Disclaimer:
Love Hina and Mahou Sensei Negima is the creative property of Ken Akamatsu, who created this wonderful anime/manga series. Shingetsugan Tsukihime and Fate/stay night is the creative property of TYPE-MOON. Anything not attributed to Akamatsu-san or TYPE-MOON belongs to their respective owners, such as references to Cowboy Bebop (the Swordfish II) that is a creation of Sunrise and Shinichiro Watanabe, BLEACH is a creation of Kubo Tite, and vice-versa. This story is written purely just for fun, guys; please for God's sake, don't sue me! I'm just a high school student with too much free time on his hands! On the other hand, any specific author created characters I created for this fic (despite how unoriginal they may be at times) are mine. So without further adieu, let's get on with the show!
The Surgeon General's Warning:
Read at your own risk. Multiple pairings inside folks, with KanaxKei and KanaxNegi, just to name a few! You never know what you're going to get so read on (I might even do some alternative stuff, if you know what I mean).
Blue Blue Glass Moon, Under the Crimson Air
The New Life at Mahora...
Chapter 61:
Lunchbreak
A Love Magister Hina Negima! fanfic by James "Ray" Edwards
"Oh yeah, that reminds me! Lunch just started, you want to grab-?" Keitaro never quite got to finish his sentence.
Negi's stomach was more than happy to oblige him with a hearty growl, much to the blushing boy's embarrassment. Apparently, his stomach was just helpfully reminding him that he had not eaten a thing all day long thanks to all the "excitement." He wondered, if Nekane even had time to secretly slip in a boxed lunch into his briefcase, considering the rush he was in this morning, waking up much later than usual. Still, did he really have to do something this mortifying in front of his "junior" here?
The older boy laughed jovially, thumping a fist against his chest. "Hey, don't sweat it, Negi-kun. I remember when I was your age, I used to be constantly hungry. Probably why Kana-chan and I got so good at cooking in the first place."
"Eh-hehehe... So I see, Keitaro-san," Negi replied back, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, as Keitaro motioned for him to follow.
"Come on, let's get out of this stuffy office. It'll be my treat!"
"Huh? You're treating me?"
"Yeah, consider it as part of my compensation for being so, eh, nasty to you today. Oh, and if you don't like the cafeteria food, I promise tonight's dinner is going to be a feast! Compliments of me and Kana-chan, of course; it's been a while since we cooked for anyone else... Oh! That reminds me too, you won't mind if we had a guest or two come over too, would you?"
"Dinner? Who said anything about dinner?"
"Silly, I told you earlier we're going to be flat-mates practically from now on, remember?"
That's right he did say that earlier, Negi recalled thoughtfully, as Keitaro reached for the handle to sliding door that lead out into the hallway. "Okay, and what's this about a guest or two?"
The older boy called back, sliding the door open with a sudden crisp movement, "If you don't mind, I want to invite Sekkun-!"
THWHAP!
"-AAAA-RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGKKKKKKKHHH?"
Negi stared in complete slack-jawed incomprehension and silent horror at the scene that greeted him, as queer phantom pains greeted his loins in somewhat mutual empathy; THAAT looked like it hurt --- A LOT. There was Keitaro, standing a in the open door way, his hand still planted on the frame, with the most exaggerated, goofed up expression of unimaginable agony and shock. His eyes were bugging out of his head like saucers, as his jaw tried to reach past his throat to the floor, while he shifted visibly all through the seven colors of the rainbow before sizzling out ash white, glasses fogging over.
Of course, considering the persons involved, it was hard to say who was more traumatized by the whole fiasco. He recognized Chachamaru easily enough, wearing an astonished expression, her mouth agape in a big "OOOoooo..." sound, with her impressive height setting her well above her apparent companion. The other girl was pretty familiar too, violet hair and all; come to think of it, was she not the same girl from yesterday that Kanako and Chachamaru rescued? Is she not from his class too? What was her name again?
Miya... Miya-? Miyazaki? Yes, Miyazaki Nono... Err, Miyazaki No-?
"Nodoka-san, it'd appear best to remove your hand from Keitaro-sensei's-" the neon green-haired girl suggested openly in a slightly, very slightly curious tone of voice to her classmate.
Of course, she never got a chance to finish as Nodoka, blushing from head to toe in mortification and a barrage of other rapid-fire emotions, pulled away and apologized "Nodoka-style":
"Su-Su-Sumimasen! I'm-I'm really-really, really sorry, Ura-Sen-Sensei! Awawa... S-Sorry! I-I...! I didn't mean...to hit it...your... SORRY! Really sorry!"
This left Keitaro to hit the floor like a cooling corpse, a heavy punctuated thud, a second or two later where he happily curled up in a fetal position and decided to clock out for a while from the trauma. Thus, he did not hear a word of his student's apology, leaving Negi to clean up the mess. The Springfield boy had wonder if this was some kind of cosmic payback for the young man's earlier "karmic" transgressions against --- well --- him?
Not that I really wanted this to happen. He was offering me lunch for Pete's sake. And I'm still bloody hungry! thought Negi wistfully with a sigh, before turning to address the two girls. Nodoka (having turned chibi) was still babbling some apology or another and seemed to be trying to run away, which was not particularly productive, thanks to Chachamaru's iron grip around her waist. She was not going anywhere any time soon.
"Anou, um, excuse me, you two, but could you go see if you can get a glass of water for Keitaro-san? Doesn't have to be drinkable, just has to be cold, okay?"
Understandably, Nodoka was more than happy to oblige, nodding vigorously along with a few more scattered apologies before scampering away hurriedly as a certain neon green-haired girl released her. Chachamaru gave him a somewhat apologetic bow to which Negi could only smile sheepishly in return, as she soon followed after her companion. He understood her unspoken words well enough and had no desire inquire further, although he only hoped this matter would not take terribly too long.
His stomach growled.
"I'm really hungry."
Meanwhile elsewhere, two familiar individuals were settling down in the reclusive shade of the lush flora and fauna that embellished Mahora Academy's vast "green friendly" campus. It was a fairly private affair at noon, with the sunshine and pleasant weather, and it certainly beat being cooped up in the loud and noisy cafeteria during "rush hour." Of course, as this was an outdoor affair, there was one particular Japanese tradition to consider, almost sacred in fact.
"WHAT? You don't have your own bento lunch, Setsuna?" Kanako squawked in disbelief, the persistent cowlick in her hair suddenly bolting upright with electrifying intensity.
Setsuna blushed, stammering somewhat shyly, "De-Demo, Ka-Kanako-sama, there was --- there was never a reason to-"
"You mean you actually eat that unsightly GARBAGE they call 'CAFETERIA FOOD'?"
"H-Hai...it's not too --- bad, at least I thought-"
"UN-believeable! Unacceptable! Just --- ugh! That's disgusting! Gross. Ick! Don't you dare ever eat that trash again, Setsuna. I won't have any relation of my family even THINK about touching mass starchy, oily, saturated, and nasty consumer food, that includes YOU. It's absolutely unsavory and deplorable! And if you get FAT from it, I'll be very, very, very, VERY unhappy with you, you understand me? I WILL punish you with extra laps to sweat that junk off of you."
"E-Etou...but..."
"What do you do for dinner? Setsuna, please --- PLEASE, tell me you can cook. It's all right if it's not fine cuisine because that's something we'll teach you how to do too."
"A-Areeeeeeeeeeeee? C-Cooking? Kanako-sama, you're going to teach-?"
"Of course, and so will Keitaro-niisan! You didn't expect anything less from our training did you?"
"Bu-But what does cooking have to do with-?"
"Don't fret your silly head over it, Setsuna. You'll learn soon enough --- or when Nii-san explains it to you. Oh, and you had better not have thrown his jacket away! That's part of your training too when we get together to sow it back up and refurbish it."
"N-No, of cour-course not, Kanako-sama! I'd never think of throwing Kei...U-Urashima-ku...Shishou's things away."
"Oooooohhhhh really now?" Kanako remarked airily, leaning perhaps a little bit too close for comfort. She was pratically breathing down her new friend's flushing neck with a rather scandalous smirk on her face. If there was one thing she had learned quickly in her short time together with Setsuna, it was that the girl was a joy to tease, particularly about her dear big brother.
Truly, he seemed to have made quite the impression, with his simple, frank manner and open acceptance, on the equally --- "simple" yojimbo girl. Setsuna, from what she could gather thus far, was a near-complete social recluse thanks to whatever the life she led. She did not know what kind of upbringing the Shinmei Ryu gave the girl, but she sincerely doubted it was anything but sociable. A decidedly traditional girl, it was actually pretty fun to have her around for a friend.
"Friend"; come to think of it, she really never had a friend her own age before until now. Could it be that today, this would be the first time Kanako Urashima would be bringing a "friend" home? Was it something Keitaro had thought of so brilliantly on the spur of the moment? Fufu, that soft "idiot" brother of hers...
"Etou... Kanako-sama?" Setsuna's voice broke in timidly, snapping her out of her reverie.
"Hmm? Something wrong?"
"Why do you have a three-set bentou lunch?"
"A triple --- WHAT?" Kanako blurted out.
Her gaze immediately shot down her body, shifting in disbelief between her outstretched hands holding the said "three-set lunch" and her opened schoolbag sitting in her lap. For one thing, she could clearly recall not making lunch this morning because as fate would have it, today was the day Keitaro was supposed to take care of that particular chore. Wait a second --- why would Keitaro pack her such a big lunch? Her dear brother was certainly a thoughtful person, but when it came to her, he had also learned quite well not to over do it --- and a "three-set bentou lunch" was definitely over doing it. So why the...unless-!
Kanako smiled tersely as metaphorical throbbing veins began radiate around her face, much to Setsuna's worry. Something was most definitely irritating Kanako-sama, and she hoped she had not done something to displease her. Fortunately, as the raven-haired yojimbo was about to inquire, the seething girl spoke up for herself:
"Setsuna, don't stop me when I give Keitaro-niisan 'The Look' later, understood?"
"A-Areeeee?" Setsuna replied, dumbfounded by the entire situation. What does she mean by that?
"Because he's not just a soft idiot! Nii-san's a --- BIG. SOFT. NOSEY. IDIOT! Even if I only had ONE bentou set between the two of us, I could've thought of something to make it all work out just fine. And his wrapping technique is STILL sloppy! Just look at all these uneven folds! And on top of that, it's pink! PINK with STRAWBERRIES. How stereotypical can you get? He has no sense of fashion at all either!"
Silence.
Setsuna sweatdropped. Did she just miss something important here? Kanako-sama sounded infuriated and at the same time --- strangely happy.
"Oh, whatever. It's not as if he could've found a better friend for me, isn't that right, Set-su-na-chan?"
Blush.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAA-CHOOO!" Keitaro sneezed into a perfectly timed tissue before he could even raise his sleeve out of reflex.
Negi stared in awe, joined by an equally astonished Nodoka Miyazaki, as Chachamaru leaned back into her seat, neatly folding up the soiled tissue into a wad before tossing it over into the trash can some odd twenty feet away. The wad rebounded against the wall and landed neatly into the can with an audible rustle, announcing she had made a perfect score. To think this had all transpired with a matter of a minute was nothing short of...
"Ace!" the bespectacled applauded her openly, "That was amazing, Chachamaru-san!"
Nodoka nodded her own agreement with a shy smile, "U-Un! Chachamaru's so fast."
"It's --- it's not much --- really, just dumb luck. Ar-Are you well, Keitaro-sensei?" Chachamaru asked the older boy in an effort to change the subject away from herself. She was "blushing" rather hotly, as her systems diagnostics reported a sudden forty-percent jump in her radiators. Her "Human Interface Protocols," still in their beta version, was more than "happy" to voice its support of her actions, despite her "shyness."
I'm --- I'm not really being shy, am I? If so, then why do I feel both embarrassed and simultaneously gratified by this attention?
Of course, she never really had a chance to finish that hanging data line, as Keitaro himself joined in on praising her as well, "Wow, that was some great reflexes and shooting! You should go try out for the girl's basketball team, Karakuri-kun! At your level, maybe even the JV or the varsity high school girl's team'd scout you too."
"Well, etou, I'm really just a beginner. You --- you should go see the nurse, Kirishima Hijiri-san --- if you're feeling unwell, Sensei."
"Nah, I'll be all right. I appreciate your feelings, though I hope it's just some people not liking me and not the flu. Still, thanks for the save, you're a real lifesaver, and hey, everybody's gotta start some where, you know, Karakuri-kun."
"It's nothing much. I'm --- I'm fairly used to it."
"I see, so you're used to taking care of others, huh? Your family must be proud to have a kind daughter like you."
"My...My family?"
"Of course, anyone would --- oh, um, I'm sorry, did I-?"
"No, Keitaro-sensei. I...I..."
"Ehe-hehehe... Sorry, Karakuri-kun, I didn't know-"
"No, I --- I do have a family --- at least, I think I...it's just that we aren't really..."
"Oh, I..." Keitaro drifted off with a frown. Before he had realized it, he had digressed into a rather touchy subject, and the results were obvious. A tense silence had fallen over the office and its four occupants, the air electrifying with an unpleasant stillness. It was times like these that made the ronin wonder: if coming from a largely whole nuclear family may have made him ignorant of the upbringing of others, at least superficially speaking.
Negi seethed internally at the scene, as he chewed tentatively on a chunk of lemon bread. It was a mess with all of them gathered full circle. To his left, Nodoka seemed to be trying to say something, anything, her lips trembling with soundless words, but the atmosphere had effectively killed her confidence. Then, there was Keitaro looking for all the world helpless, his foot caught in his own mouth figuratively speaking from his error, unable to articulate even a simple apology. Worst of all, across from the violet-haired girl was Chachamaru, paling visibly, with a kind of sullen look, unable to meet anyone's gaze that rubbed him utterly the wrong way.
She should not have a face like that...
To Be Continued...
Author's Notes:
Phew! Three, two, one --- ZERO! And episode 61 is up! Man, I am tired, but at least exams are finally over. However, ladies and gents, I regret to inform you this is probably going to be our last week of air time. I'm due to report to boot camp at Paris Island, North Carolina next week (Huuuuuu-rah! Marine Corps!) on my present schedule, so as a parting gift, I'm going to do what I can to get us up to episode 63 (hopefully) by this Sunday. You motivate me, and I'll be sure to motivate y'all; it's crunch time! XD
And boy, does Keitaro have bad luck or what? Though, I imagine some Nodoka fanboys/fangirls out there wouldn't mind too much having THAT happen to them. On the other hand, it seems he is fallible in more ways than one. Mad love to Chachamaru too. Her popularity and development is just going through the roof! Evangeline & Co. is family to her? Sheesh, talk about a rough time. Can Negi save this ugly moment and turn it into a beautiful one? What's going to happen next?
Well, maybe we'll find out on the next episode of Glass Moon-desu!
Reviewers and readers alike, I'd like to thank you all very much for your continued patronage. Remember, I encourage each and everyone of you to feel free to comment, review, and/or discuss the story. Your comments can really make a difference, I assure you, and if you're up to it, feel free to ring me up on AIM, or even send me an e-mail (although you really don't need to boost my ego too often). You know how to get in touch with the maestro here. And man, I definitely hear you all, and I apologize that I cannot spare the time at present to reply to y'all personally, since I'm on a high speed schedule.
So without further adieu, that wraps it up, folks: Semper Fi. Carry on.
Omake!
Naze Nani Glass Moon Desu
Episode Preview!
Chapter 62:
Hither and Thither
"Ack, sorry! I'm just exaggerating a little, you know, and it's not like I'm trying to get Karakuri-kun and Miyazaki-kun to bring you a set of bentou every day either. Although if you want, I could probably get Kana-chan and Sekkun to make some for you."
Tsudzuku!