"Hi, my name's Keitaro Urashima. What's yours?"
~~~
"How much older is he than..."
"Hm, about four, five years, I think."
"That isn't too much, is it?"
"Now, I've seen an arranged marriage where the husband was a full ten years older than his wife. This isn't too bad, considering..."
"But you don't think this is a bit suspicious? I mean, these people suddenly showing up, wanting to do all this, just because our son--I mean, is it true, what they say about him? And you?"
"Well, my grandfather did tell me once that this sort of thing happened with anyone who had a bit of our blood in them. Of course, you know, I didn't believe him. But now, after she said what she's said, it can't be a coincidence, can it?"
"I don't know..."
"Look, it's not like everything's going to happen today, right? They'll grow up more or less together, and if they decide they don't want to go on with the arrangement, they won't have to."
"That's true, isn't it? And it is a pretty nice arrangement--they're all nice people, too, aren't they?"
~~~
"You mean--what do you mean, I have--"
"Look, you won't even try to go for Tokyo University until you're, what, seventeen or so? You made this promise when you were four, right? That's thirteen years. A lot can happen in thirteen years."
"I know, but--"
"I mean, if you knew who it was, I might understand. But you don't even know that! For all you know, she's already forgotten--she was younger than you at the time, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Yeah. Yeah. Look, I'm sorry, but...you've got to face reality. You've got to know when to chase your dreams, and when to follow the paths that've been beaten out already, you know?"
"I know. But..."
"I'm listening."
"If--if I'm really going to end up marrying her--"
"You don't even know that--when you both grow up, you can call it off, remember."
"I know, but if I do end up marrying her, I should probably get a good job to support her, right? And if I want to get a good job, I should probably go to Tokyo University! Right?"
"Just...just as long as you aren't trying to get in to follow that girl you don't know, alright?"
"Where is she, anyway? I mean, she stopped coming over a little while ago, right?"
"Oh, don't worry. We've got a couple relatives of ours checking on them every few months."
~~~
"Look, this is the second time you've failed the exam!"
"I know--I mean, I know, but I know--I think I can get in, if I try again--I mean--"
"Look, you could probably get into a less prestigious school if you tried, couldn't you? Why don't you do that?"
"But--but--I have to get to Tokyo U! I have to keep my prom--I mean, for the marriage--I mean--"
"You...still won't give up on that, will you? No, no, don't answer that. Look...we've talked this over, and...this is going to hurt us as much as you okay? But we really can't support you forever."
"You're...kicking me out, aren't you?"
"It's time for you to learn to live on your own. If you still want to try for Tokyo University, you may--but not while you're living here. Either give up this dream of Tokyo University, or move out. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
"I'm sorry. I'm going to miss you, you know. We all will."
"How did you know what I was going to--"
"Oh, come now. It's you, after all. It was obvious to both of us which choice you were going to pick even as we talked about it. I'll lend you a bit of money to get you started, but after that, you're on your own."
"I'll...miss you too."
"Head to your grandmother's inn, okay? I'm sure she'll let you stay there."
~~~
"Aaahh! Someone help!"
"Aaack!" screamed one Keitaro Urashima, desperately wrapping a towel around the lower half of his body and leaping out of the hot spring.
"I went into the girls' bath by mistake?" he said to himself as he ran down the nearby pathway, away from the girl. "This is so bad!" He opened a door and barrelled through it, not noticing that he was about to run straight into another girl's breast until it was too late to stop. "I-I'm sorry!"
"Kitsune, that's the pervert!" he heard the first girl yell behind him. "Catch him!"
Keitaro resumed his fleeing, barely noticing as he upset the laundry basket another girl was carrying ("What's going on?"), flushing embarrassingly as he accidentally flashed yet another girl ("Eeeeek!"), when suddenly--
Dead end.
"Oh, no." whimpered Keitaro, looking over the end of the railing. "I knew I shouldn't have taken those stairs." He turned around, just in time to see the girls he had encountered come up the stairs themselves.
There was that first girl, the one who had mistaken him for...someone else. By her side, there was the girl who he had...seen him. There was that girl he'd literally run into on his way out of the hot springs, and near her stood the foreign-looking kid who'd had the basket of clothes. And there was--
Keitaro gasped, bring a hand up to his mouth in shock. "Mo-chan?"
A katana clattered to the floor, as its owner had the same reaction. "Kei-kun?"
~~~
"How much older is he than..."
"Hm, about four, five years, I think."
"That isn't too much, is it?"
"Now, I've seen an arranged marriage where the husband was a full ten years older than his wife. This isn't too bad, considering..."
"But you don't think this is a bit suspicious? I mean, these people suddenly showing up, wanting to do all this, just because our son--I mean, is it true, what they say about him? And you?"
"Well, my grandfather did tell me once that this sort of thing happened with anyone who had a bit of our blood in them. Of course, you know, I didn't believe him. But now, after she said what she's said, it can't be a coincidence, can it?"
"I don't know..."
"Look, it's not like everything's going to happen today, right? They'll grow up more or less together, and if they decide they don't want to go on with the arrangement, they won't have to."
"That's true, isn't it? And it is a pretty nice arrangement--they're all nice people, too, aren't they?"
~~~
"You mean--what do you mean, I have--"
"Look, you won't even try to go for Tokyo University until you're, what, seventeen or so? You made this promise when you were four, right? That's thirteen years. A lot can happen in thirteen years."
"I know, but--"
"I mean, if you knew who it was, I might understand. But you don't even know that! For all you know, she's already forgotten--she was younger than you at the time, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Yeah. Yeah. Look, I'm sorry, but...you've got to face reality. You've got to know when to chase your dreams, and when to follow the paths that've been beaten out already, you know?"
"I know. But..."
"I'm listening."
"If--if I'm really going to end up marrying her--"
"You don't even know that--when you both grow up, you can call it off, remember."
"I know, but if I do end up marrying her, I should probably get a good job to support her, right? And if I want to get a good job, I should probably go to Tokyo University! Right?"
"Just...just as long as you aren't trying to get in to follow that girl you don't know, alright?"
"Where is she, anyway? I mean, she stopped coming over a little while ago, right?"
"Oh, don't worry. We've got a couple relatives of ours checking on them every few months."
~~~
"Look, this is the second time you've failed the exam!"
"I know--I mean, I know, but I know--I think I can get in, if I try again--I mean--"
"Look, you could probably get into a less prestigious school if you tried, couldn't you? Why don't you do that?"
"But--but--I have to get to Tokyo U! I have to keep my prom--I mean, for the marriage--I mean--"
"You...still won't give up on that, will you? No, no, don't answer that. Look...we've talked this over, and...this is going to hurt us as much as you okay? But we really can't support you forever."
"You're...kicking me out, aren't you?"
"It's time for you to learn to live on your own. If you still want to try for Tokyo University, you may--but not while you're living here. Either give up this dream of Tokyo University, or move out. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
"I'm sorry. I'm going to miss you, you know. We all will."
"How did you know what I was going to--"
"Oh, come now. It's you, after all. It was obvious to both of us which choice you were going to pick even as we talked about it. I'll lend you a bit of money to get you started, but after that, you're on your own."
"I'll...miss you too."
"Head to your grandmother's inn, okay? I'm sure she'll let you stay there."
~~~
"Aaahh! Someone help!"
"Aaack!" screamed one Keitaro Urashima, desperately wrapping a towel around the lower half of his body and leaping out of the hot spring.
"I went into the girls' bath by mistake?" he said to himself as he ran down the nearby pathway, away from the girl. "This is so bad!" He opened a door and barrelled through it, not noticing that he was about to run straight into another girl's breast until it was too late to stop. "I-I'm sorry!"
"Kitsune, that's the pervert!" he heard the first girl yell behind him. "Catch him!"
Keitaro resumed his fleeing, barely noticing as he upset the laundry basket another girl was carrying ("What's going on?"), flushing embarrassingly as he accidentally flashed yet another girl ("Eeeeek!"), when suddenly--
Dead end.
"Oh, no." whimpered Keitaro, looking over the end of the railing. "I knew I shouldn't have taken those stairs." He turned around, just in time to see the girls he had encountered come up the stairs themselves.
There was that first girl, the one who had mistaken him for...someone else. By her side, there was the girl who he had...seen him. There was that girl he'd literally run into on his way out of the hot springs, and near her stood the foreign-looking kid who'd had the basket of clothes. And there was--
Keitaro gasped, bring a hand up to his mouth in shock. "Mo-chan?"
A katana clattered to the floor, as its owner had the same reaction. "Kei-kun?"
