Trudging up the steep incline of steps to the Hinata Inn was a lot of work and took up too much time for most people's tastes, but to the three returning tenets, the length was perfect. It gave them a chance to discuss their new…neighbor.

"It's too bad he's so young," pouted Kitsune. "He seems uptight. I think we need to get him to loosen up a bit, you know?"

"Y-yeah…we could throw S-s-shigawan-s-san a party…" Shinobu stuttered, "you know, like a w-w-welcoming party!"

"Exactly, Shinobu! I think I'm rubbing off on you!" Naru snorted in obvious displeasure at the statement. Kitsune stopped her ascent to turn to her companions. "No, I'm serious. We need to get the guy to loosen up. Come on, remember the fight? He was all 'I'm a defender, I can't fight for myself or honor, just for life…', he's just a kid! He shouldn't be thinking like that."

"He can think however he wants to, I don't care," exclaimed Naru as she brushed her red hair to the side. Stepping forward, she continued her ascent, leaving Kitsune and Shinobu behind.

Shinobu peeked up at Kitsune shyly, her blue eyes almost covered by her matching blue hair. "Do you think Shigawan-san would really like a party, Kitsune?"

Kitsune smiled softly at the impressionable young cook. "Yeah, he needs it to get through this depression he's been going through since Keitaro got hurt…"

"Oh my gosh!" Shinobu snapped her head up and dashed back to the inn, her recently acquired groceries flailing behind her. "Sempai! Maybe he's awake!"

"H-hi…Keitaro, just coming for a visit." Shigawan's head appeared in the doorway of the young Manager's room. "I hope you're getting better…"

Shigawan slowly entered the room and locked the door behind him. Keitaro lay at the far end of the room, his brown hair covering his eyes, giving the impression that he was simply napping. Shigawan make his way to the side of the futon, dropping to his knees when he reached the side.

"I'm so sorry, Keitaro. This wasn't supposed to happen. This isn't ALLOWED to happen." Shigawan's eyes began to slowly tear up. "I am a defender. This is my life, chosen or not. It is my burden to protect, not to harm. In doing so, I am against my code. I should be dead…"

Finally a tear made its way down Shigawan's cheek, followed closely by two others. The stream of saltwater left a watery streak down his face, and to small droplets fell to hit the sheet covering Keitaro's prone body. An array of spots appeared on Keitaro's sheet, almost saturating the single spot before Shigawan finally calmed himself enough to stand.

Sniffling as he slowly picked himself up, the hazel eyed young man made his way back to the door. Stumbling, Shigawan's foot knocked against the leg of Keitaro's studying table. As he lost his balance, the young protector didn't even bother bringing his hands up to soften the blow. He was drained, tired, his tears streaming behind him as his face rushed to meet the floor.

With a dull thud, Shigawan landed on the floor, forgetting to get back up.

Quietly, the young teen continued to sob to himself.

"Why did I run?"

Kaolla had been beating herself up for rushing out on Shigawan since that morning, and she still couldn't figure it out. Was it because she liked Shigawan? Hanging from one of her rooms many banana trees, she called his face up in her mind.

Bringing her hand up for what felt like the hundredth time to her tanned face, she felt the warmth of a blush wash over her.

Yep, definitely a crush.

Unlike most children, Su took things at face value. If she blushed at the thought of his face, she probably liked him. There was little point in denying it. But why was she so awkward around him? She didn't have this kind of problem when she thought she liked Keitaro. Granted, now she thought more of him as her brother than before, but even then it was never this bad.

She couldn't even talk to Shigawan.

"Oh big brother, you better wake up soon. I think I need your help."

Kaolla slowly made her way to Keitaro's room. Shigawan had said he could awaken at any time, so why not now? She could at least pay her somewhat adopted brother a visit.

Trudging down the hallway in thought, Su's white blond hair bounced slightly with each step. Her eyes were lowered, and green orbs half shut in thought. As Su turned to corner to the manager's room, she found herself face to face with one blue haired cook.

"Ah, Su-chan…is something wrong?"

"Nah, just thinking about something…you checking on Keitaro?"

Although obviously worried at Kaolla's lack of energy, Shinobu seemed anxious for another reason. "I was just on my way to do that," Shinobu started, "but it seems the door is locked…"

"Locked," echoed Su. "Why would it be locked?"

"I don't really know," answered Shinobu. "But what bothers me is that I think somebody is crying in there…"

Su frowned. "Do you know who?"

"Well, since you and me are here, Naru is currently lounging around the living room, I left Kitsune on the steps, and I saw Motoko on the roof training…I'd have to say that it was Shigawan."

Kaolla's eyes widened, but before she had a chance to reply, a faint thud was heard from inside Keitaro's room.

Rushing to the door, Su found that it was still locked, before turning and rushing up to the dorm corridor, murmuring something about Naru's room before disappearing up the steps.

Taking the steps two at a time, Su literally sprinted to Naru's room and threw her door open. Pausing only for a few breaths, the young inventor ran to the covered hole in Naru's floor before dropping to her knees and throwing off the board.

Slowly peeking through the hole, Kaolla found that it was indeed Shigawan that was sobbing. Currently he was sprawled out on the floor, apparently having tripped over Keitaro's small study tables.

"Shigawan?" Su called uncertainly. The young teen remained unresponsive, his shoulders racked with his sobs.

Grasping both sides of the broken floor, Su lowered herself quickly, but carefully to the floor. Landing in a crouched position with a small thump, Kaolla walked uncertainly towards the sobbing Shigawan.

Taking a deep breath and lowering herself to his position, Su gently poked him. "Shigawan…? What's wrong?"

Faster than Kaolla thought possible, Shigawan threw himself around the young inventors waist. Su blinked and stared open eyed as a new blush began to form on her features. "Shigawan…?"

"Su, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! It's my fault. It was a mistake, I swear! I-I didn't mean to…to…I'm sorry."

Su frowned, then smiled warmly at the troubled teen in her lap, almost all traces of her blush banished once again. "Of course it isn't your fault…" she reassured him, taking his face and bringing it level with hers. Gazing into his hazel eyes briefly, she brought her face to his and rubbed her cheek against his.

Shigawan was shocked. She was so close… Her tanned cheek was warm and felt so nice rubbing against his, he stuttered trying to gather his thoughts, only vaguely aware of the blush forming on his face. "B-but…your brother-"

"Shut up," said Su firmly, "don't ruin the moment."

And so Shigawan slowly quieted down, calmed by the closeness the two teens shared. He felt warm, and his stomach did flips. For the first time that day, Shigawan forgot about his mistake and Keitaro's predicament, and focused solely on the young girl next to him. He was happy.

Shinobu silently got up and tiptoed out of Naru's room, careful to remove any sign that she had been there. She had silently witnessed the exchange in Keitaro's room, and was absolutely bursting with pride and envy at Kaolla's accomplishment.

"Good job, Su-chan!" She rejoiced over and over in her head after seeing Shigawan's obvious blush. "I wish I had your luck…"

Reentering the lounge, Shinobu found Naru and Kitsune chatting amiably. Glancing at Shinobu's wildly grinning face and small blush, Kitsune asked,

"Is he awake yet?"

"Who? Oh…I mean-no not yet…"

"What's got you so worked up Shinobu? I heard quite a little riot going on up stairs…anything we should know about?"

"Yeah, and have you seen Shigawan around?" Naru swiftly interjected. "Since he knocked Keitaro out, its only fitting that he take on the caretakers chores indefinitely…"

"Y-yeah, he's with Su in Keitaro's room…"

"Wha-at!" vented Naru, quickly standing and rushing to the stairs. "Sweet Kaolla is alone with that perv? If he's touched one hair on her head, I'll-"

Naru stopped ranting to find that she was being anchored back by Shinobu, her hand held in a death grip. Upon seeing what she was doing, Shinobu quickly dropped Naru's hand and lowered her gaze.

"I'm sorry, Naru-sempai. B-but please don't go up there…"

"Why! So he can ravenge Su's innocent body!" Naru glared at Shinobu's rapidly shrinking form. "Don't you know better Shinobu? You can't trust men!"

"I-I'm sorry Naru-sempai…" Shinobu's big blue eyes quickly began to leak as she ran sobbing to the kitchen, leaving a trail of tears behind.

"That was a little harsh, Naru…" Kitsune whispered, staring at Shinobu's retreating form.

Naru only humphed as she jumped the steps to get to Keitaro's room, calling back, "She needs to learn, she has to stop being so trusting!"

Naru soon found herself at Keitaro's door, and upon trying it, that it was locked. Naru's face set in stone as she fearfully imagined all the things that that kid could be doing to Su behind that locked door. Without so much as a thought beyond that, Naru brought her fist back, and slammed it into the door.

The door caved at the first hit, raising a small cloud of dust as it hit the floor. At the center of the room, Kaolla sat with a fearful expression on her face, while Shigawan, who was currently curled up next to her, had a matching expression. Their faces were still in close proximity.

Naru saw red.

Rushing forward, Naru brought her fist to Shigawan's face in record time.

Naru Punch

Neither teen had a chance to react before Shigawan was launched through a wall and out into the horizon. Dropping to her knees beside Su, Naru began checking her over for any sign that she had been violated, muttering things about perverted men.

Kaolla had yet to say anything. She stared blankly at the whole in the wall, which, surprisingly, just missed the slumbering Keitaro's form. Her mouth floundering helplessly, Su was finally able to breath out,

"Why?"

Standing slowly, Su turned and looked at Naru. Glaring, Su did the first thing that came to mind.

She slapped Naru.

Turning from the shocked red head, Kaolla rushed to her room, before returning with a small tracking device and rushing out the door of the inn.

Naru stared in disbelief, unmoved from the position on her knees. Why was she punished for preventing such and obviously perverted act?

Naru was so engrossed in her thoughts, she hardly noticed Kitsune stroll in, take one look at the hole in the wall, the red mark on Naru's face, and the retreating form of Kaolla, before turning and retracing her steps to the kitchen, murmuring something about having to get started on the party.

Keitaro slept peacefully through it all.

From the Desk of Tyr'll

Well that chapter was a little…weird. I didn't really care for it, butI neededit to be in the story... I know Su seemed OOC once again, but, again,it was necessary.

Poor Shigawan, he just can't seem to get a break, can he? Bet you can't wait to see how Kaolla gets even with Naru. If you have any ideas, they would be greatly appreciated. I would like some help on that aspect. I'm not really good at torturing the characters…

Oh, and the Tacita will be appearing in later chapters, but she's hiding for now…

Any other questions, you can review and ask. I'll get back to you…eventually!

Later!