The future nursing students wound up their study session and began gathering their materials.
"Ooh!" Motoki squealed. "Don't look now, but there's an absolute dreamboat standing outside the restaurant."
Of course, despite that admonition, Marina and Tomoko immediately pressed their faces to the window. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" exclaimed Marina. "Doctor or not, he looks divine!"
"Mm-hm!" agreed Tomoko.
"Just hold your horses, sisters! I saw him first!"
The three giggled and squabbled all the way to the exit, while the uninterested Keita watched Kotoko stow her things in her bag.
"Why do you look so glum?" he asked.
"Oh," she looked up at him, "it's just that Marina and Tomoko were talking about the possibility of getting an apartment together, and I need to think about housing also."
"Don't remind me!" His mouth twisted. Motoki had suggested that they room together, and Keita had quickly declined, commenting with a pointed look at her attire, "I thought you were insisting that you were female. Not appropriate, Motoki!"
She had sniffed, made a practiced moue, and turned her back to him.
He returned to his conversation with Kotoko. "I was under the impression that you had a place to live."
"Yes, but I really should move soon." She dreaded the end of seeing Naoki daily, but with the first term a few months away (providing that she passed the entrance exam, and her confidence was rising on that front), she felt that, for her heart's sake, it would be wise to limit her time with him to business and tutoring only. Actually, she pondered, with the amount of savings she had accrued, she could leave Pandai whenever she wanted.
"Well, if you're looking for an apartment, I'll be happy to go around with you."
"Now, Keita," she teased, "I believe you said sharing with a female would be 'inappropriate'."
He flushed. "I just meant that I could tell better if the neighborhood was dangerous or not."
"That's okay," she laughed and poked his arm before picking up her bag, "you're so straight and narrow that I didn't suspect anything else." She wouldn't have any trouble, she mused, since she would be moving back in with her father. The apartment was fairly convenient to the campus, after all.
"Would you look at them making fools of themselves?" Keita shook his head in disdain. The three girls were giggling and posing for selfies only five meters from the designated 'dreamboat'. "Thank goodness you have some sense—in this situation, at least."
"Damned with faint praise." Kotoko wrinkled her nose before turning and catching her first glimpse of the Adonis. "Naoki?" she burst out without thinking.
The girls whirled and stared at her while Keita stood frozen as she approached the man leaning against the arm of a park bench.
He straightened. "Hello, Kotoko. I assume that the study session is over." He nodded greetings to the others.
"Yes, but why are you here? Did we have plans or something?" Darn! she thought. Just when I was telling myself that I need to taper off my Naoki addiction.
"No, but I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
"What is it?" she asked bluntly.
"Um," he glanced at their audience and took possession of her bookbag, "maybe we could do it somewhere more private?"
"Sure," she said, following his lead with only a brief wave at her study partners.
"Why, that little minx!" burst out Motoki.
"How in the world did that mouse catch the eye of such a prime specimen?" complained Marina.
"Well, Kotoko is very nice," Tomoko reminded them.
"Sweetheart," Motoki gave her a pitying look, "don't tell me that you still believe nice guys finish first? Oh!" she caught a glimpse of pole-axed Keita, "not that they don't, sometimes."
He glared at her and growled, "I don't know what you're talking about!" before stalking away.
"Oh, look!" Kotoko ran off the park path. "They have a lake with ducks here, too. Not as big as the one we got dunked in, though," she conceded. She smiled in remembrance of that day, despite the drenching which had abruptly ended their outing.
Naoki placed her bookbag on the seat of a bench. "Would you like to sit down?"
She turned her head, hands clasped behind her back. "Is it bad news, so that I'm going to need to?"
He thought for a minute. "I hope you won't take it as such."
"Then I prefer to stand."
"All right." He moved a little closer but left some space between them. "Do you remember when we talked about us going back to school together?"
"Yes," she smiled wistfully, "you as a doctor and me as a nurse. It was fun imagining that."
"Well," he cleared his throat, "it's actually going to happen."
"No, what—?! But your job with Pandai—! Irie-sama—!"
"I've brought in new personnel—the 'fresh blood', remember?—and revamped the organizational chart, including the transfer of Takami to assist and advise Dad. And Dad, while he regrets losing me, supports me fully."
Tears filled her eyes. "I'm so glad that you found your dream and are able to follow it. I told you that it would just take you a little time."
"I couldn't have done it without you, Kotoko." His voice rang with sincerity.
She waved away the compliment. "Come on! A person as superior as you would have done so eventually. No need to give me credit."
"I'd like to give you more than that," he said huskily.
"What?" She blinked at him. "You've given me everything. Hope, knowledge, a safe place to live… Oh, and we probably ought to talk about me moving out of that apartment soon."
"I agree," he said so quickly that she felt a pang.
"Yeah, uh, I'll see about borrowing Otosan's truck to move my stuff back home."
"What I meant was, we're both going to be moving out of the apartment." Naoki shook his head and laughed. "While I have invested my salary wisely and will still receive quarterly dividends, those two incomes will not let me pay the rent on that penthouse and go to college. I'm looking for a different place," he looked over her shoulder, "like this lake, a little smaller than the other."
"That would make sense," she said slowly. "When do I have to move out?"
"Before we decide that, we need to find our new place first."
"Our?"
"I'm screwing this up horribly, I know, but I'd like us to live together, Kotoko."
"As...friends?" she asked in a halting voice, pushing down hard on the hope that was beginning to rise within her.
"No," he strode towards her and clasped her upper arms, "as lovers, partners, husband and wife—however you want."
Kotoko began shaking. "This is so sudden. I mean...we're friends. You're my boss, my teacher. We haven't even dated!"
He shook her slightly. "What do you think we've been doing the past three months?"
"But that was just pretend!"
"It was real to me," he told her. "It was always real."
The hope burst free of her restraints and blossomed in her face. "It was real to me, too," she whispered. "Am I dreaming?"
"Instead of pinching you," he leaned close, "I think I'd rather do this." His lips rested on hers gently before they began moving and pressing harder. She stood on tiptoe to get even closer, one hand on his cheek. He broke away with difficulty. "I love you, Kotoko."
"I love you too, Naoki."
"I know," he said, winking.
"Huh?" she asked before her mind tripped away to another thought. "That was our second kiss."
"It was our third," he corrected her.
"Oh?" her face wrinkled in concentration. "Are you talking about that hand kiss at the dinner? Or the forehead kiss at the hospital?" She treasured those memories but didn't consider them 'real' kisses.
"Don't worry," Naoki laughed, "you can stop keeping track. I plan to make it impossible for you to keep count." With that, his head lowered again.
"I don't know, Naoki. Your mother…"
"Relax, Kotoko." He patted her back to reassure her. "Yuuki and Dad swear that she is a changed person. And she is actually the one who issued the invitation."
"But still, the last time we met, I was lecturing her again."
"Well, it looks like this one took. Come on," he kissed under her ear, "I went through the ordeal of meeting your father—and all of your adopted uncles at the restaurant—under our new relationship circumstances. I think that Odawara was harder on me than your dad," he mused.
"Yes, but you never fought with either one of them." She sighed. "Well, let's get this over with."
"Irie-sama, Irie-sama," Kotoko bowed to Mrs. and Mr. Irie, "Yuuki-kun." She winked and stuck out her tongue at the last person.
"Yo, Kotoko!" He walked forward as he greeted her. "Break any toys lately?"
"I only did that once!" She glared at him and tried to snatch the 5x5 Rubik's cube from him, which he was taunting her with by solving without even looking at it.
"Yuuki-kun!" Mrs. Irie's voice rose. "Remember, no horseplay. Why don't you relax on the couch right now?"
"Ma," he whined, "my incisions were less than an inch long! I think four weeks is enough recuperation." He whispered to Kotoko, "She's more than a little overprotective, but it's a new experience for me. I'm putting up with it because she's trying so hard. Of course," he raised his voice as he meandered to the couch, "I don't mind that she has refused to let me attend tennis practice."
Naoki shook his head. "I'll have to take you out a few afternoons and get you back in shape."
Mrs. Irie approached her as the two men joined Yuuki in the group seating area, Naoki sending his mother a warning look before leaving Kotoko's side. "You look well, Aihara-san," she said stiffly. She glanced at her older son. "I understand that I have you to thank for Onii-chan looking happier than I've seen him in a long time."
The younger woman held out a hand impulsively. "Please, call me Kotoko!"
The matron nodded. Kotoko noticed that her hair was no longer perfectly styled, her makeup was more subdued, and her fingernails were bare of any but clear polish; she actually looked years younger. "I've prepared a dinner in your honor." She laughed. "It has been a while since I exerted myself in the kitchen. These past few weeks have reminded me of how much I used to enjoy cooking." She hesitated. "I have made some poor choices in the past, mostly with how I treated my own children, but I also have dealt abominably with you. I hope that someday you can forgive me."
"Of course!" Kotoko smiled widely at her. "Your mistakes were made with the best of intentions."
"Well, I wouldn't go that far…" She stared at Kotoko intently. "My, you certainly resemble your mother."
"I do?" Kotoko blinked.
"Yes. She wasn't much older than you when she brought you over, not long after Onii—excuse me, Naoki—was born."
"Oh, I was a bit of trouble that day." Kotoko recalled the retelling of that time from the conversation months earlier.
"Nonsense!" Mrs. Irie waved away the thought. "You were just a baby. I remember how Etsuko sang to you while bathing you afterwards and how you laughed up at her as if you understood how off-key she was…" Her eyes took on a faraway gaze and a hand covered her mouth, which had suddenly dropped open. "Oh, my!"
"Is there something wrong?" Kotoko's concerned voice caught the attention of the male Iries.
Mrs. Irie turned to the young woman a fire beginning to burn in her eyes. "Watching her dress you in another adorable outfit rekindled my fervent wishes for a girl. The very next day I pulled out my box of pink baby clothes that I couldn't bring myself to return. Of course, once I put them on Naoki there was no turning back!"
"Say, what?" was all Kotoko could get out before she was engulfed in a firm hug. Mr. Irie shook his head sadly, Naoki covered his face with one hand, and Yuuki risked getting scolded for too much activity by rolling off the couch in laughter.
"I should have known you two were destined for each other at that very moment!" Mrs. Irie proclaimed happily. "Foolish me! Just think of all the time that I have wasted on those ineffective and unsuitable girls. But no more!" She kissed her on both cheeks. "I finally have my true daughter! My Kotoko-chan!"
Kotoko's eyes slewed towards Naoki. "Help?"
Yuuki smacked his brother's leg. Between giggles, he said, "This gets us both off the hook. Mom has a new favorite!"
A/N1: And so the reset button has been pressed and all is as it should be in the Itakiss world. I hope you were entertained by this diversion from the original.
A/N2: A heartfelt "Thank you!" to all of my followers, favoriters, and reviewers. I tried to thank each registered person via PM for their reviews (too many to name, but you know who you are). I also appreciate greatly all of my guest reviewers, those with names as well as the ubiquitous 'Guest'. Your words inspired me greatly, even if the message was just, "Next chapter, please!" That meant that you were enjoying the story.
A/N3: Various readers have asked if I was going to continue the Mythology series. As I replied to one person earlier: If I can come up with a plot. That's the only answer I can give, no matter the story or series. My next project may be a fluffy, slightly OOC one-shot, but my brain needs to recharge for awhile.