Chapter 6: Kuno And Kodachi
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2
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"Ranma!"
Ranma turned and found his old friend Kuno and his sister Kodachi looking gorgeous with their respective attire.
"Kuno! I'm glad you made it, man," he said, patting his friend's back.
"But of course! Your parents were like my parents, too."
"Well, you better stay the night so you won't miss the big announcement," he informed him. "Ah! FYI, you'll be the best man."
"What?! You're getting married?" he asked, surprised. "Nah, you've gotta be kidding me."
Ranma shook his head, smiling ear to ear.
"Which trap did you fall into then?" interjected Kodachi.
"You knew very well that I won't just fall on any girl's trap,"
"We-wait, wait, wait..." said, now excited Kuno. "Is it the model? Or the surgeon? Cause obviously, it's not my sister." He asked with a hint of sarcasm, wanting to annoy her sister.
Ranma just smirked as an answer.
"Is it your parents' work?" Kodachi again. "Tell me, what trick did they use this time to finally lure you in?"
"Threatened him over his inheritance, what else?" replied Kuno.
"Wait, is that Tendo Akane?" demanded bewildered Kodachi.
"As in Akane Tendo?!" Kuno asked.
"What's that tomboy doing here?"
Ranma laughs. "Hey, hey, hey! You better watch your mouth. She's the one I'll be marrying soon."
"Seriously?!" asked Kuno incredulously.
"B~but Ranma, why her?!" asked upset Kodachi.
Ranma laughed. "What kind of reaction was that?"
"Of course, your parents chose her." spat Kodachi.
Ranma shook his head. "No. We preferred each other." Or should I say my heart preferred her?
"Ahhh..." was Kuno's only response. His mind is in a jam, flooded with so many questions.
Kodachi's expression was no good either. She's looking at Akane like an evil witch that steals Ranma away from her.
Ranma patted Kuno's back. "What is it, man? Spit it out."
"No offense, man. I kinda think that the girl's pretty cute ~."
Ranma cut him off. "Cute... you say?"
"Yeah, cute," he said, cutting him off. "And that you seem to always care for her ~."
"Nah-uh." Ranma shook his head, warning him.
"b~but really... why her?!"
"Why not her?"
"Look, Ranma... We both know that there are so many high-caliber girls surrounding you, literally begging for your attention..."
"Okay," Ranma agreed while nodding his head.
Kuno blinked. He couldn't believe he didn't get what he was trying to say. Gee! He's absolutely like a person who's been blinded by love. Should he let go of the argument? But there's one more thing he needs to know.
"How did you do it?"
"What?"
"Making a violent, man-hater..." said Kuno.
"Irritating, uncute, flat-chested..." interjected Kodachi.
"Tomboy, as you always said, said yes to marry you?" Kuno finished the question irritably.
Ranma burst out laughing. "There, you said it, guys."
"It's you who started calling her those names," argued Kuno.
"I stopped calling her names a long time ago." he protested.
"You're not answering the question."
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Ranma turned his back. "Ms. Akane, soon-to-be Saotome!" he called out. "Do you have a moment? My friends here want to say hello to you."
Akane excused herself from the group of guests Ranma introduced earlier and walked towards them.
She came and smiled politely. "Akane, still remember them? They're my friends from..." started Ranma.
"The Tatewaki. Kuno and Kodachi." Akane interrupted.
No response.
Ranma saved his speechless friends. "They were glad to see you... and they're happy for us," he said. "Yes. They told me. Earlier. Before I call you. Out here. Right?"
Kuno nods his head in agreement. Maybe Ranma has not gone insane after all. This girl may not be famous and not that wealthy, but surely she's got the look and the curves that men sought after. He couldn't believe it was the Akane he knew before.
"Anyway, they wanted to know what made you say "yes" to me?"
Akane was evidently caught off guard by the question. "Seriously?" she asked. "You want me to answer that question?"
"Well, you can lie, you know," Ranma whispered, worried that she might actually tell the truth.
"Lie? Okay," she muttered, forcing a smile while snatching a martini from a passing tray of drinks. "Excuse me, I just..." she said, holding up the drink to her mouth and emptied the glass in a shot. "I said yes because I like him," she said easily, without batting an eyelash.
"You both knew that I like him, yes?" she asked. "You were there when he read my letter out loud in the middle of the schoolyard." Kuno looked nervously at Ranma. "So I thought it shouldn't really be a surprise." she continued.
"Of course," Kodachi agreed. "Who would've forgotten that a well-known tomboy confessed to the guy everyone knew she hates the most?" Kodachi said scornfully.
"Ha-ha!" Kuno laughed hysterically. "Oh, yeah! I just remembered it. How could I forget that?"
"We were young back then. And even though we always fight, that doesn't mean we really do hate each other."
Kuno turned to speechless Ranma. "Wow, you're really something, man."
"I don't think it's Ranma who's something here," said Kodachi while casting Akane a detestable stare. "What could really be the reason behind it? I wonder. Is it the looks, the wits, the skills, fame or... simply the fortune?"
"I'm sure that will hurt his pride like hell if its fortune. Ha-ha!" Kuno said, laughing really hard.
Ranma pretended to laugh, but his eyes were focused on Akane, who just snatched another glass of whatever from a passing trey and emptied it again.