Chapter 127

Synopsis
The chairwoman buys Kotaro a Panda-chan plush for his birthday, and Kotaro carries it around with him everywhere. However, he loses it during a walk outside, and the Babysitting Club members help comfort him and find Panda-chan.

Long Summary
A couple days ago, the chairwoman got Kotaro a Panda-chan plush. Kotaro hugs it as he sleeps and even tries to feed it during dinner. Ryuu warns him that he'll get the plush dirty, and surely enough, Kotaro brings it with him for a bath because it has sauce on it. At the daycare center, Usaida is amused by Kotaro's affection for Panda-chan and laughs that it already has a stain on it. He offers to clean it off properly, but Kotaro refuses to hand his plush over. Kirin, Takuma, and Kazuma run around, exclaiming that they will bring their favorite dolls as well. Taka pouts and grabs Kotaro's hand, insisting that Kotaro likes him more than Panda-chan. Kotaro hands his plush to Taka and smiles. Taka is amazed, and the other children ask to hold Panda-chan too. Ryuu suggests that Kotaro lend his plush to everyone, and they take turns patting and holding it, while Usaida wonders why Kotaro did not lend it to him. Midori drools on Panda-chan, surprising Kotaro.

Usaida decides to take everyone outside for a walk, but having Kotaro hold his plush in one hand and Taka's hand in the other seems a little too risky. Thus, Usaida attaches Panda-chan to Kotaro's back with string to emulate the way he carries Midori. Usaida, proud of his idea, takes pictures to send to Saikawa. Kotaro stares at Ryuu, who tells him that Panda-chan is right behind him. Kotaro twirls around, trying to find his plush, much to his confusion. Ryuu shows Kotaro his reflection in the mirror while Usaida laughs at the scene, joking that he wants to place Midori on Ryuu's back so the two can match.

Outside, the energetic children play around, with Takuma chasing after the cat. However, the Panda-chan plush slips from Kotaro's back and onto the ground. Soon, someone picks up the plush and remarks how cute it is. As Ryuu prepares to head back inside, he notices that Panda-chan is not on Kotaro's back, causing Kotaro to sob. Ryuu hugs Kotaro as the children offer to help find it. After a long while, they return to the daycare center empty-handed, and the sad children are picked up by their parents. Usaida nervously thinks back to whether he tied the straps tight enough, but Ryuu insists that it is not his fault. Usaida points out that Kotaro has cried so much that he has fallen asleep and tells Ryuu that he has notified Yukari, the school secretary, to let him know if she finds it. Ryuu asks Usaida for a favor.

In his dream, Kotaro sees a crying Panda-chan, and he reaches out. Ryuu wakes him up and comforts him, saying that he is creating a lost poster for Panda-chan for them to put up in the school. Ryuu uses Usaida's photo of Kotaro with the plush, and Kotaro smiles.

At school the next day, Usokawa posts the picture on the internet for Ryuu, and many of Ryuu's classmates gift him Panda-chan-themed merchandise for Kotaro. Usokawa wishes that the girls would treat him like that, much to Hayato's annoyance. Hiroyuki notices the poster attached to a bulletin and searches for it outside. Suddenly, Mika appears behind him, demanding what he is doing. Hiroyuki explains that he is looking for a panda and quickly notices a Panda-chan plush in Mika's bag. He immediately recognizes it as Kotaro's and scolds Mika for not taking it to the lost-and-found. Mika returns Panda-chan to Kotaro at the daycare center and apologizes. Kotaro and the others are overjoyed to see Panda-chan, and from then on, Kotaro has remembered to leave his plush inside during walks.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Kotaro Kashima
 * Morinomiya Youko (mentioned)
 * Ryuuichi Kashima
 * Usaida Yoshihito
 * Midori Sawatari
 * Kazuma Mamizuka
 * Takuma Mamizuka
 * Kirin Kumatsuka
 * Taka Kamitani
 * Saikawa Keigo (mentioned)
 * The Cat
 * Yayoi Kumatsuka
 * Yukari Sawatari (mentioned)
 * Usokawa
 * Ebizawa
 * Saginuma
 * Hayato Kamitani
 * Hiroyuki Inui
 * Mika Inui