Ranma 1/2
Ranma and Hikaru
by: Kimura Ayame
PART 5: Misguided Love
At Furinkan High School, in classroom 2-E, Kunou handed a piece of paper to Nabiki. Nabiki glanced at it, "A letter of challenge addressed to the 'goddess of the lavender hair'?"
Kunou replied, "You did mention that she resides in the same house as you, Nabiki."
"Yeah, so?"
"So you will deliver it to her for me."
Nabiki held out her hand, "That'll be five thousand."
As Kunou handed her the money, he commented, "You are evil, Tendou Nabiki."
Nabiki smiled, the five thousand yen held safely in her palm, "Thank you, Kunou-chan."
---
Later that day, at the Tendou dojo, Hikaru came back from his wanderings around town. Nabiki handed him the challenge, "Here you go, Hikaru. An official challenge from Kunou Tatewaki."
Hikaru frowned, "Kunou? Isn't that the guy with the wooden sword and an ego the size of Okinawa?" He looked at the letter, "Hm... 'To the goddess of the lavender hair -- meet me in the second field of Furinkan on Sunday, in the tenth hour.'"
Nabiki replied, "I guess he doesn't know."
Reiko peeked in, "Know what?"
Ranma pulled her aside and whispered in her ear. Reiko's eyes widened and she gasped, "Really?!"
Ranma nodded, "Come on, I'll tell you the whole story."
---
Later on, Onna-Hikaru, wearing ordinary girls' blue jeans, a sky blue sweater, and white sneakers was about to walk out the door. Ranma caught up, "Hey, Hikaru. Whatcha up to?"
"I'm going to try to get a job."
"As a girl?"
Hikaru shrugged, "It might increase my chances and I'd rather not run the risk of transforming in public. I don't know if you've noticed, but cold water is much easier to find."
Ranma had to admit, it made sense. "Okay. Well, good luck."
---
Hikaru walked along the main restaurant strip for a while. Aside from martial arts, she didn't have much for job skills. So her highest chances of employment in her female form was probably as a waitress. Of course, she had been turned down a couple of times, but only at places that already had more than enough employees. She saw a "Now Hiring" sign in the window of a restaurant she had never seen before, "Hm... Mishima's Italian?" She shrugged and decided to go inside.
---
Hikaru walked up to the front counter of Mishima's, "Hello. I hear you're hiring waitresses?"
The woman pointed to a door, "Mishima-san's office is in the back."
"Thank you, Miss."
As Hikaru walked to the back, the woman looked her over, "Hm... she's polite and pretty. Looks like we've got a new waitress."
Hikaru stepped into the office to see a friendly-looking middle-aged man at the desk. He asked, "Are you here for an interview?" Hikaru nodded. The man smiled and stood up, "Welcome. I am Mishima-san, owner of this restaurant." He bowed.
Hikaru returned the bow, "Zugaikotsu... Hikari." She had decided to use her sister's name while Hikari was still in China. After all, they were essentially identical when Hikaru was in female form, and it took care of any problems with birth records and identification.
Mishima-san nodded and sat back down. He motioned to a seat in front of the desk, "Take a seat." Hikaru did so. Mishima-san continued, "Let's begin the interview. Do you feel comfortable and confident in your abilities as a waitress?"
Hikaru nodded, "Of course. I've never actually done it before, but I exercise regularly, and my balance is almost always perfect. My only problem is a slight skin condition. I can't handle hot water... I'd rather not risk allowing it to touch me." She had prepared that story, and was even ready to get a note from Dr. Tofu, if needed. While hot water could be easily avoided, cold water seemed to persist in finding her.
"Oh, that's no problem. The waitresses here work in pairs, so we'll just have your partner handle the heated water. Now... is that your natural hair color?"
Hikaru wondered what kind of question that was, but she answered anyway, "Yes." As long as he didn't ask her to prove it, she was fine with him asking any questions about her hair color he wanted.
"I see. Do you agree to come into work on time, in full uniform, every day you work here?" He handed her a picture of the uniform -- a white button-up stretch-fabric shirt with a rounded collar, and a black skirt that was just a bit too short for Hikaru's taste. The notes also mentioned that pantyhose and makeup was required at all times.
All in all, it wasn't anything Hikaru couldn't handle, or was unprepared for, "No problem."
"When can you start?"
"Immediately."
Mishima-san nodded, "Okay. Come in tomorrow and we'll get all the paperwork taken care of. You'll start work Monday." He held out his hand. Hikaru shook it, then got up to leave. Mishima-san handed her a small booklet, "These are the rules and regulations. Read them over before you come to work."
"I will. Thank you." She turned around and walked out.
---
Sunday, Onna-Hikaru stood, waiting, in the second field of Furinkan High, wearing her favorite blue Chinese-style women's outfit.
Kunou stood across from her, "So, you have come."
"Let's get on with it, Kunou. Where's your sword?"
Kunou chuckled, "Heh... I have no need of a sword."
"Then why did you call me here?"
A glint of light flashed off of Kunou's eye, "To give you..." He hurled something towards her, "...this!!!"
Hikaru reflexively caught the object. When she looked up, she saw it was a bouquet of red roses.
Kunou began to turn, "I love you." He turned completely and walked away.
Hikaru just stood there, frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. A wind blew through, blowing away the petals of the roses, as she fell to her knees.
---
When Hikaru finally got home, she dropped the ruined bouquet on the floor, just realizing that she had carried it the whole way. She was still in shock from Kunou's declaration. Kasumi walked out of the kitchen, "Hikaru?" When she saw her friend, she gasped, "Oh, my... Hikaru-chan, what's wrong?" Hikaru muttered something unintelligible. Kasumi took her hand, "Come on, we'll talk in private."
In Kasumi's room, Hikaru sat down on the bed. She finally spoke, "Ku... Kunou said..."
Kasumi was surprised. Her friend was in shock because of something somebody said? She had thought Hikaru was more resilient than that. She asked, "What did he say?"
"He said... he loves me..."
Kasumi understood. The curse probably made Hikaru a little sensitive to certain things. "Does he know you're a boy?"
"I guess not. It still shook me up a bit..." She laughed, a bit nervously, "I feel like such a weak, stupid... girl."
Kasumi sat down and put her arm around Hikaru, "Don't talk like that. Kunou-sama just expects you to act like a normal girl. So if you don't love him back, why don't you just tell him?"
Hikaru's eyes narrowed inquisitively, "Just... tell him?"
"Right." Kasumi smiled, "He doesn't even have to know you're really a man. Just tell him you don't feel the same way, and that'll be it."
"Just tell him how I feel, huh? Sounds easy." She stood up, "Thanks, Kasumi. I feel a lot better now."
Kasumi was happy that she was able to help her new friend. "Thank you for trusting me, Hikaru-chan."
---
Monday morning, Ranma, Akane, Nabiki, and Onna-Hikaru, wearing her waitress uniform, walked along the sidewalk -- or the fence, as was the case with Ranma. Hikaru paused on the way, slipping off her shoes. "Damned high heels. These are gonna kill me." If she couldn't handle the walk to the restaurant in them, she wondered how she was going to work all day in them.
Nabiki turned, smiling almost deviously, "You'll get used to them, Hikaru-chan."
"Doesn't feel like it." Hikaru took a turn and waved to the other three, "See you all after work!"
Ranma waved, "Later, Hikaru!"
---
At the entrance of Furinkan High, a horde of boys came charging out, "Akane's coming!" Another one added, "... with Ranma!"
Ranma and Akane rushed through, knocking the novice martial artists away with ease. Nabiki stood back, watching the action. Akane screamed, "You don't need to help me, you know!!!"
Kunou came charging out at them. Both fighters jumped and kicked Kunou in the head, knocking him out. As they entered the school, Ranma said, "I figured that's what friends do."
"Ha! You just want to eliminate the competition!"
"Competition?! With a fiancée like Nabiki, why would I be after a tomboy like you?" He didn't like the answer. Akane's punch sent him straight to the ground.
---
Later, in Nabiki's class, Kunou dropped a stuffed panda on the Tendou girl's desk. Nabiki looked at it while sipping a juice box, "A panda? What's this for?"
Kunou answered, "A present."
Nabiki scoffed and handed it back to him, "Sorry. Not my style."
"Did I say it was for you, Nabiki? I was merely going to request that you give it to the lavender-haired goddess of..."
Kunou was interrupted by Nabiki's drink hitting him in the face. Nabiki frowned, wiping her mouth off, "Now look what you made me do." After she regained her composure, she slapped down five candid photos of Onna-Hikaru, "Three thousand yen. You want?"
Kunou stared at the pictures, "She is so... mere words cannot describe my goddess' exotic beauty!!!"
Nabiki shook her head. This really was pitiful, but the Tendou dojo needed money, and so did she. She pulled out five more pictures -- these ones of Akane exercising, "You still want these? Same price."
Kunou looked over the pictures, nodded, and handed her the money, "Sold."
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