Arc II: Chain Reactions
Chapter: How to Become A Man
The next day, Akane was headed home from school, once again by herself. But this time, it was her that snuck out to avoid Ranma, even going so far as to skip her afternoon classes.
She was still reeling from her conversation with Nabiki the previous night, having been really hurt by her sister's dismissive attitude and downright cruel behavior. But part of her was unsurprised; the middle Tendo had slowly grown colder over the last couple of years. No one bothered to chastise her for her behavior since she simply dismissed anything they said.
What bothered Akane the most was not Nabiki's behavior, because at that point she simply did not expect anything more from her sister, but what Nabiki said about Ranma and Ukyo. She couldn't lie to herself, she was completely crushed at the idea of the two having been together...having been intimate.
She felt completely empty inside, but at the same time there was a very real physical ache in her chest. The pain felt like a constant presence, reminding her that she had lost the one thing she truly wanted. When her brain betrayed her and she imagined the two of them embracing, the ache grew stronger, making her wince. It was so strong that she couldn't even be in the same room with the pair and for the first time in her life, she understood why people used the term 'a broken heart'.
It had become unbearable as she noticed Ukyo glancing at Ranma more often today, giving him a satisfied smirk. Each time she saw that knowing look on the other girl's face, she felt the pain in her chest increase and had the over-whelming desire to slap the okonomiyaki chef in the face. The urge made her feel ashamed of herself. She didn't want to be that girl; the one who blamed 'the other woman', when she knew it took two people to cheat.
But was it cheating? Ranma had every right to pick his other fiancée and she knew it. He never made any declarations or vows to her. He never professed his undying love. She couldn't be mad at him if Ukyo was his choice.
Even if it made her feel like she was dying inside.
But there was one very small part of her that screamed at her stupidity. That argued against Nabiki's words, saying no one but Ranma and Ukyo knew what happened at the restaurant. It sneered at her cowardice and inability to just ask him what happened. Telling her that she deserved this misery if she was just going to roll over and let someone else end up with the man she wanted without even putting up a fight. Taunting her, by saying she didn't deserve Ranma anyway, since she obviously had so little faith in him.
She hated that part of her, but clung to it all the same. It was the only thing that stopped her from falling into what felt like madness and gave her a glimmer of hope.
Reaching the park, she sat down on her favorite bench by the water. She closed her eyes and willed herself to calm. She took deep breaths and opened her eyes slowly.
She felt embarrassed at her response. She had fallen apart; reacted worse than she did after the failed wedding. She was stronger than that and it was about time she started acting that way. She would stop overreacting. She would wait for Ranma to actually declare himself and then she would deal with whatever came.
She steeled herself, willing herself to calm. Maybe if she pretended she was calm, acted like nothing bothered her, it would help. She schooled her face into a passive mask. Having watched both Kasumi and Nabiki do the same for years, it was not hard to figure out how they managed it. The difference between her and her sisters was that she never cared before about showing her feelings; she had never been ashamed, embarrassed, or concerned about expressing herself.
But now, it was important for her to learn. It had come to a point where her emotions felt like a burden. Maybe learning how to be able to keep on a calm facade would also teach her how to control her moods and keep her temper down.
Akane placed one hand over the other, placing both gently on her lap, crossed her legs at her ankles before tucking them under the bench, looking like a delicate female she knew she wasn't.
Ukyo was once again in front of the mirror, prepping herself. This time she had donned a traditional kimono, set her hair in a simple bun, and applied a very light layer of make-up for the occasion. She stood demurely, appraising herself from every possible angle as she practiced bowing, kneeling, and how to walk and sit properly.
She had been very disappointed in her date with Ranma and realized that she shouldn't have been so presumptuous in believing he wanted a more physical relationship with her. But she refused to believe that she had lost. There was still hope and today, she had a plan. She didn't really want to play this hand, but she would do what she had to do to get her man.
Some people would call her desperate, but she liked to think of herself as being determined.
Sitting on the bench, Akane was glad that the effort of keeping her expression calm was actually taking her mind off things. It was harder than it looked, especially when all she wanted to do was beat the day lights out of something. But that never really helped in the long run.
What she needed was someone to talk to. But there was no one she could go to. She wanted to ask Konatsu about it, since he was quickly becoming a very good friend. But there was one subject that they have instinctively ignored; Ranma and Ukyo. It was an unspoken rule that they avoided speaking of the pair as a couple. It was almost impossible to avoid talking about people who played such huge parts in their lives, but they kept the conversations to anti-dotes.
She smiled slightly as she remembered the conversation they had the morning after they had ice-cream.
Akane started out as usual on her morning run. She had gone two blocks and suddenly her senses tingled and she prepared herself for an attack. Her heart beat faster when a dark figure jumped in front of her, but she relaxed from her defensive position as she recognized Konatsu.
"Sorry, Akane, did I scare you?"
"A little, but it's ok, you're keeping me on my toes. What are you doing here?"
"Well, I wanted to thank you for the ice-cream yesterday. I had a wonderful time and I didn't get a chance to tell you how much I enjoyed myself."
"You're welcome! But you didn't have to thank me; I had a really good time too." She crossed her arms and smirked at him before adding, "So, are you going to tell me what that was about yesterday?"
She was puzzled when his face fell.
"I'm sorry, Akane...I didn't mean anything by it...I just thought you needed...so I..."
Akane's laugh stopped his rambling. "I'm not mad, I'm actually really grateful! I just wondered why you did it."
Konatsu looked relieved and said, "Oh good. I didn't want to over-step my bounds. When you were fighting yesterday, I figured out that you didn't want to hit Kuno and he didn't look like he was going to stop without some help, so..." Konatsu shrugged, clearly stating that she knew the rest.
"And I appreciate it, I really do. But what made you accept his offer for a date?"
"I don't know really, it was just impulse. At first, I was just trying to draw some attention away from you. Then after I hit him, he seemed to really take notice of me. I could tell he was interested and I just went into flirtation mode automatically. When he asked me for the date, I thought it the most expedient way to get him out of your hair.
"I am a little confused about one thing though, why didn't you just hit him when you had an opening?"
"Ahh. That." Akane went on to explain about her plan to keep Kuno away.
"Well, you know, he seemed really interested in me. I could try to keep you off his radar for a while."
"Oh, Konatsu, that's so nice of you, but really I couldn't ask you to do that. I mean, I know you aren't attracted to men."
Konatsu waved away her protest, saying, "I was trained as a kunoichi, so this will be a piece of cake."
They chatted for a while before Akane realized that she had run out of time. "I'm sorry but I have to get back if I want to make it to school on time. Thanks again for your help and keeping Kuno out of my hair."
"I'm sorry, that I made you miss your run," he said apologetically.
"Don't worry about it. I run every morning, missing one is fine."
"Would you mind if I ran with you tomorrow? I usually practice when Ukyo is at school but I've always loved a good run."
"I try to leave at the same time every day, so meet me at my house tomorrow!"
Every morning since then the pair had met up. After the first day, the duo had been stretching and discussed the possibility of a spar. From there, their simple jogs morphed into a quick jog, a spar, and some training; Konatsu was teaching Akane to use some classic ninja tools. Their new friendship was really the bright spot in her week.
To accommodate all of their new activities, the pair had started meeting half an hour earlier. Akane was getting less sleep but it didn't matter to her as she was learning a lot from Konatsu. More importantly, she was really enjoying spending time with him. It was amazing how easy they were with each other. The kunoichi was understanding and funny, in a very self-deprecating way. He was a great listener and never gave her advice unless she asked for it. She never knew how nice it was just to have someone listen to her.
Her eyes closed and face tilted towards the sun, Akane tried to just enjoy the feel of the warm sun on her face.
"Well, hello there."
Akane started, having not sensed or heard anyone come up on her. With her hand over her chest, she called out, "Konatsu! You scared me!"
The kunoichi put his hands over his face and giggled. "I'm sorry, Akane."
"No, you're not! You were using your stealth techniques to scare me, weren't you?" Akane asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Making his eyes go wide, and putting on a falsely innocent look, he said, "Of course not. I would never do that to you."
Akane continued to glare at the man in front of her but soon broke out in a wide smile. "You're going to have to teach me how you do that."
"Of course, it will be my pleasure." Taking a seat on the bench, he asked, "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"
"Yup. I ditched and am taking a me day," she said unrepentantly.
"And what does a 'me day' entail, exactly?"
"I have no idea. This is my first one. How about you, shouldn't you be at Ucchan's getting it ready for this afternoon?"
"I would be, but Ukyo has something to do this afternoon and told me that I should just take the rest of the day off."
Akane was trying to not think about why Ukyo would need the restaurant closed for the afternoon, but her imagination was getting the better of her. Luckily, she was snapped out of her thoughts by Konatsu.
Clearing his throat, he began hesitantly, "There's something I've been wanting to ask you. Do you think...that you can help me?"
"Of course." Akane said, without waiting to hear what he wanted. "I'll do anything I can to help you, I hope you know that."
Konatsu sighed in relief and gratitude. Akane's generosity and kind spirit was humbling and he was so happy that he had her as a friend.
"What I have to ask may seem strange." He took a deep breath. "I want you to help make me a man."
Akane's face became red and she sputtered in indignation, "What? What kind of girl do you think I am? I thought that you knew..."
Akane's rant was stopped when Konatsu began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" she asked, now standing in front of him, her hands crossed over her chest, tapping her foot.
"Oh, Akane. I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I want you to help me change my appearance to look more like a man."
"Oh," she responded completely flabbergasted at the request which was somehow more shocking than thinking the kunoichi wanted to have sex with her. She sat down slowly next to him, looking concerned. "Why?"
"I've been thinking about it a lot lately and...when Ukyo gets married, I'll probably need to find somewhere else to work, live and...You were right the other day, when you said I wasn't attracted to men. But what type of girl would want me, looking like this?" He waved his hand over his body to emphasize the point.
Akane really wanted to tell him that he would find someone who would love him for who he was but she didn't want to give him false hope. She was sure that once a girl got to know him, they would have no trouble loving him. But the only girls who would notice him dressed like he was were lesbians, which would obviously not work. Instead she tried another tactic.
Putting her hand over his, she squeezed slightly, before saying, "It sounds like you've really thought this out, but I want to make sure you're doing this for you and not anyone else. Are you positive you want to do this?"
Squeezing back slightly, he smiled gently at her and said "I'm sure."
"Okay then, let's go to the mall. You're getting a make-over."
Nodoka Saotome was sitting at the table, quietly enjoying some tea. Her husband and his best friend had informed her that they were going out for the afternoon to "train", which she knew meant they were at some bar somewhere. She generally ignored their antics, figuring men will be men and they were expected to have some vices.
She was alone at the house, since Ranma, Akane and Nabiki were at school and Kasumi had gone to "run an errand," which was code for paying Dr. Tofu a visit. The older woman smiled at this. She hadn't told Kasumi that she knew her secret and was glad the nearly twenty year old was finally focused on something other than running the house. It just wasn't right for a beautiful young woman like her to give up on having a family of her own and Nodoka was hoping to hear of an engagement sometime soon.
It was rare for her to be alone at the house, since it had so many inhabitants, and she was trying to enjoy the peace and quiet but failing miserably. It reminded her of the years she spent living alone while she waited for her husband and son to come home. She had spent too much time living with quiet to truly be able to enjoy it.
What she really wanted were some grandchildren to spoil. She missed the pitter-patter of little feet, the squeal of laughter as it rang through the halls, the innocent happy faces smiling back at you, and the unreserved hugs and kisses. Realistically, she knew she would have to wait a few years. Even if her son and his fiancée got married today, they would be too young to start a family, despite their fathers' wishes. But she could dream.
Nodoka's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking on the front door. When she opened it, she was surprised at the visitor.
"Good afternoon, Ukyo. "
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Saotome."
"If you're looking for Ranma, he's in school right now."
"Actually, I am here to speak to you, if you have a moment."
"Of course, come on in." She walked the young girl to the living room. "Please have a seat, I'll get another cup of tea and I'll be right back." When she got back, she set down a plate of red-bean mochi, poured a cup of tea for her guest, and refilled her own before asking politely, "So, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
Giving Nodoka a demure smile, she said, "I just wanted to spend some time with you and get to know you better. After all, you will be my mother-in-law."
Nodoka's only response was to give her a smile before picking up and drinking her tea.
Ukyo had gone to the market the other day and had seen Nodoka and Akane out shopping. She followed the two shortly and had watched the way Nodoka treated Akane; almost as if she already considered Akane her daughter-in-law.
It made Ukyo furious! She should have known Akane would have used Ranma's mother to get closer to him! Everyone knew how much Nodoka meant to him and the blue-haired girl was in the unique position to take advantage of that. Just looking at them, it was obvious that she was sucking up to the woman in hopes that it would sway Ranma's final decision. That must be why Ranma pushed her away the other day, because Nodoka had been pushing him towards that manipulative bitch.
It all made perfect sense and set Ukyo's teeth on edge. She wanted to go in there, to confront Akane, but stopped herself. How would it look to Nodoka if she went in swinging, seemingly unprovoked?
So she left and went home to plan. She would show Nodoka exactly who would make the better wife and daughter-in-law. Then she would be the one to win Ranma.
And the plan was working perfectly. She couldn't afford to have Genma around, he was too adamant about joining the Anything Goes Schools, so she had slipped some free drink coupons in the mail for Soun and Genma to a bar on the other side of town, that could only be used today at a specific time. The morons didn't even question it and left happily. She lucked out that Kasumi decided to leave but the older passive girl didn't concern her much.
Now she had an entire afternoon to show Nodoka that she was the epitome of Japanese womanhood; polite, demure, submissive, and always willing to put her husband first.
"This is wonderful tea."
"Thank you. I'm glad you like it."
"And the mochi is delicious, did you make it yourself?"
"Yes, I did. If you'd like I can give you the recipe."
"Thank you, I would appreciate it. I do love to cook and I am quite accomplished at it, if I do say so myself."
"That's a wonderful skill for a young woman to have."
"I agree. It'll be so useful once I'm a married woman. Think of all the healthy meals I'll be able to cook for Ranma. I'd love to have you over so I can cook for you."
"That sounds lovely, we'll have to see how that works with our schedule and get back to you," Nodoka said genially.
Ukyo's eyes narrowed slightly but the smile stayed on her face. She was trying very hard to be polite to the woman in front of her but she was making it so difficult! Why was she being so cagey? Wasn't it obvious that she was the superior fiancée? Why couldn't people see that?
Maybe it was time to stop playing so coy.
Setting her tea down, Ukyo smiled and said, "Come now, Mrs. Saotome, we both know that I am the best choice for Ranma. So why don't we get to know each other, it'll make him happy to see us get along."
Setting her own cup down, Nodoka looked at the girl, eyebrow raised and asked, "You think you are the best choice? Please, tell me why."
"Let's look at his other choices. Kodochi is rich and beautiful, but the entire family is crazy. I doubt you would want to risk your grandchildren inheriting their insanity. Shampoo is beautiful and a skilled warrior, but she'd want to take Ranma to live in some back-water village in China where he will be treated as a second-class citizen. Your manly son deserves better than that.
"And Akane. I know that you probably have some feelings for her, after all, you and your family live in her home. But don't allow your sense of gratitude to the Tendos cloud you to how unfit she would be for Ranma. She's not a very good martial artist. They barely get along most the time. She's always hitting him. She will never even be able to make him a decent meal. She would never understand his need to go on an extended training mission. Other than her family's dojo, she really doesn't have much to offer. "
"I see. Aren't you two friends?"
"Yes, that is why I was being so kind with my assessment," Ukyo said, giving her a sweet smile.
Nodoka made a non-committal sound before adding, "So, why don't you tell me why you would make a better bride?"
"First, Ranma and I have known each other since we were children and are friends. Our future together will be financially secure because I already have a thriving business and it will only become more successful with Ranma's help. And since we are the owners, he is free to leave whenever he wants to train. We'd love to have you and Mr. Saotome live with us of course. Ranma finds me attractive, so providing you with grandchildren won't be a problem."
"You make some interesting points."
"I'm glad you think so."
The okonomiyaki chef beamed. She knew if she could present herself in the best possible light, things would work out.
"I do have some questions for you. What would you do if Ranma decided to go on a long training journey?"
"I'd give him my support and wait for him with open arms when he got back."
"And if he wanted to take your young child with him?"
Ukyo tilted her head to the side, not having expected that question, which was very short sighted of her. She gave Nodoka the answer she thought the older woman wanted to hear.
"I'd tell him to be extra careful, to not try any techniques until he read the entire manual, and to write as much as possible."
Nodoka gave her a knowing look and a nod. "I see."
Glad that she had given the correct answer, she asked, "Does that mean I have your support?"
Nodoka gave her a slightly confused look. "I'm sorry, Ukyo, I don't understand. What kind of support would you like me to give you?"
"Well, I'd like for you to tell Ranma that you think I am the best choice for him." Her smile was still bright, but she couldn't believe how obtuse the older lady was.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
Ukyo reeled back, shocked. "Why the hell not?" she shouted before she could stop herself.
"Because, that would be a lie. I'm sorry, but I do not think you are the best choice."
"Are you going to tell me why?" Ukyo ground out.
"While I am sure you would make someone a lovely bride and you made very good points for yourself, there are two things that I think that are truly needed to make any relationship work: trust and loyalty.
"I've seen how much Ranma trusts Akane and how loyal she is to him, even though they may not realize it. When Ranma's curse was still a secret, she went to great lengths to help him, even pretending to be the fiancée to some stranger because he asked her to help keep an eye on me. There is a bond between them that I do not think anyone will be able to break or come between."
"Well, that's great for Akane. But what about me? What about my engagement? It's just as valid as hers! More so since your husband took my dowry while you haven't received anything from the Tendos!" she screamed.
Ukyo couldn't understand why things were going so badly and how it happened. She thought things were finally going her way!
"I was wondering if you were going to bring that up."
"Of course I'm going to bring that up! Your husband behaved completely dishonorably by taking off with my yatta and not taking me with him. And I see that it's a trait that runs in your family if you can completely disregard what your family owes me." Ukyo's anger was making her careless at what she said to the older woman.
Nodoka's face grew cold and her body stiffened.
"I am very aware of my husband's actions and what damage it has done to the Saotome name and to my son. But what about your actions?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Really? You wish to speak to me about honor. Do you think it was honorable to help destroy my house because of a gift I gave to Akane that you thought was an engagement ring? That you were basically trying to steal from her and in the process you destroyed my home. What do you think the value is of the house versus the yatta? Even if we split the cost in thirds, it would be of a greater monetary value than your dowry.
"That is not even counting the emotional costs. You girls ruined the home I stayed in while I waited for my husband and son to come back; the one place we shared as a family. Along with items from Ranma's childhood that I can never replace.
"Or was it honorable to come to my son's wedding with bombs? Destroying the dojo in the process. There were people there that weren't martial artist! What if you hit someone like Kasumi by mistake?"
"What did you expect? For me to just sit back and let that happen?"
"Actually, yes. If you really loved Ranma you would be happy for him if he found someone he loved, regardless of how you felt."
"That's bullshit." Ukyo seethed. "So, that's it. Even if Ranma chose me, you would object."
Nodoka sighed, "No. If Ranma wanted to marry you, I would try to welcome you to the family. The choice is his, regardless of what his father says or wants."
Ukyo, while not happy was slightly mollified by this. The women sat in awkward silence for a few moments with absolutely nothing to discuss before Ukyo took her leave.
All-in-all, Ukyo realized that dressing up like a girl was so not worth it.
Akane and Konatsu had gone to a local discount department store and spent nearly an hour shifting through the sale racks for clothes to try on. Their search would have been quicker but Konatsu had no idea what style of clothing he wanted or what would look good on him. So the duo had grabbed everything that would fit him, and laden with armfuls of items, they had headed to the dressing room. Thankfully, the dressing rooms were unisex and there was no problem trying to sneak the kimono clad kunoichi into a men's dressing area.
Akane was glad she had run into Konatsu who provided the perfect distraction for the afternoon. The man had an amazing ability to take her outside of herself and forget her worries.
Just then a rather bishonen young man came out, dressed in a white linen suit with the sleeves of the jacket rolled up, a salmon colored v-neck underneath, wearing loafers without socks and on his face he had silver framed aviator sun-glasses. He sauntered towards her, his hips swaying and his wrist bent at a ninety degree angle, his hands parallel to the floor, his hair still in a high bouncy pony-tail. He reached her and turned. He ended up posing with both hands angled over his head and his hip jut forward.
It took everything Akane had not to giggle as she realized that this was going take more than just a wardrobe change. She critiqued the clothes as well fitting but not suiting the man.
As he left, Akane said gently, "Can you try tying your hair at the base of your neck instead? It would be a little more masculine."
Konatsu brought his palm over his mouth and replied, "Of course, I should have realized that!" before he giggled and bounced back into the dressing room.
When he next came out his hair was tied at the base of his neck, wearing a pair of white shorts, a stripped polo, tennis shoes with white tube socks over his ankles, and a sweatband on his forehead. He skipped out with a tennis racket propped on one shoulder. Once he reached her, he bounced on his feet left to right, before taking some swings with his racket before ending posed with the head of the racquet on the ground, his hands joined over the handle, his upper body bent at the waist, his feet next to each other as he stood on the tips of his toes.
"What do you think of this one?"
"That may be a little too sporty for you," she said diplomatically. The corners of her mouth tugging upwards, she added, "Konatsu, men don't usually skip."
He stood up and placed one arm across his chest and the opposite hand tapped his chin.
"They don't? Why not? It's so much fun!" he asked her curiously.
Akane shrugged. "I have no idea. But you can still skip when you are dressed as a girl," she said pacifyingly.
"Oh! That's right!"
Konatsu bounced up and down excitedly, clapping his hands together before turning around and going back to change.
When he next came out, the kunoichi was wearing a pair of overalls that appeared to be two sizes too big for him with one strap undone, a large T-shirt underneath, yellow rubber soled boots and a cap tipped to one side. This time he came out at a more sedate pace, a pout firmly set on his face, obviously not pleased with his outfit.
Without a word, Akane pointed a finger towards the dressing room and he ran back quickly. After that, the youngest Tendo decided to save her suggestions on behavioral modifications until after they picked out an outfit. She sat back and watched as Konatsu came out in a series of outfits.
Colorful pants that were wide with ample room at the thighs and that tapered at the knee down, paired with a neon workout jacket.
Faded ripped jeans, long sleeve white shirt with a ripped sleeveless flannel shirt over it, and black-fingerless gloves.
Tight jeans, with a tool belt and hard hat.
Black leather motorcycle pants, black leather vest with no shirt and black leather cap.
American army fatigues in green with cap.
Policeman's uniform complete with motorcycle helmet.
Jeans with chaps, fringed leather vest, cowboy hat, and cowboy boots.
And oddly enough, a pair of cut off shorts, American Indian beaded breastplate with full feathered head piece.
Akane realized it may have been a bad idea to pick a department store that had such a large costume section dedicated to Japan's cosplay community.
In the end, they settled on a pair of blue jeans, a fitted black tee-shirt with black shoes. The simple outfit showed off Konatsu's muscular body perfectly while giving him room to move on the off chance he was attacked.
Konatsu was glad he ran into Akane in the park, as she was the only person he could trust to help him like this. He had very few friends and he was beginning to truly cherish her friendship. He had always wanted to have such a relationship with his stepsisters.
However, as they walked over to the food court, Konatsu noticed that she looked uneasy. She would occasionally take a glance at him from the corner of her eyes and her face would frown slightly before she put on a neutral mask.
They both ordered milkshakes from WacDonald's and went to sit at a booth.
"Akane, I wanted to thank you for your help today. I had so much fun."
"Me too," she replied giving him a smile that seemed to lack its normal brilliance.
"If you don't mind, can you tell me what's wrong?"
"Hmm? Oh, nothing's wrong! I'm fine, really!"
Giving her a slight frown, Konatsu said, "If you don't want to talk about it, I'll understand, but don't feel like you have to lie about it."
Akane sighed before looking up at the kunoichi.
"It's not that I don't want to talk about it; it's just that I'm not used to having anyone to talk to about this stuff. My friends Yuka and Sayuri are great, I've known them practically my entire life and they have always been so supportive of me. But their lives are so normal they can't fathom how strange mine is at times. They try to empathize but can't really know what it's like.
"And my sisters just don't understand me. Kasumi, is just too sweet and gentle. She's taken such good care of me but she could never understand my love for martial arts. I know she thinks of me as a 'violent maniac' because of my love of hitting things and breaking bricks. With her personality, I can't blame her for it...but it hurts a little thinking about how little she understands me. I've always looked up to her.
"Nabiki is..." Akane closed her eyes to defend herself from the pain of their most recent encounter. "Nabiki," she finished.
"But lately...even though we haven't known each other very long, I feel really close to you. Like I can talk to you about anything. And I know with the life you've lived, that you can truly understand the craziness that happens in mine."
He gave her a wide smile and squeezed the hand she had lying on the table with his.
"That's...I mean, I feel the same way about you. But I don't understand, why does that make you sad?"
Akane grimaced, not knowing if what she had to say would offend him.
"Ummm...the thing is... Okay. I know you are a guy. I do. But when you are dressed the way you normally are, I seem to forget and well...I think of you as one of the girls. Like a sister," she blurted out.
She looked up at him with apologetic eyes and added, "But looking the way you are...I am reminded that you are a guy. And well, I ..."
Akane was interrupted when Konatsu grabbed her hand, giving it another squeeze.
"I understand. I do. With your history it must be hard to trust guys. And I'm not offended that you think of me as a girl, since I actually thought I was one until not too long ago. But no matter how I'm dressed, I'm still me. And I will be there for you whenever you need me."
The petite martial artist smiled in appreciation and realized that he was right. His clothing didn't make a difference to who he was on the inside. It was the same with Ranma, he was still him when he was a she.
Giving him a wide smile and thanking him, she changed the topic to give him pointers on how he needed to behave if he wanted to act like a guy.
The young lady strolling through the shopping district was pondering the sad state of her love life. It was so difficult to even have one when you attended an all-girl's school with nary a boy around. But she managed to find a dashing young man who had swept her off her feet, quite literally. She remembered how safe she'd felt in his strong arms.
Hohoho.
She could imagine that he had been equally enraptured with her and had desired to take her first kiss but he was shy, a gentleman who wouldn't consider taking such liberties. So she helped to encourage him until she was rudely interrupted by that harlot...
Just then Kodachi Kuno passed a large window and was distracted by her own magnificent reflection. Her hair in her signature coif; bangs perfectly fluffed and her long glorious hair pulled into a high side ponytail. She frowned a little at her school uniform, even though the outfit hid her beautiful body, she still looked regal; no one else could make such common pieces look this good.
"Hohoho!" Kodachi affected a laugh, her curved hand brought delicately to hover just in front of her mouth.
Yes, that was perfect. She looked perfect.
Lost in the vision of herself, she missed the people giving her a wide berth, to avoid her as she cackled. One mother grabbing the hand of her young son, whispering to him, "Don't make eye contact, honey," as she rushed him away.
After a few more moments of gazing at herself and humming a delightful tune, Kodachi decided she wanted to rid herself of her confining clothes, the symbol of her oppressive struggles with love. Pulling at her uniform, it ripped easily off her body, displaying her signature green and white leotard. Letting out another gleeful laugh, she stood on her toes, her body stretched perfectly, her head tilted back and her gymnastics ribbon forming a perfect spiral behind her. She leapt away, leaving a trail of black rose pedals in her wake.
She sprung lightly along to a rhythm only she could hear. She slowed when she reached the food court and stopped completely in her tracks when she spotted that wicked girl who took her love's attention away. Her eyes narrowed when she saw that the temptress was not alone, oh no, she was with another man!
Akane had spent the last half hour trying to explain the difference between how men and women acted. It wasn't an easy thing for her to do since she really never gave it much thought. After the first five minutes, she decided that observing different groups was the easiest way to point out the differences in the behavior of the sexes.
They started by watching a group of girls, Akane pointing out how they walked, their hips swaying a little. How they interacted with each other, leaning in and whispering, giggling behind their hands. How they interacted with the other sex, flipping their hair over their shoulder and batting their eyes.
They switched to a group of guys next. She pointed out how they walked with their shoulders back, feet parallel to each other so their hips didn't sway. They interacted differently with each other than the girls, giving each other slaps and punches while they laughed. Laughed, never giggled. Finally, they watched as the boys tried to hit on the girls, puffing out their chest, winking at them, and giving each other nudges in the ribs as they egged their members forward.
Konatsu was fascinated as he watched the two groups interact with each other. Flirting as a man seemed completely opposite to flirting as a girl. Women were coy and soft whereas men seemed to be loud and boisterous. To be honest, it was a bit intimidating and he had no idea if he would be able to pull it off.
But he rallied, telling himself that it was training and he would be a better ninja because of it. He watched them while he sat at the table and moved his shoulders the way the boys did, trying to figure out how to incorporate their movements with his.
Turning back to Akane he said, "Excuse me while I use the little girl's room."
Placing a hand on his wrist, she said firmly, "You mean the men's room. You do not want to go through the wrong door dressed like that."
Trying to suppress his blush, he said, "Right. The men's room."
Akane watched as he walked away, wincing slightly as she saw his hips had begun to sway before he corrected himself. Then she moaned and rubbed her face as she saw he practically stomped away, arms bowed to the side, swinging as he walked, clearly trying for what he thought would be a manly strut.
Kodachi watched as that conniving girl held the hand of another man. It was a shame that her Ranma would be forced to marry a woman who had such loose morals. However, she could not blame the girl, the man was almost as attractive as her love. He was tall, lean, and very handsome, even if his features leaned towards the feminine.
She would be more than happy to tell her beloved of the vixen's betrayal and bask in his gratitude. Once he knew he was free from her clutches she was sure he would declare his love and undying devotion to her right then and there. And if she could lure the other man away, then Ranma would surely see that she was the most desirable woman. He would be so grateful to her for helping him be rid of the male and his unfortunate fiancée, he would propose immediately.
Yes, she thought with a gay laugh, that was a perfect plan.
Akane's head shot up and she looked around as she heard a very familiar, very annoying laugh. She sighed, resigned to the inevitable stupidity that would undoubtedly accompany the gymnast when she showed up. She vaguely wondered if she would be attacked by a bokken, clubs, or mallet. It was a tossup when it came to that loon.
But at least I'm never bored, she though dryly before adding, and my day was getting so much better.
Looking over, she noticed that Konatsu was making his way back and she wondered if they had time to leave before they were noticed.
Just then, Kodachi seemed to leap out of nowhere, but strangely enough started to sashay herself towards the kunoichi, pretending not to notice the man by looking at the ceiling. Just as Konatsu was going to walk past her, the gymnast tripped over thin air, falling face first - chest first if you were being technical - onto the man.
With his quick reflexes, he wrapped his arms around her and helped her to her feet.
"Excuse..." Konatsu cleared his throat and brought his voice down an octave lower than he was used to, "Excuse me, miss. I didn't see you there."
Batting her eyelashes at him and laughing, she said, "That's quite alright. I'm just so lucky to have been caught by such a strong man." She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder and gave him a wide smile, batting her lashes some more.
Picking up all the visual cues, Konatsu remembered what the elder Kuno sibling tried to do when he flirted. He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles, saying, "It was my pleasure."
Kodachi beamed at this, surprised that any man seen with that harlot would have such good manners. She stared into eyes that were such a deep brown that she thought she was looking into pools of dark chocolate and she felt her heart flutter a little. This man truly was gorgeous.
"How rude of me, let me introduce myself. My name is Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose of St. Bacchus School for girls. Maybe you've heard of me."
Konatsu smiled, of course he heard of her, he knew exactly who she was the moment she laughed.
"Yes, I have. Your skills in rhythmic gymnastics are renowned. My name is Kon...just Kon."
He gave her a low bow and was about to walk away when she next spoke.
"It's nice to meet you, Kon. Maybe you would like to walk me home, it's getting awfully late."
Giving her another bow and a wink, he offered her his arm.
The duo was too far away for Akane to hear their conversation, but it was obvious that they were flirting with each other!
Of all the people for Konatsu to practice on, the gymnast was the last girl she would have picked. Her jaw dropped as she saw Kodachi put her hand in the crook of his elbow and lead them away. They had gone a few steps before the other girl looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with Akane, a triumphant smile on her face. A moment later, with his free hand, Konatsu gave her a thumbs up behind his back.
She had no idea if he knew what he was getting himself into but she was sure he could handle himself. Shrugging her shoulders, she picked up Konatsu's bag and headed back to the department store to buy the kunoichi the glasses he liked so much but couldn't afford. The man deserved at least that much for having to deal with both Kunos.
A/N: I know there was no Ranma in this chapter but with everything going on, I couldn't fit him.
The idea that Ukyo would appeal to Nodoka about the engagement has been done before. Luna12 addresses it in her story "Of Loss, Life, & Love", which is where I got the inspiration for my scene, although our outcomes are very different. It's a great story, so check it out.
As always, a big thanks to PepperonyOwl and alwaysZutarian for their help.
Original Publication Date: July 24, 2014
Revised: May 11, 2015