READ ME PLEASE! BIG Thanks to Baretta! With Baretta as my Beta, there will be a lot less mistakes in this chapter than the other two. Also, chapters 4 and 5 are your last chances to vote. Vote only once please. The idea behind this vote is that I will have to develop all characters involved, and eventually form a relationship between Keitaro and a girl who maybe isn't my first pick. The idea is that it will give me a good writer's work out. Like I said before, this is my absolute first crack at writing, and I won't be adding in all of the lesser characters. The Hinata girls and Keitaro are basically all I am focusing on. This is AU, so I don't feel bad doing that. Also, I never said that the Keitaro/Kanako pairing was incestuous. All I said was that I had a personal reason not to write it. Knowing the brother-sister bond I have with my older brother who was adopted, it is hard for me to write anything like that without giving myself the willies thinking about my brother. I am not knocking anyone who likes this pairing.
The vote so far
Motoko 11
Shinobu 3
Naru 4
Su 6
Kitsune 4
Chapter 4: Su's New Friend
"OUCH!" Keitaro winced as Kanako dabbed peroxide on his bloodied lip. "Those girls sure know how to take care of themselves. I pity the fool who really does decide to peep on them." Kanako snorted her reply.
"Please, don't be mad at them," he begged.
"But they hurt you! Aren't you going to stand up for yourself?"
"Kanako, I understand. They thought I was some random hentai getting his rocks off in their hot spring. It was a mistake…..not that I want it to happen again. We are definitely going to have to talk about things." Keitaro smiled, and put his hand out to her. "Thanks for patching me back up."
"Onii-chan, I never want anything bad to happen to you! Can't we at least send the two that hurt you the most away?" Kanako pleaded.
Keitaro shook his head. "I am going to do this, Kanako. Remember your promise?"
Many people had told him that Kanako's glares could curdle water, and he imagined she was giving him one right now, but she agreed, "I won't get in the way."
"Good, I am going to go down and get this mess cleaned up," he told her.
"I'm coming," Kanako said.
Keitaro sighed and gathered his courage. "No, you aren't. This is my job, Kanako. I need to do this on my own."
MoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMoMo
It was absolutely disgraceful! Motoko wasn't sure who her fury was directed at as she swung her sword at the log, splintering it. In truth, most of her rage was directed inward. She had not noticed the blank stare in his eyes until after she had already beaten him. There was no honor in harming a man who was helpless to defend himself! This was not what her honored ancestors had practice! It was pitiful. The swordswoman sheathed her blade, and turned back to the house. The others were probably all waiting inside for her, but her shame still had a tight hold on her. How could she face this young man?
Then again, there were other questions on her mind. How did a blind man…or rather ANY man become the manager of a girl's dormitory? And if he was so interested in being their manager, was it possible he may still be a pervert? Did he think one of the girls would take pity on him and sleep with him? If he did….. No, Motoko wouldn't jump to anymore conclusions about him. Time would tell what had lead to this. Given that Haruka was involved, she couldn't say that he was just anyone off of the street. There had to be a reason for this.
There was only one way to sort this out. Motoko swallowed hard, and strode into the living room with her head held high. Naru was pacing back and forth with a guilty expression. She must be feeling awful about this as well. Kitsune looked nonplused by the whole thing. Shinobu sat nervously on the edge of the couch trying to contain Su.
Su launched herself at Motoko as soon as she saw her. "Hello! We have a new manager!"
"I know that, Su. And a sightless one at that," Motoko murmured under her breath.
"Does 'sightless' taste good?" Su asked.
They heard him laugh before anyone noticed he was there. "No…Su, is it?"
"Yep! I'm Su!" the girl babbled unaware of her blunder.
He smiled. "Sightless means that I can't see anything. I'm blind."
"Hmmmm," Su said thoughtfully. She let go of Motoko, and climbed on top of him before anyone could stop her. Su waved a hand in front of his face. "How bout now?"
"No, Su. I can't see anything." Luckily, he didn't seem to mind. Motoko was about to collect the girl, when Keitaro began walking forward still holding her. He seemed to know where things were. Loosening a hand from her grasp, he reached out and found the armchair before sitting.
"I'm Keitaro, by the way."
"Now we're friends?"
"I'd like that. Would you mind introducing me to the others?" Keitaro asked holding back his laughter. His unfocused eyes seemed to be on Motoko as he said it, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks.
"That's Motoko!" Su said pointing.
Of course, Keitaro wouldn't be able to see the gesture, and Motoko decided to help it a long. "Mr. Urashima," she said with the slightest bow. "It seems you recovered well. I did not mean any harm earlier."
He laughed. "Are you the one with the bokken?"
"Yes, I was returning from my training when the incident began," she explained.
"And that's Kitsune!"
The vixen stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his arm. Keitaro took her hand, and shook it. Kitsune was batting her eyes uselessly at him. "Why, Mr. Urashima it's going to be so wonderful to have a man around the house. If there anything' I can do to help, you just let me know," Kitsune offered. There were practically dollar signs in her half open eyes. Motoko wanted to slap her.
"Miss Naru!"
Naru looked reluctant to be in the room at all let alone the center of attention. "Mr. Urashima," she said curtly.
"Miss Naru," he greeted her with a nod. "One more, right?"
"Right!" Su confirmed. "Shinobu! Shinobu makes really yummy food."
Shinobu faced the floor, and wrung her hands. "It's very nice to meet you."
"It's very nice to meet you, too. I hope you don't mind sharing the kitchen with me," he said smiling in her direction.
"You can cook?" Surprise shown in her large eyes, and then she blushed furiously.
"I love to cook. I'm sure it will be nice for you to eat someone else's cooking for a change," he told her.
Motoko was beginning to feel even worse about hurting this man. He seemed so kind, and thoughtful….but then again one could never tell. Some of the nicest men turned out to be some of the most horrible perverts. You could never tell what was behind those smiles.
Introductions over, Naru took charge. "Just why are you here? Why not a female manager?"
Keitaro nodded. "I understand your concern. My grandmother is your landlady, and, as you know, she has decided to extend her travels, and Haruka doesn't have the time to really take care of things. Since I will be attending a prep school nearby…."
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Naru's mouth nearly dropped open. "Prep school?" she interrupted. "Which one?"
He named the school, and then asked, "have you heard of it?"
"It's the same school I go to," she said grudgingly. "But just because you are going to school here doesn't mean you should live here!"
Keitaro sighed. "Yes, I understand that, but my grandmother was sure that you girls would understand, and that given the circumstances….something could be worked out. I am not here to seduce any of you, and think of it this way--if I haven't touched it, I haven't seen it. Despite the disaster earlier…..and I'm really sorry about that…I don't have any bad ideas what so ever."
"And you think we'll believe you just like that?" Naru spat. If he wasn't here, she wouldn't have to admit that she had been wrong. If he was gone, she could pretend that it never happened.
"All I ask is that you give me a chance."
"What about your sister? Are we supposed to put up with her too?" She asked ignoring him.
Up until then, the other girls had seemed to be leaning toward letting him stay, but with the thought of that bitch staying, things were changing. No one liked the idea of Kanako ruling Hinata house. With Keitaro's blindness, it seemed that she would have the real power here. Su was the only one who didn't instantly tense up at the thought.
Keitaro frowned. "Kanako is not staying. She came because she wanted to make sure I got settled, and everything was alright. I don't think she'll be here more than a week, and even if she is, she isn't the manager. If she makes trouble for you, tell me and I will send her home."
"Can't we just skip to that part now?" Kitsune asked dramatically.
SuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuSuS
Su didn't understand what the big deal was. She liked the new manager. Keitaro was nice, and he held her, and he smelled really yummy….kind of like the spices from home. It felt good in his arms….even better than Motoko's. Su wasn't listening to what was going on at all. "Can I stay here?"
"Su, Kanako can't make you leave," Keitaro told her softly. And she liked his voice. It reminded her of…of…she couldn't remember, but she liked it.
"No, here," she said yawning. It was so nice, so warm, and she was so sleepy.
KiKiKKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiKiK
"I don't believe it!" Kitsune said trying to keep her voice down. She couldn't believe that she was looking at a sleeping Kaolla Su. Su NEVER slept. Sometimes, Motoko could get her to pass out for a few hours, but this was absolutely astonishing. Everyone just stared at the pair.
Keitaro squirmed uncomfortably. "Is she really sleeping?"
Kitsune found herself nodding. It took a nudge from Motoko for her to realize her mistake.
"Yes, she is, and it's rare so let her be," Naru whispered.
"Wouldn't she be more comfortable in bed?"
"No," Motoko hissed. "She doesn't sleep alone, though I don't think leaving her with you is wise."
"Ah, lighten up, Motoko. When has Su ever just fallen asleep like that?" Kitsune asked. A wicked smile crossed her lips. "He's jus gonna have to hold her like that till she wakes up."
The other girls seemed to get her meaning. Other than Shinobu, no one else looked particularly guilty about it. Motoko cast the pair a glance as if to say "How do we know he'll be honorable?"
Kitsune stretched. "I'm not tried at all. I think I'll jus sit down here for a while."
Motoko nodded. "I will see you all in the morning."
"Good night!" Naru said with a smile.
Shinobu still looked remorseful. "Good night, Mr. Urashima. I will bring you a blanket from my room if you like."
"Thank you, Shinobu, but I think we'll be plenty warm," Keitaro said helplessly. Judging by the look of resignation on his face, Keitaro was only half the fool she thought he was.
Despite the sleepiness that was creeping in, Kitsune was determined to stay up and see how her little plan worked. Without him being able to tell, she could study him all she wanted. He wasn't ugly, but he wasn't all that good looking either. Kind of plain. He'd certainly played his cards right at the house meeting. This was just another test as far as Kitsune was concerned.
There could be advantages and disadvantages to having him as their manager. On the upside, if he was as "nice" as he seemed, she should be able to get away with murder. Maybe if he was enough of a sucker she could get some kind of discount on her rent. Her bank account looked more the national debt these days. On the downside, even she would feel ALMOST bad about conning a blind man. That and what if he need help all the time? She wasn't going to baby sit.
Kitsune kept her word about watching them for about an hour before she dozed off.
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This wasn't right. Shinobu tossed and turned in her bed upstairs. She knew what they were doing, and it was awful. How could they just make him sit there all night like that? Mr. Urashima hadn't done anything to them. It was just mean!
Shinobu pulled on her robe over her nightgown and went down to the living room. As she'd expected, Kitsune was snoring loudly on the couch in her usual sprawled out position. Shinobu pulled the blanket up to cover her. Glancing at Keitaro, she thought he was asleep. His eyes were closed, and he looked relaxed.
"Who's there?" Keitaro asked in a hushed voice.
"Just Shinobu," she replied. "Are you sure you aren't cold?"
He smiled and shook his head. "Su is as hot as heater. Do you think you can help me put her in bed?"
"What do you want me to do?" Shinobu asked. She watched as Keitaro stood up cradling Su gently.
"What's her room number?"
Shinobu told him, and hovered just a foot behind as he began to walk toward the stairs. "You know the room numbers?"
"I have to get a good feel for where I am," he said simply. "Just tell me if there's something in my way."
Su's room was a veritable jungle, but she managed to steer him to the bed. It amazed her how gentle he was with Su. Shinobu didn't know anyone other than Motoko who could handle Su. She wondered what kind of person he really was.
When they were outside the door, Keitaro yawned, and flipped the face plate off of his watch. Shinobu watched as he ran his finger tips over the face. "It's almost one. What are you doing up?"
"I couldn't sleep."
"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked.
"But it's dark outside, and I'm in my robe!" she cried frantically.
He laughed. "Sorry. Darkness doesn't really matter to me, and I tend to forget about things like what you're wearing."
"Can I get you a cup of tea?" Shinobu asked looking away. Even though she knew he couldn't see her, she couldn't bring herself to meet those eyes.
"That would be great. Thank you."
For the first time, Keitaro looked a little lost. "Do you need some help?"
"Maybe just a little. Do you mind?" he asked reaching toward her.
Shinobu's heart began to race, and it took all of her will to speak. "Not at all," she told him. His hand felt warm on her arm, as he trailed just a step behind her. "There's a step here."
"Thank you again," he said as he touched the seat of a chair before sitting down. "I'll have this whole place mapped out in no time. Tomorrow, I think I am going to work in the kitchen. Does anyone else cook?"
"No," she replied. It had taken months to clean up Naru's last attempt to make a meal, and Shinobu wasn't prepared for another. She hoped Keitaro really did know how to cook. It would be wonderful to have someone else take over for even just an evening. Since her parents divorce, Shinobu had been the cook and housekeeper of Hinata. Sometimes, she missed her mother's cooking so badly that she could just cry.
"Well, if you are the only one who really cooks then would you mind if we started a system in here?"
"A system?"
He nodded. "For me, I have to know where things are around me. Things need to be kept in the same spot every time, and things like cans and boxes need to be marked so I know what's in them. All I need is for you and the other girls to put things back when you use them in here. I can manage in the rest of the house on my own."
"I could help you, if you like," she offered.
"But don't you have class tomorrow?"
"I do, but I can stay home. It's no problem at all."
"Shinobu, you don't have to do that. I'll probably be starting next week, and then you'll be sick of me asking for help. My grades aren't exactly the best," he admitted.
"I wouldn't be a help at all. I'm no good at school. Miss Naru's been tutoring me forever." Part of her was glad that he couldn't see the shameful blush creeping up her cheeks.
"Maybe we can help each other?" he suggested.
Shinobu was about to say something when another voice called out. "Onii-chan, what are you doing up still?" Kanako strode into the room glaring murderously at Shinobu. The shy girl felt her flesh crawl. There was something very frightening about Kanako. It was like she hated Shinobu just for being near Keitaro.
Keitaro didn't seem to notice anything amiss. "I was just talking to Shinobu. What are YOU doing up?"
Her scowl deepened. "I don't like sleeping in this place, and I was hoping that I could stay with you for a while, but you weren't in bed. I was worried that they did something awful to you!"
Keitaro sighed. "Well, Shinobu, I am going to bed. I will see you in the morning."
"Alright. Sleep well," Shinobu said under Kanako's glare.
Shinobu picked up the cups and put them into the sink. She'd do dishes in the morning. At the moment, she was too tired. Her mind kept drifting to Keitaro. He was such a nice person. It was awful to think that he would be spending a lifetime in the dark. Even the thought of not being able to see made her uneasy, yet he handled it so well.
She yawned loudly. Hopefully, everything would even out and the others would see how wonderful he was. Things could be much better in the morning.
