Chapter 21
Keitaro walked into the police station that he was all too familiar with. The inn manager stopped as he waited for Kanako to catch up to him, the young girl had stopped to look at someone being arrested.
"I'm here to see Detective Makoto Doumoto; he asked to see me today." Keitaro said to the receptionist.
"Just one minute." The receptionist smiled as she phoned the detective to confirm.
"No problem." Keitaro replied.
"Detective Makoto Doumoto will be here soon." The receptionist said.
Keitaro and Kanako waited for a few minutes before the detective joined them.
"Keitaro, it's good to see you doing well after everything." Makoto greeted.
"Thank you for everything you did." Keitaro replied.
"Hi detective, remember me." Kanako waved.
"Yes, I do. I'm sorry. I'm sure I told the officer that I only needed to see Keitaro, my apologies Kanako." Makoto said.
"It's not like that. I'm staying with Oniichan during my school's special vacation and I wanted to come with him. I should be apologising." Kanako responded.
"It's no problem, follow me to my office." Makoto led the way.
"Last time I was here you had a desk." Keitaro noted.
"A case as big as the Molmol case can do wonders for your career." Makoto explained as he entered his office.
The office was fairly new since there weren't personal touches to it as yet. Makoto's desk just had his laptop and a few files. Keitaro and Kanako sat down after Makoto borrowed chairs from the neighbouring office.
"Sorry about that, I just moved in here. They haven't given me extra chairs as yet." Makoto said as he sat at his desk.
"You said this had to do with my grandmother." Keitaro gulped wondering what the issue was.
"Yes, the trial with Hinata Urashima is not proceeding smoothly. The fact that most of her serious crimes were committed a long time ago and there aren't any witnesses is hampering the case." Makoto explained.
"No way, is she going to get off on a technicality?" Kanako asked.
"Don't worry the case we have against her for trying to abduct you is rock solid. She's not going anywhere." Makoto assured.
"So it's just the case with the Hinata House that's stalling." Keitaro nodded.
"Exactly, Shinji Aoba is one of the slyest lawyers I've seen. He's pulling every trick in the book and then some to prolong the trial as long as possible." Makoto revealed.
"I was worried about something for a while now, what's going to happen to the Hinata House during all." Keitaro asked worried.
"From all the evidence we've gathered the inn itself wasn't involved. It was the annex. I can do my best to make sure this case doesn't affect you or your tenants from a legal point of view but…" Makoto stopped.
"But what?" Kanako questioned.
"This case hasn't hit the main stream media as yet. Once it does your inn might be put under the spotlight and there are some media out there that pick and pry like vultures." Makoto warned.
"I haven't really given thought to that." Keitaro confessed.
"Here's my number." Makoto said handing the Urashima siblings small business cards. "If you're in trouble, I can help."
"Thank you." Kanako bowed.
"I heard the lawyer prosecuting your grandmother in the abduction and restraining order case contacted you. I know it can be tough when you're being prepped to testify." Makoto spoke up.
"It was difficult. I knew I would have to but it's still hard. Even after everything she did, she's still my grandmother and it's difficult to say bad things about her." Kanako confessed.
XXXXX
"I am so sorry." Motoko apologized.
"It's alright. I guess your sister must have sounded so worried your teacher thought you were worse then you actually were." Yamato theorized.
The kendo girl and Yamato were walking from her school to the train station. She was carrying a small bag filled with all the work she had missed.
"Still, you ended up coming with me for nothing." Motoko continued to sound sorry.
"No, it was fun to see the shocked expression of the kendo club when they saw you walking with a boy." Yamato laughed.
"That wasn't funny. I don't want people getting the wrong idea." Motoko huffed.
"How could they get the wrong idea, your face only turned five shades of red." Yamato reminded.
"Blushing is the involuntary reddening of a person's face due to embarrassment or emotional stress." Motoko retorted. "It was a very stressful situation."
"Okay, if that's the excuse you're going with." Yamato smirked.
"I was not embarrassed. I've gotten over my irrational prejudice." Motoko boasted.
"That's good and all but I don't think you're used to spending time with guys." Yamato pointed out.
"What makes you say that?" Motoko asked.
"Whenever anyone asked you about me you started speaking like a broken robot." Yamato chuckled.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Motoko scoffed.
"Oh come on, your voice went all mono tone and you were stuttering." Yamato said.
"You were just imagining things." Motoko shook her head.
"If that the case then you won't mind going there and grabbing a quick bite to eat with me." Yamato pointed across the street.
Across the street was one of the many MgRonald franchise restaurants found around Japan.
"I'm not really hungry." Motoko declined.
"Well I'm starving. After practice I came straight to the train station to meet you. I didn't have time to have a snack." Yamato said.
"I…I…I guess I…I…I do owe you something." Motoko relented.
"Don't worry about it; I'll just grab something from the convenience store near the train station." Yamato smiled.
"What are you talking about? I'm perfectly alright going into that restaurant with you." Motoko declared.
"No you're not. You only stutter that way when you see Tama flying around the house." Yamato explained.
"I'm not scared." Motoko retorted.
"I was going to say uncomfortable but scared makes more sense." Yamato nodded.
"I am a proud student of the Shinmei-ryu School of Martial Arts. I am not afraid of something as simple as having a meal with a boy." Motoko exclaimed.
"It's perfectly alright to be scared. You've never been in the situation before." Yamato replied.
"That's true but I am confident I would be able to handle myself in such a situation." Motoko responded.
"You can just admit that you're scared to have lunch with a boy. You don't have to put up a strong front. I'm sure there are plenty of girls your age that have never been out with a boy and are also nervous about it." Yamato stated.
"I am not scared or nervous. I'll prove it. Next weekend. We'll come back to this exact MgRonald and I'll show you." Motoko challenged.
"I won't say no to lunch with a pretty girl. You're on." Yamato said walking.
"Complimenting me won't help you." Motoko blushed as she followed.
XXXXX
Mizuho let out a heaved sigh as she rested in the relaxing waters of the onsen. She had started tutoring again that day and the students she had were very stressful. As the water worked its magic allowing Mizuho to unwind she was joined in the onsen by Mutsumi.
"You look tired." Mutsumi smiled as she waded through the water towards Mizuho.
"I am. It's not easy getting back into the tutoring groove and teaching problem children." Mizuho replied.
"I don't think we've been properly introduced, my name is Mutsumi Otohime." Mutsumi introduced.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Mizuho Fujisawa." Mizuho replied.
"I wasn't around when you moved in so I missed all the excitement." Mutsumi chuckled.
"You don't really live here." Mizuho pointed out.
"That's right. My apartment building is under reconstruction so I stay some nights with Haruka and some with Naru." Mutsumi explained.
"I knew it was something like that because I made sure to introduce myself to all the other tenants." Mizuho smiled.
"You want to marry Kei-kun?" Mutsumi said out of the blue.
"I guess that's my goal ultimately. I've put that aside for now. I'm more interested in being his girlfriend for now." Mizuho smiled.
"Did Kei-kun tell you about his promise girl?" Mutsumi asked.
"Plenty of times, it was the reason he wanted to get into Todai." Mizuho answered.
"If you know about his promise girl then why are you trying this?" Mutsumi responded.
"Keitaro has grown up; he's put that promise in the past." Mizuho replied.
"I believe that deep down he still wants to fulfil it. I want to help him reach that goal." Mutsumi admitted.
"Are you his promised girl?" Mizuho questioned.
"No, sadly I'm not." Mutsumi mumbled.
"Then I don't understand. It's pretty obvious that you like him but you're insisting on pushing him towards another girl." Mizuho spoke up.
"Off course I like Kei-kun. He's my friend." Mutsumi stated.
"No, as childish as this sounds I mean l like 'like'." Mizuho emphasised the second like.
"Even if I do, I don't want to hurt Naru." Mutsumi confessed.
"I don't believe it, even her. Things between the two of them seem so cold." Mizuho muttered.
XXXXX
Naru sat at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee with a worried look on her face. It was close to ten pm and unusual for her to wandering around the Hinata House at this time for no reason.
The feisty red head was staring at the steam rising from the cup so intently she didn't notice Mutsumi join her at the kitchen table.
"You look concerned." Mutsumi noted.
"Mutsumi!" Naru exclaimed shocked. "Where did you come from? How do you keep getting in here?"
"I've been here for the past few hours. I'm staying with you tonight. Did you forget?" Mutsumi answered.
"Oh my god, yes. It completely slipped my mind, I'm so sorry." Naru apologized.
"It's alright. You seem to have something important on your mind." Mutsumi said. "Are you worried about the exam results?"
"No, it's not that. I'm worried about Kitsune." Naru revealed.
"What happened?" Mutsumi questioned.
"She met this guy and things between them are getting serious really fast." Naru explained.
"It must be nice to be in love." Mutsumi smiled.
"I'm worried about her; they're spending the night together at a hotel. I think he may just be using her." Naru admitted.
"Naru are you worried about Kitsune or your friendship with her?" Mutsumi asked.
"I don't understand." Naru replied.
"From what I understand. Kitsune is your oldest friend here at the inn. You went to school together and she's always been at your side." Mutsumi said.
"That's true. We've been together for a long time." Naru nodded.
"Then maybe you're worried if Kitsune gets into a serious relationship you'll lose her as a friend." Mutsumi theorized.
"No, I'm not that petty. I just have this feeling in my gut that something is wrong. She won't even tell me his name." Naru responded.
"Oh well that is suspicious." Mutsumi mumbled.
"She says that she doesn't want to tell me until I support her but I get the feeling that he is forcing her to keep the relationship a secret." Naru gritted her teeth.
"Maybe your hatred of all men is just blinding you." Keitaro said walking into the kitchen.
"What are you doing here?" Naru huffed.
"I heard someone exclaim 'Mutsumi', so I came down to investigate." Keitaro explained.
"That was my fault. I startled Naru." Mutsumi apologized.
"I'm surprised you're even taking the time to talk to me." Naru scoffed.
"What are you talking about?" Keitaro asked.
"It's been a long time since you actually paid attention to me." Naru muttered.
"I guess it has been like that." Keitaro nodded.
"Everything is fine here, you can go back to sleep." Naru said bitterly.
"Listen, Kitsune has been acting really responsibly recently. You shouldn't do anything that will cause her to go back to her old behaviour. Do what's in her best interest." Keitaro said before leaving.