Chapter Four: Disaster

Retsuko went over an expense report on her work computer. She looked over at Haida beside her and noticed a bit of sorrow still plaguing him after the fight with his father. Retsuko put her hand on his, and Haida smiled slightly.

Retsuko eventually returned to her task before noticing Fenneko staring at her.

"Do you have to do that?" Retsuko normally would've enjoyed a break from her mother's constant lecturing, but now her coworkers made it a hard preference.

At lunch, Retsuko narrowed her eyes when she saw the special meal prepared by her mother.

"How long is it before pregnant women start putting on weight?" Fenneko asked while placing her paw to her mouth with a devious smile.

"Fenneko!" Haida growled as Retsuko sweatdropped with a self-conscious look at her stomach.

"Don't listen to her, Retsuko. You're eating for two now!" Retsuko's face went pale when she heard Kabea's unmistakable voice behind her. The hippo placed fried vegetables in front of Retsuko's plate until it was full.

"Eat up! Trust me, one mother to another!"

"Seriously, guys, leave her alone!" Haida tried to get between Kabea and Retsuko before Fenneko turned her eyes onto him.

"Haida, were you two using protection? Or was this intentional?"

"Ehhh!" Haida's face turned fire-red while Retsuko turned crestfallen. She tried to get up only to see Tsunoda in her path.

"Retsuko! Are you going on maternity leave soon? Does this mean you can't help me with my work anymore!?"

Haida saw Retsuko's body tremble and quickly picked her up before sprinting away towards the tea room. As he did so, they passed Anai, who saw Retsuko's expression and sighed.

"Where'd they go!?" Fenneko shouted with a tenacious expression. Kabea and Tsunoda mirroring her. Despite the women's intense gaze, Anai fearlessly pointed away from where Haida took her.

Fenneko almost kicked the door open only to see Tsubone emptying a case of age-defying makeup on her skin.

"Ehhh!" The komodo dragon shrieked.

"Age-defying makeup!" All three nosey women immediately forgot about Retsuko and surrounded Tsubone.

Once in the tea room, Haida quickly locked the door and handed Retsuko a microphone.

"Rage."

"Nosey coworkers! Prying their filthy hands into my business! Asking questions they should never know!" Haida listened to his wife as she went on for several minutes. Upon completion, Retsuko vomited into a trash bin and felt Haida wrap his arms around her.

"There's no escape, Haida. Mama at home, the others here." Retsuko's eyes spun as she muttered and felt Haida rub her back.

"We can endure. You're not alone here." At first, Retsuko thought he was only talking about himself. However, by the time they returned to their work stations, she noticed Anai sitting in Fenneko's spot.

"Eh?"

"Director Gori asked for a few members of accounting to help with a project. She asked for Fenneko, Kabea, and Tsunoda specifically."

Retsuko felt a great burden lift from her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, but I have too much work to chat." Anai smiled subtly while Retsuko sighed in relief, returning to her work. The days went by progressively longer as her symptoms became increasingly noticeable. However, Haida, Gori, Washimi, and Anai's efforts kept the coworkers from harassing her, even as Retsuko started to put on weight from the pregnancy.

If the stress did get too much, Haida would quickly clear some space for her to unleash her rage via karaoke at work, or at the karaoke center if her mother became unbearable.

Retsuko also noticed she was becoming more irritable to those around her, though they didn't seem bothered because of her condition. Haida endured the hardships with good spirit, though Retsuko could tell the pregnancy was taking a toll on them both.

Fortunately, the stress didn't impact their relationship. If either did become too agitated with the other, they had their release and weren't afraid to use it.

Finally, after a few months, Retsuko held her swollen stomach as she and Haida sat in front of Director Ton's desk.

"I'm fat." She muttered.

"You're not fat, Retsuko." Haida sighed, though with a spirited smile as he patted her shoulder.

Ton looked over some paperwork before turning his glowing red eyes on the couple.

"Hmp, the time has come, it seems."

"Eh?" Retsuko asked.

"I'm sure you're both well aware of the economic downturn. As such, we've decided to start your maternity leave early."

"Ehh? Early?"

Ton nodded.

"We also have something else for you both." Ton slowly moved a slip towards Haida and revealed its color.

"Ehhh!" Haida and Retsuko screamed in unison.

"I'm, I'm being let go!?" Haida trembled.

Ton nodded.

"But, but I always turn my work in on time! I'm a fine employee!"

"Economic downturn, every department is losing someone, and we can't let go of a pregnant woman."

"But, we require both our paychecks! We have a baby coming!"

"Please! Don't do this!" Tears streamed down Retsuko's eyes as Haida breathed frantically. Ton looked away.

"Tcht. I had no choice. Best of luck."

"You got fired!?" Retsuko'smother scolded Haida, only inches from his face.

The hyena couldn't retort and felt his head drop lower and lower.

"He didn't get fired, mama!" Retsuko forced herself between Haida and her mother. Both red pandas exchanging fierce expressions.

"He lost his job!"

"He got let go because of the economic downturn. It wasn't his fault."

"Ohh, is he going to be a stay at home father then? Can your paycheck alone handle the expenses?"

"Enough!" Retsuko took Haida by the hand and dragged him to their bedroom.

Retsuko's earlier courage collapsed into immense fear as she stared out at the ocean of lights from their window. Haida sat on the bed, looking over a few job posting websites for any openings.

After a few minutes, he noticed Retsuko's increasingly terrified look and set the laptop down.

"Retsuko. You shouldn't stress yourself about such things. Everything's going to be alright." Haida's reassuring smile offered his wife a slight reprieve as she rested on his lap.

"Haida, can you play me a song?"

"Of course." Giving a loving smile, Haida took his guitar and began to play a soothing tune that eased Retsuko's nerves. Her eyes glittered the more she heard his music.

"Thank you, Haida." Retsuko drifted off into sleep and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

The next morning, the two sat with Washimi and Gori at a cafe.

"I can't believe they fired the husband of a pregnant woman! Washimi, we should report Ton!" Gori almost snarled in a fit of rage.

Washimi, however, only shook her head.

"It's unlikely anything will come from it."

"I'll find another job eventually." Haida tried to sound confident, though Washimi and Gori could sense the fear within him.

"I wouldn't put it off, Haida." Washimi said forebodingly. Haida and Retsuko trembled slightly before Gori forced herself in front of them.

"Washimi, you're frightening them! Don't stress about it! Think about your beautiful baby!"

Haida and Retsuko smiled again while taking each other's hands.

"Later this week, we are going to a doctor to get the sonogram." Retsuko admitted with excitement in her voice.

"Ohhhh! Please let us come with you!" Gori cried as she grabbed Retsuko by the cheeks.

"I wouldn't say that's our business, Gori."

"Are you crazy!? As the baby's future godmothers, it's our duty!"

Retsuko and Haida sweatdropped, but in good spirit. Both appreciated their support in the last few months.

"Retsuko, what is your plan now that you're off work?" Washimi asked.

"...Well, mama is still staying with us. So probably more lectures from her, all day and night." Retsuko sighed while staring longingly at another patron who drank wine.

"...I miss alcohol and normal food."

"Me too." Haida chuckled.

"Ehh, don't tell me you've refrained from drinking to support Retsuko?!" Gori's eyes lit up again.

"More likely, he just can't keep it in the apartment with her anymore." Washimi said cynically. However, Gori noticed a somewhat nervous look on Haida's face when he heard Washimi.

The four continued to talk for the next hour or so. Despite the continued stresses of her pregnancy, Retsuko lost herself in conversation with her friends and savored every moment of it. Even Haida seemed to calm down about being laid off.

However, a loud conversation soon caught their attention.

"What the hell, man!? You swore you'd be here! Sick, I advertised there'd be a real musician here!" The lion cafe manager growled over the phone while aiming his offhand at a guitar resting in the corner.

Haida's eyes lingered on it for a minute before he felt Retsuko's hand tightly embrace his.

"What are you waiting for?" She playfully asked.

Taking a deep breath, Haida got up and approached the manager.

"Excuse me, was someone going to play? I noticed the sign outside said the music would start a few minutes ago."

The manager nervously glanced back at his guitar.

"...There may be a delay."

"I'm a bit of a musician myself." Haida carefully picked up the guitar, and after tuning it, he played a few notes. The manager's eyes widened when he heard this. Soon all eyes came upon Haida, who lost himself to the music.

"Who is that?" Someone asked while their friend began recording with a phone.

"This sounds professional." Someone else added.

"Hmp, he is good." Washimi said.

"Really good!"

Retsuko blushed uncontrollably and savored her husband's notes, but more importantly, seeing him do what he loved.

After another hour or two of playing, Haida set the guitar down.

"Arigatōgozaimashita! You were amazing!" The manager shouted in awe.

Haida gave a sheepish expression while holding the back of his head.

"It was nothing, really. I-"

The manager quickly handed Haida 5500 yen, much to his surprise.

"Huh!?"

"Keep it; it's what I was going to pay my original guitarist."

"Arigatōgozaimashita!" Seeing this reminded Retsuko of her first successful concert in OTM, and she smiled with fond memories. Now, it was Haida's turn.