Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Legacy ❯ Chapter 23

“Well, that's the end of the session, Naru,” the doctor said, setting aside his notepad. Naru blinked, looking beside her at Mutsumi. The Okinawan girl smiled back. “So, how do you feel you have done?” he asked her.

 

“I think I have made progress,” said Naru slowly, thoughtfully. “If nothing else, I think understand myself better now.”

 

“And how do you feel about yourself?” he wondered, honestly curious. Naru Narusegawa had been the most technically challenging patient he had ever had; not to mention the most dangerous.

 

“I think…” Naru paused, a frown creasing her brow for a moment, “no, I know that I feel better about myself now.”

 

“That's good,” the doctor said, nodding. “Do you think that you have rooted out the causes of your troubles?” he asked her. Naru nodded.

 

“I do,” she sighed. “And if nothing else, I learned enough about myself to know that I need to work harder on being honest with myself and…others,” Naru admitted. She was aware of Mutsumi holding her hand warmly.

 

“What do think you will do if Keitaro marries one of your housemates?” asked the doctor, studying her closely for her reaction. Naru's eye twitched slightly.

 

“I will do my best to be happy for them,” whispered the girl.

 

“And if you can't?”

 

“Then I will make sure that I am not a danger to them,” Naru promised herself. “I think I could be happy for whoever he ends up with if I could at least make up with him for how I treated him before,” she said unhappily.

 

“Kei-kun will forgive you, Na-chan,” Mutsumi promised with great certainty. “Promise,” she added, leaning over to kiss Naru's cheek.

 

“Glad one of us is sure,” smiled Naru. “I should talk with the others, too,” she mumbled to herself. Even after our talk, there is some things that need to be cleaned up before we can move forward, she thought. “And I need to talk to Mei, too,” she recalled, wincing.

 

“It will be ok, Na-chan,” Mutsumi soothed her friend. “Mei-chan is your sister, and she will be glad to have you back.”

 

“Have I changed enough, though?” Naru asked, looking at Mutsumi. “She was scared enough of me to have a restraining order taken out, you know,” reminded Naru. Mutsumi pulled Naru into a close, warm hug.

 

“She loves you enough to give you a chance to change, Na-chan,” countered Mutsumi. “As for the other, I'm sure we can figure something out,” the stacked brunette assured her. “One of us could go talk to her about that order, if you want,” suggested the Otohime woman. “Shinobu maybe? Or Motoko?” Mutsumi grinned. “We should send Kei-kun to talk to her,” she nodded to herself.

 

“I'm not sure that would be a good idea,” Naru mused, “he was the trigger in all this,” she explained.

 

“Perhaps,” shrugged Mutsumi, “but either way, we'll patch things up between you and Mei-chan,” the older girl promised.

 

“About our next session,” Naru said, standing up from the couch.

 

“Yes?” replied the doctor, who had been locking Naru's pad in his files.

 

“Do you think I need to continue therapy, doctor?” Naru asked. He thought about that for a moment.

 

“If I said no, what would you think?” he asked her.

 

“I would think…we are thinking the same thing,” Naru said slowly. “But, what if I'm wrong, and I still haven't straightened my head out?” she worried.

 

“To be honest, Naru,” the doctor said, seeing his intercom's light flash, indicating that his next appointment was waiting, “I have no real way of knowing if you are ready or not; you are the best judge of that,” he said.

 

“If…if I'm not ready…” Naru began slowly. The doctor cut in smoothly.

 

“Then call, and we will continue the sessions,” he said. “Now, if you would excuse me,” he said, bowing and gesturing to the door. Naru and Mutsumi returned his bow and exited his office, passing the doctor's next patient as they left. Seeing the man shuffle into the doctor's office, shoulders hunched, arms tightly tucked to his sides, Naru wondered if he would be able to gain anything from his sessions.

 

“Na-chan?” asked Mutsumi as they rode down the elevator toward the ground floor of the high-rise the office was located in, “did that man look sort of familiar to you?” she asked. Naru blinked, having been thinking of something else.

 

“Man? What man? The one in the office?” she asked, confused. Mutsumi nodded. “Can't say that I recall seeing him before. Why?” asked the younger of the two women.

 

“Oh, he just looked familiar for some reason,” Mutsumi said, shrugging. Her breasts jiggled a little in the thin silk blouse she wore, distracting Naru from thinking any more about the man they had passed in the office. Seeing Naru staring at her breasts, Mutsumi smiled wider, leaning over to kiss Naru. Since they were the only two in that elevator, Naru felt comfortable returning the kiss, her tongue slipping into Mutsumi's mouth as the taller girl's tongue did the same.

 

In the office, the doctor looked up, seeing the man who was his next appointment. “Good afternoon,” he greeted him, indicating the couch. “Please make yourself comfortable,” he instructed. The man did so, stiff and clearly irritated. Opening the file he had been given, he read over it briefly. “I see you were ordered to attend therapy by the court, but have been having trouble with your assigned therapists,” he said, looking at the man.

 

The man said nothing. Oh, this is not going to be any fun at all, the doctor thought, reading the few pages of notes from the last psychiatrist that had worked with the man before quitting. Obsessive-compulsive tendencies, inferiority complex, paranoia, rage issues, sociological dysfunction…he's got a full plate, the doctor mused. Looking at the last page - the original one in the file - he saw the court paperwork and documentation.

 

“I see you have had some difficulties recently,” the doctor said, pulling a fresh pad from his supply cabinet and selecting a pen from his desk drawer. “Care to tell me a little about them?” he asked. The man just glared at him truculently. Of course, the doctor thought, smothering a sigh. Assault, vandalism, public disorder, contempt of court, theft, professional misconduct; this guy is heading for a life in a prison cell if he doesn't get a grip, the doctor thought.

 

“I see you were a senior teacher at a local high school,” he tried again. “I guess that cumulative job stress can build up over time, suddenly erupting into frustrated acting out,” he noted, pen ready. “Am I right?” he pressed.

 

The man grunted, but other than that, made no response. Once more, the doctor adjusted his tactics. “You know,” he said slowly, “a man with your experience and standing within the school should be setting a better example to the students as well as the younger, less experienced teachers,” lectured the doctor. It was a calculated gamble on his part, but if he couldn't smash through the man's shell, he couldn't help him.

 

“What would you know?!” spat the man angrily. Looking at him, the doctor saw that his suit was rumpled, worn and a little torn, his face unshaven, and there were bags under his eyes. “I have wasted my life on those ignorant fools for more than two decades, attempting to instruct them in something useful, and just when I finally get a student who can use what I can teach her, everyone tries to drag her down into the masses of vapid losers infesting my school! For daring to protect my Maehara, I have been persecuted, hunted and hounded! But they won't break me! No, not me! I will mentor my Maehara so she can attain her rightful place as a Todai scholar!” he yelled, waving a fist.

 

“Your…enthusiasm is commendable,” the doctor said, making notes fast and furiously on the pad. I never thought I would wish that Naru's friend were here, he thought. He had a third dan black belt in Karate, but after what he has seen during his sessions with Naru, he was unsure if that was enough against some people. Not to mention that physical fights with a patient are usually counter-productive to the therapy, he thought wryly. Maehara, hmm? Naru had a housemate with that family name… he mused.

 

Blinking, he paused for a moment, reviewing his sessions with Naru Narusegawa. If I recall correctly, he thought slowly, she called her housemate `Shinobu-chan'. Looking at the teacher, he evaluated his possible approaches to this client. “I see you took a shine to a student of yours,” he said casually. “Maehara, you called her?” he asked. The man nodded. “Tell me about this student,” suggested the doctor.

 

“She is the most exceptional student I have ever taught,” the man said eagerly, earnestly. “In my school, she is the top-ranked in her grade, and she is going to pass the Todai exam easily because of my tutelage!” he bragged. “But my poor Maehara lives in a den of demons! She is hounded by a perverted landlord, abused by a drunkard, tormented by a butch lesbian, cursed by a witch and forced to do menial labor for the slobs. I visited her at the place she is trapped in, and was assaulted by the criminals living there. When I tried to help her out, the school administration interfered. If I don't save her soon, she will have her future stolen from her!” he nearly frothed.

 

“That certainly sounds bad,” the doctor said. “Does this Maehara have a first name?” he wondered. Couldn't be the same girl, he thought, amused.

 

“Shinobu Maehara,” the man said. “She lives in a run-down relic of a dorm called the Hinata House.”

 

-

 

“This brings back the memories,” noted Keitaro, stretching his arms as the pair exited the train in Kyoto. Haruka stretched as well. The pair had not planned to take a stop here, but the long train riding had gotten to both of them, and they decided that taking the next train to Tokyo would be about right to let them walk off the stiffness. Besides, Kyoto was beautiful this time of year.

 

The sun was nearing the peaks surrounding the city, warning the pair of Urashimas of the imminent arrival of nightfall in the city. Haruka glanced over at Keitaro. “Good or bad memories?” she asked.

 

“Mostly good,” he shrugged. “When Naru and I failed to get into Todai, we ended up chasing each other through here,” he grinned. “The other girls came after us a little later, and we all ended up at the Otohime home in Okinawa,” continued the young man. “Then there was that whole thing with Motoko-chan and our so-called `marriage', when my leg was broken,” he shook his head, though Haruka noticed that he smiled even as he shook his head.

 

“Next time, it could be the real deal,” Haru said casually. Keitaro shrugged.

 

“I could live with that,” he said softly, “if the girls could,” he added. Haruka looked at him for a moment.

 

“Let's get something to snack on,” she said suddenly, catching his hand in her own and leading him down the street from the train station. Keitaro followed her, finding himself in front of a small eatery about ten minutes walk from the station. Sitting at an open booth, Haruka ordered some snacks and drinks for them.

 

“How did you know about this place?” wondered Keitaro, looking around. It was not the kind of shop that tourists would find, and it didn't advertise. Haruka smiled faintly.

 

“This isn't my first time in Kyoto, either, you know,” she said playfully. “Seta, Sarah's mom and I actually lived here for almost a year, back in the days when we were playing at being Indiana Jones,” she shared. Keitaro blinked. He had never know Haruka had gotten around like she had. “Besides,” grinned Haru, “with this being the ancestral stronghold of the Aoyamas, it suited my sense of humor to live her for a bit.”

 

“Um, didn't Granny Hina say that we - the Urashimas - lived here as well, before the thing with the Emperor?” he asked. Haruka shrugged.

 

“Yeah, but where our home was now sits a couple of blocks of modern businesses,” said the woman dryly. “Besides, we chose to forget this place along with the betrayals and intrigue of the court. We moved to Edo, and in time, we had a large share in making it was it is today. No,” sighed Haruka, “Kyoto's history and place has been crafted by the Aoyama, while Tokyo bears our fingerprints. I will let you chose which is the better,” she grinned.

 

Their snacks and drinks arrived, and the two fell to eating, letting the conversation about the past and possible future lapse. Keitaro found himself thinking of the girls waiting for him at the Hinata. The closer he got to home, the more he missed them, while at the same time he felt apprehensive about what waited for him. His thoughts were interrupted by an electronic chirping. Haruka retrieved her cell phone, glancing at the screen. Shaking her head, she laughed softly. “What?” asked Keitaro.

 

“We have to make a stop before we catch the next train to Tokyo,” Haruka said, smiling easily. Keitaro blinked at his lover. “Granny wants us to pick up a few things for her since we're here, and honestly, we totally forgot to get the girls any sort of souvenirs while we were out.”

 

“Crap,” sighed Keitaro, “you're right,” he realized. “But, what can we get them that won't come off as cheesy, last-minute trash?” he asked her. Haruka thought about it for a minute, then grinned. Glancing at her watch, she nodded.

 

“Just barely enough time,” she said to herself, draining her glass of beer and standing. “Hurry up, Keitaro,” urged Haruka, dropping some yen notes on the table. “Thank you!” she called out toward the back of the shop. “It was delicious!” added the woman, hurrying out of the shop, leading Keitaro by the hand. The young man was struck with the similarities between how Haruka was acting and how the girls in the Hinata acted sometimes.

 

Haruka hailed a taxi and gave the man his destination. As the taxi moved, Haruka made a call on her cell phone, speaking with someone in a whisper for a few seconds before ending the call. When the taxi stopped, Haruka climbed out, Keitaro behind her, and gestured to the building before them. “I think we can find something for each of them in here,” grinned the woman.

 

-

 

“Honey, I'm home!” yelled out Kaolla, giggling, as she nearly flew through the door to the Hinata. Behind her, Amalla was more relaxed as she walked with the Molmolian representatives.

 

“Welcome back, Su!” called out Shinobu from the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes!” added the domestic. Giggling, Kaolla swooped into the kitchen, scooped up Shinobu from where the diminutive domestic was working on the food, and carried her into the hallway. “Su! I have to keep an eye on the food!” protested Shinobu.

 

“This is my bride, Shinobu-chan,” said the princess, obviously not paying any mind to Shinobu's protests about food. “My husband should be back sometime soon,” added the girl. Shinobu blinked, realizing that there were three people in the same kind of clothes that Amalla usually wore standing with the older sister.

 

“Yes,” agreed one of the visitors in accented Japanese, “she is a match for the data you submitted.”

 

Unsure about what to do, Shinobu bowed to them. “Ah, welcome to the Hinata,” she offered, smiling as calmly as she could. Kaolla picked her up again and returned her to the kitchen, pausing to kiss her.

 

“I'm hungry, Shinobu-chan,” noted the princess, grabbing a hand of bananas and consuming half of them before she made it to the door.

 

“You're always hungry, Su,” Shinobu said, sucking in a calming breath.

 

“What's all the racket, sugar?” came Kitsune's voice from the stairs.

 

“It would appear we have guests,” noted Tsuruko, her calm, measured voice helping Shinobu calm down herself. With Tsuruko and Motoko around, she was pretty sure that Su could be contained; well, as contained as she could ever be.

 

“Please make yourselves comfortable, and I will bring some tea out,” called Shinobu, adjusting her preparations to give her enough time to play hostess.

 

“I will assist you,” offered Motoko, entering the kitchen. Shinobu smiled at her taller sempai.

 

“Thanks, Motoko,” she said. Motoko smiled at her, setting cups and tea on the tray as Shinobu prepared the hot water.

 

In short order, Motoko had departed with the tea, Shinobu swiftly finishing up a small spread of snacks in case they wanted a little something while supper finished cooking. Turning to go to the living room, she found herself face-to-face with Kanako. “Kanako,” breathed Shinobu. The sister of her beloved Keitaro inclined her head.

 

“We'll keep them off you,” murmured Kanako, briefly touching Shinobu's cheek.

 

“I can handle this,” Shinobu said quietly, meeting Kanako's eyes. The slim Urashima girl shrugged.

 

“I'm sure you can,” she replied drolly, “but nevertheless, we will keep them in line,” insisted Kanako.

 

“I don't think they will be troublesome guests,” Shinobu noted. Kanako glanced at her.

 

“Given the situation, I think it reasonable to think that any guest will prove troublesome,” said the girl dryly. “Oh, and just so you know, Mutsumi and Naru are at the teahouse, with Granny Hina,” added Kanako, meeting Shinobu's gaze. Shinobu nodded.

 

“Ok,” she replied. “I'll get them when it's ready,” promised the girl. “Oh, and I am expecting Akiko to come by after supper. I promised to help her with studying for the finals.”

 

Kanako nodded. “Very well,” she said. “Are you going to be studying in your room?”

 

“Um, we're going to be in Naru's room, since she is going to be helping us,” Shinobu replied. “We will try to keep it quiet,” smiled the girl. Kanako shrugged.

 

“Do what you must, but score good on your finals,” the girl replied. “How are you feeling about the Todai entrance exam?”

 

“I am sure that I can do it,” Shinobu said determinedly. “Even if I have to try several times, I will make it in!” she declared.

 

“The goal, of course, is to make it in the first time,” said Kanako dryly.

 

-

 

“Phew!” exhaled Keitaro, dropping into a free seat. Haruka settled next to him, carefully arranging the packages in their arms on the two open seats facing them. The pair had just barely caught the train after their little gift-buying stop. Settled in, Haruka stretched her arms.

 

“Next stop is Tokyo,” she said, sounding both happy and apprehensive. Keitaro glanced at her.

 

“Yeah,” he agreed. He could completely understand her feelings on this matter. In a few short hours, I will find out what fate has decided for me, he mused. Looking over at Haruka, he saw her staring at the seat facing her. “Haru?” he asked, reaching over and taking her hand in his.

 

Turning to look at him, she smiled. “I'm fine,” she said, leaning over to kiss him. Just a little worried about what Granny will say when we get back. I know she will take one look at us and know that we're lovers. Unlike Kanako, I am his blood relative, though fortunately not a sister! Even so, I don't think that Granny will be happy; to say nothing of the girls in the Hinata if they ever find out, she thought. Looking at Keitaro, those concerns evaporated. Fuck it; who cares? she thought rebelliously.

 

“Urashima?!” came a shocked voice, interrupting the pair's moment. Turning to look at the aisle, the pair found themselves looking at pair of young men, who were staring at the two rudely, jaws agape. Haruka scowled. Those two twits, she snarled to herself, what the fuck are they doing here?! she wondered. If I break their pencil necks and toss them out the window, I wonder if anyone will notice?

 

“Oh, um, it's…” Keitaro tried to recall their names. After an embarrassingly-long moment, the two couldn't stand it any longer.

 

“I'm Shirai, and he's Haitani! How come you can't remember your childhood best friends' names?!” demanded the fat one.

 

“Maybe because you aren't worth remembering,” muttered Haruka, eyes narrowed as she studied them. The two studied Haruka for a long moment. Haruka's eyes grew cold and hard. “Something wrong, idiots?” she asked them icily.

 

“Aren't you the woman who runs the Hinata teashop?” wondered Haitani.

 

“What of it?” snapped Haruka.

 

“Why would you be kissing Keitaro the loser?” wondered Shirai, only to find himself jerked off his feet by a hand on his throat.

 

“You better eat those words before I tear your head off, little boy,” murmured Haruka, squeezing his throat hard enough to make his larynx creak. “You two little shits have been picking on Keitaro since you were kids, and I've had enough of your shit!” she warned him. “If you speak to him like that again, they will never find the bodies. We clear?” she asked, fixing Haitani with a fierce glare.

 

“Yes, ma'am,” squeaked the one whose throat was not in the grip of an angry Urashima woman.

 

“Now get out of my sight,” Haruka said, shoving the corpulent one back.

 

“Sorry to bother you, ma'am!” the two shrieked, dashing off. Haruka settled back. Keitaro was staring at her. Turning to smile at him, she leaned over and kissed him again.

 

“I promised, didn't I?” she breathed before wiggling around so she could put her head on his shoulder. “Hold me?” she whispered to him. Keitaro carefully wrapped an arm around her, holding her close as the train sped toward Tokyo, and the Hinata. Keitaro found himself thinking - once more - about the girls waiting for him.

 

In the next car, Haitani and Shirai cowered in an pair of open seats, Shirai massaging his throat, which was red and sore. “You ok, man?” wondered Haitani, looking at his friend's neck. Shirai nodded slowly.

 

“Think so, anyway,” he said, his voice a little rough. “What is her deal?!” he coughed.

 

“Who knows?” Haitani shrugged, frowning. “I wonder what he was doing kissing her,” he pointed out. “And where is Narusegawa?”

 

“Maybe she dumped him,” suggested Haitani. The two looked at each other. Slowly, they began to smile.

 

“If she did,” began one.

 

“Then she's available!” finished the other. The pair had always been envious of Keitaro first living in a girls' dormitory, then landing Naru as his girlfriend. Both felt that such a beauty as her - and the other girls - were wasted on Keitaro, and would be far more suited to being their own girlfriends.

 

“When we get back,” Haitani said, “we need to visit some friends,” he noted.

 

“Indeed we do,” agreed Shirai. After ten minutes of dreaming of the curvy girls that seemed to orbit around Keitaro, the two were calm enough to begin to grow curious about the older woman with Keitaro in the car behind them.

 

“So, she's the one that runs the tea shop by the entrance to the Hinata, right?” Shirai asked. Haitani nodded.

 

“Yeah,” he agreed, “but if I remember, Kentaro said that she was his aunt,” he shared. Shirai frowned.

 

“Really?” he asked. “But, if she is, then…?”

 

“Yeah, no kidding! What were they doing kissing?”