Umbrella of Lies

Chapter 1: Nabiki's Confession

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It was early in the morning, and Furinkan was almost deserted. Almost. Nabiki Tendo sat on a bench. It was warmer today and sunny. The clouds had broken after the rain.

Nabiki heard a sound and looked up. A boy, twitching nervously, was standing before her. She hadn't noticed him, but he was the kind of guy you didn't normally notice. Quiet. Strange. He was thin and had dark circles under his eyes.

"Gosunkugi, is it?" Nabiki said. "Do you have the pictures?"

Gosunkugi pulled out a fat manila envelop. "They're all here. And the negatives." He gulped quickly and looked around.

Nabiki quickly inspected the contents to see if everything was in order. It was. "Excellent job," she said.

"You mentioned something about getting me a date with Akane," Gosunkugi said. "As payment." He looked as if he half expected her to renege on her promise.

"Don't worry," Nabiki said with a smile. "I'm a true business woman. I'll keep my end of the bargain. Just be ready. I'll set you up with the time and the place."

Looking satisfied, he left. Nabiki opened the envelope again and looked at the pictures. They were quite good. In fact, if he'd wanted to, this boy could have been serious competition, what with all the photos he took of her little sister.

But never mind that now. She had what she wanted.

Nabiki looked at a picture. It had just been taken yesterday. She was standing under a ragged umbrella with Kuno. She looked wide-eyed with wonder. He looked enraptured.

"Na…Nabiki Tendo. Since when have you been so beautiful?"

Nabiki Tendo smiled to herself.

……

"Kuno-baby? What are you doing in the mud?"

Tatewaki Kuno looked up and saw Nabiki towering over him, with a somewhat amused grin twisted on her face.

"It is none of your concern, Nabiki Tendo," Kuno declared, somewhat surly. He didn't want to admit it, but he had been beaten again by Ranma Saotome. Kuno had wanted so badly to pound in Ranma's head after the whole umbrella of love incident, but Ranma had been too skilled. Vengeance would have to wait.

"The bell's already rung," said Nabiki. "We're going to be late."

"Then why don't you get moving?" he asked her. It was actually very peculiar to see Nabiki here at this time. Usually she was already in class, watching from the window.

Nabiki looked at him with a soft gaze in her eyes. "Would it be all right, if we walked to class together this once?" she said quietly.

"I suppose it would be fine," said Kuno, shaken at her tone.

Later, when they were in class (they made it to homeroom just before the final bell rang), Nabiki whispered, "Kuno-baby, I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Do you have more pictures of my pigtailed goddess or your fair sister?" he asked.

Her face crumpled. "No, I have no pictures of them today."

"Oh," he said, a little disappointed.

"Do you remember yesterday?" she asked him.

Kuno winced at the memory. "Unfortunately, I do."

He'd held the Umbrella of Love in his hand, and was so close to stepping under it with fair Akane. Had he succeeded, Akane's heart would belong to him and they would finally be able to blissfully date. Instead, Ranma Saotome (curse that villain) had torn the umbrella from him. It was Ranma's fault the umbrella got destroyed.

"It will be a day I cherish forever," said Nabiki.

"What?" Kuno snapped out of his daydreams. "Nabiki, what on earth are you talking about?"

She looked at him dreamily. "Kuno-baby," she said softly.

"Kuno, Tendo, stand in the halls," said the teacher, apparently fed up with their talking.

Once outside the classroom, Kuno said, "You mentioned earlier you wanted to talk."

"Yes," said Nabiki, fiddling with her hair

"Just what was it you wished to speak about?"

"Will you force me to say it?" said Nabiki. "Can't you tell how I feel?"

Kuno shook his head. "If I could understand the emotions of maidens—" he began.

"I love you."

Kuno blinked. "What?"

"I love you, Kuno-baby," said Nabiki softly.

"Is this a joke?" Kuno demanded. This was Nabiki, after all. He had known her all these years, and she had never shown any interest in him past his wallet.

"Do you hate me?" Nabiki's eyes filled with tears.

"I, uh, well no, but I…." Kuno composed himself. "Nabiki Tendo, tell me, how such a thing has come to pass."

"It happened yesterday," said Nabiki. "When we were standing underneath the umbrella of love."

"The umbrella of love?" said Kuno. Come to think of it, he had been under the umbrella with Nabiki first. Kuno recalled stopping short, turning toward her, watching the normally cynical expression vanish and her face become soft with wonder. In that moment, she seemed to him as an angel, and his heart wouldn't stop pounding. "But once the umbrella was removed that first flush of love left us," said Kuno.

"But my feelings didn't change," said Nabiki. "It was as if the umbrella of love awakened something in my heart. Since that moment, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

"Can such things truly be?" said Kuno.

"Kuno-baby," said Nabiki shyly. "Do you love me too?"

He looked at her.

She was pretty, he had to admit. Her liked especially the way her thick hair curled just around her face and that intelligent gleam to her brown eyes. But he didn't love her.

Still, if she decided to love him, who was he to deny her. He could never say no to a maiden in love. If the pigtailed goddess and Akane could accept Nabiki, then they could all—

Nabiki and Akane were sisters. Kuno felt a sudden chill down his spine, followed by a loud screaming: PERVERT, PERVERT, PERVERT! He clenched his jaw. He. Tatewaki Kuno, was no pervert.

"Nabiki, I'm flattered, I truly am," he said. "But alas, it cannot be. My heart belongs to another."

"I might have known," said Nabiki. Her eyes began to mist. "I saw the way you stared at each other, the way you clasped hands. I knew that you couldn't love me. You only had eyes for him."

"Nabiki, I never meant to hurt—Him?"

"Ranma Saotome," said Nabiki.

"Ranma Saotome?" Kuno repeated. A few seconds ago he had felt almost sorry for Nabiki, but now a slow, thick wrath was rising in him. "Ranma Saotome! You jest! Me love that weak, cowardly—that man!" he spat.

"Oh, but I have pictures," said Nabiki, pulling a photograph from the pocket of her dress.

To his horror, Kuno saw himself under the umbrella of love with Ranma. He saw himself clasping Ranma's hands. He saw himself gazing longingly into Ranma's eyes. Suddenly, Kuno felt like throwing up.

"Begone evil photograph!" cried Kuno, taking out his wooden sword. He grabbed the picture out of Nabiki's hand and flung it into the air. "Strike! Strike! Strike!" Within seconds pieces of the hated photograph were flying out the window.

"Oh," said Nabiki, looking like nothing had happened. "Well, I have others."

Of course she had others. This was Nabiki; no doubt she had great stacks of pictures hidden where only she could find them. Kuno's anger burned hot in the pit of his stomach. "What game are you playing at?" he asked her.

"Game?" she said innocently.

Kuno sighed and fished out his wallet. "Very well, vile mercenary, tell me how much you want for them."

"For what?"

"The photos."

"So, it is true," said Nabiki sadly. "You do love him."

"NO!" shouted Kuno. "I want to buy the pictures so that I may destroy them. Now, name your price."

"Kuno-baby," said Nabiki, looking hurt. "Do you think I just want money?"

"What else could you want?" he asked bluntly.

"A date," she said.

……….

Note: Gosunkugi is the "voodoo spike guy" who originally worked with Kuno to try to find Ranma's weakness.