Disclaimer I don't' own Love Hina…Ken Akamatsu does and that's it end of discussion.

A Different Start

Prologue

Sounds of shuffling paper could be heard inside a room. A young man dressed in a grey t-shirt and brown pants top over by a white lab coat worked vigorously sorting out papers and reading reports.

He worked on the large stack of papers that looked like the world trade center. A few empty cans of sodas and bags chips were littered on his desk. Keitaro had been working on all those paperwork all day and finally he was close to finishing it. He hated doing the paperwork after a dig with Seta. Sure he just needed to sit there and organize and check the reports if they were right, but after a few hours of reading through some ten paged reports that could be summarize into three it becomes very much tiresome.

Now done with his worked he leaned back and took off his thin framed glasses and closed his eyes for a little rest he deserves. The room's door flung open, a lanky man with smile on his face stood in the entrance. He searched the room and saw Keitaro.

Seta crossed the room towards his sleeping assistant.

The lanky professor was dressed in a similar manner as his assistant. The older man looked so much like Keitaro that he could pass as his older brother. He also sported a pair of small framed glasses that Keitaro copied.

"Hey assistant you finish with the paper work yet?" He moved towards Keitaro who was still asleep and was startled which made him fall back with his chair.

"Aoowwww…" Keitaro groaned as he rubbed his sore behind while slowly getting up. "Yeah already done sensei already finished, but you shouldn't surprise me like that" He replied a bit of annoyance in his voice.

"Sorry if I startled you." He said and rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. A blond blur then shot up and bonked Seta on the head. The blur landed beside the lanky man and proceeded to scold the older man.

"I told you papa don't do that to Keitaro-san!" a fourteen year old American girl said and tapped her right foot in annoyance. Her long hair was tied into two ponytails while a few strands of stray hair framed her face.

"Sorry Sara-chan I didn't mean to" Seta apologized his charge while gingerly caressing a lump on his head. "Anyway, thanks again Keitaro-kun you've been a big help for this past year and a half." Noriyasu said and walked up to the desk and checked the files Keitaro worked on.

"It's nothing. You've helped me a lot in my studies and if weren't for your help I wouldn't have lasted one semester and flunked out. Besides if I don't get this done we won't be able to go on excavations which are the best thing about archaeology" he replied.

"Come on Keitaro-kun I think you could have passed even if I didn't tutor you then." The older man answered.

"I don't think so. I barely got higher from the cut off rates when I took the entrance exam and my grades in high school were just average at best." Keitaro said and looked down at the floor.

"Well, you should be proud, you've been here for almost two years with good grades and popular with the other students, and that's because of your hard work and perseverance." Seta praised his friend. He then lit cig in his mouth and breathed out a large breath of smoke.

Sara who can't bare the smoke that was accumulating in the room moved towards a window and opened it. A light breeze blew in caressing her face.

"Yeah but I still haven't found the girl I promised fifteen years ago, I mean I did meet wonderful girls here…but I still want to see her and tell her that I kept my end of the promise." Keitaro said and looked out the window Sara opened. The sky was getting dark and lights of the city of Tokyo sparkled like a myriad of jewels.

"So you're still looking for the promise girl huh. Anything special about her, that you want to find her so badly, maybe a little childhood of love?" The tall man said and raised a brow accompanied by a grin.

Keitaro blushed furiously and stuttered a reply. "I-I don't think that i-it's that sensei bu-but I just want to see her again that's all." Keitaro replied face flushed looking away.

"Hahah… Well I hope you find her part-timer"

"If you don't find her I'm right here for you Keitaro-san" Sara joked looking at Keitaro sweetly.

"Hahaha…Thanks Sara-chan but I don't think it would work out, and sensei would kill Me." he said playing along. Sara frowned, she crossed her arms and pouted cutely, and face flushed because of the attention given to her by Keitaro.

"I don't know part timer you're quite a catch for her, I don't mind you being with Sara." Seta said rubbing his chin in a thinking pose. He looked very serious that Keitaro sweatdropped thinking his sensei might really want Sara to be his girl.

"Seta-san!" Keitaro protested. Keitaro looked at Sara expecting her to also be a bit angry only to see her blushing furiously and twiddling her fingers.

"Hahah…just joking, come on you guys it's late and we need to get these papers to the department head for checking" Seta said behind a large stack of papers he scooped up from the desk. Keitaro helped his teacher and took half the load.

"So how long do you think before they approve our request to investigate that island in the middle of the pacific?" Keitaro asked glancing towards his mentor.

"I'm guessing about half a year or so. The island was studied by my teacher years ago, he really wanted to find the ancient turtle civilization, but unfortunately didn't have any luck. So I'm trying to follow my professor's footstep and prove his research wasn't a load of bull."

"Oh, guess more paper work for me then…" Keitaro said with a shrug. He wasn't whining about all the work he would be getting but he wanted something more exciting that paperwork.

"Sorry Keitaro-kun, but teaching, meetings with some museums, customs, and other works I have just takes up my time" he said.

Keitaro shook his head and smiled, "I don't mind if I don't do it no one else will; besides you've wanted to find this ancient turtle civilization since you're senior years in college. I kind of developed an interest in it too and would do anything I can to find it."

"Thank you very much Keitaro-kun this really means a lot to me" Seta said a small smile on his face while looking at Keitaro. They stared into each others eyes, their same goal giving them the same feeling of excitement of discovering a lost civilization.

"Are you two going to start making out in front of me because that would be so wrong…" Sara interrupted the teacher-student duo." …And I cant take it if Keitaro-kun is gay." She thought.

"Heheh…" the two quickly looked at Sara and laughed sheepishly.

"Well let's get going, we have to get to the heads office before he leaves" Seta said while walking to the open door. Keitaro tailed Seta closely while trying to keep the stack of papers balance when Sara suddenly clung on his arm.

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After delivering the documents to the heads office Seta offered Keitaro a ride to his apartment which a clinging Sara approved on because of the extra moment that she can spend with him while on the trip there. After a few wrecked street stalls, turn-overed vehicles, piled up police cars, and a missing hub cap on the "Seta mobile" they finally got to Keitaro's apartment.

"Damn I still wonder how you got you're license sensei?" a wide eyed Keitaro who was upside down behind the back of the van complained.

"Well at least papa didn't crash us into a ten feet wall as means of stopping this time" Sara stated and help Keitaro out.

"Well Keitaro-kun see'ya tomorrow in class" Seta said smiling at him his cigarette dangled in his mouth.

"Yes, see you tomorrow sensei. See you again Sara-chan." Keitaro smiled at the teenage blond. Sara blushed and waved back at Keitaro and Seta drove off to their apartment.

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Keitaro's abode wasn't much; the apartment building he lived in was quite run down. The room he had was stationed up in the third floor meaning he had to walked up a long set of stairs just to get to there.

When Keitaro reached his apartments door he saw a piece of paper stuck on it addressed to him. He plucked the piece of paper and read it.

Dear

Being that you missed three months of pay, you have two days to find another place to live in. Even thou you could pay the three months rent you are still to find another establishment for we cannot tolerate such irresponsibility.

The Mangement.

Keitaro looked at the paper and sighed he cursed himself for telling his parents that he will not need any financial support from them, and his part-time work with Seta wasn't actually paying big enough.

He dragged himself inside the room worrying where he would be staying now? The room he had wasn't much. He had a small television in front of a worn couch and a desk placed at the corner where he studies. He dropped his things near the door and dragged himself towards the couch.

Keitaro dropped in the couch and thought of where he would be staying now. Keitaro thought of asking his old roommates if they got a place to let him stay but remembered they were bunking at the part of town where he wasn't welcome in. Asking Seta a favor was also out as he already did so much helping Keitaro.

When he thought that it was hopeless an idea hit him. Granny Hina had written to him a few days ago, asking him to come to Hinata-sou. If he remembered correctly the place wasn't too far and the place had many rooms to spare.

Keitaro smiled and perked up; maybe he won't be living in the streets after all.

Keitaro decided that he would skip classes tomorrow and go visit his grandmother. He looked for the letter and confirmed it that it was still until tomorrow was the date specified his meeting with his grandmother.

He didn't like the thought if mooching off his grandmother but he was in a real pinch. He walked to the bathroom and washed himself and prepared for bed.

Tucked in his bed, arms under his head Keitaro stared at his ceiling slowly falling asleep. Not long after he dreamed of the place he would be visiting he dreamed of Hinta-sou, where he made his promise where he met her.

His promised girl.