A/N: I do not own Itazura na kiss.
A/N2: Yomiii21 wanted to know if the hinted romance between the ring bearer and flower girl worked out, and an unnamed Guest wanted to see Kotoko and Yuuki in the future. I hope this satisfies both requests.
"A visitor for you, Irie-sama."
Yuuki looked away from his computer screen. Usually Arai would buzz him before opening the door, but he quickly understood the aberration. He stood quickly, "Shiko! You're here a week early!"
His nephew nodded to the secretary and strode past him. "I didn't bother waiting for my grades to post, and Dad said I could skip the graduation ceremony and get right over here."
"Well, that's great news!" The American Irie heir had zoomed through college and was spending the summer with Japan's Pandai firm as an intern after completing a second post-graduate degree.
"I might as well get a head start on becoming familiar with the videogame side of the business," he explained.
"Yes, since neither of my girls show any interest." Yuuki motioned him to a visitor's seat and joined him, leaving the President's chair empty. "When did you get in?"
"Yesterday afternoon. By the time I made it to the penthouse, I needed to crash. Sorry I didn't call."
"Not a bit! That's very understandable. But—the Oizumi apartments? Nonsense!" Yuuki grinned at him. "Are you trying to have me murdered?"
"Sir?"
"Kotoko and the twins will have my hide if you don't stay with us this summer. We rattle around the place, with your grandparents on that world cruise and," he cleared his throat, "Kotoko's dad passing last year."
Shiko nodded his head in sympathy. "But—"
"No, no, I won't accept any excuses!" He winked. "Shiori and Yumiko are hoping to show off their 'cool older cousin' to their classmates." He added in explanation, "Japanese schools are on a slightly different schedule than American ones."
"Ah, yes." He smiled. "That's one of the reasons that it was pretty much impossible for me to have a transfer year. Father did want me to have some Japanese background education…"
"Well, better late than never, plus it's on-the-job training. Is Onii-chan stepping down completely this autumn?"
"Not at all." He explained smoothly, "We have devised an organizational shift that will be complete in a few months due to attrition. We didn't want to let any loyal employees feel like they were being passed over to give me a position."
Yuuki pointed a finger at him. "Excellent policy. Not that I would have expected anything less from my big brother."
"So, where would you like me to start?" Shiko asked.
"All raring to go, aren't you?" Yuuki chuckled. "I hadn't made any plans yet, what with you not being expected quite so soon, so—"
The door opened again without ceremony, and a tall girl with purple-streaked hair glided in. "Uncle Yuuki, you are really too much trouble."
The men turned and rose at her entrance. "What have I done now, Yuki-chan?" he asked with a smile.
Shiko was shocked when the newcomer only gave him a brief glance before reaching up to kiss the older man.
"You forgot your lunch again." She handed him a parcel.
"Yumi shouldn't bother since she still has to get ready for school," he chided his daughter in absentia.
"Try telling a teenager anything," she laughed.
He shook his head. "And I have two of them!" He took her arm and turned her towards his nephew. "Please let me introduce—or rather, re-introduce—you to my nephew. Irie Shiko, Takamiya Yuki."
He gave the girl a puzzled look as he held out a hand. "I'm sorry. Have we met before?"
Her smile widened. "You'd be more likely to remember than me. I was only three at the time."
Still at a loss, Shiko turned back to his uncle, who grinned in reply. "She was the flower girl at our wedding. You two livened up the ceremony and the reception."
Vague memories were resurrected of a flying basket and a pursuit that ended under cover of a tablecloth. His face reddened slightly. "Ah, I hope you won't hold my previous behavior against me."
She laughed. "I have no recollection of the event, due to a sugar coma, according to my mother. So rest assured, I'll only judge you on what I see from here on out." With that statement, she let her eyes travel from the top of his razor-cut hairstyle to the tips of his expensive leather shoes and back again. A wink showed that she liked what she saw before she turned back to the other man. "What's my assignment today?"
"Hmm." Yuuki moved to the other side of the desk and set down the bento. "You've finished the day for Kotoko?"
"You know it doesn't take long to deal with her schedule. I'm all yours."
"Yes, well—I know!" He smiled at the two young folk. "Why don't you give Shiko the grand tour? That will help him get oriented before I figure out a departmental rotation for him."
"Okay by me!" She placed hands in the pockets of her low-slung jeans skirt. "How about you, Slick?"
"Sure. And it's Shiko," he corrected her.
"I calls 'em as I sees 'em!" she countered with a grin and headed out the door.
After raising an eyebrow at his uncle, Shiko followed, eyes on her swaying hips. Yuuki snorted and resumed checking the latest sales figures, but not before opening the lunch to see what had been packed. "Good. It looks like her mother didn't help her," he said to himself.
"So, 'Uncle' Yuuki?" he asked as they walked through the executive suite.
"Mama and Aunt Kotoko were good friends back in school," she explained. "Actually, according to them, Uncle Yuuki was my first love."
"That would have been an unusual pairing," he commented. At her inquiring glance, he added, "Yuuki, Yuki."
"Right," she agreed. "Similar sounding, just different kanji. Here is the accounting department. Hi, Iwasaki," she called to a young man walking their way.
"Hello, Yuki!" he replied. "Are you with us today?"
"No." She shook her head. "I'm on tour duty, of all things. This is Irie Shiko, from Pandai New York. He's going to be interning for a couple of months."
"Really?" He grinned at Shiko. "You'll be learning from the best." He turned back to Yuki. "Let Irie-sama know that we could use you a couple afternoons this week, if you're not needed elsewhere."
"Will do," she nodded.
As they headed towards Human Relations, he asked, "Is the dress code very relaxed here?"
"Not particularly," she said. "Why?"
He made an up-and-down hand motion. "Your outfit…"
She looked down at the scoop-necked top and fringed vest over her skirt. "Oh. I thought you meant for the full-timers. R&D is pretty loose in restrictions, but otherwise it's business to business casual, dependent upon if you're meeting the public. I'm a part-time floater so I'm sort of a special case."
"Being close to the family doesn't hurt either," he muttered not quite softly enough.
Their progress screeched to a halt as she pivoted to face him, a frown on her face and steel in her voice. "Look, Slick, I'd dress up if it was required, but it's not. So don't think I'm pulling any favoritism here."
"Okay," he said, raising both hands. "I was mistaken. Sorry. And it's Shiko," he repeated with a bite in his tone.
The tour took a recess in the firm's cafeteria. Yuki scanned her employee card and paid for both their lunches. "We usually have a selection between Japanese and foreign food, as well as a salad bar," she explained. "The menu varies daily, with no particular pattern that I've noticed."
"How long have you worked here?" Shiko asked.
"Off and on for a couple years," she replied, opening the bottle of water. "I worked as one of Aunt Kotoko's tour guides for awhile until there was...a bit of trouble." She took a swig. "I help out in her office in the mornings then swing by here to see where I can pitch in."
"It probably gives them a little staff flexibility," he observed as he cracked apart the wooden chopsticks. "Mm, tasty," he said after a bite.
"That's right, your mother is some sort of gourmet cook, isn't she?" she asked absently.
"Why, yes, she is." He stared at her. "You appear to be well-informed about my family."
Yuki paused dramatically. "I think I just spoke out of turn. Can you forget I said anything?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "For the time being. I may follow-up at a later time."
"Redirect might be a little dicey." She slanted him a grin. "There's been a rash of amnesia cases going around Tokyo."
"Sounds like the slippery tongue of a lawyer," he joked.
"Doesn't it, though?" she replied with a mysterious smile. "About finished?"
"Yes." He stood and gathered their dishes. "I'll treat you next time. I'm sure part-timers don't make that much," he added.
"I won't turn you down," she admitted.
He paused at her phrasing. Was there an extra meaning to the sentence?
As they toured the beta-testing area, he asked, "Do you enjoy playing?"
"Enjoy? I wouldn't exactly call it that. Let me just say that I spent a lot of hours here with the twins testing out the kiddie games until they hit middle school and suddenly found their own interests. I can still play a mean game of Racquet Warrior, though."
"The twins!" He pulled out his phone. "Please excuse me for a moment. I have to arrange something." He gave orders to the major-domo at the apartment to pack his things back up and have them transported to Pandai. "Sorry about that," he apologized to Yuki. "Uncle insisted that I couldn't have the full experience unless I lived with the family."
She laughed. "If I see you tomorrow, let me know your impression of them."
"Oh, you might not be here?"
"I probably will, but I'm not sure where." She raised and lowered her eyebrows suggestively. "Would you miss me?"
For one of the first times in his life, Shiko was flustered into silence.
