Volume
19:
Kotoko's mother's death anniversary is coming and Naoki wanted to go with Kotoko and her father to the grave side for a visit. Kotoko and her father were very reluctant to let Naoki go with them and tried to persuade him otherwise to no avail. As it turned out they were embarrassed about their extended family who actually held some sort of procession to welcome them, or rather Naoki into the family. ;;^^
Naoki actually got on very well with Kotoko's family who were actually VERY impressed with Naoki. :) Naoki also found out a lot of things about Kotoko's mother and Kotoko actually found out things about her mother that her father had supposedly told her..;;^^ As it turned out her mother was actually very much like Kotoko and her father only passed on the story as her mother had told him...;;^^
While Naoki and Kotoko's father spoke about her late one night, we find out how Kotoko's father and mother met and how he fell in love with her. Quite sweet actually...he met her when he was working in a restaurant when he was 20 and she 19. She hadn't eaten for 3 days so he cooked for her and eversince then, she always turned up in front of him. One day he fell ill and she went to his house to cook for him but the cooking was terrible and he decided then that he wanted her to eat only delicious food. :)
Kotoko, who overheard the conversation realised that she doesn't know her mother very well and as she is falling asleep, she thought about how it was Naoki who talked and thought about her...As Kotoko sleeps, Naoki stroked her hair and looked at her sleeping form....
The next day when they visited the grave, Kotoko's extended family followed in a procession annoying and embarrassing Kotoko. She told them to go away and they went away. Naoki tells Kotoko that actually her relatives are like her and that he actually likes them. He then tells her that she can ask them along and Kotoko is touched...:)
During the visit, as Naoki prayed, Kotoko introduced Naoki to her mother by saying, "Okaasan, this is Irie-kun." She then went on to say, "He came specially to see you, isn't he a great person?" and "He is the person I love very much."
As they leave the tomb, Kotoko asks Naoki what he said to her mother and he told her it's a secret. But as Kotoko and Naoki walked away, Kotoko's mother said, "Please take care of Kotoko."
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Kotoko bumped into Konomi, who still likes Yuki. Kotoko decides to help Konomi win Yuki over. She made Yuki tutor Konomi for the exams so that Yuki and Konomi can go into the same high school. Yuki was angry and annoyed about the whole matter but because even Naoki told him to tutor Konomi, he reluctantly agree. After everything is settled, Naoki mumbled that Kotoko is just like Mama...;;^^
As Yuki tutors Konomi, Kotoko and Mama would peep into the room, looking at the "progress", with a camera of course...;;^^
On the 31st Dec, Konomi is late and Yuki is angry but he was shocked to see her in a kimono. As it turns out, the Irie family is having a new year party. The theme: Spending new year with the person you like....to Yuki's horror. He got paired up with Konomi. During the games, Yuki's team kept losing to Kotoko's team. He took over from Konomi and Naoki left in the middle of the game to answer a phone call and Kotoko panicked. By teh time Naoki came back, Kotoko lost and Yuki won.
Mama tries to get Yuki to kiss Konomi and he got really angry, saying things that hurts Konomi's feeling. She left and Yuki felt bad... He went after her. They talked and he asked if she really wants to get to the same school with him. She said she really wants to. He said then said, "Go for it."
Unknown to them, Kotoko is filming the whole "make up". ;;^^ She was so engrossed in the whole thing that she actually missed new year and missed her "new year kiss" with Naoki. Naoki tries to kiss her but she wailed it's not the same....
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Konomi is still being tutored by Yuki and she also developed a bond with Chibi. On the day of the crucial exams, Yuki was thinking about Konomi's reaction if she does well and started whistling in class, to his embarrassment. But to his shock and anger, he saw that Konomi was late for the exams.
After the exams, he asked her why she was late and she told him it was because she overslept. Yuki gets really angry and insulted her. Kotoko who happened to be in the school, scolds Yuki but Yuki just walks off. Konomi cries...
The family remarks that Yuki seems troubled. Naoki noticed that Chibi is injured and when he asked Mama about it, she said that she didn't know who helped Chibi to the hospital and home.
Meanwhile, Yuki is more buggered about Konomi than he appears to be....
Kotoko goes to see Konomi who seems to have given up...
While out walking Chibi, Kotoko and Yuki met this guy who was actually the doctor who treated Chibi when he was injured. He revealed that the person who brought Chibi to the hospital when he was knocked down by a car on the same day of the exams was a junior high school girl. It was Konomi.
Yuki was shocked and ran to Konomi's house to find out the truth. He asked her why she would sacrifice her future for Chibi and she told him it was because Yuki loves Chibi very much. She told him that she got into a girl's high school etc...Yuki suddenly hugs her. Yuki apologises and they decide that both of them would study hard to get into the same university.
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Naoki has successfully completed his studies and now he has to do his internship. To Kotoko's shock he decided not to do it with Tonan University Hospital. He decided to go to a hospital in Kobe. To her further shock, Naoki decided to move to Kobe as it was very far from where they are living. Kotoko babbled about coming with him when he told her to stay and he will go alone. Kotoko and Mama are very angry and upset. Kotoko asked Naoki if he ever thought of her when making the decision. That night Kotoko refuses to eat dinner and stayed in their room...
That night, Naoki spoke with Kotoko's father. He told Kotoko's father that maybe it's better to bring Kotoko with him despite how he's not sure if he can take care of her and he wants her to realise her dream of being a nurse etc... He then told Kotoko's father that Kotoko has no idea how much he loves her... Unknown to them, Kotoko was listening outside the door.
On graduation day, as Naoki gave his speech, Kotoko thinks back on their romance and she decides that no matter what happen, nothing would change. She would still love him.
After the ceremony, Kotoko was in a classroom, when she suddenly shouts, "Irie-kun!!!!!". Naoki appeared suddenly, asking why she's yelling so loudly. As Naoki decides to tell her that he wants to bring her with him, she interupts and told him that after one more year she will definitely be a nurse. By then, she would join him. So she told him to wait for her. He cannot be unfaithful, must not be angry if she calls him everyday and every day-off he gets, he must look for her... Naoki leans in and kisses her.
Kotoko told him someone is coming as Naoki hugs her. He said, "It's okay, let them see." then kisses her again.
When Naoki left for the Kobe, Kotoko cries in the train depot. As the train left, Kotoko and Naoki resolved to do their best...
-Jennifer
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This page was up since: Tuesday, 30 November 1999
All images from the manga Itazurana Kiss is copyright of Tada Kaoru. The floral background is a scan from a fabric and is copyright of the designer. The florals on buttons are taken from stickers that I have and they are also copyrights of the designer. I just modified them and have done so with no intention of earning any profits from them. Other images on this page, unless stated otherwise, are made by me and thus belongs to me, so please don't take them without my permission as I want to keep this page as original as possible. This page is best viewed in 1024x768 resolution and IE.6 or higher.
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