Yes, that's right. It was the four of us.
We four planned it together.
We thought we could force you to resign,
...if we exposed the secret between you and Misonoo Nanako.
That was our plan.
But, as it turned out, we couldn't find anything.
There was no secret to begin with.
Here are our resignations...
You resign? Of your own free will?
That is correct.
Very well then.
Thank you for your trouble.
Take care.
Miya-sama!
Please, there's one thing I hope you understand.
This was something we did solely to protect the Sorority.
I swear!
The Sorority can't be maintained solely on the strength of your pride.
Right now, we need something other than idealism and pride.
For instance, we might try inviting some regular students to some of our parties,
...or opening up the Sorority opera concert to the student body, even!
We need some new ideas to insure that the Sorority continues to exist...
To insure that the Sorority continues to exist?
Yes! What if the Sorority perishes because of your stubborn pride...
...where's the good in that?
We need to work to protect the special Sorority privileges we have!
Oh! Listen to you, now...
Is that really all the Sorority means to you?
32. Pride, and the Final Meeting
Please lend us your support!
One simple vote, and the Sorority is abolished.
Please support us!
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you!
Dear Brother,
...my newly found Brother...
Our petition is progressing very well.
Yesterday, we reached the one-third mark.
At this rate, reaching the one-half mark this week might be no fantasy after all.
It's going well -- perhaps even too well.
My Brother, at times like this I find myself pondering things.
Is this really the right thing to do?
Should I be involved in this?
The better things go, the more I wonder...
Do you ever feel that way?
I suppose you must.
Here is what happened today.
Misonoo-san?
Nanako-san... is there a place where we can sign too?
Katorea-no-Kimi! Vampanera-no-Kimi!
Yes, of course!
Amazing! You're all important Sorority members!
Not any more.
Did you... leave?
Yes, we did. Just now.
Oh. OK...
So, that's that.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
The best of luck to you.
My Brother,
...today I noticed something new.
Bit by bit, the Sorority has begun to unravel from within.
Please, wait! Yamamoto-san! Hoshino-san!
What do you think you're doing? How can you sign the petition??
What on earth are you thinking?
This movement is why we were expelled from the Sorority!
How can you support the campaign?!
You have no right to say that.
We had to leave the Sorority because of our involvement with you!
But now... but now, it doesn't matter.
Only the future matters.
After being expelled from it,
...we'll not rest easy until that Sorority is abolished. Never!
Yes! How can I watch Miya-sama's followers living the high life as usual...
I can't watch all that from the sidelines!
Better to end the Sorority forever than to suffer through that. Don't you agree?
We could never... feel that way...
So, what happened?
Umm... well, it's like this...
It's best to just say it.
Katorea-no-Kimi and Vampanera-no-Kimi signed, as you know.
Then today they were joined by Mona-Lisa-no-Kimi and Borgia-no-Kimi.
All four of them have resigned as members.
They may do as they wish.
Yes... yes, but...
But they say the petition has been signed by nearly half the students.
Excuse me...
Hand me that vase, please...
What? Oh... OK.
Thank you, Medusa-san.
Finally, more than half!
When Mona-Lisa-no-Kimi and Borgia-no-Kimi signed,
...it seemed to turn the tide in our favor.
When it reaches two-thirds, shall we present it to the school board?
I can hardly believe it.
What?
That the Sorority is so intensely hated by so many students,
...it's hard to believe. I don't WANT to believe it.
Yes, it's real!
This is how it really is!
Listen to this then...
Today a classmate shoved a petition book in my face.
Then, here's what she says: "Sign it."
"If you do, I'll forgive you for everything you did in the past."
As if I had sinned merely by joining the Sorority...
What?!
Maybe it would be wiser... not to stick with the Sorority,
...because of the social backlash following the abolition of the Sorority...
No, no! You mustn't allow yourself to get demoralized.
Don't you realize that now, of all times,
...is the time you must support Miya-sama!
Yeah...
It's heartbreaking to see you.
You, who were once our friend.
Ah, here's someone who signed up to abolish the Sorority.
I don't recall any friend who would do such a thing.
Excuse me.
I don't think you understand.
Why stay with the sinking ship until the very end,
...when only the captain gets any glory from it?
The best course... is to abandon ship.
Rei!
Who's there?
I'll be right out! Please wait!
I... I have something I must ask you.
You can answer just with a "yes" or "no".
All right?
You've become part of the petition drive...
Did you do that just because you hate me?
Just say "yes" or "no".
Yes.
Thank you.
No!
...yes!
No!
Rei...
Yes! I do hate you!
Rei.
No... but I love you!
Rei...
Hate...? ...but I love you!
Yes, I love you! I love you!
But... I hate you! Hate you! HATE YOU!
Why can't I remember?
What was its name...
That tiny village had a beach... its name escapes me now...
There was the roar of the surf in my ears...
...and snow falling, as if it didn't know how to stop.
I remember that part well enough.
But somehow, the name still eludes my memory.
Then, I realized I had forgotten that one thing...
...despite its importance.
Despite how utterly vital it is for the two of us!
Please tell me... tell me that name!
You remember it, don't you?
Surely you couldn't have forgotten it!
If you've forgotten... Then, I'll forget, too.
Tell me!
Tea ceremony... Did you say, tea ceremony?!!
Yes. A tea ceremony, after school, at the Sorority House.
All Sorority members are invited.
All the members?
Katsuragi-san,
...you are the only senior member remaining.
I'm relying on you to choose those who make the preparations,
...and to summon all of the members.
By the way... I gave official notice to the school board today.
You are replacing Komabayashi-san as vice-president of the Sorority.
Please do your best.
These are difficult times.
I will.
A tea ceremony?
Yes.
The remaining members are making a last stand.
This has become quite a crisis, hasn't it.
Believe it or not,
...a third of the Sorority have either resigned or signed the petition.
By the time I come back to school,
...things might be completely different there.
Hmm. Could be.
It seems to me that it isn't just the school...
...perhaps people's minds have changed as well.
I'd prefer to believe that it is only on the surface.
What?!!
I have something to show you.
It's my father's old novel.
Ichinomiya-san... um... Takashi-san had a copy and gave it to me.
Now, it seems like so long ago...
Papa had just met my mother. He fell in love with her,
...and they'd begun to live together.
That was before I was born, and before he was a famous writer.
They were so poor they couldn't even pay the rent.
It was Papa's wild youth... he had only his dream then.
When he had only love and talent to comfort him...
...this is the novel that reflected those times.
It is a very, very beautiful novel.
It made me happy...
...and though it's true that he is known as a porn writer now,
...my finding that he'd written this made me so happy deep inside.
It filled me with pride to know that I am his daughter.
That's how I felt.
I came to think...
...that this was who he really was -- that I'd found his true self.
Could I read it? I'd like to borrow it.
Me too, me too! After Nanako.
Thank you.
She hopes the changes are only surface ones,
...so that our souls can remain forever unchanged.
My Dear Brother...
I think that is what Mariko-san wanted to say.
At least, I think so.
But... but still...
But...
Miya-sama, the tea ceremony is ready.
Thank you for all you've done.
You... you're welcome.
What a shame.
It's just under two-thirds.
Really? After all that work?
It's OK. There's tomorrow, and the day after.
Hey, you'd better stop doing that in the classroom.
I think you're probably right.
Did you hear? About the tea ceremony?
Yes, none of the members are going...
The ex-members managed to organize a boycott.
That's the end of Miya-sama, then, isn't it?
Is that so? You, alone, prepared all the flowers and tea?
Yes... no one else... was willing to help.
Could you try one more time?
Ask all the members to come.
I'll be waiting.
Yes, I'll do that. Right away.
Please, listen to me!
Miya-sama is waiting for you!
She's alone! Alone and waiting at the Sorority house!
No! The Sorority is going to be abolished.
I've had enough of being looked down on by my classmates!
But... Miya-sama is there...!
Shouldn't you take advantage of this opportunity too?
If you refuse to return to the Sorority house,
...then you can join the rest of us here.
I can't.
Why not?
Say, Orihara-san... do you think you could convince her?
Tell her that the era of Miya-sama is finished.
That's right. The era of Kaoru-no-Kimi is starting.
The strongest candidate to replace Miya-sama is Kaoru-no-Kimi.
See, Katsuragi-san? It's OK.
Just declare your resignation here in front of Orihara-san, and you'll be safe.
Now listen here, all of you!
The reason I started this campaign was to put an end to that sort of thinking!
This leads to the same rotten situation as before!
Rei!
Saint-Juste-sama... Saint-Juste-sama...!
Fukiko-sama.
It's been so long... I've kept you waiting so long.
Finally, everyone is here.
Let's begin. Let's start, now.
Thank you. Thank you, all of you.
Welcome to the Sorority.
Welcome to a Sorority House tradition.
I love this Sorority House.
I love all things beautiful.
I love those things which bring dignity to us all.
Or rather... I seek to perfect my love.
I seek to devote my love to that which brings dignity, beauty, and lasting value.
I seek to become one who loves these things well.
I seek to elevate myself to that high standard.
Pride is something you cannot have unless you long for it.
I am always asking myself if I truly have such pride.
Sometimes I do not know the answer.
From time to time, I may feel as if I want to give up.
But I know it cannot be attained without sufficient longing.
So I seek constantly to grow and maintain my dignity and pride...
...no matter what may happen.
To all of you Sorority members,
...let me say that as long as I feel thus, I will continue as president of the Sorority.
Even if I am the only one... this is where I will remain.
Now, please enjoy your tea.
My Brother...
Mariko-san's father wrote something similar in his novel.
"If one never accepts anything less
...than those things which are worthy of the greatest sacrifice,
...then no matter what happens,
even if every drop of blood leaves your body,
...you will suffer no regrets."