A/N1: Not mine.
The news of the Tokyo tremor made it to Hokkaido, but Kotoko was unaware of how it would affect her. Aihara, looking as worried as she had ever seen him, met her at the station. "Ah, Kotoko-chan, our new house–destroyed!"
"What?" she asked in shock.
"Yes," he replied bitterly, "it seems that the original owners cheaped out on materials and used a slip-shod construction firm. The insurance company isn't happy, but they said it will be rebuilt, although it will take longer as they have to see what can still be used and what must be replaced."
"Your apartment, then." She smiled in reassurance. "It won't be so bad."
"No," he hung his head, "I put in my notice early and have been staying at Iri-chan's. But the missus says that their sons will be happy to bunk together and give you the younger one's room. That is, if you'll take it?"
"It would be rebuffing a favor if I said 'no', wouldn't it?" She took a deep breath and adjusted the computer bag on her shoulder. "It will be nice to match a face to your friend's name; after all, I've been hearing about him and his family for years."
She froze when she was first formally introduced; she quickly regained her composure and exchanged all the required polite words. The exuberance of her hostess and her fondness for the color pink made her blink, but she could not deny that she was being made welcome by the adult Iries. As for their sons…well, time would tell. The only males of adolescent age she knew were her cousins, and she was uncertain if these young men would act similarly.
"So, Kotoko-chan," Mrs. Irie fluttered at the breakfast table, "are you excited about your first day at Tonan?"
"Yes, ma'am," she responded. "It will be interesting to compare the difference between commuting and boarding."
"Well, have no fear of the city transportation, for I am sure that Onii-chan will be with you every step of the way."
"Onii-chan?" She asked.
"Yes. Onii-chan! Naoki!" She slapped the table, and Naoki lowered the newspaper.
"Yes, Ma?"
"I said that you will take care that dear Kotoko-chan will be protected while going to and from school."
"You know that, starting next week, I will be having tennis practice after school, right?" he asked.
"And I am sure by then I will have mastered the trip," Kotoko put in. "However," she bowed her head infinitesimally, "I will appreciate the companionship the first few days."
"It is no problem." He folded the paper and reached for the platter of eggs, scooping some onto his plate.
"Are you through with that?" She indicated the newspaper. "I need it for but a few minutes."
"Certainly." He handed it over, his brow creasing when he saw that she turned to the same financial page where he had been. "Do you follow the stock market?"
"Yes," she raised her eyes, "I have some investments which I keep track of. Do you know anything of NakaRiko?" she asked. "It has risen steadily the past two weeks."
"Not really–"
He was interrupted by his mother. "Why, Kotoko-chan, whatever is the appeal of those boring numbers and letters? They change all the time," she fretted.
"Ma," her son pinched the bridge of his nose, "those 'boring numbers' help keep a roof over your head and give you plenty of spending money."
"But Kotoko-chan is a daughter of the house! She should be studying the womanly arts."
"This is the twenty-first century," Yuuki put in, snickering.
"Thank you for your concern, Irie-sama," Kotoko re-entered the conversation, "but I was given a legacy of sorts. I purchase various stocks with the dividends, so that I may have an easier future."
"Do you have full access?" Naoki asked.
"Not to the principal," she admitted. "I am given the accumulated interest each quarter. While I am permitted to use it as an allowance, with Otosan so well-set-up, I usually just plow it back into the market. When I reach the age of twenty-five, I can choose to cash it all in or continue to invest. I was given personalized training, and I must admit that having to watch all of the trends and fads has helped my analytical skills."
"That must come in handy at school."
"Indeed." Her attention returned to the printed word. "I do believe that I will place a small amount in that company. If it doesn't do well, then I have not risked much."
As they boarded the subway, Kotoko loosened her coat and Naoki got his first sight of her school uniform. He lifted a quizzical eyebrow at her.
"Yes, Irie-kun?"
"Nothing serious." He considered how to phrase it. "Your skirt–it's a little longer than the norm. Not that I mean to be critical," he made sure to let her know.
"Oh," she glanced down, "at Hame-Bo the nuns made sure that we dressed modestly. I didn't feel comfortable with the standard skirts, so I had some made to my specifications. You don't suppose I will be in trouble for this?"
"Probably not." He grinned. "I almost hope that you create a new fashion. It seems the required knee-length is not kept to, plus for some reason they keep flapping up even when there is no wind."
"Perhaps they are trying to garner attention?"
She certainly had his now. "Pardon?"
"Well, I can tell you that many of my former classmates would classify you as 'dreamy'. They shared various tricks which they use to catch a particular person's eye, and I am certain that Tokyo girls are not that different."
A faint blush spread over his cheeks. "Uh, I'll keep that in mind while I keep my eyes averted."
"That is a wise move in order to avoid temptation."
"Aihara-chan, by any chance, were you interested in becoming a nun?"
"No," she laughed. "I am still Buddhist; there was no pressure at the academy, although we did have to take religious history lessons and attend mass. Last night I didn't want to embarrass your mother for hanging a crucifix in my room. By the way, have the walls always been that color?"
It was his turn to laugh. "No, Yuuki would have turned into a Hannya demon if she had pulled that on him. What you have now is the result of a rushed paint and decorating job."
"I hope that I have not put you and your brother into too much discomfort."
"Not at all. If Dad weren't so successful, it is likely that we would have had to share all along. Speaking of which, not to be disrespectful, but playing the stock market seems quite a ways from your father's restaurant, notable and popular though it is."
"Yes," she sighed, "that has nothing to do with him. My benefactor was in the hospital when my mother died. For some reason our situation touched his heart and he gifted me shares in," she hesitated, "a company. I learned how to invest the earnings, which explains my familiarity with the stock market. Otosan," she added proudly, "has never asked for any of my funds. He is the perfect example of a Japanese self-made man."
"And he is regarded as such. Ah," he noticed the lighted screen, "our stop is next."
They parted on the school steps after he gave her directions to the guidance office to pick up her schedule. "I hope to see you in class," he said in farewell before joining another friend who was approaching.
Much to his surprise, Kotoko was not introduced as a new Class A student, and he assumed that she was in the class below him. Due to that, plus his exposure to her normally placid temperament, he was unprepared for an angry tirade when he asked how her day went.
"I have never had classes with boys before, and now I truly appreciate that fact. Vulgar, rude hoodlums who have no volume control. And the girls are no better. All they do is discuss makeup, music and boys. How is one supposed to learn anything in that chaos? And the teacher lets it all go on and makes no effort to take control of his class. All he does is regurgitate the chapter outline and was reduced to sputtering silence when I requested clarification!" She dashed away a tear. "I was expecting differences, not…this!"
"Okay, Aihara, um, Kotoko." Naoki handed her a handkerchief. "What class are you in?"
She sniffed, "Class F, and that is about the grade level of most of the students, from what I can tell."
"Class F? I don't understand," he stared, "you obviously have much more intelligence than it is known for. How in the world did you end up in that educational cesspool?"
"Oh," her hands twisted the white cloth, "I was running a fever on exam day, so I likely tanked the test, even if I did not realize it at the time."
"Why don't you ask for a re-do? I mean, one conversation with you and they are bound to recognize the error."
A/N2: Sorry that there is no unique image for this story, as FFN uploader is not working for me. I do not have over the maximum images, I tried a different device, and I attempted to re-upload one which was previously successful (recommended trouble-shooting step), to no effect. I don't know if this is a glitch or a permanent problem or if it means that FFN is in late-stage failure mode. If the doomsday scenario is the correct situation, I will move my stories on AO3.