A/N: Don't own. Also, Warner Brothers owns "Miss Congeniality". Oh, and Kraft owns Kool-Aid.

Kotoko stood in front of the group of students a week after school resumed. "We have discussed always paying attention to our surroundings. Part of that includes avoiding locales or environments which look a little shady or sketchy or even give you an uneasy feeling; always trust your gut, no matter how unfeminine that phrase sounds.

"Now we are about to talk about what happens if those precautions fail. Nothing is off the table: screaming loudly enough to pierce eardrums, biting, kicking, hitting, and running away once you are free."

She chuckled. "I thought about having a person for you to practice on, but no one would volunteer." As a matter of fact, Naoki, upon learning the particulars, had stated, 'No way in hell.' "I refer, of course, to the classic chick-flick Miss Congeniality. Gracie's final talent performance will work quite nicely and should be easy to remember." She picked up a remote and the S.I.N.G. (Solar plexus, Instep, Nose, Groin) scene played.

Reactions ranged from laughter to sympathetic winces, especially when the handsome Benjamin Bratt doubled over. She turned off the projector and asked, "Any questions?"

One hand raised. "Who did you ask to help you?" a curious girl inquired.

Kotoko shrugged. "The boys in my class; that is, those with whom I'm on speaking terms," she added grimly. "Plus Irie Naoki, with whose family my father and I reside."

Several gasps were heard. "You asked Irie-kun if he would be assaulted?"

"I don't see what is so amazing about that." One eyebrow rose. "All of us at the dojo are accustomed to enduring pain in order to help another succeed."

"So, since Irie-kun did not agree, does that mean that he does not share your training?" Several faces showed disappointment that their guess this session would offer them some idea of how to get closer to Naoki outside school.

"No," Kotoko grinned, "although he has visited several times." Happy faces soon fell when she added, "But it is his brother who is a regular student."

When no other questions appeared from the low grumbles generated by that news, the assembly ceased with the assistant principal's words. "Thank you very much for that informative session, Miss Aihara. Your disciplinary 'penance' is now complete, and the rest of you may be dismissed. Unless, that is, you have more private inquiries for Aihara."

"I wonder what she means by that?" she expressed to Satomi when she and Jinko arrived at her side.

"Silly!" Jinko scoffed. "They just want the inside scoop on Irie-kun."

"Naoki?" She appeared surprised. "Inside scoop? He leads a rather boring life, actually. Very set in his ways."

"Aw!" Satomi moaned. "Don't destroy all their dreams!"

Naoki and Kotoko flanked Yuuki, clasping his fourth place ribbon in the beginner's category in his first tournament.

"Onee-chan," the boy pleaded, "you have got to show me more of your moves."

Kotoko smiled at him. "If you continue with your lessons, you will learn them eventually. Right now your muscles and joints are not strong enough to perform most of them safely."

"Rats," he snapped his fingers then pointed at her. "But I promise I'm going to keep on until I'm as awesome as you."

"Er," she stammered, "that's great, Yuuki-kun." She had long since stowed away her first place trophy. Happy though she was at her success, she did not find it comfortable to gloat, and that is what she felt she would be doing if she carried it around.

Naoki spoke up. "Yes, and it is interesting that the judges and announcer had not heard of you earlier."

"Really?" She scanned the departing crowd, hoping for Mrs. Irie to arrive and divert this area of questioning.

"Yes, 'boring' though I might be," he bit out, "even I can recognize your talent and skill and realize that it could not have been developed in a vacuum."

Kotoko saw Mrs. Irie bearing down upon them, too late to stop the inevitable question. "Well," she chewed on her lip, "I'll be happy to fill you in, but not in public and not around, um…"

"Not around Mom?" Naoki was quick on the uptake.

"Must be a good secret if she doesn't want Mama to know it." Yuuki nodded in agreement. "It'd be all over Tokyo otherwise."

Kotoko's brow knitted. "That's disrespectful."

"But true," Naoki pointed out. "Let me handle this in my own 'boring' way."

"Will you ever let that go?" she muttered darkly as he moved to intercept the Irie matriarch.

"Actually, Onee-chan," Yuuki sidled closer and whispered, "he had what I'd call a 'hissy fit' in our room the day he first heard about it."

"I only said that so those girls wouldn't decide that I would be their expert source on 'Irie-kun'. I never thought the comment would get back to him."

"So you don't think he's boring, then?" Yuuki grinned at her brief head shake. "Why don't you tell him that?"

She laughed. "I know his reputation of almost godlike powers, even if I don't drink the Tonan Kool-aid. No need to pander to his ego." Frowning, she added, "Although I never thought that his feelings were so sensitive." Yuuki slapped one hand over his mouth, and she warned, "Don't tell him that!"

"I won't," he choked out. "Oh, look, he's coming back with Mom."

"Oh, my dear Yuuki-kun!" Mrs. Irie engulfed her younger son in a hug and managed to land a few kisses on his dodging head. "Papa will be so sad that he missed your debut match, but I will make sure that he makes the next one. And Kotoko-chan," she turned to the girl, "what a magnificent performance. I thought that it would look like fighting, but you made it look like a dance."

"Thank you, Obasama." She withdrew from the matron's embrace and gave her a bow. "If done properly, brute force is never seen."

"And now I must hurry home to download my photos of you two and make a lovely slideshow to commemorate your achievements. Onii-chan says that he will take you two out for a celebratory treat before you head back. Oh!" She clasped hands in front of her heart. "I am so proud of both of you," she squealed before she headed towards the exit.

"Masterfully played," Kotoko congratulated Naoki.

"Even we 'boring' members of society have our uses," he replied as he directed their passage.

"On second thought," Yuuki whispered to Kotoko, "let's keep things as they are. Onii-chan is funny-acting when he's all offended and stuff."

"Now," Naoki said firmly, once everyone had received their ice cream orders, "tell us how you evaded publicity the past few years."

"Well," Kotoko's spoon swirled aimlessly in her bowl of frozen yogurt, "you know that I grew up with Mama's family." She continued after they nodded, "Despite its rural area, we had an excellent dojo. The sensei left his original one to his son and moved to the country. He said that the lack of crowds eased his wife's mind." She shrugged. "I'm not sure what he meant by that. Hana-san–that's what she told us students to call her–is very kind and funny, although she likes to wear black a lot."

"It is interesting that your former sensei's wife had a taste for gothic fashion, but I have a feeling that you are stalling."

"Not really," she scowled." I just wanted to let you know that, despite Japan's excellent transportation system, we were fairly isolated. And not being a wealthy community, few of us could travel far for competitions. Also, there are more old-fashioned ways there, which meant few girls were interested in martial arts, much less progressed as far as I did."

Naoki snickered. "Is this story leading towards the conclusion which I suspect?"

Kotoko smiled briefly at a clueless Yuuki then responded, "If your suspicion is that I competed as a boy, then you are correct."

"Wow," Yuuki's eyes were as round as saucers, "did you have to use the boys' dressing room and everything?"

She laughed. "At first, when I was so young that it didn't matter much. Afterwards, Sensei and Hana-san used sleight-of-hand so I could preserve my modesty and protect my identity."

"You exhibited great skills today," Naoki said, admiringly. "Shall we assume that trophy is only the latest of many?"

"Yes," she sighed, "but this is the only one I can openly display in Tokyo. All of the others are in the name of my alter ego."

"And that's…" Yuuki was so engrossed in the tale that his double chocolate fudge sundae was in danger of turning liquid.

"Aira-Ko. My nickname was Nezumi."

"No shit!" Yuuki blushed when both Kotoko and Naoki hissed, 'Language!' "Sorry, but some of the older boys were talking about him…you…withdrawing from all the competitions this year."

"This could be quite a scandal should this information become public," Naoki warned.

"So you can see why I didn't want Obasama to overhear," Kotoko stated.

"Considering that she is likely at this very minute creating an online photo gallery for today's exploits, I would say your fears are justified."

Yuuki grinned. "Yeah, there's no way she wouldn't search through newspapers and magazines and add them to the slideshow."

"Mother isn't the only one who could ferret out old articles," Naoki cautioned. "What if someone does, and asks about the name and resemblance?"

"Hana-san suggested, 'Deny, deny, deny.' Sohma-sensei advised me to just claim cousinship. He said that he taught a whole menagerie of cousins, and it was ridiculously easy to lose track of them. Besides, I believe you overestimate my popularity. Interest in me should fade once no one hears of me. In truth, the only person I am acquainted with who has mentioned The Mouse does not have the reasoning capacity to solve the mystery."

And that person's thoughts were not on his martial arts idol, but his–rather, her–new iteration. "Mebbe I did come on a little strong. After all, she's new to Tokyo and does not know the awesomeness that is Kin-chan. Let's see, what's a good way to impress her?"

He glanced at the high school planner (to which he seldom referred) and noticed a calendar item. "Fall Sports Festival, huh? Yeah," he grinned, "that's the way to impress Kotoko with my athletic ability."