Disclaimer: Nothing I own is worth the amount that will need to cover a lawsuit cost; I have no claims over anything.
Last Goodbyes
Part: 1
By: UesugiKenshin
Going up the many steps of stairs was a grueling task for the old man. He had made the trip many times before but now, every consecutive step seemed to take an eternity. Stopping to catch his breath, Keitaro stopped at the eighty-third step and rested his weary body.
"Ojiisan! What'd I tell you about asking for help." A young woman's voice lightly scolds Keitaro from the top of the stairs.
"Ah… Ai-chan. I didn't want to bother your studies." Keitaro looks at the face of one of the girls calling the majestic Hinata House as their home.
"I don't want you hurt Ojiisan." Her worried-etched face warms Keitaro's soul.
"For such worry for this old man, I think I will be fine." Keitaro smiled, bringing a smile on the girl's face as well. "But I would like a little assistance."
"Of course Ojiisan."
Ai gently interlocks her arm with his and helps him up the rest of the stairs. "I think I will be fine from here Ai-chan." Ai releases her grip on his arm. "Are you sure?"
"I will be fine, and next time I will ask for help. Now scoot." He pushes her along and while Ai doesn't want to leave the frail man behind, his determined voice deters any objections that she might have brought up.
As Ai races back into the Hinata Dorm, Keitaro looks at her retreating form. 'She looks so much like her great-aunt.' Keitaro thinks, remembering Motoko.
"Now isn't the time old man." Keitaro pulls his rickety body into the entrance, then up the stairs, holding onto the guardrails for support, and to the door before the manager's room.
Keitaro gives a hacking cough before the shoji door, holding onto the door for dear life. After the coughing subsided, he pushed his body into the room and sits seiza style on the tatami mat. Today he does something he hasn't done over a decade. He gets up to the bookshelf and takes out the records of the original Hinata girls off the dusty shelf.
Keitaro blows on the book gently, the book fragile as time passed by, ravaging the once pristine pages with yellowing marks. With meticulous care, he places it on the tatami mat before him to view the pages.
First person to come up was Mitsune 'Kitsune' Konno. Keitaro's grin was radiant as the sun. The wily woman had taken over the Hinata Café after Haruka left to travel the world with Seta. Always searching for the 'wealthy' man worthy to marry, Kitsune had married not once but three times. The third marriage with Kaishi Yomiuri had produced her only daughter, Rin. Taking after her mother, Rin was also a troublemaker for Keitaro, trying to skip out on her dues, drinking, causing much ruckus as possible. The third generation of the Konno line rested in another girl, Ami, who was currently residing in Hinata dorms.
When his eye's rested on Kitsune's years, Keitaro couldn't help but let out a tear. Kitsune had passed away fifteen years ago, of old age. He had been at her funeral, consoling Rin and Ami.
He turned to the next page.
Kaolla Su. Another troublemaker, Mad Scientist that perpetually made Keitaro's life a living hell with all the experiments and mecha-tamas. Even now just looking at her photo sent shivers down Keitaro's spine.
Kaolla had become Queen of MolMol after Lamba Su and Amalla Su stepped down to allow the ascension of Kaolla to the throne. Keeping to Lamba Su's wishes, Kaolla had declined to have children and allowed her nephews and nieces to reign after her. The day that Kaolla died was a tragic one; her plane went down in the Pacific while trying to help a neighboring country that was starving after a cyclone had devastated the nation of Jahpar.
Keitaro had been there at the coronation of Samara Su to the throne and the mourning of Kaolla's passing. A momentous statue was erected in her honor. And Keitaro said his last goodbyes to the statue, hoping she would hear his last words.
More tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. With trembling hands, he flipped to the next page.
Shinobu Maehara, the shy girl who could not admit her crush to Keitaro, who later in her life told him about it and laughed. Her life revolved around cooking and her children and she balanced them well. With her husband, she had three children, two boys and one girl. Her cooking skills got her far in the culinary world and Keitaro got to taste first hand several of her new creations. She had done everything she said she wanted to do in her last days of life and said goodbyes only thirteen years ago.
With only two more people to go, Keitaro's trembling hands shook more rapidly.
Motoko Aoyoma, the illustrated master of the God Cry's Dojo had reigned for forty years as the clan's head leader. Also getting a degree in law, she had fought off any attempts by any corporation that tried to steal the dojo's sacred lands in Kyoto. Like Kaolla, she also had been childless. To be the perfect swordswoman, she devoted her entire life to the dojo without any thoughts of having children. Her sister, Tsuruko already had a daughter with her husband so Motoko saw no need to get married when there already was an heir. She had been the last to pass away, on her deathbed, she apologized to Keitaro for all the wrong doings, and Keitaro promptly forgave her. This was only five years ago.
Too many friends buried, time was mocking Keitaro. Giving him longer life to see that everyone he knew and loved, gone.
The last page was the most painful one, Keitaro was not sure if he was ready to face the photo of the girl who had departed this world too soon, leaving him behind. The dam that held back the tears broke as he turned to the last page.
Naru Narusegawa, taken at the prime of her years by a cruel death. Keitaro cupped his hands over photo as if he could imagine her face in his hands. 'Naru, I miss you.' Through the tears Keitaro remembered. Remembered that over eight decades ago on this day, the love of his life had passed away way too soon.