FUUKA & PLAYING HOUSE

木曜日 (晩)
綾瀬家

"Ne, Asagi-oneechan, Fuuka-oneechan is home, right?" It was just past sunset, and Ayase Ena had yet to see any trace of her other sister since she got home from school herself.

Her eldest sister, Asagi, shrugged. "Probably, but I dunno. You know how it is with high-schoolers."

Fuuka's bedroom door suddenly opened. Something came out that might conceivably at one point have been Ayase Fuuka. It certainly had her ever-so-slightly-thick thighs, her unusually large chest, and her somewhat-large eyebrows. It was even wearing a pair of her panties and one of her tank tops. Presently, however, that was about as far as it was possible to identify the creature shambling into the hallway as the middle Ayase sister.

"Oneechan?" Ena asked, blinking.

The disheveled, bleary-eyed, vaguely Fuuka-esque thing threw its arms up over its head and roared like a bear.

"Eep!" Ena squeaked, hiding behind Asagi.

"I'm goin' over next door for coffee," the Fuuka-creature grumbled, shuffling past her sisters toward the stairs.

"Dressed like that?" Asagi asked curiously, an eyebrow raised.

Fuuka paused and looked down at herself, then trudged back into her bedroom, closing the door.

Ten seconds later, she emerged again; the only change in her appearance was she now wore a matching pair of panties on her head. "Later," she groaned as she shambled towards the stairs.

Asagi shook her head with a bemused expression. "I've seen some pretty bad cases of this, but I don't think I've ever seen one this bad."

"Cases of what?" Ena asked, staring in horror at the sister who was dangerously close to thoroughly embarrassing herself.

"Exam strain," Asagi said. "She's cracked, the poor thing."

"That's not good!" Ena rushed ahead of the shambling Fuuka-creature and barred her path to the stairs. "Oneechan! Pull yourself together! Pull yourself together!"

Fuuka blinked, fixing her bleary, unfocused gaze on Ena. A little of the fog started to clear. "Eh?"

"Don't go next door without any pants on! And with your panties on your head!" Ena pleaded. "You don't want the neighbors thinking strange things!"

Fuuka blinked. "With my...huh?" She reached up and felt around on her head. Removing the misapplied undergarment, she blushed. "What the...? Why do I have panties on my head?"

"At least it isn't the only pair you had on at all," Asagi said, amused.

Fuuka looked down at herself, turned very red, and dashed back into her room. Two minutes later, she came back out wearing track pants and a soft cotton hoodie. Her face was still flaming. "Don't tell me I was gonna leave the house like that," she moaned.

"Well, I'm sure Koiwai-san wouldn't have minded," Asagi teased.

"Oneechan!" Ena cried. "Yotsuba-chan's dad isn't like that!"

"I wonder," Asagi said with a cat-like smile as she headed downstairs.

"A-sa-gi," Fuuka groaned, exasperated.

"Are you still gonna go over there?" Ena asked. "It's almost dinner time..."

Fuuka glanced back at her bedroom, grimaced, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm not too hungry and I need a little break anyway."

"Dinner's not enough of a break?" Ena asked.

"With Oneechan teasing me about cracking up under the strain?" Fuuka asked.

"Good point," Ena said miserably.

木曜日 (晩)
小岩井家

Fuuka let herself in the front door, slipped off her shoes, and headed for the nearest source of noise: the TV room. There, she found Yotsuba watching some or other anime. "Hey, Yotsuba-chan," she greeted.

"Fuuka!" Yotsuba called happily. "Wanna watch TV with me?"

"Sure," Fuuka replied. "Your daddy working?"

"Nah, he finished early today, but he was up all night workin', so he's takin' a nap."

Fuuka blinked. "So you haven't had dinner yet?"

"Nuh-uh," Yotsuba said.

"I bet you're hungry then, huh?" Fuuka asked.

"Yeah, kinda," Yotsuba said. Her stomach growled.

Fuuka rolled her eyes. "I'll make dinner."

* * * * *

Koiwai awoke to very pleasant aromas, and sat up, frowning.

Something smelled absolutely delicious. But he hadn't cooked, and Yotsuba couldn't cook...not without help, anyway...

Standing and stretching, he left the bedroom and followed his nose to the kitchen. Yotsuba was seated at the table, beaming, and Fuuka was busy tending the stove, humming idly as she did so.

"Um...hello?" he hazarded.

"Oh, hey," Fuuka replied absently, not diverting her attention from her cooking. "Just in time, dinner'll be ready in a bit."

"Oh...kay..." Koiwai replied, blinking.

"You had a bunch of veggies that were about to go bad on you, and some meat that really needed to be used, so I pretty much used everything in the fridge tonight," Fuuka said. "I hope I don't screw this up too bad."

"Fuuka said she'd cook dinner cuz you were still asleep, Touchan!" Yotsuba explained.

"Ah, I see," Koiwai said. "Um...thank you, Fuuka. I appreciate it."

"Oh, it's no problem," Fuuka replied. She emptied the skillet she was browning stuff in into a large bowl and started vigorously whisking it. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a griddle, placing it on the still-hot burner.

Koiwai raised an eyebrow at her preparations. "Don't tell me you're making..."

"It was this or a throw-everything-together stir fry, and I figured Yotsuba-chan might enjoy this more. At least, if I did this right." She looked up briefly and smiled. "Go ahead, sit down, I'll have everything ready in a few minutes."

"Ah...right," Koiwai said, joining his daughter at the table. "I didn't even know you came over," he said.

"Well, duh, you were asleep," Fuuka teased. "I hope you don't mind. I just really needed a break from studying."

"Oh, it's okay, I don't mind," Koiwai said. "We're always happy to see you, right Yotsuba-chan?"

"Yeah! Fuuka's the best!"

"Thanks," Fuuka said, smiling. A minute later, she slid a plate in front of Yotsuba. "Careful, it's hot. Oh! Almost forgot the sauce..."

"Uooooh, what is this? Is it a pancake? But it's got all kinds of stuff in it..."

"It's okonomiyaki," Koiwai explained. "It looks pretty good, too," he added.

"I hope so, anyway," Fuuka said, placing a plate with two okonomiyaki in front of Koiwai.

"Ah, thank you," he said.

Lastly, Fuuka served herself and sat down with them. "Itadakimasu!" they chorused, digging in.

"Uooooh! It's yummy! It's super yummy!" Yotsuba exclaimed.

"It really is," Koiwai said. "I didn't know you could cook something like this!"

"I've never actually tried before," Fuuka admitted as she tucked into her own meal. "I'm glad it came out okay. I just didn't want all the stuff in the fridge to go to waste, and stir-fry is kinda boring."

"Well, it sure has been a long time since I had okonomiyaki," Koiwai said. "And it wasn't nearly this good. You did a great job, Fuuka."

Fuuka blushed at the praise. "It's nothing, really."

They ate and made small talk; once everyone was finished, Fuuka started cleaning the kitchen. "You don't really have to do that," Koiwai said. "Cooking for us is plenty."

"Yeah, but I know if I don't, you'll just leave everything in the sink like you always do," Fuuka chided.

"Ah...sorry," Koiwai said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm trying to do better, really."

"Well, at least you're putting pants on finally," Fuuka teased.

"So how's the studying going?" Koiwai asked. "I know it's not too long until you'll be taking entrance exams..."

Fuuka dropped the spatula she was washing; it clattered noisily in the sink. "The exams. Yeah. Studying. It's..." She sighed.

"Not going so well?"

"Not at all," she moaned, shoulders slumped. "I hate studying. I hate it so much..."

"I know what you mean," Koiwai said, sighing. "Third year of high school is pure hell..."

"Oh come on, it had to be easy for you," Fuuka retorted. "You're super-smart. I mean, you make a lot more than my dad and you work from home. You can't possibly sit there and tell me the entrance exams were actually hard for you."

"I'm not THAT smart, I'm just good with languages," Koiwai said. "Trust me, I hated every minute of those stupid exams, just like everybody else..."

"I didn't say you enjoyed them, I just said I bet they were easy for you," Fuuka said. "And I bet I'm right, too." She rinsed her hands off and wiped them with a towel. "Admit it. What percent were you in?"

"Oh come on, it's been so long, you expect me to—"

"What percent?" Fuuka repeated.

Koiwai sighed. "Top three percent."

"See? I'll be lucky to be in the bottom ONE percent," Fuuka replied.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Koiwai said.

"I'm pretty sure I'll fail miserably," Fuuka groaned. Taking a moment to wipe down the counters and sink, she rubbed at a kink in her neck, then glanced at the clock. "Oh, crap, I didn't know it was this late!" she cried.

Koiwai looked up at the clock too, and frowned. "Damn, I almost forgot about the game on television." He sighed. "I'll miss at least the first inning getting Yotsuba ready for bed..."

"Oh, no problem! I'll do it," Fuuka said.

"Eh? But shouldn't you be getting back home?" Koiwai asked.

Fuuka waved a hand airily. "Another half hour won't matter. Go on and watch your game, I'll take care of Yotsuba-chan."

"Ah...thanks, Fuuka," Koiwai said.

Twenty minutes later, Fuuka walked into the TV room. "Yotsuba-chan's all tucked in and sleepy," she reported.

"That's good," Koiwai said. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"No problem. Oh, and here...thought you might like a beer," Fuuka added, placing a cold one on the table in front of Koiwai.

"Hey, thanks. Wow, you think of everything."

Fuuka blushed. "Well, it's not really that much. I'd better go home now."

"Okay. Goodnight, Fuuka-chan. And thanks for everything."

"Goodnight, Koiwai-san."

木曜日 (晩)
綾瀬家

"I'm back," Fuuka called. She found everyone in the living room; Asagi and Ena were watching some drama, Mrs. Ayase was reading a mail-order catalog, and Mr. Ayase was reading the evening paper.

"Fuuka-chan!" Mrs. Ayase exclaimed. "What on earth kept you out so late? You missed dinner!"

"Oh, I ate next door, don't worry about me," Fuuka said.

"You shouldn't impose on Koiwai-san like that," Mom chided.

"Actually, I kinda cooked dinner for him and Yotsuba-chan," Fuuka said. "He pulled an all-nighter and was asleep when I went over, and Yotsuba-chan was hungry, so I..." She trailed off. "And of course by that point I'd already made enough for all of us so I just..."

"I see," Mrs. Ayase said. "Well, that's fine, then."

"What the heck did you cook that you were over there so long?" Asagi asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, I didn't cook anything fancy, just okonomiyaki," Fuuka said as she sat down on the couch with her sisters. "It just took a while to clean up after dinner, and then I got Yotsuba-chan ready for bed..."

Mr. Ayase's newspaper lowered enough to see his face; he was frowning. "I should really speak to Koiwai-san," he said. "He has no right imposing on you, asking you to do—"

"He didn't ask me to do anything!" Fuuka replied, waving her hands in negation and shaking her head. "It's just, stuff needed doing, I was there, I did it...you know?"

"Still..."

"Otousan, seriously, don't get upset," Fuuka said. "I mean, Koiwai-san's got it pretty tough, you know? He works really hard, and he's a single parent, and Yotsuba-chan is a real handful. I figure he could really use the help now and then, so..." She shrugged. "I mean, it's not like I have anything better to do, and I don't mind lending a hand over there."

"Nothing better to do, huh?" Asagi echoed. "Did we forget all about studying for our entrance exams?"

Fuuka sighed, sounding remarkably like a deflating balloon. "Getting away from studying is the whole reason I was even over there in the first place," she pointed out.

"So let me get this straight," Mrs. Ayase asked, tilting her head and looking strangely at Fuuka. "Your idea of taking a break from studying is to spend most of the evening being someone else's maid?"

"Well, no, not exactly," Fuuka said with a nervous laugh. "I mean, I really just went over to have some coffee and play with Yotsuba-chan. Everything else just kinda happened."

Mrs. Ayase shook her head. "Well, whatever. Just don't get your priorities all mixed up..."

"Don't worry, I won't," Fuuka said with a sigh.

金曜日 (朝)
小岩井家

"Good morning, Koiwai-san!" Fuuka greeted as she walked her bicycle out of the front gate.

"Ah, Fuuka! Good morning. Thanks for everything last night."

"Oh, it's no problem! How was your game?"

"My team lost," Koiwai grumbled.

"Aww, I'm sorry." Fuuka smiled encouragingly. "They'll do better next time, I hope!"

"Thanks. So? How about you? Get any studying done?"

Fuuka sighed. "No, not really, but..." She shook her head. "Anyway, we get back results from a practice exam today. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck," Koiwai said.

金曜日 (午後)
小岩井家

Koiwai came downstairs to use the toilet, and found Fuuka and Yotsuba playing with Yotsuba's blocks in the living room. Fuuka was showing the younger girl how to stack blocks without them falling over, and Yotsuba was paying rapt attention.

Koiwai frowned; Fuuka was still in her school uniform.

"Hello," he called.

"Ah! Koiwai-san, good afternoon," Fuuka replied, standing and bowing. "You don't mind that I came over to play with Yotsuba-chan, right?"

"Of course not, but...you didn't even go home before you came here?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh," Fuuka realized how he had known that, and sighed. "I'm...just not ready to go home yet," she said.

"What's wrong, Fuuka?" Yotsuba asked.

"This have something to do with that practice exam you mentioned?" Koiwai asked.

Fuuka nodded miserably. "I bombed it. Bad."

Koiwai winced. "Ouch. I'm sorry."

"I kinda don't wanna tell Okaasan just yet, and I sure don't want Asagi-oneechan to know, so..." Fuuka trailed off.

"You'll have to tell them eventually," Koiwai said.

Fuuka sighed. "I know." She fidgeted, then bowed. "I guess I'll go ahead and get it over with."

"Good luck," Koiwai replied.

As Fuuka left, Yotsuba asked, "What's a practice exam? An' did Fuuka really blow it up?"

Koiwai shook his head with a weak chuckle and explained as best he could to the five-year-old...

土曜日 (朝)
小岩井家

Fuuka showed up very early and dressed in old, worn-out clothes, with a scarf tied around her head.

Koiwai blinked at her. "What...?"

"Figured I'd clean your toilet and furo today," Fuuka said brightly. "Then I'll take Yotsuba-chan out for lunch." She held up a small tote bag. "I even brought a change of clothes so I can just get ready and go from here."

"...Fuuka, really, you don't need to do all that," Koiwai said.

"But I want to!" Fuuka insisted.

"But you should be home studying," Koiwai reminded her. "I mean, you said it yourself, you didn't do so hot on that practice test..."

"I tried to study all night, and I am so sick of it I could scream," Fuuka said. "I honestly can't even look at any of my books anymore." She sighed. "Can we not talk about that, please? I've got to get to work..."

Without even waiting for a response, she stepped out of her shoes and headed for the toilet. Koiwai stared after her for a long moment.

"When did I actually say this was okay...?" he wondered aloud. Sighing, he closed the door and went upstairs to work.

土曜日 (晩)
綾瀬家

"I'm home," Fuuka called.

"You left awfully early," Mrs. Ayase said. "I hope you were at school studying in the library, after that dismal test score you brought home..."

Fuuka shook her head. "I'll study tomorrow. I tried to study all night and I just couldn't, so I took a break..."

Mrs. Ayase sighed. "...at Koiwai-san's house," she finished in stereo with her daughter. "Honestly, Fuuka-chan, you're starting to spend a little too much time over there. I don't want Koiwai-san to get aggravated with us..."

"He doesn't mind," Fuuka said. "If he did, he'd have said something." She yawned. "I'm sleepy. Goodnight!"

日曜日 (朝)
小岩井家

"Ah, Fuuka-chan! You're up early."

Fuuka smiled brightly at Jumbo, who had just pulled up to the gate in his truck. "Good morning, Jumbo-san. What brings you by?"

"I'm giving Koiwai and Yotsuba a lift to the airport," Jumbo replied. "His folks are gonna do some sight-seeing and shopping in Kobe, and this is a chance for them to catch up a bit."

"Oh, how nice!" Fuuka replied. "So, are they going to stay here while they're in town?"

Jumbo shook his head. "They want to see his place, but they don't have the time this trip. They're on an itinerary." He rubbed the tip of his nose. "Won one of those ball draw prizes."

"Ah, I see." Fuuka nodded.

A moment later, Koiwai and Yotsuba emerged from the house. Fuuka waved to them. "Good morning!"

"Hey, Fuuka!" Yotsuba called. "We're gonna go see Baachan an' Jiichan!"

"So I heard," Fuuka replied, smiling. "Koiwai-san, do you need me to do anything while you're out today?"

"Yeah," Koiwai replied. "I need you to stay home, study, and not worry about doing stuff for me and Yotsuba. Seriously, you've got enough to worry about."

Fuuka sighed. "Okay. Um...I guess I'll see you when you get back, then."

"Hang in there, Fuuka-chan," Koiwai said, clapping a hand on her shoulder as he and Yotsuba passed to get in Jumbo's truck.

Fuuka was still rooted to the spot several minutes later, long after they had gone.

Finally, she sighed and trudged wearily back into the entrance gate of her own home, towards the hellish nightmare of exam prep manuals.

日曜日 (朝)
ジャンボの車

"What was THAT all about?" Jumbo asked.

Koiwai sighed. "Fuuka's kind of been..." He plucked at a few strands of his stringy hair as he thought of how best to explain it. "Entrance exams are kind of driving her up the wall."

"Ah. Been there, done that," Jumbo nodded.

"Yeah, but this is..." Koiwai paused, thinking.

"She comes over an' plays house all the time instead of doin' her work," Yotsuba said.

"Yeah, that's basically it," Koiwai agreed. "She hates studying, so she blows it off to play with Yotsuba. Except 'play with Yotsuba' usually turns into 'cook dinner', 'clean the house', 'do the shopping', or whatever else she decides needs doing around my house. Without even asking if I want her to or not."

Jumbo raised an eyebrow. "Wow. That's...interesting." He shrugged. "My advice? Enjoy it while it lasts. I mean, you're basically getting free maid service out of it, right?"

Koiwai shot Jumbo a hard look. "That's something I'd expect Yanda to say."

"And ordinarily, I'd be a jerk for saying it, but let's face facts. You DO need the help."

Koiwai sighed. "Yeah..."

日曜日 (晩)
綾瀬家

A completely frazzled Fuuka shambled into the kitchen and took her place at the dinner table with her family. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was in total disarray, and she sagged and drooped as she slumped over the table, radiating dejection and frustration and despair.

"Oneechan," Ena murmured in a worried tone.

"Wow, is the studying really going that bad?" Asagi asked, blinking.

"dunwantalkbtit," Fuuka mumbled.

Mrs. Ayase eyed her middle daughter with concern. "Fuuka-chan? Are you alright?"

Fuuka looked up at her mother, made a noise not unlike a stuck drain, then slammed her forehead into the table.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Ayase said, shaking her head.

月曜日 (午後)
小岩井家

Koiwai leaned against the banister at the foot of the stairs, hands in his pockets, watching nonplussed as Fuuka scrubbed the hallway floor. "What...are you doing," he asked in a flat tone.

"I'm cleaning, what does it look like?" Fuuka asked.

"Isn't this going a little too far?" Koiwai asked.

"A clean home is a happy home," Fuuka replied. "By the way, what do you want for dinner?"

He blinked at her. "You're not serious."

"What? I need to know what I need to pick up from the store before I start cooking," Fuuka said absently.

Koiwai shook his head and walked over, squatting down in front of her. "Fuuka," he said softly, seriously, "I really do appreciate all the help you give me, and the way you take care of me and Yotsuba-chan, but...you're doing TOO much. Seriously, we can get by without you. You've got your own stuff to deal with, right?"

"What, studying?" Fuuka asked, making a dismissive noise. "I needed a break from that."

"And this is your idea of taking a break," Koiwai said disbelievingly.

"ARGH! You and Okaasan both!" Fuuka shook her head, irritated. "Just let me do this without going on and on at me about studying, okay? I'm sick to death of that subject." She wrung her rag out into the bucket next to her and stood, stretching. "So, about dinner."

Koiwai just stared at her. Then, he sighed, "Whatever," he said. He shuffled off to his work room.

月曜日 (晩)
綾瀬家

"I'm home."

"Welcome back Fuuka—oh goodness, you're FILTHY!" Mrs. Ayase exclaimed. "What in heaven's name—"

"Just cleaning Koiwai-san's house," Fuuka replied absently. "The floors needed a good scrubbing. I'm gonna go have a bath now."

"Alright..."

火曜日 (朝)
小岩井家

"Ah! It's Kaasan! Hi Kaasan!" Yotsuba called cheerfully as she opened the door.

Mrs. Ayase smiled down at her. "Good morning, Yotsuba-chan. I was hoping I could speak to your father."

"Yeah, he's in the kitchen makin' coffee," Yotsuba said, stepping aside.

"Then pardon my intrusion," Mrs. Ayase replied, slipping off her shoes and stepping into house scuffs. As she entered, she looked around and gasped. "My goodness! Your house is very...VERY clean!"

"Yeah!" Yotsuba cheered. "Fuuka's awesome! She did all of this!"

Mrs. Ayase stood in the living room, simply gazing around at the absolutely spotless house. "This isn't normal," she said quietly. "MY house isn't this clean."

"Yotsuba? Who's—oh! Hello," Koiwai greeted. "Care for some coffee?"

"Y-yes, please," Mrs. Ayase replied, distractedly, following him into the kitchen. "Fuuka-chan seriously cleaned your house this thoroughly?"

"Yeah," Koiwai said, pouring another cup and handing it to her. "Um...look, I'm sorry she's blowing off studying to come over and do all this. I'm NOT asking her to. She just...kinda...does it."

Mrs. Ayase sighed. "That IS the reason I came over, to discuss Fuuka's—oh my, this is good coffee." She paused to savor it for a moment, then continued, "As I was saying, it's just...getting a little out of hand, don't you think?"

"I completely agree," Koiwai said, sitting down at the table. "I told her as much yesterday afternoon. I told her she needs to tone it down and take care of her studies." He sighed. "She bitched at me and went right on doing housework."

"I see," Mrs. Ayase said, sighing. "I...honestly don't know what to do about all this, Koiwai-san."

Koiwai ran a hand through his stringy hair. "Neither do I," he admitted. "I'm worried about her and I don't want to see her neglect her studies, but at the same time, I can't just..." He sighed. "The only way I see of putting a stop to this is forbidding her from coming over, and I just can't do that. It's not fair to anyone." He sipped his coffee.

"I agree...I don't see that as a viable solution," Mrs. Ayase said. "When you weren't home Sunday, she was forced to stay home and study all day. What came down to eat dinner with the family...wasn't a pretty sight. I don't even know what it was, but it certainly wasn't Fuuka." She sighed. "It's like she just fell apart. But then yesterday afternoon she came over here, and she came home utterly filthy and obscenely happy."

They sat and drank coffee in silence for a time.

"I just...don't know what to do, Koiwai-san," Mrs. Ayase admitted. "I mean, it's not like I can punish Fuuka-chan for anything. She hasn't done anything wrong. Her grades are just barely acceptable, and her study habits are bad, and her practice exam scores are utterly deplorable, but...it doesn't seem like trying to force the issue will improve that."

"Mm," Koiwai nodded. "I guess the only thing you can really do is impress upon her that she needs to be worried about her future, and that playing pretend housewife over here isn't healthy if she hopes to do anything with her life."

Mrs. Ayase sighed. "Yeah, but she won't listen, no matter how much I say it..."

"And if I tried to force her to study over here, she'd ignore me or bitch at me, and then probably plant a whole damn garden out front or something."

"It's so WEIRD," Mrs. Ayase suddenly blurted. "I mean, I've been married more than twenty years, and housework is a complete pain in the ass. I can't even begin to imagine anyone enjoying it as much as Fuuka-chan seems to."

Koiwai shrugged. "It's not unheard of. Some people are just like that."

"Great, I have TWO weird daughters now," Mrs. Ayase sighed.

Koiwai laughed. "Well, we'll figure out what to do about Fuuka-chan. It may take time, but I'm pretty sure we can bring her around. Just hang in there."

"Yes..you're right. Thank you, Koiwai-san. And thanks for the coffee."

"Anytime."

火曜日 (午後)
風香の学園

"So it's resolved that we'll request a broader selection in the vending machines, including hot soup and warmed breads," the President said. "Any other new business?" After a silent moment, she nodded. "Then we're done for today."

The various members of the Student Council began packing away their notes and standing; some of them talked among themselves rather than immediately clearing out of the council room.

"Hey," one of the representatives asked the President, "is the Vice President okay? She seemed kind of out of it all during the meeting."

"I don't know," the President, a tall third-year with long dark red hair, admitted. "The best one to ask about that is Hiwatari-san, or Ayase-san herself."

A couple other members walked up to where Fuuka remained seated at the table, lips pursed against the eraser end of her pencil as she worried over a notepad in front of her. "Hey, Vice President," one of them greeted. "What's up?"

"What're you working on so intently?"

Fuuka glanced up at them, blinked, and covered what she was doing with one hand. "Nothing!" she exclaimed. "It's just some personal stuff."

"Oh? I'm dying to know about the Vice President's 'personal stuff'," a handsome boy with wind-swept tea-colored hair said mischieviously, snatching away Fuuka's notepad. He scanned it, eyebrows climbing. "How interesting!"

"GAH! Don't—" Fuuka yelped.

The President suddenly stood behind Fuuka, a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Go ahead, Hiro-kun, read the Vice President's minutes aloud," she said with a smirk.

"H-hey! You can't—!"

Before Hiro could read a single word, Shimau plucked the notepad away and handed it back to Fuuka, who quickly shoved it in her skirt pocket, red-faced.

"Aww, you're no fun, Shimau," Hiro pouted.

"Embarassing our Vice President is not appropriate behavior for this Council," Shimau said, frowning prettily. "We're not first graders. Let's behave with respect and dignity."

"Thank you, Shimau," Fuuka said.

The President laughed softly. "We have nothing but respect for Ayase-san," she said. "We just wanted to tease her a little. No harm was intended."

"Yeah, and I wouldn't have actually read that out loud," Hiro said.

Fuuka sighed. "You guys..." She stood. "I'm off." Without waiting for a response, she stiffly left the council room as fast as dignity would allow.

Shimau frowned at the President and Hiro as they snickered. "It really isn't funny, you know. Fuuka puts a lot of effort into everything she does, you shouldn't tease her like little kids."

"Sorry, it won't happen again," Hiro replied. A moment later, he asked, "By the way, Shimau, who's Yousuke?"

The round-faced girl blinked. "Eh?"

"That notepad," Hiro explained. "It looked like she was collecting a lot of really personal information on someone by that name."

Shimau tilted her head. "Funny, I don't know anyone named Yousuke," she said. Shrugging, she adjusted her bookbag strap. "It's none of our business anyway, I'm sure."

After Shimau left, the President arched an eyebrow. "What KIND of information?" she asked.

Hiro shrugged. "Favorite foods, least favorite foods, clothing sizes, allergies, stuff like that."

"Hmm," the President replied thoughtfully. "A new boyfriend perhaps...? Interesting...."

火曜日 (晩)
小岩井家

"Evening, Koiwai-san," Fuuka greeted at the door, straining under the weight of three large, sagging plastic bags. "I noticed you were running out of a bunch of stuff, so I went shopping."

Koiwai blinked. "Um...thanks," he said. "Let me help you there..." He took two of the bags from her, and together they carried them into the living room.

"I'd have been by earlier but I had a Student Council meeting today," Fuuka explained.

"Oh? You're on the Student Council?" Koiwai asked.

"Yeah, Vice President. It's nothing, really," Fuuka replied, rubbing the back of her head.

"Actually, that's pretty impressive," Koiwai said. "But then, that's the kind of thing I'd expect from the amazing Fuuka-chan."

Fuuka blushed, twiddling her hands in front of her. "Koiwai-san..." she groaned in mock exasperation.

Koiwai laughed. "In any case, Yotsuba went off to play with Ena and Miura; I'm pretty sure they're over at your house."

"I'll just help you put this stuff away before I head home," Fuuka said.

It took about five minutes; Koiwai was surprised at some of the things Fuuka had bought; he didn't even know he'd been running out of some of it.

"Well, I'd better get back to—ugh," Koiwai grimaced, clutching at his shoulder. "Work," he finished lamely.

"Are you okay?" Fuuka asked.

"I think I pulled something, maybe. Or I'm just getting old."

"You're not THAT old," Fuuka said.

"Mmm, maybe, but my shoulder's stiff as..."

"Sit down," Fuuka commanded.

"Eh?" Koiwai asked.

"Just sit down," she repeated.

Koiwai did so. A moment later, he felt Fuuka's slender fingers digging into the knotted, aching muscles of his neck and shoulders. "Ohhhhhhh..."

"Does that feel good? Is it helping?"

"Yeah," Koiwai replied. "Little lower...little more to the left...yeah. Ahhh...yeah, right there. A little harder..."

For several minutes, Fuuka massaged Koiwai's aching shoulders, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

They heard the front door open, and Fuuka stopped. "Yotsuba-chan must be home," she said.

Two seconds later, the green-haired fireball bounded in. "Hi Touchan! Hi Fuuka! You wasn't home! Were you here?"

"I just got here a little bit ago," Fuuka replied.

Koiwai stood and stretched, sighing. "You'd best get on home, Fuuka. And thanks."

She smiled and bowed. "It's nothing. Well then, goodnight!"

火曜日 (晩)
綾瀬家

Fuuka's parents were waiting for her when she walked in. She paled. "Am I in trouble?" she asked.

Mrs. Ayase sighed. "Not exactly, Fuuka-chan. We're just...worried."

"About what?" Fuuka asked.

"About the amount of time you spend next door," Mr. Ayase said.

"Oh god not this again," Fuuka groaned.

"Yes, this again," her father said more sternly. "Dammit, Fuuka, we're worried! This isn't normal!"

"What isn't normal? Being a good friend and neighbor, that isn't normal? Helping out when I can because I care, that isn't normal?" Fuuka demanded angrily.

"Spending more time in the house of an unmarried adult man than you spend in your own home isn't normal," Mr. Ayase said. "Insisting on cleaning every inch of Koiwai-san's house, AND shopping for him, AND cooking, AND tending to Yotsuba-chan, to the exclusion of everything else, THAT isn't normal."

"Even Koiwai-san is concerned," Mrs. Ayase said. "I talked to him this morning. He's as worried about you as we are. He's grateful for all you do for him and Yotsuba-chan, but he agrees...you need to apply yourself to your studies, for your own future. You can't neglect yourself the way you have been."

"I'm not neglecting myself, though!" Fuuka insisted. "I...okay, I don't really study as much as I should. It's just..." She sighed. "I can't explain it."

"Try," her father said.

Fuuka looked down. "I'll try, but...not unless Yousuke comes over, so I can explain it to him at the same time."

Mr. Ayase raised an eyebrow. "Yousuke? Who—?"

"Koiwai-san neglected to mention you were on a first-name basis," Mrs. Ayase said archly.

Fuuka blushed. "Um...that just slipped out," she said sheepishly. "I mean, I don't...I haven't...not in front of him..."

Mrs. Ayase studied her for a long moment, an eyebrow raised. "I think," she said slowly, "I'm starting to see what's happening here." She sighed and walked over to the phone. "Koiwai-san?" she asked after a moment. "I'm sorry to disturb you this late, but would you please come over? We need to have a talk."

* * * * *

Ten minutes later, Koiwai sat in the Ayase living room with Fuuka and her parents; Ena and Asagi had been sent next door to stay with Yotsuba.

Fuuka shifted uncomfortably under everyone's scrutiny. "Um..." She began quietly, "First off, I...please don't blame Koiwai-san for any of this. He's completely clueless."

"Oi," Koiwai grunted.

Fuuka smiled at him. "I'm sorry, Yousuke, but you are, or you'd have figured this out way before now."

Koiwai raised an eyebrow. "And all of a sudden I'm Yousuke and not Koiwai-san?"

"Apparently," Mrs. Ayase said.

Mr. Ayase coughed. "Alright, you said you were going to explain, Fuuka-chan, so...explain."

"R-right," Fuuka agreed, bowing her head and twiddling her hands in her lap. "O-okay. It's like this..." She took a deep breath. "The reason I've been...the way I've been lately..." She hesitated. "The stuff I have to study for those stupid exams just gets me all confused and upset and I get so frustrated...but when I'm taking care of Yousuke and Yotsuba-chan, I'm happy. Cleaning the house, cooking for them, shopping for them, playing with Yotsuba-chan, even just sitting around doing nothing...as long as it's with them, as long as it's for them, it makes me happy."

Koiwai stared at her. "Fuuka..."

"I...feel useful," Fuuka said. "Everything I do for Yousuke and Yotsuba-chan makes me feel useful. I feel like I'm needed. I feel...I feel complete," she decided. "At school, I'm lost and adrift on a sea of rote facts that I don't want or need. It's all a bunch of noise and it makes my head hurt and makes me feel grouchy and bitchy and awful. But then when I put down the books and go over there...it goes away, all the crap I don't want to deal with. It goes away and it's just me and the little family I want to take care of." She paused. "Want to be part of." She looked up, then, and locked gazes with Koiwai. "I need you, Yousuke. I need you and Yotsuba. I need to take care of you and play with you and just BE with you."

"Fuuka..." Koiwai said again, stunned. Her parents were gaping openly at her.

Fuuka turned very red, and in a much quieter voice, pleaded, "Please, Yousuke. Set me free. Set me free and let me come home with you. Let me be where I belong. Where I'm happy..." Tears gathered in her eyes and begin spilling silently down her cheeks.

Mrs. Ayase felt herself getting choked up, and pulled out her own handkerchief, dabbing at her eyes.

Mr. Ayase stared at his daughter in disbelief and wonder, scarcely able to wrap his mind around what was happening.

Koiwai was frozen in place, eyes wide and staring at the teenage girl who had just laid bare her soul to him, and was now watching him, waiting, anxious and afraid.

After an eternity, Koiwai swallowed thickly and faced Fuuka. "One thing. Before I...say anything else, one thing."

"Yes?"

"You will finish high school. The entrance exams, you can blow off. You obviously have no intention of even taking them. But you WILL finish high school. That's not open for debate."

Fuuka nodded, sniffling. "Of...of course I'll finish school. I...I do want to graduate with my friends."

Koiwai nodded. "Then..." He paused. "Are you absolutely sure this is what you want? I mean, this sounds like it kind of just came out of nowhere, but..."

"It's what I want, Yousuke. It's what I need. And...you need me as much as I need you," Fuuka said. "You know you do."

Koiwai sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I won't argue that, because you're probably right." Taking a deep breath, he looked from Fuuka, to Mr. Ayase, to Mrs. Ayase, and back to Fuuka. "Alright then...I..." He trailed off. "Wait. She kind of already did the part I was supposed to do, right? I mean, we all heard it that way, right?"

Fuuka giggled, wiping at her eyes. "Mou..."

Koiwai shook his head. "Screw it. If it's okay with your folks, then yeah, I'll marry you. If it's what you're absolutely, positively sure you want."

Fuuka nodded silently, smiling brightly enough to light the entire block.

Mr. Ayase took a deep breath, trying not to visibly tremble. "Alright then," he said. "Summer break starts week after next, right?" Fuuka nodded. "Okay. Then...if you're absolutely, positively—"

"OTOUSAN," Fuuka interrupted. "For the last time, this is absolutely, one thousand percent what I want—what I need."

"Right. Okay, then...we'll take care of the legal stuff that week, and then if you want to have a ceremony, we can plan that for after graduation."

Fuuka shot across the room and plowed into her dad, a squealing cannonball of happiness. "Thank you thank you!" she squeed. "I love you so much, Otousan, you're the best!"

Then, she threw herself at Koiwai and wrapped herself around him. "And thank you, Yousuke...I promise you won't ever regret this. I'll make sure every day together with you is the most enjoyable day. I promise. I'll be the best wife you could ever hope for."

Koiwai smiled and embraced her. "I know you will, Fuuka-chan. I know you will."

火曜日 (晩)
小岩井家

Asagi was mildly surprised when Koiwai-san returned...with Fuuka, who had done a complete mood reversal from absolute wreck to Happiest Girl On Earth. "Okay, what did I miss that someone's gonna be sorry I was left out of?" she asked.

"We're getting married," Koiwai said.

Asagi raised an eyebrow. "No, seriously, what happened?"

"He just told you, Oneechan," Fuuka said, giggling. "We're getting married."

Ena gaped. "EH?! Koiwai-san, you proposed to Oneechan?"

"Actually, it was kind of the other way around," Koiwai said. "Came outta nowhere, too. I was totally surprised."

The two Ayase sisters who had not been present for the dramatic moment exchanged a questioning glance, then stared at Fuuka. "Okay, even I missed that," Asagi admitted.

"Yeah, I mean, how'd this..." Ena gestured at the two of them. "How'd this happen without anybody noticing?"

Koiwai shifted uncomfortably. "Ah, if by 'this' you mean what I think you mean...there never was a 'this'."

Fuuka smiled. "It's...not quite what you're thinking," she said.

"Oh? Then what IS it, exactly?" Asagi asked, arms folded.

"Complicated," Koiwai replied.

"Not THAT complicated," Fuuka corrected. "Taking care of Yousuke and Yotsuba-chan makes me happy. So that's what I'm gonna do from now on."

Asagi blinked. "THAT'S what all the random cleaning and being over here hours on end was? You get off on being a housewife?"

"Pretty much," Fuuka said, blushing. "You didn't have to put it like that, though..." she added in a pained mutter.

The eldest Ayase sister shook her head. "Whatever. I'm too tired to try to make sense of that right now. C'mon, Ena, let's go home." She paused. "I'm guessing Fuuka's spending the night here?"

"Yeah...we have a lot to talk about, and after what just went down at your place, it'd take a crowbar to get her off me," Koiwai said, shaking his head. "Anyway, you girls head home...g'nite."

"Goodnight Oneechan, Ena-chan," Fuuka said. "We'll talk tomorrow, I promise."

"Damn right we will," Asagi said, shaking her head. "I gotta know all the details of this."

"Yotsuba-chan's asleep in the TV room," Ena told them as the two sisters made their way to the genkan.

"Thanks, Ena-chan," Fuuka said.

Once they left, Koiwai and Fuuka stood awkwardly in the living room.

"Want some hot chocolate?" Koiwai said after a minute.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Oh, I'll make it—"

"No no, I'll make it this time," Koiwai said. "You don't have to do every single thing, you know. You've gotta let me do my equal share. That's just the way it works."

Fuuka nodded. "Alright."

A short while later, they sat at the kitchen table with mugs of hot cocoa. Koiwai took a sip of his, then said, "There's one question I have to ask, before anything else. The one thing about all this that's kind of front and center in my mind."

"Alright."

Koiwai stirred his cocoa idly for a moment before asking: "Are you actually in love with me?"

Fuuka sighed, closing her eyes. "I'm not honestly sure," she admitted. "I wondered that myself, and I've been trying to figure out if I am or not. The truth is, I just don't know." She smiled weakly. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, that's fine," Koiwai replied, sipping his cocoa. "Actually, I'm relieved to hear you admit that. It means you are thinking about this seriously and not in some kind of weird schoolgirl heat."

Fuuka blushed. "Yousuke! That's mean."

He chuckled. "Sorry."

Fuuka blew upward at her bangs. "I might be in love with you, I don't know." Fuuka said. "I mean, why else would taking care of you make me so happy? But...more than that, the feeling I have is...you ever lose a piece of a jigsaw puzzle?"

Koiwai nodded. "Yeah."

"That's kind of how I feel. When I'm forcing myself to study, to try to do what everyone expects of me, I feel like a jigsaw puzzle with a couple missing pieces. Then I come over here, and you and Yotsuba-chan are the missing pieces and the picture's complete." She paused. "Does that make sense?" she asked gamely.

Koiwai smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I think it does."

"Good."

"But why didn't you just tell me that?" Koiwai asked. "I mean, why let things get this crazy?"

"I was...I guess I was afraid. I thought if I told everyone how I feel, I'd..." She shook her head. "I didn't want to risk screwing things up and getting shut out. As long as I could feel happy and whole, nothing else mattered." She sighed. "I'm kinda stupid, huh?"

"No, just young," Koiwai said. "And trying to sort out some really complicated feelings." He shook his head. "To be honest, I don't think I'VE had any feelings as complicated as what you're going through, and I'm a lot older—"

"You're 27, that's not a 'lot' older," Fuuka said.

Koiwai blinked. "You know how old I am?"

"And your birthday, blood type, exact height and weight, clothing size, food allergies, likes and dislikes, how much you make on average a year, and what brand of beer you prefer." She took a drink of her cocoa. "For starters."

Koiwai stared at her. "What...the..."

Fuuka rolled her eyes. "That's the kind of stuff a housewife needs to know, after all," she said. "How can I take care of you if I don't know everything about you?" She smiled. "I know everything about Yotsuba-chan, too. Well, everything you know about her. Possibly a thing or two you don't."

Koiwai gaped at her. "That's...that's amazing. And a little scary, somehow."

Fuuka shrugged. "Okay, yeah, I admit it's a little stalkery, but..."

"And how did you even find out all that stuff?" Koiwai asked.

Fuuka rolled her eyes. "I've cleaned every inch of this house top to bottom, done your laundry, cooked and shopped for you. Anything I needed to know about you, I found out." She grinned. "I can study. If I'm studying something worth studying."

Koiwai blushed. "Um...thanks." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, it's gonna take a while to get used to all this."

"We pretty much have all the time in the world," Fuuka said, finishing her cocoa.

"One other thing," Koiwai asked. "When...I mean, exactly when did you—"

"It wasn't all at once," Fuuka said. "I didn't really realize how much I absolutely need you and Yotsuba-chan until a couple months ago. But I think the first time I felt some kind of connection..." She idly turned her empty cup around in her hands. "It wasn't long after you moved here. That day it rained really hard, and I helped Yotsuba-chan bring in the laundry, and you did the Pants Man thing."

Koiwai laughed. "I remember that day."

Fuuka smiled. "Yeah. I mean, it's not like it was a big holy crap revelation. It's just that..." She frowned thoughtfully. "It was just like, 'this is nice, I like this'. That's what it was at first. And then over time, whenever I'd do something for the two of you, I started feeling more connected...and then, a couple months ago, I realized I needed to be part of this family. That I'm only really, truly happy when I'm here doing stuff for you." She looked down at the table, blushing prettily.

Koiwai drained his cocoa, now long since stone cold, and sat contemplating everything Fuuka had said. "Well, if this has been going on inside you for that long..." He paused. "I mean, knowing this isn't some sudden kneejerk reaction to exam stress makes this whole thing a lot easier to accept."

"This isn't some silly little schoolgirl crush," Fuuka said, voice firm with conviction. "This is something I've thought long and hard about." She blushed. "I was actually going to wait until after I graduated, then kind of try to ease you into the idea of being with me. I just didn't realize how fast things were going to spin out of control."

Koiwai raised an eyebrow. "You...were planning to play chess with my heart?"

"I'm a woman," Fuuka replied with a smirk. "It's what we do."

Koiwai laughed.

Suddenly, Fuuka turned very red. "Um, and...Yousuke..."

"Yeah?"

Fuuka pushed the tips of her index fingers together. "Um...like I said, I'll do anything you need me to...anything you want me to." She bowed her head; her bangs obscured her eyes. "Everything a wife is supposed to do."

It took Koiwai a minute to realize what she was saying; he turned scarlet. "Um...yeah...I think that's something we can hold off on until we're all at the same...comfort level...with this whole situation."

Fuuka let out a relieved sigh. "Okay. I'm honestly not really ready for that yet. I just...wanted you to know, I'm...I'll do that, if you want."

"I'm just not even gonna think about that right now," Koiwai said with a shaky laugh. "In fact, I think, um...we should probably sleep in separate futons for a while."

Fuuka blushed. "Probably a good idea." She toyed with the spoon in her empty cup. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you or anything. I just...as long as we're airing everything out, I just wanted to bring that up too."

Koiwai sighed. "Well, I can't fault you for being thorough..."

"Um...am I, um, I mean..." Fuuka stammered. "Are you...um...okay with me, you know, that way?"

"Huh?" Koiwai asked. "I don't quite get what you're asking."

Fuuka ducked her head. "I mean, I know I'm not as pretty as Oneechan, but..."

"Oh." Koiwai smiled. "You're just right, Fuuka-chan. Don't...don't worry about that."

Fuuka's face flamed. "Thank you," she said quietly. "That...thank you."

"It's really late," Koiwai said. "We really should get some sleep."

"Um..." Fuuka said, "I'm...not really sleepy. I don't think I can sleep tonight." She bowed her head. "Sorry."

"That's okay. Honestly, I don't think I can get to sleep right now either. Too much to think about."

"Is it...is it okay if we just sit up and talk?"

Koiwai nodded. "Probably the best idea right now, yeah..."

水曜日 (朝)
綾瀬家

Fuuka returned shortly after her sisters woke up. It was obvious she hadn't slept all night, but she didn't seem particularly fatigued.

"Have fun with Koiwai-san last night?" Asagi asked as Fuuka headed for the stairs. "Or do I want to know?"

"We just talked," Fuuka said, shaking her head. "We...kinda had a lot to talk about."

"I'll say."

"I gotta get ready for school," Fuuka said as she went upstairs.

Asagi sighed. "I guess I won't get to find out what's going on until later, huh?"

A short while later, a refreshed and dressed Fuuka came back downstairs. She ducked into the kitchen and grabbed a slice of toast and some juice. "Hi, Okaasan," she greeted.

"Good morning, Fuuka-chan," Mrs. Ayase replied, cheek resting against one palm as she watched her daughter. "You seem to be in good spirits this morning."

"Me and Yousuke talked a lot last night, and by the time the sun came up and Yotsuba-chan woke up, we pretty much agreed this is gonna work," Fuuka replied, smiling. "It'll be a little weird at first, but we're gonna make it work."

Mrs. Ayase smiled. "I'm glad. I'm still a little overwhelmed by all this, and your father probably has some things he's going to want to clear up with you two..." She sighed. "But I could see how you really feel last night, and I'm behind you on this. Now that I really understand what's going on with you."

"Thanks, Okaasan," Fuuka replied, hugging her mother. "Um, can I ask a really big favor?"

"Of course, dear."

"Can you kinda help Yousuke pack up my stuff today?" Fuuka asked. "Um...I kinda asked him to come over and start moving me out while I'm at school."

Mrs. Ayase raised an eyebrow. "You're not wasting any time."

"Why should I? I mean, I made it pretty clear last night," Fuuka replied. "I belong with Yousuke now. We're not married yet, but as far as I'm concerned that's a formality. I'm a housewife, and a housewife lives in the house she takes care of." She gave her mother a pleading look. "I really need to be there to stay as soon as possible."

Mrs. Ayase chuckled. "I never said anything about stopping you," she said. "Don't worry, by the time you come home from school..." She sighed. "Well, your home will be next door." Her eyes shimmered with sudden tears.

Fuuka bent down and hugged her mother. "Don't cry," she said. "Don't be sad."

Mrs. Ayase sniffled and smiled. "I can't help it...one of my babies is all grown up and leaving the nest." Wiping at her eyes with a napkin, she added, "and it isn't the one I hoped I'd be rid of first."

"Love you too Okaasan," Asagi called from the kitchen door.

Fuuka shook her head. "You know? I'm kinda glad I'm getting out of here now. You and Oneechan are enough to drive anyone crazy."

Mrs. Ayase laughed. "Have a good day at school, dear."

水曜日 (朝)
小岩井家

"Yotsuba, I need you to listen carefully, because I'm going to tell you something important."

"Okay Touchan," the green-haired girl said intently, sitting cross-legged in front of her father.

"The next few weeks are gonna be a little weird," Koiwai said. "I may be coming and going a lot more than usual, and right around the start of summer break you may have to stay next door during the day, because I've gotta go all the way to the city. But Ena'll be off school, so she'll be able to play with you."

Yotsuba brightened. "If Ena's out of school, then Fuuka is too, and we can all play!"

Koiwai smiled. "Actually, Fuuka's gonna be going to the city with me," he said.

Yotsuba blinked. "You're takin' Fuuka to the city but not me?" Her lip started to quiver.

"I'm sorry, Yotsuba, but..." Koiwai sighed. "See, me and Fuuka have something really important to do. Something grown-up. We're gonna be pretty busy and you'd be totally bored. That's why you're gonna have to stay here and play with Ena."

"Awww," Yotsuba pouted. "Okay." She tilted her head. "So what are you an' Fuuka gonna do?" she asked.

Koiwai sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That's the big thing I wanted to talk to you about," he began. "Yotsuba, there's gonna be some changes around here. It might confuse you a little for a while."

"Changes?" Yotsuba asked.

"You see, Fuuka's gonna come live with us from now on."

The little girl's eyes widened. "Really? She gets to stay an' don't gotta go home?"

"From now on, this IS Fuuka's home," Koiwai explained.

"AWESOME!" Yotsuba cheered. "But how come?"

Koiwai smiled. "Fuuka's gonna be your new mommy."

"EH?!" Yotsuba gasped, eyes huge. "Fuuka's gonna be Kaachan?"

"That's right," Koiwai said. "And she's gonna take care of us from now on."

Yotsuba thought about that for a minute. "Touchan, are you marryin' Fuuka?"

"That's right, Yotsuba. I'm marrying Fuuka."

"Whoa," the little girl breathed, impressed.

"Anyway, today me and Fuuka's mom are gonna move her stuff over here, because Fuuka's really anxious to start living with us as soon as possible, and then in a couple of weeks we're gonna go to the city and do all the stuff we need to do so we can get married. And then you'll have a mommy."

"I get my own mommy...my very own mommy..." Yotsuba said, voice thick with wonder.

Koiwai smiled and ruffled her hair. "Yep." He stood and stretched. "Well, better get to it then..."

水曜日 (朝)
綾瀬家

"How can one teenage girl possibly have so much CRAP?!" Koiwai wondered, staring at the pile of boxes, bags, and miscellaneous stuff that had been cleaned out of Fuuka's bedroom.

"This? This isn't even that bad," Mrs. Ayase said. "Fuuka-chan's actually pretty good about not being a packrat."

"Then explain THAT," Koiwai replied, pointing to two alarmingly huge boxes which had been labelled "Weird T-Shirts". "Come to think of it, has she ever even worn one of those more than once? Because I don't remember ever seeing her wear the same one twice."

Mrs. Ayase shrugged. "What can I tell you? Fuuka-chan collects T-shirts."

Koiwai shook his head in disbelief, and bent to pick up a box. "I'd better get one hell of a backrub when she gets home today, that's all I'm sayin'."

Mrs. Ayase laughed.

水曜日 (昼)
風香の学園l

"You seem to be in good spirits today, Fuuka," Shimau commented as she sat on Fuuka's desk, swinging her legs idly as she nibbled at her lunch.

"Mm," Fuuka nodded.

"Did something good happen?" Shimau asked.

"Mm-hmm," Fuuka replied with a silly smile as she picked around in her own bento.

"Perhaps...a boyfriend?" Shimau pressed.

"Something like that," Fuuka said, smothering a giggle.

"Then it is as Hiro-kun and the President suspected," Shimau said, nodding. "Not that I approve of their gossip or anything! It's just—"

Fuuka blinked. "Hiro-kun and the President were gossiping about me?"

Shimau bowed her head. "Yesterday afternoon, when they were teasing you," she said.

Fuuka blushed. "Oh."

"It's just...those notes of yours that Hiro-kun got hold of," Shimau explained, "he said that the name 'Yousuke' was repeatedly and prominently written, along with a great deal of information about such a person..."

Fuuka looked down at her lunch. "Oh," she said in a small voice.

"I must admit to being curious myself," Shimau said. "I don't recall knowing of a person by that name."

"You know him, you've just never heard his given name before," Fuuka replied. Looking around, she motioned Shimau to lean closer. "It's Yotsuba-chan's dad," she whispered.

"EH?!" Shimau cried, staring at Fuuka in shock. "You and Koiwai-san—"

"SHHHH!" Fuuka hissed. "I don't want people to know yet!"

"Sorry, sorry!" The two girls looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping; fortunately, they were fairly isolated, and the chatter of other conversations in clusters of students around the room muffled Shimau's outburst.

"Whew," Fuuka sighed.

Shimau blinked down at her. "But...you're seriously...together with that person?"

"Yeah," Fuuka nodded. "Well, it's a little more complicated than that, but that we're together is the gist of it."

"How on Earth did that happen?" Shimau asked. "I mean, I have nothing against Koiwai-san, far from it, I just..."

Fuuka smiled. "It's okay, Shimau, settle down." She shook her head. "Like I said, it's complicated, and I don't want to explain it right here and now."

"Alright," Shimau replied. "If you ever do want to talk about it, feel free to call me." She tilted her head. "Or we can meet to discuss it after school. Unless you have plans..."

"Yeah, I kinda do," Fuuka said. "We're gonna be super busy over the next couple days."

"Busy?" Shimau blinked.

Fuuka glanced around the room again, then pulled Shimau close and whispered, "Don't yell, don't freak out, don't react at all, but we're getting married."

The round-faced girl stared at her, eyes wide, mute with shock. "I...see. I...congratulations."

"Thanks. Anyway, for the next couple days I'm gonna be busy with moving out of my parents' house and moving in with Yousuke."

Shimau blinked. "Already? Just when are you two getting married?"

"First week of summer break, but we won't have the ceremony until after graduation."

"I see..." Shimau frowned. "This certainly is a lot to take in. I wish you'd let me in on all this sooner..."

Fuuka sighed. "I'll tell you everything as soon as I have a chance, Shimau." She smiled. "And I haven't been keeping anything from you. This just kinda happened really, really fast..."

水曜日 (午後)
綾瀬家

Mrs. Ayase peered out the door and saw Jumbo standing at the gate, carrying a huge bouquet of assorted flowers, at least half of which were roses. "Oh?" she asked. "And who are those lovely flowers for?"

Asagi suddenly leaned outside from behind her and waved at Jumbo. "You'll want to take those next door!" she called. "They're for Fuuka-chan!"

Jumbo blinked. "Eh?"

"Koiwai-san didn't tell you yet?" Asagi asked, a mischevious tone in her voice.

Mrs. Ayase facepalmed. "You didn't."

"Who? Me?" Asagi asked innocently, covering a giggle with her fingertips.

Mrs. Ayase rolled her eyes. "Yeah, those go next door. I'm pretty sure this demon child ordered them, but they'll be from Koiwai-san to Fuuka-chan."

"They're for Fuuka...from Koiwai?" Jumbo asked, blinking.

"He'll explain everything," Asagi said.

水曜日 (午後)
小岩井家

"Oh good grief," Koiwai groaned. Shaking his head, he dug his wallet out of his pocket. "How much do I owe you, Jumbo?"

Jumbo frowned from where he was arranging the bouquet on the living room table. "An explanation," he said. "And I'll decide what else you owe me after that."

"Touchan's marryin' Fuuka an' she's gonna be my new mommy!" Yotsuba said from where she lay on her stomach on the floor, drawing.

Jumbo turned to slowly stare at Koiwai.

Koiwai sighed. "Yyyeah...turns out all that housework and Fuuka-chan being so eager to do stuff? Is because she wanted to be part of this family. My wife, Yotsuba's mother."

Jumbo blinked. "She...this was her idea?"

"Yeah," Koiwai said. "It was a total surprise, and at first I was kinda freaked out by it, but...we talked a long time last night." He smiled. "I think it's gonna work out just fine."

Jumbo shook his head in bewilderment. "And her parents are okay with this?"

"Her dad's taking us up to the city first week of break to do the paperwork," Koiwai said.

"That soon?!" Jumbo bellowed.

Koiwai shrugged. "What can I say? Fuuka really went all out convincing us to let her do this."

"I see..."

Koiwai stood and slapped the large man playfully on the shoulder. "Hey, look at it this way," he said. "You're gonna make a killing off us when we do the ceremony after graduation."

"No I'm not," Jumbo said, stone-faced.

Koiwai's face fell. "Eh? You're not?"

Jumbo shook his head. "You really think I'd charge full price for my best friend's wedding?" He grinned. "Wholesale plus ten yen."

Koiwai sighed with relief and returned the big man's grin. "You had me goin' there for a minute," he said.

"But it'll be 7800 yen for these," Jumbo said. He snickered at Koiwai's exaggerated moan of pain.

* * * * *

Fuuka came home to find all her belongings boxed and bagged up and stacked all over the house, mostly in the bedroom. She also found a large, beautiful bouquet of flowers on the living room table.

"Welcome home, Kaachan!" Yotsuba called, running up to her and hugging her.

"Hello, Yotsuba-chan," she said, smiling. "So your Touchan told you?"

"Uh-huh!" Yotsuba beamed up at her. "You're gonna be the bestest Kaachan ever!"

Fuuka knelt down and embraced the little girl. "I'll do my best," she said.

"Yo," Koiwai called from the stairs.

"Hey," Fuuka greeted. "For me?" she asked, indicating the flowers.

"Of course," Koiwai replied.

Fuuka smiled. "Thanks." She knelt by the table to have a better look at the flowers and to smell them, then stood and walked over to Koiwai, kissing him on the cheek. "So, I guess...it's time to unpack all my stuff and get settled in, then?"

"Yeah," Koiwai replied. "I'd have already unpacked it, but..." He turned pink. "I had a mental image of Yotsuba running around the house waving a bra around, and I decided it could wait until you got home."

Fuuka laughed.

* * * * *

Yotsuba had gone out to jump rope with Ena and Miura while Koiwai and Fuuka unpacked.

Koiwai stared in disgust at the purple T-shirt Fuuka had just pulled out of the box. "Uh," he said in a flat tone.

"What?" Fuuka asked. "Is the color bad?" She held it up against her body. "Or the size?"

"It's...not that..." Koiwai said. "It's...the printing..."

Across the chest of the royal purple shirt, printed in big block yellow letters, were the words "FUCK BABY" in English.

Fuuka blinked. "Eh? What? Is there something wrong with it?" She examined it, brow furrowed. "I bought it because that first word is so close to my name in romaji..."

Koiwai coughed, and explained to her exactly what that word meant.

Fuuka dropped the shirt in horror, face blue and eye twitching. "Burn that," she said disgustedly.

Koiwai sighed. "I'd better check all the shirts you have with English on them, just to be sure there's nothing else like that."

"Um...yeah, good idea," Fuuka agreed in a small voice.

In all, Koiwai found fourteen shirts with slogans on them that were wildly and hilariously inappropriate. By far the most baffling was one with the legend, "I Trusted The Government, Now My Dick Glows In The Dark".

Fuuka had made a very strange noise when he translated that one. "Who comes UP with this crap?" she asked.

Koiwai shrugged. "I have no idea."

"I'm never buying a shirt with English on it ever again," Fuuka said, nauseated.

"Eh, some of these are okay. A couple of them are even cute. Just...check with me first from now on, okay?"

"Okay."

水曜日 (晩)
小岩井家

Getting Fuuka's stuff unpacked had wiped them both out; Koiwai suggested ordering pizza for dinner since they both needed to be in bed early, and Fuuka had heartily agreed.

"Ne, Kaachan, can you cook this too?" Yotsuba asked as they ate.

Fuuka laughed. "I don't know, I've never tried. I doubt I can make it this good, though."

"Besides, if Kaachan's cooking, you'd rather have her make okonomiyaki, right?" Koiwai said.

"Yeah! Or pancakes and lots of syrup!" Yotsuba said as she got tomato sauce all over her face.

Fuuka giggled. "I think I can manage that."

"Now, Yotsuba," Koiwai said, "there's something important you have to understand about Fuuka becoming your mommy."

"Hmm? Something important?"

Koiwai nodded. "Yeah. From now on, you have to do what she tells you just like you have to do what I tell you. Because if you don't, she might get mad, and she can punish you."

Yotsuba's eyes widened. "Kaachan, you'd punish me?"

"If you're a bad girl, I might have to," Fuuka said sadly. "But you're a good girl, right?"

"Uh-huh!" Yotsuba replied.

Fuuka smiled. "Then you shouldn't have to worry about it."

"Also, Fuuka's still going to school until she graduates," Koiwai explained. "So for a little while, she'll be gone most of the day."

"But as soon as I come home I'll make lots of time for you, Yotsuba-chan," Fuuka promised. "As soon as I tidy up and make dinner every day."

"Okay!" Yotsuba replied. "How long are you still gonna go to school, Kaachan?"

"Well," Fuuka replied after a bite of pizza, "Summer break starts week after next, so I'll be off for a month and I'll be home all the time then...well, except for however long it takes to get the formalities out of the way..."

"Fomaddities?" Yotsuba asked.

"Formalities," Koiwai corrected. "She means when we go up to the city to get married."

"Oh."

"Yeah, and after that, like I said, I'll have a whole month to just be your mommy," Fuuka said with a smile. "But then I'll have to go back to school at the end of August, and I'll graduate in March. So it'll be a while yet...I'm sorry."

"But after she graduates, she's your mommy all day every day from now on," Koiwai said, smiling.

"So you can put up with me having to go to school for a little while longer, ne Yotsuba-chan?"

"If I gotta," Yotsuba pouted. Then she tilted her head. "But you're gonna sleep with me an' Touchan from now on, right?"

"That's right," Fuuka said. "I'll always be here when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. I'll be the one to make your breakfast, and I'll be the one to make your dinner, too."

"Most of the time, anyway," Koiwai said. "After all, I still need to do my fair share of the work."

"So Touchan's still gonna make dinner sometimes?" Yotsuba asked.

"Yeah, I'll still make dinner sometimes."

"Good, because Touchan's curry is the best!" Yotsuba said. "And the sausage bowls, too!"

"Sausage bowls?" Fuuka asked.

"I'll make it tomorrow," Koiwai replied.

"Finish up your dinner, Yotsuba-chan," Fuuka said. "I still gotta give you a bath before bed."

* * * * *

The futons were spread out adjacent to each other; Fuuka yawned hugely as she shuffled into the bedroom, dressed in her pajamas, carrying a similarly-attired Yotsuba.

"We're all gonna sleep together?" Yotsuba asked.

"We are," Fuuka replied around a yawn. "But for right now, Kaachan and Touchan are sleeping in separate futons, so you'll have to decide which one of us you want to sleep with."

"Kaachan!" Yotsuba declared. "I'm gonna sleep with Kaachan tonight!"

Fuuka smiled. "Okay, sweetie, you can sleep with me tonight." She hugged the little girl tightly, then set about bedding down for the night.

When Koiwai came to bed, Fuuka and Yotsuba were already sound asleep. He smiled at them, then laid down on his own futon.

*This may really work out just fine after all...*

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Author's Notes

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Since 9/26/12