Love Hina – Peril
Fanfic by Steven Biggs
Chapter Seven – Re-Mergence
A re-write of the end of the chapter.
Thursday Night.
While Keitaro recuperates from his shock, the girls all meet in the common room. Maru sips her tea as Kitsune paces back and forth, grilling her.
"Ya'll know, I just don't like this one bit! It just aint right that ya'll would do this to poor Keitaro-san! You're planning some type of mischief and we won't let ya'll get away with it!"
Maru sets her glass on the table, closes her eyes, and concentrates. After the bright light dims, Naru, Motoko, and Moe sit next to each other on the couch. Naru looks at her friend.
"Kitsune, this is what Keitaro wants. And if I have to merge with Motoko and Moe to keep everyone happy, than that's a small price to pay!"
Motoko nods her head in agreement.
"Without this combining of selves, I would most likely lose in a direct contest with Naru-sempai. That is unacceptable. Also, my being victorious over her, where Urashima is concerned, is an outcome that I do not want. Her feelings for him are a match for my own, and I do not desire her sadness. I also am willing to pay this cost to provide happiness to him."
Kitsune looks back and forth between them.
"Do ya'll hear what you're saying? You mean to say that you're willing to give up yourselves forever just to be with Keitaro-san? Ya'll have completely gone around the bend!"
Naru jumps to her feet.
"Kitsune! What right do you have . . ."
Naru pauses her tirade as Motoko grabs her hand. Motoko stares at Kitsune.
"Naru-sempai, I believe that Konno-san is not actually concerned at our choice. She just appears to be venting her own frustrations. Konno-san, you desire Urashima also, or am I mistaken?"
Naru turns back to the resident fox.
"She's right. I should have seen this sooner! Kitsune, you're in love with Keitaro too!"
Kitsune stops pacing and looks at Naru. Tears in her eyes, she drops to her knees and covers her face.
"I, I never stood much of a chance against either of you. But combined, you take Keitaro-san outta my reach completely. I c-can't stand it."
Naru kneels on the floor and hugs her best friend.
"I'm so sorry, Kitsune. I never thought that you'd be interested in Keitaro. You're always pulling pranks and tricks on him."
Her shoulders trembling, Kitsune raises her face.
"I don't know any other way to get his attention! With you and Motoko around, he wouldn't give me the time of day unless I tricked it outta him!"
Motoko leans over and rests a hand on her shoulder.
"That is not true. Urashima cares for you also. But, consider his position. As he stated earlier, he could not chose between Naru-sempai, Moe, or myself. It is possible that he shares his heart secretly with another. He shows such compassion for all the residents here. Much more so than should be expected from a manager."
Kitsune pulls away from them and stands next to the table. Reaching down, she grabs a bottle of sake and takes a long drink.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
She suddenly spins around and grabs Naru's shoulders.
"Don't merge yourselves back into Maru! Please, don't do it Naru!"
Naru lowers her eyes and quietly whispers.
"I'm sorry, Kitsune. I want Keitaro, and I will return to being a part of Maru to have him."
Kitsune digs her fingers into Naru's shoulders.
"Then take me with ya'll! I'll do anything ya'll want, but please don't take Keitaro-san away from me forever!"
Naru shakes her head.
"I'm sorry, but we can't."
Moe looks up from her seat.
"It, it is possible. However, my strength is weak. I feel that I can only perform a merging once more. And after that, the power to separate will be gone. We will not be able to return to our separate selves."
Naru smiles and stands up.
"Then our problems are solved. Kitsune will join us and we all will have Keitaro."
Motoko nods her head.
"This shall be most entertaining for Urashima."
The fox shakes Motoko's hands.
"Ya'll won't regret this, I promise! Thank you, oh thank you all!"
Mutsumi raises her hand.
"Oh my! do you think there would be room in there for me too?"
Kitsune nods her head.
"Hey, we can't forget Keitaro-san's first kissing girl, now can we? Moe, can ya'll handle a couple extra passengers?"
Moe nods her head.
"Yes, it would not be a problem. In fact, the extra energy from a willing person will aid us in the transition. But, I must restate that there will be no coming back once it is done. You all must understand this."
Kitsune pours a glass of sake and raises it in a toast.
"I'm game if ya'll are. Here's to the new us!"
Mutsumi claps her hands.
"Oh my! Now I get Kei-kun and Narusegawa too! The three ronins will be together forever!"
Motoko smiles.
"This shall be most interesting. I am anxious to see how it turns out."
Naru turns to Moe.
"All right. Let's do it!"
Moe stands and motions for the girls to take each other's hands. Before they can start, a familiar sound interrupts them.
"Aaauuuuu!"
Naru turns to the resident cook.
"Shinobu, not you too!"
Shinobu violently nods her head, and falls dizzily onto the couch.
"I'll never let you have Sempai by yourselves! If you don't take me with you I'll, I'll . . ."
She jumps back to her feet and raises a frying pan.
"I'll do something really not nice!"
Kitsune tilts her head.
"But, ya'll are just a kid."
"I am not a kid anymore! I haven't worn those silly teddy-bear panties for a month now!"
Motoko crosses her arms.
"However, you do wear the ones with the strawberry pattern."
"Aaauuuuu! That's just a phase! I, I was planning to move to the solid pink ones soon!"
Naru sits on the couch.
"I think that we need to make some phone calls. Our parents deserve to know what we are doing, even though they won't be able to stop us."
The girls nod in agreement. As Naru moves towards the telephone, Su tugs on her arm.
"Do I gets my one phone call too?"
A few hours later, Keitaro sits up as he hears a knock on his door. In the dimly lit room, he picks up his glasses from the kotatsu table.
"Come in."
The door slides open. Keitaro's heart immediately starts beating faster, reacting to the aura of the woman standing in the doorway.
"M-maru!"
"Yes, my love. I have returned to you. I shall be by your side for all time."
As Maru gracefully walks into the room, Keitaro stands up and pulls the cord to turn up the lights. He freezes, one hand still gripping the cord, as Maru is revealed to him.
"You, you've changed! You're even more beautiful than before!"
As she smiles he looks at her, trying to determine just what has changed about her. Maru's hair and face are unchanged, but her eyes are slightly narrower. Keitaro immediately guesses the reason.
"K-Kitsune-san?"
"Ya'll got that right! Just think of it as a bonus prize!"
As she steps under the light, Keitaro notices the other change in her appearance.
"How did you get a tan? Either you went to a tanning booth or, or, oh my goddness!"
"Hokey cows! Ya sure is quick, Keitaro!"
Drawn to her loveliness like a moth to a flame, Keitaro walks over and wraps his arms around Maru. She shudders in his embrace and whispers in his ear.
"Aaauuuuu, Sempai!"
He holds her shoulders and looks into her eyes.
"Sh-shinobu-chan? You're in there too?"
"Oh my! He guessed right about her too!"
"M-m-mutsumi-san?"
Naru's voice rings out.
"The gang's all here!"
Keitaro steps back and scratches his head.
"Are all of you okay? Maybe I should call Hikari-san to check you out."
"That will not be necessary, Kei-Kei. We are all fine. The merger went extraordinarily well."
"H-h-h-hikari-san! Not you too!"
Maru smiles and reaches both hands to his shirt. Nimbly, she begins to undo the buttons.
"I must perform a checkup to ensure you are well. This must be a shock for you."
"But, but, but . . ."
Maru leans closer and licks his earlobe.
"Quiet please. Let the doctor do her job."
"Y-yes ma'am!"
Maru removes his shirt and then lifts his hands to her gi. Following her lead, he begins removing the garment.
Friday Morning
Keitaro sighs and looks into Maru's eyes.
"I guess that we should advertise for more residents. There are a lot of empty rooms available now."
"Yes, my love. But, be warned, I shall not have you chasing after the women that will come to live here."
Keitaro smiles at her.
"I keep telling you. I'm not a pervert."
Maru snuggles against him.
"I think that last night removed any doubt as to whether you are a pervert or not."
He kisses her cheek.
"Hey, I think that I may have just been insulted."
Maru purrs and nibbles his earlobe again. He strokes her hair.
"Is it really okay if we accept more residents?"
"Oh yes, oni-chan! Then you can keep your promise and let me run Hinata-sou with you!"
Keitaro blinks his eyes a few times and then jumps to his knees.
"K-k-kanako-chan? W-was th-that you?"
Maru sits up and lets the blanket slide off her shoulders. Demurely, she nods her head.
"Yes, oni-chan. I came as soon as I got a phone call from Narusegawa. I could not let an opportunity like this go by."
Keitaro scratches his head. After a few moments, he reaches out and hugs Maru.
"Oh, what the heck!"
After breakfast, Maru follows Keitaro down the steps and to the Tea Shop.
"Haruka-san will be able to send out the advertisement for new residents for us. And won't she be surprised to learn that all of you are now Maru?"
Maru stops at the door and shakes her head.
"Haruka is not in the Tea Shop."
Keitaro pulls on the door, only to find it locked.
"Huh, how did you know? Where is she?"
Maru smiles and points towards the street.
"Because she is just now coming here."
Haruka walks up to them and carefully looks at Maru.
"Something's different about you today, something's not quite right."
Keitaro shuffles his feet and scratches his head.
"Well, it's kind of a long story. You see, they all are in there now. Even Hikari-san and Kanako-chan."
Maru blushes as Haruka continues scrutinizing her.
"What concerns your, Haruka-san?"
"Don't tell me that you two did it last night."
Maru blushes deeper and places her hands to her cheeks.
"Oh my!"
Haruka taps her chin a few times and then lowers herself to the ground. She looks at Maru's feet for a few moments and then stands up.
"I thought so."
Keitaro stares at his aunt.
"What are you talking about?"
She looks at Keitaro.
"Maru isn't touching the ground, in case you haven't noticed."
He blinks a few times and then drops down to look at the gap under his lover's feet.
"Oh my god! You're right! But, how come she's floating?"
Haruka unlocks the door and motions them inside the tea Shop. While they stand inside, she goes to the counter and opens a box. Taking a rice cake from inside, Haruka tosses it up into the air. Maru's eyes track it and she flies up and intercepts the snack with her mouth.
"Mew!"
. . .
. . .
. . .
"T-t-t-tama-chan?"
Using Su's voice, Maru answers as she lands.
"Sorry Keitaro, but I forgots that she was strapped to my back last night when we combined. I was planning on a late night snack."
Suddenly, Motoko's voice rings out and Maru runs madly around the tables.
"TURTLE!"
Haruka grabs a pack of cigarettes from the shelf and ducks behind the counter.
"Oh brother."
Keitaro stares at Maru. Still shouting, her wild eyes turn to him.
"TURTLE!"
She grabs a chair and begins pounding him. When the chair breaks, she uses a table.
"TURTLE!"
The table shatters, unable to withstand being beaten against Keitaro's nearly indestructible body. Maru then pulls out her kendo stick and swings it blindly in the air.
"URASHIMA! HELP ME! TURTLE!"
He crawls behind the counter and looks at his aunt.
"Oh heck!"
Haruka blinks at him and starts to snicker.
"Haruka-san! This isn't funny!"
She falls to her side and covers her stomach as laughter rings out.
"Not f-funny? It's hilarious! Didn't I tell you before to be careful what you wish for at Hinata-sou?"
"Haruka-san! What am I gonna do?"
"Duck."
"What?"
Maru swings and the kendo stick crashes against Keitaro's head. He drops to the floor like a sack of wet rice.
"I told you to duck, but you never listen to me."
Haruka tosses the snack box over the counter, scattering rice cakes across the floor. Maru wavers for a moment, then leaps over and begins devouring the snacks. Keitaro rubs his head and peeks around the end of the counter.
"This is a disaster! What if she goes crazy when we're, uh, you know?"
"Don't worry. Hikari-san is a doctor. I'm sure that se can reconnect anything that Maru chops off."
Keitaro winces at the thought.
"Don't even joke about something like that, Haruka-san! I'm in a really bad spot right now because Maru is stuck like that! I've got to do something!"
Haruka adjusts her cigarette holder.
"I have a suggestion. Keep a lot of rice cakes handy."
"Haruka-san!"
She holds up her hands.
"Okay, okay! What can you do if she can't separate everyone again? It looks like we've got to get Motoko to accept Tama-chan."
"How are we going to help her get over her fear of turtles?"
Haruka opens a door under the counter and pulls out a box.
"I found this a few weeks ago. Maybe it can help."
Keitaro opens the box and lifts an object out.
"A turtle-suit? How will that help?"
"You should wear it all the time. That way, Motoko will have to accept turtles."
He shakes his head.
"I don't understand."
Haruka pats his shoulder.
"Maru will not leave your side. If you are dressed as a turtle, she has to accept you."
He thinks about it for a few moments.
"That sounds logical. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it."
He quickly slips the costume on and stands up. As he walks around the corner of the counter, he holds a hand out to Maru. She looks up and tilts her head.
"Maru, it's me, Keitaro. Everything will be okay, I promise!"
Haruka watches as Keitaro runs for his life up the steps to Hinata-sou with Maru, swinging her kendo stick, in pursuit. She shakes her head.
"This is gonna take a while. Crazy kids!"
End of Chapter Seven.
Fanfic by Steven Biggs
Chapter Seven – Re-Mergence
A re-write of the end of the chapter.
Thursday Night.
While Keitaro recuperates from his shock, the girls all meet in the common room. Maru sips her tea as Kitsune paces back and forth, grilling her.
"Ya'll know, I just don't like this one bit! It just aint right that ya'll would do this to poor Keitaro-san! You're planning some type of mischief and we won't let ya'll get away with it!"
Maru sets her glass on the table, closes her eyes, and concentrates. After the bright light dims, Naru, Motoko, and Moe sit next to each other on the couch. Naru looks at her friend.
"Kitsune, this is what Keitaro wants. And if I have to merge with Motoko and Moe to keep everyone happy, than that's a small price to pay!"
Motoko nods her head in agreement.
"Without this combining of selves, I would most likely lose in a direct contest with Naru-sempai. That is unacceptable. Also, my being victorious over her, where Urashima is concerned, is an outcome that I do not want. Her feelings for him are a match for my own, and I do not desire her sadness. I also am willing to pay this cost to provide happiness to him."
Kitsune looks back and forth between them.
"Do ya'll hear what you're saying? You mean to say that you're willing to give up yourselves forever just to be with Keitaro-san? Ya'll have completely gone around the bend!"
Naru jumps to her feet.
"Kitsune! What right do you have . . ."
Naru pauses her tirade as Motoko grabs her hand. Motoko stares at Kitsune.
"Naru-sempai, I believe that Konno-san is not actually concerned at our choice. She just appears to be venting her own frustrations. Konno-san, you desire Urashima also, or am I mistaken?"
Naru turns back to the resident fox.
"She's right. I should have seen this sooner! Kitsune, you're in love with Keitaro too!"
Kitsune stops pacing and looks at Naru. Tears in her eyes, she drops to her knees and covers her face.
"I, I never stood much of a chance against either of you. But combined, you take Keitaro-san outta my reach completely. I c-can't stand it."
Naru kneels on the floor and hugs her best friend.
"I'm so sorry, Kitsune. I never thought that you'd be interested in Keitaro. You're always pulling pranks and tricks on him."
Her shoulders trembling, Kitsune raises her face.
"I don't know any other way to get his attention! With you and Motoko around, he wouldn't give me the time of day unless I tricked it outta him!"
Motoko leans over and rests a hand on her shoulder.
"That is not true. Urashima cares for you also. But, consider his position. As he stated earlier, he could not chose between Naru-sempai, Moe, or myself. It is possible that he shares his heart secretly with another. He shows such compassion for all the residents here. Much more so than should be expected from a manager."
Kitsune pulls away from them and stands next to the table. Reaching down, she grabs a bottle of sake and takes a long drink.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
She suddenly spins around and grabs Naru's shoulders.
"Don't merge yourselves back into Maru! Please, don't do it Naru!"
Naru lowers her eyes and quietly whispers.
"I'm sorry, Kitsune. I want Keitaro, and I will return to being a part of Maru to have him."
Kitsune digs her fingers into Naru's shoulders.
"Then take me with ya'll! I'll do anything ya'll want, but please don't take Keitaro-san away from me forever!"
Naru shakes her head.
"I'm sorry, but we can't."
Moe looks up from her seat.
"It, it is possible. However, my strength is weak. I feel that I can only perform a merging once more. And after that, the power to separate will be gone. We will not be able to return to our separate selves."
Naru smiles and stands up.
"Then our problems are solved. Kitsune will join us and we all will have Keitaro."
Motoko nods her head.
"This shall be most entertaining for Urashima."
The fox shakes Motoko's hands.
"Ya'll won't regret this, I promise! Thank you, oh thank you all!"
Mutsumi raises her hand.
"Oh my! do you think there would be room in there for me too?"
Kitsune nods her head.
"Hey, we can't forget Keitaro-san's first kissing girl, now can we? Moe, can ya'll handle a couple extra passengers?"
Moe nods her head.
"Yes, it would not be a problem. In fact, the extra energy from a willing person will aid us in the transition. But, I must restate that there will be no coming back once it is done. You all must understand this."
Kitsune pours a glass of sake and raises it in a toast.
"I'm game if ya'll are. Here's to the new us!"
Mutsumi claps her hands.
"Oh my! Now I get Kei-kun and Narusegawa too! The three ronins will be together forever!"
Motoko smiles.
"This shall be most interesting. I am anxious to see how it turns out."
Naru turns to Moe.
"All right. Let's do it!"
Moe stands and motions for the girls to take each other's hands. Before they can start, a familiar sound interrupts them.
"Aaauuuuu!"
Naru turns to the resident cook.
"Shinobu, not you too!"
Shinobu violently nods her head, and falls dizzily onto the couch.
"I'll never let you have Sempai by yourselves! If you don't take me with you I'll, I'll . . ."
She jumps back to her feet and raises a frying pan.
"I'll do something really not nice!"
Kitsune tilts her head.
"But, ya'll are just a kid."
"I am not a kid anymore! I haven't worn those silly teddy-bear panties for a month now!"
Motoko crosses her arms.
"However, you do wear the ones with the strawberry pattern."
"Aaauuuuu! That's just a phase! I, I was planning to move to the solid pink ones soon!"
Naru sits on the couch.
"I think that we need to make some phone calls. Our parents deserve to know what we are doing, even though they won't be able to stop us."
The girls nod in agreement. As Naru moves towards the telephone, Su tugs on her arm.
"Do I gets my one phone call too?"
A few hours later, Keitaro sits up as he hears a knock on his door. In the dimly lit room, he picks up his glasses from the kotatsu table.
"Come in."
The door slides open. Keitaro's heart immediately starts beating faster, reacting to the aura of the woman standing in the doorway.
"M-maru!"
"Yes, my love. I have returned to you. I shall be by your side for all time."
As Maru gracefully walks into the room, Keitaro stands up and pulls the cord to turn up the lights. He freezes, one hand still gripping the cord, as Maru is revealed to him.
"You, you've changed! You're even more beautiful than before!"
As she smiles he looks at her, trying to determine just what has changed about her. Maru's hair and face are unchanged, but her eyes are slightly narrower. Keitaro immediately guesses the reason.
"K-Kitsune-san?"
"Ya'll got that right! Just think of it as a bonus prize!"
As she steps under the light, Keitaro notices the other change in her appearance.
"How did you get a tan? Either you went to a tanning booth or, or, oh my goddness!"
"Hokey cows! Ya sure is quick, Keitaro!"
Drawn to her loveliness like a moth to a flame, Keitaro walks over and wraps his arms around Maru. She shudders in his embrace and whispers in his ear.
"Aaauuuuu, Sempai!"
He holds her shoulders and looks into her eyes.
"Sh-shinobu-chan? You're in there too?"
"Oh my! He guessed right about her too!"
"M-m-mutsumi-san?"
Naru's voice rings out.
"The gang's all here!"
Keitaro steps back and scratches his head.
"Are all of you okay? Maybe I should call Hikari-san to check you out."
"That will not be necessary, Kei-Kei. We are all fine. The merger went extraordinarily well."
"H-h-h-hikari-san! Not you too!"
Maru smiles and reaches both hands to his shirt. Nimbly, she begins to undo the buttons.
"I must perform a checkup to ensure you are well. This must be a shock for you."
"But, but, but . . ."
Maru leans closer and licks his earlobe.
"Quiet please. Let the doctor do her job."
"Y-yes ma'am!"
Maru removes his shirt and then lifts his hands to her gi. Following her lead, he begins removing the garment.
Friday Morning
Keitaro sighs and looks into Maru's eyes.
"I guess that we should advertise for more residents. There are a lot of empty rooms available now."
"Yes, my love. But, be warned, I shall not have you chasing after the women that will come to live here."
Keitaro smiles at her.
"I keep telling you. I'm not a pervert."
Maru snuggles against him.
"I think that last night removed any doubt as to whether you are a pervert or not."
He kisses her cheek.
"Hey, I think that I may have just been insulted."
Maru purrs and nibbles his earlobe again. He strokes her hair.
"Is it really okay if we accept more residents?"
"Oh yes, oni-chan! Then you can keep your promise and let me run Hinata-sou with you!"
Keitaro blinks his eyes a few times and then jumps to his knees.
"K-k-kanako-chan? W-was th-that you?"
Maru sits up and lets the blanket slide off her shoulders. Demurely, she nods her head.
"Yes, oni-chan. I came as soon as I got a phone call from Narusegawa. I could not let an opportunity like this go by."
Keitaro scratches his head. After a few moments, he reaches out and hugs Maru.
"Oh, what the heck!"
After breakfast, Maru follows Keitaro down the steps and to the Tea Shop.
"Haruka-san will be able to send out the advertisement for new residents for us. And won't she be surprised to learn that all of you are now Maru?"
Maru stops at the door and shakes her head.
"Haruka is not in the Tea Shop."
Keitaro pulls on the door, only to find it locked.
"Huh, how did you know? Where is she?"
Maru smiles and points towards the street.
"Because she is just now coming here."
Haruka walks up to them and carefully looks at Maru.
"Something's different about you today, something's not quite right."
Keitaro shuffles his feet and scratches his head.
"Well, it's kind of a long story. You see, they all are in there now. Even Hikari-san and Kanako-chan."
Maru blushes as Haruka continues scrutinizing her.
"What concerns your, Haruka-san?"
"Don't tell me that you two did it last night."
Maru blushes deeper and places her hands to her cheeks.
"Oh my!"
Haruka taps her chin a few times and then lowers herself to the ground. She looks at Maru's feet for a few moments and then stands up.
"I thought so."
Keitaro stares at his aunt.
"What are you talking about?"
She looks at Keitaro.
"Maru isn't touching the ground, in case you haven't noticed."
He blinks a few times and then drops down to look at the gap under his lover's feet.
"Oh my god! You're right! But, how come she's floating?"
Haruka unlocks the door and motions them inside the tea Shop. While they stand inside, she goes to the counter and opens a box. Taking a rice cake from inside, Haruka tosses it up into the air. Maru's eyes track it and she flies up and intercepts the snack with her mouth.
"Mew!"
. . .
. . .
. . .
"T-t-t-tama-chan?"
Using Su's voice, Maru answers as she lands.
"Sorry Keitaro, but I forgots that she was strapped to my back last night when we combined. I was planning on a late night snack."
Suddenly, Motoko's voice rings out and Maru runs madly around the tables.
"TURTLE!"
Haruka grabs a pack of cigarettes from the shelf and ducks behind the counter.
"Oh brother."
Keitaro stares at Maru. Still shouting, her wild eyes turn to him.
"TURTLE!"
She grabs a chair and begins pounding him. When the chair breaks, she uses a table.
"TURTLE!"
The table shatters, unable to withstand being beaten against Keitaro's nearly indestructible body. Maru then pulls out her kendo stick and swings it blindly in the air.
"URASHIMA! HELP ME! TURTLE!"
He crawls behind the counter and looks at his aunt.
"Oh heck!"
Haruka blinks at him and starts to snicker.
"Haruka-san! This isn't funny!"
She falls to her side and covers her stomach as laughter rings out.
"Not f-funny? It's hilarious! Didn't I tell you before to be careful what you wish for at Hinata-sou?"
"Haruka-san! What am I gonna do?"
"Duck."
"What?"
Maru swings and the kendo stick crashes against Keitaro's head. He drops to the floor like a sack of wet rice.
"I told you to duck, but you never listen to me."
Haruka tosses the snack box over the counter, scattering rice cakes across the floor. Maru wavers for a moment, then leaps over and begins devouring the snacks. Keitaro rubs his head and peeks around the end of the counter.
"This is a disaster! What if she goes crazy when we're, uh, you know?"
"Don't worry. Hikari-san is a doctor. I'm sure that se can reconnect anything that Maru chops off."
Keitaro winces at the thought.
"Don't even joke about something like that, Haruka-san! I'm in a really bad spot right now because Maru is stuck like that! I've got to do something!"
Haruka adjusts her cigarette holder.
"I have a suggestion. Keep a lot of rice cakes handy."
"Haruka-san!"
She holds up her hands.
"Okay, okay! What can you do if she can't separate everyone again? It looks like we've got to get Motoko to accept Tama-chan."
"How are we going to help her get over her fear of turtles?"
Haruka opens a door under the counter and pulls out a box.
"I found this a few weeks ago. Maybe it can help."
Keitaro opens the box and lifts an object out.
"A turtle-suit? How will that help?"
"You should wear it all the time. That way, Motoko will have to accept turtles."
He shakes his head.
"I don't understand."
Haruka pats his shoulder.
"Maru will not leave your side. If you are dressed as a turtle, she has to accept you."
He thinks about it for a few moments.
"That sounds logical. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it."
He quickly slips the costume on and stands up. As he walks around the corner of the counter, he holds a hand out to Maru. She looks up and tilts her head.
"Maru, it's me, Keitaro. Everything will be okay, I promise!"
Haruka watches as Keitaro runs for his life up the steps to Hinata-sou with Maru, swinging her kendo stick, in pursuit. She shakes her head.
"This is gonna take a while. Crazy kids!"
End of Chapter Seven.