Ghost of Hinata
Chapter 1
10 Years Later
Down at the Hinata tea rooms Haruka Urashima carefully watched as her waitresses flitted between customers. Sighing she lights up a cigarette and inhales deeply.
"Hey Haruka-san, you got a minute?" a jovial voice calls out from the entrance. Sighing again she gestures to a booth. "If you wanted to talk Kitsune just say so, you don't need to yell across the room."
"Where's the fun in that?" the fox eyed girl chuckled. Haruka grunted as she sat down opposite Kitsune and another young girl. "Who's this?"
"This is Naru Narusegawa, she's a friend of mine from back when I was in high school. Naru-chan this is Haruka Urashima, she owns this place." Kitsune introduced them.
"Nice to meet you." Naru said coughed slightly from the smoke. Haruka nodded her head. "So what can I do for the two of you?" she asked looking at suitcases by the girl's feet.
"Well I heard that you're turning the old place up on the hill into a girl's dorm."
"Oh? And where did you hear that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A little bird told me." Kitsune smiled.
"How is my mother?" Haruka asked.
"Fine the last I saw her. She sends her love by the way."
"So what is it you two want?" she changed the subject.
"We want to stay at the dorm if there is any room." Naru said politely.
"I see, and will you be able to pay rent on time?" she questioned them.
"Come on Haruka-san you've known me for ages." Kitsune smiled.
"That's why I'm asking, I know what you're like." Looking at Naru she asks "What about you? You seem a bit young to have a part time job, how will you pay rent?"
"My mum and her husband will be paying." Naru replied.
Haruka raised an eyebrow at her wording. "Will they be alright paying for a place that they've never seen?"
"Yeah Granny Hina talked them into it." Naru told her.
"hmmmm well I'm expecting a few other girls so I'll take you up when they get here. Do you to want something to drink."
"Some sake if you don't mind Haruka-san." Kitsune grinned.
"Not until you pay off your tab." She pointed out before going back to the counter and sending one of her waitresses over to serve them. Returning to the counter Haruka poured out a cup of tea for herself.
"um, Haruka Urashima?" a small voice asked. Turning she sees a small blue haired girl standing shyly in front of her with a small suitcase at her feet. Smiling slightly at the girl she said.
"Shinobu Maehara?" the girl nodded. "Nice to meet you, I'm Haruka and I'll be the manager of the dorm. If there are any problems or you need help with something just tell me and I'll do my best to help you. Are your parents with you?" Shinobu looked down and shook her head sadly. "I understand." Haruka said sympathetically. "Well we are still waiting for two other residents and then I'll take you all up and show you around, OK?" getting another nod she continued "Come on I'll introduce you to your other house mates."
Haruka walked to the other side of the counter and led the shy girl over to her new roommates. "Kitsune, Naru-chan, this is Shinobu Maehara. She will also be living up at the dorm."
Shinobu bowed "I-it's nice to meet you." she said quietly.
Kitsune smiled widely at the small girl. "Nice to meet you too Shinobu-chan, have a seat."
"T-thank you." she replied shyly as she did as she was told.
"Well I'll leave her in your care. Do you want something to eat or drink?" the young girl shook her head. "OK, if you change your mind just ask one of the waitresses." As she turned a weight settled on her back.
"Hiya Haruka!" a cheery voice called out. Grimacing at the loud noise in her ear Haruka reaches back and pulls a tanned young girl from her back and placed her on the ground.
"Su-chan I've told you not to do that." The girl just smiled cheekily. "Your sister not with you?
"Nope just me this day." She grinned. Looking at the three confused girls her eyes go wide. "Hiya Shinobu! Are you going to be living in the dorm too?"
"She your friend?" Kitsune asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Um, well we go to the same school." Shinobu said uncomfortably as Su hugged her.
"Behave Su-chan." Haruka warned. "Well we just have to wait for the last girl to arrive and then I'll take you up there."
"Anyone we know?" Kitsune asked.
"An old friend's sister from Kyoto. She's having some family issues so she asked me to give her a place to stay." Haruka told them as she left to take care of a customer.
Sitting behind her counter with cigarette in mouth and newspaper open Haruka looks up as the bell above her door rings. Approaching her was a tall teenager wearing a Hakama and Gi, a pack on her back and sword at her hip. "Are you Motoko-chan?" the girl just nodded. "I'm Haruka Urashima, nice to meet you. How is your sister?"
"Aneue is well." Motoko said stiffly.
"Well now you're here I'll introduce you to the other tenants and then take you up." Motoko nodded her agreement. Taking her over to the other girls Haruka made the final introductions.
"Girls, this is Motoko Aoyama your other housemate. Motoko-chan, this Shinobu Maehara, Kaolla Su, Narusegawa Naru and Mitsune Konno."
Motoko bowed to them all. "It's nice to meet you." everyone responded in kind.
"Well now that you're all here I'll show you around the dorm." Haruka gestured for them to follow, picking up Shinobu's suitcase for her. Exiting the tea shop Haruka notes that Su had leap on Motoko's back. "Su-chan I've told you not to do that."
"It is alright Haruka-san. I do not mind." Motoko said uncomfortably.
"If you're sure." Haruka shrugged.
Arriving at the top of the stairs the girls stared in awe at the building. "This place is amazing. Why are you changing it into a girl's dorm?" Naru asked.
"It takes too much work to run an inn. I'm busy down at my tea shop and my mother wants to travel around the world. Since a dormitory is more or less self sufficient and the old inn has mainly been left empty for a while it just made sense." Haruka said as she ushered them into the dorm.
"Right, so you guys know where everything is right? The hot spring, bathrooms and kitchen?" Haruka asked them. Everyone nodded. "Well I'll leave it up to you lot to decide your rooms. The only one that you can't use is the manager's room. Also there is a building out back that is very old so don't go near it." again everyone nodded. "Well my mother is having the forms you need to sign sent to me so when they arrive I'll bring them up. If you need anything I'll be down at the tea shop." Haruka said as she left them to their own devices.
"Well, she was…professional." Naru said to the group at large.
"Haruka-sans been like that as long as I've known her. That's just how she is." Kitsune smiled.
"Have you known Haruka-san long Konno-san?" Motoko asked as she shifted Su's weight to a more comfortable position.
"For a good few years now. And please call me Kitsune." Motoko bowed slightly.
"Well I guess we had better decide our rooms." Naru said to everyone's agreement.
"OK! Come on Motoko lets go find the best rooms!" Su cheered an inch away from Motoko's ear and kicked her heels.
"S-Su-chan you shouldn't do that." Shinobu scolded meekly. Su just tilted her head quizzically.
"Shinobu wants to find rooms together?" Su asked.
"N-no that's not what I meant." She tried to correct the princess.
"OK let's go find our new rooms!" Su hopped of Motoko's back and ran off, dragging Shinobu off with her.
"Well we better hurry before those two get the best rooms." Kitsune grinned. Picking up their bags the girls went upstairs.
Naru stretches her arms above her head. She had selected a reasonably large room above the manager's room and had just finished unpacking her things. Getting things in some sort of order she surveyed her room, pleased at what she's managed to accomplish with the necessities she had packed. She would have to call her mother and organise her other things to be delivered at some point but right now she was content. She had found a place with her best friend that was close to her cram school which had its own hot springs. All in all she wasn't doing too badly.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw something moving. Turning around she sees a small boy looking at her possessions. "Erm what are you doing?" she asked. The boy just continued to look around her room. Naru frowned. Moving towards him she knelt behind the small boy, balled up her fist and biffed him on the head. "Hey don't ignore people when they're talking to you." She scolded him.
Rubbing his sore head with both hands her turns around and looks at her with bright eyes. "Are you talking to me?" he asked.
"Do you see anyone else in here?" she asked with a smile. The young boy looks around the room before saying no. "Then I guess I'm talking to you, aren't I?" She rubbed his head.
"Sorry." He smiled apologetically. "Most people don't speak to me."
"Who are you? And why are you here?" she asks.
"oh sorry." The boy bowed. "I'm Keitaro Urashima and I live here. It's nice to meet you."
"Urashima? Are you related to Haruka-san?" she asked curiously. The boys smile widened into a large grin.
"That's my Aunty!" He said happily.
"How come she never said anything about you living here?"
"She didn't?" he asked with a frown. "She must still be mad at me for calling her Nee-san. She always hits my head when I don't call her Aunty." He laughed as he rubed his head in memory. "She always says that I have to show my elders proper respect but she looks so funny when I tease her."
"I'm sure she does." Naru responded, though she couldn't imagine an angry Haruka as something funny.
"I have to go now but it was nice to meet you … um?"
"oh I'm sorry. I'm Naru Narusegawa. It's nice to meet you." she returned his bow.
Keitaro smiled. "It was nice to meet you Naru nee-san. Oh and you should be careful of this." He walked over to a board on the floor and pushed to the side. "It leads to the manager's room." he told her as he jumped down.
"Hey! That's dangerous!" Naru rushed forward to stop him but he was already down the hole. "Are you OK?" Poking her head through the hole she's surprised to see that he had disappeared. "Where did you go?" she frowned. Pulling her head back up she thought to herself 'That was weird. I wonder why Haruka never told us that her nephew was living here. Maybe I should go ask Kitsune if she knows anything about it.'
Knocking on her best friends door Naru waits for the fox girl to answer her call.
"Hey Naru-chan, you done unpacking already?" Kitsune asked trying to sort through a pile of clothes.
"It might have something to do with the fact that I folded my clothes rather than just throwing them in a bag." Naru note dryly.
"You do things your way and I'll do things my way." Kitsune grinned. "You want a drink?
"Not one of yours no." Naru rejected the sake bottle. "Actually there's something I wanted to ask you about Haruka-san."
"What's that?" Kitsune asked as she hung one of her shirts.
"Does she have a nephew or something?"
Kitsune grinned widely at her friend. "You after some hunky guy who's going to get a huge inheritance?"
"No Kitsune I'm not." Naru replied blushing only slightly. "I just met this kid; he was about 8 years old, up in my room. He said that he lived here and that he was Haruka-sans nephew."
Kitsune frowned at her friend. "Well I know she has a sister but I've never heard anything about a nephew. Did he tell you his name?"
"Yeah, Keitaro Urashima."
"No never heard of him." She said thoughtfully. "We should go ask Haruka about it."
"I guess you're right."
"Alright give me a minute and I'll come down with you."
"Hey Yuki-san is Haruka-san around?" Kitsune asked the passing waitress.
"Sure give me a minute and I'll go get her." She replied as she wandered off. Settling down at the counter they waited for Haruka.
"What can I do for you guys? You got a complaint already?" Haruka asked as she approached them.
"Not exactly no. Naru-chan here has a question for you."
"Yeah, how come you never told us about the boy who lives there?"
"It's a girl's dorm. There are no boys that live there." Haruka countered.
"Well Naru-chan said that she met a boy in her room."
"There was an intruder?" Haruka frowned.
"I don't think so. He was only a kid, about 8 years old."
"Probably just a local kid exploring. There's nothing valuable kept up there anymore and I doubt he'll be back again now that you girls live up there. Chances are he just said that he lived there so he wouldn't get into trouble." She dismissed the topic and walked away.
"But he said that he was your nephew and that his name was Keitaro Urashima." Naru called out.
Haruka freezes and visibly stiffened. Slowly turning around the girls flinch at the Harukas hard eyes. "I do not have a nephew. If you see that boy again grab hold of him and call me OK? There's something I want to ask him." Haruka continued to walk into the back room.
"What was that about?" Naru asked her friend.
"No idea." Kitsune responded. "Why do you think she went all weird when you told her his name?"
"She's your friend, how should I know? Naru commented.
"Anyway come on you can help me finish unpacking."
"P-please enjoy." Shinobu said as she presented dinner to everyone.
"Shinobu where did all this come from" asked Naru as everyone stared at the food in awe.
"um… well there was food in the kitchen so I just made something." She replied shyly.
"Shinobu is a great chef!" Su cheered around a mouthful of food. Taking their cue from the young foreigner everyone dug in.
"This is amazing Shinobu-chan!" Kitsune exclaimed.
"Yeah this is really good! Where did you learn?" Naru asked.
"My parents taught me." She said quietly, blushing.
Nodding her head Naru continued to eat her meal. "By the way, did any of you guys see a young boy running around?"
"There was a boy in here?" Shinobu asked nervously.
"Yeah he was about 8 years old and in my room earlier but he disappeared down a hole in my floor."
"Did he come here to play with us?" Su asked, momentarily distracted by the prospect a playmate.
"No, he said he lived here and that he was Haruka-sans nephew." Naru told them.
"Have you told Haruka-san about it?" Motoko asked.
"Yeah she said that it was probably just a local kid exploring but she acted wired when I told her his name." Naru said with a frown. "Anyway she said that he probably won't be back now that we all live here, I was just wondering if anyone else had seen him." Everyone shook their head no and continued their meal with casual conversation.
Once all the food was gone and all the dishes washed up most of the girls decided to try out their new hotsprings.
"You sure you don't want to join us Shinobu-chan?" Naru asked.
"Y-yes. I think I'll have an early night and go to bed." She smiled weakly.
"If you're sure. You know where we'll be if you change your mind." Kitsune patted the blue haired girls head before leaving with the other girls.
Back in her room Shinobu sat on her bed and looked around the unfamiliar room. Pulling a blue stuffed rabbit to her chest she tries to hold back her tears. Nuzzling into the rabbit Shinobu remembered the festival that she and her parents had got it from. It was one of the few happy memories she had of her parents together before the fights started. Curling up into a ball Shinobu gave up trying to hold the tears back and wept.
"Are you alright?" a voice asked. Shinobu's eyes go wide as she sits up in surprise. Next to her sat a small boy looking at her with worried eyes.
"W-who are you?" she asked wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"I'm Keitaro. Who are you?" he responded.
"S-Shinobu Maehara. What are you doing in my room?"
"I heard you crying so I came to see what's wrong."
"I-its nothing." She tried to dismiss the topic.
"Are you sure? You look pretty sad." He pressed.
"I-it's just that this is the first time that I am living away from my parents." She smiled weakly at him.
"How come you're not living with your parents?" He asked with his head tilted to the side.
"My parents are getting a divorce and are leaving the area. So to stay in my school I have to live here by myself." She said sadly.
"I'm sorry." He patted her back. "I miss my parents too."
"You don't live with your parents either?" she asked.
Keitaro shook her head. "Nope, I live here now. Mum and dad don't visit much either." He said sadly.
"How long have you lived here?"
The young boy shrugged. "Don't know but it's been a long time. People don't speak to me or visit me very often so I'm usually by myself."
"You are?" she asked surprised.
Keitaro nodded. "But now that you're here we can be friends and keep each other company right?" he smiled happily.
"I'd like that." She patted his head affectionately. Keitaro responded by hugging her. Smiling up at her he said.
"It's getting late so I'll see you later." He leaned up and kissed her cheek. "Good night Shinobu nee-san." Keitaro stood up and left the room. The young girl held her hand to her cheek before realising that he had left. Rushing to the door Shinobu looked for the boy but he was no where to be seen.
"Are you OK Shinobu-chan?" a voice said behind her.
Letting out a surprised eep Shinobu turned to see Naru in a dressing gown looking at her curiously. "Oh, Naru-Sempai. Y-yes I am fine."
"I thought you were going to sleep, what are you doing out here?" Naru asked.
"I-I think I just met that young boy you were talking about. He was just in my room and we talked for a while."
"You did?" she asked surprised but when she saw Shinobu's red eyes Naru frowned. "Did he say something to upset you?"
"N-no! Nothing like that!" she said quickly. "I-I was upset because this is the first time I'm away from my family."
"I see." Naru said thoughtfully. "I didn't want to ask but would you mind telling me why you came to live here?"
"My parents are getting divorced and the only way to stay in my school was to live here." Shinobu said quietly.
"I understand." She stroked her hair. "Look if you ever feel upset or lonely you can talk to me OK? I know what it's like to see your parents go through a divorce."
"You do?"
"Yeah, I was younger than you when my mum and dad got divorced. Part of the reason I'm here is because I don't get on with my mum's new husband." Naru admitted.
"Thank you Naru-Sempai. I'll try not to be a bother to you." Shinobu bowed gratefully; happy that she has some she can talk to who went through the same as her.
Naru smiled and patted her on the head. "Don't worry about it Shinobu-chan. Now what did you and that boy talk about?"
"Nothing much, he just wanted to know why I was crying. When I told him he said that he misses his parents as well, because he lived here for a long time and that his parents don't visit him. He also said that he was alone a lot. He seemed a bit… lonely." Shinobu said.
"Did he tell you his name?" Naru pressed for more information.
"Yes he said his name was Keitaro." Shinobu informed the elder girl.
"Was he about 8 years old, scruffy brown hair and so high?" she held out her hand to which the girl nodded. "Then he is probably the same kid that I saw earlier. Did you see where he went?"
"No when he left my room he disappeared."
"Yeah he did the same to me… anyway it's getting late and we should get to bed. I'll see you in the morning." She smiled down at Shinobu.
"Good night Naru-Sempai." Shinobu bowed before retreating to her room.
Pulling her robe tightly around herself, Kitsune exited the hotsprings. It had been a long time since she had been to a hotspring and she resolved herself to enjoy it more often. Finding that she was slightly hungry she headed to the kitchen to see if there was any of Shinobu's leftovers still around or atleast something she can nibble on. Walking through the dining room she turned her nose up at the bowl of fruit on the table and continued into the kitchen. Finding no leftovers she scoured the cupboards in the search for a snack.
Finding a packet of Pocky she pulled one out and happily munched on the chocolate treat as she leant against the counter. Hearing a noise from the dining room she placed the packet on the counter and cautiously approached the door. Poking her head round the door she looks for the source of the noise. Discovering nothing in the room, a movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Running up the stairs was the figure of a young boy. 'That must be the kid the Naru saw.' Kitsune thought as she quickly finished off her Pocky stick 'What's he still doing hanging around here?' deciding to get to the bottom of the mystery she quickly followed him up the stairs.
Arriving at the first floor she quickly looked left and right and saw the manager's room door sliding to a close. Walking up to it she slid the door open quickly and called out. "What are you doing in – huh where are you?" she asked as she peered into the empty room. "I'm sure that you came in here." She frowned. The room was covered in dust, the only exception being the small footprints leading to the centre of the room and an apple at the end of the footprint trail.
Walking into the room Kitsune bends over and picks up the apple. 'The foot prints end here, so where did he disappear to?' she looked around the room. Seeing the hole in the ceiling she though 'He couldn't have gotten up there could he?' looking around the room she creates a makeshift ladder. Moving the board above her head Kitsune poked her head through hole. Looking around Kitsune sees Naru half dressed with her pyjama bottoms around her ankles.
"Er hi Naru-chan." She smiled weakly.
Naru went bright red. "What do you think you're doing?!" she yelled as she picked up her Liddo-kun doll and started to hit Kitsune on her head.
"OW! Damn it Naru-chan cut it out already before I fall and break my neck!" she yelled as her ladder fell away from her feet leaving only her arms keeping her from falling.
Putting the stuffed animal down Naru asked "What are you doing Kitsune?"
"Oh you know me, Naru-chan I'm just hanging out. How about giving me a hand?!" she glared at her friend. Once she pulled her friend up Naru restated her question.
"What were you doing?"
"I was chasing your boyfriend." She grumbled.
"What, you saw Keitaro-kun? Did you talk to him?" Naru asked.
"No I only saw him walking upstairs. I followed him up and I'm pretty sure he went into the manager's room. But that's where it get's weird. There were footprints leading to the middle of the room but there was only this apple. No footprints leading away. So I thought that he might have come up through here."
"Nope, only you. He was talking to Shinobu-chan earlier and apparently told her that he had been living here for a while and that his parents haven't visited him in a while. He also told her that he was alone a lot."
Kitsune was silent while she played with the apple. "You know, he might be a homeless kid."
"What makes you say that?" Naru asked.
"Well firstly he claimed that he has lived here for a while but Haruka said that this place was empty and I doubt she would forget about an 8 year old living here. There's how he keeps disappearing. If he's lived here long enough he probably knows all the hiding places around here so he can disappear before anyone catches him. He's only been seen by three of us and I only saw him sneaking food away before disappearing. That probably means he doesn't want to be found."
"I don't think so. He talked to Shinobu-chan when she was crying and he was just looking around my room as if I wasn't there."
"Shinobu-chan was crying?" Kitsune asked.
"It's fine, she was just upset about being away from her family."
"OK, so maybe he's a homeless kid whose kind."
"Still doesn't explain how he acted around me."
"It could be he got so used to being alone that he figured that you wouldn't pay any attention to him."
"That seems like a bit of a stretch."
"Do you mind waiting until I finish before pointing out everything that's wrong with my theory?" Kitsune frowned. "There's also how he claims to be Haruka's nephew. I mean none of us would even think about raising our voices to Haruka's nephew let alone throw him out just because it's a girl's dorm."
"He's only about 8. Do you really think a child could do that?"
"Kids who've lived a hard life can be really good at manipulating people. It's a survival trait, say or do anything to make sure that they are alright, regardless of what might happen to others. Anyway the fact that Haruka denies that she has a nephew makes the whole thing moot and a local kid wouldn't keep hanging around would he?"
"True, but your theory has a lot of holes in it. I mean his clothes weren't scruffy or dirty and he didn't seem to be malnourished or anything like that. Just a normal kid who was a bit strange."
"Well do you have any better ideas about our mystery boy? Kitsune huffed.
"No, it's just that your idea doesn't completely make sense. I never said that I had a better one."
"Well I doubt we'll get the answer tonight. I suggest that we get some sleep and talk to Haruka again tomorrow." Kitsune said as she stretched her arms above her head.
"Yeah I guess you're right. Good night Kitsune."
"Night Naru-chan, don't stay up to late studying or you'll get wrinkles." She laughed as she walked out the door.
"So will drinking sake all day!" Naru called after her friend.
"That was Haruka-san," Naru said as she sat back down at the table. "She said that the papers have arrived and she wants us to wait around in the living room for her."
"When is she getting here?" Kitsune asked as she finished the meal prepared by Shinobu.
"She said that she would be up soon, so we should have time to finish up breakfast."
"That's good." Su said around her second helping.
"You should slow down Su-chan. You are likely to choke." Motoko scolded Su as she ate slowly.
"But it tastes so yummy! Shinobu is the best!" she cheered at the blushing girl.
"As skilled as Shinobu-chan is, I do not believe choking is a satisfactory complement." Su just pouted in response but did slow down.
Finishing the meal everyone migrated into the living room to await Haruka. Switching on the TV they all waited patiently, with the exception of Su who was never one for sitting still. She sat fidgeting in her chair, until her unnatural levels of energy got the better of her. She started to bounce around the room, crawling on the backs of chairs and generally try to keep herself amused. Realising that the other girls had no intention of joining in her mischief Su pouts and surveys her surroundings. Looking down a corridor her eyes go wide and she grins widely as she runs down the hall.
"Hey Su-chan come back!" Naru called after her. "We're meant to wait here for Haruka-san!" Naru and Kitsune chased after her. Motoko and Shinobu looked at each other before the elder girl shrugged and followed. Shinobu looked down the hallway and out the front door with a worried expression before running after the others.
Catching up with the others she sees them all surrounding a happy Su who was sitting on the floor nuzzling the young boy on her lap.
A/N
Pocky -Is a Japanese snack which is basically a pretzel stick coated with chocolate. see wikipedia for more info
A/N from MotorMaster: Me + LAWERS = APOCOLYPES (:P=)