The First of Several Romantic Evenings
After drinking many cups of coffee and puking in the toilet several times, Ranma felt that she was ready to return to her cabin. When she did, she saw the heart covered Post-It note (see chapter 3). "I can't wait," mumbled Ranma sarcastically, and she went inside the cabin to get ready.
~*~
Kuno was enjoying himself immensely as he decorated the private dining room for the romantic dinner. He pictured how perfectly it would go… him and the pigtailed girl would eat delicious sushi. The seaweed wouldn't get stuck in their teeth, and their breath would still smell good. Then he would whisk the pigtailed girl off to their cabin, and then, well, only Kuno knows what would happen if he could have his way…
Kuno hummed as he filled a vase with flowers and lit fragrant candles. Next, he put a CD of classical music into a nearby boom box and made sure that the volume was low. Oh, what a wonderful evening this would be…
~*~
At 7:00, Ranma stood at the entrance of the restaurant "Candlelight." She was wearing a light blue satin kimono. The butterfly pattern on her kimono matched the feeling inside her stomach. She could hardly imagine getting through dinner with Kuno. And getting through the night would be even worse.
At that moment, Kuno appeared at the entrance to the restaurant in a fancy black tuxedo. "Pigtailed girl," he cried to Ranma, "our dinner awaits."
Without hesitation, Ranma entered "Candlelight."
Kuno led Ranma to the back of the restaurant, where a room filled with candles, flowers, classical music, and wonderful smells awaited them. On the floor was a low table, and on two opposite sides there were tatami mats sprinkled with rose petals on the ground. Ranma couldn't help but be impressed. Then she remembered why she was there in the first place. She was supposed to get Kuno to realize the truth about the "pigtailed girl." Now she realized how much the "pigtailed girl" really meant to Kuno.
"Well," said Kuno, "Have a seat."
As Ranma sat down, The Waitress came into the room. The Waitress had short red hair, and despite her excessive make-up, she looked a lot like Akane…
"Good evening," greeted The Waitress. "And what would you like to drink tonight?"
The Waitress turned to Kuno. "I'd like some green tea, please," Kuno said pleasantly. "What would you like, my pigtailed girl?"
Before Ranma could say that she also wanted green tea, The Waitress interrupted, "You should have some hot water. You look like you're cold." She left the room, leaving Ranma with her mouth open, staring after her.
"Pigtailed girl," said Kuno, "I wished to ask you what you wanted to do after our dinner tonight. Perhaps you would like to walk around the ship, or see a movie, or" -a mischievous look crossed his face- "you would like to go to bed early?"
Ranma decided that the walk around the ship would be the least risky. "A walk would be nice…"
The Waitress came back into the room, carrying a tray with green tea and hot water. "There you are, sir," murmured The Waitress as she put the green tea in front of Kuno, and "There's your HOT water, miss" as she put the hot water in front of Ranma. Then she stood there as if she was waiting for something.
Ranma thought for a moment. "I could pour the hot water on myself, and end this 'pigtailed girl' business right away! But," she reconsidered, "I'm not sure I want to hurt Kuno so soon into the trip. And that waitress is standing right here, I wouldn't want to scare her."
"Kuno," Ranma asked with a sweet voice, "Do you mind if we trade drinks? I have a headache, and I think that your green tea would help me."
"Of course, pigtailed girl!" Shouted Kuno. "Whatever makes you happy."
They switched mugs, and then at the same time they glanced up at The Waitress, who seemed shocked by what they had just done. She kept on looking back and forth at the two of them as if she couldn't believe her eyes. With a pout, The Waitress stalked out of the room.
"Stupid Ranma!" The Waitress thought. "Why didn't he see that his perfect chance to fix everything was right there? What's he trying to do? Well, if he doesn't want help from me, then I'll just let him mess up everything for himself!"
~*~
After dinner, Ranma and Kuno walked out onto the deck. "Dinner went pretty well," mused Ranma to herself. "Kuno isn't too bad when he's friendly and not obsessing over you." Then she remembered the waitress who had served them. "She was pretty strange. When she brought the miso soup, it was almost like she tried to spill it on me. And the ice cream she brought us was hot and watery. But she was kinda cute."
Kuno took Ranma by the hand and told her to look up at the stars. "What do you see?" Kuno asked her.
Ranma tried, but she couldn't see anything except for the glimmering lights among the sky. "I don't know," she mumbled. "I just see… stars."
Kuno thought for a moment, and then whispered, "Do you know what I see? I see a radiant heart of love among the stars that will never be broken. In that heart I can see the love I feel for you, pigtailed goddess."
Ranma couldn't help but blush. No one had ever said something so nice to her, as a male or a female. "Oh god," thought Ranma. "How can I hurt him? How can I tell him that what he loves… just isn't real?"
She took a deep breath. "Kuno, I-"
"I know what you want to say, pigtailed goddess," whispered Kuno, "And I feel exactly the same way." Ranma felt stunned as Kuno placed his hands on her shoulders and bowed his head. "I… I have something to tell you, pigtailed girl…"
~*~
Akane stormed to her cabin. After all she had done, Ranma didn't understand! He just didn't get the fact that he had to turn back into a guy before things got complicated! What else would she have to do to make him listen without revealing who she was?
She was so upset that she forgot to close the door to her cabin and leapt onto her small bed. P-chan hopped up next to her. "Oh, P-chan," cried Akane, "Ranma is so stupid. It's like he wants Kuno to think that he's a girl! I don't know what he's doing! I wish you could help me…"
Akane fell asleep with P-chan at her side. P-chan considered his values for a moment, and then decided that he could give up a night in bed with Akane to try to grant her wish. P-chan sneaked out of the cabin and journeyed down the hallway, forgetting that he was a stowaway pig on a huge ship.
After drinking many cups of coffee and puking in the toilet several times, Ranma felt that she was ready to return to her cabin. When she did, she saw the heart covered Post-It note (see chapter 3). "I can't wait," mumbled Ranma sarcastically, and she went inside the cabin to get ready.
~*~
Kuno was enjoying himself immensely as he decorated the private dining room for the romantic dinner. He pictured how perfectly it would go… him and the pigtailed girl would eat delicious sushi. The seaweed wouldn't get stuck in their teeth, and their breath would still smell good. Then he would whisk the pigtailed girl off to their cabin, and then, well, only Kuno knows what would happen if he could have his way…
Kuno hummed as he filled a vase with flowers and lit fragrant candles. Next, he put a CD of classical music into a nearby boom box and made sure that the volume was low. Oh, what a wonderful evening this would be…
~*~
At 7:00, Ranma stood at the entrance of the restaurant "Candlelight." She was wearing a light blue satin kimono. The butterfly pattern on her kimono matched the feeling inside her stomach. She could hardly imagine getting through dinner with Kuno. And getting through the night would be even worse.
At that moment, Kuno appeared at the entrance to the restaurant in a fancy black tuxedo. "Pigtailed girl," he cried to Ranma, "our dinner awaits."
Without hesitation, Ranma entered "Candlelight."
Kuno led Ranma to the back of the restaurant, where a room filled with candles, flowers, classical music, and wonderful smells awaited them. On the floor was a low table, and on two opposite sides there were tatami mats sprinkled with rose petals on the ground. Ranma couldn't help but be impressed. Then she remembered why she was there in the first place. She was supposed to get Kuno to realize the truth about the "pigtailed girl." Now she realized how much the "pigtailed girl" really meant to Kuno.
"Well," said Kuno, "Have a seat."
As Ranma sat down, The Waitress came into the room. The Waitress had short red hair, and despite her excessive make-up, she looked a lot like Akane…
"Good evening," greeted The Waitress. "And what would you like to drink tonight?"
The Waitress turned to Kuno. "I'd like some green tea, please," Kuno said pleasantly. "What would you like, my pigtailed girl?"
Before Ranma could say that she also wanted green tea, The Waitress interrupted, "You should have some hot water. You look like you're cold." She left the room, leaving Ranma with her mouth open, staring after her.
"Pigtailed girl," said Kuno, "I wished to ask you what you wanted to do after our dinner tonight. Perhaps you would like to walk around the ship, or see a movie, or" -a mischievous look crossed his face- "you would like to go to bed early?"
Ranma decided that the walk around the ship would be the least risky. "A walk would be nice…"
The Waitress came back into the room, carrying a tray with green tea and hot water. "There you are, sir," murmured The Waitress as she put the green tea in front of Kuno, and "There's your HOT water, miss" as she put the hot water in front of Ranma. Then she stood there as if she was waiting for something.
Ranma thought for a moment. "I could pour the hot water on myself, and end this 'pigtailed girl' business right away! But," she reconsidered, "I'm not sure I want to hurt Kuno so soon into the trip. And that waitress is standing right here, I wouldn't want to scare her."
"Kuno," Ranma asked with a sweet voice, "Do you mind if we trade drinks? I have a headache, and I think that your green tea would help me."
"Of course, pigtailed girl!" Shouted Kuno. "Whatever makes you happy."
They switched mugs, and then at the same time they glanced up at The Waitress, who seemed shocked by what they had just done. She kept on looking back and forth at the two of them as if she couldn't believe her eyes. With a pout, The Waitress stalked out of the room.
"Stupid Ranma!" The Waitress thought. "Why didn't he see that his perfect chance to fix everything was right there? What's he trying to do? Well, if he doesn't want help from me, then I'll just let him mess up everything for himself!"
~*~
After dinner, Ranma and Kuno walked out onto the deck. "Dinner went pretty well," mused Ranma to herself. "Kuno isn't too bad when he's friendly and not obsessing over you." Then she remembered the waitress who had served them. "She was pretty strange. When she brought the miso soup, it was almost like she tried to spill it on me. And the ice cream she brought us was hot and watery. But she was kinda cute."
Kuno took Ranma by the hand and told her to look up at the stars. "What do you see?" Kuno asked her.
Ranma tried, but she couldn't see anything except for the glimmering lights among the sky. "I don't know," she mumbled. "I just see… stars."
Kuno thought for a moment, and then whispered, "Do you know what I see? I see a radiant heart of love among the stars that will never be broken. In that heart I can see the love I feel for you, pigtailed goddess."
Ranma couldn't help but blush. No one had ever said something so nice to her, as a male or a female. "Oh god," thought Ranma. "How can I hurt him? How can I tell him that what he loves… just isn't real?"
She took a deep breath. "Kuno, I-"
"I know what you want to say, pigtailed goddess," whispered Kuno, "And I feel exactly the same way." Ranma felt stunned as Kuno placed his hands on her shoulders and bowed his head. "I… I have something to tell you, pigtailed girl…"
~*~
Akane stormed to her cabin. After all she had done, Ranma didn't understand! He just didn't get the fact that he had to turn back into a guy before things got complicated! What else would she have to do to make him listen without revealing who she was?
She was so upset that she forgot to close the door to her cabin and leapt onto her small bed. P-chan hopped up next to her. "Oh, P-chan," cried Akane, "Ranma is so stupid. It's like he wants Kuno to think that he's a girl! I don't know what he's doing! I wish you could help me…"
Akane fell asleep with P-chan at her side. P-chan considered his values for a moment, and then decided that he could give up a night in bed with Akane to try to grant her wish. P-chan sneaked out of the cabin and journeyed down the hallway, forgetting that he was a stowaway pig on a huge ship.