Chapter 2

'How dare he' . . .

Once again, she was burning up with rage. 'Let Motoko deal with her own problems, he should be focusing on me. Is this the way it's always going to be? Why do I always become second in his life when other people have a crisis?' She rinsed her hair with a bucket of cold water hoping to sooth some of her rage.

'Every time our relationship is finally starting to go somewhere, someone comes along and off he goes being a knight in shining armor for someone else. Why is it not ever me? Why am I even attracted to that looser.' She began to climb into the hot springs, thinking that it might help her relax. After about twenty minutes of soaking she realized that it wasn't really helping. Sitting there trying to relax was only giving her brain more time to ponder over what has happened over the past two years.

First it was Motoko and her sister Tsuruko, 'It would have served him right to be married to her last year, she probably would have killed him within a week, but after last week. . .' she paused her thoughts mid sentence. She recalled something Kitsune had said earlier upon retelling Haruka what had happened, "... and she declared her 'I Love You' at the top of her lungs, as she came at Tsuruko . . . "

'Not only that... what I confiscated yesterday from Su...'

(Yesterday About 10:00 A.M.)

"Whatda got there? It looks like one of Keitaro's or my study books"

"Oh it not, its one of Motoko's, but it sure has a lot about Keitaro in it" she said with a grin.

"Oh? Let me see!"

"NO!" and Su began to run away.

"I have a couple of Bananas in my room, I'll trade you."

It was like watching a cartoon as she skidded to a stop and turned around and said "Bananas?"

She spent the rest of the afternoon pouring over the material. Sure enough it was all in Motoko's handwriting, but she didn't know what to be more astounded about... the contents or the sheer number of filled pages!! 'So this is what Motoko thinks of that Looser!' She was dumbfounded, 'how could Motoko even be harboring such thoughts as these? Unless.... unless.... Now it makes me wonder if they even study in their "study" sessions.'

"THAT IDIOT!" She screamed, and regained her composure long enough to make sure no one reacted to her scream. Well no more than usually do anyway.

Later on it was difficult to get Su to put the notebook back where she "found" it. She had to promise even more bananas, but the more difficult was to put on a show for Su to hide how enraged she was!

She stood up in the bath clenching her fist so hard that even walnuts would be afraid 'I know him better than that, he's a clumsy, no good, perverted oaf who can't even go one day without groping something his hand has no business touching. He probably has been using his charms on Motoko on the side in order for her to think of such things.'

Sitting back down again in the water, she gathered her thoughts again. 'No, that can't be it. She was probably talking in her sleep and nothing could have happened. Hell! It was late enough, and I have been under a lot of stress. I could have been imagining it.'

(Just last night about 3:00 A.M.)

Naru woke from a dream vaguely remembering something about bananas holding swords and turtles with watermelons. Feeling nature's call she got up and went to answer it. After answering natures call Naru noticed how it was a disturbingly quiet night, the only sound was her soft footsteps on the hard wood floor. Passing Motoko's room the quiet was shattered by a soft sound coming from the room. "Please, don't. ... No, stop talking, and just hold me..." It took several minutes before her ears were satisfied there was nothing else to hear. Then once again, the only other sound they heard were the soft footsteps slowly retreating.

Her rage began to build again, 'Hell I wouldn't put it past that pervert to be sneaking into Motoko's room and trying some of the things she mentioned in her note book. It might even be where she is learning the things she mentions. If I even find him sulking around in the middle of the night there is going to be funeral in the near future.'

'Even two days ago Kitsune my best friend said "Keitaro is quite a catch, and I wouldn't mind being just the fox to chase that particularly fat chicken." Still the number of times I have caught Keitaro staring at Kitsune's chest and her encouraging it is unforgivable. It seems the only sane ones around here are me Sara and Haruka. Even Mutsumi is all gaga over that pervert!'

She heard a noise and looked up in time to see Shinobu walk into the outdoor bath area. "Good Morning Naru-sempai," said Shinobu.

Naru only nodded, 'I really don't feel like talking' she said to herself.

After a few minutes Shinobu finished washing and climbed into the bath, and began humming happily.

Naru wasn't really in the mood for humming people either, so she sarcastically spout "someone's sure in a good mood"

"Oh me?" Naru noticed that Shinobu was starting to become flush, either it was the heat of the springs, or. . . .

"Oh it's nothing, after breakfast Keitaro helped me for two whole hours with my homework. He's so smart, and he really helped me understand a lot today. I think I will cook his favorite dinner for tonight to say thank you." Shinobu said and then smiled at Naru.

'There he goes again, now with Shinobu that pervert!!!' Naru thought.

Naru took just one more moment to calm down so that she could walk out of the bath with at least some dignity. Grabbing the towel she had set out to dry her self with, she set off for the changing room, when who of all people would turn the corner but Motoko.

A brief pause as Naru's gears temporarily went into neutral. It took but a second, but it seemed far much longer to once again begin moving forward. On her way out, she tried to recover from her very apparent "stall" by saying "Oh, Motoko for a second there I almost didn't recognize you without your long hair." What she didn't see as she was busy watching her feet to get around Motoko was the obvious pain on Motoko's face.

'That pervert is going to get it for doing this to me' she mused as she put on her clothes, 'Its that bastards fault that he has made it almost unbearable to live here, I cant look anywhere without seeing someone all doe eyed looking his way. Hell he is so stupid he doesn't even see anything. It would take him a million years to figure anything out without someone explaining it to him in words that his tiny brain could understand.'