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May/December	By : thewriterwhocameinfromthecold Category: +G to L > Love Hina Views: 14880 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or its associated characters. I am not profiting from this in any way.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
About an hour later, Keitaro was seriously considering taking to his bed. He should have listened to that driver. Once Satomi got her hooks in him, she had no intention of letting go until they had played every game she could think of and run him to the bitter end of his stamina. In the midst of her latest game of keep away – or whatever it was; he was too tired to be sure anymore – he collapsed against the hallway and took a deep shuddering breath.
If I take one more step, my lungs will burst, he thought.
As he sat there catching his breath, Eri, having changed again into a kimono with cranes on the back, happened upon him, and gazed down at him as if he were some sort of mysterious object abandoned by the side of the road.
"Satomi?"
Keitaro nodded.
Snorting, Eri bent down and picked Keitaro up with promises of a drink in the kitchen. As they walked down the hallway, she sighed with exasperation as she compared her sister to a monkey, a cheetah, and a few other things.
The kitchen appeared to be the most modern part of the house. With all its state of the art appliances and countertops, it seemed almost at odds with the rest of the house. She pointed to a stool at the island counter at the centre of the room and he took a seat.
"What do you think of my domain?" she asked as she reached into a cabinet on the top shelf.
"Very nice. What's that?" he asked, indicating the large jar she was holding. It was filled with a dark pinkish liquid and appeared to have something floating in it.
"Plum wine," she said, retrieving a pair of glasses. "It's made right here on the estate." She poured out two portions and handed him a glass. "If you're going to keep up with the little devil, you'll need some fortification."
He took the glass with thanks and took a sip. The taste took him back to summers at Hinata, back when it was an inn, when his parents and grandmother would sit out on clear nights and drink plum wine from jars. He recalled eating the plums at the bottom of the jar, and being scolded for sneaking sips. He and Eri shared a smile and lapsed into easy conversation.
A while later, she said, "It's good to hear from someone about our sister. It sounds like she's in good hands."
As far as Keitaro was concerned, Motoko seemed more than able of taking care of herself, and if she ever thought it seemed like she was in his hands, she'd cut them off at the wrist. Still, he accepted the compliment with a nod.
"But it sounds like you could use an opportunity to get on her good side."
A snarky remark surfaced in his brain, but he beat it back and nodded.
"Get her a butterfly."
He blinked. Get her a butterfly? Before he could ask her what she meant, Sachiko glided into the kitchen.
"So here you are. I was hoping you might accompany me. I'll take that too," she said, plucking the wine jar up from beside her daughter.
Eri put a protective hand over her glass and told Keitaro she'd see him later.
Sachiko led him to the sitting room where he had first seen Harumi and Fujiko. Sachiko moved the Shogi board to one side as she set the jar down on a table with cushions around it. Next to the jar was a small parcel. He sat opposite her at that table, and in the traditional Japanese fashion, they filled each other's glasses.
"Where is Dr. Kamina?" he asked after a sip.
She gave him a comic smile. "He wanted to wash off the dust of the road, as he put it. I imagine he'll be back soon, but we've had such little time to ourselves." Her hand came to rest on the parcel. "In a way, I think fortune has conspired our meeting. I assume by now that someone has let slip what tomorrow is."
Keitaro couldn't think of what to say, so he just nodded.
"I want you to give Motoko this package. I would prefer it come from someone other than the postman."
"Sure, if that's what you want." He took the parcel from her.
"Good. Now, tell me, are you enjoying your trip?"
He said he was, and she, after asking how long he was staying, listed a few places for him to see, including one or two places she assured him were gems that most tourists didn't know about. Her voice and the wine filled him with a sense of ease that he'd not felt in some time; but he found it strange that she made no mention of Motoko. He thought back to the exchange he'd heard between Fujiko and her mother. Sachiko obviously knew more about Motoko's deciding to leave than her daughters, possibly even more than Harumi seemed to. Of course, given the firm if gentle rein she seemed to hold over the house, it seemed impossible to him that Motoko could plan to leave Kyoto for Tokyo without her mother knowing everything. For a moment, as he read the sad acceptance in her eyes, he hated Motoko for leaving her family and putting through all this uncertainty. Grief was one thing, but how could she just pick up and leave?
He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of music. The dulcet notes of a violin wafted down through the open window so softly that he was sure he'd imagined it until he saw that Sachiko could hear it too.
"Harumi," she explained. "Her chief passion outside of martial arts."
He listened to the tune and recognised Pachebel's Canon from a music appreciation course in high school. He had never been able to understand the nuances his teacher had talked about, but he knew that Harumi's playing made him happy as he settled back to listen and sip his drink; and that was surely what counted. He shut his eyes and was back in Ritsuko's apartment, lying in her bed watching the rain trail down the window pane. He burrowed into the sheets and inhaled the scent of her perfume before calling out to her. He heard the padding of her feet on the other side of the doorway and sat up in anticipation; but to his surprise, it wasn't Ritsuko standing in the doorway. It was Naru. With an eager smile, she flung herself on the bed and wrapped her arms around his neck. The scent of her made him dizzy, and as she leaned down to kiss him, he went without resistance. Their lips touched and his body cried out at the feeling of completion.
Back in the sitting room, he awoke with a start. Sachiko looked down at him in amusement. He rubbed at his bleary eyes.
"How long was I out?" he asked, ashamed at his lingering erection.
"A few minutes. I don't blame you. It is rather soothing."
He shook himself and tried to kill his arousal by counting prime numbers as they exchanged commentary about the music. By the time he reached thirty-seven, Harumi had switched to Handel, and Satomi came barrelling through the doorway.
"Here you are," she sang.
Sachiko moved to intercede. "Satomi, I think you might be wearing our guest out."
"It's all right," Keitaro replied as Satomi began to pout. "I'm up for it, so long as it doesn't involve running."
"Hide and seek?" Satomi suggested, brightening up.
That sounded perfect. He could take his time or even just make a show of coming to find her and take a rest. So he told her to start hiding and made a show of counting until he could no longer hear her footsteps.
"Would it be all right if I hid out here for a while?" he asked.
Sachiko covered a laugh with her hand and asked him how he enjoyed being a landlord. A little later, he mentioned Tokyo University and suddenly the conversation shifted to his future plans. A speculative glint entered her eye, and he had the uncomfortable sense that he was under examination.
"Do you know what you'll study or what you'll do after?"
He paused. It had always been about getting in. What he might study once he got there had never been at the forefront. "I'm not sure."
Her eyebrows shot up. "You've been trying to get into this school for over two years and you don't know what you want to study?"
He looked down at the table and tapped it with his fingers. "I guess not. I promised someone I used to know that we'd go there. Of course I haven't seen her in years. I don't know if she even remembers." He heaved a sigh. "Ah, it doesn't matter. I guess I don't know what I want."
Sachiko patted his hand. "You're twenty. You're entitled. Just remember, time has a way of getting away from you."
He looked down at his nearly empty glass.
"On the other hand." He looked up at her as she went on, "You're a young man with a profitable business and the possibility of a world class education. If things don't work out with this person you've promised, I could always arrange a marriage meeting with your parents. I'm sure one of my daughters would make you a fine wife."
He goggled at her. She'd said it with such a straight face he had the horrifying feeling that she'd meant it.
Ritsuko's words echoed. "You make it so easy."
He gave her a sceptical squint. "You're having me on."
"I don't know what you mean, Mr. Urashima," Sachiko replied, the corners of her mouth quivering upward.
A knock sounded, and Keitaro turned to see Kamina standing in the doorway.
"I hope I'm not interrupting."
Sachiko's smile gave up the struggle as she looked at the other man, mirroring the seriousness of his own expression.
Keitaro might not have been brilliant at reading mood, but he was bright enough to understand this one. "I think I'd better at least make a show of finding Satomi. Excuse me."
"Of course, Mr. Urashima," Sachiko said, taking her eyes off Kamina only for a second. "I've enjoyed our conversation immensely."
Once he was outside, Keitaro ambled about the grounds for a while before deciding to look for Satomi inside her secret passage. Inside the shed, he adjusted his kimono and climbed up into the tunnel. The lateness of the day helped his eyes adjust faster and he crawled deeper. Better eyesight was not knowledge, however, and he quickly lost his bearings. He hoped Satomi was in here otherwise he might never get out. His mind tortured him with images of his bones being found years later until he realised he could hear Sachiko's voice. He must have been near the sitting room. He came to a stop and tried to recall the layout of the house.
I mustn't listen, I mustn't listen, I mustn't listen, he thought as he drew a mental map. But try as he might, the voices were too clear for him to ignore and eventually he just stopped trying.
"It's going to be a beautiful night," he heard Sachiko say.
"Yes, I checked the forecast before I caught the train." Kamina paused for some reason. "If they're right, it'll be even better tomorrow. Ken would be happy."
"Yes." Something sounded hollow in her voice.
Keitaro knew this was wrong, but he remembered what Harumi said about making noise. The last thing he wanted to do was give himself away. He tried to drag his knees slowly over the wood.
"I'm sorry," Kamina said. "I didn't mean to…" For a while no one said anything. Then he said, "I miss him too. Every day. Some days I'll be talking with a patient, someone will say something and I'll think 'What would Ken think?', or I'll sit at lunch and I'll think of something that I know he'd find hilarious, and it all comes back. I can't imagine what it's like for you."
Keitaro noticed a crack of light through the floor and realised that it was coming from the sitting room. Cursing his moral weakness, he shuffled towards it.
"I'm sorry," Kamina said. "Should I just go?"
"No!" It was spoken quietly, but sharply. As Keitaro peered through his small peep hole, he saw Sachiko smooth out the sleeves of her kimono. "I mean, please stay Shiro. It's so good to see you."
Kamina, who had stood up, reclaimed his seat and looked at Sachiko, waiting for her to collect her thoughts.
"Do you ever dream about him?" she asked at last.
He shook his head. "I did when he was in hospital, but after…Well, no, not much anymore. You?"
Sachiko seemed to almost regret the question as she looked away and began drumming her fingers on the table. "When it…When it finally happened, I used to dream about running down a long dark hallway, but I could never find him." She swallowed. "The dreams would change over time. Sometimes I'd be getting on a train as he'd be getting off, sometimes I'd dream about him disappearing right in front of me, but the result was always the same: he was gone, and there was nothing I could do." When Kamina said nothing she went on. "They went away, but they've started again. I…" Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. "I've lost him over and over every night for the last three weeks."
"Oh, Sachi…"
Keitaro's heart clenched and sympathy mixed with shame as Sachiko buried her head in her hands.
"I thought I could distract myself, but it hasn't worked. I just miss him so much. Every time one of the girls masters a technique or completes an assignment, I think about how he isn't here to see it." She looked up, her eyes glistening. "I'm so glad you're here, Shiro. You're the only one I can tell these things to."
By now Kamina's eyes were wet too. He smiled a brittle smile. "After twenty years, what are friends for?"
She swiped at her tears. "I just can't keep being strong for everyone. With Ken gone and Motoko too, sometimes I feel like I'll snap in two. My own daughter is too frightened of her own grief to be with the rest of her family. Satomi asks me why she won't come home, Fujiko keeps getting more and more hurt. What am I supposed to do?"
In a flash, Kamina was at her side. "What do you want me to do, Sachi? I can't bear to see you like this. I'll do anything you ask."
She rested her head against his chest. "Just stay with me."
He did. Keitaro lay on his stomach, too frightened to make the slightest sound as Kamina held Sachiko to him. No one said anything. No one even moved, until after what seemed to Keitaro like an eternity Sachiko raised her head.
"I think I'm all right now." She raised a hand to her cheek. "I'd better freshen up before the girls see me like this." She got up and wiped her eyes as she walked to the door. She turned around and leaned against the doorframe. "Please keep visiting, Shiro. The girls love seeing you. It does them so much good."
Kamina smiled that same brittle smile. "And you?"
"Of course. I don't know what I'd do without you. Please say you'll visit."
He nodded. "As often as you want. You know I could never deny you."
"You're sweet." She peered through the doorway to make sure the coast was clear, and, excusing herself, crept out of the room.
Once she was gone, Kamina groaned into his hand. He got to his feet and walked towards the door, shaking his head. He stood in front of the door for a long time, holding his hand over the part of his chest where she had rested her head, and then leaned towards the doorframe to kiss the spot where she had been leaning.
Keitaro ended up staying for dinner. Satomi had never hid in the tunnel to begin with. Fujiko found her hiding in an equipment closet at the dojo right before dinner. All throughout the meal, she kept sneaking glances at Keitaro and giggling, so delighted with herself at having fooled an adult at a simple game like hide and seek. Keitaro smiled as he watched her. She gave him something to look at other than Sachiko and Kamina as they sat next to each other making polite conversation as if nothing had happened in the sitting room. Keitaro had to force his food down as he burned with shame made all the worse by the girls' happy chatter. They had no clue, none; and there was no way he could tell them about their mother's grief or their uncle's broken heart.
Several times during the meal, he would sneak glances at the composed Dr. Kamina who joked with Fujiko and Harumi. When he thought back to the beginning, it almost seemed obvious. The only time Sachiko had been far from Kamina's side was when he had left to unpack. Even when he talked with the girls, his eyes always found their way to Sachiko, and they always lit up when he found her again. How long had he loved her? According to Harumi, he had always been a part of the girls' lives. He had been the one who introduced Sachiko to her husband, meaning he had known them both long before they were married. What was it Kamina had said? Twenty years?
Even with his promise girl, Keitaro could hardly fathom that. It was one thing to hold a torch for a girl whose face had faded. He could hardly imagine nursing such painful longing for a woman he saw all the time for so long. Keitaro's heart ached with pity for the man who smiled a faraway smile and watched Fujiko and Eri bicker. Had he loved her even then, even after she fell for his best friend and married him, even as he was cursed to become Uncle Shiro and watch over the daughters that would never be his? For a second, a horrible, petty second, he hated Sachiko for being so blind. How could you know someone for twenty years without knowing they adored you? In a wave of bitterness, he cursed Naru for her cluelessness, Motoko for her blindness to the grief she caused, Ritsuko for leaving him. He cursed every woman who had ever stepped on a man's heart.
It just isn't fair, is it, Dr. Kamina?
Then, when Sachiko asked him if he wanted more rice, she became real to him once more, and he began to see the other side. How could he expect her to see another's love when she was grieving for her husband of almost twenty years? He didn't even need to have known Kenzo Aoyama to know that she loved him with all her heart. Could Kamina compete with that? Could anyone? His head hurt. He wished Naru or Ritsuko were with him. Even if they couldn't solve it for him, they might have said something to make it feel better.
After dinner was over, he suggested it was time he left, and they all gathered in the foyer to wish him farewell before the driver took him back to his hotel. Sachiko retrieved the parcel from the sitting room and handed it to him.
"I hope you've enjoyed your stay."
"I have," he said, and meant it.
She smiled. "Please come back and see us again before you leave."
"I'd be happy to."
The girls bowed to him in unison and he bowed back. Then Satomi stepped forward.
"Big Brother?"
"Yes?"
"I have something for my big sister. Can you give it to her?"
He nodded. "Absolutely. What is it?"
She crooked a finger and he got down on his knees. Satomi smiled and leaned up to kiss him on the lips. Keitaro froze in place as she withdrew as quickly as she had come.
"Give that to Big Sister," she said, before taking her place beside Fujiko who looked shocked. Sachiko and Eri were giggling into their sleeves, Kamina just smiled. Harumi, oh God, Harumi's eyes gleamed with a mischief that threatened to be his undoing. Maybe not tomorrow, or the next day, but some day he knew deep inside she would use the ammunition her sister had so thoughtfully provided.
Please be gentle, he thought as he gave one last bow and headed out into the compound to board the limousine.
When he arrived at his hotel room, he barely managed the energy to change his clothes before flinging himself down on the futon. He took deep breaths to quieten his overactive mind; but trying to drive Sachiko and Kamina from his mind only left a vacancy to be filled by other things. The moment he shut his eyes, his mind travelled to that dream in Ritsuko's room with the woman of many faces.
He sighed in frustration and gave in to the fantasy as he imagined her joining him in bed. Try as he might as he pictured her on top of him, he couldn't focus on one woman. One moment she would be Ritsuko, then Naru, and back again.
Then she was someone else.
He came with a loud gasp, imagining her on top of him, her face contorted in ecstasy as he thrust against her. He groaned in surprise as thrills passed up and down his spine until the pleasure passed and a delicious fatigue descended upon him. The last thing to escape his sighing lips was her name.
"Harumi…"
- 8
- 9
- 10
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May/December