Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Ships in the Night ❯ Sheltering Harbor ( Chapter 5 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: hawker_748 
Anime/Manga: Love Hina Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.21.2006 | Pages: 8 | Words: 9.7K | Visits: 2.9K | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Love Hina Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.21.2006 | Pages: 8 | Words: 9.7K | Visits: 2.9K | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
C+C is welcome at hawker_748@hotmail.com.
This story idea was inspired by SimmyC, who graciously allowed me to pick up the ball and run with it.
Thanks Man!
“X” Spoken words
‘X’ Thoughts
Manga continuity, after the “Burn-Up Blade” story line
Love Hina:
Ships in the Night
Chapter Five: Sheltering Harbor
The walk to the train station was conducted in silence, save for the sound of the falling rain. Keitaro kept casting his head about, idly wondering how long it would be until one of the residents, most likely Naru or Motoko or both, caught up with him. And then discovered that he was going to go stay at Tsuruko’s for the time being. When he considered the probable reactions, he shuddered; it wouldn’t be pleasant. Thoughts like these caused him to reconsider his decision, and he was even thinking how he would phrase it to Tsuruko, when he realized that not only had they arrived at the station, but Tsuruko had already bought the tickets, and the two of them were now boarding a train.
Inside the car, Tsuruko asked Keitaro which seat he wanted. He didn’t really care, but he took the window seat, storing his bags in the overhead bin. He kept fidgeting nervously, worried that they hadn’t been discovered yet, positive that Motoko or Naru were going to rush into the car, murder on their minds. It wasn’t until the train started moving that Keitaro finally allowed himself to relax a little, but he still held his breath every time the door leading to another car opened.
A half hour later, Keitaro was able to accept that no one had chased after him, or they hadn’t been able to catch him if they did. He’d succeeded in leaving Hinata House, and he didn’t know whether he should be feeling elation or misery. At the moment, the only thing that he felt was numb. He stared out the window, watching the scenery flash by without really seeing it, focused more on his reflection in the glass. He silently blessed Tsuruko for not trying to engage him in conversation, probably sensing that that he wasn’t up to talking just then. He noticed her reflection in the window, sitting in the aisle seat, with an empty seat between them. Keitaro could make out her profile in the reflection, and she appeared to be as lost in thought as he was.
The trip to Kyoto seemed to fly by like a fever dream, no details being clear, just the actual experience itself. As the train began to decelerate, Keitaro began to consider what exactly he was going to do there. He had a place to stay, but what was he going to do? ‘Gotta figure something out,’ he told himself. ‘I can’t just brood for the rest of my life…’ Sighing, he decided to sleep on it. ‘Maybe things will look better in the morning… Nah, they never do…’ The sharp breath he let out could have been considered a laugh… if one was willing to greatly broaden the definition.
When the train finally stopped, Keitaro stood up and stretched, hissing when his joints let him know just how little they had appreciated being wrapped in wet clothing and left sitting still for a couple of hours. Retrieving his belongings, he followed Tsuruko through the station, relieved to discover that it wasn’t raining in Kyoto. Walking through the early evening crowds, Keitaro couldn’t help but be reminded of the last time he’d taken a walk through a city, and what had happened because if it. ‘And this time, I’m going to stay at Tsuruko’s HOME for Christ’s sake! I still can’t believe I agreed to this…’
If Tsuruko noticed his inner turmoil, she made no mention of it. The two of them kept walking in silence, neither wishing to speak, and both dealing with troubling memories. Finally they reached their destination, Tsuruko’s home and dojo. It hadn’t changed since the last time Keitaro had seen it, not that he had imagined anything changing. He found it interesting that some things never changed; Hinata House itself hadn’t been affected by all that had happened, and it appeared that Tsuruko’s home was the same way.
They walked through the gate and down the path towards the dojo, heading in the direction of the guest rooms that were attached to it. The last time he’d been there, Motoko and him had stayed in rooms in the house, with Tsuruko cheerfully reminding them that they’d have to share a room -as well as a futon- if they failed to defeat her. Tsuruko slid open the door and turned to Keitaro. “Will this be alright?”
The room was small and spartan, with a tatami mat, a light, a small table, and a wardrobe. There were no personal touches, and no pictures on the walls. The window was small, but it had a blind for privacy. There had obviously not been much consideration given to providing creature comforts, but at the moment, it was the most welcome sight Keitaro had seen in some time. “It’s fine. Thank you, I-I’m sorry to be a burden like this-”
“Please,” interrupted Tsuruko. “I need to do this. I should be putting you in the main house, these rooms aren’t designed to be that comfortable.”
“No, this will be fine,” Keitaro reassured her.
“Is there anything else you need? Something to eat? A hot bath?”
“Thanks, but no. I-I think I’ll turn in early, it’s been a hell of a day…”
“Very well. You are welcome anywhere in my home.”
“Thank you,” Keitaro replied, bowing formally. “I-I guess I’ll see you later. Good night Tsuruko.”
“Sleep well Keitaro.” Tsuruko then turned around and walked back towards the main house.
“Somehow, I doubt that…” Keitaro murmured to himself as he watched Tsuruko leave. Removing his shoes, he entered his new residence and set his bags on the floor. He slid the door shut and made his way over to the light. The sixty watt bulb did little to bring warmth to the room or illuminate it properly, but it was fine with Keitaro. He idly began removing his clothes, hanging his damp shirt and pants on the hooks on the wall, and allowing himself the chance to air-dry. He shuddered briefly from the slight chill in the air and retrieved a dry shirt from his duffel bag, mentally congratulating himself on his decision to buy one that was waterproof.
The futon was surprisingly comfortable. ‘Figures,’ Keitaro mused. The students who stayed in these rooms would probably need a good night’s sleep if they devoted as much time to learning the art as Motoko. He derailed that train off though, yet another reminder of the enormity of his decision. He glanced over at his cell phone. ‘Should I call Haruka? No, I’ll wait till later, she’s had enough troubles for one day.’
Rolling on to his side, Keitaro turned off the light and attempted to fall asleep, and put the traumatic day behind him. But as he lay there, he felt his eyes moisten up with tears, and in the privacy of the room, Keitaro finally gave in to the strong emotions he’d struggled to contain since he’d left. He let the tears flow unabashedly, sobbing openly but quietly, still a little ashamed by his loss of control.
Keitaro cried for nearly ten minutes, well beyond his supply of tears. His dry sobs filled the room, and his pillow was damp with tears. Eventually, he calmed down and composed himself, but he could feel himself teetering on the edge of breaking down again. He decided that this was the absolute low point of his life, and that things couldn’t possibly get any worse. ‘Oh, wait, they could. Motoko could decide to visit Tsuruko tomorrow and find me here…’ He snorted in disgust. ‘Just when you think you’ve hit rock bottom, there’s always somebody ready with a jackhammer…’
Having regained some control over his emotions, with the help of a little gallows humor, Keitaro took a few deep cleansing breaths, turned his pillow over so he wouldn’t have rest in his own tears, and closed his eyes. While an occasional tear did flow, he was able to achieve the sleep he needed.
In spite of his fears, that night Keitaro experienced no dreams, either pleasant or unpleasant, just the welcome oblivion of sleep.
XXX
The following morning was peaceful, and the Shinmei School and residence were shrouded in early morning mist. It was an almost idyllic morning, the kind the most fervent morning people adore, and even morning haters will grudgingly admit are pleasant, before they roll over and try to fall back to sleep. At this time of year, the sun hadn’t yet cleared the horizon, but the eastern sky was getting lighter.
When Keitaro woke up, he found himself disoriented. ‘Where, where am I? This isn’t my-’ He broke off his pondering when his memory finally reminded him what had happened the day before. ‘This is Tsuruko’s home, isn’t it?’ He blinked and rubbed his eyes, taking another look at his surroundings, nodding to himself as he came to grips with what had happened. He turned on the light and glanced at his cell phone. It was just past six in the morning.
Putting on some sweatpants and his beloved ‘Bounty Hunter’ sweatshirt, Keitaro opened the door and took a look at the compound. ‘Peaceful,’ he decided. There was no activity at that early hour, but he’d slept too long to consider trying to go back to sleep. ‘What do I do? Get something to eat? Have a bath? Tsuruko said I was welcome, but I feel weird about just walking in…’
In the stillness of the morning air, Keitaro’s ears picked up a faint rustling sound. ‘What’s that noise? Kinda sounds like someone shaking out laundry… A class this early?’ the sound was coming from the dojo, and his curiosity getting the better of him, Keitaro strode quietly towards it, not wanting to inadvertently startle a dojo full of kendoists. He glanced through an open door, and the sight before his eyes rooted him to the spot.
Instead of the room full of students that he’d half expected, Keitaro observed Tsuruko going through an intricate kata. He’s seen Motoko practicing from time to time, and he’d had firsthand experience on the receiving end of some of her techniques, but she’d never been able to move with such precision. He didn’t need to be an expert on kendo to appreciate the exquisite skill that the kata required. Not a movement was wasted, not a strike was out of place. She moved with a sense of poise and grace that made a ballerina look like a drunken klutz by comparison.
After a few minutes of mesmerized observation, Keitaro tore his gaze away, moving discretely away from the dojo. He could feel his cheeks burning; he was somewhat embarrassed, as if he’d accidentally intruded on something personal. ‘I need to get cleaned up, and maybe I should make breakfast. Gotta pull my own weight around here.’ Keitaro occupied himself thinking about what he could do to avoid being a burden, using those thoughts to help push the comfortable image of Tsuruko working through the kata out of his mind.
Gathering his bathing supplies, Keitaro hesitantly entered the main house, hoping with all his heart that Toshio hadn’t chosen last night to return home. The house was still, seemingly empty and Keitaro breathed a sigh of relief as he walked to one of the smaller bathrooms. The home did have an outdoor bath, but there was no way in hell Keitaro was going to use that. He didn’t feel comfortable with the thought of using it, and with his luck, Tsuruko would probably accidentally walk in on him and…
Viciously shaking his head to eradicate the suddenly vivid recollection of what Tsuruko looked like naked, Keitaro hurried into the bathroom, shed his clothes, entered the western style shower and turned on the cold tap as far as it would go. “Gah!” The cold shower worked as promised, pushing all thoughts of a vaguely sexual nature aside, and shocking him into clear-headedness. He kept the water cold until his teeth started chattering, before he finally turned on the hot water.
Warm again, and in better control of his thoughts, Keitaro began to once again reconsider his decision to accept Tsuruko’s invitation. ‘Haven’t been here a day and I’m already fantasizing about her.’ In his defense, Keitaro knew that he hadn’t intentionally thought of her like that, but his mind had cheerfully intervened in an innocuous thought. ‘Pull yourself together, or find somewhere else to stay,’ he admonished himself. Staring at his reflection in the tiles, Keitaro looked hard into his own eyes, idly wondering how his glare hadn’t shattered the ceramic. ‘Never again. That’s what started all this, remember?’
Having reminded himself of what he WASN’T going to do while he was there, Keitaro began contemplating some of the things he could do. ‘The roof looked like it might need a little work, and maybe there’s some other repairs I can do.’ He ran through a list of things that usually required maintenance at Hinata House, and wondered if the same was true here. ‘Don’t think I’ll have to constantly repair holes in the walls and roof,’ he realized. ‘I wonder how Reika’s doing? I never really asked her what kind of experience she had, did I?’ He sighed as he continued to wash up. ‘I think I just threw a baby lamb to the wolves…’
With thoughts of regret running through his mind, Keitaro finished his shower and dried off, before changing into some new clothes. ‘I’ll call aunt Haruka later, see how she’s holding up.’ Having mollified his conscience somewhat, Keitaro walked out of the bathroom and made his way into the kitchen. He hadn’t cooked for a while, but he figured he could prepare breakfast. ‘Least I can do to thank her…’
In the kitchen, Keitaro briefly considered what to prepare before settling on something western. He took out what he needed and began his preparations. He was about two-thirds finished when Tsuruko entered the kitchen, looking rather composed and rested, despite the exertions he’d witnessed in the dojo. “Good morning,” Keitaro called out.
“Good morning Keitaro,” Tsuruko replied. “I’m sorry, did my morning practice wake you?”
Keitaro shook his head. “No, I just couldn’t sleep anymore, so I figured I could clean up and make breakfast.” He shrugged. “Gotta do something to be useful around here…”
“You’re a guest Keitaro…”
“Maybe, but I shouldn’t just mope in my room,” he answered. “Hungry?”
“Um-yes.” Tsuruko seemed a little surprised by the abrupt change in topic. “What are you making?”
“French toast.”
“French toast?”
“Shinobu made it for us a few times…” Keitaro felt himself start to reminisce, and shook his head to keep himself focused on the present. “Try it. If you don’t like it, I can make something else…”
Tsuruko shook her head. “No need, smells pretty good.”
“Oops, gotta flip it.” Keitaro used the spatula to turn over the two pieces of bread. “Be ready in a minute.”
Tsuruko nodded and took a seat at the table, watching Keitaro scurry around the kitchen finishing up the breakfast. In a few minutes he was done, and he placed a plate of French toast in front of her along with a glass of orange juice, before taking a seat across the table himself. “Thank you.” She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. “It’s good…”
“I’m not that good,” Keitaro replied modestly.
“I’m serious.”
“Thanks.”
Nothing more was said for some time as the two ate, each of them having some thoughts about the other, but neither wanting to be the first to raise the issue. Once he’d finished, and placed both plates in the sink for washing, Keitaro asked about what chores he could do around the house.
“You just got here Keitaro, you don’t have to start right away…”
“It’s what I said I needed to do, remember?” Keitaro turned on the tap and began washing the dishes.
“But why are you so eager?” pressed Tsuruko.
Keitaro didn’t answer immediately, he simply continued to scrub the dirty plates. After a minute or so of silence, he gave his reason. “It’s easier this way…”
“Easier…?”
“If I keep busy, I don’t have to think about it so much…” Keitaro turned his attentions to the frying pan and began scouring the remains of the French Toast off of its surface, using more force than was required. He blinked quickly, silently grumbling at the dirt in the air making his eyes water.
Tsuruko watched the young man go about cleaning up the kitchen with an almost frightening intensity. Not wanting to disturb him while he worked, she got up and started to head out, but she turned back over her shoulder and told Keitaro, “I’ll-I’ll find some things for you to do after I get cleaned up. Is that alright?”
Not trusting himself to speak, Keitaro merely nodded.
Acknowledging his answer, Tsuruko made her way to the outdoor bath, concern for the emotionally wounded man in her kitchen staying with her for some time.
Back in the kitchen, Keitaro continued to clean with a single minded intensity, going far beyond what he used to make breakfast, and giving the entire room his undivided attention. As he went about washing the counters, a small part of his mind wondered what it would take to wash away the stain he felt was on his very soul.
XXX
“Hello Aunt Haruka.” It had been two days since Keitaro had arrived at Tsuruko’s home, and he decided it was time to check in with Haruka.
“Keitaro! Where are you?”
‘No way I’m answering that,’ he mused. “I’m safe Aunt Haruka, I’m just staying somewhere now. How’s everything? How’s Reika doing?”
“She’s doing fine, actually…” Haruka had a trace of disbelief in her voice.
“Fine?” The disbelief in Keitaro’s voice was more than a trace.
“She just started cleaning the place up, gushing about how happy she was to finally be working in a dorm. She even replaced the old wiring we had in some of the guest rooms.”
“She’s an electrician too?”
“Shouldn’t you have known that?” accused Haruka.
“I-I missed a few things in the interview,” Keitaro admitted, shaking his head at the way things had played out. He’d always feared electricity, avoided working with it whenever possible, and Reika had just jumped in with both feet. “How is…everyone?”
Haruka let out a deep breath. “Confused. Upset. They can’t believe you left. I can’t believe you left. You want me to tell them you called?”
“No!” Keitaro blurted. “I mean, tell them I’m okay, and I’m sorry, but don’t tell them where I am…”
“I don’t know where you are, remember?” Haruka pointed out. “I see you’re using your cell phone…”
“I see you’ve still got caller ID,” replied Keitaro.
“Yeah. Well, after you left, Shinobu, Su, and Kitsune tried to find you…”
“They, they did…?”
“They did. Didn’t succeed, obviously. For someone who didn’t want to run away, you did a pretty good job of it.”
Keitaro felt his shoulders slump in shame. “Everyone was hurting, it’s better this way…” He wished his words didn’t ring so hollow to him.
“Everyone’s still hurting,” Haruka replied. “Even Naru and Motoko…”
“I figured they’d be relieved…”
“You’re not that stupid,” rebuked Haruka. “They were mad at you, but instead of working things out, you avoided each other.”
“I slept with Motoko’s sister. How do I ‘work that out’?”
“I don’t know,” she allowed grudgingly. “But the three of you didn’t even try!” The frustration in Haruka was obvious even over the phone.
“There was nothing I could say…”
“You sure about that?”
“How could I defend what I did without making Tsuruko look bad? I wasn’t going to do that…”
“This sure caused you some trouble…” reminded Haruka.
“I ruined her marriage,” Keitaro answered back. “I’d say she suffered more.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” Keitaro replied after a brief silence.
“Not sure I agree with you…”
“How-how’s everyone treating Reika?” Keitaro asked, deliberately changing the subject.
Haruka frowned at the redirection, but didn’t do anything to prevent it. “They’re treating her as good as you might expect.”
“They’re not angry at her, are they?” Keitaro felt another tendril of guilt at how he’d just dropped everything on his replacement.
“No, I don’t think so,” replied Haruka. “She’s so friendly and cheerful, hating her would be like trying to kick a puppy. Where’d you find her anyway?”
“Classified ads.”
“Well, if nothing else, at least your replacement is pretty good at the job.”
“That’s good…”
Haruka then spoke in a hushed tone, as if she was afraid of being overheard. “Are you sure you can’t come back? You’re missed here…”
“It was hard leaving, but it’d be even harder to come back. I can’t look Naru or Motoko in the eye, I lied to everyone there, they’d never trust me again…”
“You’re being too hard on yourself,” insisted Haruka.
“Maybe, but that’s my choice.” Keitaro sighed deeply before continuing. “I’ve got to go now Aunt Haruka, I’ve got things to do…”
“Like what?”
“Just things,” replied Keitaro. “I’ll call again later.”
“Take care of your ‘things’ then. Goodbye.” With that, Haruka hung up abruptly, leaving Keitaro with nothing but a dial tone.
‘At least things aren’t all bad back home,’ Keitaro consoled himself. ‘Things aren’t quite as awkward here either.’ Over the past few days Tsuruko and Keitaro had come to an agreement about his responsibilities. He would keep up with basic maintenance of the house and grounds, as well as some of the shopping and occasionally cooking. These tasks kept him occupied, but he still had a lot of spare time on his hands, which gave him far too much time to dwell on unpleasant memories.
‘Tsuruko mentioned that the second floor windows need cleaning. How the hell did they keep this place maintained without any staff?’ Keitaro wondered. While not as sprawling as Hinata House, the Shinmei School dojo and residence was rather large. It had to be a couple of centuries old, but it was in excellent upkeep, better than Hinata House had been when Keitaro had first arrived. ‘Of course, I doubt anyone ever got launched through a wall here. Besides Motoko and I, I mean…’
Filling a bucket with warm water and vinegar, and taking some cloth rags, Keitaro headed up the stairs to the second floor. ‘Aunt Haruka wasn’t happy with me,’ he recalled, as he started wiping down the first window. ‘She usually isn’t that curt. Nothing I can do about it though. But I don’t want to burn ALL of my bridges…’
Frowning, Keitaro tried to focus his attention on the windows, and put his troubled relationships on the back burner. For a while it worked, and he was able to go about the simple yet painstaking task of cleaning and drying all the windows on the second floor. Once finished, he surveyed his work, experiencing the satisfaction of a job well done. Wiping the last tiny streak off of the last window, he picked up the bucket and dumped it down the bathroom sinks before heading back downstairs. At the base of the stairs he encountered Tsuruko, who was on her way up. “Do you want me to make anything in particular tonight?” he asked her.
“You’re cooking again?”
“We agreed, a couple of times a week, remember? I still think I should be doing more…”
“No, that’s enough. It’s hard to get used to this, just make what you want.”
“I understand.” With that, he nodded in farewell and continued on his way. ‘And I still can’t believe I’m working here, staying here.’ Keitaro shook his head at the strange turn his life had taken. ‘I shouldn’t think about things too much, it makes my head hurt…’
XXX
“So, how was it?” asked Keitaro.
“Better, but you’re still using too much garlic.”
“Shinobu liked garlic, and she taught me this recipe.”
“It’s only a little too much.”
“I’ll cut it down next time.” Keitaro stood up and began cleaning up the dinner dishes. It was the third time in as many weeks he’d tried making pasta, and using Shinobu’s recipe for the sauce. It was one of his favorites, and since Tsuruko seemed to like it as well, so he tried to make it once a week. Tsuruko stood up to give him a hand, but he waved her off. “Sit down, I don’t do enough to help out around here.”
Tsuruko complied and watched him work for a minute or two. “You know, with your cooking and cleaning skills, you’ll make some lucky guy a great wife one day,” she deadpanned.
Keitaro nearly dropped the handful of dishes he was carrying. He regained his composure, set the dishes down in the sink and looked at Tsuruko like she was crazy, when he noticed a ghost of a smile on her lips. He decided to rise to the challenge. “Only in prison.”
Now it was Tsuruko’s turn to be surprised, but Keitaro felt oddly disappointed when her only reaction was a slight widening of her eyes. She then chuckled briefly, and a genuine smile came over her features, which Keitaro found himself mirroring. ‘Whoa, that’s the first time I’ve seen her smile since I got here… Nice to see it again.’ Out loud he said, “You need me to pick up some groceries tomorrow?”
Tsuruko shook her head. “No, we’ll be alright. Keitaro, I’ve been thinking…”
“Yes…?”
“Wouldn’t it be easier if you moved into a room in the house?”
Now Keitaro shook his head. “No, it’s better where I am.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to be a burden.”
“But-”
“Tsuruko, please… I wouldn’t be comfortable doing that.” ‘Living here is odd enough already,’ Keitaro added silently.
“You could at least use the outdoor bath,” Tsuruko insisted.
Automatically, Keitaro had flashbacks of Hinata House, and the times he’d gone into the outdoor bath. And the beatings he’d experienced subsequently. “Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea either…”
Tsuruko seemed to read his thoughts “I’m not planning on walking in on you, and I’ll make certain you know if I’m in there.”
Keitaro found the tone of rebuke in Tsuruko’s voice strangely reassuring. “Then I accept.”
“No need to be so formal.”
“It’s your home, I’m just visiting.”
“As you say,” replied Tsuruko, standing up and walking out of the dining room.
‘Let’s hope I have better luck with outdoor baths here than I did at Hinata House,’ Keitaro fervently wished. Then a mental image of Tsuruko in a towel flooded into his mind unbidden. ‘And I really hope she doesn’t walk in on me, it’s hard enough as it is trying not to think about that…’ Keitaro was thankful that Tsuruko had left the room, as he could feel his cheeks burning.
The nightmares that had plagued him had all but ceased, but the more feverish variety continued; the proximity to Tsuruko probably hadn’t helped. Keitaro thought that it was strange that while he hadn’t been thinking of her like that, the first morning not withstanding, his imagination was more than happy to do it at night while he slept. He silently thanked whatever gods were listening that he was able to do his own laundry in private.
Feeling somewhat ashamed of himself, even though there was nothing he could do about it, Keitaro fell back into his usual coping strategy, keeping busy to keep his mind occupied. ‘Damn skillet, non-stick coating, my ass…’ He grimaced as he struggled to scrub a stubborn clump of burned on sauce, feeling a disproportionate amount of satisfaction when he succeeded in cleaning it off. Finishing the rest of the clean-up ten minutes later, Keitaro decided that he’d take advantage of Tsuruko’s offer and use the outdoor bath.
After making a sign on a blank sheet of paper, Keitaro walked to the entrance and tacked it to the door. He then knocked loudly and called out, insuring that Tsuruko hadn’t already stepped in. Satisfied that it was empty, Keitaro double-checked the sign to make certain that it wasn’t going to fall off, before shutting the door behind him.
After stripping, Keitaro washed himself off with the shower hose before making his way outside and into the bath. He let out a contented sigh as he immersed himself into the near scalding water. He’d missed this, the magnificent indulgence of a long, hot soak. A hot shower wasn’t bad in its own way, but a hot bath was truly something to savor. Settling back, he placed a damp cloth on his forehead and watched the darkening sky. From what he remembered, you could see a fair number of stars at night this far out from Kyoto’s city center. This early, only the evening star was visible, but it served as a harbinger of others.
‘It really is peaceful here,’ Keitaro mused. ‘I can see why this is such a good place to train. No real distractions, you could devote all your energy to perfecting the art.’ He paused in his reverie to cast nervous glances at the entrance to the bath out of habit and experience, preparing to scramble should someone walk in unexpectedly. Back at Hinata House, Kitsune or Su would have walked in by now, sign or no sign, or Sarah would have removed it, and Naru or Motoko would have stumbled onto him by now. But here, there was no sound of any impending intruders, and Keitaro found himself unconsciously beginning to relax, though he still tensed up at even the slightest sound.
His idle thoughts about Hinata House caused Keitaro to wonder how everyone was doing. ‘Did they give up looking for me? Or is Su building something that can track my DNA?’ He’d meant this last thought in jest, but it dawned on him that Su probably was capable of building such a device. ‘If she does… Let’s just hope it has a short range,’ he thought soberly. Keitaro figured that his best hope was his improbable location. ‘I doubt they’d think to look here. I wouldn’t think to look for me here.’
Putting that disconcerting thought aside, Keitaro continued to wonder about his former tenants. ‘I hope that Naru and Motoko aren’t as angry anymore, now that I’ve left. Who knows, maybe we’ll be able to work this out one day.’ Privately though, Keitaro had his doubts. ‘I hurt them both. I lied to everyone, but I really hurt them the most.’ He let out another deep sigh. ‘I never meant to hurt anyone, but there’s no way to undo what I did.’
‘And what about Tsuruko?’ another part of his mind asked. ‘What was she going through?’ Keitaro honestly wasn’t sure, despite all of the time they’d spent together recently. ‘We’ve never talked about it, I’ve been afraid to ask her. Should I? If so, how? That’s not something you can talk about casually over dinner…’
“If this was killing me, what was SHE going through?” Keitaro said to himself. ‘Was she wracked by guilt like I was? Was she able to look in the mirror? Toshio never said much…’ He blushed as he recalled that Toshio had mentioned that Tsuruko had apparently dreamed about him. He shook his head. ‘So what? I dreamt about her, but that didn’t mean anything. They were…pleasant…dreams,’ he grudgingly admitted, ‘but that doesn’t mean I was proud of them…’ To Keitaro, the dreams were unseemly, an inappropriate celebration of something that wasn’t right. ‘I’d have a lobotomy if it would stop these dreams…’
“I have to talk to her, don’t I?” Keitaro asked the stars. While they didn’t answer, they hadn’t needed to; the question was purely rhetorical. “Before I leave, I’ll talk to her,” he vowed. However, since he had no idea how long he’d stay, Keitaro knew this was a tenuous promise at best.
Rising from the water and wrapping a towel around himself, Keitaro walked to the changing area to dry off and get dressed. Once he was finished, he left the changing area, taking the sign off of the door. Having nothing else planned for the evening, and feeling drowsy from the hot soak, Keitaro decided to turn in. He left the house and walked across the compound to his room, marveling once again at the beauty and dignity of Tsuruko’s home.
Safe in his room, Keitaro stripped down to his skivvies and got into bed, turning off the light and letting the darkness envelop him like a cloak. He closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep. But once again, he found his sleep invaded by erotic images; he was able to vividly recall every sound and movement Tsuruko had made with him, and when he finally snapped awake in the morning, her cries were still echoing in his ears, and he could easily describe the taste of her lips on his own.
XXX
“Kendo? Me?”
“That’s right,” Tsuruko replied calmly. “You’ve been here nearly a month and a half, and I believe it’s high time you started to learn what this school is known for.”
“I know what it’s known for,” Keitaro insisted. “I’ve seen a lot of its techniques, and been on the receiving end of most of them.”
Tsuruko calmly sipped her tea for a few moments, before she set her cup down and looked at Keitaro over the breakfast table. She wore the patient smile of someone who has heard more than a few objections, but always gets their way in the end. “You’ve obviously seen some of our schools capabilities, but have you ever tried to learn them?”
“Aside from the marriage thing with Motoko? No, I haven’t,” Keitaro answered.
“Then you shall learn while you are staying here,” Tsuruko concluded serenely. “After breakfast, change into something casual and meet me in the dojo.” With this, Tsuruko finished her tea and rose from the table, leaving a flustered Keitaro behind her.
“But, but I don’t-” Keitaro broke of his objections when he realized that he was talking to himself. He let out a sigh and shook his head ruefully. ‘How did I get into this?’ he wondered. ‘I just asked Tsuruko how long she’d been learning the art, and the next thing I know I’m her new student…’ Knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop it, Keitaro began to clean up the remains of breakfast, a little faster than he normally would. ‘Tsuruko probably doesn’t like to be kept waiting…’
Finishing the clean-up, Keitaro walked out of the house and headed for his room, nervous about what was going to happen. ‘I’m the guy who ruined her marriage, she’s going to be in an isolated setting with me, and she’ll have her sword out. Why do I think this is going to hurt?’ Keitaro changed into a T-shirt and shorts, the closest things he had to exercise clothes, and exited the room, entering the dojo for the first time.
‘Impressive…’ Keitaro thought to himself as he took a look at the training hall. The dojo was easily the largest structure in the compound, with gorgeous hardwood floors and a vaulted ceiling. He found himself looking around in awe, feeling somewhat intimidated by his surroundings. The room was designed to humble all the people who entered, and Keitaro felt even more insignificant as he slowly spun around to take in the entire interior. His reverie was broken when Tsuruko cleared her throat.
Instinctively, Keitaro snapped to attention and bowed to Tsuruko. He’d studied martial arts briefly when he was younger, and he remembered the proper way to convey respect.
Tsuruko nodded, seemingly pleased that Keitaro wasn’t a complete novice when it came to martial arts. “Very good. However, this will be an informal instruction, so you can relax Keitaro.”
“Yes sensei,” he replied, not relaxing in the slightest. Tsuruko might sound relaxed, but she was still radiating an aura that commanded respect.
Tsuruko took Keitaro’s continued formality in stride. “Take a practice bokken from the rack,” she directed.
“Yes sensei.” Keitaro walked over to the rack and took a look at the selection of wooden practice swords. Not knowing the difference between a ‘good’ one and a ‘bad’ one, he selected the first one that caught his eye. Feeling it in his grip, he was reminded of the only other time he’d held one, when Motoko had challenged him to defeat her or leave Hinata House. That had ended in an unlikely draw.
Hoisting his weapon, and becoming accustomed to its grip and heft, Keitaro returned to his place on the floor before Tsuruko. ‘So, what happens now? Is she going to challenge me to a duel, or just try and teach me a kata?’ he wondered.
As it happened, Tsuruko was planning the latter. “Have you ever attempted a kendo kata?”
Keitaro shook his head. “Never.”
Tsuruko raised an eyebrow. “Motoko never tried to teach you?”
“I was just her practice dummy,” Keitaro blandly replied.
“Very well. Observe the kata I will perform, and when I’m finished, try to repeat it. Don’t worry about making mistakes, I’m just trying to gauge your skill level.”
“I understand.”
Taking a ready stance and drawing her sword, Tsuruko closed her eyes and took a breath in preparation, before she flashed into movement.
Keitaro stared in awe, his jaw lowering in amazement. He’d seen Motoko train from time to time, and as such he recognized some of the movements, but even as graceful as Motoko had been, her older sister seemed to transcend the word ‘grace’. The first morning he’d come across Tsuruko practicing in the dojo and had discretely observed her for a few minutes before he walked away, afraid of being thought of as ‘peeping’. Up close the kata was even more impressive, even though it was nowhere as complex as the one he’d observed.
Tsuruko was flowing effortlessly from form to form, not even needing conscious thought to guide her actions. It was all Keitaro could do to not stare in wonderment. ‘How, how am I supposed to do THAT?’ he asked himself. ‘I don’t think I could do a fraction of that…’ His eyes vainly tried to absorb all of the subtleties of Tsuruko’s movements as she performed her deadly dance. When she finished, he nearly broke out in applause.
“Your turn.”
“Huh…?” Keitaro asked stupidly.
“You try it,” reminded Tsuruko.
“Um, alright…” Keitaro replied, feelings of inadequacy flowing through him. ‘Let’s see, how did that start?’ Keitaro adjusted his grip on the bokken and placed his feet in what he hoped was the right position. Closing his eyes and taking a breath to steady his nerves, Keitaro opened his eyes, and began the first moves of the kata…
…and almost immediately went ass over teakettle.
To his credit, Keitaro performed the first slash adequately, but things quickly went downhill from there. When he moved his right foot to set up for the next movement, Keitaro caught his foot on a floor plank that was only a hair higher than the others. The board tripped him up with a yelp, and the wooden sword flew from his hands.
Astonished, Tsuruko watched in morbid fascination as Keitaro landed chin first on the dojo floor, unconsciously wincing in sympathy. Her eyes switched to the cast-off bokken, tracing its trajectory as it spun in the air. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she deduced its likely point of impact. ‘I don’t believe it…’ Just as she had figured, the point of the sword hit Keitaro on the back of the head just as he was extracting himself from the floor, driving it back down with a thud.
“Ohhh…” Keitaro groaned, his head spinning from the multiple traumas. “Musta tripped.” His rattled mind was only able to produce that semi-coherent thought.
“Keitaro! Are-are you alright?” Tsuruko asked, moving towards him, any thought of continuing the lesson forgotten.
“I’m fine,” he replied, sitting up and shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. “I’ve been hit harder than that…”
Tsuruko watched the young man slowly return to his feet. “Perhaps you just aren’t suited to kendo after all… No offence.”
“None taken,” Keitaro replied. “I could have told you that…”
“You didn’t do too badly when you were engaged to Motoko,” Tsuruko reminded him.
“That was mostly her, remember? I just tried to stay out of the way. All I brought to the party was a cursed sword… I still can’t believe we won…”
“Why not?”
“Motoko is good, but you…” Words failed Keitaro at the moment. He recalled Motoko unleashing the kendo equivalent of a tactical nuclear weapon, her ‘Thunder Blade’ technique, and Tsuruko had just shrugged it off. “I didn’t think you could be beaten…” Keitaro resumed his stance, but faltered as the dojo began spinning. “Sorry sensei, give me a minute here…”
Tsuruko shook her head. “Don’t worry about it Keitaro. Let’s get you some ice for your chin.” Keitaro’s chin was starting to darken noticeably and would probably end up an interesting shade of purple if it wasn’t iced promptly.
“Sure…” Keitaro responded, still a little dazed from the twin blows to the head. The two of them made their way back into the house and Keitaro took a seat at the kitchen table while Tsuruko went to the freezer for some ice. Wrapping some ice cubes in a towel, she handed the bundle to Keitaro, who accepted it gratefully and placed it on his chin with a hiss.
“I’m sorry that happened Keitaro.”
“Why are you sorry?” he asked. “I’m the clumsy one…”
“I shouldn’t have forced you…”
“Don’t worry about it.” Keitaro dismissed her worries with a wave of his hand. “It’s no big deal…”
“You’re very understanding…” Tsuruko said with a faint smile.
“So I’ve heard,” Keitaro replied with a smile of his own, before he winced from the pain the smile caused.
While Keitaro was holding the cold pack to his chin, Tsuruko got up and put on a kettle of water in preparation of making tea. “Would you like some tea?” she called out.
Not wanting to hurt himself more by talking, Keitaro nodded.
Tsuruko placed a couple of teabags in a teapot and took two mugs from the cupboard, putting them on the counter. When the water started boiling a few minutes later, she emptied it into the teapot, allowing it to steep for a few minutes before pouring the hot beverage into the mugs. Bringing the cups to the table, Tsuruko handed one to Keitaro, who accepted it with a nod. He had to move the cold compress before he was able to take a sip. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
As the two of them sipped tea in silence, Keitaro decided to ask Tsuruko something that he’d been wondering about for some time. “How long are you willing to put up with me?”
“Put up with you?” Tsuruko repeated.
“All I do is look after a few chores, I don’t contribute much, you’re charging me too little for rent, I don’t do enough…” At this point Keitaro was babbling.
Tsuruko gently pointed this out to him.
Keitaro took a breath to focus his thoughts. “I guess I want to ask, how long are you willing to let me stay here? I’ve been here over a month and a half. I admit, I haven’t really tried to find another place, but I will if you want me to.”
Tsuruko appeared to ponder the question briefly, before she gave her reply. “You may stay as long as you feel welcome.”
“Feel welcome?”
“It’s my fault you had to leave your home.” Tsuruko raised her hand to cut off the objection Keitaro was about to make. “You’re here because it’s my responsibility.”
‘Her responsibility.’ Keitaro wasn’t able to explain the odd, faint pang of disappointment that this was her only reason. Tossing aside that potentially troublesome train of thought, Keitaro said, “I understand. Thank you again, I really can’t thank you enough for this, even though I should have found something else, and I know this can’t be easy for you, and-”
“Keitaro…”
“Yes…?”
“You’re babbling again…”
“Sorry.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Tsuruko replied with a soft smile.
“Okay…” Keitaro finally acknowledged. He found himself smiling back and he tried to tell himself that his heart rate had not increased at the sight of Tsuruko’s smile.
The two of them continued to drink the rest of their tea in silence.
XXX
At the Café Hinata, Haruka was reading the newspaper when the phone rang. Setting the paper down, she walked over to the phone, raising an eyebrow at the number that came up on the display. Taking her cigarette out of her mouth, she picked up the receiver and said, “Hello Keitaro.”
“Aunt Haruka…”
“It’s been a while Keitaro,” Haruka replied off-handedly. “You’ve been gone, what, two months? And you haven’t called in a couple of weeks…”
Keitaro flinched at the tone of accusation in Haruka’s voice. “I-I’m sorry, I’ve been all right, I didn’t want to trouble you…”
“It wouldn’t have been troubling me,” Haruka pointed out. “Did you go to Parakelese again?”
“Excuse me?”
“Did you go back to Parakelese?”
“Uh, no, I didn’t. Why?”
“Kitsune’s running a pool on where they’ll eventually find you. I had two thousand yen on Parakelese.”
“They-they’re still looking for me? Why?”
“Yeah, they’re still looking for you. The third expedition returned only yesterday. It was lonely with only Reika to talk with,” Haruka remarked.
“Reika?” Keitaro wondered aloud. “You mean Naru and Motoko went as well?”
“Yes.”
Keitaro let out a sigh. “They must really be pissed if they’re trying to find me…”
“Perhaps,” allowed Haruka. “Or perhaps not…”
Keitaro’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“They’re still upset, but there’s more to it than that.”
“More?”
“Maybe they’d like to work things out…”
“They didn’t when I was there…”
“Things have changed. There’s a difference between wanting you gone, and you actually being gone,” Haruka stated.
Keitaro mulled over his aunt’s words. “It’s still too painful,” he said after some contemplation. “I did hurt them, and they’ll still be angry.” ‘Especially if they find out where I’ve been staying,’ he added silently.
“It’s your decision Keitaro,” declared Haruka. “I can’t make you change your mind. I don’t agree with what you’re doing, but I’ll support it.”
“Thank you. How is everyone, aside from the obvious?”
“Pretty good spirits considering… Reika’s helped with that.”
“Oh? How so?”
“She’s been kind of like a big sister to everyone here,” Haruka replied, the amusement in her voice obvious. “She’s also a better caretaker than you ever were Keitaro.”
“Really…”
“Well, no one gets upset when she walks into the outdoor bath unannounced, and no one’s accused her of peeping either…”
Keitaro nodded at that, even though Haruka couldn’t see the gesture. “I expected that. That’s why I asked for a female caretaker in the ad.”
“Makes sense,” admitted Haruka. “But did you know she was a genius at maintenance?”
“No, I didn’t. Is she really that good?”
“She’s better than good. Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, she can do it all.”
“Where’d she learn all that?” Keitaro wondered.
“I asked her that once. She said she learned from her father, that he was a contractor in the Nerima district, always had plenty of rush jobs, or something like that,” replied Haruka.
“I’m glad at least some things are under control. If anyone asks, let them know I’m alright, okay?”
“They’d rather hear it from you…”
“It’ll be too hard for me to talk to them,” Keitaro confessed. “I’ll probably start crying.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” Haruka asked softly.
“…No…” Keitaro replied after a moment. “But I don’t wanna re-open any old wounds…”
Haruka’s silence on the other end of the line spoke eloquently about her opinion of Keitaro’s point of view.
Keitaro, conscious of the uncomfortable vibe which had formed between him and his aunt, decided to cut things off before they got any worse. “I’ve got to go Aunt Haruka. I’ll call later, maybe in a week or so…”
“Then we’ll talk later. Goodbye Keitaro.”
“Goodbye Aunt Haruka.” Keitaro heard her hang up, and found himself listening to the dial tone for a few seconds before pressing the ‘END’ button on his cell phone. ‘At least things are stable back home,’ he told himself as he set down his phone and exited the room. ‘Time to make breakfast…’
Keitaro walked across the compound, breathing in the cool morning air, the hint of dew giving the air a slightly sweet tinge. Entering the kitchen, he found Tsuruko there, having obviously finished her morning workout. “Good morning Tsuruko.”
“Good morning Keitaro,” she answered back with a pleasant smile.
Keitaro found his expression mirroring hers. “What will it be this morning? Traditional breakfast, or western?”
“Surprise me,” Tsuruko replied with a shrug.
“I don’t think that’s possible,” Keitaro answered dryly as he started his preparations. Neither spoke again as Keitaro busied himself in his task, and the only sounds made were the clinking of utensils in bowls, and the pleasant sounds of cooking. Ten minutes later, it was done, and Keitaro placed the plates on the table with a flourish.
Tsuruko nodded in thanks and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. “Your cooking is getting better,” she remarked after swallowing the mouthful.
“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Keitaro conceded.
“It wasn’t bad before,” Tsuruko clarified, “but it is getting better.”
“I’m still not up to Shinobu’s level,” Keitaro said humbly.
“Perhaps. But with time, who knows?”
“Thanks…” The two resumed eating in silence, both enjoying the food and the company. While he was eating, Keitaro kept taking discrete looks across the table at Tsuruko. ‘She seems happier now than when I first got here,’ he reasoned. He pursed his lips as another thought occurred to him. ‘I don’t feel so miserable either. Is it because I left Hinata House… or because I’m here?’
The last thought caused an uncomfortable feeling to appear in Keitaro’s stomach. ‘I, I’m getting too comfortable here, aren’t I… Why am I still here? Where the hell is Toshio? Why hasn’t he come back? If I was him I would have… It’s been two months! How long does it take to ‘fight demons’ anyway?’
Taking a savage bite of his food to burn off some frustration, Keitaro tried to put his thoughts in order. The woman he was ‘living with,’ to put it delicately, was obviously beautiful… and married. There had already been one indiscretion between them, and the effects of that mistake were still being felt. ‘Don’t let yourself develop feelings for her dumb-ass, it’ll just make things harder when it ends.’
‘Then why are you still living here? You could have found somewhere else…’
Keitaro shook his head to clear that thought out, even as he admitted that he had no answer for it. Finishing the rest of his breakfast without really tasting it, Keitaro glanced up and noticed Tsuruko watching him.
“Something on your mind?” she asked.
‘Yeah, you…’ Out loud he replied, “Not really, just trying to remember what I need to do today…”
“There’s nothing really pressing, just do what you usually do.”
“Okay.” With that, Keitaro stood up and began to clear up the table.
Tsuruko stood up, stretched languidly, and thanked Keitaro for breakfast. “I’ll see you later, I’m going to have a bath now.”
Keitaro tensed at that. “Later then,” he replied, keeping his back to her. He listened for the sound of her footsteps to die off before he released the breath he was holding. He could feel his cheeks burning, as an enticing vision of Tsuruko in the bath popped up in his mind. Despite his admonishment, his brain was happily keeping the image vivid in his mind’s eye.
Keitaro put all of his efforts into the cleanup, doing his best to lose himself in the familiarity of the task. He wasn’t entirely successful…
To be continued.
Author’s Notes: Once again, Random1377 ably served as pre-reader. Forget buying you a beer man, I’m going to owe you a goddamn brewery…
C+C is welcome at hawker_748@hotmail.com.
This story idea was inspired by SimmyC, who graciously allowed me to pick up the ball and run with it.
Thanks Man!
“X” Spoken words
‘X’ Thoughts
Manga continuity, after the “Burn-Up Blade” story line
Love Hina:
Ships in the Night
Chapter Five: Sheltering Harbor
The walk to the train station was conducted in silence, save for the sound of the falling rain. Keitaro kept casting his head about, idly wondering how long it would be until one of the residents, most likely Naru or Motoko or both, caught up with him. And then discovered that he was going to go stay at Tsuruko’s for the time being. When he considered the probable reactions, he shuddered; it wouldn’t be pleasant. Thoughts like these caused him to reconsider his decision, and he was even thinking how he would phrase it to Tsuruko, when he realized that not only had they arrived at the station, but Tsuruko had already bought the tickets, and the two of them were now boarding a train.
Inside the car, Tsuruko asked Keitaro which seat he wanted. He didn’t really care, but he took the window seat, storing his bags in the overhead bin. He kept fidgeting nervously, worried that they hadn’t been discovered yet, positive that Motoko or Naru were going to rush into the car, murder on their minds. It wasn’t until the train started moving that Keitaro finally allowed himself to relax a little, but he still held his breath every time the door leading to another car opened.
A half hour later, Keitaro was able to accept that no one had chased after him, or they hadn’t been able to catch him if they did. He’d succeeded in leaving Hinata House, and he didn’t know whether he should be feeling elation or misery. At the moment, the only thing that he felt was numb. He stared out the window, watching the scenery flash by without really seeing it, focused more on his reflection in the glass. He silently blessed Tsuruko for not trying to engage him in conversation, probably sensing that that he wasn’t up to talking just then. He noticed her reflection in the window, sitting in the aisle seat, with an empty seat between them. Keitaro could make out her profile in the reflection, and she appeared to be as lost in thought as he was.
The trip to Kyoto seemed to fly by like a fever dream, no details being clear, just the actual experience itself. As the train began to decelerate, Keitaro began to consider what exactly he was going to do there. He had a place to stay, but what was he going to do? ‘Gotta figure something out,’ he told himself. ‘I can’t just brood for the rest of my life…’ Sighing, he decided to sleep on it. ‘Maybe things will look better in the morning… Nah, they never do…’ The sharp breath he let out could have been considered a laugh… if one was willing to greatly broaden the definition.
When the train finally stopped, Keitaro stood up and stretched, hissing when his joints let him know just how little they had appreciated being wrapped in wet clothing and left sitting still for a couple of hours. Retrieving his belongings, he followed Tsuruko through the station, relieved to discover that it wasn’t raining in Kyoto. Walking through the early evening crowds, Keitaro couldn’t help but be reminded of the last time he’d taken a walk through a city, and what had happened because if it. ‘And this time, I’m going to stay at Tsuruko’s HOME for Christ’s sake! I still can’t believe I agreed to this…’
If Tsuruko noticed his inner turmoil, she made no mention of it. The two of them kept walking in silence, neither wishing to speak, and both dealing with troubling memories. Finally they reached their destination, Tsuruko’s home and dojo. It hadn’t changed since the last time Keitaro had seen it, not that he had imagined anything changing. He found it interesting that some things never changed; Hinata House itself hadn’t been affected by all that had happened, and it appeared that Tsuruko’s home was the same way.
They walked through the gate and down the path towards the dojo, heading in the direction of the guest rooms that were attached to it. The last time he’d been there, Motoko and him had stayed in rooms in the house, with Tsuruko cheerfully reminding them that they’d have to share a room -as well as a futon- if they failed to defeat her. Tsuruko slid open the door and turned to Keitaro. “Will this be alright?”
The room was small and spartan, with a tatami mat, a light, a small table, and a wardrobe. There were no personal touches, and no pictures on the walls. The window was small, but it had a blind for privacy. There had obviously not been much consideration given to providing creature comforts, but at the moment, it was the most welcome sight Keitaro had seen in some time. “It’s fine. Thank you, I-I’m sorry to be a burden like this-”
“Please,” interrupted Tsuruko. “I need to do this. I should be putting you in the main house, these rooms aren’t designed to be that comfortable.”
“No, this will be fine,” Keitaro reassured her.
“Is there anything else you need? Something to eat? A hot bath?”
“Thanks, but no. I-I think I’ll turn in early, it’s been a hell of a day…”
“Very well. You are welcome anywhere in my home.”
“Thank you,” Keitaro replied, bowing formally. “I-I guess I’ll see you later. Good night Tsuruko.”
“Sleep well Keitaro.” Tsuruko then turned around and walked back towards the main house.
“Somehow, I doubt that…” Keitaro murmured to himself as he watched Tsuruko leave. Removing his shoes, he entered his new residence and set his bags on the floor. He slid the door shut and made his way over to the light. The sixty watt bulb did little to bring warmth to the room or illuminate it properly, but it was fine with Keitaro. He idly began removing his clothes, hanging his damp shirt and pants on the hooks on the wall, and allowing himself the chance to air-dry. He shuddered briefly from the slight chill in the air and retrieved a dry shirt from his duffel bag, mentally congratulating himself on his decision to buy one that was waterproof.
The futon was surprisingly comfortable. ‘Figures,’ Keitaro mused. The students who stayed in these rooms would probably need a good night’s sleep if they devoted as much time to learning the art as Motoko. He derailed that train off though, yet another reminder of the enormity of his decision. He glanced over at his cell phone. ‘Should I call Haruka? No, I’ll wait till later, she’s had enough troubles for one day.’
Rolling on to his side, Keitaro turned off the light and attempted to fall asleep, and put the traumatic day behind him. But as he lay there, he felt his eyes moisten up with tears, and in the privacy of the room, Keitaro finally gave in to the strong emotions he’d struggled to contain since he’d left. He let the tears flow unabashedly, sobbing openly but quietly, still a little ashamed by his loss of control.
Keitaro cried for nearly ten minutes, well beyond his supply of tears. His dry sobs filled the room, and his pillow was damp with tears. Eventually, he calmed down and composed himself, but he could feel himself teetering on the edge of breaking down again. He decided that this was the absolute low point of his life, and that things couldn’t possibly get any worse. ‘Oh, wait, they could. Motoko could decide to visit Tsuruko tomorrow and find me here…’ He snorted in disgust. ‘Just when you think you’ve hit rock bottom, there’s always somebody ready with a jackhammer…’
Having regained some control over his emotions, with the help of a little gallows humor, Keitaro took a few deep cleansing breaths, turned his pillow over so he wouldn’t have rest in his own tears, and closed his eyes. While an occasional tear did flow, he was able to achieve the sleep he needed.
In spite of his fears, that night Keitaro experienced no dreams, either pleasant or unpleasant, just the welcome oblivion of sleep.
XXX
The following morning was peaceful, and the Shinmei School and residence were shrouded in early morning mist. It was an almost idyllic morning, the kind the most fervent morning people adore, and even morning haters will grudgingly admit are pleasant, before they roll over and try to fall back to sleep. At this time of year, the sun hadn’t yet cleared the horizon, but the eastern sky was getting lighter.
When Keitaro woke up, he found himself disoriented. ‘Where, where am I? This isn’t my-’ He broke off his pondering when his memory finally reminded him what had happened the day before. ‘This is Tsuruko’s home, isn’t it?’ He blinked and rubbed his eyes, taking another look at his surroundings, nodding to himself as he came to grips with what had happened. He turned on the light and glanced at his cell phone. It was just past six in the morning.
Putting on some sweatpants and his beloved ‘Bounty Hunter’ sweatshirt, Keitaro opened the door and took a look at the compound. ‘Peaceful,’ he decided. There was no activity at that early hour, but he’d slept too long to consider trying to go back to sleep. ‘What do I do? Get something to eat? Have a bath? Tsuruko said I was welcome, but I feel weird about just walking in…’
In the stillness of the morning air, Keitaro’s ears picked up a faint rustling sound. ‘What’s that noise? Kinda sounds like someone shaking out laundry… A class this early?’ the sound was coming from the dojo, and his curiosity getting the better of him, Keitaro strode quietly towards it, not wanting to inadvertently startle a dojo full of kendoists. He glanced through an open door, and the sight before his eyes rooted him to the spot.
Instead of the room full of students that he’d half expected, Keitaro observed Tsuruko going through an intricate kata. He’s seen Motoko practicing from time to time, and he’d had firsthand experience on the receiving end of some of her techniques, but she’d never been able to move with such precision. He didn’t need to be an expert on kendo to appreciate the exquisite skill that the kata required. Not a movement was wasted, not a strike was out of place. She moved with a sense of poise and grace that made a ballerina look like a drunken klutz by comparison.
After a few minutes of mesmerized observation, Keitaro tore his gaze away, moving discretely away from the dojo. He could feel his cheeks burning; he was somewhat embarrassed, as if he’d accidentally intruded on something personal. ‘I need to get cleaned up, and maybe I should make breakfast. Gotta pull my own weight around here.’ Keitaro occupied himself thinking about what he could do to avoid being a burden, using those thoughts to help push the comfortable image of Tsuruko working through the kata out of his mind.
Gathering his bathing supplies, Keitaro hesitantly entered the main house, hoping with all his heart that Toshio hadn’t chosen last night to return home. The house was still, seemingly empty and Keitaro breathed a sigh of relief as he walked to one of the smaller bathrooms. The home did have an outdoor bath, but there was no way in hell Keitaro was going to use that. He didn’t feel comfortable with the thought of using it, and with his luck, Tsuruko would probably accidentally walk in on him and…
Viciously shaking his head to eradicate the suddenly vivid recollection of what Tsuruko looked like naked, Keitaro hurried into the bathroom, shed his clothes, entered the western style shower and turned on the cold tap as far as it would go. “Gah!” The cold shower worked as promised, pushing all thoughts of a vaguely sexual nature aside, and shocking him into clear-headedness. He kept the water cold until his teeth started chattering, before he finally turned on the hot water.
Warm again, and in better control of his thoughts, Keitaro began to once again reconsider his decision to accept Tsuruko’s invitation. ‘Haven’t been here a day and I’m already fantasizing about her.’ In his defense, Keitaro knew that he hadn’t intentionally thought of her like that, but his mind had cheerfully intervened in an innocuous thought. ‘Pull yourself together, or find somewhere else to stay,’ he admonished himself. Staring at his reflection in the tiles, Keitaro looked hard into his own eyes, idly wondering how his glare hadn’t shattered the ceramic. ‘Never again. That’s what started all this, remember?’
Having reminded himself of what he WASN’T going to do while he was there, Keitaro began contemplating some of the things he could do. ‘The roof looked like it might need a little work, and maybe there’s some other repairs I can do.’ He ran through a list of things that usually required maintenance at Hinata House, and wondered if the same was true here. ‘Don’t think I’ll have to constantly repair holes in the walls and roof,’ he realized. ‘I wonder how Reika’s doing? I never really asked her what kind of experience she had, did I?’ He sighed as he continued to wash up. ‘I think I just threw a baby lamb to the wolves…’
With thoughts of regret running through his mind, Keitaro finished his shower and dried off, before changing into some new clothes. ‘I’ll call aunt Haruka later, see how she’s holding up.’ Having mollified his conscience somewhat, Keitaro walked out of the bathroom and made his way into the kitchen. He hadn’t cooked for a while, but he figured he could prepare breakfast. ‘Least I can do to thank her…’
In the kitchen, Keitaro briefly considered what to prepare before settling on something western. He took out what he needed and began his preparations. He was about two-thirds finished when Tsuruko entered the kitchen, looking rather composed and rested, despite the exertions he’d witnessed in the dojo. “Good morning,” Keitaro called out.
“Good morning Keitaro,” Tsuruko replied. “I’m sorry, did my morning practice wake you?”
Keitaro shook his head. “No, I just couldn’t sleep anymore, so I figured I could clean up and make breakfast.” He shrugged. “Gotta do something to be useful around here…”
“You’re a guest Keitaro…”
“Maybe, but I shouldn’t just mope in my room,” he answered. “Hungry?”
“Um-yes.” Tsuruko seemed a little surprised by the abrupt change in topic. “What are you making?”
“French toast.”
“French toast?”
“Shinobu made it for us a few times…” Keitaro felt himself start to reminisce, and shook his head to keep himself focused on the present. “Try it. If you don’t like it, I can make something else…”
Tsuruko shook her head. “No need, smells pretty good.”
“Oops, gotta flip it.” Keitaro used the spatula to turn over the two pieces of bread. “Be ready in a minute.”
Tsuruko nodded and took a seat at the table, watching Keitaro scurry around the kitchen finishing up the breakfast. In a few minutes he was done, and he placed a plate of French toast in front of her along with a glass of orange juice, before taking a seat across the table himself. “Thank you.” She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. “It’s good…”
“I’m not that good,” Keitaro replied modestly.
“I’m serious.”
“Thanks.”
Nothing more was said for some time as the two ate, each of them having some thoughts about the other, but neither wanting to be the first to raise the issue. Once he’d finished, and placed both plates in the sink for washing, Keitaro asked about what chores he could do around the house.
“You just got here Keitaro, you don’t have to start right away…”
“It’s what I said I needed to do, remember?” Keitaro turned on the tap and began washing the dishes.
“But why are you so eager?” pressed Tsuruko.
Keitaro didn’t answer immediately, he simply continued to scrub the dirty plates. After a minute or so of silence, he gave his reason. “It’s easier this way…”
“Easier…?”
“If I keep busy, I don’t have to think about it so much…” Keitaro turned his attentions to the frying pan and began scouring the remains of the French Toast off of its surface, using more force than was required. He blinked quickly, silently grumbling at the dirt in the air making his eyes water.
Tsuruko watched the young man go about cleaning up the kitchen with an almost frightening intensity. Not wanting to disturb him while he worked, she got up and started to head out, but she turned back over her shoulder and told Keitaro, “I’ll-I’ll find some things for you to do after I get cleaned up. Is that alright?”
Not trusting himself to speak, Keitaro merely nodded.
Acknowledging his answer, Tsuruko made her way to the outdoor bath, concern for the emotionally wounded man in her kitchen staying with her for some time.
Back in the kitchen, Keitaro continued to clean with a single minded intensity, going far beyond what he used to make breakfast, and giving the entire room his undivided attention. As he went about washing the counters, a small part of his mind wondered what it would take to wash away the stain he felt was on his very soul.
XXX
“Hello Aunt Haruka.” It had been two days since Keitaro had arrived at Tsuruko’s home, and he decided it was time to check in with Haruka.
“Keitaro! Where are you?”
‘No way I’m answering that,’ he mused. “I’m safe Aunt Haruka, I’m just staying somewhere now. How’s everything? How’s Reika doing?”
“She’s doing fine, actually…” Haruka had a trace of disbelief in her voice.
“Fine?” The disbelief in Keitaro’s voice was more than a trace.
“She just started cleaning the place up, gushing about how happy she was to finally be working in a dorm. She even replaced the old wiring we had in some of the guest rooms.”
“She’s an electrician too?”
“Shouldn’t you have known that?” accused Haruka.
“I-I missed a few things in the interview,” Keitaro admitted, shaking his head at the way things had played out. He’d always feared electricity, avoided working with it whenever possible, and Reika had just jumped in with both feet. “How is…everyone?”
Haruka let out a deep breath. “Confused. Upset. They can’t believe you left. I can’t believe you left. You want me to tell them you called?”
“No!” Keitaro blurted. “I mean, tell them I’m okay, and I’m sorry, but don’t tell them where I am…”
“I don’t know where you are, remember?” Haruka pointed out. “I see you’re using your cell phone…”
“I see you’ve still got caller ID,” replied Keitaro.
“Yeah. Well, after you left, Shinobu, Su, and Kitsune tried to find you…”
“They, they did…?”
“They did. Didn’t succeed, obviously. For someone who didn’t want to run away, you did a pretty good job of it.”
Keitaro felt his shoulders slump in shame. “Everyone was hurting, it’s better this way…” He wished his words didn’t ring so hollow to him.
“Everyone’s still hurting,” Haruka replied. “Even Naru and Motoko…”
“I figured they’d be relieved…”
“You’re not that stupid,” rebuked Haruka. “They were mad at you, but instead of working things out, you avoided each other.”
“I slept with Motoko’s sister. How do I ‘work that out’?”
“I don’t know,” she allowed grudgingly. “But the three of you didn’t even try!” The frustration in Haruka was obvious even over the phone.
“There was nothing I could say…”
“You sure about that?”
“How could I defend what I did without making Tsuruko look bad? I wasn’t going to do that…”
“This sure caused you some trouble…” reminded Haruka.
“I ruined her marriage,” Keitaro answered back. “I’d say she suffered more.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” Keitaro replied after a brief silence.
“Not sure I agree with you…”
“How-how’s everyone treating Reika?” Keitaro asked, deliberately changing the subject.
Haruka frowned at the redirection, but didn’t do anything to prevent it. “They’re treating her as good as you might expect.”
“They’re not angry at her, are they?” Keitaro felt another tendril of guilt at how he’d just dropped everything on his replacement.
“No, I don’t think so,” replied Haruka. “She’s so friendly and cheerful, hating her would be like trying to kick a puppy. Where’d you find her anyway?”
“Classified ads.”
“Well, if nothing else, at least your replacement is pretty good at the job.”
“That’s good…”
Haruka then spoke in a hushed tone, as if she was afraid of being overheard. “Are you sure you can’t come back? You’re missed here…”
“It was hard leaving, but it’d be even harder to come back. I can’t look Naru or Motoko in the eye, I lied to everyone there, they’d never trust me again…”
“You’re being too hard on yourself,” insisted Haruka.
“Maybe, but that’s my choice.” Keitaro sighed deeply before continuing. “I’ve got to go now Aunt Haruka, I’ve got things to do…”
“Like what?”
“Just things,” replied Keitaro. “I’ll call again later.”
“Take care of your ‘things’ then. Goodbye.” With that, Haruka hung up abruptly, leaving Keitaro with nothing but a dial tone.
‘At least things aren’t all bad back home,’ Keitaro consoled himself. ‘Things aren’t quite as awkward here either.’ Over the past few days Tsuruko and Keitaro had come to an agreement about his responsibilities. He would keep up with basic maintenance of the house and grounds, as well as some of the shopping and occasionally cooking. These tasks kept him occupied, but he still had a lot of spare time on his hands, which gave him far too much time to dwell on unpleasant memories.
‘Tsuruko mentioned that the second floor windows need cleaning. How the hell did they keep this place maintained without any staff?’ Keitaro wondered. While not as sprawling as Hinata House, the Shinmei School dojo and residence was rather large. It had to be a couple of centuries old, but it was in excellent upkeep, better than Hinata House had been when Keitaro had first arrived. ‘Of course, I doubt anyone ever got launched through a wall here. Besides Motoko and I, I mean…’
Filling a bucket with warm water and vinegar, and taking some cloth rags, Keitaro headed up the stairs to the second floor. ‘Aunt Haruka wasn’t happy with me,’ he recalled, as he started wiping down the first window. ‘She usually isn’t that curt. Nothing I can do about it though. But I don’t want to burn ALL of my bridges…’
Frowning, Keitaro tried to focus his attention on the windows, and put his troubled relationships on the back burner. For a while it worked, and he was able to go about the simple yet painstaking task of cleaning and drying all the windows on the second floor. Once finished, he surveyed his work, experiencing the satisfaction of a job well done. Wiping the last tiny streak off of the last window, he picked up the bucket and dumped it down the bathroom sinks before heading back downstairs. At the base of the stairs he encountered Tsuruko, who was on her way up. “Do you want me to make anything in particular tonight?” he asked her.
“You’re cooking again?”
“We agreed, a couple of times a week, remember? I still think I should be doing more…”
“No, that’s enough. It’s hard to get used to this, just make what you want.”
“I understand.” With that, he nodded in farewell and continued on his way. ‘And I still can’t believe I’m working here, staying here.’ Keitaro shook his head at the strange turn his life had taken. ‘I shouldn’t think about things too much, it makes my head hurt…’
XXX
“So, how was it?” asked Keitaro.
“Better, but you’re still using too much garlic.”
“Shinobu liked garlic, and she taught me this recipe.”
“It’s only a little too much.”
“I’ll cut it down next time.” Keitaro stood up and began cleaning up the dinner dishes. It was the third time in as many weeks he’d tried making pasta, and using Shinobu’s recipe for the sauce. It was one of his favorites, and since Tsuruko seemed to like it as well, so he tried to make it once a week. Tsuruko stood up to give him a hand, but he waved her off. “Sit down, I don’t do enough to help out around here.”
Tsuruko complied and watched him work for a minute or two. “You know, with your cooking and cleaning skills, you’ll make some lucky guy a great wife one day,” she deadpanned.
Keitaro nearly dropped the handful of dishes he was carrying. He regained his composure, set the dishes down in the sink and looked at Tsuruko like she was crazy, when he noticed a ghost of a smile on her lips. He decided to rise to the challenge. “Only in prison.”
Now it was Tsuruko’s turn to be surprised, but Keitaro felt oddly disappointed when her only reaction was a slight widening of her eyes. She then chuckled briefly, and a genuine smile came over her features, which Keitaro found himself mirroring. ‘Whoa, that’s the first time I’ve seen her smile since I got here… Nice to see it again.’ Out loud he said, “You need me to pick up some groceries tomorrow?”
Tsuruko shook her head. “No, we’ll be alright. Keitaro, I’ve been thinking…”
“Yes…?”
“Wouldn’t it be easier if you moved into a room in the house?”
Now Keitaro shook his head. “No, it’s better where I am.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to be a burden.”
“But-”
“Tsuruko, please… I wouldn’t be comfortable doing that.” ‘Living here is odd enough already,’ Keitaro added silently.
“You could at least use the outdoor bath,” Tsuruko insisted.
Automatically, Keitaro had flashbacks of Hinata House, and the times he’d gone into the outdoor bath. And the beatings he’d experienced subsequently. “Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea either…”
Tsuruko seemed to read his thoughts “I’m not planning on walking in on you, and I’ll make certain you know if I’m in there.”
Keitaro found the tone of rebuke in Tsuruko’s voice strangely reassuring. “Then I accept.”
“No need to be so formal.”
“It’s your home, I’m just visiting.”
“As you say,” replied Tsuruko, standing up and walking out of the dining room.
‘Let’s hope I have better luck with outdoor baths here than I did at Hinata House,’ Keitaro fervently wished. Then a mental image of Tsuruko in a towel flooded into his mind unbidden. ‘And I really hope she doesn’t walk in on me, it’s hard enough as it is trying not to think about that…’ Keitaro was thankful that Tsuruko had left the room, as he could feel his cheeks burning.
The nightmares that had plagued him had all but ceased, but the more feverish variety continued; the proximity to Tsuruko probably hadn’t helped. Keitaro thought that it was strange that while he hadn’t been thinking of her like that, the first morning not withstanding, his imagination was more than happy to do it at night while he slept. He silently thanked whatever gods were listening that he was able to do his own laundry in private.
Feeling somewhat ashamed of himself, even though there was nothing he could do about it, Keitaro fell back into his usual coping strategy, keeping busy to keep his mind occupied. ‘Damn skillet, non-stick coating, my ass…’ He grimaced as he struggled to scrub a stubborn clump of burned on sauce, feeling a disproportionate amount of satisfaction when he succeeded in cleaning it off. Finishing the rest of the clean-up ten minutes later, Keitaro decided that he’d take advantage of Tsuruko’s offer and use the outdoor bath.
After making a sign on a blank sheet of paper, Keitaro walked to the entrance and tacked it to the door. He then knocked loudly and called out, insuring that Tsuruko hadn’t already stepped in. Satisfied that it was empty, Keitaro double-checked the sign to make certain that it wasn’t going to fall off, before shutting the door behind him.
After stripping, Keitaro washed himself off with the shower hose before making his way outside and into the bath. He let out a contented sigh as he immersed himself into the near scalding water. He’d missed this, the magnificent indulgence of a long, hot soak. A hot shower wasn’t bad in its own way, but a hot bath was truly something to savor. Settling back, he placed a damp cloth on his forehead and watched the darkening sky. From what he remembered, you could see a fair number of stars at night this far out from Kyoto’s city center. This early, only the evening star was visible, but it served as a harbinger of others.
‘It really is peaceful here,’ Keitaro mused. ‘I can see why this is such a good place to train. No real distractions, you could devote all your energy to perfecting the art.’ He paused in his reverie to cast nervous glances at the entrance to the bath out of habit and experience, preparing to scramble should someone walk in unexpectedly. Back at Hinata House, Kitsune or Su would have walked in by now, sign or no sign, or Sarah would have removed it, and Naru or Motoko would have stumbled onto him by now. But here, there was no sound of any impending intruders, and Keitaro found himself unconsciously beginning to relax, though he still tensed up at even the slightest sound.
His idle thoughts about Hinata House caused Keitaro to wonder how everyone was doing. ‘Did they give up looking for me? Or is Su building something that can track my DNA?’ He’d meant this last thought in jest, but it dawned on him that Su probably was capable of building such a device. ‘If she does… Let’s just hope it has a short range,’ he thought soberly. Keitaro figured that his best hope was his improbable location. ‘I doubt they’d think to look here. I wouldn’t think to look for me here.’
Putting that disconcerting thought aside, Keitaro continued to wonder about his former tenants. ‘I hope that Naru and Motoko aren’t as angry anymore, now that I’ve left. Who knows, maybe we’ll be able to work this out one day.’ Privately though, Keitaro had his doubts. ‘I hurt them both. I lied to everyone, but I really hurt them the most.’ He let out another deep sigh. ‘I never meant to hurt anyone, but there’s no way to undo what I did.’
‘And what about Tsuruko?’ another part of his mind asked. ‘What was she going through?’ Keitaro honestly wasn’t sure, despite all of the time they’d spent together recently. ‘We’ve never talked about it, I’ve been afraid to ask her. Should I? If so, how? That’s not something you can talk about casually over dinner…’
“If this was killing me, what was SHE going through?” Keitaro said to himself. ‘Was she wracked by guilt like I was? Was she able to look in the mirror? Toshio never said much…’ He blushed as he recalled that Toshio had mentioned that Tsuruko had apparently dreamed about him. He shook his head. ‘So what? I dreamt about her, but that didn’t mean anything. They were…pleasant…dreams,’ he grudgingly admitted, ‘but that doesn’t mean I was proud of them…’ To Keitaro, the dreams were unseemly, an inappropriate celebration of something that wasn’t right. ‘I’d have a lobotomy if it would stop these dreams…’
“I have to talk to her, don’t I?” Keitaro asked the stars. While they didn’t answer, they hadn’t needed to; the question was purely rhetorical. “Before I leave, I’ll talk to her,” he vowed. However, since he had no idea how long he’d stay, Keitaro knew this was a tenuous promise at best.
Rising from the water and wrapping a towel around himself, Keitaro walked to the changing area to dry off and get dressed. Once he was finished, he left the changing area, taking the sign off of the door. Having nothing else planned for the evening, and feeling drowsy from the hot soak, Keitaro decided to turn in. He left the house and walked across the compound to his room, marveling once again at the beauty and dignity of Tsuruko’s home.
Safe in his room, Keitaro stripped down to his skivvies and got into bed, turning off the light and letting the darkness envelop him like a cloak. He closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep. But once again, he found his sleep invaded by erotic images; he was able to vividly recall every sound and movement Tsuruko had made with him, and when he finally snapped awake in the morning, her cries were still echoing in his ears, and he could easily describe the taste of her lips on his own.
XXX
“Kendo? Me?”
“That’s right,” Tsuruko replied calmly. “You’ve been here nearly a month and a half, and I believe it’s high time you started to learn what this school is known for.”
“I know what it’s known for,” Keitaro insisted. “I’ve seen a lot of its techniques, and been on the receiving end of most of them.”
Tsuruko calmly sipped her tea for a few moments, before she set her cup down and looked at Keitaro over the breakfast table. She wore the patient smile of someone who has heard more than a few objections, but always gets their way in the end. “You’ve obviously seen some of our schools capabilities, but have you ever tried to learn them?”
“Aside from the marriage thing with Motoko? No, I haven’t,” Keitaro answered.
“Then you shall learn while you are staying here,” Tsuruko concluded serenely. “After breakfast, change into something casual and meet me in the dojo.” With this, Tsuruko finished her tea and rose from the table, leaving a flustered Keitaro behind her.
“But, but I don’t-” Keitaro broke of his objections when he realized that he was talking to himself. He let out a sigh and shook his head ruefully. ‘How did I get into this?’ he wondered. ‘I just asked Tsuruko how long she’d been learning the art, and the next thing I know I’m her new student…’ Knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop it, Keitaro began to clean up the remains of breakfast, a little faster than he normally would. ‘Tsuruko probably doesn’t like to be kept waiting…’
Finishing the clean-up, Keitaro walked out of the house and headed for his room, nervous about what was going to happen. ‘I’m the guy who ruined her marriage, she’s going to be in an isolated setting with me, and she’ll have her sword out. Why do I think this is going to hurt?’ Keitaro changed into a T-shirt and shorts, the closest things he had to exercise clothes, and exited the room, entering the dojo for the first time.
‘Impressive…’ Keitaro thought to himself as he took a look at the training hall. The dojo was easily the largest structure in the compound, with gorgeous hardwood floors and a vaulted ceiling. He found himself looking around in awe, feeling somewhat intimidated by his surroundings. The room was designed to humble all the people who entered, and Keitaro felt even more insignificant as he slowly spun around to take in the entire interior. His reverie was broken when Tsuruko cleared her throat.
Instinctively, Keitaro snapped to attention and bowed to Tsuruko. He’d studied martial arts briefly when he was younger, and he remembered the proper way to convey respect.
Tsuruko nodded, seemingly pleased that Keitaro wasn’t a complete novice when it came to martial arts. “Very good. However, this will be an informal instruction, so you can relax Keitaro.”
“Yes sensei,” he replied, not relaxing in the slightest. Tsuruko might sound relaxed, but she was still radiating an aura that commanded respect.
Tsuruko took Keitaro’s continued formality in stride. “Take a practice bokken from the rack,” she directed.
“Yes sensei.” Keitaro walked over to the rack and took a look at the selection of wooden practice swords. Not knowing the difference between a ‘good’ one and a ‘bad’ one, he selected the first one that caught his eye. Feeling it in his grip, he was reminded of the only other time he’d held one, when Motoko had challenged him to defeat her or leave Hinata House. That had ended in an unlikely draw.
Hoisting his weapon, and becoming accustomed to its grip and heft, Keitaro returned to his place on the floor before Tsuruko. ‘So, what happens now? Is she going to challenge me to a duel, or just try and teach me a kata?’ he wondered.
As it happened, Tsuruko was planning the latter. “Have you ever attempted a kendo kata?”
Keitaro shook his head. “Never.”
Tsuruko raised an eyebrow. “Motoko never tried to teach you?”
“I was just her practice dummy,” Keitaro blandly replied.
“Very well. Observe the kata I will perform, and when I’m finished, try to repeat it. Don’t worry about making mistakes, I’m just trying to gauge your skill level.”
“I understand.”
Taking a ready stance and drawing her sword, Tsuruko closed her eyes and took a breath in preparation, before she flashed into movement.
Keitaro stared in awe, his jaw lowering in amazement. He’d seen Motoko train from time to time, and as such he recognized some of the movements, but even as graceful as Motoko had been, her older sister seemed to transcend the word ‘grace’. The first morning he’d come across Tsuruko practicing in the dojo and had discretely observed her for a few minutes before he walked away, afraid of being thought of as ‘peeping’. Up close the kata was even more impressive, even though it was nowhere as complex as the one he’d observed.
Tsuruko was flowing effortlessly from form to form, not even needing conscious thought to guide her actions. It was all Keitaro could do to not stare in wonderment. ‘How, how am I supposed to do THAT?’ he asked himself. ‘I don’t think I could do a fraction of that…’ His eyes vainly tried to absorb all of the subtleties of Tsuruko’s movements as she performed her deadly dance. When she finished, he nearly broke out in applause.
“Your turn.”
“Huh…?” Keitaro asked stupidly.
“You try it,” reminded Tsuruko.
“Um, alright…” Keitaro replied, feelings of inadequacy flowing through him. ‘Let’s see, how did that start?’ Keitaro adjusted his grip on the bokken and placed his feet in what he hoped was the right position. Closing his eyes and taking a breath to steady his nerves, Keitaro opened his eyes, and began the first moves of the kata…
…and almost immediately went ass over teakettle.
To his credit, Keitaro performed the first slash adequately, but things quickly went downhill from there. When he moved his right foot to set up for the next movement, Keitaro caught his foot on a floor plank that was only a hair higher than the others. The board tripped him up with a yelp, and the wooden sword flew from his hands.
Astonished, Tsuruko watched in morbid fascination as Keitaro landed chin first on the dojo floor, unconsciously wincing in sympathy. Her eyes switched to the cast-off bokken, tracing its trajectory as it spun in the air. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she deduced its likely point of impact. ‘I don’t believe it…’ Just as she had figured, the point of the sword hit Keitaro on the back of the head just as he was extracting himself from the floor, driving it back down with a thud.
“Ohhh…” Keitaro groaned, his head spinning from the multiple traumas. “Musta tripped.” His rattled mind was only able to produce that semi-coherent thought.
“Keitaro! Are-are you alright?” Tsuruko asked, moving towards him, any thought of continuing the lesson forgotten.
“I’m fine,” he replied, sitting up and shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. “I’ve been hit harder than that…”
Tsuruko watched the young man slowly return to his feet. “Perhaps you just aren’t suited to kendo after all… No offence.”
“None taken,” Keitaro replied. “I could have told you that…”
“You didn’t do too badly when you were engaged to Motoko,” Tsuruko reminded him.
“That was mostly her, remember? I just tried to stay out of the way. All I brought to the party was a cursed sword… I still can’t believe we won…”
“Why not?”
“Motoko is good, but you…” Words failed Keitaro at the moment. He recalled Motoko unleashing the kendo equivalent of a tactical nuclear weapon, her ‘Thunder Blade’ technique, and Tsuruko had just shrugged it off. “I didn’t think you could be beaten…” Keitaro resumed his stance, but faltered as the dojo began spinning. “Sorry sensei, give me a minute here…”
Tsuruko shook her head. “Don’t worry about it Keitaro. Let’s get you some ice for your chin.” Keitaro’s chin was starting to darken noticeably and would probably end up an interesting shade of purple if it wasn’t iced promptly.
“Sure…” Keitaro responded, still a little dazed from the twin blows to the head. The two of them made their way back into the house and Keitaro took a seat at the kitchen table while Tsuruko went to the freezer for some ice. Wrapping some ice cubes in a towel, she handed the bundle to Keitaro, who accepted it gratefully and placed it on his chin with a hiss.
“I’m sorry that happened Keitaro.”
“Why are you sorry?” he asked. “I’m the clumsy one…”
“I shouldn’t have forced you…”
“Don’t worry about it.” Keitaro dismissed her worries with a wave of his hand. “It’s no big deal…”
“You’re very understanding…” Tsuruko said with a faint smile.
“So I’ve heard,” Keitaro replied with a smile of his own, before he winced from the pain the smile caused.
While Keitaro was holding the cold pack to his chin, Tsuruko got up and put on a kettle of water in preparation of making tea. “Would you like some tea?” she called out.
Not wanting to hurt himself more by talking, Keitaro nodded.
Tsuruko placed a couple of teabags in a teapot and took two mugs from the cupboard, putting them on the counter. When the water started boiling a few minutes later, she emptied it into the teapot, allowing it to steep for a few minutes before pouring the hot beverage into the mugs. Bringing the cups to the table, Tsuruko handed one to Keitaro, who accepted it with a nod. He had to move the cold compress before he was able to take a sip. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
As the two of them sipped tea in silence, Keitaro decided to ask Tsuruko something that he’d been wondering about for some time. “How long are you willing to put up with me?”
“Put up with you?” Tsuruko repeated.
“All I do is look after a few chores, I don’t contribute much, you’re charging me too little for rent, I don’t do enough…” At this point Keitaro was babbling.
Tsuruko gently pointed this out to him.
Keitaro took a breath to focus his thoughts. “I guess I want to ask, how long are you willing to let me stay here? I’ve been here over a month and a half. I admit, I haven’t really tried to find another place, but I will if you want me to.”
Tsuruko appeared to ponder the question briefly, before she gave her reply. “You may stay as long as you feel welcome.”
“Feel welcome?”
“It’s my fault you had to leave your home.” Tsuruko raised her hand to cut off the objection Keitaro was about to make. “You’re here because it’s my responsibility.”
‘Her responsibility.’ Keitaro wasn’t able to explain the odd, faint pang of disappointment that this was her only reason. Tossing aside that potentially troublesome train of thought, Keitaro said, “I understand. Thank you again, I really can’t thank you enough for this, even though I should have found something else, and I know this can’t be easy for you, and-”
“Keitaro…”
“Yes…?”
“You’re babbling again…”
“Sorry.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Tsuruko replied with a soft smile.
“Okay…” Keitaro finally acknowledged. He found himself smiling back and he tried to tell himself that his heart rate had not increased at the sight of Tsuruko’s smile.
The two of them continued to drink the rest of their tea in silence.
XXX
At the Café Hinata, Haruka was reading the newspaper when the phone rang. Setting the paper down, she walked over to the phone, raising an eyebrow at the number that came up on the display. Taking her cigarette out of her mouth, she picked up the receiver and said, “Hello Keitaro.”
“Aunt Haruka…”
“It’s been a while Keitaro,” Haruka replied off-handedly. “You’ve been gone, what, two months? And you haven’t called in a couple of weeks…”
Keitaro flinched at the tone of accusation in Haruka’s voice. “I-I’m sorry, I’ve been all right, I didn’t want to trouble you…”
“It wouldn’t have been troubling me,” Haruka pointed out. “Did you go to Parakelese again?”
“Excuse me?”
“Did you go back to Parakelese?”
“Uh, no, I didn’t. Why?”
“Kitsune’s running a pool on where they’ll eventually find you. I had two thousand yen on Parakelese.”
“They-they’re still looking for me? Why?”
“Yeah, they’re still looking for you. The third expedition returned only yesterday. It was lonely with only Reika to talk with,” Haruka remarked.
“Reika?” Keitaro wondered aloud. “You mean Naru and Motoko went as well?”
“Yes.”
Keitaro let out a sigh. “They must really be pissed if they’re trying to find me…”
“Perhaps,” allowed Haruka. “Or perhaps not…”
Keitaro’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“They’re still upset, but there’s more to it than that.”
“More?”
“Maybe they’d like to work things out…”
“They didn’t when I was there…”
“Things have changed. There’s a difference between wanting you gone, and you actually being gone,” Haruka stated.
Keitaro mulled over his aunt’s words. “It’s still too painful,” he said after some contemplation. “I did hurt them, and they’ll still be angry.” ‘Especially if they find out where I’ve been staying,’ he added silently.
“It’s your decision Keitaro,” declared Haruka. “I can’t make you change your mind. I don’t agree with what you’re doing, but I’ll support it.”
“Thank you. How is everyone, aside from the obvious?”
“Pretty good spirits considering… Reika’s helped with that.”
“Oh? How so?”
“She’s been kind of like a big sister to everyone here,” Haruka replied, the amusement in her voice obvious. “She’s also a better caretaker than you ever were Keitaro.”
“Really…”
“Well, no one gets upset when she walks into the outdoor bath unannounced, and no one’s accused her of peeping either…”
Keitaro nodded at that, even though Haruka couldn’t see the gesture. “I expected that. That’s why I asked for a female caretaker in the ad.”
“Makes sense,” admitted Haruka. “But did you know she was a genius at maintenance?”
“No, I didn’t. Is she really that good?”
“She’s better than good. Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, she can do it all.”
“Where’d she learn all that?” Keitaro wondered.
“I asked her that once. She said she learned from her father, that he was a contractor in the Nerima district, always had plenty of rush jobs, or something like that,” replied Haruka.
“I’m glad at least some things are under control. If anyone asks, let them know I’m alright, okay?”
“They’d rather hear it from you…”
“It’ll be too hard for me to talk to them,” Keitaro confessed. “I’ll probably start crying.”
“Is that such a bad thing?” Haruka asked softly.
“…No…” Keitaro replied after a moment. “But I don’t wanna re-open any old wounds…”
Haruka’s silence on the other end of the line spoke eloquently about her opinion of Keitaro’s point of view.
Keitaro, conscious of the uncomfortable vibe which had formed between him and his aunt, decided to cut things off before they got any worse. “I’ve got to go Aunt Haruka. I’ll call later, maybe in a week or so…”
“Then we’ll talk later. Goodbye Keitaro.”
“Goodbye Aunt Haruka.” Keitaro heard her hang up, and found himself listening to the dial tone for a few seconds before pressing the ‘END’ button on his cell phone. ‘At least things are stable back home,’ he told himself as he set down his phone and exited the room. ‘Time to make breakfast…’
Keitaro walked across the compound, breathing in the cool morning air, the hint of dew giving the air a slightly sweet tinge. Entering the kitchen, he found Tsuruko there, having obviously finished her morning workout. “Good morning Tsuruko.”
“Good morning Keitaro,” she answered back with a pleasant smile.
Keitaro found his expression mirroring hers. “What will it be this morning? Traditional breakfast, or western?”
“Surprise me,” Tsuruko replied with a shrug.
“I don’t think that’s possible,” Keitaro answered dryly as he started his preparations. Neither spoke again as Keitaro busied himself in his task, and the only sounds made were the clinking of utensils in bowls, and the pleasant sounds of cooking. Ten minutes later, it was done, and Keitaro placed the plates on the table with a flourish.
Tsuruko nodded in thanks and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. “Your cooking is getting better,” she remarked after swallowing the mouthful.
“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Keitaro conceded.
“It wasn’t bad before,” Tsuruko clarified, “but it is getting better.”
“I’m still not up to Shinobu’s level,” Keitaro said humbly.
“Perhaps. But with time, who knows?”
“Thanks…” The two resumed eating in silence, both enjoying the food and the company. While he was eating, Keitaro kept taking discrete looks across the table at Tsuruko. ‘She seems happier now than when I first got here,’ he reasoned. He pursed his lips as another thought occurred to him. ‘I don’t feel so miserable either. Is it because I left Hinata House… or because I’m here?’
The last thought caused an uncomfortable feeling to appear in Keitaro’s stomach. ‘I, I’m getting too comfortable here, aren’t I… Why am I still here? Where the hell is Toshio? Why hasn’t he come back? If I was him I would have… It’s been two months! How long does it take to ‘fight demons’ anyway?’
Taking a savage bite of his food to burn off some frustration, Keitaro tried to put his thoughts in order. The woman he was ‘living with,’ to put it delicately, was obviously beautiful… and married. There had already been one indiscretion between them, and the effects of that mistake were still being felt. ‘Don’t let yourself develop feelings for her dumb-ass, it’ll just make things harder when it ends.’
‘Then why are you still living here? You could have found somewhere else…’
Keitaro shook his head to clear that thought out, even as he admitted that he had no answer for it. Finishing the rest of his breakfast without really tasting it, Keitaro glanced up and noticed Tsuruko watching him.
“Something on your mind?” she asked.
‘Yeah, you…’ Out loud he replied, “Not really, just trying to remember what I need to do today…”
“There’s nothing really pressing, just do what you usually do.”
“Okay.” With that, Keitaro stood up and began to clear up the table.
Tsuruko stood up, stretched languidly, and thanked Keitaro for breakfast. “I’ll see you later, I’m going to have a bath now.”
Keitaro tensed at that. “Later then,” he replied, keeping his back to her. He listened for the sound of her footsteps to die off before he released the breath he was holding. He could feel his cheeks burning, as an enticing vision of Tsuruko in the bath popped up in his mind. Despite his admonishment, his brain was happily keeping the image vivid in his mind’s eye.
Keitaro put all of his efforts into the cleanup, doing his best to lose himself in the familiarity of the task. He wasn’t entirely successful…
To be continued.
Author’s Notes: Once again, Random1377 ably served as pre-reader. Forget buying you a beer man, I’m going to owe you a goddamn brewery…