A/N1: Lots of things happened to delay this story. Travel, family health issues, and real-life drama contributed. Not to mention this website's "issues" with emails which were perfectly fine earlier... But you will be happy to know one of the things which side-tracked me was the siren call of another story. I have been working on both (off and on), and I hope to start posting the other soon after this one is finished.

A/N2: You know the drill. I don't own Itazura na Kiss.


"…and so that's the plan!" Kotoko's arms extended dramatically.

Jinko was skeptical. "So, you're going to write Irie-kun a love letter?"

"Kotoko," Satomi advised gently, "you have problems with grammar, and Irie-kun is in Class A. Are you sure he won't return it with all the errors marked in red pen?"

There was a snort from the eavesdropper. "That sounds about like that bastard!"

"Who asked you, Kin-chan?" Jinko gave him a shove.

"No one," he replied, unrepentant.

"Then why did you put in your two yen's worth?" Kotoko asked, bottom lip out.

"Ya know I love you, Kotoko. I know, I know," he waved his hands, "you don't feel that way–yet! But you're just settin' yourself up for heartache, shootin' for the stars."

"So you think he's too good for me, then?"

"Just the opposite," he countered. "All I'm sayin' is that he ain't likely to accept you."

Satomi added with brutal sympathy, "Or even look kindly at you if you screw up the letter."

"And you guys say you're my friends." She sniffed at them and stalked off.

"Well, that could have gone better," Jinko stated the obvious.

"It could have gone a lot better without you sticking your nose into it, Kin-chan." Satomi smacked the boy on his bicep. "We might have been able to talk her out of it until you had to mouth off."

"Wait!" He backed away and showed his palms. "You guys were saying the same thing, so don't pin it on me."

"We were trying to let her down easy, maybe get her to change her mind," Jinko almost growled. "But once you put up her back, nothing we could've said would make any difference."

"Go away, Kin-chan." Satomi rested her head in her hands. "We need to conserve our strength to support Kotoko when her heart is broken."

"Mebbe it'll do her some good," he argued. "Then she'll see how much better off she'd be with me."

"Let me repeat what Satomi said. Go! Away!"


Completed letter. Check. Kotoko thought of the three-hour session the night before and the waste can in her room filled with earlier drafts. Fresh breath. She placed a mint in her mouth. Check. Hair style– Wait, there had been a breeze earlier. She ran into the school building and inspected herself in the restroom. Ah, all smooth. Now for the delivery…

She made her way back to the entrance and took a deep breath before taking the first step to descend the concrete stairs.

"Heads up!" a voice called, and out of nowhere a frisbee hit her in the temple. Off-balance, she stumbled and fell all the way to the courtyard. Ironically, she landed just as Irie Naoki entered the area with his friends.

"Wow, what a klutz," she heard before she was surrounded by school personnel.


Satomi finished her purple and pink flower with a flourish of green vine. Jinko nodded in approval before speaking to the wearer of the cast. "It's bad enough that you broke your arm, but for it to be your writing hand!"

"I know," Kotoko sighed even as she admired the new decoration. "My grades are tanking as it is. Do you think I can do my homework orally?"

"Not on my watch, Aihara." Hakamada had approached from behind. "You can either attempt to become ambidextrous or convince someone to write for you."

"We're too busy ourselves, Sensei," Satomi protested as she and Jinko shook their heads in denial. "What's that ambi-stuff?"

The teacher snickered. "Nothing that anyone can learn."

"Then, why'd you mention it?" Jinko protested. "I mean, it's hard for us to finish our own work, not to mention writing out Kotoko's."

"So it's a lost cause, then?" He added, "Besides, even with your three brains combined, I doubt you can pass your senior classes."

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Kotoko challenged.

When the teacher merely rolled his eyes and strolled away, Kinnosuke blared from across the room, "You tell 'em! Ya know you can count on me to help ya, babe!"

Hakamada chuckled in typical evil villain fashion. "Now I know you're doomed, Aihara. Prepare yourself for summer school."

"Man, what more can go wrong?" Kotoko wailed as her head pounded the desk.


"Why did I have to open my big mouth and say that?" Kotoko's eyes leaked as she looked at what was left of their new home.

"What's that, daughter?" Aihara Shigeo placed an arm over her shoulders.

"My fault," she muttered, "my fault."

He attempted a jest in the face of tragedy. "Sorry, you're not a good enough swimmer to be Namazu."

"Cut the dad jokes, Dad. Not literally, but I did ask 'What more can go wrong?'"

"Oh, tempted the gods, did you?" He sighed, "We've all done that. No need to beat yourself up over it."

"But what are we to do?" She waved her castless arm at the heap of rubble. "We're homeless."

Aihara took a deep breath. "At the moment, yes. I'm sure that insurance will kick in soon, but you're right, we are in a tight spot now. The firemen brought out what they could, so tonight we'll use the washing machine at the restaurant to clean the clothes. We can bunk there, but not for long. I'll go look for a cheap place to stay once you're at school tomorrow."

"If only my school books had been destroyed," she grumped.

"Your lack of study skills is probably the only way they survived." Kotoko hadn't even taken them out of her bag before their interrupted dinner. "How's writing with your left hand coming along?"

A snarl was the only reply.


Kotoko's feet dragged as she opened the vendor entrance of Fugu-kichi. The school day had been long, with innumerable questions about the events of the previous evening. Neither she nor her father had noticed the television news reporters, but their neighbors reveled in their temporary celebrity and had given dramatic interviews.

Both Jinko and Satomi had regretted not being able to offer her a bed at their homes; Jinko described her family apartment as being 'too crowded to swing a cat.' Also, she had added, "I don't know anyone dumb enough–even in Class F–to do that. Those suckers have claws!"

The worst had been Kinnosuke's offer to be her roommate. No mention was made of her father, and, since he had winked and leered at her, she did not believe that a separate bed for her was included.

Her mood was not improved by the poor sleep the night before. Not only were her dreams a re-enactment of the 'tremor' ('it sure felt like a 4.5 quake to me,' she groused), but the strange noises of the kitchen ventilation system plus a few four-footed scavengers in the alley behind the restaurant meant that she tossed and turned.

So she was in no mood for her father to greet her with open arms and a joyful, "Kotoko!"

Sunshine broke through her gloom, however, when he shared the happy tidings. "We're going to live in a real home, not a hotel or boarding house?" she asked.

"Yes," he beamed, "my old friend from middle school, Iri-chan, saw the news report last night and offered to put us up for as long as we need."

"And you're sure we won't be in the way? My friends' homes were too crowded to take us in," she added in explanation.

"No, no," her father waved that worry aside, "Iri-chan always dreamed big, and he has been quite successful. He assured me that their house can more than accommodate a couple extra people."

"Okay." Kotoko finally grinned. "Are we going over there tonight?"

He shook his head. "Tomorrow. He said that the Missus wanted to do a little redecorating. They have two boys and apparently she has long wanted a girl."

"So," she looked around, "another night on the floor here?"

"No, Odawara had a cot left over from his army days and he brought that in for you. For right now, you sit yourself in the corner booth and work on your assignments. I'll have some tea and snacks sent over."

As Kotoko clumsily emptied her bag and tried to arrange her books, she thought, Now I'm sort of glad that I wasn't able to give Irie-kun my letter. With both my arm and house broken, he would have thought I was bad luck, and it would be the shortest relationship in history. I suppose I'll just have to wait a few weeks until the cast comes off before trying again.