Chapter Three

Charged to Become A Great Woman

Author's Notes: As I write this unofficial novelization of the manga, I welcome reviews.

By the way, I highly recommend reading the original six-volume manga before reading this fanfiction, also, whether it be for reference or just for fun and enjoyment. It's a fun manga and you can get it either in digital or physical format. I personally have all six volumes on my Kindle and read them every now and then and I always find them enjoyable and easy to follow.

Also, to all residents of Ikebukuro reading this, I have no idea what your city is like as I have never been to Japan, so don't take offense if I completely screw up the layout. This story doesn't really take place in the real world, after all.

Ryoko advanced suddenly and rapidly, forcing her opponent to adopt a defensive position. She almost landed an impressive blow to his head, but her opponent blocked it with his sword and pushed her back after a second. The match eventually ended with her losing, which felt okay for Ryoko, as her opponent was an older student that she liked named Tatsuya Shishikura, and she felt honored to spar with him anyway. Tatsuya, as previously mentioned, was an older student, he was a Junior, and he was seventeen. He was quite a good martial artist, but also quite a good and likable person. Not to mention he was quite attractive.

Following the match, Ryoko was getting out of her formal kendo uniform, already feeling some bruises appearing on her body. She massaged her left lower arm which had a normal bruise already on it. She grumbled as she felt the bruise.

"Rrgh, getting hit on the hand really stings." She muttered to herself.

Tatsuya politely tossed a towel onto Ryoko's head. She didn't realize it was him who had done that, so she quickly took it off her head, ready to clobber the person she thought tossed it onto her head, then realized it was Tatsuya, so she blushed instead.

"Oh! Tatsuya!" She gasped a little.

Tatsuya grinned at her.

"That was a pretty spectacular match. No wonder everyone says you are the best of the sophomores. Your kendo abilities are incredible, and you almost beat me." Tatsuya explained calmly.

Ryoko blushed deeper and bowed respectfully while stammering.

"Well, I…well, thank you very much for the match!" She managed to blurt out through her stammering.

Tatsuya shrugged dismissively.

"There is no need to say thanks!" He said with a laugh and started to walk away to get into his normal clothing, "I'm the one who is looking forward to practicing with you again! Later."

Ryoko called to Tatsuya.

"Wait, your towel!" She asked.

Tatsuya shrugged.

"That's a new one. It's not dirty. See you around." Tatsuya said over his shoulder.

Ryoko blushed happily.

"Wow…he complimented me…" She said, feeling quite blissfully content as a result.

Unfortunately, said bliss disappeared immediately as Shizuma slid open a nearby window and poked his head in smugly.

"Hey, babe! I saw that…" He said in a teasing tone then actually looked at the surprised Ryoko more seriously, "So, Ryoko, what's the deal? You got a crush on that midget? Hey!"

Shizuma jumped back as Ryoko slid the window back in his face. Tatsuya walked back in with a confused look on his face.

"What's the matter, Ryoko?" He asked honestly.

Ryoko chuckled dismissively as Shizuma slid the window back up with one finger.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. It was just an idiot." Ryoko responded.

Shizuma looked at Ryoko angrily.

"Who are you calling an idiot?!" He exclaimed, grabbing some of Ryoko's hair and yanking on it.

Ryoko quickly pulled her hair out of the grip of Shizuma's hands and grabbed him by the shirt then pulled him into the Kendo Club building unceremoniously. Tatsuya looked over Shizuma as he stood up.

"So, this is the notorious transfer student, Shizuma Kusanagi?" He asked in interest.

Daisaku poked his head into the Kendo Club building through the window that Shizuma had been pulled through.

"Yeah, this is Shizuma Kusanagi! One of the finest fighters out there!" He said cheerfully.

Shizuma and Ryoko were too busy glaring daggers at each other to reply, and looked like they were about to start brawling. Tatsuya sighed but smiled.

"She is a little strange…but in a good way." He mused.

More than A couple of hours later found a much more happy and relaxed Ryoko walking out a movie theater in downtown Ikebukuro. She had changed out of her school uniform and was dressed in some street clothes and a jacket. Ryoko stretched happily, since the film she had just watched was Seven Samurai, one of the finest films ever to come from one of Japan's finest cinematic auteurs: Akira Kurosawa. It was also a notoriously long film, reportedly over three hours, so Ryoko was a little stiff in her leg muscles.

This movie is still utterly fantastic, even after seeing it for the twelfth time. I mean, the swordplay is so accurate and the atmosphere is so perfect as well as the romantic depiction of the Code of the Samurai Warriors! Hitomi should've come, too. I keep telling her she'd get hooked if she watched Kurosawa's Samurai films. Man, I'm itching to do something…Now why wouldn't that idiot Shizuma show up right now? We'd truly have a true grudge match like no other!

As she stretched and limbered up a little, Ryoko continued to think herself into a lather.

I shouldn't worry about things that aren't going to happen, since Shizuma's too busy brawling with the student body…geez, why aren't there any men like the great Toshiro Mifune lying around here?

She suddenly felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle up as she started to feel the presence of another strong fighter nearby. A familiar voice spoke to her.

"Hey, Ryoko-" The voice spoke.

Ryoko whirled around, raising a fist in the process, ready for a fight with…Tatsuya? The young champion of the Kendo Club gulped.

"Uh, hi?" He said warily.

Ryoko blushed deeply.

"Tatsuya! I-I'm sorry, I thought you were that idiot Shizuma!" She explained sheepishly, looking down a little at Tatsuya, and she realized that she was at least an inch and a half taller than the boy who was a year older than her. Tatsuya looked up slightly at Ryoko to meet her embarrassed gaze.

"Well, you seem to be full of energy." He said, oddly cheerfully.

Ryoko sighed and relaxed her body a bit.

"It's a conditioned reflex from all the times that Shizuma has pounced on me." She explained, "I half-expect to see him appear any minute now."

"Well, perhaps we should move away so we don't have to deal with him. You feel like grabbing something to eat?" Tatsuya asked.

Ryoko grinned at that in interest and excitement.

A few minutes later at a nearby café found Tatsuya and Ryoko chatting at a corner table while enjoying some lattes, sandwiches, and quite a few laughs. Ryoko smiled and laughed at some comments of his, but inside, she was a little nervous since this almost felt like a date!

What do I do? I'm alone with Tatsuya all of a sudden! Now that I think about it, I don't think I have really spent too much time with him before, outside of the Kendo club. Hmmm, looks like Tatsuya's almost done with his story. Uh, Conversational Topics, Conversational Topics?

Ryoko decided to bring up a hopefully good topic to talk about.

"So, I'm guessing you saw Seven Samurai as well?" She asked, "Do you like period martial arts movies?"

Tatsuya grinned.

"Of course! It's actually the reason that I got into Kendo in the first place."

Ryoko looked quite surprised at that.

"No way, I never knew that." She stated, "It's a small world, too, since Kurosawa is the reason that I practice Kendo as well. His depiction of the Samurai is just plain amazing."

Wow, Tatsuya is a lot easier to talk to than I thought he would be…Ryoko thought cheerfully to herself.

Simultaneously, over at a park in another part of Ikebukuro found Shizuma and Daisaku chatting calmly while Shizuma himself was working out hard, pushing himself to the limit by hitting a training pillar. Shizuma suddenly stopped his routine as he regarded Daisaku and spoke.

"Seventeen…there are over seventeen martial-arts-related groups at Daimon High alone?" Shizuma said in an impressed tone, which Daisaku nodded at in response.

"Yes. I did some checking. There are some so many martial arts groups on campus that they are crowding each other out. Daimon High is just not a normal school, by any standards." Daisaku commented, "Why do you ask? Are you considering joining a club, Mister Kusanagi?"

Shizuma grinned smugly.

"Are you serious? I'm the champ already, why bother with joining clubs?" He explained, "What am I supposed to learn from running around with the wannabes?"

"I thought you would say that." Said Daisaku.

Shizuma took off his jacket with an overdramatic flourish, a clear indication he was ready to kick it up a notch with his training, and proved that as he began to rain down some much more harder blows to the training pillar.

"But, including Ms. Mistsurugi, no one at Daimon High with a lot of skill entered that tournament." He mused, "We have to draw the good ones out in order for me to fight people with true skill."

He paused in his pummeling attack and looked at Daisaku.

"Yo, little buddy, I got an idea on how to do that…" He said with his sly grin and then struck the pillar with a lightning-fast attack. He felt chi ripple around his fist as he did so and, as his attack hit the pillar, caused a small explosion of flame to happen, causing the pillar to catch fire as it was ripped off of its foundation and sent flying. Daisaku looked impressed at Shizuma.

"Now THAT is what I call being in top form!" The younger boy exclaimed to his friend.

"Hey…Tatsuya?"

Tatsuya turned to look at Ryoko, who had an expression on her face that seemed a little out of character, and who asked the following question:

"Am I not cute?" She asked honestly.

Tatsuya looked confused.

"Huh?" He responded intelligently, prompting Ryoko to stammer and attempt to explain herself.

"What I am trying to say, in my crazy confusing way, is that, um…well, you see, boys are supposed to like the old Samurai movies and martial arts in general. It's not girl stuff…so I'm just wondering if boys view me as a weirdo or just not a girly-girl…"

She looked out over a bridge as she began to explain some more.

"And I realize that that's who I am, but…"

Ryoko shook her head dismissively as she sat down on the bridge wall.

"Hey, I'm sorry to put in a difficult position by asking you this-" She started to explain, then Tatsuya interrupted with:

"You know, I saw the play you were in recently?" He explained as Ryoko looked at him, and he continued to talk, "There was quite an audience and I can positively say that half of the people there went to see you."

He smiled, impressed.

"The role you played…the female bodyguard? It's as though you were born for the role. You were as lively as a fish swimming in water; and you looked so great. A lot of people couldn't help but to be envious. I mean, you even got a standing ovation! I'd say that everyone loves you just the way you are."

He ruffled her hair teasingly.

"So, no need to worry. Being a cute girl isn't everything for a person in life…and being a cute girl isn't the only way to be a great woman. Ryoko, if you are a warrior, then you should follow the path that you believe in!" He stated with encouraging confidence that made Ryoko smile.

"I will. Yes…You're right, Tatsuya!" She responded with a grin.

Sometime later found Ryoko back at the apartment she lived in with her Aunt Madoka, a nurse at a local general hospital. She was taking a nice soothing shower, feeling on cloud nine from her experience with Tatsuya and the satisfying experience of watching an Akira Kurosawa cinematic masterpiece. She hummed a little tune to herself in the process and as she did, Ryoko heard Madoka call to her from outside the bathroom.

"Hey, Ryoko? I'll leave a towel over here." Madoka responded.

"Thanks, Madoka!" Chirped Ryoko, still feeling on cloud nine.

Madoka overheard the chirpiness in Ryoko's voice, smiled to herself.

"You seem to be in a good mood! Did something good happen? You know you can always tell your big sister about it?" She commented.

Ryoko scoffed a little, coming down from her blissful feelings a little and back to reality as well.

"I knew I had an Aunt, but now I have a big sister as well?" She commented.

Madoka's smile turned into a grin.

"Ah…so, from what you are saying…the reason you are feeling good…it's because you met someone you have romantic feelings for! Ooooh, have you met a guy? Or are you and Hitomi taking your friendship to a whole new level?" Madoka asked excitedly.

Ryoko started to towel herself off after she turned off the shower. Madoka continued to pester her.

"I am kind of hoping that this romantic feeling is towards Hitomi since she is your best friend and she does share our love of roleplay and cosplay." Madoka chattered.

Ryoko spoke up.

"It's not Hitomi. I ran into a friend after the movie and we just hung out at a café. It wasn't a date…wait, was it?" Ryoko stated and then asked no one particular.

The next day found Daisaku and Shizuma at Principal Todo's office, explaining the master plan to the principal, who was sitting in a swivel chair with his back to the two boys like he was a James Bond villain. Finally, Todo spoke.

"I see…Run it all by me again." He stated as he spun around in his chair to face the two teenaged boys.

Daisaku began to explain things calmly.

"After careful examination, I have determined that this School has too many clubs and organizations relating to Martial Arts, and, quite simply, there's not enough room on campus for all of them. As a result, arguments and turf wars between the various clubs have not only refused to cease, but are slowly escalating." Daisaku said, reading from his notebook.

Todo smiled and blew smoke from his nostrils.

"I see…and we need to solve that problem with, what? It's certainly a brass knuckle approach, even though it does seem interesting. What did you call this method again?" He asked Shizuma, who was leaning against the wall.

"It's called…K-Fight, Principal Todo." Shizuma explained.

Todo chuckled then spoke.

"Well, before I commit to anything…"

He pointed at Shizuma.

"I'm requiring you to wear at least a variation of the school uniform! Educational Conformity Club ninjas! Attack!" He shouted.

Two nerds dressed as ninjas tackled a horrified Shizuma to the floor and dragged him off kicking and screaming for a fitting for a school uniform.

TO BE CONTINUED!