Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Love Hina.
Pre-Read by: DeathofHell
Keitaro...I'm Pregnant: Coming Forward
I wake up, feeling my head throb from the carnage of the night before. I didn't have much to drink like Raymond's friends, but I ended up being the one who didn't think about their actions. I still can't believe that I kissed Jill. She had been flirting with me ever since with met. I hope she doesn't get the wrong idea.
I know I caused a lot of pain to Shinobu. The way she looked at me when I tried to explain says it all. She said that she understands what I did and may have forgiven me, but I don't forgive myself. It's hard to help a friend when you know you're going to hurt another. I wished I could have done something else.
Not wanting to feel depress for the rest of the day, I get out of bed and change clothes before getting some breakfast. When I enter the dining room, I see Akiko and Sachiko at the table, eating what seems to be cereal.
"Good morning Sempai," They both say.
"Good morning ladies."
"Sempai, can you have a light breakfast?" Akiko tells me.
"What for?
"Shinobu said we run out of a few things and is going to the market to make a big breakfast." I nod my head and enter the kitchen. I look around in the cupboards and pull out a packet of oatmeal. I dump the contains in a bowl and mix it with water for a few minutes before going the young ladies at the table.
Soon, the guys join us, also being told to eat light. They all enter the kitchen and come out with cereal and a piece of fruit. When they get settled down, all of them talk about school work. I stay out of it since I have no idea what's going on with them. A bit later, Raymond walks in, looking a bit light headed. Maybe it's the alcohol he had, but he seems to be tried.
"Hey guys. Do you know what time it is? My head really hurts."
"It's 9:30," Sachiko tells him. He staggers his way into the kitchen. I was worry he's going to collapses, but he comes back out with a cup of soup and a glass of orange juice. He looks really out of it when he takes his sit. He pulls one elbow on the table, holding up his head as he eats.
"Looks like the American jerk had a fun night," Tsuyoshi says. I'm surprise to be hearing this. And in front of Raymond too, but he's speaking Japanese.
"What do you mean?" Kazuhiro ask.
"Look at him. I heard that people in America act miserable after a night of partying. He must of gotten some."
"Tsuyoshi!" Akiko cries. "That's a terrible it to say about someone that Shinobu loves."
"Come on! The same guy that impregnated her? I bet he forced her to say that. He must be one of those guys who fools around with other girls and ditches them for another." I don't understand why he's acting like this. This isn't like the same guy I know.
"Why are you saying all these mean things about him?" Sachiko ask.
"Why? He got a high school girl pregnant. He's lucky that our school doesn't have a policy against pregnant girls. Plus, they only knew each other for like a week before she got pregnant. You can't know real love in week of knowing a person. It takes a long time before you it."
"What are you saying?" Hideki ask.
"I'm saying that Raymond is the biggest, meanest jerk I have ever known."
"What makes you say that?"
"I talked to Naru-Sempai and Motoko-Sempai last night when I couldn't sleep. They told me that he hasn't helped her with anything since he arrived. He doesn't help with her chores around the apartments, he ditched her when she had that sonogram, and when I first met him, he didn't have any matters, yelling at Motoko-Sempai. He's a jerk, I tell you. He doesn't deserve to be with our friend." I understand now what he must be going through. Like me, he has loved Shinobu for a period of time. To meet the guy that she says she loves without her knowing him really set him off.
But it's no excuse for him to bad mouth him like that. Raymond has been kind to us ever since he arrived and has even sacrifice his time with his friends, sometimes feeling miserable when he talks about how much he want to hang out with them. But Tsuyoshi doesn't know this. None of Shinobu's friends know this.
I continue to hear Tsuyoshi bad mouth Raymond as I get up from my sit to check if anyone is outside the dining room. I see no one around, but I wait for about a minute or two before I speak. I know that we're trying to keep the fact that Shinobu and I are having a baby with each other a secret, but I can't take everyone criticism about them thinking Raymond is some sort of bad guy. Especially Shinobu's friends. They deserve to know the truth about one of their friends. I wish I could tell her what I'm about to do, but she's not here and my mind's made up. I take one last look outside the dining room before looking at everyone at the table.
"So, that's what you really think of me Tsuyoshi?" All of Shinobu's friends look up at me with confusion and surprise. Raymond seems to not hear me, looking at his soup, even though spoke in English."
"Think of you? What are you talking about Sempai?" Tsuyoshi ask.
"The fact that I'm the one that really impregnated Shinobu." All of her friends look shock at what I told him. Even Raymond looks energizes, staring at me like he just heard the alarm clock.
"What in the world are you saying?!" Raymond yells at me, getting up from his sit. "Why are you lying about something I did?" I had a feeling he would try to continue this charade. Well, I'm going to have to end this, whether he or Shinobu likes it or not.
"The game is over Raymond. The truth had been told. I'm the one that impregnated Shinobu." I check the living room with the corner of my eye, incase the girls are around to here this. They're not, so I feel somewhat safe.
"Game? What game? I'm not lying! I impregnated Shinobu!" I'll give him this much. He won't quit. For some reason, I think back about the conversation Raymond and I had on the train last night. I remember him saying that there are certain things he just can't lie about. With the way he's defending me from the truth, even those I told, I think I know one thing he can't lie about.
"Fine! Then say it."
"I already told you before, I impregnated Shinobu."
"NO! Say 'I cheated on Fong Ling'!" I watch him turn pale and breath heavily at what I just told him. I see Tsuyoshi looking very confuse at what is going on. Everyone else too. I turn my attention back to Raymond, looking like he can't say it. "Come on man. It's easy. Just say 'I cheated on Fong Ling' and everyone will know that I'm lying." He looks very upset at me, shaking his head. He closes his eyes tightly, looking as if he wants to cry. When he opens them, he stares at like he wants to kill me before giving me the finger, which takes me by surprise.
"Damn you!" He murmurs, crossing his arms and flopping back into his sit. I'm glad that the eye closest to the living room has been checking the room even since I talked to Raymond with none of the others coming down. He looks very upset, covering up his face with his elbows now on the table. Everyone else at the table is stun, not really knowing what's going on.
"Sempai," Akiko says in a low voice. "You really...impregnated...Shinobu?"
"He did," Raymond lets out, dropping his hands to the table. He looks at the expression on her face. Slowly, he turns to see the other high schoolers faces. "I never impregnated her. This was all a lie so that no one would know that Keitaro is really the dad of Shinobu's baby." All of Shinobu's friends looks at me, seeming to understand.
"So...you're really the father of Shinobu's baby?" Tsuyoshi ask. I nod. "Now it all makes sense."
"What does?" Hideki ask.
"Shinobu told me that she loved another guy when I asked her out." Everyone at the table seems shock. I found this odd since she told me this. "It didn't seem like Shinobu to be the type of girl who sleeps around with anybody." He turns to Raymond. "I'm sorry that I ever said any mean things to you."
"You said bad things about me? When?"
"Just before I confessed," I say. "I couldn't stand him bad mouthing you any longer."
"Why? I can take it."
"You have done so much for Shinobu and I that I can't take lying to her friends or you not seeing yours whether you want any longer. They deserve to know the truth and so does your friends since Motoko blabbed about Shinobu to them."
"I guess you're right." He begins to shake his head. "Man! I didn't want anyone else knowing this!"
"Speaking of that, who else knows that Keitaro is the father of Shinobu's baby?" Sachiko ask.
"No one else, not even the girls here," I say. "Especially Su. So please, don't tell her this."
"Su doesn't even know about this?" Kazuhiro says. "Oh man. That's definitely a secret we have to keep from a friend."
"I know." Akiko agrees, putting her arm around him. "But we have to protect another. You know what Su has done to Sempai before."
"True, but it's wrong to keep it from her."
"Then I'll help you make sure to keep it a secret." They look at each other, giving one another a hug. Sachiko goes to them and slaps Kazuhiro on the back.
"Me too! And if you do tell Su or anyone else, I'll make sure you'll never have children," she chuckles, smiling at him.
"How about me?" Hideki sadly says. "I'm usually not good at keeping a secret?"
"If you don't keep this a secret, I'll make sure to train you until you die!" Tsuyoshi threaten him.
"All right! All right! Shoot! I don't want to imagine what you might do to me."
"Good." He turns to me. "I think were agreement to keep your secret Keitaro-Sempai."
"Yeah!" The rest of them shout. I couldn't believe this. Not only does Shinobu's friends understand the situation, but are going to help us out too. I shred a tear for all of their kindness.
"Thank you. Thank you all."
"Your welcome," Tsuyoshi tells me. "Now we just need to tell Shinobu that we know."
"Shouldn't she be down here by now?" Raymond ask. "I mean, it's not like her to oversleep."
"She didn't," Akiko says. "She's out getting more groceries."
"What?!" Raymond yells.
"Yeah. She told us that we ran out of food," Sachiko says. Raymond had a worry look, shaking his head.
"Ran out of food? You mean to tell me that all of you finished about two weeks worth of groceries?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Every Friday when Shinobu comes back from school, she takes me grocery shopping."
"Why you?" Tsuyoshi ask.
"Because I'm allergic to certain foods, so I have get some of my own." All of Shinobu's friends seem a little shock.
"Are you sure you guys got a lot of food? She said we were out of most of it." Akiko told him.
"Like what?"
"Let me think." She put her hand on her cheek for a few seconds. "I think eggs, milk, butter..."
"OK. Stop there and come with me." Raymond interrupt, following him into the kitchen. We watch him open the refrigerator, sticking his head inside. "Can you please repeat the list again?"
"Well, there's eggs..." We hear him moving things around in the refrigerator before he took out an egg carton. He opened it up in front of us, showing a dozen eggs.
"Hold this please." He hands it to Kazuhiro and goes back in the refrigerator. I'm still shock that there is a full carton of eggs when he pulls out another, but only showing about nine in the carton and handing it to Hideki. "What's next?"
"Huh...milk..." He rifles in the refrigerator again, pulling out two cartons of milk and handing it to Tsuyoshi. I notice that all the boys are looking surprise in the fact that they're holding the food in which Shinobu was suppose to get.
"Any more?"
"Butter." He grabs something on the side of the refrigerator, showing us six sticks of butter, handing three each to the girls.
"All right! This is getting strange!" Kazuhiro says. "Are you sure Shinobu said those items Akiko?"
"She did," Sachiko says instead. "I was there with her."
"Was this all she said?" Raymond ask, putting back the food items.
"No. She also was getting chips." Raymond express a baffle look, walking towards a cupboard.
"What kind?" Before either of the girls could answer, he opens the cupboard, reveling lots of small bags of chips with different flavors.
"My gosh," Tsuyoshi says in a distraught tone. Everyone else seem speechless. Even me.
"Oh. And don't even talk about the drinks." Raymond walks over to the far door, pulling out what looks to be a 12-pack of juice cans in each hand. In a blink of an eye, he starts pulling out more until we see five cases of can drinks, stack in two rows "We got plenty." All of our mouths drop as he returns them back.
"What the?!" Sachiko yells. Akiko was breathing heavily like she is hyperventilating. Kazuhiro rushes to her aid, holding her in his arm.
"Akiko! It's OK. I'm here."
"No it's not!" She cries with tears running down her face. "If Shinobu lied to us about the grocery store, then where is she now?" At that moment, I my heart stopped, wondering where she is and if she and the baby are safe?
The scenery on this moving train is beautiful. If I wasn't having this baby, I could be looking at this every time I go to Toudai. But I'm not here to check out the campus. I'm here to know the other side of the story. I trust both Keitaro and Raymond, but I just need to hear it from Jill.
:) ♥
Once I reach my stop, I get off and head to Raymond's friend's apartments. On my way there, I keep thinking of what I'm doing. I actually lost sleep, wondering how last night occurred. I didn't know the address to the friends' apartment, so I went into Raymond's room to find it. I was worry that I would wake him up, but he snores so loudly that putting speakers next to him and having the volume on high would be drowned out by him. It didn't take my all to find it; searching his address book and seeing a piece of paper with the apartment number. I also lied to my best friends about getting groceries. I told them that we were out of food and that I would cook a big breakfast for everyone when I get back. They'll be disappointed when I come back without anything. Come to think of it, I'll also own them a big breakfast to cook.
I'm surprised that the apartments were so near Toudai. I might have over looked this when I last came here to check on the results of Keitaro, Mutsumi and Naru's entrance exam. I walk along the pathway, trying to find the apartment number. It takes me about five minute before I find it. I carefully climb the stairs, making sure I don't slip on the steps. I reach the top and knock on the door. I wait about a few seconds when the door opens, popping out a man with short auburn hair.
"Yes? Can I help you?" I'm a little surprise to see a man behind the door. I thought this Jill person was living with other girls. I check the address again and sure enough, it's the same number.
"Well...is Jill home?" I ask nervously. He looks dumbfounded at me, but changes to a calm expression.
"Jill Valentine?"
"Huh..." I again look at the address, but all that is wrote down is Friend's Apartment in Japan. I exhale in disbelieve. "I'm not really sure. All I know is that she's a friend of Raymond and I need to talk to her."
"Raymond?" I nod. "Oh. Then came in." The man opens the door all the way, letting me in.
I see a few beer bottles on the floor as the man guides me to the couch. He excuses himself to get Jill, entering a bedroom. He comes out looking confuse. He heads towards a door, facing me, putting his ear on it. When he takes it off, he goes into another room before coming out with what seem to be some sort of lock pick.
"This will only take a minute." He goes back to the door, jams the lock pick in the door knob, fiddling with it. I hear a soft click when he opens the door, putting his upper body in the room. "Hey Jill! Someone wants to.." There is loud scream coming from the room.
"OH MY GOSH STEVE! GET OUTTA HERE! I'M TAKING A SHOWER!" I see bath products either hit him or come sailing into the hallway. I get a glimpses of Jill before she slams the door.
"IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU LIKE THIS BEFORE!" He yells. "AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE, SOMEONE WANT TO TALK TO YOU." He turns around, walking towards me. "Sorry about her. She gets like that sometimes." I would probably get that way to if some guy entered the bathroom while I'm taking a shower.
He goes over to a kitchen, seeming to be cooking something. I watch the bathroom door, anticipating it to open. When it does, she steps into the room, only with a towel on. I doubt she even notice me before entering one of the bedrooms. Within a few minutes, she comes out wearing a black shirt and short-shorts.
"Dammit Steve! One of theses days I'm going to ring your neck!"
"Not while company is here." Her hair stands on end, turning around to see me.
"Hi there!" She says with a smile before turning back to who she calls Steve, punching him in the arm. "How come you didn't tell me someone was over?!"
"I DID! YOU MUST HAD WATER IN YOUR EARS! By the way, she said she wanted to talk to you." I could tell Jill wanted to argue some more, but doesn't want to show her true colors in front of a totally stranger. She just smiles at him before coming over to sit next to me. She stares at me with a strange look. I cover my stomach when she begins to stare at it.
"I don't believe we met."
"We haven't. I live with Raymond at the Hinata Sou."
"You do?" She seems surprise with this. "Well then, what do you need to talk about him with me for?" I take a deep breath before I start to explain my intention.
"It's not him I wanted to talk about." I see her rise an eyebrow. "I...I...came to talk about what happen last night between you and Keitaro." She drops her eyebrow pose into a blank stare.
"Who?"
"Keitaro." Continuing with her expression, she shakes her head.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you're talking about." She turns away from me. "Hey Steve! Do we know a...uh..." She turns back to me. "What's the name again?"
"Keitaro." She turns away again.
"Yeah! Do we know a guy by that name?" I look at him, seeming to be eating eggs. He gulps a small portion down before speaking.
"Sorry. That name doesn't ring a bell."
I'm really confuse now. The address I borrow (all right, stole) from Raymond is this one and a person name Jill lives here. They both told me that they have met each other, so how come they don't know Keitaro?
"Uh...my head." I turn towards the groaning, seeing a dark skin man coming out of a bedroom, holding his head.
"Have a hangover there, Mark?" Steve ask.
"A little. At least I don't feel like throwing up anymore."
"That's good," Jill says. "Hey! This girl came over to talk to me about some guy name...what was it again?" I'm starting to wonder if memory lost is common when you drink too much.
"Keitaro."
"Yeah! That name! Anyway, she wanted to talk to me about what I did was that guy last night. Problem is I don't know anyone by that name and neither does Steve." He leans on the wall, thinking about it.
"Oh Keitaro! Now I remember. We all know him."
"We do?!" Both Jill and Steve ecstatically say.
"Yeah! You two call him Billy!"
"Oh! Billy!" Billy? Why is Keitaro using his English name again?
"Sorry for my friends not knowing Keitaro's real name," Mark says, staggering towards me. "Neither of them can say 'non-American' names very well, especially Steve. So, if you go by another name they might be able to say, you should use that." It's like he was reading my mind. At least I know why Keitaro used his English name. Guess I should use mine.
"OK. My name is Rebecca." I watch Mark sitting next to Steve, putting some eggs and a piece of toast on his plate.
"All right Rebecca. What did you want to talk about Billy for?" I explain in minor detail about what everyone had told me about last night. I don't want to assume anything until I get all the facts. "Wow! That's what he told you?"
"Yes."
"How come you came all the way here to talk to me about this?"
"I...huh...well...I'm close friends with the girl he's dating and..."
"Wait! Billy has a girlfriend?" She ask as the two guys begin to gag at their food.
"My gosh Jill!" Steve hollers. "Why are you always stealing other girls' Asian boyfriends?"
"SHUT UP! HE CAME ON TO ME!"
"Yeah, but you did flirt with him a whole lot." Mark says. The guys begin to argue with Jill about last night's situation as I feel the angry and betrayal lifted off my shoulder. I knew Keitaro was telling the truth all a long and now finding out that Jill flirts a lot with him, none of it was really his fault. Feeling better about this, I get up from the couch.
"Thank you all for your time. I think Keitaro's...or Billy's girlfriend will be fine about what he did."
"What do you mean by that?" Jill ask.
"She means that his girlfriend will understand that you're a boyfriend stealer." The two of them argue again, louder this time. Getting away from their verbal battle, Mark gets up and walks both to me.
"I'm glad that we can help Keitaro's girlfriend about last night." I blush really hard, smiling at him for his sensitive comment. "By the way, unlike those two, I can say anyone's name. So, what's your actually name Rebecca?"
"Oh. My name is Shinobu Maehara." His good hearted and calm expression changes to confusion and a little of fear.
"Do you say...your name is...Shinobu?" He shudders, seeing a twitch in his eye. I'm a little terrify by this, hoping he doesn't hurt me.
"Yes..." He looks upset, looking at my stomach then back at me.
"Are you pregnant?" I'm a little taken back by his question, but I am starting to show that I am.
"Yes..." He breathes heavily, turning away from me and shaking his head. I slowly come over to him, but back away when he starts pounding on the wall.
"No. No! NO!" I can hear him crying as Jill and Steve stop their argument and rush over.
"Damn Mark! What's wrong?" Steve ask. Mark slowly turns his head at him, showing tears running down his face.
"Raymond did cheat on Fong Ling."
"What are you talking?" Jill says, demanding an answer. He points at me with his chin.
"Her name's Shinobu."
"So?"
"Wait Steve. That name seems..." She slowly turns her head at me, looking pale. "Oh my gosh. No." She grabs her head with both her hands, shaking in disbelieve. "It can't be true."
"What can't? What are you two talking about?" Steve ask.
"Remember what that one girl said last night when she saw Raymond?"
"The one with the long black hair?" Mark nods. "I think. Something about that he should be helping their pregnant friend..." He drops his mouth, turn to me with a ghostly look. "You? You're pregnant with Raymond's baby?"
I'm terrify by the way they're looking at me. I want to tell them the truth, but I promise to keep it a secret. So I say nothing, turning away from them. I can hear them breathing hard, saying something in a low voice that I'm unable to hear. When I look up, I see Jill sitting on the couch, crying to herself. The others are showing a sad expression. It seems that Mark is taking this harder.
"That bastard," Jill says out loud over her crying.
"Stop it Jill," Mark tells her.
"WHY?!" She yells, getting up and walking towards him. "WHY CAN'T I CALL HIM THAT?" She shoves him into the wall. "YOUR BEST FRIEND JUST CHEATED ON MY BEST FRIEND! AND HE GOT HER PREGNANT!"
"BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE HIM TO DO THIS!" I watch them yell at each other. Steve joins in, trying to get them to stop yelling. I feel worst then when I enter this place. I caused them to think the worst in their friend. I only known him for a little while, but these are his friends. They should know the truth about him and about me and Keitaro.
"Stop! Just stop!" I yell, getting their attention. I know what I'm about to do maybe wrong, but they need to know that their friend isn't a cheat. "Raymond didn't get me pregnant."
"Then who?" Jill ask with a hint of anger in her voice. I hope that Keitaro and Raymond can forgive me for what I'm about to say.
"Keitaro." I explain to them everything that has been going on since Raymond arrived at the Hinata Sou. They all look stun and pale, but also calm.
"Billy got you pregnant?" Steve ask.
"Wait! Billy's your boyfriend?" Jill ask.
"Yes and...yes." I can see a sign of relief in all their faces, knowing that their friend didn't really impregnated me. But Jill also is showing a little embarrassment.
"Look Rebecca. About what happen with Billy and I..."
"Oh don't worry," I cut her off. "You provoked him. And now that I know you like to flirt with Asian guys, stay away from him!" The guys holler louder than before, clapping their hands.
"Man! This morning has been full of surprises!" Mark lets out. "At least we know Raymond didn't cheat on Fong Ling."
"Yeah. That's true," Jill agrees. "Those guys must really appreciate you coming here to clear everything up."
"Actually...they don't even know I left the apartment."
"What?!" All three of them look scare out of their minds, looking at the clock.
"You better call home and tell them about that your here," Steve tells me.
"But I might get them in trouble if someone else picks up the phone."
"Is there another number you can dial? Like Billy's cell phone?" Oh. Of course. I forget about it sometime since he doesn't use it a whole lot.
I nod my head, being taken to a speaker phone. I dial up his number, anticipating to hear his sweet, loving voice.
"Hello?" I know it's him, sounding rather depress.
"Keitaro, it's me."
"Shinobu!" I can hear rumbling in the background. "Where are you? We're all worry about you?" I know he's not going to like what I'm about to tell him, but he needs to know.
"I'm at the student apartments near Toudai."
"What? Why are you there?"
"Come to talk to Jill about last night."
"How come?"
"I just needed to. All right?!" I don't know why I suddenly got angry at him. Maybe it's because I told the secret behind his back.
"Shinobu, I'm not mad at you. I know they're good people, so I know you're safe now. "
"Yeah but..." I let out a long silences, knowing that he'd be mad at me for telling them the secret.
"You still there?"
"Yeah."
"What were you saying Shinobu?"
"I told them that it was you the got me pregnant." There is a long silences on the other side. I know that he's mad at me now. I'm about to hang up when I hear him again.
"Hello?"
"Keitaro. I hope you're not mad at me."
"Shinobu...this is Raymond. Speak English."
"Huh? What's going on?"
"I don't know. Keitaro handed me the phone and told me you wanted to tell me something."
"Well..."
"What is it? And where are you?"
"I'm at the student apartments with your friends."
"My friends?! Oh, please don't tell me..."
"I told them about Keitaro and I. I'm sorry." I don't know how he'll react. I have seen him mad in front of the others, but I know he's just acting.
"Well, this is great," he says. "Now even more people know about this." He sounds calm that I told his friends. But...
"Raymond. What did you mean by 'more people know about this'?"
"Keitaro told your friends about you two." I'm actually speechless. I don't know why he did that, but I know what he's going through.
"So, my friends know now?"
"Yeah. And don't worry. They promise not to tell anyone."
"I'm glad. Can you please put back Keitaro?"
"Sure." I can hear the phone bring exchange.
"Shinobu. I'm sorry that I told your friend about this."
"Don't worry Keitaro. I understand. But are you..."
"Mad about you telling Raymond's friends? No. They deserve to know since we are hanging all of his time."
"Thanks."
"Don't worry. Just come back safe." I can hear someone yelling in the background. "Oh. And Kazuhiro says he and everyone else wants their big breakfast you promised them." Now, I hear a 'We want food' chant.
"OK," I giggle. "I'll come back right away to cook their big breakfast."
"Please do. And Shinobu...I love you."
"I love you too Keitaro." We say our goodbyes and hang up. I thank Raymond's friends for letting me use their phone and tell them they can come by the Hinata Sou before I leave to go home.
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