All was quiet in a certain modest 1LDK apartment in East Ikebukuro as the morning light began to slip under the blinds of Tooru's bedroom. There was no movement aside from that of a small orange and white cat who deftly maneuvered across a plush fullsize-bed, which took up a large amount of space in the narrow bedroom.

The cat slowly made its way up the bed until it stood next to a passed out Tooru, sleeping face down and faintly snoring.

The cat examined its owner, noting the silver head of hair and somewhat different proportions. Even the smell was different, but the cat seemed to be satisfied that the woman it was sitting next to was its owner and, more importantly, the giver of food in the mornings.

At a certain moment, its significance only known to the cat itself, it pounced on top of Tooru's back..

As the force of the sudden weight on her back transferred to her chest, the resultant jolt of pain caused Tooru to open up her eyes suddenly and cry out,

"AH! Chibi!"

Tooru sat up suddenly, tenderly cradling her chest with one arm and her head with her free hand,

The cat sat next to Tooru and meowed a few times as Tooru let out a groan.

"Ooooooooh, my head."

Tooru slowly turned her head to look at the small orange cat sitting on the pillow next to Tooru. She let out an annoyed grunt.

"Must of passed out as soon as I got home..." she muttered weakly before quietly addressing the cat looking up at her.

"Morning Chibi. I guess it's time for your breakfast, huh?"

Chibi, hearing one of the handful of words that excited it, meowed contentedly.

This must be a test

Maybe they are on to me

It's not the way I look

My clip on tie and button shirt

are all by the book

I dot my i's and cross my t's

and if I cross the line

I'm just rehearsing my part

If I'm Ophelia

then I will put the

shake in Shakespeare

I get to go mad

reviving Ophelia

then I will put the

ham in Hamlet (...I don't want to be the understudy)

I want to go mad!

It's more than a supporting role

in a play that's being put on

by an all boy's Catholic School

It's cool because I get to go mad

- Bitesize

Understudy

Issue Two: My Name is Tooru, and I'm a Jusenkyo Victim

The day before, the office was a maelstrom of activity. Tooru, his chest slightly puffed, stood at the center of the office, moving his arms as though directing traffic,

He looked over at the designer's desks and said, "Yuriko, Erica! Where are we with the galleys for Snap!"

"Kushieda is getting us the last of the advertisement spreads in an hour!" Erica replied over the din of typing and conversation.

"Tell Kushieda she has 30 minutes!" Tooru turned to his right and looked at the blue-haired assisant editor, "Mari, where are we with the Hong-Kong story for Cham-Cham?"

Mari looked up from her computer and replied, "Freelancer was laid up. The flu."

"Crap. Get in contact with Mei Lin Nishimura. She did the copy for the Fiona Kotur Marin story. If she's not available, let me know and I'll do it seeing as I've been there most recently. Keep on it, though," he grumbled, "These freelancers are killing us with their delays. Even if we're monthlies, doesn't mean we can sit on our asses waiting for them to be inspired."

"Well maybe if they'd hire actual staff instead of foisting it all on the editors, we wouldn't be so vulnerable," Yuriko complained.

Tooru scoffed, "Right, maybe you and Kushieda can magically raise the division's total circulation by 300,000. Then we can talk."

He looked down at two mousy young women, who looked barely out of high school.

"A-ko, B-ko!"

"That's Eiko. I'm Biko," the slightly taller one said, pointing to the shorter of the two.

Tooru nodded at his mistake, "Sorry, my mistake. Look, I need you two to go to the Lawson down the block and get the staff lunch and coffee. May as well give everyone a break today. And be quick about it! I'm collating theNunnu page proofs for the Chief Editor and one of you is going to be my copy-slave. I'm deciding if flipping a coin or having the two of you fight to the death is a better selection process," he gave a shark-like smile to the two terrified young women, "Now head out!" Tooru barked as they sped off.

Tooru let a low, vaguely sinister laugh escape from his lips, "I love this job some days."

Tooru had good reason. Talk of the curse had died down after the group interrogation at Vinvin the other night, the everpresent deadlines, and the lack of inclement weather following the typhoon. While he was happy to be a benevolent boss, especially since the people under his command were actually competent at their jobs and, the few times he had to be harsh, his own boss was more than happy to be the one the staff took their ire out on, he knew that squeezing out as much productivity as possible.

Suddenly the phone in his office rang. He walked in and picked it up.

"Fuki here. Kushieda? What's going on? I need you- Oh, you have got to be-... Alright... Well, I was going to get the page proofs to that damn Kido today, I may as well make a personal appearance," he hung up the phone, rubbing his forehead and eyeing a bottle of aspirin by his computer.

A few hours later, after leading one of the interns in a now toner-stained outfit to her counterpart, he walked to the Chief Editor's Office, a stack of papers in his hands.

"Chief Nagano. I have the Nunnuproofs for you. We have an... issue, however. The printer is balking at our magazine format and is asking to increase his rates, now that we're almost out of our old contract."

Chief Nagano smiled, her raised brow displaying the only hint of annoyance, "Figures as much. Remember when Bungeisha still had its own printing facilities and this was a non-issue?"

Tooru nodded as he handed Nagano the proofs, "Indeed, but you know the CFO and his 'cost-effectiveness' rants. I still think it would've been better if they just shut down the weekly news-magazines since they have piss poor circulation and even worse ad revenue."

Nagano raised a finger, before tutting, "Ah, but Japan This Week and News Journal are respectable and serious. Not a bunch of magazines aimed at 'frippery' like us."

"Feh. Nothing but kowtowing to the conservatives in the Diet and recycling the same two dozen softball "health and lifestyle" pieces. Mari got that interview with Ai Yamano right as her sex scandal with that member of Parliament hit precisely because we're 'frippery'."

Nagano put on a pair of reading glasses and began thumbing though the pages, reading through the pages carefully as she spoke.

"Fuki, I am so glad you work for us here. You understand what we do better than most..." she looked up at him, "I've never told you this, but a while ago, when we were first merging, there was pressure to lay you off. You were young, still just a photo editor, and there were those who felt you resented the work because you were a man."

Nagano returned to looking over the proofs as Tooru replied, "Well... I admit, I never saw myself working here back then. However, I'm proud of the work I've been a part of. Everyone here has also been exemplary in their work ethic and I'm happy to be of assistance to you, Chief."

"You know, Fuki, from anyone else, that would come off as brown-nosing. You're too earnest for your own good, sometimes," she noted as she stamped the pages.

Tooru adjusted his tie, "Well, I think, after the events of the past week, I'm pretty sure I've lost what little pride I ever had. I can afford to be honest."

Nagano revealed a thin line of a smile, "Oh don't let those those two get you with their "man-hating" routine. It's all in good fun. Especially given how flustered you were the other night, I would say we've come to the conclusion that, even as a woman, you're still mostly harmless."

Tooru cleared his throat, "I'm not sure how to take that remark, Chief Nagano."

Nagano nodded as she adjusted her reading glasses before returning to the pages in front of her, "Let's say you've been vetted by some of the toughest critics you'll ever come across. I've always said you could stand to lose a bit of that stuffed-shirt attitude of yours."

Tooru narrowed his eyes slightly, "Oh? And what? Replace said stuffed-shirt with an Oscar de la Renta silk blouse, like Mari has planned for me? She's almost frightening when it comes down to it."

Nagano let out a soft laugh, "Yes she is. Despite her hobbies, she has a dangerously encyclopedic knowledge of the industry. I wouldn't be surprised if she already has several lookbooks just for you, Fuki-kun," she joked as she finished stamping the pages, taking delight in her employee's groaning.

Nagano handed the papers back to Tooru, "All right. This looks good. Thank you once again for your hard work. Are you going to deal with the printers today, Fuki-kun?"

Tooru nodded, "Yes, Chief. I'm on my way at the moment."

Tooru turned to leave when Chief Editor Nagano spoke, "Wait a moment, Fuki-kun."

He looked back, "Yes?"

"Fashion Week is next month. However, something has come up on my end with the higher ups in management. I'll need you to attend in my place. Ishida, as well."

Tooru looked a bit nervous, "Are you sure I should attend? I can find one of our regular contributors to attend with Mari."

Nagano shook her head, "No, Fuki-kun, we need someone with authority to represent us and you're the most senior staff after myself. Keep your calendar open and... "

"And?"

Nagano places two fingers under her chin as she seemed to examine Tooru's features, "I was thinking, given how rainy October in Tokyo can get, to bring an umbrella, but I maybe..." her expression grew Chesire Cat-like before responding, "nevermind. We'll have a planning meeting closer to the date. I'll be curious to see how the next few weeks shape up, Fuki-kun."

"Of.. of course, Chief," Tooru said before bowing and walking out of the office.

Tooru walked into the center of the office and spoke, "Okay, I'm headed to speak with our printer. Erica, you're in charge while I'm gone, Mari, I'm gonna need you in case asking nicely doesn't pan out. I can use you as leverage."

"How?"

"You're the best haggler I know. Remember that one Comiket you dragged me to? When you got that stack ofBoy's Love doujinshi for 2000 yen? If you can do that much just for cartoon porn, imagine what you can do when properly motivated," Tooru said, smirking.

"Shh! It's not porn! It's romantic," Mari protested, her face red with embarrassment.

"It's creepy, is what it is." Tooru replied, before waving his hand in front of him, "But nevermind that. I'm pretty sure you can get the printer to see reason."

As the two emerged from Kasuga Station in nearby Bunkyo Ward they took in the calmer half-residential, half-industrial neighborhood, made up of mostly tall skyscrapers that served as offices or apartment blocks with small convenience stores or newsstands at street level.

Tooru was lost in thought when he felt a slight tugging at his sleeve. He looked down to see Mari smile.

"Tooru-kun," Mari said in a lively voice, "We should hang out this weekend!"

Tooru raised an eyebrow at the blue-haired woman next to him, "Oh? You want me to come along while you and your otaku friends sing anime songs for hours on end? Or do you need me to let you know what songs are actually on the radio these days?"

"You know, you'd be a lot more popular with women if you weren't such a jerk," Mari pouted.

Tooru smiled, "Only to you, Mari. You should know that men always tease their best friends."

She laughed at the remark, "then you won't panic when I tell you I was thinking of taking my best friend out shopping."

Tooru tilted his head, confused, "Shopping? For what? I just bought new shoes and dress shirts for the fall before I left for China. My mother gave me a new cat bed for Chibi this Ochuugen. And I'm not getting a new smartphone! I don't care if it's three years old."

Mari shook her head, "Tooru, don't avoid the issue. You know you're only half-dressed. You need to get some clothes to match your new self!" she exclaimed.

Tooru was taken aback, "What!? No way. I'm not buying wo-wo-those kinds of things! It's unseemly," Tooru turned away, stifling a blush with a gruff sound.

Mari stuck two fingers in Tooru's field of vision, "Reason two why your relations with women are so poor. You're too much of a fuddy-duddy, Tooru-kun! You have to let loose and not be such a stick in the mud."

Tooru crossed his arms and looked away, affecting coldness, "I like my fuddy-duddyness just fine, thank you. What I currently have on is just fine, even in the highly unlikely event I get-"

A loud bang could be heard as a fire hydrant, set into the corner of the sky scraper they were walking past, burst, the shiny copper valve flying in front of Tooru, while the pressurized stream of water's aim was true.

Tooru spit out a small stream of water as she walked ahead, the stream slowing down as the built up pressure released and the watter ebbed out of the hydrant at a more reasonable flow. She wrung the water out of her tie, looked down at her shoes, and frowned, "Okay. My shoe polish budget is going to increase dramatically it seems. Thank god, I didn't listen to you and splurge on those Italian loafers."

Mari, who was not at all affected by the torrent of water, smiled.

"You were saying, Tooru-chan?"

"Don't call me that!" Tooru said, inwardly annoyed at how high-pitched the voice became when she yelled.

Tooru took a breath, "Anyway, I need to get some hot water or tea now."

"No time, Tooru. We're here," Mari replied pointing at a nearby building.

"But I can't-" Tooru was interrupted as Mari grabbed her wrist.

"Just let me do the talking. That's why you brought me, right?"

"Fine, just let me dry off a second," Tooru said as, after freeing her arm, she removed her suit jacket and shook the excess water off.

Tooru and Mari walked into Daichi Printers, a medium sized office. The humming of machinery could be heard, though it was mostly copy and fax machines, since the larger printing presses were kept in a warehouse in Saitama Prefecture.

Mari approached the desk and nervously spoke to the receptionist,

"H-hi. My... colleague and I are here on behalf of Bungeisha Publishing's Fashion Division. We had a discussion earlier about our account."

"One second, I'll send out Mr. Kido."

A short, squat looking man appeared from a backroom. He seemed rather nebbish, his thick glasses covered his face, only highlighting the short, thinning hair on top, which seemed greasy with ink or copy toner.

He spoke in a nasal, grating voice, "Yeah, you Kushieda? Don't think I ever talked to you off the phone."

Mari shook her head, "Um, no. My name is Mari Ishida. I'm an Assistant Editor for the division. I'm here with a colleague."

"Hah! That tough broad Nagano decided to play ball, huh? I'm surprised, though. I expected that stick up his ass lapdog of hers to show up and strut around like a jerk."

"What!" Tooru yelled as her jaw dropped in shock.

She recalled the last time he had visited Kido, a few years ago when the initial contracts were being drawn. She had thought the short squat man a bit off-putting. Tooru had been a bit short with him out of frustration over the outsourcing and restructuring within the firm, but Tooru thought he had remained a consummate professional. Mr. Kido however, had apparently remembered those events rather differently.

Tooru protested, "I'm- I mean, he's a very respectful person!"

Kido, scoffed loudly, "Pffft! Yeah right. I'd ask if you were screwing him on the side, but I know he doesn't swing that way."

Tooru's eyes widened, "Of course I do! I mean, he does!"

Kido looked at Tooru strangely, pausing for a moment as he looked her up and down, before guffawing, "How sweet, a woman your age with a schoolgirl crush. But I can tell you, you're wasting your time with that homo, though maybe as mannish as you dress, he might be fooled. I'd try something other than your dad's hand-me-downs, though."

Tooru looked ready to strangle Kido before Mari stepped in, holding Tooru back with an arm.

"Anyways, we'd like to speak with you regarding our contract with your company Mr. Kido," Mari said, looking back nervously.

Kido waved his hand at the blue-haired woman, "It's simple. A twenty percent increase in our current rate, along with a one-time 1 million yen gratuity."

Tooru exclaimed, shocked once more, "Twentypercent!? Why you little-"

"To-chan!" Mari quickly appended and Tooru backed down as she was both shocked by Mari's appelation and regained her countenance.

Mari continued, "Mr. Kido, we understand that inflation and slowing demand have caused your company's costs to increase, but you understand we are in a similar bind. We would rather not have to find another printer."

"Good luck with that, kid. I do the cheapest work for the quantities you order. I'm only asking for some parity with my competitors, as well as an investment for equipment upgrades."

Tooru fumed. She suspected he would just pocket most of that "capital investment" and give them the same quality printing they had always enjoyed. Still he was right about his rates. He thought back to his conversation with Chief Nagano.

"Well, if she really thinks that highly of me," she thought, "I better start acting like it."

Tooru affected a smile she thought was reminiscent of Erica at her most serious and Chief Nagano at her most corporate.

"Mr. Kido. We at Bungeisha Publishing are aware of the severe risks. We know that digital publishing has eaten away at both of our industries for the last decade. However, we also know that, if we work together as allies, we can ensure that print media like our magazines remain an important part of modern life."

Kido looked shocked at the change in attitude the woman in front of him had effected.

Mari piped in, "We can offer an increase of fourteen percent and a capital investment of 1.2 million yen."

"Fourteen isn't twenty."

Tooru nodded, " Yes, however what if we promise a fifteen percent increase in our print orders over the next five years? That should make up the difference, should it not?"

Mr. Kido considered the offer, "Well... you make the one-time payment of 1.5 million and I think we can talk."

"1.4"," Mari corrected.

Kido shrugged, "I see why Nagano sent you, girlie," he turned and looked up at Tooru, "she can teach you a thing or two, young lady."

Tooru thought for sure the vein in her forehead was visibly throbbing, but she forced a polite smile and bowed to Kido.

"I will have Chief Nagano and Ms. Kushieda bring by the papers tomorrow."

Kido began to walk back into his office, "You do that. Don't bring that asshole Fuki around, though. Never could stand a man who thinks he's too good to share a drink and a game of Go with someone."

Tooru began to protest, "Oh come on, I," she paused, realizing Kido was no longer listening.

Mari and Tooru left the printer's office. Tooru was lost in thought, her brow furrowed as she mumbled to herself darkly.

"Tooru-kun?" Mari asked.

Tooru grabbed the sides of her head with her hands, yelling, "ARGH! I can't believe he insulted me to my own face! It's so frustrating!"

That Thursday evening, Tooru emerged from Nerima Station. As he took in the calmer, less oppressively urban atmosphere of the outer ward, he began thinking upon the last few days.

He strolled down a residential street that paralleled a canal while thinking to himself, "Nice day. Nice neighborhood, too. Definitely good to get out of the office. If it wasn't that snafu with the printer, it was Mari being her insistent self."

He let out a dry laugh as kept thinking, " Hah. 'Half-dressed'. As if I'm gonna flounce about in a Lilly dress for the hell of it. Hell, it isn't like I'll just get splashed that-"

Tooru felt the water hit the side of his head, then dripping down the loose neck of her undershirt.

"Often," she finished the thought as she turned and saw a short, squat middle-aged woman holding a wooden ladle.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" she exclaimed, embarrassed.

"Evidently. What are you even doing?" Tooru asked in near disbelief.

"Oh, my mother used to do this every day to keep down dust from coming into the house. It's also a little bit spiritual for us, you know, purifying the entrance to our home."

Tooru rubbed her head in annoyance, "Well, please be careful. There are those of us who would rather not be randomly splashed."

The woman laughed and waved a hand, "Oh, you don't have to remind me. My mother used to laugh her head off at the number of times she got Mr. Saotome from down the street."

"I bet," Tooru dryly replied as she kept walking.

Tooru was glad to find a small candy store that was more than happy to give him hot water. The old woman behind the counter chuckled when she had asked, knowing exactly why she needed it. Tooru thanked her and, buying a pack of chewing gum and a pack of Kompeito, walked, once more, towards the Saotome Dojo.

Tooru shook his head recalling yesterday's events. It illustrated to him that, at best, the curse was a nuisance. At worst, it was practically a disability. How was he ever going to live a normal life like this? He had thrown himself into his work just to avoid these kinds of existential dilemmas until today. He had been anticipating the evening since that Monday and hopefully he'd get some answers.

"Let see," Tooru muttered to himself as he looked at his phone, "Should be around here... This it?"

He came across a large open gate. There was a wooden sign above that that read

"Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts - Dojo Entrance".

Tooru sauntered in, hearing the sounds of activity. Sliding open the door to the dojo, he saw something incredible. A young man and woman practically hung in the air as they traded punches and kicks before finally agreeing to gravity's usually unsubtle suggestion and landing in opposite corners of the dojo, before turning around and jumping up, repeating the process.

"Come on, tomboy, keep up. Your blocks are getting sloppy!" The black-haired man said, throwing a series of arm strikes and kicks.

"Hey!," the cobalt-haired woman yelled, "You didn't have Principal Kuno threaten to cut your salary if you didn't feed the crocodiles in the basement jungle! I'm beat!" the woman replied, blocking most every strike, save for a kick that threw her clear to the wall of the dojo.

The man seemingly floated back to the floor and approached the woman quickly.

"You okay?" he said, concern deep in his blue eyes, before it was replaced with surprise as the woman swept his legs and fell back.

"I'm feeling... a bit better now, sweetie," the woman replied between breaths.

The man laughed and sat up, grabbing at his pigtail before speaking, "Okay okay. Sorry 'kane. I guess it's almost time. Let's get the table and chairs set up."

"No need Airen," a petite woman with long purple hair spoke in a jocular voice as she leaned into a tall man with long, flowing black hair, "Musi-honey and I got it set up while you two were giving each other lovetaps."

"Oh, thanks Shanpu," the man replied as he stood and stretched.

"Um... hello?" Tooru called out weakly as he stepped up into the dojo.

"Oh, are you Fuki?" The black-haired man asked.

"Yeah. Tooru Fuki. Nice to meet you Mr. Saotome."

"Please, you can call Pops that," he said pointing a thumb back towards a late middle-aged man in a white dogi, "I'm just Ranma."

"Ah, Ranma then."

Ranma patted Tooru on the shoulder and led him into the middle of the dojo, "Welcome to the group!"

Tooru noticed a warm bustling energy and ease of conversation everyone in the room seemed to have. He thought that it would be off-putting, but they seemed equally friendly towards everyone. He also noticed a small girl, about 140cm in height and almost willowy in build, with short red hair and wearing a white dogi. She seemed to alternately hide behind Ranma's father and peer around him to look at Tooru. For his part, Tooru just stood to one side, taking in the activity. He smiled at the young girl, though when he did so, she hid her face again.

A few minutes later, after the chairs were arranged in a circle in the center of the dojo, everyone sat down, except for Ranma who stood in front of his chair as he led the group.

"Evening everyone. As almost all of you know, my name is Ranma Saotome. I'm the President of the Tokyo Chapter of the Jusenkyo Support Center. The Support Center is a non-profit organization here to help out any Jusenkyo victims in their professional or personal lives. I don't get a lot of money out if it, I like helping people out and we're all intimately familiar with just how much of a pain in the butt a curse can be if you're not careful."

Tooru looked around seeing knowing nods and sympathetic sighs as Ranma continued, "In my regular life," Ranma paused as that phrase received several snickers, " I run this Martial Arts School and do some freelance work for the local police department and the town council." He sat down the and short blue/black haired woman stood and spoke.

"I'm Akane Saotome. I teach here at the school, but I mainly teach physical education at the local high school. I assist my husband on some of the other work, but I spend my free time looking after our children, Kenta and Ryuuji."

A tall man in a white robe, long black hair, and glasses stood, "I'm Musi, or Mousse if it's easier to say. I'm originally from China, though I've lived here for about 15 years now. I run a restaurant along with my wife, Shanpu as well as raise my two sons."

A young woman in a silk floral top and capri pants stood, "I'm Shanpu or Shampoo. I'm also from Nujiezu in China, but lived here in Tokyo since I was a teenager. I run the Nekohanten with Musi. He's the head chef and I handle the books. Louxian and Xiadou are enough of a handful that I'm happy Musi's a good father, " she grabbed Mousse's hand and the two sat down at the same time.

A man, broad shouldered with short black hair held in place by a yellow bandana spoke, "Hi. I'm Ryouga Hibiki. I don't live around here exactly, but I pop by in once in a while, mostly to spar with the boy-girl here," he pointed to Ranma, smiling, "I help my wife on her farm. She raises pigs."

"She sure does, P-chan," Ranma shot back with a similar grin.

"Hey, don't be mean!" Akane shouted, "I made sure he was a polite and respectable pig before he met Akari, after all. Not to mention an object lesson in disclosure and honesty..." Akane said, trailing off with a mischievous smile aimed at Ryouga, which caused him to look away a bit and bite his lip as Tooru noted her otherwise light-hearted expression grew an edge as the corner of her mouth moved up turning a knowing smile into something of a shark-like grin.

The middle-aged man stood, "I'm Saotome Genma. My son runs this school. I assist him in teaching beginner and intermediate students the martial arts, but I'm mostly retired these days," he bowed and sat back down.

The little red haired girl who was seated between Genma and Ranma, stood up and spoke, "I'm Kenta. I'm 10. I was born like this, but I'm really a boy, honest. Dumb Ryuuji got me after school with a water balloon and Pop said I should practice like this, since right now I'm taller as a girl," she looked up at Ranma expectantly, "Pop, can I go play with Louxian and Xiadou?"

Ranma nodded, ruffling the girl's short hair, "Sure kiddo. But I don't want your grandmother telling me the three of you beat up your little brother. If you want revenge, at least be creative about it," Ranma said with a wink as the girl stood, gave her father an almost devious smirk in return, and ran off as Akane rolled her eyes muttering, "Just like his father."

Ranma looked around before continuing, "Well... looks like this is it for the group today. We have about 50 people on the books as Jusenkyo victims here in Kanto and parts north. The Kansai office in Osaka has about 30 on the books in Western Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Okinawa, but we don't hear from them too much. Even still we usually only get about 10 or less people showing up to any given meeting. The gang here today's been around since we started and we're all old friends, but we love having new people around. Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"

Tooru straightened himself as he stood from his chair, "Um... all right. My name is Tooru Fuki. I'm 28. I'm from Hiroshima originally, but I live in East Ikebukuro in Toshima Ward. I'm an editor for a couple of women's fashion and lifestyle magazines. I have a cat named Chibi and... I guess that's it. I don't know a lot of people outside of work. Truthfully, I went to China last week for my vacation. I wanted to try and figure out how to have a more meaningful life outside of work. I just never expected..." Tooru slumped back down on his chair, putting his head down in his hands.

Ranma stood up and touched Tooru's shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. I know it's a lot to take in," Ranma said, "We all have our issues with the curse. One way that I find helps is to really show you you're not alone. Why don't we show you?" Ranma looked up, "That okay, guys?" Everyone nodded and stood, grabbing plastic cups from a small table placed to the side. One by one, they doused themselves and made their way back towards the center of the room.

Even knowing what was going on, Tooru was floored. Before him stood a married couple where man and wife had previously been wife and husband. In front of them were a small black piglet wearing a yellow bandana on its neck, a white and lavender cat, and a white duck with glasses. Towering over them all was a large panda.

Tooru let the image seep in for a moment before the woman spoke.

"See? It's a little weird, but it ain't too bad, Fuki."

Tooru wasn't freaked out so much as utterly terrified. Had he been inculcated in some sort of curse cult? What was he going to do? How could that guy smile and brush off turning into a little china doll of a woman and his wife... that towering samurai of a wife. Let alone the others who weren't even human. He felt his heart beat faster and faster and was certain he would start screaming any moment.

"Excuse me! I'm sorry, Ranma, I was running late," a young woman's voice emerged from the Dojo entrance. As the door slid open, Ranma turned and smiled.

"Kanako-chan! How are you!" Ranma ran up and hugged her, "No you ain't that late. We got a live one here and he's just taking it all in."

"Oh really?"

Tooru stood and his eyes widened. The woman before his was tall, yet extremely lithe. She wore a long, flowing white sundress and straw hat, the last vestiges of summerwear in early September. She let the waves of chocolate-brown hair flow loosely down to her mid-back and her bangs framed her long oval face, which was lightly made up to accent her large green eyes. She seemed to exude a tranquility that brought Tooru back from the brink of manic, wide-eyed terror. Tooru's mouth became dry as he tried to speak.

"Y-you're Kanako Kaneshima."

The woman, confused, nodded hesitantly, "Um... Yes, I am."

Tooru cleared his throat and adjusted his tie, "Ah, forgive me! My name is Tooru Fuki. I'm an editor at Nunnu and Cham-Cham. We use your agency a lot for our spreads. I recognize you from some of the articles we've run the last six months."

"Oh, I see. Nice to meet you Mr. Fuki. Are you cursed as well? If I can ask, what do you turn into?"

Tooru blinked at the straightforwardness of the question. He look around nervously, stumbling on his words, "Well, that is...I-"

Tooru felt the splash of water before he could finish. She turned back to see Ranma give her a puckish grin.

"There ya go! Don't need to have a complex over it," Ranma said, in a playful tone.

Akane walked up and scolded his husband, his hand hitting Ranma on the back of her head, "Ranma! Be reasonable. He's barely had his curse for a week! And look! You hit Kanako, too!"

"Sorry Kana-chan," Ranma said, rubbing the back of her head.

Tooru now looked to her left, The sundress, now loosely draped like a wedding veil came down over the transformed Kanako. In her place was a large white trumpeter swan who flapped its wings in a frustrated manner, honking at the red-haired girl.

Tooru fell back, her legs giving out as she collapsed on the floor. The only feeling she had was a desire to black out, to faint, to forget anything had ever happened, but... she couldn't, the image of a cat and a well-built, tall-figured man leading a swan away from the dojo towards the adjacent house was burned into her mind. She turned to look at Ranma as she lightly conversed and sparred with the piglet, panda, and duck with joyful ease, even when the duck had produced throwing knives from its wings.

Tooru felt pressure in her ears, as though she was tens of meters below the sea. The sounds around her became an indistinct muddle, save for the red-haired woman's voice, which was a sonorous counterpoint to the other noises, but still difficult to make out. Tooru looked back down at her hands and their long, tapering fingers, feeling a small measure of relief as she finally began to tear up.

After a moment, Tooru heard Ranma's voice over the ringing in her head.

"Are you all right, Fuki?"

Tooru yelled out, her tears turning into outright sobbing, "Of course not! I feel worse than when I came in! How did you even get this position? You're the worst counselor ever! I'm a certifiable freak, Saotome! I'm practically a monster and I'm going to be alone for the rest of my life because of it!"

Ranma held a hand up, and waved the others away, the three animal-cursed men exiting the dojo, leaving the two Nyaniichuan-cursed individuals alone. Ranma looked at Tooru with a sympathetic expression, unsure of what to do until, with a smirk across her face, she lifted Tooru up by the collar, until, Ranma's arm extended over her head, she was upright.

"Fuki, get a fuckin' grip!"

With the suddenness of a gunshot, Ranma cocked her fist and swung, socking Tooru in the cheek. The force of the martial artist's blow sent the distraught magazine editor clear across the room, the wall on the far side of the room stopping the sudden acceleration with a loud thump as Tooru slid down, collapsed onto the floor.

"Crap, I think I overdid it," Ranma muttered, rubbing the back of her head.

After a moment, Tooru sat up, dazed.

Holding her face tenderly, she softly spoke, "What was that for!? I could press charges, you know!"

Ranma visibly sighed in relief and smiled as she stood over Tooru, "Sorry, Fuki. But I knew you could take it. You're a man, ain't ya?"

Tooru looked down, feeling defeated, "I... I don't know anymore. It's up for debate now."

Ranma approached Tooru and kneeled down, hugging the disoriented woman.

"You will. You have to accept it happened first. You can't wallow in grief or denial."

Tooru began to tear up, "What if I feel like it? I've been trying so hard not to be upset. I've always kept everything to myself. You know the morning I got back, I went straight to work? With a shitty umbrella and less than 4 hours of sleep. I'm trying so hard to act like it doesn't bother me, but look at me! It's only just sinking in that I'm a freak of nature, you know."

Ranma shook her head, "Hey, hey. None of that. None of us here are freaks... not 'cause of Jusenkyo, anyways. I'm sure most people'll tell you I'm a weirdo for about a dozen other reasons besides," she giggled. "Look, I'm sorry if this was too much too soon, but I've always found that, when faced with a new situation, it's best to dive in headfirst and worry about the consequences as they come. My school's all about adopting, adapting, and improving. It's a good policy, in my experience."

Tooru sniffled and wiped her eyes, "Maybe... but you've had a long time to come to terms with it right? What the hell am I going to do?"

Ranma chuckled a bit as she shook her head and sat down next to Tooru, "Nah, I spent most of it in denial, thinking I could get cured or that it was just a ridiculous disguise I could use like some people use a pair of cheap glasses and a fake mustache."

Ranma face grew serious, and she clutched her left arm with her right hand as she looked away from Tooru, " I never told anybody this, but for a long while, I was actually scared shitless that being cursed to turn into a woman meant that I couldn't be a son, a husband, or a father. I was also kinda worried I was going to turn into some kind of stereotype of what I thought a woman was. Believe me Fuki, I went through some shit. A lot of it alone, cause it's different when you change sex rather than become an animal."

Ranma grabbed Tooru's hand and helped her up, "I get that impulse of wantin' to keep your cards close to your chest. Believe me, Fuki. There've been times where I absolutely hated it, even when I acted like it didn't bother me. There were a lot of years and I almost burned some bridges I needed over it. What I'm saying is that, I don't wanna see someone else make those mistakes. It's just senseless, ya know?"

Tooru nodded, "Okay. I think I understand. I don't have to like it, though. How do you do it? You seem so goddamn carefree."

Ranma smiled impishly, "Lots of practice. If you'd like, come on over this Sunday and I can show you the ropes. I went through it alone, but you don't hafta. Seriously, if you gotta friend or anybody you can confide in, it'll help."

Ranma led Tooru towards a folding table set up with a cheap white tablecloth and various trays of Chinese food. Tooru poured herself a glass of cold barley tea.

Ranma sheepish whispered as she grabbed a paper plate and began filling it with various noodle dishes, "Actually, I was kinda fibbing earlier. I was half-scared I almost killed you. How does a white-collar wimp like you take an Anything Goes punch to the face? Uh... no offense."

"Ah, none taken. I was captain of the kendo and karate clubs in High School. My father made sure I could take a hit. I still have half a mind to press charges, you bastard."

Ranma blinked, "Hah! Figures. Maybe you should come to my classes sometime. I'll even give ya a Jusenkyo discount!" she laughed, "One of the things you're gonna wanna do is spend some time like that and figure out how different that body moves from your regular one. Maybe grab some clothes for it."

Tooru rolled her eyes, "Ugh, that again. You know my best friend at work is threatening to buy me a whole new wardrobe? And my boss threatened to put me in next month's magazine!"

Ranma looked at Tooru closely, fingers supporting her chin as she studied the silver-haired woman.

"Hmm... I can see that. You have the height and the figure for it. Hell, most women'd kill for those cheekbones. Sounds like a chance for easy money."

"I'm not a woman," Tooru retorted.

"Yeah?" Ranma countered, "I ain't one, either. You should see the kinds of photo spreads I did in college. Granted, I was payin' off a ton of debt then and my sister in-law had me by the you know wheres," she said pointing downwards, "well, when they're there at least. But the point still stands. It's all in good fun, after all."

Tooru looked at Ranma incredulously, "All in good fun, you say? You're a strange man, Mr. Saotome."

"More than you know," Ranma countered as she stuffed her mouth with a generous helping of noodles and then, with a swallow, continued, "You know the Nyaniichuan curse doesn't magically warp your mind or nothin', but it still does a number on the noggin. You'll manage, though. Actually, I think you're the first Nyaniichuan victim since me. Well the first accidental one, anyway," Ranma corrected herself.

Tooru nodded, "Yeah, the guide's father said something about that... what did he mean?"

"Apparently, there's a group of transsexual men and women who've been booking passage to Western China specifically to get Nyaniichuan or Nanniichuan water."

Tooru tilted her head, "Huh. I can see that," after a pause, she blinked and continued, "Wait a minute, Nanniichuan? Like 'Spring of Drowned Man'? Is that what your wife has?"

"You got it," Ranma said as she took a second paper plate and placed some small appetizers on it.

Tooru nodded, but stopped suddenly, "Wait. If there's a Spring of Drowned Man, why can't you use it to cure yourself?"

Ranma looked up at the ceiling and let out a laugh, "Hah! Amateurs."

Tooru looked upset, "What do you mean?"

Ranma shook her head, "It don't work that way, Fuki. You gotta-"

The door suddenly slid open and three women, two of them in bathrobes, emerged.

"Oh, hey sweetie, " Ranma said as she put her plates down and bounded away from Tooru. She approached Akane, kissed her lightly on the cheek and then turned to Kanako, bowing deeply.

"Sorry about that Kana-chan.. Fuki's still self-conscious about his curse. I was trying to cheer him up and make him feel like he wasn't alone."

The young woman nodded at Ranma, smiling and rolling her eyes as though the formidable martial artist was a ten-year old up to mischief. She then walked up to Tooru and looked at her for a long moment. Finally she said, "Mr. Fuki... Goodness, it, it..."

Tooru gulped as she waited for her to finish speaking. The warm feeling he felt before came back as he looked into her face.

"It really suits you!" She exclaimed, smiling.

"Art school all over again," was the only thought that went through Tooru's mind as she fell over, having finally, blissfully lost consciousness.

Tooru sat on the train, her tie loosened and thoughts swimming. She had just left from meeting the strangest people she'd ever willingly introduced herself to. They seemed to revel in insanity and improbability in a way she'd never conceived possible. It had all been almost too much for her to take until she met Kanako Kaneshima. It was plain as day she was beautiful. After all, Tooru had spent late nights at work with Erica and Yuriko laying out her photos alongside article text in the magazine too many times to not notice. But in real life, there was this tranquility and peace she radiated that, in a capricious manner, seemed to mesh with her cursed form.

Tooru began wondering if there wasn't some kind of synergy at work with Jusenkyo, but quickly derailed that train of thought as soon as she thought of the implications on herself. Particularly given Kanako's evaluation of her cursed form, which hadbeen too much to take, and had left Tooru senseless for about half an hour. When she came to, the meeting ended and Ranma led Tooru back to the station without giving her hot water, saying, "Give it a shot, Fuki," before astounding Tooru by bounding back home, via the roofs of the suburban houses.

Now, seated alone on the train back to Ikebukuro, she loosened her tie out of habit. "Still..." Tooru reasoned to herself, "it was nice to meet new people and live a little. Even if they're all insane besides Kaneshima."

"Hey there..." a voice next to her said, breaking her concentration. Tooru sighed. This was one of his biggest fears since gaining the curse. It was bad enough when the occasional guy would come on to him as a guy, why did he have to get hit on by...

"Do you live around here?" the voice asked in a sultry contralto and Tooru realized it had been a woman talking to her... a beautiful woman. More than that. She was flirting!

Tooru took a moment to drink her in. Her hair was deep black, even moreso than Tooru's regular hair color, and cut into a shaggy mop that was an exercise in deliberate unkemptness. Her otherwise normal brown eyes seemed to radiate with assertiveness that gave her soft-featured face an sharp intensity. She wore a dark grey t-shirt with the collar and sleeves ripped off, which highlighted her toned arms, and the tight black tank top she wore underneath. She wore fashionably distressed men's jeans and black Chucks. Tooru was amazed and disarmed by the type of strength and swagger the woman carried herself with and Tooru found herself struggling to respond.

"Well, I guess, um, in some ways, I'm new in town. I live in Toshima ward, though," Tooru replied nervously, feeling her face heat up.

The woman smiled and cocked her head up, "Well, maybe we can hang out sometime? I'm Emi," the woman handed Tooru a scrap of paper. Before Tooru could open it, the train began to slow as it approached the station. The woman stood and walked towards the exit door.

Just before the doors opened, Tooru exclaimed, "T-Tooru! My name's Tooru!"

The woman turned back, smiled, and winked before walking out of the train.

Tooru opened the paper to see a phone number and an email address.

"Holy shit. That's never..." Tooru muttered to herself before the realization washed over her, "She hit on me because I look like a woman."

Tooru slumped back in her seat.

"My life is hell!" she moaned as the train made its way towards home.

このまま消えても構わないなんて
そんな言葉はもっとズルくなってから言えよ
君が泣いてるのに 僕は何もできなかった
心の中じゃこんなに君を守りたいのに

聞こえるかい? 心臓の音 それが命だよ
君の居場所をずっと探しつづけてる 君だけの音

忘れないでくれ愛してること 僕はどこにも行かないよ
君の涙飲みほしたら わかってくれるかい?
新しく光れあなたの全て こんなヤミの世の中だって
君のこと愛したいんだよ 信じてくれるかい?
僕は君とわかち合いたいんだ

If you say things like "I don't care if you leave me,"
you should use crueler words.
Even though you're crying, I couldn't do anything
Even though I want to protect your heart.

You hear it? The sound of your heart is life, you know.
I'm still searching for your whereabouts, where there's only your sound

Loving you without forgetting, I'm not telling lies or anything
If I swallow up your tears, will you believe me?
Because it's such a dark world, your everything is shiny and new
I want to love you. You understand?
I want to dream with you.

Sambomaster - "新しく光れ" ("Shiny and New")

Character Profiles:

Ranma Saotome (早乙女乱馬): 31 years old. Master of Anything Goes Martial Arts. Runs the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts and Instructs advanced students. President of the Tokyo chapter of the Jusenkyo Support Center. Parent to two children (Kenta and Ryuuji). Has a Jusenkyo Curse (Nyaniichuan)

Akane Saotome (早乙女あかね): 31 years old. Advanced Practitioner of Anything Goes Martial Arts. Instructs Intermediate and Advanced Students. Works as Furinkan High's gym teacher and coach for the women's karate and judo teams. Parent to two children (Kenta and Ryuuji). Has a Jusenkyo curse (Nanniichuan).

Mayumi Nagano (長野真由美): 42 years old. Chief Editor of Bungeisha's Fashion Division. Business savvy and adroit with her superiors in upper management, but loyal to her employees and surprisingly down to earth. A model in her teens and twenties, she left the industry to be a writer, and later, editor for Nunnu. Usually dresses very smartly in sophisticated skirt-suits or simple, but well-cut dress/blazer combos.

Kanako Kaneshima (鐘島歌夏子): 23 Years old. Veteran model for the Bella Modeling Agency in Tokyo. She has worked as a fashion, magazine, and commercial model since the age of 14. She is slowly working her way up the industry to enter a management position once her career ends in about five to ten years. She is very kind, but a bit naive sometimes. Originally from Aomori, but worked hard to pick up the Kanto dialect for work. Has a Jusenkyo Curse (Tian'eNiichuan) from a family vacation gone horribly wrong.

Cultural and lexical notes:

Fiona Kotur Marin, originally from New York, is a clutch purse and handbag designer based in Hong Kong.

A lookbook, generally, is a collection of photographs compiled to show off a model, a photographer, a style, or a clothing line. It may also refer to , a site for easily making lookbooks from various easily available prêt-à-porter/RTW clothing.

Ochuugen, along with Oseibo, are two Japanese holidays which are focused on giving presents (typically food, soap, alcohol, or other small gifts) to friends, family, and co-workers. Ochuugen happens in July (typically July 15th) and Oseibo happens in December.

Kompeito is a old-fashioned Japanese candy. It's basically tiny hard candies that are shaped like stars. They are very cute and delicious.

General Notes:

To start: HUGE HUGE thanks to Bree R and tuatara for beta reading. Couldn't have done it without either of you. No joke.

More nonsense here for this, unsurprisingly in retrospect, unpopular story. That said, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Writing the characters has been pretty easy and breezy and I'll pretty much work on this as long as I'm invested in the characters and the story. I'm liking Tooru's guarded put-uponess (He gets more emotive as time goes on and his stoic, unapproachble front slowly erodes) and the open, direct Ranma interacting. I'm also liking the love quadrangle I'm trying to set up here. Tooru won't find himself inculcated into Ranma's world so much as the chaas that finds Ranma will seep its way into Tooru's life. Not for any mystical reason, just the whims of fate (and whatever is funny. I definitely believe in the "coincidences which get the character in trouble are good" rule).

As an aside, I wanted to recommend two series you should be watching/reading if you like this series. I didn't find out about them until I began the project, but both have a very close affinity with what I'm trying to do.

Hataraki-man (働きマン) is a manga about a woman who works as an editor for a news magazine. I found out about the show about a day after I published chapter one and I've been obsessively watching the anime and the drama.

The second is Sekine's Love (関根くんの恋), a manga series published in Manga Erotics F (and translated by JManga) that's about an office worker who is seen as very handsome, but unapproachable and boring. He takes up knitting to pass the time and becomes involved in trying to resolved an unrequited love he thought he had put away in the past and becomes involved in a love triangle of sorts with his best friend's wife and a young woman who runs a handicrafts store. The main character's almost exactly how I envision Tooru to look like and, in certain ways, emotional state. It's a certain type the only match I had when I started was Shuu from Kuragehime.