I hope you enjoy :D
Episode 07: |Bukku Switcheroo! Meet Tomoka!|
"The strawberry cream sandwiches were soggy yesterday~buku," whines Bukku.
Imari is in the kitchen preparing her bento box for lunch. And a second lunch for Bukku to stop from eating hers.
"Then, I'll make you something else," sighs Imari as she chops some pickled vegetables.
"But, I like the strawberry cream sandwiches~buku," moans Bukku.
"Then, I'll make you a strawberry cream sandwich again," says Imari throwing the greens into her bento box.
"But, the bread it just going to get all soggy again~buku," complains Bukku.
"What do you want me to go about it?" asks Imari half-heartedly.
"Simple~buku," claims the fairy prince.
He coughs to clear his throat. "First, place both slices of bread in separate baggies~buku. With the crusts cut off, of course~buku. Then, put the sliced strawberries in one container and the cream in another~buku. You will then carefully put the correct ratio of strawberries to cream and mix them together in a different container~buku. And lastly; a knife for you to spread an equal amount the mixture onto both pieces of bread. Bringing them all together into a beautiful and heavenly sandwich~buku!"
"Yeah, I'm not doing that."
"What~buku?" peeps Bukku almost falling over in disbelief. "Why not~buku?!"
"Because you're being ridiculous," huffs Imari. "Like my mom always tells me; 'Be thankful for what you have as you work for what you want'."
"Well, I want a non-mushy strawberry cream sandwich~buku!" pouts Bukku. "And, as the Prince of Fanciful Kingdom and heir to the throne, I order you to make me one~buku!"
Imari laughs playfully. "Lucky for us, we're not in Fanciful Kingdom. I'm not one of your servants, you know. I'm sure you'll love whatever I make for you."
Bukku sticks out his tongue. Imari shake her head as she finishes packing up both of the bento boxes. She places them inside her book bag along with the PreHeartBook.
"Why don't your servants make your lunch?" asks Bukku as he climbs into the bag.
"Because normal people don't have servants. Well, except for practically everyone at school."
Bukku smirks. "Yeah, you are so normal yourself, Little Miss PreCure."
Imari shacks her head. "Okay, okay, fair enough. Now let's go."
"I still don't get why you have to do all this work before school~buku," wonders Bukku as they head for the door.
Imari slips on her pink penny loafers. "Well, my dad is always too busy running the café and my mom needs the car to take my little sister to her elementary school. So…yeah."
Bukku frowns. "Your life is so difficult~buku! I mean, first you have to wake yourself up every morning~buku. Then, get yourself dressed~buku. Make your breakfast and lunch~buku. And walk all the way to school~buku. Truly, how doyou do it~buku?"
Imari giggles. "You make it sound so complicated. You sound just like all my schoolmates."
"Except the fact that none of them are a prince~buku!" proclaims Bukku puffing out his chest.
Imari thinks for a moment. "Nope. I'm pretty sure a couple of students are descendants from royalty. I think I remember hearing that Kashima-senpai's ancestry was a queen."
"Seriously~buku? How the heck did you even get into this school~buku?!"
Suddenly, Imari goes quiet.
She bursts into a smile. "Come on, Your Highness! We don't want to be late!"
Imari and her best friend, Yū, meet at the front gates of Minwa Academy and start off through the courtyard.
"So, gossip of the day," leads Yū. "I heard Niimi-senpai got two new members since last week to join the PreCure Fan Club."
Imari cheerily grins. "Supreme smile power! That's great! I'm so happy students are starting to change their tune. Niimi-senpai must be ecstatic!"
Yū nods happily. "It's so cute seeing you get all inspired, Imari-chan. Does this mean there you getting new motivation to find a club?"
"You betcha!" bursts Imari hopping in front of Yū eagerly. "It's time to stop lying around and get my goal back on track!"
She excitedly begins to merrily spinning. Yū laughs watching her childish friend whirling around.
"Yep~buku," murmurs Bukku as is undesirably spirals with Imari inside her book bag. "I'm going to hural~buku!"
"What do you think, Yū-chan!" giggles Imari at she continues to spin. "Maybe I should join Fencing, or the Art Club, maybe the Debate Team!"
"Imari-chan! Watch out—!"
Dizzy, Imari slams head-on into a fellow student.
"Timber~buku!" hollers Bukku as he falls with her.
Imari lands hard on her butt. "Aye-yai-yai! That's gonna leave a mark!"
"Ah," says Yū suddenly nervous. "Imari-chan..."
Imari turns to see the girl student she bumped into. She had tumbled onto her side and her arm was pressed out against the segment ground for support as staggers to get back onto her feet.
Imari quickly gets up and runs over to the fallen student and reaches out her hand. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"
"Imari…chan," trails off Yū.
Imari turns to her friend puzzled. "What?"
She turns back to the girl lifts her face up to meet Imari's. And her face flushed.
Mid-length indigo hair styled in elegant ringlets. Soft pale skin. Tsurime light blue eyes. And round, black thick-framed glasses. Imari had just bumped into Tomoka Fukumoto. Second-year student; Imari's upperclassman. Childhood friend of Masato Kashima. Daughter of thee top doctors in Yūkibarano. And Vice President of the Student Council!
"Tomo—F-Fukumoto!" cuts in Masato as he helps his friend up. "Are you okay?!"
Masato glares at Imari and her heart drops.
Now I just made Masato's Hate List, Imari mopes. Great.
"I'm fine, Kashima," mutters Tomoka crossly scuffing dirt off her skirt.
She suddenly narrows her eyes annoyed. "Where is my book bag?"
Imari herself looks down to see that her bag wasn't in her hand. She realizes that she had dropped it in the fall. Her bag was just at her feet. Imari picks it up and presses up to her chest.
"Sorry about that, Your Highness," whispers Imari.
Bukku is silent. Imari frowns and quickly looks around to see that Tomoka's had been slung halfway across the courtyard.
"There it is!" announces Imari charging towards it. "I got it!"
Man, how did her book bag get flung that far away, wonders Imari as she picks it up.
Tomoka doesn't even meet Imari halfway as she races back to her. She just eyes her with crossed arms.
"Here it is!" puffs Imari.
She stops in front of her and drops into a deep bow and holds out the bag with both hands while keeping her head down. "And again, I'm really sorry."
She felts Tomoka's hand grasp her bag. They were soft. But, ice-cold. That makes Imari flinch. She bolts straight up startled and cups her hands behind her back. Tomoka slips her arms through the bag and lets the strap rest on her shoulder.
"Just be more careful next time," warns Tomoka.
Imari nods jittery, "Can do, Fukumoto-senpai!"
Tomoka opens her mouth. But, before words can hit her tongue, Masato steps in.
"Let's go, Tomoka," directs Masato. "We still have to prepare for the Morning Assembly."
Masato waves everyone along.
"Um…h-have a good day, Fukumoto-senpai," waves Imari timidly.
Tomoka glances back at her, but doesn't say a word.
Imari lets out a dramatic sigh drowning in sweat drops. "That was tense! Ah! Fukumoto-senpai is so ssscccaaarrryyy!"
"Well, that's the Student Council Vice Prez for yah," shrugs Yū. "Beautiful, exceedingly intelligent, a prize student with an even more respectable family, plus friends in high places—how can that not be intimidating?"
Imari droops in depression lines. "And I just knocked her over like she was a domino."
Yū gives her friend a pat on the back.
"I guess you won't be joining the Student Council anytime soon."
The lunch bell rings and all the students swarm to the cafeteria with their bento boxes in hand. Tomoka is the last to leave the classroom. She is still trying to fit her extra books in her cubbyhole. But, one of her books doesn't make it. It slips through her fingers and hits the floor.
"Eep!" squeaks Tomoka in alarm.
It was one of her private reads. A romance novel.
"Ah!" gasps Tomoka bolting down to pick up her book. "So embarrassing! So embarrassing!"
She conceals the cover with her hands and quickly throws it into her cubbyhole. Throwing herself against the door, she closes it shut.
"So graceful, Tomoka," she murmurs dropping her head.
Tomoka sighs and picks up her book bag as she heads out of the classroom. She starts down the hallways.
Masato is chatting with his circle of friends and spots Tomoka. He splits off from the group and quickly jumps in line beside her. "Hey, Tomoka—I mean—Fukumoto," stammers Masato.
Tomoka eyes soften. Masato always tries to act formal by calling everyone by their last names. But, he always let his unsaid rule slip around her. They'd been friends since they were infants after all. Even though she's a year younger than him. It was cute to see him drop his serious and fussy persona with her.
He scratches the back of his head. "Um…I was just wonder how you're feeling. You seemed pretty shaken-up at the assembly."
Tomoka shrugs her shoulders. "I just feel bad about this morning."
"With Suzukawa-kōhai," presumes Masato pushing up his glasses with a snort. "That girl has been nothing but trouble since she got here and clearly has no respect for her upperclassmen."
Tomoka frowns at this. "You don't need to be so harsh, Kashima. You know, I don't think she's as bad as everyone says she is. I mean, she did apologize and got my bag for me."
Masato rolls his eyes. "She just knew she'd be rightfully punished if she didn't. She thinks she can get away with all her wrongdoings just because she's poor."
Tomoka arches her eyebrow. "You sure have a strong opinion of her."
"It's the truth," Masato simply states.
Tomoka looks down at the group. "I don't know. I guess I just feel bad. She was trying to be nice, but I was too scared to help her out. You know me, Kashima. Every time I get shy I turn into the Snow Queen."
"It's okay, Tomoka," grins Masato compassionately. "I know you not really like that."
"Yeah, well, everyone else thinks I am," Tomoka sighs. "I didn't even thank her, or wish her a good day too. I'm such a bad person."
Masato shoves his friend in the shoulder. "You're being too hard on yourself, Tomoka. If you ask me, she doesn't deserve the time of day."
"Fine, I won't ask you," says Tomoka sticking out her tongue.
"Har-de-har," chuckles Masato extremely sarcastically.
Tomoka shifts her book bag uncomfortably.
Why is my bag so heavy? One of the butlers must have packed me an extra lunch.
"Tomoka? Did you hear me?"
She looks up at her friend. "Sorry, Kashima. I was…never mind. What is it?"
"I was wondering if you talked to your parents about coming to the Cherry Blossom Festival?" repeats Masato.
Tomoka shakes her head frustrated. "They won't let me bail on tea ceremony or flower arrangement."
She winces seeing her friend's disheartened face.
"I'm sorry, Kashima," mumbles Tomoka. "You know my parents. 'Tomoka, a young lady like you has no time for lollygagging. All you need is your books and your studies'."
Masato laughs. "Yeah, that sounds just like your father. Only he can get away with saying lollygagging."
Imari kicks her shoes off at the front door of her house. She storms into the kitchen and puts her book bag on the counter.
"You known, Your Highness," huffs Imari. "I said I was sorry for dropping you! Did you honestly have to give me the sight treatment all day! You're lucky I couldn't talk to you! I was too busy trying to find a club to join! Spoiler alert, I didn't if you had been paying attention!"
Bukku stays silent.
Imari groans and goes to open the bag. "Come on, Bukku! Please say something—!"
She flips opens her bag, reaches inside, and pulls out...a romance manga?
Forbidden Kiss.
"What the…?"
Imari's heart quickened as she launches into the bag.
"No, no, no!" gasps Imari desperately.
She starts pulling everything out. The Way of the Tea. Floral Patterns & Motifs. No Bukku.
The last thing was the bento box. It was looked far more expensive than Imari's. She opens it up. Ahi tuna, baked tofu, coconut rice, and a barely salad.
"I didn't cook any of this froufrou food!" cries Imari.
Then it clicks.
"This isn't my book bag!" says Imari in alarm.
This is Fukumoto-senpai's bag!
"Which means…"
When Imari and Tomoka fell…
Imari's eyes widen.
…the book bag at her feet was Tomoka's.
Imari just assumed it was hers, but never bothered to look inside. And the one that was thrown across the court yard was hers. She gave Tomoka her book bag. Tomoka has her bag!
"Fukumoto-senapi has Bukku!"
"Good afternoon, Tomoka-sama," bows one of the maids opening the front door for her. "How was school day?"
"It was…fine," sighs Tomoka. "But, something came up during lunch time. Didn't even have any time to eat."
The maid helps Tomoka with her putting her black penny loafers away
"Is mother home?" asks Tomoka hopeful.
The maid frowns. "I'm afraid she was called in to work a few minutes ago."
"Oh," murmurs Tomoka disappointed. "I guess I'll be having dinner alone. Again."
"I'm sorry, Tomoka-sama," says the maid sadly.
Tomoka shrugs. "It's alright."
I should be use to it by now, says Tomoka to herself.
"The chief could prepare you something now, Tomoka-sama?" suggests the maid, "Since you couldn't have your lunch."
Tomoka shakes her head. "It's okay. I think I'll just eat it now."
"Are you sure, Tomoka-sama," insists the maid. "I'm sure the chief wouldn't mind."
"I said it's fine!" snaps Tomoka.
The maid bows her head, "As you wish, Tomoka-sama."
With that, Tomoka races up the giant staircase to her bedroom.
"I'm sorry," Tomoka whispers.
She bursts into her bedroom. Tomoka puts her book bag on her dresser. She flops down on her bed and wraps her in the fine white sheets.
"I guess I should start on my homework," talks Tomoka out loud. "Or, I could—!"
"—I cannot believe you, Suzukawa-san!"
Tomoka nearly jumps out of her skin as she sees her book bag fall to the floor.
Bukku pulls himself out of the bag in a fury of rage. "First you drop me~buku. Then, you don't even bother to see if I was okay~buku! By the way, I wasn't~buku!"
The fairy prince angrily straightens his crown and cape. "Suzukawa-san, you have got to be the clumsiest, stupidest human I have ever—"
Bukku looks up and almost stumbles his own feet as he sees a girl who is clearly not Imari staring down at him on her bed.
"Ummmm…" trails off Bukku. "Hey there~buku. What's up~buku?"
Tomoka blinks in disbelief. "Are you some kind of machine from the Robotic Club?"
"What~buku?!" roars Bukku. "No~buku! I'm obviously a stuffed animal—I mean—a fairy~buku!"
"Like the tooth fairy?" stares Tomoka confused, "or, a fairy godmother?"
"No~buku!" snaps Bukku.
She tips her head to the side. "Then what are you?"
"Not what, who~buku," corrects Bukku with a snort. "And I am Prince Bukku De La Hope Wish Von Dream Star of Fanciful Kingdom!"
"Okay, now you're just making stuff up."
"No I'm not~buku!" barks Bukku.
"Maybe I'm hungrier than I thought," wonders Tomoka. "I must be hallucinating from a lack of nutrition."
Bukku lets out an obnoxious groan. "You're even worse than Suzukawa-san when she first met me~buku! At least she believed I was real~buku!"
Tomoka ears snap to attention.
"Wait. Did you just say Suzukawa?"
"Bukku!" calls Imari as she runs down every street of her neighbourhood.
"Your Highness, where are you?!"
He must be trying to find me! He has to be!
"Bukku!" cries Imari.
He's probably trying to find my house!
"Bukku—!"
Imari trips and falls to the ground. She starts to feel tears well-up in her eyes.
"B-Bukku…" hiccups Imari through stinging eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I always make your sandwiches all soggy. I'm so sorry. I promise you don't have to ride around in my stupid book bag anymore. Please, just come home."
I don't know if Fuku-senpai has you, or if you're lost all alone! Or, where she even lives! It not they would let a middle-class girl like me in to see her anyways.
"What would I even say?" murmurs Imari as she lets the tears stream down her face. "'Hey, Fukumoto-senpai, I was wondering if you happened to find a magical fairy prince in my book bag.' She would just think I'm crazy."
Imari sits up on her knees and buries her face in her hands. "Bukku, where could you be?"
"Hello, Cure Fable. Having some trouble?"
Imari's eyes burst open as she turns around. She sees the Dark Charm Knight, Linda, standing over her.
"Maybe I can help take away your sorrow."
Linda lifts her hand and it pulses into an aura of ink-coloured. It starts to drip down and fall to the ground. Imari looks on in horror as it slithers straight for her. She tries to get up, but the black gunk reaches out and grabs her by the wrist. Imari desperately tries to pull the muck off her skin. But, it only sticks to her hand. The dark gloop starts to crack around, consuming her in it dreary slime.
Linda smiles wickedly. "Don't worry, PreCure. Soon with a little help of my dark magic; you won't be feeling anything."
"KYAA!"
The goo has almost covers her entire. As is consumes her face, she lets out one more scream.
"BUKKU! PLEASE HELP ME!"
"I'm just saying; this goes against all logic."
"I don't care about you human's stupid logic~buku," grumbles Bukku sticking his head in Imari's book bag. "I'm too hungry to care right now~buku."
Tomoka picks up the bag. "Here. I will get it for you."
"Of course~buku. What was I thinking~buku," snickers Bukku as he adjusts his cape for the millionth time. "A prince doesn't search for food~buku. I'll just let you someone else do it for me—"
"—What the heck?" interrupts Tomoka as she opens up one of bento boxes. "Suzukawa is one strange girl when sorting her lunch. I mean, why would she put two slices of bread in separate baggies. That doesn't even make any sense."
Bukku pricks up his heart-shaped ears. "What did you just say~buku?"
Tomoka shakes her head. "And what's with the empty container?"
Bukku hops up beside the girl. He peeks down inside the lunch. Both slices of bread were in separate baggies with the crust cut off, one container of sliced strawberries, another container of cream, one empty container. Lastly, a measurement cup and knife; ready to measure the correct amount of strawberries to cream and the knife prepared to spread the perfect quantity on both pieces of bread.
"She did it all~buku," breathes Bukku picking up one of the strawberries. "Every single thing~buku. Every detail~buku."
The fairy prince combines the strawberries and cream together.
Tomoka's eyes soften. "Little fairy?"
"But, she said she wasn't going to do it~buku. I didn't even think she was listening~buku."
He smears the strawberry cream onto both pieces of the bread. And brings them all together into a beautiful and heavenly sandwich. Bukku takes a bite.
"It's~buku…" gulps Bukku breathlessly. "It's perfect~buku!"
Tomoka takes another look inside the bag and turns to the fairy. "Um…excuse me, Fairy-san. But, what is this?"
She takes out a big pink book and holds it up to him.
Bukku almost faints. "H-her P-PreCureHeartBook!"
"Her What-What?"
"I have to go~buku!" bursts Bukku as he struggles towards the girl's door.
"Suzukawa-san is in danger!"
Tomoka gets up and picks up the panicked prince.
"Fairy-san," says Tomoka seriously. "This isn't a joke, is it? It's really important."
Bukku bobs his head frantically. "The PreHeartBook protects Suzukawa-san from Dark Magic~buku. She needs it~buku. She has no way of defending herself if…something attacks her~buku."
Tomoka gazes at Bukku right in the eyes and nods. "I understand."
With Bukku in her arms, she dashes out of her mansion.
"Do you know where she could be?" huffs a running Tomoka.
"Yes~buku!" gasps Bukku. "I've taken her route home with her a zillion times~buku! She lives above her parents' café~buku. Bell-Bell Café!"
Tomoka spots one of her family limos parked at the main gate.
One of the private chauffeur spots her. "Tomoka-sama, is something wrong?"
Tomoka shakes her head. "I need you to take me to the Bell-Bell Café as fast as possible."
The chauffeur blinks in surprise. "Y-yes, ma'am."
Tomoka slides into the back seat. The limousine takes off. Bukku hops up to look out the window as they pass building after building.
"Why~buku?" speaks Bukku out of the blue. "Why are you helping me~buku. I mean, aren't you freaked out~buku?"
Tomoka smiles anxiously. "Honestly, my brain can't make heads-or-tails about any of this. It doesn't happen often, but when my brain decides to shut off, my heart takes over."
She picks her hand to her chest. "And my heart understands what you're doing through right now."
Bukku glimpses, "Really~buku?"
Tomoka smiles warmly. "My whole family are doctors. My father is the best doctor in Yūkibarano. My mother is an ER doctor and gets called in at all hours of the day, sometimes in the middle of the night. My eldest brother, Toshihiro, left for school to become a doctor when I was really young and I rarely see him."
Tomoka glances out the window with Bukku. "We're never all home together as a family because of their responsibilities. For the longest time, it was just me and my older brother, Tomokazu."
She frowns. "But, this year, he moved out to become a doctor too. I grew up with him always by my side. I took him for granted and didn't realize how much I relied on him until he was already gone."
Tomoka pats Bukku on the head. "My heart tells me that you feel the same way about Suzukawa. So…I want to help.
She beams. "Plus, this beats doing homework any day!"
Bukku smirks. "You humans are strange ones~buku."
Abruptly, the chauffeur slams on the breaks. Bukku falls forward, but Tomoka catches him.
"Driver, what's wrong?" demands Tomoka.
"A…A M-MONS-STER!" shouts the chauffeur.
All of a sudden, a gigantic fist smashes down on the hood of the limo. Tomoka holds onto to Bukku and jumps out of the car. She is taken aback by what she sees. A monster thrashing through the street. Crushing anything in its sight.
"Hold the phone! It that one of those monsters that attacked the school!" gasps Tomoka. "But, it looks different somehow."
"It's called an Endingu," informs Bukku with a concerned look on his face. "But, I can't identify the Fairytale Puppet that the Dark Magic morphed~buku."
Tomoka bobs her head. "I'll just nod my head and pretend that I understood that."
"I'm surprised you don't recognize your own guardian, Prince Bukku."
The Dark Charm Knight Leader appearance before Bukku and Tomoka.
"Linda," glares Bukku. "What are you talking about~buku?"
"Why don't you see for yourself," hisses Linda, "Your Majesty."
Linda snaps her fingers.
"Endingu!"
The monster leaps into the air and lands behind Linda. Bukku's heart twists. The Endingu was designed with a blonde wig with pigtails. And was covered all in pink.
"Fairy-san!" says Tomoka startled. "Look! Up there!"
She points to something in the sky. The fairy prince gazes up to see a girl suspended by strings of tar-coloured goo.
"It can't be~buku," yelps Bukku helplessly. "Suzukawa-san!"
Linda smiles maliciously. "That's right, Prince Bukku. I turned your Legendary Warrior into my own puppet!"
"Endingu!"
Bukku's eyes widen.
"I turned Cure Fable into an Endingu!"
Next Time on Fairytale PreCure!
Bukku: I need you to narrate~buku!
Tomoka: What? Why me?
Bukku: 'Cause Cure Fable has been turned into an Endingu Puppet! That's why~buku!
Tomoka: But, you can save her, right?
Bukku: No~buku. But, maybe you can~buku.
Tomoka: Huh?
Bukku: The PreCure of Wisdom! Cure Mythical is Born!