Chapter Six: Plans Made In Good Faith
It was a quiet Friday midmorning on the Todai campus. Shinobu was sitting on a bench, looking over the landscaped lawn. The night before had been a wonderful mini-date, and Takane was a perfect gentleman.
Takane had allayed her fears, telling her "As I see it, there are two types of friends. Those you choose and those who accumulate around you. When I said your friends showed your good character, I was thinking about the first group. I'm sorry for making you think I would judge you by the others."
Contrary to the fears of the rest of Hinata House, he hadn't tried to make any moves on her, hadn't plied her with alcohol, or let his eyes roam across her body. That was a relief, as she now thought Naru's advice about waiting was sound. In short he was a polar opposite of the wretched Kokeru Moroboshi that Sara hung out with. Of course, she thought, they might not know that. She had snuck in at a reasonable hour, but she snuck in nonetheless, not wanting to deal with their drama anymore. She had snuck out this morning for the same reason, only pausing to prepare breakfast for Naru and Keitaro (she was pleased that she had broken the habit of thinking of him as senpai as part of thinking of him as just a friend) and wish them well for their weekend trip that would start today.
Of course, she dreaded facing the others without Naru's refereeing. But Naru said that Haruka and Mutsumi would be stepping up their roles in keeping order. So apparently the main concern would be the wreckage the others had made out of the kitchen. But she'd deal with that when it came up.
There was an uncertain cough behind her. Cautiously, Shinobu turned to see a contrite Motoko standing in front of her. She was carrying her usual school supplies and an additional bag that she had used in high school when she went on Kendo training trips.
"Shinobu…?" Motoko began, hesitantly. "I- wanted to apologize for my recent behavior. While I thought I was doing it for your benefit, Naru helped me see that I was really projecting my own issues on to you. I was the ringleader here, and I'm sorry." She hung her head, ashamed, feeling her words were inadequate.
Shinobu gestured for Motoko to join her on the bench. "Thank you, Motoko-chan," she said, trying to put her hurts behind her. "You're like the older sister I never had, but I guess you probably understand what it's like dealing with an older sister with Tsuruko-san."
"Well, I hope you don't see me the way I saw ane-ue. She scared me sometimes."
Shinobu smiled slightly. "I did always think she was rather… umm… intense."
"That's putting it mildly," Motoko said, relaxing slightly.
"I guess what bothers me," Shinobu said after a moment, "is that you're giving my date with Takane a lot of scrutiny, but you seem pretty indifferent with Sara's relationship with Kokeru. Why do you focus on what I do, but not on that?"
Motoko pondered that for a moment. "I never really thought about that before," she admitted, "but I think in part, I forget you're not the twelve year old girl I protected when you first came to Hinata House." That much was true, though she wasn't ready to admit that she envied Shinobu's potential for having a successful relationship. "So, I do worry about the twelve year old Shinobu being targeted by a pervert while forgetting that you're now the 21 year old Shinobu who is old enough to make responsible decisions for herself."
She leaned back and sighed. "Twenty One… where does the time go?"
Shinobu nodded. "I guess I can see that. But why aren't you worried about Sara and that… creature?"
"Well, if I thought that Sara was in danger of being assaulted or manipulated, I'd probably take direct action. But she is pretty street smart and sets boundaries. As I see it, she's not likely to sleep with him unless she wants to piss off Haruka. I don't see what I can do to intervene in that case. If she were hanging around with an adult, I'd probably be more forceful, because the potential for abuse is more real."
"I see, well thank you for coming by to tell me this." Shinobu said, smiling less guardedly.
"You're welcome. I wanted to let you know, because I didn't want you to think I wasn't sorry or was being cowardly when I didn't return to Hinata House this evening."
"AUUU! You're not leaving us are you?" Shinobu cried in alarm as she grabbed Motoko's arm in a deathgrip.
"What?" Motoko sweatdropped. Does everybody think I'm going to run? "No, no. I just figure that I probably ought to go away for the weekend so I don't try to interfere with you again. Maybe I can try to start writing again." She blushed slightly. "Maybe I'll find a weekend romance. Maybe I'll just do nothing but think of where my life is going." Motoko smiled more broadly. "Besides with the Health and Sports Day coming up on Monday, I don't doubt some of my club mates are going to try to get me to practice with them this weekend."
Shinobu gave a small laugh. "So, where are you going?"
"I haven't decided yet. Seta talked about something the Australians do… I think he called it a walkabout? I thought I'd just jump on a train and jump off wherever sounds interesting. Probably not far though, since I only have a weekend. It would have been easier if all this happened during Golden Week."
"Well, I hope you find what you're looking for," Shinobu said, burying the hatchet.
"Thank you," Motoko said, smiling and relieved to see Shinobu wasn't angry. "I hope you have a good date."
Shinobu had to excuse herself for class then. But Motoko remained, pulling out a travel guide. She really wasn't interested in the mountains. It might just turn into another training session. Maybe the beach, since the weather was supposed to be warm this weekend." Hmm… this Kujukuri place looks interesting. It has things to do year round.
.
.
"Well, this sucks," Kitsune growled. With Keitaro, Naru, and Motoko away for the weekend, Mutsumi announcing she had plans for Saturday (and then fleeing for the door), and Shinobu having a date, there wasn't much that was likely to happen that weekend.
That left her, Kanako, Su, Ema, Sara, Naguno, Kyoko, and Haruka without plans… of course with Sara and Haruka, that meant one of the two wouldn't be able to join in on what she considered fun. "We should do something ourselves, this weekend."
"Not another drinking session," Kyoko said, looking a little green. "I don't think I could manage another one after yesterday."
"Nah, I was thinkin' more like going somewhere. Mountains, beach, park, wherever." Kitsune said. She was secretly glad Kyoko didn't want to drink again. It was getting harder to bounce back from those sessions. "I just figure if we're bored here we might get into trouble. I don't know if Shinobu's still pissed at us, but maybe if we're busy, we can leave her in peace." Naru's talk yesterday had made her think about her antics.
"Maybe…" Haruka said. "But if we're concerned for her, we better clean up this disaster and not leave it for Shinobu."
The others looked at the carnage in the kitchen and sweatdropped. Pretty much every dish was dirty. They were eating out of pots and pans at this point.
"Leave what for me?" Shinobu asked, walking through the door. She stopped and stared, dumbfounded. "AUUU!" she moaned, rubbing her temples. "W- what did you do?" She set her bag on the floor and resignedly walked to the sink.
Haruka stood up. "Shinobu, take a rest. The rest of you, line up for your assignment!"
That resulted in some grumbling from the lesser offenders.
"What about you?" Sara (who wasn't a lesser offender) protested.
"I'm making sure the rest of you don't just sneak out of here!" She brandished her harisen.
.
.
"Well, this looks nice," Naru said as she looked around their room. The hotel wasn't as close to Kujukuri beach as she would liked—it was actually closer to Shirako beach—but it was walkable if she was in a mood for a hike, assuming her feet didn't get sore. Keitaro had rented a Kei Car to account for that.
"It is nice," Keitaro agreed. Because it was off season, they had actually gotten the inn's equivalent of a honeymoon suite. "Nice view too." The room overlooked scenery instead of the city, giving the illusion of being truly alone, and the sunset was romantic.
"Very nice, and amenities too," Naru said, looking at the hot tub. "So," she said coquettishly, "What would you like first? Dinner? Bath?" Her smile became predatory. "Or me?" she asked in a husky tone. She made clear her preference by pulling off her top.
Keitaro reached her in a swift stride, pulling her to him and pressing his lips against hers as they fumbled with each other's clothing.
.
.
"So, you're all going away for the weekend too?" Shinobu asked. After hours, Kitsune's tearoom became an unofficial bar for Hinata House, and without the worry of tempting Naru, they could unwind with alcohol.
"Yeah," Kitsune said. "After yesterday, I figure I hafta get out of here so I don't do anything stupid-"
Shinobu raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, do anything more stupid," Kitsune amended, sheepishly. She had apologized profusely for her antics yesterday, and it took awhile to mollify the younger woman. Note to self, whenever I tease her, DON'T involve her boyfriend. "I take a joke too far, so I figure if we get out of time, we won't cause our usual disasters when it comes time for your date."
Shinobu nodded. Then she made sure that the others were occupied—in fact they were playing with Hachi—before whispering, "I know you heard Naru having the talk with me a couple days ago.
"Yeah, I thought her advice was better advice than what I could give. Why?"
"Well," Shinobu said, blushing a little, "You've got some experience with men, right?"
Kitsune leaned in closer, her prurient side taking control over any vestigial sense of modesty she might have left. "What do you want to know?"
"Well, I'm sorry if this is too personal, but how long did you wait between your first kissed a boyfriend and the first time you ever... you know." She looked away getting a little redder. She also thought Naru's advice was good, but she didn't want to be frigid either. She wanted to find the right balance so as to express continued interest if it worked out like she hoped, but not send signals that she was willing to go all the way.
Kitsune thought back. "I think it was two months.
"Hmm, what about how long did it take after you shared your first adult kiss?"
"About as soon as I could get my bra off," Kitsune said with a wolffish grin.
Shinobu's face turned a deep red. Ah, better not try that then.
Kitsune grew serious. "Look Shinobu, Naru was right about this. Your first time should be with somebody you won't regret giving it up for, not because you're in the mood or want to be nice to a guy. My first time, I was a second year in high school, horny and a little drunk. He was a senior. I was a little too easy, and he turned out to be a jerk afterwards. Said I was too high strung." She pulled out a couple more beers and handed one to Shinobu.
"So, live and learn?" Shinobu said awkwardly, trying to express her sympathy for Kitsune.
"Yeah, I'll live. You learn from this." Kitsune looked more serious and world weary compared to her usual party manner. She had told Naru—and Haruka when she had been dorm mother—the basics about what happened when she was seventeen. But she had never told them everything about it. And I never will. It was something she still couldn't forget or forgive herself over—and she probably never would.
.
.
Keitaro and Naru lay naked on the bed together, but the feminine curve that Keitaro was focused on was Naru's baby bump. "Every time I see you like this, I'm amazed to think that's our baby in there. He caressed Naru's abdomen. "I wonder what it will be."
Naru placed her hand on his. "I wonder too." She looked thoughtful. "Some time next month, the doctor will be a able to determine whether the baby is a girl or a boy. I guess a lot of parents want to be surprised. But I was thinking that if we knew, we could start saying him or her instead if 'it.' But how do you feel about it?"
Keitaro leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "I never gave it much thought. But it's a good idea. We could pick out a name for the baby once we know, and we would feel even closer to our son or daughter." He caressed Naru's abdomen again. "So, am I going to teach you archeology? Or is Mommy going to teach you how to punch people?"
"You idiot!" Naru said, giggling.
Keitaro joined in. It felt good to be together, in love and able to laugh when, not too long ago they felt they would never be able to do any of these again. Feeling a stirring, he slowly moved his hand from the curve of Naru's baby bump to another set of curves further above the abdomen. "Shall we?" he asked, a gleam in his eye.
Naru reached for him and leaned over to kiss him… when a loud growl emerged from her stomach. She stopped and blushed. "Erm, sorry."
"No, that's okay," Keitaro said. "I imagine our little one is hungry too." I hope you don't plan to make a habit of this once you're born! He thought in mock severity to the baby. It was a reminder they were three and not two.
"Thanks for understanding," Naru said kissing him. She got up and put on a yukata before calling room service.
"Yes, Mrs. Urashima. It will be there shortly."
Naru smiled contentedly. It was nice being called Mrs. Urashima without sensing the air quotes around it when she usually got when they went to a Love Hotel.
"This is going to be a good weekend," Naru smiled.
.
.
Motoko got off of the train and, shouldering her bag, walked from the station to her hotel. It was a blue building—it almost looked more like a large house—and simple in style, but it would suit her needs for the weekend. Quiet enough if she wanted to write, and a ten minute walk if she wanted to go to Kujukuri Beach.
The Okami greeted her when she walked in, and showed her to her room. After settling into her room, and walking over to a buffet restaurant, Motoko sat by the window, enjoying the evening breeze. So, now what do I do? Her near disaster fighting over Keitaro, and then her jealousy over Shinobu showed that she needed to get her life focused again. It was pretty empty now when she wasn't studying.
She realized she missed writing, and her publisher had been urging her to submit something after she reported her last story was 'lost in a fire.' But her sister was right. When she was writing her stories—which were nothing more than adulterous fantasies about Keitaro—she was writing filth. So don't write about conquering him, she thought. Maybe write something where the married love wins out? But what? She did write what she knew, or wished she knew. Romance or Samurai fiction. How could she write a story outside of that experience. Maybe if she had to write from the perspective of the 'other woman,' she could cast Ms. Bluepeak as the villainess, not the heroine? She picked up her pen and began to write…
The last hood was slammed down, and the engines fired up. When heading into what the Mararakelse natives called the Desert of Death, you needed to make sure everything was in working order before you actually crossed over into the sand. It was about a hundred miles to the site and you did not want to wander around on foot. Kentaro had done that once, close to seven years ago. He had no desire to do it again.
"Let's roll," he said in English into the radio. The caravan of old Toyota Land Cruisers and a deuce and a half lurched forward.
The radio crackled. "Stop! Stop! There's a taxi flagging us down." That was R. Tom, second in command on the dig. "Sonova…! He's really leaning on the Egyptian brake pedal… shut up, you! Some crazy woman is leaning out the window, yelling your name. Oh it's your wife."
"Nana? I wonder what she wants." Nothing good, the way things had gone lately. "Okay, shut it down," he sighed. "I'll head back." He jumped out of the Land Cruiser and jogged back. Why didn't she just call? he wondered. Then he remembered… he had been leaving the satellite phone off. So there was no way she could reach him…
Author's Notes
"it was actually closer to Shirako beach" I don't know if it existed in 2006, but their hotel was loosely modeled after pictures I found of the real life Shirako New Seaside Hotel.
Kei Car. "keijidōsha" small (650cc or less) vehicle legal to drive on highways.
"Adult kiss." What we would call a "French kiss."
"and a ten minute walk if she wanted to go to Kujukuri Beach." As you might suspect, Motoko isn't too far away from Keitaro and Naru—she's actually about five miles away.
"Lost in a fire" Chapter 2 of Barriers.
Yes, Motoko's writing comes from my first story. The name changes for Keitaro and Naru were taken from the Love Hina satire in Mao-Chan volume 2, and the other spelling changes are intended to be deliberately cheesy.