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LOVE HINA: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

By Doctor-T

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"Um…Seta?"

"Yes, Kitsune?"

"Ah've got somethin' – um – of a rather personal nature on mah mind. Can Ah talk to you about it for awhile?"

"Sure. Do you need a rest now while we talk? I don't think that we've got much further to go before we reach the end of this tunnel."

"No, it's all right. We'd best keep goin' then," Kitsune decided, despite stopping momentarily to wipe her brow. "We had a break only about ten minutes ago, so Ah'm not too pooped just yet."

"Okay. Here, walk next to me and tell me what's on your mind."

"Thank you. Ah badly need some advice, Seta, an' Ah trust you, so here's what's buggin' me."

So Kitsune did just what her older and wiser friend had suggested. The young woman, with many anxious sideways glances upwards at her companion's face, admitted to him just what it was that she had done with Keitaro and of the worries that the end result of it was doing to her. Leaving nothing out, she also told him of her fears about what Haruka was going to say to her when they came face-to-face again and her older friend learned about her now not-so-secret tryst with her nephew. Finally Kit steeled her nerve, and came right out with the unnerving fact that she thought that she might now be pregnant with Keitaro's child.

Up until then Seta's face had remained impassive, although he had broken into a grin upon finding out that she had slept with the young student. And the lanky archaeologist had been quite unable to resist saying, "Heh-heh! So the part-timer's finally got some, eh? It's about time!"

But when Kitsune had admitted to him that there was a good possibility that she was now in the family way, he had come to an abrupt halt, to stare down at her with a serious expression on his suddenly unsmiling face.

"Oh?! Is that so? Now I see why you needed to talk to me, alright. If you are going to have Keitaro's baby then Haruka is definitely not going to be amused, is she?"

"No, Seta, she' ain't," Kitsune said, a quaver in her voice. "And if Ah am up the duff, then Ah'm a dead woman! But, understand, it's certainly not definite that Ah am pregnant – at the moment it's just a feelin' that Ah have. And if it is true and Ah am, it should never have even happened. Ah made a stupid mistake the night that Ah slept with Keitaro, so it's all mah fault, not his. Ah had been drinkin' a lot at the party to celebrate him getting out of hospital, ya see, and Ah clean forgot to take mah pill before we hit the sack! And now…?"

"Oh, dear," Seta replied, scratching at his stubbly chin, his bespectacled eyes wide as realized her error. "That was a bit of a boo-boo, wasn't it?"

"You're tellin' me! And with all that's been happenin' to me recently, Ah haven't had time to have it checked out for sure, to see if Ah really am. So what Ah'm tellin' you now is just the worst-case scenario, ya see? This all could be just mah overactive imagination getting' to me, and Ah pray that it is! But – if Ah am gonna have Keitaro's baby, Ah just don't know what to do! Ah've never been in this type of situation before and so Ah really need some help right about now."

"I agree, you certainly do. But what about Keitaro? Does he know that he could be about to be a father?"

"Hell, no!" Kit yelped. "This isn't the type of news that Ah'm gonna be spreading around until Ah know for sure – and even after Ah know for sure, for that matter. Ah just don't know what to do for the best! Dammit all, Seta, Ah'm just not prepared for this!"

Seta leaned forward and took the suddenly distraught young woman into his arms. Kitsune clung to him gratefully, tears trickling down from her tightly closed eyes as her worry and stress at her situation suddenly boiled over. "Well, until you know for sure whether you are or not, Kit, there's nothing much that you – that we – can do about it at the moment," he gently told her. "Tell you what, you keep this a secret for now, don't even tell the part-timer, okay? Find out for sure about your condition, and then come and see me as soon as you get your results, no matter what they are. Then we can either go out and celebrate, or figure out together what you should do that will be best for you, the baby and for Keitaro. Is that okay with you, Kitsune?"

"Yes, Seta, it is," Kit sobbed, more grateful than she could ever express at that moment for the support of the tall and strong figure there in the tunnel with her in her hour of need. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, Kitsune." He laughed, and then added, "I have one more piece of advice for you. And that is, I want you to remember that you can talk to me anytime and in the strictest confidence about any of your problems that you need a hand with, okay?"

"Yes, Seta, Ah will," Kitsune sniffed, holding the hug for a moment longer, then reluctantly releasing him so that she could compose herself once again. "You've already been a big help. Ah feel much better now that Ah've finally got that dirty little secret of mine offen mah chest."

"Yes, it always helps someone if they share their problems," Seta agreed as the pair began their march through the darkness again. "'A problem shared is a problem halved', as they say."

"Do tell?" Kit replied, managing a chuckle. "Now that ya mention it, there are a few more things that Ah'd like to run past you, if ya don't mind? It's to do with…how Ah feel about Keitaro."

"Fire away. After all, we're both on a roll."

"Thank you. Well – um – for a start, Ah'd like to say that, with regards to Keitaro, over the last coupla months-or-so, mah feelings towards him have changed, in more ways than Ah could ever have imagined. Ah was always a little fond of him, even before he almost died, but now? It's much more'n that. In fact, it might even be-? 'Ahem!' Well, you know-!"

"I can guess. Ha, ha! Kit…are you trying to tell me you think that you'd fallen in love with Keitaro? Even before you slept with him?"

"Ah just don't know, Seta. Honestly. But make no mistake, Ah do like Keitaro – a lot. And that's no lie. Enough to be his girlfriend at any rate, if he'd have me." Kit sighed. "And that's a big 'if', Seta. Just look at mah competition for his affections there at the Hinata Apartments, willya? Even with Naru out of the picture, there's still a 'Miss Universe' line-up for him to pick a girlfriend from – and can ya believe that they all now want him to pick them, too?! Sheesh! What a change a month-or-so brings. Before Naru creamed poor Keitaro with the fryin' pan, Motoko in particular wouldn't have even given him the time of day!"

"Yes," Seta agreed. "I remember seeing him soaring out over the town on quite a regular basis nearly every time that I've visited the apartments before. But there's nothing like a good, healthy dose of guilt to make certain people see the error of their ways, is there?"

"Yeah. And that applies to me, too. Ah dunno, maybe a little bit of good, old-fashioned repentance had somethin' to do with me sleepin' with Keitaro, too? But all that matters now is that Ah did it – and now this has happened to me. Ah could be pregnant because of mah own stupidity! God, Ah wouldn't want to win him like this, Seta, just because Ah'm gonna have his baby. Ah want Keitaro ta choose me, for me, not because he had to!"

"I see. Good point. But…if you weren't absolutely sure about your true feelings for Keitaro at the time, then – if you don't mind me asking - why did you-? Ah, you know, in the first place?" Seta wanted to know.

"Geez, for a number of reasons besides just guilt, I guess?" the fox girl hesitantly admitted, lowering her eyes to the sandy floor of the tunnel. "Well, for a start, with Naru gone and Keitaro fallen out of love with her, Ah got to thinkin' about what a good man Keitaro really was. He's kind and generous and gentle, Seta, just like you are." Kitsune's face colored, and then she gasped out, "Ohmahgosh? Did Ah really just admit that to ya face?"

"Yes," Seta chuckled back to the embarrassed young woman. "Out loud, too."

"Aw, heck! But since Ah've already said that much, Ah'll confess that it is true. That's how Ah feel about both of ya. Anyway, 'ahem!' Back to mah explanation. Well, Ah'm attracted to Keitaro for just those qualities. Ah've had a lot of bad experiences with men – not you of course, Seta - Ah'm talkin' about other guys that Ah met. And after Ah discovered that Ah had developed feelings for the boy, Ah thought – well, why couldn't it be my turn to have a decent man for a change. Someone who would treat me right."

"I agree," Seta affirmed. "There's nothing at all wrong with wanting to share your life with a caring partner, Kitsune. Carry on."

"'Kay. And as to why Ah did what Ah did in bed with Keitaro so quickly - Ah knew that the other girls were plannin' on going after him too, so Ah thought that I'd best throw mah hat in the ring, first, ya see? Strike while the iron was hot, and all that."

"I don't blame you for making your move first," Seta declared, scrutinizing Kitsune's face carefully and reading almost invisible signs that she was still holding something back from him. "Keitaro is a good man. It sure sounds to me like you like the part-timer a lot more than you're willing to admit, even to yourself. But, knowing you as well as I do, there's even more to this story of yours yet, isn't there, Kitsune?"

"All right, all right! You're correct with what you're thinkin', Seta," Kitsune finally admitted, taking her courage in both hands as she decided that it would be best for all concerned if she owned up honestly and truthfully to the more selfish side of her nature for once. "Ah'm a bit ashamed to be sayin' this to you, but…well, you gotta admit, with Keitaro owning the apartments as well as being the manager, and him gonna be a Tokyo U student to boot, that makes him quite the catch."

Kit's eyes dropped to her feet again as she continued in a strained voice, "I also figured that if Ah could only snag him, Ah'd - well - Ah'd be set for life…" Then her eyes snapped upwards to meet Seta's own, and she gasped out in a pleading voice, "But please believe me, Seta, while this was a reason for my actions, it sure wasn't the only reason, or even the main one. Far from it! Make no mistake, Ah do like Keitaro, Ah do! And Ah'd be more'n honored to say 'yes' to him, even if Ah knew he would always be dirt-poor, if he'd only pick me to be his gal."

"Hmm?" Seta grinned down at her anxious face; Kit's eyes wide open for once in tearful appeal. "That's quite a change from your usual attitude towards men, isn't it, Kitsune? Your seducing Keitaro wasn't just for mercenary reasons, then, was it?"

"No. Not this time, Seta. Ah really want the guy, that's why Ah did what Ah did. Because Ah thought that by takin' him to bed with me, there was an outside chance that he would…return mah affection and want me more'n he wanted any of the other girls. But, look where it got me! Now Ah'm screwed!"

The tall archaeologist smiled at her refreshing display of honesty, trying hard not to laugh at her unwitting double-entendre at the same time. "Well, don't give up on the part-timer just yet," he encouraged the tearful young woman at his side. "Let's just get this 'are you pregnant or not?' business sorted first, shall we? And then I think that a good repeat dose of honesty like you have just given me, but this time to Keitaro, might do the both of you – and your chances with him – a world of good." He reached forward, placed the fingers of his right hand under the upset young woman's chin, and gently raised up her head so that she was looking directly into his kindly eyes once again. "Well, am I right, or not?"

"'Sniff!' So you reckon that Ah should just go for it, then? Just throw caution to the wind and follow mah heart – no matter what Haruka or anyone else may think of me for doing it?"

"Yes, Kitsune, I do. If you just give up on Keitaro, or don't try your best to win his love, or at the very least admit your honest feelings for him, then you'll never, ever know what would have happened if you had done so. So what have you got to lose by taking a chance, anyway, eh? I'll tell you - nothing!"

"Ah really do have nothin' to lose by confessing to Keitaro, do Ah? Heh! Except for mah life when Haruka finds out about us."

"No, you don't," Seta emphasized. "And as for Haruka, just leave her up to me. I'm prepared to back you up on this one, so let me worry about her reaction." He then leaned forward and added in a sober tone, "Listen, Kitsune, if you don't tell the part-timer how you feel, then things will stay exactly the same as they are now between the two of you, won't they? Going precisely nowhere. But if you do tell Keitaro what you've just told me... Well, I personally think that there's a chance – maybe even a good chance – that he will at the very least seriously consider asking you to be his girlfriend."

"You-you do? But after everything that Ah've done to poor Keitaro before - 'borrowing' his money, evading mah rent payments and settin' up practical jokes on him, just to watch him take a fall with the other girls - why would he possibly want me?"

"Because it's also obvious to me – and I'm pretty sure that it is to Keitaro, too - that you've turned over a new leaf in the months since you last pulled those stunts on Keitaro, Kitsune," Seta interrupted her. "Even before I left to go back to Pararakelse Island before Keitaro got hurt, I had noticed that you had stopped trying to rip Keitaro off, and that you were also sticking up for him a lot more, especially with Naru and Motoko. Haruka had noticed that about you, too, by the way. And Haruka is also the one who sent word to me about what Naru had done to Keitaro, just after it had happened."

"So you did receive word about poor Keitaro nearly dyin'," Kit sniffed, a fresh trickle of tears dribbling from her eyes at the thought of what had so nearly happened to their manager. "Hey, Seta, if you knew, then how come ya never came back to see him? None of us had heard any word from you since Naru beaned him with the fryin' pan, and since you didn't show up at Naru's trial, we'all thought that you didn't know about it."

"Well, I was out in the middle of the desert at the time, and it took over a week for Haruka's message to catch up with me," Seta ruefully explained. "By the time I received it, Naru's sentencing had already happened. Make no mistake, I wish that I had been there for you all! But since the part-timer was off the critical list and well on the way to making a full recovery when I finally managed to get to a phone and speak to Haruka, we decided that there wasn't much point in me dropping everything and dashing back to the Hinata Apartments that late in the picture."

"Yeah, 'sniff!' Ah guess you're right. But Ah still wish that ya had come back then, y'know? Even though Haruka would flat-out deny this, she misses ya somethin' fierce, and she could'a really done with your support when Keitaro was on the life-support machines in the Hinata Hospital. We'all know that she's a strong woman, Seta, but even poor Haruka needs some love an' comfort in her life at times, too…'sniff!"

"I know. And god knows, I've tried to do just that! But, as you no-doubt have heard from her, she won't take me back for love nor money. Heh! It looks to me like we've both got a similar problem, eh, Kitsune? We're both in love with people who we have absolutely no idea how to win over."

"You certainly know how to cheer a gal up, Seta," Kit sniffled. "You're in exactly the same boat as me. Well, not exactly."

"True." The archaeologist grinned, seeing her point. Then he became serious again. "But I'm not going to give up on Haruka," he declared in an earnest tone. "And neither should you with the part-timer. So, back to my somewhat rambling point to you here, nothing that I've seen or heard from you over the last couple of days has caused me to revise my opinion that you have changed for the better, that you do like Keitaro, and that you care for him a lot. So just be totally honest to the part-timer about how you feel, and I'm sure that things will work out just fine between the two of you. And everyone else concerned, as well."

Kitsune managed a smile back as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Ya really think so, Seta? Well, ya know what. Ah think that you're absolutely right!" She chuckled and did a fairly clumsy twirl because of her heavy backpack, which was piled high with camping gear. "After all, how could good ol' Kei possibly resist me? Ah'm the total package! Those other girls at the apartments ain't got nothin' on me!"

"That's the spirit," her tall companion cheered, clapping a hand onto Kit's shoulder to steady her as the now very much happier young woman nearly overbalanced from the sudden shifting of the heavy weight of her pack. "And here's something more to cheer you up. Look! Do you see that faint light up ahead? That's the Pararakelse Island entrance to this tunnel. In ten minutes we'll be out under the open sky again. And I have a satellite phone at my main camp here, so you'll be able to let the others back at the Hinata Apartments know that we're safe in no time at all."

"Yeehah!" Kitsune cried out, almost jumping with joy. And Ah can warn Keitaro about Kanako, too, she thought. "C'mon, Seta, let's pick up the pace. Ah can't wait to see the sun shinin' again!" But then she halted once again and turned back to face him, a grateful look on her beautiful face.

"And Seta - thank you."

"My pleasure, Kitsune."

"And now it's time for me ta give you some advice. You do realize that what y'all just told me, also applies to you and Haruka too?" the fox girl then pointed out to him with a grin. "So maybe it's time that you took your own advice with regards to the woman that you love?"

"I know," Seta replied, a thoughtful look on his stubbled face. "And don't worry, I intend to. Soon."

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It was now five minutes past twelve, and Keitaro and Kanako were finally back at reception in the lobby of the Hinata Apartments. Keitaro had first dropped off both the car and Tsuruko at the Tea Rooms, whilst the barefooted Kanako in her baggy men's clothes had hurried on ahead up the stairs and into the apartment building through a side entrance. Normally she would have waited for her brother, but in this case she wanted to get back to her room and change into her normal clothes and some shoes before she was noticed by any of the other residents, and especially her aunt.

As she entered the lobby after completing her essential task, upon seeing that Aunt Haruka was still behind the reception counter, Kanako had momentarily considered vanishing back upstairs to the safety of her room once again. But in the end her love for and desire to spend more time with her brother, whom was at that very moment arriving through the main entrance, won out over her nervousness at the prospect of him or her aunt asking more awkward questions of her about Naru.

Aunt Haruka had indeed wanted to talk to her, but to the sweating girl's relief, it had only been about routine Inn business, not about her misdeeds of the previous days.

Thank god that Auntie Haruka didn't spot me departing the apartments this morning like Tsuruko did, Kanako breathed to herself as her aunt turned away from her after a couple of questions to have a word with the also anxious-looking Keitaro, although his nervousness was for a different reason than his sister's. Now if Tsuruko will only keep her mouth shut to Auntie like she promised to about me impersonating Oniichan, then I'm home-free.

Upon being asked by Aunt Haruka about his success in finding Naru, Keitaro thought it wise in his retelling of their morning's adventure to leave out all references to Naru having been at Kentaro's apartment - and his sister being there, as well. So he duly did just that. After hearing that Naru had managed to escape Su's missile without a scratch and that she had already left the location of the missile strike before he had managed to arrive there, Haruka merely let out a snort, grimaced, and then commented on how Naru had been far luckier than she deserved.

"That girl! She can't run forever, you know. Sooner-or-later the police will catch her, and she's only making it worse for herself the longer she stays a fugitive."

"Yeah, that's what I think, too," Keitaro agreed. "Naru should just turn herself in and throw herself on the mercy of the court. I just hope that she wasn't seen fleeing the scene of that explosion. If she was, the police are sure to blame it on her, too."

"Good point, Kei-kun. So, Su's missile did succeed in finding Naru after all," Haruka commented, not in the slightest bit surprised at the Molmol girl's success. "And you say that you found out from that witness who recognized her, that she wasn't even injured by the blast?"

"Yes," Keitaro replied, choosing his words with care. "From what I found out from the girl who saw what happened, Naru was hiding out in a vacant apartment, and she somehow managed to escape from it before the missile struck. And it was definitely Naru she saw, because the girl recognized her from her picture on the news. But it must have been a pretty close shave! Apparently, Su's missile struck the building only a second-or-two after Naru had left it."

Haruka frowned. "Lucky, all right! And while we're on the subject of Su, Granny and I may have agreed to her installing all of that military ordinance around the apartments – for reasons that you two don't need to know about, so don't bother asking me about it – but I'm not altogether happy about her firing off warheads willy-nilly over the city! While you were gone, I've had a rather severe word to Kaolla about it, and she's promised to consult me – or you, Kei-kun, if I'm not here at the time – before she does anything like that again. She could quite easily have caused a major disaster if that cruise missile of hers had malfunctioned, or found Naru in a crowded movie theatre, or some such. I understand that she accidentally adapted and fired off the wrong missile, but that still doesn't excuse her recklessness. And if something like this happens again, I'm going to hold her fully responsible for the consequences."

"I agree, Auntie," Kanako blurted out before she could stop herself. "I could – I mean, Naru could quite easily have been killed, and even though I aren't terribly fond of what that psycho did to Oniichan, I don't want her blood on our hands."

Yet! She added under her breath. It's not necessary, just yet. And maybe it won't be, either?

"Hmm. Well, I want both of you to tell me if Su tries to pull off another stunt like this again, without our permission. And if you do somehow find out where Naru went to, let me know that straight away as well."

"Yes, Haruka," Keitaro quickly agreed, Kanako also nodding vigorously to her aunt's request. "We'll be sure to do just that."

"Okay, you two, I'm off back down to the Tea Rooms to see Tsuruko. Since you've been swanning around in your room and in town all morning, Kei-kun, I figure that you can work through your lunch break to make up for it. No objections? Good! See ya!"

As Aunt Haruka disappeared through the double doors after re-donning her shoes, Keitaro let out a loud, "phew!", then turned to his equally relieved-looking sister and remarked, "That went well! That was a good idea of yours for you to go ahead and come down the stairs instead of arriving with me. If Aunt Haruka had thought that you had had anything to do with this Naru fiasco, we would have been grilled for hours!"

"I agree, Oniichan. Auntie doesn't trust me at all when it comes to Naru, so I've got to stay well out of anything that has even the slightest possibility of involving her."

"Ah, well, it looks like you're safe this time," he chuckled. "Well, I'd best get back behind that counter-?"

"I'm coming too!"

"But it's your day off-" Keitaro began to protest.

"No, Oniichan, I really don't mind," Kanako pleaded, eagerly clutching at his near arm. "I want to spend some time with you, and I really don't have anything else planned for today."

But tonight is a different matter entirely, she told herself. I've got a little date with sneaky Shinobu once she goes to bed! And then, hopefully, I'll have a date with you straight after that!

"Um, okay, then. I don't mind," Keitaro agreed, realizing now that his sister's mind was made up, so to argue would be useless. "Hey, can you show me how to bring up the accounts payable and receivable screen in 'Excel' again? I seem to keep pressing the wrong keys."

"Of course, Oniichan. Here, let me find it to you."

After a couple of minutes of explanation and a quick demonstration of what she was talking about on the spreadsheet program, Kanako stepped back and watched her brother typing industriously away on the keyboard.

"That's good, Oniichan," she complimented him. "Use the 'sum' function there to total – oh, god!" Next second, her slender body was wracked by a violent spasm of coughing. As she leant forward, Kanako's hands scrabbled for the loose tissues in her pocket, yanking a handful out and pressing them tightly against her mouth. Kanako's eyes grew wide and unseeing as the light faded in her frozen mind, her legs felt weak and as if they would collapse under her at any second. Then slowly the dizzy spell released its paralytic hold on her, and the Goth girl managed to stand upright again, leaning back against the wooden counter just in case the seizure should strike her for a second time.

"Are you all right, Kanako?" Keitaro quickly asked her, both surprised and very worried at the sudden spasm that had struck his little sister. And was that a trace of blood that he could see on the crumpled tissues in her right hand?

"Ye-yes, brother, I'm fine. I'm all right, really!"

"Kanako, are you sure?" Keitaro pressed her, making to rise up from the stool he was seated on. "That cough really didn't sound all that good to me. Are you coming down with a cold, or are you injured from what happened back there at Kentaro's apartment, after all?"

"No! Please, I'm fine! Just…forget about it, please, Oniichan?"

"Oh? Okay, Kanako…" Averting his concerned gaze from her, Keitaro subsided back onto the stool, stared straight ahead at the computer monitor again and continued on with his typing. "You know best, I guess?"

No. No, I'm not all right, my big brother, Kanako silently stated, her eyes momentarily widening with a hidden fear. But you mustn't find out about what's going on with me. You can't afford to worry about me! It's you who I have to look after now. I have to keep you safe from Naru - from them all - while I still can.

Just then the lobby phone rang loudly, giving Kanako an excuse to discontinue their conversation before her brother could think up any more awkward questions to ask her.

"I'll get that Oniichan," she hurriedly declared, heading off along the counter towards the big pink phone just as Keitaro stood up again to answer it.

"Uh, yeah, sure," he replied, changing direction and moving off towards the door to the rear of the counter. "Okay then, ah, I'm just going out back to hit the can. I'll be back in a moment, okay?"

"That's fine. I'll stay here until you get back." Quickly Kanako scooped up the insistently ringing phone. "Good afternoon, Hinata Inn. This is Kanako Urashima speaking."

"Kanako! Why you two-faced witch!" came Mitsune Konno's loud and angry voice from the other end of the line. "What in the hell did ya think that you were doing, hangin' me up over that there mineshaft, ya scrawny psychopath?! Ah'm gonna wring ya neck when Ah get back there, see if Ah don't!"

"Ah – it's...really good to hear from you, too," the startled Kanako replied in her usual tone, throwing a concerned look at the door just closing behind her brother. It's Konno! Hell! Time for Plan B! "And what can I do for you today?" she continued, struggling to keep her voice normal and free from the anxiety that she was now feeling about what her most-unexpected caller now had to say to her.

"Can the pleasantries, ya pasty-faced nut-job! Where are Keitaro and Haruka? Ah'm ganna fill them both in on just what you've been up to. And after Ah get back there, Ah'm ganna pull up a seat and a sake, and enjoy the sight of them two takin' turns smackin' that deceitful, disguised ass of yours with a leather strap until it's all red n' rosy!"

Kanako shivered. That in-all-probability was exactly what would happen to her if her relatives found out about what she had done – well, from Aunt Haruka, at least. Not to mention her grandmother!

"Hold on, Konno, I've got something to say. And you'd be wise to hear me out, because this concerns your finances and how they can become one hell of a lot better."

"Huh? Mah money? What do ya mean?"

I thought that the mention of money would shut you up, Kanako breathed out. And I was right! All right, here goes nothing-!

"Look, Kitsune, I don't like that you slept with my Oniichan, okay? I hate it. But I was wrong with what I did to you because of it. I had absolutely no right to put you in danger like I did, so I'm sorry for that. I truly am. So this is my sincere apology to you. Secondly, I have an offer to make you, not only to help make up to you for what I did, but also to help you out financially. Well, are you interested in what I have to say?"

"Listen, Kanako, Ah don't give a toss about how sorry you are for what ya did ta me! Y'all just tryin' ta get out of the punishment that you deserve, aren't ya? But since you mentioned money, Ah'm prepared to listen to your bribe – but don't expect jack from me! All right, so let's hear it then."

"You've done reception duty before, haven't you?" Kanako asked, crossing her fingers. "If I remember correctly, I overheard you admitting to Narusegawa that you had when I was staying here before."

"Yeah… Ah have, for a little while. Why?" Kitsune asked in a puzzled tone, shot through with a healthy dose of suspicion. She could have said more about that particular job, but Kit didn't think that this was the time for her to mention that she'd gotten the sack on her very first day, for rewarding herself a little over-generously for her supposedly hard work with the liquor from the top shelf of the hotel bar during her lunch break on the premises.

"Because I'm in need of an assistant manager to help Oniichan and I run this place, that's why," Kanako explained. "When you arrive back here, the job can be yours if you want it, provided that you keep your mouth shut about what I did."

"Huh? A job? Me? You're crazy, Kanako! And just why in the hell should Ah keep mah mouth shut about you stringin' me up like a piñata, anyway? Ah could'a been killed!"

"Because if you do, you come out ahead," Kanako persisted. "Just listen to my offer, Kitsune, and use that alcohol-soaked brain of yours to actually think with for a change. If you take up my offer, you'll get a permanent part-time job at reception that will pay you a good wage, will give you your room at a much cheaper rate than you pay for it now, still give you plenty of leisure time to drink and gamble, and you probably won't even have to move off the couch in the lobby to do most of it, either. That's why."

"Hmph! If you think tryin' to buy me off's gonna work, then-!"

"Hold on, Konno, I'm not finished," Kanako interrupted, seeing now that she had no choice but to play her trump card. "I also know that you slept with my brother, remember? But I bet you that Auntie Haruka doesn't know that yet, does she?"

Actually Aunt Haruka did know all about Kitsune's seduction of her at the time innocent nephew, and Haruka had found that out from Keitaro, himself. And neither Kanako nor Kit had learned that Haruka knew of Kit's indiscretion yet. But since Kanako did know that there was no way that Kitsune would want Haruka to find out that she had slept with Keitaro, the Goth girl was sure that this juicy little snippet of information would give her all of the leverage that she needed to ensure the older girl's continued silence.

"…"

"Well?" Kanako finally said. "The sake got your tongue?"

"You – would do that, wouldn't ya?" Kit finally sighed. "Rat on me to Haruka. Damn! You do know that you're a ruthless, cold-hearted bitch, don't ya." That last comment of hers was more of a statement than a query.

"Yes. And yes, I am. And I hate myself for it. But desperate times call for desperate measures, Konno. Understand this, too - I don't want to inform Auntie about your secret little tryst with Oniichan, because I know that I'm in the wrong for what I did to you. And for my reckless actions with putting you in danger, I am truly sorry. I apologize, Kitsune, and I mean that. But-!"

"But? But what?"

"But I can't afford to be forced to leave the apartments because of the error that I have made with you, Kitsune. Not now. I have to remain here at all costs, near my brother. As to why, it's no concern of yours, so don't even bother asking me for the reason. But rest-assured, the worst possible thing that could happen to me now is for me to be fired by Auntie Haruka and get booted off home. So that's why I'm willing to cut you this sweet deal with the job – one that you'd be very wise to take."

"Oh, yeah? How do Ah know that you're even gonna keep your word about what you just promised me, eh? We-all know that you're a liar, and you're probably just waitin' for your chance to turn me in and have me thrown out on mah ear, aren't ya? But Ah'm warning you, if Ah go down then so do you!"

"Bite me, Konno," Kanako told her, not at all fazed by the threat. "But I am sincere with what I'm offering you here, whether you're prepared to believe me now, or not. I'll even put the job offer in writing if it'll make you feel any better, and have it witnessed by my brother. So you just think on what I told you before. I really am sorry about what I did to you. And I'm offering you this job at the Hinata Apartments as compensation for my fuck-up. A good job that will pay you cold, hard cash, give you cheap rent, and you won't even have to get off your wide butt to do most of it, remember? It's a good deal, Konno, and you know it! So if you forget all about what I did and let bygones-be-bygones, you will benefit a lot from it – far more than you would gain by turning me in to Auntie Haruka."

For a few seconds the other end of the phone line was silent again.

"Okay, Kanako, you've made ya point," Kitsune replied in a slow, thoughtful voice. Despite her dislike of the other girl and what she had done to her, Kit was no fool, and she could easily see that taking Kanako up on her most-unexpected offer would leave her so much better off than she was now, it wasn't even funny. Quite apart from the extra money which she desperately needed, Kit was also terrified that if Haruka found out what she had done, then not only would she lose the older woman's friendship, but she would also be evicted from the apartments and end up homeless on the street. "Ah will think about what ya just said. Ah'm still mad at ya, but…Ah have been strugglin' ta pay mah rent for the last coupla months at that. Tell ya what, we'll talk more on this when Ah get back, 'kay?"

"When you do, you know where to find me," Kanako replied in as calm a voice as she could manage, despite her feeling a great deal of satisfaction and relief at the older girl's decision. "I don't want to cause you any more trouble, so I'm sincere about my apology to you and about that job offer," she then re-emphasized. "And I also promise you that if you accept my apology and the assistant manager's job, not only won't I be on your case anymore, but I won't tell Auntie Haruka about what you did with my brother, either. Ever."

"That - sounds fair. 'Kay. Ah'll see ya when Ah get back. Bye."

The phone line went dead and Kanako hung the receiver back up, wiping the sweat from her brow with her other hand. That had been a close call, all right. The last thing that she wanted was for the news of her past misdeeds to leak out to Aunt Haruka and Tsuruko, especially considering the thin ice that she was currently skating on with that incredibly-lethal pair. Kanako knew that Tsuruko currently thought that she had indeed turned over a new leaf, but that would definitely change in a hurry if Kitsune were to talk about her previous plot. Then her goose would be cooked for sure.

If Konno had blabbed, then I would have been history. Thank god that I was here to answer that phone call! Phew! I think that I've just aged ten years this morning alone!

-:-:-:-:-:-

Just after one pm, Keitaro was snatching a half-hour lunch break up in his room, courtesy of Kanako insisting that he do so after he had returned from the bathroom. The aspiring Tokyo U student was sitting at his desk, his nose buried in a trigonometry textbook, when a black shape suddenly flew silently in through his open window. The busy student/manager only noticed the big-eared creature when it began to hover directly over his desk, the sudden appearance of the fuzzy flying beast with its now tinkling bell attached to its long black tail nearly scaring him out of his wits!

"What the heck -?" Keitaro cried out, falling backwards off his chair to land on his already injured backside with a thump. "Oww! Oh, it's only Kanako's cat, Kuro. He's finally back! But…what's that he's carrying?"

"Meoww!"

"Hi, Kuro. Have you got something for me there?" Keitaro asked, scrambling back to his feet and rubbing ruefully at his now freshly bruised and still-healing burnt bottom, his unwanted souvenir from his mid-morning encounter in the onsen with Su's Sarah-bot.

"Meow."

The black cat then glided down from the ceiling onto Keitaro's desk, to drop the plastic bag that he had been carrying. Upon closer inspection, the curious student discovered that a large envelope was inside the transparent covering. Kuro had obviously put the document inside the plastic bag to protect it against any vulgaries of the weather on his return trip from wherever he had just collected it from.

Smart cat. Okay, let's just see what he's brought me. I wonder what it is?

As Keitaro picked up his surprise mystery package, Kuro grinned at him and then launched himself off the tabletop, to glide out through the open doorway of Keitaro's room and off down the hallway.

"Hello, this looks to be some sort of a legal document," the curious manager told himself as he pulled a sheaf of official-looking papers out of the envelope. "Let's just see-? Holy cow!"

The stunned Keitaro had just realized that he was holding the official and legal adoption papers for one Kanako Urashima right here in his shaking hands!

"What?! My parents adopted Kanako? Since when?!" Keitaro asked himself, his mind struggling to reconcile this totally unexpected revelation with the little sister that he had known and cherished for most of his life. "Why has no-one ever told me about her being - hold on a second. Now that I'm thinking about it, I do faintly remember my mother, I think, telling this very thing to me a long, long time ago, way back when I was still in Elementary school. No wonder I had forgotten about it."

"But – but it doesn't matter to me at all that Kanako was adopted into our family - I love my sister as my sister whether I'm related by blood to her or not. And that is never gonna change!"

Then the stunned Keitaro recalled something else of relevance to this subject, which had transpired only a couple of days ago.

"Hey, wait a minute…?"

So that's what Kanako was trying to tell me the other day. She wanted to let me know that it was all right for us to fall in love and get married because she's not my biological sister, and it's not against the law for us to do so if we wanted to! Oh, damn! Kanako was right all along. This could make my life even more complicated – if I let it. But I know that she really loves me, so what in the heck am I going to do about her now?