Chapter 98: A Little Surprise
"Thank you very much for your hard work today, Mrs. Kisaragi. The recording went on really smoothly."
"Thank you as well for bearing with me. I hope that the single will do well in the ratings." I say as I walk with the music director towards the main entrance of the recording studio.
"I'm sure it will do well. Oh."
The two of us stand by the main entrance's door, watching the rain pour down from the sky.
"Mrs. Kisaragi, do you have an umbrella? Will you be commuting or walking going home?" he asks worriedly.
"I don't have an umbrella but my husband will be coming to pick me up so you don't have to worry. You go on ahead home; you live quite far, right?"
"Alright, I'll go ahead then. Take care on your way home, Mrs. Kisaragi and tell your husband I said hello."
"You too, director!"
He opens his umbrella and walks towards the parking lot where his car is parked.
I look up at the night sky. The raindrops look like little diamonds falling from the sky; it's beautiful. There aren't any stars in the sky since it's raining. Though I can't see the clouds in the dark sky, there are probably lots of them since the stars can't be seen at all; I can't see the moon either. I hope the rain will only last for the night and won't be a storm that would last for days.
Ai, please arrive soon. I really want to get home as soon as possible. Since this morning, I've been thinking about it all day long. I want to find out if what I'm thinking is true.
My grip tightens on my bag as I think about the pregnancy tester that I bought from a nearby drug store during my break earlier today.
My period hasn't come yet when it was suppose to start last week. I've been gradually feeling tired these days and my morning sickness hasn't stopped. Also, my breasts have been feeling tender and sensitive for the past few days; this convinced me that I might be pregnant after all. If I'm pregnant, then that means my stomach will grow bigger, right? I'll have to buy maternity clothes in the future. Next thing you know, I'll be shopping for baby clothes when we find out the gender of the child. Oh! We'll buy feeding bottles, baby food, a crib, and baby toys too! I worry though about the strange food cravings and the mood swings. I hope that I won't be asking for very strange things and that I won't be so mean to Ai. Ah! I hope I won't cry often because of the mood swings! That would definitely send Ai panicking around! I want to be smiling always so that the baby would be happy and smiley! Hmm...I'm a little scared of giving birth. Aside from it being really painful, I'm worried of dying from the labor; I want to be able to live and be with my bundle of joy and Ai. Whaa, why am I thinking of dying while giving birth?! I shouldn't be so negative or think of such a thing! I should be positive and believe that I'll live thru it and be with my loved ones until I die of old age!
As I continue to think about being pregnant, a car stops on front of the recording studio; it's Ai. He gets out of the car with an umbrella.
"How was work today?"
I smile at him. "Smooth as a marble."
He takes my hand and kisses my forehead. "Let's go before the rain gets stronger."
We head to the car as he holds the umbrella, keeping us both dry from the rain.
If I am pregnant, I wonder how Ai will react. Will he be shocked? Delighted? Happy? Sad? Worried? What would he feel and think at the moment he learns that he'll be a father? Whaaa! I feel all bubbly inside! I feel so strange!
Ai and I put on our seat belts.
"Hm? Are you feeling cold, Kaori?"
"Eh?! Ah, no! I'm fine. I'm fine." I might have had a weird or unreadable expression on my face when he looked at me.
"If you say so." He starts driving.
"About dinner, what should we have? I'm not sure about what food we have left at home and we haven't gone to the supermarket yet to restock."
"We can go to the supermarket this Friday or in the weekend; there's going to be a sale according to a flyer I found in the mail yesterday. You don't have to worry about tonight's dinner. Since I finished with work in the afternoon, I cooked something while waiting for your work to finish."
"Then dinner is going to be delicious tonight."
"I still can't cook as well as you though."
"Ai, I think you'll surpass me soon. The food you cook tastes better and better each time! You really can do everything. Amazing."
"I still can't get Tabi to behave and obey me though..."
I laugh at his words as I remember his morning ordeals with Tabi. Ai's missing bag, missing sock, missing, shoe, missing lunchbox, missing music sheets, missing cellphone...there's only one culprit for all that haha. Maybe Tabi just likes to tease and bully him.
We arrive at home after some time. Thank goodness there's no traffic at the main road.
"I'll go prepare the food and table. You go on ahead and freshen up first."
"Okay. Thanks, Ai."
I kiss his cheek before hurrying up to the bedroom to change my clothes.
Alright. Should I do the test before or after dinner? Um, I think it would be better to do the test after dinner but my curiosity will bother me and Ai will surely notice that I'm thinking about something while we're eating. Maybe I'll do it right now before dinner so that my curiosity would be fed. Yeah! I'll do it now! I want to know if I'm carrying his child or not.
I take the pregnancy tester from my bag and bring it with me to the toilet.
Hmm, according to the instructions, I have to take the cap off of the tester and then urinate on the stick portion. After doing that, I have to wait for a minute or so for the results to show up; if a plus sign appears on the indicator, then that means I am pregnant.
Okay. Here we go.
...
...
...
Now I have to just wait for a little while. I wonder what the result will be? I feel excited and anxious at the same time; it's the same feeling I get when I go to auditions for roles!
"Kaori, the table is ready." Ai says loudly from the staircase.
I slightly open the door of the bathroom. "Just give me a minute and I'll be there!" Literally a minute, please!
A minute has passed and nothing shows up on the pregnancy tester's indicator. I sigh in disappointment; it's like I was all excited and troubled for nothing. I feel heartbroken right now...
I was about to throw away the pregnancy tester when I decided to check it one last time with hope that perhaps the result could have changed.
"WHAAA!" I let out a sudden loud shout.
I then hear footsteps rushing over.
"Kaori?! Are you okay in there?! Kaori?!" Ai asks frantically as he knocks on the bathroom door several times.
Oh no. Oh no. Think fast. Think fast! "I-I'm fine! I..um...I just slipped on the tiles but I didn't fall! I was able to grab hold of the counter top so I'm okay!"
"You're not hurt?!"
"No! I'm fine!"
"You gave me a heart attack..." I can hear him sigh in relief thru the bathroom door.
"Yeah...I got one too..."
"I'll wait for you at the table, okay?"
"Yes. I'll be there in a few minutes! I'm sorry for giving you a heart attack!"
"It's okay as long as you're fine but I hope it won't happen again."
I hear Ai walk away. I catch my breath the moment I could no longer hear his footsteps.
OH MY...! IS THIS FOR REAL?! THIS IS FOR REAL, RIGHT?! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY OR TO DO RIGHT NOW. WHA! I'M...I'M SO HAPPY! I NEED TO BREATHE DARN IT! WHAAA! I'M PANICKING, AREN'T I?! WHAA! I feel like crying or something! Ugh, my heart! Calm down! Calm down! Easy! Breathe!
As I try to contain my happiness and excitement, I look at the pregnancy tester once again. There, on the indicator, is a plus sign full and clear as day; I'm pregnant! Okay, okay, I should keep this first and then get an appointment with a doctor just to be sure and to find out how long I have been pregnant. I'll tell Ai about my pregnancy after I get checked by a doctor.
I put the pregnancy tester in my pocket and make way to the bedroom. I hide it somewhere before going downstairs to eat dinner with Ai.
"Sorry for the delay." I say as I happily sit down.
"Are you really alright?"
I nod.
"You really scared me a while ago. I imagined the worst case scenario when I heard you shout."
"I'm sorry! I got surprised too." Though for a different reason since I didn't really slip in the bathroom.
"Anyway, let's put that behind us and enjoy the meal."
We put our hands together and bless the food.
"The food looks delicious! I like your cooking to be honest, really."
"Thank you but I still can't cook as well as you."
"If you keep thinking that way, then you have a lifetime to practice while I have a lifetime to be the taste tester! But one day, I won't be the only one who'll eat your cooking."
"True. One day we'll have our own children."
"Yeah."
"I want a daughter that looks like you." He suddenly says as he continues to eat.
"Eh? Why?" I ask curiously.
"If she looks like you then for sure she'll be beautiful and adorable. Having you and a child that looks like you would be candy for the eyes."
"T-Then I want a son that looks like you!"
"Hmm...A mini me?" He starts thinking about it. Perhaps he's imagining it? The expressions on his face as he thinks about it are amusing.
I start to imagine a little cute Ai walking around while holding my hand and calling me 'mama' now and then. "Just thinking about it makes me really happy. He'll surely be cute!" I smile happily.
"...Cute?"
I nod happily.
"..."
"Eh? Why are you quiet all of a sudden?"
"..." He continues to eat with a sulking expression.
"Was it because I called you cute indirectly? Do you still have a complex about being called cute? But you really are cute; there's nothing you can do about that. Plus the last time I called you handsome, you didn't really like it and said that it just 'wasn't me'. Do you want me to stop calling you cute?" I ask sadly.
"Well...no but..." Conflicting expressions flash on his face; it's obvious that he likes it but at the same time he wants something else.
I chuckle.
Hmm, Ai has work all day on Thursday. I'm free on that day so I can go to a hospital for a check up on that day without him knowing. I'll set up an appointment thru phone call tomorrow.
I look at him eating on front of me across the table and a thought enters my mind.
Maybe I should tell him about it already and go to the hospital together? It would probably be a little late if I wait for the results of the checkup before telling him about the pregnancy. Also, I think it's unfair to keep it from him for that long...I should tell him tomorrow.
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A few days have passed and I still haven't told him. There has been so many things in the way like that time he was late for work, the time I was late for work, then there was that time where I was called in for a meeting, then we both got busy with work! It's almost the end of the week and I still haven't told him! What's with the bad timing?! Huhuhu.
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Another tomorrow came. Ai and I were too busy with work today that I didn't get to talk to him again.
"Sigh...he went to work earlier since my work for the day starts in the afternoon. Now I'm home ahead of him because my work finished early...He won't be home till later..."
What do I do now?
Since I didn't feel well enough to cook dinner, I bought food for us instead. Maybe I'll just sleep while he's not home yet; I do feel kind of tired. It would be nice to take a bath too; I'll feel refreshed. I'll just try to talk to him when he gets home.
...
...
...
"I'm home."
The first thing I noticed when I opened the door was that Kaori's shoes weren't there; she's not yet at home I suppose but she should have been home by now. Maybe she's doing overtime or she has a sudden meeting with the people she's working with. I hope not though. Lately, her behavior has been a little strange and she seems to be fatigued all the time. She may be coming home with a smile and with her usual cheery tone but I can tell that she's forcing it.
As I climb the stairs, I keep thinking about Kaori's recent actions; surely they have been odd. I'm really feeling a bit worried now that I think about it. I should ask her what's wrong and suggest to her to take some days off from work. I'll talk to her as soon as she comes home.
Hm? These are Kaori's shoes. What are they doing up here on the second floor? I decide to pick them up and bring them into our room; I'll put them at the entrance way after I change my clothes. I enter the bedroom and to my surprise, I find Kaori's clothes all over the floor and I see her on the bed, curled up with a towel wrapped around her shoulders. So she's home after all.
"Kaori?"
I call out her name as I pick up her clothes scattered all over the floor. She doesn't respond to me so I approach her to check up on her. It turns out that she's sleeping. Upon patting her head, I notice that her hair is still wet and so is the towel wrapped around her shoulders; her clothes too are quite damp.
I feel upset; this is quite reckless of her. She isn't normally like this. I feel upset and worried due to her unusual habits and behavior that have been manifesting lately.
"Kaori, wake up this instant." I say sternly as I remove the wet towel around her and wrap her with the bed's blanket; her skin feels cold.
"Hnn...Ai...?" She slowly opens her eyes that seem to be in a daze. As soon as her eyes see me, she smiles and says sluggishly, "Welcome home..."
"You were sleeping with your hair still wet and with the wet towel wrapped around you. What were you thinking? You will definitely get sick that way. You won't get away with just a common cold sleeping that way." I can't help but scold her.
"Oh, I must have fallen asleep after I took a bath a while ago."
"Your clothes were also all over the floor when I came into the room. You also left your shoes in the hallway."
"I'm sorry. I'll go pick them up—"
I grab hold of her arm when she tries to get out of the bed. Looking at her up close, she looks terribly fatigued and pale. Her breath, though it smells like our toothpaste, has a faint scent of something foul; it smells a bit like vomit.
"Kaori, what's wrong with you? You haven't been yourself lately and you seem to be in bad condition; it's quite troubling. Are you working too hard again? Are you sick? Is something bothering you? Tell me."
"Ai..." her voice is shaking a little in a childlike tone. She was going to say something but before she could utter a word, she starts crying uncontrollably.
"Kaori. Hey, what's wrong?" I try to comfort her but no matter what I say or what I do, she won't stop crying. I'm baffled by her behavior. I don't know what to do.
"I feel so frustrated and worried. I feel tired even though I've barely done anything at all in a day. Sleeping has been a problem because though I get to sleep immediately, I would wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to get back to sleep. I've been eating well but there are times when I just feel really hungry all the time and I don't know what to do about it; I would just eat whatever I could get but it just won't satisfy my hunger. My headaches have been getting more painful and recently I've hated the mornings ever since I've started to feel sick all the time when I wake up. I've been feeling anxious at times and then suddenly I'd feel alright. My emotions have been going on a roller coaster here and there. It's driving me crazy sometimes."
As she continues to tell me what she's feeling and experiencing, I wrap my arms around her and listen to her as she talks. She's behaving quite like a little child. She's not in good condition at all.
I continue to listen to her and to comfort her until she fell asleep in my arms from crying too much. I hope her eyes won't hurt or be sore. She really cried a lot...I couldn't do anything but hold her and listen; it hurts to not be able to do something to help her cope with what's troubling her.
I carefully tuck her to bed so that she could rest properly.
"Sleep well tonight. I'll be here by your side. I hope you'll have pleasant dreams and no more tears."
She seems to be unusual and distressed for the pass few days. I'm not entirely sure but she's showing the signs...Also, she hasn't said anything about that so I may be wrong. I might as well just do my best to make her feel comfortable and attend to her needs. I don't want to ask a question like that and receive an unfavorable answer; that would just be saddening...
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A new morning comes once again and as I brush my teeth, I gather all the words and ways I could use to tell Ai that I'm pregnant again. How many times have I been rehearsing to myself? Sigh. Will I be able to tell him today? I was really unstable yesterday so...yeah...I didn't get to talk about it though the atmosphere was kind of fitting. Thinking back on last night, I really was a mess. Sigh. Thank you Ai for bearing with me. Sigh.
"Augh!"
I quickly take my toothbrush out of my mouth as I feel an already familiar discomfort. Vomit comes pouring out from my mouth to the sink.
"Ugh...nasty..."
Darn, now I have to brush my teeth all over again; I'll have to use mouth wash too. Morning sickness really is troublesome. Why do future mothers have to suffer like this? Actually, why do women have to suffer for not being pregnant, for being pregnant, and then after being pregnant?! What's up with that?! We suffer monthly all year round when we have our menstruation for not being pregnant then we suffer morning sickness, headaches, and other things when we're pregnant then we have to experience the miracle of birth and then we still feel pain after giving birth! What's up with that?! Talk about equality of pain!
I put toothpaste once again on my toothbrush as I continue to mentally complain about several things in life. I think the mood swings are kicking in at the moment. Ugh. Keep it together, Kaori. Keep yourself sane. You can do it. Do your best!
*knock knock knock*
"Kaori, be mindful of the time; we were late for our first period classes last time. Hyuuga will scold us if we're late again. I don't particularly like getting scolded by him..." Ai says thru the door.
"Ah, yeah...Hyuuga-sensei is scary when mad. Don't worry, I'm almost done! I'll be out in a few minutes."
"Okay."
I take out my cell phone to check the time and the calendar.
Tomorrow is Friday. Ah! We planned on going to the supermarket tomorrow. Maybe I'll get to tell him when we're alone then. I will definitely tell him by tomorrow no matter what! I really have to since I already got an appointment to go to the doctor on Saturday...I want him to be there with me. I have to talk to him today or by tomorrow!
I rinse my mouth and use the mouth wash before going back to the bedroom to change for work.
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"It looks like we made it to the academy in time!" I say happily as we walk towards the main building.
"Yeah. I'm relieved."
"Um...Ai, are you free any time later?"
"I believe so. Why do you ask?"
"I just want to tell you something important later when you're free."
"Can't you tell me about it now?"
"Well...um...you see it's something we should talk about umm privately."
He takes my hand as we walk. "Kaori, is it some bad news?"
"Eh? N-No, it's actually some good news."
His worried expression quickly shifts to a subtle smile. "That's good. You seemed so tensed that I thought it was something bad."
"Oh. Haha, sorry about that. I guess I was just excited to tell you about it."
"How about we talk about it after the last class we'll teach for the day?"
"After the performance class?"
He nods. "That way, we can talk as long as we need to."
"Okay! We'll talk later then!"
We went to our respective classes after reaching the lobby of the main building of the academy. Thankfully, my morning sickness subsided by the time class started so I was able to teach with no problems.
However, by the time third period came, I started feeling ill again.
The class for the third period is currently doing an activity. I gave them the task of creating some melodies with a specific theme. All I have to do for now is to just wait for them to finish or to wait for the time I gave them to finish. Oh, since it's Friday tomorrow, I should tell the students about their next assignment so that they can work on it earlier when they have time.
I stand up and take a piece of chalk. I start writing the details of their assignment on the blackboard while they're still busy with the activity.
As I write, I notice that my headache has become more bothersome compared to this morning. I can do nothing about it except to wait for it to pass and feel better. I hope it would subside before the next class would start. My next class is the last one for the day—performance class. I'll have a hard time teaching the students if the headache persists.
*SCCRRRREEEEEEEECHHHH*
The chalk scratches the blackboard all the way down until it slips off of my hand and falls to the floor.
"Kaori-sensei!"
Some of the students rush over after seeing me fall to my feet. Sitting on the floor, I hold my stomach with one hand while the other covers my mouth; I wish I had an extra pair of arms to hold my head that hurts so much. I feel so dizzy and I feel like vomiting.
"Sensei! Are you alright?!"
"You don't look so good, sensei."
"Sensei, we can bring you to the infirmary if you don't feel well!"
I do my best to hold my urge to vomit and to regain my focus from the devastating headache. "It's okay. I felt lightheaded for a moment but I'll be okay. Sorry to worry you all."
I swallow once, pushing down the urge to vomit. After taking slow deep breaths, I get back up on my feet and regain some of my composure.
"So, did you all finish the activity? I'll be checking them now!" I say cheerfully with a smile.
"W-What?! Sensei! We're not done yet!"
"Give us some more time please!"
"Fine. Then...I'll give you one more minute to finish your work!"
"One minute?! That's too little!"
"Fifty six seconds to go. Use your time wisely." I say playfully.
The students go back to their works in a hurry; they remind me of how Ai looked like when he was late for work the other day. Haha.
Next period came and unfortunately, I still feel pretty awful...
I make my way to the women's locker room to change into some comfortable wear for the performance class. I then stand on front of the mirror in the restroom and start fixing my hair into a ponytail. Three female students enter the locker room. Oh, they're my students for the performance class.
"Ah! Hello, Kaori-sensei!"
"Hi! Are you girls prepared for the performance class?"
"We definitely are! We practiced our routine many times!"
"That's good to hear. We'll see the fruits of your hard work later during class. Do your best!"
"Yes sensei, we will!"
The three girls start to change into their active wear while I on the other hand gather my things and prepare to get to the practice room first.
"Auugh!"
I suddenly vomit and it feels like another one is going to come out.
"S-Sensei!"
I rush over to the sink and there, I continue to vomit over and over again. It's really...nasty.
"Kaori-sensei, should we call for the school doctor?!"
"W-What should we do?!"
"I'll go call for Ai-sensei!"
"N-No! I'm okay! I'm just a little sick but it's nothing serious!" I quickly tell them. "I just need to get everything out then I'll be fine. Umm could one of you get me some water from a nearby vending machine? It would really help me."
"Okay, I'll go get you one sensei!" One of the girls runs off to buy some water with the money I gave.
"Are you really okay, Kaori-sensei?"
"Yes, I probably ate something that wasn't good anymore so I just need to vomit it all out."
I continue to vomit a little longer. The three girls stayed by my side and I'm really thankful that they helped me.
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"Ai-sensei, it's almost time for class but Kaori-sensei isn't here yet. Is she absent today?" one of the students asks.
"She's present today. Maybe she'll be coming to class a little late."
I look at my watch and wonder where she is right now. It's unlike her to be late for performance class since this is her favorite class to teach. I send her a message but I did not get a reply. I wait until the last second before class starts and she's still not around.
"I'll be taking attendance now so please settle down." I'll just ask Kaori what happened later. Lately, she has been a little off. I would catch her thinking so deeply about something she won't tell me, she gets tired easily even during the days when she practically has nothing to do, she's been feeling sick in the morning and complains about having a headache all the time.
"Some of you are delayed in that part of your choreography. Repeat that part." I say to the group that's performing their routine.
Last night, I let her sleep ahead of me so that I could take a good look at her; her complexion wasn't very good and she seemed quite frail. I should bring her to a hospital for a check up in the weekend and ask her to take a leave from work so that she could take the time to improve her condition. I should have asked or said something sooner in the beginning of the changes happening to her. I would prefer taking her to the hospital today after this last class but she—
"Sorry we're late!" Kaori suddenly appears together with three of our female students.
"And where have you four been? Class started fifteen minutes ago; you're all late."
"Forgive us, Ai! I got stuck in the locker room inside one of the cubicles. The door jammed so I couldn't get out. These girls went in the locker room to change clothes for class and heard me calling out for help from inside the third cubicle. They were helping me to get out of the cubicle all this time so please don't be angry with them or scold them."
I think for a moment and then sigh. "Okay. You girls go on and start your warm up exercises and then practice your routine. We'll check on your performance later on."
The three girls run off to get started. If that was the case, then they should have reported it to me or to another teacher. That way, they could have had more help so that Kaori could have gotten out of the cubicle faster and they would have been able to get to class on time...Wait a minute; that's strange...It would have been a more normal response to have called for help especially if more than ten minutes have passed from their attempt to help. Why didn't they call for help after a while?
Class resumes as usual however I notice that Kaori isn't performing as well as she usually does; her movements are slower and her form isn't very good.
"Not bad! Your group has improved a lot! You girls did a good job!"
"Really?! We're happy to know that, Kaori-sensei! It's all thanks to you and Ai-sensei for teaching us!"
"That's not entirely true. It's also thanks to your dedication and practice! Keep up the good work, girls!"
"Kaori, the next group is from the boys."
"The trio one?"
"Yes."
"Oh, I hope they fixed their choreography. They really are good at dancing but their choreography isn't exactly suited for their style."
"We'll see if they took our advice or continued to take the challenge of performing outside their field of comfort."
"Kaori-sensei, could you help us over here?"
"Ah, I'll be right there!"
She turns to look at me.
"I'll check the trio's progress so go on ahead. They need you, Kaori-sensei." I say playfully.
"Whaa! Don't call me sensei, Ai! I-It's kind of weird!"
She runs off to the group of girls who asked for her help. Hmm, calling her sensei was quite refreshing. If she was my teacher, I would have been a bad student for sure. I mean, how could I resist being mischievous towards a teacher like her. Hehe.
"So are you three ready to show me the fruits of your labor?"
"We sure are, Ai-sensei! We decided to change our choreography a little so I hope you'll like it!"
"Okay, give it your best shot. Fail to impress me and I'll give the three of you extra homework to do over the weekend."
The trio gets into position with slightly distorted expressions on their faces. Perhaps my tone did not express well my intention to joke about that? Maybe Kaori was right...I should practice more on the subject of humor.
"KYAAA!"
All of the students' attention shifted to one of the female groups. Knowing that Kaori was there looking after the female students, I didn't react immediately until...
"Kaori-sensei!"
...I heard her name being called out by one of the female students.
I turn around and see the female students gathering at one area. They still call out Kaori's name in panicked voices; it makes me feel anxious and nervous inside. By the time I got close to check on the situation, I saw Kaori on the floor covering her mouth with her hand as some vomit leaks out from between her fingers. On the floor, near her, more vomit can be found. The female students hold her as they ask if she's okay.
"What happened?!" I ask immediately.
"Ai-sensei, Kaori-sensei was teaching us as usual and then she suddenly vomited!"
"I'll take her to the infirmary. Class representative, please look after the class for the meantime until I get back or another teacher comes to be the substitute."
I take a handkerchief from my pocket and give it to Kaori. "Here, use it to wipe your hand and mouth. Can you stand up and walk until we reach the infirmary?"
She nods slightly.
I carefully help her to stand up and walk.
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The infirmary doctor opens the curtain surrounding the bed that Kaori is on and comes out; he sure took a while to examine her. I really hope that she is okay...
"How is she doing?"
The doctor smiles widely at me. "She's actually fine! She has no illness at all!"
He pats my back several times with some force.
"You have nothing to worry about at all! In fact, you should be celebrating tonight! Haha! "
"Excuse me? What are you saying?"
"Hmm, I'll let your wife over there explain things to you. You should have her see a doctor at a hospital as soon as you can get an appointment, okay? Congratulations, Mikaze-san!"
"...What? I don't get you."
"By the way, you brought her here while class was still in session, right? I'll go check the class while you two talk. Which room is your class in?"
"Practice hall number six."
"Okay then! I'll go check on the students and tell them the news too! Haha!"
The doctor gives me one last powerful pat on the back before leaving the infirmary. I head over to the bed and open the curtain to enter inside.
"Kaori?"
"Hello, Ai." She says softly.
"How are you feeling right now?"
"I feel fine at the moment. I'm glad that I've stopped vomiting; it was really annoying."
I gently pat her head. "You should have told me that you were very unwell today. I was worried about you."
She doesn't say anything and instead she pulls the blanket up to cover herself until half of her face.
"There's something you're not telling me, am I right?"
She looks at me in the eyes and nods.
"Then, are you going to tell me about it or will you not?"
She removes the blanket and sits up on the bed. She looks quite serious and it's making me feel a little worried. I certainly wish that what she's about to say isn't any bad news.
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Wha...Ai looks so serious that it's making me nervous but it's now or never!
I take a deep breath and start to speak.
"I-I..t-tested...positive...d-days ago..." Oh dear god, I got so excited that my mouth isn't cooperating with me! The words are coming out in a scramble!
He looks down with a sad expression on his face. "So you've tested positive for an illness?"
Oh god, he got the wrong idea! No! No! No!
"Ah! N-No! That's not it at all! Um...! That's not what I was going to say!"
I quickly take out the pregnancy tester from my pocket and place it in his hand.
"T-That's what I wanted to tell you! I wanted to tell you for days but I kept missing the right time to talk about it!"
I watch as he looks at the item I gave him.
"Kaori, what is this?"
"It's a pregnancy tester. Women use it to find out whether they're pregnant or not. For this tester, if the woman is pregnant, a plus sign would appear on the indicator over there at the end after using it." I point at the indicator.
I take my finger away and he takes a closer look to where I was pointing. The moment he saw the indicator, his eyes opened wider. He then looks at me for a moment and then back to the tester.
"...Ai?"
He's so quiet and he won't look at me in the eyes. His behavior is making me feel a little uneasy.
After a few minutes of silence, he finally looks at me and says something. "Kaori this means you're pregnant, correct?"
"Y-Yes."
"You're carrying my child?"
"Y-Yeah."
"I'm going to be a father?"
I nod nervously.
He becomes quiet again as he looks at the tester. Is he disappointed? Did he not want a child yet? Please don't be like that!
"Um...Ai, are you sad?" I ask nervously.
He covers half of his face. Taking a better look at him, I wanted to laugh; his smile is so big and at the same time a little awkward. Haha.
"Kaori, why on earth would I be sad about this? Of course I'm happy...I'm extremely happy. To be honest, I speculated that you were pregnant because you were showing symptoms of it but there were days where you seemed alright and so I had some doubts about it. I didn't want to ask you about it because I knew that if you were indeed pregnant, you would want to be the one to say it first instead of being asked. You weren't saying anything so I thought that I could be wrong about it. When I thought you were pregnant, I was hoping it would be true. Now that it's confirmed, all the anticipation and excitement just burst out all at the same time..."
"And that made you shocked?"
"I'm astonished." He quietly and happily puts the pregnancy tester in his pocket.
It was funny because we both had a weird uncontrollable smile on our faces though his smile was way funnier than mine.
"Can I hug you?" he asks awkwardly.
"Of course you can, silly! Do you have to ask?"
I open my arms towards him and in an instant, I found myself buried in his arms.
His hug was tighter than usual; he must be really happy about the news. I'm glad that he's happy and excited about this too! We're going to have our very own family—a family born from the two of us.
"I used to worry about it."
"Eh? What's this all about now, Ai?"
His hug loosens a little and becomes gentle. "When I was still an android, I always thought that one day I'd have to let you go because I couldn't give you something I could call as a future. As an android, I couldn't possibly become a part of your family nor could I give you one since it would be impossible to bear a child with me. I could not get married to you for I was not a human being and I was sure that I wouldn't last long enough to continue operating until the day you die; I couldn't be a partner you could spend your life with. Back then, the farthest we could go was to become lovers; I thought that there was nothing after that—no future for either you or me. When I became a human being, all those worries disappeared from my mind and I was sure that I, this time, could be someone who could become and give you the things I lacked before. For me, all the things that have happened from the moment I became a human being to this present time feels like the impossible has happened. Knowing that I'm able to bear a child with you and soon be a father of your child makes me feel too happy inside. I'm really happy to be with you, Kaori. I love you very very much."
"Ai, I love you very much too." I bury my face on his chest. "I'm happy that I get to be the mother of your child. Let's do our best to be great parents?"
"Of course. We'll shower the child with as much love and care that we can give and protect it from any harm."
Suddenly, the curtain surrounding the bed it opened and a familiar loud feminine voice greets us.
"Kaori-chan, Ai-chan, Congratulations!"
I jumped in surprise as I found myself no longer in Ai's arms but in Tsukimiya-sensei's.
"I heard the news from the school doctor when I passed by him at the practice hall! Congratulations on having a little bundle of joy in there!"
"T-Thank you, Tsukimiya-sensei." News sure flies fast in Shining territory.
"Kaori, we'll have to go see a doctor as soon as possible to have you checked." Ai says.
"Oh. You don't have to worry about that since I already secured an appointment."
"So you were planning to tell me after? That's quite the late news if ever..."
"W-Whaa! Don't sulk! I was planning to tell you before the appointment!"
"What if you ended up not being able to tell him before the appointment, Kaori-chan?" Tsukimiya-sensei asks.
"Then...I guess I would have had to go by myself?"
Ai sulks even more after hearing my remark. Tsukimiya-sensei and I ended up spending a while cheering him up. He's so adorable, this husband of mine.
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"According to your examination, you are currently four weeks pregnant."
"Four weeks?! I thought this was my second or at most the third week."
"It does happen that a woman would detect her pregnancy a little late. The symptoms could have appeared later on so that's the only time she'll think that she's pregnant."
"Oh, okay."
"Is there anything else, doctor?" Ai asks.
"Everything is fine and dandy, Mr. and Mrs. Kisaragi. Just remember everything I said and follow the notes I've given you. The incoming weeks are important for the development of the baby so take good care of yourself, Mrs. Kisaragi. Remember the foods I wrote down that you're not allowed to eat and don't take any medications without consulting with me first. You are not to work until you give birth so postpone all the projects and other jobs that are lined up for you. If you have work that is for composing only, then you can take it as long as you don't stress yourself and as long as you take care of your health, okay?"
"Yes, doc!" I fold the papers the doctor gave me and put them in my bag.
"If anything happens, feel free to come to me."
"Thank you for your time, doctor. We'll see you again next week for the next check up." Ai says.
"Yes, see you two again next week!"
Ai and I leave the hospital and went on our way back home. I was surprised though to see two cars and a van parked outside our house.
"Ai, look. Why are they parked in front of our house?"
"I'm not sure. Perhaps the neighbor has a celebration and they parked there because of the lack of space?"
"Hmm, I don't think so. Do you recognize any of those vehicles?"
"I don't think so."
Ai parks into our garage and once we got out of the car, he looks at the vehicles again. I notice that he's staring at one of the cars.
"Something interesting about that car?" I ask.
"I feel like I've seen that car before."
"Hmm, Rei-chan's car?"
"I don't remember anymore since I haven't ridden in his car ever since I learned to drive and got our own car."
"I don't remember either since I've only ridden in his car a few times."
We make our way to the main door of our house. Ai unlocks the door and was about to open it.
"Wait! Ai, I heard a noise from inside!"
"A noise?"
"Also, I don't hear Obi and Tabi rushing to the door. They usual run to the door when they hear it getting unlocked and bark a little."
"But now it's currently quiet."
Don't tell me someone broke into our house?! I hope Obi and Tabi are okay inside.
"I'll go inside first. Kaori, stay back just in case."
"Okay. Please be careful."
Ai opens the door slightly. The lights inside the house are open. So someone really is inside our house?! I'm certain that we turned off the lights before we left.
"Please be careful." I said again softly.
Ai takes a deep breath and then swings the door open.
The moment that he enters the house, someone suddenly jumps out from nowhere and shouts in a loud voice.
"CONGRA—"
Ai quickly takes the coat hanger stand beside the door and hits the person with it.
"OW! OUCH! WAIT! STOP!"
Ai suddenly stops. We both recognize that voice.
I carefully enter the house and take a good look at the person. "...Rei-chan? Is that you?"
Suddenly, a lot of people popped out from nowhere from the living room and greeted me and Ai.
"CONGRATULATIONS!"
Eh?! What's everyone doing here in our house?! How did they get inside in the first place?!
"Um...Rei-chan, are you okay?" Natsuki asks the man who is holding his head in pain while sitting on the floor.
"Ai-Ai...He hit me..." Rei-chan says as he holds back his tears.
"Oh, it's just you." Ai says in a mono toned voice.
"That's such a mean thing to say to your good old friend that you hit with a coat hanger stand!"
"How could I not? The house was supposedly unoccupied except for the dogs and then you suddenly jumped out from nowhere. Of course I would be startled and follow my instinct of hitting the perpetrator, Reiji; we both thought that there was a thief in the house. How on earth did you all get inside the house?"
"That would be our doing. We used the spare key that you two gave us in your last package. Sorry about startling you two!" My papa appears from the back of the crowd.
"Eh?! Papa? Mama? What are you guys doing here?!"
"Hey! I'm here too!" Kuro says as he tries to make himself visible from the back.
"Congratulations, Ai-senpai!" Syo attacks Ai.
"Congratulations, Kaori. May your first child be delivered safely and grow healthy." Masato says.
"Eh? How did you all know?! We haven't told anyone about it yet."
"Um, I got excited and ended up telling everyone, Kaori-chan. Sorry!" Tsukimiya-sensei says.
"I'm sure that you two will be good parents!" Otoya says.
"May the goddess of music bless your child. It will be happy child for sure!" Cecil says enthusiastically.
"Take care and protect your kid, you hear me? You gotta be strong enough to support it and let it live its life." Ranmaru tells Ai.
"You have nothing to worry about." Ai says confidently.
"I can't believe my daughter is going to be a mother! It was just yesterday when you were just a little girl of mine! Huhuhu!" Papa starts crying as he hugs me. There he goes again, being emotional and crying out of nowhere. Sigh. Some things just don't change at all.
"I'm both delighted and disheartened about the lady's pregnancy. Sigh...Now I truly have no chance in stealing her heart away or to have her bear my children." Ren sighs.
Camus approaches Ren and hits his head with his scepter. "Such filthy intentions must be purified. I'll have to teach you to erase those impure intentions later!"
"If you two need any help, we're all here for you." Hyuuga-sensei says. "Even Saotome sends his regards; he couldn't come due to a meeting."
"Ah! Kuma-kun sends his regards to you two too! He couldn't come since he's with Saotome in the meeting." Tsukimiya-sensei says.
"I'll message Manager-san later then." I shouldn't forget that later. I'm sure he really wanted to come. I can imagine him crying from within while diligently writing notes for Saotome-sensei who's probably leaving everything to him.
"We placed your gifts at the living room so it's a little cramped in there." Tokiya says.
"Okay! It's time to get this celebration started!"
"Eh?! Yuu-san?! You're here too?!"
Haruka and Tomochan then take my arm and pull me with them towards the living room.
Rei-chan stands up and recovers from his pain. "There's no time to cry! It's a time to be happy! Now up you go!" He then picks up Ai and carries him over his shoulder.
"Reiji! Put me down!"
"No can do, Ai-Ai! I have to deliver you to where everyone else is!"
"Reiji!"
"Wow. Rei-chan is quite strong to be able to carry Ai-chan like that, right Syo-chan?"
"Not bad for his age, yeah?"
Natsuki nods.
"Let's go catch up with them. We'll miss out on some stuff if we don't!"
"That's true."