A/N: Wow. A new chapter started RIGHT AFTER the last one! It's quite amazing. At this point, of course, I have no idea if it'll be finished in a timely manner. On a side note, I've decided for some line spacing. It looks nicer, da? Disclaimer: Right. I have scrabbled enough currency together to buy this since the last disclaimer...or not. I still don't, and don't plan on, owning Love Hina. That would be Ken Akamatsu's responsibility.
Naru waited impatiently outside of Keitaro's partition. She'd called the kanrinin three times now, and still there was no response. After anxiously tapping her foot, she called out again.
"C'mon baka! I've called you enough! Get out here!" There was still no response from the room on the other side. Narrowing her eyes, Naru stepped forward and threw open the partition. "You're...leaving...NOW!" Naru stepped into the room, fist at the ready. Glaring, she threw a mighty Naru- punch, and heavily collided with...absolutely nothing. No one was in the room. She looked around confused. Of course, being Naru, being confused only served to make her angrier. Now she really needed to hit something, and that damn Ronin was nowhere to be found! How could he do this to her, on top of pretty well ditching his tenants on what was supposed to be a day trip to Tokyo. She whirled around and stomped out of Keitaro's room. "Where...is...he...." She gritted her teeth, and her face was about the shade of a good, ripe tomato. One would almost say you could see steam pouring out her ears. Kitsune, just exiting her room, heard Naru's little monologue.
"Hm...worried about Keitaro, eh?" Naru looked up, catching Kitsune's eye.
"He's ditched us all, on a trip we've all been looking forward to for the last three weeks! Probably to do some perverted sort of...things!! Who knows what he's up to!" Naru's breath was rather heavy.
"Well, let's hope not. He said something about heading out to the Teahouse, so if he's up to something perverted there...yuck." Kitsune made a little disgusted face. Naru looked at the floor, almost ashamed at her over- reaction. Of course, whenever Naru started to feel a bit of a negative emotion, anger decided to replace it, and now it looked as though every last bit of blood in her body had gone to her head. Kitsune was quite positive that Naru's face was glowing. Naru looked up, and decided to toss out another little nugget of vocalized landlord-bashing.
"Hmph. I wouldn't put it past him. Honestly would you be surprised, Kitsune?" Naru smirked in such a way that Satan would envy. Kitsune backed up a bit.
"Eh heh...um...no?" Naru, apparently satisfied that someone else agreed with her, walked toward her room. Before she got to the stairs, however, a certain gaijin by the name of Kaolla Su decided to pop up out of nowhere.
"Has anyone seen Shinobu? I've checked all over, but I can't find her. Keitaro's not around either, and I want to play!" Naru's face, upon hearing about Shinobu's absence, changed to a dark purple that didn't look at all healthy. Flames looked to be burning in her eyes.
"I knew it!!!!" She exclaimed. "Keitaro's off doing something terribly perverted with poor Shinobu-chan! We have to them right now and save her from that...thing!!!" Naru stalked back down the hall. Kaolla and Kitsune looked at each other, shrugged, and followed her. Kitsune leaned over to Kaolla.
"Ya know...I can't wait to see what happens when she catches up with Keitaro." Kitsune's foxy grin was on her face.
The trio arrived in the main area of the Hinata-Sou moments later (for reference, the "main area" is what I consider the area with the various bits of furniture and the television, around the front entrance of the building). Stepping out the front entrance, they saw a brown-haired figure exit the Urashima Teahouse below. A moment later, a smaller, blue haired girl followed. After her came Haruka Urashima, the matron around Hinata-Sou. Naru's eyes narrowed.
"See down there! I knew he was doing something to poor Shinobu-chan! And with Haruka around, too!" Naru ran down the stairs with such speed that even Kaolla was envious. Keitaro looked up in surprise at the racing figure of Naru coming down the stairs, fist leveled. Ack! What did I do...actually, what does she think I did? Keitaro snapped his head in Shinobu's direction, who was rooted to her feet, watching Naru's speedy advance. I guess I don't even have to wonder. It's obvious. Keitaro decided to try to avoid the Naru- punch heading his way. He spun around and took flight down the steps of the Hinata-Sou. Naru's punch, however, still managed to connect with the back of Keitaro's head. He flew forward through the narrow alley connecting the Hinata-Sou's steps with the rest of Hinata City, and crashed through a large storefront window across the street. As the customers scattered away from the human projectile, Naru hurried across the street to finish the deed. Glass crunched as Naru stepped through the shop's door, and the few patrons still inside the store scurried out upon seeing the enraged girl. Keitaro was getting up from the nice little niche he'd created in the wall as Naru reared back her fist for another swing.
"This is for Shinobu!" She stopped before swinging, however, as the emotion in Keitaro's eyes jump-started the small part of her heart capable of sympathy. She stared into Keitaro's eyes, but he seemed to look through her. In reality, what made her stop was not the emotion in Keitaro's eyes, but rather the lack thereof. He looked dead inside. Slowly, he began to speak.
"So...is this the way it always ends, Narusegawa? I clean the dorms, and somehow I end up being punched. I go to dinner, and somehow make some slight that ends with a blow. I try to watch TV, and get hit all the way to the markets. Or, let's say, I go to visit my Aunt, and the only girl who gives a flying fuck about me comes along because she happens to be a tad worried about me, and the three of us have tea. Then, say, I leave said Aunt's tea-shop to carry out a promised shopping trip, and I get hit for spending a bit of time with the only real friend I even HAVE IN THIS PLACE!!!" Keitaro's eyes, instead of showing a lack of emotion, were now filled with anger. However, it deflated seconds afterward, for Keitaro's uncharacteristic outburst could not be sustained by his benign personality. When the anger went, so did everything else. Keitaro's posture slumped, his arms hung, and he began to stare at the ground. He walked around Naru and back toward the alleyway, a study in misery. Shinobu ran up to him, and hugged him as he slowly went to her. He hugged her back. When they disengaged, the two of them walked side-by-side up the steps to Hinata-Sou. Keitaro stopped suddenly, but did not turn to face Naru. He struggled for a second, and then finally spoke a few words.
"You know, Narusegawa...once upon a time, I loved you." Naru stood stock-still. She'd never admit it – and her actions definitely did not demonstrate it – but she had harbored feelings for their kanrinin for a while. Before the pain of his statement fully sunk in, however, Naru shut down emotionally. Keitaro and Shinobu began walking back up the steps toward the Hinata-Sou, and Naru stood by in the glass, watching.
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A/N: The Sequel: I will have to say that this chapter sucked quite hard. For those who actually sat through this mess, I admire your willpower. I'm wanting to redo this chapter before getting a Chapter 4 up (mostly because I have no idea where to take this now : ), so some constructive help with this chapter would be nice. re-reads chapter and gags I wish I could think of a way to improve this, but I'm lost at the moment. I just wanted to get this out of my system. Though, the Naru-Bashing was very fun. A shame I can't just kill her...but that would rob the series of one of its core characters. Till I re-tool this, or gasp put up a Chapter 4, Dasvidania. Constructive criticism, komrads.