Love Hina - Volume 1 - Chapter 2.5

CHAPTER 5: AUNT YOKO’S MEMORY 

“If Keitaro, I’m sorry!” Naru said as she embraced me. Her kimono melted away, but for some odd reason, the apron stayed on. (She was so much sexier with just a few articles of clothing on.) When we hugged, I could feel her soft skin. 
We kissed passionately, but I broke away, playing hard to get. 
“Why are you apologizing, Narusegawa?” I whispered. 
She looked embarrassed. “Because, even though I have a wonderful man like you, I wanted Kodairas attention!” 
“I know,” I said, a little coldly. 
 
“Keitaro,” she pleaded. 
I pressed my lips to hers, kissing her deeply, my 
hands tangling into her hair. 
This was only my third kiss, if you counted Mutsumi in Okinawa, and my accidental kiss with Naru on the beach. Still, I was an expert at it. 
Naru slipped her tongue into my mouth. It was thick and hard, pushing deeper and deeper into my mouth. I tried to spit it out, but Naru had me in a headlock and wouldn’t let up. I couldn’t breathe! I clamped my teeth together ... 
“Myu!” 
My eyes snapped open. Tama was glaring at me. There were small scars on his neck. 
I’d passed out in Room 1. My mouth tasted like salt 
and smelled like turtle. 
“Ugh. Tama, I’m sorry I bit you, but man, you shouldn’t do that!” 
Tama held up a little sign that said, “It hurt!” Then he ran out into the hallway (as fast as a turtle could run). 
I didn’t feel drunk anymore. I was able to move about. I got up and went into the hallway. 
Everything was dark and quiet. I wondered how long it had been since I’d fallen asleep. 
Tama scurried past Room 3 and headed for the stairs. I stopped and took a quick look inside. Leftover food and drinks were scattered about, but aside from Kitsune, who lay there, snoring loudly, everyone else was gone. 
On closer inspection, she didn’t look quite right. I shook her gently. “Kitsune? Anything wrong? Where did everyone go?” 
She murmured, “Go ahead, Keitaro,” and spread her legs wide open. The kimono slid away and I could see her milky white thighs. 
I remembered that she wore her kimono in the formal fashion, and I gasped. 
Suddenly, Tama cried, “Myu!” 
I fixed Kitsune’s kimono and closed her legs, wondering where the heck Naru and the others had gone. 
 
Tama trudged out of the north building and headed straight for the pond. He floated over toward the annex. 
For a second, I worried that the party had gotten really wild, and that everyone paired up and headed to separate rooms. I checked each room just to be sure, but the girls weren’t there either. Plus, if anyone was going to hook up with the guests, it would have been Kitsune. 
Then I thought of something dreadful. What if Kodaira was right , and Natsuki really was looking for treasure? What if he'd somehow drugged our drinks , made us pass out, and kidnapped the girls? What if he left Kitsune and locked the rest of them up somewhere? 
I prayed for Naru and everyone else’s safety. 
Tama got out of the pond and made for the entrance to the annex. He kept going, “Myu myu!” so I decided to follow him. 
A thin ray of light shone in the foyer. I heard mumbling and rustling. Someone was deflnitely in there. 
 
 
Well, the front door wasn’t the only way in. 
A few minutes later, I’d climbed atop the roof. (Tama rode on my shoulder.) Thick clouds concealed the moon. It was really dark. I kinda felt like a ninja or something. It was a long way down. I could just barely make out the ripples on the pond below. 
At this point, I was covered in scratches and bruises, but it didnt matter. I flipped back the blue tarp that covered the hole the Mecha Tama had made, swung my legs over the side, and carefully jumped down the hole. Unfortunately, there were several feet between the ceiling and the floor, and I crashed down pretty loudly. 
“Ow ow ow!” I bit my hand and tried to keep my voice down. 
Suddenly, in the darkness, I could make out a scary face a scrawny, wrinkled, leathery face. Dark eyes stared at me. 
I almost fainted. 
Then I realized it was Natsuki. 
I backed away, but there was nowhere to run or hide. I was unarmed, and a little banged up, and way scared. So I just grabbed Tama and pointed him at Natsuki like he was a gun. Hey, it was dark. Maybe he couldn’t see that it was a turtle. 
“Don’t move!” I commanded. 
“Shh!” Natsuki hissed. “Quiet.” 
I inched forward and took a good look at Natsuki. He was sitting on the floor, completely still. His hands were tied behind his back with kimono belts. I instantly forgot my fear. 
“Are you all right?” I asked, going to him. 
“For now,” he replied, smiling without mirth. Odd noises came from downstairs. Natsuki nodded. “They’re down below.” 
“Who?” 
“I don’t know. They were talking about treasure or something.” 
I untied Natsuki and helped him stand up. We moved to the hallway and peered down the staircase. 
 
Several flashlight beams cut through the darkness, casting human shadows on the wall. 
I held my breath and leaned farther over. I recognized one of the faces it was one of Kodaira’s employees! 
What did they say about treasure?” I whispered to Natsuki. 
When I was in the hallway, they jumped me. It happened so fast. They punched me and then tied me up. Then they said, ‘We’ll find the treasure all by ourselves!’ or something.” He looked at me. “Do you know what they were talking about?” 
Its just a silly rumor, I told him. “It doesn’t exist. There is no treasure!” 
I was now convinced that Natsuki didn’t come to Hinata Inn to find the treasure. But I still had no clue why he’d come to the annex. 
As if reading my mind, Natsuki said, “I was looking for something else here.” 
 
“What? Did you leave something behind on your last visit?” I asked. 
“Perhaps I did forget something.” He sighed. “I told you about how Yoko helped me get back on my feet, right? Once I got well and entered college, I passed the federal employee exam and went to work for the government. Then one day, I received a letter from the inn mistress.” 

“Grandma?” 

“It was a very short letter to inform me of Yoko’s death.” He looked so sad. 

I knew Aunt Yoko married in her late twenties and gave birth to Haruka, but soon afterward, she fell ill. She didn’t live much longer after that. Her husband took Haruka and moved away from the hot springs town. After college, Haruka came back on her own. That’s all I knew, really. 

“I didn’t even go to the funeral,” Natsuki said, agonized. “It wasn’t because I was overwhelmed with grief or sorrow or anything like that. I was simply too busy.” 

I sighed deeply. 
  
“My job kept me really busy,” he said, hanging his head. “Everything I did got me higher up the corporate ladder. I wanted to expand my network, branch out, become independent, and start my own business. By the time I’d received the inn mistress’ letter, I’d completely forgotten about Yoko and all her kindnesses to me. What a jerk I was.” 
I couldn’t say anything. I was a starving student who’d never been out in the real world—it wasn’t my place to judge another person. 
“I started thinking that I’d achieved everything all by myself,” Natsuki whispered. “I took other people for granted. People were nice to me because I worked for the government office. My wife tried very hard to manage the house, because I was almost never home. I just figured it was her duty as my wife. I never thought about what it felt like for her. I was an ungrateful ass. To Yoko. To everyone.” 

He smiled bitterly. “Do you really think success would last long, with that kind of attitude?” 
Natsuki adjusted his collar. “When I set up my own business, it dried up within two years. In order to remove my wife’s name from the debt, I divorced her. Perhaps that was the only favor I ever did her, really. I’m alone. All I have left of my fortune is this old coat.” 
I looked away. 
“Then I remembered,” he continued. “I remembered who got me on track in the first place. Who helped me go to college. It was at this inn—it was a young girl named Yoko. This place has a strange power. Whenever I come here, I reflect on my life, and I see miracles.” 
“Getting into college wasn’t a miracle, Mister Natsuki,” I said. “You worked hard for that.” 
He shook his head and looked at me. “To tell you the truth, boy, when I heard that I could come back to this old inn, I thought I might once again have a chance to change my luck. I hoped my failed business and my broken marriage would heal.” 

He trailed off, looking far away. “But nothing’s happened.” He sighed. “I thought, if I could just take something, a memento ... so I dug through the rubble. But there was nothing. I started gazing at Haruka, who looks so much like her mother. But Haruka isn’t Yoko. And this isn’t the past. I’ve been in denial, wasting time.” 

Suddenly it all made sense. “I’m sorry,” I said. 

He looked at me quizzically. “Why? Im the one that caused you trouble.” 

“Not really. This isn’t the Hinata Inn anymore,” I said. “We all tried to do our best, but we’re just students. Whatever strange things may have happened here, it’s just a regular dorm now. There’s no magic.” 

“Are you so sure?” Natsuki asked me. “When I lived in the annex, I never sensed any strange powers. But when I grew up a bit, I realized . . . The day I didn’t take that train ... the relief I’d felt when I returned to the Hinata Inn ... the meal . . . Yoko slapping me . . . I didn’t think anything strange about that then. Now I realize—those things were special. They changed my life. They meant someone cared for me.” 

I wasn’t exactly convinced that the Hinata House had strange powers. I was a dorm manager, not a magician. But now was not the time for such esoteric thoughts. I had to make sure the girls were safe and get Kodaira and his goons out of here! 
“Natsuki, where are the girls?” I asked. 
He frowned. “I thought they were back at the inn . . . Well, now that you mention it, after I was tied up, I heard those guys say something about sleeping pills.” 

My heart raced. So that’s why I passed out. And why Kitsune wouldn’t wake up. They must have put drugs in the drinks. 

But did Kodaira take the girls to another room, or did he tie them up somewhere like he’d done to Natsuki? 

If they didn’t find the treasure, would they try to get ransom for the girls, or sell them off as mail order brides to a foreign country? 

NO WAY! 

“I won’t let that happen!” I bellowed. 
 
“Wait! We have to call the police!” Natsuki said. He tried to hold me back, but I wrenched away from him. 
I bolted for the stairs. “Naru!” 
CRACK! RUMBLE! 
I tumbled down the stairs and sprawled out onto the dirty floor. I hit my head hard and blacked out. 
 
I woke, bleary-eyed and disoriented. 
Kodaira loomed over me. “I guess the drugs were too weak.” 
I could see his men. They had picks and shovels. Suddenly I understood why they bullied the other customers away, and raised suspicions about Natsuki— they wanted to draw attention away from themselves so that they could check out the annex. 
 
“Where’s Narusegawa and the other girls?!” I demanded, struggling to my feet. 
Kodaira kicked me back down. “They’re dreaming pretty dreams, boy.” 
“Where did you put them?” 
“Where’s the treasure?” he countered. 
I sighed. “I told you. There is none.” 
WHACK! 
He slapped me upside my head with his shovel. Pain blossomed behind my eyes. 
“If there is no treasure,” Kodaira said, “then what’s up with the annex and tower? Both are well built. How come you never fixed it up and used it again?” 
Because we didn’t have the money to fix it, dumb ass, I wanted to say. Instead, I told him, “Grandma Hinata must have her reasons.” 

Kodaira smiled grimly. “Nice try. Look, everyone knows that old people don’t trust banks. If they have anything valuable, they hide it. There’s no other reason for keeping the annex and the tower up—the taxes on the buildings alone must cost a fortune.” 

I was puzzled about that. 
 
Suddenly, Natsuki stood at the top of the staircase and said, “There is no treasure!” 

I looked up at him. He didn’t look frail or lost anymore. He came down the stairs, glaring at Kodaira. “What do you know about human hearts, Mister Kodaira? The inn mistress probably kept these buildings because she had fond memories of them.” 

Kodaira snorted. “People will do a lot of things for money, old man. They don’t waste it on silly memories.” 

“Just because you think so,” Natsuki said caustically, “doesn’t mean everyone else acts like that.” 

“Shut up!” Kodaira’s eyes smoldered. 

Natsuki continued down the stairs. “Why can’t you leave things as they are? You shouldn’t dig up the past.” 

I told you to shut up!” Kodaira hissed. “I’ve had my eye on this inn for years. My family ran the real estate agency near the train station. We asked the inn mistress several times to sell us this land, but Granny never agreed. Dad always used to joke that she’d buried some treasure up here.” 

Kodairas eyes narrowed. He gripped the shovel so hard his knuckles turned white. “Dad died. There was a recession. Our agency failed. I worked night and day, but nothing helped. All I could think about was the Hinata House treasure, how it could save our business.” 
Natsuki paled. 
In a way, both of them came to the Hinata Inn to try and reverse their fortunes. This place seemed to attract people who were down on their luck. 
“There has to be treasure here!” Kodaira insisted. “If there isn’t, then I’m just a fool! I mean, I asked your staff, and everyone in town—they’ve all heard of the rumor. So . . . So, don’t get in my way!” 
“I understand how you feel,” Natsuki murmured. “But there’s nothing here anymore.” 
“Shut up!” 
One of Kodairas employees raised his pick and made to swing at Natsuki. I grabbed his legs, all the while dodging the other employee’s shovel. I thought they really were going to kill me. 
 
Suddenly, sparks sprayed from the ceiling. There was an explosion. All the flashlights cracked and sputtered out. The room went completely black. There was the faint smell of burnt plastic. 
Kodairas employees dropped their tools and tripped over each other, trying to run away. 
Turn on some lights!” Kodaira yelled. 
Just then, a voice came out of nowhere: “LEAVE!” 
It sounded like a womans voice, but it was so strange. 
Kodairas employees flipped out, terrified. (For the record, if I hadnt recognized the voice, I probably would have wet my pants, too.) 
Wheres it coming from?” Kodaira demanded, turning around several times. 
LEAVE! the voice bellowed again, bouncing off every wall in the annex. 
FLAP FLAP FLAP FLAP! 
 
 
I heard something that sounded like the beating of a bird’s wings. Then a portion of the wall cracked open. It was like something out of the movies. Suddenly dozens of bats flew out from the crack. They chased Kodairas employees around. 
“Aaaah!” Kodaira screamed. “Are they vampire bats? Get rid of them!” 
I almost felt sorry for him. By now, I’d had enough experience with Suu’s crazy inventions to know when I was looking at one of them. (Or dozens, in this case.) She’d made a bunch of Tama-sized flying robots. In the dark, they looked like scary bat monsters, but I could easily tell the difference. 

(On the floor, the real Tama was bouncing up and down, trying to fly with the robots. Occasionally, he’d called out, “Myu!” as if to say hello.) 

The front door slammed open. The voice thundered, 

“LEAVE!!!” 

A woman clad all in white, with long dark hair draped over her face, suddenly appeared from out of the darkness. Blood trickled out of her mouth. In her hands, she held a long, gleaming sword. 
 
 
That was scary enough all by itself. But it looked like she had several arms! 
“It’s a monster!” Kodaira’s employees whimpered. 

The woman slashed out at them, and SNIP! Their belts snapped off, their pants split, and the shreds fell to the ground. Speechless, the employees grabbed up their destroyed clothing and ran out of the building in their underwear. 

I threw my head back and laughed. “Good job, Motoko!” 

She glared at me. I heard several voices whisper and grumble. 

Kodaira, who had overheard, stalked up to Motoko and wrenched back the sheet she’d been wearing, revealing Naru and Shinobu. Shinobu had a frying pan (I guess that was her idea of a weapon) and she pointed it at Kodaira. 

He just smirked, pulled out a knife, grabbed hold of Naru, and held the blade under her throat. 
 
“That’s a dirty trick!” Motoko yelled. 

Shinobu started tearing up. 

“You had us fooled, little girls,” Kodaira said, panting. 

“Aw, we almost had them,” Suu said, coming out from behind the staircase. She held a remote control device and wore night-vision goggles. 

Natsuki nodded and said, “Oh, yeah. I’d forgotten about the storage room under the stairs.” 

I sighed. 

Kodaira looked livid. “So, what? You all acted drunk and beat us to the annex, huh? Tried to scare us away? He chuckled. “When did you figure it out?” He tapped the flat of his blade on Naru’s throat. 

“In the morning,” Naru said. “When we took you to your rooms. The first thing you asked about was the annex and the old tower. You weren’t here because of those flyers. 

“We took turns watching you,” Motoko added. “You mentioned the rumor about the treasure and tried to make us suspect Natsuki.” 

“We knew from the start, you creep!” Shinobu shouted. 
 
 
Wow. I guess the only clueless person in the room is me. “You guys should have told me, too!” 
“How could we?” Naru said coldly. “You’re a blabbermouth. You would have blown our cover. Besides . . .” She stopped, blushing a dark red. 
“What?” 
“Keitaro,” she whispered. “How could you think we’d all fall for such jerks?” 
I looked down ashamed. I’d underestimated everyone. 
“The only person who was really into these guys was Kitsune, so we let her drink all the sake, and then acted the same way she did,” Naru explained. 
Oh, that was their way of lowering Kodairas guard. 
“I really hate how dense you are, Keitaro!” Naru yelled. 
I couldn’t think of any response. 
“You can have this heartwarming chat later,” Kodaira said. “First, tell me where the treasure is!” 
 
 
“There is no treasure, you dolt!” Motoko said, furious. “Get your hands off Naru!” 

She pointed her sword at him, but Kodaira just used Naru as a human shield. 

Now, Motoko had a special skill known as the zanma ken, which could pass through a person and obliterate whatever was behind them. But if Motoko tried it, she risked accidentally hurting Naru. 

We couldn’t do a thing. 

“No more denying the truth!” Kodaira roared. 

“You can’t coerce us into making something up!” Motoko said indignantly. 

Kodaira wouldn’t listen. He turned to Natsuki and said, “Hey, Grandpa, what do you think? You came here for treasure. You probably already know where to look.” 
Natsuki didn’t answer. He was shaking. Slowly, he pointed behind Kodaira. 
I couldn’t believe it. Was there actually a treasure, and Natsuki was going to hand it over to Kodaira? 
We all looked over to where he pointed. What we saw was utterly unbelievable. 
 
 
 
 
The rubble in the hallway was totally gone. The wallpaper was no longer peeling off; the chandelier was brightly lit, back up on the ceiling. The annex looked brand new. 
“What’s going on?” Naru asked, trembling. Shinobu gasped and Suu gulped. 
Motoko took a step back. “This is exactly what I saw yesterday.” 
I d seen it before, too. Back when I was four years old and I d entered the annex without permission. It looked the same in every way. 
“What kind of trickery is this?” Kodaira asked, stepping forward. 
At the end of the hallway, a door opened. Until this moment, it had been entirely buried in rubble. It was the same door I had peeked in as a child . . . 
 
“No,” Motoko whispered, shaking. 
Kodaira ignored her and pushed Naru toward the door. They stepped inside . . . 
I snapped out of my daze and dashed forward, desperate to get to Naru. But Natsuki beat me to it. 

The door blasted open and Kodaira screamed. He stumbled back out of the room, horrified. He fled down the hall and out the front door. I kinda wanted to do the same thing, but Naru was too important to me to just leave behind. 

“Narusegawa!” I yelled. 

I entered the room, and the annex immediately returned to its original state. The lights went out. The walls were dirty. Piles of rubble cluttered the hallway. 

Naru stood there, looking blankly at me. “Narusegawa, are you all right? I asked. Naru? 

She started crying. “No, I’m fine. I m a little sad . . . but also happy.” 

I wanted to comfort her, but I couldnt work up the nerve. 

“What happened?” Natsuki asked. 
 
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “There was a woman in here. I was scared so I closed my eyes. Then I heard Kodaira scream. He left. . .” 
“Well, that doesn’t explain a thing,” Suu complained. “Was the woman an evil spirit? Did you sense anything, Motoko?” 
But Motoko didn’t speak. 
“It wasn’t an evil spirit,” Naru insisted. 
Natsuki nodded, looking satisfied. Shinobu smiled. 
Suddenly there was a warm, white light coming from the foyer. Everyone turned to look. A young woman that looked a lot like Aunt Haruka stood there. She smiled at Natsuki. 
He tried to approach her, but she held up her hands. 

I suddenly remembered something. The day I’d entered the annex and Grandma had scolded me, I’d called out for Auntie Haruka. I’d seen this woman at that time. She’d raised her hands to me, motioning me to stop back then, too. Like she was trying to protect me. 

Natsuki stood stock-still. The woman lowered her hands. Her body scattered like rain droplets and she disappeared. 

“Yoko,” Natsuki said, like he had to squeeze the word out. 

The entrance door opened. Aunt Haruka walked in, wearing jeans, a tee shirt, and an apron from the teashop. “What the heck are you all doing here at this hour of the night? Your customers got caught streaking in public and were arrested by the police!” 

We all let out a big, relieved sigh. 
 
The next morning, Aunt Haruka wrung her hands. “Are you sure it’s all right?” she asked. 

“He’s not really an oddball,” I said. 

“Oh yeah? Only an oddball would want to take a picture of an old woman like me.” 

I smirked. Aunt Haruka was far from looking old, but even so, she didn’t like having pictures taken of her. I wasn’t sure why, but this time, I wouldn’t back down. 
“You look like Aunt Yoko. That’s how come he kept staring at you. So come on. For old times’ sake? Think of it as customer service,” I said. 
I dragged Aunt Haruka to the front entrance of the Hinata House. Natsuki was getting ready to leave. Naru came up to us and handed me a disposable camera. 
I motioned for Aunt Haruka to stand next to Natsuki. “Closer. Closer,” I said. 
“It’s not like we’re a couple, Keitaro,” she grumbled. 
“Just for the picture. Please?” 
Natsuki blushed. “It’s all right, Urashima.” 
I wanted to give Natsuki the picture of them together as a gift. I suppose Aunt Haruka could never replace Aunt Yoko, but it was the least I could do. 
Natsuki had decided to return home, rebuild his business, and try to get back together with his family. 
 
 
I was certain this picture would help remind him of his goals. 
“Come on, Aunt Haruka. Closer together now. And put out your cigarette.” I stepped back, trying to get the best shot. 
“Don’t you think it’s strange, Urashima?” Natsuki said, smiling. “Both Kodaira and I were saved by this place.” 
Natsuki had definitely felt renewed, but Kodaira? I’m not sure he was saved, and I said as much. 
“Well, he didn’t find treasure. But maybe what happened last night changed him,” Natsuki wondered. “And since you didn’t press charges against him, at the very least, his luck is improving.” 
I nodded and looked into the lens. The Hinata House fit in the viewfinder. Several faces were looking out of the windows—Kitsune, Shinobu, Sara, Suu, and Motoko. 
 
“I’ll just back up a little more and get all you guys in,” I said. 
“Be careful,” Naru warned. 
“Keitaro!” Kitsune yelled. “Make sure I’m in the shot!” 
Everyone laughed. 
I smiled. I lived in a strange, but wonderful building, with some strange, but wonderful girls. I’m a loser and a failure and a klutz, and probably no power on Earth or from beyond the grave could change that. But this was my home, and everyone accepted me here, just as I was. 
“Back up a little more!” Suu said. 
I did. 
“Oh dear!” Shinobu said. 
“Keitaro!” Naru called. 
I tumbled down the steps to the garden and landed face-first in the dirt. 
Naru ran out of the building and down to the garden. I tried to get up, but wobbled so much that I almost fell over. 
“Keitaro,” Naru said, grabbing onto me and keeping me balanced. 
“Thanks, Naru,” I said, reaching out to steady myself. 

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?) my hand landed on Naru’s left breast. I could feel her heartbeat in my palm. The faint vibrations sped up. 

Her eyes narrowed. “Grow up already!” 

KABOOM! 

Her uppercut rocketed me into the sky. I could just barely make out her face as I soared. She was laughing. Maybe she was chuckling at how pathetic I am. 
But, to see such a cute girl smile so brilliantly, well. . . even if I didn’t get girls, I did get one thing—the Hinata House had some magic after all.