Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
Keitaro sat alone, next to a sakura tree that grew, similarly alone, in the grounds of the dormitory.
It had been two month since Brainy Keitaro had managed to reform him using the flux gun, and since then, his life had certainly changed. Even for the better, some might say.
After his rebirth, the girls had stopped punishing him, instead opting to hang out with their own respective Keitaros.
How weird, using the word Keitaro in plural form.
At first, Keitaro had been seriously confused about the situation in its entirety, but then later on Kind Keitaro, together with Naru, had taken time out to sit down with him and bring him up to date with recent events, by telling him about the incident that caused his split into six different personalities, the stories behind the current relationships between the different Keitaros and the girls, plus the subsequent risky attempt at reforming him, which fortunately worked. Or else, you know, the world would have become a black hole by now.
By the way, Keitaro still couldn't figure out how the ridiculously rigid law of 'Law of Conservation of Energy' could be bent. After, this reform process had pulled energy out of nowhere to reform his original body, and in doing so; he was now again the embodiment of all six Keitaros once more. This would mean that another six Keitaros were created, since the original six were still well and alive. Hence, in essence, energy, and matter, had been created during his reform process. This was a massive breakthrough for science!
But that wasn't important.
What was important was that, somehow, even though he didn't get punished anymore, and the entire atmosphere in the inn was now one of harmony and happiness, Keitaro felt sad… empty.
All the girls in the inn had their own Keitaros now.
And since all the girls had their own Keitaros, the original Keitaro was now completely, and utterly ignored.
So what was going to happen to him?
He couldn't chase after Naru now, since she was practically spoken for by Kind Keitaro.
His number one dream in life of going to Tokyo University with her was shattered... by ironically, himself.
What should he do now? Had he been better left living in each manifestation of the different facets of his personality, and being loved by each and everyone of the girls, rather than being brought back into an empty, useless shell, that was ignored and neglected by the same bunch of girls?
Sometimes, Keitaro wondered why they brought him back. It was obvious none of them actually wanted him back, judging by Naru's expression of extreme disappointment when she had looked upon him the day they used the flux gun.
She seemed to have been mourning, feeling sorry for somebody… a person he thought was himself, since he was lying barely conscious on the ground due to some unknown cause. However, it soon became apparent that it was not himself that she was sorry for when an identical double of him appeared and stroked her on the back, followed by a joyful welcome from the auburn-haired girl. At this point, his head was still too muddled up to consider the impossibility of there being an identical twin of himself running about, but the happiness that came to him for thinking that Naru had cried for him instantly evaporated. Of course, Keitaro's face betrayed none of his emotions, and instead, he let the still muddled part of his brain take over, appearing to be confused and disorientated.
Keitaro felt the flame burning within him dim. But that was not all.
Later on, when they had retreated back to the living room of the dormitory, none of the girls had bothered to pay him any attention, and neither did any of them bother to answer one of his numerous questions. Shinobu was busy running after her captured 'sempai', Kitsune was hanging out with Fun Keitaro, Su was engaged in deep conversation with Brainy Keitaro, Motoko and Confident Keitaro were practically making out with each other, Naru and Kind Keitaro were nowhere to be seen, and probably making out somewhere, and Mutsumi and Timid Keitaro were playing some board game.
Seeing that nobody was going to be able to entertain his questions for sometime, Keitaro quietly sneaked out and disappeared through the front door, reappearing only later at night.
Of course, when he returned, still nobody cared to inform him about the latest events, so he retired to his room and went to bed.
Keitaro looked towards the heavens, and wondered about the injustice of it all.
Had they forgotten, that he was the one who had helped them in the days before? When they were broke, when they were depressed, when they were lost… he was the one who had helped get them back on their feet. And now… now those ingrates had forgotten all about him just because individual parts of him had appeared! What about the original, the one who truly was their candle in the dark? What had these individual parts of him done for the girls that could compare to his deeds? All of them… in their individual form… was nothing compared to him, a collective consciousness that brought out the best in each of them!
But still, the one thing that hurt him most was the fact that Naru had allowed the relationship between herself and Kind Keitaro get further than the relationship between them ever did. Why did she accept part of him more than she accepted him? In what way was his inferior to Kind Keitaro? IN WHAT WAY WAS HE INFERIOR?
Kind Keitaro did not have the other facets of his personality to control him… while he had… and yet, in the end, it made no difference.
Naru had made her choice.
Keitaro pounded the ground with his fist, as silent tears flowed down his cheeks. Why was fate so unfair to him?
Keitaro slumped back against the tree.
In the end, it did not matter. He loved the girls way too much to be able to hold a grudge against them. All he could do was to grin and bear it.
But as he resolved to do that he realized something.
That there was nothing left for him here now. Perhaps, so as not to stick out as a sore thumb in their perfect lives, he should leave.
But where could he possibly go?
Nowhere.
Suddenly, he heard some rustling in the trees… just as somebody dropped down and landed right next to him.