Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina…
Keitaro gazed anxiously up at his tutor. He had been working on rudimentary algebra for the last week, but to no avail. Hour after hour, night after night. The numbers and letters were all starting to look the same. At times it seemed completely hopeless.
"81," Kitsune murmured from behind the battered exam packet.
"Huh?"
"You scored an 81… Keitaro, ya passed…!"
"I...? I passed?! I passed!" Keitaro bound from the kitchen table and broke into a festive victory dance in front of the counter. The vibrations of his pounding feet rattled the hanging cupboards and the dishes in the draining board. "I passed! I passed! Woohoo! Call Tokyo-U and tell 'em there's a new freshman on the way!" Kitsune watched amusedly from her seat, her cool façade hiding her own elation.
She had been working with Keitaro every step of the way, ever since Naru ended their tutoring sessions. Though she claimed she simply didn't have time for a "hopeless idiot" like Keitaro, Kitsune wasn't fooled in the least. It didn't take a brain surgeon to realize that Naru was considerably miffed over Kitsune and Keitaro's budding relationship. Unfortunately, Keitaro lacked the vigilance of his tenants and therefore remained clueless as to why he'd become the target of the redhead's hostility. Though she pitied the poor landlord, Kitsune decided that telling him the truth would more than likely cause more damage than good. She understood Keitaro's train of thought well enough to know that such a revelation would send the poor rounin into a spiral of guilt and despair; something she was not sure she could deal with. Suddenly, Keitaro's dance ground to a halt.
"Kitsune-san?" he murmured, solemnly.
"Hm?"
"T-thank you for your help…"
"Don't worry about it. It was nothi-"
"No, really!" The young landlord spun around to face her, his eyes welling up with tears of joy. His jaw trembled with a strange resolve and determination. It was almost unsettling. "You didn't have to take me on as your student, but you did, and because of you, I finally feel prepared for the entrance exams! Thank you, Kitsune-san!"
"Whoa, whoa Champ," she chuckled. "Don't go countin' those chickens just yet. Knowing the stuff is only half the battle."
"Uh, K-Kitsune-san? I was wondering… How DO you know so much about this stuff? Did you take the exams too?"
"N-no, no, nothing like that," she chirped, nervously. "But enough about exams… Why don't we round everyone up and celebrate? Sound good?"
"O-oh! Right, okay!"
XXX
"Wow, I'm so proud of you, Sempai!" Shinobu exclaimed, placing a fresh tray of refreshments at the center of the table. Su reeled back and slapped the landlord savagely on the back.
"Yay, Keitaro!"
"I propose a toast to Urashima!" Motoko announced, shoving her glass in the air.
"Another one, Motoko-sempai?" Shinobu replied, tentatively. "That makes six tonight…" After nearly an hour of prodding, Kitsune managed to convince the kendo girl to engage her in a drinking competition. Much to everyone's surprise, she revealed herself to be a lightweight in the truest sense, losing all sense of herself after only three drinks.
"Thanks, everyone," he said, abashedly. He wasn't used to this much positive attention. The house scrambled like mad to set up for the event; Aunt Haruka had even closed the shop early to help with the preparations. Everyone was in such high spirits, everyone but Naru, that is. The young redhead spent most of the evening at the far end of the table, casting evil glares at the rounin between drinks. Even-so, Keitaro did his best to ignore the hostility and focus on enjoying himself.
"Keep up the good work, Keitaro!"
"We're counting on you…!"
"Yup, looks like I'll land a law student afterall," Kitsune grinned.
"What are you all so happy about?" Naru sniped from the corner. The entire room ground to a halt. The redhead took another swig of her beer and slammed the can down on the floor beside her. It was evident from the flushed tone of her face that Naru had probably surpassed her "safety limit."
"N-Naru-sempai-!"
"I mean, really; it wasn't even a practice exam… Anyone can get a halfway decent score on an old sample test… Gimme a break!"
"I thought you'd be happy," Keitaro murmured.
"Happy? 'Happy' that after three years of failure you finally did something right for a change?! Why would I be happy?!"
"Um, m-maybe we should just eat," Shinobu interjected.
"No, Shinobu! He needs to hear this and since none of you have the guts to tell him, I will!"
"Naru!"
"It doesn't matter how many exam packets you do, someone like you doesn't stand a chance of getting into Tokyo U… I didn't get in and I was tops in the nation! What would even make you think that a loser like you could?" The whole room went silent. All eyes shifted from the fuming redhead to Keitaro. The tension was almost corporeal. Suddenly, the landlord broke into a fit of laughter.
"Hah hah hah hah! You're right, Narusegawa! What was I thinking? There's no way a guy like me could make it into Tokyo U! Hah hah hah!" The other tenants looked on in quiet apprehension as Keitaro's laughter grew. Despite his overt grin, there was something disconcerting about his tone. The fevered pitch of his laughter sounded uneven, as if it could fall apart at a moment's notice. That's when Kitsune saw it; a single tear trailing down the rounin's right cheek. The realization sent a pang of remorse through her. Why did she suddenly feel so guilty?
"Hey, Keitaro, are you-?"
"Sorry!" he blurted. "I forgot something upstairs! Hah hah hah! I'm so hopeless!" With that, the rounin jumped to his feet and rushed up the wooden flight of stairs, stumbling all the way. The heavy footsteps echoed throughout the hall, followed by the hiss of a shoji door. The remaining tenants exchanged glances.
"I doubt he'll come back down, tonight," Haruka stated. "I guess the party's over."
"Indeed," Motoko nodded, grimly. The recent display was enough to counteract the alcohol, leaving her somewhere between "buzzed" and "sober."
"Motoko, don't tell me YOU feel sorry for him, too?!" Naru snapped.
"I… I think I will retire for the night," she replied. The kendo girl stared tentatively at the floor as she gathered her belongings and quietly made her way toward the staircase. The redhead's gaze shifted to Shinobu.
"I-I should start cleaning up… Su, will you help me put the food away?" Her schoolmate nodded and the girls began clearing off the table it quiet solemnity.
"Whatever," Naru huffed. She hadn't done anything wrong; she'd simply stated the truth. There was nothing in her account that didn't ring true, even if she had been a little harsh. Keitaro would bounce back; he always did.
"Hey, Naru," Kitsune whispered.
"What?"
"Can I talk to you outside? Just for a sec?"
XXX
Keitaro rolled over on his futon and glanced at the bedside clock. It was almost eleven.
"What a night," he muttered. His face still felt stiff from the dry salt trails that covered his cheeks. "I can't believe I cried like that… I'm so ashamed…!" Why had her words upset him so much? It wasn't like he hadn't heard that rant before; it was practically an everyday thing. Maybe the alcohol had made him a little touchier than usual. Maybe it was the fact that she put him down in front of the other tenants. Or, maybe it was because he had been trying so hard, and for the first time in his life he felt that he actually stood a chance. And what made it even worse was he knew everything she said was true. Just then, he heard a knock at the door.
"Hey, Keitaro? It's Kitsune. Can I come in…?" Keitaro sat up and turned away from the door.
"Uh, y-yeah, sure!" he muddled, nervously. Kitsune gently slid the door aside and stepped quietly into the room. She spotted Keitaro seated rigidly on the other side of the table, staring fixedly at the wall. "H-hey, Kitsune-san! Uh, what's up?"
"You tell me," she replied. "How ya holdin' up?"
"Me?! Oh, I'm fine! Hah hah!" Suddenly, a pair of arms snaked their way around his torso and pulled him close. He gasped at the warm, cushiony mounds pressing into his back. In a moment of realization, the landlord's face darkened to a beet-red complexion. 'Whoa! K-Kitsune-san's breasts?!'
"Ya don't hafta lie, Keitaro." He shivered at the sensation of her breath against his earlobe.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," he chuckled. 'Dammit, don't give in! Just play it cool and she'll eventually leave!'
"I know how ya feel about Naru; hell, we all do. Ya took a big step this week and I know that more than anything, you wanted her approval. You've got every reason to be upset…"
"K-Kitsune-san…" His resolve was collapsing. Why was it that she always seemed to know exactly what to say? It was as if she was reading his mind.
"But, for what it's worth, I still believe in you…" Kitsune leaned forward and, guiding his chin with her hand, kissed him tenderly on the mouth. As their lips locked, Keitaro could have sworn he felt his heart skip a beat. He found himself secretly wishing that the moment would last forever, like this; just the two of them.
"Now," she whispered, slowly drawing back, "get some rest, 'kay?" Keitaro nodded dumbly as the sandy-haired woman stepped out into the hallway. "Goodnight, Keitaro."
"G-good night." The paper door closed behind her with a faint rustle. "…Thank you, Kitsune-san…"
XXX
The next morning started out like any other. After waking to the sound of his alarm clock, Keitaro shuffled off to the "men's bath" for an early dip and got dressed. For some reason, he felt especially cheerful today, which was strange considering the prior night's events. After neatening up his room, he headed downstairs to start his morning chores. He had almost reached the kitchen when a familiar voice brought his feet to a grinding halt.
"You're awfully cheerful, today," Naru stated, matter-of-factly. Keitaro felt his heart sink into his stomach. It was just his luck…
"G-good morning, Narusegawa," he replied, turning to face her. "I was just- OH MY GOD!" The sudden change in volume shocked them both.
"Sh-shut-up!" Naru hissed, glancing nervously about. "You'll wake the whole house!"
"S-sorry," he murmured, "it's just…! What happened to your face…?!" The rounin gazed bemusedly into the purple ring that framed Naru's left eye. The puffy, discolored flesh gleamed with oily residue of some unknown ointment. Though he knew it was wrong to stare, Keitaro could scarcely bring himself to blink.
"Q-quit staring! I fell down, that's all!"
"Are you alright? I mean, do you need any-?"
"I'm fine!" she snapped. "Anyway, it's not important." She sighed. "Look, last night…! I was just so angry and… then there was the alcohol… Not that that makes up for it, but, you know…! And anyway… Those things I said… they were mean and untrue and even if you are a hopeless oaf, I…"
"N-Narusegawa…"
"The point is I was way out of line and… I'm sorry…" Keitaro was speechless. Did Naru just… apologize? Naru never apologizes; especially to him. What should he say? What should he do? How would she react? He suddenly found himself trapped in a cloud of uneasiness. She looked so vulnerable, standing there with those sparking brown eyes and pouting lips. How could he possibly refuse her?
"Morning," Haruka muttered stepping through the doorway.
"Aunt Haruka!" Keitaro sputtered. "W-what are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be at the shop?!"
"Glad to see you too, Keitaro. Nice shiner, Naru," she added, off-handedly.
"I-I fell…!"
"I see," she replied. "Anyway, the overhead plumbing in the storage room sprung a leak, so I've been cleaning up since daybreak."
"That's awful," Keitaro sighed, sympathetically. "After I finish my chores, I can head over and help you move some-"
"Don't worry about it," she assured him. "Seta's helping, so it shouldn't take much longer."
"S-Seta-san?!" Naru exclaimed. "Seta-san is here?!"
"That's right… Is there a pr-?" Before Haruka could finish, Naru's face darkened with horror. Clutching her blackened eye, the girl tore out of the kitchen and disappeared up the stairs.
"Did I… miss something…?" Keitaro murmured, bemusedly. Haruka let out a low sigh and shook her head, piteously.
"Kids…"
XXX
Keitaro managed to finish all of his morning chores before Shinobu called everyone for breakfast. Everyone crowded around the kitchen table, eagerly eying the impressive spread. The whole household was present, save Naru who insisted she was far too "busy" to eat. Needless to say no one but Seta and Keitaro actually believed such an excuse.
"So, how's that dig going?" Haruka casually inquired. "South America, was it?"
"Oh, right!" Seta nodded, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "It's going wonderfully. The project has only just started and already we've unearthed an incredible collection of artifacts!"
"It sounds so exciting," Shinobu sighed, whimsically.
"It really does," agreed Keitaro. "But Seta-san, if you've just discovered a new dig site, is it really okay for you to be here?"
"Oh, don't worry about that," he chuckled. "You see, we had a little 'on-site accident' not long after the dig started, so we technically can't resume the excavation until the area's been cleared…"
"Accident? Was it bad?"
"Well, we lost most of our equipment under three meters of water, so…"
"Oh my goodness!"
"Was anyone hurt?!"
"Oh, no!" he smiled. Thankfully, everyone was fine!"
"That's a relief…"
"But, you know, Keitaro, we could really use a guy like you out there."
"R-really?"
"Of course!" the professor beamed. "There's always room for another set of gifted hands and the job pays double what you earn working for me at the university."
"Double?! Wow!"
"That's right! You should seriously consider the offer."
"Well," Keitaro began, "It sounds great and all, and I'd be lying if I said I couldn't use the extra money, but the Tokyo-U entrance exams are coming up and for once in my life I feel like I just might have a shot…"
"Oh, well you don't have to decide right now," the professor explained. "They won't be finished cleaning up for at least another month, so you have plenty of time to think it over!"
"Oh, alright! I'll definitely consider it!"
"Glad to hear it!" As the conversation continued, Kitsune found herself drifting in and out of what was being said. It wasn't that she lacked interest; for some reason she just hadn't been feeling like herself all morning. 'What's wrong with me?' she wondered.
"So, Kitsune-chan," the unexpected address caught her completely off guard. "What have you been doing, lately?"
"Wha-?! Oh, umm… Nothing really!" she chuckled, nervously. "Just hangin' around here… Hah hah hah…!" Keitaro looked up from his food with a curious expression.
"But, Kitsune-san what about your nov-?" CRUNCH. The landlord let out a muffled cry of pain, fighting back the salty tears welling up in his eyes. Under the veil of the long tablecloth, Kitsune ground the sole of her sneaker into the top of Keitaro's.
"What was that, Keitaro?"
"Oh, nothing!" Kitsune chimed. "Right, Keitaro?"
"R-right," he squeaked. Breakfast continued without incident and once the table was cleared, everyone went their separate ways. Keitaro retired to his room hoping to use the spare time to read over his practice material, but for some reason he just couldn't seem to focus.
'I wonder why Kitsune-san stopped me back there…? Was she trying to hide the fact that she's been writing? But, why would she want to keep that a secret…? Ugh, what am I saying?! I need to concentrate on the entrance exams! I've worked too hard to start backsliding, now! Back to work!'
XXX
The rest of the day was largely uneventful save Keitaro's unfortunate run-in with a naked Motoko while cleaning the bathroom. How did he always manage to wind up in such compromising situations?
After dinner, everyone gathered on the front steps of Hinata House to see Seta off; everyone but Naru. Keitaro had gone upstairs to see how she was doing, but Naru refused to come out. After a long match of verbal tug-of-war, he convinced her to at least open the door so they could talk face-to-face.
[Flashback
"Are you crazy?!" Naru hissed, pointing to the icepack clutched over her eye. "Look at my face! Look at it! There's no way I can let him see me like this!"
"It's not that bad, is it?" Keitaro asked. A look of uneasiness passed over Naru's features. Slowly, she pulled the compress away, revealing the darkened patch around her eye. Keitaro nearly doubled-over in shock. The bruise hadn't gone down at all; in fact, it might have worsened.
"Sh-shut-up!" Naru snapped. Before Keitaro could even conceive a plausible excuse, the redhead struck him savagely over the head and slammed the door in his face. "Jerk!" she cried from behind the shoji paper. "Pervert! Idiot!"
[End Flashback
Keitaro let out a heavy sigh and climbed into the "men's bath." Though he probably could have snuck a dip in the hot spring, something told him that scenario was sure to end badly. Oddly enough, he'd grown fond of his wooden tub; it was one of the few places in the whole house that he could call his own. No one would ever come all the way out here…
"Hey, Keitaro! Whatcha up to?" The water erupted in flurry of splashes as Keitaro scrambled to cover himself.
"K-Kitsune-san?! What are you doing, here?!"
"Oh, relax," she chuckled. "It's not like I haven't seen it all before." Keitaro gaze cagily off to the side. Well, she DID have a point… "Takin' an after-dinner soak, huh?"
"Uh, that's right…"
"Here, lemme help…"
"Oh, well I… EH?!"
XXX
"That idiot," Naru huffed. "He makes so mad, sometimes…!" The redhead dropped the icepack on the table and flopped down onto the floor. "If only he didn't treat me like a stranger…" Lifting a hand to her face, Naru gave her blackened eye an experimental poke. "Ow-ow-ow!" she hissed. "Dammit, that hurts!" A flame of frustration flared up inside of her. "Dammit!"
"Naru, you still up?"
"H-Haruka-san…?! Oh, yes, c-come in!" The housemother slid the shoji door open and poked her head inside. "Is something wrong?"
"You tell me…"
"Wh-what do you mean…?" Naru inwardly cursed the quaver in her voice.
"How's your eye?"
"It's nothing, really…"
"I see… Well, either way, I'm sure you two will work it out. In the meantime…" Slipping a hand into the front pocket of her apron, Haruka retrieved a small vial of dark liquid and tossed it to her tenant. "It should take care of the pain and swelling."
"Thank you…"
"Yeah, yeah… Goodnight, then."
XXX
"See?" Kitsune grinned, working her fingers through his frothy hair. "Doesn't that feel good?" Keitaro slumped back, letting his neck rest against the rim of the tub. He enjoyed the way the shampoo suds hissed playfully in his ear before falling to the water, below. He relished the gentle rhythm of her smooth hands as she massaged his matted scalp. The sensation was almost intoxicating. 'This must be heaven,' he thought.
"Well you certainly got quiet all of a sudden…" she said, teasingly. "What's the matter; haven't ya ever had your hair shampooed, before?"
"Well, when I was back home, my sister used to wash my hair for me, but that was a long time ago… Come to think of it, I'm surprised I even remember."
"I didn't know ya had a sister…"
"Well, I haven't seen her in years, and since I've been so busy, I don't really get a chance to write or anything…"
"What's she like? I'll bet she takes after you!"
"No, no!" he laughed. "We're not related by blood or anything…" Kitsune arched a curious eyebrow.
"Z'at so?"
"But no, Kano-chan's nothing like me at all! She's smart, attractive, loyal… Unbelievably kind…"
"Sounds to me like you two are just alike." Keitaro lowered his head to hide the tint of red creeping over his cheeks. "Time to rinse!" The bewildered landlord looked up just in time to see the bucket of water as she emptied on his head. As he choked on downward stream filling his nose and mouth, he was suddenly reminded of a similar "near-death" experience in Okinawa. So much had happened this year; he'd been to so many places and met so many knew people. As dangerous and unpredictable as it had been, he couldn't help but feel saddened at the prospect of leaving those adventures behind.
"Kitsune-san?"
"Mm?"
"Do you… Do you think I should go with Seta-san?" Kitsune paused, slightly taken aback. "I mean, I've been working my whole to get into Tokyo University, and now after all these years, I feel like my dream is finally within reach. But, at the same time, I enjoy working with Seta-san. When I'm out there digging, everything suddenly makes sense and I feel… I dunno. There's no way I could talk to Naru about it. I don't even want to think about what she'd say to me if she found out what I was thinking… And I still have to tend to all the landlord stuff around here… I suppose I have to grow up sometime, though… Right?" Kitsune stared quizzically down at rounin, unsure of what to say at this point. She was actually at a loss for words. Who knew that Keitaro had such thoughts and concerns?
"To be honest," she began, draping her arms over his dripping shoulders, "I dunno. I've never been the most responsible person in the world, so I can't say I really understand how ya feel… But I do know this: if ya have a chance to do something really great, don't pass it up. If ya do, you'll spend the rest of your life wonderin' what could've been."
"K-Kitsune-san…?"
"I'd better go…" she said, climbing to her feet. "Don't stay in there too long or you'll catch cold." With that, she turned and left the landlord out on the balcony, closing the door behind her.
"Huh? Was it something I said?"
XXX
Kitsune stepped out into the hall and shut the manager's door behind her. 'Stupid,' she hiss, inwardly. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why didn't you tell him the truth?! Why didn't you tell him that you don't want him to go; that you'd be lonely if he left?! Idiot!' She was just about to walk away when she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye. A stern-looking Naru stood propped against the adjacent wall, arms crossed over her chest.
"Oh, hey Naru. 'Didn't know you were standin' there. What's up?" She was almost positive that her friend would storm off without so much as a word, so she was somewhat taken aback when a soft smile warmed the redhead's features.
"I could really use a drink, how about you?"
"Hon, you're speakin' my language…!" The two tenants made their way down the hall to Kitsune's room where the blonde presented her massive collection of various liquors. Settling on a bottle of peach brandy, the pair settled down around the coffee table and pour their respective drinks.
"What a week," Naru sighed. "Days like these almost make me wish I lived alone. I barely got any studying done at all!"
"I hear ya."
"It'll be nice with things finally calm down, again. All this excitement is just too much…" The redhead took a sip of her glass and grimaced. "But, I guess it hasn't been easy for either one of us, huh?"
"Yeah..."
"Between Seta showing up and the idiot, I think we've all had our fill…"
"Yeah, speaking of that... Sorry about sockin' ya in the face, like that," Kitsune murmured through a nervous smile.
"It's alright," Naru shrugged. "I mean, I guess I kind of deserved it, anyway." She paused, taking a moment to brush her fingers tentatively around the bruise. "Man, I'd forgotten how hard you hit."
"Heh heh... My bad." Kitsune finished the last of her drink and poured herself a second glass.
"I don't even know what came over me… I was just so jealous…! Two weeks ago, he could barely fumble his way through elementary trig, then suddenly, he's scoring ten points below the A judgment mark! But, that's still no excuse… I was pretty awful to him, wasn't I?"
"Yeah…"
"Think he hates me, now?" Kitsune narrowed her eyes from behind the rim of her glass.
"C'mon, Naru; this is Keitaro we're talking about. The guy could never hate ANYONE, much less you."
"Yeah, you're probably right…"
"He really looks up to you, ya know? I think more than anything he was lookin' for your approval."
"And I let him down… I'm such an idiot!"
"That makes two of us," the blonde muttered. "Remember when I told you guys that Keitaro and I slept together?"
"How could I forget…?"
"I lied."
"WH-WHAT?!" Naru snapped. "You're kidding, right?"
"Nope."
"B-but… WHY?"
"Well," she explained, "it kinda started off as a joke, you know, just to stir things up… But then things got… I dunno… complicated."
"That's it?!"
"Pretty much," she replied. Despite her outward expression of annoyance, inwardly, Naru let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't sure why, but somehow the thought of Keitaro being "unspoiled" filled her with a sense of solace. Perhaps it was his underlying innocence that made him so appealing. Suddenly, her inner comfort gave way to curiosity, and against her better judgment, she decided to delve deeper.
"So… If you didn't do… "it," what DID you do?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing. He got naked and passed out as soon as he got back to my room…"
"Moron," Naru snorted.
"Tell me about it…" The blonde polished off her second glass, refilled it, and topped of Naru's. "But, I guess it's kind of nice, too…"
"What do you mean?"
"He's helpless; the type of guy that needs a woman to look after him. But even though he manages to screw up just about everything, when push comes to shove, he always comes through. Nice guys like him are pretty rare, these days…"
"I guess you're right..."
"…Which is why I can't just hand this one over to you. Heh heh… Look's like we're rivals, afterall!"
"W-what?!" she squawked. "Get a grip, Kitsune! As if I'd waste my time on some perverted rounin, like him!"
"Oh?" Kitsune lilted. "Okay, then." Naru blushed and lowered her gaze to the glass. She could practically feel the scrutiny behind her friend's smile. She knew there was no way she could fool Kitsune; at least the denial kept her pride intact.
"C-can't we talk about something else?"
"I supposed you'd rather talk about your dear Seta-san, wouldn't ya?" Kitsune posed with a smirk. "It's too bad you missed him, today. He was lookin' especially sexy, today... All dirty and sweaty from working. I mean, if I didn't already have my eye on Keitaro, I would've ripped that shirt off of him so fast…"
"K-K-KITSUNE!!!"
"What? What did I say?"
Author's Note: Wow… It's been forever-and-a-half since I've updated. I've been fighting the worst case of writer's block in the history of mankind (that always seems to be the case, with me), but as a treat, I doubled the length. I'm not sure if I was as clear as I wanted to be in this chapter, so if there's anything that you don't understand, let me know. Anyway, hope you enjoyed!