English Translation of "Answer"

"Answer", by Konno Oyuki (half)

Ogasawara Sachiko looks like a monster.

Why does her figure as she walks silently along, with a large handbag hanging from her shoulder and that of a special effects monster destroying a town as if it were nothing more than a miniature garden seem to overlap when I look at her?

She always looks angry at something.

She looks like she’s struggling against some invisible force.

*Her adversaries have probably existed since before today and are many in number.

She looks like her own existence is beyond her control.

She doesn’t even receive a little bit of sympathy from the world around her.

Whenever the monster takes a walk, she destroys the town.

However, it seems as if the monster doesn’t even have a place to go to when she is injured.

The monster carries these sorrows with her.

Once again, this is Lillian Girl’s Senior High School student Ogasawara Sachiko.



“Have you made a choice yet, Youko?”

From behind her Rosa Chinensis asks.

“……What do you mean, oneesama?”

Youko answers without even stopping her hands from their tea preparation. So, of course she didn’t even turn around or look over her shoulder.

“That’s not cute.”

Her oneesama answered.

“Your hesitation before you said “what do you mean?” tells its own story you know. You know very well of what I’m talking about.”

“I’m sorry.”

While saying this, Youko poured Darjeeling tea from the teapot into some cups. A soft fragrance ascended with the steam from the cups and softly wrapped around her body.

Her training was severely lacking when it came to handling situations like this. Hoping to pull herself together, she took one deep breath.

“Is this about petite soeurs?”

The setting is afterschool in the Rose Mansion. Three cups had been carried to the table. Rosa Chinensis and Youko were thus speaking.

“Just one thing, you should choose a petite soeur with a peculiar characteristic that is easy to distinguish, Youko-chan. That is my request.”

Says Rosa Gigantea, Satou Sei’s grande soeur.

“An easily distinguished characteristic?”

“For example, a person who is really tall or a person who is plump like a sumo wrestler, or a person who has a voice like a toad, or really frizzy, curly hair…”

“Or a person with an exotic, Western-looking face?”

Youko said and Rosa Gigantea responded happily “Exactly like that!” as her shoulders shook.

“So that you don’t even need to say the person’s name, you can just say look at that boyish girl over there and the person you are talking to will know exactly who you talking about.”

“Ah, Hasekura Rei”

The name of one of the new first years came forth from Rosa Chinensis’ mouth. Upon first meeting her, you might think she is a handsome young man because of her very short hair and height. Because Rosa Foetida en bouten—Torii Eriko—seemed to have an interest in her, besides knowing what she looked like, they also knew that the girl was signed up for the kendo club.

*“That’s just like Eriko-chan. She is already firmly zeroed in on her target.”

*“It’s not only us, until Rosa Foetida everything just went unchecked didn’t it?”

“Eriko-chan is not one to be content within conventional boundaries now is she? I heard that she is going today with (her Grande Soeur) Rosa Foetida to watch the kendo club’s practice. So they will be a little late.”

“She went as far as to bring her oneesama along?"

“There is a second-year in the kendo club who is adding some pressure to the situation. Hasekura Rei is already attached to the Yellow Rose family, but there are many who follow the pattern of seniors and juniors within the kendo club pairing up and becoming soeurs.”

“I see……”'

Since the current petite soeur problem of the Yellow rose family seemed to be solved, The Roses brought the conversation to a close and sipped their tea. They were probably feeling a bit envious.

Not even a month had passed since the new students had come; it was the beginning of May. So, Youko expected the Roses to be patiently keeping an eye on her, but instead she found herself being picked at by the upperclassmen in this manner and it was not a very enjoyable experience. If it is the case that she was only being hassled because she had not yet found a candidate to make her petite soeur, then Satou Sei should be in the same position, but because Sei always skips the meetings at the Rose Mansion, Youko had to sit on this bed of thorns alone.

“In that case, it’s Youko-chan’s turn next. Please find a girl interesting enough so that she will not be overshadowed by Hasekura Rei for me.”

“Rosa Gigantea, if that is your request, please direct it toward your own petite soeur.”

“Sei, huh? ...Will that girl chose a petite soeur or won’t she? Don’t you feel like she already has her hands full dealing with her own problems?”

“You’re being indulgent, the same as always.”

Rosa Chinensis looks at Rosa Gigantea critically. Rosa Gigantea’s over-protectiveness with regard to her petite soeur did not start today.

“Look, Sei will never fit into the typical mold because, if she tried, she would break into a bunch of little pieces. If that were to happen, someone would have to gather up the pointy fragments scattered about the floor in order to make them into a united body once more.”

By making just that sort of brief threat, Rosa Gigantea had continued to stick up for her petitie soeur until now. Although Youko felt that this was not a solution to the problem, but a temporary remedy, she really did not want to see her friend Satou Sei hurt or broken. So, after all, she went along with Rosa Gigantea’s manner of doing things. They would indulge Sei together. They would all bear the responsibility.

“I wonder what made you choose such a bothersome person to be your petite soeur…Rosa Gigantea?”

Rosa Gigantea laughed at Rosa Chinensis’ words.

“Because I wanted a delicate glass ornament to gaze at.”

After being told by Rosa Gigantea that she liked her face, Sei made the decision to become her petite soeur. Surely, that is the ultimate example of courtship.

“Personally, I believe having a practical petite soeur like Youko is more of a convenience. But, I can understand where you’re coming from, however.”

“By the way, if Sei-chan is a glass ornament, what do you think Youko is?”

“A furoshiki.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“She is useful in that she is handy when you need her. She can never become a hindrance and she cannot be broken.”

“That’s clever! Two zabuton for you!”

Rosa Gigantea clapped her hands. The phrase fit Youko perfectly. Youko herself did not think that speaking about her figuratively in this manner was particularly dignified.

*“This is the request of Youko’s grande soeur. If you are able, please appoint it high priority status in your mind. Not made of vinyl, but one made of cloth. Look, there is even embroidery and a name stitched in!”

Youko was grateful for Rosa Chinensis’ modest consideration, but it was spoiled by her ensuing laughter. When Youko made a complex facial expression and sighed, her grade soeur said, “I almost forgot” and held out a single notebook.

“What is this?”

“We tried to make a listing of all of the important first years. You don’t have to pick a first year from among those listed, but it is a valuable resource, don’t you agree?”

“I’ll take a look at it.”

If they were to try something this meddlesome on Sei, I bet she would vehemently oppose. While entertaining this thought, Youko took the notebook. Inside simple profiles for about 20 first years were written, including things like their name, class, and club activities. Hasekura Rei, who was going unchecked by all three of the Roses, was of course not included. Youko flipped through the pages of the notebook. However, there were not even portraits of the first years included; how could she possibly be expected to choose a petite soeur based on their name alone?

“Using this notebook as a reference book seems like a very difficult thing, Oneesama.”

“That’s true. It is best not to rely too heavily on the notebook.”

*It seems that half of the reason it was drawn up was for the purpose of amusement. Either that or because they really enjoyed seeing Youko react. Because the Roses used their heads and put as much effort into an elaborate prank like this as they would into studying for an exam, I guess I should probably react in some way.

“Ah!” Youko noticed the page of a particular first year.

“……the monster.”

“Monster?”

“Oh, nothing.”

*Despite my surprised murmur, it was clear that of course the monster would be included in the list. After all, that girl is regarded as a celebrity among the students of Lillian Jogakuen. Even though there wasn’t a picture, Youko knew all about this girl.

“Ah, Ogasawara Sachiko?”

Rosa Gigantea said as she snuck a peek at the notebook in Youko’s hands.

“Why is this girl’s page crossed out?”

“Although her name is included in the list for the time being, we unanimously decided to cross it out after having made the judgment that that girl becoming someone’s petite soeur is an impossibility.”

Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Gigantea, Rosa Foetida. This means it was the collective opinion of all three of the Roses.

“Because she will be hard to deal with, being a rich, high class girl?”

Ogasawara Sachiko was the daughter of the president of a large company.

*“Whether she was a rich person’s daughter or a commoner’s daughter, it would make no difference with regard to this underclassman. Whoever you choose to be your petite soeur, you might find out in time that particular person is actually the exact opposite of you personality-wise, so personality-related problems--like whether someone is difficult to deal with or easy to deal with--are usually revealed only after some time. So, that sort of concern is one for a future time, wouldn’t you think?”

“So?”

This time when Youko asked for the reason behind eliminating Ogasawara Sachiko’s page, Rosa Chinensis answered.

“That’s simple. Ogasawara Sachiko has no free time.”

“She has after-school lessons?”

When Youko spoke what had been floating around in her head, the two Roses said, slightly surprised, “I knew it”.

“I have seen her on the path to and from school a few times carrying a large satchel besides her handbag.”

“A few times, huh?”

Rosa Chinensis emphasized this phrase, but Youko pretended not to notice and continued with her story.

“But, I assumed she had club activities—“

Hasekura Rei will become Eriko’s petite soeur even though she is enrolled in the kendo club. Besides, it was not strange for young, unmarried women to be taking one or two kinds of lessons. In fact, it didn’t appear that any of the other first years listed didn’t take some kind of lesson.

“Club activities aren’t every day.”

“But, you’re saying that that girl’s lessons are every day.”

Rosa Chinensis nodded.

“Even if they were every day, school club activities would be easy to do while serving on the student council. Depending on one’s busyness, if you allot your time and have the talent for it—although it would be an extreme case—because the activities are on the same premises it would be possibly to come and go as you please.”

However, if your responsibilities require you to head home/off-campus after school, there is no way to get by. Because it is one of these circumstances, Ogasawara Sachiko has been eliminated from the list.

“That’s the only reason why you removed her from the list?”

“That’s the only reason. You do agree that it is one that is difficult to get around, don’t you?”

Rosa Chinensis smiled and took a sip of her black tea.

“I understand.”

Youko closed the notebook. That is all.

“You must succeed in persuading Ogasawara Sachiko to quit her lessons, Youko.”

Rosa Chinensis said without even raising her head. Appearing as if she was merely discussing the weather.

“Oneesama……”

How could she do that? As if she could reach beyond her petite soeur’s own self-consciousness, the grande soeur guessed Youko’s emotions accurately.

*“It is a problem outside of school. At best, the girl's grande soeur might be able to meddle a little.”

“Then, what should I do?”

“What should you do? You ask, but just what kind of situation do you want to get yourself in to?”

“What kind?”

“Have you chosen Ogasawara Sachiko to be your petite soeur?”

“No.”

I couldn’t say yes, but no was definitely a lie. It is not wrong to say that Ogasawara Sachiko’s existence has been wearing heavily on my mind, but I did not immediately jump to wishing she was my petite soeur.

Regarding whether or not I was actually opposed to the idea, I was unable to make up my mind. She would probably turn out to be a troublesome partner like Satou Sei, wouldn’t she? Besides the problem of the lessons, there would probably be other difficulties, I thought.

“If that’s the case, then there is nothing you can do about it, right? So, stop worrying about it.”

When she was met with no response, she asked once more.

“Youko, please respond.”

“……Yes.”

Despite her words, Youko could no doubt feel her emotions leaning more and more toward Ogasawara Sachiko.