Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or anything associated with it.
'...' will be thoughts.
"..." will be spoken word.
Bold will be English.
Italics will be Japanese.
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Joker's Bluff
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A younger Derek sat inside a room, fidgeting nervously. A young woman at a desk regarded him, and began speaking. "So, Derek, would you like to tell me why you were absent for two weeks?" She straightened her nameplate which identified her as Helen Panter, a guidance counselor.
"Um...n-no." He shuffled in his seat. He hated being questioned alone.
"I'd like to know what's going on, Derek. You can't sacrifice your education like this." She pulled out a few files and went over them as she spoke. "You have wonderful grades. Nearly top of the class. That doesn't mean you can just take off when you feel like it, though."
"Thats...it's not..." Derek didn't like the thought of someone thinking he was shirking his classes because he was arrogant. "I...I was...s-scared..."
"Scared? Scared of what?" Likewise, the guidance counselor didn't like the idea of a student being too afraid to come to school.
He fidgeted a bit before speaking. "There's...there's always this group...of kids...who hang out...at the...bus stop. They...um..." He shifted a bit. "They...hit me...with things, s-so I'll...um...c-cry."
The counseler took on a look that could be described as anger, if one looked carefully. "Who are these kids? We'll have to..."
Derek shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Mrs. Panter. I'm...being taken...out of school." He stood up, as if to leave.
"Taken out?"
Derek nodded, walking to the door. "My parents...have already sent in the papers. I'm leaving...today." Wiping his eyes, he left the room and the school.
With an confused look on her face, Helen looked over Derek's file again. "Poor boy's been through a lot." She closed the thick file. "A ten-year-old shouldn't even have a psychological profile."
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Keitaro placed an ice pack behind Derek's head. 'Geez, two injuries in the same day. He'll be feeling that for a while.' Walking off, he decided that while Derek was out, he might as well clean up the place. The windows needed a good scrubbing, as well as the hallways.
As Keitaro left, another entered the room. Sitting across from Derek, Mitsune looked over the man. 'Nothing special about him really. Well, if you don't count that grimace he seems to wear when he sleeps.' As if reading her mind, Derek's face contorted a bit, then became more serene. 'Heh. I bet I could get a lotta fun outta this guy. It'll be troublesome to get him to stick around though.' Garnering ideas, she started her usual pacing that would more than likely end up in her room, reaching for some alcohol.
Derek, meanwhile, had managed to awaken. The splitting headache had persuaded him that moving was not a good idea. 'This is SO not worth being awake for.' Quickly finding that sleep would not come as easily as he hoped, he opted to find someone. His throat was unusually parched and a drink was high on his 'to get' list. Wandering over to the kitchen, he found the blue-haired girl working at cleaning the dishes. 'Must not have been out that long...' Waving a little while clearing his throat, he tried his luck at communicating. "Um, can you speak English?" The girl turned quickly, and looked around. Muttering to herself in Japanese, she started out. 'Probably going to find someone. Ugh, that'll take too long. What to do...' An idea came to him. He had mild success with Keitaro doing charades, so why wouldn't it work here?
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Keitaro hung outside a window, scrubbing gently. Hanging by a rope wasn't his preferred cleaning method, but he didn't make enough money to buy an appropriate ladder. It was all he could do to keep the inn running without charging everyone more than they've had. He wasn't an expert by any means, but his efforts had at least kept the inn clean. A loud sound dragged his attention away from the window. A piercing sound followed by the rev of an engine confirmed the arrival of someone. 'Ah geez. I better tell her to go easy on Derek.' Keitaro looked around. The hardest part about cleaning the windows was getting down.
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Successfully miming his way towards a glass of juice, Derek was content to idly drink in the living room. 'Man, been a while since I've had some juice. This is actually pretty good. What flavor is this?' He began staring at the glass, hoping the color would be some indication of it's flavor.
"Who's this idiot?" Derek turned to see a small, blond girl looking up at him. She look agitated, to say the least. "Hey, I asked you a question!" Derek looked around, hoping someone would show up and help. Remembering the girl in the kitchen, he started calling out. "Hey, uh...blue-haired girl! Little help?" He started racking his mind, trying to remember the Japanese equivalent for help, when the blond girl spoke again. "Are you a moron or what?"
Derek looked at her incredulously. "Oh, you speak English?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Yep, moron. What is it about this place that attracts the idiots?" Derek started to protest, before realizing that he did look like an idiot. Stating the obvious will do that. He decided on another route. "Could you help me talk with everyone here? I'm having a heck of a time on my own." The girl smiled. She knew an opportunity when she saw one. "Yeah, sure. Whatcha need?"
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Finally free of the rope's hold, Keitaro made his way down towards the ground floor. Seeing Derek and Sarah, he wandered over, intent on dissuading Sarah's mean streak. However, getting a nod from Sarah, Derek acted first. "Uh...I'm going to kill you in your sleep." Derek kept a large smile on his face. Keitaro dead-panned. Sarah, meanwhile, laughed herself silly.
Derek looked over at Sarah, confused. "What? Did I say it wrong?" Sarah barely held herself together. "No...no. He just...heh...doesn't hear it that often...hahaha!" As she resumed her laughing, Derek turned to Keitaro and continued. "So...sleep lightly." Keitaro, looking down on Sarah, weighed a few options in his head. He had already deduced that Sarah was being herself and messing around with Derek. 'This'll just get worse and worse. What to do...It's not like I can teach him Japanese...hmm...' Flashing a winning smile, he waved to Derek and left upstairs. After his leave, Derek turned to Sarah. "So, why wouldn't people thank him that often? He seems like a nice enough guy." She caught her breath before speaking. "Well, he, uh..." She grinned inwardly. "The thing is, he usually has his own agenda. Manipulating people to get what he wants."
"Really? Geez, some people..." Derek decided against much more action. This place wasn't turning out to be the safest area to mess around in. Instead, he went over to his bag, which Keitaro had brought out earlier in the evening, and dug around. Grabbing his watch, MP3 player with headphones, and a small bag, he stood facing the door. "Well, I gotta find a hotel. You think you could help me? I could use a translator." Sarah looked at him oddly. "You want me to come? Why?" Derek shrugged. "You've helped me out so far. I was hoping you'd still do it. I mean, it's not like you need permission to leave, right? You're old enough to do things on your own."
Sarah blinked. This guy had barely spent five minutes with her, and he had given her a clean slate! She could have real fun with this! Or better yet..."Alright, but you're treating me to snacks!" Derek merely chuckled. "What kinda guy would I be if I didn't?"
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After walking for some time, Derek and Sarah found themselves before several stores, many of which specialized in sweets and the like. "If you want my help, I'll need at least one of each!" Derek looked around. "One each of what? I don't get it." Sarah slapped her face to her palm. "One snack from each store, stupid! Man, you're as dull as the dork!" Wondering who 'the dork' was, Derek shrugged off her vocal attacks and reached inside his bag. Grabbing a small envelope, he grabbed some bills, replaced the envelope and pocketed the contents. This did not go unnoticed by Sarah. "Holy- Geez, you're loaded! What are you, a tycoon?"
Derek looked at her strange. "Huh? This is a lot? I figured this would be, like, a day's worth of money. Why?" Sarah very nearly face-faulted. "What you just pocketed could buy a car!" Derek rolled his shoulders. "Oh well. Better to have more than you need, right? Just don't go telling people. That's asking to be robbed." Checking his watch, he chided himself. "Forgot to synch it to Japan's time. I'll do it later." Stuffing the watch and his MP3 player into the bag, he wrapped the bag over his shoulder and looked on. "Where to first?"
Sarah already had a location planned. She wanted to know exactly who he was, and why he had that money. If he didn't really deserve it, who better to take it from him? If he was alright, then she'd milk him for what she could. No sense letting that wealth go to waste, right? Her plan was a tested one, though not 100. Nearby was an ice cream shop she frequented with her papa. Spending a lot of time there, she knew who the regulars were and what they were like. After a while, she could actually guess personality traits based on the flavors people liked. Again, it wasn't always accurate. While rocky road may be tailor-fitted to her papa, the sleazeball cheating on his girl didn't seem the cherry vanilla swirl type. Still, more often than not, she could get a good read on whoever she wanted.
"Let's go there!" She pointed at the shop hurriedly. "Ice cream? Seems a bit bland when you compare it to what else is here. I mean, look at that-" Sarah looked up at him with a glare. "Hey, you promised." Derek looked down, feigning ignorance. "Did I? When did I do that?" "Don't get coy with me! You promised when we left the inn!" Derek chuckled. "If I remember correctly, all I did was ask you what kinda guy I would be if I didn't buy you snacks. That doesn't warrant a promise of any kind." Sarah's face dropped. She had been tricked! Of all the lousy, no-good...
A quick laugh from Derek gained her ire real quick. "Come on, I'm not that mean. Besides, I don't like ice cream." "What?! Who doesn't like ice cream?!" Surprised at her outburst, Derek took a step back. "Me. It's too cold. I prefer more room-temperature desserts like cake and pie. Especially if there's raspberry involved." Sarah started hitting him, her plans ruined. "What was the point of coming out here then?!" Derek chuckled as the blows glanced off him.
He didn't notice that the repeated motions caused his money to fall out of his pocket. Nor did he realize that a group of rather distasteful fellows noticed the cash at his feet.
Derek felt a familiar chill run up his spine as he heard someone cough behind him. Turning slowly, his eye grew wide as what could easily pass off as street punks stood before him. "Lots of cash here, man. Maybe there's more where that came from?" The man's friends chuckled ominously. Paralyzed with fear, it was all he could do to just shake. Seeing him sweat and tremble, Sarah gawked. 'Oh, don't tell me he's...'
"I suggest you get with the cash, man." Sarah decided to count on an outside factor. It was sure to happen anyway. "You guys are really stupid aren't you?" The man looked down, obviously offended. "What did you say?" Sarah scoffed. "You heard me. You all are a buncha idiots. Charging in not knowing what you're getting into. This guy is the leader of the single, most feared gang in all of Japan. Which means he's the strongest too." This time, it was the man's turn to scoff. "Yeah, Well, we'll see just how tough he is."
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Keitaro stood idly. After knocking several times, if was obvious that Naru wasn't in her room. He had hoped that she would be willing to teach Derek some Japanese, even if she didn't have any textbooks to use. Dismissing the matter for later, he chose to continue cleaning. He managed to finish the hallways, so all that was left was...
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Sarah laughed out loud, catching the man off-guard. "You really don't get it, do you? People like him don't fight when they don't have to! That's what underlings are for! As for them, well, you're right in the middle of his territory. It shouldn't be too hard to find someone who can show you what can happen to you if you cross him."
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Keitaro grabbed the bucket and and gloves. The cleaning solutions were kept in the same place as always, so all he needed to do was open the door.
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"Oh? Then why don't we find one? Give me some kinda clue as to what'll happen to us. Go on." The man sneered.
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Keitaro blinked once. Twice. Then, the information his eyes had obtained reached the center of his brain. He took the applicable path to this particular problem and backed off. "N-n-n-narusegawa! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" As has happened all too often, his pleas fell on deaf ears. "You stupid pervert!"
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The group of men ducked low from the sound of a train colliding with a luxury cruise ship. "What the hell was that?!" Sarah remained calm. "That was his subordinate. She sounds pissed." She grinned ear to ear. 'Talk about perfect timing.' The situation was only made sweeter when they all heard a fast approaching noise, which increasingly sounded like a scream.
With a loud crash, Keitaro landed across the street from Derek and Sarah. Sarah immediately ran over, while Derek, stunned from Keitaro's entry as well as fear from the situation beforehand, stood still. Leaning towards the fallen manager, she rapidly spoke. "Keitaro, listen. I need your help." Of the several plans she mapped out in her head, she hadn't actually counted on Keitaro falling out of the sky right in front of them. After she told him her plan, she ran over to Derek. "Hey, listen, I need you to do this..." Derek shakily kneeled down to listen. After she was finished, he nodded hesitantly.
After the smoke cleared, the group looked at the newly placed crater. Keitaro emerged, clothes torn, skin cut, and glasses shattered. In spite of himself, the man yelled out. "Hey man, what happened? You okay?" Keitaro looked over. "Yes, yes. Nothing to worry about. I'll be-" He gasped at the sight of Derek and Sarah, who was now standing quite proudly beside him. The group of delinquites look a little baffled, wondering my he was gaping at their score, when he suddenly crawled on all fours, begging.
"Please, please, Derek, sir! I didn't mean it! I truly thought I could get it all on time. Please, sir! Just a few more months, I can pay you back! Just please, stop your people from hurting me!" Keitaro starting bawling during his frenzied speech. Sarah chuckled low. "What are you talking about, people? He only sent one, after all. " Keitaro frantically bowed his head over and over. "Forgive my transgression! It merely felt like a hundred of your men had attacked. I had no idea of the scope of your gang's power. I am truly sorry!" Derek looked down and let out a slow sigh. He tapped Sarah on the shoulder and whispered in her ear. She turned back towards Keitaro.
"You're lucky he is feeling so generous today. He will allow you three months to pay back what you have taken, as well as lowering the interest to a mere thirty percent." Keitaro nearly fainted from the lack of blood to his head, caused by his repeated bowing. "Thank you, thank you so much! I will not squander this opportunity!" He looked a little apprehensive, then rubbed his fingers together. "And...my...my mother?" Sarah looked up at Derek, who shook his head. "Not yet, though you still have time." Keitaro thanked them profusely before leaving the area. The punks looked at each other warily before looking at the remaining two again. "So, what do you have planned for his mother anyway? Prostitution?" Derek didn't bat an eye when he said, "Organs are more profitable."
The group of men had very messy laundry to do the next day.
Seeing the group run away, Derek breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I thought I was done for." Sarah chided him. "Hey, I was with you the whole time!" Derek glanced at her. "That's the point. If I had run away, you'd have been there alone. Who knows what they'd do to you." Sarah opted to stay quiet, as television had taught her what could've been, in that situation. "I'm just glad I got the lines right. Hey, Keitaro! You there?"
Hearing his name, Keitaro walked around from the corner, breathing a bit heavy and walking unsteadily. "I feel a little dizzy..." After regaining his composure. he kneeled down to Sarah. "Did it work? Are you all right?" Sarah looked up slightly slightly as she responded. "Y-yeah." Derek shook Keitaro's hand, thanking him without words. 'Wonder what he got out of this, though. People like him don't do something for nothing. Aw well.'
He thought to himself a bit, then walked away.
Sarah thought about the two. 'Well, I guess being an idiot is better than nothing.' Derek reappeared with a large container, and dropped it in front of Sarah, who fell over from surprise. "W-what's that?" Derek laughed. "You wanted ice cream, right? Well, I didn't know what kind you like so..." He opened it to reveal several bowls filled with ice cream. "...one of each, right?" Keitaro just stared at the sheer quantity.
Sarah looked inside the container. 'Well, maybe he isn't completely hopeless.' Thinking quick, she got an idea she had to act upon quickly.
'Not knowing Japanese is just gonna suck in the long run. I can't translate for him forever. This'll fix that!'
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Though you probably can't tell, this is my longest chapter yet. Hurray for progression! I'm in the 3000's now!
Anyway, it took me quite a while to figure out where to go after getting Sarah in the mix. I don't think I took her too ooc there, but any pointers would be nice. I'm not really good at this kinda thing.
So, any feedback is appreciated! Tell me how I'm doing and how to get better! Uh, please!