Based on the anime and manga characters from Princess Jellyfish. Five women living in an apartment building have their lives turned upside down when they meet a young cross dresser named Kuranosuke. But except to Tsukimi, ‘he’ is known as ‘she’.
“Hello, Meat.”
Tsukimi looked up at the sound of Banba’s voice. She knew who she would see in the doorway: “Meat” was Banba’s nickname for Kuranosuke. Nevertheless, her heart fluttered in her chest when she saw her friend in the doorway. Today he was wearing a red wig with big, loopy curls, a green sweater with rhinestones scattered across the front, a denim skirt, and purple leggings. Kuranosuke scanned the faces of the Amars and when he caught sight of Tsukimi, he smiled at her and waved slightly. Tsukimi quickly ducked her head to hide her reddening cheeks, wishing she could turn invisible.
Chieko also looked up and smiled when she saw Kuranosuke. “Ah, Kurako, have you come for hot-pot night?” she asked.
Kuranosuke stepped into the room further and set his grocery bags down next to the wall. For a moment Tsukimi worried that he had forgotten the name he gave to the Amars to disguise his gender, but she breathed out in relief when he replied.
“Yes, I brought high quality stuff, too,” he told Chieko, taking a seat at the table.
“Oooh!” Mayaya whooped with excitement as her and Banba dove into the bags. They pulled things out, looking carefully at each and whooping happily.
“I guess they’re happy with what I bought,” Kuranosuke laughed.
***
The evening had grown late. The Amars had finished inking Mejiro’s manga for the week soon after Kuranosuke arrived, and they quickly began cooking dinner. And after that was finished, they sat and simply enjoyed each other’s company. It was a cold night, and very windy. The trees rattled against the walls of the building. It was Banba who first heard another sound above the racket outside: “I hear something.”
The Amars stopped their chatting. There it was, distinct enough for all of them to hear. A noise was heard at the front door of their building.
“Waaah! This is just like volume fifteen of Three Kingdoms!” Mayaya was ignored as she started on another spiel about her favorite books, the Records of the Three Kingdoms.
“Maybe it’ll be a nice delivery man,” Jiji said at almost a whisper.
“Kurako, you go open the door. We’ll be right behind you,” Chieko said, grabbing a cricket bat she had been concealing under the table.
Tsukimi looked at the bat. Frightened, she wondered to herself how long Chieko had the bat under there.
“Me? Fine.” Kuranosuke started walking to the door. “You guys are all scaredy…” Everyone peered around the corner as he opened the door. “Cats…” The Amars all looked in surprise at their new guest: A cat. A loudly meowing one, at that. Kuranosuke calmly walked over to Tsukimi and ordered her to hold him. “Surely you aren’t afraid of a little cat?” Tsukimi asked in a skeptical tone.
All of the Amars started talking at once. No one noticed Banba crouching down by the cat, petting it. It rolled over on its back and she rubbed its belly. “Pregnant,” she commented.
The Amars fell silent. “What?” Chieko asked in surprise.
“She’s pregnant,” Banba replied, pointing at the cat’s stomach.
“Pregnant!” the Amars all repeated.
“Oh no, not more!” Kuranosuke exclaimed from Tsukimi’s arms.
[end theme]
That’s it for this week’s episode.
