A/N: Not mine.

"I still wish you were coming with us." Naoki held Kotoko's hand at the subway station as he looked around for his friend.

"We've been over this enough times." She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "You are the member of the family who will most benefit from the test. Plus you have the one next month for Todai."

"About that–" He huffed out a frustrated groan. "What is keeping Watanabe? He's usually on time."

Kotoko pointed. "Here he comes!" When the breathless boy reached them, she berated, "Now Watanabe-kun, it shows little consideration to make poor Naoki worry so on a test day!"

He tossed curls from his forehead and grinned. "It would take more than that to put Irie off his stride. Sorry, man," he shook his head, "but Nozomi sent a good luck charm and my mother almost never got it tied on." He lifted a piece of cloth dangling from his bag handle and displayed it with pride. "She made it herself."

"I am sure that she wishes you the best," Kotoko said politely.

Naoki was more blunt. "Thank goodness she is planning to be a lawyer instead of a seamstress."

"It's the thought that counts," he countered. "Now I'm going to get downstairs before I actually miss the train."

"The best of luck to you." Kotoko bowed then narrowed her eyes. "But not really my best for that will be wished for Naoki-kun."

"My loss then," he laughed. "Maybe if I could have convinced you to go out with me in freshman year I'd be getting your best now. Ah, well, no need to dwell on the past. Coming, Irie?"

"In a moment." He smiled at Kotoko. "I remember when he asked you. You weren't even able to speak, he told me."

"Well, it's easier now that I'm over my crush on him. Go on," she gave him a shove, "get a move on. You have a test to take."

"Wait–crush?" he questioned before the crowds carried him forward and soon all he could see of her was her hand waving above most people's shoulders before she turned to head for her own connection home.

Mrs. Irie fretted as the hour grew late. "I'm worried about the snow accumulation causing transportation delays. After Onii-chan's long day of testing, he is likely extra tired."

"Obasama, he will be fine. After all, didn't you make that special dinner last night with what you called 'brain foods'? Although I'm still not sure why fish is that special. Fish brains, maybe, but I've never read about fish being that smart."

Kotoko's eyes crossed halfway through the matron's lecture on omega-3 fatty acids ('un aliment most miraculeux'), and she was relieved when the front door opened. Whatever condition they had expected Naoki to be in, amused was definitely not one of their guesses.

"What has you laughing, mon fils?" Mrs. Irie ran to unburden him of his overcoat, while Kotoko took possession of his bag. "Did Mrs. Aoki, who brags on her family being so graceful now that her daughter is a figure skater, slip and fall on the sidewalk?"

"Ma, I didn't know you were that spiteful," he chided. "And I thought she was your friend."

His mother waggled one hand. "Our relationship is, comment dites-vous, fluid at the moment. She thought that skinny little girl would be a good match for you and I told her that my Kotoko-chan had stolen a match on her. She did not like that bit of news one bit."

"Obasama!"

"Ma! Can't you keep personal business in the family?" Naoki groused.

"And I haven't stolen anything," Kotoko protested. "Especially not Naoki-kun. He is a person, not an object," she stated firmly.

"Bah, it is just a figure of speech. But now, what had you in such raptures of hilarity?"

"Just a series of slightly connected events which I happened to recall as I came up the walk. Nothing to concern yourself with." Taking an opportunity to distract her, he asked, "Is there something hot to drink ready? It's damn cold out there."

"Language," she scolded before retreating to the kitchen.

"Was that really why you were chuckling?" Kotoko inquired as he relaxed on the couch with a cup of steaming tea.

"In a way, but it would have taken too much time to explain the background to Mother." Checking to make sure she was still out of earshot, he whispered, "Do you remember that homemade charm Watanabe's girlfriend gave him?" At her nod he continued," The subway door closed on it and he was stuck there for the entire trip."

"Oh, dear!" A hand covered her smile. "No way to sit down and difficult to brace against the turns. But at least he was able to be first off."

"Not really," he snorted. "At our station, the opposite door opened. He had to ride for two more stops and then run for it."

"And you left him there by himself?"

"Well, not before doing my level best to pull that thing out. I swear, it was in there tight. He finally told me to go on so I could let the administrators know what happened."

"Did he make it in time?"

"Barely. But for how strong the tag was on that charm, it just fell off once he got to the building."

Kotoko informed him seriously, "That is sometimes the way of a charm. It must have decided that it had performed its task."

"Well, remember that it was supposed to be for good luck? He slipped on it while on the stairs and fell all the way down!"

Her eyes widened as she gasped in horror. "He must have been badly hurt."

"A twisted ankle," he acknowledged, "and a good complement of bruises. The worst part was that he landed on his bag and broke all his pencils. Thank goodness that I packed extras."

"You always think ahead," she said, nodding.

"This time, you were the one who thought ahead. I am so glad that you were well away from that chaos. As it was, I almost overbalanced reaching for him when he fell. I can just imagine him taking you down with him and landing on top of you."

"Just what I don't need: another tumble!" she laughed, reminded of her fall at the end of the relay race several months before.

"Indeed. He was several minutes late due to receiving first aid and then had to battle against sleep during the test."

"Oh, was that because of his accident?"

"No. This morning he felt as if he was coming down with a cold, and his mother gave him some medicine. Unfortunately, she did not give him the non-drowsy kind. I had to keep kicking his chair whenever he looked about to doze off."

"Poor Watanabe-kun! I know I shouldn't laugh, but it is almost as if that was a bad luck charm he had."

"When he lost it during the fall, he thought he had passed the worst of it. However, after the test was over, we found it stuck to the back of his overcoat. If he had access to matches, he probably would have burned it before throwing it in the nearest trash bin."

Kotoko patted his arm. "Well, I'm just glad that you were not affected by his misfortune."

"I, also. Now," he gazed at her intently, "what did you mean about having a crush on my best friend?"

"So from the very first day of high school you were enamored of Watanabe and not me?"

"Yes. It was so overwhelming that I could only admire him from afar. That one time he spoke to me, I couldn't even think of a thing to say back."

"Well, I have been accused of arrogance before, and this just proves it." He sighed deprecatingly, "All this time I thought I was the one you were in love with."

Kotoko shrugged. "You're not the only one. The people in my class just heard that I had a crush on someone in Class A, and they figured it was you. Satomi and Jinko knew the truth from the start, but most of the people they tried to correct wouldn't believe it."

"Especially the loudmouth who thought you belonged to him."

"Oh, Kin-chan… Of course, once something got stuck in that head of his, it wasn't going to move."

"When did you stop?"

"I had just about given up when Otosan and I moved in with your family. At first I thought that if I could manage to speak easily with you, since you were the most famous member of Class A, that I might find my voice with Watanabe-kun. Then during the summer I heard that he had a girlfriend."

"Yes, they have been involved for well over a year."

"That was when I knew for certain that whatever I felt for him was hopeless. I was very surprised when you asked me out. We had become friends, and I honestly didn't know what I should do. Satomi and Jinko encouraged me to give you a chance."

"And what do you think of me now? Have I replaced him in your heart?"

"Not really." With her chin tucked into her chest, she did not notice his suddenly stricken expression. Her cheeks pinked as she continued, "I liked you first as a friend, so the feeling is different. It's a good different," she assured him, looking up, "since I am able to talk to you. Also, when I speak to Watanabe-kun now, I don't have those feelings any more."

"I'm glad of that. So, does this mean that you are still okay with dating me?"

"Why would you think I wouldn't want to date you? Besides," she giggled, "now those old rumors of me liking you are true."

Naoki laughed suddenly. "You know, if you had been able to talk to him two years ago, he wouldn't have had that bad luck charm and be injured."

"Now, don't make that out to be my fault!"

T/N: Un aliment=a food; miraculeux=miraculous; mon fils=my son; comment dites-vous=how do you say.