Harmony of One
Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina, any of its characters, or any thing Love Hina-ish. Ken Akamatsu does. So thank him for creating this awesome manga series.
A/N: Woah it's chapter ten again! Okay, I admit a goof in the last chapter, as so honestly put by Vermilion-ZERO, so I'll try to rewrite it. Um…it's not all new, but most of it is from about the time Motoko comes in to "confess and kill" herself. The main thing changed is that Keitaro is slower to do things…um, though this will mean more angst ridden chapters. I don't want to disappoint anyone who thought it might be over soon, but I don't think anyone is ever sad that a story is longer, unless the chapters are just filler junk…so revised and revisited, let's do this again! Chapter 10! Please R&R!
"…" Denotes speech
Italics Denotes thought
Bold Denotes sound effects
Certain Sounds:
GOOMPH! Means Fainting
DOOONG! Means Shock
:blah: Denotes time/time change
A scene/scene change is denoted by an extra line.
Chapter 10: The Difficulty of a Harmony of One Part II
:10:00 AM, February 21st:
Keitaro's Room
Keitaro was doing his own little session of meditation. He had a terrible weight upon his shoulders that would not go away, and it all came about of the little "conversation" that he had with Komachi and Tsuruko. Why had they confused him so?
"They must be wrong, how can Motoko ever like me?" Keitaro asked himself. Somewhere in his brain it noted that he said like and not love, but Keitaro didn't feel comfortable even saying the word love. His very kind nature would not allow him to simply reject anyone who liked him, and though he thought he loved Naru, right now he couldn't even have told you what was his favorite food dish.
"Perhaps if she really does like me, I should just accept it and go with someone who I know is like that," Keitaro mused silently. No! He hit himself on the head – how could he ever forget about Naru? But yet he can't forget about Motoko either. Every time he looked in the mirror or in a reflection from a window he saw Motoko looking back at him! She would never leave him, and it seemed permanently never. They must be wrong, she cannot like me like that! Keitaro thought wearily. He had been telling the truth, though. First of all he believed that Motoko couldn't and wouldn't because she deserved someone better. After all, I'm only a loser who can't even get into Todai after his third try! Keitaro thought bitterly. He also admitted to himself that Motoko would lean towards the way of the sword rather than give her life up and marry him. He felt shivers go down his spine as he thought of marriage. If I actually married someone like Motoko that would be a wonderful thing, Keitaro thought. He felt that the nobility and grace in Motoko besides her physical beauty was very appealing, though he wouldn't tell her that in a million years. Keitaro had already fallen for Naru, but had he fallen for Motoko?
"No…" he said, though he didn't quite believe it himself. "I…care…" he admitted, but like Motoko he had a difficult time of admitting things to himself. Because admitting this might lead to dangerous consequences. He could admit that Naru might not feel anything for him – he was okay with that. Okay, he wasn't, but it was a bigger possibility than Motoko liking him. Even if she came right up to him and said it, he would have a big problem with believing her.
(A/N: New-ness abounds in unbelievable ways right here! Basically, new stuff below.)
"It's just like that; it is impossible," he told himself. He chuckled, scratched his head and stood up. "Maybe I'll go see Motoko about the test tomorrow," he said. Feeling slightly assured, he headed towards his door to leave his room when Motoko slid open the door and entered.
"Oh! Urashima…" she said when she noticed that he was about to leave. "Um…can I talk to you?" Keitaro, weary, nodded and sat down.
"Do you want any tea?" he asked, going over to the water boiler and getting some for himself. Motoko shook her head. I feel warm enough already, she thought ironically. She had once decided long ago, around the time that her sister had been taken away from her, never ever to fall in love, and if she did she would commit seppuku. She didn't know why she hated it so much, but she could not fall in love. Love for her was something…unattainable, like forbidden treasure. She could reach out and get it, but the dangers inside might amount to consequences she would rather not have. What would happen to her sword skills? What about inheriting the dojo? She wanted that so much, and yet…she didn't know. Love had once been something far, far away, like that stars, but now it had revealed it's true nature and Motoko didn't like what she saw.
She fingered the short knife she was holding. Life was so so short and she had to have been cursed.
"So…" Keitaro said, coming back with two tea cups that he had brought despite Motoko's answer of no. He placed them on the table, one in front of him, and one in front of her. Motoko eyed hers, but ignored it and swallowed, trying to strengthen his resolve. "What do, uh, you want to talk about?" He picked his tea cup and almost dropped it trying to take a sip.
"I…" Motoko started, but stopped. She had decided two things early on: first that if she would ever fall in love, then she would kill herself. Nothing else was possible nor could be possible. And two – this was the hard part – she would tell the person of her admiration that she did before killing herself. Plainly committing seppuku was easy; honor was something bred into her that she could not rid, but matters of love were distant and she was unfamiliar so that she had to sit in her room for a very prolonged period before deciding to come to Keitaro. Nervous still, she had a hard time formulating the words, the three simple words that could change a life. It may be fate, she thought glumly, but it doesn't mean I like it. She briefly wondered again how she had come to this point, but the passing thought disappeared as Keitaro stared at her with her own face, reminding her of what she seemed to feel: love. She hadn't just meditated for nothing – she was going to spill her guts, figuratively and literally.
"I…" Motoko started again, but oddly enough Keitaro stopped her.
"Look…I'm really sorry," Keitaro began. Huh? What? No, you can't stop my flow! Motoko thought. "I know that I was being over-eager in this thing, but I just wanted to…I have something I absolutely must tell you." Motoko froze – did he mean to…? No… she thought. He couldn't…
"You see, I know that we have had our differences, and that life has thrown us one heck of a curve ball. After, uh, having a discussion with your sister, it seems that things aren't going to be well for a while," Keitaro said. Motoko listened for the point without moving. Keitaro scratched his head and continued. "Look, I know we can't seem to get along, after all before this mess there were many things I did wrong and many things that I could have done to help, but perhaps that is after all why we got into this mess. Me being you hasn't helped nor has you being me. I have the most important test of my life tomorrow and you need to get back into school. I guess what I'm trying to say is that could we make up? You know, put aside our differences and be just friends?" Keitaro waited for an answer while Motoko released a breath she had been unaware she had been holding. She felt strangely disappointed and empty, but she knew what we she had to say. No, that wasn't quite right. She knew what she was going to say, even if it wasn't right.
"No," she stated, simply and firmly. If I don't do this, I won't be able to do anything, Motoko thought while she watched Keitaro's face droop. Motoko began shaking again, and sweat started forming on her forehead. Again, Motoko was reserved – did she want to pronounce something so dear, so sacred to her and give it to this…man? Was he still a man, this immortal being? Motoko smiled inwardly, and it was the last smile she had for a long time. Swallowing yet again, she spoke. "N-No, but for a different reason, uh…K-Keitaro." Keitaro's attention snapped up. Keitaro? When has she ever used that name? Does this…no…I just concluded earlier that it is impossible! I refuse to accept it! Keitaro thought nervously, but he was fated to be wrong once again.
"Look, I'll just say it once, because afterwards you won't see me again," Motoko said. "K-Keitaro (the word still felt strangely unfamiliar on her tongue, like a new food she had not quite attained the taste for), you see, I think…I know…that I…I…" She tried to breath, but felt like a huge ball was in her throat and steadily increasing in diameter. "I…I…love you, Keitaro." Keitaro almost winced at the words – he wanted to have a friendship to change back, and this blew him away. The words seemed to hang in the air, potent, alive, and seemingly refusing to disappear. Keitaro swallowed as well, silent, his own vocal cords threatening to cease to function. His mind, however, was not nearly as silent. What! How can this be? Why must it be? I haven't done anything to deserve this! She's just too…too much! What should I say? Should I respond? Do I like her back? Perhaps this is the only way to switch back, but this seems wrong to say if I really like her. Okay, I admit that I wouldn't be too sad and perhaps even slightly overjoyed to be with her forever, though I would like my body back…NO! I can't respond, I'll die! Will she kill me? And etc. etc.
Motoko, now having revealed her feelings, continued with her proclamation of death. "I know that you cannot really love me back," she said. She paused, fighting the urge to just run out, but she continued to speak to Keitaro. "But that is all for the better since I have resolved the only way out is to commit seppuku." Motoko stood up, deciding that she had to do it now, before her resolve evaporated. Keitaro remained motionless, unblinking and not breathing for several seconds. What should I do? Why has this…wait did she say seppuku! Oh NO! I must stop her now! With that, Keitaro stood up and jumped out his door.
"Where did she go?" he muttered to himself. "The roof! That's the only place she would go!" With all his strength, he raced up there, surprised at his own speed because in a couple of seconds he was there and Motoko was sitting with her abdomen exposed and a long knife in her hands. Only momentarily thinking that Motoko was also killing his body (He hadn't really thought about it before and even though Motoko did she still decided to kill herself since her honor was more important than the restoration of Keitaro's body.) Keitaro leapt in drawing a bokken from his hip and with a throw and aim he did not knew he possessed, he threw the wooden sword and tried to hit the knife out of Motoko's hand. As expected, Motoko was only momentarily stunned but she still retained her grip and shouted at Keitaro to leave.
"Go away, Urashima!" she shouted. Keitaro didn't seem hear anything except he noted with a sad smile that she had reverted to calling him Urashima. He reached Motoko and grabbed her wrist, trying to wring the knife from her hands, but Motoko pushed him away. With a firm resolve she gripped the knife and plunged it towards her own body. As the knife approached her she had a firm wish with her eyes closed that Keitaro would be happy, and ironically thought that even though he would still be stuck with her body it might be possible. STAB! Motoko felt blood gushing everywhere and she wondered briefly why there was little pain. Suddenly she opened her eyes as she felt a huge weight slump against her.
"Keitaro!" she exclaimed and knew with a sinking feeling of horror that she had stabbed Keitaro with her knife.
"Heh," he coughed, blood running down his cheeks from his mouth. "Don't worry, you can't kill me, I'm invincible," he said, smiling. He coughed more blood, then went limp.
"Keitaro!" Motoko cried.
For Keitaro, the obvious thing to him was that he had to jump in between the knife and Motoko – he couldn't let her kill herself! She was so young and had so much life left to live! He had a passing thought that he might die, but it had paled in comparison to the urge to save Motoko. After being stabbed, everything had become a blur for him. He vaguely remembered being carried through the Hinata-sou and riding an ambulance to the hospital. He recalled shadowy shapes of people that he only assumed were other residents and he could pull back the memory of the smell; that sickening smell of sterilization present in hospitals, though it was all a haze. He dreamed of fantastic stuff; he dreamed of death. He didn't know what was happening and the only dreams that he had were odd and he couldn't place anything nor anyone. But he did awake, and when he did it was violently. He sat up straight in his bed, panting heavily. It was dark, pitch black, and a quick glance at his watch revealed that it was around midnight. Midnight…but of which day? He thought. Sadly his watch did not have the date – it was analog. He stayed sitting up in his bed for a while and waited for…something in the darkness. Keitaro heard a beeping characteristic of a heart monitor, but there was no light. Either there are no windows or there are shades drawn, Keitaro thought. He tentatively reached behind him and felt the wound, but of course it was heavily bandaged. He stopped trying and decided it was worthless. Might as well go back to sleep… he thought, and lay back down, causing the bed to creak slightly.
"Keitaro?" someone in the darkness asked. "Are you awake?"
"Who's that?" Keitaro asked. Suddenly a bright light exploded in his eyes and he had to close them. "Ah, my eyes!" he exclaimed, and suddenly he heard a shout of joy.
"You're awake!" And the next thing he knew was that someone was hugging him fiercely. Then he was released and he heard sobbing, but they were tears of joy.
"We thought you might never wake up!" Keitaro's eyes adjusted to the light and he saw Motoko weeping with her head on his legs. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she wept, happy and sorrowful at the same time. "Please forgive me!" Motoko continued to weep and Keitaro who was at that time very confused did not respond. But as Motoko continued to weep, Keitaro's feelings were stirred and he felt that he had to get Motoko to stop.
"Motoko! Don't worry! It's okay, it's okay!" Keitaro said, and Motoko stopped crying and looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"R-really?" she asked. Keitaro found it odd that he saw himself staring back, tears in his eyes which is something he'd never do. It felt…unnatural, but knowing Motoko was there he nodded solemnly.
"Motoko, if I was angry why would I have jumped in between?" he asked. Motoko nodded sadly, but then grabbed Keitaro in a fierce embrace again.
"I'm so happy you're alive!" she said, and Keitaro this time blushed a deep red.
"Um…" he said, and Motoko quickly released him.
"I'm supposed to notify the doctor!" she exclaimed, and she ran out to do that. Soon, the doctor came in.
"And how are you feeling, ah, Miss Aoyama?" the doctor asked, glancing at his clipboard to see the name.
"Fine, how is it though?" Keitaro asked. The doctor began to explain.
"Well, you were very lucky, Miss Aoyama, because the knife did not penetrate any vital organs, though you…did lose a kidney. But don't worry, we removed it without any hitch, and you probably know you can live with only one kidney, though you should be more careful, for example not playing with juggling knives. You can expect to be up and about in about a week," the doctor said.
"Juggling knives?" Keitaro asked, and he looked at Motoko who turned her head away as she suddenly found the pattern on the wall an entrancing color. "Wait…a week! How long have I been in bed!" Keitaro asked worriedly. What about the Todai entrance exams!
"Only five days," the doctor said. "You should be feel lucky that you can get out in a week and a half with that wound. I'll come back later to check…you two probably want to catch up, eh?" While this had both parties blushing furiously, the doctor just chuckled and left the room. This led back to the feeling that was present in Keitaro's room previously.
"Look…K-Keitaro, I've been thinking…" Motoko started.
"Yes?" Keitaro responded.
"I…I know I said some things to you before, and…they're still true," Motoko said. Keitaro immediately started to become worried. Motoko noticed this, and she said "But this doesn't mean I will commit seppuku! I've learned, but what I have decided is that after you get better, I will leave and find residence elsewhere."
"What! Why!" Keitaro asked, still not 100 better so he could not think as clearly.
"I…I can't live in the same building of someone whom I love…it's…I just couldn't," Motoko said, not being able to give a satisfactory explanation. Keitaro racked his brain, and then responded.
"Look, Motoko, I…I really am very shocked and was very shocked when you came and told me that, but…I'm just very confused right now," Keitaro said. Motoko interrupted.
"I can't live there because you can't love me back, and I would not be able to do anything!" Motoko said, standing up suddenly. Keitaro didn't respond and the lone beeping of the heart monitor was the only noise that could be heard. Motoko slowly walked to the exit, but stopped and turned around to look back. The beeping continued for what seemed like an eternity. Yet soon the tension became so unbearable that Keitaro cleared his throat and began to speak.
"Motoko, I know it may be hard, but I couldn't stand you leaving, so could you please stay here? With me?" Keitaro asked. Motoko, on the edge of decision, didn't reply immediately but she did.
"I'm…very sorry, but I cannot, you see Keitaro, I have some things to prepare, but everyone doubtless by now has been notified and they can see you," Motoko said, and she left. The empty room seemed to threaten Keitaro and he looked away, but there was a mirror and he gazed longingly at the form of Motoko that seemed just as sad. Outside, Motoko was leaning against the door and was thinking hard. She didn't know what to do, but necessity pushed her to what she thought she ought to, so she left.
Hospital Stairwell
Naru, Su, Tsuruko, Shinobu, Kitsune, Komachi, Sakura, and Haruka marched up the stairs having received word from the doctor. Keitaro had woken up!
"I can't wait to see Sempai!" Shinobu said with delight, and she hugged her arms around herself. They all were glad that Keitaro had woken up and were chatting lightly, not really focused on what they were chatting about but chatting nonetheless. BUMP!
"Excuse me," Naru said, as she bumped into someone who muttered a reply and quickly left down the stairs. "Well, that was rude," Naru commented. She turned back to Kitsune to resume their conversation.
"Hey wasn't that our dead manager?" Kitsune asked. In the days of Keitaro's hospitalization, they had referred to Motoko as the "dead" manager, partly because it was funny, and partly to not even think about the fact that Keitaro might not wake up. A way that people often deal with serious and grave matter like this were to joke about them.
"Was it?" Naru asked. "Did anybody see?" Su raised a hand.
"Ooh! Ooh! I can go look!" Su said.
"Hey, I want to go to!" Sakura cried out, but Tsuruko shushed both of them.
"I will go and search for my sister," she said, and she turned around and walked down the stairs. The group watched her go down the stairs, and when she was out of sight, they looked up.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Haruka asked, and the troop continued to walk up the stairs.
Keitaro's Hospital Room
Keitaro tried to go back to sleep, but from the impending feeling of dismay he had and the anxiety that everyone else might come kept him awake. What should I do? Do I love Motoko? His brain answered for him. Yes. But he wasn't sure that it was enough. Being the guy that he was he couldn't tell anyone that he loved them if he even had an inkling of a doubt – it just wasn't fair, he didn't want to play with anyone's emotions like that. He doubted that he could stop loving Naru, but in all honesty to himself he was getting more and more dispirited about Naru, because she didn't say anything. A hint, a word, anything was all he needed. Why was Naru so…reluctant, why would it be like this? The door banged open suddenly, causing Keitaro to turn around and look towards the door like any person when suddenly to his dismay he saw a brown-haired, green eyed girl enter. Morita Noriko!
"Aha, it's you!" she said, pointing an accusatory finger at Keitaro. Keitaro looked around, hoping for someone else to be there – did he have to deal with her himself? "I heard about it all!" Keitaro was taken aback; did she mean on the roof? Did anyone else even know about it?
"You got what you deserved!" she said, sticking her tongue out at her, obviously with no tact whatsoever considering that Keitaro had almost died. Morita Noriko looked around, though, ignoring Keitaro.
"Um…what are you doing?" Keitaro asked.
"Looking, for Keitaro-sama," she said.
"Oh," Keitaro said, but Noriko ignored him. Finally, after coming to a conclusion that Keitaro was not anywhere in the room and actually no one else was in the room, she turned to him.
"Where is he?" she asked with a reluctance that showed she would rather ask someone, anyone else. Keitaro was tempted to say "right here," but he definitely didn't want to confuse anyone else or let anyone else on the secret.
"I don't know," he answered honestly, because he didn't know where his body was. Noriko frowned and crossed her arms in frustration. Keitaro sighed and turned over, facing the wall where a mirror showed him Motoko again. He closed his eyes. He heard the door open and he assumed that Noriko had left.
"Sempai!"
"Keitaro!" THUD! Keitaro suddenly felt a heavy weight land on him and a piercing pain shot through his back because of it.
"Ow!" he moaned, and when he turned around he saw Naru, Sakura, Komachi, Su, Kitsune, Shinobu, and even Haruka!
"Aunt Haruka!" Keitaro exclaimed. SLAP!
"Haruka-san!" Naru cried out in alarm. "You can't hit him!" While Keitaro was rubbing his face, Haruka suddenly realized she had hit an injured person.
"Sorry, reflex," she apologized, but Keitaro didn't care much.
"Hello everyone, I'm sorry I can't get up, but—" Keitaro said, but Naru interrupted.
"Don't worry about it, we're just glad you woke up! We thought you might have…" She didn't finish, not wanting to say the word die, but Keitaro did.
"Died? Don't worry, I'm invincible!" Keitaro joked, and this caused a nervous laughter. The laughter died down, however, and no one really said anything for a while. The uncomfortable silence was only broken by the door opening and Tsuruko entering. She paused as everyone looked at her, since there was nothing else to do.
"Hello," she said waving. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Keitaro said, but Tsuruko shook her head in a scolding manner.
"Uh uh uh, it seems like you are very over optimistic, you just got stabbed in the back!" This comment spurred on many others and soon a comfortable conversation struck up.
"Yeah, Keitaro-kun, are you really okay?" Komachi asked. Keitaro nodded, top which Su and Sakura in an almost scary synchronization jumped up and shouted,
"Yippee!" They both landed on Keitaro which painfully reminded Keitaro of the time he broke his leg, though this was much, much, much worse.
"YEOW!" he squeaked, and Su and Sakura froze for a moment, still on top of Keitaro they looked at him.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked. Komachi and Naru, who had fainted now sprung into action.
"Get off!" Naru shouted, pulling on Su's leg. Komachi got Sakura's but they both held on the side of the bed.
"Hey! We want to stay with Keitaro!" they moaned loudly. After a brief tussle, Komachi and Naru slumped to the floor exhausted. It was around midnight, after all.
"Yay! We won!" Sakura cheered, and they jumped up and down on the bed, causing an inexplicable pain to jolt through his body.
"Stop Su!" Keitaro managed to say. She did, but Sakura jumped one more time causing Keitaro to fly off the bed.
"Catch him!" Kitsune cried, and Tsuruko calmly caught Keitaro in her arms.
"Ho ho, it's just like when my little sister fell off the roof," Tsuruko said, and Keitaro shakily stood up, walked to a wheelchair and sat down.
"Yay!" Su and Sakura were still jumping on the bed.
"So when can you leave?" Naru asked.
"A week," Keitaro answered. "Um…how did the exam go?" Naru, now on a familiar topic started to speak very fast indeed.
"It actually went very well," she said. "Motoko did well too, she said. Hey, Tsuruko ne-chan, did you find her?" Keitaro's ears perked up.
"No, she had run off by the time I had run down the stairs," Tsuruko said. Keitaro's face fell unnoticeably to everyone including himself.
"Oh, but anyways, Motoko did very well. I'd laugh if she got in as you," Naru said, suddenly realizing this situation. "It would truly prove how dumb you are."
"Hey! Dumb? Moi? Need I remind you about that B?" Keitaro asked. Naru snorted.
"Fluke!" she exclaimed, and Keitaro twitched an eye.
"There is no such thing as a fluke when it comes to this!' Keitaro said, and he frowned at Naru.
"Yeah, except for the fact that it's multiple choice," Naru commented. Seeing the high tension between the two, Shinobu but in.
"Ah…Sempai, I made you some food," she offered, giving Keitaro a brown paper bag.
"Oh, thanks Shinobu-chan!" Keitaro said, and she beamed brightly. Keitaro started to put the bag aside, thought better of it and started to eat.
"Food!" Su cried out in joy. She was held back by Shinobu this time.
"Su!" Shinobu cried. "That's for Sempai! You can have some when we get back!" Su stopped struggling and smiled.
"All right!" she said.
"So Keitaro…what really happened?" Kitsune asked as Keitaro ate.
"Hmm?" Keitaro asked back. He was hoping to avoid this touchy subject.
"Well…all we know is that someone got hurt playing with knives, but we doubt it was really that," Kitsune said.
"Ah…" Keitaro didn't reply immediately. "I don't really want to talk about it…"
"I'll tell you!" Noriko shouted coming in.
"Au!" Shinobu cried, instantly recognizing who it was, her mortal enemy and love rival. No one else did, however.
"Um…who are you?" Komachi asked. Everyone else had the same question.
"What? You don't know the number one fan of Urashima Keitaro!" Noriko cried out in dismay.
"Eh?" Sakura asked. Noriko fumbled and took out her wallet.
"Look! I have a picture!" she said, and indeed there was a small picture of Keitaro she had taken who knows when. "I also have at home a lovely 4 feet by five feet blow up of him! I once snagged a napkin he wiped his mouth on, and his picture is printed on my pillow case, is the background to my computer, he's on my t-shirts and even printed on my panties! I can show you!" Noriko cried out.
"GAH!" Naru, Kitsune, and Haruka cried out. "Don't show us don't show us!" Su, for better or for worse, was curious.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yup!" Noriko said. She suddenly changed her demeanor. "Wait, but I can tell you what that horrid horrid girl has been doing behind my back!" She again motioned towards Keitaro who only trembled in fear – first in fear of Noriko and second in fear of the other girls finding out what happened.
"Don't worry, it's really nothing…" Keitaro started. Noriko glared at him so badly that he couldn't have felt any worse if you had stuck an arrow through his arm at that point.
"Lies!" she cried, and Keitaro cringed again. She was true, but did it have to come out this way? Perhaps if I tell them, it will be better than the story being related by someone who hates me, Keitaro thought. But as he did, it was too late for Noriko had already started talking.
"I was innocently spying on the utterly handsome Keitaro-sama (here her eyes glazed over) in a perfect as usual pose, sitting in his room. The view was perfect and I was in total bliss, but then that…that girl (she still couldn't say "Motoko")! She must have fazed his mind, because she left and visited…that girl! Then he proceeded to with a total lack of appreciation for my feelings or anyone else's do something absolutely horrid. That girl not only ruined my perfect bliss I was in watching Keitaro-sama (the glaze came over her eyes again) she had the nerve seduce the pure Keitaro-sama into confessing to that girl! (Naru gasped) Then, that girl must have only abused poor Keitaro-sama, because the next thing I knew was he ran away and tried to kill himself. Luckily, that girl (she pointed a finger again at Keitaro) must have felt some remorse and stopped Keitaro-sama from killing himself, but she got what she deserved, that stupid evil seductress!" Noriko ended in this tone, accusing Keitaro with every nerve, every word she spoke was aimed at making Keitaro look bad. Okay, in truth it wasn't Keitaro but Motoko, but you get the idea.
"Seductress?" Kitsune asked, raising an eyebrow in her expert manner that Keitaro feared.
"N-no, it was nothing like that!" Keitaro said.
"It was it was! Don't deny it, you hateful person! Out of everybody on the planet, I hate you the most!" Noriko proclaimed loudly, and Keitaro felt an inexplicable feeling of intense sadness. He had never felt like this before, such intense hatred, and partly due to his personality while he was a failure at getting any girls, being smart, pr getting into Todai (basically at life), no one actually hated him so much. The time when he and Naru had a big fight after they had both failed, her for the first time and him for the third came no where near the hatred Keitaro felt passed through this one person to him. What was her problem anyways?
"Look…" Keitaro tried to say, but Noriko ignored him.
"Do any of you know where Keitaro-sama went?" Noriko said. Tsuruko answered.
"He left already – I suspect feelings of guilt," Tsuruko said as much to Keitaro as to Noriko. Noriko's face lit up.
"Really? I have to go find him!" Noriko exclaimed, and she finally left. Naru closed the door and locked it behind her.
"Finally!" Keitaro cried in relief, and he felt he could finally breathe without being accused that his very existence was a threat.
"So…is it true?" Kitsune asked. Keitaro made a double take – he had forgotten about this little fact of confession by Motoko.
"Uh…maybe?" Keitaro replied. Tsuruko sighed.
"Look, we know it's true, Keitaro-kun, my dear little sister confessed to you that morning!" Tsuruko exclaimed. Keitaro reddened slightly.
"Aha!" Sakura exclaimed.
"He's turning red!" Su shouted.
"IT'S TRUE!" they both yelled.
"Enough enough already!" Keitaro cried out, trying to calm them down. "Yes, it's true, she did confess. What Morita Noriko said is true, she confessed and tried to kill herself which is how I ended up here." Kitsune, Tsuruko, and the rest were dumbfounded. Okay, it's not like they wanted Motoko to die (and kill of Keitaro's body) either, but to put yourself in front of the knife without any thought of death…it was unbelievable! Just simply unbelievable! Naru thought. If I tried to kill myself would he do the same for me? Naru asked herself.
"Wow, that's really cool, Keitaro-kun!" Komachi said. "I'm SO glad you saved her!" And Komachi showed her appreciation with a big chaste hug.
"Eep!" Keitaro squeaked. When Komachi let go, Sakura and Su were whining.
"I want to do that too!" Sakura said. "Unfair that only Komachi gets to hug Keitaro!" With that, she proceeded to follow her own whims of appreciation, hugging Keitaro really tight.
"Sakura…you'll…pop…the…stitches!" Keitaro managed to choke out as Sakura grabbed Keitaro with all her might.
"Me! Me!" Su cried, but Haruka stopped her.
"That's enough," she said. Su pouted and said,
"Awww! Not fair!" The doctor proceeded to enter in at this point, causing everyone to look at his direction.
"Oh, everyone's here! Good, but I'm sorry, it's about time you folks headed on home. You can't stress Miss Aoyama too much!" The doctor laughed.
"Ok, we'll leave very soon," Tsuruko said.
"Sure, oh, and Miss Aoyama? Here are the pills you should take. They're just basic painkillers, nothing too strong." The doctor put a bottle of pills on the desk beside Keitaro's bed.
"Don't worry, she should be up and about in a week, at most. She already seems better already, considering she managed to get out of the bed. Now I have to go home and sleep, and so should everyone else in this room, so good night!" The doctor waved and left.
"We should leave, c'mon Su, Sakura," Haruka ordered, and everyone said goodbye, promising to visit tomorrow. Shinobu also promised to bring more food to Keitaro and when they all left, Keitaro fell into a blessed dreamless sleep.
:Saturday 28th of February:
Motoko's Room
"Do you want to go and visit?" Tsuruko asked. Motoko shook her head. Tsuruko sighed deeply, because every time she asked Motoko had declined going. After finding out that he was okay and would be out soon, Motoko had withdrawn all contact with Keitaro, and the other residents as well, because she didn't want them telling him about her.
"Why not, little sister?" Tsuruko asked. Motoko didn't answer, and Tsuruko who had been standing next to a sitting Motoko, sat down as well. She prepared to tell Motoko something which they had promised not to – that they knew about the confession.
Last night on the journey home they had all discussed it and were either happy, disappointed, or just confused about the confession that Motoko had made. Naru especially had been disappointed, and though she wouldn't tell anyone else it was mainly in herself. She had spiritually beaten herself up because even Motoko could confess while she couldn't, Motoko the "I hate all males, they should all just die" advocator. She had been the last one to accept Keitaro, but now she was the first one to confess? Anyways, they decided it was something they would wait for Motoko to tell them, but after multiple tries to force the truth out, she had locked herself in her room and kept silent.
"I know, little sister," Tsuruko said. Motoko's stolid exterior flinched for only a moment, but Tsuruko picked it up. "Aha! I know what you're thinking. Do you think I could have been your sister for so long without me knowing you deep down inside? I know you confessed to Keitaro-kun!" This time it wasn't a mere flinch that Motoko released – her whole body twitched and she fell over.
"What!" Motoko asked. Her expression was so comical and so like Keitaro that Tsuruko started laughing.
"Dear sister," she said, laughing, "you didn't think you could hide it from me, did you!" Motoko looked down at herself sheepishly.
"Well…I thought Keitaro might keep it a secret…" Motoko said. "But I guess that there was no reason to…plus he would bow to anybody's whim, since he has no spine!" Tsuruko laughed.
"Motoko, perhaps you should visit him. He's coming home soon," Tsuruko said. Motoko frowned.
"I…can't," she said. "In fact, when he returns home, I plan to leave. I'm going to go training somewhere in the mountains." Tsuruko clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"No you're not, I won't let you," she said. "You should be here, since you were the one that put him in, and that's final!" Her sister stood up and her eyes glinted with the "evil" eye.
"Okay, okay!" she said. Tsuruko calmed down.
"You know, he's probably contemplating right now what he should do. He won't do anything so brash. Believe me, Motoko-chan," Tsuruko said.
Keitaro's Hospital Room
"I wonder what's for lunch?" Keitaro asked himself.
A/N: Okay, I hope this chapter was more satisfactory, but I bet that the story has now be lengthened for about five chapters! Well…actually not, but this is lighter and seems to me a better revision. I thank the people who bothered to review and tell me honestly that the last one was a bad chapter, that is what reviews are for! Please R&R!