I Know Why Toilet Urgencies Need Access
It was a nice morning in O-Town. At the Futaba residence, Zukin went downstairs, humming "Tsurupettan (Smooth and Flat)" by Silver Forest, having just got ready. She went outside to check the mail so she looked in the mailbox and saw a letter on top of a small package. She took them out and looked at the letter's address. It read: "Zukin Futaba, 10 Pinecone Drive, O-Town, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, USA, 57605." The label on the package read "Zukin-chan e (To Zukin-chan)" in Japanese.
"A letter and package for me," said Zukin. "I wonder where they're from."
Zukin closed the mailbox and looked at the package's return address. It read: "596-00, Nippon, Kansai-chihou, Oosaka-fu, Oosaka-shi, Yodogawa-ku Icchoume, Nijuusan-ban Ku-gou (23-9, Yodogawa Block 1, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Kansai, Japan, 596-00)." She got so excited (since this fanfic takes place in 1997, I'm using Japan's old postal code).
"It's a letter and package from my family!" Zukin cheered, running inside.
Zukin opened her letter and started reading it, which had words on one side and words on the other. This is what it said:
Watashi no musume, Zukin-chan e (To my daughter Zukin-chan),
I want to tell you something. There was one incident I remember nearly ten years ago when I was seven months pregnant with your half-brother, Hiroshi-kun, and you, your stepsister, Kita-chan, your twin stepsiblings, Taro-kun and Rie-chan and your half-sister, Ai-chan were 5, 12, 10 and 2 respectively. Here's the story. We were on a family trip at an amusement park. We were at a gift shop when you said you were going to have diarrhoea. I asked the employee for access but he refused and despite my pleas, it was the same answer so I turned into Karate Girl Yoko and kicked him then I got you to the bathroom just in time. After that, I complained to the manager then suddenly, you threw up on the floor. It turned out you had food poisoning from some spoilt melon bread you had. It was kinda funny when you threw up on the doctor's feet after your illness was confirmed. Not only did the employee get fired but the person who sold the bread to other people did too. I didn't get arrested for my attack but I did get fined. At least you recovered days later. It's a good thing nobody else in our family, especially Taro-kun and Rie-chan, had it or it wouldn't have been good. The incident was the biggest newsflash all around the world so I've sent you a copied article of it on the newspaper. Hope to hear from you soon.
Kimi no okaasan utahime yori (From your diva mother)
"Arigato, Okaasan!" Zukin giggled. "I want to see the copy!"
Zukin opened her package and took out the newspaper copy. The front headline read in Japanese, "Ninshinchuu no Futaba Hotaru wa "Karate Shoujo Yoko" ni naru, sou byouki no gosai no musume, Zukin, wo TOIRE wo shiyoushite dekiru you ni narimasu (Pregnant Hotaru Futaba turns into "Karate Girl Yoko", so her 5-year-old sick daughter, Zukin, can use the toilet)." Zukin was excited with curiosity so she read the article. Once she finished, she suddenly remembered the incident.
"Oh my gosh, I remember now!" Zukin realised.
Just then, Ai appeared. Apparently, she heard what Zukin said.
"What do you remember, onee-chan?" questioned Ai.
"I remember the time nearly ten years ago when I was 5 and I needed to use the bathroom really badly and Okaasan had to kick the employee when he refused multiple times and it turned out I was one of the people who got food poisoning from the melon bread that was spoilt," Zukin explained.
"Oh dear," said Ai. "I don't think I remembered that. The only things I could remember were the two of us at an amusement park with our family except Hiroshi and you being carried away quickly by Okaasan. And I also remembered saying 'Where's Mama and nee-chan?' and finding Okaasan complaining to the manager about something and me hugging you when you threw up on the floor."
"That's because you were only 2 at the time," Zukin replied.
"I see," said Ai.
"Should we tell otouto about it?" asked Zukin.
"Okay, but we must be quiet," Ai replied. "Because he's still recovering from his heart attack."
Ai and Zukin quietly went upstairs. Just to let you people know, Hiroshi became O-Town's youngest heart attack victim at the age of nine ten days ago. Yes, nine. It was on the news a few days ago (You can see Hiroshi's heart attack in my fanfic, Heart of Sorrows).
Meanwhile, Hiroshi was lying on his bed, reading an issue of a Weather Octuplets comic. He heard a quiet knock at the door.
"Ohairinasai (Come in)," said Hiroshi.
Ai and Zukin quietly came inside the room.
"Nee, otouto," said Zukin. "I want to tell you something that happened to me when I was 5."
"What is it?" questioned Hiroshi.
"Read this letter Okaasan sent me," said Zukin.
Hiroshi put his comic down then Zukin gave him the letter. When he finished reading it, he was shocked.
"My gosh!" gasped Hiroshi. "I can't believe you had food poisoning!"
"Me neither!" said Zukin. "Okaasan also sent a copied newspaper of the incident. Do you want to read it?"
"Hai," replied Hiroshi.
Zukin gave the newspaper to Hiroshi, who started reading it.
"At least that Kazuhito guy apologized," said Hiroshi, once he finished.
"Yeah, I know," said Zukin.
"Onee-chan, otouto, I think you might want to look at the time," said Ai.
Zukin and Hiroshi looked. The clock read 8.30 am.
"Oh my gosh, we better catch our buses to school before we miss them!" exclaimed Zukin.
Zukin, Ai and Hiroshi rushed out the room.
Later, after school hours were over, Ai, Zukin and Hiroshi were walking to Rocko's house. They walked up to his front door and Ai knocked on it. A few seconds later, Rocko opened it.
"G'day, you three," greeted Rocko. "How was school today?"
"It was fine," replied Ai.
"Very great!" Zukin and Hiroshi also answered.
"I'm glad to hear it," Rocko smiled. "You can come in if you like. Heffer and Filburt are also here."
"Oh yay!" Zukin cheered, as she, Ai and Hiroshi came inside.
Zukin sneaked up behind the couch where Heffer and Filburt are sitting on, having just finished playing Mascot Killer. She then held up a sign saying "Look Behind You" in front of Heffer.
"Look behind you," Heffer read.
Heffer looked behind. He saw Zukin holding the sign. He got so excited.
"Zukin, you're here!" Heffer cheered.
"Of course I am!" Zukin giggled. "Now let's have our hello hug!"
Zukin threw the sign away, leapt over the couch and she and Heffer hugged.
"Hello, you three," Filburt greeted to the Futaba siblings.
"Konnichiwa, Filburt-chan," the siblings greeted back.
"Minna, I want to ask you three questions," said Zukin. "Have you heard of the film Karate Girl Yoko?"
"Yeah, I've watched it when I was a young boy," Rocko replied, as he, Heffer and Filburt nodded.
"We also watched it at sleepovers when we were in high school," said Filburt.
"Do you know who the main protagonist, Yoko Kosugi was played by?" Zukin asked.
"Yeah, she was played by Hotaru Inoue," replied Heffer.
"Here's the last question," said Zukin. "Do you remember that incident nearly ten years ago when Hotaru kicked an employee in the same way she did as Yoko to let her sick elder daughter use the bathroom?"
"Yeah, we do!" exclaimed Filburt. "That employee got fired!"
"I know!" said Heffer. "It was because of that food poisoning epidemic from that melon bread!"
"Wait a minute," said Rocko. "If the daughter's name was Zukin, does that mean you three are related to Hotaru?"
"Yeah, we're her children!" Zukin replied.
Rocko, Heffer and Filburt are surprised. Their friends are the children of one of Japan's celebrities!
"I never knew you were Hotaru's children," Rocko gasped.
"You do now," Ai said.
"I was a celebrity too," said Zukin. "I used to be in a girl group called Pretty Cure with three of my old classmates, Reimu, Suika and Marisa but we had to part when me and my two kid-siblings here moved here. Since our mother is now married, she has our surname." (Zukin's former girl group is not to be confused with the anime franchise of the same name!)
"We know," said Rocko.
"Zukin, I just remembered!" Heffer realised. "Pretty Cure is a Japanese show!"
"I know, right?" said Zukin. "We actually named the band after it!"
"Cool!" said Heffer.
"It was like so horrible for me to get food poisoning at 5 years old!" Zukin said, before getting out a piano from nowhere and playing The Funeral March on it in the same way the man does when Vicky arrives at the Turner residence in the Fairly OddParents episode, "Odd Couple."
"Oh yeah, very!" said Heffer.
"It was a good thing I wasn't there at the time," said Hiroshi. "I wasn't even born yet!"
"Shall I tell you the story of what happened nearly ten years ago?" Zukin enquired.
"Sure, if it's okay for Filburt," said Rocko.
Zukin span and in a few seconds, she was dressed as Evil-Zukin from DDR (LOL! Get it?).
"Nee, Filburt-chan," said Zukin, getting closer to Filburt. "You're prone to throwing up, right?"
"Yeah," Filburt replied nervously.
"Well, I dare you to stomach your puke as I tell the story," said Zukin, sneakily getting close into Filburt's face.
"I-I-It's a deal," said Filburt, cringing at the close-up of Zukin's face.
Filburt and Zukin shake hands. Then Zukin ripped her Evil-Zukin costume into her normal clothes and she turned to the camera, thus breaking the fourth wall.
"Just to let you readers know, the following flashback contains gross content," Zukin explained. "So if you're faint-hearted, I'd skip this flashback if I were you."
Zukin played the same tune on the piano again.
"Okay, here we go with the story," said Zukin. "It was October 1987. I was 5, Ai was 2 and Hiroshi was still in our mother's stomach."
Flashback (Warning: You heard what Zukin said? This flashback contains gross content so if you're faint-hearted, skip the flashback! Just remember, you have been warned! (plays Funeral March on piano like Zukin did earlier on) So, here we go)
Akira and Hotaru Futaba were at Yodogawa Carnival with Akira's 12-year-old daughter, Kita, his 10-year-old twins, Taro and Rie, Hotaru's 5-year-old daughter, Zukin, and their own 2-year-old daughter, Ai. Hotaru is also seven months pregnant with her third child and Akira's fifth child. Hotaru's older sister and brother-in-law, Himawari and Kazumi Midoriyama have also tagged along with their 9-year-old son, Daichi, their now 8-year-old daughter, Taeko, and their 6-year-old twins, Hajime and Haruka. They were walking through a path of attractions. Zukin, Hajime and Haruka were eating their own caramel candy bars and Taro and Rie were having lollipops with Taro having lime and Rie having lemon when Zukin suddenly got a stomach-ache and stopped eating.
"Mama, I don't want to eat this anymore," Zukin groaned, holding up her bar. "Onaka ga itai (My stomach hurts)."
"Alright," said Hotaru, saving the candy bar. "Will you be okay?"
"Maybe," Zukin replied.
Zukin put her hands on her sore stomach. Both sets of twins noticed this.
"Daijoubu, Zukin-chan?" questioned Hajime.
"Onaka ga itai," Zukin said.
"Daijoubu ne," said Haruka, as Hajime nodded in agreement. "You can get some rest when you get home."
"I agree with Haruka," Taro agreed, as Rie also nodded in agreement.
Zukin gave a "maybe" look while grimacing at the same time. Later, the family reached a gift shop. Inside, the parents were wondering what their children wanted. Akira was with Ai, Kita and the older twins, Hotaru was with Zukin, Himawari was with the younger twins while Kazumi was with Daichi and Taeko.
"Do you want any souvenirs, Zukin-chan?" asked Hotaru.
Zukin was really looking uncomfortable by now. For everyone, this is the unexpected and stunning answer she gives to her pregnant mother:
"Mama, I'm going to have geri (diarrhoea)!"
Hotaru was immediately gob-smacked. She can't believe her 5-year-old daughter was going to have diarrhoea at an amusement park!
"Kyaaa!" Hotaru shrieked, swiping Zukin from her feet quickly. "Minna, stay there! Zukin-chan's gonna have diarrhoea and she needs a toilet now!"
Hotaru quickly carried Zukin to the checkout.
"Sumimasen, may you please give bathroom access to my daughter?" Hotaru said frantically. "She's going to have diarrhoea and she's about to go on the floor!"
"I'm afraid allowing non-customers bathroom access here is against store policy, miss," the employee, who was about 16, explained.
The family and customers are immediately stunned by the employee's reply.
"Onegai!" Hotaru pleaded. "She's only 5 and she can't hold it for long so please have a heart!"
"It's hurting my stomach!" Zukin whined.
"Gomen ne," the employee apologized. "We can't allow access to non-customers."
"Where does he get off treating customers like that?" Hotaru heard a customer wonder angrily.
"Especially children!" another customer said angrily.
Suddenly, without warning, Hotaru had the biggest mood swing ever!
"BAKA YAROU (YOU IDIOT)!" Hotaru shrieked.
And without warning, Hotaru falcon-kicked the employee in the leg like her character Yoko Kosugi from the film Karate Girl Yoko did so hard he fell to the floor (imagine if that was actually on Rocko's Modern Life!)! Then she quickly carried Zukin down the hall. The family and customers gave grins to the pregnant celebrity.
"Itai…" the employee was heard moaning.
"Go Karate Obasan!" the younger twins cheered.
Meanwhile, Hotaru was speeding down the halls like Road Runner while carrying Zukin in her arms and dodging obstacles, despite being pregnant. The employees had to quickly get out of the way to avoid being falcon-pushed.
"Pregnant mother with desperate daughter coming through!" Hotaru screamed desperately.
"Hurry Mama!" Zukin squealed.
"I'm going as fast as I can, Zukin-chan!" Hotaru reminded.
Finally, Hotaru found the employee bathroom. Luckily, it was vacant and unlocked so she rushed inside with Zukin.
"I'm gonna have an accident!" Zukin whined, as Hotaru locked the door.
"Daijoubu ne!" Hotaru panted, pulling Zukin's pants down and sitting her on the toilet. "You're here now…so you can go…!"
Hotaru collapsed to the floor, panting like a dog with exhaustion and tiredness, exhaustion because of running so fast and tiredness because of her pregnancy. She put a nose peg over her nose to prevent herself from throwing up from the upcoming smell. Zukin then proceeded to explode into a mushroom cloud in the same way Bikini Bottom blows up in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Dying for Pie"! Not really, just messing! She just started having some bad diarrhoea (I know that was very silly of me to write that but autistic people like me can act weird in a good way!).
"Mama…" Zukin whimpered.
"I'm…here…Zukin-chan…" Hotaru panted breathlessly, crawling up to the occupied toilet, getting up and holding Zukin's hand (oh dear, poor Hotaru…and poor Zukin too).
Hotaru then noticed that Zukin felt hot.
"I feel hot…" Zukin whined.
"I…think you're getting…a fever…" Hotaru said.
There was a knock at the door. It turned out to be the manager, wondering if the unwell person was alright.
"Soko ni daijoubu (Are you okay in there)?" asked the manager.
"Un…my 5-year-old daughter…just has…diarrhoea…" Hotaru panted. "I'm all tired out…because I've ran so fast…and I'm pregnant…"
The manager was immediately shocked at the response of Zukin having diarrhoea. At that moment, Zukin had finished. Moments later, the toilet was heard flushing. The door unlocked and Hotaru came out with Zukin. That's when the manager realized who she is.
"Are you Hotaru Futaba?" asked the manager. "I remember seeing you in Karate Shoujo Yoko."
"Yes, I am," replied Hotaru.
"And this must be your elder daughter, Zukin," said the manager. "Konnichiwa, Zukin-san."
"Konnichiwa…" Zukin moaned, sickly.
"She's not feeling well, manager-sama," Hotaru explained. "She just had diarrhoea in there."
"I've heard," said the manager.
"And I'd like to make a complaint," said Hotaru. "Follow me."
Hotaru, Zukin and the manager left.
Meanwhile, the family was waiting for Hotaru to come back with Zukin.
"Where's Mama and nee-chan?" asked Ai.
"Don't worry, Ai-chan," Akira assured. "They'll come back soon."
Just then, Hotaru came back with Zukin and the manager. She was really mad, due to a mood swing from her pregnancy, when she explained this:
"This smarty of an employee wouldn't let Zukin-chan use the bathroom when she needed to have diarrhoea! And guess what I did? I kicked him to let us through!"
"Futaba-san, although it was unnecessary for you to kick an employee, what he did was against store policy," the manager explained.
"N-Nani?" the employee exclaimed.
The manager gave the employee a firm look.
"Kazuhito, in my office now," the manager said firmly.
Kazuhito and the manager left. Just then, Zukin made an uncomfortable face.
"Mama, I'm going to have geri again!" Zukin whined.
"Aramaa!" Hotaru squealed, as she and the background behind her turned into Edvard Munch's The Scream. "Stay there, minna! Zukin's having diarrhoea again!"
Hotaru ran off with Zukin in her arms (not again!). Many moments later, they came back with the manager and Kazuhito following. Zukin was also drinking a bottle of water that was bought for her from the drink machine. Just then, two people, who presumed to be Kazuhito's parents, entered the gift shop and walked up to the manager.
"Manager-sama, we're so sorry about our son," Kazuhito's father apologized.
"We left our house as soon as you reminded us," Kazuhito's mother reminded.
"Demo…demo… (But…but…)" Kazuhito stammered.
"Don't you think you should be punished, young man?" Kazuhito's father scolded.
"You're coming home with us right now!" Kazuhito's mother berated.
Kazuhito was taken out of the shop by his parents.
"Minna, I'm afraid me, Akira-kun and our children have to leave early because Zukin-chan's not feeling well," Hotaru explained.
Ai, Kita and the younger twins looked really disappointed but they understood because of Zukin's illness. The older twins, Daichi and Taeko were the same but they weren't as disappointed as the others.
"Don't worry imouto. We understand," said Himawari.
As Himawari spoke, Zukin felt dizzy. Suddenly, after the talking stopped, she vomited all over the floor, making her family, except Ai, Taro and the younger twins, and some of the nearby customers jump out of their skin.
"HOLY MOTHER OF JAPAAAAAN!" Hotaru screeched at the top of her lungs, flying in the air.
"Zukin-chan!" Daichi, Hajime and Haruka exclaimed.
"I can't believe it!" Kita, Taeko and Rie gasped.
"Don't worry, Futaba-san," said the manager. "I'll send a cleaner to clean this up."
"Arigato, manager-sama," said Hotaru.
Zukin finally stopped vomiting. She then looked at Ai, who looked sympathetic.
"Nee-chan," said Ai, walking up to Zukin while avoiding the puke at the same time and hugging her.
Ai smiled warmly at her older half-sister. Zukin, feeling some comfort from the hug, smiled back. Even some of the nearby customers gave some "awws".
"Sorry about this, minna," Hotaru apologized, picking Zukin up. "I think me, Akira-kun and our children have to go now."
"Sayonara, minna," Himawari and Kazumi said, as the manager, Daichi and Taeko waved.
"Bye-bye, Zukin-chan," Hajime and Haruka called to Zukin, also waving.
Zukin waved back as she was carried out of the shop.
The next day, Zukin was still sick so Akira and Hotaru called a doctor to come round to their house. They've just explained to him what's happened recently.
"Did Zukin eat some melon bread from the local Sunny Beach Confection Factory store?" asked the doctor.
"Yes, she did yesterday," Hotaru replied. "Doushite (Why)?"
"Well, I'm afraid she's caught food poisoning from it," the doctor said.
"Nani?" Hotaru and Akira exclaimed. "Douyatte (How)?"
"Apparently, the bread went spoilt the previous day but the person decided to sell it to everyone," the doctor explained. "Yesterday, I've been assigned to nine people and today I've been assigned to five but now I'd better make that six."
"I can't believe that person would do such a thing, especially to my daughter!" Hotaru gasped.
"But rest assured that the person has been fired," assured the doctor.
"Well, that's a good thing," said Akira.
Suddenly, guess what happened next? Zukin puked on the doctor's shoes!
"Oh no!" Hotaru gasped.
"Sensei, we're so sorry about that!" Akira apologized.
"Not to worry, it happens to me all the time," the doctor chuckled, cleaning his shoes with wipes. "Make sure that Zukin drinks plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration and eats light foods until she recovers."
"Arigato, sensei," Hotaru said.
"Sayonara," the doctor said.
"Sayonara," Hotaru and Akira said the same time as the doctor left the house.
End of flashback (Finally, it's finished! What a looooong flashback!)
"Our mother didn't get arrested but she did get fined 1000 yen for her attack and I recovered a couple days later. The end," Zukin finished.
"Well, your mother definitely was a heroine," said Rocko smiling. "And it's a good thing you didn't have any accidents at the amusement park."
"Arigato!" Zukin cheered. "And yes, I know or it would have like been so messy!"
"I thought it was funny when you threw up on the doctor's feet!" Heffer giggled.
"Hehe! Now that I think back at it, I thought it was funny too!" Zukin snickered.
Zukin then turned to Filburt.
"How'd you fare, Filburt-chan?" Zukin questioned.
"To tell the truth, for the first time ever, I actually got through a gross-out story without throwing up," Filburt replied, looking like he wants to be sick. "I guess that means I've won the dare."
"That's so right!" Zukin hollered. "You can go vomit now!"
"Thank you," said Filburt.
Filburt ran off and the next thing the whole room knew, he was heard vomiting in the back garden. Then he came back.
"I'm better now," Filburt announced.
"We've also brought the copied newspaper of the incident, if you want to listen to it," Ai explained.
"We'd love to, Ai," Rocko said.
"The newspaper's in Japanese so I'll translate it into English for you," said Ai.
"Okay," said Rocko.
Ai sat down on the couch and got out the newspaper copy. Everything was in Japanese. Rocko, Heffer and Filburt were surprised at this.
"Wow, Japanese newspapers are much different than the newspapers here," said Rocko.
"I know," said Ai. "This is the headline here."
Ai put her finger on the first word of the headline. She moved it over every word to translate it into English.
"Pregnant Hotaru Futaba turns into "Karate Girl Yoko", so her 5-year-old sick daughter, Zukin, can use the toilet," Ai translated.
"Wow, nice headline," said Heffer.
"Yes Heffer-chan, it's sure a good one," said Ai.
Ai has now just began translating the main article.
"Pregnant diva Hotaru Futaba turned into "Karate Girl Yoko" yesterday after she kicked an employee to let her elder daughter, Zukin use the toilet when she got an urge to have diarrhoea," Ai translated again. "The incident happened at 2:23 pm at a gift shop at Yodogawa Carnival. The 27-year-old was with her 5-year-old daughter, her husband Akira, 30, his daughter, Kita, 12, and his twins, Taro and Rie, 10, from his previous marriage to Kukiko, their daughter Ai, 2, Hotaru's sister and brother-in-law, Himawari and Kazumi Midoriyama, both 32, and their son, Daichi, 9, their daughter, Taeko, 8, and their twins, Hajime and Haruka, 6, in the shop buying souvenirs when Zukin announced she was going to have diarrhoea."
"This is where the part comes in," Heffer whispered to Rocko and Filburt.
"I never knew the three had three older siblings," Filburt whispered.
"Hotaru then rushed her to the checkout and pleaded Kazuhito Seki, 16, for bathroom access but he refused and despite numerous attempts, it was still a no," Ai continued. "She got so angry that she kicked Kazuhito in the leg like her character Yoko Kosugi from the film Karate Girl Yoko did and she rushed off into the corridors with Zukin, who luckily made it to the toilet just in time."
"You were very lucky to make it to the bathroom, Zukin," Heffer whispered to Zukin.
"Arigato, Heffer-chan," Zukin whispered back.
"The mother-to-be, whose seven months pregnant with her third child and Akira's fifth child, then complained to the manager, Satoshi Kima, 25, who immediately took Kazuhito to his office and fired him because of the incident," Ai continued. "Zukin had to go again when the employee was taken to have his punishment and again, she made it to the toilet. Kazuhito's parents, Itsuki, 41, and Keiko, 40, arrived several minutes later. They immediately took him home and grounded him for a month with no TV. It was when they left that Zukin suddenly threw up on the floor moments later."
"Eww…" Filburt winced.
"That's right, Filburt-chan, it was disgusting," Ai said, before translating again. "Today, a doctor came round to the Futaba residence and it's been confirmed that the youngster has food poisoning from the spoilt melon bread she had from the local Sunny Beach Confection Factory store the previous day before she went to the amusement park. Taro and Rie were originally going to have the bread but they managed not to become food poisoning victims when they decided not to have it due to its disgusting appearance."
"Lucky them!" Heffer giggled.
"I know," said Ai. Then she said, "Hotaru said today, 'I'm really shocked and angry about this. If that person had have disposed the old ones and put out new fresh ones for sale, then my daughter wouldn't have been sick in the first place and the toilet incident would've never happened. I'm just so glad my twin stepchildren had lucky escapes.'"
"I have to agree," said Rocko.
"Exactly," Heffer and Filburt agreed.
"Tell them what's next in the article, onee-chan," said Hiroshi.
"I'm going to, otouto," said Ai. And then she translated, "Hotaru's mother, Ikuko Inoue, 50, said, 'That incident was completely wrong and out of order. Things would have been more worse if my youngest daughter hadn't had took fast action and my twin step-grandchildren had the bread. It's a good thing no one else in the family ate the bread or there would've been a lot of sickness going round.' (to Rocko, Heffer and Filburt) Just to let you three know, our maternal grandmother was a celebrity too and she still is today."
"Crikey, were the acting careers passed on per generation?" asked Rocko.
"You're right, Rocko-chan," said Ai. "You see, our grandmother got it from her mother, Chiaki, who was a silent film actress. She's now retired because she's getting old and she's got bone cancer."
"Sorry to hear that, Ai," Filburt said, sympathetically.
"Arigato, Filburt-chan," said Ai. "Here are some more translations. (translating the newspaper article) Hotaru's other sister, Hoshi Shiga, 30, expressed her disgust at Kazuhito's treatment and Zukin's food poisoning from the spoilt bread. 'I cannot believe those things happened to my niece,' she said. 'I'm a mother to a 2-year-old daughter and I would not let those things happen to her. I'm glad that gift shop employee got fired. And I hope Zukin has a speedy recovery.'"
"At least I didn't get dehydrated!" Zukin giggled.
"Yeah or that could've been more serious than ever," said Heffer.
"That's right," Ai agreed and she went back to translating. "As of yesterday, 60 people have been affected with the illness, including, (to the adult trio) this will shock you, (translating the article) a 2-year-old boy and an 81-year-old woman."
Rocko, Heffer and Filburt gasped and exclaimed, "Seriously?"
Ai nodded to reply.
"I hope the affected people didn't have any fatalities," said Rocko.
"Don't worry," said Ai. "Just before we came here, I went on the encyclopaedia about the incident and luckily, no deaths were involved."
Rocko, Heffer and Filburt all sigh with relief.
"Well, that's a relief," said Rocko.
"I know," said Ai. Then she translated the article for the last time. "Today, Kazuhito has now made a sincere apology to the family and the carnival has sent a letter, regretting the incident had happened. The person who sold the spoilt bread has since been fired from the local SBCF store and will be tried in court at a later date."
"I'm guessing that's the end of the article," said Heffer.
"Yes it is," Ai replied.
"Wow, this is the second time I got through a gross-out story without throwing up," said Filburt. "I don't want to throw up again now because it might be embarrassing to throw up here twice in one day."
"Taro and Rie felt guilty after my illness was confirmed because they didn't stop our parents from buying me the bread but our parents didn't realize it was spoilt so they knew it wasn't their fault," Zukin explained.
"Good on them for understanding," said Heffer, smiling.
"I know," Zukin giggled, giving Heffer a peace sign. Heffer also gave her one back.
"What happened to the bread seller afterwards?" asked Rocko.
"Well, according to the encyclopaedia I went on before we left home," Ai replied. "The person, 37-year-old Kyousuke Dairi, was fined 35,000 yen, was charged with customer abuse and was sent to prison for ten years. But since he remained on his best behaviour, he was released after five years."
"I bet he's learnt his lesson after that," said Filburt.
"I've had a similar experience when me, Heffer and Filburt were in high school," said Rocko. "Except it took place in a local games shop and I had a bursting bladder. I asked the employee for access but he said no and he repeated the answer when I pleaded and pleaded. Apparently, Heffer was seeing what was happening so he went over to him and punched him in the face and I ran down the corridor to the bathroom and I only just made it just when I was about to go on myself. The employee got a reprimand and Heffer was fined $10. Needless to say, we never went there again and we went to the one in the mall since because malls here require customer bathrooms."
"Me too," said Filburt. "It happened when my wife was expecting in her sixth month. We were at a shop buying…er, stuff when I started feeling queasy. I noticed that I was going to throw up so I told my wife about it and went to the employee and asked for access but he refused and despite explaining what's going to happen, he still denied my request. My wife saw the scene so she slammed him to the ground and I ran to the bathroom as fast as I could and I emptied my stomach into the toilet. The employee ended up being given a verbal warning and, like Heffer, my wife was fined $10 for her attack."
"Well, it looks like you two are bathroom access refusal survivors too," said Ai (Well, Rocko and Filburt just proved to Zukin that she's not alone).
"Have you been calling your wife Superwife after your incident?" Zukin asked.
"Superwife," Hiroshi whispered to Ai, giggling (I would imagine Filburt calling Dr. Hutchinson 'Supermother' as well! LOLOL!).
"Yeah, on some occasions," Filburt replied, stifling his laughter.
"Rocko-chan, do you know what time it is?" Zukin asked. "Me and my classmates are going on a school trip to go bowling at a bowling centre and I need to catch the bus at 5:30 pm."
Rocko checked his watch.
"It's 5 o'clock," said Rocko.
"Uh-oh! I don't think I can stay long!" Zukin exclaimed. "I think I might have to go now!"
"Me and Hiroshi need to go home because I need to take care of him since he's still recovering from his heart attack," Ai explained.
"Awwww, it's sad to see you go now, Zukin," Heffer whined, gaining anime puppy eyes along with a flowing anime river of tears on his face.
"I know, but I don't want to miss the bus," said Zukin, feeling a bit sad herself.
"Well, we better be going now," said Ai.
Rocko went over to the front door and opened it for Ai, Zukin and Hiroshi.
"Bye guys, see you soon," said Rocko.
"Bye, you three," Heffer and Filburt called, waving.
"Sayonara," said Ai, as Zukin and Hiroshi also waved.
Ai, Zukin and Hiroshi left as Rocko closed the door.
THE END
Note: I've written this fanfic since it's been two years since a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store at the Bella Terra mall in Huntington Beach, California refused bathroom access to a 5-year-old girl with diarrhoea, who ended up soiling herself.