Love's Redemption: Chapter 4
Jake slowly woke from his deep sleep, opening his eyes only to be greeted by darkness. "Man, is it night already? I didn't think I was asleep that long," he wondered aloud. He sat up, stretching his stiff limbs out languidly. After rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he stood and left his room.
"I know I passed a bathroom on the way up here," he thought to himself. He silently padded across the hardwood floor, trying to not wake the other residents up, at last spotting the bathroom. While relieving himself, he muttered, "Man, I could really use a shower." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed there was a western, modernized bathtub with a shower. "Huh. That's an interesting coincidence," he said aloud.
After washing his hands, Jake tiptoed back to his room and fished out some toiletries from his gym bag. Sneaking back to the bathroom, he placed his soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste on the sink. After acquiring a towel from one of the bathroom cupboards, Jake turned on the shower. Soon, a warm haze of steam filled the room, caking the windows and mirrors with moisture. After adjusting the water's temperature, Jake grabbed his soap and shampoo and stepped into the shower.
Jake stood unmoving in the water for several minutes, relishing in the relaxation the shower was providing. After lathering and rinsing his hair, he heard what he thought was a very soft knock on the door. Jake whipped around and faced the door with his ears perked, listening for a more audible knock. Instead of another knock, he saw the mist of water quickly rush out of the area towards the doorway through the clear shower curtain. Someone was coming in!
"Hello! Someone is in here!" he whispered loudly. A shapely silhouette appeared through the fog, and the shadow shut the door behind it. Jake quickly covered himself the best he could with his hands and said with a hint of panic in his voice, "Who's there?"
Jake thought at first that one of the tenants was sleepwalking. However, the outline of a woman slowly stepped through the bathroom toward the shower and, in a familiar voice to Jake, huskily cooed, "You-know-who."
Almost instantaneously, a torrent of blood rushed to Jake's brain and clouded his already hindered vision. Furrowing his brow, he apprehensively asked, "Kitsune?"
The shadow chuckled flirtatiously and stepped forward into Jake's field of vision, revealing a smiling Kitsune. Jake gawked. A woman he had just met that morning was now getting an eyeful of his nakedness. Losing all regard for anyone else that may be sleeping in the building, Jake shrieked, "Ack! What are you doing in here? I thought you didn't live in the building!"
Kitsune's grin just got wider, and without missing a step, replied, "Yeah, but I need a shower so bad, and the teahouse doesn't have one."
"In the middle of the night?" Jake asked incredulously. Kitsune just shrugged playfully and she reached down to pull her top off.
"W-what are you doing?" Jake screeched in horror.
"I said I need a shower, so I'm going to take one."
Jake stood amazed as the beautiful woman before him removed her clothing. He tried to find something, anything to say to make sense of the situation, but he couldn't find any words. Kitsune finally finished disrobing and stepped into the shower, Jake now a trembling mass on the other side. Jake averted his eyes, frozen in fear with the predicament he was now faced with. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Kitsune spoke up, "Hey." Jake forced himself to look at her, trying to keep his eyes from straying anywhere other than her face. "Would you mind washing my back?" Jake's vision suddenly blurred and turned completely white.
A sudden falling sensation caused Jake's body to jerk involuntarily and his eyes snapped open. He found himself staring at the ceiling, breathing heavily. Snapping into a sitting position, Jake's eyes darted around, and he recognized he was back in his own room. He discovered he was covered in sweat, water seeping through his clothing. "Was it a dream, or did I black out?" he wondered. A warm golden glow filled the room from the west and Jake concluded he was only dreaming, as night had yet to fall.
Jake stood and fished out some fresh clothes from his still-packed luggage. As he changed, he wondered when he last had such a vivid dream. As he finished, he concluded that he'd never had such a lucid dream before. "I felt the warmth of that shower. I was truly horrified when Kitsune stepped in the shower with me," he pondered. Deciding that it was most likely due to his over-active imagination combined with exhaustion from a day full of traveling, Jake stepped out of his room to find Keitaro.
"First things first, though," Jake said, heading for the bathroom, albeit tentatively. Upon reaching the bathroom, right where it was in his dream, he quickly glanced around, seeing if anyone was around. Confirming he was alone, he stepped in and relieved himself. After finishing, he glanced around the bathroom, noticing the layout was different than in his dream. "Thank God," he murmured, sighing deeply.
Jake quickly gave himself the 25-cent tour of the building, but was unable to locate any of the other tenants, let alone the building's former manager. In fact, he had no idea about which rooms belonged to whom. "Well, I guess I'll just wait for him back in my room," he thought, heading back to the second floor.
Returning to his room, Jake began to put some of his belongings away. Although the room was small and storage sparse, Jake had plenty of space for his meager belongings. Soon after finishing, Jake heard what sounded like footsteps coming from above him. "Is someone upstairs?" he wondered.
Jake bolted from his room and ran upstairs, but again could not find anyone. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he turned to go back downstairs when he heard more footsteps and voices coming from above him again. "The roof!" he exclaimed, dashing down the hallway, looking for a flight of stairs leading to the roof. He soon spotted a stairway leading up and out of the building he hadn't noticed before.
The voices Jake heard became steadily louder as he climbed the stairs leading to the spacious balcony on the roof. Upon reaching the balcony, his saw everyone chatting away while watching the sunset. Jake froze in awe of the sight. The dull red and golden globe slowly sank toward the open sea, clearly visible from the high vantage point of the precipice of the balcony. The light danced off of the waves, and everything was tinged with red, like the dull glow of heated iron.
"Now I must be dreaming," Jake mumbled aloud.
Su, who was chasing Tama-chan around, stopped when she noticed Jake standing slack-jawed at the apex of the stairs. Her eyes brightened and she yelled, "He's awake!" Everyone else turned their heads in Jake's direction, and he smiled weakly and waved to them.
"So this is where you guys were. No wonder," Jake trailed off. Keitaro waved Jake over, and he sheepishly joined them, trying his best to avoid Kitsune if at all possible. Even though it was simply a dream, it had left an impression on him.
Tama-chan flew in front of Jake's view.
"We were starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up," Naru said.
"We almost had Kei-kun check to see if you were still alive," Mutsumi added.
Jake chuckled flippantly, replying, "Yeah. Interestingly, I thought I slept a lot longer than I really did. I guess I was just really exhausted." Jake glanced nervously at Kitsune, who was staring blankly into the horizon. Jake followed her eyes and watched as the lower tip of the sun dipped into the ocean's water.
"This is amazing," Jake said. "We get some awesome sunsets in the States, but nothing like this. Is it always like this?"
Keitaro replied, "Yes, but they're only this nice around this time of year. We basically made it a point to come up here every afternoon and watch the sunset." Jake nodded as a pall of revered silence fell over the group as they all watched the sun finish its descent.
Finally, the sun completed its journey over the skies of Japan, leaving a soft red glow in the skies to the west. Shinobu broke the silence. "It's getting a bit chilly, so I'm gonna go back inside now. I left a plate of food for you in the oven from dinner, Jake."
Jake smiled at her and replied, "Oh, thanks a lot!" Shinobu returned his smile, and left. After she was out of earshot, Jake said, "She's a real sweetheart, isn't she?"
Motoko, silent until now, took exception to Jake's comment. "She's still in high school you pervert. Don't get any funny ideas!"
Jake cowered, but rebounded, "Hey, I was just making a comment. I've no interest in her."
Motoko's venomous tone continued, "You had better not. Or else I'll remove your…extremities." With an evil grin, Motoko spun around followed Shinobu back inside.
"Geez, tell me she's not always like that." Jake asked, relaxing a bit.
Naru sighed deeply and shrugged. "She was the same way with Keitaro when he first got here. She must have a problem with men, or something."
"Great," Jake garbled under his breath.
Keitaro tried lifting Jake's spirits. "Hey, it's alright. She'll warm up to you eventually."
Mutsumi giggled, "Kei-kun, you've been manager here for two years now and she still hasn't exactly warmed up to you, either."
Keitaro chuckled nervously and Jake's shoulders slumped. Keitaro slapped Jake on the back and stated, "Don't worry." Come inside and I'll give you the tenant profiles and chore list." Jake nodded and followed Keitaro back towards the stairwell.
Halfway to the stairs, Tama-chan swooped down and froze from within 2 inches of Jake's face, greeting him with her usual 'miyu' sound. Jake shrieked and backpedaled furiously, pointing at the hovering turtle and screaming, "What the hell is that?"
Keitaro laughed and plucked Tama-chan from the air. He brought her over to Jake and introduced her, "This is Tama-chan. She's a flying turtle."
Tama raised her front leg/wing in greeting. "Miyu!"
Jake cowered away and countered, "Since when do turtles fly? Are there flying pigs in Japan too?"
Mutsumi chuckled and tickled under the turtle's chin, saying, "Of course not. Tama-chan is special." Jake chuckled hesitantly and corrected his comical posture.
Jake reached out to rub Tama-chan's head. "So is she a nice turtle?" Immediately after posing the question, Tama-chan gave the answer herself, reaching out and chomping down on Jake's exposed index finger. Jake screeched in pain, yanking his hand back and clutching it in agony. Su responded to the malicious action by jumping at Keitaro, aiming to grab Tama-chan from him. Tama-chan saw her coming and pulled away from Keitaro's grasp, causing Su to slam into Keitaro, knocking them both down.
Su defiantly yelled, "I'll get you yet, you evil turtle," and ran back downstairs.
Naru and Mutsumi sat back, laughing at the hilarity that just ensued, as both Keitaro and Jake recovered from their blows. "Gah, even the turtle doesn't like me," Jake spluttered.
Mutsumi approached Jake, getting a little too close for his own comfort, saying with a grin, "I like you."
Blood flooded Jake's face and Naru prodded Mutsumi away from Jake, saying uneasily, "She likes everybody. Don't listen to her," and pushing Mutsumi against her will to the stairwell and down into the complex.
Keitaro told Jake, "I guess we better get back in then." Jake nodded and stepped toward the stairs.
As they reached the stairs, Jake looked back to see Kitsune still staring at the fading horizon. "What's with her?" Jake quietly posed.
Keitaro shrugged, whispering, "We don't know. She's been like that every time we are up here lately. It's not like her at all."
Jake mulled it over for a moment, considering trying to talk to her. But with the strange dream he had still on his mind, he felt more than a little uncomfortable with trying to approach her.
Jake harrumphed and stepped down the stairs with Keitaro, leaving Kitsune alone on the balcony. She continued to stare out into the horizon as a cold, stiff breeze blew around her. A lone teardrop fell from her face, splashing onto the floor of the veranda.
The next few days passed without much incident. Keitaro showed Jake the ropes and he took to it like a fish to water. Jake did his best to perform his duties and be as transparent as possible to avoid creating any more friction than necessary. Thankfully, he was able to do the vast majority of his chores while the tenants were out of the building. Keitaro, Naru and Mutsumi were in class most of the day at Tokyo University. Su and Shinobu were at their high school. Kitsune, though technically not a tenant, was usually around during the evening hours chatting with the others after closing the teashop. Motoko, on the other hand, was in the building most of the time, either locked in her room studying, or on the roof practicing her kendo. Jake avoided her as much as possible. This turned out to be a chore in itself, as it seemed Motoko constantly went back and forth from her room to the kitchen, the bathroom, or the roof.
Jake usually spent his evening hours watching the sunset with the others, and then either chumming with Keitaro while the girls bathed in the hot spring or getting in his exercise. Kitsune was usually last to leave the roof after the sun had set, unusually quiet the whole time. Since none of the other tenants made a fuss about it, at least as far as he knew, Jake concluded it was either no big deal or none of his business. Either way, he usually retired to his room to read or listen to music when the ladies got out of the hot spring.
Occasionally one of the tenants would come up and ask him do to something, such as change a light bulb or some other mundane task. This left him feeling a bit like a butler or a warden, but he understood that as long as he had a roof over his head, he couldn't complain. His tryouts were in three weeks, so his perception was that this was a very temporary thing. Keitaro was already interviewing potential permanent replacements. Today, however, his perception would begin to change.
The day started off like any other, with Jake waking up around four-thirty for a morning jog. He found the run through the chilled morning fog relaxing to the mind yet invigorating for the body. As he returned to the inn, he noticed some lights were on as he jogged up the stairs. "That's interesting. Everyone's usually still asleep right now," he thought as he broke into a dash up the final flights of stairs. Jake saw the top of the stairway approach and leaped up the stairs four to five at a time. At last, he reached the top of the stairs and collapsed to his knees, gasping feverishly for breath.
After several minutes, Jake recovered enough to stand and enter the building. He plodded up the stairs to the second floor and went to his room to grab a towel to dry the sweat dripping from his body. His ears perked as he heard a commotion from the roof area and he immediately rushed out of his room to investigate. The whooping and hollering of the girls met his ears as he climbed the stairs to the roof. He looked over to see what they were cheering about and he saw Keitaro and Motoko locked in a furious dance macabre of parries and ripostes with training kendos.
Jake moved to stand behind the seated audience, his mind recalling his vigorous training with Keitaro and Seta in the U.S. during their stay there. Seta was a fine swordsman and an even better instructor in the ways of kendo. Within a matter of weeks, Keitaro had changed from a puny ninety-eight-pound weakling into a seasoned warrior. Jake, with his own extensive martial arts background, relished training with Seta and Keitaro. Keitaro, despite not having any formal self-defense training, proved himself to be a true talent, capable of besting Jake and nearly defeating Seta in their last duel before they left America.
Jake shifted his weight, observing the battle from behind the seated crowd with his arms folded over his chest. Half the tenants seemed to be rooting for Keitaro while the other half supported Motoko. Shinobu, normally reserved and docile, was cheering enthusiastically for Keitaro, belting out words of encouragement. The sight and sound of the small girl so eagerly supporting Keitaro brought a chuckle to Jake. Even Kitsune turned out to watch the battle. She seemed to be back to her normal self, not cheering for either contestant, but berating them for their inability to score a clean hit.
Turning his attention back to the combatants, Jake noticed the combatants' speed increase. Their motions began to blur. Jake closed his eyes as the volume of the cheering section swelled with the pace of the combat. Jake opened his eyes and focused his trained eyes back onto the fight. The world around him seemed to slow down: the voices of the observers faded to silence, and the battle slowed dramatically.
The first thing Jake noticed was the intensity of the fight. Both Motoko and Keitaro had their eyes locked onto each other and were both gritting their teeth and snarling with each swing of their weapons. Next, he noticed how physically fit Motoko was. Although she was dueling a male who was in decent, if not excellent shape, she was holding her own, her movements as graceful as a dancer. Her lithe body twisted and bent to achieve superior position with each attack and counter-attack.
Something was amiss, however. Though the contest was fast and furious, it seemed Keitaro was holding back somewhat. Motoko's strikes were not as fast as would be necessary to stand a chance of piercing Keitaro's tight defense. Jake also noticed several openings in Motoko's defenses that Keitaro either failed to capitalize on or chose to ignore. "He must be ignoring them. He's not THAT stupid," Jake thought inwardly. Suddenly, the combat broke as both battlers jumped back into a neutral corner. Both were panting, but it seemed to Jake that Motoko was laboring significantly more than Keitaro.
Unexpectedly, Keitaro raised his sword over his head and charged Motoko. "What the hell is he thinking? He's wide open," Jake wondered disbelievingly. Motoko, caught off guard momentarily by Keitaro's sudden berserk offensive strategy, quickly recovered. When Keitaro reached her, she easily sidestepped his overhand swing and smacked Keitaro heartily in the back, knocking him face first onto the hardwood. With one brisk movement, Motoko promptly mounted Keitaro and thrust her kendo into the left side of his back.
Keitaro grimaced in pain and quickly relented, "Alright, alright. You got me again. Mercy." Motoko, still panting, flashed a haughty grin and said, "That's eleven now, Urashima. You're getting soft." She tapped her kendo on his back, accepting his defeat, and greeted the now applauding audience. They showered praises on Motoko for defeating Keitaro for the eleventh consecutive time as she walked toward the stairwell. Jake feigned astonishment and commended Motoko as she passed. Motoko cast a cold glance in his direction before turning away, ignoring his praise.
After the others filed down into the building, Jake stepped over to Keitaro, offering an arm to help him rise. As Keitaro rose, Jake asked, "You threw that match, didn't you?"
Keitaro looked at Jake as if he'd grown a second head, hastily replying, "What are you talking about? Of course not!"
Jake folded his arms over his chest and leaned his head toward Keitaro, "Come on, Keitaro. You may be able to fool those novices, but I know your abilities. You could have taken her out easily. Hell, you could have done it blindfolded! Why?"
Keitaro hanged his head for a moment before saying, "Was it that obvious?"
Jake nodded at Keitaro before asking, "How often are you two sparring? How many times has she 'beaten' you?"
Keitaro chuckled defensively before saying, "We spar once or twice a week, whenever Motoko-chan doesn't have massive studying to do and I don't have classes that day. And, uh, it's been eleven times in a row now."
Jake snapped back, "Eleven?"
Keitaro jumped at Jake's surprisingly loud response. "SHHH! Keep it down! Promise not to say anything to anyone, especially Motoko-chan?"
"But why?" Jake asked. "Why not beat her? With the way she acts and treats both you and I, she deserves it."
Keitaro sighed deeply before responding. "You don't understand. Did you know she's studying for the entrance exam for Tokyo University?"
Jake shook his head, replying, "Well, I know she's studying, but I didn't know it was for Tokyo University. I try to avoid her as much as possible. I can't stand the derisive way she looks at me,"
"Well," Keitaro began, "she recently took her entrance exams there and failed pretty badly. She's very serious and self-conscious about her intelligence, so she was very depressed for a while. I found the only time she's happy is when she's practicing kendo or sparring. After a month or so, we all talked her into taking the exams again this spring. She needs to focus on her studies, and she has been, but her kendo skills have dulled. She couldn't take it if she realized how rusty she's gotten. She would quit on reaching Toudai, and I'm not about to let that happen. Her getting accepted there is more important to me than my own pride. I hope you understand."
Jake shook his head. "I can't say I do. You care so much about someone that treats you and your friend like they are the scum of the earth. How do you do it?"
"Just give her some time, Jake," Keitaro said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you knew her like I do, you would understand."
Jake pondered this turn of events for a moment. "Okay, I'll stay quiet, but you need to realize she's going to find out sooner or later. And the later she finds out, the harder she's going to take it."
"I know, I know," Keitaro replied. Jake chuckled to Keitaro's puzzlement. "What is it?" Keitaro asked.
"You're a better man than me, Keitaro. I'd have probably just whipped her ass for being so cold," Jake said between laughs.
Keitaro laughed out loud and asked, "Do you think I haven't considered it?" This drew a hearty laugh from both young men. Keitaro got serious for a moment, "She's a great girl, Jake. You just need to get past her defense mechanisms."
Jake nodded, "I hope so. I can't stand running around this place trying to get away from her anymore, and it's only been a few days. It's way too uncomfortable for me."
From inside, Su screamed out, "Jake, Keitaro, breakfast!" Heeding the call to another delicious meal cooked by Shinobu, the men of Hinata Inn ended their conversation and left the deck area, Keitaro's kendo stick still lying in the middle.
Author's Note: Hope you are all enjoying the story so far. Hard to tell since I'm not getting many reviews. As long as not many people say this story is complete crap I'll keep updating, so stay tuned.