"How many seconds in eternity?" Keitaro asks himself quietly as he looks up at the stars from his window. His fingers trace over the many wounds and scars he conceals from the Hinata demons. He was a victim of their abuse, and they took advantage his kindness; the only one exempt being Shinobu, the small blue haired goddess he viewed like a second sister. His one saving grace in this hell his spiteful grandmother placed him in.

[Flashback: A month ago...]

Keitaro met with his sister Kanako in a small cafe outside the Hinata district for a private talk about the family's Inn/Dorm. The dorm being overrun by feminazi-type women with hateful views of all men. He was tired of it, and tired of granny Hina siding with the girls. "She won't let me evict them unless I have solid evidence that the girls are hurting me. Please, help me Kana-chan. I need you now more than ever. Granny cares more about a stupid promise than my safety. This is getting out of hand, and it feels like she's willing to allow the girls to kill me." at this, Keitaro started to cry. "I do my best to make them happy, and all I get in return is abuse."

Att the sight of her crying brother, and seeing his makeup fade from his face, she noted the many bruises and scars hidden underneath his concealer. How he survived the onslaught of terror the girls at the dorm put him through was beyond her comprehension. "Don't worry bro. I promise you, things will change. First, however, you need to give up on Narusegawa. she's toxic. She's literally beating you to death. This isn't a relationship anymore. she's making you her punching bag." she gave him a warm hug to reassure him, and gave him the bet smile she could. "We will make things right. Once Narusegawa is gone, the others will stop."

[Falshback: End.]

He laid down on his futon and tried to think of peaceful thoughts. however, his mind was a tempest of emotions. Hate, anger, grief, love, turmoil, regret. He looked to the hole separating his room, and Naru Narusegawa's. "This will be over soon..." he told himself with a resolute smile.

He picked up his tools, and began his work on filling in the hole between the floors, but not before using sandpaper to brush away the jagged edges of the floorboards to make way for the new fitting.

When Naru came into her room and saw Keitaro sanding away the jagged edges, she huffed before kicking him in the face, knocking him back into his own room below hers. "And stay out!" she screamed at him before placing a large wooden board over the hole.

"How many seconds in eternity? And the shepherd's boy says..." he mumbles before passing out.

In the morning, he requests the assistance of Motoko to keep him company as he does his task. "Motoko, I'm going to be doing something important today. I'm sealing the hole between mine and Narusegawa's rooms. This way, she cannot claim me to be perverted. I assume you agree?" she nods quietly, a small smile on her face. "Then please, hold me at sword-point so I do not falter in my task. I need to see this through." his request somewhat shocks her, but she agrees to help him in any way she can.

From a few feet away, Shinobu hears this but feels some pride swelling in her chest. "Senpai... So brave..." she whispers to herself before giggling quietly, Suu nor Sarah really understanding.

"How many seconds in eternity? And the shepherd's boy says, there's this mountain of pure diamond." Keitaro recites aloud whilst hammering the nails in place to push the new board over the hole between his and Naru's rooms. Motoko did not understand and decided to enquire.

"What? What are you talking about, Urashima?" Motoko asked with burning curiosity.

"The key to freedom, Motoko-san." he mused. "Just listen, and allow your mind to comprehend."

"Now... where was I? Oh, yes..." he began. "How many seconds in eternity? And the shepherd's boy says, there's this mountain of pure diamond. It takes an hour to climb it, and an hour to go around it! Every hundred years, a little bird comes and sharpens its beak on the diamond mountain." with each word, his mind began to wander along with Motoko's. His work seeming easier to complete. "And when the entire mountain is chiselled away, the first second of eternity will have passed!" he shouted, jolting Motoko upright as he banged another few nails into the board.

Motoko looked at him curiously before giving him a small smile and a nod to show her understanding. Once Keitaro takes note of her understanding, he finishes the last few nails with a small musing. "You must think that's a hell of a long time, Personally, I think that's a hell of a bird." At this, Motoko giggled, catching Keitaro off guard slightly.

He wobbled a bit on his stepladder before re-balancing himself and placing sealing glue around the board's outline. "It's all about working to free yourself from your own hell," Keitaro told her before brushing himself off and stepping down from his stepladder and hugging Motoko. "Thank you for helping me see more clearly, Motoko-san." she left the room with a very heavy blush on her cheeks. 'I never expected him to be so... Manly.' she thought to herself as her giggles continued.

[A few hours later...]

When Naru arrived in her room to rest, she moved the sliding board she had on the floor to cover the hole but had noticed the hole was finally filled in. At this, she screamed out. "Ah, so you noticed," Motoko spoke to Naru "Urashima wanted to stop your accusations of his peeping, so he sealed the hole between your rooms. There is another reason, but I think you should speak to him yourself about it." With this, Motoko made her way outside for fresh air, but not before observing what was to come next.

Naru raced down the stairs and barged into Keitaro's room. "What the hell? Why seal the damn hole?!" Naru screeched as she glared holes into Keitaro.

Keitaro sat up from lying down on his futon and gave her an apologetic look. "I'm truly sorry, Narusegaawa-san. I'm tired of the abuse. I cannot love someone who always hits me. I'm really sorry, but things are over between us." he spoke with authority, but she could see the tears beneath his bangs.

She walked up to him and slapped him to the ground before running out.

"How many seconds in eternity?" he mused again. "Well, I think my eternity has finally passed," he said with a sad smile. He was finally free of his abusive relationship.