"Hey, did you know that if two people go to Tokyo University, that they'll live happily ever after?"
"Really?"
"When we grow up, lets go together, okay?"
"Bye bye Kei-kun!"
"Ahhh... Tokyo University! I'll be there one day!"
My name is Urashima Keitaro, age 20, blood type AB. And I'm a second year Ronin, trying to get into Tokyo University.
After failing the examination twice, I ended up here, looking for my grandmothers Inn. It cost me a good chunk of my savings but finally, I'm here, at Hinata Inn!
"Next stop, Mahora City! Next stop, Mahora City!"
"AAAAAAAHHH! NOOOOOOO! I took the wrong train!"
Urashima Keitaro, age 20. Currently dateless and in the wrong direction. Right prefecture, wrong city. Heaving a sob of despair, he got off the train and stepped out into the streets of Mahora City.
And the wheels of fate turned once more, this time shifting gears.
Side A : Mahora Sensei Keitaro!
Written by Shaun Garin
Mahou Sensei Negima and Love Hina are created by Ken Akamatsu. All characters used for entertainment purposes only. All rights reserved and all information comes from Akamatsu's manga and animated series.
Chapter 1 : Welcome On Your First Day!
"This sucks," said Keitaro as he slumped at the open air café. In front of him sat a coffee that was steadily growing cold. "Now I don't have the money to get to Hinata City. Sure I'm in the same prefecture but it's a good 16,000 yen I don't have for the transportation."
Heaving a sigh, his head hit the rim of the cup and he moaned.
As Keitaro wallowed in self-pity, there was a ringing of a bell in the distance as a literal stampede of kids ranging in between high school to college level ran down the road. Keitaro looked up at the mad rush and it brought a little smile to his face. "I remember doing that when I was in high school. Those memories."
"This is nuts!" screamed a girl as she ran past with a girl in skates zooming behind her. "We can't get there on time! Maa, Konoka why didn't you wake me up!"
"You were too busy sleeping Asuna," replied the other girl cheerfully.
"Coffee refill?" asked the woman who held a pot in her hands.
"Um, sure." said Keitaro. "Oh, I'd like to know but who's the headmaster anyhow in this area?"
"Headmaster Konoe," replied the woman and Keitaro spat out his coffee.
"Headmaster Konoe? That's a friend of my grandmas. I remember meeting him four years ago..."
Getting up, Keitaro paid his tab and grabbed his bag. "Thanks for your help, ma'am!" With that, he took off for the school.
"Excuse me, can you tell me where the Headmaster's Office is?" asked Keitaro of a couple of girls.
"Sure, it's down the hall and fifth door on the right."
"Thank you," said Keitaro as he headed down the hall. Soon, he came across the door and knocked. "Enter," said a voice and Keitaro stuck his head in.
"Um, excuse me, Headmaster Konoe?"
"Aaaah, Urashima Keitaro," said the Headmaster. "Come in, come in, I've been expecting you."
"You were?" blinked Keitaro as he came into the office.
The elderly headmaster was of a peculiar type of person with his head a long cucumber-like thing and many wrinkles. He wore hoop earrings on stretched out ear lobes and wore old fashioned robes that offset the large modern office. "Yes, I received an interesting fax from your grandmother Hina. She highly recommended you for a position as the English Professor."
"There must be some mistake," said Keitaro. "I'm not even a Tokyo U student, I'm a second year Ronin."
"There is no mistake," said Konoe as he looked at Keitaro intently. "Your grandmother is a particularly difficult person to deal with. There are very few who could sway me like this and I'd much rather stay un-bruised and with all limbs intact. Being old doesn't afford many injuries as you know. You will be set in class 2-A as the morning English professor, as your grandmother said your English skills are fairly good."
"But, I didn't even graduate university!" exclaimed Keitaro, flailing his arms in a panic. "I can't teach Junior High English, I can't even get those types of questions right!"
"There is nothing to worry about," said Konoe and Keitaro figured the conversation was over with the note of finality. "Shizuna-sensei, can you please come in?"
The door opened and a lovely lady with a very curvy figure walked into the room. "You must be Keitaro-sensei," she said, giving him a one-armed hug. Keitaro went red. 'They're so soft...'
"Shizuna-sensei will be your advisor for the five months of student teaching," said Konoe. "Please do not worry about how things will work out. Oh, also, I have set up lodging in the Student Dormitories for you with my granddaughter and her roommate. Well, have a good first day."
Outside of the office, Keitaro sighed and rubbed one hand behind his head. "I just feel like I just gotten railroaded. I don't even know what I'm going to teach!"
"The fax has said you are fairly good at English, am I correct?" said Shizuna. "I don't know the details but your grandmother has considerable sway over the Headmaster. He said something about keeping old bones intact when he made plans to get you here."
"What? What do you mean?"
"You DID board the train to Hinata City, did you not? And then found yourself here?"
Keitaro gaped. "You mean he arranged my coming here? How? Why?"
"I don't know myself," Shizuna said with a smile. "Here's your class roster. Don't worry about the girls. They're all nice."
Keitaro opened the student roster list and his eyes widened. "A class... of all girls?"
"Yes, Mahora Academy in this area is for Girls. Don't worry, you'll do fine."
Keitaro sighed loudly as he slumped for a moment. "Just when I think my life is under control, it spirals out of control. I still need to try and get into Tokyo U." Steeling his nerve, he pushed the door open and said, "Hello cla-ACK!"
The extra chalky eraser hit his head and Keitaro coughed and stumbled about for a moment. Then his foot hit the tripwire and he went head over heels, tumbling into the desk as the girls laughed at his plight. Keitaro twitched on the floor, multiple suction cup darts embedded into his rear end. "Please, Keitaro-sensei get up," said Shizuna, trying her hardest not to laugh.
"Owww," said Keitaro, pulling the bucket off his head and getting to his feet. "That's fairly creative," he said, to the surprise of the girls.
Dressed in his casual white button down shirt and a t-shirt underneath that had a CCS wing and blue slacks and his glasses askew, he also sported a river of blood running down his forehead and over one eye as he grinned and rubbed the back of his head. There was a general silence as he said, "Pleased to meet you. I'm Urashima Keitaro, your new English professor."
And then the room erupted in a frenzy.
"EEEEEEEE! He's so cute!" exclaimed half of the girls in surprise and Keitaro was mobbed.
"Girls, please don't paw your new sensei," said Shizuna as Keitaro finally got free of the mob. "Now then, Keitaro-sensei, please introduce yourself."
Keitaro sweated as the girls returned to their seats. "Well, I'm Urashima Keitaro, son of Urashima Mizuki and Miyako and I'm twenty years old. Mom and dad own a fairly famous sweets shop, Urashima Sweets and, well..." Keitaro muttered the last part and only the people in the front row heard it. "I'm a second year Ronin trying to get into Tokyo U."
There was a general silence as Keitaro cleared his throat. "Okay, lets turn to page thirty-three in the books..."
"Ugh, first day and it was a total disaster." Keitaro sighed and flopped backwards onto the fountain steps. "Maybe I should just dip into my life savings and make the trip back to Hinata City. No way this could be any better than it is there."
Sitting up, Keitaro opened his student roster and looked it over. "Thirty one girls in the class and not one of them seem to respect me at all." He let out a tremendous sigh. "What is Granny Hinata trying to do to me; give me a heart attack prematurely?"
Leaning back on the stairs, Keitaro stared into the sky, watching the clouds roll by. One of them floated by and it looked like a girls face. "Huh, look at that. It looks like my promise girl," he said to himself as he lost himself in a daydream.
"What's the matter Kei-kun?" asked the girl, brushing one hand across his head and ruffling his hair. "Don't tell me that you can't handle a few rowdy girls?"
"No, it's not that," Keitaro chuckled. "I was just hoping I could spend more time with you, that's all."
She giggled. "That's so sweet of you. Come here and I'll let you rest all you want."
"Oh my," grinned Keitaro as she leaned in for a kiss.
"Oi! Sensei, get up. You're asleep on the ground."
Snapping to full awareness, Keitaro looked up at the red haired girl with the dual coloured eyes. He was certain there was some type of scientific name for that type of phenomenon but the name escaped him as always. "Er, hi? And you are…?"
"Asuna. Kagurazaka Asuna," said the girl, folding her arms. "Geez, don't you have a place on campus or something?"
"Ah, no, I actually just got in," said Keitaro, thinking of his duffle bag stored away in the teachers lounge. "I wasn't expecting to start right away though…"
Laughing in an embarrassed tone, he rubbed the back of his head. "You could say that I'm homeless!"
Asuna scowled. "Geez, for a sensei you're not really organized are you?"
"My mom would agree with that," said Keitaro, his mood sinking to his feet. Then, looking up, Keitaro frowned as he saw a girl walking across the steps carrying enough books to start a fire. "Hey, who is that anyhow? She looks like she's from the class."
"Oh, honya-chan?" said Asuna. "That's Miyazaki Nodoka, one the smartest girls in our class."
"She looks really loaded down," said Keitaro as he got to his feet, dusting his pants. When he looked up, Nodoka was setting one foot down in the wrong place.
"AH!" cried Nodoka, her books flying everywhere as she tumbled off the side of the large stairs. Jolted into action, Keitaro and Asuna broke into a sprint in an effort to prevent the girl from getting killed.
"Aw crap! Not going to make it, not going to make it, not going to MAKE IT!"
With a cry, Keitaro threw into a dive to catch the falling girl. There was a bone jarring thud and the yell of "Honya-chan! Sensei! Are you two okay?"
Keitaro's vision swam but quickly righted itself as he groaned in confirmation. Nodoka had used him as a cushion as she fell, sprawled over his body. Her back had collided with his head which noted for the headache as he tried to push himself upright. The sound of feet running up to the pair was heard as his vision focused to see Asuna helping Nodoka to her feet. "Are you all right?" she asked.
"I'm fine," said Nodoka timidly. "Thank you sensei. I thought I was going to die."
Keitaro laughed, despite how much it hurt his head. "I have a good strong head. Don't worry. Oh, I think this is yours."
Reaching down to grasp one of the books, Keitaro's vision swam and he tumbled forward into Nodoka's chest. With an urgle, he hooked her skirt and pulled it down as he fell to the ground.
There was a scream and Keitaro found himself flying into the wall wherein he passed out.
"I don't know, he's such a klutz," said Asuna as she checked the room once more. "Is he all right though, Ako?"
Izumi Ako shrugged. "Keitaro-sensei has a hard head and a rather remarkable healing ability. Not many survive your kick, Asuna."
Asuna flushed. "I didn't think he would pass out and then pull honya-chan's skirt down. I acted in self defence!"
"Still, he's hurt. And you should be thankful sensei saved Nodoka from a fall that could have hurt her even more."
Asuna looked shamefaced as she twiddled her thumbs. "I guess so."
Ako smiled. "Don't worry, he'll be fine. He just needs some time to rest, that's all. I'm sure he didn't mean to do those things to Nodoka-chan anyhow."
"What are you doing here, sensei?" asked Asuna as she opened the door to reveal Keitaro, looking slightly ashamed at standing in the hall of a girls dormitory, his bag slung over his shoulder.
"Um, the Headmaster said I was rooming with you guys," said Keitaro as he looked around the room. "It's a bit small for three people, don't you think?"
Asuna went beet red as Konoka laughed. "Oh no, there's plenty of room. Let me fix up a futon for you, sensei."
"What the hell!" exclaimed Asuna. "Why in the world is the Headmaster putting you up with us, sensei!"
"Who knows how that kooky old man works," said Keitaro with a shrug as he fished out his bath things from his backpack. "Although I'm just stopping by to meet my new dorm mates. I just need to get a bath in and I'll be studying all night."
"Oh?" stammered Asuna. "Why do you need to study?"
"Didn't you hear, Asuna?" asked Konoka. "Keitaro-sensei is a second year Ronin!"
"You don't need to announce it to the world!" protested Keitaro, spiking up in defence.
Asuna fell over in surprise. "You, a second year Ronin, our sensei!"
"Um, yeah. Something about Granny Hinata and Headmaster Konoe wanting to keep all of his old bones intact," said Keitaro and Asuna hit the floor again.
"What school are you trying to get into?" asked Konoka as she took the whole thing in stride.
"Tokyo University, but my grades are really bad. I'm only a little better at English than anything else though." replied Keitaro. "I'm in the 49th Percentile." Asuna hit the wall and something shattered. "Anyhow, I'm going to take a bath in the main halls. Gotta give you girls your privacy."
As he left, Asuna dragged herself out of the hole in the wall and said, "That... guy is our sensei... and he hasn't even finished college yet?"
Asuna waited five footsteps before she exploded. "What the hell is your grandfather THINKING Konoka!"
"Maybe this is his way of setting up a husband for either of us?" replied Konoka innocently.
"KO-NO-KA!"
Keitaro looked behind him as he heard the sound of commotion coming from the room he just left. "They're very energetic," he remarked to himself.
Turning the corner and opening the door to the changing room, he gaped at the surroundings. "It's like a hot spring," he said in surprise as he headed into the room.
After soaping and rinsing, he sunk into the water and sighed. "What a day." Removing his glasses, he set it aside on the pool's edge. "First I get on the wrong train, then I become a professor of English... how does something like this happen when I can barely speak it myself?"
"Oh, hello Keitaro-sensei, fancy seeing you in the girls dorm bath," said a feminine voice and Keitaro jerked in surprise. An attractive girl with amazing curves was sinking into the waters edge. "What are you doing here?"
"Er, um, this isn't what you think," protested Keitaro as he stammered out an excuse.
The girl laughed with a fu fu fu. "It is all right, Keitaro-sensei. Asuna's shouting has pretty much broadcasted to the whole girls dorm that you're rooming with them."
Dredging up a name to the face, Keitaro said, "Hey, you're my student, number twenty, Nagase Kaede."
The girl nodded as she sunk deeper into the water. "I find it interesting, Keitaro-sensei how a second year Ronin trying to get into Tokyo U came to be a professor of English in Mahora Academy."
"Oh great, now they all know!" exclaimed Keitaro as he palmed his face and Kaede laughed. "I don't know how this happened really. I was trying to go to Hinata City in order to find my Grandmother's Inn."
"I suppose when this happens, you should just try and take it in stride," said Kaede as she relaxed in the water. "If you need help though, sessha is happy to help you, all right?"
"Thank you," said Keitaro, thankful he had someone on his side.
"Hey, there's someone in the baths!" exclaimed another girl and Keitaro spat water in surprise. A crowd of his own students stood at the waters edge, looking at him and Kaede who simply smiled back and said, "Hello!"
"Eeew, sensei is a pervert!" exclaimed one of the girls, a girl with glasses and dark hair that had two antennas sticking up.
"DIE!" exclaimed another girl and Keitaro found himself running for his life.
"Shinmei Ryu, Chaos of a Thousand Petals!" Keitaro found himself flying far into the roof as he bounced twice and landed on top of Ku Fei. Fei punched him away with a yell and Keitaro found himself ricocheting towards Sasaki Makie who made a squeaking noise and lashed out with a ribbon.
The ribbon grabbed Keitaro and she whipped him upwards. "Why meeeee!" exclaimed Keitaro as he splashed down on top of the twin Narutakis.
"Ack! FUUKA-CHAN!" exclaimed Fumika as her sister wrestled herself out from under the naked and semi-conscious sensei. Her hands blurred. "Kouga style Taijutsu technique, A Thousand Years of Pain!"
"Eh?" said Keitaro as he got up and found an explosive tag slapped onto his backside with Fumika grinning as she held up the brush used to mark it. There was a short, but violent explosion as Keitaro was sent flying. "BANZAI!" he exclaimed as he crashed into the shallows of the pool, smouldering on his butt.
"Get sensei!" exclaimed Okochi Akira as the girls beat Keitaro from side to side like he was a flying piñata. Keitaro ricocheted into Tatsumiya Mana who threw him aside and opened fire on him.
"Oh god, my class is insane!" screamed Keitaro as he run and was clothes lined by a slip of a girl named Evangeline A.K. McDowell. Evangeline grinned down on him.
"Well well, what do we have here?" purred Evangeline. Keitaro found the whole scenario frightening and he was off like a flash.
"Gotta get away, gotta get away! Is this a sign!"
Keitaro rounded a corner and found Hasegawa Chisame, Shiina Sakurako and Naba Chizuru soaped up and looking very naked. "Yep, this is a sign. I'll just be going now."
"DIE!" Shouted Chisame as she welled up as much strength as possible and sent Keitaro flying into the bath pools again.
"Eeek! Sensei's molesting Chao!" exclaimed Makie.
"Evil Cutting Sword!" was Sakurazaki Setsuna's point towards that remark and Keitaro went flying into Kugimiya Madoka and Muramaki Natsumi who sent him flying in a high arc towards Kakizaki Misa. Misa volleyball spiked Keitaro across the pools and he went crashing into Miyazaki Nodoka on the other side. The pair went down in a heap of limbs and Nodoka suppressed the urge to scream.
"Where did sensei get to?" exclaimed another one of Keitaro's students, one he identified as Asakura Kazumi.
"He vanished! Quick, find him before he starts perving out on anyone else!" exclaimed Akashi Yuna.
Nodoka poked the unconscious Keitaro and whispered, "Keitaro-sensei, please get off me, you're too heavy."
Keitaro blinked twice and rubbed his head. "Ouch. Ack!" Keitaro was off in a flash as he backed up and grabbed his towel. "I'm sorry Miyazaki-san!"
"No, no, it's all right," said Nodoka in a hushed voice.
"Eh? Why are you speaking... like... that?" Keitaro turned to see Saotome Haruna and Ayase Yue standing over them. Despite the juice box, Yue looked upset while Haruna looked angered.
"Sensei! Trying to take advantage of Nodoka-chan while she was away from the others!" exclaimed Haruna loudly while Yue pulled Nodoka to her feet.
"But... I wasn't... you gotta believe me..."
"THERE HE IS! GET SENSEI!"
"SOMEONE HELP ME!"
Yue looked at her best friend who was blushing heavily and asked, "So... how was he?"
"YUE-CHAN!"
"Give it up girl, we want power point!" added Haruna and Nodoka flailed her arms as she was chased around along with Keitaro who by now was looking distinctly bruised up.
"Ouch," said Keitaro as Konoka patched up the bleeding spot with a cross of bandages.
Asuna sighed. "We need to get a "Sensei Bathing" sign for the door. Honestly, that's what you get for acting like that."
"But it wasn't my fault the girls walked in on me," protested Keitaro.
"But it WAS your fault, Sensei! This IS a girl's dorm and thus, there are girls all over the place! What were you THINKING going there when there was a remote chance of women walking in on you? Honestly. Some sensei you are."
Keitaro sighed as Konoka looked at her friend, concerned. "Asuna, don't you think that was a bit harsh?"
"It's the truth," said Asuna. "Look, at least none of them will report you for this. Something like that would get a normal professor sacked."
"Then why?" asked Keitaro.
"Because it wouldn't be as much FUN now would it?" said Asuna, expelling a sigh in a single breath.
Keitaro laughed as he poked the former bleeding spot and then pulled the bandages off, revealing unmarked flesh. "I suppose you're right. I guess I should be thankful that the Headmaster put me in with the pair of you."
Asuna went red and muttered something intelligible.
Konoka poked the previously bruised and bleeding skin and asked, "How did you heal so fast?"
"When I was a kid, I healed really fast. I suppose getting chased around a girls dorm in nothing but a modesty towel has shown how fast I can heal," said Keitaro with a laugh.
Just then, there was a knock at the door as a voice called out, "Is Keitaro-sensei there?"
Asuna opened the door to reveal three girls there, the library exploration club. "Hey, we were told Keitaro-sensei was here," said Saotome Haruna.
"Oh yeah, he is after that beating you girls gave him. Keitaro-sensei, door for you!"
Keitaro got up and three of his students stood there. Dark grey haired Ayase Yue, violet haired Miyazaki Nodoka and Saotome Haruna who had delivered the first punch. "Um, Keitaro-sensei?" stammered Nodoka at the prompting of the others. "I, er, um..." Beet red, she held out a small tin wrapped with a bow. "Please, take this. This is a gift from 2-A... I hope you like it..." With that, she sped away as Keitaro was left holding the tin, looking surprised.
"Oh Nodoka," exclaimed Yue as she followed behind with Haruna close.
"A present?" wondered Konoka. "Open it!"
Keitaro undid the lid and opened it up. And two eyes stared back at him with a pamphlet reading "How to take care of your hot springs turtle." The card simply read "Sorry for beating on you, sensei. Put the turtle on patrol next time! 2-A."
"Myuh!" exclaimed the turtle and the three chorused, "A... turtle?"
"Myuh!" agreed the turtle.
"How CUTE!" exclaimed Konoka as she picked it up and it Myuhed happily. The turtle quickly found a spot on Konoka's head and it Myuhed happily. "I think we'll call her Tama-chan!"
Asuna smiled as she pushed Keitaro into the bathroom. "Go and finish your bath sensei. I need to get to bed early."
"Goooood morrrrrninnnnng classsssssss..." moaned Keitaro as he stumbled into the room, looking like a hollowed out boneless creature.
"Um, Keitaro-sensei? Are you all right?" asked Yukihiro Ayaka as Keitaro slumped over his desk.
"I'm sorry," Keitaro droned. "I was up all night studying for the Mock Exams..."
"After all of that craziness last night?" wondered Asuna. "He must be really trying hard to get into Tokyo University."
A small dish was placed on the side of the desk and Keitaro inhaled sharply, coming back to life in a slightly disturbing manner reminiscent to someone reanimating from the dead. A slightly rounded girl smiled at him. "You have to eat, sensei," she said. "Taking care of your body is the first thing on the list."
'What a cute manner of speaking,' thought Keitaro as the rest of the girls stood and bowed. "Be seated," he said, eating the amazing tasting food. "Thank you, Yotsuba-san."
Yotsuba Satsuki smiled and handed him another dish of food. "Please, eat before you continue our lessons."
"Er, right. Thank you." Taking care to eat quickly and not look rude, Keitaro stood up, re-energized. "All right! Take out your Neo Horizons books and turn to page forty four in the text!"
"The legend of the world tree, Yggdrasil is known to many as the foundations of the world. The three governing fates, Verdanthi, Skuld and Urd govern over the Present, Future and Past. Who can translate this text into Japanese?"
To his surprise, many hands raised as he expected a general ignoring from his class. "All right... Sakurazaki Setsuna. Go ahead."
Setsuna cleared her throat and held up her book. "The legend of the world tree, Yggdrasil is found to many as the origin of the world. The three goddesses Belldandy, Skuld and Urd govern over the Present, Future and Past."
"Not quite there," said Keitaro. Inwardly, he was relieved that this was only junior high English. "It is 'known to many as the foundations of the world'. And it is 'three governing fates, Verdanthi, Skuld and Urd.' But it's a very good first try."
Setsuna nodded and sat down. "Lets go with another one," said Keitaro. "A promise is a driving factor in many stories, as with the effects of magic on it..." Keitaro trailed off as he saw the words "Promise and magic."
"Keitaro-sensei?" asked a smaller girl with hair in ponytails. Fuuka Narutaki. "Is something wrong?"
"A promise," said Keitaro, oblivious to his audience. "The promise to get into Tokyo U... fifteen years ago."
"Are you all right, sensei?" asked the younger of the two, Fumika.
"Oh, sorry," said Keitaro as he laughed and rubbed his head. "Lets move on from that verse. Who can translate this paragraph into English? The story of Jason and the Argonauts is derived from the ancient Greek story..."
"A promise...?" wondered Asuna to herself. "Did he promise something to someone fifteen years ago?"
"How are you doing, Keitaro-sensei?" asked Shizuna as she sat down next to Keitaro as he worked on studying his mathematics and trig questions. "The whole campus is abuzz about the man who became a professor while still a Ronin."
"Oh, hello Shizuna-sensei," greeted Keitaro as he looked up. "Not so well. I had a little fracas in the baths last night and spent the night studying afterwards. Then I got up and well, I'm here now, studying again." The man standing next to Shizuna smiled at him and Keitaro noticed him. "Hi."
"Hi there," greeted the man. "I'm Takahata Takamichi. Nice to meet you, Keitaro-san. I heard some interesting things about you, that you're one of the few people managing to make a professor status without graduating from University."
Keitaro hung his head. "Great, even the professors know now. Does the whole City know now?"
Takamichi laughed. "Don't worry, it'll all work out. There is plenty of time for you to take up studying time. And Shizuna-sensei will substitute for you when you need to take your Entrance Exams. I was the previous professor for English. In a way, think of it as learning something new every day, all right?"
"Thanks, Takahata-sensei."
Takamichi laughed. "Call me Takamichi. There's nothing stopping us from being friends, now is there?"
"All right, Takamichi-san."
Takamichi laughed again. "Ah, I feel like an old man. You can drop the san. So, have you made any friends?"
"Yeah, I think so. Kaede-san, Asuna-san and Konoka-san." Just then, Tama-chan came flying in and alighted on Keitaro's head. "And this is Tama-chan. I have NO idea how she flies but I'm certain it's rare. Hell I didn't even know turtles COULD fly."
"This is a hot springs turtle. They are VERY rare, and usually born in Okinawa," said Shizuna as she rubbed a finger over Tama-chan's head. Tama-chan let out a welcome "Myuh!"
Keitaro smiled and then a sudden thought dropped into his stomach, turning it to ice. "Oh no! I was supposed to go to Sasaki Seminar! Tell me it's not ten fifteen yet?"
"You're lucky, it's not," said Takamichi. "I'll give you a ride. C'mon."
"Urashima Keitaro, reporting for class!" exclaimed Keitaro, bursting into the room.
"Hey, Keitaro, you're late!" greeted Shirai and Haitani grinned as well. "You really think you can pass with skipping the last week?"
"I was busy!" exclaimed Keitaro.
"Do you think you could make it?" asked Haitani as he pointed to the ranking of students list. "There's you, right at the bottom. Well, almost. Few more inches and you'll be hit at the bottom."
Keitaro slumped against the wall.
"Keitaro!" called out Takamichi as he walked into the room. "Oh there you are. Here, Headmaster sent some money for the train trip back."
"Thanks Takamichi," said Keitaro, taking the few 1000 yen notes.
Takamichi grinned. "Don't work yourself too hard, Keitaro-sensei." With that, he was gone.
Haitani and Shirai were on his back immediately. "Keitaro-sensei!" cried Haitani. "When did THIS happen!"
"Yeah, and why not tell us, your best friends!" added Shirai.
"Ow ow ow!" exclaimed Keitaro. "I'm a sensei for Mahora Academy, English department, okay?"
There was a pause and then Keitaro went flying via Haitani's fist. "Damn you and your good luck!"
"How did you, of all people become a sensei at a school like Mahora Academy? And isn't that the girls academy as well?" demanded Shirai. Across the way, a girl with thick braids and a thick set of glasses looked up in surprise.
"It was dumb luck! My Grandmother Hinata sent a fax to the Headmaster, threatening life and limb if I didn't get the job!"
"Excuse me," said the girl. "Can I have a word?"
"Eh?" wondered Keitaro.
"So what was it you wanted to ask me?" asked Keitaro as the girl lead him to the rooftop.
The girl turned around and removed her glasses. "I was just curious how someone at the bottom of the Tokyo National Standings managed to become a sensei at my old school. That's all."
"Oh, well, um, apparently my grandmother and the Headmaster railroaded me into it," said Keitaro.
"I see. I'm Narusegawa Naru. And you?"
"Oh, um Urashima Keitaro. Nice to meet you."
"Urashima? So you grandmother is Hina then? And your aunt Haruka?"
"Yes, do you know them?" asked Keitaro.
"What a coincidence. I live at your grandmothers girls dorm." said Naru with a smile.
"Girls... dorm? It's not an Inn anymore? Wow, that was close," said Keitaro with a laugh. "I was going to hit the open aired baths when I got there. Could you give Aunt Haruka a message that when I find some time off, I'll come and visit? Maybe bring some of my students on for a trip or something."
"Oh yeah, which class are you teaching right now?" asked Naru. "Maybe I know some of them."
"Um, Class 2-A in the Junior High."
"Hmm... that wouldn't happen to have Konoe Konoka in there?"
Keitaro nodded. "Yes. The Headmaster's Granddaughter."
Naru smiled. "I was a couple of years above them before I transferred out with Kitsune. They're a bunch of cute kids. Tell Konoka-chan I said hi, all right?"
"Right. Maybe we should head downstairs. I think our lunch break is ending soon." Keitaro smiled. "I wonder what Konoka-san is making for supper?"
"Where exactly are you staying?" asked Naru curiously.
"In the dorm," said Keitaro and then stopped as he felt the premotion of doom.
"You... stay at the girls dorm... you... YOU MOLESTER!"
Keitaro went flying from the high velocity punch. "Why meeeeee!" he exclaimed as he crashed to earth.
"Uuuugh," said Keitaro as he slumped over the table. "I just don't get this, Tama-chan," he whispered. The Turtle did not reply as she was sleeping with a small bubble coming out of her nose. One flipper held a red pen and it was snoozing on top of the student essays.
"I don't know how I'm going to manage," said Keitaro, scribbling down a few answers and then checking the key. Predictably, they were all wrong. "I'm sure it'll sink in sooner or later but this seems hopeless."
There was a beeping sound as the form on the top of the bunks stirred. "Mmm," said Asuna. "Keitaro-sensei? Are you up?"
"Yeah, I am," said Keitaro.
Asuna crawled out of bed after straightening her pajamas. "Didn't you get any sleep tonight?" asked Asuna as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked at the stack of papers Tama-chan slept on. "Hmm? Are these our essays?"
"No, I finished those a while ago. These are my Tokyo U study sheets."
"Let me see those," said Asuna as Konoka began to stir. "Hmm... Takahata-sensei told me that if you want to do this question in mathematics, you want to change this number to here and round up."
Keitaro did so and checked the answer sheet. "They're... right. Thanks."
Asuna smiled and stuck her tongue out at him. "Keitaro-sensei, get some sleep. Konoka will wake you up. I need to get some food in me and go out for my paper route."
"Right. You bundle up, it'll be a little cold this morning."
Asuna nodded and went to grab some food before grabbing her clothing from the drawers. Konoka rubbed her own eyes and said, "That was good to see."
"Huh? What do you mean, Konoka-san?"
"I mean how Asuna managed to make that question right, even it being a college level question," said Konoka as she turned on the lights and Keitaro flinched at the light flooding the room in the early morning. "I have to thank you, Keitaro-sensei. Asuna has had a lot of problems, academically as well as socially. I think you've helped her cope a bit."
"She's got a job this early huh?" asked Keitaro. "How come she's working?"
"Grandpa is covering most of her tuition but she's an orphan. Also, her grades and academic strengths aren't very good, being that she's Baka Red." Konoka smiled sadly. "She's tough though, and a nice girl. I think you'll do just fine bringing out her inner strengths."
"Wow, that's hard to do. Well, I'll do my best and keep you all on your best academic track, even though mine isn't too much." Keitaro bit into the eggs and smiled. "This is great, Konoka-san! You'll be a great wife some day."
"Oh sensei, that's too much," giggled Konoka, bonking him on the head with her hammer.
"Myuh!" agreed Tama-chan as she worked on the eggs and sipped her tea before returning to marking grades.
"What a smart turtle she is," gushed Konoka and Tama-chan "Myuh!"ed again.