Disclaimer: Love Hina is the property of the guys and girls of TV Tokyo, and the creation of Ken Akamatsu. This includes all characters that appear in Love Hina.

Cherish Hina is MY property. Takeshi Urashima, Hiroko Urashima, Yumiko Nakamura, Kasumi Mitsumaru and Mizuki Kanashiro are MY characters. Please e- mail me at one_man_cult@hotmail.com if you want to use them, or if you want to post this story on your site.

This is episode 1 of a 13 part series. I still need more beta-readers, editors and writers to help in the later chapters, so if you can provide ANY help whatsoever please reply at the above e-mail address. Reviews and constructive feedback are welcome. The more help and reviews I get, the faster I can finish an episode. No flames accepted.

Warning: This piece of fanfiction contains heaps and heaps of original characters. To all those who hate original characters (I really hate self- inserts), go break your butt on my foot. This also contains quite a few indirect spoilers for the manga series.

Extra, EXTRA special thanks to:

-e2

-The Archimage

My editing and reading team, thanks a LOT for providing your ideas and time to help me complete this fanfic. I really appreciate it. I couldn't have written this without your help, people.

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A lone figure, laden with luggage, walks through the empty streets. Resting for a moment, he sets down his numerous bags and looks around as he adjusts his glasses. The place he had spent his childhood in had not changed much since he left. In fact, he doubted whether the sleepy town of Hinata ever did change. The air is crisp, and the buildings are covered in morning dew. Steam rises from the various hot springs peppered throughout Hinata. His peaceful thoughts were interrupted by a loud cry, followed by an equally loud scream.

"Pervert!"

"Kyaaaaaa! Sorry!"

The town seemed to have not noticed this, as if they were used to it. 'Then again,' thought the lone figure, 'so am I'. As the screaming figure flew above him, he waved and greeted it.

"Hey dad".



CHERISH HINA

Episode One: Return of Takeshi. START?

The young man took his belongings and began walking up the long stairs that led to Hinata Sou, a place he once and will now again call home. He was about average height and build, with short chocolate brown hair parted in the middle. Two short stands of hair stood up on either side of the part, a legacy of his mother. A pair of round-rimmed glasses covered his kind eyes. People who knew him often told him how much he resembled his parents, but knowing what his parents were most remembered for, he sincerely hoped not. Reaching the top, he slid the front doors open and yelled through the inn,

"I'm home!"

"Brother!"

A young girl, around 14 years old, rushed into his arms causing him to drop all his luggage. Medium length brown hair framed her delicate features. Like her mother and her brother, she had two small 'antennae' sticking out of her head. She hugged him tightly before letting him go.

"I missed you so much, brother".

"I missed you too Hiroko," said Takeshi, returning her hug. "You've grown so much".

"Well, I'm still growing".

"My little Takeshi has finally come home".

Takeshi tracked the voice to a woman standing on the staircase. Although in her forties, Naru Urashima was still extremely beautiful and held herself with a grace and elegance that was usually only found with the most gorgeous of roses. This was slightly hampered this morning by the fact that her robe was slightly messed up, and that her long hair was in disarray.

"Mum, I'm not a little boy any more".

"You'll always be my little boy Takeshi," said her mother as she walked down to give her boy a hug and a kiss. "I'm sorry your father couldn't come down here to greet you".

"It's alright mum. I saw him playing 'rocket man' before". The three Urashimas shared a laugh as Takeshi referred to the name they had given his father a long time ago, to explain to his little sister Hiroko why her dad was often seen several feet off the ground.

The ruckus had woken the other people living at the Hinata girl's dormitory. Two sleepy eyed girls, and one not so sleepy eyed, walked down the stairs to see what the commotion was all about.

"Oh, Ta-kun. Welcome back" said one of the girls.

"Why thank you, Ka-chan," answered Takeshi. Takeshi and Kasumi Mitsumaru had been childhood friends since way back, since her mother, his aunt Mutsumi, often brought over to play.

"We've got so much to catch up on, 'sister'. Australia was sooooo much fun".

"Australia? Ara, is that near Honshuu?"

Anyone who knew Kasumi remarked on how much she resembled her mother. She had the same hair and the drop-dead gorgeous figure Mutsumi had. Even her clueless expression and air-headedness was the same. Kasumi often gave the impression of a dumb bimbo, but Takeshi knew better.

"Hi, Takeshi" said a younger girl who was quite awake. "Gimme presents gimme gimme gimme gimme….." she stated while attempting to climb Takeshi as though he were a tree. Although Takeshi didn't know her as well as he did Kasumi, he did know this girl was always quite hyperactive, and was on what he described as 'a permanent sugar buzz'. Mizuki Kanashiro was Hiroko's best friend, and the two were seldom seen out of each other's company. Mizuki began to swing using Takeshi's arm. Her parents worked on the other side of Japan, and had decided that it would be better if their only child stayed in one place for her education. 'Not that she gets much of that' thought Takeshi. 'All she thinks about is sport'. He remembered the numerous bruises he got when she used him as a piece of gym equipment. Takeshi gave her some candy bar he had obtained on the plane to occupy her for a while.

Takeshi attempted to pry Mizuki off himself while turning his attention to the third member of the group. She appeared to be around his age, and was a little shorter than he was. Her light brown hair was shoulder length but tied in a ponytail and picked up the light as it moved around. It matched the colour of her eyes. Takeshi thought she was very attractive, but he was too embarrassed to stare too long.

"Hello, I'm Yumiko Nakamura" she greeted as she bowed slightly.

"N-Nice to meet you Nakamura-san. I'm Takeshi Urashima," said Takeshi, returning the bow.

"It's alright if you call me Yumiko".

"Likewise..I….I mean…you can call me Takeshi". He blushed slightly after the awkward introduction.

The door slid open as Keitaro Urashima returned from his little trip, disrupting the atmosphere that had built up. He looked a little worse for wear, but knowing him Takeshi knew there had been no harm done. After all, his dad might be clumsy and 'perverted' but he was almost invincible.

"Hey, Takeshi. How was studying in Australia?"

"Great. I picked up heaps of English words over there, and it was fun to be out in the open so much". His parents didn't let him study in America because they thought it was too dangerous for a child alone.

"I'm sure you're tired after your trip. Let's take your stuff to your room". Keitaro led the way as Takeshi picked up his luggage.

*************************************

"Well, here we are" said Keitaro.

Takeshi looked at the sign above the door. 'Kanrinin: Keitaro Urashima'.

"Don't worry," said his father. "We'll get that sign changed".

Takeshi looked around as he entered his new room. His dad had moved to one of the larger upstairs suites with his mother when they got married. His old room, which was next to his sister's, was now occupied by Mizuki. The hole in the ceiling of the Kanrinin's room remained, because it held sentimental value to his parents. It was now fixed up, and had a proper trapdoor. The room had not been occupied in a while, and the surfaces were covered in dust. 'I'll have to clean up a bit' he thought. 'This place is a mess'.

**************************************

He made his way to the dining room, where everyone was already changed and seated. Kasumi appeared to be working on something over the stove. Takeshi remembered when he helped her learn to cook. He shivered at the memory of her numerous culinary 'experiments' before she got the knack of cooking. On the plus side he indirectly learnt how as well. Although nowhere near the calibre of Kasumi in the kitchen, he knew enough to whip up a decent meal. Hiroko was currently serving Miso soup. Takeshi's stomach growled. He hadn't had a good Japanese meal in ages (he couldn't cook THAT well). Keitaro was currently downing a cup of coffee, as mornings were not his best times.

"So, Takeshi, how was your trip?" asked Naru.

Takeshi described his experiences of studying at a boarding school to his audience, eating his breakfast of steamed rice and grilled eel in between sentences. They were a good audience, paying attention to what he said and asking questions in the right places. His dad was drifting off until Naru hit him over the head with a frying pan.

"…And that's why" he concluded, "I'm back here. I've got a couple of months to study and relax, and then I'm going to try to get into Todai".

"You're trying out for Todai too?" asked Kasumi. "Yumiko and I are also going to the entrance exams, so I guess we can study together".

"Since you've already graduated, Takeshi, do you mind helping us on our schoolwork?" asked Yumiko.

"Sure. I have the time for it," answered Takeshi. He did have his doubts about it. In his opinion he wasn't that smart, and the prospect of having to stay long hours with two beautiful girls was…daunting, to say the least.

"Well, I have to leave now. Got some work to finish up," said Keitaro.

"Me too" said Naru. "See you all later".

"Bye!" replied everyone.

Yumiko was having her own doubts. She was standing at the sink cleaning the dishes, but her mind wasn't really at the task at hand. 'It's nice having a new person here' she thought. 'And studying seems less of a chore when there are more people, but does it have to be a guy? I know that he is Hiroko's brother, and that this is HIS house, but Hinata Sou is a female dormitory after all'. She frowned at the prospect of living with this newcomer. Many of the guys at school treated her like some object and ogled her because of her beauty. 'He seems kind of nerdy, so I doubt he'll try anything. Kasumi-san doesn't seem to mind him either, so he can't be that bad'. By the time Yumiko finished thinking the dishes were done.

*************************************

Takeshi decided to take a wander around the town. It had been such a long time since he had been back, and he had really missed Hinata, with it's sleepy atmosphere. He strolled leisurely down the path that took him to the Hinata teahouse, which was owned by his Aunt Kitsune. This wasn't technically correct, as Kitsune was just a close friend of his parents, and her actual name was Mitsune Konno. She had been nicknamed Kitsune long before anybody could remember. He walked in and saw her cleaning the tables at the same lazy pace the whole town seemed to run on. She sensed his presence, and looked up to greet him.

"Hey, kiddo. Nice to see you again".

"Nice to see you too, Auntie. You still single?"

Kitsune promptly put him in a headlock and gave him a noogie that he would not soon forget. If his devious Aunt Kitsune had a weakness, it was her marital status. She had unbelievably bad luck with men. She released Takeshi, looking quite annoyed, but with a strange glint in her eye. He knew this look, and frankly, he was scared.

"What about you, huh. Had any luck with Yumiko yet? Kasumi even?"

"W-What are you talking about, old woman?"

"You know. Even if they reject you, you shouldn't force 'that' on them, because that's not real love. If you do that, then you'll never have a chance. Understand?"

"Um…okaaay" answered Takeshi, blushing furiously. He knew he had lost. Aunt Kitsune had a way of getting out of situations like this. Takeshi backed out slowly, as Kitsune sniggered and gave him a small wave goodbye.

He walked around town a bit, enjoying the atmosphere that brought back many childhood memories. The repairs shop, where he often took his broken Walkman, was still there as was Misato's bakery. Misato was a kindly old lady who always made sure that she gave Takeshi a little extra something every time he visited. The old bookshop seemed to have been closed down and replaced by a shop selling manga and all the associated toys. Through the shop window he could see old manga volumes of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', 'Trigun' and 'Dragonball Z', as well as some scantily clad figurines of girls from various anime series. There were many young couples walking around on the streets, coming here to enjoy the hot springs. Others coming here by telling their parents 'I'm staying over at a friend's house' then running off so that they can get up to some serious hanky-panky. It kind of depressed Takeshi to think that in all seventeen years of his life, he had never had a girlfriend. He always did have trouble talking to girls, even though it seemed from a young age he was surrounded by them. The attractive ones gave him the most trouble. He always ended up doing something stupid in front of the attractive ones, especially if they're standing close by. Whenever he saw a pretty girl, Takeshi would turn into a clumsy, bumbling idiot. Sure there was Kasumi, and she was pretty, but she was also more like a sister and best friend to him than anything else. For some reason he seemed okay with Kasumi.

*************************************

Takeshi had finished cleaning his new room and was currently in the process of unpacking. Most of his stuff was still being shipped over to Japan, so all he really did have to unpack were his clothes. He did, however, bring his two most prized possessions. Both were books, so they were relatively easy to carry. Then first was new, but appeared to be in pretty bad condition, with creases and smudges and dirty fingerprints all over it. This was his sketchbook. Takeshi loved drawing, especially manga. The sketchbook was a diary of sorts, with drawings of the places and people most important to him, punctuated with pages of dojinshi he had drawn. This was the latest of twelve sketchbooks, as he seemed to go through them rather quickly. The second was very, very old, with its string bindings and leather cover, but an effort had obviously been made to keep it in pristine condition. It was an Urashima family heirloom that had been given to his great-grandmother, then to his aunt Kanako, and finally to him. Inside it was instructions on how to perform every single technique ever created by members of the Urashima clan for the Urashima martial arts. Takeshi had already perfected every technique inside this book, and had started adding techniques he developed into its pages. It also contained the history of the Urashimas, and contained a short summary of most of the Urashimas in history. Takeshi held the books for a moment, put them carefully on the bookshelf and took from his room the items he needed for a bath.

*Sigh*

Takeshi leaned back into the hot water, letting it do its work on his tired muscles. One of the things he missed most by being overseas were the hot springs that were located at Hinata Sou. They fed the bath he was in now, as well as the large outdoor one that was for the girls. His parents sometimes went to the outdoor bath late at night to spend some quality time together, but it was one thing he seriously didn't want to know about. He shuddered as images of them together filled his head. Takeshi was awakened when he heard the door slide shut and the splash of someone getting in.

"Huh?"

"Wha…?"

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!"

"WHAT AM I DOING HERE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!" screamed Yumiko, who was clad in a bath towel and not much else.

"THIS IS THE MEN'S BATH!!"

"THE MANAGER HASN'T CLEANED THE OTHER ONE YET, SO HE SAID I COULD USE THIS ONE!!"

"HE DIDN'T TELL ME THAT!!"

"WELL NOW YOU KNOW. GET OUT, PERVERT!!"

In her haste to get Takeshi out of the bathroom, Yumiko slips on the wet floor, landing on top of him. Both blushed heavily.

"Um…P-Please get off me" managed Takeshi.

"I'm….I'm trying to" she replied, but her body seemed to want to oppose her mind.

Kasumi opened the door to see what the commotion was all about.

"Ara, are you two getting it on already?"

The other two seventeen year olds blushed even more heavily, wrapped their towels tightly around themselves and beat a hasty retreat back to their respective rooms.

**************************************

'Well, that was…..well..…nice' thought Takeshi. 'She is very pretty, but a bit on the mean side'. He sighed as he quickly got dressed. 'I'd better go and apologise to her, just in case she gets the wrong idea about me'. Takeshi left his room and headed towards Yumiko's.

Yumiko was getting dressed in her room, trying to erase the sensations of her body pressed against his from her mind. 'I was probably a little harsh on him' she thought. 'It was my fault, I guess'. She used her towel to dry her slightly damp hair. 'He's really not that much of a pervert, either. Any other guy would have taken advantage of me'. Yumiko's thoughts were disrupted by someone knocking at the door. She got dressed quickly and answered the door.

"Oh Takeshi, it's you".

"Yeah, well……I'm sorry about what happened before".

Yumiko felt something in her heart that she couldn't identify. "Umm, I'm sorry too. It was partially my fault".

A few moments of silence past by.

"You could have just used the trapdoor, you know".

"Huh?" Takeshi asked, confused.

"The trapdoor. You could have just apologised through that. You didn't have to come all the way up here".

"Um… I was worried you might be….."

"Changing? Get those thoughts out of your head, you pervert".

"Sorry".

"Hmph"

*Slam*

*************************************

Takeshi walked his way down to Kasumi's room. It had been a long time since he had a good chat with his closest friend. He knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

"Come in. The door's not locked".

"Okay".

Kasumi appeared to be doing her homework, with her textbooks open all over the table and floor. Takeshi looked around the room. The walls were filled with pictures. One was a huge family portrait with all eight of her aunts and uncles, and well as numerous cousins and siblings. There were several pictures of Kasumi's boyfriend, Hayate, on the wall as well. Hayate still lived in Okinawa, but Takeshi had met him once before. He was a really nice guy, and they shared a lot of common interests. Subsequently Hayate became a good friend of his. Also on the wall were many pictures that he had drawn of Kasumi. He had given these to her as a gift for helping colour in his dojinshi, which she enjoyed doing. There was also a wall with lots of pictures of couples he didn't recognise.

"So, 'brother', what brings you here?"

"Am I not allowed to visit my best friend? Well, actually…. I wanted to ask you about Yumiko".

"Ara, that's right. You weren't here when she arrived. She came here around six months ago, and she goes to the same school I do. She's really popular at school too. She moved here to get into Todai".

"Is she always like that? She seems like a bit of a snob".

"Once you know her she really is quite nice".

"Oh".

"Why are you asking so many questions anyway? Are you interested in her? She's still single you know. You still have a chance with her".

"It's not like that! I just want to know her better, that's all!"

*Giggle* "You see that wall over there?"

Takeshi nods.

"That's my trophy wall. Pictures of everyone I've helped get together. See that blank spot there?"

Takeshi nods again.

"I'm reserving that spot for you and Yumiko. I've got to get dinner ready. Bye!" And with that Kasumi rushes out of her room before Takeshi can retaliate.

"Hey! Get back here!"

*************************************

Everyone was heading towards the dining room, as it was already time for dinner. Mizuki skilfully bounced down the corridor, before jumping on Takeshi and using his head as a launching platform. She catapulted forwards and broke the door, allowing the heavenly aromas of good cooking gently waft out. The remaining residents made a mad dash towards the dining room when they got whiff of the night's meal. Everybody sat down and started eating. Takeshi was seated with his sister on his left hand side, and his mother on the right. Keitaro sat at the end of the table. Not much was said, except occasional mumbles of gratitude towards Kasumi, who had prepared this meal. Takeshi stole occasional glances at Yumiko, but ceased when she stared him back into submission. The meal was finished in less than half an hour. As the residents stood up to leave, Keitaro started speaking.

"Excuse me, everybody?"

Everyone sat back down, as it looked as though Keitaro had a serious announcement to make.

"I'm going to resign from being manager of this dorm as of today".

Surprised gasps and whispers filled the air.

"What's going to happen to us?" asked Mizuki.

"Don't worry, I've already found a new manager. Starting tomorrow, Takeshi will be manager here".

Both Yumiko and Takeshi immediately voiced their complaints simultaneously.

"Dad, what are you talking about? I don't know how to run a place like this! I have no idea……"

"Kanrinin, you can't let him be manager here! He's a guy and he's the same age as us and him just living here is wrong….."

Keitaro held up his hand to silence the two.

"I'm sorry, but it has to be like this. Naru and I are both so busy with our jobs that there is no way we can make time to take care of Hinata Sou. I mean there are so many repairs to be done, and the cleaning as well….I've already fallen behind in doing the maintenance. It's also about time you took up some responsibility, Takeshi".

Both started to speak again, but Keitaro stared at them.

"Or do you want a repeat of that bathroom 'incident'".

Both teenagers immediately shut their mouths, looking extremely embarrassed. News sure spread fast at the dormitory.

"Well, that's that, I guess. Takeshi, you're the new manager of Hinata Sou".

TO BE CONTINUED…