Art Attack
By Lord Raa
Disclaim-me-do: Unless you're eating a bowl of muesli, you shouldn't be mixing the grape and the grain.
Chapter 2
Naru was conflicted. On the one hand, she had to tell her friends what Keitaro was doing, but they would want to know where she got her proof.
And she couldn't just reveal that she had a collection of erotic literature, even if it was many times smaller than she suspected Keitaro's to be.
Not only that, it wasn't right for her to reveal Keitaro's secrets. Ignoring the uproar that would ensue, Haruka would be unhappy.
Haruka Urashima could be a scary woman if she wanted to be. There were stories about how she had fought off perverts on subway on the way home from a night out with Kitsune.
Of course, Kitsune's account had seemed wildly exaggerated, in that it included the use of firearms, but Haruka hadn't confirmed or denied that she carried a gun when she went out for an evening.
Deciding that she shouldn't write off the option of showing her friends, Naru decided to pack up the rest of her illicit materials and hid the anthology that contained Keitaro's work under her mattress before leaving her room for dinner.
Shinobu knew what she had to ask Keitaro for. "Keitaro-sempai, I…" she faltered, suddenly looking down at her meal.
"Is something wrong, Shinobu-chan?" the ronin asked.
"I… I need you to sign a permission slip for me," the chef said, blushing heavily. "T-there's a school trip going to Kobe soon, and I want to go. It's for a history project."
"I'm going on that trip too!" Kaolla Suu declared. "You have to let Shinobu come with me, Keitaro!"
"Of course you can go, Shinobu-chan. I'll sign the form after dinner."
"When is this trip, Shinobu-chan?" Naru asked.
"It's two weeks on Wednesday," the youngest resident answered. "I've been trying to ask one of my parents since last week, but I couldn't get hold of them…"
"Don't worry about that, Shinobu-chan, you can go," Keitaro said with a sincere smile.
"Shinobu-chan, do you think it would be ok if I came with you to Kobe?" Naru asked. "I want to go shopping there, but I always felt that I didn't really have a good enough reason to go on my own…"
"Of course, Naru-sempai!" Shinobu nodded happily. "What about you, Motoko-sempai? Would you like to come with us? And you Kitsune-sempai?"
"I'd love to come with you, Shinobu-chan, but unfortunately, I've got some work to do," the ash-blonde replied with an apologetic look on her face.
It was true that Kitsune had to do some work; however, the more pressing reason for her to decline the offer was the poor state of her finances.
If she couldn't submit an article soon, things could become awkward with the rent situation.
"I too would like to come with you, Shinobu-chan," Motoko said. "Let me know what the travel arrangements are and I'll tag along, if that's alright with you?"
"Of course it'll be fine," Shinobu smiled. "What about you, Keitaro-sempai?"
"Unfortunately, I'm in the same boat as Kitsune, I'm too busy."
"Don't worry, Keitaro, I'll get you a souvenir," Kaolla beamed. "I'll get you one, too, Kitsune."
"If you insist on buying me a present, then I couldn't possibly turn down the gift of a bottle of sake…" the short-haired girl said, not overtly demanding a bottle of alcohol, but certainly not being subtle about what she wanted.
It was enough to cause Naru to roll her eyes, though she didn't say anything.
Keitaro's evening was not going well.
His homework had already been completed to a satisfactory standard; it was his other work that was causing him trouble.
Despite having the time and the motivation to write something new for his employer, inspiration was stubbornly refusing to come to him.
He wasn't sure if it writer's block, as he wasn't at an impasse with a particular story. It was more the case of him struggling to come up with the story concept itself.
Keitaro looked around his room, hoping to get some inspiration, anything to help spark off a new story.
He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. 'I got nothing left. I want to write, I love to write, but writing doesn't always love you back. It's like creative writing's a tsundere.'
"A tsundere... maybe that's the key?" the ronin pondered aloud as he started to look at his sketch pad.
He scribbled down a few notes before leaving to use the toilet.
Five minutes later, Keitaro returned in time to caution Naru about sneaking into his room.
"Naru-chan, is something wrong?"
"No, I… was just wondering if you wanted a drink," the auburn haired girl said nervously.
"I'm fine thank you, Naru-chan. I'm a bit tired, so I think I'll turn in early tonight. See you tomorrow," Keitaro smiled.
"Yes, see you tomorrow."
The following morning, Kitsune looked glumly as she digested the news she'd received from a co-worker.
There had been some restructuring at the publishers and they were terminating the generous freelance contracts that had been negotiated during the economic boom years. Gone were the days of 20 yen per word articles about frivolous nonsense like the rise in cat ownership versus the decline in dog ownership.
Instead the new contracts included details like a minimum of two articles to be submitted per month and at a rate of 10 yen per word with no guarantee of publication.
Sure, Mitsune could regularly crank out a 10,000 word article on life for a modern single girl in Japan, but that seemed far too much like hard work to her.
"Kitsune-sempai," a gentle voice called out. "You've got some mail."
"Oh, thank you, Shinobu-chan," the ash-blonde smiled as she walked over to her friend and took her message. She looked at it hesitantly for a moment, noting that it had come from her publishing company before leaving for her room.
Upon closing the door, Kitsune opened the envelope.
'Miss Mitsune Konno,
As you may be aware, the recent economic situation has been a challenging one. We have tried to maintain our current staff levels for as long as possible in the hopes of a sustained economic recovery.
Unfortunately, all official forecasts suggest that we will have to restructure certain departments to maintain commercial viability throughout these challenging times and one of the areas earmarked for restructuring is that of the freelance writers.
We appreciate all of your hard work and effort over the time of your employment with us, but we are unable to continue with your current terms of employment.'
"Crap, it's true," Kitsune muttered. "They're cutting the rate for articles."
She read on.
'Our records show that you have not submitted an article for publishing for some time. Unfortunately, that has led to the decision to terminate your contract with immediate effect.
We wish all the best for the future in all your endeavours.
Regards,
Tetsuo Yamadera
Sesukechiwan Publishing'
"What? How can they do that to me?" Kitsune demanded from the empty room. "Don't they know how much rent I owe?"
The short-haired young woman flung herself onto her bed and let out a depressed sigh. "If I don't get some money together soon, Keitaro's going to kick me out, I just know it."
Mitsune mentally ran through all the times she'd managed to distract Keitaro from his rent collection over the past few months. Sometimes it was a genuine inquiry about his freelance artwork, others it was with a little flash of flesh.
Occasionally, when things looked really bad, she caused trouble. A false claim here, a 'is that someone sneaking into your room?' there and Keitaro would scurry off to protect his beloved drawings or flee in order to avoid a beating from Naru or Motoko.
Looking out the window, a thought popped into her head. "Maybe Haruka-san can help me? And maybe she'll…"
As Kitsune's words trailed off, a blush appeared on her cheeks. "It's incredibly unlikely, but you never know…"
Haruka Urashima was sipping at her coffee when her best friend strolled in with a hopeful look on her face.
"I'm not in the mood for drinking right now, Kitsune," the smoker pre-empted.
"Oh? Isn't every day a great day for a drink?" Kitsune smiled back in response.
Haruka shook her head and placed her coffee on the countertop. "So, what brings you here, Kitsune?"
"I… I need some help," the ash-blonde answered. She looked around and confirmed that there was only the two of them in the tea house at the moment. "I'm in a spot of bother."
"How much?"
"What?"
"How much do you owe and to whom?" Haruka asked as she wrapped her fingers around the coffee mug. "Experience has taught me that with you, it's usually money, Kitsune."
Kitsune laughed nervously. "Well, the good news is it's not a yakuza loan shark or anything like that."
"That is good news," the older woman drawled. She sipped her coffee some more and place the cup down. "And the bad news?"
"I kinda owe three months' rent."
Haruka gently tapped her fingers on the countertop. "You owe Keitaro three months' rent? Are you going to tell me why you haven't paid the rent for three months? You are aware that many landlords would have thrown you out after the first month, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah, but I can explain – I haven't been inspired to write anything lately and that's kinda the other part of my problem," the short-haired woman admitted.
"Go on," the older woman gestured as she drank more of her coffee.
"I've been let go," Kitsune said as she handed the letter she'd received to Haruka.
Haruka scanned through the letter and handed it back. "You have my sympathy, and I don't mean the kind where you point and laugh. But what do you want me to do? I'm not hiring anyone right now, and I can't fire someone so you can replace them."
"You have to help me, Haruka-san," Kitsune pleaded. "I can't go back to my family."
"I don't remember there being any bad feelings between you and your family, Kitsune," Haruka said.
"There aren't, but it's…" the ash-blonde took a deep breath and continued. "Here, I've got so much freedom: I can stay out 'til whenever I want without answering to my parents; I can wear what I like without people judging me.
"Not only that, but I get the feeling that they'd be slightly disappointed in me – I mean, they think I left home to make it in the big city. If I come home with all my stuff, they're going to think I failed miserably. Plus, they don't have the space for all my things."
"Ok, so you can't go home," Haruka conceded. "You can't stay here – there's only one bed. And I sleep in it."
"It'd only be for a short while…" Kitsune shrugged. She turned to Haruka and playfully fluttered her eyes at her. "Besides, I thought we were close enough to share certain things…"
"I don't swing that way," the smoker chided. Though her thoughts drifted back to the year she spent with Seta and Sara's mother. 'That singer got it wrong – it wasn't the summer of 69, it was more like the summer of threesomes…'
"Boo," Kitsune pouted. "So, what could I do?"
"Find some rich guy to marry," Haruka answered. "I'm sure you can find someone to appreciate your advances more than I ever did."
"Yeah, but where do I find someone who isn't sleazy and would take care of me?"
"I can think of one person," the smoker said with a dreamy look in her eye.
"Who?"
"Keitaro," Haruka said with a wistful sigh.
"Keitaro?" Kitsune repeated, missing her friend's reaction to the name. "Ok, sure, you're family and you're going to portray him in a positive light, but what makes you think that Keitaro's such a great catch?"
"You obviously haven't had a massage from him. Or tasted his double-choc mint cookies," the smoker replied.
The short-haired woman pondered her friend's words. "Keitaro's got kitchen skills?"
"Of course he does, his parents wanted him to take over their bakery," Haruka reminded.
"And since when do you let people touch you? You must have soft spot for Keitaro, is it here?" Kitsune grinned as she reached over to grab her friend's breasts.
Thwack.
"Ow…" the would-be groper whimpered as she rubbed the top of her head where Haruka's paper fan had appeared from nowhere and struck her.
"I'm particular about who touches me, Kitsune, you know that. Being pawed like that makes me feel uncomfortable," Haruka chided. "Besides, what makes you think that you're a prize? You're unemployed, you're in debt and you don't have any domestic skills."
"I've got these," Kitsune countered, drawing attention to her breasts. "They're even bigger than yours, Haruka-san."
"It takes more than large breasts to sustain a relationship, Kitsune. So unless you're willing to move from freelance journalism to compensated dating, your options are limited."
Kitsune blinked. She knew that her friend had long been a realist, but this was an unsettling change of tone. It was almost defeatist.
"Is everything alright, Haruka-san?"
"I… I'm tired, that's all, Kitsune," Haruka said before finishing her coffee. "I haven't slept well for the past few nights and it's catching up with me."
"Sounds like you need a massage," the short-haired girl winked playfully. She rubbed her hands together. "I don't have a great deal of experience, but I'm willing to learn how to rub you up the right way."
Haruka cast withering look at her friend. "Are you always this 'hands-on' with the girls at the Inn?"
"No, not always…"
Haruka pulled out a cigarette. "Look, we're friends, and I like you a lot, but I'm just not interested in that kind of relationship, Kitsune."
"It doesn't have to be a relationship, Haruka-san, just an encounter or two…" Kitsune countered. "You shouldn't knock it until you've tried it."
"What makes you think that I haven't?"
"You've slept with another girl?" the sake-loving girl's posture changed. "Who? When? And do I know them?"
Haruka chuckled. "I've said too much already. How do you want to deal with the rent situation with Keitaro? Do you want to speak with him first or do you want me to handle it?"
"I don't know what to do."
The older woman stretched. "It should be you who deals with this, but I can't see Keitaro throwing you out into the street. Unless you've left him in a room with a weird alien pod..."
"I think we're all out of alien pods," Kitsune replied. "But how do I tell him that 'I can't pay the rent arrears because I just lost my job. Also, let's get engaged so I don't have to pay them!'?"
"You don't," Haruka answered. "You have to tell Keitaro the truth, but it's how you shade the truth that's the important thing. But before we continue along this path, there's one thing you should know: if you hurt Keitaro, people far more vicious than I will find you."
"How vicious are these people?"
The smoker let out a wry grin. "It'd be best to focus on treating Keitaro properly."
"O-ok," Kitsune nodded, clearly unsettled by the idea that there was someone more protective of Keitaro than Haruka. "So, what version of the truth do I tell Keitaro?"
"How far are you willing to go to stay living at the Inn and not have to pay the back-rent?"
"I don't know," the ash-blonde shrugged. "What are you planning, Haruka-san?"
"Tell Keitaro that you need to get married to him as soon as possible."
The door opened and Keitaro entered the teashop. "Hi, Au- err, Haruka-san. Kitsune, can I talk to you?"
"I'm kinda busy at the moment," Kitsune replied, knowing full well what Keitaro wanted to talk to her about.
Keitaro sighed. "Sorry, but I've been going over the records, and I need to talk to you about the rent."
"Kitsune can't pay because she's being blackmailed," Haruka lied effortlessly. 'I hate lying to Keitaro. It's not fair, damn it. You better appreciate this, Kitsune!'
"B-blackmail? C-can't you go to the police?"
"No, they threatened to…" Kitsune trailed off, hoping that Keitaro would draw his own conclusions.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Keitaro asked.
"Well," Haruka said, looking around the teashop. She was about to continue when a customer walked. "We'll talk about it tonight, ok? I'll be over at 9."
"Ok," the bespectacled Urashima nodded. "I'll do what I can to help, I promise."
During the early evening, Haruka looked over the notes she'd taken and wondered if this scheme to save her friend's skin was worth it.
Kitsune was her best friend, and if it was anyone else, then it'd be no contest.
However the other person in this scheme was Keitaro.
For as long as she'd known him, Haruka had always cared for Keitaro. Their relationship had started out similar to that of an older sibling looking out for an annoying little brother, but when Keitaro had learned how to do things for himself, he'd bust a gut to help people.
It was most endearing, and the smoker had wondered what it would have been like if their ages had been closer together. Would she have been more forward with her affections, like Kanako?
Would Keitaro have attempted to seduce her?
Haruka let out a sigh as another possibility entered her head. "Perhaps Keitaro and I wouldn't have gotten along at all?"
Shaking her head to clear it of the silly notion, she looked over the notes again. "I still don't see how Kitsune getting married to Keitaro is going to stop any 'blackmail'."
Haruka frowned at the empty state of her coffee cup and left to make a fresh brew. As she stood waiting for the machine to finish its cycle, the thought of having someone to look after; and in turn be looked after her gained in appeal.
'If only…' "Wait, that's it!"
Returning to her seat with the fresh coffee, Haruka started to scribble down notes as to the best way to get Kitsune out of the hole she'd dug herself into.
At a quarter to nine, Haruka knocked onto the door to Kitsune's room.
"Come in," the tired voice called out.
"Perk up, Kitsune, your best friend has just saved your bacon."
"You have?" the ash-blonde asked. "How?"
"You were trying to get some better working hours when you upset the wrong person at the company and they've made your office life a living hell. Everyone whispered things and you tried to ignore them. Three months ago, you tried to make peace, but the price was too high," Haruka explained. "You're not the kind of girl who sleeps with just anyone."
"Ok, I'm with you so far. And then what?"
"After some fear and intimidation, you decided that you couldn't face going back to the office to submit your work, and you can't tell HR what happened. Since you haven't been working for them, they've had to let you go. You can show Keitaro the letter you were sent."
Kitsune nodded. "This is good stuff, Haruka-san. Why don't you try writing short stories yourself?"
"Because I don't have the time, Kitsune; besides which, I already got this from a story. Now, here's the tricky bit. You need to convince Keitaro that because you're in such a delicate emotional state, you need the stability of a formal relationship" Haruka said solemnly.
"Are you sure Keitaro would go for this?" the sake-loving girl asked. "It does seem rather far-fetched and Keitaro's got a soft heart, not a soft head."
"How well can you sell the despair of having to sell your body on the street to pay for drugs?"
"Whoa, this is getting pretty dark here, Haruka-san," Kitsune countered. "Are you sure about this?"
"No, but what choice do we have?" Haruka countered.
There was a knock on the door. "Kitsune, Haruka-san, are you in there?"
"Come in, Keitaro," Kitsune called out.
Keitaro opened the door and closed it behind him. "Is there anything I can do to help either of you?"
"Yes," Haruka nodded. "For the moment, just sit there and be understanding."
Nodding, the young man took a seat in front of the bed and looked intently at his tenant.
Kitsune took a deep breath and began to spin a web of lies, embellishments and half-truths based up the facts she could show and the scenario Haruka had outlined.
After ten minutes, Keitaro was visibly concerned for the short-haired young woman. "I-is there anything I can do to help? I mean, I can't really offer you a paying job, Kitsune, but I'll do whatever I can to help you."
"I… all this change has made me…" Kitsune sniffed. "I need something I can rely on… Someone who's there for me and isn't going to get rid of me because I can't pay my way…"
The bespectacled Urashima welled up. "Kitsune… I will take care of you. From now until I die, I promise to do whatever I can to keep you safe and happy."
"Keitaro…" the ash-blonde sighed. She didn't want to manipulate Keitaro, but Haruka's plan was working like a charm and she couldn't see any other solution.
Haruka had remained silent throughout the exchange, her feelings carefully hidden. Despite keeping her feelings towards Keitaro a secret for so long, she didn't want to endanger her friend.
'Damn, now I know how Kitsune felt whenever she moved aside for Naru…'
Keitaro turned to his cousin. "Haruka-san, is something wrong?"
"… I… it's hard to explain, Keitaro. Some other time, we're dealing with Kitsune now."
"Oh, ok, but if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me. I'll even make cookies."
"Does that mean I get some cookies?" Kitsune wondered aloud. When she realised she'd caught everyone's attention, she looked rather apologetic. "Heheh…"
"Some other time, Kitsune," Haruka decided. "It's too late to be making things in the kitchen tonight. But I don't think a massage is out of the question. For both of us…"
"A-are you sure?" Keitaro asked, swallowing nervously. The last time he'd massaged Haruka, his hands had brushed up against her breasts. That memory had sustained him through many long, lonely nights.
At least it had until he realised that Haruka would be disgusted with him for his behaviour. 'I'm sure that Haruka-san wouldn't like me touching her there.'
"Yeah, Haruka-san seems to think that you've got magic hands, Keitaro," Kitsune purred.
Keitaro blushed, unsure of what to say or do next. He turned to Haruka for anything that might help him out.
The conflicted look on his cousin's face made his stomach clench.
'Is this a game? How much trouble is Kitsune in?' the ronin wondered. He swallowed to help calm his nerves. "Ok, but I'm a little out of practice."
Kitsune winked playfully before sitting down on the floor in front of Keitaro and rolling her shoulders twice.
Hesitantly, the bespectacled Urashima reached out and put his trembling hands on the ash-blonde's shoulders. Slowly, he started to rub the neck muscles.
When Keitaro gradually gained confidence that he was doing the right thing and continued with his task, Kitsune shifted slightly as she said, "Down a bit Keitaro."
"O-ok," the ronin said as he worked on what felt like a particularly tense area.
"Oooohh…" the voluptuous girl moaned softly.
Haruka managed to refrain from shaking her head. She knew that it was part teasing Keitaro and part Kitsune genuinely enjoying the massage. She couldn't help the feelings of envy; there hadn't been someone to look after her like that for some time.
The smoker thought back to the last time she'd had a massage. Keitaro had been the one to help ease her tension by giving her a back rub. A smile appeared on her face as she remembered the accident that had happened when Keitaro had been distracted.
It had only been accidental contact, but Keitaro's gentle fingers had brushed up against the sides of her breasts. For a brief moment, Haruka had wondered if Keitaro was taking the initiative and making a move for her.
But then she realised that he wasn't and now, in a strange twist of fate, had left her in a similar situation to where she found herself now.
Again, it was clear that Keitaro wanted to help, but Haruka found herself unable to tell him what she wanted the most. How could she?
How do you tell someone you want a relationship with them? Even if they weren't cousins, Haruka felt that she was too old to ever find someone to have a meaningful relationship with; Keitaro was entering the prime of his life, she was now a Christmas cake.
She'd wasted too much time waiting for Seta to get his act together
"Stupid archaeologist idiot with his obsession with turtle worshiping dead people…" the smoker muttered angrily.
Keitaro turned to Haruka. "Is everything alright, Haruka?"
"It's nothing, Keitaro. I'm just tired, that's all. If you'll excuse me, I'll be going home now."
"Ok," the ronin nodded. "Err, Kitsune, I think we should stop there. We'll talk about this tomorrow, ok?"
"Ok, Keitaro," Kitsune said. She turned around and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Keitaro."
When Haruka stood up to leave, Keitaro also jumped to his feet. "Err, Haruka-san, can I walk you home?"
Haruka felt her heat skip a beat at that request, but her cynicism quickly crushed her hope that Keitaro wanted to go back to her place for some fun. 'Why do I keep having these silly thoughts about Keitaro?' "Sure."
The Urashimas walked down the hill to the Hinata Teahouse in silence, their footsteps rapidly synchronising as both of them pondered what to say to the other.
Three quarters of the way down, Keitaro finally gathered the courage to speak.
"Haruka, Kitsune's situation; is it as bad as she says?" he asked.
"Why do you ask?"
"Some of the things she said don't quite add up."
"Oh?" Haruka replied.
"Y-yeah, I mean, I'm not calling her a liar or anything, and I get that someone might think that she's… you know," Keitaro said, fumbling over his words. "But do you really think that she'd let people treat her like that? I'd have helped her if she'd asked me – we all would have, but isn't it a little strange that it's suddenly now that she needs _my_ help?"
The smoker winced slightly. "It's… Let's get inside before we talk about this."
The ronin nodded and followed his cousin to the nearest door to the Teahouse.
When they were inside, Haruka locked the door before preparing a couple of drinks.
Keitaro noticed that they were alcoholic and that there were two cups. "Is something wrong, Haruka?"
"Sit down, Keitaro and I'll explain," the elder Urashima sighed. She took a sip from her sake.
Keitaro saw this and realised something was wrong. "It's not as bad as she said, is it?"
"No," the smoker replied. "She might have embellished a few details, but she does really need your help."
The ronin sighed. "Why does everything have to be dressed up and hidden with Kitsune? Of course I'll help her, but I need to know the truth. What is the situation and what help does she need?"
"Promise me you won't tell anyone," Haruka said solemnly.
"I promise," Keitaro replied, "I won't tell anyone what you're about to tell me."
"Ok. Kitsune hasn't had a paycheque for the last three months and the publishers have just let her go. The plot against her is just a lie to get you to help her."
"Damn it! Why does everyone have to try and manipulate me?"
Haruka killed her drink. "T-there's something else you need to know, Keitaro."
"What's that?"
"Kitsune came to me for help earlier and I helped her with her story to get you to help her out."
"Y-you too, Aunt Haruka?" Keitaro demanded, his frustration causing his slip.
Haruka looked at her empty cup. "I didn't want to hurt you, Keitaro," she said before refilling it.
"Ok, so now what do we do? Should I tell Kitsune that I know the truth? Should I pretend that I don't know any better?" the ronin asked before knocking back his sake. "I ask because it sounds like you and Kitsune have this whole thing worked out. Yet another person has plans for me!"
"It's not like that, Keitaro!"
"Oh? Then what is it like?"
"I… I'm sorry, Keitaro. I… Kitsune's my friend, right? I don't want to see her kicked out into the street," Haruka said. "But I don't want to see you end up broken hearted or alone, like me."
Keitaro blinked. He hadn't thought about Haruka's situation before. She had more friends than he did – the girls at the Inn weren't really his friends, not like Shirai and Haitani. Not to mention that they were better friends than his two schoolmates. He doubted that they'd do anything like this to save him or each other.
"Y-you're alone?"
"Keitaro, the last time a man touched me in an erogenous zone who wasn't a doctor was you when you gave me a back massage."
The ronin's face fell. "I… that was an accident! My fingers slipped! I didn't mean to touch your boobs!"
"I know, Keitaro, I know," Haruka sighed. "I've been alone for a long time now, and I don't want you to have to go through that."
"You really think that Kitsune and I would be a good match? That is why you suggested that I go out with her to solve her problem, right?"
"Yeah. But you can't tell me that you'd hate getting frisky with her. I hear all sorts, you know."
Keitaro laughed nervously. "Ok. So how do I help Kitsune without blabbing her secrets to the others? They're going to want to know why we're suddenly getting together like this. The only thing that springs to mind is…"
"A baby," Haruka finished. "They're going to notice that something's wrong when Kitsune doesn't start showing in a couple of months. Of course, if you were to get Kitsune pregnant, then the cover story would fit. Hell, it'd be the truth!"
"A nice idea, Haruka, but there's a slight problem – I know that Kitsune doesn't feel anything for me. Well, certainly not enough for her to want to spend the rest of her life with me," the younger Urashima countered.
"Perhaps you're being overly hard on yourself, Keitaro? Remember, I hear things."
"Perhaps. Anyway, it's getting late and I'm tired. We'll work some more of this out in the morning," Keitaro said, standing up. "Good night, Haruka. See you tomorrow."
"Night, Keitaro."
To be continued…
Pre-read by Chi Vayne, previewed on various intertubes.
Stalk me on Twitter LordRaa for dull, infrequent updates.