Wow, am I really that good? I've gotten several reviews telling me that I should get this thing turned into an actual series. That would be really cool, but I doubt that it would happen… While we're on topic, any artists out there want to attempt to draw the characters? Heh, I can't really draw very well, and I don't have a scanner. If I could draw and had myself a scanner, this series would be an online comic somewhere. =) Anyway, this chapter is the traditional Valentine's Day chapter. Wouldn't be a Love Hina continuation without it, now would it?

---Kouji Tamino

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Love Hina Next

Chapter 18: Unwanted Chocolate

Shima stared at the calendar in his room. "Ugh, Valentine's day…" he sighed and turned around, nearly bumping into Shinobu. "Gyah! Be more careful, Shinobu!"

Shinobu giggled. "Sorry! I just wanted to give you my Giri-Choco for Valentine's Day!" She held up a nicely decorated box in front of her. "Here!"

Shima shook his head. "Sorry Shinobu, but I'm not really a big fan of Valentine's Day…"

"Why?" Shinobu asked. He gave him a sly look. "You never got any chocolate on Valentine's Day, did you?"

Shima laughed. "You kidding? Girls were always trying to give me Honmei-Choco all the time! I always turned them down, though… I always thought of this as a stupid holiday", he explained, looking away. He continued. "And I always felt a bit sorry for the geeks that never got anything…" He turned back around to face Shinobu. "So Shinobu, I'm sorry, but I cannot except your--" He sweat dropped as Shinobu gave a sad look to Shima.

Shinobu sniffled, her eyes becoming glossy. Her bottom lips began to tremble. "But Ami and I worked so hard to make you some chocolate last night, and--"

Shima sighed. "Fine, but I'll only except yours and Ami's chocolate… I don't know Kimomo that well, so I don't have to worry much about her. Nina probably isn't into that… I think Sarah hates me, Kitsune is out again, and Motoko only stops by every once and a while…" He gulps. "That leaves Tokimi and Rikina… I will have to try and avoid them if I don't want to hurt their feelings." He smiles and takes the box. "Thank you, Shinobu…" He opens the box to see what's inside. He sees a very fancy looking chocolate. "Wow, Shinobu! You made this all by yourself?"

Shinobu smiles and nods. "Yep! Do you like it?"

Shima nods. "Yeah, it looks just like something from a factory! Shinobu, you're one amazing woman!"

Shinobu blushed a bit. "Well, thank you, Shima…"

Shima rubbed his chin. "It's a wonder that such a beautiful woman such as yourself isn't married…"

Shinobu blushed deeper. "Well, I once had a fiancé, but it didn't work out…"

Shima frowned. "Well that's a shame…" He shrugged. "Well, I'm off!" He suddenly felt a chill go up his spine. "Hey wait, I forgot all about Kao--" Shima was suddenly pounced from behind and force fed some very spicy chocolate. "Gyah! What the hell is that?!" Shima yelled, his mouth burning.

Kaolla smiled. "That's my extra spicy curry Giri-Choco!" She pouted. "Don't you like it, Shi-kun?"

Shima coughed, then looked to Kaolla. "No offense, but I don't like Valentine's Day," he said, trying to change the subject.

Kaolla gave him a sly smile. "Buuuut, you accepted Shinobu's chocolate… Anything I should know about, such as secret affairs?!"

Shima's eyes widened. "No way! She's 20 years older than me!"

Shinobu pouted, putting a finger to her mouth. "So Shima… You don't think I'm pretty?" she said jokingly.

Shima sighed. "Shinobu, it's not like that! You are very attractive for a woman your age, it's just that I don't want people thinking that you're a cradle robber!"

Shinobu chuckled. "That's very sweet of you, Shima… But I was just joking!"

Shima sighed in relief. "That's good…" He growled. "Kaolla?"

Kaolla continued to smile. "Yes, Shi-Shi?"

"Could you please get off my back?!"

"Nyahaha!"

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A few minutes later, Shima stuck his head out of the dorrway of his room. Shinobu and Kaolla had already left, and he was attempting to get through the house without getting caught by anyone wanting to give him chocolate. He looked left, then right. He stepped outside the door and was suddenly pounced from behind. Annoyed, he muttered to his attacker. "Kaolla, what is it now?"

The culprit frowned. "Kaolla? Please do not mistake me for my sister, Yamato-kun…" Rikina said.

"Rikina? Oh, I didn't know it was you… It was just that your sister pounced me from behind earlier… Heh, 'Like Sister, Like Sister', I guess…"

Rikina rolled her eyes. "I suppose…" She reached into her pocket and somehow took out a heart-shaped box of chocolate. "Anyway, this is my chocolate to you, I guess…"

'Crap, I knew this was going to happen!' Shima thought to himself.'Oh well, might as well accept it…' He sighed. "Um okay… Thanks…"

Rikina got up and gave him a slight smile. "Alright, no problem… I've got to go study now. Bye!" She waved, walking off to her room.

Shima shook his head. "That girl is going to fry her brain one day…" He looked to the box of chocolate he was holding. "Well, so much for trying to avoid Rikina…" He walked down stairs into the kitchen, where he saw Tokimi making something. Tokimi gasped and hid the ingredients and supplies. Shima raised an eyebrow. "Um, just what are you doing?"

"Nothing!" Tokimi screamed. "Nothing at all!"

Shima gave her a blank stare. "Uh huh… It sure doesn't seem like 'nothing' to me…"

Tokimi sighed. "All right… I was making some cookie dough to eat raw…"

"Eh?!" Shima said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's… one of my awful habits," Tokimi said, looking down to the ground. "Please don't tell anyone!"

Shima coughed. "Um, alright…" He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "I was under the impression that you were making some chocolate for Valentine's Day…"

Tokimi glared. "Ha! Chocolate for you? After that boob comment the other day?!"

"Tokimi, don't tell me that you are still angry at me about that! It was over a week ago! I'm sorry!"

"Sorry is not enough, mister! Now out! You'll spoil the cookie dough with you filth!" She pushed Shima out of the kitchen.

"But Tokimi--!"

"Out!" She yelled, shoving him out the doorway. She sadly watched him walk away, then went back to her work. "I didn't mean to be so rude to Shima, but I really wan to surprise him with the chocolate that I am making for him…" She sighed as she began stirring.

-----

Shima sighed in relief as he entered the lounge. "Whew, so she's not giving me chocolate…" He frowned. "I didn't think that my comment had hurt her feelings that much, though… I was just joking…"

"Why so down, Yamato?…" a voice called from behind him. He turned around and saw Kimomo, meditating. "Oh hey, Kimomo! Haven't seen you in a while!"

Kimomo opened her eyes, smiling. "I've been out with Jin lately…"

Shima smirked. "Ah, so that's where he's been…" He finally noticed that she was meditating in the air and that she had known it was him, even with her eyes closed. His eyes widened. "Wait, how the hell are you doing that?!"

Kimomo had a confused look on her face. "What do you mean?"

Shima pointed to her, screaming. "Meditating in mid-air, that's what I mean!"

Kimomo looked down. "Oh, this? I thought everyone could do it…"

Shima pulled a bit of hair from his head. "No! Something like that is just not normal!"

Kimomo sighed. "Well I'm sorry, but this is what I was taught at my father's old dojo…" She looked at the tiny clump of hair in Shima's hair. "And I would suggest not pulling ones own hair out…"

Shima sighed and calmed down. "All right…" He watched as Kimomo tossed something towards him. He caught it and stared. "Oh great, more choco-- Hey wait, this is 10-Yen chocolate!" 'If she is going to give me chocolate, it could at least be decent…'

Kimomo giggled. "Sorry! I spent most of my money getting Jim some very expensive honmei-choco! I swear though, prices are getting ridiculous these days…" She lost her concentration and plopped onto the couch she had been meditating over. "Oops! Hee hee…"

Shima scratched his head. "Oh yeah, ho did you know it was me with your eyes open?"

Kimomo gave him a blank stare. "Simple. I could hear your voice…"

Shima chuckled. "Oh yeah, I guess that would be a contributing factor… Well, talk to you later!"

Kimomo waved. "Bye bye!"

-----

Shima decided to walk outside for some fresh air. Suddenly, Nina ran up to him and force fed him something. "Happy Valentine's Day, Landlord-Guy!"

"Blech!" Shima screamed, spitting it out. "What was that?! It tastes like mud!"

Nina laughed. "Sowwy! I don't have any money and I can't cook, so…"

Shima flinched. "That's… nice…"

Sarah suddenly walked up to Shima and handed him a bag of mini chocolate bars. "Happy Valentine's Day…"

"Sorry, but I don't want it…" Shima muttered. He raised an eyebrow as Sarah grabbed him by the collar. "Look here, Yamato… I'm not in the mood for any of this crap… I didn't want to get out of bed this morning, but I did and bought you some chocolate to be nice… Now you will accept this chocolate and you will eat it or you'll be drinking it melted, through a spoon!" She let go of his collar. "All right?…"

Shima sighed. "Fine, fine…" He then muttered to himself. "Geez, is this anyway to treat your nephew?…" He was then smacked in the back of his head.

"I heard that!! I'm not really your aunt!" She growled and walked off, muttering. "If I was even blood related to him, I'd hang myself…"

Shima looked at Sarah's retreating form with a peculiar look. "Whoa, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning…"

Nina sighed. "Don't worry about her, she's just grumpy-umpy…" She waved and yelled in Sarah's direction. "Hey, wait for me-me!" She quickly ran after the American.

Shima sighed again. "I think I've had enough fresh air for today…" He walked back into the lounge, where Ami was sitting on the couch. On the table was a cute, plain chocolate heart. Shima sighed. 'Oh, great… I'm going to need a bag before this day is through…' He put on a false smile. "Oh, hey Ami… What's up?"

Ami, not knowing Shima was there, looked to Shima and smiled. "Yamato-sama! Hello!" She picked up the plate and ran up to him. She held it up to him and giggled.

Shima sweat dropped. 'Crap, she didn't know I was there! I could have done some stealth ninja stuff and snuck past her!' He kept up the false smile. "Oh, is that for me?" He picked it up and looked at it. "Aww… this is cute, Ami!" He said sincerely. He chuckled as Ami blushed. He looked at the back of the chocolate heart and licked it. He raised an eyebrow. "Erm, Ami… This is pretty good and all, but I think you put a little too much sugar in it…"

Ami pouted. "I messed up…" She said softly.

Shima's eyes widened. 'Whoa, I got her to speak a complete phrase! Damn, I'm good!' Shima shook his head. "Nah, you just made a little mistake… It's still good and all, just unusually sweet. Just keep trying!"

Ami nodded and ran off into the kitchen. She almost ran into Tokimi, who had just finished her chocolate. She frowned. "Crap, even Ami's given him chocolate…" Tokimi said to herself. "I'd better hurry up and give it to him!" She ran into the lounge and bumped into Shima, her chocolate falling to the floor. She gasped.

Shima quickly caught it. He smirked. "And I thought you were mad at me!"

Tokimi blushed. "Well, I wanted to surprise you… Sorry for the way I acted…"

Shima nodded. "Yeah, no problem…"

Suddenly, Ema popped up. "I live!!" She tossed a big chocolate brick at Shima. "Oh, here's your chocolate!"

Shima looked to Ema. "Eh?" He was then hit in the head, the chocolate brick knocking him out. "Pwargh…"

Tokimi screamed. "Eeek! Ema, what'd you do that for?!"

"Oops…" Ema giggled.

Kaolla, who was hanging from an odd purple hole in the ceiling, watched this little incident, amused. "Hmm, interesting… I wonder what Ema would have been like if I hadn't scrambled her brain…"

Tokimi looked to up in shock. "Kaolla?!"

"Um, I didn't say anything!" she said quickly, smiling. "Oh, check out my newest invention! it's a portal that takes you anywhere you want to go! I tested it out on the lounge so I don't get lost! I'm actually in my room, check it out yourself!" She grabbed Tokimi's arm and yanked her up.

"Eek!" Tokimi screamed as she was pulled into the purple hole.

Shima quickly woke up and shook his head. "Ow…" He looked at the quickly closing purple hole in the ceiling. "What the?!--" It suddenly completely closed off. He looked at the ceiling strangely.

"Oh my…" Ema said, also looking at the ceiling. "That looked fun!"

Shima looked to Tokimi's chocolate and took a bite. "Mmm! That's some damn good chocolate!"

End of Chapter 18

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Um… shrugs I dunno… I'm tired… snore

---Kouji Tamino