The sky was a fiery orange as the last of the students make their way home.
By the riverbanks of the Shio River, Natsumi and Keisuke met up again to pick up their conversation from earlier.
They sat side by side on the grass next to the river. During this time, barely any people pass by that area so it was the perfect time to talk.
Keisuke, being the first one there, had bought some food from the nearby convenience store.
They didn't immediately talk about the pregnancy-thing. Instead, they discussed the happenings during class and club while they snack on their food.
After ten minutes of this, they've finally run out of things to say.
Natsumi took the initiative and resumed the conversation from earlier.
"By the way, Kei-chan."
"Yeah"
"About earlier…"
"Ah…" His face shifted into a frown.
"I really need you on my side for this one, Kei-chan." She said in a serious tone, devoid of her usual playfulness when talking with her boyfriend.
"Natsu… I know, and I am… it's just– "He pauses, clearly at a loss for words. "How could you be pregnant? We used protection, didn't we?"
There was a deafening silence. Horrible images start flashing within Keisuke's mind. While obviously not true, he can't help but overthink.
Natsumi, noticing the despair within his eyes, took his hand and locked fingers. She rests her head on his shoulders. "It's going to be alright, Kei-chan."
He snapped out of his trance. "What makes you say that?"
"Because I'll have your back." She said emotionally, as if holding back tears whilst she tightens her grip.
"…." Keisuke was silent for a bit but after feeling Natsumi's touch, he resolved to affirm her.
"I'll have your back too, Natsu." He says as he stands up, still holding each other's hands and bringing her up with him. "I'll support you through so it'll be alright, okay?"
Natsumi stares so deep into his eyes that the only response she could make is a nod. The despair in his eyes is now gone and had been replaced with determination.
"I love you, Natsu." Keisuke said as he pulled Natsumi closer to kiss her forehead, something that the couple really love to do.
"I love you too, Kei-chan." Natsumi, being shorter, pulled Keisuke down so she can reach his forehead to kiss him.
The couple looked at each other intimately, holding each other tight as the sun finally set. They decided to go home.
On their way home…
"By the way, what's up with you earlier at school?" Natsumi asked with a distinct excitement in her voice.
"Ack!"
"Ack?"
A brief silence filled the air.
"W-well… You know how we met during the fall?"
"Ah! You mean when you took a ball to the face? I remember that very well."
"Y-yeah… You were the one who threw that ball, you know."
The previous year, during basketball practice, Natsumi passed the ball to her teammate but she couldn't catch it. Instead, it hit a passing student straight to the face. That student was Keisuke who was running an errand for a teacher.
"Hey now. It was clearly an accident. And if it wasn't for that, we wouldn't have started talking."
"I guess so." Both started to giggle as they reminisce about their first encounter.
"That's a really good memory, huh."
"Yeah, it sure is." Keisuke agreed.
"But you see, Kei-chan. You didn't answer my question."
Keisuke sighed in defeat. He has no other choice but to tell her the reason for why he was a mess during their meeting behind the school's gym.
"I-it was…it was my first time seeing you wear the school outfit with your bare legs out like that." Keisuke said shyly as his face started to glow a bright red.
"Pfft! Ahahahahaha! What?! Are you serious?!"
"Stop laughing! It's just that you wore jogging pants underneath your skirt."
"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Natsumi laughed harder.
During the fall and winter season of the previous school year, Natsumi started wearing jogging pants underneath her skirt to warm up.
Even after they started going out by early winter, Keisuke only ever saw Natsumi's legs during basketball practice or when he's visiting her home but never with her school uniform.
"It's just..." Keisuke got tongue-tied but managed to utter the words he wants to say. "Seeing your legs like that earlier kind of… turned… me on."
Natsumi stopped laughing. Her face is now blushing red as well.
"I-idiot. You really like my legs, huh." She's still a blushing mess.
Natsumi, being part of the basketball club and athletic overall, has developed her muscles all over her body, with her legs being especially toned.
After they became a couple and started hanging out at each other's rooms, their usual position is a lap pillow, clearly a proposal by Keisuke.
"You look really cute right now, Natsu."
The sudden flirting from him is something Natsumi expected but it still got to her resulting in her unable to make eye contact with him.
"Only right now?" Natsumi retorts, only glancing at him.
"You're always cute. But right now, you're so unbelievably cute."
"H-hmm… hmmm…"
Natsumi started to lag behind in an attempt to hide her embarrassment but Keisuke noticed what she was doing and instead, held her hands.
Her face was flushed red as if a volcano about to erupt. In retaliation, she tightened her grip so strongly that Keisuke started to gasp in pain.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!"
She loosens her grip, enough for it to not cause pain but still holding hands.
Keisuke looks at her with teary-eyes.
"You're not very fair, are you."
Natsumi giggles.
They continued their walk, side by side and holding hands. There was no distance between them.
After a while, they finally reached Keisuke's house.