Hiya, everyone. Here we are, at another installment of my little project. Well, here we are. This chapter begins the final story arc that I've been building up to. I'm not saying exactly what is going to happen, but I will say that this will involve some confusion, some broken hearts, and an island. What happens from now on is completely top secret until it happens. While I may have told my best friend about a few future ideas in the past, whatever happens in these next couple of chapters have never left my mind until now. Now, I want you to promise me that whatever happens in these next couple of chapters, you won't go all crazy on me. =P So, enough of my babbling, let us begin the beginning of the end…

---Kouji Tamino

-----

Tokimi awoke, stretching and yawning. She slowly sat up, and yawned again. "Funny… Why do I feel so tired this morning? I got plenty of sleep last night…" She looked to the calendar and smiled. "August 7th, 2026! Today is the day! The day Shima will make his choice!" She hopped up on her feet and ran around in the halls, laughing happily. "Today is the day! Yay!"

-----

Love Hina Next

Chapter 31: One Year Anniversary! A Choice is Made?…

Rikina sat in the bath silently, looking at her reflection in the water. "Today is the day, huh?" She smiled. "I should be excited, but I know who is going to choose… He and Tokimi can't hide that luvy-duvy stuff from me…"

"Rikina?" Ami asked, walking over to the springs with Meiruuna, both of them wearing towels. "Who are you talking to?"

Rikina blushed, not knowing that anyone was coming. "Um, no one… I wasn't talking to anyone!" She began to sink lower into the water.

Meiruuna smiled evilly. "…I think she's lying…" She began to glow, took two of her fingers, and moved them around in the air in an 'in and out' fashion.

Suddenly, Rikina began to feel very warm 'down there'. She moaned out a bit, then blushed. "Oh my god! Stop that! You-- oohhh… Ack, you have to stop doing that!"

Meiruuna stopped. "Then tell us…" She hissed,

"All right! All right!" Rikina yelled, waving her arms. "I'll tell!" She sighed. "Today is the 1st year anniversary of when Yamato came here…"

Ami nodded, smiling. "Yeah… Yamato-sama…"

Meiruuna huffed. "Yeah, so? Tell me more!"

Rikina looked away. "Well, Yamato said that he'd make his choice of who he wants to be with today… But, I have no chance…"

Ami sighed. "Yeah, but at least you have more of a chance than me…"

Meiruuna nodded. "Oh, I see…" She raised her fingers again.

Rikina's eyes widened. "What are you doing?! I told you already!"

Meiruuna smiled sadistically. "Yes, but it would be rude of me not to finish you off, right?" Meiruuna began to move her fingers around in the air more, faster and faster.

Rikina moaned out again and began to pant heavily. "Oh no, you have to… ungh, stop doing that… No… no… please, stop!" Suddenly, she grabbed a nearby rock, closed her eyes, and screamed out loud. "Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!…" She began breathing heavily. She looked around and blushed heavily. She grabbed her towel, got out of the bath, and wrapped her towel around herself. "I'll… take a bath later," she said, embarrassed. She motioned over to the hot springs. "If you're going to take a bath, I'd suggest staying away from that spot…" she pointed over to the spot where she had been sitting. She then ran off, crying hysterically.

Ami sweat dropped. "Meiruuna, was all that really necessary?" She stared at the hot springs nervously. "I think I'll take a bath later, too…"

Suddenly, Kimomo popped up from behind a rock. She had been taking a bath in the springs this whole time. "Hee hee, that looked fun! Can I try?"

Ami face faulted. "Oh, god…"

-----

A little later, in the lounge, Shima, Sarah, Kaolla, Kimomo, and Nina were playing cards. Shinobu, Ema, and the bunnies watched. The players all looked at their cards in silence, staring at the player next to them. Except for Nina. She smiled happily at everyone. Suddenly, she slammed her cards on the table. "Look! I've got a whole bunch of pretty Kings and Queens and Jacks! What's that mean, huh? Huh?"

Everyone else tossed their cards in the air, annoyed. "Alright, that's it!" Shima yelled. "That's the 5th time in a row! What the hell is going on?!"

Sarah laughed patting Nina on the back. "Kid, I'm taking you to Vegas!"

Nina giggled. "That sounds like fun!" She frowned after some realization. "But I'm too young… No Las Vegas for Nina…"

Kaolla rubbed her chin. "Um, I dunno… You're gonna be 17 in a few weeks from now, right? Maybe Rikina could hook us up and you could pass off for 21... Me and Sarah could be your manager's! Nyahaha!"

Sarah glared. "Hey, back off, Su… I love you like a sister and all, but the kid and her talent's are mine."

Kai patted a fuming Shima on the back. "It's okay… It's not your fault that you suck!"

Shima growled. "Alright, that's it! I am going to EAT you!" He stood up quickly, chasing Kai around the room.

Tenshi sighed. "Oh, brother… Literally…"

Shima, tired of chasing the rabbit, collapsed on the ground. "Ugh, remind me to never try to catch a flying rabbit…" Suddenly, a hand appeared before him to help him up. He looked up to see that the hand belonged to a smiling Sarah, surprisingly. He took her hand and she helped pull him up.

"So, Mr. Manager…" Sarah said, smirking. "It's been one year since you were went down here, what do you want to do to celebrate?"

Shima shrugged. "I don't really know…" He scratched the back of his head. "But I have the feeling that I'm forgetting something…"

Kimomo walked up to Shima and wrapped her arms around him. "Hm, I heard how you stood up to that Kazuma… I think I may start going after you, too!"

Just then, Tokimi came running down the stairs. "Hi, Shima! Could you--"

Suddenly, Rikina, now clothed, ran in and pushed Tokimi out of the way. "Yamato, I need your help!"

Shima raised an eyebrow. "Rikina? You, need my help?" He felt her forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

Rikina punched him in the face. "Hey, can't I need someone's help for once?!"

Shima laughed, rubbing his nose. "Ow! Okay, okay!" He crossed his arms. "So, what did you need my help with?"

Rikina took his hand and dragged him to her room. 'I hate to degrade myself to this, but I have to try and win him over with my sexuality…' Rikina pointed to a ladder, then up to a purple hole in the ceiling. "Kaolla's portal thingy is broken… She's busy, and wants me to fix it. I will have to do some internal repairs, however, and I just need help getting up there…"

Shima looks at the portal uncertainly. "I dunno… What if there's a malfunction, and ya get stuck, huh?"

Rikina shook her head. "Impossible. Kaolla put in a fool proof safety mechanism that spits out any foreign objects inside the portal if it's"off or malfunctioning.

Shima chuckled. "What if the safety mechanism is one of the things that broken?"

Rikina stared at Shima, annoyed. "Oh, just shut up and give me a boost! Hold my legs while I'm doing repairs, just so we can avoid getting stuck in the first place."

Shima laughed out loud. "You sure don't look like a princess, but you sure act like it sometimes! All right, I'll go up the ladder and you crawl on my shoulders." Shima climbed up the ladder. "Okay, come on up!" Rikina climbed up the ladder, and got on Shima's shoulders. He then lifted her up and rested her feet up her shoulders. While looking up, he got a peek up her skirt. She was wearing a thong again. Blood splurted out of Shima's nose. "Holy shit! Rikina, why didn't you tell me what underwear you were wearing?!"

Rikina shrugged. "I don't know, it just didn't seem important at the time…"

Shima sweat dropped. "Well it sure matters now! In case you didn't know, I'm getting an eyeful of goth princess ass right now!" He snickered slightly. "Not that I mind, or anything… Damn, she's got a nice ass…" He quickly added, muttering quietly to himself.

"So? I trust you…" Rikina replied, smiling a bit. She began to teasingly shake her derriere. "Anyway, I'm done… You can let me down, now."

"Hm? Okay…" Shima let her slowly step off her shoulders, then stepped down on the ladder. He crouched down to the ground, and Rikina hopped off of his back. "Jeez, that was quick…" Shima said suspiciously.

Rikina blushed slightly. "Well, um… The repairs weren't that difficult…"

"Uh huh…" he began to walk out of the room. "I'm gonna go see what Tokimi wanted…"

"Wait!" Rikina yelled, reaching out to him.

Shima looked back. "What is it?"

Rikina looked away. "Um, nothing…"

Shima shrugged. "Um, okay…" He then walked out of the room completely, closing the door behind him.

Rikina sighed, leaning against a wall, hands held in front of her. "Ugh, I'm so stupid… Why couldn't I just tell him?"

-----

Meanwhile, in Tokimi's room, Shima looked around. "Um, Tokimi?"

Tokimi looked over to Shima. "Yes?"

Shima rubbed the back of his head. "Um, what exactly did you want me for?"

Tokimi looked out the window. "Well, I was about to change, but there have been reports of peeping toms lately…"

Shima stared at her. "And, um… What exactly do you want me to do?"

Tokimi bonked him on the head. "I want you to scare them off, silly!"

Shima rubbed his chin. "Uh huh…"

"What?" Tokimi asked. "I'm serious! Watch the window!"

Shima turned around, facing the window. "Tell me when you're done, alright?"

"Okay!" Tokimi replied, taking off her shirt. She tossed it within Shima's vision.

The young man blushed. "Tokimi, could you be a little more careful where you're throwing those things! Next time I could end up getting hit with a pair of---" A pair of panties fall on his head. "Oh, crap…" He took them off of his head, getting a good look at them. 'Black see through silk!!' Hoping that Tokimi wasn't looking, he took a nice whiff of them. 'They smell… nice…'

"Are you sniffing my panties, Shima?" Tokimi glared.

Shima looked back to see Tokimi dressed in a red bra and panties. She was currently still putting her bra on. Shima gasped, dropping the panties on the floor. "Um, Tokimi!! I--"

"You sicko!" She ran over to him, kneeing him in the face. "Sniff this!" As Shima hit the wall, she came to a realization and gasped. 'Damn it, I wanted him to notice me!' She ran over to him. "Shima! Are you alright?!"

Shima, a bit dizzy but fine, shook his head to clear up his head, standing up. "Yeah, kind of… That was one hell of a knee kick!"

Tokimi hugged him. "I am so sorry! I must have gotten a little carried away!" She edged up. "Anyway, Shima…" She said seductively. "…you like to sniff girl's panties?"

Shima, caught up in the current happenings, answered her. "Well, I occasionally like t--" He suddenly snapped back into reality. "What the hell kind of question is that?!"

Tokimi smiled. "It's okay, although a bit weird, we all have our odd little fetishes…" Suddenly, she slipped on her pair of panties on the floor. "Oops!" She fell, grabbing Shima and dragging him down with her. "Eek!"

Just then, Rikina walked in. She raised an eyebrow, looking at them. "Um, wow… I was going to ask if you guys wanted to go out to eat, but seeing as you're already ahem busy…"

"N-no! That's fine!" Tokimi yelled.

"Yeah, this isn't what it looks like! She slipped on a pair of panties!"

Rikina stared. "Uh huh, and what were a pair of panties doing on the floor? Tokimi is very neat, I doubt that she would just leave a pair of panties on the floor for no reason… Unless…"

"Nothing happened!" Shima yelled.

"If you say so…" Rikina smiled. "Anyway, get some damn clothes on, Tokimi… I'm dragging you both out of the house whether you like it or not."

-----

And so, they went down to the local beef bowl. They sat at a circle table, both Tokimi and Rikina crowded next to Shima from both sides. They began to reminisce about the day Shima first came here. "Heh heh, remember when you both first met me?"

Tokimi laughed. "Yeah, that was priceless! You fell face first in between Rikina's legs, then into my boobs!"

"What boobs?" Rikina joked. "Even now, you're still nothing compared to me…"

Tokimi whimpered. "You are so mean! I've got something, don't I?" She sighed, squeezing her average sized breasts. "Besides, at least I don't have melons!"

Shima laughed. "I don't think that you should do something like that in public…" He pointed to the group of 14 year old boys staring at Tokimi, noses bleeding.

Tokimi growled. "Go away!!" She screamed, so loudly that the boys all ran away in fear. She sighed.

Rikina pushed her bowl away. "Well, I'm stuffed… Shall we get started?"

Shima raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Tokimi face faulted. "Don't tell me that you forgot!"

"Hm?" Shima said, confused. "Forgot what?"

"Argh! The promise you made!" Tokimi screamed. "To make your choice!"

"Gyah! You two remembered that?!" Shima yelled in surprise.

Rikina crossed her arms. "We sure as hell did! I have to go to the bathroom, so you'd better make a choice by the time I get back!"

"Alright, alright!" Shima yelled, waving his hands.

So, Tokimi and Shima were left alone at the table. They looked away for a few minutes, before Shima finally spoke up. "So… This is it…"

Tokimi coughed. "Yep…" Then, there was silence again. "Hey, Shima?"

"Yeah, Tokimi?" Shima looked to her again.

"I just want you to know…" she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. Shima's eyes widened, but then he returned the kiss.

Suddenly, Rikina came back. "Ahem… You know, there are rooms for this kind of thing…"

Tokimi and Shima blushed, pulling away. Shima cleared his threat. "Okay, this is how we're going to do it… The old 'up the stairs hand hold'!"

Tokimi and Rikina gasped, eyes widening. "That technique is legend!" Rikina managed to gasp out.

"Are you sure that you can handle it's power?" Tokimi asked sincerely.

Shima sweat dropped. "…Um, yeah?"

Tokimi and Rikina each grabbed a hand. Rikina and the left of Shima, Tokimi on the right. They then walked back to Hinata House. It soon began to rain. They began to run. Tokimi began to think to herself. 'Wow, this is it… I really hope Shima picks me, we've been through so much… Besides, I just know that he's the boy that helped me back then, I just know it!' Soon, they were at the bottom of the stairs. 'I remember when Naru would tell us the story of when Keitaro had to choose between her and Mutsumi. Poor Keitaro didn't want to hurt either of them, so he never chose until later. That's probably what is going to happen this time… Although, I do wonder what will happen in our future if he chooses me… Maybe we can get married and have some kids… Ooh, I want 2 girls and a boy! That would be so nice…' Tokimi began to get lost in her fantasies of the future. Just then, Shima let go of her hand. Tokimi's eyes widened. "Huh?!"

End of Chapter 31

-----

Dun dun dun dun… What will happen next? I'm not tellin'! =P

---Kouji Tamino