'We Fell in Love'
Disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu wrote 'Love Hina' and he owns the rights. This tale written for fun, and I seek no re-dress from it.
Writer's notes: The person we meet here means a lot to Keitaro and his father. She is in a life transition right now.
-Chapter 4: Haruka-
As fall had started, there were many changes around the country. Schools started up again and the bustle of people transitioned away the warm summer weather. Although the temperature still remained comfortable, it would not be long until the everyone felt the full effect of the seasonal change.
This included a certain business owner as Kenichi also noticed something that was quite obvious to his trained eye. Although he has a good full-time staff in all of his shops, it seemed that when school started back up, the youthful energy sometimes seemed to be missing from his places. He and his wife were good judges of character because the high school and college students that work for them always brought so much life with them.
Nevertheless, he knows that the youthful energy will return after school is over for the day, as well as on weekends and holidays.
Family was important as well. Kenichi had his only niece in mind on his mind at this moment. He always attempted to either call or look-in on her whenever it was possible. Kenichi and his older sister were very close before she passed away. He also knows how hard Haruka took her mother's death. And, with her break-up from her fiancé Junpei, she really had no one to confide in now except for him and his son.
She and Keitaro are very close. Haruka has a lot of his artwork hanging in her place.
-An important call-
"Moshi, moshi. This is the Hinata Tea Shoppe, Haruka speaking," said the voice on the other end of his cell phone.
"Ohayō, Haruka-chan," said Kenichi, "How are you doing and how's the tea shop today?"
"Ohayō, Oji-san," she replied, "I'm glad you called. I'm good and the place is doing great. How are Kasumi Oba-san, Kei-kun and Kana-chan?" Haruka always wanted to know how they were all doing, as she cared a lot about her immediate family.
"They're all good," said Kenichi, "Kei-kun asked me to say hi the next time I called you. He wanted you to know that a package with a formal portrait of Yoko Onee-chan should be arriving there in a few days. He said he was thinking of you when he drew it."
"Tell him thank you for me," (Silent pause-some throat clearing) said Haruka, after wiping away a tear she continued, "Oji-san, I want to tell you that I need a new product distributor. I'm growing really fast here. The company I have now can't keep up with my demand even though they have good stuff. Plus, I want to expand the number of items that I sell daily here. Can you help me with this?"
"Sure, fax me a list of what you need and want," he answered with a smile in his voice, "I'll have my driver change his route to bring your order. I'll even send you a wholesale price list with the first order because it's not listed on our website. Do you want candy and meat buns too?"
"Yeah, that would be great," responded Haruka who cheered up at his reply, "The kids and college students would love that. Plus, some of the old farts would too." A snicker followed. She rarely did that these days, but a call from her uncle usually brightened her spirits.
The conversation then took on a more serious tone.
"Have you heard anything from our solicitors about MacDougal-san's daughter, Sarah?" asked Kenichi. He knew that Haruka had a full plate with the young girl's disposition still being decided by a Kanagawa Prefecture magistrate. This was another sad case in his niece's life.
"Yes, and thanks for asking, Oji-san," replied Haruka thoughtfully, "A Prefecture child advocate will be bringing her by soon so that we can see each other again. It seems that they're letting her chose who she wants to be with since Sarah-chan is an American." The addition of the girl here would bring a very bright ray of sunshine into her life.
"One last question Haruka-chan if I may, how's my Kaa-san?" asked Kenichi with some trepidation.
He and his mother did not always see eye-to-eye on things. She was upset with him because he would not allow her take Kanako along with her when she went on her 'World Spa Tour'. His daughter said no to that, so both he and his wife backed her up as the put the kibosh on that subject.
However, neither know the whole truth behind the reasons for that yet.
"She is doing well the old bat," said Haruka off-handedly, "she had a tendency to show up here in Hinata City anytime day or night to still test my skills. I think she's worries that Kei-kun will be able to beat her the next time she tests him. I know that I was really shocked when he matched her move-for-move the last time they sparred and that frustrated her to no end. I think he is actually trying not to beat Granny if you ask me."
They both chuckled, because they know that to be true.
The air in both rooms seemed to lighten.
"I'll tell you what Haruka-chan," said Kenichi who sounded like a proud father, "Not only is Kei-kun getting better but so has Kana-chan. At the last tournament, my daughter stood there aloof on the mat while her opponent went through some kind of Kata form before charging. Kana-chan just simply stood aside, jabbed two pressure points on the other girls back rendering her immobile. Her Sensei cried foul, but there were no rules against what Kana-chan did, so she won the tournament. Kei-kun though wasn't interested in fighting this year because of other commitments."
Knowing his son's reasons for not participating, he respected his decision. Keitaro's temper sometimes had a tendency to get the better of him when he is fought for real. He nearly crippled his last opponent when the other young man used an illegal move that was easily reversed. Keitaro had to be restrained after he 'blacked out' and nearly went ballistic. Keitaro punched the man's shoulder so hard that the audience could hear bones shattering. Keitaro's move was legal by all accounts but it just startled everyone by the ferocity of his strike. Later, he said that he couldn't remember striking the other guy.
"I don't think that the old girl would like it if Kana-chan did that to her as well," said Haruka who laughed aloud, "Her pride is already bruised enough Oji-san." She knew that her grandmother was actually quite proud of all three of her grandchildren, but sometimes did not let on for some reason.
"Yeah, just don't forget to e-mail or fax me what you need and want. I can start delivery tomorrow if you'd like" Kenichi said in closing.
Work was beginning to call out to him again, so he had to hand up for now.
"Arigato, Oji-san," Haruka said before said she hit the disconnect icon on her cell phone, "I'll get my order off to you right away."
She knows that her uncle was very reliable and could get her anything that she wanted.
-We switch to the Tea Shoppe for a moment-
Stepping back into her office, Haruka walked over behind the desk and sat down in her large comfortable chair. She slid open the top desk drawer, pulled out a large legal-sized sealed beige envelope and set it down in front of her.
'Obaa-san, you've really stepped in it this time,' Haruka thought as she looked at the front of the package addressed to her cousin.
It read: Urashima Keitaro, Tokyo Prefecture.
-A conversation of a personal nature-
"Keitaro-san, would you come see me before class started?" asked the class Sensei.
He also knew Keitaro quite well outside of the University setting as we shall see.
"How can I help you Nomura-Sensei?" asked Keitaro in kind to the man sitting at the desk in an office just off a studio classroom.
"Please close the door, Keitaro," Nomura-Sensei said to him quietly, "This is a personal query."
Doing as requested, Keitaro closed the door behind him and sat down opposite the teacher.
"What's up, Junpei?" asked Keitaro in a more familiar tone. Mostly at school here, the two men kept their relationship at a personal level.
"Keitaro is your cousin Haruka-chan seeing anyone right now?" the man asked and hoped for a negative response. Junpei dated Haruka in high school and they became lovers in college. That was before her mother's death and Urashima Hinata throwing a monkey wrench into his future plans with her. In addition, their schedules and a lot of bad timing had kept their relationship from resuming after their careers got going.
"I don't think so, Junpei," replied Keitaro offhandedly, "I can give you her cell phone number if you want."
He knew that his friend here had been a romantic rival for Haruka's affections with Seta Noriyasu.
"I'd like that," said Junpei genuinely surprised.
"Yeah, her friend Julia MacDougal died not too long ago," said Keitaro, "and Haruka-chan took her friend's death really hard. She's now in a custody fight with Seta-san for her daughter Sarah and that takes a lot of her time right along with the Tea Shoppe. So, I think that might answer the question if she's seeing him."
His friend smiled when he heard about Haruka's circumstances. It gave him hope of a renewal in their relationship.
From his father, Keitaro had heard the whole story of Junpei and Haruka's breakup almost five years ago. His Obaa-san for some reason did not approve of Junpei and had given Haruka the Tea Shoppe so she would be obligated to be there instead.
At least this is what the family thought, if only they knew the whole story.
To this day, Haruka was still pissed off with her grandmother and would give anything to have him back in her life. If only just to spite her, but at the same time, she was still very much in love with him.
With time and the proper karma, both may get their wishes fulfilled.
-End of Chapter-