A/N: I do not own Itazura na Kiss.

He had fallen in love the moment he glimpsed her at the opening of school assembly. Seated among the incoming freshmen, his tie askew and jacket unbuttoned, he had unconsciously straightened his back and squared his shoulders when she marched onto the stage with the other welcoming speakers.

Aihara Kotoko had the top grades in the incoming freshman class, and her well-composed speech included words completely unfamiliar to him. The distance between the rarefied air of Class A and his assigned Class F could just as well have been the Sea of Japan instead of two halls and a breezeway.

Not that that made him lose hope. For the next two years, Irie Naoki studied as best he could, trying to ascend in class rank. As predicted by his friends, Sat-kun and Jin-kun, it was useless. "Pigs will fly before that happens" was one of the nicer ways they put it.

Nevertheless, he thought that if he could at least catch her attention, he might have a chance. He spent hours composing a letter that told of his admiration for her looks and intelligence and subtly (he hoped) hinted for a closer relationship.

It was all for naught. When he proffered it the next morning, she blinked at him and said, "I don't want it." As she turned away and proceeded to class, the words echoed in his mind.

I don't want it. I don't want it. I don't want it. I don't want…

He sat straight up in bed, bathed in cold sweat and breathing hard. Almost afraid to look, he turned his head. His wife lay sleeping beside him, her slight snore breaking the 3:00 a.m. quiet of the Irie house. Yes, his wife, the terror of Tonan Hospital whenever she showed up with a needle. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, Kotoko, for being so stubborn."

"Mmm?" She stirred in her slumber. "Irie-kun, I love you," she murmured.

"Me too," he whispered as he settled back for—hopefully—a calmer dream.

A/N: So this little Naoki nightmare popped into my head while I was waiting for my Patagonian dish at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed my "Steak with Chimichurri Sauce".