Art Attack
By Lord Raa
Disclaim-me-do: It's just a pint of ice cream.
Chapter 4
Over the next couple of days, things seemed to be going well for Kitsune and her newfound, though currently clandestine, role at the Hinata Sou.
Shinobu was glad to have someone helping her. Sure, Kitsune wasn't exactly thrilled to be peeling vegetables or washing rice, but it did mean that meal preparation times were reduced and Kitsune's help was more practical than Kaolla's.
The princess often tried to spice things up if Shinobu wasn't keeping an eye on her. Not to mention the attempts to include bananas in every meal.
As part of Kitsune's domestic training, she was being taken grocery shopping. It was a new experience for her. She was used to shopping for clothes and booze, sure, but it was different when you're looking for freshness in fruit, vegetables and fish.
Out of the corner of her eye, the ash-blonde caught a glimpse of someone who looked like a taller, older version of Motoko catching a bus.
Shinobu calling out to her stopped her from following up.
"Kitsune-sempai, over here!"
'Weird, though I suppose that it could be Motoko's sister…' Kitsune mused. "Coming, Shinobu-chan."
The doorbell to the Hinata Sou rang, causing Motoko Aoyama to take a detour from her original plan to get a drink from the kitchen.
Normally, Keitaro would have answered the door, however he felt that he'd been neglecting both his studies and part time job over the last few days and asked not to be disturbed for the next few hours.
When the young Aoyama opened the door, she was greeted by the unexpected sight of her sister, Tsuruko standing there.
"Aneue! Motoko squeaked loudly, beads of sweat forming on her brow. "What brings you here?"
"It's you, strangely enough, Motoko-han. Mother was concerned about your letters," the elder sister explained.
"M-my letters?"
"Yes, you see, a while ago, your letters were filled with angry comments about your new landlord, Keitaro Urashima. However, in your last three letters, you haven't mentioned him at all," Tsuruko explained. "Mother has asked me to investigate."
"Investigate?" Motoko asked, confused by her sister's comments.
"Yes, she was worried that you'd accidentally killed Urashima-san."
"KILLED? No, it's nothing like that at all! In fact…" the younger sister swallowed nervously. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the man in question. "In fact, I'm engaged to Keitaro."
Tsuruko's face remained neutral. "Engaged? And when were you going to tell your family about this important news?"
"I… it's a recent thing," Motoko lied.
"And what sort of person is Keitaro Urashima? What makes him worthy of you?"
"He's… well, he's a kind-hearted person and he's studying to get into Toudai. Not to mention that he's got not one but two jobs. He's going to inherit the Inn one day."
"He sounds interesting, when can I meet him?"
"I… I'll get him now," Motoko said as she walked to Keitaro's room. "Keitaro!" she called out when she knocked on the door.
There was no reply.
"Oh, it seems that he's not in his room. I'm sure that he'll be back soon."
Then the front door was closed. When the time for someone announcing their return had elapsed, it became immediately clear that someone had planned to sneak out, only for the door to slip out of their hands.
"Ah…" Motoko winced.
"Indeed," Tsuruko replied neutrally. "If I wasn't so open-minded, I might assume that Keitaro-san is avoiding you."
"We don't know that was Keitaro," the younger sister insisted. "It could have been Mitsune-sempai, or Naru-sempai."
"Like I said, I'm open-minded, Motoko-han." The elder sister scanned the corridor for signs that people were still in the building. There were none.
Tsuruko thought back to the information Motoko had given them about the various relationships of her friends. She recalled that Keitaro was related to the person who ran the teahouse on the way up the hill.
"I'm a little thirsty."
"Oh, I'll make some tea, Aneue."
"Oh no, I don't want to be a bother, Motoko-han, I'll just visit the teashop I passed on the way."
Haruka looked up to see her cousin slump into a seat by the counter.
"Something up, Keitaro?"
"You could say that," the ronin sighed.
The smoker winced. She poured Keitaro a cup of coffee. "Want to tell me about it?"
"Yeah, but I don't know where to begin."
"The start is usually a good place," Haruka deadpanned. "You should know that all good stories start at the beginning by now."
Keitaro chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose so." He took a sip of the coffee to wet his lips, but before he could start, someone else walked into the teashop.
"One moment, Keitaro," Haruka said. "Can I help you, Madam?"
"I would like some tea please," the woman replied. "And some information, if it's at all possible."
"What kind of information?" Haruka asked, as she prepared a cup and a pot for tea.
"I'm interested in know about my sister's fiancé, Keitaro Urashima," the long-haired woman answered. "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm Tsuruko Aoyama. Motoko Aoyama is my younger sister."
Haruka cast a glance at Keitaro as Tsuruko rose up from her bow. Keitaro was many things, but not the sort of person to keep a long term relationship secret.
Especially since he had been willing to marry Kitsune just three days earlier.
Keitaro sighed. "Why do people keep putting me in this position? Don't I have any say about my life?"
"So you are Keitaro Urashima?" the kendoist asked.
"At your service," the ronin answered with a somewhat sarcastic tone of voice.
Tsuruko appraised the dejected looking man sitting at the counter. "Is there something going on between you and my sister that I don't know about?"
"No, she's my tenant and I'm her landlord. That's it," Keitaro shrugged.
"Then why would she say that you're engaged?"
"Ask her."
Haruka felt angry at another of her friends. Kitsune's ploy was half-expected; she hated work at the best of times. But Motoko was different.
She never expected Motoko to lie about a relationship with a man, let alone one she'd voiced her disapproval of so often.
After a moment, the anger turned to disappointment. Haruka sighed and poured some hot water into the teapot. "So what happens now, Aoyama-san?"
"I don't know, I was asked by my mother to investigate the change in Motoko-han's letters," Tsuruko explained. "After Urashima-san here took over the running of the dormitory, my sister was rather upset."
"I'll say," Keitaro muttered.
"She wrote some unkind things in the letters she sent home, but recently, there's been no mention of you in them. Mother was concerned that there had been an incident."
"You mean that she might have killed Keitaro," Haruka said, her expression turning stony.
"Yes, but when I arrived and mentioned this to Motoko-han, she said that it was just the opposite and that she was engaged to Urashima-san here," Tsuruko continued. "The only reason I can think of for her to lie like that would be she's under the impression that I'm here to take her home to Kyoto."
The elder Urashima reached for a cigarette. "And are you?"
"Not at this time, no," the visiting Aoyama replied. "May I ask why you don't seem too enamoured with the idea of marrying my sister, Urashima-san?"
"Long story," Keitaro said, not looking up from his coffee. He drained the cup and turned to get a good look at Tsuruko. "A few days ago, I was treated like I didn't matter, like I was just a solution to a problem. I would have helped this person because they asked me to, but the details were all lies. I still helped her because she's my friend and what else am I going to do? But it hurt me that she felt she had to lie to me like that.
"And now Motoko just expects me to drop everything and lie to you. I don't feel like spending the rest of my life living a lie, I'm sorry. It's bad enough having to keep my part time job under wraps without faking a relationship."
Tsuruko felt angry at her sister for forcing someone into such a position. If their relationship had been genuine, then it would have been fine. Tsuruko would have given her mother the good news and she would have shared her sister's joy.
"No, Urashima-san, I am the one who is sorry."
"Please don't be too hard on Motoko – I've just had a rough couple of days. If this had happened three weeks ago, I wouldn't have felt like this," Keitaro insisted. "It's just bad timing."
"But you still would have been forced into this lie," Tsuruko countered.
"She's my friend, what else am I going to do if not help her?" the ronin shrugged.
Haruka sighed. Keitaro was just too kind-hearted for his own good. She knew that if one of the girls needed a vital organ, her cousin would have been first in the queue to donate it.
The spinster had often wondered what it would have been like if Keitaro had been more self-centred, but aside from probably already getting into Toudai and maybe having a more successful career as an artist, there weren't any other upsides that she could see.
As bizarre as it seems, she knew she wouldn't have felt the way she did if he wasn't him.
"I don't know what to say, Urashima-san," Tsuruko said quietly. "I thank you for your honesty and your graciousness. I can't help but feel that you would have made a good husband for my sister."
"Perhaps," Haruka shrugged. "But I guess we'll never know now, will we?"
"I guess not," the swordswoman said as she sipped her tea.
"I'm getting a feeling of déjà vu all over again, but now what do we do?" Keitaro asked. "Today's mishap aside, Motoko is my friend and I don't want to see her hurt."
"You could tell your mother the truth," the smoker suggested. "Motoko hasn't killed Keitaro; in fact now that she's gotten to know him better, she likes him. You've met him and you think he'd be a good match for Motoko, but they're not ready for an engagement."
Tsuruko looked up at Haruka in awe. "Thank you, Urashima-san. You've helped everyone to save face; I am in your debt."
"No problem. It seems all we Urashimas do these days is solve people's problems."
"Perhaps, but I feel that I should repay your help. If I might be permitted to stay for the night, I will take the two of you out tonight for a meal," Tsuruko said, her tone suggesting that this was a debt that would be repaid, and soon.
"I don't know if any of the spare rooms are ready, but if you don't mind sharing with Motoko, I'm sure that it'd be fine," Haruka said. "Right, Keitaro?"
"Yes, of course," the ronin nodded.
"Very well, then I shall prepare myself for this evening. Shall we meet at up at the Inn for seven?"
"Works for me, Aoyama-san" Keitaro replied.
"Same here," Haruka nodded.
"Please, call me 'Tsuruko'," the swordswoman insisted. "I think it would be appropriate for us all to be on first name terms."
Motoko opened the front door to the Hinata Sou for the second time that day. When she saw her sister on the other side of the door, she swallowed nervously.
"A-Aneue…"
"We need to talk, Motoko. In private where no-one can hear us."
"I… we can talk in my room," Motoko said, shrinking away from her sister's glare.
"Good," Tsuruko said tersely. "Lead the way."
The short walk to Motoko's room was silent, carefully calculated to unsettle the younger sister. When the pair arrived, Tsuruko closed the door.
"Motoko-han, I've just spoken with Keitaro-san."
"O-oh?"
"Yes, and you're not engaged. In fact you're not in any sort of romantic relationship. You lied to me, and that hurts."
"I thought you were going to make me come home to Kyoto!" Motoko blurted out.
"I should do just that, given how you've behaved," Tsuruko said, her glare seemingly refusing to soften. "But while he might not be your fiancé, he certainly still cares enough about you to help you save face."
"H-he did?"
"Yes, he did. And to repay them, I'm going to take them out for a meal this evening."
"Y-you're staying the night?" the younger sister asked, unsure of what she should say.
"Yes, I shall be staying here tonight, Motoko-han."
"W-what time will we be going out?"
"We? You're not going anywhere tonight, Motoko-han," Tsuruko explained with a glare. "Keitaro-san is a good person, Motoko-han. Perhaps you should reconsider how you treat him."
"What do you mean?" Motoko asked, a cold lump forming in the pit of her stomach.
"Keitaro-san told me that had certain events not happened recently, he would have gotten engaged to you to help you out. Whether your feelings for him were true or not."
"He would have?"
"Yes. He would have. But that's a discussion for another time," Tsuruko smiled. "Now, it's time for some training."
When the clock struck seven in the evening, Tsuruko stood by the main entrance, dressed in a blue kimono with a golden floral pattern.
Her hair was tied up in a simple ponytail, and but she clearly felt nervous about something.
Keitaro walked up to her, dressed in a smart shirt and black trousers. "Is something wrong, Aoyama-san?"
"Please, I asked you call me 'Tsuruko'," the swordswoman smiled. "We are friends, are we not?"
"Of course, but… you seem rather nervous about something."
"I'm currently unarmed," Tsuruko explained.
"Oh. I don't know what to say to that," Keitaro admitted.
"I don't think I'll need a weapon tonight, Keitaro-san, but it's rare for me not to carry my blade."
Haruka opened the door and stepped inside. She was wearing a black dress that showed that she was a full grown woman. "I see that we're all ready to go."
"We are indeed," Tsuruko confirmed. "I've booked a table at Amaterasu's Garden."
"W-what? I can't eat there!" Keitaro spluttered. "It's too expensive! I'm not properly dressed! I'm too clumsy and low class for that sort of restaurant!"
"Keitaro," Haruka snapped. "We're going to Amaterasu's Garden. We're not discussing it."
"But… look at me – I'm not wearing a suit!
"Don't worry about a thing, Keitaro-san," the kimono-clad woman smiled reassuringly. "I've got friends at the restaurant. The manager owes me a few favours and I'm just calling one in."
"Oh? Are you some sort of fixer, Tsuruko-san?" the smoker asked with a teasing smirk.
"Not quite, though I did introduce him to his wife. But that's not important right now. What is important is that we get going, our table is booked for a quarter to eight."
"But… ok, but if they don't let me in, don't say I didn't warn you," the ronin shrugged before putting his shoes on.
Keitaro couldn't help but notice the disapproving looks he was getting from the people queuing up to get into Amaterasu's Garden.
He was dressed smartly but casually. However, compared to the collection of expensive suits and elegant gowns, he couldn't help but feel like a member of the unwashed masses.
The ronin's cheeks burned brightly as he felt the scorn radiating from the other patrons. He turned to Tsuruko. "I shouldn't be here."
"It's fine, Keitaro-san," the kendoist smiled as they walked to the front of the queue. "Reservation for Tsuruko Aoyama, table for three," she said to the maître d'.
The black suited man looked at his list and saw the note the manager had put by Tsuruko's name. "Good evening, Aoyama-sama. Welcome to Amaterasu's Garden, please step inside."
Haruka was impressed with the clout that the Aoyama name seemed to have, though she was a little concerned about how Keitaro was underdressed for the occasion.
As they stepped inside, a man in a tuxedo appeared and greeted them, starting with Tsuruko.
"Tsuruko-san, it's good to see you!" he beamed.
"Likewise, Koji-san, likewise," Tsuruko smiled back. "These are my friends, Haruka Urashima and Keitaro Urashima."
"Urashima-san, Urashima-san," Koji bowed politely. "Please, follow me to your table"
Keitaro was beginning to panic at the situation. Haruka and Tsuruko deserved this level of respect, but not him.
He was a third year ronin with a stupid childhood dream – why would he deserve such treatment?
Compare that with Tsuruko Aoyama, clearly a woman who'd been brought up properly and had influence and Haruka.
Haruka was… well, Keitaro didn't know how to put it, but he knew that Haruka was a special person to him. She'd always been kind and helpful to him, even when he'd screwed up massively.
She'd even forgiven him for the time he'd accidentally touched her breasts!
How could two people like them want to spend time in a restaurant like Amaterasu's Garden with the likes of him?
Tsuruko explained that she was here to get to know Keitaro better.
"Oh, I see," Koji said, appraising the young man in question. "I must confess that if he wasn't with you, Tsuruko-san, he wouldn't be allowed inside dressed like that."
"I know, and I appreciate your help with this evening, Koji-san. By the way, how is Kasumi these days?"
"Five months pregnant with our first child," the manager smiled happily.
"That's excellent news," the swordswoman replied, clapping her hands together.
"Congratulations," Haruka added.
"Yes, congratulations," Keitaro smiled.
"Thank you," Koji smiled, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Unfortunately, Tsuruko-san, we're a little too busy for me to spend time catching up with you tonight. However, I can recommend the prawn ceviche for a starter."
"Oh, that sounds interesting," the ronin said as he was handed a menu.
"I'll give you a few minutes to decide what you want to order. Would you like anything to drink?"
"If we're having seafood, then I think I'll have a white wine," Haruka replied. "Something dry."
"Certainly, Madam, Tsuruko-san?"
"The same, but make it a Pinot Grigio," the swordswoman decided.
"We've just had a delivery of an excellent vintage," Koji added. "And what would you like, sir?"
Keitaro looked around. He knew that he was awkward at the best of times, let alone when he'd had something to drink. "Just mineral water for me, thank you."
"Very well, I'll send your drinks to you shortly."
"Not drinking, Keitaro-san?" Tsuruko asked.
"I don't want to risk making an even bigger fool out of myself than I already have," the ronin explained.
"I suppose you do have a point, Keitaro," Haruka conceded. To her it seemed a shame not to indulge if someone else was picking up the tab. Though, that might have been Kitsune's bad habits rubbing off on her. She turned back to face Tsuruko. "So then, Tsuruko-san, tell us about yourself."
The kendoist sat up straight in her seat and began to explain the training that she and her sister had gone through at the dojo.
A waiter arrived with the drinks and set them out before disappearing to attend to another matter.
Haruka sipped her wine. "Nice."
"Indeed," Tsuruko agreed after sampling her glass. "So then, Keitaro-san, please tell me about yourself."
"Me? Well, there's not much to say really. I mean, I'm studying to get into Toudai, I'm running the Hinata Sou, though I didn't know it'd been turned into an all-girls dormitory. It used to be an inn, you see. Oh, and I occasionally do some part time writing and drawing."
"Prestige aside, is there any reason why you chose Toudai for your further education?"
"It's silly…" Keitaro trailed off, feeling rather embarrassed.
"Please, I realise that it's not very easy for you, but my sister had her reasons for what she did earlier today and I want to know why she would change her opinion of you from 'a filthy degenerate' to someone who she could turn to for help," the swordswoman said.
"I made a promise when I was a kid. I… we promised a girl that we'd get into Toudai together."
"That's not silly, that's sweet," Tsuruko smiled.
"Yeah, but I can't remember anything about the girl I made the promise with," Keitaro admitted. "I also failed the entrance exam twice…"
"It's not the act of failing that defines a person: it's what they do after they've failed," the kendoist said wisely. "Do they pick themselves up and try again? Do they just lie down and die? You have picked yourself up and tried again. I like that in a man."
While Keitaro couldn't help but feel boosted by Tsuruko's comments, Haruka took a more critical view of them. To her, there was more to the metaphorical arm around the shoulders than met the eye.
Keitaro excused himself and Haruka took this opportunity to question Tsuruko.
"So Tsuruko-san, what's with all these questions? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're sizing Keitaro up for wedding ring."
Tsuruko met the smoker's gaze. "I suppose that it could seem that way. I can't deny that I see some of my late husband's qualities in Keitaro-san; I suppose that's why I wouldn't mind Motoko-han and Keitaro getting together."
"Late husband?" asked the smoker.
"He died of meningitis three years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Haruka said sympathetically.
"Thank you…" Tsuruko trailed off as Keitaro returned.
"Is something wrong?" the ronin asked picking up that something had been brought up.
"No, I was just thinking about the past," the widow answered.
Keitaro didn't know what to say to that, so he let it drift past him. "So, why did Motoko come to stay at the Inn, Tsuruko-san? I don't mean to sound horrible, but she made you out to be some sort of tyrant."
"Younger siblings often have exaggerated views of their elders. But she didn't get along with my husband. Now that I think about it, it may explain why she didn't like Keitaro-san at first."
At the Hinata Sou, Naru Narusegawa was looking for Keitaro. She had wanted to go over some of the homework she'd been set with him, as he'd recently covered the same work in his cram school.
The brunette walked into the TV room and looked around.
"Is something up, Naru-sempai?" Motoko asked, looking up from the TV.
"Where's Keitaro?"
"He's gone out, why?"
"I wanted to ask him about some homework. Wait, gone out? Where?" Naru asked. "He doesn't normally go out midweek."
"He's with my sister," Motoko admitted.
"Why is he out with your sister? They on a date or something?"
"No, Haruka-san's with them. It's… My sister just wanted to talk to them, that's all," said the kendoist.
"Hmm…" Naru wasn't sure what to make of that. From what Motoko had said about her sister, there was no chance of Keitaro getting away with any of his usual antics. Certainly not with all of his body parts intact, at any rate.
But why would Motoko's sister want to talk with Keitaro and Haruka? What would they talk about?
Naru's keen mind went over the facts and decided that there was only one conclusion: Keitaro was being interviewed for an arranged marriage to Motoko.
"M-Motoko-chan, is everything alright between you and Keitaro?"
"Yes, why do you ask, Naru-sempai?"
Naru sat down next to Motoko, hoping to keep what she was about to say as secret as she could. "I… I think that your sister is interviewing Keitaro. I get this horrible feeling that she's trying to get you two engaged."
Motoko laughed nervously. "W-what makes you say that?"
"Well, why else would she want to talk to Keitaro and Haruka unless she's laying the foundations for an omiai? It makes perfect sense."
"It does?"
"Yes," the brunette insisted. "You're going to be forced into a marriage with Keitaro to satisfy family honour."
"But why would my sister expect me to marry Keitaro?" Motoko asked. "Our families don't have any real connection, so it's not like we'd be ending a multi generational feud or cementing political power."
"Oh… but the only other reason that I can think of is that your sister and Haruka-san are planning to murder Keitaro and dispose of the body."
"Aneue isn't carrying any weapons, Naru-sempai."
"That just helps with her alibi," Naru countered. "Think about it, her sword is here, right, so there's no chance it could be linked to Keitaro's death."
Motoko shook her head. "Have you been watching Kitsune-sempai's soap operas again? What would my sister gain from killing Keitaro?"
"I don't know, but Haruka-san would be next in line to inherit the dormitory, so maybe they agreed to split the proceeds of its sale?"
The kendoist laughed in disbelief. "Do you really think that Haruka-san would let anyone murder Keitaro? She might hit him when he calls her 'aunt', but murder? No, my sister and Haruka-san aren't planning to murder Keitaro."
"Then why are they out together?" Naru asked.
"Perhaps my sister just wants to get to know Haruka-san better?" Motoko suggested. She yawned. "I'm sorry, I'm just really tired. My sister insisted that we trained earlier, and it was a bit more vigorous than I was expected."
"Ok, but there's something going on here. I can feel it."
Back at the restaurant, Keitaro was still visibly tense. Haruka smiled at him to help reassure him.
"Relax, Keitaro, short of there being a ninja attack, it's going to be fine."
"I know, but everyone's looking at me and it's making me nervous."
"Would it make you more comfortable if we left?" the smoker asked.
"I… Well… it's not that I don't like it here, but I don't fit in. If I'd known in advance that we were coming here, I would have dressed more formally," the ronin replied. He let out a sigh. "I'm very sorry, Tsuruko-san."
"But our starters haven't arrived yet," the swordswoman said, a slight frown on her face. "And I worked up a hunger training with Motoko-han earlier."
There was a pause before Tsuruko continued. "I'm sorry, I'm being selfish. I wanted to apologise to you both for my sister."
"It's alright, Tsuruko-san," Keitaro smiled reassuringly as the starters arrived. He took a sniff of his prawn ceviche. "I'll endure this hardship for the sake of your feelings."
Tsuruko laughed. "Keitaro-san, I can see why my sister's attitude towards you has softened. You're quite the charmer."
"I… I guess it's something of a gift?" the bespectacled Urashima asked, clearly on unfamiliar ground.
Haruka also let out a chuckle. "It is Keitaro. Now, how about we all share the burden of this hardship?"
A short while later, after the trio had selected the dish of the day, poached salmon with pickled vegetables and rice, they were starting to feel a lot more relaxed. Tsuruko was glad that Keitaro had finally loosened up and started get into the spirit of the evening.
Haruka was also glad that things were improving. She glanced at her wineglass: it had been refilled while she wasn't looking. Tsuruko's had, too.
'At least Keitaro is keeping to water; I dread to think how much the bill would come to if all three of us were drinking.'
"So, Tsuruko-san, does your husband mind that you've taken another man to dinner?" Keitaro asked with a teasing smile.
Haruka's face fell. 'Oh shit, Keitaro.'
Tsuruko's expression turned sad and she turned her attention to her wineglass.
The colour drained from the ronin's face as he realised that he'd blundered. "What? Oh, you stupid, stupid idiot, Keitaro," he muttered. "I'm ever so sorry, Tsuruko-san, I didn't know…"
"It's alright, Keitaro-san, you weren't here when I told Haruka-san. My husband passed away three years ago."
"I'm sorry, Tsuruko-san, I just assumed that someone as beautiful as you would be married."
Tsuruko cast a glance at Keitaro. She could see that his words were genuine. She picked up her wineglass and took a sip, savouring the taste of the dry white wine. "There's that charm of yours again, Keitaro-san. It's a heady mixture of honesty, flattery and humility. I think I like it."
Keitaro was just glad that he hadn't offended Tsuruko. He let out a relieved sigh.
Haruka, who'd been silently observing the situation, was curious as to what Tsuruko thought about Keitaro. Tsuruko had seen his willingness to help people he cared about, even if it meant that he'd have to marry someone; seen his slightly goofy, yet generally positive outlook on life and now, she'd seen him have a faux pas.
Though luckily, it'd been a verbal one rather than him ending up with his face in her lap or his hands inside her kimono.
Keitaro excused himself and the smoker looked at Tsuruko. "I'm sorry, Tsuruko-san. Motoko never really talked about your family, so we didn't know. Keitaro's normally good about not saying the wrong thing."
"I understand, Haruka-san. Keitaro's not the malicious type, it's just… well, it's been three years since Akira died. I've been feeling lonely and now I think I'm ready for another relationship. However, I'm hardly a prime candidate: a widowed Christmas Cake? Please, even if I wasn't 30, I focused on the sword, rather than the kitchen knife."
"And what about Keitaro? Where does he fit into tonight?"
"After getting to know him, I can't say that I'm not glad that my sister isn't in a relationship with him," the swordswoman admitted, her cheeks acquiring a pink tinge.
"I see," Haruka said before draining her own glass. "You're not planning to use him to get out of any trouble, are you?"
"No," Tsuruko answered truthfully.
"Good," Haruka smiled as Keitaro returned. "Everything alright, Keitaro?"
"Yes, I'm sorry, Tsuruko-san, I didn't mean to cause any offence or distress."
"It's alright, Keitaro. And now, our main courses have arrived."
Kitsune was tired. She'd spent most of the day with Shinobu. The morning and early afternoon had been taken up with learning the finer points of food shopping, and the rest of the afternoon and early evening was the discussion of recipes and techniques.
The alcohol-loving girl hadn't had to learn this much practical knowledge in some time!
Having brought the lessons to a close, she was in the mood for some fun. A quick check of her finances had ruled out a trip to the liquor store, and she was still a little hesitant to press Keitaro for a few drinks. This left her in the unfortunate situation of needing to find cheap, alcohol-free fun.
"Actually, where is Keitaro?" she pondered aloud. She hadn't seen her landlord since just after breakfast.
Deciding that it was time to unwind, Kitsune left to find her friends. Sauntering down the hallway, the short-haired girl noticed that Naru and Motoko were talking.
"Hey you two," she called out. "Have any of you seen Keitaro lately?"
"Keitaro is out at the moment," Naru answered, a concerned look on her face.
"Oh? Is something wrong?"
"No, he's… well…" the auburn-haired girl trailed off as she tried to express her concerns to her best friend.
Motoko sighed tiredly. "Keitaro is out having dinner with my sister and Haruka-san."
"Keitaro's on a date with two women? My, my," Kitsune teased, knowing full well what effect her words would have on her two friends. "I guess that three's the magic number when it comes to Keitaro's bed…"
Naru scowled. She hadn't thought of it that way until now. Her scowl turned into a blush as her mind went over the logistics of such an encounter.
Motoko shook her head. Her sister was a widow, true, but the man Tsuruko had married had very little in common with Keitaro. "Even though my sister is single, I doubt that's why they're having dinner tonight, Mitsune-sempai."
"Do you know where they're eating?"
The kendoist paused for a moment as she yawned. "Amaterasu's Garden."
"Wait, what? Keitaro is taking a single woman out for dinner to Amaterasu's Garden? And you don't think that they're going to be 'getting close'? Motoko-chan, tell me you're not that naïve. Please, I have to believe that," the ash-blonde replied. "Do you know how expensive that place is?"
"No, but I'd imagine it's not cheap," Motoko answered. "Besides, Aneue selected it, not Keitaro. You know how his tastes run."
Kitsune remained silent for a moment. "If Keitaro isn't taking your sister out, then someone's apologising for something. Amaterasu's Garden makes le Héraut Culinaire look like a ramen stand!"
The swordswoman coughed, surprised by her friend's suggestion. It was the truth, but how could she admit to that? They'd all ask why her sister is treating Keitaro and Haruka to such a meal. Kitsune would show no mercy with her teasing if she found out that she'd lied about being engaged to Keitaro.
"You alright there, Motoko-chan?" asked Naru.
"Yes, just a little more tired than I thought. I think I'll get an early night," Motoko said, rising to her feet. "I shall see you both in the morning."
"Night," Kitsune nodded. When they were alone, she looked at Naru. "There is another explanation. For why Keitaro, Haruka-san and Tsuruko-san are out together, you know."
"Well, I thought that too," the Toudai-bound girl admitted. "The only thing I could see was that Haruka-san was planning to inherit the Inn instead of Keitaro and splitting the money with Tsuruko-san."
"How would they do that?"
"By removing Keitaro…"
The ash-blonde laughed. "Haruka-san killing Keitaro? Please, she cares too much about Keitaro to for that. Besides, if she asked Keitaro for something, he'd give it to her without hesitating."
"I suppose so," Naru conceded. There was a moment's silence between the two friends. "What were you thinking of?"
"Well, it's something along the lines of what you were thinking, only less death and more… you know; older single women, no hope of catching a man…"
Naru looked a little blank.
"I guess you don't know. Two women feel they can't get a man, so what they do is find someone else in their position, who understands how they feel…" Kitsune trailed off, hoping her friend would connect the dots. She sighed when Naru failed to pick up her subtle hint.
"For the love of… Basically, they become lesbians, Naru-chan. Geez, since when did you become this dense?"
To be continued…
Pre-read by Chi Vayne and previewed on various intertubes.
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