Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina. Shocking, isn't it?
a/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I do intend to update at least once a month, but real life might get in the way. All I can say is that I'll do my best to keep the story moving.
Enjoy!
a/n 2: I made a few changes, primarily in setting up scene breaks and making slight changes to Motoko's character. More changes may come later, but I don't have thew time right now.
Chapter 1: The Way Things Are
Keitaro, sighing loudly, flopped down onto his futon, exhausted by the days work. It had been five days since he became dorm manager, and he could barely move. The girls have been throwing jobs at him, left and right. This was bad enough, but when he suggested that the girls pitch in around the dorm two days ago, they had announced that if he couldn't do the work, he would have to leave. Later, when he spoke to his aunt, she told him that they had always worked around the dorms before, and he should only have to do important jobs, like emergency repair. She then admitted that the girls weren't pleased by his sudden status as manager after the hot springs incident. Her advice was to give them some time to adjust, then make them start working again.
Keitaro had simply smiled at that. On the off chance they do get used to him being around, he would never be willing to risk breaking whatever peace that may bring to try throwing his weight around. He'd never survive it if they decided that he was being unfair and had to go.
Trying to relax, he opened his eyes and glanced around his room. It was a regular dorm room, the same type that the girls inhabited. They wouldn't let him take granny Hina's room, although that was alright, since he didn't want it. His few possessions included a suitcase full of clothes, some study material, as well as table, bookshelf, and the futon he was laying on.
Eventually his gaze stopped on the hole in the ceiling, and he cringed inwardly. Of all the rooms it could have led to, it had to be hers...
(Five Days Earlier)
"What?" Three pairs of voices call out, completely and totally shocked.
"According to this fax, Urashima Keitaro is now the manager of Hinata Sou," Haruka said, and hoped that this was a joke, but knew also that the family head would not mess around about such a thing. "I will see to filling out the necessary paperwork, and you will then have to go about introducing yourself to your tenants."
Haruka tried to drag her stunned nephew, still wearing only the towel around his waist, away from the girls, to show him to his new room, so he could get dressed and she could retrieve the required paperwork and having him sign it. Regardless of her thoughts on the issue, she had to obey the family head, even if she suspected that she had gone mad.
"Th-this is a joke, right?" Naru sputtered. She was to shocked to be angry, but that would soon change.
"No, Naru, it's not a joke. Look for yourself," She held the fax out to Naru, but the girl didn't move to take it, so Haruka handed it instead to Motoko, who quickly scanned the paper and before giving it back.
To say Mokoto was torn would be an understatement. On one hand, she was perfectly willing to let him stay a while, albeit a short while under close supervision, but she also felt he couldn't live here. It would be highly inappropriate to say the least, and her distrust of men, although lessened after her time here, was still strong enough to voice its opinion.
The male is untrustworthy, and dangerous. Who's to say he didn't arrange all of this? This cannot happen. After a quick glance at Keitaro, she could tell he didn't set this up or expect it. This was all just a coincidence. He is just as surprised as us. We should give him a chance, and he doesn't seem like the dangerous type. Just... unfortunate. Remember what sister said, do not jump to conclusions.
"Aunt Haruka," He slipped and said it, but she ignored it. "What do you mean, um, this can't..."
"Who sent the fax?" Naru cut in, not shouting yet, but undoubtedly getting close to that point again.
"Granny Hina," Haruka replied, then back to her nephew. "What were you saying?"
"Why am I supposed to be the manager of a all girls dorm. This doesn't seem... I don't know, um, normal," Keitaro managed to make his point.
"Yeah, that can't be allowed! Its a 'male prohibited' dorm, the points lost if this baka's living here!" Naru regained some of here composure, and was picking up steam. "Whether or not Granny Hina want's him here is besides the point! There is no way it's allowed!"
"Listen, Naru, I understand your feelings here, but the fact is, like it or not, he is the new manager of Hinata sou. Kei, I know you don't like it any more than her, but its the will of the family head, and there's no point in arguing it. At least make an attempt. And if you stay, you'll be close to Toudai. The other option is leave and go home," Haruka nailed in the last point.
"But you said I could stay until I can get settled in elsewhere!" Keitaro panicked at the idea of having to return home barely a day after being kicked out.
She handed him the fax, and after a minute, he looked up, shocked.
"If I refuse, I have to leave immediately? Aun-Haruka, did you know this would happen? Is that why you made the offer?" Keitaro was hurt that his family would play him like that.
"No, it's not like that, Kei. I promise, I didn't know this would happen. Granny was always able to predict situations, and I guess she hit spot on. Keitaro, I'm sorry, but you've got to make your choice now," Haruka looked sorry, but the choice remained.
The question hung in the air, and the moment lasted longer than it had any right to. Naru tried to take advantage of the silence to put in her two cents. Again.
"I..." Was all she got out.
"Aunt Haruka,"SLAP, "I'll take the job!" With that, Keitaro sealed his fate.
The following seconds were heavy, and far more tense than Keitaro hoped it would be.
Urashima Haruka was caught off guard by how forceful her nephew reacted, and realized that Hina might not be as insane as originally thought. If this pulls him out of his shell, and helps him with his problems with women, than this might be a good thing.
Aoyama Mokoto was having a similar mental battle as earlier, her harsh, resentful side damning the world for the situation at hand. This is a unimaginable, terrible situation, and cannot be permitted to come to pass. Drive the male off now, before it is to late! Her more reasonable side retorted. He is merely following the orders of the head off his family, and doing what he can to achieve his goal of attending Toudai. If he were to do something, why did he not attempt to force himself on Narusegwa? If he did, she would have said. I see now what sister wanted me to know. Maybe with him here, I can come to terms with things.
Narusegwa Naru was livid. She was so enraged by how brazen this man was that she couldn't form any words. Her thoughts were a horrifying jumble of hate and violence, spinning rapidly out of control, threatening to burst into flames at the drop of a hat, and are best not examined.
Keitaro felt the tension rising with each passing second, like the feeling of dread that the condemned must feel as they gradually approach the rope or chair, and prayed for something to break the mood.
Suddenly, nature itself responded, and Keitaro was forcibly reminded of his state of dress. The wind howled by, the wind-chimes almost laughing in their cheerful way at Keitaro in his predicament, furiously trying to clutch the towel to his waist.
Haruka, seeing his distress, was pulled from her thoughts. She quickly waved Keitaro inside, and led him down the stairs, to show him to his room, and allow him to dress.
(Managers Room, A Short time Later)
After Keitaro was dressed and settled in the room he was shown to, Keitaro sighed, and tried to figure out how to introduce himself to the girls after their earlier misunderstanding. Until Haruka had the paperwork ready, he could hid out in his room, and he intended to use every second he could to prepare himself. Based on the only two tenants of the dorm he knew of, he had mixed feelings. That Naru chick scared him, mostly because of her obvious hatred of him, but he was even more wary of the one with the other one. She was attacking one moment, and willing to allow him to live there the next. She was unpredictable, and that was more dangerous than Naru. Plus, she had a sword, and had no qualms about
using it.
Bored, he glanced around the room, wanting to occupy his mind on something else, his gaze fell on the roof. More specifically on the hole. This place is falling apart, Keitaro thought to himself as he got up. Might as well inspect the damage if I'm the manager. Pushing the table directly under the hole, he climbed up and pushed the bit of loose plywood out of the way. If Keitaro had examined the floor plan given to him by Haruka, what happened next could have been avoided. As any cat would be willing to tell you, curiosity is a dangerous friend to have.
Unknown to Keitaro, at this very moment Naru was changing out her wet clothing. When she caught Keitaro in the springs, she had no time to dry before hastily throwing on her clothes in the effort to catch him. At the very moment that Keitaro was trying to see where the hole in his roof led, Naru was pulling on her underwear. It is worth mentioning that Keitaro's room was on the second floor, and Naru's on the third.
THUD! Surprised, Naru turned to see liddo-kun, a precious childhood toy, tipped over, and worse, the head of HIM peeking out of the hole in the floor that liddo-kun had been covering. They stared at each other for a moment before realizing that her chest was completely bare. Naru, temporarily to embarrassed to move against her new mortal enemy, drew her arms over her breasts in hopes that he was to shocked to realize they were momentarily uncovered. Keitaro, however, saw more than enough to induce a catastrophic nosebleed with enough force to cause him to launch backwards, threw the hole and into the wall behind him. Momentarily stunned by the force of impact, he couldn't move.
Naru, moment of shock over, tossed on a t-shirt and dropped down into Keitaro's room, landing gracefully. She cracked her knuckles and approached the semiconscious man laying on the floor, murderous intent obvious. Keitaro prayed that Haruka would arrive in time to save him, but felt himself lifted of the ground by his collar before the thought even formed. Naru stared into his clouded eyes before stating coldly, "This isn't even half of what you deserve, pervert."
Naru, confident that her point was made, let loose with a attack that would come to be known as a 'Naru Punch'. She struck him with enough force to send him through his window, and several miles into the nearby forest. With a disgusted sigh, she realized that some of the blood that had stained his shirt had gotten on her hand when she pulled him to his feet. Turning to go to the washroom, she saw Haruka standing the doorway. Seeing the blood, ruined window and look on Narus face, she had a pretty good idea of what happened. Damn Kei's bad luck.
"Don't say it, I don't have time right now," Haruka told Naru before the younger woman even opened her mouth. Turning back the way she had come, Haruka went to attempt to locate her nephew.
(Approximately Two-thousand Feet In The Air)
The view was actually rather nice. Unfortunately, Keitaro was travelling way to fast to really take in the sights. And, admittedly, he had other, more pressing concerns: where he was going to land, how he would find his way back, and Naru's parting words. Shit, I'm in serious trouble. What should I do. The obvious idea of giving Naru the boot never crossed his mind; it had been her home, and he was the intruder. He couldn't punish her, or her housemates, no matter what they did to him. Besides, he could take whatever they could throw at him, with the possible exception of that one girls sword. I don't know their names or anything about them, and 'she' is probably turning them all against me at this moment.
He was so distracted by his thoughts that he almost failed to notice that he was nearing the ground, and he prayed for a clear spot to land in. Of course, he saw the perfect spot, but passed just over it and slammed into a tree, head first. Even his 'immortality' was insufficient to prevent him from passing out on impact.
(Back At Hinata Sou)
Motoko, indecisive about the new manager, and since she was interrupted earlier, was going to meditate and make up her mind on what to do. Just as earlier, she was sitting outside, and calming her mind, when there was a resounding crash. Opening her eyes, irritated, she saw what looked like the new manager airborne, and based on the trajectory, there was really no question as to what happened.
Climbing to her feet, the kendoist started walking in the direction that the hapless Urashima had been travelling moments before. I had best find him before he gets lost, or he will have to spend the night on the woods. Of course, if he did something to deserve this, he will wish I never found him.
(At The Crash Site)
About three quarters of an hour had passed when Keitaro awoke dazed, confused and in pain. Forcing his eyes open, he took in his surroundings, and realized that there were several problems: firstly, where was he? Second, where are his glasses? Third, how... nope, I can cross that one off. Her. The first was pressing, and the second important, but fortunately his eyesight wasn't terrible, and after a moment, believed he had located them, although he was in a fair bit of pain, and as if yet, unwilling to move to retrieve them. Or for any other reason, really.
After checking for any gashes or severe bruising and finding none, he forced himself to sit, pressing his back against the tree he assaulted not so long ago. Fortunately, the tree held no grudge, and he sat semi-not-quite-comfortably for a short while in peace. When he felt he was well enough to move, he stood, again with the aid of the tree, and went to see if his earlier discovery was indeed his glasses. Finding his eye-wear intact aside from being bent a little, he realized that he was still no closer to solving problem number one.
"Urashima," Startled beyond words, Keitaro flung around, nearly falling in the process, and stared at the one who had addressed him. It was sword girl.
"Who-where-when... you...how did you find me?" Regaining some of his composure.
"I saw your rather obvious mode of travelling, and followed the direction you went. I assumed that you would be unable to alter your course, and that you would stay where you landed for a short while at the least," She looked him over. "It would seem that you are no worse for the wear, and for that you should be very thankful. Somehow, you avoided any injury."
"Well, thank you for looking for me. I'm sorry for any trouble I caused," Keitaro smiled a bit, trying to look as grateful as he felt.
"No, Urashima, I apologize for my earlier behaviour and for wishing you harm. I was in the wrong, and could have severely injured you, and there was no justification," She got on her knee's and bowed, touching her head to the ground. "Please forgive me for my trespasses."
"I-well...that is to say...I forgive you, please...please get up," Keitaro was perplexed, and nervously waved at her to get up, which she proceeded to do.
She dusted off her training garb, and turned to the business at hand. "Why did Narusegwa send you on your impromptu trip?"
Unsure of what exactly to say, he carefully tried to arrange his words so not to restore the pervert status he had recently both gained and lost. "When I arrived in my room, I noticed a hole in the ceiling, and decided to examine to determine the extent of the damages. Her room is above mine. She was changing at the time," Keitaro prayed his explanation was satisfactory.
"Did you know?" The girl asked, narrowing her eyes.
"No, I didn't know it was her room, or that she was changing," Keitaro hastily told her. The look in her eyes was darker than her hair.
"Are you lying to me, Urashima?" She coldly queried.
"No, nonono, I'm telling the truth! Please believe me," Keitaro was panicking, realizing that if she did something, something final, there were good odds that no one would ever know. It was obvious that she was aware of this as well. He dropped to his knees, holding her gaze. "I promise I'm not lying," He clasped his hands together, and waited.
"You had better learn to be more careful around Narusegwa. Your aunt and myself won't be able to prevent this from happening if we aren't around," With that, she turned. "Urashima, stop cowering. I will not harm you. Now come, I wish to make it back before dark."
"O-okay, sorry," He apologized, hoping that he hadn't somehow offended the girl. He then realized something. "Um, if you don't mind my asking, what's your name?"
"Aoyama Motoko," She stated without turning, and without waiting for a response, she started walking.
Keitaro quickly caught up and slowed his pace to walk beside her. "Alright, Motoko-san, my name is Urashima Keitaro, although you may have known this already," He added, jokingly.
"I did indeed know know this already, Urashima."
"You can call me Keitaro, you know. I won't mind," Keitaro hoped to break the obvious tension.
"I would prefer not to do so, if that is acceptable," Motoko quickened her pace, her mind rebelling against having small-talk with a male. In truth, however, a small part of her enjoyed the company, something that would no doubt be impossible two weeks earlier.
Sensing her discomfort, Keitaro slowed so he would be about two steps behind her, and waited for her to decide if she wanted to talk to him. They continued in silence for a time, when they heard a voice calling out
"Keitaro, if you can hear this, follow the sound of my voice!"
Without a doubt, it was Haruka. I guess she didn't know Motoko came to find me.
"Aunt Haruka, I'm here with Motoko-san! I'm fine!"
Thank god, I guess he's okay. Haruka smiled.
After a moment, Mokoto followed closely by Keitaro came into her sight. Still wearing her smile, she approached her nephew, and without warning slapped him.
"How many times do I have to say it? Drop the aunt thing!" Dropping her mock anger, she embraced her nephew. "Thank god you safe. And thank you, Motoko. I'd of never found him on my own."
"Think nothing of it. If all is well here, I would like to return so I can get at least some training done today," She looked at Haruka.
"Yes, we're fine. We'll call you later when Kei makes his introduction."
"I will be there," she promised, and turned, leaving very quickly.
"Well, Kei, lets head back. You've got to sign the form, or it's not official," Haruka turned business-like.
"Speaking of that, where is it now?"
"I left it in your room. When I saw the mess I didn't have time to put it anywhere else."
"Well, lets go and deal with the signing, then," Keitaro was still nervous, but accepted his choice. "How long 'till were back?"
"At this pace, half hour likely. At Motoko's speed, about two and a half minutes. Which do you prefer?" Haruka teased.
"This will do, we have time," Keitaro sighed. "What have I gotten myself into this time?" The question was rhetorical, but Haruka answered anyways.
"A whole mess of trouble, and speaking of trouble, what happened with Naru?"
"Did you know about the hole in my ceiling? It leads to her room. Trouble is, I wasn't aware of that little fact. You can probably draw your own conclusions from this information yourself."
"Oh, so that's why. Listen,Keitaro, you have to be careful around Naru. She's dangerous. She won't ask for explanations; she'll just assume the worst and act accordingly. It's a miracle that you came out of this unscathed, and you can't always count on luck to save you. Tread carefully around Naru," She looked carefully at Keitaro, until he nodded his understanding.
"I figured out that she's trouble from earlier, but thanks for the warning, even if it's a tad late. Now, I have to ask. Are all my new tenants like her?" Keitaro looked nervous at the prospect of dealing with a house full of Naru's.
"Well, Naru and Motoko are the only ones who might get violent, but judging by the fact that your alive, and that she hasn't made any dramatic changes to your anatomy, Motoko is probably safe. The others, well, they won't beat on you, but they will give you trouble. Some more that others."
Keitaro didn't like how vague she was being, but figured he would know the extent of the trouble soon enough. He wasn't looking forward to it. Not looking forward to it at all.
(Hinata Sou, Interior)
Narusegwa Naru was washing her hands, satisfied that the pervert was gone. On the off chance he did find his way back here, there was no way he would be willing to stay. After his intrusion and well deserved punishment, she had expected Haruka to chew her out. When she didn't, Naru felt sure that even 'his' aunt believed her now. After washing the blood off of her hands, she went up the stairs and down the hall, shortly arriving at her door. Upon entering her room, she saw her best friend standing there.
"Well, well, Naru, looks like something happened. Was there a second pervert hiding in your room, or did the floor just tick you off?" Kitsune looked at her friend. "Your not very subtle when your mad, Naru."
"Same pervert as before. Had the gall to spy on me while I was changing," She smiled. "He won't be a problem anymore."
"You chased him off? Awww, he was kinda cute, too. Ah,well, you do burn through guys pretty fast," Kitsune played her one of her favourite games, a game she called 'freak out Naru'.
"You can have him if you really want, Kitsune. He's all yours," Naru refused to be baited, she was in a what was approaching a good mood, and didn't want that to be undone. "Check the woods, I distinctly remember him flying in that direction."
"Nahhh, man no money mean no sake Kitsune. There's plenty of rich guys out there, don't want to get tied down. And speaking of money..." The real reason she wanted to talk to her friend was obvious.
"No more loans until you pay back what you already owe me," Naru was used to these situations.
"But I got a good tip on the horses, I can win big and pay back everything I owe!" The conversation progressed as usual.
"What about your last few big tips, huh? As I recall, you've only won anything twice, and they were pretty pathetic amounts which you immediately wasted on cheap sake and more bets. No more loans. Try and sell a story. Do some honest work."
"Hey, being a freelance writer isn't easy, you know? It's so hard to get anyone to buy my work."
"Maybe if you weren't trying to sell the same few features that were old news when you wrote 'em last year, you'd have some success getting someone to look at your work!" Naru was frustrated with her friend. "You have to write new stories, and only on recent or significant events."
"Hey, you can't judge me! My life ain't easy, y'know. I just need a loan, what, you don't trust me? Is that it? Tired of havin' old Kitsune hangin' around? Want me to go? That it?" Kitsune sounded hurt, but Naru had known her long enough to have heard this same thing, time and time again.
"Kit, we've been through this before. Just drop the act, 'kay? You know I can't afford to give you any more loans. You know that. How much do you owe me again, anyways? Mabye I should start charging interest? Sound like a good idea?" At this point, Kitsune usually throws in the towel, but always comes back. Without fail, she will be back.
Staying true to her nature, she left the room, favouring Naru with one last hurt look, before exiting into the hallway. She really needs to grow up, Naru thought, not for the first time, and likely nowhere near the last. The irony Gods laughed manically at the, well you know.
Sitting down on the floor, she sighed. Why does she always do that. Shit, this is always so stressful.
Looking at he futon, Naru decided to sleep until dinner. It's not like I can study like this. A quick nap will help my nerves.
(Meanwhile...)
Returning to the Sou, Keitaro and his aunt proceeded to his room, to sign the paperwork and be done with it. Fortunately, no one was around, allowing Keitaro to have a few more minutes of peace before what he anticipated to be one of the most awkward situations in his life, below only the hot spring and Naru's room incidents. Climbing the stairs, the pair approached his new room, and what awaited inside. Haruka, seeing Keitaro hesitate, took charge, opening the room, and shot him a look that told him to get in there. Hesitantly, he stepped forward, and once past the doorway, Haruka followed him in.
Approaching the piece of paper on the table as one would approach a poisonous snake, Keitaro very slowly settled onto the floor. Handing him a pen, Haruka looked sympathetic. You can do it Kei. Stop worrying, I'll help you deal with Naru. Sign it.
Keitaro, looking at the form, hesitated for a brief moment, and, steeling himself, put the pen to paper, and signed.
"Well done," Haruka said, proud. "Lets go meet the rest of your tenants."
"Alright," Keitaro looked a little drained, but the near-fearful expression from moments ago was gone.
Refusing Haruka's offer to help him up, Keitaro stood using the table for support. Grabbing the paper that announced him to be the manager of the Sou, he handed it to Haruka for safekeeping and to show the girls when he introduced himself to prove his title. Exiting the room, the pair went down the stairs, and to the TV room. Keitaro sat in a chair. Haruka then shouted;
"Everyone downstairs, now!"
Approximately one ten-thousandth of a second later, a blur launched, seemingly out of nowhere, into the room. The form, humanoid but to fast to really see, flung itself at Haruka, and stopped about a third of an inch in front of her.
"What'cha need, Haruka? Dinner ready?" The figure was a dark skinned foreign looking girl, blond, couldn't be older than twelve, maybe thirteen. Shockingly, Haruka didn't even flinch at the girls very sudden appearance.
"I'll tell you whats going on when everyone else gets here. Sit down," Haruka gestured towards one of the couches.
"Ok-hey, it's the weird towel guy!" With that, she lunged at Keitaro, and sent him tumbling out of the chair. Shaking his head, he felt her sitting on his chest. "What'r you doin', towel guy? Did'ja come to play?"
"Please get off," Keitaro was nervous about what Naru would think to see him in this situation.
"But Haruka told me to sit. I'm just doin' what she said. Right, Haruka?" The girl seemed to truly think she was sitting in an appropriate spot.
"Try the couch."
"'kay," The foreigner sprung off of his chest, and landed on the couch she was directed to.
Winded, Keitaro lay flat out for a moment before picking himself up, righting the fallen chair, and sitting back down.
A new voice called out, from what Keitaro assumed was the kitchen. "What do you need, Haruka-sama? I'm cooking, here."
"Come to the living room, Shinobu-chan. This should only take ten minutes," Haruka informed the girl.
About a minute later, a young girl, younger than the foreigner at least, walked into the room. She wore a apron over her clothes and had short deep blue, almost violet, hair. She immediately saw Keitaro, and froze, remembering him from earlier. She looked at Haruka, who gave her a 'it's okay' look, then looked at the tanned girl on the couch, who was smiling ear-to-ear and and flailing her arms in what was hopefully a wave; the only other possibility was that she was having some sort of seizure.
"Shinobu, sit here, over here!"
Looking sheepishly at Keitaro, she went to sit with her friend.
"Haruka-sama, Um...who is h-he?" She was nervous, but that was to be expected.
"When everyone gets here, I'll tell you."
The next girl to enter the room was older than the other two, likely around his age, maybe a little older. She had fairly short, dirty-blonde hair, and, if Keitaro wasn't mistaken, she was one of his pursuers earlier. As had Shinobu, she spotted Keitaro as she entered.
"Well, well, looks like you survived Naru. That don't happen a lot, sugah. Maybe you would be a bit of a catch, after all," she seemed to be talking to herself at the end, but everyone except the foreigner caught what she said. The girl/woman realized what she said. "whoops, just thinkin' aloud." She and Keitaro chuckled nervously.
"Have a seat, Mitsune, we'll begin when the others arrive."
Sprawling out on the nearest couch, She glanced at Keitaro. Before he leaves, I have to tease him a bit. He looks like an easy target.
The next person to walk in was a Motoko, her long, black hair flowing behind her as she moved.
"Urashima, it is good to see you haven't attracted the ire or Narusegwa again. One foray into the woods is enough for one day. Would you agree?" The kendoist almost smiled, but not quite.
"Yes, I agree wholeheartedly. And thank you again," Keitaro replied, with a small smile.
"Have a seat, Motoko. When Naru arrives, we can begin."
The kendoist went and sat down besides the foreigner and Shinobu, since it was the only place left to sit, as Mitsune had claimed the other couch. Haruka was losing patience with the only person yet to arrive.
"Narusegwa, get down here! Right now!"
About three minutes later, Naru stepped down the stairs. Fortunately, she had the foresight to put on some sweat-pants, as she hadn't bothered to finish changing earlier. Still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she failed to notice Keitaro sitting in the room. The girl, her long honey coloured hair still a mess from being asleep, approached Haruka. "Listen, if it's about what happened to your pervert nephew, save it. He had it coming," Still completely oblivious to said 'pervert's' presence in the room.
"This is regarding him, but not about your assault on him," Haruka wanted to see how long it would take for Naru to notice Keitaro.
"Then what do you want, I have to study and... YOU!" To her credit, Naru finally noticed Keitaro. To Keitaro's credit, he didn't run away.
"Hello," Keitaro nervously greeted her.
"Haven't learned our lesson yet, have we?" Naru took a step in his direction, but Haruka blocked her advance.
"Naru, calm down. We've got more pressing issues that your temper."
"Fine, but if he does one more perverted things, he's gonna die. Now, what do you want."
"Well, Naru, you and Motoko both know what this is about," Haruka told her, then turned to face everyone. "I'll get straight to the point. Urashima Keitaro is the new manager of Hinata Sou," She pointed at her nephew. "Keitaro, are you going to say a few words?"
He stood. "Well, hi everyone. I hope that we can overlook the incident from earlier, and I'll do my best as the manager here. If you don't mind, can I ask your names?"
"I'm Kaolla Su!" The foreigner announced, much louder than necessary.
"Konno Mitsune, call me Kitsune," The oldest girl informed him.
"Aoyama Motoko, if you recall."
"Kaolla Su!" Su reminded him
"M-ma-maehara S-shinobu," The youngest girl shyly said.
"Narusegwa Naru," Naru was unhappy, but went along with everyone else.
"Does anyone have any questions they want to ask?" Keitaro felt he was obligated to ask, but doubted he could answer many questions with his nerves as they were.
"Why are you the manager? You hardly seem, uh, qualified, if you don't mind me sayin', sugah," Kitsune asked the question on everyone's mind.
"Granny Hina Made me manager. I'm not sure how she knew I was here, but she does have a frightening ability to predict events."
"Oh, oh, pick me, pick me!" Su waved her arm around in the air. Keitaro nodded to her. "What's a manager? Do ya get food for bein' one? Can I be Manager next? Please?"
"Umm, well, the manager has to do a lot of work, like repair and balancing the budget. I get food and a place to stay, but it's really hard work and you're to young to be one," Keitaro struggled to answer this one, as he wasn't expecting it.
"What's budget? Does it taste good? Can we have some for dinner?" After Su said this, Keitaro decided he never wanted to answer any of her questions ever again
"Anyone else?" Keitaro scanned the room. "No? Then if you need me, I'm going to my room to unpack."
"Alright, then. I'll be at the tea house if you need me," Haruka went to the front door. "Call me if there's any trouble," Then she opened the door and left. Everyone except for Naru and Su knew she was saying that to Keitaro; Naru figured she meant that if the pervert did anything, to call her so she could get rid of him, whilst Su was to busy trying to remember if she had ever eaten budget before to even realize Haruka had said anything.
"Well then, I guess..."
"Wait a sec, mister dorm manager. Your responsibilities include maintenance and cleaning, yeah? Well, you should really start by sweeping the the upstairs hallways. Get a jump on things, don'tcha think? Prove you can be a decent manager," Kitsune told him, mainly because sweeping was her job to do that day, and she had put it off in hopes that no one would notice. Might as well get some work out of him before Naru drives him to quit.
"Er, well, that's not exactly..."
"Great, I knew you'd do it. Thanks, sugah," With that, Kitsune left, going to her room to double-check to see if there was any sake she had missed earlier.
Crap, Keitaro thought. Have to put of unpacking, but maybe I can get some studying in later.
Naru saw an opportunity. "Oh, and while were mentioning jobs around the dorm..."
(Several Busy Hours Later)
The past few hours were a blur, finishing one task, only to have someone completely undo it and force him to redo it, or throw another task at him.It didn't take long for Keitaro to figure out what was going on, but he had to prove he was competent. Still, it did suck to clean a row of windows, only to have Su, resident mad scientist, shoot a bazooka full of bananas at them. When dinner finally came around, he was exhausted and starving. However, upon reaching the table, Narusegwa presented him with some instant ramen and sent him on his way. Returning to his room to eat, Keitaro saw that his window was still destroyed.
I have to fix that soon, I guess tomorrow, as it's way to late tonight to get supplies. If they gave me some time today, I could have finished repairing it by now.
Sitting at his table, Keitaro quickly consumed his meal, plagued by the incredible scents coming from downstairs. I suppose that I should have expected this. Of course they want nothing to do with me. Hell, look how I first met them. God, I doubt I'll last a week if they keep this up. Well, might as well get a bit of studying done before they decide to give me more work to do.
Ruffling through his suitcase, he found one of his Toudai study guides and got to work. He had struggled through a few questions, undoubtedly getting them wrong, when he heard a curt knock on his door.
"Urashima, are you in there?" The voice sounded like Motoko's.
"Yeah, come in," Looking up from his work, he saw her enter, and she was carrying a plate of rice and veggies.
"Urashima, I noticed that you were chased from the table earlier, and since you have been working these past hours, I felt you deserved something better than instant ramen," She offered the plate.
"Thank you, Motoko-san. I wasn't expecting any kindness from any of you, so... well, this means a lot to me," He took the plate and picked up the chopsticks, preparing to dig in.
"You are quite welcome. And not everyone is against you, so to speak. Narusegwa doesn't like you because of earlier, and refuses to think that you may be innocent, and Kitsune just wants free labour out of you. Su treats everyone like that, it's just how she is; she thinks it's all just a game. Shinobu-chan is nervous because your new, and she's been listening to Narusegwa rant of your supposed perversion all the time you were working. Narusegwa is the only one really against you, and only becuase she does not know you. If you give her time, she will learn to accept you, provided you can avoid any more accidents," Motoko informed him.
"Oh, well, thanks. It's good to know not everyone is out to get me," Keitaro was relieved.
"I will let you eat in peace," She turned to leave. Being alone with a male was a new experience, and she had no intention of prolonging it, lest her weakness in this situation be discovered.
"You can stay if you like, it won't bother me. I could use the company. Only if you want though, if you don't want to, I understand."
"Well, I do not know how pleasant my company will be, but if you wish it then I will stay," she sat on the other side of the table.
The pair sat in silence as Keitaro ate. After about a minute, Kei, desperate to dispel the tension, asked:
"So how long have you been living here?"
"Two years," She simply said.
With that, the awkward silence reigned loomed again. Motoko decided to take charge of the conversation.
"If what I heard earlier is correct, you are trying for Toudai, correct?"
"Yes, but this is my third attempt, so I'm not sure if I'll get in this year. I mean, I'm gonna try my best, but I'm not great in most of the subjects."
"Not to appear rude by asking, but if you struggle so much, why are you attempting Toudai when there are other schools you could try for?" She was rather curious, but nervous that he may be insulted by the question.
"To put it simply, a promise made fifteen years ago," Keitaro expression was dreamlike. "I promised that whatever happened, we would meet again at Toudai. I intend to keep my promise."
Motoko was shocked by how serious he was being. Fifteen year old promise, and he still is trying to fulfil it? This male is...different than most, even I can tell that.
Keitaro remembered where he was and whom he was talking to, and blushed, looking at Motoko. "Sorry, you probably think I'm pretty strange now, huh?"
"Not at all. Actually, I respect your determination, for what it's worth. Keep trying, and your perseverance will pay off," She smiled, just a little, but smiled none the less.
Finished his meal, Keitaro stood up, smiling himself. "Thanks for the food and the company, Motoko-san. This helped a lot."
Standing up herself, Motoko replied. "It was no trouble at all. If Narusegwa is acting the same tomorrow, I will save you some again, if you wish."
"If you could, that would be great. Thank you Motoko-san," Walking to the door, he let her go first, then exited himself to bring his plate down to the kitchen. Still smiling, he thought to himself, Maybe life here won't be so bad.
(Present time)
Pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door, Keitaro stood, stretched, then approached the door to open it.
"Come in, Motok-eh?" Opening the door expecting the kendoist, only to see none other than Narusegwa Naru. A slightly confused Narusegwa Naru.
"Why would you expect Motoko?" Anger replaced confusion. "What were you going to do to her, you pervert?"
"Naru, let me explain," Keitaro pleaded.
"No, I see what's going on here. No explanation needed," She cracked her knuckles. "I don't think I hit you far enough last time for the lesson to sink in. I'll try harder this time."
The irrational girl approached the cowering man, and formed a fist, preparing to start her attack. Suddenly, the sound of steel sliding across wood filled the room, and a katana blade suddenly appeared beside Naru's arm. Naru flinched away, and the blades wielder stepped between the pair.
"On what grounds do you issue this beating? From what I heard, you have no real reason at all," The would-be assailant and victim were shocked.
"What do you mean? He thought that you were coming to his room, so he had to have been planning something. Point that sword away. Please?" Naru couldn't comprehend what was happening.
"That's odd, because since he has arrived here, I have come to his room on numerous occasions and nothing has happened," Her voice was as steady as the hand that held her katana, blade pointed at Naru's head.
"He must be lulling you into a false sense of security so he could jump you when your unprepared."
"And how did you reach that conclusion?"
"Well... he's a pervert. What other possibility could there be?" Keitaro, unwilling to speak up, as that would probably drive Naru over the edge, remained silent. Naru continued. "anyways, why have you been coming to his room?"
"I fail to see how that is your business, but if you must know, I have been bringing him food, as you refuse to allow him to eat with us at meal times."
"Why the hell would you do that?"
"Why, you ask? This should be obvious. You, and everyone else, dump your workloads on him, and refuse to properly feed him. Well, no, that is not entirely true. The others are willing to let him eat with us, and only you keep pushing the issue."
"That's because. He. Is. A. Pervert!" She emphasized the last bit, thinking that it would make the fact clear to Motoko.
"You keep saying this, but have no proof of his so-called perversion. Admit it, you just don't like him because he embarrassed you," This hit home for Naru, and she decided she was done arguing with the stubborn Samurai.
"How blind can you be, Motoko? Now, get that goddamn sword out of my face. I'm leaving."
"I am not the blind one. If you wish to leave, do so. I am not blocking your way; the door is behind you." She kept the blade where it was.
Muttering curses and threats under her breath, the girl turned and left the room. When the door slammed shut, Motoko sheathed her blade, then turned to face Keitaro, who had stood forgotten through most of the fight. I wish that I could have avoided that, but I doubt anything else could get through to her as efficiently. Still, I must apologize later. She thought she was protecting me. Honour can be a burden at times.
"You were lucky I came along when I did, Urashima. That won't always be the case. You need to learn to fight, or at least to defend yourself properly."
"What are you proposing?" Keitaro didn't want to fight, but being able to avoid or block Naru's attacks sounded like a good plan.
"I am offering to train you, Urashima. Do you accept?"
Well, what did you think? Let me know with a review
I've already have the ending planed out, but have no set amount of chapters in mind. I'll just keep working and see how fast things progress.
I'll update when I can
Later
-The Hendog