Sakura Kisses Chapter 4: Contemplation, a love hina fanfic

: Sakura Kisses :

- GlazedAndConfused -

"..." - denotes speech.
"(...)" - denotes whispering.
Italics denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue.

Chapter Four : Contemplation

It is often said that a person loves the one they hurt the most. This, to an extent, can be true depending on the nature of the harm that one tends to inflict on their love interest. In the case of Naru Narusegawa, this statement was true as it could possibly be. The auburn-haired Toudaisei remained sat in the living room, rocking back and forth on the couch as she mulled over the events that just happened previously with her fox-eyed friend and those of the past day. Although she had willingly let Keitaro - her former study partner and love interest - go to Mutsumi, she could not seem to find herself able to dispel any romantic feelings she still had for the kanrinin. Multiple images raced through her mind at a thousand miles a minute. The kiss she shared with Kitsune. Keitaro's smiling face. The kanrinin and the Okinawan woman holding hands. She placed her fingers against her lips again, looking up at the ceiling.

Kitsune... what happened just then? She mused, her cheeks flushing a light, rosy hue. One minute, we were just talking like friends; the next, we kissed...

She knew that everybody loved Keitaro in their own different ways, although some were more reluctant to admit that very fact than others. One of the people in which the latter applied was Motoko Aoyama, the very person who claimed so often that she thought very little - if anything - of the kanrinin. Yet sometimes her actions around Keitaro would suggest that her feelings were not what she claimed them to be; if anything, she seemed to be opening up to him a lot more ever since he helped her defeat her older sister, Tsuruko, in Kyoto. Two nights prior to that very battle, she had opened her emotions up to a male for the first time in... well, ever, after he had helped her back to Hinata Sou out of the rain and gave her back the confidence which she had lost. Although she put on a front that made her seem indifferent and uncaring - if not slightly disapproving - of Keitaro's and Mutsumi's relationship, she was in fact slightly jealous, although she had hidden this very well; almost to the point where even she forgot she felt that way.

It was no secret how Shinobu felt about the kanrinin. She had possibly the biggest schoolgirl crush ever seen by anyone, yet her main flaw was actually hiding that fact. Though, it wouldn't really have made a difference as far as the other residents were concerned; Keitaro was practically a younger clone of Seta - both Sara's guardian and his young protegé were dense, unknowing, and clumsy by their own standards. The petite, violet-haired cook would go to any lengths she deemed necessary in order to win his heart. From helping him heal quicker - although that wasn't particularly needed - after being sent flying here, there and everywhere throughout the halls of Hinata Sou to putting extra food on his dish before meals.

It was just a shame for her that her efforts to win his heart were often seen as normal actions between friends. Although it felt as if her world had come to a shuddering halt and crashed down in millions of pieces around her after Keitaro's confession that he and Mutsumi were officially a couple, she would realise that no matter how bad she felt about it, she would have to accept it. Even after she confessed her love to the kanrinin, she would have to settle for second best - if not slightly less - due to the age gap between them.

Su, well... as for the hyperactive gaijin, everybody knew of her brotherly love for Keitaro. It was a well-known fact around the house that she looked upon him as a brother since he, indeed, resembled her oniichan who lived back in her homeland - a place of which none of the residents knew about. If only she gave at least some subtle hints about where that may be.

Sarah McDougal also loved him in a way, despite her actions suggesting otherwise.

Naru hugged her knees close to her chest and started rocking back and forth. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that she had to let any thoughts or plans she had of recapturing Keitaro's heart, she could not bear to see Mutsumi getting hurt emotionally in the process. Although the sadistic side of her brain thought that the frail Okinawan lily had hurt her and wanted to repay the favour, the more 'moral' side of her brain thought that she would be carrying the guilt of emotionally crushing her best friend for a long while. She, like Shinobu, would have to settle for second best.

Until the kanrinin was free again, she would wait.

Keitaro... She thought, the tears springing to her eyes again. No matter how long you stay with Mutsumi, I will wait... even if I have to wait forever, I will...

It was then an old saying had sprung to mind.

It's better to have loved and lost... than to never have loved at all.

Keitaro and Mutsumi were taking a leisurely stroll down the small hot spring town of Hinata, both of them taking all the time they wanted, and spend as much time as they could with one another. After about half an hour of walking, they walked past a landmark that would bring back memories for the hapless male Toudaisei; the fountain in front of the local train station.

The very same place where he and Naru arranged to meet for their first date - although the auburn-haired girl denied with much vehemence that it actually was a date. It was also where the new couple also arranged to meet for the Okinawan's first date, and the kanrinin's second.

"Ara, doesn't this place bring back memories, Keitaro?" Mutsumi spoke, her trademark heart-warming smile still not fading from her face as she snuggled closer into her new boyfriend and intertwined her fingers with his.

"It does..." Keitaro replied with a smile of his own. "It was where we both met when we went on that date after New Year's Day." It was also where me and Naru arranged to meet for our first date... he added mentally.

Later...

They both reached another location which reminded them of the first date they both shared; the local Beefbowl restaurant. Nothing in particular had changed from the last time they had visited. As expected, business was bustling as usual, with almost three-quarters of the restaurant full up. Although it was not what one could call a posh restaurant, it wasn't exactly what could be described as a dump. It looked practically neat with a few posters with Kanji writing - most likely describing special offers and which particular meals are recommended by the chefs. The smell of beef and soup wafted through the air, enticing whoever stopped and had a peek through the front door to come in even further. Mutsumi and Keitaro both looked around and chose their seats, where they just happened to be opposite one another at an empty table in a secluded corner of the restaurant.

"This place also brings back memories," Mutsumi spoke. "Doesn't it?"

"Yeah... we had a good time back then until Naru and Su showed up in that boat pond." Keitaro replied, blushing at the memory, which triggered the Okinawan to do the same. After sharing a giggle at the thought of when the gaijin and the auburn-haired girl rudely interrupted their date, they both picked up the menus that were lying on the table in front of them and had a look through them. They both decided on having combination dishes.

"Ara, it's nice to be eating somewhere else for a change," the Okinawan said, leaning in towards Keitaro.

"Hai," he replied. "No offence to Shinobu-chan's cooking when I say this, but it does get a bit boring eating the same things day in day out."

Soon enough, the waiter had appeared with their orders, and they began to eat. For the next half an hour or so, they both shared childhood memories that they both remembered, as well as the time where they visited Okinawa when many incidents happened. The Toudaisei speech being given to the Otohimes. Naru's hand getting trapped underwater in the giant clam. The two counterparts getting stuck in the tree when trying to save two of her siblings, which lead to a kiss from the Okinawan. Mutsumi falling out of the tree and clashing heads with Naru, causing the older woman to develop a case of amnesia. The impromptu 'wedding'. All were good memories which they could both look back at in retrospect and laugh about whenever they thought about it.

After they had finished their meals, Mutsumi stood up from her seat and gave Keitaro a kiss on the nose.

"Well, I'm going to go to the little ladies' room first."

As she reached the middle of the restaurant, she suddenly stopped, and began to wobble on her feet slightly.

"Ara..."

Keitaro noticed this, and anticipated whatwas going to happen.Immediately, hebolted up and quickly made his way through the crowd to reach his girlfriend. As expected, the process of one of her patented fainting spells had began. Her legs went from underneath her and she began her slow descent towards the hard ground. As she was halfway down, Keitaro hooked his arm around her back and caught her comfortably. He then towards the exit and outside, paying the bill as he was on his way out.

A few minutes later...

Keitaro was sat on a bench in the park that was opposite the restaurant, with Mutsumi laid on the bench; her head resting in his lap. Looking down at the peaceful expression on her face, he felt the heat rising in his cheeks. Damn, she really is beautiful... he thought, unable to take his eyes off her face. She looks even cuter when she is sleeping. I don't know how I could have ignored such a rare beauty.

Just as he finished brushing a few stray locks of hair away from her face, the Okinawan's eyes started to flutter open, her body stirring slightly as she awoke.

"Ara..." she softly groaned. "...Keitaro?" She observed her surroundings. "Where am I?"

Keitaro simply closed the gap between one another's faces and gave her a soft, tender kiss on the lips. "We're in the park."

"What happened?"

"You fainted as you were on your way to the... ladies' room," he replied with a slight blush, "and you fainted in the middle of the restaurant." His face adopted a look of concern. "How do you feel now?"

Mutsumi simply raised her head and reciprocated the kiss he gave her a few seconds earlier. "Just fine."

Keitaro smiled. "Where do you want to go now? We still have plenty of time left..."

He trailed off as the Okinawan placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "Nowhere for the time being," she replied, her cheeks a faint hue of crimson. "I just want to stay like this for a bit longer."

"Then the lady shall get her wish." Keitaro grinned.

Ten minutes later...

The happy couple were taking a leisurely stroll down the park, neither of them wanting to break the silence. It was now early evening, and the setting sun gave the sky a hue of red, making the scenery more romantic and picturesque.

Mutsumi looked up wistfully at her other half. I love you, Keitaro... she thought, ...now and forever. She snuggled closer into his arm and nuzzled her head against his neck, making him blush slightly.

Keitaro was having similar thoughts. If only I had met you earlier, Mutsumi...

A few moments later, they both walked past the part of the park that brought possibly the most embarrassing memory of their first date together; the boat pond. Upon realisation, Mutsumi's eyes lit up. She tapped Keitaro on the shoulder.

"Keitaro?" She asked. "Can we go for a boat ride again? We can finish what we never managed to do the last time." She finished with a playful glint in her eye; one which Keitaro picked up on.

"Why not?" He replied. "It'll be a fitting end to our date."

The Okinawan tilted her head up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Arigato."

The boat pond. A particularly romantic scene for a couple to end their date, depending on what their tastes are. This is especially the case if the sense of romance is emphasised by a glowing red, archetypal sunset that glimmered off the water, making some parts look like liquid rubies.

By now, the happy couple were in the middle of the pond, Keitaro relaxing the oars to let the boat float freely. Mutsumi was boring through his eyes with her own soft, chocolate brown ones, her trademark heart-warming smile never leaving her face for a moment.

"Isn't this romantic, Keitaro?" She asked, staring at him.

"H-Hai,"the kanrinin replied, unable to meet her gaze. Those eyes... he thought. So beautiful. It's as if she is literally ordering me to enter her soul, rather than request...

He was snapped out of his reverie by Mutsumi softly taking his face between her hands and slowly lowering his head onto her lap. Noticing her hand reaching down, he simply decided to just stay where he was, contentedly, as she gently slipped his glasses off and placed them on his lap.

"There." Mutsumi whispered. "Isn't this relaxing?"

"S-Sure is."

The beautiful Okinawan woman stared at his face with a loving and tender expression on her face; the similar expression Keitaro noticed the first time she did this on their first date earlier in the year.

"You know, Keitaro..." She continued. "You have a very cute face. Especially when you're not wearing your glasses. I can take as much time as I want to just stare at it, ne?"

"Sure, I-I don't mind."

She placed a gentle hand on his cheek and started to caress it. "Keitaro...I cannot thank you enough."

"F-For what?"

"For what you have done in the time we have known each other. I must be aburden to you,with my clumsiness and constant fainting."

"No, not at all -"

"But you have put up with it without having a single complaint about it. You have helped me so much ever since we met last spring. Words cannot say how grateful I am for this. And to make things even better, you agreed to be my partner. I feel like the happiest woman in the world at the moment, having the opportunity to show you how I truly feel. Which leaves me this to say."

Keitaro stayed quiet, nodding to let Mutsumi say what she had to.

"I have enjoyed this date so much, I wish that it could just last forever. In fact, it would give me great pleasure if we were to spend the rest of our lives together. Just you and me."

The blush that adorned the kanrinin's face was one that had not been seen previously. If there was ever a record for the world's brightest blush, he would have broken that a hundred times over. He started to babble and stammer before Mutsumi rested a gentle finger on his lips.

"Shhh... no words are needed. After all, actions speak louder than words, ne?"

As if to emphasise that last point, the Okinawan slowly - almost teasingly - closed the gap between her lips and Keitaro's. Time stopped for the pair of them. The chirping of the cicadas, the leaves swaying in the gentle breeze, the sound of the water softly hitting the side of the boat - none of them could be heard by either of the pair; the only audible sound was both of their racing heartbeats. Keitaro could have sworn that it was an eternity before their lips finally made contact, as Mutsumi completely swept him away in the most passionate and amazing kiss either of them had shared yet. When they first kissed to consummate the next step in their relationship, theclumsyyoung manfelt as if everything had stopped, and that he and Mutsumi were the only two people left in the world. This kiss was like that, multiplied by fifty.

After they decided to come up for air - which was about two minutes or so after their lips made contact - they decided that no words were needed. They remained in their original positions, wanting to enjoy their company while their date lasted.

One hour later...

As the two former roninsmade their way up the giant stone steps that lead toHinata Sou, neither of them were aware of a pair of eyes that was watching them from the laundry balcony. The said pair of eyes were the sapphire orbs that belonged to the second youngest resident of the all-girls dormitory, Shinobu.

The young cook was sat on the decking, leant against the wooden railing. Although there was a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips, there was also a sad, forlorn look in her eyes at the same time. She felt jealous. Jealous at the love that Keitaro had for the Okinawan, and how he expressed it so freely and openly. Though, she realised after her confession that the only thing she could do was stand back and accept that a new woman had a grasp on his heart, and was not about to let it go soon enough.

In fact, forever would be the correct analogy in this case. Everybody could see how much she liked being around the young man, and she made it perfectly clear how she felt about him even before she declared their relationship.

What they didn't expect was that she would stake her claim on him so soon.

It was no secret how she felt about Keitaro. Everybody except Keitaro himself knew that. But they all saw her feelings as nothing more than a schoolgirl crush. But Shinobu knew it was more than that. If it was a schoolgirl crush, how come those feelings had not faded by then? Surely if it were what they said it was, she would have seen the kanrinin as little more than a friend and confidant. But even now, she was still pining after him. She even forgot all memories of what he did after they first met. Which was just as well. They were not really the best of memories to even try and think about; it didn't seem to be enough for him to take her trust and completely crush it in front of her after revealing that he had lied about his status as a ronin, claiming that he was a Toudai student. It felt to her as if he had ripped her heart from his chest and proceeded to play football with it.

But just when she thought it couldn't have gotten any worse than it already was, it did. He became the kanrinin of the all-girls dorm, and on that same night he fell into the bath after eavesdropping, thus seeing her fully naked; an incident that embarrassed her to such an extent that, if anything, fuelled her resentment and rancour towards him even further. She even went so far as to build up a stronger mental and emotional wall between him and her. She acted as if he didn't even live there. Whenever he spoke to her, she rebuked all attempts and pretended that he wasn't talking. Then when they were on the way back to the dorm and she dropped the groceries, he helped her pick them up. This was perhaps the only time they had spoken since his true status was revealed.

Then she let all her anger and frustration out, taking a morbid delight in how shocked he was after she walked away, even so much as allowing the smallest of evil grins creep across her face. She had been waiting for this moment. She let all her bitterness build up and then spewed it all out at once, rather than just letting it out gradually. But her biggest shock came in the fact that Keitaro was the only one who knew that it was Shinobu's birthday that very day. The fact that he had arranged a party for her after letting everybody else know of the occasion came as such a big surprise that she had immediately forgotten every ounce of resentment she felt for him, and things returned to the way they were when they first met. Sure, she was embarrassed again when she had

The violet-haired cook took a deep, shuddering breath and hugged her knees to her chest, staring into the evening sky, her eyes glazing over and the expression on her face becoming more forlorn. She longed to have the love she held for him reciprocated in kind, despite the age difference. She just wanted it to be her in his arms, always and forever, with no competition whatsoever.

Sempai... I wish you the best with Otohime-san She thought dejectedly. But I'll always be there for you; even if you and Otohime-san break up, I'll still be there. But I wish that you would see how much I love you for all it is worth... I let you know of my love. Why can't you love me in the same way, rather than just see me as a younger sister?

This was where her conscience began to enter the fray. You still don't understand, do you? Face the facts. You are too young for him. It's better for him that he has a partner the same age as him.

B-But we get along so well! Why should that make a difference?

Because he would feel that it would be wrong for you two to be in a serious relationship with one another. Especially since you are still growing. You're still only 15, remember? A teenager. He is 21. An adult. It would be against his morals for an adult to have the same sort of relationship he has with Mutsumi with you. Those are the facts. This is the real world, not that of fantasy, where the love of many can go unrequited. It is true that there are many partners who have a much bigger age gap than you and Keitaro. But you still have another three years to go until you are an adult. Do you think that anyone the same age as him would be willing to wait until then before they finally initiate a relationship?

Shinobu realised that her conscience was right. Unrequited love. She never stood a chance from the very beginning. It was pointless to even try and make him realise how much she loved him, and to try and impress him; to make him notice the effort she was putting in to capture his heart.

Not for the first time that day, she lost her resolve and started to grieve silently, her body sliding further down the railings and her head burying itself into her hands.

Kitsune was sat in her bedroom with a bottle of saké and a glass cup by her side. The fox-eyed woman was sat in a ruminative silence, mulling over what had transpired between her and Naru earlier. Her entire face was flushed, making her look as if she had been lying under a sunbed for too long. Her normally closed eyes were open half-way, staring blankly at the wall at the far end of her room. She too placed her fingers against her lips.

Naru... She thought, similarly to her auburn-haired friend. H-How did that happen? First, we were just talking... then we hugged... then all of a sudden, we kissed each other.

It would seem as if the kiss had changed something about her. While she was a fun-lover and loved to flaunt her body, knowing how good and curvy her figure was - something she took particular pride in, using it to her own 'advantages', namely extorting saké money out of Keitaro on a constant basis, knowing his inexperience with those of the opposite sex until now - she did also have a slight curiosity in those of the same gender as her. Living in Hinata Sou had only aroused this curiosity even further. But the trouble was this... was there anyone, except Mutsumi, who shared the same curiosity as her? Su, Sara and Shinobu were also out of the question; the age gap was too big, though knowing Su's curiosities, how the young gaijin felt about that would have been anybody's guess. She often found herself wondering how a woman's lips would feel pressed against hers. How another woman's bare skin would feel against her's. Though this curiosity wasn't to such an extent that it made her consider if she was heterosexual, bisexual or a lesbian. The latter would most likely be struck off almost immediately if she ever did consider her sexuality.

Her mind then switched to Naru. The only person to have gotten closest to her and known her the most ever since they had gone to high school together. The fox-eyed woman had not only been friends with her, but also acted as an agony aunt of sorts for her, giving her advice and other information on some bits and pieces of life. If Naru was jealous at Kitsune's outgoing and social nature, she certainly didn't show it. However, a role which she did not particularly like, however, was playing the 'messenger' for her whenever the auburn-haired girl wanted to dump one of her many admirers. Whenever she would attempt to ask out the ones Naru had ditched, she would be rejected. No matter how politely the rejection would be put, that didn't help lessen the pain she felt.

This then reminded her of a man from the past.

Seta.

The only man she well and truly loved, above the rest. And yet, she sacrificed her love for Naru to stand a chance with him once she 'staked her claim' in him, so to speak. This made her even more lonely than she already was, although she never showed anybody this. What made her feel even worse was that he left one day, without so much as even saying goodbye.

Without letting her show him how much she loved him. In a way, there was another feeling that accompanied Kitsune aside from anger at Keitaro's announcement.

Jealousy.

Envy.

Despite her social and out-going personality that had earned her many friends during her years at high school, it never particularly earned her many boyfriends. She was jealous of Mutsumi, since she would have a man who would walk around all ends of the Earth for her. A man that would always love her for who she was, and never her body. A man that would love her for the rest of his life. The Okinawan was lucky. After all, Kitsune never had a boyfriend for any longer than a few months the most. Most of these former boyfriends loved her for only one thing.

Her body.

That was the downside of having an attractive, desirable figure. Many of them took advantage of her strong liking for saké and often got her drunk so they could try to take advantage of her. Not that it always worked, though, much to their shock. Chances were that all it would normally take to deter them would be one swift, hard kick to the groin and they would be off like a rat up a drainpipe.

Still, at least she did have something that she could always rely on to be there for her whenever she needed it.

Alcohol.

Liquor.

Booze.

No matter what way she put it, it was always the same thing.

Bearing in mind the amount of alcohol she consumed on a daily basis, it was amazing that she never even considered the fact that she may be drinking a bit too much. But then again, alcohol was practically her only source of comfort. More often than not, it did the job that no person could do; make her forget all about her problems, feel as if all was right with the world, and at the same time fade into a blissful oblivion. At least until the next day. At the end of the day, all it provided was nothing more except empty, hollow comfort and solace. But at least it made all her problems disappear for a desired period of time.

But it didn't fill the hole in her heart caused by loneliness. She had trouble finding the right person, until Keitaro came along and became kanrinin of the all-girls dormitory. Sure, she didn't have any particular romantic feelings for the hapless young man, but at least he was there for her whenever she needed wanted somebody to talk to about her own personal problems. He would have made the perfect catch; he was a Toudaisei, he inherited his grandmother's old inn, which would mean a lot of money. But above all, he was caring, innocent, and honest.

If only men of that same nature would come around more often, rather than just once in a blue moon.

Kitsune loved Keitaro in her own way. True, she could seem fairly two-faced towards him at the worst of times, in the fact that she often conned the kanrinin out of money for saké or just money in general, and the fact that she never defended Keitaro or helped him explain any 'compromising' situations they happened to be in whenever Naru or Motoko were about to send him on a one-way flight into the stratosphere for god knows what reason they feel is necessary. But despite those flaws, she did love Keitaro; fairly much as an older brother, as opposed to a possible romantic interest in the future. It was also true that she was - needless to say - angry after Keitaro admitted that he had fallen out of love with Naru and back into it's enchanting embrace again with Mutsumi. But she realised that she could not remain mad at solely him forever; after all, the way Naru had treated him over the course of two years, it wasn't actually surprising that this had happened sooner rather than later.

In fact, she had to admit that if a man she liked treated her like that, he would have had more or less the same thing coming, if not a bit worse.

But until she found her perfect partner, she would have to wait... and endure more loneliness at the same time.

: END CHAPTER FOUR :

: AUTHOR'S NOTES :

Heh. Sorry for the delay in updating this. I ran a bit low on ideas for how to do this chapter. Not only that, but my brother accidentally deleted some of the stuff that was on here - including my own personal folder. Problem sorted, though - nothing that a little intervention from 'System Restore' couldn't do.

Before anyone asks, I don't know when the next chapter will be up... possibly a month or so. So I wouldn't be expecting of any updates anytime soon. Plus there's college to juggle as well.

Sorry if the date scene between Mutsumi and Keitaro seemed a bit... crap. I've not really been on a date myself, so I wouldn't have an idea where to begin.

As always, all feedback is welcome.

And now, time for an omake...

: OMAKE :

"Isn't this romantic, Keitaro?" She asked, staring at him.

"H-Hai,"the kanrinin replied, unable to meet her gaze. Those eyes... he thought. So beautiful. It's as if she is literally ordering me to enter her soul, rather than request...

He was snapped out of his reverie by Mutsumi suddenly taking his face in both of her hands, an lascivious glimmer in her eye as she licked her lips in anticipation. Much to Keitaro's shock, she ripped her blouse open, exposing her ample bosom, supported only by her bra. She reached under her open blouse and behind her back to where the hook was.

"Now, let's get rid of this, shall we?"

Instead of undoing the clasp normally, she just ripped it off and discarded it in the clear waters of the pond. Grabbing Keitaro's hair, she wasted no time in lowering his face toward her sizeable breasts. From the other sides of the large pond, the only sounds that could be heard were Mutsumi's unabashed, animalistic screams of plea - SCENE DELETED

...Alright, so the omake was pretty crap. To any readers who were hoping for a slice of hentai action,well... I'll let your imagination continue from where I left off. ;)