Disclaimer – Love Hina and respective characters are properties of Ken Akamatsu. This is simply a Fan Fiction, written for non-profit purposes only. Please do not distribute without the author's permission.
Thanks go out to my beta-readers: One Man Cult, TheArchimage, and dementedchris. Special thanks go to those who continue to read and review! ^_^ You guys are the best!
Note: The episode is broken down into two parts, 'a' and 'b'. I did this because of the drastic change in tone between the two.
Episode 4a – Mecha Tama v.7
Within a cold, dark room there were two young girls hard at work. The sounds of sparks and shocks vibrated against the walls. A shining light broke the darkness, an indication of where the two workers were. The taller of the two took out a blowtorch, and then a laser pointer. She inspected an area of her creation; the results pleased her. She raised her protective mask and laughed a loud, booming laughter.
"HAHAHA… it's almost complete. The project is almost complete!"
"Aren't you taking this whole thing a little too seriously Kaolla?" the shorter one asked.
"That is what you think, Sara!" Kaolla yelled. "This is my finest achievement yet! Just wait until everyone sees this!"
"It's beginning to look a little dangerous, Kaolla… Kaolla? Are you paying any attention to me?"
She tossed her head back and gave out an inhumane bellow. Her mad laughter filled the dark room. Sara, bewildered and frightened, backed away from her friend. The ferocious laughing continued, only harder and louder.
****************************************
"AHHHH!!!" Aoyama Motoko screamed. The strong light broke through her blinds, a sign that the morning had begun a while ago. A cold sweat drop rolled down her back. Her breathing was erratic and it echoed across her room. Her hand touched her cold forehead. Motoko closed her eyes and the vision came back to her.
"Oh god no!" she yelled again. "What… why am I seeing this again?"
Her thoughts trailed back to the meditation trance she had several days ago. She vividly saw the large beast and angel fight it out in her mind again. It was easy for her to imagine it because it was the nightmare she just had.
"Sister… if you were only here to help me." She thought about what she just said for a moment. "No, that wouldn't be good right now. My studies have not been faring well for me."
Motoko looked across the room to where she left all of her study books. She had gone through them several times over since her last failure to get into Toudai.
'They're not enough though,' She thought to herself. 'I should change and go shopping for some more books.'
An hour passed as she took her bath and dressed appropriately for going out. She decided on wearing something 'different' that was given to her by Mitsune. Her first thought when she looked into the mirror was what Keitaro would think. The belly revealing tank top and the low cut pants would be more then enough to get Urashima's fire burning. But shortly after thinking of Keitaro her thoughts floated on to Kenichi.
'Oh no… what would that pervert think?' she thought. 'I better go now while he could still be asleep.'
She quickly made her way out of her room and toward the doors leading out of Hinata-sou. Motoko stopped as a delightful smell caught her attention. The smell led her to the kitchen where she saw Shinobu carefully watching over the oven.
"What are you baking Shinobu-chan?"
"I am baking a cake…" Shinobu said as she turned to look at her. "AIYEE! You look so pretty today Motoko-senpai!"
Motoko blushed as the flattering comment settled in. She quickly fixed her composure and asked Shinobu a question.
"Do you know if either Keitaro or Arai are awake?"
"Yes I have, Arai-senpai has gone outside to the old playground with Mutsumi-san," Shinobu replied with a smile then focused her attention on the baking. "Urashima-senpai should be around here somewhere."
"I'm right here."
Urashima Keitaro walked into the kitchen, his nose flared to take in the enchanting aroma. He wasn't paying much attention to the direction he was going and so he bumped into the door.
"Ouch… haha… it is still too early for me."
He rubbed the area on his shoulder that made contact with the door. His eyes focused again and finally noticed Motoko in front of him.
"WOW… Motoko… you look absolutely gorgeous today!"
It wasn't the reaction that Motoko was expecting. She expected him to do something perverted or make a pass of some kind. His genuine compliment made her fluster. Her face displayed a dark shade of red.
"Ahh… Thank you very much Urashima…" Motoko replied. She was very uncomfortable with the situation. Her flustering revealed that fact further.
*RING RING*
"Keitaro-senpai, could you please get that?" Shinobu requested.
Keitaro went out the kitchen toward the phone in the lobby. He picked up the phone and held a conversation with the caller. Motoko and Shinobu left the kitchen to look at Keitaro. His face showed that he was pleasantly surprised from what he was hearing. Naru walked into the lobby and looked at Keitaro. A worried feeling developed within her as she listened to Keitaro's conversation.
"Yes… I understand… Yes… I will leave right away… Yes… I will see you soon… Good bye."
"Who was it, Keitaro?" Naru asked.
"Ah geez… It was my parents," Keitaro replied. "They miss me and wish to see me again. I will be leaving for a couple of days to visit them."
Keitaro made his way upstairs to get his stuff together. As soon as he made to the second floor Naru grabbed a hold of his hand.
"If you think I will let you go away again like this then you are crazy!"
"What?" Keitaro looked at her confused. "What do you mean, Narusegawa? My parents just requested that I go visit them."
"Not without me you're not!"
****************************************
"Amazing!" Kenichi exclaimed. "This place is incredible!"
His eyes took in the lovely scenery. A summer wind gently blew. The swings in front of him moved about as if possessed by spirits. Clouds spotted the blue, bright sky. He took in the air and it filled him with life-giving strength. He walked up toward the playground. The sand made a near-silent noise as he stepped on it. The slide gave off a glint of sunlight.
"Ara… You really like this place don't you Arai-kun?" Mutsumi said as she watched him.
"Yes… yes I really do," Kenichi answered. "It reminds me of my own childhood."
"Ara… it does for me too…"
Mutsumi looked at the sandbox that meant so much to her. A tear of happiness formed in the corner of her eye as a flood of memories came back to her.
"What's wrong Mutsumi-san?" Kenichi asked her in a caring manner.
"Oh! It's nothing!" Mutsumi wiped her face quickly. Her expression then changed into her usual happy, giddy smile. "Kenichi, what ever happened to Mitsune after last night?"
"Well… after Kitsune told everyone about the Haruka and Seta incident, Haruka found out and wasn't too happy." Kenichi suppressed a smirk as he told her the last part. "Haruka sent Kitsune off to do some 'chores'. Haven't heard from her since yesterday night."
"Ara… really? I guess she does tend to talk too much."
"Haha… yeah it seems that way."
The two of them sat down under a tree near the playground. A tree flower fell down on to Kenichi's face, which caused Mutsumi to giggle. Kenichi looked at the amused Mutsumi and laughed as well. He grabbed the flower and looked at it.
"It is very pretty isn't it?" Mutsumi asked.
"Yeah…" Kenichi handed the flower to a surprised Mutsumi. She took it and then looked at Kenichi.
"It would look much prettier with you," Kenichi said with a smile.
"Kenichi…" Mutsumi rested her head on his shoulder. "You're a very nice person."
She got up and ran toward the swings.
"Let's go play on the swings Arai-kun! *Giggle* you can push me!"
Kenichi grinned and ran after her. The two of them raced toward the swings. Mutsumi jumped on one and started swinging slowly. Kenichi ran behind her and pushed her gently.
'She really is something else,' he thought. 'Although she is older then me, she seems very childlike. I guess that's what makes her so fun to be with...'
He continued to push her and listen to her giggle in enjoyment. Kenichi was watching her closely when something caught his eye.
'What the… she isn't… wearing any 'support'?!'
His hand slipped and he missed a push. Mutsumi and the swing came back at him and slammed him in the nose. The force knocked him off his feet.
"Ara! My goodness! Are you okay Arai-kun?!"
"Haha… I'm okay. Just a little nosebleed…
Mutsumi was down on her knees, carefully tending to Kenichi's nose. She was right on top of him, her blouse exposing herself. Kenichi had a clear view of Mutsumi's chest. The sight caused a stream of blood to explode out of his nose.
"Ara ara! That must have been a harder hit then we anticipated."
"No! I'm fine, really!" Kenichi picked himself up and ran away from Mutsumi. He didn't see the side of the sandbox, which caused him to trip and fall into the sandbox.
"Arai-kun, you shouldn't hurt yourself like that." Mutsumi went over and helped Kenichi get up.
"Mutsumi-san…" Kenichi wiped away the blood from his nose and smiled at her. "You too, are a very nice person."
"Ara…" Mutsumi smiled back at Kenichi. "Let's go back inside for cake.
"Oh yeah! I forgot that Shinobu-chan was baking us a cake!"
****************************************
"All men are PERVERTS!" Motoko shrieked as she climbed the stairs to Hinata-sou. It was near the end of the afternoon and she had just spent the better part of the day searching for the right study books. Instead of having a nice day to shop, she found herself fending off packs of hot-blooded men.
"This will definitely be the last time I am wearing this style of clothing. *Sigh* I even had to visit the police station after I smashed a groping pervert."
Motoko finally made it to the entrance of Hinata-sou. The shopping adventure drained all of her energy, which made the stair climb a little challenge.
"I could use a nice hot bath right now…" *KABOOM* "What was that?!"
She decisively went through the possibilities in her mind.
'Keitaro and Naru have gone to the Urashima's residence, and I met Seta and Haruka at the stores today. It can't be another fight between the couples then… '
Motoko looked at Hinata-sou and saw smoke coming from the side. She dashed into the lobby and found Kaolla and Sara on the ground, dirt-covered and coughing.
"Su-chan!" Motoko shouted. "What happened?"
*Cough cough* "It's all Kaolla's fault," Sara replied in Kaolla's place. "She made her latest Mecha Tama too strong and it disregarded her control."
"Mecha Tama 7 was supposed to play with Kenichi," Kaolla pouted.
"What do you mean that it is supposed to play with Arai?"
"AIYEEEE!!!"
Motoko ran toward the source of the scream. Adrenaline coursed through her body as she prepared herself for the worst. The voice was young and soft, and so Motoko knew who was in trouble.
"Shinobu-chan! Where are you?!"
She entered Shinobu's room and found a giant robot cornering Shinobu. Mecha Tama was huge compared to its prey. Shinobu screamed loudly when she saw Mecha Tama pull out a gigantic arm cannon.
"Cry of the Phoenix, 'DEMONIC FIST'!" Motoko stopped the onslaught of the mecha with a well-placed fist technique. It was not enough to cause any visible damage on it. She studied her opponent carefully. It's bulky arms and legs did not match its slim chassis. Its menacing demeanour sent a chill down Motoko's spine. She quickly ran toward Shinobu, snatched her and sprinted out of the room.
"Where is Arai, Shinobu-chan?!"
"Ahh… I asked him and Mutsumi to go grocery shopping an hour ago."
'It is not Arai's fault then,' Motoko thought. 'I'll have to settle this problem myself.'
Motoko looked back and saw the mecha closing in on them. Its propulsion engines allowed it to follow in quick pursuit. Motoko knew that it was only a matter of time before the mecha will be attacking her.
"Shinobu-chan, go get my sword in my room. I'll get its attention and draw it away from you."
Shinobu ran off to get Motoko's sword, the Hina Blade. Motoko turned around to face the mecha. Mecha Tama stopped only several metres away from Motoko. It began to engage its arm cannon.
"I won't let you hurt any of us! Cry of the Phoenix 'FINAL MOVE'!"
The 'Ki' attack caused the arm cannon to short circuit. Repairing mechanisms operated immediately on the broken arm while the mecha began to engage its other arm cannon. Not hesitating to find out what will happen, Motoko dashed toward the nearest window and jumped outside. Her many years of intense training provided the skills needed to land safely. The mecha followed right behind her. Its arm cannon shot off a plasma blast, Motoko easily dodging it.
"Senpai! Your sword!" Shinobu tossed the Hina Blade out the window. Motoko masterfully leaped into the air and caught the sword. She unsheathed it, preparing herself for combat.
"You will be defeated, robot! I will not allow you to further harm Hinata-sou and its residents! Hiken Hyatsu Karyouran!"
A flash of light went off within the mecha. As the 'Ki' attack approached it, a spherical light source was emitted from Mecha Tama. The 'Ki' attack bounced off the light source and came back to Motoko. She was so surprised that she barely avoided the attack.
"AHH! What is… this?! The attack was… reflected?"
"Motoko!" Kaolla yelled gleefully. "Don't forget that this is my best Mecha Tama yet!"
"STAY AWAY!" Motoko shouted. "It's too dangerous!"
Motoko studied the mecha again. Its full attention was on her. The mecha's arm cannon prepared for another plasma shot.
"I'll try something else… " Motoko dashed to the mecha. Once she was right beside it she performed another of her Shinmeiryu attacks. "Hiken Zankuusen!"
The attack knocked it down. Its propulsion engine ignited and it returned to its feet once more. Auto-repair systems performed their work across the body. A dark, evil light illuminated from its eyes. Motoko remembered that light; the light that was in her many visions for the last several days… The menacing appearance of the Mecha Tama penetrated her mind. Her body refused to react and her mind clouded up.
"No… no… you are
like that… that… beast…"
****************************************
"Haha… so that's how the two of them finally got together," Kenichi laughed as he listened to Mutsumi's story. "It took a sister and a wild chase up to North Japan to get them to admit their feelings.
"Ara ara… and their kiss was very passionate," Mutsumi giggled.
The two of them walked side by side with hands full of groceries. Shortly after Kenichi engulfed the cake, Shinobu requested for him to go buy more ingredients for next time. Mutsumi offered to go with Kenichi to keep him company.
"We've been gone for two hours," Kenichi said. "I wonder if Aoyama and the others have returned. Eh? Why is there smoke coming from Hinata-sou?!"
Kenichi furiously ran up the stairs to the building. He listened carefully and heard a battle waging out on the east side of the property. Without thinking, he swiftly went to that area. The sight he witnessed made him cringe. Motoko was on lying lifelessly on the ground. Shinobu was right beside her, trying to tend to her wounds. Shinobu's eyes were filled with tears; her hair and clothes were a mess. When Kenichi approached the two, Shinobu jumped to her feet and ran toward him, giving him a sad hug.
"I heard an explosion… *sniff* and I tried to hide… *sniff* Motoko came and tried to stop it… but… "
She tried to keep herself under control, but as she ended the sentence, her emotions overwhelmed her. Shinobu buried her face into Kenichi's chest and cried. Kenichi placed his arms around Shinobu and gave her a comforting hug.
"It's okay Shinobu-chan… everything will be all right now."
He let her go and walked to Motoko. Kenichi dropped to his knees and quickly inspected Motoko of her injuries. He placed a hand on her cheek, and was answered with open eyes.
"Arai… for once I am scared. Ever since I met you… I've been having these dreams. There is a beast and a warrior and… *cough cough*"
Kenichi was puzzled by Motoko's message. Concern for her overwhelmed him. He fanatically asked her questions.
"Aoyama, what are you talking about? Why are you hurt? WHAT IS GOING ON?!"
"Arai-senpai!" Shinobu yelled. "Kaolla made a powerful mecha and lost control of it. Motoko-senpai tried to defeat it."
"Where is it now?"
Shinobu quietly pointed. Kenichi looked at that direction and was shocked again by what he saw. Kaolla was fending off a ghastly mechanical creature in a cyber-combat suit. The mecha was partially destroyed, but the speed at which the mecha was moving proved that its systems were still operational. Kaolla attacked it with her combat suit, giant spheres of energy made impact with the mecha.
"Arai…" Motoko beckoned. "If you truly are… a student of Seta-san… then you must know some martial arts. The mecha is almost broken… just a little more… *cough cough* Should Su fall… you're our last hope… "
Her sincere plea startled Kenichi. He looked away from her, emotions revealing a secret he didn't want anyone to know.
"I… I'm sorry… I can't though… I can't fight… Not now… NOT EVER!" Kenichi screamed and tried to run away. Mutsumi placed herself in front of him to stop him.
"Arai-kun… you must be able to help us somehow…"
"I'm so sorry Mutsumi-san… but I really can't…"
His expression showed a mixture of emotions. His body was twitching and sweat fell from his forehead. From behind him he saw Motoko cough. A shrill came from Shinobu as blood came out of Motoko's mouth.
"Arai-senpai!" Shinobu pleaded. "Please help us!"
Kenichi looked at the ongoing battle between the mecha and Kaolla. A plasma blast shot out from the mecha's last arm. It made direct contact with Kaolla and took her down.
"Mutsumi… Shinobu… pick up Aoyama and run… AS FAST AS YOU CAN!"
They did as they were told and ran with Motoko. The mecha recognized Kenichi and took an attacking stance. Its propulsion engines sounded off and it charged at Kenichi. He looked away from the mecha for a moment and calmed his body.
"Sakura… what will happen to me? It always seems that the world works against me… doesn't it?"
Kenichi opened his eyes wide and charged at the mecha. He raised his right fist up into the air and prepared to attack.
"Metsujin skill 'ENERGIE TITAN'!" A dark, black flame engulfed his fist and he placed the force directly into the midsection of the mecha. It exploded into many burning pieces; its head fell before Kenichi's feet. The light in his eyes slowly turned off.
"You did it, Kenichi!" Shinobu congratulated as she and Mutsumi approached him.
"STAY AWAY!" Kenichi bellowed. His expression was menacing and cold. He walked away from them; his movements were stiff and broken, like a man possessed.
"Kenichi-senpai…" Shinobu tried to run after him.
"No Shinobu-chan…" Mutsumi said quietly. "Something has… snapped… within him…"
Episode 4b – The Love of Urashima
"Well, this is my real home."
"Wow… I didn't expect it to be this big…" Naru stared in amazement the size of the house. It was situated in the middle of a fair-size estate. Plant life on the sides closed in the property from the outside.
"Haha… don't forget that my parents own the best bakery in all of Japan," Keitaro said as he headed to the front door. "I should warn you that my parents are… a bit odd."
*Ding dong*
"Don't worry about it Keitaro. I'm sure they're just as nice as you are."
The front doors opened to reveal Keitaro's parents. Keitaro's father was a tall thin man. His hair was kept short with gray strands indicating his age. Keitaro's mother was fairly shorter. She had a beauty and elegance that contradicted her middle age.
"Papa, mama, I'm home!" Keitaro exclaimed as he went up to embrace them.
"Keitaro, we are so happy to see you again!" Keitaro's father joyfully said. He quickly returned the embrace with a hug of his own. "It has been awhile."
"Keitaro dear… who is this young lady with you?" Keitaro's mother asked while she kissed her son.
"Oh!" Naru snapped to attention. "My name is Narusegawa Naru. It is a pleasure to finally meet you two."
"But Keitaro…" Keitaro's mom questioned. "What about going to Toudai and meeting that promised one?"
"What?" Naru shouted. "You haven't told your folks yet about us? About the promise?!"
"Haha… I seem to have forgotten." Keitaro scratched the back of his head. "Papa, mama… I have kept my promise and I am a Toudai student."
"Oh Keitaro!" Keitaro's mother cheered. "I, no, we are so proud of you!"
"So…" Keitaro's father began to say something. "This young, beautiful thing here must be the…"
Keitaro's mother raised her hand and struck him for the comment. "Hiroyuki! How many times have I told you not to speculate! And you are getting that 'look' again you old pervert!"
"Ahh! I'm sorry Miyako-chan! I am only trying to make sense of things… and I am NOT thinking of anything dirty, really!"
Keitaro dropped his head in embarrassment. Naru's face turned a bright red as she realized the trouble she had just caused.
"Where are my manners?" Hiroyuki apologized. "You two must have had a long trip. Come in and join us for dinner."
"Oh! Thank you very much… um…" Naru said. She began to wonder how she would refer Keitaro's parents as. Miyako saw the hesitation in Naru and quickly solved the problem.
"Just call us otousan and okaasan, Naru dear."
"Ah… are you sure? I mean… Keitaro and I aren't…"
"Just don't worry about it," Miyako said. "It would be easier this way. Let's go inside now."
****************************************
Keitaro and Naru sat down across from Keitaro's father and mother. Miyako politely excused herself to go get the rest of the meal ready in the kitchen. Keitaro took the opportunity to tell his father of life at Toudai; Naru corrected many of his tales.
"Wow!" Hiroyuki exclaimed. "I never got to go to university of any kind before. From the sound of things, you two must be having a wonderful time."
"Our first year had ended awhile ago…" Naru said. "Things got most interesting when Kanako-chan showed up…"
"Oh! That reminds me!" Hiroyuki shouted. "Kanako dropped by a while ago and left you a lot of clothing. I decided to leave it all in your room. You better go organize it all."
"That Kanako…" Keitaro smiled. "Thank you, papa. I'll quickly go right now."
Keitaro excused himself from the table and left Naru alone with Hiroyuki. Naru looked at Keitaro's father and saw him analyzing her. She became very nervous as his eyes moved up and down her body.
'That old pervert,' she thought. 'He is even worse then Keitaro.'
Hiroyuki fell back against his chair and sighed. His eyes closed and he prepared himself to say something important. Naru saw the sudden change and began to wonder about him.
"Otousan… are you all right?"
"Naru-chan… I don't know what you think of my wife and myself. Whatever it is that Keitaro has told you may or may not be true."
"What do you mean, Otousan?"
"First, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for always being there for Keitaro."
Naru fidgeted at his words. "I don't quite understand."
Hiroyuki smiled and sighed. "My wife and I love Keitaro very much. He was our only child and so we wanted the absolute best for him. When he wouldn't give up on a 'promise' he had made, we knew that we could do nothing more for him. Each time he failed to enter Toudai, we got very sad. No matter how badly we wanted happiness for him, it seemed as though he would not achieve it. That was when my mama, Hina, suggested that we tell Keitaro to leave the house. It seems that she knew that Keitaro would make his way to Hinata-sou."
Naru was fascinated by Keitaro's history that she never really thought about. Hiroyuki crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He smiled and continued on with what he had to say.
"Naru-chan… all along… it was because of you that Keitaro was able to make and follow his dreams. He has now grown up to be such a smart and daring young man."
The comment made Naru blush. She shook her head politely, denying any involvement with Keitaro's dreams.
"I never did anything, really… In fact, he must have made many promises because there is this one girl…"
"Promises are very important to the Urashima family, Naru."
His serious voice silenced Naru. His expression; however, still suggested that he was in a pleasant mood. Naru was interested in what he had to say next. Her eyes were wide open and were concentrated on Keitaro's father.
"Allow me to tell you of a promise that I had made when I was little. It was a promise with Miyako, my wife. We were… we knew each other when we were little. Both of us were very poor. I was around eight at the time, and Miyako was five. Haha… she was something else back then, always crying and whining. To this day I do not know why I was her play friend. Things are just destined I suppose… Anyway, I somehow had this job at a local bakery as the baker's 'little' assistant. I remembered that the pay was very lousy, but the reason I stayed was to get the free bread, cakes and pastries. I shared my food with Miyako… haha… and because of that she stuck to me even more then before."
Naru giggled at the story. The idea of Keitaro's father and mother as children amused her very much.
"But one day… I do not know what was wrong with me at the time… but she made me very angry… and I made her cry… Something inside me clicked. I couldn't watch her in tears like that, and so I promised her… that one day I will own the finest bakery in Japan, and the two of us will live happily together."
"That is so romantic," Naru said as her eyes watered up with tears. "I can't believe that really happened. You two are so lucky everything worked out well."
"Well…" Hiroyuki shrugged his shoulders and patted his growling stomach. "It wasn't all perfect. After I made that promise Miyako moved away. But I guess it was fate, because I found her, achieved ownership of a renowned bakery, and now the two of us raised a happy son."
Hiroyuki reached across the table and grabbed Naru's hands with his. "Naru-chan, please take good care of our Keitaro."
Keitaro was just entering the room when he heard the last line. "What are you saying you old man?!"
"I am not saying anything."
"Oh really? Then why are you holding her hand?!"
"What makes you think that I had wrong intentions?"
"Because it makes sense to!"
Keitaro's mother walked into the dining room and waved around her rolling pin. She went up to the two of them and pinched their cheeks.
"We have a guest here! You two better behave yourselves or else you're not getting dinner!"
The two of them bowed their heads down in shame.
"I'm sorry, mama."
"I'm sorry, Miyako-chan."
****************************************
Dinner progressed without any further troubles. The conversation was, for the most part, on life at Hinata-sou and Toudai. Miyako served pastries for dessert. Naru slowly went through it, enjoying each sweet bite. She looked at Keitaro who looked as though all was right in the world.
'He must really love his parents deep down inside,' she thought.
"Naru, you have some cream on the side of your lip," Keitaro said. He took his napkin and wiped it for her.
"I see that you two get along well," Miyako commented. Naru and Keitaro blushed at the tease.
"It's okay," Hiroyuki said. "Although we are getting old, we still know what it was like to be young kids."
"Papa, you are not making things any better!"
Miyako stood up and began to clear the table. She took all the dishes in a graceful manner and headed toward the kitchen.
"You three just enjoy yourself today. I'll go clean the dishes."
"Okaasan, may I help you?"
"You want to help me, Naru-chan? That would be great. You can take those and we'll be off."
It took the two of them little time to wash the dishes and to clean the kitchen.
"I'm impressed Naru-chan. You will make a wonderful wife one day!"
"Ahh… really?" Naru blushed at the compliment. "Okaasan… I have been wondering about this for a while… and I would like to know more about you and Otousan's past. What I mean to say is… how did your promise go?"
"That old pervert, he told you about our promise?"
"Ahh! If you don't want to talk about it then it's okay…"
Miyako placed her broom away and sat down on a chair. She looked at Naru and smiled warmly.
"Naru, I'm quite alright about telling you about our past, but that man better not be going around telling everyone the wrong story."
"Oh… haha… I understand. Yeah, I'm worried sometimes that Keitaro might not remember things correctly."
The two of them laughed at the follies of their significant others. Naru took a chair and sat down. Miyako got up and poured Naru and herself a cup of tea. She gave Naru's her cup and then sat down with her own.
"Shortly after Hiroyuki made his promise my papa got a job in a different town. I was reluctant to go, but as a child I had no choice. For years I had to keep that promise in my heart, hoping that one day I will be able to return, and find that he had kept his promise. After fifteen years had passed, I was finally able to go back to my childhood town. There was one big problem; I forgot his name and what he looked like. And so, I managed to find employment at the best bakery in town. Surprisingly it also happened to be one of the best bakeries in all of Japan at the time. Anyways, I thought that I would definitely find my promised one there."
"And so you did, right?"
"Hahaha… well… let's just say that it wasn't what I expected. At that bakery there was an old man as the manager and his young lackey. Both of them definitely did not look like the boy from the past. The manager was old and cruel; the lackey was clumsy and perverted. Nonetheless I worked there in hopes that one day my promised one will come and find me. I worked very hard so that I could take over the bakery. I figured that that would be the best way to secure our promise together. My biggest obstacle was the perverted lackey; the manager preferred him over me."
"So you were trying to take over the bakery yourself and you were against a pervert…"
"He was the biggest pervert ever! He was so clumsy as well! He would always peek on me while I changed into my uniform, and he would touch my chest at least a dozen times a day. Thank goodness the manager was not like him as well."
"This sounds very familiar…"
"After working for three long and tiring years, I still did not find him. I was getting very tired and very sad… and so I thought about… forgetting the promise… and to go home."
"What?!"
"Yeah, it's true. That day; however, the manager died of old age. In his will, he left half of the bakery to me and the other half to the pervert."
"That means you finally got the bakery!"
"No Naru-chan, at that point I didn't care for the bakery anymore. All I really wanted was to see that boy from the past again… And so I cried and ran away from the bakery. The stupid idiot of a coworker… he followed me, even though there was a heavy blizzard outside at the time."
"He… he did?"
"Yes he did. He placed his jacket around me and… *sigh* At that moment, I allowed all my emotions to be released. I told him how I only had one real reason for working at that stupid bakery, and how I hadn't accomplished it yet."
"What did he say?"
"He slowly came up to me and… he hugged me. He then told me that he too, only had one reason for working at that bakery. He told me that it was because of a fifteen year old promise… right there and then, I knew that he was the one…"
Miyako took a last sip of her tea and placed the cup in the sink. She took Naru's cup and began to wash them.
"And there you have it; our story. So now we are living quite happily together, and we have that bakery… Hahaha… but Hiroyuki can still be a pervert sometimes. Say… Naru, is that a ring on your hand there?"
"Ahh… it's nothing, really! It's just a gift from Keitaro."
"Oh, alright… but be sure to call us when the day happens," Miyako said with a grin.
****************************************
"Huh? What's this?" Keitaro inspected a CD he found in his old playroom. After he moved out, his father had turned the room into a computer room.
"A puzzle game? Heck, why not?"
Keitaro placed the CD into the computer and began playing. Hiroyuki walked into the room and saw Keitaro playing his game.
"Do you accept a challenge from the master of that game?"
"Haha, don't make me laugh."
"Fine, don't say that I didn't warn you."
The two of them played the puzzle game out. After several minutes funny victory music could be heard.
"Haha, I told you that you shouldn't have opened your mouth to soon, Keitaro."
"Gaah… one more round!"
Two hours later, Miyako and Naru walked into the computer room to find two sweaty and tired men playing a puzzle game.
"My goodness, are they always like this?" Naru asked.
"It was worse when they first got a street fighting game. *Sigh* My husband sure doesn't act his age."
****************************************
It was a long day for Naru. She finally got all of her stuff unpacked. She and Keitaro had planned to stay for three days and so it was a lot to do. Naru looked around her guest room. At first Keitaro's father suggested that she could share Keitaro's room. Naru giggled as she remembered how Miyako punched Hiroyuki across the room for that comment.
*Knock knock*
"May I come in Narusegawa?"
"Yes, come in Keitaro."
Keitaro opened the door and walked toward Naru. He took a seat beside Naru near her futon.
"I apologize again on behalf of my parents."
"Why Keitaro? I don't think they are weird at all. In fact, I really like them."
"Do you really? That makes me glad then."
"Keitaro… have your parents ever told you about their past?"
"Haha, sometimes they would try, but it never really sounds interesting. Why did you ask such a question? Are you okay Narusegawa?"
Keitaro placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature. He then compared it with his own.
"Maybe what you need is a bath to cool down. Come on, I'll show you the way."
They walked down the hallway to the bathing room together. Naru hugged Keitaro's arm and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I really do like your family, Keitaro. I think we will get along just fine."
"As long as you're happy then I am happy too. Here is the bath… eh? It's locked."
*Knock knock*
"Is anyone in there?" Keitaro asked.
Hiroyuki comes out of the room drenched, with a towel around his waist. He looked at Naru then at Keitaro.
"Ahh… I see that you two would like to use the bath. Miyako and I would be done soon… give us another… twenty minutes."
He closed the door and a locking noise sounded. Naru looked at Keitaro in surprise. Her expression quickly changed into amusement.
"Keitaro, what do you suppose they are doing in there together?" she asked in a playful manner.
"GAAH! I DON'T WANT TO KNOW!!!" Keitaro ran down the hallway screaming from the mental picture.
End Episode 4
Author's Comments
Time to clarify things! Before you guys get the wrong idea, I have been planning this story since early 2002. Yeah, it may sound as though I am ripping off some fellow writers, but I am not (^_~). In this episode, I 'introduced' Keitaro's parents. Although I gave them names, I am not planning to use them or have them part of the story again. The purpose of the episode 'b' was to get Naru and Keitaro closer together. Visiting Keitaro's home is a great way to get them together (IMO). Another thing – because Love Hina is very episodic, and it has no 'overlaying' plot (aside from getting into Toudai and winning Naru's love) I have made this story as episodic as possible. That is why I call each chapter, an episode. This may come a little late to explain, but this story takes place after the part in the manga where Keitaro and Naru find happiness in front of Toudai (with the paper airplane throwing thingy) BUT it takes place before the epilogue (3 years after). With 3 years to work with, I figured lots could happen. If there are more questions I'll explain them next time! ^_^