Hey,

Well, it's been forever but here's the new chapter.
Any comments are welcome. As is the pointing out of
any grammar mistakes.


January 15
Hinata City, Japan


"Ready for the next question, Keitaro?"
"Shoot, Naru."
"Okay. What is the capitol of the Canadian province of
British Columbia?"
�Oh, that�s easy. It�s Vancouver.�
Naru shook her head. �Wrong.�
�Say what?�
Naru turned the book so that her study partner could
see and pointed to a map. �See? The correct answer is
Victoria.�
�Aw, man! How could I have forgotten that?� moaned
Keitaro. �I was studying that just last night.�
�Don�t have an aneurysm,� said Naru. �You�ve gotten
more questions right tonight than you have wrong.
That�s not so bad.�
�Easy for you to say
Ms.-Top-in-Japan-on-the-Mock-Exam,� grumbled Keitaro.
�You�re pretty much a shoo-in on this test.�
�If all you�re going to do is whine and feel sorry for
yourself then I�ll go back to my room and study by
myself!� snapped Naru. �The exam is in the morning and
top marks on the cram school test or not I want to be
as ready for this as I can.�
Keitaro looked abashed and his eyes feel to the floor.
�Yeah, you�re right. I�didn�t mean what I said it�s
just�I�m really nervous. That�s all.�
Naru gave Keitaro an appraising look for a moment and
then shrugged. �Okay, since it�s the night before the
exam and we�re both pretty stressed I�ll cut you a
break and not sock you one for saying something like
that to me.�
	�Uh, thanks,� gulped the ronin. �Ready for your next
question?�
�Fire away,� said Naru, confidently. �I�ve really been
kicking butt on these history questions tonight.�
�Okay. Who was the commander of The Spanish Armada?

A) The Duke of Parma 
B) King Phillip II
C) The Duke of Medina Sedonia
D) Francis Drake
E) Lord Howard

�That isn�t too hard,� said Naru. �Lord Howard and
Francis Drake were part of the British forces who
fought the Armada so clearly it wasn�t them. I�m
pretty sure it was King Phillip II.�
�Sorry, no.�
�Say what?!� Naru reached across the table, snatched
the book from Keitaro�s hands and began to read.	
�Phillip was the ruler of Spain at the time and the
one who sent the Armada to attack England. But the guy
who was in charge of the Armada itself was the Duke of
Medina Sedonia,� supplied Keitaro.
�Gah! How could I make a mistake like that?� groused
Naru. �If I�d just paid more attention to the question
itself I�d have gotten it right.�
�I think the stress of everything that�s been
happening around here lately and studying for the exam
is getting to the both of us,� said Keitaro.
Naru took a deep breath, sighed and nodded. �I think
you�re right. Knowing that I�ll be taking the
preliminary exam in less than twelve hours is getting
to me a bit. I mean, right now I feel so antsy it�s
hard to sit still.�
�Same here. Today I cleaned the bath area and the
second floor hallways, ran some errands for Haruka,
got kicked in the head by Su and helped Shinobu with
the dishes. That�s in addition to trying to study
every free moment I had. I should be ready to drop but
instead I feel totally wired.�
�You wanna take a little break?� asked Naru. �My brain
could use some downtime.�
�Sounds good. How about we go to the convenience store
on Nishioka street?� suggested the ronin. �I wouldn�t
mind a snack. Besides, I just really want to get
outside for a little while and move around a bit.�
�Fresh air sounds like just the thing,� said Naru.
�I�ll meet you at the front door in a minute. I just
want to pop back to my room and grab a jacket real
quick.�
�See you in a few,� said Keitaro as his study partner
stood up to leave. 

~*~


	Minutes later the duo met in front of the entrance to
the Hinata House. Without a word spoken the two headed
down the long staircase that led to the street.
	�I can�t believe how quickly the snow melted,� mused
Keitaro as he and Naru strolled through the quite
nighttime streets of Hinata City.
	�Yeah, after such a white Christmas I was surprised
too,� said Naru. �I hope this means spring will come
early this year.�
	�Looking forward to the sakura?�
	�Yeah, I am,� confirmed the auburn-haired girl. �We
always have a big cherry blossom viewing party with
lots of stuff to eat and drink. Your grandma told me
that it was a Hinata House tradition once.�
	�It has been for a long time from what I understand.
I remember there being a big party here during sakura
season once when I was a kid,� said Keitaro. �I
remember my folks made a special trip here to Hinata
City because the blossoms were supposed to be really
pretty that year.� 
He then chuckled. �Oh man, I just remembered. Both my
folks got really sloshed at the party. My mom had a
hangover for two days and my dad almost drowned when
he fell in the river behind the main building. Aunt
Haruka managed to pull him out just in time. Boy, was
she mad! I don�t think he�d ever been chewed out by a
junior high school student before.�
	Naru giggled loudly. �That sounds hysterical. But
I�ll warn you right now our sakura viewing parties are
just about as crazy. Two years ago grandma and I had
to physically stop Kitsune from pulling her clothes
off and going streaking!�
	Keitaro gulped and felt his face flush. Don�t let
Naru see you having dirty thoughts! Don�t let Naru see
you having dirty thoughts! Don�t let Naru see you
having dirty thoughts! Don�t let Naru see you having
dirty thoughts! he thought.
	Lucky for Keitaro Naru was too busy reminiscing to
notice. After a moment she turned to Keitaro and gave
him a half smile. �I just realized this will be your
first sakura viewing with us.�
	�Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess so,� fumbled the young ronin.
�It�s hard to believe I only moved in back in October.
It feels like much longer. I guess it�s because so
much has happened these last few months.�
	�Things have gotten more�interesting since you moved
in, that�s for sure.�
	Keitaro scratched the back of his head and looked
away from Naru. �Um, is that interesting in a good or
bad way?�
	Naru stopped and gave the Hinata�s manager another
appraising look. Then she cracked a small, mischievous
smile. �That kinda changes from day to day.�
	Keitaro feel his heartbeat quicken at Naru�s smile.
�And just what kind of day is today?�
	Naru�s smile got a bit bigger. �Today? Today�I don�t
mind having you around.� Before Keitaro could form a
reply Naru turned away and picked up her pace. �Come
on, Keitaro. We�re almost there.�
	�Uh, yeah, right. I�m coming!�
	A few minutes later the pair arrived at the nearby
outlet of the Lawson convince store chain. �Welcome!�
greeted the clerk, a young woman with bleached hair
and a slightly nasal voice.
	�So what do you want?� asked Keitaro as he glanced
around the store.
	�I think I�m in the mood for something sweet,� said
Naru. �How about some chocolate bread?�
	�That sounds good to me to. Should we get something
to drink to?�
	�Yes. We might not be feeling it right now but we
really worked ourselves hard studying tonight. Get
something that�ll give us back all those electrolytes
and stuff we must have worked off.�
	�Like a sports drink then,� said Keitaro. �Is
Aquarius okay?�
	�I like Pocari Sweat better,� replied Naru. �You grab
the drinks and I�ll get the bread, okay?�
	�Okay.�
	The housemates quickly secured their snack, paid for
it and headed back out into the cool night air.
	�Ah, the air feels really good right now,� said Naru.
�How about we go somewhere else for a bit? I don�t
feel like going back to the Hinata just yet.�
	Keitaro nodded in agreement and looked around the
area for several moments. �Say, how about we go to
Shin Odori Park? It�s just a few blocks from here if I
remember right.�
	�That sounds really nice,� said Naru. �We could go
and sit on those benches down by the duck pond. I�ve
always liked it there.�
	�All right. I used to go there and feed the ducks
with grandma when I was a kid.� Keitaro then gave a
little chuckle to himself. �Now that I think about it,
I haven�t been to Shin Odori Park since I moved here.
Boy, this little run to the convenience store is
really turning into a nostalgia trip.�
	�For you and me both,� added Naru. �Anyway, shall we
be off?�
	�Sure.�
	By some unspoken agreement neither of pair spoke
until they reached the part and found a comfortable
bench with an excellent view of the duck pond. The
moon was bright and the sky was cloudless. The only
sounds to be heard were the chirping of insects and
the quacking of ducks. The pair settled on the bench
and began to watch the ducks as they enjoyed their
snack.     	 
	�Feeling any more relaxed?� asked Keitaro,
eventually.
	�I am,� said Naru. �Getting out for a bit was just
the thing I needed.�
	For a while the two were again quite. It was Keitaro
who ended up speaking first.
	�Naru?�
	�Yeah?�
	�Do you think you�re ready for tomorrow?�
	Naru took a deep breath, huffed and then gave a small
smile. �It�s weird. If you�d asked me that back at the
house I�d have said �no� because I was so tense. But
out here�all the stress and worry seems to be gone. I
feel like I could take the test right now and pass it
with flying colors.�
	Keitaro gave his housemate a smile and a look of
admiration. �I�m not surprised you feel that way. You
are #1 in Japan on the practice exams. I don�t think
getting into Tokyo U will be too difficult for you.
Me, on the other hand�I know it�s just the preliminary
test, which I�ve passed twice before, but�I�m still
not all that confident in myself.�
	Naru returned the ronin�s look with a hard frown.
�With an attitude like that you�re going to fail for
sure.�
	Keitaro blinked. �Huh?�
	Naru�s frown deepened and she leaned in to look her
companion in the eyes. �Get this through your thick
head, Keitaro, and do it now. If you go into the
testing center tomorrow with an attitude like that
you�ll fail for sure.�
	�That�s easy for you to say,� responded Keitaro. �You
don�t have having failed to get into Tokyo U twice
already hanging over your head.�
	At that Naru�s frown went away. �Don�t you believe in
me?� she asked quietly.
	�What!?� sputtered the ronin. �Of course I do! I know
you�re not going to fail!�
	�That�s not what I meant,� retorted Naru, anger
creeping into her voice. �I mean I�ve spent all this
time working together with you to get us both ready
for this test. Are you telling me that all that time
was a waste? Didn�t I tell you I thought you could
make it? Didn�t you promise me we�d go to Tokyo U
together?�
	�go to Tokyo U together�  
	Those words rang in Keitaro�s like bells in a
cathedral. For a moment the face of the little girl
from his promise floated about Naru�s features. Then
that image faded and he saw Naru wearing her glasses
with her hair in pigtails; the clothes she�d worth
when they�d made that promise to each other on New
Year�s Day.
	To our double entry!
	Without even thinking about it Keitaro reached out
and grabbed Naru�s hand. �You�re right, Naru! I�ve
been studying harder than ever and I�ve had the best
tutor in all of Japan to help me. Tomorrow I�m going
to take that test and I�m going to kick ass! I will
keep my promise to you!�
	Wow, thought Naru as she looked at her study partner.
I�ve never really seen Keitaro this fired up before.
He actually seems a little�cool.
	God, she�s beautiful, thought Keitaro. She smells
really nice too. Is that perfume or her shampoo? Why
didn�t I notice how good she smelled before?
	It was then that the pair noticed that their faces
had drifted very close together and that they were
still holding hands. Carpe diem, though Keitaro as he
closed his eyes and leaned in for a kiss.
	 Instead he got a punch in the face. The ronin sailed
through the air for several yards before slamming into
a tree with a bone-jarring jolt.
	�Just because we were getting a little touchy feely
doesn�t give you the right to get touchy feely!�
howled Naru.
	�I should have known it was too good to last,�
muttered Keitaro through the pain.
	�And I should have known you were going to try
something cheap when you suggested we come here,� said
Naru, angrily as she began to stomp out of the park.
	�Naru! I didn�t mean too--�
	Naru stopped and whipped around. �I don�t want to
hear it, Keitaro! I was actually having a nice time
with you until you decided to try and be perverted.
Now unless you want another knuckle sandwich I don�t
wanna see your face again until tomorrow at breakfast!
If you�re lucky I might not still be pissed by then.�
	Without another word Naru stormed off into the night.
	�Aw, man,� grumbled Keitaro as he got to his feet.
�Why does something like this always happen whenever I
think Naru and I have started to make some progress?�
	After heaving another sign Keitaro headed back to the
bench and plopped himself down. �I suppose I�d better
give Naru a head start. If I were to run into her on
the way back to the Hinata she�d just deck me again.
I�ve had enough of that for one day, thank you very
much.�
	And so the ronin found himself in the park staring up
at the stars with the moon as his only companions.

~*~


	About forty minutes later Keitaro, his shoulders
deeply slumped, trudged through the main door of the
Hinata House. �I�m home,� he sighed softly to no one
in particular. 
	�Hey! Who�s there?� came a voice from the nearby
common area.
	Keitaro looked over to see Kitsune�s head pop up over
the edge of one of the couches. �Oh, it�s just you,
Keitaro. I should have guessed.�
	�Hey, Kitsune,� greeted the ronin, halfheartedly, as
he took off his shoes. �What are you up to?�
	�I came down for a late night snack and then decided
I didn�t feel like carrying it back to my room. So I
just ate right here to save myself the trouble of
having to bring the dishes back down again later.�
	The ronin saw a dish with some unidentifiable crumbs
on it and an empty bottle of beer on the table in
front of the couch. �I see. Say�have you seen Naru by
any chance?�
	At that the foxgirl arched an eyebrow. �Naru? Oh
yeah, I�ve seen her. She came in, muttering nasty
stuff about a certain ronin to herself and marched
right up to her room just after I came downstairs. I
didn�t know she even knew words like that.�
	Keitaro buried his hands in his face. �Dammit! I
really screwed up tonight.�
	�Hey, hey, don�t be like that!� said Kitsune,
cheerfully. She then patted the seat next to her.
�Come on, Keitaro. Come over here and tell me what
happened. It might not be as bad as you think.�
	Reluctantly the ronin went over to the couch and sat
down. �I don�t know if I want to talk about this,�
began Keitaro. �I mean, it�s personal sort of stuff.�
	Kitsune again arched an eyebrow. �Are you saying the
two of us can�t share personal stuff?�
	�No! No! Not at all!� sputtered Keitaro as he wildly
waved his hands in denial. �I didn�t mean it that
way!� After a moment the ronin calmed down and sighed.
�I suppose you�re right, Kitsune. It�s just�I�m not
really used to people wanting to hear about my
personal problems.�
�Well, we�ve got a special thing between us,� said
Kitsune, sincerely. �You were there when I needed
someone to talk to so it�s only fair that I repay the
favor. Besides, I�m Naru�s best friend. So it�s not
like she isn�t going to come and tell me all about it
sooner or later anyway. Wouldn�t you like me to hear
your side of it too?�
 	�Ugh! I hadn�t thought of that,� moaned Keitaro.
�Since you put it that way�� With that the ronin
filled his housemate in on the events of earlier in
the evening.
�Whoa! Keitaro! You actually tried to kiss Naru!�
gasped Kitsune. �Wow, she was wrong about you. You
actually do have some balls!�
�That�s good to�What?! She said what about me!?� 
The foxgirl scratched the back of her head in
embarrassment. �Uh, oops. I think that was supposed to
be a secret.�
A low groan escaped from the ronin. �Oh, this clinches
it. Naru hates me now for sure.�
�She does not. Just tell her you�re sorry tomorrow and
I�m sure she�ll forgive you.�
�You�re sure? I don�t want her mad at me when we take
the test tomorrow.�
�Naru can be a real grump sometimes but she�ll get
over it,� assured Kitsune. �Believe me, I�ve pissed
her off more than a few times myself and she always
comes around after she�s had some time to get it out
of her system.�
�I suppose that is the only thing I can do.� Keitaro
then stood up and stretched a bit. �It�s getting a
little late. If I wanna be ready for the test tomorrow
I think I�d better turn in.�
�I think I�ll grab a late night bath before I hit the
sack,� said the foxgirl as she stood as well. �I�ll
put the dishes away once I�m done.�
�Goodnight, Kitsune.�
��Night, Keitaro.�
The pair then headed off to their destinations. But
after a few steps Keitaro stopped and turned around.
�Uh, Kitsune?�
�Yeah?� said Kitsune as she too stopped.
�Thanks for listening to me tonight. I really needed
that.�
�No problem. What are friends for, ya know?�
Keitaro scratched the right side of his face in a
nervous manner. �Right. Friends. I, uh, just want to
say that talking with you tonight and the other
night�was pretty cool. This place being the mad house
it usually is I don�t really get the chance to just
sit down and talk with anyone much. I think it�d be
cool if�we could talk some more from time to time. Not
just when something is bothering one of us. Like
friends and all.�
Kitsune smiled. �Yeah, that does sound pretty cool.
The Hinata really can be insanity central sometimes. I
suppose us actual adults need to stick together a bit,
don�t we?�
�Um, I guess so.�
�Okay then, Keitaro, I�ll take to you later. That�ll
be another promise between the two of us.� 
It was now the ronin�s turn to smile. �You�ve got a
deal.�
With a silent nod the pair then headed off.

~*~

Several minutes later Kitsune sat contently in the
Hinata�s hotsping bath. A bottle of sake sat on a
small trap that floated in the water nearby. The
foxgirl�s cheeks were flushed slightly red and it
wasn�t from just the hot water.
�Oh, now this is the life,� sighed Kitsune in
contentment. For a time the foxgirl sat merely
enjoying the bath and her drink. Then an amused grim
danced across her face.
�I still can�t believe Keitaro worked up the guts to
try and kiss Naru. Either he�s really found some new
confidence in himself or he wanted to put that
supposed immortality of his to the acid test.�
Kitsune took another long sip of sake. �Now that I
think about it, it must be the former. Keitaro seems
to have become a bit stronger than he was when he
first came here. I�d have never shared my problem with
my folks with him the way he was then.�
The foxgirl frowned. �Crap, my folks. I really am
going to have to start coming up with something to get
them to back off of the idea of me going to America
with them. The Hinata�s my home now and�well�everyone
here, as strange as they may be, really are like a
family to me.�
Kitsune turned and looked up toward the Hinata and
located the darkened window that belonged to Keitaro�s
room. �That includes you too, ya dumb ronin. You
haven�t been here long but despite being a guy somehow
you fit right in. That little conversation we just had
shows it. I don�t open up to just anyone. This fox
likes her secrets.
�It�s funny. The last time I opened up to a guy like
that�� The foxgirl frowned again. She then reached for
the sake bottle, grabbed it and knocked back a very
long drink. �No, I don�t think I want to think about
that tonight. No point in ruining a perfectly good
evening with bad memories.�
After another long drink that finished off the sake
Kitsune climbed out of the bath and headed for the
changing area.

~*~

	After taking his leave of Kitsune Keitaro had
returned to his room, changed into his pajamas and
settled down on his futon. But try as he might the
ronin couldn�t keep his eyes from drifting to the slat
of wood in the ceiling that covered the entrance to
Naru�s room. 
	�I need to relax,� Keitaro muttered to himself.
�Kitsune was right. Naru will forgive if I just tell
her I�m sorry. She always has before.�
	The memory of the park and the pre-punch conversation
the pair had floated back to him and Keitaro smiled to
himself. �Well, it was cool while it lasted. Plus,
it�s been a while since Naru and I talked like that.
Just person to person. Actually, now that I think
about it, almost all we�ve talked about these last few
weeks has be stuff related to the test. That�kinda
sucks.
	�Damn! Why can�t we talk more often about�normal
stuff? I�ve been living here almost three months and I
still don�t know that much about Naru. I don�t what
her favorite TV show is, or her favorite band or�or
even what she wants to study when she gets into Tokyo
U!�
	Keitaro heaved a sigh and frowned. �I guess I could
just ask her that stuff. But I don�t want to seem like
I�m prying. Besides, Naru seems to be a pretty private
person. I think the only people around here she�s
really opened up to are Kitsune, grandma and maybe
Haruka. 
But it�s not like I could get anything out of any of
them. Grandma�s gone off who knows where, Haruka�s not
the sort who�d ever tell me anything like that and
Kitsune, as wild as she may be, doesn�t the seem type
to share anything truly personal Naru might have told
her no matter how small. That is what best friends do,
after all.�
	The ronin turned on his side and tried to make
himself more comfortable. �Now that I think about it,
I can see why Naru confides in Kitsune. She is pretty
easy to talk to. Heck, she was the first of the girls
here who actually tried to make me feel welcome.�
	Keitaro�s mind flashed a few memories of his first
day at the Hinata across his thoughts causing him to
give a little chuckle. �Boy, I�ll never forget that
day. I meet all the girls, almost got killed by them
and even got to touch a pair of boobs for the first
time. I know Kitsune grabbed my hand and put it on her
chest just to screw with my head but still�� The ronin
grinned a small grin. �Man, those were some nice
boobs! All big and soft and pert�
	The ronin suddenly bolted upright and looked around
wildly. After several moments he breathed a sigh of
relief. �I can�t believe I said that without Naru or
Motoko busting in here to bring down the wrath of God
on my head. Note to self; watch it when it comes to
the talking out loud.�    
	Keitaro settled himself back down on the futon and
willed himself to relax. After a few minutes he felt
his eyelids growing heavy. �Maybe I should look on the
bright side of today. I managed to have two, count �em
two, actual conversations with two cute girls. Maybe
that fortune wasn�t so messed up after all. Maybe�I�m
finally learning how to talk to girls.�
	With that Keitaro let his eyes close and was fully
asleep moments later.

~*~

January 16
Hinata City, Japan

The loud buzz of the alarm roused Naru Narusagawa from
her sleep with a minimum of effort. After shutting the
alarm off she stretched and looked out the window. The
January sky was clear and the golden hues of dawn
could still be seen fading slowly outside.
�This is it,� Naru smiled to herself. �Today I get one
big step closer to Tokyo U!�
After washing up and changing Naru headed down the
main staircase with a noticeable spring in her step.
Even from the stairwell she could smell the breakfast
Shinobu had made. As usual it smelled wonderful. But
the auburn hair girl came to a dead stop once she saw
that someone had been waiting for her halfway down the
stairs.
�Uh, good morning,� said Keitaro, weakly.
Naru scowled. �Well, it seemed like it was going to be
that way until you showed up.� 
Keitaro mentally sighed. This was going to be just as
hard as he�d imagined. �Look, Naru, you�re mad at me
and you have every right to be. I shouldn�t have tried
to kiss you last night and I�m sorry.�
The scowl on Naru�s face was gone but her expression
was now solidly neutral. �Go on,� she bade.
Oh, she�s really going to make me work for this,
thought the ronin. Well, I made my own bed. I guess
now I have to lie in it. �I�m not really sure what
else I can say. When we were talking it felt like we
were really, really connecting and I just kinda got
struck by how really pretty you were and the night was
so nice and��
�Keitaro, you�re babbling,� interrupted Naru.
�Uh, right. Right. Look, Naru, I let myself get caught
up in the moment and did something really dumb,� said
Keitaro, earnestly. �The only things I can think to
say are that I�m sorry and that even if you don�t
forgive me I�m going to do my best on that test today.
Because I made a promise to you and I�m going to do
everything I can to keep it!�
A long, slow moment then passed between the pair. Naru
then huffed in annoyance. �Part of me still wants to
hit you again for last night. But after that little
speech I�d feel like I�d just kicked a puppy.�
�So does this mean you forgive me?�
Naru rolled her eyes. �Yes, Keitaro, I forgive you!
Just keep those perverted lips of yours away from me
or I�ll make �em good and fat! Got it?�
�Perfectly,� replied the ronin who was clearly
relived.
�Good,� said Naru. �Now either go downstairs or move.
Our breakfast isn�t going to get any warmer and if we
don�t show up soon Su might eat our share.�
�Good point,� said Keitaro.
With fences between them now mended the duo headed
downstairs.

~*~

As fate would have in Keitaro and Naru managed to
arrive just in time to stop Su from eating their share
of breakfast despite Shinobu�s fervent pleas for her
to stop. Fortunately one stern look from Motoko was
all it took for the strange foreign girl to relent.
After that breakfast was eaten quickly but without
incident. Once the dishes had been cleared away the
residents of Hinata House gathered at the main
entrance to see the Tokyo U hopefuls off.
�Here�s your bag, sempai,� said Shinobu. �You left it
under the table during breakfast.�
�Oh, thanks a lot, Shinobu,� replied the ronin. �I
didn�t even notice I�d forgotten it.�
�Jeez, Keitaro, get on the ball, will you,� chided
Naru. �Isn�t your exam registration ticket in there?
If you don�t have that they won�t you take the center
exam.�
�I know. I know.� Keitaro hoisted the bag over his
shoulder and gave the young girl a warm smile. �You
really saved my butt on that one, Shinobu. I owe you
one!�
Shinobu blushed deeply. �It, it was nothing, sempai! I
was just trying to be helpful.�
�I don�t know anyone who�s more helpful that you,
Shinobu. Things would be fifty times more crazy around
here without you.�
The young girl blushed deeper.
�Plus, if Shinobu wasn�t around we�d have to eat
Naru�s cooking more often,� added Kitsune.
�Hey, there�s nothing wrong with my cooking!� retorted
Naru. 
�Except that it looks like it comes from another
planet,� replied the foxgirl.
�I think Naru�s cooking is yummy!� exclaimed Su.
�See! Su likes my cooking!� said Naru.
Kitsune gave Su an inquiring look. �If that�s true
then why do you always put extra curry on your food
when whenever Naru cooks? And three times as much as
you normally use at that.�
�Uh�well��
�Correct me if I am wrong, but does not the bus that
goes to Hinata University arrive at the stop down the
street in exactly one minute?� interrupted Motoko.
Everyone glanced at a nearby wall clock and saw that
the kendo girl was indeed correct. �Crap! We�re going
to be late!� chorused Naru and Keitaro before dashing
out the door at breakneck speed.


~*~
 
 
�Thank god we made it in time,� sighed Naru in relief
as she plopped down in one of the bus� seats. �I
swear, I think we must have broken some kind of
sprinting record.�
�No kidding,� agreed Keitaro as he sat down next to
her. �My heart�s pounding so hard it feels like it�s
going to burst right out of my chest.�
�You sure that�s just not nerves?�
�Well, I guess it�s some of that too.�
�If it is any comfort you�re not the only one who�s
nervous.�
�Just relax. I know you�re going to do fine,� assured
Keitaro. �As long as you stay cool and do your best
I�m sure you�ll crush this exam.�
Naru gave her companion a little smile. �Yeah, you�re
right. I�m sure I�ll do just fine on the test. Heck,
I�d better. I�ve got promises to keep.�
Promises? thought Keitaro. Shouldn�t that just be �a
promise�? As in the one she and I made on New Year�s
Day. Should I ask her what she meant? Nah. I�m sure it
was just a slip of the tongue. Besides, I don�t want
to do anything to get on Naru�s bad side right now. 
About twenty minutes later the bus arrived at a stop
across the street from Hinata University and the pair
quickly climbed off.
�This is it. Showtime!� said Naru as she took a moment
to look at the campus� main gate.
Next to her Keitaro nodded. �Yeah, this is it. This is
where both or lives take a turn for the better!� 
�Okay, Keitaro. Let�s go do this!� said Naru,
enthusiastically.
�Good luck to us both!� replied Keitaro as he flashed
a thumbs up sign. 
Naru returned the thumbs up and with that the duo
headed toward the gate and their appointment with
destiny. 

~*~


Later that afternoon Kitsune, Motoko, Su and Shinobu
sat waiting in the common area of the Hinata House.
�I believe it is now past the time that Naru and
Urashima are due to return,� said Motoko in a matter
of fact tone.
�The last test should have ended about forty minutes
ago so they should be here soon,� said Kitsune. 
�Naru and Keitaro need to hurry! Shinobu said she�s
not going to start dinner until they get here and I�m
starving!� complained Su.
�Oh, I can see them coming up the stairs!� called
Shinobu who had been standing sentry by the door.
The other three girls quickly scrambled over to the
entrance area. Moments later Keitaro opened the door
and he and Naru stepped through.
�Sempai. Naru.  Welcome home,� said Shinobu.
�Well, how�d it go?� asked Kitsune. �Don�t keep us
waiting!�
�Yes, we are eager to hear how the first day�s testing
went,� added Motoko.
�Did you bring back any food?� whimpered Su.
The hangdog expression on Keitaro�s face answered
their questions for them. 
�He�s been like that the whole way home,� sighed Naru.
Naru�s words seemed to snap Keitaro back to reality.
�Well, I did my best,� the ronin began. �I don�t think
I did too well on the English, history and math parts
though.�
�Which just happed to be the parts we were tested on
today,� informed Naru.
Keitaro sighed deeply. �You see, I found myself
running out of time with a lot of questions still
blank. So I just had to go with my gut for a big part
of the test.�
�So you don�t think you did well?� asked Shinobu,
concerned.
The younger girl�s voice brought a smile to Keitaro�s
face. �Don�t worry, Shinobu. I promised you girls I�d
get into Tokyo U and that�s what I�ll do come hell or
high water.�
�A laudable attitude,� said Motoko with a nod of
approval.
Kitsune shook her head slightly. �Jeez, Keitaro. You
and promises, huh?�
The ronin gave a little chuckle. �Yeah, I guess you
have a point there. Still, when I make a promise I
take it seriously.�
�Don�t starting worrying about how you did on the test
right now,� said Naru. �We�ve still got the second
part of the test tomorrow. If you start thinking you
did bad now you�ll psyche yourself out and do even
worse tomorrow.�
�I guess you�re right,� nodded Keitaro. �I�m really
spent from that test. I think I�ll go take a nap until
dinner is ready. Could someone give me a call then?�
�Resting now seems wise,� replied Motoko. �I shall
call for you when the meal is ready.�
�Could you come get me too?� asked Naru. �I think I�d
like a nap as well.�
�Of course.�
�Thanks a lot, Motoko,� said Keitaro and he and Naru
turned to go upstairs.
�Yeah, thanks,� called Naru.
After the pair had headed off upstairs Su turned to
Shinobu and gave her a huge set of puppydog eyes.
�Shinobu, could you please start dinner now!�
Shinobu repressed a little sigh and nodded. �Okay, Su.
I�ll go start dinner right now. I hope you�re in the
mood for Italian because I�m making spaghetti
tonight.�
�I want extra meatballs!� cheered Su.
�I guess that means Italian is just fine with Su,�
chuckled Kitsune.
Motoko just nodded her agreement in silence. 

~*~

January 17
Hinata City, Japan
Campus of Hinata University


�Time�s up!� announced the man standing at the front
of the classroom. �On behalf of everyone here at
Hinata University I�d like to wish all of you the best
of luck to all of you.�
�God knows I�m going to need that luck,� muttered
Keitaro as he stood from his seat and gathered his
things. He then headed off to the front of the
university library where he�d prearranged to meet up
with Naru.
Sure enough Naru appeared just a few moments after
Keitaro arrived at their rendezvous point.
�Hey, Keitaro,� she greeted cheerfully. �So how do you
think you did?�
The ronin responded by grabbing Naru by the shoulders
and looking her square in the eyes with a look of fear
and near panic on his face. �Oh, Naru! I think I blew
it even worse than yesterday. Japanese was a huge
disaster and I�m sure Biology was just as bad. I just
know I�ve flunked again! After all those things I said
last night how am I supposed to face Shinobu and the
other girls! I�m the biggest loser ever! I just wanna
die!�
Naru responded by belting Keitaro one in the face.
However, this punch wasn�t as hard as her usual ones
and Keitaro was only knocked back enough to fall
solidly on his butt. He then blinked and just stared
at his housemate.
�First of all, keep your paws to yourself, pervert,�
replied Naru with unconcealed irritation. �Second,
while on a normal day I might agree with that �biggest
loser ever� bit right now you�re acting like the
world�s biggest drama queen.
�Lastly, you don�t know anything for sure about how
you did until you score your test for yourself. The
answers will be in the evening edition of today�s
paper so just try and relax until then. I mean, do you
really want the others to see you acting like that?�
Keitaro hung his head in shame. �You�re right. I was
being dumb. I was sure I�d failed the center exam the
two times I took it before and somehow I managed to
pass.�
�That�s not exactly a positive attitude. But I suppose
I�ll take what I can get.� Naru then held out her hand
to the ronin. �Come on, Keitaro. Let�s go home.�
Keitaro smiled slightly, took Naru�s hand and let her
help him to his feet. To be safe he made sure to take
his hand away as quickly as possible. �Yeah, let�s go
home.�

~*~

�So how long do you think it�ll be before the evening
paper arrives?� asked Keitaro as he and Naru climbed
the final steps to the Hinata House.
�Another two hours or so, I guess,� replied Naru.
�That�s going to be a long two hours.�
�I know. Just try and do something fun. That should
help pass the time and it�ll get your mind off the
test.�
�That�s a really good idea,� said Keitaro as he opened
the door to the Hinata.
�Fun is exactly what we have in mind!� shouted a voice
the pair stepped inside.
A brief shower of confetti enveloped the two Tokyo U
hopefuls. Then in the common area they suddenly saw
Shinobu, Su, Motoko and Kitsune standing by a long
table covered in food. Above the table, stretching
across the room was a large banner that read
�Congratulations, Keitaro and Naru! Good Luck on the
Center Exam!�
�What�s all this?� asked Naru.
�What does it look like, you sillies? It�s a party for
you two to celebrate you taking the center exam!�
explained Su as she waved around a pair of pom-poms.
�Go Naru! Go Keitaro! Go Team!�
	�Where did Su get those pom-poms?� asked Keitaro.
�Does her school even have a cheerleading team?�
�She didn�t get those from her school,� said Kitsune
as she came over and began to usher her housemates
into the common area. �I let her borrow them from my
cheerleader outfit.�
�You have a cheerleader outfit!?� boggled Keitaro as
he flushed red.
�Oh, I�ve got all sorts of fun things in my room. If
you�re a good boy maybe I�ll show you some of them
sometime,� teased the foxgirl with a wink.
Keitaro turned even redder and felt a nosebleed coming
on.
�Kitsune! Don�t encourage him like that!� yelled Naru.
�You�re just putting filthy ideas in his head!�
�I am in agreement with Naru,� interjected Motoko.
�Such talk will only exacerbate Urashima�s deviant
tendencies.�
�Hey! That�s not fair!� protested the ronin.
�Aw, come on. Since when have guys needed anything to
encourage them to have dirty thoughts?� asked Kitsune.
�Seems to me they do that just fine on their own.�
Naru and Motoko began to give Keitaro severe looks.
�Uh, everyone, the food is getting cold,� interrupted
Shinobu in hopes of defusing the situation. 
Luckily for Keitaro this tactic worked and soon a fine
little party was underway. 

~*~


�Sempai, may I ask you a question?� said Shinobu as
she refilled Keitaro�s cup with sake.
�Sure, Shinobu. Fire away.�
The young girl�s face seemed to tinge a bit with red
just before she spoke. �If you don�t mind me asking,
how do you think you did on your test?�
Keitaro took a quick drink of sake before giving
Shinobu the best smile he could muster. �I�d be lying
if I said I wasn�t worried. The tests today were
harder than I was expecting. All I can say for sure is
that I feel I gave it my best.�
�If�if sempai did his best then I�m sure you passed
with flying colors!� replied Shinobu more loudly and
more nervously than she�d planned.
This endorsement seemed to bolster the ronin�s smile.
�Thanks for the vote of confidence, Shinobu. Hey,
maybe you should be the one with the pom-poms and not
Su. You�ve really been cheering me on a lot this last
few weeks.�
Shinobu suddenly felt as if her heart had wings.
�You�you�noticed? I mean, I was�I just wanted you and
Naru to do your best.�
�Of course I noticed and don�t think I�m not
grateful,� said Keitaro. �Naru really helped me with
the academic stuff but I think you were the one who
did the most when it came to keeping my morale up.�
Keitaro was blushing a tad now himself. �When I was
struggling with the test I kept thinking about how I
didn�t want to disappoint everyone after all the
support and help they�d given. But�well�I especially
did want let you down.�
�But, sempai, I didn�t really do anything special!�
protested the young girl.
Keitaro shook his head. �That�s not true at all. You
believe in me. Heck, you even looked up to me. I�ve
never really had anyone treat me like that before. Not
disappointing you really means a lot to me.�
�Sempai��
�Hey, you two!� called Kitsune suddenly. �Where did we
put the karaoke machine?�
The foxgirl�s shout snapped Keitaro and Shinobu back
to reality. Both now looked somewhat flustered and
embarrassed. 
�Sorry if I was laying it on too think there,� said
Keitaro. �I just wanted to say that I didn�t want to
let you down because you cheering me on and looking up
to me means a lot to me.�
�I understand, sempai,� replied Shinobu with a
heartfelt smile. She then turned to Kitsune. �I think
the karaoke machine is in the utility closet down the
hall.�
�Okay then! Let�s get some music!� said Kitsune as she
headed down the hall. �Naru, you�re up first!�
�What?! Why me?� demanded Naru. 
�I do not believe I know many songs on our karaoke
machine,� mused Motoko. �Its selection of traditional
Japanese songs is sorely lacking.�
�I wanna sing �Viva*Rock� song by Orange Range!�
cheered Su. �That song�s cool!�
�Uh, Shinobu?�
�Yes, sempai?�
�Could I get another refill? If I�m going to have to
sing, and I know Kitsune will make me once Naru�s
done, I�d like something to take the edge of first.�
�Oh, of course, sempai.�
Shinobu quickly filled Keitaro�s cup to the brim.   

~*~


With the party going full tilt time seemed to fly.
Kitsune, confidence in her singing skills enhanced by
more than a little bit of sake, was belting out a
slightly slurred but still enjoyable cover of Reel Big
Fish�s �Beer� when the clock on the wall caught
Motoko�s eye. 


If I get drunk well,
I�ll pass out on the floor now, baby
You won't bother me no more
And she said
It's ok, boy, �cause you know we'll be good friends
And I say, I think I�ll have myself a beer


The kendo girl waited until Kitsune was finished
before speaking up. �Judging by the time I believe
that the evening paper is likely to have arrived by
now.�
The brought the party antics to a halt as the others
turned to look at the clock.
�She�s right,� said Naru. �Come on. Let�s--�
�I�ll get it!� interrupted Su. The odd foreign girl
dashed towards the door and did two cartwheels before
coming to her feet and running out the front door.
�Uh does anyone know if Su�s ever taken gymnastics
lessons?� asked an impressed Keitaro. 
�Not that I am aware of, Urashima,� replied Motoko.
�Thought the same thought has crossed my mind.�
Just then Su came charging back inside with the
newspaper in hand. �It�s here! It�s here!�
�Well, it guess it�s time to check our scores,� said
Keitaro.
Naru nodded. �Yep. It�s zero hour. So which of us is
going first?�
Keitaro gave a little smile and did an exaggerated bow
in Naru�s direction. �Ladies first. I insist.�
Naru flashed the ronin a good-natured smirk. �Oh, so
now you decide to try and act chivalrous. You jerk.�
�Flirt later. Grade tests now,� prodded Kitsune.
�I was not flirting with him!�
�Of course you weren�t. Now get to gradin��
Naru rolled her eyes and took the newspaper from Su.
She then turned and looked at the others, a mix of
embarrassment and worry on her face. 
�If it�s okay with you guys I�d like to run back to my
room and do the grading. Doing it with all of you
looking over my shoulder�no offence, but that would
really freak me out. Plus, I�d have a room full of
people seeing every question I got wrong.�
�Perfectly understandable,� said Motoko. �We will wait
here.�
�Good luck, Naru,� encouraged Shinobu.
�Break a leg or whatever,� added Su.
�Go on and hurry up,� prodded Kitsune. �I wanna see
how fully you aced this.�
It was then that Naru and Keitaro�s eyes meet. �You�re
not #1 in Japan for nothing. Let�s see that high
score,� he said with a smile.
Naru nodded and gave her friends a quick smile before
dashing upstairs.
�Naru has worked long and hard. I am certain she will
do well,� said Motoko. �But what of you, Urashima? How
did you fair on today�s tests?�
Keitaro scratched his head in a nervous fashion.
�It�s�really hard to tell until you grade your tests.
Naru told me it would be best not to worry about the
situation until then.�
�Wow, that bad, huh?� quizzed Su.
The ronin stiffened as if he�d been shot through the
heart with an arrow.
�I�m sure sempai did his very best!� said Shinobu. �I
have full confidence in him.�
Keitaro�s shoulder�s slumped in relief. �Thanks for
yet another vote of confidence, Shinobu.�
The young girl again started to blush. �I�I�was only
telling the truth, sempai.�
�Do not forget that we agreed to let you stay here
upon the condition that you get yourself into Tokyo
U,� reminded Motoko sternly. �If you fail you will be
tossed out into the street as punishment for lying to
all of us upon first coming here. As you agreed.�
Keitaro nodded solemnly. �That was the deal. I haven�t
forgotten.�
With that hanging in the air the group decided to
simply wait quietly. Twenty long minutes crawled by
before Naru came but down the stairs, her expression
neutral.
�Well?� said Keitaro.
Naru grinned widely and gave a thumbs up. �I got 766
points. With a score like that I shouldn�t have any
problems at all with the real Tokyo U test.�
A short round of cheers and applause filled the Hinata
House. Once they died down Naru strode over to Keitaro
and held up the exam answers. �I�m sure you did fine,�
she said simply.
Keitaro nodded slightly in acknowledgement, took the
sheet and headed upstairs. But halfway up the
staircase he stopped and turned to look at the girls.
�I just want to say that no matter what I get on this
test I�m grateful to all of you. You�ve cheered me on,
helped me learn and given me a kick in the butt when I
needed one. So�thanks.�
�Enough mushy melodrama!� said Kitsune. �Will ya get
on with it already. I�m starting to loose my buzz.�
�Can�t have that, now can we?� sighed Keitaro. �All
right, I�ll be as quick as I can.�
The ronin then headed for his room.

~*~


 	Keitaro�s hands danced quickly across the
calculator. The ronin took another look at the test
papers and answer sheet. Satisfied he looked back at
the calculator and noticed his hand was trembling over
the equal�s key.
�Okay, Keitaro. Here it is. Moment of truth time.�
With that the ronin hit the button to tally his final
score.

~*~

Moments later the door to Keitaro�s room slid open.
The ronin started to step outside only to notice the
girls had gathered around his door. �What the��
�We couldn�t wait anymore,� shrugged Naru. �You�ve
been in here almost half an hour.�
�Sorry,� shrugged Keitaro. �I was being extra careful
to make sure I didn�t make a mistake.� �Spill
already!� demanded Su.
�Yeah, inquiring minds want to know,� said Kitsune.
�I got a 600!� exclaimed Keitaro. �The cut off point
is about 580! That means I made it!�
�I told you not to worry until you saw your scores,�
chided Naru. �All that studying paid off for us,
Keitaro.  We�re on step closer to Tokyo U.�
�Congratulations, sempai!� cheered Shinobu sincerely.
�Rock on, Keitaro!� shouted Su.
Motoko even gave the ronin a small smile. �I have
noticed the diligence with which you have been
studying of late. Now that hard work has paid off.
Congratulations, Urashima.�
�Yeah, congratulations, Keitaro,� added Kitsune. The
foxgirl then leaned it close and began to run one of
her index fingers seductively in a circle on the
ronin�s chest. �You know, with this you�ve got another
shot at getting into Tokyo U. I think Tokyo U guys are
really sexy.�
	�That�that�s really flattering of you to say,�
stammered a flustered Keitaro.
�Kitsune!� snapped Naru. �Will you cut that out!
You�re just--�
�Going to give him filthy ideas,� picked up the
foxgirl. �Unclench already, Naru. Today�s a great day.
We should be celebrating!�
�Kitsune is correct,� said Motoko, her voice
containing a noticeable note of cheer. �We should all
be proud of what Naru and Urashima accomplished today.
Let us continue our celebration.� 
�Yeah!� agreed Su. �All that yummy food isn�t going to
stay good forever.�
�Yes, I have a cake in the refrigerator that I was
saving for after we knew your test results,� added
Shinobu.
Naru huffed but there was clearly a smile on her face.
�Looks like we don�t have a choice in this. Ready to
party, Keitaro.�
Now it was Keitaro�s turn to give a thumbs up. �You
bet I am. Let�s really let loose tonight. Because
tomorrow--�
�We have to start studying for the real Tokyo U exam,�
finished Naru.
�But that�s tomorrow,� said Kitsune. �For now let�s
get this party started!�
A chorus of agreement rang out from the other
residents of the Hinata House. So began a party that
all six of them would remember for many years to come.
   

 
Skyrocket

=====
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
-Carl Sagan


		
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