Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 18 January.

Disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu owns Love Hina and I don't, he makes money from it and I don't... he thinks Kei/Naru is a good couple and I don't, so as you can no doubt tell by this point, I'm not Ken Akamatsu, I don't own Love Hina and the characters and locations are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes.

"Some Girls Do"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

The club played a unique mix of music, and Konno Mitsune, otherwise known as 'Kitsune', wasn't always sure how she felt about that, but if you were old enough the drinks were good and plentiful, so she could deal with it. Most times, she could deal with it. That night's music, however, pushed it. Someone had appearantly convinced the club's owner to make that night's music American 'country' music from the 1980's and the early 90's, the current song coming over the club's speakers had the singer singing about how even if he wasn't the kind of guy some girls would be interested in, there were other girls that would be interested in him.

The 'Fox of the Hinata' sighed as she looked down at her reflection in her drink and mentally swore before muttereing, "I came here tonight to get away from boy and girl troubles... If I had known tonight's mustic was mostly gonna be able that, I'd have found somewhere else to go. Why can't they post a schedule or something, really?"

Kitsune's problem was that she was an attractive young woman and she knew it, and she knew how to use it. She was used to using her looks to manipulate their emotions and get people to do what she wanted. She wasn't used to her own emotions feeling manipulated and in turmoil, completely unsure of what - or who - she wanted. It wasn't something with which she was comfortable. The source of her discomfort was a simple one...

"Urashima freakin'-Keitaro," Kitsune muttered again as she lifted her glass and took a drink.

How one guy - who didn't check any boxes for looks, money, or anything else for that matter - could so completely up-end everything for not just Kitsune herself, but just about every girl at the Hinata, she didn't have a clue. He was clumsy, both verbally and physically; he was geeky; he was a Ronin... so why did every girl he met end up feeling something for him? Kitsune didn't want to call it attraction, so she was sticking with 'something', especially since she was one of those girls.

"If he wasn't so focused on some old promise, he could have a freakin' harem. Any other guy would jump at the chance, but he cares more about his 'promise girl'... which is why he could have any of us, all of us even, because he doesn't want us. Oh, the irony... He's like some kind of over-innocent Mr. Kiss-Kiss Bang-Bang; 'women want him, men want to be him... and he doesn't have the first clue'..." Kitsune laughed to herself.

Then she pushed her glass further back on the table, away from her. If she found that funny, it was a good sign that she was having a little too much and needed to lay off for the night while she was still coherent enough to get back home at the end of the night.

"You know," Kitsune commented to herself, "It's not right that I know so little about him, that all of us do; we know he's Granny's grandson, his parents have a bakery and he's trying to get into Tokyo U to fulfill a promise... But I can't think of what kind of food he likes, music or movies... Is he the kind of guy that would bring a date to a club like this or is Keitaro more the 'long moonlit walks on the beach' kind of romantic? I guess I really need to fix that, don't I?"

Realising that she was starting to work herself into a depressed state, Kitsune stood up, surveying the room to see if there was any guy worth a dance or two before she left. As she looked for single guys, her eyes passed over couples, paying them little attention until one couple made her stop and take a second look. The girl had on a pair of sandals with straps that criss-crossed their way up her legs to just below her knees, where just above her knees a cherry-red sheath skirt ended from where it had started at her waist, while a white button-up vest shirt covered her upper body. Probably the most striking feature about the girl, though, that Kitsune could see from her position was that her athletic-looking body was capped by a head of black hair; not blue-black, but pure ebonite pulled back into a loose ponytail. If she didn't know better, Kitsune would swear that it was Motoko, dressed down and clubbing, but she just shook her head, it was probably just the long dark hair combined with the red skirt and white top that was making her draw the comparison; especially since the guy she was dancing with was wearing black slacks and a white button-up shirt and had short dark hair. She had been thinking of Keitaro and because the guy happened to have a few similarities to him - and probably to hundreds of other guys as well - her mind had just ended up comparing them to the Hinata's manager and a housemate that looked similar. Kitsune wasn't sure she liked her mind running away from her like this.

In fact, she snorted as a thought occurred to her, 'This keeps up and I'll end up jumping to conclusions almost as much as Naru does.'

Even though Kitsune was sure that they weren't who she had first thought they were, there was still something about the couple that wouldn't let her look away - her and dozens of other club patrons - as they danced to the music in that way that only a couple with no barriers - emotional, physical, or any other kind of barrier - between them can dance while the song moved on to one about a woman shining and all the men who wished they had seen it before.

"Oh, what a little love can do," the guy joined in singing along with the song at one point, though Kitsune could barely hear it, "Now that she's found herself, she's stronger than she ever knew..."

As the last few lines of the song played, the guy took his partner's hands by the wrists and raised them into the air over her head, holding them there while he bent his head and kissed her as she looked up at him to protest. When he let go of her wrists and began to pull away, she responded by bringing her arms down around his neck and pulling him in for another with such force that he had to place his hands on her hips to keep from losing his balance when their lips forcibly met. Kitsune couldn't make out what the guy said when they finally parted, but the girl's face lit up and they headed for the door with her a step-and-a half ahead of him. Somehow, that gave the Hinata girl the feeling that it wasn't something about him needing to get her home before her curfew. As the woman pulled her partner towards the door, the music that was playing managed to once again penetrate the barrier erected by Kitsune's thoughts.

"We fell right in way over our heads; but we didn't go near the water; Love ran deep, so young and sweet; and the nights got hotter and hotter; we were sure enough getting our feet wet, Momma; but we didn't go near the water..."

Hinata House Annex
Earlier that evening...

"You're late," came the slightly-harsh whisper of greeting.

"I apologise," Motoko answered, dropping a small messenger bag to the floor, "Su wanted to... 'play'."

The other occupant of the Annex winced, knowing that Kaolla Su's idea of 'play' could be considered by others to be borderline insanity... and by some to be far across that border and making its way at high speeds towards complete lunacy. It wouldn't have surprised them if they learned that Su's being sent to Japan for 'educational purposes' was really just a way to give everyone around her home a break.

"It's okay, I was just worried you might not make it," the other person shook their head, "It was getting close to time to leave, after all."

"I had no intention of failing to appear," Motoko answered as she loosened her clothes to the point where a few simple movements had them laying in a pile on the floor and her left in a skirt and top that no-one at the Hinata would believe their eyes if they saw her wearing. Bending down, she carefully put her 'normal' clothes into the messenger bag before pulling a scrunchie out of a pocket on the side. Standing up, she adjusted the scrunchie so that it was on the outside of her fingers as she pulled her hair together, allowing her to slid it on and leaving her with a ponytail that kept her black hair away from her face. Almost as though it were a trigger, as soon as Motoko had put her hair into the ponytail, her entire demeanor changed from serious swordswoman into just another fun-loving girl going out for a night on the town with her boyfriend.

"Ready?" Motoko asked with a grin that in her other clothes would have been so out of place as to terrify all but one of her housemates.

That one stood up, Keitaro having exchanged his usual glasses for the contacts he had secretly gotten and gelled back his hair while he was waiting, even in the same kind of shirt and slacks he usually wore, it was enough to make him look like a different person; if Keitaro had been aware of the comic book character, he probably would have agreed had anyone chosen to compare 'normal' Keitaro changing into 'clubbing' Keitaro to Clark Kent changing into Superman.

Keitaro grinned, "I'm ready if you're willing."

Author's Notes; Yes, I enjoy music. I can't sing worth a flip, but I still enjoy it and it inspires me. Songs referenced within include;
"Some Girls Do", Sawyer Brown
"She's Taken A Shine", John Berry
"Don't Go Near The Water", Sammy Kershaw
"I'm Ready If You're Willing", Johnny Horton