The title "Love Hina", its characters, places, and content belong to their respective owner, Ken Akamatsu.

Chapter 5: People

Naru and Keitaro walked along the streets of Hinata looking at the different stalls and their respective products. Naru looked a lot calmer rather than the cold front she's been showing at the inn since yesterday. Keitaro on the other hand didn't know what to think of the situation.

"Hey," Naru called out to Keitaro snapping him out of his wild delusions. "We're almost there, would you mind keeping up?"

"Sorry," Keitaro said as he ran towards Naru. "But, where are we going anyway?"

"Just follow me," Naru said and started walking again. "It's kind of important that we talk there."

Keitaro didn't reply, instead he followed the girl in front of him, while looking at the long shadow that glooms over the one he cherishes.

"Is this the place Yuki," Fuka asked, as they stood in front of a really old building. "It's looks kind of shabby. Are you sure you've got the address right?"

"Of course," Yuki stated and walked ahead of the two. "Well, let's go in."

Inside, the three were met with an un-expected scene. In contrast with the exterior the interior looked like it was built by the best of Japan. The sides were then decorated by beautifully made costumes of different variety. There were cute sailor uniforms and seductive animal costumes on the left while there were adventurous battle armor and scary demon skin on the right.

"This is amazing," Motoko commented as she looked at the amazingly made female samurai costume on one of the displays. "It looks so cute but looks so amazing at the same time. You can just see your selves wearing it, just by staring at them."

"You're right," Yuki affirming her friends comment. "Calling the guy who made these a genius isn't a misconception."

"You guys look at the detail's too much," Fuka interrupted the conversation. "Where is the owner anyway?"

"You're right," Yuki said looking around the room. "Maybe he's out or something Fuka. We might as well come back some other time to request your ninja costume."

"No need for that," a voice said.

"Who's there," Motoko shouted as she prepared to defend. "Show your self."

"Easy girl," the voice said as a sweat drop formed in the shadows. "You don't have to be so defensive jeez…" A small girl then came out from where the sweat drop formed and talked. "The name's Nene Fujimoto, and it looks like you people are here for a request."

"Are you really the owner," was the only reply Yuki gave to the girl.

"Of course I'm the owner, who else is here," The girl shouted.

"Well, you're kind of short," Fuka continued.

"Short," the girl kept asking thin air as she chuckled hysterically. "I'm not SHORT, I'm just in a growing age!"

"How old are you," Fuka was able to ask in between the girl's rampage.

"16," Nene unconsciously replied like she's always being asked with that question.

"She's far passed the growth spurt period," Fuka whispered behind Motoko's ears. The kendo girl on the other hand simply nodded.

"I heard that you know," Nene continued her shouting. "You know what, you people can just leave. I planned to make some clothes just for you three but hearing you say such things just pisses me off."

"Hey, wait we were just joking," Yuki started shouting as she tried to persuade the owner. "Right, Yuki?"

"Nope," Fuka stated with dead fish eyes.

"I'm doing you a favor you brat," Yuki snapped and turned towards Motoko. "Well, how about you Motoko? Don't you want your doujins?"

" Eh," Motoko looked at the girl feeling like she just got dragged into something. But looking at Yuki's pissed made her to nod unconsciously in approval. It seems like someone else who's not even from her family can still scare Motoko so much.

"See," Yuki returned to the owner. "So please don't kick us out."

"Fine," the girl sighed. "Just wait here okay?" Nene left and made the three to look through the articles some more.

"Thank goodness," Yuki sighed as she sat down at one of the chairs. "Fuka if you act like that again I am so going to kill you."

Fuka on the other hand simply looked at her friend and smiled.

"But it's still hard to believe such a young girl owns her own shop," Motoko stated as she looked at the articles some more.

"Well, this is Japan isn't it," Yuki answered. "If you just try hard enough you can get anywhere anytime."

"You make it sounds like everything is possible here," Motoko said smiling for a moment.

"That's my point," Yuki commented as she approached Motoko. "But really, you should smile more often, it makes you glow some more. And it feels like it's only the third time you smiled while with us."

But before Motoko could comment on Yuki's statement the owner came back with a box full of books and a rack full of clothes.

"Here," Nene said while taking deep breaths. "These are all the articles I have about Ninja's and here are almost all of the doujins I wrote."

"These are amazing," Fuka and Motoko commented as they looked at the things they respectfully liked. Fuka was already picking her three favorites while Motoko was giggling for the first time as she read through the books.

"Fuka's still the same wherever she goes but this is my first time seeing Motoko look like that," Yuki calmly said as a sweat drop from her head. "She almost looked like him."

"It almost looks like you're the only one normal among the three of you," Nene sighed as she sat behind Yuki. "They look like they're so engrossed in their own world."

"Well, to tell you the truth I'm just better at controlling my wants," Yuki said as she looked at the owner of the store. "But really your work are all top class."

"Flattery won't get you a discount you know," Nene replied. "But that girl over there."

"Motoko," Yuki clarified.

"Yes her," Nene continued. "Don't you get the feeling she's split into two worlds?"

"No, I actually see it quite clearly," Yuki nodded. "She's actually practices kendo but I don't think the training's the reason why she has that feeling. It's more personal."

"Well I don't practically care," Nene said coldly as she jumped down from the desk. "But maybe I'll make her something unique."

"You're actually a friendly person aren't you," Yuki joked.

Nene on the other hand simply sighed and walked away saying, "Just leaves what you want on the counter and come back around the end of the week to pick it up. You on the hand can leave the money on the table."

Naru and Keitaro finally reached their destination. Naru actually led Keitaro to the cemetery she visited yesterday and decided to talk with him there.

"Isn't this someone's grave,' Keitaro asked as he looked at the grave stone with the name "Natsumi Hayato" written on it.

"That actually belong to a friend of mine who died when I was in middle school," Naru said with a small smile on her face as she kneeled down to touch the grave.

"I… see," Keitaro stuttered. He didn't know what to say as she saw Naru acting from cold to sad.

"Anyway I want to ask you something," Naru said with out looking back at all.

"What Naru," Keitaro asked the girl.

"If you were my friend, what would you do when you found out that one of your closest friend forced another of your friend to leave," Naru asked. The tone in her voice was hard to comprehend since the shear question was hard to understand.

"I would surely get angry at that friend," Keitaro firmly answered noticing Naru's sudden jerk. "I might even kick her out if she was living at my dorm."

"I see," Naru said looking back with a sad smile on her face but was shocked when she heard the answer's continuation.

"But," Keitaro firmly stated before continuing. "If she has a reason to act so rashly, I might forgive her. And would kindly ask her to talk with that person again, who knows they might actually make up, right?"

Naru was dumb struck, she was expecting Keitaro to get mad or something since she did practically kicked out Motoko but he answered so kindly. "I guess that's what makes you Keitaro," she stuttered as teardrops formed in her eyes.

"Why are sounding so glad Naru," Keitaro asked the girl. "We're talking about your friend, right? You don't have to act so guilty."

"You're right," Naru replied. "Then we better leave."

"Okay," Keitaro said and started walking. "I hope those two friends of get to talk it out don't you? Anyway we better look for Motoko first thing tomorrow."

"Alright," Naru shouted and looked back at the grave. "Thank you Natsumi."

That's chapter five… I hope you guys like it…:) Is this actually a keitaroxnaru fic? let's find out as it continues.