Natsumi, Koyuki and Momoka caught up to Mois in their dorm, finding her slumped on her bed. They all gathered around and exchanged comforting messages and gestures to her.
"Maybe Asami's right. I don't belong here! I keep messing up. You could say, a burp in a symphony?" Mois whined.
"Hey, it's only been a couple of days. You'll get there," Natsumi promised.
"But what if I fail here? And it's not just Asami. Everyone thinks I don't belong here!"
"We don't think that," Koyuki said.
"Yeah, you're our friend! We can help you, if you want," Momoka suggested.
"Thank you, girls. Really."
Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard. Mois sat up on the bed. Natsumi walked to the door and opened it, only to look down and find Keroro struggling to carry a box over his head.
"Uh, a little help!" he exclaimed before the box's weight crushed his tiny body. Natsumi giggled at this and lifted the box. "Thank you, stupid frog!"
"You could've lifted it before it crushed me," Keroro muttered weakly.
"Keroro, are you okay!?" Tamama said, rushing forward.
"Dang it, Tamama, where were you when I needed you!?"
"I was getting us snacks. I'm sorry, Keroro!" Tamama whimpered. Keroro blushed and shook his head. "Hey, you know I can't stay mad at that face."
Tamama blushed and smiled sheepishly. "Keroro…"
"It's for you, Angel, from this person named… 'Kana'!" Natsumi spoke.
"For me?" Mois repeated. She took the box and opened it, revealing stuff from back home – like her cell phone, a few books, and a framed drawing made by her sister. It was a picture of a little girl found on someone's doorstep.
"That looks pretty!" Momoka commented.
"Who drew it?" Koyuki asked.
"My sister drew it!" Mois answered. "She loved that story where I was found on my mother's doorstep. I was so young… You could say, one year old?"
Unknown to them, Pururu nearly knocked on their door before eavesdropping on their conversation.
"I really need to become a Duchess… for them. They're everything to me. You could say, returning the favor?" Mois sighed. Pururu heard this and turned away from the door….
And found Keroro and Tamama snickering at her.
"What?"
"You're going to train her, aren't you?" Tamama asked in a raspy tone.
"Oh, she is. If you expel Lady Angel, then you've got another thing coming, grandma!" Keroro threatened. Pururu saw red, scaring the two frogs, and blasted them off the roof in one swift kick.
"Follow the beat of the rhythm, ladies! No man would want to have their feet stepped on when you dance with them," Pururu commanded. Mois stumbled and stepped on Koyuki's foot once again. Koyuki hissed in pain and hopped back slightly to grab her foot.
"Again, Angel?" Pururu groaned.
"I'm so sorry, Koyuki!" Mois cried.
Koyuki scratched her head. "No, it's okay! Dororo always steps on my foot whenever we danced together, so I'm used to it."
"Eh… are you sure you and Dororo aren't in love yet? You could say, forbidden love?" Mois teased.
"N-No! He doesn't like me that way. If he did, then he'd tell me," Koyuki explained.
"If you liked him, would you tell him as well?"
"U-Um-" The sound of the bell ended the class, and their conversation. "Oh look! Class is over. Let's go grab lunch!" she exclaimed nervously.
"Thank you everyone, you're all dismissed," Pururu said as she watched everyone leave. "Except you, Angel."
Mois froze in fear and mortification. Asami and Alisa walked past her. "Well, isn't that a surprise," Asami huffed.
"Pururu… is everything alright?" Mois asked.
"No, it's not! Yesterday, Duchess Fia recommended we expel you," Pururu warned sternly.
"Oh… you could say, a total failure…?"
Pururu shook her head. "I can't say I blame her. I know a week hasn't passed yet but dear me, I have never seen such an inept student! To be blunt with you I was almost going to expel you."
Mois blinked. "Wait, did you say 'almost'? You could say, merciful mistress?"
"Indeed. Do you know what it takes to make a member of the royal family?" Pururu asked.
"A crown? You could say, vital accessories?"
"Not at all. Character. Here in our academy, character is the main concept that drives you into the royal life. Unfortunately, quite a lot of our students tend to display confidence without character. And that is very dangerous. You, Angel, are different – you lack confidence, but somewhere inside you, I can sense something worthy," Pururu confessed.
"So… you're not getting rid of me?"
The head mistress turned around, smiling. "I'm going to train you, Angel. If you persist in improving your efforts then I have no qualms you'll be able to be worthy of becoming any Princess' Duchess. What do you say?"
"HA I KNEW IT!" yelled an injured Keroro.
Mois grinned as wide as she could and launched herself. "Yes! Oh, that'd be wonderful!"
"Ehe – rule number one, no hugging the tutor! Rule number two," her expression suddenly darkened. "Don't call me an old lady or anything along those lines. Otherwise I will result to automatic withdrawal. Is that clear?"
Mois giggled and backed away. "Crystal!"
"Here, as you can see, I am capable of balancing a numerous amount of objects while maintaining every ounce of relaxation in my body," Pururu said. She was mounted on a rock with one foot on the ground and the other in the air behind her. She balanced two flower pots on both hands which were spread out on both sides and on her head were several nursing books. And yes, they were so heavy.
"That's because you're not surrounded by people who make you feel worthless. You could say, inferior peasant?" Mois countered, with Ms. Furbottom next to her.
Pururu began to stand up straight, pulling the flower pots to her chest with ease. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. In saying that, what other people think of you is none of your business. Thinking so helps build confidence and character."
"I don't know if I can do this," Mois complained.
Pururu smiled and handed her the pots. "That's what I'm here for. To make sure you can do it. We'll start small. Do it for thirty seconds on the ground."
Mois slowly lifted one leg behind her and struggled to balance her arms and the pots she held on her hands. "I… I can't do it! You could say – you could say…!"
"Of course you can do it!"
Unfortunately, Mois lost balance and fell face flat on the ground. The pots fell, splattering some soil on Pururu's face and body. She shook her head and dusted off the soil from her face. Ms. Furbottom rushed to Mois and rubbed her face against hers.
"We've got a long way to go," Pururu mumbled.
The next few weeks became tough for Mois. After classes, she had special afterschool classes with Pururu, such including proper mannerisms, learning how to serve a princess, dance lessons, and of course learning how to gain confidence and balance. She still struggled in some classes, accidentally stepping on Koyuki's feet again and getting shoved by Asami every time she balanced a book on her head. She even knocked Pururu over somehow while practicing dance lessons with her. Despite this, she worked hard – reading every book she saw in the library. She took some time off from her friends to perform these tasks. Day by day, week by week she improved greatly. And soon enough, she was finally able to balance dozens of books on her head, much like Asami can. She renounced her life as a waitress and learned how to serve and drink tea without making a single slouch or slurp. You could say, she was a whole new person!
As the week went on, after everyone finished their last class, the group kept noticing Pururu leaving the class with Mois. Despite their suspiciousness, they brushed it off and went to the cafeteria to hang out with the boys again. This time, Kururu was with them.
"Hey, guys! Mind if we join you?" Natsumi asked.
"Sure. Say, where's the new girl?" Dororo asked. "What was her name again?"
"Angel? Oh, she's with Pururu. If I were to guess, the headmistress might be helping Angel become a better Duchess," Koyuki theorized. "Did I get that right?"
Yup, you did.
"You forgot her name? That's ironic coming from someone who's always forgotten," Keroro chuckled. Dororo's heart broke and he sat in the nearest corner.
"You're horrible…"
"Keroro!" Koyuki hissed and walked over to her friend. "You okay?"
Dororo didn't meet her eyes and continued to cry. "I'm fine. I can't stand Keroro being mean to me. He's always been like that since we were kids…"
Koyuki smiled. "Hey, if he hadn't treated you that way, then you probably never would've met me, right?"
Dororo's tears ceased and he turned his head slightly. "Koyuki…"
"Kururu. How ironic of you to join us when Angel's not here to see you," Natsumi groaned.
"Angel? Who's that? Kukuku!" he laughed dumbly.
"Hmph, that's pretty idiotic coming from someone who likes stalking every girl on his computer," Saburo huffed. Kururu's gazed jerked to Saburo's. You could see the snare beneath his spiralled glasses.
"Watch your words, pretty boy. You wouldn't want me to slit and stitch those 'perfect' lips of yours," Kururu mocked threateningly. Natsumi banged her hands on the table.
"If you so just slit his mouth I'll kill you seven times over! That includes your immature stalking habits!" Natsumi spat.
"Tch, you're wasting your time on a no-brainer. Go date someone like Giroro. At least he's got more brain cells than the number of bullets in his useless peashooter. Kukuku!"
"WHY YOU LITTLE!" Giroro roared.
"Calm down, Giroro," Tamama chuckled
Fuyuki said nothing. This is why we don't usually invite Kururu around. Unknown to him, Momoka's hiding under the table.
"Why can't you notice me, Fuyuki… why?" she whined to herself. Suddenly, she noticed Fuyuki looking under the table and at her. The two screamed with surprise and Fuyuki fell off his chair.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," Momoka cried as she helped him up.
"Momoka, why were you under the table?" Natsumi asked.
"T-That's because…"
"Momoka? That's your name?" Fuyuki asked. The girl instantly blushed, yet her demeanor changed.
"You did it, Momoka! Now on to step two!" her alter ego hissed. After reverting back to her normal self, she turned around with an awkward smile.
"Y-yes!"
"Eh? That's such a cute name! It's nice to meet you," Fuyuki greeted.
"It's nice to meet you too! Fu-Fuyu—"
"So, Giroro, how are your studies going?" Natsumi asked.
"T-They're going well," Giroro stammered. Kururu spat a wad of bubblegum onto his hand. "Kuku! That's obviously a lie."
"Shut the hell up, you nerdy bastard!"
"Oh yeah, if you're so cocky then how about you tell us about your studies, hm?" Natsumi challenged.
"Wouldn't you like to know? Kukuku!" Kururu laughed evilly.
"Pupu! Obviously he's been too busy stalking the new girl to focus on his studies." Kururu paled and broke a sweat at this sudden intrusion of a high-pitched voice. "Yet somehow he still manages to ace every single class without breaking a sweat. How predictable."
It was none other than Tororo, and his friends, Taruru and Zoruru.
"The new girl?" Natsumi asked. Then her eyes narrowed teasingly. "Ohh…. You mean Mois?"
"Wow, someone's got a major crush," Koyuki giggled.
"A major stalker is more like it," Dororo muttered unsurely. Kururu glared and clenched Tororo's head.
"And who advised you to make fun of your older brother like that, huh, little brat?" he asked darkly.
"Well it's true! And I am not a brat!" Tororo answered back.
Kururu hit with his helmet and shoved him. "No it's not, you whiny brat."
"Liar, liar, Giroro fires!" Tororo teased. Giroro chuckled. "Good one."
"Keep talking lies and you won't get any spare parts to play around with. Now go skedaddle with Thing 1 and Thing 2 before I rip your glasses off. Kukuku!"
"Party-pooper. Let's tell Headmaster Garuru that Kururu's got a girlfriend!" Tororo joked.
"I'm with you!" Taruru agreed and the two laughed off together.
"Ugh… why am I with you guys again?" Zoruru grumbled as he slowly stormed off behind them. Obviously it was to bully Dororo, but unfortunately Zoruru forgot about him.
"How cruel…"
Oops.
"Tch, annoying brats," Kururu huffed.
"Hmph, I guess I'm not the only one with an annoying brother," Giroro snickered.
"What was that…?" Giroro flinched and turned to look at Headmaster Garuru. "N-Nothing, bro!"
Garuru smirked knowingly and ruffled with his head. "You're a terrible liar. As you were." He left, leaving his brother flushed a deeper red with embarrassment.
"At least my brother is inferior. Kukuku!" Kururu retorted.
"S-Shut up!"
"Um, Kururu, is it true you're stalking Mois?" Fuyuki asked curiously.
"Kuku! Of course not? Why would I waste my time on a commoner like her?" Kururu spat, albeit not maintaining eye contact with the boy.
"I wouldn't be surprised. You're just going to use her for one of your whacko experiments and leave her guessing. That or it could be that the man who can make the impossible possible fell for this girl. Am I right?" Saburo mocked. Kururu was losing his patience.
"Kuku! I should say the same for you and your nasty habit of slacking off with the ladies. And me, like her? Don't make me laugh."
"Oh, alright. Then I guess you won't mind if I dance with her Friday," Saburo concluded. Natsumi and Giroro stood up in sock.
"What!?"
"Tch," Kururu mumbled. "I'd like to see you try."
"Man, that's some real drama going on, wouldn't you say Tamama?" Keroro commented as he ate from a bag of chips.
"I know! Pass me the cola," Tamama said enthusiastically. It's a good thing that woman isn't here to spoil the fun with my Keroro.
"Say, where are Dororo and Koyuki?" Keroro asked. Tamama pointed towards them. "They're over the-" only to figure out they were cardboard cutouts. "Not there."
"Eh, they're either making out or trying to avoid the situation," Keroro guessed.
"Ew, you're making me lose my appetite!" Tamama gagged.
"Hey, guys! I'm so sorry I'm late," called a running Mois. Everyone, except Tamama and Kururu, smiled at her appearance. Tamama saw red at that moment.
"THAT WOMAN!"
"Lady Angel! I'm glad you could join us. Did the old lady help you?" Keroro asked, before feeling a sense of dread nearby. "I-I mean Headmistress Pururu… hehe."
"She was very helpful! You could say, a true master?" Mois giggled.
Natsumi wrapped an arm around Mois' shoulder. "That's great! Hey, four-eyes, your girl is- HEY WHERE'D HE GO!?" Dotted lines traced the spot Kururu had once been. He left, again.
"Where'd he go…?" Momoka wondered.
"Maybe he's too shy," Fuyuki guessed.
"Hmph, that's highly unlikely," Giroro said.
"Maybe he doesn't like meeting new people," Dororo suddenly stepped in with Koyuki.
"Where did you two come from…?" Tamama hissed.
"We had to leave for a while. It was getting a little too intense," Dororo chuckled sheepishly.
Saburo stared at Mois intently. "So you're Angel?"
Mois nodded. "Yup, that's me!" Natsumi felt her heart sting and said nothing. Only Giroro saw this. Saburo became more interested in her.
"I find it interesting how you look like Asami," Saburo commented and inched his face towards her. "The question is: are you better?"
"Um… I… well…" Mois muttered shyly. She didn't like being compared to.
Suddenly, a spoon was thrown towards Saburo. He leaned back nonchalantly and grabbed the spoon before it hit his face.
"Kuku! Oops, I accidentally threw my spoon at you. I'd like it back please," Kururu commanded.
"Wait, so you didn't storm off like any edgy character would?" Keroro asked.
"I was craving curry."
"If you want your spoon back, then do me a favour," Saburo grabbed the collar of Kururu's shirt (Yes, even frogs wear clothing, whether or not they're in their human forms.) and brought his face close. "And let Angel be mine."
Mois blushed madly. "W-What?"
"Kuku! You dare cheat on your beloved Asami?" Kururu spat in defense, neither did he claim Mois was his.
"Wait…" Natsumi broke. "SABURO HAS A GIRLFRIEND?!"
"N-Natsumi…"Giroro muttered in shock. Natsumi slammed her face on the table and sulked. Koyuki rushed to her and hugged her. "Hey, it's okay, Natsumi. There are lots of other boys who like you. You're popular!"
"Yeah right," Natsumi murmured from the table. Suddenly, she felt a strong hand rest against her head.
"You need to learn to move on, Natsumi. Loving a tool like him only blinds you from those who see the real beauty in you. Remember that," Giroro lectured. Natsumi looked up at him, blushing slightly. "Giroro…"
"What a drama queen," Keroro whispered.
"If it's to piss you off and admit the inevitable, then sure," Saburo challenged.
"That is unacceptable for a prince," Dororo mumbled. Fuyuki and Momoka nodded in silence, trying to avoid it all. Wait, how is it that everyone else is not noticing them?
Kururu took the shortness of distance as an opportunity to snatch the spoon from Saburo. "Oh, look at that, I snatched it from you. Guess we can't make a deal."
Saburo huffed and held his head high. "Coward." Despite saying this, he was impressed at how clever Kururu was in passing his test. He really does like her, he concluded inwardly.
"Even if you pressed me to answer, I am in no position to. She isn't mine after all. In fact, she doesn't belong to anyone yet. Kukuku!"
"Kururu…" Mois breathed. He backed down and refused to decide for me?
And speaking of dance, the annual co-ed dance is about to begin. Who will be partners is obvious. Unknown to them, Pururu and Garuru watched their discussion from a distance, their fingers intertwined.
"Looks like some people are excited for the dance lesson," Pururu giggled.
Garuru chuckled. "It'd be a lie if we weren't as excited."
"Try not to trip me up like Angel did. It was tough tutoring her," teased the headmistress.
"Anything for you." Garuru kissed her hand, let go, and walked to his office. Pururu blushed and smiled knowingly before averting her attention to the eating crowd.
It's time to put Mois' lessons to the test.
What's this? So many questions. Saburo and Asami are dating?! Tororo is Kururu's little brother?! A love triangle?! Here?!
Yes.
I doubt Saburo is interested in Mois though. He probably takes the piss out of Kururu by flirting with her. Unlike everyone else, he can read Kururu pretty well, as Kururu can for him. It does make them good rivals in a way as they love to hate each other… blackmailing each other especially. I couldn't be bothered talking about Mois training. Just watch the movie and it'll be something like that. Or simply visualize it in your head, if you can.
An update will come soon. I even added a bit of GaruPuru in the end. They need more attention. Stay tuned!