Chikushou! Kuso! Naraku! Aho ka?
That's what the refined doctors' daughter said this morning. Mrs. Yazawa said, worried and apologetic, that the doctors told her Niko's little trip to school probably injured her further! Nozomi and I still haven't had the heart to tell her it was unnecessary, but I think she knows that now. I told her we will get through this, too. Then after I got off the phone I swore out loud.
This is the kind of thing that could cripple Niko. That could make it so she can't do what she wants with her life. This is the kind of thing that is going to drive me crazy. I *have* to be there! I *have* to care for her. We are running out of time to screw around not telling her. Things are moving too fast and the Yazawas are like a paper lantern in a storm.
I decided yesterday I would finish writing about the meeting with Shirojima-sensei. Maybe it will make me less frantic. I was already reminded of Rin and company and their lack of seriousness when Shirojima-sensei mentioned our duet. I was on the phone with our first booking when my mother called. When I talked to her for a second, Rin took the phone. With us were Kira Tsubasa, Honoka and Nozomi. In other words, there was not one responsible person there to watch out for me and Niko. When the booker asked what our duet was called, Rin said "Tsunderes." She really did. Nozomi said "No, Rin, that's not quite right, they are nice tsunderes in this act, so they are called the Tsun-dere-deres. Have you got that?" she asked the booker, who noted it down. That's what we found out we were called when we went to the place we debuted at.
It's very hard to change your name after you debut, so we kept "Tsunderederes" and we did not feel very dere-dere about it. I did notice that Honoka, Nozomi, Tsubasa and Rin were laughing like crazy when I got back to the booker on the phone that day, but she said that the booking was already finished and gave me the details to pass on to Niko. So cat-girl should have been walking softly on her paws around me.
Rin was very happy about Shirojima-sensei. Eli had looked her up and she was said to be tougher than her sweet and refined manner would suggest. As Rin put it, during the meeting, "You are said to wear a cat on your head, sensei!"
Shirojima-sensei said back, "Yes, I will consider that a compliment. But you know, Nishikino is so full of stress now, I think she is willing to borrow a cat's paws." And gave Rin a smile.
Rin was very happy at that exchange. But the cat-girl failed to use a cat's tongue, because when her hot chocolate came, she burned hers on it.
Okay. Tomorrow we find out how Niko is doing (or maybe the day after). And we move ahead the Niko meets the Idol Club time. I am going to meet her as a club member and as her assigned tutor. I probably can't explain our first sort-of-meeting, but she's probably embarrassed about calling a stranger "Big Sis," so she may not mention it.