Continued from part 10. Ryouga's fight with "Ranma" begins
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RANKO 1/2
Part 11
Sitting around the table in the Tendou living room, the girls are
shocked to learn about Ranko's past.
Nabiki: You went to a *boys'* school?
Ranko: I *told* you that I grew up as a boy. You think pop would
send me to a girls' school? No way. I put on a boy's
school uniform and nobody noticed.
Akane: But surely, when you grew... [waves a hand at Ranko's
breasts] um, grew up, people would notice.
Ranko: Nothing I couldn't hide. I'm sure nobody ever found out.
I also changed schools a lot - we were always moving.
Kasumi: Always on training trips?
Ranko: Uh, yeah! Training trips, that's right. Anyway, last
year, right before we went to China, I was at the same
school as Ryouga...
Flashback to the time of Ranko's narration. In a hall of the
school building the floor vibrates. A horde of boys are running
down the hall at break-neck speed. They all are trying to reach
the cafeteria first.
Boy: Hurry! If we are late all the good food will be gone!
And really - shortly after the crowd arrives at the outlet the
curry bread already runs out. As the last one is thrown out, all
arms stretch up to catch it. Suddenly one figure rises above the
crowd as if propelled by a rocket backpack. It is Ranko. Her
face is unmistakably the same, but she wears a boy's uniform and
her female curves are strangely absent. She grabs the flying
bread, uses someone else's head as a landing point and jumps clear
of the crowd.
Ranko: Ha! It's mine.
A figure disentagles itself from the mass of boys. It is Ryouga,
sans bandana but also in a school uniform. Two footprints on his
head identify him as the victim of Ranko's jumping technique.
Ryouga: Who are you?!
Ranko: Saotome Ranma.
Ryouga: Saotome Ranma. This offense shall not go unavenged.
Ranko (voiceover): He was crying tears of bitterness. After that
it became sort of a competition. There was
the Chow Mein Bread.
Ryouga and Ranko are both jumping at the flying bun. Ranko
catches it in her mouth, booting Ryouga in the process.
Ranko (voiceover): The Croquette Bread... Oh, and the Melon
Bread...
The same scene in many variations replays itself. Always Ranko
walks away with the food.
Ranko (voiceover): and the Cutlet Sandwich... and the Meat
Bread...
Back in the Tendou living room Kasumi pours the tea for everyone.
Nabiki frowns and Akane just stares in disbelief as Ranko comes up
with still more instances.
Ranko: And the seaweed bread and the...
Kasumi: Perhaps this went on a few times too often.
Akane: What are you going to do about it, Ranko?
Ranko: What can I do? I'll have to show him the Ranma he is
looking for and settle this once and for all.
The next morning Akane helps Ranko to dress up for her meeting
with Ryouga.
Ranko: Yes. [holds up a long breadth of cloth] I knew I still
had it somewhere.
Akane: OK, and what do we do with it?
Ranko: Just hold it here.
Ranko places the end on the strip on her back and Akane holds it
in place. Ranko the begins to wind the cloth tightly around her
chest, forming a makeshift corset that binds her breasts flat.
Akane: Oh. That's how you did it? Isn't that terribly
uncomfortable?
Ranko makes a face.
Ranko: Yeah. Especially now that I haven't done this for some
time. [takes a breath as deep as she can] OK, I guess
now Ryouga will recognize me.
She pulls on her usual chinese clothes, picks up her bag and the
two are off to school.
Later that day in the afternoon pupils gather on the grass
surrounding the sports ground.
Boy: Hey, come here. I think there's going to be a fight.
Ranko and Ryouga are standing, facing each other.
Ryouga: So, Ranma. Are you finally through with running?
Ranko: Stuff it Ryouga! What're you talking about - I never ran
from you.
Ryouga: Then what about our match in the empty lot? Where were
you then?
Ranko: I was *there* you moron! I waited three *days* for you to
turn up.
Ryouga: And when I arrived there on the fourth day you had
chickened out, run away to China with your father.
Ranko: Ryouga... How did you manage to be four days late for a
match that takes place less than 500 yard from your own
door?
Ryouga: [fuming] Do you think I just wasted my time during those
four days? I suffered to get to the place!
Images flash up showing Ryouga asking his way to the main street
that connected his house with the appointed meeting place. Some
of the places he went do not even lie close to his hometown.
Ranko: Boy, if you haven't got the worlds worst sense of
direction... If you can't keep a date for a challenge, why
the hell are you going around *setting* one?!
Ryouga: You insulted me more than enough!
Ranko: Oh, yeah. That reminds me. [pulls out a package] Here.
She throws the package to Ryouga who catches it. It's a curry
bread.
Ryouga: What's this?
Ranko: The same thing as this... and this... and this...
She throws him package after package of bread products until his
arms are full.
Ranko: This is a "bread feud", right? I didn't mean to take all
that from you. Are we even now?
Ryouga lets the breads drop to the ground, shaking.
Ryouga: Do you think that a few pieces of bread can repair what I
have suffered through? Because of you [he puts the
backpack down and pulls the umbrella from it] I have
seen hell!
He jabs at Ranko, astonishingly dexterous with the unwieldy thing.
Ranko evades each jab by stepping backwards.
Ranko: Wait a minute. You've still not clearly said what this is
all about.
Ryouga: Quit acting like a girl and take your punishment for my
humiliation!
Ranko's face becomes set. She stops walking backwards, sidesteps
Ryouga's next jab and kicks the umbrella out of his outstretched
hand. Ryouga assumes a basic fighting stance as Ranko advances.
Ranko: So. I'm acting like a girl when I wanna know why you
attack me, huh? And girls don't fight, do they? I guess,
girls spend all their day playing dolls and crying, eh?
How about *this* then for a little girlishness?!
A crunching kick to the jaw sends Ryouga staggering backwards.
Meanwhile Akane has gone over to Ryouga's umbrella. It has made
another crater where it landed and two boys are trying to pick it
up.
Boy: God! That umbrella is heavy! I can't even move it.
Boy2: It must weigh tons!
Akane grabs the handle but only manages to lift it a few
centimeters. She cannot pick it up. Before her mind's eye flash
the pictures of Ryouga wielding the weight singlehandedly.
Akane: [thinks] And Ranko is fighting him! I must warn her.
She runs down towards the fighting ground and calls out.
Akane: Ran... Ranma! Don't stay close in with him! He has the
strength of a monster!
Ranko is distracted for a moment by Akane. Ryouga quickly grabs
his bandana and catches Ranko's wrist with it like a whip.
Ryouga: Heh, I guess you won't have a choice about staying close
in.
Ranko looks at the tie trapping her wrist and then at Ryouga who
is still wearing an identical bandana.
Ranko: Say, Ryouga, how many of them are you wearing?
Ryouga: Is that all you have to say? Then I'd better be fast
about shutting you up for good.
He throws a punch at Ranko that would probably have disconnected
her head - if she had been there. Thrown off balance by the force
of his own punch into thin air, Ryouga teeters forward. He is met
by both of Ranko's feet coming straight up, connecting with his
chest. Ranko had dropped down to avoid his fist. Balancing on
her free hand she has brought up her legs in a full-body blow.
The force of the impact sends Ryouga flying high into the air. He
lets go of the bandana in the process and Ranko frees herself of
it. She jumps after him over the fence of the sports ground. A
few seconds later a giant fountain of water erupts from there.
Boy: Water! They've blown a hole into the ground!
Boy2: Worse. They've smashed the water fountain.
All are running to see the action. Among them is Akane.
Akane: [thinks] Uh oh! Cold water. I wonder what happened there.
-- End of part 11.
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Continued in part 12.
Sebastian
--
<http://enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de/~bastian/>
Comics reviewed
--
Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good.