Rei-chan's first year at the sports college had gone well. It was even possible she'd be picked for kendo for the Olympics, Yoshino mused, though it was far, far more likely that someone who'd started more vigorously and much younger, like her other soeur, would have something like that happen to her. Well, it was an outside shot. Meanwhile, her likelihood of a successful career as a trainer or medic was extremely high.

Chisato had managed to lead the club to victory and keep her grades up only because Yoshino, who was naturally lazy and bored unless some sort of conflict was afoot, had quelled her nature in her senior year and behaved more like Shimako and Yumi. She had managed to pull her weight as one of the Roses and be a hard-working assistant to Chisato.

It was well-known, Lilian's being what it was, that they'd fought over the same woman for a couple of years. Well, the same prince is how it was usually put, and they argued over whether it was an advantage or a disadvantage for Yoshino to be Rei's soeur and her sister-like cousin. Both, was the general consensus. It let her get away with monopolizing Rei outside of kendo, but it precluded — didn't it? — something more passionate from happening.

When they found out Hasekura was going away from Lilian's for college, the verdict was some girl there would get the prince. Yet so far, it seemed when Rei visited, she and Yoshino were as close as ever. Perhaps their romantic play had ended with graduation, which was the norm.

---

"Rei's parents won't be there. You won't get to meet them." This was Shimazu Yoshino to Tanuma Chisato. Chisato assumed she didn't know that this weekend was her birthday. They had very grudgingly become friends, mostly due to Chisato's sweet nature. "You won't ... well, can I spend much time visiting Hasekura-san?" that girl asked - somewhat timidly for someone who usually still beat Yoshino at kendo.

"Well, as for that ..." Yoshino began, then stopped. "As for that, I was going to ask you if you wanted to walk home with me." Chisato knew that they lived in adjoining buildings. "Rei-chan's already there and making dinner." She paused again. "But we should go by your house on the way, so you can sleep over."

"Will there be enough?" Chisato wondered.

"Definitely," Yoshino declared. "For one thing, um, I won't be there."

"You won't?" Chisato said, shocked.

"No, this weekend I am spending with Shimako, Yumi, and our petit soeurs. Going to onsens. It's the first time just we have been able to get away."

"So, wait," Chisato began, "I am going to stay overnight, just me and Hasekura-san?"

"The whole weekend, if you wish. Rei-chan is going to leave late Monday morning and only do afternoon classes. So pack for three nights."

Chisato could not collect herself to respond to that.

"You know," mused Yoshino, "The Yamayurikai - it's really magical. I mean, when we got here, Youko, Eriko, Sei - were such imposing women. Yumi and I, and maybe even Shimako, we dreaded the idea of someday being the Roses. Never again, we were sure, would Lilian's have a group so wonderful. Then Yumi and I saw our beloved Onee-sans step up and overcome themselves - especially Sachiko - so the Yamayurikai was in good hands again. Then the axe fell and we were in charge, somehow. And, somehow, by some miracle, probably all that praying really does help, Shimako and Noriko got us in with the Buddha and Maria-sama, but anyway, the school didn't burn down, and somehow all the new generations didn't hate us. Anyway now — now with Noriko and Touko and Nana - I think I would stack those girls up against even our Roses. Oh, I hate this!"

Chisato looked at Yoshino. Was she ...

"Yes, I have been crying like Sachiko lately."

Poor Ogasawara, Chisato thought. It would be a pity if the most graceful princess ever to walk the halls of Lilian Jogakuen was primarily remembered for bawling her eyes out at her Onee-sama's graduation. She could identify a bit. She guarded her heart because it was fragile.

"It doesn't look like you've been dating here." Yoshino said, out of the blue. "Have you had your first kiss?"

It was really, seriously, none of her business, but they had been getting along lately.

"Well, some of us in the kendo club practiced ..."

"Pretending to be Rei-chan?" Bullseye.

"Rei-chan made rules, me, I have never been fond of them. Our rule was until I was eighteen, nothing more than some touching. Last year she let us not wear anything when we sleep in the same bed. Also, nothing with ..." she waved vaguely in the direction of her mouth. "But since I had my birthday last month, Rei-chan came and we spent some of the weekend here the one night her parents were away, and the other two nights at an onsen. From now on, we decide together what we want to do. You're still virginal, even with girls, Chisato? What about your barrier?"

Chisato was so flustered by the direction this was going she nodded before she could gather her wits enough to be angry.

"Then." A pause. "Let Rei-chan do it. It will just be part of everything else."

"Yoshino-san?"

"I never truly apologized for my jealous behavior. You were an angel to me. I hated being confined to my bed all the time, and I was too much of a coward to get my surgery until Yumi woke me up. And then I hated being an invalid. Without ever demeaning me, you got me into shape and let me truly share kendo with Rei-chan. Who knows what my life would be like if I had had the operation much younger? I know that without a much stronger attitude than I have, I could never quite catch up with you, Chisato-san, let alone someones like Rei or Nana. I thought about how you weren't dating all this time."

"I'm not giving her to you for keeps. We talked it over. Rei-chan and me. We're drawn to each other like magnets. Maybe if Rei-chan married someone with cosmic patience like Yumi's little brother, he could manage to fit me into their relationship somehow, but another woman? No way. Eventually, Rei-chan and I will be wife and wife. It's what we both want."

"So, what are you doing, Yoshino-san?"

"Me? I am leaving." Yoshino waved at Touko, who had arrived in Kashiwagi-san's car with the other four girls, sardines in a tin, almost hanging out of the car even without Yoshino. "I won't be thinking of you and Rei-chan at all, and I don't want either of you thinking about me. Happy Birthday, by the way."

So, she did know, Chisato thought.

"You had better start calling her Rei instead of Hasekura, though," Yoshino grinned. "Lovemaking, it's personal, it's not difficult. Just tell Rei-chan I don't mind. Anything and everything is okay. Tell her I said that. Anything and everything."

With that, she jumped in the car, where Touko was already looking impatient. Yumi looked over at Chisato and over at Yoshino, started to say something, then just grabbed Yoshino's hand and waved at Chisato. Yoshino followed suit.

And she wonders where the magic that keeps the Yamayurikai going comes from? Chisato mused. Then she walked up to Rei's door and knocked.