"You invited him to go home with you!! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND!" Akio lashed out at Akane, angrily.
"Sshh Akio.." Akane turned around to see if Ranma had heard them anyhow. She gave a sigh of relief when she found him still talking with Ukyo in the classroom. She looked back at Akio and firmly replied,
"Yes! I invited him to come with me to our house! Please, Akio, don't react so poorly, it might make him uncomfortable to come with me."
"You should have at least asked me before you invited him to come along with us!"
"Oh honestly, I didn't think too much before inviting him. Anyway, you never complained when he started to come to my workplace to walk me home!"
"Not home! It's just halfway home!"
"Whatever, Baka! You were okay with that, didn't you?!"
Akio pauses himself as no words came out from his mouth. Akane sighs and said in a warning tone,
"He is my guest for today, now stop whining like a baby and behave yourself!"
Akio growled loudly and said in an angry tone,
"Do whatever you want to do! I am not going home now!"
"Akio, wait, please!"
Akane called out to him, but he ignored her call and walked away from the hallway of the building.
"Aww! That idiot!"
"Hey, Kane!"
Akane swiftly turned and saw Ranma standing behind her. He had a concerned expression on his face as he asked her politely,
"Is everything alright?"
"Yes, everything is alright, Ranma! Ready to go?" Akane asked cheerfully, realizing his discomfort.
Ranma looked at her and asked,
"Where did Akio go?"
"Who knows! And who cares!!" Akane said, giving a big frustrating sigh.
"Is he angry that I am coming with you?" He asked in a small voice.
To answer his question, Akane smiled at him and held his hand with her. She started to pull him alongside with her as she whispered to her,
"Lest they say something!" She grabbed his hand more tightly and said, "We should ignore them.. Now, come on.."
Ranma smiled at her and nodded as they started to walk home, hand in hand.
"Tadaima!!"
Akane called out happily. She opened her shoes and looked behind her. A silly giggle escaped her lips when she saw what Ranma was doing. He was still standing outside the gate; too fascinated by the wooden entrance and the old antic house, he kept looking at the gate and the entrance with a wide open mouth. Akane giggled more as she called out to him,
"Ranma! Why are you standing there like this? Don't worry, it's not a hunted house!"
Her remark made him move faster. He slowly entered the house as he said in a breathless tone,
"Wow, Kane! Your house is amazing!"
Akane laughed lightly and said,
"You think so! Thank God then; the way you were staring at it, at first I thought you were scared to come inside my house!"
Ranma shook his head in shame and said, blushing,
"Jeez, that's not the case at all! I went to so many different houses; especially modernized buildings! This is the first time I have come upon a house like this!"
"Yeah I know.. This house is actually too old.."
"And mesmerizing!" Ranma breathed out, cutting her speech in the middle as he looked everywhere; "Thank you, Akane! For bringing me here with you."
Akane smiled at him and nodded.
"Akane? Is that you? I thought I heard your voice.. Oh my!"
Kasumi came out from the kitchen to welcome her sister; but when she saw an unknown guy standing beside her, she became surprised. Akane came forward and said ,
"Oneechan! Let me introduce you to my friend. He is Ranma. I invited him to come along with me today?!"
Akane gave her sister a pleading stare, expecting her to stop acting surprised and give him a welcoming smile. Kasumi looked at Akane and understood her urgency. She smiled at her and looked at Ranma with a beautiful smile on her face..
"Oh my; where is my manners!My bad, sorry, I was not expecting a guest that's why I became a little surprised." Kasumi bowed to him and said politely, "Hello, I am Kasumi, Akane's elder sister. I am so happy to see you, Ranma! I am also glad that my sister is starting to bring her friends over to home again! It's been a while !!"
Ranma also bowed his head respectfully as he said,
"Then I should feel lucky to be her friend and being able to come here with her,mam!" He looked up at her with a broad smile and said excitedly, "This house is so so stunning! I have never seen a house like this before!"
"Mam! Haha! Oh my, Please don't call me that." Kasumi said with a shy tone.
"Uhh.. I am sorry, I don't know.." Ranma tried to say but got interrupted by Kasumi again,
"You can call me by my name or you can also call me onee chan if you want, I won't mind either way…"
Ranma smiled and nodded at her,
"Alright, Oneechan! Thank you!"
"My my, you are such a gentleman! Akane, why don't you show your friend around the house and meanwhile I will prepare dinner for you two."
Ranma was shocked to hear that as he said in a haste,
"Oh no no, please; I am already causing so much trouble for you, coming here unannounced!"
"Nonsense! You are more then welcome to cause trouble here anytime!" Kasumi said with her sweet tone.
Akane laughed hearing that as she said playfully ,
"Ranma, now that my sister has invited you for dinner you have no other choice but to accept it!"
"But, 'Kane.." Ranma hesitated but Kasumi spoke up.
"Don't worry, Ranma. I just finished my cooking just now. You two go and have some fun and I will call you when I will set up the table. By the way, Akio called me and he told me he would come late today. So we don't have to wait for him either.."
Akane smiled and nodded at her,
"Thank you, oneechan." She turned towards Ranma and politely said to him, "Hey, let's go. I will show you around the house."
Ranma nodded and again slightly bowed in front of Kasumi and thanked her. Then he hurriedly followed Akane.
Kasumi's smile instantly faded away when she saw them leaving side by side. The name Ranma rang so unnaturally familiar to her ears. And the way he called her oneechan, it made her heart flutter with a mixture of emotions, it certainly felt like a deja vu to her! She sighs and stops overthinking about the matter and resumes doing her work.
"You have a SMALL POND INSIDE YAR HOUSE!!! THAT'S AMAZING!"
Like an excited kid, Ranma started his adventure which was discovering the Tendo house. Upon entering, when he saw the pond, he rushed towards it and saw the live Koi fish in there!
"And you have a Koi fish here too!!"
Akane laughed seeing his childlike behaviour as she walked to his side. He looked up at her and said,
"This is so beautiful, Akane! I mean, just like a perfect traditional Japanese house! Believe me, this is my first time seeing any traditional house like this!"
"You really think so?! And here I was complaining about the old damp ceilings.." Akane said jokingly, poking her tongue at him.
"Old damp ceiling?! What is that?" Ranma asked, not knowing much about the struggles of a old house.
"Oh honestly, you don't know that!?"
Ranma shook his head saying no to her.
Akane laughed and said,
"Well obviously you won't know about it! You said you live with Ryoga, don't you?"
For a second Ranma got confused, then he remembered and said in a rush,
"Uhh.. Yeah, that's right! I have lived with him since my childhood."
"That's why maybe you don't know about the struggles we regular people usually go through. Anyway, don't worry, I will show you a live version of it when there will be a downpour here!" She said laughing slightly.
"Cool!!! I would love to see that!"
Akane started laughing hard, she shook her head and said,
"Oh honestly, Ranma! You are way too innocent! Come on, let me show you my favorite place in my house."
Ranma excitedly nodded and followed Akane. They walked through a small open hallway which Ranma inspected with an awed expression. Akane stopped infront of a big closed door. She quickly slides open the door and went inside.
When Ranma set his foot inside the large room, his breath caught in his throat, his eyes went bigger, and his mouth opened widely with utter surprise.
"And this is our dojo." She turned on the light and looked at him with a beaming face.
"You have your own DOJO!!"
Akane looked around and said casually,
"Yeah; my dad actually bought this house because of this dojo. As I told you this house is pretty old but because my father is a martial artist sensai that's why.."
"COOL!! OH GOD, THIS IS AMAZING!!"
Akane stopped her speech in the middle and got surprised when she heard Ranma's thrilled filled tone. She looked at him with utter surprise when Ranma suddenly started running like crazy on the empty dojo. He was doing backflips , handstands as he cheered continuously. He is acting just like how a kid would act if they see a candyland full of free candies. Akane was so amazed by his behaviour, but seeing him so lively and happy made her feel delighted too. She smiled at him and shook her head as a small giggle escaped her lips.
Her laugh made Ranma pause his mini-celebration. He grinned and rushed in front of her. He held both her hands in his as he started bowing infront of her multiple times..
"Thank you..thank you .. thank you for bringing me here with you..!"
Akane laughed more and puts her hands on his shoulder to make him stop bowing as she said,
"Ranma! What are you doing? You don't need to thank me like this!"
Ranma grinned at her broadly and said,
"You have no idea how much I have wished to see a real dojo!! This is like my dream just came true..!"
Akane stopped laughing and smiled at him,
"Really? So does that mean you are a martial artist too?"
"I wish! I really really wish, Akane!" Ranma breathed out sadly. He slowly walked in the middle of the dojo and started performing some beginners kata, "And if you can excuse some of some my mistakes; I am not that bad as a learner. Anyway, wanna spar?"
"Huh?! You want to spar with me!?"
"Yes! Why not?"
"But Ranma, I don't think I should.."
"Oh c'mon, Kane! Stop being a scary cat! I promise I won't hurt you.."
His arrogant behavior ticked off Akane a bit.
"I am warning you, Ranma!"
"Bring it on, Kane!"
"You asked for it!"
Ranma smirked when he saw her standing in a fighting position. His heart was beating hard for being finally able to fight in a real dojo. He knows he lacks the talent; but just thinking about the fact that he is standing here to fight an opponent, no matter how gorgeous and sexy she may seem now, he is going to face a real fighting scene and that thought alone was sending a thrilling chill all over his body.
"Ready, Ranma?" Akane asked in a warning tone.
Ranma smirked and said,
"I am always ready.."
In her reply, she advanced towards him at a slower speed.
Her move was flawless, her battle cry music to his ears. He couldn't even process what had happened, the next thing he knew , he has landed hard flat over the ground and he was looking at the ceiling of the wooden dojo. The ceiling scene was soon replaced by the beautiful face of his opponent who was looking down at him with a sly smile on her face. She offered him her hand and said,
"I warned you, baka!"
Ranma smirked up at her, "Is that so?" He reached out and held her offered hand and without any warning he pulled her towards him.
With a surprise yelp, Akane fell over Ranma. He quickly switched their position and moved over her body. He started laughing hard when she looked up at him with her surprised eyes.
"Game over, tomboy!"
His arrogant laugh and playfulness made her heart flutter with an unknown pleasure! She pretended to be angry at him as she pouted at him and said in a hissing tone,
"You will regret doing this, Mr!"
Saying that, she started her new attack on Ramma, which stunned him even more.
The room filled with his loud laughter as Akane kept tickling him nonstop. He fell beside her with a thumb but she didn't let him move away from her. She quickly sat over his belly and continued tickling him. Akane couldn't control her laughter either as she said in between her laughing,
"Admit your defeat, Ranma!"
"Okay! Okay! I lose .. I lose!"
Ranma declared breathlessly , making Akane laugh even harder. She stopped tickling him and laid down beside him. Both of them were still laughing as they tried to regain their breathing. Slowly their laughter calmed down as they turned to face each other. For a long moment, their eyes got locked with each other as if they had lost control over themselves.
Both of them blushed so hard as they kept looking at each other. Their breathing stalled, their hearts thumping wildly, their eyes unblinking. A sound from outside brought them back to reality. Akane was first to react as she quickly sits up. She started fixing her skirt with her hand and saw Ranma sitting up beside her. She heard him clearing his throat as he nervously said,
"I.. Uh.. I'm really sorr.."
Akane cuts his speech, not wanting to hear any apology from him as she asked him instead,
"Why didn't you learn martial arts if it excites you this much, Ranma?"
Ranma paused and for a second,his mind got completely blank. Akane turned to face him with a warm smile as she asked him again,
"Or are you hiding it from me that you already know martial arts, huh? Because the way you did the beginner kata I am sure you have got to get some training for that.."
"Is it a compliment I am hearing from you?" Ranma asked with a slight blush on his face.
Akane shrugged her shoulder and said,
"Umhmm.. So tell me the truth already!"
Ranma sighed and said,
"I am self-trained, Akane. Since my childhood I used to learn martial arts by reading some techniques or watching some shows on the tv! That's it.. Martial arts is a dream to me, Akane. A dream that would never come true in my life."
"Why are you saying it like that, Ranma?"
"Because.." Ranma paused for a moment to compose his emotions. He was feeling way too expressive right now, he didn't want to mess up the identity secrets just by telling her all the truth. He needs to be careful of what and how he is saying the next words to her. A painful smile came upon his lip as he said,
"I am not allowed to do it at Ryoga's place. For some reason they have restrictions for this. My .. Umm my parents have been working there ever since I was a kid and we have been living there with them since my childhood so I was not allowed to do it."
"Aww Ranma, it almost sounds like a golden prison you have lived in! But the good news is you don't have to live there all your life! And you can start learning at any time! Like, now ! You are not living at that prison anymore, you can start training from now on!" Akane said with a bright smile on her face.
Ranma smiled back at her and asked her in a serious tone,
"Really? Would you teach me then, Kane?"
Akane's smile instantly swaps away after hearing him. He was looking at her expectantly , but she had no answer to give him. Then, just like a savior, Kasumi started calling for them.
"Akane!! Dinner is ready!"
Akane smiled with a relief and said in a haste,
"Let's go, Ranma or my sister will start to panic if her food gets cold."
She stood up in haste and offered her hand to him to help him stand up.
He was a little disappointed when Akane didn't answer him directly. He sighs sadly and takes her help to stand up. With nothing to say, they both silently walked out from the dojo.
"I am sorry, Ranma. I couldn't offer you too much today! I wish Akane had told me about your coming then I would have made a lot more than this."
Ranma got embarrassed when Kasumi apologized to him about the lack of food. He is not used to this type of hospitality ; that's why he became more nervous because he doesn't even know what he should say to her to make her feel better. He cleared his throat and tried saying,
"This .. this is more than enough! Please you don't have to be sorry for anything!"
Akane giggled hearing Ranma's nervous tone as she said,
"Ranma, don't worry at all. If she ever fills the table with various of foods she would still say something is lacking!"
"Oh my, silly Akane! But today is really less!"
"It's more than enough, Oneechan! Ranma is a very good friend of mine, you don't have to worry at all. He is a very nice guy, he won't mind anything ." Akane said with a pleasant tone, as she handed Ranma a bowl of rice.
The delicious aroma hited Ranma's nose as he said in an absent mind,
"God, it smells so good too!"
He looked up at them embarrassed, making both the girls giggle sweetly.
"Oh Ranma, please start eating, or it will get cold." Kasumi said politely.
They all started eating after that. Akane soon finished her first bowl of rice and asked Kasumi for another serving. But when she saw Kasumi giving Ranma a concern-filled look, she also turned and saw Ranma eating, and he was eating very very slowly. Before she could ask Ranma anything, Kasumi beats her to it,
"Oh my my, Akane, does the food taste that bad?!"
Ranma stopped eating and looked up in confusion. Akane shook her head and said,
"No! The food tasted fine as it always does, Oneechan!"
"Really?" Kasumi puts her hand on her cheek and asked Ranma in a concern-filled tone, "Maybe Ranma didn't like it that much. Oh my, I am so sorry."
"Huh?!" Ranma traded his stares from Kasumi and Akane, not knowing what he did wrong this time. Akane understood his confusion as she said,
"Well maybe she is saying this because she had never seen any guy eating her food this slowly. But anyway, do you eat this slowly, Ranma? Or you didn't like .."
"OF COURSE I like the food! In fact, I love it! This is the best thing I have ever tested!" Ranma said in haste.
"Really, Ranma?" Kasumi asked in a doubtful tone, "It looked to me as if you are having a problem eating it."
Ranma shook his head and said while smiling,
"Actually, I am not allowed to eat food at a quick pace. They consider it disrespectful, that's why I always eat like this. Its not a choice for me."
"Oh my, how cruel!" Kasumi sighs.
Akane moaned and said,
"Ranma! You are not at that prison anymore! Eat as you like to eat. Do you like to eat like this?"
Ranma shook his head and said growling,
"Honestly, I hate it!"
"Then what is stopping you?! Be free, Ranma! Eat the way you want to eat it. Taste the freedom, baka!"
Hearing Akane's encouraging tone, some memories came back to Ranma's mind. Where he was continuously got criticized for his lack of mannerisms, his eating habits; the disappointment of his mother trying to teach him to chew his food countless times before eating it! Shampoo's disgusted face when she saw him eating faster. He didn't want to disgust Akane like that, that's why he was eating extra carefully. But now hearing them say all this kind words to him, it made his heart beat with a smooth calmness. He smiled at Akane and asked her doubtfully.
"Are you sure, You guys won't mind?"
"Oh my, Ranma, don't worry; you can eat like a pig in front of us, we won't mind at all."
That made them laugh hard as Akane pushed him to get comfortable eating with them. Soon Ranma starts getting more comfortable with everything. He started eating and enjoying his food as he never did before. Kasumi kept serving him nonstop, as they ate, talked and laughed with each other.
Time passed by so quickly and it was time for Ranma to leave. Three of them were standing at the entryway as Kasumi said,
"I am so glad to have you here today, Ranma! Please come visit us again."
Ranma bowed in front of her and said,
"Thank you for giving me a chance to spend time with you today! I had a great time! I will never forget about this."
"Oneechan, can I walk him outside?"
"Oh that would be great, Akane."
"It's ok, Kane. You don't have to.."
"I want to, Ranma." She smiled at him and said, "Don't worry.."
He nodded at her and said his goodbye to Kasumi.Ranma walked out of the house with Akane by his side. At first they walked quietly for a while and then, Akane stopped walking and said,
"Ranma, can we sit in the park for few minutes? I need to talk to you about something."
For Ranma, he felt as if he won a lottery ticket. He didn't want Akane to leave his side this soon and that's why, when she asked him to talk; he immediately agreed without any second thought. They walked at the park which was very near to the Tendo house. They sat on a bench and got comfortable easily. After some moments of silently sitting together, Ranma casually tried to start a conversation with Akane.
"Akio might be angry at you for bringing me here today."
"Huh! Why would you say that? He is not angry!"
"Well, we all heard his disagreement with ya!"
"You heard him?" Akane asked while moaning.
"Yes.. We all did."
"Oh honesty, who cares about that unsocialized baka! I am sorry for his behaviour, Ranma."
"Nah! I am not upset about that! I am just sad that maybe next time he won't allow me here again."
Akane became silent after that, not knowing how to start the conversation she wanted to start with him. She sighed sadly and said in a whispered tone,
"Our life was not like this before, Ranma.. Everything has changed.. Everything.. Because of … ; one incident.."
Ranma gave her time to compose herself. He looked at her and noticed how troubled she looked and he also noticed how her hands were shaking too. He carefully laid his hand over her as he gently squeezed her hand.
Akane looked at their hands , she sighed as she started saying,
"I have never shared this with anyone before, Ranma. But I feel bad that you want to help me out of a situation without any clues about it." she squeezed back his hand and asked him in a hesitant tone, "Can I… can I trust you, Ranma?"
Ranma looked at her with all his honesty. He gives her an assuring smile and said,
"You can trust me with your closed eyes, Kane!"
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. If you liked it then please don't forget to leave a comment for me..
My life is a total messed up now! Before I used to feel so calm while writing fanfics. It used to give me a sense of security. But now a days I rarely get any encouragement from anyone. People question me what am I doing? Why I am wasting my time writing? They ask me what is my benefit out of it? And I have no answers for them. I know they are thinking well for me. But I can't seem to make them understand that I am trying to cut my depression by focusing in a non-existent world. What am I doing now; why I am doing what I am doing now; I don't know anything! Just hoping for a clearer mind, that's all.
P.S.: I am not talking about any reviews. Now I can't think about reviews at all. But I realy want to thank my dear, Bayby Face, Sandy and Pinklover; thank you so much for your constant support and love. I hope I won't disappoint you guys.. Thank you..
