Ranma Half Moon episode 100.
Author's Note: This is a special preview of Season 2 of Ranma Half Moon, Phrase White: Cold opening, part 2. The first season will continue in the next episode.
"I know your secret. You're just like me."
A student that Towa does not know blacks Towa's path to his next class. The student is a boy, slightly shorter than Towa, who has longer brunette hair and an effeminate way of talking. "Do I know you?"
"You will soon." The boy walks past Towa.
Towa looks at this mysterious student walking away nervously. It only took one week to be found out? Or is he talking about something else?
Towa sighs. The students at his new school have all been very friendly and nice to me. None of them have questioned my cover story. What was up with this strange guy?
Towa makes it to his next class. He is a good student, so he doesn't have to pay too much attention in class. He instead muses on the "extra" classes that he has to take after school. His foster parent's house has a large basement that has been converted to a workout area. Towa's body aches from having to learn martial arts two hours a day.
Towa makes it to lunchtime. Before he can sit with the students from his homeroom class, he is waved over to a different table by the mysterious student.
Reluctantly, Towa sits with this strange boy. "I have no idea what you want from me."
"So in the dark. What a pity. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zoiki."
"Towa. What do you mean that you're just like me?"
Zoiki laughs. "Well, I can't tell you here. We wouldn't want other people to find out, right?" Zoiki winks lewdly. "That would involve too much explaining."
"Explaining?"
"Towa, the normal world spends most of its time not noticing things that it does not want to acknowledge. However, people like us have to notice and do something about it. That's the only way people like us can get by."
Towa takes his food and stands up. It's obvious Zoiki is trying to mess with my mind for some unknown reason.
"You'll be back, Towa. You can't face this alone."
Towa reaches the safety of his usual table.
Some of his new friends raise their eyebrows. "You talked to Zoiki? He has a bad reputation."
Towa nods. "That wouldn't surprise me at all."
...
That night, after struggling for some time to escape from some hold put on him by his instructor, a burly man named Daigoro, Towa pounds the mat in frustration.
Daigoro lets him go. "What's wrong? You got out of that hold yesterday."
"There was some weird guy in school today."
"Weird?"
"Yeah, he said that he knew my secret, but he wouldn't say what the secret was."
"Oh, sounds dangerous. Was this guy cute?"
"I guess girls would find him cute. What difference does that make?"
Daigoro scratches his head. "So, it didn't seem like he was flirting with you?"
"Flirting?" Towa is dumbstruck. Why should I have to deal with things like that, so soon after tragedy?
Daigoro laughs. Finally, he stops. "You're not the only one we have sent to your school. You probably met Zoiki. He's already shown an interest in how he can help the organization. He's already quite an expert in gathering information."
Towa turns red.
"Long-haired boy? Has a girly way of talking?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"It's okay to reach out to him. I will inform Santa that Zoiki made contact with you."
Towa nods, feeling strangely relieved.
"But, do know that we have punished Zoiki for pulling stunts like this before. But, at least he has a fall-back plan, so we've learned to accept his lack of respect for protocol."
"I don't understand."
Daigoro puts him back in the same hold. "You can only be naive for so long, Towa. I would recommend stepping it up."
Towa grimaces in pain.
"The reason we punished him was simple. Suppose he was wrong? Suppose you weren't in the same boat as him? That could compromise his cover and put all of us in danger. But, at least he has a convincing escape plan."
"Escape plan?"
"The way he asks people would make observers think that he is cruising for a boyfriend. That is a convenient way of not attracting too much attention."
Towa escapes from the hold. "I see."
Daigoro smiles. "Just remember, you need to crawl before you walk. Don't do reckless things like Zoiki, at least not yet."
"I understand."
...
The next day Towa sees Zoiki sitting by himself at lunch. Towa joins him.
"My, my. Aren't you worried? I think your friends think that I am mad, bad, and extremely dangerous to know."
"They do."
Zoiki smiles. His own cover story had gained a lot of traction. "So, what will you tell them?"
Towa gets a deer caught in the headlights look. Whoops! I haven't even bothered to think through the consequences of my actions. This could be bad. "Do you have a suggestion?"
"Besides the obvious one?"
"Obvious one?"
"That you're just like me."
"Why would I want to tell people that? Don't you think that would prevent me from doing the normal things that guys do in school, like date girls?"
Zoiki looks at Towa like Towa had just said that the moon was made of green cheese. Zoiki takes a couple of bites of food before answering. "I guess you haven't decided yet."
"You mean what Santa was talking about?"
Zoiki nods. "If you had decided, then you would know that anyone you got close to could become a target." Zoiki speaks very low to make sure no one else can hear.
"So, you've given up on a normal life?" Towa whispers as well.
"I guess. Maybe, someday, things will be better. Maybe, someday, I'll be able to do the things that other people do. But, I can't think about that now."
Towa stares at Zoiki, soaking in the seriousness of Zoiki's resolve.
"But, if you need a suggestion, tell them that I was trying to get you to join some online forum."
"How long have you been here?"
"About two months."
"Will I become like you?"
"I would like that very much if you did. But, your life is still open to you. It's your choice."
Towa nods and stands. He had better get back to his friends. He might as well enjoy them while he has the chance.
To be continued.
Ranma Half Moon continues next chapter with Idol Challenge!