Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Love Hina, just my own character.
Sean: Well, let's get this over with.
Shinobu: What do you mean?
Sean: I'm getting ready to be dissapointed by another empty house. (Sticks head out on stage.) Well, what do you know.
Naru: What do you mean by that?
Sean: There's somebody out there.
Niak: Yep, just me.
Sean: Thanks for showing up.
Niak: No problem. I like this story so far.
Sean: Thank you. I'm glad somebody does besides me.
Niak: Yeah. I have only one problem with it right now.
Sean: ANd what might that be?
Niak: The last couple chapters looked a bit too much like Dragonball Z.
Sean: Yeah, I know. I realized that while finishing up chapter 6, but I couldn't think of a better way to do that fight scene. Trust me, don't expect stuff like that again for a while, if ever.
Niak: Good. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Sean: That reminds me, there's something I need to take care of. Excuse me for a minute.
Niak: Go ahead.
(Sean walks over to where the mystery figure, who is tied to a chair. The other girls have gathered around the newbie.)
Kitsune: So, who wants to remove the mask?
Suu: Ooh, let me do it!
Kitsune: Alright, but be quick about it.
(Suu grins and removes the mask. A gasp escapes from the girls' mouths.)
Naru: So that's your special guest, huh?
Sean: Yep.
?: What are you going to put me through?
Sean: Oh, you'll find out. (Snickers and leaves for the stage)
Kitsune: I think I'm going to enjoy this.
?: I don't.
Sean: Let's see, where was I... oh yeah. I think you'll enjoy this chapter. Frankly, I'm glad I'm doing this one in front of an actual live audience, even if it's only one person. Enjoy the show.
(Niak claps)
Sean (to himself): I wonder if I'll have to get used to the sound of one person clapping.
* * * Chapter VIII: Fresh Meat * * *
Tuesday, 7/9
The party lasted all through the night. Everyone ended up falling asleep at various places in Sean's room. Sean was the first to wake up, at around 10:30. He had been asleep for about five and a half hours, which was pretty long considering he still had his magical ring and all, but it was probably because of the ordeal he had been through the previous day. The alcohol no doubt had a hand in it as well, considering the amount of pain shooting through his brain.
"Oh, man," Sean thought, holding his head, "is this what a hangover feels like? I don't know how Kitsune can stand it so many times."
He soon became aware of something laying on top of him. He opened his eyes to find Kitsune, sound asleep, her head on his chest. At first, this got him a bit concerned about what he may have done in a drunken stupor, but he then noticed they were both still fully clothed, so he became certain that nothing had happened. His thoughts then turned to how he would get out from under her without waking her up. What would happen next would not help matters.
Suddenly, Kitsune wrapped her arms around Sean, mumbling something about bearing her child. Sean knew she was dreaming, but he did not like where it was leading. Eager to get out of this situation before something regrettable happens, he pried himself loose as gently as he could so as not to wake her, or anyone else for that matter.
As he got up off his futon, his surveyed the disaster area that had become his room; cans and bottles were everywhere. "I guess I'll clean this up later, when it's not so crowded," he thought.
He walked out, being careful to close the door slowly behind him. He went to the kitchen to get some water and try to take care of his migraine. "If only it was this peaceful all the time," he said to himself as he filled his glass at the sink. After thinking about it for a moment, he added, "It would get boring real quick," as he lifted the glass to his lips.
Feeling a bit better, Sean made his way to the living room to relax a bit. "I'm going to have to find something else to occupy my afternoons, now that my teaching career has ended."
A couple hours later, the girls started to wake up. At first, they wondered why they were in Sean's room until they remembered the events of the previous night, or at least some of them. It took them a little while to realize the normal occupant of that room wasn't there.
"Hey, where's Sean?" Naru asked.
"I don't know," Kitsune said. She could have sworn she fell asleep on top of Sean, but she didn't want Naru to know that. "but I just had this strange dream--"
"That might have turned into a nightmare if I wasn't awake at the time, trust me." Sean appeared in the doorway.
"Sean, where were you?" Naru asked.
"Making lunch."
"Lunch?!" Shinobu's eyes grew wide as she searched for a clock.
"Yes, lunch. When it's 12:32 in the afternoon, it's a bit late for breakfast."
"Why didn't you wake us?" Motoko asked, upset that her daily routine had been disturbed.
"I don't know what you would have done if I gave you a rude awakening; and I intend to keep it that way."
"Let's go eat!" Suu said, as she bounded towards the door before she was caught by Sean, mid-bounce.
"You don't need to go anywhere. I took the liberty to bring the food with me." Sean stepped out for a second and returned, pushing a cart full of food. "Dig in."
While everyone began eating, Sean tended to those with hangovers. Obviously, Kitsune was one of them, but Naru and Motoko were a bit buzzed as well.
When everyone finished eating, Sean suggested they visit the springs. Nobody objected. Sean grabbed his blindfold and started to walk out before Naru took hold of his arm.
"I don't think that will be necessary anymore." She snatched the blindfold out of his hand and tossed it aside.
Sean raised an eyebrow. "Oookay, if you say so."
Everyone reconvened to the hot springs to bathe and chat. The girls were all wearing swimsuits, which seemed to take a load off Sean's mind.
"Well, I think yesterday proved without a doubt that we care for each other a great deal." Sean glanced at Motoko and their eyes met for a split-second. She started to blush, but quickly recovered. "I thank you again for what you did to help me."
"We should be the ones thanking you," Naru said.
"No, if I had thought of another way to solve Motoko's problem, that whole thing never would have happened."
"Problem?"
"Yes. She was the only one among you--as far as I know--who hadn't fully accepted me. Deep down, she had no respect for me as a warrior and the only solution I could think of was to ask her if I could become her student. That's when Naru showed up on the roof and everything got blown out of proportion."
"I'm so sorry," Naru said.
"Don't worry about it; you couldn't have known. If we had told you the truth, you might have been a bit jealous of the two of us spending so much time together, which brings me to my next point. I have become aware that there might be some competition for my affection in the future, if it hasn't started already." He paused for a second. It looked like he was trying to find the right words, and not too successfully, either. "Geez, how should I say this? Um, I just want to set the record straight; what I would do for one of you, I would do for you all--age permitting of course."
That last part got some strange looks from the girls, especially Naru. "Oh man, that didn't come out right at all," he thought out loud.
"Aren't you usually so good with words?" Shinobu asked.
"Not what it comes to something like this, I'm not."
Naru decided to help Sean out. "I think what he meant was that he doesn't intend to prefer one of us over another, is that right?"
A sigh of relief came from Sean. "Yes, thank you."
Kitsune chuckled a bit. "Does that mean that you would be willing to--"
"Let's not talk about that right now, okay?"
"Well, when can we talk about it?"
"Sometime when Suu and Shinobu are out of earshot."
"Alright. Suu, Shinobu, please leave."
"Kitsune!!" Sean and Naru said in unison.
"Okay, okay, maybe later."
"Maybe." All of a sudden, Sean shook his head.
"What's wrong?" Shinobu asked.
"There's someone coming."
"What?" Motoko asked. "Where?"
"Up the front steps. I put sensors there so we wouldn't have any… unexpected guests." He raised a finger and a ball of light appeared and flew off.
"What was that?" Naru asked.
"A camera of sorts. I can see what it sees. Now, let's take a look at our visitor…"
---
A young man made his way slowly up the steps, apparently in deep thought. He carried two suitcases and a backpack with him. He did not seem to be aware of a small glowing sphere hovering among the trees behind him.
---
"Well, who is it?" Naru asked.
"Well," Sean said, his eyes emitting a pale glow, "for starters, it's a guy."
"A guy?!" Motoko said, clenching a fist. "Why is a guy coming here?"
"I don't know that, now do I?"
"What does he look like?" Kitsune asked, a small grin on her face.
"Hmm, about 5 and a half feet tall, black hair, glasses similar to mine."
"I'll get rid of him." Motoko started to get up.
Sean made a devilish grin. "No. I have a better idea."
Kitsune recognized that smile. She has used that expression herself many times before; she knew he was planning something. "What do you think we should do?"
"I think you and Naru should go greet our guest."
"That's it?" Kitsune asked. She was a bit disappointed that this was his big idea.
"Nope. Don't even let him introduce himself. Just get him to my room. On the way, make things very… uncomfortable for him, if you catch my drift."
"You don't mean--" Naru started.
"--using our feminine wiles to drive him crazy." Kitsune knew where Sean was going.
"Exactly. Use any means necessary to make an awkward situation. By looking at him, I don't think it will take much effort."
"What should we wear?" Kitsune wondered out loud.
"You could change into towels for all I care, as long as you eventually herd him to my room. I'll be there watching the show."
"Sure thing." Naru said, beginning to like the idea of torturing the intruder. They got up to get ready.
"Have fun. Take your time."
"What about us?" Suu asked, wanting to be part of the plan.
"The rest of you will be helping me set up the rest of my plan in my room. We'll follow up his torture in heaven with torture in hell."
"You're not going to hurt him, are you?" Shinobu asked.
"Nah, by the luggage he's carrying, he plans on staying for a while. If that's the case, Motoko and Naru will get him soon enough."
"Hold on, I thought you said you would be watching Naru and Kitsune," Motoko said, a bit confused.
"We will. You remember that light I sent? I'll get the images to be displayed on the TV in my room. We'll all enjoy the show."
---
The young man eventually made it to the front door of Hinata-Sou. He looked the building over a bit before knocking.
A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal two goddesses in swimsuits standing before him.
"Hello there." One of them said. She had beautiful… hair. Yeah, that's it, long, beautiful, brown hair.
The man was struck dumb by the sight of such beauty; so much so that he couldn't form whole words. "Uh, um…"
"Look what you did, Naru," said the other one. She was more… more… "I think you killed another one." She snapped her fingers in the man's face and he fell backwards. "Yup. This always happens whenever a guy comes by; he sees one of us and drops dead. We lose more men that way."
---
Sean was laughing hysterically at the sight. "This is priceless."
---
"Well," the short haired one said, "let's go put him with the others." She picked him up and slung him over her shoulder. Naru picked up the man's luggage and followed.
The supposedly deceased had his eyes open wide the whole time, but his brain had stopped functioning. He suddenly found himself being carried and the first thing he saw that registered was the one named Naru. He had a wonderful view of her--
Blood immediately sprayed from his nose, startling both of the girls. The one carrying him set him on his feet.
"So you're still alive. That's a first. Can you speak?" The man slowly nodded. "I'm not convinced."
"Um, your pretty?"
"Well, it's a start. Come with us." She started walking in the direction of the stairs.
"Um, Kitsune…" Naru started.
"What?"
"Look." Naru pointed to Kitsune's bikini bottom; it was covered in blood.
"Oh, I see."
The man was horrified. "I'm so sorry about that."
"Don't worry your cute little head about it." She smiled and began to remove the stained part of her swimsuit.
"Um, are you sure you should be doing that here?" Naru asked. "I mean with him right there and all--"
"Don't worry," Kitsune said, bending over in the process of taking off her bikini bottom, "It's probably nothing a man his age hasn't seen before, right?" She stood up straight and looked at the man, who looked completely paralyzed. She moved her head closer. "Right?" He fainted, falling forward. Kitsune caught him and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess not."
"Let's get him in Sean's room before he wakes up." Naru said.
Sean heard a knock on his door about a minute later. He surveyed the handiwork he, along with Motoko, Suu and Shinobu had accomplished before opening the door. He found two girls wearing one and a half swimsuits, one of them carrying their visitor, still passed out.
"Great job, girls. We'll take it from here, but you're free to stay and watch."
"No thanks," Naru said. "We have to go wash off the blood."
"Your loss." Sean said as Kitsune handed the victim to him. He walked back inside his room, closing the door behind him.
The unfortunate man woke up in complete darkness. It took him a little while to realize he was bound to a chair. He started to fear for his life. Suddenly a light appeared above him out of nowhere, bathing him in a pale glow. "What's going on?" He thought out loud.
A pair of red, glowing eyes appeared out of the darkness. "He's a cute one, isn't he?" The girl's voice sounded quite young.
The eyes become accompanied by three more pairs. Another voice was heard. "Yes, I agree." This one sounded a bit older and with quite an accent.
"You think so? Seems a bit scrawny to me." The third voice was more mature than the others, not to mention lacking emotion.
"What are you going to do to me?" The frightened man asked.
The first voice gave the response. "I'm not sure. What are we going to do with him?"
The next voice came as a shock to the prisoner; it was a guy. "Well, I have something in mind, but first we should find out who this is, so we can laugh as we read the obituaries later on.
"WHAT??!!!" The man was in hysterics.
"Calm down, we won't hurt you… yet."
"What do you want to know?!"
"First off, what's your name?"
"K-K-Keitaro Urashima."
"Does that name ring a bell with any of you?"
"Come to think of it," the mature female voice said, "I recognize that name 'Urashima.'"
"My grandmother owns this place," Keitaro said. "I was hoping I could see her about spending a few days here."
"I hate to inform you, but--" The male voice started.
"Is she dead?!"
"If she is, it wasn't because of me. Have you heard anything about her?"
"Yeah," The foreign girl said. "She went out on a worldwide tour about a month ago."
"What about my aunt Haruka? I didn't see her at the tea shop she owns down the hill."
"Haruka left on her honeymoon about a week after your supposed grandmother did."
"That was close to when I showed up, wasn't it?" The male voice inquired.
"Actually, it was the day before you arrived." The mature voice confirmed.
"Huh. I would like to talk with him alone for a bit, if you please." Three pairs of eyes vanished while the remaining pair turned purple.
"What's happening?" Keitaro was getting really scared at this point.
"Nothing that will harm you--if you cooperate."
"Sure, anything."
"What lead you to arrive here? Be careful with your explanation; I'll know if you lie."
"I have tried to get into Toudai for two years, unsuccessfully. My parents finally got fed up with my failures and kicked me out of the house."
"I see. Why do you keep trying to get to Tokyo U? Why not some other college that's not as hard to enter?"
"I made a promise when I was young. I always try to make good on my promises."
"Ah. Go on."
"Well, I didn't know anyone else to turn to except my grandmother, who owns this inn. I used to be here quite a bit when I was young; it was here that I actually made that promise all those years ago."
"Do you remember who you made the promise with?"
"Um, no. She moved away soon after the promise was made and I forgot what she looked like and what her name was as time went by."
"And yet you still hold the promise close to your heart."
"Yes. Will you allow me to stay here?"
"I'm not sure. You see, there are certain circumstances that conspire against you on that part."
"I'm not following you."
"You haven't been here in quite a while, have you?"
"Not really."
"Well, since that last time you've been here, this "inn" has been changed to a girls' dormitory."
"What?! Then why are you here?"
"I'll explain that later. In the meantime, let's shed some more light on the situation." The eyes disappeared for a moment. The light above Keitaro's head vanished and was soon replaced by what looked like a door opening. He felt the ropes binding him loosen and he was able to stand.
"Go to the living room; I trust you know where it is. There, I will introduce you to the girls."
"Wait a second, who are you?" There was no response. "Hello?" Not knowing what else to do, he left through the portal and found himself in a familiar hallway. He made his way to the living room and found six people seated there; five girls and one guy. Two of the girls he recognized and his face started to get a bit flushed.
Sean noticed the new guy fidgeting. "Calm down. Have a seat." He nervously sat next to Naru on a couch who, along with Kitsune, had changed into something not so revealing. "First of all, I'd like to apologize for what you have been put through. It was all my idea."
"What?!"
"Yes, I knew you were coming and the plan formed in my head."
"Wait, how did you know I was coming?"
"I'll explain later. Anyway, I decided to have a little fun with you. To be honest, it was great to see a guy being tortured here besides me."
"How much have you been through?" Keitaro raised an eyebrow.
"Trust me, you'll find out soon enough. I hope you don't bruise easily."
Keitaro eyed each girl and he gulped.
"I have decided to let you stay here, at least until either your aunt or your grandmother returns." The girls seemed to be shocked by the idea.
"What?!" Naru was almost to the point of sending Keitaro through the roof.
"Oh, come on. He has nowhere else to go."
"Why do you think we would let a pervert like him into this place?" Motoko asked.
"You accepted me."
"Well, you're different."
"In what way?"
"Well, you're not exactly a pervert."
"Oh, please. I have fantasies and desires just like any other man. I just have enough will power not to act on them. Now tell me, what makes you think this man isn't capable of the same?"
"Well, his sudden nose bleed was a bit of a sign," Kitsune noted. "I found that out first hand."
Keitaro blushed. "Sorry about that, but how would you have reacted in my place?"
"If nosebleeds are your biggest concern--"
"No, he may act perverted, try to peek at us or something," Motoko said.
"Well, considering how badly you treated me when I didn't actually do anything--"
"That was just a misunderstanding." Naru said.
"Yeah, sure. Many, many misunderstandings."
"I guess he can stay for a while," Kitsune said. "He pretty cute." Keitaro blushed.
"Then I guess I should introduce everyone. My name is Sean. They are Narusegawa Naru, Konno Mitsune--we know her as Kitsune--Aoyama Motoko, Kaolla Suu, and Maehara Shinobu. Keitaro Urashima, we welcome you to Hinata-Sou."
"Thank you. Um, where am I going to stay?"
"My room." Sean answered.
"Why your room?" Naru asked.
"You want me to put him in your room instead?"
"Uh, your room's fine."
"That's what I thought. Let's go unpack your stuff."
As the two guys unpacked Keitaro's things, a question kept nagging at his mind. "I was wondering, why are you here?"
"I work here. I'm the landlord."
"How did you get this dream job?"
"I applied for it, how else? And this didn't quite turn out to be a dream job. I've been beaten up more times then I care to count. Like you, I thought this was a hotel. I found out what this place really was after I came to from my first thrashing."
"Ouch. Is that going to happen to me?"
"Yes. Yes it will. If I couldn't escape being hit, you can't either. I actually went out of my way to prevent beatings, to no avail."
"Gulp."
"Don't worry, I'll take measures to try to keep you alive."
"Thank you."
"Let me tell you a few things to watch out for. First, Naru is quick to anger, and will send you through the roof if you even look like you're doing anything perverted. Motoko will usually come running as well, eager to take you out with her kendo skills. Any way you look at it, expect a long walk back until I can remedy the situation.
Second, Kitsune is out for her own best interest. If she takes a liking to you, she may be trying to get something from you; money most likely. Also, she can get really out of hand when she's drunk, which happens more often then I'd like.
Third, Suu is a genius when it comes to machines, and she won't hesitate to try out her latest work on us. She also tends to give me a swift kick to the head in place of a greeting; except her to do the same to you."
"Does she hate you or something?"
"Oh no. That's just her way of being playful, but it hurts like hell. Finally, be careful what you say and do around Shinobu. She's prone to blushes and tears. She's especially embarrassed when you compliment her on her cooking."
"Thank you for your advise."
"No problem. Then there's me. You really don't have to worry about my well-being. I've survived more things in my time here than any normal man should. Probably because of my abilities."
"Abilities?"
"Yeah. I have the ability to use magic spells."
Keitaro was amazed to little tidbit. "Do the girls know about this?"
"Are you kidding? I've been teaching them how. My spells were the reason why I knew you were coming, and also how you saw those glowing eyes before."
"Oh. Do you think you can teach me spell craft?"
"Sure thing. It will be on a one-on-one thing, since my classes with the girls just ended yesterday--oh man, what a day yesterday was."
"What happened?"
"Dinner's ready!"
"Thanks Naru, we'll be right down. I'll tell you all the stories of my time here later. You go ahead downstairs, I'll finish up here."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
Less than five minutes later, there was a scream and a crash. Sean hurried to the kitchen to investigate.
"What happened? Wait, don't tell me." Sean looked at the ceiling and found a gaping hole. "Mm hmm. That started sooner than I thought. I'll be right back."
Sean teleported out of the kitchen and appeared in mid air, a flying Keitaro about a foot away. "It's like I told you; you can't avoid the beatings. What did you just do?"
"I tripped and fell on Naru's breasts."
"Yeah, that'll do it. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Hmm. You may not need as much help as I thought if you're not hurt by Naru's punch. The first time I got hit by her, I woke up three hours later. What do you say we get back before reentry?"
"Fine with me."
The pair suddenly appeared in their room.
Keitaro was stunned, but in a pleasant way. "Wow. That was cool."
"Thanks. It's kind of become second nature to me after a while. You'd be surprised how many times I've had to repair the ceiling. Speaking of which, we should head back to the kitchen before Shinobu starts worrying again. Come on, I'll give you an escort there." Sean opened the door and stepped out just in time for Shinobu to run headlong into him, knocking both of them to the ground.
"Are you alright?" A concerned Keitaro asked.
"Yeah," Sean responded, "just a little dazed is all. What going on, Shinobu?"
"I just wanted to know if he was hurt on something." She blushed a bit as she said that. Sean couldn't tell if it was because she was thinking of Keitaro or the fact that the two of them had ended up with their faces mere inches apart after the impact.
"Um, he's fine; better than I'd hoped in fact. He can really take a punch." Keitaro blushed at the compliment.
"How did she know to come here to find this out?" Keitaro asked after he regained his composure.
"I've made a habit of going to my room--one way or another--to recover after each of my 'flights.'"
"Ah."
Suddenly, Shinobu seemed to realize the precarious position she was in. Her face became a bright red. "Uh…" She had no idea what to do. Could she…? Should she…?! Time seemed to stand still; at least until--
"What the hell are you doing to Shinobu?!" Naru screamed as she ran to punch Sean's face in.
Sean glanced around the young girl's head and saw Naru speeding towards them. He shoved Shinobu out of the way just in time for Naru to give him a blow that sent him through the floor to land in the hallway below in a shower of splintered wood and glass shards.
Keitaro was speechless. He thought he had it bad after his attack, but after seeing Naru send his new friend down to the ground floor, he began to realize what risks really came with being here. "To think he has to go through things like this all the time," He thought. "No wonder he was so concerned about my health, but he should be more focused on keeping himself alive then worry about me."
When Sean tossed Shinobu, she ended up with her face against the wall; tears started to form in her eyes. "Why did you do that, Sean?" There was no response. "Sean?" She turned over to find a gaping hole in the floor where Sean used to be. "Sean?!" She made her way to the hole and found Sean sprawled out below her. He wasn't moving and his glasses were shattered.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, Shinobu looked up at Naru, who stood nearby, still clenching her fist. "Why did you do that to him?!"
Naru saw the angry look on Shinobu's face and started to regret what she had done. "Um, I thought he was trying to take advantage of you, so--"
"He was doing no such thing!" Keitaro said.
"He's right," Shinobu said, a bit more calmly. "I ran over here to see if Keitaro was alright and I ran into Sean, literally, and we just happened to land that way." She started to blush. "If anything, I was thinking about taking advantage." This last part provoked some strange looks from the other two.
"What?" Naru was shocked to hear something like that coming from someone so young. "Do you even know what you're saying?"
Shinobu's red face grew brighter, if that was even possible. She was about to respond when she heard something below.
"Sean, what happened to you?!" The three upstairs looked down the hole to find Kitsune and Motoko kneeling over him. Suu soon joined them.
"I haven't seen him this beaten up in quite a while." Motoko noted.
"Sean, can you hear me?" Kitsune said, getting worried. There was no response.
Motoko looked at the three residents above them. "Naru, what did he do this time?"
Naru looked ashamed. "Nothing."
Kitsune snapped her head to face her. "Nothing? You did this to him over NOTHING?!!"
"Well, if you saw what it looked like--"
Shinobu interrupted Naru with an explanation of her own. "I ran into Sean in the hallway. I landed on top of him." Shinobu started blushing again. "We almost kissed."
Kitsune looked at her skeptically. "Who would have started it, you or him?"
Shinobu continued to blush, refusing to make eye contact.
Kitsune raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She glanced at Motoko, grinning. "Looks like someone's starting to grow up a bit, doesn't it?"
"I think we should worry more about Sean right now, don't you?"
"Oh, right." They returned their attention to the injured man. There was a red imprint of Naru's fist right between his eyes, plainly visible under what was left of his glasses. Pieces of glass were covering his face, mostly in the eyes. It looked quite painful and Sean would probably be writhing in agony--that is, if he was conscious.
"I don't know if he can recover from this, even with magic." Motoko said grimly.
Tears started to pour out of Naru's eyes. She couldn't bear to see her deadly handiwork any longer. She turned away and rushed into Sean's room. Keitaro, worried about Naru's emotional condition, followed to find her climbing up the trap door to her room. "Are you alright, Naru?" He called out to her.
"No," Naru said. "I went too far this time. He'll never forgive me for this one. NEVER!!!" She then slammed the door shut behind her.
* * * End of Chapter VIII * * *
Keitaro: Well, considering Sean is a bit... incapacitated, I'll have to give you the send off this time around. (Sigh) I hope he gets better soon. Also, Naru seems to be taking this a bit hard. I wonder what will happen to the both of them. I guess we'll all find that out next time, won't we? See you then! Please respond!
Sean: Well, let's get this over with.
Shinobu: What do you mean?
Sean: I'm getting ready to be dissapointed by another empty house. (Sticks head out on stage.) Well, what do you know.
Naru: What do you mean by that?
Sean: There's somebody out there.
Niak: Yep, just me.
Sean: Thanks for showing up.
Niak: No problem. I like this story so far.
Sean: Thank you. I'm glad somebody does besides me.
Niak: Yeah. I have only one problem with it right now.
Sean: ANd what might that be?
Niak: The last couple chapters looked a bit too much like Dragonball Z.
Sean: Yeah, I know. I realized that while finishing up chapter 6, but I couldn't think of a better way to do that fight scene. Trust me, don't expect stuff like that again for a while, if ever.
Niak: Good. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Sean: That reminds me, there's something I need to take care of. Excuse me for a minute.
Niak: Go ahead.
(Sean walks over to where the mystery figure, who is tied to a chair. The other girls have gathered around the newbie.)
Kitsune: So, who wants to remove the mask?
Suu: Ooh, let me do it!
Kitsune: Alright, but be quick about it.
(Suu grins and removes the mask. A gasp escapes from the girls' mouths.)
Naru: So that's your special guest, huh?
Sean: Yep.
?: What are you going to put me through?
Sean: Oh, you'll find out. (Snickers and leaves for the stage)
Kitsune: I think I'm going to enjoy this.
?: I don't.
Sean: Let's see, where was I... oh yeah. I think you'll enjoy this chapter. Frankly, I'm glad I'm doing this one in front of an actual live audience, even if it's only one person. Enjoy the show.
(Niak claps)
Sean (to himself): I wonder if I'll have to get used to the sound of one person clapping.
* * * Chapter VIII: Fresh Meat * * *
Tuesday, 7/9
The party lasted all through the night. Everyone ended up falling asleep at various places in Sean's room. Sean was the first to wake up, at around 10:30. He had been asleep for about five and a half hours, which was pretty long considering he still had his magical ring and all, but it was probably because of the ordeal he had been through the previous day. The alcohol no doubt had a hand in it as well, considering the amount of pain shooting through his brain.
"Oh, man," Sean thought, holding his head, "is this what a hangover feels like? I don't know how Kitsune can stand it so many times."
He soon became aware of something laying on top of him. He opened his eyes to find Kitsune, sound asleep, her head on his chest. At first, this got him a bit concerned about what he may have done in a drunken stupor, but he then noticed they were both still fully clothed, so he became certain that nothing had happened. His thoughts then turned to how he would get out from under her without waking her up. What would happen next would not help matters.
Suddenly, Kitsune wrapped her arms around Sean, mumbling something about bearing her child. Sean knew she was dreaming, but he did not like where it was leading. Eager to get out of this situation before something regrettable happens, he pried himself loose as gently as he could so as not to wake her, or anyone else for that matter.
As he got up off his futon, his surveyed the disaster area that had become his room; cans and bottles were everywhere. "I guess I'll clean this up later, when it's not so crowded," he thought.
He walked out, being careful to close the door slowly behind him. He went to the kitchen to get some water and try to take care of his migraine. "If only it was this peaceful all the time," he said to himself as he filled his glass at the sink. After thinking about it for a moment, he added, "It would get boring real quick," as he lifted the glass to his lips.
Feeling a bit better, Sean made his way to the living room to relax a bit. "I'm going to have to find something else to occupy my afternoons, now that my teaching career has ended."
A couple hours later, the girls started to wake up. At first, they wondered why they were in Sean's room until they remembered the events of the previous night, or at least some of them. It took them a little while to realize the normal occupant of that room wasn't there.
"Hey, where's Sean?" Naru asked.
"I don't know," Kitsune said. She could have sworn she fell asleep on top of Sean, but she didn't want Naru to know that. "but I just had this strange dream--"
"That might have turned into a nightmare if I wasn't awake at the time, trust me." Sean appeared in the doorway.
"Sean, where were you?" Naru asked.
"Making lunch."
"Lunch?!" Shinobu's eyes grew wide as she searched for a clock.
"Yes, lunch. When it's 12:32 in the afternoon, it's a bit late for breakfast."
"Why didn't you wake us?" Motoko asked, upset that her daily routine had been disturbed.
"I don't know what you would have done if I gave you a rude awakening; and I intend to keep it that way."
"Let's go eat!" Suu said, as she bounded towards the door before she was caught by Sean, mid-bounce.
"You don't need to go anywhere. I took the liberty to bring the food with me." Sean stepped out for a second and returned, pushing a cart full of food. "Dig in."
While everyone began eating, Sean tended to those with hangovers. Obviously, Kitsune was one of them, but Naru and Motoko were a bit buzzed as well.
When everyone finished eating, Sean suggested they visit the springs. Nobody objected. Sean grabbed his blindfold and started to walk out before Naru took hold of his arm.
"I don't think that will be necessary anymore." She snatched the blindfold out of his hand and tossed it aside.
Sean raised an eyebrow. "Oookay, if you say so."
Everyone reconvened to the hot springs to bathe and chat. The girls were all wearing swimsuits, which seemed to take a load off Sean's mind.
"Well, I think yesterday proved without a doubt that we care for each other a great deal." Sean glanced at Motoko and their eyes met for a split-second. She started to blush, but quickly recovered. "I thank you again for what you did to help me."
"We should be the ones thanking you," Naru said.
"No, if I had thought of another way to solve Motoko's problem, that whole thing never would have happened."
"Problem?"
"Yes. She was the only one among you--as far as I know--who hadn't fully accepted me. Deep down, she had no respect for me as a warrior and the only solution I could think of was to ask her if I could become her student. That's when Naru showed up on the roof and everything got blown out of proportion."
"I'm so sorry," Naru said.
"Don't worry about it; you couldn't have known. If we had told you the truth, you might have been a bit jealous of the two of us spending so much time together, which brings me to my next point. I have become aware that there might be some competition for my affection in the future, if it hasn't started already." He paused for a second. It looked like he was trying to find the right words, and not too successfully, either. "Geez, how should I say this? Um, I just want to set the record straight; what I would do for one of you, I would do for you all--age permitting of course."
That last part got some strange looks from the girls, especially Naru. "Oh man, that didn't come out right at all," he thought out loud.
"Aren't you usually so good with words?" Shinobu asked.
"Not what it comes to something like this, I'm not."
Naru decided to help Sean out. "I think what he meant was that he doesn't intend to prefer one of us over another, is that right?"
A sigh of relief came from Sean. "Yes, thank you."
Kitsune chuckled a bit. "Does that mean that you would be willing to--"
"Let's not talk about that right now, okay?"
"Well, when can we talk about it?"
"Sometime when Suu and Shinobu are out of earshot."
"Alright. Suu, Shinobu, please leave."
"Kitsune!!" Sean and Naru said in unison.
"Okay, okay, maybe later."
"Maybe." All of a sudden, Sean shook his head.
"What's wrong?" Shinobu asked.
"There's someone coming."
"What?" Motoko asked. "Where?"
"Up the front steps. I put sensors there so we wouldn't have any… unexpected guests." He raised a finger and a ball of light appeared and flew off.
"What was that?" Naru asked.
"A camera of sorts. I can see what it sees. Now, let's take a look at our visitor…"
---
A young man made his way slowly up the steps, apparently in deep thought. He carried two suitcases and a backpack with him. He did not seem to be aware of a small glowing sphere hovering among the trees behind him.
---
"Well, who is it?" Naru asked.
"Well," Sean said, his eyes emitting a pale glow, "for starters, it's a guy."
"A guy?!" Motoko said, clenching a fist. "Why is a guy coming here?"
"I don't know that, now do I?"
"What does he look like?" Kitsune asked, a small grin on her face.
"Hmm, about 5 and a half feet tall, black hair, glasses similar to mine."
"I'll get rid of him." Motoko started to get up.
Sean made a devilish grin. "No. I have a better idea."
Kitsune recognized that smile. She has used that expression herself many times before; she knew he was planning something. "What do you think we should do?"
"I think you and Naru should go greet our guest."
"That's it?" Kitsune asked. She was a bit disappointed that this was his big idea.
"Nope. Don't even let him introduce himself. Just get him to my room. On the way, make things very… uncomfortable for him, if you catch my drift."
"You don't mean--" Naru started.
"--using our feminine wiles to drive him crazy." Kitsune knew where Sean was going.
"Exactly. Use any means necessary to make an awkward situation. By looking at him, I don't think it will take much effort."
"What should we wear?" Kitsune wondered out loud.
"You could change into towels for all I care, as long as you eventually herd him to my room. I'll be there watching the show."
"Sure thing." Naru said, beginning to like the idea of torturing the intruder. They got up to get ready.
"Have fun. Take your time."
"What about us?" Suu asked, wanting to be part of the plan.
"The rest of you will be helping me set up the rest of my plan in my room. We'll follow up his torture in heaven with torture in hell."
"You're not going to hurt him, are you?" Shinobu asked.
"Nah, by the luggage he's carrying, he plans on staying for a while. If that's the case, Motoko and Naru will get him soon enough."
"Hold on, I thought you said you would be watching Naru and Kitsune," Motoko said, a bit confused.
"We will. You remember that light I sent? I'll get the images to be displayed on the TV in my room. We'll all enjoy the show."
---
The young man eventually made it to the front door of Hinata-Sou. He looked the building over a bit before knocking.
A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal two goddesses in swimsuits standing before him.
"Hello there." One of them said. She had beautiful… hair. Yeah, that's it, long, beautiful, brown hair.
The man was struck dumb by the sight of such beauty; so much so that he couldn't form whole words. "Uh, um…"
"Look what you did, Naru," said the other one. She was more… more… "I think you killed another one." She snapped her fingers in the man's face and he fell backwards. "Yup. This always happens whenever a guy comes by; he sees one of us and drops dead. We lose more men that way."
---
Sean was laughing hysterically at the sight. "This is priceless."
---
"Well," the short haired one said, "let's go put him with the others." She picked him up and slung him over her shoulder. Naru picked up the man's luggage and followed.
The supposedly deceased had his eyes open wide the whole time, but his brain had stopped functioning. He suddenly found himself being carried and the first thing he saw that registered was the one named Naru. He had a wonderful view of her--
Blood immediately sprayed from his nose, startling both of the girls. The one carrying him set him on his feet.
"So you're still alive. That's a first. Can you speak?" The man slowly nodded. "I'm not convinced."
"Um, your pretty?"
"Well, it's a start. Come with us." She started walking in the direction of the stairs.
"Um, Kitsune…" Naru started.
"What?"
"Look." Naru pointed to Kitsune's bikini bottom; it was covered in blood.
"Oh, I see."
The man was horrified. "I'm so sorry about that."
"Don't worry your cute little head about it." She smiled and began to remove the stained part of her swimsuit.
"Um, are you sure you should be doing that here?" Naru asked. "I mean with him right there and all--"
"Don't worry," Kitsune said, bending over in the process of taking off her bikini bottom, "It's probably nothing a man his age hasn't seen before, right?" She stood up straight and looked at the man, who looked completely paralyzed. She moved her head closer. "Right?" He fainted, falling forward. Kitsune caught him and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess not."
"Let's get him in Sean's room before he wakes up." Naru said.
Sean heard a knock on his door about a minute later. He surveyed the handiwork he, along with Motoko, Suu and Shinobu had accomplished before opening the door. He found two girls wearing one and a half swimsuits, one of them carrying their visitor, still passed out.
"Great job, girls. We'll take it from here, but you're free to stay and watch."
"No thanks," Naru said. "We have to go wash off the blood."
"Your loss." Sean said as Kitsune handed the victim to him. He walked back inside his room, closing the door behind him.
The unfortunate man woke up in complete darkness. It took him a little while to realize he was bound to a chair. He started to fear for his life. Suddenly a light appeared above him out of nowhere, bathing him in a pale glow. "What's going on?" He thought out loud.
A pair of red, glowing eyes appeared out of the darkness. "He's a cute one, isn't he?" The girl's voice sounded quite young.
The eyes become accompanied by three more pairs. Another voice was heard. "Yes, I agree." This one sounded a bit older and with quite an accent.
"You think so? Seems a bit scrawny to me." The third voice was more mature than the others, not to mention lacking emotion.
"What are you going to do to me?" The frightened man asked.
The first voice gave the response. "I'm not sure. What are we going to do with him?"
The next voice came as a shock to the prisoner; it was a guy. "Well, I have something in mind, but first we should find out who this is, so we can laugh as we read the obituaries later on.
"WHAT??!!!" The man was in hysterics.
"Calm down, we won't hurt you… yet."
"What do you want to know?!"
"First off, what's your name?"
"K-K-Keitaro Urashima."
"Does that name ring a bell with any of you?"
"Come to think of it," the mature female voice said, "I recognize that name 'Urashima.'"
"My grandmother owns this place," Keitaro said. "I was hoping I could see her about spending a few days here."
"I hate to inform you, but--" The male voice started.
"Is she dead?!"
"If she is, it wasn't because of me. Have you heard anything about her?"
"Yeah," The foreign girl said. "She went out on a worldwide tour about a month ago."
"What about my aunt Haruka? I didn't see her at the tea shop she owns down the hill."
"Haruka left on her honeymoon about a week after your supposed grandmother did."
"That was close to when I showed up, wasn't it?" The male voice inquired.
"Actually, it was the day before you arrived." The mature voice confirmed.
"Huh. I would like to talk with him alone for a bit, if you please." Three pairs of eyes vanished while the remaining pair turned purple.
"What's happening?" Keitaro was getting really scared at this point.
"Nothing that will harm you--if you cooperate."
"Sure, anything."
"What lead you to arrive here? Be careful with your explanation; I'll know if you lie."
"I have tried to get into Toudai for two years, unsuccessfully. My parents finally got fed up with my failures and kicked me out of the house."
"I see. Why do you keep trying to get to Tokyo U? Why not some other college that's not as hard to enter?"
"I made a promise when I was young. I always try to make good on my promises."
"Ah. Go on."
"Well, I didn't know anyone else to turn to except my grandmother, who owns this inn. I used to be here quite a bit when I was young; it was here that I actually made that promise all those years ago."
"Do you remember who you made the promise with?"
"Um, no. She moved away soon after the promise was made and I forgot what she looked like and what her name was as time went by."
"And yet you still hold the promise close to your heart."
"Yes. Will you allow me to stay here?"
"I'm not sure. You see, there are certain circumstances that conspire against you on that part."
"I'm not following you."
"You haven't been here in quite a while, have you?"
"Not really."
"Well, since that last time you've been here, this "inn" has been changed to a girls' dormitory."
"What?! Then why are you here?"
"I'll explain that later. In the meantime, let's shed some more light on the situation." The eyes disappeared for a moment. The light above Keitaro's head vanished and was soon replaced by what looked like a door opening. He felt the ropes binding him loosen and he was able to stand.
"Go to the living room; I trust you know where it is. There, I will introduce you to the girls."
"Wait a second, who are you?" There was no response. "Hello?" Not knowing what else to do, he left through the portal and found himself in a familiar hallway. He made his way to the living room and found six people seated there; five girls and one guy. Two of the girls he recognized and his face started to get a bit flushed.
Sean noticed the new guy fidgeting. "Calm down. Have a seat." He nervously sat next to Naru on a couch who, along with Kitsune, had changed into something not so revealing. "First of all, I'd like to apologize for what you have been put through. It was all my idea."
"What?!"
"Yes, I knew you were coming and the plan formed in my head."
"Wait, how did you know I was coming?"
"I'll explain later. Anyway, I decided to have a little fun with you. To be honest, it was great to see a guy being tortured here besides me."
"How much have you been through?" Keitaro raised an eyebrow.
"Trust me, you'll find out soon enough. I hope you don't bruise easily."
Keitaro eyed each girl and he gulped.
"I have decided to let you stay here, at least until either your aunt or your grandmother returns." The girls seemed to be shocked by the idea.
"What?!" Naru was almost to the point of sending Keitaro through the roof.
"Oh, come on. He has nowhere else to go."
"Why do you think we would let a pervert like him into this place?" Motoko asked.
"You accepted me."
"Well, you're different."
"In what way?"
"Well, you're not exactly a pervert."
"Oh, please. I have fantasies and desires just like any other man. I just have enough will power not to act on them. Now tell me, what makes you think this man isn't capable of the same?"
"Well, his sudden nose bleed was a bit of a sign," Kitsune noted. "I found that out first hand."
Keitaro blushed. "Sorry about that, but how would you have reacted in my place?"
"If nosebleeds are your biggest concern--"
"No, he may act perverted, try to peek at us or something," Motoko said.
"Well, considering how badly you treated me when I didn't actually do anything--"
"That was just a misunderstanding." Naru said.
"Yeah, sure. Many, many misunderstandings."
"I guess he can stay for a while," Kitsune said. "He pretty cute." Keitaro blushed.
"Then I guess I should introduce everyone. My name is Sean. They are Narusegawa Naru, Konno Mitsune--we know her as Kitsune--Aoyama Motoko, Kaolla Suu, and Maehara Shinobu. Keitaro Urashima, we welcome you to Hinata-Sou."
"Thank you. Um, where am I going to stay?"
"My room." Sean answered.
"Why your room?" Naru asked.
"You want me to put him in your room instead?"
"Uh, your room's fine."
"That's what I thought. Let's go unpack your stuff."
As the two guys unpacked Keitaro's things, a question kept nagging at his mind. "I was wondering, why are you here?"
"I work here. I'm the landlord."
"How did you get this dream job?"
"I applied for it, how else? And this didn't quite turn out to be a dream job. I've been beaten up more times then I care to count. Like you, I thought this was a hotel. I found out what this place really was after I came to from my first thrashing."
"Ouch. Is that going to happen to me?"
"Yes. Yes it will. If I couldn't escape being hit, you can't either. I actually went out of my way to prevent beatings, to no avail."
"Gulp."
"Don't worry, I'll take measures to try to keep you alive."
"Thank you."
"Let me tell you a few things to watch out for. First, Naru is quick to anger, and will send you through the roof if you even look like you're doing anything perverted. Motoko will usually come running as well, eager to take you out with her kendo skills. Any way you look at it, expect a long walk back until I can remedy the situation.
Second, Kitsune is out for her own best interest. If she takes a liking to you, she may be trying to get something from you; money most likely. Also, she can get really out of hand when she's drunk, which happens more often then I'd like.
Third, Suu is a genius when it comes to machines, and she won't hesitate to try out her latest work on us. She also tends to give me a swift kick to the head in place of a greeting; except her to do the same to you."
"Does she hate you or something?"
"Oh no. That's just her way of being playful, but it hurts like hell. Finally, be careful what you say and do around Shinobu. She's prone to blushes and tears. She's especially embarrassed when you compliment her on her cooking."
"Thank you for your advise."
"No problem. Then there's me. You really don't have to worry about my well-being. I've survived more things in my time here than any normal man should. Probably because of my abilities."
"Abilities?"
"Yeah. I have the ability to use magic spells."
Keitaro was amazed to little tidbit. "Do the girls know about this?"
"Are you kidding? I've been teaching them how. My spells were the reason why I knew you were coming, and also how you saw those glowing eyes before."
"Oh. Do you think you can teach me spell craft?"
"Sure thing. It will be on a one-on-one thing, since my classes with the girls just ended yesterday--oh man, what a day yesterday was."
"What happened?"
"Dinner's ready!"
"Thanks Naru, we'll be right down. I'll tell you all the stories of my time here later. You go ahead downstairs, I'll finish up here."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
Less than five minutes later, there was a scream and a crash. Sean hurried to the kitchen to investigate.
"What happened? Wait, don't tell me." Sean looked at the ceiling and found a gaping hole. "Mm hmm. That started sooner than I thought. I'll be right back."
Sean teleported out of the kitchen and appeared in mid air, a flying Keitaro about a foot away. "It's like I told you; you can't avoid the beatings. What did you just do?"
"I tripped and fell on Naru's breasts."
"Yeah, that'll do it. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Hmm. You may not need as much help as I thought if you're not hurt by Naru's punch. The first time I got hit by her, I woke up three hours later. What do you say we get back before reentry?"
"Fine with me."
The pair suddenly appeared in their room.
Keitaro was stunned, but in a pleasant way. "Wow. That was cool."
"Thanks. It's kind of become second nature to me after a while. You'd be surprised how many times I've had to repair the ceiling. Speaking of which, we should head back to the kitchen before Shinobu starts worrying again. Come on, I'll give you an escort there." Sean opened the door and stepped out just in time for Shinobu to run headlong into him, knocking both of them to the ground.
"Are you alright?" A concerned Keitaro asked.
"Yeah," Sean responded, "just a little dazed is all. What going on, Shinobu?"
"I just wanted to know if he was hurt on something." She blushed a bit as she said that. Sean couldn't tell if it was because she was thinking of Keitaro or the fact that the two of them had ended up with their faces mere inches apart after the impact.
"Um, he's fine; better than I'd hoped in fact. He can really take a punch." Keitaro blushed at the compliment.
"How did she know to come here to find this out?" Keitaro asked after he regained his composure.
"I've made a habit of going to my room--one way or another--to recover after each of my 'flights.'"
"Ah."
Suddenly, Shinobu seemed to realize the precarious position she was in. Her face became a bright red. "Uh…" She had no idea what to do. Could she…? Should she…?! Time seemed to stand still; at least until--
"What the hell are you doing to Shinobu?!" Naru screamed as she ran to punch Sean's face in.
Sean glanced around the young girl's head and saw Naru speeding towards them. He shoved Shinobu out of the way just in time for Naru to give him a blow that sent him through the floor to land in the hallway below in a shower of splintered wood and glass shards.
Keitaro was speechless. He thought he had it bad after his attack, but after seeing Naru send his new friend down to the ground floor, he began to realize what risks really came with being here. "To think he has to go through things like this all the time," He thought. "No wonder he was so concerned about my health, but he should be more focused on keeping himself alive then worry about me."
When Sean tossed Shinobu, she ended up with her face against the wall; tears started to form in her eyes. "Why did you do that, Sean?" There was no response. "Sean?" She turned over to find a gaping hole in the floor where Sean used to be. "Sean?!" She made her way to the hole and found Sean sprawled out below her. He wasn't moving and his glasses were shattered.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, Shinobu looked up at Naru, who stood nearby, still clenching her fist. "Why did you do that to him?!"
Naru saw the angry look on Shinobu's face and started to regret what she had done. "Um, I thought he was trying to take advantage of you, so--"
"He was doing no such thing!" Keitaro said.
"He's right," Shinobu said, a bit more calmly. "I ran over here to see if Keitaro was alright and I ran into Sean, literally, and we just happened to land that way." She started to blush. "If anything, I was thinking about taking advantage." This last part provoked some strange looks from the other two.
"What?" Naru was shocked to hear something like that coming from someone so young. "Do you even know what you're saying?"
Shinobu's red face grew brighter, if that was even possible. She was about to respond when she heard something below.
"Sean, what happened to you?!" The three upstairs looked down the hole to find Kitsune and Motoko kneeling over him. Suu soon joined them.
"I haven't seen him this beaten up in quite a while." Motoko noted.
"Sean, can you hear me?" Kitsune said, getting worried. There was no response.
Motoko looked at the three residents above them. "Naru, what did he do this time?"
Naru looked ashamed. "Nothing."
Kitsune snapped her head to face her. "Nothing? You did this to him over NOTHING?!!"
"Well, if you saw what it looked like--"
Shinobu interrupted Naru with an explanation of her own. "I ran into Sean in the hallway. I landed on top of him." Shinobu started blushing again. "We almost kissed."
Kitsune looked at her skeptically. "Who would have started it, you or him?"
Shinobu continued to blush, refusing to make eye contact.
Kitsune raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She glanced at Motoko, grinning. "Looks like someone's starting to grow up a bit, doesn't it?"
"I think we should worry more about Sean right now, don't you?"
"Oh, right." They returned their attention to the injured man. There was a red imprint of Naru's fist right between his eyes, plainly visible under what was left of his glasses. Pieces of glass were covering his face, mostly in the eyes. It looked quite painful and Sean would probably be writhing in agony--that is, if he was conscious.
"I don't know if he can recover from this, even with magic." Motoko said grimly.
Tears started to pour out of Naru's eyes. She couldn't bear to see her deadly handiwork any longer. She turned away and rushed into Sean's room. Keitaro, worried about Naru's emotional condition, followed to find her climbing up the trap door to her room. "Are you alright, Naru?" He called out to her.
"No," Naru said. "I went too far this time. He'll never forgive me for this one. NEVER!!!" She then slammed the door shut behind her.
* * * End of Chapter VIII * * *
Keitaro: Well, considering Sean is a bit... incapacitated, I'll have to give you the send off this time around. (Sigh) I hope he gets better soon. Also, Naru seems to be taking this a bit hard. I wonder what will happen to the both of them. I guess we'll all find that out next time, won't we? See you then! Please respond!