Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Fallout ❯ Fallout: Shinobu's Shame ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 8

Shinobu's Shame

“Shinobu, the reporter is here. Are you sure you want to do this?” asked her producer. This would mean the end of his job, the end of the whole empire built around her. Given the circumstances he understood but it was sad to preside over this shameful thing.

“Hai. It is time to end this farce. The kitchen princess is stepping down off her throne,” she announced. She straightened her formal business dress and waited. The reporter entered, usual greetings and polite small talk as the camera crew setup. It was an usual contract but she was a big star, one of the biggest, a veritable domestic goddess.

“So, Maehara-san, I understand you have a son, but you are not married. Is that correct?” asked middle aged woman reporter. She was famous in the society pages for hard hitting exposes. Phase one was underway, throwing meat to the biggest vulture. Shinobu smiled warmly, pleased that the reporter chose to ask the hard questions right away and not mince around. As always, her business instincts were sound.

“That's right. I have a son.”

“Are you divorced?” she offered an easy way out, eyes predatory.

“I never married his father,” explained Shinobu. “He chose to marry someone else.” The reporter flinched.

“Can you tell me what happened?” asked the reporter. Shinobu knew she had a name but it was easier not to think about it. It was easier to make this impersonal, this confession.

“I fell in love when I was a young woman and pined away for him, surrounded by others more developed than I. He pined for one of them but she spurned him. I waited for my chance, but when it came I took it. I'm not sorry for my choice,” she said defiantly. “Some will say I should be, but my love was true. I would regret more if I hadn't.”

“How appalling. Do you still keep contact with him?” she asked.

“Yes. I recently got back in touch with him. He's somewhat famous, or was a few years ago.”

“I see. A movie star? A politician?” she fished. Shinobu laughed easily, smiling.

“No, no. Nothing like that. I knew him for years before anything happened between us. And I was the aggressor. He was far to gentle to attack me. I was a tigress.”

“And his wife?”

“He wasn't married at the time. I never thought of myself as someone who would sully a household or steal another woman's man.”

“Ah, but you said a moment ago that he pined for another? What of her?”

“She'd burned her bridge by then. I came after, like the others.”

“I see. There were several other women interested in this man. Was he so charismatic?” asked the reporter. Shinobu smiled, thinking of a way to describe this.

“Do you like movies?”

“Of course.”

“Romances?” she asked. The reporter nodded. “Ever seen the American romance film Sleepless in Seattle?” asked Shinobu. The reporter nodded again.

“The man in that film, he wasn't terribly exciting or charismatic, he was just decent, if a little sad. He had puppydog eyes and people loved him because he was struggling so hard to do his best, and never did others a bad turn despite his luck. This man I loved… he was like that,” explained Shinobu. The reporter blinked, startled at a strange feeling in her chest. Was her vision blurry? A tear fell down her cheek. She quietly dabbed at it.

“He was so sweet and gentle…,” sighed Shinobu, looking out the window quietly. The reporter dabbed at her eyes once more before inhaling deeply. Have to stay under control and remember her job. Focus!

“Why didn't he choose you?” asked the reporter. Shinobu smiled sadly, one of those smiles that imparts so much pain.

“I had stiff competition. A samurai. A princess. A couple coeds. I lost to the writer, surprisingly enough. None of us expected that.”

“Do you resent his choice?”

“Sometimes, when I'm feeling down, I resent her, but she's a good mother and she's good for him.”

“What of your own efforts to be a mother? What of your son? Does he know his father?”

“He does. And I'm grateful too. I live near him.”

“We received some photographs through a source with a picture of a man and several women and children. Can you describe this event?” she asked, going for the hardball questions now.

“This was the apartment renunion, where I lived as a girl and developed my skills as a chef and homemaker.”

“Is this man the father of your child?” she asked. Shinobu considered. Keitaro had told her to do the right thing, and that he would not blame her, whatever happened. That he cared about her, loved her even now.

“Yes.”

“Investigation of this man reveals him to be a rather famous archaeologist, married to his journalist wife and having some kind of official relationship to the ruling party of a Pacific island. The relationship appears rather confusing, some kind of strange legal territory not recognized by Japanese law.”

“His marriage is perfectly legal.”

“Speculation exists as to his relationship to these other women,” fished the reporter, smoothly changing track.

“As I said, it was the reunion for our apartment building. Many of them were my fellow residents and close friends at the time.”

“And their husbands? Inside perhaps? Away on business?” asked the reporter. Shinobu shrugged outwardly, winced inwardly. This reporter knew more than she should.

“That may be, however that's their business. I would be remiss as a friend to comment on speculation,” smiled Shinobu, the professional, tight, liars smile.

“And so many children. I'm quite amazed at their apparent likeness,” she said, staring at children then Keitaro. The photos were quite good, even shot with a long telephoto lens. Shinobu had enough time in the industry to recognize the work was professional, and well financed. She wondered just who had the motive for this blackmail.

“We are all young and healthy women. Its not unnatural to have families, especially considering our national birthrate falling. I would think you'd cheer us on for our patriotic duty,” taunted Shinobu.

“That remains to be seen. I understand you now live near that apartment?”

“Yes, that's right. Its so that my son can be near his father.”

“I see. And the other women in the photo, they live nearby also? For the same reason?” asked the reporter.

“It does hold a lot of nostalgia for me. Perhaps they find it so as well.”

“Are you aware of a recent upset in the financial world? It seems that a large electronics firm with headquarters in a remote pacific island cancelled its contracts with existing suppliers and moved its legal representation just around the corner from you. Do you have any comment?”

“Su-chan? She's a close friend. We grew up together. We've drifted apart until recently. I can't really comment beyond that, as I'm not involved in the financial world. I'm merely a humble cook,” she said cutely, insincere.

“Do you have any jealousy towards your close friend over her continuing relationship with the man you love?” asked the reporter, dropping her final bomb. Shinobu smiled sweetly, venom dripping.

“Thank you for your time, Arataki-san. I have other business to attend to now,” said Shinobu, ending the interview.

“One final question! Did you know all those children are his?” she accused, Shinobu bowed and rushed out of the room, while her producer barred the pursuit.

She found herself later in a quiet conference room on another floor wheezing from her flight away from such insistent questions. Would that be enough to satisfy the vultures, or would they keep digging? She didn't know for sure. If they smelled a story and it was a slow news night, they'd dig more until it was all uncovered. Shinobu turned on her private phone, enabled the encryption that Su had installed, and called Keitaro's number. There was a moment's garble before he answered properly.

“Shinobu? Are you okay?” he asked. His voice was warm and comforting, for once. Maybe something had happened.

“Are you okay, Keitaro? You sound different than usual,” asked Shinobu, concerned.

“Just some stuff. I'll tell you later, in person,” offered Keitaro. “What about you? How did the interview go?”

“It started okay,” she explained, then followed it up with the rest of the story. She heard Keitaro wince at some of the questions.

“You did well. Better than I could have. They're going to come talk to me next aren't they?”

“You're probably under surveillance now. Seen any unusual people around? More than once?” she asked. Keitaro paused on the other end of the line, thinking back.

“Yes, some. I'll know them when I see them. Should I do anything?” he asked her advice. It was a refreshing change to have him listen to her. She smiled in spite of herself, feeling a blush come on just like the old days.

“Be yourself, don't lie, but only tell them as much as you have to. The less the better. If they give you any trouble run to Motoko's office. She's got office space shared with the Molmol embassy. They can't step foot there without mechatamas blowing them up.”

“That's… true. Good idea. Isn't that a little violent?” asked Keitaro.

“Yes,” said Shinobu, just as simply.

“Uh. Hmm. Okay. What do we do now?” he asked.

“I have to go to the next stage. Since they violated the terms of my agreement, I get to pursue them through my legal office. Count on them airing it anyway. Its too juicy not to. I'll make it back in court. Plus the pay per view of my approved interview. I come out smelling like roses. And even richer than before.”

“I should come to you for business advices, Shinobu-chan,” sighed Keitaro.

“Yes, you should. I've gotten good at this… Keitaro?” she asked after a pause.

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever wonder what it would be like if you'd chosen me instead?” she asked.

“Yeah. Maybe a little like it was before, only less frantic, and more passionate. Something like that. It would have been nice,” he said quietly.

“Do you regret the choice you made?” she asked.

“Sometimes, but mostly I did what I did because it was the right thing to do. Do you blame me for that?” he asked.

“Sometimes. You understand though, don't you?” she said.

“Yes, I do. Shinobu-chan?” he asked.

“Yes, Keitaro?” she responded.

“I'm going to do what I can to make things right for all of us. Its going to be complicated, and might take some time, but don't give up on me, okay?” he pleaded. Shinobu wondered at the meaning of that and thought for a while.

“I won't give up on you, Keitaro. See you later,” she said. They said their goodbyes and hung up. Shinobu looked at the phone for a while, pondering quietly.

“I sure hope so.” Tokyo hummed in the afternoon rush hour, millions of people going every which way. She enjoyed the anonymity of riding the train, and wondered just how much longer that would last, thanks to this blackmail rumor. It was ironically true, as well. Build it up first, profit from it, take it apart. Control it all, every step of the way. The only way to kill it was to deflate the whole thing. She hoped this would work. Her backup plan was in place, regardless. She had the lease signed. Just a matter of staffing it with trustworthy people willing to work for minimum wage in a backwater suburb of Tokyo, well off the main transit routes. She smiled, thinking again of her family restaurant. And admitted, only to herself, that she was a better cook than her parents had been.