Your hair is messy (6)
Naoki travels to a parallel universe where Kotoko doesn't love him. (2013 Japanese TV series)
12
At night, Kotoko, who was about to take a bath, met Irie, who was about to return to her room after taking a bath, in the stairwell. The two started a conversation about their chance encounter during the day, and Irie asked Kotoko, "What do you think of Matsumoto?"
Kotoko replied sincerely, "It suits you very well. Irie-kun should bring Matsumoto home and show him to your aunt."
Irie: "..."
That's good. It's better not to ask.
Irie had been forced to strengthen his immunity to Kotoko's constant ramblings. He no longer got angry about similar remarks, because he could never get enough of it. Besides, Kotoko didn't care whether he was angry or not.
She is more like a small animal that is good at seeking benefits and avoiding harm, gentle and harmless, very timid, and does not bear grudges. When she sees Irie angry, she hides away in fear, and only reappears and gets closer to him after he calms down.
She didn't care why Irie was angry. Because she had always considered Irie a weirdo, and weirdos doing weird things was normal and didn't need a reason.
But Irie knew it was a waste of words and still wanted to explain to her: "It's impossible for Matsumoto and I. I said, I don't like smart and beautiful women."
Kotoko then remembered that he had been hurt by a smart and beautiful woman, and the shadow of the past still remained in his heart, so it was not suitable for him to develop a new relationship at the moment.
Kotoko expressed deep sympathy.
Irie was practically numb with her anger, seriously. He had to change the subject quickly before he died of rage.
So Irie suggested to Kotoko that he invite her to join the tennis club. He said, "You don't like studying anyway, and you'll be idle in college anyway, so you might as well get some exercise."
"But I can't play tennis."
"So I asked you to come with me, but I didn't leave you alone."
Now Kotoko is not obsessed with drawing a line between herself and Irie, but she has no interest in tennis at all. Not to mention Irie's personal coaching, even if Sano Hidekazu comes... no, Sano can, but he can't fly back to Tokyo from Hokkaido just for this. So Kotoko believes that she has no fate with tennis, and can only politely decline Irie's kindness.
Irie looked unsurprised, "Then whichever club do you want to join? I'll go with you."
Qinzi: "?"
She asked, when will Irie be able to be normal again?
It's just a college club, why make it so inseparable? Wait, is this another way for Irie to play a prank on her? What if he were to declare, "I gave up my beloved tennis club just for Kotoko," wouldn't she end up with a terrible death?
The consequences of offending Irie were too serious, and Kotoko was really afraid of him: "No, no, no, I'll go to the tennis club, okay?"
Rujiang relied on his height and gave her a condescending look, as if to say: You are sensible.
The tactful Kotoko was quickly taken to the tennis club by Irie. Coincidentally, she met the beautiful Matsumoto on the way. Since Kotoko regarded her as a candidate for Irie's girlfriend, and beautiful girls with good looks are naturally popular, she was particularly enthusiastic towards her.
But Matsumoto just looked at her again with a strange look for a moment, then complained to Irie affectionately: "You are so slow, didn't you say I wanted to go with you?"
Irie patted Kotoko on the back and pushed her in front of Matsumoto. "This girl is dawdling. I have to wait for her."
What a sin! I didn't ask you to wait for me!
Qinzi was angry but dared not say anything, so she got angry.
Matsumoto looked at her with an even weirder look.
In fact, the weird one wasn't her, it was clearly Irie who was out of his mind. Kotoko found that Irie loved to cling to her more and more, and Matsumoto also loved to cling to Irie, so the three of them stuck together like this, becoming the famous iron triangle of the tennis club.
Then Kotoko learned that Matsumoto and Irie had actually met at a national competition when they were in their first year of high school. It was only natural that these two shining stars, who had been superior since childhood, could find their kind in the vast crowd, get to know each other, and accompany each other.
Qinzi felt a sense of joy at being a perfect couple. She said jokingly, "No wonder you two have such good chemistry. It turns out you're childhood sweethearts."
Irie didn't even look at her: "Shut up."
Matsumoto raised his eyebrows in surprise: "When did Kotoko and Irie meet?"
How could they know each other? It was just her bad luck that her new house was hit by a meteor. Then the kind-hearted Irie family took her and her father in. Since high school boys and girls of similar age lived under the same roof, it was easy for people to imagine things. From then on, false rumors about them were left on the campus.
"I see..." Matsumoto deliberately dragged out the ending. "Even though Irie and Irie live under the same roof, she has absolutely no intention of falling in love. Kotoko is amazing."
Kotoko stole a glance at Irie, who was so engrossed in watching someone else play that he didn't seem to notice them. This made her feel a little relieved. "I'm very self-aware."
Matsumoto smiled, his attitude arrogant and insolent: "I hope so."
—————————
Joining the tennis club was the most unfortunate thing that had ever happened to Kotoko in her life.
If she had known that she would be hit on the head by Sudo-senpai's ball in the entrance exam, and that newcomers could not enter the tennis court directly but had to undergo strict physical training outside the court, she would never have come in.
But the above are all minor problems. The biggest problem is Irie.
Irie seemed to have gone mad.
Kotoko was training outside the court, and Irie actually came out to train with her, which scared the other members of the tennis club, including Sudo, half to death.
Even when Kotoko occasionally made it to the tennis courts, she was responsible for picking up balls, and Irie would accompany her to do so. This gave the Dounan University Tennis Club another wave of speechless shock.
Finally, Sudo couldn't stand it anymore and made an exception to allow Kotoko, a newcomer, to practice tennis. Irie then taught her how to play tennis.
After going through this whole process, Qinzi couldn't find a suitable opportunity to escape.
Even after playing tennis, Irie would accompany her to dinner. She said that the spare ribs were delicious today, so Irie gave her the spare ribs from his bowl. She said that the sushi was dry, so Irie handed her his drink. She said she wanted to eat something sweet, so after school in the afternoon Irie would buy her puff mousse and candy.
When Jin, who worked in the cafeteria, was free, he'd come over to make Irie uncomfortable, saying he was being too attentive and had ulterior motives. If Jin wasn't free, the meal would become even more agonizing. Rimi and Jinko would become mute, wishing they could melt into the air and disappear quietly.
What on earth does Irie want to do...
Qinzi was confused, shocked and terrified!
Her university life was destined not to be peaceful.
For a moment, almost everyone around him had the same look as Matsumoto. When they passed by Kotoko, they scanned her from all directions, as if they wanted to see through her DNA sequence at a glance. "Why does the handsome genius Irie love the stupid ordinary girl so much?" has become the number one unsolved mystery of Dounan University.
Kotoko also felt the changes in her family. The first person to notice was naturally Irie's mother. She smiled every day and was in an extremely good mood. "Brother is really great! You've improved a lot compared to before, don't you agree, Kotoko?"
Yuki would no longer call her an idiot openly. It was said that he had been warned by Irie, so every time he saw her, he was angry but helpless.
Aihara's father had no intention of interfering in his daughter's relationship, but he was surprised by Irie's sudden affection. So after observing him for a long time, he tactfully expressed that he thought Irie would be a good son-in-law...
Kotoko herself began to wonder: Did Irie like her? Or had she accidentally offended Irie again, and was Irie plotting something? No matter how she thought about it, the latter was more likely.
Ah, so brain-burning and painful.
Meeting Irie was the most unfortunate thing that had ever happened to her in her life.
13
Sudo-senpai's self-esteem has been severely damaged due to repeated defeats by Irie, and his desire to win has reached its peak. In order to defeat Irie, he will not hesitate to use any means, even those that are not very glorious and unfair.
For example, he proposed a doubles tennis match with Irie, and his chosen partner was Matsumoto, who had won fourth place in the women's singles tennis tournament in high school. He also shamelessly announced, "As for you, Irie, since you like Kotoko so much, of course you should be in her group."
Irie had no objection: "Okay."
Qinzi was confused: "What?"
What does it have to do with her? Is it true that no one cares about her feelings?
Yes.
The doubles tennis match was happily decided by the remaining three people.
On the way home, Kotoko gradually came to her senses and realized how much trouble she had gotten herself into. She was afraid of even seeing a tennis ball flying towards her, and she was actually joining a match between three tennis masters? It was ridiculous.
Kotoko briefly imagined herself running around the court during the match, and decided that she needed to talk to Irie: "Irie-kun, you should find a new partner. I'm not good at tennis, and I'd feel guilty if I caused you to lose the match!"
"There's still some time before the competition. Since you know you can't drag me down, why don't you practice diligently? What good is belated guilt?"
It was really difficult for Kotoko and Irie to communicate. She said A and he answered B, and they were never on the same page.
"I mean, you can find a better partner!"
"I won't change." Irie glanced at her nonchalantly. "You don't want to compete, do you? If that's the case, I'm too lazy to compete. I'll just admit defeat."
“No, no, no!”
If Irie had simply conceded, then her involvement in his loss would still be inextricable. Why was she always so tied to Irie, like one's success might not necessarily mean all's success, but one's loss must mean all's loss? What a sin!
Under Irie's threat of "surrender", Kotoko had no choice but to accept her fate. She began to practice tennis with Irie from morning till night. Sudo initially made things difficult for her and did not allow her to practice in the tennis club on the grounds that she failed the strength test.
But Irie's face darkened, and he directly dragged her to the paid tennis court outside the school, with the intention of "going to great lengths for the beauty he loves". Sudo could also see that Kotoko was like Irie's weak spot, and he couldn't afford to offend her easily. He wanted to defeat Irie, but didn't want to fall out with Irie. After all, their friendship of many years still had some weight.
So Kotoko was promoted to the number one VIP of the tennis club. As a newcomer who didn't even have the basic skills, she could not only enter the court and play openly, but even Sudo had to be polite to her when he saw her.
Kotoko was not able to adapt. She could not keep up with Irie's high-intensity training physically, and could not enjoy the privileges that Irie brought her psychologically. She was exhausted and became thinner and thinner.
When Ikezawa came to bring her warmth, she was lying on the desk, exhausted and fell asleep. Only after she smelled the aroma of food did she switch from sleepiness to hunger mode. She ate attentively, and then she heard Ikezawa ask her: "Kotoko, you practice tennis so hard, is it for Irie?"
Of course it was for Rujiang, otherwise why would she suffer?
If this match was just about her, winning or losing wouldn't matter to her at all, and even quitting the tennis club wouldn't be a big deal. However... oh, what a sin.
Ikezawa looked a little hurt. "Everyone says that Irie likes you. He even stopped going to Tokyo University for you. No wonder you, Kotoko, treat him like that..."
Stop.
Kotoko had to ask seriously, "Kin, do you really think Irie likes me? Don't you think it's unreasonable?"
While liking someone doesn't require a reason, Irie's feelings are particularly baffling. Kotoko, convinced she doesn't possess the kind of stunning beauty that would instantly captivate. For the past year, she's avoided Irie, denying him the opportunity to appreciate her inner beauty. They have no common topics, no shared social circles, and no triggers to increase their affection (though there are plenty of those that do).
Their relationship has been up and down since they met. Even some time ago, Irie was still angry with her and even thought of some insidious tricks to mess with her.
However, Irie now likes her, or at least acts like that.
Everyone was surprised, including Kotoko, but she was so surprised that she gradually lost interest. She was grateful for Irie's kindness to her, but she was also secretly waiting, waiting for the day when Irie would laugh and taunt her, "You don't really think I like you, do you, idiot? Who told you to upset me? You deserve it."
Or he would open up to her and say, "I didn't like you at first when we met," "But then I found out you're not a bad person," "I'm sorry for teasing you," "Take this as an apology now," "Let's get along well."
To put it bluntly, Kotoko doesn't believe that Irie really likes her, because there is no reason for Irie to like her.
Ikezawa was enlightened by Kotoko's conclusion, and he perked up again. "If that's the case, why did Kotoko accompany Irie to practice tennis? Seeing Kotoko working so hard, I feel bad too."
"After all, Irie is Aunt Irie and Uncle Irie's son, so of course I have to treat him well. No matter what he thinks, I will work hard and never let the proud Irie-kun lose the game!"
Kotoko used her personal experience to once again prove to everyone that flags are set up to be torn down.
Irie eventually lost the tennis match because Kotoko sprained her foot during the match. Irie then chose to withdraw from the game, picked her up and left without looking back.
Kotoko nestled in his arms, feeling incredibly guilty. But as Irie had said, what good would be done by feeling guilty later? She couldn't change the fact of her failure, so she could only whisper an apology: "I'm sorry."
Irie said expressionlessly, "It's okay, as long as you're okay."
After leaving the clinic, Kotoko, who was diagnosed as having no serious injuries by the doctor, refused Irie's princess hug and decided to walk back on her own two feet. Irie's position was immediately downgraded from a porter to a crutch, and the two walked slowly along the way.
Irie helped Kotoko back to her room and reminded her to apply the medicine on time. However, considering Kotoko's short memory, verbal instructions would definitely not be as effective as written ones. He went to the desk to get paper and pen, and then saw the amulet that originally belonged to him.
Now Irie hated it because it reminded him of Sano.
On the day Sano left, Kotoko rushed to the airport early. On the way, she held the amulet she had sewn by herself. Tears welled up in her eyes several times, but she forced herself to hold them back.
Kotoko didn't want to cry, fearing it would ruin her eye makeup. Besides, this last meeting was too precious, and she should use it as a proper farewell. Farewell to Sano, a man she might never see again, and farewell to her unrequited love that had come to nothing.
However, when she arrived at the airport, she saw from afar that Sano was surrounded by many people. They surrounded Sano like stars around the moon. Some were laughing, and some were crying. Sadness and joy were far away from Kotoko, and she suddenly retreated.
"Sano has the blessings of many people and doesn't need me to do anything for him. I am too insignificant in his world, even a little redundant."
There was another key reason Kotoko didn't tell Irie. The button Irie gave her at graduation had caused her to become a source of controversy at school. If she appeared in the crowd to bid Sano farewell and gave him a talisman, it would surely lead to countless speculations.
Kotoko didn't want Sano to end up in the same situation as her.
Irie, unaware of the situation, couldn't understand her struggle. "You're scared by the crowd. It seems you don't really like Sano. I thought you were braver than anyone else."
This was the first time Kotoko heard Irie seriously comment on her, and the adjective he used was "brave", which was quite interesting.
"Why do you think I'm brave, Irie-kun?"
"You said it yourself."
Kotoko suddenly realized what had happened, remembering that the button incident had all started when she boasted to Irie that she could be a brave person for Sano. Sure enough, flags are raised only to be torn down, and now another one has been torn down.
She then clenched her fist and said firmly, "I will gradually become braver! When I see Sano again..."
"Does it have to be Sano?"
“…”
Those light words completely extinguished Kotoko's excitement. She was stunned and looked towards Irie, thinking that the voice just now was an auditory hallucination in her mind.
Irie stood before Kotoko like a puppet, staring at her motionlessly, seemingly emotionless. Yet, the moment their gaze met, Kotoko sensed a strange feeling. It was real and intense, not an illusion.
The faith that was once as solid as a rock finally began to waver.
She felt it.
Irie, it seems, really likes her.
———————————————
"Why did Kotoko have time to come to the store today? Is there something you want to say to dad?"
Because of the miraculous progress between Naoki and Kotoko, Aihara's father has been in excellent shape recently. He has always admired Naoki. The eldest son of the Koirie family is simply one in a million. He thought that the more perfect a person is, the more picky he is. So even though Mrs. Irie repeatedly mentioned that she wanted to match Naoki and Kotoko, Aihara's father insisted on letting nature take its course.
He knew his daughter better than anyone else, so he didn't expect her to put in too much effort to marry someone above her station. It was good enough if she just let things take their course.
Who knew that fate would arrange things so unexpectedly? Naoki actually began to actively pursue Kotoko. Aihara's father felt like he had picked up a pie falling from the sky. He was so happy.
At this moment, he was still immersed in joy. He placed a plate of beautifully presented food in front of his daughter and sat down across the table: "Kotoko, you and Naoki..."
"Dad." Kotoko interrupted him.
She didn't reach out to pick up her chopsticks, and it looked like she hadn't come here specifically for dinner. She looked very serious, as if she was about to announce something big.
Aihara's father suddenly became nervous. He had a premonition that his daughter was going to announce her relationship! After waiting for a long time, he and Xiaoru finally saw the light of day!
Under her father's expectant gaze, Qinzi took a deep breath and said, "Dad, I've been thinking a lot lately. I know my uncle and aunt love me very much, but because of this, I can't continue to cause them trouble... It's been almost a year since I moved into the Jiang family. I've really been disturbing them for too long."
“……?”
"Dad, let's move out."
tbc
Aihara's father: My daughter is going to give me a surprise!
Kotoko: Dad, just tell me if you’re shocked or not?
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