What he did not expect was the group of boys sliding out from hiding spots to stand as a group on the walkway leading to the front door. That made him stop in his tracks, and he simply stared as he stood at the wall that surrounded the school property.
Oddly, it seemed that Akane was expecting these guys, as she stepped over to a few meters in front of them. She stood there, and faced them down without any sign that she'd been shocked about it at all. Instead, she just acted like she was supremely annoyed, and stayed stiffly as a breeze ruffled her skirt, setting it fluttering around her ankles.
One boy, obviously the spokesman of the posse, stood tall and raised his baseball bat in an almost ironic salute. "We, of the 'Akane Attack Association' have come to defeat you, Akane Tendo, to regain the honor lost when you won over us. Now, we shall beat you, and get the reward that we have been promised."
"Yeah!" chorused the other boys.
"Now, to defeat you. Let's go!"
The boys charged at her, but she was already moving, using an open hand strike to the belly to take out one boy, and using the force from that to help speed up her spin as she twirled to do a heel drop on another's shoulder. He was used as a step to launch a knee into the next attacker at the same time that she used her schoolbag to block another strike, and she elbowed that boy in the face. When a boy with a hockey stick came at her, she dodged by sidestepping and using a purposely done fall that looked so graceful that it seemed almost lazily done. But her next series of punches hit several guys in ways that were not relaxed at all, and as the rest dropped, she yanked one to casually toss into other fighters.
"What the hell is all this?" the pigtailed boy muttered incredulously, as he watched one boy actually fold as Akane kicked him in the belly.
Nabiki gave him a wry smirk that actually showed that she sympathized. "Classmate of mine got up to the podium on speech day last semester, and declared that the guys had to beat her to date her."
"And they believed him?!"
"Some did, at least until Mom caught them in action when she was walking with us one morning. She had been going to go on, but she stayed until all but the idiot who started it understood that her daughter wasn't about to go on a date with a guy who'd beaten up for the honor."
"Then why this mess?"
"Simple. The moron who made up the challenge decided that it was only the reasoning that she had a problem with. So, he got all the boys from schools that had lost to ours in some way, a few of whom had lost to her in particular, and started this. The one who wins gets her as some sort of trophy. From time to time, there are those who realize what's going on, and leave, but he always gets new ones to replace them."
"Sounds.... stupid."
Apparently, Akane agreed with him, as she snorted as she twirled the last boy to the ground by his wrist. Dropping the limb like a rotted potato, she flicked a lock of hair back over her shoulder and scowled. "Every single morning. Don't they ever learn?"
Right then, a rose came flying out, and she caught it by the stem.
"Hello, Upperclassman Kuno."
"Hello, my fair damsel," a boy wearing a hakama intoned as he strode out from behind a tree. "Once again you have proven to be a veritable tigress on the battlefield, and shown those less skilled than yourself the errors in their abilities."
"Are you going to have these guys come after me every day? Because they really should know that they are idiots for even trying once, never mind any other time."
"I would think them to be more foolish if they were to give up on a prize such as yourself."
"I am not a prize!"
"No, you are more than that," Kuno told her, pointing his bokuto at her. "And I shall have all that you can give. Will you do battle with me, so that I may win your presence at my side as my own."
"Man, Akane. Sounds like he really likes ya," commented Ranma as he idly walked up to her.
Akane shot him a look over her shoulder. "This is my fight, so don't try to prove that I'm so weak that I need protection."
"Nah. Wasn't plannin' on it. But ya do need ta work on your defense a bit."
"Who are you to insult the warrior goddess, Akane Tendo, with your comments?!" the upperclassman barked.
"Who? Me?"
"Yes, 'you'! Who are you to be so close to her?!"
"He's living with us, Kuno," the middle Tendo daughter explained. "In our house."
"Under the same roof as the fair and tidy Akane?! How dare you try for such low goals?!"
Ranma's face twisted in confusion. "What are ya talkin' 'bout?"
"You sleep under the same roof as my lady love! You must have some foul designs to make your odious self ingratiated into her confidence. Do you not desire to date this most glorious creature?!"
"Me? Date her?! Ya gotta be kiddin'! That's sick!"
"And what's wrong with me?!" the girl in question snapped.
"Think 'bout it. You're you, and I'm me. With our sorta relationship...."
"Dating isn't really a good idea."
"Exactly. It'd be kinda freaky."
"You would claim to dislike the idea of dating the wondrous beauty that is Akane?! How could any true man even contemplate such a thing?! Explain yourself!" Kuno demanded, glaring at the younger boy.
"What would I gotta explain?"
"Why is it that you can't see yourself dating her, even if it is only a fantasy that I can be worthy of actually experiencing?!"
"It's simple. I'm her uncle."
"What?! You lie! I have not seen you before, and I have paid attention to all mention of relations!"
"My big sis is their mom. Okay, step-mom. Whatever. The main part is that I was gone on a trainin' trip with my dad, and when we came back, we went ta see her. And since she wanted me ta go ta school, here I am."
"You claim to be the brother to the glorious Ranko Tendo? That you are from the same mother that birthed such an example of feminity and force?"
"Doesn't have to 'claim', Kuno," the short haired Tendo corrected, with a bit of amusement in her voice. "He's Mom's little brother, dragged off by idiot of a grandfather."
That stopped Kuno in his tracks, as he realized that he had met a male relative of his beloved. Here was someone with whom he could deal, and would be able to gain assistance in gaining what was rightfully his. There would be no bothersome complaints, and if what they said was true, then this boy could talk to Akane as he desired. A relative could not be a challenger, and could be an ally who would work to pull Akane from her shell to let her heart go to him as it has always wanted to.
But he knew not how to handle this, as the possibility had not come up before. Yet, he welcomed it, as he had a male of the family who could make the proper decisions. Of course, he had to be a master martial artist, as Ranko Tendo, the parent of beauty and strength, would never have a sibling who was not of the finest caliber. And at that moment, there was only one thing that he could say.
"As that is something that I can determine to be a valid reason, you may do so at your leisure. In the mean time, I would like to welcome you, to this school, and hope that we will work well together," Kuno announced, and wondered why so many people had fallen over in what looked like shock, while:
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Fri, 02 Sep 2005 05:31)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.