On the first morning of the new semester, Satomi and Watanabe exchanged glances when they noticed that Naoki's and Kotoko's hands brushed against each other's frequently. They said nothing at first, but finally Satomi leaned over and whispered, "Aren't they cute? I haven't seen that much blushing since I last watched Kimi ni Todoke."

"I'm not sure I understand the reference," he replied, "but that's the most relaxed I've seen Irie since the beginning of high school."

She giggled. "I can't stand it any longer! I'm going to pull her aside and get all the deets!" Satomi detached the two with a slick move, shrugging an apology to Naoki as she did so. She bent her head down to Kotoko's and whispered, "I see that Santa brought you a stupendous present at Christmas."

Kotoko looked at her in confusion. "Santa Claus? Otosan and I aren't Christian."

"Aw! How sweet! I meant you and Irie-kun."

"You-you can tell?"

"Honey, a blind man can tell! Well, maybe except for the one heading this way." She scowled at the approaching Kinnosuke and squeezed Kotoko's arm. "I'll get it out of you later why you think you have to keep it secret!"

"Yo! Happy New Year!" the beaming Kinnosuke called with a wave.

"Kin-chan sure is happy considering his test results," Kotoko commented sotto voce before speaking to him. "Hi, there. How was your holiday?"

"Yeah!" Jinko joined them. "You didn't come to the Christmas or New Year's parties. Were you taking makeup exams?"

"Shush!" Satomi hissed.

"Don't mention that!" Kotoko added.

Kinnosuke only blanched for a moment before recovering himself. "Hey, no need to act so sensitive on my account, Kotoko," he assured her suavely. "I'm not going to college."

Jinko decided to put the other foot in her mouth. "Without college, what the heck are you going to do?"

He thrust out his chest and swaggered. "I've decided to go out into society one step ahead of you all. That way I'll be ready to accept Kotoko as my wife at any time." He glanced over to see how she took the news.

"Does that mean you have a job prospect?" Naoki drawled.

"Hmph!" He snorted his displeasure that Kotoko was not the one asking. "You might say that. They were more than happy to have me‒in fact, they didn't even want to wait until after I graduate! I've been going over to help out every night since New Year's."

"What kind of job is it?" Satomi looked dubious.

"Nuh-uh! That's a secret."

"Thought so," she muttered.

"Wait a little longer‒then I'll invite all of you over to my workplace. Well, after I show Kotoko first."

"Kin-chan," Jinko raised a finger to emphasize her point, "this is going to sound harsh, but you should cut your losses and look for someone else. Not only has Kotoko never shown any interest in you, but she's gonna meet a lot of men in college. And, you know, she might not even stay in Tokyo."

"Ha, that's what you think! I don't give up that easily. You see, I've got a little 'love plan' already in place, and I've got the inside track, no matter what you think, Irie!" He cackled as he pointed a finger less than ten centimeters from Naoki's face.

Out of sight of the jeering Kinnosuke, Naoki squeezed a mortified Kotoko's hand.

"Ai-chan, thanks for the wonderful meal!" Mr. Irie expressed the feelings of his entire family as they relaxed after dinner in the Aihara restaurant.

"Think nothing of it!" he replied. "After all, tomorrow is the big exam day, and my little Kotoko wouldn't even have this chance if it hadn't been for your Naoki tutoring her!" He beamed at the students sitting side by side. "With my good healthy food, you two will be all set for the test!"

"Yes, yes, college and knowledge‒ooh, that rhymes!‒is all well and good, but true happiness will come from finding your destined lifemate." Mrs. Irie kept a smile glued onto her face as she jerked her head at Kotoko, signaling her to scoot closer to Naoki. Letting out a breath of frustration when neither of them moved, she held her cup out for another refill.

"Now, Mama," her husband remonstrated, "haven't you had enough?"

"Nonsense!" She quaffed the beer and burped softly. "A man cannot be a success without a loyal wife at his side." She hugged Mr. Irie. "Right, darling?"

"Um, yes…" he began, reddening all the way up to his bald crown. Yuuki began to slide down in his seat in embarrassment.

She was not finished. Using the empty glass instead of her finger she pointed at her elder son. "Now, you‒hic!‒need to follow your father's example and marry a wonderful woman like me! And the sooner the better!"

"Ma, are you still advocating underage marriage?" Naoki asked wearily, holding a hand to his temple.

Kotoko popped out of her seat. "Obasama, you don't look well. Let me take you to the ladies' room."

"Yes. Ladies' room," Mrs. Irie repeated. "Lady. La-dy. I'm going to make you a la-dy and you will marry my Naoki and have bee-you-tiful babies. All girls!" She waved one arm wildly; luckily, Kotoko had already removed the glass from her hand.

Naoki helped Kotoko get his mother upright and balanced her on Kotoko's shoulder. "Can you make it all right?" he whispered.

She nodded up at him and boasted, "I still have muscles from all your tennis training. One step at a time, Obasama!"

"I used to play tennis, you know," Mrs. Irie confided to Kotoko. "It's such a romantic game. All that love in the scoring…"

As her voice faded down the hall, Naoki resumed his seat. "Dad, I think it's time we left."

Yuuki rolled his eyes. "Long past time!"

"Yes, well, my wife doesn't hold her liquor too well," Mr. Irie apologized to his friend.

"No need to worry." Mr. Aihara waved aside his concern. "Where else can you relax except with friends?" He turned as an employee tugged on his sleeve.

"Ai-san, it's about time for that person to show up…"

"Oh, expecting someone?" Mr. Irie began to rise but was pressed back into the seat.

"It's just that we've been invaded by this strange guy lately. You know, the one from Kotoko's class who ate all her tofu that time?" Mr. Irie winced, Naoki raised an eyebrow, and Yuuki snorted at the news. "He comes barging in every night, and‒" The bell above the entrance rang. "See? Here he is."

Kinnosuke's mouth dropped at the sight of the three Irie males staring at him. "Huh?!"

"Just what this night needed," Naoki commented drily. "I assume that this is your highly secretive 'love plan'?"

"What are you talking about, Naoki-kun?" asked Mr. Aihara. "This kid here has been bugging me to take him on as an apprentice. Not that I advertised for anyone…"

"Yeah! That's right, Irie!" Kinnosuke answered loudly. "I'm gonna become a chef of Japanese cuisine, work here at Otosan's restaurant‒"

"Don't call me Otosan!" This was obviously not the first time that Mr. Aihara had instructed him in this matter.

"‒marry Kotoko, take over this restaurant, and allow Otosan to retire in comfort. Two birds with one stone! Great idea, right?"

"Don't call me‒" Mr. Aihara placed a hand on his brow and shook his head, recognizing that it was impossible with Kinnosuke on a roll.

"Highly clever," Naoki answered, "but‒"

"See! You don't have to be in Class A to have smarts!"

"‒what does Kotoko think of this idea?"

"What idea?" Mrs. Irie, guided by Kotoko, had made her way back to the table. Holding a damp cloth to her forehead, she glared at Kinnosuke. "I remember you, you daughter-in-law-to-be poacher!"

"Yikes!" He reared back from her fearsome expression.

"Yeah, Mom," Yuuki piped up in mischief. "Shit-for-Brains here is at his old tricks. He's sucking up to Aihara-san trying to take Kotoko away from you."

"Yuuki! Language!" she scolded before returning her attention to the aspiring chef. Stepping forward, she began to lecture him. "I am not going to let you have my Kotoko-chan. Not after," she paused and made a futile attempt to count on her fingers, "all those months I've been training her! She is going to be," she wobbled a bit, "my daughter-in‒Bleurrgh!"

"Yep. Time to leave." Naoki stood and guided his mother towards the door as Kotoko tried to wipe her face on the go. He turned to Kinnosuke, who stood frozen after receiving most of the blast. "Well, part of being a chef includes cleaning up messes. Have at it!"

Kotoko and Naoki met in the hallway the next morning. "Didn't you sleep well, Naoki-kun?" she asked, looking at the dark circles under his eyes.

"You're lucky that your room is farther from the toilet than mine." When she cocked her head at him, he explained, "Mother was puking the rest of her guts out until the early morning hours." He yawned. "I knew she shouldn't have had that last drink."

"Maybe she wouldn't have if we had told her that we're…you know…"

"Don't even think that." He glanced up and down the hall and kissed her forehead quickly. "If she got the tiniest inkling that we were actually beginning to like each other in that way, we'd have even more pressure and interference."

"I guess. But missing sleep the night before the test isn't good."

"Better me than you, no offense intended. Anyway," he patted her head as they went down the stairs, "a couple cups of coffee will put me right!"

Mrs. Irie sat at the table, holding her head in her hands, a fizzy drink in front of her. She winced when Kotoko greeted her with, "Good morning, Obasama!"

"Good morning, darling!" She managed a wavering smile. "You too, Onii-chan. I fixed you both a healthy breakfast, with lots of nutrition so you'll do well today."

"Thanks, Ma!" he hugged her shoulders, "especially because I know you're not feeling on top of the world. What I really need is coffee!" He followed his nose to the pot on the sideboard. "Excellent!"

The ibuprofen had finally kicked in by the time the two were ready to leave. She handed Kotoko her bag. "Here you go!" She touched a bright packet tied to the handle. "I made you a charm for luck!" She pouted slightly. "Even though you wouldn't make one for Onii-chan!"

"Obasama," Kotoko sighed, "you know that I bleed all over everything when I try to sew."

She patted her face. "That's all right, dear, but we could have used red fabric. Well, no matter! I know he doesn't need extra luck today. He has his annoyingly perfect brain, after all."

They were barely outside the gate when Kotoko came to a sudden stop. "Luck!" She placed a hand in her jacket pocket and sagged in relief. "It's safe! Naoki-kun, how about yours?"

He patted his chest. "Right here. Although I don't know how far we should trust that flaky girl…"

Mrs. Irie walked slowly back to the kitchen and began putting things away. I must have been on autopilot this morning, she thought. I don't even remember making coffee… She stared at the canister in her hand. "Oh, no! I used Papa's decaf beans! Well," she replaced it in the pantry, "I'm sure Onii-chan won't notice the difference."