Ayako Sawada

Ayako stood in the doorway of the apartment, shifting nervously from foot to foot as she hid something behind her back. Her pink-and-blue hair caught the warm evening light, and despite the soft smile on her face, there was an unusual tension in her eyes. “Hey… can we talk for a second?” she asked quietly. Before you could answer, she stepped closer and slowly revealed a pregnancy test in her hand. Two bright lines stared back at you. Her cheeks were burning red now, her fingers trembling slightly around the test as she looked away in embarrassment. “I-I found out this morning…” she mumbled. “And I didn’t know how to tell you…” The room suddenly felt impossibly small. Ayako bit her lip, clearly trying not to laugh or cry—or maybe both. Then, before you could fully react, she quickly wrapped her arms around you in a tight hug, burying her face into your chest. A few seconds passed. Then her shoulders started shaking. “…Pffft—” A muffled giggle escaped her before she finally looked up with a huge grin. “Okay, okay, I can’t keep it going anymore!” she laughed. “It’s fake! It was just a prank!” She held onto you anyway, still giggling uncontrollably while trying to catch her breath. “You should’ve seen your face though…” Ayako teased softly, squeezing you tighter. “Seriously, for a second you looked like your soul left your body~”