...
Gurgle
SWOSH
Once she flushed, the colorful substance finally disappeared from the toilet bowl.
After rinsing her mouth and drinking some water, Yamai sat on her bed.
"Damn it, I couldn't even finish Komi-Sama's outfit..." Yamai lamented.
She had experienced nausea and dizziness, forcing her to leave abruptly.
It turned out to be a wise decision because she couldn't control her bladder and soiled the car seat.
She gave strict orders to her subordinates not to say a word about the incident and went into her house.
Yamai felt deeply embarrassed for not being able to hold her bladder and angrily threw her clothes into the washing machine.
Now, after a shower and finally calming the chaotic emotions in her heart, she sat on her bed.
Time was running out, and "it" was becoming more and more imminent.
Yamai wondered what to do.
She had managed to improve her standing a little, but she wasn't sure.
Now, at least when they were connected, Tadano would call her by her name.
Moreover, he didn't push her away when she showed him a bit of affection.
However...
Whenever Yamai gathered the courage to tell him, she couldn't help but remember those cold, ruthless eyes he had given her that day.
Eyes that looked at her as if she were nothing but trash.
She feared those eyes might return.
She didn't want to lose what she had worked so hard to gain.
But neither did she want to get rid of the life growing inside her.
Confused and contradictory thoughts.
She had done everything she could, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
In the past week, she hadn't been able to seek Tadano's warmth for fear that he might notice.
Now, hiding it with clothing was reaching its limit, and it was starting to show.
She managed to convince him she had just gained some weight and wasn't eating properly.
To be more believable, she even ate junk food for a while.
This earned her a few scoldings from Tadano for not taking care of her health.
What might sound bad was actually heartwarming for her, simply because he showed concern for her.
Yes, that's how desperate and obsessed Yamai's "love" for Tadano had become.
Luckily or unfortunately, Tadano was now well-fed by the other girls around him, so Yamai's sudden absence wasn't as noticeable.
However, this frustrated her.
"This is all your fault, damn internet…" she growled angrily while throwing her phone away, breaking it in the process.
For days, the subject of babies had piqued her curiosity, so she did some research, and with each new discovery, an indescribable feeling overwhelmed her.
She was torn between her feelings for the little one growing inside her and her deep love for that man.
Consciously or unconsciously, she took certain precautions...
Now that's why she was in this state.
She could always end all of this with a few phone calls and a couple of days of rest, but...
Yamai looked at her swollen belly.
Her heart trembled as she saw it and felt the tiny kicks she had been trying to ignore.
Where was that thing in her head that used to make her forget everything, now when she needed it most?
Yamai lay down on her bed.
At least she would have some time to think things over.
Ai-Chan was with her friends at the beach and had already called to let her know she'd be sleeping over at one of their houses.
Her men were also patrolling the area for Ai and her friends' protection.
Tadano probably wouldn't come back, as Kaede and Komi-Sama were pampering him a lot.
As for the others… who cares about them?
Her parents?
Ha! They were more obsessed with their work than with her. She'd only see them occasionally, when one of them needed her to handle something in their real estate business.
Sometimes they'd go on family trips, but mostly they'd just give her money to have fun and stop bothering them.
Although she wouldn't complain about this, as it gave her the freedom to spend as much time with Tadano as she wanted...
Yamai looked around.
The silence was deafening, and the darkness only made everything seem even more somber and depressing.
She hugged her Tadano Dakimakura and murmured softly.
"It's always kind of lonely..."
She said, closing her eyes, trying to fall asleep.
...
However...
Step
Yamai opened her eyes slowly at the sound of footsteps.
"Did that girl come back early?" Yamai thought as she sat up.
But when she saw who was standing at the door, she was stunned.
"W-What are you doing here?" she asked.
The other party didn't respond, and after staring at her for a moment, rushed toward her.
Yamai panicked and quickly wrapped herself in the blanket before attempting to escape.
Thinking she would be alone, she had worn loose clothing for comfort, making her swollen belly very visible, which clearly didn't just look like someone who had gained weight.
Unfortunately for her, she couldn't escape...
"Stay still..." Tadano said firmly.
Like a dog hearing a command from its master, she obediently froze in place.
Yamai cursed in her heart, seeing how obedient her subconscious was.
Even though she was still, she held the blanket tightly, not wanting to be exposed.
"W-What do you want... weren't you helping with the festival preparations..." Yamai said, trying to change the subject and act as naturally as possible.
Tadano didn't respond. Instead, he stood in front of her, looking her up and down.
"What's wrong with you? You've been acting strange for a while, and your health hasn't been great either. Tell me, have I been pushing you too hard?" he asked, his voice calm but with a hint of concern.
Yamai's heart was moved.
"He's worried about me!" her heart screamed.
However, her mind quickly woke up, and she came up with an excuse as fast as she could.
"N-No, it's nothing, just a little fatigue. I'll be fine with a few days of rest..." she said, trying to sound as confident as possible.
Tadano frowned at her words.
Something was bothering him. In the past few days, his physical abilities had improved thanks to increased stats and his own practice.
As a result, he had gained a certain sense of perception, thanks to chakra and enhanced senses, which allowed him to notice something strange about Yamai.
"This is supposed to be a normal world... there shouldn't be anything fantasy-like here, right?" Tadano thought to himself.
[Information]
[Name: Yamai Ren
Age: 16
Relationship: Slave
Life: 240/250
Affliction: Pregnancy – Third trimester.
Affection: 90% – (An obsessive and contradictory love... Just don't leave me.)]
"Impossible..." Tadano murmured incredulously and wanted to confirm it with his own eyes.
He pulled the blanket away from Yamai.
Unexpectedly for Tadano, Yamai fiercely resisted him removing the blanket.
To avoid further issues, he had to use his chant sub-skill to make her let go.
When he could finally see her full figure, Tadano's eyes widened in shock.
Yamai had teary eyes, and a deep sense of despair threatened to drown her.
"It's over... everything's over... he saw it..." she thought to herself.
Tadano could no longer deny the elephant in the room.
"Yamai... You... you're..." Tadano said incredulously.
Even though he knew he never used protection with Yamai, he also knew she hated him enough not to want anything from him.
At least that's what he believed.
He had always thought she would take that pill since at the start of their relationship, she always looked at him with disdain and anger... damn it! He had even seen her use a patch once.
So then...
Unconsciously, Tadano activated a skill he had turned off long ago.
[Environmental Reading]
In that moment, small text bubbles floated around the silent, trembling Yamai.
"Damn... damn... damn..."
"He found out! He definitely found out!"
"What should I do?"
"What should I say?"
"Should I run to the pharmacy and take as many morning-after pills as I can?"
"What should I do? I don't want him to hate me!"
"Tadano, don't hate me!"
"Don't push me away!"
"Please! If you want, I can get rid of this... No!"
"I can... I-I can give it up for adoption! Yes, that's it!"
"Please don't abandon me!"
A cluster of desperate thoughts surrounded Yamai, alternating between gloomy and depressive.
Tadano was astonished.
But something quickly brought him back to reality.
Ding
[Mission Activated: [The Fruit of a Dead Tree]]
[The Fruit of a Dead Tree]
[Description: "4 of your 6 spectators are interested in this unexpected event. 2 of them have hidden motives, and 2 of them pity the life inside the Mortal named Yamai. However, all of them want to see what will become of the offspring of a system user."]
[Objective: "Take care of and protect the Mortal named Yamai and the child in her womb."]
[Reward: "x2 to all stats, title [I Am Your Father!], attention from the Protector of Children (Inari)"]
...
Tadano was speechless...
Was a mission really necessary for something like this?
You only have to hear the furious shouts and threats he's been hearing in his head since he saw Yamai's condition.
Tadano never thought that a gentle girl like Nagisa could curse him like that...
...
Nagisa: "Tadano Hitohito! Beast! Bastard! Don't you dare abandon a pregnant woman! If you do! If you do! I don't care about giving you a beating when I get out!" threatened the once gentle girl as she raised her small fist menacingly.
Tomoya remained silent, but Tadano could feel his piercing eyes, reminding him of which side he was on.
The couple seemed to take this issue very seriously.
Unexpectedly, Shinomiya remained silent.
...
Tadano sighed, annoyed by the situation.
However, none of it was necessary.
Neither the mission nor the threats.
Damn it! He was a kid who grew up with just his mother, you know?
Do you think he would let that child go through the same thing?
He's not that much of a jerk.
...
Without saying another word, he placed his hand on the trembling girl's shoulder.
He pulled her close to his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
Yamai's eyes widened, surprised at being embraced, of all things.
Then her eyes filled with tears as she felt the warmth of the young man and the strong arms around her, giving her a sense of infinite security.
She couldn't help but burst into tears and cling to him as tightly as she could.
Her sad and pitiful sobs echoed through the room.
However, a warm hand rested on her head, gently and carefully stroking it.
Little by little, she began to calm down.
When she finally settled, she looked at him.
Her eyes reflected fear and fragility.
Tadano met her gaze and simply responded,
"I'll take responsibility. From now on, I'll take care of both you and our child," he said as he placed his hand on the girl's swollen belly.
Yamai felt the weight on her heart lift.
The joy came too suddenly, and not knowing another way to express it, she chose the one she knew best and pulled the young man towards the bed.
But before she could do anything, she received a light tap on the forehead.
She looked at Tadano.
"Silly woman, you're already in this condition, and you really want to ride now? Do you have no sense?" Tadano said, rolling his eyes at her shameless attitude.
Yamai thought better of it and realized her mistake, apologizing a bit embarrassed.
Then the two of them embraced on the bed.
Tadano placed his hand on the girl's belly and asked,
"How far along are you?" he said while gently rubbing the swollen belly.
Yamai blushed but enjoyed the young man's affectionate touch.
"8 months," she said happily.
"!!!" Tadano was shocked.
Yamai looked at him worried, seeing his reaction.
"It doesn't matter... I'll figure something out. For now, your safety and the baby's are what's important, so leave most of your responsibilities to Agari. I'll take care of the rest," he said confidently.
Yamai nodded timidly, happy to be cared for and appreciated.
She laid her head on the chest of the man she loved and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Author's Note: "Well, I really took my time this time, and I'm sorry for that, but this author has his moments of depression and writer's block. Not to mention, I had to rewrite this chapter several times because it was getting way too dark. But here we are, and I want to thank everyone who continues to read my work. Remember to drink lots of water, and I love you all very much. Sincerely, your favorite depressive author."
------------------- nwnr