マリア様がみてる
子羊たちの休暇

Maria-sama ga Miteru:
Kohitsuji-tachi no Kyuka

(Maria Sama is watching:
Vacation of the Lambs)

 

 

"You both looks well, Kiyo (キヨ) and Gensuke (源助). I am so glad."
"Thank you very much. You must be very tired. Please come in and relax."
Well, Sachiko-sama nodded as she turned to Yumi and stepped forward.
"This is Yumi, my younger sister. Thank you for your hospitality for this week."

Suddenly being introduced, Yumi hurriedly bowed her head.
"I am Fukuzawa Yumi. Thank you for your hospitality."
Next, Sachiko-sama held out her open palm up in front of the middle-aged couple.
"This is the Sawamuras (沢村), who is taking care of this place."

"My pleasure to meet you, Yumi. My name is Kiyo. Please make yourself at home."
"Call me Gensuke. If there is anything you feel unaccustomed to or inconvenient about, please feel free to tell us."
"T--Thank you very much."
Yumi was somehow relieved by the sociable couple. Kiyo and Gensuke. Kiyo and Gensuke. They are going to take care of Yumi, so Yumi feel obliged to input the two names into her brain. Both names are very literal, comparable the building itself.

"Then may I take my leave now."
The driver, who had finished moving all the luggage in the trunk to the entrance, straighted up and said.
"Oh, come on Matsui (松井). We have prepared tea, so why not join us for some?"
Kiyo invited.
"No thanks. In the evening mister needs a ride, so I am to leave now. Madam, pardon my leave. Miss Fukuzawa, thank you very much for the lunchbox. It was delicious."
Matsui the driver seemed to have finished the lunchbox Yumi brought during the drive-in breaktime. Kiyo received the temperature-preserving case from Matsui, and said, "I will clean it afterwards."

"I will return a week later."
Leaving the sentence behind, the black car returned using the same route, and disappeared into the woods. Before, Yumi somehow thought that the driver would be staying with them for the whole week.
After the car disappeared, the resort land suddenly turned lonesome, like a river under a corduroy bridge (丸太橋).


 

Copyright 2003 Konno Oyuki / Shueisha
(C) 2003 今野緒雪・集英社
Translation v1.0 OTYAKU.COM
All rights reserved for original author and translator