A/N1: Itazura na Kiss? Yeah, still not mine.

A/N2: So, one of my readers requested a Kinnosuke/Chris story. Honestly, the idea would never have crossed my mind and, to tell the truth, didn't particularly appeal to me. Plus, I didn't know how many others would want to read it, but I opened a document and began to jot down ideas anyway. After awhile I thought about trying a double first-person format; that actually made me a little interested, in addition to providing a writing challenge. I've made a few minor changes to canon, but I hope you still enjoy it.

Kinnosuke

I cried at her wedding.

I'll fight anyone who says that makes me sound weak. But the truth is, I had loved Kotoko for so long… All the way through high school. Man, those were the days. Always a fun time in class, except when tests rolled around.

That's when I should have had my first clue that things weren't going to go my way. I mean, the signs were there before, with her stupid crush on that egghead, but it was really clear when she did so well on the midterms.

Turned out that asshole Irie had tutored her to the bottom of the top 100. But since he ignored her again after that, I figured it was okay. I'd just have to wait for Kotoko to get over him.

Of course, nothing went right. Things actually got worse.

We—that is, me and my posse, Gintaro and Dozo—found out that she was living with him. Living with him! I warned him off right then and there, but he sneered at me. That bastard. I should've known.

Then on Class F's day to shine, Sports Day, she got injured and he carried her to the infirmary. Damn it, he's the one who fell on her! I should've been the one to treat her wounds, with maybe a little kiss over the bandage—who knows? It could've happened...

And then the son of a bitch tutored the entire class so they all, except me, were accepted to college. I almost—almost!—regretted being so stubborn about not accepting his help.

But then I realized that there was more than one way to skin a cat, so I managed to get myself apprenticed to her father, a master chef of traditional Japanese cuisine. With my experience at our family takoyaki stand in Osaka, I was able to impress him enough to get my foot in the door. You see, I figured that once Irie was off to the elite college, Kotoko would get used to seeing me every day, working alongside her dad, and she'd realize that her Prince Charming had been at her side all along. Not even in disguise, if I have to say so myself.

Then disaster struck again (I mean, how many pieces of bad luck can one person attract?), and Irie decided to go to the elevator school instead of Tokyo University. Man, if I had those brains… Well, I'm not sure what I'd do, since I don't have them, but anyway, he was still going to be nearby, interfering in my plans.

Even my wonderful 'graduation kiss' strategy went down the toilet when the damn Class A nerds ended up at the same karaoke place as us. Just when I was supposed to serenade her socks off, she disappeared for some reason. So did that bastard. I still think something happened then, but no one's ever told me for sure.

But, hey! I wasn't about to let him have his way with her at the same college. Using my job at her dad's restaurant as a reference, I managed to get hired on at the school cafeteria so I could watch over things. And believe me, I did my darnedest, even guarding her in the one class she had with him. Not that I really needed to be there, with that evil viper of a woman that was all over Irie. My sweet Kotoko would've had no chance against her if they'd actually gone head-to-head.

Well, anyway, they had their ups and downs. Sometimes it seemed like they had separated for good and I'd celebrate like I'd won the lottery, and then they'd drift back together. There was no rhyme or reason to it, from my point of view.

My big break came when Mr. Irie (you understand, I have nothing against him, except that he has two nasty sons) had his attack and the super-genius had to drop out of college and take over the family business. Yeah, Irie, see how it feels not to graduate. Oh, wait, you have a family firm to fall back on. Some guys have all the luck. I mean, the business wasn't doing that well, but lo and behold, here comes this rich old dude that says, 'Here's all the money you need, just marry my granddaughter.' And the cold-blooded freak agrees!

Poor Kotoko was just devastated, since she had spent five years in love with him, so it was lucky that I had been loyal. Thanks to the support of her friends, Satomi and Jinko, she went out with me a couple of times. It was great fun and I thought, Wow, things are finally looking up. I started seeing stars and hearing wedding bells, and I couldn't help myself from proposing to her.

Yeah, she looked surprised but since we'd had such a good time, I figured it wouldn't be long before she said yes. I guess I got too impatient, because I pressed her a little then tried to give her a kiss—just a kiss, nothing more, I swear!—and then, flash! she was gone.

I planned to give her a few days to cool down and then I'd grovel some and we'd get back on track, but the next thing I knew the word was out all over campus that they were engaged! I mean, whatever happened to one girl at a time? And that rich broad's grandfather even let the firm keep the money!

So, yeah, I lost the girl. But I did warn him that if he ever—ever!—made her cry that I would make him sorry! Of course, him being an asshole and all, he does it anyway but for some reason she still goes back to him. But I give it only a couple of years before she comes to her senses.

Meanwhile, my heart still pounds when I think of her. I'm pretty sure I'll always love Kotoko.

Yeah, right now it sucks to be me.

Christine

People think that money will solve all their problems. I could go on for days about how untrue that statement is.

Of course, some people would look at me in my family's country home of sixteen bedrooms (most of them suites) and say that I'm a hypocrite, but in actuality, I have little freedom.

I'm practically in prison. I'm told where to go to school, and I'm not just talking about book knowledge school. I have had nannies, which led to governesses, which led to boarding school, which led to finishing school… Not to mention all the extra tutoring on how close one should allow your dance partner to hold you to which set of silver goes with which set of china to what minor members of the royal family we are supposed to be nice to on any given day. Why couldn't I have been raised in France, where Maman's from, so all I'd have to do is dress chicly and remember who the Prime Minister's current mistress is?

Excuse me. I got a little off-track. Let me paint some background.

Daddy is a non-titled offshoot of some distant Royal Bastard. (Quite literally, I assure you.) Our family had the immense good sense to invest wisely and our "Lord" and "Lady" cousins view our bank balance with more than a bit of jealousy. They love to look down their long noses at us but only when Daddy isn't watching. Apparently he holds the mortgages on some of their properties, and, well, you don't insult the banker.

I mentioned their noses. Mine isn't long, thanks to genetics and not plastic surgery. (Unlike at least a dozen in my finishing school class that I could rat out to the paparazzi for extra spending money.) No, a little over twenty years ago Daddy became smitten with a smoulderingly beautiful French actress and courted her madly. Marie de Villiers was her name, and when she reciprocated, they made it a grande passion in the tabloids. She loved him even better when she found out that, despite the resemblance, he was NOT the Prince of Wales. She is still a little flippant towards the Queen's children in private, but in public, well, she shows how brilliant an actress she is.

The publicity over her and Daddy's love affair and marriage (and subsequent arrival of me, a seven-pound five-month baby) propelled her into the range of most desired woman in Europe. A few films later, Hollywood took notice. Lately she only drops in a few times a year, showing up with her 'entourage', most especially Vladimir and Nikolai, her two Russian bodyguards.

Even though I don't see her a lot when she visits (due to her and Daddy having their 'lovey-dovey time'), it's always enjoyable then. That's because I can borrow Vladimir and Nikolai when she's on our secure estate and go out and do what I want to do. Mind you, while the rest of the year I'm 'protected', it's always "Mr. Robins says this" and "Mr. Robins says that". Bor-ing!

Anyway, I guess Daddy got tired over the years about the long noses and decided that his little girl (that's me, remember) was going to be a lady. In exchange for a large debt being removed, the Honourable Albert Ponsonby, eldest son of Viscount Malmsbury, would take me for his blushing bride.

You have got to be kidding me.

Now, Albert says all the right things, and for some reason People Magazine included him in their 100 Most Handsome Men issue, but frankly, he leaves me cold. His kind of looks really just doesn't appeal to me. They don't make men as handsome as Daddy anymore, I guess, but I'm not ready quite yet to lower my standards.

Well, much as I love him (and as much as he says he loves me), Daddy went ahead and announced the engagement to the press. I was in a panic, because the more people know about something, the harder it is to get out of it.

Luckily Maman was between films, and she said that she would help me escape and wanted to know where I'd prefer to lay low. (That was a little joke of hers; ever since I inherited Great-Grandmama's Asian porcelain collection five years ago I have been fascinated with Japan and its culture.) She quickly got me a ticket and pulled some strings to enroll me in a fairly obscure college in Tokyo. I packed all I needed in just a couple suitcases, and Nikolai flew over to escort me to Heathrow and accompany me to my destination. I didn't take an easy breath until the Caspian Sea was behind us.

Anyway, I have a cute little flat, I think they call it a 1LDK. Maman figured that if Daddy tracked me to Japan, he'd look first in the big hotels that he uses for his business trips. Tomorrow I will try the public transportation and check out my new campus.

My Japanese adventure beckons!