Love Hina


Disclaimer: This episode of Love Hina is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Love Hina. "Love Hina" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1999-2004 Ken Akamatsu/Mixx Entertainment Inc. Love Hina is a trademark of TOKYOPOP®. All rights reserved.

Note: This series takes after the "Love Hina" manga, since I haven't watched any of the anime. Given time, I will, but money is tight and I can't afford such luxuries at the moment. I promise.



Different Promises
Chapter 5:
The New Landlord


A few hours and one short nap later, a slightly hungover Keitaro walks in front of Naru's room and knocks on the door. It swings open a few moments later and the long haired girl eyes him cautiously, crossing her arms. "What do you want?" she asks, in a tone a bit harsher than she intended.

The Tokyo U student rubs the back of his head, a strangled smile on his face. "Sorry for bothering you Narusegawa, but I wanted to discus something with you." She nods her head to say she is listening before he continues. "Well I wanted to avoid any problems like the one we had yesterday," he says, pointing to the lid covering the hole that connects her room to his, "and I was planning on fixing up that hole. I just wanted to make sure its okay with you first before I do anything."

"Oh," Naru replies, unfolding her arms while her facial expressions soften slightly. "I...I guess it's alright if you want to."

"Yeah, I think it's for the best." Keitaro begins to chuckle a bit. "I keep on having this strange feeling that the hole is going to become a great source of pain for me in the future if I don't do something about it. Well," he adds, starting to turn around, "I'm going to the utility shed and see if there's enough supplies to fix it up."

The young woman smiles kindly at him while his back is turned. She shakes her head then walks up next to him. At his curious look, she replies, "Well the hole is in my room too so I guess I'll help you...but only just a bit!"

"Okay," Keitaro shrugs, hiding the smile that us tugging at his lips. Ten minutes later, the two have reached the old utility shed. The young man tugs on the door a few times before it finally creaks open, the door handle almost breaking off at the force used. Both Keitaro and Naru cover their noses to block the torrent of dust that comes flying up to greet them. The young man quickly spots an old, but quite large toolbox and opens it to find a hammer, nails and other necessary supplies, all in good condition. Some creaking behind him catches his attention and he turns to see Naru looking at some really old 2 X 4's.

"These look like they'll..." she trails off as she begins to lift up one of the boards and it crumbles in her fingers, "well...maybe not," she finishes with a grimace.

The young Urashima walks up to the wood, inspecting it closely. "Jeeze, all of these boards are like decades old. They're all rotted out and useless." He frowns slightly. "I guess I'll have to go to town, there's got to be a hardware store somewhere and I could get some new boards to fix everything up." He looks over at Naru. "Do you want to go to town with me Narusegawa?"

The young woman blushes ever so slightly, his request almost sounding like he is asking her out on a date. "N-No, I'll stay here. I need to do a little studying."

"Oh that's right," Keitaro comments, smiling at her. "You're going to try for Tokyo University this year, aren't you?" Naru nods shyly as a response. "Well if you ever need any help studying or some tips or anything, my room's right below yours." With a wave, he walks out of the utility shed and makes his way down the stone steps.

Naru slowly steps out of the shed and closes the door, muttering, "He's not really such a bad guy. I guess I did sorta jump to conclusions." She goes inside the Hinata House, and finds Su running around, looking for something. "Hey there Su," she begins, getting the foreign girl's attention. "What are you looking for?"

"Tokiyo-Ewe," she responds, lifting up a cushion on the couch. "He looks like fun and I wanted to play!"

"Well he just went to town to get some wood," the older girl answers. "He wanted to fix up that hole that connects our rooms together."

Motoko suddenly comes downstairs, acting like her normal, stoic self. Ignoring the scene before her, she calmly walks into the kitchen and makes some herbal tea, though her thoughts are in a jumble. 'I...I should speak with him...but I have never felt this way before,' she thinks to herself. 'What should I say? What should I do? I have no such experience in these matters...perhaps I can speak with someone who does. Maybe Kitsune...NO!' The samurai girl shakes her head mentally and physically. 'I cannot allow anyone in this house to know of my feelings for Urashima! Word spreads around here like a brush fire; I would never live it down!' Her eyes light up as a sudden thought comes to her. 'Haruka! She is quite intelligible and can keep a secret rather well. She also knows her nephew better than any of us here. She can give me some good advice.' Motoko quickly and stealthily gets out of the house and rushes over to the Café Hinata.

Haruka Urashima looks up as the front door to her café opens and Motoko comes in, looking a little flustered. She begins to make some soothing green tea, the samurai girl's favorite. She then sits next to her and hands the young woman a cup, which she graciously takes. "What's the matter Motoko?" the older woman begins, taking her cigarette out of her mouth. "You look really bothered by something."

Motoko places both her hands on her heart, a light blush gracing her soft porcelain skin. "I am sorry for bothering you like this Haruka, but I do not know who else to talk to for advice."

"Okay then, shoot."

The young woman shuffles in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. "Well...you see...I...uh...I have just recently discovered that I have certain...feelings for someone, and I do not know what to do." She closes her eyes as her chest tightens in thought. "I feel...strange around Ur...this person...but it is not an unpleasant feeling. He...I mean...this person has a very soothing aura and I find myself getting lost in thought whenever h...this person enters my mind."

Haruka, unfortunately for the samurai girl, read between the lines and knows exactly what is being discussed. She leans in close, a strangle glimmer in her eyes. "Does Keitaro know that you are in love with him?" The older woman smiles in satisfaction at Motoko's reaction to her words.

Her entire face burns red as she slowly sinks down under the table. "Am...am I that obvious?" her forehead asks, that and the top of her head being the only thing of her that is visible.

"Unfortunately yes." Haruka takes a sip of her tea, looking around her currently empty café. 'Maybe I should close up for the day,' she thinks to herself. 'It has been pretty dead around here.' She looks back to Motoko, who is sitting back up, having gotten herself under control. "Well the first thing you should do is talk to him, which is also obvious."

"B-But what should I say to him?" She folds her hands around the cup. "I have never felt this way before. This is all new to me. I am...frightened to his response." Motoko looks up at Haruka, a slight twinge of fear in her eyes. "What if he does not feel the same for me? I do not know how I will handle rejection."

The Urashima woman places a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't freak out too much about it. I wouldn't go out and directly tell Keitaro that you love him...he hasn't had a really good track record with women." She taps her chin for a few seconds in thought. "Maybe you should just start getting close to him and getting to know him better, talk to him by yourself, go out on dates and such. Don't rush things or you're going to scare him away, I know, I've seen it happen."

"What do you mean?" Motoko asks sharply. "What has happened?"

"A lot," Haruka sighs. "Women are the root of his problems, but I'm not really the one to tell you the major event that happened to him in the past, it's for Keitaro and Keitaro alone to tell you if he decides to. But you have to agree with me that my nephew's not that bad looking of a guy." The samurai girl nods shyly, another blush quickly forming. "He reminds me a lot of his father," the Urashima woman adds with a small smile. "Any way, a few years back, Keitaro still lived with his parents and the neighbor's daughter had a little thing for him...actually, it was a lot more than just a little thing. That girl downright wanted him bad." She chuckles a bit before continuing. "Poor Keitaro, he never saw her coming."

Motoko leans in closer, intent on hearing this story out. "So what happened next?"

"Well she invited him over when her parents were out, claiming she needed help with some homework. When he came over, she literally pounced on him and pinned him to the ground." A loud thunking sound gets Haruka to stop. She looks over and apparently Motoko was resting her head in her hands and she let go in surprise, causing her head to slam onto the table. Shaking her head at the foolish girl, Haruka continues. "Well Keitaro's never been in a situation like that before with a girl, so he naturally freaked out and managed to get out from under her and high tail it out of there. It really hurt her feelings, but I had a little talk with her later and explained things and she's better, though I still think she has a thing for him. Poor guy," she finishes, taking a long drag of her cigarette.

The samurai girl looks aside, now looking very hesitant. "Do I even have a chance? I mean look at me," she gestures down to her great body, model like poise, angelic face and soft, silky raven black hair, "I am no beauty."

'If you only knew...' Haruka thinks with a smirk. She places her hands on her friend's shoulder again. "Keitaro's a good, honest man. I know that he likes you, but is hesitant to try anything. Like I already said, he's had bad luck with women, so go nice and easy with him, I'm sure you'll do well." They both look up as a phone in the back rings, quickly followed by the sounds of something printing. "Looks like I got another fax." The older woman stands up. "Let me check it out and when I get back, I'll give you some more advice, like stuff to wear and say around him."

Motoko stands up and bows deeply. "I thank you for helping me like this."

Haruka waves it off. "Ah, don't worry about it. I just want you guys to be happy."

______

Keitaro walks out of the local hardware store, carrying a handful of 2 X 4's under his right arm. He passes by a pharmacy when Kitsune comes out with a small bag in her hands. She notices him and calls out, "Hey there Keitaro! Whatcha doin'?"

The young man turns around and smiles at the fox eyed girl. "Hi Kitsune. I was just picking up some supplies. I'm going to fix up that little hole that's in me and Narusegawa's room."

The slightly younger woman slows her pace so she and Keitaro are now walking side by side. She looks over at him with a sly smile. "I'm guessing you don't want any repeats of what happened yesterday?"

Keitaro shudders in memory. "No way! I like my head where it is right now thank you very much." He gestures over to the paper bag she's carrying. "What did you buy?"

"Uh...aspirin!" she hurriedly replies, clasping the bag tightly. In truth, Kitsune bought some...protection just in case the Tokyo U student decides to join in on her weekly Monday and Friday night 'private time.' 'It's always smart to keep some just in case,' she thinks with her trademark foxy grin.

"Aspirin's a pretty good thing to have," Keitaro comments, "considering all that alcohol you've got in your room. It'd be pretty useful with all those pesky hangovers." He frown slightly, his head still throbbing a bit from his small hangover from earlier.

Kistune snickers slightly. "I can see you've got a bit of a headache too."

"It's not that bad, just a dull throbbing," the slightly older man replies, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. The two have idle chitchat while walking back towards their home.

______

In the Hinata House hot springs, Naru, Su and Shinobu are taking a midday soak, relaxing in the warm soothing waters. The older girl stretches widely, not noticing the jealous looks she is getting from young Shinobu, who desires to have a body that's as nice as Narusegawa's. 'Maybe if I looked like her,' she thinks to herself, 'then sempai would like me more and want to go out with me.' A heavy blush appears on her face upon thinking about Keitaro, whom she now has a major crush on.

A few feet from her, Su dives underwater, wearing goggles and a snorkel. She pops up in front of the youngster, startling her. "Hehe, why're you so jumpy Shinobu?" the foreign girl teases, getting an angry 'hmph' in response. The blonde haired teenager shrugs and leaps over to Naru, splashing her with water. "Heyas Naru!" she greets. "Do you know when Keitaros is getting back home? I made a new gadget and wanted to play with him with it!" She suddenly gets a 'puppy dog eyes' look, pleading the older woman for an answer.

With a sigh, Narusegawa answers, "I have no idea Su. Keitaro wanted to fix that hole in his and my room, but the wood in the old utility shed was all rotted out so he's in town right now buying some new boards. It might be a little while before he gets back." She sinks back down a bit into the water, trying to relax again.

"Wow, that was really nice of sempai," Shinobu comments, a faint blush tracing her cheeks. "But isn't it the landlord's job to make all the repairs and stuff?"

"It is," Naru answers, trying to ignore Su's rambunctious behavior next to her, "but since Granny Hina isn't here...well I guess there's not much that can be done. She only sends Haruka enough money to pay any extra bills and major repairs that our rent pay doesn't cover. Minor little problems are just ignored, unless they could become much worse."

Shinobu moves next to Naru, a slightly sad look on her face. "I wish Grandmother Hinata were still here. She'd make this place all nice and working well again."

"So do I Shinobu," the older girl starts, standing up and getting ready to leave, "but since she's not here, we don't have a landlord. We'll just have to live with what we got."

______

Keitaro and Kitsune are just about to walk past the Café Hinata when Motoko and Haruka walk out. Both turn their heads to the two walking up to them, Haruka looking indifferent while the samurai girl has a strangled expression, like she is torn between utter shock and total joy, both strange expressions for her to have. "Hey you two," the older Urashima greets. "What are you guys up to?"

"I was just buying some 2 X 4's to fix up that hole in between me and Narusegawa's room," Keitaro answers.

"And I was getting some aspirin," Kitsune adds, winking at the older woman.

Haruka notices and sighs slightly, remembering the fox eyed girl's old metaphor for buying condoms. 'Oh boy,' she thinks. 'Keitaro's got enough to worry about as it is. Women oogling over him is not going to help.' She calmly walks over to her ill-fated nephew and hands him a few sheets of paper. "Got another fax from Granny."

Keitaro places the boards onto the ground so he can read the papers easier. "Real estate...deed of ownership?" he asks, a sweatdrop forming on his head.

"It's all legal," the older woman states, taking another drag from her cigarette. "Grandma said she's giving everything to you."

The younger Urashima stares blankly at the page before him, which is the letter his grandmother sent along with the deed. Just as his aunt said, Granny is giving him the Hinata House and all the land it stands on. "I...I can't believe it."

"Believe it. Hinata House is yours...given you become the landlord."

Kitsune, who is reading the paper over Keitaro's shoulder, is also in complete shock, her eyes open all the way. 'No way! He owns everything?!' A smile appears on her face. 'I guess this means that he's staying permanently...as long as he becomes the landlord.' She pauses for a moment in surprise as she realizes something. 'Hey...that's kinda strange. I'd usually think about the money first. Man, I'm really starting to feel something for this guy!'

In front of her, Motoko is having similar thoughts. 'I am sure Urashima will take the position. He does seem to enjoy living in the Hinata House and all of us living there. Since his stay will presumably now be permanent, this will give me the chance to go forth with Haruka's plan. I only hope his feelings for me are similar.'

Haruka smirks at her nephew's flabbergasted face. "Yeah, it is quite a shock, but Hinata House does need a new landlord since your grandmother is away. Will you take the job?"

______

Back up at the Hinata House, all the girls, plus Haruka and Keitaro, are sitting in the living room, the younger Urashima calling a group meeting. "I'm sure a few of you are wondering why I called this little group meeting." Naru, Shinobu and Su all nod slightly. "Well Aunt Haruka," he pauses to receive the expected blow to the head, which comes as usual, "got another fax from Grandmother, and it's some really big news." He pulls out the papers. "It looks like Granny has given me the deed for the Hinata House, given I become its new landlord."

Naru clenches her fists in her lap, barely keeping in her building frustration. 'Him?!' her mind screams. 'He's going to be the new landlord?! I can't believe this! I only thought he was going to stay for a little bit, this means that he'll be here a very long time! I mean, he's an okay guy, but I don't like the thought of him living below me all the time!'

Next to her, Shinobu is also silently thinking to herself. 'Does this mean that sempai's going to stay here? Oh I hope so! And since he's the new landlord, he can fix this place up a bit like I was saying earlier. Oh sempai,' she begins, stars appearing in her young eyes, 'please stay. I want you so much...to stay with us!' she adds in, blushing deeply.

Su hops over to Keitaro and latches herself around his neck, smiling widely. "Goody! Then you can play with me all the time now Tokiyo-Ewe!" She giggles and then given him a large bear hug, cutting off his circulation for a few seconds.

After he catches his breath, Keitaro stands back up and faces his new tenants. "Well I like it here and you girls have seemed to accept me, so I'll do it! I am now Hinata House's new landlord!"


To be continued...

______

Author's notes: Ah, another chapter done. I am sorry for those of you who are fans of either or both of my Inu-Yasha fanfics, I have hit a bad dry spell with both of them and I'm struggling to get good ideas to continue them. Trust me, I haven't given up on them, I just don't want to post a fic that isn't to the best of my abilities. I have been adding bits and pieces here and there, and each is a few pages long. Please just be patient.

On Love Hina news, well Keitaro is the new landlord and most of the girls are handling it rather well. What will Motoko do to let her feelings for Urashima be known? And what all does Kitsune have in store for Keitaro with all that 'aspirin' she has bought? Find out all this and more soon... - lighthawkdemon

Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com