Love Hina: Coming of Age
Chapter 2
by Bug-chan
A/N - First off, I would like to apologize for not doing anything over the summer vacation. I was too lazy to even type the finishing chapter for this piece of work. Anyways, on with the fic.
WARNING: LIME ELEMENTS IN THIS CHAPTER
Keitaro started walking downstairs towards the dining room, still wondering why the place was so dark. 'Maybe it's because no one else is around?' he pondered and just walked down the stairs thinking. He was shook out of his reverie by a "Myu!" from the resident turtle, who grabbed one of his sleeves and pointed towards the dining room. "Oops, got carried away by my own thoughts," Keitaro said to himself as he changed course. As he entered the dining room, however, all previous thoughts took the back seat as he tried to take in the sight before him.
Before him wasn't a plain table with two bowls of rice and a number of dishes as per usual, but a variety of dishes topped with food of different scents, textures, colors and shapes, all emitting a unique aroma. Perched in the middle stood two lit candles, giving the dark room a cozy feeling. Even the individual areas were not left untouched; instead of a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks, a full set of a dish, a bowl, separate forks, a spoon and a chopstick sat, attracting Keitaro's hungry hands. Next to the forks was what took Keitaro by surprise: a lean, tall cup that he saw in movies filled with champagne, and a bottle of cold champagne next to one seat. After gawking at the setup, he looked around for the resident chef to only go back into gawking mode again.
She stood behind one seat, but Keitaro could not tell whether it was Shinobu or not, for she had her head down. Instead of her usual one-piece dress or house clothes, she stood there wearing a red dress that went down to her ankles but had a slit that ran up to mid-thigh. The V-line, while not exposing her chest in indecent amounts, accentuated her developing figure, only making Keitaro gawk at her even more. After Keitaro apparently had enough of absorbing this new Shinobu, the said girl finally looked up, and his breath caught. While her timidity always kept her face panicked, a serene calm had descended on her features, giving her face a slight smile. It only looked more beautiful because of the presence of a light touch of make-up and the angle at which the candlelight hit her. To Keitaro, this wasn't a cute fifteen-year-old girl who had a severe case of timidity and low self-confidence, but a grown and self-confident woman whose beauty would drag the eyes of others like a magnet.
"Good evening, Urashima-sempai," she greeted him softly from her side of the table. Keitaro shook his head out of his daze.
"G---g---good evening, Shinobu-chan," he returned her greeting, suddenly having speech trouble in front of the said girl.
"How do you like the room?" she asked, waving at everything.
"It's a bit different from usual, but it really feels good," he replied truthfully. Upon sniffing the air, his stomach let out a growl of annoyance, to which the resident ronin immediately complied. Then, remembering a scene from a movie he saw a while back, he walked over to Shinobu's side and stood behind her chair. He grabbed it and pulled it out a bit. "Shall we eat?" he asked. Shinobu complied and let herself be sat as Keitaro pushed the chair in. He then walked over to his chair and then realized the bottle of champagne. 'Isn't she a bit underage to drink this?' he asked himself again.
Shinobu noticed the way her crush was looking at the bottle. "Don't worry, Sempai. It's alcohol-free. Besides, I probably won't even look like an adult until I'm halfway in college," she said, ending the last bit with a hint of sadness and lowered her head.
In one of his moments of insight, the said man's ears picked up on the sadness. "Don't say that!" Her head slowly looked up towards the man sitting across her. "True, you are only sixteen years old right now. But do you know what I see in front of my eyes now? I don't see a timid fifteen- year-old girl. I see a beautiful young woman looking back at me." Shinobu's eyes widened slightly upon hearing the last sentence. Anticipating another bout of crying, the resident ronin hurriedly said, "Now come on, let's taste your cuisine marvel before they all cool down," and picked up his fork. Shinobu looked at Keitaro sitting across from her and saw him devour a bit of everything on the table and couldn't help but smile.
'Sempai...he can be so clumsy, yet deep inside, he's the most pure- hearted person I've ever met,' she thought as she grabbed a bit of her own food.
Dinner passed by as the remaining occupants ate and shared small talk, including the occasional "Myu!" from the hot springs mascot. As minutes passed and dishes all became empty, both residents leaned on their seats, enjoying the full sensation. Soon, Tama took off towards somewhere else, leaving Keitaro and Shinobu alone, who just sat, enjoying the quite peace. A while later, music emanated from the living room next door. Keitaro, surprised to hear music, looked at the younger resident across him, who only gave him a smile that said "That's for me to know, and for you to find out." She then got out of her seat and approached him.
"Urashima-sempai, can I have this dance?" As she asked the question and stuck her hand out, a blush slowly crept across her face, along with nagging thoughts of 'What if he refuses?'
The said man only looked at her, baffled and surprised mingled into one. Then, as if an invisible force rested behind him, he raised one hand and put it into her outstretched hand. As she gently pulled her arm, he got up and followed her to the living room, which now also had two lit candles like the dining room. As the couple approached an empty area, Tama flew out, saying, "Myu myu myu!"
"Thanks, Tama. I owe you one," Shinobu replied. As she placed her hands around Keitaro's neck, the said man just stood there. Worriedly, she looked at him. "Is something wrong?"
Keitaro sheepishly looked back at her. "I can't dance," he whispered, embarrassment evident in his voice. Shinobu giggled softly.
"While I have my arms around your neck," she said as she disengaged herself, "you place your arms around my waist," she finished as she grabbed her partner's arms and placed them around her waist. Those hands that she just placed seconds ago slipped lower to her posterior as Keitaro could do nothing but blush considerably.
"Sorry," he whispered meekly as he brought those hands up quickly back to where she placed them. His partner simply giggled in response.
"Then you interlock your hands around my back." Having said that, she placed her arms again back around his neck.
"Ano...Shinobu-chan?" he asked, showing his discomfort due to his proximity to a member of the opposite sex, or a much younger member of the opposite sex for that matter. "Is this really all right to be this close?"
"Don't worry too much. You'll enjoy it. Trust me," she said, radiating a confidence that has caught Keitaro off-guard...again. "Now, we just sway together in beat with the music," she said as the music slowly grew louder.
Oh thinking about our younger years, it was only you and me, we were young and wild and free, Now nothing can take you away from me, we've been down that road before, but that's over now You keep me coming back for more
Baby you're all that I want when you're lying here in my arms I find it hard to believe we're in heaven And love is all that I need And I finally found it in your heart Isn't it too hard to see We're in heaven
As the dancing couple, Keitaro in particular, had become accustomed to dancing, his discomfort slowly dissipated. His dancing partner noticed his relaxation and in response tightened her grip around his neck. Surprised at her stronger grip, Keitaro looked down just to see his date for tonight look up at him and smile radiantly. Taken by the smile, the lone male resident responded in a similar fashion and dismissed any stray thoughts as the shine brightened what dark doubts he had.
Oh once in your life you find someone Who'll turn your world around Bring you up while you're feeling down Yeah, nothing can change what you mean to me Oh there's lots that I can say Just hold me now Cuz our love will light the way
Baby you're all that I want when you're lying here in my arms I find it hard to believe we're in heaven And love is all that I need And I finally found it in your heart Isn't it too hard to see We're in heaven
Their thoughts, especially that of Shinobu, strayed. 'This is the first time I've been this close to Sempai,' she thought, then added, 'without any accidents.' She giggled lightly, thinking of all the moments Keitaro was launched into some direction every time something happened. Her partner noticed her giggling, and upon looking down, only got a smile as an answer to his silent question. Shrugging lightly, they continued dancing without much of a second thought.
When the song ended, they separated from their embrace. Shinobu reluctantly let go of her partner as she felt a sudden coolness take over the warmth that he provided, subconsciously hugging herself as they split apart. Seconds later, a yawn took over both household members as they realized how tired they were from the food and the short dance.
"Well, thank you for the great dinner tonight, Shinobu-chan," Keitaro thanked with his wide smile.
"No, thank you for making tonight special, Sempai," the resident chef replied, blushing again, proceeding to pick up dishes to wash. Keitaro went to the other side and picked them up near his reach, eventually clearing the table. The duo brought them to the kitchen, washed them and dried them. They walked up the staircase together.
"Well then, I'm hitting the sack. Good night, Shinobu-chan," he bade as he went his way down the hall, headed for his room.
"Good night, Sempai," she said as she walked down the opposite way for her room. After a minute, she reached her room and entered, still all smiles. As she discarded her dress and put on her pajamas, her mind replayed all the events that happened over the course of dinner. As she stopped recalling the night, something else suddenly found its way into the memory projector.
FLASHBACK
"I hear that it's really easy to get a guy to love you!" exclaimed one girl in glee.
"Oh yeah? How?" another one asked.
"All you have to do is to go to bed with him," the first girl said.
END FLASHBACK
'Is that how I should present myself if I want him to fall in love with me?' she pondered as she took some toiletries and headed for the hot springs. Her mind was still reeling with one thought after another as she mechanically proceeded to strip herself, don a towel and walk into the springs, relaxing.
'All I have to do is to go to bed with him...' she mentally trailed. 'But what's sleeping got to do with love?' As soon as she said that, another flashback from school struck in.
FLASHBACK
"There's something else about sex," one girl said, then burst into a fit of giggles with her friends.
"What is it?"
"While it can be done anywhere, it should be best done on a bed."
END FLASHBACK
Upon remembering the conversation and adding one and one, Shinobu's face went red. Suddenly, as she absentmindedly poured water on herself, a heat wave flushed over her. 'What's this sudden heat?' she wondered as it steadily climbed. As it grew hotter, her breath became ragged and her thought process slowed down. 'What's...happening to me?' she panicked. Finally, it was too hot for her to beat and she ran for the nearest shower head, turning on the water at its coldest. After momentarily drenching herself, coherent thought returned and her breath returned to normal. 'What was that all about?' she thought as she washed herself and dried up.
The blue-eyed girl soon sat in front of her laptop and started surfing the net again. For the next half-hour, nothing but a regular interval of clicks echoed in her room as she sat through. The clicks stopped.
On the screen was written "The Kama Sutra."
A couple hours later, Keitaro had put away his books and donned his pajamas for sleep. He took out his futon, spread it and tucked himself into it, preparing to sleep. After sleep possessed him for about five minutes, his sleep-overloaded mind and ears registered a rustling sound from somewhere near him. Paying no heed, he promptly closed his eyes and tried to suppress his senses, while rolling to one side. A minute later, he felt a draft rushing through his back, followed by an unfamiliar warmth. Something then snaked around his chest from the back. Somewhat awake, he tried to wiggle out of it, but his sedate body wasn't helping.
"Suu, please, I would like to go to sleep uninjured," he whispered as he looked towards his chest to see whether he could pry off her vice-like hands. As he looked down, his mind received a kick-start from the image. 'Wait a minute, her arms are light...I thought Suu was dark-skinned,' he thought. His eyes widened. 'Suu is at a field trip! Then that means these arms are,' he didn't finish his thought as he quickly turned around to see Shinobu's face.
"Shinobu-chan, what are you dommmmph," he said before being interrupted by a fierce kiss. His eyes, now as big as saucers, took in her face in front of him, noticing great agitation written all over it. He didn't have enough time to process what he was seeing, for his binds were loosened, only to have one hand grab one of his hands and bring it to her chest. Upon contact with the forbidden part, Keitaro's nose leaked a thin stream of red. His hand finally broke out of her grip as his entire body came online. As he forcibly broke away from the kiss and grabbed the hand that was holding onto his, he noticed thin transparent streams flowing out of her eyes, which slowly opened.
"Sempai," she called out.
"Shinobu, what are you doing?" he asked, half-angry and half-shocked.
"Sempai! Please, make love to me!" she exclaimed, her eyes pleading with the same level of intensity.
"Make what?" he asked, now fully shocked.
"Make love to me! I want to show you that I love you!" she answered, even more desperately. The ronin could do nothing but just stare back, absolutely confused.
"But why?" he asked, a bit softly as to not scare the fragile girl.
"Because I want my first time to be with someone I love!" was her pleading answer.
Keitaro took it in and tried to figure out what was going on in her head. Her last plea clicked as he remembered the kinds of things he heard back at her age. His face exhibited surprise, which surprised the younger resident, and it transformed to a face of understanding. "I'm sorry, Shinobu-chan, I cannot do as you want," he answered softly. This broke what was left of Shinobu's heart into shatters as she desperately grabbed onto the resident manager and sobbed into his chest.
"Why not? Why do you not love me?" she shouted between gasping sobs. Keitaro simply hugged her, waiting until she was done unloading her sorrow. When the sobs subsided somewhat, he gently pried her away from him and lifted her chin to make contact with her eyes.
"Shinobu-chan, I do love you," he started, which made the said girl gasp, but he continued on, "But I love you, and everyone else here for that matter, too much to hurt you." Her head dipped again but went back up upon hearing his voice again. "Besides, I'd be taking advantage of your trust and you'll only be more hurt by it in the end. You should wait for your real love then," he finished, stroking her hair.
"Thank you, Sempai, and I'm sorry," she whispered. Keitaro shook his head.
"There's nothing to be sorry for. It's all a learning experience," he whispered back. "Just don't believe everything you hear," he stroked her hair, working wonders on the younger girl. A comfortable silence descended on the room for a moment.
"Can I sleep here tonight?" she meekly asked. Her response came in a soft embrace, bringing her to his chest. She snuggled into it, enjoying the warmth emanating from her source of affection, as Keitaro placed his arms around her, finally being able to sleep.
The next morning, Keitaro woke up to an empty feeling on his chest and realized that Shinobu woke up earlier and left. He slowly changed into different clothes and made his way downstairs to the table, his hungry stomach guiding him. Upon reaching the table, he saw Shinobu setting up a simple breakfast. She looked up and beamed. "Good morning, Sempai!"
"Morning," he replied, giving a smile of his own as he sat in front of his meal. As he took bites out of his food, he glanced at Shinobu across from him every now and then. 'She seems a lot happier today, and definitely a lot less nervous. That's definitely a good thing,' he thought to himself, slightly smiling in the process. Breakfast went by with a comfortable silence and Keitaro took the plates to the kitchen as the other resident started wiping the table clean. At that moment, both heard a sound. "What's that?" he asked.
Minutes later, they saw a few heads coming up the stairway. "Oh, everyone's back!" Shinobu exclaimed as the rest of the girls came into view.
"We're back!" Naru yelled as everyone else followed her from behind. Suu jumped excitedly, waving around.
"Welcome back!" Shinobu replied as she came outside. The group noticed someone missing.
"Where's Keitaro?" Naru asked.
"Doing dishes in the kitchen. Come on in, I'll get breakfast ready for you!" the resident chef said as she ran back into the inn. Everyone else looked blankly at the retreating form.
"Did I just miss something?" Kitsune asked, confusion obvious in her voice.
"She seems...happier," her best friend replied, and shrugged it off. "Oh well, let's go in. I missed her cooking." Everyone else followed her into the dining room just as Keitaro made his exit from the kitchen. "Hi, Keitaro, we're back!" Naru greeted the resident manager, who smiled back.
"Welcome back, everyone," he greeted back in return as he joined the rest of the residents at the table, waiting for their meals. Kitsune then stuck her face closer to his from across the table as her eyes slanted in a cunning manner.
"Say, you wouldn't know why Shinobu seems different, would you?" she asked, smirking. Keitaro's heart skipped a beat.
"Uhh...nope," he replied, nervous and sweating. The rest of the girls looked at him carefully, and a few of those looks turned into glares. Keitaro's early warning system went off upon seeing glares from Naru and Motoko, whose hand clasped on her katana sitting nearby. "Uhh, I haven't finished my chores yet. I'll be back later. See you later girls!" he yelped as he made a mad dash out of the table.
"Keitaro! What did you do to Shinobu-chan? Get back here!" Naru yelled as she got out of her seat and started pursuit. Motoko did the same.
"Urashima! I thought you changed!" she yelled, running with her unsheathed katana. Suu saw them run off and decided to follow along.
"Wait guys! What game are you playing?" she asked as she gleefully hopped after them. Kanako looked at the running group and instantly became shocked.
"Wait! Don't hurt my brother!" she shouted as she started running. Kitsune just sat back and enjoyed the show as usual.
Shinobu stuck her head out and saw Keitaro being chased by a very red Naru and Motoko, a gleeful Suu and an extremely worried Kanako. Instead of worry plastered all over her face, an amused grin adorned it as one thought came in her mind. 'My family,' she thought and went back into the kitchen with all smiles.
END
A/N - Yes folks, it's all finally over! After delaying it again and again, I've finally finished it! I apologize for my delays, I really do.
Special thanks go to Chryswolf, Yuffie Valentine and whoever else I may have forgotten for pre-reading.
I've timed the upload of this fic with my major upload of my webpage - check it out, the link's in my author profile.
Once again, I apologize for the lateness and I hope you enjoyed reading my two-part fic.
A/N - First off, I would like to apologize for not doing anything over the summer vacation. I was too lazy to even type the finishing chapter for this piece of work. Anyways, on with the fic.
WARNING: LIME ELEMENTS IN THIS CHAPTER
Keitaro started walking downstairs towards the dining room, still wondering why the place was so dark. 'Maybe it's because no one else is around?' he pondered and just walked down the stairs thinking. He was shook out of his reverie by a "Myu!" from the resident turtle, who grabbed one of his sleeves and pointed towards the dining room. "Oops, got carried away by my own thoughts," Keitaro said to himself as he changed course. As he entered the dining room, however, all previous thoughts took the back seat as he tried to take in the sight before him.
Before him wasn't a plain table with two bowls of rice and a number of dishes as per usual, but a variety of dishes topped with food of different scents, textures, colors and shapes, all emitting a unique aroma. Perched in the middle stood two lit candles, giving the dark room a cozy feeling. Even the individual areas were not left untouched; instead of a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks, a full set of a dish, a bowl, separate forks, a spoon and a chopstick sat, attracting Keitaro's hungry hands. Next to the forks was what took Keitaro by surprise: a lean, tall cup that he saw in movies filled with champagne, and a bottle of cold champagne next to one seat. After gawking at the setup, he looked around for the resident chef to only go back into gawking mode again.
She stood behind one seat, but Keitaro could not tell whether it was Shinobu or not, for she had her head down. Instead of her usual one-piece dress or house clothes, she stood there wearing a red dress that went down to her ankles but had a slit that ran up to mid-thigh. The V-line, while not exposing her chest in indecent amounts, accentuated her developing figure, only making Keitaro gawk at her even more. After Keitaro apparently had enough of absorbing this new Shinobu, the said girl finally looked up, and his breath caught. While her timidity always kept her face panicked, a serene calm had descended on her features, giving her face a slight smile. It only looked more beautiful because of the presence of a light touch of make-up and the angle at which the candlelight hit her. To Keitaro, this wasn't a cute fifteen-year-old girl who had a severe case of timidity and low self-confidence, but a grown and self-confident woman whose beauty would drag the eyes of others like a magnet.
"Good evening, Urashima-sempai," she greeted him softly from her side of the table. Keitaro shook his head out of his daze.
"G---g---good evening, Shinobu-chan," he returned her greeting, suddenly having speech trouble in front of the said girl.
"How do you like the room?" she asked, waving at everything.
"It's a bit different from usual, but it really feels good," he replied truthfully. Upon sniffing the air, his stomach let out a growl of annoyance, to which the resident ronin immediately complied. Then, remembering a scene from a movie he saw a while back, he walked over to Shinobu's side and stood behind her chair. He grabbed it and pulled it out a bit. "Shall we eat?" he asked. Shinobu complied and let herself be sat as Keitaro pushed the chair in. He then walked over to his chair and then realized the bottle of champagne. 'Isn't she a bit underage to drink this?' he asked himself again.
Shinobu noticed the way her crush was looking at the bottle. "Don't worry, Sempai. It's alcohol-free. Besides, I probably won't even look like an adult until I'm halfway in college," she said, ending the last bit with a hint of sadness and lowered her head.
In one of his moments of insight, the said man's ears picked up on the sadness. "Don't say that!" Her head slowly looked up towards the man sitting across her. "True, you are only sixteen years old right now. But do you know what I see in front of my eyes now? I don't see a timid fifteen- year-old girl. I see a beautiful young woman looking back at me." Shinobu's eyes widened slightly upon hearing the last sentence. Anticipating another bout of crying, the resident ronin hurriedly said, "Now come on, let's taste your cuisine marvel before they all cool down," and picked up his fork. Shinobu looked at Keitaro sitting across from her and saw him devour a bit of everything on the table and couldn't help but smile.
'Sempai...he can be so clumsy, yet deep inside, he's the most pure- hearted person I've ever met,' she thought as she grabbed a bit of her own food.
Dinner passed by as the remaining occupants ate and shared small talk, including the occasional "Myu!" from the hot springs mascot. As minutes passed and dishes all became empty, both residents leaned on their seats, enjoying the full sensation. Soon, Tama took off towards somewhere else, leaving Keitaro and Shinobu alone, who just sat, enjoying the quite peace. A while later, music emanated from the living room next door. Keitaro, surprised to hear music, looked at the younger resident across him, who only gave him a smile that said "That's for me to know, and for you to find out." She then got out of her seat and approached him.
"Urashima-sempai, can I have this dance?" As she asked the question and stuck her hand out, a blush slowly crept across her face, along with nagging thoughts of 'What if he refuses?'
The said man only looked at her, baffled and surprised mingled into one. Then, as if an invisible force rested behind him, he raised one hand and put it into her outstretched hand. As she gently pulled her arm, he got up and followed her to the living room, which now also had two lit candles like the dining room. As the couple approached an empty area, Tama flew out, saying, "Myu myu myu!"
"Thanks, Tama. I owe you one," Shinobu replied. As she placed her hands around Keitaro's neck, the said man just stood there. Worriedly, she looked at him. "Is something wrong?"
Keitaro sheepishly looked back at her. "I can't dance," he whispered, embarrassment evident in his voice. Shinobu giggled softly.
"While I have my arms around your neck," she said as she disengaged herself, "you place your arms around my waist," she finished as she grabbed her partner's arms and placed them around her waist. Those hands that she just placed seconds ago slipped lower to her posterior as Keitaro could do nothing but blush considerably.
"Sorry," he whispered meekly as he brought those hands up quickly back to where she placed them. His partner simply giggled in response.
"Then you interlock your hands around my back." Having said that, she placed her arms again back around his neck.
"Ano...Shinobu-chan?" he asked, showing his discomfort due to his proximity to a member of the opposite sex, or a much younger member of the opposite sex for that matter. "Is this really all right to be this close?"
"Don't worry too much. You'll enjoy it. Trust me," she said, radiating a confidence that has caught Keitaro off-guard...again. "Now, we just sway together in beat with the music," she said as the music slowly grew louder.
Oh thinking about our younger years, it was only you and me, we were young and wild and free, Now nothing can take you away from me, we've been down that road before, but that's over now You keep me coming back for more
Baby you're all that I want when you're lying here in my arms I find it hard to believe we're in heaven And love is all that I need And I finally found it in your heart Isn't it too hard to see We're in heaven
As the dancing couple, Keitaro in particular, had become accustomed to dancing, his discomfort slowly dissipated. His dancing partner noticed his relaxation and in response tightened her grip around his neck. Surprised at her stronger grip, Keitaro looked down just to see his date for tonight look up at him and smile radiantly. Taken by the smile, the lone male resident responded in a similar fashion and dismissed any stray thoughts as the shine brightened what dark doubts he had.
Oh once in your life you find someone Who'll turn your world around Bring you up while you're feeling down Yeah, nothing can change what you mean to me Oh there's lots that I can say Just hold me now Cuz our love will light the way
Baby you're all that I want when you're lying here in my arms I find it hard to believe we're in heaven And love is all that I need And I finally found it in your heart Isn't it too hard to see We're in heaven
Their thoughts, especially that of Shinobu, strayed. 'This is the first time I've been this close to Sempai,' she thought, then added, 'without any accidents.' She giggled lightly, thinking of all the moments Keitaro was launched into some direction every time something happened. Her partner noticed her giggling, and upon looking down, only got a smile as an answer to his silent question. Shrugging lightly, they continued dancing without much of a second thought.
When the song ended, they separated from their embrace. Shinobu reluctantly let go of her partner as she felt a sudden coolness take over the warmth that he provided, subconsciously hugging herself as they split apart. Seconds later, a yawn took over both household members as they realized how tired they were from the food and the short dance.
"Well, thank you for the great dinner tonight, Shinobu-chan," Keitaro thanked with his wide smile.
"No, thank you for making tonight special, Sempai," the resident chef replied, blushing again, proceeding to pick up dishes to wash. Keitaro went to the other side and picked them up near his reach, eventually clearing the table. The duo brought them to the kitchen, washed them and dried them. They walked up the staircase together.
"Well then, I'm hitting the sack. Good night, Shinobu-chan," he bade as he went his way down the hall, headed for his room.
"Good night, Sempai," she said as she walked down the opposite way for her room. After a minute, she reached her room and entered, still all smiles. As she discarded her dress and put on her pajamas, her mind replayed all the events that happened over the course of dinner. As she stopped recalling the night, something else suddenly found its way into the memory projector.
FLASHBACK
"I hear that it's really easy to get a guy to love you!" exclaimed one girl in glee.
"Oh yeah? How?" another one asked.
"All you have to do is to go to bed with him," the first girl said.
END FLASHBACK
'Is that how I should present myself if I want him to fall in love with me?' she pondered as she took some toiletries and headed for the hot springs. Her mind was still reeling with one thought after another as she mechanically proceeded to strip herself, don a towel and walk into the springs, relaxing.
'All I have to do is to go to bed with him...' she mentally trailed. 'But what's sleeping got to do with love?' As soon as she said that, another flashback from school struck in.
FLASHBACK
"There's something else about sex," one girl said, then burst into a fit of giggles with her friends.
"What is it?"
"While it can be done anywhere, it should be best done on a bed."
END FLASHBACK
Upon remembering the conversation and adding one and one, Shinobu's face went red. Suddenly, as she absentmindedly poured water on herself, a heat wave flushed over her. 'What's this sudden heat?' she wondered as it steadily climbed. As it grew hotter, her breath became ragged and her thought process slowed down. 'What's...happening to me?' she panicked. Finally, it was too hot for her to beat and she ran for the nearest shower head, turning on the water at its coldest. After momentarily drenching herself, coherent thought returned and her breath returned to normal. 'What was that all about?' she thought as she washed herself and dried up.
The blue-eyed girl soon sat in front of her laptop and started surfing the net again. For the next half-hour, nothing but a regular interval of clicks echoed in her room as she sat through. The clicks stopped.
On the screen was written "The Kama Sutra."
A couple hours later, Keitaro had put away his books and donned his pajamas for sleep. He took out his futon, spread it and tucked himself into it, preparing to sleep. After sleep possessed him for about five minutes, his sleep-overloaded mind and ears registered a rustling sound from somewhere near him. Paying no heed, he promptly closed his eyes and tried to suppress his senses, while rolling to one side. A minute later, he felt a draft rushing through his back, followed by an unfamiliar warmth. Something then snaked around his chest from the back. Somewhat awake, he tried to wiggle out of it, but his sedate body wasn't helping.
"Suu, please, I would like to go to sleep uninjured," he whispered as he looked towards his chest to see whether he could pry off her vice-like hands. As he looked down, his mind received a kick-start from the image. 'Wait a minute, her arms are light...I thought Suu was dark-skinned,' he thought. His eyes widened. 'Suu is at a field trip! Then that means these arms are,' he didn't finish his thought as he quickly turned around to see Shinobu's face.
"Shinobu-chan, what are you dommmmph," he said before being interrupted by a fierce kiss. His eyes, now as big as saucers, took in her face in front of him, noticing great agitation written all over it. He didn't have enough time to process what he was seeing, for his binds were loosened, only to have one hand grab one of his hands and bring it to her chest. Upon contact with the forbidden part, Keitaro's nose leaked a thin stream of red. His hand finally broke out of her grip as his entire body came online. As he forcibly broke away from the kiss and grabbed the hand that was holding onto his, he noticed thin transparent streams flowing out of her eyes, which slowly opened.
"Sempai," she called out.
"Shinobu, what are you doing?" he asked, half-angry and half-shocked.
"Sempai! Please, make love to me!" she exclaimed, her eyes pleading with the same level of intensity.
"Make what?" he asked, now fully shocked.
"Make love to me! I want to show you that I love you!" she answered, even more desperately. The ronin could do nothing but just stare back, absolutely confused.
"But why?" he asked, a bit softly as to not scare the fragile girl.
"Because I want my first time to be with someone I love!" was her pleading answer.
Keitaro took it in and tried to figure out what was going on in her head. Her last plea clicked as he remembered the kinds of things he heard back at her age. His face exhibited surprise, which surprised the younger resident, and it transformed to a face of understanding. "I'm sorry, Shinobu-chan, I cannot do as you want," he answered softly. This broke what was left of Shinobu's heart into shatters as she desperately grabbed onto the resident manager and sobbed into his chest.
"Why not? Why do you not love me?" she shouted between gasping sobs. Keitaro simply hugged her, waiting until she was done unloading her sorrow. When the sobs subsided somewhat, he gently pried her away from him and lifted her chin to make contact with her eyes.
"Shinobu-chan, I do love you," he started, which made the said girl gasp, but he continued on, "But I love you, and everyone else here for that matter, too much to hurt you." Her head dipped again but went back up upon hearing his voice again. "Besides, I'd be taking advantage of your trust and you'll only be more hurt by it in the end. You should wait for your real love then," he finished, stroking her hair.
"Thank you, Sempai, and I'm sorry," she whispered. Keitaro shook his head.
"There's nothing to be sorry for. It's all a learning experience," he whispered back. "Just don't believe everything you hear," he stroked her hair, working wonders on the younger girl. A comfortable silence descended on the room for a moment.
"Can I sleep here tonight?" she meekly asked. Her response came in a soft embrace, bringing her to his chest. She snuggled into it, enjoying the warmth emanating from her source of affection, as Keitaro placed his arms around her, finally being able to sleep.
The next morning, Keitaro woke up to an empty feeling on his chest and realized that Shinobu woke up earlier and left. He slowly changed into different clothes and made his way downstairs to the table, his hungry stomach guiding him. Upon reaching the table, he saw Shinobu setting up a simple breakfast. She looked up and beamed. "Good morning, Sempai!"
"Morning," he replied, giving a smile of his own as he sat in front of his meal. As he took bites out of his food, he glanced at Shinobu across from him every now and then. 'She seems a lot happier today, and definitely a lot less nervous. That's definitely a good thing,' he thought to himself, slightly smiling in the process. Breakfast went by with a comfortable silence and Keitaro took the plates to the kitchen as the other resident started wiping the table clean. At that moment, both heard a sound. "What's that?" he asked.
Minutes later, they saw a few heads coming up the stairway. "Oh, everyone's back!" Shinobu exclaimed as the rest of the girls came into view.
"We're back!" Naru yelled as everyone else followed her from behind. Suu jumped excitedly, waving around.
"Welcome back!" Shinobu replied as she came outside. The group noticed someone missing.
"Where's Keitaro?" Naru asked.
"Doing dishes in the kitchen. Come on in, I'll get breakfast ready for you!" the resident chef said as she ran back into the inn. Everyone else looked blankly at the retreating form.
"Did I just miss something?" Kitsune asked, confusion obvious in her voice.
"She seems...happier," her best friend replied, and shrugged it off. "Oh well, let's go in. I missed her cooking." Everyone else followed her into the dining room just as Keitaro made his exit from the kitchen. "Hi, Keitaro, we're back!" Naru greeted the resident manager, who smiled back.
"Welcome back, everyone," he greeted back in return as he joined the rest of the residents at the table, waiting for their meals. Kitsune then stuck her face closer to his from across the table as her eyes slanted in a cunning manner.
"Say, you wouldn't know why Shinobu seems different, would you?" she asked, smirking. Keitaro's heart skipped a beat.
"Uhh...nope," he replied, nervous and sweating. The rest of the girls looked at him carefully, and a few of those looks turned into glares. Keitaro's early warning system went off upon seeing glares from Naru and Motoko, whose hand clasped on her katana sitting nearby. "Uhh, I haven't finished my chores yet. I'll be back later. See you later girls!" he yelped as he made a mad dash out of the table.
"Keitaro! What did you do to Shinobu-chan? Get back here!" Naru yelled as she got out of her seat and started pursuit. Motoko did the same.
"Urashima! I thought you changed!" she yelled, running with her unsheathed katana. Suu saw them run off and decided to follow along.
"Wait guys! What game are you playing?" she asked as she gleefully hopped after them. Kanako looked at the running group and instantly became shocked.
"Wait! Don't hurt my brother!" she shouted as she started running. Kitsune just sat back and enjoyed the show as usual.
Shinobu stuck her head out and saw Keitaro being chased by a very red Naru and Motoko, a gleeful Suu and an extremely worried Kanako. Instead of worry plastered all over her face, an amused grin adorned it as one thought came in her mind. 'My family,' she thought and went back into the kitchen with all smiles.
END
A/N - Yes folks, it's all finally over! After delaying it again and again, I've finally finished it! I apologize for my delays, I really do.
Special thanks go to Chryswolf, Yuffie Valentine and whoever else I may have forgotten for pre-reading.
I've timed the upload of this fic with my major upload of my webpage - check it out, the link's in my author profile.
Once again, I apologize for the lateness and I hope you enjoyed reading my two-part fic.