Little Secrets

Chapter Twenty-One

Naoki sat at the bar chugging down each neat scotch after the next.

As he raises his glass to order another, a hand pushes it back down.

He looks over to find an old acquaintance, Kinnosuke Ikezawa staring at him with disappointment.

"Ah! Ikezawa!" He welcomes as he nearly trips trying to get up.

"How are you?" He forces a bright smile.

"Naoki what are you doing?" Naoki falls back into the bar stool.

"Celebrating, of course!" He dryly laughs as he fiddles with his empty glass.

"I am going to get married and have a baby." He began to grip onto the glass as his brown eyes glared at it.

"Who cares if it's with someone I don't have feelings for." A sudden crack began to appear.

"And it shouldn't be a problem that I am going to lose the my son and the only woman I ever loved."

"The only person who has ever made me feel as though I could be who I really want to be. It doesn't fucking matter!" 

The glass broke under Naoki's grip.

The bartender rushed over and wrapped his hand with a towel.

"Okay, come with me." Unable to fight him Naoki watched as Kinnosuke payed for Him. And then carried him towards Kinnosuke's house.

Kinnosuke pushed him onto his couch then set off to look for a first aid kit.

In that time, Naoki drunkenly looked around, taking in Kinnosuke's apartment.

"When did you stop loving Kotoko?" Naoki weakly asked.

Kinnosuke looked up from cleaning Naoki's wound without blinking he stated "I never stop."

That didn't help Naoki's heavy heart, "I just simply let her go."

"After I found out that she was pregnant with your child I knew no matter what I did you would be in her heart."

Naoki leaned his head on the couch and looked up "I don't think I'll ever be able to with Kotoko."

Kinnosuke watched as tears slid down Naoki's cheek.

For the second time, Kinnosuke felt pity for his ex rival.

The first time being the day he found out about Kotoko's pregnancy.

~

Kotoko laid beside her sleeping son, watching as his chest moved up and down slowly.

The sound of his soft snores calmed her uneasy heart, thoughts of the day she found out of this beautiful child of hers began to play.

~

"Urgh-!" The sound of Kotoko hunched over the toilet echoed throughout the bathroom, Mrs. Irie held onto her hair whilst rubbing her back in a circular motion.

Trying to ease the sick Kotoko.

Kotoko leaded away from the toilet, groaning, she wiped the bit of saliva on her lips. Mrs. Irie let go of her hair and smiled sympathetically.

"Kotoko-chan why don't you stay home? I'll make you something warm to eat." Kotoko shook her head in refusal.

"I can't I have a test today. And I need to pass." Mrs. Irie watched worry as Kotoko struggled a bit to get back to her feet.

"Auntie I'll be fine. Don't worry." Kotoko smiled whilst ushering Mrs. Irie out so she could get ready for school.

~

Along the way to school Kotoko puked in three different trash cans. The breakfast she had eaten, that was so delicious, didn't stay in her stomach for very long.

Through the day Kotoko would find herself in the bathroom stalls or hovering over a trash can each time she smelt something spicy or salty.

Jinko and Satomi worried for their best friend as she gulped down cup after cup of water. "Ne Kotoko are you alright? Do you have the flu?" Jinko asks while placing the back of her hand onto her friends face.

She scowled when she felt no heat on her forehead.

Kotoko placed down her cup and nibbled on some fresh fruit that Kinnosuke cut up just for her, "I don't know. This only started happening the beginning of this week." Kotoko complained as she leaned her head onto the table.

As the two rubbed her back, Kotoko lurked forward. Similar sensation arose as two students walked passed with salty fish.

Placing her hand over her mouth, Kotoko shot up from her seat and ran out towards the nearest bathroom leaving her worried friends behind.

Slamming open the bathroom stall, she emptied her stomach once again. Once she finished, Kotoko stood up and leaned against the stall door, while one of the pregnant teacher came over to ask if she was okay.

"I'm alright. I've been getting sick everytime I smell something salty or spicy." Kotoko explained.

The teacher's expression lit up "Have felt this for a while?" Kototo nodded
"Do you crave sweet or sour type foods?" Again Kotoko nodded.

"Do you feel achy all over your body?" Once again Kotoko nodded.

"When was your last period?" Kotoko thought for a moment.

"Over a month ago." She replied.
The teacher beamed while placing her hands on Kotoko's shoulders "Congratulations! You might be pregnant!" After giving Kotoko a quick hug the teacher ran out.

Kotoko stood silently, she could comprehend what she had said.
"Pregnant? Me? Impossible." As Kotoko thought about it, clearer the signs became.

"I'm pregnant. I'M PREGNANT!?" Her mind began to race with thoughts, until finally it ended on Naoki.

"I'm pregnant.. with his baby." Kotoko stared at her reflection, turning a bit to the side and lifted up her shirt. She finally notice that her stomach had grown a bit more. Her hands cupped around the bump.

"I'm pregnant."