Whatcha' thinking now, Keitaro?
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Love Hina or Love Hina-ish or any related characters.
A/N: Right, so I'll probably keep it a Mutsumi/Keitaro fic. Someone mentioned that Naru/Keitaro works best (which I wholeheartedly agree with, since that's how the manga turned out), but since I see a sad lack of Mutsumi fics, I'd thought I'd take a crack at writing one. Of course, the crack may crumble down back to the original Naru (because, I think, Mutsumi is just too darn nice) with Keitaro, but we'll see how it goes. Also, I finally figured out where in the manga it happens. I guess after 9 (where he confesses to Naru), and sometime after he comes back but before Naru confesses her love, so somewhere in volume 12 is where it diverges. Thanks for all the reviews, and keep it up!
"..." Denotes speech (or shouting :)
Italics denotes thinking
Chapter 6: Motoko's night
The next day, day 2...
The morning light filtered through the Hinata-sou, through the wall, through everything as Keitaro had not started repairs yet. But where was he? Keitaro right now is sleeping with two beautiful girls on his lap, Motoko and Mutsumi. They all were lightly snoring. Suddenly Mutsumi jerked and snuggled up closer to Keitaro, but her jerk had suddenly awoken Motoko. Where am I? she asked herself groggily, coming to terms with her surrounding very slowly. Mmm, my pillow feels very nice. I don't want to wake up, she thought, but her daily discipline made her open her eyes completely. The first thing she saw was that she was sleeping on top of Keitaro!
"Urashima?!" she whispered to herself in surprise, backing away. What? How? she began asking herself, but it suddenly all flooded back to her. Last night. Her humiliation at his hands, and subsequent compassion that humiliated her even more. All of it.
-------------------------------------------------Flashback----------------------------------------------
Motoko was dragging Urashima through the hallways. He was moaning softly, but still showed no signs on conscious thought. What an idiotic, lecherous fool! Of course this is what he deserves, Motoko thought.
"Hey Motoko! What are you dragging?" Kitsune asked. "Ketiaro? Ooo, having a late night rendezvous?"
"What?! Of course not!" Motoko denied hotly.
"Right...so why are you dragging him anyways?" Kitsune asked.
"Well, its night time soon so I thought I'd bring Urashima to his room, instead of being in Su's room. This way, he cannot do perverted things!" Motoko declared.
"Or so you can have him all by yourself! ♥" Kitsune giggled.
"Never! I-I'd never do that!" Motoko stuttered.
"Come on! I've seen your love novels!" Kitsune said.
"EH?!" Motoko said, blushing scarlet. "I-I..." she looked down.
"Aha! So they were true!" Kitsune exclaimed. "Heh, maybe I should tell Keitaro when he wakes up!"
"Nooo! Please! I'll do anything!" Motoko cried. "Please don't tell Urashima!"
"Anything?" Kitsune said, looking evilly pensive.
"Nothing indecent now!" Motoko said.
"What? Me? Never!" Kitsune said, but Motoko didn't believe her for one bit.
"Kitsune, I'm begging you."
"Okay, but you gotta do me a favor!" Kitsune replied.
"What?" Motoko asked.
"You have to tell him yourself!" Kitsune answered gleefully.
"WHAT?! That's just as bad as you telling him!" Motoko shouted out. Keitaro stirred.
"Oh ho! Look, he's waking up! Look, if you don't tell him, I will. He should have a right to know if someone likes him."
"But...but..." Motoko stammered.
"Hey look! He's snoring! You know what that means? It means that he's having a dream!" Kitsune exclaimed.
"So?" Motoko snorted.
"It means we can listen in! I've done it before!" Kitsune said, inwardly giggling at the memory of what he dreamed about. Heh heh, he was still dreaming about marrying us. Maybe we'll be lucky and he'll ask Motoko this time! Kitsune thought, grinning like a maniac.
"That is despicable!" Motoko said.
"No, it's actually very funny to watch. It's just as despicable as letting his thoughts run loose, and you are very adamant in that, aren't you?" Motoko immediately stiffened.
"But dreams are for one's own."
"And thoughts aren't? Come on, maybe you'll find how he feels about you!" Kitsune said.
"Well..." Motoko started.
"You know you want to!" Kitsune teased.
"Fine! How do we do it?" Motoko asked.
"Just get real close to him," Kitsune responded, moving closer and Motoko lay him on the ground and they both pressed their ears closer. Poof!
Kitsune and Motoko (the real ones) were somewhere in the jungle.
"The jungle?" Kitsune asked.
"No, this is Su's room," Motoko answered out of knowledge.
"Su's room?" Kitsune asked. "Wow, I should come in here more often!" Suddenly the door slid open and Su was dragging Keitaro in who was time-frozen.
"Wow, no relief even in his own dream," Kitsune commented. Su quickly tied him up to a tree and booted up her computer. She hummed a tune that was native to her country while taking out a remote and tapping Keitaro with it.
"Ha! You're still alive! My freeze-ray is perfect!" Su said with happiness.
"Su!" Keitaro exclaimed, and struggled against the ropes. Usually Tama-chan would come and save him, but due to an ever so strong desire to eat Tama-chan that Su possessed, Tama virtually never visited Su's room. "Untie me!" Keitaro demanded.
"Haha! You're such a joker, Keitaro!" Su said, and she started a program on her computer. "Lookee here, Keitaro!" Su said, and pointed to her screen. "It's my new invention! The Love-Meter 2000!"
"What is it?" Keitaro said, still trying to wriggle out.
"It's like Kanako's love rating, except it's fully automated and can tell just from a small sample of DNA!"
"What love rating? When did Kanako do this?" Keitaro asked, finally getting part of the ropes looser.
"Oh, sometime," Su answered nonchalantly. "I need some DNA." She came closer with a knife.
"Eh?! Su, what are you doing with that?" Keitaro asked, fearing for his life. While he knew that Su would not intentionally hurt him for the purpose of hurting him, but the welcome "kicks" that he had so often received did not convince him that Su was going to be safe.
"Urashima dreams up perverted things. This must be the result of his pent up perverseness," Motoko commented.
"Su! Go away!" Keitaro tried to shout, but it ended up like a whimper.
"Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit!" Su cried. She brought the knife closer.
"Aiiieeeeee!" Keitaro cried as Su brought the knife to his head and cut a piece of hair off.
"You're such a wimp!" Su said, frowning.
"Eh?! Don't frown at me! What would you do if I came at you with a knife?" Keitaro asked.
"I'd blast you away with my bazooka!" Su shouted, and hopped back to her computer to put the piece of hair she had obtained. Of course she would. That was a dumb question, Keitaro thought.
"This must be the only pleasure Keitaro gets," Kitsune mused aloud.
"You are right. Urashima is uncommonly lucky in his dream. Naru-sempai would have walked in by now," Motoko told Kitsune.
"Su? What is it doing?" Keitaro asked, pulling one arm free of the ropes.
"It's calculating! It's almost done!" Su said, clapping her hands together in excitement.
"How did Urashima loosen his ropes?" Motoko muttered to Kitsune.
"Hey, it's his dream!" Kitsune said. "And it's so booring. Come on, I want his perverted side to come out."
"Kitsune! You should never say such things," Motoko scolded.
"Well, why else are we listening in?" Kitsune asked.
"Well, err...um..." Motoko stuttered, trailing off.
"Ha! ♥ That's what I thought!" Meanwhile, in his dream Keitaro had gotten out of the ropes and was sneaking out while Su was busy with the computer.
"It's done!" Su shouted turning around and seeing Keitaro sneaking off. "Hey!" she cried.
"Eh?!" Keitaro responded as Su quickly dragged him back to the tree and tied him up.
"Ha! Let's see what it says!" Su told Keitaro.
"Yes, let's," Kitsune said. It read:
Motoko
Mutsumi-chan
Shinobu
Su
Narusegawa
Kitsune
Kanako
Aunt Haruka
Tama-chan
Eh?! Why am I first? Motoko asked herself in surprise.
"Ha! Look, you're first!" Kitsune said. "Go get him, tiger!" she cheered and slapped Motoko's butt.
"Kitsune! Don't tease me. This is simply a dream!" Motoko said, but her heart had stirred. Maybe he feels the same way. Maybe his dream is just a reflection upon reality!
"Motoko's first?! Why?" Su asked the freshly bound Keitaro.
"Um...um..." Keitaro only stuttered.
"How come I'm only fourth?" Su demanded, putting on a pouting face.
"Um...well, you see–"
"I do not accept this! I will re-do it!" Su said, and took out her knife again. So she re-did it several times. Yet the same list appeared. She pouted again. "It seems there must be a malfunction. This time I will get a skin sample!"
"No! Heelp!" Keitaro shouted. Suddenly the door burst open and Motoko gasped. It was her, but not her, because he long flowing black hair had been cut and her hakama had been replaced with a tank top and shorts. When did I dress like this? Motoko asked herself.
"Looking good, Motoko! Maybe you should get some tips!" Kitsune said, elbowing Motoko and pointing at the dream Motoko.
"Wha–? I will never dress like that!" Motoko adamantly declared. "Especially not from Urashima's dream!"
"Su! You must stay away from this pervert at all costs!" dream-Motoko said. (A/N: Whenever in a dream, the dream version will be written like before, but only if that person is watching Keitaro's dream. Otherwise, you can assume that it is a dream version) "Urashima, you must pay for trying to take advantage of Su!"
"Wha-What? She tied ME up!" Keitaro yelled.
"ROCK SPLITTING TECHNIQUE!" dream-Motoko yelled, but Su pulled dream-Motoko aside causing the ki waves to narrowly miss Keitaro.
"What?!" dream-Motoko asked viciously.
"Look! You're number one!" Su said, pointing to the list.
"EH?!" dream-Motoko asked, and upon seeing the list, blushed a deep shade of red.
"Heh heh, looks like you're embarresed!" Kitsune told the real-Motoko, who was also red. What will Urashima say now? Motoko asked herself, trying to ignore Kitsune.
"Um...err..." Keitaro said, taking the easiest way out.
"Urashima! What is the meaning of this?" dream-Motoko demanded.
"Ooo! Now you're mad! ♥" Kitsune giggled. The real-Motoko ignored her, and waited for Keitaro's answer.
"Well," Keitaro started, but midway put his head down. The dream-Motoko seemed to understand, and started to untie Keitaro.
"What are you doing Motoko?! It took a long time to get him to sit still!" Su whined.
"Su, this is a matter between Urashima and me, so I will request that you don't interfere." The dream-Motoko finished and brought Keitaro to her room. Kitsune followed, dragging the real Motoko behind.
"Come on! Don't you want to hear? He's obviously going to pronounce his love for you!" Kitsune said.
"Kitsune! I said not to tease me!" the real Motoko said.
"Come on, why else would we be going to your room?" Kitsune asked. Motoko fell silent as the dream-Motoko and Keitaro were also.
"What is the meaning of that, Urashima?" dream-Motoko asked again.
"I-I have something I must confess," Keitaro said, blushing slightly.
"Yes, Urashima?"
"I-I-I love you!" Keitaro suddenly shouted.
"Wha-what are you saying Urashima?" the dream-Motoko stuttered.
"And I've always have, and I want to marry you! Will you marry me?" Keitaro asked, bending on one knee and holding out a ring!
"Oh Keitaro," the real-Motoko whispered under her breath. Is this for real? Or just one of his dreams?
"I knew it! I knew he would say it!" Kitsune squealed, and jumped around for joy. "Keitaro likes you! Keitaro liiiiikes you!" Kitsune chanted.
"I-it is s-simply a dream!" Motoko weakly tried to state.
"Urashima, I only will let you marry me if you promise to take over the dojo," dream-Motoko said.
"What's this? Where's the reply of 'I love you too,' and the passionate kissing and hugging?" Kitsune asked, disappointed.
"And to do that, you must beat me now! Defend yourself!" dream-Motoko said, and she brought her sword up, ready to attack.
"Done, done and done!" Keitaro said, smoothly grabbing Motoko's sword and bending it out of dream-Motoko's hands.
"Eh?!" dream-Motoko cried in surprise. She moved on to using martial arts. "Where have you been training? When?"
"Ever since I discovered I loved you, I knew what I had to do!" Keitaro said, and ended the match by grabbing dream-Motoko in an embrace and kissed her.
"Man, I'd thought this dream would never get good!" Kitsune said. The real-Motoko, however, had blushed a deep crimson hue and was hiding behind Kitsune.
"What's the matter, can't face reality?" Kitsune said. The real-Motoko just shivered. This is almost like one of my novels, she thought. Suddenly they were back in the hallway in front of Urashima's room.
"What happened?" Motoko asked.
"Rats. That means his dream ended. Probably he's gonna wake up soon. Heh, I'll leave you two alone," Kitsune said, and then walked away. Motoko blushed, but upon feeling Keitaro stirring, quickly dragged him into his room onto his futon.
"Does he love me? Or is it a dream? What about Narusegawa?" Motoko whispered softly, gazing at Keitaro. Her emotions had taken a roller coaster ride. Yes, she had hated him when he came, and hated him for his perverted acts. Yet she had seen his brave and gallant side, always helping people. Like the time he helped me defeat my sister, she told herself. He wasn't that bad. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized just how much she loved him. It took a big step to admit it. Her brain instinctively tried to deny it. No, I can't love him! He is too perverted, her brain said. But is he purposely like that? She asked her brain. Of course! One side said. No way! Another declared. She decided that she did love him anyways. "K-Keitaro, I love you no matter what," Motoko finally had the courage to say aloud, even though she was whispering it very softly. Suddenly Keitaro opened his eyes in a way that seemed to Motoko that he was awake when she had confessed to herself.
"Ouch, my head," Keitaro said, rubbing his head. "Eh? Motoko? What are you doing here?" Oh no! Did he just hear what I thought? He must die, then!
"Urashima! Since you did that, I have no choice but to slay you! DIE!" she cried, blushing red as she did it and secretly hoped that he would stop her.
"AHHHHHH!" Keitaro screamed, dodging the blow. He grabbed a kendo practice sword and blocked her next attack. WOOSH! Motoko's next slice went wide, and Keitaro took the opportunity to attack. But this kendo master would not be beaten so easily. A simple parry again put Keitaro on the defensive and she launched with all her strength.
"INVINCIBLE ASSASAINS STRIKE!" she bellowed and swung. Keitaro swung his sword with all his might and managed to deflect the blow and hit Motoko. She didn't go to obtain an aerial view of Japan, but she did have the wind knocked out of her as the ki energy slammed into her stomach. She landed on her knees and bent over, trying to breathe.
"What?" Keitaro asked himself, then quickly threw away his sword and went to Motoko's side.
"Go a-away!" was all she could mutter but Keitaro would not listen. He saw that she was crying. Oh no! Did I do this? I'm stupid stupid stupid! Next time I should just lose! Keitaro thought.
"Are you okay?" he said aloud, forgetting in the excitement Motoko heard what he thought, which just made her all the more sad. He'd rather lose and make me happy, she thought very guiltily. This is dishonorable. The only way out is to kill myself.
"Go away!" Motoko suddenly shouted louder, and got up and started to leave the room. She slammed open the door and stomped out.
"Wait! Motoko! I didn't mean anything!" Keitaro cried, following her out.
"Go away! I am going to commit seppuku and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Keitaro shouted, and Motoko stopped. Does he care for me this much? Me, who always is hurting him? Motoko asked herself, and she started crying.
"DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" she suddenly shouted on impulse, one remote but important part still functioning, her pride that was almost nothing. She -gave a half-hearted slash with her sword, but as expected she could not summon any ki waves. Her pride finally crumbled down to nothing. "Waaaaah! I am going to kill myself now! I have lost twice in a row!" she said and took out her sword to do exactly that.
"No!" Keitaro cried at her words, grabbing the sword and flinging it away. "Don't ever say you're going to kill yourself! Never!"
"Waaaaaah!" Motoko cried, and losing all control flung herself upon Keitaro hugging him.
--------------------------------------------End of flashback-------------------------------------------
That's what happened, and in my impulsive actions I must have fallen asleep like this... Motoko thought. She gazed upon the sleeping form of Urashima entwined with Mutsumi who somehow had appeared there too. Her instinct told her to move away, but she lingered for a second. The second though, was too long.
"Au! Au! Motoko-sempai! Otohime-sempai! Sempai! All asleep together!" Shinobu cried, eyes watering upon seeing the sleeping forms of Motoko, Urashima, and Mutsumi in a very suggestive position. Motoko immediately sprung up.
"Wait! Shinobu, it's nothing like what it looks!" she denied.
"All night...Au! Au!" Shinobu said, and ran away as quickly as she can. Keitaro and Mutsumi just snored and shifted positions. Motoko was distraught. Shinobu had seen her like this? Could it get any worse?
"Aha! I knew you would confess? And you did it in the open too!" Kitsune exclaimed. Yes, it can get worse, Motoko thought. "Haha! Tell me every juicy detail!"
"N-Nothing happened at all!" Motoko asserted somewhat weakly.
"Liar! ♥" Kitsune said, and giggled. "Wait till I tell Naru!"
"You don't need to," Naru said, walking up.
"N-Narusegawa-sempai?" Motoko gasped.
"I saw it all," Naru said. "Last night, with Mutsumi-chan."
"N-Narusegawa-sempai, I never meant–"
"EH?!" Keitaro shouted, finally waking up and finding himself tangled with Mutsumi in a suggestive pose, backed out quickly and found himself staring at Kitsune and Naru.
"Um...it's not what you think...err...you see, last night...I don't even remember what happened last night!" Keitaro stammered out.
"Keitaro..." Naru growled, clenching her fist.
"I really didn't mean anything!" Keitaro shouted. Mutsumi woke up and rubbed her eyes.
"Ah! That was a really fun night! We should do that again!" she cried, clapping her hands together. Keitaro sweat-dropped.
"We didn't do anything!" Keitaro demanded, nervously glancing from Mutsumi to Naru. "Last night I was...darn it! I can't remember!"
"Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't sock you now," Naru said menacingly.
"Ara, Naru-chan! You saw what happened! How come you didn't join?" Mutsumi suddenly interjected wonderingly. "It was so fun! ♥"
"What?!" Kitsune asked. "How come I didn't get to join?! Rats, I should've stayed."
"Nothing happened!" Keitaro said. "Right, Motoko?" he asked, hoping against hope that she would be favorable. The only thing I remember is that I was with Motoko and Mutsumi-chan before I fell asleep last night, he thought to himself
"T-that's right..." Motoko mumbled, trembling. Why can't I remember anything? Keitaro asked himself. Naru put down her fist, upon hearing Keitaro thinking to himself and cooled down. She had, after all, really seen what had happened.
"Woah! Naru is not going to punch Keitaro! Maybe she had a change of heart?" Kitsune asked, poking Naru.
"Hey, I just realized that it's too early for beating this worthless excuse of a man," Naru said flippantly.
"HIYA KEITARO!" Su shouted, appearing from nowhere to flying kick Keitaro in the face.
"OWWW!" Keitaro roared in pain.
"Why are you all here?" Su asked, upon seeing everyone. "Keitaro, didja do something naughty? I saw you made Shinobu cry again!" Su shouted out.
"What? When? I never even saw her! Oh no, she must have seen me sleeping with Motoko and Mutsumi-chan! I have to go explain to her!" Keitaro said, running off to find Shinobu.
"What's with all the noise?" Kanako said entering the hallway yawning. "Did something happen?"
"We found Keitaro sleeping with Motoko and Mutsumi," Kitsune reported.
"Kitsune! Don't say it like that!" Motoko whined.
"Ara, ara!" Mutsumi just giggled.
"Onii-san would never do that," Kanako said.
"Excuse me, but I have to go clean up," Motoko said, and she briskly walked away. Or, she at least tried to.
"Uh uh uh! You're not getting away until you tell me everything!" Kitsune said, grabbing Motoko by the sleeve. "I take all that effort and receive nothing? I don't think so!"
"W-well, you see, err..." Motoko stuttered, and she really didn't say anything.
"I want to hear this too," Naru said.
"Oh! Oh! Me too, meeeeee too!" Su said. Motoko might have been able to tell Naru and Kitsune but definitely not Su or Kanako, for that matter.
"Well, um, I kinda don't want to," Motoko whispered. Naru instantly understood, and nodded to Kanako who also did.
"Su, why don't we go and look for bananas?" Kanako asked.
"But I want to listen to Motoko's story!" Su whined.
"Then we can try out disguises! Maybe we can combine your stealth technology and my disguises to create the ultimate disguise!" Kanako said, faking enthusiasm.
"Really? Yay!" Su shouted, and she pulled Kanako to her room.
"Let's get out of the hallway," Naru said, and they walked to her room.
"Okay, Motoko, spill. I've been dying to here this," Kitsune said. And Motoko spilled, telling everything she remembered.
"M-Motoko, I never knew," Naru said.
"Man, that's a lot more boring than I thought it would be," Kitsune commented.
"Kitsune!" Naru shouted. "How can you be so mean?"
"Sorry, it's just the truth."
"What should I do?" Motoko asked.
"Motoko-chan, you should go and confess properly," Mutsumi suddenly answered.
"Mutsumi-chan?! When did you arrive?" Naru asked in surprise.
"I've been here for a while, Naru-chan," she answered. "Anyways, Motoko-chan you should just confess. And even if he does not return it, at least you tried! It will feel better and you will get over it!"
"I-I cannot," Motoko said.
"Oh my, Motoko-chan! That will not do at all. Here, I'll show you how to. Follow me!" Mutsumi cried, and lead Motoko who was meekly following her to Keitaro.
A/N: Sorry that nothing really happened, but I wanted to explain what happened to Motoko (as someone requested), and it took longer than expected! Please R&R (especially about Motoko's part, cause I don't feel like I'm especially good at Romance). It will be a Mutsumi fic still, no matter what it seems like!