'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: Involvement-
A puzzled Haruka still did not understand why he would not let anyone know about his academic accomplishments. Although just six years older than him, she took immense pride in his accomplishments just as his mother has always 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 an extremely sharp mind who had earned a couple of advanced engineering degrees. It could be because he loved to work with his hands and had quite a muscular build.
It was from her uncle that 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 they were younger. 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 else. She knew nothing of his penchant for staying in contact with his sister. Now that he was back in her life, 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 since the previous New Year's celebration and kicking his ass for doing so.
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, he appreciated the fact that his cousin cared about him, but on the other hand, the girls just stared at him for assorted reasons. It made him feel 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 meant at first, 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 mumbled, "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.
However, Keitaro and Haruka both understood the reason for her respectful honorific.
The older cousin smiled even brighter.
Noticing how handsome he was, Motoko was ecstatic when Keitaro promised to practice with her in the morning whenever it was possible for him to do so.
"Usually, I am up that early anyway," said Keitaro who understood 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 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 would be very careful with her if I were 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. Happily, she hopped off his lap and returned to her seat on the couch next to Motoko. Very soon, Keitaro would find that Kaolla would be very handy around the Hinata in helping him to modernize 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 roommates.
"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. At that moment, she had just developed a major 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!
Trying not to laugh, Kitsune's actions garnered Haruka's attention rather quickly. There is no romantic jealousy involved in his cousin's aheming her. The throat clearing was letting Kitsune know that there were youngsters present and that she should wait until they at least were alone.
Breathing deep and letting it out slowly, Keitaro tried to prevent himself from getting a major erection at this moment. It had been a little while since he last had sex. Even as busy as he soon would be, Keitaro was sure he was not going to throw her out of bed. Although, he very well might just scare the hell out of Kitsune after she discovered what he was packing.
Now hungry, Keitaro had only eaten 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 same appliances that were here when his father was a boy. They were adequate back then but are just plain pitiful now.
'What was Hina Baa-chan thinking,' Keitaro thought as his notebook came out and he made a few 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 Shinobu run her kitchen.
"The old banquet hall would be a perfect place for a new kitchen and dining area," he said continuing his commentary about how bad everything looks around the old place. Needing to call in quite a few favors, Keitaro understood what he had to do to accomplish his goals here.
Turning her head slightly, Shinobu listened while sautéing some fish for supper.
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 the 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 countertops, a restaurant style dishwasher because when more tenants move in, we will definitely need it. In addition, there will be new microwaves, all new pots, and pans along with utensils. I cannot see how you work here every day under these conditions with such outdated equipment."
Pulling out one of his cards, he wrote a number on the back and handed it to a stunned Shinobu. 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 reached down and 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." He would have Kanako set up a household budget when she moved in.
Enjoying how this young girl reacted to his news, he cracked a warm, genuine smile.
Just then, Keitaro's Karma almost went south…
As she walked in, Naru hollered, "What the hell is going on 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-nee, 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, so we will no longer have to lug groceries up the front steps."
The petite girl hoped that her words would stop the charging brunette.
An observer of people, Keitaro's respect for this tough little lady increased quite a few notches right then. Smiling at Shinobu, he knew that his initial assessment of her was correct.
"Gomen, Keitaro-san. Gomen, Shinobu-chan," said the volatile brunette who stopped and bowed. It hit her that someone might actually be willing to finally repair the place she now called home.
Taken aback slightly, Shinobu just stood and waited to see what would happen next.
After straightening herself up, Naru started to cry, "It is my damned temper again. Kami, help me please see the whole picture before I hurt someone again." Being very emotional, these sudden angry outbursts bothered her when she lost her calm at times like these. 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. Cutting loose, Naru cried for the first time since moving in. From off a nearby counter, he handed her a box of tissues. Taking one, she wiped her eyes as he released her.
'Well,' thought a surprised Shinobu, 'I thought I would never live to see this day.' Stepping back onto her stool, she went back to checking the progress of the evening meal.
"Naru-chan, have a seat at the counter while I get the rice cooker going," requested Keitaro pointing to a stool.
The volatile teen nodded.
Across the room, he started the machine and then went over to where Naru sat.
Never one to rush to judgment, Keitaro had already assessed her difficult situation. So, he said to her, "Naru-chan, when I first met you earlier, I could tell that you were struggling with your eyesight when we made our introduction. Before you say anything about it, please just sit there quietly and hear me out. It must be frustrating wearing those damned thick-lensed glasses. You probably have difficulty seeing the Sensei or the board at school."
Listening intently, Naru nodded her head again as he handed her another tissue.
"Hey, I would be pissed too if I were you," Keitaro continued as he looked at her squarely in the eye.
Nodding once more, Naru hung on every word that he had uttered so far.
"Okay then. What I am going to do for you because I see a beautiful young woman who just longs to see something without those fucking glasses, is this. One, I am going to make an appointment for you to get your eyes fixed, whether it be with Lasik or corneal lens replacement surgery. The head Eye Surgeon at Tokyo General promised me a favor after I helped his son improve his grades at Toudai. My friend even 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 am about to call in that favor so you can see clearly after the surgery."
By now, Naru was crying extremely hard because of his kindness toward her.
"And, before you go falling all apart on me," he continued in a quiet voice, "I will make all the necessary 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 is 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-nee," exclaimed a happy Shinobu while she smiled at her crying housemate.
Seeing the tenants now as part of his extended family, he would do his utmost to take proper care of them.
At suppertime, Keitaro had his first evening meal with everyone.
"Oh Kami, this is so good," said Keitaro who sat at the head of the table.
As he looked next to him, he saw the petite chef blush.
Not surprising to 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 quickly took notice of the changes.
In addition, Keitaro had set up a radio communications table with charging station in a corner of the common room. Handing a radio out to each one of the residents, he had them all gather around the station while showing how to swap out the battery pack before placing the dead one in its charger.
Having already clasped one onto his tool belt, he also placed his cell number and a list with other emergency numbers onto a new cork 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 new 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 had ever been 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 are just two examples:
One, as stated previously, Naru did need corneal lens replacement surgery. On her initial visit, the doctor diagnosed that she was on the verge of going blind due to cataracts. Then, Keitaro informed her parents about this, and they happily gave their permission. Making all the appointments, he also received permission for Naru's medical dismissal from the Academy for her surgery and the subsequent time for healing. Which would only be for a few days. 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 in her studies when she returned to the classroom.
Seated in his truck, Keitaro took Naru to the hospital and good-naturedly waited for her while she was in outpatient surgery. Afterward, he brought her home and asked Kitsune to help her get around since she could not see too clearly.
To everybody's surprise, and with her eyes seeming to work better, Naru gave Keitaro a big hug in gratitude.
On a subsequent visit, the doctor who performed the surgery on Naru's eyes considered the new lens transplants a success after he checked out his handiwork.
With that promise kept, Keitaro thanked the doctor for taking care of her, and so the debt was repaid.
Afterwards, Naru told her housemates that it 'weirded' her out being able to ask questions on what was happening to her during the surgery. Gasping when the doctor said that he was slipping the new lens into place and securing it, she was in awe of his skill. After the anesthetic had worn off, Naru was happy that there was no pain, and just a little itching.
Happy, she could now both see and read without ever needing those accursed 'coke-bottle' glasses.
Since moving into the Hinata, no one had ever seen Naru smile so much. It went a long way to quell her volatile temper. The young brunette now deemed Keitaro as a man of his word and saw him as 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 took notice of the difference. The brightness of the property lights was such that the whole hilltop seemed to glow 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 Keitaro install the main fire panel, which went in and tied together all the new smoke detectors inside the Hinata. As he worked next to her, Keitaro was extremely impressed that the foreign blonde blur had expertly coupled all of the alarms into the phone system's land line. That was so it could send an alert signal to the local Fire Brigade if there ever was a problem. In addition to 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 receiving an electrical shock or, even worse, being electrocuted.
Posting notices in the hallways, Keitaro did so to inform the girls of where the new fire extinguishers would be. 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 that she enjoyed assisting her 'big brother', and that she wanted to help him with future projects around the old manse.
Also as promised, Keitaro installed some small new appliances in the old kitchen until he could get started on the banquet hall refurbishment project. Going to a major appliance store in Tokyo, he plunked down a lot of Yen to get Shinobu only the best appliances to go into her 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 costs 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 had pointed out to him in an online catalog.
Along with the grocery delivery service, Keitaro was spoiling the young girl rotten.He thought that nothing was too good for her.
When the work to revamp 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 in the heavy new countertops, tiles, and appliances into the Hinata.
Keitaro smiled when his old crony replied that he would bring his best crew to get the job done.
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 a note on her board about the heavier kitchen equipment that would arrive soon, Keitaro also mentioned that he had already pre-ordered everything.
There was also a note on the kitchen counter letting her know that new washers and dryers were coming to replace all the old ones.
When Shinobu saw Keitaro later that day, the girl ran up and hugged her Senpai for all she was worth.
-Shortly thereafter, near the end of May-
With summer coming soon, Keitaro started working 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.Just another tool for Keitaro to keep him busy as the days became work progressed in clearing the lake for the girls to , he was just like a normal man in wanting to see bikini clad women back here sunning themselves on a sunny , 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 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 project and dropped then onto the shoreline before smoothing it all over by 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 explained to them that there would be financial incentives for doing so, either by direct cash payments or with 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, as 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 was pulling 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 now wanted to please him in every way possible, she began to drastically cut back on blowing things up and only made only practical items for his work.
Even though Kitsune worked down at the Tea Shoppe, she sometimes functioned as Keitaro's 'go-fer', as it helped her to be near him more.
Thoroughly enjoying the eye candy, Keitaro understood that she was purposely presenting him with a lot of flesh. Enjoying himself watching as her large boobs bounced around, he appreciated when she went braless or wore a string bikini top.
"How is the new kitchen coming along, Shinobu-chan?" asked Naru placing another plastic tub in a growing stack behind her. They were from the fresh flowers she had just planted in the garden.
"Great, Naru-nee," 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 were all away at school."
"It amazes me how my Keitaro-sama has kept all of his promises since he had arrived here just a short while ago," commented Motoko who always seemed to gush whenever someone mentioned his name or talked about him.
"He sure has changed my mind a 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 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 would 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-nee," 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 Motoko's 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 is in love," said a sooky-voiced Naru having aimed her tease at Motoko.
Giggling at her characterization, Shinobu yanked up a long-rooted weed and tossed it into a refuse bin.
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 complimented Kitsune on how she looked 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 even 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 that 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 his backside.
Smiling here with a small campfire dying down, he did a mental inventory of all that he had accomplished since inheriting the Hinata from his grandmother. With still a long way to go to reach his goal, the start was a good in his estimation. Nevertheless, with the girls' help, Keitaro believed that he would attain all of them.
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. Also, Kanako texted him just about every day and Sarah would do so whenever it was possible.
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 am only human, and neither of them have ever said no.' However, he did realize that Kanako was the aggressor even though he did nothing to stop it from happening. And Sarah could be even worse. With that, Keitaro understood that he would never turn either of them away. Both were extremely special to him as Kanako wanted to work for him.
Setting that aside until another time, Kitsune and Motoko too were coming on to him. Aggressively, as well.
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 has grown into a magnificent example of Japanese womanhood. Divergent only with only how large her breasts have grown. In a Yukata which she had traditionally worn earlier in the evening, 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, she had his full attention having blossomed into a beautiful young woman.
He gave out a low thoughtful, "mmhmm."
"I miss Mutsumi-chan as well," Keitaro whispered as he remembered her with a slight bit of melancholy. There was a certain connection with her that was unlike any other that he ever had.
In a pleasant conundrum, he remembered that he would formally move into the Hinata itself 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 just 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 was 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 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.
Recently, Keitaro had the old road to the back of the property widened. The Prefecture then came in, graded the surface, 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. (As she had said, 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 utilizing Kaolla's explosives expertise, he asked her to blast out some rocks and foundation ledge without shearing off the rest of the hilltop.
It was for a future Dojo and workout center that he had 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.
-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.
"Do you want to help Keitaro with the walk-in fridge parts instead?" 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 am 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 continued, "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 Keiji to piss off. In no uncertain terms, 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 large walk-in refrigerator, the equally large freezer and installed the three-basin sink where the old one was. The counters and cabinets were 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, the main work 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 had 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 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 can to them.
The crew all drank up before gathering their tools together, 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 other projects around the Hinata.
-Later that day-
Upon the arrival home from school, 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. At their destination, Motoko slid the traditional door open and gawked at the new indoor facility in their school uniforms.
Having her hands clasped together underneath her chin, Shinobu had tears in her eyes. With her housemates, she inspected the new dining room and kitchen, as well as all the new appliances. Her wonderful Senpai had come through in ways that she could only have dreamed of. Stepping into the new kitchen, she did not know what to touch first.
"Like it?" came a voice from the other doorway.
Seeing Shinobu run through the dining room, 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 inside to marvel at the new kitchen.
"Oh, Senpai. Arigato gozaimasu," gushed Shinobu, who squeezed him as tightly 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," replied Keitaro as he began to conduct a tour through the new kitchen while showing off what he and his friends had accomplished earlier in the day.
When Motoko opened the large double-door fridge, she gasped at how full it was. Nearby, Kitsune opened the big freezer and marveled at what was inside it.
"This will keep Kaolla-chan happy for a couple of days at the very least," said Naru blown away just like everyone else was.
The Princess giggled as she reached for a banana.
"Shinobu-chan, from now on and for as long as you live here," declared Keitaro, "This kitchen is your domain. You are the boss 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 colder.
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 them, there were several brand-new flat screen TV's, men's, and women's locker rooms, a modern indoor onsen and he had 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 Latin script.
The same crew that built this place had also worked on Shinobu's new kitchen, which was completed in less than a week. It helped that Keitaro kept working on it even after his friends had gone home.
It was an effort such as this that pushed the others in the crew to help him build a first-class, top-of-the-line workout 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 facility, as wall mounted ones would be too inefficient.
As a special touch, he etched the residents' names onto small plates in his machine shop and attached them to their lockers.
Standing behind a stationary bike, Keitaro had a quick thought about seeing Kitsune's gorgeous ass sitting in the saddle.
When he finished, he told Haruka.
In response, Haruka said something to him about wanting to spar with Keitaro in the Urashima style so that she could finally kick his ass. It was because she wanted to.
They both shared a laugh because both knew that if he pissed her off, it could very well happen. Haruka was one of a few known who could go toe-to-toe with him.
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 only for her use. 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. It quickly turned into the first of many French kisses with which she would share 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 before 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 later, 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. So, taking a deep breath, she proceeded to the entrance.
For now, she had only her apartment in Kyoto, her business, her first name and that was not too bad because the person she had come to see has 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. Having left her past behind, she could be with her lover every day now.
Gathering her courage, she put a smile on her face, opened the front door and walked inside.
With that, she heard a familiar voice which said, "Tsuruko-chan."
-End of Chapter-