The bus stopped in front of Lillian's Girls Academy, discharged the three uniform-clad girls, then resumed its journey.

"Please go on ahead to the Rose Mansion. I'll follow you in a little while."

Ami-san instructed Shimako after they had descended the steps.

Shimako had thought that since they'd come here, they wouldn't have to worry about drawing any unwanted attention. But this was their school after all, and perhaps because of that Ami-san was being extra cautious, so in the end Shimako just followed her orders without objecting.

Unlike last year's date, the main gate was open today despite it being Sunday.

"Working hard I see. Which club are you with?"

The security guard cheerfully called out once she was inside.

"Oh. The, ah, student council."

Surprised by the unexpected question, Shimako answered without considering it. She was, quite obviously, a president of the student council, but they weren't scheduled to meet today. She should have said she was there to pick up a book she'd left behind, or something.

Shimako nervously wondered if she should change her answer, but there didn't seem to be any follow-up questions.

"I see. Good luck."

She wasn't asked to show her student identification card, probably because she was wearing her school uniform.

Shimako bowed, then walked down the ginkgo tree lined path.

(So that's )

She realized something. Even though it was Sunday, it looked like a number of clubs had activities today.

Shimako glanced back over her shoulder. Ami-san was just passing the security guard.

Maybe she'd known about this already. Since it was the weekend, access to the grounds would usually be restricted. But Ami-san was so watchful, perhaps she'd investigated which clubs would be holding practices ahead of time.

The main entrance to the school building was open too. Shimako went to the second-years' shoe-box area, opened her locker, and changed into her indoor shoes.

Suddenly remembering what Noriko had done, Shimako then walked over to the first-years' shoe-box section.

The name "Nijou" was written in methodical lettering on one of the first-year camellia group lockers. Surrounded on all sides by lockers adorned with stickers, colorful nametag paper, and other decorations favored by girls, Noriko's plain locker stood out like a sore thumb.

(Hehehe.)

Shimako smiled to herself. Last year, her own locker had been equally bare. Even Yumi-san, who usually didn't bother about that kind of thing, had had a small sticker on hers.

Decorating one's locker was a characteristic peculiar to first-year students. Most students didn't bother by the time they reached second-year. It just caused heartache when, at the end of the third semester, they were told that they had to return them to their original form.

Even though the stickers were the easy-to-peel type, after being attached for a whole year they were stuck on quite stubbornly. Those who got carried away and drew beyond the borders of their nametag had to use all kinds of cleaning agents to erase the pen marks. Shimako remembered the sight of her classmates frantically scrubbing away with washcloths.

Whether they didn't want to repeat that a second time, or they simply thought such behavior was too childish now that they were a year older, the second and third-year's shoe boxes were largely untouched. - Quite strange, that.

As she started heading towards the Rose Mansion, Shimako found herself standing in front of the lockers for the first-year peach group.

Like Noriko the previous week, she looked for the locker with 'Igawa' written on it. Soon enough she found it, and like the others around it, it had a number of stickers on it.

" - Oh."

Shimako instinctively brought her hand up to her mouth. The locker had five stickers on it, all of them white roses.

Shimako wanted to run away, since it felt like she was snooping around inside Ami-san's mind. Ami-san would arrive soon. She had to get away quick.

Just as she was about to go, her eyes fell on the locker immediately below.

"Huh?"

For a moment, she thought that Ami-san had two lockers. Why? Because that locker was decorated exactly the same, with five white rose stickers.

(Emori )

She ran her finger along the nametag. It looked like they were quite good friends, since they'd be seated next to each other too.

(I wonder if these are popular with this class.)

Shimako was deep in thought as she walked. If Ami-san were the only person to have the stickers, then perhaps that meant she attached some deeper significance to them, but since others had them then they were probably less meaningful. It may just have been a case of someone getting hold of a bunch of white rose stickers and sharing them with her friends. As she considered this, Shimako started to relax.

She entered the Rose Mansion and plugged the electric kettle into the wall. Looking at the clock, it was almost midday.

"It'll be lunchtime soon "

Thinking this, Shimako put the food she'd bought into the refrigerator. Cheesecake, marinaded fish and vegetables. They would all be just as good cold.

Shimako thought she should prepare tea while waiting, but unfortunately she didn't know Ami-san's preference.

(I wonder if I should go and meet her.)

While it was unthinkable that she wouldn't know where the Rose Mansion was, Shimako had seen plenty of students falter at the doorway, unable to take that step inside. Since students with club activities were unlikely to be lingering nearby, Ami-san probably wouldn't be worried about being seen with her either.

Ami-san wasn't anywhere in sight of the front door. Shimako entered the school building and looked down the long corridor.

However, there was no-one in the direction of the shoe-boxes.

(What happened to her ?)

Perhaps they'd strayed too far apart in an effort not to be seen together. She had confirmed that Ami-san made it past the entrance, so she should undoubtedly be on her way to the Rose Mansion.

Shimako started to walk down the corridor. Unknowingly, she hastened her pace.

It would be best if nothing had happened. It wasn't helpful to obsess about what may have happened. Since the school was largely deserted, Ami-san might not be found if she was in distress, particularly if she was crouched down.

As she was walking past the toilet block, Shimako heard voices coming from inside.

At first she dismissed them, since Ami-san was by herself, but after she'd walked past she reconsidered and turned back. Ami-san had been by herself, but it was entirely possible that she'd run into someone at school. In that case, it was obvious why she wasn't at the Rose Mansion. She was deep in conversation with the classmate she'd accidentally met.

Shimako wasn't intending to eavesdrop. She simply wanted to ascertain whether or not one of those voices belonged to Ami-san, so strained to hear them.

"Like I said "

" from here "

"I can't."

" come on "

She could only hear fragments of the conversation. But it definitely sounded as though one of those was Ami-san's voice. Consequently, Shimako walked back down the corridor. Thinking that she would wait in the Rose Mansion until Ami-san had finished her conversation.

Just as she was about to leave the school building and enter the courtyard, Shimako heard the sound of a door being flung open, and instinctively turned around. What she saw surprised her - the girl that came out first was grabbed around the wrist by the girl who came out second, who then attempted to drag her back into the toilet block.

The one being grabbed was Ami-san, the one doing the grabbing was the classmate that Ami-san had shared that burst of laughter with the other day.

"Ami-san "

When Shimako called out, the two girls turned towards her simultaneously. On seeing Shimako, Ami-san's classmate hurriedly dropped her arm.

"Ah I "

As the girl struggled for something to say, she nervously stepped backwards. Still unable to find the words she was looking for, Ami-san's classmate turned tail and fled.

"A - "

Ami-san reached out her now free hand and called out to stop the other girl, but then gave up and lowered her arm, perhaps realizing it was too late to chase after her now.

"Are you alright?"

Shimako didn't understand what had just happened. So she walked over to Ami-san, who had been left in the hallway outside the toilet block.

"I'm sorry I caused you trouble. We were just playing around."

However, as she was speaking, Ami-san's wrist was turning red. Additionally, one of her shoes had come off and fallen beside the door. Probably from a scuffle that they'd had inside the toilet block.

"Wait."

Shimako picked up the shoe and placed it in front of Ami-san. Then she whispered.

"Why ?"

"I told you, we were just playing around."

After bowing slightly, Ami-san put her shoe back on. She spoke the same words as before, as though they were a charm.

We were just playing around.

However, that's not what it had looked like at all. They weren't laughing like they had been when Shimako saw them in the courtyard the previous week.

"I did something wrong to her."

When Shimako heard those despondent words, for some reason she felt as though she were the one who had done something wrong.

"You really have no idea what people find insulting, do you?"

Yoshino grumbled, their lunch spread out in front of them in the park.

"Huh?"

Chisato-san asked, as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. On the lake, a couple were riding in a boat. With that kind of backdrop, sitting together at a bench, Chisato-san just had to crack up at the lunch that she'd brought along, didn't she.

"Exactly my point. I shouldn't have to tell you that it's rude to laugh like that when you see someone's lunch."

"Ah, you're right. It was rude. However."

Having momentarily composed herself, Chisato-san broke into laughter again, like the aftershocks of an earthquake.

"It really is completely different to Rei-sama."

It was hopeless. This girl obviously didn't know the meaning of the word 'introspection.'

"Could you not compare it to Rei-chan's cooking?"

"Ah, you're right. I'm sorry. Rei-sama's fried food was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, like a professional's. Obviously, it'd be wrong to compare you to a pro."

"Hmmph."

Even though she said that, Chisato-san was probably thinking that it was pretty laughable when compared to an amateur's too. Yoshino herself was well aware of that. The exterior was black and the inside was half-cooked, so rather than looking like something deep fried it more closely resembled a botamochi completely covered in sesame seeds. Incidentally, her wieners weren't too badly burnt, but the ones that were supposed to resemble crabs looked more like sooty bamboo mats, while the ones that were supposed to resemble octopuses looked more like silver-grass with heads. And as for the fried egg - well, better not to say anything more about that.

When Chisato-san first said that they'd bring their lunch, Yoshino naturally assumed her mother would make it for her, but then she'd added, "Of course, you have to make it yourself," and so, reluctantly, Yoshino had picked up the frying pan. Rei-chan would usually prepare lunch for them whenever they had picnics like this, so it wasn't something Yoshino had had to do before. It's never going to end well when you're suddenly asked to perform at something that you don't do normally. That's the kind of thing that's obvious without needing to test it.

"Well, even if the meat is rare, it doesn't look like there's anything that would be inedible."

Apparently all that laughing had made her hungry. Chisato-san wolfed down one of the brown 'silver-grass' pieces, and some of the fried egg that looked like a scrambled egg with another egg poured on top of it and then frozen.

And in exchange.

"Have some of mine."

Chisato-san's lunch was lovely. She had norimaki with various fillings (salmon, cucumber, and fried egg), and they looked like a colorful flower bed when they were all lined up. She also had bell pepper, octopus, and broccoli pieces that had been coated in batter and lightly fried, and given the different ingredients and requirements in cooking time this obviously would have been quite a handful.

Sadly, Yoshino couldn't stop herself from a spot of light teasing.

"A while back, I heard on TV that the color red is supposed to increase your appetite. But after seeing that movie, the red bell peppers are just reminding me of all that blood."

"Sop it."

Having just put one of the bell pepper pieces into her mouth, Chisato-san's voice came out sounding rather strange. She probably meant to say, "Stop it."

"Just don't think about it. That eerie, gloomy shrine in the estate, and the drip-drip-drip onto the Buddha statue Eeeek"

"Eeeek."

Even though she brought up the subject, Yoshino still squealed when she remembered the scene from "The Tale of the Blood-stained Mansion" that they'd just seen. Was this sadism, or masochism? The couple on the boat looked at them in surprise.

"You put on a brave face, pretending you weren't scared. But I knew you were frightened, Yoshino-san."

Chisato-san chortled.

"You can talk. The movie had barely started and you were shaking in your seat, grabbing hold of my arm tightly."

Yoshino shot back.

"I'm fairly sure you grabbed on to me first."

"No, that was you. First to grab, and first to scream."

"That wasn't a scream, it was a laugh!"

In the end, although they had sat through the horror film, they hadn't been able to quietly endure it and had clutched each other by the arms and screamed over and over again. Since neither of them were enjoying it, they would have been better off leaving - but the first one to make such a proposal would have been branded a coward, so neither of them wanted to say anything. It would also have been a waste of the ticket money too, but that wasn't the main reason. And so, they watched to the end. All the way to the ending credits.

Right, right. The five seconds after the final, "The End," were the most frightening of all. As they watched the couple they'd seen earlier running to the movie theater, and had been sitting a short distance away, get up and leave as soon as the ending credit music started. Geeze, whether they were coming or going, they were always in such a hurry.

"I can't remember when,"

While chewing on one of the norimaki, Yoshino questioned Chisato-san.

"But didn't you say you weren't any good at cooking, or something?"

The saltiness of the salmon came through nicely. It wasn't obvious at first glance, but there were sesame seeds mixed in with the white rice.

"Yeah. But seeing Rei-sama's lunch last year really kindled my interest in it. I've spent the last year training myself because I wanted to be like that, and it's at least looking good, don't you think?"

"Mmm."

It must have been a lot of work. Speaking of which, Chisato-san's image had changed a lot in the past year. She'd cut her hair, joined the kendo club, and apparently started cooking perhaps she'd changed even more in other ways that Yoshino didn't know about. As annoying as it was, she'd become a much better woman than before.

"So, you know, my earlier laughter wasn't because I was making fun of your lunch."

One of Yoshino's malformed onigiri disappeared into Chisato-san's mouth.

"Then what?"

"I saw myself from a year ago in that, and it took me back."

Sneaky. Was she trying to make a favorable impression by saying that kind of thing?

To Yoshino, "Tanuma Chisato" had to be someone she disliked. She'd sought out Rei-chan's love, she found Rei-chan's card, she went on a date with Rei-chan, and she made sure she was seen arm-in-arm with Rei-chan by Yoshino -

"Hey,"

Yoshino inquired.

"Why are we following the same route that you took last year on your date with Rei-chan?"

To which Chisato-san responded by mumbling to herself, "Why indeed?" as she sipped tea from the cap of her thermos.

"Here you go."

Steam rose from the liquid that had been poured into the flask lid.

"Thanks This is?"

"Oolong tea. I brought it from home."

Touko-chan said, deftly raising the long, slender flask. It had apparently been in her handbag all along, but Yumi hadn't realized until just now.

They were seated on a bench on the train platform. Waiting for the next train to arrive. It was impeccable timing, as Yumi was just starting to feel thirsty.

"Thanks."

After blowing on the tea to cool it, Yumi drank the tea and returned the makeshift cup to Touko-chan. Then Touko-chan poured herself some and drank it.

From M station they'd taken the bus to a private railway station. Then they'd caught a train to this station. It looked like they had to transfer to another train to reach their ultimate destination. Touko-chan may have chosen this circuitous route because it was the least expensive. They probably would have been able to get there quicker using JR trains, but that would have taken them over their 4000 yen budget.

(Huh? The budget?)

Yumi was taken aback, and stood up.

"I didn't bring any lunch with me."

"Neither did I."

Touko-chan said, unconcerned, as she sipped her tea.

"Ah, right."

So, sit down. Since she'd gone to the trouble of preparing tea, Yumi has assumed she'd also brought lunch.

"It's here."

Touko-chan said, closing the flask lid. The train could be seen decelerating in to the station.

Yumi didn't know whether it was because it was Sunday, or whether it was always like this, but the train was fairly crowded. She caught glimpses of people with backpacks, and people wearing mountain-climbing boots. There must be somewhere along this train's route that would make an enjoyable hiking or mountain-climbing day-trip.

There weren't two seats free next to each other, so they stood by the door. The train slowly started to move.

While the train stations themselves were more or less the same, as the number of stations they passed grew, so did the number of fields, or woods, or mountains between them. It really brought home the sensation that they were gradually moving further and further away from Tokyo.

"When I said I would take over the hospital, my grandfather was overjoyed."

Touko-chan said, out of the blue. Yumi had been gazing at the scenery, and the surprise made her turn from the glass window to look at Touko-chan.

"Although this is a fairly old story."

"That's okay."

Yumi nodded. She wanted to hear Touko-chan's story.

On the bus, and on the trains up until now, Touko-chan hadn't said a word. Well, of course she'd made the minimal conversation necessary to purchase tickets. But when Yumi had turned to her and tried to start a conversation to stave off boredom, Touko-chan would politely listen, and when asked a direct question would only responded with a 'yes' or 'no,' so the conversation didn't advance.

Yumi had been wondering what Touko-chan was thinking about.

Which was why she'd decided to wait quietly. She believed that Touko-chan would put those thoughts into words in due course.

"The hospital, it's your grandfather's, right?"

She'd heard that Touko-chan's paternal grandfather ran a small hospital in the foothills of a mountain in one of Tokyo's surrounding prefectures. From memory, it was the hospital that Sachiko-sama's deceased grandmother had been admitted to the previous year.

"Yeah."

After nodding, Touko-chan turned away, gazing at the scenery outside. Above the grove of trees, the crows stretched their wings.

"My father didn't become a doctor. He was an only child too."

The 'too' was probably because Touko-chan herself was also an only child.

"It's only a small hospital, but the people of the surrounding area, and the patients that come from far away, all adore it. So it would be a shame for it to shut down when my grandfather eventually retires due to old age."

"And so "

"I thought I could become a doctor, or, if necessary, marry a doctor, and started making plans."

Despite her youth, she'd already planned out her future. Yumi stood in admiration. Even though she was a year older, Yumi hadn't yet contemplated a future career, or even what she'd do after graduation. Well, perhaps she was taking things a bit too lightly.

"But, just thinking about it showed how impossible it was."

Putting her forehead to the glass window, Touko-chan let out a sigh.

"Huh?"

"There was an insurmountable obstacle."

At that point, Yumi remembered the conversation she'd had with Touko-chan about the blank map. While the map was still blank, it held open the promise of all possibilities, but once she started drawing she realized it hadn't turned out the way she expected it to. This felt like the same kind of conversation. Despair for her future - although it may be too strong a comparison, it was that kind of feeling.

"My grandfather intends to retire in three years' time."

"Three years "

Yumi furrowed her brow.

"So what will happen to the hospital?"

"At the moment, there's a married couple in their 40s who are both doctors and assist my grandfather - the hospital will be entrusted to them. Neither my grandfather nor my parents thought I was being serious when I told them that I'd take over the hospital."

She had said that it was a fairly old story. In that case, it might have been when Touko-chan was in elementary school, or perhaps even younger. Adults, in general, would be pleased to hear a young child talking about her future. And on the off chance that they did remember it, they'd probably just consider it a happy memory.

However, it wasn't just an inconsequential memory to Touko-chan.

"In three years' time, I'll have graduated high-school, but even if I'm enrolled in a medical degree at some university, that's a long way off having a medical license. So then I considered marriage, but to get married at that age I'd still require parental consent."

"And your parents?"

As Yumi asked this, she felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead. Why was Touko-chan being so stubborn about this?

"I asked them. Of course, they said no. If it was because I loved someone and wanted to be with them, then that was one thing, but getting married for the sake of the hospital was foolish, they said."

"Sounds about right."

It seemed like an extremely sensible position. Whereas Touko-chan's was far more out there. However, taking over the hospital seemed to be that important to her. As though it was the meaning of her existence.

"It felt like there was no need for me anymore. That since they'd found a replacement for me, my usefulness had ended."

"Huh?"

"So I ran away from home."

"That was the day "

Yumi mumbled, remembering, and Touko-chan nodded.

"That's right."

Touko-chan's fight with her parents, and visit to the Fukuzawa residence after being brought there by Yumi's younger brother Yuuki, had taken place during the second semester exam break. After eating dinner with them, Touko-chan's cousin Kashiwagi-san came by to pick her up and she went surprisingly quietly. Even so, Yumi had heard that Touko-chan's mother had received such a shock when her daughter ran away from home that she was bedridden for a short while.

She hadn't heard why Touko-chan ran away from home.

Kashiwagi-san had offered to tell her, but she hadn't asked. Based on the conversation with Shimako-san, Yumi had vaguely suspected that she may have been worrying about whether to follow her father's occupation or not, and it looked like the real reason was somewhat similar to that.

However.

"I'm sorry. I'm not sure I understand."

If Touko-chan wanted to be a doctor, then she would have to study. It was easy to see that a result of that might be succeeding her grandfather at his hospital, however, she seemed to be stubbornly tormenting herself with the idea that she absolutely had to take over the hospital no matter what.

"Oh, you don't?"

Touko-chan smiled slightly. It looked like that may have been the reaction she was aiming for all along.

The train stopped at a station. Touko-chan still wasn't showing any sign of getting off the train. She hadn't checked the station name either, so it looked like she knew where she was going based on the landscape outside, or something.

The pair moved away from the doorway, making room for people to get on and off. Seven people exited through the doors and two got on. After a little while, the doors closed and the train once more started moving.

Gradually it picked up pace before settling in to a steady rhythm. Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack, click-clack,

"I mean, there's people lined up to take over the hospital, right?"

Yumi resumed their interrupted conversation. Touko-chan's grandfather's retirement wasn't going to cause the immediate closure of the hospital. She should have welcomed the news that she didn't have to take over straight away.

Listening to Touko-chan's story, Yumi didn't think there was anything she could do. Naturally, she didn't have any sage advice to offer.

However, Yumi thought it would be fine if she just listened, and conveyed her own thoughts. She was led to this conclusion because Touko-chan had chosen her to tell this to.

"Ah although if they're going to abuse the patients, or bulldoze the hospital to put up apartments once they're put in charge then that's another story."

Yumi mumbled, and Touko-chan clearly refuted this.

"They're wonderful people."

Touko-chan said they were currently assisting her grandfather not only with patient care, but also with the hospital administration. They'd apparently both been patients at the hospital when they were children, so considered their work a way of repaying that debt of gratitude.

"So, it should be fine to let them take over the hospital for now, right? You could revisit this later on if you become a doctor, or if you marry a doctor."

"But."

"Even if you don't take over the hospital, no-one's going to think less of you. After all, your father didn't take over the hospital, and no-one thinks less of him, right?"

"My father and I are very different. For me, being the heir to the house of Matsudaira became the foundation of my existence."

Again with this. Her stubborn side was showing on her face.

"Why?"

Touko-chan couldn't answer this question. Or rather, she went silent instead of answering.

Even though Yumi had thought she was getting closer to Touko-chan, it looked like they were still some distance apart.

No, that's not right, Yumi thought.

The door she leaned against swayed in time with the click-clack of the tracks. Outside the window, the landscape rolled past. The as-yet-unseen mountains, the trees and the sky all urged them onwards.

Even though they were both silent, it didn't feel like they were a long way apart. They were simply taking a short break, exhausted from the conversation.

She was, undoubtedly, drawing closer to Touko-chan.

Yumi felt that change within herself, much like how they were drawing closer to their destination.

Click-clack, click-clack.

Waiting at their journey's destination was, undoubtedly, Touko-chan's true self.