Moment of Change
Half a Year Later
"WHERE IS HE!!?? TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED RIGHT NOW!!"
Kanako's voice was like nothing Naru had ever heard. Her screams were hoarse with grief and anger.
"Kanako I swear - I don't know!" Naru cried. "Don't you think-"
"LIAR!" Kanako shrieked before Naru could finish. "STOP LYING!"
The distraught girl slashed out with the wakizashi she held with a reverse grip in her left hand and Naru was barely able to dodge in time. Seta's training had never prepared her for anything like this. Kanako slashed at her again, forcing Naru to take another step back. Naru realised with a sinking feeling that if this kept up much longer she'd be backed up against the front wall of the Inn with nowhere to go. Kanako pulled her arm back to take another swing at Naru . . . and stopped as a hand with a grip like steel closed around her wrist.
"That's enough, niece," Haruka told her levelly.
Kanako moved so quickly that Naru could barely make out what happened. The girl twisted round in Haruka's grip and attempted to strike at the woman's stomach with her right hand. Haruka let go of Kanako's wrist and swept her strike aside, before lashing out with her right hand to strike Kanako's left shoulder. Kanako's arm went limp and the blade fell from her hand as Haruka grabbed her right arm, pulled her forward and twisted the arm behind Kanako's back before using the leverage she now had to drive Kanako to her knees. Kanako struggled briefly before conceding to Haruka.
"Let me go," she growled. "I won't attack her."
"Not just yet," Haruka said softly. "I've seen you like this before, remember."
With that, Haruka lashed out at the back of Kanako's neck so quickly that her arm was no more than a blur and the girl collapsed, unconscious, to the ground.
"W-What was that?" Naru asked, her voice quavering.
"Kanako being Kanako," Haruka replied bluntly as she bent over to look at the wakizashi Kanako had dropped.
"Huh," she added in a thoughtful tone of voice as she held the weapon up to get a closer look at it, carefully holding the blade between thumb and fingers, "I've been wondering where this got to."
Naru blinked and gave Haruka a questioning look, but the older woman declined to respond to her unspoken query. Instead she got her arms under Kanako's shoulders and gestured for Naru to take her legs.
"Come on," she told Naru, "let's get her inside."
"This is so unfair," Naru whispered after she and Haruka had laid Kanako on the couch. Haruka looked at her inquisitively but chose not to say anything.
"It is!" Naru exclaimed as though Haruka had replied to her statement. "He just, he just . . . vanished! Motoko too. Who knows where that perverted jerk went! I bet you he and Motoko are . . ." Haruka awkwardly gathered Naru into her arms as the girl broke down into sobs.
"Keitaro-and-that-bitch-just-vanish-one-day-and-then-a-removal-van-shows-up-and-takes-their-stuff-while-I'm-not-here-and-now-Kanako's-accusing-us-of-hiding-him-even-though-she-was-here-when-he-went-missing!?" Naru choked out between sobs.
Haruka flinched mentally. The days after Keitaro and Motoko's disappearance had been marked first by confusion, then suspicion, then anger and finally a mix of shock and betrayal and grief when the weeks turned into months and it became clear that neither of them were coming back. At least grandma hadn't objected when the girls had begun to run the Inn co-operatively. Kanako had vanished from the Inn just a few days after Keitaro had gone missing, though she at least had left a note explaining she'd gone to look for her brother.
And now here she is, Haruka reflected sourly. At least none of the others are here. Thank the Kami for summer holidays. She was going to have to talk to her sister about keeping a slightly closer eye on Kanako. True, the girl was practically uncontrollable, but there had to be something her parents could do.
Not that they're likely to pay much attention to this, Haruka thought, her mood turning a little grimmer. It wasn't really her nature to criticise family, but Keitaro and Kanako's parents had become somewhat lackadaisacal about their children as they grew older. Witness the calm with which they'd accepted a letter from Keitaro saying he was giving up on Toudai, was going to travel Japan with a friend for a bit and would contact them when he settled down. He hadn't given them anything remotely resembling contact details, but that didn't seem to bother them at all. It made Haruka want to scream with frustration. She suspected that she'd seen the last of her nephew.
"Are you alright, Motoko chan?" Keitaro asked, a faint trace of worry in his voice. Motoko looked back at him and smiled, the expression lighting up her face. Just hearing him speak to her like that suffused her with a warm glow. Keitaro's words were like the summer sun on her face, Motoko thought.
"I'm fine, Kei-kun," she replied. Calling him that still brought a small smile to her face. Their travels over the last half year had often taken them to isolated places and with no-one else around she'd been able to lower her walls and accept the affection she so craved - and which Keitaro had gladly given. But now Motoko was going to find out if the house of cards she'd so carefully constructed could be made into something more tangible. She had sent a very carefully phrased letter to Keitaro's parents, severed their ties to the Hinata Inn - painful though it had been - and the only hurdle left was her sister's acceptance. She'd already written a letter for Tsuroko as well, knowing she needed to give some kind of explanation for why she and Keitaro hadn't come back to the Inn that day, but she had no idea how her sister had received it. Now only the most difficult task remained, for Motoko had constructed her plans according to one of the dictums she had been raised with:
Fight the battles you know you can win before facing an opponent over whom victory is uncertain.
Motoko had never been able to hide anything from her sister.
Keitaro walked beside Motoko as the followed the path that led to her family's small estate. According to Motoko a good portion of her extended family lived there, many of them training in the hereditary school of which she was a practitioner. His emotions were an odd mix of nervousness, anticipation, curiosity and excitement. He was going to meet his fiancé's family! Motoko had told Keitaro a little about them, especially her sister, but meeting them was a big step forward in their relationship. He was a little worried about her at the moment but it was probably normal for her to be nervous. Keitaro shrugged mentally and put his concerns aside. There were times when he had the oddest sensation, a sort of mental itch, about the things she told him, but he did his best to ignore it. Motoko was kind, smart, charming, elegant and utterly beautiful and he could hardly believe that they were engaged. It still seemed almost like a dream to him. The last six months, wandering across Japan in Motoko's company, had been some of the best of his life.
Haruka watched dispassionately as Kanako slowly regained consciousness. Beside her Naru was considerably more agitated, fidgeting and shifting her stance uneasily.
"Uhhhhh . . . what hap . . . oh."
"That's right, niece," Haruka said evenly, "you attacked Naru with a lethal weapon and I stopped you."
Kanako said nothing, looking about herself warily.
"Well!?" Naru exclaimed. "Don't you have anything to say for yourself!?"
"You don't know what happened to him either," Kanako said slowly, her voice thoughtful.
"NO!" Naru yelled. "I DON'T! AND I AM SICK OF ALL OF THIS! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" And with that Naru broke down and began to sob again. It was just too much. She and Keitaro had finally gotten past everything that had stood in their way - especially her own fear - and now THIS!
The words came softly, barely audible over Naru's renewed sobbing, but somehow she heard them anyway.
"I'm sorry."
Naru looked up from her hunched over position and Haruka's eyes widened slightly, though that was the only indication the older woman gave of her astonishment.
"You're sorry?" said Naru. "You're sorry? YOU'RE SORRY!? What good is that? Huh? What good is that now?"
Motoko took a deep breath and centred herself before walking through the gateway to the Aoyoma family compound, Keitaro at her side. This was going to be difficult and she could see Tsuroko walking across the grounds to meet them.
"Hello Motoko-chan, Keitaro-san," said Tsuroko as she came to a stop in front of them.
"Hello Tsuroko," Motoko replied cautiously.
"Won't you come inside? I suspect we have a lot to talk about."
That is certainly true, Motoko reflected as she and Keitaro followed Tsuroko towards her house.
"So tell me sister, what have you been doing since I last saw you?" Tsuroko laughed as she settled herself on a tatami mat in the front room of her house. Motoko and Keitaro were already sitting down across from her.
"Keitaro and I have been travelling and getting to know each other better, big sister," Motoko replied.
"Oh yes? And how have you been, Keitaro-san?"
"Ah . . . fine thank you, Tsuroko-san."
"I see. I understand you and Motoko-chan have grown quite close recently."
"Um . . . well . . . you see . . . that is . . . ah . . ."
"Oh you don't have to explain!" Tsuroko exclaimed with a laugh. "I can tell when a young couple are in love!"
At that both Keitaro and Motoko blushed red and looked down at their knees in unison. Tsuroko allowed her misgivings to show briefly on her face, knowing that neither of the two could see her expression.
Yes, they most certainly are in love, but I wish I knew how this happened. Motoko's letter was vague - and it feels as though she's hiding something from me.
Tsuroko continued with her questions, which were mostly unimportant queries about this or that detail of their travels, while she observed the two. Eventually she decided it was time to cut to the heart of the matter.
"I would like to know exactly what brings you here, Motoko-chan. We have skirted the question long enough."
"I, that is, we have . . ." Motoko paused, gathered her wits and spoke again. "You said you would have been happy for me to succeed in just one area of life, sister, but I believe I can succeed in two."
Tsuroko's expression was troubled as she regarded her younger sister and the young man sitting next to her who was at this moment giving her hand a supportive squeeze.
"What of the third?"
"I have decided . . . it is no longer necessary," Motoko replied, unconsciously tightening her grip on Keitaro's hand. He put his other arm around her reassuringly without knowing the real source of her discomfort. Motoko watched her older sister carefully, wondering if she suspected.
What is going on here? Tsuroko wondered. Before, she admitted that he loved another but now . . . did she steal him from that other girl? I suppose that is her business, so long as she knows what she wants, but still . . .
"Indeed," Tsuroko murmured thoughtfully.
Don't borrow trouble girl, she told herself. Besides, you did want Motoko to carry on the dojo and start a family one day.
"Well, so be it!" she exclaimed with a smile. "It's good to have you home, little sister."
They certainly seem happy together.
"It's so hard," Naru sniffed, feeling doubly miserable because on top of all the reasons she already had to be unhappy she'd gone and embarrassed herself in front of Kanako. She was sitting on the couch in the living room, Kanako perched uncomfortably on a chair directly across from her. Haruka had left them after Naru had assured her she was alright.
"I know," Kanako replied quietly. Seeing that Naru was about to explode at her again she hastily continued.
"I do know, Narusegawa-san. How do you think I feel? I apologise for before but the truth is that I am no less upset than you."
Naru opened her mouth to object and then abruptly closed it again. Kanako had a point, after all. Hell, hadn't she tried to set her up with Keitaro at one point?
"Well . . . maybe," she admitted unwilling to actually apologise to the girl who'd apparently been hell bent on killing her an hour ago. Kanako accepted this with a small nod, apparently recognising it as a statement of truce.
"And I meant what I said before," Kanako said. "I am sorry."
"Apology accepted," Naru told her, making a choked sound that could almost have been a laugh.
Almost.
Author's Notes
Second to last chapter up - last one done (it was actually the first part of this I wrote) and due to go up in a day or so. This chapter was even harder to finish than the last one because I kept having to go back and patch up little plot holes - you can probably see where if you look hard enough.
Regarding Haruka's opinion of Keitaro's parents I can only say that we never, ever see them at all (spoiler for end of manga ahead). Keitaro's mother has maybe two lines of dialogue at the start of both the manga and the anime and that's pretty much it. They never visit, apparently let Kanako do whatever the hell she wants and the sum total of their presence amounts to one or two phone calls over a period of nearly two years. They don't even show up at Keitaro and Naru's wedding, for pity's sake! You could argue (perhaps correctly) that this is just the result of lazy writing, but if you're looking for an explanation for their behaviour within the context of the story the only one I can think of is that they're not very good parents. At the very least they seem to completely lose interest in their children once they become self sufficient. Hence the ease with which Motoko brushes them off here and Haruka's anger at them.
Naru and Kanako are portrayed as having a friendship of sorts here and in the previous chapter because in the manga they actually become quite good friends despite their conflict over Keitaro. I'm inclined to think that in some ways his disappearance would bring them closer together - shared grief can create strong bonds between people.