《The World's Worst Beard》 Akanes "Fiancé"
It was your typical day in Nerima, Tokyo. Bright and sunny without a cloud in the sky one moment, pouring rain for the next five minutes, and then back to blue skies. Soun Tendo had gathered his three daughters in the living room. He was sweating bullets. So um Nabiki, his middle daughter, rolled her eyes at him. Just spit it out, already, daddy! Weve been sitting here for at least 15 minutes, and you havent said a single word! Time is money, after all! Kasumi, his eldest daughter, put her hand on Nabikis shoulder. Now, now, Nabiki, dont rush him. Hes got to come out with it on his own time. He finally spoke. Well, my old training buddy, Genma Saotome is coming from China to stay with us. Hes bringing his son with him. Nabiki narrowed her eyes at her father. Daddy, we dont have the budget to keep a bunch of freeloaders with us. I know, I know, hes coming based on an agreement we made 15 years ago while we were blackout drunk to Soun didnt get to finish that sentence. In hindsight, he really should have gotten to the point much, much sooner. The door slid open, and the roar of a panda was heard from the entryway. Nabiki lip read the word unite off of her fathers mouth before he stopped talking. Unhand me, you kidnapper! I already told your ass Im not getting engaged, and Im heading back to China to fix this shit you did to me! The voice came from a small, black-haired girl, carried over the shoulder of a lumbering panda. Akane, Souns youngest daughter, who had been holding her tongue so far, finally spoke out. What the fuck is this, dad? Some random panda you bought from the zoo? Soun shook his head. This was not going as planned, not that he particularly wanted things to go as planned, but this was far outside his expectations. The teenager decided to speak up, awkwardly fiddling with their pigtail. Im Ranma Saotome, sorry about this. Souns face blanched. So so you are. Welcome to the Tendo household. We should move to the living room to discuss your arrangement. Your pet panda can come too. Ranma gave Soun a quizzical look. Pet panda? Oh, you mean my old man! Could you get us a kettle of hot water? Souns face turned even whiter, a feat heretofore thought impossible. Ye.. yes. I suppose hell have to come as well. Kasumi, can we get the hot water boiling? Kasumi plastered on a grin. Of course I can, father.
The conversation started itself in the Tendos living room, with a decidedly non-panda Genma, and taller Ranma. And, so thats why we came from China. I figured now was about time to cash in on that engagement promise, old buddy! Genma laughed heartily. Soun stared solemnly. Scary springs Soun sighed.So long as none of my daughters actually volunteer, I can probably cancel this stupid engagement and have my peace back.Kasumi, my eldest, 19. Nabiki, my second, 17. Akane, my youngest Ill do it! Soun looked over at the lone voice to interrupt his droning. Akane, you really dont have to volunteer yourself, I was hoping this would all just blow over He whispered to her.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. If someones gonna be Ranmas fianc, it might as well be me. Nabiki already has someone she''s seeing, and Kasumis not interested in younger men, so theyd push me into it anyways. Why not save them the trouble. Genma laughed heartily. Wa ha ha. I like her initiative, Ranma. So, there you have it, its all settled! Soun waved his hands in front of him. Dont get the wrong idea, Genma, we really shouldnt get them married, theyre both only 16. They should be free to choose who they want. Ranma, seeing Souns wavering, chose this moment to speak up. Old man, why dontIget a say in this? I dont want to have a fianc at this point, and you know it. Im going back to China! Silence, insolent boy! Genma scowled at Ranma before eying Soun. You saying you want to back out now? If I remember correctly, this was your splendid idea! I guess we can wait on the wedding until theyre 20, give them some time to get to know each other. Not like they need it, we got arranged marriages as well, and it worked out great for us! Soun muttered to himself, Despite our parents best efforts Ranma had had enough. The dinosaurs arent roaming the earth any more, old man, I dont need this stupid engagement. Ive had enough of you, boy! Genma turned his ire to Ranma, before throwing him into the koi pond. Ranma resurfaced with a more feminine figure. Whats the big idea, you lousy furball! Kasumis grin faltered for the briefest of moments before she cut the conversation short, clapping her hands together. Well, I still have to get dinner prepped. Father, why dont you and Mister Saotome have a nice, fair game of Shogi while you wait. Akane, why dont you show your fianc around his new home?
Akane, having shown a grumpy Ranma around the top floor of her home, was bubbling with excitement. So, thats where well all be sleeping. Last thing to check out is the Dojo. I heard you did some training all over Japan and China. Wanna spar real quick get some practice in? Ranma turned to face Akane, glaring daggers at her. Id appreciate you showing me to the bath, so I can change back! Youll get to take a bath before dinner! Lets get some sparring in. You do kenpo, right? A little.
Ranma was, to understate the situation drastically, annoyed. First, his old man had dragged him all the way to China; to some fucking cursed springs, at that. Then, he zoomed all the way back to Nerima for some old promise his no-good old buddy had made him before his son could hardly make a thought. Come on, it was the 80s, no one actually did arranged marriages anymore, right? He stared back at his hyped up sparing partner, an unamused expression on his face. She threw a punch, which Ranma dodged by sliding around. Another, which he effortlessly jumped over. Another, aiming not for his head anymore, but for his chest. Something seemed to distract him as he landed. Akane was also distracted by this, and failed to hold back the power in her punch. Ranma toppled over, slamming into the floor of the dojo. He yelped out in surprise, as the punch hurt much more than he had expected. Akane stared at her hand for a moment, then muttered under her breath. Second base, huh. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality, and realized what she had just done. Oh shit, did that hurt? Based on your earlier dodges, I wasnt expecting that one to connect. Ranma was suddenly very interested in the layout of the tatami mats.I wasnt expecting so much motion there.I know I could have won that fight no problem if I had myrealbody. Akane sighed. If were going to be living together, we might as well get along. Care to tell me what happened there? Ranma let his weight drop to the floor. Youtry fighting after swapping sexes. Akane joined her fianc on the floor. Look, I get this whole engagement thing is kinda weird. I thought sparring would help you get out of your funk. I assumed that was something we had in common. Im sorry if you dont like it and I just made things worse. At last, Ranma finally lost interest in the tatami mats and met Akanes gaze. Its not that I hate it, its just all I ever seem to be doing. Akane thought for a moment. Why dont we stop here, then. We should probably wash up anyways, dinners almost ready at this point. You have anything else to change into? Your current clothes dont really fit you that well. Why would I have any girl clothes? Im Ranma Saotome, man among men. I have no need for such frilly things. Besides, Ill just take a hot bath and change back. Akane rolled her eyes. Not all girl clothes are frilly. You probably want something thatll fit you better. Gonna be honest, I have no clue how you can stand jumping around like that without some support. Akane gestured. Ranmas face turned red. I aint wearing no fucking bra! Akane glared. ~Well excuuuse me, princess!~ Better a princess than a tomboy!" ... They argued until Nabiki came by to inform them that dinner was over, and all the food was gone.
The New “Boy” at School Kasumi had been kind enough to make Akane and Ranma a quick snack before they went to bed. She didn''t like to see anyone going to sleep hungry. At first, she had hoped that they could become friends, so she had had Akane show the new member of the household around. It had all gone well, she thought. Yes, Ranma had been moody, but he had at least let Akane lead him around, and even agreed to spar with her. Then, they hadnt shown up for dinner. Kasumi had been too occupied entertaining Mr. Saotome to get a moment to check on them, and had to eat her own food. To her shock, Mr. Saotome had then proceeded to eat Ranma and Akanes food, justifying it by saying, A true martial artist knows to protect their food. If they''re not here, that''s on them. Father turned to Mr. Saotome, visibly angry. I won''t tell you how to raise your son, Saotome, but I won''t let you take away my daughter''s food. Mr. Saotome sneered at father. She''s a martial artist herself, isn''t she, Tendo? Have you really raised her to be so weak that she needs special treatment? The time it took father to come up with a rebuttal was all Mr. Saotome needed to polish off the rest of Akane''s food. Kasumi hadn''t accounted for Mr. Saotome eating three Akane''s worth of food, if left unchecked. Once all the food was gone Nabiki volunteered herself to be the bearer of bad news. Kasumi couldn''t help but overheard her humming as she made her way to the Dojo. Her younger sister and future brother-in-law entered the main house, refusing to make eye contact with each other. Kasumi turned to the two latecomers, a smile on her face. Well, dinner proper is over, but wait a few moments, and Ill have something ready to replenish your strength. She entered the kitchen while the pair headed to the living room. Father was already there, cleaning dishes from the main dinner. Like a well oiled machine, the two worked on the tasks they had assigned themselves, making sure that Akane and Ranma were fed promptly. Kasumi retired to her room, where she spent an hour reading before finally turning off the light in her room and drifting off to sleep.
Youre going to school with Akane, Ranma. On this I will see no argument. Soun was annoyed that Ranma and Genma seemed to be staying at his house indefinitely. The best he could hope to do is make sure his future son-in-law would get a high school education. Genma frowned. Ranma needs to train all day with me, hes too old for school. Hes a man, and he better act like one. Soun frowned. He was starting to remember why he hadnt been in contact with Genma for quite some time now. Perhaps spending time with Akane will help mend their relationship. You do want them to be on good terms, right? Before Genma could stick his foot further in his mouth, Ranma chimed in. Im pretty much the best fighter in Japan. I guess I could spend a little less time training and a little time learning. But its not like Id get along much better with your little tomboy. Akane stared daggers into Ranma. And like Id ever want to get along with this jackass, anyway. Breakfast was just starting to end, and Nabiki had leapt out the door with a Leaving now!, not wanting to get caught up in the verbal slugfest that had cost two idiots their dinner. Soun sighed. Akane, would you take Ranma to school, please? Make sure he gets registered correctly.
Akane sighed, but did not actually put up much protest as she dragged Ranma up the road to school. Akane took the route at a slight jog, which Ranma only needed to power walk behind her to keep up. Ranma tried to initiate a conversation several times along the way, but that only led to Akane running ever so slightly faster. By the time he gave up, he himself was jogging after the short-haired girl, keeping an eye on her uniform as it sped away from him.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. They ran past an old lady spreading cold water over the sidewalk to clean it. Ranma lept high into the air, doing a small summersault in order to vault out of the way of his masculinitys impending doom. They arrived at the gates to Furinkan High with time to spare. Akane had given her bookbag to Ranma to hold for her a few blocks before the entrance to the school, to make the chaos go ever so slightly faster. Akane rolled her eyes, seeing the crowd of boys waiting for her as she crossed over the threshold, speaking for the first time since they left the Dojo. In case you didnt already figure it out, jackass. I. Hate. Boys. Ranma didnt quite get what she meant, but the turn of phrase piqued his curiosity. He sat up on the wall and watched his fiance as she wove and punched her way through, as seemingly every boy in school changed at her, screaming nonsense. The sky started to darken, and clouds rolled in as the fight began. Akane honestly impressed him. Sure, the boys charging at her were wholly unsuited to practice the art, and their sloppy punches, kicks, and swings easily telegraphed where not to be in any given moment, but none of their hits even grazed Akane, even among the flurry of chaos. She had been holding back last night, he was sure of it. Once she was standing in a pile of fragile masculinity, she beckoned with her head, and he followed her inside. They made it inside the threshold of the school just as the clouds opened up and started pouring. After handing his registration paperwork to the absolutely enthused registrar staff. Ranma found out that he would have the same homeroom as Akane. She waited outside of the locker room as he changed into the uniform, and led him into their homeroom up on the third floor. As they climbed the stairs, Ranma noticed that the sky was sunny and mostly devoid of clouds. On the way up the stairs, Akane explained to him why she ended up having to fight a horde of boys every single day, and how she hoped that their engagement would put an end to it all. The homeroom teacher of 1-F turned to the pair entering just by the bell. You must be the Ranma Saotome Ive just been told about? Ranma nodded. Im Ranma Saotome, its a pleasure to meet you. The teacher nodded. Since youre already acquainted with Miss Tendo, please take the open seat next to her. Great, now I need to babysit this macho jackass in class, too Akane muttered under her breath. Not like I asked to be babysat by the macho tomboy Ranma quipped back. Ranma shuffled into his assigned seat, and took out a notebook. He had thought he paid attention enough in middle school, and he did get generally passing grades, but not much of what he had been taught he actually retained. He wanted to fix that and actually study this time. If he was gonna be forced to go to high school, he was going to make the most of it.
A chime resonated through the classroom after a couple of classes seemed to fly by. Akane got out of her seat in a huff, and ran off to find her friends, leaving Ranma to eat lunch, alone. As Ranma took stock of the bento in front of him, two guys came over to him. Hey, how do you know Akane? Shes like, totally hot. Ranma turned to the source of the question. Excuse me, what the fuck. The boy who had spoken before looked a bit taken aback. Oh, sorry, Im Hiroshi, and this is Daisuke. Whats your name? Ranma sighed. Its Ranma Daisuke, seeming satisfied, gave Ranma a malicious grin. Great, so now we all know each other, how do you know Akane? Shes like Ranma punched Daisuke in the face to cut him off, sending him to the other side of the room. He growled. Get the fuck away from me, and stay away from my fiance, you creeps He always hated when guys did this to girls. He figured most other boys turned the frustration of not being girls to be total jackasses to them, and it made him feel sick inside whenever they did it. He could count on one hand the boys who didnt let their frustration show. Mentally counting on his fingers, he ate the rest of his lunch in peace, no one really daring to go near him, instead simply talking in hushed voices about his and Akanes engagement. Well, I guess shell be okay with it, she did want this after all, and hopefully this''ll get the horde to stop attacking her every morning A Man to “Man” Challenge The next morning started much the same way. After Akane made short work of the horde of boys descending on them, the pair raced into the halls of Furinkan High. When class started, Ranma spent more time taking notes, and figured himself mostly caught up from the few weeks of the semester he had missed before enrolling. When the bell rang, Akane grabbed Ranmas arm, and led him up to the next floor of the building. Whoa, Akane, where are you dragging me off to, I was planning on eating lunch here. Akane turned to look at Ranma quickly, not braking her stride. Youll see, it wont take very long to do this. As they alighted on the floor above theirs, Akane dragged Ramna into the class marked 2-E. Hey, sis, nice of you to drop by. Nabiki smiled at them as they entered. Akane shot her a glare. Nabiki, I need Kuno. Now. Nabiki gave an over-dramatic sigh. Hell be back soon, just wait a few minutes.
Ranma hadnt been sure what to expect when Akane had demanded to see Kuno. The well built kendoist had brought his bokken with him to lunch, and grimaced as he saw Akane standing next to Nabiki. Hey, Akane, long time no see. Kuno, can you get the horde off my back, give them a little scare? Akane asked, pointedly. Kuno, for his part, looked exasperated, and turned to Akane. No doubt you understand that I appreciate coming to the aid of such a fair maiden, especially one who shares the blood I hold as dear as the moon on a brisk summer night. However, I am afraid I can no longer offer you my protection, as you are now promised to another. Akane glared at him and her sister, nonplussed. Kuno. Please help me out. You value our friendship, right? Kuno and Nabiki share a conspiratory glance. Now, Im sure a woman of your caliber would not be sullied by binding herself to a knave who could not hold his own on the fields of battle. Surely, would this request not be better suited for him? Akane stared directly into Kunos eyes. If simply beating them up would get them to back off, then I would have done that weeks ago. I need them to know that they dont have a chance with me. Everyone in that group knows that they dont stand a chance against you. If you have a public fight with Ranma, and he wins, theyll back off. She turned to her sister. And I know you can find a way to profit from that as well. Ranma, miffed, turned to the pair with mercantile grins spread across their faces. Wait, dont I get a say in this? Kuno turned to him, quickly drawing up a letter of challenge. After classes, Saotome. You, me, and a chance at the second place spot of Furinkan. I will not hold back. I expect the same from you.
The rest of the school day passed quickly for Ranma. At the chiming of the bell, he and Akane headed out to the field behind the school, their chosen battlefield. Akane had somehow made her problems his, and he was going to remember it, but an honorable man among men like him couldnt just back down from a duel. Kuno had spent the entire afternoon waxing poetic about how he was going to win and how Ranma was weak and flimsy and no match for the mighty Blue Thunder of Furinkan high. Nabiki had arranged for posters to be plastered all over the school. It was honestly impressive how quickly she worked. It wasnt much of a surprise to him when he found the majority of the student body gathered around the field. Nabiki walked around taking bets from the myriad of students in the crowd, along with three other girls, who seemed to be helping her take the money and write down the bets. Two of the girls and were wearing a Furinkan High uniform, while the final one was not. Both of the girls in Furinkan uniforms had brown hair, one in a slight bob, and one in a high ponytail. The third had silky, black hair, in a high side ponytail. Last call for bets, the match starts in five minutes! Nabiki yelled out over the field, her voice booming. Ranma sat in the grass, Akane next to him. He took deep breaths, and studied the well dressed kendoist on the other side of the field. After a minute or so, Ranma ran through a few stretches, limbering himself up for the coming fight. Akane squeezed his hand after he finished warming up. Good luck. I know Ive been a bit mean to you, but I really do wish you the best. Ranma scoffed, pulling his hand out of Akanes squeeze. Look at you, trying to be all nice. I dont need your well wishes, Ill finish this by my own power. He cant be that strong, right? Akane frowned, and turned to Ranma, as if to say something to him. She was interrupted by the loud blaring of music, some english rock song from earlier in the decade. Ranma couldnt quite follow the lyrics, but he caught a few of the words, about rising up and the thrill of the fight. Nabikis voice blared out over the field. Hold onto your butts, were finally getting started. Can Tatewaki Kuno defend his title against the challenger, Ranma Saotome? Well, youre about to find out, because this match begins NOW!
The two combatants flew towards each other, aiming to close the distance between them and land the first blow. Ranma burst across the midway point of the field and just a little bit further, before jumping to the side to dodge his opponents overhead strike. A meter-long gash, was carved into the grass behind where Ranma had just been standing. Ranma had forgotten to stop. His side dodge gave him too much momentum, and he flew out of range before landing any sort of blow on the kendoist. He knew he was at a disadvantage without any type of tool, or weapon, but Kuno didnt seem to be as fast. He could work with this. Kuno whirled around, in a stance placing his legs at a forty-five degree angle, with his blade facing outward, the tip towards his feet. He knew as much as Ranma did that Ranma outsped him. He would just have to make sure his attacks hit true before Ranma could do enough damage. Nice speed, but I hope you have the strength to keep up with me! Ranma stopped to take a breath, eying the stance Kuno had taken after his initial strike. They dont call it Anything-Goes for nothing! He darted out to his right in an attempt to reach Kunos unguarded side. When he was two bokken-lengths away, Ranma leaped forward with a kick to Kunos side. Kuno swept his leg back, and swiped the bokken in front of himself. He watched as Ranma jumped out of the way of the blade, receiving only a glancing blow. It was time to go on the offensive. Kuno stepped forward, thrusting his weapon directly towards Ranmas solar plexus.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Ranma jumped, hoping to get out of the way of his opponents thrust. His toes lightly brushed against the tip of the bokken, saving him from the damage of the thrust. He grimaced internally. Hed rather die than admit it, but the earlier slice that had only barely connected hurt like hell. Part of the reason he had tried to specialize in speed, beyond it being one of the only ways to actually get himself fed, was that he wasnt invincible. His old man would always make fun of him whenever he doubled over in pain, so hed either had to learn to deal with blows, or get so good theyd never hit him. Given that the former would have subjected him to endless mockery, it was obvious which route hed taken. He was just glad there wasnt any sort of secret technique that would lower his pain tolerance even further. Kuno was surprised that Ranma dodged his thrust, as he had moved with great alacrity. Not wanting to lose his advantage, though, he turned his wrist to twist the blade upwards, and sliced up at his opponent. Somehow, Ranma was already gone, and Kunos follow-up did not connect. Ranma wasnt totally inexperienced in dealing with kendoists. He knew that being above a blade like that would put him in prime striking range. He used the jump to flip over Kunos head, and went for a sweeping kick to Kunos legs. What he didnt realize, was that Kuno read his move and prepared a counter. His bokken hit home across Ranmas ribs. He rolled with the hit, but all that did was keep him in the fight a little longer. Kuno stood back, offering his opponent the mercy of a chance to recover. You could stand to learn a thing or two from your fiance. Ranma puffed out his chest. What could I possibly have to learn from that macho tomboy? She only does this for fun, everyone knows you have to be a man to be a true martial artist! Kuno swung again, and Ranma barely jumped out of the way, his ribs screaming at him to end the torture he had subjected them to. He was going to make the older boy pay for mocking him, saying that he could learn a thing or two from Akane. He attempted to slide in between Kuno and his sword, the one place he hadnt already tried. At Kunos perfect striking range, Ranma felt the pain flare up, and he slowed down. The entire world seemed to be running in slow motion, as his brain tricked him into thinking that another slice of the wooden stick connected hard with his ribs. His world faded to black.
When Ranma came to, he was laying on the bed of a clinic. Akane was sitting in a chair on the side of the bed, holding his hand. Hey Ranma, welcome back. Tofu put some salve on your wounds, but you probably cant get up quite now. Do you remember what you were doing when you got knocked out? Ranma sat up a bit. Surrounding him was Akane, Kasumi, Nabiki, Soun, and his old man, in panda form. Sitting in a side corner, having a long conversation with a skeleton, was a middle-aged man with glasses and brown hair. Beating the crap out of some stupid kendoist, and winning. Nabiki glared at him from the chair where she had been sitting across the room. Winning, my ass. Ranma frowned at the accusation. No, Im pretty sure I won, I just dont remember it. The man who had been talking with the skeleton walked over to him. Hi Akane, I hear you got in a little scuffle. Here, let me fix that for you. He then proceeded to dislocate Ranmas neck. Ranma yelled out in pain. What the fuck kind of quack doctor are you? Are you trying to kill me?! Akane got up from the chair, and let him back to the skeleton he had been talking to. Ah, thank you Nabiki, I was just having a wonderful chat with Ranma, let me get back to that, thank you. Soun got up from the chair with a grunt and a sigh. Well, Im glad youre still with the living. We should head back to get dinner ready. Kasumi, Saotome, mind coming back home with me? Nabiki, Akane, stay with Ranma until hes ready to come home. Nabiki stood up. Ill come back home with you daddy, Akane can handle her shitty-ass fianc alone. Kasumi remained seated, smiling at her father. Ill stay with Akane, then, the three of you head on back. Soun, Genma, and Nabiki left for home. Tofu turned back to his charge. Oh my, what happened to your neck? It was fine the last time I saw it. Ranma grumbled. Yeah, well maybe try not fucking my head up in the first place Tofu sighed, eventually returning Ranmas head to its proper orientation. Ranma yelped out at the pain, involuntarily. Ranma turned to face Akane, worry sneaking into his voice. Akane, did I really lose that fight? Akane sighed. Yeah. Pretty bad. I had to princess carry you to Tofus and Ranma glared at her, raising his voice. You fucking what? Akane rolled her eyes. I princess carried you here. You were unconscious. Ranma sat fully up, and started yelling. I didnt fucking ask you to carry me. Im a man goddammit. I dont need some girl to carry me off the field like some helpless CHILD. Plus, now my head is all bent out of shape. Kasumi turned to Ranma. Ranma, please calm down, someone had to get you here to avoid lasting damage. Ranma turned to Kasumi, tears involuntarily running from his eyes, both from the lingering pain of his neck and the consuming anger of his mind. Then you should have let me suffer, at least then I would have had some dignity as a man. Instead I had to be princess carried by some macho ass bitch to some tiny ass clinic, humiliated. Would either of you like some tea? This is a calming blend, its good for the nerves. Tofu motioned to Akane and then to Ranma, both shaking their heads in turn, glaring at him. Akane squeezed his hand a little too hard. It took every ounce of willpower in his body not to scream in pain. Well excuse me for caring about your safety, you idiot. Ranma scoffed, turning his ire to Akane. Oh, please, its not like a girl like you could actually do half as well as I did, since you cant be real martial artists, anyway. Akane grinned, puffing out her chest. Actually, Ive wiped the floor with his sorry ass before. Nabs made an insane profit on that mach. Ranma sneered. And I bet thats only because he likes you and didnt want to hurt you. Im sure he had a crush on you. Akane stared daggers into Ranma. He was already dating my sister at the time. The informal fight, he was going easy on me, but the real fight, he really did give his all. Ranma shook his head. You must have been delusional and hysterical, theres no way a girl could beat a man in a fair fight. And what about the time I beat you? Ranma flushed red. That doesnt count. And why not? Cause I had a stupid girl form, you idiot? Of course a girl could beat another girl! Neither would be a real martial artist! Kasumi looked between the two of them, a look of shock on her eyes. Tofu walked over and put a reassuring hand on Akanes shoulder, only for her to shrug it off. Akane stood up and turned around hovering at the door. Yknow what. Fuck this shit. Im so tired of putting up with this. Youre not fucking worth it. This engagement is done with. Ranma looked at Akane, anger in his eyes. Oh sure, the princess is done with me now that Ive been emasculated beyond recognition. Wheres your enthusiasm for me, bitch, youre the one who picked me. Akane showed Ranma her favorite finger as she stormed out of the room. Like Father, Like “Son” When Akane arrived home, alone, Nabiki was waiting for her in the entryway. As soon as her younger sister took off her shoes and put on house slippers, she dragged her up into her room, slamming the door behind her. Nabiki let go of her sister, and pushed her into her chair. She wore a cold stare. 60,000 yen, she stated, monotone. Akane looked nervously downward. That bad, huh? Nabiki stood up. This is your fault. I want my 60,000 yen back, and youre going to give it to me. Akane frowned. I didnt fight, though. That was all Ranma. Hes your fianc, and you vouched for him, so my losses are on you. Akanes eyes filled with rage. Not anymore! I broke it off with the asshole. Nabikis eyes ran cold to match. That doesnt change the fact that youve lost me quite a bit of money. Akane sighed. You of all people know I dont have that kind of cash, so Im not sure what youre hoping to gain here. Nabiki flashed a predatory grin. Looks like youll just have to do some work for me. It should be super easy, barely an inconvenience.
Okay, Ranma, you should be good to head on home, if youd like, Tofu smiled at the boy who had been his charge this afternoon. Kasumi took Ranmas hand, returning Tofus smile for the scowling boy. Thank you so much, Doctor. Well be heading home! The streets of Furinkan were relatively empty by this point, the pairs only companion red beams of sunlight filtering in between the rows of houses. Ranma was not in a talkative mood, and Kasumi didnt want to push him any farther than hed already been. Waiting for them, in the courtyard between the walls of the Tendo estate and the main building, was Mr. Saotome. Did the doctor fix you up, boy? Yeah. I suppose he did. Genma nodded. Im disappointed in you. You let a girl take care of you like that, even your fiance, and shell do nothing but pity you all your life. It seems I have been lax with your training. Perhaps I need to teach you a lesson before you eat tonight. Kasumi moved past the father-son pair as they started sparring right there in the courtyard. She worked her way inside, and took over the task of making dinner from Soun, who had prepared all the mise en place for the stew she was to cook. When it came time to eat dinner, the entire household was silent. None of the Tendos really wanted to bring up the events of the afternoon, and the Saotomes were too busy stuffing their faces to respond, even if someone had spoken up.
Ranma Saotome was having a wonderful day. Or at least, thats what he was trying to tell himself. Akane and Nabiki had run off ahead on the way to school, purposefully putting distance between themselves and him. When he arrived at the school gate, he jumped over a heap of students piled up on top of each other, a few of whom were already waking up from their trouncing minutes prior. After he took his seat next to Akane, a few of his classmates approached him with condolences about his loss to Kuno the previous day. He dismissed their concerns, as all men should, and stuck his face in a textbook. By second period, the girl he lived with had managed to swap her seat, putting him next to a wordless boy with wispy black hair and bags under his eyes. Ranma tried to put on the best approximation of a smile he could manage. He turned to his new neighbor. Hi, Im Ranma Saotome, nice to meet you. The boy now seated next to him looked him up and down, before scoffing. I have no need to provide a name to one such as you. Ooo-kay. Apparently, Im the bad guy now, even to a gloomy guy like him. During lunch, and especially afterwards, everyone started to give him an even wider berth. Ranma focused on taking notes and trying to make sense of the lectures throughout the day. It was a welcome distraction from the harsh looks his classmates gave him. And finally, mercifully, the school day did end. Nabiki and Akane rushed home, leaving Ranma to trot back on his own. The skies above him, a pleasant blue the entire day, started to darken. Dont fucking tell me its gonna rain today, on top of everything else! His pleas to any gods or spirits listening went unanswered. A sudden downpour began. Ranma hadnt had enough time to jump under an awning before he felt himself being shrunk down. Almost as quickly as it rolled in, the rain cleared, the bright blue sky deigning to show itself after the stunt it pulled. The worst part of this curse is how water always seems to find me, and how I always seem to be soaking wet. After trudging along the river for some time, he finally crossed the threshold of the Tendos courtyard. Soun was leaning against the door, and began to approach when he noticed Ranma. Oh shit, hopefully I didnt fuck up even more than I know I already have. Soun handed Ranma a towel, before clearing his throat and handing the teen a small note with both hands. Your father departed today, and he left you a note.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Ranma grabbed the note with one hand, quickly skimming through it. His face darkened. Yeah, figures hed run at the first sign of trouble. Sorry bout that. Soun noticed the unease and relief struggling for dominance in the boys expression. He rested his arm around the boy. He could finish this conversation later. For now, the kid needed to dry off, and return to his default form, if that was what he desired.
Souns all-girls beginner class was one of the highlights of his week. When he had resumed teaching nine or so years prior, he had made certain to split classes into co-ed and all-girls sections, with his daughters taking charge of the latter. While the classes didnt entirely separate out into boys and girls classes, they might as well have been. He sat off to the side, ready to be on hand if they needed anything. Splitting the classes was a suggestion from his late spouse. The sentiment was echoed by a certain Nodoka Sao- well, at this point it might as well be Shimizu. It was she who had suggested corrections and modifications to the curriculum in the programs infancy, and for that, he was grateful. Soun chuckled to himself after thinking of the refined swordswoman. I just hope theres still something left of her child after she arrives. At the very least, she said that shes booked out for a while and cant easily come right away. I can use that time to run mitigation. The three of them had wanted a space where girls could learn to defend themselves in an environment that would be supportive. For that very reason, Ranma Saotome was ejected from the property for the entire forty-five minute class, with five extra minutes of buffer time beforehand, and fifteen minutes afterwards. He had been planning on simply confining him to the house during the class, but his recent actions had made that plan untenable. The currently running class was made of mostly middle-school aged girls, and the sixteen of them had crowded around the dojo to take part. Aki, one of his students from his advanced class, was also helping Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi so that each student had an ample amount of teacher attention. It was also designed to help Aki learn further by giving her a chance to teach others. Each of the four teachers had a line of four students, and they were running through stretches to limber up for the main part of the class. When they were teaching the intermediate and advanced classes, the students needed to do their stretches on their own, as he trusted them to know what worked best for their body. This session, however, was for the beginner class, where everyone followed the stretches of the instructors, to help develop a sense of what options existed. For this class, the instructors had picked to teach judo throws; earlier in the week, he had provided some of his teaching scrolls to them so they could refresh themselves. The four teachers grouped everyone into pairs. Akane demonstrated the first technique on Nabiki, while Aki and Kasumi stood by and explained what Akane and Nabiki were doing. Once the instructors had demonstrated from a few different angles, they let the students attempt to practice. They went around to the assorted pairs and made minor adjustments to each students form, to make sure everyone was safe. After the students had practiced sufficiently, the instructors called for everyones attention. They switched off so that Aki and Kasumi demonstrated the next technique and Akane and Nabiki explained. After running through a total of four different throws, with a small break after the first two, the forty-five minutes were finished. The class disbanded, and the students shuffled off home. Soun gathered the four instructors in a circle. The five martial artists exchanged praise and pointers, to help the teaching grow. They decided that next week, they would run through some Aikido techniques. Aki left the property, waving back at the Tendos. Once she was gone, Soun smiled at his daughters, and they went back inside.
A cold tension permeated the Tendo household, as the five current members indulged in takeout bibimbap. Ranma sat directly to Souns left, with Akane, Nabiki, and Kasumi sitting on the opposite side of the table. As promised, Genma Saotome was nowhere to be found. Wanting to leave as soon as possible, Ranma wolfed down his food. By the time his dining companions were only halfway done with their food, there was nothing left on his plate. After muttering quick thanks, Ranma made to stand up. His right leg would not budge. He looked down at it, only to find Souns left hand firmly pressed against his knee. The older man cleared his throat, quietly asserting that he would not yield, as he continued eating calmly. Ranma turned to face the man keeping him put. He opened his mouth, but Soun shot him an icy glare before any sound could form. He turned back to stare at the well-carved wooden table, and started drumming his fingers on it. Soun sighed. At least hes not willing to pick a fight. After the remaining inhabitants of the Tendo household finished their meals, they picked up their dining implements, and disposed of them in the kitchen trash can. Soun released the pressure on Ranmas leg, and the impatient teenager attempted to use the provided opening to race upstairs. He was stopped by Souns glare, which the young martial artist could feel even though his back was turned. Ranma returned to the table, while Souns daughters excused themselves to sit out on the garden patio. Soun sat himself down where Nabiki was previously, right across from Ranma, and stared directly into his eyes. After a five minute staring contest, Ranma sighed, rolled his eyes, and took his trash to the trash can as well, before sitting back in front of Soun. Soun cleared his throat, and then spoke. As you already know by now, your father left this morning. As you dont need as much space, I expect you to relocate to a bedroom on this floor. He knocked on the wall dividing the dining room and the aforementioned bedroom. Ranma grimaced, but nodded. Anything else, sir? Soun nodded. Id like to take over your martial arts training, at least while your fathers away. Shall we start Friday afternoon, after school, perhaps? Ranma solemnly nodded back. Soun smiled, his expression softening. Great. I expect you to focus on school until then, and well see what level youre at from there. His expression softened further. Now, lets get you moved into your own room.
The following morning, Soun meditated at the shrine to his late spouse. The shrine itself was situated in the back corner of his room. It served as a way to help him to pay his respects during the long amount of time he was unable to make the trek out to the Tendo family burial site, where the ashes and headstone lay. The ornate shrine stood out against the plain character of the rest of the room, a simple tatami-floored, square room with a small attached closet. He had lit a small bit of incense on the burner of the shrine, and used the smell to center himself. After a short, meditative silence, he spoke. I failed you by letting those two into this house. My only saving grace is that the father is gone, so I may yet be able to guide the son. But, it still stands that I failed to protect this house, as you once did. Soun chuckled nervously to himself. I may not be worthy of it, but I hope youll lend me your strength and courage to do what is right and just. I could use a lot of that now. Sao his tongue soured, and he felt unable to make it through the name he used to be able to use so easily for the man he once called a friend. Genma, he corrected himself, traces of venom flowing off his tongue. Genma and I may not have had any courage on that fateful day, but you sure did. After sitting in silence a bit longer, Soun stood up, admiring the name on the shrine. Next to the family name Tendo was the character for honesty, Nao. Harder to read was the next character, but Soun knew it by heart. It was the character for shrub, ki, hastily engraved across the worn down character for child, ko. In short, it read Tendo Naoki.