Chapter Five: Around the Bonfire

            Haruka sat outside around the campfire, sipping her coffee and staring into the flames of the bonfire, thinking deeply.

            "Hey, Haruka," called Naru. The woman looked up from her thought. "Be sure to put out the fire when you leave, okay? The bucket of water is sitting right there."

            "Okay, I'll only be a few more minutes. Goodnight then."

            "See you in the morning." Naru strided off into the house to join everyone else.

            Haruka sighed. "This is getting way too confusing. Motoko is more complicated then I have ever though her to be, but I'll probably blame myself for that. She's been keeping everything bundled up inside of her for all this time. Or I don't know exactly how long. Since she met Naru? Or since she met Keitaro? Maybe even she can't answer that question."

            She took a sip of her coffee. "Let's see here. Motoko gets this sick feeling in her stomach, as she describes it, when she's around Keitaro. But earlier this evening, she was just with Naru, and she got a warm feeling in her stomach, not like the other, and she felt good? This does not make sense."

            Haruka sat in though for many moments, thinking of all the times of when Motoko was with Keitaro. "Every time, Motoko beat Keitaro to the ground, except for at the fairgrounds…but why? Why does Motoko keep doing this? Maybe she's been holding it inside so long she had forgotten? Motoko can't even understand her own feelings…

"But wait. If I remember correctly, all the times Motoko was with Keitaro – in Kyoto, while he was studying – he's been with Naru. Of course, except for at the fairgrounds. She was with Keitaro completely alone then, and she didn't feel a thing. Could this sickening feeling be…be…jealousy?"

Haruka put the coffee to her lips once more. "Motoko is jealous of Naru…I see now…but, what was the warm feeling she has when she was alone with Naru?"

Haruka finished off her coffee. "I think…I have just figured it out, and my brain is about to explode. That's enough for tonight."

Haruka threw the water from the bucket over the now weak flames, extinguishing their flames for now. But tomorrow, she plans to ingnite them once again.

Author's Note – I am sooooooo sorry about the lack of updates over the past month. But school had just started shortly after the last update and I knew that this story was going to take a backseat to everything. I'll try to update more often, but, to tell you the truth, I just haven't been bored enough to write ^_^