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: All-righty, chapter 16! Hopefully, we'll come to the end of this soon so I can label it DONE and then I won't feel guilty for writing other stories. I recall one person saying it's boring…well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but all things have this progression, and my stories always do as well. Although, I haven't focused on this one for a while, so we'll see how I progress from here. This should prove to be interesting. Thanks for reading, and please R&R!
"…" Denotes speech
Italics Denotes thought
Bold Denotes sound effects
Certain Sounds:
GOOMPH! Means Fainting/Face-Faulting
DOOONG! Means Shock
:blah: Denotes time/time change
----------------------------------- Denotes a scene/scene change
Chapter 16: The Epilogue of a Naru Attack
:6:00 pm, still March 6th:
------------------------------Hinata-Sou Downtown Park----------------------------
There was still a sense of awe and amazement and the audacity of Naru. Did she? Had she? Thoughts like these passed through everyone's mind, and they had no idea what to say. Naru's eyes still flowed with tears freely, and she suddenly burst into a sprint out of the park.
"Wait!" Komachi cried, breaking the silence as Naru sprinted away. "Naru-chan!" It was to no avail. Naru continued to sprint away, away into the distance towards one could only assume, home.
"We have to help her!" Shinobu cried. "Naru-sempai shouldn't be left like that!" But no one moved still. Finally, Naru disappeared into the horizon. Shinobu was at a loss at what to do. She herself couldn't believe what Naru-sempai had done, but still did that mean she deserved to be treated like that? No! Shinobu thought firmly. Following this decision, she sprinted towards Naru-sempai. If no one else was going to do anything, she was. She ran fast, possibly faster than she ever had. If she didn't catch her now, then she would never ever forgive herself.
"Should we follow?" Komachi asked, pointing to the retreating figure of Shinobu. Still, no one moved.
"I think," Sakura suddenly put in, "we should split up. Half of us go find Keitaro, and the other half go catch Naru-chan. Shinobu's right, she can't be left like that. Okay, I'll go get her then!" Sakura started running towards Shinobu. "Mo-chan and Komi-chan, go get Keitaro!" She also disappeared into the distance. Motoko and Komachi stood there for another second.
"I guess," Komachi said, "We should go." She looked at Motoko. Motoko was still sitting on the bench; her face had a strange expression that Komachi couldn't quite discern: was it anger? Hate? Sadness? Motoko suddenly stood up.
"Let's go," she ordered. "Morita Noriko must have already left to find him!" Komachi looked around her and indeed saw that she and Hisaki had disappeared. Probably the moment he got hit, Komachi thought. Motoko started running towards the direction Keitaro was hit, which was incidentally the exact opposite direction Naru had run away to.
"Wait up!" Komachi called, and started to run as well.
----------------------Along the Streets of Downtown Hinata-Sou------------------------
Tears are a funny thing. They can be used to express two totally different emotions; one an intense joy and laughter, the other intense pain and sadness. What causes this to be so? Do they just appear when our emotional side is jerked so hard our body reacts in this way?
This is why Naru was crying. She herself couldn't have told you why she was crying, only that something vital had changed in her, something that she couldn't catch. The wild beast known as love seemed to elude her and perhaps it was the despair of ever taming it. She had been so close, it seemed, as she had journeyed far enough to have seen the vicious beast. Why now, when she was so close did it finally disappear into the bush, never to be found or seen again? Would she have to trek through another jungle in order to find it?
"That stupid stupid Keitaro! STUPID!" she yelled on a savage urge. "I hate him! I hope his immortality fails and he dies this time. Stupid stupid STUPID!" She kept on running as she cursed Keitaro for his idiotic behavior. How she ever loved a man like that…she will never know. But the tears…why did they come?
"I'm obviously glad to be rid of him. Now I don't have to antagonize myself," Naru told herself. "No more problems! I should just go back!" But she didn't stop, and in fact when she heard Shinobu and Sakura calling her name she started to run faster. Faster! She told herself. Faster! Why couldn't she talk to them? What would she say?
"I just punched that idiot for being so stupid" was a possibility, but a very implausible explanation. There was no good reason why she did it; if there was, she probably wouldn't be sprinting away as fast as she can from him. This way was the way home, but that was only a coincidence. It was, more importantly, the way furthest from Keitaro. Because he was a STUPID IDIOTIC PERVERTED USELESS DIRTY MORONIC INSENSITIVE UNTHINKING AND JUST PLAIN STUPID DORK! WHAT A LITTLE &$&! Naru was upset. She couldn't stop thinking just how dumb Keitaro was and all of his faults.
"Naru-sempai!"
"Naru-chan!" Faster! Naru thought. What was their problem? Couldn't they tell that she wanted to be alone by herself? She started to get angry now, and the tears in her eyes rose in temperature. Had she been crying all this time?
"Go away! Leave me alone!" Naru shouted back at them. She began to get tired. She usually never ran this much; for one thing she didn't have the time. She had been running for five minutes straight, and her legs didn't seem to want to move very much.
"Naru?" As Naru sprinted by a café she heard her name being called and saw Kitsune sitting down drinking an ice tea. An urge swelled in her to stop and talk to Kitsune; they weren't best of friends for nothing. But then again, I haven't been a very good friend to Kitsune lately, she thought miserably, and added to her sense of self-pity that Kitsune probably didn't want to talk to her either.
"Naru, stop!" Kitsune shouted, but Naru closed her mind. They didn't know anything about…love. They were all too far away, just too far away…Naru closed her eyes for a second. In this second, she felt the urge return; suddenly, she wanted something, someone, to grab on to and she faltered and Kitsune caught her arm.
"What are you doing?" she asked, and Naru suddenly grabbed Kitsune tight and sobbed into her chest, breaking down then and there.
"Naru-chan!" Sakura cried out.
"Naru-sempai!" Shinobu shouted.
:Fifteen Minutes Later:
--------------------------------Opposite Direction, in a mud pit---------------------------
What does a punch tell you? Hate, anger, and pain. Usually, one gets punched when the person punching them hates them a significant amount. Keitaro knew this, yet somehow didn't manage to see it until now. Narusegawa must have always hated him, if she punched him so many times. Why did I only realize this now? He thought as he mucked about in a pit of mud, cleaning his face. Time after time after time, Narusegawa only served him with confusion, annoyance, and pain. He never felt pure hate from her, but certainly could sense the deep feelings of betrayal Narusegawa sometimes felt when Keitaro did…well, whatever he normally did. Perhaps that was from her shallow understanding of things and her tendency to jump to conclusions, but Keitaro knew at this moment that he could never ever love her again. What was it that had lured him in the first place? Her smile, and her occasional kindness. Unfortunately, Keitaro thought almost angrily, if he could ever really get angry, she only puts on that face once in a blue moon, along with her kindness. And now, for doing nothing, he had been socked in the face. And he landed in a mud pit. At least he hadn't changed into nice clothes for his date with Motoko.
"Motoko!" he suddenly exclaimed. What had happened to her? What had happened to Shinobu, Komachi, and Sakura as well? Forget Narusegawa, in fact, bloody well kick her into the gutter of his brain. Where did Motoko go? She was always a frail creature emotionally, and her outlook of this event…what may have happened? Did she go berserk on anyone? He got up and wiped himself off as neatly as he could. He glanced at his watch briefly, remembered it was broken, looked at the sky, and then estimated he had still one half hour until their table at Watanabe's opened up. If he didn't manage to make that, then the date would not have ended properly, which would make him feel like he failed himself, the idea of a date, and, most importantly, Motoko. And right now, he really wanted to end this date well. Because then, he thought while looking around for the direction where Motoko might possibly be, I might be able to have another one.
But there was nothing there. He didn't see what he could do, because he had no idea from where he had been punched. Although, he had been in the park right? He knew where that was…at least if he could find where he was now. He looked around him, but only saw a half-built building.
"Hey you! What are you doing here without a hard hat on!" a burly man shouted, lumbering towards Keitaro. "It's dangerous. Can't you see the sign that says 'Danger. Hard Hat Area'? And who are you anyways?"
"Ah…" Keitaro stuttered. Well, at least I know where I am now, Keitaro thought. The only place in a 10 km radius that had construction was the local mall. The mall was always being added to; it sort of made Keitaro sick, because who needed all that shopping?
"I asked you," the burly man repeated, "Who you are? And how did you get here without a hard hat on?" Keitaro still faltered for a response. Finally the burly man got angry.
"Just get out of here!" he said, and picked Keitaro up by the collar and tossed him out. He stumbled and landed in the street where several cars swerved to miss him. HONK! BEEP! HONK!
"Don't stand in the middle of the road, jerk!" Keitaro managed to barely roll onto the sidewalk without being crushed.
"Phew!" he breathed. Suddenly, without any warning, a crushing weight landed on his back and he was smashed down into the sidewalk, his face inches from the road.
"KEITARO-SAMA!" Oh, you've got to be kidding me, Keitaro thought miserably. "I found you! I found you!" Noriko shouted with glee. Cars whizzed by Keitaro's face, barely inches from taking off his head. Just as Keitaro was going to shout at her, she got off herself and pulled him to his feet.
"Keitaro-sama! I knew I would find you first! It was fated!" Noriko cried happily. She clasped her hands together, her green eyes shimmering at him. Hisaki, who had been forced to follow her, collapsed on a bench in front of a bus stop. Keitaro noticed him wiping his brow with his t-shirt. I wonder what tortures this girl has put him through. Although he's a jerk, Keitaro reflected, he probably didn't deserve what this girl gave him. "Keitaro-sama!"
"What is it?" Keitaro replied. Noriko jumped up and down excitedly.
"I'm so glad you're talking to me! I know that you have to love me! This is proof!" Noriko said. Keitaro sighed; he had been thinking about what he had to say to this girl and with a great effort decided to go through with it.
"Look," he said, and regretted starting like that when Noriko's eyes brightened. "Look, I have to tell you to stop following me. I…I appreciate you might find someone like me desirable,"
"I do! I do! You're the best, Keitaro-sama! No one else comes even close to your ultimate perfection!" Noriko told him eagerly.
"But I do not and cannot reciprocate the same feeling. I want you to stop following me because, frankly, you're beginning to be an irritation," Keitaro finished. Morita Noriko stood there silent for a moment. This moment, however, lasted a lot longer than the 60 seconds that it actually did last. Noriko's face started sad, turned blank, then contorted into a frown. Suddenly, she started to shout.
"NOOOO! NOOOOO! THAT'S NOT FAIR!" She started to cry, tears pouring down her face. "IT…IT CAN'T BE!" she broke down on the sidewalk. Hisaki, who had been simply resting on the sidewalk, looked over. He looked away, then, curiously, came over shaking his head. Then to Keitaro's complete surprise, he picked her up and she curled into a ball and sobbed into Hisaki's chest.
"You know, I hate this girl," he told Keitaro. "I'm sure you know that. But I just hate it even more when girls cry. It…it's just so annoying. So, ah, yeah…I'll take her away. I'm sure you have someone you need to look for," Hisaki said. He started to walk away with Noriko crying into his chest when she looked up.
"Nooo!" she cried, then tried to get out, but Hisaki held her firmly. "I need to be near Keitaro-sama! It must have been that horrid girl that told him to say that! Where is she?" Where is Motoko indeed, Keitaro thought.
"Keitaro-kun!" Keitaro spun around. Komachi and Motoko were running towards him.
"I'm glad to see you!" Komachi said when they approached him.
"It's YOU!" Noriko shouted, and sprung out of Hisaki's arms. "You tricked my Keitaro-sama into saying that I'm an irritation!" She pointed an accusatory finger at Motoko. Motoko stopped, looked at Keitaro who shrugged, and then turned back to face Noriko.
"You can't trick me!" she cried. "Keitaro-sama is mine!" She glared at Motoko. Komachi felt the tension increase more, and tried to help clean it up.
"Look," Komachi said. "Let me try to explain this to you clearly. No one likes a stalker." Noriko stuck her tongue out at Komachi.
"No one believes you, stupid girl," she said. Komachi looked at Motoko and shrugged.
"Noriko…" Keitaro started, but he fell silent. The tension in the air rubbed people's shoulders it was so dense. He looked from Noriko, to Motoko, to Komachi, and then for some reason looked at Hisaki who was shaking his head...was that with regret? Shame? Superiority? Or perhaps Hisaki simply saw the entire situation as pathetic and this was his way of showing it.
"Noriko…" Keitaro started again; she turned towards him and her countenance immediately brightened.
"Yes?" she answered ever so sweetly, her eyes innocent. Keitaro wanted to sigh and put his hand over his face in the shameful way Noriko was acting; he didn't know the girl, but no one should act like this.
"Noriko, to be frank, I do not want your affection, however good intended it is," he said. He grabbed Motoko's hand as proof. "I'm sorry, but my affections…lie elsewhere." He glanced over at Motoko who was only the slightest tinge of red, instead of her usual beet-like color.
"No no no!" Noriko shrieked. She shook her head vigorously. "I don't believe it!"
"Noriko…" Keitaro said. She stomped on the ground in anger.
"I simply can't—" but before she could finish her sentence, Motoko grabbed Keitaro's face and plunged into a kiss.
"Oh…my…" Komachi stuttered as she blushed a deeper red than what Motoko was blushing at that moment. Noriko fainted.
"Umglh…? Motoglo?" Keitaro asked while Motoko had her face pressed against his; he was running out of breath. Suddenly, Motoko released him and they both started panting for air.
"I'm…sorry…" Motoko breathed, "I didn't know how to shut her up…and…I've never really done that before…at least, consciously." Keitaro looked at her, still breathing heavily.
"You guys are really sad," Komachi said, her face in her hand. "You almost passed out."
"Well…" Keitaro and Motoko both said, looking away. Hisaki picked up Noriko once more.
"Sorry about this…" he said. He began to walk away, but then looked back.
"Motoko-chan…" he started.
"Yes?" she asked. Hisaki opened his mouth, and then hesitated. "What is it?" she asked once more.
"Err…" Hisaki stuttered, then looked down. "I'm sorry," he said, then left.
"Wow," Komachi commented. "That was unexpected." She rubbed her chin in thought. "Maybe Noriko did one good thing…" She trailed off as Hisaki left carrying Noriko in his arms. A silence ensued as the threesome stood there awkwardly.
"Uh…" Keitaro spoke, breaking the silence. "If we leave now we could make it back to Watanabe's just in time…although I am covered in mud."
"Oh!" Motoko answered. She looked at Komachi.
"Just go you two; don't worry about me. I'm…glad you two worked out your problems. I just have to go find where Sakura ran off to," Komachi told them. She waved at them and walked off in the opposite direction.
"Well then," Motoko said, grabbing Keitaro's hand, now a little more comfortable with this action. "Let's go."
---------------------------Local Café in Downtown Hinata-Sou--------------------------
"Waaaaaahhhhhh!" Naru bawled. She was not having a good time living this down. One guy…there was only one guy…ever…that she had wanted…and he had slipped through her fingers. Gone. Never to be seen again. "Waaaaaaah!"
"There there…" Kitsune said, trying to console her friend with a pat on the back. Shinobu and Sakura sat there silently, observing. What else could they do? What could they say? Nothing…nothing except…maybe… Shinobu thought. She opened her mouth but Sakura suddenly spoke up before her.
"Keitaro-kun doesn't know much," she said. "He doesn't know what he's missing." Naru turned to look at Sakura, with a look that Shinobu couldn't quite make out. Was she angry? Was she in disbelief? "You see," Sakura continued. "He simply has a problem, the way I look at it." Au! What is she saying? Shinobu thought. This is not the way to help someone! Doesn't she know that she is crying because Sempai has left her forever? She doesn't, nor has she ever hated Sempai!
"Think about it," Sakura continued. "I may only be in high school, but I guess if even I can see it then you should too. Keitaro-kun has gone out from ignorance. He simply doesn't know that you are a wonderful girl who loves him very much." Sakura stood up and went over to Naru. She bent over and whispered into her ear.
"You see, I think I know why he has gone. You haven't given Keitaro-kun an opportunity to prove himself wrong, and now he has decided that the wrong-ness he perceived is right—that you hate him and wish that he, the perverted loser, would get away from you. And thus, he has done so." Narusegawa was silent. She had no answer. She didn't want to say it…but yet she knew deep down somewhere in the darkness inside of her that this was true; she was the one who had driven Keitaro away. And not only that, Motoko had been there to receive him. What had she done?
"What did I do!" she asked desperately, regretfully. "What have I done!" Narusegawa put her head back on the table now.
"Naru, you have to move on," Kitsune said. She, even throughout all of the years with Naru, had never dealt with her best friend losing someone she had actually loved, and although it irked her now (I mean, I had told her to move on quicker, Kitsune thought), she knew that the only option left was for Naru to move on. She had, so her best friend had too as well.
"I…I can't!" Naru cried. "Why can't I get him out of my head!" She banged her head on the table as if maybe a physical strike might slam Keitaro away. It didn't work.
"Naru look at me!" Kitsune commanded, and held Naru's head in her arms still. Naru's red-eyes shone for a second, and Kitsune felt a twinge of sympathy, but she continued with determination. "Naru…you can't ever get him out of your head. But that doesn't mean you don't have to cut off contact with him, nor does it mean that you have to cut off contact with us either. No one is completely happy with what happened, but you have to let go. Release him; it'll feel a lot better." Naru still looked at Kitsune.
"Naru-sempai!" Shinobu spoke up. "You…we all love Sempai, but with that we all want him to be happy, and, well…" Naru held up one hand.
"I…I know," she said, stopping her tears. "But…it was just all my fault…if I had been a week earlier…"
"No one can change the past," Kitsune told her. "Sometimes things just don't end happily for all of us. But the way to determine if this is an ending or simply a turn of the page is for us to decide. If we hold onto grudges, refuse to forget past loves, or are not able to let go, then we have closed the book prematurely—there probably still is an epilogue."
"There always is an epilogue," Sakura said, smiling. She was standing up next to Naru. "Perhaps if you saw him one more time, the epilogue might come sooner than you think." Sakura held out a hand to help her up. Shinobu and Kitsune also stood up.
"I…" Naru started, and then decided against what she was going to say. "I won't run away." She took Sakura's hand and stood up, wiping away her tears.
"Hey, Sakura-chan! Everyone! Hello!" The group spun around and saw Komachi running towards them, waving.
"Oh! Did you find Sempai!" Shinobu asked.
"Yeah…he went off with…Motoko," Komachi said slowly, as she noticed Naru was in the group.
"Good," Sakura said. "Where?"
"To…uh…where did Keitaro-kun say? Oh yeah, Watanabe's." Sakura smiled.
"Dinner, anyone?" she asked.
---------------------------------Watanabe's Restaurant---------------------------------
"Ah yes," the waitress said. "We have a seat that just opened up for number 258. You two are lucky. Follow me, please." She lead them to a table that had all the usual dressings on it already—fancy pink tablecloth, two different glasses, one knife, three different forks, two different spoons, and a folded napkin on top of a plate.
"Woah," Keitaro said. "Why are there so many utensils here?"
"Aren't you the one who had come here before?" Motoko asked. "Oh Mr. Experienced?"
"Well…" Keitaro started, and here he put his hand behind his head and chuckled nervously again. "I didn't really ever eat here. You see, I always got in line and then…"
"Don't tell me," Motoko said.
"Well…something always came up," Keitaro finished. "Heck once, I almost died during the waiting time." Motoko paused and didn't say anything.
"Ok, ok, that did happen just now, but I'm not lying to you," Keitaro told her. A waiter came by and handed out menus.
"Hello, my name is Torhu, and I'll be your server today. Would you like to start with a drink or appetizer?"
"Uh…water is fine," Motoko said.
"I'll have water too," Keitaro told him.
"…Okay, I'll be back in a moment with your waters and hopefully by then you'll be ready to order." The waiter walked away.
"Well…" Keitaro started, while leaning back in his chair. "Err…" Motoko looked away from Keitaro to the floor, and then looked back.
"Keitaro…I have to ask you something," she said. "And I hate to bring this up, but it's about Narusegawa." Keitaro stiffened slightly, but thinking about what he had decided before, he knew that he had made his decision. Could he go back now? No, if he ever wanted to move on in life, he would have to stick with his decisions he made, even if he made then within himself because he knew that if you constantly go back on what you believe, you will never end up believing in anything or anyone, and that can't be good for you.
"Motoko…you don't need to say anything about her anymore," Keitaro said. He peered into her eyes. "Narusegawa is no longer an object of my affection." There was no hesitation, no stuttering, and no pause. It was the truth and Keitaro's reality.
"But…but…" Motoko started to say, but her samurai senses suddenly made her turn around and she noticed Komachi, Sakura, Kitsune, Shinobu and…Naru? Is that Naru coming over here?
"Narusegawa?" Keitaro breathed. Both watched the little group approach their table.
"Hello, Keitaro," Naru said, her hands twisted behind her back and her head focused on the floor.
"Hello…everybody," Motoko said slowly. She peered at Komachi who shrugged and pointed to Sakura.
"Hello," Keitaro said. Everyone else quietly watched what would happen. Their gazes met; a point of contact was made.
Oh Keitaro…it's too late, isn't it? Naru thought.
Narusegawa…I'm sorry, Keitaro thought.
"I-I'm sorry," Naru said, bowing her head suddenly. Keitaro was taken aback for a moment, but before he could say anything Naru continued. "You know, for everything. I realize that…well…it was all an accident."
"That's…okay. I realize it was all an accident as well," Keitaro said. He smiled and suddenly offered his hand out to Narusegawa.
"Okay," she said, straightening up. She shook his hand. "And call me…Naru."
"Ah…ok…Na-naru," Keitaro said.
"So how are you?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence.
"Just…fine," Motoko said, indicating that she was not fine at all, and it mainly had to do with the fact that Sakura had dragged them over here. Sakura smiled innocently…or perhaps deviously?
"That's great! I knew you two would make it!" she said, clapping her hands in excitement.
"Make what?" Motoko asked.
"A ba—" Kitsune started, but before she could finish Naru had grabbed her and started to pull her away.
"We'll just leave you guys to your dinner. Um…see you later, Keitaro?" Naru said. Shinobu saw Keitaro brighten.
"Yes…yes I will! I'll see you guys all later!" he said cheerfully and waved goodbye to them.
----------------------------------------------Hinata-Sou--------------------------------------
:9:00PM:
"Well he looked happy," Komachi commented as they all walked back to the inn. It was beginning to get dark.
"Why wouldn't he?" Sakura said. She climbed the stairs with vigor, leaping two at a time.
"I don't know…I was just stating a fact," Komachi said irritably. Annoyingly, and to her complete astonishment, whatever Sakura had done or said today had been the right thing to say.
"Well, next time make it a more interesting fact," Sakura said. That was it.
"YOU!" Komachi yelled, and she brought out her sword and with an evil intent swung at Sakura. She missed, but only barely. CLANG! Her sword hit the stone steps and reverberated.
"Nyah nyah!" Sakura teased, sticking out her tongue at her. Komachi hadn't quite mastered the release of ki that Motoko had, but that didn't mean that Komachi was weak in any other way. If you got hit with that sword, you would be out for several hours.
"DIE DIE!" Komachi yelled. She was more athletic than Sakura, more nimble, but she somehow just slipped away in time. CLANG CLANG CLANG! Three short strokes hit nothing but air and stone.
"Man," Kitsune said, watching them run around. "I guess now we'll have to settle for this."
"Ah…" Shinobu said, catching on. "Yes…it's sad isn't it? I guess the Hinata-Sou will be quieter without Motoko chasing Sempai around." The stopped at the top of the stairs and watched the two run everywhere and anywhere.
"WATCH OUT BELOW!" And suddenly without warning, a huge explosion slammed into the ground right in front of Kitsune, Naru, and Shinobu. Even Komachi and Sakura paused briefly. The dust and debris from the smoking wreck in the middle fell away to reveal…
"Keitaro?" Kitsune asked.
"H-hi," he said, waving shakily while trying to stand up.
"Uh…" Shinobu started to say, but a shout overrode anything she was going to say.
"KEITARO! DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!" Keitaro sighed.
"Yes ma'am," he said as Motoko marched up the stairs, picked him up by his collar and proceeded to drag him into the house. He gave an apologetic look at everyone.
"What y'all up to?" Su asked, popping her head out of a second floor window.
"Don't ask," Kitsune said.
"Hey, Naru's back! Hah!" she said, and jumped out and landed right in front of Keitaro and Motoko.
"Motoko!♥" Su cried.
"We'll have to do this later, Su. I have to teach this guy some manners," Motoko said, and she stomped inside and away.
"Woah!" Sakura said, peering after the two. "I wonder what happened? She almost never ignores Su."
"Hmmph!" Su said, crossing her arms huffily. "I'll have to do something about this. Sakura, come here!" Sakura nodded eagerly and left with her.
"H-hey! I didn't punish you properly yet!" Komachi yelled, but they disappeared. Komachi's anger had dissipated by now anyways, and she sheathed her sword.
"Hm…" she said, her hand on her chin.
"I wonder…" Kitsune started.
"What—" Naru continued.
"Went on?" Shinobu finished hopefully. They all looked at each other and shrugged.
"Perhaps we'll keep the noise for a while anyways," Naru said. And for the first time in a long time, she smiled. "Let's go in. I'm sure everyone could use a little sleep."
-----------------------------------------Hinata-Sou Roof Top--------------------------------
:March 7th, Sunday, 5:30 AM:
"HIYA!" Motoko yelled.
"Hi-hiya…!" Keitaro panted. He was not having a good time. He had been awake since five o'clock in the morning, and even though it was a Sunday, supposedly the day of rest.
"Come on, Keitaro. We've only just begun," Motoko said. "Only half an hour has passed." Keitaro looked at her incredulously.
"Only 30 minutes?" he asked.
"I'm glad you can do math," Motoko said. "Now more effort; once again. HIYA!"
"HI! YA!" Keitaro said, taking breaths in between each syllable.
"Keitaro…what did I say about doing that? One breath will get you greater effort. Now, face me," Motoko ordered. Keitaro turned around slowly.
"What are we doing…?" Keitaro asked, but then suddenly saw a gleam in Motoko's eyes. Her devil eye.
"DIE!" she shouted, and swung down. Keitaro was forced to defend by exerting all of his effort into a horizontal block. The hit down was so heavy that Keitaro was forced to his knees. She kept on pressing downwards…and downwards…until her blade was an inch from his face even though he was using all the effort that he contained. Soon his knees gave way and he collapsed onto the ground
"Mo…to…ko…" he gasped. But her eyes blazed fiercely. Keitaro decided that he would die if this continued any longer, but then again, if he released. He closed his eyes and swallowed. He took a deep breath, put one hand on the ground, and then forced himself upwards off the ground with a giant heave and shove.
"HIYA!" His shout seemed to energize his shove, and his body moved half a foot upwards…maybe. But the important part was he had moved at all, Although I don't know what good it'll do me. Perhaps I should just release and die. How was this training anyways? Motoko was so close to him that he could…suddenly he smiled inwardly. SMOOCH!♥
Motoko stiffened, pushed away and stumbled back, breathing hard. She landed on the ground. Keitaro got up and wiped his brow of sweat, also breathing hard.
"That…that wasn't fair," Motoko said. "That…that wasn't what I was trying to—"
"Well what were you trying to teach me?" Keitaro asked. He dropped his sword and approached Motoko. "You almost killed me!"
"Well…" Motoko said, looking away and towards the ground. "I thought you were invincible…and that if pressured you might succeed. You know, that's how I first learned to fight…so I thought that maybe…"
"Motoko," Keitaro said, "I love you, but I hope that you won't try to kill me because of that." Motoko blushed slightly.
"Ok ok…" she said. Keitaro sat down besides her.
"Besides…" Keitaro said, "You have to give me a while before you can try that. It's not like I'll be able to pull out a secret move in a couple days only."
"Ok ok." The sun had just begun to rise, its brilliant rays shooting out from the horizon like an explosion from one of Su's machines. The difference, however, was the sun was not destruction, it marked the creation of something, the beginning of a new day, a new chapter in not only their, but everyone's lives.
"You know," Motoko said, as she leaned her head on Keitaro's shoulder. "I don't think I've ever seen the sun rise."
"But you've been out here every day this early! How could you miss it?" Keitaro asked.
"I've always been too distracted with my swordplay," Motoko said. "It's really beautiful." Keitaro kept silent as the sun entered with pomp and circumstance, now fully showing its rays like it knew that it was the reason life existed on the earth. Higher and higher it rose, turning from a multiple array of reds, pinks, and oranges into a bright and brilliant yellow hue.
"Sempai! Motoko! Breakfast!"
------------------------------------Hinata-Sou Dining Room--------------------------------
:7:00 AM:
"ITADAKIMASU!" Sakura and Su shouted together at the same time. It seemed that somehow the Hinata-Sou had grown by two people: namely Komachi and Sakura. They had slept over last night and now with Sakura, it was almost like having two Sus although one even though one had been hard enough to manage.
"Su!" Naru shouted.
"Sakura-chan!" Komachi shouted.
"You guys should wait for the love birds to arrive," Kitsune said, awake bright and early just to see them come in. She had even prepared a video camera.
"Speak of the devil," Naru said, as Motoko and Keitaro came in.
"Devil? What devil? Does someone need to be exorcised?" Motoko asked.
"No no…never mind," Shinobu said, sweat-dropping. She was still making food because she had forgotten about Sakura and Komachi.
"And why are you two still here?" Keitaro asked, meaning Sakura and Komachi.
"Well, it was really late last night so I didn't want to go home really late. Plus it's the weekend," Komachi said. "And I couldn't get Sakura-chan to go either." She frowned. "I can't get her to do much these days, without Motoko pulling on her reins as well."
"You're right," Motoko agreed. "It is not without good reason that I now do this." She took out something in her palm. "Sakura-chan!"
"Eh?" Sakura replied, her cheeks like a squirrel.
"Catch," she said and tossed a cherry-sized object into her palm.
"Huh? That's one of my—" Su started to say but then suddenly a huge explosion rocked the dining room, upsetting the table, the food, and charring everyone except Motoko and Keitaro.
"Was…was that really necessary?" Keitaro asked, pointing at the aftermath and sweat-dropping.
"Of course. Sakura, you will listen to whatever Komachi says from now on," she commanded.
"Ye-yes…" Sakura answered in a daze.
"And Kitsune…NO MORE CAMERAS!" Motoko yelled.
"Ah! Whatever are you talking about?" Kitsune asked, standing up and brushing the ash off of her body.
"Don't lie. I sensed it and blew it up with that bomb," Motoko said.
"Ah haha…" Kitsune giggled. "Oh well."
"…but was it really necessary to BLOW UP THE REST OF US!" Naru shouted at her.
"Unintended casualties. I do apologize," Motoko said.
"Well," Kitsune started to say with a devious smile forming on her face, "I do believe the unintended victims should be able to request a favor."
"Kitsune, you were not an unintended casualty. You were purposeful," Motoko said.
"No, no, she's right," Naru said smiling as well.
"Ah…Narusegawa…" Keitaro started to say but she continued, ignoring Keitaro.
"And so I want you two to do something for me!" Naru finished.
"Mee too! Mee too! I want you to make me more food," Su said, holding out her plate of ash covered food.
"Ah…I want a favor too!" Shinobu exclaimed.
"Ok ok…I will grant you a favor, as unintended casualties," Motoko conceded.
"Don't I get a say in this?" Keitaro asked.
"No," Kitsune answered for him.
"Let's see," Naru said, "Keitaro…Motoko…you haven't told your sister have you?"
"Uh…no," Motoko said.
"Well you'd better tell her, haven't you?" Naru said.
"Ah…no," Keitaro told her.
"Go. Now. And don't forget the speaker phone setting!" Motoko and Keitaro both hung their heads and dragged their feet all the way to the phone.
"Are you sure you want us to do this?" Keitaro asked.
"Yes," Naru replied. Motoko dialed the number. Please…please don't let her be at home! She thought desperately.
"Hello?" Crap, Keitaro thought.
"Ah…ne-chan?" Motoko asked.
"Ah! Motoko-chan! How goes it? Or is it really Keitaro-kun? Ho ho!" Tsuruko chuckled.
"No, ne-chan it's really me!" Motoko said.
"Really? Then that means…does it? Where is your manager?" Tsuruko asked.
"I'm right here, ne-chan," Keitaro said.
"Oh ho ho," Tsuruko chuckled once again. "So you two are…? Can I say it?"
"If you must," Motoko sighed.
"Lovers?" Tsuruko finished.
"Ne-chan!" Motoko yelled.
"Manager-kun, if you could see me now I'm holding up my pinky," Tsuruko said.
"Ne-chan!" Keitaro shouted, blushing.
"Ne-chan…I had no idea you were so weird," Motoko said.
"Visited any hotels yet?" Tsuruko asked.
"NE-CHAN!" Motoko and Keitaro yelled together.
"Are you two at least engaged?" Tsuruko asked. Motoko and Keitaro hesitated.
"Well…" Motoko started.
"We haven't discussed it," Keitaro continued.
"Officially. But…" Motoko said.
"We were thinking…" Keitaro said.
"Oh I'm so glad for you! When's the wedding! I want to come! I've done this before, so I know exactly what to do! I'll be over tomorrow!" Tsuruko exclaimed and then she hung up.
"Err…" Keitaro said. "Ne-chan? Hello?"
"Well," Naru said. "When's the wedding?" The little group forced Motoko and Keitaro into a wall.
"Yeah, we all want to know. You're not getting away without that," Komachi said.
"Ye-yes! That's what I want to know for my favor!" Shinobu said.
"Don't forget my food!" Su said, waving her empty plate (she had eaten the ash covered breakfast).
"Err…" Keitaro said, looking at Motoko.
"Ah…" Motoko stuttered. She looked back at Keitaro who nodded.
"RUN!" Motoko yelled suddenly, whipping out a blast of ki from her sword with the quickness of a snake and they bolted from the scene.
"He-hey! Come back here!" Kitsune shouted.
"I want my favor! Give me food!" Su yelled. "Take this!" She whipped out a bazooka and fired.
"Su!" Shinobu yelled. "What did we say about firearms in the inn!" KABOOOM! A smoking hole in the wall let them see Keitaro and Motoko just dodge it.
"You won't get away!" Komachi yelled as well.
"Sakura! Where's the ultima we produced yesterday!" Su yelled. Sakura suddenly clasped her hands and, bringing them back as if she were cupping a bug she flung forward her hands and unleashed a huge wave of energy (A/N: Think kameamea wave).
"Ahhhhhh!" BANG! BOOM! CLANG!
Naru put her hand over her face and sighed while Shinobu sweat-dropped.
"Didn't someone say it would be quiet in here?" Naru asked.
"I'm sorry," Shinobu apologized. "I forgot that was quite impossible."
"Nah, don't worry," Kitsune said, watching Sakura, Komachi, and Su fire, smack and throw attacks and energy around. "It's cool. It wouldn't be the Hinata-Sou if this didn't happen!"
"Right…" Naru said, sweat-dropping.
THE END
A/N: THAT'S IT! I FINISHED THIS STORY BECAUSE I HAD TO NOT KILL MYSELF OVER NOT FINISHING STORIES EVER.Although, I probably will add a bit of an epilogue. Hmm….maybe I'll add a sequel? I could write a sequel, this story leads to a sequel. I mean, you didn't even learn if Keitaro got into Todai or not, although that isn't that important to this story. So, how about this: you readers can decide whether or not this story deserves a sequel or not, but I have to warn you. It may be a while before the sequel is written. One other thing: I'm sorry if this couple chapters have been very angsty and mushy (and I also realized that I spent three chapters approximately on ONE day, March 6th) but I'm trying to develop that style of writing because as I write more I come to see the need to actually be able to write romance. But I always try to focus on humor, so I hope I have done that throughout this story. Thank you for reading this story and if no one wants a sequel expect an epilogue to really wrap things up! Please…one last time, R&R! Thanks!