Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story! I know the chapters can get a little short, but I'll try and post close together to make up for it. Now without further ado…
Giroro groaned, rolling over and opening his eyes. Stretching, he sat up, pushing off his blanket. He was about to leave his tent when he noticed a picture he never remembered hanging up. Let alone posing for. A horrible sense of déjà vu filled him, and he flashed back to the time when his comrades had set him up for a hidden camera show.
He did not recall ever holding anything that beautiful. It was so small and innocent, with pink hair a shade darker than Natsumi's and a small birthmark over its eye that looked like a scar. It had short limbs for a Pekoponian infant, if that's what it was, but unlike a Pekoponian, its fingers were webbed. The child had rosy cheeks that were almost but not quite unnatural. To Giroro, it was perfect.
He shook himself out of his daze, and tried to make sense of the picture. It almost looked like pictures he'd seen of Aki holding younger versions of Natsumi and Fuyuki. He and Natsumi looked like the loving parents. But that didn't make any sense!
Giroro's head was starting to hurt. If they were doing the same thing to him again, they were so dead. Natsumi wouldn't be happy, either. But what if Sumomo was in that suit again? Could Kululu have repaired the amount of damage Natsumi inflicted on it?
Justifiably suspicious, Giroro edged cautiously out of his tent, one of his many guns in hand. He scanned the area for cameras, but seeing as the only one anywhere near him was Kululu's perfectly disguised 'fly' camera, he didn't notice anything.
He opened the back door of the house to find Natsumi holding the child he'd seen in the picture while making breakfast. She was making faces and cooing at it. It was so hot…
She noticed Giroro, who began blushing madly, even though he was convinced that he was being made fun of. Her face lit up.
"Good morning, Giroro!" she said brightly, and Giroro decided it was exactly the same as before. Why did it always have to be him? Trying to ignore temptation, Giroro turned his attention to the immediate problem.
"Natsumi, what is that? Where did it come from?" he asked swiftly, eyeing the beautiful child with both suspicion and love. It was hard not to love it.
"Giroro? Are you feeling okay? This is Kioshii Itazura Hinata. Remember?" she asked, looking worried, like Giroro should know this already.
"'Beloved Trick'? What kind of name is that? And where did it come from?" Giroro replied, trying to keep focused with great difficulty.
Natsumi looked hurt and worried and frightened. It tore at Giroro's heart.
"You mean you really don't remember? How much do you remember, honey?" Natsumi asked, her voice quivering.
"Well the last thing I remember is… wait, HONEY?" Giroro said, blushing madly and freaking out in the extremes.
"Oh no! You forgot?" Natsumi asked, and started to sob, clutching Kioshii tight.
"Forgot what?" Giroro exclaimed, watching as the infant began to cry, too.
"That Kululu took our DNA and combined it to make Kioshii without telling us and that we fell in love because of her?" Natsumi wailed, and Giroro fell over, something he rarely did.
"WHAT? When did that happen?" Giroro said, and suddenly became suspicious again. "Wait, you're not Sumomo, are you?"
"What? No! It's me, Natsumi! Maybe Kululu should have a look at you, Giroro. You should remember! Don't you want to remember your own daughter?" Natsumi asked, holding Kioshii out for Giroro, who was too far into a vivid daydream to really notice. He would've remembered Natsumi falling in love with him, he was sure of that.
Realizing that Natsumi was holding the baby out for him to hold, not just to look at, Giroro took her awkwardly out of Natsumi's arms. It was almost as big as he was! But it was lighter than it looked. He couldn't bear to think of Kioshii as 'she,' because it made her feel too real. He was either dreaming or it was the world's most elaborate prank. Either way he didn't want to get too attached.
"I'm going to go get Kululu," Natsumi said, and stood to leave, Giroro still holding Kioshii. He was about to tell her to take Kioshii with her, but Kululu came into the room.
"Someone say my name?" he asked, looking up at Natsumi.
"Kululu, I think something's wrong with Giroro! He can't remember anything! Not Kioshii, not us falling in love, not anything! I don't know what could've happened! Is there anything you can do, Kululu?" Natsumi asked, putting a hand on Giroro's shoulder. He blushed even deeper.
"I'll see what I can do, Natsumi. Kukuku…" Kululu replied, and gestured for Giroro to follow him. Natsumi took Kioshii from him and Giroro reluctantly followed Kululu down into his lab.