Hey again. Now that the whole 'Return to Hinata House/Birth of Yamato' thing has been settled, we can get back to the regular stuff. I'm going to try and have a few one shot chapters before heading into the next big arc, which I have no idea what it's going to be about. Sooo, the next few chapters will just be me thinking up random stories for the girls.

Shade32: 'Where's the romance?'? Well in my last fic, there was plenty of romance, but how quickly the relationships developed was a little unrealistic. This time, however, I'm going to slowly develop the relationships over the course of the story. I intend to make this longer than my original fic, and not make the outcome as predictable.

Current status of relationships:

Ami: Simply sees Shinichi as a friend. Still infatuated with the engaged Yamato.

Megumi: Shinichi's best friend, but frequently flirts with Shinichi.

Sakura: To put it simply, she wants to be Shinichi's Mistress.

Junko: Dislikes Shinichi's lack of backbone, but respects him for saving her sister's life and her own.

Naoko: Has a small crush on Shinichi for saving her from a bowling incident. Also likes Negi.

Also, starting with this chapter, the format of the passage of time changes. Originally, each non- multi chapter story represented a day. I originally planned on Shinichi's parents returning by day 21. I now plan on them coming along near the end of the series. (I'll find some way to keep them away for that long…)

It has also come to my attention that yet another one of my separators seems to not run. is really starting to tick me off. I've been supporting them despite all the changes, but now they're going too far. On the other hand, this could simply be an error of Quick-Edit. If that's the case, I hope they can fix it soon. For now, I'll have to find another type of separator. ($) 5 '$' are scene changes. 4 '$' are flashbacks, 3 are dreams.

---Kouji Tamino

Love Hina Next: Second Phase

Chapter 20: Another Encounter with the Ghost…

It has now been a week since the visit from an interesting boy and the strange visit to Hinata House. Ami fiddled in the kitchen, attempting to make something for everyone to eat while Naoko was out doing some errands. She frowned. "Argh, how am I going make something decent?!" She suddenly remembered when everyone at Hinata House said that she was good at making rice balls. She smiled brightly. "Good! That's just what I'll make!"

-----

"Shit!" Junko screamed. "Ami's making something!!" She hopped behind the couch.

Ami glared at Junko. "Hey, that's not nice… I'll have know that I've been told that I'm great at making rice balls!!"

Shinichi smirked. "Well, since Ms. Junko is so keen on making fun of your food… She should be the first to eat it!!"

Junko bit her lip. "But… Out of all of us, you're probably the closest to Ami so… You should eat it!!"

Ami's left eyebrow twitched. "Just sit down and eat them, please… Naoko won't be back for a few more hours, and these should tide us over until then…"

Everyone else sighed and picked up a rice ball. They shrugged and took bites simultaneously. Suddenly, they all swallowed the rest of them and then all dived at the plate for more rice balls. Ami sweat dropped. "…Are they really that good?…"

"HELL YES!!" they all screamed, the plate now empty.

Sakura grinned. "I'm impressed… You managed to make something besides cake and tea that tasted good!"

Shinichi smiled. "Ms. Ami, you should definitely try selling these rice balls! They're better than the rice balls my chef makes!"

Ami bit her lip, blushing slightly. "Do you really mean that?" Her aura flared black and she began to frown. "And tell the truth!"

Everyone's eyes widened. "W-we really mean it!!"

Ami's glare turned into a smile. "Okay!!"

$$$$$

Meanwhile, on the third floor, Naoko was talking with Kairi, the ghost who haunts the area. Kairi gave a small smile to the girl. "It's so nice of you to visit me, Naoko…" Her smiles became a bit of a frown. "But… why didn't the others come?"

Naoko bit her lip and looked down. "I'm sorry… I would have brought the others, but Junko wouldn't have wanted to come and wouldn't let me go and I didn't want to tell the others and risk Junko listening in…"

Kairi nodded. "It's all right… There's nothing to be sorry for… I'm just glad that someone has came to visit…" She titled her head. "But… Won't the others wonder where you are?"

Naoko shook her head. "No… Hopefully… I told them all that I was out doing some errands…"

Kairi giggled. "And what will happen when you come home without anything besides a few specks of dust on your clothes?"

Naoko's eyes widened. "Eep! You're right!! Sorry, I have to go, bye!!" Naoko ran out of the room and through the hallway, Kairi looked on, amused.

Suddenly, she began to glow. She blinked a few times, then smiled. "Oh my, is it that time already?…"

$$$$$

Naoko ran down stairs and closed the door. She then began to dust herself off. "And just where have you been, huh?…" Naoko's eyes widened and she turned around her see her sister, arms crossed and glaring. "What did I tell you about going up to the third floor, Naoko?"

"But Junko!!" the younger sister pleaded. "Kairi is so lonely up there and--"

"I don't care!" Junko screamed. "You are forbidden to go up there!!"

Naoko clenched her fist and held back tears. "Junko, you are so cruel!! I… I hate you!!"

Those words hit Junko like a rock. Her lip quivered slightly. "N-Naoko…"

Naoko gasped. "Junko, I didn't mean it!! I'm so sorr--"

Junko sighed, turning away and walking off. "Just… just forget it, okay?…"

$$$$$

Later, at dinner, things were unusually silent. Naoko looked sadly at Junko, who stared at her like she was a complete stranger. She sighed and poked at her food awkwardly. Ami looked to Naoko, then Junko. "Um… Is anything wrong?"

Junko glared at Ami. "Why don't you mind your own business, freak?"

Megumi pounded her fist on the table. "Now wait just a second!"

Ami gasped. "Megumi-san…"

"…Ami may be short,"

"Hey!"

"flat-chested,"

"Wait a--"

"and easily annoyed,"

"Just who's side are you--"

"but she is definitely not a freak!" Megumi frowned. "Now I suggest that you apologize to Ami right now and explain what the hell is going on right now!!"

Ami sweat dropped. "Um, thank you Megumi… I think…"

Junko rolled her eyes. "All right, I'm sorry that Ami is nosy and like I said, none of your business…"

"That's enough!" Shinichi yelled, surprising everyone. He sighed, stood up, picked up Naoko, grabbed Junko by the ear, and dragged them into the living room. "All right, now there's obviously something wrong going on, so--" He screamed as Junko grabbed him by the collar and slammed him on the wall.

"Do you have a death wish, wimp? Because if you do, just keep this up and--"

"Gyah!! Don't kill me! Yamato told me that I should try and become more 'take-charge' so I decided to follow his advice!"

Junko raised her fist. "Well, you picked the wrong day to try it out!!"

"Leave him alone!" The voice of a refined women could be heard. They looked over to the stairway to see a woman who looked a lot like Kairi, except for her dark blue eyes and the fact that she was alive. In fact, it was her, which was the strange thing.

As Junko dropped Shinichi in shock, he quickly stood up and stared. "Ms. Kairi?… Is that you?! But how?"

Kairi smiled sadly. "Well, it's a bit strange… I'm not exactly sure, but once a month, for 24-hours only, I return to life… I think the reason I come to life when I do it because it's the exact time I died… Usually I just stay upstairs, but today, since I now have friends, I thought that I'd share this fact with you!"

Naoko smiled. "That's so wonderful for you, then! If only it lasted longer, though…"

Kairi nodded. "And if only I could see the outside world…"

"You can!" Ami said, smiling. Everyone else had walked into the living room and over heard Kairi. "No one else has to know that you're a ghost! Every month, we can go out and do something!"

Kairi shook her head. "No, I don't think so… It wouldn't be a good idea…" She gasped as Junko took her hand and dragged her down the stairs. "Junko?…"

Junko sighed. "Look… There's a whole new world to see out there…" She smiled slightly. "You'll never even get to see some of it cooped up on the third floor."

Kairi smiled. "Thank you, Junko…"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "What made you change your mind so quickly, Junko?…"

Junko growled. "Look, I just have a bad temper, okay?! I'm… also a bit paranoid at times…" She sighed. "I'm sorry, Kairi…"

The ghost woman who currently was not a ghost shook her head. "It's all right… I'm just glad you're my friend now…" She smiled and hugged the tomboy.

Junko sighed. "Hey, hey! Let me go, don't get carried away…"

$$$$$

"So, anyway… This is a shopping center…" Junko muttered, looking a little bored. This is where most people go to buy stuff…"

Kairi looked around in amazement. "Wow… The world has really changed in the years since I died, hasn't it?"

Shinichi smiled. "It's really nice that you decided to show Ms. Kairi around the city and all, but… Why did I have to go along?"

Junko raised an eyebrow. "Who said anything about me showing her around?" She began to walk away. "Good luck, Shinichi…"

Shinichi's eyes widened. "Junko? Junko?!" He sighed, then looked to a smiling Kairi. "So, what do you want to do first?"

Kairi tilted her head. "Well um… I don't know, what is there to do?"

Shinichi rubbed his chin. "Well, we could go buy some new clothes… No wait, that's stu--"

Kairi's eyes lit up. "That's sounds wonderful! I may be dead, but I'd like to change clothes every once in a while!" She grabbed Shinichi's hand and dragged him into a clothing store. "Come on, let's go!"

"Gyah!" Shinichi screamed. "Ms. Kairi, wait--"

$$$$$

"Ooh! This one looks comfy!" Kairi walked out of the dressing room dressed in a see-through nighty with nothing underneath. People began to stare, point, cover their children's eyes, etc.

Shinichi choked on his own saliva, squeezing his nose closed. He pushed Kairi back into the dressing room and stared at her. "What the hell are you doing?! You can't do stuff like that in public! Don't you have an underwear?!"

Kairi nodded. "Yes, but it doesn't seem like it would look very good with this dress…"

Shinichi slapped his forehead. "That's right… You have old fashioned undergarments…"

Kairi smiled. "You wouldn't mind buying some new underwear for me, would you? I'd do it myself, but I have no idea what to buy… My bust size is…"

$$$$$

"I can't believe I am doing this…" Shinichi muttered. He slowly stepped up to the counter and put the bra and panties down. "Um… excuse me?"

The person at the counter, a woman, smiled. "Hello! May I help you?"

Shinichi blushed. "…"

The woman blinked. "Huh? What's that?"

He blushed even more. ""

She frowned. "Sir, please speak up!"

Shinichi lightly growled. "Look!! I want to buy a bra and panties, okay?!" He screamed, loud enough so that everyone in the area could hear. He sighed. "It's for a friend, okay?…"

"Suure it is…" a random passerby muttered. "Freak…"

Shinichi sighed again. "Why me?…"

$$$$$

And so, after getting her an outfit that consisted of a light blue dress with floral print, a sunhat, pink rimmed sunglasses, and tan sandals, they went to get something to eat. Shinichi, along with the rest of the restaurant, stared as Kairi inhaled her plates of food. "Um… Ms. Kairi…" Shinichi began. "… Don't you think that's enough food for one day?…"

Kairi looked up and stared. "Um… Well, you see… I haven't had food in years… And with all these new foods out, there's so much to catch up on and so much to have for the first time!"

Shinichi smiled, nodding. "Fine then… You go on eating…"

Kairi looked up and smiled. "Thank you… It may sound strange, but this really means a lot to me…"

Shinichi laughed. "No problem, it's not strange at all…"

$$$$$

Kairi sighed happily as she and Shinichi walked home. "I… want to thank you, Shinichi… for such a wonderful day… I haven't had this much fun in 100 years…"

Shinichi chuckled softly. "No problem, Ms. Kairi… You deserve it, after what you've been through…" He gasped as Kairi kissed him on the cheek.

"You're so sweet, Shinichi…" Kairi giggled. She sighed as her hand began to fade back into it's 'ghost' form. "We'd better get home, soon… Looks like my time is almost up… But I had fun, and I can't wait until next month!"

Shinichi smirked a bit. "To tell the truth, I can't wait, either…"

End of Chapter 20

$$$$$

No last words tonight! Except… sorry it's late, writer's block sucks. =P

---Kouji Tamino