Letters To You: Chapter 5
Kitsune's Letter: Shadows

I'll always be there. In second place. In someone else's shadow, scrapping for attention, wanting someone to notice me. That's probably why I'm the way I am. I need attention. I need to feel important. That's why I like you Keitaro, I can relate to you and you're one of the few people I trust. Now I know what you're thinking Keitaro my boy. You're thinking, "Great, she's gotten into her sake stash again", but I assure you that I am quite sober and I just need to get some things off my chest (I'm sure you had plenty of nasty thoughts there eh, Keitaro).

You and me are actually pretty similar you know? We're not exactly geniuses when it comes to certain things, but our hearts are in the right place. I think we care about other people more then we care about ourselves, we put ourselves last. Every time I see take time away from your studies, or whatever you're doing at the moment, to help one of us with some trivial little problem, it reminds me of the position I was in before you came to Hinata Sou.

I was the oldest resident here, besides Haruka, and because of that I tended to get shoved into the mother figure slot every time the girls needed help or counseling. These girls have been separated from their homes, living without guidance. and I guess I thought I could give it to them. So there I was, a normal teenage girl, attempting to handle the lives of three other girls, while putting my own life on the backburner. It was always their problems, their needs, their happiness, before mine. I thought I was strong enough to handle the weight of that burden. But I was wrong.

You share my burden now though. You accept the burden of others pain, as I do. And since you've arrived here, it's like I am rediscovering who I am. I can look back at my mistakes now and start to regret them less, and trust me. I've made plenty of mistakes. It's nice to have someone around my own age also. Someone I can just joke or have a friendly drink with from time to time. I usually have to watch how much I drink around guys, or be afraid that my teasing will be taken the wrong way, but you're different. You're just a friendly, gullible and lovable guy that has all his feelings laid out for the world to see.

You and me might have a rough time of it now, but trust me, it'll be worth it. In the future, when we look at how wonderful all the girls have turned out, how proud and confident they are, we can take credit for it. We'll look at each other, smile and say,

"That's our family. We were there to help them grow. We were there for them when so many other people weren't." Then you'll do something stupid and Naru will send you on a one-way trip to Planet Keitaro and I'll laugh. because some things will never change.

So thank you. Thank you for treating me with as much kindness as all the other girls. For not leaving me in the shadows. For not leaving me in second place. You've helped me more then you will ever know. So I tip my glass to you, my angel of companionship, my fellow angel of guidance. Hell, maybe you'll even change me....nah.

P.S. I borrowed your pen and some of your paper to write this so just put it on my tab. I'll pay ya back eventually.

Author's Notes: Well I am one more step closer to being done! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks again to all who reviewed and who are reading this fic! Next chapter is Mutsumi! I'm done with her and will probably start my final chapter (Naru) sometime this weekend. I'm also thinking about doing an epilogue. I'm thinking it will be an excerpt from Keitaro's Diary and have him reflect on his life. Anyway, thanks for all your support folks!

-Animalman