Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

Pre-read by: darksoulessbody17

"The Late Results of Stubbornness"

Chapter 4: "The Hidden Talent?"

Ai was watching Keitaro digging. She's been wandering with him for two weeks already; she smiled to herself at the thought. She really had a lot of fun with him through all these days. She realized she was still able to smile widely and even laugh. It's all because she has finally found a person who she can be almost as open with as with her mother. She thought of him as a kind of a gift from the heavens. Even though he seemed to appear from nowhere, she really admired him and found common ground with him. He seemed to enjoy her company, too.

However, something was still bothering her. That expression he made three times already… what could it be? Maybe he's so friendly with her because he had a similar situation in his life as she has? Still, she couldn't find enough courage to ask him.

"Phew, still nothing…" he said, interrupting her thoughts. She looked at him and smiled.

"Can I try it?" That dumbfounded him.

"What? You want to dig?" She smiled.

"Sure! It seems very interesting!" He still wasn't really sure.

"But… you're…"

"Don't say I'm a girl and I wasn't created for this! I'd really like to just try!" He gave up.

"Okay, okay… here you go," he said, handing her a spade. "But I'm warning you, it's quite boring and needs lot of patience…" She smiled.

"I know that! Just let me dig, okay?" He smiled and nodded. She walked few meters away. "All right, I'm sure something will be here!" She started digging with a cheerful smile on her face. Ten minutes didn't even pass when she shouted "Hey! I found something!" He quickly rushed to her and was amazed by her finding – a beautiful shaped vase and other ceramics were filling the small hole she dug.

"Uhh… That's… That's… Amazing, Ai-chan…" he said with disbelief. She grinned.

"Well, I just had a feeling something will be here. Is this a big discovery?"

"Hmm, I don't know yet. It may be. I haven't seen this kind of ceramics before so it's quite possible you even found a lost culture!" Her eyes widened, as she looked very excited.

"REALLY! WOW! I made such a big discovery!" Her excitement was so big she started to run around the whole glade, jumping. He chuckled.

"Hey, don't get so excited! This will be a really big discovery only if you keep digging and find some more!" He didn't have to repeat that. She quickly grabbed the spade and started to dig two times more energetically than before. He smiled at the sight of an excitement on her face. "Anyway, quite good for your first dig."

"I still haven't finished yet!" she said, grinning.

And as she said, she found even more of them, very exotically shaped and designed. They were so beautiful she couldn't stop admiring them. Keitaro couldn't say anything; just watching her digging by the sweat of her brow with his jaw dropped to the ground. And she was so absorbed and excited by the work that she didn't have the idea he's secretly watching her, smiling in a strange way.

She didn't stop for a moment until he said it's definitely enough for today and it's late evening, too.

"Well, I really have to praise you. Even I have never found that much of artifacts – very valuable, in addition – in one day. I'm quite amazed by your abilities," he said with an admiration. She looked very tired, but her eyes were so lively now. And he saw she looks really beautiful when she smiles. Surely much different from on their first meeting…

"Well, maybe I'll be an archaeologist, too? It really fascinates me." He chuckled and looked at her closely.

"But you should go back to the school first." Her smile disappeared immediately as she dropped her head.

"You… you know that's not possible…" His face was very serious.

"Yes, I know…" After a few moments of silence, he decided to ask her something.

"Oh, by the way… Were you good in school?" She nodded her head proudly.

"Sure! I was the best student in my whole middle school when I finished it! Teachers were very proud of me… and so was mom… She was so proud of me… She was a teacher herself, but in high school. I would be going to the high school now… If she waited a little more… she would be…" her voice cracked again. And she noticed this strange look of his, again. But this time, he looked as he wanted to ask her something.

"Actually, maybe I shouldn't really ask… but how did your mother… die?" She was totally shocked and taken back by that question. She quickly turned her head away and didn't reply. He gulped.

"S… sorry… I really shouldn't…" But she slowly turned her head back to him with a serious and determined expression.

"No…" she said softly. "I can't always be running away from the past… even though it's painful to remember… but I don't want to forget her… and all our cheerful memories." He put his hand on her arm and looked at her seriously.

"But if you really don't want to…" She shook her head.

"I want…, no, I need to tell someone about this…" He smiled a little.

"Okay… well, I'm all ears." She took a deep breath and started to narrate…

Pre-reader notes: Nice chapter, even better cliffhanger. Luckily I won't have to wait long since you update pretty fast. Well, I hope I helped you with your story and your English and look forward to work with you later on.