Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Winter Rose ❯ Thirteenth Petal: Where I Belong ( Chapter 12 )

Winter Rose

Thirteenth Petal: Where I Belong

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

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Thirteenth Petal: Where I Belong

GAME OVER.

The words were etched along blank screen, together with a lonely melody Vincent has heard for the 50th time for God knows how long he has been there playing. Tired, sleepy and annoyed, he had stopped himself from banging the laptop shut and throwing and crashing it against the nearby wall. Instead, he just put it at the side of his study table.

He looked up, and saw a ray of light escape from the small gaps between the blinds and behind the glass panes he had installed in his windows. It was already morning.

/Morning?/

/I didn't realize it was that long.../

Ever since he had gone inside and left the area where Motoko and her sister had fought, he felt that it was as if Tsuruko had already killed her, and taken her away from him. He would be alone again, and float randomly across life.

He then fell back on his bed, and then sighed.

/What a migraine./

He knew that Motoko would be wallowing in her defeat right now, and that she also most likely didn't sleep as much as he did last night. He doesn't know of any possible solution to her problem right now, but he does know one thing. She was there for him when he needed someone. Now may be his turn to do the same for her.

/I will make Motoko happy.../

/No matter what it takes.../

He stood up and searched his closet for a clean exchange of clothes. Finally, after deciding on a white shirt that had the words `DON'T DO ANYTHING OVER 30' in front and a pair of long blue shorts, he got out of his room and proceeded to Motoko's room.

"Motoko-chan? Motoko-chan? Are you there?" He called out while knocking.

No answer.

"Motoko-chan? It's Hiroaki. Can I come in?"

Still no answer.

He checked if the door was locked. It wasn't.

"Motoko-chan? I'm coming in, okay?" He said as he opened the door.

When he got inside, he found that no one there. Instead, he found her room neatly arranged, and all items were placed in order. The only thing that didn't seem to belong in that room was him, the teddy bear he gave her for Christmas she candidly nicknamed `Vincent-kun', and the lower half of her broken sword that was lying on top of her study table.

He kneeled near the table, and picked up the broken remains of the sword she always carried with her with his two hands, and gazed at it for some time, thinking about how Motoko took her sword training seriously.

He remembered one time last February, when she almost killed him when he sneaked up on her to surprise her. He was going to take her out to a concert, and maybe to the Tokyo Tower to show her Tokyo lighting up as the sun went down.

He remembered... it was at the third floor deck. It was a Saturday, and everyone had plans on where to go that weekend, except for the two of them. Kei and Naru were visiting Naru's family and were to return that Sunday afternoon; Shinobu, Sara and Su were out with Haruka and Seta at the mall; Mutsumi went to Okinawa and was to scheduled to come back sometime next month, and Kitsune... well, he's not really interested in what happens in Kitsune's private life anyway.

"You BAKA!!! Look what I almost did! Did you really want to die today?" Motoko said, helping him up while telling him off after he covered her eyes in a "Guess who it is?" game and she elbowed him in the stomach, grabbed him and threw him in a Judo-type attack she learned from school the other week, sending him helplessly flying towards the other side of the deck, where Motoko ran after him and almost stabbed his chest while he was still lying on the floor.

"Ow..." That was all he could say. His back was still in pain, and he thinks he broke a few ribs when he fell. He is, after all, not as `immortal' (as Kitsune puts it) as his cousin Kei.

"I... sorry... I didn't mean to..." Motoko said slowly.

"Don't mind... It's my fault." Vincent said as he wobbled a bit. He was good to stand in his own two feet, but he was still a bit dazed. "Anyway, I came here `coz I got us two tickets to Yuu Asakawa's concert. They're for later. Want to come?"

Motoko's face brightened. Vincent once told her how she loved Yuu Asakawa's music. "She has that... cool voice and all that." She would tell him when they would stop by a music store and see her albums or hear her singing on the store's top song list.

"I would love to... But.. I have to train..."

"Don't worry. It's for about 7:00 in the evening. You're training until then?"

"No..."

"Then, it's settled. But first, can you give me a massage? My back is killing me since I think you cracked my backbone really good when you beat me up... JUST KIDDING!!! JUST KIDDING!!!" he yelled and put up his hands the way Kei does when he saw Motoko unsheathing her sword.

/This same sword.../ He laughed mentally on the memory. His left one wandered through it's the blade's length, caressing its broken edge.

"Hiro-sempai?"

The voice made him jump, and his index finger ran through the length of the sharp part, giving him a small but rather nasty cut.

"Ouch..." He said as his reflexes pulled his left hand away from the blade and rested the tip of his index finger in his mouth, sucking out the small amount of blood that came out when he got the cut. He faced the other way and saw Shinobu looking at him. From the look on her face, she was also worried about Motoko. "Oh, Miss Shinobu, did you come to talk to Motoko too?"

"Um... yes... kind of like that..." She said. She noticed him sucking on his left index finger. "Oh, Hiro-sempai, are you hurt?"

"Just a little cut. Nothing big." Vincent said as he waved his right hand in a sort of manner telling her that there was nothing wrong. "By the way, you haven't seen Motoko anywhere too, huh?"

"Well..." Shinobu said. "I just woke up. I haven't even gotten down and prepared breakfast."

"C'mon, let's go down." Vincent said. "Motoko or any of the others who are awake might be hungry right now. And you know that they're very bad cooks." He added while grinning at her.

"Hai!" Shinobu said, giggling a bit.

Vincent used the white handkerchief he always carried with him to stop the bleeding as he and Shinobu went down the stairs. They were both going down the last flight to the ground floor area when they heard an audible "GAAAAAHHHH!!!" and something falling down. Vincent knew that scream had to be from Kei, and from no one else. Naru had gone to visit her family for a while, so it wouldn't have been her. So, he hurried down together with Shinobu, and they found Keitaro rubbing his back as he sat up.

"Urashima-sempai, are you alright?" Shinobu said as she ran to his side.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay." Keitaro said as Shinobu and Vincent helped him up to his feet. "But, um... guys... don't you think the floor's a bit, um, shiny today?"

"What do you mean shiny... WHOA!!!" Vincent had to cling to a wall to prevent himself from sliding. The floor was very slippery, indeed.

"WHHEEEE!!! THIS IS FUN!!!" Su cried out as she slid across the floor on her belly.

"Hey, dork, I know you love cleaning up this dump, but I think you're going too FAAAAAAAAAAR!" Sara was trying to say something offensive against Keitaro when she slipped on the floor and landed on her back.

"Hey, that hurt!" Keitaro said to Sara as he got up. "And I just woke up too. So I didn't do this..."

"You know who might play such a bad practical joke on us?" Vincent asked him.

"Well, I don't think so. No one that would go as far as waxing the whole first floor too much anyway. Anyway, I'm a bit hungry. Anyone else hungry?"

"Hai!" Su, Sara, Shinobu and Vincent said in unison.

"Me too." Keitaro said. "Um, Shinobu-chan, can you please prepare and extra-big breakfast today? I didn't eat dinner yesterday, and I'm so hungry I could eat a whale."

"Hai, Urashima-sempai!" Shinobu blushed as she glided to the kitchen.

"She REALLY likes you a lot, eh? You're quite the lucky guy, Kei." Vincent said as he adjusted himself to gliding on the slippery floor.

"H-Hiro-san! Don't think like that!" Keitaro waved both his hands as he blushed.

"Alright." Vincent said as Su and Sara were racing by sliding across the floor on their bellies. "Um, anyway, have you seen Motoko anywhere? I haven't seen her anywhere."

"Beats me." Keitaro said while shrugging. "I was going to bed, and I think she was still there on the deck."

"I see..." Vincent said. "Um, Kei, if you see her, can you help me cheer her up? I... I'm not really good at those things, and..."

"Hey, don't worry, Hiro-san." Keitaro said as he moved towards the kitchen. "It's my duty as the landlord to care about the welfare of my tenants. But still," Keitaro showed Vincent a face he wouldn't normally wear in front of the other tenants- a look of serious concern. "I think she took her loss against Tsuruko pretty hard. It might be she's still there at the deck I just hope we can make her stop sulking, and then maybe get her to prove herself one more time to her sister."

"Tsuruko..." Vincent said, his face giving off an expression of silent anger.

As they had neared the kitchen, they were taken by surprise by Shinobu, who was half-running, half-gliding into Keitaro, which resulted into both of them being knocked donw in a tangled heap.

"Hey, where's the fire?" Vincent asked Shinobu candidly as she and Keitaro got up.

"Um, there' no fire." Shinobu said. "But, Motoko-sempai... it's best if you come see for yourself."

"Motoko? Where is she?" Vincent asked Shinobu.

"She's there." Shinobu pointed in the direction of the kitchen.

"After thanking Shinobu, Vincent dashed to the kitchen, and found Motoko there. Or at least, he thinks she is.

"Motoko?" Vincent asked the person who was busy tending some dishes at the stove. The person turned around and smiled at him. Vincent was very shocked.

"Oh, Ohaiyo Gozaimasu, Hiro-chan. Are you hungry?"

It WAS Motoko.

But, it didn't seem like the Motoko he knows at all.

For one, she wasn't wearing her usual gi and hakama. Instead, she was wearing something he knew she wouldn't wear in her normal state of mind.

It was a maid outfit, like the ones his dad makes the workers back in his estate in Boston wear, except for the fact that her dress was blue instead of mint green. It didn't seem to be in her character to wear such.

/Something's not right.../

"Motoko... What... Why...?"

"Oh, Hiro-chan, you must be hungry. Baka..." Motoko said as she knocked her head softly with her fist. "Don't worry, breakfast will be ready in a minute. Why don't you take a seat?"

"Huh? What's going on here?" Keitaro asked as he got in. "Huh? Motoko-chan? What..."

Vincent looked at his back. Keitaro, Shinobu, Su, Sara and Kitsune were watching Motoko intently as she was tending some dishes at the stove.

"Um, Motoko-chan, do you know who waxed the floor early this morning?" Keitaro asked her.

"Oh, so you noticed it too, eh? I kind of did some household cleaning while you were sleeping."

"So you mean..."

"Ayaa! So that's where that dress ended up!" Kitsune exclaimed, pointing at Motoko's maid ensemble.

"YOU own that maid outfit?" Keitaro asked Kitsune.

"Of course! Why? Do you want to see me in that?"

"Um... Hey, that's NOT What I meant!"

"Oh, minna-san, breakfast is ready." She said a while later to the bewildered crowd. Vincent took a while before he understood what was going on.

/She was trying to forget yesterday.../

/When she lost the rights to the Shinmei School.../

Vincent found himself guilty of her loss yesterday. If it wasn't for him, she would have just agreed to come with Tsuruko and become a sword master. If it wasn't for him, Motoko would have been happy. Or would she?

"There!" Motoko said. "Eat up, guys! You need your nutrition."

"Uh... yeah." Vincent said as Motoko laid out the food on the table. It was some sort of vegetable dish, some miso soup, and a huge mound of (somewhat burned) rice. "Let's eat."

For the remainder of the meal, there was an eerie silence. Vincent, to be honest, didn't really like this type of breakfast; he preferred some pancakes, some bacon, some eggs and whatever he could stuff himself(since sometimes he gets engrossed with playing online games or is too busy with fixing up Hinata Sou to care about lunch). But, he really wanted to make Motoko happy, so he just ate silently while eyeing her. She seemed okay, and was smiling... a rather pained/forced smile.

However, being discreet wasn't always the way of the other tenants. Even Keitaro, who he knows wouldn't hurt anyone physically or emotionally seemed to fight himself from putting up a sour look.

"BO-RING!" Su said as she dashed to the refrigerator to grab her favorite bananas.

"Man, what is this? Rabbit food?" Sara was playing with her vegetables.

"Um, well, no." Motoko said. "Actually, it's good for you. It has nutrients and..."

"It's okay." Vincent said, putting down his chopsticks. The serving was quite small, and his stomach was still rumbling. "Um, thanks for breakfast, Motoko-chan."

"Arigato, Hiro...!!!" Motoko's eyes widened in alarm as she saw Vincent left hand. It was still wrapped the white handkerchief, and a small amount of blood left a stain in it. "Oh, you're hurt! Here, let me treat you wound." She said as she examined the wound and all the while gripping Vincent's arm VERY tight.

"Ouch... Um... Motoko-chan, I'm okay, alright? Don't mind it." Vincent said as he pulled his arm slowly away from her grasp.

"Are you sure?" Motoko asked him.

"Sure, I'm okay." Vincent said. "Why don't you sit down for a while and eat?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I have a lot of things to do today. And I've already taken mine." Motoko said, walking away from the kitchen.

When they were out of her earshot, everyone except Vincent gave a big sigh of relief.

"Can somebody just tell me what just happened?" Keitaro said.

"Motoko WAXING, COOKING and then DOING THE CHORES?" Sara said whith her arms crossed over the table. "Man, I thought that was the dork's job."

"Or maybe, she's going through her period." Kitsune said with her foxy grin.

"You are SO perverted!" Keitaro said.

"Hey, I was thinking about the period where she transits from being a girl to a woman!" Kitsune said hurriedly. "It's your fault you have perverted thoughts!"

"Is there something wrong, Hiro-sempai?" Shinobu asked Vincent, who was looking very worried.

"Um... no, nothing... I'm just still hungry, that's all." Vincent said, wiping away his look.

"Ok, Wakarimashita." Shinobu said. "I'm going to prepare something for Hiro-sempai. Anyone else hungry?"

"Hai!" Everyone said in unison.

"Okay, then here I go!" Shinobu said with renewed vigor.

Vincent looked on as Shinobu prepared another breakfast. He felt that this was sort of hurting Motoko, who was just trying to give them something sensible. Still, he wondered why she would do such things rather than practice her sword skills and show Tsuruko she is worthy.

/Then again, Tsuruko did tell her that she can never hold a sword again.../

Vincent knew Motoko was trying to forget about what had transpired yesterday.

"Um, guys?" Vincent said.

"Hai?"

"Um, see... I think... Motoko's just trying to get over what happened yesterday. Um, if it's okay, can we give her a little room? At least, if she wants to help you out, let her, okay?"

"No problem." Keitaro answered.

"Yup." Su said.

"Alright." Sara answered.

/Well, at least things will be better now, right?/

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"Hey, anyone can tell me what they feel about the new Motoko?" Kitsune asked the other who were there at the dining room playing a game of scrabble at about 3:30 in the afternoon. "Hey, I've seen strange and pointless, but this takes the cake."

"But, Kitsune-sempai..." Shinobu started.

"Look Kitsune, I know she made a few mistakes." Vincent said. "But, hey, people do make mistakes."

"Hiro's right." Keitaro said. "It's not a big deal. Come on, she doesn't have too much experience in that field, so why don't we let this go, okay?"

"Hey, this isn't something really easy to let go." Kitsune said. "Hey, Shinobu, remember earlier this morning when she almost skewered you while hanging the clothes?"

"Hai. Why?" Shinobu asked.

"And how she would fuss about every single mess?"

"Hai."

"And how she gave me vinegar instead of sake?"

"Hai."

"And how she gave sweetie here some VERY concentrated coffee?"

"Yes, I know that." Vincent said. He had gone to the kitchen for a cup of black decaf when Motoko offered to make him one. She gave it about 3 three spoonfuls and no sugar, which turned out to be very bitter. But Vincent didn't mind; he knew Motoko only meant well. "But, she's trying to become just like a normal person. She just wants to be like any of us..."

"Yes, I know that well Hiro." Kitsune said. "But, there's such a thing as trying TOO hard. I mean, she can't just wake up one day and just be this different person. I mean, she's Motoko, not any other person. Face it, changes can never happen overnight. And especially for her..."

CLANG.

The sound of glass shattering and breaking on the floor. It came from the small area from the kitchen leading to the dining room.

"Motoko..." Vincent looked and saw that she was the one who caused the noise. It was a pot of tea and some cups to go with it. They now lay broken on the floor.

"I..." Motoko said, her voice quivering, her form shaking, her hair obscuring her face. But Vincent couldn't miss a few tears coming from her eyes. "Y-You didn't... want t-t-tea? W-w-well... I understand... I'll g-g-go now..." She walked briskly away, and then ran quickly.

"Motoko-chan! Please come back!" Vincent said as began to go after her. Before he left the dining area, he gave Kitsune and the others a dark look and said, "Nice going guys!" and then ran quickly without giving another look behind.

The door was left open, so it was clear she had run away from Hinata Sou.

/She couldn't have gotten far.../

He began to run and look for her. On the way, he would around for her. But, he didn't have much luck. He went around a bit, but still he was unable to see any trace of her.

/She might have gone back to Kyoto.../

/Nah... I think that's a long shot./

The sky was growing somewhat dark, and not only because it was the twilight where night and day meet. The clouds didn't look good, and it looked like it was going to rain again. But that didn't scare him. He had to look for her, no matter what.

After asking some other people about her, he walked up upon a small area he didn't seem to see earlier, or just didn't want to visit. A small park with a playground with a sandbox, a slide, a jungle gym, and some swings.

/... I know this place. /

/I used to play here.../

He walked up to the sandbox and remembered how it was then.

"Kei-san… do you know where Sis is?"

"No... I'm sorry... I don't know."

"Has she… left me…?"

"No, Hiro... no... it's not like that..."

"Did she... go to heaven… like my mom?"

"I'm sorry... Hiro..."

"Will she come back, Kei…?"

"I... I don't know, Hiro-san..."

"Am I… all alone?"

"No! You're not alone! You have me! I'll be there if you need me, Hiro! Just give me a call and I'll be there to help you!"

"Really, Kei?"

"Of course! That's a promise."

/Guess he really likes promises... And intends to fulfill them.../

He walked around a bit and looked at the whole area. The slide hasn't changed a bit. It looks like they've repainted the jungle gym. He started to near the swings when he heard a noise.

"Wait a minute..." Vincent whispered. He paused for a while, and heard some faint noise from the direction of the swings. He listened and moved slowly and quietly, so as not to startle whoever was there. As he got nearer, the voice was getting clearer.

/Someone's... that person is... crying./

He moved slowly, and then found a familiar figure, slumping heavily on one of the swings. The person had her back turned to him, and was looking up to the dark sky, perhaps looking for the trace moonlight. He knew who it was, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw her.

"Motoko?" he said softly. At once, Motoko looked at her back, and she saw him. As the lights only came from a post that was next to the walking area, the area was a bit dim, but Vincent had seen from her eyes that she had been crying a lot. He let out a sigh of relief and smiled a warm, welcoming smile. "I thought we lost you for good. I... I'm sorry if I or any of us said anything wrong... Please... let's go home now."

He reached out his hand to her.

"I... I'm sorry... But... I can't... Please... leave me be..." Motoko turned her back on him, turned and ran.

Vincent just stood there, his arm still outstretched. He was unable to do anything to stop her from running away. He was unable to stop her from leaving him...

/NO!/

/I don't want to lose her too.../

/But... she wants to be alone.../

/How... how can I make everything all right again?/

He lowered his arm, paused for a bit, and began to run again in her direction.

"Motoko-chan! Please, don't go!"

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Motoko seemed like she had been running away for an eternity. She was happy to see Vincent caring for her, but, she knew she wasn't worthy of him. She was a total failure.

"Motoko-chan, please don't go! Please wait! Motoko-chan!"

/I'm sorry, Hiro.../ she thought. /I'm really very sorry.../

She hid into a corner and was able to lose him there. When she looked around for him, she didn't find him, and she then looked to the sky.

It began to rain, just like yesterday.

"Great." Motoko thought out loud.

/Even nature knows how much of a failure I am./

She broke down and sat one the ground, leaning against the cold, hard wall.

The rain was getting stronger, but she didn't mind. She felt a sudden weakness engulf her, and she began to feel heavy. Aside from that, her depression had her wishing she was gone from this world.

/I... I can't do anything right.../

/I can never be anything.../

She then began to sob miserably again, the only thing she was able to do. Her strong and firm composure began to weaken, as her will was shattered. She began to shiver, as the rain poured on her and the night brought her no warmth.

"There you are."

She heard a warm, comforting voice. It was very soft, but it drowned out the rain. She looked up, and saw Vincent smile as he looked at her.

"Come on, let's go home..." Vincent said. He was also soaked in the rain from head to toe.

"I... I'm sorry... Hiro-san... but.. I can't anymore..." Motoko said. "I... I have no home anymore..." She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt really tired and unable to stand up.

"No... that's not true..." Vincent said. "Your home is with us... with Kei, with Naru, with everyone. Please, don't do this to yourself. You're more than that."

"But... Hiro-san... I... I'm just a pain to them." Motoko said. "I... I failed as swordswoman of the Shinmei School... that was why I tried to become just a regular girl... but... I'm so stupid. Kitsune's right. I was trying too hard. I'll never be anything but a failure."

"No, Motoko-chan, don't do this to yourself!" Vincent said as he held her in a very tight embrace. "You're the strongest person I know. You taught me hope, and I believe you. We need you... I need you... Please, don't give up now!"

"I... Hiro-san..." Motoko said, returning his embrace. "Thank you... I..."

"Shhh..." Vincent cooed her. "Everything's going to be alright." He broke from the embrace and put his hand on her forehead. "Oh, my goodness, you're burning up! We have to get you back there as soon as possible."

"Hiro-san..."

"Can you get up?" Vincent asked her.

"I... I don't think so..." Motoko said weakly.

"Okay, then..." Vincent then picked her up with both of his arms, and began to carry her.

"Hiro-san...!" Motoko blushed as she found herself in that position.

"C'mon. Let's go home." Vincent said.

The rain began to stop.

"Hiro-san..." Motoko wrapped both her arms around his neck, and began to nuzzle against his neck.

"You've gained some weight." Vincent said as they walked down the street back to Hinata Sou.

"Shut up." Motoko said playfully. Her body had become very heavy, weary from what she had done during the day. Feeling perfect safety and comfort in his arms, she began to fall asleep.

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Me: Damn, that was a bit hard to write, considering drama isn't my cup a' tea, it's the job of those persons who make the cheesy soap operas and reality shows we see on TV today(Days of our Lives, cheap WWE wrestling entertainment with cheap actors who `wrestle', Chinese, Korean, Mexican, Spanish, blah and blah and so on and so forth). Okay, folks, time for me to get some sleep and dream of the next chapter. Oh, and by the way, if you wish to flame me on the reviews section, please make sure to leave an address so my Azuma Ninja can track you down and stealth kill ya, whichever way you want it(front, back, left side, right side, while jumping, while crouching, while their backs are turned, blowgun, etc). Even comes with a Ninja Item souvenir of your choice.

Anyway, thanks so much for wasting your time on this fanfic.

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Love Hina © Ken Akamatsu