It seems like it's been forever since I updated. I'm really sorry but I've extremely busy with university, doing assignments, writing tests and having to redo the assignments but I won't bore you with the details.
Again sorry for taking so long, hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 8
Keitaro took his seat on the train. The seven am trip was earliest one he could take to his home town where parent's confectionary shop and home are. Sighing heavily he stared out the window as he tried to think of what to say.
"How do I say 'I'm sorry'?" He asked himself out loud.
"Just like that." A familiar voice shocked Keitaro.
"Mizore? Where did you come from?" Keitaro looked at the once empty seat next to him which was now occupied by a purple haired girl.
"Well you see Tohsaka had a bad feeling about today. She felt something could go wrong and she wanted me to tag along in secret and make sure nothing bad happens." Mizore explained.
"Well, this isn't a secret anymore." Keitaro smiled.
"I was getting bored watching you sigh continuously." Mizore pouted. "You weren't exactly doing anything interesting."
"Well I'm sorry I was too boring for you to spy on." Keitaro chuckled as he resumed looking out the window.
"Don't get all depressed, you wouldn't want to see your parents looking like a lost puppy. You want them to forgive you not to feel sorry for you." Mizore scolded.
"I guess you're right. I have to just face up to my own mistakes. I was a bad son, brother and friend. I need to make up for that." He replied with new found determination as he tried to smile at her. "My parents own a confectionary shop, they would ask me to help out sometimes but I was always too busy studying for Tokyo U."
"No one's going to buy that smile." She shook her head as she grabbed his face and pushed his cheeks upwards.
He quickly pushed aside her hands and pulled away from her while clutching his cheeks. His teeth began to chatter fast and hard.
"Your hands are really cold." He got out as his teeth stopped chattering.
Mizore looked down at her hands on her lap with a dejected look on her face. "I'm sorry." She mumbled sadly.
"I didn't mean it in a bad way or anything like that. I'm sorry if I insulted you." Keitaro tried to apologize even though he didn't understand the girl next to him.
Naru stood at the entrance of the Hinata House with a suitcase, next to her was the young Shinobu who also had a small suitcase. They were waiting nervously as Granny Hina was giving the other girls choirs to do while they were away. After what seemed like a very long wait Hina finally exited the Hinata followed by the other residents.
"Why can't I go instead of Naru?" Motoko asked.
"Yeah, why does it have to be Naru who goes with you? We understand Shinobu going; you want her to have a chance to widen her cooking techniques, but Naru." Kitsune chimed.
"I wanna go, I wanna go." Su jumped up and down.
"Please girls you have to understand. Naru is Keitaro's girlfriend; she needs to meet Keitaro's parents sooner or later. Now just seems like the perfect opportunity." Hina answered.
"But Granny." Kitsune whined.
"No buts, you three need to look after the Hinata while we visit Keitaro's parents." Hina responded. "After last night…"
Flashback to last night
Seta looked at the girls. Even stone cold Motoko had a worried expression on her face. He then looked back to Haruka.
"You have to choose a side Seta. Are you with Keitaro and me or them?" Haruka laid down Seta's options.
The normally nonchalant professor was now in a bind. He couldn't decide on what to do. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a PDA. He looked down at the mini personal computer in his hand and then to Haruka.
"This has the software needed to track Keitaro's watch. If he has the watch this will lead you to him." Seta sighed as he handed Haruka the PDA.
"Papa what are you doing?" Sarah screamed as Haruka gleefully accepted the device.
"He made the correct decision. Keitaro needs to be away from this environment that only causes him harm." Haruka responded.
"Please give us the PDA, we will change we promise. We need to see Keitaro to know that his alright." Kitsune pled.
"Hand it over or we'll be forced to take it from you." Motoko said as she clenched her fist.
"Motoko and I haven't seen eye to eye recently but I agree with her." Naru joined the kendo girl.
"You seriously think you can take me on in a fist fight you wanna be samurai." Haruka laughed.
"Is this how you girls solve your problem here with violence? Have you been doing this to Keitaro all along?" Seta looked to Sarah.
The young blonde turned away slightly not wanting to answer her adoptive father. She didn't want to say that she used to enjoy seeing Keitaro get hurt, she didn't want Seta to know that she was involved in causing situations that led to Motoko and Naru 'punishing' Keitaro.
"So it is true." Seta said as he quickly grabbed the PDA from Haruka stunning everyone in the room. "I owe you this much part timer."
He dropped the device onto the floor and began stomping on it repeatedly with the heel of his shoe until it was nothing but broken pieces of what was once technology.
"Granny Hina, thank you for taking care of Sarah all this time but I think it would be better if she stayed with me for now." Seta declared as he grabbed his daughter's hand and led her out of the house.
"Wait up." Haruka shouted as she followed him out of the house.
"No. That was our only chance to find Keitaro." Naru cried out.
There was a deafening silence before Su spoke up.
"It'll be difficult but I may be able to fix it." Su was busy examining the pieces.
End Flashback
"You two have to take care of the house while Su works on repairing Seta's PDA." Hina continued as she turned and began walking down the stairs.
Naru shot a look of victory at Motoko and Kitsune as she followed Hina. Shinobu sensed the tension in the air and quickly ran down the stairs leaving Motoko and Kitsune.
The two stood in angry silence.
"Naru thinks she's all high and mighty, she needs to be taken down a peg."
"That's a really good idea." Motoko said as she turned to Kitsune.
"Huh?" Kitsune gave the kendo girl a blank look. "What idea?"
"Taking Naru down a peg." Motoko answered.
"Yeah, it is a really good idea. We have the whole of today to come up with a plan." Kitsune exclaimed as she walked into the Hinata followed by Motoko.
When two girls were gone a shadow crept around the house and towards the entrance. "Soon…"
Keitaro and Mizore stood outside of a small bakery that had an apartment on top of it. Above the store there was a sign that read 'Urashima Confectionary Store'.
"I guess you're wondering about the name of the shop." Keitaro laughed nervously as he tried to explain.
"Not really, Tohsaka already knows your really name. She wanted to give you a chance at a new life." Mizore replied.
Keitaro took a step forward and noticed Mizore take a step back.
"Where are you going?" He asked as he turned around.
"This is going to be a private moment between you and your family so I don't want to interrupt." Mizore smiled. "So I'm just going to walk around until you're done."
"I'd feel bad if I left you out here wandering the streets. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind me having a friend over for just a visit." Keitaro responded.
"I know what you're trying to do. You're scared about this and you want me to help you out." She poked his chest.
"Looks like you've figured me out. So will you come?" He asked.
"I don't know. Tohsaka said I shouldn't interfere." She looked down at her feet.
Before Mizore knew what was happening Keitaro grabbed her icy cold hand and pulled her into the shop. The air was heavy with the smell of yeasty dough, sugar and melted butter. There was a counter that effectively cut the store in half; there was still enough place for a person to go around the counter and to the back. Behind the counter were display cases and trays filled with enticing treats and what appeared to be the entrance to the kitchen. The woman behind the counter was taking stock of what they had. She seemed in her late forties and was wearing a blue blouse with a pair of old jeans covered by a flour stained apron. The woman turned around and almost screamed when she saw Keitaro.
"Son, I've been so worried since Kanako told me what happened." The woman cried as she ran around the counter and hugged Keitaro transferring flour to his clothes.
The older woman held onto Keitaro for close to five minutes before she noticed Mizore standing in the shop.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll take your order right away." Keitaro's mother turned to Mizore.
"I'm not a customer." Mizore tried to smile.
"She's a friend of mine. She lives at the Tohsaka inn." Keitaro added.
"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Akane Urashima, Keitaro's mother." Akane introduced herself.
"I'm Mizore Shirayuki; it's a pleasure to meet you. You have such a wonderful son." Mizore replied.
"Your father and sister are out with a delivery right now so why don't you two come upstairs. I've really been worried about you son." Akane said as she closed the shop early and led the two upstairs.
Mizore sat nervously in the lounge as Akane served her tea while Keitaro brought her a slice of carrot cake. While they were in the kitchen Keitaro filled his mother in on the details Kanako hadn't.
"Hina assured me that you would be taken care of." Akane sighed as she sat down across from Mizore and Keitaro who were on the same couch.
"I guess she thought everything would be alright because I was her grandson." Keitaro tried to laugh off the tension.
Mizore toke a bite of the carrot cake as she watched Keitaro try to pacify his mother.
"When I see that old woman again I'm going to give her a piece of her my mind." Akane threatened.
"Mum I don't think you should anything that you would regret later." Keitaro's voice showed a hint of concern.
"This cake tastes delicious Mrs. Urashima." Mizore tried to help Keitaro.
"Oh thank you dear. It's just an ordinary carrot cake that we make." Akane responded.
"Well this is the tastiest carrot cake that I've ever had." Mizore complimented.
"So Mizore was it, what do you do?" Akane asked curious.
"I study journalism during the day and I work for a newspaper at night. I write small articles on everyday events. Nothing big as yet." Mizore answered.
"Oniichan!" Kanako shouted as she burst into the room and wrapped her arms around Keitaro.
Entering into the room behind Kanako was Keitaro's father. He was using a white shirt with blue overalls and a large apron covered in flour and other baking ingredients.
"Dad." Keitaro said.
"Son." His father responded as he extended out his right arm. Keitaro extended his arm and shook his father's hand.
"You're Keitaro's friend from that day." Kanako said as she recognized Mizore.
"That's right, I'm Mizore Shirayuki." Mizore replied.
"I never introduced myself properly. I'm Kanako Urashima, Keitaro's sister."
"Hello, I'm Keisuke Urashima, Keitaro's father."
Kanako gave Mizore a tour of the shop and the kitchen and showed her how to bake a few treats while Keitaro spoke to his parents in private. Keitaro sat across from his parents as he prepared to apologize.
Keitaro got off the couch and onto his knees before bowing to his parents. "I'm sorry for being such a burden. I failed the Tokyo U entrance exams twice and my time at cram school that you paid for. I didn't even offer to work at the shop because I spent all my free time cooped up in my room studying. You did so much for me and I've done nothing to repay you."
Keitaro's mother walked across the room and picked her son up and hugged him. "It's okay; we forgave you a long time ago. You are our son and we love you no matter what. A parent is supposed to take care of their child regardless of the circumstances."
"Son, I'm proud to see you can finally admit to your own short comings. Hopefully this will help you move on with your life and forget about your childhood promise." Keisuke said from his seat.
"Don't worry dad, I've moved on from that. I want to start my own life away from all of that." Keitaro responded.
"Keitaro there is something you should know about how you ended up at the Hinata house." Akane said as she sat her son down.
"Son, just before you left we told you we were having financial trouble and we couldn't afford to keep sending you to cram school. That was a lie." Keisuke confessed.
Keitaro began blinking rapidly with a blank look on his face.
"My mother told me that if you were to stay at the Hinata Inn and be its manager all your dreams would come true." Keisuke continued. "I believed her because she was normally right about these things."
"Wow, this is a lot to process at the moment." Keitaro let out shocked.
"We're sorry son. We shouldn't have listened to that senile lady; she didn't tell us that she changed the inn to a girl's dorm." Akane said.
"Ahem, she's still my mother." Keisuke coughed earning a stern look from Akane.
"I guess I can't blame you. Before this whole deal with the Hinata house I would have believed anything that granny told me." Keitaro laughed.
"Son, do you want to return to that place. It's yours; you could always evict those girls." Akane proposed.
"No, that place is only mine in name. It never really felt like a place I could call home. Oddly enough it's more like the girls sanctuary than my inn." Keitaro looked at the ground.
"Haruka called me and told me that they are searching high and low for you. They want you back at the inn." Keisuke relayed what his sister had told him.
"I… I don't want to go back. The Tohsaka may not be as well known as the Hinata House but it was more welcoming than the Hinata House ever was. At first I wanted to stay at the Tohsaka to learn how to be a better manager but now I don't know." Keitaro admitted.
"What about Tokyo U? You finally got in after so long." Akane asked.
"Right now I'm studying archeology and the university has allowed me to skip this semester and start fresh the next one but I don't really think archeology is the thing for me. I only choose it because Seta, the person I was trying to emulate, was an archeologist." Keitaro continued.
"Whatever decision you make we will stand by you and support you son." Keisuke added.
"I was thinking about studying art." Keitaro smiled.
"You were always good at drawing; we still have some of your sketches from when you were a child." Akane reminisced.
"Thank you for everything mum and dad, I'm sorry I can't stay for much longer. I'm going to take Kanako, Shirai and Haitani out to lunch now." Keitaro said as he hugged his parent's goodbye.
"Sorry for this but this is all I can afford right now." Keitaro apologized to everyone that was seated at the table.
Keitaro, Mizore, Kanako, Haitani and Shirai were all sitting around a table in a ramen shop for lunch.
"It's okay Oniichan; you didn't have to take us out to lunch to apologize." Kanako reassured her brother.
"Yeah, you don't even need to apologize to us." Shirai said.
"Think back to how many times we got you in trouble chasing around girls. We should apologize to you." Haitani laughed.
"I don't even know why I'm here." Mizore smiled.
"Thank you for this. You don't know what it means to me." Keitaro said as his eyes grew wet.
"So tell me Mizore, do you have a boyfriend or maybe need one?" Haitani questioned as he winked.
Haitani felt a stinging pain shoot through his abdomen as Shirai elbowed him.
"Don't be so rude." Shirai whispered loudly to his friend.
"Sorry." Haitani apologized.
Kanako and Keitaro laughed at their friends actions while Mizore sat feeling uncomfortable.
"You've really changed Shirai. I remember a time where you would be joining Haitani in his actions." Keitaro laughed.
"Well, I'm trying to show Kanako that there's more to me than just some guy who goes around chasing anything in a skirt." Shirai admitted.
"You know what Shirai, you've just moved up a notch in my books." Kanako smiled.
"Really!" Shirai exclaimed.
"Yes, that puts you at notch one." Kanako smiled causing Haitani to burst out laughing.
Even Shirai laughed. "I can live with notch one for now, but I will work hard to move up."
"Things have sure changed since I left home." Keitaro sighed.
"You do that a lot I noticed." Mizore commented.
"She's right, you do sigh a lot." Kanako joined in.
"You used to sigh at least five times a day during cram school." Shirai added.
"It was more like ten times a day." Haitani corrected.
"Hey, I can name a few of your habits." Keitaro chuckled.
The five of them sat at the table and enjoyed their food while talking and laughing. Shirai and Haitani filled Mizore in on how Keitaro was during his school days and Kanako praised him as a big brother, then the topic of his promise girl came up and ended all laughter.
"So you lived most of your life trying to live up to a promise to a girl you couldn't remember." Mizore said as she looked at a slightly depressed Keitaro.
"Basically yes, I never really liked any other girl because I had this idea of my perfect woman modeled in my minds eye of my promise girl. I wanted to get into Tokyo U so we could finally be together. I never thought ahead to maybe she was a terrible person or maybe she forgot." Keitaro replied.
"Well, you shouldn't dwell on past mistakes because you can't change them. You should use them to guide you to a better future." Mizore tried to sound sagely.
"She's right Oniichan. You've got a chance to move on. You should go back and claim the Hinata house as yours and get rid of the girls." Kanako exclaimed.
"Yeah, we'll help you." Shirai joined in Kanako's passion.
"We'll throw those girls out and turn the Hinata House into a mixed bath house for college girls from all over the country." Haitani yelled.
Keitaro, Mizore, Kanako and Shirai all turned and gave Haitani disappointed looks.
"You used to be fun Shirai." Haitani lowered his head.
"I've really missed hanging out with all of you." Keitaro admitted.
"You know Oniichan there's nothing really stopping you from spending time with us when you're off." Kanako replied.
Mizore and Keitaro waved goodbye as Shirai, Haitani and Kanako walked away. Shirai tried to offer his jacket to Kanako but she refused but he didn't quit. Keitaro laughed as he watched them disappear.
"You're not going with them?" Mizore asked.
"What do you mean?" Keitaro answered her question with another question.
"Did Tohsaka tell you why all the Inn's handy men only last about a month?" She asked.
"Yeah, something about the work load and the tenants." Keitaro answered but quickly covered his mouth.
"I thought so. That's not true. People who are broken and need help are drawn to the Tohsaka. All of our previous handy men were just like you and needed guidance and once they got it they moved on with their lives and left." Mizore explained.
"I see." He dragged out his words.
"So I guess this is goodbye." Mizore turned to walk away.
She dropped her head and continued walking. After a minute she noticed that Keitaro was walking beside her.
"I never said I was leaving. I actually am starting to get to know the tenants and the job's perfect for me." He smiled.
"Well I think we should hurry up and get back, we wouldn't want to upset Tohsaka." Mizore said as she picked up the pace.
"You're right; we're going to be late." Keitaro declared as he began running.
Mizore just chuckled and broke into a jog to keep up with Keitaro.
The sun was setting and Hina, Naru and Shinobu finally arrived at the Urashima Confectionary Store. The train they took had been delayed for a few hours.
"That was weird wasn't it? Frozen tracks in the middle of spring." Naru mumbled to Shinobu as Hina entered the shop.
"Good evening son." Hina said to the man behind the counter as Naru and Shinobu followed her inside.
"Mother, what are you doing here?" Keisuke asked surprised.
"Is that anyway to greet your mother." Hina laughed.
"Hina, you should have called." Akane said as she entered from the kitchen with Kanako behind her. Kanako was carrying a cake in a see through container.
"Pineapple upside down cake, if I remember correctly Keitaro loved those." Hina said with a hint of suspicious in her voice.
"Have you found our son? We left him in your care and you just abandoned him at your dorm to take over all your responsibilities." Akane countered spitefully.
Naru and Shinobu stood frozen as Kanako stared daggers at them.
"Akane, Keisuke, these girls are from the dorm. This is Naru Narusegawa and Shinobu Maehara." Hina introduced the girls.
"She's the one I told you about. Naru Narusegawa, the source of all Oniichan's pain." Kanako hissed.
Naru gulped deeply at hearing Kanako's words. She wanted to make a good impression on Keitaro's parents so that Kitsune and Motoko would have no chance with Keitaro.
"Kanako, you're blowing things out of proportion." Hina scolded.
"Is she? Please tell me Hina how my son disappeared. Haruka says it was at the hands of your girls with Narusegawa the chief instigator." Akane exclaimed.
Naru began to feel smaller and smaller while Shinobu stood frozen not knowing what to do.
"Akane, you shouldn't speak to Naru like that." Hina shot back.
"Mom, Akane please calm down." Keisuke tried to pacify the two women.
"You're lucky my brother wouldn't want me to hurt you or else I would…" Kanako was cut off by her mother.
"You don't have to sink to their level honey." Akane said.
"Mother, please tell us your reason for surprising us with a visit." Keisuke pleaded.
"We were worried about Keitaro we were wondering if you had any idea to where he may be." Hina answered.
"You seriously expect me to throw my son back into harm's way." Akane snickered.
"You don't understand the girls miss Keitaro, this experience has thought them to appreciate him." Hina said.
"Where was that appreciation when they were working him like a dog?" Kanako joined her mother against the old Urashima.
"Please, if you know where Keitaro is please tell me. I'm his girlfriend and I need to know that everything's okay." Naru finally spoke up.
"You probably just want to hit Oniichan with one of your infamous punches." Kanako glared at the red head.
"For so long I was just angry at men and I took it out on Keitaro. Even when I agreed to be his girlfriend I still was angry, I know I was wrong now. I just want to see him and ask him to forgive me." Naru said with tears in her eyes.
"Naru sempai." Shinobu said as she tried to comfort the red head. "Please, Mrs. Urashima, Naru, no not just Naru, all of us at the Hinata love Keitaro sempai and we miss him. We just want to see him smile and tell us it's going to be okay."
"My mother-in-law may believe in second chances but I don't. As far as I'm concerned you Naru are no good for my son. That girl he was with is a hundreds time better for him than you." Akane retorted venomously.
"Keitaro… with a … another girl…" Naru mumbled as she felt her body turn red hot. Her balled up fists trembled as all she could think of was beating Keitaro until he realized that he could only love her. A small part of her mind was telling her how wrong that was but she just ignored it.
"It is clear that you will not help us find Keitaro. We will leave now. A friend of mine will let us stay the night." Hina said as she took Naru and Shinobu by hand and led them out.
Once the group from Hinata was gone Akane turned to her daughter.
"Kanako we need to get in touch with Haruka as soon as possible." Akane said.
"No mother. You stay here and take care of the shop. Keitaro may visit again. I'll go help Aunt Haruka stop Granny Hina and the girls." Kanako replied. "I'll get Shirai and Haitani to help out."
Again sorry for taking so long to update.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter and let me know what you think.
