Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Winter Rose ❯ Fourth Petal: Wanderings ( Chapter 3 )

Winter Rose

Fourth Petal: Wanderings

Love Hina is owned by Ken Akamatsu. All copyrights and legal papers are belonging to him ^_^.

I just recently got to know Love Hina. I read the first manga volume, watched a few episodes, and gathered as much info as I can from the net. If I make tons of mistakes about the girls and Keitaro, please forgive them and please tell me the problems in a very constructive way…

Chapter 2 Summary: After exchanging stories on the cab, Keitaro and his cousin Vincent find themselves at the base of the stone steps leading to Hinata Apartments. There, Keitaro introduces him to the girls, who welcome him warmly save for Motoko. Vincent invites Keitaro up on the balcony for a private conversation. The girls follow, hoping to eavesdrop on the two.

Fourth Petal: Wanderings

"Here, you can put your things here for a while..." Keitaro said as he opened up a vacant room. It was quite empty, save for a small, low-legged table and a futon rolled up in the corner. It had a large window at the far side of the room, as well as a few closets in the left corner. "I don't know if you can stay, but I guess this is all I can offer you for now..."

"Don't sweat it." Vincent replied as he put away his bags at one corner of the room. "And don't worry, I'll pay proper rent..."

"N-no, that's not what I mean... in fact you can stay here for free.. I mean, you're family, and my dad owes your dad a lot..."

"No matter what, I'll still pay, OK?"

"OK, you win…"

Satisfied, he dug on one of his bags and pulled out two sodas. He tossed Keitaro one and opened the other. "C'mon, let's go to the balcony already."

"<sigh> Alright..."

The wind was blowing softly when the two cousins reached the balcony, which was one of everyone's favorite places in the Hinata, aside from the hot springs.

"Hmm... It's been a long time ever since I've seen this place..." Vincent said. "I loved coming here when I was young..."

"No kidding." Keitaro told his younger cousin with a smile. "So, uh, you still haven't told me about Uncle Takeshi..."

"Oh, that..." Vincent frowned.

"Oh, seems like it's not a good topic, huh?" Keitaro said quickly.

"Nah, it's okay..." Vincent took a deep breath. "After Sis passed away, we left for America, right? That's where my dad found this lady named Beatrice Hale. She had a daughter named Cecilia, who was as the same age as Sis was if she had lived. Well, Beatrice and Dad got to knew each other well, and in the end, they got married. She and Cecilia then moved to our house... "

"So, Uncle Takashi got a second chance huh? So how's your stepmom and stepsister?" Keitaro asked.

Vincent was silent for a while. He then sighed and began to continue his story.

"Turns out Beatrice really likes my dad, but she and her daughter hated me to hell. So all that time they spent destroying my life. Home, school, you name it, they always laid a plan to make me look like a problem child. But of course, they remained clean in front of my father. Dad didn't want to believe them, but it seemed that everything was always my fault. There I learned the hard way that there really was no one I can depend on but myself. "

Vincent emptied his can of soda before going to the rest his story.

"Then came that time when dad got a big business opportunity in Los Angeles. He was very thrilled, as he was waiting for that chance to open up a branch in the West Coast for about more than a year...

"So, he left our home and our main business headquarters in Boston to Beatrice. At that time, I was starting my first year at Harvard. She then hurriedly took all my belongings and kicked me out of my own home, so she would have no problem manipulating my dad for their benefits. I had to rely on my father's weekly funds to help me rent a dorm near the campus. But, still she wasn't satisfied until I had nothing. She fixed a couple of lawyers to change my father's will so she and her arrogant daughter will get my father's entire business empire. She also paid a huge host of students to stage mass scale vandalism on Harvard's basketball gym and put me as their leader. On all those times my dad thought we were okay, and I turned out to be the bad guy. Eventually, my name was cleared, but I knew I was no longer welcome to stay in Boston. But I had no other place to run to.

"Then, I heard from Granny Hina who was passing by on her way to New York that her Hinata Apartments were under your supervision. So, hoping that you wouldn't turn me down when I asked you for help, I asked the admissions to transfer me to the best possible university near the Hinata Hot Springs..."

"... which is Toudai, right?" Keitaro cut in.

"Yes, Toudai. So the admissions e-mailed the Toudai admissions group and they found me satisfactory. I am then able to go to Japan and study in Toudai with a scholarship grant, as long as I observed the requirements for me to keep my Immigrant's Visa. So I called you up to confirm, bought myself a plane ticket, and here I am."

A somewhat long silence followed, which was finally broken by Keitaro's question.

"So, uh, does your dad know you're here?"

"Well, yes... I told him a few days before I left. He seems to understand. He asked if I had enough money, and that if he should double the funds he sends me. I told him it's fine... that he doesn't need to worry..."

Keitaro felt sorry for his cousin. Had he known this earlier, he would have done anything, even get killed by the girls, to help his cousin out. "So, it's good that you didn't become a ronin like me, though..."

"Well, you're lucky you have family. They can help you out..."

"Uh... yeah..."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot... I want you to have this, Keitaro."

He then reached out a check from the pocket of his polo and handed it to his cousin.

"It's a little gift from dad. Consider it eight years worth...'

'Little' was quite an understatement. Keitaro had never seen so many zeros in one check. "Whoa! And it's in dollars?"

"Um, yes... Just exchange it for yen, okay?"

Keitaro found himself weeping in torrents, though this time for happiness. "I love my life!!!" he shouted out loud.

THUD!!! CRASSSSH!!!!

The door to the terrace broke down, with the girls in a pile above it.

"Eh?" Keitaro and Vincent stared at the girls, who stared back as they were getting up.

"W-w-we were cleaning...yeah that's it... Cleaning!" Naru explained hastily.

Keitaro looked at them with disbelief. Apparently, the last thing in the world these girls would do is clean up their own mess, and not make him do it.

"And, uh, then Motoko slipped on something and dragged us along with her... OW!!!" Kitsune followed up, but was quickly and sharply nudged in the ribs by Motoko's sword.

"Give it up, we're caught..." Motoko said in surrender.

"You were eavesdropping on us?" Keitaro said.

"Yeah.. we're sorry..." Su said in a very cheerful voice.

"Um... It's alright... right?" Keitaro looked at Vincent, who approved this gesture. "Well, anyway, I think we should start finding you somewhere to go, Hiro-san..."

"No, please... let him stay..." Naru said. "We understand your situation... I guess it's okay... right?" She then looked to her friends for support.

"It's okay... I guess..." Shinobu answered.

"Long as he helps me out, OK?" said Kitsune, her face in her usual grin which meant that she had something brewing up.

"No problem!!!" Su blurted out.

"Mwaaaah... huh? What?" Mutsumi said, struggling to get up. Apparently, she passed out when the door came crashing down.

"Okay!!! I'm all up for him!!!" Sarah said in a very audible tone.

Everyone seemed to agree except for Motoko. "Hmph... You trust him too easily. What makes you sure he's telling the truth anyway? Listen, Urashima, if you want my trust, you'll have to earn it. And believe me, I'm not too kind or trusting when it comes to men."

Motoko then left without another word, most probably off continuing her kendo practice.

Vincent, who was quite silent the whole time, spoke out in a quiet tone. "Who needs your trust anyway? As for you girls, my thanks, though you should listen more to your friend. What makes you sure you can trust me anyway?" He then started to walk towards the wrecked doorway, when he told Keitaro without looking at him, "And don't worry about this door. I'll be back in a while with the proper tools to fix it. So you just go and enjoy yourself for the rest of the day, maybe go and take a dip in the hot springs."

He then left them the same way Motoko exited.

Author: Uh, did it sound dumb? Well, It's me first fanfic about Love Hina, though. Please tell me about it. Till next chapter, peace out.

Love Hina © Ken Akamatsu