AN: Sorry. I uploaded a day later than planned. I will try not to repeat it.

A thanks to all of those who favorited, followed and reviewed. For the prologue of under 5,000 words, that was a surprise. You guys and gals are awesome.

Nothing else to say. Again, any mistakes you spot with the writting feel free to bring up. Without further ado, the chapter.

Disclaimer: You ALL know what this is. I don't see why write it everytime I make a chapter.


Chapter 1: Rendezvous

October 19th, 1998

Shinobu was pleased to learn that, upon waking up this time around, she wasn't victim of an agonizing headache. The fact that she seemed to be upon a soft bed only lifted her spirits even further, so she was sure that once she opened her eyes the bluenette would be inside her room, having woken up from just some silly nightmare.

Needless to say, that's not what happened. As a plus though, a hospital wasn't all that bad.

"W-wha…where…?" That was all she could bring herself to say. Her throat was dry, and the confusion made her incapable of forming full sentences.

She heard some surprised gasps, and turned her gaze from the hospital's ceiling and towards the group of people inside the room with her. Kitsune reached the bedside first. "Hey there hun, how are you feeling?" The committed drunk rarely used such a soft voice, which told Shinobu that no, she wasn't asleep when the fainting thing happened.

The rest of the girls remained silent in order to hear her reply; all but Su, who was mid-way of launching herself upon the cook with a "Shinobuuuuu~" but had been intercepted by Motoko, who now held her by her shirt's neck.

"I…I-*cough*" Understanding her unspoken request, Haruka gave her a glass of fresh water which she greedily drank down in big, quick gulps. Feeling her throat well once more, she thanked the older woman before replying. "I am fine, thanks. Um…what exactly happened?" Shinobu now knew something had occurred, but her memories were still a mess and she had no idea what to make from them.

Not to mention that, in all honestly, she didn't feel 'fine' at all. Not bad either, but her body just felt…weird.

"The doctors have no idea, yet." This time, it was Haruka who took the word. "They think it could have been a heat stroke, but they are not sure." Shinobu didn't have to wonder why. She had taken various first-aid courses over her school career and knew the symptoms matched. Problem was, she had no medical record of heat-related attacks and they were in the middle of the fall season; hardly a time to dehydrate.

In hindsight, she must have been quite a medical mystery to the personnel here.

"And so…what now?"

"Well, currently, they can't say there's anything wrong with you. You made a quick…okay, very quick recovery and you seem to be back to normal. But given the sudden nature of whatever attack you suffered they don't want to discharge you just yet." Haruka sighed. "They want you to stay here for observation a couple days, just to make sure you are alright. A week at most."

Shinobu nodded. Her energies were not fully restored yet so she decided to lie back upon the bed and take some time to clear her mind. The girls seemed to have no more idea about what had occurred than Shinobu herself did, so asking them for details was futile. Trying to focus on the memory was no better either; there was so much confusion and contradiction within it, almost as if her own mind was somehow trying to protect Shinobu from it.

She closed her eyes, her frown no doubt convincing her visitors that she still needed to rest. She heard Haruka comment on how they should leave her to rest now, and the girls agree hesitantly.

Motoko and Naru appeared to want to stay longer out of some feeling of protection towards her. That didn't surprise her at all, as it had always been that way between them. It was just so that Shinobu inspired a desire to protect from most people.

Kitsune seemed to be glad she had woken up at all, and even commented how they should start preparing something to welcome her back once Shinobu got discharged. Su was simply being-

"!"

Shinobu, suddenly and breathlessly, bolted up towards a sitting position. Her neck was stiff, her eyes wide, and her body in general was tense like a drawn bow. The girls were startled by her movement, and remained in silent surprise until Haruka once again spoke. "Shi…Shinobu, dear, is everything alright? If you want to, I-"

The bluenette didn't hear the rest of the sentence, unconsciously ignoring everything and everyone to focus solely upon one thing: her friend Kaolla Su, who she just now realized was small enough to be lifted by Motoko by the neck of her shirt.

The girl was no longer being carried, although the kendoka still held unto her to make sure Su didn't tackle Shinobu in her excitement. She was looking at her friend with a curious expression, clearly intrigued as much as the rest by the cook's sudden bolt. Shinobu saw nothing but her foreign friend, taking every grain of brain power she possessed and siccing them upon her figure. Yet, no matter how intently she stared, the Molmolese stared back with that curious gaze of hers.

And no matter how long Shinobu looked at her friend, Su didn't stop looking impossibly, illogically like a prepubescent girl.

As far as she had known, their ages had always matched.

The memories and facts came flooding then like a river breaking through the dam of her mind, no longer halted by a girl's instinctive unwillingness to acknowledge the truth.

The pieces fell into place. The Mecha Seer, and Su's explanation about its functions. The confusion of facts, and Shinobu's inability to construct a sole chronological timeline of the events. Her strange voice, her weird-feeling body, Su's rejuvenated figure and the world's noticeable increase in size.

Everything pointed to a single, logical, yet also illogical and impossible conclusion. And Shinobu had to press a hand against her mouth to stop herself from voicing it.

She faintly registered she was trembling now, eyes no longer looking at anything present. She picked up her legs, curling her small body, mind racing in chaos and panic.

"Shinobu-chan? Shinobu-chan! What's happening!?"

"Her heart-rate is skyrocketing! Motoko, help me ease her down!"

"Right! Shinobu, please calm down and return to rest."

"What is it Shinobu!? Is it pain? Does anything hurt?"

"Naru, go find a nurse!"

"R-right!"

She heard voices and sounds, but her mind didn't register them. Whether they be questions, worried exclamations, or the accelerated beeping of the machine that displayed her heart beats, none got through her shock.

She felt hands touch and hold her, moving her back to lie upon the bed. She didn't resist them, but neither did she comply with them; like a doll, she wouldn't move by herself.

Shinobu couldn't tell what happened then, or how much time passed. Her mind was still in chaos; a scared part of her that refused to accept the situation, a skeptic one that kept insisting on how impossible it all was, and a composed one that calmly told her she already knew the answer. Arguments and prayers alike popped up one after another and all the cook could do was to let them flow on, neither denying nor accepting them.

Something embraced her then, her head now in the motherly cradle of a pair of arms. Shinobu blinked, out of her trance, and looked up to see the uncharacteristically kind smile of Kaolla Su. "Don't worry Shinobu. I told you, didn't I? Everything will turn out alright.~"

Her eyes widened, realizing that her friend-that Kaolla knew. By all means, she shouldn't. But even so, Su knew about her. About what was happening to her. About-…about…

Shinobu's racing thoughts came to a halt then, drowsiness settling in where panic had once reigned. If it was due to mental exhaustion, someone applying anesthesia to her, or Su knocking her out, the cook never knew.

All she could do as she closed her eyes was to keep looking at her still-smiling friend, and the wink she threw at her.

This time around, Shinobu welcomed unconsciousness with open arms.


Her remaining days of medical examination were decisively less eventful than the first one had. Shinobu made sure to keep herself calm and collected after the scene in her first night, where she had almost earned herself additional time inside the hospital. In the end, she managed to convince the girls that she had misinterpreted her situation due to a lack of knowledge on the subject and had come to the mistaken conclusion that her condition was a lot worse than it actually was, panicking as a result.

The nurses were still doubtful about her, though, and had put her through various checkups through the week's remaining days before discharging her. The girls had visited her at times, either alone or as a group, but once she had assured them that there really had been nothing wrong other than a slight overreaction they had moved on to other things, waiting for her return.

Her parents called her, too, putting aside their quarrels to inquire about how their little girl was doing. Shinobu could swear they had been more alarmed at the situation than she had (and she was the one time-travelling), bombarding her with question after question. Was she eating well? Could it be that stress had caused her attack? Was she really alright living by herself? Where was Granny Hina through all this?

And so went on the phone calls for what she felt were hours. In the end, Haruka had contacted Granny and explained to her the situation, asking that she give a call to her parents to soothe their worries. Shinobu never knew what was said then, but her parents kept themselves from ordering her into moving back with one of them and instead had arranged it so that they would be coming over on her birthday next November.

It was all a bit overwhelming for her, though, making her sigh various times a day as she lay in bed. Her parents had not been this attentive…last time around. They had even been too busy to call on her birthday, adding to her depression that day, and had needed a full day before either could realize they had a call and an apology to make.

Of course, Shinobu being herself, all had been forgiven soon and the three had spent an evening together. Now though, she had mixed feeling about the situation. On one hand, she was touched to see her parents really could be as attentive as she wished they always were. On the other, it was a bit sad to know just what it took for them to remember they had a daughter living alone somewhere in the Hinata Dormitories. For one brief moment, Shinobu had understood what those kids who purposefully got into trouble to gather attention felt like.

In the end, however, it didn't matter. She couldn't muster anything resembling anger for her mother and father, and was somehow looking forward to seeing them next month. The hospital wasn't bad either; sure, the food wasn't of the quality she was used to (hers, to be specific) but it was tasty in a way. Schoolwork wasn't an issue either as one of her classmates brought the day's work to Haruka's teashop, which the woman made sure to hand over to her during her daily visits.

Given the fact that Shinobu was at college level intellectually speaking, her homework got done with ease.

But it was that last bit precisely what prevented the bluenette from being able to find peace of mind.

She had turned it over and over in her head, looking at the situation from all possible angles. It could have been all just a dream; after all, she had no fully certain way of proving anything. Nobody remembered with precision what happened every day six years ago. It could also be that Su had experimented on her from this time period, rather than in the future. Maybe the Mecha Seer had worked as intended, and her current memories were actually from a future she had not yet experienced physically.

Or, just maybe, she was simply going insane.

When the alternative was brought up, that wasn't too out of the picture.

But at the root of the problem, all of that didn't matter. What mattered was that she had a bunch of knowledge that had come from somewhere, and she had no idea what to do with it. Shinobu had even tested its veracity, braving up and asking Haruka as she was leaving one day if she had ever known a man called Noriyasu Seta.

"…Shinobu, where did you hear that name?" The woman had asked with an apprehensive look.

All she had managed to give Haruka was a horribly bad lie that he had dropped by her school one day. Of course that didn't explain how she would have known about a connection between the two and the woman had not swallowed her explanation for a second, but had in the end decided to let her be…for now.

Another issue was that Shinobu had not seen a glimpse from Su throughout the week. She knew her friend was always busying herself with crazy projects and the like, but that didn't erase from her memory the wink Su had given her nor the words that had preceded it.

The Molmolese princess knew something, and purposefully avoided telling Shinobu just what it was. Which was why, finally free from her hospital stay, the young cook was determined to get some answers out of the foreign girl come hell or high water.

The party, though, had completely slipped her mind.

"WELCOME BACK, SHINOBU-CHAN!"

Noise, cheers and confetti greeted the 13-year old the second she opened the door to the Hinata, having just been driven by Haruka from the hospital. The living room was, as was usual when the girls made a celebration, filled with decorations and games, furniture moved to the walls and corners to make room for them to walk unobstructed.

There were snacks, drinks, Kitsune's ever-present alcohol, and they had even turned the karaoke machine on for the occasion. Shinobu could even spot a first aid kit by Motoko's right, the kendoka seemingly ready to assist her should another emergency arise.

The cook couldn't say she wasn't touched, because with all the madness going around the place it was weird for the girls to get together to plan anything. It spoke volumes that they had even prepared snacks without Shinobu around to cook.

"What? Those? Nah, we just ordered them from some place I know downt-OUCH!" Such was the answer Kitsune gave when the bluenette commented on the topic, the alcohol having started to loosen lips before being silenced by Naru's head slap.

"Watch what you say! This was supposed to be a homemade surprise!" Complained the redhead, and both best friends descended into a light-hearted argument which Shinobu couldn't help but giggle at. It was good to be back to the usual silliness of the Hinata; it felt comfortable after a week away from the world she knew so well.

It also helped as a distraction from the pit in her stomach and her inquisitive mind. Even with the unexpected turn of events, Shinobu had not forgotten her mission and had at various times spied on Su.

The girl had of course welcomed her back along with the rest, happily exclaiming how happy she was that her friend and playmate was back; and yes, she had happily mentioned how happy she was. A single happiness was never enough for Kaolla Su.

Afterwards, though, her behavior had not strayed far away from the norm. That is to say, Su was still as voracious and hyperactive as ever, with Motoko as the sole wall between her and the end of all party snacks.

There were no out-of-place comments or secretive gazes.

Su rarely took things seriously, but that only made her actions that more obvious when she did. And having spent more than half a decade living under the same roof, Shinobu was more than equipped to spot the signs.

But ten minutes into the party, as a slightly drunk Kitsune was warming her up to the idea of being the night's karaoke debut, the foreigner had not given Shinobu any indications like the one from the week's start. The cook also knew better than to suddenly ask to talk with her in private while the rest of the girls watched, which was why she had resigned herself to the celebration and postponed the interrogation until the next day.

Tomorrow was a Sunday anyways.

"So then…why do I feel like this?"

Shinobu absentmindedly placed a hand over her belly, rubbing it. Ever since opening the door, a feeling akin to nausea had been forming inside her stomach. At first, the cook had concluded it was due to her business with Su. Yet even after coming to terms with the delay the sensation didn't go away; if anything, it was getting worse.

It felt like the day of her high school graduation, with her having to give a speech to the people attending and nervously waiting in her seat for the principal to name her. By the time she had walked up to the podium, Shinobu had been afraid she would puke into the microphone. And while that occasion had ended up fine she wasn't so sure about the current one.

It could very well be a relapse, yet this time being a stomachache rather than a headache. Perhaps it was the sight of the kitchen that was the cause, reminding her of the painful memory. Perhaps, it was Su doing something to her; maybe even again, depending on what the foreigner confessed to during tomorrow's interrogation.

Whatever it was, it was making Shinobu's heart beat faster. And because she was determined to not make a scene a third time in a row, the bluenette was about to excuse herself to the toilet when her eyes spotted…him.

"Sempai…" Her mouth moved before her brain, and even though it had only whispered the honorific the entire room somehow heard it. The girls were looking at her now, alternating between confused and curious gazes. But despite the attention, Shinobu couldn't tear her eyes from the man's.

Keitaro was standing in the room's corner, beverage in hand. He looked awkward, glancing around the room and at her without really knowing what to do or say; a stranger amongst close friends. Her sudden attention on him drove his feeling of discomfort even further, as evidenced when he started scratching his head. Yet he, too, couldn't somehow move his eyes away. In a tangible silence that could be tasted in the air, the cook and the ronin kept staring at each other for various long seconds.

If it wasn't so ridiculous, the scene might have been out of a movie screen.

"Shinobu-chan…do you know him?" Naru asked, frowning. And once again, Shinobu moved to speak without thinking.

"Of course I do. He is Sem-" She stopped herself then, finally realizing that given the circumstances, this was the first time the two of them had ever met…if you didn't count the day of her arrival to the time period. Nervously moving to stare at the floor, she let the rest of the word drift out. "…pai…"

She could feel her cheeks burning, and the pit in her stomach was like the flapping of a thousand butterfly wings. Her heart was going at full speed. "…so that's what it was…"

Again came the silence, and again it felt eternal. No one knew what to say, with Shinobu too embarrassed and the girls too perplexed to ask what was on everyone's mind: how? And the cook was dismayed to realize she had no credible answer to that.

And just then, Keitaro spoke. "Um…you must be Maehara-san, correct?" He took a tentative step forward, hand still in his head and scratching away. He looked as awkward as Shinobu felt, yet somehow managed to make words come out of his mouth. "I…I know it is weird of me to ask but…have we met before?"

Shinobu looked at him, internally debating which would sound like the most impossible notion: that they hadn't, but she just called strangers that way; that they hadn't, but she had confused him with someone else; or that they had, and Keitaro had simply forgotten.

Given the bits and pieces she could recall of his arrival (the second version, that is), and the answer she had just given Naru, it seemed it would have to be the third option.

"Um…yes, but only briefly." She said. Everyone's attention was still glued to her, silently asking her to elaborate further. "…it…was…while you were on the way to the exam." Shinobu said the first thing that came to her head; after all, before arriving to the Hinata she didn't know what Keitaro had done or the places he had frequented other than Tokyo U. "I dropped some of my grocery bags and you were passing by and helped me."

The girls still looked confused, but at the very least not doubtful of her story. More like, they were simply put off by the random coincidence instead of being suspicious of Shinobu. Keitaro, too, looked like he had bought it. "Is…is that so…?" The ronin looked ashamed now, no longer able to meet her gaze.

"I…" She heard him take a deep breath, and suddenly, Keitaro was bowing his head. "I am ashamed to admit it, but I had forgotten about our meeting! I…I deeply apologize!"

Shinobu didn't know what to say. She felt guilty that her lies had made him feel the need to ask for her forgiveness, but she couldn't just retract herself at this point. "It's…nothing, really. It happens to everyone Sempai." Too late, she remembered the honorific told a different story about their 'brief' meeting.

"Thank you for those words, though it was still rude of me." Finally straightening up, Keitaro smiled at her before the uncomfortable silence came back. At this point, Shinobu was praying for any of the girls to say anything.

When none did, she continued trying to make small talk. She felt like crying. "So…ah…what are you doing here…Sempai?"

"Ah, well, you see. My grandmother runs this place, and she sort of…let me stay." Granny had, of course, done much more than letting him stay, as Naru's incredulous gaze implied. "I…am the manager now, in fact."

"I…see…" Whatever the reaction they had been expecting from her, stiff approval was certainly not it. She would have to ask after the story later from the girls in order to not raise more suspicion, but that wouldn't erase the fact that the 13-year old Shinobu Maehara should have been a lot more startled by the news, shy and sensitive as she was.

When the silence came back a fourth time, the cook looked around the room for anything that she could comment about. She feared she might pass out at any second, and wanted whatever excuse she could find to end the conversation.

"Would…would you like to sing karaoke?" She asked in the end, hoping it would be enough.

"Ahh…karaoke? I…I would be pleased but…uh…I am not a good singer." A scratch.

"It's…it's okay. Neither am I."

"Is-is that so?"

"Yeah. Hehe…hehe…"

"Hehe…hehe…"

As they both stood there, awkwardly laughing at themselves to keep the silence at bay, Shinobu prayed the ground would open and swallow her whole soon.


"Ah…so that's what happened." The story concluded, Shinobu plopped back into the couch, looking from the corner of her eye as a now drunk Kitsune and a merry Su encored Keitaro for another song.

After their painful first (second?) meeting, Shinobu had avoided her sempai out of fear of her own nerves frying themselves. The girls had, of course, been highly curious about the situation, but had politely abstained from giving rise to questions; or at least, until the party was over. Instead, Motoko and Naru had narrated to her about his arrival this week.

Putting aside the bits she already knew, such as Keitaro being an Urashima, Shinobu was both surprised and a bit worried of how her attack that day had altered his first day in the Hinata.

Apparently, after Shinobu had fainted Keitaro had carried her over to the couch inside (the very one she was sitting at the moment, in fact). With his knowledge of first aids he had controlled her bleeding and had even made enough of a ruckus to attract the girls to the scene.

Needless to say, they had been alarmed at a stranger's presence inside the Hinata, but their shock and worry at seeing Shinobu passed out and drenched in sweat had been enough to keep them from (violently) expelling him from the premises.

Soon enough Haruka had arrived afterwards and a call for an ambulance was made at her instruction. They had transported her over to the hospital, and the girls had remained with her until she had woken up near dusk.

By the time they had come back home, Keitaro; who had been left behind at Haruka's teashop; had received enough time to calm down and think things over, and had related his story to everyone when asked.

Learning of his blood relation to Granny had come as a shocker to the girls, especially after Haruka confirmed the claim. The woman had also explained the dormitory's situation to her nephew, such as the owner being on a world-wide trip and the place now being exclusively for female tenants.

Yet even with all that, Keitaro had been allowed to stay. Despite their apprehension the girls had acknowledged the fact that he had helped Shinobu during an emergency; even further once they considered that if it hadn't been for him getting their attention, none of them would have realized their cook friend was lying outside passed out under the sun until Haruka had come up the stairs.

As such, and due to his status as an Urashima, the girls had agreed to him staying over at the Hinata as a show of gratitude for his help. Three days later, he had been named the official manager.

"I never thought Granny would do something like that." Began Naru. "I mean, I know she is at the age to retire but I was sure she would leave Haruka in charge."

"Perhaps, she thought that his quick action during an emergency spoke of his qualities as manager." Motoko answered, her voice also holding some lingering complaint about the situation. Both seemed like they had accepted the current way of things, but still felt it was justified to raise doubts about it.

Shinobu knew that with time, it would pass. It had taken her a month to grow used to Keitaro's presence herself.

"Speaking of which, Shinobu." Motoko called for her attention. The three of them were on the couch, some distance away from the other half of the attendants. Shinobu turned towards the kendoka, already nervous about the question.

She would give anything for time to get her story straight.

"If it's not too much for you, I would like to know about the incident some more. In specific, about what you were doing outside at the moment or how Urashima…-san, managed to chance upon you as you fainted."

The bluenette audibly gulped. She would like to say she had nothing to hide, but the truth was much crueler. And she couldn't very well tell them both about the Mecha Seer; they would send her right back to the hospital and into the psychiatry ward. Shinobu knew, deep down, that she was acting too fidgety with a matter that was not that hard to explain. But in her current emotional turmoil, what she wanted was time to think about it. She was not ready to answer questions.

"I…I don't really remember Motoko. It's all so confusing…" That's what she settled for in the end, not ready to give a full explanation. She watched as the kendoka opened her mouth to inquire again on the subject, and quickly said the first excuse that came to her head…again.

This was just not the day for premeditated actions.

"Wh-who wants dinner!?" She asked a little too enthusiastically, interrupting the karaoke singing.

"…come again, Shinobu-chan?"

"It-it's getting late already, and I have been neglecting my duties so…uh…I was thinking that perhaps-" She never got to finish, as a shiver suddenly ran down her spine.

Looking around, the girls were staring at her with…unreadable expressions. There was some dangerous intensity behind them; Su's above them all; and Shinobu meditated, once more, that perhaps she had spoken too hastily.

"…Shinobu…you will make us dinner?" Su asked, rising from her usual crouch to a standing position. Her eyes held none of the mirth they usually did, and a trail of drool was making its way downwards from her open mouth.

It hit her then.

"Girls…what have you been eating this week?" The faces of the Hinata's tenants shadowed, each of them recalling a painful, distant memory. Even Keitaro, the newcomer, seemed to have acquired his own scars already.

"Take out." Started Motoko, hand over her belly.

"Instant noodles." Admitted Keitaro, tears threatening to escape his eyes.

"Naru's spaghetti sandwiches." Said Kitsune, fist clenched.

"Hey! You said those were tasty!" Came the complaint.

"I was desperate Naru!" A pause. Mitsune Konno looked close to sobbing. "The bread was too much for that amount of pasta. It totally took away the taste! You barely put any condiments into the thing!"

"Why would I put those into my lunch? I'm busy with studying you know? I don't have time to do exercise. What do you think will happen if I don't watch what I eat?"

"That was not a time for you to go under diet, Naru! We were starving! You wouldn't have gained weight even if you tried, unless-" The resident trickster paused then, a look of horror setting on her face. "Naru…don't tell me…" Beat. Kitsune struck a shocked pose. "You've gotten fat!?"

"How dare you say those things!? I Have NOT-"

It was at this point that, thinking about her personal safety, Shinobu retreated into the kitchen. She left the living room with Naru and Kitsune in the middle of their argument, Motoko in silent prayer, Su drooling and Keitaro crying tears of misery over the memory of his recent meals.

"I'm back home. Definitely."


That night, Shinobu fell on her bed with a red face, a racing heart…and an ecstatic feeling in her chest.

Dinner had gone great. No, even more than great, it had been spectacular. Tears of sheer joy had been shed over the food she had prepared, and Su had single-handedly emptied half the rations before being stopped by Motoko; and even the kendoka herself had struggled all through the meal to not break table etiquette and dive into the food.

There had been compliments and comments of gratitude and relief about her return. Certainly, the Hinata dormitories had been saved from a nutritional catastrophe by Shinobu, who had put all of her years of experience (Both past and future), into the task.

Still, she was impressed beef bowls with rice had earned such praise.

The bluenette had fled into the kitchen out of discomfort at the time, and upon getting there she had started pondering just what to prepare for six people in such a short notice. Her mind had wandered then, drifting back to her current situation and the feeling that she was forgetting something important. Something had yelled at her from inside, claiming that she was getting distracted with-

"Sempai…~" Shinobu gave a dreamy sigh heavy with warmth and giddiness, remembering his expression during the meal.

She had prepared the bowls without really noticing; only remembering that they were his favorite shortly before she was done. The cook had told herself that it hadn't been on purpose; that it was simply the best she could do with such little time and the ingredients at hand.

But that sounded like a filthy excuse when she recalled his joyous face, and the excited praise he had showered her with. "This is great, Shinobu-chan! The best I've ever had!"

Keitaro had complimented her food with an enthusiasm that she hadn't seen in years; not for her meals, at least, as he grew used to the quality over time. Not only that, but he had even slipped out of the formality that had permeated his speech since their meeting hours ago, and the girls were too busy eating to so much as raise their eyebrows at the gesture!

Shinobu could count with the fingers of her hand how many times in her life she had felt this happy.

"Oooohhh…just what is going on with me?" She asked herself between soft giggles, not a hint of distress in her voice. Shinobu of course knew the answer to that question; but the moment was too sweet right now. Why spoil it with self-reflection then when it could be done tomorrow?

The bluenette knew there were matters to address; options to consider and things to take in mind. She was Maehara Shinobu, young woman of nineteen and student of Tokyo University, currently stuck six years in the past with a body that was and at the same time wasn't hers.

But right now, with a cloud of butterflies flying wildly inside her, she was Maehara Shinobu, a girl of thirteen blushing over her first love; and she wasn't letting any deep thoughts ruin the sensation for her. Not tonight.

That October Saturday nigth, Shinobu went to bed happy for the first time since her arrival, and enjoyed a multitude of wonderful dreams.

Su completely slipped her mind come morning.


CN: Nothing like Shinobu and Keitaro being awkward, and her acting like a girl in love.

Oh, wait, that's what she is.

Next chapter, Shinobu is thrown even further into confusion by Su. Who would have guessed? (==Sarcasm)