maneuvering through

Revelations

Kyouka Jirou had always been Momo's go-to and on-call friend.

Finally setting afoot in the Japanese soil days before Christmas, Momo breathed in the cool crisp air of winter. Her best friend leaped by the runaway joyously waving a hand.

Momo was in no constitution to be around strangers, much less engulfed the random smell floating in the air. So she and her mother used their family's private plane to send them back to Japan.

“Yaomomo!” The sound heroine was a sight for sore eyes as she bounced in happiness as she met her halfway, snuggly covered in her winter clothes.

“I came here as soon as you mailed me!” Looking past her shoulder, “Hello Yaoyorozu-san!” Bowing hastily like a schoolgirl upon recognizing the taller sophisticated woman behind Momo.

“Hello, Jirou-chan.”

The elegant woman walked past them accompanied by what seemed like her bodyguard and a younger woman holding her purse.

The two young ladies followed suit.

“It ain’t five years later yet...” Kyouka sang happily, “But I'm not complaining!” Grinning widely now, “Let me give you a hug!”

Infected with her best friend’s energy, she allowed herself to wrap herself in a huge hug.

“That’s exactly the reason why I asked you here...” She answered as she pulled away, “I have something to tell you.”

“Like... this instant? Were you not taking some rest? I know the flight was long...”

“I... I have spent my traveling time sleeping, Kyouka-san...”

“Oh. If you say so...”

After an abundant, scrumptious dinner at the Yaoyorozu estate, the two women relaxed before the crackling hearth, a tea set before them.

“Soooo...” Kyouka broke the silence, sneaking a glance at her best friend, clear, obsidian eyes flickering with the dancing fire, doused in an expression she recognized as in deep thought.

“What brings you back to Japan?” She asked cautiously sipping her tea, noticing there had only been her cup that was sitting with the set.

Momo, on the other hand, was nowhere near responding as her eyes swam with the fire from the burning wood, too distracted by the light cracking noise. She seemed to be drawn by them, the stark crimson dancing in the fireplace.

Exhaling slowly, her shoulders relaxed on her couch, probably forgetting why on earth she called Kyouka out of the blue, notably in an abrupt manner.

Kyouka breathed out as the suspense got her on the edge of her seat. Momo had always been quiet, but this had her thinking of the worse.

“Mo—”

“I’m pregnant.”

Kyouka nearly flipped her tea if she wasn’t in the act of placing it back on the rich center table, stumbling on her knees at the sudden news.

“You're what?!” She squealed, clamping her mouth shut, remembering she wasn’t talking with her boyfriend. And in a much hushed, quizzical tone, she repeated, “You’re... pregnant?” the purple in her eyes nearly expanded over the white.

Momo hardly gave a visible nod, not looking at the girl.

Kyouka was in a quandary.

“Am... Am not hearing things right?” She asked questioningly again, bringing a hand to the side of her face. “Oh...Oh my...”