Hey everyone, here's chapter 4 of my Nightingale story arc. It took a little while to get this one out. Look forward to some slice of life and maybe a little fan service. I hope you enjoy it!
Love Hina is owned and created by Ken Akamatsu.
Song of the Nightingale
Chapter IV:
Put On Your Sunday Best
Early on Sunday morning we find Motoko sitting down at the dining room table. The time on her silver watch hit 7:20. A steaming hot cup of tea in her hand, she took her time studying the English notes laid out in front of her. She slowly blew over the top of the cup and took a sip of the bitter but slightly sweetened green tea.
"'The train at the station will arrive at za…the appointed taimu…time…'erg, why do they have to give us another test this Friday too. We just had one!" She let out a frustrated sigh.
Her attention is then drawn to the sound of a coffee cup being set down beside her. She looked over to see Naru smiling back at her.
"Morning, Motoko. English today?" Naru said, sitting down next to her.
"Good morning, Naru. Yeah, we've got another test on Friday. How about you? How are studies at Tokyo University?" Motoko replied.
"Oh, it's sooo hectic. Finals are only a couple weeks away. I just hope I can get through all the material in time. By the way, you and Keitaro are going to see his parents today, right?"
"Yeah, it'll be the first time I get to meet them." Motoko said, before taking another sip.
"You know, I keep forgetting that Keitaro actually has parents. Anyway, do you feel nervous going to see them for the first time?"
"Not really. Keitaro was a wreck going to see my father. He was so tense. We had to cancel twice before I finally got him to go. Me, I'm actually excited. I can't wait to meet his parents."
The two continued their conversation until Shinobu showed up at the table with a tray of sweet bean cakes.
"Good morning." Shinobu said, setting the tray on the table.
"Good morning, Shinobu." The two said, warmly.
Shinobu gave her usual cute smile and said,
"I figured you might want something sweet to go with your tea and coffee. Breakfast won't be for a while yet, so I think these should hold you over until then."
"Thank you so much, Shinobu. Oh, have you seen Haruka yet? I need to ask her something." Naru said, taking a cake from the tray.
"Hmm, I saw her by the telephone a couple minutes ago. I think she might still be there." Shinobu replied.
"I see. Well, it being a Sunday, the teahouse doesn't open until noon. So I think I've got plenty of time to catch her." Naru said.
Meanwhile, in the lobby, Haruka is still talking on the phone. Her voice is quiet to keep stray ears from listening in. She carries a look of uncertainty, nervousness, and a hint of sadness. She continues to speak in a low voice to the person on the other end.
"Yeah…listen, just…just meet me at the tea house at 11:30…okay? We'll talk more then…bye."
After hanging up the phone, Haruka let out a nervous sigh as she ran her fingers back through her short silky brown hair. She then walked outside, closing the door behind her. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her back pocket, grabbed one out with her lips and put the pack back in her pocket. She lit it and took a slow drag. Then she casually blew the smoke up into the air, watching it as it gradually dissipated.
"What am I doing?" She said to herself out loud.
The clock on the desk ticked just past 9am. On the floor lay Keitaro, still asleep. The door slid open and in walked Motoko, closing the door behind her. She glanced at Keitaro's sleeping form with a tiny smile as she walked over to her dresser. There she opened a few drawers, reached over and turned on the stereo.
She shed the parts of her Kendo robe, dropping the articles of clothing at her feet until she stood wearing nothing but a black silk bra and panties. On the stereo played the sounds of Kotoko's "Save your Heart". Her hips began to move from side to side as she started to nod her head to the beat. Soon she was dancing as she searched through the drawers for a nice shirt and pair of jeans to wear to today's special occasion.
Keitaro stirred as the up-beat melody filled the room. He opened his eyes, tilted his head up and rubbed the sleep from his face. As he saw the activity going on before him, he could say nothing else but,
"My God, I don't think I've ever woken up to a more beautiful sight."
Motoko let out a cute giggle at those words. She looked back at him and said,
"Thanks, sweetheart. If you play your cards right, I'll let you see more later on."
"Oh, is that so?" Keitaro said playfully as he sat up with a smile.
He threw back the covers and began to roll up the futon.
"Oh, no." Motoko said, looking in the mirror.
"What? What is it?" He said.
"Oooh, I think they've gotten bigger again." She said, holding up her breasts with her forearms in the mirror.
Keitaro walked up behind and looked with her into the mirror.
He showed a smirk.
"And that's a bad thing?" He asked.
"It could be. If this keeps up, they'll start to get in the way of my training." She said with a frown while moving them up and down.
"Well, I for one, am not complaining, my well-endowed love." He said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
He then turned around and put the futon away on the closet shelf.
"By the way, Motoko. Have you seen my good belt?"
"It should be in your dresser, third drawer down."
"Ah, thanks." He said, going to the drawer.
As they started to get dressed, the music on the stereo turned to Kotoko's "Song for Eternity". The intro began with the sound of a sweet voice riding upon a flowing piano melody. Then started the drumbeats and baseline following along with energizing synth notes. Motoko let out a smile as she tapped her foot and moved her hips to the beat once more.
Later on, the clock in the lobby struck 11:15am. Keitaro and Motoko were just getting ready to leave. Outside, the weather was cold and breezy, a typical late November day. They buttoned their coats and put on their scarves. Shinobu quickly walked up and handed them a box containing a cake to bring to Keitaro's parents.
"Here, Keitaro. I hope your parents like chocolate cake." She said, with a bright smile.
"I'm sure they'll love it, Shinobu. Thank you very much." Keitaro replied.
"Have a safe trip, you two. Itte Irashai." Shinobu waved as they moved to the door.
"Itte Kimasu." They said, before closing the door behind them.
The walk to the train station was a cold one, but since the two stayed so close together, it didn't seem to bother them so much. Their shared warmth was enough to keep them comfortable.
"That was nice of Shinobu to make a cake to take with us." Motoko said, her arm wrapped around his and her hand resting on his shoulder.
"Yeah, it was. We'll have to thank her properly when we get back. My mother really loves chocolate cake." Keitaro said, giving her hand a rub, keeping the cold away.
"How about your dad?" She said.
"Dad? I don't think he's that particular. If you put something in front of him, ninety-nine times out of a hundred he'll eat it." He said.
Motoko let out a laugh.
"What?" Keitaro asked, confused.
"Now I see where you get it from." She said.
"Wha? Hey, I'm not like that, am I?" Keitaro said.
"Heh heh, I'm just teasing you, you're not that bad." She said, sticking her tongue out in a playful way.
"Careful with that tongue." He said, showing a smirk.
"Oh, yeah? What are ya gonna do?" She said, showing a smile back.
"I might just do something with it." He said.
"Really? I wish you would." She said, playfully sticking her tongue out again.
"Oh, that does it." He said, before stopping her and giving her a passionate kiss.
Moving her fingers up his neck and through his hair, she thought,
'Hm hm, mission accomplished.'
Keitaro, sliding his hands over her hips and holding her closer, thought,
'Wow, Motoko's really frisky today. I like it.'
After a long moment, they slowly broke the kiss and, hand in hand, continued on towards the train station. Destination: The suburbs of Tokyo.
Meanwhile, we find Naru walking down the Hinata steps. She was on her way into town to see a friend about a paper she was working on. It was on the subject of applying Child Psychology to the classroom. Her friend is a teacher at Hinata Middle School, so it's a good opportunity to get some insight. She figured she would stop at the Tea House on the way to see Haruka.
She then stopped when she caught sight of Haruka and Seta standing together in front of the Tea House. It appeared as if they were arguing about something. Seta was waving his hands as if pleading. Haruka then folded her arms and turned away from him. Seta put his hand on her shoulder and pled even more, to which Haruka shook her shoulder from his hand.
Naru suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to let out a squeak to which she quickly covered her mouth to keep quiet. She turned to see none other than Mutsumi looking on towards the two standing in front of the Tea House.
"Oooooh, what do we have here? A lover's quarrel?" Mutsumi said with an expression of excited curiosity.
"Mutsumi, Shhhhhh! Get down and keep quiet." Naru loudly whispered.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Mutsumi said, kneeling down.
Naru and Mutsumi got a little closer so they could hear better.
"…But Haruka, you just don't understand." Seta said.
Haruka then turned around and got right in his face.
"How could you do that to me?! I thought we had a good thing, but then you had to get together with that other woman!" She said.
"Please just listen to me!" He said.
"I don't have to listen to a damn word you say. Sara is proof of your infidelity." She said, turning her head.
Seta let out a sigh as he hung his head, then he looked back up at her.
"…she's not mine…"
Haruka's eyes widened. She looked back at him with an expression of surprise.
"Wha…What did you say?" Haruka asked.
"Sara…She's not my real daughter."
"What do you mean?"
"Sara's mother went on many digs with me. When she suddenly became deathly ill, she asked me to promise her I would take care of Sara. I made that promise, honoring her last wishes."
"Seta, I…I never knew. I don't know what to say."
"I've taken Sara on as my daughter. Haruka, please. There's no reason why you, Sara and I can't be together as a family."
"Seta, I-I don't know. I need some time to think this through."
Seta paused, then he gave a tiny smile.
"Alright then, Haruka. I'll give you all the time you need." Seta said, giving her an understanding nod.
The two parted ways in an uneasy, but not unpleasant silence. Seta calmly walked on towards the town while Haruka retreated to the Tea House. She stopped in the entrance and as she leaned there against the doorframe, she laid her hand on her forehead and let out a shaky sigh.
Mutsumi and Naru looked at eachother.
"What do you think that was all about?" Naru said.
"I'm not sure, but it seems like those two have more history together than we thought, huh?"
"Yeah. Well, I'm sure if Haruka wants to talk about it, she will. If not, we shouldn't pry." Naru said, as the two girls stood back up.
"I agree. Some things should be left alone." Mutsumi conferred.
"Say, Mutsumi. Since you're here, do you want to join me? I'm going into town to meet a teacher friend. I'm supposed to meet her soon."
"Sure, that sounds nice. I have to go into town to get some supplies anyway."
"Alright. Let's go, then."
The two then made their way down the tall steps.
High noon struck as a train pulled into a small station in South-West Tokyo. In the distance, the sparkle of the sun could be seen reflecting off the ocean. Out of the train walked Keitaro and Motoko, arm in arm. As they got out to the street, Keitaro pointed to his left.
"My parent's house is in this direction. It's a short walk from the station."
"Ah, I see. I hope we're not running late. We missed the first train."
"No I think we're on time. Besides, I don' think they would hold it against us if we were a little late." Keitaro smiled.
The two went up a narrow street and turned the corner. Keitaro stopped in front of a two story gray house. The nameplate read: Urashima, Rintaro and Hikari.
"This is it. You ready?" Keitaro said, holding out his arm, motioning her to go first.
"You bet." She smiled as she went forward.
Keitaro unlocked the front door with his key and they both walked into the front hall.
"Mom? Dad? We're here!" Keitaro called out as he and Motoko took off their coats.
A woman peaked out from the kitchen.
"Keitaro, you're here!" She said.
"Hey, Mom." Keitaro said as she hurried up to the two of them.
Keitaro's mom then called out to the living room.
"Rintaro! They're here!"
Some rustling could be heard from inside and then,
"Oh, they're here already?"
She looked back at them.
"Don't just stand there, come in, come in." She said, receiving them warmly.
"Oh, by the way, Mom. Shinobu made this chocolate cake for you and Dad." Keitaro said, handing her the box.
"Oh, that was so sweet of her. Tell her I said thank you." she said, taking the box.
They all walked into the living room. Keitaro's dad, who was sitting in his recliner, stood up as he saw them enter. Keitaro's mother, Hikari Urashima, was about Naru's height with long brown hair, which was tied back in a scrungie, and wearing a pair of thin framed glasses. Keitaro's father, Rintaro Urashima, was an inch or so taller than Keitaro, of stocky build and with black hair. Hikari walked over next to Rintaro as Motoko and Keitaro stopped in front of them.
Keitaro started the introductions.
"Mom, Dad. I would like to introduce my Fiance, Motoko Aoyama. My better half." He turned for a moment to Motoko and said, "Motoko, this is my mom and dad, Hikari and Rintaro."
Motoko turned to the parents and gave a deep bow,
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you." She said.
"Oh, the pleasure is all ours. We've waited so long for the chance to finally meet you, Motoko." Hikari said. "Why don't you all sit down. I'll go get us some tea."
Hikari then ducked into the kitchen as they sat down and became comfortable.
"So Motoko, Keitaro tells us you're quite the kendo expert." Rintaro said.
"Yes. My family has two dojos on our estate in Kyoto. Shin-Mei Ryu is taught by my mother, while Shin-Kami Ryu is taught by my father. I've been teaching Keitaro a lot of both. We train together every day."
"Wow, Keitaro never mentioned that. I had no idea. Hey, wait a minute. Aoyama? As in THE Aoyama family in Kyoto?" Rintaro said, developing a sweat drop.
Motoko gave a smile and said,
"Yup, that's us."
"K-Keitaro, how did you end up meeting the youngest daughter of the Aoyama family?" Rintaro said.
"I told you, Dad. She's been staying at Grandma's Dorm."
Hikari then walked in with the tea and four slices of the cake they brought.
"What is everyone talking about?" she said, setting down the tea and cake for everyone.
"Honey, Motoko is from the Aoyama family in Kyoto." Rintaro said.
"Oh, my. How nice." She said.
Motoko then waved her hand in a dismissive gesture and said,
"It's okay, my family's reputation is kind of hard to avoid, seeing as we're known from one end of Japan to the other."
Hikari then sat down next to Rintaro and said,
"So Motoko, I understand you're trying to get into Tokyo U. What major are you going for?"
"Well, I'm hoping to go for Business Management since I'll be taking over my family's schools someday."
"Wow, that's amazing. It's good that you'll be going to school with Keitaro soon."
"Well, I have to pass the entrance exams first." Motoko said.
"I'm sure you will, Motoko. After all, if Keitaro could get in, anyone can." Hikari said, with a tiny laugh.
"Mooooom!" Keitaro whined.
"Well you did have us wondering for a while, Keitaro." Rintaro added.
"Dad! You too?"
Motoko just let out a giggle. Keitaro just leaned back and let out a sigh of surrender.
Motoko then noticed the conversation had gotten quiet. Not wanting the awkward silence to continue, she looked around the room for something to talk about. She then noticed a painting hanging on the wall, depicting a nightingale perched on a tree branch.
"Oh, do you like classic art, Mrs. Urashima?" Motoko asked, pointing to the painting.
Hikari brightened right up.
"Oh, yes! Do you like it?"
"Yes, it's very beautiful." Motoko said.
"Collecting these art pieces is my passion. This one was painted in 1868. I have many more throughout the house. I can show them to you later."
"That would be nice." Motoko said. "Where did you find this one?"
"This one I found at an art dealer in Ginza. I doubt he knew what he had. The price was so cheap for an authentic piece."
"You know, I'm thinking about studying art as a minor in college." Motoko said.
"Art is such a wonderful way of broadening your horizons." Hikari said.
Motoko then looked over at Rintaro and decided to move the conversation to include him.
"So, Mr. & Mrs. Urashima, what is it that you do for a living?" she said.
Rintaro leaned forward with a smile and said,
"Well, I'm an auto-mechanic at Hideki's Garage up the road."
"Yup, Dad's been working there since before I was born. Those skills sure come in handy, given how many times the sedan has broken down, huh Dad?" Keitaro added.
"Yeah, ain't that the truth." Rintaro smiled.
Motoko nodded with a smile and then looked to Hikari.
"Oh, I'm a manager at Toyama Bank. I'm in charge of the collections department. It's a good job, gets kind of busy though." Hikari said.
"I see, that sounds very nice." Motoko said.
Then Rintaro turned to his son and said,
"By the way, Keitaro. How is Kanako doing? She doesn't talk to us very much."
"Well, she's decided to stay with us at the Hinata apartments. When she's not doing her own thing, she's usually in town picking up supplies for her hobbies. Sometimes she catches us off guard when she starts reciting spells to herself at the dinner table."
"Oh, boy. Yeah, she's been into that stuff since she was little." Rintaro said, shaking his head a giving a shrug.
Hikari then turned to Motoko.
"Motoko, have you decided on a wedding dress yet?"
"Oh, there are just so many designs. I haven't chosen yet. My father sent his assistant, Miss Hasegawa to arrange the wedding preparations with us. She and I went looking for wedding dresses a few times, but I can't seem to narrow it down to what I want."
"Well what do you want?"
"I've never been very feminine. All the dresses I saw, well, they just don't seem to be me. I'm not even sure I would look good in a dress."
"Motoko, you're so pretty. I'm sure you would look wonderful in any style of wedding dress. Besides, I'm certain you'll find the dress that you will look absolutely beautiful in walking down that aisle." Hikari said, resting her hands on Motoko's.
"Thank you, Mrs. Urashima." Motoko said, giving a sweet smile.
"Call me Hikari. We're soon to be family after all."
"Okay, Hikari." Motoko said, her smile growing brighter.
The four continued to talk, becoming comfortable and relaxed as they were able speak more freely with eachother. Not after long, it was as if Motoko was already a part of the family.
The time came to leave and we find the group saying their good-byes at the front door.
"Well, come and visit us again soon. You're always welcome." Rintaro said.
"Thank you so much for having me. It was great meeting you both. See you again soon." Motoko said.
"Talk to you later, Mom and Dad."
Rintaro and Hikari waved as the two made their way to the sidewalk.
"Take care now." They said.
On their way back to the train station, as he and Motoko were talking, Keitaro suddenly noticed a dark figure, peeking out of an alley across the street. He got a clear look at him. The person was watching him. Motoko as well. He was dressed all in black. He had spiky black hair, wore a ninja head guard and had metal guards over his fists, forearms and leg shins.
"Hey, Motoko. Look over there. Do you see that guy in the alley? The one looking at us." Keitaro said, pointing him out as they stopped.
Motoko turned and saw him. Her easy going smile quickly faded as her look became grim and serious. She met eyes with the mysterious person. They stared silently for a moment. Keitaro had no idea what was going on. A truck quickly passed between Motoko and the person, momentarily blocking him from her view. When the truck cleared, the person was gone.
After Keitaro quickly looked around trying to see where the person went to, he said,
"Was that someone you know, Motoko?"
Motoko took his hand and led him forward.
"D-Don't worry about it, Keitaro. Let's just get home, okay?"
"Oh…alright." He said, a little worried about the sudden change in her.
'Maybe it's something she doesn't want to talk about. But if it's something that's a problem, I don't want her to hold it inside. Maybe she'll open up about it later.'
Keitaro then spoke up as they got within view of the station.
"Hey, Motoko. How about we stop at a crepe stand when we get back to Hinata?" He said, in hopes of brightening her mood.
She turned to him and saw his handsome smile, a smile that brought out a pleasant one on her.
"Sure…I'd love that, Keitaro."
She then gave his hand a loving squeeze.
Motoko turned her head away for a moment.
'I can see he's a little worried about me. I'll tell him about it later. Right now, it's not safe for me to be in Tokyo with them around.'
Out-takes:
#1
"Mom, Dad. I would like to introduce my Fiance, Motoko Aoyama. My better half."
Motoko then turned to him with a smile and said,
"Oh, really? What half is that?"
"What do you mean?" Keitaro asked.
"I mean, is it the front half you like better or is it the back half?" She said, sticking out her chest to him, then turning around and showing him her shapely behind.
She continued to do this as she said,
"The front or the back, front or back, front or back, your gonna have to pick one…"
Keitaro looked at her as if inspecting her, saying,
"Show me that front, show me that back, give me that front, give me that back…"
Then Keitaro lost control, grabbed her close and said,
"I want it all!!"
"Oooh, baby!"
Mutsumi then popped up behind them and said,
"Well, it looks like the deer aren't the only ones that are horny in this town."
#2
Then Rintaro turned to his son and said,
"By the way, Keitaro. How is Kanako doing? She doesn't talk to us very much."
"Well, she's decided to stay with us at the Hinata apartments. When she's not doing her own thing, she's usually in town picking up supplies for her hobbies. Sometimes she catches us off guard when she starts reciting spells to herself at the dinner table."
"Oh, boy. Yeah, she's been into that stuff since she was little. Makes me wonder if what they told us at the adoption agency was true."
"Honey, I thought we agreed to never talk about that." Hikari said.
"Huh?! What are you talking about, Dad?!" Keitaro said.
"Well, they said she was dropped off at the agency by a man and a woman in black robes claiming they were a witch and warlock from England. After the head nurse took the baby, the man waved his staff in the air and then they both disappeared in a puff of smoke."
Motoko and Keitaro formed many sweat drops as they said,
"That…explains…a lot."