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{ }: Chinese
#( )#: Panda signs
A young man about Ranma's age sat behind a rock that was tied up in roots, panting heavily. Looking at the wall behind him he let out a sigh of relief and quickly left the cave he had entered after getting the keys from his grandfather. On his way back to the shrine he idly tucked the sword hilt he carried into his pants while thinking, I hope Jiichan doesn't find out about this.
Back in the cave the mummified remains of of the legendary 'demon' began the slow process of restoration. If the young man had seen the smirk that formed on the mummy's face under her red mask he would probably have begun looking for a way to leave Japan, if not the planet.
Near a large dojo in the Nerima ward of Tokyo a short-haired boy with green eyes was walking down the street.
Yamazaki Seina stopped outside the dojo and looked at the sign.
He was about to knock on the door when he heard three female voices shout "FIANCE!"
Several other people walking on the street paused to stare in the direction of the combined shout before shrugging it off and continuing on their way.
Now seems to be a bad time to visit. I hope Nabiki-san doesn't mind getting her money tomorrow. Having thus decided, the high school student turned around and began walking home.
"Oi, Oyaji," the ponytailed youth following the large panda said suddenly.
#(What?)#
"Dontcha think you should get some hot water before we get to yer friend's?"
#(Fine.)#
Growfing in annoyance the large Chinese bear waddled over to a nearby street vendor. The ramen vendor stared up at the animal in a mixture of shock and fear. Fear gave way fully to shock as the beast held up a sign.
#(Hot water please.)#
Nodding dumbly the vendor quickly handed over a cup of heated water. When the panda poured the steaming liquid over its head and transformed into a bald, pudgy man with glasses the vendor decided he had had too much excitement for one day and promptly fainted.
"Alright Imouto, what's this weird thing you saw?" Sasaki Daisuke asked as he and his friend Terada Hiroshi aproached his younger sister.
"Um, I saw a major hunk and a panda that had a conversation with signs," the junior-high student stated as she came out of her shock.
Daisuke and Hiroshi looked at each other skeptically before turning back to Yumi. "Sure, Imouto, we believe you," Daisuke said with a hint of sarcasm.
Glaring at the two, the brown-eyed girl responded, "I can prove it. Come on." With that she started jogging in the direction the young man and panda had been heading in.
After a few minutes of jogging the three teens saw a pony-tailed boy in a blue, Chinese-style shirt following a large panda. As the three watched, the black-haired teen said something to the panda, the distance preventing them from hearing him. Yumi grinned triumphantly at the wide-eyed high school students when the panda responded with a sign before waddling over to a nearby ramen vendor.
Taking advantage of the situation Yumi quickly made her way over to the handsome young man. "Excuse me, are you new to the area?"
"Huh?" the blue-eyed boy said as he studied Yumi. "Er, yeah, I guess you could say that. Oyaji claims ta have to talk to some friend of his about some matter of family honor." As he spoke he considered the girl before him. Hmm. She's in pretty good shape even if she is kinda short. Her stance is well balanced, though she looks more like a gymnast than a martial artist.
Noticing the way he was looking her over Yumi shifted slightly, pushing her well endowed chest out to draw his attention to that location. When he noticed he blushed and focused on her face.
Giggling she asked, "Did he say who?" He has such beautiful blue eyes, and those slitted pupils are so exotic... WAIT A MINUTE, SLITTED... !!
"Nah, Oyaji never said who this so-called friend was. Er, somethin' wrong?" he asked her, noticing her staring at him.
"Slitted pupils. You have slitted pupils."
"Eh heh heh. There's a reason for that," he stated while nervously scratching his neck under his ponytail.
Must be a pair of contacts. He seems embarrassed about it, I better change the subject. "Never mind, I'm sure you have a good reason. Um, would you like me to show you around while your father takes care of this matter of family honor..."
"Saotome Ranma and you can show me around if ya want. I heard somethin' about Nerima having a lot of martial artists."
"Okay! I'll show you some of the dojos in the area. I'm Sasaki Yumi by the way," she said excitedly.
"Pleased ta meetcha, Yumi-chan," Ranma cheerfully said with a smile earning a magnificent blush from Yumi.
While Yumi was talking to the young man her brother and his friend watched in complete shock as the panda upended a cup of steaming water over its head and turned into a pudgy, bald man in a gi. After staring at the man for a moment Hiroshi rushed over to him as he turned to the ponytailed-boy saying, "Happy now, boy?" Genma frowned when he saw Yumi talking to his son.
Turning to face the three of them the teen smacked his forehead and let off a frustrated sigh. "Lets jus' go meet this friend of yours and get it over with."
Before the Genma could respond to that or say anything about Yumi Hiroshi spoke up.
"That was so cool. Where did you find a panda suit that dissolves in water?"
Glaring at the brown-haired teen, the bald man mumbled something about annoying kids before storming over to where Yumi was talking to his son.
"Come on, boy, we don't have time to waste talking with these people."
"Ah shaddup, Oyaji. Yumi-chan here was jus' offerin' to show us the way to this friend o' yours, place."
"Thats right, Saotome-san. I'm Sasaki Yumi. What is your friend's name? I'll be happy to show you and your son the way to his place," Yumi stated with a smile, bowing to the older man.
"I can find Tendo-kun's house without your help, girl," the elder Saotome stated with contempt as he began striding down the street.
"You mean the Tendo dojo? Isn't that in the other direction?" Hiroshi asked, directing the second question to his friend. Genma froze midstep.
"Yeah, I had to deliver a payment to Nabiki for Yamazaki when he broke his leg. The Tendo dojo is about five, maybe six blocks that way," Daisuke stated, pointing in the direction of the corner that the group of teens had come from. Genma's left eyebrow started twitching.
"Jeez, Oyaji, don'tcha even have a' idea where yer 'friend' lives?! I thought you at least knew the general direction to go."
Genma opened his mouth, but before he could respond to his son's remark, Yumi took the younger Saotome's hand, saying, "Come on, Ranma-kun, I'll take you to the Tendo's."
Hiroshi and Daisuke blinked as the young lady led Ranma down the street, before following after the pair. The man in the dingy gi grumbled as he followed them.
"Ranma and his father have been on a voyage of training. Recently, it seems, they crossed into China," Tendo Soun stated with a stoic expression.
"Wow! China!" his middle daughter, Nabiki, stated excitedly.
"What's so great about walking to China?" the youngest daughter, Akane, asked sullenly.
"Is he cute?" Nabiki asked, leaning forward, beaming with a smile.
"How old is he? Younger men bore me," the eldest daughter, Kasumi, questioned with a worried and slightly agitated expression on her normally serene face.
"What kind of guy is this Ranma?" Kasumi and Nabiki asked in unison.
"No idea," Soun responded, flippantly.
"'No idea'?" Nabiki asked with a slight glare.
"I've never met him."
Further conversation was interrupted by a knock at the front door.
"Hm?" Nabiki quietly exclaimed, turning at the sound while Kasumi rose to answer the door, stating, "We have visitors!"
"Oooo! It must be Ranma!" Nabiki said excitedly as she rushed toward the front door.
"Saotome-kun, my old friend! We've been waiting!" shouted the mustached man as he ran after brown-haired girl.
Arriving at the door Soun and Nabiki found a small group waiting for them. Soun immediately recognized his friend at the back of the group. Rushing past the four teens he grabbed his friend in a hug and shouted, "Saotome-kun, it's so good to see you." Pausing to look at the group he continued, "But I thought you said you had a son, not three sons and a daughter."
By this time Nabiki had walked over to the slim, muscular teen. "Are you Ranma?" At his nod she looked him up and down taking in his blue silk shirt and kung-fu pants. Ranma turned to face the smaller girl beside him giving Nabiki an enjoyable view of his profile and smiled, saying, "He is cute. I call dibs!"
Ranma blinked a few times as the brown-haired girl glomped his arm, earning a glare from Yumi.
"I don't believe it! The 'Ice Queen' interested in a guy," Hiroshi stated with a wide-eyed expression.
"Watch out Ranma, she'll drain you of every yen you got," Daisuke said, his serious tone surprising Ranma.
The glare Nabiki directed at the pair promised lots of pain to their bank accounts. The two winced in unison when they saw it.
"Come on boy, we uh... need to deal with that matter of family honor I mentioned," the Saotome patriarch stated as he began pushing Ranma inside, catching Soun's eye and nodding in the directions of the remaining teens as he passed.
When Yumi and the two teens tried to follow, Soun stopped them, saying, "Since this is a matter of family honor, I'm afraid I can't invite you three in."
Yumi pouted until Ranma turned around to say, "Hey Yumi-chan, since ya can't show me around now maybe we can meet somewhere this afternoon or somethin'."
Yumi smiled and replied, "I'll meet you around five at the ice-cream shop we passed on the way here, ne?" At Ranma's nod she smiled and waved as she walked off. "It's a date then."
"Saotome-kun, what's the meaning of this?!" Soun shouted while Nabiki narrowed her eyes, sizing up Ranma's innocent confusion and Genma's nervous look.
"You don't know what the 'matter of family honor' is, do you, Ranma-kun?" she asked. At his nod she frowned at his father.
"I can't believe Nabiki-oneechan. Honestly, getting so excited over some boy. He's probably a pervert," the youngest Tendo said. Kasumi sighed inwardly, hearing the 'like the rest of them' that her sister was implying.
"Now Akane-chan, you really shouldn't judge him before you meet him," Kasumi stated in a pleasant voice, though Akane couldn't help but wince at the 'like you always do' that only she could hear.
"All right Oneechan, but if he tries anything..." Letting the threat trail off Akane headed toward the front door.
Sighing, Kasumi followed her youngest sister. The two entered the front hall just as their father entered, followed by a slightly obese man. Nabiki followed them with a handsome young man in tow.
Kasumi and Akane were about to say something when they noticed the glares the other two Tendos were directing at the nervous man in the damp gi. Kasumi also noticed that the boy had a confused look on his face.
Moving to the living-room the group sat down, Kasumi setting out tea for everyone.
"Now Saotome-kun, care to explain why your son made a date with that girl just now?" Soun asked, glaring at Genma.
Akane glowered at Ranma. How dare that pervert ask a girl on a date when he is already engaged. There's no way I'm letting that *boy* try anything with Oneechan or Nabiki, she thought.
"Uh, what's wrong with takin' Yumi-chan out for ice-cream?" Ranma asked.
"You're ENGAmmphh..." Soun started before Genma clapped a hand over his mouth.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow at this and was about to say something when Akane suddenly declared, "There is no way I'm marrying a pervert like you." Nabiki idly noticed that Akane's knuckles were white from her grip on the table.
Ranma blinked, then growled, "I ain't a pervert, and what makes you think I would want ta marry you anyway? Stupid, uncute tomboy. I just metcha."
Akane seethed and began to lift the table before Nabiki leaned on it with a smirk and said, "Don't mind Akane, she hates boys and doesn't want the engagement."
"What 'engagement'?" Ranma asked, leveling a glare at Genma, who started to sweat.
"Your engagement to me... or one of my sisters of course," Nabiki said sweetly. This should be interesting.
Ranma's eyes narrowed as he growled out, "Oyaji, explain. NOW!"
"Now Ranma, it's a m-matter of family honor that you marry a T-Tendo," Genma stuttered.
Ranma sat there with an angry glare leveled at his father for a few seconds, taking deep breaths to rein in his anger. When Soun introduced his daughters and asked which one he would marry...
"YA EXPECT ME TA MARRY A COMPLETE STRANGER!"
Nabiki let out an "eep" and sat frozen next to him while Akane decided to move back against the wall. Soun started bowing and scraping to him while his father splashed himself and held up a sign reading #(I'm just a cute little panda.)#
"Oh my, how pretty. Can you teach me how to do that?" Kasumi asked with slightly widened eyes.
Ranma blinked at the odd question and noticed — for the first time — the two dozen or so spheres of blue light floating around him. The two Tendos who could see his eyes were relieved to note that they were no longer glowing, while Nabiki was just happy that the arcs of electricity running over his body had stopped. Reaching out he lightly grasped one of the spheres to study it. Seeing this, Nabiki hesitantly touched the sphere floating two inches in front of her face, causing it to pop like a soap bubble. Startled, Nabiki let out a yelp that broke Ranma's concentration and caused the motes of light to vanish.
Noticing his surprised look, Nabiki asked, "You don't know how you did that, do you?"
Ranma nodded and replied, "Last time I was that mad I sorta summoned my battle aura, but I've never had anything like this happen before."
Further conversation was cut off by Akane's scream of "THERE'S A PANDA IN THE HOUSE!!"
Everyone turned to stare at the large bear and his sign. Ranma mumbled something about his Oyaji being a baka. Hearing his comment Soun asked the obvious question, "Ranma-kun, where did your father go?"
Picking up a cup of freshly made tea — the water no longer boiling but still hot enough to scald — Ranma threw the steaming liquid on the panda.
"It needn't be that hot, boy!" Genma yelped.
Seeing the large panda turn into his friend, Soun did the logical thing and fainted. Kasumi quickly rushed off to get a pillow for her father, not to mention recover her frayed nerves. Akane remained frozen in shock for a few seconds before excusing herself and heading to the dojo.
Nabiki reacted in her normal way to an unknown situation. She attempted to gather information. "Alright Ranma-kun, how did you do that? Last time I checked pandas don't turn into people."
"It's a curse. Oyaji dragged me to this valley of cursed springs in China."
"We can explain later, boy. We still need to deal with the... honor pledge," Genma stated, trying to sound as meek as possible at the end lest he anger Ranma again.
Grumbling, Ranma replied while glaring at his father, "Since it's a matter of honor I don't got much choice." Raising his voice to its normal level he continued in a tone that brooked no argument, "I'll get ta know 'em, an' marry one of 'em if we get along, but if we don't or she don't want to then we drop it, na?"
Genma hastily nodded, still recovering from his fear. The room dropped into silence as Nabiki began contemplating the current turn of events.
The Tendos and Saotomes sat around the table in the family room drinking tea.
"So, Saotome-san, care to explain this panda business?" Nabiki asked.
"Ah, yes. It was about a month ago..." Genma began as he told the Tendos about their fight at Jusenkyo. After he had finished everyone sat in silence for a minute until it Soun broke the silence.
"The legendary ground of accursed springs. It's true horror has always been shrouded in mystery. But now..."
Kasumi looked at Genma angrily before stating what was on her mind. "You just went too far, Saotome-san!"
"Yeah! Even for martial arts training!" Nabiki stated, then paused as she realized that Ranma had fallen into a spring as well. Deciding to ask about that later she watched as her elder sister continued to lecture the Saotome patriarch.
"What ever made you do something so dangerous?" When Genma dropped a book in his haste to get away from the angry girl Kasumi stopped and picked it up. "It's Chinese. A map.. and guide book?"
"Something about... 'training grounds'," Nabiki supplied as she examined the book.
"No wonder... You can't read Chinese, can you?!" Kasumi asked Genma who nodded frantically.
Nabiki groaned before asking about her earlier thought. "Ranma-kun, if your father is cursed to turn into a panda and you fell in another spring, then what do you turn into?" Nabiki developed a wary look as she finished her question. She had just noticed his eyes.
"Yer lookin' at it. We don't know what drowned in that spring but for some reason the curse is permanent."
"What curse? You're still just a *boy*!" Akane said with some heat, still angry at him for making a date on her doorstep.
Ranma blinked at her. What's her problem? "Most people don't have slitted pupils or ears like this." He pulled his hair back from where it was covering the slight points on his ears. The two elder sisters noticed his downcast eyes and too-serious voice. Does he think he's a monster? Kasumi thought.
"Oh my, they are slitted. How exotic!" Ranma blinked and developed a slight blush from having the eldest Tendo daughter so close to his face.
"Kasumi's right, Ranma-kun. Those ears and eyes make you look exotic... more handsome," Nabiki said with a reassuring smile.
"Uh... thanks, I guess," Ranma said, confused by their reactions. Noticing the clock behind Nabiki, his eyes widened. "I gotta go if I'm goin' ta make it to the ice-cream shop."
Nabiki stood up and announced that she would go with him. Ranma nodded and waited for her, and they left together.
"Ranma-kun, you made it... What is she doing here?" Yumi asked with a bit of an edge to her voice, noticing Nabiki.
Nabiki almost held out her hand asking for 500 yen but restrained herself. Maybe I shouldn't do this in front of Ranma. "We need to talk."
"So you have to marry one of the Tendo's?" Yumi looked so forlorn that Nabiki's heart went out to her.
"Yeah, but I don't really wanna talk 'bout that right now. You said you would show me around Nerima, na?" The smile on his face caused Yumi's heart to melt and made Nabiki a bit flustered.
"You still want to go? But what about your engagement?"
Ranma looked confused, "What does the engagement have ta do with goin' somewhere with a friend? 'Course I wanna go."
Nabiki studied him carefully. He really doesn't realize she has a crush on him. How can someone that good looking be that naive? Deciding to quench her curiosity she asked, "Ranma, have you ever had a girlfriend?"
"Nah, never had time for that sort o' thing. Only friends I ever had were Ucchan and Ryoga."
"You've only had two friends your entire life!" Yumi exclaimed.
"Uh, yeah. Oyaji an' I never stayed in one place for very long. Heh, wonder how Ucchan's doin'. I haven't seen him since I was... around six, I think. Anyway, I'd like ta see Nerima since it looks like I'll be here for awhile."
Yumi nodded and led the two of them out to start the tour.
After they returned to the dojo Kasumi approached Nabiki and asked several questions. Nabiki told her what she could. After the conversation, Kasumi looked more interested in a relationship while Nabiki was still trying to sort out her own feelings.
That night, each of the daughters went to bed with several thoughts and questions in her minds.
"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed, focusing on Ranma.
"They sure are energetic," a bleary-eyed Nabiki yawned.
Akane, having just come in from her jog, simply stared at the scene before her: the Saotomes sparring. This wouldn't be so impressive if it weren't for the fact that ninety percent of the combat took place thirty to forty feet in the air. The fact that she couldn't see some of the punches and kicks due to the sheer speed was also bugging her.
"Ranma-kun, Saotome-san, breakfast." The calm, kind voice of the eldest Tendo sister broke Genma's concentration as the thought of food caused his stomach to rumble. Using the distraction to his advantage, Ranma twisted around so that he was above his father before pushing off with his right hand. The result was that Ranma flipped over to land next to the three sisters while Genma took a bath in the koi pond.
Surfacing, the large panda glared at his son. When Kasumi pulled out some bamboo for him he whimpered. Ranma, having seen the wink from Kasumi as she pulled out the platter, nearly fell over laughing at his father's expression.
After breakfast — and a glass of hot water — Genma informed Ranma that he had been enrolled at Furinkan High School. Ranma seemed irritated but left with Nabiki and Akane after Genma shoved a bag into his arms.
"Why are you doing that?" Akane asked as the three headed to school.
"Huh?"
"She's referring to the fact that you are walking on a chain-link fence. That's very impressive, by the way."
"Oh, that. Balance practice." The nonchalant way he said it annoyed the youngest Tendo even further.
"Show-off," Akane mumbled. "Do you think you're too good to walk with us?"
Ranma just blinked at the girl and moved next to Nabiki. Leaning toward her he asked, "What's her problem?" Akane growled and stormed off while Nabiki waved off his question.
Arriving at the school gates, Ranma stared at the carnage before him. There were around thirty or forty boys in various states of consciousness and pain laying in the courtyard with Akane in the center of them, breathing heavily.
Approaching her he asked, "What didja do that for?" It's obvious these guys have no skill in the Art. Akane's only response was a glare.
Akane snatched a whistling projectile out of the air. Raising her arm she revealed a red rose. Looking in the direction of the toss Ranma saw a boy in a hakama carrying a bokken.
"Truly. Such a boorish lot. Evidently each of them intends to ask you out, Akane... on the dawn that he finally defeats you. And now... Tendo Akane... might you fight with me?"
"Man, what's his problem?" Ranma asked Akane.
Her response was interrupted by the kendoka. "Hold knave, who are you to be so familiar with Akane?" Ranma just stared at him with a raised eyebrow. Before he could say anything the older boy continued, "But wait, is it not proper to give one's own name first? Fine then, mine I shalt give. I am the undefeated captain of the Furinkan Kendo Club, a rising young star in the world of Kendo. The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School, Kuno Tatewaki, age seventeen."
"Just ignore him Ranma-kun, you don't want to be late for class," Nabiki said as she walked up. Ranma nodded to her and began walking with her toward the school's entrance.
"He's only staying with us sempai," Akane said after the two had walked off a short distance. She spoke with a hint of disgust as she made 'sempai' sound like a vile curse.
"WHAT? Under the same roof as Akane? I forbid it!" Having decided on his course the delusional kendoist rushed after the ponytailed boy with his bokken held over his head. Upon reaching striking distance he brought down his bokken with stone-splitting force. Ranma stepped slightly to his right dodging the attack and turned to face his assailant with an angry expression.
"Is attacking someone from behind yer idea of honor?" Ranma asked angrily. His only response was a horizontal slash. Deciding to finish off the idiot quickly Ranma grabbed the bokken in his right hand and twisted around to pull off his opponent off balance. Without pausing in his flowing movement he pointed at Kuno's face with his free hand and delivered a left, side-snap-kick to the chest sending the hakama clad boy flying the sixteen or so feet to the perimeter wall. Tossing the bokken to his side with a look of disgust he turned and began walking toward the school again, Nabiki following him a half-second later with a smug expression.
Cute, strong, kind, and skilled! Okay, he's a little naive. But I could do much worse, Nabiki thought as they entered the school.
Behind them Akane was still looking back and forth between Kuno's unconcious form and Ranma's retreating figure with a wide eyed expression. I barely saw him move, she thought in shock. A minute or so later it began raining and the girl with the blue-black hair rushed into the school.
"Alright class, we have a new student, Saotome Ranma. Now he has just returned from a trip through China so lets all give him a big nihao welcome."
"Wow, he's cute!"
"What a hunk!"
"Hey, he's the one who K'Oed Kuno in less than a second!"
"Yo, Ranma! It's good to see you again," Hiroshi stated.
"Yeah, I thought you were only going to be in town for a day or two," Daisuke said.
Ranma smiled and waved before taking a seat between the pair. Before he could say anything the door opened and a wet, irritated Akane walked in.
"You're late Tendo-san. Buckets. Hall."
Grumbling, Akane filled a pair of buckets and left the room.
"And you didn't even feel him do it to you?" Nabiki asked, holding back a giggle.
Next to her Kuno sat examining to bruise on his forehead that proclaimed 'dishonorable' in kanji. Turning to Nabiki and placing ten thousand yen on her desk he asked who the 'foul knave' was. Smirking at him she stated that he might be her fiancé. Handing her another thousand yen he demanded that she clarify that and was told of the deal Ranma had agreed to.
"Surely this accursed peasant will choose the Fierce Tigress Akane over a heartless mercenary like you, Tendo Nabiki. Of course, that is the cur's plan! I will not allow it!" Kuno's declaration was interrupted by a piece of chalk striking his face. He was told to stand in the hall and quickly took up his bokken and declared that he would smite the 'knave'.
Nabiki considered pointing out the previous results of attacking Ranma and that there were grooves on his bokken from Ranma's grip. Nah, he deserves whatever Ranma-kun does to him for that 'heartless mercenary' comment. Conceited blowhard.
Akane opened the door and walked in, setting the buckets in the back of the room. Just as she was sitting down the door slammed open and Kuno stormed in screaming, "I shall not allow it!"
"Won't allow what, sempai?" Daisuke asked.
"I shall not allow this travesty. Saotome, you honorless knave, I shall not permit your engagement to the fair Tendo Akane. I shall smite thee, cur!" Finished with his speech he rushed forward to strike.
His statement was met with various reactions. While the girls asked Akane about her engagement and were faced with her denials, the boys watched as Ranma caught Kuno's overhead strike with one hand.
"Honorless? Honorless? A dishonorable jerk like you thinks he can call me honorless. Ya don't know what honor is, Kuno." The way he twisted the insane boy's name conveyed his anger more than any glare could. "Stop botherin' me and leave. If you attack me again I ain't gonna hold back."
"Knave, you dare command a member of the great House of Kuno. I shaAAAHHHH," Kuno began ranting before Ranma casually tossed him out a nearby open window.
A series of cracking and snapping sounds were heard and Daisuke quickly looked out the window. "He's alive, the tree broke his fall."
"Looks like his fall broke the tree," Akimori Yuka said from one side as she indicated the ground below. Tatewaki lay in an unconscious sprawl with his right arm bent in the wrong direction and his left shoulder popped out of its socket. To his side were a pair of branches and the broken remains of his bokken.
"Settle down class. Now as I was saying, near the end of the Meiji Revolution the Shinsen-Gumi..." the teacher continued his history lesson after the class had settled down.
"So Kuno ended up with his right elbow and left shoulder dislocated?" Nabiki asked her subordinate and friend with a smirk.
"Hai, he also has a concussion and was apparently raving about the 'foul sorcerer' breaking his 'divine blade'." Unable to help herself the shorthaired girl laughed while Nabiki giggled. "Still, it's a pity such a hunk is engaged to your younger sister."
"He's not. He has a year to get to know me and my sisters before he decides who he will marry. I don't think he is even interested in Akane and Kasumi already said that younger men bore her."
"She seems pretty interested to me," her friend stated indicating something behind her. Turning around Nabiki blinked as she saw Kasumi walking toward where Ranma was sitting under a tree. She blinked a few more times as she realized that her sister was wearing a slightly less modest dress than usual, one she hadn't seen her wear in over two years. Moving closer so she could hear them she watched to see what her elder sister was doing at Furinkan.
"Oh, Ranma-kun, you forgot your bento this morning."
"Thanks Kasumi, I was just starting to get hungry." The smile on his face caused several of the girls watching the exchange to sigh.
"See you this afternoon Ranma-kun," Kasumi said with a wink as she walked out of the school yard.
"I don't believe it, Oneechan was actually flirting with him!" Akane said from her side causing Nabiki to jump slightly.
Nabiki didn't respond as she considered the situation and tried to decide what to do next.
The rest of the school day had been fairly uneventful, though Ranma was still trying to figure out the weird looks that all the girls were giving him. Walking into the Tendo's living room he was offered some tea by Kasumi, and after accepting it...
"Ranma-kun they were blushing. When I came to give you your bento earlier I noticed several girls looking at you with interested expressions," Kasumi stated, sighing as she realized that her flirting had gone completely unnoticed.
At Ranma's blank look Nabiki shook her head. "You have a lot to learn about relationships Ranma-kun."
"Er, I guess," he responded while scratching under his pony-tail.
Both Tendos smiled and began helping him with his lack of certain social skills and knowledge of social interaction.
Ranma laid in his futon next to his father, currently a panda, thinking about what he had been told earlier. He was still confused but now understood that the girls at school were interested in him. He also realized that Yumi had interested in him and groaned as he figured that he must of hurt her feelings when he brought Nabiki with him and she found out about the engagement. Sighing he rolled onto his side and tried to get to sleep.
A cloaked figure with a large pack carrying a red, bamboo umbrella wandered in the general direction of Nerima. If someone had been nearby when a breeze blew the cloak open slightly they would have seen that the figure was wearing a yellow shirt and green pants, but they wouldn't have been able to tell much more.
Soon, Ranma. Soon I will find you and pay you back for all the pain and suffering I've been through, thought the girl with a black-and-yellow spotted bandanna holding back the bangs of her aquamarine-colored hair.