Chapter 10: The First Two to Find Out
WAIT! Before you start reading, take a minute to guess who you think the first two people to find out about Naoki and Kotoko are.
"So, Kotoko, what is it like being in class A?" Satomi and Jinko ask after the first week of school. Their eyes are wide and excited for new information. I put my finger against my lips, effectively quieting down before returning back to the notes I took on the table. After I realized that the students of class A basically learn the material by themselves with help from the notes taken in class, I devote several hours after school to studying and learning the material. The first test is coming up and I want to do well. Especially since most of the class still thinks I don't belong there. I was also hiding from them but they seemed to always find me. I need a new studying spot.
"Can I talk to you guys later? I have to learn the material before my test next week." I rub my forehead feeling a headache coming on. Irie-kun usually has the best methods for curing anything, especially headaches. "Maybe I can ask him to tutor me." I mumble packing up my bag.
"Why do you have to learn the material? Doesn't the teacher teach you anything? Class A sounds like you don't do anything in class. At least in Class F the teacher teaches us the material." Satomi huffs out.
"He does teach us, but he writes and talks so fast that you can't do anything else but take notes. No one ever asks any questions." I shake my head, trying to blink away exhaustion. "Look, I have to go. I'm going to see if I can find my teacher before he leaves the school. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow." I walk past them, leaving the library. I scoot over to the classroom, where I knock on the door. A voice tells me to come in.
"Hi, Mr. Takashima, I have a question about Chemistry lesson you taught us today." I start timidly.
"Ms. Aihara, what I do in class is not teaching. The students of Class A are quite efficient if you haven't notice. They want to be prepared for university entrance exams and, in the past, we discussed with then class how they want to be taught. As they want to learn as much as possible, I lecture as much material as I can for each course each day and they go home and learn the lesson themselves." He states.
I just stare at him. "So…the attitude of the class…they want it that way?" He nods his head. "That's…just…incredible." He nods his head again. "In any case, I'm here after class everyday till 5:30 to help my students with any material they don't understand. Since they all want to learn by themselves, I mostly use the time to mark your homework assignments. Tell me, your homework, do you do it by yourself?" He asks curiously.
I shake my head. "Most of the time yes, but I'm staying with a classmate because my house was destroyed. If I don't know something, I ask him."
"I see. Does this person happen to by Mr. Irie Naoki?"
I step back slightly. "Why do you ask?"
Mr. Takashima reclines in his chair. "That last Chemistry homework assignment was two parts. The first part was relevant to the material I taught in class that day. The second part, which was my mistake, I shouldn't have put it on as it is almost university level material, everyone but two students got the answer wrong. You and Mr. Irie are the only two with full credit for that assignment."
I laugh, "That question stumped me for hours. I managed to figure out the first two equations needed but I did end up asking Irie-kun how he solved it. He gave me last formula and afterwards it was basic stoichiometry." I sigh, "No point hiding it, it's obvious anyways since you're marking our homework. Irie-kun doesn't want anyone to know that I'm living with his family so don't tell anyone."
"You don't have to worry about me; I don't have time to gossip with the faculty staff as I'm always preparing for the next lesson. Anyways, didn't you want to see me about the Chemistry lecture?"
"I'm back." I call out into the house later that evening. Mr. Takashima was very helpful to teach the lesson to me after school. It was great that he was willing to help us out. The Class F teacher ran out when the bell rang. I put my shoes away and walk into the living room where Mrs. Irie and Mr. Irie were sitting.
"Hello, Kotoko-chan how was your day?" Mrs. Irie says smiling at me.
"Not bad, I'm sorry I'm so late coming home, I stopped to talk to Mr. Takashima." I apologize.
"Don't worry about it. Naoki and Yuki are upstairs and dinner should be ready in an hour or so." Mrs. Irie stands up, brushing imaginary dust away from her apron. "Why don't you go change into something more comfortable?" She says smiling, walking away into the kitchen.
I nod my head at Mr. Irie who was reading a newspaper before leaving the room and waking up the stairs. In the hallway, Irie-kun was leaning against his closed door.
"You weren't in the library after school." He states, pushing away from the wall.
"I was talking to Mr. Takashima to ask for some help." I reply walking past him. "I didn't understand the entire Chemistry lecture so I went back after school for some help." I open my door, gesturing for him to follow me.
I grab some clothes from my closet, rushing the bathroom to change. When I came back, Irie-kun was sitting at my desk reading something from an envelope. "What are you…Hey! That's mine!" I snatch the piece of paper out of his hands.
Irie-kun looks at me and reaches for the envelope. "It's addressed to me isn't it? When did you write that letter?"
I took the envelope and placed the love letter back inside. "I can't believe you went snooping in my room."
He just looks at me. I sigh, placing the letter back into the drawer of my desk. "I wasn't lying when I told Satomi and Jinko that I wrote a love letter. I wrote it during the summer before our second year. I was going to give it to you on the first day of school but I got cold feet right before you walked through the gates. I put it here, thinking I would ask you some other time. Then I got you as my peer tutor and the rest is history. I look towards the closed drawer. "I completely forgot I still have it."
"You do realize I probably wouldn't have accepted it?" He cocks his head to one side slightly. "You probably would have been the laughing stock of the school."
I laugh sitting on his lap, his arms coming up to rest on my hips. "Then it's probably a very good thing that I didn't give you the letter hmm?" I tangle my fingers in his hair. "I probably would never find myself in the situation with you."
"Naoki, Yuki, Kotoko-chan, it's time for dinner! Come down please." Mrs. Irie's voice penetrates our moment. Irie-kun sighs, dropping his head onto my shoulder.
"Let's go before mom starts speculating the worst."
As I open the door, Yuki-kun backs away from the door in a hurry. His mouth and eyes wide open, his face turning bright red when he sees his brother.
"Yuki-kun? What are you doing?" I ask him.
Irie-kun walks by me. "Yuki seems to have been eavesdropping on our conversation. Tell mom we'll be down in a bit for dinner. I need a little chat with my brother." He grabs Yuki-kun by his arm, dragging him into their shared room, closing the door behind them.
I shrug my shoulders; Irie-kun can handle Yuki-kun, and walk downstairs to the dining room table.
After dinner, I help Mrs. Irie with the dishes before heading upstairs to finish my homework. As I pull out my Calculus textbook and a notepad, there's a knock on my door. "Come in," I call searching my desk for my pencil. The door quietly opens and shuts. I turn in my chair, "Oh, Yuki-kun, do you need something?"
Yuki-kun just stands there, leaning against my door, staring at me. "What do you like about my brother?" He asks finally.
I lean against the back of my chair, resting my chin on my arms. That's a good question. You know, you're brother and I had a fight before summer started. He accused me a cheating on him and I called him a jerk and promptly walked away. The entire time we were apart, I was miserable. I missed his know-it-all attitude, the way his arms tighten around me like I'm the only light in a void of darkness. I love solemn tenor of his voice, but most of all, I found his attitude towards life intriguing."
"His attitude towards life?" Yuki-kun asks confused.
I smile slightly. Walking over to my bed, I pat the spot next to me, inviting him to sit down. "Before we started dating, your brother used to tutor me at the public library as part of the peer tutoring sessions we had to participate in during our second year. I told him that I wanted to make the top 100 on the midterm exam, remember that I was truly a Class F student at the time, Irie-kun promptly told me that I was insane. He quoted 'The most important thing is the ability to tell apart the impossible and the possible' by Phillip Chesterfield. He was basically telling me that challenging the impossible was a waste of time."
Yuki-kun cracks a smile. "that sounds like Oni-chan."
I smile in return, "doesn't it? Anyways, you know how your brother never studies? How everything he does comes almost instinctively and easily?" Yuki-kun nods his head. "Well he was impressed that I applied my whole self into something when I'm focused." Yuki-kun looked at me accusingly.
"That doesn't sound like Oni-chan."
I roll my eyes. "He finished by saying he didn't understand how I could apply my entire being into a task and continuously fail all the time." Yuki-kun laughs and I crack a smile at his expression. "When I came in the top 100 that year, I thanked him and we went our separate ways. After a huge argument between the student body saying I cheated and the faculty trying to defend me, the school administration and I agreed that we'd keep my marks hidden if I came in the top 100. When finals came around that year, I placed 90th. Irie-kun found me after school to yell at me. He was furious that after all the time he put in to help me, I blow it by failing the exam. I took him to the office to show him my marks. I honestly think he was more surprised than I was."
Yuki-kun looks up at me. "I would be surprise too, but you're still not explaining what you mean when you say my brother's attitude towards life is intriguing to you."
I lie down on the bed staring up at the ceiling. "Irie-kun never studies and never bothers to. When he was around me, I guess my attitude and application towards me own studies and actions inspired him to find a meaning for him. I want to be there when he find his passion." I turn my head to look at Yuki-kun. "I want your brother to be happy, he's happy when he's near me because he thinks I bring excitement into his life. The way he was before, cold and indifferent about life is not a way to live. If you find something, a career or a hobby, that you're passionate about, then life has a meaning to it. Does that make sense at all?"
Yuki-kun contemplates my words for a bit. "So…it's like finding something you like to do so that you're not just going through of life but living life?" I nod my head. He stands up and turns to face me. "Take care of my brother for me Kotoko-san. I think you're going to be good for him." He says before leaving my room, shutting my door before I can speak. I grin cheerfully before walking back to my desk to deal with my Calculus homework.
Not what you thought? or did you...? I felt like I should probably introduce how Naoki and Kotoko met and why they wanted to keep her marks a secret. My longest chapter yet but also more of a filler and a back ground story. Tell me your thoughts and lit me know how you thought were going to find out and if you liked it or not. I'm going to try and wrap up high school in a few more chapter because we still have the entire university arc to do and I might end the story there. On a brighter note, if anyone is watching the LOVE IN TOKYO adaptation of Itazura na Kiss, how stoked are you guys for season two? Last Monday they re-aired the Love in Okinawa episode so this Monday...Oh! I'm so excited. Anyhow, I'll get started on the next chapter, give your thoughts, criticism, likes and dislikes and I'll write to you guys next time. Ciao.