A/N: Not mine.

"Well, Nao," Mr. Irie straightened the stack of papers on his desk. "With these projected quarterly results, I see no reason for you to stay on. Miss Oizumi and I can handle it from here."

"Will you be able to take the classes which you require, Naoki, after missing so much time?" Kocho asked.

"Not all of them," he admitted, "but I have kept up with reading. When the others are next scheduled they should be my," he made air quotes, "easy ones."

She laughed. "While I found that I had an advantage in business classes, it is only with good study skills taught me by my fathers that I passed the rest."

"I am certain that is not the case," he countered, "else you would not have been on the Dean's List."

Her brow furrowed. "How did you know that?"

"Yes, Nao," his father interjected, "for that is information which would sound like boasting if shared, and Miss Oizumi, aside from mentioning her accomplishments, does not boast."

His son's head bowed. "As Kocho investigated Pandai and the Iries, so did I the Saiki-Oizumis."

"So," Kocho grinned, "besides what I revealed last year, did you uncover any alarming secrets?"

"Possibly," he admitted, then raised a hand to stave off his father's curiosity, "but that is something which I should talk about only with the one involved."

"Of course, son." Mr. Irie immediately changed the subject. "Now, both of you take the rest of the day off. This old man can handle Pandai for a few hours without help. And, perhaps," he considered the two in front of him, "you could discuss with Miss Oizumi what has you so troubled."

"You are beginning to unnerve me," Kocho told Naoki. Over the past two hours they had been sequestered in a private room, eating a multicourse meal. Once dessert was served, it seemed as if the young man braced himself.

"Actually, now that the time is here, I am uncertain how to proceed," Naoki said as he adjusted his teacup a millimeter to the right.

"Well, to misquote Maria Von Trapp, why don't you 'start at the very beginning'?" she teased.

"'A very good place to start'," he returned with a wry smile before clearing his throat. "I believe I touched on this before, but a number of years ago my father had a business trip. It was in a popular vacation spot, so he decided to take Mother and me as well. As they were close to another family–the husband was an old friend of Dad's–they invited them along for a treat." He took a minuscule sip of tea. "They had a little girl, close to my age."

"It was nice that you had a playmate," she offered when he grew silent again.

"Unfortunately, I was not so nice to the little girl." He gave a short laugh. "To put it plainly, I was a brat. One afternoon I was mean to her and she wandered away." He paused once more. "She absolutely disappeared; the official conclusion was that she went into the water–we were near a beach–and was swept away."

"How awful for that family! And yours, also."

"Yes. The parents never recovered from their loss, and my folks always carried a burden of guilt. 'If only…' I remember Mom saying often during the next year or so." He cleared his throat. "Kocho, are you wondering why I told you this tale?"

"A bit," she replied, although her eyes would not meet his.

He took her hand. "I believe that you are that child. That you are Aihara Kotoko."

"No!" She tugged the hand away. "My fathers did due diligence in their search. It must be a coincidence." Her eyes widened when he slid a snapshot across the table. "How did you get…this?"

"The one on the right is little Kotoko. Do your fathers have photos of you around that age?"

"Yes." She blinked away tears. "We could almost be twins."

"Or the same person." When she shook her head in denial, he said softly, "You know I am right."

"I know you believe you are." Her eyes flashed. "Who is the other girl in the picture?"

"That," he ducked his head, blushing, "is me. My mother so wanted a baby girl that she dressed me as one."

Even that tidbit did not phase Kocho. One forefinger rubbed the face of young Kotoko. "Where did they search?"

"The town and surrounding area. They stayed an extra week before they had to return to Japan. They left contact information, but the only word they received was when the case was closed."

"When I–she–was declared dead, you mean?" Naoki nodded. "Where are her parents now?"

"With their ancestors," was the solemn reply. "The mother, Etsuko," he watched Kocho's mouth move to form the name, "mourned so much that it is believed she took her life. The father was a possible suicide as well, dying in a Hokkaido snowstorm, a not-unusual occurrence during winter."

She turned her tear-filled eyes to his. "In that case, why are you telling me this? If I was–am–their child, there will be no grand reunion."

"No, but you now have answers to some of your questions."

"Did either of them have other family?"

"Yes. They had moved to Hokkaido to be near Etsuko's relatives. However, you may or may not want to make contact with them."

"If I believe that I am this Kotoko, why would I not want to know blood family?" she challenged.

Naoki sighed. "They have not proved loyal. The investigator which I hired discovered that, over time, they would skip over their gravestones during Obon. She, with my approval, arranged with the monks to keep the area clean from now on. It is the least my family can do."

"No," she spoke distractedly, "the Iries bear no guilt in the matter. Is there a picture of her parents?"

"Of course," he handed over one with two couples. "You can recognize a younger Mom and Dad. The others are…her parents. This was actually taken at the restaurant the day that Kotoko disappeared."

She stood abruptly, clutching the photos. "Thank you. I need to think about this. And," she swallowed, "talk to my fathers."

"Of course." He bowed. "I will wait for you to contact me."

"Thank you," she repeated distractedly before leaving the room.

"That," he sighed, "went about as well as it could."

"Daddy?" Kocho's voice was thin and sounded as if she was holding back tears.

"What is it?" Dylan cried, waving Akira over and setting the phone on speaker.

"I think… I think I know who I was before you found me."

"What?" Akira leaned over the desk. "After all this time?"

"Where, Kocho?" Dylan asked.

"Thailand. Do you think you could check your phone logs? To see what happened for them to miss me?"

"No need," Akira snorted. "That was the call where the idiot had poor personal and language skills."

"Yes. he hung up on us several times and refused to transfer us to another. I tried with the neighboring town, but they had no better luck."

"I can't believe that a missing child could fall through the cracks like that," swore Akira.

"According to the information about this…Kotoko, they thought she wandered away and drowned. I suppose, being by the sea, that would not be so unusual as to raise a national alarm."

"That is a logical assumption," Akira mused. "You said the name was Kotoko?"

"Yes. It is very similar to mine."

"And it is entirely possible that we misunderstood you when you said your name. You were pretty young."

"Kocho, darling, how did the family find you? If their story is indeed true, then I know they love and missed you these years, but you are a wealthy young woman. I hope they are not trying to take advantage."

"No, no, the parents are deceased, and the rest of the family is unaware." She frowned, thinking of the abandoned gravestone. "I'm certainly not going to be making contact with them."

"Then, how?"

"I shared my story with Irie Naoki. It reminded him of an event from his family's past. The Aiharas–that's the family name, were good friends with the Iries. They were vacationing together when it happened."

"So, daughter, how do you see this as impacting your life?" Akira vocalized the concern of both fathers.

"Impacting my– No," she sat up straight, "you are my fathers. Nothing will change that. I would just," she took a deep breath, "like to see where they are buried."

After a brief whispered conversation, Akira declared, "I will fly out and be with you when you go. Let me know the date and time."

"Thank you, Daddy. Naoki knows where it is, so I'll get the address from him."

Dylan broke in. "Why don't you schedule the trip when that young man is able to go? He has gone to great effort to clear up a mystery in both families' lives."

"Yes," she agreed, "that is a good idea. He should be free from school during Golden Week, although travel may be crowded then."

"Believe me, Kocho dear, that should be the least of your worries."

After the conversation was finished, Dylan turned to his husband. "You are going to take the opportunity to check out the boy?"

"Of course," Akira sighed. "And I believe that now old things have come to light, it is time for me to face Otosan properly and honestly."

"So, my elder granddaughter is not of Oizumi blood? And you will not be giving me a male heir?"

Akira bowed his head to his father. "Both are true, but Kocho is a legal Oizumi. If you reject her, she will not feel any financial pain. But, emotional…"

"Bah!" The man waved a hand. "Why would I not accept her? She is more an Oizumi in her mind and heart than her aunt and cousin."

"Really?" Akira relaxed in his chair.

"Her business instincts are as if I trained her personally. Although," he mused, "it is just as well that did not happen. Chiyoko would have stifled her had she had influence over the child. It is a shame that Hokuei-sha will not receive the benefit of what she will make of Pandai. If only she and that Irie boy had hit it off differently."

"As to that," his son grinned, "Dylan and I are of the opinion that appearances are deceiving when it comes to that relationship."

"Do tell," he leaned forward. "And, by the way, make sure your young man…husband…it is difficult for older people. At any rate, let him know he is welcome in my household."

"And Chiyoko and Sahoko?" he inquired. "What will they have to say to that?"

"You are behind on your social news," he laughed. "I managed to find Sahoko a husband in a diplomatic family. On assignment far, far away. And you know that her mother will need to advise her in home decorating and management. Ah," he sighed, "the bliss of a peaceful household. Now about Kocho and her young man. A future doctor, you say?"