Disclaimer:

Same as Chapter 1…I don't own Ranma or any of its characters…if I did well the pairings would go the way I write about them… 

Author's notes…

I really, really appreciated all the reviews I've received for chapter 1 and thank all the readers for writing me a review. I sincerely hope that I don't fall short of all the reader's expectations of this story.

I do hope that you'd enjoy this second installment as much as the first chapter and I would like to completely once again thank JohnnyG and Drkjester aka Thanatos for doing a wonderful job of pre-reading this fic for me.

Onwards to the story…

Chapter 2


"Morning Betty-chan…" chirped the resident physician of the ward, a Dr. Ono Tofu.

While walking into his silent office from his kitchen he noted the date on his desktop calendar and stopped in mid-thought, "Ah…today I'd be getting a new assistant…"

It was still a good hour before he opened the clinic doors for that morning and since nothing else was in need of his attention he decided to sit down and run through his appointments for the coming day or days on his appointment book while looking out the window.

"I wonder how come on some days it can be so busy and on some days no one just wants to come but yet I'm happy as it seems Kasumi happens to know just when there are no patients to drop by eh…Betty…ah…twitch bork Kasumi…bork …twitch sweet Kasumi…"

As the good doctor started to slow dance around the room as he picked up Betty-chan and take 'her' as his partner. He didn't hear the light sounds of knocking on his door.


"Morning yawn Kasumi…" greeted Ranma, yawning as he walked past her while enroute to the Dojo.

"Morning Ranma, breakfast will be ready in thirty minutes and don't forget to wash up before you come down. I don't want you to be all sweaty at the table…" she kindly reminded.

Ranma who was halfway out the door popped his head back in and gave her a mock salute, "Hai…Kasumi-sama…"

To this Kasumi replied lightheartedly with a standing in attention stance, her feet even making a sound on the floor.

'What a difference a day or a nights makes…' Kasumi said to herself merrily as she hummed a familiar tune from her memory.


No one would ever come to know of what had happened that afternoon inside Ranma's room for Kasumi and Ranma willingly kept it to their selves.

But Kasumi's memories from yesterday afternoon were replaying themselves at the back of her mind with perseverance…

"Kasumi…err…if you don't mind would you keep what happened here a secret. I don't want pops to drag on about me crying until I grow old…" was his plea to her before she left his room.

Kasumi nodded and promised him not to ever tell a soul, "What happened here will never go out of this room, Ranma. I promise."

So with Ranma seemingly in better health and still in need of rest she decided to get on with the rest of her chores and went back downstairs.

'Let's see I have my laundry hanging out to dry, bought all the ingredients for tonight's dinner, oh it's about time to scrub the furo and what else…'

Kasumi slowly ran through her list of Monday chores mentally and wrote off the ones that have been done. In the end hearing the clock by the livingroom chimed two times Kasumi calculated that she would just have enough time to scrub the furo before preparations for dinner.

Ranma stayed in his futon for a good ten minutes contemplating this time about the better things in life. 'Well…I guess I can't be that big of a screw up cause at least I have someone who'd finally listen to me…'

After that train of thought, "Well…times a wasting." Ranma then got up and after a refreshing wash of his face he walked back into his room and the first thing he did was to put back his futon into the cupboard.

Pulling back the curtains to let the afternoon sun into his room Ranma stretched his-self out and well he was quickly getting bored.

He didn't feel like going anywhere and well it was too early for training at least not in his condition. Walking back out he had wanted to go downstairs but he figured that his father and Soun would be in their never ending game of crooked Shoji. And if they saw him they would pounce on him and berate him on his fainting.

Looking around the second floor Ranma saw a perfect place to hang out for a bit. Walking out to the second floor balcony, which had been rebuilt since it last collapsed, which then caused the whole commotion between him and Nabiki. Ranma once outside took in a deep breath of fresh air.

Leaning on the railing Ranma's eyes wondered around the backyard. Kasumi's drying laundry was flapping under the afternoon breeze. Other then that not much else was happening except for the occasion moans of two fathers who would accuse each other of cheating.

Brushing off the floor of the balcony clean with his hands Ranma sat his-self down and looked straight ahead to the afternoon Nerima skyline through the railings. He questioned himself if he had a choice would he have liked to call anywhere else other then here, the Tendo home, his home?


Ranma didn't know how long he had sat down there on the balcony just looking out to the skyline but the few lone specks of water droplets brought him out of it.

Wiping the droplets from his cheek he looked up to the heavens, 'Rain?'

He hadn't noticed how fast the weather had changed and how the once blue sky was covered with patches of dark clouds filled with rain. And as the frequency of the drops started to gain in ferocity Ranma stood up and was about to step back inside when he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye.

Kasumi wiped her brow as she examined the results of her work, a very shiny looking furo. "Whew…that was tougher then usual…" After packing up most of her cleaning materials Kasumi walked out of the bathroom only to realize how dark the hallway looked and then it hit her.

Ranma saw that Kasumi had yet to bring in her morning laundry and well since it was beginning to rain hard now Ranma sort of figured that it was a waste of all her efforts if she needed to redo them. So getting up onto the railing Ranma poised himself and with one leap he launched himself into the air.

Kasumi carefully ran down the stairs, out to the livingroom, then passed the two who had moved inwards a bit on the outside walkway but still continuing their game of Shoji and then cursed lightly for forgetting to take an umbrella from the hallway cupboard

Ranma landed on the soles of his feet and with one quick rebound he leapt back up and with blinding speed he quickly gathered all the laundry that was hopefully spared from being too wet. With that task accomplished Ranma decided to spare Kasumi the effort of bringing it up to the laundry room/bathroom and leapt back up to the balcony.

After another perfect landing Ranma casually walked in and slid the balcony door shut behind him before heading to the laundry room. Feeling the laundry in her hands Ranma-chan was happy that she managed to save the laundry from getting too wet.

Kasumi panting a little, now jogged back towards the backyard and hurriedly opened the umbrella under the now fast heavy pouring rain and as she looked straight ahead half anticipating to see her now soaked laundry hanging on the lines instead all she saw was well literally nothing.

Her laundry had gone missing and looking back to the two men she didn't see a mass of clothes beside them either not that she had expected them to help her bring it in. Looking up this time she barely made out the balcony door closing.

'Ranma…'


Taking the opportunity of getting her breath back a little by slowly putting out the umbrella out to dry outside by the walkway Kasumi made her way upstairs to see if what she thought had happened indeed had happened.

Ranma-chan had just placed all the semi-dry laundry onto the iron table and she began to separate those which were relatively dry into the ironing basket while those that weren't dry enough she either hung them up by the wall or laid them on the said table.

As she laid out the last article on the table which happened to be an apron, 'I bet Kasumi's the only one who can make a plain simple white apron look special. Huh? Where did that come from…!'

Too caught up in his wondering thoughts of white aprons and reasons of why did he just think of Kasumi, Ranma-chan didn't hear the wearer of the aprons walking into the room behind her.

"Thank you Ranma…but you shouldn't have especially right after what happened to you." said a friendly voice behind her.

"Oh don't worry I feel greattttt….argghhhh!" screamed Ranma-chan as she spun around on her heels.

Kasumi couldn't help but laugh as Ranma wearing a look as if she had caught him well her with her hand in the cookie jar. But instead of a cookie Ranma was grabbing onto her white apron and was looking at it as if it was more in the nature of something intimate.

"You know Ranma…that apron just might look better on you then it does me…" noted Kasumi teasingly. Well in a sense it was true Kasumi had seen on a few occasions Ranma in her girl form wearing an apron and well she looked rather pretty.

Ranma-chan glanced down to the apron still in her hand and quickly hid it behind her back. "Come on Kasumi…this looks way better on you then it does me…"

Instantly both girls blushed a little at what was said and Ranma quickly laid out the apron onto the ironing board to dry out a little.

Kasumi recovered from the moment and walked a little closer to Ranma-chan, "Ranma…thank you."

"Thanks for what…?" Ranma-chan mumbled trying not to blush any harder then she was. Was it her or was the room getting a little warm as she tried to elevate the warmth around her neck by pulling on her collar.

Her natural instincts pressing her to run were going haywire. She needed to get out of the rather cramped laundry room right away but with Kasumi in standing in front of her that wasn't an option.

"I mean this…" Kasumi then pointed out to the various hanging and laid out laundry.

"Aw…that's nothing really Kasumi. I mean…I was outside and well I wasn't doing anything…it starting raining…ya' know I just didn't want ya' to redo the laundry so I took it in for ya'…"

Kasumi broke out laughing in front of the young redhead and turned around heading for the nearby washroom but not before dragging her along with her.

Tittering in giggles Kasumi barely managed to fill the small wash pail with warm water before handing it over to Ranma. Well she understood the warm water but what she didn't understand was Kasumi's laughing.

With a splash and then the opening of a sliding door a rather wet looking Ranma now stood before her, Kasumi quickly handed over the small towel she had held in her hand.

"Kasumi…what's so funny…?" he asked.

Feeling the insides of her stomach starting to ache from the constant laughing Kasumi responded, "Nothing Ranma…it's just that you can be so precious on occasions with the way you talk…I'm sorry if I sound rude but it's just well delightful…"

Ranma blushed and mumbled his way out of the bathroom forcefully passing by Kasumi who from the way Ranma had reacted she thought that she maybe had offended him and gave chase to the boy.

"Ranma…I didn't mean it…" she said out loud a little remorseful of her earlier behavior as she went after him.

She found him inside sitting in the middle of his room and stood by the doorway, "I'm sorry Ranma I didn't mean to hurt your feelings…" she apologized.

"Huh? Oh that…I wasn't angry at ya' Kasumi. I just ya' know feel a little…" he mumbled from underneath the towel over his head.

"Embarrassed?" as Kasumi finished up his uncompleted sentence.

"Ya'…that..." Ranma waved his hand around in the air but hid his still reddened cheeks under the towel.

"That's normal though I would have to admit Ranma. I thought that by now since having Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi and maybe other countless other girls throwing themselves at you I figured you would have gotten over your shyness by now."

Ranma turned around facing the window rather then Kasumi, "Well…I didn't get use to it, girls still make me kinda feel…uncomfortable. And it's not my fault that they are throwing themselves at me either…" He huffed.

"Ranma…being with a girl doesn't have to be embarrassing and I didn't accuse you of anything. But you were with me just now in your room for quite some time and you didn't look the bit uncomfortable." added Kasumi interestingly.

"Well…that was just different…" was his reply.

"What was so different?"

Ranma scratched the back of his uncovered head and thought about it.

'Well that time I wasn't thinking about you like I just did…and at least I know you don't want anything from me…I hope.' was what he wanted to say but in the end Ranma kept quiet.

"Anyway thanks Ranma for taking in the laundry in for me…and to show my appreciation how about treating you to something extra tonight at dinner…"

With food being mentioned Ranma practically gleaming turned his head around just in time to catch Kasumi giving him a wink and then walking away from his door shutting it for him as she went.

And like she promised Ranma received a double helping of his favorite dinnertime dish later that night during dinner, which brought a few questionable stares from not the very least his father.

Finishing up with breakfast, yesterday's events would forever be remembered by Kasumi for quite sometime. For not only did she see a side of Ranma no one saw before but it felt like the two of them had started something of a close understanding and to Kasumi this could only be a good thing.


Back at the Tofu Clinic, the doctor was still in his waltz when…

The knocking which had been soft at first before degrading into a full blown bangs and only when the wooden door threatened to fall of its hinges did the waltzing doctor snap out of his Kasumi induced state of amok.

"Coming…" he yelled, straightening out his unbalanced glasses.

"Err…sorry but the clinic is still…" the doctor had in all anticipation intended to see one of his usual patients standing outside but instead standing there in front of him was a young lady with long blackish brown hair wearing a simple sundress.

The young lady stared up to the doctor and asked, "Are you, Dr. Tofu?"

"Yes…"

The young lady broke into a smile when he replied her question positively, "I'm your new assistant…"

"Ah, Well why don't you come in and talk inside…"

The young assistant eagerly followed Dr. Tofu into his clinic and looked around the small quaint clinic. 'I think I'd like it here…' she told herself.

"So…now let's see now." As the doctor took from her held out hands a brown envelope as they sat down in his office, scanning through the document briefly he somewhat in his daze had forgotten that formal introductions that were necessary and thus scanned for her name.

"Nice to meet you Dr. Yukari Megumi…" he beamed.

"Please Dr. Tofu just call me Megumi…and the doctor part won't come until I pass your internship."

Strangely the more he looked at her the more the bespectacled medical practitioner felt that he had seen her before somewhere before.

"So…Mrs. Megumi…"

This brought out a giggle from the longhaired young lady.

"Something wrong…?" enquired the doctor with a big question mark hanging above his head.

"Just call me Megumi…senpai."

Stammering a little at the informality, "Sure…so Megumi-san…where we were again…?" It had been a long time since anyone had called him senpai.


By late morning, after a heavy training session in the Dojo, Ranma even after his strenuous sets of exercises still felt rather refreshed. Not only because of his long rest but also felt as if he had taken a large chip of his shoulders. The talk he had with Kasumi was somewhat easing his weary head and mind.

"I know Kasumi would listen to me but I can't let her get dragged into my problems right?" Ranma asked himself, sweat dripping down the tip of his nose as he looked at his feet.

He knew only to well at how much 'trouble' he might bring to the innocent but helpful Tendo daughter if they were ever seen even being remotely close and congenial.

'That is something that I wouldn't ever want to bring upon her…I…'

Ranma's thoughts were broken by the familiar voice calling to him that breakfast was ready and that he should take his bath before Akane wakes up.

Looking at the girl peering towards him, "I will Kasumi I just need to cool down a little before taking my bath…" he replied.

"Okay Ranma…"

Though it was a short reply the effect of seeing Kasumi's smile brought a smile upon his own lips for some reason.


Dr. Tofu had to admit that Megumi was more then an able assistant since she herself was a certified doctor like himself. Only thing was that he felt that she could do so much more then just being putting it nicely an over qualified nurse in his clinic.

But what he couldn't shake off was the feeling that he'd seen her face somewhere before but till now still couldn't figure out where.

A steady stream of his regulars had filtered in and out and they had commented at firstly how pretty she was and then added also how well she handled their maladies.

"Megumi-san is that all of the patients for this morning?" inquired Dr. Tofu as he peeked out of his office.

Megumi hearing the doctor sighed wishing that he would drop the 'san' for maybe a closer 'chan'. But currently all thoughts of formalities were kept to a minimum as she was restocking up the medical supply cabinets and after looking at her flip pad she answered, "Yes…senpai. The next patient doesn't come in till 1.30pm…"

Dr. Tofu flinched at the title 'senpai' he still needed to get used to being called 'senpai' by someone.

With a modest smile on his face he asked the girl in the other office, "Megumi-san…how about we break for some lunch…I'm feeling a little hungry how about you…?"


During his classes in Furinkan High, Ranma did something that he had never tried to do before…stay awake for an entire school day. He reckoned that he would at least give it a try before he gives up on it.

Morning lessons were manageable though Ranma did hit his head hard on his desk a few times during his worst lesson, maths. But with the others he seemed to manage okay and not only did he stay awake but he actually was beginning to learn something.

'Guess Kasumi was right…if I want to do something really bad I can do it…' as Ranma recalled the conversation he and Kasumi had in his room while holding the bento that Kasumi had made for him in his hand.

Ranma laughed to himself, 'Kami's Ranma…you've been sleeping in classes for months now and it only took her to say those words and you breaking down to change…'

In a way Ranma's slight crisis and Kasumi's friendly advice did have an effect on him albeit minor. At least he now valued a lot of things that he had taken for granted like school for starters.

Since he arrived at Furinkan he had the idea stuck to him that he didn't need an education thus he paid no attention to it instead channeling all his efforts to the arts. But after the incident with the old lady in the alley Ranma decided to give Furinkan and an education another try, a serious one this time around.

It was like first day of school all over again for Ranma but sadly he was so way behind that even though he listened in the best he could Ranma couldn't make head or tail of what the teacher was teaching there in front of him.

But he wouldn't be discouraged; Ranma was determined to show the teachers that the same ones who labeled him as 'hopeless' could eat their words. That was all the motivation he needed to make him study.

'Now all I need is to…'

Ranma's thoughts were interrupted by the loud screeching noise of a pair of brakes and then the usual sensation of being squeezed of all the air out of your lungs.

He was on the receiving end of an Amazon glomp and not just any Amazon glomp but a Shampoo special edition Amazon glomp.

"Airen, Nihao…" sang her high-pitched voice.

Ranma who was by now turning a rather deep shade of blue tried to wiggle free but the Amazon's grip on his neck was amazingly strong.

Then a savior dashed in to his rescue or was it a case of out from the frying pan and into the fire.

"Okay…you Amazon hussy let my Ranchan go…" demanded Ukyo as she drew her giant spatula out to prove her seriousness.

Must have worked as Shampoo released Ranma and as Ranma regained his breath she confronted the Okonomiyaki chef head on. "Who you call hussy? You spatula wielding tomboy…"

Ranma rolled his eyes back he knew where this was going to lead to.

'At least Akane and Kodachi aren't here…'

Well Ranma said to soon as he stood up he saw Akane making her way or rather stomping her way towards them with her bento in hand. Just as it couldn't get any worst a steady rain of black rose petals started to fall around them.

'This isn't going to be my day…' Ranma sighed to himself, preparing for the worst.


Kasumi with a rather infectious smile on her face was on her way back from her usual afternoon shopping at the market. She was happy for a lot of things; one was Ranma seemingly on the mend and hearing the news that Tofu-sensei had finally gotten him an assistant.

While she was shopping around she overheard the rave reviews given to a certain new assistant of the local doctor. And when Kasumi had asked the other housewives who this new assistant was all they did was just smile while some giggled.

Since it was lunchtime Kasumi decided to drop by the clinic to see for herself who this new assistant was.

Dr. Tofu and Megumi were enjoying their afternoon lunch and were discussing things from the morning's patients. Megumi was the first one to hear the knock that came from the closed front door.

The doctor heard it too and just as he was about to stand up to open it, "Senpai…I'd get that…" and she walked over to the front door.

Kasumi stood patiently and as the door opened a young woman greeted her, "Good afternoon welcome to Tofu Clinic, can I help you?"

"Ah no it's nothing really…I'm just a friend of the doctor's and dropped by to say hi…"

Just then the doctor in question walked up to the door, "Megumi-san who is it…?"

Well as usual the poor doctor in seeing Kasumi standing by the doorway in the flesh went into his usual trance and then started to waltz towards his office looking for his usual waltzing partner, Betty.

"Ah…Kasumi-chan…is…here…isn't…that…wonderful…." he began to sing outloudly.

Megumi who was for the first time witnessing the doctor in his trancelike state ran over to him. She then grabbed hold of one of his waving hands, "Senpai…pull yourself together…"

Just as her hands touched his, the once dancing doctor suddenly stopped and regained himself instantly.

"Oh Megumi-san is anything the matter?" asked the doctor rather blankly as he looked down to where the girl was holding his hand.


Megumi quickly pulled her hand away sporting a little blush and just as Kasumi walked in, "Are you alright, Dr. Tofu?"

And with her presence just being there the doctor began to waltz again but Megumi quickly reestablished her hold on his hand and he returned to normal instantly. "Ah…Kasumi-chan, what brings you here?" enquired the doctor with a very straight face.

That's right he asked Kasumi a question not once but twice without stammering, quaking or dancing in fact. It was the first time he had talked to Kasumi normally…

This fact did not escape Kasumi but again thinking that it was a good sign, "Nothing sensei I was just by the market and I heard that you've now got yourself a new assistant…"

"Oh that well here she is…Megumi-san meet Kasumi-chan, she's been a close friend of mine since high-school. Kasumi-chan meet Megumi-san, my new assistant doctor."

The two young girls smiled and exchanged quick pleasantries but Megumi was somewhat the colder looking of the two she didn't like the effect this Kasumi had her senpai.

And as Kasumi left the clinic she didn't let the fact that Megumi had during the whole time she was talking to both her and Dr. Tofu was holding his hand.

Well if having four pretty girls kicking up a dust storm fighting over your sake doesn't make you feel arrogant of your abilities with the ladies then you must be Ranma.

Ranma was getting sick of the four girls Akane, Ukyo, Kodachi and Shampoo bickering between each other over the smallest thing everyday. He understood Ukyo and Shampoo's reasons, Akane well he had a pretty rough idea why she was fighting as well but Kodachi was the odd one out.

Normally Ranma would stay out of it he knew better then to try and stop them. He had tried to before in the past but would end up worst for wear by doing it so he had leant his lesson. But today something inside of him was bugging him to try and do something.

'Using brute force on them won't work…' lingered Ranma's thoughts. Then an idea hit him it was so whacky that it just might work.

All the four girls were too busy fighting when a sudden flash of light blinded them and threw them back a little. They all looked over to see who or what had caused it only to find a smirking Ranma standing there.

"What airen do that for?"

"Ranchan, I hope you weren't aiming for me…"

"My dear White Knight…please say it isn't so…that you had intentions to injure me, your princess…"

"WHY YOU NO GOOD!" growled Akane.

"Before you all say anything…why don't you four listen to what I have to say first for once…!" yelled Ranma.

The four girls remained motionless so Ranma continued, "All four of you have been fighting with each other since you've all met, why is that? Over me? Could be…but I didn't ask you four to do it, did I? It was your choice… each one of you all just thought that whoever wins in the end would get me right?" Ranma did a quick scan of all four girls.

They in turn looked at each other and with the exception of Akane they all nodded.

"Ha-ha…that's funny…" gagged Ranma rolling his eyes back, "I never said that the winner will get me you all just assumed it. You all just do things as ya like never asking me well I ain't taking it lying down anymore…if you four want to fight well go ahead kill each other or beat each other senseless for all I care but the winner isn't going to get me. It's my damn choice who I want to be with…" with that said Ranma repacked his now empty bento and walked back up to class.

As he left the eyes of the four girls followed him and as he disappeared into the classroom building they all sort of stood down. This was an unprecedented occurrence and well in their utter confusion all of them just turned away from each other and went on with what they were supposed to do in the first place before the fight started.


Ranma was a little happy that his plan had sort of work but it was just unlike him to use words to settle a fight or this case avert a fight. Ranma wasn't one to use words often to express himself in a battle he used action but somehow he felt that after a year or more of trying to fight fire with fire only to end up back at square one he decided to fiddle with his tactic a little and it worked!

'Wish I'd thought about that earlier…' mused Ranma humorously to himself while shaking his head.

Sure he was an excellent martial artist and could adapt to any situation in a flash, thinking up with new moves to counter and attack as he goes along that was his best attribute but all his thinking had been narrow and fixed. It was like he depended on his marital arts more often then not and not bothering to look elsewhere for an answer.

But lately after 'that incident' he found himself thinking of a whole lot of other ways to look at things instead of the usual one. Like just now with the girls normally he would try using his strength to split the four girls up but instead he chose to outwit them, which was so unlike him.

People often underestimate Ranma not in his marital arts but in his overall grasp of things around him that didn't involve the arts. Sure he was a little gullible when it came to matters of the fairer sex, eager to please everybody so to avoid any fuss and all the other stuff that came in between but he did have a brain and a pretty good one at that just maybe a little underused in certain areas.

But he wanted to amend that, Ranma wanted to change for the better this time around, maybe for a better future.

With the day's classes finally over Ranma felt as if his head was going to explode right there and then if he didn't stop listening. He had never tried to even listen in on a single class not the least a whole day of school before. Though he couldn't understand most of it Ranma did at least learn a few new things for starters.

Ranma was while walking home was trying hard to blank his mind to such extents that he didn't even hear Akane and Nabiki shouting to him to slow down. He was tired mentally and just as luck would have it Ranma had planned to get in some extra training done later to add physically tired to that list.


"You think something happened to Ranma that day when he got sick?" wondered Nabiki loudly.

Akane gave her second sister an odd look and then looking at the back of the hastily walking pigtailed boy walking way in front of them, "What do you mean, nee-chan?'

"I mean from what I saw during your lunch time battle Ranma perfectly psyched the four of you girls out of a fight…"

Akane hadn't thought about it that way and found that Nabiki was right.

"You think his brains got scrambled or something?" replied Akane uncertain, she never knew that Ranma had enough brains to do something like that.

"Well it's either that or all that malleting you've inflicted onto his poor head finally took effect…"


Thanks again for reading and I hoped you all liked it…