Ok, first off I'd like to thank all my readers and a big thanx to those who reviewed. It means a lot to get such positive feedback on my first fic. Here's chapter two.
Chapter 2) Friends?
Yumi lay on her bed, wondering what she should do. She had finished unpacking and was now bored out of her mind. Letting out a sigh, she got up. If nothing else she could at least try out the hot springs. Her mind began to wander as she thought about how she got to share a bath with five cute girls. Especially one girl in particular; the young beauty she had met in the kitchen. Yumi could only imagine what the girl would look like with only a fluffy towel wrapped around her body.
The sound of her door opening snapped her out of her daydream. The object of her thoughts was standing in her doorway holding a tray with two cups of tea. Yumi smirked mischievously; it looked like she got to finish what she started earlier.
Shinobu felt uncomfortable. The look Yumi was giving her wasn't helping. Taking into account it was too late to turn back now she entered Yumi's room. Holding up the tray she approached Yumi.
"I…I thought you might like some tea."
Yumi sat up and turned to face Shinobu, "Actually I could. Thank you."
For the next minute there was an awkward silence. Shinobu didn't move from where she was standing and seemed to be avoiding looking at Yumi. Taking the initiative Yumi patted the floor next to her; inviting Shinobu to sit.
"Have a seat. Its ok, I don't bite."
Shinobu sat down, although a little reluctantly. Yumi took a cup of tea and sipped.
"This is delicious. Did you make this?"
Shinobu nodded, "You seemed upset earlier. I thought it would help you feel better."
Yumi was touched. She barely knew this girl and yet she had gone out of her way to do something nice for her. Yumi wanted to hug the younger girl, but held back, not wanting to startle her like she had earlier in the kitchen.
"Thank you. That's very sweet of you …Shinobu, right?"
Shinobu nodded, "Uh- huh. Shinobu Maehara."
"That's such a pretty name. It suits you."
Shinobu blushed at the compliment, "Thank you."
"Shinobu, I was kinda wondering if… I made you feel uncomfortable earlier."
Shinobu smiled, "No, not at all."
Yumi scooted closer to Shinobu, "So you weren't bothered that I tried to kiss you?"
Shinobu's face reddened. She wanted to speak, but for some reason no words came. She thought back to the moment when her and Yumi's lips had almost touched. Did she feel bothered by that? She wasn't sure.
Shinobu was snapped from her thoughts when she felt Yumi's hand on her cheek. Yumi's hand gently caressed Shinobu's cheek causing the young girl to blush even more. Shinobu looked the halfbreed in the eyes. Those entrancing eyes, they seemed to glow in away that let you feel as if everything was alright.
Yumi leaned closer to Shinobu, the two girls' lips inching closer together. Unlike the last time, however, Shinobu didn't resist. She closed her eyes and found herself awaiting the feel of Yumi's lips against her own. So close, just a little further. Almost there.
"Ahem."
Yumi silently cursed. Motoko was standing in the doorway, looking down at the scene with an aire of annoyance.
Shinobu got up, her face beet red. "I…I forgot! I need to do laundry!"
Motoko let Shinobu pass and turned her attention to Yumi.
"You're rather forward aren't you?
Yumi turns to Motoko, "You can really ruin the mood; you know that?"
Moments passed, no words were exchanged between the two. Yumi began to feel irritated.
"Well? You just going to stand there or do you want something?"
"I feel we got of on the wrong foot. Let's start over again. I'm Motoko Aoyoma."
Yumi hesitated, not wanting anything to do with the younger sister of her mother's murderer. But, she felt as thought she at least ought to give Motoko a chance.
"Yumi Kishimoto. Sorry for earlier."
Yumi invited Motoko into her room. The two talked for a while and they found out they were both going to the same school now that Yumi had transferred from her old one. They then decided to continue their conversation in the hot springs.
--
Yumi sank into the bath, the hot water washing over her body, relaxing her. She smiled contently as she thought to herself how nice it was that she got to bathe like this from now on. She let out a sigh as she let the springs wash away her tension. Her gaze made its way to the other girl in the bath. Yumi couldn't help but notice Motoko's beauty.
Despite the fact that Motoko looked like her older sister, she had her own unique beauty. She was sitting, the water coming up to her chest, hiding most of her body from sight. But Yumi was still able to see the serene look on the swordswoman's face as she enjoyed the hot water.
'She's kinda cute.'
Unfortunately the peace and quiet was short lived as none other than Keitaro decided to enter the hot springs at that moment so he could clean. Yumi immediately sunk further into the water hiding all but her head from sight. Her face flushed bright red. With the exception of her father, no man had ever seen her naked body before and she didn't plan on letting one see it now.
However, much to Yumi's surprise, Motoko pulled a shinai(1) out from nowhere and in a single swift attack, sent the manager flying into the stratosphere. In that moment Motoko's body was fully out of the water, allowing Yumi to get a good look at it. Her eyes widened at the sight before her.
Motoko's movements were smooth and graceful. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Motoko seemed to emerge from the water and then run across it, bringing her weapon into position. Then she struck, the force behind the blow was enough to knock out a full grown bull. She stood, arm fully extended, brandishing the shinai as though it was part of her arm. Motoko's muscles relaxed; water droplets cascading down her body as she stood in the moonlight. Yumi's jaw dropped.
'She isn't just cute, she's gorgeous!'
Motoko gave a quick look of disgust in the direction the manager had been sent flying.
"Filthy pervert."
Motoko settled back down into the water, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm herself. Yumi just gawked at the other girl for a moment and then burst into a fit of giggles. Motoko turned her gaze to Yumi, one eyebrow raised in confusion.
"What's so funny?"
Yumi quieted herself, "It's just that you look so much like that sister of yours, yet you don't act anything like her!"
"What are you saying?"
Yumi stifled another giggle, "Nothing. I just thought it was funny how you went berserk on Urashima-san and then acted as though nothing happened at all."
Motoko merely stared for a moment. Then she smiled a little. She supposed to someone who only just moved in would find life at the Inn beyond what one would consider 'normal'.
"You best get accustomed to Urashima's perverted antics. He does things like this on a daily basis. And Naru and I are the ones who put him back in line."
Yumi looked at Motoko incredulously, "Are you serious?"
Motoko nodded, "It's all true."
"Why don't you call the police on him if he does this on a daily basis?"
"We thought of that, but couldn't do it. He became a part of our lives we just couldn't get rid of. He is a pervert, but he has his moments. Besides, as odd as it sounds, nearly all the girls here, including myself developed a crush on him at one point."
Yumi raised an eyebrow and gave Motoko a disbelieving look.
"What? It's true! Naru clearly loves him but won't admit it. Su likes him because he reminds her of her older brother. Kitsune flirts with him all the time. Mutsumi apparently has loved him since they were kids. And Shinobu has been infatuated with him since he first came here."
Yumi's head started to hurt. ALL the girls here actually loved the same guy? And said guy was a pervert who peeped on the girls who liked him and then they go and kick his ass for it? Yumi decided to try and not absorb it all at once for fear it would make her head hurt more.
The night was growing darker, the stars had all come out and the moon was rising to its peak in the night sky. Yumi and Motoko got out of the bath, bade each other good night and went to bed.
As Yumi lay beneath her blanket, she knew she would need all the sleep she could get. It had been a long day out of many to come while living in her new home. She closed her eyes and allowed the sweet bliss of slumber take her.
TBC
(1)A shinai is a wooden sword made from bamboo staves that is used for kendo.
Thanks again to my readers, I'll try to get the next chapter up asap.