Sendai
By M. Zephyr
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications, and its characters have been borrowed without permission. This story was written for non-commercial purposes only.
Ranma x Akane. See the bottom of Chapter 1 for an author's note dealing with the entirety of this story.
Chapter 2. Arrangements
The next day, school was a dreadful experience for both Akane and Ranma, but they endured. Anyone who tried to talk or pass a note to either was met with a fierce glare, until by lunchtime everybody was giving them both a wide berth. Even Kuno was no problem after school began - he was pounded into unconsciousness before the first bell and did not awake until after school ended.
When they got home, Ranma went into the dojo to work at clearing some of the debris from the previous day, while Akane went into the kitchen. As she'd expected, she found her oldest sister there, starting on dinner preparations.
"Kasumi, where is everybody? I mean, I know that Nabiki stopped off on the way home from school to talk to some contractors about repairs to the dojo, but where are our parents?"
"Well, Ranma's parents went over to the Saotome house to inspect the status of repairs there, from the damage done by the earlier incident with the fiancées. I don't expect them back before dinnertime, and possibly not until tomorrow. Father is visiting the parents of some of the wedding guests from yesterday, trying to calm them down. Some of them got a little excited about the dangerous situation in which their children found themselves yesterday"
Akane smiled at the thought of her father having to pay such a penalty as a result of his scheming. "Actually, I'm glad we're alone. There's something I want to discuss with you. Ranma has come up with a crazy idea, but it's also a bit tempting. I'm actually beginning to think that it might work, and I'd like your opinion."
With that, she outlined Ranma's plan to her sister. Kasumi's face began to frown at the mention of her little sister going off somewhere to live with Ranma, and when she heard that Ranma knew the whereabouts of Tofu Ono, she gave a gasp and let a knife slip to the floor. Akane had expected some reaction of the sort, and just forged on with the description of the plan.
When she finished, Akane asked, "So, what do you think? Just too preposterous to consider?"
Kasumi stood for a while in thought, her hands trembling slightly. She had been quite hurt when Doctor Tofu suddenly disappeared four months previously, but she found it hard to blame him as she had never made her feelings known to him. She looked over at her youngest sister and realized that, despite her reference to the plan as preposterous, there was a pleading hope in Akane's eyes to be told that maybe this could work.
"This is all rather unexpected, Akane. If you really want my honest opinion, you'll need to give me a little time to think about it. Allow me some time to myself while I finish preparing this, and in an hour perhaps you can join me while I walk to the market. We can talk then."
Akane nodded and left, heading for the dojo to help Ranma. It would likely take them the rest of the day to get it into a state where the repairmen could even begin work.
It wasn't the best day for a walk to the market, being overcast and rather cold, with light gusts of wind blowing through the streets. However, the two sisters walking along, speaking in low voices, didn't notice.
"Are you really sure you want to consider such an idea, little sister? It would mean leaving home and family. Life would be harder because of the need to work to make money, while still attending school and keeping up with your martial arts."
The younger girl was biting her lower lip, feeling a mixture of worry, nervousness, frustration and eagerness as she thought about the possible future.
"I have been considering it. I do so want some of the craziness to go away for a while, to give me time to think. But I don't want Ranma to go away by himself and leave me, or at least I think I'd be pretty unhappy with that, and so long as he's here the craziness isn't going to stop. For that matter, even without him, dad and Kuno would still be a problem for me. But are you saying that you think that this idea could work?"
Kasumi sighed in concern for her sister. "Yes, I think that it could, although in many ways you would be swapping a set of known problems for a set of unknown ones. I think it may be more difficult than you realize to live away from home, and father is going to be very upset with you, at least at first."
"If you think that there's even a chance that this will work, then I think I want to take that chance. I can't stand the way things are anymore! After the almost-wedding ...," her voice caught in her throat for a moment, "I was almost ready to give up entirely. If this will give us a chance, then I want it."
"Very well, then I would like to suggest a couple of changes to your plan, which you can pass on to Ranma. First, he needs to make sure that Doctor Tofu," her voice pronounced the name with a heavy breath, "has secured the new apartment before you leave. Make sure that he knows all of the conditions that are necessary - near a dojo or equivalent, at least two bedrooms, some sort of security for the apartment building. Second, we should figure out a way to get everyone else out of the house when you're preparing to leave on this 'training trip' of yours. That way you can pack up everything yourselves and ship it to Doctor Tofu so it will be there when you arrive. Third, I will make an appeal to Nabiki which she will receive after the due date of your return from the training trip, that she not help the parents to track you down or keep tabs on you. To be honest, though, I think that they may manage to find you after the beginning of the next school year. Fourth ..."
Kasumi took a deep breath.
"Fourth, I'm coming with you. As chaperon on your alleged training trip, and to live with you at your apartment. You need another adult presence in your life, someone to supervise the household chores - to see that they are done efficiently - and to provide an additional source of income to support the household and your education. This will also give me an opportunity which I have so far neglected, to study for the entrance examinations and then to start college at the same time that you do so."
Akane knew of her oldest sister's long time interest in psychology, and all of the books on the subject which she had borrowed from Tofu and the library, so was not surprised by her desire to attend college. But the idea of her living with them! Although it may have escaped Kasumi's notice at one time, Akane knew that by now her sister was well aware that Tofu behaved insanely only around herself. Bearing this in mind, she gave her companion a long, long look.
"You are aware that Tofu-sensei will go crazy the moment you walk through the door? He won't be able to survive living like that in what will be, at least in name, his own apartment."
Kasumi lifted her chin. "I wasn't planning to inform him, I'm going to simply show up with you and Ranma, and he'll have to cope somehow. Nor do I want you telling Ranma before we leave, I am a little cross with your fiancé for keeping Tofu's whereabouts a secret from me. Assuming that the apartment will have two bedrooms, you and I will share one, and Tofu-san and Ranma may share the other."
Akane shook her head, wondering if any of them would be able to survive living in an apartment with both Kasumi and Doctor Tofu.
When Akane climbed onto the roof that night, she found Ranma there before her. Stepping across, she sat down beside him and settled the blanket she had brought over them both. The cold day had turned into a colder night.
"I've made my decision, Ranma."
The boy looked at her expectantly. Akane took a deep breath and let it out again.
"We'll try it, but only if Doctor Tofu agrees. Have you talked to him again?"
"Yep. He and I discussed some reservations that he had, but he finally agreed to do it if you said yes."
"Okay. Then please get in touch with him, and ask him to start looking for an apartment with at least two bedrooms immediately. We won't leave until after he has obtained such an apartment. The apartment building should have a reasonable degree of security, so that unauthorized people cannot easily get in. It should be located near a nice dojo where we'll be able to practice. There should also be a decent high school nearby for us to attend. When we make plans for the training trip, we need to find a way for the rest of the family to leave at the same time, so that we can pack up our stuff and ship it to Tofu-san. Kasumi will help us manage that."
"Kasumi?"
"Yes, I told her everything. She thought it over for a while, and has agreed to help us."
Ranma nodded. "That's good news. She'll be a big help managing the families so we can carry this off."
Akane felt a little guilty not telling him that Kasumi would be accompanying them, but she was secretly relieved that her beloved older sister would be there with her, rather than finding herself completely separated from her family. "Kasumi will tell the family that she is coming on the training trip with us. She'll probably stay with a friend for those two weeks. That way she won't be around to be questioned if anyone gets suspicious."
Her fiancé shrugged. "Sounds reasonable. She can tell everyone the truth when she comes back."
"You know, you haven't told me yet just where it is we're going to be living. So where did Doctor Tofu disappear to, anyway?"
He answered hesitantly, as it went against his nature to divulge someone else's secrets. Even if he had been given permission in this case. "Ah, right. Just make sure you don't spill it to Kasumi or anybody. He's living up in Sendai, near the mountains. His clinic is in a medical center and he's sharing his practice with a younger partner, a Canadian I believe he said. Right now he's renting a one-bedroom apartment in a renovated house, but he told me there won't be any problem about the lease, that he can move out as soon as he finds a new place."
"Sendai, huh? Not too far, but far enough to make it inconvenient for people to visit too frequently. Good enough, I suppose."
They continued to talk quietly for a while, making additional plans for how they would get the family to send the three of them together on the training trip, which of their belongings they should pack up to send, and other such details. It was a long time before they stood and, saying good night, parted to go to their separate bedrooms.
Three days later, Tofu Ono contacted Ranma to inform him that he had signed a lease for a new apartment, one which met the conditions that were needed. In fact, the doctor found that he was quite looking forward to seeing Akane and Ranma again, and his heart went out to the two teenagers who were struggling to get some semblance of order into their lives.
Kasumi had taken note that Nabiki was planning to go away for a long weekend to visit the university she would be attending, and would be leaving on the Wednesday after school ended. A few days later, Soun Tendo announced at dinner that a family friend had presented him with tickets for a martial arts competition in Kyoto. Coincidentally, the competition was taking place at the same time that Nabiki would be away at her university visit.
"So I have these three tickets," Soun concluded. "Genma and I will go of course. Ranma, would you like the third ticket?"
"Naw, I'm not really interested," the young man replied. "Actually, I've been wanting to go off on a training trip for a while now. There are some new moves I've been thinking about that I want to try out, so I think I'll plan to head off that weekend. Hey, pop? Why don't you take Mom instead? You two ought to spend more time together."
Ranma's father Genma turned to his wife Nodoka. "Would you be interested in going with us, dear?"
Nodoka considered briefly, then nodded and smiled. "Yes, I think I would enjoy that, husband."
Genma turned back to his son. "So you're planning on going off on a training trip? Where to?"
Ranma pretended to think it over. "I think I'll go camping up in the mountains. I'm going to want to work with some trees and slopes. I figure I'll be gone for about two weeks."
Genma smiled conspiratorially at his old friend Soun. "Well, that's fine with me. But I think that you should take your fiancée with you."
"What!" exclaimed Akane, manufacturing the tone of anger which her family would expect from her at this proclamation. "I don't want to spend two weeks off camping with this baka!"
"Hey, what makes you think I want an uncute tomboy like you along, anyway!" replied Ranma hotly.
"Ranma, how dare you speak like that to my daughter!" Soun wailed.
"Boy, you'll take her with you and that's final!" shouted Genma.
"Father, I really don't think it's proper for the two of them to be off by themselves like that," Kasumi interrupted, playing her role as the voice of reason. "On the other hand, I wouldn't mind a camping trip myself, so perhaps I should go along with them?"
"Eh, if you don't mind the hiking and camping, it'd be great to have you along Kasumi," Ranma said thoughtfully. "At least that way, we'll be sure to have something to eat that won't poison us."
"Ranmaaaaa!" Akane growled, and smashed her fiancé into the floor with her mallet.
"Well, I'm glad that's settled," said Soun. "How about a game of shogi, Saotome?"
At one time or another over the next few days, Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi all accosted Ranma to complain about Akane going away with him on a two week training trip. To all of them he replied that it was their fathers' idea, not his, and that Kasumi was going to be along to chaperon. This last item of information did seem to calm them down.
On the day the others were leaving, Ranma, Akane and Kasumi accompanied the rest of their family members to the train station to see them off on their respective journeys. Good-byes were exchanged, and unnecessary words of wisdom about martial arts training were passed on. Finally, the trains pulled out, and the three conspirators were left alone. They started homeward to finish packing. Everyone had been informed that they would be leaving for their training trip the next day.
"Well, this is it," Ranma sighed, thinking about this final stage before their disappearance. "You having any last attacks of cold feet, Akane?"
The girl shook her head, smiling. "Actually, I'm feeling kind of anxious to get out of here. It's going to feel so good to leave all of our troubles behind, at least for a while."
The walk back to the house did not take long, and they started packing. The plan was to ship off the large boxes that day, then spend one more night in the house before heading off to Sendai the next morning.
"I've already called the shipping service," Kasumi told them when they got back home. "They'll be sending over a truck to pick up the boxes in two hours, so we'll need to have everything at the front gate by then."
"No problem," Ranma responded nonchalantly. "I don't have much stuff anyway, and it won't take nearly that long to pack up Akane's things."
In point of fact, it was only a little over one hour before all of Ranma's and Akane's possessions, barring what they would carry with them, were packed up and sitting in boxes just inside the front gate. Kasumi had also finished packing her things, including some personal items from the kitchen such as some cookbooks, although her boxes were still in her room, and were labeled "Akane's room extras."
"Ranma," Kasumi called the boy. Standing just outside of her bedroom door, blocking his view of the interior, she held out a small wrapped parcel. "I need to have this package taken to a friend of mine. Would you mind doing so for me?"
"Sure Kasumi, no problem." Ranma took the package, listened to the address, and headed off. Unbeknownst to him, the package contained a few envelopes with letters, and instructions to mail them in two weeks time. One of them was the letter which he himself had written to Ukyo, expecting that Kasumi would deliver it when she returned home. The others were letters which Kasumi had written to the parents and Nabiki.
As soon as he was out of sight, Kasumi turned to her sister. "Akane, now that Ranma is gone, would you please bring my boxes down to the front gate for me?"
"Okay, but what are you planning to do tomorrow, Kasumi? When Ranma sees you carrying a suitcase when we leave, he will demand an explanation for what's going on. It's bound to delay us. It won't make sense to him for you to carry a suitcase all the way to the train station, and then back to your friend's house, given that our house is between the two."
"I've already thought of that. I'm planning to get an early start and leave my suitcase in a locker at the train station. I'll be empty-handed when I walk there with the two of you, and will retrieve my suitcase and board separately. By the time he sees me on the train, it's going to be too late for him to do anything."
Akane sighed. "He isn't going to be happy that we kept him in the dark like this."
"That's okay. I'll just point out that I'm not happy about his having kept me in the dark about where Tofu-sensei went." There was an uncharacteristic sharpness in the older sister's voice, reflecting the hurt she had felt over the doctor's disappearance.
Akane carried Kasumi's boxes downstairs and put them with the others. The truck came by and picked them all up long before Ranma had returned to the house.
The next morning Akane and Ranma each shouldered a pack which, for all anyone could tell from the outside, might well have contained camping supplies. Kasumi walked with them to the train station. The first stage was to buy tickets for a train heading to the southwest of Tokyo. Kasumi gave Akane and Ranma hugs, and waved good-bye as they climbed aboard the train. A few minutes later, it pulled out of the station, and the couple both breathed a sigh of relief. They were on their way.
A few minutes later, Kasumi sat down across from them, carrying a suitcase. Ranma looked up in surprised consternation. "Kasumi! What the devil are you doing here? I thought you were staying with a friend?"
She had a smug look on her face, and responded gaily. "Actually, Ranma, I'm coming with you. After you left yesterday, Akane carried down boxes containing my belongings, and put them with the others. They were shipped with yours to our new home."
Ranma turned to stare at Akane with a look of betrayal. "You knew about this?"
His fiancée looked chagrined, not really wanting to be caught in the middle like this. "Yes, Ranma, I'm sorry. But Kasumi wanted me to keep it a secret, as a condition for her help."
Ranma looked a question at the older sister, who replied, "Think of it as a small punishment for keeping Tofu's whereabouts a secret from me."
"But Kasumi," he pleaded with the older sister. "You can't come live with us! Doc Tofu goes crazy whenever he's around you. There's no way that the two of you can live in the same place!"
She was unmoved by this declaration. "Well, Ranma, the way I see it, he's not going to have any choice. I figure that he can't stay that way permanently, so sooner or later he'll have to figure out how to control himself in my presence." Under her breath, she added, "Now that I know where he is, I don't intend to let him slip away from me again."
Ranma shook his head, buried his eyes in his hands, and moaned. "This is never going to work. Never. If he doesn't end up dancing all over Sendai with his anatomical skeleton, he'll probably twist me into a human pretzel. Even if it could work, I'm not sure that any of us will survive long enough."
"Remember what you said, Ranma," his fiancée spoke up perkily. "Think less negatively. Imagine what it will be like if it goes right."
Ranma just moaned again.
The three of them got off of the train at the next stop, still well within Tokyo, far short of the destination on their tickets. They hiked through the city over to the next ward, then took the subway across the city. After another hike of a few more kilometers to another train station, they finally purchased tickets for Sendai.
Emerging from the Sendai train station later that day, they took a moment to look around at the city which would be their home for at least the next year.
"It'll do," Akane declared.
Ranma waved down a taxi. The three of them climbed into it, and he gave the driver the address of their new home.