-Ten-Faced Paladin
Love Hina Redux By Ten-Faced Paladin Chapter 5: Kotatsu Complications
Everyone was just finishing dinner and Naru was washing the dishes. It had been her night to cook and everyone had enjoyed it. The meals that she cooked looked pretty funky but actually tasted pretty good. It was a pretty wierd thing in itself. Kitsune had pointed out that little fact and Naru cracked a dish as she clenched her hands in agitation.
"So," Kitsune began. "Our landlord. Think we can make an informed decision about him now?"
Motoko was standing in her seat and she closed her eyes for a moment, "He has been very kind to all of us and has worked hard. I do not see why he cannot stay ."
Su leaped over from the karaoke machine she had been setting up, "I wants Keitaro to stay too! He's really funny when I kick him and he goes 'prrgh' and 'yerk!'"
Shinobu nodded from where she was placing the last of the clean dishes into the cubords, "I want Sempai to stay too. He's really nice. He said I can do good in school if I really try."
"Well I know I'd like him to stay," Kitsune smirked. "How about you Naru?"
Naru turned from the sink as she wiped her hands and turned off the tap. She recalled the last week that Keitaro had been with them since he became the landlord. Ever since the tram ride, she and him had actually been getting along. She hadn't accused him of being a pervert since that day.
"He can stay I guess," Naru shrugged. "He's not bad at all, but if you'll excuse me, I have to study. I'll be in my room if you need me."
Kitsune smiled as her friend put her hand towel on the counter and headed for the stairs.
"Got it rough, eh?" she asked playfully.
"Exam students don't have free time," Naru replied as she walked through the doorway.
As Su started belting out songs on her karaoke machine, Kitsune put her fingers to her chin as a smirk came to her face again.
"I wonder what our other bookworm is up to right now," she thought out loud.
The other bookworm in question, Keitaro, was just about ready to blow steam out of his ears. He had been working on his studies for the past five hours. He had even skipped dinner so he could get this work done.
"Math," Keitaro groaned. "Why did it have to be math?"
Needless to say, Keitaro and mathematics got along as well as Indiana Jones and snakes.
"This was what killed me last year," Keitaro sighed. "I know there's only so may types of problems they can use, but even so, it's still hard as hell.'
An image of Nau in her 'super nerd' disguise flashed through his mind.
'I bet she could do these without breaking a sweat,' Keitaro thought to himself. 'I mean, since that tram ride she hasn't been that hostile to me. She hasn't even accused me of being a pervert.'
Keitaro looked at his answer column for his work. it was all blank save for two or three questions. Those were the only ones that he was sure of the answer. The rest was a big blank to him. After seeing that, he came to a conclusion. He needed help.
"Well, I'm not too proud to beg," Keitaro sighed.
Keitaro gathered up his notebook and an extra pencil. He then made his way up to the floor above him and stood at Naru's door. He took a deep breath and knocked at the door gently.
It opened quickly to reveal Naru's face with her coke bottle frames on, "What?"
Keitaro cringed at the tone of her voice. She sounded upset again.
"Uh, hey Naru," Keitaro began. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I asked for some help."
Naru glanced at the notebook in his hands and then back at Keitaro. After a moment she shruggged and sighed, "Fine, I guess it couldn't hurt. Come on in"
She opened the door all the way and she suddenly flinched as Kitaro saw her. She was wearing a cardigan and sweats. Her face heated up as she glanced at her room. It was a total mess. Books were thrown everywhere and dirty laundry was also all over the floor. Naru then slammed the door shut behind her.
"Could..uh you grab some hot chocolate or something for us?" she mumbled. "I-it might take a while."
"uh..sure," Keitaro replied, thouroughly confused. "I could use one myself anyway."
After Keitaro left, Naru charged into her room again. A series of crashes and bumps could be heard from the other side of the door. At one point, Naru raced from the room holding a huge garbage bag filled with stuff only she knew about. She then raced back in at breakneck speed and slammed the door shut again. Keitaro returned with a tray and two cups filled with hot chocolate and he was even more confused when he heard the banging from Naru's room. After another minute, Naru opened the door again. She was wearing a yellow sweater and a red skirt. She was also panting heavily, but the room looked like it was brand new.
"You know," Keitaro smiled in amusement. "I don't really care if you have a messy room"
"Sh-sh-shut up," Naru mumbled, blushing. "I am a high school girl remember? You can't expect me to not care when I let a guy in my room."
"I'm flattered," Keitaro smiled. "Can I actually be let in now?"
Naru nodded as she stepped out of his way. Keitaro walked inside and placed the tray on the kotatsu that Naru had placed in the centre of the room. As he stood back up he noticed a strap coming out of the door of the closet. He could already guess what it was.
'If anything radiated 'do not touch' then that would be it,' Keitaro thought to himself. 'I'd better be careful.'
Naru took a seat in front of him and put on her glasses, "So, what are you having problems with?"
Keitaro opened his notebook and pointed out the section he was looking at, "Around here is what's been giving me problems."
Naru looked over the problems and placed the notebook back on the table. She then looked straight into Keitaro's eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before she finally spoke.
"How dumb are you?" she shrieked suddenly. "This is easy! It's trig!"
"I know that!" Keitaro replied with his own shout. "Take a closer look! I can do the basics but this advanced stuff really bogs me down!"
Naru frowned and looked back at the book. As she glanced at the problems she began to soften her face.
"Okay, I see your problem," she spoke. "It's the added terms and formulas that are getting to you. I'll try to explain."
Over the next hour, Naru helped Keitaro go over the problems that were giving him trouble. She had to explain some things twice but he got it pretty quick. Slowly, Keitaro began to find how each formula worked. Before long, Keitaro was finally able to finish the problems that were giving him so much trouble.
"Wow," Keitaro laughed. "I guess I am kind of dumb after all."
"Hey!" Naru growled. "Don't say stuff like that. You aren't dumb. Didn't you see your last scores? You're just having a problem or two with other stuff. I even have problems in subjects sometimes and I'm top in the nation remember?"
Keitaro scratched the back of his head. Her attitude had done a complete one-eighty,"Yeah, I guess you're right. It just feels like these problems are so simple now and I couldn't get them before."
"Don't bother yourself about it. You can do it now," Naru remarked. Her face then turned thoughtful. "Hey, Keitaro. Why do you want to get into Tokyo U so badly anyway?"
Keitaro on his elbow which was situated on the table, "Well, You're probably going to think I'm a sap for it, but I guess I can tell you."
Naru took a sip from her hot chocolate before Keitaro began his story. Keitaro himself took a deep breath to get himself ready. He hadn't told this story before to anyone.
"There was this girl that I was friends with about fifteen years ago," Keitaro explained. "We were really good friends too. When I was about five we made a promise to each other that we'd go to Tokyo University together. I mean, we had heard that two people who go there together end up living happily ever after. Childhood dreams y'know?"
Keitaro slumped until his chin was on the table. A kind of depression fell over on his face.
"The sad thing is that I can't really remember her name and I don't know what she looks like now. I'm not even sure if she remembers making the promise or even me for that matter," Keitaro then sat up and looked to Naru. "Do you think that after all this time she'd sill want to keep that promise?"
Naru blinked before leaning over the table into Keitaro's face.
"Absolutely!" she answered confidently. "She'd remember!"
Keitaro leaned back in slight surprise, "Do..do you really think so?"
Naru stood up with that determined air still around her, "Sure! If she really liked you then it wouldn't matter how much time passed. Of course she'd remember!"
Naru then stepped away from the table with her fists clenched in the air, "Overcoming all obstacles no matter what. I bet she's working hard to achieve her goal. Ooh, it's so romantic!"
She then turned back to Keitaro while removing her glasses, "Even if it's just to go to Tokyo U together."
Keitaro smiled at Naru's passionate speech. No doubt about it. She was a hopeless romantic. 'I wonder,' Keitaro pondered. 'Could she be my promise girl? No. She's too young.'
Keitaro was suddenly snpped out of his thoughts alongside Naru when a knocking came from her door, "Hey Naru! Can I come in?"
Naru immediately started to panic. This was bad. If Kitsune found them together at this time of night she'd tease her to no end. She then grabbed Keitaro by the shoulders who had no doubt come to the same conclusion.
"Oh crap!" Naru whispered. "If she sees you all hell's gonna break loose!"
"What do I do!" Keitaro whispered back, looking for a place to hide.
"Um, ah," Naru sputtered, her eyes then landing on the kotatsu. "Under the table!"
"What!" was all Keitato could get out before Naru threw him under the kotatsu.
Naru just managed to sit down when Kitsune opened the door on her own accord. Under the table, Naru's legs were draped across Keitaro's back as he was forced to lie on the floor as much as he could without making a sound.
"Uh, hey Kitsune," Naru smiled nervously. "Did you need anything?"
"No, I'm just here to bug you," Kitsune smiled as she examined the room. "Wow, you finally cleaned up."
Keitaro was beginning to feel his body stiffen up while the girls spoke to each other. This was the last thing that he needed to happen in a girls dorm. If Kitsune found him now then then everyone was going to think that he and Naru were having a relationship. Not only would Kitsune tease him but Motoko would probably take a chunk out of his hide for what she thought was being perverted. Keitaro just sent up a silent prayer for Kitsune not to find him.
"I heard something earlier," he heard Kitsune comment. "Is something going on in here?"
"No!" Naru denied loudly.
'We are going to get busted if she keeps denying it like that,' Keitaro thought to himself.
After that, he hard words that made his heart stop.
"Hey, let me under the kotatsu," he heard Kitsune speak.
'Oh shit!' Keitaro cursed to himself.
He saw Kitsune's legs start coming under the table. He knew he didn't have much choice, he scrambled backwards. All the while praying that his life wasn't going to end. It probably would since there was no way that Naru was not going to see this as perverted. Realizing that little fact, Keitaro just prayed for Naru's wrath to be quick and relatively painless. He just hoped that the gods were in a giving mood.
Above them, Naru felt Keitaro squirming closer to her. Her face started heating up when she felt him move.
'What the hell is he doing!' Naru screeched in her thoughts. 'If he touches me he's so going to get it.'
Kitsune looked at Naru confusedly. Her face was red and she seemed uncomfortable. After a moment, she seemed to actually squirm as if something was touching her in the wrong spot or something.
"Uh...Naru?" Kitsune began
"Yes?" Naru barked instantly.
Kitsne sweatdropped at her firends antics, "You're acting a little strange."
"You think so?" Naru asked while tugging at the neck of her sweater.
Naru then squirmed unfomfortably again. Now Kitsune was definitely suspicious about something. Naru ws really acting wierd and her face was a bright red. In Kitsune's book, that only meant one thing.
"Are you sick or something?" Kitsune asked in concern.
If Keitaro could have face-faulted, he would have at this point. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his thoughts in order. He was going to suffocate if he stayed under any longer. Just how long was Kitsune going to stay here?
'I'm going to suffocate like this!' Keitaro thought to himself. 'Where's the damn switch?'
Keitaro shakily reched to the edge of the table and began searching for the switch to turn off the kotatsu. Taking a random shot in the dark, Keitaro grasped the edge of the kotatsu in his search for the switch. He instead touched something soft.
'Woah, that wasn't it,' Keitaro grumbled inwardly. 'Just what was that?'
Above, Naru almost squealed when she felt something touch her. She could easily tell who did it. Her face blazed red while that happened and Kitsune noticed immediately.
"Okay," Kitsune frowned. "Let me check your temperature."
"What?" Naru gasped.
Keitaro saw Kitsune leave the kotatsu and he immedaitely took action. In his oxygen deprived mind, he thought that if Kitsune left the kotatsu, she must have left the room. He immediately began to scramble for the edge.
'If I stay under here any longer I'm gonna suffocate!' he shouted inwardly.
Naru Immeadiately felt Keitaro try to get out from under the table. She almost went into a panic when she felt him move.
'You idiot!' She thought. 'Don't come out now! She's still here!'
Kitsune placed her hand on Naru's forehead and the other on her own. Naru was already blushing like mad with Keitaro under her table and his squrming about was not helping. This would of course make anyone who took her tempaerature the way Kitsune was think she was sick. Of course, if Keitaro came out now, Naru would have more to think about than a fever. So, she did the only thing she knew she could do at this time. She grasped Keitaro's head and pushed it to the floor with a slam.
"What was that?" asked Kitsune, noticing the noise.
"Um..ah..hit my knee! Yeah," Naru replied while feigning pain. "Ow, ow ow."
Under the table, Keitaro was feeling the real thing. His face was shoved into the floor which was quite unexpected on his part. He was pretty sure that his nose was broken along with the panel of flooring that Naru slammed his head into.
'I'll have to fix that too,' Keitaro sighed inwardly.
Back above, Kitsune had finished her examination.
"Wow girl, you have a fever," Kitsune reprted. "I think you'd better turn in soon, okay?"
"Uh, sure," Naru nodded. "I'll do that."
Kitsune smiled and left the room with a small wave. Naru finally let go of Keitaro's head and the boy in question immediately dove out from under the table with a loud gasp.
"Ugh, my nose," he groaned. "I think you broke it."
Naru stood up from her seat looking royally pissed,"Well that's what you get for groping me under the table!"
Keitaro found his thoughts completely blank.
'Oh shit,' he thought. "That soft thing was you? I was looking for the switch."
"Oh yeah?" Naru frowned while clenching her fists. "Well next time use your eyes, not your hands!"
Keitaro flinched and closed his eyes, awaiting Naru's attack. He wasn't going to block it this time. He probably deserved the punch. When the punch never came, he opened his eyes slightly to see if Naru was going to pound him. He only saw her quivering with laughter.
"You honestly thought I was going to hit you?" Naru laughed. "I'm not blind you know. I could tell you were looking for the switch. Besides, I know you wouldn't take advantage of the situation like that."
Keitaro sighed in relief. It seems the gods were being incredibly generous after all. He wouldn't be dying today.
"Hey Naru! I got this cold remedy"
Or the gods were just setting him up for a bigger fall.
Kitsune froze when she saw Keitaro and Naru together in her room. Just by seeing the looks on their faces she could tell that they were together for a while. They were probably studying but Kitsune knew she could really tease them about this. Kitsune also felt something that she hadn't felt in a while. When she saw Keitaro and Naru, she couldn't help but feel...jealous.
"You two...," she began. She then turned to lean out into the hallway "Hey everyone! Keitaro and Naru are getting it on in her room!"
"Kitsune!" Naru shrieked, her face burning bright. "Were just studying!"
"Y-yeah!" Keitaro sputtered while waving his arms. "Just studying!"
Kitsune then came back itno the room, "Sure you are. Studying a little human anatomy?"
"Kitsune!" Naru shrieked.
Keitaro sighed and let his face heat up at Kitsune's taunts. There was no way he was going to hear the end of this. He was just glad Motoko wasn't around.
To Be Continued
A/N: Well, there's chapter five. I had a real problem with ending it. I just couldn't find a fitting one. If the ending's a little weak then I'm sorry. If you've read the manga then you can tell I'm trying to follow it as closely as I can with my changes. If you're pining after a romance between Keitaro and another girl then don't worry. I'm changing major events to involve the other girls too. I'm not saying what or else it's going to ruin the story. Thanks for all the reviews you guys! I really appreciate it.