Giroro Presents: Dating the Enemy!

Giroro Presents: Dating the Enemy! Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Bed of Nails

"When am I going to meet this mystery guy?" Aki asked. Her knife sliced through each of the carrots expertly as her daughter brought the huge pot of water to boil.

"Mom, it isn't like we're dating or anything," Natsumi muttered. "I mean, it's… I dunno."

"Well, you did just meet him last week," Aki limped to the refrigerator to take out the chicken they had left to thaw.

"Mom, if you wanted me to get the chicken-"

"Natsumi, I need to get my foot to walk on its own."

Natsumi watched her mom nervously, not sure if she should hover around her to make sure she doesn't fall and hurt her ankle more or let her do her own thing. The maternal feeling enveloped her uncomfortably for her own mother.

"Like I said before," Aki smiled at her daughter. "How come you haven't gone out on a date with him yet? I wouldn't mind. He sounds like a really nice guy, not minding the fact that you take Koyuki with you and all…"

"That's the thing," Natsumi sighed. "I mean, I love Koyuki, you know, as a sister. But.."

"But?"

Natsumi nibbled on one of the carrots. "She doesn't want to leave me and Rio alone."

"Maybe she's worried about you?" Aki dried her hands on a dish towel to prepare the chicken. "If you convince this Rio person to come meet me, maybe you'll ease her worries. And then you two could finally go out on a date."

"Maybe.." Natsumi looked down at her carrot and blushed, horrified at the prospect that she was eating the dinner that they had barely started to make. "I'm so sorry, mom!"

Aki laughed. "It's fine! There's plenty more where that came from!"

Giroro dug his sweet potatoes under the pit. After making sure there were no explosives or fire crackers among the stack of wood he had gathered (he had learned that lesson far too seriously when Keroro, Kururu and Tamama thought it would be "funny" if Giroro had one of his own "Fourth of July" fireworks…. Whatever that was), he started the fire, a friendly, little speck of light at first, and then a gently flame dancing in the still air. His cat was curled up in a little ball by his feet while he relaxed and poked the potato with a stick, turning it this way and that, making sure it was baked correctly.

"Smells good, don't it?" Giroro said, laughing as his cat brought her head up to inspect the delicious aroma. He took it out carefully and let it sit there to cool. His cat already knew by now that if she felt like eating a sweet potato, she needed to wait. She stared at it in a transfixed state as Giroro studied his mini calendar.

This had become a habit now. He had convinced himself that, besides taking over Pekopon, his ultimate goal was to make Natsumi love him. He always cherished that dream, and that dream was going to come true- even though he definitely didn't want the others to know it.

It had come to his attention that Keroro had finally assembled a proper Pekopon Invasion plan- or, at least, so Giroro heard. He didn't believe it until Kururu rolled out the blueprints, but it didn't matter. He wasn't to assist in the invasion- he was to assist in the diversion process of the warrior princess that stood between the platoon and the invasion.

He hated to admit it, but it was a really clever plan... In more ways than one.

Keroro had also pointed out that he had already noticed some changes in Natsumi's behavior. Giroro didn't notice, but then again, he didn't live in the house with her. Keroro did.