Chapter 6

Whisper began to recall what happened after Katie and her friends finished their desserts and left the café.

...

"See you around, Katie!" Sarah waved as she walked off.

"Laters!" Alex said while rubbing her stomach and walking off.

"Bye guys!" Katie cheerfully replied as she walked with her Yo-kai friends, one of them remaining silent throughout the walk and wondering if he was even considered a friend anymore.

"So, you couldn't get the dessert you wanted because that Alex girl made you buy her pancakes for being only a minute late? That's awful!" Sailornyan commented. She then closed her eyes and held up her index finger. "However, a lady is always punctual no matter what the occasion. Keep that in mind next time, Katie."

Katie's cheer then turned into nonchalance. "Sure. Anyway, it's not a big deal. Since I have a big butt apparently, I don't think I needed a real fancy dessert anyway."

Sailornyan looked at Katie with concern. "Honestly, why would you want to be around people who think something like that about you? I'm starting to think Tattlecast did you a favor."

"Hey it's not like they're horrible people or anything. Goodness, no. We've been friends for as long as I can remember."

"Regardless Katie, when they say or make you do something you're not comfortable with, don't be afraid to speak your mind. That's what a real lady does."

Katie sighed. "You're right. I just never feel like it's a big deal. Maybe I'll just pick up a chocobar or something from Everymart."

Sailornyan's stomach started to churn at the thought of eating something brown-colored after yesterday's incident, even if it wasn't her doing the eating. "Uh, how about an ice cream cone from Mogmog Burger instead? It's very inexpensive and has much less calories than an everyday chocobar."

"Well, alright I guess."

"I'll even buy it for you as my way of saying 'thanks' for the cheesecake. Unlike that Alex girl, I don't take advantage of my friends and always show them my appreciation."

"I don't think Alex takes advantage of me. She just… Has a weird way of saying she enjoys hanging out with me."

Sailornyan gave Katie a look of doubt. "Uh-huh, and I'm a purple dragon."

When they make it to Mogmog Burger, Katie spots a familiar face leaving the restaurant with a rather large takeout bag. "Hey isn't that… Pandanoko!?"

Sailornyan frantically looked around. "Pandanoko!? As in Next HarMEOWny's Pandanoko!? Where!? Where!?"

Katie pointed at Pandanoko who was wearing sunglasses and a red bandanna around his neck. "Over there! See?"

"Uh, that's not Pandanoko, Katie. That's just some normal individual trying to feed their family given the size of that bag. Besides, I think a star like Pandanoko would have more refined tastes than some greasy fast food hole."

"I agree." Chimed in Whisper. "Can we just get your ice cream and go home?"

Katie gave both Whisper and Sailornyan a look of disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" Paying no mind to her easily fooled friends, Katie walked over to the not-so-cleverly disguised Pandanoko. "Hey Pandy. I didn't expect to see you here."

Pandanoko jumped after realizing someone had recognized him, making him drop his bag. "Huh!? Oh, Katie? How'd you know it was me?"

"You're not exactly a master of disguise y'know."

"Maybe to you, but no one else has noticed me the whole time I've been here and I intend to keep it that way."

"Totally understandable. Wouldn't want to start a crazy fan mob after all. I see the idols have you on a food run, huh?"

"Oh no. All of this is for me."

"Really?"

"Yep! As a tsuchinoko-panda hybrid, it's important for me to be nice and plump after all, and there's no better food to help with that than hamburgers! I especially need to fatten up for next week's concert at Breezy Hills. You're going, right?"

"I would but I spent most of my allowance today on desserts."

"Psh. That's no good." Pandanoko used his tail to reach into his bandana and pulled three passes out. "Tell ya what, for helping me find my place with Next HarMEOWny, you and two lucky friends can have these free passes to the concert next week."

"Seriously!? Oh Pandy you don't have to do this."

"It's perfectly fine sweetheart. Friends look out for other friends, right? Just manage your dinero a bit better next time."

"My what?"

Whisper and Sailornyan were watching Katie speak to this stranger that couldn't have been Pandanoko to them.

"Hey, you don't really think…" Sailornyan inferred.

"If it wasn't, she'd probably be back over here by now." Replied Whisper.

"He even gave her something. Let's get closer."

Whisper nodded in agreement. "Whis~."

The two naïve Yo-kai walked over to Katie to find out if it was really Pandanoko she was talking to or not.

"Excuse me," Sailornayn interrupted. "Pardon the interruption, but we were watching from afar. See we're friends of Katie's and she says that you're the famous Pandanoko from Next HarMEOWny. Is this true?"

"Ah, looks my cover's blown." Pandanoko admitted, using his tail to lift up his shades, revealing his squinty eyes.

Sailornyan held her paws over her mouth in amazement. "Omigosh. It really is you! I can't believe it!"

"I'm still not convinced." Commented Whisper. "Since when does Pandanoko wear a bandanna?" Sailornyan pushed Whisper out of the way. "Whis~!"

"Please don't mind the moronic butler, he doesn't know what he's talking about. So anyway, what brings you here?"

"Tsuchinoko and pandas have to be fat, burgers are the best food for that." Pandanoko unintentionally rhymed.

"Oh, that makes sense."

"Look guys! Pandanoko gave us free passes to Next HarMEOWny's concert next week!" smiled Katie.

"Actually, those are meant for you and two human friends. Yo-kai can attend the concerts for free as long as they don't cause any trouble." Explained Pandanoko.

"Awesome!"

"Hmm. Next week…" Pondered Sailornyan. "Ah! I remember! Tattlecast said she was going to the concert next week on her last podcast. But Katie called a Yo-kai named Lie-in Heart to delay her podcast until who knows when. She'll probably miss the whole thing."

"Well good." Frowned Pandanoko. "Katie's an even better person than I thought. I'd ought to convince the idols to take her on tour with us for that."

"What do you mean?" Katie asked. "I thought all Yo-kai were fans of The Tattlecast."

"It's true that I used to be a fan of the podcast, until I became a part of Next HarMEOWny and realized how harmful it is to other people's lives, especially idols'. Every day it seems there's always some low-life trying to get dirt on us in order to start a scandal about us not being pure. Even the smallest rumor can ruin our reputations forever and we'd have to split up. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot we can do about it, so we just have to try our best to make our fans happy all the time. Being a part of Next HarMEOWny has really opened my eyes to the reality of this industry, so I really despise people like Tattlecast who reveal the secrets of others and ruin their reputations just for a few cheap laughs.

She's an incredibly charming host and I like how active she is with her community, but I cannot continue to support what she's doing, especially now after hearing she was going to attend the concert to undoubtedly make the idols reveal their secrets. She and anyone who listens to her podcast without realizing the trouble she causes other people are pure scum."

The phrase "pure scum" echoed through Whisper's mind causing his heart to sink down into his stomach. He wanted to defend himself, but was so hurt that he couldn't find the words. His only hope was that Katie would speak in his defense, so he gazed closely at her lips, praying that she'd say what he wanted to hear. However, "I agree. People like that are scum." She replied. After hearing that, Whisper imagined himself as a samurai standing in an open field in fear of Katie who was dressed as the onna-bugeisha (female samurai) Tomoe Gozen on her horse, charging at him at full speed with her humongous blade unsheathed and stabbing him in the heart while his defenses were down.

...

"When that Pandanoko impersonator said that, you agreed with him!" Whisper sobbed. "That means you think I'm pure scum too!"

"Whisper…" Katie started, looking concerned.

"Just admit it! You hate me and I'm not fit to be your temporary butler!" Whisper flew under Katie's bed and came out wearing a brown trench coat and trilby while holding two suitcases. "I guess this is goodbye, Katie Forester. Remember to always eat your greens."

Whisper began to float towards Katie's balcony, but she grabbed him by his ghostly tail. "You're not going anywhere you big doofus because one, I don't think you're pure scum and two, that wasn't the whole conversation."

...

"She and anyone who listens to her podcast without realizing the trouble she causes other people are pure scum." Said Pandanoko.

"It's true." Katie replied. "People like that are scum. Especially those who continuously hound idols like that."

As Katie and Pandanoko were talking, Sailornyan noticed Whisper lying on the ground, unconscious with X's in his eyes. She thought he fainted after finally realizing that the person they were talking to was indeed Pandanoko, so she ignored him.

"But you know, the more I think about it, I don't think she's a bad Yo-kai." Katie continued. "These past months have taught me that when Yo-kai do things like this they usually have their reasons. That doesn't excuse their actions, however." She then glared at Sailornyan which made a sweat drop appear on the back of her head.

"Uh, hey a butterfly!" Sailornyan exclaimed, pointing in the opposite direction. "I'm gonna go… Look at it and stuff." She quickly, but nervously, walked away.

"Well what reason would she have for ruining other people's lives other than to make her audience like her?" asked Pandanoko.

"Beats me, but it's not out of malice I'm sure." Katie continued. "So even though you hate the podcast now, don't give up on Tattlecast or her listeners as fellow Yo-kai just yet. They're all probably just ignorant if nothing else."

Pandanoko's frown turned into a smile. "You've got real a pure heart Katie. Don't ever lose it. Well gotta go before the burgers get cold! Reheated fast food is the worst. See you next week!"

"Bye, Pandy!"

...

"Oh… So that's it." Whisper said dropping his briefcases with a tiny sweat drop on the corner of his head, as his "going away" clothes suddenly vanished. "Whoopsie." He was then met with a big hug from Katie.

"Whisper, I could never hate you for something as stupid as liking something I don't like. I just want you to understand why I don't like it. You're admittedly not the best butler a girl could ask for, but you're the greatest friend anyone could have. Don't ever forget that."

Tears started to quickly flow from Whisper's eyes, only this time they were tears of joy instead of sadness. No one in his entire existence has ever shown him that much kindness to his knowledge. "Th-thank you, Katie!" he bawled. "I promise I'll do my best to never disappoint you, whis~!"

"Don't make promises your brain can't keep now." Sailornyan murmured.

"Tell you what, let's listen to the latest episode of The Tattlecast together and you can show me what's so great about it to you." Suggested Katie. "I promise I'll keep an open mind."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Whisper. "I'll pull it up on the Yo-kai Pad right away, whis~!" Whisper opened up one of his briefcases to take the Yo-kai Pad out and quickly opened its podcast app to find the latest episode of The Tattlecast.

"If only he were this enthusiastic about studying for his quizzes." Katie smiled to herself.