A/N: Not mine.

"Kin-chan," Dozo asked, "why've you been taking all those part-time jobs lately?"

"Yeah," Gintaro added, "I've never seen you too busy to go to the movies or video-gaming."

"Ya see," Kinnosuke grinned widely, "I've decided to be a little smarter."

His friends snorted. "Smart? You? Ri-i-ight."

"No, no," he pulled a folder from his backpack. "See? Flowers. Chocolates. Singing Valentine."

Gintaro groaned, "Don't tell me this is about Aihara again?"

"C'mon, Kin, she's been with Irie for months now!"

"Nah, that little flame didn't last long. She's over him now."

"How do you figure that?" Dozo asked. "They still come to school and leave together."

"Yeah, but they haven't been holdin' hands and she's been wearin' a mask."

"She got sick and didn't want to infect anyone!" Gintaro almost howled. "And Class F may be the stupid class, but we know germs pass by hands, and she's been using sanitizer as if it was lotion."

"You guys just don't see the big picture," he informed them confidently. "She was with Irie when she got sick, so that's gotta've given her a disgust of him. And by the time I woo her with my slick moves–and smooth voice–Kotoko'll be sayin; 'Irie who?'"

"He didn't!" Kotoko giggled when Satomi had passed on the conversation, which had not been as private as Kinnosuke had thought.

"Come on, Kotoko," Jinko frowned at her, "you know that anything that baka does can't surprise us by now."

"But doesn't he realize that Valentine's Day is when the girls are supposed to woo the guys?"

"I can't say anything about that." Satomi glared at her. "What I am sure of is that you need to be least in sight on Valentine's Day."

"Okay," she replied meekly. "I'll see what I can do."

Kotoko cornered Naoki at his desk in the bedroom which he shared with his brother.

"So you need a way to hide from Baka Breath, huh?" he raised one eyebrow.

"Yes," she smiled, "but only on Valentine's Day. At least," her face fell, "I hope that's the only day. Granted, we aren't learning much this late in the school year, but it still doesn't look good for me to skip class."

"Maybe Ma has another 'errand' for you to run," he suggested.

Kotoko shuddered. "Let's not involve your mother."

"I suppose that faking an illness to stay at home would be out of the question then?"

"I know! How about I hide out in Class A?"

"What?" Naoki stared at her. "How do you think that will work?"

"Well, Superman and Wonder Woman just wear glasses to hide their secret identities, so maybe some glass frames." She pouted at his incredulous expression. "It will make me look smarter, and you could introduce me as a visitor from America."

He rubbed his eyes. "Besides the fact that glasses will neither hide your identity nor make you appear more intelligent, I am not going to be at school that day."

"Oh!" Her face fell then her expression grew mischievous. "Trying to hide from the love offerings of all the girls in Class A and B? I know the stories from freshman and junior years!"

"Brat." He flicked her forehead. "An Irie does not hide. After all, you didn't see me running away from your confession."

"No," she chuckled, "you just walked by and insulted my coordination. So why are you skipping?"

"Tokyo University entrance exam day," he stated with no enthusiasm.

She slumped down on his bed. "That's where your dad went. What lousy timing."

"Rather they canceled it anyway," he muttered.

"Why? It's a good school and goodness knows there's no way they'd even offer to let me rake leaves on the grounds, much less enroll."

"It's just that attending Todai means falling in step with Dad's plans for me to take over Pandai. And," he ran a hand through his hair, leaving it more mussed than usual, "I'm just not sure that is what I want to do the rest of my life."

"Why don't you talk to your father and see if he'll let you take general courses the first year instead of jumping straight into business classes?"

He rolled his eyes. "Kotoko, I've already placed out of all the introductory classes. I would have to declare my major earlier than most."

"Oh," her mouth twisted, "'Genius of Tonan High'. I forgot for a minute."

He grinned and reached over, pulled her into his lap and tickled her briefly before planting a quick kiss on her laughing lips then warned, "Don't even joke about forgetting me or my brilliant brain."

"Hey!" To his disappointment, she wriggled out of his grasp and stood up. "Maybe Pandai needs more than geniuses."

"I'm sure they do," he spoke slowly, not sure where her latest idea was heading.

"Our sensei was talking about job shadowing. Of course, he meant cooks and sales people and police officers, but maybe I could go with Irie-sama to work that day."

He tapped his chin. "That's not a bad idea. Plus, we can get the school administration to write it off as an approved field trip. My dad isn't any fonder of Kin-Baka than yours is."

"Not to mention Obasama!" she chortled in glee. "Plus, even if he followed me, security would stop him before he got far into the building."

"However," Naoki warned her, "this guy is canny and sneaky. We'd better make sure as few people know about this as possible."

Kotoko nodded vigorously and mimed zipping her lips shut.

The school administration, knowing well Kinnosuke's obsession with Kotoko, decided to keep her excursion on the 'down-low'. So, early on February 14, she and Naoki set out in the opposite direction of school.

He turned to her as their train left the station. "Why do you look worried? You know Dad isn't going to be that strict with you, right?"

Kotoko gave him a weak smile. "Irie-sama is great. It's just that I'm not comfortable all dressed up like this."

True to form, Mrs. Irie had jumped at the chance to thwart that 'low-minded reprobate' Kinnosuke and had swept her off for a dress-for-success outfit.

Naoki looked her up and down. "You look nice."

Her cheeks pinked. "Thanks, but my tummy is still upset. Maybe the waistband is too tight." She slipped a finger inside it and found it only comfortably snug. "No," she sighed, "that's not it."

"Perhaps you should have just faked an illness and put up with Ma for the day," he added, concerned.

Kotoko took a deep breath and shook her head. "Nonsense. I'm sure I'll be fine shortly. Oh," she nodded at the display, "your stop is next."

"Right. Do you remember how to get to the office?"

"Yes," she nodded, "two more stations, transfer to Marunouchi for one stop, then it's half a block away."

"On the right," he reminded her.

"Got it!" She gave him a thumbs up then doubled over.

"Kotoko!" He reached for her and helped her stand upright. "You need to go back home. You are not well enough for an unusual schedule."

"Nonsense." She took a deep breath. "I'm sure a cup of hot tea will set me to rights. And Irie-sama won't mind if I lie down in the lounge if I still feel bad."

He braced himself as the train slowed. "If you're sure."

"Of course I am!"

He was but one step out the doors when he heard the thud of her body hitting the floor. Fighting his way back to her side and protecting her from the crowd of people, he rose with her in his arms. "Make way!" he called as he carried her to the elevator.

As Kotoko returned to consciousness, she became aware of faint light through her eyelids. Knowing well the dangers of immediately opening them, she raised them one scant millimeter. Startled by the sight before her, she went against her best judgment and then immediately slapped a hand over her eyes.

Surprised by the resistance, she lifted her other hand and felt a tube attached to her arm. Deciding to inquire of the person in the room (the one whose appearance almost caused her bodily reflexes to blind her), she whispered, "Naoki?"

"Ah, you're awake." She could tell that he approached her by the shadow he cast. "Water?"

"Please," she croaked.

While she sipped the cool liquid, her eyes slowly adjusted to what she now realized was a fairly dim room. "Better now?" he asked as he pulled the straw from her lips.

"Yeah." She turned her head and ascertained that she was in either a clinic or hospital. "What happened?"

Naoki snorted softly. "Your pain wasn't caused by Ma getting the fit of your new clothes wrong. You had appendicitis."

"Huh," Kotoko grunted. "Maybe my lack of appetite the day before wasn't nervousness, then."

"Most likely not," he sighed. "Although none of us noticed you eating less."

"Well," she lifted her chin, "I didn't want to give in to weakness such as that. A person needs food to survive."

"In any case," he chuckled, "you are going to 'survive' just fine. No surgery necessary, just a couple IVs of antibiotics. You'll be released as soon as Ma–"

The door burst open. "Kotoko-chan!"

"–gets here. Hello, Mother," he nodded, "and Yuuki, glad you made it. I believe I'll take a small break so you can spoil Kotoko all you want."

"Of course, of course." Stroking her darling's hair, she barely noticed his exit. "My dear, you had us all so worried!"

"Oh, no, I'm sorry." She gave Yuuki a weak smile when he planted himself at the foot of her bed and gazed at her intently.

"No need to apologize; that's what families are for. When Onii-chan called us… Well, I had to force your father into going to work, reminding him that he is practically useless in a sickroom, being a man."

"But–" Kotoko had memories of her father gently caring for her in earlier years; however, Steamroller Irie was on a, well, roll.

"Papa was in a right panic as well, until I told him that the most helpful thing he could do was order Pandai's most spacious limousine for your trip home. That's what took me so long."

"Your timing was great. I just woke up."

"And that boy didn't call me?! Why, I ought to–" she half-turned as if to chase her son down.

"But we would have been only down the hall," Yuuki reminded her.

"Oh!" Her face looked startled. "That is so. At any rate," she opened a bag, "I'm sure you would like to get into more comfortable clothes once you're unhooked from that machine."

"Yes, Obasama," she smiled as she saw the outfit of soft knit material which appeared, "that does look more– Oh, no!" she cried and turned her head this way and that as if searching for something. "What time is it?"

"Two thirty in the afternoon," Yuuki replied.

"But Naoki– the Todai test– Irie-sama will be so disappointed! I have made him fail!" And she promptly burst into tears.

"Nonsense," she embraced the girl, "Onii-chan made a judgment call, and a very intelligent one at that. You know," she kissed Kotoko's cheek, "he was never going to be happy in the world of cut-throat business."

"But– I thought–"

Mrs. Irie laughed lightly. "Oh, Papa had his dreams but I have managed to make him see the light. A good wife knows how to guide her husband; remember that!"

"Guide?"

"Yes, yes. I see more than you or that son of mine thinks. I've spoken with his instructors and career counselors on numerous occasions. Of course, knowing how contrary that boy is to my ideas," she shot Kotoko a knowing look, "we have not done anything beyond insisting that he fulfill his promise to take the exam. After all, Tokyo University is an excellent school for many fields, not just business."

"So," Kotoko began hesitantly, "no one blames me for keeping Naoki from attending Todai?"

"Nonsense," the matron gave her a kiss, "based on his national test scores, Onii-chan has his pick of many excellent schools. And, if my suspicions are correct, he is at this moment solidifying his choice of career."

Kotoko's brow crinkled. "But, how–?"

"Oh, my dear," Mrs. Irie's laugh tinkled like bells, "his careful care over you the past few months was most illuminating."

"Careful… care?"

"Of your injuries, my child. And we must admit, there have been several." She counted on her fingers. "Trampled at the sports festival, sodden and chilled during the snow and ice storm, and now, appendicitis, of all things!"

"You can't really blame that on Onee-chan," Yuuki pointed out.

She glared at him. "You misunderstand me. Who was the first one on the scene to provide medical care at each of these events?"

"Naoki," she breathed in wonder.

"Yes, and I overheard a rather distinguished physician in the hall speaking about a potential doctor in the building who accompanied an unconscious young woman." She tapped her hand (luckily not the one with an IV still inserted). "Apparently he had quite a discussion with my son and promised to provide him information on various medical programs in town."

"Naoki, a doctor?" Kotoko thought about it for several moments then grinned. "I think he would make a marvelous doctor!"

"As do his father and I. Well, it's about time!" she spoke as a nurse entered the room with paperwork for her to sign as she disconnected Kotoko from the monitoring equipment. "Now, my dear, get yourself dressed and let us find that errant son of mine. Our ride home is waiting!"

"Why?" Kinnosuke wailed at the end of–for him–an excruciatingly long day. "Why did Kotoko not show up on the Day of Love?"

His two pals rolled eyes behind his back. Satomi and Jinko were not so polite as not to comment.

"And why would she want to hang around here and be assaulted by that frog croaking you call singing?" Jinko challenged.

"Hey!" he protested. "I do great at karaoke!"

"With the music so loud, who can really tell?" Satomi shrugged. "Besides, Kotoko doesn't like you."

"Else she would have been the one to try and woo you." Jinko added brutally, "Although with her cooking ability, giving you homemade chocolate would've served you right!"

"Honmei chocolate…from Kotoko," Kinnosuke intoned dreamily.

"Damn, he's useless," Gintaro said.

Dozo only nodded.