These people are fucked up. In order to show Shimako that it’s okay to be a Buddhist and go to a Catholic school, Sachiko and Rei set her and Noriko up in front of the new students. This is like one of those “Most embarrassing moments” that I’ve read in teen girl magazines. You know, the ones that involve some girl shitting in her pants as her used tampon flies out while the guy she’s “ToTaLLy cRuShiNg oN” is watching. The stories always end with some variation of “OMFG! I sO wAnTeD to DiE~!!!!
Shimako might have been taught a valuable lesson, but Noriko was stabbed in the eye with the tampon of social injustice. She didn’t need any help, yet she was dragged into this because of Shimako. Sure it’s “okay” to be a Buddhist and go to a Catholic school but now the whispers and stares will follow both of them everyhwere. Good job, Rei and Sachiko.
Of course, this is all from a real-life perspective. Jaded, yet mostly true, assumptions about human nature don’t fly in a fantasy anime world where Catholic high school girls kiss each other to pass the time. In Lilian Academy, Shimako and Noriko will be happy together without any worries. Yay.