I understand the slapstick nature of physical violence depicted in this story, but I can't see Keitaro as a comic relief character. Hence I took a great deal of license in the previous chapter depicting the injuries caused as the result of it. -Teisu
Love Hina
Part 2
Motoko's Dilemma
Training begins!
Motoko groaned as she glanced at the alarm clock, 5 AM! She had agreed to sacrifice a total of 2 hours of sleep a day in order to train in the art of cooking. She then realized that Shinobu did this every day and went to school and completed her studies as well. She dressed quickly in a dress and apron and went downstairs to the kitchen.
Shinobu had already lit the massive stove and was slicing vegetables and gutting fish.
"Here, start with slicing the daikon." Shinobu handed her the kitchen knife.
"Hai, Shinobu-sensei." Motoko treated this as seriously as a class in high school.
As the knife was well balanced and razor sharp, she accepted the young girl's instructions on the techniques to use it safely. Motoko was producing desired uniform thin slices very quickly.
"My! You'll be an expert in no time! Now the fish!" Motoko stared at the creature as Shinobu demonstrated efficiently how to clean it and prepare it for grilling.
Motoko had a little trouble making the clean cuts that Shinobu made so easily. Next, Shinobu demonstrated the preparation of the rice, at the same time she was grilling the fish.
"Timing is important, everything should be ready at once, just in time for everyone to eat. You should clean what you can as you go, so that the cleanup doesn't overwhelm you at once."
The lesson was over. In a few minutes, the others would come to the table. Motoko changed into her school uniform and headed back downstairs.
Shinobu had laid out the rice, fish, and vegetables, then Motoko noticed the fish in front of Keitaro was the one that she had cleaned and grilled. She saw the jagged incision, but Keitaro didn't notice as he expertly picked the flesh from the fish with his chopsticks. Her heart leaped. It was her first meal for him! "Motoko! Are you all right? You are all red in the face!" Kaolla stared at her friend, her large blue eyes blinking. "Uh, Motoko stuttered. "I slept with too many covers on last night."
"Kei-kun has mastered integral calculus!" Mutsumi announced proudly,
holding her hands together. "He mastered all of the problems last night." Naru-chan and I will have to study hard to catch up!"
"I've had four years to learn," explained the blushing young man.
"You are ready for Tokyo University!" Motoko commented. "But what subject are you concentrating on next?"
"English."
"Bah!" Sarah commented. "You Japanese invent an alphabet for foreign words and then practice speaking the Japanese sounds to one another and call it English!"
"The writing is good and the grammar is good," Sarah acknowledged.
"Now you say it!" Sarah instructed.
"Ra, ra, ra, ra." The three parroted dutifully.
"No! The sound is different. Open your mouth." Sarah commanded. Take your tongue and touch the tip to the end of your front teeth and then make a sound."
Naru felt gingerly around in her mouth with her tongue, while holding her hand in front of her face.
"Get your hands down, I need to see your tongues to know if you are doing this right!"
"Yes, sensei." The three answered sheepishly.
"No! It's yes, TEACHER!"
"Yes, teechaa."
Sarah threw up her hands in disgust.
- - -
The others were busy with their studies. Motoko slipped out and headed for the laundry.
"Hello, Shinobu, I am willing to help with laundry." Motoko announced herself.
"Uhmm sorry." Shinobu colored brightly as she was clutching a man's shirt.
"That was told in the strictest confidence." Motoko said. "I see you are checking to see how dirty they are, so you can judge how much soap to use."
"No, it's what you thought, I was enjoying his scent!" Shinobu started to cry. "I am so ashamed."
"How do you keep his shirts without him noticing?" Motoko displayed interest without any hint of anger.
"Uh, well." Shinobu was bright red and in danger of getting a nosebleed. "I buy one exactly like the one I intend to borrow and substitute it for the one I take." If the the original is badly stained or worn, I don't return it."
"I see, so you don't actually take anything except his smell, and he doesn't want it anyway." Motoko smiled.
"You mean it's all right?"
"It's a little odd, but not dishonorable. You are young and still growing. This will fade into memory, you will find another man who smells as nice as Keitaro-kun. May I?"
Motoko took the offered shirt and took a huge sniff. The smell was heady and intoxicating. Shinobu grabbed her and stopped her from going down on the floor, as she had fainted.
"What am I doing here!" Motoko demanded. She was in a bed on the floor. Then she noticed Shinobu seated next to her, her clothes were hung up and a cool wet towel was on her forehead. It was Shinobu's room. "I am terribly sorry. I should have not let you hurt yourself."
Shinobu apologized profusely.
"The washing is done, I just need to hang them up." Shinobu offered.
Motoko eased herself up. "Whew! That was too much like having sake! I feel pretty good now." Motoko fetched her clothes, got dressed and helped Shinobu lug the laundry up three flights of stairs to the roof.
"Wow! She is very strong for such a young lady!" Motoko observed Shinobu carrying the oversize basket.
Motoko, although being much larger, struggled under a similar load.
"She took me to her room and put me to bed by herself as well. It could be very dangerous to arouse her anger." Motoko's respect for the young lady rose another notch.
The laundry was swaying in the gentle breeze as the afternoon sun warmed the roof area where the clotheslines were strung. Kaolla and Sarah went running by and the sun reflected off their golden strands as they disappeared back down the stairs. The two young girls never tired of exploring the old inn. Shinobu and Motoko sat on the roof watching the children and the view of the community.
Rather than do something else, the two ladies talked. Shinobu realized that Motoko had chosen her as a close friend.
"Do you remember Moe-chan?" Shinobu asked Motoko.
"Yes, I was going to strike her down as a monster, then I realized that there was no evil in her."
"She came into the kitchen, much as you did, to help me make breakfast."
"She was pleasant and friendly, but I never heard anything other than the clicks and snaps of her clockwork mechanism. Keitaro-senpai could hear her. I remember what he related, about her saying that she wasn't needed as a bride anymore."
"And that is when she broke down again." Motoko continued the conversation. "She is still down in the basement with the boy Keitaro's sign still taped to the door. I need to see her."
The two ladies found the door to the cellar, and negotiated the maze of corridors and blind passageways. Usually there were one or two light bulbs that still worked in the old sections of the Hina Inn.
Apparently there was sufficient space to shelter a full house of customers down here in the event of a typhoon or other disaster. Or maybe, there was storage for provisions when the building was originally built. Whatever the reason, the Hina Inn was larger beneath it than above it.
I think this is it! Shinobu pointed down the dim hall to the yellowing paper still fastened to the doorpost. "Moe." It read both in Hiragana and Roman characters.
A clean sheet draped the sitting form. Gently removing the cover,
Motoko examined the still form, the eyes wide open the hands still grasping at something.
"She looks like she is trying to say something," Shinobu said sadly,
but I don't have any idea how to fix, much less start her."
"Excuse me." Motoko was suddenly excited. "When did anyone wind her last?"
"Wind?" Shinobu's eyes went very wide. "You mean?"
"She may have simply run down. Her key must be on her somewhere." If not, we can locate the keyhole and find a tool to act as a key.
"Ah! Here's the key, in a small bag around her neck. It looks like Kaolla wrote the directions for winding it." The keyhole is in the middle of her back."
"Ten full turns. Good for one to two days depending on activity." The spring was strong and the turning difficult. Finally, the turns were completed.
"Ok, how do we start her?"
Motoko shrugged. "Anything in the directions?"
Shinobu scanned the instruction sheet again and shook her head.
"Let's pretend I am Keitaro. I find a life-sized wind-up doll and somehow waken it." Now let's figure out what Senpai did to start Moe-chan." Motoko suggested.
The two moved arms, legs, hands, feet, and fingers.
Nothing seemed to work. "Shall we undress her and look for a switch or lever?" Shinobu suggested.
"A young Keitaro started her once, then the elder Keitaro. A boy child wouldn't be interested in taking the doll's clothes off, and Keitaro would not think to do so. If she won't move, then I suggest that she has nothing to say to us."
Motoko finally declared.
Approaching the doll, Motoko declared. "I love Keitaro-kun very much and promised to be his bride. Keitaro also promised that we would go to Tokyo University and have a lifetime of happiness together." Motoko gently kissed the cheek of the painted wooden face and motioned Shinobu to cover the doll. Whir, Click.
"When did he promise you?" The doll's voice seemed to grate mechanically.
"You started her." Shinobu exclaimed, dropping the sheet.
"Hush, I can't understand her when you are talking."
Shinobu's eyes went wide and her face went pale and she sat down. "You understand her?"
"About 15 years ago, I was about four and Keitaro-kun was about seven." Motoko continued.
"Then his promise to you was first. What can I do for the promised one?"
Moe's hands had relaxed and her expression had gone from tormented to peaceful.
"And you although you are not the chosen one, you wish also to be his bride?"
Shinobu turned bright red. And then, realizing what she had just heard, Shinobu fainted.
- - -
Shinobu cried out a little "eek" at the fierce shadow on the wall, and then realized that it was Motoko's armor. She was in Motoko's bed, but her friend was no where to be seen. The long shadows denoted the late hour.
"Dinner!" She exclaimed, bolting upright. Throwing on her dress she hurried down the stairs.
"Are you feeling better, Shinobu-chan?" Motoko asked. "I served dinner as you requested." Motoko was wearing her hair up in a red scarf,
while wearing an attractive cherry blossom housedress and a white apron.
Shinobu took her usual seat at the table. Dinner was laid out;
everything looked ordinary. Almost everyone had finished eating. She surveyed the meal. Noodle soup in fish stock, rice, steamed vegetables, and grilled eel. Fresh slices of peaches were on the table for dessert.
Shinobu knew that eel was a difficult dish to prepare and steeled herself for less than perfect results, while maintaining a pleasant expression.
"Good. No, very good!" Shinobu thought and smiled at Motoko who was returning from fetching seconds from the stove for Keitaro. Motoko barely nodded at the praise. "You should have not prepared dinner when ill. We could have eaten out." Motoko said, concealing her handiwork from the others.
"It was delicious as always, Shinobu-chan," said Keitaro glancing at Shinobu as he reached for the bowl. Shinobu looked a little sad, but he thought that it was due to her not feeling well.
Motoko's hands were caught between the bowl and Keitaro's hands. She did not want to pull back and break the bowl, and Keitaro now realizing his predicament expected her to jerk her hands away. He was prepared to catch the bowl. This accidental handholding went on for several seconds. Motoko reddened, but did not say anything.
Keitaro carefully moved his hands back. "Gomen!"
Expecting a scream, to be wearing his dinner, or at least a stern look, he was surprised when she said, "Please take it, I am not offended."
Narusegawa gave him a dirty look, but noting a sharp glance from her,
said nothing. Keitaro carefully accepted the dish and slowly picked up his chopsticks.
"If you decide not to eat what I brought, then I WILL be angry!"
Motoko commented when he hesitated.
"No, its fine!" Keitaro began to eat.
Shinobu ate silently, noting the individual dishes and the preparation of the meal as a whole. Motoko has followed her menu exactly, so there did not have to be any adjustments to the budget. Shinobu thought about the difficulty of the meal and the overall presentation.
The unexpected nature of the exercise and how well her student had pulled it off spoke highly of her. Deferring to her teacher was also quite proper.
After the meal, as she helped Motoko finish cleaning the kitchen,
Shinobu spoke.
"It was a fitting meal for a bride to serve to her husband."
Motoko flushed and bowed.
- - - Back on the roof, dressed in her usual garb, Motoko did her exercises again. "One, two, three." The practice sword flashed in the remnant of daylight. Engaged in concentration, Motoko did not realize the waves of force were rolling off the sword until she heard the booms reflecting off the mountains in the distance.
"Very strange." She realized that she was much stronger now, now able to use the ki attack on every stroke, not just in one concerted effort.
- - -
Motoko was back in the laundry, helping Shinobu sort the clothes. A lace and red velvet dress was in the basket, along with a pair of pink leggings. Moe-chan's clothes. How did? Who did?
"Gomen! Sorry!" Motoko heard Keitaro's cry in the hall.
The door opened and Keitaro dashed in swiftly closing it behind him.
His nose was bleeding profusely. "I didn't know there was a new girl,
I am so sorry!"
"New girl?" Shinobu and Motoko stared at each other.
The door slid open and a young blonde girl apparently high school age appeared, clothed only in a towel. "Monsieur Urashima, Excusez-moi."
"That was most improper of me," the petite blond bowed, exposing her ample cleavage. This only added to the young man's distress. "But I haven't had a proper bath in a long time."
"It's ok, he gulped. "Go ahead, We'll talk about it after you're through!"
"Domo!" She bowed again, blowing him a kiss through full ruby red lips. Keitaro's eyes glazed slightly.
- - - "Who was that?" Keitaro asked.
Shinobu and Motoko looked at each other and lied.
"WE DON'T KNOW!"
As the Original Love Hina seems destined that Narusegawa and Keitaro will be the promised couple, (At least at this point) I offer for your consideration the following story. The characters are not mine. I gratefully acknowledge the writers and authors who brought this series to life, broadcast on TV Tokyo and to the myriad of people who brought it to me, sometimes within hours of the broadcast. As my understanding of Kanji is limited I cannot offer more credits than these. A viewing of all twenty-four episodes, plus the year 2000 Christmas special would definitely help understand this story!
This story may be reproduced electronically as long as it is done in its complete form. Additional credits for the series writers,
producers and directors may be added below before the chapter title.
I am not sure how I ended up here, I never know how any of my own writing will turn out. That is the joy and mystery of writing.
Moe-chan is now among the ladies, an apparent competitor for the young man's affection. I have been writing strictly as a matter of enjoyment. Thanks to Wataru-kun at University of South Carolina for getting me to take a second look at the series.
A gentle poke at my dear friends in retaliation for my difficulty in learning the Japanese "R"
Teisu (.net)