Persona 4 Golden: Yu and Yukiko's Full and Happy Life 16

Breakfast the next morning was a relatively modest and quiet affair, Sachiko only made two snippy comments Fuyuhiko's way and only one about Yukiko's weight. It was after that comment, her granddaughter having the figure most women don't get until their third child, that things started to escalate a bit.

"Well...at least your...swelling has gone down a bit," she said gesturing towards the girls chest. Yukiko looked so glum after that statement, Yukina actually nudged her mother on the shoulder giving her a look that said "we talked about this, now knock it off." Sachiko sighed and waved her hand. "Never mind that, it's time to get you exercising again, to melt off some of this...butter. Now name three days out of the week and I will help you exercise on them, they can be any three days you like but you will do it and I expect you to try your best."

"Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday," she said so quickly it surprised her grandmother. "Well listen to you sounding so determined," she crooned with a smile. "I knew your willpower wouldn't take long to come back up, why, you even got up at an appropriate time today! You'll have your figure back in no time at all at this rate." It was true, and Yukiko was trying her best to stifle yawns and avoid rubbing at her eyes while at the table. She wasn't some layabout, but a solid seven hours of sleep would be nice especially with her bun and his needs. But she didn't want to appear soft and lazy when she was just getting back into grandmother's good graces.

"About the exercise," Yu cut in. "You had Yukiko jog yesterday right?"

"That's right, we ran a lap around the inn, or at least we should have..." Not dignifying that last part with a response, Yu folded his hands diplomatically. "I believe...it would be best to find something else for her to do. Maybe something inside."

"Preposterous. Sweating is what she needs to be doing, it'll help her burn all this fat off faster."

Yukiko received a pat on her belly and for probably the first time in her life, she could have done without it. Yu sticking up for her did drown out most of the negative feelings though and she was curious to see how things would play out, how her dashing prince would save her yet again. "Men these days crack too easily. A girl gives you some...puppy dog eyes and a kiss on the cheek and you crack every time." Yu stifled a smile, that was certainly true in his case but that wasn't the issue here.

"That's not the problem," he said aloud. "I'm just concerned that she could trip on a root and hurt herself. I've been thinking about it since last night and I don't think it's a good idea to have her jogging at all. She doesn't even own a pair of running shoes, how is my Yuki supposed to keep her balance and keep from tripping over?" Sachiko rolled her eyes at the cutesy nickname and what she perceived as ridiculous coddling. "I assure you, it's perfectly safe. I've ran that path probably hundreds of times and not once have I ever tripped. Besides, a lady should be graceful enough to never stumble even when with child."

"Did you run the path when you were pregnant Mrs. Amagi?" Sachiko glared at the boy, not sure she liked his insinuation, but unable to call him out without looking like the immature one. "No, my husband...also said it was unsafe," she admitted. Yu surprised her by firmly and protectively placing his arm around his wife's shoulder, shaking her a bit as she tried her best to avoid giggling and cooing in front of her grandmother. "This is my son, my wife, we're talking about. And I'd rather not take the risk, surely there's something else you could have her do?"

"She's my granddaughter," Sachiko replied pithily. "And-"

"And my daughter," Fuyuhiko cut in. "So my claim trumps everyone else's. And I say, Yu's absolutely right. What if she's tired from a long day and her form isn't perfect?"

"What if my snow pea feels a kick from my grandson and gets distracted, what if-"

"Oh gods enough with the theatrics, if it's this important to you two then I suppose we could do something else. Yu, if you can find something else to slim my granddaughter down, I'll gladly hear it. Otherwise...well I despise people who do nothing but complain without offering any solutions of their own though I don't think that will be a problem for a man of action such as yourself."

"Yes!" Yu and his father in law shared an under the table high five at their victory.

"I don't want my baby being put into any danger if I can avoid it, and I'm myself so doesn't that mean my claim is the most important of all?" Sachiko looked at her granddaughter and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Did she put you up to this? To get out of jogging?" she asked Yu.

"Nope, my husband just has a sixth sense when it comes to taking care of the two of us." Her emotions got the better of her and she leaned over to kiss him on the lips. "Ah ah ah. None of that at the breakfast table. It's improper and if the guests saw it, they'd never want to come back to such a low class establishment." Yukiko pouted so cutely that Yu was almost tempted to kiss her right there, but he held himself back. He'd already gotten what he wanted from this breakfast and besides, she was rubbing his knee under the table and happily wolfing down her food. What more could a husband ask for?

"Well...I think today I'll take the time to catch up with my brother," Sachiko announced. "Is he still wasting away in that maintenance shed out back? Oh who am I kidding? I know he is." And without waiting for an answer, she left. Jiro followed but not before a quick glance at Yu.

"Oh Yukiko, before you leave, your mother and I wanted to talk to you about something." Confused, Yukiko sat back down and saw her parents beaming at her and looking between themselves impishly.

"3 weeks until your wedding," Fuyuhiko announced.

"W-what?"

"We just wanted to remind you that there's only 3 short weeks left until you'll be married to Yu. That's less than a month dear." Yukiko stood there gaping like a fish before turning away and cupping her cheek. "Th-that's...*teeheehee*...come on...cut it out."

"Just 20 days until you're wed to the man of your dreams, princess."

"D-daddy *hahahaha* stop it." Her eyes grew lidded and a big blush appeared on her face as she smiled. "Dear, you're making our daughter nervous," Yukina said to her husband. "I mean, since the wedding is so soon and all, it's only natural..." At this point, Yukiko had clasped her hands together and was gently swaying and bobbing her upper body back and forth like Nanako would sometimes do when she was happy. "M-mother, father..." was all she said, and they could tell they'd really made her morning.

"Told you that would work," Fuyuhiko proudly declared. Seemingly satisfied, Yukina gave her daughter a pat on the cheek. "For the record, I agree with Yu and your father as well. I'll try to think up an alternative as well."

"Why Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday? Won't you get tired, three days in a row?" Yu asked when they were alone. This broke Yukiko out of her happy daze but only partially, after all the reason made her happy just thinking about it. "Well...those are the days where we're the least busy, so you'll have more time to *erm* help me 'recover'. Besides, if I put them all at once, then I'll have the rest of the week to relax and not worry!" That made Yu want to initiate some pampering right there, always thinking of others even when it came to being spoiled she picked the days where he wouldn't be as tired even if it was a little harder on herself. Seeing the beaming look he was giving her, she got all modest. "It's not that big of a sacrifice, you make me feel so relaxed that it doesn't matter how tired I am..."

At the word tired, she let out a big yawn that she covered with her hand. "Thanks for sticking up for me hubby, I didn't even think about the fact I could trip and hurt our baby boy."

"Well you've been so careful that it's hard to even think of you tripping..."

"Oh hubby." A quick little smooch led to surprise when Yukiko felt her arms being gently squeezed, Yu was looking at her tenderly and slowly his hands moved to frame her belly. "Yuki, I want you to go take a nap."

"Ohhh but hubby, I'm fine. Besides, I don't want grandmother to be disappointed in me..." She said this even while she had the blinking and eye rubbing of someone who needed to take a little break.

"Think of our son, mother's need their rest." With that single line, the girl did a complete 180. "Well...alright. I'll take a little nap, promise me you'll come wake me up in an hour and a half or so." Yu chuckled and pat her hip. "I'll be a little busy this morning, but I'll send someone by." His wife seemed a little disappointed by that, but the way Yu was smiling let her know he had some kind of surprise in store. "And I'll have her bring you the nice breakfast you missed out on, beautiful." A deeper more passionate kiss was shared and with a pat to her belly, she was sent on her way.

"I wish I didn't get all dressed up first...just to be told to go back to sleep. Oh listen to mommy complain, that's not a real problem at all!" Stripping down to her underwear was a lengthy process and she found herself wanting to throw her kimono on the floor or fall asleep in it, "but that would leave it all wrinkled. You always have to hang your uniform up no matter how *yaaaaawn* tired you are, okay sweetness?"

Simply rubbing her tummy would be enough to send her off to dream land, but remembering what her parents did, she decided to fall asleep in a fun way.

"20...19...18...17..." when she got to one right before drifting off with a smile on her face, she was amazed by how quick it was.

She didn't get far enough into her sleep to start dreaming, and it wasn't long before someone was gently rapping on the sliding door. Part of her wanted to put the pillow over her head and go back to sleep but all thoughts of doing that were dashed when she heard who exactly Yu had sent.

"Big sis? Are you there? Big bro says breakfast is ready." At first, she wasn't sure if she was still dreaming or not, but after Nanako rapt her tiny hand on the door again with a small "hello?" Yukiko knew it was the real deal. "Just a minute Nanako sweetie, I'm not decent."

"What does that mean?"

"It means *ooph* I'm not dressed properly." She pushed off of the bed as she spoke and took a moment to center her balance before realizing she was being rather silly; after all, they'd seen each other nearly naked. "But never mind. Would you like to see how someone puts on a kimono?" She opened the door to see that bright cheery childlike face she always loved to see, it was certainly a lovely surprise and no doubt Yu had arranged for it when he went to go meet with his uncle yesterday. She was such a good girl, that the very first words out of her mouth on seeing Yukiko were a genuine compliment.

"Wow, big sis you got even bigger!" Yukiko giggled happily at the girl's sweetness and gave her belly a pat. "I'm happy you noticed," putting one arm under her bosom and the other underneath her swell, she smiled warmly at the girl. "He's just about to start waking up so we should get to feel him saying hello soon."

"Yay!"

But Yukiko wasn't going to cut her sweetie pie's rest short for anyone, not even Nanako so for now they'd just have to wait. Slowly turning herself around, Nanako giggled thinking her big sis was lumbering silly on purpose. There were a lot of girls who would be disgusted by the older girl's toneless jiggling glutes and fat looking back, dreading the idea of such a thing ever happening to their figures, but Nanako just saw a big soft bouncy big sister.

"*Um* did you want me to help?" The girl was always so polite, although this time Yukiko wasn't quite sure what she was being polite about. Lumbering back around, and leaning forward a bit she sweetly asked. "What would you like to help with?"

"Putting on your kimono. Dad always helps me and big bro is gone so...I can help." The raven headed girl laughed softly, "Well that's very kind of you, but actually I've been putting it on by myself since *oh* since I was about your age." Nanako looked completely incredulous, like Yukiko had just told her she knew how to do a triple back flip. "Really? Will you show me? Please?" Patting the bed for Nanako to grab a seat, Yukiko began her demonstration.

"It mostly comes with practice...it's really no different from tying a shoe lace or riding a bike once you get used to it. Okay, the first thing you do is put on the under layers..." Nanako was enraptured by the whole process, so much so that Yukiko almost thought about getting her a notebook to write it down.

"Now this knot is called the clam's mouth, but it's really only for pregnancy, most of our maids wear a drum knot. I find tying a clam knot is a lot like folding a guest towel. And one...two...three...there we go." Smoothing out the front, she was surprised by just how astonished Nanako looked. "You're done already!?" Even with her dad helping her, he did enough stumbling and fumbling around of his own that it still took awhile, and her big sis just did it in half the time! "How did you get so good?"

"Well I practiced putting it on and taking it off every morning for two years until I could do it in ten minutes. And then I did that every day since, it takes a little longer because of the baby...but that's okay, an extra five minute wait isn't the end of the world." The little girl bounced excitedly on her bottom looking like the picture of good cheer. "I want to be really good at something too. Teddie said he'll help me find my *um* 'calling.'"

"Well you have plenty of time, even people my age still aren't sure what they want to do." It was a bit silly to say since she was in a sense still a child herself, but she knew when she was Nanako's age, she looked at high school and college girls like the ten year gap between them was some unfathomably deep gorge. The comment did seem to keep the girl happy, which made the heiress think now was a good time to ask the burning question. "So what brings you to our inn today Ms. Dojima?"

"*Heehee* just call me Nanako big sis! And I'm here because of the peaches." It took a second for Yukiko to recall, "oh that's right, well you're in luck because I think your big bro is working in the garden this morning. Oooh I should introduce you to my grandfather, he'd love someone taking such an interest in his garden."

"Is he nice?"

"Yes very much so." A hunger pang hit to remind mama that she had an urgent task she needed to perform and she looked to Nanako apologetically. "We'll go after breakfast. Have you eaten today? I could make you something..." Nanako nodded her head remembering what her big bro told her to order. "I'd like an omelette please." She didn't quite understand why her big sis looked so happy about that, or why the expecting mother clenched her fist in determination. "This is mama's redemption," she murmured to herself. The speed with which she took off was just enough so that she was able to outpace Nanako's walking speed, although if the girl started running, Yukiko would have been hopeless in trying to catch her.

Arriving at the tail end of breakfast service, Yukiko took her station with one of the chefs mentioning her husband left her food on the stove. "Hope you enjoyed your nap, and your little surprise," the now customary note started. "I'll be out in the garden if you need me for anything, and that does mean anything, lovely. Now wow my cousin's taste buds like I know you can, like you'll do for our son."

The garden of the Amagi Inn really was quite lovely. A wooden bridge over a koi pond acted as the border between the two halves of the place, guard rails acting as a barrier between the water and some curious kid leaning over too far over the edge. Yu wondered who added those barriers, Sachiko seemed like the type of woman who would blame the parent for being negligent and refuse to compromise the aesthetic, but then again perhaps not. He knew breakfast would keep his wife and younger cousin long enough to have his little chat, and now all there was to do was wait right in the center where he was most visible.

"This garden is a lot like you, Yuki. Lush and full of life." That's the thought that ran through his head when he looked at it and a line he'd used during one of their walks. That had earned him a face full of lipstick for sure, although it wasn't just for points with his wife. The place was so filled with various brush and branches that from some angles it was quite hard to see the inn. It really did feel like stepping into a world of the past, back when people lived with nature and it would probably be the one part of the inn that would never change. Even the way they kept it lit at night added to things, with these strange stone fixtures that Yu would have thought were just decorations, but actually turned out to be lanterns. It was electronic and on a timer, but you'd never know that by looking at them with the way they flickered and imitated real flames to an untrained eye, it may have been weird but Yu found it fascinating that probably not too long ago, someone actually did walk through every night and individually light each one even if no one used the path that evening. That was dedication.

Yu turned around as soon as he heard Jiro's footsteps. "You kept me waiting."

"Sorry, I had to handle breakfast." Immediately, the man's big smile but Yu at ease and he held up his hands to tell his grandson it was just a joke.

The two stood quietly for awhile side by side, just listening to the sound of the birds, and watching the gentle movements of the koi below. It was almost impossible to be tense even though he had no idea what was about to happen and Yu wondered if perhaps the other man had chosen this place on purpose.

"I was born here..." Jiro began. "lived in this town for twenty years before even seeing the outside and my family has been here even longer. From what I know about you, we're complete opposites, but we both fell in love with a raven haired beauty and we both saved this town from destruction."

"You're not in trouble, I just want to know what happened." The cat was finally out of the bag and it almost made Yu want to let out a deep sigh in relief. "I know the basic gist but...I'm wondering what happened behind the scenes."

"Persona!" Yu shouted which made the man raise his eyebrows in surprise. "Yes. Everyone who entered the radio world and faced their shadow got one, except for our leader, but he was pretty amazing in general." The silver headed boy looked apologetic. "Sorry sir, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. Although our world was inside the TV."

"Ah, the Midnight Channel..." And from there, Jiro listened as Yu explained his tale of adventure, drama, and even a little bit of romance on the side. To his shock, he received a strong squeeze on his shoulder when he got to the part about Heaven and Namatame. It was a very "cliff notes" version of events that suited the short time frame they were on, but seeing as Jiro was apparently a veteran himself, he seemed to get the gist of it.

"Ameno-sagiri! That was that thing's name. He said he'd be back, but I always hoped he never would." That was Jiro's only interruption during the entire ten minute long tale. Yu's mouth was honestly a little dry even from recounting an abridged version and he was glad for the break. "Sir, what happened to you? What was your adventure like?"

"Oh well it was a lot like yours except with a radio. Guess big bronze eyeballs aren't all that creative huh?" Bronze? Yu didn't remember Ameno being bronze, but he chalked that up to there not really being big multicolored camera lenses back then either. "Surely there must have been some differences?" Yu asked.

"I mean there were, but...do you really want to hear some old man reminisce about his glory days?" Yu's silent but kind stare was enough of a motivator for the man, it seemed as though he was rather bashful about sharing, like he didn't think his own adventure was all that interesting by comparison. "Well...every night at midnight on days where it would rain, radios would turn on and people's voices would come out. The voices were...well it turned out they were what people were really thinking. Terrible secrets were aired, dirty laundry, desires, those kinds of things. The transmission was so garbled most of the time though, that no one could really tell who was saying them...until they were dragged into the radio world."

"And then...well you know what happened next I'm sure. You seem like a smart kid. Although our big mastermind was more like your kidnapper than your serial killer. He wanted...well he really believed what he was doing." The man seemed almost sad recalling it, the expression on his face that same look of regret Yu knew he had when he had talked to Adachi alone back then. "A world of pure truth...but we didn't believe it. The midnight radio only broadcasted the most negative thoughts people had, and the shadows were no different. What truth is there in only one side of the story? Well...what am I telling you that for? You already know I'm sure." His good natured smile came right back, and Yu felt himself moved towards the man. From his build and nature, he thought he might have been the "Kanji" of his group but if anything he seemed to be introspective and "Naoto"ish.

Although there was one aspect of his story that was a little confusing. "*Er* how exactly does one get 'pulled' into a radio?"

"Pulled in *hahaha* no that's not what happened. The radio would give a location at the end of every 'broadcast' and our leader, the mastermind, and his accomplice all had the ability to open 'doorways' there but only for a certain amount of time. Whenever the fog would lift, the place in the radio would be destroyed or would disappear or something like that and then a new one would open up on the next broadcast. Except for one near...well I don't exactly remember where it was, I just remember there were outlines of several people in the entrance. Very eerie, it still sticks out in my mind."

Izanami must have streamlined the game a lot more after her previous attempt, Yu had to wonder just how obtuse the one 100 years ago was, or what form it even took, the Midnight scroll? The Midnight telegram? Maybe he should ask his school's principal...

"...sent his lackey to nab people the voices on the radio were talking about to be judged. We got to some of them first and the ones he got too either died or joined up with our group." That certainly brought Yu back to the present, and made him ask the burning question. "You've mentioned a leader several times, that wasn't you?"

"Ha! I wasn't cut out to be the leader, no Jihei Narumi was ours and he led us to victory against the 'Shadow Lord' time and time again. Actually, this is going to sound foolish but one of the reasons I started to suspect you was because his hair was a bright snow white. Not something you see everyday." Yu didn't have to touch his head to know he was referring to his silver hair and that brought a smile to his face. "He's dead." That wiped the smile right off though. "Been dead for about...five years now. He was my best friend...but...it was his time."

"I'm sorry to hear that sir."

"Don't be. He lived a happy life and followed Haruko...his wife."

"That's how I would want to go at least." He turned to the younger man and smiled gently. "I shouldn't talk so morbidly, I plan to stick around for awhile after all."

"Is the reason you got thrown in because of the fact you were the one marrying Sachiko Amagi?"

"Yes and no. I wasn't specifically marrying Sachiko back then, but I would be wed to the one who won the right to inherit the inn. I just happened to fall in love with Sachi." The man proceeded to explain how he was from a farming family that made some lucky investments in the nearby city of Okina. Being the third child, he wasn't set to inherit anything and was thus married off, the Amagi family being keen on spouses who would be able to devote their life to the inn, especially ones with a generous bride price. Specifically, they were looking for a well bodied man to do a lot of the physical things around the place as Inaba had lost a lot of good experienced boys to the war around twenty years before and moving out to the "big city" to make a name for themselves or trying to do the same with their own family business.

"I just wanted to work on the farm. I got scared and angry so I...well I listened to the mastermind when he came. Anywhere was better than here. And that's why I couldn't be the leader. They saw my shadow, they saw everything, but they didn't care. Jihei and that blockhead Daidara and Shiroku..."

"So they were in your group?"

"Hahaha yes. Why do you think they opened up the shops they did and sold you things for so cheap? I mean...on our adventure we didn't have such easy access to supplies. You kids today are so spoiled." Yu was floored by that, he actually hadn't actually thought of things from that angle and Jiro chuckled at the baffled expression on his face. "They were always the go getter types. I might have joined them if it wasn't for Jihei." The man gained a wistful expression and began to reminisce.

"He'd listen to me complain about my problems. I didn't want to burden him, but he'd always draw my worries out of me, like he enjoyed doing it. He was a stand up guy..."

"Anyway, he helped me stop being a brat. Made me realize that I didn't have to run the inn by myself, and there were things I could do to make it better, easier on everyone, and it all started with picking one of the heiresses to help win their contest."

"How did you fall in love?" Jiro chuckled. His daughter had told him that despite the boy's stern looks, he was a bit of a romantic. He didn't mind all the questions though. Jiro had probably said more today than he'd said in the past six months combined. All this stuff had been bottled up for years or everyone had heard it already, so it felt nice to find someone to share it with. "Well that's a funny story. As part of their own father's test, they had to do their best to win my heart. I thank the gods Jihei helped me sort myself out first and know what I wanted. Because it was love at first sight." Yu seemed incredulous since they seemed so dispassionate in public but Jiro nodded his head to confirm Yu's thoughts. "Well maybe love at first speech because...don't tell my wife this...they were all equally beautiful. I asked them several questions, but the one I always remember is when I asked them if they could have anything they wanted from me right now, what would it be."

"The first one said 'I want nothing more than your company darling' and looked at me so sweetly I thought my heart would melt."

"The second one said 'I would want some fine jewelry to bring out my eyes more," and started listing off several things that she would want even though I only said one."

"The last said "I would want a new stove for the kitchen since the one we have isn't working like it used to."

Looking to his grandson, he grinned. "Can you guess which one I picked?"

Well...it obviously wasn't number two. Number one sounded a lot like something Yukiko might say to him and he'd pick her every time, but before he answered he remembered that he was guessing which one Jiro picked and the third one DID sound a lot like Sachiko. "Number 3."

"That's right. She knew exactly what she wanted and it wasn't something frivolous either. So I didn't run the inn, I helped her run the inn. And our arrangement has worked for over thirty years." His wistful expression faded and he grew more serious. "But now that I know what's happened and who was involved, we need to start planning for the next generation."

"Excuse me?"

"The fog returns every fifty years. And with it, comes another incident. Our old group won't be around forever so I wanted to discuss passing the torch so to speak."

"Sir, we stopped the fog, for good this time." Jiro set his jaw and looked very seriously at Yu. "I know it's easy to think that, but no matter how things turn out, humans will always have the desire to escape and lie to themselves. So Ameno-sagiri will always come back." That was when Yu put two and two together, his group must have never made that final connection that Yu's group never would have made without Adachi's help. They must have defeated Ameno and assumed the reason why the three were chosen was for their strength of heart. A sinister thought crept into Yu's mind at that moment, if they had fog and it was taken away for a time, did that mean they had their own version of Marie who they failed to save? Did their memories get wiped and was that version of his friend lost forever? Or did she even manifest back then to begin with? Asking such a thing would be pointless though so he decided to focus on the details that did matter.

"Well...that's not entirely true." As he explained Izanami's roll in things, he saw the older man actually look legitimately surprised for the first time in the conversation.

"How did...how did you know?" He eventually asked. "What made you realize that Ameno was just an aspect?"

"Luck. "

His boldfaced admission produced a chuckle from the old man. Still though, it didn't take away just how floored he was by this kid. "You know...I might be remembering incorrectly, but there might have been a woman with silver hair working as a delivery person...ah I'm probably just trying to save face, we didn't figure it out and that's that."

"But...you really convinced a god to change its mind? Not even some heroes of legend can manage that you know." Yu just smiled a bit. "Well...the god of this town is pretty reasonable. Her poetry's terrible though." At that moment, a strong gust of wind blew through the garden, blasting Yu right in the face and mussing up his hair while strangely leaving Jiro untouched. In an instant, his hair was perfectly back in place and he was still smiling. "Hi to you too Izanamarie." If one listened closely, they could almost hear the wind itself sighing aloud, but of course, that would just be their imagination.

"So my granddaughter fought to save the town as well...I mean, she's always been kind but I never thought she could be that brave. And to think her friend would be a hero too *ahahaha* I still remember that little girl running around pretending to be a crime fighter while Yukiko watched and now our Yukiko got involved too. Sachiko always said that girl was a bad influence *ahahahaha*!" It was clear where the uproarious laughter genes came from at least which Yu hadn't quite been expecting, it would be hypocritical though since Yu chuckled at the joke as well. Eventually, the man's friendly smile became a firm line and he looked around a bit before speaking again.

"How do I put this...the fact that you saw the worst part of my granddaughter like that...I'd rather not even know what it was. And after today, I'd like this to just stay between us."

Yu understood exactly where he was coming from. "Yuki and the others deserve to live in peace and move on with their lives."

"Yuki? Is that what you call her. *Ahahaha* that's cute," Yu from a year ago would have been bowled over by the other man's affectionate backslap, but a year of fitness hardened him just enough to be able to withstand it. "It's more than that though," he said, suddenly serious. "It's...I just feel like it's not done and buried until everyone moves past it. As long as it's hanging over the minds of people in the town, it will always have a presence. Like the fog is still lingering in people's minds...*hahaha* I sound like my son in law right now."

"I understand what you mean though, I still feel guilty it got to the point where my uncle had to get involved at all." Another pat on the back worked to snap him out of it. "Jihei would always beat himself up about it too." And with that statement, Yu felt comfortable closing the books on Jiro's little adventure. It had been grand, it had been exciting, lifelong friends had been made along the way, but it had also been terrifying and dangerous and something better left in the past. Since the regular shadows were formed from people's imagination, Yu had to wonder what kinds of things stood in Jiro's way. With the war in recent memory, maybe it wasn't quite as pleasant as giant robots or potato chip mascots. There was one last thing he had to ask though. "You don't want to talk to your granddaughter about it?"

Jiro shook his head. "No. I'm sure any daughter of my daughter liked the shadow world at least somewhat, I'm sure she did a lot of things there she was proud of too, I'm certainly proud of the sweetheart, but if the threat is dealt with, I don't see the point. I'd rather she just think of me as grandpa and not some hero." Yu was expecting him to be relieved at his news about Izanami, but Jiro seemed more like a man who'd been awake for several days finally being given rest.

"So...it's really finally over. I had this big speech prepared but I guess I'm not qualified to tell you how to save Inaba right? When Yukiko went missing, we were thinking about jumping right back in, but some plucky kids swung by the stores instead, and two of 'em couldn't keep their voices down. Had no idea my granddaughter would end up marrying one of them though. Small town."

"Yeah, small town."

And that was the end of that. The two of them would have probably been content to just stare at the fish moving about their business for the rest of the day if they hadn't heard some voices coming their way. "...ow it looks way different than it did at night!" A beautiful feminine giggle filled Yu's ears and he turned to see his wife gently placing a hand on his younger cousin's shoulder. "Slow down a bit okay Nanako? I wouldn't want you to trip and hurt yourself."

"I won't!" Turning around the bend, she noticed the two men sharing the bridge. "Hey big bro! And oh!" She pointed her finger right at the older man and turned her head to Yukiko instead of asking the man directly. "Is that your grandpa?" The breakfast burdened breeder laughed merrily at just how precious Nanako was and her grandfather seemed to feel the same. The large man slowly began the process of getting down onto one knee when you were getting up there in age so he'd be eye level with the girl. "That's me."

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Nanako *um* Dojima. Big bro is my big cousin." The man smiled warmly and Nanako giggled back. "I'm proud of you Nanako," Yu said aloud which made her cock her head. "Why? Oh! Because I helped big sis to the garden?" That wasn't it at all, it was really because she used to hide behind her father's legs even when meeting her own cousin, but now a complete stranger had her cheerily introducing herself. But he decided to go with her idea instead.

"Yep, thanks for looking out for your big sis like that." He affectionately pat her head as he walked past.

Yu decided it was okay to get a little bit affectionate in front of Jiro and Nanako and pulled his wife into a smooch. "Don't let your grandmother catch you doing that dear, she'd go into conniptions." But she didn't even seem to hear him enjoying her make out far too much.

"She's looking out for her 'little brother' too," the expecting heiress said with a pat to her stomach. "Yu..." she whispered excitedly. "I did it! I made her an omelette that was so good she asked for seconds! And I didn't even get knocked out this time either!"

"Wow, I guess that nap really did help." He got a little smack on his chest for his teasing and he stopped there. She just seemed so happy about it, he didn't want to undermine it, besides Nanako seemed to be getting a little antsy. "*Um* big sis told me that this was your garden, so is it okay if I take some things." That certainly piqued his interest. "It's not 'my' garden, I just took care of it for awhile. But...what did you have in mind?"

"Flower seeds! Big sis told me I could have some, for my garden. I wanna make it beautiful." With some cracking and popping of joints, the man made his way into a standing position. "Well...with a goal like that, how could I refuse. You can help yourself to whatever you want." Yukiko had told her a similar thing last month, but actually being here and getting told that seemed to excite her all over again, and she ran to various plants so fast it was a little hard for Yukiko and her grandfather to keep up. "Slow down Nanako, the plants aren't going anywhere."

"But big bro, there's so many and they're all so pretty! And if I don't get the seeds, then I might forget and that would be bad." Yu chuckled and shrugged. He had a feeling Jiro would remind her of any one's she missed out on, judging by the way he explained each one in detail. "This one can't be grown next to this one and this one curls into itself at night and this one..." and so on and so forth.

He learned more about horticulture in that one morning than he probably ever expected to in his life. When Nanako had excitedly came to him yesterday, showing him the space she had set up for the tree, he almost couldn't believe it himself. Dojima said the garden was her responsibility, but seeing his tiny daughter desperately trying to make progress with a shovel had softened his stance and he'd helped her out with that one part. Along with carrying the big bags of fertilizer, and planting things from time to time, and pulling the weeds, come to think of it his hard ass stance had considerably softened but that's probably just what happened when you were a dad. Or maybe he was just so happy to see her so lively and full of energy? Such a happy bright girl, Yu wondered if she even remembered her experience in the TV World. And it was probably better she didn't.

"Here we are," Jiro said as he reached for a peach. He cracked it open and dropped the seed in Nanako's eager outstretched hands. "Oh wow, thanks Mr. Amagi! I'll take good care of it I promise."

"*Ahahaha* I know you will, just remember the most important rule of gardening okay dear?"

"What's that?"

"Have fun."

Yu watched his younger cousin joyfully rock back and forth on her heels as she chatted with the old man with Yukiko locking her arms around his. "Grandpa looks especially cheerful today. What were you two talking about?"

"Just how much we love how our lives have turned out."

"Oh hubby *mwah* *mwah* *mwah*" After his face was sufficiently covered, she began to giggle. "What's so funny cutie?"

"O-oh it's just *pfthahaha* last night, grandpa *hahahah* he said some kids came by the blacksmith and general store all the time! Yu, that was us! *Hahaha* Isn't that funny? *Snrk* he...he didn't even realize!" Strangely, she felt Yu press tightly into her and kiss the top of her head, warm from the summer sun shining brightly in Inaba's clear skies. "I'm smiling just thinking about it."

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"Come on Mr. H, pretty please with sugar on top?"

"No. And I thought I told you not to call me that." Yosuke just sighed as yet another breakfast at the Hanamura household took a turn for the annoying. Teddie was currently attempting to weasel a day off from his hardass dad with seemingly no better justification than he really really wanted to. Obviously, that wasn't going over so well.

"I'm already giving you, both of you, time off for your friend's wedding. And I just gave you a day off, you should have thought of that before using it up immediately." Teddie pouted in that exaggerated way he always did, complete with a loud "harumph."

"I told you, that was so I could play with Nana-chan! I need some 'me' time too!" Yosuke scoffed at the bear. "Oh please, you had the whole day off. How much more me time do you need?"

"Yosuke! Are you suggesting I should have cut our play date short!? *Gasp* No wonder Nana-chan likes me more than you!" Before Yosuke could lunge across the table, his mom loudly cleared her throat and silenced them both. "What have I told you boys time and time again?"

"No fighting at the table," they repeated in unison like scolded children. Satisfied, she served them up their breakfast with a smile. "Now dear, let's hear Teddie out. He doesn't usually ask for time off unless it's something important." Her husband shrugged behind his newspaper, he did have to give the boy that at the very least. "Alright Ted, this better be good."

"Well...it's because my quest for a boyfriend free girl has finally come to a close! I've got a hot date that's bearning a hole in my pocket! Every second that goes by they lower and lower until all that's left are the coals..." Yosuke couldn't see his dad's face, but he could tell the man was somewhat amused. "Ted my boy, you thought the woman from corporate calling your costume 'appealing' meant she was head over heels. So you'll forgive me if I don't quite believe that.

"Yeah hey weren't you the one who said you and a girl touching hands at the same time when reaching for a topsicle makes you soulmates?" Teddie was starting to feel a bit ganged up on and it was only made worse when Yosuke's mom joined in. "No offense dear, but you DID also think that woman was interested when she asked where the dates were."

"*Rrrrawr* well think whatever you want, these ears don't miss anything and I know what I heard! If you keep me here, you're standing between true love!" Yosuke's mom chuckled at his antics like she usually did while his dad remained silent. "Who's the lucky lady?" Mrs. Hanamura asked, clearly not taking it seriously at all.

"Why, she's a teacher at Yosuke's school! Kashi-baby." Yosuke spit all over the table and received a smack on the back of his head from his mother as well as a rag thrown at his chest to wipe it up. He had known, deep down he had known exactly what happened that day at school where Teddie was smitten for the rest of the day and they were both smiling at each other, but part of him had been desperately hoping his intuition was off. "Oooh that old vulture's at it again. How has she not been fired already?" his mother complained.

"She does good work and this town's short on good teachers, lord knows our son whined enough about how hard her class was."

"Love you too, dad." The man reached over his paper to ruffle his son's hair a bit. His mother didn't seem all too satisfied with that explanation but decided to just let it drop. They were the Junes family after all, so any campaign to get someone from the local high school fired would probably be met with hostility and accusations of them sticking their noses where they didn't belong. "You be careful around that kind of woman Teddie dear. They're like vampires, all they want to do is use you for your youth to feel young again. You'll only end up hurt."

"But Mrs. Honeymura, that's not what Kashi's like at all! *Sigh* She's just a sensei looking for an eager young pupil, and I want to be that pupil. She said she'd make me a gentleman and get me high marks...seems like a lot of work if she just wanted me for my amazing physique. "

"Okay you can go." His wife and son both looked at Mr. Hanamura like he had gone crazy, but Teddie looked like he was so happy he'd grow little wings on his back. "Mr. Honeymura, you really are the world's #1 boss! Come here so I can kiss you!" The glare he received told him not to push it, and he instead settled for dashing out of the room with his cell phone in hand.

"Dear...what the hell!?"

"Yeah dad, did you hit your head on the way downstairs or something?" The man merely sipped from his #1 Boss coffee cup and flipped another page in the newspaper. "Some education will do him some good. We're all too busy to teach him and it's not like we can enroll an amnesiac foreigner in the local high school. Besides, if he gets some action maybe that'll settle him down a little."

"Dad! What the hell!?"

"What? It's not like he's a student. And this whole thing could just putter out immediately anyway." But Yosuke didn't quite seemed convinced. "What if it doesn't? What if they end up...I don't even want to talk about that...but let's say she goes the Yukiko way and they get married and then there's three little Teddies running around? Is that what you want dad?"

"Oh that doesn't sound so bad. I think they'd be kind of cute." Yosuke looked at his mother in exasperation before tightening his jaw and putting his hands on his hips. "Fine, fine whatever. Let's just...see what happens but you're the one who has to comfort him if this thing crashes and burns." At that moment, Yosuke heard the tell tale sign of Teddie rummaging around in their shared bedroom which made the boy groan in annoyance. "What is that stupid bear doing now!?"

When he rushed upstairs himself, his mother watched him go and sighed. "He's so high strung sometimes, I think he needs a girlfriend himself..." Her husband raised his coffee cup in agreement.

"Ted, what are you doing? You better not be making a mess on my side!"

"Da da da da!" Yosuke walked in to his friend holding up a bottle of cologne high up above his head, imitating a move he'd seen in a video game like he was trying to prove his dad's point. "Sensei's magic love potion! This is sure to be a hit." Upon closer inspection, Yosuke realized it was the one Yu had given him the other day and let out a sigh of relief. He'd tell Teddie to wash his hair and maybe brush his teeth, but it seemed like no matter how much the otherworldly youth mussed his hair up or went without bathing, he always smelled like roses and looked impeccable. Kind of reminded him of a certain silver haired partner of his except without the roses part.

"Alright bottom's up!" Before Yosuke even knew what was happening, Teddie yanked the cap off of the bottle and brought it to his lips for a sip. Thankful for his agility, Yosuke managed to snatch the bottle just in time but not before giving his troublesome roommate a bop on the head with it. "Ow! Yosuke! Sensei gave that bottle to me? Don't tell me you're going to try and steal Kashiwagi's heart!? Well I won't let you, put 'em up!"

"No you idiot, I just didn't want you to make yourself sick. You're not supposed to drink it, you're supposed to spray a little bit. And I do mean a little bit, if you put too much on it's almost as bad as not putting on any at all." Seeing Teddie starring at him in surprise, he cocked his head. "What?"

"Yosuke, when did you become a woo master? The other boy shrugged. He wouldn't call himself a "master" but he'd gone from using speed stick deodorant to something a little more classy after a lecture from a certain strawberry blonde heiress.

She had also told him to shave his "shaggy mane" short and that it would look way better if he did. He'd shot right back with an "I'll think about it" and was probably going to leave it long for a while just to rile her up a little. "Well I gotta get to school, good luck with your...whatever it is."

"Thanks Yosuke, but I don't need luck. I'm going to sweep her off her feet with my animal magnetism." That was about all Yosuke could take and after throwing up his hands, he left Teddie to his own devices.

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Kashiwagi had been looking towards the day he would call with a mix of exuberance and trepidation. On the one hand, it was undeniable proof that not only was he interested, he was interested enough to pursue, she liked that, she liked that a whole lot. But on the other hand, it also meant things had to be as close to perfect as possible and she had to be on her best behavior. If she screwed everything up now after weeks of setup and anticipation, she'd be kicking herself for the rest of her life.

The sound of her heels clacking against the hard wood floor of her home would have become quite irritating with the way she was pacing back and forth and back and forth, nervously brushing her locks of hair behind her ear and out of her face. Lips ruby red, jewelry tasteful, tits visible and enticing without being obscene, and of course a sexy little thigh slit just to get his imagination running. She had debated with herself endlessly about that last one before finally settling on giving it a try. Kashiwagi was a developed and alluring specimen of beauty and if that bothered him... she had to chuckle to herself in the middle of her panic, she knew it didn't bother him.

Really though, it was nothing too obscene. Just a simple black evening dress for a slightly upscale restaurant. She was on a teacher's salary after all and therapy trips to the Amagi Inn did get expensive. Hopefully after tonight, she wouldn't need them anymore!

Eventually though, the bell tolled for Noriko Kashiwagi, and despite herself she unconsciously took a deep breath. The teacher decided to just rip it off like a band-aid and flung the door open with one mighty yank although that ended up having unintended consequences as the *slam* made the smiling Teddie almost jump out of his shoes.

"*Eeep!*" He yelped, nearly tossing his bouquet across the yard. "Kashi-baby you startled me!" The boy complained. Kashiwagi at first made to apologize but then found her eyes narrowing and put her hands on her hips. "'Kashi-baby?' Is it time for nicknames already? My my, kids today move fast don't they?" The blonde boy calmed down immediately and took a moment to drink her in, really drink her in. Enough so that she could actually feel herself getting a bit annoyed. She loved feeling sexy, but he wasn't going to be much of a conversation partner if he did nothing but ogle.

"It's not polite to stare young man, a gentleman should never makes his lady feel uncomfortable." That snapped Teddie out of his daze and he at least had the decency to look embarrassed. "Oh! I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable, it's just well...I've never really seen a lady in a fancy dress before. Girls never dress up when they're coming to Junes..."

Kashiwagi had trouble believing that considering the white dress shirt and rose that he was wearing but the boy certainly seemed sincere. He was the type of cutie who wore his heart on his sleeve, she was sure if he was lying, she'd be able to instantly see right through him. It made it impossible not to forgive him on the spot. "I was only staring at your firm breasts and womanly hips a little bit!" And now she was back to being a little annoyed. "Now I appreciate that of course, but I want you to be on your best behavior tonight, okay? A woman wants to feel respected by her date just as much as she wants to feel enticing to him."

Teddie nodded his head like the eager schoolboy Kashiwagi thought he was. "Respected huh? Oh, I can do that!" The older woman chuckled a bit at just how cute he was, but suddenly the boy stood stock still and looked at his shoes. Right before Kashiwagi reached over to touch his shoulder to see if he was alright, he suddenly shot up fixing her with a smoldering gaze. The arm at his side raised up slowly and deliberately, bringing a bouquet of roses right under her nose. "These are for you my darling. The finest Junes has to offer."

Kashiwagi blinked a bit in shock, it was like he had just transformed into a totally different person. "O-oh well thank you. I'll be sure to put them in a nice vase right on the front table when I get back." She certainly hadn't been expecting flowers, and as she quickly stepped inside to put them on said front table, she called behind herself to her new boyfriend.

"Well they're certainly quite pretty, but I hope you didn't spend too much on them, you need to be saving up at your age after all."

"Too much? *Ahahaha* Kashi-baby, for you, there's no such thing." Now it was Kashiwagi's turn to shoot straight up. She knew it was probably just flirting but...well she hadn't been spoken to like that in...she couldn't even remember. It was a good thing she couldn't read minds though, because if she could, she'd be able to hear Teddie loudly lamenting about the loss of a month's allowance for some flowers. But the lady said she wanted a respectful gentleman, and respectful gentlemen never complained!

"Come madame, your chariot awaits." Kashiwagi actually felt herself blushing as she was gently held by the finger tips and led back outside. The teacher was having a bit of trouble containing her excitement, it was just so cute and charming how hard he was trying. Like he genuinely believed flowers at Junes were a lavish gift, it was just so...alluring. This was going to be a lot of fun.

Some of her enthusiasm was deflated when she saw what her chariot actually was. An orange bike with a skateboard attached to the handle bars. "Teddie dear...what is it that I'm looking at?"

"Why, it's how I got here. Usually I ride in the back, but tonight it's your turn." She didn't quite understand what he meant before he started to untie the rope around the handle bars and began to make a knot on the metal under the seat. "Kanji and I came up with it together, but unlike him, I know how to slow down for the ladies, so don't worry one bit."

This idea certainly did have Kanji Tatsumi written all over it and while Kashiwagi was willing to humor her boyfriend to some extent, the line did have to be drawn somewhere. "I appreciate the offer, but how about we take my car instead? That way we won't be sweating up a storm before the sparks even begin to fly." Making sure to flick under his chin to make him more compliant, she sashayed her way over to her vehicle. When Teddie finished stammering, he had regained his natural enthusiasm.

"I've never been inside a car before, but I know you need a license just to use one, is it dangerous?" Again, Kashiwagi was stunned by his response. He'd never been in a car, alright a little strange but not too bizarre especially if he was European and moved to the Japanese country side. But his second question caught her a lot more off guard. "Y-yes, it's very dangerous. Thousands of people die every year in automobile related accidents in this country alone." Teddie's eyes went wide as he looked between his date and the car. "Are you sure you don't want to take the bike instead, that sounds kind of dangerous!"

"Just get in the car dear, we don't want to be late for our reservation." Slightly nervously, he got in and found Kashiwagi starring at him. "You know, if you're really so worried about safety, you should probably put on your seat belt."

"Oh that's right! You know, you never see them putting them on in the movies, I wonder why that is? Why is that?"

"Well usually because the characters are in a hurry and don't have time for such things." The boy made a little "oh" sound and nodded his head, like it made perfect sense. He certainly was an odd one, especially the way he ran his finger along the gear shift and proceeded to ask about each and every function. He certainly hadn't been kidding about being curious!

"Are you toying with me, Teddie?" She eventually had to ask. "Making sure I keep my end of the bargain, because I have no intention of backing out." The blonde teen looked shock at the idea of him toying with anyone. "No! I just wanted to know what all the buttons meant, I wasn't saying that you were lying at all." When he pouted, he looked so cute that Kashiwagi just had to reach over and cup his model worthy face. "Of course, of course, a boy like you probably isn't even capable of sarcasm. I like that genuineness in my men you know..."

"O-oh w-well..." he was going to make a comment about how he always laid his emotions "bear" but a little tickling under his chin had him saying something else instead. A strange stuttering series of exclamations that had his driver cooing fiercely. He would try hard to be a dashing young gentleman, but could be reduced to a stammering teenager again with a small application of her mature allure. Cute baby faced handsome puddy to mold and enjoy...

"*Um* Kashi-baby, I think we passed it." Realizing she had gotten lost in her own thoughts, the teacher bit back a curse and made a sharp turn, chastising herself for doing the exact same thing she had lectured him for doing. It was his fault for leaving his chest slightly exposed anyway...

"Sushi! Oh boy I love sushi!" Teddie was so stoked about her choice in restaurants that he flung open her car door and leaped out.

"*Rawr* I'm impressed you know my tastes so well. There's nothing I like more than biting into a big juicy hunk of fatty tuna, *sigh* it must be bearclaws of my bearitage." Kashiwagi loudly cleared her throat in the middle of his antics, although she couldn't quite keep the smile off of her face. "Teddie...aren't you forgetting something?" He stared long and hard at her, eventually bringing a hand to his chin with a loud "hrrrrmmm." The lusty barfly just chuckled a bit, willing to wait as long as it took but luckily for her she didn't have to wait long. Teddie morphed back into his "gentleman" mode and gracefully made his way around to the other side of the car. "I'm terribly sorry madame, but may I get the door for you?"

"You may. Thank you."

"Watch the step, it's a doozy! *Heehee* just kidding!" He made his dumb joke while he was gracefully helping her from her seat so it was hard to decide whether she should scold or praise him. In the end, she settled on a gentle caress of the arm and an "accidental" brush from her chest. Forcibly locking her arm into his, it was like she was making sure he couldn't change his mind at the last minute. Like the second they stepped through the door, things would be official and they really would be dating. Her heart stopped right in her chest though, when he asked her to let go of his arm.

"Why? You aren't thinking of running off now are you? *hahahahaha*" Her laugh was a bit too forced and hard to be entirely genuine and Teddie honestly felt a little freaked out by it. "N-no, but I can't hold the door open for my lady if she's stuck to it." And just like that, she was all smiles again. "Oh that's right, how silly of me to forget, I have you hook line and sinker after all." Not even giving Teddie a chance to respond, she opened the next door with nothing but a swing of her hip, the formerly desperate teacher now feeling quite relaxed and in control

Despite her confidence though, she had specifically chosen a more out of the way place where there was less of a chance of being recognized, not because she was particularly worried about gossip or her already shot reputation, more so that she could do without whispering and giggling or little Teddie becoming the focal point of rumors. Girls could be so cruel sometimes!

She was tickled pink that Teddie also remembered to pull out her chair as well, the only thing that was missing was him paying for the meal, but honestly she kind of enjoyed the fact that she was the one paying. He'd pick up the tab after college and his career started to really take off. "Oh boy, everything looks so good! Can I really have anything I want?" That amused her, she had never said he could have "anything," but he looked so excited she didn't have it in her to disappoint. "If you can keep it under 10000 yen, then yes you can have whatever you would like."

"Is 'eel' any good?"

"You should try it and find out."

"What about octopus?"

"*Hmm-hmm* try it and see." That got her a displeased "hmph" from the boy but he didn't stay pouting for long, something she had a feeling was another positive. "Well if you're not going to tell me...then maybe I'll just order them all!"

"That's quite alright with me, but I'm surprise you've never tried them before, haven't you been in Japan for a year?"

"Yosuke's dad says sushi is too expensive for the amount you get, so we never have it. I didn't know about this place though, it reminds me of this one place I went to in Tatsumi Port Island." Immediately, his hands clamped over his mouth while Kashiwagi gained a smirk. "Oh my how naughty! I was planning on talking to you about that but I guess you really are no good at keeping secrets, it all just comes spilling out," she teased as she made sure her breasts did the same to the table top. "*Ahaha* you would be in such big trouble if you weren't such a genteel gentleman."

"Come to think of it...where do you attend school?"

"I don't...but I'd really like to. Every time I try to come in, one of the teacher's always kicks me out." He sounded so forlorn that Kashiwagi didn't even feel like lecturing him about career prospects and how not graduating high school basically meant he'd be stuck as a wage slave for the rest of his life. "Aren't the Hanamura's your guardians? Are you telling me that they haven't enrolled you!? Depriving a boy of his education just for some extra labor I bet, that's what's going on, isn't it?" From Teddie's perspective, his date had suddenly become rather angry for seemingly no reason and he was quick to shake his head. "No, no, no it's not like that at all!" The expression she was giving him let him know that he wasn't going to get out of this without some kind of explanation. "It's just...well..."

"Yes?"

"I'll...I'll tell you later?" The teacher certainly hadn't been expecting that, and it took a moment for him to fully comprehend what he had just said. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I'll tell you later." Teddie said with more confidence this time. "That's right, you can't just expect me to bear it all to you right away! How else will I have you coming back for more? And you haven't even told me anything about yourself yet, so it's not fair to try and make me spill everything." He folded his arms against his chest with a confident "hmmph" but on the inside he was sweating up a storm. "I hope that works, I have no idea how to answer these questions." But the look of concern and suspicion on her face faded and she gained a little smirk. "You're right, we've only just met and here I am trying to get you to spill everything. Where are my manners." Teddie was about to say it was okay when he felt her hands atop one of his. "How about this? We get to know each other a little more with every date, and when you feel comfortable letting me in, well I'll be eagerly awaiting that day."

But inside, her own heart was pounding. "Oh god, I almost scared him off right there and then! Just be patient Noriko, don't rush things, Narukami's advice has been working so far..." And there was also the fact that he was right, that little layer of mystery did intrigue her and she made sure to let him know.

"After all, I want to be the one you feel comfortable telling anything to, or doing anything with. Is that wrong of me to think, it is just our first date..." While she pretended to muse over the question, she hoisted her chest up with her arms and tapped a slender finger against her plump ruby red lips, just knowing such a simple action would send his imagination running wild.

"N-n-no! I...*guh*...I want to do...things with you too, you seem really nice and patient." His answer made her relax a little herself, he wanted her badly, but he was skittish, nervous, he'd probably never felt this way about a woman before and she was the one making him feel that way. The waiter came at the moment, which was lucky for Teddie as it gave him a chance to cool down a bit.

"*Hrrmmmm* can I get one of everything?" His date's eyes went wide and he saw her shock. "Oh I'm sorry, just a combination of everything as long as its under 10000 yen! Sorry Kashi-baby, I almost forgot." But before she could tell him just how much sushi that actually was, the waiter spoke up instead. "Kashi-baby?" And her full attention and wrath turned to him.

"Is that a problem? My DATE would like as many types of sushi as you can fit on his plate! And I'll take some mackarel rolls myself." The waiter looking between the young man and the older woman set her off even more. "Do you have something you want to say!?"

"N-no ma'am, we'll have that out for you right away." Him calling her ma'am wouldn't have bothered her normally, but after all that it was like the icing on the "Christmas cake" so to speak. "I'm still plenty good, all these people acting like I'm 40..." she muttered.

"What's wrong Kashi? You're going to break your chopsticks in half!" Kashiwagi blinked and realized he was absolutely right, she was gripping those things hard enough for them to start cracking. Realizing she probably looked quite foolish, she let out a deep sad sounding sigh. "It's nothing really...it's just, when it really comes down to it, age is just a number right? So why do people make such a big deal about it." If she was with Hanako, her friend would come in right about now with an assurance that "yeah teach, age is just a number *snort*" but in the back of her mind, Kashiwagi knew she was bullshitting the same way she would when Hanako would claim she was attractive and the apple of every men's eye, so she was fully expecting a similar thing from Teddie.

"Right! But aren't you the only one who's making a big deal out of it?"

"W-what? Didn't you see the way he stared at us? Like it's really so wrong that I'm dating someone a little bit younger than me, you know, where does that pompous little brat get off!" Immediately, she clamped a hand over her mouth, realizing she had not only said something negative, but had lost quite a bit of composure as well; for some reason though, Teddie seemed unperturbed. "Aren't they just staring because we're both really attractive? I'm not sure where you got all this 'age' stuff from. *Gasp* is that why it's impolite to stare at ladies, because it's calling them old!? I had no idea!" As silly as he was, the brunette could see the kernel of truth in all of his goofiness. Perhaps she was just being high strung for no real reason. And...did he just call her "really attractive?"

"No you're right, I apologize. I had a long day today at school. You haven't done anything wrong dear." Teddie's visible relief made her genuinely chuckle and it wasn't long before they were both smiling again. "That's okay. Yosuke's parents always seem a little tense when they're working hard too."

"Everyone works so hard...I just stand in a bear suit." Seeing the concerned look Kashiwagi was giving him, he quickly put on a smile. "But I love being in the my suit though! The kids all love my fur, I even have to tell them not to pull on it! That's why Nana-chan is such a good girl, she never pulls or hits or pushes other kids out of the way." Kashiwagi was ashamed to admit it, but before she realized "Nana-chan" was probably a small child, she had felt a pang of some kind in her heart and she actually gave off a sigh of relief as he continued on with stories about their last play date at her house. "Now that sensei has gone to live with the Amagi's, she's always so happy to see me. But it's better than him being sent back home I suppose."

"Sensei? Are you talking about Narukami?"

"Yep. He's my amazing sensei, oh but I guess you're my sensei now since he's so busy with his new family." He didn't sound bitter about it in the slightest, in fact, he sounded more excited about it than anything. "And since you were sensei's sensei then that means...wow you must have a lot to teach me! *Um* so when do we start?"

"Pardon?"

"When do we start my tutoring? You got me all riled up!" Kashiwagi gently pat his head which he seemed to enjoy. "Not so loud Teddie, goodness you're shouting loud enough to break the sound 'bearrier' hahaha" It took Teddie a moment to realize what she had said and when he did, he got a great big smile on his face. "I'm no language teacher, but I do enjoy some 'pun' every now and then! Maybe I can help you move beyond the bearsics because that's all you've made so far."

"*Grr* I have other jokes too you know! I am a master of comedy!"

"*hmmhmm* I'm sure you are, but tell them to me some other time okay? Any more tonight would be Teddieous *haha.*" The bear nearly felt his jaw drop, gorgeous and hilarious? This lady really was the complete package, that last one took him days to come up with and she just belted it out like nothing!

"But about your tutoring...let's just have a nice evening out okay? I do admire your eagerness though, that's how I think a man should be." Punctuating her statement with a quick and gentle caress of his wrist that had him blushing fiercely. It wasn't long until their food arrived and Kashiwagi couldn't help but be a bit surprised at just how much there was on Teddie's side, but that's what left overs were for. Quick as lighting, he had stuffed three entire rolls into his mouth before she could even blink. "T-teddie! Please do slow down, there's no rush." After swallowing his massive mouthful in one big gulp, Teddie beamed at his new girlfriend. "I know, but there's just so many different flavors I want to try, I don't even know what half of these are but they all look delicious!" Kashiwagi's interruption did bring his attention off of his own food briefly. "Oh, are you feeling sick Kashi-baby? You didn't have to come out if you weren't feeling well." She didn't understand what he meant at first, but following his eyes she saw he was looking at her own comparatively meager plate. "Oh no, this is enough for me. Unfortunately, I can't eat quite as much as you young men can."

"But my friend Chie does all the time and she looks great." Kashiwagi felt her eye twitch a little bit. Yes Satonaka certainly could eat whatever she wanted and not gain a pound, at least her raven haired friend had suffered the proper consequences for her indulgence...and got the man of her dreams and a baby to go along with it. Dammit! She was being negative again and she had almost started bad mouthing them before catching herself at the last minute. "Well...when you get older you don't have quite as much time to exercise as you used to, so you have to be more careful with what you eat, especially if you're a woman." Teddie nodded in understanding, Yukiko had definitely said something similar at one point about "slowing down"

"That sounds awful, I don't know if I could last without my topsicles." But men eating more than they should and getting away with it didn't really bother Kashiwagi so she just chuckled in response. Maybe she could cook for him sometime, if she could ever corral him into her den. That would certainly be a fun way to spend an evening and that thought was enough to push her into suggesting it.

"Okay!" Teddie said immediately, "that sounds like fun. I should invite the others to so that-"

"Teddie, dear. It would just be the two of us. I'd be cooking for you, whatever you want." That certainly put a new more thrilling spin on things! "C-can you cook?" he found himself nervously sputtering out. She fixed him in a deep smoky gaze. "Why...all women should know how to cook a big filling meal for their men shouldn't they? Are you saying there are some that don't?" She had heard from Hanako about "Mystery Food X" and knew full well what she was implying, Teddie as usual though took her completely at face value.

"Well Yuki-chan's gotten much better but Chie-chan and Rise-chan are terrible." Kashiwagi almost felt like blowing a raspberry towards Yu. It didn't count as her insulting somebody if she got Teddie to do it instead~.

But...that ended up being quite short lived. "Oh how rude! Here I am blabbing about other girls when I should be asking about you! That's hardly gentlemanly at all!" Despite herself, Kashiwagi actually felt her breath hitch at that and took a moment to formulate her next reply. "*Ahem* well if you're really that interested..."

"Very!" At that, she briefly faced down to her sushi to hide her blush. He even remembered not to go for the easy pun just to show he really was serious about listening. "Well...let's start with the basics then. I'm a high school biology teacher, both human and animal. It's not the most exciting job, but I love it all the same."

What's being a teacher like? Is it fun? What made her come to Inaba? Were their other Kashiwagi siblings around? Why choose biology? Why decide to teach high school instead of college?

The rapid fire questions were almost too much for the poor woman, but she persevered to the best of her ability. And from her willingness to indulge his curiosity, Teddie learned quite a lot about his new date. Fascinated by all the moving parts that went into a living breathing organism, she had known biology was her calling since high school. "I was never one for groundbreaking ideas though, so I thought what would best suit me is maybe inspiring someone else, out here in the country where inspiration is rather lacking. *Ahahaha* I bet that makes me sound conceited, but Yasogami was planning on axing biology entirely until I showed up. Isn't that just awful?"

"That's terrible. Good thing you were here to save the day!" That brought a smile to her lips, if it was anyone else, she would have thought he was mocking her then. "I don't know about that, with the way students complain about my class, you'd think I was some kind of witch."

"*Hrrmmm* Yosuke complained a lot about your class, but he complains about everything so I kind of tune him out sometimes." The woman tittered a bit before noticing Teddie had completely cleaned his many plates in no time flat. "W-wow you certainly can eat young man. For a foreigner, you're pretty good with those chopsticks." It only made sense, he had gotten so used to trying to use chopsticks with his big clumsy bear paws that he had just become amazingly dexterous with them by default. "Oh hey, you finished yours too! I'm glad!" Kashiwagi blinked in surprise and noticed he was right. She had been planning on boxing it up and eating it later, but the conversation and his shining dreamy blue eyes had distracted her and made her lose track of herself.

All fears of looking like a pig in front of her date were quickly quashed with his smiling face. "I'll have to remember the mackerel next time if its that good!" How could she possibly be worried after hearing something like that. "Well next time, I'll be sure to remind you. But don't forget, you get to try some of my cooking first, okay handsome?"

"Well, if you insist..." And the two shared a little laugh together. Teddie's rapid consumption did cut the date a bit short though but that was okay, she'd seen more than enough to determine she would indeed like to see more of him and from the way he was looking at her, it was clear he wanted the same. "Allow me," he said as he helped her to her feet. "Oh you're just so charming, I could eat you up." Teddie felt his heart pounding all the way back to the car after the little nip she gave to his ear, she said she was a biology teacher but she seemed to be an expert Teddie tantalizer!

"So...where is the Hanamura house?" She was surprised at just how audible the disappointment in her voice actually was and she cleared her throat to try again. "I mean...so we can get you home before it gets dark."

"Oh but...I left my bike at your home, remember?" She had to confess that detail had slipped her mind. "That's right you did. I hope we can make it back in time before it gets too late, I don't recall seeing any lights on that bike." Despite saying they needed to hurry though, Kashiwagi seemed to be taking her sweet time and Teddie didn't really seem to mind either. After all, it did give them more time to chat and make little passes at the other.

"I think I know the reason why so many people have trouble in your class, Kashi."

"Oh and why is that?" A bump on the road sent her tit meat quivering and immediately she put two and two together. Teddie grinned at her and made a "bounce, bounce" motion with his hands. "It's hard to focus! *Sigh* I could just stare at those big breasts all day..."

He must have figured an evening of being a gentleman had entitled him to some good old fashioned lechery, but that was quite alright with her, she'd had to watch that bright face laugh and smile and that well toned chest bounce merrily with every happy laugh. "It's the same reason they stick you in that costume, because all the ladies would be all over you otherwise."

"*Gasp* I knew it!" That drew a laugh from his date and she started rubbing his arm affectionately. The two sat in silence for a bit before Teddie broke it. "Thanks for taking me out today, that sushi was deeelicious!" She smiled at him, but suddenly he seemed to grow a bit more pensive. "I *um* I had a lot of fun too. And...I think maybe we could both learn a lot from each other...because I want to inspire people too." This boy was so sweet that it took everything Kashiwagi had not to start covering him with kisses and hugging him to her chest. "Thanks for taking me under your wing, I promise I'll be the best and most adorable student you've ever had!"

"Well hey you already have half of that at least...but thank you Teddie. I can't wait to unlock your talents...each and every one of them." Arm in arm, the two walked to her front door. Kashiwagi had a content smile until she realized just how close the boy's bike was. Teddie had left his bike on the front porch, so the second he let go of her arm that meant the date was over, just one little step to the left and it could be weeks until she got to see him again. Teddie for his part seemed a little hesitant himself. "Well...I guess that's it for today."

"Yeah..."

...

"Although..." Kashiwagi eventually said, "it is pretty dark out. If you don't mind some heavy lifting, we could just put your bike in my trunk and maybe you could...stay a little longer." That idea certainly got no complaints from Teddie. "Sure thing Kashi-baby. I'd love to see the inside of your house."

Ever curious, there was something a little off that Teddie noticed. "Hey, your car is pretty big for someone living all by herself. Do you have one of those 'car pool' things?" Instantly, it was like the happiness drained from his new girlfriend's body. "No I...I bought that car a few years ago, when I thought things would have turned out a bit...differently from how they did." It was a good thing the couch was so close to the entrance, because after that one sentence, all she felt like doing was sitting down, like she had just been punched in the gut. She had been so wide eyed and optimistic when she'd bought that car, just finishing her teaching degree and brimming with confidence, she had been far too happy to be gossiping about other women behind their backs. Then failure after failure after failure after failure, this definitely wasn't her first date, not even her first one that had gone this far...

"Kashi-baby what's wrong? Was I being rude again? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to maul your feelings like that." With a *poomph* he sat himself down next to her and to her surprise worked up the nerve to put his arms around her. When she looked into his eyes, she was all smiles. "I was just floored by how handsome you are." A gentle hand brushed a soft lock of blonde hair out of his eyes and Teddie could feel the familiar "thump thump thump" pounding in his ears.

"You know...you're the one being rude now Kashi-baby, not giving your knight in fuzzy armor a kiss goodnight."

"Ahahaha...well then, let me fix that." If there was any better indication she had him hooked than the way he clung to her lips, she'd be hard pressed to find it. The gentle smacking was the only sound in the home for what felt like an eternity before they both parted from one another. "I...I did it!" Teddie cheered to himself. "I finally scored!"

"Oh sweet Teddie bear, you don't know the meaning of the word...but keep coming back and I'll teach you that too."

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While Kashiwagi was savoring every moment of that day, Yukiko was trying to get hers over with as quickly as possible.

"After this, you can take a water break." Yukiko was far too exhausted to respond, instead merely nodding her head and panting aloud. Yu had kept his promise and had devised an entire workout routine for her. Low impact, low intensity, perfect for a clumsier softer more delicate mama. That didn't mean she wasn't feeling the burn towards the two thirds of the way point though and if she was being honest with herself, she had felt it earlier than that. The exercises were specifically chosen to reduce bouncing and disturbing her darling while he was napping so she could at least be thankful for that. And thankful for the fact that it was only for thirty minutes. And the fact that a significant portion was just a brisk walk. Come to think of it, she had a lot to be grateful for and it could have been a lot worse, but still, she shouldn't even have to do it in the first place!

The exercise she had just completed was light weight lifting where she raised them from her lap to her shoulders and repeated for sixty seconds, not so bad on its own but quite tiring when coming at the tail end of several other exercises. Her grandmother grabbed some of her arm flab and shook it about producing a pout from her granddaughter. "I've seen old nans with more defined arms. It's like the only thing you've lifted in the past few months has been your fork to your mouth." Yukiko was too drained to let the barb really get to her and proceeded to suck down her water bottle at record speed. "Yukiko," the other woman chastised. "Do show some decorum, you're not some drunkard after all." From the overworked girl's perspective, she already looked disheveled enough for that to not matter, clothing soaked through in the pits, hair matted to her forehead and neck, sweat dripping down her face, she looked a mess.

"If she wanted me to have decorum, then I shouldn't be exercising in the first place!" She grumbled to herself. "Would you blame a fish for failing to climb a tree? No? Then why am I getting yelled at for not overheating myself for no reason. And can't she see that these arms are perfect for a child to fall asleep in? I guess eyesight is the first to go after all *hmph*." After a vigorous shake of her head to get those thoughts out, she began to rub her tummy to calm down. "It's just for a month and grandma means well. Being all bitter won't solve anything now will it? I do wish she'd cut it out with all the jabs though..." But even though it did bother her, she understood why her grandmother did it. It was to make sure her granddaughter never allowed herself to become this fat again since she'd remember the sting of Sachiko's barbs and the constant harsh and judgmental stare right on her baby blubber. If only her grandmother knew just how ineffective that really was in the face of Yu's love alone.

"Alright break time is up dear, let's get back to work." Now it was time for the exercise ball. Honestly, it wasn't all that bad especially at first. In fact, the warm up was one of her favorite parts; how could it not be with the way it made her feel like her hips were moving on their own! It was nice and bouncy without being strong enough to rattle her womb, and she got to keep both hands on her stomach while she did it. When the actual workout started however, things got a bit uncomfortable.

"*Mmmph*" The purpose of these were to workout her core, the most lard laden part of her entire body. Even just doing side twists gave her a burn around her love handles something fierce and she knew it was only going to get worse.

"Are you going to stop after every one or were planning on actually completing an entire set?"

"I *hah* I'm trying grandmother, h-honest. I'm just...not used to it."

"And that's the whole problem distilled into a single sentence isn't it? Kicking is next." Yukiko obeyed like she always did, shifting her hip to lift one fat leg at a time before moving on to the other. Even something as simple as that had her puffing a bit by the end.

"Goodness Yukiko, I don't care how tired you are, you shouldn't be spreading your legs like that. An Amagi lady must always maintain poise and grace no matter how long the day stretches." Nodding wordlessly once again, she prepared for one of her least favorites, pelvic tilts. The well fed wife stood up as straight as she could before "tightening" herself forward, moving herself in an arrow like manner. She had to stop after three even though she knew it would get her an earful. There was just far too much padding around her middle, ab exercises were the complete antithesis to who she was as a person!

"*Oooooh*" she groaned aloud as she rubbed her aching gut. The only reason a mama's stomach should ever be aching was if it was packed full of sustenance for her and her baby. She wasn't even wearing exercise clothes for goodness sake! Yukiko sensed her grandmother glaring and managed to do two more before ending up right back in the same position. "*Ahhhh*"

"Oh do quit your whining, a little exercise never hurt anyone." The lazy princess wasn't quite sure she agreed with that assessment. Not only did it ache physically, but it was the opposite of what her body was telling her to do. "Making you exercise is like feeding sea water to a man dying of thirst," her inner hubby corroborated. "Pointless at best and harmful at worst. I mean you could be five pounds heavier if it wasn't for this. It makes me seethe just thinking about how many milk production calories have been burned."

"Mmmm" she mewed in distress. She was so close to finally breaking past that 200 pound barrier like her son and husband wanted, she really didn't need this right now.

"Give me five more and then we can move on." Steeling herself, Yukiko was grateful for the lenience and did try her best. The last one was basically just a lazy flop forward, no semblance of form at all but Sachiko just decided to let it go. "I could probably do this workout three times and not even be close to tired," the woman muttered to herself. "Alright, let's see what else your husband wrote it out." She searched the page for the next step while her granddaughter happily took advantage of the break to suck in air and soothe her abdominal "muscles." It would have been easier if practically half the page hadn't been filled with little warnings about his wife. "Help her ease in and out, every workout should begin with a warm up and a cool down," or "the instant she complains about being too hot, stop immediately," or "it's okay to add or change things, but make sure it's not too dynamic, static exercises are best," or the one she found most surprising and kind of touching, "make sure she's breathing through the whole thing, if she ever starts to have trouble catching her breath, please stop immediately."

So many little things to remember, in a way it was almost like keeping track of Yukina's medicine. Sachiko had glanced over it before, but now that she was really reading it, she started to realize just how many things Yukiko couldn't do. No heavy weights, nothing that involved changing her center of gravity, avoid having her lay on her stomach, avoid having her lay on her back, the fact that walking was a legitimate form of exercise...come to think of it she was pretty far along at seven months.

The stern woman took a second look at her granddaughter, no longer panting but breathing hard and nursing a water bottle. She was covered in sweat and rubbing at the various parts that she had exercised today, looking like she had run a marathon after such a simple workout...but maybe in a way she had.

Sachiko felt her expression soften a bit and she gave her granddaughter a little caress on her soft back. Yukiko looked up a little surprised but then gave off that sweet smile that the woman so loved seeing from her granddaughter. "C-could you hand me my towel please? The sweat is starting to get in my eyes." Yukiko blinked it out quickly while her grandmother handed her the cloth, quickly wiping it away before it could sting. She just couldn't understand why Chie and to a lesser extent her husband enjoyed this feeling. Lungs aching, salty sweat reddening your eyes, muscles sore, if you wanted an adrenaline rush surely watching an exciting movie or speeding down a mountain on a snowboard could provide the same?

"Well...maybe it's more the end result. No one could REALLY 'like' the actual process itself after all." That was probably it. When Chie said she "loved" training, what she really meant is how she looked after training! Same for her husband.

"Are you about ready?" Her grandmother took her out of her thoughts and she hoisted herself to her feet. "Yes, but...can we please do something else instead? I feel rather sore in the middle." Not even a minute ago, Sachiko would have torn into her for being lazy, but realizing the dear really was trying her best mitigated her strictness. "Very well, it doesn't really matter how you sweat your blubber off." Even when being merciful, she had to sneak in one quick nip at the girl's size but Yukiko decided to not even let it faze her. It certainly beat working her core.

Not that working her squishy sides was much better. Using the exercise ball as a kind of balance, she played her hip like an accordion as it squished into mini rolls with every movement. Even Chie rushing into the room to announce she and Akihiko were getting married now too would have paled in comparison to the sound of the egg timer buzzing, signalling that she could finally begin her cool down.

Things went by without incident until Yukiko was instructed to do stretch out her back. What would have happened a year ago was she would have gotten on all fours and done a quick little arching of her back before reversing it and arching more upwards like a stretching cat. Dubbed the "cat cow pose", it was supposed to be a quick and nimble cap to a stretching session. Instead all it did was highlight to Sachiko how apt of a descriptor the cow part was. Fat untoned butt cheeks stuck out a great deal no matter what stage of the stretch she was in, as a matter of fact with the way they were starting to become their own jiggly entity, Sachiko had thought for a moment she'd already started arching her back only to be startled when that rump pushed up even more! And that belly! From her side view she could only marvel at just how far it hung down like a...well like a big fat cow stomach quite frankly. It was shocking for her to see just how softened and fattened up her granddaughter had become; it was true she'd seen her, but somehow gravity had a way of showing just how fat someone really was. The way the jiggling seemed to almost "linger" after every movement made her realize that it was a good thing the kimono was the dress code, a guest could get motion sick from watching that!

"*Teeheehee* look how big mama's getting! No wonder your dada's been so...happy lately!" After seeing herself in the dojo's mirror, Yukiko had come to the exact same conclusion her grandmother had. She looked like a fat cow. Experimentally, she tried to move forward a bit, imagining her belly was scraping atop her lover. Not low enough to scrape the bed unless she was intentionally trying, she could at least tickle his abs a bit. "I knew I was a pillow, but it seems like I'm becoming a blanket too. The only part left is the mattress, oh but that might be a little too big..." Realizing her grandmother was probably wondering what on earth she was doing, she began to stand up.

"If you...*hooo*...if you don't have anything else...*puff*...I'll be returning to my room." Even catching her breath made her look fat in Sachiko's opinion, the way her squirrel cheeks would puff in and out and her belly that was supposed to be taut with baby would rise and fall with her breathing. The way she stood with one hand against the wall and one hand on her stomach brought the whole picture together and Sachiko knew it was time for "the talk."

Yukiko was hoping that there wouldn't be anything else; she was aching and hungry and though she didn't want to think about it too much, imagining brushing herself against Yu's toned abs was making her just a tad bit lustful. When her grandmother cleared her throat and said "actually, there is one thing," Yukiko almost whined in annoyance. She just wanted to get back to her man already! But she put on a pleasant face and turned to face her grandmother.

"Excepting Saturday, you've seen these workouts through to the end, and you've been sticking to your diet quite well. At this rate, you'll be slender again within the year." Yukiko did her best to feign excitement but even she could tell she sounded a bit hollow. "Oh I know a year must seem like such a long time but take it from me, it'll be over before you know it. Although there's still the issue of what you'll do until then."

"Hmm? What do you mean grandmother? I thought I just stuck to my routine and diet?"

"Well yes but I was more referring to the bedroom." Yukiko cocked her head in confusion. "I mean...I've been getting it ready for the baby. Don't worry, it's nice and safe and I'm sure my husband and I will notice anything we overlooked in the next two months. I don't think there's anything to worry about there." She was so happy her room already came with a nice soft rug, although she couldn't help but worry her baby might get rug burn on his little hands and feet but Yu would always laugh and tell her not to worry.

"No, I mean I want to talk to you about keeping your husband satisfied until you can drop the weight." Sachiko didn't think it was possible for Yukiko to get any more red than she already was, but somehow she managed. 'G-grandmother...that's..."

"Oh don't act so innocent." She gave her daughter a jab in her baby belly that made the younger girl cover it up and shrink back a bit. "Where did that come from? Thin air? Well not likely considering how you've fattened..." Yukiko had to hold back a giggle at the joke, that was the first fat jab her grandmother had made that was actually pretty funny!

Her grandmother took on a more sympathetic expression and took one of Yukiko's hands in her own. "Look...I understand it's embarrassing. He probably hasn't had much interest in sex lately with you looking like this...and that must get quite frustrating. But there are-"

"W-what!?" Sachiko sighed knowing this was coming; Yukiko was much less temperamental at this age than Yukina had been but no woman would take kindly to being told they looked unappealing to men. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it dear, you look fat and sloppy. Now don't raise your voice again, because I can help you. It's not like you're the first Amagi woman who grew soft around the middle, just the first to have it happen so quickly." Yukiko calmed herself down and nodded, although it wasn't like during the exercise where it went away quickly afterwards. She couldn't believe her grandmother would say something like that even if it was to motivate her to lose weight.

"Grandmother...with all due respect our love life is just fine thank you and I'd prefer not to discuss it right now." But Sachiko wasn't having any of that grabbing her arm as she tried to leave. "Don't get huffy dear, I'm only trying to help. Your husband loves you very much so don't you think you owe it to him to be appealing?"

"Yes I do. I'm working hard at it after all."

The traditional lady obviously missed the double meaning to that and instead took it as an indication to continue. "Yes I know...but there's more you could be doing. Make it so he doesn't have to rely on aphrodisiacs for one thing." Yukiko almost slapped the other woman right then and there but a well timed hunger pang sent her hands to a more appropriate place instead. She had of course heard similar taunts at school whispered under breaths and launched at her from across the hallway where it didn't matter but it was different hearing it from someone you cared about. "Grandmother...I believe I know what my husband likes quite well," she said evenly.

Sachiko raised an eyebrow and looked her up and down with a certain amount of disdain. "You've managed to keep your pretty face for the most part although even that's started to go to pot. I suppose as long as you remember not to let him see you from behind..."

"W-what's wrong with my 'behind' exactly?" The grayed woman sighed and searched her mind for the best way to put it. "From the front, you can at least pass somewhat as having a maternal figure...but back there it's nothing but unshapely excess. Sculpted by laziness and overindulgence." Yukiko put a hand to her chin. "Sculpted," that was certainly a good word to describe it. "That's right, I chisel myself with hard work while you sculpt a monument to motherhood and-"

"You do know how to use your mouth effectively yes?" Yukiko puffed out her cheeks and was a hairs breadth away from stamping her foot. Her grandmother had just cut off inner hubby with her tedious unsolicited advice! "For your information, he doesn't like for me to use my mouth that way and he never has." Frankly, she didn't really like the idea either. Not that she had a problem with the mess or anything like that, but they had both agreed that it wasn't the best place for him to put his seed.

That seemed to get a surprised reaction out of the old woman. "*Hmmm* is that so? I assume he enjoys the fact you're carrying his child at least?" Now it was Yukiko's turn to be surprised, that was the first correct thing her grandmother had said since saying she needed to exercise that evening. "Don't look so shocked Yukiko dear, like I said I'm just trying to help. Now the gods saw it fit to grant you a boon in that chest of yours. They're just teetering on too big but I think it should be fine as long as they aren't grotesquely bloated with milk." And she was right back to being incorrect again but Yukiko nodded along anyway, anything to get her out of there faster and back into the waiting arms of her loving, and very ravenous, husband.

"Have you used them to satisfy him at least? I'd suggest that you do since they block off the rest of your body." Yukiko was too intrigued to get angry this time, instead looking towards her chest and cupping the top. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking of course, about mammary intercourse. It's most useful for when you don't feel up to doing the deed or you're attempting to avoid pregnancy. Although in your case, it might help keep his mind off your weight problem." Yukiko thought about that for a moment, that didn't sound bad at all! Though to get the most out of it, it was probably best to wait until the milk came and pumped them up.

"Maybe..." it could make for a fun experiment, but just like everything else they'd tried she knew it would be a quick novelty that would always give way to the clearly superior kind of sex where she actually got to take him inside of herself and feel him lose all faculties...

Briefly slapping her cheeks, and beginning to fan herself, she looked at her grandmother with puppy dog eyes. "C-could I go lay down now? I'm feeling a bit faint..."

"Well alright...we'll talk about it more tomorrow. Don't forget that I expect you back here at 7 sharp young lady."

But Yukiko was hardly listening at this point as she waddled with surprising speed to her bedroom. It was more than her usual urge to feel her husband inside of her and fall into his arms, it was definitely a bit naughty but she wanted to prove to herself just how wrong her grandmother really was. She knew she was wrong of course, Yu had proven that time and time again, but the slightly prideful baby mama just had an overwhelming urge to enjoy what was hers tonight. And then afterwards, she would continue her sculpting...

A hunger pang and a belly grumble reminded her that she had far more important things to tend to than satisfying her other appetites. With seemingly less food by the day, dinner was getting to the point where she was downright underfed; on the plus side, it meant her private pampering feasts were getting fuller and fuller.

"Oh good I was hoping you'd show up soon, beautiful. How does a nice juicy ham sound after a workout? It'll do you some good." Food was shoved into her mouth almost as soon as she stepped in, and she could feel all the tension evaporating. Yu was almost giddy to be stuffing her full of salt and calories, so eager that he hadn't even waited for her to sit down this time. To his surprise though, Yukiko began to pull the dress over her head and display herself fully.

"*mmmm* oh that's exactly what mama needed." She obediently held her mouth open for more and Yu gladly obliged. After gauging she'd been fed a sufficient amount, she stopped Yu's hand but only after gobbling up the morsel on the fork. "Yu...grandmother says I look fat and sloppy..." her bra unhooked and her big motherly tits bounced out jiggling her stomach along with them. "She says all I do is lay about and eat."

"Now that's not true...we both know you have plenty of sex. Your husband just can't keep his hands off of you."

"She worries I'm not keeping you satisfied. i'm keeping my hardworking hubby satisfied...right?"

He didn't even answer with words, instead sinking his hands right into her fluffy hips and flipping her around towards the bed with her giggling and cooing like it was the first time he'd ever done this. He made sure to let her know how wrong her grandmother was, both verbally and physically. And in return, she polished off the rest of the ham and crawled on top of him even despite her aching muscles. Even though she had to ask for a break halfway through, she knew that probably just made him enjoy it more.

"Does that...*hah*...does that answer your question?" Yu asked after the second time that night. Yukiko said nothing as she lay next to him. Part of it was being too winded and full of ham to respond, but the other part was basking in pure self satisfaction. "Maybe next time I'll ask him to take me from behind. I hope he's not too disgusted with my lard laden lady lumps on my backside. Oh he'll probably need an aphrodisiac!" Before she could get too riled up, she felt soft lips kissing along her cheek and neck while a hand rubbed her stomach. "God you're *mmm* intoxicating. Even you breathing next to me *mmm* is enough sometimes."

That calmed her heart and mind and she joined him in rubbing her stomach. How could she have forgotten that pregnancy was the ultimate love stimulant? "I hope you didn't make things too hard for your mama today."

"Noooo. If anything, he's been doing nothing but help help help." Yu's phone buzzed at that moment and it wasn't long before Yukiko was climbing over him to see what it said. "Is it Labrys? Rise? Naoto? Can they come? I don't want any of them to miss out..."

"It is from Naoto actually. She said the 24th works perfectly from her and she can get here a few days early. She also says CONGRATULATIONS." It took a while for Yukiko to stop laughing, "Aha..ha...oooh goodness me, why on earth does she type like that?"

"IT'S SHOCKING! YES? NO?" They only stopped when either Sachiko or Yukina banged on their bedroom door.

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"Alright boys, do you remember who you're playing today?'

The basketball team looked between each other like it was some kind of trick question but Ai gave no indication whether or not it was, standing with her hands on her hips and looking at them sternly. "*Uh* we're playing the..."

"Wrong answer. It doesn't matter who they are right now, right now they're just another stepping stone got that? Because you're never going to see them again after you crush them today and get to state. Isn't that right?"

The Yasogami high basketball team proceeded to whoop and holler like a pack of wild monkeys, but they were Ai's wild monkeys and they were about to cream the other guys...whoever they were. "If you can beat them without going into overtime, I'll buy everyone lunch. How does that sound?" As if they needed any more incentive to crush the competition, one of the younger freshman boys even blushed a bit. He was probably one of the kids who kept leaving notes in her locker, she should probably have a talk with him at some point, but not right now. Now he had a job to do.

To the freshman players, Ai was the generous and seriously hot team manager of their dreams but to the older players who knew her, it was like she'd turned into an entirely different person this year like she'd hit her head particularly hard or something. The only downside was they couldn't be quite as dirty with their locker room talk anymore, but it was a small price to pay when they got shined shoes every game and free food every practice. Her pep talks were a little odd too but strangely inspiring in a way, certainly better than the "whatever's" and the "do what you want, just don't bother me's," from last year. She'd even complied with the dress code and was outfitted in the totally ugly green tracksuit to show solidarity on the field. It was really ugly though, what genius chose vomit green?

Getting the boys all pumped up for the big game was the fun part of her job though, and now it was time for the dull part. Part of her duties as the team manager was to meticulously track each and every game to collect data to give to colleges. Daisuke had been able to pick up her slack last year but now the thought that she could have cost her classmates their chances out of pride and laziness weighed heavily on her and was one of the first mistakes she had jumped head first into rectifying. Only one problem, basketball was so damn booooring. And if she had to pick the most annoying "sounding" sport, basketball would definitely be up there. The squeaking, the "bam bam bam" of a basketball hitting the floor, that sharp ear piercing whistle, she had to wonder if all the people in the bleachers were partially deaf. Was she the only one being bothered by it?

Realizing she had almost missed a defensive play, she quickly scribbled it down on her detailed spreadsheet her dad had helped her make. He'd been so happy about it, that he'd ended up doing most of the setup and the formulas in the computer program to track the various stats. She'd been fine with it at the time, but now Ai was kind of wishing she'd done it herself so she wasn't just copy pasting.

Though number crunching was rather dull too. Her father did it all the time, but she just didn't understand how he could stand it. It was just so dry and too solitary for her liking, entering number after number all by herself for hours; she knew there were faster ways, "macros" her dad had called them, but that just made her feel even more lost. STEM definitely wasn't in her future, that was for sure.

Switching her crossed legs around, she let out a sigh as another questionable call was made against their team. With the way things were going, this probably would end up going into overtime after all. Doing her job was the right thing to do, but it didn't mean she couldn't imagine being someplace better.

They did wind up winning the game, but it took two overtime sessions to conclude which Ai was none too pleased about.

"Come on Ebihara-san, have a heart will you...we're starving." Seeing that didn't gain an ounce of sympathy from her, the boy tried a different tactic. "I mean, we won didn't we? Let's give these boys a reward huh?" The glare he received was harsher than it would have been if it was a normal team member who said it, but this was the current team captain saying such ridiculous things. "I don't know much about basketball, but you're trying to get into state right?"

"Yeah, and?"

"So that means you haven't won anything yet! This was just a-a scrimmage, a warm up for the playoffs. So to me, nobody here has 'won' squat until our team has at least a bunch of bronze medals hanging around their necks. We beat these guys before last year, and much faster too by the way and they didn't even get close to a medal. And guess what? They went out to beef bowls after every game too, isn't that right?" She knew she was being a little harsh, but for whatever reason it seemed to have a great effect on athletes. They looked fired up, determined to show her that they were winners, that they could do everything she said and more. There were a few whiners though, but Ai cut them off with a little zipping motion from her fingers. "If you want to go out to lunch so bad, you can, but you have to pay for everything yourself." The complainers took one look at a room full of sweaty hungry teenage athletes and decided to drop it for the sake of their wallets. Giving a self satisfied smirk, Ai made a sharp heel turn and looked over her shoulder with disdain. "By the way, if one of you knuckleheads leaves your dirty disgusting laundry on our front porch again, I swear I'm burning it. I told you to take it around back like three times didn't I?!" And she left the room to some scattered laughter and apologies from the guilty parties.

"Can I help you?" Kou had been listening in from just outside the locker room with his arms crossed. He had just been about to go in himself but decided to hang back and enjoy the show. "No, I just wanted to make sure the team was in good hands."

"They'd be in better hands if you joined back up you know."

"Maybe...but I really need to get my grades up right now. Those overseas universities are brutal in their admissions. I was just stopping by to say hello, really." He was here practically every game and he hung around long enough that it was sometimes hard to remember he'd quit. "Hey...Ai. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For stepping up, you know, just...thanks for not letting the team die." Ai just scoffed. "You going to congratulate me on not tripping over my own shoelaces next? You shouldn't thank someone for doing their job you know." She was still proud of herself but for a different reason. Ai was no longer a blushing stuttering mess when around Kou which just went to show that she was more in love with love than the boy himself. It felt nice being able to speak with him on even terms and even be able to stand a little bit higher from her position of authority. Still, Kou managed to catch her off guard by laughing a little. "Damn, that's harsh. But since you're applying it to yourself I guess it's okay. Anyway, I don't have very long to talk, so I guess I'll catch you later." Choosing to spend the rest of his free time in the locker room, Ai was left alone. "Finally, now I can change out of this hideous thing, *ugh* but I have to enter all this data by next game..."

"I thought I heard griping and lo and behold it's my old pal Ai." The girl playfully rolled her eyes, but truth be told she was glad to see him. "You're not exactly Mr. Always Sunny yourself you know. Guessing you got your invite?"

"Of course, I was the first one Yu called."

"What? But that's what he told me!"

The almost panicked look Yosuke gave made the catty girl snicker. "Oh my gawd, I was just kidding! You actually looked like you were about to cry."

"Shut up, I was not. A-anyway that's not important. I just wanted to know what you were doing?" Ai didn't quite understand what he meant at first until she followed his eyes to the black folder she was carrying. "Oh this...it's nothing, just some stuff I have to keep track of for the players." She expected that to be the end of it, but that seemed to pique his curiosity if anything. "Huh. Like their laundry?" That bothered her more than she thought it would and after giving a great big sigh, she opened it up. "Player data! Sheesh, why are you being so nosy anyway? It's really not that interesting." But Yosuke seemed to beg to differ. "Well like...what do you do with it?" Ai launched into a brief explanation capping it off with a "pretty boring right?" But once again Yosuke surprised her by disagreeing. "I don't know, I mean I guess it could be boring but...like the fact you're doing it for the team kind of makes it exciting right?" Ai looked at him strangely, that was certainly an interesting way of looking at it but she still wasn't convinced. "I mean, I thought so too until I actually had to do it. I mean, mopping the floor at Junes is technically helping the 'team' too right?"

"Y-yeah but that's different you know? Like a recess monkey could do that job but they give this one to the team manager for a reason right?" Ai shook her head. "I mean...it's easy, it's just tedious and slow. At least I can listen to music while I do it, but I can just do that when I work out."

"Well surely there has to be a way to make it...not tedious and slow right? That's what computers are for *hahaha*" That made Ai bristle a bit and she ended up shoving the papers into Yosuke's hands. "Well let's see you do it then! Let's see you act so interested after a stack of these."

"Wha...wha...woah hey! What crawled into your butt today?" Ai ignored him and sighed, she had to get better about snapping like that. "Look...I'm sorry. It's just...it's harder than it looks you know?" Yosuke nodded sympathetically. "Yeah I get it, tell you what, email me that model tonight and I'll see what I can do."

"What? No way I'm not doing that, I mean you're busy with your stuff and this is my job right?" That brought a grin to Yosuke's face. "What's this? Is Ms. Ebihara worried about ol' Yosuke?" That earned him a playful little shove. "Fine then, I guess I'll send it after all." Looking at the folder's with a twinge of hesitation, she looked at Yosuke's nonchalant expression. These were really important, if she lost these it would be her ass. But...she'd already shared a bunch of stuff with him already, and she had gone out of her way to help him out before...

"Alright fine, I'll shoot you an email tonight. What's your address?" Honestly, she wasn't really expecting anything to come of it and part of her was kind of looking forward to him coming up to her tomorrow and corroborating her story. But it's not like it could really hurt to send him a copy just to play around with a little. "Don't. Lose. These. Got it? And don't let that roommate of yours even lay a finger on them."

"Fine, fine. Sheesh, how little faith do you have in me?"

"Well I'm just worried if Chie-chan comes by and asks for them, you'd just hand them over..."

"Oh haha, can we not talk about that?" The two happily chatted about college admittance until they parted ways and the next day, Ai was fully prepared for Yosuke to hand her back her files in surrender. But there were no files in sight. "You didn't lose them did you?" She immediately accused. "No way, you really think I'd lose them that fast? I'm almost insulted. No, I just need an extra day or two to look over them, I had a bunch of homework last night so I couldn't finish."

"Wait...what do you mean?"

"I mean I didn't have time. I work part time on top of all my school work you know." But Ai did that little zip motion with her hands and looked at him skeptically. "No, are you saying you actually want to do more?"

"Yeah, it's really not all that bad. I mean, it took a while to figure out how to make it go by faster, but now that I have, I should have it finished by tomorrow." If it was Yu, he would have said it very matter of factly in a way that mitigated Ai's frustration, but Yosuke just had to let a little bit of smarm bleed in. "Oh it was that easy huh?"

"What do you want me to say, I don't get what you're so mad for." Ai took a moment to calm herself, remembering her resolve from yesterday. "I...I don't know. What did you even do anyway?" For some reason, not being able to do it seemed to be bothering her quite a bit. "Well...I just set it up so that you can just enter the numbers and it will add to it automatically. Like 3 is for a 3 pointer for example..."

"Yeah but how!?" Yosuke shrugged. "I just used your model duh. C'mon, it's not that impressive," he said in a tone that said he knew it was a little impressive. Ai couldn't believe it, the boy known throughout the school as a slacker was seriously pretty bright. She knew he had some insight to him behind his goofy facade and definitely some back bone when pushed, but to think he'd come up with yet another thing to add to the ever increasing pile. Yosuke seemed to sense her thoughts and smiled. "I mean...I've always been good at math, it's just the classic lit crap and English that slows me down. It's all so arbitrary you know? Besides, helping out always gives me that extra momentum." It was true, the case last year had certainly drawn out his inner deductive reasoning and he would gladly give himself a solid third place in his sleuthing performance right behind Naoto and his partner.

"Guess I just have a bunch of hidden talents, just had to go looking for them. I could do it for you...for a small fee of course." Yosuke was expecting her to scoff or bite the bullet and just do it herself, but to his surprise she actually began to chuckle. "Alright Yosuke, I want this report on my desk by 6:00 P.M. Tuesday. You can return the paper work to me before class Wednesday. I'll give you the full paycheck on completion this time, but we can make it a salary. We'll see I guess."

"*Uh* sure...*uh* you got it...ma'am?" But before he could recover, Ai spun on her heel and left, leaving Yosuke to wonder what had just happened. The heiress couldn't help but feel a great weight had lifted off her heart. It was silly but this whole episode had helped make things a little bit clearer. She couldn't code, and grunt work wasn't for her but just like Yosuke, she had a talent too. She was really great at telling other people what to do!

The only downside was it would cut into her shopping budget a little bit...but it was a small price to pay if it meant she never had to see another spreadsheet for the rest of her life.