This is kind of a more light-hearted chapter. I'm thinking that this story falls under a category other than 'Drama', but I'm not exactly clear on what falls under each category, so...

"That's a lot of books you're carrying, there", said Kunimitsu.

"...help me open the door, please..."

Haru dropped the books on the kitchen table and went to go look for Rin.

But he couldn't find her anywhere! And he couldn't find Kazuma to ask where she was! So he turned to Kunimitsu, who told him that both Rin and Kazuma were out and he wasn't sure when they'd be back. Haru wasn't sure who he wanted to get back first. He needed to talk to Rin, but he also wanted to talk to Kazuma.

He lounged around Kazuma's house until he heard the front door. He went to go meet whoever it was.

It was Kazuma and Rin both. Kazuma was carrying some groceries.

"Hey, wait a minute, were you two out together?"

Rin must have thought that Haru was giving her a strange look, because she quickly said, "It's not like it's a big deal or anything!"

Haru took her hand. "Rin...your maternal instincts are kicking in already."

"There are no 'maternal instincts'!! I told you it's not a big deal!!"

"Hunh. I think it's cute."

"Are you even listening to me?!"

"There was just something Isuzu wanted to talk to me about. It's nothing to worry about", said Kazuma. He went in the kitchen to put the groceries away. "What's all this?" he wondered.

Haru and Rin went into the kitchen.

"Haru, what are those books?" asked Rin.

"I got some books about babies."

"...what? Babies!"

He put a hand on her stomach. "Yes. Babies."

She grabbed his hand. "Stop that! I already told you, it's not a baby until it's born!"

Still, when Haru opened one of the books, which was about the stages of fetal development, Rin was right beside him, looking at the pictures with just as much interest.

"...why does it have flippers?" she asked at one point.

"That's it's feet", Haru replied.

"I know it's supposed to be feet, but all the toes are webbed."

"They're not webbed...I think", Haru replied, "So how far along are you now?"

"I don't know...a month or so?"

Haru flipped to a corresponding section of the book. They read the pages together.

"Is that really what it looks like right now?" asked Rin.

"I guess so."

"But how do they get a camera inside to take pictures?"

"I don't know."

They looked at that picture, not quite able to grasp it completely. Sure, babies that far along looked like that in a book, but that wasn't what theirs looked like, surely?

"...it's kind of cute", said Haru.

"It looks like a jelly bean with bug eyes."

"It's so tiny..." He looked at Rin's stomach.

"Knock it off!!"

...

"Hatsuharu, where did you get those books?" asked Kazuma later, as he prepared dinner.

"Oh. The library."

"Isuzu seemed just as interested as you were."

"Yeah...she'll come around eventually, like you said."

Incidentally, Rin had gone to the bathroom.

"Actually, Shihan", said Haru, "There was something I wanted to talk to you about. An idea I had...I've been thinking about it since I found out Rin was pregnant, but I want you to tell me if it's stupid or not..."

"Well, I suppose I can give you my opinion..."

"All right. Well, I was thinking..."

Haru trailed off as Rin came back.

She looked between the two of them quizzically.

"It's nothing, Rin", said Haru, "We were doing some manly bonding."



Rin looked even more confused.

"...we were just talking, Isuzu", said Kazuma.

She didn't seem like she was going to argue. "I--hey!!"

She rushed to Kazuma's side and pushed him away from the counter.

"How many times do we have to go over this?" she scolded, "You're not cooking!"

"Someone has to cook..."

"I'll do it!" Rin snapped, "I don't mind...er."

She'd forgotten that Haru was in the room.

She turned and looked at him.

"Be quiet!"

"...I didn't say anything."

"It's for what you're going to say!"

"I wasn't going to say anything. It's just that I had no idea that you even liked to cook."

"I...it's not that troublesome."

"Isuzu wants an efficient household", said Kazuma.

"...she's practicing for when she'll be running a household of her own. It's those maternal instincts..." Haru replied.

"Why does it always come back to that?!" Rin snapped, "You're making something out of nothing!"

"She's even practicing nagging me."

"Stop it, Haru!!"

"...but I'm not doing anything."

"Stop arguing with me or you're not getting any dinner!!"

She stopped and thought about what she'd just said, then turned away, embarrassed.

Haru was amused.

Things are going to move pretty fast from this point on, I think. I can never have my stories too long, or I'll never finish them.