The Best Laid Schemes

Chapter 2
The Virtues of Selflessness

“Mornin’, Naru.”

Naru Narusegawa blinked groggily, surprised to hear that familiar Osakan accent so early in the morning. “What are you doing up this early? You usually sleep in way later than this.” She rubbed at her eyes, staring at surprise at the aluminum can her friend held. “Are you already drinking, this early in the morning? You need to cut back, Kitsune.”

Kitsune smiled brightly at her friend, raising the beer can in a mocking salute. “Some people rely on caffeine to keep them goin’. For me, it’s the sauce.” For a moment, her usual squint-eyed expression shifted as she opened one eye wider, inspecting her friend closely. “Rough mornin’, Naru? Did Keitaro keep ya up last night?”

Once, long ago, Naru would have blushed furiously at the lewd undercurrent in her friend’s suggestion and would have offered a volley of denials, but now she merely grunted as she walked across the kitchen to the steaming pitcher of coffee at the far end. Now that she and Keitaro had been intimate for a couple of years, Kitsune’s quips lacked the edge they had once held. As she poured some of the dark liquid into her cup, she considered that idea for a moment. Was it because she was so comfortable with her physical relationship with Keitaro, or was it that they had lost some of that nervous energy that had once kept them constantly wondering and watching each other? She certainly hadn’t grown bored with their relationship, but had Keitaro-

“Earth to Naru, come in.” Naru turned to see Kitsune standing beside her, a tense smile on her friend’s lips. “You were spacing out on me there. Somethin’ wrong?”

“No, no, it’s nothing.” Naru looked down as she drank deeply, wincing slightly as the heat spread down into her chest. She surreptitiously glanced at Kitsune out of the corner of her eye, the edge of her cup concealing her frown. They had known each other for years, and if anyone could see right through her, it would be Kitsune. She would have to be careful, but still, perhaps this would be a good chance to get another opinion…

“Say, Kitsune,” Naru began, forcing herself to be nonchalant. “You’ve been with a bunch of guys, right?”

Kitsune smiled at her friend, but the expression didn’t hide her twitch at those words. “I’m not sure exactly what ya mean by that, but let’s just go with a ‘quite possibly’ and leave it at that, eh?”

Naru nodded, too distracted by her own concerns to notice her friend’s affront. “Well, have any of them ever…” She paused, considering the question, before cautiously offering, “Talked in their sleep?”

“Typically, there’s not as much sleepin’ as ya might think, but it has happened.” Kitsune took a deep swig from her beer, waving her hand to prompt Naru onward. “Why’d ya ask?”

“N-no reason.” Naru stared down into her cup for a long moment, and Kitsune let her stew in her own thoughts. This was turning out to be quite interesting. Still, as the caffeine began to clear the cobwebs of sleep out of Naru’s brain, it became more likely that Naru would brush the whole thing off and never give Kitsune the details she was already craving. Time for an intuitive leap.

“So, Keitaro talks in his sleep, eh? What’d he say?” Kitsune smirked as Naru sprayed out a sip of coffee in surprise. “Somethin’ about the wedding? Or…” Oh, this could be good. “Was it about another girl?”

Naru turned a lethal glare on her, but Kitsune had lived with her long enough to understand the extent of her temper. She could be pushed a little farther yet. “Wow, it sounds like he hasn’t given up his days as a ladies’ man. So, what was it he was sayin’? Did he give any names?”

Naru calmly set her coffee cup down, and Kitsune realized that, though she had probably scored a direct hit with that last question, she had potentially misjudged how close Naru’s fury was to erupting. She could see the war raging in her friend’s head between rage and her need for help, and realized that she would have to intervene if she wanted to escape entirely unscathed. “Because, y’know, we’ll all pitch in and help you hunt down any mistresses he might have picked up.” Kitsune offered Naru a winning smile, but couldn’t fail to notice her friend’s lack of reaction to that statement. ‘So. It’s one of us, then. This just makes everything that much easier,’ Kitsune thought eagerly, and she tilted her beer can upward as she took a deep swig to celebrate a successful beginning to the schemes she had laid out.

“I just don’t know,” Naru lamented, refusing to answer Kitsune’s baiting. “I mean, I thought that everything was going just fine, but ever since he… ever since then, I’ve just started wondering about things. Like, are we rushing things, are we going to be happy together, how is this going to change our lives…”

Kitsune twitched as Naru sighed. ‘Rushing things? You’ve been engaged for years! It’s not like you’re eloping!’ Though she burned to point that out to Naru, she realized it might prove counterproductive; no, a more subtle push was needed, and in the direction that Kitsune wanted her to go. “Well, do you want to put things off a bit? If you’re not sure, then-” She paused as Naru frantically waved her hands in denial, and fought to keep in the laughter that was threatening to erupt. It was going to be all too easy.

“No, then we would have to reschedule everything, and tell everyone a different day, and it would just be too complicated.” Naru offered Kitsune a weak smile, shaking her head. “No, this is just an early case of cold feet; I’ll be fine,” she reassured Kitsune, though her friend was forced to wonder if Naru really hoped to reassure herself instead.

Kitsune grunted assent, taking another drink. Lowering the can, she turned, staring off into the distance as she feigned deep thought. Finally, having waited long enough, she turned back to Naru. “Hey, how about this? If you’re feeling the pre-wedding jitters already, why don’t ya take this opportunity to reassure yourself?” Seeing Naru’s wary glance, Kitsune pressed on. “After all, ya don’t have anything major scheduled for the next couple of weeks, and it’d be a lot better to get this out of your system now instead of waiting until closer to the big day.”

“What are you suggesting?” Naru asked bluntly, staring at her friend cautiously as she raised her coffee cup. She had been around Kitsune long enough to know to watch for hidden tricks in anything the fox-eyed girl recommended.

“Break off the engagement for one week, and go traveling.” Ignoring the spluttering as Naru choked on her drink, Kitsune smiled brightly. “If you’re worried about how things are gonna turn out, take a step back and look at it. Take a break from each other, get some fresh air. If ya still feel the same way after the week, then ya can come back like everythin’s normal and pick back up where ya left off. If you’re still not sure, then you’ll be in a better position to think clearly and negotiate with him.”

Naru paused for a moment, mulling the suggestion over in her head. Finally, she shook her head. “Like that would work. You know Keitaro; he would come chasing after me like always.”

“Not if you actually tell him why you’re goin’ this time,” Kitsune chuckled, but inside she was already celebrating her victory. Naru was considering it; it wouldn’t take too much of a push now. “Anyways, we’ll keep an eye on Keitaro. Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of him.” Even though she had avoided using her typical lustful tone, she saw from Naru’s expression she had chosen her words poorly. Time to think fast…

“I hope Shinobu’s doin’ alright,” Kitsune offered weakly, quickly changing the subject. Naru turned to face her, the suspicion in her eyes fading as concern took its place upon her face.

“Yeah, what happened last night? You went to check on her, right?”

“Yeah, but I could hear her crying, and I figured that it would be best to let her get it all out instead of bringin’ it up again,” Kitsune lied, not willing to reveal what she had really heard. “I guess her date didn’t go quite the way she wanted.”

“Date?” Naru made no effort to hide her surprise. “With who? Why didn’t she tell me about it, or Keitaro? Or, since you knew about it, why didn’t you tell us?”

Kitsune shrugged. “It was with somebody from one of her classes. As for why I didn’t mention it, I’ve been busy, so it never came up. And as far as Keitaro goes…” the fox-eyed woman shook her hand dismissively, “I don’t wanna get involved in that. No thanks.” Seeing the comprehension dawning in Naru’s eyes, Kitsune allowed herself to feel slightly vindicated for what she intended to do.

After all, they were each suffering, in their own ways. Something had to change now, or it never would, and they would remain like this forever. Better to force the matter and see what happened, than to let each and every person that called the Hinata House their home spend the rest of their lives wondering ‘what if?’

“I’m sorry it didn’t go well for her,” Naru murmured, looking to the ground unhappily. “If anyone deserves to find someone who makes her happy, it’s Shinobu.”

‘She already has found someone. You just got to him first.’ Kitsune looked away as she felt her smile grow strained, and took a moment to recover her calm before pressing on. “Hey, think of it this way: if ya decide to take my advice, you’ll be sendin’ her a message too. You’ll be letting her know to take her time, not to rush things, and that she should always be careful with her own heart. Otherwise, she’ll expect a fairytale ending like the one you are getting’ with that dork upstairs.”

Naru huffed at that comment, but it was obvious her mind was elsewhere. As Kitsune drained the final drops from her can of beer, Naru’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and she glared at her friend. “How do I know this isn’t all a ploy for you to have another chance at Keitaro, hmm? If I break off the engagement, even temporarily, he’ll be open for you and the others to try to seduce him.”

Kitsune laughed loudly at that suggestion, but her chuckle sounded forced and she felt vaguely as if she had been stabbed by that accusation. ‘Damn, she knows me too well.’ “Well, y’know what they say. If ya love somethin’, let it go, and if it comes back, ya get to keep it. Or somethin’ like that. If ya can’t trust him for just a week, how will ya trust him for the rest of your lives? Anyways, we all know that that lug is head over heels in love with you; what chance do we really have?” Kitsune’s broad smile didn’t expose her teeth, and her squint hid the evil glint in her eyes.

“So, you’re telling me to trust him, then?” Naru poured herself another cup of coffee as she thought about that suggestion. “Thanks for the advice, Kitsune. I’ll keep it in mind.” Too lost in her own concerns to meet her friend’s eyes, Naru walked past Kitsune and left the room.

Kitsune watched her go, walking over to the fridge and pulling out a fresh beer. Hearing Naru make her way up the stairs to her own room, Kitsune allowed her grin to run free as she pulled the tab back and lifted the can to her lips. Taking a deep swig and gasping for air afterwards, Kitsune raised the can in a mocking salute in Naru’s vague direction.

“They say there’s one born every minute. Here’s to you, Naru.”

******

Stepping inside Room 304, Naru closed the door and immediately started cleaning, her eyes dulled by the depth of her thoughts. As she mechanically straightened her belongings, her conversation with Kitsune replayed in her head. It was a stupid idea, and overkill; she was just nervous, that was all. After all, she had been through enough with Keitaro to have learned to trust him, and he had definitely chosen her, after all. There would be no sense in stirring up all the havoc that would arise from her heeding Kitsune’s advice. No, it would be better just to ignore the whole thing, especially since it was just a stupid dream.

Still…

There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with their relationship, certainly. Especially on the intimate level; Naru felt her cheeks warm as she remembered their antics the previous night. She had felt guilty after punching and berating him, so she had come to his room to apologize, and, after the words began to stumble out of her mouth, had decided to forego a verbal apology in favor of a physical one. It was a scenario that they had repeated a hundred times, their lovemaking fueled by mutual embarrassment and relief, renewing their affection after whatever strife had momentarily separated them. The pent-up emotions involved tended to make those occasions particularly passionate and intense, and despite the semi-regularity of it all Naru found that it kept their romance interesting.

For her, at least. Her face fell as she paused in her cleaning, staring blankly at the bookshelf she had been straightening. She could remember it perfectly, Keitaro moaning the names of the other girls in his sleep. She had distinctly heard Su’s, and Motoko’s, at the least. And it wasn’t just an isolated event, either; she had heard him call out their names on other nights, too, tossing and turning and sweating in bed. She had naturally been angered the first time, enough to elbow him sharply enough to yank him spluttering from his slumber, but had chosen to fume instead of explaining to him his crime, not willing to admit how much it had bothered her. The second time, she had started to do the same, but something had made her wait, listening to him in the hopes of the redeeming sound of her own name, at least; a sound that never came. And so it had happened again, and every time her heart had sank lower, pulled down by the weight of her fears and doubts.

A low growling sound began to fill the room, and Naru was somewhat surprised to discover that she was the source of it. Stupid jerk! Here they were, getting ready to get married, and he’s off dreaming about romping with other girls every night! If he had chosen her, then there should be no reason for him to be thinking about other girls like that. Her face locked in a scowl, she turned and marched towards the center of the room, halfway intending to open the hole in her floor that connected their rooms and give him a piece of her mind.

The angered cooled before she lifted the wood panel, however, and she sat staring at it for a long moment. He had chosen her, so she shouldn’t be worried, right? Icy fear trickled down her spine as she considered that notion, the sleeping behemoth of one of her oldest fears beginning to stir. She knew that Keitaro loved her, but… couldn’t it just as easily been one of the other girls who lived in the Hinata House? After all, they had all pursued him at one time or another, and she knew that his bonds to them ran very deep. She remembered how many times she had been convinced that he would want one of the others over her, and a dark epiphany started to worm its way into her heart. What if that was really what was at the core of this… her fear that, after they had said their vows, he would start to regret his choice? That he wouldn’t be happy with her, not forever…

Her eyes slid, not entirely of her own will, towards the closet where she stored her luggage. There wasn’t really any good way to overcome those fears… but wouldn’t Kitsune’s suggestion go a long way towards that end? After all, if he did want one of the other girls more than her, it would be the perfect chance for him to change his mind, and, if he didn’t, then she could rest assured. Plus, she could travel for a week and distract herself from the pre-wedding jitters, and come back ready to pick up where they had left off. Moment by moment, the idea’s appeal began to grow, and, nodding grimly to herself, Naru stood from the floor and walked away from the hole in the floor that led into Keitaro’s room.

Just below her, Keitaro whistled to himself as he did cleaning of his own, a bright smile on his face as he remembered Naru’s visit to him the
previous night. He was oblivious to what he had inadvertently put into motion, instead already planning his schedule for the day and thinking distractedly of Shinobu’s plight from the previous night; he didn’t know what had caused her anguish, but, surely, if he and Naru worked together they could find out what was wrong and help. After all, they were a very good team when it came to things like that.

In room 304, however, Naru had already begun pulling clothes from her closets and loading them into suitcases, a look of resolution etched upon her face. Her mind was made up, and already she had begun to wonder where her path would lead her, what place would best serve as a distraction from the things that had been eating at her for too long. All that would be left then would be to tell Keitaro, and she was sure he would understand.

It was minutes later, as Keitaro left his room to find his fiancée walking down the stairs with suitcases in tow, that the bewildered shouting began to echo through the Hinata House.


Author’s Note: And thus the groundwork is set. Soon enough, things will begin to get truly interesting. No true citrus in this chapter, I lament, and the same shall be true of the next; I am of the school that prefers to build up to such things, instead of a mostly-plotless frenzy. I find it more fulfilling that way. It is coming, though, I reassure you, though I feel guilty asking for your patience considering how comparably long it takes me to update this story.

I have decided, though I make no promises, to aim for a monthly release schedule. I might not be entirely faithful to that, but, as I’ve discovered with my other work, a deadline helps me focus my efforts onto a work like nothing else. So, with any luck, it shall be around a month until I come back around with the next chapter in hand; wish me luck in achieving that goal. Considering the number of projects howling for my attention, I may need it. ^_^;

Anyways, thank you for reading, and for your patience. Please, chime in to let me know how I am doing; I can say quite honestly that reviews, whatever form they take, help focus my concentration on a particular tale. You may choose to interpret that as bribery, or as shameless supplication, but either way know that I’m grateful for any time spent in offering a review. Until the next time,
~Wynn P.