[FF] Bakamoichigei #5

Bakamoichigei #5
(Even a Fool Has One Talent)
Caryll Griffin

	Miyoko wakes up and stretches. She gently swishes her tail back and forth and twitches her ears. Slowly she stands up as the door opens. Akane walks in wearing her school uniform. She smiles at Miyoko.
	"Just forgot my books!" Akane walks over to her desk and picks up a small pile of books. "Hey Miyoko! You go to school?"
	"Um well, when I was training my brother would keep me up in education. Well, kinda. He taught me until he um," she looks at the floor, "ditched me. I've been too busy searching for Happosai I never stayed in one place and started school."
	"Hmm. Why don't you go to school with me and Ranma? You could catch up I guess, ne? What do you say?" Miyoko seems to lighten up.
	"Really? Hai, I'm sure I could catch up if I was behind. You mean I just kinda show up?" 
	"Hai. That's what Ranma did." Miyoko grins. Suddenly she face-faults. She looks down at her tail. Akane follows her gaze. "Nobody found out about it before."
	Miyoko smiles again. "I'll get dressed!" Akane nods and walks out of te room. She walks down stairs and sits down at the table. Ranma is again shoveling food in his mouth like there's no tomorrow. Genma (human form for once!) is piling food on his plate.
	"Hey Ranma." He looks up momentarily from his food. "I told Miyoko she could come to school with us. Okay? Don't let Kuno get a hold of her." Ranma nods while chewing. He swallows.
	"What about the whole-"
	"Ears and tail?" They look up as Miyoko walks in fully dressed. She's wearing her bow and her Chinese green shirt and black pants. She's hidden her ears and tail. "I've kept people from knowing about it for this long. It won't be a problem." Ranma shrugs and goes back to eating.
	On the way to school, Ranma is as always walking on the fence and Miyoko and Akane are on the sidewalk. When they get to school, Ranma and Akane suddenly become cautious.
	"Why are you guys acting so nervous?" Before Ranma and Akane can answer Miyoko's question, Kuno comes running out of nowhere.
	"Tendo Akane! I profess my love to you, my dear Akane-san!" He is running with another bouquet of roses (oh big surprise there!). He notices Ranma but he can't see Miyoko because she's standing behind them.
	Ranma and Akane both kick him in the face and he falls over. They land on either side of Miyoko and she gives them a strange look.
	"You do this often?" They shrug as Kuno sits up groaning, two footprints on his face. He looks straight at Miyoko and then between Ranma and Akane. He stands up and bows to Miyoko.
	"I don't think we've been formally introduced." Miyoko gives him a *really* weird look.
	"What are you doing?" She backs away from him and puts her hands on her hips. He straightens up and holds his bokken down at his side.
	"I am Upperclassman Kuno. Junior. Group E. Captain of the Kendo Club. Undefeated new star of the high school fencing world. But you may call me "The Blue Thunder"!" Thunder rumbles in the background. Miyoko looks at him very much unimpressed.
	"Um, and your point? Is this supposed to have some sort of meaning?" Kuno snickers.
	"Normally I would have been insulted by such a comment. But because of your beauty and me fearing I might harm your delicate body, I will not punish you. I will let it go." Miyoko stood frozen in shock at what she had just heard. Her fists slowly clenched into tight balls at her side, her knuckles turning white. She started to glow a bright green. Kuno had said the wrong thing to the wrong person.
	"W-What did you just say?! OOOooooo!!! Y-You BAKA!!!" Stomping up to Kuno she gave him a look that would melt titanium. She grabs his bokken and sticks it somewhere that would make anybody's eyes water. She grabs him by the shirt and punts him into the stratosphere.
	Taking a deep breath she turns back to Ranma and Akane who are still grimacing from the bokken thing, and smiles. Picking up her bag she had dropped, she motions to the school. Akane snaps out of it and walks toward the school dragging Ranma in a half daze.
	In school, Miyoko is seen standing in front of the class. He introduces her and points to an empty seat next to Ukyo. Miyoko walks back to her seat ignoring the eyes of half the male students. As she sits down, Ukyo looks over and smiles.
	"Konnichiha! I'm Kuonji Ukyo!" Miyoko smiles back.
	"Okabayashi Miyoko!" Ukyo smiles and glances over at Ranma.
	"I saw you come in with Ranma and Akane. You meet them on the way to school?"
	"Uh, no, I'm staying with them." Miyoko gets a nervous look on her face when Ukyo's jaw drops to the floor and her eyes bug out. "Uh, did I say something wrong?" Ukyo snaps out of her daze.
	"No, no! I, uh, it's just I didn't know there was anybody new staying at the Tendo's. But then again I've been out for the last couple of days." Miyoko gets a look of "oh" on her face. Ukyo smiles back weakly and glances over and Ranma before turning her attention back to the teacher. 
	At lunch Miyoko is walking with Ranma and Akane when she is swarmed by the boys and girls of her class. Akane grabs Ranma's hand and drags him off in another direction as she is bombarded with questions. Miyoko looks back and forth between the two groups.
	"Are you really another one of Ranma's fiancees?"
	"What kind of outfit is that?"
	"Do you live at the Tendo's?"
	Miyoko started to back away from the crowd shaking her head and holding up her hands. Ukyo looked up from the other side of the lunchroom and watched in fascination as Miyoko was pressed up against the wall. She strained to hear above the other conversations in the room. She could barely make out the boys voices above the girls. Miyoko hadn't answered any of the girls questions and they were getting bored. Many of them had walked off in their own little groups to gossip.
	"Miyoko, will you go on a date with me?" The one voice rose above all the others and the rest of the group took up the idea. They all started asking her over and over again. Miyoko didn't seem to actually mind the questions they were asking before but now she was mad. She started to shift into a fighting stance and get rid of her irritating problem when she got an idea.
	"Um, sorry guys, I already have a fiancee!" With that, she pushes her way passed a shock and crying group of boys. She triumphantly walked over to where Ranma and Akane were sitting. But before she can sit down and quietly eat her lunch she is again mobbed by the girls. The answer she had given the boys had piqued their interests.
	"A fiancee? Really?
	"Who is it?"
	"Is he cute?"
	"What school does he go to?"
	"How old is he?"
	Miyoko looks like a deer caught in headlights. Watching Miyoko had lost its amusement for Akane. She felt really sorry for her. She remembered what happened when everyone had found out she was engaged. And to Ranma too boot, someone everyone knew. She hadn't liked it! She leans over to Ranma and whispers in his ear.
	"Ranma, why don't you get Miyoko out of the crowd? I feel really sorry for her. I mean, just look at her!" They look over at Miyoko who is getting dragged farther and farther away from Ranma and Akane. Even a few of the boys had gotten over the shock and were also asking her questions. Most of them questions of "Why?!".
	"How could I get her away from the crowd?"
	"Jump in there grab, her and then jump out!" Akane casually sticks her foot out as another boy runs passed her in the direction of Miyoko. He hits the ground with a *thud* but quickly stands back up and continues on his course.
	"Okay, but they'll follow me." Ranma slowly stands up and takes a deep breath. Letting it out Ranma runs toward the crowd and jumps between two boys who had made it passed the girls. They were crying and begging Miyoko to reconsider her engagement despite the fact they had just met Miyoko (if you want to consider it a meeting) and didn't know who she was engaged to. As Ranma lands between them and Miyoko they stop their begging momentarily.
	"Saotome! What are you doing here? Have you come to take another cute girl away from us? First Akane! Now Miyoko!" They begin crying again and Miyoko looks at them with disgust. She then looks back at Ranma who just grins.
	"Need some help?" She nods and he grabs her hand. Pulling her onto his back with her arm, he leaps over the heads of the crowd and out the door. Outside, he leaps up into a tree. Miyoko unwraps her arms from around his neck and slides off his back. She blushes and looks down at her hands.
	"Um, arigato, Ranma." Ranma puts his arm behind his head and looks up at the leaves.
	"Aw, it was nothing!" Miyoko leans back against the trunk of the tree and lets out a sigh of relief.
	"Who were those guys anyway?! Do they always do that to new girls?!" Ranma chuckles and gives Miyoko a lopsided grin.
	"Only cute ones." Miyoko looks up with wide eyes. She blushes and looks back at her hands.
	"Y-You really think so?" Ranma doesn't get a chance to answer because Akane runs up. They both slide down the trunk of the tree. Ranma gives Akane a goofy grin and she just rolls her eyes. They walk back to class with Miyoko grumbling about how she didn't get to eat her lunch.
	Walking home from school, Ranma is up on the fence as usual and Akane and Miyoko are down on the sidewalk. Miyoko looks really mad and Ranma looks a bit nervous. He jumps down off the fence and walks next to Akane.
	"So, Akane, why's she still mad?" Ranma doesn't notice the twitch under Miyoko's bow indicating she turned her ears in the direction of Akane and Ranma.
	"They did it again when she came out to meet us at the gate." Ranma raises an eyebrow and glances over at Miyoko.
	"Wow! They've never been this bad before!" Akane shrugs and Miyoko's shoulders visibly slump but nobody notices. When they arrive at the house, they are greeted my Kasumi holding yet another batch of cookies. They grab them and run off to the practice hall with Miyoko slowly dragging her feet behind them.
	Ranma starts practicing his kata and Akane sits on the floor watching him. Miyoko walks in and leans against the doorway. Slowly she walks over to a practice dummy and starts sparring with it. When she starts to get really into it, Akane slowly walks out dragging a confused Ranma.
	"Hey! Why'd you make me leave?" Akane puts her hand over Ranma's mouth to silence him.
	"Leave her alone. She needs to work out her stress." Akane smiles and Ranma's heart skips a beat. Akane gently takes his hand and pulls him into the house.
	Inside the practice hall, Miyoko's practicing is getting faster and faster, as she works out her frustrations of the day. She doesn't even notice when Ryoga wonders in. He looks around the room and smiles when he sees Miyoko. But his smile soon fades when he sees the expression on Miyoko's face and the intensity of her punches on the dummy. He drops his backpack on the ground and walks over to Miyoko.
	She ignores him and takes her speed of her punches up one notch. Ryoga looks on with concern.
	"Miyoko, slow down. You're just supposed to be practicing!" She ignores him and doesn't slow down. Ryoga grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her away from the battered practice dummy. It falls to the ground not being held up anymore by her punching fists. Miyoko spins around and glares at Ryoga, but when she sees the concerned look on his face she softens her expression. "What's the matter?"
	Miyoko sighs and shakes her head. "I just had the worst first day of school!" She glances down at the practice dummy and groans. She then looks back up at Ryoga. "Ryoga, got a minute? I need someone to spar with to work out some of my stress."
	Ryoga shrugs and takes a fighting stance. She runs at him and unleashes her most powerful kicks and punches at a startled Ryoga. She has tears running down her cheeks and despite his constant effort at blocking all of Miyoko's blows, Ryoga looks concerned for her. He manages to jump back away from her and catch his breath. Miyoko stops for a moment and then rushes at Ryoga again. As she runs at him at full speed, her foot catches under the practice dummy she had demolished and she stumbles. She looses her balance and crashes straight into Ryoga. To lessen the blow's force, Ryoga rolls back taking Miyoko with him.
	They stop at the wall. Ryoga is in a sitting position with his hands lightly on Miyoko's shoulders and Miyoko is laying on his lap. Ryoga opens his eyes and looks down at Miyoko, blushing. Miyoko groans and sits up. She looks up at Ryoga with tears in her eyes. She tries to say something but instead breaks down and cries. She leans forward and berries her face in Ryoga's chest. Ryoga looks shocked at first but then he puts his arm around Miyoko's shoulders and rocks her back and forth.
	After a few minutes, Miyoko's sobs dissipate. Ryoga slowly starts to slide his arm down her back to let her sit back but she stays leaning against his chest. He doesn't seem to mind though. Miyoko turns her face to the side and wipes her tears away. She grabs onto the front of his shirt and sighs.
	"Arigato Ryoga. I really needed that." Ryoga looks down at her confused.
	"What did I do?" Miyoko chuckles softly into his shirt. She sighs before answering.
	"You were here for me when I needed you. I've never really had anyone be there for me. The entire time I was with my brother it was always training! And techniques! I mean, he dumped me on some sensei to improve my training so I could pass the high standards of some fiancee's father!" Ryoga winced at the mention of her fiancee. She smiled into his chest. She sat back a little and looked up into his eyes.
	"You know, I never really had anyone there for me either. My parents disowned me and I'm lost all the time. I've just had a horrible life." Miyoko smiled with understanding and for a fleeting moment a look of almost happiness floated through Ryoga's eyes. Miyoko reached up slowly and ran her fingers through his hair.
	They looked into each others eyes and several minutes passed. The space between their faces slowly began to get smaller and smaller. The distance was closed when Miyoko sat up on her legs. Their lips brush together. Ryoga opened his eyes in shock and looked down at Miyoko. Her eyes fluttered open and he saw a look of pure affection in her eyes. They closed their eyes again and pressed their lips together again.
	After what seemed like only a few moments but was really an eternity they broke the kiss. Ryoga looked down at her with something very rarely seen in his emotion racked eyes; happiness. Miyoko put her head in the crook of Ryoga's neck and he just held her. They sighed in unison. 
	Their moment was interrupted with Kasumi announcing it was time for dinner. Miyoko reluctantly stood up, gently kissing Ryoga's cheek as her lips passed it. Ryoga smiled up at her and also stood. She took his hand in hers and walked toward the door to the practice hall.
	Outside the practice hall door, Akane stood up and smiled.

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                                                                                                                      To Be Continued...
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I don't know about you but I think this one turned out a lot better than the last ones! It's amazing what a little caffeine can do for the creative process! Ja ne!

________________________
Caryll Griffin
Disciple of the Church of Ryouga
Washer of the Sacred Garments of Ryouga
"What ever gave you the idea sanity was a good thing?"
p_chan@nv-vb.mindspring.com
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I have my own E-Mail address now! Yeah!