Chapter 19: What's the Difference?

Ranma had nervously run off to find Ukyo a spare outfit (apparently she had one in the locker room) which left Hibari and her alone in the area of brush. Both were silent for a while, processing what they'd learned about the other. They exchanged a few brief glances before Hibari finally worked out something to say.

"So... you want to compete for Ranma?"

Ukyo nodded. "I wanted vengeance for so long because I thought he betrayed and abandoned me. The engagement defined my life. I can't just turn my back on it."

"You haven't seen him in 9 years. You don't even know who he is now," Hibari said, as a bit of jealousy slid into her voice.

"Can you blame a girl for trying?" Ukyo asked.

"When that girl is trying to steal the boy I'm in love with... and managed to make me think she was basically my boyfriend for a while, I think maybe I can," Hibari replied accusatively.

"You made me think you were effectively my girlfriend too, so we're even. In fact, I lost that since I swore I'd never let a guy near my heart after Ranma," Ukyo countered, pointing an accusative finger at the blonde.

"I'd rather be counted as a girl. That's how I think of myself. And how I plan to be once I get my hands on some of the magic that hit Ranma."

Ukyo blinked in shock. Was that an idea others actually thought about? Wanting to be the sex you weren't born?

"Alright luv, I'll count you as an ex-girlfriend. And just do my best to still see you as a girl," Ukyo said with a warm smile. Slightly nervously she added: "And since you thought I was a boy you can count me as an ex-boyfriend if it matters to you."

Hibari lit up with that smile which had so often warmed Ukyo's heart. She quickly pulled Ukyo into a tight hug. "You don't know how much it means to me to have someone still accept me as a girl."

As the hug lingered a little Hibari then whispered in Ukyo's ear, "You still have to apologise to Ranma for confusing everyone about his curse though."

As Hibari broke the hug and back away Ukyo stared at the dirt. "I'll admit... I probably overstepped a bit with that."

Ranma was surprised just how empty the hallways were. Apparently after the combatants had vanished the crowd watching the fight had gone off to their classes. He expected more students to try to get out of class or be out looking for them.

He couldn't complain, it made his sneaking into the boys change room despite his current form less stressful. It took only a moment to find Ukyo's locker and open it with the combination Ucchan had given him. Normally he'd like the ease of the mission, but right now he rather wanted a distraction.

Ucchan was a girl. His best friend in his youth. A girl who was apparently in love with him and engaged to him. And who had lived as a boy for nine years. Who he had thought was a boy that was in love with him up until just a few minutes ago.

Between her and Hibari... he wasn't sure he understood what the terms 'boy' and 'girl' meant anymore. A glance down at the rather large breasts currently on his chest just further hammered it home.

"What is this talk of 'fiancés' Kuonji give?" Shui asked while appearing from behind some lockers. Ranma swore he heard some jealousy in the boy's voice.

"Apparently my pops agreed to something or other when I was younger... need ta go give him a good chat to find out the truth," the small redhead replied.

"And Kuonji saying tongzhi is really girl? Is that true?" Shui asked, the tone of the question sounding guilty and conspiratorial.

"Of-of course not. You know from Mousse how Jusenkyo curses work," Ranma replied defensively.

Shui shifted slightly and looked almost more guilty. "There other magic in world beyond Jusenkyo. Never know if someone have regrets and try to undo something with Jusenkyo... But then... your father has engaged you with two boys despite being boy, tongzhi Ranma?"

"Ucchan's a girl," Ranma replied before realising it. His eyes filled with panic as he processed his confession. "D-don't tell anyone though."

Shui nodded. "Shui is quite capable of keeping that secret. Already done with tongzhi Hibari. Funny how two of them found each other already."

"Yeah. Small world I guess?" Ranma replied with a shrug. "I, er, have ta get this stuff back to Ucchan. I suppose ya can maybe come along? Just don't peek. He'd probably not appreciate-she! She'd probably not appreciate a boy peeking."

Shui nodded happily as the pair set off, but not without muttering something quietly in Mandarin. «Should go see what the competition is up to.»

Ranma's Mandarin was somewhere between terrible and abysmal, but he had been making efforts. Afterall he was still partially planning to go back to China at some point. He didn't know if he wanted to find a cure or help Hibari get a curse... but either way he was going to head back and didn't want to make a fool of himself again this time.

Which is a long winded way of explaining Ranma was able to recognise the words 'see' and 'competition'. He would have just assumed Shui meant as a possible martial arts sparring partner, except for that jealousy he was picking up from Shui.

As they crossed the school grounds towards the thicket which hid Hibari and Ukyo Ranma was left wondering who Shui was being jealous for. Shui had never shown jealousy towards Ranma over Hibari. Nor had Ranma ever noticed the reverse.

Maybe Shui had known the meaning of 'date' when asking them earlier. Could Shui actually be in love with both of them?

Hopping over the fence Ranma decided to put that on his ever more crowded back burner as he quickly found Ukyo and Hibari. Amazingly the pair were laughing.

"Ogawa-kun really tried to run for class president?" Hibari asked, giggling away.

"He didn't just try. He won! Abe-kun and Tamura-kun managed to polarise the class so everyone was afraid to vote for the other. Poor Ogawa-kun had no idea what to do with all that responsibility!" Ukyo replied.

The two burst out into another round of laughter. Ukyo's laugh was rather boisterous and masculine, though Hibari's laugh was quite full too.

"Ahem," Ranma awkwardly cleared his throat as he held out Ukyo's clothing.

The pair turned and noticed both Ranma and Shui. Ukyo (who had been wearing her gakuran jacket loosely over her tattered sarashi) squeaked nervously as she pulled her jacket closed.

"Sh-Shui! What are you-I can explain-wait-uh," a flustered Ukyo stammered.

"Gah! Shui!" Ranma shouted as he realised the Chinese 'boy' had followed him. "I told you she wasn't decent! You should have stayed over the fence."

"What is prob-Oh!" Shui replied, taking a glance at 'his' own form that confused both Ranma and Hibari. Shui turned around to face away from the crowd. "Sorry!"

Choosing to ignore the strangeness Ranma handed Ukyo her clothes, before turning away himself to let her change. A move which elicited some giggling from Hibari. It took surprisingly little time for Ukyo to wrap everything down and put the new jacket on.

"Well, now that we're all decent, I think we should go talk to the Chairman," Hibari announced, hopping to her feet.

"Wait, what? I thought you agreed I'd keep things secret?" Ukyo asked. "I could be expelled or something if this got out!"

"Don't worry," Hibari replied confidently as she led them back to the school building. "Chairman Akashi is an old friend of my father's. They're practically like brothers. He's the reason I can attend Wakaba properly. Fair warning though... he's a little odd."

Ukyo nodded and followed, still a bit nervous. Ranma meanwhile had to roll his eyes. Of course Wakaba High's administration was run by an eccentric friend of the Oozora family. It didn't surprise him in the least.

Hibari knocked on the office door as the other three stood behind her and waited nervously.

"Occupied!" a man shouted out.

"Chairman, it's Hibari."

Ranma swore he heard the sound of a bath draining along with the other noises indicating a flurry of activity behind the door. After perhaps two minutes the door was opened by a short, yet handsome, middle aged man in a suit. His hair was surprisingly totally grey despite his looking only about the same age as Ibari (or Genma) otherwise.

"Come in, come in. It's been too long my sweet lark. 100 years perhaps?" the Chairman said.

Hibari rolled her eyes as the four of them entered the office.

"We're just come to let you know about a slight complication," Hibari replied and pointed towards Ukyo.

"Ah yes, I've heard that Kuonji-kun gave quite the revelation today. Don't worry Saotome-kun, I've had the paperwork ready to switch your registration to female for some time. Oozora-kun asked me to."

"What? No! I ain't switchin'," the small redhead shot back, glaring at the man who was actually a sliver shorter than Ranma's current form. "It's Ucchan who's got some stuff to explain."

Ukyo moved forward and bowed politely. "I wish to apologise, but you see... I am a girl. I have attended school as male these past 9 years as I had given up my femininity in the name of vengeance."

"Ah," the chairman replied, fiddling with his mustache a bit. Ranma couldn't believe how calmly the man seemed to take that. "Are you planning to switch your own registration over? That will probably take me a day or so."

"I, well... I don't really want to switch," Ukyo said nervously, "For one, I wouldn't know the first thing about blending in with the girls. I'd probably be almost as bad at is as Ranma."

"Hey, if I wanted to I could blend in perfectly," Ranma countered.

Hibari elbowed Ranma lightly before continuing the explanation. "We just wanted you to know in case any rumours or such started. Can you grant her the same protection I've got?"

"Of course," the Chairmen nodded.

Ukyo turned to Ranma apologetically. "I also want to apologise for calling your identity into question. I was just so focused on vengeance..."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Ranma replied casually. "I'd have probably honestly done the same in your shoes. The Saotome school of Anything Goes is about using any advantage after all. But it's your job to clean the mess up."

After discussing matters with the chairman he had insisted the students return to class for the day. None of the four wanted to and spent most of the day squirming. There was a lot to talk about. Ranma wanted to catch up with Ukyo, but also had so much to discuss with Hibari. Then there was his realisation Shui was almost certainly interested in him romantically.

Then there was the matter of the wagers and the things Ukyo had said during the fight. The latter would be unavoidable at lunch as Kaori and her friends walked up to the four.

"So, Hibari... does this mean you're gay?" Kaori asked.

"What makes you think that?" the blonde replied, not wanting to have to deal with this right now.

"Well, Kuonji told us about Ranma once and for all," the auburn haired bully countered.

"I... the truth is more complicated," Ukyo interjected. "I wanted to use the confusion of the curse to cover up a shame of mine... You see, when we were kids, I knew Ranma was a boy. Being best friends it was kind of hard to miss something like that..."

Ranma blushed in embarrassment to a surprising degree for his currently male form as Ukyo shot him a nasty look.

"But my father, he didn't know. Saw Ranma's ponytail and was never quite certain. When Ranma's father realised both that and that, for some reason, my father was looking to get me engaged already he decided to act. He claimed Ranma was a girl and hoodwinked my father into handing over our yatai as part of the deal."

As Ukyo finished up the new cover story the four friends realised the entire class was listening. As were a large number of students in the hallway. Ukyo suddenly became deeply self conscious at the attention.

"Wait, if Ranma's really a boy then why did you bring up the engagement?" the ponytailed Michiko asked. Her tone dripping with suspicion.

"Heh, well, Ranma was my best friend and... well, he's got that curse now... and so," Ukyo was clearly a bit panicked when she suddenly pulled out a water bottle and poured it on Ranma's head. "Look at that figure! W-what kinda guy would turn down a fiancée with curves like that? Heheheh."

Ranma went pale as almost every boy (and more than a few girls) gave their nods and comments in agreement. A panicking Ukyo then blindly grabbed and ended up pulling Shui by the hand along behind her as she hurried out to the roof. Hibari found herself half carrying Ranma as she hurried after them.

Ukyo had followed Ranma and Hibari back to the Oozora compound after school. She wanted vengeance on Genma. Something Ranma supported. Both of them had a lot of stress they wanted to work out and the part time panda seemed a good punching bag.

Genma proved easy to find, sitting lazily in a lawn chair in the shade as he watched the Oozora thugs run through katas he was teaching them.

"You!" Ukyo shouted, "Saotome Genma! I will have vengeance!"

"What? Who are you?" Genma asked as he dodged a wild spatula swing.

"Someone ya owe an apology to pops!" Ranma replied moving in to strike as well.

Genma was barely able to hold his ground against the two attackers. The clatter of battle quickly drew the rest of the Oozora family to the yard where the fight was happening.

"You abandoned me you jerk!" Ukyo shouted, "You stole our livelihood! You dishonoured me for all to see with that engagement to Ranma before you ran off!"

"Engagement to Ranma? But isn't that a boy?" Tsubame asked, half to herself.

"That actually doesn't narrow things down quite as much as it probably should," Genma replied before a blow from Ranma landed against his back, causing him to stumble towards Ukyo a bit.

"I suppose that shouldn't surprise me... Kuonji. Kuonji Ukyo," she said, pointing a spatula menacingly at Genma's neck.

"That name sounds kind of familiar," Tsugumi whispered to Tsubame as they watched. Tsubame nodded, she recognised it as well, but from where?

"Ku-kuonji? But you were... you father insisted you were a girl," Genma replied nervously.

"You rather destroyed my chance to live as one. Dragging my fiancé away with my dowry... I was a laughingstock! In shame I lived as a boy ever since."

Furious she kicked the man square in the gut, causing him to stumble back into the koi pond. The wet and angry panda who emerged held up a sign.

#It was partly Ranma's fault!#

Before he could write out further explanation Tsubame gave a shout of recognition.

"Hibari's middle school crush! There was a boy named Kuonji Ukyo. And Hibari tricked the poor boy into being his boyfriend. Strange that there's a girl pretending to be a boy and a boy with the same name," Tsubame said, her voice suggesting just how little she believed that.

"It didn't get that serious!" Hibari replied quickly.

"And we didn't know the other's secret!" Ukyo added, blushing furiously.

Ibari's eyes lit up and he was beside Ukyo with an encouraging hand on her shoulder in an instant. "Haha, you are clearly the perfect girl for Hibari. A girl forced to live a boy and a boy insisting on living as a girl, what a pair! And you've already got a spark!"

"I'm here to win back Ranma?" Ukyo replied, severe confusion on her face.

"Ranma simply isn't an option until the Saotome family debt is repaid. I can however make choosing Hibari worth your while," the Yakuza boss informed her before turning to some of his men. "Seiji, Park, Kim, I want you three to help this young lady out with setting up her restaurant. Ensure she can get all the supplies she needs."

"Help with the restaurant you say," Ukyo said, her eyes seeming to light up with yen signs. "We might be able to come to a deal. Hibari is cute."

"That's the spirit my bo-er, girl," Ibari replied, warmly slapping her on the back.

Ukyo had stayed for dinner. Seating arrangements had been changed to put her in Ranma's usual spot beside Hibari while the Saotome's were placed beside one another across the table. Discussions had circled around Ukyo's restaurant plans, Genma claiming that Ukyo's arrival was his doing and this should count towards the debt repayment, and prompting for Ukyo and Hibari to make date plans (Ukyo insisting that she had to finish the restaurant before doing anything else). Sprinkled in were disparaging comments from Tsubame about the household growing even stranger.

Unstated were the looks Ranma, Hibari, and Ukyo exchanged. Ukyo seemed to be saying that she would make up for it later. Hibari and Ranma both tried to seem friendly with her, even if she wasn't behaving the best, while Ranma continued to give Hibari his best 'we need to talk' look.

It was only after dinner that Ukyo left with Seiji and the others in tow to work out the plans for the old and slightly dilapidated restaurant she'd bought. This had meant it was time for the youths of the household to work on their homework.

Which luckily meant Ranma and Hibari were alone in their rooms. Nervously Ranma moved over and knocked on the divider between their rooms.

"Are ya decent?" Ranma asked.

"I'm never decent," a laughing Hibari replied. "You know that."

Ranma let out a quiet chuckle before opening the door. Hibari was indeed dressed. She was seated at her desk working through some homework. Her stereo was quietly playing something synthetic sounding. Glancing over at case the cassette was playing was from a band called P-Model. Ranma made a note that he should really ask her for a proper lesson on music now that Shampoo was less likely to try to kill them when they went shopping.

"You're stalling," Hibari said as she turned her chair to face him. "What's on your mind?"

Ranma blushed a bit, "I, well... can I sit down?"

Hibari nodded and Ranma placed himself onto her bed. He looked down and twiddled his thumbs briefly before turning back to Hibari. She was reaching over to pause the cassette player.

"So... I, er, kissed you."

"You don't remember?" Hibari asked, her voice sad yet concerned.

"Whenever I go neko-ken I never remember anything. Never know how long it's been. Where I am. Nothin'. Kind of a weird feeling ta be honest," he replied with a sigh, before straightening up. "But I've always been able to piece together why I did things. I never did anything as a cat that I didn't want ta do normally. Except the meowin' and runnin' around on all fours bit of course."

Hibari nodded hopefully. Was this going to be the confession she'd been hoping for?

Ranma took her hands into his own larger masculine ones. Hibari began to feel her heart quicken. It was really happening. The teens locked eyes as Ranma struggled for words.

"All my life I've done what my pops wanted. I've followed his dreams without thinkin' about my own. I never really stopped ta think about what I wanted. But then you came along..." he took a breath as he prepared to make a plunge that both excited and terrified him. "Everyone wants me to stay away from you. Pops physically drags me away whenever he can. And still I keep findin' myself comin' back."

Ranma paused again, though this time it was due to a smile growing on his face. "Finally I know there's somethin' I want, and that's bein' with you. S-so, I think it's only proper I-I give ya a real k-kiss... ya know?"

Hibari wanted to melt into a puddle of pure joy. Of course she had to have the kiss first. Ranma had closed his eyes and was moving forward, but the pace was glacially slow as he turned redder and redder. The poor boy was hopeless at times.

Hibari quickly slid her hands up his arms and across his shoulders to link up behind his neck before effectively throwing herself onto him with a kiss. The pair fell back onto her bed and for a brief moment Hibari hoped this kiss might keep going into something more. She did have that packet of Nyannichuan powder she'd managed to save... No, Ranma would panic if they went too fast.

As they finally broke apart for air the boy in question had a dumb grin on his face as he lay under her. Hibari slid down a bit to rest her head on his chest while he just held her. Ranma worried that if he said anything more he'd firmly stick his foot in his mouth and didn't want to risk though. Sure, he was probably going to be seen as just as much of a deviant as Hibari now, but it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was finally working out his own destiny.