YOUR ORDER
Chapter 2: From Water To Wine

PV: SHINOBU

Eight o'clock on a sunny Saturday morning. According to the agreement made with the kanrinrin, I pass by all Hinata-sou dwellers' rooms and I wake them one by one. The breakfast is ready by now, made with all the affection I have to everybody that lives here. Specially the Urashima-senpai. How I wish that... no, it's impossible, the senpai likes Naru-senpai, and I have to be happy with that. People say that the greatest love proof is renouncing the person you love when that person is in love by another one. Well, it's better leaving that thing away...

I wake everyone up carefully, warning them the breakfast is almost served. I wake one by one up, leaving Urashima-senpai as last one. After waking them up, I set the table and let everything quite ready to the meal. In that moment, it seems the Hinata-sou is brought to life. The girls go very satisfied to the dining room, all of them are happy and chatting a lot, while I'm waiting for them at the dining room's door, always with a smile to greet them. Commonly, the senpai is the last one that goes down to have the breakfast.

And today wasn't so different from that. After waking them all, I was waking up the senpai. I knocked at the door, asked permission to enter and I was gonna warn about breakfast, when I noticed two bags next to the wardrobe. I was very curious, I was wondering if Keitaro would be planning a trip, he even didn't warn us... As I don't like to meddle in another's life, I just swung by and warned him about the breakfast. He woke up slowly and appeared to be with very rubby eyes. Had he be crying? I noticed that, in the last few days, he is a little isolated from us, and I don't like to see someone that helped me being sad. He usually thanks me with a smile, and he even didn't do that today. He just said a very dry "arigato". I was a little sore, he didn't use to treat me like that. Furthermore, he usually doesn't treat anybody like that.

I came back to the dining room, thinking what could be wrong with senpai, but I was involved by the worderful air contained in that room very soon. The girls decided to play some cards the previous day, and today they were lashing each other. And now they are making some plans for going out tonight. Naru suggested the idea they would go at Toudai and enjoy the bars next to the university. Obviously, Kitsune, Kanako and Kaolla adored the idea, and started to provoke Motoko. But Motoko didn't get bothered, and accepted the invitation, making the girls more happy. The kendo girl is opener than ever since Keitaro started living here. Furthermore, it seems that the Keitaro's presence has changed all girls's lives.

"And you, Shinobu? Are you in?", asked me Naru, very smiling.

"W-w-well, I never liked going out a lot, I think would be nice to make a difference...", I answered in a very confident manner.

"Cool, Shinobu also goes! Just Keitaro is holding back!", screamed Kaolla, very enthusiastic.

"C'mon, leave that spineless away... He'll just disturb...", Naru reclaimed, turning the shoulders as a sign of disgust. I found that very tasteless, I like when senpai is next to me. Of course, I didn't show what I felt, 'cos I don't interfere in the happenings between Naru and Keitaro.

"Oh... Since when is Keitaro a spineless guy, ahn? You can lose that boy, girl...", Kitsune said full of malice, always with the fox eye.

"It's true, I could carry him away to my country and stay with him, he he he!", Kaolla provoked, giving a roguish smile. I realised Su-chan just wanted to provoke Naru, and the favorite game from the forevermore brown girl is driving other people crazy...

"You can carry away that... trash. I didn't know you liked losers...", Naru spoke, giving a bitter tone to the word "trash". That thing left Su-chan a little sore.

"Ara, Ara, we cannot start a fight during the breakfast... Or the food doesn't fit good...", the always smiling Mutsumi commented. Since she was helping at the Tea House, she had begun to use the Hinata-sou facilities.

"I do agree. I don't see any reason to start a day at this way", Motoko added, with eyes wide shut and absorbing a good gulp of tea after saying such wise words.

So I sat down next to the table and I also had my meal, after all I am also a Kami-sama daughter. When all of them were ready to leave the table, Keitaro-senpai appeared, carring a bag in each hand. All the girls stared a bit silly, without knowing what was happening...

PV: KEITARO

It's now. I must utilize this moment to advise about my decision. I stare all of them seriously, getting close to the meal table. I dropped my bags and stayed at one of the table heads, staring at everyone. It seems I'm giving up already... no, I can't. I made my decision and I cannot go back, I'd be acting with the same cowardice I always had if I did it.

"Urashima-senpai, what's the business about the bags? Do you want to travel, if I can ask?", Motoko asked with a suspicious look.

"You still have a lot of things to do today, Keitaro... You just cannot go out without an early warning...", Kitsune claimed, as if she were totally right.

"I'd like not being interrupted, please...", I stated in a constant voice mode. The girls looked at each other, as if they didn't understand what's wrong with me.

"What's the big deal Keitaro, don't play with...", Naru said with a biting look. I managed to interrupted her immediately.

"This counts you too, Narusegawa-san...", I speech in a disgusting tone of voice. The look she gave me back was confused. I kept the austere mien, I couldn't go back. I didn't even sit down, I decided to remain on my own feet. I found the discussion would be quick.

"I'm here for announcing...", I concluded putting a paper under the table, "...that I'm asking my resignation from all my duties as landlord over here. I believe it's not possible going on".

That announcement provoked lots of reactions. Shinobu had a crying face; Motoko kept herself looking at me with disbelief; Kitsune was pure surprise; Kaolla and Sarah still are with printed smiles on their faces – as if I'm still joking; Kanako had pure despair in the mien. But themost remarkable thing was the way Naru and Mutsumi were looking; both of them seemed very sore.

"Resignation is tasty?", Kaolla asked, in a very funny way.

"Ara, Kei-kun, why did you make so masterful a decision? Did we do something wrong?", Mutsumi asked me, a bit gawky. I made a pause to take a breath before giving the answer.

"I belive so... Or better, I didn't do what I might have done... I couldn't manage this inn properly, besides which I never had the command of you all... My function demands leadership, and I didn't gotta make myself a leader over you. I am a threat to the financial health of this place, and I must go. I'm so sorry...", I confessed.

"You cannot leave here like this, without a reason!", Naru yelled, as if she was completely right. Indeed, I realised a certain despair. I felt I didn't like from that climate, and I needed to get off as soon as possible.

"Am I not a spineless guy, a loser?", I retorted. So the Naru's facial mimicry changed, through anger to surprise. So I completed: "I can be a foolish guy, but I'm not deaf".

"Keitaro, I...", Naru tried to fix.

"Naru, don't strain yourself. I know how much I'm a troublesome for all of you. There's nothing I do that seems to please you, further I'm totally clumsy and I'm not gonna help to maintain this inn if I act like this. Whence, I believe there's no problem to arrange another landlord", I said it calmly.

"You're exaggerating, Urashima...", Motoko spoke, keeping a daunted look, "All of us like you a lot, you just should assume your duties foremost. You can't leave the incumbency your grandmother gave you. I know you still are neglectful, but there's always..."

"I do everything you want, and you still found I don't do it enough? That's the proof how much I really stand for you. There's no other way, I'm leaving, period. I cannot sacrify the Toudai due to a bunch of finicky girls...", I unburdened what I had concluded last night.

There's some aforementioned things that can provoke a revolution. And that thing had a bombastic effect. Usually, they always had beaten me just for raising the voice... But it occurred the opposite: all of them looked at the floor, crestfallen.

I just wasn't expecting Shinobu's reaction. With watered eyes, she grabbed tightly at my trunk and squeezed me against her. It was just like a... despair. I could feel the hot tears soaking into my T-shirt.

"Awwwwwwww! Don't go away, senpai! You're too special for us... At least, you're special to me!", Shinoby cried. That thing struck me, but I couldn't go back... After all, I should be proud at once in life, at least I had never previously stuck my positions before them.

"Shinobu... There's no place to me over here, the mess is already done...", I tried to console her.

"I don't want Keitaro going way! If you go away, this place will be less funny...", Kaolla moaned, also grabbing me very tight. I almost could feel my ribs cracking.

"No, brother! I don't wanna stay away from you again!", Kanako shouted, holding me very tight. I felt this situation was out of my control, and I tried to set myself free from these three. When I finally have done it, I grabbed my baggage and tried to say goodbye.

"Well, this is a goodbye... I wanna be alone for a while... Maybe another day...", I dismissed, leaving after the words were hard to say. I didn't look back. In the deep of my heart, I lost my hope about meeting them another day. But I cannot retreat. Not this time.

PV: KITSUNE

Who could it say, the Keitaro's got guts... Inside me, I always desired he'd have a strong position some day... I didn't expect things getting this way. All of us are upset. The only one who doesn't seem to be affected with the episode is Sarah.

"Who's concerned about that unlucky guy? How about some fun...", Sarah spoke, but she didn't finish the sentence. She hadn't realized the environment isn't comfortable.

"Gimme a break, little girl... Everybody here isn't willing to have fun.", Naru scolded, very upset. In a certain way, we all are a little confused. It's not easy being surprised like this in the morning. So, Naru left the room. After her, left Mutsumi, Shinobu, Motoko and Kanako.

"C'mon Kaolla, let that boring girls over there...", Sarah tried to induce the Indian visaged girl.

"Sorry Sarah, now I don't wanna play...", Kaolla moaned, also lefting the room.

Sarah was daunted. She hates when nobody gives attention at her. But she was back to the reality and she realized the climate wasn't good. She didn't delay to leave and go to her bedroom, expressly disappointed. I rose and stared the very empty room. How can a place change from a happy environment into a funereal place? Sometimes, life makes suprises bigger that we can endure at once.

"So he departed...", Haruka spoke by the kitchen access door. I got a shock, 'cos I didn't realize her presence over there.

"Yes... He was sure that he was doing the right thing, but...", I spoke.

"He will be missed, won't he?", Haruka spoke, with a gentle smile.

"Just an the moment when I was getting used to having a landlord... and a good friend", I confessed. I knew, in the bottom of my soul, the Keitaro's decision would be remarkable to all girls that live at the inn. I think that, so much time of friendship where we practically exploited and satirized the poor landlord, it ended up that all girls developed a little crush on the kanrinrin. But nobody admitted that... If the girls realized the Keitaro's importance... Well, I can't say anything, 'cos I didn't do anything when I was able to do something.

"And will all of you allow him going away at this way, with no resistance?", Haruka asked.

"This time, I believe there's nothing more to do. I never saw him so determined", I answered. I thought to myself, I'll be missing the ex-ronin. But... I'm not gonna give up. I cannot leave Keitaro going away like this. I looked at Haruka confident. She gave me back the smile.

"Attention, dwellers emergency meeting! Now, all of you in the boarding house main entrance, c'mon!", I was screaming about all the places. I never gave up about everything I fought, and I realized that hunting Keitaro back to the inn would be something funny...

PV: KEITARO

I headed to the subway station. I was determined to go away. I still have some money, it's enough for paying a very cheap boarding house. But I believe it's better to do this than continuing at that hell. You know, sometimes I think I have exaggerated, but... and if I hadn't done that? I believe everything would be the same. I needed to be a man for once in my life, didn't I?

I stay there, in the station, waiting the next schedule. I'm absent of mind, with so few thoughts floating in my head, and I don't even know what I must do as next step. The only sure thing is I need to rent a place when I arrive to Tokyo, and I'm not gonna back to my home. My parents gave up worring about me so long ago that I believe they don't even care about me – I need to have a new life. Let me see, I need to get a part time job, and...

It's strange, I hear a vehicle noise, and that's very familiar. It's funny, I don't see a train coming... Hell, where does the noise come from... So I realize! Kami, the Seta-mobile! And I see it's full! Oh Kami, the girls decided to finish me! Why do I screw up so much the things with women in my life?

I start running as a hopeless man, I don't know where I can go. I foiled even my chasers for a while in an alley, but I don't have much time for resting, there comes that hell's car... Damn bags, I don't even know why I carry them... Of course, my credit card and documents are kept inside them! Damn life... When I realize, I see a woman with a cigarette at the mouth driving the car and someone screaming from the side door.

"Keitaro you bastard, I won't scape like this!", I think it was Naru screaming. I didn't understand a thing, because I was literally knotted and I ended up beating my head in the van bodywork, and that knocked me out...

Chapter written at Oct-18-2004 and translated between Dec-01-2004 and Dec-02-2004. I appreciate when all of you send me reviews, because these are important to know if the story is pleasing. Thanks A LOT to Martin Gradwell for working as beta reader.