Chapter 4: Just a Normal Dinner

"Dinner's ready!" Kasumi cheerfully called over and over at different parts of the Tendo residence.

The first to sit around the table, aside from her, were the best friends Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo who just finished cheating each other at a game of shogi. Each sat at opposite ends of the table staring each other down as if waging a silent war on who really won the game. Next came Nabiki, skipping from the stairs as she pocketed her mini-calculator before sitting down beside Kasumi. Finally, Akane, Ranma, and Lum walked in.

"You can sit between me and Ranma if you like," Akane offered Lum. Akane sat between Soun and Ranma; Ranma sat between Akane and Genma.

"Or you can sit between me and Kasumi if you like," that was Nabiki speaking. She actually gave a genuine smile to Lum and patted the pillow between her and Kasumi. Lum looked from one space to the other: to Akane, to Nabiki who kept grinning, to Kasumi who just sat quietly, to the two fathers that were still engaged in their silent war, and to the frowning Ranma who was once again (and by now) well done.

"I think it's best if I sit between Kasumi and Nabiki," Lum replied. She was a bit sorry that she fried Ranma a few more times. Sure she had forgiven him for rummaging her bag in search of the pig, but she was just surprised by his transformation. In the planet Oni, such gender transformation was considered taboo and was almost equivalent to a heinous crime. It took all of Akane's strength and Nabiki's persuasive skills to snap her out of it before Ranma returned to ashes. Lum expected Ranma to retaliate after what she did but he quietly sat at the dojo floor looking at her and finally asking, "Done?"

Still sorry by what she had done, Lum apologized a few more times. Akane reassured her that it was okay and Nabiki patted her on the shoulder saying, "He's had much more painful experiences than what you did to him. Although I don't recall ever having seen him get struck by lightning a couple of hundred times."

Lum almost teared up. Never in her life had she electrocuted someone so much other than her Ataru. It was as if her own body was looking for an outlet to receive all the lightning it has. "I'm sorry," she said again, bowing so as to conceal a drop of tear.

"They already said it's okay," Ranma finally said. "And it's okay, really. I don't mind getting hit by girls. I'm already used to being slapped, kicked, and hit by lots of women…" he waved one hand in the air nonchalantly before continuing, "…most especially a particular tomboy I know.

And not a moment too soon, Akane brandished a big mallet and hit Ranma smack on the head. A big lump quickly grew where the mallet hit the head, but Ranma didn't seem to care anymore. Instead, he pointed at Akane and said, "See?"

So this is a regular occurrence in this house? And perhaps almost always between these two. The two of them slightly reminded her of how she tortures Ataru. Yet the operative word was slightly since there was obviously nothing about those two that resembled their (Ataru and Lum's) relationship in whatever way. Ranma didn't seem the kind to chase after girls unlike Ataru. Rather, the girls chased Ranma all the time and yet he doesn't give in to temptation. But Ataru, Lum reflects a little more, he melts at a pretty girl's smile and happily leaves me to chase after whoever is available to chase.

It was at that moment that Lum felt stubby fingers her breasts. Instinctively, she turned her lightning powers on and electrocuted whoever was touching her full blast.

"Aaahhh!!!"

Lum completely snapped out of her reverie and turned to the person she singed, getting ready to apologize again. The person turned out to be a pretty small old man, the same height as Shampoo's grandmother, wearing what looked like maroon overalls and a mask usually worn by thieves. A few feet away from him was a bag that wasn't there before and from the looks of the few pieces of garment loosely seen from it, it was a bag full of women's underwear.

Lum thought twice about apologizing and got ready to electrocute the man again. But then she noticed the whole Tendo and Saotome Family just looking at the singed man, trembling and with tears in the corner of their eyes. Oh my goodness! They know this person! But then, everyone broke out laughing, the two fathers rolling down on the floor. The whole five minutes filled the room with their hysterical laughter. It was Nabiki who finally spoke.

"Well done Lum. You shouldn't be concerned about it. He lives in this house but we sure appreciate that he leaves soon. But for the mean time, we greatly welcome your lightning capabilities and we also give you permission to channel all your hatred or whatever emotion you have to that old lecher."

"You see," Kasumi finally spoke, "this is Father and Mr. Saotome's master in the Anything Goes Martial Arts. His name is Happosai."

"Yeah." That was Akane. "We'd be happier if you fry him to the next world. He's always been a lecher, a pervert, a dirty old man, and whatever else you want to call him."

"We would have thrown him out," Ranma interjected, "if our parents were brave enough to do so. But they're not, so we're stuck with him. I guess you should try changing clothes now unless you want him to crawl over you once you're asleep."

The information was a bit too much to take but to Lum, it boiled down to one thing: this old man might be what would become of Ataru when he grows old. She looked at the old man again and thought to herself, It would be a catastrophe if these two would ever meet.

"Okay everyone," Kasumi clapped her hands twice. "Now that we're all here, let's eat before the food gets cold."

"Itadakimasu!"