After an especially poor choice of judgement by Ranma, he had gotten into - and lost - a bet with Nabiki. The consequences? He had to go to school in his female form for the next three days. Right now, on the morning of Ranma's first day of punishment and shame, he was feeling rather angry about the whole situation.

"Damn Nabiki… I was sure she couldn't possibly get that much money off of the boys in my class!" Ranma muttered to himself. Well, he only had himself to blame for trying to bet against her. "I didn't even know they had that much money to spare, not least on her!"

Last week, Nabiki had approached Ranma with her latest devious scheme - she'd bet that she'd be able to make more than 100,000 yen off the boys in Ranma's class within that week. Over the past few months staying with the Tendos Ranma had accumulated a lot of debt from Nabiki, and he knew he had no way of paying her back within the next ten years. So when Nabiki had offered the condition that if she failed, she'd take that amount off of what Ranma owed, he really had little choice but to accept. Also, since Kuno was in the year above and didn't count, Ranma thought he had this in the bag. But at the end of the week, after several favours, sales and blackmails, Nabiki had been able to rake in more than double her quota. Naturally, Ranma had been shocked by this turn of events. What was more, Nabiki had kept an extensive record of all the dealings she had done in a little notebook, so that Ranma could check for himself that every single yen was actually obtained from the boys in his class at school.

Back to the situation at hand, Ranma, who was currently in his girl form, was inspecting the sailor uniform given to her. It would probably be too short for Akane, since this uniform appeared to be of a smaller size. In other words, what Ranma had in her hands was a brand-new uniform bought by Nabiki, presumably with some of the cash she had collected from the bet.

"Why does Nabiki even want me to do this? I don't see why she would have wanted me to appear as a girl," Ranma wondered. "She's got a lot of dedication though, actually buying a new uniform. I'm still going to throw it away when this is over though."

Just then, Akane's head poked round the door to see how Ranma was doing. Ranma turned around at the sound of the door creaking open. "Hey, I'm about to change-"
"Oh hi Ranma, just seeing if you were really going to follow through with this whole schoolgirl thing," Akane said. "You know, I'm surprised you'd actually go through with it, what with how much you hate being a girl."

"Well, I really don't have any choice. I lost the bet after all, so I can't go back on what I said."

"Hmm. You're not… enjoying pretending to be a girl and dressing up, are you?"

Ranma was taken aback at this. "What? No way!" he spluttered. Then her eyes narrowed, looking back at Akane. "Do you not like seeing me like this then? Are you scared I'll take all the attention away from you in school?" To emphasise her point, Ranma puffed her chest out, in an unsubtle jab at Akane's size.

Akane was visibly enraged by this. "Ranma… are… you… calling… me… FLAT-CHESTED?!" She swung her fist round towards Ranma's head, which was quickly ducked under.

Ranma hopped past, squeezing between Akane and the doorway, and made her way downstairs. "Hurry up Akane, breakfast is ready!" she shouted over her shoulder down the corridor.

As a result, breakfast was a grim affair, with Akane glaring at Ranma all the way through and making scathing comments whenever Ranma spoke. Ranma's actions to provoke Akane didn't help the mood either.

"Hey, where's pops? Usually he's up real early."

"Dunno, but- hey, get your chopsticks off my food! Just because your father isn't here, doesn't mean you can go stealing other people's food!"

Nabiki sniggered at Ranma's actions, while Kasumi gave Ranma a stern look. Ranma quickly sank back into her seat.

"Sorry…"

After that they had to get to school. Ranma turned to Akane.

"Listen. I don't want anybody finding out I'm actually Ranma like this, so be sure to refer to me as something else, okay?" Ranma hissed.

"Sure, what?" Akane replied, somewhat scathingly.

"Um… Oh, just go with Ranko."

Ranma really couldn't be bothered to come up with anything original. Hopefully no-one would see through the disguise. Besides, he only had to keep it up for three days.

Kuno was waiting for the two of them at the entrance to Furinkan High. His eyes widened at the sight of his lovely pig-tailed girl in school uniform.

"O Pig-tailed Girl of my dreams and desires, it is true! The rumours I have heard of a new student in this school were about you! At last, you have graced us and our school with your noble presence. Do not fear, I will be here to guide you through! Nothing will come between the two of us!" Kuno proclaimed to the sky.

Akane cleared her throat loudly.

"Ah- Akane! I have not forgotten about you, my love! I will still forever pursue you, hoping for my feelings to be recognised!" Kuno hurriedly added.

"Oh, that's a new one, you're jealous that even Kuno is paying more attention to me?" Ranma asked Akane. Akane replied by storming ahead, ignoring him.

"Hey, come on now, Akane!" Ranma called out. She ran ahead, giving Kuno a fist to the face as she passed him. Akane was still in a sulky mood and turned her head away forcefully.

As the two girls walked ahead into the school building, Kuno began peeling himself off the ground. "Pig-tailed girl… Though you deny your feelings, you still come here every day! I will continue my noble pursuits for your love!"

Kuno burst into the classroom, and rushed over to bow at Nabiki's feet.

"I don't believe it! You have granted my wish of getting closer to the pig-tailed girl! I will be forever in your debt. Name a price, and I will be more than willing hand it over," Kuno said.

Nabiki smiled. Kuno's request of getting his "pig-tailed girl" to enrol in Furinkan High was quite challenging, even if she had expected it. Since Ranma's girl side was not an actual person of her own, she would have had to have forged birth certificates and a lot of other documents to do this normally. However, Nabiki had realised that Kuno was very easily deceived and would often jump to conclusions of his own that suited his worldview. So, instead, Nabiki just had to wait for a student in Ranma's year to transfer to Furinkan High. Then, if Kuno heard about a new student in the year below, and saw Ranma's girl side turn up in a school uniform, then he would immediately deduce that she had been enrolled. Of course, getting Ranma in a girl's sailor outfit was a slight challenge, but that was taken care of quite efficiently.

"A price… I'll think about it, I might need something from you later…" Now Nabiki had yet another hold over the dimwit - a favour, a difficult one too, and that was much more powerful than any photos she could sell.

So who was the new student at Furinkan High? The answer was, of course, not Ranma Saotome - or Ranko Saotome, for that matter. But that didn't stop a surprising amount of people from the class from crowding around her as if she was. Her red hair made her stick out like a sore thumb. Questions flew from every direction, and Ranma - now Ranko - was struggling to handle it. The other people all tended to shy away from Ranko, afraid of this new and unfamiliar situation. This was due to survival instinct - there was more than enough trouble in Nerima to get anyone killed, so staying away from the unusual was generally a good idea.

Due to all of the room's attention being focused on Ranko or directly away, nobody noticed the actual new face amongst them. He had only just arrived, since he was new he didn't know his way around the school. This boy with a long ponytail down his back wouldn't have called himself an attention seeker, but it was still annoying how nobody took notice of him. So he grabbed a random seat to the side of the commotion, and waited it out for registration to begin. He could start his spectacle then.

Meanwhile Ranko was intensely occupied with fending off all her classmates. It was becoming exhausting , having to repeat herself.

"My name is Ranko Tendo, and I'm Akane's cousin! That's why I came to school with her!" Ranko screeched, barely containing her frustration. Some had already seen Akane and Ranko come to school together and jumped to the conclusion that they were… together. Akane just couldn't get any peace from the gossip.

Just then, the teacher came in. Everybody turned to look at who was at the door, then groaned and slowly returned to their seats. The teacher walked up to the front of the classroom, and produced a set of notes from his briefing.

"Alright, as I'm sure you already know by now, today we are introducing a new student to our class. His name is… let's see here…"

Some of the class noticed the use of the pronoun "his", and were puzzled. Ranko, the new student, was clearly a girl, and Ranma, the male version, was already a student. Ranko herself was especially confused. After all, her male side was already enrolled into the school, even if he didn't turn up much, so why would Nabiki have put her down as male like this?

The reason was obviously that the transfer student was not Ranko. Somehow, nobody had noticed the real new student.

"Here we are… Ukyo Kuonji, please come up here and introduce yourself," the teacher announced.

Finally, Ukyo thought. He strided up to the front with his schoolbag. Now, at last, he could actually make himself known. Never mind that red-headed girl, sure she stood out a lot, but he would ensure he would soon be the one in charge.

Now that the whole class had their attention focused on the new boy, audible reactions could be heard from some of the girls in the class. "He's so handsome! And dreamy ~"

Ukyo ignored these comments. When he got to the front, he flipped out a portable grill from his bag, set it running, and started preparing twenty-two servings of okonomiyaki. One by one he flipped and flicked them out towards each member of the class.

When he had served up the last one, he slid away his grill.

"My name is Ukyo Kuonji. My speciality is okonomiyaki. Please enjoy."

With that, everybody in the class took a bite of their okonomiyaki.

Soon, comments flew out from all throughout the classroom.

"The texture… It's the perfect combination of succulent and crisp!"

"The sauce is divine!"

"This combination of fillings works amazingly!"

Ukyo smiled to himself. This was a good first impression. It certainly made up for how nobody noticed him at first.

Then, another cry emerged. This one made Ukyo's ears perk up.

"This flavour… Hey! I remember now! This is Ucchan's okonomiyaki!"

Ucchan… He definitely hadn't been called that in a long time. Looking around, Ukyo saw that this comment had came from the red-headed girl. A girl she had definitely never seen before in her life. He hurried over to ask.

"Hey, what did you call me?" Ukyo pointed one of her small spatulas at her threateningly. She didn't appreciate being called that - it brought up bad memories.

Ranko quickly realised her mistake. After all, here was no way that Ukyo would have met her in this form. She hurriedly tried to backtrack and make up an excuse.

"Er… You don't remember me? I guess I'm not surprised, but I once came to try your okonomiyaki. It was so good I couldn't help but remember you… I guess somewhere along the line I turned your name into Ucchan. It's a habit of mine, isn't that right, Akane-chan?"

Akane winced, but nodded. Ranko had said that in an annoyingly patronising tone.

Ukyo wasn't exactly satisfied, since he was pretty sure he would have remembered a girl with such bright red hair. But she didn't really feel like arguing, so she left the matter.

"Ahem…" the teacher said from the front, bringing the attention of the class back. "We're supposed to have a lesson now…"

Everybody groaned again, at having their rumour time cut short.

At breaktime, Ukyo decided to hang out with Ranko and Akane. They seemed to be where the centre attention was at in their class. Ukyo figured he would be able to learn a lot more about the social structure of the school by first observing them. And, of course, the best way to observe would be to get close. So with that, Ukyo had decided to try to befriend them.

He walked up to the two of them, and made himself noticed.

"Hi! Can I hang out with you?"

He was greeted with somewhat suspicious looks. At that point, Akane was still busy introducing Ranko to her friends Yuka and Sayuri. Moreover, right now they were a group of girls, and the new boy was giving an impression that he was trying to pick up girls.

But still, it didn't hurt to be civil. The four of them nodded, although slowly and reluctantly. Ukyo walked into the circle they formed, expanding to include himself.

Soon enough, Ukyo had managed to get a grasp of the situation. Ranko was apparently also new to this school, having only come today, even though she wasn't mentioned by the teacher in the morning. She lived with Akane, who seemed to be closer to her than the other two. Also, she had learnt that Akane and Ranko actually lived at a dojo, and were both enthusiastic about martial arts and fighting.

Anyway, now it was time to ask an important question - the whole reason she had moved to Nerima.

"Do you know of a boy called Ranma Saotome?" Ukyo said.

He immediately noticed a distinctive apprehension from Akane, and some tension from Ranko too. Yuka and Sayuri's faces also changed. There, it was clear they all knew him, or at least of him.

"Why?" was the first response Ukyo got, from Akane. Ranko had looked the other way. Yuka looked like she was about to answer, but had been interrupted by Akane.

Ukyo decided he could probably give a brief reason. "I met him a long time ago, when I was still a kid," he explained. "He… he stole one of my most important possessions. I know that it's very unlikely that I'll ever get it back. In doing so, he dishonoured me. So I have come far to search for revenge, to restore my honour. I heard he was in this school, but it seems he wasn't in today."

Akane gave a huff. "Sounds more like something his father would do, to be honest. But yes, I do know him, and he does go to this school. He's just not in today."

On the other hand, Ranko looked puzzled, as if she didn't believe the story or found some parts suspicious.

Ukyo decided to focus on what Akane said. "Oh yeah, I remember his father well too. I have already taken care of him though."

At that, Akane and Ranko both raised an eyebrow. Come to think of it, it was true that Ranma's father wasn't at breakfast.

"How did you do that? He's a really good martial artist - I don't think you could just 'take care of him'," Ranko said.

Ukyo gave a grin at that. "It's not difficult if you manage to surprise him. He was shocked enough to simply see me after all these years that he couldn't touch me."

"So what exactly did you end up doing to him then?" Akane asked.

"Hmm… I won't spoil it for you. Suffice it to say, he won't be causing anybody any more trouble where he is now."

Ranko laughed loudly at that. She has a strange sense of humour, Ukyo thought.

Akane, on the other hand, looked worried. "You haven't done anything too bad, have you?"

"Er… well, just don't expect to see him for the next… six months or so." Ukyo replied. He left it at that cryptic comment.

Ranko spoke up at that moment. "His son Ranma is even better though. You'll never take him by surprise."

"I wasn't intending to. Since he was the one who dishonoured me, I'm going to challenge him to a duel, fair and square. If I beat him, then I will have successfully restored my honour."

"Hang on," Akane piped up, "does that mean that you'll leave after that?"

"No, don't worry, I'll be staying here for quite a while. There's still a lot of setting up to do, but I'll be opening an okonomiyaki restaurant here very soon."

At that, everyone lit up.

"My okonomiyaki is already making a great impression among our class, so I think I'll have especially good business here." Ukyo continued.

"That's so cool!" Sayuri said, "you're only as old as us and you're already setting up your own shop and business. I wish I had that sort of skill…"

Ukyo scratched the back of his head, smiling. "It's quite stressful actually, having to keep track of all the costs and ingredients. I wouldn't recommend it."

"Still, we'll all be sure to visit you on your opening day!" Sayuri said. "Isn't that right?"

Yuka, Akane and Ranko all nodded.

Just then, another group of girls walked by them. Noticing Ukyo, they approached, trying to strike up some conversation.

"Hey there Ukyo, would you like to talk with us as well?" said the leader of the gang. She then winked. "Those four you're with over there - well, they're not the best to hang around. You'll get into trouble. Come with us instead!"

Ukyo gave a polite smile. "Sorry, but I'm fine where I am right now."

At the same time, Akane shouted "Hey, what are you saying about me?" She was not pleased with the insult they had just given.

Ukyo turned back at Akane. "Calm down, they're only trying to get me to go with them. You shouldn't take it personally."

The leader of the opposing gang sulked for a moment, having been rejected, but changed back to a smile. "We're just telling you, if you ever want to hang out with us, Ukyo, you're totally welcome to do so." Then they walked away.

Ukyo turned back to the four girls he was already with. "God, they're annoying. I hope they get the hint and stay away."

"Not likely, unfortunately. Everyone here at Furinkan seems to be very persistent with love." Akane said, with a frown on her face. "You'll probably see soon, or tomorrow."

Actually, Ukyo got to see more of Furinkan's craziness that same day, during lunchtime. Kuno had found Ranko again, and was harassing her with roses and lengthy declarations.

"Join me, o beautacious maiden, in my love! My heart lingers on for you and you alone!"

Ukyo was quite bemused by the sight of this. Akane and Ranko, on the other hand, had been through this many times before, so they both turned around from where they were sitting and walked over to him.

Kuno reacted to this by trying to praise the both of them. "Akane as well! Why, the both of you together on this fine day, have come to greet me? I feel most humbled by your gracious presences."

Upon realising that Kuno was trying to court the both of them, and at the same time as well, Ukyo stood up too.

"Hey, you. Are you seriously trying to pick up both Akane and Ranko here at the same time?"

Kuno was taken aback by this new face, and his protestings. "Excuse me, but am I not free to pursue my romances? My name is Tatewaki Kuno, by the way. Please refer to me by that name if you wish to continue talking to me."

Ukyo was not impressed by Kuno's words. "I can call you whatever I want, thank you very much. And, to be honest, it doesn't look to me like either of them appreciate your efforts."

"Nonsense! I'm sure Akane and my lovely pig-tailed girl both share my feelings! See?" Kuno said, walking over with arms open and ready to hug the both of them at the same time.

This was met with two fists to the face from Akane and Ranko. Kuno was sent flying backwards.

"...And that's Kuno. He constantly hits on us. It's especially annoying on me, since he still hasn't realised I'm-" Ranko cut herself off before she accidentally revealed her secret to Ukyo.

"Hey, don't forget how he set the entire male population of the school on me for every morning!" Akane pointed out.

"Wait, what's this all about?" Ukyo asked. He hadn't heard of the story, and hadn't seen it either since all the boys had stopped when Ranma moved to the school.

So Akane explained what had happened. "Kuno had this crush on me last year, and at the end of the year everybody had to make a speech. Kuno, the idiot he is, declared that anyone wanting to date me had to defeat me in battle first. And naturally he didn't ask me first, or let me know about any of this. Even worse, all the boys seemed to take it as a sign that they could date me as soon as they beat me in battle. So every morning a swarm of them would charge against me and try to take me out before school began."

Ukyo widened her eyes at this. "Wow. That must have been terrible."

Akane nodded. "That's why I hate Kuno so much, forcing me to fight everyone every morning."

"Wait, and you never lost? Not once?" Ukyo asked.

"Yeah. My family runs a dojo, you know."

Ukyo seemed impressed by this, given his facial expression. "Hmm, that says a lot about the boys here at Furinkan," he commented. "Seems like they're all terrible."

Indeed, Ukyo had already resolved to change the school population of Furinkan High at that moment. The place needed cleaning up.

There we are then! That's the end of this first chapter. It's not a great ending point, but I couldn't think of much more to add to this.

Look forward to chapter 2!