Ch 2
The bedlam in the Hinata living room lasted for a couple of minutes, despite attempts by Haruka to quiet things down. Finally, Haruka put two fingers to her lips and let loose a long piercing whistle that cut through the ravings of Naru and Motoko.
"I knew you weren't going take this well girls, but jeez…" Haruka tried to make light of the situation, but the scowls on the faces of the older girls were unchanging. Looking over at Keitaro, she could see the stunned look was still in his eyes. "There's more about this I have to tell you, but it might be a good idea for you two to get dressed first." Naru flushed as she was reminded of her state of apparel. Keitaro just nodded. "Kei-kun, there is a washroom though that doorway, go there and put some clothes on, Naru you have your own room, be back here in five minutes."
After the allotted time had passed everyone reassembled in the living room, Naru wearing jeans and a high school athletics sweatshirt while Keitaro was wearing jeans and a faded black tee shirt with a stylized red 'M' symbol and the word 'MagPul' below it. "Since you all don't know my nephew here, please introduce yourselves." Haruka gestured toward the girls, who were standing in a rough line facing Haruka and Keitaro.
After a moment the ash blonde girl at the end of the line stepped forward. "My name is Mitsume Konno, but you can call me Kitsune." The nickname was apt; with her half closed eyes and a sly expression on her face, she indeed resembled the trickster fox of legend. With her curvy body and her height at about 160 cm, she looked to be about Keitaro's age. "I finished school a year ago and am working as a freelance magazine writer."
Switching places with her, the young tanned blonde girl jumped forward, and flashing a 'V' hand sign, she exclaimed, "Hi, my name is Kaolla Su! I'm a princess from the island of MolMol, and I go to school with Shinobu-chan!" The girl looked to be about 14 or 15 years old and was wearing a schoolgirl uniform, the hem of which kept almost flipping up as she was bouncing in place. If there was ever a poster child for hyperactivity, she was it.
Jumping back, her place was taken by another girl who looked to be her age but otherwise would not look more different. With shoulder length black hair, a rounded face, and what looked to be a permanent blush, she clasped her hands in front of the apron she was wearing and gave a deep bow. "My name is… Shinobu… Maehara. I attend school… with Kaolla-chan… and I work here… to help with my rent." Keitaro gave her a small smile and returned her bow with a slightly less deep one, bringing frowns anew to the faces of the last two girls.
Stepping forward, Naru planted her fists on her hips and scowled. "My name is Naru Narusegawa, I graduated from high school last year, and I'm studying at prep school to take the Todai exam. I don't like men, and I HATE perverts!" Naru looked to be slightly younger than Keitaro and about the same height of 170 cm, with a slender yet curvy build. Her long honey blond hair was pulled back in a pony tail
Stepping next to her the last girl spoke up. "I am Motoko Aoyama, heir to the God's Cry School of Swordfighting. I am in my last year of high school and I plan to study afterwards to attend Kyoto University." This girl looked to be younger than Keitaro was, but she was about 5 cm taller with a slender athletic build. Her long black hair was worn swept back behind her ears and down to about the middle of her back, with bangs cut across her forehead.
Seeing the last girl step back, Keitaro took a step forward and gave a brief bow, yet kept his eyes up and focused on the girls. "As you already know, my name is Keitaro Urashima, and I am the grandson of Hina and the nephew of Haruka. I graduated from high school a year ago and went to do some work overseas after that. My goal is to attend Todai as well, so I studied while I was working last year, and I plan to study some more before retaking it this year."
"Retake the test? You took the Todai test before, right out of high school?" The tone of Naru's voice wavered between surprise and disbelief. The exam to enter Todai (the University of Tokyo) was so difficult, most applicants took a full year to study after graduating high school before attempting it. "How badly did you mess up?"
Keitaro and Haruka both gave a faint scowl at the rudeness of Naru's question. "I had a preliminary score in the 95th percentile, but then I had some bad things happen in my life, and I was in no way ready to take the test when I did. I only did it because of a promise I had made. I barely missed making the reserve list." The reserve list were people who had passed the test but did not get a high enough score to be immediately admitted to the school. Instead, they waited in a form of limbo for accepted students to not enter for one reason or another to take their place. About 100 students made the reserve list; less than ten got picked from it to enter Todai.
Haruka looked from the frowning Keitaro to the outright scowling look on Naru's face. Sighing, she dug under her apron and pulled out another envelope, this one of the type that usually contained letters. "I'm guessing that Granny knew that you weren't going to see her today, so she left me this letter to give to you." She handed it over to Keitaro, who slid a finger under the flap and opened it.
"When did she give you this?" Keitaro pulled out a couple of sheets of paper, which were covered with hand-written ideograms.
"Day before yesterday," Haruka replied, wincing slightly at the look Keitaro gave at her. The timing pretty much proved that Hina had no intention of meeting with him when she had summoned him.
As Keitaro settled himself on his feet to read the letter, Haruka dug into an apron pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Shaking one out into her mouth, she raised the lighter up and was about to spark it up when without looking up from the letter Keitaro said one word. "Don't."
"Huh?" Haruka and the older girls looked shocked at hearing the command.
"There are children present, and I hate the smell of cigarettes. You want to poison yourself, you can go outside." Keitaro kept reading the letter.
"You didn't care about me smoking before, Kei-kun." Haru kept her lighter near the cigarette.
"I cared, I just didn't say anything before. It's something I learned overseas - smoking kills." A pair of brown eyes behind squared off glasses locked onto a pair of darker eyes. "Please don't."
After a moment, Haruka sighed. Leaving the smoke between her lips, she tucked the lighter away, bringing a look of surprise to the girls, who would have never thought that the erstwhile housemother would take orders regarding her vice like that.
After a minute of near silence Keitaro gave a low growl as he finished reading the letter. Abruptly handing the letter back to Haruka, he walked over to the large window facing Tokyo Bay and leaned his head forward, his forehead against the cool glass, eyes closed. "You know what's in that letter, Haru?"
Haruka looked from Keitaro to the loose sheets in her hand. "No, Granny just told me that it would tell you about taking over the Hinata Inn."
"Go ahead and read it; read it out loud. These girls need to know." Keitaro stepped back, but kept facing the window.
"If you're sure," Haruka had a sudden feeling of foreboding. Straightening the papers in her hand, she faced the suddenly rapt faces of the tenants of the Hinata and began to read.
Dearest Keitaro,
As you now realize, I left before you were to arrive from overseas even though I am the one who summoned you here. Please forgive an old woman her weaknesses; I knew that if I were to speak face to face with you about this, I would not be able to continue with this course of action.
The Hinata-sou has been the ancestral home the Urashima family for almost two centuries. At first it was a keep of a family of hatamoto (1), then after the Meiji Reformation, of scholars and researchers in the scientific arts. Those advisors and teachers were also warriors, who even though they were not widely known, were almost always closely trusted by those who they served.
As the family got larger and married off into various families, the number of family increased, even as the number of people who bore the proud name of Urashima decreased. Now the only direct descendents of that family are myself, my son and your father Kouji, Haruka, and yourself.
As time passed, the holdings of the Hinata-sou decreased. From an initial holding of 20,000 koku (2) which encompassed what is now Hinata City and almost a quarter of the prefecture to the now ten hectares of the hill and lands surrounding what is now the Hinata Inn. However, since this land was given to the Urashima family under an Imperial grant at the request of the Shogun (who a Urashima had given his life to protect in a coup attempt involving members of the Shogun's family) it is under a special tax exemption so long as it held by a direct descendant bearing the name of the family. Should there no longer be a direct descendant, the property owners would be taxed at current rates or the owners can let the property revert to Imperial control; the remaining descendants would be paid fair market value and the property would stay under Imperial control (not government ownership; since the land had been the property of the Emperor when it was given our family, it would be the property of the Chrysanthemum Throne. If that is the case, the property would probably be made into a park or nature preserve).
Why this long explanation? Simply put Keitaro, you are the only direct descendent left who can hold the property. Your father has his pastry and bakery business, and Haruka has the Hinata Teahouse. I could ask either of them to take over the Hinata-sou, but it would probably require them to shut down their own business. As the Hinata-sou was never was a great generator of income (the Inn was set up to pay the taxes and expenses of the property, and it does not produce much more than that), it would cause a hardship to your family to do so, and Haruka can not really run the property by herself.
You are the only hope of the Hinata-sou, Keitaro. I know that you are still working to keep your promise to enter Todai, and that you planned to study this year to do so. But with the help of the tenants you have now met, and hopefully are doing well with, and with Haruka's and Kanako's help, you will be able to continue operating the Hinata-sou, either as a dorm or reopening it as a hot springs resort inn, while still studying for and attending Todai.
Therefore, I have made you my heir, both of the property of the Urashima family in Hinata City and of the family itself. When I pass into the next world (not that I am planning to do so anytime soon, there are still a few things this old woman wants to do!) you will become the head of the Urashima family; I have already spoken with Kouji and Haruka and they agree.
I know you always keep your promises, my beloved grandson, and that you have always had a stronger will than most people give you credit for. It is this strength I am hoping you will use to work to protect our family home. You have made me proud of your intelligence, your strength of will, and your physical courage (I heard from the government about what had happened during the expedition you were with in Thailand when you and your companions were evacuated back to Japan). It is this confidence in you that made me realize you were the one who could take on this giri (3) for your family.
By my own hand, and with all my love,
Hinata Urashima
After hearing nothing for more than a few moments, Keitaro turned away from the window and back toward the others in the room. The girls could see that his shoulders were slightly slumped before he straightened up and looked from one face to another.
The two younger girls were quiet, Kaolla abnormally so. She had stopped bouncing around and was looking somewhat solemn. Shinobu looked to almost have tears in her eyes.
Naru looked almost the same as before, although her anger had substantially decreased. Kitsune had a calculating look as she eyed Keitaro. Haruka had a slight look of sorrow.
However, the biggest change was on the face of Motoko. She was wide-eyed, as the revelation of Keitaro's lineage and of the family duty he had just been given had changed the way she had looked upon the new male in their home. Not that she trusted him, but it opened her eyes to new possibilities.
"I still don't want him here," Naru muttered in a low tone of voice; although not low enough as everyone turned to look at her. Anything they would have said was cut off by the male among them.
"That makes two of us, Naru-san." Everyone looked back at Keitaro. Walking up to Haruka, he took back Granny's letter and put it back in the envelope, then picked up his duffle bag. "Show me where I'm going to be staying, then lets go back to your teahouse. I need a drink or two of the good stuff you have stashed there." Haruka raised an eyebrow but nodded and lead Keitaro toward the stairs.
A thin female voice spoke up before they started climbing the stairs. "I… will have… dinner… ready in… an hour… Keitaro-sempai."
The two adults paused and looked back at Shinobu, who was blushing and poking her fingers together. Smiling slightly, Keitaro replied, "Thanks Shinobu-chan, I look forward to it." Seeing scowls form on Naru's and Motoko's faces, he merely turned away and continued walking up the stairs.
1 - hatamoto- samurai retainers who directly served the Shogun
2 - koku - measure of land worth during the pre-Meiji era. A koku of land in theory produced 150 kg/330 lbs of rice (what one person would consume in a year) or the monetary value thereof.
3 - giri- duty/burden of obligation. Failure to perform one's sworn or rightfully given duty in Japan, even in modern times, could have very serious consequences.