Notes:
I hope you like it and more that this will be a long chapter ❤.
It's time for Maki and Yuta to reveal to the others about their baby on the way, so without further ado, I hope you enjoy
Apologies if there are some errors in the translation.
I'm doing the best I can, if you don't like this translation you could read the fic in its original language, Spanish.
An apology if it took me months to update this fic, but here's a new chapter ❤
14. Autumn always announces its arrival
🍂 Autumn 🍂
"Sometimes maturing is about accepting mistakes and changes"
17 weeks pregnant.
July 21.
Around noon
"Maki san, Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Yuta as they both sat on chairs in front of the altar of that Shinto shrine.
He was asking because Maki was not a superstitious woman. Or so it seemed.
But since she left the hospital a week ago, she seemed to be more cautious and Yuta thought that maybe the pregnancy and that experience with her baby were making her change her mind.
Perhaps She was already accepting the change. Just as it happens when autumn is about to begin and you must accept that time does not stand still and the leaves will be falling before the imminent change of season.
"I am" She raised an eyebrow "Why do you ask? Yuta we had already talked about it and you know that I want to do this as a new tradition to welcome this baby, besides!" she smiled a little "After what happened a week ago, I feel that this is also to give thanks that both the baby and I got out of this alive" answered Maki caressing her belly, which was already more bulging under that long and casual black dotted dress she had chosen for that special day.
Underneath the dress, she was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt and had paired her look with comfortable white tennis shoes.
Maki had decided that that day would be special as she would finally tell all her friends and acquaintances at the academy about her pregnancy, but before that, they had to do something at the shrine.
Yuta smiled a little "I'm just curious about it, since as I told you, I will support you in everything you decide as the leader of our clan" he stretched out his hand to take his wife's hand.
"Thank you so much for doing this with me" smiled Maki holding his hand, "Although it feels weird to come back to a place like this"
"Are you saying that because the last time we were in a shrine was at our religious wedding that our friends arranged for us?" Yuta asked.
"That's right, I can't believe that was a year and a half ago. And now we're back here with a baby" she sighed, caressing her belly with her free hand.
"How time flies…" Yuta looked at her tenderly.
"Yes..."
They both looked at each other with a smile of complicity and affection while still holding hands. That is until a Kannushi priest and two mikos entered.
"Okkotsu family,Aare you ready?" asked the kannushi, who was wearing his ceremonial robes.
"We are!" replied Yuta.
"Well, before we continue, I must ask you, do you have the haraobi you want to bless?" The priest Kannushi ask kindly.
Maki moved a small package between her hands "Yes, here it is!" she commented while handing it to one of the mikos.
"Perfect, this belt will be returned to you in about 45 minutes, while we begin with the blessing" commented the priest once Maki returned to her seat.
After the 15 minutes that the ceremony lasted, where some prayers and chants were performed, both decided to wait outside the shrine, sitting on a bench in the shade while eating some mochis and dangos.
Both were waiting for the priest to return what they had taken to the temple for blessing.
Maki had also decided that on that day she would do the ritual that pregnant women did in the fifth month of gestation, which consisted of going to the shrine on the "dog day" of each month to ask for a blessing for the pregnancy to go well, also to ask that the baby would be healthy and strong, as well as its mother and that, at the time of delivery, it would be carried out without complications as the superstition said.
And while they were still waiting, they also finished writing the good wishes they wanted for their baby on that ema tablet provided by the shrine.
Maki's cell phone received a notification. Her face softened slightly as she read who the message was from.
"Is everything all right?" asked Yuta as he saw how Maki responded to that message and sighed with relief.
"It's just Nobara's confirmation" she left her cell phone on the table of that bench, "She said that later she will see us there at the academy with the others as we told them to do" She sighed and rubbed her belly a little before taking a bite of her dango.
"I see, well then we can say that this revelation thing is going according to plan" he smiled, "Utahime sensei said she would support us in this, she even gave us the idea of revealing them to the others with some food, so we can say that everything will be fine" commented Yuta gently caressing his wife's belly.
"And how do you think they will take this news" asked Maki, taking another bite of her dango.
"I think they will take it well, maybe they will be surprised but I guess they will support us and be happy for us" Yuta smiled, he was too optimistic.
Maki just sighed "I hope so" she said that thinking about Nobara, she didn't really know how her best friend would take it, but she tried to be optimistic about it.
She finished eating her dango before speaking again. "And to give you this news, I also decided to dress up for the occasion, plus I've been practicing how I will reveal it" Maki smiled while Yuta looked at her with a tender smile.
"And how will you tell them?" asked her husband curiously.
"How I'll tell them you'll know until we're with them, but I guess I'll have to give them very obvious signs that I'm pregnant" she commented as she continued to sit down and settled in to pose next to her husband.
Her dress helped to hide her tummy a little, as it was loose and long.
"Besides, you must be very observant because if you look at me from the front, you can't see my bulging belly, but!" Maki pose a little sideways "from the side you can see my pregnancy " she smiled putting one of her hands under her small belly and the other one on it "Yes, this little soybean is already showing"
Yuta let out a slight laugh of happiness.
"I must say that today you look beautiful in that dress. You and our baby Osaka look spectacular" he looked at her with too much affection and love.
Maki raised an eyebrow at the way Yuta called their baby.
"Baby Osaka? Why do you call him after the city where we sired it?"
Her husband scratched his cheek a little as he began to explain.
"Well, as you call our baby 'little soybean' I feel that is your special nickname for him or her and to tell you the truth, I would also like to call him or her in some affectionate way and I feel that this baby will be like the meaning of that city, strong and charming"
"Baby Osaka mmm doesn't sound bad, but I feel that my nickname is nicer for him or her" commented Maki finishing eating her second dango "Osaka..." She sighed with longing "how I would like to go back to that city someday" She commented looking towards the esplanade of the shrine.
Yuta smiled when he heard that, which he would take as a suggestion. So he thought that in a few more weeks he and Maki could go back to Osaka for a minimal vacation as a couple.
"Yes, it would be a good idea to go to Osaka again" he whispered, also looking where Maki was looking.
They both looked around and watched the people coming and going. As well as the other couples who were expecting a baby and were going for the blessing or those couples who already had a baby in their arms and were going to present it to the temple as their traditions said.
"You know Maki?, I was thinking that it would also be a good idea to think about the name our baby will have once it is born " he caressed his wife's cheek and looked her in the eyes "although the nicknames sound nice, I feel that it is also time to choose a name and, as Dr. Azumi said, maybe this month we will know its sex" commented Yuta.
Those words made Maki pout slightly. In a way she still didn't want to know the sex of her baby. She wanted it to be a surprise.
"Did you know that it is considered bad luck to give a name to a baby before it is born?" She caressed her husband's hand on her cheek
"And the truth, I don't want to get my hopes up with his name and have something happen to him before he is born like what almost happened to us a few days ago where we both almost died and the truth, I don't want it to happen to us like what happened to Utahime sensei, where she already had the name for her son and unfortunately that little one died before he was born..." she said looking at her husband while her other hand was still on her belly.
Yuta sighed at such words, he could detect Maki's fear at such a simple question.
"It's okay, maybe we could leave the name for the baby until before her o his birth, although it wouldn't be a bad idea to start thinking about names once we know its sex" he kissed the palm of his wife's hand.
"You're right, although part of me says it will be a boy" commented Maki, looking down at her belly.
"Do you think our baby will be a boy?" asked Yuta curiously, settling his head on his wife's lap to first kiss that little belly and stick his ear to it.
Maki shrugged her shoulders slightly.
"It's just a hunch as I told you months ago, although I would like it to be a boy. And you Yuta? What do you think it will be? A boy or a girl?" she ran her fingers through her husband's thick black hair.
Yuta smiled a little at that question.
"I feel that maybe it will be a girl"
"Girl?" Maki raised her eyebrows at such an answer.
"Yes. The other time I had a dream where I saw our baby and I clearly saw that I was holding a girl in my arms, so I have a feeling it will be a beautiful girl" he replied with a smile as he looked at his wife from that angle.
Maki continued to stroke Yuta's hair some more and then pinched his cheeks.
"I have an idea!" she said with a mischievous grin as her husband got up from her lap, rubbing his cheeks.
"And what's that idea?" Yuta wiped away tears from the pain he had felt from those pinches.
"Let's make a bet"
"A bet?" he kept rubbing his cheeks, "What would the bet be?"
"Let's bet on who can guess whether it will be a boy or a girl" she smiled, putting her hands on her hips.
"And what shall we bet?" asked Yuta without taking his hand off his cheek.
"How about a thousand yen and dinner wherever the winner wants?" suggested Maki.
"One thousand yen and dinner?" Yuta was surprised by the bet. It was the first time Maki seemed so enthusiastic about something like that.
"We need to spice up this pregnancy thing a bit!" she smiled, bringing her face close to her husband's, "Let's spice it up a bit" she caressed Yuta's cheeks, "What do you think?, Do you want to bet on which of us can guess the sex of our baby? Besides, that kind of money is one we can both afford"
Yuta thought about it for a moment. But if it made Maki happy and motivated her a little with the whole pregnancy thing, then he couldn't say no to her.
Sigh "All right" he gave a sweet kiss to his wife's lips "I guess we'll see who wins in a few weeks" he smiled.
Although Yuta wanted to give Maki another surprise later.
"Perfect!" she had a big smile on her lips. She looked very happy at that moment.
A few more minutes of talking about what things to buy for the baby's arrival and hanging the ema tablet on the Jinja of the shrine.
They both went for that amulet they had taken to bless at that temple, which was delivered with the dedication "For the Okkotsu Clan".
Once they were given that amulet, both for Maki and that baby, it was time to go to the academy to tell the others the news.
It was time to see how their friends reacted.
"I'M GOING TO BE AN UNCLE!" Satoru shouted so loudly from excitement that perhaps that statement could have been heard all the way across the school.
"Well, although actually I had already noticed it from the other time thanks to my six eyes haha, still, this news makes me very happy !" that adult looked super excited, putting his palms together on the side of his head.
Yuta scratched his cheek a little when he saw how excited his distant relative was.
On the other hand, Maki was dying of shame, her face was dyed red because of how that man had shouted that.
"The others don't know yet and I don't want them to hear it from your mouth, you blindfolded idiot!" She growled.
"Haha Sorry!" he apologized with a big smile.
"Seriously, congratulations guys, it was about time you announced this haha!" commented Satoru very happy "And if that baby was wanted and conceived on the first try, that means you both did a good job!" winked the eye "you know what I mean!" he clicked his tongue and made a little gesture with his fingers.
Then he hugged Yuta, putting his long arm around his familiar's shoulders and his other hand brought it to the boy's head to tousle his hair a little. "But especially you Yuta, this means that you as a good Sugawara descendant are a stallion! Good job conceiving babies AND more that the birth rate of sorcerers is still very low but very high in mortality!"
"Thank you Gojo sensei!" replied Yuta with a face all red with grief.
"Could you stop saying perverted things! And could you behave like the adult you're supposed to be!" Maki replied, super annoyed and red with shame at what her teacher had said.
Satoru smiled at those words as he released Yuta.
"Haha that's okay, I'm still glad I'm the first one to be told on this day!" he had a big smile on his lips, "So you're just going to tell the others, huh?"
"That's right, although we should also inform the headquarters about the pregnancy so that they are aware of it, and I really hope they don't punish us or something similar for Maki's absence in the mission the other day during the typhoon" Yuta commented with a worried sigh.
"Don't worry about that! Since the old scum of the high command was eliminated, these issues are treated with more freedom by the new head of the society of sorcerers, the old Gakuganji is now more 'understanding and less conservative' with the new generations, I guess he does it this way because he feels that he will die soon and before leaving he wants to do good things, even so they say that bad grass never die" he said that last in a mocking tone while he looked at both with a big smile.
"Also, I don't think they will punish Maki for her failure in that mission, on the contrary" Satoru looked at the new mother "I guess the main thing they will do is to protect her" he pointed to her belly "since you are carrying a baby with a very peculiar blood mixture as valuable" he commented with a big smile.
"A baby with half of the Zenin's clan main blood and a little of Sugawara's blood, that baby definitely has a high chance of being very strong in the future" he explained.
Then Gojo raised his hands, "Even so, if anyone gets heavy with this news, I swear that I, his dear uncle Satoru will intervene" he snapped his fingers.
"Thank you very much Satoru san!" thanked Yuta once again, letting out a sigh of relief at hearing that.
"Still, I'm excited to know that our babies will be born within a few months of each other!" commented the white-haired man, taking a few steps towards Maki
"Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I? Yes?" he asked all excited, wanting to touch the woman's belly. He even lowered his dark glasses a little and made puppy dog eyes.
"Tsk! Why does everyone want to touch my belly?"
"Because we want to feel your baby and this is a way for us to show him or her affection!" Satoru answered with a big smile "Besides, give me the honor of being the first to say hello to my niece or nephew!"
Maki rolled her eyes at such words.
"OK, go ahead, you can touch the belly! But not that much! I'm still conflicted about physical contact"
"Thank you!"
Satoru smiled at that, put his hand on that belly and felt the slight movement of that baby. Even his six eyes were telling him something about that little one, "This will definitely be a very special baby, since I have a feeling that he will be born with cursed energy, I can feel it!" he confirmed and then he put his hand on his knees to lean his ear.
"Hello little boy or girl, It's me! the great Satoru Gojo, your favorite uncle!" said the albino with a big smile from ear to ear when he felt that gentle movement.
"Yup, you definitely have a very precious baby in here, so Maki chan take care of yourself. You are also carrying a small but distant part of the Gojo clan's blood in your belly" he said with a big smile and stood up.
"Actually, I would like us to be called "Okkotsu clan" from now on" she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Oh!" Satoru was excited to hear that, "So we have a new clan, huh? Interesting, I'm glad they decided something like that!"
"Yes, it was Maki's idea about the new clan" commented Yuta taking his wife's hand, "And whatever she decides, I will support her. Since she is the leader now"
"We said that the two of us would be the leaders" replied Maki as she looked at her husband with pride.
Satoru smiled to see how they both supported and loved each other. He wished inwardly that Utahime and he would be a family again like those two.
"And don't doubt that you have my support also in this as a new clan, so, if you need any favor or any intervention from the Gojo clan, don't hesitate to tell me" answered Satoru.
"Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you a favor" commented Maki looking at her sensei, "And it has to do with the old Zenin residence... I want to destroy the vestiges of that place"
Gojo seemed to understand what Maki meant by that.
"I understand" he put his hand to his chin "I will see what I can do and how I can intervene so that the headquarters and the Kamo clan will give permission to demolish that place" He thrust his fingers with great joy "Let Uncle Satoru do it! That will be my first gift to you!"
"Thank you, blindfolded idiot"
"Thank you Satoru san"
Each one thanked in their own way.
"Well guys! I'll see you later, I have to leave for a quick mission, so maybe I'll be back in time for the big reveal and don't worry, Utahime and Shoko helped them set up the cafeteria with the food they ordered"
"And where are they right now? I need to talk to Shoko and Utahime too" asked Maki with a hand on her belly.
She also needed to talk to and thank these two women.
After that talk with Satoru, Yuta went to see how things were going in the dining room, this to make sure everything was ready in case any of the others were already there.
Instead, Maki first went to talk to Shoko, who was in the infirmary.
"I am glad you are feeling better, Azami San was the one who kept me informed when you were hospitalized and also told me that she will be your gynecologist for the remainder of your pregnancy" said Shoko once she finished reading the medical doc that her colleague had written for the academy.
"That's right, she will be the one who will take care of me during the rest of my pregnancy and my delivery. Although I must also thank you, Shoko san, for everything you did for us" she caressed her belly a little, "Without your recommendation, it is very certain that perhaps my baby and I would not have survived that day"
Shoko's face softened into a small smile upon hearing that.
"You don't have to thank me, it was simply my duty as a colleague to help you. Also, don't hesitate to let me know if you need any medical advice or if you feel sick or just need some company" said the doctor without taking her eyes off the student whom she had seen mature a lot during the years she had known her.
"Thank you very much Shoko san" Maki replied with a smile as she felt the woman's support.
The doctor found it a tender scene to watch Maki have her hand on her belly, which she caressed making soft circles on it, while standing next to that desk.
Shoko sighed with nostalgia. She felt that this girl was learning from her mistakes and was still maturing.
She knew that deep down, Maki would make a good mother.
"I'm going to have a cousin!" replied Takeru with great joy as he had his ear pressed against Maki's belly.
"I knew this belly wasn't from food and poop!" said the child while sticking his tongue out at Maki, making the adult just roll her eyes at the comment.
"Hello baby!, I'm your cousin Takeru!" that child cried in Maki's belly, while still hugging her. He seemed super excited with that news.
Maki brought her hands to her hips while she saw Takeru still sticking his cheek to her belly "Yes, you are just like your father in attitude" she said with annoyance and then proceeded to pull the cheeks of that child.
"Ouch!"
"Takeru, it's rude to hug a pregnant woman without her permission, and it's also bad to yell at the baby like that! I've told you a thousand times!" scolded Utahime, who was finishing reading the report that Maki had brought her.
"I'm sorry Mommy!, I'm sorry Aunt Maki!, I'm sorry baby!" apologized the boy, letting go of the woman and bowing slightly.
"Now please Takeru, go and play with your toys while I talk to your aunt, we will go home in a while" ordered Utahime to her son, who only nodded his head and went to the side of the couch.
"I'm sorry Maki san, you know that he is a very restless child and it seems that now that he has found out that he will also have a cousin, it seems that he became more imperative with the news" apologized Utahime, who was sitting in one of the armchairs in the office that had been set up for her to be comfortable, as well as her baby and her older son.
"There is no need to apologize Utahime sensei, they say "like father, like son" and with the two of them that phrase is perfect" he said that referring to Satoru and the attitude that his son inherited from him, while he sat next to her superior.
Utahime let out a slight giggle.
"No doubt about it" she caressed her already enormous eight-month belly. Her gaze was focused on finishing reading the sheet of paper that Maki had brought her, where she announced that she would be retiring from her duties as a sorceress for a few months due to a doctor's recommendation.
Maki was amazed at how huge that belly had become under those maternity clothes. She even watched as Utahime looked a bit tired but at the same time, she remained optimistic.
"I'm glad you are better now. I'm also glad to finally hear this news from you" Utahime answered while putting a stamp on those maternity leave sheets.
"Thank you, and yes, I just wanted to wait a little longer to tell everyone" Maki replied, looking at her.
"And are you ready to tell this news to the others?" asked Utahime curiously, "The things you ordered are already arranged in the dining room"
Maki sighed.
"I'm not ready at all, but I feel like I should confess to everyone else. I just hope they take it well"
"I know you will understand. This news will fill them with joy, especially since they have all had very busy schedules"
"I hope so..." Maki swallowed saliva because of her nervousness, even the nausea returned for a moment. And that could be seen in her gestures.
"And how are you doing with the symptoms? Do you feel your baby moving more?" asked Utahime curiously, "Although I must say that your belly is only noticeable when we look at you from the side"
Maki smiled at that last comment
"The nausea still persist, especially in the mornings, just as the cravings have been intensifying lately. And as you told me a few months ago, this baby is already moving more inside me, although it hasn't kicked me yet, so I guess it won't be long before it starts kicking me" she replied, caressing her belly.
Utahime smiled when she heard that and stretched out her hand to Maki "Can I?" she wanted to touch that little belly.
The new mother understood what her superior wanted to do "You have my full permission" she let her superior put her hand on her belly.
"Thank you Maki san, I can't believe our babies are to be born within a few months of each other" Utahime's other hand caressed her own belly and she smiled as she felt her daughter kick.
It was true, Utahime was already in the 36th week of her pregnancy, so in the following weeks her baby could be born. Even so, she was going to the academy so as not to feel alone at home and to be near Shoko, Gojo or an assistant in case they had to go to the hospital quickly.
"This baby is moving too much. I guess it's because she just felt her cousin. You know, I'm glad to know that our children will be able to grow up together" replied the teacher with a smile, feeling how at her touch, Maki's baby moved and she also felt how her own baby moved inside her.
It was as if both babies felt each other's presence.
Maki closed her eyes slightly at the movements of her little seed "My baby also feels restless" She rubbed her belly " And I guess it's good to know that she will have someone her age, so they could come to this academy together"
"And do you already know the sex of your baby?" asked Utahime, removing her hand from Maki's belly.
Maki shook her head.
"We don't know yet, but maybe in the next few weeks we'll find out. I have a feeling it will be a boy, though. Still, I just hope it's a healthy, strong baby"
"And so it will be, I know that your baby will be very strong just like you" Utahime took one of the sheets on the table and stamped it and then handed it to Maki.
"And that's it. You are officially on maternity leave. So you will no longer have any missions from now on. I'll see that this gets to headquarters. And you don't have to worry, you will continue to receive your monthly salary"
Maki sighed as she took that sheet of paper.
"Thank you..."
Even a certain part of her found it hard to believe that she would stop doing what she loved so much for a few months while she gave birth.
Utahime noticed how Maki's countenance looked somewhat disappointed to learn that he would not be able to do missions for a few months.
"You can still come to the academy if you don't want to be cooped up at home, we can give you some light work as a physical trainer for the students"
"Can I really train the students?"
"Yuta talked to me and told me that you didn't want an office job like mine, so we thought between us that maybe you could continue coming to the academy certain days a week to train the students. This job is a unique option for you if you want it"
Maki's face lit up, she might not be able to do missions anymore, but she could be a trainer for the students, so she would still feel useful even if she was pregnant.
"Of course I would like to! Although I warn you at once that my training will be very hard for their sake" she replied with a big smile.
Utahime let out a small laugh at that comment. "Just don't make them suffer too much, the poor things can barely cope with their missions and classes"
"I will try. But still no promises"
At that moment, Maki received a call from Yuta, who told her that her other friends were already at the academy and that they would be going to the dining hall in a few minutes.
"Well, Utahime sensei, I must go and tell the others the news, would you like to join us?" Maki carefully got up from the sofa.
"Thank you very much, but another time. I think the best thing you can do is to talk about all this with your friends in private" said Utahime as she stood up.
"Thank you very much sensei for all your support" she gave a slight bow.
"You know you can count on me for everything you need during your pregnancy, whether you need some mother-to-mother advice or if you have any questions or uncertainties, don't hesitate to ask me, I will always be available for you and your baby" Utahime answered with a smile, while looking at Maki's belly.
She really felt that she could rely on Utahime and Shoko for any doubts about her pregnancy.
But still, she had yet to tell her best friend the truth.
"This is delicious! Thank you Senpai for the food!" Itadori commented with his mouth full.
"Salmon!"
"I'm glad they liked it" Yuta commented with a smile at his friends' comments about the traditional snacks and sweets they had bought especially to give them the news.
Everyone that couple considered friends was there in the school dining room.
"Seriously, these sandwiches are Delicious!" commented Panda, eating more.
"Yes, too much! But tell us, what is the occasion to invite us something like that?" Nobara asked curiously.
"Yes, Why did they call us so unexpectedly?" questioned Panda, wiggling her ears.
"It must be something important, isn't it?" Itadori replied before taking another bite of onigiri.
Instead, Megumi was just silently watching the whole thing while drinking some tea.
He already knew why that marriage had called them to meet there, but he still had to pretend so that Maki wouldn't hit him.
"That's right, there is something very important we want to announce" commented Yuta scratching the back of his neck, while Maki was standing next to him, she had even put on a light sweater to hide her belly even more.
"And what is it about?" Itadori asked.
"It's about something personal and important" replied Maki.
"Are you going to move? Or are you leaving the country?" asked panda curiously, "Why does this food feel like that time when you, Yuta, told us you were going to Africa!" he looked at his companion.
"Okaka!" Toge pointed at them.
"I don't think we'll be moving anytime soon, so I'll be here for a long time to beat you two up, if that's what you mean by getting rid of me by moving" Maki replied with her arms crossed.
"And we're not leaving the country. Guys, it's not about that kind of news" Yuta replied.
"So?" asked Panda, shaking his head to one side.
"Is this a guessing game?" Itadori asked.
"It could be, and more than this is a serious matter" answered Maki calmly.
"A serious matter? That doesn't sound good at all..." said Itadori, a bit frightened by what his superior said.
Nobara first put her hands to her mouth when she heard that, "Don't tell me you're getting divorced!" she replied in surprise.
"They've only been married for a year! They can't get divorced so soon!" Itadori replied.
"That's right! Ever since I've known you, I've always imagined you together! Don't say that in front of the one who brought you together!" panda replied, waving his paws.
"Tuna!"
Maki raised an eyebrow at everything her friends were saying "What the hell are you all talking about?"
"Hehe, we're not getting divorced, that's not the point, guys" Yuta replied, waving his hands back and forth.
"Although I did consider divorce" Maki said this with a smile, while leaning her head on her husband's shoulder, who looked at her with surprise when he heard this.
"Did you really think about it?" asked Yuta, too surprised.
"No! You know I said that in a moment of anger!, of course I'm not going to divorce you! We had already talked about it at the hospital" she replied with a smile.
Those words calmed Yuta a bit as he ran his hand around his wife's waist to see if the others could detect what they wanted to talk to them about.
Maki turned to her friends.
"But, as Yuta says, we are not getting divorced, on the contrary, what we have to tell them is something that has united us more than ever" she replied with a smile.
"Oh, that's Good!" Nobara sighed with relief.
"Yes! They had already scared us!" replied Itadori with a relieved face.
"So what's it all about?" asked Panda, wiggling his ears.
"Salmon?"
"Yes! Why so much mystery?" Nobara looked impatient.
"Why didn't you say anything, Fushiguro?" Itadori asked, looking at his partner.
Megumi took another sip of his tea.
"Because I don't know what it's all about either" he lied.
"Yes, tell us what it's all about!" commented Panda, waving his claw.
"Well, it has to do with me actually" Maki paused slightly and took courage while Yuta still had his hand around her waist.
They both looked at each other for a moment, Yuta's smile giving him courage.
"We are waiting a bab ... Maki was interrupted.
"I'M BACK! UNCLE SATORU HAS BROUGHT A DELICIOUS CAKE FOR THAT BABY'S REVEAL!" shouted Gojo, entering the room with great excitement, "This is one of the best cakes in all of Tokyo and what better way to celebrate this great news than with one of these!
Those words made everyone a little disconcerted.
Itadori and Toge looked at each other in confusion.
"Baby?"
"Algas?"
"Which Baby?"
"Have you come again to brag to us about your unborn baby?" asked Panda, wiggling his ears.
"Sensei, are you talking about your baby again?" Itadori asked.
"Uncle? That baby?" whispered Nobara, as her eyebrows drew together slightly.
At that moment, the orange-haired girl understood what that idiot was referring to, since this time he didn't seem to be showing off to his unborn child. Even the word uncle gave her the clue
"Oh my God, Maki!" she put her hands to her mouth. She was speechless with surprise.
Maki looked furiously at Satoru, her face was red with annoyance that even made her hands into fists. While her husband grabbed her shoulder to calm her down.
"Hehehe What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?" asked the teacher with a smile as he felt all eyes on him.
Yuta scratched his cheek "Well, we haven't told them yet..." he whispered.
"Oops!"
Maki sighed in annoyance, "OK, let's start over!" she said, looking at her male companions who seemed to be the most confused.
"Don't I look a little different?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Different?" asked Panda, wiggling his ears.
"No, you look the same as always senpai" commented Itadori, he didn't want to say anything rash about her physique.
"Tuna Mayo"
Maki smiled "Maybe from the front you can't see it" she pulled her sweater to the side while placing her hands on her little belly "but if she posed from the side Taran! I'm pregnant!"
"Maki and I are going to have a baby!" commented Yuta with a big smile as he hugged his wife from behind for a moment.
"This is what we wanted to talk to you about, you idiots!" commented Maki, watching as the three men's faces broke into big smiles.
Instead, Fushiguro sighed with relief.
"PREGNANT!"
"WE WILL BE UNCLES!"
"SALMON!"
Said the three, coming forward to congratulate the new parents.
"And why didn't they tell us before?" Panda asked curiously while looking at Maki's belly and wiggling his ears
"Congratulations!" said Itadori, congratulating both of them.
"Salmon!" Toge hugged the two for a moment and pointed to Maki's belly, "Tuna, Tuna?"
"It's a long story really, but we wanted to give you this news once the most difficult months are over" said Yuta in response to Toge.
"Yes, you were just waiting to find out" commented Maki, caressing her belly.
"This is really great news! We must celebrate this properly! Who wants a slice of this delicious and expensive cake?" asked Satoru very excited.
"I know you're going to be great parents!" Itadori congratulated again.
"Tuna!"
"Thank you guys very much!" Yuta replied kindly.
"Can we?" Itadori asked, making a small gesture with his hand to mean that if they could touch that belly.
"Okaka?" Toge made the same sign.
Maki sighed, "Why the hell does everyone want to touch my belly?" she grimaced. "But it's okay, they can feel our baby this time!" she gave in for once as Toge and Itadori felt their friends' baby move gently at her touch.
"How many months pregnant are you?" asked Panda, "I guess this is what my sense of smell meant when I said you smelled like someone else"
"I'm in my 17th week, so I'm officially 5 months" she replied.
Everyone seemed excited about the news, but Nobara did not seem very excited. And Megumi noticed that when she was very serious and her face became more tense when she heard how many months pregnant Maki was.
"Kugisaki..." named Megumi and tried to stop her but it was too late.
Nobara walked up to the couple.
"Maki!" She named her too seriously as she stood in front of her "Why didn't you tell me before?" the orange-haired girl's voice sounded very annoyed.
Everyone was silent as they turned to look at Nobara, who had a look somewhere between annoyance and sadness on her face.
"Nobara I..."
"Answer me something! Aren't we supposed to be friends and tell each other everything important that happens to us?"
"We are, it's just that I..." again Maki was interrupted.
"So that day at the mall you lied to me? Those baby things you bought were not for Utahime sensei but for you?" She asked with annoyance and with her hands balled into fists.
Maki swallowed.
"I'm sorry"
Both exchanged a few glances, Maki pursed her lips as she felt Nobara's annoyance, who was really angry, and that could be noticed by everyone else.
That silence was really uncomfortable for the men present.
"So…" Gojo quickly reacted as he put down the half-cut cake and grabbed Itadori and Toge by the collars of their shirts and pulled them and Panda out of there.
He knew that when a girl got mad at her best friend, they could have the worst arguments and he saw it firsthand with Utahime and Shoko more than once.
"Guys, what do you say we go outside for a moment, in fact, come with me to get some things to continue celebrating this news!" said Satoru, taking the three of them out.
"But Professor!"
"Okaka?"
"We'll be back later!" Gojo shouted as he walked away with the three of them down the hallway.
Instead, only Maki, Nobara, Yuta and Megumi remained in the dining room. The atmosphere was so tense, it could be cut with a knife.
"Nobara, we wanted to..." Yuta was interrupted by that furious woman.
"YOU SHUT UP! I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!" Nobara looked at him with too much annoyance.
That look made Yuta better keep silent.
"Kugisaki" named Megumi, "they had their reasons for hiding it"
"So you already knew about it Fushiguro?, That's why you didn't say anything?" she asked with annoyance.
Megumi looked at Maki, who nodded to her.
"Yes" He replied coldly.
Nobara sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, "You told this unfeeling man before me? Wow, that offends me a little!"
"We can explain it to you…" Yuta commented quickly.
"I DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOU!" Nobara replied, looking at Yuta with annoyance, "What's more, get out of my sight!"
"I think it's best to let them talk alone for a moment" Fushiguro looked at his superior, "We will be here in the hallway if they need anything" he replied, patting Yuta on the shoulder to tell him to come with him.
The special grade sorcerer looked at his wife "Maki..." he named her with concern.
"This is between her and me, please don't interfere" answered Maki, asking with her hands that the two men also leave the dining room.
Which they did, but they stayed close by in case something happened or they had to intervene.
Nobara turned to Maki again, she was really hurt by that
"Why did you lie to me?, Why didn't you want to tell me about this?!"she questioned with her voice half breaking while pointing at her friend's belly "Now I understand why you avoided going out shopping with me and why you didn't show up at the academy anymore! I should have suspected it before! So this is why you really missed the mission two weeks ago?! You could have told us!"
She felt betrayed.
"it's just that I was very afraid" Maki looked at her friend, "At the beginning I didn't know how to react to all this and more than that I felt lost with this discovery" she answered moving her hands and then taking them to her belly, "Even at the beginning I really doubted too much if I should have it or not" she sighed, "And yes, for this reason I didn't go to the mission"
"You could have told me so I could have supported you in whatever you decided! You weren't alone! You had me! I could have helped you in whatever you needed! You could have talked to me! Don't you trust me?!" Nobara raised her voice a little.
"Of course I trust you! But as I told you at the beginning, I was afraid and hesitated whether I should have it or not, I really didn't want to hurt anyone or to get their hopes up in vain if I decided not to have it. I even struggled with myself to reveal it to Yuta at the time" she explained.
"Believe me Maki, the fact that you didn't trust me to tell me before hurts me more than anything else! Do you think it's easy for me to find out this way? I'm shocked!" Nobara commented in surprise.
"I know you are! But I already explained to you that I was fighting with myself" commented Maki a little annoyed because it seemed that Nobara did not understand her.
"Maki, what if it were the other way around? Wouldn't it bother you if I kept something as important as a pregnancy from you? Wouldn't you want your best friend to be with you through this whole process from the beginning?" Nobara asked, raising her voice.
"I see your point" Maki waved her hands a little annoyed, "But as I said, I wasn't sure about this!" she raised her voice a little, "and that's why I didn't want to tell you yet, because I didn't know how you would react!"
"I can't believe this is the second time you've hidden things this important!" Nobara complained
"FIRST YOU HID FROM ME THAT YOU WERE SECRETLY MARRIED TO THAT IDIOT OF YUTA AND I LET IT GO BECAUSE I'M YOUR FRIEND! EVEN THOUGH THE FIRST TIME HE ASKED YOU TO MARRY HIM YOU TOLD HIM YOU WEREN'T READY AND THEN, BOOM!, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU TWO WERE ALREADY MARRIED AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN TELL US OR INVITE US!" She emphasized it because she had helped Yuta to organize that marriage proposal where her friend rejected him at the first time.
"We already apologized for that. When I finally said yes, it was because it was my impulsive decision. Besides, I wanted us to get married without attracting too much attention and without doing something ostentatious!" said Maki with her hands on her hips.
"Well, it bothered me too much on that occasion. That time I felt left out and now is no exception"
"I know and then you found out and you convinced us to have a ceremony" Maki replied, "YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO LIKES TO BE IN EVERYTHING!" she pointed at her friend angrily.
"AND YOU ARE VERY SELFISH MOST OF THE TIME!" Nobara replied because she was hurt by that comment.
Maki felt somewhat attacked by those words but she knew they were right.
Nobara continued speaking very angrily.
"And that wedding was for you to have a nice memory both and with your husband and with us your friends!"
She sounded furious "From that occasion I forgave you because I thought that something similar would never happen again! But hiding something as important as you being pregnant from me?! Why? What kind of friend are you? Until when were you planning to tell me?" she questioned with annoyance and felt that tears of anger would come down her cheeks at any moment. "Knowing you, I suppose you would tell us the news until it was born!"
Maki pursed her lips slightly at such an answer, actually Nobara knew her so well that she knew that possibility was real since if she ever considered not revealing it to him until her baby was born.
"I'm sorry, and maybe that word is not enough for you to forgive me, but I already told you the reasons why I didn't want to tell you yet, not because I didn't trust you, but because as I said, I was still undecided about this whole motherhood thing and by the way, I was afraid that once you found out, you would treat me like a sick person and would push me aside, That irrational fear consumed me!" Maki sighed and caressed her belly "And I know that what I will say will not make you feel better and even less I know that you will feel sorry for me, but I can assure you that these first five months have been very hard for me in all aspects because it was a personal matter" she answered with too many tears that she was trying to hold back.
Maki looked at Nobara
"And before you think badly of my husband! Yuta is not to blame for this that I have hidden it from you. Since we found out we were going to have a baby, he had suggested to tell you from the beginning, but I refused. So yes, it's my fault everything that happened in the last two weeks and not having told you before" she commented looking towards the exit of the dining room, where her husband and Megumi were, who were listening at their discretion.
"And I know that if maybe I had told you from the beginning, things might have been different, but as I said, an 'I'm sorry' might not fix it and you have every right not to forgive me, and I know that all this was my fault and and you have every right to hold a grudge if it makes you feel better" said Maki without taking her eyes off her friend, who was staring at her with a big grimace on her lips.
The orange-haired girl sighed. She seemed calmer after hearing all that. It was as if her pride began to calm down. After all, she couldn't hate Maki.
"I understand that maybe because of all your past with your damned clan you want to keep your personal life private, but don't forget that all of us are like your new family and you know that you can always trust us because you are not alone and even less in this..." Nobara voice sounded calmer.
"I know, I'm just the one who was pushing them away because of my bad decisions and stubbornness, but I learned the hard way that it was wrong and now I try not to make the same mistakes, I think that with this baby I have started to mature a little bit" said Maki sighing and rubbing her belly a little bit.
They both kept a few minutes of silence. The tears were wiped away by both of them.
Nobara was the one who spoke first, while she saw that little bulging belly of her friend "And in the end you decided to have this baby, Wow! you knew how to hide this pregnancy very well because I swear, in these months I never suspected it" she pointed to her friend's belly "Well that and because you almost always came with baggy clothes and that almost all your missions were with Yuta"
"That's right, Yuta and I agreed that this is how we were going to hide him while we went to the "safe" zone, but above all it was my idea and it was not an easy decision to go on missions in this condition and I confess, I'm still afraid of not being a good mother because of all the mistakes I have already made" Maki answered, releasing the air from her chest.
"Maki, don't be silly, you are a very intelligent and strong woman, besides, for me you have always been a very mature woman since I have known you and I can say that you will be an excellent mother. Besides, you know that I will always support you in whatever you decide" She look at her serenely.
"Really?"
"I may be upset with you, but that doesn't means that I stop loving you and support you, especially with a baby on the way" she smiled slightly.
"Thank you..." Maki whispered.
At that moment, Nobara went to hug her "Sorry, when I get angry I become very explosive"
They both hugged each other carefully so as not to crush that baby.
"I know, but I'm sorry you didn't tell you sooner" replied Maki letting go of her friend.
"I will forgive you only on two conditions" Nobara replied.
Maki had to give in a Little "And what are they?"
"Before I tell you, first answer me two things" She enumerated, raising her index and middle fingers, "The first question is, do you already know the sex of this baby? And the second, do you think I could greet this mini you up close" she asked, waving her hand to say that she wanted to caress that belly.
Maki understood what Nobara meant.
"If you can say hello up close" she gave her permission to put her hand on her belly, "And no, we don't know the sex of this baby yet"
The orange-haired girl put her hand on her friend's belly "Well, the first condition to forgive you is that you let me be the Natsukeoya of this baby. I want to be the aunt who spoils him and above all I don't want you to give that role to anyone else but me!" she replied with a smile.
"So you want to be his godmother?" asked Maki, raising an eyebrow.
"That's right!, I want to be the Godmother of this baby both in the Oshichiya and I also want to be present in his Omiyamairi" Nobara answered caressing that belly.
Maki smiled a little.
"It's okay, you'll be her favorite aunt, that's for sure, and her Godmother too"
"Perfect! And the second condition is that you let me throw you a baby shower"
Maki's eyebrows tightened, as did her lips at such an idea.
"A baby shower?"
"Yes, a baby shower"
Maki blinked several times as she assimilated this condition "You're not tell serious, are you?"
Nobara crossed her arms.
"I'm very serious. It's the least you can do for me after lying to me"
"Don't like that foreign idea very much" explained Maki, crossing her arms over her chest.
"But lately they are becoming very popular in this country! Why don't you want a baby shower? I've always thought that's a nice way to celebrate the arrival of a baby and celebrate with others!" said the orange-haired girl.
"I know. But I just don't like them because they seem boring and cheesy"
"Don't say that Maki. Baby showers can be fun and beautiful. Besides, I'll make you a very special and original one as that baby's aunt" she explained with a big smile as she clasped her hands together.
"I don't know. I think this condition you are asking me for is too much" commented Maki with a slight pout.
"Come on Maki! Don't be a party pooper. Let me organize your baby shower. It's the least you can do for me after keeping me in the dark about your pregnancy and your wedding" her hands went to her hips earnestly.
Maki sighed and raised her hands in peace, "All right, all right! I accept your condition. But only if you promise me that you won't do anything extravagant or ridiculous"
"Don't worry Maki. It will be a simple and elegant baby shower. I promise" She take her hand.
"Well, then this means that we are now in peace, right?" asked Maki, taking her friend's hand.
Nobara relaxed her arms and smiled.
"We are! So I'll accompany you to your next appointment so the doctor can tell me what this baby will be!" then she started shouting towards the dining room exit "You heard Okkotsu! I'll accompany her next time!"
While outside the dining room, the others were listening to the conversation.
"I guess that means they are already reconciled, right?" asked Yuta, looking at the others.
"It seems so" replied Itadori.
"We suppose so" replied Satori
"Tuna"
"Now, Tell me!. How did you find out about this? Was it planned?" asked Nobara, hugging her friend once more without squashing her belly.
Maki reciprocated the hug and sighed at the question.
They both decided to sit in those chairs at the table where the expensive cake was so they could talk.
"No, it was not planned..."
"Oh! I understand"
At that moment, they both took spoons and began to eat that expensive white cake decorated with strawberries.
"The truth is, this baby came unexpectedly. But after spending several days fighting against myself and against some ideals imposed by the Zenin clan, I personally decided to have it. Even Yuta respected my decision and supported me in all this" she caressed her belly as she ate a first bite of that cake.
"I see. I know it's still hard for you to let go of things from your past with the clan. But I know you will be a good mother and tell me" Nobara took a spoonful, "When did you realize you were pregnant," she asked more calmly as she ate the cake"
Calm was interrupted by those who were still outside the dining room.
"Hey girls, can we go in now?" Itadori asked, peeking through the doorway of the dining room.
"Salmon!" Toge also looked out.
"Besides, the cake is going to waste without us in there!" answered Satoru with half of his body inside the dining room, "Don't finish it!"
"No! You can't come in yet! And you want to let us continue talking quietly? This thing between her and me is not over yet!" replied Nobara, giving them a look of total annoyance.
"All right, but don't get angry!" Itadori replied, moving away from the threshold.
"Tuna!" Toge also turned away.
"You do share the same character with Utahime, no wonder you get along so well whit she!" Satoru replied, stepping away from the doorway before something was thrown at him.
"continued" Nobara returned her gaze to Maki as she cut more of the cake with that spoon.
Maki sighed as she remembered how it all started five months ago.
"It was kind of strange how I found out I was pregnant" she ate more cake.
"Strange?" Nobara raised her eyebrows.
Maki smiled a little at the memory.
"Yes, it turns out that I found out I was pregnant because another baby cried in my arms when I helped to hold him and his mother told me that some babies cry when they feel the presence of another one on the way and that made me doubt, so I did the home test and it was positive!" she answered and drank some tea.
Nobara also drank some tea, "But you had no symptoms before that?" she asked, looking at her friend's belly.
"Now that you mention it and i thinking back, I did have slight symptoms at the beginning like fatigue and more hunger than usual, breast pains and my period was a few weeks late, but at the beginning I didn't associate it to pregnancy, but to my hard and excessive physical training routines and the stress of my missions" she said, taking some more cake. "This baby was really a surprise"
"And what a surprise!, although my grandmother always said that a baby is like autumn. "It always gives notice that it's going to arrive in the most inconspicuous and least expected way""Nobara drank.
"Definitely" Maki ate some more of that cake "Yet I feel that my little soybean is just as strong as I am"
Nobara smiled at that nickname
"Little Soybean seed?"
"Yes, that's what I call this baby while it's born, although Yuta suggested that we should think of a name for him or her already" Maki smiled before putting more cake in her mouth.
"It's a nice nickname"
"Thank you and even today we went to bless the haraobi at the shrine" said Maki taking that package out of her bag.
"Really?! I want to see it! What's more, prove to you that! My grandmother taught me how to wear that belt" suggested Nobara.
And so, these two continued talking as they finished that cake.
It seemed that they really had already forgiven each other.
They were so busy talking to each other that they forgot about the boys outside. They were left without tasting the cake that the two of them had finished.
That afternoon passed quickly.
In the evening, Megumi and Itadori accompanied Nobara around the city for a while. Nobara, in addition to entering the usual brand-name stores she always went into to shop, this time she also went to a baby store.
The orange-haired girl seemed distracted with her thoughts.
She was looking at some baby things as she wanted to give something to Maki and her niece or nephew.
"Are you sure she's all right? She's been staring at this section for more than 10 minutes" Itadori asked Fushiguro.
Both were accompanying Nobara in that tent.
Megumi just shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know"
"She's acting stranger than usual..." whispered Itadori.
"It must be the shock and anger from the news earlier" Megumi commented quietly.
"I heard them and I can tell you that I'm fine!" Nobara replied in annoyance, turning to look at the two.
"You've been here for more than 10 minutes looking at the same shelf and you still haven't chosen anything!" Itadori waved his hands back and forth.
"It's just that I'm thinking about something!" Nobara replied, picking up a small peach-colored jumpsuit.
"If you are thinking of giving it clothes as a gift, it would be ideal to choose one or two sizes bigger so that they will last for several months, since newborns grow very fast. Although the best thing to do is to give them something they can wear for a long time" said Megumi, crossing his arms.
"I know, but I'm not really thinking about it!" she replied, returning her gaze to the baby clothes she took in her hands.
"So?" Itadori asked curiously.
"I was thinking that maybe I should have a baby too" Nobara commented, looking at those clothes.
That answer froze both men and they even took a step back.
"¡OF COURSE I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A BABY WITH EITHER OF YOU TWO! YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T FIT MY TYPE!" shouted Nobara when she saw their faces.
She returned her gaze to the baby clothes, "Well, if I were to have a baby, Which of these garments would like to give me as a gift?" she asked herself, holding up another little blue onesie.
The orange-haired girl sighed a little. Although perhaps deep down inside she did want to start a family. But that was just a passing feeling.
"This is perfect!" Nobara replied with a smile, picking up the small peach-colored jumpsuit.
Instead, Yuta and Maki went straight home.
Maki was lying on the couch, she was resting while her hands made circles on her belly over her dress that she was still wearing.
Once they got home, she claimed the sofa as her own for her rest, although she was still deep in thought, taking in everything that had happened that day.
Yuta smiled to see her like this, approached her and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Are you all right?" he asked affectionately as he placed his hand on her belly, caressing it lovingly. As he sat down on the edge of the sofa.
"I am, I'm just thinking about everything that happened this day, it was a russian mountain of emotions" she answered looking at him.
"And yes it was, but the good thing is that our friends understood and are going to support us in this and that's what matters" A smile appeared on his mouth.
His wife just sighed.
"It seems so, although the idea of the baby shower still makes me uncomfortable... even so I decided to give in because I also want the others to be happy with the arrival of this baby and show a little of their support and love towards this seed that is germinating inside me"
Yuta kissed her forehead once more while his hand was still on her belly.
Yuta felt that Maki had matured somehow in those two weeks.
"I understand, but let's take it easy my love, now it's our turn to spoil you and the baby"
"I'll try, receiving so much attention makes me a little uncomfortable..." at that moment, Maki felt a strange sensation in her belly, which Yuta also felt.
"It was?" asked Yuta excitedly, "A kick?"
-"Yes it was!" Maki replied rubbing her belly.
"I can finally feel it move more!" Yuta replied warmly as he laid his head on his wife's belly.
At that instant they felt that movement of their baby again.
"He Kicked again!" Yuta commented with a big smile.
"And yes, this baby is already kicking harder, Auch!, take it easy little one!" commented Maki with a slight smile, patting her belly, "I guess she'll be just like me when it comes to kicking"
Yuta laughed a little at that comment
"It definitely will be"
Still, Maki was left thinking a bit about something else Nobara said about autumn and babies.
Autumn is that season where you finish maturing and also serves to adapt before winter arrives and that looked like it would happen with her and her baby.
Moreover, he would now have to accept all the changes that were to come.
🍂To be continue...
Notes
I hope you liked this chapter ❤
I actually felt a lot of emotions writing this because I tried to portray what a fight between those two over something like this would be like if I hadn't told Nobara about that baby before.
And more that I try to portray it this way because of their characters and the contexts of both, where I have always felt that Nobara is that friend who wants to be in everything from the beginning to support those she really loves and those she considers her friends and Maki is the opposite of her, more reserved because of her past with the Zenin clan.
So I just hope I did it right because really, fights between friends are always intense and sometimes even more painful (I say this from experience).
As I said, I hope you liked it.
About the "dog day" in Japan, from what I was researching because as you know, I always do a little research before writing and wanting to bring you interesting things in my fics, this is a tradition where a "maternity girdle" which is known as haraobi is blessed in the fifth month of gestation, this because the Japanese have many superstitions, and about pregnancy they have several such as for example:
They believe that the "safe zone" is past the fourth month of gestation, because the number four is bad luck and an omen of death, so they have this belief and tradition to announce to their close ones, tell their jobs and their friends that they are expecting a baby until the fifth month of gestation. This in case the baby does not pass the first trimester or does not survive the most "complicated" month (the fourth month of gestation).
So once they are five months, Japanese women usually go to the shrines on dog day, which is a day that happens every month, to receive the blessing of the priests and write good wishes on the ema tablets for their baby to be born healthy and strong and above all, they do it on "dog day" because of the belief that Japanese people have that the births of these animals are fast and they have a lot of offspring,
So that is what it is all about, going to the shrines to ask for the pregnancy to go well and for the mother to have good health, also to ask for the baby to come strong and healthy, as well as to ask to have a birth without complications.
And the "maternity girdles", once blessed, Japanese women wear them throughout their pregnancy to support their bellys and to "protect" them, since they are also given amulets to carry with them or to keep at home.
So that's what this tradition I wanted to capture here is all about, I hope I did it right and this is with all due respect.
Anyway, with this chapter we start the fall season, which I'm thinking of making it not so long (I hope so) because here I want to address the adaptation of these two to this "new life" of preparing for the arrival of a baby, as well as talk about their life as a couple now that that belly will become bigger, about the baby shower Nobara wants to give them, the things they will buy for him or the baby, as well as thinking about a possible move, etc.
And by the way, as autumn has always been a very nostalgic season for me, here I want to deal with things from Yuta and Maki's past before the arrival of that baby, like their wedding day or rather their two weddings and how Maki rejected Yuta's first marriage proposal and how she later said "yes" to him, I also want to show a little bit of their first year of marriage, as well as their trip to Osaka where they had that baby and I also want to show a little bit of Yuta's relationship with his family, his relationship with his parents and his sister. So I hope to do it well.
We will keep reading ️
Pd: if you are going to offend me, please do it by private message to my Twiter Vera1794