Kasumi moved about the kitchen preparing breakfast, her body on autopilot as she listened to the normal morning sounds — the rustling from her father in the family room reading the morning paper, Akane in the furo cleaning up from her morning run — with a slight frown on her face at the sound she wasn’t hearing, Nabiki stumbling down the stairs for her morning wake-up coffee. Her alarm went off fifteen minutes ago, where is that girl? Normally Nabiki was the sensible one, outside of her streak of paranoia and side-hobby of summoning imps and worthy blackmail, but things were rapidly spinning out of control. I know Nabiki said that nothing was going on between her and that nature spirit — boy, rather — and it didn’t look like anything had happened when I checked on them when I got up, but she hasn’t been acting as she usually does and there was that scent ...
She sighed and, hearing Akane leaving the furo, put the finishing touches on the breakfast plates for her father and younger sister, plastered her normal oblivious smile on her face, and left the kitchen for the family room, carrying Soun and Akane’s breakfasts and Akane’s bento. As usual, she arrived just as Akane came around the corner dressed for school and carrying her backpack and preceded her in to sit down at the table.
Akane looked around. “Where’s Nabiki?”
“Nabiki hasn’t gotten up yet. Isn’t it wonderful that she is finally sleeping better?” Kasumi gushed.
Akane looked suspiciously toward the ceiling for a moment, then started to rise. “She’s going to be late for school, I’d better get her up.”
Kasumi hurriedly moved toward the doorway. “Oh, that won’t be necessary! You have to get to school, too, and your breakfast will get cold. You just eat your breakfast and I’ll see to Nabiki.”
Akane stared at the doorway her older sister had just left through for a moment. That was a bit hasty for Kasumi. Are she and Nabiki hiding something? Finally, she shrugged to herself and sat back down and started eating. Whatever it is, it can’t be too serious, not if Kasumi hasn’t brought it up to Dad yet.
Kasumi hurried up the stairs, then paused outside Nabiki’s door and listened for a long moment. Not hearing anything, she sighed in relief and firmly knocked on the door.
“AAAAAHHH!!!! I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!!!”
Kasumi jumped back against the corridor wall at the scream that answered her knock. What the hell?! That was Ranma! Quickly, she threw open Nabiki’s door and rushed into the room, only to freeze at the sight of the naked redhead floating in the middle of the room curled into a ball, a continual mantra of “I’msorryI’mnotlikehim, I’msorryI’mnotlikehim” streaming from the balled-up boy, ah, girl, ah, nature spirit. Confused, Kasumi glanced over at her middle sister sitting up in her bed, Fully clothed, thank the kami!, and staring at her friend, a look of confusion (and was that guilt?) on her face. “Nabiki, what’s wrong with Ranma?” Kasumi asked asked cautiously.
Nabiki absentmindedly shook her head as she continued to stare at Ranma. “I’m not sure …” she said uncertainly, then shook herself out of her own shock and turned toward her older sister. “Kasumi, there’s no way Dad and Akane didn’t hear that scream downstairs, and Akane at least will be on her way up here right now. You have to stop her from coming up — tell her I had a nightmare.”
“And Ranma?”
Nabiki turned troubled eyes back to the human-appearing floating ball still chanting her mantra. “I think maybe I know what’s wrong, I’ll deal with Ranma. But I think I’ll be missing school today, call them for me?”
Kasumi nodded. “Certainly, sister.” Then she turned and hurried back down the hall, meeting Akane at the head of the stairs.
“Kasumi, what was that?!” Akane asked breathlessly.
“Nabiki had a nightmare,” Kasumi responded serenely, “she’ll be fine, she’s just a little shaky and wants privacy.”
Akane glanced around her sister and down the hall. “Are you sure? That didn't sound much like Nabiki.”
“Yes,” Kasumi said firmly, “she’ll be fine. And when was the last time you heard Nabiki scream? Now let’s finish breakfast and get you off to school, Nabiki is going to be a little late.”
“Okay ...” Akane said reluctantly, and headed back down the stairs. Kasumi glanced back down the hall herself, then followed her sister.
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(Posted Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:48)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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