"The Green Leaves Tea Shop"
A Series Written By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu.
E-mail: icezer230@usa.net (C&C welcome)
Webpage: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
The 'Green Leaves Tea Shop' are a series of stories revolving a certain Tea
Shop at the edge of Nerima. It's kind of a multi-crossover where each story
stays distinctively within the boundaries of its own domain. Includes a hefty
amount of personally-created characters (along with the usual characters of
the animanga).
Legalities: All the original characters in the Ranma 1/2 universe have been
created by the great Rumiko Takahashi. (The incomplete version of) Wislawa
Szymborka's 'View With a Grain of Sand' comes from the book with the same
name. The rest of the characters, especially the bunch at the Tea Shop, have
been created by yours truly. If you wish to use any of them in other
fanfiction or draw fanart, please e-mail me. I would be very interested in
archiving them. Distribution in archives, etc. is permitted provided that this
header remains intact.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
SLAP!
*Ow, that stung* Ishikawa Sean thought as he rubbed the injured cheek. It was
probably red now, but he couldn't see it, so how would he know? He meekly
lowered his head in shame; he knew he deserved it. The pain of the slap
didn't...couldn't match the greater pain in his heart. Not by a mile.
"How could you! How could you, Sean? After all this time...Hasn't the time we
spent together meant anything to you? Anything? I thought...t-that...maybe you
would be The One for me...B-but...why...why...after all this time...You didn't
even tell me you were leaving!" the girl in front him said, sobbing
uncontrollably, collapsing on the grass, letting her tears wet the greenery.
"I'm sorry, Mae," he said, saying the girl's name and yet not really knowing
what to say, "That it has to end like this...That...I had to say good bye." He
thought that maybe, just maybe, if he didn't tell her anything, he wouldn't
have to see her in such agony. Too late for that, it seems.
He approached her, hugging her weeping body to him, feeling his own tears fall
and wet Mae's top. Then, she looked at him, her eyes pained and full of tears,
but still the vision of grace and beauty that he had fell for...what was it, 3
months ago? He could still remember the time he confessed his feelings for
her, the way she shyly accepted his love, and all the great times they had
spent together. The pain in his heart magnified tenfold, making his eyes close
and weep with her. After a time and a silence, she broke the hug.
"I-Is that all you can say? That you're sorry? That this has to be goodbye?"
she whispered quietly, staring straight into Sean's eyes. He took her hands
and kissed them.
"I-I'm sorry...I can't do anything about it...My parents...My father...he's
going back to Japan...My sister...she wants to see it once again...She's set
on doing law there...I can't-" he began, only to find a finger put to his
lips.
"-Hush, Sean. Don't try to say anything more. It'll only make our separation
even harder..." her voice trailed off.
She turned away from him, to view the magnificent sight before them. They were
on a secluded spot on a hill that overlooked the city, a spot that no one else
knew but the two of them. They had stumbled upon it only days ago and had
vowed to come back. It was yesterday that his father had made the announcement
regarding their return to Japan. He had struggled inwardly with himself,
wondering whether an effort should be made to try and let him stay back in
London. But no arguments seemed to come forth from his mouth. He was leaving
this weekend and-
"...You know...I care a lot for you, don't you?" she said, breaking his
reverie.
"I know you do. I care for you too, Mae," he replied, wondering where this was
going.
"I know...But...with you going away, abroad...Will this work?" she asked in a
faraway voice.
"I...I honestly don't know. I'd like for it to..." he said.
"But...there's always a chance that it doesn't? I know long distance
relationships are hard to keep...but promise me you won't fall in love with
another girl? That you'll wait until we get back together?" she asked.
"I-Hey, isn't that my line?" he asked, breaking the seriousness of the
situation for a second. Both of them chuckled, and then grew serious again.
"Of course," he said.
"And if we DO meet someone we're interested in...we'd...write about it?" she
asked, with a pained expression. He noticed it instantly. He took her hands
into his once more.
"Mae. Look at me, Mae. I love you. It hurts me to see you like this. I can't
lie to you, you know that. That's why...I never planned on telling you. I'd
thought it would be easier for the both of us...that maybe, if we DON'T see
each other again...we'd find others...and NOT have to tell each other about
it," he said.
"I know. But I had to tell you that I knew. I don't like saying good bye,
but...promise me that you'll write and keep in touch? I hear those Japanese
girls are so...exotic and beautiful. Especially if they're anything like your
sister..." she commented darkly. Sean chuckled in reply.
"So, still jealous over my sister, huh? Don't worry. As far as I'm concerned,
YOU'RE the most beautiful girl in the whole world right now, OK? I'll come
visit during the holidays...I promise. I'll stay over Gran's place and come
visit you," he said.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Okay. Now that we've gotten that over with, would you like to make up for
lost time?"
"I can't believe you just said that!" he chuckled, shaking his head in
disbelief.
"...You know what? Me neither...God, it must be everything coming down to this
moment-" she said, blushing furiously before being interrupted by a set of
lips.
Needless to say, it was a long time before they returned to their homes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Frost fills the sky over Ten Mile Lake,
Silken threads anxious of youth....
Looking at the moon and feeling lonely...
Envious of lovers, not of immortality.
Envious of love, not of immortality. "
--Excerpt from the movie 'A Chinese Ghost Story'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEAN'S SECRET BREW
Day One: Nabiki's Little Problem
"...Ai...rehuto..mai haato...ino san huranshisuko?" Nabiki pronounced, ever so
slowly, ever so carefully. There was...a strange, uneasy silence. After she
had finished her reading, she sat back down, not daring to look at anyone
else; they were too busy staring in wonder at her 'abilities' and too scared
to say a peep. Not even the teacher said anything. After a long silence, he
sighed.
"Tendo-san...Would you see me in my office after school?" he asked, in a
pitying voice.
"Hai, sensei," was her automatic response. Inside, however, her emotions were
in turmoil. A mix of anger and shame clouded her face. Wasn't that how one
said 'I left my heart in San Francisco' in English? She clenched her fists,
not knowing what to do. It was the first time she would actually be asked to
stay behind...in ANY class. Tendo Nabiki? Staying behind? Unheard of. She
would have to make this matter a secret...and get the rest of the class to
'reason' to her way of thinking.
And when it came time to talk with him, sensei Himada, she was even more
jittery.
"Come in and sit down, Tendo-san...Right, now. If you intend to go to take the
Tokyo University examinations next semester like you intended earlier on this
year, you will have to improve your English-speaking abilities...greatly.
Right now...I'm afraid...your pronounciation is...shall we
say...'elementary'?" he added, trying not to offend her. But she was crushed.
After a few moments, she quietly asked him another question.
"...And...my reading and writing?"
"They...seem to...need...work as well," he tried his best effort to conceal
his frustration in front of the girl. Her writing and reading were only a tad
bit better than her pronounciation. If she wanted to get into Tokyo University
(exclusive, private, and top business school=Nabiki's very own ambition),
she'd have to get _a lot_ of help. And while he was known in Furinkan to be a
very strict teacher, he didn't wish one of the most promising students of
Furinkan to fail.
He had spent the better part of a day trying to think of a way to suggest to
her that she would need a tutor. He prayed that the method he chose was the
right one. Or else, he might lose his house...and more. By the look of his
student (a long sad face), it didn't look like it would turn out the way he
wanted already. And so, he started with his carefully chosen path: the
guidance counselor one. Almost always works, so he was crossing his fingers on
this one.
"Look. You're a brilliant student; I know that; hell, everyone knows that. You
have impeccable business skills. Learning English would not only allow you to
advance educationally by entering the top Japanese University, but you would
also gain the skills that you would need in future business environments. I'm
certain of it.
Now, Tendo-san, I'm proposing something to you that might earn you a passing
mark, depending on how you do after a time. An acquaintance of mine by the
name of Ishikawa has recently moved to Nerima from London. His English, sadly
enough, isn't the greatest, despite his overseas venture, but the rest of his
family speak the language perfectly.
I'll leave you their address should you decide to seek their assistance in
this matter. I assure you that it will be in your best interest that you do
so. I'll talk to him after you leave about arranging to help you in your
difficulties. Perhaps a little one-on-one would help you focus. Here it
is...I'll see your progress in say, 2 weeks? If you do not seem to have made
any progress, I'm afraid I will have to talk to your counselor regarding your
decision to take the Tokyo University entrance exam in December..."
Nabiki's mind zoned out after this, and inwardly she panicked. 'What! How
could he do this? Could this be true? My dreams, shattered, because of one
miserable class!' When her mind fumbled through this information for a while
and recovered, this was what she heard.
"...Good day, Tendo-san. You are dismissed," Himada sensei said coolly, giving
a slip of paper to her, the one on which he had written a phone-number down.
She took it hesitantly.
She rose and gave a little bow to him. He nodded. She turned and walked away,
closing the office door behind her. She let out a sigh and looked at the
writing on the slip of paper. It was somewhere in the increasingly-fashionable
area of Nerima (which was at the edge, between several other neighboring
districts). Fortunately, she didn't hear the big sigh coming from inside the
room, coming from Himada sensei.
She wondered how it would all turn out. All in all, she had to keep quiet
about what she would be doing from the Tendo household. Her father would be in
tears again, and would never let her try for Tokyo University. It was so
expensive, the exam, and it would only stretch her family's budget just even
trying to manage her tuition. She _had_ to do well on the exam and get a
scholarship. That was the only way she could get her own costs out of her
family's budget. It was trying enough as it is, with two free-loaders like
Ranma-kun and his father.
Sensing that she would need some more time to figure out how she would
proceed, she decided to go to the nearby park. She knew a great spot there,
under a large tree just overlooking the water, where the occupant was nearly
invisible and was always kept cool by the ever-present breeze. That was where
she thought out of most of her troubles nowadays.
Maybe she'd succeed in working this one out today.
*****
VIEW WITH A GRAIN OF SAND
By Wislawa Szymborska (winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Literature)
We call it a grain of sand,
but it calls itself neither grain nor sand.
It does just fine without a name,
whether general, particular,
permanent, passing,
incorrect, or apt.
"Sean! Look! There's that girl again, you know, the one who keeps staring into
the lake? This is what, the third time in a row we've seen her doing that?" a
deep manly voice asked.
Our glance, our touch mean nothing to it.
It doesn't feel itself seen and touched.
And that it fell on the windowsill
"Sean!"
"Huh? Oh. Yeah."
is only our experience, not its.
For it, it is no different from falling on anything else
with no assurance that it has finished falling
or that it is falling still.
"She's cute. You ever wonder why she does that? She looks so sad while she's
doing it, too."
The window has a wonderful view of a lake,
but the view doesn't view itself.
It exists in this world
colorless, shapeless
soundless, odorless, and painless.
"Uh..."
The lake's floor exists floorlessly,
and its shore exists shorelessly.
Its water feels itself neither wet nor dry
and it waves to themselve are neither singular nor plural.
They splash deaf to their own noise
on pebbles neither large nor small.
"Sean! Stop trying to read while you walk and look at me while I talk, will
you?"
And all this beneath a sky by nature skyless
in which the sun sets without setting at all
and hides without hiding behind an unminding clud.
The wind ruffles it, its only reason being
that it blows.
"Sean! Watch out!"
A second passes.
A second second.
A third.
"Awk!" Sean yelped as he suddenly noticed there was no ground beneath his
feet.
SPLASH~!
"Sean, are you all right? Damn, you're all wet!" the manly voice remarked,
chuckling.
Sean also heard loud giggle close by. He saw a girl with brown hair styled
into a bob, wearing the local high school uniform, sitting underneath a tree.
Their eyes locked on. *Wow...she's got the most beautiful brown eyes I've ever
seen...although...they seem to be a little red and puffy...* Suddenly, Sean
looked away, blushing furiously. He had a _girlfriend_, damnit! He wasn't
supposed to feel like this towards anyone else! The girl, on the other hand,
found herself staring into the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen, and lost
herself in that gaze. Then, the gaijin looked away.
"Hey man, are you blushing?" the manly voice teased after he noticed best
friend's reaction.
"I am not! Damn it Tokuo, why didn't you warn me!" he roared.
"Well excuuuuse me Mr. I-want-to-read-this-poetry-book, I did! It wasn't my
fault you weren't paying attention!"
Sean looked towards where the girl was, but she wasn't there. He sighed.
*Damn. I just ruined my first impression* Sean thought, and pulled off his wet
T-shirt to wring it out. He sneezed. *Now I've got the flu.*
"Hurry up or we'll be late for our shift," Tokuo said, kneeling down before
him.
"You're not the one who's got wet clothes!"
"Well, I'm not the one who just walked into the lake because he was reading a
book! Oh. Here's your book--it survived the big splash. Not a drop on it,"
Tokuo said, lifting the mentioned item and dangling it in front of Sean. Sean
scowled as he grabbed it. Then he rose and started to run, turning only to
make a face at Tokuo, sticking his tongue out.
"Hey! That's not fair! Wait for me!" Tokuo shouted, running after him.
*****
She couldn't stop laughing after she had left her spot in the park, so tears
actually ran down her face for the first time in this manner. *It was amazing!
How could a person be such a baka! I mean, really!* she thought as she
proceeded to wipe her tears with her handkerchief, trying to make her way back
to the dojo, but not successfully as she would remember the incident time and
time again, catching the look of stupidity on the person's face. *And what a
face that was*, Nabiki mused. *Not bad looking, for a gaijin.*
"Yo Nabiki, whatcha crying for?" a familiar female voice asked noncomittally,
interrupted her thoughts.
"It's nothing, Saotome. Nothing you'd understand," she said, cracking up once
more.
"Sometimes I wonder about you, Nabiki...But you know what, you Tendos do look
cuter when you smile," the figure in front of her said before dissappearing
from sight by leaping to the rooftop of a nearby house.
What Ranma-kun said made Nabiki think. *Was he trying to complement me or was
that a lame come-on? I never knew he had it in him. But coming-on to his
fiancee's sister...* she thought. She hit herself on the head for thinking too
much and proceeded to the dojo once more, her mind now clear. She would call
for help and get her deserved A for working so hard. Then, she'd take her
college exams and get into Tokyo University. She sighed. *Anything to get away
from this madhouse* she thought as she gazed upon the compound ahead of her.
After a moment of contemplation, she went on.
"Tadaima!" she called out as she disappeared into the prefecture, closing the
door behind her.
*****
"Ding ding ding!" the doorbell chimed.
"Welcome to the Green Leaves Tea Shop! How may I help you?" Sean called out
the customary greeting as he turned from his position of wiping the surface of
a coffee table...to see the girl who had giggled at his...unfortunate accident
yesterday afternoon.
"...I-" both of them started, and then paused. Both of them blushed, not
knowing what to say. Sean, deciding to break the silence, gestured Nabiki to
come in the shop and to have a seat, before whipping out a menu and an order
pad and pen.
"What would you like?" he asked, trying to keep his tone even, although
failing rather miserably. He cleared his throat.
"A video of what happened yesterday," the girl retorted, giving him a sly
smile that both unnerved him and made him blush. *What are you doing! Stop it!
Okay, calm down and get right into business. You can do it. Come on...* her
inner self said.
"I'm afraid the shop doesn't-" he started, before being interrupted by the
girl.
"I'm looking for Ishikawa-san. Is she available?" she said in a business-like
tone.
"I'm afraid mum's not available right now; she's out with the suppliers and
probably won't be back 'till late this evening. You're welcome to stay and
have a drink on the house if you have no other plans..." he said, trailing
off.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow and smiled secretively. *Damn did that sound like a
come-on? Mae, forgive me, but I didn't mean to do that on purpose!* he
thought. None of them seemed to notice Tokuo, who had been swarmed by girls
(as usual) and looked over to see what was the matter, and smiled when he saw
the two. He came over (with a few girls tagging along, eager to be with him no
matter where he was) and decided to make his presence apparent.
"Well look who's here! Hi, aren't you that girl by the lake the other day?
Welcome to the Green Leaves Tea Shop! My name is Takeda Tokuo. This klutz
here's Ishikawa Sean. And you are...?" Tokuo asked, taking the lead in
introducing themselves. The girls by him protested, shouting 'Takeda-san,' and
eyeing Nabiki as if she was their greatest enemy even though they had only
met. Nabiki seemed to look at the girls' reaction with an interested glint in
her eye (and if you know Nabiki, you'd know that she had been thinking of
doing some photo-selling of this new guy already!).
"Tendo Nabiki," she replied confidently.
"Tendo-san? Ah. I see. So you're the one Mum was talking about. Well, it seems
Mum's handed the task to me, since she's pretty busy with the shop and all,
and my sister's occupied with her studies for her upcoming exams...So, how can
I help you?" Sean asked, realizing that she was the one who asked for help.
"Um...can we talk about this in private?" Nabiki asked, looking at the many
girls who hung around Tokuo.
"Of course. Come with me to the bar and I'll make you something for your
throat," he replied.
"Nice to meet you, Tendo-san. I hope you have a good time here; you're in good
hands with Sean. I've got to go back to work, all right?" Tokuo said, giving
her a dashing smile and pose as he turned to go.
[Author's note: it is similar to the pose Kuno has when he has the flower in
his mouth and tries to woo either Akane and Ranma in his girl form but, of
course, more elegantly performed ^^;]
The swarm of girls followed him thereafter. Murmurs of "Takeda-kun!"
"Takeda-sama" and "Takeda-san" could be heard following him wherever he went.
Sean could only laugh weakly at the sight. He looked towards Nabiki, who still
had that amused expression on her face. Almost...calculating? He shrugged at
the thought.
"My throat?" Nabiki asked as she followed him to the bar, wondering how he
could have known she had a sore throat since she had only met him for a few
moments.
"You didn't sound...like you did the first time, so I'm assuming you have a
bit of a throat problem, am I right?" Sean asked, and continued, "Here, why
don't I make you something that will make your voice better while I see
whether I can find what your sister wanted," Sean said as he started to mix
several ingridients together. Within a few minutes, a cup of tea was served.
Nabiki seemed troubled.
"How do you know my sister?" she asked, surprised that he knew.
"I sort of made the connection between the name 'Tendo.' There's only one
Tendo family around in Nerima, or so your sister said. She comes in and has
chats with mum all the time. I'm surprised you didn't know this. Anyway, she
ordered a package of tea, something of a calmer at that. Things must get
pretty rowdy where you are if she's ordering this," Sean replied, taking out
from under the counter a package with 'Tendo Kasumi' labelled on top. Nabiki
nodded.
"Oh yes, I suppose you might say our family can get pretty rowdy sometimes. I
suppose my sister's told you about how uh...peculiar our family is," Nabiki
said, chuckling before taking a sip of the tea. *I just bet they don't know
just _how_ rowdy* she thought. The tea had a peculiar taste and one which
created a strange tingle in her throat. She frowned.
"Anything wrong?" Sean asked.
"No...It's just that my voice is back to normal," Nabiki replied. Sean
chuckled in response.
"What, you never had that kind of effect from drinking tea with honey and
lemon?" Sean asked.
"Actually, I never drink anything but ocha and the stuff Kasumi
makes...Um...listen, could you do me a favor? I don't want her to know that
I'm getting help from you, since she thinks I'm at the top of my class in all
of my subjects," Nabiki replied, a little hesitantly.
"Um...sure, but where should we meet if I'm supposed to help you with your
English?" he asked. "Your sister comes in nearly every day, and I'm surprised
she didn't come in today."
"Oh, she's caught a bit of the flu today so she couldn't go out. I had to take
care of the groceries today...and I'm eating out tonight. Um...say, why don't
we meet at the park everyday after school, where we first met? I'm sure
that'll be the perfect spot to study in. It's pretty quiet over there," she
replied.
"You're right, the shade of that tree looked pretty nice compared to the
blaring sun...Say, since you're going out to eat tonight, do you mind if you
come in? We've got a band playing tonight and I thought you might like the
sound," Sean said haltingly.
"Are you asking me out on a date, Ishikawa?" Nabiki asked, raising her eyebrow
once more and giving one of her smiles. Sean instantly blushed.
"Er...of course not. I just thought-" he mumbled.
"Of course. I'll bring a few of my friends and come after we see our movie,"
she replied, amused at how he was squirming like a worm at the slightest
provocation. *So similar to Ranma-kun, except that this is so much more fun*
she thought.
*****
'Till next time, au revoir!
FOOTNOTES
The first part was emotionally exhausting for me to write, mostly because it
was...something I've never tried writing before. But don't get me wrong, it
was really fun too! Thanks for staying with me 'till the end. Hope to see you
next time. Well then, I'll just start with listing the obligatory kudos list
then, eh?:
Kudos to pre-readers CH, Feir, and Brett. Without them, this piece would not
be as it is today. Thank you, Annie and the rest of my fans, for egging me on
or else I'd never finish this.
Shoujo-ai influences: Yukari Kawachi, Michiyo Akaishi, Suzue Miuchi, Ryo
Takase, Fumika Okano ('Furutsu Kazu 100%'), Ushijima Keiko, Kyoko Hikawa, Yuki
Suetsugu...and so many more. May their work be immortalized by endless praise.
A Series Written By: icezer230, a.k.a Shu.
E-mail: icezer230@usa.net (C&C welcome)
Webpage: http://icezer.itgo.com/fanfic.html
The 'Green Leaves Tea Shop' are a series of stories revolving a certain Tea
Shop at the edge of Nerima. It's kind of a multi-crossover where each story
stays distinctively within the boundaries of its own domain. Includes a hefty
amount of personally-created characters (along with the usual characters of
the animanga).
Legalities: All the original characters in the Ranma 1/2 universe have been
created by the great Rumiko Takahashi. (The incomplete version of) Wislawa
Szymborka's 'View With a Grain of Sand' comes from the book with the same
name. The rest of the characters, especially the bunch at the Tea Shop, have
been created by yours truly. If you wish to use any of them in other
fanfiction or draw fanart, please e-mail me. I would be very interested in
archiving them. Distribution in archives, etc. is permitted provided that this
header remains intact.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
SLAP!
*Ow, that stung* Ishikawa Sean thought as he rubbed the injured cheek. It was
probably red now, but he couldn't see it, so how would he know? He meekly
lowered his head in shame; he knew he deserved it. The pain of the slap
didn't...couldn't match the greater pain in his heart. Not by a mile.
"How could you! How could you, Sean? After all this time...Hasn't the time we
spent together meant anything to you? Anything? I thought...t-that...maybe you
would be The One for me...B-but...why...why...after all this time...You didn't
even tell me you were leaving!" the girl in front him said, sobbing
uncontrollably, collapsing on the grass, letting her tears wet the greenery.
"I'm sorry, Mae," he said, saying the girl's name and yet not really knowing
what to say, "That it has to end like this...That...I had to say good bye." He
thought that maybe, just maybe, if he didn't tell her anything, he wouldn't
have to see her in such agony. Too late for that, it seems.
He approached her, hugging her weeping body to him, feeling his own tears fall
and wet Mae's top. Then, she looked at him, her eyes pained and full of tears,
but still the vision of grace and beauty that he had fell for...what was it, 3
months ago? He could still remember the time he confessed his feelings for
her, the way she shyly accepted his love, and all the great times they had
spent together. The pain in his heart magnified tenfold, making his eyes close
and weep with her. After a time and a silence, she broke the hug.
"I-Is that all you can say? That you're sorry? That this has to be goodbye?"
she whispered quietly, staring straight into Sean's eyes. He took her hands
and kissed them.
"I-I'm sorry...I can't do anything about it...My parents...My father...he's
going back to Japan...My sister...she wants to see it once again...She's set
on doing law there...I can't-" he began, only to find a finger put to his
lips.
"-Hush, Sean. Don't try to say anything more. It'll only make our separation
even harder..." her voice trailed off.
She turned away from him, to view the magnificent sight before them. They were
on a secluded spot on a hill that overlooked the city, a spot that no one else
knew but the two of them. They had stumbled upon it only days ago and had
vowed to come back. It was yesterday that his father had made the announcement
regarding their return to Japan. He had struggled inwardly with himself,
wondering whether an effort should be made to try and let him stay back in
London. But no arguments seemed to come forth from his mouth. He was leaving
this weekend and-
"...You know...I care a lot for you, don't you?" she said, breaking his
reverie.
"I know you do. I care for you too, Mae," he replied, wondering where this was
going.
"I know...But...with you going away, abroad...Will this work?" she asked in a
faraway voice.
"I...I honestly don't know. I'd like for it to..." he said.
"But...there's always a chance that it doesn't? I know long distance
relationships are hard to keep...but promise me you won't fall in love with
another girl? That you'll wait until we get back together?" she asked.
"I-Hey, isn't that my line?" he asked, breaking the seriousness of the
situation for a second. Both of them chuckled, and then grew serious again.
"Of course," he said.
"And if we DO meet someone we're interested in...we'd...write about it?" she
asked, with a pained expression. He noticed it instantly. He took her hands
into his once more.
"Mae. Look at me, Mae. I love you. It hurts me to see you like this. I can't
lie to you, you know that. That's why...I never planned on telling you. I'd
thought it would be easier for the both of us...that maybe, if we DON'T see
each other again...we'd find others...and NOT have to tell each other about
it," he said.
"I know. But I had to tell you that I knew. I don't like saying good bye,
but...promise me that you'll write and keep in touch? I hear those Japanese
girls are so...exotic and beautiful. Especially if they're anything like your
sister..." she commented darkly. Sean chuckled in reply.
"So, still jealous over my sister, huh? Don't worry. As far as I'm concerned,
YOU'RE the most beautiful girl in the whole world right now, OK? I'll come
visit during the holidays...I promise. I'll stay over Gran's place and come
visit you," he said.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Okay. Now that we've gotten that over with, would you like to make up for
lost time?"
"I can't believe you just said that!" he chuckled, shaking his head in
disbelief.
"...You know what? Me neither...God, it must be everything coming down to this
moment-" she said, blushing furiously before being interrupted by a set of
lips.
Needless to say, it was a long time before they returned to their homes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Frost fills the sky over Ten Mile Lake,
Silken threads anxious of youth....
Looking at the moon and feeling lonely...
Envious of lovers, not of immortality.
Envious of love, not of immortality. "
--Excerpt from the movie 'A Chinese Ghost Story'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEAN'S SECRET BREW
Day One: Nabiki's Little Problem
"...Ai...rehuto..mai haato...ino san huranshisuko?" Nabiki pronounced, ever so
slowly, ever so carefully. There was...a strange, uneasy silence. After she
had finished her reading, she sat back down, not daring to look at anyone
else; they were too busy staring in wonder at her 'abilities' and too scared
to say a peep. Not even the teacher said anything. After a long silence, he
sighed.
"Tendo-san...Would you see me in my office after school?" he asked, in a
pitying voice.
"Hai, sensei," was her automatic response. Inside, however, her emotions were
in turmoil. A mix of anger and shame clouded her face. Wasn't that how one
said 'I left my heart in San Francisco' in English? She clenched her fists,
not knowing what to do. It was the first time she would actually be asked to
stay behind...in ANY class. Tendo Nabiki? Staying behind? Unheard of. She
would have to make this matter a secret...and get the rest of the class to
'reason' to her way of thinking.
And when it came time to talk with him, sensei Himada, she was even more
jittery.
"Come in and sit down, Tendo-san...Right, now. If you intend to go to take the
Tokyo University examinations next semester like you intended earlier on this
year, you will have to improve your English-speaking abilities...greatly.
Right now...I'm afraid...your pronounciation is...shall we
say...'elementary'?" he added, trying not to offend her. But she was crushed.
After a few moments, she quietly asked him another question.
"...And...my reading and writing?"
"They...seem to...need...work as well," he tried his best effort to conceal
his frustration in front of the girl. Her writing and reading were only a tad
bit better than her pronounciation. If she wanted to get into Tokyo University
(exclusive, private, and top business school=Nabiki's very own ambition),
she'd have to get _a lot_ of help. And while he was known in Furinkan to be a
very strict teacher, he didn't wish one of the most promising students of
Furinkan to fail.
He had spent the better part of a day trying to think of a way to suggest to
her that she would need a tutor. He prayed that the method he chose was the
right one. Or else, he might lose his house...and more. By the look of his
student (a long sad face), it didn't look like it would turn out the way he
wanted already. And so, he started with his carefully chosen path: the
guidance counselor one. Almost always works, so he was crossing his fingers on
this one.
"Look. You're a brilliant student; I know that; hell, everyone knows that. You
have impeccable business skills. Learning English would not only allow you to
advance educationally by entering the top Japanese University, but you would
also gain the skills that you would need in future business environments. I'm
certain of it.
Now, Tendo-san, I'm proposing something to you that might earn you a passing
mark, depending on how you do after a time. An acquaintance of mine by the
name of Ishikawa has recently moved to Nerima from London. His English, sadly
enough, isn't the greatest, despite his overseas venture, but the rest of his
family speak the language perfectly.
I'll leave you their address should you decide to seek their assistance in
this matter. I assure you that it will be in your best interest that you do
so. I'll talk to him after you leave about arranging to help you in your
difficulties. Perhaps a little one-on-one would help you focus. Here it
is...I'll see your progress in say, 2 weeks? If you do not seem to have made
any progress, I'm afraid I will have to talk to your counselor regarding your
decision to take the Tokyo University entrance exam in December..."
Nabiki's mind zoned out after this, and inwardly she panicked. 'What! How
could he do this? Could this be true? My dreams, shattered, because of one
miserable class!' When her mind fumbled through this information for a while
and recovered, this was what she heard.
"...Good day, Tendo-san. You are dismissed," Himada sensei said coolly, giving
a slip of paper to her, the one on which he had written a phone-number down.
She took it hesitantly.
She rose and gave a little bow to him. He nodded. She turned and walked away,
closing the office door behind her. She let out a sigh and looked at the
writing on the slip of paper. It was somewhere in the increasingly-fashionable
area of Nerima (which was at the edge, between several other neighboring
districts). Fortunately, she didn't hear the big sigh coming from inside the
room, coming from Himada sensei.
She wondered how it would all turn out. All in all, she had to keep quiet
about what she would be doing from the Tendo household. Her father would be in
tears again, and would never let her try for Tokyo University. It was so
expensive, the exam, and it would only stretch her family's budget just even
trying to manage her tuition. She _had_ to do well on the exam and get a
scholarship. That was the only way she could get her own costs out of her
family's budget. It was trying enough as it is, with two free-loaders like
Ranma-kun and his father.
Sensing that she would need some more time to figure out how she would
proceed, she decided to go to the nearby park. She knew a great spot there,
under a large tree just overlooking the water, where the occupant was nearly
invisible and was always kept cool by the ever-present breeze. That was where
she thought out of most of her troubles nowadays.
Maybe she'd succeed in working this one out today.
*****
VIEW WITH A GRAIN OF SAND
By Wislawa Szymborska (winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Literature)
We call it a grain of sand,
but it calls itself neither grain nor sand.
It does just fine without a name,
whether general, particular,
permanent, passing,
incorrect, or apt.
"Sean! Look! There's that girl again, you know, the one who keeps staring into
the lake? This is what, the third time in a row we've seen her doing that?" a
deep manly voice asked.
Our glance, our touch mean nothing to it.
It doesn't feel itself seen and touched.
And that it fell on the windowsill
"Sean!"
"Huh? Oh. Yeah."
is only our experience, not its.
For it, it is no different from falling on anything else
with no assurance that it has finished falling
or that it is falling still.
"She's cute. You ever wonder why she does that? She looks so sad while she's
doing it, too."
The window has a wonderful view of a lake,
but the view doesn't view itself.
It exists in this world
colorless, shapeless
soundless, odorless, and painless.
"Uh..."
The lake's floor exists floorlessly,
and its shore exists shorelessly.
Its water feels itself neither wet nor dry
and it waves to themselve are neither singular nor plural.
They splash deaf to their own noise
on pebbles neither large nor small.
"Sean! Stop trying to read while you walk and look at me while I talk, will
you?"
And all this beneath a sky by nature skyless
in which the sun sets without setting at all
and hides without hiding behind an unminding clud.
The wind ruffles it, its only reason being
that it blows.
"Sean! Watch out!"
A second passes.
A second second.
A third.
"Awk!" Sean yelped as he suddenly noticed there was no ground beneath his
feet.
SPLASH~!
"Sean, are you all right? Damn, you're all wet!" the manly voice remarked,
chuckling.
Sean also heard loud giggle close by. He saw a girl with brown hair styled
into a bob, wearing the local high school uniform, sitting underneath a tree.
Their eyes locked on. *Wow...she's got the most beautiful brown eyes I've ever
seen...although...they seem to be a little red and puffy...* Suddenly, Sean
looked away, blushing furiously. He had a _girlfriend_, damnit! He wasn't
supposed to feel like this towards anyone else! The girl, on the other hand,
found herself staring into the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen, and lost
herself in that gaze. Then, the gaijin looked away.
"Hey man, are you blushing?" the manly voice teased after he noticed best
friend's reaction.
"I am not! Damn it Tokuo, why didn't you warn me!" he roared.
"Well excuuuuse me Mr. I-want-to-read-this-poetry-book, I did! It wasn't my
fault you weren't paying attention!"
Sean looked towards where the girl was, but she wasn't there. He sighed.
*Damn. I just ruined my first impression* Sean thought, and pulled off his wet
T-shirt to wring it out. He sneezed. *Now I've got the flu.*
"Hurry up or we'll be late for our shift," Tokuo said, kneeling down before
him.
"You're not the one who's got wet clothes!"
"Well, I'm not the one who just walked into the lake because he was reading a
book! Oh. Here's your book--it survived the big splash. Not a drop on it,"
Tokuo said, lifting the mentioned item and dangling it in front of Sean. Sean
scowled as he grabbed it. Then he rose and started to run, turning only to
make a face at Tokuo, sticking his tongue out.
"Hey! That's not fair! Wait for me!" Tokuo shouted, running after him.
*****
She couldn't stop laughing after she had left her spot in the park, so tears
actually ran down her face for the first time in this manner. *It was amazing!
How could a person be such a baka! I mean, really!* she thought as she
proceeded to wipe her tears with her handkerchief, trying to make her way back
to the dojo, but not successfully as she would remember the incident time and
time again, catching the look of stupidity on the person's face. *And what a
face that was*, Nabiki mused. *Not bad looking, for a gaijin.*
"Yo Nabiki, whatcha crying for?" a familiar female voice asked noncomittally,
interrupted her thoughts.
"It's nothing, Saotome. Nothing you'd understand," she said, cracking up once
more.
"Sometimes I wonder about you, Nabiki...But you know what, you Tendos do look
cuter when you smile," the figure in front of her said before dissappearing
from sight by leaping to the rooftop of a nearby house.
What Ranma-kun said made Nabiki think. *Was he trying to complement me or was
that a lame come-on? I never knew he had it in him. But coming-on to his
fiancee's sister...* she thought. She hit herself on the head for thinking too
much and proceeded to the dojo once more, her mind now clear. She would call
for help and get her deserved A for working so hard. Then, she'd take her
college exams and get into Tokyo University. She sighed. *Anything to get away
from this madhouse* she thought as she gazed upon the compound ahead of her.
After a moment of contemplation, she went on.
"Tadaima!" she called out as she disappeared into the prefecture, closing the
door behind her.
*****
"Ding ding ding!" the doorbell chimed.
"Welcome to the Green Leaves Tea Shop! How may I help you?" Sean called out
the customary greeting as he turned from his position of wiping the surface of
a coffee table...to see the girl who had giggled at his...unfortunate accident
yesterday afternoon.
"...I-" both of them started, and then paused. Both of them blushed, not
knowing what to say. Sean, deciding to break the silence, gestured Nabiki to
come in the shop and to have a seat, before whipping out a menu and an order
pad and pen.
"What would you like?" he asked, trying to keep his tone even, although
failing rather miserably. He cleared his throat.
"A video of what happened yesterday," the girl retorted, giving him a sly
smile that both unnerved him and made him blush. *What are you doing! Stop it!
Okay, calm down and get right into business. You can do it. Come on...* her
inner self said.
"I'm afraid the shop doesn't-" he started, before being interrupted by the
girl.
"I'm looking for Ishikawa-san. Is she available?" she said in a business-like
tone.
"I'm afraid mum's not available right now; she's out with the suppliers and
probably won't be back 'till late this evening. You're welcome to stay and
have a drink on the house if you have no other plans..." he said, trailing
off.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow and smiled secretively. *Damn did that sound like a
come-on? Mae, forgive me, but I didn't mean to do that on purpose!* he
thought. None of them seemed to notice Tokuo, who had been swarmed by girls
(as usual) and looked over to see what was the matter, and smiled when he saw
the two. He came over (with a few girls tagging along, eager to be with him no
matter where he was) and decided to make his presence apparent.
"Well look who's here! Hi, aren't you that girl by the lake the other day?
Welcome to the Green Leaves Tea Shop! My name is Takeda Tokuo. This klutz
here's Ishikawa Sean. And you are...?" Tokuo asked, taking the lead in
introducing themselves. The girls by him protested, shouting 'Takeda-san,' and
eyeing Nabiki as if she was their greatest enemy even though they had only
met. Nabiki seemed to look at the girls' reaction with an interested glint in
her eye (and if you know Nabiki, you'd know that she had been thinking of
doing some photo-selling of this new guy already!).
"Tendo Nabiki," she replied confidently.
"Tendo-san? Ah. I see. So you're the one Mum was talking about. Well, it seems
Mum's handed the task to me, since she's pretty busy with the shop and all,
and my sister's occupied with her studies for her upcoming exams...So, how can
I help you?" Sean asked, realizing that she was the one who asked for help.
"Um...can we talk about this in private?" Nabiki asked, looking at the many
girls who hung around Tokuo.
"Of course. Come with me to the bar and I'll make you something for your
throat," he replied.
"Nice to meet you, Tendo-san. I hope you have a good time here; you're in good
hands with Sean. I've got to go back to work, all right?" Tokuo said, giving
her a dashing smile and pose as he turned to go.
[Author's note: it is similar to the pose Kuno has when he has the flower in
his mouth and tries to woo either Akane and Ranma in his girl form but, of
course, more elegantly performed ^^;]
The swarm of girls followed him thereafter. Murmurs of "Takeda-kun!"
"Takeda-sama" and "Takeda-san" could be heard following him wherever he went.
Sean could only laugh weakly at the sight. He looked towards Nabiki, who still
had that amused expression on her face. Almost...calculating? He shrugged at
the thought.
"My throat?" Nabiki asked as she followed him to the bar, wondering how he
could have known she had a sore throat since she had only met him for a few
moments.
"You didn't sound...like you did the first time, so I'm assuming you have a
bit of a throat problem, am I right?" Sean asked, and continued, "Here, why
don't I make you something that will make your voice better while I see
whether I can find what your sister wanted," Sean said as he started to mix
several ingridients together. Within a few minutes, a cup of tea was served.
Nabiki seemed troubled.
"How do you know my sister?" she asked, surprised that he knew.
"I sort of made the connection between the name 'Tendo.' There's only one
Tendo family around in Nerima, or so your sister said. She comes in and has
chats with mum all the time. I'm surprised you didn't know this. Anyway, she
ordered a package of tea, something of a calmer at that. Things must get
pretty rowdy where you are if she's ordering this," Sean replied, taking out
from under the counter a package with 'Tendo Kasumi' labelled on top. Nabiki
nodded.
"Oh yes, I suppose you might say our family can get pretty rowdy sometimes. I
suppose my sister's told you about how uh...peculiar our family is," Nabiki
said, chuckling before taking a sip of the tea. *I just bet they don't know
just _how_ rowdy* she thought. The tea had a peculiar taste and one which
created a strange tingle in her throat. She frowned.
"Anything wrong?" Sean asked.
"No...It's just that my voice is back to normal," Nabiki replied. Sean
chuckled in response.
"What, you never had that kind of effect from drinking tea with honey and
lemon?" Sean asked.
"Actually, I never drink anything but ocha and the stuff Kasumi
makes...Um...listen, could you do me a favor? I don't want her to know that
I'm getting help from you, since she thinks I'm at the top of my class in all
of my subjects," Nabiki replied, a little hesitantly.
"Um...sure, but where should we meet if I'm supposed to help you with your
English?" he asked. "Your sister comes in nearly every day, and I'm surprised
she didn't come in today."
"Oh, she's caught a bit of the flu today so she couldn't go out. I had to take
care of the groceries today...and I'm eating out tonight. Um...say, why don't
we meet at the park everyday after school, where we first met? I'm sure
that'll be the perfect spot to study in. It's pretty quiet over there," she
replied.
"You're right, the shade of that tree looked pretty nice compared to the
blaring sun...Say, since you're going out to eat tonight, do you mind if you
come in? We've got a band playing tonight and I thought you might like the
sound," Sean said haltingly.
"Are you asking me out on a date, Ishikawa?" Nabiki asked, raising her eyebrow
once more and giving one of her smiles. Sean instantly blushed.
"Er...of course not. I just thought-" he mumbled.
"Of course. I'll bring a few of my friends and come after we see our movie,"
she replied, amused at how he was squirming like a worm at the slightest
provocation. *So similar to Ranma-kun, except that this is so much more fun*
she thought.
*****
'Till next time, au revoir!
FOOTNOTES
The first part was emotionally exhausting for me to write, mostly because it
was...something I've never tried writing before. But don't get me wrong, it
was really fun too! Thanks for staying with me 'till the end. Hope to see you
next time. Well then, I'll just start with listing the obligatory kudos list
then, eh?:
Kudos to pre-readers CH, Feir, and Brett. Without them, this piece would not
be as it is today. Thank you, Annie and the rest of my fans, for egging me on
or else I'd never finish this.
Shoujo-ai influences: Yukari Kawachi, Michiyo Akaishi, Suzue Miuchi, Ryo
Takase, Fumika Okano ('Furutsu Kazu 100%'), Ushijima Keiko, Kyoko Hikawa, Yuki
Suetsugu...and so many more. May their work be immortalized by endless praise.