SCHOOL DAYS

A Ranma ½ fan fiction

By Mitsukai Ashi

Summary: Ranma Saotome is a teenaged martial artist attending his third and final year at Furinkan High School. Tall, strong and totally hot, all the girls are in love with him…and he milks it for all it's worth.

Enter Akane Tendo, the new transfer student. Ranma sets his sights on her, but for the first time in his life, he's rejected! Will he ever win over this stubborn girl?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½, Rumiko Takahashi does and all credits for the existence of Ranma shall go to her. I just write stories about her characters.


CHAPTER SEVEN

Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire


"So, Akane?" asked Ukyo the next day. "Have you thought about how you feel about Ranma?"

"No," lied Akane. "And I don't intend to. I already told you, Ranma's a friend at best. That's it. I don't like him."

"Although, Ukyo," said Sayuri, leaning forward across the desks, "I've heard that you may have a boyfriend you won't tell us about."

Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo herself all stared at her and Yuka in surprise.

"A secret boyfriend?" asked Akane. "Guys, even if she didn't tell you guys, Ukyo would've told us if she had a boyfriend. And I've heard nothing about this."

"Me either," said Shampoo. "Ukyo no have boyfriend."

"Well, I've heard that Konatsu has a thing for you," said Yuka. "You know, your cross-dressing waiter?"

"Konatsu?" asked Ukyo incredulously. "You think me…and Konatsu…where the hell did you guys get that idea?"

"Maybe from the way he watches you all the time?" suggested Sayuri. "Haven't you ever noticed how much he likes you?"

"Guys, Konatsu doesn't like me," said Ukyo. "Hell, Konatsu thinks he's a girl. Even if he did like me, there's no way in hell that he'd do anything about it. He'd think it was forbidden."

"Are you sure he thinks he's a girl?" asked Yuka. "I mean, he may have realized by now that he's a guy. Living in the city might have made him notice the differences between a girl and a guy."

"I doubt it," aid Ukyo firmly. "Konatsu and I aren't a couple, end of story."

"Why we talk about nothing but relationships?" asked Shampoo suddenly.

"Cuz that's the best thing there is to talk about?" suggested Yuka.

"Speaking of relationships," sprung in Sayuri, "have you guys heard? Akari thinks she's ready to admit to Ryoga!"

"Seriously?!" gasped Ukyo.

"Hold up, who's Akari?" asked Akane, who still couldn't remember every name and face in the class.

"See girl in corner, watching Ryoga?" asked Shampoo in a whisper. Akane glanced to the side to see an almost farm-girl type girl sitting shyly at a corner desk. She was indeed eyeing Ryoga.

"Yeah?"

"That's Akari Unryu," said Ukyo. "She's had a crush on Ryoga ever since middle school. Can't figure out why, but she does. She's been watching him for, like, ever, and if she thinks she's ready to confess, that's a great sign!"

"Does she always sit by herself like that?" asked Akane, frowning slightly.

"She refuses to sit with anyone," said Yuka. "She doesn't want anyone to deter her from her mission of staring Ryoga down. It's really a shame…Akari's super nice. We've always wanted to try and be friends with her…"

"Okay, that's devoted to the point of creepy," said Akane. She stood and marched over to Akari's desk as her friends looked on in surprise.

"Akari?"

Akari blinked, having been totally oblivious to Akane's approach, and looked up at her. "Y-yes?" she asked.

"Why don't you come sit with us?" she asked kindly.

"I-I'm sorry," she said. "I just…prefer to sit alone."

"That would be fine if it was true, but if it's just to watch Ryoga, then you're not winning yourself any points," pointed out Akane, sitting on Akari's desktop.

"What do you mean?" asked Akari.

"I mean, if you sit off in a corner like that, Ryoga won't even know you exist," said Akane. "I heard you think you're ready to tell him how you feel?"

"Y-yes," she said quietly.

"Well, before you do that, you should get some friends," said Akane. "Not that I think he'd reject you, but if he does, won't it be nice to have someone you know you can turn to? And besides," she added in a whisper, "Ryoga would be more flattered if a girl with a lot of friends likes him than another loner like him. He thinks he's a reject, from what I hear. So if someone popular likes him, maybe he'd be even more flattered."

"Does it work for you?" asked Akari.

Akane blinked. "I don't have a guy I like," she said.

"But even if you did," said Akari, glancing down, "you're really popular. I'm sure you'd have no problem finding a boyfriend."

"I'm not popular," said Akane. "I have friends, but I'm not popular. Come on, Akari, just come sit with us."

Akari hesitated a moment longer, but finally she nodded and picked up her lunch to follow Akane to her and her friends' cluster of desks. The girls immediately stood so they could rearrange themselves to accommodate Akari. Akari herself was rather startled by how readily these girls welcomed her among themselves. She was greeted by a chorus of cheerful hellos and given a seat. Akane sat beside her new friend and resumed eating her lunch. All around the classroom, the other students watched this new development in surprise. No one had been able to get Akari to even look away from Ryoga since middle school, but the new transfer student only needed two minutes to get her to break her streak and sit with other people. Akane Tendo was just full of surprises.

"So, Akari, tell us about yourself," said Ukyo. "What do you like to do?"

"Um…" said Akari shyly. She'd been watching Ryoga so long, she hadn't realized that she'd lost whatever social skills she used to possess. She didn't even know if her hobby would pass with these girls.

"Don't worry," said Akane. "Whatever it is, we won't laugh. We each have our own hobbies. My family runs a dojo, so I love martial arts."

"What kind?" asked Akari.

"All sorts…but mostly kenpo," she said.

"Shampoo Chinese Amazon girl," said Shampoo. "Know secret martial art no one in Japan know."

"I'm an okonomiyaki chef," said Ukyo. "I study fast-food martial arts."

"We're not martial artists," admitted Yuka, indicating herself and Sayuri, "but we like to gossip, if that's a hobby."

"Gossip is an understatement for you two," said Akane, and they all laughed.

"So, what about you?" asked Sayuri.

"I, um…my family raises sumo-wrestling pigs," admitted Akari quietly, blushing deeply. Even amongst these girls, who obviously were no more ordinary than she was, she felt like a freak admitting something so strange. "I love pigs as a result…"

"Wow!" said Yuka, looking sincerely impressed.

"Seriously?!" asked Sayuri. "I've never heard of that before. That sounds cool!"

Akari blinked. "R-really?" she asked. "I thought you would think it was weird."

"No way!" said Akane. "I've never heard of it before, either, how does that work?"

"Shampoo want know, too!" said Shampoo.

"Me too!" threw in Ukyo.

"Well, what we do is we raise huge pigs to wrestle," said Akari. "I own one myself. His name is Katsunishiki and he's the 14th yokozuna (a/n: that means grand champion in case you don't know…come to think of it, is Akari left out of the anime, too…?) we've raised."

"Wow, that sounds like fun!" said Yuka.

"Oh, it is!" said Akari. "Raising fighting pigs is so much fun. But people always seem to find it so strange."

"Strange or not, it doesn't matter to us," said Akane. "These days, you can make anything into a martial art. I've battled martial ice skaters, martial tea-artists, martial eaters, martial gymnasts, and even martial gamblers."

"Yeah, martial pigs sounds fairly normal compared to things like that," said Yuka. Grinning, she added, "Especially to us martial illiterates."

Akari smiled. Maybe she wasn't as much of a freak as she had thought.

The bell rang suddenly, indicating the end of the lunch period, and they all felt kinda upset about it.

"You will sit with us from now on, right, Akari?" asked Ukyo as they began to clean up.

"You guys wouldn't mind…?" she asked shyly."

"Of course not," said Akane. "It'd be great!"

"Well…alright then," said Akari. "Thanks, you guys."


That evening, when Akane got home, she decided to give another couple-in-the-making a little push and called Ukyo's okonomiyaki shop. Luck seemed to be on her side, for the one who picked up was Konatsu.

"Ukyo's Okonomiyaki, can I help you?" he asked.

"Konatsu?" she asked. "It's Akane."

"Oh, Miss Akane!" he exclaimed. "Hold on a moment, I'll get Miss Ukyo…"

"Hold up, I wanted to talk to you," said Akane.

"M-me?"

"Yes, you," she said with a smile. "Don't tell Ukyo about this call. Are you free to talk?"

"I…I suppose. The shop's closed right now, and Miss Ukyo's in the bath…"

"Great. There's something important I want to ask you," said Akane. "You're in love with Ukyo, right?"

"M-Miss Akane!" he exclaimed. "How…how did you…?"

"So you do," she stated matter-of-factly. "That's good."

"N-no it's not!" exclaimed Konatsu. "Miss Ukyo's been too kind to me as it is. I have no right to fall in love with her!"

"Konatsu, do you know that you're a guy?" Akane interrupted.

"…What does that matter?" he asked quietly.

"Just answer the question," she said. "Did you or did you not know that you are, in fact, a male?"

"…Yes," he admitted quietly. "I know that I'm a male. But that just makes me more unworthy of the great Miss Ukyo. I'm a cross-dressing freak."

"Have you ever actually tried dressing as a guy?" asked Akane.

"Well…no.," he said. "I…I have no guy clothes, to be honest."

Akane smiled. "Would you like some?"

"You have guy's clothes, Miss Akane?" he asked.

"Well…yes," she admitted. "But I don't think they're big enough for you. We don't have school tomorrow, so meet me at Asagiri's Department Store, around noon-ish. Alright?"

"Are you sure it's alright?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. "But don't tell Ukyo what we're doing. Just say you're going to meet a friend."

"Miss Akane, you're too kind," said Konatsu gratefully. "Thank you so much."


And so, the next day, we find Akane and Konatsu in the men's department of Asagiri's Department Store.

"I personally think you'd look good in martial-art type clothing," said Akane, browsing through the clothes. "Since you're a ninja and all."

"I'm a kunoichi," said Konatsu, confused.

"No, Konatsu, you're a ninja," she said. "Female ninjas are kunoichis, but you're a guy. So you're a ninja."

"Oh…" he said. "But they don't sell martial artists' clothes here…do they?"

"Well, let's see…" she said, browsing the clothes. "Before we go with the martial artists' clothes, though, I think we should try out normal clothes first. Like, school uniforms or something." She picked out a button-up shirt and slacks and tossed them at him, which he deftly caught and looked at skeptically.

"Are you sure about this…?"

"Oh, just try it out," she said cheerfully, pushing him toward the dressing rooms. He went in shyly, and Akane stood outside the dressing area, whistling cheerfully. Clothes shopping and helping out Ukyo and Konatsu was just the type of distraction she needed from her endless chain of thinking about—

"No fucking way, Pop. I don't need jeans! I'm perfectly fine with my Chinese clothes!"

She froze. No way. That was not…but it was his voice for sure…she peeked around the corner of the dressing area and felt her heart almost stop as she spotted Ranma being dragged through the store by his father.

"Don't you think that the girls would rather see you in normal clothes?" asked Genma. "You really should try to blend in better, son."

"What about you?!" snapped Ranma. "You're wearing a gi and yukata sandals in a department store!"

"Older citizens such as myself can get away with such things," said Genma. "But you have a girlfriend. Wouldn't she rather see normal clothes?"

Akane felt a little dizzy at that comment. Girlfriend? Since when did he…did he give up on her? Had she driven him away? She couldn't help but feel a little heartbroken at this news, which she didn't understand. She was so upset that she turned back so she didn't have to listen anymore. Luckily for her, Konatsu came out to show her how he looked right at that moment.

"Wow, Konatsu, you look totally hot!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you never got guy clothes before. You're going to have the girls drooling at your feet…including Ucchan!"

"D-d'you really think so?" he asked, blushing lightly and rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Sure!" she said. "Just one thing…" She moved around him and took his hair out of the high ponytail. "You should tie this lower…see how it looks. While I'm doing this," she added, "Wipe off that make-up. You look ridiculous like that."

He reached up and began rubbing his eye-shadow and lipstick off as Akane began fiddling with his hair. His hair was so long and thick…she began braiding it, for some reason. She hummed slightly to herself even as those strange pangs kept striking her heart.

It's not as though you liked him, Akane, she told herself. Why should you be upset about it? He wasn't your boyfriend; you didn't want to date him. He's nothing but a playboy anyway…

She tied off the pigtail, then suddenly realized what she had just done. She stared at the hairstyle in horror. No…she did not just do that…since when did she consider a pigtail a manly hairstyle?!

Since Ranma…whispered that little nagging voice in the back of her mind. She shook her head and quickly began to undo the braid.

"O-on second thought," she said, "a high ponytail suits a ninja. Sorry about that, Konatsu."

"It's quite alright," he said. "You're helping me so much, you're welcome to do what you wish…"

"Don't say it like that, Konatsu," she said. "You and Ucchan are my friends. I just want you both to be happy."

"…Akane?"

Akane froze. Even her hands, still in the process of undoing Konatsu's braid, stilled as the voice registered in her mind. She slowly turned to face him.

"…Ranma," she stated bluntly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. His eyes trailed to Konatsu, who turned at the sound of the voice. "Who's this?" he asked with a little more force in his voice, staring down this man.

"You don't recognize him?" asked Akane. Relieved that he didn't seem to notice that tell-tale pigtail.

"Should I?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "Is he your boyfriend or something?"

Akane stared at him, dumbfounded. "You must be joking," she said, though she thought—or did she hope? —that she had just detected a hint of jealousy and hurt in his voice. "Ranma, this is Konatsu. Ukyo's waiter?"

He stared at Konatsu, who bowed slightly. He raised a finger to point at him.

"Y-you're a guy?!" he asked incredulously. "I-I thought you were a girl!"

"Miss Akane is helping me," he said, retying his hair into a high ponytail himself. "She is teaching me how to be a true man so I can admit how I feel to the woman I love. I have always been a guy, by the way," he added. "I just…was raised as a woman. I didn't realize I was a guy until I came here to the city."

"So, you're not her boyfriend?" asked Ranma, and Akane was certain this time that she heard a note of relief in his voice.

"Of course not," he said. "Miss Akane is so very kind, but my heart belongs to another…even if she does not know it."

"What would you care anyway, Ranma?" Akane threw in, suddenly pissed. "You have a girlfriend already. So what if I had a boyfriend?"

He blinked down at her. "I do?" he asked. "Since when?"

"Don't lie to me, I heard you and your father earlier," she said, crossing her arms. "He said that you have a girlfriend! So why didn't you tell me? Why were you hitting on me if you already had someone?!"

"M-Miss Akane, please do not attack Ranma here…" said Konatsu nervously. He had seen and heard of many instances when Akane had lost her temper…not a pretty sight to behold.

Ranma, for his part, just stared down at her. He felt a small spark of hope leap up within his chest. She was…jealous!

"Akane," he said slowly, "my dad was referring to you!"

She paused, her eyes widening a little. "Huh?"

"Pop thinks that we're going out," he said. "He thought that you're my girlfriend."

Akane suddenly felt very stupid. She should've seen this coming…but she didn't…dammit! She was screwed now…Ranma was going to have a field day with this.

And sure enough, he leaned in with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Why, Akane, I do believe you were jealous," he said, trying to peer into her eyes.

She blushed bright red and said firmly, "I was not!"

"Yes you were," he said. "Admit it."

"I was not!!!" she snapped.

"Were too."

"Was not!!!"

"Were too."

"Was not and that's final!!! Konatsu, change," she snapped. "We're buying those clothes and leaving…for a store where immature little boys don't shop."

Konatsu knew better than to argue and dashed for the changing stall. Akane, on her part, walked back to the clothing rack to pick out a few more clothes for Konatsu, all the while having to deal with Ranma's teasing. He was lucky she was in a store that she really liked, or she would've snapped so hard that all of them would've been kicked out for good. Finally, they paid for the clothing and left Ranma for another store.


That night when Akane got home, she dashed to her room and collapsed onto her bed. Konatsu was going to dress as a guy tomorrow and surprise Ukyo after school. But that wasn't really what was on how mind at the moment. Her mind was more on that blunder she made with Ranma today.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she muttered to herself. "How could I let myself get so worked up over something so stupid? I'm such a moron!!!"

Why'd I get so worked up, though? she asked herself. She thought back to the moment she had overheard Ranma and his father. Hearing that Ranma might've already moved on from her had nearly broken her heart on the spot.

Ranma…with another girl…she thought. A few tears leaked out at the very thought. She jerked up into a kneeling position, shocked. No…no…it couldn't be…she touched her hands to her face and pulled it away, looking at the tears that had traveled down her cheeks. At the sight, she burst into free-flowing tears. She couldn't hide the truth from herself anymore. She threw herself face-first into her pillow and sobbed her heart out.

Oh gods…she thought between huge, choking sobs. I'm in love with Ranma Saotome!!!


(A/N)

Yes, I'm going to leave you hanging. No flames please!!!