A/N: Not mine.

The next few weeks Kotoko maintained a meek persona and winsome smile as the Irie brothers labored in the toils of their mother's machinations. Each evening she bowed and humbly thanked them for their assistance. Behind her closed bedroom door she chortled at the various annoyed expressions which had been on tap for that particular session and then settled down to review what they had studied earlier.

She noticed that private tuition enabled her to understand concepts more easily than in the noisy classroom at school. Satomi and Jinko marveled at their friend's new capabilities while their teacher spent quite a bit of time contemplating the girl. Rumors had abounded throughout the faculty of the family's circumstances, and he was coming to believe that the move was a positive one for the student.

Kinnosuke, meanwhile, scoffed at her efforts, calling her a 'teacher's pet' and reminding her that she wouldn't need any of that 'nonsense' when she was married to him.

Kotoko stared at her name on the 'Top 100' chart. Improving scores had been her goal; this was beyond even her wildest imaginings. I suppose that Irie-kun makes a pretty good teacher, she mused.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, Naoki appeared at her side. "Congratulations, Aihara," he said stiffly, indicating the display. "That is quite an achievement."

"I am most thankful for your–and Yuuki-kun's–help." She laughed, "I am sure both of you are happy that your tutoring duties are done." Caught up in the moment, she flashed him a smile and extended her now castless arm to shake his hand in western fashion.

He blinked and continued to hold her hand, which he had clasped reflexively. "Um, I cannot speak for my brother, but if you find yourself in difficulties again, please feel free to ask for help."

For a moment she was speechless then managed to say, "While I'm not planning to break my arm again, you never know what the future holds. Thank you."

"Well," he finally released her, "you know where to find me if you need me."

"Yes," she giggled, "the next room down the hall. Should I knock on the door or tap on the wall, Irie-kun?"

"Ah, door will be fine. And I think we can move to first names now, don't you?"

She gazed at him intently. "If you say so, Naoki. After all," she giggled once more, "we do live together."

One eavesdropper almost fell on the floor upon hearing the last sentence.

"Say it ain't so, Kotoko!"

The girl slapped hands over both ears at Kinnosuke's bellow as he stood right in front of her. "Inside voice, please," she chided.

"Huh?" He snorted, "Ashamed of it, are you? And so you should be!"

Kotoko turned to her female friends. "Do you have any idea what the baka is blathering about?"

"Not this time," Satomi shook her head, "but based on his past actions, it's probably something stupid."

"Yeah, somethin' stupid that you did, Kotoko!"

"Oi!" Jinko smacked Kinnosuke in the chest. "You're talking about the only one in this room to make the Top 100."

"Right." Satomi also stood. "What cause do you have to insult the genius of Class F?"

"She's like our own personal Irie," the other girl added.

"That's what I been tryin' to say!" Kinnosuke grabbed locks on both sides of his head and tugged. "She's gettin' all personal with Irie!"

"You just had to mention his name, didn't you?" Satomi hissed at Jinko.

"Sorry!" she squeaked in apology as Kotoko laid her head face down on the desk.

"Okay, just a minute." Satomi cleared her throat. "Let me see if I can handle this. Now, Kin-chan–"

"What?! You two traitors are in on it too?" He spun around and waved his arms at their classmates. "Can you believe this shit?"

"'Shit', Kin-chan?" Nemeto, a member of the school basketball team, towered over Kinnosuke and glanced around the room. "Ever since freshman year he's been naggin' Kotoko here to date him, right?" He looked around at the nods. "And during all that time has she ever once given him a 'yes' answer?"

"No!" was the resounding response.

Their teacher, standing at the door of the teacher's lounge down the hall, sighed at the rumpus, "What is that group of idiots up to now?"

"Better go and see," advised Miyamura, homeroom teacher for Class C. "That one of yours whose grades jumped may be getting 'jumped' by the rest of the class for leaving them behind."

"Yikes! I'd better check on Aihara!"

To his consternation, Kotoko was nowhere to be seen when he returned to the melee which was his classroom. His momentary fears were abated when he saw that her friends, plus the majority of the class, were berating the perennial low scorer and annoyance. Yet he still called, "Aihara?"

After a moment several bodies moved so he could see her wave. "Here, Sensei!"

"Are you in good condition?" Although he had only witnessed verbal sparring, a number of desks were out of position.

"Moderately," she replied. "I was trying to study the vocabulary words in the next English chapter, but it got a little noisy."

'A little noisy'? The young lady definitely had the talent for understatement. "Ah, I see." He fixed a stern gaze on his pupils. "Desks straight and be in your seats before the next bell, which should be–"

R-r-ring! The screech of the shifting furniture almost matched the decibel level which had been heard halfway down the wing.

"Now that all of you are in position, we will proceed with–sorry about this, Aihara–physics, not English. And remember, students, that these concepts will be part of your summer homework."

The response was a chorus of groans.

Mrs. Irie preened at the dinner celebrating end-of-term, coming close to claiming credit for Kotoko's improved grades.

"All right, Ma," her older son snapped, "Yuuki and I concede that the tutoring was your idea, but Kotoko was the one who actually had to buckle down and study."

"Yeah," his brother put in, "and it was my idea to help Onee-chan improve her handwriting after the cast came off."

"Fine, fine," the matron wiggled fingers at them, "you have done well in supporting roles, but my Kotoko-chan is the star this evening."

Kotoko mouthed 'Sorry' at Naoki for his mother's failure to acknowledge his first place position in their grade level. He shrugged back; he and his parents were well-accustomed to his academic pre-eminence.

"Now, my dear Kotoko-chan," she patted the girl's hand, "what exciting plans do you have for the summer break?"

"Well," she hedged, "I hadn't really given it much thought. Usually I spend most of the time in summer school with the rest of the class. After that, I have a few days to hang out with Satomi and Jinko before doing my summer homework."

Naoki coughed up tea which had gone down the wrong pipe. "You wait until the last minute to do your workbook?"

"Doesn't everyone?" she replied, puzzled.

"Not exactly." He drew in a breath. "What grades have you received when you follow that plan?"

"Pretty low." She rubbed her nose. "I guess I'll be hitting the books earlier this year so I don't fall down that hole again."

"I have tennis practice most weekday mornings. We can work together in the afternoons until it cools off."

"Wonderful!" Mrs. Irie clapped. "And after that, you and Kotoko can go on romantic dates."

"We're not dating," the two responded in tandem.

She sighed loudly. "Then you can take interesting outings together. Goodness knows my dear Kotoko-chan is too adorable to go out alone."

"Missus–!" Mr. Aihara protested. "Kotoko's not one who looks for trouble in dangerous areas."

"And, like the kids said," Mr. Irie added, "they are not interested in each other that way. Mama," he shook his head, "you're letting your imagination and your matchmaking get out of hand again. Didn't you learn anything from the Saeki affair?"

Kotoko leaned over. "Did your mother have an affair?"

"No," Naoki chuckled, "but she tried to set up Dad's assistant with the niece of her college roommate. Problem was that he would have preferred the girl's brother."

The girl winced. "Ouch!"

"Luckily he had a sense of humor about it, although he was quite happy to transfer to our Kobe satellite branch before she could regroup."

"Well," she said, "with matchmaking off the table, I will agree to letting you help me if, I mean, when I get stuck."

Yuuki grinned at her. "Think positive. At least now when you get the wrong answer, Onii-chan will be able to read it!"