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Love Hina - Payback
A Love Hina Fanfiction
By The Headcrook

Legal Disclaimer: The characters and locations of Love Hina are the property of Ken Akamatsu, while the characters and locations of Ranma 1/2 (who appear in several cameos) are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. After writing Fight Hina, I thought that would be it for the genre. But after reading 'I Love You So Goodbye,' and 'Moon Over the Castle,' I decided to take the idea of Naru's infidelity in another direction. Keitaro doesn't get depressed. He gets mad...and even. Basically, I'm going to try and outdo myself form when I wrote the alternative endings for Fight Hina. This story takes place several months after Keitaro returns to Hinata. Enjoy.

Part One

'Do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold?'
- Khan Noonien Singh, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Nerima Ward, Tokyo

Inside a modest looking home complete with a training hall, Nabiki Tendou eyed the two stepsiblings sitting across from her at the low table.

The middle daughter of Soun Tendou knew one of them, since he was a student and protegee of the archelogist Noriyasu Seta and that she too was a Toudai student. The male was older than her by a couple of years, with short brown hair and eyes that had a serious expression through his wireframe reading glasses. His stepsister was younger than he was, probably around her own sister's age. Unlike her brother, who was wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, she was dressed in a black dress which reminded Nabiki of a Gothic Lolita. Her expression mirrored that of her stepbrother's.

Turns out that eventhough she had clinched herself a scholarship to attend Tokyo University, Nabiki continued her little 'side business' of getting information and finding out every person's dark little secrets...for a price. This time, however, Nabiki made an exception, since her family - mostly her father and her (soon-to-be) father-in-law - owed a favor to Hina Urashima, and the descendants of the Urashima matriarch has come to collect.

Keitaro Urashima, landlord of the Hinata Apartments, formerly an inn, now an all-girls' dorm, had gotten her name from several people as one who specializes in eavesdropping and finding out anyone's dirty little secrets...for a price. When he told Nabiki that he wanted to hire her for a little eavesdropping mission, and given the favor both Soun and Genma owed to the Urashima family, Nabiki charged half-price for her services.

The reason why Keitaro and his stepsister Kanako were in Nermia was that he was out looking for construction workers to help patch Hinata House cheap. And given his daily flights out of Kanagawa via Naru's punches, Motoko's Shinmeiryu techniques and Suu's inventions and the antics of the martial artist clique known as the 'Nerima Wrecking Crew,' of which Nabiki's younger sister and her fiance were a part of, the construction workers had plenty of work to do.

That was a simple ruse on Keitaro's part.

The reason why Keitaro hired Nabiki was simple. Several people, including Kanako, his friends Haitani and Shirai, and even Haruka have told him that while he was on his excavations with Seta overseas, his 'promised girl,' one Naru Narusegawa, was anything out but faithful to him.

It was Haitani and Shirai who found out first. They caught Naru out with someone Keitaro once considered as a friend. Kentaro Sakata. To make matters worse, they were holding hands and kissing on several of the rides. Almost immediately, they notified Keitaro via e-mail, which is why he had sent Kanako to watch the dorm.

Soon after her arrival, Naru, under the excuse that she had a part-time job and would be working late, stayed out until past midnight. Kanako, using her uncanny ability to disguise herself and her voice, followed Naru until she met up with Kentaro. What she saw made her want to jump down and thrash the offending hussy for stringing along her brother the way she did.

She had followed the pair until they reached a well-known love hotel in Tokyo, and didn't leave until several hours later. When Kanako notified her stepbrother, Keitaro was at first, depressed. Then he was mad. Several days after his return to Hinata, Naru announced that she was going to Kyoto with some friends at the university for the weekend.

What Naru knew didn't know about Motoko's older sister was that Tsuruko's husband was a freelance photographer working with the Kyoto Police Department. One phone call to Tsuruko and a quick talk with her husband Shin, he was more than happy to help Keitaro. Of course, Motoko didn't knew about the little deal with her brother-in-law or her 'perverted' manager. Better yet, no one knew about Naru cheating on Keitaro. Not even Kitsune, who was Naru's childhood friend.

With more than enough proof in his hands (Tsuruko had to admit that Shin took some pretty good shots of Naru and Kentaro together in Kyoto) Keitaro had to get the proverbial nail in the coffin. Remembering that Nabiki shared a class with him, he approached her and she was more than willing to help.

Which led to why Keitaro and Kanako are seated before Nabiki, the pair sipping tea that Nabiki's eldest sister had made for them, acting as the hostess.

"You have everything I asked for?" Keitaro asked.

Nabiki nodded. "It was too easy. I thought that Nausegawa and Sakata would be a bit more...discreet." She pulled out a cassette tape and a sealed envelope. "You do have my sympathies concerning this little matter."

Keitaro nodded. Then he blinked at Nabiki's comment. "The 'Ice Queen of Nerima' is expressing her sympathies concerning this? That's a shock."

Nabiki smirked. "I may be cold, but even you don't deserve this. Narusegawa's been stringing you along and have been lying to you, your family, and to your friends." She played the tape.

Eventhough Keitaro's blood was boiling from what he was hearing, he remained calm. He was also thankful that Haruka wasn't here listening to this, otherwise, he would have a hard time in trying to convince her not to kill both Naru and Kentaro. The tape was a conversation between Naru and Kentaro. Even Keitaro was impressed with Nabiki's skill and cunning in bugging Naru's telephone. Either that or she had some serious eavesdropping equipment.

The call was between Naru and Kentaro.

"You think that Keitaro will discover that you're cheating on him?" Kentaro asked.

Naru scoffed in disgust. "You don't have to worry about that pathetic excuse for a man. He thinks I'm in love with him. I got him wrapped around my finger. You can say that there are...advantages in living in a dorm when you are dating the landlord. He's too much of a loser to do anything if he finds out about us."

Nabiki saw the anger rise in Kentaro and quickly shut off the tape. The middle daughter of Soun Tendou pulled out several documents and handed them over to Keitaro. "This is on the house. Turns out that she flunked the entrance exams a second time," she said. "Sakata used his father's influence to get her into Toudai. Both Naru and Kentaro, from what I've heard, were rooting for you to fail the exam. Good thing you didn't."

Keitaro scanned the documents. What Nabiki said was indeed true. The former ronin pulled out a wad of yen bills and handed it over to Nabiki. "Thanks again."

"Anytime, Keitaro."
===
On their way back to Hinata, Keitaro was planning his next move. The items that Nabiki had given to him were in a knapsack that Kanako was carrying. En route to the train station, they ran into a bokken-wielding, Shakespeare-sprouting kendoist. Tatewaki Kunou's tirade about Kanako's beauty rivaling that of a certain 'fierce tigress' and his 'pigtailed girl' was cut short when Kanako sent him flying back to the other side of Nerima by way of her fist. He made a nice impact crater in the ward's main street.

"So what will you do now, big brother?" Kanako asked. "We got the evidence we need on Naru and Kentaro. So what are you waiting for?"

Keitaro nodded. "I know, Kanako." He didn't sound upset. That part had already passed. "I'm thinking that Kitsune didn't know about this and Motoko would have told me already if she knew. They will not be part of my plan."

"Plan?" Kanako repeated. "What plan?"

Keitaro turned to his stepsister and smiled. "Naru's birthday is in two days."

Kanako immediately realized what he was planning. "You're going to drop the bomb on Naru on her birthday? Onii-chan, you're so mean! I like it!"

Keitaro's smile then turned cold and evil. If Motoko saw the expression, she would have mistaken Keitaro as being posessed by a demon. "I just wanted to see how long she can continue this without me knowing. Don't worry. The bitch will get what's coming to her soon."
===
When they returned to Hinata City, they immediately stopped at Haruka's teahouse. Kentaro had long since returned to his apartment, leaving Haruka alone. Aside from Kanako, Haruka knew of Naru's adulterous relationship with Kentaro through Keitaro and Kanako. Keitaro had forbidden his aunt to lay a hand on Naru, telling her that she will get her just rewards in due time.

Kentaro, however, was fair game. Haruka was even more harsher to the boy, even more so when Keitaro called her 'Aunt.' Her attitude towards Naru cooled towards the younger woman, eventhough Naru couldn't figure out why. From what Nabiki and his friends had told him, Kitsune, Mutsumi and Motoko knew nothing about the relationship. Keitaro also guessed that Naru didn't say anything to the younger residents, since she knew that they would immediately warn Keitaro about her cheating.

Speaking of which...

Upon hearing that title escape from her nephew's lips, Haruka tossed a empty teacup at Keitaro. She saw that Kanako had caught it out of the air and set it
back down on a table.

"It's Haruka, Keitaro," the older woman scolded. "We've been through this before." After closing the shop, the three Urashimas were seated at the table.

After showing Haruka the info that Nabiki had given him, Keitaro could clearly see a vein throbbing in his aunt's forehead. She was even pissed to find out that Naru had cheated her way into Tokyo with Kentaro's help, while Keitaro had to work his way in. In fact, while they were on their way back to Hinata City, Kanako and Keitaro listened to the tape. In her conversation with Kentaro, Naru was surprized that Keitaro had passed the entrance exams on his fourth attempt. She was actually rooting for him to fail.

"It ends in two days," Keitaro said.

"Naru's birthday," Haruka said. "What you got planned?"

Keitaro smiled evilly. "I'm going to give her a surprize she will never forget. First, I'm going to call Tokyo University and tell them about this little incident with Naru and her entrance exams. Then...we'll expose Naru and Kentaro for what they really are."

Haruka and Kanako exchanged glances. They had never seen this side of Keitaro before. Maybe his time with Seta had forced him to finally grow up and act like a man. But even for the two women, this silent hate and rage was foreign, even for Keitaro Urashima.

Haruka and Kanako almost felt sorry for Naru. Almost.

It would be an interestng birthday party for Naru indeed. And unbeknownst to Naru Narusegawa, the last happy day of her life.