So, What Now, Genius?!
Ordeal 1: Ooops…
By Zenithos
Notes on resent absence and this new story:
Many Apologies everyone, especially to those of you waiting for updates (even more especially to those of you who've GIVEN UP waiting for updates) to my stories. A lot of things have been happening lately. And I mean LOTS. To the point where the time to write is just NON-EXISTENT. This particular story was written earlier this year, around January (I think...it's been so long) and it's been up on TFF for a while.
Again, my apologies for my long absence. Hopefully I'll be able to begin writing again soon. If I can't, then my apologies in advance. Your patience is much appreciated.
Btw, I have another new Love Hina fic (YES! yet another new one Shrinks under angry glares) titled 'Fornication Under Consent of King'. It's less of an angst drama and more of a romance comedy (or at least what I think counts as comedy...which isn't much XD). Feel free to look it up if you fancy another...well...harem-ish fic. XD.
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Now, where to start?
Perhaps a comment on the environment will do?
Nothing fancy to report, really. Birds sang in the trees, bees buzzed in the blossom. The sky was hazy, though, and thunderheads on the horizon threatened rain later. But for now, the air was lukewarm, yet heavy. Summer had dragged itself a little far this year, such that the heat now mingled with telltales of autumn breezes.
Hinata Sou itself was rather quiet amidst what was perhaps the last of the late chicada songs. Now this in itself is rather unusual. This being the start to a story about the Hinata Sou, one would expect a few explosions, maybe battle cries (female oriented ones, normally), perhaps even the usual manager flying out through a roof accompanied by a salvo of fireworks (a real tourist attraction unique to Kanagawa)….
Not today though….
In fact it was….
There was the sound of somebody unloading, rather ungracefully, all the contents of (for the sake of clear-flowing narration, let's say it's someone of the female persuasion) her entire digestive tract in one gut wrenching hurl….
Ok, that's something. Let's start with the morning sickness, shall we?
Normally, some sort of prelude would be in order. But for now, let's say the happenings of the past few weeks could all be summarized in one explicative, 'ooops'.
"Uhhh…." The Hinata Sou's quietest tenant moaned quietly as she gently wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her cabot 13 routine anorak. A pale, fraught face peered back out of the mirror in front of her. She barely recognized herself. A few tears brimmed at the edges of her eyes as she contemplated all the possible repercussions of her plight.
What's worse, Haruka-san was already showing signs of suspicion. She probably knew already….
"Sempai, what am I to do?" She clutched her head and sunk to the edge of the sink.
Suicide was an option…at least it would mean less trouble for her sempai…
She peeked back up over the sink and into her reflection. But could she manage something that….horrific?
She sighed and chuckled lightly, gently drying her tears with her shivering hands. She knew it wasn't possible. No, she didn't have the nerve.
Besides, she can't take the young life she was now carrying with her. No. It deserved a chance. There was only one option left. She sunk lower and started sobbing.
She would have to leave her sempai….
She would have to leave the Hinata Sou….
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"Damn it….damn it….DAMN IT!" The Hinata Sou's resident drunkard cursed as she threw yet another liquor bottle at the wall, causing it to burst into a shower of shimmering white shards over her coffee table, on which lay a variety of pregnancy testers. She wobbled a bit before succumbing to her dizziness and nausea and slumping backwards onto her sofa "Damn it…." She groaned weakly, slapping a hand over her eyes.
"If you're so desperate to prove you exist, bring it on!" The lean-on atheist screamed up at the ceiling, before breaking down into sobs. "….I can't…I just can't…not alone, not like this…." She leaned forwards and cradled her head in her arms. "No…."
She hated being sober. It was like staring into hell with her eyes taped open.
But why hadn't she just drunk? The room was filled to the bursting with all her favourite booze. Why though, hasn't she just topper herself up to escape her misery?
Hey, maybe if she drank enough she could 'drown' the 'problem' and her case would be solved in a snap.
No. She hugged her knees and sobbed into her jeans. No. She can't do that. That was the reason she couldn't take a sip of alcohol in the first place. She slammed her head repeatedly into her thighs, each time cursing herself for even being capable of such a thought. Even the idea of having an abortion had occurred to her.
How much lower could she fall?
Besides, it was alcohol that had started all…this….
And Haruka had just recently explicitly asked her to cut back on the alcohol…even to the point of banning it outright. Why the older Urashima had made such a strange rule eluded….wait….
Haruka knows….
The revelation hit her like an express train, there to finish the job where the mobsters hadn't. She was finished, utterly and completely.
One….just one! It was just the one night she had carelessly forgotten to use protection….why, oh why?!
And how on earth did she get that drunk in the first place?!
Oh well, the past is past. What now?
She knew there were aids out there for single mothers. Perhaps it was time for her to move on from this stationary point in her life. She had been planning to go out and do something worthwhile with her life anyway. All she needed was the incentive.
Heck, what an incentive…
She sighed, wiping aside her tears before slapping herself in the face. Yes, there was plenty she could do.
Now what about the deed-doer?
…This would make a rather nice source of blackmail. She could even take it to court and demand compensation and support! YES!
No. Mitsune chuckled to herself and sighed. No. The boy had enough problems in his life as it is. Besides, it wasn't his fault, she understood that.
If anything, it was hers.
Though at the moment she'd give anything just to give him one last punch, just one.
She turned around and looked over her room. "Might as well get started….this stuff isn't going to pack itself…" She smiled a rather sad, yet optimistic smile as she cracked her knuckles.
Now…where to start?
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"Keitaro?" A rather annoyed voice called out to him. "Keitaro…?" a hand waved right in front of his face, barely brushing his nose. Then there was a brief silent before the voice repeated, just a little louder, "KEITARO!"
"Huh? What?" Keitaro half-gasped as he was roughly snapped out of his reverie. "Oh, s-sorry, N-Narusegawa." He stuttered nervously, just barely stopping himself from falling backwards from the shock with the support of one hand.
"Keitaro, you've been zoning out a tad bit more often of late." The bespectacled brunette remarked, sitting back down before her textbooks. "It's no good. The exams are coming soon. We can't afford to lose focus at critical times like these." She warned, pushing up her glasses up the bridge of her nose in her usual superior way. "Isn't that right, Mutsumi-san?" She looked around at the Okinawan lady sitting beside her in the kotatsu. "Mutsumi-san?"
Naru can't help but sigh and shake her head in frustration as she realized that the Okinawan, though present in body, was perhaps no longer present in spirit. "Mutsumi-san, do you need CPR?"
Otohime Mutsumi's face was a glazed mask wearing her trademark perpetually cheerful expression. Naru had a feeling that one flick would cause it to crack and shatter into a shower of cheap porcelain bits. She drew a few short breaths before inhaling deeply. "OTOHIME MUTSUMI!"
Naru can't help but feel as if she had achieved a rather miraculous feat of necromancy as life slowly flooded back into the Okinawan's face. She frowned slightly, though still smiling, as if trying to process the rather loud voice that had just assaulted her eardrums.
The thought process finally ended with a rather quiet "Ara?"
Keitaro did his best to hide behind his textbooks. There was no way in the world he could look into Mutsumi's eyes. No, he can't. He just can't.
Not after….what happened….
"You know….is it just me, or has everyone been acting rather weird, lately? Ever since I came back…." Naru paused, scanning the faces of her two companions.
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Keitaro almost choked. Thankfully, a sneeze came on at the exact time, disguising any give-aways.
"Not to mention my little sister went home early too…and she had sworn that she wouldn't go home until she had successfully dragged me along with her…" Naru continued, swinging her pencil about between her fingers. This time, Keitaro somehow coughed and sneezed at the same time…the effects of which was not at all pleasant. "That's just not like her…Not to mention Nyamo and Sarah suddenly disappeared while I was away too. I thought they said they'll be staying around until Seta came back for the winter break."
Keitaro gagged, choked, coughed, and sneezed simultaneously, creating an uncomfortable, if not positively painful sound effect.
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Mutsumi, meanwhile, looked as oblivious as ever. For all intents and purposes, she might as well be vegetating.
Naru, still suspicious over the lack of any signs, probed on. "….there's been a….tension in the air around here. Everyone's been…..well….nice…." She couldn't find a better word for it, even with her Toudai entrance level Japanese literature vocabulary. Everyone had been oh so very polite to one another, especially to her. It was….disturbing….
And that wasn't all. Shinobu had become quieter and more reserved than ever before, not to mention more prone to sudden fits of nerves, as if she wasn't jittery enough. Motoko had gone back to her usual cold-swordswoman self, and would snap at every little bit of annoyance. Kanako had somehow taken to staring wistfully at the sky, ceiling, or just anything qualifying as vaguely upwards, while Suu's hyperactivity has seen a slight yet perceptible decrease, and if that wasn't enough….
…Mitsune STOPPED DRINKING COMPLETELY.
And Mitsune sober was perhaps the most disturbing thing she has ever seen in her life. Mitsune's life has always been all about men like Johnny Walker and Remy Martin. To think that she suddenly dumped them….
…Shinobu might as well pull off a Pablo Francisco impression.
Well, ok, she's seen quite a few things qualifying as mind-racking disturbing, being a tenant at the Hinata Sou, but still, this takes the cake.
"Well…" Keitaro coughed, racking his brains for a diplomatic answer. "Well, I guess everyone's just a bit exhausted after that trip to the beach." He somehow found his shoulders and shrugged, mostly for effect. There was a rather perceptible creak in his over-tense muscles, however. Did she hear it?
"Hmmm….ok…." Naru nodded, still eyeing the two suspiciously. Silence filled the warm room once again.
"Ara, excuse me." Mutsumi suddenly said, standing up before stumbling out of the room in a hurry.
"Hey, idiot…" Naru turned on Keitaro as the door gently slid shut behind Mutsumi. "Are you honestly saying nothing's going on?" The rapid, distancing footfalls from the corridor outside was all that filled the moment's silence that followed before Keitaro finally replied.
"N-no, Narusegawa-san." Keitaro said, rather nervously, without looking up from his textbooks. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Naru's eyebrows rise skeptically. "I-I mean, yes! Seriously, there's nothing to worry about. Everyone's just a little tired."
"Hmmm…." Naru's eyes narrowed down on Keitaro for a few tense seconds. To Keitaro, they felt like an eternity under an inquisition. Finally, Naru sighed and settled down. "Well, ok, perhaps it's just me being paranoid." She decided, though her gaze still lingered on Keitaro.
Keitaro couldn't help but gulp ever so quietly. He couldn't help but wonder just how much longer he'll have the luxury of having a neck to gulp with.
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"Araaa…." The Okinawan half-gasped, half-sighed, as she looked down at her slowly calming reflection in the toilet bowl. She couldn't deny it any longer. The signs were obvious.
No, she hadn't eaten too many watermelons, that's for sure.
A few tears welled up at the tips of her eyes as she slowly lifted herself back up. It was overwhelming….that unique feeling of motherhood. She gently lowered one quivering, uncertain hand to her abdomen.
Here….
Here she carried….
She gasped, not being able to contain the feeling. It was an indescribable surge of emotions of unimaginable proportions. Each and every time she even thought about it….
She gently petted her currently flat belly, all the while smiling a rather sad smile. This child….will have her as a mother….
And the father…?
She sighed, watching the water gently fill in the bowl. What's done was done.
Well, all that was left for her to do was have a pregnancy tester tell her what she already knew, just to finalize it. Now she had to go find one…
"Ara?" The Okinawan was rather surprised to find one so conveniently ready by the sink. "Ara? Perhaps they grow everywhere, just like watermelons." She decided, slowly reaching out for the clinical white packet….
….before her arm's progress was abruptly interrupted by the sudden opening of the bathroom door.
"I must've left it here. Gotta get it quick…" A quiet, urgent sounding voice said. "Ah…?" A gasp, followed by a rather awkward, rather pregnant (in all respects) pause.
The two women stared at one another for a few moments.
"Calm down Motoko….." The swordswoman said to herself, doing her best to exercise as much calm as she could muster. She took a deep breath as she tried to steady herself. "…besides, she doesn't know what you're here for. For all she knows, you could be here merely to answer to the call of nature. Yes, that's it." Her mind did the mental equivalent of a triumphant punch to the palm. "Now….just slowly say 'I'm sorry, I didn't know you were in here.' And try to avoid noticing the…thing….and….wait, it's too awkward if I don't notice it. Yes! If I do notice it and comment on it, it might clear up a bit of suspicion on my part. Yes! That's it!" Her logic did a number of mental somersaults enough to impress any trapeze artist, even the chimpanzees.
Unfortunately, it caused her to be a tad bit tardy in noticing that Mutsumi's gaze had moved away from her face and was proceeding down her arm towards her unconsciously outstretched hand….
"Ara? Do you want to use this too?" Mutsumi suddenly asked with her usual smile, holding up the small cardboard packet.
Something perceptibly cracked.
And this time, there were no pieces to pick up.
"Ara? Motoko-chan? Why is there a crack down your face?"
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"Must….have….bananaaaaaaaaaaa…." a long, drawled out moan filled the room as the tan-skinned foreigner rolled over in the bough she occupied. "Bananaaaa…" She gulped unsteadily as she reached for a nearby banana.
"Ulp…" She immediately raised a hand to her mouth as the scent of the banana reached her nose. Her stomach boiled. An uneasy rushing sensation ran up her neck, stopping abruptly and uncomfortably at the base of her tongue. For just a moment she half-tasted the fizzy acid of her own stomach that had risen up to the base of her mouth in retaliation to the disgusting smell. In the panic she somehow managed to fall out of the tree, crashing straight into the low shrubbery below.
The very smell of bananas disgusted her this much? What? She gulped, her eyes watering painfully, as she stumbled away from her prized bananas.
"Suu?" She heard a voice say. She looked up, desperate for help. She MUST have her bananas!
It was a grave-looking Haruka. Suu noticed that there was something off about her. A few things, actually.
For one thing, she was missing the usual cancer stick that would normally dangle from her lips. The other thing was, she didn't even smell like tobacco, which meant…
'She suddenly started to hate the taste of cigarettes?' Suu thought, propping herself up by the edge of one of her experiment tables. 'There must be….a logical explanation behind this…' She thought wretchedly as she raised herself to a standing position. 'But…first of all, Suu-chan needs an experimental subject…' She looked up at Haruka. Lock-On…
She noticed Haruka sigh. "You too, huh, Suu?" Haruka asked.
"Yes…Suu-chan can't eat bananas…" She moaned, stumbling towards Haruka. "Have you started to hate the stuff you like too, HarukaHaruka?"
"Sigh…come with me…" Haruka shook her head in exasperation as she took Suu by the hand while reaching into her pockets to bring out a small white cardboard package.
"But…But…my laboratory is over here…" Suu pointed out, too weak to resist Haruka's pull on her arm.
"Oh, and by the way, no more climbing and leaping about for a bit, Suu." Haruka added. "If I find you climbing and leaping out of trees like that again, I'll be sure to clear out your room of all the greenery, is that understood?"
"B-but…HarukaHaruka…" Suu started in protest.
Haruka glared down at her. "Are we clear?"
Something about that look told her that there was absolutely no room for even a simple compromise. She gulped and nodded, before following after her in a sedate pace.
First, no bananas. Now, no climbing and leaping. What was her life coming to?
Quite a lot, actually, as she later found out…
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"Keitaro, what's the meaning of this?!"
When Haruka and Suu reached the living room, they found themselves walking into what looked like a titanic battle of wills.
"I found this letter when I went out to find Shinobu-chan in her room!" Naru shouted, throwing the crumpled piece of paper at Keitaro's confused face. "I knew something was going on! Tell me NOW!" She screamed, pulling Keitaro up by the scruff of his neck.
Correction, it wasn't as much a battle of wills as it was Naru forcing Keitaro to write his will.
"I-I…" Keitaro slumped. "I don't know…" He clutched his hair in a lost manner. "I just don't know anymore…" He shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head.
Haruka let go of Suu to bend down and pick up the letter. Upon unfolding it she found Shinobu's neat handwriting, blotted in places by what she could only guess to be tears.
"Don't look for me, sempai. I'll be fine by myself. You should take care of the others." Haruka read out, slowly. "Signed, Shinobu." She sighed, crumpling the letter up once again with one hand, holding her head in frustration with the other. "Keitaro!"
"H-Haruka-san…" Naru gasped, slowly letting go of Keitaro, causing him to sink to the floor.
"K-Keitaro…" Suu somehow felt a pang of sorts take hold of her heart. As if by instinct, she went forwards and knelt by Keitaro's shuddering figure. A strong convulsion to comfort Keitaro somehow gripped her and she had no reason to resist it. She reached out and pulled Keitaro into a tight embrace. "Keitaro…why?" She murmured, half-asking him why he was crying, half-asking him the reason for this strange feeling she was now experiencing, as she felt the wetness of Keitaro's cheeks against her own.
"Keitaro, this isn't time for tears." Haruka said, towering over him. "You should go out after her."
"But…but…" Keitaro shook his cradled head. "I can't…."
He was once again pulled up by the scruff of the neck, this time by Haruka, who followed it through with a resounding slap to his face. "Shut up, nephew. If I hear you utter the word 'I' one more time, I will personally reduce you to a pulp, is that understood?" She asked, raising up his chin to look straight into his eyes. "This isn't a matter of 'I' anymore. What matters are these girls. Are we clear?"
"Ke-Keitaro…" Suu mumbled, looking up helplessly at Keitaro's dark face.
Another hand came down and picked up the letter Haruka had discarded behind her. The owner of said hand hid behind a wall and read through the short, concise, tear-stained letter.
Mitsune sighed as she crumpled up the letter once more and threw it aside before picking up her suitcase and turning to leave. It wasn't her business anymore, that's for sure. Why should she worry?
"Goodbye, Keitaro, everyone…" She murmured as she lowered the cap she wore.
Shinobu's breath came out in pale white puffs as she looked down the tracks, watching her train round a far off bend on its way towards the deserted station.
She looked around and sighed as she took one last look at the tall hill on the horizon that kept the place she had called home for the past few years. It was certainly beautiful, hugged by the multitude of autumn colours against the pale red autumn sky.
"It's just you and me, huh?" She sighed, gently patting her tummy. In a few months it would bear a full sized baby….his baby…
A tear ran down her cold cheeks as the thought of her beloved sempai floated through her mind. But those are all memories now. Going back was no longer an option. If anything, she would only be a burden to him. Better that she left, really.
She wiped away her tears, picking up her small suitcase as the train slowly pulled into the deserted station. She hadn't brought much with her. She figured that she could have Haruka-san send her stuff for her later on. For now she just had to get away. Away from everyone, away from the Hinata Sou, and away from….
"Now where do you think you're going, young lady?"
Shinobu half-gasped, half-choked, as she turned around in surprise to come face to face with a foxy grin. "Mi-Mitsune-sempai!"
"Well, well," Mitsune chuckled, watching as the train slowly came to a screeching halt. "Aren't you a little too young to be traveling about alone?" She asked, as the doors slowly slid open.
"I-I…" Shinobu looked away, not being able to stare into the older woman's eyes.
"It's all right, I understand." Mitsune smiled, looking forwards at the open doors. "But what you're doing, if anything, would only hurt him more."
Shinobu gasped. "B-but…"
"How do you think he'll feel? He's him, after all." Mitsune chuckled lightly as a light breeze blew through the station. "Stay with him, Shinobu-chan. It's for the best. For the child too." She nodded at Shinobu's tummy, which made Shinobu blush profusely.
"H-How did you…?" Shinobu started, her blush going all the way up to her ears.
"Well, goodbye, Shinobu-chan. Have a good life, ok? Stay with him, at the very least, for the child you bear, and, if possible, for your own happiness." She turned around and gave Shinobu one last grin before stepping through the train's doors.
Shinobu, who had been left shell-shocked on the platform, gasped as the train doors slowly slid shut. "W-wait for me!" She cried, as the signalman blew the whistle, signaling the train's departure. "N-No, Mitsune-sempai!" She cried, as she ran after the slowly departing train. "I-I want to go! Stop the train!"
Mitsune sighed as she watched Shinobu slowly fall behind. "Heh, I say all that, and yet, I…." She looked down at her tummy and smiled sadly. "Gomene…." She closed her eyes as tears slowly started to leak out. "Gomene…"
Shinobu gasped for breath, supporting herself by her knees as she helplessly watched the train pull out of the station. "Please….take me with you…" She murmured as she fell to her knees. "Please…"
A pair of arms reached out from behind her and pulled Shinobu into a tight embrace. She gasped slightly, but found that she had almost no more strength to resist.
"Shinobu-chan…" She heard an uncertain voice murmur. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry. I should've said something earlier. I should've…." The voice faltered. "…I know I've been completely useless….and I've never felt this wretched before, but…please…" The voice shook. "Please, Shinobu-chan, give me a chance…just one more chance…and I swear I'll make you happy." She could hear sobs enter the voice. "We'll be a family, a good one. We'll make it through together…I-I…"
Shinobu felt her cheeks moisten again as she raised a shivering hand to touch the arms folded around her. They were deathly cold. He had ran out without putting on a coat or sweater.
"Sh-Shinobu-chan…I don't know….I…just…please…" He choked. "Please…please…" He repeated over and over, sobbing. "Please…"
Another wind blew through the deserted station as Haruka, Naru, and Suu ran through the ticket counter. This time, it was a warmer one. The three watched the two, kneeling on the platform, Keitaro hugging Shinobu from the back, both overwhelmed by tears.
Naru, who had raised an angry fist, found a hand grasp said fist tightly. She looked up in surprise at Haruka, who gave her a grave stare and shook her head slowly. This was only the beginning, Haruka knew, of a long, arduous journey. But what she saw before her was, at least, a start.
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End - for now. See you next update!