DISCLAIMER: Ojamajo Doremi © Toei Animation in 1999-2004. I don't get any commercial benefit from this fic.

The Future Story

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Chapter 25 – The Fruit Roll Cake

"Tadaima!"

Two young women walked into a house. One of them brought a travel bag, while the another who also the older ones brought two shopping bags.

"Onee-chan, I think they haven't come home from school," the younger ones stated after she was sure that no one replied their greetings, "I don't hear any reply from them."

"I don't think so, Poppu. Moreover, Tsubomi-chan promise to me to not have a date with Tono-kun for today, as Hima-chan and you will stay here tonight," replied the older ones. She then put her shopping bags on a table in the kitchen and looked at the dining table in front of her, "and there's also one thing which make me so sure that they're already here."

"Really? What is it?" asked the younger ones, Pop, "What's the thing that makes you sure that they're here?"

"You know, I left some snacks for them on the dining table before I went to work and buy all of these stuff, and now we see that the dining table is empty," explained the older ones, Doremi, "It means that they've already enjoyed the snacks."

"Then, why don't they reply our greetings? It's so impolite that they don't reply our greetings, as they're our daughters."

"Poppu, maybe they fall asleep in Tsubomi-chan's room so that they can't hear us," guessed Doremi, "Don't think negatively about your daughter."

"Okay, I hope you're right, onee-chan," Pop sighed, "By the way, are you sure, you allow me to sleep with you in your room? Well, I know that onii-chan isn't here, but…"

"Daijoubu yo, Poppu. You can sleep with me there," said the redhead while she started to put some of the stuff that she bought in a cupboard, "Tetsuya knows that you'll stay here, and he allows you to sleep in our room with me."

"Oh, well…" Pop put her travel bag in the living room, followed her older sister to the kitchen and grabbed some vegetables out from a shopping bag, "Anyways, let me help you to put all of these in the refrigerator. You look so tired."

"Not really. I just did a few things at the music school this morning," Doremi shook of her head, "and recently, it's so rare that I can go home this early."

"Whatever. I just want to help you to put these vegetables," said Pop while she opened the refrigerator. She then looked at the remaining snacks in the refrigerator after she put all of the vegetables there, "Hey, is it the snacks that you mean before?"

"Hng? Poppu, what do you mean?"

"I find some pieces of fruit roll cake and a box of milk here."

"Oh…" Doremi smiled, "It must be the snacks for Murasaki-kun. Tsubomi-chan always put it there everytime they don't go home together."

"I see," Pop closed the refrigerator, "So, you left some pieces of fruit roll cake and milk for their snacks, eh?"

Doremi nodded, "I made the fruit roll cake before I went to the music school."

"Hey, so you make that fruit roll cake by yourself again?" Pop realized something, "Well, but I should admit that you make it better this time, compare with the cake that you made for me long time ago."

"I make it because I've ever heard that Hima-chan also likes fruit roll cake," explained the redhead, "Just like you, Poppu."

"She's my daughter, after all," Pop smiled, "That's why we have a same taste."

"I see," Doremi started to walk, "Well then, I think you should put your bag in the bedroom, then we see Tsubomi-chan and Hima-chan to make sure that they're okay now."

"Ah, you're right!" Pop agreed. She then walked into the living room to take her travel bag, "Let's we walk upstairs."

Both of them then walked to the second floor, into Doremi's room where Pop put her travel bag, and then into Tsubomi's room where both Tsubomi and Himawari were sleeping together on Tsubomi's bed.

"See? They fall asleep here," said Doremi, "That's why, they can't reply our greetings."

"Huh, they're so cute…" whispered Pop while she looked at her daughter and her niece, "They must be so tired after school."

"I just hope that they've already do their homework, as they still need to go to school tomorrow," replied Doremi.

"Onee-chan."

"Nani?"

"Do you make the fruit roll cake just for them?" asked Pop, "How about me?"

"Ah, gomen ne, Poppu. I just could make it for them three, because I didn't have enough ingredients to make it for you," Doremi apologized, "but if you still want the fruit roll cake…"

"No, onee-chan. You don't need to give the remaining cake to me. It's Murasaki-kun's…"

"Wait a minute, Poppu. I don't mean to say that," corrected the redhead, "If you still want the fruit roll cake, then we can make it now, because I've already bought all of the ingredients that we need to make it."

"Uh, okay…" Pop sighed, "but don't you feel so tired?"

"I don't feel tired at all. Let's we walk back into the kitchen."

.O.

At 05.00 PM…

After both of the young women finished their own fruit roll cake and ate it, both of their daughters walked into the living room where they were and talked a bit with them. Pop told Doremi about her reason to stay there tonight – because Kimitaka went to Hokkaido to control his work project until Sunday. Doremi then suggested to both Pop and Himawari to stay in her house until Kimitaka went home from Hokkaido – until Sunday, as Kotake would come home on Monday.

"I think it's a good idea, onee-chan," Pop responded, "Alright then, I and Himawari will stay here until Sunday."

"Don't forget about me, Poppu," replied Fafa who suddenly came from nowhere, "I also will protect you and Hima-chan here."

"Hey, you also follow Poppu-chan here because you miss me so much, right Fafa?" said Dodo who then also flew into the living room.

"Okay, I think you're right, onee-chan," sighed Fafa.

Before Fafa could introduce herself to Tsubomi, Murasaki arrived there. Fafa then introduced herself to the twins, while Murasaki ate his fruit roll cake and drank his milk.

Himawari said to her aunt and her cousins that she would have a piano recital two months later. She then requested to Doremi that she wanted her to make fruit roll cake for her, as Pop had ever told her about her own piano recital when she was in the first grade at elementary school, that Doremi had ever made fruit roll cake for her in that time which successfully made Pop cheered up.

"Okay, even though I don't have a pastry shop like Auntie Momo – Momo-chan, I'll give your order in your piano recital," said Doremi, "but you should promise to me that you'll perform well in that recital, okay?"

Himawari nodded, "You can trust me for that things, Auntie Doremi."

When the family finished their talk, Doremi and Pop commanded Murasaki, Tsubomi and Himawari to take a bath and changed their clothes in the first floor's bathroom. As Murasaki didn't want to take a bath together with Tsubomi and Himawari, both of the girls bathed together first, while their mothers bathed together in the bathroom inside the main bedroom.

Some minutes later, all of them were gathered in the dining room. The kids then prepared the table while the young mothers cooked their dinner. Both of the young women just needed ten minutes to prepared their dinner, which later they took together.

And at 09.00 PM, they slept.