"Not too bad, huh?" said Keitaro as he admired their handiwork.
"Yes, now there would be no need for a schedule," agreed Phillip.
"And Motoko and Naru won't go ballistic."
"That too."
What the brothers were referring to was the new divider they'd built in the hot spring. It was a thick bamboo fence to make sure both genders could bathe in privacy. The same divider was in the changing room as well. It cut down on space, but at least now they could bathe whenever they want without issue. Hanging above the entrance were signs that marked the two sides.
A few weeks had passed since Keitaro and Phillip's last major case, which was the recovery of Seta's Turtle Deity Statue. After that things were just slow. The few cases that came up were just minor ones. On one case, Keitaro and Phillip had exposed a man for insurance fraud. Another case involved a case of infidelity between spouses. Still, a job was a job and both brothers had an obligation to finish the job for their clients.
Keitaro didn't like slow days but Phillip welcomed them. It gave him the time to do his reading.
"Say, isn't Naru's mock exam coming up?" asked Phillip.
"Sure is. She's been studying really hard for it too. Shinobu even had to bring her meals up to Naru when she didn't come down," said Keitaro.
Phillip noted, "You seem worried."
"She's burning herself out with all this studying. I understand that people need to make sacrifices for their dreams but Naru pretty much sacrificed her social life just so she could get into Tokyo U," said Keitaro.
"Tokyo U only takes the best and brightest, Keitaro," said Phillip.
"Yeah, I know. Well, we're done here."
"And it's almost lunch," said Phillip as he checked his watch. "I'm sure Shinobu has prepared us all something good."
LOVE HINA/DOUBLE TROUBLE
Chapter 6: Cause and Effect
Written By: Kamen Rider Chrome and Ten-Faced Paladin
Dear Keitaro-niichan and Phillip-niichan.
Hello, it's Kanako. Granny is letting me write to you for a change since I'm not practicing at the moment. It's been awhile, hasn't it? I really do miss you guy. Remember that promise we made to open and run that detective agency together? You guys beat me to it! No fair. And in Hinata-Sou no less.
Granny Hina has been training me in the family art and I've improved my disguise skills too. This time I'm sure I can fool you guys. I'm also sure that when I come back, our trio will be back together just the way it was supposed to be. I can't wait to put my skills to the test.
XOXOXOXOXO
Kanako
PS: I love you guys
Hinata High School
The bell had rung, signaling the end of the school day and Motoko Aoyama intended to go directly home. The kendo club did not have a scheduled meeting for that afternoon so Motoko could concentrate on her homework. Then she could practice, enjoy Shinobu's cooking and rest peacefully. The last thing Motoko expected when she was leaving school to go home was to be approached by the police.
"Are you Motoko Aoyama?" an officer asked.
"That is I," she answered. This was far from the norm with her. What would the police want with her? She had not broken any laws nor had she found another pervert to turn in for crimes against women.
"I'm sorry, but you are being placed under arrest on suspicion for murder," said the officer. "Please, come quietly with us."
"HAH?" Motoko cried out, dropping her shinai in shock. Her state of shock was so complete, she didn't offer any sort of resistance when one of the officers walked behind her and handcuffed her
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you. You have a right to an attorney. If you do not have one present, the court will provide you one," one of the officers recited her rights.
The girls of the school murmured as they watched Motoko being driven away in a police car. Many of the girls began crying out at the injustice of their idol being arrested while several boys (who weren't the most morally outstanding of the bunch) breathed sighs of relief, hoping that the samurai girl was gone from their school for good.
Sasagi Cram School
Naru rubbed her eyes as she left the cram school. Again she hadn't slept much, having taken all-nighters to study. Still, she kept up her attendance as well as her grades. She didn't want to slip up as she was still top in the nation and especially didn't want to make her chances of getting into Tokyo U worse by missing classes. As such, she was feeling a little dazed as she exited the school. As she was waiting for the train, a pair of police officers approached her.
"Excuse me, but are you Naru Narusegawa?" asked one of them.
"That's me," said Naru. "What is it? If you're looking for Keitaro he's at Hinata Sou."
"Unfortunately, we are not looking for anyone by that name. We're actually arresting you of suspicion for murder," said the other.
"What? But-but-but-!" Naru sputtered, but she was quickly handcuffed by both of the officers before being led towards their car. Naru attempted to try and get her shattered mind back together, but the shock of being arrested, in open public no less, was proving to be quite the mental challenge at the moment.
Hinata-Sou
Keitaro was at his desk, tapping on a sheet of paper with his pencil. In the corner sat Phillip who was reading a book while listening to the radio. His favorite DJ, Wakana Sonozaki, was on. He was a fan of hers and loved to listen to her voice. Business was as slow as ever with no one needing a private detective at the moment. Still, Keitaro was hopeful that something interesting would come along. Sipping the tea that Shinobu had made for him, he looked to some old case files which he recalled with fond memories.
His phone rang. Expecting it to be a case, Keitaro picked it up and held it to his ear. "Urashima Detective Agency."
The next exclamation would cause Phillip to jump in shock.
"YOU'RE WHERE! I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!" He slammed the phone down.
"What is it, Keitaro?" Phillip asked as Keitaro straightened his tie and put on his jacket and hat. Seeing his brother this panicked about something was indeed rare and that meant that something bad had happened. Despite how emotional he was, it took something big to make him truly panic.
"Naru and Motoko are being held by the police for murder," Keitaro informed his brother.
"Nani!" Phillip gasped.
Hinata City Police Station
Keitaro parked his bike outside of the police station and went inside. He didn't slow down save for opening the door and didn't stop as he walked past officers and legal consultants who were populating the office space. He walked past Makura who tried to stop him, as what a rookie raised by the book in the academy was supposed to do.
"Hey, detective!" Mikio's partner called. "What are you doing here?" He tried to make a grab for Keitaro but the hardboiled (read halfboiled) detective remained out of reach.
Keitaro simply ignored the rookie detective and went to look for Mikio for some answers. If anyone knew just what the heck was going on then it would be him and right now he needed to know what was going on. Naru and Motoko? Murderers? Sure they were temperamental and violent, but they would never kill anyone. He had seen real killers before and helped bring his share of them to justice. Naru and Motoko definitely did not fit the profile after the experiences he had.
Then again, they weren't afraid of lashing out violently to anyone they deemed as perverts. All it would take would be the wrong strike to seriously hurt someone. For something like this, it was obvious that the two girls would be in the interrogation room. Keitaro, having spent much time here, knew where to look for it. Heading to the back areas of the station, he found the interrogation rooms easily enough. Thankfully all of the interrogation rooms had windows in the doors made the search easier. When he found the right place, he barged right in. "Mikio!"
His guess was right. Mikio was standing with his backscratcher in hand as he faced Motoko and Naru who were seated in chairs. It didn't seem like an official interrogation was happening yet since both Naru and Motoko were together. Knowing Mikio, he was trying the soft approach to getting information before letting his police training handle a harder one. "Oh, Keitaro-kun," Mikio spoke. "What are you doing here?"
"To see to my tenants," stated Keitaro. He eyed Motoko and Naru, "What did you do now?"
"We did nothing!" Motoko denied. "Now, ask them to release us!"
"Come on, Keitaro. You can pull some strings, right?" Naru nearly pleaded. This was not something she wanted. At least she was lucky enough not to be arrested where her classmates would see her. If this got on her permanent records, then she could kiss Tokyo U goodbye! The fact that Motoko was taken right outside of her school would completely destroy any sort of reputation that the young swordswoman had in the city.
Keitaro sighed and looked to Mikio. "What is this about?"
"Last night, we found a male body near your girls' dorm, Hinata-Sou. When the autopsy report came out, it was revealed that the victim had been slashed by a sword and received blunt force trauma by a fist," reported Mikio. He produced crime scene photos depicting a man who looked terribly cut up and bruised where his flesh was sliced open. Keitaro could tell that the one who did it was a person with a grudge and wasn't afraid of using force.
Keitaro frowned. Sword slashes? Blunt force trauma by a fist? He eyed Naru and Motoko. "Don't you have reasonable doubt?" he asked.
"I do, but you have to look at the past list of charges these girls have against them," said Mikio. "You'll be surprised." Reaching into his jacket again, Mikio produced two sheets of paper listing several incidents which involved Motoko or Naru. Keitaro's eyes bulged at the number of incidents as Mikio continued. "We let off most of these since the people who were attacked are confirmed perverts who have a history of such behavior like peeping or groping young women on the trains or something. Other incidents were sheer accidents."
"A guy tripped and fell and pulled your skirt down?" Keitaro blinked, looking to Naru who flushed.
"How else was I supposed to take it?" Naru cried out indignantly.
"Some of these accident people were going to press charges though," Keitaro frowned as he read the sheets. "They dropped them later though. Why?"
"I believe your grandmother had something to say about that," Mikio shrugged. "But, if they didn't want to press charges then it's no problem to me. However, this latest incident can't be ignored. Someone died this time and your two tenants both had the means and the history to pull this off. Frankly half the punks who were here when we brought them in cringed in fear."
"As they should, the perverts," Motoko growled.
"Not helping yourself by saying that," Keitaro spoke, making the kendo girl frown. "I know they are your prime suspects, but is it alright if I post bail for them?"
"Well, we don't have any evidence to keep them here, but do you have the money?" asked Mikio.
Keitaro's wallet would be crying that day.
Later…
Naru and Motoko followed Keitaro out of the courthouse with their heads down. The bail hearing had been harsh with the public prosecutor speaking out against both girls and their violent history with Keitaro defending them. Finally the judge agreed to a hefty sum which Keitaro would be feeling the effects of for some time to come. Still, the girls left along with Keitaro with sour looks on their faces. The idea of owing a male anything was appalling to Motoko, and Naru hated owing anybody anything. Regardless, if it wasn't for Keitaro, they would be spending the night in the slammer.
Motoko just felt humiliated and humbled.
"You're so going to pay me back every single Yen I spent to bail you out," stated Keitaro. Both girls flinched at that statement since the bail money was hefty. "Now, I've called Haruka-san to pick you both up in a taxi. Go back to Hinata-sou and stay there."
"Keitaro…thanks," said Naru.
"Don't thank me yet," said Keitaro. "You're both prime suspects in this murder and from the files Mikio showed me, your chances don't look good. If this gets brought to court, then there is going to be a long line of witnesses to testify against you."
Motoko had her shinai returned to her. If she had been holding her sword, then things would've been bad if she had it confiscated. Her sword, Shisui was only entrusted to her by her family and having it taken away would have been a grievous insult. She shuddered at the thought of her family finding out about what was happening.
Haruka eventually did arrive with a taxi. Her eyes were even but it was obvious she was upset. She was finishing up her cigarette and shaking the ash at the end off. Of course, when it was done she just lit up a new one. Keitaro and the girls knew that Haruka only chain smoked when she was upset about something. The events of the day certainly qualified.
"Haruka-san, please make sure they get home," Keitaro told his aunt, gesturing to the girls.
"OK, Keitaro," nodded Haruka. She glanced at the pair. "Both of you. In. Now."
"I'm going to get to the bottom of this," Keitaro said to Naru and Motoko. Even if they got off on a rocky start and at some times they didn't get along, Keitaro was not about to let two innocent girls go to prison.
When Naru and Motoko got home, they immediately locked themselves in their rooms. The events of the day had taken their toll on the girls. Right now, Motoko wanted to forget about her experience. However, school would be hell the next day. She had been arrested right outside of school.
As for Naru, she buried herself in her books. Usually, she would have Granny Hina to talk to about her problems. She wanted to blame someone, anyone, for this mess but she could not find who. She looked to the spot where the hole on her floor used to be. Keitaro and Phillip had sealed it up a while ago to avoid any accidents that would lead to a misunderstanding. Now, her Liddo-kun was just sitting there. Taking the doll into her arms, she hugged it. She just wished she could forget being in that interrogation room but she couldn't, and seeing those pictures horrified her.
For both girls, it was starting to hit home that their violent actions (which they felt justified) were coming back to haunt them.
Keitaro went to the scene of the crime. Mikio was helpful enough to give him directions. It was sealed off by police tape and on the ground was a chalk outline of the body. There were dried bloodstains on the ground too. With a frown, Keitaro got off his bike to inspect the area.
It was close to Hinata-Sou, sure, and as for the victim, Mikio was generous enough to tell Keitaro about him. The guy had been labeled a pervert since he would flirt with girls, touch them inappropriately and make inappropriate comments. He had a few misconduct charges pending against him. However, as bad as he was, he didn't deserve to die in such a gruesome way. Now, this murder was being pinned on Naru and Motoko. By solving this case, he would clear their names.
However, the list of charges against them was huge. Though they had been dropped, they could still be used against Naru and Motoko if they were brought to court for the actual murder. The evidence was against them. The state of the body fit their individual MO's against perverts. Also, plenty of people had seen them lose their tempers numerous times and end up attacking the source. There was no question that the pair was violent and a lot of people could confirm that.
He would need to ask the two of their whereabouts during the time of death. The autopsy confirmed that the man had been murdered between the hours of 5 and 6 the previous evening. Unfortunately, Naru and Motoko weren't home at that time, either working at cram school or at the kendo club. Their alibis should check out, but people would still question them unless there was video evidence of some kind. The corpse had been found by a jogger at around 9 pm, lying face up in his own blood. There had been no signs of a struggle and no evidence save for his wounds. That made Keitaro believe that the body might have been dumped there to set up the frame, but he needed more evidence to confirm that.
Keitaro wasn't sure if it was the work of a Dopant or not, and he didn't care. The culprit will be brought to justice.
Shinobu was in the brothers' office, tidying up their room. Despite being detectives, they could sure be messy. Shinobu replaced Phillip's books onto the shelf and straightened out some of the files on Keitaro's desk. Her eyes went to one of his fedora hats which were on the table. Looking around to see that nobody was around, Shinobu picked it up and put it on. She looked to the mirror and noted her appearance. She sighed, "I'm just a child. No way Keitaro-sempai would ever notice me."
She had noted that Naru and Motoko seemed quiet when they returned home. Without even a greeting they entered and went straight to their rooms. Haruka wasn't talking either. What had happened?
"Maybe Phillip-sempai knows," thought Shinobu aloud. At the moment, Phillip was helping Su with another one of her inventions.
"Okay, spill,"
Keitaro sighed. Just by walking in the door he was cornered by Kitsune. The foxy-eyed woman had her hands on her hips. Her posture told him she meant business since there wasn't an ounce of seduction being produced by her. She wanted to know and she wanted to know now!
"It's not for me to tell, Kitsune," Keitaro sighed as he walked past the blonde only to get yanked back by his tie.
"Keitaro, Naru and Motoko have locked themselves in their rooms without telling us. Naru won't even let me in," Kitsune frowned. "Haruka isn't saying anything and the rest of us are real worried. Something bad happened so tell me what it is."
"…" Keitaro frowned, keeping his silence.
"Keitaro…please," Kitsune sighed, her eyes opening silently. "Naru and Motoko are really hurting over something and as their friend I can't just do nothing."
"…fine," Keitaro sighed. Looking around, he saw that neither Shinobu nor Su were around to listen in. "Okay, this doesn't reach Shinobu or Su…but, Naru and Motoko were arrested today under suspicion for murder."
"WHAT?" Kitsune cried, her eyes springing wide open. "No way! Naru and Motoko wouldn't do anything like that!"
"I know that but the police don't," Keitaro frowned. "A body was found near the dorm covered in sword cuts and bruises caused by bare fists. The guy was a confirmed pervert too. The sort of guy both of them would go off on."
"Oh damn!" Kitsune hissed. "I kept telling her that she can't go off on people like she does. But since no one seemed to bring it up…"
"It fell to the wayside," Keitaro nodded. "We both know they wouldn't willingly kill anyone, but with their history and their habit of overreacting to that sort of thing…"
"The police have a strong case saying they did," Kitsune groaned. "Dammit! Dammit! I can't believe this! I should have said something sooner! Naru's been going off like she does ever since she started high school. Guys would proposition her and then try to get fresh, she'd lose her temper and knock them silly but they wouldn't quit!"
"Is that why she dresses like a complete nerd?" asked Keitaro. "When I got to the station she was dressed in a sweatshirt and a skirt with her hair done in braids and coke bottle glasses."
"Yeah, she and I thought it up after one jerk tried to get a date by dragging her along," Kitsune sighed, massaging her temple. "We figured if she dressed up like a geek then guys wouldn't try to chase her like they did. Worked too. Those pigs didn't even recognize her. But…"
"The damage was done," Keitaro nodded. "Any guy who tried to get close just reminded her of those guys before and when they tried to make a move, pow."
"Yeah," Kitsune sighed. "I thought she was getting better since I graduated last year and hadn't heard of any incidents, but now this…"
"And what about Motoko?" Keitaro asked.
"Well, she's pretty set in her ways about men being pervs and deserving whatever punishment she dishes out. She doesn't tell us why, but she can get ticked off by guys if they even seem perverted," Kitsune answered. "Oh…god…why is this happening?"
"Kitsune, trust me and Phillip. We'll get to the bottom of this," Keitaro swore as he pulled the distraught young woman into a hug. Kitsune was worried about her friends. She had every reason to.
Kaolla was knocking on Motoko's door. "Motoko, come out. I want to play with you," called Kaolla. There was no answer, but the door was locked. "Are you asleep? Motoko?"
Inside, Motoko ignored Su. She couldn't face her friend. Even if news hadn't gotten out, she knew it was only a matter of time. She just stayed in her meditative pose to clear her mind, but then the pictures and questions being asked after the arrest still plagued her mind.
"So, you think someone framed the girls?' asked Phillip.
"Exactly," answered Keitaro. "It's the only other conclusion. After reading the files, though, a part of me really thinks they did it but they didn't know they killed someone."
"They do have the strength to send someone flying," Phillip acknowledged. "So, accidental manslaughter?"
"Not as bad as actual murder, but still bad," nodded Keitaro. "They'll get a lighter sentence but I don't think they'll handle it any better."
Phillip was looking through the files containing all the charges against the girls. It was a long list of people who would want to frame Naru and Motoko. They had every reason to, considering how violent both girls were.
"It will be difficult to narrow the list down," said Phillip. "We need more evidence."
"Once Mikio gets something I'll be able to get it," said Keitaro. "For now, we have to make sure Naru and Motoko stay out of trouble. The police are going to be watching their every move. If they attack anyone, for any reason, I won't be able to bail them out."
"I doubt Motoko will be having a pleasant day tomorrow," Phillip commented. "Everyone saw her get taken away by the police. I'm sure they were overheard too. Word like that spreads fast."
"I know," Keitaro sighed.
Motoko's day at school began horribly. The students who'd seen her getting taken by the police were staring and whispering. Motoko hated this sort of attention. It was like she was being judged as guilty before innocent.
Her desk had been defiled by harsh words. Before now, nobody would dare to do something like this, but since her arrest the previous day, it would seem that people have started to lose respect for her.
'Then again, did they respect me at all or were they just afraid of me?' Motoko thought bitterly to herself as yet another note calling her all sorts of horrible names showed up on her desk.
By the end of the day, Motoko thought she could just cry. Of course she wouldn't allow herself to considering her position, but she was sorely tempted to. The students ostracized her and the only contact she got was in notes calling her a murderer or a number of other names. The teachers turned a blind eye to it, not wanting to get involved. Of course, the second Motoko gripped her shinai, everyone gave her space, afraid she'd lash out against them. Everywhere she went the people gave her a wide berth as long as she had her shinai. Anyone who came close looked like they were terrified, as if she were going to cut them down.
'Was I really such a horrible person?' the young Aoyama thought to herself.
Naru's day progressed somewhat easier. Since she had been taken at the train station, her classmates didn't know it was her who had been arrested. Of course, everyone heard about the arrest of some violent woman. As such, everyone began talking about rumors about a crazy violent girl who would attack people just for talking to her. Naru blanched out when she heard such interpretations of her temper going out of control. Sure she'd belt perverts who felt her up…and maybe some guys who ended up doing something by accident…but the wounds never lasted, did they?
Apparently they did. Naru heard about people who were put in the hospital by the rumored maniac who would punch people who got near her. She couldn't comprehend why people would think of her behavior that way.
'I couldn't have been that bad, could I?' she thought as she continued to listen to the numerous rumors about her temper.
Kaolla Su skipped along the shopping district with Shinobu after school. Shinobu was feeling depressed. She had heard the rumors which had reached her school. She looked to Su who didn't seem affected. Either she didn't understand what was going or didn't hear.
Kaolla's eyes brightened as she saw a familiar man wearing a red Santa coat and hat over his clothes. He didn't have the beard of the Christmas icon, but all the children called him Santa-chan. He had a habit of giving away random gifts to people, greeting them with 'Merry Christmas' no matter what day it was.
"Santa-chan!" Kaolla jumped towards the man.
"Oh, it's you, Su-chan!" Santa-chan smiled. He reached into his sack and handed her a wrapped present. "Here you go! Merry Christmas!"
"Thank you!" Kaolla accepted the gift and smiled. Shinobu smiled slightly at her friend's happiness.
"Oh, and here's something for you too, Shinobu-chan!" Santa-chan said as he handed her a gift as well. "Merry Christmas!"
"Thank you," Shinobu accepted. She wondered what it was. It was always random but still nice.
Shinobu then saw another familiar face. It was Watcherman and he was eyeing them. "Oh, Watcherman-san," Shinobu bowed in greeting.
"Isn't it Shinobu-chan and Su-chan!" the afro-haired man said. "How are you two cuties doing today?"
"Well…" Shinobu wasn't sure what to say.
"We had fun today!" Su answered.
Though Keitaro and Phillip considered Watcherman a mild annoyance, he was their informant. If she couldn't find out from Naru or Motoko, then maybe she could find out from this man right here.
Motoko again retreated to her room after her day at school. She just couldn't get away fast enough. The way people were talking about her had hurt. She tried to keep herself composed but it was just too much. She felt physically ill and mentally exhausted from all the harsh words thrown around about her. Again she wanted to cry and after a day like this, she nearly did.
She heard a knock at the door and shouted, "Go away!"
"Motoko, your sister called today," said Haruka from the other side.
Motoko paled. Her day had just become worse.
"Anything on the case yet Mikio?" Keitaro asked his friend as they conversed in the police station.
"We're getting some clues together," Mikio nodded. "What about the girls? Did you get their alibis?"
"Naru told me she was studying at the library, and Motoko said she was doing some private training in her school's gym," said Keitaro. "Unfortunately, they don't have anyone who can vouch for them."
"Well, for now we have circumstantial evidence. However, with the evidence we have, their history of violence, and all the testimonies against them, things don't look too good for them," Mikio informed him.
"Can you give me what you have about the clues?" asked Keitaro. Phillip would need the clues to perform his search in the Gaia Library.
Shinobu walked home in a daze. She thought her whole world was crashing down on her again. Of course Su in her innocence didn't seem to notice. Watcherman was more than happy to explain what the current rumors were concerning her friends. She just never thought that Motoko and Naru, her two sempai, would be accused of murder! That just wasn't possible! They may have had their temper problems when boys were involved, but they never outright harmed people seriously, much less take their lives away!
"Wasn't that this silliest thing?" Su laughed out loud, her reaction to the rumor Watcherman had heard. "Motoko and Naru take down bad guys all the time. No way they'd take out someone on purpose. Nope! Nope!"
"That's right!" Shinobu nodded, her belief reaffirmed by Su's declaration. "Someone is just playing a very mean joke on Motoko-sempai and Naru-sempai!"
"Yeah! And Keitaro's on the case too!" Su grinned. "Those baddies are as good as caught!"
"Yes!" Shinobu nodded. "They'll find whoever is doing this and make sure they can't do it again!"
"Okay, I think I have what we need," Keitaro spoke as he met up with Phillip in their room/office. He had gotten home just after Shinobu and Su who had immediately gone to see if Motoko and Naru needed any emotional support. Keitaro got the feeling that the pair had discovered what their older friends had been so down about. "Feel up to checking out the Gaia Library?"
"Always," Phillip nodded. Standing straight, he slipped into a trance before his mental projection was found inside the white room with the countless amounts of bookcases. "I am ready to begin."
"Good. Pay attention," Keitaro nodded as he got his list of keywords ready. "First, look for articles with Motoko Aoyama and Naru Narusegawa in them."
Phillip quickly began eliminating the books and shelves which did not have those two names in them. When they were gone, he relaxed again, "Done. Next?"
"Next keyword: Assault," Keitaro announced.
Phillip nodded and eliminated what wasn't involved with the new keyword, but not many shelves vanished from it. Still, it narrowed the search, even if only a little. "Next word please."
"Hospital," Keitaro answered.
Phillip looked to the shelves and surprising number of them was quickly eliminated. Of course, despite their weak hold on their tempers, Naru and Motoko did have a good amount of control on their physical abilities. That in itself was a small mercy. Only one set of shelves remained.
"Many books are left. Is there anything more?" asked Phillip.
"Yeah. Charges dropped." Keitaro nodded.
Phillip looked to the last set of shelves where a single book moved into the air. Smiling, he grabbed it and opened to see the wealth of information inside, "A list of names of people who were planning to charge Motoko and Naru after their assaults landed them in the hospital, but then dropped them."
As Phillip returned to the real world with the information fresh in his mind, Keitaro sighed, "Oh man. How many names are there?"
"Not many," Phillip answered, beginning to write on the whiteboards. "Only three instances and those are because Naru and Motoko attacked at the same time. Granny Hina got involved and managed to get the people to drop the charges."
"Do you think we should ask Granny how she convinced those guys to drop the charges?" asked Keitaro.
"Knowing Granny, she either explained why Naru and Motoko are the way they are, or she threatened them. If the person was a pervert, then I suspect the latter, but the former would mean an accident."
"How many of them are accidents then?" asked Keitaro. "In all likelihood the one doing this felt the need for revenge so it's probably someone Granny threatened into dropping the charges."
"Only one of those, but the other two were accidents and we can't assume that the people involved were all that forgiving," Phillip answered, still writing names.
"Right, well, at least questioning three people will be easier than questioning the entire list," stated Keitaro. "OK, so, what do you have?"
Phillip finished writing the names. He pointed to them and said here are the names. "We have one Kentaro Sakata, Masayuki Haitani and Kimiaki Shirai. These are the names I found."
"Alright, got it," nodded Keitaro as he wrote the names down inside his notebook. "Alright, they shouldn't be hard to find. Their addresses should be listed."
To keep her mind off the day's depressing events, Motoko decided to do some training outside. Keitaro had asked her questions concerning her whereabouts during the victim's time of death. She had told him that she had been training in the school's gym, alone, with no witnesses. She stuck by her alibi but that wouldn't help her without any proof. Motoko begrudgingly accepted that both Keitaro and Phillip were skilled detectives. Not once had they actually failed a case. They were dedicated, hardworking, and also possessed a powerful sense of justice. They were totally unlike her general view of males.
Her conversation with her sister had gone horribly. Tsuruko didn't doubt Matoko's innocence but she was angry that Motoko would use their family's art to attack unarmed men simply because she believed they were being perverted. When Motoko told her that Keitaro and Phillip were working on proving her innocence, Tsuruko gave her a not-so-subtle warning. Motoko felt ill after Tsuruko gave her the warning, never thinking that her actions would have consequences.
She hadn't even attended her after-school kendo club. How could she face the other club members with all the hate, fear and distrust being thrown around at her?
While Naru herself hadn't gotten any malicious notes, the rumors she heard had been just as bad. People called her a self-righteous psycho. She never paid any mind to what people said about her since she believed that if she got into Tokyo U that everything would change for her. However, the murder with her being one of the prime suspects was really getting to her. Her mind just couldn't focus on studying. How could she? All she could imagine was being locked away once the judge made his verdict. She had never been in a courthouse before. She had been nervous wreck during the bail hearing. The prosecutor certainly had it out for her and Motoko but Keitaro had defended them. He had definitely proven himself a law graduate by how well he had defended them and argued whilst countering all the statements the prosecutor had been making. It still cost him a lot of money to bail her and Motoko out.
Naru stared at her fist that she used to punish perverts. She had never thought of the after-effects her punch would have on people. She never thought people would ever press charges, but they had. No wonder Granny Hina had been so nice to her. It had all been thanks to Granny Hina that the charges were dropped.
Naru ran her hand through her hair. So much had happened since the Brothers Urashima's arrival. She used to think they were perverts but then she herself saw what they were doing for others. Not only that they had actually built a divider fence for the hot spring so that both genders could use it peacefully. She had inspected the fence and saw nothing wrong with it. There were no peepholes or anything and the top of the fence were sharp so climbing up would be very unsafe.
She just had to convince herself they weren't really perverts. Now, her and Motoko's freedom was in their hands.
Keitaro was currently sitting in a café with his first suspect, Masayuki Haitani. The guy was somewhat tall with a ponytail and small frame glasses. He was a second year ronin who was constantly distracted by pretty girls. He definitely tried to be a womanizer, but his verbal skills left a lot to be desired. A waitress had slapped him for some cheesy pickup line just before Keitaro managed to sit down with him, but the guy just laughed it off.
"Ah, kendo girl and super nerd," Haitani nodded sagely. "Honestly, I go to the same cram school as super nerd and the only reason I know how she really looks is because I caught her walking home with kendo girl one day. I tried talking to them so I could get a date, but…"
"You said something they perceived as perverted and they both belted you one," Keitaro finished.
"Yep!" Haitani laughed. "Broke my nose too. Man that wasn't fun. My parents were so pissed off about that. They wanted to have the two arrested for assault even thought I was the one who provoked them,"
"So you weren't the one who tried to file charges?" asked Keitari.
"Against cute girls like them? Nah," Haitani laughed. "Anyway, my parents were pretty adamant until Granny Hina showed up to explain a few things. Turns out those two had some bad experiences with men which made them pretty high strung. She didn't go into detail with me, but she did with my parents. When it was all over they seemed to pity the two rather than be mad at them."
"So you don't have any kind of grudge against them?" Keitaro pressed.
"Nope. I know the risks of hitting on hot girls," Haitani nodded. "This is Tokyo after all."
"That it is," Keitaro agreed. Keitaro studied Haitani, of course, during the whole interview. The guy seemed harmless, but when it concerned murder, anyone was capable of anything.
Keitaro found the 2nd suspect, Shirai, in an arcade. The young man wore his hair in a ponytail like Haitani but had a shorter and chubbier build than the previous suspect. At the moment, Shirai was playing a shooting game when Keitaro came up to him.
"Hi, my name's Keitaro Urashima. We spoke on the phone, remember?" Keitaro asked, getting the 2nd year ronin's attention.
"Huh?" the young man blinked before his character died. "Nuts. Hmm, oh yeah. You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"
"Yeah. Do the names Motoko Aoyama and Naru Narusegawa mean anything to you?" he asked bluntly.
"Uhhh, oh yeah! Those two girls who left me unconscious for a day!" Shirai gasped. "Man, I told Haitani we shouldn't have hit on them like that. It's risky to hit on cute girls in groups you know? Set one of them off and they all come down on you!"
"Right, so you were thinking of pressing charges?" asked Keitaro.
"Me? Nah. My family had that idea," Shirai shrugged. "Really, I know about the history of those girls you know? I mean, I went to the same high school as Narusegawa so I was able to see those guys hitting on her. Despite how well off academically the school is, some of the guys there can be real jerks who can't take no for an answer. I'm not surprised Narusegawa started lashing out like that. It's probably the only real defense she had."
"And Motoko Aoyama?" asked Keitaro.
"Who hasn't heard about her?" Shirai shrugged. "She's a notorious pervert hunter. I mean, lots of girls look up to her since she's probably crushed more of those bus or train gropers than the cops have since she started coming to school here."
"Okay, so what made your folks change their minds?"
"Well, Granny Hina did. I tried explaining what I knew but it wasn't until Granny Hina stopped by that they decided that it was true," Shirai answered. "My parents seemed more upset at people for letting this happen to those girls than what they do on a regular basis."
"Right," Keitaro nodded, taking notes.
Keitaro found his 3rd and last suspect at an office building. From what Phillip had told him concerning Kentaro Sakata, he was the son of the company's president and would most likely takeover.
"This isn't going to be easy," muttered Keitaro. He entered the building. When he went to the receptionist, he asked that he wanted to speak with Kentaro Sakata. Unfortunately, the woman wasn't at liberty to give Keitaro permission unless he made an appointment. Keitaro confirmed that he had earlier.
Sakata was a high ranked executive in the company. The position was probably handed down to him by his father. He found Kentaro's office after he exited the elevator and knocked on the door.
"Come on in," the voice from the other side, answered. Keitaro opened the door and looked at Sakata. He was about Keitaro's age, maybe a year or two older, with short blond hair, a handsome face, and wearing a grey business suit.
"I'm Keitaro Urashima. I called you," said Keitaro.
"Oh, yes. It's about that murder case, right?" Sakata asked. Keitaro noted that the man had bags under his eyes and was fidgeting. "Come, sit down. Let's talk."
Keitaro took his seat across from Sakata and began the interview. However, before he could get a word in edgewise, the door opened and an attractive secretary came in. Kentaro leered at her as she came in and put the cup of coffee on his desk. As she turned to exit, he pinched her bottom, causing her to yelp and blush before darting out.
This was the sort of behavior Motoko and Naru felt justified to punish.
The hardboiled detective stepped out of the office building with a frown. The guy was indeed pure justification for Motoko and Naru's attitudes towards men in general. He pinched his secretary twice during their interview, both times embarrassing her to no end. Keitaro was currently speaking into his phone, "Phillip, I've interviewed them. Shirai and Haitani look clean and I don't think they have the guts to do something like this, but…"
"Something happened when you interviewed Sakata," concluded Phillip.
"The guy looked like he was on drugs. He was in a foul mood. So either he really is on drugs or he's got a Gaia Memory. Not only that he's been harassing the female employees and getting them fired when they don't 'put out'," Keitaro frowned.
"How did you find that out?" asked the bookish Urashima.
"His employees have loose tongues," Keitaro replied. "He's been able to get away with a lot since he's the son of the president, but almost everyone hates him save for the people who suck up to him in hopes of a promotion. A few women tried suing him for sexual harassment, but those were settled out of court. Do you have anything on him?"
"A fair bit," Phillip answered. "He's not only harassed his female employees, but also high school and university girls in the past. Complaints have been lodged and he's even been banned from setting foot on one school's property."
"I'm beginning to see why the police weren't too enthusiastic about pursuing his charges," Keitaro muttered.
"There's more," Phillip continued. "He's been seen in the company of the murder victim. The victim is usually the one who helps him find girls to flirt with and maybe get lucky at the same time. The last time anyone had seen them together was…"
"Lemme guess, the guy tried to pick up Motoko and Naru for his boss," Keitaro chuckled."Sakata tried his act and did something perverted and set them both off."
"You got it," Phillip nodded on his end. "Both spent time in the hospital, trying to file charges before Granny Hina decided to pay them a visit. After which he dropped the charges completely."
"Yeah, Sakata was being vague about that part," Keitaro frowned. "Okay, we've got a new suspect who's got motive, means, and opportunity. Suddenly Motoko and Naru don't look so guilty anymore."
"We still need evidence to point him to the crime. Unless he actually confesses, which I doubt will happen, we have nothing," said Phillip.
"Then we have to draw him out into a trap," said Keitaro. "I think I have a plan."
"You want me to post on my blog that Motoko-chan and Naru-chan are innocent?" asked Watcherman.
"Your blog is the most viewed in the country," stated Keitaro. "And people eat up your words. If you are able to convince a huge majority of people that Naru and Motoko are innocent, you can rally support for them."
"And draw the real murderer out?" Watcherman asked.
"That's the plan. When he finds out his plan hasn't worked, he'll try to deal things personally. That is when Phillip and I will nab him," Keitaro nodded.
"Wow, Kei-chan, that is a good plan! I'll start right now! By tomorrow evening, your friends are going to be free of suspicion."
"Let's hope so. I haven't talked to Mikio yet."
"Hmmm. It's a good plan," Mikio nodded as he read over Keitaro's notes and theories. "If Aoyama-san and Narusegawa-san are indeed being framed, then Sakata has the most reason to do it. He's rarely turned down and being attacked like he was no doubt was humiliating. He was even in contact with the victim too. This does put some doubt on the case against your tenants."
"Good," Keitaro nodded with relief. "Now, how about my plan with Watcherman?"
"Now that will be a sight to see," Mikio nodded. "Just remember that despite the suspicions and motive, the best I could do is formally interrogate him. It'll be up to you to keep an eye on him. If he does try to retaliate against the girls, then we'll come. Until then, it's up to you."
"Got it." Keitaro nodded.
As predicted, Watcherman came through. When highly motivated, Watcherman could produce a very persuasive argument on his blog. His blog, with modest pictures of Naru and Motoko, discussed about their involvement with the murders and the rumors, while at the same time writing in his own views and opinions on the case and the girls. He wrote about what he believed to be the truth. He wrote about Keitaro's theory that the two were being framed. He used every bit of useful information that Keitaro had given him in order to produce the article. As soon as it came online, it was viewed and the hit counter had collected a huge number in only a few hours.
Motoko, who was reluctant to attend school, was soon swarmed by her fellow schoolmates. They weren't coming to slander or call her bad names. Rather, they were apologizing to her for the harsh treatment they had given her the previous two day.
Naru's day was actually getting better. The negative gossip had turned around and now people were starting to have doubts about her involvement in the murder and wondering about the real truth.
As for Sakata, as he as surfing the Internet, he came upon the blog and in his rage broke his monitor when he through his cup right through it, sending glass flying. Not only were people proclaiming the two girls' innocence, but they were also sending a suspicious light on him!
"Those bitches!" he snarled angrily.
Motoko was walking home with a smile on her face and almost had a spring in her step. Everyone from the older students to the teachers were apologizing for their harsh treatment of her. Her old fan club had returned in a dash, crying for ever doubting her in the first place. It was indeed a good day for her.
Meeting up with Naru, the pair chatted slightly about how their days had gone, considering the fierce and the negative rumors and/or mutterings about them. It was indeed a much better day than it had been for a while.
"So, do you think we're in the clear yet?" asked Naru.
"While public opinion in on our side, we are still under suspicion," Motoko sighed. "Although I have a feeling that Urashima is behind the sudden mass outcry of our innocence."
"Yeah, we owe him big time," Naru sighed. "He didn't have to help us considering how badly we've treated him."
"Yes. If we do come out of this, I will owe him greatly," Motoko nodded. "The money for our bail alone will take me some time to collect so as to repay him."
"Then that just means we have to get part time jobs," sighed Naru. The figures were still fresh in her mind.
"As annoying as he is, Watcherman knows how to rally support," mused Keitaro as he read all the comments for Watcherman's latest blog entry.
"Soon, our suspect will reveal himself," stated Phillip. "Have you sent the Bat Shot and Stag Phone out to watch over them?"
"Our gadgets have been shadowing them all day," Keitaro told his brother. "When they are in danger, we'll know."
Phillip nodded at that. Curiously, the bookworm asked, "How much do the girls owe you?"
"Enough for me to hold it over them," answered Keitaro.
"YOU BITCHES!"
Naru and Motoko turned to see a well-dressed, yet ragged, looking Kentaro Sakata glaring at them.
"Hey, you're that perv that tried to feel me up!" Naru identified.
Both Naru and Motoko could easily recall the incident with the man. It was before Granny Hina had left on her trip. Both Motoko and Naru had been walking home when a pair of older guys started talking to them. They were a little pushy, but both girls tried the cold shoulder approach. Of course, that ended when both of them tried an arm wraparound move which placed their hands in the 'no touch' areas. As such, Motoko and Naru belted the pair good, leaving them in the middle of the sidewalk.
"That's right," Sakata's eyes narrowed. "You just couldn't let things go as I've planned, could you? It was a perfect plan. The evidence pointed to you. Then you had to hire a detective to prove yourselves innocent!"
"You mean YOU started this?" Motoko frowned, reaching for her shinai. She did not like the look in this pervert's eyes. It spoke of blood.
"After how you two humiliated me, I say it's fair!" Reaching into his coat, Sakata pulled out a silver USB flash drive that had a rib-like design and an 'S' stamped on it. "Well then, if you two aren't just going to lie down like good dogs, then I'LL MAKE YOU!"
"SAMURAI!"
Phillip's Stag Phone began to beep rapidly and he took it out of his pocket before flipping it open. Keitaro was out of his seat as soon as he heard it.
"Dopant!" the brothers cried as the blip on the screen confirmed the activation of a Gaia Memory.
As soon as he plugged the Gaia Memory into the USB port-like tattoo that was on the base of his neck, Sakata's body erupted with energy as he mutated. Red fog circled around him as his body shifted and changed. Emerging from it was a blood red armored figure that looked like a demonic samurai. His legs were encased in rib-like armor and his chest armor looked like it was embedded with skulls. His face appeared to be that of a traditional oni with a large horn rising from his forehead. Strapped to his back was a pair of katana blades which seemed almost impossibly long.
"Wagh!" Naru screamed in terror, seeing the monster in front of her.
"Another demon!" Motoko hissed, wishing she had brought Shisui rather than her usual shinai. A bamboo sword made a poor rival to one made of metal.
"Now just DIIEEEEE!" the Samurai Dopant bellowed, drawing his katanas and charging at the pair.
As he lunged for them both, two flying objects suddenly swooped down from the sky, crashing against the Dopant's face, knocking him senseless before knocking him back. Motoko and Naru looked at the objects in confusion before they flew into the hands of someone who had been approaching from behind.
"Keitaro?/Urashima?" the two young women gasped.
"Kentaro Sakata," said Keitaro as he walked passed Naru and Motoko. "You are under arrest for murder and for being in possession of an illegal Gaia Memory."
"Hmph! Like you're going to bring me in? I doubt it!" the Samurai Dopant snarled as he got his bearings back. "Besides, if you're going to arrest somebody, arrest them!" he pointed at the stunned Motoko and Naru with a clawed finger.
"Wh-wh-what?" Naru babbled, still reeling from the strangeness of the situation.
"Why should we be arrested?" demanded Motoko. "We have not done anything wrong!"
"Ha! That's rich! Don't you two get it? You two are the monsters, not me! You two attack people just for gesturing at you wrong! I know! I've done my research into you two bitches! Parents tell their kids to stay away from people like you! You two are ten times scarier than I could ever be!" the Dopant declared, causing Motoko and Naru to flinch slightly, recalling the rumors and looks they'd received when they had been under suspicion.
"And yet you killed a man," said Keitaro, eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "You constantly sexually harass your female employees and you harass schoolgirls before you hide in your father's money when things go bad. If anyone deserves to face Motoko and Naru's wrath, it's people like you!"
"Grrrrrrr! I'll kill you!" the Samurai Dopant bellowed, raising his swords again for a second charge.
"Naru! Motoko! I'm going to hold him off," Keitaro told the girls. "You both return to the dorm!"
"But what about you?" asked Naru. Motoko grabbed her arm. "Motoko?"
"Come on, Naru! I need to get my sword!" She spoke to Keitaro, "Be sure you survive, Urashima. I don't want you to die before my debt is repaid."
Keitaro nodded. The girls fled.
"GET BACK HERE!" the Samurai Dopant roared as he gave chase but then Keitaro performed a kick into his chest, sending him reeling.
Going into an Urashima-ryu stance, Keitaro took out the Double Driver. "Phillip, it's two in one time!" He strapped the belt on and pulled out his Gaia Memory.
"JOKER!"
Phillip's own Double Driver belt appeared. At the same time, Shinobu was walking past the door when she heard something.
"CYCLONE!"
"Huh?" Shinobu blinked.
"Henshin!"
"Henshin?" Shinobu opened the door slightly and gasped when Phillip suddenly fell over. "Sempai!" She ran inside and knelt over his unconscious body. "Not again!" she wailed.
"CYCLONE-JOKER!"
Energy from the belt was summoned and bonded to his body to form his half green and half black suit of armor.
"Now, prepare to count your crimes," said Double. He then charged towards the Samurai Dopant. The Dopant dodged a punch and slashed Double across the chest, causing the Rider to stagger back and grunt in pain. The Samurai Dopant then performed several slashes that connected with Double's chest, sending him tumbling along the ground. The Dopant then began to kick Double in the ribs.
"Once I'm done with you, those bitches are next!"the Samurai Dopant yelled. He brought his leg down to stomp on Double's face but Double caught the foot and pushed it off, sending the Dopant staggering backwards. Double picked himself back up onto his fist and went into a stance. The Samurai Dopant wasn't impressed as she slashed his swords, creating vacuum blades which cut through the air. Ducking to the side, Double suddenly heard a stone sliding before he spotted a decorative statue coming apart, cut perfectly.
"He's tough," said Phillip.
"I know that," agreed Keitaro. "But we can't let him get to the girls."
"Haven't you heard of never coming to a swordfight empty handed?" taunted the Dopant.
"Then, we'll up the ante,"declared Keitaro as Double pulled a blue Gaia Memory.
"TRIGGER!"
He took out the Joker Memory and replaced it with the Trigger Memory, spreading the buckle apart to activate it.
"CYCLONE-TRIGGER!"
Double's black half turned blue with lighter blue highlights. Attached to his chest was a blue submachine gun with a yellow 'W' stamped on it
Double drew his gun and said, "Here's my retort: never bring a sword to a gunfight." He pulled the trigger and fired blasts of concentrated air at the Samurai Dopant. However, the Dopant used his sword to deflect the blasts. The bullets had been cut in two by the blades and sent swerving in directions away from the Samurai Dopant.
"My sword can cut through anything," the Dopant taunted, "Even wind!"
Double cursed as the Samurai Dopant charged and slashed at him. He rolled out of the way.
"Keitaro, let me try something," said Phillip.
"Whatever it is, do it now," replied Keitaro.
Double's right hand took out the Cyclone Memory then replaced it with the Luna Memory.
"LUNA-TRIGGER!"
His green half turned yellow as the Memory's power was activated. Rising to his feet, Double made sure to put some distance between himself and the Dopant. Gripping his weapon, Double took aim at his enemy again. However, the Samurai Dopant laughed, finding the attempt amusing rather than threatening. "Your gun is useless. I'll just cut your ammo in half!"
"This is different," declared Double as he fired a yellow energy beam at the Dopant. The Dopant prepared to cut it but at the very last moment the beam curved and then struck him from behind, causing him to stagger forward in shock.
"What!" the Dopant gaped.
Double pressed on with his advantage and continued to fire on the Dopant who tried to counter the beams, but they kept curving and striking him from blind spots. Double kept the barrage up, wanting to be sure that the Samurai Dopant would not be able to dodge or cut through more attacks like the kind he had in mind.
"Time to end this," concluded Phillip.
"Yes, time for a Memory Break," said Keitaro as Double took the Trigger Memory out and slid it into a slot atop his gun. He then pushed the magazine up and over the barrel.
"TRIGGER: MAXIMUM DRIVE!"
Double took aim and declared, "Trigger Full Burst!"
A barrage of yellow and blue laser beams shot out of his gun and rained down on the Samurai Dopant. Again, the Dopant tried to cut through them so to avoid damage, but the beans just curved around him. The impact hit hard, causing the Samurai Dopant to scream out in pain before vanishing in an explosion. As the flames cooled and died away, Kentaro Sankata could be seen dropping to his knees before collapsing to the ground. Emerging from his neck was the Samurai Gaia Memory which landed on the ground before shattering into pieces. Groaning, Kentaro fell unconscious from his injuries, making it perfect for the police to pick him up.
"I'll leave you to Mikio," Double muttered as he stared at the playboy's prone form. "Let's see if your father can get you out of this one."
Peace returned to the lives of the Hinata-Sou's residents. After Kentaro was arrested for murder, Naru and Motoko were cleared of all charges. Frankly, they had Keitaro and Phillip to thank for that. The two girls also learnt from the experience that their actions had consequences. One day, they would formally apologize to all the victims they had wrongfully harmed with their volatile tempers. Not all the guys they had assaulted were even real perverts. It was just because of circumstance that they seemed that way.
At the moment, Keitaro was performing one of his duties as manager of Hinata-Sou. He was mopping the floor on the first floor when he heard the door bell ring. Since he was the only one in the immediate area, he went to answer it.
"Welcome to Hinata-Sou," said Keitaro as he opened the door. He then gaped at the familiar faces standing before him. "Queen?" blinked Keitaro. "Elizabeth?"
The twins known as Queen and Elizabeth were high school girls. They were 17 and looked identical. They had wavy brown hair. They wore dark blue blazers over white blouses with short black and white checkered skirts. The obvious difference was that Queen wore ribbons in her hair to make herself look cute while Elizabeth did not. Also, while Queen wore the school's bowtie, Elizabeth didn't. The two girls were capable of turning heads and were very popular all over the district.
"Hi, Kei-chan!" waved Queen.
"It's good to see you again, Kei-chan," greeted Elizabeth with a nod.
Whenever Keitaro needed information about the local high school settings, these two girls were his informants. Their popularity allowed them to hear about everything that was going on in high schools. Keitaro sometimes needed the information because students would often get involved in his cases as clients, the accused, or on rare occasions, a Dopant. The twins' social information network was actually quite extensive.
"What brings you here to Hinata-Sou?" asked the detective. He hadn't even informed the pair that he and Phillip had moved. Of course, he figured that Watcherman told them since all of his contacts knew each other in one shape or form. All the twins would have to do is let the blogger take their photo and he'd tell them anything. Of course, with the way the twins could 'cute' anyone into telling them anything, they could have asked anyone who knew and get the information.
"A reliable source told us that you were running a girls' dorm," stated Elizabeth.
"How mean, Kei-chan!" whined Queen as she latched onto his arm. "How come you didn't tell us?"
"There's another reason, isn't there?" asked Keitaro suspiciously. Despite being friends with the pair, Keitaro was just one of the many friends they had and kept in contact with in their busy social lives. So if the pair had wanted to talk to him, it was for a reason. Back when he was in Tokyo U, he had to get them into university parties which did wonders for their social lives since they got to meet with university guys and hang out with some on a regular basis. Nowadays it was for favors in return for their valuable information.
"We want to stay here," said Elizabeth. "I mean our apartment is okay…"
"But it doesn't have its own hot spring!" added Queen, smiling giddily at the thought.
Keitaro sighed. It figured.
"Hey, Keitaro, who's at the-?" began Naru and then she froze as she saw the girl latched onto Keitaro's arm.
Seeing how this looked, Keitaro's eyes widened. He pulled his arm away from Queen. "Naru, listen! These are just some girls who plan to become new residents!"
"We are also very intimate friends with Kei-chan," admitted Elizabeth.
"Very intimate!" beamed Queen.
Naru had learnt to not let her temper take over. However, old habits died hard and as such she quickly went back to her usual pre-programmed reaction.
"YOU PERVERT!" Naru charged with her fist drawn and hurled it at Keitaro. He ducked and got behind her.
"GO AND SEE PHILLIP! HE'S IN THE MANAGER'S OFFICE! YOU CAN'T MISS IT!" Keitaro yelled to the twins as he ran for his life from an angry Naru. Maybe he could tire her out and escape through one of the many secret passages in the building. Phillip knew the building quite intimately and had memorized all the secret passages.
Too bad Keitaro hadn't.
"GET BACK HERE!" Naru shouted.
Dear Granny Hina
You wouldn't believe what happened the other day. The case we investigated was related to both your tenants, Naru Narusegawa and Motoko Aoyama. They were accused for the murder of a man found near Hinata-Sou. Keitaro and I were skeptical at first but all the evidence pointed to them and we had doubts. However, Keitaro followed his gut instincts and so we investigated all possible leads. Eventually, after a long search and a few interviews, we found the real murderer. In order to draw him out, we asked Watcherman to help and he posted a blog that rallied support for Naru and Motoko. This forced the real killer, a Dopant, to reveal himself. We defeated him and broke his Gaia Memory. He's expected to serve a long sentence for murder.
PS: I hope we get to see you again soon. We still have a lot to learn in the family's art.
Phillip
Phillip sent the email and smiled. Then, he heard a few familiar shouts.
"NARU, GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" Keitaro cried.
"NOT UNTIL I BASH YOUR FACE IN!" Naru shouted.
Phillip snickered. "He should find one of the secret passages soon."
KR Chrome: And so ends chapter 6 of Love Hina/Double Trouble. We are able to introduce Queen and Elizabeth as well. Next, another Dopant and Queen and Elizabeth reveal how they know Keitaro and Phillip.
Ten-Faced Paladin: And we've seen Motoko and Naru grow up a little. It was always one of my pet peeves about the series, Keitaro getting beaten up for accidents and no one getting dealt consequences for it when they were proven wrong.