Ranma and his friends belong to Rumiko Takahashi. They're used
here without permission.
------------------------------
newRanma 5: Seeing
by Chris Jones
------------------------------
Ranma's days at Furinkan had altered slightly due to
doctor's orders. She had to sit through all the parts of the
school day that really bugged her, and then didn't get to
participate in the parts of the school day that she actually felt
interested in. No P.E.. No swimming. No action whatsoever.
Instead, they had her putting away books in the library.
"This suuucks!" she whined, after searching through a few
hundred texts on Japanese history in order to put 'Tokugawa and
Me' in its proper place.
There was nothing she could apply her skills to. Martial-
arts Dewy Decimal System was out of the question since the
librarian glared darkly at her every time Ranma acted like she was
going to throw a book.
Eventually, Ranma found a table in the back of the library
office behind some overstuffed stacks to lay her tender head on
and try to snooze after her repetitive library chores were done.
She figured that as hidden and as out of the way as it was, no one
would bother her as she dozed.
It was as she was doing so that the assistant librarian
walked back to find her.
"Ah, Saotome-san! I was hoping that you could help me,"
the girl said.
Ranma stared in minor irritation at the young woman in her
frumpy dress and too-thick glasses.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Well, you're aware of the principal's book policy,
right?"
"Uhhh..."
"If the book contains any 'objectionable' material,
Principal Kunou says we're supposed to burn it."
"What's objectionable?" Ranma asked. "Anti-Hawaii stuff?"
The librarian rolled her eyes and nodded. "Also, any books
that describe long hair," she said, pointing to a shelf full of
books on fashion and hair-styling.
"Why doesn't this surprise me?" Ranma asked.
"Also, we have a few teachers who are a bit overzealous
about obscenity in books and magazines. That's a real problem
because we keep books for the photo club which all have chapters
on nude photography. There are some others." She handed the red-
head a list. "Rather than get rid of the books, we just keep them
back here so the students who really care about reading them can
still find them."
Ranma gazed around at the miniature library surrounding
her. She really didn't know what it was for, but now that she
looked around, she could see a few titles that she realized could
be incendiary. There was a copy of a book with a Nazi Swastika on
the front right next to a book labeled 'Racism in Japan: A Modern
Study'. On the other side, there was a book with a pair of male
ballet dancers on the front. After a second of study, she realized
that the two were in a rather intimate pose. The book's title was
'Living with Homosexuality'.
Ranma realized that she had chosen the banned books
section of the library for her secret nap.
The assistant librarian wheeled a cart full of books in
and stopped it in front of Ranma.
"These are books we've had complaints about. If you would
be so kind, would you skim through these books and see if they
have anything on the list. If so, we'll stick them back here and
put the rest back out front."
"Okay," Ranma accepted. It wasn't physical activity in any
way, but the activity sounded a whole lot better than looking for
little numbers on the shelves and trying to make books fit.
"Stack the objectionables here on the table," the
assistant librarian instructed, "and leave the others on the cart.
I'll put them back out after classes today."
After the librarian had gone, Ranma read the list. Some of
the things on it, like 'textual depictions of explicit images or
situations' sounded a little boring for Ranma, so she started with
the things she thought would be easier to find.
"'Bodywatching, a Field Guide to the Human Species' by
Desmond Morris. Japanese Edition," Ranma said to herself after
picking a book at random. "Sounds boring. Lesse, does it 'contain
images depicting nudity, violence, or criminal acts'?"
The dust cover of the book depicted a woman's bare
abdomen. It wasn't *quite* nudity, so Ranma opted to open the book
to a random page.
This page depicted a pretty young woman with medium length
hair smiling happily at the camera. Ranma's face turned red,
because it also depicted the fact that she had, at some point,
pierced both her nipples, tattooed her hip, and had shaved all the
hair off of her mound and labia. She was quite naked, and very
beautiful in a somewhat gothic sense. She seemed completely at
ease in front of the camera, and happy to have a such a picture
taken of her.
Ranma slammed the book closed and stared at the cover in
shock Besides the burning feeling on her face and ears, there was
a warm tingling in her gut, and her legs felt shaky for some
reason.
After a few seconds thought, she recognized that she was
feeling the same thing as when Nabiki had flaunted herself so
brazenly. Her breathing had hastened and her heart was pounding as
if she was about to start fighting.
"Oh yeah. Nudity," Ranma breathed. "Definitely gonna keep
this one back here."
She moved to push the book aside and pick up another, but
the cover caught her eye again. She felt both a repulsion and a
curious compulsion. She remembered Makuna sensei had advised her
not to fear the feelings.
"Ranma Saotome ain't afraid of anything!" she whispered,
almost defiantly picking the book back up.
She opened it to page one and began to read.
* * *
"Ranma, are you okay?" Akane asked.
Ranma, her face still burning, turned to look at her
fiancee and nodded. Her blush deepened for a second as she
remembered an image from the book. Walking away from the school
building and into the courtyard, Ranma found that she was having
difficulty with her knees for some odd reason.
"Hey, bud!" Hiroshi said, as he walked by. He slapped
Ranma on the back and pointed to a nearby tree. "My mom made way
too many spareribs last night and put more than I can possibly eat
in my bento," he said, holding up a oversized box. "You two want
some?"
"Sure!" Akane said. "I made a bento for Ranma, too!"
Ranma groaned, but said nothing. Secretly, she was
thankful for the distraction provided. If she was concentrating on
avoiding Akane's horrible cooking then she wouldn't have time to
think about Akane's, long, slender, well-toned...
*gulp*
"Kasumi helped me," Akane admitted out loud, rolling her
eyes. "You don't have to worry about it, Ranma. It's not *that*
bad."
"Hey, cool!" Daisuke exclaimed as he approached the three.
"Spareribs!"
"Want some?" Hiroshi offered.
"There you are, Akane!" Sayuri said as she and Yuka
approached the group.
Yuka help up a large platter. "We made some muffins in
home-ec. Does anyone want to try?"
"Sure," Ranma said, snatching one and stuffing it in her
mouth.
Why did the frocks the girls wore all have to show so much
of their calves or stretch so tightly across their... their...
"Heya , Ranchan!" Ukyou greeted as she began to set up her
portable grill next to the group. "Hey guys. Looks like we're
having a party, huh?"
"Ucchan!" Ranma greeted happily. If there was one female
she could trust not to try to play funny tricks on her, it was
good old Ucchan. As usual, she was clad in her boy's school
uniform. Her breasts were tightly bound underneath and her legs
weren't revealed by the hem of any skirt.
"Hey, free okonomiyaki!" Hiroshi noted happily.
"We've got muffins, Ukyou-san!" Sayuri noted.
"Hold up a sec and I'll let everyone try a new batter
recipe I've been working on," she said, kneeling down to connect
the gas feed to the burners beneath the coated steel cooking
surface.
Ranma's left eye began to twitch as the tight boy's pants
stretched across the girl's well-formed backside. The fabric was
also stretching in an odd fashion across the area just below and
in between her--
*ULP*
Ukyou blinked in surprise as the red-head's face jerked
away, almost guiltily. Was Ranma staring at her ass? An almost
irrepressible grin sneaked onto her face as she began to cook.
Nabiki walked up curiously. "Did someone say 'free'?"
"I've got a new recipe I want to try out on everybody,"
Ukyou explained, careful to wag her bottom at Ranma as she did so.
"Sign me up!" Nabiki said cheerfully.
Ranma did her best to concentrate on the food that was
being shared around. There just had to have been different
chapters in the damned book dedicated to each body part. Ranma
couldn't even look at the girl's ankles now, bare, as in Sayuri's
or Nabiki's case or outlined with thin cotton socks like Yuka's
or Akane's, without imagining what the girls would look like with
just those crossed ankles covering more private, more secret parts
of their bodies.
Ranma began to shiver slightly.
"Airen! Shampoo come to-- Aiyah... Everyone eating
already."
"Shampoo!" Ranma looked up as the amazon approached, eager
to dig into some more food to take her mind off her woes.
"What wrong with Ranma?" Shampoo asked, bouncing to a halt
like only an Amazon could.
Ripping her eyes off of Shampoo's firm, springy, almost-
bursting-out-of-her-too-tight-Chinese-blouse cleavage, Ranma
snatched another muffin and stared at her own feet. Those were
safe, weren't they?
"I think Ranma must have a bit of a headache?" Nabiki
suggested, a devilish smile on her face. "Right Ranma-kun?"
The redhead nodded, realizing that she knew the exact
color, shade and position of Shampoo's cherry-like nipples for as
many times as they had been shoved in her face.
"Well, Shampoo bring way too much ramen then," the girl
said. Was Ranma staring at her breasts? "Ranma like ramen? Hmm?"
she asked, kneeling down in front of the trembling red-head. She
gave an experimental jiggle and noticed a subtle increase in her
target's discomfort.
Shampoo smiled wide and wickedly! Ranma *was* noticing!
About bloody damn time.
"Verily, it appears that there is a line for okonomiyaki
today," Kunou noted as he strode up to the group.
Ranma had never been so happy to see the kendoist in her
life.
"Hey, Sempai," she said, doing her best to keep her eyes
fixed on another guy instead of one of the girls.
"Hello, pigtailed-girl," Kunou said, blushing cutely and
looking away nervously. He still looked afraid to come too close,
lest he somehow accidentally hurt her. Actually, it was kinda
sweet--
WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE THINKING!? Ranma firmly fixed the
okonomiyaki Ukyou had just handed her in mind and did her best to
eat without thinking.
Due to the no-fighting rules, Akane did her best not to
scream in frustration at both Ukyou and Shampoo as they invaded
Ranma's personal space with hips, buttocks, and heaving bosoms.
Sayuri and Yuka both rolled their eyes at the overblown
displays and began to chat about the creation of their muffins
while they enjoyed bentos and Ukyou's new recipe.
Nabiki, noting Ranma's discomfort with a grin, shifted her
position slightly so that her uniform skirt rode up above the tops
of her knees rather than rest underneath her.
"Are you cold, Ranma?" Akane asked.
"Yeah," Ranma lied. "I gotta ask Tofuu about it after
school"
"I wonder if we should try to warm Ranma up somehow?"
Nabiki said out loud.
Ranma looked up for a second, and then wished she hadn't.
Nabiki had twitched her skirt up so that it displayed an amazing
amount of thigh. Her legs weren't as well-toned as Akane's, but
they were slender and nicely proportioned. The way they were
folded and the way Nabiki was facing Ranma, the red-head could see
almost all the way to the girl's thin, white silk panties.
Ranma glanced up, feeling eyes upon her. For just a
second, she locked gazes with Nabiki.
The older girl smiled evilly. "Busted," she mouthed
silently.
Ranma jerked her gaze away, feeling the tips of her ears
beginning to burn. There's no way Nabiki could realize what was
happening to her, could she?
Nervously, Ranma grabbed the nearest thing and began
eating, not paying any attention to the flavor of the food.
"You're... eating it?" Akane asked, somewhat surprised.
Ranma glanced down, realizing that she was eating the
bento Akane had made for her.
"What do you think?" Akane asked nervously
The sausage-octopuses had been mutilated, the pickles were
almost too salty to palate, and the sticky rice was about the same
consistency as glue. The box itself was wide enough so that if
Ranma stuck her face in it while she ate, she couldn't see any
firm, curvy female flesh.
"Best bento you've ever made, Akane," Ranma said. "I mean
that."
An insulted 'hmph' could be heard from Ukyou and Shampoo.
Kunou, who was still quietly eating a short distance away
looked on curiously. Had the pigtailed girl been staring at him?
And why was Nabiki Tendou laughing so hard?
* * *
"So you believe that Nabiki was teasing you
intentionally?" Makuna asked.
After several long seconds, Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I think
so. What does it mean?"
"Well, from the way you've described the girl, it could
mean almost anything, Ranma," the doctor said, chuckling a bit.
"She could be genuinely attracted to you and trying to gain your
attention, or she could simply enjoy teasing you."
"Nabiki?" Ranma tried to imagine herself with the older
girl. She shook her head and tried to dislodge the image of Nabiki
taking tickets while she boredly sat on a chair behind the girl,
completely nude while perverts like Kunou, Hiroshi and Daisuke
looked on. "Somehow, I don't think so."
"You should probably spend some more time with her, and
discuss how you feel," Makuna suggested. "Either let her
understand that you're not comfortable with the teasing, or come
to a deeper understanding of what she's trying to accomplish."
"I'm afraid she'll charge me for time," Ranma said. "Or
start teasin' me again when I don't know what to do about it."
"Well if she does charge you, just refuse to pay," Makuna
said. "I've dealt with young women like Nabiki before. If you let
her know that you won't be treated as a commodity, then she'll
have no choice, will she?"
"I guess. Nabiki's a lot smarter than I am. She always
manages to get me somehow."
"It surprises me that you think that, Ranma," Makuna-
sensei replied. "I think you're a very intelligent individual."
"Maybe I'm good at sports and fighting and stuff," Ranma
said. "But I'm not really that smart. Nabiki always knows exactly
what to do and what to say to get me. How can I compete with
that?"
"You pride yourself on your tactical abilities, but what
you don't seem to realize is that Nabiki is only doing the same
thing you are, but applying it to a different situation."
"Huh?" Ranma asked.
"In a battle, you look for your opponents' weaknesses and
exploit them, correct?"
"Yeah?"
"So what has your sister-in-law been doing to you?"
"Well, she waits until I'm not paying attention or until I
really need help or somethin' and then takes advantage of-- wait a
second..."
Makuna smiled broadly. "You apply higher tactical
reasoning to battle and your art. If what you're telling me is
correct, Nabiki merely applies that same reasoning to social
relationships, which are really just a different kind of
conflict."
Ranma was silent for a time.
"Our time is almost up, but before you'd go, I'd like you
to have this." Makuna-sensei held a paper-wrapped book out to
Ranma.
Ranma eased open the wrapping and looked inside. She
blushed profoundly upon seeing the title of the book. "Ah, damn
it! Now you're teasing me, Doc!"
Makuna laughed again. "Quite on the contrary! While Mr.
Morris's theories and conclusions tend to be very controversial,
he is one of the most respected social anthropologists in the
world. I have all his published books. This is one of my
favorites. Since you noted an interest in his work, I thought
you'd like to have it."
Ranma glared at the smiling psychologist darkly, but
didn't offer the book back. She carefully re-wrapped it so that
the title didn't show, stood and bowed to the doctor.
As with the last time, Makuna led her to the door of her
office. Taiyoko, the blonde girl Ranma had last seen at a pizza
shop, was waiting nervously for her appointment with the doctor.
"I need just a second before I'm ready for you, Taiyoko,"
Makuna said. "Do you mind waiting just a minute?"
Taiyoko shook her head.
Makuna-sensei smiled and retreated back inside the office.
"Uhh, hey," Ranma said after a few seconds. "I'm sorry if
I made you mad at the pizza place."
Taiyoko looked up nervously. She opened her mouth as if to
speak, but then shut it again.
"So... I'll see ya 'round, okay?" Ranma said, stepping
towards the door.
"...it's okay..." Taiyoko mumbled. "...I just thought..."
"I'm ready now, Taiyoko. You can come back now." Makuna
said, opening his door.
Taiyoko bolted inside, leaving her curious answer hanging.
Ranma blinked in confusion.
* * *
The next day at school, Ranma was having a little better
time keeping her eyes in their sockets. She had guiltily spent
most of the previous evening studying her own copy of
'Bodywatching' and felt just a little more jaded to the sight of
flesh or the curves of a body. There was also a little bit more
analysis to her thoughts. For the first time, she was able to
realize the subtle psychological connection in her mind between
the smooth orbs of Hinako-sensei's full bosom and the curves of
her shapely posterior. It didn't make any less impact on her if
she stared at it too long, but she was able to keep her mind
largely *off* the bodies of her classmates and teacher.
After Hinako reverted to chibi-size and left to go teach
highschool English to some other class, the room descended into
the usual chaos that marked the between-class breaks.
Ranma pulled out one of her manga, the swords and sorcery
book and *not* the Utena tankouban, while Hiroshi and Daisuke
began to page through a sports magazine.
Across the room, Akane, Sayuri, Yuka, and Ukyou were
taking turns listening to Akane's new CD on Yuka's CD-walkman.
After a few seconds, the classroom door slid open and
Nabiki sauntered in, a folded note clasped in one hand.
Akane waved, but Nabiki slid up to Ranma's desk and leaned
dangerously into Ranma's space.
Doing her best not to note that the top button of Nabiki's
blouse was unbuttoned or that the top of her cleavage was clearly
visible, Ranma stared defiantly into the girl's eyes, determined
not to be so cruelly teased.
"What do you want?" Ranma demanded.
"Testy, testy today, are we?" Nabiki asked. "That time of
the month dear?"
"What?"
"I guess not. Anyway... Kunou-chan has placed a note for
you in my care. I was going to let you have it for free before you
started being so moody," Nabiki said, smiling like a reptile the
entire time.
Ranma snatched the note away before she realized what
Nabiki said.
"From Kunou?"
Nabiki nodded, standing up and turning so that she was
sitting casually across the corner of Ranma's desk. "I think we
may have actually made an impression on the guy."
"I know they've been ice-skating in hell since he started
leaving me alone," Ranma noted seriously as she unfolded the note.
Ranma adjusted her ball-cap and began to read.
"Dearest Pigtailed-girl," it began. "Having been so
magnanimously included in your lunch party the previous day, I
have decided to return such a noble gesture by treating you, the
beauteous Akane Tendou, and all your friends to a lunch party of
my own design at Il Cavaliere."
"Ill Cava-huh?" Ranma asked out loud.
Nabiki made a shushing motion with her finger. "Kunou is
treating us all to lunch at a nice restaurant," she whispered.
"Hey, that's cool!" Ranma said. "Wait a second... I see
what's going on here. You go tell Kunou that I'm *not* going out
on a date!"
"I really don't think that's what he wants," Nabiki said
seriously. "See, he invited all your friends to come as well. We
usually all go *anyway*, but this time we're invited."
Ranma bit her lip and thought carefully for a second. She
looked up to examine Nabiki's face for possible signs of deception
or guile. What she found there was a little bit of excitement
about getting to eat a nice restaurant, just like Ranma wanted to.
The note went on, instructing Ranma and the others to meet
by the school gate.
"Okay. I'm game. Tell him he ain't really winning any
points, though."
"I'll tell him," Nabiki said. "But I don't think you have
a chance in hell of getting through to him."
* * *
While convincing Ukyou to abandon a lunch period's worth
of profits to go out to eat was a chore, Ranma had little or no
trouble convincing Akane and the rest of their friends to take the
upperclassman up on his generosity.
When the lunch bell rolled around, she and her party
quickly made their way from the school building where Kunou had
specified. Shampoo had shown up with a bowl of ramen, but Ranma
made quick work of that while they were waiting for the
upperclassman.
Within a few minutes of their arrival, Kunou arrived at
the gate with the keys.
"Leaving campus for lunch, Kunou-chan?" Nabiki asked,
eyeing the large, old-fashioned key that locked the gate
mechanism. "How did you persuade the principal to go along with
that?"
"Truly, he has no idea what I have plotted for today's
noon repast," Kunou said seriously. "But such was not my plan.
First I intended to beat the man senseless should he oppose me
when I came for the gate key. His secretary, most noble antiquity
that she is, gave me the key without questioning my motives."
"Trust Kunou to make things straightforward," Akane said,
sighing.
Kunou proudly led them a short walk to the Il Cavaliere, a
nice, but not extravagant Italian restaurant in the commercial
district near Furinkan high. Once inside, the hostess greeted
them.
"Hello, Kunou-san," the girl said. "Your buffet is waiting
as per your reservations."
"Buffet?" Ranma asked.
"He's seen you eat, Ranma," Hiroshi noted.
"Verily," Kunou seconded. "Both Akane and the pigtailed-
girl are highly active and require large quantities of
sustenance."
Everyone stared blankly at him.
"Is just me," Shampoo asked, unsure of her Japanese, "or
did stick-boy just make joke?"
"I assure you, noble amazon, that I make no jest. Besides,
when buying for this large a group, it's often less expensive to
order buffet service than individual meals."
"Leave the sarcasm to me, Kunou-chan," Nabiki noted,
clapping the kendoist on the shoulder. "It really doesn't suit
you."
"Hey, food!" Hiroshi and Daisuke noted at the same time,
as the group was being led into the dining room.
"Yipee!" Ranma crowed, diving in just in front of the two.
She almost, but not quite, broke her restrictions on gymnastics to
do so.
The group filed in line and filled their plates with
noodles, sauces and other comestibles from the buffet service.
Soon, they were seated around a large round table, trading jokes
and eating heartily.
"Almost as good as Shampoo own ramen," the Chinese girl
complimented.
"Yeah, it's no okonomiyaki, but I suppose it will do in a
pinch," Ukyou seconded.
"You better not let the chef hear you say that," Yuka
said. "I understand he's a real psycho about his food."
"What chef isn't a real psycho around here?" Akane asked.
The table descended into silence for several seconds as
Ukyou and Shampoo stared Akane in the face, growing expressions of
outrage on their faces.
After not much longer, Akane burst out laughing. The rest
of the group couldn't help but follow along.
Happily eating her food, and letting the unfamiliar
surroundings distract her senses from the close proximity of Ukyou
on one side and Shampoo on the other, Ranma sighed in contentment.
It was odd, but strangely... *nice* to have so calm a
meal.
For a second, she looked up at Kunou, who was rolling up
linguini on his fork while listening to one of Nabiki's business
deals. She caught his eye, but he turned away rapidly.
Ranma blinked, watching the young man. The look on his
face was surprising. It was neither the cold fury he wore when
they fought, or expression of idiotic lust he had when chasing
after her or Akane. If anything, it was... happy.
Like hers.
"You ain't gettin' a date out o' this, Kunou," she said
out loud after gulping down a mouthful of ravioli. "But... Thanks.
This is really nice!"
* * *
Later, after school had let out. Ranma found herself in
the hallway, waiting for Akane, who was on cleanup duty.
She heard the voices around the corner before she saw
them. Curiosity getting the better of her, Ranma decided to risk
the wrath of her surgeons and leapt up. She braced her fingers and
toes against the tiny ledge on top of the door and braced her
other foot on the light fixture in the center of the ceiling. As
long as they didn't look up, no one would see her.
"So, Kunou-chan. That was a mighty impressive show you put
on this afternoon."
"I think not upon it as trying to impress, Nabiki Tendou,
but as treating those whom I love so deeply with utmost care and
respect."
Ranma blinked.
"So you're still afraid you're going to break Ranma, huh?"
Kunou looked away guiltily.
"Listen, Kunou-chan. Guilt is nice and all for a little
bit, but you're making a mistake here. You *didn't* hurt her,
okay? If anyone's at fault, it's Akane or her lazy ass of a
father."
"I keep telling myself that," Kunou said quietly. "But was
it not my arms in which she fell sick? Was it not my floor upon
which she did bleed? If what you have told me is true, then I
*cannot* allow myself any other method of action. Until she heals,
I will keep my distance so as not to further harm the angelic
one."
Nabiki sighed at length. "Going for the soft-sell, huh?
I've told you before, Kunou-chan. She *isn't* interested in you."
Kunou grimaced. "I could almost believe that but her words
that day had the ring of truth, and try as I might, I cannot
discard those precious seconds I spent with her."
Precious seconds? Ranma's memories of her time at the
Kunous' place just before she was taken to the hospital were
vague. She vaguely remembered embracing the man, and she was
fairly certain that there had been some... *YECH*... kissing. Was
there more?
"So you'll keep fighting to win them," Nabiki noted dryly.
"Makes no difference to me of course. You'll keep buying photos
and I'll keep selling them."
"Nabiki Tendou... Please. If you would. Take no pictures
of the pigtailed-girl until her hair grows back in," Kunou said
somberly. "If I have read her correctly, she is most vain, and
dislikes having such a tarnish on her beauty. I will pay the
regular amount plus 5 percent, if you agree."
I am not vain, Ranma thought. I just care about how I
look, is all.
"Ten percent," Nabiki said.
"Done," Kunou conceded. "Now... I must meditate. I must
have her, but my passions must wait."
"Her?" Nabiki said. "Don't you mean them?"
"Hmm? Oh yes. Akane Tendou and the pigtailed-girl! They
both shall be mine!"
Why didn't Ranma believe that?
* * *
"So today's the big day, Ranma?" Hiroshi asked a few days
later, staring in quiet disgust as Ranma ran her hands trough her
short hair.
The bloody, icky crust which had covered her stitches had
slowly faded away until all the was left of the incision was a
dark purple line criss-crossed by the tiny silk threads. She ran
her fingers over it, doing her best to ignore the urge to scratch.
They would be gone in a few hours, and she could scratch all she
wanted then.
Underneath the sutures and through the healing flesh, she
could feel the bulging line of bone where her skull was knitting.
"Yeah," she said moodily, staring in the mirror. "It won't
make me look any less like shit, though. My hair is still all lop-
sided. You'll still be able to see the scar through the peach-fuzz
here.
Ranma actually growled at the mirror. Things had just been
making her progressively more and more angry for the last several
days.
"So cut the other side off short, too," Daisuke suggested.
It's still pretty long in front. I think it would look good.
The image assailed Ranma. She would have cutely short hair
on both sides and long bangs in front to hang femininely over her
eyes.
"Too goddamned girly," she growled. "Damn it! Why is
everyone pissing me off today?"
"Jeez! Calm down, bud." Hiroshi said, roughly cuffing the
martial artist on the shoulder. "Don't let it bug you so much! I
bet you'll feel better once the stitches are out, don't you
think?"
"Maybe," Ranma said, deflating a little bit. She grimaced,
feeling slightly ill to her stomach.
She turned to leave the restroom and felt the guys' eyes
on her as she pulled the Dodgers cap back on.
"And quit staring at my ass, you damn perverts!"
The door slammed loudly behind her.
"Ya know. By my figures, it's been about a month since
Ranma's surgery." Hiroshi noted quietly.
Daisuke nodded sagely.
"And my sister and mother both get kinda pissy about the
same time at least once a month."
Daisuke raised one eyebrow. "We could say something about
it," he said, "if you're thinking what I'm thinking."
"Ranma would kill us both before she realized what she had
done," Hiroshi said. "Best we let Akane and Nabiki deal with
this."
"Didn't you say that your mom and your sister get all
bitchy about the same time?"
"Yeah."
"Then don't you think that--"
"Damn it, Akane! You wanna watch where the hell you're
going?!" Ranma's high-pitched scream carried into the closed
bathroom.
"Why don't you watch where you're going, pervert?!" Akane
screamed back.
"Ladies!" Nabiki bellowed. "If you both don't shut up I'll
charge you until you wish you had? Do you understand me!?"
"PMS," Hiroshi said quietly, a bead of sweat standing out
on his forehead. "Gotta be."
"Scary," Daisuke noted.
"God, I feel sorry for Ranma's dad."
"I feel sorry for us if she's not feeling any better
tomorrow."
* * *
Having her stitches out mollified Ranma somewhat. She was
still feeling pretty crappy, by the time she got home, however.
She felt like all eyes were on her, and even chewed out her father
and Akane's for staring at her breasts even though she realized
that they weren't.
What really bugged her was the fact that she still wasn't
sure what Kunou meant the other day. 'Bleeding on my floor' could
mean a lot of things. Did they...
Had they...
Ranma couldn't bring herself to even think the words.
Her 'Bodywatching' book mentioned the hymen and even had a
description of where it was located. Ranma knew from a brief self-
examination when she had last used the rest room that she did not
have one.
A medical book sitting in Kasumi's bookshelf talked quite
a bit about a woman's hymen and what it did and did not mean. Lack
of a hymen from birth was rare, but possible. What was more
plausible was the fact that many active girls and women
accidentally broke their own hymen while exercising. Another
possibility listed mentioned something that Ranma really didn't
understand. Some girls, the book said, broke their hymens while
masturbating.
Ranma had heard the term used before, but had no clue what
it meant. She knew it was vaguely related to the slang 'jack-off'
that the guys sometimes used, but she really didn't know what that
meant either.
The last possibility, the one that Ranma was most upset
about, was the fact that most girls lost their hymens during
sexual intercourse.
'Humping', Ranma had heard it called. 'Shagging'.
'Boinking'. 'Doing the Horizontal Tango'.
Fucking.
Sex.
Had Kunou done that to her while she was passed out on his
floor? Is that why she bled on his floor? Was it because he had
put... put... *THAT* inside her and tore her hymen? And to think
that she trusted him to take her out to lunch with all her
friends. Why that creep was just--
Ranma's train of thought faltered as she felt a bead of
moisture roll down the inside of her thigh as she paced around her
room.
"Now what the hell is going on?" She yelled. "Goddamned
doctor fucked up my brain and now I can't even piss when I want
to?"
She thrust a hand down her pants and pushed her fingers
past the sensitive nub that she knew was called a 'clitoris'
thanks to her book. She pulled it back out, expecting to further
her humiliation to find it covered in urine.
Instead, it was bloody.
Ranma blinked at her blood-smeared fingers for several
seconds before wiping them on her shirt and picking Kasumi's
medical book up again. She paged over a few pages and read for
several seconds.
Ranma closed the book slowly.
"Oh fuck," she said. "This just takes the whole goddamned
fucking cake. I might as well bend over and let fuck-head Kunou
have it any time he fucking wants now!"
She bit her lip and did her level best to keep her raging
emotions in check.
After several seconds, there was a polite knock on the
sliding door.
"Go away, Akane! I ain't in the mood for your shit right
now."
"Ranma," Kasumi scolded as she slid the door open. "That's
no way to talk even if you are feeling bad."
Ranma blinked in confusion.
Kasumi came into the room carrying a tray with a covered
bowl on it. She sat it down in front of Ranma, turned and walked
back to the doorway. This time she carried in a shopping bag and
the small TV/VCR combo that usually resided in Nabiki's room.
"What--"
Kasumi smiled and held the shopping bag out to Ranma. When
Ranma took the handles, she pulled out a brightly colored box and
a package of plain, cotton panties.
Ranma paled.
"This is the brand I use," Kasumi said quietly as she
unwrapped both the sanitary pads and one of the panties. "I don't
think they'll work in boxer shorts, but you can try. You take the
backing off like this," she said, demonstrating as Ranma stared on
in horror. "And stick it against this part of the panty. This
thickness lasts four or five hours if you're bleeding really
heavily."
Ranma collapsed to her knees, feeling her bloody thighs
squish together.
"Akane and Nabiki both use tampons, but I'm not really
very comfortable with those," she said. "This is a little easier
in my opinion, but the tampons might work better with boxer
shorts."
She handed the modified panty to Ranma who took it and
stared at it in mortification.
"This ain't right," Ranma said weakly. "I'm a guy. Guys
ain't supposed to do this."
"You're a boy," Kasumi stated, "who's cursed to be a girl.
In this case, I think the term 'curse' applies pretty well. Don't
you?"
Ranma bowed her head, clutching the panty.
"Millions of women deal with this every day," Kasumi said.
"You know that. I don't believe that Ranma is afraid of something
that even little girls have to face."
"I ain't." Ranma said. "Ranma Saotome ain't scared o'
nuthin!"
Tears began to course down the read-head's bowed face.
Ranma could barely contain her self. She wanted to fight somebody.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to tear apart her rotten, cursed
body.
"It's always very hard to bear the first time," Kasumi
said.
"This... or... or..."
"Kunou-san didn't lay a finger on you," Kasumi said
quietly. "I know. I was there at the hospital when the two of you
arrived in the ambulance. You were bleeding from your nose. Kunou-
san looked so scared and frightened," she said. "That was not the
face of a young man who had made love to the young woman he loves,
I'm certain."
"How did you know?" Ranma asked, a shade of relief
creeping into her voice.
"Nabiki told me you'd been eavesdropping on her," the
older girl admitted. "And you've been pretty obviously upset about
something for the last few days. You're screams just now tied
everything together. The timing was... inconvenient for you, I'll
admit."
"God, Kasumi. What'll I do?" the girl asked.
"For now, go get cleaned up, and put those on," Kasumi
said, gesturing to the panties in Ranma's hand. "Afterwards, we'll
have some red beans and rice. I've even taped the 'Nurse Academy'
special for us to watch together. Later, you'll just have to learn
to ride this out, Ranma. I know it's a challenge, but I know you
can handle it."
Ranma nodded and sighed.
When she returned to the room, she was blushing in anger
and embarrassment, but didn't say anything else about her
predicament.
After the show started and Ranma choked down the first few
bites of red beans and rice, she began to sniffle loudly. After a
second, Ranma leaned over and bawled her eyes out into Kasumi's
bosom.
Kasumi smiled sweetly and cradled Ranma as she wept.
-----
~to be continued...
here without permission.
------------------------------
newRanma 5: Seeing
by Chris Jones
------------------------------
Ranma's days at Furinkan had altered slightly due to
doctor's orders. She had to sit through all the parts of the
school day that really bugged her, and then didn't get to
participate in the parts of the school day that she actually felt
interested in. No P.E.. No swimming. No action whatsoever.
Instead, they had her putting away books in the library.
"This suuucks!" she whined, after searching through a few
hundred texts on Japanese history in order to put 'Tokugawa and
Me' in its proper place.
There was nothing she could apply her skills to. Martial-
arts Dewy Decimal System was out of the question since the
librarian glared darkly at her every time Ranma acted like she was
going to throw a book.
Eventually, Ranma found a table in the back of the library
office behind some overstuffed stacks to lay her tender head on
and try to snooze after her repetitive library chores were done.
She figured that as hidden and as out of the way as it was, no one
would bother her as she dozed.
It was as she was doing so that the assistant librarian
walked back to find her.
"Ah, Saotome-san! I was hoping that you could help me,"
the girl said.
Ranma stared in minor irritation at the young woman in her
frumpy dress and too-thick glasses.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Well, you're aware of the principal's book policy,
right?"
"Uhhh..."
"If the book contains any 'objectionable' material,
Principal Kunou says we're supposed to burn it."
"What's objectionable?" Ranma asked. "Anti-Hawaii stuff?"
The librarian rolled her eyes and nodded. "Also, any books
that describe long hair," she said, pointing to a shelf full of
books on fashion and hair-styling.
"Why doesn't this surprise me?" Ranma asked.
"Also, we have a few teachers who are a bit overzealous
about obscenity in books and magazines. That's a real problem
because we keep books for the photo club which all have chapters
on nude photography. There are some others." She handed the red-
head a list. "Rather than get rid of the books, we just keep them
back here so the students who really care about reading them can
still find them."
Ranma gazed around at the miniature library surrounding
her. She really didn't know what it was for, but now that she
looked around, she could see a few titles that she realized could
be incendiary. There was a copy of a book with a Nazi Swastika on
the front right next to a book labeled 'Racism in Japan: A Modern
Study'. On the other side, there was a book with a pair of male
ballet dancers on the front. After a second of study, she realized
that the two were in a rather intimate pose. The book's title was
'Living with Homosexuality'.
Ranma realized that she had chosen the banned books
section of the library for her secret nap.
The assistant librarian wheeled a cart full of books in
and stopped it in front of Ranma.
"These are books we've had complaints about. If you would
be so kind, would you skim through these books and see if they
have anything on the list. If so, we'll stick them back here and
put the rest back out front."
"Okay," Ranma accepted. It wasn't physical activity in any
way, but the activity sounded a whole lot better than looking for
little numbers on the shelves and trying to make books fit.
"Stack the objectionables here on the table," the
assistant librarian instructed, "and leave the others on the cart.
I'll put them back out after classes today."
After the librarian had gone, Ranma read the list. Some of
the things on it, like 'textual depictions of explicit images or
situations' sounded a little boring for Ranma, so she started with
the things she thought would be easier to find.
"'Bodywatching, a Field Guide to the Human Species' by
Desmond Morris. Japanese Edition," Ranma said to herself after
picking a book at random. "Sounds boring. Lesse, does it 'contain
images depicting nudity, violence, or criminal acts'?"
The dust cover of the book depicted a woman's bare
abdomen. It wasn't *quite* nudity, so Ranma opted to open the book
to a random page.
This page depicted a pretty young woman with medium length
hair smiling happily at the camera. Ranma's face turned red,
because it also depicted the fact that she had, at some point,
pierced both her nipples, tattooed her hip, and had shaved all the
hair off of her mound and labia. She was quite naked, and very
beautiful in a somewhat gothic sense. She seemed completely at
ease in front of the camera, and happy to have a such a picture
taken of her.
Ranma slammed the book closed and stared at the cover in
shock Besides the burning feeling on her face and ears, there was
a warm tingling in her gut, and her legs felt shaky for some
reason.
After a few seconds thought, she recognized that she was
feeling the same thing as when Nabiki had flaunted herself so
brazenly. Her breathing had hastened and her heart was pounding as
if she was about to start fighting.
"Oh yeah. Nudity," Ranma breathed. "Definitely gonna keep
this one back here."
She moved to push the book aside and pick up another, but
the cover caught her eye again. She felt both a repulsion and a
curious compulsion. She remembered Makuna sensei had advised her
not to fear the feelings.
"Ranma Saotome ain't afraid of anything!" she whispered,
almost defiantly picking the book back up.
She opened it to page one and began to read.
* * *
"Ranma, are you okay?" Akane asked.
Ranma, her face still burning, turned to look at her
fiancee and nodded. Her blush deepened for a second as she
remembered an image from the book. Walking away from the school
building and into the courtyard, Ranma found that she was having
difficulty with her knees for some odd reason.
"Hey, bud!" Hiroshi said, as he walked by. He slapped
Ranma on the back and pointed to a nearby tree. "My mom made way
too many spareribs last night and put more than I can possibly eat
in my bento," he said, holding up a oversized box. "You two want
some?"
"Sure!" Akane said. "I made a bento for Ranma, too!"
Ranma groaned, but said nothing. Secretly, she was
thankful for the distraction provided. If she was concentrating on
avoiding Akane's horrible cooking then she wouldn't have time to
think about Akane's, long, slender, well-toned...
*gulp*
"Kasumi helped me," Akane admitted out loud, rolling her
eyes. "You don't have to worry about it, Ranma. It's not *that*
bad."
"Hey, cool!" Daisuke exclaimed as he approached the three.
"Spareribs!"
"Want some?" Hiroshi offered.
"There you are, Akane!" Sayuri said as she and Yuka
approached the group.
Yuka help up a large platter. "We made some muffins in
home-ec. Does anyone want to try?"
"Sure," Ranma said, snatching one and stuffing it in her
mouth.
Why did the frocks the girls wore all have to show so much
of their calves or stretch so tightly across their... their...
"Heya , Ranchan!" Ukyou greeted as she began to set up her
portable grill next to the group. "Hey guys. Looks like we're
having a party, huh?"
"Ucchan!" Ranma greeted happily. If there was one female
she could trust not to try to play funny tricks on her, it was
good old Ucchan. As usual, she was clad in her boy's school
uniform. Her breasts were tightly bound underneath and her legs
weren't revealed by the hem of any skirt.
"Hey, free okonomiyaki!" Hiroshi noted happily.
"We've got muffins, Ukyou-san!" Sayuri noted.
"Hold up a sec and I'll let everyone try a new batter
recipe I've been working on," she said, kneeling down to connect
the gas feed to the burners beneath the coated steel cooking
surface.
Ranma's left eye began to twitch as the tight boy's pants
stretched across the girl's well-formed backside. The fabric was
also stretching in an odd fashion across the area just below and
in between her--
*ULP*
Ukyou blinked in surprise as the red-head's face jerked
away, almost guiltily. Was Ranma staring at her ass? An almost
irrepressible grin sneaked onto her face as she began to cook.
Nabiki walked up curiously. "Did someone say 'free'?"
"I've got a new recipe I want to try out on everybody,"
Ukyou explained, careful to wag her bottom at Ranma as she did so.
"Sign me up!" Nabiki said cheerfully.
Ranma did her best to concentrate on the food that was
being shared around. There just had to have been different
chapters in the damned book dedicated to each body part. Ranma
couldn't even look at the girl's ankles now, bare, as in Sayuri's
or Nabiki's case or outlined with thin cotton socks like Yuka's
or Akane's, without imagining what the girls would look like with
just those crossed ankles covering more private, more secret parts
of their bodies.
Ranma began to shiver slightly.
"Airen! Shampoo come to-- Aiyah... Everyone eating
already."
"Shampoo!" Ranma looked up as the amazon approached, eager
to dig into some more food to take her mind off her woes.
"What wrong with Ranma?" Shampoo asked, bouncing to a halt
like only an Amazon could.
Ripping her eyes off of Shampoo's firm, springy, almost-
bursting-out-of-her-too-tight-Chinese-blouse cleavage, Ranma
snatched another muffin and stared at her own feet. Those were
safe, weren't they?
"I think Ranma must have a bit of a headache?" Nabiki
suggested, a devilish smile on her face. "Right Ranma-kun?"
The redhead nodded, realizing that she knew the exact
color, shade and position of Shampoo's cherry-like nipples for as
many times as they had been shoved in her face.
"Well, Shampoo bring way too much ramen then," the girl
said. Was Ranma staring at her breasts? "Ranma like ramen? Hmm?"
she asked, kneeling down in front of the trembling red-head. She
gave an experimental jiggle and noticed a subtle increase in her
target's discomfort.
Shampoo smiled wide and wickedly! Ranma *was* noticing!
About bloody damn time.
"Verily, it appears that there is a line for okonomiyaki
today," Kunou noted as he strode up to the group.
Ranma had never been so happy to see the kendoist in her
life.
"Hey, Sempai," she said, doing her best to keep her eyes
fixed on another guy instead of one of the girls.
"Hello, pigtailed-girl," Kunou said, blushing cutely and
looking away nervously. He still looked afraid to come too close,
lest he somehow accidentally hurt her. Actually, it was kinda
sweet--
WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE THINKING!? Ranma firmly fixed the
okonomiyaki Ukyou had just handed her in mind and did her best to
eat without thinking.
Due to the no-fighting rules, Akane did her best not to
scream in frustration at both Ukyou and Shampoo as they invaded
Ranma's personal space with hips, buttocks, and heaving bosoms.
Sayuri and Yuka both rolled their eyes at the overblown
displays and began to chat about the creation of their muffins
while they enjoyed bentos and Ukyou's new recipe.
Nabiki, noting Ranma's discomfort with a grin, shifted her
position slightly so that her uniform skirt rode up above the tops
of her knees rather than rest underneath her.
"Are you cold, Ranma?" Akane asked.
"Yeah," Ranma lied. "I gotta ask Tofuu about it after
school"
"I wonder if we should try to warm Ranma up somehow?"
Nabiki said out loud.
Ranma looked up for a second, and then wished she hadn't.
Nabiki had twitched her skirt up so that it displayed an amazing
amount of thigh. Her legs weren't as well-toned as Akane's, but
they were slender and nicely proportioned. The way they were
folded and the way Nabiki was facing Ranma, the red-head could see
almost all the way to the girl's thin, white silk panties.
Ranma glanced up, feeling eyes upon her. For just a
second, she locked gazes with Nabiki.
The older girl smiled evilly. "Busted," she mouthed
silently.
Ranma jerked her gaze away, feeling the tips of her ears
beginning to burn. There's no way Nabiki could realize what was
happening to her, could she?
Nervously, Ranma grabbed the nearest thing and began
eating, not paying any attention to the flavor of the food.
"You're... eating it?" Akane asked, somewhat surprised.
Ranma glanced down, realizing that she was eating the
bento Akane had made for her.
"What do you think?" Akane asked nervously
The sausage-octopuses had been mutilated, the pickles were
almost too salty to palate, and the sticky rice was about the same
consistency as glue. The box itself was wide enough so that if
Ranma stuck her face in it while she ate, she couldn't see any
firm, curvy female flesh.
"Best bento you've ever made, Akane," Ranma said. "I mean
that."
An insulted 'hmph' could be heard from Ukyou and Shampoo.
Kunou, who was still quietly eating a short distance away
looked on curiously. Had the pigtailed girl been staring at him?
And why was Nabiki Tendou laughing so hard?
* * *
"So you believe that Nabiki was teasing you
intentionally?" Makuna asked.
After several long seconds, Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I think
so. What does it mean?"
"Well, from the way you've described the girl, it could
mean almost anything, Ranma," the doctor said, chuckling a bit.
"She could be genuinely attracted to you and trying to gain your
attention, or she could simply enjoy teasing you."
"Nabiki?" Ranma tried to imagine herself with the older
girl. She shook her head and tried to dislodge the image of Nabiki
taking tickets while she boredly sat on a chair behind the girl,
completely nude while perverts like Kunou, Hiroshi and Daisuke
looked on. "Somehow, I don't think so."
"You should probably spend some more time with her, and
discuss how you feel," Makuna suggested. "Either let her
understand that you're not comfortable with the teasing, or come
to a deeper understanding of what she's trying to accomplish."
"I'm afraid she'll charge me for time," Ranma said. "Or
start teasin' me again when I don't know what to do about it."
"Well if she does charge you, just refuse to pay," Makuna
said. "I've dealt with young women like Nabiki before. If you let
her know that you won't be treated as a commodity, then she'll
have no choice, will she?"
"I guess. Nabiki's a lot smarter than I am. She always
manages to get me somehow."
"It surprises me that you think that, Ranma," Makuna-
sensei replied. "I think you're a very intelligent individual."
"Maybe I'm good at sports and fighting and stuff," Ranma
said. "But I'm not really that smart. Nabiki always knows exactly
what to do and what to say to get me. How can I compete with
that?"
"You pride yourself on your tactical abilities, but what
you don't seem to realize is that Nabiki is only doing the same
thing you are, but applying it to a different situation."
"Huh?" Ranma asked.
"In a battle, you look for your opponents' weaknesses and
exploit them, correct?"
"Yeah?"
"So what has your sister-in-law been doing to you?"
"Well, she waits until I'm not paying attention or until I
really need help or somethin' and then takes advantage of-- wait a
second..."
Makuna smiled broadly. "You apply higher tactical
reasoning to battle and your art. If what you're telling me is
correct, Nabiki merely applies that same reasoning to social
relationships, which are really just a different kind of
conflict."
Ranma was silent for a time.
"Our time is almost up, but before you'd go, I'd like you
to have this." Makuna-sensei held a paper-wrapped book out to
Ranma.
Ranma eased open the wrapping and looked inside. She
blushed profoundly upon seeing the title of the book. "Ah, damn
it! Now you're teasing me, Doc!"
Makuna laughed again. "Quite on the contrary! While Mr.
Morris's theories and conclusions tend to be very controversial,
he is one of the most respected social anthropologists in the
world. I have all his published books. This is one of my
favorites. Since you noted an interest in his work, I thought
you'd like to have it."
Ranma glared at the smiling psychologist darkly, but
didn't offer the book back. She carefully re-wrapped it so that
the title didn't show, stood and bowed to the doctor.
As with the last time, Makuna led her to the door of her
office. Taiyoko, the blonde girl Ranma had last seen at a pizza
shop, was waiting nervously for her appointment with the doctor.
"I need just a second before I'm ready for you, Taiyoko,"
Makuna said. "Do you mind waiting just a minute?"
Taiyoko shook her head.
Makuna-sensei smiled and retreated back inside the office.
"Uhh, hey," Ranma said after a few seconds. "I'm sorry if
I made you mad at the pizza place."
Taiyoko looked up nervously. She opened her mouth as if to
speak, but then shut it again.
"So... I'll see ya 'round, okay?" Ranma said, stepping
towards the door.
"...it's okay..." Taiyoko mumbled. "...I just thought..."
"I'm ready now, Taiyoko. You can come back now." Makuna
said, opening his door.
Taiyoko bolted inside, leaving her curious answer hanging.
Ranma blinked in confusion.
* * *
The next day at school, Ranma was having a little better
time keeping her eyes in their sockets. She had guiltily spent
most of the previous evening studying her own copy of
'Bodywatching' and felt just a little more jaded to the sight of
flesh or the curves of a body. There was also a little bit more
analysis to her thoughts. For the first time, she was able to
realize the subtle psychological connection in her mind between
the smooth orbs of Hinako-sensei's full bosom and the curves of
her shapely posterior. It didn't make any less impact on her if
she stared at it too long, but she was able to keep her mind
largely *off* the bodies of her classmates and teacher.
After Hinako reverted to chibi-size and left to go teach
highschool English to some other class, the room descended into
the usual chaos that marked the between-class breaks.
Ranma pulled out one of her manga, the swords and sorcery
book and *not* the Utena tankouban, while Hiroshi and Daisuke
began to page through a sports magazine.
Across the room, Akane, Sayuri, Yuka, and Ukyou were
taking turns listening to Akane's new CD on Yuka's CD-walkman.
After a few seconds, the classroom door slid open and
Nabiki sauntered in, a folded note clasped in one hand.
Akane waved, but Nabiki slid up to Ranma's desk and leaned
dangerously into Ranma's space.
Doing her best not to note that the top button of Nabiki's
blouse was unbuttoned or that the top of her cleavage was clearly
visible, Ranma stared defiantly into the girl's eyes, determined
not to be so cruelly teased.
"What do you want?" Ranma demanded.
"Testy, testy today, are we?" Nabiki asked. "That time of
the month dear?"
"What?"
"I guess not. Anyway... Kunou-chan has placed a note for
you in my care. I was going to let you have it for free before you
started being so moody," Nabiki said, smiling like a reptile the
entire time.
Ranma snatched the note away before she realized what
Nabiki said.
"From Kunou?"
Nabiki nodded, standing up and turning so that she was
sitting casually across the corner of Ranma's desk. "I think we
may have actually made an impression on the guy."
"I know they've been ice-skating in hell since he started
leaving me alone," Ranma noted seriously as she unfolded the note.
Ranma adjusted her ball-cap and began to read.
"Dearest Pigtailed-girl," it began. "Having been so
magnanimously included in your lunch party the previous day, I
have decided to return such a noble gesture by treating you, the
beauteous Akane Tendou, and all your friends to a lunch party of
my own design at Il Cavaliere."
"Ill Cava-huh?" Ranma asked out loud.
Nabiki made a shushing motion with her finger. "Kunou is
treating us all to lunch at a nice restaurant," she whispered.
"Hey, that's cool!" Ranma said. "Wait a second... I see
what's going on here. You go tell Kunou that I'm *not* going out
on a date!"
"I really don't think that's what he wants," Nabiki said
seriously. "See, he invited all your friends to come as well. We
usually all go *anyway*, but this time we're invited."
Ranma bit her lip and thought carefully for a second. She
looked up to examine Nabiki's face for possible signs of deception
or guile. What she found there was a little bit of excitement
about getting to eat a nice restaurant, just like Ranma wanted to.
The note went on, instructing Ranma and the others to meet
by the school gate.
"Okay. I'm game. Tell him he ain't really winning any
points, though."
"I'll tell him," Nabiki said. "But I don't think you have
a chance in hell of getting through to him."
* * *
While convincing Ukyou to abandon a lunch period's worth
of profits to go out to eat was a chore, Ranma had little or no
trouble convincing Akane and the rest of their friends to take the
upperclassman up on his generosity.
When the lunch bell rolled around, she and her party
quickly made their way from the school building where Kunou had
specified. Shampoo had shown up with a bowl of ramen, but Ranma
made quick work of that while they were waiting for the
upperclassman.
Within a few minutes of their arrival, Kunou arrived at
the gate with the keys.
"Leaving campus for lunch, Kunou-chan?" Nabiki asked,
eyeing the large, old-fashioned key that locked the gate
mechanism. "How did you persuade the principal to go along with
that?"
"Truly, he has no idea what I have plotted for today's
noon repast," Kunou said seriously. "But such was not my plan.
First I intended to beat the man senseless should he oppose me
when I came for the gate key. His secretary, most noble antiquity
that she is, gave me the key without questioning my motives."
"Trust Kunou to make things straightforward," Akane said,
sighing.
Kunou proudly led them a short walk to the Il Cavaliere, a
nice, but not extravagant Italian restaurant in the commercial
district near Furinkan high. Once inside, the hostess greeted
them.
"Hello, Kunou-san," the girl said. "Your buffet is waiting
as per your reservations."
"Buffet?" Ranma asked.
"He's seen you eat, Ranma," Hiroshi noted.
"Verily," Kunou seconded. "Both Akane and the pigtailed-
girl are highly active and require large quantities of
sustenance."
Everyone stared blankly at him.
"Is just me," Shampoo asked, unsure of her Japanese, "or
did stick-boy just make joke?"
"I assure you, noble amazon, that I make no jest. Besides,
when buying for this large a group, it's often less expensive to
order buffet service than individual meals."
"Leave the sarcasm to me, Kunou-chan," Nabiki noted,
clapping the kendoist on the shoulder. "It really doesn't suit
you."
"Hey, food!" Hiroshi and Daisuke noted at the same time,
as the group was being led into the dining room.
"Yipee!" Ranma crowed, diving in just in front of the two.
She almost, but not quite, broke her restrictions on gymnastics to
do so.
The group filed in line and filled their plates with
noodles, sauces and other comestibles from the buffet service.
Soon, they were seated around a large round table, trading jokes
and eating heartily.
"Almost as good as Shampoo own ramen," the Chinese girl
complimented.
"Yeah, it's no okonomiyaki, but I suppose it will do in a
pinch," Ukyou seconded.
"You better not let the chef hear you say that," Yuka
said. "I understand he's a real psycho about his food."
"What chef isn't a real psycho around here?" Akane asked.
The table descended into silence for several seconds as
Ukyou and Shampoo stared Akane in the face, growing expressions of
outrage on their faces.
After not much longer, Akane burst out laughing. The rest
of the group couldn't help but follow along.
Happily eating her food, and letting the unfamiliar
surroundings distract her senses from the close proximity of Ukyou
on one side and Shampoo on the other, Ranma sighed in contentment.
It was odd, but strangely... *nice* to have so calm a
meal.
For a second, she looked up at Kunou, who was rolling up
linguini on his fork while listening to one of Nabiki's business
deals. She caught his eye, but he turned away rapidly.
Ranma blinked, watching the young man. The look on his
face was surprising. It was neither the cold fury he wore when
they fought, or expression of idiotic lust he had when chasing
after her or Akane. If anything, it was... happy.
Like hers.
"You ain't gettin' a date out o' this, Kunou," she said
out loud after gulping down a mouthful of ravioli. "But... Thanks.
This is really nice!"
* * *
Later, after school had let out. Ranma found herself in
the hallway, waiting for Akane, who was on cleanup duty.
She heard the voices around the corner before she saw
them. Curiosity getting the better of her, Ranma decided to risk
the wrath of her surgeons and leapt up. She braced her fingers and
toes against the tiny ledge on top of the door and braced her
other foot on the light fixture in the center of the ceiling. As
long as they didn't look up, no one would see her.
"So, Kunou-chan. That was a mighty impressive show you put
on this afternoon."
"I think not upon it as trying to impress, Nabiki Tendou,
but as treating those whom I love so deeply with utmost care and
respect."
Ranma blinked.
"So you're still afraid you're going to break Ranma, huh?"
Kunou looked away guiltily.
"Listen, Kunou-chan. Guilt is nice and all for a little
bit, but you're making a mistake here. You *didn't* hurt her,
okay? If anyone's at fault, it's Akane or her lazy ass of a
father."
"I keep telling myself that," Kunou said quietly. "But was
it not my arms in which she fell sick? Was it not my floor upon
which she did bleed? If what you have told me is true, then I
*cannot* allow myself any other method of action. Until she heals,
I will keep my distance so as not to further harm the angelic
one."
Nabiki sighed at length. "Going for the soft-sell, huh?
I've told you before, Kunou-chan. She *isn't* interested in you."
Kunou grimaced. "I could almost believe that but her words
that day had the ring of truth, and try as I might, I cannot
discard those precious seconds I spent with her."
Precious seconds? Ranma's memories of her time at the
Kunous' place just before she was taken to the hospital were
vague. She vaguely remembered embracing the man, and she was
fairly certain that there had been some... *YECH*... kissing. Was
there more?
"So you'll keep fighting to win them," Nabiki noted dryly.
"Makes no difference to me of course. You'll keep buying photos
and I'll keep selling them."
"Nabiki Tendou... Please. If you would. Take no pictures
of the pigtailed-girl until her hair grows back in," Kunou said
somberly. "If I have read her correctly, she is most vain, and
dislikes having such a tarnish on her beauty. I will pay the
regular amount plus 5 percent, if you agree."
I am not vain, Ranma thought. I just care about how I
look, is all.
"Ten percent," Nabiki said.
"Done," Kunou conceded. "Now... I must meditate. I must
have her, but my passions must wait."
"Her?" Nabiki said. "Don't you mean them?"
"Hmm? Oh yes. Akane Tendou and the pigtailed-girl! They
both shall be mine!"
Why didn't Ranma believe that?
* * *
"So today's the big day, Ranma?" Hiroshi asked a few days
later, staring in quiet disgust as Ranma ran her hands trough her
short hair.
The bloody, icky crust which had covered her stitches had
slowly faded away until all the was left of the incision was a
dark purple line criss-crossed by the tiny silk threads. She ran
her fingers over it, doing her best to ignore the urge to scratch.
They would be gone in a few hours, and she could scratch all she
wanted then.
Underneath the sutures and through the healing flesh, she
could feel the bulging line of bone where her skull was knitting.
"Yeah," she said moodily, staring in the mirror. "It won't
make me look any less like shit, though. My hair is still all lop-
sided. You'll still be able to see the scar through the peach-fuzz
here.
Ranma actually growled at the mirror. Things had just been
making her progressively more and more angry for the last several
days.
"So cut the other side off short, too," Daisuke suggested.
It's still pretty long in front. I think it would look good.
The image assailed Ranma. She would have cutely short hair
on both sides and long bangs in front to hang femininely over her
eyes.
"Too goddamned girly," she growled. "Damn it! Why is
everyone pissing me off today?"
"Jeez! Calm down, bud." Hiroshi said, roughly cuffing the
martial artist on the shoulder. "Don't let it bug you so much! I
bet you'll feel better once the stitches are out, don't you
think?"
"Maybe," Ranma said, deflating a little bit. She grimaced,
feeling slightly ill to her stomach.
She turned to leave the restroom and felt the guys' eyes
on her as she pulled the Dodgers cap back on.
"And quit staring at my ass, you damn perverts!"
The door slammed loudly behind her.
"Ya know. By my figures, it's been about a month since
Ranma's surgery." Hiroshi noted quietly.
Daisuke nodded sagely.
"And my sister and mother both get kinda pissy about the
same time at least once a month."
Daisuke raised one eyebrow. "We could say something about
it," he said, "if you're thinking what I'm thinking."
"Ranma would kill us both before she realized what she had
done," Hiroshi said. "Best we let Akane and Nabiki deal with
this."
"Didn't you say that your mom and your sister get all
bitchy about the same time?"
"Yeah."
"Then don't you think that--"
"Damn it, Akane! You wanna watch where the hell you're
going?!" Ranma's high-pitched scream carried into the closed
bathroom.
"Why don't you watch where you're going, pervert?!" Akane
screamed back.
"Ladies!" Nabiki bellowed. "If you both don't shut up I'll
charge you until you wish you had? Do you understand me!?"
"PMS," Hiroshi said quietly, a bead of sweat standing out
on his forehead. "Gotta be."
"Scary," Daisuke noted.
"God, I feel sorry for Ranma's dad."
"I feel sorry for us if she's not feeling any better
tomorrow."
* * *
Having her stitches out mollified Ranma somewhat. She was
still feeling pretty crappy, by the time she got home, however.
She felt like all eyes were on her, and even chewed out her father
and Akane's for staring at her breasts even though she realized
that they weren't.
What really bugged her was the fact that she still wasn't
sure what Kunou meant the other day. 'Bleeding on my floor' could
mean a lot of things. Did they...
Had they...
Ranma couldn't bring herself to even think the words.
Her 'Bodywatching' book mentioned the hymen and even had a
description of where it was located. Ranma knew from a brief self-
examination when she had last used the rest room that she did not
have one.
A medical book sitting in Kasumi's bookshelf talked quite
a bit about a woman's hymen and what it did and did not mean. Lack
of a hymen from birth was rare, but possible. What was more
plausible was the fact that many active girls and women
accidentally broke their own hymen while exercising. Another
possibility listed mentioned something that Ranma really didn't
understand. Some girls, the book said, broke their hymens while
masturbating.
Ranma had heard the term used before, but had no clue what
it meant. She knew it was vaguely related to the slang 'jack-off'
that the guys sometimes used, but she really didn't know what that
meant either.
The last possibility, the one that Ranma was most upset
about, was the fact that most girls lost their hymens during
sexual intercourse.
'Humping', Ranma had heard it called. 'Shagging'.
'Boinking'. 'Doing the Horizontal Tango'.
Fucking.
Sex.
Had Kunou done that to her while she was passed out on his
floor? Is that why she bled on his floor? Was it because he had
put... put... *THAT* inside her and tore her hymen? And to think
that she trusted him to take her out to lunch with all her
friends. Why that creep was just--
Ranma's train of thought faltered as she felt a bead of
moisture roll down the inside of her thigh as she paced around her
room.
"Now what the hell is going on?" She yelled. "Goddamned
doctor fucked up my brain and now I can't even piss when I want
to?"
She thrust a hand down her pants and pushed her fingers
past the sensitive nub that she knew was called a 'clitoris'
thanks to her book. She pulled it back out, expecting to further
her humiliation to find it covered in urine.
Instead, it was bloody.
Ranma blinked at her blood-smeared fingers for several
seconds before wiping them on her shirt and picking Kasumi's
medical book up again. She paged over a few pages and read for
several seconds.
Ranma closed the book slowly.
"Oh fuck," she said. "This just takes the whole goddamned
fucking cake. I might as well bend over and let fuck-head Kunou
have it any time he fucking wants now!"
She bit her lip and did her level best to keep her raging
emotions in check.
After several seconds, there was a polite knock on the
sliding door.
"Go away, Akane! I ain't in the mood for your shit right
now."
"Ranma," Kasumi scolded as she slid the door open. "That's
no way to talk even if you are feeling bad."
Ranma blinked in confusion.
Kasumi came into the room carrying a tray with a covered
bowl on it. She sat it down in front of Ranma, turned and walked
back to the doorway. This time she carried in a shopping bag and
the small TV/VCR combo that usually resided in Nabiki's room.
"What--"
Kasumi smiled and held the shopping bag out to Ranma. When
Ranma took the handles, she pulled out a brightly colored box and
a package of plain, cotton panties.
Ranma paled.
"This is the brand I use," Kasumi said quietly as she
unwrapped both the sanitary pads and one of the panties. "I don't
think they'll work in boxer shorts, but you can try. You take the
backing off like this," she said, demonstrating as Ranma stared on
in horror. "And stick it against this part of the panty. This
thickness lasts four or five hours if you're bleeding really
heavily."
Ranma collapsed to her knees, feeling her bloody thighs
squish together.
"Akane and Nabiki both use tampons, but I'm not really
very comfortable with those," she said. "This is a little easier
in my opinion, but the tampons might work better with boxer
shorts."
She handed the modified panty to Ranma who took it and
stared at it in mortification.
"This ain't right," Ranma said weakly. "I'm a guy. Guys
ain't supposed to do this."
"You're a boy," Kasumi stated, "who's cursed to be a girl.
In this case, I think the term 'curse' applies pretty well. Don't
you?"
Ranma bowed her head, clutching the panty.
"Millions of women deal with this every day," Kasumi said.
"You know that. I don't believe that Ranma is afraid of something
that even little girls have to face."
"I ain't." Ranma said. "Ranma Saotome ain't scared o'
nuthin!"
Tears began to course down the read-head's bowed face.
Ranma could barely contain her self. She wanted to fight somebody.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to tear apart her rotten, cursed
body.
"It's always very hard to bear the first time," Kasumi
said.
"This... or... or..."
"Kunou-san didn't lay a finger on you," Kasumi said
quietly. "I know. I was there at the hospital when the two of you
arrived in the ambulance. You were bleeding from your nose. Kunou-
san looked so scared and frightened," she said. "That was not the
face of a young man who had made love to the young woman he loves,
I'm certain."
"How did you know?" Ranma asked, a shade of relief
creeping into her voice.
"Nabiki told me you'd been eavesdropping on her," the
older girl admitted. "And you've been pretty obviously upset about
something for the last few days. You're screams just now tied
everything together. The timing was... inconvenient for you, I'll
admit."
"God, Kasumi. What'll I do?" the girl asked.
"For now, go get cleaned up, and put those on," Kasumi
said, gesturing to the panties in Ranma's hand. "Afterwards, we'll
have some red beans and rice. I've even taped the 'Nurse Academy'
special for us to watch together. Later, you'll just have to learn
to ride this out, Ranma. I know it's a challenge, but I know you
can handle it."
Ranma nodded and sighed.
When she returned to the room, she was blushing in anger
and embarrassment, but didn't say anything else about her
predicament.
After the show started and Ranma choked down the first few
bites of red beans and rice, she began to sniffle loudly. After a
second, Ranma leaned over and bawled her eyes out into Kasumi's
bosom.
Kasumi smiled sweetly and cradled Ranma as she wept.
-----
~to be continued...