Jellyfish en Vogue - A Kuragehime or Princess Jellyfish Fanfic

Chapter 15 - Making amends

 Tsukimi laid in bed with her pillow over her face. She was greatly dreading this day. Truth be told there wasn't anything particularly special about it. To some people it would just be a typical sunny Wednesday morning. But last night before turning in Tsukimi had received a text on her cell. A text reminding her of her own obligations. She had replied promptly and said she would take care of it later on the following day. That day being now of course since the sun was obviously shining and she was no longer sleeping.

Tsukimi shrugged her shoulders threw the pillow she was hiding from the world behind on the floor and groaned at the ceiling. A light knock sounded on her door. "Tsukimi, you okay?"

"No..." she replied. She didn't think through how he would react before she opened her mouth and replied to his question. It was when the door handle turned, and he peeked through the crack that her she realized her mistake. She sighed in exasperation and through the covers over her head. It was one of her many go to attempts she used when she wanted to hide from the world and her obligations.

As if he were reading her own thoughts his voice broke through the cotton of the comforter she was using. "Okay, now I'm really curious. Why are you hiding away from me and the rest of the world? I have heard you moving around in here for the last thirty minutes. That's why I came in to check on you. You haven't really been one to linger in bed often. What's up?" Kuranosuke didn't much like the fact that he was talking to a blanket and not looking into her dark eyes to see the emotions lurking there. But he knew there were times she would hide herself in some way. He knew that he would have to coax her to talk to him, and honestly a part of him looked forward to those moments. He liked the idea of being her hero in these situations.

Tsukimi sighed again and pull the blanket down to her chin. Kuranosuke had to fight a laugh at how rumpled she looked. She hadn't put her hair in braids before bed, and it was now a ratted mess. Her cheeks were tinged pink from either embarrassment or frustration. He wasn't sure which. She averted her eyes before expelling another exhalation. "Chieko texted me last night. I need to go get Clara today."

"Okay, that's not too difficult. I mean we already planned on doing that soon anyway. But what about that situation is bothering you so?"

"I'm worried. I don't want them to hate me. I don't want them to look at me with concern, or worse contempt. I don't know how they are thinking of me now. But, it could be any number of things, and I'm afraid that when I find out what it is that it will make me sad, or at least upset. They were my first true friends in Tokyo, and I'm worried I am going to lose them." This is one of those new things about Tsukimi. Normally she wouldn't just splurge about her concerns and fears. Originally she would still hide from them and try to deal with them only when she was ready. So the fact that she was so willing to share easily felt like a breakthrough of sorts to Kuranosuke.

"Okay, so we take this day as it comes. I think despite everything going on you should just treat them as if you would any other day. In your mind pretend that everything is the same." Kuranosuke didn't realize he had began toying with the top of the blanket beside her right side. He didn't notice how he was the one that pulled it away from her body so it didn't quite obstruct her as much from his view. He only noticed that she wasn't hiding quite as much as she had been.

"Everything isn't the same though." Tsukimi muttered in a flustered sounding voice.

"That's the point. You shouldn't let on that this situation bothers you, and hopefully they will come around." He sighed as she expelled a breath herself. "So where should we put Clara?"

"I was thinking about keeping her on the main floor. I mean if we do proceed forward with the plan on naming the Boutique Princess Jellyfish having a mascot on the premises seemed like a good idea to me."