Chapter 23

(Note: This picks up immediately where Chapter 16 left off, and will explain the absence of Cringe-kun.)

Prez-kun walks toward his friend's house. (I have not been to the Motonoya house in some time.), he thinks to himself.

Walking down the damp walkway to the door, he proceeds to knock on it.

A sluggish laid back female voice answers "...Yeah?" on the other side.

He immediately recognizes this voice. "I have come to give Motonoya-san his homework."

The voice pipes up upon hearing him, turning from lazy to energetic on the other end "Which Motonoya are you here for, me or my brother? Just kidding, come on in!", Taiyuki says as she opens the door.

A dirty blonde hair girl with blue eyes, a flower hair accessory, and face sprinkled with freckles greets him. She was wearing a pink tank top and a white dress length skirt.


Prez-kun steps inside and thanks her with a bow. "It's good to see you again, Tenchan(Her nickname for Prez-kun)."

He pursed up his glasses to his face, looking away, and said "I wish you wouldn't call me that."

He has told her numerous times before of his disdain for nicknames of the sort, and as one could guess, is constantly ignored.

She giggles, and says "Relax, Tenchan. Nicknames won't hurt. Our parents are out shopping, so I give you permission to make yourself at home on their behalf. Should I make you some green tea?"

Not only was Taiyuki someone that could put even a goddess to shame in the kitchen, but knows what kind of food or drink someone prefers just by talking to them.

However, Prez-kun had only one goal...

"No thank you. I have just come to give Motonoya-san his home~"

"Please stay. Even if for a little bit, Tenchan.", she insists warmly, looking up at him with a smile.

He pauses, thinking (I guess one hour at least couldn't hurt...plus, as much as I hate to admit it, her green tea is to die for...)

Sighing at not only her continued usage of the nickname, but his defeat at his attempts to deny her request, Prez-kun reluctantly says "I...guess one hour is fine...".

Taiyuki clasps her hands together with a genki smile and says "Splendid! I'll start on the tea right away.".

After she turns the pot off with the finished tea, she remembers who Prez-kun came for.

Walking to the other end of the living room, where Prez-kun was seated, she sits a plate of green tea with mochi, prompting a "Arigatou gozaimasu.", from Prez-kun, which she replies with an angelic smile, making him slightly blush.

As he takes the first sip, he feels fulfilled. His life, complete. Then he is about to take the second sip as Taiyuki steps toward the end of the hallway, she shouts in a demonic, guttural, very loud voice, "OTOUTO! IT'S FOR YOU!", startling Prez-kun from the living room, and almost making him drop the cup of hot tea on his lap.

Taiyuki has a calm relaxed voice, but can raise her voice frightengly loud. Even their dad doesn't want to piss her off.

Wrapped in a blanket, and shivering, Cringe-kun slowly slugs down the hallway from his bedroom toward the living room where Prez-kun and Taiyuki were waiting.

His hair was a mess and he looked slightly pale.

He smiles upon meeting Prez-kun. "Yo.", he says.

"Don't 'Yo' me. This homework is of utmost importance. It is a serious matter, Motonoya-san. Do you understand?", Prez-kun replies.

"Please, Tenchan. Give him a break. He had a cold for three days and is just starting to recover. Would another round of green tea make you cut him some slack?", Taiyuki asks, sitting in the chair across from him, grinning.

(How can such an angelic face indulge in such demonic behavior?), Prez-kun thinks to himself.

"I do not accept bribes." he promptly states.

"Aw, phooey. It was worth a shot.", she remarks, sticking out her tongue, and winking.

Cringe-kun replies, "Yes, I agree! I'm recovering, all thanks to neesan and eh...eeeetch! and her cooking. Hehe, sorry.", with a slight chuckle after sneezing into his tissue.

"Otouto...", Taiyuki says, admiring her little brother being courageous even though he clearly wasn't in perfect shape at the moment.

"*HOOONK!*, ugh...give it here. I'll finish it.", Cringe-kun says while reaching for the papers that Prez-kun was holding.

Prez-kun immediately, as if on instinct, snatched the papers away before Cringe-kun could reach them.

"Wash your hands first!", he shouts with a shocked look on his face.

Later, Prez-kun and Cringe-kun were in the bedroom, sitting on the floor. Prez-kun says "You know, it has been a while. Since we were last able to talk like this."

Cringe-kun says "Yeah, what gives? You always give me a hard time compared to all of the other people we met. Do you hate me?"

Prez-kun, taken aback at this, stammers "N-no! Never! What has gotten into you!"

"Ever since we opened up the Honorary Committee, I just felt like you ignored me. It got worse after those two joined. I know that at school, we must 'always be diligent', and blah blah blah, but I feel like...even after school, you still ignore me. It feels like we are tearing apart.", Cringe-kun replies, tearing up.

"I apologize. I didn't know you felt that way. I promise to visit you more often. You already do the same for me. It is a team effort, and I tend to lose sight of that. I hope you can forgive me for being a fool, Motonoya-san. Without you and your family, I wouldn't be the man that I am today.", Prez-kun says.

Cringe-kun closes his eyes and shakes his head. "You didn't need to apologize. Just admitting your faults reminded you that you're human. I'm happy that you're aware of that.", he says with a cheerful grin, no longer pale.

He then crawls over to Prez-kun and hugs him tight.

"H-hey, what are you~"
"I don't care how you feel about me, just know that to me, you will always be my best friend."

Cringe-kun cries while hugging Prez-kun.

Prez-kun then tears up, and cries, hugging him back. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Motonoya-san. I will never forget this, and I am forever grateful to have you as mine."

The two cry it out, but unbeknownst to them, Taiyuki is outside the bedroom door, sobbing and sniffling, having listened to the ordeal.

"CAN WE HAVE SOME PRIVACY!?", Cringe-kun shouts.

"Yikes! I was found out.", Taiyuki whispers to herself as she enters her bedroom next door.

"I know what'll break the tension: a joke!", Cringe-kun says, grinning wide.

"Are you sure your si~"
"She won't hear you."
"What about your pare~"
"They're not here yet."

Prez-kun thinks about this for a minute, sighs, then says, "Ok. Very well then."

Cringe-kun gets up off the floor, goes into his closet, and pulls out the old school uniform his sister wore, and put it on. He takes an old wig, then curls up the sides to hoops, puts it on.

A literal ringer for a certain Sailor.

"I'm a 1990s magical girl!", he says in a voice that sounded similar to his sister.

Try as he might to maintain his composure, Prez-kun could not hold in his laughter. "BAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The laugh rang through the room.

Taiyuki, despite being slightly confused as to why her brother was using her dress without her forc...uh, putting it on him herself, but happy that he was using it to lighten up a dark day, says "Classic Cringe-kun." to herself while she continues to listen in on her brother's "jokes".

Their secret was safe with her.