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"The Maria Ceremony?"

"Right, the Maria Ceremony."

Touko-san nodded, her left and right ringlet curls bouncing like springs.

"Noriko-san, you're not that well acquainted with the events at Lillian's Girls Academy, are you?"

"Not at all acquainted would be close to the truth."

Noriko looked up from the paperback she was reading. Then Touko-san said, "That's for sure," and cheekily sat down at the desk in front of her.

It was recess. The seat's owner had fortunately stepped outside.

"I've made up my mind. I'll help you out until you've become accustomed to this school, Noriko-san."

"Huh."

"So as my first task, I shall explain about the Maria ceremony that will take place two weeks hence."

Before Noriko could turn her down with, "It's alright, you don't have to," Touko-san had snatched away her paperback, put the bookmark in place, then set it down in a corner of the desk. Quite presumptuous of her.

(Oh boy.)

As someone who came into the school via the entrance exam, Noriko's classmates had been offering her their assistance since the start of the school year. She'd taken to reading as a counter to this, but it looked to be completely ineffective.

Suspicious as she was, she thought that the offers were made with the best intentions. On the other hand, if this was what passed for harassment here then she could handle it.

"Alright. Please explain it to me then."

With the shield of her book taken from her, Noriko had no choice but to engage in conversation. She'd let a sigh slip in with her words, and Touko-san's cheeks puffed up.

"Noriko-san, that troubled face is hurtful. Especially since Touko's thinking about you."

"I didn't ask you to think about me so you can stop huh!?"

Noriko recoiled. Why was the girl in front of her pouting and getting teary eyed?

"H-hold on a minute."

In truth, she was incredibly flustered.

Noriko had been tossed around in the stormy seas of peer interaction during her time at a co-ed public middle-school, but not once had she encountered a situation like this. It was unthinkable that she would make a girl cry.

"Crying at school, isn't that something that stops in elementary school?"

"Who ever decided that?"

Touko-san mumbled as she quietly sobbed, hiding her face with her hands.

"If I want to cry, and I've done all I can to endure it, why shouldn't I cry?"

"Well, that's true but - "

Crying in a place like this, she'd be publicly humiliated. Noriko stood up, put her arm around Touko-san's shoulder and walked her out to the hallway.

They went out the emergency exit and Noriko spread out a handkerchief on the steel staircase and sat Touko-san down on it.

"That's the only handkerchief I have."

Touko-san nodded at her words, then took a floral handkerchief out of her own pocket and dried her tears with it.

"Why would something like that make you cry "

Even as she was amazed, Noriko was a little bit jealous. It was proof that Touko-san could show her emotions, whether laughing or crying, without worrying about other people's opinions.

She was probably a darling little girl. That's what Noriko thought. Now that she was thinking about it, Noriko couldn't remember the last time she cried.

"I'm sorry I made you cry."

Noriko gently put her hand on the shoulder of the sniffling girl.

"No, it's Touko's fault."

"You were going to tell me about the Maria Ceremony?"

At which point Touko-san's expression suddenly brightened. This girl was a crow, huh. Not just from the color of her uniform, but the way she'd been crying - that's the sort of person she was.

"So about the Maria Ceremony."

According to Touko-san:

The Maria Ceremony was held in the middle of May and was peculiar to Lillian's, so it didn't seem to be a standard event for devout Catholics. Touko-san, who had been at Lillian's since kindergarten, was of the opinion that the celebration of the Holy Mother was timed to coincide with Mother's Day.

"Even though I called it a celebration, there's no stalls or anything like that."

"Aha."

"But we decorate the school's statues of Maria-sama with flowers. And there's no classes, instead we have mass."

Touko-san happily counted on her fingers as she continued to explain. How everyone tried to catch a glimpse of the kindergarteners as they paraded to the high-school building dressed up as angels. Well, even someone as ignorant of Catholicism as Noriko could easily see how that would be a charming sight.

"Plus there's something for us first-year high-school students to look forward to after the mass. The onee-samas of the student council hold a ceremony to welcome the first-years."

"A welcoming ceremony?"

"The Yamayurikai welcome us as their new younger sisters."

" The Yamayurikai."

"Come on, you can't have forgotten that, Noriko-san. It's the name of the high-school student council."

It felt like she may have heard that before, at the entrance ceremony or on the second day of school. But since more than half of the first-years had come through Lillian's middle-school the explanation probably would have been covered quickly. And since Noriko wasn't all that interested in school life even though she came from another school, she shared that view.

Still, just the mass was depressing enough, but then there was another event after it.

"I'd rather have classes "

The words slipped out of her mouth.

"Again you say something outrageous, Noriko-san. Ah, if the rumors are true - "

Touko-san leaned over the edge of the emergency staircase and looked down. Noriko followed her gaze to where a group of students were walking through the courtyard towards the school building.

"They're the Yamayurikai executive members. From the front, it's Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Foetida and finally Rosa Gigantea."

"Rosa "

"Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Foetida, Rosa Gigantea."

Those tongue-twisters were apparently the traditional names given to the members of the high-school student council leaders. Red paper roll, blue paper roll, yellow paper roll - there were some unfathomable things at girls' schools.

"They've been doing Yamayurikai work during the lunch break."

The girl with the ringlet curls seemed to be in such rapt adoration that she probably wouldn't have noticed Noriko's surprise.

(That's !)

Noriko's gaze was fixed on the student walking third in line.

The person that Touko-san had called Rosa Gigantea was the Maria-sama that had been standing beneath the cherry tree.

Just before noon on the following Sunday, Noriko was aboard a train headed to District H.

She closed her eyes, her body nestled in a gently swaying seat. While there were some tourists, the outbound trains were largely deserted, so no-one had to stand.

The sunlight streaming through the window gently warmed the shoulders of her cardigan. As Noriko sunk most of her money into her hobby, she didn't have a large wardrobe to choose from. Consequently, her standard outfit of late was a red checkered dress that had been bought for her last year and a plain cardigan.

Click, clack. Click, clack.

She had brought a book to read, but she didn't feel like keeping her eyes open. Even if she forced herself to turn the pages, there was no way the words would penetrate her head. It wouldn't be all that different to reading a book written in Spanish or Chinese.

Click, clack. Click, clack.

Even with her eyes closed, she could tell she was getting closer to the countryside. There was probably a mountain not that far away. It could have been the smell telling her this, or the air temperature, or maybe it was simply speculation with nothing at all to back it up. From the changes in sunlight, she felt as though she'd passed through a number of woods.

She got up from her seat when the train announcer indicated they were arriving at her destination.

Noriko was definitely close to Shouguu Temple.

"A cheeseburger meal, please. Oolong tea for the drink."

Noriko stuffed her face with a hamburger at a fast food restaurant near the train station. Looking at her watch, it was just past noon.

She could see the bus terminal through the glass front of the store. That was where she'd catch a bus. But since it would be rude to visit at lunch time, Noriko decided to rest here for a little while longer.

Now that she had a chance to relax, she suddenly found herself getting excited.

(I'm going to see a Yuukai Maitreya !)

She'd found it hard to get to sleep last night, a bit like she was going to meet a pop idol. She'd exchanged a couple of emails with Takuya-kun before the big day arrived. Since his broken leg was nowhere near completely healed, he was unable to indulge in his hobby of visiting temples, but at least by assisting Noriko he seemed to feel some slight connection to Buddhist statues.

Sumireko-san had teased her, saying that he fancied her, but it wasn't that kind of relationship. It was like being in one of those groups that were really into reenacting Edo period society. They had similar tastes.

(But.)

His groundwork was usually good, and it looked as though his preparations were still fine despite the injury.

Takuya-kun hadn't just worked out the route for her, he'd also contacted Shouguu Temple and received permission for her to view the Buddhist statue, all before Noriko had done a thing. She really was completely indebted to him. It was great having someone that shared her hobby.

Since he'd done so much work for her, Yuukai's Maitreya must be absolutely incredible.

(Oh no.)

After a short reprieve, her excitement was building again.

The feeling had risen to the point where it was now like "finally arriving at the venue for the pop idol's concert."

(Calm down, calm down.)

She told herself, placing a hand over her heart. She'd lose everything if she got sick at this point. She would just die if she collapsed on the way to viewing a Buddhist statue. Even someone who could laugh off missing out on the entrance exams wouldn't be able to laugh at that.

"Huh ?"

Noriko raised her head, suddenly realizing she'd just seen someone she knew walk past, on the other side of the fast food restaurant's glass storefront.

"That was "

Noriko stood up and leaned forward, but she couldn't confirm what she'd seen.

"No, it couldn't have been."

Noriko sipped her remaining oolong tea. In the distance, they'd been wearing a plain kimono when she saw them from behind.

It must have been someone else. - Noriko sat down once again.

Running into her in a place like this. That sort of coincidence just didn't happen.

Despite its name, the Shouguu Temple was apparently a gargantuan place.[1]

At any rate, it was large and permanent enough to have bus routes traveling to "Shouguu Temple - North" and "Shouguu Temple - Central."

"Number 7, number 7 ah, here it is."

After checking the piece of paper with Takuya-kun's notes, she boarded the Number 7 bus headed to "Shouguu Temple - Central."

The bus was surprisingly empty. While the Shouguu Temple certainly wasn't as famous as the temples of Kyoto or Nara, there didn't seem to be any tourists heading there even though it was Sunday.

After fifteen minutes of gazing at tranquil scenery the bus arrived at the temple, which was spread out across a large plot of land situated in front of a moderately sized mountain. From the weathering of the temple gate, she could surmise that it was quite an old temple.

As she passed through the gate, Noriko called out to a temple worker who was sweeping the path, informing him of her name. He'd apparently been told to expect her, because he obediently ushered her in.

Noriko was led to the main temple building, and she let out a sigh when she sat on the tatami mat floor.

(Thank-you Takuya-kun!)

While you could have a look inside tourist temples just by paying the entrance fee, it was usually quite difficult to get inside normal temples.

The temple worker said the chief priest would see her, then left for about five minutes. While it certainly wasn't a long time to wait, Noriko couldn't help but get fidgety being left alone in the splendid temple building.

Finally, standing up, she walked over and stood in front of the principal image of the temple.

"Amitabha Tathagata "

From within the gloomy temple building, the dazzling golden statue of Amitabha Tathagata rose to the surface. Right hand elevated from the elbow, the fingers making a symbolic gesture, the left hand motioning towards the lotus flowers beneath. Since the figure was flanked on the left and right by Kannon and Seishi, it appeared to be the Amitabha triumvirate.

The gold-leaf was peeling off in places, but that just emphasized the sense of age.

"Incredible "

While she had been attracted here by Maitreya, Noriko found the principal image, which was about 2 metres tall including the pedestal, completely captivating.

"Does it please you?"

Noriko turned when she heard the voice and saw a middle-aged priest in monk's robes standing there smiling. He must be the temple's chief priest.

"You are, I presume, Nijou Noriko-san?"

"Ah, yes."

Noriko straightened her back and answered. Standing to attention. She didn't even stand like this during gym class.

Calm down, Noriko. She repeated this command in her mind. Standing before her was a human, not Maitreya.

"I see. You're "

The chief priest tapped his smooth head and then let out a single, "Ha."

"Oh, sorry. Shimura-san told me you were a lady, but I didn't think you'd be so young. From your appearance, it doesn't look like you're one of his university friends."

"My apologies. Shimura-san and I share the same hobby."

Shimura was Takuya-kun's surname.

"Ah, that's right. You came to see the Maitreya, didn't you? It's not in the temple, it's at the house. Please, follow me."

The chief priest said, then turned and started walking. Apparently he found it incredibly amusing that this young girl in her teens had the hobby of viewing Buddhist statues, because from time to time his shoulders would shake with suppressed laughter, as though remembering this.

"Um, did Yuukai really sculpt it?"

As they walked down the corridor, Noriko asked the question that had been bothering her. The chief priest then stopped and turned to face her.

"That's how it's been handed down, but that doesn't really matter, right?"

"Doesn't really matter?"

" To people in general. It matters a great deal to scholars and appraisers. But you just came to view it, right?"

Regardless of who made it, something good was good. On the flip side, even a famous sculptor could create a Buddhist statue with no soul. - That was what the chief priest was saying.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Noriko nodded.

"You're saying that when viewing a statue, I shouldn't consider extraneous matters. Is that right?"

"Exactly."

He smiled, looking satisfied, then resumed walking along the black timber hallway.

The chief priest's house was connected to the temple by a hallway. The inside was as large as she'd expected based on the outward appearance, and there seemed to be a number of people working in both the temple and house.

Noriko was ushered into a Japanese-style room where an attractive kimono-clad middle-aged lady brought her tea. From her bearing and the way she spoke, Noriko could tell that this was the chief priest's wife.

"Hey, what's Shimako up to?"

"She went to the train station on an errand earlier, but she returned a little while ago."

"Then call her over. I have to give a sutra reading at Muranishi-san's house."

"That's right."

"Um "

Noriko couldn't follow the conversation he was carrying out with his wife.

"Quickly now."

After he said this, his wife left the room immediately. Presumably, Shimako was their daughter and the chief priest intended to leave Noriko in her care.

Less than a minute later, a young woman's voice called out, "Father, I've brought the Maitreya statue," from the corridor, then slowly opened the sliding screen.

She was dressed in a kimono, just like her mother, with her eyes on the ground as she entered the room carrying a wooden box and then she bowed deeply.

"I'm Shimako."

"Ah, I'm Noriko."

Terrible as it may be, she'd unintentionally introduced herself with her first name - a bad habit she'd picked up at school. A portion of her usually depressing school life had reared its head in a strange situation. Less than a month in and she was already indelibly stained by it. Usually when meeting someone for the first time, she would introduce herself with her surname.

As expected, because of Noriko's puzzling behavior, the other girl slowly raised her head.

The moment their eyes met, they both caught their breath at roughly the same time. That neither let out an audible gasp was remarkable.

(What's she doing here!?)

Between them, an invisible cherry blossom blizzard whirled. No, rose petals seemed more appropriate in this situation.

- Because the person that had appeared in front of Noriko was the Maria-sama statue's exact double, "Rosa Gigantea."

The chief priest left the room, saying, "I'll leave you young people alone," which was the sort of line you'd expect to hear from an arranged marriage match-maker.

Now, the trouble was with those "young people" that had been left alone.

After the sound of the sliding screen closing came a brief period of uncomfortable silence. Because the next words and actions would have a profound effect on their relationship from here on. Unfortunately, Noriko had never been involved in an arranged marriage interview, but she had seen one in a TV drama. In that instance, the heroine had invited her partner to a splendid Japanese-style garden. Come to think of it, this temple had a nice garden too.

Unfortunately, the chief priest's daughter Shimako-san was not her partner in an arranged marriage interview, so Noriko couldn't use a cliched phrase like, "Shall we take a stroll in the garden?"

After a deep breath that was almost a sigh, Shimako-san regained her composure and placed the wooden box she was carrying on top of the table.

"Yuukai's statue of Maitreya - "

She unraveled the cord that was binding the box along its length and breadth.

"is not connected to the Shouguu Temple, but has been passed down in our family for generations."

"I see."

Even as she replied, Noriko's gaze shifted from the fingertips, to the arms, and then up to the face of the girl in front of her.

(There's no doubt about it.)

Wearing a plain kimono, her hair collected in a loose ponytail behind her. She looked a couple of years older than when she was wearing her school uniform. But she was definitely the same girl that Noriko had exchanged words with beneath the cherry tree.

"So its existence isn't widely known, and we don't usually allow viewings without a referral."

She took the statue from the wooden box, turned it to face Noriko and said, "Go ahead."

"- It's."

A sound came from Noriko's throat.

Such a mercenary. Until just now she'd been interested in this person named "Shimako," but the Maitreya statue consumed all her attention the moment it was presented to her.

It was the nature of a Buddhist statue enthusiast.

Because of that, she looked at Yuukai's statue of Maitreya as though she were in a dream.

It wasn't that large. At an estimate, it was about 25cm tall. The entire thing was rough-hewn, and the characteristic dark color of ancient dried wood combined with the expression on the face made for an incredibly simple half-lotus statue.

"Lovely It's like my soul's being cleansed "

She felt like she understood the words of the chief priest in her heart, and not just in her head.

It wasn't a question of whether it was sculpted by Yuukai or not. No matter who made it, she would have been just as moved by this statue.

There was no doubt that Buddha dwelled in there.

"I see. That's definitive proof that your soul is pure."

Shimako-san said quietly, all smiles, her voice like limpid water.

"I'm glad I was allowed to view this."

The shoes which she'd left at the temple entrance had at some point been transferred to the house's entry.

Noriko put her shoes on, then:

"I'll take her to the bus stop."

Shimako-san informed the female assistant who seemed to have that job, then put on a pair of zori sandals.

"Ah, you don't have to go the trouble."

"But it's a different bus stop to the one you arrived at."

Hearing this, Noriko couldn't refuse her offer. So she bowed her head and asked Shimako-san to guide her.

The temple just looked like a big house from this side. The plain nameplate hung from the door established that Shimako-san's surname was "Toudou."

Not a word was spoken as they walked along the narrow street leading to the bus stop. There was an ancient moss-covered wall that continued along the roadside far into the distance. The street itself was wide enough that a single car could easily travel along it, but there wasn't a lot of room for two cars to pass each other on the downward sloping hill, which may have been the reason that the main entrance wasn't on this street. The area was thick with trees towering over the wall, as well as lots of bamboo thickets.

Perhaps that was why the street had the smell of greenery, like after an evening shower.

Silence.

But, like the time they had both looked up at the cherry tree, it wasn't something to be content with.

It wasn't that nothing needed to be said, but despite needing to say something Noriko couldn't find the words. It was an oppressive silence.

"You're not going to ask, I see."

"Huh?"

Shimako-san had been the first one to speak.

"About the contradiction inherent in me, the daughter of a Buddhist priest, attending the Catholic Lillian's Girls Academy."

"Um "

She'd wanted to ask, but hadn't known whether it would be okay to do so. And if that was a contradiction then the same applied to Noriko herself, since she had come here to view a Buddhist statue while also a student at Lillian's.

Perhaps mindful of Noriko's reticence, Shimako-san changed her line of questioning.

"What did you want to be when you were in elementary school, Noriko-san?"

"What, like an occupation?"

Thinking she was saying something astonishing, Noriko answered, "Buddhist statue maker." Shimako-san responded with, "That's unusual," and let a small smile shine through.

Noriko had no idea what passed for popular aspirational occupations these days, but she seemed to remember her classmates had said florist, or kindergarten teacher, or TV star. At any rate, she'd never met another girl who wanted to be a Buddhist statue maker.

" - As for me, I wanted to be a nun. Ever since I was really young."

Shimako-san said quietly.

"A nun?"

"You can laugh, it's okay."

While Noriko had been prepared for laughter in response to her answer, the atmosphere made it impossible to laugh.

But still, a nun. Just like a Buddhist statue maker, it seemed to be a fairly unusual choice.

"Perhaps it was a reaction. The daughter of a Buddhist priest becoming a nun."

Shimako-san said unemotionally, her eyes downcast, as they walked together.

"There was an innocence to it when I was young. But gradually I became old enough to understand what was going on around me. When that happened, I started to see my future dream as something I couldn't speak of."

"But it's your family that has the temple."

Religious freedom and freedom of occupation should be protected by the Japanese constitution.

"Religion goes to the very core of your being, so it's quite complicated. Especially since ours is an old temple."

Religion was supposed to be something that saved people's souls. But it had also caused wars in the past. In reality, while religious persecution was primarily done for political power, society at large did discriminate against those who believed in different creeds.

- Hidden Christian.

This thought popped into Noriko's mind. It wasn't that long ago that Japan lacked religious freedom. It was less than 150 years since the country had opened up and the prohibition on Christianity was lifted.

150 years ago. Sumireko-san's grandmother would have been alive then. It was recent enough that you could imagine what it was like.

Although you could also say that 150 years was long enough for society's attitudes to change. Maybe it was a problem that wouldn't have to be addressed again in the future.

Shimako-san probably knew this from experience, since she'd been born into a temple family. That's why she restrained herself.

"But it didn't work."

Shimako-san raised her head, looking up at the heavens.

"When I tried to restrain it, it just made my yearning for Catholicism grow stronger. Then, when I was in sixth-grade of elementary school, I finally told my father."

"What happened?"

Noriko pressed for more. She was anxious to find out the result, like she was reading a mystery novel.

"I told him I wanted to enter into a convent when I was 12, and that he should disown me."

"Wha!?"

"Then my parents panicked and started trying to persuade me. Oh, was it really that strange?"

"Shimako-san, you may be a far more astounding person than you appear "

No matter how much she longed for it, a 12 year old wouldn't usually have that level of determination. It wasn't like sumo wrestling or the entertainment business, where the earlier she started the better.

"Then my father said, "There's a lot you still don't know about religion. You should go to a Catholic school, then make up your mind after studying it properly.""

"So that's why you're at Lillian's "

Shimako-san gave a small nod of confirmation.

"I think my father is right when he says that a determination that yields to persuasion is an insult to those who carry it. But I didn't have the passion to enforce my opinion over their opposition, nor the strength to cast aside my own parents. That's all it was."

Noriko didn't think it was a question of passion or strength. Simply that Shimako-san was serious about filial piety. She accepted her parents' persuasion so that her desire for disinheritance wouldn't cause a problem for them. It wasn't indecisiveness. It was a manifestation of Shimako-san's gentle nature.

The bus stop came into view as soon as they entered onto the main road.

After walking the short distance, the pair naturally sat down on the bench at the bus stop. The names of ice-creams and soft-drinks being advertised on the back of the bench had been worn away to the point they were barely legible, and the retro plastic bench blended seamlessly with the surrounding greenery giving the area the complete impression of a rural bus stop. When Shimako-san sat down wearing her plain kimono, not often worn by teenage girls, it once again gave a different impression.

There was no-one waiting at the bus stop ahead of them, nor did anyone arrive after them.

"There was one senior, since graduated, who knew about this."

Shimako-san said.

"Now there's no-one else. You're the only student at Lillian's that knows."

"You're keeping it hidden?"

"Yes, it's a promise I made with my father. Both at school and outside, I'm to hide the fact that I, the daughter of the chief priest of Shouguu Temple, attend a Catholic school It's a large temple, so if the parishioners who support the temple found out it could cause trouble."

Then she muttered, "Even if it is false testimony."

"But while my religion is important to me, I love my father too."

After she said this, Shimako-san took a deep breath. Then she turned to Noriko and smiled.

"I feel a lot better now. Like I've confessed my crimes and am now seeking forgiveness."

"But, I can't "

Noriko wasn't a minister who could hear confession, and obviously she wasn't God either. She was just another lamb that was equally as lost as, no, even more lost than Shimako-san.

"Just listening was enough. I'm not asking anything of you."

Shimako-san murmured, "Thank-you for listening," then lapsed into silence once more. She appeared to be thinking about something, but Noriko couldn't even guess at what that "something" was.

A bus appeared.

Destined for H Train Station. The bus Noriko was meant to get on.

"Well then."

Shimako-san stood up first. The bus steadily grew larger, heading towards them at full speed.

"Ah, um, what are you planning on doing, Shimako-san?"

Hearing the words Noriko blurted out, Shimako-san said, "Hmm?" and smiled lonesomely.

In front of them, the bus smoothly came to a halt. Just then, Noriko had a realization.

"Don't tell me you're going to stop coming to school!? Just because I found out!?"

The bus door opened. There was no-one getting off.

"Climb on board."

Noriko put her foot on the step at Shimako-san's urging. Once she'd boarded the bus, Noriko turned around and said:

"I won't say anything."

"Ah "

"Shimako-san, you won't tell me not to say anything because you don't want to involve me, right? But I'm already deceiving Maria-sama, although not as seriously as you. So what's one more thing?"

When the door closed, Noriko ran to the back seat, stuck her head out the open window and shouted out:

"Shimako-san!"

The bus started to move.

Shimako-san's surprised face grew further and further away. But Noriko believed that her feelings had been successfully conveyed.

Because she could see the small kimono-clad figure waving exuberantly.

As she was jostled by the clattering, empty bus, Noriko felt like she understood one thing. The reason why Shimako-san had been attracted to that cherry tree.

The single cherry tree standing amongst the gingko trees.

She must have been seeing herself repeated in that tree. The characters for Shouguu () are small () and temporary abode ()