Clumsy at Love
Chapter 24: Steps to stop
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½
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"Hello, how can I help you?" Akane asked at their unexpected visitor.
"Hi, I'm looking for Mr. Ranma Saotome." said the beautiful blond lady. Akane's brows twitched.
"Do you have an appointment?" Akane asked, going over Ranma's schedule and calendar. "What's your name?"
"Yes, my name is Orihime Urahara. HR sent me for the final interview with Mr. Saotome."
"Uhm, what?! Interview?" Did she hear that right? "Wait a moment, let me check..." She muttered.
There's must be some misunderstanding. She thought. And just as she started searching the inbox, an email from HR had arrived.
Akane felt her heart drop to her stomach. She's here for an interview as Ranma's Executive Assistant.
"This way, Ms. Urahara." She said, directing the lady towards Ranma's office.
Gosh, why does she feel like crying? Isn't this is what she wanted? This is exactly what they've agreed on in the first place. To be his temporary secretary until he found a replacement.
But that's not what she truly wanted! Can't he tell that by just looking? Without her saying it out loud?
"That insensitive fool!" She grumbled.
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Ranma left the office at exactly five o'clock in the afternoon.
Akane followed thirty minutes later.
As usual, she went home on foot. She recently discovered that their building is not that far if she takes shortcuts and the alley between the tall buildings. But today, the usual fifteen minute-walk turned almost an hour walk. She walked deliberately slow and tried to digest everything she had in mind now.
What now? What's next? What is she gonna do now when Ranma is done with her as his secretary? Oh... She's gonna miss her job, her office mates, and... well, working with an excellent boss, even if he's an annoying fool.
When she arrived home, she walked up straight to the closet to change into comfortable clothes and then went down to the kitchen to find something to eat.
To her surprise, she found Ranma standing idly by the fridge.
She waited till he was done, but moments had passed, and he still not moving, "Ranma..." She called out, walking up.
What?! He's sleeping in the fridge! "Hey, Ranma..." She tried again, gently nudging him.
"My God!" She gasped. "You're burning up with fever!" He's burning with fever. What do I do? What do I do? She immediately put out her cellphone and called Kasumi, and informed her frantically about Ranma's situation.
"Relax, Akane, calm down... Now, listen to me... Try to get him on the bed and then get a bowl of cold water with lots of ice and towels. Put one wet towel on his face, wipe his body with another wet one, and then wipe it dry after. I'll be there shortly. I'll just go and get Dr. Ono, okay?"
"Okay." She said, nodding.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine," Kasumi added before hanging up.
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She wasn't sure how she managed to bring him up to his bed. She doesn't even know how she managed to get things done as Kasumi had instructed her earlier, but thankfully she did.
An hour later, Dr. Ono and Kasumi were at their door and immediately tended to Ranma. They gave her another round of instructions, including removing his wet clothes and changing him into clean, dry ones. Ugh!
But again... she managed to do it, a little easier than she expected it to be, maybe because he, being in a delirium state, helps.
Whatever! She just hopes that he wouldn't realize what she has done when he wakes up.
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Akane woke up as her alarm went off. She turned it off and then turned to Ranma, and her heart almost jumped out of her rib cage to find him sitting next to her lying body on his bed.
On his bed?! She fell asleep on his bed?! She immediately jumps out of his bed and backs away.
Gosh! She fell asleep next to him.
"You must be so tired tending to me to fall asleep beside me." He told her. "Sorry about that..."
"I... Uhm, how are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling great. Thanks to you." He replied weakly.
"Drink that water. Doctor Tofu said you should drink plenty of fluid. That's why I bought you lots of energy drinks. It's downstairs. I'll get you one."
"Don't bother. I'll get one on my own. You should rest." He said while trying to get up.
To his surprise, Akane rushed next to him and pushed him back to bed. "It's you who should rest."
"You don't have to do this for me, Akane."
"Then call someone who would take care of you, then I'm out of here." She barked then stormed out of the door.
Akane went to the kitchen to reheat everything Kasumi had brought earlier. What the hell is his problem? I'm doing him a favor, and he's denying it. He's such a drama king. She grumbled.
She went back upstairs with a tray of food in her hands. She put it down on the table next to his bed. "You should eat." She told him and then heard their doorbell buzz.
Ranma sat up as she walked out of the room, glanced at what she had prepared for him, and heaved a sigh.
She really shouldn't do these things for him. It's upsetting.
Akane returned with a scowl on her face and started picking up her essential things, putting them inside her backpack. "I'm out of here." She muttered and marched towards the door, then stopped abruptly and walked back right next to him. "I'm taking this," she said, picking up the tray of food she had brought earlier. "Your hotel nurse is here and brought you nutritious food. You won't need this anymore. I'll be at my father's house so don't call Kasumi to look for me. Thank you." She huffed and left.
Ranma heaves another long exasperated sigh, following Akane's retreating form.
When he woke up earlier and found her sleeping soundly beside him with all the ruckus around them, he knew right then what exactly took place... she took good care of him the whole time while he was out. He chuckled darkly.
That shouldn't have happened. She should be hating him and not looking after him. And he shouldn't be taking advantage of her in any way. That's why he had to send her away while he couldn't take care of himself.
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"Ms. Tendo, send me a copy of your resume." Said the Vice President of their Marketing Department, who dropped by at her area so early in the morning.
She was about to open her mouth to ask what for, but the lady boss already had an answer. "Mr. Saotome had recommended you for a position in our team."
"What? He did?!" She blurted out and immediately covered her mouth, "Uhm, sorry about that... But ~"
"What? You don't want to be transferred to our department? Yeah, I get exactly why... I know its wonderful to be with an utterly attractive boss with rippling stomach muscles all the ~" the lady stopped her gushing in an instant and then cleared her throat.
"It's not that, Ma'am... Its ~"
"Well then, what position do you want?" The lady boss then asked sternly. "I'll ask HR if there's any vacant close to it."
"But I'm not interested in any other position in this comp ~"
"For goodness sake, girl... it's an opportunity of a lifetime, and you're still being choosy? I don't know why he's asking this ridiculous favor for you, but I just can't turn him down. I'm sure you know that he's the future of this company. Anyway, just send your resume to me ASAP, okay?" She demanded and then left without waiting for her response.
What's this now? She thought disheartened, following the retreating form of the upset lady VP.
"That stupid, insensitive jerk!" She hissed, gritting her teeth.
While she's here worrying for him for being on sick leave for two days in a row, he was thinking of ways of getting rid of her.
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Ranma woke up with the steady buzzing of their door. He picked up his phone to check the time, but loads of unread messages and miscalls welcomed him. His heart stammered as he checked the messages one by one.
Good evening. Sayuri here, Sir. We'd like to let you know that we were at the pub with Akane. It seemed she had drunk too much. Can you please pick her up?
Sir, we're dropping her at your place, please wait for us. Thank you.
Sir, please open the door ~
Ranma didn't finish reading the messages. He instantly flew down and ran to the door. "Oh ~"
"Sir, good eve ~ good morning." Said Sayuri and her friends.
Ranma searched for his wife, and his expression darkened to find his wife half-awake in the arms of... what is his name again? Right, Shinnosuke.
"You've brought me guys to the wrong place, tis is not my home, hik!" Akane complained.
Ranma grumbled but walked up to get his wife. "I'm sorry about this..." He said, grabbing his wife from Shinnosuke's arms. "We had a little fight, and she's being like this..." He explained, carrying her as if she were a child in his arms. "That's married life for us," he added.
"That's okay, Sir." Said, Yuki.
"What do you think you're doing?" Akane whined, slightly struggling.
"Thank you all for taking her home. Take a grab each. I'll pay for it. Take care." He told them while walking back inside their place and closed the door behind them.
"You treacherous jerk, hik! Put me down."
Ranma just walked on, ignoring her.
"I'm sorry, I'm not supposed to be home. I know you don't want me to be home, hik! You don't want me as your secretary either, and you're even getting rid of me from the department." She complained. "Tell me, what's next?"
He puts her down on his bed and then pulls out her bed, still ignoring her.
Akane sat up unsteadily. "Ahh! I know what's next... You will get rid of me as your wife and then write me off of your life completely."
Ranma stood up after making her bed. "You should sleep." He told her. "Come on." He pursued, holding on to her arm to guide her, but she casts it away.
"You said I was your capable secretary. You said you needed me, but all you wanted with me is to be gone, you darned liar!" she cried.
Ranma sits in front of her. "Let's talk about this in the morning, okay? When you're calm and sober, hmm?" He asked solemnly. This is the last thing he wants to do with her, make her cry all over again.
"Akane..." Ranma called out, but she cried even harder, like a child.
He sat on the bed beside her and then leaned her body towards him and started patting her back to try and calm her.
"Did you really mean the words you said? Were you really sorry?" She asked.
"I'm sorry..." he uttered.
"You're saying sorry because you lied?" She asked again, but he'd rather grit his teeth than give her a reply.
"I miss you..." she whimpered, startling him.
"That can't be right."
"I know... I know." She cried again. "I shouldn't be like this, of all people, not to you. It shouldn't be you."
"Please don't do this to me, Akane." He grumbled, putting his forehead over her head, and then closed his eyes. "I'm trying my best here to let you go."