-Ten-Faced Paladin
Love Hina Redux By Ten-Faced Paladin Chapter 9: The Eve of Goodbye
The air was cold and Christmas was just around the corner. The residents of Hinata House were busy trimming one of the trees that grew out in front. Kitsune and Shinobu were busy putting on tinsel while Su played with a stuffed reindeer. Motoko just sat on a bench and watched. She really did not participate in more modern celebrations like Christmas. She preferred the older ones.
That was the scene that Keitaro and Naru walked home to find. They had just returned from cram school and hadn't take part in the celebrations just yet.
"Wow!" Keitaro smiled as he looked at the tree. "It's almost Christmas isn't it?"
"Hey guys!" Kitsune greeted. "You back already?"
"Welcome home Sempai, Naru," Shinobu smiled.
"Hey Keitaro!" Su cheered as she ran up to the ronin." You gonna get us presents?"
Keitaro rubbed his chin and began to look thoughtful, "Well gee, I don't know Su. I have been pretty busy and presents are not cheap either." he looked at the foreign girl with an amused look in his eyes. "But, since it is Christmas, I guess I can get you all a little somehing."
"Yay!" Su shouted as she caught Keitaro in a bear hug.
The rest of the tennants soon joined Keitaro and Naru on the conversation. Kitsune was the first to speak.
"But I thought Christmas and New Years didn't exist for ronins." she smiled.
"In most cases no," Keitaro agreed. "Only thing is that I'm not your average ronin and..."
He trailed off as he pulled out a sheet of paper. Everyone peered at it to find it was a progress report for Keitaro's studies. It was showing a gradual increase since about three months agao when he came to Hinata House and started studying with Naru.
"Wow Sempai!" Shinobu smiled.
"Hey stud, not bad," Kitsune smirked.
"I am almost impressed Urashima," Motoko smiled in her own slight way.
"It's not exactly Naru's level," Keitato admitted.
"You got that right," Naru remarked from where she stood beside Keitaro. He shot her a fake dark look before continuing.
"Anyhow, it's not her level, but I'm still feeling happy about it," Keitaro explained. "Why not celebrate?"
"I'l tell you why not," Naru replied. "The mock placement is coming up and we should study. Celebrating isn't going to get us into Tokyo U."
"Mock placement exam?" Kitsune asked. "What's that?"
"Oh that?" Naru asked. "It's basically an exam based on the Tokyo U entrance exam."
"Right," Keitaro nodded. "Our cram school is pretty well established for evaluating those tests. Really it just means that if I can do well on this then I have a better chance of getting into Tokyo U."
"Really?" Kitsune asked. "Well then good luck to the both of ya. I know I'll be rootin' for ya."
"Me too! Me too!' Su cried while jumping up and down.
"I will too," Shinobu smiled.
"I shall as well," Motoko nodded.
"Thanks guys," Naru smiled.
Keitaro just rubbed the back of his head with a goofy smile. His fun was cut short as Haruka came walking out of the building. She still had a cigarette in her mouth and the usual Cafe Hinata garb. The only difference now was she had a winter jacket on, accompanied by a frown.
"Sorry to bust up the pep rally," she spoke, a tinge of fading hostility in her voice. "but you've got a call Keitaro."
"Judging from the frown I'd say it's either Mom or Dad wasn't it?" at Haruka's nod he gulped. "Well, I hope you didn't chew them out too much."
"Naah," Haruka smirked. "I just read them the riot act."
Kaitaro shuddered at the thought as he walked inside. An angry Haruka was something that he never wanted to see. He had heard of an old boyfriend she had in college who ended up on the recieving end. Something about running off to America and just leaving her his fossil collection. He didn't quite get it, but he realy didn't want to. He finally got to the phone and picked it up. Little did he know that the girls had followed him.
"Hello?" he asked into the phone. "Hey Mom... Yes I am going to try for Tokyo U again... Look, I'm sure Haruka read you the riot act about this already... You still want me to come home? I'm pefectly happy here, school or no school...I'm not going to argue with you about this...I have an idea. The mock placement is coming up so how about this, if I can do well on that then I can stay. Does that sound fair?"
All the while he talked, the girls listened in.
"Can he really do that Naru?" Kitsune asked her best friend.
"I think he had a good chance before," Naru explained. "With these improving grades then I think he has an even better chance."
"I hope so," said Shinobu. "I really want Sempai to stay."
"I do too!" Su agreed. "It wouldn't be as fun without him."
"He still owes me a rematch," Motoko stated firmly.
Keitaro hung up the phone and sighed. He then turned to Haruka.
"Just how much of the riot act did you read her?" he asked. "I would have expected some more resistance on her part."
"Not much," Haruka smirked. "Just the entrie thing three times over."
Keitaro snorted and he turned to face the girls, "Well, I guess I should really study now. I'd rather not go home."
With that, he bolted up the stairs. The girls watched him go. Each them felt a bit of worry. They had all grown a little fond of him. They all knew that if he had to leave then they would all at least be a little sad. Haruka just looked at them with a small smile. The boy was working his magic after all.
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Keitaro sat at his desk again with all his books out. He really did not want to go back home. Where his parents were waiting for him, ready to push him into the candy shop business again. The only real pleasant thing besides the people was his little sister Kanako. He hadn't even seen her since she went travelling with granny.
"Okay," he muttered with a sigh. "No time to live in memory."
He looked back to the textbooks and actually noticed that one was Naru's
'Oh, yeah,' he thought. 'I borrowed this from Naru. I guess I'd better return it.'
He moved up to the hole in the roof and knocked on the covering of the hole. after a moment, there was no reply. Slightly interested, he slipped through the hole into Naru's darkened room.
"She isn't here after all," he muttered. "I'll just leave her book on her table."
He walked over to the table and placed the book on the table. He turned around and made his way back to the hole. Along the way, he had neglected to actually turn on the lights. That little mistake came back to haunt him when he tripped on his own two feet and came crashing down. He was totally unprepared when his head smashed into the bookcase, causing several of them to fall out and hit him.
"Next time," he grumbled. "I'm turning on the light."
He proceeded to shake himself free from the books. After letting the stars escape from his head, he began to put the books back in onto the shelf. He grasped the last book nd was about to put it on when Naru returned and turned on the light. Both her and Keitaro stared at each other for a momet.
'This is not going to end well,' Keitaro thought to himself.
"What the hell are you doing in my room?" Naru growled.
"I was returning your textbook," Keitaro replied, tensing. "I then tripped and crashed into your bookcase. Some of your books fell out so I was putting them back."
"Right," Naru growled. "Then why are you holding my diary in your hand there?"
"Huh?" Keitaro remarked as he looked at the book in his hand.
True to Naru's word, it said 'diary' right on the front. Keitaro felt his heart do a dive as he saw it. Naru was definitly going to want a chunk of his hide after this. There was no way around it. All he could do was try to explain his side of the story.
"Well, I didn't know I was actually holding it," Keitaro explained. "I was just putting it on the shelf."
Naru stomped over to him and snatched the nook out of his hand, "I'm sure! I bet you were riffling through it to see if you could find any dirty secrets!"
Keitaro felt his own temper rising. After all this time, Naru still had problems about his actions and how they sometimes looked.
"So you admit having dirty secrets?" he replied darkly. "Now I wish I read it. I knew that the nation's top had to have a few skeletons in her closet."
Naru's fist clenched as she started trembling. She was seriously pissed now. How dare he make suggestions like that to her?
"GET OUT!" she shouted before pushing him hard in the chest.
Keitaro stumbled back and promptly fell through the hole in the floor. He landed with a crash and scattered his books all over the floor. His glasses had fallen off and his vision was slightly blurred,but he could still make out Naru's image.
"You can study by yourself from now on!" Naru shouted through the hole.
"Okay fine!" Keitaro shouted back, his temper getting the better of him. "I bet you won't even miss me if I did leave, would you!"
The slam from the lid Naru used to cover the hole was all the answer he got. He sighed and began to pick up his books. Cleaning up the mess helped keep his mind off how angry he was.
'I can't believe she doesn't trust me even after how long we've know each other,' Keitaro grumbled inwardly. 'Doesn't she ever listen?'
Above him, Naru fumed in her room. She was angry about his apparent invasion into her her personal life, but she was really mad about his last words. How could he say something like that about her?
"What's wrong with that moron?" Naru asked herself angrily. "Of course I'd miss him."
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The day of the test came the next day. Keitaro and Naru hadn't spoken a word to each other since their little argument. They ate their breakfast quick and silent before storming off to their rooms. They had even sat on opposite ends of the table so to stay away from each other. Naru was still mad at Keitaro for what she thought he did and Keitaro was mad at Naru for not trusting him after the time that they had known each other. At the exam center, they were only a row away from each other, but they weren't quite happy about it.
As Keitaro metally went over everything that he had struggled to remember, he was suddenly interrupted by Haitani and Shirai.
"So, you all set for this test Keitaro?" Haitani asked.
"Yeah," Keitaro sighed. "I just hope I can do well on it."
"Hey, I noticed you and the super nerd weren't talking today," Shirai spoke. "You have a lover's spat?"
"Don't call her that and she's not my girlfriend," Keitaro grumbled. "We just aren't on the best of terms right now."
"Ahh," Haitani nodded. "On a lighter note, I noticed that your grades were going up. That might give you an edge."
"I can only try my best," Keitaro sighed.
The test was scheduled to begin soon and the Ronin Trio split to their assigned seats. Keitaro took a glance at Naru, who he found was looking at him. They both frowned and looked back to their work area while the test was placed in front of them. When the instructor gave the signal, the test began.
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Two weeks had passed since the test and Keitaro and Naru still hadn't officially made up yet. By now, Keitaro was ready to forget about why he was upset with her. Naru may have her issues about perverts, but it wasn't worth losing her friendship over a small misunderstanding. What he didn't know was that Naru was having similar doubts on why she was upset at him.
Currently, Keitaro was heding towards his cram school to get the mock placement exam results. He was also considering how he was going to apologize to Naru about his rather hurtful comments towards her.
"I guess there's no getting around it," Keitaro thought to himself. "I just have to go and apologize. No ifs, ands, or buts."
Further musing was cut off when someone called out to him.
"Is that Keitaro I see out there?" someone called.
Keitaro stopped and turned to see Kitsune walking the opposite direction from him.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" she smiled with her right eye opened slightly.
"Oh, hey Kitsune," Keitaro greeted. "The exam results are out today. I really want to see my results."
"Oh, that's right," Kitsune laughed. "Well, tonight's Christmas Eve so I'm on party prep. Don't take too long stud 'cause I know I'll be waiting for you."
Keitaro smiled as he felt a red tinge come to his face, "Then I'd better hurry up and get those results. I wouldn't want to miss one of your kind of parties."
"You'd better not stud," Kitsune smirked. "Now go get your results and get your butt back home."
Keitaro nodded and he bolted to the cram school. He had to search for a while, but he found where the results were being handed out. On old man was sitting in the booth, reading a newspaper.
"Excuse me," he spoke to the older man. "I'm Keitaro Urashima. A982635."
"Oh, you again," The man smiled while handing him a pice of paper. "I hope you have better luck this year."
"Thanks," Keitaro laughed as he took the paper.
Keitaro walked to the nearest bench and sat down before he looked. As his eyes fell on his result, he couldn't believe what he saw. He was not expecting a mark like this. His jaw had dropped like a rock and he thought his heart had stopped for a moment.
"Oh, no freaking way!" he exclaimed.
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Back at Hinata House, everyone was busy preparing for the Christmas party. As Shinobu walked past the window, she managed to catch a glimpse outside.
"Look everyone!" Shinobu called. "It's snowing!"
"Yay!" Su cheered as she leaped to the window. "It's gonna be a white Christmas!"
"What is Keitaro doing?" Kitsune asked impatiently. "The party's going to start."
Naru sat in her seat with a small study booklet. Even with her concentrating, she just wasn't into it tonight. He mind was still on her argument with Keitaro.
'Is he still mad at me?' she asked herself. 'I should have known better that to bite his head off. I hope he isn't staying away because of me.'
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Keitaro looked at the sky as the snowflakes began to fall.
"Hey, snow," He smiled. "Perfect timing."
He folded the exam results and put them in his pocket. They would really help when the next test came around. They were a real eye-opener to say the very least.
"Well, no point in standing around," Keitaro sighed as he stretched. "I've got things to do.
He stepped off the curb and began crossing the street with a destination in mind. He had so much to do and so little time to get it done.
"I just hope the girls can forgive me for not being there for the party," he smiled to himself.
To Be Continued
A/N: How's that for a cliffhanger? I'm still following the manga as closely as I can. FYI I'm sorry to my reviewers who are against Naru/Keitaro pairings, it's not my fault that certain chapters are concentrated on her interactions wih Keitaro. I'm trying to give the three oldest girls their fair share of time with Keitaro. Jut be patient and your favorite girl will get some alone time with him.