AN: Sorry this chapter took so long. Campus started again so I'm really busy so there will be delays between chapters.

XXXXX

Chapter 9

Hina left the airport and leisurely strolled towards her hired town car as her driver loaded her luggage into the back of the car. As she walked to the car she was greeted by a familiar face.

"I can't believe it. Hayate Ishiyama, you've grown up quite a bit." Hina marveled.

"Hinata Urashima, it has been a long time. Could we talk?" Ishiyama asked pointing to a nearby bench.

The elderly woman nodded and followed the detective over to the bench.

"How was your trip around the world?" Ishiyama questioned.

"It was amazing. I got to try many different types of onsen and buy lots of occult trinkets." Hina gleefully answered.

"So I take the fact that you're back means your world tour has ended." Ishiyama insinuated.

"No, it's far from over." Hina replied. "I came back to get my granddaughter."

"You mean Kanako?" Ishiyama replied a bit surprised.

"Yes, Kanako is going to come with me." Hina clarified.

"I don't see how that would work. Kanako is still in school." Ishiyama tried to explain.

"Kanako doesn't need to go to school. I'll teach her everything she needs to know on our trip." Hina revealed.

"I don't think 'lessons from your grandmother' would cut it on a college application." Ishiyama joked.

"My Kanako doesn't need to go to college. She's going to be an inn owner and follow in my footsteps." Hina declared.

"My daughter told me that Kanako wants to become an actress." Ishiyama said.

"Kanako is still young and confused; she doesn't know what she wants." Hina responded.

"And you do?" Ishiyama retorted.

"Off course I do. I'm her grandmother." Hina answered.

"I can understand you wanting to treat Kanako but think about the situation you're putting her in. She's in her final year of high school and if she misses even a week she'll fall way behind." Ishiyama warned.

"Our trip is going to last a lot longer than one week." Hina corrected.

"Then that'll be worse for Kanako. She's a bright girl. You should just let her be. I'm sure if she carries on at school like she is, she'll be able to get into college without needing cram school." Ishiyama spoke.

"I don't understand why people are obsessed with college. I didn't go to college and I turned out just fine." Hina sighed. "Kanako won't learn about life at college, I'll teach her about the real world. She'll be thankful for it."

"Did you ask Kanako about it?" Ishiyama inquired.

"No but she'll definitely say yes." Hina replied confidently.

"I see, because you're some one Kanako looks up to and she feels grateful to you." Ishiyama nodded.

"Kanako will see when I explain things to her that I'm right." Hina smiled.

"Have you thought about Kanako's feelings at all?" Ishiyama asked solemnly.

"I'm her grandmother. I understand. Kanako is just a child and doesn't know her true feelings. I will help her find them." Hina answered.

"You don't understand your granddaughter at all. Kanako was always a very shy and introverted child. The only person she opened up to was Keitaro. She only became friends with my daughter because Akane and Keita are my friends. Kanako went through elementary, middle and the first two years of high school without friends. This year's she tried to open up more. She began participating in activities and made lots of friends. If you take her away she might go back to being introverted." Ishiyama explained.

"She doesn't need does people as her friends. I'll be her friend and then she'll be reunited with Keitaro when they run the inn together." Hina scoffed.

Ishiyama sighed and reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out what looked like a digital recorder and pressed stop.

"What is that?" Hina questioned.

"Exactly what it looks like, it's a digital recorder." Ishiyama answered.

"Why would you be recording our conversation?" Hina asked.

"I'm going to give you a warning. Stay away from Akane, Keita and Kanako. Don't disrupt their lives for your own enjoyment. My dad used to be your friend. He always warned us that you were manipulative." Ishiyama replied.

"I see. The son takes after the father." Hina sneered. "I see even though you took your mothers last name you still take after your father, Hanataro."

"I didn't believe him completely until now." Ishiyama retorted.

"This conversation is over." Hina said as she got up and left.

Once Hina had gotten into her town car and was gone, Ishiyama pulled out his phone.

"Hey Keita, Akane said you were having trouble with the burden of proof with your restraining order. Don't worry about it anymore. Your old friend has your back." Ishiyama laughed looking at the digital recorder in his hand.

XXXXX

Keitaro could feel the lump in his throat. It was as if he had swallowed a tennis ball. Nerves were taking hold of him as clutched his pencil tightly. He was sitting in the testing room of Todai. This was fourth time he was sitting here but now he was more nervous.

Something was different this time. The first three times he sat to write this exam he sat with the purpose of passing so he could get into Todai and meet his promise girl. Now however he was writing the exam for himself. He had secretly vowed to himself that this would be his last attempt. Now he was writing this exam with his pride on the line.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the words of encouragement he had been given earlier in the day.

"The best way to manage stress and anxiety around exam time is to be as prepared as possible." Yui advised.

"Don't get distracted and dream about the future. Concentrate on the paper in front of you." Yamato scolded.

"I know you can do it sempai. I believe in you!" Shinobu cheered.

"Whatever, good luck dork." Sarah scoffed.

"What's a Todai entrance exam? Is it tasty?" Su questioned.

"Don't try any funny business in the exam room. You've study a lot." Motoko sneered.

"Do your best kid." Haruka smiled.

"The exam is easy; it only gets hard when you think it's hard." Urumi warned.

The morning had been eventful with everyone trying to psych him and Naru up for the exam. Keitaro was surprised that Motoko wished him luck in her own way after everything that happened. The kendo girl slowly began adjusting after Yamato gave her a wakeup call. Naru was adjusting but at a rate much slower than Motoko's.

Keitaro shook his head violently. He didn't need distracting thoughts in his head now.

He opened the paper and looked at the first questioned. He was almost defeated then and there but quickly regained his composure and calmed down. He slowly reread the question and began breaking it down to solve in parts.

As Keitaro went slow and steady, Naru who by providence was seated next to him was tearing through the exam like a possessed machine. The red head was solely focused on passing and that steely determination was practically visible to everyone in the room.

Panic began to enter Keitaro as his writing hand trembled. What was wrong with him? He was falling victim to a curse all examinees were familiar with. That horrible feeling you get when you seem to be the only person in the exam who's stuck.

"Baka, what are you doing? If you're stuck don't waste all your time on one question. Move on and then come back!" Naru's harsh words from months ago echoed in his head.

"When I get stuck I like to do a question I know I can answer. It helps me feel more confident in my skills." Mutsumi's advice lingered in Keitaro's mind.

Keitaro then paged through the questions until he found one he was convinced he could answer and he was right. He knew every step in solving the problem and the sinking feeling of failure that hung on him before was gone.

Naru was already gone through three-quarters of the exam while Keitaro was still half way done. Time would prove to be his worst enemy. The difference between the two was that Naru was writing short, concise and to the point answers while Keitaro was quoting everything he could remember from the text books.

Even though Naru wasn't supposed to she looked over at Keitaro and saw him falling into one of his old habits. She bit her lip to forget about him and continue. The truth was even though she was working like a machine and flying through the paper her entire mind wasn't focused on it.

A small part of her mind was lost in thought. The thought of Urumi and Onizuka. It took a few hours after Keitaro chewed her out but she realized she was wrong. Now she knew she had to apologize but she didn't know how. The longer she waited the harder it got. It was a dragging feeling to know she was wrong but too proud to admit it.

Keitaro could hear Naru's pen slow down. He didn't think anything of it since she had so much time. He on the other hand was barely keeping up with the recommended time.

Keitaro then fell into a trap of his own making. Negatives thoughts invaded his mind, he began imagining what would happen if he failed the exam. He could picture Naru and Mutsumi walking confidently through the gates of Todai as official students while he loitered in the far distance.

The day dreaming examinee then began punching himself in the head. He was able to snap back into reality while only losing five minutes to the lapse in concentration. Taking deep breaths he dove back into the exam.

XXXXX

Keitaro, Naru and Mutsumi walked up the stairs to the house. There was some distance between the three of them because of their contrasting feeling about the exam. When they reached the top they saw Shinobu, Yamato, Yui and Motoko waiting outside to meet them.

"How was the exam?" Yamato yelled hoping for a positive response.

"I'm an idiot." Keitaro mumbled.

"Was it that bad Otohime?" Yamato asked.

"I'm not sure. I felt that it was alright." Mutsumi replied confused.

"How about you Naru?" Motoko asked.

"This one was easier than the last." Naru responded.

"I did it again. I start day dreaming during the exam." Keitaro sobbed as he grabbed Yamato's shoulders.

"Even after we did all that practice to prevent it." Yamato wept.

The girls just stared at the crying males unsure of what to do or what was even happening in the first place.

"This is really awkward watching you two cry." Yui spoke up.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to bring you guys down." Keitaro apologized. "After all Naru and Mutsumi did well today."

"You should have more confidence in yourself. Writing out large chunks of stuff straight from the text shows you lack confidence in your ability to answer the question." Naru said off handedly before entering the house.

"Naru just gave you a good piece of advice. You should think about it." Yui noted.

"Yeah, I will." Keitaro nodded.

"Sempai, Mutsumi, come inside. I've prepared some special food for you guys." Shinobu said excitedly as she led them in.

The young chef led them to the living room where a spread of snacks was set up. There was a variety of fish, roasted almonds, blue berry pastries and different egg dishes.

"Tada, I've prepared some brain food for you. I even made some for Naru-sempai but she went straight to her room." Shinobu revealed.

"You have a heart of gold." Keitaro smiled as he ruffled Shinobu's hair.

Motoko saw this and had it been a few weeks ago she would have buried Keitaro with a kendo strike but now she held herself back and began inhaling and exhaling deeply.

Everyone present began eating and praising Shinobu for her unbelievable skill of turning normal food into something amazing.

XXXXXX

The night brought with it a chilling wind that drove temperatures down. In this cold whether Naru and Keitaro both locked themselves away in their rooms doing some last minute revising before turning in early.

Motoko stood on the terrace were she would normal practice her kendo. She did nothing but just stand there. Since she was banned from carrying and using her bokken or sword in or around the house she felt an empty feeling.

"Motoko-sempai, it's really cold outside. I think you should come inside." Shinobu said joining the kendo girl.

"I'm fine. I just want to spend some time training my body." Motoko replied.

"Oh I see." Shinobu shivered.

"Shinobu, can I ask you something?" Motoko inquired.

Shinobu nodded.

"Did I bully you?" Motoko asked.

"You tried to force me to see the world the way you did. Everything you said made me too shy to even talk to boys my age." Shinobu answered.

"I'm sorry Shinobu. I never really meant to force you into anything. I was a disgrace of a warrior." Motoko apologized.

"You improved." Shinobu smiled. "You apologized to Urumi the other day and now me."

"Still I'm very sorry." Motoko repeated.

"I've always looked up to you and Naru-sempai. I wanted big sisters that were beautiful like you two." Shinobu admitted.

"We were wrong in the way we treated you." Motoko revealed. "We didn't acknowledge how mature you were. We only saw you as a child but we were wrong."

"I feel really happy with you saying that." Shinobu blushed.

"You're really amazing. You cook, clean and even do the girls laundry. Thinking about it, I can't believe how stupid I was to treat you as a child." Motoko complimented.

"You're being too kind." Shinobu mumbled red.

"I really want us to start over, our friendship." Motoko said embarrassed.

"Really?" Shinobu blinked surprised.

"When I came here my eyes were closed and I couldn't see the world and the people in for what they really were. After getting scolded by that guy and then having Keitaro impose all those rules, has given me something to think about." Motoko confessed.

"I would really like to get to know a Motoko-sempai who doesn't run around swinging her bokken and screaming pervert every time she saw a man." Shinobu giggled.

"I guess I really was crazy." Motoko sighed.

"You're very beautiful Motoko-sempai and now that you're not against men I'm sure you could find a boyfriend." Shinobu suggested.

"Slow down Shinobu, baby steps. I still need to make friends that are boys." Motoko admitted self-conscious.

"What about Yamato and Sempai?" Shinobu questioned.

"Keitaro and his cousin are only friendly with me because they have to be." Motoko sighed.

"I don't believe that. I'm sure they think of you as a friend." Shinobu said with steely determination.

"I doubt it. I've beaten and blasted Keitaro so many times with my bokken and I've been nothing but mean to his cousin." Motoko murmured.

"Then you should apologize to them." Shinobu proposed.

"I've never apologized sincerely to a male before." Motoko hunched over.

"That can't be true." Shinobu questioned.

"It is. Even if I was at fault I never apologized because I believed all males were vile, perverts so they didn't deserve an apology." Motoko explained. "So I just said the words without meaning it because I was forced to."

"Then I'll help. I'll support you during this first." Shinobu cheered.

Motoko smiled as she looked at the young chef. The kendo girl couldn't believe how blind she was to miss the fact that Shinobu was her own person and a very kind, caring and mature person at that.

XXXXX

The next day

It was approaching midday and Yamato and Honoka sat in small restaurant having lunch. They were having burger and fries with milkshakes.

"You look so distracted, is everything alright?" Honoka asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just worried about my cousin. He studied so hard for the Todai exam but he keeps losing himself whenever he writes the exam." Yamato sighed.

"I'm glad you haven't changed. You're still the same kind person you were." Honoka smiled.

"What would make you think that I would change?" Yamato changed.

"I don't know. When you suddenly moved I thought it was because you changed." Honoka admitted.

"You don't have to worry about me changing. If you go by Asahina and her rumors, I'm an immature brat who's never going to grow up." Yamato laughed.

"I'm sorry about that. I've tried to get people to stop but they don't listen to me." Honoka admitted sadly.

"Honoka, I'm really sorry." Yamato apologized.

"What are you saying sorry for?" Honoka replied bewildered.

"I only cause you problems. We went out and things ended badly because I still had feeling for Asahina. Then because of me, you and your boyfriend broke up." Yamato explained.

"I never did tell you what happened." Honoka stated.

"You don't have if you don't want to." Yamato responded.

"I do. He was a guy at work and older than me by seven years. He asked me out and I said yes." Honoka began.

"I knew most of this." Yamato nodded.

"The company I work for actually frowns upon interoffice relationships. It was doomed from the start. Then after things ended he started spreading rumors about me." Honoka confessed.

"That bastard." Yamato muttered.

"It wasn't as bad I thought it would be. The people at work knew he was lying and didn't believe him. The rumors got to human recourses though and I did get a warning." Honoka finished with a smile. "I was still happy though because I was surprised that I had actual friends at work."

"What's with the smile?" Yamato asked.

"I'm glad I made the right decision in the end. I'm glad I chose to be your friend." Honoka explained.

"I'm glad you made that decision too." Yamato smirked.

"Have you thought about which university you would be attending?" Honoka questioned. "I'm sorry if I'm being too nosey."

"No, it's alright. I haven't picked yet. I have a solid recommendation for Tohto University. Seijo University will give a place if I can pass the time trials." Yamato replied.

"You're hiding something. You've got that guilty look on your face." Honoka noted.

"Damn you're good. I also got a full offer from Tokyo University." Yamato confessed.

"That's amazing. Tokyo University is one of the best in the country. Everyone must be so excited for you." Honoka cheered.

"You're the first person I've told." Yamato laughed nervously.

"Why?" Honoka questioned.

"I couldn't just broadcast that I'm getting into Tokyo University. Keitaro's been trying so hard for years. If I told him about the offer it would seem like rubbing it in his face." Yamato sighed. "I'm going to tell him once he passes the entrance exam."

"You're being really considerate." Honoka replied. "But is that it?"

"I don't follow." Yamato stared blankly.

"Maybe not saying anything is your way of not facing reality. I'm scared about moving on from high school as well. I know you made a big move to come to high school all the way from Hiroshima. Things didn't go well then and now you're scared that your next big step in life will be the same." Honoka answered.

Yamato stared the girl absorbing everything she had said. Slowly her words began setting in.

XXXXXX

Keitaro walked through Tokyo searching for somewhere to drown his sorrows and he found it in a small bar. It was out of the way but still good enough to be considered safe. He took up one of the many empty stools at the empty bar counter.

As he began sipping a beer he was joined by a blonde.

"If this is what you're teaching Yamato at that Inn then we're going to have a problem." Yuka warned as she pulled up a seat.

"Look who's talking. From what Yamato has told me about you, you shouldn't be talking." Keitaro retorted.

"You've got some fire in your belly. Did something happen?" Yuka asked as she ordered a beer.

"I just came here after writing the Todai entrance exam." Keitaro answered.

"I took that exam and failed. It was ridiculously hard. I can understand wanting to drink away the troubles." Yuka nodded.

"The thing is I think I passed." Keitaro confessed.

"You don't look like someone who passed one of the hardest entrance exams in the country." Yuka pointed out.

"The thing is, I've been trying so hard to get into Todai and failing that I never gave anything thought into what I'd do once I got in." Keitaro explained.

"That doesn't make sense. Then why would you try so hard to get in?" Yuka questioned.

"That's actually really embarrassing." Keitaro replied.

"Let me buy you a round and we'll see if that loosens your tongue." Yuka laughed.

After a few beers Keitaro then spilled the beans on his promise to go to Todai.

"You're killing me man. You actually tried to keep a promise made between children that you barely remember." Yuka laughed. "I'm sorry for laughing."

"No, it's okay. You're just emphasizing how I feel. I wasted so much of my life obsessing over something so nonsensical." Keitaro said.

"Now you're in a tough spot." Yuka understood. "You lack direction in life."

"I thought I would do archeology but that's not me. That life isn't what I want for myself." Keitaro admitted.

"You have to live for yourself. Decide on something and go through with it and have no regrets. I was in love with a guy from my high school and over the years I've confessed to him sixteen times. The last time I confessed he told me that he was engaged. I wasn't as hurt as I thought I would be. My resolve kept me intact." Yuka yelled her pep talk.

"That's exactly what I lack. A firm resolve." Keitaro sighed.

"I think a few more beers and you may get one." Yuka laughed.

"I can't. I made a rule of it being inappropriate to be drunk in the house. I can't show up drunk. I'd lose all credibility." Keitaro responded.

"That's sad. I was really bored and hoping for something interesting to happen." Yuka grumbled.

"Why don't you hang out with your friend?" Keitaro asked.

"Megumi has a part time job that she needs to get up early for tomorrow." Yuka mumbled.

"What about you?" Keitaro asked.

"I'm on a permanent vacation, forced retrenchment at the call center I was working at. Last in first out." Yuka laughed.

"Here I am complaining about my problem like a baby." Keitaro mumbled.

"Don't worry about it, I can find another job. I'm not very fussy. You have to man up now and decide on your future. Yamato looks up to you and I don't want him picking up on your indecisiveness." Yuka pointed out.

"Yeah, he's going to be very surprised if I passed. Nobody in my family thought I would do it except him but he still had doubts." Keitaro chuckled.

"I can see why your family wouldn't believe in you when you're so wishy-washy." Yuka joked.

"I feel really bad for putting them under so much pressure. I caused them a lot of trouble, emotionally and financial while I was chasing after Todai." Keitaro confessed.

"If that's weighing on your chest then you should apologize. Even if they're still mad at you afterwards you'll feel better about yourself." Yuka advised.

"That's a good idea. Once the Todai results come out I'll go and apologize no matter what result I get." Keitaro declared.

"I thought you were sure you passed." Yuka raised an eyebrow.

"I also thought I passed the last one but ended up failing." Keitaro laughed nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"You're such an idiot." Yuka smiled.

"And you're a much nicer person than I thought." Keitaro laughed.

"What exactly are you getting at?" Yuka accused.

"Nothing but I think you've had a bit too much to drink." Keitaro countered.

"You're right." Yuka nodded. "After drinking you should always follow up with karaoke!"

"Good luck with that." Keitaro smirked.

"Great, I know the perfect place." Yuka exclaimed as she paid the bartender before grabbing Keitaro and dragging him with her.