Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Winter Rose ❯ Third Petal: Formalities ( Chapter 2 )

Winter Rose

Third Petal: Formalities

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 1 Summary: After trying to get himself warmed up in the hot springs, Keitaro found himself at the receiving end of another one of Naru's Atomic Punchesâ"¢. After traveling by Speedy Air Transportâ"¢ from Hinata Apartments to Tokyo Airport, Keitaro meets up with Hiroaki Urashima, who is now known as Vincent. They then hitch a taxi ride first to some places around Tokyo until they decided to finally go to Hinata Apartments as Keitaro tells him about the last few years.

Third Petal: Formalities

"So, basically, you're telling me that you recently just got into Toudai after many attempts, that Hinata Apartments is now an all-girls' dormitory, that you, a guy, are the manager, and that the one who sent you flying like that is one of your tenants?"

"Well, yeah... But, I'll go and talk to the girls if you could stay there for a week or two, just until you've found another place to stay... "

Vincent shook his head and ran his right hand through his hair. "Uy... Times have changed..."

"You were saying something...?"

"No.. Not really..."

"So, uh, tell me more about you..." Keitaro said to his cousin. "How are you holdin' up these days, and why'd you come here to Hinata?"

Vincent fished two ID's from his pocket and handed them to Keitaro, who glimpsed at the first ID. The latter then gasped audibly, his mouth wide open.

"H-H-H-HARVARD!!!? Hiro-san, you're from Harvard!? THE Harvard University?" Keitaro's eyes were unbelievably large as he waited for Vincent's reply.

"Yeah, yeah. I WAS from Harvard. I hated Boston, so I asked them to transfer me somewhere in Japan using their International Student Transfer Network." he took the other ID and placed it over the Harvard one. " So now I'm also at Toudai. I'm starting my second year of Political Science there."

"Wow, Hiro-san.. So you're gonna be a lawyer too...? How about when we both graduate, we'll open up a Law Office? How does Urashima and Urashima Law Offices sound?"

Vincent sweatdropped at Keitaro's idea. Whatever... "Sounds OK, depending on which Urashima's the first..." He then smiled dryly and was about to continue regarding his education when Keitaro cut him off with another question....

"So, how's Uncle Takashi? Does he know you're here?"

"He does now. Well, he's kind of occupied with some other things right now, so I just didn't tell him about my little trip to Japan until just recently."

Keitaro hardly remembered his Uncle Takashi. All he knew was that his uncle married an American woman, left for the US, became a successful businessman, and had two children. One was Hiro-san, and the other was...

"Hey, Keitaro, why'd you become so quiet all of a sudden?"

"Well...Oh! Sorry... I was thinking about something... So, uh, how's Uncle Takashi again?"

Vincent sweatdropped again, this time a bit bigger. "<sigh> You'll never change, Keitaro. Oh, look, we're here at Hinata Apartments. We'll stop here, chief. "

"But, hey, Hiro-san! What about... ?"

"Later. So, how much do we owe you?"

After taking out his belongings from the car's trunk, Vincent paid the driver and urged Keitaro to climb up and not help him with his stuff.

"C'mon, Hiro-san. Just let me help you with those suitcases..."

"It's not proper for a landlord to serve his tenants." Vincent replied, trying to carry three large roller bags and a black leather suitcase up the stone steps of the Hinata. "Besides, weren't you even hurt by that fall you just took?"

"Well, uh, I kind of have this weird resistance to pain... Must've had it after countless beatings...C'mon, just lemme help you with that!"

Vincent strained and pulled at the bags, but to no avail. Finally, he gave up and told Keitaro "Alright, you win. You can take any of the three, but never touch the black suitcase, okay?"

Naru was arranging her things someone knocked on the door. "Come in", she said, taking off her ridiculously large glasses and polishing them on her turtleneck shirt. The door opened slowly, revealing a very worried-looking Shinobu.

"Naru-sempai, I'm worried about Urashima-sempai..." said the younger one in a meek tone.

"Well, don't. That pervert just got what he deserves."

"But, it's already 2:00 in the afternoon... It's been more than six hours ever since he was away... what if some bad people attacked him and..."

"Shinobu, I don't want you to worry too much about him, OK? I know... no... I'm sure he's alright." Naru assured Shinobu. Right?

"As if to answer her question, Motoko joined the two and told them "Urashima is downstairs. It seems he has a visitor he wants to introduce to us." the edge of Motoko's mouth curled up a bit, signifying that she's not happy about something.

"So, is it another tenant?" Naru asked tentatively.

"Far from it." Motoko answered. "It's another man."

Haruka Urashima was surveying the newcomer with Keitaro when all the girls arrived at the living room.

"So, it's been a while, eh? You've grown a lot since we last met... You were just about this tall then." Haruka motioned her hand to describe a height somewhere between her hips and abdomen. "And you've got your father's looks, though you got your mother's eyes. I'm sure lots of girls are going after you, eh?"

"Speaking of girls, Aunt Haruka, it seems like..." Keitaro wasn't even finished with his sentence when his aunt's fan connected with his head.

"I TOLD YOU IT'S JUST HARUKA!" Haruka then faced the girls and motioned them to sit down. "Listen up, everyone. Keitaro, I mean, your landlord has something to tell you."

After recovering from his bump on the head, Keitaro looked up to see the girls, including Sarah, looking at him eagerly, although he's got that weird feeling Motoko's not in such a good mood. <sigh> She's never in a good mood… He then took a deep breath. Well, here goes nothing...

"Um, girls, I'd like you to meet my cousin..." Keitaro looked at Vincent, as if asking what to say next. "... Hiroaki Urashima, though he said he changed his name to Vincent. He just came from America and asked if he could stay here for a while, only while he hasn't found a place to stay..." Keitaro took a deep breath and prepared himself for the worst. "So, uh, is that OK with you guys? it's only for a while..."

"Certainly... NOT!!!" Motoko snapped, walking towards Keitaro and jabbing his chest with her finger. "You know the rules here, Urashima. This happens to be an ALL-GIRLS DORMITORY. You were just allowed here only because you are the landlord, and for no other reason. And I don't care if he has nowhere else to go." Motoko cut him off before he could reason out. "I call, Urashima's cousin leaves. What do you think...?"

Now Motoko was the one who was cut off, as she saw all of the other girls around Vincent, laughing and asking questions.

"Hey, Motoko! Check out this piece of work." Kitsune was dragging her black-haired friend towards the young man.

"You're from America? But you're Japanese, right? How did you get an American name?"

"Are you in college? What university did you come from?"

"Hey! Are you shy around us? Why don't you say a word?"

"Do you like turtle stew?"

Vincent's face was quite emotionless amongst the sea of girls that engulfed him. He thought of a way to silence them. He then took out his two student ID's and gave them to Naru. "Don't lose them. Give them back later. Just call me Vincent." He then turned towards Keitaro and said "Too noisy. Let's go up on the balcony." He then took most of his belongings and walked toward the stairs, leaving only one for Keitaro.

Keitaro was puzzled. "Eh? Alright. Uh, guys, I'll be at the balcony for a while... Please think about your decision."

He then moved to show Vincent the way to the stairs, dragging the bag behind him.

"I don't care about what that man is. All I know is, he goes or I go." Motoko Aoyama then turned away when she heard an excited gasp coming from Shinobu.

"He's from where!?"

"Harvard. It's like, a very big university in America, and they say it's the best. If that's the case, he must be a total genius. Wow, so that's what happens where you cross a nerd and a hottie.... "Kitsune explained with her usual foxy smile.

"I think you should think over your impression of him, Motoko..." Naru suggested.

Motoko rolled her eyes. "Wolves hide in sheep's clothing. For all I know, he might be the same pervert as Urashima, or even worse. I'm telling you guys, it will be another big mistake if you let this one come here..."

"Then why don't you go and listen to what he has to say?" Haruka interrupted. "I know it's a violation to privacy, but if you want, you can eavesdrop on their conversation. You might get to learn something."

"But, Haruka-san..."

"C'mon, don't be such a stickler for rules" Kitsune said, dragging Motoko out of the room and joining the others. "Thanks a lot for the idea, Haruka-san."

"No problem. They're on the balcony. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a little shop to run."

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