Disclaimer: I do not own Shirokuma Cafe or the characters.
Notes: Here's my second Shirokuma Cafe fic. This idea came to mind following a post I'd made on tumblr commenting that Shirokuma is like a surrogate big brother to Panda. I might have been OOC in some instances (especially when it came to Panda) and I admit I borrowed a couple of the puns from Grizzly's attempt in episode 16 (best avoid spoilers here...), and because I don't know enough Japanese, the puns are all English...
Enjoy!
Everyday at the zoo, it was always the same. Panda would provide some service for the visitors (though Joukin Panda put in the most effort while Panda snoozed in any possible place), and he'd always see the same kinds. Children from pre-school. Lovey-dovey couples. Families.
It was the families that struck him hardest. He often saw some children with older siblings, and it filled him with a form of envy. He was the oldest child in his family, so he didn't know what it was like to have an older brother or sister.
Joukin Panda didn't quite understand why Panda seemed so sullen whenever he saw families consisting of two or more children. I'll have to try to talk to him about it when we have a chance...
It was quiet. A good time to relax before more visitors approached Panda Corner. Joukin Panda finished packing the boxes of special tissue packets he'd had to insert business cards into. He turned to look at his kouhai and saw he was slumped against the tyre swing. "Panda-kun? You can't fall asleep now...school will be out in ten minutes..."
"That's fine. It means I can have ten minutes of sleep."
"But, you need to be ready to provide service." He thought about what he should say to try to get Panda to talk. "There will be many families coming to see us."
Panda tensed slightly.
He noticed. "Tell me, Panda-kun. What do you have against families? You have a large one too, you know." Joukin Panda knew that Panda's main family consisted of his grandfather, mother, younger sister and baby brothers; it was because sometimes he and Panda would share stories about what their families get up to.
"It's not the families that bother me."
"Then what is it?"
"I want a big brother or big sister or both! It's not fair! Why was I born first? Because I'm the oldest, I'm not seen as cute compared to Mei Mei and my brothers..."
So, that's it! "I can be your big brother if you'd like."
Panda turned to Joukin Panda, then he turned away again, waving his paw to say no thank you. "No no, I need a successful big brother! Someone who I can be proud of! Not someone who's divorced twice."
The older panda sweatdropped and sighed. "Again, I was not divorced twice. Please stop making things up about me."
"Besides, I already know I'm the cutest panda in this zoo, I don't need to have you as an older brother to compare me to."
Another sigh. "Let's forget about it..."
Sasako had just finished serving Penguin another cafe mocha when the door opened, signalled by the sound of the bell echoing through the building. "Welcome!"
Shirokuma paused in his cooking briefly and looked up to see Panda was the one who'd entered the cafe. He watched as the young panda moved to the counter and sat on a stool. "Welcome, Panda-kun. Would you like the usual?"
He nodded tiredly. "Hah, work was so tiring again~," he sighed.
Penguin set down his cup. "How can lying around all day be tiring?" He knew that even though Panda was meant to actually work, he spent most of the day sleeping in any possible place.
"It's because I even exert myself when being lazy."
"Never mind. Forget I asked."
Sasako placed a cup of ice-water in front of Panda while Shirokuma prepared an ice coffee. "You seem more than tired today, Panda-kun. Is something bothering you?"
"Hey, Sasako-san?" Panda responded with his own question. "Do you have an older brother or sister?"
"No, I don't."
"So, you don't?"
"No."
"I see."
"What's with that question?" Penguin asked.
"What about you, Penguin-san? Do you have an older brother or sister?"
"No. My sister's younger."
"Oh."
"Again, what's with that question?"
"I always see young children with their older brothers and sisters, and I find myself wanting one too."
"Brother or sister?"
"Either. Or both."
"You're the oldest child in your family, right?" Sasako queried.
Panda nodded. "Because I'm older, Mei Mei and my baby brothers are cuter in comparison. I want to have someone older than me so I can be cute compared to them."
Penguin and Sasako couldn't help but sweatdrop.
"Did you consider Joukin Panda?" Shirokuma asked as he presented a large bowl of bamboo and bamboo grass, Panda's usual order.
"He offered. I said no."
"Wait. You said no to someone offering to be your big brother?" Penguin asked. "Why did you do that?"
"Because I'm already cute in comparison and I want a successful big brother or sister or both."
"But, he's the father of three children, right? He has a full-time job, right? How can you call that unsuccessful?"
"Because he's been divorced twice."
No, he hasn't...
"What do you think life would be like if you had an older brother?" Sasako asked.
"Well, we'd go out and eat bamboo and bamboo grass together, and he'd come to my defense whenever Okaa-san threatens to suck me up with the vaccum, and when we go out, people would look at us and comment look at that younger panda, isn't he so cute compared to that older one? and we'd do stuff together."
"Reality check. Not all big brothers are that nice to their younger siblings," Penguin commented bluntly.
"Eh? But, I've seen lots of nice big brothers..."
"Sure a lot of the time they are. But, some prefer teasing their little brothers and sisters."
"I don't want that."
"What about an older sister?"
Shirokuma froze. He then brought out coloured eggs.
"That's Easter," Penguin commented.
Shirokuma removed a shoe he'd put on seconds before and tenderly touched a sore spot on his heel.
"That's a blister."
Finally, he brought out a cloth and started to wipe a shelf nearby.
"That's a duster. I said sister."
Panda thought about it. "Maybe she'll be cuter than me...I don't want that. No sister then."
More sweatdropping courtesy of Penguin.
Panda had almost finished his bamboo and bamboo grass platter. "What should I do? I want an older brother!"
"Panda-kun. You've forgotten something important about family," Shirokuma spoke up. He was normally quiet, observing his surroundings and listening to conversations, bringing his puns into them when he noticed a word he could match with others. But, when it came down to it, as silly as he could be, he was also a wise bear.
"What have I forgotten, Shirokuma-kun?"
"Family isn't just made of those you share a blood bond with; like your mother and siblings. Close friends can also be family. You do have older brothers, and an older sister."
"I do? Really? But, Okaa-san never mentioned them."
"No no. I mean the three of us." He turned to Sasako and Penguin. "Right?"
Sasako smiled. "That's right. Ever since we all met, we've spent a lot of time together. We've done so much together and have always helped each other."
Penguin nodded in concurrence. "We all have been through a lot together. You can't say family doesn't do that."
Panda gazed at his three closest friends and smiled, his blush showing through his fur.
Shirokuma smiled. "I'm certain that if you asked Grizzly-kun, he might be reluctant about admitting it, but even he sees you as a little brother."
"So...I really do have older siblings!"
Next time Panda was at work, he saw the different sizes of families pass through the zoo, many stopping at Panda Corner. The envy never showed itself again, because he had something even better in his opinion. He formed a new family with his friends, so he knew that no matter what happened, they'd always be there as his older brothers and sister.
...that and the fact that when compared to Penguin, he tends to be called the cutest, and that's the best thing.