Unexpected Babysitter (a Saiouma fanficton)

Chapter 4

After a while of walking and talking we finally made it to the Ultimate Cosplayers Lab. Standing outside of the door we could hear voices coming from the other side.

"How's this one Tsumugi?"

"It's perfect, keep up the good work Angie!"

"Gonta, please be careful with the fabric."

"Okay, Gonta will do his best Kirumi!"

"Nyeah, I can't concentrate if you keep staring Tenko!"

"Sorry!"

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Should I knock or..."

"I don't see why you shouldn't." Rantaro said as he picked up Kokichi.

Kaede nodded in approval.

"Okay..." I turned back to the door, grabbed the handle, and proceeded to slowly open the door.

"I wanna see! I wanna see!" Kokichi impatiently chanted.

Kirumi noticed me peeking inside and signaled me to come in. So I turned back to the others and nodded before walking in with them behind me.

Inside Tsumugi appeared to be teaching Himiko and Tenko about sewing. Angie was furiously drawing at a table while Kirumi was instructing Gonta about where to place the rolls of fabric.

"Ah! Shuichi, Kaede, Kokichi!" Tsumugi approached us with a smile. "Thanks for stopping by like I asked. I'm truly grateful to you guys for letting a plain person like me do this!"

"No, thank you for the offer." I insisted.

"Yeah Kokichi would've been out of luck without you talent!" Kaede added.

"Oh no need to thank a plain old girl like me." Tsumugi responded.

"Uh, hey Tsumugi..." Rantaro greeted.

Tsumugi stopped smiling.

"Oh, hey Rantaro, I didn't see you there." She lied.

"He's literally holding Kokichi...." I thought to myself.

"Anyway all I need to do is to measure Kokichi." She held out her arms to Rantaro who sighed.

"Let's just get this over with." Rantaro attempted to give Kokichi to Tsumugi.

"No!" Kokichi shouted while tightening his grip onto Rantaro.

"Come on Kokichi, it won't take long." Kaede tried to reason.

"No!" Kokichi looked up at Rantaro with "tears" in his eyes. "Don't leave me!"

"I won't, I promise!" Rantaro said showing of his brotherly instincts.

I shook my head.

"I won't hurt you Kokichi, I promise." Tsumugi pleaded.

"No!" Kokichi stuck his tongue out at her before hugging Rantaro.

"Do something." Kaede whispered to me.

"What am I supposed to do?!" I whispered back.

"I don't know, just do something!"

I sighed in defeat before turning to the toddler Rantaro's arms.

"Kokichi" I called, getting his attention. "if you let Tsumugi measure you, I will, uh, play any game you want!"

"Really?!" Kokichi's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Mhm."

"Yay! Okay!" He reached his arms out to the cosplayer who took him from Rantaro.

"Okay right this way." Tsumugi said leading us to where Himiko and Tenko stood.

"Hey Himiko can you hand me my body measuring tape, please?"

"Sure." Himiko handed her the item.

"Thank you!" She turned to Tenko.

"Tenko, can you do me a favor?" She asked.

"Of course!" Tenko confidently responded.

"Good!" The cosplayer smiled. "Hold Kokichi."

Tenko's confidence disappeared.

"What?"

"Hold Kokichi." Tsumugi repeated with an "innocent" smile on her face.

"E-Excuse me?" Tenko stuttered.

"Hold Kokichi." Tenko paused for a few seconds.

"..."

"Uh, Tenko?" Himiko called out sounding concerned.

"W-Would you repeat that...one more time, p-please?" The aikido master once more stuttered.

"She said hold Kokichi." Kaede responded with a smirk.

A bright red blush spread across Tenko's face.

"O-Okay, I'll do it." She sat down and extended her arms.

"Thank you!" Tsumugi said before handing Kokichi to the embarrassed girl.

"Tenko face red!" Kokichi pointed out.

"S-Shut it..."

~•~

"Done!" Tsumugi announced.

"H-Here.." Tenko handed me Kokichi.

"Thank you." I said.

"Y-your welcome."

"Some things should be done by tomorrow. So be sure to stop by and receive them." Tsumugi said.

"Okay, well I'll see you tomorrow." I responded

~•~

"So what should we do?" Kaede asked as we walked to the dorms.

I shrugged.

"Well, it's starting to get late. So we should just call it a night." Rantaro suggested.

"No!" Kokichi argued. "I wanna play a game!"

"Oh yeah" I remembered what I promised.

"Okay, how about this" Rantaro started. "We will play one round of whatever Kokichi chooses. But after that we'll call it a night, deal?"

"Deal!" We all agreed.