author's note

i'm trying to finish and upload this chapter earlier than usual "i-upload-every-five-days" so that you guys would have a sense of entertainment during this quarantine period!

i'm assuming that i'd be done with the main plot of this story by the 30th or so chapter, and after that, i have plans for a new kotoumi fanfiction! no spoilers for now, but it does include them being inheritors of businesses and an arranged marriage ;) i'll probably upload a part two of this story with chapters of the gang being parents though~ so stay tuned for the both of those stories!

Responses for Reviews:

Hiei's Curry: honoka tries her best to keep secrets, but she gets so excited most of the time that she forgets to ;; the groupchat is based on my personal gc with online friends :D so it's a bit realistic as well!

Guest: thank you for enjoying this story! stay safe, i'll try to upload a bit more often during this quarantine period!

FallenVengeance: Thank you for enjoying the story a lot! Stay safeeee!!

IamGayandaSinner: umi's package is a bonus ;) poor rinpana, always dragged into their friends' (shameless) mess ;; as for nozonico's hubbies.. well, they don't have to know--

voidtv88: umi's uniqueness..lets say a 9 inch wonder ;) thank you for enjoying the story! i'm enjoying yours as well uwu

With all that said, lez go!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Love Live franchise or its characters.


Chapter Sixteen: Tea and Tears of Joy

Umi wasn't going to lie to herself. While she felt happy to be home, a part of her was terrified. After all, standing in front of the Sonoda household, where everything began, made memories come back.

"Father, stop yelling at Umi for such! Let Umi achieve her goals, please.. please. I'll come back from America, I'll inherit the family business! Just let my sister be happy this once..!"

"The duties of being a Sonoda comes before everything. I raised you two to think that way. Perhaps I raised you wrong, Umi."

"Ushio! You are being too harsh on our daughter..! Umi, please think this through.."

"Umi? Umi? Look, I'm here. Big sis is here. I'll support you. Okay? Look at me. Umi, please. My little sister.. you don't have to act so strong always, you know? It's okay. Go ahead and cry. Whether it's about our family, your uncertain future, or a love you had lost.. it's okay to cry sometimes. I'll hold you until you're okay. You are a Sonoda, but you are also just a teenager.. Mother and Father tend to forget that. But I won't. I promise, I'm here always."

Yui saw Umi frowning and gave her a comforting pat on the back. She took a deep breath in, and opened the door of their house.

"I'm home." The Sonoda sisters said together, and giggled when they realized it. Umi noticed that the house had slightly changed, with the shōji doors looking more sturdy compared to the way it was before. Soon, the living room's shōji opened, and Umi was greeted by a mirroring image of herself, only her 'reflection' seemed older and more elegant.

"It's nice to see you again, Mother." Umi smiled, bowing in respect "H-How have you been?"

"My daughter..!" Mrs. Sonoda smiled brightly, rushing to embrace Umi. While embracing Umi, her gaze travelled to meet Kotori's "Kotori."

"It's nice to see you again, Aunt Sonoda." Kotori bowed, smiling. Deep inside though, she felt a hint of nervousness creep up on her "I'm sorry for coming all the way here with Umi--"

"No, no! It's okay." Mrs. Sonoda smiled warmly, letting go of Umi to hold Kotori's hands "I haven't seen my daughter for a while until Umi had messaged her sister, saying you wanted to come and visit Hokkaido. Thank you.. Kotori, you made me meet my little girl again."

"Mother, Umi isn't that little anymore." Yui reminded her mother as she, Umi and Kotori shuffled to remove their shoes "Ah, where were the slippers I bought for them?"

"The matching ones? Right here." Mrs. Sonoda handed them two pairs of slippers -- Umi's having a little bird design while Kotori's had a little bunny.

"Ha, ha, very funny, Yui-nee." Umi rolled her eyes, and awkwardly smiled at Mrs. Sonoda again "W-Where's Father? And Grandma?"

"Ah, right this way. Kotori, dear, come along too."

"O-Okay..!" Kotori nodded, albeit startled when she felt Yui wrap an arm around her shoulder "Yui-nee..?"

"I'm telling you now, Kotori," Yui whispered as the two of them watched Umi walk ahead of them "any drama that you see between Father and Umi.. completely normal at this point. There's a little chaos going on in our family. Expect Umi to be a completely different person as she walks through those shōji doors, she'll definitely act stern in front of Father."

"..okay."

It hurt Kotori's heart a bit when Umi shot her a reassuring smile before entering the premises of their living room. Behind that smile, after all, was the coward version of Umi who wanted to hide from her father, and only Kotori saw that.

The least Kotori could do was give Umi a reassuring smile as well, and for Umi, it helped her muster enough courage to talk to her father again.

"This.. This is for Kotori, for our little one. After all this, we'll go back to normal again. Stay calm, Umi. Don't make a fool of yourself."


"Father." Umi bowed as she entered through the shōji, a serious expression across her face "I am home."

"Welcome back." Mr. Sonoda muttered, setting his newspaper aside "How have you been lately? And your job? Oh, Kotori is here, too?"

"Y-Yes. Hello, Uncle." Kotori bowed, following Yui as they both sat down on the sofa across Mr. Sonoda "It's been a while, Uncle."

"It has certainly been a while. The last time I saw you was.. Umi's highschool graduation?" Mr. Sonoda smiled softly "My regards to your parents. I hope you enjoy Hokkaido."

"Father? Where's Grandma?" Umi asked as she sat beside Kotori "I wanted to see her as well."

"She's visiting her friends at the homecare. We'll pick her up after lunch." Mrs. Sonoda explained "She missed you a lot, Umi. Ah, do you girls want tea? Darling?"

("Don't talk about the idea of putting Grandma in the homecare," Yui whispered to Kotori and Umi "she insists she is not old enough to be there, despite the fact that old people her age are already there.")

"Green tea for me, please! And I'm sure Umi wants the same." Yui responded, then looked at Kotori "What about you, Kotori? Ah, do you want coffee?"

"N-No, thank you. By any chance, Aunt, do you have mixed berry tea?" Kotori asked, and smiled instantly when Mrs. Sonoda nodded "I'll have one, then..!"

"Cravings again?" Umi teased "You crave the most random things. I haven't seen you drink mixed berry tea, ever since we were little."

"Similar to the pregnancy cravings I had with Umi." Mrs. Sonoda joked, heading towards the kitchen "And you want peppermint tea, dear?"

"Yes, please." Mr. Sonoda nodded, then looked at the two "You two looked surprised when Yume talked about her pregnancy cravings. Don't mind your mother, Umi. Apologies, Kotori."

"Y-Yeah.." Umi nervously laughed, inciting Kotori to laugh as well "Just took us by surprise."

"I mean, I'd be glad if you guys have a baby. The family has been wanting one. But the saddest thing is," Yui let out a sad sigh "you two aren't even dating."

"Oh? I assumed you two were back together. That's..a bit sad, but understandable." Mr. Sonoda muttered "Umi? You haven't answered my question, how is your job as an engineer? Is it, well, better than the dojo?"

"I-I'm doing well, Father. I work at a nice company, and I earn well enough to have savings for me and my future family. And..while I miss the dojo dearly, my passion is engineering."

"Mm, I'm glad to hear that, at least you chose a nice company to work for. But don't forget that marriage comes before having children." Mr. Sonoda nodded, pleased with Umi's answer "It seems like you're the only one the Sonoda bloodline can rely on, your sister hasn't conceived yet--"

"H-Hey! I'm trying! Kazuma is just busy with work in America," Yui pouted "and Father, there's no big deal if Umi conceives a child with someone before marriage. Not like she could, anyway -- she'd probably faint before having intercourse. But still, as long as my sis takes responsibility for her child, I think children before marriage is okay."

"You do have a point, Yui. While it is more ideal to have children after marriage, marriage can come during the pregnancy or after the infant is born. But, dears," Mrs. Sonoda returned, sitting beside Mr. Sonoda "why are we talking about children? Look at poor Umi and Kotori, blushing madly from your comments.."

Umi and Kotori could only look down on their laps, a blush forming on their faces. Yui could only laugh at them, but soon pouted again when her father scolded her for being improper.

"It's not everyday you see a 34 year old get scolded by her father.." Kotori silently thought.

"Dear, let them be. They are no longer children anymore."

"They are still Sonoda's, Yume."

"Being a Sonoda doesn't mean you can't have fun or cry, Ushio." Mrs. Sonoda sighed, standing up again "I'll go ahead and prepare the tea while the water boils."

"A-Actually, Uncle, Yui-nee.." Kotori spoke up, looking at Umi "Umi-chan and I have something to tell..you guys."

"Dating again?" Yui gasped happily "Oh, how lovely! I'm gonna go and plan the wedding-"

"Yui." Mr. Sonoda spoke in a stern voice, like a warning "Do not interrupt them. What is it, Kotori?"

Umi gulped, realizing Kotori wanted to be the one to talk. While she opened her mouth to explain, Kotori shot her a reassuring look, as if saying:

"It's okay. I'll tell them. Don't worry."

"I think it's best if Aunt Sonoda is here to hear about it, too." Kotori answered, and muttered a quick 'thank you' when Mrs. Sonoda came back with the tea minutes later.

"Well, what is it? Is it good news, at least?" Yui asked, taking a sip of the tea "Like, maybe you two got married? Okay, engaged? Dating, at least?"

"I-It's actually not that.." Kotori smiled nervously as she put her teacup down after taking a sip. She took a deep breath in, entwining her left hand with Umi's right hand, and putting her right hand on her stomach "Umi-chan and I.. we are expecting."

For a moment, silence surrounded the Sonoda residences, even the chirping of the birds outside paused. While Umi was visibly nervous, Kotori seemed composed, at least to Mr. and Mrs. Sonoda..

but Yui and Umi saw Kotori was slightly shaking.

"Is this a joke? I know we were joking around about children earlier but--" Yui faked a laugh, then her face turned serious when she didn't get any reaction from the two "Oh my God you two aren't joking."

"Oh, dear.. Oh my.. Are you two serious?" Mrs. Sonoda gasped, covering her mouth in shock "Umi, dear, is she telling the truth?"

"T-Thirteen weeks along, yes." Umi sheepishly nodded, bowing her head down "Please understand that this is clearly my--"

"This.. we didn't intend for this to happen. We were under the influence of alcohol, and I know it sounds reckless.. but this was both our fault, my fault for requesting such a risky thing. U-Umi-chan took responsibility the moment I informed her about my pregnancy. We currently live together since Umi-chan wants to be present in the pregnancy and raising of our child. Our relationship is.. not clear yet, but we are working on it. I know that the way our family was formed is not ideal, but.. please, Aunt, Uncle," Kotori stood up, and did a seated 70 degree bow in front of the Sonoda's "please understand us and accept our child into your family. It's okay if you can't accept me, but I know how important it is to Umi-chan to have her child accepted in this family, regardless of how we conceived them. And please don't get mad at her.."

"Kotori.." Umi bent beside Kotori, trying to get her to sit down "Kotori, it's okay, please.. you don't have to do this, I'm supposed to tell them."

Still, Kotori didn't budge, and no response came from the either of the Sonoda's.

"Mother, Father," Yui spoke up, getting her parents' attention "well..? A pregnant lady is bowing in front of you, asking you to accept your grandchild. It's improper to let a lady wait, let alone a pregnant lady, right, Father?"

"Kotori, please stand up. Umi, you too." Mrs. Sonoda sighed "Well, we cannot do anything, now, can we?"

"I'll go into our room upstairs, Yume."

With that, Mr. Sonoda went upstairs with a hint of disappointment written across his face.

Umi frowned, leading Kotori to sit between her and Yui again. Once they were all seated, silence engulfed the room again, until Yui let out an excited squeal, hugging Kotori tight.

"I'm gonna be an aunt! An aunt!" Yui rejoiced "Thank you, Kotori! Thank you for bearing my dense sister's child..!"

"H-Hey..!" Umi protested, a blush creeping up on her face. Soon, she turned her attention to Mrs. Sonoda, who smiled warmly "Mother.. are you upset?"

"Upset? Why would I be, dear? Surprised, yes, but upset? Never. Kotori is the sweetest girl I know, and you two make such a lovely couple.." Mrs. Sonoda clasped her hands together "Congratulations, Kotori, Umi."

"Y-You're okay with it, Aunt?" Kotori asked, smiling sheepishly while Yui continued to gush about her 'niece-to-be' "U-Uncle.."

"Don't mind Ushio. It will take a while for him to accept the fact that his youngest will have a child soon, especially out of marriage."

"Tch, I would've prepared myself the day the doctors said Umi has a male genitalia and can impregnate-- ow.." Yui rubbed the spot on her head that Umi hit "Hey! That's rude, you're not setting a good example for my niece..!"

"You don't even know the gender yet, Yui-nee..!" Umi complained, then looked at her mother again "Mother, do you have--"

"Me and your father will be flying out to Tokyo in two weeks with your sister, is it okay if we visit the Minami's? I do miss them." Mrs. Sonoda asked, and smiled when Kotori nodded "That's great news to hear. While I accept my grandchild and Kotori whole-heartedly, Umi, isn't it best if you marry..?"

"A-Ah, you see.. I'm still courting Kotori, I don't want her to feel entitled to marry me just because of our child." Umi muttered, a hand on her nape "Once Kotori gives me an answer, I'll still take things a little slow before popping the question."

"Whoaaa, so romantic of you, sis!" Yui clapped, then elbowed Kotori's arm gently "Psst, have you fallen for my sister yet? Do tell me, so we can plan the wedding together!"

"Yui. Don't be too excited, you may be stressing Kotori without realizing it." Mrs. Sonoda warned, then clasped her hands together "Ah! Do you guys have ultrasounds that we could see? Recording of heartbeat?"

Quickly, Kotori went to her backpack, bringing out an envelope that had Mrs. Nishikino's permission for her to fly, some ultrasound photos and papers that proved that they were both healthy. She also brought out the custom bunny plush that Umi made for her.

"T-These are the papers regarding my pregnancy, Aunt.." Kotori said in a low voice, giving the envelope to Mrs. Sonoda "And Yui-nee, I think you'll like to hear this."

Yui sniffled when she pressed the bunny's hand, and began to feel tears streaming down her face when she heard the strong heartbeat.

"Dear..? Shouldn't I be the one crying? I'm Umi's mother.."

"Yui-nee, you're embarrassing." Umi chuckled, then smiled warmly at Kotori, who took a sip of tea before explaining a few things about her pregnancy to Mrs. Sonoda.

The smile across Umi's face didn't leave. Her family's reaction to the pregnancy was highly unexpected, and Umi could die from embarrassment with her sister's crying and mother interrogating Kotori about that night (Kotori could only blush and stutter, lying that she could barely remember a thing) but still, she'd choose this over the negative reaction she expected. She set aside the thoughts of her father's reaction and relished in the moment they were having now.

Perhaps, her child would be the Sonoda that will knit the family together closer.

"T-The tea got cold." Yui sniffled, gathering the teacups on the tray while still slightly crying "I-I'll warm them up.. Oh my God, I'm gonna be an aunt.."

Again and again, Yui repeated the last sentence like a mantra, erupting laughter from the three in the living room.

"Mother, how..could you accept it so easily? And composed?" Umi asked when Kotori excused herself to the bathroom, leaving her alone with her mother "Yui-nee is crying, and Father excused himself.. I expected you to do one of the things they did.."

"I told you, Kotori is a kind girl. She wouldn't lie about anything. And again," Mrs. Sonoda sighed, moving her position to sit beside Umi "what can I do? My grandchild is already conceived, anyway. The least I can do is support you, the way I should've all along."

"Thank you," Umi smiled, leaning her head on her mother's head "Mama."

Yui walked in on them slowly, now composed while holding the tray of tea. Seeing Umi and her mother that way brought joy to her heart, knowing that they made up, finally, after all these years.

For others, they saw the 21 year old Umi, leaning her head on her mother's,

but for Yui, she could see the little 5 year old Umi, leaning on her mother's arm.

"Congratulations, my little sis."


side-note:

Sonoda Yume = Umi's mother

Sonoda Ushio = Umi's father

Sonoda Yui = Umi's sister

Sonoda Akane = Umi's grandmother

well, the ladies of sonoda (other than the grandmother) seemed to accept the news easily, but what about umi's father, who shut himself in the room? would he cause a scene and not accept his grandchild? would his heart become soft and accept his grandchild? ya, you'll know in the next chapter ;)

also, have you guys seen the 'vegetable wonderland' UR of kotori in all stars jp? her idolized form is so..hot damn, sonoda umi you lucky bastard.

i hope this chapter isn't as shitty as i think it is, and i'm sorry for any typos or grammatical errors. it is currently.. 9:30 am and i haven't slept a wink oop

see ya next chapter, and stay safe!

bella ciaoooo!

- zumi