-Ten-Faced Paladin
Love Hina Redux By Ten-Faced Paladin Chapter 3: Landlord of a Girls Dorm?
Keitaro was sittig back in the living room of Hinata House with all the tennants sitting on the various pieces of furniture. They all gazed at him curiously at why he had called a meeting for everyone there.
The cause for the meeting was a big one. Only minutes ago, Haruka had tracked down Keitaro and told him that his grandmother was giving Hinata house and all the land under it. The only catch was that he had to become the landlord. Keitaro decided that he'd only take the job if the girls didn't mind him being there. Being a guest was one thing, but being around constantly was another thing entirely.
"Well, uh, I guess you all are wondering why I called everyone here," Keitaro began. At everyone's curious nod he continued. "Well, Haruka got a fax from Granny Hina and it's a pretty big deal this time around."
Keitaro reached into his back pocket and pulled out the papers that Granny Hina had sent him. After unfolding them he put them on the table for everyone to see them.
"It seems that Granny Hina has given me the deed of ownership to Hinata House and all the land under it," Keitaro announced. "The only thing is that I have to become the landlord."
Four sets of jaws dropped at the news as they examined the papers. Su and Shinobu were happy abbout this while Naru and Motoko were in shock. Keitaro saw he looks on the older women's faces and he felt his heart sink. There was no way they'd let him be the landlord.
"It's not like I'm taking the job just yet," Keitaro continued. "As the tennants to Hinata house I thought you all should have a say in this. I won't take the job if you all don't want me here."
The girls looked back up to Keitaro and then back to the paper. Each of them were having their own thoughts on the matter.
'Hmm,' Motoko thought. 'Although I am not pleased to hear that he was selected to be the new landlord, he has also shown honour in regards to us. He has not acted perverted in any way since I had met him.'
'Oh no way!' Naru growled inwardly. 'There's no way I'm going to let a guy stay here for good. Sure he's nice now, but sooner or later he'll go pervy on us!"
'Sempai's staying?' Shinobu though with a blush. 'Oh this is too good to be true! He's so nice and he can help me study too. Oh please stay Sempai.'
'Yay!' Su giggled in thought. 'Now I can play with Keitaro whenever I want! Yeah!'
Kitsune tapped her chin in thought, 'Having him around wouldn't be that bad I guess. I can probably get some free rent outta him and he can fix up a couple of things around here too.'
Haruka took a drag from her cigarrete before looking at the girls conversing. She figured that having Keitaro around might be good for them. The boy had an air around him that could change people for the better. It was one of the things that made Keitaro special. She turned her attention back to the girls who had just finished talking. Kitsune stepped forward and faced Keitaro who was still sitting in the chair.
"Well, the vote's not unanimous," she began, taking a glance at Naru, "but since it was granny's orders then there's not much we can do about it. So we'll accept you as the landlord-in-training for the girls dorm. After a while we'll see how you do before we make a final decision."
"Sounds fair to me," Keitaro nodded. "I'll try my best. Thank you everyone."
Naru's 'humph' of defeat dampened the mood a little but it wasn't enough to wipe the smile from Keitaro's face.
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After finalizing everything for the time being and finally fixing that hole in the wall, Keitaro went to his room to squeeze in some more studying. He didn't make much progress. Everything that had just happened was still replaying itself in his head.
"Well, this was an unexpected twist," he muttered to himself. "Me, the landlord of a girls dorm? I don't know what grandma was thinking but at least I have a place to live now. I guess I should thank her next time I see her."
Keitaro poured himself a cup of tea as he turned his attention back to his books, "This could be fun, but I'd better do my best or else I'm outta here."
Keitaro was suddenly ripped from his studies yet again as someone knocked at his door. Sighing, he stood up and opened the door. He was greeted with Naru as she seemed to be waiting for him impatiently.
"Hey Naru," Keitaro greeted. "What can I help you with?"
"Well, I was hoping you could do me a favor," she stated. "Could you come with me please landlord?"
"Uh..where?" Keitaro asked confusedly.
Naru gestured to follow him as she made her reply, "To the women's bath of course."
Keitaro's eyebrows rose in surprise. Of all the things he had been expecting, that was not one of them. Naru just made the whole statement seem like an everyday saying.
"Uh...why would you need me in there?" Keitaro asked as he followed her.
Naru glanced back at Keitaro with a smirk. Her eyes were also showing a sly look as well, "You'll see."
The two came to the entrance of the hot springs before Keitaro stopped her. She turned around looking impatient.
"There's no one in there, right?" he asked nevously.
Naru smirked as she leaned close to his face, "Why do you want to know? Hoping to get a peek?"
"Of course not!" Keitaro sighed. "Why are you always assuming that I'm a pervert?"
"Oh just get in," Naru sighed impatiently as she shoved Keitaro into the bathing area.
He almost slipped on the moist rocks before finally caught his balance. He looked up almost fearfuly and sighed in relief as he saw that no one was in there. Itseemed like Naru was just teasing him after all. Keitaro made a second sigh of relief.
"You'll need this!" Naru's voice shouted as he quickly turned around.
Keitaro suddenly found a mop smacking him in the face. The force of the impact sent Keitaro tumbled backwards before splashing into the hot springs. He surged back up and caught his breath before looking at the door to see a smirking Naru.
"You'll have to clean the hot springs," she remarked. "It is one of the landlord's duties after all."
"You could have just said so!" Keitaro shouted at her. "You didn't have to throw me in here, Jeez."
Naru shrugged as she left the bathing area, leaving Keitaro to scrub the place down. The grime had really built up. It took him hours to get the place clean. At one point, Motoko and Kitsune walked inside to see what was going on. Su was perched on Motoko's shoulders as usual.
"Good show Urashima," Motoko nodded. "I am impressed. The springs haven't been this clean for quite some time."
"Thanks Motoko," Keitaro nodded. "I just want to make sure that I get it right the first time. I really have to study and I don't think Naru's going to give me a moments peace right now."
Unknown to the others, Kitsune frowned slightly, 'Damn Naru, I knew you wouldn't be happy about this but jeez. Cut the guy some slack. He's in the same boat as you are.'
"Ronin! Ronin!" Su giggled as she hopped over to a corner of the springs. "You missed a spot over here!"
"Really?" asked Keitaro in surprise."Thanks Su!"
Keitaro attacked the spot dilligently as the three women left to go about their day. Kitsune was fully intent on talking to Naru later. Motoko went to train while Su was content to invent some new machine to help butalso causemass destruction.
When Keitaro was finally finished, he dragged his way back to his room. His fingers were sore and he just wanted to sit down for a while. He finally managed to get back to his room and sit down. His legs almost sang in relief as he gave them their rest.
"Jeez, I feel better already," Keitaro mumbled. "Might as well see if I can get through English tonight."
Keitaro grabbed his English textbook and began working on problems that he had intended on working on earlier that day. He would have too if Naru hadn't brought out the whip on him.
"Why does she hate me anyway?" Keitaro mumbled. "What did I do to her?"
"Hey landlord!" Naru's voice rang as she opened his door.
'Speak of the devil," Keitaro grumbled in thought. "What is it now?"
"We need you to wipe down the floors," Naru stated firmly. "First through third."
"All of them!" Keitaro gaped.
"It's the landlord's job," she stated.
Keitaro held in a few choice words for Naru and he contented himself to grumble. He then grabbed a rag and he began wiping down the floors as fast as he could. Naru just watched and made the odd comment like 'put your back into it,' and such.
The rest of Keitaro's night went in the same fashion. Whenever he finished one job, Naru had another one waiting for him. When he was finished with the floors, Naru made him start cooking with an iron stove. He didn't quite see the point, but he played along. She then made him wash with a washboard and cold bucket of water. The last job was outdoor repairs with Keitaro tied by a single rope. The repairs were understandable to Keitaro, but he guessed that the other two were only there to try and make his life hell. So far, his life was pretty close to hell at this point.
Dinner finally rolled around and Keitaro was exhausted. He was looking forward to Shinobu's excellent cooking to wake him up. He sat down at the table, he saw Kitsune eyeing him slightly along with Shinbou. Motoko didn't seem to notice him while Su poked him with her chopsticks just to see if he was still alive. Naru seemed to be a little upset.
"Um..Sempai? Are you all right?" Shinobu asked in concern.
"I'm okay," Keitaro yawned. "I'm just a little tired."
"What jobs did Naru make you do?" asked Kitsune, glancing at her friend.
Keitaro listed off the jobs as he recalled them clearly. Everyone listened as they ate.
"Wow, we have an iron stove?" asked Kitsune.
"Didn't you know we have a washing machine?" asked Shinobu.
"Dangled by a rope?" asked Su. "That sounds like fun! Why didn't you tell me Ronin?"
Motoko glared at Naru pointedly, "I realise that you are unhapppy about Urashima's appointment. I am as well, but I am at least not taking out my anger on him over such a trivial thing like this."
"I'm not taking out my problems on him," Naru huffed. "I'm just making sure that he's up to the job. It wouldn't be good if he thought this was all just fun and games."
"When did I ever show that I thought it was fun and games?" Keitaro mumbled from his seat, his mouth filled with noodles.
"You didn't," Naru replied. "I'm just removing any ideas from your head that suggested otherwise.
"Well consider them vacated," Keitaro groaned, pain radiating from his hands. "Could you just give me some time to study now?"
"I guess," Naru shrugged. "You need to study as well. One day without it wasn't going to hurt though."
"Thank you for your prompt consideration," Keitaro grinned as he piled another plate full of noodles.
Kitsune smirked at Keitaro's light hearted remark.
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After dinner, Keitaro slipped into the smaller bathing area that was on the second floor. The girls had offered to let him use the hot springs after they were finished but he had denied their offer. He needed to soak ASAP.
"I'm aching all over," Keitaro groaned. "I hope that most days aren't like this."
He shifted his position and began to get out. He still ached, but any longer in the tub and he would have passed out from the heat. That was the last thing he needed to top of this 'wonderful' day. As he stepped out of the tub he began to hear voices. He moved to the edge of his tiny bathing area so to hear them better.
"...through all the work I didn't even hear him complain once," he heard Kitsune speak.
Keitaro mused about what he was hearing. If he could hear the girls then that must have meant that they were in the hot springs right now. His bathing area was pretty close so if he leaned out far enough he might be able to watch them.
'Yeah right,' Keitaro laughed in thought. 'Like I'd risk life and limb along the girls' trust just to get a peek.'
"I must agree with you," he heard Motoko reply to Kitsune's comment. "He worked admirably and very dilligently. The springs are much nicer to bathe in now that they are clean."
"Aren't they?" he heard Kitsune laugh. "He didn't even complain after all of Naru's bullying."
"Hey, don't say it like that!" Naru's voice spoke in indignation. "A guy like him is too good to be true. Guys like himnever come around. I bet he's got a deep dark secret that's going to blindside us."
"Oh, I already know that secret," Kitsune replied. "I even helped him with it."
Keitaro barely held in a snicker. If Naru and maybe Motoko were going to react to this thay way he thought they would, he wasn't sure if he would be able to hold in his laughter.
"You what?" he could hear Naru and Motoko shriek.
"How could you be that easy!" Naru shrieked.
"Yes! I had thought better of you!" Motoko added.
Su finally hopped into the coversation at that moment, apparently dragging Shinobu with her, "Hey Shinobu, why are you so red huh?"
"Ah, uh.." Shinobu sputtered.
Ignoring the two younger girls, Kitsune just went on with her little story, "It was just so cute I couldn't help myself."
Keitaro held his hand to his mouth to stiffle the laughs. What he wouldn't give to see the girls faces right now. He could already imagaine Naru and Motoko's jaws dropping like bricks. Kitsune was already playing it up and she probably was looking embarrassed like her first crush was found out. Knowing her, she most likely was.
"So where'd you two get freaky huh?" asked Su as Keitaro heard a splash. no doubt the hyperactive younger girl was tearing through the water.
"In a print club booth," Kistune replied, the huge grin could be heard in her voice.
"Kitsune!" Naru sqeaked.
"Are you without shame!" Motoko cried.
"What?" Kitsune asked. "We just took a picture. He is a print club otaku after all."
Silence reigned as the words took effect. What Keitaro couldn't see was that Motoko and Naru had facefaulted. Even if he couldn't see it, he could hear it. Snickers and gasps of laughter kept escaping from his covered mouth.
"Jeez, that's it?" Naru cried. "That's his big secret?"
"That's it," Kitsune laughed. "If anyone is a perv around here I'd say it's you two for thinking those thoughts.
"I-I was thinking no such thoughts!" Motoko insisted sharply.
"..." Naru had fallen silent.
Keitaro couldn't take it anymore. It was too much. To hear Naru get accused of being a pervert and the almost stoic Motoko losing her cool like that was too much to handle. Keitaro held his sides and just belted out laughing.
"Ah ha ha ha ha ha!" Keitaro gasped. "Oh gods! it's too much!"
Back with the girls, Their conversations stopped as they heard Keitaro's laughter. Kitsune stiffled her own laughter as she realized that Keitaro had overheard them. Naru's face, which was red as it is, turned even redder when she drew the same conclusion. The only thing was that she was getting angry.
Shinobu listened to Keitaro's laughter, almost giggling, "That's Sempai isn't it?"
"That pervert!" Naru growled. "He's peeking on us! He must be!"
Motoko pulled out her sword and prepared to draw it as she regained her poise. Su giggled as she laughed along with Keitaro. She found the situation as funny as he did.
"I can't see you!" they head Keitaro gasp through his laughing. "I can hear you a mile away!"
Naru's face turned redder than before. She had just embarrased herself majorly almost in front of the guy she thought was a pervert. What made it worse was that she was being accused of being a pervert herself.
"You'd better not be peeking Urashima!" Motoko shouted into the air. "If you are then I will not show you any mercy."
"Don't worry Motoko," they heard Keitaro reply."I can't even see the fence for the hot springs from here."
Motoko nodded as she sat back down to enjoy her soak. Naru gaped at the swordswoman in shock.
"You're just going to trust him?" she gaped. "I thought you didn't trust men."
"Although I do not trust most men,"Motoko explained. "Urashima has not given me any reason to distrust his words. It would be rude of me to lump him together with most males that I have met at this point."
Kitsune nodded in approval, "I agree with that. It would be rude to him. Also, Keitaro's pretty shy around women and what you're putting him through isn't helping Naru."
Naru sank into the water until it touched her chin. When the others put it that way. She might have been a tad harsh on the guy. He really hadn't done anything wrong. Even she accepted that when she apologised to him about the hot spring incident.
"I..I guess you're right. I was sorta pushing it on him wasn't I?" she nodded.
Keitaro hadn't heard that part. He had already got all his laughs out and left. He needed to get some last minute studying in and his hands still hurt like hell.
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Keitaro walked into his room, using his hands gently. The calluses hurt and some had broken into bleeding wounds. He had cleaned them during his bath and now they just stung like a bee sting.
As he closed the door, he noticed a box of bandages on his table. He picked up the box and smiled. He had a pretty good guess who left them.
"I figured you could use them after what I put you through," Naru's voice cut in.
Keitaro walked to the hole and looked up to see Naru's face looking back at her. She was wearing a bathrobe and her hair was tied back. She had proabably had gotten out around the same time he did.
"Thanks, I appreciate it," Keitaro smiled.
"How can you keep being nice to me?" Naru asked with a small guilty frown. "I put you through hell today and I even accused you of being a pervert again. Why do you keep forgiving me?"
Keitaro rubbed the back of his head as he thought about that question, "Well, I figure that the reason you're so quick to accuse a guy of being a pervert is because you had some bad experiences with one. Besides, we only met about a day ago and not very well I might add. We barely know each other right now so I haven't really proven that I'm not a pervert yet, but I can promise that I can. I always keep my promises."
"Silly," Naru smiled as she leaned her head on her arms. "You're already proving that. If you are promisng to prove that you aren't a pervert, then I guess I can promise I'll try not to be so quick to brand you as one."
"Truce then?" Keitaro asked as he held his hand up to the hole.
Naru nodded as she reached down and grasped his hand, "Truce."
It was then that both of them noticed something. The way they were holding hands was in an almost romantic way. Both of them blushed and quickly pulled back their hands. Naru began poking her index fingers together while Keitaro rubbed the back of his head. Neither of them had really been like that with a member of the opposite gender before.
"Yeah,..um," Keitaro mumbled.
"Yeah," Naru agreed. "So...uh, goodnight Keitaro,"
"Oh, yeah," Keitaro nodded. "Goodnight Naru."
Naru stood up as she put the lid back on the hole. She then slipped into her futon and shot off her lamp. As she lat down to rest, she held her hand which she held Keitaro's with close to her.
'He's rather warm,' she thought in semi-conciousness. 'I wonder what it'd be like if he held me in his arms.'
With that single thought, she finally fell to sleep.
To Be Continued
A/N: There we are for chapter three. I don't know if Naru was bitchier than normal but since she was the only one who really didn't want Keitaro there then I had not choice. I hope the sort of romantic ending helped balance that out. As for what's next? Whoever reads the manga ought to know. I'll try to take a few more creative liberties here and there if you'd like. Thanks for pointing out spelling in the last chapters. I'll see what I can do.