Eri stared at Chisa for a while when they met in their first shared class. She wondered how you were supposed to tell your best friend that you let a man you've barely known a week knock you up during the first three days. She thought it would be nice if there were a card or something for that.

Chisa caught her staring and then avoided Eri's eyes, as she asked a little bitingly, "What?"

Eri opened her mouth as she watched Chisa's cheeks go pink, but couldn't make words come out so she just closed her mouth again and shrugged helplessly.

Chisa glanced at her again, and rolled her eyes. "You'll understand when it happens to you. Someday even you will find the guy that makes you feel willing to do what he wants whenever he wants."

Eri reacted with blank confusion and asked, "What?"

Chisa sighed audibly, and then whispered, "We'll talk after classes are over, okay? Everything is fine, don't worry."

"Okay?" Eri agreed uncertainly, feeling completely lost.

--

Chisa spent her lunch with her lover, and Eri felt a little lonely. She wondered if Chisa had meant giving up their lunches together.

Eri meant to wait until classes were over, but when they finally met again during the break between their afternoon classes, she blurted, "I'm pregnant."

Chisa stared at her in shock for a long moment. Her first reaction was anger, and Eri flinched as Chisa replied sharply, "I told you to make sure he was careful with you!"

"We were careful, mostly," Eri replied as quietly as possible.

Chisa heard her miserable little reply and asked critically, "What do you mean mostly?"

Eri glanced around, but no one was paying any attention to them, so she quietly explained the brief incident during their first morning together, while she was still half asleep.

Chisa stood still. After a moment she asked with alarm, "That's it? And you got pregnant from that?"

"I don't know. Maybe? But Takumi said that it could have been because he didn't examine each packet first?" Eri explained uncertainly.

Chisa paled. "Oh my god," she whispered.

Eri felt relieved in a way, that once she understood, her friend seemed to feel just as alarmed as she had. She tried to smile, and shrug, but even she could tell that the expression wouldn't be reassuring.

"I'm going to have to tell him we can't do that anymore if that's all it took to get you pregnant," Chisa mumbled.

"What?" Eri asked with less confusion and more worry this time.

Chisa blushed and looked away from Eri before telling her in a faint voice, "He hates them."

"Chisa!" Eri asked with alarm, "You yelled at me, but you're the one who's not using protection?"

Chisa explained exactly what they were doing, a little defensively. And then she added, "And it's not completely unprotected, I've got the implant."

Eri asked worriedly, "But it's only 80% isn't it, because you went for the low impact?"

Chisa nodded.

The class time notification interrupted the brief silence, and Chisa suggested quickly, "Let's meet again in the afternoon after my club activities are finished, so that we can have more than a few minutes."

"Okay," Eri agreed.

--

When she had a moment, Eri messaged Takumi about her plans, and he asked: 'Do you think that I'll be able to see you after you're done catching up with your friend?'

She felt a little guilty for putting him off, so she asked: 'Do you want me to spend the night even if we're not done until really late?'

She felt surprisingly pleased by his response: 'Hell yes! Please come.'

--

Eri finished her homework while Chisa was at her club. When they met up afterward, they went out for parfaits, and didn't really talk about their problems until after they'd finished the sweets.

Finally, Chisa set down her spoon and said miserably, "I feel like it's all my fault you're pregnant. I'm so sorry Eri."

Eri looked across the small table with surprise, and asked incredulously, "How on earth are you responsible for me getting pregnant!?"

Chisa gazed back at her and explained with heavy logic, "Ever since that jerk abandoned you I've been pushing you to date someone."

"Don't be ridiculous," Eri protested without heat.

"But I messaged that you should be brave and have fun, and that as long as you were careful, you'd be safe," Chisa said unhappily.

Eri blushed as she protested with more force, "I did not do it with Takumi because you told me to have fun!"

"Why did you?" Chisa asked curiously. "Everytime I ask if you think someone is hot, you're like, 'he seems nice', or 'he was very polite'."

Eri avoided Chisa's eyes as she explained, "I did think he was pretty! But I didn't feel like I wanted to try it until we'd been kissing for awhile. And he asked me half a dozen times if I was sure, so it's definitely not your fault! It's my fault."

They talked for a while.

After Eri told Chisa uncomfortably that she really didn't want to talk about being pregnant until she'd had a while to get used to it, Chisa talked about her clubs and a movie that she wanted to see soon, and a net game that she'd heard was really good.

--

When they got ready to separate for the night, Eri hugged Chisa and said sincerely, "Thank you. This morning I was so scared to tell you."

Chisa replied unhappily, "I love you Eri, so no matter how horrible it is, don't be afraid to tell me anything!" Eri looked at her in surprise, and Chisa added, "You're the best friend I've ever had! And I know I've gotten busy lately, but just demand I make time for you when you need it, okay?"

"Okay," Eri agreed simply, and hugged her again before heading home.

--

Eri messaged Takumi on her way back, and he arrived to pick her up from her parents' place only a couple of minutes after she arrived.

He took the small bag of clothes from her with glee, and she smiled a little and told him shyly, "You look so happy."

"I'm incredibly happy," he agreed cheerily.

Her parents did their best to repress their amusement when their daughter informed them dutifully that she was spending the night with him.

--

Eri was expecting Takumi to demand sex as soon as they arrived at his place, so she was a little surprised when he just kissed her warmly, and then cheerfully shuffled things around in the drawers under his bed until he could put her clean clothes away.

Once his small domestic task was accomplished, he met her expectations.

He smiled at her as she cuddled up to him happily afterward, and asked, "Want to watch a movie or have some music on?"

When she nodded, he showed her how to stream from his storage to his TV, and also authorized her phone so that she could stream her own things to it if she wanted. They watched a short, cheerful comedy, and then he made love to her slowly, once more, before they fell asleep in a tangle.

--

Morning came too soon, and began warmly, but Takumi was unhappy about being unable to give Eri as much pleasure as he took.

He apologized until she laughed and protested, "Takumi! Sometimes you hold back on purpose for me, so why is it bad if I don't enjoy it was much as you do sometimes?"

"Because I want to make you feel good every time!" he insisted promptly.

"I feel good," she assured him cheerfully. He looked at her dubiously and she insisted, "I mean it! I feel good right now."

He kissed her again, and his alarm went off. He pouted at her and asked, "Can I have you again tonight?" Her smile faded and he added quickly, "You don't have to, but I want to?"

"I think I should sleep at home," she explained unhappily.

He caressed her face. After a moment he agreed calmly, "Alright Eri. Do you want to go on a date anywhere this evening, even if you don't want to stay over again?"

She looked at him. She wanted to see him smile again, so she replied obliquely, "I don't know, do you want to surprise me?"

His grin pleased her as he agreed, "Sure."

They ate cold cereal again before he took her to her college, and went to work.