Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan.
A Not so Simple Wish
by Ebiris (danielmcdonagh@hotmail.com)
Chapter 16
Ranko strolled through Shibuya, heading towards the train station so she could return to
Nerima. The past few days wandering around Tokyo had been a pleasant diversion from
her life as Ranko Xiawang, but had done little to reaffirm her identity as Ranma
Saotome.
Her life as Ranma Saotome was mostly defined by the people she interacted with. The
rivals and fiancee's first and foremost among them, but aside from the all too brief battle
with Ryu Kumon, she had been sorely lacking in both categories.
She was jolted out of her thoughts upon seeing a mailbox rush past her. A mailbox?
Curiousity piqued, she followed the ambulatory postage receptacle until it entered a
small restauraunt, the banner outside reading 'Kuonji's Okonomiyaki'. Shouting voices
were heard coming from within, quickly followed by sounds of violence before the
mailbox came flying out the door, the head of what an uniformed person would call a girl
was now visible poking out of the mailbox as well.
In an instant the redhead's face lit up into a brilliant smile. "Ucchan!" she exclaimed
joyfully, deciding that she could catch a later train as she dashed into the restauraunt.
Sure enough, there stood Ukyo Kuonji behind the grill, big-ass spatula in hand and
breathing heavily with ill concealed rage. Sadly Ukyo was in her bishonen male
crossdressing guise and had her breasts strapped down, otherwise said heavy breathing
would have been significantly more entertaining.
Seeing a customer enter, Ukyo tried to get her anger under control enough to give a
friendly greeting. "Welcome to Kuonji's. What can I get you?"
"I'll have the special, please." Ranko replied, taking a seat at the counter.
"One special for the pretty lady, coming right up!" Ukyo winked at her before starting to
mix ingredients into the batter for cooking, seeming to be in a better mood now.
"None of that now, I'm an engaged woman." Ranko said reprovingly, but with a smile on
her face to show she wasn't offended.
"Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying, right?" Ukyo said cheerfully, although Ranko
could tell she was visibly relieved and trying not to show it.
Deciding not to make an issue of it, Ranko inhaled deeply of the aromas, realising just
how much she missed Ucchan's okonomiyaki - to say nothing of missing her best friend.
"Mmmm, smells delicious!" She enthused.
"Heh, best in all of Japan." Ukyo said proudly while flipping over the partially cooked
okonomiyaki before giving Ranko an appraising eye. "Say, I don't recall seeing you
around before, you new in town?"
Ranko shook her head. "Just visiting, I live over in Nerima." she said before
remembering that she hadn't introduced herself yet. "I'm Ranko Xiawang." she added.
Ukyo nodded. "Pleased to meet you, Ranko-san. Like the sign on the door says, I'm
Ukyo Kuonji."
"Hey, just call me Ranko-chan." Ranko suggested. It wasn't quite the same as 'Ranchan'
but given that Ukyo was still looking for vengeance on her childhood friend, she decided
that suggesting that would be a bad idea.
"Sure thing, Ranko-chan. Your special is ready." Ukyo defly flipped the okonomiyaki
from the grill onto her customer's plate.
"Thanks!" Ranko handed over a thousand yen note before gleefully tearing into the food.
"Slow day, huh?" She asked, looking around the otherwise empty shop.
Ukyo shrugged. "The lunch crowd'll be here in an hour or so. I just had to deal with one
annoying pest right before you came in, otherwise yeah it's been pretty quiet."
The two began talking about inconsequential things, though with Ranko knowing what
buttons to push, Ukyo swiftly opened up and the pair were soon chatting away like long
lost friends. Ranko related some of her martial arts adventures while Ukyo talked about
her training against the raging sea - though the chef was tight-lipped on the reason for her
training.
Ranko thought it was nice. With no romantic tension they were able to just talk like they
did as children without Ukyo having to constantly push herself as the 'cute fiancee'.
Several okonomiyaki later and the restauraunt was starting to fill up, making Ranko
decide to leave and let her friend work without distraction. Giving a fond farewell, the
short redhead stepped out onto the street and barely avoided being knocked over by a boy
about her age.
"Oh, I'm sorry miss." The fanged boy in dusty travelling clothes apologised before seeing
he had her attention. "I'm terribly sorry, but I don't suppose you know how to get to
Furinkan High School?"
Ranko sighed miserably. Nothing like a lost idiot to ruin her good mood. "Yeah, I'm
headed that way myself, come with me." With any luck once they got to Nerima he'd fall
in love with Akane or something and leave her and Ranma the hell alone.
***
"I don't think he's coming, Ranma-kun." Nabiki said to the pigtailed boy who was
standing in the middle of the Furinkan High sports field.
Ranma shrugged. "I figured as much, that's why I told Kasumi not to bother coming
since she wouldn't get to see any fight anyway. Knowin' Ryouga he probably won't show
for a week or so."
"I see." Nabiki said in a dry tone. A few minutes later she spoke again. "If he's not going
to come then why are you waiting here?"
Ranma looked at her incredulously. "Because as soon as I leave he'll probably appear
and start going on about how I'm a coward for 'running away'. I'll wait for an hour or so
here every day, until he does turn up, then I'll beat the crap out of him so he can stop
bothering me with his lame challenges."
"It's good to see you take the challenges of a martial artist so seriously." A wizened old
voice came from between the two teenagers.
"Old freak!" "Little bastard!" Ranma and Nabiki both yelled, leaping away from
Happosai who had somehow appeared at their feet.
Happosai ignored their insults and addressed Ranma. "So, Ranma m'boy, have you given
any more thought to being my official student?"
Ranma took a defensive stance, wishing he'd had more time to practice speed drills
before going up against the evil little gnome again, but unwilling to back down like his
pathetic father would. "Like hell, old man!" He spat angrily.
Happosai tutted sadly. "Oh well, even if you won't become my student, they say pain is
the best teacher of all." he turned to Nabiki and leered at her. "You might want to step
away from the fight, Nabiki-chan."
Nabiki backed off, fixing Happosai with a glare that would have wilted a lesser man.
Alas Happosai was long used to such reactions, and just smiled wider before waving a
pair of panties at her. Nabiki recognised those panties and swiftly jammed her knees
together, seeming to almost glow with fury. "Kill him, Ranma!!" She screamed, waving a
fist angrily.
And thus the battle was joined.
***
Ranko sighed heavily, absolutely sick of trying to guide Ryouga so he wouldn't get lost.
She had made sure to insult him repeatedly so he wouldn't get any silly ideas about
falling in love with her, but unlike when she was Ranma and insulted his sense of
direction, he just smiled goofily and corrected his course. She had a sinking suspicion
that it was too late, the pathetic fool just imprinted on any female who showed him a
minimum of kindness, and in spite of her insults she had guided him and even taken his
hand a few times. She'd even paid his train fare when he couldn't find his wallet. In short,
she was doomed.
"No, your *other* left, retard!" She snapped at him as he started in the wrong direction at
what was thankfully the last junction before Furinkan.
"Ah heh, sorry about that Ranko-san, I don't know what I was thinking." Ryouga
chuckled nervously and changed his direction.
Ranko just grumbled profanities under her breath, almost wishing a freak rainstorm
would activate his curse so she could ditch the loser.
A few minutes later they finally reached their destination. "Here we are, Furinkan...
What the hell?!" She exclaimed, seeing what looked like a Ranma, twisted into a pretzel
shape in the middle of the sports field with Nabiki and Akane trying to put his limbs
back in their original positions.
"Ranma!!" She ran over to her injured fiance and knelt before him. "What happened to
you?!" She refused to believe Kuno could have possibly done this, and besides, none of
the injuries looked like they were caused by a bokken.
"Happosai happened to him." Nabiki said after all that came from Ranma was a series of
pained groans.
"Happosai?! What the hell did he attack you for?" Ranko questioned insistently.
Nabiki shrugged. "Something about wanting Ranma to recognise him as his master."
Ranma managed to recover enough to speak coherently at this point and added "He said
I wasn't worthy of you. Ha! Stupid old man don't know what he's talkin' about, I never
asked for this engagement."
"Does that mean you're marrying Kasumi?" Akane inquired curiously.
"I never asked for that one neither!" Ranma retorted bitterly.
"Jerk!" Akane sniffed before storming off.
Meanwhile, Ranko was positively fuming at this new impediment to her plans. "That
asshole! I give him a home, I feed him, I'm probably the only person on earth that treats
him nicely and this is how he repays me?! I'm gonna kick his tiny little ass all the way to
China!"
Ranma was about to point out that Ranko wouldn't stand a chance in hell against
Happosai when someone else bellowed "Ranma! Prepare to die!" And lunged at him with
a lead weighted umbrella.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, moron?!" Ranko yelled, intercepting and
stopping Ryouga's strike with a single hand. "You can't attack him when he's injured like
this!"
Ryouga blinked in surprise at having his attack blocked with so little effort by such a
petite girl. Then he recovered and sneered. "Hiding behind a girl, Ranma? That's low
even for you."
"Hey! I didn't ask her to!" Ranma shot back, before getting a calculating glint in his eyes.
"Besides, if you can't even beat a little girl, what chance do you have against me?"
"What?! How dare you imply that I would even try to fight a defenceless girl! Unlike
you I have honour!" Ryouga yelled furiously.
"Defenceless? Little?" Ranko repeated in a quiet voice, her left eyebrow twitching
furiously.
Noticing that the metal head of the umbrella was starting to warp where Ranko was
grasping it, Nabiki started edging away and trying to look inconspicous.
"This is a battle between men, you coward! Fight me!" Ryouga yelled, trying to wave his
umbrella threateningly at Ranma but finding it completely immobile in Ranko's grip.
With a series of gruesome popping and crunching noises that made all observers wince,
Ranma managed to extricate himself from being contorted in the shape of a pretzel.
Standing up woozily, he motioned for Ranko to move. "Out of the way Ranko. It's like
he said, I gotta fight him."
"Like hell, Saotome, you're in no shape to fight. Even Akane could take you now."
Ranko said, turning to face him but retaining her hold on Ryouga's umbrella.
"Hey!" An outraged feminine voice came from the watching crowd of Furinkan students.
"No, he wanted a fight and I'm gonna give him one." Ranma said determinedly.
"Dammit, I'm trying to do you a favour, what the hell's wrong with you?" Ranko yelled,
thinking of all the times she'd had to put up with Ryouga's constant attacks and wishing
the lost boy would just piss off and leave her alone. Sure, fighting him was sometimes
fun, but a lot of the time it was annoying as hell.
Ranma started to move around his fiancee, but Ranko shifted to keep herself between the
two combatants. She could feel her patience with this so called 'Ranma' was fraying
rapidly. Why didn't he just do what was good for him? Did he want to get his ass kicked
by a loser like Ryouga? He should be in hospital, not trying to act like a badass by
pretending he wasn't badly hurt.
Her battle aura started to fitfully manifest in the visible spectrum from lack of control. If
neither of them backed down she would force them down. It would be easy for her, not
even Ryouga could match her strength right now and her speed was unmatched by
anyone even in her old life. She could crush them utterly and it wouldn't matter. Ryouga
always pissed her off with his pointless attacks and sniping at her relationship with
Akane, but this wasn't her Ryouga. She could cripple or kill him with ease and it
wouldn't matter in the real world! And Ranma? She was Ranma, this imposter was
nothing! She could kill him and take her life back from the fraud! She could... She
could...
She could look into those grey eyes, burning with familiar determination. The
determination to win, to never back down from a fight. Could that really be faked? Was
he really just an imitation?
Ranko's anger guttered out like a candle in the wind and she silently berated herself for
coming so close to losing control. She was starting to act like some stupid overemotional
angry tomboy, not a disciplined martial artist.
Giving one last chance at resolving things without a brutal and pointless defeat for
Ranma, she pleaded with them. "Can't you just fight him tomorrow after you have a
chance to recover? Fighting like this proves nothing! You can't decide who is better by
fighting when one of you has such a disadvantage! Please?" She used a weapon far
greater than any martial arts technique - the dreaded puppy dog eyes of a kawai girl.
They never stood a chance.
"Okay... I guess that's fine... but you better not run away again, Ranma!"
"Hey! I waited three days ya jerk!"
Ranko sighed. "Maybe you should put up your tent here so you won't get lost tomorrow,
Ryouga."
"Wow! That's a great idea, Ranko-san, why didn't I think of that!" Ryouga said with
distressing conviction.
Because you're a moron? Ranko thought, deciding to avoid saying that in case things
blew up again.
"Because you're a moron?" Ranma asked sincerely, before wondering why Ranko was
collapsing in hysterics. It wasn't that funny...
***
A Not so Simple Wish
by Ebiris (danielmcdonagh@hotmail.com)
Chapter 16
Ranko strolled through Shibuya, heading towards the train station so she could return to
Nerima. The past few days wandering around Tokyo had been a pleasant diversion from
her life as Ranko Xiawang, but had done little to reaffirm her identity as Ranma
Saotome.
Her life as Ranma Saotome was mostly defined by the people she interacted with. The
rivals and fiancee's first and foremost among them, but aside from the all too brief battle
with Ryu Kumon, she had been sorely lacking in both categories.
She was jolted out of her thoughts upon seeing a mailbox rush past her. A mailbox?
Curiousity piqued, she followed the ambulatory postage receptacle until it entered a
small restauraunt, the banner outside reading 'Kuonji's Okonomiyaki'. Shouting voices
were heard coming from within, quickly followed by sounds of violence before the
mailbox came flying out the door, the head of what an uniformed person would call a girl
was now visible poking out of the mailbox as well.
In an instant the redhead's face lit up into a brilliant smile. "Ucchan!" she exclaimed
joyfully, deciding that she could catch a later train as she dashed into the restauraunt.
Sure enough, there stood Ukyo Kuonji behind the grill, big-ass spatula in hand and
breathing heavily with ill concealed rage. Sadly Ukyo was in her bishonen male
crossdressing guise and had her breasts strapped down, otherwise said heavy breathing
would have been significantly more entertaining.
Seeing a customer enter, Ukyo tried to get her anger under control enough to give a
friendly greeting. "Welcome to Kuonji's. What can I get you?"
"I'll have the special, please." Ranko replied, taking a seat at the counter.
"One special for the pretty lady, coming right up!" Ukyo winked at her before starting to
mix ingredients into the batter for cooking, seeming to be in a better mood now.
"None of that now, I'm an engaged woman." Ranko said reprovingly, but with a smile on
her face to show she wasn't offended.
"Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying, right?" Ukyo said cheerfully, although Ranko
could tell she was visibly relieved and trying not to show it.
Deciding not to make an issue of it, Ranko inhaled deeply of the aromas, realising just
how much she missed Ucchan's okonomiyaki - to say nothing of missing her best friend.
"Mmmm, smells delicious!" She enthused.
"Heh, best in all of Japan." Ukyo said proudly while flipping over the partially cooked
okonomiyaki before giving Ranko an appraising eye. "Say, I don't recall seeing you
around before, you new in town?"
Ranko shook her head. "Just visiting, I live over in Nerima." she said before
remembering that she hadn't introduced herself yet. "I'm Ranko Xiawang." she added.
Ukyo nodded. "Pleased to meet you, Ranko-san. Like the sign on the door says, I'm
Ukyo Kuonji."
"Hey, just call me Ranko-chan." Ranko suggested. It wasn't quite the same as 'Ranchan'
but given that Ukyo was still looking for vengeance on her childhood friend, she decided
that suggesting that would be a bad idea.
"Sure thing, Ranko-chan. Your special is ready." Ukyo defly flipped the okonomiyaki
from the grill onto her customer's plate.
"Thanks!" Ranko handed over a thousand yen note before gleefully tearing into the food.
"Slow day, huh?" She asked, looking around the otherwise empty shop.
Ukyo shrugged. "The lunch crowd'll be here in an hour or so. I just had to deal with one
annoying pest right before you came in, otherwise yeah it's been pretty quiet."
The two began talking about inconsequential things, though with Ranko knowing what
buttons to push, Ukyo swiftly opened up and the pair were soon chatting away like long
lost friends. Ranko related some of her martial arts adventures while Ukyo talked about
her training against the raging sea - though the chef was tight-lipped on the reason for her
training.
Ranko thought it was nice. With no romantic tension they were able to just talk like they
did as children without Ukyo having to constantly push herself as the 'cute fiancee'.
Several okonomiyaki later and the restauraunt was starting to fill up, making Ranko
decide to leave and let her friend work without distraction. Giving a fond farewell, the
short redhead stepped out onto the street and barely avoided being knocked over by a boy
about her age.
"Oh, I'm sorry miss." The fanged boy in dusty travelling clothes apologised before seeing
he had her attention. "I'm terribly sorry, but I don't suppose you know how to get to
Furinkan High School?"
Ranko sighed miserably. Nothing like a lost idiot to ruin her good mood. "Yeah, I'm
headed that way myself, come with me." With any luck once they got to Nerima he'd fall
in love with Akane or something and leave her and Ranma the hell alone.
***
"I don't think he's coming, Ranma-kun." Nabiki said to the pigtailed boy who was
standing in the middle of the Furinkan High sports field.
Ranma shrugged. "I figured as much, that's why I told Kasumi not to bother coming
since she wouldn't get to see any fight anyway. Knowin' Ryouga he probably won't show
for a week or so."
"I see." Nabiki said in a dry tone. A few minutes later she spoke again. "If he's not going
to come then why are you waiting here?"
Ranma looked at her incredulously. "Because as soon as I leave he'll probably appear
and start going on about how I'm a coward for 'running away'. I'll wait for an hour or so
here every day, until he does turn up, then I'll beat the crap out of him so he can stop
bothering me with his lame challenges."
"It's good to see you take the challenges of a martial artist so seriously." A wizened old
voice came from between the two teenagers.
"Old freak!" "Little bastard!" Ranma and Nabiki both yelled, leaping away from
Happosai who had somehow appeared at their feet.
Happosai ignored their insults and addressed Ranma. "So, Ranma m'boy, have you given
any more thought to being my official student?"
Ranma took a defensive stance, wishing he'd had more time to practice speed drills
before going up against the evil little gnome again, but unwilling to back down like his
pathetic father would. "Like hell, old man!" He spat angrily.
Happosai tutted sadly. "Oh well, even if you won't become my student, they say pain is
the best teacher of all." he turned to Nabiki and leered at her. "You might want to step
away from the fight, Nabiki-chan."
Nabiki backed off, fixing Happosai with a glare that would have wilted a lesser man.
Alas Happosai was long used to such reactions, and just smiled wider before waving a
pair of panties at her. Nabiki recognised those panties and swiftly jammed her knees
together, seeming to almost glow with fury. "Kill him, Ranma!!" She screamed, waving a
fist angrily.
And thus the battle was joined.
***
Ranko sighed heavily, absolutely sick of trying to guide Ryouga so he wouldn't get lost.
She had made sure to insult him repeatedly so he wouldn't get any silly ideas about
falling in love with her, but unlike when she was Ranma and insulted his sense of
direction, he just smiled goofily and corrected his course. She had a sinking suspicion
that it was too late, the pathetic fool just imprinted on any female who showed him a
minimum of kindness, and in spite of her insults she had guided him and even taken his
hand a few times. She'd even paid his train fare when he couldn't find his wallet. In short,
she was doomed.
"No, your *other* left, retard!" She snapped at him as he started in the wrong direction at
what was thankfully the last junction before Furinkan.
"Ah heh, sorry about that Ranko-san, I don't know what I was thinking." Ryouga
chuckled nervously and changed his direction.
Ranko just grumbled profanities under her breath, almost wishing a freak rainstorm
would activate his curse so she could ditch the loser.
A few minutes later they finally reached their destination. "Here we are, Furinkan...
What the hell?!" She exclaimed, seeing what looked like a Ranma, twisted into a pretzel
shape in the middle of the sports field with Nabiki and Akane trying to put his limbs
back in their original positions.
"Ranma!!" She ran over to her injured fiance and knelt before him. "What happened to
you?!" She refused to believe Kuno could have possibly done this, and besides, none of
the injuries looked like they were caused by a bokken.
"Happosai happened to him." Nabiki said after all that came from Ranma was a series of
pained groans.
"Happosai?! What the hell did he attack you for?" Ranko questioned insistently.
Nabiki shrugged. "Something about wanting Ranma to recognise him as his master."
Ranma managed to recover enough to speak coherently at this point and added "He said
I wasn't worthy of you. Ha! Stupid old man don't know what he's talkin' about, I never
asked for this engagement."
"Does that mean you're marrying Kasumi?" Akane inquired curiously.
"I never asked for that one neither!" Ranma retorted bitterly.
"Jerk!" Akane sniffed before storming off.
Meanwhile, Ranko was positively fuming at this new impediment to her plans. "That
asshole! I give him a home, I feed him, I'm probably the only person on earth that treats
him nicely and this is how he repays me?! I'm gonna kick his tiny little ass all the way to
China!"
Ranma was about to point out that Ranko wouldn't stand a chance in hell against
Happosai when someone else bellowed "Ranma! Prepare to die!" And lunged at him with
a lead weighted umbrella.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, moron?!" Ranko yelled, intercepting and
stopping Ryouga's strike with a single hand. "You can't attack him when he's injured like
this!"
Ryouga blinked in surprise at having his attack blocked with so little effort by such a
petite girl. Then he recovered and sneered. "Hiding behind a girl, Ranma? That's low
even for you."
"Hey! I didn't ask her to!" Ranma shot back, before getting a calculating glint in his eyes.
"Besides, if you can't even beat a little girl, what chance do you have against me?"
"What?! How dare you imply that I would even try to fight a defenceless girl! Unlike
you I have honour!" Ryouga yelled furiously.
"Defenceless? Little?" Ranko repeated in a quiet voice, her left eyebrow twitching
furiously.
Noticing that the metal head of the umbrella was starting to warp where Ranko was
grasping it, Nabiki started edging away and trying to look inconspicous.
"This is a battle between men, you coward! Fight me!" Ryouga yelled, trying to wave his
umbrella threateningly at Ranma but finding it completely immobile in Ranko's grip.
With a series of gruesome popping and crunching noises that made all observers wince,
Ranma managed to extricate himself from being contorted in the shape of a pretzel.
Standing up woozily, he motioned for Ranko to move. "Out of the way Ranko. It's like
he said, I gotta fight him."
"Like hell, Saotome, you're in no shape to fight. Even Akane could take you now."
Ranko said, turning to face him but retaining her hold on Ryouga's umbrella.
"Hey!" An outraged feminine voice came from the watching crowd of Furinkan students.
"No, he wanted a fight and I'm gonna give him one." Ranma said determinedly.
"Dammit, I'm trying to do you a favour, what the hell's wrong with you?" Ranko yelled,
thinking of all the times she'd had to put up with Ryouga's constant attacks and wishing
the lost boy would just piss off and leave her alone. Sure, fighting him was sometimes
fun, but a lot of the time it was annoying as hell.
Ranma started to move around his fiancee, but Ranko shifted to keep herself between the
two combatants. She could feel her patience with this so called 'Ranma' was fraying
rapidly. Why didn't he just do what was good for him? Did he want to get his ass kicked
by a loser like Ryouga? He should be in hospital, not trying to act like a badass by
pretending he wasn't badly hurt.
Her battle aura started to fitfully manifest in the visible spectrum from lack of control. If
neither of them backed down she would force them down. It would be easy for her, not
even Ryouga could match her strength right now and her speed was unmatched by
anyone even in her old life. She could crush them utterly and it wouldn't matter. Ryouga
always pissed her off with his pointless attacks and sniping at her relationship with
Akane, but this wasn't her Ryouga. She could cripple or kill him with ease and it
wouldn't matter in the real world! And Ranma? She was Ranma, this imposter was
nothing! She could kill him and take her life back from the fraud! She could... She
could...
She could look into those grey eyes, burning with familiar determination. The
determination to win, to never back down from a fight. Could that really be faked? Was
he really just an imitation?
Ranko's anger guttered out like a candle in the wind and she silently berated herself for
coming so close to losing control. She was starting to act like some stupid overemotional
angry tomboy, not a disciplined martial artist.
Giving one last chance at resolving things without a brutal and pointless defeat for
Ranma, she pleaded with them. "Can't you just fight him tomorrow after you have a
chance to recover? Fighting like this proves nothing! You can't decide who is better by
fighting when one of you has such a disadvantage! Please?" She used a weapon far
greater than any martial arts technique - the dreaded puppy dog eyes of a kawai girl.
They never stood a chance.
"Okay... I guess that's fine... but you better not run away again, Ranma!"
"Hey! I waited three days ya jerk!"
Ranko sighed. "Maybe you should put up your tent here so you won't get lost tomorrow,
Ryouga."
"Wow! That's a great idea, Ranko-san, why didn't I think of that!" Ryouga said with
distressing conviction.
Because you're a moron? Ranko thought, deciding to avoid saying that in case things
blew up again.
"Because you're a moron?" Ranma asked sincerely, before wondering why Ranko was
collapsing in hysterics. It wasn't that funny...
***
