***AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello again, everyone! First off, I just want to say, thank you SO much for all of the absolutely lovely reviews. I really can't explain in words how much I appreciate it when you guys take the time to write such nice things. Really, thank you. Also, thanks to everyone who has read! I am truly shocked by the reaction my story has received so far, and it's only motivated me even more to keep writing. I'm so happy you all love reading it just as much as I love writing it! :D
Also, I'd like to apologize if this chapter seems a little late. I had to study non-stop for finals this past weekend, and just finished my last exam this week! However, now that I'm finally out for summer, I'm happy to announce that updates will probably be coming much more frequently from now on. ;) So, don't stop checking back! However, my main priority with this story isn't to write as fast as possible just to get a chapter out. What comes first is writing chapters that are not only fun to read, but are important to the story and true to the characters. Because of this, chapters probably won't be coming out rapid fire.
***In other words, I'm sorry that this chapter is so long. ^_^ In this specific chapter there was so much I felt like I had to cover for the sake of the story, but don't worry. I promise that future chapters won't take this long to read!
***If the cultural aspects of pregnancy in this chapter (and throughout the rest of the story) seem a little odd to you, that is because I've researched and tried to treat the pregnancy in the story as how it's dealt with specifically in Japan. So if certain things that are said seem different to you than how pregnancy is treated in your culture, that is why! :)
Hope that clears up everything. As always, thank you so much for reading, and enjoy! ouo
KOTOKO'S POV
As Irie-kun dragged me through the clinic waiting room, I tried as hard as I possibly could to gather my thoughts. But, no matter my energizing determination, my brain just couldn't keep up. All I could focus on was his tight grip on my hand, and how I had to try not to trip over my left shoelace. Irie-kun had me in such a rush out the door that I hadn't even realized that I'd only tied one shoe! It was only until we had to go through the big sliding doors at the entrance that I noticed my tiny mistake. My shoelace had gotten caught in the door for an embarrassing 5 minutes until I'd finally managed to kick it free.
The waiting room was big and airy. The walls were white, and the pretty morning sunlight streamed in through the windows. It reminded me of when I was little. Dad told me that some people believed in a nice place where people stay after they die. That was the night that Mom had passed away. At the time, I'd tried my hardest to imagine Mom in a place just like this, except with more clouds. My chest felt warm and fuzzy at the thought.
'Okaa-san,' I thought as loud as I could, so she could hear me. I struggled to keep up with Irie-kun's long legs as we passed by the rows of padded benches. Many women were scattered among the seats. One woman was so huge, she look like she'd swallowed a watermelon! Another younger woman, who was sitting next to her husband, didn't look pregnant at all. Suddenly, I wondered if my Mom had come to a clinic like this with Dad, too.
Mom's face came to my mind, and I nearly tripped over my shoelace again. I almost giggled out loud when I remembered the picture of her when she was Miss Tonburi.
'Okaa-san,' I thought again. I stared at Irie-kun's back, his arm stretched out behind him as he tugged me along. 'Did you do this, too, when you found out I was in your stomach?'
Irie-kun pulled me up beside him when he finally stopped at the clinic desk. I placed my hands on the smooth counter top and fumbled with my fingers, sucking my lip in and chewing on it. A woman with a tight bun dressed in a white nurse's outfit smile at the both of us. She opened her mouth to say something, but she was quickly cut off.
"A pregnancy test, please," Irie-kun announced as he placed his hands on the counter, leaning in so he wouldn't have to repeat himself. I stared at a poster promoting a nearby birthing hospital just past the woman's head, deep in thought.
'Are you proud, Okaa-san?' I bit my lip harder as Irie-kun and the nurse talked about something.
I could see the woman smile out of the corner of my eye. "No problem. We'll just need you to fill out this questionnaire. And, ma'am, you'll need to provide a urine sample."
'I'm so nervous. My heart is pounding like crazy. Was yours, too?'
"Oi, Kotoko," Irie-kun's annoyed voice broke my concentration. It made me flinch, and my eyes widened. I started blinking rapidly as I was pulled out of my head and back into reality. I turned to Irie-kun, who was holding out a paper cup. He squinted and tapped the side of my arm with the edge of it.
"Go on," He urged. Despite his frustrated face, I noticed that his voice was more gentle than usual. I looked to the nurse and her polite smile, then back to Irie-kun. They were both waiting.
"Haaaiii..." I said with a fake smile plastered on my face, praying to God that they wouldn't notice my uncontrollable squirming. How embarrassing for something like this to come from Irie-kun! The nurse awkwardly pointed in the direction of the bathroom, and I walked away as quickly as possible. Once they were out of sight, I twisted my face in agony.
'Okaa-san... did they make you pee In a cup, too?'
KOTOKO'S POV
The floor of the hallway was white, too. Just like the waiting area. If I looked hard enough, I could see little flecks of pink in the tile.
'Pink... what if it's a girl? Oh, Oba-sama would be sooo so happy!' Just for a moment, I let myself grin a little. But my pure bliss didn't last for long.
'I shouldn't get my hopes up like this...' I scolded myself. 'What if I'm not even pregnant? I'll just make myself depressed if I keep thinking about it like it's definitely happening... then I'll only have myself to blame.' I looked down at my untied shoe and sighed. 'Its alright. I'll just think of something else until they call my name!'
Except there was just a small... small problem. I couldn't. When I thought of my next nursing report that was due soon, the image of the dusty nursery back at home flashed through my mind. When I thought about seeing Chris and Kin-chan when they came back from their honeymoon, I suddenly wondered if it would be too early to have an ultrasound.
'I bet it would look like a pea!' I thought to myself, and brought my finger up to my chin in thought. 'Yes. Definitely not big enough yet-'
I scrunched my face up and pinched my leg. I sighed and let my head hang back lazily to look up at the ceiling, which was boring and just plain white.
In a last desperate effort, I tried to think about food. 'Okay, Kotoko. You can do this!' Determined, I imagined the tallest, most ridiculous bowl of parfait I possibly could. I shut my eyes tight and dreamed of big, sparkly scoops of strawberry ice cream... and bonbons... and little melon balls... I could practically taste it!
'I bet Kin-chan could make an absolutely amazing parfait...!' I licked my lips, and I swear I could feel an earthquake of hunger in my stomach.
Suddenly, I sensed the heat of Irie-kun's stare from his seat next to me on the bench. It made me think of his cat-like eyes, so brown that they were almost the color of squid ink. Before I knew it, the parfait vanished from my imaginary view and was replaced by a gurgling baby with the exact same eyes and a tiny button nose. Kyaaaaa!~
Ugh! This was hopeless! 'Why can't I think of anything else?!'
In defeat I leaned my elbows onto my knees, and slammed my head down into my hands. Visions of adorable little socks and hats danced in my brain while I heaved out a gigantic sigh.
"...Are you alright?" Irie-kun asked, surprising me out of my struggle. My eyebrows shot up immediately and I turned to look at him. His eyebrow was raised just a little bit. I was relieved that he didn't look as annoyed as he sounded, but I was confused as to why he was asking me.
"Irie-kun...?" I pursed my lips.
"Taku..." he said under his breath. He shifted his weight on the bench and folded his arms across his chest. I watched as he turned his head and looked at something in the distance. "You haven't said anything since this morning," he sighed.
'Is... is Irie-kun concerned about his pregnant wife?' I gasped in my head. 'Yes! That must be it!'
"Don't worry, I'm fine!" I smiled up at him. "I was just thinking." I turned my gaze back down to the speckled floor.
"You mean daydreaming?" He replied, turning to look at me. I turned to stare back up at him, and accidentally let out a strained giggle, giving away my embarassment.
"Nnn-mm," I said quickly, shaking my head. "I was just thinking that..."
But quickly, I stopped myself. If I told Irie-kun what I thought about all of this... no, it'd be too embarrassing. If I said it, then I'd probably sound like such an idiot... then he'd laugh or say something mean and I'd feel even dumber. My smile fell a little bit as I spaced out and looked at the sliding door of the office in front of us.
"Thinking about what?" Irie-kun asked gently, knocking me out of my daze. I looked back at him with wide eyes. He actually looked like he wanted to know.
"No, no, no!" I dismissed him quickly, smiling as hard as I could as I shook my hands. "It's nothing... really!" I said, hoping my laugh would reassure him.
"Kotoko." Irie-kun interrupted. He looked me straight in the eyes, and I couldn't look away. I could never look away when he looked at me like that. I couldn't hide from him. I felt myself blushing furiously as I looked back down at the floor. I clasped my hands together and shrugged my shoulders up to my ears, thinking of how I was going to say what had been on my mind.
"Well... it's just..." I started, giggling nervously. Then, I knew what I wanted to say. "...Remember when I thought I was pregnant after our honeymoon? And I'd asked you what you thought when I told you about the baby..." I bit my lip.
"Ah," Irie-kun said. I could still feel his eyes trained on me. Usually I just talked whether or not I knew he was paying attention, because I was just happy that he would hear whatever I had to say. But whenever he listened to me like this... it made me really think about what I was saying.
"You told me that at first, your mind went totally blank," I continued quickly. I smiled at the memory, because now I knew how Irie-kun had felt. "Well this time, you were the one who told me I was pregnant, and now I don't know what to think," I said. Irie-kun lifted his chin a bit, but didn't take his eyes off of me. My cheeks felt hot.
"My mind went totally blank," I told him, my smile falling. I just knew I sounded like an idiot, but I couldn't stop. "It doesn't feel real..."
I trailed off, losing what I wanted to say. I stared straight at the door, hoping it would slide open and someone, anyone would call my name.
"It's like a dream," I said quietly. "But I don't know what to think of it."
There, I'd said it. I looked over at Irie-kun for a split second, to see his reaction, but I couldn't look him in the eye. I stared at the floor and let my head hang down, trying to hide my burning cheeks with my hair. My smile was completely drained from my face.
My whole body tensed up, and I shut my eyes tight, waiting in the silence for Irie-kun's cold remark.
Suddenly, before I even knew what was happening, Irie-kun grabbed my arm and pulled me in tight against him. My eyes popped open as I slammed into his soft, warm shirt. My head was locked between his shoulder and his chin as he rested it on top of my head. I was so stunned, I couldn't move. His chest rose and pressed against me as he breathed in.
"Irie-kun...?" I squeaked. A rush of air was forced out of my lungs as he squeezed me tighter.
For a little bit, it was just quiet. I wanted to enjoy the moment... Irie-kun almost never hugged me in public like this. When I breathed in, his shirt smelled comforting, like rain and soap mixed together. It smelled like home.
"Me, too," he said quietly. The vibrations of his voice tickled my forehead. "But..." he said, drifting off. He was silent for a few seconds, deep in thought. I could feel his heartbeat against my cheek as he breathed in deeply. "You are not alone. I'm with you, so don't be scared."
At those words, a warm wave of relief washed over me, my entire body tingling down to my toes. The battling thoughts in my head like a swarm of bees melted into a calming ocean. The dizzying love I felt in my chest was so strong that my mind was emptied of everything but Irie-kun.
'I love you Irie-kun... I really, really love you!' My brain cried out. In that moment, I realized that everything was going to be okay. As long as Irie-kun was by my side... I could do anything. I threw my arm around him and shut my eyes tight.
"Mmmm," I nodded. I could see my hair standing up with static after my hair rubbed against his shirt, but I didn't care. "Mmm!" I repeated, squeezing him tighter. I gathered the softness of the back of his shirt into a little clump in my fist, and held on. I could feel an uncontrollable lump forming in my throat. I was so happy... but so relieved in Irie-kun's arms that I felt like crying and crying until I was empty. As I felt his warm kiss on the top of my head, a realization struck me, pulling me out of my bright cloud of absolute bliss.
"Hey..." I started. I opened my eyes halfway and stared down into his white shirt. I sucked my lip in and chewed on it, waiting.
"Hmmm?" He hummed, pulling his chin off of its resting place on my head. He pulled back and looked down at me. I didn't want to meet his stare; I was too afraid I would really start crying. I didn't want my face to be all red and puffy, especially since a nurse could call me in at any minute.
"Aren't you embarassed?" I asked, biting down on my lip even harder. I tried to push the rock down my throat and took a deep breath "We're in a hospital. People might see us..."
Without warning, Irie-kun pulled me back against his chest. The slam of my head into his shirt caused a tear to spill over onto my cheek. I quickly wiped it away and sniffed in as hard as I could.
"I don't care," he said bluntly, and the breath from his nose blew across the top of my head. Finally, I melted into his embrace. All of the bad and scary thoughts that left me speechless since this morning had simply disappeared. Now, in Irie-kun's arms, I'd realized how selfish I'd been to think that they were only bothering me, and how far away they seemed now. Suddenly, I flinched as I heard the door slide open. Irie-kun let go of me and quickly pulled away, and I looked to find a woman with curled hair standing in the doorway.
"Irie-san? Irie Kotoko-san? Please come in!" She announced, smiling at me. Quickly, I jumped to my feet. Not knowing what to do with myself, I pressed my hands stiffly against my sides like a soldier.
"H-...Hai!" I stuttered. I sucked my lip in again as my nerves sparked and tingled all over.
'Irie-kun is here with you... so don't be scared!'
After hesitating, I turned to look down at Irie-kun. I found him already staring at me, and I immediately met his deep brown stare. I took a deep breath.
"I'm going..." I said, surprised at how quiet my voice was. For a few seconds, Irie-kun watched me intently, then gave me a little nod.
I turned my back to him and smiled nervously at the woman in the doorway, then made my way to the brightly lit office. My shoes, one still untied, squeaked so loud against the floor that I grasped my hands in front of me and looked down at the floor in embarrassment. I was nervous... but I felt energized by Irie-kun's gentle words. As long as I knew that he would be in the hallway waiting for me, I was ready.
'Alright, Kotoko... let's do this!' I cheered in my head, determined. Before I stopped inside the door, I turned back to face Irie-kun one more time. His eyes were still following me, and his lips were slightly parted.
Before I could look away from him, the woman slowly slid the door shut.
NAOKI'S POV
As Kotoko's bright, innocent face disappeared behind the blur of the sliding door, I was shut out from her and left to my own thoughts. Alone.
This situation was familiar, like a stranger I'd suddenly been forced to reconnect with. Thanks to the pregnancy scare my mother caused by blowing Kotoko's indigestion way out of proportion, I had sat in this same position before. However, that had been a few years ago; Right after I'd married Kotoko, and this time the unorganized tangle of feelings I felt inside was... different.
Shock... uncertainty... confusion. That was just a sample of what I'd felt the first time. I'd just returned from that long trip away from home... although it had only been 3 uneventful days, it was just too long to be away from Kotoko, though I'd never admit it to her. Eager to go back to my normal life at home I was greeted at the front door with the possibility that Kotoko might've been pregnant. When she'd finally managed to sputter it out, her words, although admitting she wasn't entirely sure, bounced off of me. My mind fell totally blank. It had been so early after marrying her that the possibility of getting pregnant hadn't even occurred to me yet, despite having made love to her for the first time on our honeymoon. And so, I'd dragged her to this same clinic with the same question on my mind. But even still...
This time, I was the one who had been suspicious before she did. And although Kotoko admitted to me that she felt the same way I had during our first pregnancy scare, I couldn't lie to myself and say that I felt ready.
The feelings of anxiousness... wanting to know what the hell was going on inside that office with Kotoko and the midwife... and the tiny knots of excitement that bubbled to the surface greeted me like an old friend in the pit of my stomach. The most nerve-wracking was still the uncertainty of it all. I had good reason to believe that Kotoko was probably pregnant this time... but if it had been indigestion the first time...
'She really does pig out so easily... and I don't know anything for sure until we get an official opinion...'
If only I'd studied pregnancy in my spare time, then I'd know for sure and wouldn't have to feel as if I was being eaten from the inside out.
A baby.
With Kotoko.
And me, a dad.
It was the first time today that I'd even let the word 'baby' into my mind.
Of course, it wasn't a baby yet.
'Or wouldn't be... if it happened 2 months ago.' I corrected myself.
I sighed and stared down at the floor, my eyes half closed in my concentration.
I tried to imagine myself as someone's dad, and suddenly felt like Kotoko when she slapped her cheeks in pure, ignorant bliss amidst a surely ridiculous daydream.
Instantly I saw a younger version of her, with a determined spirit and a smile as bright as her mother.
Kotoko, a mom. The two just didn't go together. I smiled and leaned back with the support of the wall behind me, and I couldn't help the short laugh that escaped me.
'Mama, wake up!' The tiny Kotoko pouted in my head. 'It's the 7-3-5 festival today, and you're still wearing pajamas?!' Kotoko's snoring echoed loudly somewhere in the background of my thoughts. My smile widened.
'Papa, tell Mama to wake up!' The imaginary little girl demanded.
'Papa...' I thought to myself. My smile faded quickly as I seriously considered the word, turning it over and over in my mind.
I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be a parent.
...and how much I'd liked it.
NAOKI'S POV
About 15 minutes passed and the sliding door remained shut, locking Kotoko away from my view.
I'd struggled to remember exactly how long it had taken for Kotoko to find out that she wasn't pregnant the first time, but I wasn't sure. All I was sure of was that it hadn't taken this long.
With my hands clasped and my wrists balancing on my knees, I tried to hear what was going on in there. Whenever there was a window of time where the hallway was silent, I could just make out the drone of the midwife's voice, and if I was lucky, Kotoko in between. Then a machine would start to beep, or someone else's voice would ring out from behind a different sliding door and I'd be shot back into the darkness of uncertainty. It frustrated me to no end that I couldn't be in there with her, but at the same time I knew she was in good hands. All I could do was hope for the best, and tell myself to leave it to the professional.
My ears perked up as I heard the sound of the sliding door gently and slowly roll open. I immediately picked my gaze up from the floor and turned my attention to the door in front of me. I squinted as my eyes were flooded with the light pouring out of the office and the discomfort that came with it. It was like I'd stared directly into the sun, especially after having my eyes half closed for nearly 20 minutes.
When my eyes adjusted, the first thing I saw was Kotoko. Speaking of the sun. Her bright face and huge eyes came into my focus immediately, and I heard the echo of her squeaky shoes skitter across the floor. I quickly stood to my feet and swallowed, my heart pounding beyond my control. I could feel the palms of my hands tingle with sweat.
So slowly that it was agonizing, she took cautious steps towards me, all the while avoiding my gaze. Finally, after what seemed like another 15 minutes on its own, she stopped a few inches in front of me and finally looked up at me. My mouth fell open a bit and my breath hitched in my throat as those big eyes I loved so much peeked up at me from under her lashes. I desperately searched for any giveaway of emotion in her eyes... but for the first time since I'd met her, her expression was so blank that I was left questioning whether or not it was true.
"Ano-ne..." Kotoko said, swallowing. Her eyes let go of mine and instead looked at the floor.
All of my normal, organized thoughts... gone. Nothing. All I could feel was my pounding chest, my sweaty palms and Kotoko, standing right in front of me.
"Ano... ano-ne..." she repeated, her stare flashing up at me for a second but then quickly darting away. Before I could stop myself I grabbed her by the shoulders. I needed to know.
"What is it, Kotoko?" I said as firmly as possible, squeezing her arms slightly. Slowly, she brought her gaze up from the floor, then to my stomach, to my chest and then finally looking me in the eye.
"I..." she started, swallowing again.
All time stopped as I searched her watery, brown pupils.
Silence.
"I-I'm... pregnant."
Her eyes didn't leave mine. She stared up at me innocently... waiting.
Pregnant. A baby... us.
Part of Kotoko, and part of me.
Without thinking twice, I pulled her tiny frame against me, hugging her tight. I felt a release in my chest as the uncertainty fell away, and all I could focus on was the new, terrifying yet all at once exciting reality. A new reality with Kotoko.
I felt Kotoko's small arms wrap around the small of my back and pull me in closer to her.
Oddly enough in that moment, I suddenly remembered being betrothed to Chairman Ouizumi's granddaughter, Sahoko years before.
No matter how much I had tried to convince myself that marrying her was for the good of the company and my father's health, I knew I would never have been able to forget Kotoko, let alone live without her in my life.
Due to the fact that I saw Kotoko every day, slept with her every night and saw her at work, I realized how I'd taken my life with her for granted at times. I was just so used to being with her, that now I didn't even think twice about it. At times it still haunted me how close I'd come to marrying Sahoko-san... but with Kotoko in my arms now as my wife... and pregnant...
"I love you, Kotoko," I whispered in her ear. I kissed the top of her forehead and shut my eyes, absolutely and blissfully enjoying Kotoko's warmth pressed up against my chest.
"Irie-kun..." she mumbled lovingly into my shirt.
I couldn't remember any time in my life where I'd been more happy, more scared than this.
KOTOKO'S POV
Once Irie-kun and I made our way back into the office where the woman, who'd introduced herself to me as Araki Yuna, was waiting, we each took a seat by her desk. I scooted my chair a little closer to Irie-kun.
"Omedeto gozaimasu!" the midwife, Araki-sensei announced to us warmly, bowing her head slightly. My face broke into a smile and I tilted my head to the side in delight.
'Me... pregnant...' I thought, my eyelids fluttering. Hesitantly with a pout on my face, I stole a glance to my right, where my handsome husband was sitting next to me. 'Irie-kun and my baby... in my stomach!'
My heart was still pounding, even though I'd found out the results of my test a little while ago. Now that we knew for sure that I was definitely going to have a baby... the reality finally settled in. And it was so exciting! I was so happy... and I felt like my heart had never beat this fast since the day I'd first seen Irie-kun at the entrance ceremony.
"Arigato," Irie-kun replied calmly, bowing his head. Quickly so I didn't seem disrespectful, I bowed my head, too.
"Now, I know you two must be excited. Your wife has told me that this will be your first child, yes?" Araki-sensei asked warmly. The way she spoke was so elegant, like she should've been an actress instead of a midwife. Her hair was so pretty, too! All curled up like tha-
Wait, did is she just tell Irie-kun what I told her in private? Ahhh...
I accidentally let out a embarrassed giggle.
"Yes, it is." Irie-kun replied, his deep voice echoing kinda funnily in the tiny office.
"I know how much you two must want to celebrate, but because this is a first-time pregnancy for your wife I'm afraid we'll have to go over some safety precautions and what to expect so that you two can enjoy a safe pregnancy," Araki-sensei stated, her smile falling a bit to show her seriousness. "Don't worry, it won't take too long. I've already explained some of the things to consider to your wife, so I won't repeat everything." She smiled again, and I realized she had some barely noticeable yet pretty dimples.
'Wow... she's beautiful...' I thought, bringing a finger up to my chin and examining the rest of her face. Her makeup was perfect. How did I not notice this when she was going over my test results with me?
'Well, I was so zoned out...' I smiled to myself. 'I couldn't believe I was... well, am pregnant! It really is like a dream...'
"Also, your wife told me that you are a highly-respected doctor at Tonan Hospital!" Araki-sensei exclaimed, like it was an honor just to be in the room with Irie-kun.
'Ahhh! Don't tell him that...!'
"...so I'm assuming that some of the things I'm going to explain will be commonplace for you, Irie-san." She finished. After mumbling something under her breath she turned towards her desk to fish something out of one of the drawers. While she was searching, Irie-kun slowly turned his head to look at me.
"Hmmmm? She did, did she...?" Irie-kun teased, squinting at me.
If looks could kill.
"I might have mentioned it, ahah hah... heh..." I said. As Irie-kun looked at me for a second then turned back to watch Araki-sensei pull a pink clipboard out of her drawer, I turned my head in the opposite direction and let my face fall completely flat.
'I really do sound that bad, don't I.'
"Alright..." Araki-sensei announced, turning to face us with the clipboard in her hand. She squinted and drew her perfect eyebrows together as she struggled to read it. "It says here that you are 5 foot 1 and weigh 104 lb, does that sound right?" She asked, staring at me as she waited for an answer.
"Hai," I smiled, nodding my head. "That's right."
She nodded understandingly and folded her hands on her lap, drawing in a breath. "Usually for pregnant women, we recommend 7 to 8 kilograms of weight gain," she informed me, meeting my eyes with her warm gaze. "However, because you are overall a pretty petite young woman, I'm going to limit your weight gain to about 6 to 7 kilograms. It's not bad for you to gain a little more than this, because some women naturally put on more weight. However, I strongly advise you to try not to go over 7 kilograms, as having too much extra weight can make the birth more difficult."
"Kilograms...?" I asked, pursing my lips. I jutted my chin forward a little bit and brought my finger up to my chin in thought. 'How much is a kilogram again...?'
"When the baby is fully developed, it will weigh roughly 3.5 kilograms. So that allows you 3.5 kilograms of weight gain." Araki-sensei continued. Her voice echoed throughout the room like ringing bells. "Normally I would allow a pregnant patient to eat larger portions than usual, but with you I think that you try to fight those cravings and only eat slightly more than what you usually would, just to be safe."
"Taku..." Irie-kun said, folding his arms across his chest. "That's going to be difficult."
'That's right! I love food so, so, soo much... how am I ever going to- Wait, did he just say that?!'
This was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life... not the most embarrassing!
"Hm?" Araki-sensei hummed, cocking her head to the side. "And why is that?"
I looked at Irie-kun out of the corner of my eye, and gripped my skirt so hard in my hands that my knuckles hurt. 'Don't say it Irie-kun!'
He let out a single chuckle and looked in the opposite direction of me, at the wall. "Kotoko loves to eat," he said, the corner of his mouth turning up.
Araki-sensei looked at me, with one perfectly manicured eyebrow raised high. I swallowed.
"Heh heh... I guess it's true..." I said, smiling nervously.
'Irie-kun!' I screamed in my head. I was furious. Why did he have to make things so awkward for me?!
"Don't worry, ne, Irie-san," she said, flashing me a genuine smile. Unexpectedly, she laughed a bit, and it sounded like an angel. "It won't be as hard as it sounds. Trust me, with some help from your husband for managing your meals I'm confident that you won't have any trouble staying within the limit!"
"Hai..." I responded, giving her a big nod. 'Irie-kun, managing my meals...?' I thought. 'Does that mean he'll give me a break, and cook for his beloved pregnant wife?'
"Anyway with that aside, I need to tell you two about the haaah hehh nih wohh kahh tehh, sahnnn shihh..."
"Here, Kotoko." Irie-kun said, placing a plate in front of me with a rolled egg omelet, octopus balls, steamed taro and a grilled fish in a sauce so fancy that it looked straight out of an expensive restaurant. "I hope you like it. This took me two hours to prepare." He flashed a dreamy smile at me as I looked up at him.
"Irie-kun..." I said, smiling back up at him. Kyaaaa~! He looked so cool in his apron!
"Go on and try it, Kotoko." He said, pulling up a chair and sitting right next to me. He smiled again, and placed a hand lovingly on my shoulder. "I made sure that it's packed with vitamins, now that you're eating for two." As he stared into my eyes, I felt my knees would give out and I'd drown in their inky darkness.
"But Irie-kun, you really didn't have to do all this..." I said, staring bashfully down at the delicious arrangement as I placed my finger on my lips. I could feel my mouth salivating already.
"I wanted to, for my amazing pregnant wife..." He said, putting his arm around my back. "Now try it."
"Unless..." he said, leaning in a bit closer, "...you aren't hungry."
He placed his hand on the side of my face, pulling me in closer and closer...
"Oi, Kotoko." My ears perked up at the sound of Irie-kun's voice.
"Ah." I said, and my eyes popped open. Araki-sensei and Irie-kun were both staring at me, waiting. "Mmm?" I hummed.
"Taku..." Irie-kun said under his breath, annoyed. He gave me a stare so sharp that it pierced me like a knife. "Were you even listening?"
I pursed my lips and looked to nurse Araki-sensei, back to Irie-kun, who was still staring at me, and then back to Araki-sensei. She sighed and gave me a polite smile, that wasn't quite as warm but still kind enough.
"As I was saying, you have to be extremely careful from now on," she said, nodding along with her words to emphasize the importance. "As you probably know, pregnancy is counted in lunar months here in Japan, each month being 4 weeks." She stated, looking at Irie-kun and then back to me. "Currently, as your test revealed, you are about 7 and a half weeks pregnant, which places you at the 2 month mark. The first trimester, which is 4 months, is the most dangerous period." She said, a grave expression crossing her pretty features. She looked at Irie-kun with a serious look in her eye, then again, back to me. "The risk of having a miscarriage is higher during the first trimester than any other point in the pregnancy. Once you've hit the 5 month mark, you can start to breathe easy as it's much less likely for you to miscarry at that point. But for now, I desperately advise you to take good care of yourself. Be careful around stairs, try not to fall, and just take it easy." She said.
'That's going to be difficult, too...' I thought, discouraged. I didn't know how dangerous being pregnant could be. I thought the chances of things like that happening were really rare... It made me feel scared, vulnerable.
'But I'll give it my best. Do you hear me, baby? I won't let anything happen to you!'
"Also, make sure your stomach is covered at all times starting today. Try to wear warm clothing over your abdomen, even if it's hot out. If your belly cools off too much, the baby could catch a cold." She said, folding her hands in her lap. "And I recommend that you wear socks as much as possible. This will make sure that the pressure point above your ankle," she paused, reached forward and tapped me just above my foot, "...which connects to your uterus, is covered and kept warm." She smiled and raised an eyebrow to make sure I understood. It was a lot of information to take in at once... but I got the basic idea. I think.
"Mmmm!" I nodded my head in response, a smile spreading across my face.
"What are some of the symptoms we can expect?" Irie-kun said, his eyebrows furrowed slightly in concern.
"Considering your wife is already 7 weeks pregnant, I was surprised to hear that she has yet to experience any morning sickness," Araki-sensei said, turning to face Irie-kun. "She might be one of those lucky women who don't experience it that badly, but unfortunately that could change very quickly. She might start to experience random onset nausea and vomiting by now." She looked up at the ceiling in thought, and folded her arms across her chest. "At this point in the pregnancy... let's see... things like headaches, fatigue... oh! And cravings." She stared back down at me with a funny smile on her face. "Especially since you love to eat, right, Irie-san?"
Immediately, I could feel my cheeks burning red hot.
"Ahahah hah... heh... h-hai..." I responded, fiddling with my fingers furiously in my lap.
'Why is this happening to me?! I thought you're not supposed to make fun of a pregnant woman?!'
"Also, your breasts will start to grow, and will probably start to be really sore if they haven't already."
'Oh my god!' With Irie-kun sitting right next to me, too! I wanted to curl up and die in the corner of the office.
"Do you two own a car? Or do you prefer to take the train?" Araki-sensei asked Irie-kun.
'What...? That's kind of an odd question...'
"We took the train here, actually," Irie-kun said, unfazed by the comment about my chest.
I struggled to understand what was happening as Araki-sensei nodded and turned around to her desk. She started opening all the drawers in search of something. Finally, after a few seconds of rummaging, she pulled out something tiny and turned herself back around. Before I knew what she planned on doing, she stretched her hand out and offered something to me.
It was a cute little white foam keychain, with a drawing of a mom and a tiny baby. At the bottom of the picture was written: "I have a baby in my stomach!"
"Ahhh! Kawaii!" I squeaked, admiring the adorable little illustration. I reached my hand out and she placed it gently in my palm.
"Isn't it?" She said, smiling with the corner of her mouth. She placed her hands over mine, closing it safely into my grasp. "This is a pregnancy badge. You can put this on your purse, your coat, or even wear it as a necklace if you want to," she explained, then pulled her hands away and leaned back into her chair. "If you show people this on the train, people will give up their seat in the priority area so you won't have to stand and risk falling. At some places, you'll even be allowed to use special elevators," she continued. "It's tough to tell that a woman is pregnant during the first and second trimesters, so this badge will spare you the embarrassment of having to tell people. It might even help you strike up a conversation with someone if they notice it! It's quite fun," she finished, giving me a smile so warm that my chest tingled.
"Hai!" I nodded quickly, and looked down at the cute little badge in my hand.
'Now everyone can know that I'm pregnant...' I thought to myself in amazement. Just with this cute little badge! 'I really am starting to feel like a mom!'
Suddenly, I could hear the squeak of a chair being pushed back as Irie-kun slowly stood to his feet. I pursed my lips and quickly turned to look at him.
"Arigato gozaimasu," Irie-kun said, folding forward into a deep bow. I quickly gathered myself and stood to my feet, looking to Araki-sensei and bowing, too.
"Of course! You two have my best wishes," she said, standing, too, and bowing slightly. She turned to look at me, and reached out to pat my arm. "Take care of yourself, ne?"
"Hai! Arigato gozaimasu," I smiled until my cheeks hurt, and gave another bow.
"Kotoko, let's go," Irie-kun said, sliding the office door open with his hand and stepping out into the hallway.
"Irie-kun, wait for me!" I called out to him as I nearly tripped over my shoelace trying to catch up to him.
I could feel the foam of the cute maternity badge squish in my hand as I wrapped myself around Irie-kun's arm.
NAOKI'S POV
"She really gave us a lot of information, ne," Kotoko sighed dejectedly as we stepped back into and started to walk through the clinic's waiting room. When I looked down at her, her eyes were staring ahead, off into space. "I don't think I'm going to remember all of that..."
I nearly chuckled at her, but thought better of it.
'Typical Kotoko...'
"Good thing I remember everything after hearing it once, right?" I reminded her in an annoyed tone, and kept staring down at her adorable face. Suddenly she snapped out of her daze and looked up at me with her lips in a fish-like pout.
"Ah! Mmmm..." She said, immediately floating off again and staring at the women who were seated in the waiting area.
'Taku... she has the attention span of a fish...'
As I looked to my right, I noticed the entrance to the clinic store. Like any typical gift store, the shelves inside were lit up and lined with different medicines, vitamins, and other things like...
Socks. I remembered what the midwife had told Kotoko and I, and I suddenly had a bright idea.
"Hey, Kotoko," I prompted, stopping in my tracks. She took a step behind me and then planted her feet still on the ground, caught off guard that I had stopped walking. Instead of saying something, she pouted again and looked up at me with wide eyes, waiting for me to say something.
"Want to get some socks?" I asked her, searching for any kind of reaction in her huge gaze.
"Heh?" She breathed, pursing her lips even more. I already knew the answer would be yes, so I sighed and kept walking towards the entrance of the tiny store. Before long, I heard the squeaking of her shoes echo throughout the waiting room as she caught up to me.
NAOKI'S POV
"Ahhhh! Look, look, Irie-kun!" Kotoko squealed, bouncing up and down on her feet as she pointed to a pair of pink socks with strawberries printed all over them, hanging from the wall. "Kawaii, ne?!"
"Ah," I agreed, but was quickly cut off.
"Ohhhhhh!" she screamed in surprise at what I could only assume was her next discovery. "Look at these ones, Irie-kun! These are cute, too!" She ran from my side to the opposite wall, where another pair of socks in a floral pink pattern had caught her attention. The older woman running the cash register at the back of the store stared at Kotoko with a disapproving look, and I suddenly was aware of Kotoko's loudness.
"Oi, Kotoko, calm down," I chided her as I grabbed the strawberry socks down from their hook on the wall, and flipped them over to read the price tag.
"These too, Irie-kun! Ahhhh, and they're so soft!" She ripped a pair of light blue, lace-fringed socks down from the shelf and balled up her fist, giggling uncontrollably with excitement.
As I walked over to the floral pink socks and pulled those down too, I noticed a matching pair hanging next to them. They were so tiny that I could've fit one of them on two fingers.
I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.
