A/N: Hey, everybody! Sorry this is late coming in. I've been busy, busy, busy.
Moko's in this chapter and I can't remember exactly how she addresses Kyoko. Does she call her "Kyoko-san, chan" or "Mogami?" And does Kyoko call her "Moko-chan" or just "Moko?" I took a guess in this chapter.
Kyoko was hastily chopping some daikon radish for the oden she was preparing at the Darumaya. But, her mind was elsewhere. The cause of her absent-mindedness was not the "I-don't-know-how-to-act-seductive" dilemma, though. It was actually something pleasant.
Moko was coming over!
Not only that, she was going to spend the night!
"My first sleepover!" Kyoko squealed with delight.
Another step towards being like a normal high school student!
She could not wait for her best friend to arrive. Her mind whirled with different plans for the evening.
What are we going to do first? She eyed the gigantic pile of snacks sitting still in the convenience store bags, on the table. Perhaps I went overboard?
Kyoko shook her head and went over the plan again.
6:00-7:00: Dinner.
8:00: Sit around the kotatsu and watch television.
8:30: Pillow fight.
9:00: Girl talk.
10:00: More girl talk.
11:00: Even more girl talk!
12:00: Sleep.
I hope she'll have fun! . . . And maybe, perhaps, she can help me.
Kyoko remembered the time when she saw Moko at her side jobs. She was hired by one guy to pretend to be his girl friend. It wasn't a seductive performance, but it was flirtatious . . . close enough . . .
As Kyoko was observing the pot, coming to a simmer, in the middle of the table, she heard the owner's wife call her name.
"Your friend is here."
Sparkles, bubbles, and flowers seemed to surround Kyoko as she practically did a Chassé towards the entryway.
"MOKOOOOO!"
Moko tensed as she saw the bubbly figure leaping towards her.
Oh, my God. As much as she liked Kyoko, she herself was never good at taking this much affection.
"WELCOME!"
Moko couldn't help but smile at the unmitigated, sparkly, joy in her friend's eyes.
"Thanks for inviting me."
Kyoko suddenly remembered herself. She made a few small bows as she ushered her friend to come in.
As Kyoko finished setting up a few more things for the oden, the owner's wife exchanged pleasantries with Moko. The landlord joined them a little while after, taking a brief break from manning the shop up front.
Dinner went well, albeit a bit awkwardly, since all the things she wanted to talk about, she couldn't in front of the her landlord and lady. So, most of oden was consumed in silence with scattered conversation.
At eight o' clock they watched a music program on NHK. Kyoko brought out one of her many snacks, shichimi flavored agemochi, and served some to Moko.
They talked about this and that and Kyoko forgot about the pillow fight she had scheduled.
Finally, as they were settling down on their futons, Kyoko breached the topic that had been burning in the back of her mind the entire time.
Moko listened attentively as Kyoko gave her the run-down on everything. When she was done she looked up to see Moko's reaction.
"Ah, Moko! Don't laugh!"
"Sorry, Mogami . . . It's just funny, picturing you trying to act seductive, you can't even act flirtatious, can you?"
Kyoko began to sink into literal depths of despair. "No . . ."
"Ah!" Moko cried out, "It's just another learning experience!" It freaks me out when she does that . . . Why am I friends with this nutjob, again?
Kyoko perked up a bit and gave her a bright smile.
Ah, now I remember.
Kyoko was that amazing sort of person that, as annoying as she might find her, she couldn't help but like her.
"So, you want me to help you?"
"Please, Moko! You're such a great actress, I figured you'd know exactly what to do!"
"Yes, I know." Moko said, giving her hair a conceited flip. "I can help you."
Kyoko paused for a moment, processing Moko's assent then . . .
"THANK YOU, SO MUCH, MOKO!"
"I know, I know, you're welcome, just get off me!"
A/N:
Daikon: en./wiki/Daikon
Oden: en./wiki/Oden
Kotatsu: en./wiki/Kotatsu
Agemochi: en./wiki/Agemochi