A/N: Don't own.
Mrs. Irie had been casting concerned glances in Kotoko's direction during the morning meal. Finally she could hold herself back no longer. "Kotoko-chan, has that annoying boy been bothering you again?"
"What?" Her eyes flew to the older woman's face.
"She's talking about Big Baka," Yuuki said with a grin.
"Oh, him." She shook her head. "No, he just stares and drools from across the room."
"He still has romantic expectations?" Naoki grinned at her sour expression.
"I am hoping those will finally be put to rest after today."
Yuuki grinned. "It's the big day, right?"
She smiled at him. "Yes. We will receive our results from the graduation exam during homeroom."
"Surely you are not worried about that?" Mrs. Irie refilled the girl's tea. "Onii-chan helped you so well before."
"No, Obasama," she smiled at Naoki, who rolled his eyes, "I am confident in myself. I am merely concerned about Satomi and Jinko. I know that adding them to my tutoring sessions increased your burden."
"Not at all, and, seriously, relax," Naoki advised. "If they did as well on the real test as on the practice one, they are guaranteed a spot at Tonan University."
Mrs. Irie clapped her hands. "Most excellent! Then you three will be classmates at college."
"Ma," Naoki warned, "Kotoko is taking the national exam next month. She will probably have more educational options than those two."
"Oh, pooh." She pouted when her vision of matching co-ed outfits disappeared in a puff of smoke. "And it was such fun having extra females in this house."
Kotoko chuckled. "I doubt that attending different schools will destroy our friendship. We can still visit during breaks."
"I bet you'll be glad to see the back of Stalker Boy," Yuuki put in slyly. "Now, him, I don't see doing that well on the test."
"He will find out at the same time as the rest of us," she replied.
"Please, Onee-chan," the boy begged, "if you can't take a video of him finding out that you're not a loser like him, at least give me a blow-by-blow tonight."
"Alas," Naoki sighed dramatically, "as it has been pointed out to him many times how much Kotoko is his superior, I doubt that this latest instance will sink in either."
Hakamada dumped the envelopes out of the large folder and scanned the accompanying summary sheet, deliberately ignoring the tense stares of his class. He huffed out a disgusted breath and stated with a sneer, "I see that once more Class F has lived down to its reputation." He turned the paper over to view the results of the female students and his eyebrows rose. "Well, well, what have we here?" He chuckled as he began handing the results to the appropriate students. "It seems that some of this year's graduating class actually paid attention."
"Hey!" Kinnosuke stood. "If you weren't so damn boring, it'd be a lot easier."
"Really?" He almost tossed an envelope in his direction. "Then explain how three of you are college-bound and the rest are not? I don't think you can lay your failures at my feet."
Jinko, who had relaxed slightly at hearing how many had passed, hissed to Satomi, "We probably could anyway, since we learned more from–" She broke off when she was handed her envelope and immediately ripped it open. "Yippee!" She stood and pumped a fist. "I did it!"
"We did it." Satomi grabbed her arm and tugged her back into her seat. "Now settle down." She looked around at the glares and muttered, "It might not have been a good idea to let everyone know who passed."
Kotoko, who merely glanced at her results, nodded in agreement. "They will want to know how you did it and why you didn't share that information."
"Agreed, Miss Aihara." Hakamada had now returned to the lectern. "Perhaps, since one cat is out of the bag, you would share the rest with the class."
"Of course." She stood and smiled at the accusing stares. "It was a mix of additional private tuition and a lot of extra studying. Satomi and Jinko were willing to join me in this endeavor. How many others here would have agreed to spend the time on that?"
"More school?" Kinnosuke's voice expressed his revulsion. "Are you crazy? And why did you even do it? You ain't gonna need college to be the mother of my children."
"The mother of your–" Kotoko closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. "Satomi, Jinko," she stated lowly, "I really want to wipe the floor with his face."
"Don't let us stop you," Jinko replied cheerily.
"Yes," Satomi agreed. "Or, better yet, have your cousin visit so you can double-team with Kin-chan's idol and totally humiliate him." (When Kotoko heard of Kinnosuke's assumption, she had denied being the sister of the martial arts celebrity. The boy would not budge from the belief that they were related and had instead glommed onto the idea that their kinship was more distant. For her part, she remembered her former sensei's advice and decided that the situation was as good as it was going to get.)
"Oi! The Mouse wouldn't get involved in a little lover's spat." He leered in her direction. "But I wouldn't say 'No' to meetin' him. Mebbe I could give him a little encouragement to get back onto the circuit."
"Nezumi will not return to competition and definitely would not pay attention to anything you would say to him."
Kinnosuke's brows beetled. "You sure act like you know just what he'd do. It's almost like you've been talkin' to him lately."
"Hey, Kin," Gintaro leaned over, "maybe you was wrong about her and Irie. Maybe Aihara and The Mouse are more like kissin' cousins."
"Huh?"
"You know," he moved his arms aimlessly, "they ain't so close cousins that it's okay if they get lovey-dovey."
"What?!" he howled and fell to his knees. "Say it ain't so, Kotoko!"
One hand massaged a now-aching temple. "Not that it is any of your business, but I am not romantically involved with anyone."
"And if she were," Satomi interjected, "it wouldn't be with a loser like you."
"What makes me a loser?" He almost spit in her face.
Jinko shoved him back. "Maybe because Kotoko's been telling you all year that she's not interested, and you still haven't got the message. Baka," she muttered as she regained her seat.
"And that's enough, students," Hakamada spoke, only to be drowned out by the dismissal bell and the inevitable stampede into the hall.
"Now, as Ai-chan is working Christmas evening at his restaurant, what are your plans for that night, Kotoko-chan?" Mrs. Irie asked.
"Nothing much," she replied. "Jinko's family is having a major apartment reorganization because her grandmother is moving in, and Satomi's father is taking her skiing in Hokkaido."
"Then in that case, my dear, you are invited to attend the Pandai Holiday Party on that date."
"Obasama, are you certain?" she asked, brow creased in concern. "I mean, this event is for the employees and executives, correct?"
"Well, yes, but they are always permitted to bring a Plus One."
"Be mine, be mine!" Yuuki ran into the room and embraced the girl, almost knocking her down.
"Although I do not aspire to the level of my brother's enthusiasm," Naoki entered behind him, "I second the invitation. It will be nice to have another person near our ages."
"Yeah, it's a boring evening with lots of talking and Dad jokes."
"Boys!" Mrs. Irie scolded. "Although there is some truth to what you say, there will be a band and dance floor."
"In that case," Naoki bowed, "will you partner me in the first set?"
"No fair, Onii-chan," Yuuki protested. "I invited her before you."
Kotoko curseyed. "And you shall have the second dance, Yuuki-kun." She turned to Mrs. Irie. "Thank you so much, and I will gladly accept."
"Marvelous!" The matron clapped her hands in excitement. "Now we need to go dress shopping!"
Naoki leaned towards the wide-eyed, paling girl. "Remember, you already agreed to go."
"Yeah," put in Yuuki, "no backsies!"
"…and he vacillates between voicing his fantasy that I am going to marry him and harrying me to introduce him to 'my cousin'. At times I'm unsure as to which of my personas he is enamored."
Naoki skillfully twirled them out of the way of another dancing couple. "Wouldn't the second problem solve itself if you told everyone the truth?"
Kotoko frowned. "Maybe later. Right now I have to concentrate on studying for the national test and don't have time to deal with additional craziness from a wannabe boyfriend."
Yuuki suddenly shoved him out of the way. "You're hogging Kotoko, Onii-chan. It's my turn to dance with her." With a skill that someone decades older would admire, he escaped with her, leaving his older brother to walk off the floor alone.
After getting another cup of punch, Naoki thought, Well, I suppose it's just as well that I didn't ask my question, seeing that she is uninterested in a 'wannabe boyfriend'.
He was soon joined by his flustered mother. "That Yuuki-kun! I told him not to bother you two while you were dancing."
"Why?" he queried. "Are you still trying to promote a romance between us?"
Mrs. Irie, a little shame-faced, replied, "Well, yes. I know you don't like me interfering, but I just can't help myself. Kotoko-chan is just so cute!"
Naoki set his drink aside, put his arm around her, and led her to the center of the dance floor. "Ma, I happen to agree with you." When his mother made a choking sound, he quickly added, "Before you get all excited, the timing is off right now. You will have to be content to wait. As will I."
The matron found herself reduced to gasping like a fish out of water. Finally, Naoki thought, I've found a way to shut her up.
The adults of the household sat in the lounge, enjoying the after-dinner coffee, as the high-schoolers studied at the kitchen table. The men exchanged glances after the third sigh from Mrs. Irie in as many minutes.
"Does something trouble you, Mama?" Mr. Irie leaned over and patted her knee.
"Oh, it's just that after waiting so long, I am afraid their time will never come."
"Are you still building castles in the air about Nao and my Kotoko?" Mr. Aihara chuckled. "I remember you did that when they were just toddlers."
Yuuki popped up from behind the couch. "That castle has a lot firmer foundation than clouds, Ai-san."
The men jerked, startled. "What do you mean, Yuuki?" his father asked.
"At least one male in this house uses his eyes to see more than what is on his dinner plate," Mrs. Irie scolded. "Those two are concentrating on their examinations, but, oh, the undercurrent of emotions!" she sighed.
"Do you mean–?"
"Really?"
When both Yuuki and Mrs. Irie nodded, the men grinned at each other. "Say, Iri-chan, if they marry, does that mean we will be brothers?"
"Well, Ai-chan, I've always thought of you that way." Mr. Irie rose, rubbing his hands. "This calls for something a little stronger than coffee!"
