Disclaimer: i am not Akamatsu Ken, therefore LH and characters do not belong to me

A/N: to answer Martrex's question about why Ken is staying as a guy, it's because of the plot. You will see in later chapters...

Original Characters: Kensuke, Sakura

Kensuke and Sakura are now residents in the Hinata Inn. Everyone enjoys their company, except for a particular blondish brown haired woman by the name of Narusegawa Naru. Ken earns his living here with Sakura by helping out the residents with some chores. He also found a part-time job working in the Hinata Tea House since the owner of that teahouse was the manager's aunt. Her name is Urashima Haruka, and she was kind enough to hire Kensuke even though she didn't really need to. The trouble with working is Sakura follows him to work, because she refuses to be left alone with the 'scary woman who hates onii-san'. However, over the pass weeks, he managed and everyone in the teahouse no longer minds Sakura. Occasionally, when he is free, he would help Shinobu with studying for the entrance exams. Right now, Ken is in Shinobu's room, tutoring her for the Tokyo U entrance exams while Sakura is drawing. Shinobu gives an aggravated sigh, causing Ken's attention to shift from his sister to her.

"What is it, Maehara-san?"

"I'm sorry sempai –"

"How many times do I have to tell you? You don't have to call me 'sempai'. We are the same age so you can call me Ken."

"That would be inappropriate since you are tutoring me."

"Keep this up and I will have to stop tutoring you."

"No… no… please don't. I really need to pass the entrance exams. I-I'll call you Zumaki-san."

Ken grins in triumph and chuckles at Shinobu's panicking state.

"You know, on second thought, I think you should call me Ken. I think that sounds better."

"Ken-san?" inquired Shinobu.

"Ken-kun! Ken-kun!" chanted Sakura.

"Sak-kun… that's good. It has alliteration. Ken-kun it is then. Right, Maehara-san should call me Ken-kun."

"Ken-kun?"

"Yes? Oh right. You needed help on this problem. Let me see what you did. Hmm…" Ken looks through her work and found the error. "I see… what you did was factor out the variable to get rid of the fraction, but in this case, you shouldn't have done that…"

Ken continues to help Shinobu with her work, occasionally getting distracted by Sakura. After two hours of hard studying, Shinobu called it a day and went to prepare dinner. Ken followed her to the kitchen and helped her out with the cooking. Ken wasn't a bad chef, in fact, he was pretty good. After all, he did learn how to cook from his neighbor at a young age and began cooking for the family since his mom was too high to do anything right.

"Zumaki-san –" started Shinobu

"Ken-kun. If you call me by anything else, I won't respond to you." corrected Ken.

"Ken-kun, you're pretty good at cooking. Where'd you learn?"

"My neighbors. They were nice people and occasionally they would teach me how to cook certain dishes. By age 12, I started experimenting and created a few of my own dishes."

"Oh…"

"Yup. If I depended on the one who calls herself my mother, I would've died years ago…"

"Would you tell everyone that it is dinnertime?"

"Of course. Come on Sak-kun…"

They went to the roof and told Motoko and Su that it was time for dinner. They found Kitsune in her room, with a bottle of sake, and reported the news to her. They bumped into Keitaro on their way to his room and told him to get ready for dinner. The last one was Naru. He went to her room and knocked several times with no answer.

"Sak-kun, go in and see if Narusegawa-san is in there"

"Onii-san, she's scary…"

"Don't worry, if she is there, tell me. Oh, and make sure she is fully dressed before I enter. I don't intend to be her next punching bag like the manager."

"Onii-san…"

"Go…"

Sakura takes a deep breath, and slip though the door. Then she calls for her brother. Ken slides the door open entirely and stands at the doorway. Sakura runs back out and hides behind him.

"Narusegawa-san, dinner is ready." Ken reported.

"Okay. Now get out of my room!" yelled Naru.

Ken smiles. He found it an enjoyment to piss Naru off every chance he gets. After all, no one said he wanted to be liked by everyone.

"But I'm not in your room. I'm outside on the hallway and unfortunately for you, you don't own the hallway."

Ken leaves before Naru even has a chance to yell back at him, followed by Sakura. He goes back to the dining room and helps Shinobu set everything up for dinner. In time, all the seats were filled up, and everyone began to eat. Naru kept shooting death glares at Ken, while Ken gave most of his attention to his sister. When dinner was finished, Ken cleared the table and did the dishes. As he was walking back to his room, he couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation Kitsune was having with Naru in Kitsune's room.

"Naru, it's not that big of a deal…"

"What is…?"

"Kensuke staying here."

"Yes it is! He's a boy in an ALL GIRLS' dorm!"

"Technically, it's not an all girls dorm anymore since Keitaro came."

"We made an exception because we needed a manager, Kitsune! I thought you knew that."

"But Naru, the poor boy and his sister was in dire need of a place to stay."

"He has a home! Why can't he go there!"

"Naru, you're being unreasonable…"

"What!"

"Naru, you had a home too when you came here too. Why did you move here?"

"I—"

"You're family was having minor problems. You thought your stepmom didn't like you… Look at Kensuke! He is ten times worse than you. His dad is dead, his mom is a drug-addict, he gets abused, and he has a little sister to take care of."

"Kitsune, grandma Hina made this an all girls' dorm for a reason…"

"What's the reason?"

"I-I don't know…"

"See, Naru? Why do you have to put the poor boy through any more trouble than he already has? Personally, I applaud him to even have manners. Growing up with an abusive parent usually makes kids grow up rude and violent. Kensuke is neither rude nor violent. He's very kind and caring. You have to get to know him before you judge him."

"Since when did you start giving these types of speeches?"

"Heh heh….."

At this point, Ken's manners came back to him and he thought it would be rude to eavesdrop anymore. After all, he only got curious when his name was mentioned but now that the subject was no longer on him, he didn't want to eavesdrop any longer. He went back to his room and got ready for his shower. Since he was a guy, he gets his own solo bath, which he shares with his sister. He takes a bath, gets dressed, and then he gives his sister a bath. Sakura has fun splashing the water, while Ken tries to scrub her back. Just then, Shinobu walked in and found Ken washing Sakura.

"Ken-kun…"

"Yes Maehara-san?"

Sakura, at this point, decides to splash harder, and wets Ken's shirt.

"Sak-kun… stop it"

"Sorry onii-san" giggles Sakura.

"Would you like me to wash your shirt for you, Ken-kun?" offered Shinobu.

"Oh, no need. I will change after I'm done giving Sakura her bath."

"You should change right away. You might get a cold like that."

"No need. It's summer now. Who gets a cold in the summer? Oh, right. Was there something you needed?"

"Uhm…"

Sakura makes another big splash and wets both Ken and Shinobu.

"Sak-kun! Stop it! Look, you wet Maehara-san"

"Sorry Maehara-san… sorry onii-san…"

"Just don't splash anymore. Maehara-san, my apologies for what Sakura did. You should hurry and change out of those wet cloths. I don't want you to get sick…"

Shinobu leaves to change. While Shinobu was gone, Ken started lecturing Sakura about water splashing and dries her. By the time Shinobu returns, Sakura was fully dressed and they were about to leave. The three walk back to Ken's room and Ken tucks Sakura to sleep. When Sakura finally fell asleep, Shinobu lead Ken out to the rooftop.

"Wow… the stars are beautiful, aren't they?" started Shinobu

"Yes, I suppose… was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, I was just interested in knowing your past."

"My past? Why the interest?"

"You seem sad sometimes when I look at you. I wanted to know if there was anything I could do."

"I'm really happy with my life right now."

"Really? What was your life like with your mother?"

"Hmm… when I was six, I lost my innocence. I committed fraud with her for money. By the time I was 10, I took on the family. You know, I did the cooking, cleaning, and all that motherly stuff while income was brought in by somwhere from my father's death. When I was 14, I got a job at the store my neighbor owns and started bringing home some income. Almost daily, my mom would order me to give her money. When I didn't have any, she would abuse me and make me go borrow. She does drugs all the time in front of Sakura. I lost my innocence at six; I didn't want that to happen to Sakura too. By 16, I left home with Sakura, and came here. I'm far happier now than I have ever been. That's basically my life story."

"Oh… how depressing…"

"What about you? Why'd you come here?"

"Well... when my parents were getting a divorce, they were always yelling at each other. Every time I see them at it, my heart would break. They intended to move but I didn't want to leave. I moved here so I can stay here and hide from all the stuff my parents were going through. I used to be really sad about it, but since I met you, I realized how lucky I am. My parents cared about me, that's why they were always yelling, but for you, no one cared about you. You… you're amazing, you know. You had such a bad childhood but you consider yourself lucky now that you lead your own life. Me? I'm always wallowing in self-pity, thinking about how bad my life was. You let me see that I was very lucky."

"Well… uhh… I don't know about that. I feel lucky that I've met you…"

Shinobu's face brightens. "Really?"

"Well, yeah. You know, if it wasn't for you, I would probably be sleeping in the streets right now, dying from hunger or something. Sakura really likes you too. She's always complimenting your cooking and how nice you are."

"How about you? What do you think of me?"

"ME? I think you're a really nice, caring, kind-hearted person. You're really good at cooking and cleaning and all that motherly stuff. You would make a fair wife and a good mother one day, unlike mines. Why'd you ask?"

"I was just wondering…"

"How about me? Maehara-san, what do you think about me?"

"Well, I think you're really nice, kind-hearted, and sweet. You're smart and responsible, and you're manners are beyond well. By the way, since I've stopped calling you Zumaki-san, you should start calling me Shinobu."

"Shinobu-san. So, if I'm really as good as you say I am, why does Narusegawa-san dislike me so much? I mean, I know I get her angry a lot nowadays, but when we first met, she didn't seem to like me at all. I was polite when we first met, wasn't I?"

"Naru-sempai… she just has a thing against boys, I suppose…"

"So why does she accept Urashima-san as the manager if she really did have a grudge against men? I mean, the manager is a man too."

"I—"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be prying... it's just, I overheard Kitsune and Naru talk, and well… Kitsune seem to think I'm kind and caring and all, but Naru… she… forget it… let's change the subject."

"Oh… okay… is it true though?"

"Is what true?"

"You really thought the Tokyo U entrance exams were easy?"

"They weren't easy, they just weren't as hard as I expected. I heard from a lot of people it was impossible to pass, so I took it to challenge myself. Anyway, I passed but I don't know if I should attend. I mean, I still have to look after Sakura, and the tuition is a problem. Plus, I still have to pay rent here and all."

"Think about it later. I can help you a little if you want."

"Why are you so nice to me? You're the second person in this world who treats me like a human being."

"Oh? Who's the first?"

"Sakura. Before she was born, I was held in a very dark world. I would just get abused, even if I obeyed her. When Sakura was born, she brought light into my world. She kept me sane in that house and she gave me the courage to stick up for myself. Everything I do now, I do for her. I'll make sure she has a normal childhood and gets equal opportunities."

"What do you mean? Everyone gets equals opportunities now…"

"You know… I could've gone to a special school. People oftentimes commented me as a genius, but my mother, she didn't let me. I was stuck to going to public school and… everything just sucks there. I got bullied in school because of my smarts. If not bullied, people only befriended me so they could use me… I hated that life… used… I'm always being used… I was used at home, and I was used at school…"

"Well… you're not being used here…"

"I know… that's why I'm glad I'm here now… It's getting late. I should get going before Sakura wakes up and realizes I'm not there…"

"You really love her, don't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do… Oh right, before I leave, was there something else you wanted?"

Shinobu paused for a moment, then she replied 'no' with one of her trademark shy smiles. Ken leaves the rooftop and returns to his room. That night, he laid on his futon thinking though the conversation Shinobu and he had. The next morning he woke up to a loud clanging noise. He got dressed and found the source of the sound. Motoko was in the dining room swinging her katana furiously at the spring turtle.

"T-t-tur-turtle!"

Ken smiles at the irony. The one who would take over the divinity school of swordsmanship is scared of a little turtle. To stop Motoko from her furious swinging, Ken caught Tama-chan.

"Aoyama-san. It's okay now. I caught Tama-chan." informed Ken.

"T-thank you, Zumaki-san." panted Motoko.

"Ken-kun! Would you set the table for breakfast?" Shinobu asked from the kitchen.

"Of course" Ken replied.

He went into the kitchen and took some plates outside. As he was setting up the table, Motoko started a conversation with him.

"Ken-kun?" asked Motoko

"Yes?"

"May I assume that you two are an item?"

"No… it's just that Shinobu-san is the closest I ever had to a friend. I thought it was appropriate if she called me Ken-kun… any resident of the Hinata Inn may call me Ken-kun."

"Humph! Who would want to call you that?" Naru said as she entered the dining room.

"Good morning Narusegawa-san. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Mind your own business you per—"

"Spare the names. Oh, right, I must wake Sak-kun… excuse me everyone…"

Ken goes up to his room and woke Sakura up. As Ken was supervising Sakura through her morning rituals, he heard some rustling noises coming from his room. After waiting patiently for Sakura to finish, they traveled back to their room. Ken is now leaning on the doorway, with Sakura by his side. He watched as Narusegawa-san searched his desk, in his drawers, through his wardrobes, and all around in his room. He watched until she gave a heavy sigh suggesting that she didn't find what she was looking for.

"Ahem, excuse me Narusegawa-san, but I would like to inquire as to why you have trashed my room."

"I didn't trash your room!" said Naru in a semi-loud tone.

"Oh really?"

"YES REALLY!" yelled Naru.

"Okay, what were you looking for?"

"Nothing…"

"Narusegawa-san, I think it is only appropriate that you owe me an explanation. What were you looking for?"

Ken gave hera stern look, a very stern look that she has never seen on him before. She gave up and mumbled something.

"Excuse me?"

"I said porn!"

"Oh my, Naru! I never knew you were like that!" Kitsune commented.

It has just occurred to them that all the Hinata residents were standing right outside Ken's room.

"NO! I'm not! Remember Shinobu? You said he was a decent guy. I just wanted to prove to you that he is just like every sick, perverted, lecherous guy out there in the world…"

"And…" Ken urged.

"And I haven't found the evidence… YET"

"By the way, I thought all guys have porn. How come you don't?" inquired Kitsune.

"Because, Konno-san, I find female pornography degrading to the female anatomy. Whilst it is true that the female anatomy is very fascinating in a scientific and medical sense, I don't find it that interesting to buy magazines full of it. Besides, it is a waste of money and I cannot risk Sakura's innocence."

Everyone was awed by his little lecture. Then, everyone turned to Keitaro and he turned into a deep shade of red. Ken broke off the manager's embarrassment by announcing that they best be off to breakfast. While everyone was eating, Ken remained in his room cleaning up the mess Naru had just created. After about half and hour, when most of the mess was cleaned up, a distraction walked into his room, well, actually two distractions.

"Onii-san… breakfast was yummy. Maehara-san made something new. You should try it. It was very very yummy!" announced Sakura.

"Ok Sak-kun… I will after I finish cleaning this…"

"How about you go and eat and I'll help clean the rest up for you?" offered Shinobu.

"Oh, no need. I'm almost done. I'll be done in a minute or so…" replied Ken nonchalantly.

"Okay then…" Shinobu left with a note of sadness in her tone.

After Ken was done cleaning, he went to the kitchen to see if he could cook anything up for breakfast. After all, he spent most of his morning cleaning, and he was very hungry right now… then he heard Shinobu from behind him.

"Ken-kun… I saved you some breakfast…"

Ken turns around and smiles. "Oh, thank you Shinobu-san."

Ken takes a seat in the dining room table, and watches as Shinobu does the same. Shinobu watches Ken closely as he starts to eat. After a while, Ken couldn't take it anymore, he had to speak up.

"What?" asked Ken.

"Oh, do you like it?"

"Yes. It's very delicious. Just like how Sakura said it would be."

"I'm glad. I-I'm sorry Ken-kun…"

"Hmm? For what?"

"For what Naru-sempai did. She had no right to go through your things."

"At least she explained herself… anyway,it's okay Shinobu-san. It's not your fault. You shouldn't have to apologize…"

"I-It's just…I—"

"Your cooking is very good Shinobu-san. You should open up a restaurant or something when you grow up…"

"You really like my cooking?"

"Mm hmm…"

Just in the middle of their conversation, Naru stomped down the stairs, followed by Motoko. They both stop in front of Ken.

"What do you say?" Motoko said to Naru.

"I-I'm sorry for going through your things…" Naru apologized reluctantly.

"And…?" persisted Motoko.

"And that I—"

"I'm sorry Aoyama-san. I didn't mean for you to go through the trouble of forcing Narusegawa-san to apologize, but I will not accept her apology" stated Ken.

"WHAT!" yelled Naru.

"I said I cannot accept your apology. I know that Aoyama-san asked you to apologize to me and that is why I cannot accept it. Until you apologize to me with your heart and not your mouth, I'm afraid you won't even have to bother with it."

Naru's mouth is hanging open as Ken gives her this little speech. When she recollected herself, she started muttering angrily under her breath and stomped back to her room.

"I'm sorry for the trouble you had to go through, Aoyama-san."

"Oh, no. I'm sorry for Naru's earlier actions. Well, since there's nothing I can help with anymore, I'll be training on the roof if you need me."

Ken flashes Motoko a smile and resumes his chat with Shinobu. The week passed by surprisingly calm, if you exclude the occasional bombings, Keitaro flying into orbit and such. The thing was, there were no arguments from Naru about Ken. Now, Ken is in Shinobu's room, giving her another session of Tokyo U entrance exams studying.

"Hmm… Shinobu-san has improved over the pass few weeks. I'm proud of you." complimented Ken.

Shinobu blushes. "Oh no! I'm sorry that I'm so slow and that you have to repeat so many times for me to –"

"Not at all. I'm proud. Now, let's up the difficulty level a little bit, shall we? Okay… do this problem."

Ken pointed to a random problem that he thought might be a little more challenging for Shinobu. While Shinobu was working on the problem, Sakura suddenly started yelling 'Scary lady! Scary lady!'. Ken turned around and found Naru standing at the doorway.

"Yes Narusegawa-san?"

"Zumaki-san. I am here to apologize for my behavior over the pass few weeks. I'm sorry." Naru gives a little bow.

Thinking that Naru has finally changed her mind about him, he accepted her apology. The announcement of Naru accepting Ken into the Hinata Inn was announced during lunch and everyone seem glad that Naru came around in the end.

Next Chapter: Naru thinks up a devious plan to try and get everyone to hate Ken and have him kicked out of the Hinata Inn... Also, with all the commotion, Ken has an emotional outburst... I wonder what will happen... don't you?

Well... it seems that Naru finally came around... eh? or not... hehe. Thanks for reading and pleaseeee review! I'm a sucker for reviews! If you find any grammatical errors, please tell me because I hate it when I have grammatical errors in my stories... 5+ reviews equals new chapter

Sakura: reviews reviews... hey... where'd all the reviews go? Sakura frowns