Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Legacy ❯ Chapter 27

“So, done with the details and ready to face the girls; again?” came Haruka's voice from behind him. Keitaro blinked his thoughts aside, turning to look up at his lover from where he was sitting on the roof of the Hinata. He had found a good number of things that needed his attention waiting for him in his bedroom/office, all neatly organized and laid out in order by Kanako. True to their word, there was no list or chores left undone, and that made his life a lot easier.

 

“Yes, though I wonder if I will be taking another free flight when I tell them what I am thinking,” he offered her a wry smile and half-shrug. Haruka shook her head.

 

“No need to worry,” she reminded him, sitting beside him, cup in hand. Keitaro glanced at the cup, seeing tea in place of sake. “What exactly are you planning to tell them?” wondered Haruka, sipping her tea. “Is it about us? Because Kanako blabbed it out in front of them all?” she guessed.

 

“Well, not directly,” Keitaro answered. “I had kind of wanted to keep that a secret,” he admitted. God knows that having our incestuous relationship spread around is the last thing I want! he thought. Not that he regretted it, of course - but still.

 

“Doesn't really matter, you know,” Haruka said softly, gazing at the view before them, Tokyo in the distance, beginning to glow like a constellation of stars as the lights came on all over the city and the sun faded. “You could never lie to the girls, and we wouldn't have been able to hide it for long anyway,” she dismissed it.

 

“Oh,” Keitaro blinked. Am I really such a push-over? he asked himself. On second thought, I'd rather not have an answer to that question, he realized. “Um,” he recalled some of what he had been thinking about before she found him, “did Granny talk to you yet? About…afterwards?” he wondered. Haruka frowned slightly.

 

“No,” she replied. “Should she have?” wondered Haruka.

 

“I'm honestly not sure,” Keitaro sighed. “She's being secretive again,” he explained. Haruka snorted delicately.

 

“That's Granny for you,” she replied easily. “What did she say that made you think she had talked with me?” wondered the older Urashima.

 

“Oh, just some stuff about her retiring,” he waved his hand. “She made some crack about naming you and Kanako-chan as co-heads of the family,” he chuckled. When Haruka didn't join in, he looked over at her, finding her to be staring at the city, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Haru?” he asked, worried.

 

“Hmm? Oh, nothing,” she said, reaching over and touching his hand lovingly. “Just thinking about what you said,” she explained.

 

“Ok,” he responded. Minutes passed. “Haru, you and Kanako don't get along very good, do you?” he thought out loud. Haruka blinked.

 

“Well, we didn't before,” she said slowly.

 

“Can you two actually share the role as head of the family?” Keitaro wondered. Haruka thought about it.

 

“I think we can,” she answered after a moment, “but a lot of that depends on what you have to say to the girls tonight,” she cautioned him. It was our love of you that drove us apart, she left unsaid. “I don't have anything against her any more,” she mused aloud. Not since I stopped hiding how I felt and accepted it, anyway, she didn't say aloud.

 

“Any more?” echoed Keitaro. “What did you have against her before? Is it what made you and her hate each other?” he asked.

 

“Heh! Yeah, there was an issue between us,” Haruka replied with great understatement and restraint. “But, it's no longer relevant, so I don't think that either of us will be holding on to the past,” predicted the woman. At least not for too long.

 

“It was because Granny Hina adopted her, and turned her attention to teaching Kanako-chan, wasn't it?” Keitaro nodded to himself, pleased to have figured it out. Haruka stared at him.

 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” she replied, a small smile on her lips. Better he believes that than the truth; for now, anyway, the woman thought fondly. She knew that Keitaro wasn't the most observant person around, and he certainly had no clue about women, but none of that really mattered. What made him so special, she thought fondly, was that he genuinely cared for and loved those around him. Even Naru and Motoko couldn't break that habit in him, she thought.

 

“Oh, yeah! Haru, Granny said you wanted to fix up and complete the Annex,” recalled the young man, excited. “Is that true?”

 

“Sure is,” Haruka smiled, turning to look at the dark mass of the abandoned Annex. “The Annex was one of the things that Mom was passionate about, and though it was already more or less like you see it then, she spent a lot of her time working on the plans for it. I still have her notes and sketches and stuff in my room. Whenever I get the chance, I go through them,” she said quietly.

 

“So, Aunt Yoko was working on that too?” he digested the information. Haruka nodded.

 

“Yes. After she graduated from Todai with her architect degree, she made the Annex her personal project,” Haruka confirmed. “Things happened, and she didn't get to complete it, but I will,” Haruka announced firmly, her eyes determined.

 

“Aunt Yoko was an architect? And she went to Todai?” Keitaro blinked. He had hardly any recollection of his aunt, after all. For years, he had thought that Haruka was his aunt because of the confusion caused by the closer resemblance between mother and daughter and his difficulty with his memory.

 

“Sure did,” Haruka confirmed. “She took her degree in architectural design, but her minor was structural engineering,” elaborated Haruka. “If you want, I have her framed diplomas on my wall,” she offered aside to him, “but really, it shouldn't surprise you, given that the Urashima have a long history with Todai; well, all of Tokyo, really,” she smiled.

 

“Wow,” breathed Keitaro. “So I'm following the family tradition, then?” he grinned when Haruka nodded. “You went to Todai, too, didn't you?” he asked her eagerly. Haruka nodded.

 

“Archeology,” she confirmed. “Granny Hina went there, too,” recalled his cousin.

 

“Really? What did she get?” he wondered. Somehow, the idea of his wild, uncontrollable Granny going to Todai made him shiver. Haruka chuckled.

 

“Rumor has it that she was going for a political science degree, but became a student radical and was kicked out two weeks before graduation,” she snickered. “But because she was the heir to the Urashima clan, it was all done very quietly and discreetly. Todai couldn't afford to anger their most staunch supporter - especially since we were all but supporting them at that time, financially speaking,” she grinned.

 

“I wonder why my mom didn't go to Todai?” wondered Keitaro. Haruka bit her tongue, forcing herself to think.

 

“She wasn't able to pass the entrance exam, and gave up,” said the cousin a moment later. “Mom passed her first try - with quite a score, no less. When your mom tried to do the same two years later, but failed, she gave up.” Keitaro blinked, frowning.

 

“Gave up?” he wondered. “I failed three times before making it in,” he observed. “Why would mom give up?”

 

“Who knows?” Haruka shrugged. “Might have been something to do with my mom being the favorite sister, maybe,” she dismissed it.

 

“And now Granny is skipping her to name you and Kanako the next head of the family,” he thought out loud. Haruka sent him a surprised look, but said nothing. Being busy with his thoughts, he missed the look.

 

“You know,” Haruka said, turning the conversation, “I was sort of thinking that the Annex would make a good home for us.”

 

“You do?” wondered Keitaro, being distracted from his previous thoughts.

 

“Yes, I do,” Haruka confirmed. “By moving into the Annex, we could make the Hinata an inn again,” she explained. “The Annex is more private, anyway, and has more room than you'd think from looking at it now. There is even a hot spring site behind it, and the positioning of the Annex gives it much greater privacy than the Hinata. Also, if we do that, you can keep your promise to Kanako,” she added.

 

Keitaro frowned. Oh, right - I promised her that we would run the Hinata Inn together, he recalled. “That's true,” he mumbled. “How did you know about that promise?” he asked a moment later. Haruka smiled a little.

 

“Just something I overheard once,” she replied blandly. Below their roof-top perch, the pair heard Shinobu's clear, warm voice announcing that supper would be up in ten minutes. Rising, the two made their way off the tile roof of the Hinata so they could wash up before dinner. “Whatever you have to say to them, I'll be there,” Haruka said, pausing Keitaro at the edge of the room long enough to kiss him lovingly.

 

“I appreciate that, Haru,” the young man replied honestly, taking her hand as they both leapt to the deck rail, then down to the deck itself, and inside to wash up. They could hear the girls assembling for supper, and for some reason, the din of the voices made both of them smile warmly.

 

-

 

“Is everyone here?” asked Keitaro, looking around the room where the girls had assembled after a meal that was even above Shinobu's normal offering. It had surprised him to watch the group as a whole during the meal and afterwards. Shinobu was about the only girl that acted like he remembered them acting. Naru and Kitsune had actually helped with the serving of the meal, and Motoko and Tsuruko had tended to the majority of the clean up.

 

Now, the group was assembled in the living room, looking at him expectantly. Motoko, Shinobu and Tsuruko sat on the couch, Naru and Mutsumi sitting on the floor by the end of the couch. In the chair, Kitsune had Su in her lap, partly because Su had been unsuccessful in invading Motoko's lap, and partly because it was about the only way to exert any sort of control over the hyperactive girl. Standing by the base of the stairs, Amalla and the Molmolian faction waited silently.

 

Keitaro wasn't too keen on talking to the girls with the three from the Molmolian government watching, but since it sort of involved them, and the girls weren't complaining, he figured it would be ok. Beside him, Haruka scanned the room, making eye contact with several of the girls. “I don't see…” began Keitaro.

 

“I'm here, Keitaro,” came Kanako's quiet voice from his other side. Looking over, he saw his sister on his other side.

 

“I don't see Sarah,” noted Keitaro.

 

“Granny Hina sent her somewhere before you got back,” Kitsune supplied the answer. “It's probably for the best that she isn't here, right?”

 

“Probably,” he agreed.

 

“We're here, too, meow,” came the amused voice of Kuro, the large-eared cat briefly rubbing his jaw against Kanako's leg before leaping on to the coffee table on silent paws.

 

“Myu!” Tama's familiar call sounded as the hot springs turtle flew in from outside, landing easily on Mutsumi's head. A soft rustle of wings marked the landing of Shippu, the large white crane just outside the door that led to the yard. Keitaro found himself smiling at the animals. They were as much as part of his life at the Hinata as their masters were.

 

“Where's Granny Hina?” wondered Naru. Keitaro frowned.

 

“I thought she would be here…” he mumbled.

 

“Hold the door!” came a gleeful cry, a shrunken, white-haired form leaping down the stairs to land easily beside the couch. Sinking down to sit like Naru and Mutsumi were, Hina grinned at them. “Phew! Barely made it,” she explained.

 

“Uh huh,” grunted Haruka. What was she doing up there? “What's with the fancy dress?” she asked her grandmother.

 

Hina Urashima usually wore a kimono when around the Hinata, and jeans or shorts with a shirt when out adventuring. Seeing the wizened old head of the family in an actual dress was surprising. “Like it?” grinned Hina. “I haven't worn something like this since…” she trailed off, looking off into space. “Well, longer than I care to say,” she finished.

 

“So, why are you wearing it now?” wondered Haruka.

 

“I happened to find it in storage when looking for some things, and thought I'd try it on,” shrugged Hina. “What do you think?” she asked playfully.

 

“Um…” Keitaro wondered what he could say without either pissing his Granny off or insulting her.

 

“Don't answer that, Onii-chan,” Kanako murmured.

 

“Right,” he replied, relived.

 

“Isn't that like the one you have, Haruka?” wondered Su. “The one that Motoko was so afraid of?” Motoko winced slightly at that reminder.

 

“Afraid of a dress? The heir to the Shinmei-ryu school?” wondered Tsuruko, looking over Shinobu's head at her sister. Motoko blushed slightly.

 

“It was…a while ago,” she replied. “I have since gotten over such things,” assured the younger Aoyama.

 

“She and Keitaro went on a date, and she ended up making him wear it, too,” recalled the blonde, grinning happily. Tsuruko frowned at Motoko.

 

“Sister,” she said, disapprovingly.

 

“It's no big deal, really!” Keitaro interjected. “I had forgotten all about that, to tell you the truth,” he added. “It was kind of funny, looking back at it,” he laughed weakly.

 

“You had something to tell us, didn't you?” Kitsune came to his aid, smiling at him. Grateful for the help, Keitaro nodded.

 

“Yes,” he confirmed. He could feel the nervous energy the girls were giving off clearly. Taking a deep breath, he let it out, seeing Haruka ease into his vision on one side, Kanako on the other. “I have been told that you have all agreed to some sort of shared marriage,” he said, beginning to sweat. “Is…is that correct?” he asked them.

 

“Yep!” Su grinned happily. Kitsune hugged Su a little closer.

 

“I see,” he swallowed nervously. “I have b…been thinking about that, actually,” he admitted. “And I think there are some problems with that idea,” he began his pitch.

 

“Such as?” wondered Amalla.

 

“Well, just to start, how about the fact that only one of you can be married to me,” began Keitaro. “Even the drunkest priest will balk at marrying more than one woman to me,” he tried for a joke. The girls weren't biting.

 

“That is only for domestic marriage,” pointed out Amalla. “A Japanese wedding means nothing on the island of Molmol,” she pointed out.

 

“Well,” Keitaro groped, “that's actually one of my smaller concerns,” admitted the young man. Looking at the assembled girls before him, he wondered how he had managed to end up living with such a group of unique women.

 

“What are you really worried about, Keitaro?” asked Shinobu, her hands clasped nervously in her lap. Keitaro didn't need to be a mind-reader to know that she was feeling apprehensive and out-classed by the other girls. He gave her a reassuring smile.

 

“I'm worried that something like this could end up being a huge mistake,” the young man said quietly. “I just don't want to end up being hated later for choices made now.” Seeing the looks on the girls' faces, he elaborated on his point. “Life here has always been a case of crisis after crisis, and you all seem to go with the rush, caught up in the moment; whatever the events of the moment might be,” he smiled. “If this turned out to be one of those cases, I don't think I could live with myself,” he finished quietly.

 

“Keitaro,” Naru said softly. She was all to aware of what the subtext had been in his remarks.

 

“Unlike all those other times,” he went on, not able to look at any of them squarely, “this is different. This choice will change our lives. And because of that, I want to be sure we aren't being reckless - that's all.”

 

“A prudent course of action,” Tsuruko said quietly. “And yet, the choice is still before us, is it not?”

 

“It is,” Keitaro nodded. “It's more than just who is going to get stuck with me, too. There are just so many issues involved in this, it's kind of daunting,” he thought out loud.

 

“Isn't there one issue that is paramount to all the others, though, Kei-kun?” came Hina's voice. Being met with a blank look, she turned her head, meeting the eyes of each and every girl in the room before fixing Keitaro with her steady, firm gaze. “The biggest issue - and the most important one - is how you all feel about each other. Until you are sure where you heart is, all else is of minor importance.”

 

“Granny, I…” Keitaro began.

 

“Do you love them, Keitaro? And do they love you in turn?” Hina cut him off firmly. “Until you are sure, you shouldn't make any decisions.” cautioned the old woman.

 

“But, what about the scroll?”

 

“That issue has waited nearly six hundred years, boy,” came the dry reply. “It can wait a little longer. Think about it: if you marry an Aoyama sister, and the two of you come to hate each other later, is that any sort of solution to the issue?” pointed out Hina.

 

“That's exactly the kind of thing I want to avoid!” he exclaimed. “I'm not much of a catch, I know, so I don't want to ruin any of the girls' lives.”

 

“What do you propose to do, then?” asked Motoko. Keitaro glanced at Haruka before answering.

 

“First, I want to talk about how you all came to this decision. Then, I want to talk to each of you separately about a few important things. And finally, I think we should hold off any decision until after Shinobu graduates; maybe until after the Todai entrance exam, since Motoko and the others have been studying so hard. I know how difficult it is to concentrate with things on your mind other than the test,” he laughed briefly.

 

Silence filled the room after his remark. The girls looked between themselves, seemingly uncertain where to begin. Finally, Naru licked her lips. “Keitaro,” she began, looking at her lap, “after you left for the dig, things here got kind of crazy; like normal, I guess,” she managed a smile. “It's…well, we've all known for a long time how we felt about you. I…was having some issues of my own that were aggravating the situation, since the others had done the `right' thing and stood aside,” she paused, raising her eyes to his. “Keitaro, because of that and some…other things, none of us were willing to let this go.”

 

“So, Shinobu did what had to be done, and threw the issue right in our faces,” smiled Kitsune, seeing the girl blush deeply.

 

“I…I didn't…!” she stammered.

 

“Yes, you did,” disagreed Motoko. “And it had to be done, Shinobu,” she said quietly, touching the small girl's hand. “If you hadn't, we would still be divided and would be unlikely to get what we want most,” she added quietly.

 

Keitaro and Haruka were surprised to hear that Shinobu had been the one ram-rodding the issue. It wasn't like her to be so forward, after all. “Shinobu,” breathed Keitaro. She has really matured into a stunning woman, he realized.

 

“What was it you wanted so badly that you would push the other girls around?” asked Haruka. Shinobu squirmed under the attention.

 

“I…I wanted to protect what I had,” she said quietly.

 

“But Shinobu, you want to marry Keitaro, don't you?” asked Amalla. “Isn't that contradictory to the decision you supported?”

 

“No,” Shinobu said quietly. “I…I do want to be his wife,” she agreed, “but after I thought about it, I decided that the most important thing was to protect my life here, with all of my sempais and Keitaro and Granny Hina. This is my family, and I want to protect it!” she finished strong, meeting Keitaro's surprised eyes. “I know you can't marry me; well, under Japanese law, anyway,” amended the girl, “but if I can keep us together, that will be enough for me.”

 

“Why can't I marry you?” wondered Keitaro, touched by her words. Of all the girls, he wanted to make her happy the most, since she was the one that had been nicest to him and most honest about her feelings.

 

“Because you have to fulfill your duty as the Urashima heir,” supplied Naru. “Because of that, you will have to marry either Motoko or Tsuruko. Nothing less will settle the mandate,” pointed out the brunette terror.

 

“But, if I marry Motoko-chan or Tsuruko-chan,” he frowned.

 

“How will you marry the rest of us? Is that what you were going to say, sugar?” came Kitsune's amused voice.

 

“Um, well, yeah,” he said, scratching the back of his head. The girls shared a strange sort of smile.

 

“Once you are satisfied that we have agreed and are sure we want to, we will tell you,” Kitsune said, smiling her fox smile. “For now, trust us when I say that we have talked about that a lot, and we have finally agreed on a plan. All that is left is for our groom to accept,” she sniped. “So, to speed that up, what concerns did you have other than that?”