[Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope you've been enjoying my story so far (even though it hasn't been much). Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, I really appreciate it. This is my first fanfic so, I would appreciate all the reviews I can get. I'm kind of delaying the trip to the beach by making each day and evening into it's own chapter because I need to get some stuff out of the way and give some new characters (yes, I said it, *new characters*) their first appearence. This chapter might be confusing (or it may not), but later in the story it will make so much sense (hehe). Anyway, I'm rambling, so just read and enjoy (hopefully)!]

I do not own Love Hina or its characters. But I do own my original characters that will make their first appearence in this chapter.

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Chapter 3: New Faces, Unknown Encounters

As Keitaro and Naru walked down the long steps of the Hinata Inn, Keitaro thought to himself, Now is your chance, Keitaro. Tonight is the perfect situation to ask Narusegawa out on a date...the opportunity has been brought before me...but I don't know... As they walked off the steps, without saying a word, they walked down the path that led toward the town. Naru seemed to avoid eye contact, still being kind of embarrassed that she asked to go on a walk with Keitaro.

"Where does that path lead to?" asked Keitaro pointed off toward the side of the path.

"I'm not sure...I guess I never noticed it," replied Naru.

"Wanna go?"

"Sure, why not,"

After saying this, they walked in silence up the path that led through a small forest where flowers still barely hung on the small trees and plants. The sun was still up pretty high, and the sky was clear. Keitaro thought to himself, This place seems strangely familiar...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A cute little girl, holding a little boy's hand, was running up a path through the forest. She pointed to a small park that had a sandbox, a slide, swings, and a bench on the top of a hill. The hill looks above the whole town and the beach. The little girl pulls the boy to the sandbox where a small half-built sand castle is built.

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"Keitaro!" said Naru.

"Huh? Oh sorry...I just had a strange flashback for some reason..." said Keitaro.

"A flashback?" asked Naru suprised.

"Yeah...something about my childhood," said Keitaro as they both sat down on the bench.

"What about your childhood?" said Naru being very interested all of a sudden.

"Well...its as if I'm getting part of my childhood memory back slowly..." said Keitaro.

At this moment, a gust of wind flew by and heavy fog started to grow. In the middle of the thick fog, four old men appeared.

"Soon...the dream may end...the conclusion may be found..." said one the old men.

"No...not soon...the dream is only beginning..." said another old man, disagreeing with the other.

"We shall see..." said the first old man.

With this, the fog started to clear and the old men seemed to disappear.

"What was that all about?" said Naru.

"I don't know..." said Keitaro.

There was silence for hours it seemed until something happened. A sad-looking young woman looking to be around Keitaro's age, sat down on the bench on the other side of the park as them. Not knowning who she was, for some reason, Keitaro couldn't keep his eyes off her. He felt as if he knew her deeply, though he did not recognize her. Keitaro looked at Naru and saw that she was also staring at the woman.

"Do you know her from somewhere?" whispered Keitaro.

"I don't think so...but for some reason...she seems familiar," whispered Naru.

So Narusegawa feels it too...there's just something strange about her...Then the woman stood up, covering her face with her hands, ran down the path through the forest.

"This place is starting to freak me out," said Naru.

"Yeah...me too...let's get out of here," replied Keitaro.

They then slowly walked down the path through the forest and back onto the main path.

"Lets walk over to Haruka's place," said Naru.

"Okay...maybe we can get some info about the beach trip," said Keitaro.

They walked down the path and came to Haruka's Tea House. But suprisingly, it was completely empy. Not one customer, or even Haruka was there.

"I wonder where she could be?" said Keitaro.

"She's probably just getting ready for the beach trip," said Naru.

"Well...what should we do?" asked Keitaro.

"Actually...I think I'd better get back home. I promised that I'd help Shinobu with dinner tonight," said Naru.

"Okay. Well...I'm gonna just walk around for a bit so I'll see you later. I'll be home for dinner," said Keitaro.

"Okay bye," said Naru while walking away.

"Wait Narusegawa...this is your chance Keitaro...ask her out on a date!...ummm...nevermind," said Keitaro sadly because he couldn't come with the confidence to ask her out.

"Okay...What's with him?," said Naru walking away.

I'm so stupid! Why couldn't I just ask her out...what's wrong with me...thought Keitaro as he walked into town. He came to town and sat down on a bench in front of some stores near the bridge. He sat there for a long time just thinking, when his thought was interrupted when someone sat down right next to him on the bench. He turned and saw a young man around Keitaro's age, maybe a little older. He had blonde hair and brown eyes, obviously caucasian and he was wearing a Tokyo University sweatshirt. He had a depressed look on his face and was looking up into the sky. Keitaro wasn't usually the kind of person to start a conversation with just some random stranger, but for some reason he felt an urge to talk to the man.

"Hey..."said Keitaro, "do you go to Tokyo U?"

"Yeah...I'm a junior," said the man.

"Wow...I just got accepted and I can't wait to start," said Keitaro excitedly, "is as good as everyone thinks?"

"Who do you mean by everyone?" said the man offensively.

"Well...I remember everyone used to tell me that you can find happiness in Tokyo U," said Keitaro.

"I guess you'll just have to find out for yourself," said the man, "well I've got to go, so it was nice talking to you."

"Okay, nice talking to you too. Bye," said Keitaro.

With this, the man got up slowly and walked down the path. I wonder what gave me the urge to talk to that man? And what did he mean when he said, "I guess you'll have to find out for youself"? Does he mean that its not as great as everyone says?

In the middle of his thought, a voice said,

"Hey Keitaro,"

Keitaro looked up and saw Haruka with a few bags in her hands.

"Hi Haruka-san, what's up?" he said.

"I'm just doing a little shopping before the beach trip," she said.

"Me and Narusegawa stopped by the Tea House to see you, but you weren't there. So we figured you were shopping for the beach trip," said Keitaro.

"Yeah..." she said.

"How long exactly are we going to be staying at the beach?" Keitaro asked.

"I dunno...however long you want," said Haruka.

"Haruka...why are you being so generous with your Tea House this year?" asked Keitaro.

"Ummmm...no reason...anyways...I...ummm....gotta go, so see ya," said Haruka trying to make up an excuse.

"Okay...I'd better go back as well. Dinner is probably almost ready," said Keitaro.

Keitaro walked his aunt to her house, and then went back to the Hinata Inn. When he got back, everyone was already eating at the table.

"Thanks for waiting for me," said Keitaro sarcastically.

"Hi Keitaro!" shouted Su with joy.

"Well...Shinobu's food just looked so good," said Naru.

"She even made watermelon!" said Mustumi.

Keitaro and the others ate dinner normally and quietly, and Shinobu cleaned up after they were done. The rest of the evening went normally. Keitaro packed clothes for the beach trip and then went to bed early knowing that he'd have to get up early the next morning.

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[Author's Note: Again, thanks to all the reviewers, and keep bringing in the reviews. Give me ideas or critique, I don't care. Anything that will help improve my story. The next chapter will be up soon, and yes, they will finally be leaving for the beach. Anyways, so long for now. God Bless!