A/N: Not mine.

The next morning Kotoko once more thanked the stars that she and Naoki were not dating. Kinnosuke and his pals had set up a large sign asking for donations at the school entrance. Luckily Satomi and Jinko hustled her past the shouting which ensued when the belligerent Osakan began to berate Naoki for his refusal to participate.

"Now Irie-kun thinks I'm a beggar," she wailed to the girls.

"I'm sure it's nothing of the sort," Satomi said in a soothing tone.

Jinko's glares kept everyone else at a distance. "Yeah," the other girl said, "everyone knows what a baka he is. All the noise and trash-talking at the school festivals and intramurals."

"And almost swinging from the tree branches at the end of each term." Satomi patted her back. "I'm sure Irie-kun thinks this is just Kin-chan's latest way to make a spectacle of himself."

"Maybe so." Kotoko sniffed and wiped her eyes. "He also slid down the school banisters and flew through the air once."

Jinko agreed and grinned, "And even though he's good at it, I bet he doesn't even know the word 'parkour'."

"Shoot," Kotoko checked her mascara, "I didn't know about it until you showed me that magazine article."

"Enough talk about Kin-chan's dubious athleticism." Satomi clapped her hands. "Tell us about the family you're going to stay with. You didn't say much in the text."

"I don't know a lot about them," Kotoko shrugged, "since it's Dad's friend and I never met him. Well," her eyes squinted, "not that I remember. Apparently our families lived near each other when I was a baby."

"Well, what is the name?" Jinko waved her cell phone. "Google is our friend, you know."

"Otosan calls him 'Iri-chan'. Say," she leaned forward, "wouldn't it be funny if his first name is 'Irie', like Irie-kun?"

"Do you remember me telling you about how I thought my accident and the earthquake proved that I was unlucky?"

Satomi exhaled at Kotoko's morose face. "Of course we do. It was only a couple days ago."

"Besides," Jinko passed over a bar of chocolate to cheer her, "you ended up with a sweet deal, getting to stay with your dad's friend instead of a flea-trap hotel."

"Well," she sighed, "I'm beginning to believe that bad luck always comes in threes."

"Do tell!"

[Flashback One]

"And this is my old friend, Iri-chan." Aihara and Mr. Irie separated from their spontaneous man-hug.

"Pleased to meet you." She bowed. "Otosan and I are so grateful for–"

"No, no, it is our pleasure." A fashionable and effusive woman burst from the house and engulfed the startled girl in her arms, wary of the cast. "I am happy to have another member for 'Team Female' in this testosterone-fueled house!"

"Um, yeah." Kotoko freed herself carefully. "Dad said you had two sons."

"Yes. Now where are those useless boys? Onii-chan, Yuuki-kun, come forward!"

Jinko gasped. "You mean that your dad's pal Iri-chan was really an Irie?"

"As in Irie Naoki's dad?" At the girl's nod, Satomi slapped a hand over her mouth before gushing, "Kotoko, I can't believe that all of your dreams are about to come true!"

[Flashback Two]

Kotoko's knees felt like Jell-O. Irie-kun, right in front of me. What is happening?

Her father paid no attention to the look of betrayal sent his direction as he reminisced with his friend. "Remember, Iri-chan, that overnight trip that Ecchan and I took with you and the Missus?"

"Noriko-chan, please, Ai-san," the matron interposed.

"Yes, yes, Mama." Her husband waved aside her comment as he and Aihara continued the story, ignoring the stares of their children. "Yes, Ai-chan, it was to the onsen on the other side of that little town." He snapped his fingers. "What was its name?"

"Darned if I know, Iri-chan." Aihara tapped his forehead. "Old age sort of crept up on us, didn't it?"

Kotoko tugged on Mrs. Irie's sleeve. "Do you think we could go inside, ma'am?" she whispered.

"Oh, don't 'ma'am' me, my little Kotoko." She hugged her again. "Please call me Okaasan. And men," her voice raised, "I remember that trip well. I gave dear Etsuko all those cute outfits that I used to put on–"

"Mom!" Naoki's voice cut in. "Don't you think we ought to bring our houseguests into the, you know, house?"

"Yes, yes. Are these all your bags?" she asked Kotoko. "My, we need to go shopping."

"That is not necessary, Irie-san," she demurred.

"Nonsense!" She pinched the girl's cheeks. "You are just so adorable! Exactly as you were as a toddler."

Behind them trailed the two men and the eavesdropping brothers. "And the hostess only brought one crib, so we put our Nao and your Ko-chan together, remember?"

"Yes," Aihara slapped one knee, "and Ecchan didn't fasten the diaper tight enough. That night Kotoko peed all over herself, the crib, and Naoki. What a stench that was the next morning!"

"Oh, kill me now," Kotoko muttered as she was hustled up the stairs.

Jinko gasped with laughter. "The first time you shared a bed with Irie-kun and you peed all over him?"

"Shh!" Kotoko glanced around worriedly. "Don't say it like that!"

"Yeah," Satomi snorted, "we don't want people thinking she's into kinky things."

"You girls are not acting like friends," Kotoko pouted.

[Flashback Three]

"So, what do you think of the room?" Mrs. Irie asked with an eager expression.

"Uh…it's pink," she replied.

"Yes! Such a cheerful, calming and feminine color," she gushed. "I was so excited to redecorate."

"Oh, you really shouldn't have," the girl protested.

"Darn right she shouldn't," the younger brother burst out. "The room was just fine as it was. When it was mine!"

"I'm sorry," Kotoko bowed, "so sorry. I did not know that I put you out."

"For shame, Yuuki-kun," his mother chided. "You have plenty of space in Onii-chan's room. Poor Kotoko-chan," she hugged her again, almost knocking her off her feet, "has lost her entire home! Show some empathy!"

"But Mama–!"

"Come on, Yuuki." His big brother guided him from the room. "You know Ma's word is law." He bowed. "Have a good evening, Miss Aihara. I hope that the stairs in our home will prove less of a hazard to you than the school's."

"Kotoko-chan!" Mrs. Irie exclaimed. "What does my son mean? Did you get injured at Tonan High? Have you considered a lawsuit?"

"And then Irie-kun said that the stairs had been used by thousands of people with no problems and all a lawsuit would prove is how uncoordinated I am."

Both girls gasped, "Ooh!"

"How cruel," Satomi said pityingly.

"Then little mini-me Irie smirked just like his brother and called me Klutzy Kotoko!" She sniffed, "At least Mrs. Irie reamed them both a new one and chased them out."

"Wow," Jinko was stunned, "I knew Irie-kun was a little arrogant–I mean, with his brains he sorta has the right–but that was over the top."

"Has this changed the way you feel about Irie-kun?" Satomi asked in a hushed voice.

"Has it ever!" Kotoko's eyes flashed. "I don't care if he does look like Park Jimin's more handsome brother, he is not a nice person."

Jinko glanced cautiously around the classroom. "So, are you going to give Kin-chan a chance now?"

"No," the girl shuddered, "even though he might be an improvement, I don't feel that way about him."

"Tell you what, though, Kotoko," Satomi advised, "Kin-chan's not going to stop chasing you for that reason. If I were you, I'd let him continue to think that you like Irie-kun. Then when he complains, it'll be more about him and not you."

"Right." Kotoko managed a good imitation of an Irie smirk. "Let Irie-kun suffer the wrath of Kin-chan, not me!"

[Flashback Four]

Angry and hurt as Kotoko was over the younger Irie's comments, she was not foolish enough to turn down his (admittedly, forced) invitation to guide her from the unfamiliar neighborhood to school. Besides, she enjoyed her breakfast of piping hot porridge with fresh berries and cream, while the boys, on the other hand, were offered slightly burnt fish, crunchy rice, and dry toast. Mrs. Irie had given both her sons the cold shoulder while her husband was oblivious to the table's tension.

Kotoko had been content to follow several paces behind Naoki during their trek to school. She had mentally repeated numerous insults coined by Kinnosuke as they traveled the more complicated route. She reveled in the fact that Naoki's mouth was slightly pursed throughout the trip. This is what you get for being so rude, she thought gleefully.

Gradually Mrs. Irie began serving her sons edible food, and the atmosphere in the house eased. One could almost suppose that theirs was a peaceful home; that is, until the midterm report cards were issued.

"Kotoko!" Aihara almost roared.

"Yes, Otosan?" she asked meekly.

"Daughter, I know you're not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but your grades have never been this bad. Care to explain?"

"Well, Papa," her head lowered, "I still have my cast on, and even though I can somewhat write with my left hand, Sensei says that it's worse than hen scratches."

"That's his job," he complained.

She shrugged. "Just telling you what he said."

"Okay, but at least he should be able to make out that you know the material."

"Uh, about that…" she temporized.

"Wait a minute," he interrupted, "weren't your friends going to take notes for you?"

"They do, but that doesn't mean they understand the subject matter any more than me."

"Yeah," Yuuki snorted unwisely to his brother, who was standing next to him in the adjoining room, "that's 'cause they're all in Class F. The class of the dumb-dumbs!"

"Yuuki-kun!"

"Crap," he shuddered, "Mom heard me."

"Yes, I did, young man," she admonished, "and all I can think is how embarrassed I am to have raised such a son."

"Don't be so hard on him, Ma," Naoki protested. "He's only nine years old."

"Well, I don't see much chance of him improving if he follows your example," she shot back.

"Please, Missus," Aihara turned to her, "don't let our family's troubles spread to yours."

"Nonsense! We all live as one big not-quite-so-happy-right-now family. We will work through this little problem together."

"Onii-san," Yuuki whispered, "why do I feel like we're not going to like any solution she comes up with?"

Naoki sighed as a familiar gleam filled his mother's eyes. "Because you are well able to recognize the danger signs. As am I."

The scenario agreed upon by the adults was that Naoki would tutor Kotoko after school on her subjects, to make up for Satomi's and Jinko's lack of understanding, and Yuuki was to be her amanuensis (and, yes, they had to explain to Kotoko what that word meant) for her homework assignments. She was on her own for exams, although her father pointed out that her cast would be off by the time finals rolled around, and hopefully she would have recouped enough points to pass by then.

Kotoko's initial urge was to protest the plan, but when she saw how much it displeased the Irie brothers, she embraced it wholeheartedly. It's more of a punishment for them, she mused, and I actually have a chance to benefit from it. Win-win; for me, that is.