The Great Duvet Debacle

Tekuno paces nervously in Aiko’s room, wringing his hands. It's the second evening, and Aiko still hasn’t returned from the Human District. He’s growing more anxious and, to his surprise, a bit jealous. "I think she forgot about me already," he mutters under his breath.

Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door. Tekuno freezes.

“Aiko! Come down now! You need to leave your room, take some steps in fresh air, and eat with your father. Come down now,” Aiko’s father shouts through the door.

Tekuno’s mind races. What should he do? “Crisis mode engaged,” he thinks. “What do I do? What do I do?” His eyes land on the duvet. "Perfect!" he whispers to himself.

He wraps the duvet around his head and face, hoping it will cover his true identity. “Okay, Dad, I’ll come out, but stay away. I don’t want you to catch whatever I have,” he says, trying to mimic Aiko’s voice.

Aiko’s father is about to question why “Aiko” looks so strange, but Tekuno’s heart is beating too loudly for him to think clearly. “This is it. This is the end,” he thinks. But Aiko’s father just laughs.

“You look funny, Aiko. I’m sorry you still feel bad. Watch your steps while you come down to the dining room,” he says, his tone full of genuine concern.

Tekuno can’t believe his luck. “Did he buy it?” he wonders as he slowly makes his way down the stairs, still wrapped in the duvet. Each step feels like a victory, but he knows the real challenge is yet to come—dinner with Aiko’s father.

As he reaches the dining room, Aiko’s father gestures to a chair. “Sit down, Aiko. I made your favorite soup,” he says with a warm smile.

Tekuno sits, keeping the duvet tightly around him. He can barely see the bowl of soup in front of him. “Thank you, Dad,” he says, trying not to panic.

Aiko’s father sits across from him, watching with a mixture of amusement and concern. “You really should take that off while you eat, Aiko. It looks quite uncomfortable,” he says.

“Oh, no, Dad. It’s fine. I just don’t want you to catch this nasty bug,” Tekuno insists, praying that the ruse holds.

The moment of truth comes as Tekuno lifts the spoon to his mouth. He takes a sip and instantly regrets it. The soup is scalding hot. His eyes widen, but he tries to keep his composure. "Don't scream, don't scream," he chants internally.

Suddenly, his mouth is on fire. He splutters, dropping the spoon, and accidentally knocking over the bowl. Hot soup spills onto Aiko’s father’s lap.

Aiko’s father jumps up, startled. “Ah! Aiko, are you alright?”

Tekuno leaps to his feet, panicking. “I’m so sorry, Dad! I didn’t mean to! I—”

Aiko’s father laughs, his eyes crinkling with genuine amusement. “It’s alright, Aiko. It’s just a bit of soup. Here, let me help you clean up.”

Tekuno grabs a cloth and starts cleaning up the mess, his face burning with embarrassment. “This can’t get any worse,” he thinks.

Just then, Aiko’s father slips on the wet floor and almost falls. Tekuno catches him just in time, but the sight of both of them slipping and sliding in the soup sends them into fits of laughter.

“You look like you’re in a comedy sketch, Aiko,” her father says, chuckling.

Tekuno forces a laugh. “Yeah, just my luck,” he replies, still trying to keep up the act.

After they manage to clean up, Aiko’s father pats Tekuno on the shoulder. “You should really go back to bed, Aiko. You look exhausted,” he says kindly.

Tekuno nods, grateful for the excuse to escape. “Yeah, I think I will. Thanks, Dad,” he says, hurrying back up to Aiko’s room.

Once inside, he collapses onto the bed, burying his face in a pillow. “Aiko, where are you??!!!!” he screams into the pillow, the muffled sound echoing his frustration and worry.

He lies there, exhausted and frazzled, thinking about how much longer he can keep this up. He’s worried about Aiko’s safety but also starting to feel the strain of maintaining this charade.