81 - Side Story: Mirshe's Perspective - The Rich Young Lady 1
At the end of summer I turned seven years old, and starting in autumn I had reached the age to attend the Menhishumi Church.
Being able to attend the Menhishumi Church made me happy, like I would become a little more of a big sister than the neighborhood kids.
If I could attend the Menhishumi Church, even I would be able to read and write.
Normally, few children start attending the Menhishumi Church right when they turn seven.
Those kinds of children are the rich kids.
Rich children can eat without working from a young age, and children from ordinary families attend the Menhishumi Church once they are a bit older and can earn money.
For a poor family like mine, normally we cannot afford to attend the Menhishumi Church until we become adults.
But I was going to be able to attend the Menhishumi Church from autumn.
I was happy to be able to learn reading and writing early.
Because being able to read and write alone changes how much you can earn.
It was not that my parents, looking ahead to the future, thought they would have me learn reading and writing first even if it was now hard, nothing like that.
Simply, I was being attached as my older brother's babysitter.
My brother was bigger than other kids his age, a ruffian with absolutely no self-control.
There are plenty of places that would hire even a child if they could work, but there is no place that would hire a violent child with no self-control or composure.
Hoping that at least if he could read and write he might find work, they sent my brother to the Menhishumi Church as soon as he turned seven, but my brother, who apparently was violent even at church, showed no signs of learning to read or write.
On the contrary, he seemed to only be a nuisance to the other children attending the Menhishumi Church.
A neighborhood big sister who also seemed to attend the Menhishumi Church was always giving me complaints about my brother.
...If only Teo did not exist.
Since I could remember, I had had nothing but trouble from Teo, who was like a baby who was only called "big brother" because he was born first.
He had never once done anything like a real older brother.
I was happy to learn to read and write earlier than other kids at the Menhishumi Church, but I could not feel enthusiastic knowing I would have to babysit Teo.
When I actually started attending the Menhishumi Church, the eyes of the adults around me were cold.
First they would furrow their brows and say, "Oh, that brat (Teo)'s sister?" then after listening to endless complaints about my brother, they would warn me for just as long as the criticism, saying if I caused a disturbance in class too, they would throw me out immediately.
...But I am not like Teo.
The teachers' eyes spoke eloquently of their inner thoughts of "the brat's sister."
They probably even resented me for just entering the classroom.
It felt so uncomfortable I wanted to run away immediately.
...Wow. There is an incredibly cute girl...!
Though my heart was heavy, when I opened the classroom door, a girl with black hair was sitting in the front row seat.
She sat properly with both hands on her knees, her back straight.
Her clothes did not have a single patch or even a wrinkle, and the perfectly fitted outfit was clearly made for her.
I had only ever seen kids wearing slightly larger clothes with folded sleeves and hems to account for growth, or conversely kids whose sleeves and hems were too short, so I could tell right away that a child wearing clothes made for them was rich.
...She is a bit bigger than me, so maybe she is an older sister?
Or maybe a big kid the same age.
I liked her at first sight and wanted to become friends, but next to the girl sat a slightly older boy.
I could tell this boy was also raised with some degree of manners.
At the very least, he did not have the air of someone whose life had gotten easier from earning a bit more money and could now attend the Menhishumi Church.
...Ah, he took a writing board out of his bag and handed it to the girl. That means... he is that girl's attendant!?
The girl and the boy exchanged a few words, then faced forward again.
Class would not start until the bell rang, but they showed no sign of chatting with the other children.
...That corner alone has a different atmosphere.
The well-behaved young lady and the properly trained attendant boy stood out in the classroom.
The older girls looked like they wanted to talk to her, as the young lady was cute and her clothes were pretty, but they were aware that the worlds they lived in were too different.
As a result, they hesitated to approach the young lady, and the seats beside and behind her were empty.
...Well, sitting next to her is...!
The Menhishumi Church gives equal learning opportunities to those who seek knowledge.
Even if she was a young lady from a different world, as long as we were in the same classroom, we were equals.
Even if I sat next to her, she probably would not openly tell me to "go away" or anything.
...But if she finds out I am Teo's sister, will she make a face?
I gathered my courage and sat next to the young lady, but I was too scared to speak to her.
I did not want her to know I was Teo's sister.
Even if she did not say it, was she thinking "do not come near me, poor person"?
I had too many worries. Were my clothes dirty, did I smell strange?
I was so nervous that the excited feeling of having my first class had disappeared somewhere.
During the reading and writing lesson, the words "you are dirty, go away" never came from the young lady's mouth.
I was relieved that she said nothing, but I also felt a little disappointed.
Whatever the words, I wanted to hear this cute girl say something to me.
...Even up close, she is cute.
I stole glances at her serious profile as she compared the writing board on the wall with her own.
Her earnest practice at copying showed she had come to genuinely learn to read and write.
When the arithmetic lesson ended, there was a slightly longer break.
Perhaps wanting to take a breather too, the young lady left the classroom with her attendant boy.
The older girls moved as if following her lead.
They were also aiming to somehow talk to the young lady.
Thinking that if they got ahead of me I would surely never be able to get close, I hurriedly followed after too.
When I got outside the classroom, the older girls were still watching the young lady from a distance.
They wanted to talk to her but could not.
I understood that feeling well.
I understood well, but if I backed down here, I would never talk to her in my life.
This kind of chance was only while attending the Menhishumi Church where everyone was treated equally, I thought, and I gathered my courage to call out to the young lady.
"Um, I am Mirshe! Please tell me your name, big sister!"
I said it on impulse, and then I realized.
I felt I had been a bit too forward with someone who was obviously a young lady.
The stares from the girls around me were painful too.
...I called her "big sister"!? Should I have called her "young lady"? Right? I messed up, did I not!?
The young lady's blue eyes went round in surprise, and then she checked if I was talking to her.
As I thought, had I spoken to her in a way that was unthinkably rude for a young lady?
As I was sweating internally, the young lady, who had blinked for a moment, did not seem particularly bothered and instead smiled with a faint blush on her cheeks.
...Ah, she really is cute.
I was captivated by the young lady's smile for a moment, and then she opened her small mouth.
"I am Ti..."
...Even her voice is cute.
Her small mouth opened and in a lovely voice the young lady tried to tell me her name, but then the usual meddlesome (Teo) bug burst in.
Before I could stop him, Teo circled behind the young lady and roughly pulled her neatly tied black hair.
I despaired at my brother (Teo), who spat out incomprehensible words about "do not bully my sister."
It was just like always.
Whenever it seemed like I might become friends with someone, Teo always showed up from somewhere to interfere.
The meanness and violence were constant.
Because of this, I had never had a real friend.
...And I thought I might be able to become friends with the cute big sister! Stupid Teo!!
This was the end.
Even this cute young lady I had just met would hate me as that brat (Teo)'s sister.
That is what I thought, but the result was a little different.
I thought the young lady would be made to cry by the violent Teo, but instead she fought back and brilliantly made Teo cry.
Amazing! Other than older boys, I have never seen anyone make Teo cry!
The young lady who made Teo cry was punished by Guide Anna under the principle of both parties being at fault.
I did not think the young lady was at fault at all, but she quietly followed the Guide's instructions.
So different from Teo, who started throwing a tantrum with complaints.
The struggling Teo was eventually dragged away by the gatekeeper who stood at the Menhishumi Church gate.
The bell rang to resume class, so I could not talk to the young lady any more, but from a conversation with her attendant boy Nils, I learned she would be staying at the church until her family came to pick her up.
If I looked for her right after class ended, I might at least be able to apologize for Teo's actions.
When class ended, I immediately ran out of the classroom and searched for the young lady.
Since she was a young lady, I thought she might be resting in the teachers' room with special treatment, but I peeked in and did not see her.
After walking around the grounds searching for the young lady, I finally spotted her back as she was leaving through the main gate with an adult who was clearly also an attendant.
"Um, Tina big sister, I am sorry about Teo today."
First, I would apologize for Teo's rudeness.
After bowing my head with that thought, I noticed my mistake again.
...Not "big sister"! Should I not be calling her "young lady"!?
What should I do, was she angry?
I had been more than a little pushy.
As I panicked internally thinking I had to quickly correct myself and apologize, the young lady who I had called "Tina big sister" did not show any signs of getting angry and instead smiled cutely.
"Um... Mirshe-chan, right? You do not need to apologize. I already paid him back properly, you know."
She even apologized a little apologetically, saying "Rather, I am sorry for making your big brother cry, okay?"
I had had plenty of people complain to me about Teo, but this was the first time anyone had apologized.
And she was also the first person who told me I did not need to apologize.
Mother did not scold Teo even when he caused trouble, and instead sent me to apologize.
The children hit by my brother never said anything directly to Teo or Mother, and only complained to me.
Sometimes I would even get hit myself.
Why did I, who had done nothing wrong, have to apologize?
All those countless frustrating feelings felt like they had been blown away thanks to the young lady in front of me.
She was the first person who saw me separately from Teo.
I hated bowing my head because of Teo, but thinking of it as a topic of conversation with the young lady, it was nothing.
I apologized properly for Teo once more and somehow managed to apologize for presumptuously calling her "Tina big sister," and the young lady said shyly, "I am happy you called me big sister."
She said I could keep calling her that.
...Tina big sister is such a good person!!
I had thought rich kids were all unpleasant, but Tina big sister was not like that at all.
She smiled warmly and cutely, and when I called her "Tina big sister" she would look a little embarrassed, but she would smile like she was really happy.
After we parted saying "see you," I wondered a little if this was a dream.
Actually, more than a little. I feel a bit embarrassed that I kept doubting it until she greeted me in class two days later.
Tina and Mirshe feel the same way about each other. They both think the other is a cute little girl and are charmed.