HOM E RRORS
"I can't believe it !"
A disbelieving Ranma was looking back and forth at both homework notebooks, comparing them… and realizing his own omissions.
"See ? Do you get it now ? Why I insisted again for you to check ?" Akane gently said, willing to comfort rather than to reprimand.
"Yeah, I do. And sorry for being a bit harsh when you asked. Just kinda upset about your insisting about homework… but you were right in the end."
"It's ok, no big deal. I would probably have reacted the same, Ranma."
He offered her a kind smile.
"Thanks for your help. And I guess I should definitely tick each homework after doing it, to make sure I don't forget doing any."
She put her hand on his shoulder.
"No problem. But Ranma… what makes you so distracted lately ? You're thinking of someone or something else, for sure !" Her hand stiffened on his shoulder. "I hope it's not one of the others… Shampoo, Ukyo or Kodachi ?"
His widened eyes turned to her.
"Akane, I'm not in love with any of them ! I swear ! They're only friends… well, mainly Ukyo anyway… but just that ! How can you even suspect me of loving them ? After all this time, you should know me by heart, no ?"
"Alright, alright. But then who or what have you been thinking about, to forget things regularly for the past 2 weeks ?! Your mind has to be on someone or something else, eh ?"
He sighed.
"Look, I know this is crazy, but I'm don't have anyone or anything particular on my mind lately. I'm not concerned at all, I don't have any… uh… obsession or whatever you would call that. I don't know WHY I've started forgetting homework. I was pretty sure that I had written some of them down… I'm almost sure of that !"
He was very upset, but that only strengthened the impression of spontaneity of his reply. And Akane knew he was sincere…
…but his ignoring the reason of those omissions only worried her further.
-/-
Ranma didn't miss any assignment the following week. Everything was done, and correctly. But he still had difficulty to find an answer in an oral exercise, and upon checking his homework notebook – his fiancé had agreed that she'd better verify what he had written down - Akane noted that he had forgotten a page in a 3-pages text to read in history.
Yet this was significantly less than the past 2 weeks, so the youngest Tendo felt slightly better about the Saotome son-daughter.
That was for school work.
But alas, another incident still occurred at Furinkan's…
"Ranma !"
The pigtailed boy turned around and smiled at the 2 newcomers.
"Hey boys ! How are you doing ?"
"Ranma, where were you yesterday evening, after school ?" asked Hiroshi.
"We've been waiting for you, Man !" scolded Daisuke.
He blinked at them.
Akane, who was listening to their convo from the side, stared at the puzzled pigtailed boy and bit her lip.
Not again…!
But she got a good surprise when she heard him say :
"You're talking about our training session for the basketball match, right ? Well, I haven't forgotten ! It's next Tuesday, not yesterday."
Yet the good surprise soon turned to a bad one…
"No, Man, it was yesterday for sure ! Well, now that I think about it, we can schedule another training next week, but there definitely was one last evening !" retorted Daisuke.
"I'm sure we didn't say this Tuesday but the next one !" countered Ranma.
"Then how come we were all there for the training after school, yesterday evening ? All… except you ? Can you explain me that ?" pointed out Hiroshi.
His long silence proved them that he couldn't.
Akane felt sorry for him… and worried.
Very worried.
"Look, Ranma, we have a 3 more weeks until the match, so we can train at least 3 more times. If you miss only one training, It won't be that much of a problem… but you must absolutely attend the other ones !" remarked Hiroshi.
"You're one of our best players, Dude. Don't let us down. We're counting on you, okay ?" concluded Daisuke, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Yeah, of course. I'll be there for you. And sorry again. I was really sure it wasn't this week. My bad."
Hiroshi gave him a thumb up, with a small smile… that was both a smile of hope and of comfort, as he knew his confused friend needed to feel support right now… instead of resent.
And friendship first, right ?
Once they were gone, his worried fiancée approached him, ready to comfort him, but catching her move out of the corner of his eye, he stiffened and made a pout.
"Sorry, but I don't want to talk about this now…"
"But –"
"Please, Akane… not now. Maybe tonight, or even tomorrow. I… don't feel like discussing the matter with you for the moment." He began turning away, then stopped his gesture, and looking back at her from the side, he mumbled a quick "sorry", then walked away.
Her heart, as she watched him leave her, shoulders slumped, felt heavier again, like it recently had…
-/-
Ranma's recent shortcomings had only affected school for the time being, and only Akane was aware of the issue.
But as we all know, in too many cases, the problem we try to hide can't remain hidden for long…
That Thursday, Kasumi was busy taking her errands out of the plastic bags and putting them away, where they belonged, when…
"Oh, I forgot the milk !"
She rarely ever came back without one of the foodstuffs, but her mind had been wandering elsewhere that morning, as she remembered her nice (and funny) evening with Dr Tofu… and that daydream had made her overlook something, for once.
The two fiancés were already home that morning, having come back earlier from school, as one of their teachers was sick and his lesson therefore cancelled. And Ranma happened to be passing in the hallway when Kasumi came out of the kitchen.
"Sorry to disturb you, dear Ranma…" apologized Kasumi "…but I forgot to purchase the milk. Would you be so kind as to go buy it now, if you don't have anything to do ?"
"Sure, no prob' ".
Nabiki was coming downstairs, a pack of chips in her hand.
(I'm currently reading the manga – which I should have done long ago, my bad ^^ - and I often see Nabiki eating something… and I remember she was just as much of a piggy in the anime… but how can that girl remain so slim, eh ? XD)
"Hey, Ranma-kun !" she greeted him.
"Hey, Nabiki ! Feeling better ?"
"So so. Damn cold… By the way, what are you doing home so early ?"
"Our lesson got cancelled. Teacher's sick and no substitute to fill in, so…"
"Mmmm-mmh…" she simply replied, nodding, before starting for the living room.
"Oh, Ranma, before I forget : you have to buy the semi-skimmed milk !" Kasumi informed him. "I've switched from whole milk to that one 2 weeks ago, so please remember that. And you can take one of those packs of 6 cartons."
Nabiki, who had stopped at the entrance of the living room to listen to that bit of info, put two chips into her mouth and turned away from the pair to enter the room.
The blue-eyed boy was back in no time, and entering the kitchen, he handed over the plastic bag to Kasumi, who thanked him warmly.
He had reached the kitchen's entrance, ready to return to the living room, when…
"Oh no ! That's the wrong milk, Ranma !"
He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.
"Skimmed milk, right ? Isn't that what I bought ?" he asked, slightly confused.
"That's what you bought, yes, but the one I was asking you for was the semi-skimmed milk. I never bought the fully skimmed one. You probably didn't hear the "semi" part." she replied with a forgiving smile.
He frowned.
"Are you sure you said semi-skimmed ?" he double-checked, disbelieving he has misheard.
Nabiki happened to be walking in their direction, about to go upstairs to her room, to rest some more and take her medicine.
"Yes, Ranma ! I'm certain I did ! As I said, I don't buy skimmed milk, only the semi-skimmed one. I remember saying so."
"And so do I, actually." casually remarked Nabiki, stopping by them. "I was there when you said it, Kasumi."
Her eyes shifted to the guilty boy… who interpreted her look as one of "accusation", kind of.
"Ok, ok, got it, it's all my fault ! Sorry for that !" he grumbled, eyes sending daggers at the second daughter.
"Hey, I didn't blame you, Ranma-kun ! Just confirmed Kasumi's info." she told him.
"Your stare spoke by itself !"
"Oh, come on, I'm not judging you or stuff !"
"You can if you want. Bu then again, everybody makes mistakes."
He stormed off, hurrying up the stairs, ignored the "Ranma ?" directed at him and slammed his door.
The two eldest sisters exchanged a perplexed look, the second one more mystified than really angry.
"What the hell…?!" whispered the latter, raising her arms, palms up, in the typical powerlessness gesture.
"What's wrong with Ranma ?" asked Akane, who was coming downstairs.
"He doesn't like semi-skimmed milk…" sighed Nabiki, rolling her eyes up.
-/-
A sweating Ranma collapsed, rather than he sat down, in the corner of the dojo.
He had been training very hard that day, the one following the "milk incident", and that supplementary determination, that unusual display of strength and energy was driven by his frustration, his feeling of helplessness.
Why the f.u.c.k. do I keep on forgetting stuff or remembering wrong ?! I'm sure of things that turn out to be incorrect… I'm certain to have it right and the other wrong, yet in the end, I'm the one who messed up ! How come I'm losing control over things like that ?
Genma, who had taken a severe beating, courtesy of his son's rage (yet had been pleased to see him fight with so much raw power), awkwardly sat by said son, wiping away a trickle of blood at the right corner of his mouth.
"I'm not going to thank you for all the punches and kicks, but I'll say this : I'm proud to see you battle with such energy and precision ! That's my boy ! But what made you fight that violently ? Hum… I mean, with that much drive ?"
The pigtailed boy let out a long deep sigh.
"Just upset by my curse… I wish I could find a way to cure it, and finally be a full-fledged man ! Turning into a girl after being splashed by that old lady, on my way to school… Man, that's getting old !"
His father gave him an amused look.
"What ? You still get splashed by her ? After all this time ? How come you can't avoid that, after all these years ? You know where she lives, so…"
He left his sentence unfinished, his questioning look, with its raised brow, kinda indicating what he wanted to know.
The "gender-switcher" made the famous irritated tongue noise.
"Gee, I dunno, really ! I've got other things on my mind, so having to pay attention each very day…"
"And what are those "other things", tell me ?"
"Well, as I said, my curse, school, my relationship with Akane, rivals… and a certain father who regularly snatches some of my food !"
Genma's look turned from severe to outraged.
"You little…!"
He sent a kick Ranma's way, but the teenager avoided it by propelling himself away from his "pandad" and, right after landing, stuck out his tongue at the "four-eyed man".
"And you dare stick it out at me, you brash son ?! I'll get you for that !"
"Nah you won't !" laughed the black-haired boy as he rushed out of the denjo and jumped away, soon landing on a stone by the pond.
"Come back here, foul-mouthed brat ! I'll teach you about father's respect !" bellowed Genma as he came running.
His new kick was blocked by his son, and the few punches he threw at him didn't meet with more success, but the sneaky sweep he delivered after pretending to fall couldn't be avoided this time…
…and the incensed red-haired female emerged from the pond, gritting her teeth and throwing daggers at the mocking man who had finally managed to "get him for that".
A muttering Ranma quickly disappeared upstairs to discard the wet clothes and don a set of clean ones.
"The boy didn't look too happy today, Saotome… Throwing him into the pond won't exactly lift his spirits…" remarked Soun, the slight irony in his words sounding like Nabiki's influence, the Master of Irony in the house.
"I know he was upset lately, but I don't know why…" confessed Genma. "This influenced his training, as he fought with extreme energy and determination today, as if he was releasing his bottled up anger that way. I asked him what was wrong with him, but he didn't really explain."
Akane's expression somehow darkened, as what she just heard reminded her of her fiancé's current shortcomings… those worrying new issues in his life.
And she remained thoughtful until she saw a newly-clad Ranma enter the living room and sit at the table.
But…
"You didn't change back ?" questioned Nabiki, staring at the red-haired girl opposite.
The latter raised a brow.
"Of course I did. I'm wearing a blue outfit, as you can see."
"But no, not that ! Your body !" the bobcut girl exclaimed on a slightly ticked off tone.
The petite teen raised an eyebrow.
"My body ? What's wrong with it ?"
Nabiki rested her chin on her raised fist and spoke in a smooth voice :
"You noticed you changed into a girl, didn't you, Ranma-kun ? Well, why didn't you change back into a boy ? You generally hurry to switch back to male, don't you ?"
The pigtailed girl finally got it.
"Ah, yes… I was so focused on drying myself up and changing clothes that I forgot to do that. Bah, I don't have to return to boy all the time, eh ?"
Nabiki exchanged looks with Akane and Kasumi, kinda silently asking them Who is that alien who assumed Ranma's appearance ?
"Hum, I can get you a kettle of hot water, dear Ranma…" proposed Kasumi.
The addressed one smiled at her.
"Oh yeah, a cup of tea would be nice, thanks !"
To say that the whole family was flabbergasted would still be an understatement.
"Okay, okay ! You've got us, alright ! Now stop pulling our legs and act normal again, coz Man, you're too much of a weirdo right now !" exclaimed the bobcut sister, with one eyebrow raised.
"Pulling your legs ? A weirdo ? Sorry, I don't get it. What's the deal ?" replied Ranma.
Nabiki gave an exasperated huff and turned to Akane.
"He's your fiancé, so you're the one who has to reason him !"
The youngest sister was about to say something to her sister, but changed her mind and instead turned to the strange-acting redhead by her side.
"Come on, Ranma, you know full well that the hot water Kasumi proposed you was to change back into a boy ! You were joking when you mentioned a cup of tea… right ?"
She had hesitantly added the final word, because in fact, she was pretty sure it was another of his… or currently her "black holes" and that she had replied seriously about the tea. But she felt the need to pull the wool over everybody's eyes... and should she tell the others about Ranma's issues, she'd definitely do it in his/her absence, to avoid hurting his/her feelings !
Having listened to Akane, the redhead seemed to remember something…
…and then unexpectedly burst out laughing, rubbing the back of her head !
"Yeah, of course I was joking ! I knew the hot water was for the gender switch ! I just wanted to test you ! You should have seen your faces, guys ! Ah ah ah !"
Given their expressions, the others seemed reluctant to buy it, but as for Akane, she definitely didn't. And she was well aware that the laughter she had just heard was forced : she knew her fiancé well enough to tell when he was laughing spontaneously… and when not.
-/-
This was the second "oblivion incident" that took place at home, after the milk incident that had ended up annoying the young Saotome big time.
Unfortunately, the third one came all too soon, 2 days later, making it 3 issues in just 4 days…
When Akane came down from her room for dinner, she had the surprise to see the Lost Boy sitting at the large table.
"Oh, good evening, Ryoga ! Nice to see you again ! How have you been ?"
"Good evening, Akane-san ! Well, pretty busy, as always. I should have arrived earlier, but…uh…"
"But we know you." completed The Master of Irony.
"Nabiki, please !" scolded Kasumi, who was sitting by her "naughty" sister.
The teaser winked at the firstborn as she playfully stuck her tongue out.
"And how have you been lately, Akane-san ? Is everything alright with you ?" he asked her.
Not exactly, alas…
"Pretty good, yes. The usual routine, you know… school, martial art…" she lied, worry buried deep within her heart, away from their guest, whom she certainly didn't want to tell about Ranma's problems. And anyway, she should start by telling the family first.
"Is Ranma treating you well ?" he asked with a frown.
She put a convincing smile over her lips.
"Actually yes. He has matured and is no longer rude to me. He has made a lot of efforts, and also at school : he behaves and works better…"
…and has started forgetting school stuff quite regularly... which worries me a lot…
"Well I'm surprised yet pleased to hear this !" A glance at the living room's entrance. "Ah, talking of the devil… Hi, Ranma ! Long time no see !"
The black-haired boy sat down at the right side of the table, not far from his rival.
"Indeed. So how have you been…" A pause. "…Ryoga ?"
The latter snorted.
"Uh uh, for a second, I almost thought you didn't want to say my name… or that you had forgotten it. But I'm sure you wouldn't forget the name your main challenger, right ?"
He smirked at his rival.
"No, of course, I wouldn't. So, what have you been up to ?"
Their discussion continued until it was time for everyone to enjoy Kasumi's delicious food.
It appeared that Ryoga behaved in a nicer way to Ranma, not exactly like a friend, but at least no longer like an enemy or an opponent. More like someone you've started to get along better with, and maybe gradually befriending.
The two of them talked normally to each other, no longer in a taunting or resentful tone, but in an almost cordial one, which pleasantly surprised the others.
This was actually a welcome consequence of Ryoga learning that Ranma treated Akane much better. Saotome's improvement of behaviour earned him more respect from Hibiki.
-/-
The dinner was almost over when…
"You don't eat your fish, Ranma ?" gently asked the firstborn.
"My fish ?" he repeated, before looking around and spotting the small plate on his right. "Oh yes, right !"
"But you always eat it first, and only then the rice. Changing habits or what ?" questioned Nabiki, scrutinizing him intently.
"Uh… since I always eat it first, I thought that I could as well change and save the best for the end… it gets boring after a while, doing always the same stuff in the same order, eh !"
Nobody commented on that.
"You're weird, sometimes… especially lately…" observed the sharpest Tendo mind.
Akane gulped but decided to take his beloved's defense.
"Let him be, Nabiki ! He chose to change from his routine, and so what ? I think that's a good idea. Why always stick to the same old ways ? No ?"
She turned to look at Ryoga, hoping for some support, as she knew he was always so kind to her.
He blinked, yet swiftly regained his composure.
"Yeah, sure, Akane's right ! It's good to change every now and then. I don't think we should tease Ranma for that. After all, I always eat most of my fish at the end too…"
This time as well, nobody commented, the only visible reaction being Nabiki's shrug.
Akane gulped.
And after a minute or so, discreetly sighed deeply.
The way things are going, I won't be able to keep it a secret much longer… And Ranma won't be able to stay that way for long : if it continues, or even worsens, he'll need to see a doctor !
And after a few seconds, she completed her thought that way :
After all, it could be serious…
-/-
-/-
The title of this chappy is again a mix of two words, relating to the errors (i.e. mistakes) taking place at home. This refers to the issue now also affecting the life in the Tendo residence. While, in the first chapter, the problems were related to (and took place in) school, and only Akane was aware of them, they now also appear at home, and the rest of the family realizes something is wrong. So, basically, what the title implies is that the issue "grows bigger" and is no longer strictly limited to school.
I decided to improve the relationship of the 2 R's, making those long-time rivals act nicer to each other. Not sure they're gonna be friends, alright, but I wanted to at least wanted to end their enmity, or even their regular feuds. Not sure they won't get into an argument at some point, but for the time being, I felt it necessary to calm things down and make them get along better.
Some of you may wonder why the improvement of Ranma's attitude to Akane satisfies Ryoga : after all, the fiancés getting along much better with each other would rather be bad news for Ranma's rival. And yet he appears pleased with it… Well, you'll get the reason of this in next chapter. ;)
Reviews, comments, constructive criticism are welcome, thank you beforehand. Even if you read yet don't comment, that's fine. Any form of interest and support, active or passive, is welcome.
That's all for now, taKare, be happy, and catch U soon again !
Léo