Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ A Fragile Love ❯ Episode 5: Background Check and a Practice ( Chapter 5 )

A Fragile Love

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Episode 5: Background Check and a Practice

Legend:

Word denotes character thought

Word denotes setting, time

-Word- denotes sound effect

*Word denotes copyright idea borrowed, not author's original idea

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Timeline: June 2, 2000 AD, 9:00 AM

Location: Hinata-Sou

Keitaro had a nagging feeling in his mind.

 

Have I forgotten to do something?

 

He snapped his fingers as he realized what he forgotten to do.

 

"The dishes, that's what!"

 

He went to the kitchen and washed the dishes. As he cleaned the last glass with a rag, he thought of the kiss he shared with Mutsumi.

 

Mu-chan…

 

He replayed the scene in his mind over and over again.

 

He placed the glass among the others in the dish drainer and washed his hands. He checked the wall clock hanging in the living room for the time --- 9:00 AM.

 

Maybe a little meditation will do in my room.

 

As he returned heading up the stairs, Mutsumi appeared from outside the backyard.

 

"Kei-kun?" she asked with her soft smile evident.

 

"What is it, Mu-chan?" Keitaro replied.

 

"I was wondering… would you like to go out with me?"

 

Keitaro widen his eyes, surprised by the question.

 

I could use some time alone with her and sort out my feelings. But I have a sparring match with Motoko tonight, so I should be here early.

 

"I'd be delighted to, Mu-chan," he replied with a smile. Mutsumi was glad by his answer.

 

"Ara, Ara… you haven't called me by that name for a lone time,” she reached for his hand and held it over hers while gazing at him. He looked at their intertwined hands shortly before focusing on her face. He conveyed his touch volume with her hand.

 

Funny, she resembles me in a way I can't describe. I should set things straight with her about this first.

 

A tear escaped from Mutsumi's eye. Keitaro noticed it running down on her cheek and wiped it off with his finger. With his free hand, he gently ran it through her long, dark-brown hair. He could smell her fragrance as he neared his face inches towards hers.

 

She smells delightful, like that of the sakura-cherry blossom tree.

 

Mutsumi felt very warm from her cheeks.

 

I didn't know Kei-kun would be so… forward. He certainly changed… in some ways.

 

She felt her heart beating twice than normal by her childhood friend's action. He locked eyes with hers and spoke.

 

"Please bear with me; a lot has changed for me when I stayed in America. I'd be quite surprised to know that the rest of you girls would have the same feelings for me, especially Naru."

 

"Kei-kun… I thought you'd forgotten our promise."

 

Keitaro laid his other hand on her shoulder, trying to assure her.

 

"I do remember making the promise with both of you and Naru; but now, Toudai is just a dream to me."

 

Mutsumi's eyes went slightly wide with shock.

 

"Kei-kun! That's not like you to give that up! So all your efforts will just be thrown away in vain; is that it?" she protested.

 

"Mu-chan… it's not that. There's a reason why."

 

"And that would be?"

 

He closed his eyes temporarily as he took a deep breath.

 

"I've already graduated college."

 

She let go of his hand and placed hers over her mouth, giggling at the sound of the remark.

 

"-Giggle- Kei-kun, I never knew you were so funny."

 

Keitaro was slack-jawed by her reaction.

 

"Come with me and I'll show you."

 

He grabbed her hand and led her to his room upstairs. Inside, he rummaged through the medium-sized box he carried from his travel in America and took out a small display case that contained a thick paper. He unrolled it for her to see. It read like this:

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ST. MICHAEL'S INSTITUTE

This diploma certifies that

 

Keitaro Urashima

Has completed the college requirements and graduated on the date of June 7, 2000 with the following degrees:

 

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Criminology

 

And attained with status of Magna Cum Laude

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Mutsumi gasped in amazement, her hand covering her gaping mouth.

 

“So you really finished college then!" she exclaimed. Suddenly, she collapsed in front of Keitaro, who caught her in his arms just in time. He checked her pulse by placing his fingers on her neck.

 

She fainted as usual.

 

"I guess you'll need a good amount of sleep then," he said quietly to her. He placed his diploma back inside the box and gently carried her in his arms. He headed to her room.

 

Inside, he laid her on her bed. In an instant, her eyes immediately fluttered open.

 

"You scared me there for a second," the dorm manager said, concerned. He waited a few minutes for her reply. Mutsumi looked around and realized she was in her room.

 

"Oh! I must have fainted. Kei-kun, did you carry me here?”

 

"Yes. Can you sit up straight? I wouldn't want you to faint again."

 

Mutsumi waved off his concern with a giggle.

 

"-Giggle- Thank you, I'm fine now. But, I'm amazed you finished college! So that means you were able to get a job?"

 

"Well… yes. But, it's not what I'd call a job though."

 

"Why is that? Did you quit it?"

 

"No, I needed a vacation and really missed home here."

 

"By the way, what job was it? I'm amazed you've got two degrees in a row!"

 

"-Sigh- It's kind of complicated. Well, I didn't actually go for a particular career. I tried pursuing many --- first as a computer engineer, then a forensics and criminal expert. I felt it wasn't enough for me. So, I decided to quit both and make a career of my own."

 

You wouldn't believe what I went through just to get them.

 

Keitaro paused to catch his breath and continued on.

 

"That career is private investigation, where I do services for clients for a fee. But, in order to accomplish it, I needed to train myself physically. So I endured a month's worth of training on martial arts, karate, and kendo.

 

“Then it was onto computers. I took a course in Computer Engineering and absorbed all knowledge in computer technology. Times are changing these days; technology has become an integral part in our daily lives.

 

“Three months had passed. But, I lacked a purpose in my life this far. But kami must have heard my problem, and gave me an opportunity.

 

“Another month after, a good friend I made in the university asked me a favor. His name was Gilbert Walt. He explained a situation that had been happening in a neighborhood close to the university. It seemed burglary has been ransacking the place for weeks. Police sources indicated a man as the culprit; he gave the authorities a hard time, evading capture now and then.

 

“Needless to say, I was interested and took up his plea.

 

Keitaro looked at Mutsumi before continuing his narrative, "Do you want to listen all of this? I don't want to bore you with these details."

 

"No, Kei-kun, it's ok. I'm really interested to know about it," she smiled briefly, assuring him to continue.

 

"Well, ok. I'll just make this short, so I don't want to waste time.

 

“Anyway, I went over to that neighborhood and asked the residents about the burglar. They noted that he managed to make his way inside their homes, no matter how secured they were. It also seemed he stroke at night. I went to the houses ransacked by the burglar and studied his means of entry. I was about to give up, seeing that it was pointless to continue further, when I had an idea."

 

"I called Gilbert on the phone and left him instructions. It was:

A] Ask for a blueprint layout of the neighborhood.

B] Obtain a list of current residents living.

 

"At 3:00 PM afternoon, Gilbert arrived with the papers I asked for --- the blueprint layout and resident list.

 

“In the blueprint layout, I studied the locations of each house, while in the resident list, I checked for all persons accounted for. My eyes trailed up and down on the resident list when they picked up on a new resident registered named Kathy Gales. I felt a fresh hope; my presumption was that the burglar would strike in that woman's house tonight. I called Gilbert, requesting him to inform the police about it. I went over to Ms. Gales' residence and told her about my plan.

 

“The trap was set.

 

"At 10:00 PM evening, all the residents turned in for a good night's rest. At my instructions, Ms. Gales turned off all the lights in her house and locked herself inside her bedroom. With her safe and secured, I waited in the living room.

 

"All was quiet inside. I forced my weary eyes to open wide, preventing sleep. Suddenly, one of the windows was cut open in a circle, the cut portion discarded quietly. A dark figure stepped inside cautiously and grabbed a black duffel bag with him. As he headed upstairs, I sprang at him, tackling against each other on the floor. A small struggle began, and we fought. He wasn't a common burglar judging from his fighting; it seemed he knew some martial arts.

 

“But in the end, I subdued him. Within 10 minutes, the police arrived and arrested him. Ms. Gales came out downstairs worried about me, but I assured her of the burglary problem over with. Gilbert arrived afterwards and thanked me after I explained what happened," Keitaro concluded.

 

"Wow… that's amazing! What happened after that?" Mutsumi asked, delightedly. The dorm manager held behind his head, smiling in embarrassment.

 

"Well, the mayor of the neighborhood held a public gathering and thanked my effort to silence burglary in the area. I was awarded USD5000 upon the neighborhood's behalf. With the money I had, I was able to live in a residence temporarily in the city.

 

“I led a peaceful life; by then I received people looking for me, seeking my advice to their dilemmas. Apparently, my involvement in the burglary incident made me quite famous.

 

“And that's how I ended up as a private investigator. I received cases ranging from the usual to the bizarre. The rest is history. Is there anything else you want to ask me?" Keitaro concluded.

 

Mutsumi checked the time on her watch --- 4:00 PM.

 

"I'm sorry Kei-kun, but I'll have to cancel our plans for today. I have my night classes to attend in Toudai. Your story is interesting! I hope that we can go out together another time," she gave her easy-going smile at him.

 

"No problem, Mu-chan. Just call me up anytime, okay?"

 

Her cheeks redden with happiness, and she gave a small peck on his cheek. Keitaro blushed slightly, standing up and left her room.

 

I didn't get the time to sort out my feelings towards her! Oh well, maybe another time will do.

 

He took a whiff from his shirt.

 

“Whew, I'll need to shower up. Thank kami Mu-chan didn't notice my smell,” he said to himself. He headed for his room. As he passed Mitsune's door, it opened as he disappeared. The fox lady tilted her chin, rubbing it.

 

"Well I'll be… Keitaro is sure a fulfilling man, I see. This is getting interesting."

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Timeline: June 2, 2000AD, 7:00 PM

Location: Hinata-Sou, courtyard area

-WHOOSH-

 

The wind carried drifting leaves from the sakura-cherry blossom trees perched around the area.

 

-SWISH- -SWISH-

 

Sword swings and swipes were heard from the resident female swordsman, who was in the midst of her regular training.

 

-SWISH- -SWISH-

 

Her training clothes fluttered about as she moved along with her swings. She blocked all thoughts from her mind and concentrated on her sword technique, Secret Arts, patented by her school, God's Cry School.

 

Could Urashima fight like me? I doubt he possesses fighting skills.

 

Motoko sheathed her sword and took a deep breath.

 

"The warrior's soul must be refined and strong," she said to herself.

 

-TAP- -TAP- -TAP-

 

Footsteps were heard, approaching her from a distance.

 

"Who's there?" she demanded, readying her sword with both hands while taking a fighting stance.

 

Out from the shadows a figure walked forth, the moon's light revealing the face of Keitaro. He wore training clothes like hers, but with different colors --- his gi white and hakama black. A long reverse-edged sword rested on his side. His gi was slightly open, revealing his built chest.

 

The wind blew his short, dark brown hair.

 

The moonlight illuminated his form, radiating him with a glow.

 

Motoko was awed by his appearance.

 

So he was interested in training with me. He looks so imposing and built!

 

Her cheeks blushed upon thinking of his physical assets, and she turned her back at him, covering her blush.

 

"Motoko… shall we begin our training?" Keitaro asked.

 

"Are you serious about this, Urashima?"

 

"Yes, I am. I'm ready when you are."

 

He closed his eyes briefly before assuming a fighting pose. His hand was poised to unsheathe his sword.

 

"Then let's begin with… this!" Motoko turned around and raised her sword for a quick strike, running towards him. He opened his eyes, smiling. Then, he instantly drew his sword out.

 

-CLANG-

 

Both warriors' swords locked against each other. Motoko was astounded with his speed in unsheathing his sword and block.

 

What a reaction!

 

"I'm impressed, Urashima. But let me see you try this!" she leapt back from a distance and raised her sword overhead.

 

"Secret Art: Spiral Blow!" she slashed downward to throw a spiraling projectile toward Keitaro, who watched it and lined his sword facing it.

 

He then performed quick large slashes, forming a wide asterisk. As he made the final slash downwards, he exclaimed, "X-Cross!"

 

An asterisk-shaped blue-white energy appeared. He pushed it with a horizontal slash and it trailed toward the female swordsman's projectile.

 

-PHOOSH-

 

The dorm manager's projectile destroyed hers upon contact and went through forward. Her jaw slightly jarred, Motoko was dumbfounded. She made an overhead slash to deflect it.

 

Unbelievable… how can he attain this power to destroy my projectile? Well, can he avoid this?

 

"Secret Art: Dragon's Wave!" she exclaimed, spinning around to perform a huge horizontal slash. Out came a wavy burst of energy, closing upon Keitaro. He quickly evaded it, dodging sideways and jumping up.

 

Looks like my skills aren't rusty at all. But hers is most impressive!

 

The wave hit a line of trees behind him, cutting them in half.

 

-SHWAAK-

 

Taking the initiative, Keitaro rushed towards Motoko and performed a series of quick, successive slashes. The female swordsman barely had enough time to recover from each blow as she parried them in each succession.

 

-CLANG- -CLANG- -CLANG- -CLANG- -CLANG-

 

This isn't good. I've no choice but to use this!

 

"This time I won't go easy on you, Urashima! Secret Art: Impact Blow!" she exclaimed, jumping back from him and twirling her sword from side to side. She then placed her entire strength into her sword as she made a large downward, spinning slash.

 

-POW-

 

Keitaro felt the impact as he blocked it, pushed back due to the force.

 

What impact!

 

"Let me repay you back the favor," he rushed toward her, outstretching his sword from his side. Motoko quickly regained her balance, due to her putting all her strength from the last attack. As she anticipated his rush, he quickly sidestepped and disappeared.

 

“What? Where did he go?” she quickly looked around her.

 

-SHWAAK- -CLANG-

 

In an instant a wide vertical slash appeared in front of her. She quickly parried it, but its strength knocked her sword upwards, exposing her defenseless.

 

“*Strike… Purple Lighting!” Keitaro announced, popping out in front of her. He raised his sword pointing upwards to the sky. Suddenly, a purple aura of energy imbued the blade. Then, three images of him conjured and flanked her sides and behind, surrounding her. Motoko was taken in surprise.

 

“Impossible!”

 

The first image from her front made a horizontal slash knocking her weapon into the air.

 

“Take this!”

 

-CLANG-

 

Then, the second image from her left took a penetrating stab through her.

 

“And that!”

 

-PIERCE-

 

Next, the third image from her right jumped over her in a cartwheel, making a slash over her while landing in the opposite direction.

 

“Yah!”

 

-SHWAAK-

 

Last, the forth image from her behind leaped into the air, slashing downwards for the finishing blow.

 

“Ha---!”

 

-WHAM-

 

As its sword landed downwards, it hovered away from her in an instant and dissipated. Motoko was left flying to the air, her face astonished. She landed on the ground, painfully.

 

-THUD-

 

-APPEAR-

 

The real Keitaro then appeared from a distance, kneeling with one leg, holding his sword with his right hand. He stood up and turned around, looking at his injured opponent.

 

It should knock the wind out of her for a while.

 

Keitaro sheathed his sword and rushed to Motoko, holding her gently in his arms. She was covered with minor cuts and bruises.

 

"Urashima… you've grown… powerful. I couldn't believe… -Cough- you'd fight like this!"

 

"I'm sorry Motoko. It looks like I overdid it. Here, let me take of your wounds."

 

The female swordsman caught her breath and faced away from him with shame.

 

"Spare me the sympathy, Urashima! Why do you wish to help me? Why don't you gloat over my defeat?"

 

Keitaro shook his head, amused by her stubbornness. He gently held her chin and turned her around face-to-face. He noticed her eyes misting.

 

“I want to help you because… I care about you much like the rest of the girls. I forgive you for what you've done to me in the past. Lastly, I'm not relishing this victory; it doesn't feel right to me."

 

Motoko saw the truth in his eyes.

 

Despite what I've done to you in the past, you still have the heart to forgive me. Urashima, do you see what you're making me feel about you right now?

 

I'm so ashamed of myself!

 

"Oh, Urashima!" she buried her face onto his chest and cried. He embraced her, stroking her long, black hair with his hand.

 

"It's okay… let it all out, Motoko," he cooed softly.

 

The sounds of the female swordsman's sobs echoed throughout the night.