2025-10-05: Housewife Talk

• Log: Housewife Talk
• Cast: Yua Ooshiro, Ayame Watanabe, Kids!
• Where: Watanabe Residence, Aoba Ward, Sumaru City
• OOC Date: October 5, 2025
• IC Date: Saturday, July 21, 2012
• Summary: Yua visits Ayame and the kids, and she and Ayame have a secret conversation.

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        It's around mid-afternoon, when Yua rings the doorbell to the Watanabe household; she holds in her arm a bottle of fancy pomegranate juice, which looks an awful lot like wine. Of course she is dressed in her usual dancer's leotard, though she has a handbag slung over her arm to hold her phone and other necessities; her hair is up in a nice, neat bun, as it always is, with that eyepatch across her left eye and that covering over her right hand.

        (She's already made her preparations for this evening -- but given her fiancee needs to train for the Olympics, she's finding her own way to occupy her time. Conveniently, she was invited to lunch...!)

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Mid-afternoon is ideal; it means that Ayame's children are home! As is Ayame herself, but that's less surprising. Ikkaku isn't just yet. He has some more things to take care of.

"Mom!" comes a voice from inside the apartment. "I hear it," Ayame's voice replies, growing closer until Ayame makes it to the door, opens it--and smiles. "Ooshiro-san!" she says warmly. "You made it."

She did invite Yua over. "Lunch is almost ready," she says. And it smells... beefy!! Ayame has been making gyudon, because it's a nice tasty lunch option that can serve many. But Ayame, wearing a nice pink dress, is not the only one present!

Isamu is peeking out from behind her, a six-year-old who resembles Ayame despite being a boy. He has short black hair and green eyes. And he waves. "Hi," he greets, looking up to the much taller Yua. (Don't see Yua being taller than people very often, huh?)

"This is Isamu," Ayame introduces her son, "Isamu-kun, this is Ooshiro-san. She's a friend of mine and your father's! She's the person I mentioned I would be inviting over!"

"Hi, Ooshiro-san," Isamu says. "It's nice to meet you."

"Cool," says a girl of eleven with long brown hair and green eyes, standing up from the couch to greet Yua. Tohka is the oldest; she's got a baseball team on her shirt: the Chunichi Dragons. "Nice to meet you," she agrees, as Ayame gestures to her, "Tohka-chan."

And then the third, a girl of nine, who stands up only after Tohka nudges her. "Hi, Ooshiro-san," Koume greets too. She resembles Ikkaku more than Ayame, with black hair in twintails and purple eyes. "It's nice to meet you."

"Koume-chan," Ayame finishes introducing.

"How are you?" she asks, looking to the pomegranate juice. "How thoughtful! This should pair nicely."

"How was the trip over? Is everything well?" She will take the JUICE if desired.

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        "Thank you for inviting me!" Yua smiles, and it's possible Miho had to teach her what the right thing to say here in Japan was, once upon a time, but she's long since learned how it works. (Mostly.) "Oh, lunch smells wonderful...!"

        But... Yua is taller than someone for once!! So she leans down to talk to Isamu without him needing to crane his neck so much (she sympathises), smiling warmly to him. "Nice to meet you, Isamu-kun! Did you have a good day at school? I've heard you're making lots of friends!"

        She straightens up to wave to Tohka and Koume, at least, since they're over by the couch. "Tohka-chan! Koume-chan! It's lovely to meet you! I've heard so much about you, too," she all but sparkles, as she smiles. "Like how you won your last baseball game, Tohka-chan! Congratulations! And -- I heard you won an arts and crafts prize, Koume-chan, that's fantastic!"

        She hands over the pomegranate juice to Ayame, then, turning her attention back to her. "I wasn't sure if this was a drinking household," she admits, "and besides, I've become quite fond of this stuff lately, now I'm avoiding wine!" Now why would she be avoiding wine.

        "Seiji-san found this place without any troubles, don't worry," she adds, smiling warmly. "Everything's good with us! We're preparing for our trip to the Olympics... Mimi's competing in both the individual and team sabre events! We're very excited!!"

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Ayame smiles at Yua, because they have had a Successful Social Interaction. "I'm glad you think so! I'm making gyudon! But maybe next time you can lend me an Okinawan recipe!"

"Mm-hm!" Isamu answers. "I am! But I'm happy break is coming soon too... I can see Mommy more!"

Ayame has to take a moment to recover from her heart completely melting. Give her a second. "Oh, Isamu-kun..."

Tohka beams at Yua. "Our team worked very hard," she says, modestly. ...But her tone isn't very modest. "Mom, may I take the juice into the kitchen for you?"

"Of course, dear," Ayame will allow.

Koume meanwhile, "I did! I based it on some of my Hidden Creatures," she explains. "Thank you!" Hidden Creatures--one of the games that Myunghon's shop holds!! ...Koume doesn't sit back down immediately, instead ambling over to Yua and looking up at her thoughtfully.

"Sometimes when the children are in bed," Ayame answers as to drinking, "But that leaves out three of us! So the juice is perfect." A beat, and a sparkle. "Oh? Avoiding wine?" she wonders, pleasantly.

But he found the place, and that's good. "Oh wonderful! I'm definitely going to be watching on television!"

"You should be excited! I hope she does very well."

"Wow," Tohka says. "The Olympics..."

Koume nods thoughtfully. "Ooshiro-san knows someone famous."

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        "Certainly!" Yua smiles, to Ayame. "I'd be happy to." Successful social interaction...!!

        And to Isamu, she smiles, and asserts: "Of course! You're such a good boy." Part of her is jealous, really.

        "Everyone in a team lifts each other up, right?" Yua asks Tohka, in turn. "But you must have worked very hard to raise the bar!" It's okay, she can be a team player and personally proud, both of those things are normal.

        "Oh! The Hidden Creatures! I used to love that show when I was your age!" Yua exclaims. "I never managed to get around to the games, though..." Well, that's not true; in reality, they just couldn't afford to buy a handhold console like that. But a nine-year-old doesn't need to know that. "I've heard there are a lot of cool new designs!" And since Koume is still curious about her, she adds: "My favourite was Repiv," the snake creature whose name is just 'viper' backwards, "how about you?"

        But... they can all enjoy juice! "Mm-hm," Yua nods, brightly, when Ayame asks about what she's avoiding. "That's exciting, too! I'll tell you all about it!" Well, Ayame's one of the few people she could tell the whole thing to, all things considered.

        "I have full faith in her!" Yua claps her hands together. "I just know she'll bring back gold! She did it before, you know? With the last Olympics. And now, she's stronger than ever...!"

        Besides, this time she'll be cheering her on.

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

"He's such a good boy," Ayame says, and smiles down at her son. "Oh, come here," she says, and kneels down to give him a hug. "You always know just what to say..."

A little laugh, and she stands again. Isamu beams. "Now, why don't you go play with Koume-chan?" She glances to Koume, because she has an idea that Yua will want to Talk and that means ideally not having the kids asking questions the whole way.

But before that, Tohka has a chance to respond too. "I did!" Tohka answers brightly. "it's important to keep up your own skills while supporting your teammates." She nods firmly, as if used to telling people things like this.

But Hidden Creatures! "Really?" Koume asks in wonder. An Older Person likes the thing she likes! "The show's fun too! But the games let me make my own teams..." A beat, "Repiv! Classic," Koume approves. "Mine is Scorchisaur! Dragons are super-cool..." Pause. "Though he's not actually a Dragon-type? He's in the Egg Group though. So it counts." A beat, "C'mon, Isamu-kun, let's work on your team!" She smiles at Yua. But she can take a hint.

"That's so cool," Tohka says to Yua about the Olympics. "A gold medalist... I wish I could go and see!"

"That would be amazing, wouldn't it?" Ayame answers. "But it's awfully far away, too. I hope your flight goes well, for both of you."

A smile, and then she says, "Tohka-chan, would you make sure the table's clear for me?"

"Yes, mom," Tohka answers, and waves at Yua, starting off for the dining area.

"Faith is good," Ayame says, and then smiles, turning to Yua. "I thought you might not want an audience," she says. "And we have a bit of time before lunch is ready."

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        Yua is of course keen to support young women in their sports, because... "Mimi says the exact same thing!" Yua claps her hands together, brightly. "So that's an attitude that can take you very far, Tohka-chan!" Even as far as the Olympics... do they play baseball in the Olympics?!

        And... Yua is classic! She smiles, still all bright and perky. "Good choice! Dragons are super cool! Don't worry," she adds, "lots of things can be dragons despite not bearing the title. It's all about having a dragon's attitude!"

        Yua assures Tohka, as well: "One day, I'm sure you'll be able to. They hold them all around the world, so they might even return to Japan sometime!" Perhaps in eight years...

        She waves to Tohka, as she goes to clear the table, and turns to Ayame. "You're very perceptive," Yua laughs, lightly, behind a hand. (She has those long, painted nails, again.) "But your children are darling, really. Actually..."

        Yua goes ahead and takes a seat on the couch, since Ayame assured her it would be a bit of time. "Mimi and I are trying for one, too!" Yua tells her, smile all but bursting at the seams. "Technically, that means I'm acting as her surrogate... but it's still going to be our baby!!"

        ... though, don't fertility clinics usually need you to have a husband? Or at least a boyfriend...

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Clap!! Tohka is happy to hear that. "Whoaaa," she says. "Really? I've got the same ideas as an Olympian?"

Don't worry about it.

But Koume grins back. "Yeah!" she says. "A dragon's attitude!"

And as for Tohka, "That'd be great!" she says. "I'm definitely gonna do it one day." She doesn't aim to compete there necessarily--but she wants to see it!

Ayame, though, as her kids wander off to their respective places, smiles at Yua. "It's important to anticipate someone's needs," Ayame says, in their position. She does notice the long painted nails. And her children being complimented makes her happy.

So Ayame walks over to the couch with Yua. She takes a seat in the chair nearby, so she can talk with her. And then--

Her eyes widen in surprise as her expression shifts in delight. "That's amazing!" Ayame enthuses immediately. "Oh, is that how it works?" she wonders. "So, you're using her eggs, then?"

Their baby!! "Oh, that's incredible! Yes, that way it's both of yours... What a very clever idea!"

A pause. "I didn't know they let women do that together without a man involved," she remarks thoughtfully. "I'm glad that you're getting the chance. It's so very rewarding."

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        "You sure do!" Yua encourages Tohka, smiling brightly.

        The kids are so nice...

        And lo, Yua compliments Ayame's foresight: "You're a pro!" Is there such a thing as being a professional housewife...? Apparently.

        Ayame also knows what she's talking about, so she doesn't have to explain nearly as much as she's had to previously. "That's right!" Yua confirms, positively beaming. "Mimi worked hard for the body she has, so she was always reluctant to bear children herself... but I always wanted to!"

        It is very clever! "Mhm, mhm!" Yua nods, hands clasped by her cheeks. "If I carry him, he's still my baby!" She's already decided what gender of baby she'd like, apparently...

        "Teeeechnically, they don't," Yua sighs, "we're having to work around a lot of things like that... but Mimi's father assures us he'll find a solution, and he made sure we'd be able to start attending the clinic anyway! You know, the whole wealthy person's discretion..." Which is typically reserved for marriages one is trying to keep quiet until the event and for embarrassing little cover-ups, but never mind that. "We're lucky Mimi's family is important like that... if she wasn't, we'd probably need to go overseas."

        Which still needs them to be rich, because what kind of normal family can just go overseas to have a baby? Heaven forbid there be a poor gay in Japan.

        "But I'm so excited!!" Yua adds, all but chirping. "They said that if all goes well, I should be able to go in for the first implantation tomorrow... though we don't know if it will work for sure." Everything has a failure rate! Ayame would know.

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

There is! Ayame does this housewife thing for a living!

Worked hard for her body... "That's good then," Ayame says, still smiling. "I'm glad you can work it out in a way that works for you." She'd wondered how it would work with two women--and now she knows! "It's an adventure," Ayame assures Yua. "And not always a pleasant one. ...But it's so, so worth it."

And--yes! "I certainly think so," Ayame says, and while she hasn't had to present opinions on surrogacy before, this one is fairly strong as initial reactions go.

But 'he', she says. She smiles. But doesn't rain on the parade by saying that that's not yet certain. After all...

She loves all her children dearly, but her son is the one who gets away with the most. It might not just be because he's young and cute and loves hugs.

But technically? "Aha," Ayame says, and her eyes widen. "Oh, my." Well, Yua does have a driver. "Yes, that's very lucky! I'm happy for you both."

Yua is excited. "Oh!! That's so soon!" she says. "Well, you'll have to tell me all about it!" she says brightly. "I hope it does work quickly." Not just because if it doesn't it's more expensive, because they have to try again, but for Yua's hopes and peace of mind!

But indeed--Ayame would know.

"Well, wonderful. ..." Pause. "Are you on the vitamins?" she asks. "I see you're avoiding alcohol. Is there anything special you need to do with the implantation? My first, of course, was rather unexpected, but after that..."

Ayame is going to talk nuts and bolts, because they are going to both be mothers soon!

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        "It's okay! I'm prepared! I'm determined!!" Yua insists, when Ayame warns her it isn't always pleasant. "And Mimi's going to be fighting for me, too!" Metaphorically, surely. On account of the fencing.

        Yua is, of course, praying for a boy, and she's always been a religious woman in good standing with her ancestors. Why wouldn't they grant her wish?!

        It's okay. She won't tell anyone Ayame has a favourite.

        And Yua does have a driver...

        "We wanted to start right away!" Yua bubbles, excitedly. She scratches at a cheek, though, her smile growing a touch self-effacing. "Ahaha, I was actually scared something would come up and take the opportunity away from us... since it's really not by the books, you know?" If it isn't illegal explicitly, it certainly is implicitly.

        ... Yua certainly doesn't look like a criminal, though.

        "I am!" She smiles, again. "I'm making sure to eat healthy and drink lots of water, too! They said I needed to reduce my stress levels, but I only have so much control over that..." Yua sighs, and doesn't quite realise the red flag she's risen. "But I'm making sure to get enough sleep!!"

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Determined!! Ayame is still smiling at that. "Of course," Ayame says. "Mine would've been much harder on me without Ikkaku..."

Not quite the same, but it's fine! It will amount to something similar, Ayame is sure. And her precious oldest is still in the other room for the moment.

"Of course," Ayame says--though, when Yua puts it that way, it makes sense. Not really by the books... "Aaah. Well, that makes sense. I hope nothing like that happens, though! Really, it doesn't hurt anyone, since you're a stable couple and everything..."

But, Yua assures Ayame about what she's done. "Ah?" she says. "A lot of stress, then?" she wonders, and thinks back to the Joker Killer. "...Ah, yes."

She may be jumping to some conclusions.

"Important. Remember, your baby will have less of a chance being healthy if you don't stay healthy; you still matter, too, Mom!"

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        "Being a single mother is very hard," Yua agrees, gravely. "But Mimi would never abandon me." Which is doubly important, given it's unlikely she'll get any of the legal protections of marriage...

        She nods, though, when Ayame says they're a stable couple. "That's right! We just want what everyone else in our position wants, that's all!" She can't exactly say they're not hurting anyone, though she doesn't refute Ayame's statement that this isn't hurting anyone, either.

        "There's just some stress in my life I can't really get around," Yua says, a touch delicately. "Some things we can't easily escape... you know." 'We', though.

        Still, she smiles, to Ayame, all starry-eyed over being called mom. "I'll do my very best!" She promises, fiercely. "For Hiroki, too...!"

        Oh no, she's even picked out a name.

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

"True," Ayame answers, "But even aside from his sticking around... The little things your partner can do for you are very important, too!" A smile. "...But I'm glad to hear that." Her certainty is reassuring. ...After all, some partners would.

But they just want what everyone else wants. She smiles. "Yes. I think that's just fine."

But, stress.... "I suppose there would be," Ayame allows with a sigh, assuming Yua is dealing with homophobia rather than being a TERRIBLE VILLAIN. Something like that.

But she laughs happily back. "Already have a name, hm? That's so sweet! It took me a while for all of mine..."

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        "I'll really be relying on her," Yua nods, firmly. "But she saved me, and supported me for a long time when I really wasn't very well at all... so I know she'll always support me."

        Yua might be talking about homophobia. She nods as if she is, anyway! "It's..." She starts, and hesitates, and finishes her sentence like this: "... it's like that."

        Well, no one can blame her for being unsure. No matter what she does, she'll be lying.

        "Mmhm!" She cheers up, though, about her future baby's name. "I'm not as sure if it's a girl, though... maybe 'Miako'...?" D...did she just mash the kanji of her and this Mimi's names together to make that?

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Ayame smiles. "...Besides," she says. "There are few things better for your second trimester aches than your partner's attention." She laughs at her own little joke, and then says instead, "But I understand that, I think. Ikkaku saved me, too, albeit differently."

But Yua... is definitely hiding something. This sweet, adorable woman is absolutely hiding something. But it might just be rich people secrets, and frankly, Ayame doesn't really want to think about it that hard...

So she doesn't! For now.

Instead, she smiles back. "Well, you have time to think about it!" she says, and diplomatically does not call out the way in which that name came into being. "I gave Tohka-chan and Koume-chan seasonal names for their birthdays..."

She pauses. She thinks about it, and she thinks about what she was thinking earlier.

...She decides to risk being rude.

"But are you sure?" Ayame asks. "If that's what it's like? Even if that's all it is, I'd like you to be able to talk about it with me. I think that would be nice."

"Of course, if it's big family secrets, I understand..."

"But there are unique worries a pregnant woman has even before you add on your relationship in particular."

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        "Oh... I'll have to remember that," Yua says, her cheeks reddening a little as she says it. Scandalous!!

        But Ikkaku also saved her... "That's great," Yua smiles, warmly. "Though... I am sorry you were in a that kind of position." Surely it's not the same position Yua is in, but...

        She can imagine all too many things which threaten housewives in this day and age.

        "Oh, seasonal names! That's so cute!" Yua bubbles brightly, as if she weren't a deep dark pond. "If this works, this'll be a March baby... perhaps a Spring name..."

        Her heart's pretty set on 'Hiroki', though.

        But... Ayame asks! And Yua sighs, and -- well, she's still smiling, but it's a touch more melancholy now. "It's really been very nice getting to talk with another woman who keeps her home... I've been glad to talk more with you." Mostly over the phone, to be fair, but Yua does work part time, so it can be a little harder to get out sometimes. "It is nice..."

        Her knee bounces, heel raising from the floor, as she tries to think through what she can possibly say. "Really, the Ijuuins are wonderful," she shakes her head, folding her hands in her lap. "Mimi's father is nothing but supportive of us... all he wants is for his little girl to be happy. It's more, ah..." How can she even say it...?

        "Something happened when I was younger, too," she settles on, after a moment's pause. "But, it was... there's really no way to say this gently," she sighs, and lowers her voice, to make sure the children won't overhead. "... I was caught up in human trafficking. I went missing for a while... and it was Mimi who found me and saved me. But... those people... well, the police couldn't apprehend them, and... well, it's something like organised crime, I guess?" It's much worse than the Yakuza, but if Ayame even believed her about that, it would put far too much of a target on her back. "They know where I am, and they'd ruin Mimi's reputation, too. Sometimes they demand things of us, and something terribly bad would happen if we refused... or told the authorities. So, you see... I know it's important to avoid stress, but... I-I really can't help some of the dangerous things in my life, you know?"

        Maybe when Yua was talking about her partner fighting for her, she wasn't being metaphorical...

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Scandalous indeed. Ayame giggles a little as she says it. It's fun to share little details like that that most people wouldn't understand.

"Thank you," Ayame says. "I can tell you the story," she offers. "But that can wait, too."

In the end, it's her turn to protect Ikkaku, now--but then, Yua saw her Persona.

Ayame smiles brightly. "When I was recovering," she says, "I saw the gentle peach blossoms... and that inspired me."

Still--she does ask. "I'm glad, too," Ayame says. There are more she gets to speak to: she can gossip with a lot of housewives, after all. But it's nice to talk to Yua in particular, too. But...

"Oh, good," Ayame says, and then... listens, to the part that is not oh good. No way to say it gently...

"Oh," Ayame says, worried and disturbed. "I see..."

Something like organized crime. Ayame thinks about it; she thinks about the people who keep covering certain things up. It could be related... but it might not be, too.

"I'm sorry," Ayame says. "That's terribly difficult."

"Well, it's all right. I had a great deal of stress with Tohka-chan before she was born, because of what was going on, but she turned out healthy. If you can't control your environment, you can try to control how you react to it."

"...I'm glad your partner was able to save you. No one deserves such things."

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        "I would like to hear sometime," Yua assures Ayame, gently. "For your husband must be quite the hero!" ... particularly if it was something Ayame had to recover from.

        Ayame is a hero now, too, but Yua dutifully doesn't speak overmuch on that, for housewives without Personas aren't supposed to even see them clearly.

        Yua doesn't really have a network of housewives she can gossip with; tragically, most of them are suspicious the minute she declares that she doesn't actually have a husband. (Though Ritsuko has warmed up considerably, since she revealed to her that she's trying to have her little sister's baby...) More's the pity; she doesn't really know how housewives gossip.

        If she did, she'd know not to gossip about something like this.

        "Ah... did I say too much?" Yua asks, with concern of her own, and the tone of someone who doesn't say it an awful lot. "I'm sorry, I know it's quite serious..."

        She reaches up, curled fingers touching her eyepatch, and there are certain things which can be imagined even if they go unsaid.

        Still... Ayame insists that Tohka was healthy, and Yua looks terribly relieved to hear that. "Oh! So -- so she was fine, even though -- you know, I've heard all these frightful things about the chemicals you have in your body when you're stressed -- I was very worried they'd hurt the baby," she confesses, as if those stresses are somehow her fault when it comes to the health of this child who doesn't even yet exist. (Because, of course, that's simply the norm.) "You're right... I need to think positively!"

        there is a beat of silence wherein the medium expects maya amano to burst through the window on being summoned so carelessly, but unfortunately, she does not.

        Still, Yua smiles, if not because of positive thinking then because she's thinking of Miho. "She was very brave," Yua says, hand clutching to her heart, "and she fought very hard, and for a long time... she never gave up on me. So -- so that's why I know for sure I'm safe -- even though I won't have the protections afforded a normal marriage. If it's between us, we don't need them!"

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.

Ayame smiles. "Yes."

It is a big story to Ayame. But, well... Ayame would not really call this 'gossip' as such, no. But at least Ritsuko is warming up! That is... better, than the alternative. But as to the not-gossip:

"No, that's all right," Ayame says. "I'm glad you feel you can trust me with it."

It's very serious indeed. Still... "There are a lot of frightening things that they say," Ayame says, "And of course, we all want to do the very best we can... But worrying overmuch about it can cause the same stress that you'd otherwise manage to be too much." Of course it's Yua's doing, keeping herself calm. That's Yua work! Ayame went through the same thing. Even if it doesn't always feel fair...

"Yes," Ayame says with a smile. "That will help."

But--

"I'm glad," Ayame says. "That's..." Hmm. The protections afforded...

"I hope you're all very happy," Ayame says warmly. "You, her... and the little one."

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.

        "Thank you," Yua smiles, because it is terribly nice to have a friend who understands this side of things, and it is relieving to tell her some version of why hers is a bit complicated. She loves Myunghon to bits, but she all but had to tell them where babies came from... there are some things which only other housewives really 'get'!!

        (Plus, it's just nice to be Included As A Housewife.)

        "Oh... that's true!" Yua gasps, looking rather harried, for a moment, that stressing about stress might very well make it into too much stress. "Then I'll need to take extra measures to avoid it... I'll make sure Mimi knows, so she can help, too." That it's Yua work really goes without question, and evidently, her partner is acting like a husband in that sense. "It's a big responsibility... but if bearing a child were easy, more people would do it!"

        Yua does have to wonder, just a touch bitterly, why it's so difficult for her to have a child when the government is so concerned about falling birth rates across the country. Here she is desperate to have a baby, and they're having to skulk around and cheat the system just to do it! Imagine how many babies they'd have if they let the bians live.

        Still!! Think positively!!!

        (Editor's note: there's still no Maya. Does Yua read Coolest or something? Isn't that magazine a bit young for her...?)

        And Yua is very positive, when Ayame wishes them well. "Thank you," she says, her smile returning. "I have faith that Mimi's father will find a solution for us, even though it's so tough... and we'll be really happy!"

        She sighs -- a touch lovestruck, this time, rather than weighed down by a terrible fate. "I really hope this first round works... it would mean our baby would've been there, when Mimi competes this year. I'm sure there'll be other competitions, but this one's special...! I promised I'd be there to cheer her on, and I wasn't able to, last time she was at the Olympics... it would really be something if our baby could, too!" A baby a couple of weeks old won't be cheering for anything, factually speaking, but Yua isn't thinking about facts. She's a romantic...!