A/N: As I struggle with my Ai Yori Aoshi story, I ironically have some fun ideas for this one. Shinobu will finally get her date, but will she get her man? Please take time to enjoy and please let me know what you think, okay?
Disclaimer: See chapter 1. This scenario is mine, the mangaverse and the characters are not. If they were, Naru would be in an insane asylum.
My Turn
Chapter 4: The Perfect Date?
On the Sunday morning of Keitaro and Shinobu's date, the Hinata-sou thrummed with an unusual energy as the blue-haired domestic sped through her chores at a pace that would have impressed Kaolla Su. 'After today, there will be no question who Keitaro's girlfriend is. I cannot fail. Everything is planned out perfectly. I followed Haruka-san's advice to the letter, and just in case things go just right, I'm wearing my nicest lingerie.' Chuckling as she thought these things, the tiny chef hurried onto her next task.
Her date, on the other hand, was having a crisis of conscience and confidence. He tormented himself, thinking, 'Is it really okay for me to try to find love? Will the other girls return to their ugly ways if Shinobu and I start seriously dating? Will I ever be over Naru enough to be fair to Shinobu or any other girl?' That was crux of his worry. The young archeologist still loved his ex-girlfriend. There was no way in hell that he would ever consider getting back together with her, but his heart yet ached for her. It was time for tea.
"Well, you were chasing her for four years, Kei-bozu*, did you really think that you would be over her in a week?" Haruka asked sarcastically as she served him a lovely Darjeeling. "Seta and I broke up years ago, and I still can feel his arms around me at times. Take your time and don't rush into a relationship because you will be doing the next girl a disservice. Shinobu is perfect for you. She is sweet, loving, kind, gentle, and above all, she loves you more than herself. The only other girl remotely close to those qualities is Mutsumi and you would have to expend so much energy looking after her with those fainting spells that dating would become impossible."
Keitaro started, "Mutsumi likes me too? I really could have been the harem king if I had some self-confidence. Thanks for the tea and the advice, Aunt Haruka," he finished, dodging the big fan that she always managed to produce from Kami-knows-where to hit him anytime he slipped and called her "Aunt."
"When did you learn to duck, Kei-bozu?" She asked loudly. Keitaro just smiled at his aunt/cousin and began walking back to the inn. She grinned as well and remarked to herself, "He just might be starting to get some common sense. I hope that he's not too patient and Shinobu not too anxious. That would be disastrous, wouldn't it, Granny?"
"Can't get anything by you, can I Haruka?"Urashima Hina chuckled. "I may have messed up in pushing Keitaro and Naru together, but Shinobu would make some lovely great-grandchildren for me, wouldn't she?" Her adopted daughter nodded in agreement and the two continued to chat over tea.
Shinobu was in her room, going through her clothes for the hundredth time, asking herself aloud, "What will have the maximum effect on Kei-kun?"
Just then Kaolla popped up through the floor. "What are ya doing, Shinobu?" The Molmolian princess began looking through her best friend's clothes. Suddenly, she yelled, "I get it! You're looking for something to wear for Big Brother!"
"Yes I am," the petite chef answered quietly. "I need something that will knock Sempai's socks off. No offense, but I don't want to give another girl a chance at him."
The hyperactive inventor looked thoughtfully through the pile, and pulled out a simple, but elegant sundress. "This will show that you've developed some curves. You want Keitaros to see you as a woman, right? This is lovely just like you, and it shows that you are interested without saying that you are desperate."
Shinobu examined the dress. She thought for a moment and hugged her best friend. "This is perfect," she said breathlessly. "Thank you, Kaolla."
"No problem, just remember, I only helped you because polygamy is legal in Molmol," the blonde replied impishly as she bounced out of Shinobu's room.
It took Shinobu a heartbeat to realize what her best friend had said and then she blushed as unwanted images of the three of them in bed popped into her mind. She shook her head, 'Now I'm letting that pervert Kaolla distract from focusing on my Kei-kun.' She quickly finished dressing and applying a light touch of makeup before heading downstairs to meet her date.
Meanwhile, Keitaro was choosing clothes himself. Painful memories of Naru's face when she saw what he had chosen to wear on their dates hit him as hard as one her patented Naru-punches. 'I should go with something different,' he thought suddenly. 'Shinobu will be taking this date seriously, so even if I cannot completely respond to her feelings yet, I better take it seriously too.' He chose a pair of tight blue jeans and a shirt from his boy band wannabe phase in high school. He also did something that he never did for his dates with Naru; exchanged his nerd glasses for the never-worn contacts that his parents bought him for graduating high school. He then brushed his hair like Kamenashi Kazuya from KAT-TUN.
Keitaro walked more calmly than he felt to Shinobu's room and knocked softly on the door, "Shinobu, are you ready?" As soon as those words were out of his mouth, the door opened.
Nearly swooning at the new, more stylish Keitaro, Shinobu controlled herself, replying, "Yes, I've been ready for this for four years. I get you all to myself for a whole day."
Keitaro smiled gently, "Shall we be off then? I'm not really up to facing the other girls."
Our heroine's face lit up like a lamp in a dark room, grabbing his arm, she quickly led him out of the Hinata-sou on their way to the train station. In their happy haze, they did not notice three pairs of eyes watching them from the stairs: two pairs were green with jealousy and the other pair were sad and resigned. 'Why couldn't he have dressed like that on our dates?' Naru asked herself wistfully, and then in a rare moment of honestly, she said aloud, "It probably wouldn't have mattered anyway. I still would have decked him if he tried to be affectionate. Kami, I really do need help."
Even though she was beyond happy, Shinobu knew that she needed to be on guard in case the others tried to crash her date. Keitaro, nervous about his first serious date with a girl not named Narusegawa Naru, was not quite sure what to do. Uncertainly, he asked, "What would you like to do first, Shinobu?"
She snapped out her reverie. Shinobu panicked for a moment, and then remembered her date plan. Grabbing her crush's hand, she led him to the station, "I'd like to go into to Tokyo, if that's alright with you, Sempai." He smiled gently and nodded.
The first stop when they arrived in Tokyo proper was the 109 in Shibuya. Shinobu had originally planned to get Keitaro some clothing that flattered him. His surprising wardrobe choice only served to inspire her to make him over some more. They spent an enjoyable hour trying on outfits with Shinobu buying Keitaro some tight leather pants that looked like something that she saw Yamashita Tomohisa (Yamapi) wear in a music video.
Keitaro insisted on buying his date a miniskirt, jacket, shirt, and boots that he saw an idol that he admired wear. "Shinobu, you look absolutely stunning," he managed. There was no mistaking it; the young domestic had matured into a desirable woman. As this thought entered his mind, he realized that he actually could see her as a possible romantic partner.
Dressed in their new clothes, the next stop was Jackson Hole restaurant for a Jackson Burger. Shinobu was a major fan of the anime, Nana, and she had wanted try one for herself. The combination of caramelized onions and the well-seasoned hamburger almost inspired her to imitate her favorite character Hachi and order a second sandwich.
While they ate, they talked about each of their childhoods. Keitaro learned that Shinobu's family had once been hereditary Imperial chefs. Shinobu heard stories about Haruka and the rest of Keitaro's family. She laughed when he told her how desperate Haruka was to have him call her "Aunt Haruka" after Granny had adopted her following the deaths of her parents. "You can't win with Haruka-san, can you, Sempai?" She asked rhetorically and they both laughed.
They talked about their dreams. Keitaro wanted to teach at Tokyo U. and make more Turtle Civilization discoveries. His teenaged date desired to own her own restaurant after attending the Cordon Bleu in Paris. Shinobu was not worried that their dreams might take them off different directions. She believed with everything that she was that her future was with Keitaro.
After paying Satou Koichi (Jackson Hole's bartender in Nana), the couple walked through Yoyogi Park, talking, flirting, and generally getting closer. Noticing that Keitaro was more relaxed than she had ever seen him made the violet-haired chef delirious with joy. 'I knew that I could make him happy!' She thought ecstatically.
For his part, the young archeologist was amazed how comfortable he was with Shinobu being by his side. He felt a sense of peace and security. He knew that Shinobu loved him. Of that there was no doubt in his mind. "This is what having a girlfriend is supposed to feel like, huh?" He asked himself, unaware that he was speaking aloud. He didn't realize his mistake until he saw the ecstatic tears in the aspiring chef's eyes and her hands clasped as if she were fervently praying. "Oh Kami, Shinobu, I didn't mean to say that out loud!"
The young woman reached up and gently touched her crush's face, "Don't be afraid of being happy with me, Kei-sempai. I will never hit you or insult you harshly. I want to be your girlfriend more than anything, even going to Le Cordon Bleu. I've waited four years for you to see me as a woman, and I am so happy right now that I can hardly contain myself."
"Kami, I want to kiss you right now, Shinobu, but I'm afraid that if I do, there will no going back and you will be incredibly hurt if you are just catching me on the rebound," Keitaro said seriously.
Moving her hand from Keitaro's face to the back of his head, she pulled him into a searing kiss. "Do you honestly believe that I just wanted to be your rebound girl? I will give my all to make it so you will never need anyone else," Shinobu finished before curling his toes with another passionate kiss. As they continued to kiss, she felt Keitaro kiss her even harder. 'I better stop or I will jump him right here in the middle of Yoyogi Park.' She gently placed her hands against his chest and said softly, "Keitaro, maybe we should go somewhere else. We are attracting an audience."
Embarrassed, Keitaro quickly separated from his date, who laced her fingers with his. He cleared his throat nervously and asked, "You are positive that you want to be my girlfriend, Shinobu?" She nodded without hesitating, causing him to smile, and he asked, "I never had a chance against you, did I?"
Shinobu was beaming, "I always knew that you were smart, Kei-sempai. You do realize that the others are going to be pissed off when we get back, don't you?"
"Yes, I do," Keitaro replied suppressing a shudder. His heart melted at the radiant joy reflecting from Shinobu's eyes. "I guess this means that we are going out, doesn't it?"
"Right again, Kei-sempai, I am yours and you are mine," the young chef replied cheekily. "Please take care of me from now on."
Taking her hand, Keitaro kissed it gently, "Likewise, please take care of me from now on." His new girlfriend threw her arms around his neck, bathing his face with kisses.
As they were walking back, arm in arm, to the Hinata-sou, they noticed a girl passed out at the bottom of the steps. As they approached, Keitaro noticed that Shinobu's eyes were no longer dancing with happiness. When he recognized the girl, he understood his girlfriend's apprehension. It was Otohime Mutsumi. He pretended not to hear Shinobu say, "Shit" under her breath. The other promise girl had arrived.
A/N: Sorry that it took so long to finish this chapter. I have no real excuse other than life is insane. I hope this was worth the wait. I am always seeking to improve my writing, so please advise what you liked, disliked, or what could have been better. Thanks for reading!
*Bozu- Brat