Kitsune shadowed the younger couple all the way to the garden, as stealthily as a silent breeze. She was exhausted after an hour of jumping, twisting and dodging, but the young woman had gone much too far to quit now. Even sake didn't compare to this kind of thrill, the illicit rush she got from spying on people. Somebody obviously went out of their way to keep this date a secret, so she was going to do everything she could to find out the truth. Such was her nature.

She crouched down behind a wooden pillar as Keitaro and Shinobu approached the bridge, careful not to make a noise.

They were talking.

Shinobu leaned on the bridge, looking up at the moon. Whatever she was saying, it seemed slow and deliberate. She glanced at Keitaro lovingly, but with a strange sadness as well, as if she were prepared to accept something she didn't want.

Suddenly, he kissed her.

It was long, and passionate. When Keitaro finally pulled away, they were both breathless.

They were talking again.

When Keitaro finished, they were silent for a few moments.

Then Shinobu began to cry.

Keitaro hesitated. But finally, he took her into his arms. She reciprocated with a desperate sort of tenderness, one that betrayed the depths of her fear, and the incredible strength of her love.

Kitsune saw everything with a wide-eyed, hypnotized fascination.

Then she smiled, a devious fox's grin.

This was even better than she had hoped.

*******

Chapter 5: Happy Birthday! The Truth Comes Out!

*******

Naru awoke slowly. Her head felt like an egg that had been mercilessly cracked against a frying pan and emptied of its contents. She blearily wiped her eyes.

"Eh… nani?"

What was she doing here? The last thing she could remember was following Shinobu-chan and Keitaro, and then Rieko had showed up… and then the fight…

But then what?

As she raised herself out of her futon with her elbows, Naru realized someone was sitting next to her. She snapped to attention when she recognized Rieko.

"Maehara-san! What are you doing here?"

Rieko opened her eyes. She looked exhausted.

"Naru-chan… youkata (I'm so glad). Ohayo gozaimasu." She smiled tiredly, but with not a little bit of kindness.

Naru winced, rubbing the back of her head. The flesh there felt quite tender.

"What happened?"

"Please, don't move too quickly. Just lie down." Rieko gestured for her to rest her head. Naru realized that there was an ice pack on her pillow.

"What happened?" She asked again, a little more curiosity in her voice. "Did you knock me out with your guitar?"

The blue-haired girl cringed. "Er… not exactly." She took a soaked cloth from a bowl of cold water next to her, wringing it gently and placing it on Naru's head. "I pulled you into an alley to keep you from yelling, but I guess I went a little too fast, because the next thing I knew, you hit your head on the brick wall and went unconscious." She smiled awkwardly. "Gomen."

"It's okay. I feel fine, Maehara-san. Don't worry." Naru removed the cloth from her head, sitting up to face her companion. "I think I should be the one to apologize. I shouldn't have gone crazy like that."

Rieko tactfully looked away, taking out her electric guitar. "You had your reasons."

That was right; she did.

"Where's Keitaro and Shinobu-chan?"

Rieko shrugged. "I heard them come in last night, but I've been here ever since I carried you home."

"You carried me?"

"Well, I hauled you on piggyback and rode my scooter back to the Hinata house."

Naru blushed, embarrassed at having been the cause of so much trouble. "Domo arigato."

Then the door slid open, and Kitsune sauntered in.

Rieko's eyes narrowed when she saw her. There was something very suspicious in her smile.

"Ohayo, minna…" She kneeled down on a cushion, patting Naru on the shoulder. "Just thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing."

Naru smiled in gratitude. "I'm fine Kitsune. Thanks for being concerned."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all! Especially not after last night…" Her smile became almost unnoticeably more impish, but Rieko caught it just in time.

The punk girl fought the urge to scowl. "What do you mean?"

Kitsune feigned an air of nonchalance. "Oh, just things… here and there, you know. It was pretty busy the other night… Wouldn't you say, Naru-chan?"

She knew.

Somehow she had gotten past all the booby traps Rieko had set up the other night, and she still saw everything.

This, Rieko noted, was decidedly bad.

Naru was still recovering from her concussion, but she caught the hidden subtext of Kitsune's words. Her eyes flashed in morbid curiosity, and she leaned closer. "What are you getting at, Kitsune?"

"Ahh, nothing. It's nothing," she said in a way that definitely implied that there was more than she was letting on.

"Kitsune…"

She stretched lazily, standing up to leave. "Well, I'd better get going. I have things to do." She winked. "Rest up, okay Naru-chan? There's no use in you getting all flustered over nothing."

When the door closed, Naru and Rieko were silent.

Then they both sighed, in unison. They looked at each other in surprise.

Rieko raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Mm. Well?"

Naru closed her eyes slowly. Her expression was drained of any energy, and she could only afford a small, sleepy smile.  "… I guess I'm just tired."

Rieko nodded in agreement. "Yeah… yeah." She lay down, her guitar resting on her stomach. "This place does that to you."

*******

Kitsune went back to her room, basking in the afterglow of complete satisfaction.

Secrets were one of those strange topics that made Kitsune's life keep turning. She hated having secrets kept from her, but she loved keeping her own secrets from everyone else. She liked feeling in control of the situation. It was just more comfortable that way. And comfort was very important to Kitsune.

This had turned out better than she had hoped.

Keitaro and Shinobu were getting hot and heavy, and now Naru was beginning to suspect something fishy. Not only that, but Kitsune had dropped hints to everyone else in the household… she couldn't wait to see what would happen later that night at the birthday party.

Would Naru beat Keitaro into a bloody pulp?

Would someone finally snap from the tension and demand an explanation?

Or perhaps Keitaro would be making a "special announcement" tonight…

So many possibilities.

This was what she was missing. It was better than a case of mistaken identity, better than kappas, almost better than the taste of good sake. This was intense, real, memorable drama, all created by her masterful hand.

Kitsune giggled in delight, opening up her horse racing journal and lying peacefully on her bed.

It was all so exciting!

*******

Shinobu examined the list in her hand. "Eggs… we need eggs and mushrooms."

"I'm on it."

Keitaro and Shinobu were shopping for groceries. They didn't really need to; it was more just an excuse to go out and enjoy the day. The sky was cloudless through the windows, there was a pleasant breeze in the air, and even the birds seemed to show their pleasure by bursting into song.

Keitaro dropped the items into the basket. "Okay, anything else?"

"Hmm… No, looks like we're done."

"All right."

After they paid for everything, the two lingered outside instead of going back to the Hinata Inn, wandering around the gift shops.

"Shinobu-chan?"

"Nani?" Shinobu was writing in her planning notepad.

"Your party's today."

She smiled. "Hai!"

"What kind of cake did you want, out of the ones we tried?"

Shinobu thought for a moment. She smiled again. "I like all of them."

Keitaro chuckled. "That doesn't help much."

"I know, but I don't think I could make a decision about which one I liked the most. They were all delicious." She looked up at Keitaro. "Just surprise me, sempai. I trust you."

He nodded. "Okay."

Keitaro pointed. "Hey, look. A photo booth."

Shinobu blushed, suddenly shy again. "Did… did you want to take pictures, sempai?"

Keitaro shrugged. He reached into his pockets, pulling out a few bills. "I think I have enough here, and besides, I don't have any pictures of you in my sticker album." He smiled. "Come on."

They sat inside the booth, and Keitaro inserted the bills.

"Okay, Shinobu-chan, get ready…"

They took one picture just sitting together.

"Let's do something weird!"

They took another with Keitaro in a faux-headlock.

"How about something a little more standard, sempai?"

They took another picture, with both of them smiling and making V-signs.

"Ooh, how about a birthday picture?"

They took another picture sitting together, and chose the special 'happy birthday' border for the sticker.

"Well, that was fun."

Shinobu nodded in agreement. "You're fun to be with, sempai." She beamed, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. "That's why I like you the most!"

He chuckled and turned red, scratching the back of his head.

*******

Keitaro slipped into his room. In his hand was the sheet of pictures that he had taken with Shinobu earlier in the day.

Surreptitiously, he opened his desk drawer, removing a small black box. He carefully opened it, inspecting its contents with a discerning eye.

Everything looked perfect.

"Shinobu-chan, you're going to love this."

Taking out a pair of scissors, he set to work.

Barely a minute passed before he heard the door open.

Panicking, he shoved everything back into the drawer and took out the first thing he could reach, opening it up and pretending that he was reading.

"Keitaro-kun." Rieko's head popped in.

"H-hai, Rieko-san!" He smiled nervously. "Is there something you need?"

"Shinobu said she was starting lunch, and wanted to know if you wanted to help…" She raised an eyebrow, glancing at the material in Keitaro's hands. "Of course, she could always wait fifteen minutes…"

Keitaro looked down.

He was holding one of the magazines he used for models… one the more risqué variety. He slapped it shut. "Ah-hahaha this isn't what it— Tell her I'll be right there!"

The blue-haired girl smiled softly, shaking her head as she closed the door. "Tsk tsk, kanrinrin-san (manager)."

Keitaro heaved a deep sigh.

That was embarrassing. But he was willing to put up with some humiliation, as long as everything else went smoothly.

Tying a headband around his forehead, he opened the drawer and resumed his task.

*******

Naru was sitting alone, in her room.

The lights were off, leaving her with nothing but shadows and slivers of light to comfort her. Rieko had left earlier, and now Naru could spend some time in genuine reflection, and let the events of the last couple days sink in.

What happened between Keitaro and Shinobu?

She didn't know.

That was the truth, but it left an aching question behind:

Did she want to know?

She didn't know the answer to that, either.

On one hand, it all seemed so silly. Keitaro was a sick pervert; that much was undeniable. But he was also spineless. Even on the day of his arrival, he wasn't even brave enough to tell anyone the truth, instead lying about being a Tokyo U student and hoping that the charade would last. If he was a coward from day one, then what would make him any better now? He just wasn't capable of doing anything to Shinobu—he'd be too afraid of everyone's wrath.

No. He'd be too afraid of Naru's wrath.

That's what he really feared.

But what did that make her? A jealous wife, bitterly using anything as an excuse to berate and abuse her spouse? She didn't want that.

And it wasn't as if change was impossible. Naru had seen moments, here and there, where Keitaro seemed like a decent human being. There were even times when he was downright kind. But his kindness was always self-deprecating in its own way. It was as if he thought that by hurting himself, he could make Naru feel better about her life.

But again… what did that make her?

And if she accepted that Keitaro was able to change, then that meant she had to accept the possibility that he did indeed sweep Shinobu off of her feet. There was the chance, however slight, however undesirable, that Naru's suspicions were correct, and that Keitaro and Shinobu really were participating in some kind of clandestine romance.

"Hah!" She said to no one in particular. "Well she can have him! That stupid pervert can do whatever he wants! It's not like I care!"

The walls didn't respond.

"Baka Keitaro… Baka Shinobu… they don't even know what they're doing. Hmph! But I don't care."

The walls stayed silent.

That was right. She didn't care.

But then why she feel so empty?

"Lunchtime!" Shinobu's voice called out from the kitchen.

Without another word, Naru stood up and left her room, closing the door behind her.

Now there were only the shadows.

*******

"Happy birthday dear Shinobu-chan… Happy birthday to you!"

A candle-covered birthday cake, covered in pink frosting and in the shape of a heart, was placed on the table in front of Shinobu.

Mutsumi smiled, getting the camera ready.

"Make a wish, Shinobu-chan!"

Shinobu thought for a moment. Then she smiled.

With a breath, the candles went out.

Kitsune whooped, turning the lights on and producing bottles and bottles of sake. "All right, let's have ourselves a PARTY!"

Everyone cheered; even Haruka.

Shinobu turned to Keitaro as Kaolla Su stepped up to a monstrosity of a karaoke machine—undoubtedly one she built herself. "Thank you for the cake, sempai."

"Wait until you taste it, Shinobu-chan. I put everything into this one!" He smiled proudly.

"I just wish I could've helped you this time."

"Don't be silly! It's your birthday; you should relax!" Keitaro patted her gently on the back. "Now how about we get some drinks and join the festivities, ne?"

Shinobu nodded enthusiastically—then cringed as Kaolla Su and Sarah launched into an atrocious pop duet. "… Actually, give me a minute or two to adjust."

Keitaro laughed. But as he turned to watch the spectacle, he noticed Naru out of the corner of his eye. She was just sitting there, doing nothing. He decided to head over to her end of the table, sitting down comfortably next to her. "Are you all right, Narusegawa?"

For a split second, Naru gave Keitaro such a cold look that he backed away.

An instant later, she reverted to her normal self.

"Why, you want to see if I'm drunk yet, Keitaro?"

He began to sweat. "I, er…"

"You pervert!" Naru gave him a playful punch—about as playful as a punch in the face can get, anyway. "Watch the karaoke queen, little boy." With that, she stood up, taking a microphone.

A couple of minutes later, Naru burst into a stunning rendition of "Sobakasu" by Judy and Mary.

Keitaro looked at her quizzically. What was that all about?

He shrugged, standing up to fix himself a drink.

At least everything was okay.

*******

"Open the presents!" Kitsune slurred. In her hand was yet another cup full of warm sake, though she had lost count of them a long time ago.

Shinobu took the first one, a big box that was gift-wrapped with banana-patterned paper and a gold bow.

"That's from me!" Kaolla Su declared. "You're going to love it!"

As soon as she heard that, Shinobu gulped, taking extreme caution when pulling the bow open. There was no telling what was waiting for her. She slowly opened the paper, and her jaw dropped when she opened the box. "A professional set of stainless steel cooking knives?"

"Yup!"

Shinobu embraced her friend in a tight hug. "Thank you Su-chan!"

"And they shoot missiles, too!"

"Whose should I pick next?" She took a small box, which was wrapped—very poorly—with green paper and a white ribbon.

"Um…" Keitaro piped up, shyly. "That one's from me."

"Oh?" Shinobu blushed slightly. "Well I wonder what it is!"

All of the girls leaned in to see what it was. They all remembered, or at least heard about, what happened the other night. Kitsune's not-so-subtle hinting that she knew what was going on didn't help matters much.

Keitaro inwardly groaned. Why did everyone have to pay such close attention?

Nevertheless, he wanted to see the look on Shinobu's face, so he kept his gaze fixed on her.

She slowly untied the ribbon, and carefully removed the gift wrapping. She stared silently at what was underneath for a few moments.

"Well?" Motoko said, her voice betraying the slightest hint of anticipation. "Open it up, Shinobu-chan."

Taking an deep breath, Shinobu opened the box.

And she gasped.

Inside was a gold necklace, with a tiny, heart-shaped golden watch in the center.

"Sempai… you shouldn't have…"

Keitaro smiled awkwardly. "I hope you like it."

Naru saw the necklace, and turned away silently, breathing easier now than she had been for the entire day. It wasn't that big of a deal. Just a bit of gold. If that was the best idea Keitaro had for a birthday gift…

"Oh look!" Mutsumi pointed. "It has a hinge on it! It's a locket!"

Haruka smiled, winking at her nephew. Keitaro chuckled nervously. "Let's see what's inside."

Curiously, Shinobu opened the locket.

No one could see what was inside yet, but it affected Shinobu immediately.

She sniffed, wiping her eyes with her free hand.

The girls made a low "ohhh" sound as the contents of the locket were revealed:

On the right side was a picture of Shinobu, and on the left was one of Keitaro.

Keitaro shrugged. "… I guess you know why I wanted to go to the photo booth now." He looked concerned. "Shinobu-chan, are you all right?… You don't like it any more?"

Shinobu shook her head. "No, it's not that…" She closed the locket, putting the necklace on. Then she stood up, running past all of the girls and giving Keitaro a big hug. Her voice was quiet, and wavering.

"I love it. Thank you so much, sempai…"

"KISS 'ER!"

Everyone turned around to see Kitsune, who was now hideously intoxicated.

Shinobu and Keitaro turned bright red, pushing themselves away from each other and going back-to-back.

"Wh-What are you talking about, Kitsune? I'd never do that!" Keitaro laughed.

Shinobu laughed along with him. "That's right, he's the manager! It wouldn't be appropriate!"

Kitsune pouted. "Hey-yy… why not?" She grinned. "You kissed 'er last night, didn'tcha Kei-kun? So do it right now! Give us a big romantic kiss, right on the lips!" She cheered, her words melting into each other. "You know you wanna!"

Time stopped.

"I… don't know what you're talking about, Kitsune." Keitaro meekly protested.

"Yeah you do!" Kitsune laughed. "I was there! You were all at the bridge and making with the smoochy-woochy on the bridge! It was romantic, Kei-kun, I'm proud of you! Never thought you…" she hiccupped, "… had it in you!"

Again, there was complete silence.

Everyone except Haruka was wide-eyed. Even she seemed a little surprised, judging by the way her cigarette drooped.

Keitaro looked at Shinobu, and Shinobu back at Keitaro.

What do we do? Shinobu seemed to ask with her eyes.

I don't know. Keitaro replied in kind.

Everyone's watching us. Say something!
I can't! What can I say?

I don't know…

Their visual dialogue was abruptly ended by the sound of a plate shattering.

Naru had dropped her slice of cake. The fork clattered and came uselessly to a stop.

Her fists were clenched, and her entire body was trembling.

Her eyes were obscured by her hair, shadows of intent and emotion shrouding her.

Everyone's attention was now focused on her.

For almost a minute, everything was unbearably still.

"N…" Keitaro stammered. "Naru…segawa…"

Then she spoke.

With one word, Naru intoned the most hateful, rage-filled sounds that ever existed. If voices had power, hers would have peeled the paint clean off the walls and caused all of the windows in the Hinata Inn to shatter into a million pieces. In three syllables, Naru let out a lifetime's worth of venom, bile and acid, filling the room with a dark, vengeful nimbus. If hell existed, it truly would have no fury compared to the sound of her voice at that very moment, when she said:

"… Keitaro…"

Then, without warning, she unleashed a vicious punch. Her fist shot forward, aimed directly at Keitaro's face…

Where his hand caught it, stopping Naru mid-swing.

Everyone gasped. Even Keitaro.

He stared with unconcealed wonder at his hand, which was now holding Naru's at bay.

Naru, for her part, was shocked into silence. This had never happened before.

Then, before anyone could react, Keitaro took Shinobu by the hand.

"Come on, Shinobu. Let's get out of here."

She looked at him with concern. "H… Hai." They turned to leave.

Their slow walk quickly turned into a mad dash when Naru shouted, "Oh no you don't! Get back here!" Everyone snapped out of whatever spell they were under, realizing three things: One, something big just happened. Two, it had to do with Keitaro and Shinobu.  And three, they were getting away.

With that, everyone gave chase to the running couple.

They slid down the hallway, where they met head-on with Rieko.

"Hey guys, how's the party—"

"No time!" Keitaro shouted, running past her with Shinobu in tow. "Gomen!"

Then the stampede of women ran by, led by a rampaging Naru.

Keitaro leaped into the first open room, pulling Shinobu in after him and slamming the door shut, immediately locking it.

Naru skidded to a stop, where she began yanking and banging on the door.

"Keitaro! Open up you hentai! I know you're in there!" She slammed the door with her fist, but it wouldn't budge. "KEITARO! Open the door! Shinobu-chan, don't protect him!" She kept hitting the door.

Soon her screams became nearly unintelligible, shrieking sounds, her strikes against the door becoming savage and desperate. Anyone who saw her would have sworn that she had finally snapped. The other girls, falling away from the heat of the moment, just stood there and watched the spectacle. Their faces hid nothing.

"Naru-chan…" Motoko slowly approached, her voice unusually gentle as she reached a hand out to touch her friend's shoulder. "Stop doing this…"

"Don't touch me!" Naru shrieked, shoving Motoko away.

Haruka frowned. "Naru-chan, you're going too far."

Naru ignored her and kept hitting the door, screaming bloody murder.

"Keitaro! Keitaro I'll kill you if you don't open this door! Keitaro! Kei…" her voice wavered, but she didn't stop. "Keitaro! Open the door! I said *open the door*! Keitaro *please*…" a sob emerged from her lips. She attempted to hide it, but it was no use. "Keitaro! Keitaro… open the door! Let me in! Keitaro, please, open the door, I'm begging you! Open the door! *Keitaro*!!!"

The last cry of his name died out in her throat.

For one eternally long moment, there was no sound but Naru's hits against the door, which were growing steadily weaker with each successive strike. They were being replaced by the sound of sobs.

Naru slid to the floor, her hands still in weak fists.

She slumped to her knees, letting her head rest against the wood of the door.

Then quietly, miserably, she cried.

Haruka's face softened. "Naru-chan…"

Naru didn't wait to hear what she had to say.

Standing up, she ran away from everyone.

*******

"Do you think it's safe now?"

"… I think so." Keitaro sighed.

The entrance to Shinobu's room was completely covered in a makeshift blockade. Her bookshelf, desk, and several boxes were moved to keep the doorway shut, and the couple now sat, exhausted, on the empty floor.

Shinobu turned to face Keitaro. "What are you thinking about?"

He looked back at her. "Oh, just… how sorry I am, I guess."

"For what?"

Keitaro smiled sadly. "Ruining your birthday party."

Shinobu put her hands in front of her emphatically. "That's awful! You didn't do anything like that, sempai!"

"Are you sure?" He looked up at the ceiling. "Everyone's mad at us, and we're pretty much stuck here for awhile. I wish you could've at least had time to finish opening your presents."

Shinobu shook her head slowly. "I don't see it that way." She blushed slightly. "I think that, even with all of the bad things that have happened…" She leaned on his shoulder. "You made me a cake, you gave me a beautiful gift, and you threw me a wonderful party, even if it didn't last very long. So this has been a good birthday. Thank you, sempai."

Keitaro blushed, looking down at the girl on his shoulder.

"… Anytime, Shinobu-chan."

"Baka!"

Keitaro and Shinobu bolted up. Standing in front of them, annoyed smirk and all, was Sarah MacDougal.

"Sarah??" Shinobu panicked. "H-How did you get in here??"

The young girl pointed up at the ceiling, where a tile was conspicuously removed. She smiled devilishly, letting the scene speak for itself.

Keitaro slumped. "Then I suppose it's only a matter of time before everyone else comes, huh?"

"What're you talking about?" She crossed her arms indignantly. "I came here alone. Nobody else knows I'm here except you two."

"What? Why?"

Sarah shook her head, as if he were asking the dumbest question in the world. "You guys are together. That's a private thing, and I don't see why everyone's freaking out right now. I mean, it's your own business, isn't it? It's not like they have a right to butt in, even if we all live together."

Keitaro and Shinobu were speechless.

Sarah frowned. "What?"

"… Are you sure you're only 9?" Keitaro asked incredulously.

"Poor, misunderstood Sarah-chan…" Shinobu went up to hug her, but Sarah dodged the offer.

"All right, so let's hear it!" Sarah jumped onto Keitaro's back, hitting him on the head repeatedly with her fists.

"Ow! Hey, what's your problem?"

She didn't relent. "Do you love her, baka? Come on, don't be a coward!"

"Stop that!"

"Then tell the truth!"

"Okay, fine!" Sarah jumped off, a smug grin on her face. Keitaro rubbed his head gingerly.

Keitaro looked up. Shinobu was facing him.

She was looking at him expectantly, which made him hesitate.

"What are you waiting for?" Sarah protested. "Tell her already!"

He gulped.

Sarah was right. If there was any time to tell Shinobu how he felt, it was now.

He readied himself. "Shinobu-chan…"

"Sempai?" She almost smiled, but it was covered by uncertainty.

"Shinobu-chan… I…" He took a deep breath. "I…"

A sharp ring interrupted him.

Keitaro paused.

It rang again.

"… You might want to get that, sempai," Shinobu said softly.

He deflated, trudging over to the phone and picking it up.

"Moshi moshi," Keitaro muttered. "Hinata Inn, manager speaking…" He perked up. "Oh! Um, yes she's right here! Just a moment."

He handed the phone to Shinobu, whispering, "It's your dad."

Shinobu took the phone. "Oto-sama (Father)?"

"Shinobu-chan!" Her father's voice came through the line.

"Oto-sama!" She smiled. "Did you call to wish me a happy birthday?"

"Well, that too…" He was oddly quiet, even for his usual self.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No! No sweetie, everything's fine! In fact… I wanted to tell you…" He paused for effect. "Your mother and I have gotten back together!"

Shinobu gasped. "Nani?"

"We've reconciled!"

"That…" She was at a loss for words. "But it's so sudden…"

"Don't worry about it, everything's okay now. We've packed our bags and we're in Okinawa right now. That's actually why I called."

"… What do you mean?" Shinobu couldn't help but feel a sense of dread slowly come over her. What her father said next only confirmed it.

"We want you to leave the Hinata Inn and come live with us."