were groups of girls talking and playing games, wearing different colored pajamas and negligées, enjoying the party.
“Wow, I never knew you did stuff like this in the courtyard at night.”
In an effort to hide, Nagisa sat on the stairs in the shadow of a fountain. She was about to mutter something about high-class girls’ schools like this being in a completely different league when someone spoke to her.
“What’s wrong? Why are you sitting in a corner all by yourself?”
“Oh, Tamao-chan said she would go get something to drink, so I’m waiting for her. She said that since all that excitement about me entering the Étoile competition hasn’t died down yet, it would be best if I didn’t go near the tables in the center… Ha ha ha ha.”
Nagisa had thought it was someone from her class, but when she turned around, her jaw dropped.
“Umm, umm, umm…”
“My, was there really that much excitement? It must have been horrible for you, Nagisa-chan. And now you can’t even enjoy the party, you poor thing.”
In her mind, Nagisa yelled, “I-I-I-I wasn’t the one who started it all!”
Standing in front of her was Shizuma. She wore a velvet gown of deep crimson over a glossy off-white negligée. She gave Nagisa a flowery smile as if to ask “Would you mind if I sit here?”—and sat next to her.
She kindly offered Nagisa a glass filled with a clear liquid that sparkled with golden light. Tiny bubbles burbled through it.
“How pretty.”
Shizuma laughed as if she could tell exactly what Nagisa was thinking and took a sip.
“It’s all right, it’s not alcohol.”
Now that Nagisa looked again, she saw that Shizuma also held a glass. She went through all the trouble of bringing it to me… Nagisa blushed a little when she realized what that meant.
I wonder if she was looking for me. When the thought crossed Nagisa’s mind, she got a strange buzzing feeling in her chest. I wonder if it’s okay to think Shizuma-oneesama is a little—just a little—interested in me after all.
Nagisa blushed, and to hide her embarrassment, she gulped down some of the golden drink. The bubbles tickled her mouth as they burst.
Along with the buzz of the crowd, which was getting even more excited as the night wore on, Nagisa still heard the faint sound of the waltz.
I wonder what time it is.
Shizuma, though she had intentionally come looking for Nagisa, for some reason kept quiet. Eventually a comfortable silence settled between them.
Her beautiful profile as she gazed quietly at the party, the distant buzz of the crowd…
Nagisa just sort of…wanted to hear it from Shizuma. The words flew out of her mouth, straightforwardly, without any embarrassment.
“Shizuma-sama, why did you decide to enter the Étoile competition with me?”
Shizuma responded in a soft voice, “So, you really don’t want to do it after all, Nagisa-chan? You really don’t want to be in the Étoile competition with me?”
She hadn’t answered Nagisa’s question, but asked a question of her own. For the first time, Nagisa honestly, seriously faced what was in her heart.
“Well…at first… At first I thought it was ridiculous. I never would’ve even dreamed of entering on my own. And that’s still what I think. For a transfer student like me to enter is absurd. Ever since the announcement, I’ve been called out by so many of the older students—and they all told me the same thing. If I entered, I would only drag you down. I have absolutely no idea what I should do. I don’t even look right sitting next to you.” Even as she spoke, Nagisa wilted at the sound of her own words.
“Oh, I’m sorry about that,” Shizuma said. “I just did it on the spur of the moment. I didn’t think there would be such a big reaction.”
“Oh, you just did it on the spur of the moment? That makes sense, sure. That’s what I told everyone. This is just Shizuma-oneesama’s whim, she just did it off the top of her head, there’s no way she’s actually serious about making me her partner.”
As she spoke, Nagisa’s voice got smaller and smaller.
Up until then, Shizuma’s tone of voice had been unusually kind, but now she raised her voice as if she were angry. “That’s right, I just did it off the top of my head—but I am serious!”
Shizuma-oneesama…
Shizuma’s face was so serious it was almost scary. Without even looking at Nagisa, she began to talk in a faltering, completely un-Shizuma-like voice. But she was so forthright about everything, Nagisa felt like she could feel Shizuma’s very being as she made her unexpected confession.
“To tell you the truth, ever since then…people have been saying things to me, too. ‘What in the world are you thinking?!’ they say. There are some who think it’s selfish of me to try and take the title when I’ve already won it once. And there are some who think it’s absolutely impossible for me to win with a transfer student, just like you said, Nagisa. I’ve even been asked if I intend to defile the sacred crown of the Étoile.”
Nagisa couldn’t believe what she was hearing—there were actually people who would say things like that to a noble Queen of the School?
“Of course, I don’t care what they think. No matter what other people say, I will do what I want. Even if it’s something that began as a whim, now it’s what I want most in the world. It doesn’t matter how it started. I will get what I want. I will do what I want. There are times when even I think I’m impulsive. But that impulse always drives me. That is the way I live my life. There’s not a single thing I regret. But…”
She suddenly stopped moving. “I don’t want to…cause you problems, Nagisa-chan. And I don’t…” She turned toward Nagisa. “I don’t want you to hate me, either.” She had a pained look on her face. “So please tell me the truth. If you really don’t want to do it, I will drop out of the Étoile competition.”
Nagisa looked at the expression on Shizuma’s face—and was absolutely stunned.
“Oh, no! I would never hate you, Shizuma-oneesama!” She shook her head. “I don’t think there’s anyone in this entire world who could feel like that!! I… If there’s anything I can do to help you, and I mean anything, I’ll do it! If you want to enter the Étoile competition or whatever, then I’ll enter it! Umm, actually, I’m really happy! It’s really intimidating to me, but if I can be by your side, Shizuma-oneesama, it makes me happy. Because I love you, Shizuma-oneesama,” she said earnestly.
Nagisa gasped. That sounded like I was confessing my feelings to her! She hastily put a hand over her mouth.
“Thank you. You’re such a sweet girl,” Shizuma said, lowering her eyes. “Are you…disappointed now?” She plopped her hand on top of Nagisa’s head and smiled with a touch of self-derision.
“N-not at all! Shizuma-oneesama, you’re… Shizuma-oneesama, you’re absolutely gorgeous and stunning, like a goddess. Not only that, you care so much about everyone, even someone like me. You’re really such a nice person.”
Nagisa wanted to cheer up the downhearted Shizuma, but she was frustrated that those were the only words she could say.
“Thank you. But I knew you would say something like that, Nagisa-chan. I don’t know exactly why. I’m completely different when I’m with you. I didn’t realize it before, but I feel like this is the real me,” Shizuma said, drawing closer to Nagisa. “Hey, would you mind, just a little?”
Nagisa had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but Shizuma didn’t even wait for her to answer. She just suddenly rested her head on Nagisa’s knee.
“Shi-Shizuma-oneesama—”
“Sshh, be quiet…”
Shizuma’s face, looking unusually vulnerable, her eyes closed in rapture, was directly below Nagisa’s face.
Nagisa could feel the weight of Shizuma’s head, and her warmth, on her thighs. She couldn’t move. Through the thin cloth of her pajamas, she felt Shizuma’s warm breath on the hollow of her stomach. She prayed Shizuma wouldn’t be able to hear her heart pounding.
A sweaty, damp feeling pervaded the depths of Nagisa’s body.
Some time passed with the two of them in silence.
“Shizuma-oneesama, are you asleep?” Nagisa murmured timidly.
“Just a little more—let me stay like this just a little more, please. This is the greatest…” Shizuma’s eyelids were still lowered. “This is the greatest feeling I’ve ever had.”
***
“Here’s to Spica’s victory in the Étoile competition! Cheers!” Tomori Shion gave the toast.
Loud shouts rang out from the ring of Spica students surrounding her.
“Cheers!”
“Here’s hoping Amane-sama is crowned Étoile! Cheers!”
In the center of the ring stood Amane, looking incredibly uncomfortable. She downed her drink in one gulp and whispered into Shion’s ear, “Can I…leave now?”
“I understand how you feel, Prince Amane, but this is the long-awaited eve of the Étoile competition… So please stay, just a little longer,” Shion replied with a smile, her face not showing a hint of the screaming going on inside her.
Amane went silent, a bitter look on her face. Somehow she managed to stay.
Shion bit her lip in frustration. For heaven’s sake! She has so much star potential. Her attitude is so disappointing. If she wasn’t so shy, people would get even more fired up about her.
But Amane usually didn’t even come at all, because she said she wasn’t interested in this kind of midnight party—this kind of open-yet-secret fun and games. So the fact that she had even showed up to the party probably made everyone admit Shion’s methods had some merit.
Now if Shion could just get Amane to stay until the circle of admirers broke up to enjoy the rest of the party, she would have fulfilled her mission.
Just as the thought crossed Shion’s mind…
“But still, are you really so sure we’re going to win the Étoile competition?” Kenjo Kaname suddenly asked loudly. She grinned maliciously and gulped down her red drink.
Momomi, next to her, tried to interrupt. “Honestly, Kaname!”
Kaname didn’t even slow down. “Now that Prince Amane is finally entering the competition, everyone seems to be getting caught up in the excitement, but I’m…worried…whether we can really win like this. Hanazono Shizuma-sama from Miator has decided to enter for an unprecedented second term. They say Miator Student Council President Rokujo Miyuki, sharp girl that she is, is putting together some serious strategies. But we at Spica are relying on Amane-sama, whose cadette is just a regular third-year student.”
“But that was…” Shion rushed forward. “That was because Prince Amane insisted on her. With Amane-sama as the aînée, it doesn’t matter who the cadette is, Spica’s victory is certain. All of you acknowledged that already, didn’t you?”
“That’s right! What in the world is wrong with you? You’re acting strange, Kaname!” Momomi went to take Kaname’s glass. Kaname snatched it back, and blood-red liquid splashed all over the tile of the courtyard.
Kaname’s rant continued. “Shut up! Do you really think I’ll actually allow something like…like this? I’ve been waiting for this since elementary school, yet…my Prince chose that…that obscure third-year transfer student over ME!”
A single student moved out of the ring.
“I-I didn’t mean it!” The small girl’s eyes were full of tears and her slender shoulders shook horribly. She didn’t say another word before—tmp tmp tmp tmp—she ran off.
“Wait, Hikari!” Without a moment’s hesitation, Amane chased after her. She didn’t even glance at the people around her; it was like Hikari was the only thing she saw.
“Kaname-sama, you made her cry!” the long haired girl next to her, Nanto Yaya, said teasingly.
“I didn’t realize she was there!” Kaname spit out, trying to hide the little regret she had.
“Hikari-chan is small and adorable, so she must not have stood out enough for you to see her,” Yaya said in a sing-song voice. Yaya and Kaname appeared to have known each other for a long time.
After Hikari and Amane left, Kaname lost all of her energy. However, in spite of the conversation between Yaya and Kaname, the can of worms had been opened. The rest of the Spica students reacted predictably, voicing their opinions on Amane’s actions.
“What is going on with Amane-sama? The way she just acted, it looked like she was actually serious about that girl!”
“Amane-sama is adored by all the students at Spica. We can’t let that transfer student monopolize her!”
Just as someone said they should go after Amane and find out what the situation was, Shion clapped her hands and frantically made an announcement.
“This ends the toast for our celebration! Everyone please enjoy the party! However…” The Student Council President tried to live up to her nickname of Snow Queen by putting on the coldest smile she possibly could. “Regarding Prince Amane’s actions, from now until the end of the Étoile competition, the Spica Student Council forbids any interference by the Spica student body!”
It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Everyone fell silent.
“Our dominance of the Étoile competition has been the dearest wish of all Spica students for many years. Now that Prince Amane has finally made the decision to enter, please be aware that if anyone interferes in Amane’s personal affairs, or displeases her, the Spica Student Council will use all the power at its disposal to pursue punitive measures.”
Somewhere in the distance, there was the sound of a waltz coming to its climax.
***
Amane eventually caught up to Hikari in the dark back yard of the Spica dorm. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Hikari!” she said, hugging the girl, who was in a daze. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Hikari. It’s just, if I absolutely have to enter the Étoile competition…you’re the only one I can think of as my partner.”
Hikari silently trembled in Amane’s arms.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would be like this—that this would happen to you. It’s all my fault, Hikari.” Pain ripped through Amane’s body and she held Hikari even tighter. Her cheek, which had been exposed to the wind, brushed Hikari coldly.
The shock brought Hikari back to her senses. Her heart began to beat fast.
I’m being held tight by Amane-sama. Up until now, I thought I shouldn’t be Amane-sama’s partner…
I think it was a mistake for me to come to this school. I wish I hadn’t…met Amane-sama, either… If I hadn’t, I never would’ve felt this hurt.
Thoughts like those had swirled through Hikari’s mind as she was running.
But she had been caught by Amane, who had held her without even being told if she could or not. And she was apologizing to Hikari over and over again, almost pleading with her in a fit of passion.
Hikari couldn’t think any more. She finally spoke in a fragile voice. “…It’s all right… I’m all right now.”
Hikari squirmed and lifted her head, and right in front of her was Amane’s face.
“Hikari—” Amane looked like she was about to cry.
Hikari wanted to cry, too. But something stopped her.
I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t make Amane-sama cry because of me.
Hikari forced herself to smile. “I was weak. I’m sorry. I-I might not be able to be any help, but if you say so, Amane-sama…” She smiled, but her eyes were full of tears. “I’ll try as hard as I possibly can! I want to help you, Amane-sama, even if it’s just a little bit.”
“Hikari!” Amane didn’t know what else to say. She just held Hikari tight. Even after something like this, she just couldn’t bear to let Hikari go.
She simply thought, I must protect her.
***
“Chikaru-oneesama, these sweets are so good, aren’t they?!”
At the site of the midnight party, Minamoto Chikaru, the St. Lulim Student Council President, who loved dressing up, and the cheerful-as-always second-year student Hyuga Kizuna tasted the sweets Chikaru recommended.
“Oh, really? That’s great. These galettes are made at the convent in Nagano. The Astraea Hill order has a facility there. They’re special pastries, not usually sold. Only people from Astraea can eat them. I guess you could say they have a homemade taste because our own nuns made them,” Chikaru responded, smiling as she prepared a fresh pot of tea.
“Oh, I didn’t know that. They’re so good. I wish they were sold regularly so I could eat them whenever I want.”
“These galettes are almost always delivered for events and celebrations at Lulim, so you’ll be able to eat them again soon. For the time being… Oh yeah, when the Étoile competition’s L’Ouverture brillante is over, there’s the first Petite couronne presentation ceremony, so I wonder if they will be there…?”
“Petite galette?!”
“Heh heh heh heh… Petite couronne. It means ‘little crown’ in French. The Étoile competition is designed to have three competitions, after which only one couple is left. But the couple that places first in each of the other two competitions receive small crowns. The couple that places first in the last competition becomes the Étoile, so the Étoile must get at least one crown, but in the first and second competitions, several of the top couples can pass on to the next stage even if they didn’t place first and win the crown for that competition, so the couple that eventually becomes the Étoile might not necessarily have gotten a crown in one of the first two competitions.
“If a couple places first in all three competitions, they get to place three crowns on the large scepter the Étoile carries, and they are highly honored—I’m really looking forward to seeing if Amane-chan can accomplish it this year,” Chikaru added, glancing at the group of Spica students in the distance.
“Oh Chikaru-oneesama, you’re talking about the Prince again! I know! You love the Prince too, don’t you? Oh, I just had a great idea! Why don’t Chikaru-oneesama and Prince Amane—”
With the galette still stuffed in her mouth, Kizuna hopped up. She was about to say “enter the Étoile competition together…”
Cough cough cough cough!
She started choking.
“Oh no! Here, drink some tea.” Chikaru picked up Kizuna’s cup and held it out to her.
Kizuna drank the tea, her face bright red.
As she looked fondly at Kizuna, Chikaru thought, What suits me isn’t a prince, it’s a princess… No, it might be an adorable girl like you.
***
The next day, and the morning of the first cadette contest of the first of the Étoile competitions, L’Ouverture brillante, had finally come.
The hallways of St. Spica Girls’ Institute were abuzz with conversation.
“Hey, did you hear?”
“Yeah, I did!”
“Is it true today’s cadette competition isn’t L’Examen sur l’Astraea?”
“It looks like it! They said for just this year, they’re going to go with the Mouth of Truth.”
“Why?! They should first have to test the cadettes to make sure they have the minimal amount of basic knowledge about Astraea—they do that every year, don’t they?”
“Well…see, this year there are transfer students…”
“Ooh, them! Oh yeah, Miator’s Shizuma-sama’s and our Amane-sama’s partners—both new students who just transferred in this spring. They would definitely be at a disadvantage in L’Examen sur l’Astraea… I can’t say this out loud, but that’s—”
“—Yeah, I think so, too.”
“What, I haven’t even said anything yet!”
“But I could tell what you were going to say! ‘Favoritism,’ right?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re right. I want Amane-sama to get the Étoile title, and it’s for Spica, so I don’t like mentioning it, but—”
“—It seems like favoritism, doesn’t it.”
“Yeah.”
“I wonder if the other contestants are mad. Most of the members of the executive committee are from Spica this year, right? Spica could be criticized for going too far, but—”
“—I agree.”
***
Diiing dooong diiing dooong diiing dooong…
The special bell announcing the beginning of the cadette competition rang at 1:00 in the afternoon. Today, all afternoon classes were cancelled at all three schools on Astraea Hill.
Although it was part of the glorious Étoile competition, L’Ouverture brillante was nothing more than the first of three competitions. Not only that, the cadette competition was just the warm-up.
In any other year, some students not actually involved in the competition would simply go home, but of course there would still be a lot of students who would stay to watch. But this year, with the dream standoff between Amane and Shizuma becoming reality, all of the schools were filled with excitement.
And it wasn’t going to be the typical, plain Examen sur l’Astraea, the paper test on knowledge of Astraea Hill, either. This year, it was going to be the more dramatic Mouth of Truth.
The Mouth of Truth.
The nickname came from the famous Mouth of Truth3 in Rome. The Astraea version, part of the relief carved into the wall close to the entrance of Maiden Park, bore the images of angels and saints instead of the face of the fearsome sea god Neptune.
No one knew when and why it had been made; it was simply part of history, along with Astraea Hill.
A single large shining star—a pentagram—was carved deeply into the center of it. Young ladies who passed by jokingly called it the Mouth of Truth. This had continued for a long time, and at some point it had started to be used in an oath ritual between friends and lovers.
There were many different legends about it. One said that if two people placed their hands in the star-shaped hole together and made their oath, and one of them lied, that one would have her hand cut off, or be hit by a meteor and die. Another said that if two people made an oath there, they would be blessed by a holy archangel.
Of course, most of the young ladies used their judgment when they heard those legends. But there were some who really believed them. There were even some who insisted it could be used like a lie detector. And some went so far as to say it made everyone face the truth in her heart, and that anyone who faltered, even a little, in front of the Mouth of Truth was not trustworthy.
And yet those same young ladies grew into fine women.
Today, students gradually gathered in front of the gate to Maiden Park.
A white ribbon had been placed across the Mouth of Truth, as if to seal it off.
***
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Nagisa ran down the empty hallways of Miator, blushing so badly it seemed as if steam would come out of the top of her head any moment.
I have to hurry, I have to hurry, I have to hurry—I’m going to be late for the cadette competition! But before the cadette competition, I absolutely must…
I absolutely must go to the library!
As she hurtled down the hall, Nagisa remembered the spell Tamao had placed on her with a smile as she left their room this morning.
***
“It’s all right, I’m sure the first competition will be easy for you. Of course, I don’t really want to accept your coupling with Shizuma-oneesama, but…I’m a Miator student too. I want you to do your best for Miator.”
With those words, Tamao tossed a handful of rose petals and rose water over Nagisa just before she made her usual mad dash from the room.
“It’s just a little spell we use here in the Miator dorm. There, now everything will be fine. The scent of the roses will always calm you. Good luck, Nagisa-chan. When you get nervous, you get giddy, so I’m just a little worried…”
Tamao remembered when Shizuma had kissed Nagisa, and she chuckled.
Nagisa laughed nervously, smiling in an effort to show she would try her best. The truth was that she felt like she was under unspeakable pressure, and she had left the room with her shoulders slumped.
It occurred to Nagisa that if Tamao had been her usual self, she would’ve said it was a given Nagisa would lose, and that the ruckus would thankfully end today. Even though Tamao was normally quite cynical, saying things like Miator was a school for high-class girls who didn’t know a thing about the real world, she had another side as well, one that wasn’t so depressing.
“Right, even if you are a transfer student, you can still enter to represent Miator. If it gets ugly, well, that’s the way it goes.”
Sigh.
Nagisa’s sigh faded away, as if absorbed by the quiet hallway of the Strawberry Dorms.
***
Then, at the very end of morning classes, which had begun so gloomily, the letter had come from someone behind Tamao.
“This is from someone behind me,” Tamao said as she handed it to Nagisa. Miator green paper folded in the shape of a small star—a pentagram.
Nagisa looked behind her, but no one gave any kind of signal identifying them as the letter-writer. She didn’t sense any kind of ill intent from the folded paper, which had “To Nagisa-chan” written on it.
Nagisa—who had gotten called out every day for days—opened the letter without any trepidation, read it, and…was shocked.
Aoi Nagisa-sama,
Before the first cadette contest begins, there is something I would really like to show you.
Without you seeing this beforehand, it will be impossible for Miator to win. Even though you are a new transfer student, I have been deeply moved by your heroic efforts. The way you went forward undaunted, heeding none of the great deal of wise advice given to you by upperclassmen! Ahh, the only word for it is heartbreaking.
We would like to assist you from the shadows, so that you may survive today’s cadette competition and make your debut in Astraea stardom.
Please, you must, must meet me before the cadette competition.
I will be waiting at the library. At the noble green Miator star. There you will learn the truth behind this year’s Étoile competition and Shizuma-sama.
I pray Shizuma-oneesama and the honor of Miator’s victory will be protected forever.
From one of your fans.
Wise advice? Heartbreaking? There are a lot of parts I don’t really understand, but… Ahh! This means the person’s cheering for me, right?
Of course the people in her class were nice to her, but ever since the confusion with Shizuma had started, Nagisa had been the frequent recipient of both open and concealed jealousy and spite from the students who attended Miator. This was the first time someone she didn’t even know had reached out to her and shown her warmth.
Yeah! There are people who support me, like this, too! The note was really polite and a little mysterious, so there were parts that were hard to really understand, but still… Anyway, I’m really happy! I’ll do my best!
When lunch was over, she barely evaded Tamao, who urged her to hurry to the site of the contest.
“Sorry, I forgot something, so I’m going to go back for it, okay?”
Nagisa left the classroom alone.
***
Murmur murmur…
People gathered and the air filled with enthusiasm.
Bcht!
The microphone was switched on and Shion’s voice echoed around the crowd.
“Thank you all for coming. It is now time to begin the cadette contest of this year’s first Étoile competition, L’Ouverture brillante. All candidates please gather here.”
The noise of the crowd that had gathered in front of the gate to Maiden Park grew louder for a moment. Within the throng were Shizuma and Chiyo, talking about Nagisa.
“That Nagisa-chan, I haven’t seen her yet. I wonder what in the world happened?” Shizuma said.
“She’s late, isn’t she… I’m worried. Nagisa-oneesama might even be lost somewhere,” Chiyo said, standing beside Shizuma. Since the day Nagisa had been in charge of the holy water, Chiyo and Nagisa had become friends.
“Yeah, I should have gone to meet her after all. Nagisa is so clumsy, you know? She’s the type who would make a huge mistake right at the most important time!” declared Shizuma.
Chiyo thought it was so funny to see Shizuma in this state, she couldn’t help laughing.
“Ahh, I wonder if entering the Étoile competition with her was a mistake after all?”
Chiyo responded to Shizuma’s little joke with a nod. “But it is because of Nagisa-oneesama that you entered the Étoile competition for the second time, right? To tell you the truth, I saw it in a photograph—Shizuma-oneesama wearing the Étoile crown last year. It was so sublime, it almost brought me to tears—it was truly splendid. Even though they say a moment like that comes only once in a lifetime, to think you are going to try again… You must truly love Nagisa-oneesama.”
When she realized what she had said, she gasped. “Oh, umm, I-I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry, Shizuma-oneesama…” Chiyo looked like she was about to cry.
Shizuma stood quietly, then finally said, “No, it’s all right, don’t worry about it. That was the truth of who I was then.”
Even though that’s what she said, Shizuma’s face still stiffened subtly.
Togi Hitomi, one of Shizuma’s followers, hid in the shadows, watching the Étoile competition that was about to begin.
***
Huff huff huff…
I finally made it.
Standing in front of the large library doors, Nagisa caught her breath. She’d been to this giant building—this Secret Garden—only once before, when Shizuma-oneesama had brought her. She was a little scared to go in by herself, because she was afraid she’d see something like she did last time. But there wasn’t time to think about that.
“All right, here I go!” She psyched herself up and placed her hands on one of the doors.
Creeeeak… There was a heavy, dull sound as the door opened.
The now-familiar black and white checkerboard floor lay before her.
Chk chk chk…
Nagisa walked forward timidly, her footsteps echoing through the building. Once her eyes adjusted to the dim light inside, she saw several people in the hall. She didn’t feel the air of excitement she had before, though. The place had the atmosphere of…a quiet, deserted library.
“I guess there aren’t many people here today,” Nagisa muttered.
“Because the cadette competition is today; everyone went to watch it,” someone answered, right beside her.
Waugh!
Startled, she looked in the direction of the voice and found she stood next to the checkout counter. Sitting behind it was library committee member and previous Étoile cadette Kano Mizuho. With a grin, she explained her presence in the library to this underclassman she had never seen before.
“Hello. If you are here for something specific, please ask. Since today is my day to be on duty for the library committee, here I am, unable to watch the cadette competition. I want to help everyone as much as I possibly can.”
Oh yeah, I have to hurry. There’s someone here who’s cheering me on! I have to be useful to Miator, even if it is just a little. Then I’m sure everyone will understand me, I just know it!
This upperclassman member of the library committee, who complained she couldn’t see the Étoile competition but looked like she didn’t care anyway, seemed nice, Nagisa thought.
“Um, I’m waiting for someone! I got a letter saying that someone had something she really wanted to show me before the cadette competition. Umm, I ended up being a little late, but do you know if anyone came here looking for Aoi Nagisa from Fourth Year Moon Class?”
“Aoi Nagisa from Fourth Year Moon Class?! Then you’re—” Mizuho stopped mid-sentence, her mouth wide. “But why are you here?! By now the cadette competition has begun,” she said frantically.
“It’s all right! No, I mean, that’s not the point—there’s something I absolutely have to see before the cadette competition! Because the way things are now, I have absolutely no confidence I can win, so…umm, so once I see what I came to see, I’ll run as fast as I can, so it’ll be all right. I’m sure I’ll make it in ti—”
Something leaped into Nagisa’s vision. A green pentagram. The Miator star, the exact green color of the necktie of Miator’s uniform. The words of the letter came back to Nagisa.
“I will be waiting at the library. At the noble green Miator star.”
This star was on the cover of a thick book, sitting on the counter where Mizuho sat, with special large print and shiny foil leaf. It was placed between the white star of Spica and the red star of Lulim.
The book was the Astraea directory.
“Excuse me, is that—”
“Yes, they’re the Astraea Directories. They contain the history of each of the three schools—”
Carried away by an urgent impulse, Nagisa grabbed the book, completely ignoring the rest of Mizuho’s attempt to explain. Between the pages of the book was a green slip.
The words “To Nagisa” were written on it in small cursive letters.
What’s this?
When she opened up to the page where the slip was, she saw a large picture that took up the entire page. The picture was of Shizuma-oneesama, wearing the Étoile crown and smiling so elegantly, so beautifully, it was almost scary. Next to her was a pretty girl wearing a small tiara.
“Ooh, is this—” Nagisa’s thought faded away; she was speechless.
Mizuho peeked at the page Nagisa had opened to and smiled wryly. “Oh, that. That’s right. Shizuma-sama asked me to be her partner, so I didn’t really have a choice—you know. It was an awe-inspiring thing, though.”
Mizuho noticed Nagisa’s expression and hurriedly continued, “But it’s not what you’re thinking! You don’t have to worry about it. I… I’ve known Shizuma-sama for a long time, since elementary school…so we get along, but I’m not the kind of person who can be her partner. Come on, relax. She is out of my reach. There just wasn’t an appropriate partner for her back then, either.”
Mizuho let her eyes water. “I happened to be by her side by chance…so it’s nothing you need to worry about. Besides, this is something everyone who was at Miator last year knows,” she said, and smiled weakly.
Deep down, Mizuho sympathized with the underclassman. No, you might even say she was…cheering for her. And for the one she loved—the goddess she adored.
The sunlight pouring through the skylight reflected beautifully off Mizuho’s soft chestnut hair. Nagisa was drawn in by her kind aura, and she knew, instinctively, that this girl really did love Shizuma-oneesama.
She’s much more important and beautiful than I am. If Shizuma-oneesama is out of reach for HER, then someone like ME and Shizuma-oneesama must be like a turtle and the moon, a mole and a goddess, a stone and the galaxy!
As she was thinking, she caught sight of some very small writing—the text that went with the picture.
***
“Okay, next couple, come forward, please.”
At the entrance to Maiden Park, Spica’s Student Council President, Tomori Shion, presided over the cadette competition, which was progressing smoothly.
The two candidates called forward by Shion stood in front of the star-shaped hole in the center of the angel relief.
Shion placed transparent white veils on their heads. Then the two knelt, joined hands and put their hands in the hole.
“Go further in…”
Following Shion’s instructions, the two of them put their hands in so deep they couldn’t be seen from the outside. Then the questioning began.
“I ask the aînée candidate, Yonogi Maya of St. Miator Girls’ Academy, Fifth Year, Moon Class. Do you swear to protect and help the cadette candidate next to you, no matter what?”
It seemed that, as a general rule, the correct answer to the question was “yes.”
“Yes, I swear,” the aînée candidate answered.
“Then please give a sign of that oath,” Shion continued.
The Miator aînée candidate took her hand out of the hole, stood up, summoned the cadette candidate close to her and whispered something in her ear. The cadette candidate’s face went bright red.
Then she lifted the cadette candidate in her arms.
Murmurs of approval ran through the crowd.
“So cool…”
“Protect me, too…”
Tumultuous applause rose and many flowers were tossed into the wicker basket that had been placed in front of the spectators. Vases of flowers were placed around the site, and when the spectators thought a couple was good, they threw some of them.
“Next, I ask the cadette candidate, Takeda Estelle of St. Spica Girls’ Institute, Fifth Year, Class Un. Do you swear to protect and help the aînée candidate next to you…?”
At the most, there would be five questions. If the basket was not filled with flowers by the end, that couple had to drop out. Almost all of the “star” candidates would remain, but generally, about a third of the entries would be eliminated at this point in the competition.
The ranking of the couples who remained would be determined in the aînée contest the next day. The couple who placed first would receive the first small crown, the first Petite Couronne.
Usually, the Mouth of Truth was used as the second competition. It was essentially a popularity poll.
***
Tamao appeared among the ring of spectators surrounding the cadette competition without a single worry on her mind.
“Oh! I found Chiyo-chan!”
“Ah! Tamao-oneesama!”
For an instant, Chiyo looked so relieved she might cry. However, when she realized Tamao was alone, she looked even worse.
“Nagisa-oneesama is… Nagisa-oneesama is missing!” Drip. Chiyo couldn’t hold it back; a tear fell.
Tamao was shocked. “Whaaat? Oh no! But just a few minutes ago, she said she forgot something, and we separated—she said it was all right, she would be coming soon. Ahh, and here I was so happy because she was more excited than I thought she’d be, like she had some secret plan or something, so I thought she’d finally gotten fired up about the competition…”
No matter how scary things get, she’s not the kind of girl who would run away.
Tamao remembered Nagisa’s smile, which had never faltered as she had bravely endured being called out by so many upperclassmen over the past few days.
“I wonder if something’s happened?” Tamao’s face suddenly became serious, which made Chiyo even more uneasy.
“What should we do? It’s going to be Nagisa-oneesama’s and Shizuma-oneesama’s turn soon. Once Shizuma-oneesama gets called, it’s all over,” Chiyo said, trembling.
“What number couple are they on now?”
“They’re almost halfway, number seven. Nagisa-oneesama and Shizuma-oneesama are number ten, so…”
“We don’t have a choice; the only thing we can do is try and get them pushed back in the order. I’ll go and try to work it out. Chiyo-chan, after I do that, let’s go look for Nagisa-chan together. All right?”
“S-sure!”
Looking at Tamao’s strong profile, Chiyo was able to relax a little, and her heart gently warmed. Tamao-oneesama is so reliable.
***
Nagisa still stood in the library, looking at the page of the Astraea Directory. The text that accompanied the picture of last year’s Étoile coronation was written in small letters.
The Étoile aînée Hanazono Shizuma-san, from St. Miator Girls’ Academy, Fifth Year, Snow Class, and her cadette, Kano Mizuho-san, also from the Fifth Year Snow Class. At the coronation, Hanazono Shizuma-san looked to the sky and confessed, “This Étoile title is dedicated to our irreplaceable friendship and to my adorable little sister, the late Sakuragi Kaori, who truly should have been standing with me as my cadette. I give all of my love to you…” The speech brought every Miator student to tears and the day went down in Étoile history.
Nagisa felt like she had been shot through the heart.
The words of the letter came back to her:
“There you will learn the truth behind this year’s Étoile competition, and Shizuma-sama. I pray Shizuma-oneesama and the honor of Miator’s victory will be protected forever.”
What in the world is going on…?!
At that moment, the library’s clock rang.
Gong gong gong gong…
The hands of the clock pointed to 2:00.
***
“I ask the aînée candidate, Otori Amane of St. Spica Girls’ Institute, Fifth Year, Class Trois. Do you swear to protect and help the cadette candidate next to you, no matter what?”
Instead of the noise that had come from the crowd during the previous couples’ questioning, the spectators watched this couple with bated breath. Despite the dramatic shift, Shion had asked the first question calmly.
In front of the entrance to Maiden Park, kneeling at the middle of the Mouth of Truth, Amane said, “Yes, I swear,” and looked at Hikari. Hikari knelt beside her, trembling. She didn’t even try to look at Amane, just faced forward with her eyes closed.
Amane felt sorry for her. She must be nervous. In the next moment, she thought, Ahh, how adorable she looks! Other feelings like that bubbled inside her, and Amane laughed to herself.
Shion said, “Then please give a sign of that oath.”
Amane wasn’t the kind of person to think up some kind of sophisticated performance at a time like this, so, just like the previous couples, she helped Hikari to her feet and said, “I swear to protect her, like this.”
She embraced Hikari proudly, as though she were a princess.
The sight of Amane standing with her face to the sky—simply embracing Hikari to her chest, gently, without any kind of trick, her tall height and gallant face magnificent—was refreshing.
Amane’s indescribably bright, relaxed smile, unusual for her to show in a public setting, overflowed with her sense of euphoria. The happy, loving couple’s golden aura—which was apparent even to the people who watched—shone brightly in the spring sunlight.
Shouts that weren’t quite cheers and weren’t quite angry roars rose from the spectators at a terrific volume several times higher than for any couple before.
“Aaugh!”
“Stop, I can’t take any more!”
“But it’s too incredible!”
“Prince Amane!”
“Hold me, too!”
“I don’t want to see that!”
The Amane fans didn’t want to see any more, but they tossed many flowers, which flew around and into the basket. At first, Shion smiled wryly at the response. “That was…to be expected, I suppose… Heh heh.”
She asked the spectators for silence. “Everyone, I understand how you feel, but please quiet down. Now for the next question.”
One group of Amane fans, who had been suppressing their desire to toss their flowers of praise in order to watch Amane’s proud moment just a little bit longer, leaned forward in anticipation.
Shion, feeling as if she were tossing food to carp in a pond, smiled broadly and asked the next question.
“Now then, I ask the aînée candidate, Otori Amane. Do you swear to love the cadette candidate next to you always, and offer her your unchanging love, even if either one of you should take a husband, for as long as you both shall live?”
Otherworldly screams rose from the crowd.
“Aaaugh!”
***
Nanto Yaya stood in a corner, grinding her teeth. Honestly! I can’t believe that Shion-oneesama, pulling a trick like that. It’s no fair changing the questions during Amane-oneesama’s turn.
“If Shion-oneesama keeps doing stuff like that, Hikari-chan’s going to fall even more in love with Amane-oneesama! And if innocent little Hikari-chan does fall in love with that awkward Amane-oneesama, they’re just going to get hurt! No one understands that!” she muttered.
From behind her came the sound of laugher.
“I feel exactly the same way. The star of the campus and a transfer student—yeah, right. This isn’t a novel. It’s obvious they’re going to get hurt. But it seems this particular ‘illness’ is more severe in your couple, doesn’t it?”
When Yaya turned around, Tamao was standing there grinning, with an expression on her face that showed her pity for her fellow sufferer.
“Oh, I didn’t mean…” Tamao started.
“It’s just for now. Once the initial fever goes down…even Hikari-chan understands. If she stays with Amane-oneesama, she’s going to be hurt, more likely than not. She’s going to be hurt and suffer. I want to be there for her when that happens,” Yaya said.
“You have a lot of patience, unlike me. I’m jealous,” Tamao said, and pointed to the front of the crowd. “If you let your guard down this time…you might not be able to recover, you know?”
High-pitched, lovely voices and an even bigger commotion raced across the site. When Yaya frantically spun around, there was Hikari, slumped in Amane’s arms. She had been about to receive a kiss on the forehead from Amane, to seal their oath, when she had fainted.
“Aaugh! Stop, I can’t take any more!!”
With shouts that were closer to screams, the students scattered countless flowers into the sky.
***
“Ah! Nagisa-oneesama! Thank goodness! I’ve been looking for you. Where have you—” Chiyo couldn’t finish the sentence. She was struck dumb by the strange, unusual feeling she got from Nagisa.
Chiyo had been watching the intense scene between Amane and Hikari from between her fingers, her heart pounding. She had been surprised when Nagisa had suddenly appeared, and had run frantically to meet her.
Nagisa apologized, embarrassed, with a stiff expression on her face. She didn’t even look at Chiyo. “Did I make it on time?”
“Just barely! Tamao-oneesama negotiated with them and got them to change you to the last couple! Shizuma-oneesama is getting ready, down front. She said she knew you would come…”
Nagisa thanked Chiyo in a small voice and headed toward the administrators. She looked incredibly lonely as she walked away.
“Excuse me, Oneesama,” Chiyo called from behind.
“What?”
When Nagisa looked over her shoulder, Chiyo didn’t know what to say.
“Good…luck.”
Nagisa gave a weak smile. “Thanks.”
In front of the relief, a sharp voice called her. “Over here, Nagisa.” Someone pulled on her arm.
Nagisa was surprised, but Shizuma didn’t care, or even give Nagisa a chance to speak. She just quickly fixed Nagisa’s hair, put the veil on her head and gave her a complete once-over, a stern expression on her face.
“That should do it,” Shizuma said, and relaxed. “I was worried, you know? What happened, did your stomach get upset? Did you suddenly have to go to the toilet?” She poked Nagisa’s cheek.
Before Nagisa could say anything…
“Come on, it’s our turn. It’s all right, you don’t have to do anything, Nagisa. If you just follow me, it’ll be fine,” Shizuma said, misunderstanding Nagisa’s stiff expression.
They stepped forward, toward the Mouth of Truth.
“Now then, I ask the aînée candidate, Hanazono Shizuma of St. Miator Girls’ Academy, Sixth Year, Snow Class. Do you swear to protect and help the cadette candidate next to you, no matter what?”
The first question was the same as the other couples’. However, Shizuma, who loved theatrics, didn’t take Nagisa into her arms like the other aînées. She surprised Nagisa, kneeling to make her oath.
Nagisa accepted it with a dumbfounded, aimless gaze. Both loud cheers and boos rose from the crowd, and of course countless flowers flew through the air, but it wasn’t enough to fill the basket in front of them.
And then, the second question. Shion cleared her throat. Just like she had with Amane, she said, “Now then, I ask the aînée candidate, Hanazono Shizuma.”
Here her voice wavered, and her breath stopped. She was hesitant after all. It was cruel, what she was doing. She had felt like a demon when she chose the question. Now she asked herself whether she should really do this to Shizuma.
However, Shion’s hesitation had made the spectators even more expectant. Passions flared as they waited for the next bit of excitement. Shion’s goal was to drop a bomb that would blast across the entire site in one swoop, and also, as a natural consequence, lead Spica to victory, but—
When she looked at the sight of Nagisa, her expression rigid—probably out of nervousness—and Shizuma kneeling beside her with a charming smile, Shion unconsciously lifted her face to the sky and closed her eyes.
Shizuma-sama, please forgive me for being so sinful.
“Do you wish to be bound to the cadette candidate next to you as your one and only partner, both in this life and the next?”
“Waaaaaah!”
That cruel question, which asked Shizuma to declare that she wanted to become one and only lovers with Nagisa, who would be together even after they were reborn, caused a thunderous storm of shouts and applause from those gathered at the site.
Somewhere along the way, Nagisa became confused about what was going on. The only thing she heard was something about being one and only partners, even in the next world.
Shizuma’s hand, which held hers deep inside the hole of the Mouth of Truth, shook badly. The picture of Shizuma as the Étoile jumped into Nagisa’s mind. Her incredible beauty, her strong will and her dignified smile, like a queen’s—and the text: “To my adorable little sister, the late Sakuragi Kaori… I give all of my love to you…”
Ahh, now I understand. No matter how thickheaded I am, even I can understand this. Shizuma-oneesama had someone once who was much, much better matched to her than me. Someone much more appropriate. She had a real, steady partner…
But I didn’t want to know about it. Everybody probably thought I was weird, being so sure of myself…and some people are angry at me, too. That’s it. That has to be it. Someone like me with Shizuma-oneesama? Now that I think about it, the idea was strange from the start.
Nagisa’s mind went completely blank and she froze.
Shizuma stood. Still holding Nagisa’s hand tight, she pulled her to her feet. Shizuma faced the crowd, almost as if she were challenging them, raised Nagisa’s hand high and shouted, almost in a roar.
“I do—I swear it. I take Aoi Nagisa as my one and only partner for the rest of eternity.”
Even before Shizuma finished speaking, the loudest swirl of screams, roars and shouts that day rose from the crowd.
“Oh, please don’t say any more!” the young ladies screamed.
The sky was dyed crimson with flowers, thrown about like a defeated fighter’s towel.
***
“Nagisa, you were so great today! I’ll forget all about the toilet thing. Let’s do our best again tomorrow, in the aînée competition, okay?”
Once the cadette competition had ended, Shizuma said those parting words, joined some girls who seemed to be her followers and quickly disappeared from Nagisa’s sight.
Without telling Nagisa a single thing about the truth.
Left behind, Nagisa lost all her steam. She almost thought the whole thing might have been just her imagination. She watched, dumbfounded, as the spectators left, and then spotted Chiyo standing alone. She ran over to her.
“Chiyo-chan!”
“Nagisa-oneesama! That was so…so splendid!” Tears welled up in Chiyo’s eyes.
Now that I think about it, Nagisa thought, remembering, Chiyo is a member of the library committee.
Chiyo had been sitting at the counter on the day Nagisa had been in the library with Shizuma.
“Um, Chiyo-chan. Could I…ask you something?”
As if she had anticipated this, Chiyo silently nodded. Then Chiyo told her. She didn’t know everything that had happened, because she hadn’t been at the school yet back then, but…
What she did know was this sad story.
Chiyo and her friends had been upperclassmen in the elementary school—the age when little girls experience the joy of moving to the middle school they’ve always longed to attend, the feeling of wanting to grow up and the desire to get even just a little bit taller. These little girls felt they would be getting a glimpse into the world of adults—the world of the oneesama they admired.
It seemed like no matter how many times Chiyo and her friends had talked about it, it had always produced sighs.
Shizuma had still been a fourth-year student then, and the center of the Astraea universe. Everyone was expecting Shizuma to become the Étoile the following year, and she had a partner accepted by everyone.
Sakuragi Kaori of Third Year Snow Class.
They had said she was just as incredible a beauty as Shizuma, but that she was delicate, giving the impression she was made of glass so fragile she would break if you touched her.
She had worshipped Shizuma completely. Many girls had even said she wouldn’t be able to live without Shizuma. She totally relied on the oneesama, but from an outsider’s point of view, her position had been an enviable one.
“It’s just that…” Chiyo said timidly to Nagisa, “Kaori-sama’s devotion to Shizuma-oneesama was obvious to everyone. As for Shizuma-oneesama… Well, ever since she was very young she’s been popular, so she wasn’t like that with Kaori at first. But there was an incident… Kaori became sick and collapsed. It was tragic.”
It seemed that within a month after she’d become friends with Shizuma, Kaori had discovered she was stricken with an incurable illness. Filled with despair, Kaori had tried to withdraw from the relationship.
“I don’t know if it’s true or not, but that’s the rumor,” Chiyo said apologetically. “It made Shizuma flaming mad, and from that point on, Shizuma was constantly by Kaori’s side. If she saw flowers, she would give them to Kaori. She would always be looking for delicious food or pretty things for Kaori. A sick room was set up inside the Strawberry Dorms as a special exception. Because Kaori wanted to stay at school until the end. As much as possible, anyway. And she wanted to be with Shizuma.”
She had started showing signs of her illness in the fall. And in the middle of winter, with the cold wind blowing, she had left the school.
In the spring, news of her death had arrived…
“That’s what I heard,” Chiyo said with a sorrowful look on her face. “Everyone said that when Shizuma-oneesama entered the Étoile competition that spring, she had truly become an adult. That is all I know. But I’m sure Tamao-oneesama knows more about it than me.” Chiyo smiled demurely.
Lured by her infectious smile, Nagisa was able to smile herself, just a little bit. It was the kind of story that made her cold to the very core of her body, but…
“Yeah. I have a feeling Tamao-chan would be too worried about hurting me to tell me the truth. Thank you so much…Chiyo-chan. I forced you into a position you didn’t want to be in. I’m sorry.”
Seeing Nagisa’s weak smile, Chiyo had doubts about whether this had been the right thing to do.
***
That night, in the large Roman-style bath of the Strawberry Dorms…
“Oh no, what’s wrong, Nagisa-chan? What are you moping for? You don’t look very happy…”
Sploosh sploosh sploosh—Tamao sent some of the bath water flying. “At times like this…” She jumped into the large tub with a big sploooosh.
“Aaugh!”
“Stop it!”
“Jeez, Tamao!”
The shouts came from all over and echoed around the mist-filled room lined with brightly colored terra cotta tiles.
“Come on, it’s okay to swim like this, right? You can’t do it in your bath at home, now can you? I guess this is one of the good things about the Strawberry Dorms.”
But no matter how happy and playful Tamao was, Nagisa just couldn’t get into the same spirit. She fumbled with the soaking wet sponge in her hand, but didn’t wash or rinse herself off, just sat there absentminded and sighed.
“Yeah, thanks. But I don’t think I will today; I’m kind of tired,” Nagisa said with an exhausted look. Nagisa put on her best smile, but it came out stiff. After all, Tamao-chan is going through all the trouble to cheer me up!
“A lot happened today that I wasn’t used to, so I’m sure I’m just tired from being so nervous. Ah ha ha ha!”
“Oh Nagisa, what am I going to do with you…” Tamao’s heart twinged. Even she couldn’t do anything. “Yeah, I understand. Then today, as a special service, I’ll wash your entire body!”
She stood up to her full height.
“Whaaat? You don’t have to do that!”
“Don’t be shy. It’s all right.”
“Aaugh! That tickles!! Stop it, Tamao-chan! Ah! Not there! Aaaaaaaahh!”
Across the mist, bubbles flew into the air.
***
In another part of the Strawberry Dorms, another girl stood worrying.
“I wonder if it’s okay this way?”
Standing on the balcony alone, gazing at the moon, which had passed through the full moon of the pre-competition party and was now entering its last quarter, was Otori Amane, age seventeen, who lived in the Spica section of the Strawberry Dorms.
Spring love… Amane had been hit hard by this powerful sickness. The look on Hikari’s face when Amane had kissed her on the forehead, and when she had fainted from the strain… Amane still couldn’t get it out of her head.
Whether she liked it or not, the conflicting emotions of terror at making her faint and rapture at the sight of Hikari’s face when her eyes were closed had controlled Amane’s body—and now she writhed in agony.
“Aah! This is almost like—” It’s like I’m the same as Yaya.
She remembered her kouhai, who was well-known for being a “genuine lesbian,” who hated men and was only interested in girls.
I wonder if I’m strange, Amane pondered.