Love Hina #13

Motoko is trying to study, but she is unable to concentrate and keeps getting distracted by Naru and Keitaro kissing. It seems that ever since they've returned to Hinata House they've been doing a lot of making out. She decides to take a bath and tries to contain her ire about the two lovebirds. After a short time, Naru joins her and Motoko notices that she looks even more beautiful. Motoko wonders if it's because she's in love, and she also wonders if the same thing would happen to her if somebody loved her. As is usual, Keitaro accidentally enters the hot springs but instead of pounding him, Naru just gives him a tap on the head. Motoko is furious and moves to attack him, but ends up slipping and falls right into his arms.

Afterwards, Motoko goes up to the roof to train. As she finishes up, Keitaro surprises her by coming up to the roof and offering to spar with her. They practice their sword-fighting, and Keitaro gets the upper-hand by telling Motoko that she looks irresistible. He grabs her and just as they're about to kiss, Motoko wakes up. She was daydreaming and absentmindedly writing her fantasies down in her workbook. Frustrated, she crumples her paper up and wonders how she could be attracted to someone like Keitaro.

She overhears some commotion coming from the next room and goes to investigate. She finds Naru yelling at Keitaro, with the other residents enjoying the spectacle. Keitaro falls forward and lands in Naru's chest; she uppercuts him into the sky. However, later Motoko hears Naru consoling him. Haruka finds Motoko and gives her some mail that arrived for her. Motoko excitedly grabs the exam results from Haruka's hand, but is disappointed to find that she scored a "D" with 0% percent chance of getting into Tokyo University.

Motoko goes up to the roof to think things over. Keitaro goes up to the roof to see what's wrong with her. Motoko is embarrassed and begins attacking him with her sword. She uses a lightning slash which knocks Keitaro unconscious. Motoko kneels over him, and is afraid that she must be dreaming again. Certain that she's not and unable to control herself any longer, she kisses him on the lips. She's expresses shock at what she's done, and is taken off guard when somebody else with a sword attacks. It's her sister Tsuruko and she's here to congratulate Motoko on getting into Tokyo U.

It turns out that Motoko pulled a Keitaro and never told her family that she didn't get accepted. She manages to use cue cards to get the rest of Hinata House to understand. Later, she gathers the residents alone, and tries to explain what happened. Keitaro offers to help her study, but she angrily refuses. She goes back up to the roof to train, but is unable to concentrate and Kanako gets the drop on her. She convinces Motoko that she needs to relax, and takes her into town.

Kanako dresses her up in one of her goth outfits, and asks her to wait while she takes care of some business. Motoko waits, and feels horribly out of place in Kanako's frilly dress. Keitaro bumps into her(a panel of Kanako shows that this was her plan), and he takes her to get a bite to eat. Keitaro gives her some books that he had picked out to help her study. Breaking down, Motoko finally asks Keitaro for his help. They go back to Hinata House to study.

They study in Motoko's room, while the other residents keep Tsuruko occupied. Motoko starts daydreaming again, and she asks Keitaro how he feels about Naru. Keitaro says that he loves her, and Motoko starts to cry. She tries to hid it, and when Keitaro asks her what's wrong; she punches him. He falls on top of her, causing their papers to fly all over the room. Tsuruko enters and find the results of Motoko's last mock exam, plus her romantic ramblings. Keitaro tries to stick up for Motoko, but Tsuruko simply grins like a demon and says she's through with excuses. Motoko and her sister battle, and even though Su tries to help, Tsuruko wins rather easily. She tells Motoko that she's pathetic. Motoko realizes that she's right. She gives up and announces her intention of becoming a nun.

Motoko has cut her hair and plans to leave Hinata House to become a nun. Keitaro goes chasing after her, while Tsuruko tells the other residents of her and Motoko's history. Three years ago, shortly after Tsuruko's wedding, Motoko was given the right to succeed her as the head of the God's Cry School. Unfortunately, Motoko left a sister a letter and ran away to Hinata House. Tsuruko tells the residents that she doesn't care whether her sister chooses the sword, school, or love... she just wants her to make up her mind and give it her all.

Keitaro is still chasing after Motoko. Having enough of his foolishness, she turns around and attacks him. He manages to block her attack; leaving her distraught again. Keitaro tells her that he cares about everyone at Hinata House and not just Naru; they're all his friends. Motoko asks him how she is supposed to get her life back on track, and out of frustration accidentally punches Keitaro into the sky.

After he comes to, Keitaro gives her his old mechanical pencil for luck. He then convinces her to sit down at a bench, and they begin studying. As they study, Motoko flashes back to various incidents involving her, Tsuruko, and Keitaro. She concludes that she thinks too much and then pretends everything is all right by hiding her weaknesses. Feeling better, she thanks Keitaro(who has fallen asleep). Tsuruko makes her presence known, and Motoko tells her that she's going to stay at Hinata House. Tsuruko tell her that's nonsense, and Motoko grabs a blade. The other residents arrive as the Aoyama sisters begin their final duel.

They battle, and are pretty evenly matched. Finally. Motoko uses Keitaro's lucky pencil and blocks her sister's attack. As she knocks Tsuruko back, Motoko screams out that she loves Keitaro; shocking both her and Keitaro. Motoko realizes that the sword she is holding is the "Aoyama confession blade". Meanwhile, Tsuruko jumps into a tree and teases Motoko about her confession. She then tells Motoko that with that kind of attitude getting into Tokyo U. will be a cinch, and gives Motoko her pet phoenix, Shippu, to look after her. Tsuruko then leaps away, from tree to tree.

After she leaves, a flustered Keitaro tells Motoko that he doesn't think it will work out because he's with Naru. Kitsune and the other residents(who arrived during the fight) tease Motoko about her love confession. To everyone's astonishment, Motoko admits that she does love Keitaro. She smiles and playfully tells him that she wants an answer before she gets into Tokyo U. As everyone prepares to leave, Motoko silently apologizes to and thanks her sister.

After waking from a dream in which he and Naru finally attend Tokyo U. together, Keitaro asks Naru if she wants to walk with him to the university. Before she can answer, Motoko interrupts and asks Keitaro to help her study. Keitaro tries to back out, but Motoko intends to hold him to his promise. As they argue, Shinobu enters and hears Kitsune talking about Motoko's confession of love. Shinobu runs away hurt, and Naru punches Keitaro for making Shinobu cry. Meanwhile, Haruka notices a fax coming through the machine. Shinobu runs into Su's room, and catches her preparing for the next red moon. While she tells Su what's wrong, Sarah enters and tells them that Keitaro and Naru are on the move. They, along with Motoko and Kanako, plan on disrupting Naru and Keitaro's Tokyo U. trip.

Before the two lovebirds can arrive at the university, they're stopped by the girls posing as a gang of "masked marauders". The two take off running, and Su tells Shinobu to hit a switch on her costume. This switch activates a jetpack causing Shinobu to fly erratically and crash into Keitaro. Unfortunately, her skirt catches on fire. The "masked marauders" assault Keitaro to keep him from doing anything perverted and knock him into the sky; almost into the path of an incoming plane.

The plane and Keitaro both land, and the pilot turns out to be Seta. He tells Keitaro that he needs his help and asks him to come to the Molmol ruins. Before he can respond, blimps that had been chasing Seta make their appearance. Seta grabs Keitaro and they take off; leaving Naru and the other residents behind. As they leave, Haruka pulls up in a van and tells the gang that Granny Hina has sent a fax. The fax says that she'll be coming home in a week and plans on giving Hinata House and the surrounding property to Keitaro on on condition: she wants to meet his fiancee.

Kitsune, Motoko, Kanako, Shinobu, and Su catch the first plane out for the Kingdom of Molmol. Naru declines to go because she's hesitant about the accuracy of the fax. Mutsumi looks at a map and discovers that the capital city of Molmol is called Todai(a nickname for Tokyo U). She suggests that Naru and Keitaro could fake their promise if instead they go to Todai together. Haruka prepares to leave also; she plans on going so she can beat the crap out of Seta. Mutsumi and Sarah are going with her, and Naru decides to go also.

Meanwhile, Keitaro and Seta are involved in a death-defying aerial duel with their pursuers. Keitaro asks what's going on. Seta explains that he found the legendary Todai ruins, and that his pursuers are trying to stop him. Keitaro notices that one of the artifacts in the plane has the same 3-eyed symbol that was prevalent on the island of Parakelse. Seta tells him that they must have been part of one ancient civilization.

As the residents' plane lands, we're privy to their individual thoughts. Kitsune is after Keitaro because according to the fax he'll be loaded. Motoko, Kanako, and Shinobu all have their romantic feelings toward Keitaro. Su just seems to want to have fun. They're surprised to find that the islanders seem to be having some kind of celebration, and to everyone's astonishment Su reveals that she can speak the language. She tells them that the island's princess is preparing to get married. A young girl tells Su that a plane was seen flying out towards the western shores. The residents mount a herd of elephants and head out.

Seta and Keitaro have run out of fuel and landed their plane. They're walking the rest of the way on foot, when the gang shows up on their elephants. Each of them tries to get with Keitaro, causing him to ask why they're all acting so strangely. Shinobu lets something about a fax slip out, and Keitaro decides that he'd better call home. He flees, and runs into Su who offers him escape on her elephant. Her elephant grabs Keitaro with it's trunk, while armed guards surround the ladies. As everybody wonders what's going on; Su reveals that this is her hometown. SHE'S the princess, and Keitaro's going to be her new king.

Su is holding Keitaro captive in her airship, the Amallan Kaollan. They're playing strip chess, while she tells Keitaro that they're going to the Todai Ruins to get married. Keitaro asks about the others, and it's revealed that they're in the multipurpose reception area(aka prison).

Naru, Haruka, Mutsumi, and Sarah arrive in Molmol, and run into Seta. Seta tells them that Keitaro has been captured and that he's due to be married to Su. While the others discuss what's going on; Naru grabs hold of Tama-chan and flies up to Su's giant airship. After nearly slipping a few times, she manages to make it inside.

Su is playing all sorts of games with Keitaro, such as watersliding and chess. Keitaro asks her why she's doing this. Su explains that she has so much fun at Hinata House, but one day she'll have to come back home and get married. Her number one dream is to marry Keitaro, and then move Hinata House and everyone in it to Molmol.(Her number two dream is to take over the world and take Motoko as a lover/bodyguard). She chases Keitaro around the room, in an attempt to consummate their relationship. Thankfully for Keitaro, Naru enters just in time. She says it looks like Keitaro is having fun, and attempts to punish him. The other residents have made their escape from their cell, and they enter the room being pursued by guards. There's a big battle, and Naru ends up falling though a hole in the airship. Keitaro grabs a parachute and jumps after her.

As they parachute down, Seta flies his airplane nearby and they manage to join up. Su declares that matters are far from over and calls out reinforcements.

Seta and the others journey to the Todai ruins, intermittently hiding from Su's forces. To Seta and Haruka, this is just like old times. They finally manage to reach the ruins, only to find that it's been turned into a tourist trap destination for couples and is filled with bridal shops, flower shops, etc. Seta determines that they must have based everything off the legend he had told them about. Seta decides to keep looking for the real ruins. He and Naru leave to scrounge up some information, and they talk about their feelings for their respective others.

Haruka falls for a salesman's charms, and she tries on a wedding dress. Later, she and Keitaro discuss his relationship with Naru. Haruka tells him that he's probably going to have go all the way and do "it" with her. Keitaro gets very flustered as Naru and Seta return from their info-seeking.

As the sun sets, Keitaro and Naru go for a stroll. They sit down on a dock near the water and talk about their feelings. Following Haruka's advice, Keitaro tells Naru that he thinks they need to take their relationship to the next level. Before Naru can respond, Keitaro gives her a kiss. He asks her if that was "it". Naru runs away in disgust, but Keitaro tells her not to worry about the fax. He then asks Naru to join him, whether it's to college or to the ruins. He asks her to join him and to stay with him forever. Naru asks him if he's proposing. Keitaro sheepishly tells her that Haruka said something about doing "it", and he figured that she meant proposing. Naru tells him that she was probably talking about something else. Before matters can go any further, Su bursts out of the water in her Mecha-Tamago 5. She kidnaps Naru and tells Keitaro to come to the Todai Ruins alone.

Seta flies overhead and Keitaro grabs hold of a rope dangling from Seta's plane. They follow Su's airship, and Keitaro manages to use the rope to swing onboard the Amallan Kaollan. Su asks Kitsune(who has dressed like a villain and acting as Su's second in command) what she should do. Kitsune advises her to employ the elite bodyguards. Su's security officers wonder why they're taking orders from a captive, but they acquiesce.

Keitaro is dashing through the ship when he meets the first bodyguard: Motoko. They battle and Keitaro manages to defeat Motoko by using one of her own moves against her. He then asks Motoko to help him train when they get back to Hinata House. She tearfully agrees.

Next is Shinobu. She tricks Keitaro, and then hits him upside with a frying pan and locks him in a room. With tears in her eyes, she tells him that she's unable to accept his relationship with Naru. Keitaro reminds her of the promise that he made with her, and that it's THEIR promise. Consoled, she lets Keitaro go and tells him that Naru is being held near the front.

Keitaro easily disposes of Kanako, the next bodyguard. He finally reaches the room where Naru is being held, but is surrounded by Su's security. Kitsune arrives and tells him that she really enjoys playing the bad guy. She assures him that they're not really trying to split him and Naru up; they're just paying them back for all the public displays of affection. As security binds Keitaro,she points out that they're arriving at the Todai Ruins.

At the ruins, Keitaro manages to break free from his bonds. Su confronts him with her Mecha-Tamago 5 before he can escape. Fortunately for Keitaro, the Neo Roninz of Motoko, Shinobu, and Kanako show up to help him. Seeing that everyone else has joined forces with Keitaro, Su quits her own side and rejoins the other residents. Feeling betrayed, Kitsune orders the Amallan Kaollan to ascend, but Su self-destructs her MT 5, and the resulting explosion knocks Keitaro and Naru into a moving mine cart. As their cart goes rushing into the ruins, Seta's plane flies overhead.

As Seta's plane flies right over their heads, Seta yells out to Keitaro and apologizes but tells him that he can't afford to lose the race. Keitaro and Naru manage to stop their mine cart. They get out and look at the ruins, while Kitsune and the other residents come running up. Kitsune(no longer playing the villain) tells them that Seta has a bounty on his head for looting a priceless artifact. Keitaro is going to rush off to find Seta, but because of the legend the women want him to choose who he wants to be with. After some false starts, he grabs Naru's hand and they start running. Kitsune yells out that they have to be the first couple at the altar.

They manage to beat Seta and his crew of Haruka and Sarah to the altar room. Before they can cross the threshold, Seta arrives and challenges Keitaro. They battle hand-to-hand, and Seta comes out on top. Seta tells Keitaro that he did really well, but there's something that he HAS to do. Su and her militia enter, and Su confronts Seta about the artifact that was stolen 400 years ago. Seta sets it down, and asks if that was a good place. Su realizes that Seta must not have been the theif(as Sarah helpfully points out, he wasn't even alive 400 years ago). She then notices that the moon is red.

After the confusion, Seta tells Keitaro and Naru that all they have to do is go up to the altar and kiss, and their love will be sealed forever. The couple look at each other, and then tell Seta that they think he and Haruka should go. Haruka worries that they're not prepared; but Mutsumi shows up carrying the wedding dress that Haruka had tried on earlier. Adult-Su tells them that they have to honor the legends, and she officiates the Haruka's and Seta's wedding ceremony.

After the wedding, Keitaro and Naru are sitting under the moonlight. They talk about how beautiful the wedding was, but Keitaro despairs of the fact that they still didn't get to keep their promise. Naru kisses him and tells him that what matters is how they feel. She then blushes, and ask Keitaro if he wants to do "it".

Chapter Titles

• Hinata 106: Osculation Rhapsody
• Hinata 107: Ronin Damsel In Distress
• Hinata 108: The Sword, The Exam, Or Love...
• Hinata 109: Keitaro & Naru: Todai Or Bust!
• Hinata 110: Chart A Course For the Kingdom of Molmol
• Hinata 111: Rescue King Keitaro!
• Hinata 112: Todai: City of Honeymoons
• Hinata 113: A Fabulous Coup D'Etat?
• Hinata 114: Happy Todai Wedding