Tamama found himself sitting in bed once again. He sighed as streaks of sunlight crept through his mesh curtain, projecting an array of patterns onto his face. Tamama had wanted to swap out the curtains for something heavier the past summer, but never got around to it. He was usually preoccupied with whatever invasion plan Keroro was thinking of.
Gunsou-san...
The young Keronian flipped onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow. He had been too embarrassed to visit Keroro for several days after the incident. He let out a muffled sob as he held back tears. What bothered him wasn't that the Sarge paid Mois more attention, it was the fact that he had also paid Tamama the same attention after he started crying. That meant one thing to Tamama: That Keroro considered them both only as friends.
"I don't want to be your friend..." Tamama whispered, wiping at his eye. "I want to be more."
Momoka sipped her cup of tea, then proceeded to throw it at the nearest wall. Shards of glass skid across the marble floor. She smiled.
"Momo-chi, why did you do that?" a confused Tamama questioned.
They were sitting in the Nishizawa dining hall. Several long tables draped in white cloths were placed adjacent to one another. Three chandeliers hung from the ceiling, dimly lighting up the large room. In addition to the chandeliers, lamps designed to look like torches adorned the walls at set intervals.
"Lol, cuz the maids will clean it up," said the rich girl. "Anyway, what did you want to see me for Tama-chan?"
Tamama hesitated before speaking. Momoka grabbed another cup of tea and sipped it.
"Y-you remember that plan you did with Fu-ki? The one with the tree?"
"Hm... You mean the tree that looked cute, so I gave it to him but then it turned out to be Kururu-san's invention and nearly killed him? Yeah, I remember that."
"N-no! I mean the tree that makes people fall in love!" Tamama said, waving his arms. Momoka thought for a second. Her thumb traced the golden design on the cup.
"Sakura... Sakuura? Was that what it was called?" Her hair sharpened. "Stop reminding me of my failed plans you ditz!"
Momoka stood up and rolled back her sleeve. She threw her second cup of tea at the same wall. "Trying to piss me off, huh, Tama-kou? Do you wanna die?!"
"T-that's not what I..." Tamama started to back up. He eyed the door.
"Don't try to leave!"
Tamama ran out of the room, Momoka following close behind. After they left, a maid strolled into the room and swept the floor with a broom.
Mois winced in pain. She tried to pull away.
"Oji-sama, it stings," the Angol complained.
"Keep still. You were burned pretty badly back there," Keroro said whilst applying some ointment on a patch of Mois' arm. He spread the medicine around evenly before throwing the Q-tip away.
"There."
Mois gave him a smile and turned to leave. "Kururu-san asked that I help him with a few things in the base. See you later, Oji-sama!"
The door shut behind her. With Mois gone, Keroro's mind shifted to the question that had been pestering him the past few days. He sat at his table and opened a box of Tamama's snacks. The light scent of chocolate crème wafted in the air as Keroro stuffed one of the puffs into his mouth. He purposely didn't chew; instead he let the contents of the puff melt on his tongue.
Does Tamama really want to spend more time with me?
The buildings and Pekoponians looked like toys from Tamama's perspective.
Thankfully Paul stopped Momo-chi before things got worse, he thought.
The engine of his saucer whirred as he made a turn towards some alleyways. Tamama carefully parked his flying board behind some dumpsters, looked around, and jumped into a manhole badly hidden with wooden planks. He was headed to the one place where aliens were allowed to thrive on Pekopon: Side Six.
. . .
"Sorry, we don't know what you're saying!"
With a shutter and clank, the shop merchant pulled down the steel blind, sealing off communication. Tamama was dumbfounded.
"What do you mean you don't know?!" he shouted, banging his fists against the metal. When there was no answer, he gave up. Tamama sighed, and continued walking down the long street of the underground district. Whenever he thought he had found a suitable shop, he was given the same result.
"We don't sell Sakura Sakuura here!"
"Don't you know that's illegal, brat?!"
No matter where Tamama turned, no one was willing to help him. All he needed was a single branch of Sakura Sakuura for his plan to work. He didn't think it would be this hard to get. It seemed as if he had spent the entire afternoon searching, only to come back empty-handed time after time. A vein pulsed in his head, but he ignored it and kept on walking, keeping his eyes on the floor.
Soon, Tamama's belly rumbled.
I'm hungry...
He looked up to find an unfamiliar setting.
Did I walk too far...? I must've lost track of time.
Tamama stopped, and took in his surroundings. Light was scarce. The cracked walls which were once an even dark maroon, blackened at the edges. Pillars connected the concrete floor to the low, arched roof. The air was filled with an unsettling dampness. Very little aliens and almost no shops occupied the vicinity. A lighted area stood out at the end of the street; a single booth with no customers.
I wonder what they sell there, he thought as he trudged towards the light. No doubt nothing interesting.
As he approached the shop, a gritty voice greeted him.
"Hello, young one. Aren't you a Keronian? What can I do to help you?"
The merchant was dressed in a brown coat and had a long face. A matching hat was perched upon his head. Putrid green-yellow skin covered his body. He gave a thin smile and fixed his red eyes on Tamama.
"I-I was wondering if you have Sakur-"
The smile vanished as quickly as it came. He banged the table lightly.
"We don't deal with illegal products. According to Space Law 46, artificially creating feelings for other aliens is prohibited throughout the galaxy. I can't help you."
The merchant began organizing various jars on a shelf behind him.
"I can give you anything! All I need is one branch of Sakura Sakuura!" Tamama shouted. This was the one shop that hadn't completely shut him out. He couldn't lose this chance. "I can get any sum of money you want. Just name your price."
The jars stopped moving. Slowly, the shopkeeper turned his head until his eyes were visible. Tamama smirked, knowing he had won.
"Follow me," he said quietly, leaving the jars and moving behind the shelf.
Does he really have it?
Tamama poked his head into the storage room where the merchant had led him. There were many more shelves here, each one filled with jars and containers. Furniture lined the room, making it look more like a home than just a storage space. The Keronian's eye caught something floating in one of the jars.
S-space Cerberus liver...?! I wonder where the branch is, Tamama wondered, scanning the walls top to bottom.
But the merchant did not reach for anything on the shelves; instead, he pulled out a large briefcase from beneath a table. He turned the numbered locks on it, then scanned his index finger on a scanner. After, he proceeded to bring the briefcase to eye level, and a retinal scanner scanned his retina. A beep came from the case, and the merchant licked a scanner with his tongue. Finally, after a final beep, the case was opened.
"..."
"What? It's for security reasons," the merchant said sheepishly. He took a jar with a branch that held a single cherry blossom out of the case. Tamama's face lit up.
"It's really the branch of Sakura Sakuura!" he giggled. Tamama looked at the merchant. "How much do you want?"
"Two million space dollars."
The look became a glare. Tamama's pupil's shrank down.
"Are you out of your mind? Two million for a fricken' branch?!" The Keronian grabbed at the jar, but the merchant being much taller, avoided him with ease.
"Hey, you're the one who asked for it. My store is probably the only store that carries it and is willing to sell. You should be happy," green-face stated. Tamama stopped reaching for it. The merchant began to replace the jar into the briefcase. "Guess you don't want it, now that you know the price."
"W-wait! I-I'll pay for it!" Tamama pulled out a card. "Just bill it to the Nishizawa Corporation!"
The merchant's eyes widened. "The Nishizawa Corporation? Interesting."
He handed Tamama the jar and took the card, all the while staring at him as if trying to figure out a riddle. Tamama ignored him and walked out of the booth, happy he finally got what he wanted. The light shut off behind him.
Time to go home, Tamama thought, smiling.
He clutched the jar to his chest and began to make his way back to the surface.
To be continued!
Please leave a review, I'd really appreciate it :') *runs off into distance*