Up till now, the series has been about Kotoko pursuing Irie (or I guess I should really start calling him Naoki now, since Kokoto now has the same last name and things might get Confusing, but it’s ingrained in my head), but now, of course, that she has him in the dreaded bond of wedlock, the previously complacent Irie (who has stated that he accepts Kotoko’s love as a given) now finds himself with a potential rival–the same situation that Kotoko was in for, oh, the first half of the series. Not necessarily because I hate “nice guys”–I like to fancy that I am a “nice guy,” even though I probably am not–or that I think bastards are cool–becasue they aren’t–but because it all seems to be the Next Step in the evolution of Irie. Yes, I am calling the “nice guy” a bastard, and the actual bastard (who I have also called a bastard at certain points in time because he’s so wonderfully bastardly) is the one I am rooting for. Needless to say, I am not very relaxed and calm now, because Keita is a bastard.
Four years later it is clear that Kotoko and Kotomi are rivals for Irie's love.This has been a hilarious rollercoaster of an evening–first I wrestle with my sound card drivers for entirely too long only to discover that the problem that was bugging me was that my headphones were plugged in, and then, to chill out and relax and forget that computers are made of pure Satan, I enacted my original plan to catch up on the woefully negelected Itazura na Kiss. They have a baby girl and call her Kotomi. Irie has no option but to operate and that's when Kotoko gives birth, with Irie missing it. She has been coughing up blood due to her illness. Kotoko, Irie and Oba-san are at the vending machines at the hospital when Matsumoto is rushed in with Sudou.
One month later Kotoko persuades Irie to go to pregnancy classes with Kin and Chris. It turns out she was exerting herself too much during pregnancy. He is running through to the hospital where Kotoko is, all of the family is there. Irie is then seen writing when his mobile phone starts ringing. As she is walking up the steps from the subway she collapses at the top not feeling well, she is spotted and then an ambulance is called, Kotoko is unconscious. Kotoko is on the subway where she thinks that she feels a bit light-headed. Later on, her friends from work go home and leave Kotoko to walk home with Irie but he informs her that he will be working late that evening as he wants to do more of his thesis.
She refuses quickly, stating that she wants to work as much as possible and goes to see Irie. The next day, Kotoko and her friends are discussing when Kotoko is going to take maternal leave. She doesn't tell Irie about this because she doesn't want to disturb him while he's writing his thesis. She later doesn't feel good and thinks it is because of the iron tablets she's been taking to replenish her blood. Kotoko, after coming back home, tells Irie about the news. She later on goes to see Kin and finds out that Chris is 3 months pregnant. Kotoko is messing around with her C-cup breasts.