'The Hands of a Man'
Disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu wrote 'Love Hina' and he owns the rights. I wrote this tale for fun and seek no re-dress from it.
Writer's note: Many events cram themselves into this chapter. However, this is to prove the point that Keitaro is a driven workaholic.
-Chapter 2-
A puzzled Haruka still did not understand why he would not let anyone know about his academic accomplishments. Although just a few years older than him, she took immense pride in his accomplishments just as his mother had done.
Mostly, when Keitaro did say something about himself, it was usually about some project that he wanted to do and not much else.
To some people, he looked more like an over-sized common laborer than a genius with a very sharp mind and an advanced engineering degree. It could be because he loved to work with his hands and had quite a muscular build.
From her uncle, Haruka had found out that Keitaro passed the entrance exam to Tokyo University with a perfect score. She knew from personal experience that he did not even have to study for it. Even Kanako would boast about his prowess within a classroom whenever she could.
To this day, it still amazed Haruka that he chose the dual Mechanical and Electrical Engineering courses as his major field of studies. She knew they were two of the most difficult courses of study there, except for some of the higher math programs that the University had to offer.
As previously stated, though their age difference was only just a few years, Haruka looked at Keitaro as being hers since they had spent so much time together when he was young. Haruka always wanted to know how he was doing because she loved him very much. Although not in a romantic way.
Having always taken delight in everything that he did, and after he began university and had travelled a lot, she always had to get the news from either her uncle, aunt or Kanako. When he plunged into work or his studies, Keitaro could be extremely single-minded at the expense of everything thing else. She knew nothing of his penchant for staying in contact with his sister.
Now that he was back with her, she was going to wring every ounce of what he had done over the last two years after receiving his undergraduate degree. That would be before she throttled him for ignoring her and had kicked his ass.
With his penchant to overwork and to overachieve, Haruka believed that that took a back seat to his undertakings and achievements. She knew of it personally, because there were so many of his plaques, trophies and commendations strewn around her apartment as a reminder. Elsewhere in Japan, other structures too were also monuments to his handiwork as they had his fingerprints all over them. She and Tsuruko had taken many photos when they had visited his jobsites.
Moreover, it was much more than any philanthropist could boast of doing by themselves, as she knew that her Kei-kun did more in the last nine years of his life than most people older than him had done or could ever hope to accomplish in their lifetime.
With that in mind, Haruka believed that she had every right to brag about him.
Nevertheless, Keitaro tried to put aside the fact that Haruka had just boasted about him in front of his new tenants.
In one way, Keitaro appreciated the fact that his cousin cared about him, but on the other hand, the girls just stared at him for assorted reasons.
He felt slightly put off and a little awkward.
And though Keitaro was the center of attention right now, he really did not enjoy it.
Before Haruka could brag on him some more, Keitaro said, "Who's next?" Having said that, he looked to Naru who then introduced herself.
Remembering what her girlfriend said about pre-judging people, she apologized for her earlier characterization of him.
As he nodded to the young brunette, Keitaro also acknowledged that he had forgiven her. With that, he saw that she struggled with her eyesight.
"See me in the kitchen afterwards, Naru-chan," he said evenly, "I may have a possible solution to your situation."
Not understanding what he had meant, she would go out there and see him anyway, since her new landlord was not fully forthcoming about the what or the how. Her studies could wait a few extra minutes until she found out.
Next was Motoko, who blushed beet red and became quite shy when she looked deeply into Keitaro's rich brown eyes.
Turning her head away to the side, she then mumbles, "It is nice to see you again, my Keitaro-sama."
There was a huge grin on Kitsune's face.
The honorific Motoko used was also a huge surprise to the other residents.
The man-in-question and his older cousin both understood the reason however as Haruka then smiled.
Noticing how handsome he was, she was ecstatic when he promised to practice with her in the morning whenever it was possible or convenient.
"Usually, I am up that early anyway," said Keitaro knowing how she and her Onee-san enjoyed doing their Katas at dawn.
The teen Samurai smiled and nodded as her face returned to its normal color.
To Motoko though, he was not just an ordinary man, this was her Keitaro-sama. The others would come to learn more about her feelings for him as he continued to live there.
Next, Kaolla jumped into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, after a moment she rubbed her cheek against his.
Emulating the foreign girl's mannerisms, Keitaro smiled at her directness. He thought it was very refreshing he and smiled at her.
"May I call you, Onii-chan. And would you like to play with me sometime?" asked Kaolla who relished the fact that he was a mechanical engineer. Possibly, he could even help her with a new Mecha-Tama design sometime.
"Before you answer that, Kei-kun," said Haruka almost chuckling with four of the others, "That little girl in your arms is a genius like you. Although her specialties are mainly in constructing drones and 'mecha', she is also an explosives expert and so enjoys blowing things up. That said however, I'd be very careful with her if I was you."
That laughter clued him in, so he realized that he had to be wary. But he would judge her situation as it warranted.
"Yes, on the first part, Kaolla-chan," said Keitaro matter of fact as he used an honorific on this young girl. He also made a mental note about her inventiveness, "And we will need to talk about you having destructive devices around here. Tell you what, I could build you a place of your own out in the back of the property so you may build or blow-up things to your heart's content. Does that sound good to you?"
"Okies, Onii-chan," said the girl with a brilliant smile. She happily hopped off his lap and back on to the couch next to Motoko.
Very soon, Keitaro would find that this young lady would be very handy around here in helping him in modernizing all the electrical and mechanical contrivances. In the meantime, he hoped that she did not destroy the place first…
Smiling when Shinobu introduced herself, this petite miss had Keitaro's total respect right away after he had read her file. Remembering from what he had read, the girl cooked, cleaned, and did the laundry in lieu of paying rent.
Understanding her circumstances here, he was going to make sure that she received a good salary for everything that she did in keeping the Hinata up and running. Moreover, he would also provide her with the proper equipment so that she could do her job in a more efficient manner.
Shyly, she said that her grades had improved since moving here with the help of her Senpais.
"I am also willing to help anyone with their studies if you want as well," he said as his smile widened.
Turning away slightly, Shinobu became bright red, because she had just developed a little crush on him.
The girl was also euphoric when Keitaro then offered to help her finish the dinner prep. "I love cooking as well, Shinobu-chan," he added with a small nod.
Almost swooning at his words, she loved it that a man had taken an interest in her.
The others giggled when they saw her blush almost purple.
-Moving on-
Struggling hard not to glom on him as she re-introduced herself, the Fox made sure that he noticed all her charms and attributes.
Ahem!
This garnered Haruka's attention rather quickly.
There is no romantic jealousy involved in his cousin's aheming her. The throat clearing let Kitsune know that there were youngsters present and that she would have to wait until they were alone.
Breathing deep and letting it out slowly, Keitaro tried to prevent a major erection problem right at this moment. It had been a few months since he last had sex. Even as busy as he soon would be, Keitaro was sure as hell not going to throw her out of bed. Although, he very well might just scare the hell out of Kitsune when she discovered what he was packing.
Now very hungry, Keitaro had only a light snack since the huge breakfast that Haruka made for him that morning. So, he made one last announcement, "From now on there will be mixed bathing in the onsen. I have waited a long time to be able to use it again. There will be no discussion on this, but I would ask you if you wanted me to put back up the old bamboo curtain that used to separate the men and women's sides. Personally, I do not care. On the other hand, do you want towels and/or bathing suits? You decide."
As Naru was just about to object, she received dirty looks from all the others including Haruka.
Backing down, Naru knew that in the end she should just go along with the others. She even smiled sheepishly at Keitaro when they had also voted the bamboo curtain down.
What surprised everyone here was the fact that even Shinobu went along with his announcement.
-The kitchen, fifteen minutes later-
The first thing Keitaro saw when he stepped into the kitchen was that Shinobu was still using the appliances that were here when his father lived here as a boy. They were adequate back then but plain pitiful now.
'What was Hina Baa-chan thinking,' Keitaro thought as his notebook came out and her made some notes. Everything had to go, and soon by the looks of it. So, while chopping vegetables, he commenced to formulate different plans in his head to help his new young friend.
"The old banquet hall would be a perfect place for a new kitchen and dining area," he said as an opening pre-amble. Needing to call in quite a few favors, Keitaro understood what he had to do to accomplish his goals here.
Shinobu turned her head slightly to listen while she sauteed some fish.
There was no time like the present for him to let her in on the rest of his plans.
"Shinobu-chan," he said in soft voice, "I was going to wait until getting settled in and do a thorough inspection of this place. However, I would like to share some of my plans with you right now. Since the kitchen is your domain, you should know that I plan to modernize the old banquet hall and turn this area into a large pantry to store rice and dry goods. Before that however, I am going to get you a new low stool or short bench to stand on when you work. No more of that unsafe teetering on the edge. Next, I will put in all new appliances and only the top name brands. A new stove, deep fryer, a walk-in fridge, walk-in freezer, all new granite counters, a restaurant style dishwasher because when we get more tenants, we will need it. In addition, there will be new microwaves, all new pots, and pans plus utensils. I do not see how you worked in here every day with such outdated equipment."
Pulling out one of his cards, he wrote a number on the back and handed it to a stunned Shinobu. She had tears well up in her eyes at his good news.
Before he could give her his next piece of news, she stepped down from her stool, ran over and hugged him.
As Keitaro hugged her back, he said, "The number on the back of that card is to a grocery delivery service run by a friend of mine. He owes me a huge favor for fixing his plate freezers and refrigeration units not too long ago. Mention my name, order any you need or want, and he will deliver it. Also, put it on my tab."
Enjoying how this young girl reacted to this, he warmly cracked a genuine smile.
Just then, Keitaro's Karma almost went south.
As she walked in, Naru hollered, "What the hell is going on in here?" With balled up fists, she headed toward Keitaro.
Quickly, Shinobu released him and turned around to face the charging Naru as she blocked her way.
"Naru-Senpai, STOP!" commanded the petite chef who stuck her right arm out, with the palm of her hand facing Naru. With a determined look on her face, she added, "Senpai just shared with me his plans for a new kitchen. He also told me about a grocery delivery service. Isn't that great? No more lugging groceries up those front steps anymore."
The petite girl hoped that her words would stop the charging brunette.
An observer, Keitaro's respect for this tough little lady increased quite a few notches. He smiled at her.
"Gomen, Keitaro-san. Gomen, Shinobu-chan," said the volatile brunette who stopped and bowed after she listened to her younger housemate.
Taken aback slightly, Shinobu looked on to see what would happen next.
Bowing to the couple by the stove, Naru started to cry, "It's my damned temper again. Kami, help me please see the whole picture before I hurt someone again."
Being very emotional, these sudden outbursts bothered her when she blew up at these times. Known for a fierce temper, as well as a Ki-loaded right hand, Naru could easily send an ordinary mortal through a wall.
Magnanimously, Keitaro pulled the vulnerable young woman into his embrace. She cut loose and cried for the first time in a while. From there off the counter, he handed her a tissue from its box.
'Well,' thought a surprised Shinobu, 'I never thought I'd live to see this day.' Then, she stepped back up onto her stool and went back to check the progress of their evening meal.
"Naru-chan, have a seat at the counter while I get the rice cooker going," requested Keitaro after he released her.
Across the room, he started the machine and then went back to where Naru sat.
Never one to rush to judgment, Keitaro had already assessed her difficulty. So, he said to the seated teen, "Naru-chan, when I first met you earlier, I could see you struggling to see me when we made introductions. Before you say anything, please just sit there and hear me out. It must be frustrating to wear those damned thick-lensed glasses. You probably get teased by your classmates and some of those insults must really be terrible."
Listening intently, Naru nodded her head as he handed her another tissue.
"Hey, I'd be pissed too if I were you, Naru-chan," Keitaro continued as he looked at her squarely in the eye, "What I'm going to do for you because I see a beautiful young woman who just longs to see something without those fucking glasses is this. First, I am going to make an appointment for you to get your eyes fixed, whether it be with Lasik® surgery or corneal lens transplants. The head Eye Surgeon at Tokyo General promised to help me after I helped his son improve his grades. My friend made the Dean's list by the end of that semester which made his Tou-san quite happy. That is where the favor comes in. Well, enough of that for now. To make a long story short, I'm going to call in that favor and get your eyes fixed."
By now, Naru was crying extremely hard because of his kindness toward her.
"And, before you fall all apart on me," he continued in a quiet voice, "I'll make the appointments, call your parents and even ask the Academy to dismiss you from class for as long as it takes for your eyes to heal up. Maybe even get Kitsune to help you too if it's needed."
Overwhelmed with joy at his words, she launched herself at him sobbing loudly, both in joy and in sorrow at having been such a bitch twice within in the past hour.
Hugging her again, he enjoyed how she felt in his arms as she soaked the front of his shirt through. From reading her file, Keitaro understood that this was the closest he would come to her, as men did not interest her. However, this was fine as far as it concerned him.
"Wow, Naru-Senpai," exclaimed Shinobu happily while she turned to look at her crying housemate.
Seeing the tenants now as part of his extended family, he would do his utmost to take proper take care of them.
At suppertime, it was their first evening meal together.
"Oh Kami, this is so good," said Keitaro who sat with the residents at the head of the table.
As he looked next to him, he saw the petite chef blush.
Not surprising anyone, Haruka came up to the Hinata and joined them. She wanted to be with her cousin.
Patting his full belly afterwards, Keitaro absolutely loved Shinobu's cooking.
After dessert, he helped Shinobu with the cleanup.
Over the next few days, there was a sudden flurry of activity around the Hinata. Coming home from work or school, everyone took notice of the changes.
Keitaro set up a radio communications table with charging station in a corner of the common room. He handed out one to each one of the residents and had them all stand around the station while showing how to swap out the battery pack before placing the dead one in a charger.
Having his already clasped onto his tool belt, he also placed his cell number and a list with other emergency numbers onto a new pinup board.
After his demonstration, all of them watched as Keitaro was off again to do something else.
In addition, Haruka received a radio as well. She loved the fact that he had included her in the Hinata communications network.
For Naru's sake, he repaired the ubiquitous hole in her floor. After finishing the job, you could not tell that one was even there.
-Three weeks later-
In the time that the residents had come to know Keitaro, they all learned one special thing about him: when he made a promise, he kept his word.
Here were just two examples:
One, Naru needed to have corneal lens replacement surgery. On her initial visit, the doctor diagnosed that she was on the verge of going blind due to cataracts. Keitaro then informed her parents about this, and they okayed everything. He then made all the appointments after permission from the Academy for Naru's medical dismissal during and after the surgery.
Well ahead in her studies, she was the Academy's second ranked student after Kaolla. Since that was the case, Naru would not be behind when she returned to the classroom.
In his truck, Keitaro took Naru to the hospital and good-naturedly waited while she was in outpatient surgery. Afterward, he brought her home and had Kitsune help her to get around because she would not be able to see clearly for a few days.
To the surprise of everyone, and with everything seeming to work better, Naru gave Keitaro a big hug in gratitude.
A brief time later, the doctor who had performed the surgery considered the transplants a success when he had checked his handiwork out on a subsequent visit.
With that promise kept, Keitaro thanked the doctor for taking care of her.
Subsequently, Naru told her housemates that it 'weirded' her out being able to ask questions on what was happening to her during the surgery. She gasped when the doctor said that he was slipping the new lens into place and securing it. When the anesthetic wore off, she was happy that there was no pain, and just a little itching.
In awe, she could both see and read without ever needing those accursed 'coke-bottle' glasses again.
Since moving to the Hinata, no one had ever seen the brunette smile so much. It went a long way to quell her volatile temper.
The brunette teenager now deemed Keitaro as a man of his word, and a good friend.
Two, it amazed the residents when Keitaro replaced the old fuse box with a new modern high-capacity breaker box.
The girls immediately noticed the difference.
The brightness of the property lights was such that the whole hilltop seemed to glow now at night.
At the dinner table, Naru stated to Keitaro that it was nice that she could finally watch TV in her room and that she now had plenty of light to study by.
They also noted that Kaolla helped him install the main fire panel, which went in to tie together all the new smoke detectors in the Hinata. As he stood by her, Keitaro was extremely impressed that the foreign blonde blur expertly coupled the alarms into the phone system, so it could alert the local Fire Brigade if there was ever a problem.
In with all of that, the girls loved the fact that they did not have to change those damned old-fashioned fuses anymore. No more worries about getting an electrical shock or, even worse, electrocution.
Posting notices in the hallways, Keitaro did so to inform the girls of where the new fire extinguishers were. With one CO2 and one chemical extinguisher on each floor in both wings, there was one of each in the kitchen as well. He even taught all the residents about their proper usage and which one to use with what type of fire.
In the end, Kaolla said it was fun to help her 'Onii-chan', and that she wanted to help him out a lot more on future projects.
Also as promised, Keitaro installed some small new appliances in the old kitchen until he could get going on the banquet hall project. He went to a major appliance store in Tokyo and plunked down a lot of Yen to get Shinobu only the best appliances to go into the new kitchen.
With the fact that Shinobu would be incredibly happy when she saw the new rice cooker and two new microwaves, he knew that he would receive another big hug from her. In addition, there was also a large capacity coffee urn with an electric coffee bean grinder next to it. An expensive knife set, which cost more money than most people made in a month. Brand new chopsticks for everyone, including a dozen extra pairs in case of new residents, and a western style eating utensil set that Shinobu pointed out to him in an online catalog.
Along with the grocery delivery service, Keitaro had been spoiling the young girl rotten. He thought that nothing was too good for her.
When the work to refurbish the old banqueting hall began, the heavier equipment that Keitaro had pre-ordered would arrive within the week.
Calling a few of friends of his in the homebuilding industry, Keitaro told them that he needed their assistance to bring some heavy new counters, tiles, and appliances into his new home.
Keitaro smiled when his old crony replied that he would bring his best crew to get the job done. Keitaro knew then that it would happen quickly and efficiently.
When Shinobu came home from school and went to prepare dinner, she cried tears of happiness at all the new appliances in her kitchen.
Having left her a note on her board about the heavier kitchen equipment, Keitaro said that he had ordered everything and that it would arrive very soon. The note also told Shinobu that the present kitchen would become her new storage pantry after the new one was complete.
There is also a note on the counter letting her know that there are new washers and dryers coming to replace all the old ones.
When Shinobu saw Keitaro later that day, she ran up and hugged her Senpai for all he was worth.
-Shortly thereafter, near the end of May-
With summer coming soon, Keitaro started work on the area around the lake, falls and spring.
Clearing the edge all around the lake of vegetation, trees, cattails, and brush, he utilized the mowing tractor first to clear out the light stuff. The large wide cutting-deck cut a big swath through all the overgrowth which helped him go through it all very quickly. With that task complete, he brought in his lawn vacuum, a woodchipper and the stake-sided trailer to haul off the bigger material for him to split later. He had the chainsaws do their thing, along with a pneumatic log-splitter that he had purchased. Yup, just another tool for Keitaro to keep him busy as the days became longer. The work progressed in clearing the lake for the girls to use. Shit, he was just like a normal man in wanting to see bikini clad women back here sunning themselves on a sunny day. Nevertheless, like always, he put those thoughts on the back burner and compartmentalized them in his mind until a more opportune time.Getting back to the log splitter, he smiled and watched this machine do work that used to take him many extra hours to accomplish. Now, he had almost ten full cords of wood, from dead trees around the hilltop along with another half dozen cords from thinned out live trees, seasoning in other piles.
Most of the brush and underbrush the woodchipper mulched. It would be useful for the gardens around the Hinata.
Some of the fresh lumber that he had just dried out in his kiln, went into a fun side project. Heavy-duty bolts, nuts, and washers, along with some quality polyurethane stain, went into the creation of a new picnic table. As with everything else he had built around here, it was very well constructed.
Not satisfied yet, he turned his attention into making sure that those who used the lake to swim or cool off in could easily access the water without stepping into mud or dirt. Keitaro picked up a few loads of dry sand with his front-end loader from over by the hill's entrance road and dropped then onto the shoreline before he smoothed it all over utilizing the scoop at an odd angle.
Pleased that this task was complete, he turned his attention to his next chore.
In the common room, Keitaro placed a few comprehensive charts and a list of chores on a new bulletin board by the wall next to the radio charging station. All the girls, along with Haruka, could keep up with his progress as he re-made the Hinata. Updating the list each morning, he drew a line through the completed jobs and added new ones to it when needed.
Having set everything up the way he wanted, Keitaro encouraged the girls to help him out with the chores around there. He had explained that there would be financial incentives for doing so, either by direct cash payments or credit off their rent. Speaking of the rental agreements, he would soon have a big announcement for the girls.
Everyone could see that there were spots on the charts and lists for their initials. Keitaro added that to keep track of who had helped him. It was all voluntary of course, and he found that there were quite a few takers.
As for the girls, it was immensely popular with them. They all enjoyed a bit of extra cash for the weekends.
-On a Saturday afternoon, during one particularly gorgeous day-
Behind the scenes, Naru, Motoko and Shinobu helped outside in the gardens of the Hinata.
For some reason, the girls all said yes when Keitaro asked for their help.
Planting some fresh perennials, Naru worked with what Keitaro had dropped off in front of the Hinata after he had picked them up in town. Behind her, Motoko spread some of the mulch that Keitaro made out back from a pile that is there for their use. A little ahead of the older teens, Shinobu pulled weeds with gloved fingers and a little garden spade.
At the same time, Kaolla was building a Mecha-Tama floor polisher for her 'Onii-chan'. Keitaro, true to his word, had built the Hinata's 'mad scientist' a workshop for all her new or existing inventions.
Since Kaolla wanted to please him in every way possible, she drastically cut back on blowing things up and now made only practical things to help him.
Even though she worked down at the Tea Shoppe, Kitsune sometimes functioned as Keitaro's 'go-fer', because she wanted to be near him.
Thoroughly enjoying the eye candy, Keitaro understood that she had purposely presented him with a lot of flesh. He enjoyed watching as her large boobs bounced around when she wore a string bikini top or went braless. The Fox believed that he had more than a passing interest in her.
"How is the new kitchen coming along, Shinobu-chan?" asked Naru who placed another plastic tub in a growing stack behind her. They were from the fresh flowers she had just planted in the garden.
"Great, Naru-Senpai," answered the petite chef who had just pulled out some dandelions, "Senpai tells me that the rest of the equipment would be put in on Monday while we're away at school."
"Isn't it amazing how my Keitaro-sama has kept all of his promises since he had arrived here just six and a half weeks ago?" asked Motoko. She always seemed to gush whenever someone mentioned his name or talked about him.
"He's sure changed my mind a little bit about men, or at least him," said Naru while she looked down at the dirt in front of her, "Although I still have little use for them. I will tell the two of you this, I have come to respect Kei-kun and now know that he is trustworthy. If either of you develop any interest in him, I will not call him a pervert or try to bash him. I think he'd make some girl a great catch."
The two younger girls stared at Naru in disbelief. They also had to turn away.
With a hollyhock in hand, she missed the sight of her now red-faced housemates.
"That is good to hear, Naru-Senpai," replied Motoko who recovered first, "Because I would not want to have to punish you if you were to ever assault my Keitaro-sama."
The other two knew of her strong feelings for Keitaro.
Leaning against the garden rake and taking a breather, Motoko had caught up to the other two.
"Looks like our little Samurai's in love," said a sooky-voiced Naru. She had aimed her tease at Motoko.
Giggling at her characterization, Shinobu yanked up a long-rooted weed and tossed it into a refuse pile.
An even brighter red now, Motoko recognized that Naru had successfully teased her. Yes, she was very much in love with her Keitaro-sama.
For the rest of the afternoon, and until Shinobu had to go prepare dinner, the trio shared small talk, gossip, and news just like any other normal teenagers.
-The next evening-
The nights were now comfortably warm.
In his camp after enjoying another great meal prepared by Shinobu, Keitaro then had a soak with the girls. He really began to enjoy his life at the Hinata, if for nothing else, just to see the petite chef blush bright as a tomato when he praised her or Kitsune in a bikini.
Also, Naru made him smile as she now revealed her true beauty. But as with Haruka, he realized that she was just not into men.
'To each, their own,' he thought while closing out that line of thought.
Now to end his long day, Keitaro relaxed in a large hammock that he had set-up close to the right flap of his tent. The posts were the remnants of two birch trees that he lopped off, so they were only about two meters tall. A swath of tar over the bare wood on top, a couple 'eye' hooks screwed into them, and voila, an instant place to sleep under the stars.
Having worked extremely hard since moving here, Sunday was the only day of the week on which he allowed himself to only work half-a-day or take it off completely. Hating not being busy or having something to do, Keitaro found that the girls wanted him to go out for lunch with them, so they could spend the day together.
Climbing up the steps, Keitaro had to admit that he had a lot of fun when Kitsune hopped onto his back and hollered, "giddy-up." It almost got his dick hard when her large boobs pressed into his back.
In the hammock now, he watched the stars come out. With an arm underneath his pillowed head, he enjoyed the panoramic view from on his back.
Smiling here with a small campfire dying down, he did a mental inventory of all that he has accomplished since inheriting the Hinata from his grandmother. He still had quite a long way to go to reach his goal in his estimation. Nevertheless, with the girls' help Keitaro believed that he would attain it.
He remembered when his father had called him the other day. It was to let him know that he is immensely proud of him and wanted to stop by soon. After supper, his mother had sent him some emails, they also texted for a while as she relayed the same pride in her wonderful son. Kanako also texted with him whenever possible as she said Sarah said 'hi' as well.
He could not wait to see his younger sister Kanako again. Though not blood-related, Keitaro thought of the relationship that he had with her
'Shit,' he thought, 'I'm only human.' However, he did realize that she was the aggressor even though he did nothing to stop it from happening. With that, Keitaro understood that he would never turn her away either. She was extremely special to him and wanted her to work for him.
Setting that aside until another time, Kitsune and Motoko too were really coming on to him. Aggressively too.
The Fox with that hot body, which sported those big tits and that great ass, he just wants to take and fuck the living daylights out of her.
In a semi-contrasting way, Motoko had grown into a magnificent example of Japanese womanhood. Divergent only with only how large her breasts were. In the Yukata she had worn earlier, she looked like the perfect 'Yamato Nadeshiko' with her long black hair and porcelain skin. The sight of her in a towel or traditionally dressed had his full attention now.
He gave out a low thoughtful mmhmm.
"I miss Mutsumi-chan as well," Keitaro whispered and remembered her with a slight bit of melancholy. The connection with her was unlike any other that he ever had.
In a pleasant conundrum, he remembered that he would formally move into the Hinata this fall.
'Shit, what have I done now,' Keitaro mused as he laughed aloud. At least they were all exceptionally beautiful, and with that, Keitaro let it hang there until another time.
Going back to his stargazing, Keitaro did so to clear his mind. Grateful for his high intelligence, he is thankful for not having a hard on right now.
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled, smiled, and then fell into a deep sleep.
Monday morning…
By the old bridge out behind the old Hinata, Keitaro waited for some friends who would help him with the rebuilding of the old banquet hall, before they installed all the new kitchen appliances for Shinobu.
Not too long ago, Keitaro had the old road in the back of the property widened. The Prefecture then came in, graded, and paved it over. Another friend in the parking lot paving business had been sub-contracted by Keitaro to extend it from where the cement had ended. That was so delivery vehicles could drive up the back way now for Shinobu's future orders. (No more lugging groceries up the front steps.)
At first, Keitaro laid out a ten-spot parking lot as a forerunner to a new garage he wished to have built before winter. Finally, Keitaro utilized Kaolla's explosives expertise, as he had asked her to blast out some rocks and foundation ledge without taking off the rest of the hilltop.
It was for a future Dojo and workout center that he planned to install between the lot and the lake. A gift to his Motoko-chan.
After a loud explosion, Kaolla clapped and cheered giddily after being able to help her 'Onii-chan' once again. That was before the Princess gave him a 'bone-crushing' hug like Shinobu-chan did it.
-Work on Shinobu's kitchen-
"Dammit, Keiji. Watch where you are going with that, you baka," said someone working on the crew.
"This fucking thing's heavy," Keiji complained grateful that they did not have to bring it up the front stairway.
"You want to help Keitaro with the walk-in fridge parts?" asked Junpei a former Sumo wrestler, "If you don't, then shut the fuck up."
"Hey Keitaro," said Maki the crew chief, who then asked, "I'm bringing in one of the new granite countertops, where do you want it? Do you want us to remove the entire counter here or just some of the old one and leave part of it?"
"Okay then," said Keitaro who pointed as he walked through the old banquet hall kitchen, "I want the new stove there, the fridge parts there, the large freezer there, here should go one of the countertops along with the new cabinets. The deep fryer goes over by where the new stove is." Firing this all off in rapid succession, he then took a deep breath and went on again to say, "The other countertop goes there on the floor cabinets, the wall cabinets go up there and over there. (Keitaro pointed at the bare walls) We need the dishwasher parts over where the old sink that we just tore out. The pipes, hoses, the 'Burnz-o-matic™' torch and the 'solv-a-set' to all go together by the new little wash/slop sink. The new tiles begin where we took off the old ones, and Keiji, just shut the fuck up!"
Having said that 'in no uncertain terms', he hated listening to people bitch. So, he 'nipped it in the bud' when he told his other friend to piss off. Keitaro would end up 'fit-to-be-tied' if he disappointed Shinobu-chan in any way and did not have her kitchen finished before she came home.
Quickly, they assembled the fridge, freezer and installed the three-basin sink.
The counters and cabinets they all tackled next. This was where Keiji redeemed himself as he did an expert job installing everything along with their mouldings. The man received praise from the others and a congratulatory slap on the back from Keitaro.
Wiring in the heavy appliances, Keitaro left nothing to chance and hooked up all the natural gas lines himself, with Maki who backed him up. Both men were fully certified master electricians and have hooked up many gas mains together on past occasions.
When completed, Keitaro assessed the new industrial sized dishwasher and made sure to synchronize the soap dispenser with the wash cycle. Then, they installed the angled drying racks over the draining tray by bolting them into the wall. When finished, that task was complete.
Maki lit the stove and deep fryers pilot lights after Keitaro re-opened the main gas valve. They evaluated those two appliances as well. Satisfied, they shut everything off.
Next, after the crew erected the walls of the walk-in fridge, Keitaro climbed up on a ladder and bolted on the roof. Checking the cooling unit, he plugged it in and turned it on. The fridge's blower started to whirr, which told them that it was on the job.
A smile crossed Keitaro's face, because his friend from the grocery delivery service sent a truck out here with Shinobu's first order.
Crossing the bridge, the driver came in the backdoor and pushed his two-wheeler right into the now working cooler. (Karma was on Keitaro's side today, because the food order did not have to sit out in the warm air and possibly spoil.)
Asking the driver if he had anything left unsold in the truck, the man said that he has some frozen squid left over. Enjoying squid, Keitaro told him to put it in the freezer and then signed the order.
When the driver left, Keitaro returned to help with the final additions.
After Keiji laid down the new carpeting in the new dining room, the crew brought in a long table and set it up. New chairs came with it which they placed around to finish the job in there.
After placing the last tile on the wall, a part of the crew stripped, sanded, and re-waxed the old traditional wooden floor on the new kitchen floor. They then open the doors and windows to allow for faster drying, and to air the place out from the fumes.
When they finished the job and cleaned up after themselves, everyone stepped outside and went over to Keitaro's camp. The crew shared a beer to celebrate a job well done.
"Kanpai, and thanks for everything. A man could not ask for better friends," said Keitaro and raised his beer to them.
The crew all drank up before packing their tools, re-checking their handiwork, and departing for home.
They all hoped to see Keitaro on one of their worksites again soon.
However, he hoped to use them again on another project or two very soon.
-Later that day-
Shinobu and the other residents walked down the main hallway after a note on the comm table directed them all back toward the old banqueting hall.
Upon arrival at their destination, they slid the traditional door open and gawked at the new indoor facility in their school uniforms.
Having her hands clasped together underneath her chin with tears in her eyes, Shinobu looked over all the new eating and cooking spaces, as well as all the new appliances. Her wonderful Senpai had come through in ways that she could have ever dreamed of in a thousand years.
She did not know what to touch first.
"Like it?" came a voice from the other doorway.
Keitaro had to brace himself, as the tiny young teen threw herself at him with such force that he almost landed on his ass.
At the same time, Haruka and Kitsune came walking in to marvel at the new kitchen.
"Oh, Senpai. Arigato gozaimasu," gushed Shinobu as she squeezed him as tight as she could.
"Kei-kun, this is outstanding," said Haruka as she gazed upon what her cousin did with the old family dining area, "Obaa-san will be very pleased."
"Nothing is too good for Shinobu-chan," said Keitaro walking through the new kitchen while showing off what he had accomplished earlier.
When Motoko opened the large double-door fridge, she gasped at how full it was. Kitsune opened the big freezer and marveled at what was inside it.
"This'll keep Kaolla-chan happy for a couple of days at the very least," said Naru blown away just like everyone else.
The Princess giggled as she reached for a banana.
"Shinobu-chan, from now on and for as long as you want it," declared Keitaro, "This kitchen is all yours. You're the boss in here."
Then, she did something that surprised him. Shinobu climbed up on her new step stool and kissed his cheek.
The biggest laugh was from Kitsune who thought it was cute.
The meal the petite chef had prepared that evening, Keitaro and the others considered it to be a masterpiece. It was some of the best cooking that Shinobu had ever done.
-Middle of June, close to the summer break-
Smiling, as he looked at the polished floor of the just completed Dojo, Keitaro believed that Motoko would appreciate having an indoor place to practice swordsmanship and other martial arts when the weather turned cold.
However, that was only half of the story, The other side of the facility he had wholly devoted to having it as a modern work out center. Lined up along the walls, free weights and several types of exercise machines sat in ordered rows around the floor. Along with those, several brand-new flat screen TV's, men and women's locker rooms, a modern Jacuzzi® and he even installed a glass cooler for bottled water. A fully equipped office with desks, chairs and computers also complimented the new Dojo. The glass door had printed on it, 'Aoyama Motoko, Proprietor', in Japanese and English script.
The same crew that built this place was also the one that had worked on Shinobu's kitchen, as they all completed the work in less than a week. It helped that Keitaro kept working even after his friends had gone home.
It is an effort such as this that pushed the others in the crew to help him build a first-class, top-of-the-line facility where the residents could come out to re-energize themselves in the dead of winter or on the hottest days of summer.
During the planning stages, he had hot onsen spring water diverted from the old Annex B to heat the place. It also provided water for the indoor spas in the locker rooms.
To keep the place cool in summer, Keitaro installed a new central air system out behind the place, as wall mounted ones would be too inefficient.
As a special touch, he etched the residents' names onto small plates and attached them to the lockers in the female locker room. Keitaro made these one evening in his machine shop.
While he stood behind a stationary bike, Keitaro had a quick fantasy about the sight of Kitsune's gorgeous ass seated in the saddle.
When finished, he told Haruka. In response, she replied about wanting to spar with Keitaro in the Urashima style so that she could finally kick his ass, because he had ignored her for the past two years.
They both shared a laugh because they knew that if he pissed her off, that could very well happen. Haruka was one of only three people known who could go toe-to-toe with him. His father and Kanako were the other two.
He absolutely refused to fight with Granny Hina out of respect. She laughed and said that she would probably kick his ass anyway.
Utterly amazed, Motoko and the others loved the new Dojo as much as they did the new dining facility. It was also true with just about everything else that he had accomplished around here.
The teen Samurai had tears in her eyes when Keitaro showed her a sword rack that was for her use only.
As a final gesture, he was going to call in a local Shinto priest and have him bless the place for her.
The thing that pleased Motoko the most, was when her Keitaro-sama said that the Dojo and the office were both hers.
Losing all control, she hugged her Keitaro-sama.
Since they were alone out here, she gave him a full on the mouth kiss. Quickly, it turned into the first of many French kisses with him.
Smiling, he loved the feel of her body against his.
Feeling something rather large poking at her through his work belt and nail apron, she nearly had an orgasm after the kiss broke.
In the end, they went back over to the Hinata together hand-in-hand and along the way, enjoyed each other's company.
-A few days, just before the summer solstice-
A tall, exceptionally beautiful woman with long jet-black hair, climbed out of a luxury sedan and looked over the new façade of the Hinata Tea Shoppe.
'Too long,' she thought looking at the front door of the place. Wanting to see the person that she loved more than any other in this world, and hold her close once again, she took a deep breath before proceeding to the door.
Having the front and rear seat of her car loaded down with certain possessions, she could purchase everything else.
For now, she had only her apartment, her business, her first name and that was not too bad because the person she had come to see had always told her that they could have theirs.
Coming out of the closet had been difficult for her, but it was also very liberating too.
She could be with her lover every day now.
So, the woman gathered her courage, put a smile on her face and walked in the front door.
Inside…
"Tsuruko-chan," said a familiar voice.
-End of Chapter-