Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, or any of its characters. Love Hina is the legal property of Ken Akamatsu and associates in TokyoPop and TVTokyo. Did you even read this far? I'm impressed.
Author: Hey there. This is my first real attempt at a full fanfic. In this story, Keitaro's heart is broken by Naru, and he wallows in misery until a mysterious visitor appears and says he knows where Keitaro would be able to begin the new life he needs. Keitaro, and Shinobu, listen to him and find themselves drawn in to a world most never knew existed. But when Naru and the other Hinata girls find out what has happened, and Naru breaks apart with grief, a wild Hina search-and-recover mission ensues, and total chaos is the result. The characters may seem a bit OOC at times, but the story needs that. The rating is PG-13 for now, because later in the story there may be some references that minors probably shouldn't be reading. That's enough for now, stay tuned and I might tell you more later. Enjoy.
Love Hina – The Exiles Saga
Chapter 1: The Tragic Betrayal
It was a quiet, peaceful, starry night. The pale light of the half-moon shone in the sky over the peaceful, sleeping city of Hinata Hot Springs. It was well past midnight. The streets were empty and quiet. The cold mists floated low between the roofed buildings of the city. The people slept quietly, peacefully, and contented in their warm beds.
Except one...
The impressive building of the Hinatasou sat upon the hill overlooking the city and going on, untarnished in its existence, waiting for the end of time. It was in the second floor of the building, within the kanrinrin's room, that one restless soul sat...
He slouched upon his futon, gazing out at the sky through the open window. The moon shone brightly down at him, glinting and reflecting off the squarish frames of his glasses. He leaned forward into the beam of light, his face appearing in the beam of moonlight. His dark brown hair hung in bangs over his smooth, pale forehead, the chocolate-colored eyes staring, glazed over, from beneath the lenses of a pair of glasses. His straight nose and full mouth were pulled down in an expression of thoughtfulness.
He blinked slowly, and cast his gaze back down to the floor.
"Why?" the voice came out hoarse and husky. He normally spoke lightly and brightly, but the weight of his mind simply felt too great to lift his voice.
He looked up again.
"Why? Why is it all so...pointless?"
He held a small sticker album in his hand. He looked slowly down at it, and opened it, flipping through the pages until he found the one he wanted. The stickers seemed to leap out at him from the page. He saw two smiling, happy faces in each of them, but he knew it was all just an act now. The two may be smiling in the picture, but in real life...
He slowly took hold of the corner of the page and tore it, carefully, from the spine of the book. He gazed over the stickers...one last time. He slowly rose and walked over to his desk. Kneeling, he opened the drawer and rummaged inside for the tool he wanted.
Slowly rising again, he gazed at the small cigarette lighter he clutched in his fist. He walked to the window, and held out his hands to the open air, one holding the stickers, and the other holding the lighter. He then slowly moved the lighter closer to the corner of the page.
He clicked the lighter.
Nothing happened. His hand was shaking too much.
He clicked the lighter again, more steadily.
Nothing happened. It was still too weak.
He shook his head. He steeled himself.
Remember what she said! Remember what she did! I must do this!
He forced himself to remember what had happened that day. He felt his anger slowly return. If he could not do this to her, he could at least let go of these memories. None of it meant anything now.
He gathered all his might to click the lighter, but his hand shook so violently he dropped the lighter to the ground, more than ten metres below. He gazed in anguish down at the falling lighter, before slowly walking back to his futon and collapsing onto it. He still clutched the sticker page in his left hand. He raised it, shakingly, to his face and gazed upon it again, and then up at the hole in his ceiling.
"I can't even get the strength to throw away your lies."
His saddened face fell flat down into his futon pillow, and his anguished sobs did not disturb the sleeping Hinatasou, being absorbed and lost in the thick material of his futon.
Riiing, riiing, riiing, rii – SLAM!
"URUSHAIII!"
Urashima Keitaro groaned as he lifted his face out of his pillow. He had forgotten to remove his glasses that night before he drifted off into sleep. His face ached from the pressure of having his pillow and glasses pressed into his face the whole night long.
Sitting up and groaning again, he removed his glasses and massaged his smarting face. He glanced at the digital display of his alarm clock (the same one he had just cracked on the skull and given a not-so-cheerful good morning). It read 5:00 am.
Early enough, he thought sadly. He had planned this since the last afternoon. He slowly stood and stretched his stiffened back, shivering with relief as he relaxed.
At least sleep made me feel better about this. Keitaro slowly rolled up his futon and made to put it away. He stopped suddenly when he saw the familiar green page fall out of his rolled futon. He picked it up. He held it before his eyes for a long time before sighing and shaking his head. He picked up his album and slowly slid the page back into it old place within the pages.
How could I have been so blind?
I was a fool to think that she would ever care...no, NO! I mustn't think about it!
The young man sighed again sadly before taking out his work clothes for the cleaning. This was going to be a long day, no doubt about it, but at least he wouldn't have to see her or any of them...if none of them woke up early.
Finally, he donned the work clothes and went to pick up the tools. Keitaro maintained an effort to keep his face impassive and his heart made of stone, but he still knew it would only be a matter of time before he had to face...his grief.
All the same, if there had been anyone else, they might have noticed the single rogue tear that trickled from his right eye.
The late morning sun gleamed in the sky as Narusegawa Naru descended the stairs of the Hinatasou, heading for the kitchen. It was a Sunday morning, and everyone, even Motoko, had been having a lazy lie-in, or so she thought...
She reached the kitchen, seeing Shinobu standing at the table, giving out food happily as always. Motoko was already sitting there, halfway through her breakfast. But Su and Sara were not there yet. Naru supposed they must still be asleep. Kitsune...she grinned. Kitsune was probably lying in her room growing old with a bad hangover. Naru sighed as she sat at the table in her usual place. She was absolutely starving after what had happened the day before...
Naru shook her head in the attempt to clear it out of the memory. She didn't want to deal with it now.
"Ohayoo, Shinobu-chan! Did you sleep well?"
Shinobu looked up at her and smiled. "Yes, I did, Naru-sempai. You seem to be very cheerful."
Naru smiled back. "Just happy I was able to stop studying for a while, I suppose." Then she sensed immediately that she had said the wrong thing.
Shinobu gazed for a second at Naru, and then her eyes slowly started brimming with tears. She quickly put down Naru's plate in front of her and turned away, going back to the cooking. Motoko looked up for a moment and stared at Naru. Then she slowly spoke.
"I – I don't doubt that you did the right thing last night, Naru-sempai. But to simply leave with...Oh, never mind. It's not my business anyway."
Naru passed the hand in front of her eyes in a gesture of tiredness, even though she was not tired at all. Her own nagging guilt persisted, no matter how hard she tried to quash it. He had looked so destroyed as she had...
No! Naru shook herself mentally. I will not think about it!
She could hear the crashing, shouting and stamping sounds that announced the arrival of the two young resident blondes at Hinatasou and hitched her smile back on her face. Su and Sara came bursting through the door, grabbing at each other and wrestling to get to the food first.
"That banana cream is mine!" Su shouted as she vaulted off Sara's shoulders and landed neatly in her chair. She grabbed her plate and immediately began wolfing down everything in sight, making contented noises in the back of her throat. Grumbling, Sara pulled herself off the floor and sat in the seat next to her, spooning herself food.
Naru laughed at the pair of them, and even Motoko cracked into a slight smile at the sight of the girls. Shinobu smiled shyly before wiping her eyes and coming back to the table with another platter of rice.
Suddenly, she stopped short.
"Wh-where's Urashima-sempai?"
There was a moment of silence. Then Naru immediately waved her hands consolingly at her.
"Don't worry about him, Shinobu-chan. He must still be in his room. He probably decided to take a nap after he finished cleaning or something."
Motoko, however, turned slightly in her chair and pointed to a notice sticking to the refrigerator. Shinobu walked over to it and took it off the fridge. She read it slowly, with a worried expression on her face. She then looked up.
"It's from Urashima-sempai. He says not to wait for him at breakfast or dinner. He says that he's going to be out for the day."
"OUT?!" Naru fumed. "We need a kanrinrin here during the day. What's he think-"
Naru stopped speaking. Everyone at the table was staring at her.
Naru groaned under her breath. Actually, maybe I do know what he's thinking.
Motoko ate the rest of her meal quickly and left to begin her practice on the roof. She was glad to be away from yesterday's incident. She remembered how angry and upset Urashima had been after it had happened.
The morning sun shone down hotly, and the wind sent a warm breeze floating through her gi as she practiced. Her beloved sword wove and elaborate pattern through the air as her feet danced perfectly upon the boards in the formation of the crane. The movement was made to calm the mind and strengthen the spirit.
But the memory came to her of the look in Urashima's eyes: the feeling of pain, the anger of betrayal, and the deepest sadness. He looked like he wanted to kill himself, and then like he wanted to kill Naru-sempai, and then like he wanted to just run and smash anything out of his way.
Motoko lost the rhythm. Her kick went an inch too far and she lost her balance. She jumped off her other leg to regain her footing, landing in a somewhat lavish, but painless crouch.
Naru-sempai! How could you do that to Ura...no! How could you do a thing like that right in front of Su, Kitsune, Shinobu, and I? It is just so unlike you!
Motoko stood again, gazing out over the forest beyond the Hinatasou. Her memory came back of that moment.
She and the other girls had left the Hinatasou for school that day in the late afternoon. Kitsune was also going to see some clients for interviews. They were all going out, except for Urashima and Naru. The two of them were staying behind to study. They had not been studying together much in recent days, because Naru seemed to be going out quite often. Urashima was always wondering why she was always heading out on her own.
But it turned out later that Urashima had asked Naru to come out and eat with him at a new restaurant downtown after they finished studying. As seemed to be their problem with 'dating', Urashima and Naru ran into them on the way back.
Maybe Urashima had done something perverted again. Naru's mouth was clenched with anger.
Before she could make any excuse though, her eyes had suddenly gone wide and she had run past them.
There was a young man down the street, a handsome, dark-haired man that Naru seemed to know.
Maybe 'know' was an understatement.
She had thrown her arms around him, laughing joyfully, and was talking very, very fast. The stranger had responded in kind, grinning down at Naru...and before anyone could pick up their jaws off the ground, they had left, arms around each other, walking down the street. The part which had all of them into immobility however, was what Naru did before they disappeared. She had planted a lingering kiss on his cheek...
Motoko was completely speechless. She had never seen Naru act that way before. She had looked absolutely smitten by the stranger. She looked around and saw that she wasn't the only one who was surprised.
Kitsune's fox eyes were staring, her mouth wide open, at the corner where they had disappeared. Usually, Su would open her mouth to stuff it full of food, but now she too was open-mouthed, and there was no food anywhere around. Shinobu however, immediately shut her own mouth and twisted around to look at Urashima.
Motoko followed Shinobu's gaze, and as much as she told herself Urashima was not worth any worry, she could not help herself from feeling a stab of pity at the completely crushed, heartbroken expression on his face.
After that, they had all gone back to the Hinatasou. No-one was talking too much, they were all still too surprised. Urashima trailed along behind them, his head down, staring at the ground as he walked. Motoko, in spite of herself, turned to look at him as he followed. He wasn't saying a word, and he wasn't looking up at all. Somehow, Motoko got the feeling that even though he too was surprised, Urashima probably knew more than they did.
As soon as they had gone back up the steps to Hinatasou and gone through the front door, Urashima had immediately gone up the stairs and shut himself in his room without speaking to anyone. He did not come down at all that evening, not even when Shinobu called up to his room that dinner was being served.
During dinner, everyone else looked worried and Motoko tried not to. She still denied herself any feeling to worry about Urashima, but still it struck her how unlike Naru it was to simply run off to someone she knew and leave him standing there.
Naru had returned later that evening with a dreamy, happy expression. The others had immediately surrounded her, wanting to know who the stranger was, and what had happened. Naru had said the man was a classmate she had met at the prep school who had entered Toudai the year before her and Urashima...
She stopped speaking at that point. Her face suddenly fell and her eyes widened as she realized what she had done. She had then rushed up the stairs. Su and Sara tried to follow her, but Motoko grabbed them so they didn't invade their...Naru's privacy.
They all heard the sound of her hammering on a door upstairs, and then running footsteps up another flight of stairs, and then, a few minutes later, the unmistakable crunch and scream of a Naru-punch hitting its usual target and sending him spiraling over the city.
After that, Motoko had not seen either of them again that night.
Motoko's eyes unglazed and she shook her head to clear it. She hefted her sword again and resumed her formation movement.
I don't know what happened, but I'm sure Naru-sempai had a good reason. It's just so unlike her she thought. Urashima must have taken it so badly. No, not badly...stupidly. I only hope Naru-sempai can beat some sense into him about this. I really wouldn't blame anyone who ditched that vile, lecherous, perverted male.
But as Motoko tried to think the vehement way she wanted, her heart beckoned in the other direction. She simply could not forget the look on Urashima's face...
Keitaro sat on the floor, slowly and quietly munching his watermelon slice and not looking up.
Otohime Mutsumi sat also beside him, an unusually grave expression on her face.
How could she? Mutsumi thought, her deep brown eyes hardening. How could she do such a thing to Urashima-kun?
Just to ditch him like that! No explanation. No goodbye. Not a single word or glance at him. And then to just...
Mutsumi looked up again, her heart shaking with pity for the man sitting beside her. Kei-kun had just finished explaining all that had happened to him the day before to her.
He had shown up at her door a few hours before when Mutsumi had only just awoken. Mutsumi had clapped her hands in delight. It had been so long since he had visited her.
Then again, she supposed she couldn't blame him. The last time he had visited her alone, he had accidentally tripped on the step and crashed headfirst into her, at the same time she conveniently fainted. They had ended up sprawled together on the floor, their faces red and very close together at the same time that Naru had suddenly entered, following him as usual whenever he visited Mutsumi.
Mutsumi shook her head to banish that thought. It had been a long time after that incident since her Kei-kun had come to visit her. Then he had suddenly shown up with an expression on his face that made Mutsumi's eyes widen and her smile slip from her face.
She had known at once that something was wrong.
Mutsumi slowly reached out and touched her heartbroken friend on the shoulder. As if that one tender, loving touch had set off the waterworks, Keitaro looked up, his eyes misting over. Suddenly he flung himself upon Mutsumi, howling loud enough to wake the dead.
"Why?!" Keitaro cried loudly, as Mutsumi held him gently.
"Kei-kun, there's nothing you could have done." she said solemnly. "If what Naru-san said is true, then there's no way you could have known or done anything about it."
Keitaro looked up slowly at Mutsumi from her shoulder.
"I know you're right, Mutsumi-san." He sobbed, his eyes sad and teary. "But I just can't help but feel that if I hadn't made that mistake, things might've been different."
"No. If Naru-san had been seeing him long before you had that problem, then there's no difference. It would have happened."
Mutsumi sighed to herself. Keitaro was referring to his little accident earlier the previous evening with Naru. As was so often his curse, Keitaro had pulled a 'perverted' accident when he tripped...right in front of a crowd. He was immediately shouted on and arrested before he could even explain what happened and how he happened to be holding a pair of pink panties in his hand...and that was even before Naru could get him with a Naru- punch. But things like that happened all the time...and it never would've made her run off with some stranger. But why? There was a piece missing somewhere...
Mutsumi gently lifted her childhood friend's face to hers.
"Ara...Kei-kun..." she said "Tell me again what Naru-san said."
Keitaro sighed deeply, apparently cried out.
He slowly began to speak again, every word burning his heart.
"Keitaro! Keitaro! Open the door!" Naru hammered on his shoji door. Keitaro had secured it in place, and she could not slide it open. He didn't want to speak with anyone, least of all her.
He didn't say a word, and his eyes never lingered from that spot in his book. He just stared straight at it, trying so hard to keep his emotions under control. He had been putting up with this for so long. Maybe it was time to draw the line and harden his attitude towards this one-sided game of love. Yet as much as Keitaro told himself it would be wise to do just that, his wretched heart urged him in the other direction.
He had been in his room all that time. Ever since he had come back, he had simply shut himself in his room. He had waited for the sense of loss, the despair and tears to come, but he felt nothing for a long time, and when it finally came, it was the cruel jab of anger he instead felt.
She did all that, just because of one stupid little accident?! No! She wouldn't do that...that's not Narusegawa. But to just leave me, and run off making lovey-dovey with someone she's never told anything about to me or the others! Just acting like we don't exist and running off with some pretty boy?! What the heck is going on?!
Well, you'll have to wait for another time, Narusegawa. Oh, we'll speak soon enough, but now...I feel this way. And now, I'm surprised I never felt this way before. Maybe this incident was a good thing. Now I know exactly how much I mean to you...
No! Keitaro shook his head again. I mustn't think like that. She probably didn't mean anything like that at all. I should open the...oh, no need now.
He heard the beat of feet against his ceiling, and he looked up to see Liddo-kun's cover slide away. Naru popped her head down through the hole and glared at her kanrinrin.
"Why didn't you open that door, Keitaro?"
He stood up and stared right back at her. His response was cold.
"I think you know, Narusegawa."
She stared at him for a long moment, before she lowered herself down through the hole and stood before him, a slightly guilty expression on her face.
She didn't say anything for a moment, the muscles rippling in her jaw as though struggling to control her anger at him for locking her out. Keitaro did not look away. He stared straight at Naru, holding her gaze.
Naru finally looked down. "May I sit down?" she asked in a quiet voice, as though she felt uncomfortable.
Keitaro nodded and Naru sat cross-legged on the floor, but Keitaro did not move. Silence for a few moments.
"I owe you an apology." Naru said quietly. "That was really rude of me, to run off like that. I'm sorry, Keitaro. Can you forgive me?" Keitaro sat down heavily and stared at the ground for a moment. Then he looked up again.
"Narusegawa, can I ask you a question?"
She looked taken aback by his reply. She expected, Keitaro knew, for him to immediately wave his arms, smile, and forgive her in so many words.
"Keitaro-...alright."
"Who was that guy?"
Naru blinked. "Him? He's a friend of mine. Don't you remember, Keitaro? He was at Sasaki Seminar the other year. Kouji. The guy with the skateboard."
A face sprung into Keitaro's mind. He had been too far away to see the face clearly when Naru had met him. The dark-haired, green-eyed, tough- talking skater. Kondo Kouji. Keitaro remembered that Kouji had left the seminar shortly after he had joined, apparently accepting a scholarship offer from another foreign university and going overseas.
Keitaro nodded. "I remember him. But you haven't seen him for over a year now, Narusegawa. Why did you just go to him like that?"
Naru shook her head. "He's been back here in Japan for months now. He gave up on the overseas study and came back to return to the seminar. I met him by chance the other day when I went back to the seminar to check my notes, Keitaro. We started talking. He looked happy to be back, and then..."
She paused, looking up at Keitaro's face, which was wearing an expression like 'go on, explain yourself!'
"...er, what does it matter?" she said, looking down again. "We just met again and I...because it was only...like...so long since I had a social...um, I mean...well, lets just drop it, okay? I just kind of forgot where I was and who I was with...um..."
She looked up again. There was no leverage in Keitaro's expression. He still looked upset...and disappointed.
Naru looked suddenly like she thought Keitaro was overdoing it. "What? What are you looking at me like that for, Keitaro? I met an old friend, and we went off. I mean, what would you have had me do? Pretend he wasn't there!? Fix your face!"
Naru looked angry now. Keitaro's frown had been deepening the whole time.
"Narusegawa...you just ran off just like that! When we were on a date! You didn't say a word to me or anyone else, or tell me where you were going. What's more, you had us all worried staying out there like that until this late! Just where were you anyway?"
She clenched her teeth. "That wasn't a date, Keitaro! We were just going to eat out again, like last time. And as to where I went with him...well, no place you'd know. It was just this nice restaurant in town where we went before for..."
Too late, Naru realized her error. She froze and clapped her hand over her mouth. But Keitaro had seen it, and he immediately jumped on her fault.
"What do you mean before?! Narusegawa, was that really just the first time you went off with him? Did you really meet him just the other day? When have you seen him before?" Keitaro spat out each question. Naru was lying to him. What the heck was going on? He never thought she would have done something so blatantly inconsiderate, and malicious, as to just run off with this Kouji, even if he was a friend she had missed.
Naru looked up at him again, all traces of apologetic sheepishness gone. Now she looked angry. "None of your business, Keitaro! I met him, and we've met up a couple of times, that's all! Just what is your problem anyway?"
Somehow, Keitaro found he wanted to laugh. He never thought he'd have laughed at Narusegawa, not even that time when she slipped on Su's banana peel and crashed into the dessert bowl and the other Hinata girls laughed themselves silly. Keitaro had instead tried to help her up and give her a few tissues (slipping himself and falling on top of her and accidentally pulling down her skirt in the process). But this time, he felt that Naru's feigned innocence about his 'problem' was simply too childish to let it slip.
"Narusegawa, if I was out with you for dinner like we were today, and I suddenly ran off without a word to a girl I never said anything about to you, and walked off with my arm around her...and kissing her... without even looking at you, how would you feel?"
His matter-of-fact tone had hit the nerve, and Keitaro saw Naru couldn't deny to herself what she'd done now. But still, she was going to be pig- headed about this, he could see, from the expression on her face when she looked up.
"I wouldn't care! Quite frankly, I'd probably be glad to be rid of your company, with what you did to me earlier. That was disgusting, Keitaro...and embarrassing! Yeah, maybe I'm glad I left with Kouji. You deserved that after how you tried to strip me in front of that crowd!"
Keitaro's brain hit the deadly silent mode. What was she accusing him of? How many times had he tried to say that was an accident? Naru knew that, he felt. She knew it was an accident, and just how clumsy he could be.
His thoughts must've showed on his face, because Naru leapt to her feet and glared at him.
"Don't look at me like that! I met a friend and I left with him, there's nothing wrong with that. Why are you even making it out this way? I had no obligation to stay with you, Keitaro! I already said it wasn't a date. So if that's what you're mad about..."
She stopped speaking. Keitaro felt, and looked, like he was about to explode. This much consideration or apology was all she was willing to give?!
"Why are YOU trying to make it out this way, Narusegawa?! You know you're not talking sense! ANYONE would feel upset if you just left them and walked off kissing-all lovey-dovey with this mystery guy you never said anything about! And what's more you know that what I did was an accident! Stop trying to justify yourself, Narusegawa. I'd be happy if you'd just apologize, you know!"
Naru looked stunned. Keitaro had never shouted at her like that before. The expression on her face smacked Keitaro's eyes and brought him back. He deflated like an air balloon, and gazed, feeling ashamed, at Naru.
I went too far he thought. "Um, Narusegawa, look, I...I..."
That was as far as he got. He could see the tears forming in Naru's eyes before she snapped them tightly shut. Her face contorted grotesquely then, with the vein popping out on her forehead.
Keitaro knew immediately what was coming and took a step back, too late.
Naru raised a shaking fist and drew back, opening her eyes briefly to give Keitaro a brief glimpse of the silvery tears streaming down her eyelashes before it came.
"BAKA!"
Keitaro saw a flash of colour behind his tightly shut eyelids and felt himself being lifted off his feet, his jawbone reeling from the contact. Then there was the familiar slamming sensation and the shattering of the wall behind him.
He saw the stars twisting in a kaleidoscope above him as he spiraled over Hinata. He chanced a glance down and recoiled. Man, I've got a long walk back ahead of me.
Okay he thought, now I can do it.
He waited for the tears of sadness to come as he sailed through the air. Naru did care, he knew that, no matter how much she tried to hide it, but now he could see she did not care enough. He would always be the one to give and never to receive in their relationship. She had shown more to another she barely knew - no, worse, pretended to barely know – than she had ever shown to him. He waited for the tears to come, but surprisingly, as he expected the dam to break...he felt nothing.
Then he did feel something.
He crashed noisily into the branches of a tree, half-uprooting it at the base of its trunk, and slowly slid down to fall out of the branches. The rocky ground rushed up at him, and everything went black.
Author: That's it for now. Review please. Jim'Van