A/N: Hey guys. I'm back.
Su: HEY! WHERE'S MY GIFT?
Chris: Don't worry, he hasn't given it to you yet.
Su: I WANT GIFT!
Chris: And you'll get it. Just calm down.
Su: Well...okay.
Chris: Wow. I did not think that was going to work!
Naru: Hey, what are you doing that face for?
(Chris snaps his fingers; Naru falls and lands on Motoko, accidentally grabbing her, and Motoko trips and lands on Kitsune)
Kitsune: HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?
Chris: Now that is one really ironic joke!
Su: Yeah, I suppose so.
Keitaro: Why'd you do that?
Chris: Well, I thought I'd be the practical joker for once. And it was worth it! (starts laughing)
Naru: YOU SICKO!
Motoko: LET US GET UP SO WE CAN OBLITERATE YOU!
Chris: I'm not stopping you. All I did was distract Naru, which made her fall over. I didn't do anything.
(The three girls blush and get up)
Naru: That was not funny!
Kitsune: Why did you really do it? Naru just did something very Keitaro-like to Motoko-oh, now I get it.
Naru and Motoko: I DON'T! GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!
Chris: You do know that I'm taller than you, right?
Su: Yeah, how are you so tall?
Chris: I have no idea, but it isn't just me using 'author powers'.
Sarah: Wait, so you're actually taller than Motoko in real life?
Chris: Yep. Anyway, I'm going to pause the action here so I can disclaim.
(Chris snaps fingers and everything freezes)
Chris: Quick disclaimer: I do not legally own, co-own, or get involved in Love Hina outside of Fanfiction. I do not make profit or income from this story. I can't, either. Also, the honorifics I use are used as I understand how to use them. I would make them more accurate, but I'm only eight and I can't understand the wiki page for the life of me. Anyway, now to unfreeze the action while I write so I can let them beat me up. After all, the Naru and Motoko we know is the Naru and Motoko we love to see people get smacked around by! Don't worry, I'm the author.
(Chris snaps fingers, everyone unfreezes, Naru and Motoko start beating up Chris)
Chris: Story-ow-start!
|/\/\|
"Ki energy?" Shinobu asked. They were in the bed of the romance suite from the end of last chapter. Read the last scene from then if you think that they did something sexual.
"What's ki energy?" Mutsumi asked.
"Ki energy is the force of life," Keitaro started, more like a wise sage than the old Keitaro. "You see, everyone makes ki energy in everything they do. Whether it's sleeping or running from someone or even staring at a wall, ki builds up in a person's body. However, ki energy is what makes you grow. Some of it is used to grow, the rest is used to run your body. Why do you think the heart muscles never tire? However, only an extremely small portion naturally goes to growth, which is why people grow so slowly.
"But some people make more ki than others. I am one of those people. Motoko-chan's sister is one of those people. In fact, you two are also producing more ki than any of the girls at the Hinata-Sou. It really all depends on their emotions. You see, some emotions amplify the amount of ki your body produces exponentially while others hinder it. Wait, hold on, I'm going to make a light so we can talk a little easier than in the dark." He took a deep breath and his hand started to glow blue. Gradually, it went from a faint blue glow to a light as bright as the lamp in the room.
"Whoa!" Shinobu and Mutsumi exclaimed at the same time.
"That's better. So, anyway, some people are born with more ki than others, too. I was apparently one of those people. When I was young, My aunt Haruka told me I was born with lots of ki. She had this same conversation with me. And when she told me I had to learn to control it. I agreed and took a training course. I learned some martial arts that teach discipline, including Shinmei-ryu. You know, the ki-based martial art Motoko and her sister know? The one Motoko uses a lot? Yeah, that one. My family insisted that I learn the offensive martial arts as well as the defensive. I agreed to give some of them a trial run. I learned kendo, swordsmanship, karate, kyudo, and kung fu. Then my family suggested I try Shinmei-ryu. When I learned it, I was tested by my sensei. When he rushed at me, I hit him so hard, I knocked him across the room. He got up and started attacking me. After all, he was testing me. But, when he got to me, I...I nearly killed him. I used a move he taught me, but it went horribly wrong. I remember that he cannot even walk now because of me. I don't even want to remember what he looked like." This is where he started crying. "I remember saying this," he said. He held his glowing hand, and the girls were seeing a young boy, about seven years old. He was on his knees, eyes already starting to tear up. They were looking at Keitaro's flashback, they realized.
"No. What have I DONE?! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" was what the little boy said, breaking into sobs and tears. The girls looked past him to see a gruesome sight: a man, twenty years old, in a position that would make a pretzel straight in comparison. Shinobu and Mutsumi were scared. Then, the image was pulled away from their minds.
"After that, I swore to only learn martial arts that left the enemy unhurt. So now, I know aikido, jujutsu, judo, and Shinmei-ryu. I also learned everything I just explained to you about ki, including how to control and use it.Plus, I know many weapons' arts, but I don't use them often. Now, what I mainly do in defense is a ki shield I made. That's what you saw on Saturday," he finished.
"Wow, Sempai. I didn't know your past was that involved," Shinobu said.
"Hey, Kei-kun, if you're able to defend yourself, why don't you defend yourself from Naru-san or Motoko-san?" Mutsumi asked.
"Well, you see, I want them to be as happy as possible, so, instead of using my ki shield against their hits, causing them pain, which you saw, I'd rather use it to break my fall. That's why I act so stupid all the time: to not let them realize how I save myself from death every day and to not worry about me. To give them a reason to not ask about it."
"Wait, 'save yourself from death'? What does that mean?" Mutsumi asked.
"I mean that I save myself from getting murdered by them. They hit me with enough power to kill me, but I use my ki to break my fall and heal myself when I land. In truth, Motoko's sword slices and Naru's punches leave scars and bruises on me." With that explanation, Keitaro pulled up his shirt to show them the scars and bruises that still remained from all the secret techniques and punches he used to receive often. Both girls winced.
"Ara, those look awful," Mutsumi noted, eyes wide open in concern.
"Yeah. And these are just the ones I can show you," Keitaro said.
"Sempai, you seem so mature about this. W-Why?" Shinobu asked.
"I put on that hapless attitude to fool them. That Keitaro might freak out at this news. But I am not really that person. It was another illusion to fool them away from the truth. I am really how I am now. When the stakes weren't that high, such as when Naru-chan would hit me for 'being a pervert', I acted as that clueless man so they wouldn't be searching for a truth I didn't want them to find. However, when the stakes are not so low, such as when she was about to hit me after both of you started hugging me, which could have killed the both of you, I used my ki to absorb the impact, meaning it probably felt like hitting a stone statue to her. I became mature when I discussed with the girls about their problems. Basically, I get serious when the situation becomes serious," he explained.
"I-Is it possible for us to learn how to control our ki, Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked, sounding interested.
"Actually, it is. Do you two want to learn how?" he asked.
"Yes, Sempai," Shinobu replied.
"Yes, Kei-kun," Mutsumi asked.
Keitaro smiled. Then he looked at the clock, which read 11:30. "We should go to sleep," he said, putting out the light in his hand, he fell asleep, exuding a comforting aura of calmness and sleepiness. He was out like a light.
The girls, on the other hand, waited to make sure Keitaro was asleep. When they heard a snore, they both cuddled up to him. That's when they were out like a light.
Meanwhile, at the Hinata-Sou
"So, does anybody want to explain the reason Keitaro-san had to call me to handle you girls?" Tsuruko asked sternly. She just came inside from the conversation with her husband outside. Everyone was somber, to say the least. All of them, even Sarah, was sad-looking. Nobody wanted to answer her question, even though they all knew the answer.
"Will anybody answer the question?" Tsuruko asked again, still stern.
After a few moments, just before Tsuruko was about to turn that sentence into a threat, someone spoke up. She said, "Well, I...I...I was nothing but a brat to him, and I never listened to him at all," were Sarah's shame-filled words. She started to tear up.
"Thank you, Sarah-san. At least you can say the truth," Tsuruko said comfortingly, shooting a glare at the other girls. "You are my favorite girl so far. As for the rest of you, if you will not admit the truth, I will. Kitsune-san, I believe you always liked to prank our manager at his expense. Is this true? What about conning him out of money or taking advantage of his kindness to escape having to pay rent? Do you deny any of these things?" Tsuruko said sternly. Kitsune's eyes were open fully, looking down at the floor.
"No. No, I don't," Kitsune said sadly, actually sounding sorry for once. This surprised everyone there in the room.
"I can see that you're sorry," Tsuruko said sympathetically. "I'll deal with you later. Now, Motoko-sama, why have you been using our family techniques on an innocent, unarmed man?" Tsuruko asked, more sternly than before.
"B-B-But S-Sister, I wasn't using them on an innocent man, I was using them on Urashima-san..." Motoko started to protest.
"That claim does not excuse the fact that he was unarmed. Also, are you sure he wasn't innocent? He has shown me how clumsy he is, and that he is not perverted. He showed me he wouldn't do anything inappropriate without permission, and even if it was consented, he would still be very hesitant. He has shown me this," Tsuruko ranted at her sister.
"Oh, no! Don't tell me he took advantage of you too, big sister!" Motoko said, drawing her sword.
But Tsuruko opened Motoko's hand, causing her to drop Shisui, her sword. But she didn't even touch Motoko.
"He did not take advantage of me, Motoko-sama. I would have allowed it, given the state I saw him in, but he did nothing. He was too uncomfortable around a girl, so I simply hugged him. Guess how he got to my house. He landed a few acres from the Shinmei-ryu dojo. After one of your freak punches," Tsuruko admitted gently, putting venomous emphasis on the words 'your freak punches', turning to Naru. This, combined with Tsuruko opening Motoko's hand without touching it but visibly being the cause of it, got a surprised look from everyone. Tsuruko, however, ignored it.
"Naru-san, you are the worst. You are using an uncontrolled punch on a man who you didn't know could defend himself. He is very lucky his body is tougher than an average person, or he would have died. You did consider this, didn't you?" Tsuruko asked facetiously.
"S-So what if I did? All those times, he deserved it! He was peeping in on us and groping us whenever he could! If you ask me, he was making a death wish," Naru said indignantly.
"And that gives you permission to hit him? With an overpowered punch that would kill a normal person?" Tsuruko asked.
"Yes! If I don't knock some sense into that idiot, who will?" Naru argued.
"Who said he needed sense knocked into him? I'm going to let you in on a fact. Those...were...ACCIDENTS!" Tsuruko yelled.
"Motoko-san, why are you hiding behind the couch?" Sarah asked innocently. Su and Kitsune were just as confused.
"Quick, hide! The last person who made her yell now lies in the graveyard near Tokyo. And they were in Okinawa!" Motoko panicked, gesturing frantically for the three of them to get behind the couch.
"Wait, do you mean she killed him and sent him to Tokyo?" Kitsune asked, looking horrified.
"No, she hit him hard enough to send him to the graveyard directly. His grave buried itself!" Motoko answered very frantically, gesturing faster and more frantically than before. The three of them got behind the couch, scared, just like Motoko.
"Naru-san, you are extremely immature! You don't even bother to ask 'What is going on here?', do you? You always just punch your problem away, whether he can survive or not! You never care to notice what it does to the person on the receiving end, do you?!" Tsuruko ranted vehemently, eyes glowing with white pupils. Naru wasn't so courageous anymore. Instead of inching forward, she was backing away.
"There's no way even Naru-san wouldn't be scared by that. I can't think of anyone that would be able to look at her in that state and not show fear," Motoko said, half-fearing for Naru, half-scared out of her wits.
"You...IDIOT!" Tsuruko said, charging at Naru with blink speed. That's when she slapped Naru.
Hard.
Naru grimaced from the force of the slap. There was so much power, she spun around three times before falling down to the ground.
"Tsuruko-san! Why did you slap Naru that hard? Also, how did you slap Naru that hard?" Kitsune asked, panicking a little.
"How is a secret, but why...well, she needed to learn part of how it felt to be Keitaro, had he been defenseless from the ground," Tsuruko explained.
"But he is defenseless. He's defenseless from everything. He always falls prey to Naru and me," Motoko said hesitantly, not wanting to invoke her wrath on herself.
Luckily, her wrath was not directed to her, as her eyes were back to normal. "No, he isn't. How do you think he survives being launched around the world in less than a day multiple times day-to-day?" Tsuruko asked, calmer than a few seconds ago but still stern.
"Umm...he's indestructible," Kitsune stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh, please. 'He's indestructible'? Do you hear yourself? Nobody is indestructible. Not even him. I know this more than any of you do. He's not indestructible. His body may be tougher than most people, but not tough enough to withstand landing in faraway places at speeds only asteroids from space approach every day?" Tsuruko said, cooling down by the second.
"Then how does he survive Naru's punches?" Kitsune asked, now concerned.
"He asked me to keep that a secret," Tsuruko answered.
"Now, I have an unrelated question. Why were you and your husband laughing after Keitaro-san left?" was the question of one certain person.
Motoko.
"Oh, you heard that, huh? Well, we were joking around, unrelated to Keitaro-san leaving," Tsuruko replied.
"Oh. I thought you tricked him into going away like that solely to punish us," Motoko responded.
"You really think I would do that? No, don't be ridiculous," Tsuruko mused.
"Yes, I actually did. Sorry," Motoko admitted sheepishly.
"Oh, Motoko-sama. You always assumed the worst," Tsuruko said jokingly.
"Ya got that right!" Su said, causing everyone to laugh.
"Hey, Sarah-san, why do you look so sad?" Tsuruko asked once the laughter died down, concerned.
"Well, when I first got here, I could not care less what that dork felt. Of course, he eventually grew on me. But, before now, I never realized that my joking around caused him so much trouble," Sarah admitted, serious and crying. This got everyone's attention. It even woke Naru up.
"Hey, didn't you always tune out whenever he started talking, too?" Naru asked, nursing the cheek that was slapped.
"I was joking. I actually heard him tell me I don't listen to him and that that was one reason he left. I never realized just how much that hurt him. I was only tuning out at first, but now I listen to him," Sarah explained, in tears.
Nobody could speak after that. Nobody was expecting that, least of all from Sarah. Nobody could speak. Then Tsuruko decided to hug Sarah to comfort her. Sarah's face changed instantly. She looked happy and comfortable now.
"It's okay, child. Everything's going to be okay," Tsuruko said gently, patting Sarah on the back. Sarah slowly drifted off to sleep. Once she did, Tsuruko put her gently down on the couch.
"Wow, Tsuruko-san. You are really good with children," Kitsune noted.
"Thank you, Kitsune-san," Tsuruko thanked her. "I've had practice."
"Wait, you already have kids?" Motoko asked.
"Nope," came a voice from the door. Everyone turned their heads to look at the doorway. They were looking at Tsuruko's husband.
"Who are you?! This is an all-girls dorm! Get out!" Motoko shouted, charging at Tsuruko's husband. "SECRET TECHNIQUE: THUNDERCLAP SWORD!" she shouted, her blade lighting with lightning.
He simply put his hands up in front of him calmly. His hands glowed the same color as mud. Then Motoko's blade was swung forward, to where his head was.
But it never touched him.
Motoko's blade was stuck in front of his eyes, him not even flinching from the proximity. She tried, with all her strength, to make her blade move towards his eyes. But she couldn't. She kept trying to push the blade, but it remained suspended in midair. He just crossed his arms, waiting for her to be done.
When she was exhausted from pushing the blade, she let go. The blade was stuck in midair, right in front of his eyes, as if stuck in a wall.
"You done yet?" he asked in an annoyed voice.
"Alright, fine. You win this time, trespasser," she submitted vehemently.
"Good. Don't want you to get exhausted, sister-in-law," he said. Everyone except Tsuruko gasped.
"'S-Sister-in-law'?" Motoko asked.
"As he was saying before you so rudely attacked him, Motoko-sama, he is my husband. Everyone, this is Yoshio Aoyama," she introduced.
"Wait, did you marry your brother?" Kitsune asked Tsuruko, making everyone blush at this notion.
"No. You see, girls, I took her surname. I wanted her to still be happy, so I gave up my surname for her," Yoshio explained, smiling at them.
"Aw, that's so sweet," Su said, running up to him the same way she runs up to everyone.
"Ah, and who might you be, little girl?" Yoshio asked playfully.
"Oh, I am Kaolla Su, nice to meet you! This is Sarah McDougal-san, Kitsune-san, and Naru-san. You obviously already met Motoko-san. How are you?" She introduced everyone and shook his hand.
"Okay, how...how did you do that? How did you stop my sword?" Motoko asked, concerned.
"I stopped it with my ki energy," he explained.
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?" Motoko yelled. Everyone just stared at her, confused.
|| |The next day, the romance suite| ||
Shinobu woke up to find herself cuddling someone. She remembered last night, when she decided to cuddle Keitaro after he went to sleep following that long explanation with that really cool glowing hand. She looked over to the person she was cuddling. Her face formed a blush immediately.
"Shinobu-chan, why are you holding me?" came the voice of Mutsumi.
Shinobu let go immediately, blushing more profusely than before.
"Sorry, Mutsumi-sempai, I think I cuddled you in my sleep when he got out of the bed, not knowing it wasn't Sempai. Now, can you let go of me?" Shinobu explained, blushing more at that question.
"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I think I cuddled you for the same accident," she said. "Speaking of which, where is Kei-kun?" she asked, looking around, trying to find him. Then they heard the stove running. Together, they went to the kitchen.
What they saw was Keitaro cooking breakfast.
"Oh, girls, you're finally up. Good. Breakfast is almost done," he said, looking back at them.
"Oh, t-thank you, Sempai," Shinobu said, taking a seat at the table.
"Ooh, are you making breakfast, Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked.
"Yeah, I'm making eggs and bacon," Keitaro said.
"What's bacon?" Shinobu asked.
"It's very good. I think you're going to like it," Keitaro said.
"Cool. Wait, how are you cooking on the table?" Mutsumi asked. They stared at the pan that was sitting on the table, somehow sizzling.
"Oh, I figured I'd try using my ki again. It's been a while since I've used my ki to do anything besides cushion my fall, so I wanted to try it again. Plus, it will help with today's ki lesson. Oh, it's done," Keitaro said, grabbing a spatula and opening the pot. He took out three servings of eggs and six strips of bacon. He put two strips of bacon on everyone's plate on top of their eggs.
After the meal
"Wow, Kei-kun. That was a great meal!" Mutsumi commented.
"And that bacon was delicious!" Shinobu complimented.
"Well, thanks. Did you notice its energetic effect? That's something ki-cooked food does," Keitaro said.
"Well, that would explain why I'm not groggy anymore," Mutsumi said.
"I know, right? It's been a while since I got that energetic boost from ki-cooked food," Keitaro admitted.
"M-My food is still good, right?" Shinobu asked nervously.
"Of course, Shinobu-chan. You just don't use ki in your food. Your food still tastes better than mine, though," Keitaro complimented.
"T-Thank you, Sempai!" Shinobu said, her face becoming a smile.
Keitaro smiled back. "So, are you girls ready to start learning how to manipulate your ki?" he asked.
"Sure. I'll join you after I wash the dishes," Shinobu said.
"Actually, we used paper plates. I forgot to take out the real ones last night," Keitaro said, scratching the back of his head.
"...Sorry, force of habit," Shinobu said. Then they laughed.
After they all threw away their paper plates and cleaned the table, they all sat down in the living room. "So, what are we learning first, Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked.
"A warning. You can't reveal this to anyone, or else you two might be in serious trouble. Do you two still want to learn?" he said.
"Yes. Yes, I do. What's first?" both the girls said at the same time.
"How to see your ki," Keitaro responded. Then he explained, "Now, before I start, let me say that ki is able to take on many forms. It's kind of like clay. If it can be made, ki can make it. Now, close your eyes and try to think of your friends and their good points. It should be a little easier because of the ki-cooked breakfast," he instructed. "Now, have you done this?" he asked.
"Yes, Sempai," Shinobu said.
"Yes, Kei-kun," Mutsumi said.
"Now, open your eyes. Remember, good emotions are the key," he instructed.
They opened their eyes, which had blue pupils now that they could see the ki around them.
"Whoa! I can see so much blue-glowing energy coming off of you and Shinobu-chan, Kei-kun! What is the blue energy?" Mutsumi asked.
"That is ki energy. At least, it's all of the overall ki from that source. With different thoughts, you can see the different parts of their ki. Alright, now try to think of how you feel about me. You will be able to see what emotions I feel. This is called ki empathy. It's like empathy, only you need to get permission from the person you are trying to read. You can do this with any person. For someone else, just think of something about them, not me. It should get easier with practice, and eventually, you will be able to see someone's buried emotions. But, don't do this without permission, even then," Keitaro explained.
"Got it, Sempai," Shinobu confirmed. The two girls started to visibly focus.
"Aw, Kei-kun, that is so sweet! You think all of us Hinata House girls are beautiful? Even Sarah-chan?" Mutsumi asked.
"Yes. What do you think?" he responded.
"T-Thank you, Sempai!" Shinobu said. She made a move to hug him. So did Mutsumi. In a group hug, Shinobu and Mutsumi heard a voice in their head. It was Keitaro's.
'So, do you two want to learn how to use ki telepathy now? It's what I'm doing now,' they heard.
"Kei-kun, is that you?" Mutsumi asked, looking around.
'Yep. Do you want to learn how to use this telepathy?' they heard his voice.
"Yes, please, Sempai," Shinobu responded.
'Okay, now you just have to want to communicate using telepathy with the person you want to communicate with,' he explained telepathically.
'Okay, how's this? Hey, I can hear my voice in your mind!' Shinobu said with telepathy.
'Wow, this is amazing, Kei-kun! Now I can talk to you with my mind!' Mutsumi said mentally, using the telepathy.
'Did you know you can interact with any part of nature with ki? All you have to do is think about what you want to do and what you want to do it on. You give it a try. Try lifting one of the magazines off of the table,' he instructed telepathically.
The girls did as instructed. They looked in awe as they somehow managed to lift a magazine without touching it.
'Wow, Sempai. This is amazing! Have you been able to do this all this time?' Shinobu thought.
'Yeah, but I don't want the other girls to find out and freak out, or they'll blame many an accident on me, even if they aren't my fault. Then, they'll become too uncomfortable around me, and I'd have to leave for their sake,' Keitaro explained. 'Speaking of them, let's see what they are up to right now. All you have to do here is imagine the Hinata-Sou and everybody in it,'
'Whoa, I can see Naru-san is eating breakfast still, but she's not even eating,' Mutsumi said.
'Kitsune-san, can't I just have a piece of toast? Your cooking stinks. No offense,' they heard her say.
'Sorry, Naru-san. I don't think we have any toast,' they heard Kitsune say.
'What? We do still have toast!' Shinobu said.
'Who said that?' they heard Kitsune say. At this, Shinobu's face became startled
'What? Who said what?' Naru asked, confused and looking around.
'Oh, sorry, Naru-san. I could have sworn that I just heard Shinobu-chan's voice in my head just now telling me that we do have toast,' Kitsune explained.
'Pfft, yeah, right, Kitsune-san. You're losing it. But seriously, did this voice tell you where it was?' Naru asked skeptically.
'In the cupboard, next to the fridge,' Shinobu thought nervously.
'There it is again! It just said, "In the cupboard, next to the fridge,"' they heard Kitsune say.
'Well, that's where it was this morning,' Naru pointed out.
'Oh. Sorry.' they heard Kitsune say.
'Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that you can choose to talk to specific people with this ki telepathy or to talk to everyone in a given room,' Keitaro thought to Shinobu and Mutsumi.
'Oh, cool. You mean like the way Shinobu-chan was talking to Kitsune-san just now?' Mutsumi thought to Keitaro.
'Yeah. Oh, Mutsumi, why don't you try it?' Keitaro thought to Mutsumi.
'I was actually going to prank Kitsune-san anyway,' Mutsumi thought to him. 'Hey, Kitsune-san,' Mutsumi thought to Kitsune, which Keitaro and Shinobu could follow.
'Naru, I just heard Mutsumi-san's voice. She said hi,' Kitsune said slowly.
'Well, I can't hear anything,' Naru said.
'I don't know. Maybe I've been drinking too much.' Kitsune said somberly.
'That is what you do,' Naru said, walking out of the room.
'That was very funny, Mutsumi-san,' came Tsuruko's voice into their mind, which startled the two girls.
'Oh, hey, Tsuruko-san. Shinobu-chan, Mutsumi-chan, I also didn't tell you that Tsuruko-san could also use ki telepathy,' Keitaro thought to them.
'Oh. Hi,' were the telepathic responses of Mutsumi and Shinobu.
'Hi, girls. So, Keitaro-san, you taught them telepathy. Nice,' she said telepathically.
'Yes. As you probably noticed, they generate ki fast and in large quantities, just like you and me,' he noted.
'I did. Well, how are you doing on your end?' Tsuruko asked.
'Well, we're fine. We got to the hotel and everything, but we found out that the Urashima suite was a romance suite,' Keitaro thought.
Apparently, Tsuruko found it funny when he said that, because they heard her laughing really hard in mental communication.
'What's so funny, Tsuruko-san?' Keitaro asked facetiously.
'You took a twenty-one-year-old woman and a thirteen-year-old woman to a romance suite. Oh, Keitaro-san, how do you get into these situations? You are cracking me up!' she thought to them. This made Keitaro laugh as well.
'Yeah, I really don't know,' he laughed.
'Oh, yeah. I think fortune is not a fan of yours, my friend,' Tsuruko laughed, joking along with him.
'So, how are the girls doing over there?' Keitaro asked.
'Well, I pretty much yelled at them what their problems were. I had to slap Naru-san because she couldn't accept the truth, my sister denied it at first but eventually saw that it was true, that Kitsune-san seemed uncharacteristically honest, and Sarah-san was uncharacteristically sad about her actions for causing you to leave. It turns out she was actually joking whenever she seemed not to listen,' she explained.
'Have they learned their lessons yet?' Keitaro asked.
'Hmm, let me see...Sarah-san seems to be the first one to understand, Kitsune-san seems that she is actually starting to understand, my sister is willing to listen but does not understand, and Naru-san doesn't understand at all, nor would she listen if you were to say it or if I were,' Tsuruko said.
'Oh. Well, it's a shame about Naru-chan not understanding, but at least everyone else understood. It is a big shock about Sarah-chan, though. Anyway, I believe the gang should be there tomorrow,' he responded.
'Er…gang?' Mutsumi asked.
'Yeah. I asked some friends to go over to the Hinata-Sou and they would teach the girls about the good side of men. One of them can easily help Kitsune be kind to boys, another one can easily show how not all men are perverts, there's also one that can help Naru-san with her crazy punch reflex, and there's the one who can bring out the best in kids, although I think only two of them are needed right now, given that two already understand,' Keitaro explained.
'Oh. I see,' Mutsumi said. Then, many moments of silence.
'Umm, Sempai…can we get back to learning about ki now?' Shinobu asked him after a few seconds.
'Sure, Shinobu-chan. I bet you would want to learn about how to cook with ki, right?' he said.
'Yes, Sempai, I really would like to learn, thank you,' she said.
'Plus, Mutsumi-chan, I bet you want to learn how to grow a watermelon on your hand, right?' he asked.
'That sounds delightful, Kei-kun,' she said mentally.
'Okay, you three have fun now. I'll check in once a week with telepathy, alright?' Tsuruko said.
'Yeah,' Keitaro said.
'Of course,' Mutsumi said.
'S-Sure,' Shinobu said.
'Okay. Bye, you three,' Tsuruko said.
'Bye,' they said.
After that conversation, Hinata House
Tsuruko sat in her room, pretending to meditate. Of course, she was the only one in the house who knew the truth. Not even Motoko knew that she was using ki telepathy. All she could detect was a faint trail of ki. However, just as she detected it, it disappeared.
'What was that? It looked like a ki signature, but it was very faint. And the only ones here who can use ki are my sister and myself...and I most certainly didn't use that low a level of ki. I haven't even used any ki ever since Urashima-san left. Which means...wait, why would my sister use that little ki? There's nothing one can do that requires such a small amount. So why would she use that little ki? What reason does she have?' Motoko thought.
Not expecting or receiving a response, she stood up to go train on the roof.
"Motoko-sama, don't you want to ask me something?" she heard behind her as she got to the roof.
Turning around in mass surprise, Motoko said, "S-Sister! Um...no, I didn't have a question for you."
"Then why was it in your mind? Don't lie to me, Motoko-sama," Tsuruko said firmly.
"Okay. I was wondering why you used an amount of ki too small to use," Motoko admitted.
"Oh. Well, that was actually me talking to Keitaro-san, Motoko-sama," Tsuruko admitted.
"Huh? Talking to Urashima? How? Also, more importantly, why?" Motoko asked.
"Motoko-sama, don't you remember, back at the dojo? You insisted on learning to use ki for attacks, rather than for defense or everyday life. One of these things you missed was telepathy, just like empathy. That's why you can't read anyone's emotions or thoughts; you never wanted to learn. I, on the other hand, did learn these things. I know something that would make all of you turn on each other, but I hold back. After all, would it make sense for me to defy the orders of the man who asked me here? Not to mention, he is one of my best friends. He is that friendly, Motoko-sama. I was one of his friends after only one day of talking. And there are only two people in this house that do not see why he left. Be lucky you are the mature one of the two," Tsuruko ranted in an annoyed tone.
"O-Of course I see why he left! He was too cowardly to stay here, so he left," Motoko protested.
"Whatever you need to tell yourself to stay comfortable," Tsuruko said in an annoyed tone, sighing and going back down the stairs.
"Huh?" Motoko asked, standing there with a dumbfounded look on her face. She pretty much remained there until breakfast.
Breakfast, Hinata House
"Oh, by the way, girls, a group of my friends are coming over today," Tsuruko explained. It was the end of their morning meal.
"Okay. When are they coming over?" Naru asked. Then, there was a knock on the door.
"Oh, that's probably them," Tsuruko said. All the girls followed her into the living room, expecting to see a small number of young kendo masters.
That was not what they saw.
What they saw were four armed Yakuza men.
"GAH! THESE MEN ARE YOUR FRIENDS?! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING!" Motoko yelled. Everyone hid behind the couch, peeking over the back of it.
"Hello, ladies. Relax, we won't hurt you. We couldn't, anyway. It's just not in our nature," the tall one in the middle explained gently.
"EH?!" was almost every response in the room.
|\/\/|
And that's chapter four, everyone.
Motoko: This story just keeps getting worse and worse for us!
Shinobu: (hugging Keitaro) [dreamy] I don't know. It's not so bad.
Mutsumi: (also hugging Keitaro) [dreamy] Yeah. I like this story.
Naru: THAT'S BECAUSE YOU TWO ARE SAFE FROM THESE YAKUZA!
Chris: I wouldn't call it safe, more like away.
Naru: Oh, potāto, potäto.
Chris: How do you even know that? You live in Japan, not America.
Naru: Well, it made more sense than saying something else, right?
Chris: Yeah, I guess so. Motoko, why are trying to sneak up on me with that club? You know you can just hit me, right? After all, I am the author. I'm indestructible in my own stories.
Motoko: Fair enough for me.
(Motoko smacks Chris in the head multiple times)
-Ten minutes later-
Motoko: How do you keep doing that? You smashed my club again!
Chris: Hmm? Oh, sorry, I was watching cartoons. What did you say?
Motoko: OH, SHUT YOUR MOUTH, AUTHOR!
Chris: Now, that isn't the way to talk to an eight-year-old.
Motoko: I COULDN'T CARE LESS!
Chris: Hey, why you gotta be so grumpy, man?
(Motoko storms off, everyone looks at Chris)
Chris: What? That was in my cartoon.
Everyone: (facepalms)
Chris: Sayonara, readers!
Everyone: BYE!