AN: Here's chapter two. It's very short, sorry. I'm not too happy with it myself, but at least I managed to put something up after so long.
It was morning at the Tendo dojo and the Saotomes had just had a sparring session, ending with Genma in the koi pond. This was followed by breakfast and the Saotome Food Feud.
After the meal was done, Genma went to the furo for a quick bath. He had taken a dip in the koi pond after all. Twenty minutes later… "No frickin way, pop!"
"We'll be staying here for a while, boy," said Genma. "You have to go to school."
"But it's boooring!" Ranma whined.
"No buts. You're going! No son of mine would shame his family by not having an education."
"But I got one. The monks at all those shrines…"
"Couldn't teach you science, social skills, etc. You're going," Genma glared at his son for good measure when it looked like he was going to continue arguing. He may have lost touch with his son as well as a bit of control, but there were some things on which he'd put his foot down.
He soon had help in the form of Nabiki, who was on her way to school. "I don't mind if he's uneducated," she said slyly.
"Ya see, pop? I don't gotta go," said Ranma.
His bubble was burst shortly after when Nabiki said, "A clueless husband is easier to control, after all."
Two seconds later, Ranma had a satchel in hand, ready to go. "Well, let's go, Nabiki!" he said with manic cheer. "Don't wanna be late for school, do we?" He then grabbed her hand and ran of through the gates of the Tendo compound. He completely missed his fiancée's smirk.
0.0
Ranma was walking along the canal fence with Nabiki walking on the pavement beside him. He had slowed his pace for various reasons, one of which being that he didn't know where he was going, and Nabiki was laying down the laws of the school. "Here's the deal, Ranma," she said. "I sort of have an image to uphold at school. It would be best for your own reputation if you try not to be seen with me."
"Huh?" said Ranma. "Why? You ashamed o' me or somethin?"
"Sigh No, Ranma. I just don't want people to know I'm attached to anyone. I'm supposed to be the Ice Queen of Furinkan, an up and coming businesswoman. I need to maintain that image and I can't do that with an arranged marriage out in the open."
"Oh," Ranma said quietly.
"Also, it would be in your best interest not to be too friendly with Akane in public."
"Huh? Why not?" he asked irritably. You'd think he had the plague or something.
"Her 'boyfriend' might get jealous," she said with a smirk. "She's got a possessive nutcase to deal with, and he might try to get you out of the way by force if he thinks you're competition." Ranma opened his mouth to reply, "And before you ask, he's more a nuisance that a problem. If he becomes a problem, I'll handle him like I handled his lackeys." (AN: Sorry, folks. No Hentai Horde.) "In case you do run into him, his name's Kuno Tatewaki and he spends most of the day wearing a hakama, swings a mean bokken, and spouts bad haiku."
"Gotcha. Avoid the samurai wannabe."
When they entered the schoolyard, all eyes turned to them after being spotted by her waiting customers. "One of my family's houseguests" she said to the assembled, "Saotome Ranma." All the girls had hearts in their eyes trained on the bishonen Saotome, and all the boys were wondering if Ranma was a boy or a girl.
And then they all heard the voice that often killed the best buzz, "Hast this wretch designs on mine fair Tendo Akane?" Yep, it was bokken brain himself… Kuno Tatewaki, who approached the pair while making his demand. "If so, I shall never allow him to reside under the same roof as she." He peered at Ranma as if he was a bug under a microscope. The pretty face threw him off though. "Be thou man or woman?" he asked bluntly.
"I'm a guy," Ranma deadpanned.
Kuno weighed that answer for a bit, then, "Nay! I believe it not, for so soft a voice and fair a face can only belong to a maiden!" Ranma facefaulted as Kuno pulled a bouquet of roses from… somewhere. "Thine attempt to hide thy true self is no match for logic."
'Whose logic?' thought Ranma. 'Sure, my voice is a little higher than it used ta be… and my face is, well, prettier… it doesn't make me a girl!'
"As I have seen through thine meagre disguise, 'tis only meet that thee reward mine cunning with a date!"
Nabiki, who had been snickering since this ridiculous conversation began, burst out laughing at that last bit and dragged a slightly green Ranma away. "Sorry, Kuno-chan," she said. "Ranma has to register and can't play right now. Maybe later. Bye!"
0.0
A short time later, Ranma was settled into his new class. It just happened to be the same as Akane's. Said girl had shown up just before the bell… after Ranma looked out the window to see her kick Kuno into the wall of the building. To say the girl had some anger issues would be an understatement, but Ranma could almost consider it justified. He shuddered at the memory of meeting the nut.
Attendance was taken, he was introduced, and he'd settled in to be bored out of his mind. And so he was. The day seemed to stretch on forever as he sat in that class, the monotony broken only by the unnerving stares and piles of notes from the girls… and a few of the boys. It was odd how one moron can encourage so many others. Lunch was a nightmare of flirtation and bad poetry from Kuno. Ranma gladly returned to the safe haven, and mind-numbing boredom, of the classroom. At the end of the day, he practically ran all the way home, glad of the escape. To bad for him, Nabiki was walking home with a love note from 'darling Kuno.'
