OKONOMIYAKI SUMMER WARS
a story written by
DELICIOUS GEARS
DAY TWO: Opening Day
As soon as she opened her eyes the next morning, Ryuunosuke was up and ready for the day. Within half an hour, she had taken a shower, gotten dressed, bolted down some breakfast with Shinobu and Nagisa and was out the door, headed for the beach.
It was pretty easy for her to find her Hamachaya among the shop stalls on the beach, because of the large red banner fluttering over the entrance reading "Hamachaya" in white hiragana. The Hamachaya's white canopy stood tall and big above Ryuunosuke, bigger than the tiny little wood and metal shack that she had lived and worked in before. Inside, Ryuunosuke could see a simple gas griddle and some coolers, and rows of formica tables and metal chairs that looked like enough for more than forty people.
Even though it was effectively the same as all the others as far as she knew, Ryuunosuke felt like this was her very own Hamachaya. It was something that she could run herself as she pleased, without interference from anyone, especially her father. Something that was pretty much her own.
For the first time in her life, Ryuunosuke was looking forward to running the Hamachaya.
"Do you like it, Ryuunosuke-sama?" Nagisa asked as he stepped in behind her, wearing his usual yellow sundress. "Mendou-san told me that he made sure that you would have what you need." He was carrying the antique shaved ice maker in his arms, one of the few things that he had managed to save from Mr. Fujinami's luggage.
Ryuunosuke nodded, heading towards the large coolers resting against the back wall of the Hamachaya's canopy. "Well, you said that you would like something different this year, right?" She popped open the top of one cooler, revealing bags of shredded cabbage, flour and eggs. "How d'ya feel about okonomiyaki?"
Nagisa was grinning as he stepped closer. "Well, it sure is a change from the usual ramen..."
The stall next to the Hamachaya, as it was with all of the other stalls on the beach, was large with a wooden floor, enough tables and chairs to seat more than forty people, and had coolers full of supplies. The only difference was that this stall had a deep red canopy, with a banner that read "Okonomiyaki Ucchan" in yellow text, and that inside, Ukyou had set up her yatai with its own gas grill, instead of having one supplied.
Ukyou had noticed the activity in the stall next door, especially the bags of shredded cabbage being pulled out. But as far as she was concerned, it wasn't anything to worry about. She had heard five different people talk about selling okonomiyaki at the beach today, but she could tell that none of them were on her level at all.
Konatsu was hurrying around, setting up the tables and chairs. Judging from the look on her face, Ukyou could tell that she was somewhat worried about the competition. She wanted to go over and give the kunoichi a tight hug, just so she could stop being so damn anxious all the time.
She still had to prepare everything before opening. Then she could show everyone on this beach what real okonomiyaki was all about.
Moments later, Akane and Ranma came in. Akane was wearing a cute little white one-piece swimsuit with purple polka dots, while Ranma had decided to go with an attractive blue bikini. Ranma quickly bounded over to Ukyou, grinning. "Hey, Ucchan!"
"Oh hey, Ranchan!" Ukyou replied, grinning back. "Ready to pitch in, aren't ya? A beach-side shop like this is only as good as its poster girl is, ya know!" She turned around to address her fully. "You know how it works, don't ya? You go out onto the beach and start looking for customers, go up to them and ask if they could come over and have some of our okonomiyaki."
Ranma nodded. "Sounds like that ain't gonna be a problem, Ucchan." She looked over at Akane, who was busy chatting with Konatsu. "I'm more worried about you giving Akane some work. I mean, you know how her cooking is..."
Ukyou just snorted. "Relax, Ranchan. Akane-chan's just gonna be a waitress with Natsu-chan. I'm sure she's not gonna screw that up." She noticed the sceptical look on Ranma's face, and cringed. "What, ya want me to bring her over or something?"
Ranma blanched. "Yeah, right. Let me handle the poster girl job. Just don't let her anywhere near me, especially when her cooking is involved."
Ukyou just sighed and waved Ranma away, then looked over at Akane and Konatsu. Akane seemed to be really admiring of Konatsu's beach outfit: a tight black top with a loose light blue short-sleeved shirt with the bottom rolled up over it, and a colourful sarong around her hips. Pinned in the kunoichi's hair was a coral pink starfish, instead of the usual flower.
Of course Akane would be impressed, Ukyou thought to herself. Konatsu is so good at hiding the more masculine parts of her that even she ends up thinking she's fully a girl. It made her wonder if Akane was a little bit jealous of that.
Ukyou stepped up to the two girls, clearing her throat. "Hope to see a little bit of hustle from ya, Akane-chan. It looks like we're gonna have some competition today." She twirled one of her spatulas around her fingers. "I don't want to end the day second best to some two-bit punks working on a summer job. I want everyone to know that our okonomiyaki is the best around!"
"Of course, Ukyou-san!" Akane said firmly. "I'll do my best!"
Ukyou nodded. "Just remember not to push yourself too far. I don't want you tripping and splattering guests with my food." She turned to Konatsu. "Have you seen what the other shops are like, Natsu-chan?"
Konatsu turned to look out one of the open windows. "I had a check a few minutes ago. There's shops selling okonomiyaki on either side of us, a takoyaki stand towards the end, and even a place selling kara-age. But nothing that suggests an actual threat." She tapped her finger to her lips. "At least, nothing yet..."
Ukyou just smirked, letting the spatula drop back into her hand. "Well, let them come. Let's see what this beach thinks of Okonomiyaki Ucchan!"
"You know what you're doing, right?" Ryuunosuke asked Lum as she switched on the gas burners underneath the griddle. "The Hamachaya is gonna need the best poster girls that I know. And I know that you can do that in your sleep."
"Of course, Ryuunosuke!" Lum smiled hesitantly. She was wearing one of her favourite bikinis, coloured a bright red. "But why me and Ran-chan over there?" She looked over at Ran, humming to herself as she helped set up the tables with Shinobu and Nagisa.
Ran was also wearing a bikini, and where Lum was wearing her favourite, Ran just seemed to be wearing the pinkest and frilliest bikini she had. Her hair was tied up behind her head in a cute set of braids, held together with a bright yellow ribbon.
Ryuunosuke just groaned. "Look, Ran is pretty cute, and she offered to help. And more poster girls means more customers!"
"Ryuunosuke-kun's right!" Ran said, coming up behind Lum. "You're just being mean again, Lum-chan!" She sidled a little closer, her eyes teary. "I thought we were friends! I couldn't believe that you could doubt me like that!"
Ryuunosuke sighed as Ran began to sob dramatically into her hands. She moved around the grill and patted Ran's shoulder gently. "Come on, don't cry." She tilted up Ran's chin gently. "I need you to be the best poster girl you can be. You can't do that while you're crying. So dry your tears, alright?"
Ran looked up at Ryuunosuke silently, before bowing her head once more and giving a quiet nod. She didn't say anything, she didn't even smile, she just nodded. Lum could only stare at Ryuunosuke in surprise.
Ryuunosuke nodded, and let her hand drop. She watched silently as Ran quickly turned and left the Hamachaya, before looking at Lum. "Pretty smooth, right?" She gave Lum a small grin.
Lum tilted her head curiously. "You sure know how to handle Ran-chan, don't you?" She smirked slightly, crossing her arms. "Is that your father's teachings?"
"Man, be serious, would you?" Ryuunosuke said, glaring at Lum. "I got that shit from Mendou, not my old man!" She grabbed a pair of spatulas and set them down on the griddle. "The only thing that my dad taught me was that you'd need to do whatever it takes to get an advantage..."
"Considering what's going on outside, you'd probably need all the advantages you can get." Shinobu stepped up to the griddle, a small pad and pen held tightly in her hand. She was wearing a black one-piece swimsuit, that had stripes of green down one side; while she thought it wasn't all that special, Ryuunosuke had told her it was one of her favourites. "Nagisa-san told me that there's going to be stiff competition up and down along this beach. Especially considering okonomiyaki!"
Ryuunosuke snorted, crossing her arms. "Too late to turn back now, I guess. If this is what the Hamachaya is gonna face on our first day, then I'm gonna come out swinging! This is gonna be the best damn first day ever!"
From the moment the beach shops officially opened their doors, the customers came swarming in by the dozen. The poster girls had officially done their job a little too well by all accounts: Lum and Ran brought in as many as four men each with every run, and Ranma was bringing in six to eight by herself. And that wasn't counting the girls that came in as well, after a couple of girls peeked in and saw Ryuunosuke at work at the griddle.
Ryuunosuke was shocked that she managed to get so many customers in on her first hour open, but she decided to put in her all to avoid getting swamped. Her spatulas flashed as they caught the sunlight, working furiously across the griddle as she put more and more okonomiyaki out to cook, and piled on more yakisoba alongside. The sight of the customers watching her work with no small degree of awe helped spur her on, even the girls watching her in the same dreamy fashion that she once saw on Shinobu, whenever Mendou was around her.
Over in the corner, Nagisa was making shaved ice by the dozen, while Shinobu was serving drinks and bringing food around the tables. Ryuunosuke was relieved that Nagisa's shaved ice was just the ordinary kind, with the various fruit flavoured syrups. Nagisa had considered selling his "speciality" sea urchin shaved ice, but Ryuunosuke had told him that it probably would have gone down like a wet fart in the middle of an exam.
The news that there were a few other shops selling okonomiyaki hadn't put Ryuunosuke off, but let her take a different tack. She had a recipe for the Hiroshima style okonomiyaki that was perfect for the situation, marking her okonomiyaki as different from the Kansai style that everyone else was using. She had been tinkering with it during Home Economics class, with suggestions made by Shinobu and Nagisa added along the way.
The recipe was simple: a circle of batter as base, made from flour and dashi stock, with bonito flakes and shredded kelp (Shinobu's suggestion) on top, followed by cabbage, beansprouts, bits of fried tempura batter, pieces of fried squid and a little bit of sliced spring onion. The whole pile was then layered with thin slices of belly pork and turned over, while yakisoba was fried up together with sea urchin (Nagisa's idea) in oil and a little sauce, and eggs fried alongside those. The okonomiyaki was piled on top of the yakisoba, then piled on the egg, and then the whole thing was flipped over, before being brushed over with sauce and covering in a fine layer of aonori, or green laver.
Ryuunosuke didn't really know if her okonomiyaki was authentically Hiroshima or not, especially with sriracha and mayonnaise among the condiments, but nobody seemed to be complaining. Everyone was too busy enjoying the food to really care, and Ryuunosuke was too busy working to care.
The only thing that worried Ryuunosuke were the people in the red tent next to the Hamachaya. Shinobu had told her that the red tent were doing just as well as they were, with only one poster girl. That suggested to Ryuunosuke that those people had something that not even Lum or Ran could compete with. Which probably meant that it was the skill of the cooks inside, and not just the prettiness of the girls, that were making them competitive.
It was going to be an interesting summer, that was for sure: Ryuunosuke had wanted to break out from her father's Hamachaya, and instead wandered herself into a dangerous competition among the beach shops. It would have almost been amusing, if her new livelihood didn't depend on it.
Finally, business let up enough that Ryuunosuke could pace herself. Shinobu was resting herself beside Ryuunosuke's griddle, while Nagisa was checking the stores of food to see if they could keep up with demand. The thought that they could run out did make Ryuunosuke nervous, but also elated that her Hamachaya was already so popular on its first day.
Even Shinobu seemed to think so, watching the people come and go. "I never thought that we could end up being so busy... This must be miles away from the times when you and your father were running the Hamachaya together."
"Yeah," Ryuunosuke said as she let the okonomiyaki cook. "I've never seen so many people in a place like this before. And here I thought we weren't gonna be so popular on the first day."
"Is that because Mendou told you to sell your okonomiyaki at 400 yen each?" Shinobu asked. "I know it's more than you're used to, but it's not really that expensive..."
"It ain't the price," Ryuunosuke said, shaking her head. "I guess I'm just used to not getting all that many customers at the Hamachaya. And the last time I tried working by myself, the old man wouldn't leave me alone."
"Well, you won't have to worry about your father now," Shinobu said, "not with Mendou-san running this beach. He and Ryoko-san promised to protect us if your father tried anything on you or any of us."
Ryuunosuke snorted, dishing out another pair of okonomiyaki. "You sure about that? Or is it just his sister twisting his arm?" She perked up when Ran suddenly bounced into the Hamachaya, tugging a young man behind her. He already stood out with his lack of swimwear, instead wearing a black sleeveless shirt and pants, but he was also carrying a huge pack on his back. His short black hair was held back with a yellow and black bandanna, letting his wild-looking eyes see clearly.
The young man was led to a nearby table, where he put down his pack and took a seat, while Ran turned over to Ryuunosuke and called out, "one okonomiyaki, please!" Ryuunosuke stared at the man for a while, wondering exactly when she last saw him. She definitely remembered him from someplace...
Ryuunosuke sighed and went back to work. She could worry about the similaries later, after she was done with the man's okonomiyaki.
When the okonomiyaki was set before him, Ryouga blinked in surprise. "I'd never though I'd see Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki out here." He picked up the small spatula and started cutting into the okonomiyaki. "Most of the other shops here do the Kansai-style."
"We saw all of the other okonomiyaki shops here," the waitress told him, a bright smile on her face. "We figured that we would do something different. We wanted to stand out a bit, after all."
Ryouga took a few bites of okonomiyaki, pausing for a moment, before looking up at the waitress. "Well, it's pretty good. You're doing pretty well for a bunch of beginners. I bet even Ukyou-san would be impressed." He glanced out the window, looking towards the neighbouring red stall. "Though I guess she wouldn't say so herself..."
"Ukyou? As in Kuonji Ukyou?" The cook asked from behind her griddle. "Of Okonomiyaki Ucchan? You know her?"
Ryouga blinked slowly, catching the look on the cook's face. "Yeah, I do. Do you?"
The cook looked out the window, towards the red stall. "I guess you could say that me and the old man had a couple of run-ins in the past. But I hadn't heard from her in a while." She looked back at Ryouga. "Not even the old man is willing to mess with her. Probably because of that bigass spatula she carries around on her back."
Ryouga just nodded, and started eating through the rest of the okonomiyaki, watching the cook return to her griddle while her waitress looked on, with worry on her face. Whatever it was, he probably couldn't help with it. The best he could do is eat his okonomiyaki and leave a payment.
He left as unobtrusively as he possibly could, hefting his massive pack on his back. But he barely got a couple of yards away from the white shop stall before Ranma noticed him.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you know some odd people, Ryuunosuke-kun." Shinobu cleared the dirty plates away, going over to the sink to clean them up. "Did you, like, talk with this Kuonji girl? Were you friends or anything?"
Ryuunosuke gave Shinobu a funny look. "The only time I met Ukyou face to face, she brained my old man with her bigass spatula because we were fighting next to her shop." She looked down at the griddle again, flipping aggressively. "I don't even remember why we were fighting or how we got there, I just saw her smash him out into the surf like a golf ball. All the other times, we were just passing each other by."
"So you never had a crush on her?" Shinobu asked suddenly. Then the realisation of what she said sank in, and her face went bright red. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that..."
Ryuunosuke just gave Shinobu a funny look. "You gettin' jealous of her or something?"
Shinobu blushed even further. "It wouldn't be the first time you crushed on a girl."
Ryuunosuke just snorted and returned to her griddle. "This ain't the time for whirlwind summer romances, Shinobu. We got work to do. You think Kuonji's just gonna stop everything once she finds out what I'm doing here?"
"Fujinami?" Ukyou said, her face full of thunder. "You're telling me that Fujinami's kid is running the shop next door?"
Ryouga sat awkwardly on the metal chair, surrounded by Akane, Ranma and Ukyou. He couldn't bring himself to look at any of the girls' faces, because none of them looked happy to see him. Ranma was slightly peeved, and Akane was just confused and worried.
"I didn't think you'd react like that," Ryouga said nervously. "She didn't even seem to know you other than by name and reputation."
"I might not know that kid," Ukyou said, "but I sure as hell know her old man. Fujinami's a long time enemy of the Kuonji family. The rancid shadow on our legacy. Remember last year, when you and me were in Atami? I caught him trying to steal food from my yatai. The summer before that, he stole my gas canisters. And the year before that, he ruined several stalls and blamed it on me!"
Ukyou stepped closer to Ryouga, staring down at him. "Whenever we'd cross paths, he'd always try and pull some trick on us, just because he knew he couldn't compete fairly. And you think his kid wouldn't be any different?"
"Well, why don't you see for yourself?" Ryouga asked. "That girl was making okonomiyaki pretty damn good, from what I could tell."
Ukyou stepped back, fuming. "Oh, you better believe that I will, Hibiki!" She turned around and stomped over to the griddle, mixing together a special deluxe okonomiyaki (with thick-cut pork and shrimp) on the hot plate. "I'm gonna let that Fujinami know that I'm not messing around here!"
Akane stared at Ukyou as she furiously worked on the griddle, and then turned to Konatsu. "You ever seen Ukyou-san like this, Konatsu-san?" She looked back with worry on her face. "I don't think I've ever seen her like this for the longest time."
"I don't think I've ever seen her like this," Konatsu answered. "I really hope that nobody gets hurt."
After a few minutes, Ukyou slid her finished okonomiyaki onto a paper plate, and carried it out of the shop, leaving behind the confused stares of her customers and co-workers, heading over to the shop stall next door. She kept the plate perfectly balanced on her fingers as she stepped inside the Hamachaya, looking around the place.
"Hey!" She called out, loud enough to get the attention of everyone in the shop. "Is there a Fujinami here? I need to see 'em!"
Ryuunosuke looked up from her griddle, putting the last of her okonomiyaki on plates, ready for Shinobu to bring to customers. She slowly scraped the sauce and oil from the griddle as she gazed at the woman. "Kuonji. How long has it been since we seen each other? Like a year ago, right?"
"Yeah," Ukyou said, carrying her okonomiyaki with her. "I really didn't expect you to be here, of all places."
Ryuunosuke just nodded. "Same here. Didn't expect you to leave your business to come here and see me, either."
"And I didn't take you for a Hiroshima native," Ukyou said, her voice cold. "But then again, I don't think anybody from Hiroshima would be caught dead offering mayonnaise and sriracha to put on their okonomiyaki."
A terrible silence descended upon the Hamachaya. Some of the customers left quietly, fearing a brawl.
Ryuunosuke just grunted, leaning forward over the grill, glaring at Ukyou. "Who says this is supposed to be authentic Hiroshima okonomiyaki?" Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not getting complaints from my customers. Why should I care what you think?"
Ukyou glared back, matching Ryuunosuke's intensity with her own. As the griddle below radiated its heat, the heat of the gazes from each girl rose up to match in intensity. More of the customers backed away, nervous about the prospects of a heated battle. All that was needed was somebody to make the first move.
And that was something that Ryoko Mendou specialised in.
"Excuse me, miss?"
Ukyou and Ryuunosuke turned around to see Ryoko standing beside them, flanked with her kuroko guards. Even under the intense stares, she didn't even flinch. She just gave them both a smile, before she turned to Ukyou.
"My name is Mendou Ryoko. No doubt you've heard of me?" She paused for a millisecond to smile before continuing. "Me and my family own these stalls for the beach shops, which includes administration..."
Ukyou gave Ryoko a savage glare. "Well, I don't like have people muscling in when I'm trying to settle a score here. Even if they're a Mendou, whoever they are."
"Oh really?" Ryoko asked, a dangerous gleam in her eye. "I don't have to remind you that our family is prepared to eject anyone who dares cause any trouble on this beach, then. And that includes people running their business here."
Ukyou stared at Ryoko for a long while, before looking back at Ryuunosuke. "I've just come here to give you a free sample of my okonomiyaki." She dropped the paper plate unceremoniously onto Ryuunosuke's griddle, before looking at Ryoko. "And if you want some, you can come over to Okonomiyaki Ucchan and get some."
Then Ukyou turned to leave. But she had only taken a couple of steps before Ryuunosuke suddenly called out, "HEY!"
Ryuunosuke just raised up her spatula as Ukyou turned to glare at her. "Don't you wanna try mine, too? You've gone to all this trouble for me, a rank amateur, and you don't want to see what mine is like?"
Ukyou just stared at Ryuunosuke, completely silent.
"I mean, I was just gonna turn off and close up for the day..." Ryuunosuke said, her voice quiet and hesitant.
Ukyou, despite her better judgement, turned around fully to face Ryuunosuke. "Alright then," she said, "show me what you got."
Ryuunosuke nodded, grabbing her jug of batter. She went through the practised motions; spreading the circle of batter, topping bonito flakes and shredded kelp. Then came the cabbage and beansprouts. On top of that came tempura bits, sliced spring onion, fried squid, slices of pork, and a protective layer of batter on top.
Ryuunosuke flipped it over, then spread oil and butter beside it so she could get to work cooking the rest. She cooked the sea urchin with some shrimp in the melting butter, and cooked the yakisoba on the oil, her spatulas moving with precision as the sweet aroma of sea urchin rose up. As the steam rose up under the crepe, cooking through everything underneath, she pressed down with both spatulas, flattening the crepe out.
Then Ryuunosuke cracked a large egg open, letting it fry for a couple of seconds, before layering the yakisoba, sea urchin and shrimp on top and pressing down roughly, breaking the yolk and letting the egg melt with the hot yakisoba.
Then Ryuunosuke layered the whole thing together, flipped it over once more, cut it into segments. slathered it with sauce and aonori, before putting it all on a paper plate with some chopsticks and offering it to Ukyou.
Ukyou could only stare at the piping hot okonomiyaki, as Ryuunosuke scraped the hot surface clean. The sweet aroma of the sauce tickled her nose, and she could tell that it was the wholesale catering kind, as opposed to her own handmade sauce. She had more than enough experience, both by herself and under her father, to be able to tell the difference. But even then, it still looked like a very formidable okonomiyaki.
Meanwhile, Ryuunosuke had taken Ukyou's offering in her hand, breaking apart a pair of chopsticks with her teeth. Even though it had been some time after it had left Ukyou's griddle, Ryuunosuke could tell from the smell of the sauce that something about this okonomiyaki was different.
When both girls took their first bite of okonomiyaki, they were shocked at how much their expectations were exceeded.
Everyone around them watched in silence as they ate, nobody daring to speak a word. Even some of the customers from Okonomiyaki Ucchan were peering in through the windows, wondering what was going on. The air was so thick with tension that it was hard to do anything else.
When Ukyou put down her empty plate, her head was bowed low, not even looking at anybody around her. "T-thanks for the food..." She quickly turned and left the Hamachaya, walking as quickly as she possibly could.
Ryuunosuke was left to stand at her griddle, picking at the last of the sauce on her plate.
Ukyou was quiet and subdued all the way up until closing time. Konatsu watched with concern as she boarded up the stall for the night, and trudged off to the small beach house that everyone was staying at. When Ranma and Akane announced that they were heading back to get changed and rest, she didn't even look at them, let alone say anything.
Konatsu also left early, feeling that maybe Ukyou would need some time alone. When she arrived at the beach house, she quickly changed to a pink cotton yukata and knelt in the living room, waiting for Ukyou to return. Kasumi watched Konatsu quietly while she worked, her eyes full of concern.
Hesitantly, Kasumi stepped up to Konatsu, wiping her hands on her apron. "How was business today, Konatsu-chan?"
Konatsu gave Kasumi a nervous smile. "It was fine, Kasumi-sama. We did some very good business today, but..." She paused, and looked away quickly. A lifetime of loyalty meant that her misgivings about Ukyou had misgivings of their own about coming out into the open.
"But what?" Kasumi asked, tilting her head curiously.
"But..." Konatsu said quietly, trailing off. Tears were already gathering in her eyes. "There's this rival next to our stall. The daughter of somebody Ukyou has hated for a long time, making okonomiyaki." She wiped her tears with a handkerchief. "Ukyou went over to confront her for a challenge, and she tried her okonomiyaki, and after that she looked like she was in such distress, but she wouldn't talk to anyone about it."
"Oh my!" Kasumi blinked in surprise, a hand to her mouth. "She wasn't hurt or anything, was she?"
Konatsu shook her head. "I'm sure she's not poisoned or anything. But still, something about that Fujinami girl rattled her horribly. She mentioned something about her father, but..."
"Well, I have heard about somebody named Fujinami from some of my friends out shopping." Kasumi said. "They're students at Tomobiki High School, which has kind of a reputation..." She smiled nervously. "It's probably nothing you should be worried about."
At that moment, the door opened and Ukyou walked in, shrugging off her happi coat, and sitting down at the low table. "Hey there, Kacchan." She tapped her nails against the low table. "Is Ranchan and Akane around?"
Kasumi just shook her head. "I think that they've gone off to get some dinner in the town. I think they need something different from okonomiyaki right now." She shrank back when she caught sight of Ukyou's dangerous expression. "Well, not that there's anything wrong with okonomiyaki, of course..."
"Of course not," Nabiki said as she stepped inside, wearing a tight T-shirt and denim shorts. "Doesn't mean that you're gonna eat okonomiyaki every meal of every day, though." She blinked as Ukyou fixed her with a cold stare. "What's wrong with you, anyway? Some flies got into your sauce or something?"
Kasumi just shook her head. "Ukyou's worried about some kind of rival in the beach shops. Somebody named Fujinami from Tomobiki High..."
Nabiki blinked once more. "Tomobiki? Not the same school where Ataru Moroboshi went to?" She quickly sat down at the low table, crossing her legs under her. "I heard that school is one of the worst schools in Nerima! The only place that would be worse is Sanrinbou, and that place is packed with thugs!"
Konatsu's eyes widened. "Worse than a school like Sanrinbou? Is that even more packed with thugs?" For a moment, the kunoichi imagined a school so full of delinquents that they flopped out of their classrooms when the door was opened. The image was mildly funny, but she couldn't even bring herself to laugh at it.
"Thugs, maybe. But that's not what the problem is." Nabiki tapped her finger on the tabletop. "Aliens, ghosts, demons, weird magical crap... That place is like a nexus of strange happenings." She looked over at Ukyou. "Believe me, somebody who has been learning at a school like that are gonna be real dangerous."
Ukyou could only stare at Nabiki with worry all over her face. Her mind was going a mile a minute, as she considered what she had heard. If Fujinami went to school at a place like Tomobiki High, then there was no telling what she was capable of. She had heard all of the stories coming out of the that place, of various aliens dropping in and out, of weird ghosts and curses, and especially a whole lot about the disgusting pervert Moroboshi Ataru that made her skin crawl.
"You know, I could give you some more advice," Nabiki said causally, checking her nails. "But it's gonna have to cost you. Maybe if you could let me eat at Ucchan's for free, I could..."
Nabiki was interrputed by Ukyou slamming her palms onto the tabletop, making such a loud bang that she jumped out of her skin, along with everyone else. Ukyou then fixed Nabiki with a red-hot gaze, her eyes burning, her nostrils flaring.
"I'll give you anything you want," Ukyou said, her voice grinding slow. "Just tell me how to take care of that macho chick!"
Ryuunosuke leaned against the rail of the balcony of the Mendou villa, looking out towards the sun dipping down towards the horizon. Even though it was the middle of summer, the night wind still chilled her to the bone, and she wanted to shrink down and huddle against it.
Even hours after she had tried Ukyou's okonomiyaki, she couldn't get that taste out of her mind. Even now, she could still recall that flavour, hanging in front of her like some ghostly spectre that she couldn't touch. It was the proverbial brass ring, something she could see, but would be just out of her reach.
When Ryuunosuke decided to sell okonomiyaki in her Hamachaya, she never expected to immediately discover such a dangerous rival. She didn't know what she was getting into, and she was wondering if she could have avoided all this if she sold ramen instead.
"Ryuu-chan?"
Ryuunosuke whirled around on the voice coming too close behind her, fists at the ready. Just in case, of course.
"Whoah, hey there!" Ataru took a step back, hands raised. "I'm just trying to reach out to you here!" He didn't have that stupid grin on his face, which meant that he was actually trying to be nice for once. Either he was trying a different tack to get into her panties, or Lum was somewhere nearby, watching him like a hawk.
"I mean, you've been raking in the money all day, and you're still out here looking glum." Ataru said nervously. "What's up?"
Ryuunosuke just scowled at Ataru. "Nothing you're gonna understand."
"Yeah?" Ataru asked, a smirk on his face. "Try me."
Ryuunosuke's eyes narrowed. "I told you..."
"Is it about that cute brunette with the bigass spatula?"
Ryuunosuke choked, her eyes bugging out in shock. "How the hell did you..."
Ataru grinned even wider. "I was there, remember? You've have to get up pretty damn early to get one past me!"
"Really, Darling?" Lum floated in closer, from the direction of the villa roof. "You're usually the last up out of everyone here! I always have to drag your butt out of bed in the morning!"
The smirk quickly melted off Ataru's face, and he turned to scowl at Lum. "It's supposed to be a figure of speech, Lum. You know, something we Earthlings like to say?" Then he cleared his throat, and turned back to Ryuunosuke. "You know Ryuunosuke, a pretty lady like that ain't too hard to catch. Hell, it looks like your okonomiyaki's done most of the legwork already."
"What are you talking about?" Ryuunosuke asked, her brows furrowing. "What do you mean by 'legwork'? We aren't in love with each other, or anything! She's a rival! A really dangerous rival!"
"Aw, come off it!" Ataru said. "You can't stop thinking about that chick. I can tell." Then Ataru put on his serious face again, stepping up to Ryuunosuke and putting a hand on her shoulder. "But you have to remember this, Ryuunosuke. You're a woman, and that means-"
Ryuunosuke didn't want to hear what Ataru had to say. She just took him down with a straight punch to the face, and stomped back inside the villa. Ataru was left sprawled out on his back on the balcony, seeing the usual stars.
Lum hovered over him, giving him the old side-eye. "Darling, I'm not going to be surprised if Ryuunosuke starts going after girls." She looked towards the villa. "Well, if she hasn't already..."
"I simply don't know what you mean," Ataru answered in a strained voice.
That night, Ryuunosuke couldn't sleep. Whenever she closed her eyes, she could see the face of her father grinning down at her with sadistic glee. His taunts came from everywhere, echoing in her head. No matter where she ran to, he was there, all around her, glaring down at her.
"You're nothing but a fool, Ryuunosuke! You should have never have abandoned your father! You're unworthy of carrying on the Hamachaya by yourself! You'll never be good enough for it! You will fail again, and again, and again!"
The words reverberated around Ryuunosuke, stabbing into her from all angles. She couldn't escape. There was no escape.
Not until a new voice suddenly broke through:
"What are you doing? GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"
Ryuunosuke's eyes snapped open. In front of her, just inches from her nose, was her father's face.
Slowly, everything became clear. The old man was kneeling at her bedside, glaring down at her, taunting her while she was sleeping. For all she knew, he could have been at it for a while.
Ryuunosuke's eyes darted around. Above the both of them stood Sakura, in a lacy looking nightgown, gripping her rod of purification tightly in her hands. Around her, the other girls had woken up, shrinking back in horror at the sight of the man in their midst.
"You dare to invade a woman's sacred space in this way?!" Sakura snarled, the whites of her eyes showing. "Is there no end to your twisted scheming?!"
"Twisted scheming?!" Mr. Fujinami rose from the floor, his face contorted with rage. "Who dragged my son into this corrupted domain of silk, satin and ruffles? Who here have conspired to lead him away from the true path of manliness with these weak, girlish ideas? Who let him sleep in a soft cotton futon, without even having the generosity of offering themselves as a bed-mate?!" He pointed his finger at Sakura's face. "The only twisted people I see are-"
Sakura cut Mr. Fujinami's ranting off by whipping her purification rod across his face. "Purify!" As the man staggered backwards, she stepped forward and whipped the rod across the other side of his face. "Sanctify!"
Then Sakura started raining blows down on Mr. Fujinami's face and head, chanting "Purify! Sanctify!" with every strike. Then, with one giant strike in the middle of the face, she sent the man stumbling back to the floor.
"That was impressive for a woman," Mr. Fujinami said, muffled by the swelling of his bruised face. "But this fight isn't over yet!"
The next second, several kuroko servants burst into the room and piled onto Mr. Fujinami, beating him down and tying him up with thick rope. After the dust settled, he was wrapped in rope from the neck to the ankles, struggling in vain on the floor.
Ryoko stepped into the room, carrying a lit candelabra in her hand, illuminating the dark bedroom. Her white nightgown trailed behind her as she walked in. "Well well well, Fujinami-san. I have quite explicitly told you that you were not to interfere with your daughter's business here, have I not?" Her eyes hardened as she looked down at the bound man. "I would think that this would definitely count as a violation of that agreement, then. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Mr. Fujinami could only give Ryoko a venomonous glare. "I have a son, not a daughter! And I am trying to free him from your grasp!" He spat on Ryoko's foot. "Your binding means nothing to me!"
Ryoko glanced down at her foot, and one of her kuroko scurried over to wipe the spit off. "Ah, is that all? Then I don't think that you would mind if Ryuunosuke-san here stays here with us to run her shop as she sees fit." She gave Mr. Fujinami a vicious smile. "And you can leave this beach and go back to your son. Wherever he may be."
Mr. Fujinami's eyes bugged out, as the kuroko grabbed him and hauled him up. "Wait! You can't leave Ryuunosuke here! You'll corrupt him and make him into a weak woman!"
Ryoko cackled loudly behind her hand. "Oh, you foolish man. You said you had a son, did you not? And Ryuunosuke-san here is most definitely a woman." Her eyes hardened even further. "So I can only suppose that means you're not welcome here..."
Mr. Fujinami could only struggle desperately against his bonds as the kuroko hauled him out the door. "You're making a big mistake here! You're destroying our family! You'll regret making a fool out of Fujinami!" His voice carried out even as he was carried outside. "YOU'LL RUE THE DAY! JUST WAIT AND SEE!"
Ryuunosuke could only watch in silence as her father was carried out into the night, struggling and screaming all the way. All she could feel as she watched him being carried away was a deep and immense sense of relief. Around her, the other girls quickly went back to bed.
However, Shinobu stayed awake. She stepped out softly behind Ryuunosuke, her face full of concern.
"Are you alright?" She asked quietly. "Can you get back to sleep?"
Ryuunosuke still stared out into the night, her eyes distant. "I can't get those words out of my mind," she said quietly. "That I'm unworthy of running the Hamachaya. That I'm not good enough for it."
"Ryuunosuke-kun..." Shinobu stepped closer, and drew her arms around Ryuunosuke's waist, a cheek resting against her back. "It's going to be okay, I promise. Ryoko-san made sure your father can't get at you any more."
Ryuunosuke turned around to face Shinobu, and she could already tell that she was doubting her own words, even in the dark of the night. Both girls knew that Mr. Fujinami was far more capable of being a pain in the ass than most people think he would.
Shinobu paused, but then tightened her hug, nuzzling in under Ryuunosuke's cheek. "Maybe you should come sleep with me tonight. In the same futon." She looked up at Ryuunosuke, blushing softly. "Would that help?"
Ryuunosuke stared down at Shinobu, her eyes wide. "What," she hissed quietly, "us in the same bed? Seriously?!"
"It'll be okay!" Shinobu said, lifting her head up to look at Ryuunosuke. "We're both girls aren't we? So it'll be like sharing a bed with my sister, won't it?"
"Don't even put it like that," Ryuunosuke said, blushing even further. "Do you really want to sleep with me? In the same bed?"
Shinobu smiled, and tugged Ryuunosuke gently over to her futon. "You better count your lucky stars, 'cause I've never even done this with Ataru-kun. And watch where you put your hands, okay?"
Ryuunosuke smiled as Shinobu slipped under the covers, and followed her down, settling into the soft futon. She felt Shinobu's arms curl protectively around her, and hugged back tightly with one hand, pulling the covers over them with the other.
It was only a matter of minutes before Ryuunosuke slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
to be continued
NOTES: Finally, the second part of the story is complete!
As each part is about a day, that means I got about two more parts before the whole thing is complete. Although you've probably realised that this chapter is a great deal longer than the first one. It's even longer than it was in the previous draft, because I decided to add more scenes with Ukyou and the Furinkan camp, and flesh their side out a bit. So when I put everything together, I was kind of surprised to see the chapter topping seven and a half-thousand words.
Things are already heating up, though! In more ways than one! Now I have to get to work writing some more, including the second draft of the next chapter of this story! Maybe it'll be even longer than this one!
