Maria-sama ga Miteru Volume 31 Chapter 11

"I guess I asked something I shouldn't have … "

Hearing Shimako-san's explanation about her family life, Yumi and Yoshino-san felt only a sense of shame.

When Yumi learned about Touko's parents it had been a considerable shock, but that had been tempered by the steady build-up - the recognition that something was bothering her, and the way Touko opened her heart to Yumi. But this time it had all been very sudden and Shimako-san had spoken in the same tone of voice she'd use to say, "Tomorrow's weather will be fine," so Yumi didn't know what to say. Her mind was reeling.

Although, come to think of it, it wasn't that sudden at all. Shimako-san had said, "My household is complicated." Yumi had just assumed she meant because she was the Catholic daughter of a Buddhist temple priest.

But was what she said really true?

Obviously, Shimako-san wasn't the sort of person to lie, but she'd been smiling as she recounted her life story, and was still smiling now that she'd finished.

"On the contrary, I'm the one who should apologize. I feel like I'm making you fuss over me. Even Noriko became gloomy when I told her."

Shimako-san smiled, saying the people around her treated it as a bigger deal than she did. - It looked like she was telling the truth, after all.

"Now then, if we don't get a move on, we won't finish these today."

Shimako-san said, as though to blow away the serious atmosphere. The one who was fussing over people was Shimako-san.

But even though her friends' faces had turned gloomy, even though the atmosphere had turned serious, Shimako-san probably didn't regret that she had opened up to them. Because Yumi herself was glad that she had heard this, and she thought that Shimako-san probably felt something similar.

Then Shimako-san slowly, but accurately, worked the sewing machine, finishing her first bag. Pink ribbons matched the cocoa colored sleeve. Two ribbons looped around the bag, one protruding on the left-hand side and one on the right, so they could be tied together to close the bag.

"Ahh - . It's wonderful."

The handmade case had been completed. The trio applauded.

"Put the candy in and see how it looks, the candy."

Excitedly, Yoshino-san brought over one of the small bags of candy. After putting it in the bag and tying it closed, the bag took on more of a three-dimensional quality, which made it seem even better. With the ribbon tied into a bow in the front, it really felt like a present.

"I tried to conceal the seam by sewing it once on the outside, then turning it inside out and sewing from the inside, but I think a zigzag stitch might be better."

"Sounds good."

Yumi had been intently watching Shimako-san as she used the machine, but she hadn't understood the theory behind sewing once from the outside, then turning it inside-out and sewing it again. Instead, she decided to be grateful for the sewing machine's 'zigzag' setting.

"Scissors, paper,"

As Yoshino-san cried out, "Rock," she thrust her fist out. Overwhelmed by her intensity, Yumi held out her index finger and middle finger. Rock versus scissors. Yoshino-san was victorious.

"Sorry, Yumi-san."

With that, Yoshino-san won the right to use the iron and sewing machine after Shimako-san.

Shimako-san had already started making her second one, using the light blue cloth with a floral pattern. In response to Yumi's request, this time she demonstrated how to use the zigzag stitch.

"I see. This way you can deal with the seam at the beginning."

"It's easier than waiting until it's in the shape of a bag, right?"

Shimako-san's movements and explanation were unhurried, so it was easy to learn from her.

"Ahh, Yoshino-san. You can't just cut around the pattern. You have to leave some room for a seam, otherwise this part will be smaller."

It must have been tough on Shimako-san, watching over her two less-skilled friends as she continued to work on her own item. Particularly in the case of Yoshino-san, who seemed to react to Rei-sama's fondness for handicrafts and sewing by being inept at them. It was kind of sad that she had to make one more than the rest of them.

At any rate, Yumi had finished cutting her cloth into the pattern, but was blocked by the person ahead of her (Yoshino-san), so she took a piece of paper from the same stack of misprints that Shimako-san had used to draw the blueprint and started doodling. Since she'd lost at scissors-paper-rock, she couldn't jump ahead of Yoshino-san to use the iron. Even so, if Yoshino-san were in a normal condition then Yumi would ask if it was okay to go ahead of her, but it looked like she was getting wound up, so that would probably just result in a fight.

For no particular reason, she drew a picture of a pouch in the upper half of the page. Following that, she added an explanation in the blank lower area. This was, yeah, an illustrated diary.

Today, I met with Shimako-san and Yoshino-san in the Rose Mansion, and we made presents for White Day.

As she started to write, Yumi suddenly found herself enjoying it. As a result, she became enthusiastic and found herself wanting to write more.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Yumi-san."

Yoshino-san called out, her expression calmer than before. Then she came over to peek at Yumi's handiwork and said, "What's this?"

"Oh, today's diary entry? Even though we're still in the process of making them, you make it sound like we've finished everything and gone home already."

"If it's written in the diary, then that's how it must be."

Yumi stood up, holding on to the plain pink and gray-and-white-striped pieces of cloth that she'd already cut into shape.

"Ah, but before that."

She added one more thing to the end of the diary entry.

On the way home, I posted an air-mail letter to Kanina Shizuka-sama using the mailbox at the north entrance of the train station.

"Yumi-san, isn't that more of a reminder?"

It was just as Shimako-san had pointed out.

Writing it out was a way of preventing herself from forgetting to post the letter.

Chapter end