As Kyousuke Kasuga and his sisters began the school week by walking leisurely to the train station that Monday, they had little inkling of the surprise waiting for them when they got there. Leaning casually against the wall by the ticket gate was Madoka, and she was in male form again. Kyousuke recognized her by her the red ribbon in her ponytailed hair and by the look of recognition in her eyes. She was dressed in black pants and shoes, and a long-sleeved white polo shirt with the neck left open.
“Ayukawa!” he called, glad to see her after a Sunday spent too busily doing schoolwork. “What’s going on? Why aren’t you female?” He was promptly shushed by the twins, who found the unwelcome stares of other passers-by directed at them. “Sorry.”
Madoka bowed slightly. “My sister used up all the hot water, and I didn’t have time to heat any more.”
“Kakkoii, Madoka-san,” said Kurumi. “You look so handsome, I’d chase after you if you were a real guy.”
“Kurumi!” said Manami. “You shouldn’t tease Ayukawa-sempai like that.”
Madoka chuckled. “It’s okay, Manami-chan. You know, I’m finding there are advantages to being a guy.”
“Such as?” Kyousuke asked, arching an eyebrow. He hoped Madoka wasn’t becoming too comfortable being male. That would be disastrous for his romantic intentions.
“Well, there’s the fact that most of the furyou are put off by my looks. I guess they’re insecure about being laughed at for beating up such an inoffensive pretty boy or something. And for those who do try... I’m learning that this body of mine is a lot stronger when I’m male.” He swung an arm and laughed sardonically. “The only problem is, I’ve been fending off girls since I got here.”
Kurumi tittered. “See? I’m not the only one who thinks Madoka-san is handsome.”
Kyousuke sighed. He had enough trouble trying to cope with Ayukawa as it was; he didn’t need the added complication of rivals—-female ones, at that—-stirring up things. He wondered just what he’d done in his past that made him deserve this tortuous path in his love life.
“Come on, or we might be late,” Manami reminded them. “Where are Komatsu-san and Hatta-san?”
“They were here earlier, but they’ve gone.” Madoka shrugged. “Something about meeting their master Happosai, whatever that means.”
“Earlier?” Kyousuke looked at the station clock as they went to the ticket dispensing booth. “What time did you get here, Ayukawa?”
“Five. Why?”
“Eh? Five AM? Why’d you leave the house so early?”
“Like I said, my sister used up all the hot water. I had to escape before she saw me.”
“Oh.” Kyousuke looked around. “Say, where’s Hikaru-chan?”
“She just went to the ladies’ room. She’ll be back in a minute or two.”
True to Madoka’s word, the vivacious, energetic blond appeared within a minute with a sulking Yuusaku in tow (he was sulking because Hikaru had blabbed on nonstop about Kyousuke’s virtues, real and imagined, ever since they had met at the station) and proceeded to stake her entitlement to Darling by hanging on to his neck and cutting off his air supply. It was only the bishounen’s gentle remonstration that reminded her to let go of her ‘future husband’ before he passed out.
Kyousuke gasped for air as Hikaru smiled brightly at him. “Darling, you look all pooped again. Does that mean you want some more of my box lunch?”
“Uh, thanks, Hikaru, but Manami made me one already.”
Never one to lose sight of the brighter side of things, Hikaru replied with, “Oh, that’s alright then, because I know Manami-chan takes such good care of you, Darling. I wonder if I’ll be just as good when we’re already married... What am I saying?” She flushed crimson, covered her face with her hands, and shook it side to side with embarrassment-driven gusto. “Kyadakyadakyadakyada!”
“Hikaru-chan, don’t get so carried away,” Kyousuke chuckled. “We’re still too young to be thinking about such things.”
They boarded the train without any further incident. Kyousuke was once more pressed against Madoka by the crush of people filling the compartment.
“Sorry, Ayukawa,” he grunted as he pushed back against the bothersome mass. “Hey, at least you don’t have to worry about me touching you in the wrong places again.”
“Speak for yourself, Kasuga-kun. I may be a guy, but I’m still a girl inside, you know.” The bishounen sent a chill gaze into Kyousuke’s eyes that encouraged him to shove all the harder against the people surrounding him.
Some minutes later, he spoke. “Kasuga-kun,” he asked while his companion was preoccupied with keeping his body from contacting any portion of her swordside anatomy, “have you heard anything from your ojii-san?”
“Not yet. Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s working on it now even as we speak.” The momentary disappointment on Ayukawa’s finely-featured face made him wish that this particular problem was already over and done with. They had managed to surmount so many others by themselves; this was the first time Kyousuke had to call upon his grandfather for help.
Upon disembarking at the train station in Nerima, Madoka let the others pass by so he could have a private word with Kyousuke.
“Hey, Kasuga-kun, can I ask you a question?” she said as they passed under the giant white triangular sign emblazoned with the name of the station in silver. Kyousuke nodded.
“I’m not sure how to put this,” he warned him. “If your ojii-san isn’t able to find a cure, will you still... be my friend even though I turn into a guy?”
Kyousuke laughed the question off. “Hey, it’s not funny,” his transmogrified love interest complained.
“Ayukawa. That’s silly. Of course I’ll be your friend. Why should I let this problem of yours get in the way?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You might have... ulterior motives, Kasuga-kun.”
Kyousuke had the grace to blush. “Ayukawa, you’re so cruel, always wanting to embarrass me.” Madoka didn’t reply, and thinking he had put his foot in his mouth again, the esper discreetly began to distance himself from the bishounen just in case his temper erupted.
The move didn’t go unnoticed by the silent Madoka. If I could only ask you what I really want to, she sent to Kyousuke's back as they picked their way through the throngs of people. The words, never to be said, echoed in her mind. Will you still love me even though I’m like this?
------oOo------
That afternoon Ojii-chan was back, and he called the school-uniformed pair into the living room of the Kasugas’ apartment and told Takashi to take Kurumi and Manami out for a while, as he was going to have a serious talk with the couple. The photographer nodded, and the trio got dressed and exited the front door. Ojii-chan waited thirty seconds inside the genkan before yanking the door open. There, just on the other side of the aperture, were the three, caught in the act of pressing their ears against the wood.
“And no eavesdropping!” Ojii-chan said sternly.
“Ahehe.” Kurumi chuckled half-heartedly in embarrassment, then waved as she and Manami and their father beat a hasty retreat to the elevator.
Ojii-chan made sure they boarded the conveyance, then closed the door and went back to the living room. Sitting down on the couch, he began by saying, “What I’m about to tell you two should not pass the walls of this room. And I have one condition that you must meet before I begin to tell you what I’ve found out.”
“What is it, Ojii-chan?” asked Kyousuke, his manner eager, his eyes shining in anticipation of finally hearing a solution to Madoka’s problem.
“That you tell me the absolute truth when I ask you a question, okay? This is no time for half-truths and lies.”
Kyousuke nodded and looked at Madoka, who was sitting beside him. She had already turned herslef back into a girl before going to the Kasugas' apartment. She dipped her head once, and Kyousuke said, “We’re all ears, Ojii-chan.”
“First of all, I have to tell you what your grand-uncle told me.” He turned to Madoka. “It’s a good thing you didn’t bother to go the Jusenkyo route,” he said. “It would have been useless as far as Kyousuke is concerned.”
Madoka raised her eyebrows. “Why, Ojii-san?”
“See, there’s a little-known clan tradition we have,” said Ojii-chan. “We’re not supposed to let members of our family have relations with or marry those who have curses as powerful as yours.”
“What?” exclaimed Kyousuke. “How come I never knew that?”
“I never needed to tell you about it. You never fell under that restriction until now. If I’m wrong about you two, tell me so we can just go to Jusenkyo and get this over with.” Ojii-chan looked at Kyousuke intently. “You do love her, don’t you, grandson?”
“I...” Kyousuke watched as his grandfather immediately frowned. “Yes,” he whispered, bowing his head. “Yes, I do, Ojii-chan.”
Madoka stared at him wide-eyed. “Kasuga-kun...”
“Enough. You two can discuss your feelings later. Let’s go on. There’s something that can replace the Spring of Drowned Girl in taking care of your curse, Madoka-chan. My cousin told me of a spring a traveler once told him about. It’s called the ‘Spring of Angel’s Drowned Lover.’ According to him, it removes curses, but not by replacing them with another.”
“Really? That’s great!” Kyousuke said as enthusiastically as he could, trying to divert Ayukawa’s attention from his declaration.
“Angel’s Drowned Lover?” Madoka’s face was a study in concentration. “If it’s as powerful as its name implies, Ojii-san, why haven’t Ranma and the others gone and used it?”
Ojii-chan shrugged. “How should I know? Maybe he and the rest of those afflicted by the curses haven’t found out where it is. It’s not at Jusenkyo.”
“Eh? Then where is it?”
“At the South Pole.”
“What?” Madoka and Kyousuke exclaimed in unison.
“Yes, I also reacted like that when your grand-uncle told me,” said Ojii-chan with a half-smile. “Long ago, according to the traveler he met, there was a battle between some demons and angels. The angels were helped by some humans, and one of them fell in love with a member of the heavenly host. They chased the demons all over the world, and in the final battle this man was drowned by one of them. The angel wept over his fallen body, and where her tears dropped the Spring formed, her breath at the same time freezing much of the continent of Antarctica.” He smirked. “A fanciful story, no doubt, but it’s your only chance, Kyousuke, Madoka-chan.”
“Wait a minute,” said Madoka. “How are we supposed to get to the South Pole?”
Ojii-chan looked at Kyousuke. “Should I tell her, or do you want to be the one?”
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(Posted Sun, 20 Feb 2005 19:05)
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