Love Hina: Challenge! Restraint? Naru's Big Test

a Fan Fiction by Jason Low

Insert standard disclaimer here. I'm just doing this for fun.

 Naru Narusegawa stood in front of Keitaro Urashima, hands on hips, watching
him grovel at her feet for yet another transgression of some sort.
 Keitaro stammered out an apology. "B-but Narusegawa! I didn't mean to--"
 "Same old story!" she said with a 'hmph'. "You're nothing but a JERK!" As if
to punctuate 'jerk', she swung back her foot and kicked with all her might.
 Keitaro took the kick full-force in the midsection and flew backwards,
knocking open the front doors as he blew through them, landing in a crumpled
heap on the pavement outside, briefly teetering on the edge of the stairs
before tumbling down them in a flail of arms and legs.
 Naru turned and went back to her room, fuming about Keitaro's selfish,
insensitive behavior along the way.

 An hour later, after finishing her studying, she decided to go see Keitaro and
apologize. She wasn't feeling good about treating him like she had. It was
probably an honest mistake, same as always with him.
 "Keitaro," she called out, pushing the Liddo-lid aside and sticking her head
down into the hole. "Can I--"
 She stopped short when she found the room was empty. Turning her head this way
and that, long hair dangling below her, she saw no sign of him.
 Going downstairs the normal way, she found Shinobu in the kitchen, cleaning
the appliances from making supper. "Shinobu," she said, "where's Keitaro?"
 "Oh!" Shinobu said, then blushed and looked sorrowful. "Kitsune took him to
the clinic.. he said his arm felt dislocated."
 "What??!" Naru said, looking shocked. "What happened?"
 Shinobu looked even more upset and concerned. "He was at the bottom of the
steps, Naru-sempai.. where he landed, after, well.."
 Naru gasped. "After I hit him??"
 "Y.. yes," Shinobu said, averting her eyes.
 "But I didn't hit him that hard!" she protested. "At least.. no more than
usual!.."
 "Naru-sempai.. can I .. make a suggestion?"
 Naru looked at the timid youngster. "What?" she said.
 Shinobu seemed afraid to say it, but did anyway: "Maybe.. maybe you shouldn't
hit Urashima-sempai any more. I think you're hurting him."
 Naru frowned. "I didn't .. he doesn't normally.."
 "Maybe you've found his breaking point," Shinobu said, growing in boldness.
"Between you, Su-chan, and Motoko.. I wonder how he can still be alive."
 Naru sighed. "I.. Shinobu.. sometimes he just.. makes me so angry!.."
 "Please... do me a favor?" Shinobu asked.
 "What is it?"
 "I.." Shinobu suddenly brightened. "I challenge you to go a week without
hitting Urashima-sempai!"
 "Oh?" Naru said, blushing, embarrassed at the topic. "And what if I do it?"
 Shinobu beamed. "I'll make you whatever supper you want, for a week. Deal?"
 "I guess it's not really appropriate to ask for a reward," Naru smiled, "but
you're on!"

 Naru looked up as Keitaro came in the door an hour or so later.
 "Hello," she said. Her expression fell as she saw his arm in a sling. "How..
how are you?"
 "It's just a bruise," he said, smiling a little. "It should be better if I
don't misuse it for a couple days."
 "Oh. Good," Naru said, full of relief. "I'm sorry for causing that, by the
way."
 "Don't worry," he said dismissively. "It wasn't your fault."
 "But--" Naru said, and stopped herself. She sighed, and closed her eyes,
counting to ten. "Fine. Okay."
 "Good," he smiled. "Am I all right to use the spring? The doctor said heat
would help."
 "I can't speak for everyone, but as far as I'm concerned, go ahead," Naru told
him.
 "Thanks," Keitaro said. "I'll be as quick as I can."
 "Take your time," Naru called out to the departing Keitaro. "No need to rush."
 As he left, she realized, (He probably thinks I'll pound him if he takes too
long..)
 "Very good, Naru-sempai," Shinobu ventured once Keitaro was out of earshot.
 Naru turned. "Wha?"
 "I could tell," Shinobu said with a slight smirk. "I could almost see the heat
waves coming off you. I'm.. proud of you."
 Naru smiled slowly at Shinobu. "Thanks.. I think," she said.

 Keitaro eased into the pond, wincing as he used his bad arm for support, by
reflex. Slowly, he settled into the water, releasing a sigh as he touched
bottom, shoulders just below the surface.
 "Thankfully not my writing arm," he murmured. He had a practice entry exam
coming up later that week, and to jeopardize it with an injury..
 His glasses were steaming up, so he took them off and set them aside on a
rock, using his good arm. He leaned back in the water and relaxed, feeling the
heat of the water working its way through his injury.
 (I'm going to have to be extra careful around Narusegawa,) he told himself.
(Unless I want to get re-injured.)

 Naru lay on her stomach on her futon, feet up, reading a book. At least,
that's what she was trying to do. In her mind's eye, the words were replaced
with literary re-tellings of every slap, kick, and punch she'd laid on Keitaro
since she met him.
 (I've been so unfair to him,) she told herself with a frown. (Even if he was
being a pervert, I could've handled things a litt--okay, a LOT differently.)
 She dipped her head back towards the book and smiled to herself. (I'll show
Shinobu, and everyone. I'll exercise the restraint of a monk! I won't lay a
finger on him again. He'll be so surprised, he won't know what hit--er, I mean,
what DIDN'T hit him.)

SOME TIME LATER

 Keitaro jerked awake, wincing as he jostled his arm. He took a second to
realize where he was.
 "I dozed off," he said aloud. "I must have been really relaxed.."
 He reached over for his glasses, only to meet with bare, dry rock.
 "Eh?" he said, turning and looking, running his hand all over the rock's
surface, squinting this way and that. Nothing was to be found.
 He got up, wrapped a towel around his midsection as best he could one-handed,
and half-waded, half-stumbled towards the change room.

 Shinobu and Kaolla huddled in the change room, fully clothed, debating between
themselves.
 "Naru-sempai told Urashima-sempai to take his time," Shinobu said hesitantly,
lowering her head and nearly blushing. "I don't think we should barge in if
he's still in there.."
 "Meh, he's been in there for how long now? An hour and a half? If he's not a
raisin by now, he'll be ready to get out any second! ... Raisins.. hmm, I could
go for some raisins.."
 "Let's just wait," Shinobu protested.
 "He knows us girls always get in at the same time every Thursday!" Su
countered, letting the thoughts of food escape her for the moment. She started
to pull her school uniform up over her head when both young ladies heard a
confused "Miiuuu????"
 They turned in unison towards the archway leading to the springs, only to see
a small turtle with a pair of glasses perched on its shell, eyes swirly from
the lenses' "correction" of its vision. Unable to fly at all, it staggered this
way and that, trying to shake off the spectacles.
 "Tama!" Shinobu cried, hurrying over to rescue the creature.
 Su said with a grin, "Quick, while it's stunned! This is our chance for a
decent soup!"
 "No!" Shinobu gasped, reaching down and plucking the turtle off the ground,
then swiftly removing the glasses and standing back up.
 "Shinobu-chan??" came a nearby voice. "Have you seen my--"
 Shinobu had stood up directly in front of Keitaro, who had come in from the
springs. As she stood, the glasses in her hand hooked on the edge of Keitaro's
towel, loosening the poorly-folded knot and allowing the cloth to drop to the
floor.
 "AAAAIIEEE!!" Shinobu squealed, turning and running into the change room
again.
 "Gaah!" Keitaro exclaimed, himself ducking behind the hot tub for protection.
"At least give me back my glasses!"

 Naru had been running from the second she heard a startled squeal. As she
burst through the doors of the change room, the sight she saw was unbelievable:
Shinobu was huddled against the wall, shivering in shock, clutching both Tama
and Keitaro's eyeglasses. Kaolla was frozen in place, halfway through the
process of removing her top, gaping at the area of the hot tub--behind which
Keitaro briefly peeked, before gasping and ducking behind again.
 Naru fumed and raged. Fire in her eyes, she crossed the room in four strides,
bellowing, "KEITAROOOO!!!"
 Kitsune arrived in the room hurriedly, just as Shinobu snapped out of her
shocked state. "No, Naru-sempai! Your promise!" she pleaded.
 Naru stopped short as she got to the hot tub. She thought for a moment, a
little vein popping up on her temple. She shook with rage for a moment, fists
clenched, then looked up to see Keitaro peeking out from directly across the
hot tub at her.
 She tried to walk around to him, but he sidestepped, keeping the tub directly
between the two of them, just peering over it like a real-life, petrified
Kilroy. "It was an accident--" he stammered. "I didn't mean to--"
 Naru drew a deep breath. "Keitaro," she said.
 "N-narusegawa?" he said in return.
 "Cover yourself," Naru bit out through gritted teeth, averting her eyes,
blushing faintly.
 "Aagh," Keitaro said, searching around for his towel. Wrapping it around
himself, he tried to apologize. "I'm sorr--"
 "Where are your clothes?" Naru said, oddly peacefully, still looking away from
him.
 "Uh.. third locker," he said. (The calm before the storm,) he decided. (Oh no,
she's going to do something to my clothes, I never should have told her the
truth--)
 Keitaro and everyone else in the room watched in surprised silence as Naru
went to the third locker and pulled out Keitaro's clothes, arranging them in an
easy-to-carry bundle. As she returned to him, she snatched up his glasses from
Shinobu's trembling hand on the way by. In his good hand she deposited the
bundle of clothes; then she pushed the glasses onto his face.
 He continued to gape and stare in disbelief as she turned him around and
pushed him steadily towards the door. "If you need your arm re-slung, I'll come
help you with it in a few minutes," she said firmly.
 "O-okay," Keitaro said in a stunned tone. "Thank--"
 Naru closed the door swiftly behind him, after pushing him out into the hall.
She stood there for a long moment, then let her head fall forward to bang
against the door, where it stayed. She let out a long sigh.
 "Na..naru-sempai, thank you," Shinobu said, stepping forward. "I feared you
were about to break your promise just then."
 "I didn't," Naru said after a moment, standing up straight and ultimately
smiling towards the child. "Go on before me. I'll join you after I help Keitaro
put his sling on."
 "All-all right," Shinobu said, allowing a smile herself and a nod, turning
away to check on Tama.
 Kitsune stood where she'd been the entire time, at the end of the long bench
that ran down the center of the room. ('Promise', hmm?) she mused, chin in
hand.

 Naru knocked twice, then slid the door open. "Keitaro! I'm coming in," she
called out.
 "Aa, just a minute!" he stammered.
 Naru paused on the threshold, then answered, "I'm waiting!"
 "Just have to.. ungh.. okay," he said apologetically. "I'm okay now, come in."
 Naru rounded the corner, expecting to see Keitaro in a home-made swath. What
she encountered was just as shocking.
 "You've got your shirt on backwards," she said.
 "Wha? .. Oh," Keitaro said in a dawning tone, as he looked down at himself.
"So I do," he laughed nervously.
 Naru took another step forward and blinked. "And inside-out too!" she said.
"It's a wonder you got all the right holes lined up. Come here, I'll--"
 "Uh.. if it's all the same to you, I'll sit and look like a fool for the rest
of the day before I go through that pain again," Keitaro said apologetically.
"But thanks for the offer."
 "Oh," Naru said. "It still hurts?"
 "Getting dressed to this point was enough agony for one afternoon," Keitaro
laughed gently.
 "Okay," Naru said eventually. "Where's your sling?"
 "On the table," he said, looking that way. "I can--"
 "Just hush," she told him, crossing the room and picking up the cloth bandage.
She turned around and carefully slid it into place, wrapping the wounded wing
and tying it up in place. "There.. does it need adjusting?"
 "No.. no," Keitaro said, with mild surprise. "It's better than the nurse did
the first time. Thank you."
 "Good," Naru said with a smile. "Now I promised I'd go meet the others, so.."
 "Thanks very much," Keitaro nodded. "I really appreciate it. And I won't come
in to clean until you come get me. I don't want.." He smiled and held up his
good fist, clenched firmly, shaking it slightly.
 Naru blinked, then frowned. "First of all, you can't clean properly in that
state. So just let the rest of us take up the slack. And second.."
 "Huh?" Keitaro said as Naru trailed off.
 "...I've got to get going," Naru said, turning and heading for the door. "Just
rest up, okay?"
 Keitaro blinked, watching Naru disappear out the door, closing it quietly
behind herself.
 (What was that all about?) he wondered.

 By the time Naru got back to the hot springs, the other girls were all settled
in.
 "How is he?" Shinobu asked.
 "Doing better," Naru said, easing into the pond. She giggled a little, adding,
"He was so focused on his bruise, he got his shirt on completely backwards and
inside-out."
 "Oooh! And you helped him out, I'm sure?" Su laughed.
 "No!" Naru blushed, looking miffed at the implication. "I just helped him put
his sling back on. That's all."
 "He should exercise through it," Motoko submitted. "It's only a bruise. The
pain is probably all in his mind."
 "It's still pain," Naru countered. "And we have to all pick up his chores,
since he can't do them until he gets better."
 "What??" Su blurted out. "Aww.."
 Naru frowned. "If you all don't want to help out, I'll do it on my own." She
looked around and paused. "Where's Kitsune?"
 "She said she was done already, and she had something she had to do," Shinobu
said.
 "Oh boy," Naru sighed, with a faint smile. "That's usually not good."

 Later, Naru went to Keitaro's room and knocked on the doorframe. "Keitaro?"
she called out. "Are you.."
 She recoiled as Keitaro slid open the door with a grin. "Hi!" he said
abruptly.
 Eyes wide, Naru coughed as the odor assaulted her senses. "Have you been
drinking??!"
 "Kissune said it'd dull the pain," he explained. "But I c'n still feel it." He
put on a serious, querying expression. "D'you think I need some more?"
 "Rrrr," Naru growled. She closed her eyes and mouthed some words to herself,
then pushed her way inside, closing the door behind her.
 In his buzzed state, Keitaro realized he'd made a mistake. "Narusegawa.. I'm
sorry.."
 "You have an exam tomorrow!" she fumed. "We were going to study tonight. I
guess we should forget about that now."
 "No... no!" Keitaro protested, reaching for her arm as she turned to go.
"Please--"
 Naru whirled on him, palm open, ready to smack him into the next prefecture.
She halted herself inches from making contact, but still, Keitaro flinched.
 Naru sighed. "Keitaro.. you're in no condition to retain anything tonight. I'm
sorry."
 "No!" he pleaded, sounding more lucid by the second. "Please. It was a joke!
I'm sorry. I'm not THAT drunk. Kitsune put me up to it."
 Naru turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "Put you up to it..?" she asked.
 "It's true.. she did give me some sake. But she said you'd get a laugh out of
me being drunk. To break the ice, as they say.. she said you seemed really
tense lately."
 "Oh, she did, did she," Naru frowned. She stood there for an instant, then
said, "Well, I don't appreciate being toyed with."
 Keitaro thought of apologizing again, then instead just suggested, "Maybe we
should just get to studying?"
 "Okay," Naru smiled after a moment. "Get your books and we'll begin."

 In the next room, Kitsune leaned away from the wall, setting down the empty
drinking glass she'd been using as an amplifier. "Rats," she murmured. "That
didn't work."
 She flopped down on her futon, hands folded behind her head, and pondered her
options. She thought back to the conversation she'd had with Shinobu.

 "Shinobu, what's this I hear about a promise?" she'd asked the young girl.
 "Oh... Naru-sempai is not supposed to hit Urashima-sempai for one whole week,"
Shinobu said after making sure no one else was around. "If she makes it, I have
to make her favorite supper for a week."
 "And if you win?" Kitsune asked.
 "If I win.." Shinobu seemed saddened by the mere thought of it happening. "I
suppose if I win, Naru-sempai has to make MY supper for a week."
 The smile on Kitsune's face widened. "You don't say," she murmured. In her
mind, she saw the revenue for all the first aid supplies she'd stocked up for
months flying away, but at the same time, she envisioned being able to finally
offload the twenty cartons of ice cream she'd picked up on a sale a month
earlier.

 Kitsune rubbed her chin thoughtfully. She eyed the ceiling above her while she
tried to think of something to work the situation to her benefit.
 Then she took a closer look at the ceiling.
 "Yes," she grinned.

 Keitaro looked puzzled as he went over an equation in the sample exam booklet.
 "What's the matter?" Naru asked.
 "It says to refer to the chart in appendix B, but.." He shuffled the papers
around with his hand. "I only have appendices A and C."
 Naru tch'ed. "Maybe I forgot it upstairs," she said, standing up. "I'll be
right back."
 Naru went up the stairs and into her room. As she turned her book bag inside
out looking for the missing sheet, she heard a faint scratching noise. She
turned around to see what it was.
 Poking up just on the edge of the Liddo-lid was a thin black wire. As Naru
studied it up close, she realized it was a small fiber-optic camera and
microphone. Someone was bugging her room!
 She pulled the Liddo quietly aside, along with its wooden base. Keitaro looked
up at her and began to speak, but she shushed him with a silent gesture, finger
to her lips.
 Looking into the space between her floor and Keitaro's ceiling, she saw that
the cable didn't come from Keitaro's room, as one might have expected. Instead,
it was being fed along the void space from somewhere else.
 Naru quietly took hold of the fiber-optic cable with both hands. (One...
two...)
 As Naru gave the cable a sharp yank, a voice was heard on the other side of
Keitaro's room wall. "Uwaa!" it yelped, before a firm thud resonated through
the wall.
 Keitaro looked over at the common wall he shared with Kitsune, stunned, as
Naru rotated the microphone and camera towards her face. "Nice try!" she barked
out, before tying the end of the cable around a protruding nail in the floor
joists. Then, having found the page in question, she hopped down through the
hole in her floor to rejoin her study partner.
 "There we go," she said brightly. "Shall we continue?"
 Keitaro just looked between her, the hole in the ceiling, and the section of
wall where he'd heard the thud.

THE NEXT DAY

 "Narusegawa!" Motoko called out as Naru waved to Keitaro, who was departing
for the exam.
 Naru stopped and turned. "Yes?" she said.
 "I need to talk to you about him," Motoko said, nodding towards the bus that
was leaving Hinata-sou. "He was spying on people's rooms last night."
 "He what?" Naru said.
 "I was up late practising," Motoko explained, patting her sword's hilt. "I
definitely heard his voice just outside my window."
 Naru wasn't convinced, but she didn't let it show just yet. "You're the most
capable woman I know. How come you didn't do something?"
 "It would have been irresponsible to make such noise and wake everyone up,"
Motoko said. "If you won't do something about it.. I WILL."
 Naru blinked. "Do what? You mean attack him?"
 It was Motoko's turn to show surprise. "You've never been concerned about this
before. Are you getting.. soft?"
 "What do you mean, soft?" Naru said defensively.
 "You haven't touched him once in two days," Motoko said, folding her arms in
front of her. "Normally you would have hit him at least five times by now."
 "So what? Hurting him isn't the answer."
 Motoko let out an almost-derisive snort. "if you say so, Narusegawa." She
turned to go back inside.
 "Motoko," Naru called after her. "What time did you hear Keitaro?"
 Motoko stopped, but didn't turn around. "It was around eleven-thirty," she
said.
 This time, Naru folded her arms under her chest and smiled. "Then you've got a
problem. Keitaro was with me in his room until just after midnight, cramming
for his exam today. He had no way of saying anything near your room at all."
 "I know what I heard," Motoko said, clenching a fist.
 "I'm telling you, it's not possible. So either you were hallucinating, or.."
 Motoko turned when Naru accused her of hallucinating, ready to snap at her.
She stood in silence for a moment, then said, "Or what?"
 Naru frowned. "I have a bet going on with Shinobu," she admitted. "That I can
avoid hitting him for a week. She doesn't think I can."
 Motoko blinked. "Really?" she said. "Interesting. And do you think that's
related to what I heard last night?"
 "I think people are trying to make sure I break my promise, and lose the bet,"
Naru said. "I caught someone trying to make me think Keitaro was bugging my
room last night. I wouldn't be surprised if 'someone' figured out exactly what
you just said about not waking everyone up, and that I'd pummel him when I
heard about it today."
 "Does this 'someone' have a name?" Motoko asked.
 "I have my suspicions, but I'll deal with it on my own," Naru said. "Do what
you feel you need to do, but please, if you can, try not to hit Keitaro."
 "You're the one with the challenge," Motoko smiled. "But if he doesn't do
anything worthy of.. discipline, then we'll see."
 "Thank you, Motoko," Naru smiled, and started off towards the hot springs.
 It was Motoko's turn to get the last word in. "You seem to be enjoying this
whole challenge," she said. "Are you seeing something new in Urashima now that
he hasn't been assaulted for 36 hours?"
 Naru stopped, then smiled and turned halfway around. "Ask me again in five and
a half days."

 Shinobu greeted Keitaro when he got off the bus. "How did it go--"
 "Sssh," he whispered, wincing.
 "Ohh.. are you still hurting, Urashima-sempai?"
 Keitaro nodded gently. "And a headache too," he said quietly.
 Shinobu frowned. "I'll make some tea," she said. "I'll bring it to your room
when it's ready."
 "Thank you," Keitaro smiled faintly. He turned to go to his room and almost
ran into Motoko.
 "Sorry," he began, and tried to step aside, but she blocked his way, staring
at him. Finally, she spoke, with a curious smile.
 "Urashima. Play your cards right, and reap the rewards. I too will accept the
challenge."
 With that, she was gone, leaving a confused Keitaro to stare after her,
blinking in confusion.

 Kitsune was at her doorway when Naru walked by, some time later.
 "Hi there," she grinned. "How are you?"
 Naru looked at her lifelong friend and kept walking. "Fine," she said. "Come
with me."
 "I fully intend to," Kitsune said, falling into pace behind her.
 Naru walked along in silence, climbing the stairs to her room, which left a
gap for Kitsune to fill. "I hear Keitaro's getting dehydrated."
 Naru looked over her shoulder, startled. "What??"
 Kitsune giggled again. "Yeah, he's been deprived of 'Naru Punch' for two whole
days now?"
 Naru frowned, sighed, and continued up the stairs. "From what I hear, you've
been trying to do something about that."
 "Me?" Kitsune asked with mock surprise, a hand to her breastbone in shock.
"What would I do that for?"
 Naru stopped at her door, arms folded across her chest, facing Kitsune. "I
know you better than anyone else around here. Just.. forget about it. I'm not
going to hit him."
 "Okay, okay," Kitsune laughed, holding up her hands defensively. "I was just
trying to have a little fun."
 "By getting him drunk?"
 "I was SURE that would work."
 "Or making me think he'd bugged my room? Or playing a recording of his voice
outside Motoko's window?"
 "Sorry," Kitsune shrugged, a sheepish smile on her face.
 Naru nodded, then smiled a little. "'Naru Punch', huh?"
 "Everyone calls it that," Kitsune nodded, smiling as well.
 The two of them went inside and Naru sat down on her futon. "Can I ask you a
question?"
 "You just did," Kitsune pointed out. "You can ask me another one, too."
 Naru looked up at her friend. "Have I been too hard on Keitaro all this time?"
 Kitsune paused. "Do you really need me to answer that?" she said seriously.
 Naru sighed and lowered her head. "I hope he doesn't have a bad impression of
me because of that."
 Kitsune hmm'ed. "I thought you were 'just friends'?" she said, her smile
returning.
 Naru blushed and stammered, "I.. I just wonder how much of what irritates me
about him is.. well, me."
 Kitsune sat and listened, nodding gently.
 "It's only been two days so far, and I've realized a lot of what he does is
just accidental. He means well, he really does - and.."
 "And?" Kitsune asked as Naru trailed off.
 "And he's already sorry for what he's done, before I.."
 "Give him a taste of Naru Punch."
 "Yeah.." Naru said distantly.
 "So why do you pummel him?"
 Naru frowned. "I don't know. I guess it was so I could feel better. Isn't that
selfish? Is that what I am?"
 "I think we've talked about this before," Kitsune smiled. "If you're serious
about him, pounding him every time he does something you don't like, that's not
going to help. But I think you were about to say something about that."
 Naru nodded emphatically. "I don't know if I can hit him any more. When he
does something now.. when I think about the times I've hit him.. it's like I'm
seeing another person doing it. Like it's not me."
 "Interesting," Kitsune said. "And you--"
 Just then, a crash and a yelp of pain was heard downstairs. Naru ran over to
the Liddo-lid and pushed it aside, looking through the hole. "Keitaro?? Are you
okay?"
 Keitaro was holding onto his shoulder and wincing in pain. Naru dropped down
to Keitaro's room and crouched beside him. "What happened??"
 "I tripped," he whimpered. The rug was crumpled up near his doorway.
 "Oh no," Naru frowned. Kitsune came in through the doorway just then, and
straightened out the rug as she arrived. Naru went on, "Does your arm still
hurt?"
 Keitaro nodded. "Shinobu's bringing some tea," he said.
 "Good," Naru said. "Better than some punch, I guess."
 "Huh?" Keitaro asked, as Kitsune giggled from the doorway.
 "Never mind. Is there anything else you want?" Naru asked, helping Keitaro sit
up.
 "I think.. I think I'll be okay," he said.
 "I'll make sure she's on the way," Kitsune said, winking at Naru and
departing.
 "Keitaro.. I'm sorry," Naru said quietly, helping him to a comfortable
position.
 "For what?" he asked.
 "I got you hurt in the first place. You wouldn't be in this situation if--"
 "You've hit me lots of times," Keitaro smiled weakly at her. "Don't worry
about me. I'll be fine."
 Naru gaped at him for a moment. "Keitaro.."
 "What?"
 "Aren't.. aren't you mad at me? For all the times I've.."
 "What? No.." Keitaro smiled. "I deserved--"
 "No, you didn't," Naru stressed. "I've been too hard-headed. I've
over-reacted. And I'm sorry for it."
 "Narusegawa," Keitaro said.
 She looked at him. "What?"
 "If I was truly upset about that, I wouldn't still be here. You've done more
good for me than I can ever thank you for. I owe you too much to be worried
about stuff like that."
 Naru blinked, a tear forming in her eye. She sniffled a little, then threw her
arms around Keitaro in a firm embrace. "Keitaro, I'm sorry!"
 "Awg!!" he grunted, nearly passing out from the pain.
 Shinobu arrived and nearly dropped the tea, eyes wide, trying to figure out
what she'd walked into.

 The next five days were interesting, to say the least. Keitaro used the hot
springs a lot, to try to help his arm heal. More than once, in lieu of a shot
to the head, he was dunked under the surface. Naru and Motoko avoided hitting
him at all - though Motoko still felt he needed to be 'disciplined' a couple of
times. Kaolla hopped on his back once or twice, and the only one who actually
deliberately hit him was Haruka, who felt the need to remind him not to call
her 'aunt'.
 Keitaro felt like excess baggage for the most part; he still wasn't strong
enough in his one arm to do his usual cleaning duties. He adapted and helped
out whereever he could, doing whatever he could, but for the most part, Naru
did all his normal jobs. He told her he'd repay her someday, but she would just
smile and say that seeing him healed up would be reward enough.
 The problem was, he wasn't healing.

 "What do you mean?" Naru said to Keitaro.
 Keitaro rubbed his shoulder, still wincing, as he sat on the bench in the hot
springs change room. "If it was just a bruise, it would be gone by seven days,
wouldn't it?"
 "Let me see," Naru insisted. She gingerly opened up his shirt and looked at
his shoulder, which was simply reddened - not bruised.
 "See," he said. "The heat of the pool isn't doing much for it. In fact, do you
want to know the only thing that made it feel any better?"
 "What's that?"
 "When Su landed on my back.. and when Aunt Haruka slapped me that one time..
it almost felt like it was going to pop in, and be all better."
 "Really?" Naru said.
 Keitaro nodded. "I've tried rotating my arm around, but I can barely stand the
pain.. I think it needs a little more than just strong exercise."
 Naru stood there, hands on hips, her lips a thin line as she pondered
something. "What time is it?" she asked.
 "Uh?" Keitaro said. He looked at his watch. "Five-thirty."
 Naru closed her eyes and smiled. "Close enough," she whispered. Then she
looked to Keitaro with an apologetic expression. "Forgive me."
 "For wha--?" he said, eyes widening as Naru closed her fist and pulled back
her arm. "Wa-wait!!"

 Shinobu looked up from setting the table as Naru and Keitaro came into the
room. "Hello!" she said. "How are you?"
 "Much better! Thank you," Keitaro smiled.
 "Really?" Su asked, bouncing into the dining room. "All of a sudden?"
 "Allow me," Keitaro demonstrated, lifting two of the dishes full of food to
the table with little effort.
 "Yay!" Su cheered, clapping and jumping up and down. "That's great!"
 "Yes," Shinobu agreed, smiling broadly. "I'm very glad."
 Naru turned and nodded hello to Motoko and Kitsune as they arrived. Naru
added, "It looks like the rest and recuperation paid off."
 "Yes, indeed," Motoko nodded. "It is good to see you well, Urashima."
 Keitaro put a hand behind his head and laughed a little. "Thanks.. but in
actual fact, Naru deserves the credit for--"
 "For what?" Shinobu asked, turning around to look at Keitaro again, but not in
time to see Naru elbow him discreetly.
 "For keeping him on his exercise regimen and.. and.." Naru said, fishing for
an explanation.
 "Massaging it?" Keitaro ventured.
 Naru glared at him and clenched a fist, but stopped short as she saw the other
four women watching her intently. Instead, she opened her hand and sweatdropped
a little. "Yes.. yes, massaging it," she laughed.
 "Well, it's good to hear," Kitsune declared.
 Su hopped into her chair, eyeing the fully laden table. "Wow! What a spread!
What's the celebration?"
 Kitsune opened her mouth, gesturing to Naru, but Shinobu cut her off. "Well,
I.. I hope I'm not too impulsive, but some mail came today.."
 "Huh?" several people said, even as Shinobu went over to the side table. She
picked up an envelope and walked over to Keitaro.
 "What is this?" he began to say, then trailed off and paled as he recognized
the return address.
 Naru's eyes widened. "Your exam results," she said.
 "I don't know," Keitaro said warily, backing away from Shinobu. "I felt pretty
awful that day.."
 "There is only one way to find out, Urashima," Motoko supplied.
 "Yeah!" Su said. "Do it so we can eat!"
 "So long as you tried your best, Keitaro, that's what matters," Naru said.
 "Open it!" Kitsune urged.
 Keitaro gulped and nodded, taking the envelope from Shinobu. The five women
gathered around him in anticipation, watching as he peeled it open and pulled
out the results sheet.
 "It's a.. B," he breathed.
 "A B!" Shinobu squealed, grinning.
 "Another B," Naru said, with a faint smile. "Like last time and the time
before."
 "At least he's consistent," Motoko observed.
 Keitaro bowed to Naru and the others. "I'll do better. If I can do this in
practice, when I'm not feeling my best, imagine what I'll do when the real test
comes. I promise."
 "I intend to hold you to that promise," Naru grinned.
 "Because we all keep our promises at Hinata-sou," Shinobu smiled. "Right,
Naru-sempai?"
 "Of course," Naru said after a moment's pause. "Absolutely!"
 As the group sat down for dinner, Kitsune sat and schemed for a moment. Then,
she said, "Hey, who wants ice cream for dessert?"

END