A/N: Not mine.
With a great deal of effort, Kotoko exhibited no impatience as Mrs. Irie fluttered about her.
"It's a shame about this winter storm coming through," she fretted." I hope that won't cause you two to be late to the testing site."
"Which is why we are trying to leave early," Naoki stated behind his mother, causing her to shriek and jump. "Now, c'mon, Ma, hurry up with the goodbyes. We're supposed to be meeting Watanabe at the transfer station."
"Oh, well, I suppose with two young men watching you that you will be safe."
Kotoko clenched her jaw to hold her eyes still. "Obasama, I can take care–"
"Wait! One more charm."
"Really?" Naoki questioned as she left the room. "You almost bought out the temple already." He indicated his and Kotoko's bags which had a plethora of cloth rectangles essentially covering them.
"Not for you, Onii-chan," she chided as she rushed back in and came close to knocking over Kotoko, bent over to fasten her boots. "Here you go, dear!" She pinned a chain with several gold bangles to one of the ruffling colorful fabric pieces. "St. Christopher for travel, St. Medard for weather," she shot a concerned look towards the window, "and St. Joseph of Cupertino for test taking."
Kotoko managed a weak smile. "Thank you so much, Obasama. I appreciate most sincerely all help for this day. However, Naoki is correct; we must depart."
Naoki turned to her once they were on the sidewalk and out of earshot. "'Most sincerely'?"
"Of course," she affirmed primly before rattling the chain, "even if the help is not part of my belief system."
"Well said," he chuckled. "Are you planning on a career in politics?"
"Not at all." Her expression sobered. "I am aiming for business and finance."
"Ah, yes, your investments." He sighed, "Too bad you are not an Irie, then the Pandai torch could be passed to you."
"You know," she winked, "according to Yuuki-kun and your mother, I practically am."
He laughed. "Well, I could certainly do a lot worse."
Kotoko found herself leaning against the subway car door, insulated from the press of humanity filling the carriage by the unyielding bodies of Naoki and Watanabe.
"Sorry about this," Naoki spoke to his friend. "Mother spent twenty minutes saying goodbye, which caused us to hit morning rush hour."
"Don't worry about it," Watanabe grinned, "as we programmed in a 'cushion' of time, knowing how unexpected circumstances can pop up. But I do advise we make our way to the opposite side at the next stop. The doors across from us will be the exit for the test site."
The boys decided to forge a path with Kotoko hanging onto their coats when the group came to an abrupt halt.
"I'm stuck," the girl said, twisting around to tug at her bag. "Those saint medals are caught in the door and I can't tear off the charm they are attached to."
Even the boys' endeavors proved futile, which caused them to brainstorm rapidly. "It won't be until two stations after our stop that this door will open again," advised Watanabe.
"So I'll just have to run upstairs and catch the train going the other way," Kotoko stated.
Naoki stared at the display. "That may not work. They are starting to close stations due to the weather. No new passengers are boarding, although they're not kicking off those already on board."
"Then I'll make my way back on foot." Kotoko promptly pulled out her phone and opened the map of the city.
"Nonsense, Kotoko," Naoki attempted to tug the bag off her shoulder, "let me–"
"Or me," inserted Watanabe.
"–do this."
"Don't be silly. Not only is it my responsibility, but I am smaller and have a lower center of gravity; if I happen to fall, there won't be as much force upon hitting the ground. And if you recall our sports day, I am almost as fast as you when running."
Watanabe was laughing when Naoki gave out a long sigh of surrender and ordered, "Be sure to call if you get into difficulties."
"Of course," she agreed, "and you be sure to let the test administrator know that I have not changed my mind about taking it."
He gave as crisp a salute as he could manage in the crowded conditions. "Aye, aye."
"Our stop is next, Irie," Watanabe reminded him. "We need to move."
"Very well." Naoki paused then pulled Kotoko into as tight an embrace as possible with her close attachment to the mechanical door. "Take care of yourself," he threatened, "or I'll sic Mom on you."
She shuddered with a smile. "Now that's a warning I will certainly heed."
As the boys made their way up the stairs to street level, Watanabe shook his head at Naoki's muttered words of worry. "You know, Irie, if our classmates could see you fuss over Aihara now, there's no way they wouldn't believe you and she aren't an item."
Naoki brooded for a few seconds then replied softly, "And maybe they wouldn't be that wrong–at least on my side."
Cheeks pink from exertion, Kotoko barrelled through the automatic door at the university building scheduled to administer the test. "See," she claimed, only slightly out of breath to the waiting Naoki.
"Great," he said, brow clearing, "and with ten minutes to spare. Now let's get you to the registration desk." He took her by the elbow and began to usher her up the steps.
She stopped abruptly, almost knocking him off-balance. "Excuse me, but since we have the extra time, I need to make a stop first." She indicated the restrooms tucked down a short hall and turned to descend.
With all the students traipsing in from the inclement weather, there were inevitable puddles of water scattered throughout the building. Unfortunately for Kotoko, her right foot hit one firmly and she proceeded to tumble down the remaining stairs.
"Kotoko!" "Aihara!" cried Naoki and Watanabe, intermixed among screams of spectators.
She was swiftly surrounded by a variety of people. Naoki held them back until the designated first aid official knelt at her side. She responded in a tight voice to the gentle questions and then was guided carefully to a chair. There her wrist and ankle were taped and arnica dabbed onto a bruise on her cheekbone. Desiring to be of diligent service, the check-in roster was brought to her, and she signed in at that location.
Kotoko refused over-the-counter medication from the attendant, instead pulling a bottle from her bag and shaking it at him. "I will be perfectly all right, sir; I came prepared." She swallowed two pills quickly–and without water–before being escorted to the elevator to avoid another slip on the stairs.
Three seats behind Kotoko, Naoki noticed the girl's head nod repeatedly and the surreptitious pinching on the inside of her elbows. Once the mandatory break began, he rushed to her side. "Are you feeling drowsy? That could be a sign of concussion. Perhaps a trip to the hospital on the way home is in order."
"Nothing so serious," she yawned, "I grabbed the wrong pill bottle this morning." She extracted it from her purse and handed it to him.
"Ah," he hummed, "the night-time version; definitely not a non-drowsy formulation. Do you often have trouble sleeping?"
"Sometimes," she hedged, not wanting to mention episodes of insomnia from worrying about her secrets.
"Again, perhaps a doctor's visit is appropriate."
"For such a minor thing as this," she laughed and retrieved her medication, "a visit to Dr. Irie is probably all I need."
Watanabe elbowed his friend with a grin. "'Dr. Naoki'; that's cute."
"Yeah, right," was the muted response.
"Oh my stars!" Mrs. Irie froze for a moment before she began dragging the bedraggled trio into the house. Naoki and Watanabe flanked Kotoko, her ankle throbbing to such an extent that she welcomed their support. "I was so afraid this might happen. Why, oh why, did you insist on leaving today, Kotoko?"
"Because this is the only day to take the test?" she countered as she limped to the couch.
"What is it with young women these days?" she continued. "Let the menfolk take care of supporting the family. If you had just waved off Onii-chan with best wishes, you would not be sitting here at death's door!"
"Ma, she's not quite that far gone," Naoki commented, interrupting his plea for Watanabe to linger a bit.
"Aihara is most definitely a trooper," his friend asserted, "but now that I have seen her safely home, I must head that way myself."
"We're lucky that the temperatures rose and public transportation resumed by the time our test finished, else we would be looking for a hotel room for the night."
"Ah, son, how could you so think to dishonor my Kotoko-chan!"
"And that's my cue to exit." Watanabe backed away. "You can't pay me enough to deal with your mother in full cry."
"Thanks anyway. Text me and let me know you made it," he called after the boy, who waved a hand back at him.
He turned to see his mother propping Kotoko's foot on the coffee table as she yelled at Yuuki to bring blankets. "And you, Onii-chan, head to the kitchen and heat up some water for tea. The poor darling is chilled to the bone!"
"And I was exposed to the elements for the same amount of time," he muttered as he left to do her bidding.
He was met halfway by his brother clasping numerous blankets. "Don't you know that we are nothing compared to Onee-chan? Just imagine how much worse it will be when you two get married!"
The younger boy turned after no cutting remark was made to his jest. "Huh," he said, puzzled.
When Naoki returned to the living room with a tray of filled teacups, he nearly stumbled at the words emerging from his mother's mouth.
"Thank goodness I purchased all those charms for you, Kotoko-chan, else you could have been injured much worse."
"Ma," he began, only to fall silent at Kotoko's head shake. She was right, of course. No matter what they might argue, his mother's faith in her own pronouncements was never shaken.
"Did you say something, Onii-chan?"
"Nothing of importance," he assured her.
