Stone Tsuguko.

1: "The price of hunger."

"I wonder where my daughter could be.." A man in a yellow Yukata grinned, stepping over a lump on an olive-green futon, a grin on his face.

"I think she might be outside!" A pregnant woman in a pink kimono said loudly as giggles erupted from under the said green blanket.

"Well if we can't find [Name] then we'll just have to eat all of Mommy's daifuku without her, won't we?" The man said, listening to the soft gasp under the blanket.

"Of course! We don't want it to go bad! So someone has to eat it." Mommy grinned as she grabbed an empty plate. "Well, here you go-"

"Wait!"

The sudden yell from the girl shocked the parents, with the two looking down at the little child.

"I was hiding under there! I wasn' outside!" She poked her head out from under the futon.

"Well, why were you hiding?"

"I was hiding from you, Daddy!" She giggled. "Took you long to find me!"

"You weren't hiding from Mommy?" Her mother grinned, only to gasp when the five-year-old hugged her suddenly.

"No!" She yelled, squeezing her mother's shoulders.

"Hey! Gentle with Mommy, okay?" Her father said.

"Okay!"

"She's just excited, Yoshino."

"I know, Kaiya, but still, she needs to be careful of our little boy."

Kaiya rose a brow, a look of challenge on her complexion.

"How do you know it's a boy? What if it's a girl?" She chuckled.

"Well, I can just feel it. We're gonna have a little boy. [Name's] gonna be a big sister." Yoshino huffed. "What do you think, [Name]?"

"I think it's gonna be a girl!" She grinned, sticking her tongue out. "There's gonna be more girls than boys!"

Yoshino faked a gasp, placing his hand over his heart in mock offense.

"My own daughter!"

He fell to his knees, playing dramatic theatrics as Kaiya placed her hand on her swollen belly, gasping slightly as she was kicked.

[Name] gasped as her mother gripped her hand and placed it on her belly, feeling the soft kick against her palm.

"It's the baby!" The girl cheered.

"That's right," Kaiya whispered, gently taking her daughter's hand. "When they're born, you have to protect them."

"You're strong, [Name.] You have an extraordinary sense." The mother brushed the girl's hair behind her ear. "Protect the people you love with that. It's your duty on this earth."

"Can you do that for me?"

"I can."

"Good." She smiled before groaning, feeling another kick at her ribs.

Yoshino quickly stopped his dramatics as he looked at his wife.

"Are you okay? Do I need to fetch the midwife?"

"No, I'm okay!" She smiled, trying to comfort her husband. "Don't worry, Yoshino. I'm not as delicate as you think."

"Mommy is tough!"

"I know she is." Yoshino smiled, pressing his forehead against Kaiya's before pressing a kiss to her lips, ignoring the noise of disgust from their daughter.

A loving father, an expecting mother, and an adoring daughter.

A perfect life, wouldn't you think?

What could go wrong?
____