Complement [A Gakuen Babysitters Fanfiction]

Episode 11

Emiko and Inomata were walking together on the campus when they found Ushimaru hiding by the side of the daycare building.

"Are you okay, Ushimaru-san?"

"What have you been doing over here?" Inomata asks right after Emiko.

The addressed person looks up in surprise, startled. "Ch-Chikafuji-san! M-Maria-chan!"

Inomata immediately burns red. "D-don't call me by my first name so blatantly!"

Ushimaru quickly gets up and places her hands on her shoulders with a red face. "I-it's not what you think, Maria-chan, Chikafuji-san! I'm not skipping out on club to spy on Kashima-kun!" She lifts up her hand in a cupped shape. "I was f-fetching the ball..." When she notices that she doesn't have the said object, she freaks out. "Heh?! It's g-g-gone!"

Emiko places a hand on the girl's shoulder with a soothing smile. "Calm down, Ushimaru-san. It's okay."

Inomata nods. "You don't have to make excuses. I understand how you feel."

Both Ushimaru and Emiko look at her, confusion apparent on their faces.

She continues, her face getting red. "I... find those children c-cute, too... S-so... If you're too embarrassed to go play with them by yourself... we could be convinced to accompany you!"

Emiko sweat drops. This probably wasn't her motive, based on Ushimaru's previous words. It seems that this was true as she was looking at them with an indescribable face. "U-um..."

Inomata stops when she doesn't answer her directly, turning away from her. "But if you don't want to go with us, forget I said anything."

"W-wait, M-Maria-chan!" Ushimaru calls out.

Emiko gives Ushimaru an apologetic smile before trotting next to Inomata, putting a hand on her shoulder, both of them stopping as Inomata starts speaking again. "Don't apologize. I'm sorry for being so forward with you."

Ushimaru rushes forward, her hands going around both Emiko and Inomata. "That's not it. It's not that I don't want to go with you two. "I just feel like... watching from a distance is best..." she explains, clarifying her words.

They both turn around, even more confused, especially Emiko. "Eh?"

"Oh, not like that! I just don't have the courage to go in, you could say..." she pauses for a bit before closing her eyes and her grip tightening. "The truth is, I have a hard time with small children!" she shouts just as Kashima opens the window.

"Found you!" Takuma shouts.

"I found you... too..." Kazuma follows.

The look on Ushimaru's face looks as if her soul had been sucked out, her eyes dull at her confession in front of the boy she likes, and in front of the daycare, no less.

Kashima notices the look in her eyes before rushing to apologize. "S-sorry, I heard voices, so I thought..." He spots the girls, recognizing them.

Inomata takes a look at Ushimaru before turning to Kashima. "If you heard us, that speeds things up."

Emiko nods. "We're on our way to join you," she tells him before placing a hand on Ushimaru's shoulder, smiling reassuringly at her, who looks up at the cyan-eyed female. Emiko turns back to them. "Please help her grow more accustomed to small children," she announces before pulling her along with Inomata.

"Eh?!"

Inomata suddenly turns on Ushimaru with an intimidating gaze. "'I have a hard time with them' doesn't mean 'I hate them,' does it?"