NOTE: Had an idea, so I wrote it out before I could lose it.

Enjoy and Review

Chapter 20: Book Club

"You're oddly excited." Misaki looked down at her daughter as they walked towards the local library. She's dressed in her usual orange dress with a white jacket on top. The matriarch held a bag of books in her arms.

Tsukki glared at her mother. "I'm not excited." She's dressed in a light green dress with a white vest on top that has floral patterns.

"Really? You seem to be bouncing with every step." Misaki teased. She always enjoyed the way Tsukki would get embarrassed over showing excitement.

"I-I'm not bouncing, mother! I'm just watching out for the cracks on the sidewalk!" Tsukki pointed towards the concrete. "I heard that if you step on a crack then you'll break your mother's back. I'm simply looking out for your wellbeing."

"That's just a superstition, Tsukki. You don't need to act embarrassed about joining my book club." Misaki patted her head. The tiny lilac softly moved the hand away, shifting away with a small blush.

"I never said I was joining, mother. I just wish to assess the quality of this book club of yours to see if you're truly surrounding yourself with like minded individuals."

"It's just friends and family, Tsukki."

"And that information alone has already brought me great concern."

Misaki rolled her eyes at her overdramatic daughter. "Just try to behave yourself today. Don't purposely antagonize anyone as we discuss the books we've read."

"I've never purposely antagonized anyone. They just so happened to cross me and learned the consequences of doing so."

"If you cause trouble, then I'm taking away your ice cream privileges for a week."

Tsukki glared at her mother, and then moved her foot to step on a crack.

"I saw that!" Misaki yelled.

"Tch."

Tsukki had to admit that she wasn't impressed by the line-up of the book club members. It was small, something she greatly appreciated, but it was filled with certain people she didn't classify as high maintenance.

"Morning everyone." Misaki greeted her club members as she and her daughter walked towards the table.

"Morning, boss! And mimi boss too!" Naoki greeted with his usual enthusiasm.

"Yo, Misaki, Tsukki!" Kamui was just as loud.

"Hey, Misaki, Tsukki!" Miwa smiled with a wave.

Tsukki stared at those three with utter bewilderment, legitimately surprised that they even knew how to read. The other round of members filled her with a brief sense of security.

"I'm happy to see you two made it." Kourin, with a happy Hikaru strapped to her chest, greeted them. The baby cooed and reached out towards Tsukki upon seeing her, bringing a soft smile to the tiny lilac's face.

"Good morning, Tsukki, Misaki." Tetsu nodded his head at them.

"Are you ready to have fun, Tsukki!?" The loud voice of Ren Suzugamori caused Tsukki to stare at the man with wide eyes.

"...Eh?"

"What's wrong?" Ren asked.

"You can read?"

"Tsukuyo!" Misaki hissed quietly.

"Of course!" Ren wasn't bothered by the question.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"I'm babysitting." Tetsu answered, which allowed everything to make sense.

"Ah. I'm assuming Aunt Asaka is busy today." Tsukki sighed.

"She has to take care of some work at Fukuhara and we can't exactly leave Ren alone or else he'll just wander off." Tetsu explains.

"Which is why I'm here for the book club!" Ren giggles.

"Unfortunately…" Kamui muttered.

Misaki rubbed her forehead, already feeling a headache coming. "Let's take our seats, Tsukki." Her daughter, thankfully, complied and sat down at the table by Kourin. The tiny lilac poked Hikaru's cheek, making him giggle.

"Good, minion." Tsukki smirked.

Kourin smiled warmly at the cute scene between the two, then addressed the lilac. "So, Tsukki, are you looking forward to joining our book club?"

"Hm…that remains to be seen, Aunt Kourin. How serious do you take book clubs?" Tsukki asked.

"...As serious as book clubs can be, I guess. We discuss the books we've read, decide on what to read next, and meet back up either virtually or in-person." Kourin explained to the lilac.

Tsukki took in the information, nodding her head slowly. "I see…you don't seem to understand the beauty of book clubs, auntie."

"The beauty?"

A passionate expression overtook the little lilac. "A book club is a place where literature lovers gather together to express their passion for the art. The words on the page, the narrative, the characters, the setting, and plot are treasured with the utmost scarcity within book clubs!"

"This is the most passionate I think I've ever seen her." Kamui whispered to the older lilac.

"Nobody is more passionate about books than Tsukki!" Naoki laughed.

Miwa leaned back in his seat. "In that case, did your mom let you read the books we're talking about?"

"Yes, I finished them all within a day."

"A day?! It took me like…at least a week to finish one of them!" Naoki exclaimed.

Tsukki huffed like a rich aristocrat looking down on a peasant. "As I said, Uncle Naoki, you're not as serious about the workings of a book club as I am. If you want to stay as a member of this group you need to increase the amount of time you spend reading before going to bed."

"Tsukuyo, you're not in-charge of the group."

Ignoring her mother as she usually does, Tsukki turned to the rest of the members. "And what of you two?" She pointed at Kamui and Miwa. "How long did it take you two to finish the books?"

Feeling a bit nervous under the intense stare of the child, Kamui was hesitant to answer. "U-uh… I finished them in like two days-"

"Don't lie to me, Uncle Kamui."

"Almost a week…"

"Took me a few days." Miwa shrugged. "I was reading during my shifts."

"During your shifts?" Misaki's glare was now on him as well, making the Kagero user incredibly nervous.

"I-I mean…during my breaks I was taking the chance to read!" He panicked, shifting away from his boss.

"I'll be sure to ask Izaki to report how you behave during your shifts." Miwa's head dropped with a depressed cloud over him.

"W-why aren't you questioning them?!" Naoki pointed at Tetsu and Kourin.

"Maternity leave is a perfect chance to get my reading done." Kourin responded.

"I always finish my work with efficiency which gives me all the more time to finish my readings." Tetsu answered.

"See. They're responsible adults." Tsukki's words felt like gunshots to the three stooges.

"What about me? What about me, Tsukki?" Ren pointed at himself like a giddy child.

"You're an adult?" She looked genuinely perplexed.

"Of course, I'm an adult, silly!" He picked her up into a tight hug. Tsukki growled like a wild animal, hating the feeling of being picked up by people bigger than her.

Misaki stared at the three sulking at the corner of the table, then at her daughter getting a bone crushing hug from Ren. "What a productive meeting…"

Tetsu sighed. "I apologize for Ren."

"No, for once he didn't do anything. My daughter just takes book related things too seriously. I should apologize."

Kourin shook her head. "I'm used to dealing with problem children (Rekka and Rati). I think Tsukki will add some excitement to this little book club."

"If I even let her continue attending after today."

"Uncle Ren!"

"Yes, Tsukki?"

"I must enlist your help in a crucial endeavor of showing these peasants the true joys of book clubs!" Tsukki declared. Ren put her down, putting his hand up in a salute.

"Yes, general!"

The two were quickly approaching the three stooges, prepared to put them in some form of hellish book club training.

Misaki then saw the librarian walking over to them and felt the headache hitting her hard. "Yeah…I'm not bringing her for another meeting."

Chapter End

NOTE: I love Tsukki being this intimating little gremlin that several people are just easily scared by. If you can't handle looking Kai or Misaki in the eyes, then facing their child is basically impossible.

A very odd group for a book club, but you never know with people, right?

Have a great day!