Her biggest fear was her reputation. The thought of being gossiped about and looked down on was anathema to her. She'd rather live like a virgin nun than to get a reputation as a loose woman.
Not that she wouldn't love to have a proper boyfriend, or even a secret lover. Kasumi had always been a closet romantic; her chief vice was an addiction to stories without redeeming social importance with a female main character pursued by desirable, virile men; romance novels.
However a boyfriend or admirer had always been impractical. Kasumi had been regretfully content to make do with stories and fantasies; at least until those fantasies took on a life of their own.
She wouldn't have minded if they were restricted to those times she had privacy. She was paying good money on novels which were much less satisfying than her daydreams. She was unable to keep it from her family or the Saotomes, which was a source of embarrassment; but while it was regrettable, it couldn't have been helped.
But Kasumi was dreading the possibility that her lapses might become common knowledge. So far she thought her iron will and rigid attention was responsible for preventing any slip ups. But one mistake would be sufficient, and if her attacks continued indefinitely, then it would seem inevitable that someone else would discover it.
It was obvious to Kasumi what the source of all of her troubles was. While she couldn't bring herself to talk to a doctor about it, she was widely enough read to recognize her attacks for what she thought they were.
Kasumi had too successfully repressed her sexual side in order to maintain her respectability as a single homemaker. Logically it had seemed a sensible plan, but it was obvious that Kasumi was only human with human needs.
If Kasumi wanted to cure herself before her behavior became common knowledge then she had to first admit to herself that she was a sexual being with needs she couldn't afford to ignore.
Well, admitting that was easy. When returning from her phantom lover's ... caresses, it was impossible to deny she had a sexual side. But accepting the consequences of her admission was much harder.
Apparently her private sessions of masturbation just hadn't been sufficient; Kasumi needed a lover.
Ideally she preferred a husband, but if that wasn't possible, she needed a boyfriend who could be discrete about shagging her senseless on a regular basis.
Unfortunately there was no one she'd willingly choose to marry. If she were to find a husband, it would involve dating, bringing her back to the idea of a boyfriend.
Kasumi was against the idea of premarital sex, but not on religious or ethical grounds. When she heard about other couples who engaged in it, she didn't look down on them for committing a sin. If she felt contempt it was only for them being so stupid as to get caught, or for choosing a partner who was fickle enough to leave a few months later and brag about his conquests.
But with the risk of being caught out in public humping with an imaginary lover, the risk in having a real but discrete lover was infinitely preferable.
Unfortunately Kasumi was short of prospects. She didn't know anyone she could approach, and the idea of trolling in a pub was disgusting to her; a last resort.
She reviewed all of the male martial artists that traipsed through Nerima. Not one of them was discrete. Any one of them might have shouted from the rooftops that he had been screwing Kasumi if they thought it would have given them a momentary advantage over Ranma.
Ranma seemed to be the only male willing to keep a secret. Unfortunately Ranma, while handsome, had a host of problems associated with him. But he was living with her, and he was the likeliest candidate she knew.
She would have to look for someone else. There had to be someone better suited to Kasumi's requirements out there. However if she couldn't find anyone, should she consider Ranma?
Kasumi proceeded to spend a lot of time thinking about Ranma, and his suitability as a potential lover. Inn the past, she had shied away from thinking about his body in other than fighting terms, but now she thought about what it would be like to take him for a lover.
Would it be worth the risk?
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(Posted Mon, 20 Mar 2006 19:04)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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