AN: Admittedly, I toss a lot of the Manga out the window in this chapter.

Chapter 14: Test of Caliber!

"Congratulations you two!" said the group to Naru and Keitaro. "You guys finally got in!"

"Well there's still the second half of the exams tomorrow," muttered Naru.

"Ah don't be a spoil sport!" said Kitsune. "You all worked hard for this."

Keitaro smiled, stroking the medallion Motoko had given him. They had worked very hard to get here, so it seemed good if they could celebrate a little bit.

"Here you both go!" said Shinobu, holding dishes that shamed any TV show cook.

"Come on all!" said Kitsune. "There's plenty of wine to go around!"

They partied late into the night and Keitaro actually passed out on the couch downstairs. He was awoken in the morning by Motoko gently shaking him. Keitaro had fallen asleep watching a documentary on angels and demons in popular religion, and this prompted his strange response.

"Hey there, I'm too sleepy to die right now, but if the angels want to come back later, that'd be super."

"Flattery will not save you, and if you don't get up now, I'll drag Su down here and make her get you up!"

Keitaro rolled over, rubbing his eyes.

"Worst angel wake up ever!" he said, joking. "I'm getting up."

He sat up, stretching wearily.

"Good, let's get training, and wake you up properly."

He nodded. Motoko lead him out unto their usual training ground and took her spot opposite him. They bowed formally to each other to signify an honorable fight and then Motoko moved against him. She was striking with combato, an almost extinct martial art that the Candians had abandoned because it was too violent to use.

"You're not pulling any punches today, huh?"

"You'll never learn if I do!"

He watched her carefully, examining every inch of movement. He saw when she struck and how when it missed it carried her just a little bit farther than she wanted to go, so he struck back, knocking her off balance. He kicked out at her, and caused her to fall on her back, hitting her head on the ground.

"Woah!" he said, worried. "Are you ok?"

"Yes," she said slowly, rubbing her head. "I didn't expect the follow up. Nicely done."

"Let's stop for a bit. I don't want to actually injure you or anything."

She nodded, "As far as straight hand-to-hand goes, you're about as good as I am, and you're using a very good defensive style. Soon I'll have to actually use my blade against you. We'll see if we can't get you to properly learn that sword stop of yours."

Keitaro smiled and indicated for her to follow him. He took her through the city streets. This early on, the streets were almost empty and it was peaceful. He actually enjoyed this: a quiet moment with a close friend. Motoko seemed to be enjoying herself too, watching the birds and turning to see the sunrise.

"So, you have your exams again today, right?"

"Yep! I'm finally going to get into Tokyo U!"

"So, when you get in… I imagine you'll be around less."

Keitaro paused. He honestly hadn't thought about it. College was a huge time crunch, and it meant that you had almost no free time comparatively. Tokyo U always was the dream, and he'd never had a reason to consider not going before. But now… he actually didn't have to go. He could just support himself as things were, working for Seta and managing the apartments. Things didn't have to actually change. What would he even choose to study if he got in?

"I don't know that I'll actually even go…" he admitted. "I wanted to prove that I could pass the test, and now I did… I don't know that I even want to attend though."

"What about your promised girl?"

"I actually sort of gave up on that," he admitted. "By this point, even if she did remember that stupid promise, she wouldn't know me, and she wouldn't be single still."

"You are afraid."

"A little," he admitted. "But I do honestly believe those things. Besides I don't want to have tunnel vision you know? I think I've been so focused on Tokyo U and my promise from when I was five that I might ignore someone new in my life by accident. You understand what I mean?"

"I think I do," she said softly. "Well you'd better get ready to go. I have to go to the dojo today anyway. I'll see you when you get back."

"Right, morning!"

An hour later, Keitaro sat behind a desk with the final test to get into the university in front of him. The teacher gave a signal and he flipped the test over, excitedly.

Wow… I actually get the first question, he thought. It actually makes sense.

After all his time and studies, it was finally starting to pay off! With any luck, he could easily pass the exam, and get into the college if he wanted! Maybe he could become Seta's understudy, and travel the world properly! Keitaro started to drift off into the realm of daydreams.

"Keitaro!" said imaginary Seta. "You've exceeded all expectations. I was told to pick just one student out of the entire university and I picked you."

Girls flocked to him and Seta. Keitaro could've been with any single one of them…

"Five minutes left!" called the examiner.

"What?!" Keitaro looked down, having answered only the first question.

He'd drifted off…

He had just put the nail in his own coffin. Of all the stupid things he'd done, this was the worst! He had the knowledge! He finally had a real chance to get into the university, but he'd not paid attention during the actual test! How could he have done something so idiotic?!

Disappointed in himself, Keitaro finished the test as best he could, knowing it was pointless. He would've had to score at least an 85% on the test… he wasn't even sure he'd answered 8% of the question right. He sat on a train station, flipping the exam card over and over in his hands. Could he even go back to the girls? What would they say?

He noticed writing on the back of his card… and examined it closer.

I hope you manage to pass – Haruka

Let's all be Tokyo U students together – Mutsumi

If a dork like you manages to pass, I'll give you my respect! – Sarah

Go on and work hard Keitaro! I came up with that all by myself! – Kitsune

Sempai, because of you, I can work harder in school too! I'm sure you'll pass the exams this time around! – Shinobu

Keitaro, if you don't pass, we can still play together all the time! – Su

You owe it to us all to pass this time around! – Naru

It doesn't matter if you pass or fail, just do your best. – Seta

Show that warrior spirit, and we'll all see results! – Motoko

Keitaro smiled at the writings. He hadn't seen them before and it was actually touching. He folded up the card and placed it carefully in his jacket. He knew he ought to be going back now, even if he'd failed the exams. The girls needed him. As he thought about this the back of his brain tingled unpleasantly.

It was a sensation Keitaro had learned to associate with danger, and a moment later he saw what had set it off. Seta's trademark doom van came barreling over the top of the rail onto the train tracks, and he stuck his bleeding head out of the window.

"Hey there Keitaro! It's been a bit since I saw you."

"Yeah, we haven't worked together recently! I just got done taking the test."

"Ah, so how do you feel?"

"Well I know the stuff, but I passed out during the test, so I probably failed."

"Hm… strange."

"Strange what?"

"I thought I told you to try your hardest."

"Well you did, and I did, but I only had five minutes to take the whole exam."

"Ah, so you exhausted yourself so much in those five minutes you literally don't have the energy to check your score? I see."

"Seta," he said. "I don't need to see my failures."

"That is the only way we grow," the older man said. "You think I was always an expert architect? Or that I always find what I'm looking for? It's always hard and you don't always make it, but you have to face your failures and learn from them."

"…You're probably right…"

"You have someone in your life right?"

"Huh?"

"You have someone who pushes you and drive you to exceed your limits?"

"Well, yeah. Motoko trains me every morning in my aikido so that I can because a better fighter. She's still better than I am though."

"Ah, your Aoyama friend? Well they are all warriors and very proud of it. I imagine she doesn't like it if you slack off on your martial arts?"

"She gets pretty pissed actually."

"And would she let you just leave without even checking if you managed to pass the test or not?"

"No."

"Good, so check your scores and call me when you find out what you want to do. My offer to go traveling with you is open. I mean it, you're a good assistant, but you need to stop being such a coward all the time."

Keitaro nodded, and Seta drove his van off down the tracks. Keitaro shook his head softly, knowing he'd never understand everything the archeologist did. Gathering up his bag, Keitaro took the train back to the apartments to await the results of their test. The clouds about drifted lazily on the wind and he let his mind drift off.

If he was accepted, would he enroll in the university? There was arguments for either answer. Honestly he was afraid of losing the closeness he had with all the Hina girls… especially Motoko. She and he were great friends now, and he didn't want to abandon that just for a "better job" chance. After all, the point of college was to get a degree so you could get a better job in life.

The point of a better job would be for a place to live, which he didn't want and for more money, which he didn't need. Seta had already offered him a job to make all the money he could require, so why should he attend? After all, if Naru was his promised girl, there wasn't really any chance of them hooking up again, even if he'd wanted to.

Maybe he should not go, at least for a year and see how he felt. He knew he could pass the exam now, so that wasn't an issue. He just needed to decide what he wanted to actually do.

He arrived at the apartments late that night, easily past the time they would've been announcing the scores, and he saw Naru standing there, ready to hit him again, most likely.

"Where were you?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I went for a walk to clear my head," he said evasively. "I take it the scores already went out?"

"Yeah," she said, irritated. "You passed by the way, we all did."

"Really?!" he said, legitimately shocked. "I took the quiz in five minutes! How'd I pass?"

"What do you mean? We had hours to take that test."

"Yeah, but I feel asleep daydreaming after the first question…"

"You are the biggest idiot!" she said, hitting him squarely in the stomach.

Keitaro groaned and rolled over on the floor, too tired to move. He had passed. He had achieved something he hadn't been able to in two years. It was actually a huge deal and he was proud. With the thought of success and a truly open choice for his future, he let himself fall into a drowsy haze.

"Congratulations to me," he said sleepily as the world of dreams and bliss overtook him.