Genma's Daughter
By ClassicalGal
Original concept and parts of chapter 1 by Nesin Evets
Chapter 12: Adventures in Babysitting
"Tadaima!"
Nodoka rushed to the door at the sound of her daughter's voice. She found Ranko standing in the genkan, removing her coat with a happy smile on her face. The smile broadened even further as she saw Nodoka. "Mother!"
"O-kaeri nasai, dear. How was your lesson this week?"
Ranko giggled. "You mean my third lesson this week. It was wonderful! Sensei says I'll be ready for the recital for sure. She asked Murata-sensei to come to my lessons next week, and he said yes!"
Nodoka beamed. "You've been working harder on your violin piece?"
Ranko rolled her eyes and nodded as she stepped up into the house. "Have I ever! As hard as I ever worked on my martial arts." She smiled. "But it's worth it. I… it's just like the Art. As I get better, I find whole new things to explore. And I'm playing on a whole new level." Her eyes lost focus. "I love this so much… I can express myself in a way I never could with the Art. I can put all of myself into it."
Nodoka hugged her daughter. "I'm so glad, sweetheart." She held her out at arm's length. "A mother can't ask for more than to see her child so happy." Ranko nodded, and arm in arm they proceeded down the hall.
The entire family was waiting for them in the living room, including Ryouga. He grinned, stood, and gave her a quick kiss. He was starting to say something when Nodoka interrupted. "Oh Ranko, I almost forgot. A Kobuchizawa Noriko called, to ask if you would babysit tonight. She sounded pretty desperate. I told her you would call when you got home."
Ranko nodded uncertainly. Akane grinned. "Miki is certainly having an effect on your life, Sis!"
Nodoka smiled. "Is Miki who you would be babysitting?" Ranko nodded again, and Nodoka's smile widened. "I didn't know you were babysitting."
Ranko blushed. "I didn't think I was either, but after I met Miki and her mother, I started spending time with them. Miki is… a lot of fun. I really like being with her."
"How old is she?"
"Oh, maybe five or six months." She smiled a huge smile. "Babies sure are cute."
Nodoka and Genma looked at each other, and their differences vanished for a moment as they shared the same thought: We're going to be grandparents! They smiled.
As Ranko moved to the telephone, Ryouga spoke up, an uncertain tone in his voice. "I… I was kind of hoping we could go out tonight…"
Ranko stopped. "Let me call her. If she's really desperate, I… I ought to help out. She's been so nice to me."
Ryouga sighed. "How about tomorrow?"
Ranko sagged. "I'm sorry, it's Sayuri's birthday party. I can't skip that." Ryouga nodded, disappointed. "I'll see if I can get out of this babysitting job tonight." He smiled.
Ranko dialed the number Nodoka had written down, and the phone rang. On the third ring, she got an answer: "Kobuchizawa residence." It was Miki's mother's voice, and she sounded more than a little harried.
"Kobuchizawa-san? This is Saotome Ranko. My mother said you called earlier?"
"Oh Ranko-chan, thank heavens! I was about to give up. Dear, my husband and I had a night out scheduled for tonight—our first in months—and the babysitter is sick. I called everyone else I can think of, but no one is available. My husband is leaving work early so we can go out, and I don't know what to do! Is there any chance you can come over tonight?"
"Could you hang on a moment, Kobuchizawa-san?" Ranko related the gist of the conversation to Ryouga. "Please? She's been so nice to me, and it's their first night out in months!"
Ryouga looked at Ranko's expressive eyes, which practically pleaded with him, and sighed. He could never resist her, and her generosity was one of the things he loved about her. "I… I was really hoping to spend time with you tonight, but… sure." He smiled warmly.
What a sweet guy… "Kobuchizawa-san? I'd love to come watch Miki for you." She looked up at Ryouga, who was looking at her wistfully, and had an idea. "Would… would it be all right if I brought… a friend over? We had plans for tonight, and…"
There was a long, long pause. "Oh, Ranko-chan… I… I really don't want to say this, since you are rescuing me from a bad situation, but if it's a boy… I feel terrible about this, but I've had a couple of babysitters who brought their boyfriends, and… they got… ummm… a little too… ummm, active, and the neighbors complained. We promised it wouldn't happen again. I know you would never be that irresponsible, but the neighbors… I feel terrible asking you this when you are doing me such a favor…"
Ranko sighed and looked up at Ryouga, who read her expression and looked back with mournful eyes. She was about to tell him he couldn't come, when she had an idea.
"Ummm, my friend is a girl, Kobuchizawa-san. Is that OK?" Ryouga looked confused.
"Of course, Ranko-chan!" Ranko could hear the relief in her voice. "Can you be here at 6:30 PM?"
"I'll be there, Kobuchizawa-san. I'm looking forward to seeing Miki again!"
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they hung up. Ranko turned to Ryouga and eyed him speculatively. "She's had a few bad experiences with babysitters bringing their boyfriends, so she said she'd rather I not bring mine. I told her I was bringing a girlfriend."
"What's going on? I can't go, so you're going to take Akane-san?"
Ranko took Ryouga by the arm and grinned. "Nope. I'm taking my good friend Ryouko-chan!" Nabiki started to snicker.
Ryouga frowned. "Ryouko-chan? Do I know her?"
Ranko's grin broadened. "Oh yes. You know her very well."
Suddenly his jaw dropped, and he turned crimson as the whole family started laughing.
Ranko sighed. "You know, you didn't have to come. I only thought this up because you said you wanted to spend time with me. If you don't want to be 'Ryouko-chan', I can go by myself."
Ryouga looked over at the petite redhead who was walking next to her. "No, I guess I'd rather spend the evening with you this way than not at all." She sighed. She'd wanted to hold Ranko's hand, but Ranko had made it clear that there was to be nothing physical between them this evening.
They reached the Kobuchizawa's apartment building, and in short order were ringing the doorbell. Ranko frowned; she could hear Miki from out here, and the baby was not happy. She was wailing.
Miki's mother opened the door, and Ranko's frown disappeared. Noriko was dressed to the nines and her face was made up; clearly, tonight was a big night.
"Ranko-chan, thank you so much! You have saved my life." She smiled. "Is this your friend?"
Ranko nodded, and Ryouga bowed—boy style, hands at her sides. "I'm Hibiki Ryou… Ryouko, Ma'am."
"Please come in." They followed her to the inside. Miki was sitting in a high chair, and looked pitifully unhappy. Her eyes found Ranko, and for a moment a tentative smile crept onto her face, but she soon resumed her crying.
"I don't know what's wrong with her, Ranko-chan. She's been cranky for an hour or so now." She pursed her lips. "My husband should be home any minute, and we've got to go right away. I'll try to get her settled down before then." She threw a cloth over her shoulder and hoisted the baby out of the high chair, holding her and jostling her up and down. Miki's wail reduced to a whimper, but she was still in tears.
As she was pacing back and forth, Noriko tried to make conversation. "You said your name was Hibiki—are you related to Ranko's boyfriend? You look quite a bit like him."
Ranko had a blank look on her face, and turned to her companion, who thought furiously. "Ummm, he's my brother, Ma'am."
Miki's mother smiled. "How nice that you two are friends, too!" She noticed what Ranko was carrying. "Ranko-chan, is that a violin?"
Ranko nodded. "I was hoping I could practice a little tonight. I have a recital in a week and a half."
Noriko beamed. "Why don't you play now, while we're waiting for my husband? Maybe it will quiet Miki down a little bit."
Ranko smiled and nodded, and started to get out her violin. Noriko sat down, holding Miki on her lap; the little girl was still whimpering. Ryouga sat next to them.
Ranko finished tuning her violin and started to practice her Bach piece. Miki and her mother watched, utterly fascinated. Miki still didn't look happy, but she seemed distracted by Ranko's playing.
After a time, the little girl's attention started to wander, and she started to cry again. Ranko stopped and put down her violin.
Noriko applauded as best she could with a handful of baby, and so did Ryouga. "That was wonderful, Ranko-chan! Are you going to be a violinist? You certainly play like one."
Ranko blushed. "I'm thinking about it, Kobuchizawa-san."
Miki's mother tsked. "Enough with the 'Kobuchizawa-san', Ranko-chan; I'm only a few years older than you are, after all. Please call me Noriko."
Ranko smiled. "Thank you, Noriko-san."
Noriko smiled back, then looked at her watch. "Oh my goodness, look at the time! It's been half an hour!" She frowned. "My husband was supposed to be home by now." She continued to cuddle Miki as the little girl cried, and she bit her lip. "If he's not home soon, then… then we won't be able to go out tonight." Her sad expression was in stark contrast to her usual cheerfulness.
Ryouga shifted uncomfortably. "Is there something wrong with the baby, Kobuchizawa-san? She seems awfully unhappy."
Noriko sighed. "You know, I used to worry terribly about this kind of thing, but my mother told me that sometimes babies just get like this. It could be her tummy, it could be a headache, or any number of things. She's not crying as if she's really in pain, and I've checked her diaper, I've fed her, I've tried to put her to sleep, but she just won't have it." She shook her head. "Sometimes you just have to wait it out." Ryouga nodded, and swallowed at the thought of spending the evening with a crying baby.
Another 15 minutes later, Noriko looked close to joining her daughter in tears. "I… I guess something must have happened at work. It looks like he's not going to make it." She bowed her head.
Ranko bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Noriko-san… it sounds like tonight was going to be special."
She nodded. "We haven't been out, just the two of us, for a long time…" she trailed off. Miki started to whimper a little more loudly.
"Would you like me to try holding her?"
Noriko looked at the sad little girl in her lap. "Why not? Nothing else is working."
Ranko took Miki into her own lap. Miki brightened briefly, but returned to whimpering in short order. Noriko laughed. "My goodness, we're all striking out tonight, aren't we? Would you like to try, Ryouko-chan?"
Ryouga looked up, startled. "Me?"
Noriko frowned. She talks like a boy, and she dresses like one… I guess it must be something girls are doing nowadays; Ranko-chan used to do the same thing. "Don't you like babies, Ryouko-chan?"
"Ryouko-chan" winced. "Well, uhh… sure, but…"
"I guess you don't want to hold her when she's crying. I can understand that."
Ryouga had the strange feeling she was being judged and found wanting. "Ummm… I… uh, sure."
Ranko handed the baby over to Ryouga, who held her as if she were a sack of potatoes. Miki wailed.
"No, no, Ryouko-chan. Put your hands over there, to support her. Cuddle her a bit." What is it with girls these days? Haven't any of them held a baby before?
Ryouga gingerly repositioned Miki, who quieted down to a whimper again. The little girl looked up at her with wide eyes and blinked. Ryouga smiled, and started making faces at the baby. Miki watched intently for a while, then started to laugh; whatever had been bothering her seemed forgotten for the moment.
"You have a knack, Ryouko-chan! I'm sure you'll make a fine mother some day."
Ryouga turned beet red while Ranko clapped a hand over her mouth. "Uhhh… Thanks."
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
Ryouga was starting to get really uncomfortable with the turn the conversation was taking. "Ummm, n-no… not right now."
"I'm surprised, a girl as pretty as you are!"
"Yeah, well…"
Maybe it's because she's so butch… "How about you, Ranko-chan? How long have you been seeing her brother?"
"We just started seeing each other last month."
"So what do you think of him?" She winked. "It's just us girls here. I'm sure Ryouko-chan won't tell." "Ryouko-chan" turned red again.
Ranko blushed deeply. "Umm, he's… he's a nice guy. I… I like him…"
"How does he feel about you?"
Ryouga suddenly spoke up. "I… ummm… my brother… he… he l-loves her a lot." Everyone was staring at her. "Ummm, he… he told me."
Noriko nodded. "I see." She looked at her watch, and her smile disappeared.
"I… it's too late to go out now," she whispered. "I'm sorry I spoiled your evening for nothing, Ranko-chan."
Ranko went over and embraced Noriko. "Please don't apologize. It's OK. I'm just sorry your big evening was ruined." Noriko nodded.
As if on cue, the phone rang. Noriko got up and rushed over to pick it up. "Hello, Kobuchizawa… Dear! What happened?" A pause. "I see. Yes. Yes, of course." A sigh. "We have guests, by the way. That Saotome girl I told you about; she agreed to babysit at the last minute. Yes, she is a sweetheart. She brought a friend. Yes, I know, her evening too…I love you too. I'll see you soon." She hung up, then wandered back to the sofa.
She sighed. "Work again. They had an important business associate who wanted to go for drinks. He couldn't say no, of course." She looked at her watch. "The man got tired early, so my husband's on his way home now. At least I'll get to see him tonight…" She shook her head. "I wish he weren't a salaryman. It's like that company owns him."
She looked ready to cry. "He can't ever help with Miki. At this rate, I'll never be able to go back to school, at least not until she's in elementary school…"
"School for what?" asked Ryouga.
"Design. I want to be a designer. You know, furniture, living spaces, things like that." She sighed. "It seems like a distant dream at the moment."
Ranko paled. If she got married, if she had children, would this happen to her? Trapped at home, waiting for her salaryman husband to show up? And waiting, and waiting… What would happen to her violin? She shivered; she couldn't imagine giving up school, giving up her violin. But… but I want children… I want a family…
Ryouga noticed the fear and confusion on Ranko's face, and felt a yawning pit in her stomach. Kobuchizawa-san… please shut up…
Noriko echoed Ranko's thoughts. "If you really love your violin, Ranko-chan, don't marry a salaryman." She looked down. "I love my husband dearly, but his job is the pits. I guess we don't get to choose who we fall in love with…"
Ryouga looked back and forth between Ranko and Noriko, who both looked terribly depressed, and felt an irresistible compulsion to say something. Anything. "Ummm… I… my brother… he… he wouldn't do that to his wife! He wants to, uhhh, to open a dojo or something so he can be with his wife and children, and… and he would even do a lot of the… the childcare and housework and stuff, so she could… could be a violinist." Suddenly, she looked aghast. "Or, ummm, of course, whatever other career the woman he happens to marry wanted to pursue! All hypothetical, of course." She cringed.
Ranko stared at Ryouga, and swallowed.
Noriko laughed. "It sounds like you've let the cat out of the bag, Ryouko-chan." Ranko winced at the "c" word. "It sounds like your brother is pretty serious about Ranko-chan." She turned to the redhead. "You're lucky, Ranko-chan. Not many men would do what Ryouko-chan says her brother has talked about. I hope things work out between you and him."
Ranko nodded, a frozen, frightened smile plastered on her face.
"Ryouko-chan, my husband feels the same way—that's one of the things that made me fall in love with him—but the company he works for doesn't, of course. Your brother is lucky he can have a job that gives him that option."
Noriko's gaze dropped from Ryouga's face. "Well, what do you know? Miss Tiny Terror has fallen asleep!" Ryouga looked down, and sure enough the little girl she was cuddling was sound asleep.
Noriko came over to pick up the baby, who sighed but remained asleep. "Just a second while I put her down. Peace finally comes to apartment 3E!" She took Miki down the hall.
Ranko swiveled around to look at Ryouga. "Ryouga… what you said earlier… you… you're really thinking about marriage?"
Ryouga bit her lip and tried to think of a reply, when a key turned in the front door, and a man's voice called out "Tadaima."
Ranko looked down the hall, but Noriko wasn't coming back yet. She got up and went to the genkan, where a handsome young man, with tired eyes that seemed far too old for him, was taking his coat off. She bowed in greeting. "O-kaeri nasai, Kobuchizawa-san. I'm Saotome Ranko. Your wife is busy putting Miki-chan to bed right now."
He looked her over briefly, then smiled. "My wife has told me a lot about you, Ranko-chan. Come on, let's go sit down."
They reentered the living room, and Ryouga stood up. "Hi, I'm Hibiki Ryou… umm, Ryouko."
"Ryouko-chan is my friend. She's my boyfriend's brother." She winced. "Ummm, sister."
Kobuchizawa-san grinned, and his eyes grew a little less weary. "I was gonna say, she doesn't look much like his brother."
At that moment, Noriko reappeared, and his expression softened. "Noriko, I am so sorry. You know how it is." He looked her over. "You look beautiful tonight. I'm really sorry."
She nodded. "Thank you, dear. We'll try again some other night." She turned to Ranko and Ryouga. "Girls,"—Ryouga winced—"thank you for coming tonight. I'm sorry your evening was wasted, too."
Ranko and Ryouga regarded each other warily. Ranko spoke. "It wasn't a waste, Noriko-san."
She laughed. "That's right, your boyfriend's sister spilled the beans on him, didn't she!"
Both girls turned bright red. "Yeah."
Noriko turned to her husband. "I'm sorry dear, I didn't make anything for dinner, and it's too late for a restaurant. I guess… I guess I'll heat up some leftovers…"
Ranko looked back and forth between the two of them. "I know a Chinese place that makes great ramen, and they deliver." She smiled.
Noriko's eyes lit up. "They do?"
Keisuke blew into his hands to try to warm them up. Of all the nights to get stuck running his pop's yatai, it had to be Friday night? Man, he could be out with Rika-chan instead! It was two hours before he could go home, and he hadn't had a customer in over an hour. He groaned for the hundredth time.
Suddenly he heard voices. Two girls were walking down the street. "I thought we were just dating! I thought we were going to see what it was like! Now I find out you want to marry me!"
"Hey, I can't help how I feel! I didn't mean to tell you about it! It just kinda came out!"
Keisuke rolled his eyes. What a waste of a couple of cute chicks…
"I'm not ready for this! You heard what Noriko-san said. If I get married, what's going to happen to my studying the violin?"
Keisuke looked more closely, and sure enough the redhead was carrying a violin case. He frowned. This was reminding him of some show his little sister used to watch. A lesbian couple… the femme one played the violin… the butch one dressed like a guy… He shook his head; he couldn't quite remember…
"I told you, I'll take care of the kids!"
The redhead fumed. "How about pregnancy and childbirth? Maybe you'd like to do that, too!"
"That isn't very funny, y'know!" The brunette scowled. "Maybe I should just… get lost." She started to stalk off, and passed Keisuke's yatai.
The redhead stared after the other girl for several seconds as she walked away, then suddenly started to run. She caught up with the brunette and threw her arms around her from behind. Keisuke rolled his eyes again. He knew some guys went for this kinda stuff, but it didn't interest him at all. Why'd they have to do all this right in front of him?
"I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I'm just so… so scared. Being a mother is such a big responsibility, and… and things have been happening so fast… and I… Please… don't go…"
The brunette stood there for a few moments, then blew out a breath and turned around to face her companion. "How do you feel about me?"
The redhead shrank a little. "I… I don't know anymore. I… to be honest, at first, I… I didn't think I had any feelings for you, other than as a good friend. But… but now I think, maybe… When you were walking away just now, I felt… empty, somehow. Sad. Lonely. Like I was losing something important." She shook her head. "I… I'm not sure how I feel about you, but… but I want to find out, because… maybe…" She blushed. "Noriko-san was right. I would be lucky to have a guy like you for a husband."
Keisuke frowned. Guy? Husband? If she felt that way, why was she going out with another girl? He shrugged. Women…
The brunette softened. "Really?"
The redhead nodded. "Y-yes. I just need time, I need to understand my feelings better. You said if I didn't like dating we could give it up. I don't know if I want to… to marry you, but I don't want to give up. Not yet. I… I care for you… but… I'm so confused…"
Keisuke made a face. What a waste. Especially the redhead. Man, was she hot… Actually, the brunette was pretty hot, too…
The brunette smiled, put her hands on the shorter girl's shoulders, then cupped her cheek with one hand…
"Please, not like this… I… it doesn't feel comfortable to me… I'm sorry…"
The brunette sighed, and nodded. Suddenly, she seemed to notice Keisuke. "Hey! You got any hot water?"
Keisuke shrugged. "Sure. Here ya go." He poured her a cup from the kettle.
The brunette took it, and to Keisuke's amazement, promptly emptied it on her head. However, this didn't even come close to matching his amazement when she grew half a head taller and far more muscular. Not to mention changing sexes.
The brunette, now a guy, handed the cup back to Keisuke. "Thanks," he said, in a much deeper voice. He turned back to the redhead. "Now, where were we?" He embraced her gently, and she hugged him back, trembling slightly.
"You know, it's really great to have hands to pour the hot water with. Try dragging a kettle with your teeth some time." The redhead giggled into his chest, and seemed to relax. She stopped trembling.
Keisuke swallowed. H-hands?
After a time, the guy said "Take all the time you need. I'll… I'll wait." The girl nodded. He kissed her gently on the forehead, and they slowly turned and walked off down the street, she on his arm. Neither of them noticed the young man cowering and gibbering behind the yatai.
"Oneechan?"
Nabiki looked up from the magazine she was reading at the kitchen table. Ranko was standing in the doorway, fidgeting. She obviously wanted something.
Resisting the temptation to roll her eyes, Nabiki folded her arms in front of her. "What is it, kiddo?" Kasumi looked back over her shoulder briefly, then turned her attention back to chopping vegetables.
"I… I need your advice. Again." She winced. "I'm sorry."
Nabiki smiled. "It's OK. What's up?"
"It's Ryouga. Right now is a really hard time in our relationship. I'm trying to find out how I feel about him, whether I want to keep dating him, or…" she trailed off.
"Go on."
"Well, the problem is, I need to spend time with him. And he keeps… getting lost. It's really hard on me to have to wait for days or weeks every time he leaves before I see him again." She bit her lip and looked down. "I'll never get things figured out at this rate. I begged him to stay here last night so he wouldn't disappear again." She looked up at Nabiki. "I know his bad sense of direction is a really tough problem, but is there anything you can think of?"
Nabiki snorted. "What makes you think I can solve a problem like that?"
Ranko blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Because I think my big sister is the smartest person I know."
Nabiki stared at Ranko for a moment, then to her own consternation, blushed herself. "Oh." She looked down for a moment, then back up, her cheeks still tinged pink. "Give me some time to think about it, OK?" She frowned for a second. "Tell him to not leave here until I think of something."
Ranko nodded and brightened. "I knew if anyone could solve this problem it would be you. Thanks, Oneechan!" She practically skipped out of the kitchen.
Nabiki put her head in her hands and sighed. "Oneechan, when exactly did I become an advice columnist?"
Kasumi turned around briefly to look at Nabiki, then turned back to the cutting board. Over her shoulder, she said simply, "The life of a big sister is fraught with peril."
Nabiki stared at Kasumi's back, her eyes bugged out, until Kasumi's hand shot to her mouth, and they both broke out laughing.
Late that afternoon, Ranko knocked on Akane's door. "Sis? It's me. Are you almost ready?"
Akane's voice came from inside. "Just about. Come on in."
Ranko entered the room, and closed the door behind her. She found Akane struggling with the zipper on the turtleneck dress she was wearing.
Akane grimaced. "The darned thing is stuck! Sis, could you zip me up?"
"Sure." Ranko stepped forward. She fiddled with the zipper for a moment, and it finally gave in, meekly sliding the rest of the way up.
Akane turned around and smiled. "Thanks." She eyed the box Ranko had under one arm. "You wrapped them already?"
Ranko nodded, smiling. "I'm looking forward to giving this to her."
Akane's eyes drifted up to Ranko's face. "You did a good job on your makeup! You're learning."
Ranko beamed. "Thank you."
"Which reminds me…" Akane stepped over to her vanity and began to work on her face.
Ranko went over to sit on the bed. "I feel bad for Ryouga… he wanted to take me out tonight." She sighed. "But I couldn't skip Sayuri's birthday."
Akane, with the speed born of long practice, was putting the finishing touches on her makeup. At least there was one feminine art she wasn't a klutz at… "There's always tomorrow night."
"I guess…"
Akane finished, stood, and went to the dresser to fetch her present. She winced as she looked over the haphazard, sloppy wrapping; it was nowhere near as neat and pretty as what Ranko had produced. Well, it's the thought that counts…
"We'd better go, or we'll be late."
They stopped by the living room to bid the rest of the family farewell, and were greeted by an appreciative chorus of compliments.
"My, don't you two look nice!" said Kasumi. Genma and Souun glanced at each other, smiling with quiet pride.
Ryouga, housebound by Nabiki's decree, grinned and said, "You look like you're going on a date… with each other!"
"Ryouga no baka!" said Ranko and Akane in unison; they blinked, looked at each other, and started laughing, joined by the rest of the family.
Nodoka shook her head. "Sometimes I think Kirara and I were wrong when we told you two you weren't twins." She smiled. "Why so dressy?"
Akane and Ranko looked at each other once more. "I guess… we're just getting a little more grown-up, Auntie. Sayuri decided that this year, instead of having friends over to her house, she wanted us to all go out to a restaurant together. Partly, it's a dressy place, and partly… we just felt like it." Akane smiled.
Souun started to weep. "Waaahh! My little girl is growing up!" Nabiki rolled her eyes.
Nodoka tried to ignore the waterworks. "What are you giving her for her birthday?"
Akane held up her package, a little embarrassed by its ugliness. "A scarf."
Ranko smiled and held up hers. "Blue jade earrings. To match these." She held her hair aside, revealing two beautiful green jade earrings. "Sayuri gave me these, back when I got my ears pierced." She blushed, and Nodoka smiled and nodded in understanding.
Akane noticed the clock. "We'd better get going, Sis."
Ranko's eyes found Ryouga. "I'm… I'm sorry. We'll do something tomorrow night. I promise." She smiled shyly. "And don't forget, Christmas Eve is this Friday." They turned and left.
Ryouga turned pale. He'd forgotten that the biggest date night of the year was coming up. And he hadn't made any reservations anywhere! He would have to scramble to find someplace to take her.
Akane and Ranko walked rapidly to make it to the restaurant on time. Ranko was a little wobbly: she had recently bought some new boots, with a rather higher heel than she was used to. They were a pain to walk in and hurt her feet if she wore them for too long, but she didn't feel quite so short when she was wearing them. It was nice to be almost tall enough to look other women in the eye (as long as they were wearing flats…). She had been average in height as Ranma. Now, she was the shortest girl her age that she knew. She had to look up at Akane, and Kasumi practically towered over her. Sometimes it made her feel like a little kid.
"How are things between you and Ryouga, Sis? I got the feeling when you came home from babysitting last night that something had happened."
Ranko blushed and nodded. "I… I couldn't really admit it to myself before last night, but… I think I'm starting to develop feelings for him…"
Akane smiled. "Really? How do you feel about that?"
Ranko bit her lip. "Frightened. He's… he's really serious. Last night, he let slip that he's already thinking about marriage."
Akane's jaw dropped. "You're kidding!"
Ranko nodded. "He blurted out that he would take care of the kids so I could pursue my violin." She looked around nervously. "Don't tell anyone… I really don't want that getting around. I wasn't going to talk about it tonight with the others." Akane nodded.
"Anyway, having him thinking about marriage makes it even harder for me to figure out how I feel about him. On the one hand, I think, maybe I should try dating other guys first… do I really want to marry the first guy I date? Am I even ready to think about marriage at all? I won't even be 17 until March! On the other hand, I… I really feel like I'm starting to care about him… Part of me doesn't want to date other guys…"
"Why do you think your feelings have changed?"
Ranko frowned. "I'm not sure. I think one part of it is that he's changing, too, a lot. He's… he's not the same Ryouga he used to be. When I started dating him, I was still thinking of him as my old school friend, the guy who used to shout 'Ranma, prepare to die!' or 'Saotome, you've made my life hell!'" They both giggled. "But he's changed. It's like all that anger and depression he had bottled up is just gone. He's a lot more mellow, a lot happier."
Akane smiled. "That's probably all thanks to you, Sis."
Ranko blushed deeply and nodded. "Anyway, without all that anger and depression, he's… a really sweet, considerate, kind guy. He… he dotes on me. And… I… after seeing him… her… ummm, whatever, with Miki last night… I… I could really see him as a father." She blushed again. "As the father of my children."
Ranko thought for a few seconds. "I mean, if I look at it in a cold-blooded, calculating way, he's a good 'catch'." She said the word with distaste. "The perfect husband for someone like me, who wants a career. But… I can't marry someone just because they're useful to me. I know some women do that, but I can't. I'll have to love the man I marry; I want a partner, not a… fish. You… you have to give up something to be married, to be parents; you have to make lots of compromises. To me, it's not worth it if I'm not with someone I love deeply. I'd rather not get married in that case." She shook her head. "Maybe I'm a romantic, but it can't just be a business transaction. Not for me."
Akane shook her head, smiling. "I wouldn't have believed that anyone raised by your father could look at it that way."
Ranko laughed. "Well, I've been thinking about it a lot. And… I saw some of the compromises Miki's parents have had to make." She sobered. "It was very… educational."
The restaurant, an upscale Italian place on the main shopping street near Fuurinkan, came into view. Ranko pursed her lips. "I hope I can get this figured out soon. While I'm trying to figure out how I feel about him, he's already planning our future. That makes me really nervous. If we broke up even now, after only one real date, he'd be devastated. I need time, but the longer I take, the more committed he gets." She sighed. "I have the feeling he already has the names for our children picked out."
Akane frowned. "Maybe it would be better if you guys took a little time off from each other."
Ranko sighed. "Maybe it would. But… I don't know if we can…"
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
"How about this one?"
Ranko looked over the movie ad. There were guns, missiles, explosions, soldiers, helicopters… "Ummm… I don't think so."
"Hmmm." Ryouga flipped through the pages of Pia. "Hey! Have you ever been to the Takarazuka Revue?"
Ranko made a face. "I think I've had enough of a woman pretending to be a man to last me a lifetime, thank you."
"Ummm… good point." He continued scanning the ads.
Akane wandered up to Ryouga and Ranko, who were seated at the dining table. "What are you guys doing? Looking for a movie?"
Ranko nodded. "We're going out tonight."
Ryouga shook his head. "There doesn't seem to be anything good playing right now."
Akane sat down to look as well. "Hmmm…"
The three were engrossed when they heard Nabiki's voice call from the genkan. "Tadaima!" She walked in, a package wrapped as a gift under one arm.
"O-kaeri, Oneechan," said Ranko and Akane, in stereo. They looked at each other and giggled.
Akane noticed the package. "Did you buy a gift for someone?"
Nabiki cocked her head. "Sort of. I just got back from Akihabara."
Akane and Ranko looked at each other in surprise; that was an unusual destination for Nabiki.
Ryouga's interest was piqued. "What did you get?"
Nabiki grinned. "A prosthetic sense of direction."
She wished she had had her camera with her; the look on Ryouga's face was priceless.
He finally found his voice. "Wh-what do you mean?"
Nabiki walked over to the table and placed the package on top of the open issue of Pia they had been perusing. "Why don't you open it and find out?"
Ranko didn't think that any child could possibly have torn open a present more quickly than Ryouga opened the wrapping paper. He lifted out the box inside.
He turned the box around, looking at it from all directions. "Model GX-7400 Pocket GPS Receiver?" He looked up at Nabiki, confused.
She nodded. "It took me a while to find that model." Her eyes narrowed. "It was quite expensive, by the way." The look in her eyes made the other three shiver; it said, "You owe me, buster. Big time."
"It has an interesting feature: you put in an address anywhere in Japan, and it gives you step-by-step directions on how to get there from wherever you are now. It can speak them aloud, too, as an option. It can even update its database wirelessly over the Internet. Plus, it's water-resistant." Nabiki folded her arms.
Comprehension started to dawn in Ryouga's eyes. He regarded the box as if it contained some magical artifact that defied the laws of nature. Finally, he managed to express an opinion. "Wow…"
Twenty minutes later, they were standing in the park, bundled up against the late December weather. "OK," said Nabiki, "You're going to lead us all back home. Go for it."
Ryouga looked at the unit. "Ummm… I don't know your address. Addresses were never much use to me…"
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "OK. The unit can store a directory of up to 50 locations you want to go to. You can scroll through it by name, and pick one. Give it here."
Ryouga handed the GX-7400 over to Nabiki. She fiddled with its tiny keypad for a while. "Let's see… Tendou Dojo… Fuurinkan High School… there." She handed it back. "I've put the Dojo and the High School in. Just rotate that thumbwheel, and when you see the place you want to go, hit that red button."
Ryouga dialed the thumb wheel until the display said "Tendou Dojo." He pushed the red button. After a short pause, the unit spoke up in a polite, synthesized female voice. "Please proceed to the park exit nearest the playground."
Ryouga looked around; sure enough, there was an exit visible near the playground. He frowned. "This can't be right! Isn't your house that way?" He pointed in the opposite direction.
Ranko, Akane, and Nabiki all looked at each other. Nabiki answered, "Why don't you try going the way you think is right, Ryouga?"
Ryouga nodded, and proceeded in what he thought was the right direction. The unit immediately spoke up. "I'm sorry, that is not the correct direction. Please turn around." He stopped, and all three girls burst out laughing.
Ryouga's face turned red. "Ummm, that's not the right way?"
Nabiki nodded. "This is very important. If this thing is going to work for you, you have to completely ignore your own sense of direction. If you start going the way you think you should, you're already lost. Got it?"
Ryouga nodded uncertainly, and turned around. The three girls followed behind him.
As he left the park through the exit near the playground, the unit spoke again. "Please turn right, and continue." He did so.
As Ryouga walked along, making turns at the unit's command, his feeling of discomfort grew. He looked behind him; the three sisters were still following him, their expressions neutral. He looked forward again, and frowned. He was sure this couldn't be right. The unit must be defective; his instincts screamed at him that he was going further and further off course, getting more and more lost.
He turned around again. "Are you sure this thing is taking us in the right direction?"
All three girls looked elsewhere nonchalantly, their expressions unreadable.
Ryouga sighed, and turned forward once more. He reached a corner. "Please turn left, and continue." He did so. His sense of being lost was overwhelming now. He hoped Ranko and her sisters could figure out where they were and get them home.
Suddenly the unit spoke up. "You have reached your destination." He looked up, and found himself face to face with the front gate of the Tendou Dojo.
He stared at the gate, then at the small unit in his hand, then at the gate again, then back to the girls, who were all grinning at him. Slowly, an expression of joy crept onto his face, and grew and grew, until he looked like a little boy who had opened a plain-looking package and found the one present he had wanted more than anything else in the whole world, the one he had thought he would never, ever receive.
Ranko clapped her hands together and laughed in delight at the pure, childlike joy on Ryouga's face; she had never seen him look this happy in the entire time she had known him. In fact, she didn't think she had ever seen him actually joyful; it utterly transformed his face. She felt a kind of joy herself, a warm feeling in her heart that seemed to echo his. Curiously, a tear ran down her cheek; she wiped it away, and wondered what it meant.
They never did actually go to the movies that night. Instead, for the rest of the day, Ryouga led Ranko all over Fuurinkan-cho, quite literally like a kid with a new toy. The shopping district, the high school, the Tendou Dojo, the Saotome home: he fairly cackled with glee as the little gadget led him unerringly to wherever he wanted to go. Ranko found his delight in this to be more than entertainment enough.
After getting strange looks from passersby, Ryouga noticed the earphone jack on the unit. Nabiki was happy to supply him with one ("I'm just putting this all on your tab, you know"), and so he placed the unit in a pocket, with the earphone in his ear. It looked rather like an old-fashioned hearing aid, which seemed oddly appropriate.
They ended up on the roof of the Tendou Dojo.
"I'm sorry we never went on our date… and after I gave you a hard time about wanting one."
"It's OK." She smiled. "Watching you with your new toy was the best date I could have had. I'm so happy for you."
He put his arm around her, and she snuggled into his shoulder. "It's all thanks to you asking Nabiki for me." She smiled. "Even if I am gonna have to pay for it in convenient monthly installments." They both laughed.
His face grew serious again. "Everything good that's happened to me recently has been because of you." He brought his face a little closer, and Ranko wondered as she looked up into his eyes. His soft, brown, soulful eyes. They seemed almost to grow, until she couldn't see anything else…
"You know, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You helped me straighten my life out. You got me out of the rut I was in, the anger and the hate and the depression. You made me happy. You've been like an angel to me, turning my life in the right direction.
"You have a beautiful soul. I couldn't think of any better way to spend my life than watching you play your violin, practice the Art, and mother your children. And… and share all that with you, if… if you'll have me. And to think I hated you… wanted to kill you… thought you were the worst thing in my life…" He shook his head in wonder. "I could have missed knowing you. The real you."
She shivered. "Ryouga… I… I…"
He drew her into a tight embrace. "Shhhh. I know. I'm sorry. I just can't help telling you how I feel." He kissed the top of her head. "Because I love you. So much that if you decide I'm not the one for you, I'll still be glad I fell in love with you."
She pulled back a little and looked up at him again in wonder. Was this Ryouga speaking so poetically? Why had she never seen this side of him before? Maybe he had kept it hidden, just as she had hidden so many parts of herself. "Ryouga…"
Her eyes were shimmering, and suddenly she felt drawn to him. She tilted her head back and leaned forward ever so slightly, bringing her mouth a little closer to his. Her eyes were half-closed. He smiled, lowering his head, and they kissed, a gentle, tender kiss, that was somehow passionate all the same, just from the connection it made between them.
Ranko felt something as she kissed him, a longing for something she couldn't even identify, much less express, yet joyous at the same time. Her mind seemed a maelstrom of swirling emotions. Something intangible passed between them through their lips, something she couldn't put a name to. The more she felt she got from him, the more she wanted to give to him in return.
Finally, the kiss ended, and they once more looked into each other's eyes. Ranko couldn't take her eyes off of his. Warm, gentle… loving. She shook her head slightly; she felt as if her heart were being torn in two, by a tug of war between fear of what this burgeoning relationship meant, and… and something else. Something that made her want to hold onto him and not let go. She snuggled into his shoulder again, and he held her, still not saying anything.
After a time, she spoke, her voice almost a whisper. "Ryouga?"
"Mmmm?"
"You… you know how you told Noriko that you were my boyfriend?"
He grimaced. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I was your boyfriend. We're just dating, right?"
She snorted. "N-no. We're… we're not just dating. Not any more. I… I've been lying to myself. What happened just now couldn't have happened if we were just dating. I… I wouldn't feel this way…" She shook her head. "You… you were right. You are my boyfriend. Ryouga, I… I… I…" she stopped speaking.
"Shhhh." He stroked her hair gently. "It's OK. It's OK." He held her quietly for a few moments. "I know this has been going too fast for you. I can wait—years, if that's what it takes. I'll try my best to do this the way you want. Because all I want is for you to be happy. I don't want you to be frightened."
She shivered again. "It's… it's what I want that I'm afraid of…"
The next morning, Ryouga insisted on walking Akane and Ranko to school. No, on leading Akane and Ranko to school. They reached the gates, then paused.
Ranko looked up at him, and blushed. She was still overwhelmed by what had happened on the roof last night. "I'll… I'll see you tonight." A grin split her face as her humor returned a little. "It's so weird to be able to count on something like that!"
He smiled, and moved to kiss her. "No, not here in front of everyone!" she protested, but it was too late.
"You there! Hibiki! How dare you attempt to kiss the beauteous Saotome Ranko!"
All three sighed and turned around to face the Blue Thunder of Fuurinkan High School. Meanwhile, heads popped out of windows like dandelions from a lawn after a spring rain.
"Did he say 'kiss'?" "I thought she liked girls! Damn, I coulda asked her out!" "Didn't they used to fight all the time?" "Whoa, way to go, Ranko-chan!"
Ranko sighed and put her hand over her eyes.
Kunou didn't like being ignored. "Answer me, cur!"
Ryouga, please don't say it in front of the whole school…
"Hey! She's my girlfriend, OK? I'll kiss her if I want to!"
He said it…
"Girlfriend?" "Man, I missed my chance! Now it's too late!" "But he wanted to kill her! I wonder when they made up?" "Wow… I guess she's a girl after all…" "Definitely way to go, Ranko-chan!" "Think they've done 'it' yet?"
Ranko turned bright red, and Akane's battle aura started to glow.
Kunou spluttered. "You dare pretend to the honor of companion to the fire-haired maiden? It is an outrage! I will not permit it!" He charged at Ryouga, his bokken raised.
Ryouga just stood there, watching Kunou, making no effort to move. The bokken swung towards Ryouga's undefended side, and Ranko's heart leapt into her throat. She wanted to leap and intercept the bokken herself, but she had waited too long, certain that Ryouga could handle Kunou easily. Why wasn't he doing anything? She watched in helpless agony.
At the last moment, Ryouga, who had been watching the bokken carefully, reached out one finger and said quietly, "Bakusai Tenketsu." The bokken touched his finger and promptly exploded, peppering Kunou with wood fragments. The kendoist stopped, and slowly toppled over.
Ryouga grinned, and turned to Ranko. "Works every time. You know…" He trailed off. Ranko was glaring at him, tears running down her face. "R-Ranko?"
"Baka! Did you have to show off like that? I… I thought he was going to hurt you!" Akane drew a sharp breath. Several of the girls watching from the windows sighed.
Ryouga's heart twisted a little, in a way both painful and exhilarating. "I, uhhh… Even if he had, it wouldn't have hurt much. You know me." He grinned sheepishly. "I'm… I'm sorry…"
Ranko stared at him for a long moment, then blushed deeply. His embrace was so gentle, and it had been so long since they had fought, she had forgotten he had the strength of a monster. This was a man who could stop a charging boar with one hand. "Oh… right. Heh." Oh, Kami-sama, did I ever just make a fool of myself, and in front of the whole school. Ranko no baka…
She wiped her tears away. Still blushing, she nodded. "I'll… I'll see you later, OK?"
He smiled. "OK."
Ranko and Akane—who was trying desperately to keep a smile off her face—turned and walked into the school. Ranko continued to blush and look at the ground as she walked, trying hard to ignore the fact that the thought of Ryouga being hurt had frightened her terribly.
Ryouga watched them enter the school, and just stood there for a while. He sighed, turned away, and started to walk back to the Tendou Dojo, listening to the directions coming through his earphone. He hadn't been to school in so long, and it embarrassed him. How could he hope to run his own dojo, not even having attended high school? He shook his head. What was the use? He couldn't very well attend school if he got lost all the…
Suddenly, he stopped, his eyes wide. He slowly turned around and looked back at the school.
Ranko was headed from the restroom towards the cafeteria for lunch when Sayuri walked up to her. The rest of her class had already gone on ahead, and Ranko was surprised that Sayuri had not as well. "Ranko-chan?"
Ranko felt a little nervous; Sayuri looked quite serious. "Yes, Sayuri-chan?"
"I just wanted to give you something. I think you'll find it really useful considering what's going on in your life right now."
Ranko was nonplussed. "Really? Th-thank you. What… what is it?"
Sayuri pressed something into her hands; it felt like a… book? "This. I really think it will come in handy."
Ranko nodded uncertainly, and Sayuri turned and started to walk away.
Ranko looked at what was in her hands; it was a large glossy magazine. "Graceful Wedding…" Suddenly, she turned beet red. "Sayuri-channnn!" She heard laughter drifting from down the hall, and took off in pursuit.
She paused at the school entrance; had Sayuri gone outside? She thought so. She decided to put on her outside shoes and go check.
After a couple of minutes, she took a last look around, and gave up; Sayuri was nowhere to be seen. She must have been mistaken about the way her friend had gone.
She allowed herself a laugh; Sayuri was too good a friend to have meant it as anything other than good-natured teasing after her display in front of the school that morning. She looked at the magazine she was holding and laughed again. As if she would need to read something like this!
Five minutes later, she was deep into the magazine, checking out the photographs, and wandering back towards the school to eat. She was just wondering how she would look in the wedding gown on page 110 when she bumped into a tree. She looked up in confusion. Hadn't she been heading towards the school? Where was she?
Suddenly, a hideous thought occurred to her: "Oh, Kami-sama, I kissed him, and it's contagious!" She looked around and caught sight of the school, then realized where she was and let out a sigh of relief. She snorted at herself for thinking of such an outlandish idea; she had merely been distracted and not watching where she was going. It was a good thing Sayuri hadn't been around to see her that engrossed in the magazine. Feeling more than a little silly, she stuck it under her arm and headed back; she would have to hurry to have time enough to eat lunch.
She was about to enter the cafeteria when Yuka intercepted her, eyeing the magazine. "Ranko-chan, I don't think it would be a good idea to take that into the cafeteria right now." She looked worried.
Ranko smiled. "It's a very good idea! I need to give it back to its rightful owner." She winked. "In full view of everyone else." She offered an evil grin and marched in, the magazine still under her arm. Yuka was left talking to empty air, and scrambled to follow her.
She spotted Sayuri and her other friends at their usual table, and headed over. Time for a little payback teasing. There was a male student sitting at the table as well, though she couldn't see his face. All the better. Let's see, she thought, how about "Sayuri-chan, here's your magazine back. I know you couldn't bear to part with it for long!"
As she marched up to the table, Sayuri spotted her and turned pale. She tried to wave Ranko off, her eyes filled with panic. Her mouth was saying "No… no… no…" silently. Ranko grinned. This was going to be fun.
Akane spotted her and turned ashen, and started making warding motions too. Ranko stopped behind the boy and said "Oh, not you too, Sis."
The boy turned around, and Ranko's heart stopped. It was Ryouga, in a Fuurinkan uniform. And she had a thick bridal magazine under her arm.
"There you are! I was wondering what was keeping you." He stood up and spread out his arms, showing off the uniform. "So, what do you think?"
"R… R… R…" was all she could manage.
"Surprised, huh? I figured that now that I can find my way around, I could start going to school again, so I registered here this morning." He smiled. "I want to run my own dojo, and I need an education for that." He put his hand behind his head, a little embarrassed. "I've got some catching up to do."
Abject terror and pride warred in Ranko's heart. Abject terror was winning. "That's… that's really wonderful, Ryouga! W-w-what a surprise!"
He laughed. "Yeah. All your friends just about turned white when I showed up at the table here! Guess I surprised them, too." His eyes spotted something. "What's that?"
Ranko swallowed. "What's what?"
"That thing under your arm. It looks like a thick magazine."
Yuka sidled up behind Ranko, and surreptitiously slid the magazine out from under her arm as she went past. Ranko tried to persuade her heart to stop pounding.
She lifted her arms. "I don't have anything under my arms. See?" She shrugged cutely. Yuka walked casually around the table and sat down—on top of something. Ranko glared at Sayuri, whose face showed miserable embarrassment, and whose eyes spoke of profound, heartfelt apologies.
Ryouga frowned. "That's odd, I could've sworn…"
Ranko smiled shakily. "I'll… I'll be right back. I forgot my bento."
Akane spoke up. "I already brought yours, Sis." She pointed at the cloth-wrapped box at the empty seat next to Ryouga's.
Ranko sat down next to Ryouga, and shivered. That had been close…
As she started to calm down, she finally was able to focus on Ryouga's good news. She took his arm and smiled. "Ryouga, I'm so happy for you. I know how much missing school has bothered you. Congratulations." Ryouga was grinning from ear to ear, and they just looked at each other for a long moment.
Ranko's friends smiled, the prank gone awry forgotten for the time being. Yuka's thoughts went to the contents of the magazine she was sitting on, and she sighed.
Later, when it was time for PE, Ranko and Ryouga walked towards the locker rooms together. "Watch out in the locker room. When they find out you turn into a girl, they'll try to splash you." Ranko blushed. "I always just beat them up, and it seemed to hold them off for a few months."
Ryouga snorted and cracked his knuckles. "Don't worry." They reached the locker room doors and paused. "Thanks for the heads up."
She grinned impishly. "Hey, we girls have to stick together… Ryouko-chan." She winked, and he gave her a sour look, but didn't say anything; her teasing didn't really bother him any more. They parted.
In the locker room Ranko was startled to find herself mobbed by more of her friends.
Megumi said "Ranko-chan, he is majorly cute! Way to go, girl!"
The other girls chimed in their agreement. "The whole school is talking about you guys!" Ranko sighed; when was the whole school not talking about her?
One of the other girls feigned a pout. "Why didn't I notice how cute he was before? His first day at school and he's taken already! No fair!" Everyone laughed.
As she changed her clothes for PE, she wondered what she would have thought six months ago if someone had told her that by the end of the year, she would be in the girl's locker room, being congratulated for having a "majorly cute" boyfriend. She giggled. Or that she was Akane's long lost "twin sister", or that she would be thinking very seriously of becoming a violinist instead of a martial arts sensei. She shook her head. Wow. Sometimes, just thinking about all this still overwhelmed her.
She finished changing, straightened up, and gently closed her locker. "Ranma" would have run for the hills, terrified of what such a life represented. But she wouldn't trade her life right now for anything; she was too happy, even with all the pressures and uncertainties of her relationship with Ryouga. She smiled slightly, her eyes unfocused, and again silently thanked Kami-sama for what had happened last summer. Thank you for letting me be me…
Akane walked up, and tilted her head, almost as if she knew what was going through Ranko's mind. They smiled wordlessly at each other, then headed off to the gym.
End Chapter 12
Tuesday, September 12, 2000
Copyright Notice
The characters and stories of Ranma ½ are Copyright © Rumiko Takahashi, and are used here without permission or license.
No claims to the above copyright are made by the author of this work.
This work is for non-commercial use ONLY, and is produced for the enjoyment of fans only.
This work is the expression of the author and the depiction of the Ranma ½ characters herein are in no way represented to be a part of Ranma ½ as depicted by the original author and copyright holder(s).