Book One: The Straw That Broke The Pervert's Back

Chapter Four: On Being 'Normal'

By: Sci-Fi Raptor

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

I couldn't find a good, obvious title for this chapter… sorry. (Ive notice that im apologizing so much this chapter… I must have taken on the mindset of the grls, lol)

I've been put into a dilemma due to the unusal level of feedback that this fic has gotten and due to my inexperience with it. So I will let you guys figure it out for me (my comp sci teacher says the best programmers are the lazy ones =P)

Though I plan on going through with my original story line, I will let you, the readers decide if I should make a sub-story in which Keitaro does not recover from this dark mindset. I know we will probably have a lot of fun with it, but I don't really think I can fight my concious like this if I don't have anyone's support for it. So here are two polls that I will ask people to vote on:

1. Should I make a sub/alternate story in which Keitaro does not recover from this dark state of mind, and

2. If I do make this sub-story (or possibly in my original story), should I make Keitaro fall for another girl in or out the house (like Kanako, or a cross over)? For this one I request that you give reasoning, since otherwise I really wont have something to base the relationship on.

(not a poll, but id appreaciate if you respond to this too) 3. I really liked that some people are commenting on what they like to see, and it helps me with writers bloack, so if anyone has an good ideas, plz email it to me (so its stays a surpurise). Don't worry, youll get your due credit.

            For those of you fluffy types, don't worry about the original story, since it wasn't my intention to make a dark fic when I created it. But this 'feedback' thing is new to me, so there is a possibility that black evilness may burn the fluff if I have overwhelming response for it. Indeed, my mind has already been cooking up ideas for the alternate version… I hear marijuana is a very entertaining narcotic…

Oh yeah, turns out this fic loaded fine. My computer just seems to have weirds thing going on with its fonts, so I'm seeing all of these ?'s. I hate you ppl… made me worry for nothing!!! For that, I will make another short chapter and not update till the end of this week!

Im sorry if quality drastically deteriorated on this chapter (didn't goe through my 3 sets of proof reading…); I wasn up till like 4 writing it (I'm gonna pass out in class tommorrow…), for you, my gracious readers! Enjoy!

(-O-)

            It was another normal day outside. The birds were chirping. Flowers blooming. No strange noises coming out of Hinata-Sou. Its neighbors were happily surprised how quiet it had been lately. Yes, for once it was a normal day.

(O)

            She didn't know why, but she finally decided to get out of bed. She didn't know how, but she somehow got the initiative to get ready for yet another day. But she didn't want to get up. She didn't want to face yet another day. Not with the way things had been going lately. She slammed back onto her futon.

            Naru gave a sigh of defeat as her sleepiness completely dissolved, leaving her lying on her bed, bored as heaven. She slowly got up, rubbed the sleep from her eyes and did her daily morning routine. In around half an hour, she made her way downstairs to the dining room, where, surprisingly, everyone was eating. Everyone except a certain pervert. Someone must have noticed her staring longingly at his empty seat, since that someone said to her, "Sempai's gone to the clinic to finally get his cast removed." She turned to see who the speaker was and saw Shinobu looking at her with a face that was possibly more depressed than her own.

            "What are you telling me for?" she replied automatically. "Its not like I care," she said in a tone that even she knew was fake. She sighed and took her seat.

            It seemed that the Hinata-Sou's atmosphere of happiness had completely disappeared to an air of depression and tension. It was best expressed in Shinobu's cooking: just a normal omelet and almost burned toast. Also, Su wasn't running around, though Sarah still had a sharp tongue. Musumi was nowhere in sight. Naru sighed again. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Keitaro was a very important part of the house, and however he felt would ultimately spread to the others. Which would explain why the atmosphere was so happy and lively normally, since Keitaro was never really sad or angry, but that was then, and this is now.

            Naru slammed her fist into the table, making a dent with splinters sticking out. Her sudden vent of anger caught everyone's attention. She stared back at all of the ghastly faces, which looked at her as if she was about to offer a glimmer of hope.

            And she suddenly had it.

            "Okay, that stupid jerk is pissed off. So what? Its not like he's that important…" she said, fighting a losing argument. The reactions on their faces just served to emphasize that.

            "Alright, alright. Something's wrong with Keitaro and we have to figure out how to make him feel better…" Naru said, her head looking down in defeat.

            As if some strange supernatural being had popped in and filled all of them up with "juice," they all slowly came back to life in anticipation of bringing their precious landlord back to his normal self.

            "So, what are we going to do, Naru-sempai?" Shinobu asked weakly. Of all of the tenants, she just may have taken Keitaro's sudden change in disposition the hardest.

            "Well, first we have to think about what's gone wrong with that idiot," Naru said, life coming back to her. She hadn't had this much energy since the last time she punched that little worm clear across the city. "Does anyone have any ideas?" Everyone stood in guilty silence, knowing that they had all contributed something to his "condition." (Except for Sarah, since she just hated his guts… she just continued poking Su with a stick, though she was suddenly getting her energy back at the thought of being able to make an invention to help the cause.)

            Motoko was the first to speak. She pretended to clear her throat in an attempt to gain her comrade's attention.

            She started speaking, her eyes closed as if in meditation, "Lately I have noticed that there has been a dark aura surrounding Urishima." Everyone (except Sarah) gasped in surprise, and a little in relief. Maybe it wasn't their faults that he had suddenly snapped. "And I fear that with each passing second, it has grown darker and darker. I did my best to seek out any demons that may have been influencing him, but my investigation has determined that this is how Urishima truly feels inside about us." Everyone sat in silence (except Sarah…), his or her worst fears confirmed. They took comfort in the fact that it was a combined effect and no one person was to blame, but it didn't make them feel less guilty.

            "I don't know why, but Sempai is just really cold and distant for some reason…" Shinobu added, spelling out what everyone already knew. Kitsune stirred, getting everyone's attention.

            "And I think that maybe we've been crossing the line…" Kitsune said quietly, here normal foxy air all but missing.

            "W-what do you mean, Kitsune-chan?" Naru asked, not liking the way it was heading. Most likely she would put all of the blame on her for sending that retard into the atmosphere; even if it were true. But what happened next upset her more than being accused of being responsibly for this whole debacle could have.

            Kitsune started tearing.

            Everyone held a pained expression when they saw her try to recompose herself, but she just cried more and harder. Motoko stood up and came next to her to try and comfort her. It took a few minutes before Kitsune could even think of talking, but she finally forced herself to confess.

            "Yesterday night…" she started, grimacing as the memory came flooding back. But she wouldn't give up; this had to be said. "Y-yesterday night. I went into Keitaro's room. I swear, it was just to cheer him up! I swear… A-anyway, I went into his room to cheer him up. So maybe I got a little too carried away, I didn't think the Sake would be that much of a problem. But I was kinda hitting on him, you know like I usually do. And then I kinda asked him if he wanted to make love to me, you know as a joke, right? Well anyway… that's when Kei…k-k…keitaro…" she said, almost unable to finish. Fortunately for her, Motoko held her hand in support and she didn't break down too much. She finally recomposed herself and did her best to finish the final stretch. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "That was when Keitaro almost raped me."

            Those who had their heads supported with their arms suddenly had it drop. Those whose heads were up on their own accord had their jaws drop to the table. There was only one thing going through all of their minds: KEITARO almost RAPED Kitsune. No one wanted to believe it. No one thought such a thing was possible. Was this the same kind and sweet Keitaro that they had grown to love over the last two years? Shinobu was already crying, "No! Sempai wouldn't do such a thing!"

            The room was filled with uproar as everyone treated Kitsune as if she were doing this to get Keitaro in trouble. Fortunately for her, Motoko stood up for her and shushed everyone to let her finish her story.

            "Well, he almost raped me, but he didn't," Kitsune quickly said, getting a sigh of relief from everyone. She continued, "He stopped when I told him to, but that wasn't what scared me. It was his eyes…" she said, causing everyone to be on the edge of their seats. "I've never seen such cold hateful eyes in (sob) my life…" she said, her sentence ending in a high-pitched squeal. She buried her face into her arms and just cried. Everyone sat in stunned silence from what they had just heard. And they had only one collective thought: Keitaro hated them.

            Eventually, everyone turned to Naru, since she seemed to be the unofficial leader, for their next move, since no one else was willing to add anything else. Closing her eyes in thought, Naru came to a decision.

            "All right, everyone," she said, punching on hand into the palm of the other in an attempt to rouse everyone up. "From what we've heard, Keitaro's probably really mad at us right now, so we have to come up with a really good plan to make him happy again." Everyone waited for what her idea was. "So, I've decided that, we will meet at the hot springs to continue this conversation," she finished. They all had skeptical looks; what could a change of scenery do? Everything about Hinata-Sou reminded them of Keitaro.

            "Come on guys, this House is just too depressing." Everyone nodded in assent. "At least we can lighten the mood at the springs and think straight. So, what do you say!" she said, filled with a drive that she hadn't felt for what felt like ages.

            "Yeah…" the group said, almost in the spirit.

(O)

            Seven hours later, the girls left the hot springs, red as chilies and pruny as their seniors.

            But Naru turn out right in the end; the hot spring's magic did its work. During the whole session, the ladies got their energy back, more or less back to normal.

            They all said what they couldn't at the dining table and slowly loosened up. After getting all of their guilt off of their (sizable) chests, they girls quickly formulated a plan. And after their master plan was designed, one would never have guesses that this batch of lively girls was remotely related to the girls earlier that morning.

            They spent the latter portion of their bath just soaking in, or in Shinobu, Sarah and Su's case, having the time of their lives.

            Naru smiled as she left the baths, happy that everyone was happy again. Just you wait Keitaro, she thought. We'll have you back to your cheerful self in no time!

            "Hahahaa!" Su laughed as she came from behind Naru. "Your butt is as red as a chili and pruny an elephants!" she teased Naru, flashing her rump to the two other young girls. Shinobu blushed and Sarah started laughing like an idiot, rolling on the floor.

            "Su!" Naru yelled, chasing after her. She didn't have much luck though; Su was off the running around and off the walls with her familiar hyperness.

            Yes, it was a normal day; the Hinata-Sou was back! (Much to the displeasure of its neighbors…   )

(-O-)

I apologize for my other half's earlier comment. In truth, this chapter isn't up to my implied par (its about 87.5% of one of my standard chapter sizes…) because this is my last chance to update b4 classes start this week and I just wanted that poll up so as many ppl as possible could see it b4 I started writing the next chapter. (Though ill see how everyone responds, I probably wont have any time to write, that's all)

I really would like to respond to all the gracious reveiws that I've received so far, but I really didn't have time during the writing of this chapter or the brain capacity to process the large number (at least for me…) of responses I have received.

            Well, actually, there is one thing I want to respond to, and that is to what MinToshihiro said. Thought it is true english isnt my first language, the reason I evenmentioned it is cause im really a math/science person, and I just have always sucked at enlgish and have been using these fics as a tool to fine tune and keep up my english skills. I don't mean to offend you or anything, I just wanted to clear up any misunderstandings. (if you read my other fics, I think ull notice)

Yeah, if any of what ive said is repetitive, I apologize, since this is like the upteenth time I edited that chapter during the course of this day, and its like 3 AM…

Again, my sincerest apologies…

Good or bad, please review, though I truly hope I can get some constructive advice on my english, since this is my only real way to practice. =P