Chapter 10: Christmas Confessions

"So, how do you think you did?" asked Naru as they left the mock exams.

"I was super smooth!" he said, holding up two fingers in a victory sign.

"Glad you're so confident. You've really changed these past few months!"

"Well I've had a lot of changes in my life since then. I'm working somewhere I actually like and Motoko is keeping me sharp with training. Hell, if this continues I'll be teaching classes at the college, not just attending!"

"Hold your horses there Saul Kripke."

"Who?"

(A/N: If you don't know, Saul Kripke is a genius who applied for a teaching position at Harvard while still in high school.)

Naru groaned and held her face in her hands. Keitaro smiled and started walking down to the train station when he was stopped cold. In front of him was Mutsumi. As oblivious and absent-minded as ever, she stared at the group for a long while before greeting them.

"Ah! Narusegawa, and Keitaro! It's great to see you!"

"Hey there Mutsumi," he said. "What are you doing here?"

Mutsumi moved two steps towards them and promptly tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, falling face-first into the concrete. Keitaro and Naru got her up, heading out for some drinks. After they got the first round, Mutsumi seemed to come back to life and began drinking with them.

"It's good to see you both again!" she said. "You took such nice care of me last time… Come to think of it, that must've been half a year or so ago."

"Yeah, it seems like ages," Naru said thinking back to it.

"Why am I here again?" asked Mutsumi.

"How do you expect us to know?!" Keitaro shouted.

He liked Mutsumi. She was a nice girl and didn't have a cruel bone in her body, but she was truly hard to understand sometimes.

"Oh this is an exam permit," she said, pulling one out of her pocket. "I must be here to take the exam! That's right, I remember I even got a room around here, too!"

"Oh, so you'll be staying with us for a while huh?" Keitaro asked. "That sounds fun!"

"Yes! So are you both taking the exam again too?"

"Yeah! I even got a B on the mock exam!" he said, pulling it out to show her.

"You're going to carry that around forever aren't you?" asked Naru tiredly.

Mutsumi clapped her hands together, happily exclaiming, "So all three of us are trying again!"

"Yeah," said Keitaro laughing. "We're a group of re-takers."

"That's nothing to be proud of!" shouted Naru.

Mutsumi smiled at Naru's attempts to dampen Keitaro's spirits and winked at Keitaro knowingly.

"So are you two…"

"No," answered Keitaro and Naru at the same time.

Naru looked over at him, a little surprised. Keitaro didn't say anything to her and explained to Mutsumi.

"Naru and I are just friends. We decided that it would be best for us to study together if we're both still trying to get in."

"That's wonderful. I am getting pretty tired now though, could you two take me home?"

"Sure, where is it?"

Mutsumi pulled out a map and began leading them through the vast city. She seemed to be picking the streets at complete random, twice going in a circle before picking a different way.

"Mutsumi," he asked after half an hour. "What map are you reading?"

"This one," she said, handing him a map that covered all of Japan. "Oh there my place is!"

She pointed at a bowling alley.

"I really doubt that's your place," said Naru.

"But I remember the giant bird on top!" she insisted.

"That's a bowling pin."

"Oh bowling? Can we go? It's open 24 hours."

"I thought we were looking for your home," said Keitaro.

"Oh yeah, the address is on the back of my map."

"…The address would be lovely," Keitaro said, trying not to snap.

Mutsumi showed them the address the Keitaro realized it was actually next door to the Hina apartments. He showed her the room and she went inside… to a very, very empty studio apartment.

"Yeah it's a bit bare," she said. "But the rent is very cheap."

"Why's that?" asked Keitaro, opening what he assumed was a closet, only to see a railway system. "You know what? Nevermind. I found out."

"Mutsumi, your home is right next to the subway? That's not healthy!"

"Yes, but I am always unhealthy, so it cannot hurt."

"Ok… Well Keitaro and I should get home to get some studying done."

"Wait!" said Mutsumi urgently. "Would you two please help me as well? My score was a 0 because I never put my name down on the test, so I think I need some help."

"Sure," said Naru. "Why don't you grade your practice test as if you'd put your name on it and we'll see where you need the help."

Mutusmi poured over her little book and eventually wrote a number down on the test. 485… out of 500 points…

"Mutsumi… are you sure that's right?" asked Keitaro, thinking of his now-sad 410.

"Yeah, she did it right… man I only got 450… How have you had to retake this three times?!"

"Well I usually make mistakes. I forget to put my name down, or faint right before the test, so I usually fail."

"Are you a genius or an idiot?!" shouted Keitaro, thoroughly convinced Mutsumi's blissful moments were some sort of act.

"So my score was a very good one?"

Keitaro slammed his face into her wall, unsure how he was supposed to function around this woman. There was no way that her moments of random stupidity were accurate, she had to secretly be a spy or something. He turned to her to place his accusation, only to find her speaking turtle to Tama…

He couldn't understand Mutsumi… not now… not ever. Over the course the next few weeks, Mutsumi, Naru and he formed a three person study group. At first it was all perfectly fine, and Mutsumi provided an outside look on things that accidentally ended up being helpful to himself or Naru.

Of course, when one thing in his life was going well, something else was inevitably going to shit. In this case, it was a classic… Naru. She had been unusually distant with him recently and never stayed long at meals. She'd even become distracted during studies, glancing between him and Mutsumi as if she knew something.

Keitaro knew better than to force whatever this was. Had it been one of the other girls, like Shinobu or Motoko, he may have been able to sit down and discuss the issue like an adult, but Naru was way too violent and stubborn. She would most likely just claim he was trying to be perverted and hit him.

Now, being who he was he had tried to help her out, and that had ended up with Naru saying they should try and get close, and punting him across the room. He was all but giving up on her and just going to study by himself. This was really getting insufferable. He decided he was going to go to bed early and get some rest before training with Motoko.

As he lay down he heard soft knocking at his door.

"Go away Naru," he mumbled. "I'm too tired to study. Some of us need sleep!"

"It's me, Keitaro!" he heard Mutsumi say from the other side.

He opened the door, rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry Mutsumi," he said softly. "I thought it was Narusegawa. She's been hounding me lately, and it's driving me a bit crazy."

"I am here about Narusegawa, actually," she said. "We were talking outside and she told me about how she's really been falling in love with you recently."

Keitaro fell over, laughing and holding his side. Even if he was still interested, there was no way the woman who hit him constantly and insisted he was an idiot was actually romantically interested. When you had a crush and were a small child, sure you hit and pushed the person you liked. Adults weren't like that.

"Mutsumi," he said. "I think you misunderstood."

"No," said Mutsumi insistently. "She was very specific. She said that you had been right in front of her the whole time. She said you were studying hard and were working much harder than you had been. She blushed when she said those things. I know she loves you."

Keitaro groaned. He honestly wasn't in the mood to get hit again, but it was probably better that he dealt with this sooner than later. He went to find Naru, and saw her sitting on the porch, pouring over a photo album.

"Hey there, Naru."

"Hey…"

"I just finished talking with Mutsumi…"

"Oh… so she told you then?"

"Yeah. Listen Naru… I think you're a real individual. I mean that, you always speak your mind and don't care who's listening."

"Thanks," she said.

"I want to be friends with you, really. But as far as anything romantic between us… I just don't think there's really an actually relationship there."

He watched her carefully, preparing for a fist. What he didn't expect was what she did. She turned to him calmly and shook her head.

"I wasn't talking about me."

"Huh?"

"Mutsumi was trying to… it doesn't really matter."

"It does to me."

"She should be able to tell you later… But let me ask you something."

"Sure, anything!"

"What you said about us," she said softly. "Back on Okinawa, you really seemed to like me… and now…"

"I do like you," he said. "I just don't like you… in that way."

"Is it because of Motoko?"

That hit Keitaro like… well like Naru normally did.

"I'm sorry?"

"Motoko and you have spent loads of time together."

"Yeah, because we're training. You and I spend loads of time together too, more than the other girls anyway."

Why would she think I like Motoko like that? Motoko doesn't even like love, let alone want to be in love. Even if she was, she wouldn't pick me. Maybe someone strong like Seta… as if he even needs another adoring girl.

"But Motoko and you seem happier around each other now."

"Well, we stopped fighting each other, but I think that's because we understand each other more now. It just seems like we got so much farther because we started at each other's throats. You remember on her first day back, she tried to challenge me for ownership of the apartments!"

"Yeah, and now she gives up every single morning to spend time with you. You were gone for almost two full days when you went to bring her back."

"You were the one who told me to and get her back!"

Naru looked at him carefully, as if gauging whether he was lying or not.

"If something were going on between you two, you would tell me?"

"I guess. It honestly wouldn't have occurred to me you would be interested if something were. But like I say, there's…"

The rest of his statement was impeded by a fist in his face.

After training with Motoko the following morning, Keitaro decided to bring up what Naru had said.

"Hey Motoko, have you spoken to Naru recently?"

"We speak to each other often," said Motoko. "What topic are you curious about?"

"Mutsumi told me Naru was in love with me."

"Ah," said Motoko. "I suppose you are happy about that."

"Actually I'm not," he said. "I don't feel like that about her anymore, if I ever did. I told her I didn't want to be in a relationship like that with her."

"Oh… how did she take it?"

"She asked if it was because we were dating."

"…That is not what I would've expected."

Keitaro nodded in agreement.

"I told her that there wasn't anything going on between you and I, but I'm not sure if she believed me. I know you and I spend time together a lot, and I don't want to lose that, but maybe you could talk to her a bit when you get a chance?"

"Of course. I wouldn't want her to have any false notions that would cause her pain."

"Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Merry Christmas."

"Huh? Oh yeah… I forgot that was today. You have the gifts I asked you to hold on to?"

"Yes, Su was busy searching inside the apartments so I don't think she found them. I noticed there wasn't one for me in there."

"I couldn't just let you look after your own gift! You'll get it later on just like everyone else! Merry Christmas, Motoko!" he said smiling.

He went inside and saw the rest of the girls already waiting for him… in various santa suits.

"Oh, hey all. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas Keitaro!" they responded in unison.

"You have presents for us!" Su exclaimed as he brought in what Motoko had been safeguarding for him.

Su and Sarah had recently taken to explore hidden passages inside the Hina apartments and he decided it would be better to hide them somewhere where the girls wouldn't find them. Of course, he'd had plenty of money left over from his work with Seta and the seaside restaurant, so he'd been able to get everyone something.

"Calm down, Su. Yes I have presents for you all here. Shinobu?"

"Sempai!" she said, coming to him.

He handed her an envelope that contained three tickets to a ladies-only amusement park. He figured it was important for her get closer to what friends she had. This would be good for her.

"T-Thank you sempai."

"You don't get to be nice to just Shinobu!" shouted Sarah.

"Here you go brat!" he said, handing her a new hand-to-hand virtual reality game.

He'd had his doubts about teaching Sarah how to fight, but the fact was she already knew how to hit and this may end up being a good output for her aggression.

"Su, this is for you."

Keitaro had needed to search online for Su's gift. He still wasn't sure it was even a real thing, but someone who was apparently on Su's wavelength had invented an indoor banana tree, and was selling it.

"Wow… this actually isn't bad," said Sarah.

"Yeah, thanks Keitaro!" said Su.

"Aunt Haruka," he said, earning him a hit. "I got this for you."

He'd managed to find a set of zodiac lighters. It may not have been the most creative, but he felt she liked it nevertheless.

"Kitsune. I know you like to bet on horses, so I got you a season's pass to the track. It's always more fun when you're actually surrounded by other people."

She took it, surprised.

"Naru?"

"Over here," she said, examining Su's banana tree with her.

Keitaro handed Naru her gift. A set of the Lido-kun videos. He knew she'd had an attachment to that doll for over ten years, so he figured she would have some sort of nostalgic value for the cartoon.

"Keitaro… I'm not a five-year-old anymore… but thanks for thinking of something, I guess."

Then again, he'd been wrong when it came to Naru before. At that moment, Motoko came downstairs clothed in a long red traditional dress. It looked really beautiful on her, promoting the older style Motoko had about her. He wouldn't say it, of course, but he whole-heartedly approved of the look.

She came down to him and he handed her the present he'd picked out. It was a set of novels on the greatest sword masters of Japan. Motoko often spoke with reverence of some historical figures, so he figured she could enjoy it. Her eyes lit up as she unwrapped it and she smiled softly.

"Thank you, Keitaro. That was very thoughtful. I got you something too."

She handed him a large wrapped box.

"Thanks Motoko, but you didn't have to do that."

"Your friendship is very important to me," she said simply.

Keitaro smiled and nodded at her as he opened the gift she'd given him…

END CHAPTER

AN: Yes I am an evil bastard.