A/N: Don't own.

Plans to reunite father and daughter moved swiftly. A visit to Tokyo served several purposes.

Kotoko was able to introduce herself to her sensei's recommendation for replacement, and both were pleased with the encounter. "Although Soma-san had you enter as a boy in order for you to face more challenging opponents, I do not believe that will be necessary here. The metropolis has some fierce competitors."

"It does not matter either way," the girl shrugged, "for a match is a match is a match. However," she bowed, "I will follow your recommendations."

Aihara enthusiastically described what would be their new home. "It is leased at the moment, for that was the condition when I purchased it, but once that expires, we two will move in and live together as a family."

He did have numerous pictures of both public and private rooms, and she expressed concern over his ability to afford such a home; compared to her uncle's home, this was a mansion.

"No, the owners moved overseas and were not able to sell it right away. They put it in the hands of my old friend Iri-chan, and once he heard you were coming back, he got us a great deal on it."

"Iri-chan," she mused. "That is your old middle school friend. The one you were with when you spied on the girls during segregated swim time."

The man blushed. "Now, Kotoko, why are you bringing up stories like that? I'll have to have a talk with my brother about his loose lips."

The third task was taking the entry test for the high school she planned to attend. Once more sharing the advice of his friend, she was convinced to try for Tonan High School, where his older son attended.

She shook her head after completing the chore. "That was difficult, Otosan. I don't think the schools back home teach some of those things."

"Well," he patted her shoulder, "it won't take you too long to catch up, I'm sure."

She may have been less certain of the matter, but she still nodded in response.

Kotoko was not pleased to be vindicated in her doubts, but the truth was that she struggled in her designated class. "It's probably called Class F because that's the grade I'm going to get," she moaned after two weeks.

"I have faith in you, daughter," Aihara tried to encourage her. "Besides," he added cannily, "if you can't make a passing grade in all your subjects, I might have to pull you out of martial arts."

"Okay," she sat up straight, "I think I'll read over that last chapter again."

He chuckled at the quick turnaround. "Carrot and the stick works every time," he snickered as he left the room. "But if she still has trouble, maybe I'll ask Iri-chan if his son knows someone who could tutor her."

"Good work tonight, Mouse," Miyazawa congratulated Kotoko on her ribbon at the end of the internal competition. "If you channel that effort into your studies, you will earn outstanding grades."

"Thank you for your confidence in me, Sensei," she bowed, "but must you still use that old nickname? I thought I could leave that behind with my new identity as a female."

"Certain things you can never outrun." He patted her shoulder.

"There may be someone who puts two and two together," she warned, "especially since I cut my hair."

That had happened, not as a result of reinventing herself, but because one of a group of raucous boys goofing off in the classroom had spit a good-sized gob of pre-chewed gum into her hair. As it had stuck close to her roots, she now sported a short pixie cut.

"No," he waved it off, "the trademark style of Aihara 'Nezumi' is an almost traditional top knot."

"Thanks for the 'almost'," she smiled, "for I certainly did not shave my head."

"Besides, you are now facing opponents of a different gender. Your past will remain where it lies–in the past."

"Oh!" Kotoko's arms spread to maintain her balance as the earth shook. "What was that?"

"A relatively minor tremor," he replied. "You'll get used to those after a while, but always be on guard for the big one."

Kotoko's bottom lip quivered. "Sensei said that it was a minor tremor, but it doesn't look that way to me."

Aihara wiped his eyes. "Minor, perhaps, in that part of Tokyo. But look what it did to our home!" He gestured towards a not-entirely-demolished-but-certainly-unlivable house.

"We just moved in last night," she sniffed. "My stuff isn't even unpacked."

"That might have preserved it," an attending firefighter spoke up. "Once we are sure that it is safe enough, I'll be happy to clear a path for you to pick up necessities." He wagged a warning finger at them. "Not everything, just enough to tide you over for a couple days."

The two Aiharas bowed their appreciation and sat on the curb awaiting the go-ahead. "What are we going to do now, Otosan?" Kotoko asked in a small voice. "The apartment is already rented to someone else."

"It's up to the insurance company if this," he waved a hand, "can be fixed. We will go to a hotel tonight, once we get a few changes of clothes, but I'm not well-off enough for us to stay there long."

The two sat in silence until Kotoko bounced up. "Your friend, Papa! The one who helped find this house. Iri-chan, isn't it?"

"What about him, daughter? And don't go calling him that to his face; it's not proper," he chided.

She waved away the rebuke. "Well, that's the only way you refer to him. But since he found this house," she glanced at it, "such as it is, maybe he can help us find a cheap rental until things get settled."

"Even though Iri-chan isn't in the real estate business, that's not a bad idea." He grinned at his daughter. "He has lots of contacts. I'll call him tonight."

Kotoko found herself the center of attention when she explained why she was late the next morning. It seems that she had not factored in the additional travel time from the hotel as it was farther away from school.

"What an awful thing to happen," said Satomi, one of the more popular girls in Class F.

"You're lucky you were able to salvage anything," her friend Jinko added.

"Nasty cost-cutting builders," the self-proclaimed class leader growled. "I know!" He pounded a fist into his other hand. "I'll organize a fund-raiser for ya!"

"That's a nice idea, Kin-chan," Satomi stated, "but you should ask first. Unlike you, I don't think Aihara here likes to be the center of attention."

"Nah," the boy disagreed, "whaddya say, Kotoko?"

"No, no," Kotoko waved her hands, "I thank you very much for the thought, but Otosan and I will be just fine. One of his old school friends has offered us house space until we can get resettled."

"That's cool," Jinko sighed. "Must be nice to have a big enough house to take in two extra. With all my little brothers and sisters, we couldn't even squeeze in a mouse."

Kotoko squeaked a bit at the word, but it was drowned out by Kinnosuke suddenly shouting out her nickname. "Hey, that reminds me! The latest issue of BUDO says that the Mouse ain't sparring no more in competition."

"Oh, yeah," Jinko drawled, "isn't that the guy you're in love with?"

"Doncha say that!" He raised a threatening fist. "I'm a man's man. I mean," when his classmates laughed, "I like girls."

"Su-u-ure you do," Satomi winked, "that's why for the past two years all you've talked about is meeting this 'Mouse' and getting up close and personal with him."

His brows drew close. "Not in that way. I just wanna get in the ring with him."

"He'd wipe the floor with you," Jinko said lazily. "I've seen his record."

"Yeah, well, I did pretty good back in Osaka," he boasted. "Look at my form!" He began to model various poses of karate moves at which Kotoko managed not to roll her eyes. Noticing that she was one of the only ones not ridiculing him, he swaggered over and placed an elbow on her desk. "So, whaddya think, Kotoko? Wouldja like to see more?"

"More of what, Kin-chan?" Jinko hooted. "The girl's only been in the class for a few weeks and your hijinks already gave her an extreme haircut."

"Oi!" He straightened. "That was an accident!"

"All I'm saying is, give her some space and don't scare her off."

"Can't I chat up a girl without everyone getting in my business? Busybody women," he groused.

"Pay no attention to him," Satomi advised, "he's just being sensitive over us teasing him about his idol."

"I ain't sensitive!" he bellowed. "And besides, Kotoko could do a lot worse than me."

"She could do a lot better too," Jinko snorted. She appeared to be ready to continue when Kotoko held up one hand.

"Thank you very much, Ikezawa–"

"Kin-chan, babe."

"–but I'm really not looking for a boyfriend at this time. I have a time-consuming hobby which Otosan says I can only continue if I keep my grades up. So you see, I have no time to spare."

"Gotcha," he grinned widely, "but just keep me in mind when you're ready."

"Maybe when hell freezes over," Satomi murmured, then raised an eyebrow when Kotoko commented, just as quietly, "And not even then."