She wasn't sure who it was that initially proposed the idea of having a sweet bun feast.

Was it Minori-sempai, or had she proposed it herself - Ayane pondered this as she ran her pencil across her sketchbook.

It must have came from one of them.

It came from one of them, but that proposal had been taken up and now looked like it was going to happen. Why? Because they had been searching. Searching for an excuse for the two of them to spend some time together.

Two o'clock in the arts room, awaiting tomorrow's graduation ceremony.

Until last week, the walls had been filled with oil paintings made during class, but these had all been returned to their creators. In contrast, the plastic busts that usually looked down from the shelves, the watering cans used for still-life pictures, dried flowers and other such things were casually piled on one of the tables in the corner. The floor looked as though someone had cleaned it, but there still remained a streak of charcoal about ten centimeters long.

The first thing you noticed when you walked into the art room was the smell that was composed of a number of things - the oil paints, the chemicals for developing photographs, glue as well as a number of lesser smells - but after a while you'd get used to it. 'Just like the smells in the toilet,' was how Minori-sempai liked to phrase it, although Ayane didn't really approve of that.

The art club's farewell party took place about a week ago. After school, their faculty advisor had bought cake sets for each of the club's members from a local cafe which they ate here. It was the first time she had ever had cake delivered to her but, regrettably, it smelled of oil paints. (Incidentally, last year when they had ramen noodles at the farewell party, the smell was unaffected.)

So the farewell party was quickly wrapped up. The third years all retrieved their belongings from the club room and the preparation room and went home. The ceremony for saying goodbye was over, but Ayane felt as though there was still something that hadn't been done.

She hadn't been able to properly say 'Goodbye' to Minori-sempai. That thought was rattling around in her head.

So when she heard about the half-day holiday on the day before the graduation ceremony and the idea of having a sweet bun feast with just the two of them came up, it seemed like fate. - ahh, how wonderful. Parting was still too difficult for the two of them, she thought.

Needless to say, there were no club activities today, so after school the two of them were free to paint whatever they wanted in the art room.

Ayane would often eat bread crusts. When she sketched with charcoal, she used the white part of bread in place of an eraser, so the crust would always be left over. Not wanting to let it go to waste, she'd pop the crust into her mouth.

That's right, it was because she didn't leave anything behind that the conversation turned to eating bread, which led to today's sweet bun feast.

Unfortunately, they weren't taking food around to the classes today so she couldn't put in an advance order. It would be a disaster if they were sold out. She had planned on rushing over to Milk Hall after homeroom and cleaning, but one of her high-spirited group mates had said, 'Tomorrow's the graduation ceremony so let's do this thoroughly,' and she hadn't been able to easily slip away.

Ayane had arranged with Minori-sempai that whoever got there first would buy the buns. When Ayane got to their meeting point, in front of the drink vending machines, she didn't see Minori-sempai so she ran over to the bread counter and bought four buns. Just as she was collecting her change, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"What should I do with these?"

When Ayane turned around, Minori-sempai was standing there grinning wryly as she held six buns she had just purchased.

"I called out to you three times. Didn't you hear me?"

Minori-sempai said she hadn't called out a fourth time because she was making such a spectacle of herself. The short senior had been hidden amongst the crowd of people.

So that was why the table in front of her currently held six buns.

Four of them had already been eaten.

Even so, it was remarkable that among the set of ten they didn't have two of the same item. It may just be her sense of style, but Ayane found the multicolored packaging, as well as their contents, aesthetically pleasing.

Because the goal of this wasn't just to eat pastries in the arts room, they didn't feel like leaving once they had eaten their fill.

"Since we went to all that trouble, why don't we sketch the buns?"

Minori-sempai took two sketchbooks from the shelf and handed the one that had 'Ayane' written on it to her.

"Oh? Sempai, you haven't taken your sketchbook home yet?"

"Nope."

The sketchbook that her senior had placed down for her own use had 'Minori' written on it.

"I was going to take everything home, but I felt like I'd have to come back here for something. So I took a chance and left it here."

"Hmm."

Ayane understood, somewhat. It was the same as her - Minori-sempai probably felt like she still had something left to do.

"So I'm going to take it home today."

It was at that time that Ayane realized this really was the end. But what could be a more appropriate way to end it than this.

"I'm sorry, but can I borrow one of your pencils, Ayane-chan?"

Minori-sempai had only left her sketchbook here, so she didn't have any pencils suitable for sketching.

"Sure."

Ayane retrieved her plastic case which contained about 15 pencils from the shelf. Opening the lid, she said, 'Take whichever you want,' to which Minori-sempai said, 'Any one is fine,' and picked out a 2B pencil without looking.

"Any one but that."

Ayane split her kneadable eraser in two and tossed one of the parts to her senior.

Right, right.

Despite having all these buns, they didn't have any plain white bread so today they wouldn't be able to do charcoal sketches.

And so the two of them sat facing each other, with the sweet buns on the table between them, and began to sketch.

The rule was that when they got hungry they could reach out and take any of the buns they wanted. Because they were facing each other, they didn't know how far the other's picture had progressed. So there was always the possibility that the bun you were currently working on would be eaten, and vice versa, making it something of a thrilling game.

"That reminds me."

Minori-sempai stretched out her hand and took one of the buns.

"Ah."

Ayane wasn't disciplined enough to keep herself from instinctively calling out.

"Oh, was that a 'bingo'?"

"No, not really."

Not really, how? Actually, she'd hit the jackpot. Ayane was in the middle of putting the finishing touches on that cream bun in her picture.

But there was no point saying anything. Now that the package had been opened and a bite taken out of the bun, putting it back on the table wouldn't have helped.

"Hehehe, you don't look like you'd be very good at 'Old maid', Ayane-chan."

Not only that, but she'd been completely found out. There was no point trying to hide it. Ayane brazenly turned the pages of her sketchbook until she arrived at a clean page. There were still four buns remaining, but she'd have to start from the beginning again.

Old maid was probably Minori-sempai's specialty. When Ayane had taken one of the buns she hadn't even batted an eyelid. When Ayane had tried to feint and hold her hand over various buns to try and get a reaction, nothing. But it didn't seem like Minori-sempai had finished her drawing. From the other side of her sketchbook came the scritch-scratch sound of her pencil moving across the paper. Occasionally, there was also the sound of her using the kneadable eraser.

"What did you mean by 'that reminds me'?

Flustered, Ayane changed the topic.

"Huh?"

"You said that earlier. As you were taking the bun."

"Oh, really? Hmm, what could it have been."

She'd already forgotten. You're probably no good at the card game 'Concentration,' right Minori-sempai? Perhaps her shoulder had become sore, as Minori-sempai stood up from her chair and stretched.

"Oh, Rosa Chinensis en bouton is running through the courtyard."

Having been beckoned over, Ayane walked to Minori-sempai's side and looked out the window. Really, it wasn't so interesting that Ayane would normally go out of her way to see it. Because she was in the same grade as Rosa Chinensis en bouton, Fukuzawa Yumi-san, she'd often see her in the hallway or wherever. So it wasn't a rare sight for Ayane.

"Shall we wager on where she's going?"

"Ehh - "

For a moment she was shocked, thinking, 'Nice to have so much free time,' but then it's not like they were in a rush to finish their sketches. In that case, she thought it would be okay and when Minori-sempai said, 'On the count of three,' she readied herself to say the location she had struck upon.

"Milk Hall."

"Milk Hall. Huh, the same? Why?"

Why indeed. Usually you could tell the destination of someone running from the direction they were headed. And earlier, when they'd been in Milk Hall, Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida had been in there, so she was probably running to meet them.

"Oh well. I suppose I'll take the old greenhouse then."

"But how are we going to find out the answer?"

It would have made things easier if Yumi-san had given them a piece of paper with the answer on it beforehand, but she hadn't, so they had no way of finding the answer. The could have called out, 'Hey Yumi-san,' but their voices wouldn't have reached her from this distance.

"Hmm, how about we make the loser go up and ask Yumi-san directly, as punishment?"

Minori-sempai stuck her index finger up in the air, as though she had just hit upon a great idea.

" so then how do we decide who the loser is?"

"Ahh."

Minori-sempai clutched her stomach and laughed insincerely as though only just realizing this. Must be some kind of idiotic comedy. As the only thing they had to wager was the buns, the bet was abandoned.

"That Yumi-san. You know last year she carried one of the signboards all by herself."

Minori-sempai muttered as she looked out the window. She was probably referring to that incident before the third year's farewell party. Last year, just like this year, the arts club had painted the signboards and Yumi-san had come alone to pick them up.

"Back then I thought she was trying her hardest. But recently I've reconsidered."

Yumi-san had probably thought she would be imposing if she had asked for help, or she might have been refused. She had also seemed kind of obstinate.

"You don't have to try your hardest, as long as you do the job properly. Don't over-exert yourself. That way others can peacefully watch you."

But the current Yumi-san definitely seemed the type to ask for help when she needed it. Come to think of it, what happened this year? Oh, that's right, in exchange for an extension on the due date the arts club had delivered the signboard to the Rose Mansion.

"You have the same sense about you, Ayane-chan."

"Huh?"

She was going to respond with, 'What do you mean?' but that would have been answered with, 'Exactly like that,' so she couldn't pursue the matter.

"So that's why I wanted to meet you, and even if I was going to prep school I'd come here from time to time."

If she were to look at Minori-sempai's smiling face it seemed like Ayane's tear glands would let loose, so all she could do was wholeheartedly mumble 'Me too.'

'I too want to meet with you, to paint here with you on days we don't have club activities,' was what she meant. The moment when Minori-sempai had appeared, the nothings they spoke about, it was for these reasons only that she was in the arts room.

Ayane couldn't put it into words, but she thought her feelings were probably conveyed. Minori-sempai reached out her hands and gently patted the much taller Ayane on her head.

"Oh, right. The pencil."

Was what Minori-sempai said unexpectedly.

"Pencil?"

Ayane shook her head, wondering why Minori-sempai had brought up pencils.

"That's what I was talking about earlier. When I said 'That reminds me.'"

She was going to strike back with, 'What took you so long?' but remembering their earlier conversation she refrained, and adopted a listening pose.

"When we had our first sketching session, you hadn't used a knife to sharpen your pencils, right?"

"Nah."

It was fine to reminisce, but why was she re-opening these wounds at this late hour? Especially on such a solemn occasion.

"And then the girls in the grade above me all laughed at me, so I made sure to bring my sharpener to the next club meeting."

" You put it in and spin it around, yeah."

It was a simple thing about two centimeters long that had a hole you stuck the pencil in. The hole was shaped like a cone and it had a blade on one side so that when you turned the pencil the shavings would come slithering out the side.

"Not only were you the first girl not to use a knife to sharpen your pencils, but you were the first to bring a pencil sharpener so you were a huge hit with us seniors."

"It's fine to say that now, but back then I didn't know of any way to taper the end of the pencil other than with the sharpener. And while I was sketching, it would break."

"Yeah."

"And then the seniors would sharpen it for me."

"But you quickly learned how to do it yourself."

"Because I had special training."

So as not to waste pencils, she'd used those throw-away wooden chopsticks. It had been hard to work out the right angle and amount of force to exert on the back of the blade with her thumb.

"That's right, it was because of that special training that I was able to meet you, Minori-sempai."

"Really?"

Having forgotten, Minori-sempai shook her head. A senior who was hopeless at 'Concentration.' Or maybe it was just because she was so shy that she was pretending not to remember.

"But it looks like you've become quite good at it since then."

Minori-sempai held the 2B pencil up in front of her eyes as she said this.

"How about we finish up our drawings?"

As Minori-sempai resumed her drawing, Ayane too took her seat.

Her senior seemed to be full, as she didn't take any of the buns that Ayane was working on. Consequently, she'd be able to finish the drawing fairly soon.

Whether the buns were eaten or not, time moved relentlessly towards the end. But they should be able to finish one commemorative picture.

Using the sounds of the pencils as cover, the two would occasionally exchange words. But there was no need to force a conversation. They had what you'd call an understanding.

"Are you done?"

When Ayane put her pencil down, Minori-sempai was looking at her, smiling. She had done the last spurt as though she was in a trance, so she hadn't realized that her senior had already finished drawing and was waiting for her.

"How about we swap pictures?"

"Sure."

Thinking Minori-sempai just wanted to have a look, she held out her sketchbook and was told, 'Not like that.'

"I'd like to take your picture as a souvenir, Ayane-chan. And in return, I'd like you to accept my picture."

"Umm."

Whoa, hold up before you make such an outlandish request.

"Swapping my drawing for one from a senior who's been accepted straight into a famous Arts College - the difference in level is just too great."

This drawing and that drawing. Although they were made of the same paper, you wouldn't usually exchange a 1 US dollar note for a 1,000 yen note.

"What are you complaining about? If it's not enough, I'll let you keep all the buns that are left over too."

"No, that's not it. If anyone's adding freebies, it should be me."

As she was saying it, Ayane was thinking: Freebies, what am I saying?

"But, you know, the worth of a drawing isn't determined by how skilled the artist is, so much as how badly someone wants it."

"Well, maybe"

That was probably true. There were plenty of famous artists who weren't all that technically skilled at sketching. Conversely, there were probably people who could create photo-realistic sketches who were still largely unknown. Although because they were unknown, she couldn't think of any off-hand.

"So does that mean you want my drawing, sempai?"

"Didn't I just say that before?"

Usually, Ayane would draw because she liked drawing. That was all. So to have someone tell her that they wanted her drawing was a bolt from the blue. It was enough to shake her entire system of values.

"Well, in that case, please take it. But I don't need anything in return."

Ayane carefully tore the page out of her sketchbook and presented it to her senior. The fresh drawing of the buns she had just completed.

"Mmm, looks delicious."

Minori-sempai said, delighted. To Ayane this was a much better compliment than something like 'Well done.'

"Umm, sempai?"

Thinking about how good it felt to have someone want your drawing, Ayane realized she wanted to receive Minori-sempai's picture. Therefore, contradicting her earlier remarks, Ayane held out both her hands and said, 'Please.'

"Sure. But it's not a particularly delicious looking picture."

"Huh?"

Ayane didn't really understand, but nodded her head. Regardless of how it turned out, she still wanted Minori-sempai's picture. At least to have a look.

The sound of paper tearing.

"Here you go."

When Ayane accepted the sketch and looked at it, she couldn't believe her eyes.

".Huh?"

"A better reaction would be 'looks delicious.'"

Minori-sempai laughed as she said this.

There wasn't anything like the buns on there.

Ayane's serious face was sketched in monochrome.