Back with another chapter. Time for a new arc after the past couple of chapters of downtime. Actually, the previous chapter could technically be considered the beginning of this arc. We've finally arrived at the point in which I came up with most of the ideas I've been mentioning. This is like the turning point of the series. After this, nothing will be the same… Anyway, as you may have guessed, a new character shall be introduced this chapter. I hope that I can effectively write her outrageousness. Let me put it this way… She's worse than Megumi and Sakura combined. Scary, no?

---Kouji Tamino

-----

Love Hina Next: Second Phase

Chapter 43: Who's Engaged?! Shocking!!

And so, 4 months came and went… Yet, Shinichi had still not come home. The girls were beginning to get distressed. Sure, if it had been anyone else, they would have shrugged it off. But this was Shinichi. Nerdy, Wimpy Shinichi Suichi. What if he had tripped and fallen off the plane on the way back? What if he never made it and was hit by a car and had been hospitalized for the past few months, or even worse? He hadn't called or written, so what were they supposed to think? Actually, only most of the girls were distressed. Junko, as usual, was pissed.

"That bastard!!" the girl screamed, punching a wall and putting a hole in it. She was standing in the upstairs hallway, breathing heavily. "He never calls, he never writes… That jerk had better be dead or have a really damn good reason for not getting in touch with us!"

Sakura snuck up behind her. "Why Junko, why are you making such a fuss over Shinichi being gone?"

Junko jumped, quickly turning around to face Sakura. "I… I really don't think that's any of your business…"

Sakura grinned. "Oh, but it is… As Shinichi's future mistress, it's my job to find out who else harbors feelings for him…"

Junko raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

Sakura rubbed her fingers together while chuckling. "Oh, just so I can charge them… I'm willing to share Shinichi, but it won't be free…"

Junko stared at Sakura for a moment. "…You're a freak." She then turned around and walked away. But before she left, she turned to the incestuous dominatrix wannabe with a glare. "And hey, I don't have any 'feelings' for Shinichi…" her expression softened as she continued. "…I'm just… worried about him, that's all… I may not act like it most of the time, but he's my friend, and I care for him…" She turned back around and walked down stairs.

-----

Naoko was in the kitchen, cleaning it at an almost inhuman speed. Tenshi, in rabbit form, turned her head a bit. "What are you doing, Naoko?"

"Cleaning!! This house is a mess, and I want it to be nice and clean for Shin-sama!!"

Tenshi sweat dropped. "But… You just cleaned the entire house the other day…"

"But it needs to be cleaned again!!" Naoko screamed. "Get out of the kitchen, you're shedding!!"

Tenshi sweat dropped. "Oh…" there was a poof of smoke, and Tenshi was in her human form. "Can I help you clean?"

Naoko nodded, smiling. "Of course! Thanks! The more, the merrier!" She handed Tenshi a broom. "For starters, you can sweep up the fur you shed!"

Tenshi looked around. The table, counter, and floor were covered with white rabbit fur. "Oh… Heh heh…"

-----

The front door bell rang as Junko walked into the living room. She looked around, hoping that someone else was in the room. "…Shit." She sighed, walking over to the door, and opening it. She was then greeted by a large set of knockers in the face. "Um…" She pulled her self away from the overwhelming bosom, and yelled upstairs. "Um, Megumi? Do you have any older sister or anything?"

Megumi quickly ran downstairs. "Huh? I don't have any--" she gasped as she saw someone familiar in the door. The woman had long black hair, yellow eyes, and a mole on her left cheek. She was wearing a blue, frilly dress, a sun hat, and blue sandals. She had several bags behind her, and a few men were carrying even more up to the house. "You…"

The woman looked past Junko and over to Megumi. "Do I know you? You seem familiar…"

Megumi growled. "I'd know that face anywhere… You're Saki Hidaka, aren't you?"

The woman, presumed to be Saki, stared at Megumi. She clasped her hands together. "Oh, you must be Megumi Thompson! That half breed from America that used to play with me and Shinichi-chan!! How are you?"

Megumi rolled her eyes. "Fine, thank you…" She crossed her arms. "So what brings you here?"

Saki laughed. "Oh ho ho ho! What am I doing here? Why, to check up on Shinichi-chan, what else?" She walked in, kicking off her shoes. "You do know how helpless the poor boy is and all…"

Junko, carrying all of Saki's bags at once, threateningly held them out the door. "Excuse me, but who the hell are you?! Tell me now, or I'm tossing out all your stuff!"

Saki grinned evilly at Junko. "Watch your tongue, girl… It could get cut off one day… Anyway, I could be asking you the same question…"

The others soon came into the living room. "What's going on here?" Ami asked.

Saki looked around, getting more and more annoyed. "I demand to know what you are all doing in the Suichi family mansion!! Where are Mr. and Mrs. Suichi?! Where is Shinichi-chan?!"

"Shinichi-chan?!" Sakura screamed. "Who are you to refer to him in that manner?!"

Saki chuckled. "You poor, uninformed girl… I am Shinichi-chan's fiancée…"

"WHAT?!" everyone but Megumi screamed. Junko dropped Saki's stuff to the floor in shock, her jaw dropping.

The half Japanese, half American sighed. "It's true… She has been Shinichi's fiancée through arranged marriage since childhood… I should know, I was once a candidate for his fiancée…"

Saki nodded. "You see, my parents, Megumi's parents, and Shinichi-chan's parents are all longtime friends… Shinichi-chan was born a few months before us and it was decided that if the next child among them was a girl, that she would become his wife… Well what do you know, Megumi and I were born on the same night… They all figured that it could be arranged at a later date… Our families separated for a few years, then reunited when we were children. We all played happily and--"

"Like hell we did!" Megumi shouted, stomping up to her. "You teased me just because I was part American! You never liked me and you always lied to get your way! You're the reason that my family and I moved back to America!!"

Saki gasped. "I'm hurt, Megumi… Why would you say such things?" She smirked. "Perhaps you're jealous that I got the bigger chest… You may have been a bit taller than me when we were young, but I caught up… And I got these babies!" She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "Oh, but a proper lady shouldn't say such vulgar things, shame on me!" She quickly went back to the matter at hand. "Anyway… Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Ami chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Well, believe it or not, we're just a bunch of down on our luck gals who Shinichi-kun took pity on… His parents are away… And they've been away for almost a year now…"

-----

After some proper introductions…

"And Shinichi-chan?" Saki asked.

"He went on a business trip that his father couldn't make it to…" Megumi began. "But we're getting a little worried, because he should have been back by now…"

Saki gasped… again. "Shinichi-chan is late? How terrible! I hope he's okay!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and whispered over to Junko. "Geez, she's really odd, isn't she?"

Junko nodded slowly. "Yeah, so bizarre… One moment she's all bitchy and snotty, next she's sweet and… kinda scary…"

"Oh my, such a boyishly dressed girl…" Saki said, sneaking up next to her. She reached over and squeezed her arm. "And look at these muscles!! A lady shouldn't work out so much… It makes her all sweaty, smelly, and less attractive to men!"

Junko frowned. "Hey… I'll have you know that tomboys are in…"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah! Leave her alone, you prude! Geez, what century did you come from?"

Saki gave a disgusted 'humph'. "Just because my parents raised me correctly doesn't make me a prude!"

Ami glared at Saki. "So, you're saying that we weren't raised correctly?"

Saki looked around a bit. "Well… Maybe that was a little harsh… Besides, it looks like you managed to keep the house spick and span while Shinichi-chan was away…" She looked to the girls. "But… You're all a mess. I need to teach you all how to be proper ladies and quick!" She opened up one of her many suitcases. "First, we need to get you out of those rags and into some real dresses! Thankfully for you, I brought plenty of spare dresses!"

The girls all looked at their clothes. Ami began to whimper. "Rags?…"

Saki sighed. "Sorry… I was a bit harsh again…" She whipped out a dress, pounced Junko, quickly stripped her, and put her in a pink frilly dress with her hair in curls within a few seconds. "There! You look so lovely, Junko!"

"Oh… my… god…" Junko began. "I look like a… like a… I don't even know how to describe this…"

"Oh shut up, she's right…" Sakura began, snickering. "You look adorable…" She suddenly burst out laughing. "Oh wow! I never thought I'd see the day when Junko would look like this!"

Junko glared at Sakura. "Shut up… Just… shut up…"

Sakura laughed again, taking pleasure in taunting her. "Oh, what are ya gonna do, huh? Powder puff me to death?"

She leaped toward Sakura, arms out to strangle her. "Oh I'll show you a powder puff, you bi--" She choked as she was grabbed by the collar. "What the--"

"Now, now…" Saki began, giving another evil smile. "Ladies shouldn't be so violent…" She glared. "Now stop struggling… You'll ruin the dress…"

Junko stopped trying to kill Sakura, looking back to Saki. "…How are you holding me back like this?"

Saki shrugged, accidentally letting go. Junko went crashing to the floor. "I dunno…" She glared down at the girl. "Hey, now… Get up off of the floor, my dress will get dirty…"

"Yes, my queen…" Junko muttered, sarcastically. "God, you're so freaking annoying… How long are you going to be here, anyway?"

Saki chuckled. "Well, you see… Shinichi and I are to be wed in June… The wedding is in a month, so I will stay here for as long as it take for Shinichi-chan to get back…"

Everyone gasped. "He's getting married next month?"

"That's right!" Saki laughed cruelly. "And there's nothing that you can do about it… Shinichi-chan's and my destiny has been set in stone for years… Give it up, you all have no chance… Especially since when his parents come home, they will kick you all out in the streets…"

To be Continued…

-----

And so, a new arc begins…. Just keep tuning in, that's just the tip of the ice berg…

---Kouji Tamino