Disclaimer: Ranma and company are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. All other characters in this story are my own.
Author's Notes: One reader was wondering about Kasumi's reaction to Happosai's comment. As WFROSE pointed out, she does lose her composure when sufficiently 'ticked'. Jusenkyo would be such an instance. Also, how would you react to an insult from Happosai?

As for the others not finding Ranma just yet, stay tuned. That will happen in chapter five, when the Tendos and Genma get to visit, with others finding out later on. Don't forget, Akane was the only one to follow the messenger from Ranma's new school. She's the only one who knows Ranma's whereabouts right now and she's not talking. After all, she's not Nabiki.

Things will change soon, however. Nabiki will soon know of Ranma's location and she has been getting a bit suspicious of Akane's many day long disappearances.

Now, on with the story.
Great Surprise! The New Student Can Teach as Well

It was a sunny morning, and Ranma was getting his dirty clothes ready for the laundry. Sensei Chan and Grand Mother had stopped by while he was doing so.

"Are you ready for the washer woman?" Sensei Chan asked.

"Just about," Ranma replied, as he stuffed his dirty clothes into a sack that had been supplied to him for just that purpose.

"What is that doing there?" Grand Mother exclaimed with shock.

Ranma turned around and looked in horror at his bed. There, lying on top of the blanket was a pair of girl's panties.

Ranma laughed with embarrassment. "I forgot all about those," he said. "I keep them around for whenever I have to face off with Happosai. They're the only things that will distract him enough so I have a chance of defeating him. I guess it's become second nature to carry them around, to ensure that I'm always ready for him!"

"Excellent!" Sensei Chan exclaimed. "You've already learned to use your head in order to defeat an opponent! We won't have to go into that lesson while you are with us."

"Hmmm," Grand Mother mused. "It certainly is a novel way to distract one's opponent. You say that Happosai always falls for this?"

"Always," Ranma replied. "He also goes for bras, but they are harder to conceal."

"The man has sunk much lower since the time I met him," Grand Mother said, more to herself than to anyone else.

"Just what does this Happosai do?" Sensei Chan asked Ranma. "I have only a cursory overview of his misdeeds."

"Well," Ranma began. "He's almost always assaulting the girls at the school I attend. He usually attaches himself to their bosoms. When he is yanked off one girl, he instantly latches on to another."

"That sounds like Happosai, all right," Grand Mother said, "But when I saw him, it was young woman in their late twenties."

"He has sunk low, hasn't he?" Sensei Chan declared.

Ranma nodded, then continued. "When the girls are attending physical fitness courses at the playing field, he's in their locker room, stealing their undergarments, which he enjoys rolling about in. Hardly a day goes by when you cannot see him leaping down a road or path carrying a large sack filled with said undergarments, being chased by no less than fifty angry girls carrying brooms, mops, etc.

"The worst part is in the public bath houses, where he insists on scaling the dividing wall in order to see these same girls in the nude. Not only has he gotten my old man and Mr. Tendo into trouble with this when they were his students, I have been accused on many an occasion of being his accomplice as well. The fact that he wants me for his successor has not helped matters any."

"He could be a problem for our students, should he come here," Sensei Chan reflected.

"Not necessarily," Grand Mother exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Sensei Chan asked.

Grand Mother pointed in Ranma's direction.

"Of course!" Sensei Chan exclaimed. "An excellent idea. I will make arrangements immediately!"

"What arrangements?" a confused Ranma asked.

"You are about to become a part time teacher!" Sensei Chan exclaimed.

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Late that afternoon, all the girls were assembled on the playing field, instead of studying in their dormitory rooms. Sensei Chan called the students to order. "How many of you know how to handle a masher, lecher, or other kind of pervert?" she asked the group.

Several girls raised their hands.

"How about a pervert who is well versed in the martial arts?"

All the girls looked perplexed. Sensei Chan nodded slightly.

"Such a man exists. His name is Happosai, and he has been bothering young girls for quite some time now. Fortunately, we have with us a person who knows all about him. That person is our new student, Ranma Saotome!"

Ranma gave an embarrassed bow toward the group of girls. They bowed back to him.

"You know this man Sensei Chan speaks of?" one of the girls asked.

"I have that misfortune," Ranma replied. "However, I also know his weaknesses."

"I have asked Ranma to share with us those weaknesses, so that you will be able to handle this man or any others like him, if you run into one," Sensei Chan said. "Would you please address the assembly, Ranma?"

Ranma nodded and advanced to where Sensei Chan stood. "First of all," he told the group, "you must understand that he is after something that you wear. You must make full use of this article of clothing, if you are to defeat him. "

------------

It was late afternoon. The girls had been separated into groups of ten, and were practicing several techniques in protecting themselves from mashers. Several were laughing as they practiced.

"I like Ranma's way with words," one girl laughed.

"Yeah," a compatriot replied. "What a modest way to answer a question!"

A third chimed in. "'Sir? Just what is this article of clothing?'"

"'You're wearing it under your skirts!'" the first one laughed.

Ranma came up to the group. He apparently had not heard the conversation. "Now that you have practiced as individuals, let us see you fight as a group."

The girls formed a loose circle.

"Who's your 'point man'?" Ranma asked.

The first girl who had spoken earlier raised her hand.

"Take your position, please," Ranma requested. The girl did so.

"I will play the part of Happosai," Ranma said. "Since this is only a practice run, we will hold back our blows. Let us begin."

------------

Ranma was in his room, going over some papers. Sensei Chan knocked on his open door, causing him to look in her direction.

"May I come in?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied. "You are always welcome."

Sensei Chan entered the room. "That was a good lecture you gave the girls today," she said.

"It was?" Ranma said. "I must admit I was a bit nervous about it."

"We all are the first time," Sensei Chan assured him. "It gets easier as time goes by."

"My biggest worry was how to broach the subject. It's not something that's normally discussed."

"You did fine. In fact some of the phrases you used proved to be quite humorous and 'broke the ice', as it were. The girls understood everything perfectly and are excelling in their exercises. You will make a fine teacher some day."

"Thank you," Ranma said modestly.

Sensei Chan nodded to him, then perused the papers on his desk.

"What is that you are working on?" she asked.

"It's some special science project that I was conned into doing," Ranma replied. "There's a school science fair in about three month's time, and I was elected to represent my school."

"How wonderful!" Sensei Chan exclaimed.

"Not really," Ranma said. "I'm the only one participating on this project."

"Where are the others?"

"In the hospital," was Ranma's calm reply.

Sensei Chan looked confused by this statement.

"They blew themselves up a few weeks ago," Ranma explained. "They're still recuperating from the blast."

"You are using dangerous chemicals for this project?" Sensei Chan asked, concern in her voice.

"No," Ranma replied calmly. "This project involves electricity, magnets, and sound waves."

"Then how did the others manage to blow themselves up?"

"They were using dangerous chemicals," Ranma replied nonchalantly.

-----------

A group of girls was studying some science texts that evening before dinner. A couple of them were having trouble.

"I can't seem to figure this part out!" one exclaimed.

"Let me see that," another girl said. She looked at the problem in question and shook her head.

"This one is beyond me," she said. "I'm still working on the previous chapter."

"Maybe Ranma can help you!" another member of the group exclaimed. "I overheard Sensei Chan tell the other teachers of a science project he's working on!"

"An excellent idea!" the first girl replied, and she and her partner left for Ranma's room.

Ranma was still studying when they knocked on his door. He looked up, saw the girls, and beckoned them in.

"We wondered if you could help us?" one girl asked.

"It has to do with a science problem in our book," the other asked.

"Let's take a look," Ranma said, pushing his own work aside. He looked at the problem in question, then at the girls' paper.

"Here's your problem," he said, pointing at the top of a page. "You forgot to use this equation up here. It explains the whole theory."

The girls were ecstatic. They poured over the book with Ranma, listening to everything he said. Soon, they had enough information to complete three assignments.

They profusely thanked Ranma, and dashed off to join their fellow classmates. Ranma shook his head and smiled, then went back to his own work.

------------

The dining room was all abuzz that evening. The story of how Ranma helped solve a textbook problem had spread like wildfire. Ranma was eating alone, shaking his head in amazement at it all. It had been such a small thing to him. He couldn't believe how big the others had made it.

Sensei Chan walked up to him while he was eating. "I hear that you helped out some of the others with a particularly vexing problem today," she said.

Ranma nodded as he continued to eat. "No big deal," he said, after swallowing a mouthful of rice.

"The others seem to think so," Sensei Chan said softly. "I believe that you may have become an unofficial tutor here."

Ranma turned around and looked at her with amazement.

"As I told you earlier, Ranma," Sensei Chan said. "You would make a great teacher."

Ranma thought this over for a while. He could not believe that he was really that capable as a tutor. Yet, he had successfully given a lecture on the strengths and weaknesses of Happosai, and had helped two schoolgirls with a science assignment. Perhaps there was some truth to what Sensei Chan said.

As Ranma mulled this over, he began to wonder if he could help out certain students in his own school. Such a position might help him get to know others more, thus helping him to adapt to the school atmosphere in an easier fashion.

As he thought all this over, Ranma wondered if Akane could use his help. He then wondered if she would even accept it. This led to his wondering out loud about how she was doing back at home, and what her reaction would be to his tutoring other girls.

In her bedroom, Akane sneezed.

To be continued...

Author's note: Does anybody remember the science geeks from the episode where Ryoga makes his first appearance? They're the ones referred to here.
Next Time: The gang finally visits Ranma at his new school. Can Happosai control himself with all those girls running around?