All the characters depicted in this story are from Ranma 1/2, which was
created by Rumiko Takahashi. This story is something that came straight from
my own mind, so anyone wants to get all huffy and try to sue me for any
infringement, chill; it was a strange coincidence that just happened (and we
all know how hard it is for us starving writers to come up with original
stories nowadays without having to worry about how to pay court costs).
Enjoy.
Kasumi 1/2
Chapter 3
Caught By Surprise
Dr. Tofu sat in his office, a small overhead lamp shining down upon him and a
spread of papers on his desk. Over and over, he leafed through the papers,
his eyes comparing one document with another. The papers continued to rustle
as he examined one lone form laying at the corner of his desk.
"Agh!" He put a hand to his forehead, pushing back strands of his hair from
his forehead. "There has to be something I missed, some dumb mistake I've
been skipping over... But what is it?"
Tofu began to read the forms over, one by one. "I still can't believe that
Kasumi is...pregnant...." He sighed heavily. "How could this happen? She
never had a...boyfriend in the last few years, Nabiki commented before. How
on earth could she let herself be..." His brows furrowed upon reading more
of the documents, and he did not finish the comment.
* * * * *
Kasumi slipped out of the bathroom and headed towards the stairs that lead to
her room. She heard Akane and Ranma getting into another fight in the
kitchen, but her nature to quell arguments was already busy with another
battle. Mind versus heart, the need to do what is considered to be right
versus the need to do what is desired. If she wasn't pregnant, the choice
would have almost been clear-cut, but now....
'Oh, my...no matter what choice is made, things will never be the same again.'
"Get out of the way, Ranma. I'm going to see Kasumi."
"Dammit, Akane, I just told you Kasumi doesn't want to see anyone right now-"
"And you haven't told me why! unless you're lying and keeping one of your
other 'fiancees' up there-"
"I just told you no one else is here but Kasumi! Don't you trust me?"
"Why the hell would I trust a pervert like you for?!"
Ranma reeled back as if she struck him hard. 'She doesn't trust me?' The
gravity of her words stuck fast to him. 'She doesn't trust me...she really
doesn't...trust....' His head fell a little, images and thoughts from the
vacation coming back to him....
* * * * *
"Really, Mariko, it wasn't necessary to come all the way from Tokyo and pick
us up. Tou Ouizumi is a good distance out of the way and-"
"Oh, Kasumi, relax!" the girl with waist-long, raven black hair replied,
waving a dismissive hand. "It's all perfectly fine, and I like to drive.
'Sides, trains take too long, and getting a ride here in any other way would
be costing you a ton."
Kasumi nodded as she stuffed away some of her clothes into the dresser. "I
just don't want us to be inconveniencing you as it is."
"You? An inconvenience? Don't be silly! You're my friend, my best friend at
that. I'm only too glad to do favors for you." She then gave Kasumi a sly
smile. "And I bet the next two weeks with cutie pie, he'll be doing a lot of
'favors' for you..." she said, almost purring.
"Mariko!" The eldest Tendo stared wide eyed at her friend. "Ranma's Akane's
fiance, and I would never even think of betraying her!"
"Uh huh..." The sly grin did not disappear.
"Honestly, they are in love with each other-"
"Which explains why she smashed him flat into the ground with that hammer
before we left?" Before Kasumi could defend her younger sister's actions,
she was cut off. "Look, you already told me about them being engaged by
giri. It's so sweet, noble...and much too traditional for today's life.
They don't love each other in that way, no matter what they think. I can see
it."
"But-"
"Why do I say that? Because they don't trust each other. Not one whit of it
in that relationship."
"Well, Akane is the jealous type."
"Not to mention possessive, attention starved, stubborn, and-what's the
word?- controlling. She's always been number one in martial arts around
Nerima until Ranma arrived and dethroned her quite easily. And on top of
that, 'he's a boy,'" she said with an amazingly close facsimile of Akane's
voice. "...which really irks her and her pride. She couldn't accept being
second best then, and she can't accept it now, just like she can't accept him
and his little curse. She was forced into this engagement, rather than
letting Ranma get to know his potential fiancees, and the _only_ reason she
is still engaged to him is because she doesn't want to disappoint her dad."
* * * * *
Unknown to Kasumi and Mariko, Ranma was just outside the room Kasumi would be
occupying for the next two weeks. He was intent on asking Mariko about using
the backyard for his morning practices, but he heard them talking through the
closed door. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but the intensity, and the
subject, of the conversation was beginning to get to him. So Ranma pushed
his senses a little farther and listened with an attentive ear. Soon, he
thought about what the hostess had said about him and Akane.
'That's crazy. I know my feelings about Akane. What does she know about us
anyway? And giri has nothing to do with it.'
However, on a deeper level, Mariko's words left him feeling a little ill at
ease, though he wouldn't admit it to himself.
* * * * *
Kasumi remembered the how Mariko stumbled into Ranma-literally! -with a glass
of cold water As expected, the transformation occurred, pressing a pair of
large, full breasts into her face where there was once a strong, male chest.
She passed out from the shock. What was running through her friend's mind
when she came to, she had no idea, but not only had she recovered from her
initial shock, she was even more lively that before and spent a lot of time
talking with Ranma. Somewhere inside of Kasumi, she envied Mariko's
acceptance of the entire situation with so much calm and open friendliness to
Ranma; she cursed herself for not being like that when she first found out
about his curse. Maybe things would have been much more different if she
had...
She forced herself to stop that line of thought. She was here to get rid of
those thoughts once again, not to feed them. However, Mariko was making it a
daunting task at the moment.
"Ooo...is that a blush on your cheeks?"
"What?" Kasumi blinked hard, instinctively feeling her cheek.
"You _are_ blushing! With thoughts of Ranma on your mind, no doubt!"
She started to deny, but just sighed and unfolded her dresses. "Yes. I wish
Father had not insisted on Ranma accompanying me."
"Oh? Why do you say that?"
Stopping the unfurlment of her remaining dresses, Kasumi sat down on the bed.
Mariko grabbed the chair at the study desk and made herself comfortable as
well. The oldest Tendo cleared her throat, then began her tale. She brought
to life the story about the oni that had broken free from a thousand year old
ward and began to possess Genma, Kuno, Ryouga, and the Shinto priest before
Ranma captured it in its box. Unfortunately, the priest applied the wrong
ward to the box and the family soon discovered that it had possessed Kasumi.
Since no one would had the heart to strike her (thanks to Soun's
"persuasiveness"), they had to endure the evils that she was capable of all
night (Mariko dared not to think what evils Kasumi was capable of, as she
would have probably fell out of her chair laughing). The next day, the
now-miserable household finds out that the oni would leave Kasumi...after it
had drained her dry. Quickly, Soun offered himself to the oni in exchange
for Chasm's safety, but that never came to fruition; however, after a serious
persuasion, the priest banished the oni from Kasumi with a ward. Ranma (with
help from Ryouga) attacked the oni with the proper prayer ribbons, but after
watching them get shredded, Kasumi caught one of the falling prayer ribbons
and noticed that the kanji was missing a brushstroke. The oni possessed
Happousai, but it found that two evils certainly do _not_ mix, allowing Ranma
to recapture it (and the perverted Master) and resealed with the new ward
that the oldest Tendo had corrected.
"Well..." Mariko stretched out her legs. "You do lead an interesting life
after all. But what exactly does an oni has to do with you having the hots
for Ranma?"
She blushed slightly at her friend's term. "Remember the part where it was
inside of my head all night?" Her friend nodded. "Well, it rooted through
every little part of my mind, discovering everything about me, secrets,
wishes, dreams..." Kasumi paused. "...desires..."
"Oh..."
"Yes. Exorcising it out of my mind did nothing for the mess of emotions that
ran amok. I spent a couple of days, trying to put everything back into its
place as before. It almost worked, too..."
"...but your feelings towards Ranma won't go back into hiding, ne?" A meek
"yes" was her answer.
Mariko pushed her advantage. "So, do you love him? and I don't mean like
family and friends."
For a few moments, silence spoke in volumes. Then slowly Kasumi began to
speak. "Well, I...I..." She took in a sharp breath and spoke. "Y-yes.
I...I suppose you could say I...I am...do love him..." Her head fell
forward. "Oh my...this wasn't suppose to be happening..."
* * * * *
Ranma could have sworn everyone in a five kilometer radius heard him blink.
'K-Kasumi? In lo-love with me?' Suddenly, his life became a whole lot more
complicated. 'God, I'm going to have-'
"But it's much too late for things to change. He is already Akane's..."
He was drawn out of his stupor by that statement. 'Huh? She loves me, yet
Kasumi isn't going to chase after me or anything? No tricks, or schemes?
She's just going to let Akane have me?' His brow furrowed as he tried to
figure out just why did he feel disappointed.
Mariko's voice carried through the door. "Oh come on, Kasumi. You're always
giving up way too easily-"
"But he already has three other fiancees besides Akane-"
"Hold on there; let me recall.... From your letters, you mentioned Shampoo,
the Amazon that's virtually married to Ranma; Kuno Kodachi, the flower girl
from St. Herebeke's girl school that's out to marry him;"-he couldn't help
but shudder at the thought. "-and Kanji Ukyou, the okonomiyaki chef that was
engaged to him when they were six years old." There was a clicking sound
made, the kind of sound made with the tongue and the roof of the mouth, then
after a moment's pause, Mariko resumed talking.
"From the way I see things, Shampoo's a bit too pushy. She doesn't quite
love him as she would like to think she does, or else she wouldn't be
slipping him potions to gain his heart." Ranma slowly nodded in agreement.
Shampoo has tried to win his love with a few potions and pills and God knows
Cologne has tried on more than one occasion to entrap him into a wedding with
her great granddaughter.
"Kodachi...the girl's totally off her rocker. If what Ranma says is true,
the girl's not even in the running. She's nuts and deluded, wanting to be
the center of some badly written romance. She's far worse than Shampoo could
ever be."
He contained the urge to burst through the door and appraise Mariko for
voicing his thoughts, though not in his own words. Kodachi was crazy, and
malicious on top of that. How she could ever see him with her...Ranma
shivered at the thought.
"As for Ukyou, he won't marry her; he still thinks of her as his six year old
friend, not as a fiancee. Plus, he's still getting over the fact that she's
not a guy as he had remembered her. That's a lot of mental obstacles to
overcome, and even then, he still won't marry her, because he doesn't feel
the same thing towards her."
'Geez, she just about read my mind about my fiancee problems,' Ranma thought.
'Now if she could figure out how to make everything right for them all and
cause as little honor lost as possible....' Ranma tip toed away from the
room, deciding to ask Mariko about using her backyard later.
Somewhere within Ranma, the uneasiness he had felt earlier began to intensify
ever so slightly.
* * * * *
Kasumi sighed a little, laying back on the bed. "You make it sound so
simple, but-"
"You can. After all, Ranma was engaged to Nabiki, ne?"
"Yes...but she was only using him for her own ends. Admittantly, her
scheming have kept us afloat since Mother died and Father stopped teaching,
but still, I wish she didn't abuse Ranma's trust like so. It's so...not
nice."
"Hmm...so why haven't you made your claim to him yet?"
She blinked at the bold question, then thought about it briefly. "Mariko,
I-I don't want him resenting me; after all, I helped push the engagement onto
Akane, when I should have accepted it in the beginning without question. I-I
was scared...he changed into a girl...and that-oh, my..."
"Yeah, I hear you. It was pretty freaky; feeling a solid chest under your
cheek, then suddenly out pops a pair of breasts." She shrugged a little.
"Just have to take the bad with the good, is all. We all have our little
quirks. And it's not like the person inside changed any now, is it?"
Sucking her lower lip briefly, Kasumi mulled over the exchange. "It is a
little tempting...but I still don't want to betray Akane..."
Mariko spun the chair back to the table, tossed back her raven hair, then
laid beside her relaxed form, one arm propping her head up. "No one's asking
you to betray anyone, and I'm certainly not suggesting you seduce him and
screw his brains out and make him yours." She chuckled at her own words,
which earned her a strangely considerate look from her friend. "However, I
don't want you to betray yourself on this. You really got it bad for him,
and not once have you brought up your stately principals about younger men."
She blinked at that. 'She's right, I haven't. Oh, my...'
"Kasumi."
"Yes?"
"Just consider being straight up with him about this. No sense in missing
out on what could have been, and if he doesn't feel the same, hey, nothing
lost, ne?"
"I...I suppose you're right, but something bad may become of this."
"Oh, don't be such a worrywart, okay?
"Okay..." Kasumi said, a smile beginning to show.
***
It had been four days since Mariko waved good-bye to her and Ranma at Tokyo
International Airport terminal. Since then, she busied herself with cleaning
and cooking, though she had to restrain herself a little on the latter as
there were only two people living at the residence. Ranma practiced the Art
in Mariko's backyard; when that wasn't enough, he lounged around the living
room bored out of his mind.
At least Kasumi thought he was bored, until she noticed how he seemed to be
thinking about something. Also, he hadn't spoken many times with her when
she was in the same room with him. Something wasn't right, but what?
* * * * *
"Ranma, can we talk?"
He brought a close to his kata, then straightened out. He looked at the
backyard steps, where Kasumi was standing at in wait. 'At least she's
starting the conversation. One less thing to worry about.' "What'cha want,
Kasumi?"
She walked down the steps and stood in front of him. Looking him directly
into his eyes, she asked. "Tell me, are you angry with me?"
He blinked. "A-a-angry? with you? Wha-wha-why would I be angry? It's just
so...so sudden, that's all." He hastily looked away from her face. 'She
knew? But how...?'
Looking away herself, she sighed softly. "You are angry with me.... I'm
sorry; I shouldn't have forced you into this."
"No! No, it's quite all right, indeed!" he automatically spoke up. "In
fact, I think it's probably the best thing that could have happened,
actually." He chuckled a bit too nervous, his hand scratching the back of
his head, as he wondered what exactly possessed him to say that.
"Really?"
"Um, yeah, I suppose..." He felt terrible about making Kasumi feel so bad.
Even when she said she wasn't going to pursue after Ranma as had Shampoo,
Ukyou, and Kodachi a few nights ago... "Er, Kasumi?"
She met his gaze again. "Yes, Ranma?"
Now, how could he make this up to her? 'What makes Akane feel better?' "Um,
how...how about we go get something to eat later on?" 'Okay, so I'm thinking
what makes me feel better.'
Kasumi blinked. Twice. 'Did he just ask me out?'
So caught up in his own thoughts, Ranma didn't notice the change in her face.
"Ah, I was kind of thinking we go to that foreign restaurant, I think it was
called...New York Grill? Sounds pretty interesting, I think."
Not doubt, she was stunned beyond words, but she managed to squeeze out
something Kasumi-ish. "Ah, yes, yes, that sounds wonderful. I'd be
delighted to." She smiled, if not a little nervous.
He smiled back. "Great. We can call a cab and go, oh about six or so.
That's fine with you?"
"O...okay, Ranma."
"All right, then. I better go ahead and finish up practicing then. See you
in a little bit, okay?"
"Um, sure." Kasumi walked up the stairs and into the house, closing the door
behind her. 'That was certainly strange. Ranma usually is trapped into dates
with Akane, yet he just asked me so effortlessly.' She allowed herself a
smile. 'Well, in his own way, of course.'
* * * * *
Meanwhile, Ranma returned to his kata. A minute into it, something dawned on
him as he sprang into mid air. 'Did I just ask Kasumi out on a date?' He
froze in mid leap, landing uncharacteristically clumsily into a small pond
that he had never noticed before. Out surfaced Onna-Ranma. "I just asked
Kasumi out? Oh, kami, Akane's going to kill me when she finds out!"
* * * * *
The date (though Ranma would deny that it was just that) had started out
quietly, with Kasumi making small talk, though Ranma wasn't a very big talker
to begin with. Also, he was rather nervous about what could go possibly go
wrong; every time he went somewhere with Akane, he would be ambushed by some
or all of his fiancees, attacked by Mousse, Kuno, or Ryouga, or get caught up
in some trick to be wedded off. As they arrived to the New York Grill, Ranma
loosened up, though it was mostly in anticipation of the food. Walking into
the restaurant, he felt kind of proud of himself; he managed to save up a
proper amount of money without Nabiki's schemes eating it away (some of it
was from the failed dates when oyaji and Mr. Tendo had set him up with
Akane). The two ordered their food, then engaged in some idle conversation.
Their meals arrived and they ate up; Ranma even restrained himself from his
normal eating methods (as oyaji wasn't around trying to steal off his plate).
Afterwards, Kasumi wanted to take a walk in the park. He agreed after a
moment of hesitation.
As they walked, Kasumi glanced at him from time to time without making it too
obvious, secretly thankful that they were near the same height. 'Ranma is a
lot easier to talk to now,' Kasumi thought. 'I wonder why he is so nervous,
though.'
"That was something delicious, ne, Kasumi?" Ranma said, patting his stomach
lightly. He had chosen a dark blue, long-sleeved Chinese shirt with
contrasting wooden white ties and white cuffs, coal black pants, and shoes of
the same color. As usual, his black hair was pulled back in a pigtail and
tied with red rope.
"Yes. They seem to take exceptional care in their cooking." Kasumi, who was
just behind him, wore a green sweater, a tan dress, off-white, low heel
shoes, and carried a similar colored purse. Her soft brown hair, wound
tightly and tied with a white ribbon, laid still on her right shoulder.
He drank in the scene around him. "Still, it's no match to your cooking," he
said absently.
Kasumi blushed slightly at his comment and was thankful he wasn't looking in
her direction.
He exhaled. "Haven't felt this relaxed in a long time. I wish this moment
could last forever."
'I wish this could last forever, too.'
"But with my luck, something's bound to happen anytime now."
Her daydream broken, Kasumi looked at him. "Oh, Ranma, don't look for the
bad side of everything."
He snorted a little. "Honestly, Kasumi. I can't even remember the last time
I've went somewhere in another girl's company without one of my fiancees
finding us, or having to deal with a jealous rival wanting to kill me because
I've been engaged to someone they like. It's so frustrating having to always
stay on my toes, trying to figure out how to fix things without hurting or
dishonoring everyone else.
"As far as I'm aware of, I have Akane and Ukyou as my legitimate fiancees, no
thanks to oyaji. I'm also linked with Shampoo based on some stupid Amazon
law. Kodachi wants to make me her husband (when Hell freezes over, he
thought).
"I have way too many problems due to these fiancees and this curse. Kunou
continually rants about me being an evil sorcerer who has bewitched Akane and
his 'pigtailed girl,' Ryouga's always picking a fight for some 'injustice'
I've caused Akane, Mousse thinks I've bewitched Shampoo into loving me
instead of him..." He stopped walking and turned to look behind him, letting
his words trail off. "I'm sorry, Kasumi. Didn't mean to drop all that on
you."
"No, Ranma, it's quite all right, actually."
"Really?"
She smiled at him. "Yes, it is. It helps to talk about the things that
bother us the most."
Ranma seemed to consider her words for a moment. "I...I think you may be
right. Feel a little better, you know, just getting all that off my
chest..." He seemed to want to say something, but the words were not coming
for several minutes.
Gently, she touched his shoulder. "Perhaps, we should return home, Ranma."
He blinked at her, then awareness came to him. "Y-yeah, I...guess we
better." Together, they started walking back to the park's entrance. From
there, they would hail a taxi and return to Mariko's home.
Kasumi was walking beside Ranma. 'Perhaps I should just tell
him...perhaps...' A glance towards Ranma told her that he was lost in
thought. 'Perhaps I shouldn't complicate his life any more than it
is...perhaps...'
As she debated with herself, Ranma's hand accidentally brushed hers. Kasumi
went rigid. The rippling sensation from the brief contact left her feeling
very much as she had felt after asking her father's permission to take this
trip; a racing heartbeat, a dryness in her mouth, trouble breathing, a
sensitive bosom, an uncomfortably warm and slick feeling beneath her dress,
and a gaggle of feelings and sensations, the most pronounced ones now being
ecstasy, fulfillment, fear and devotion. She felt very warm and fuzzy and
whole for a brief moment, the loneliness and emptiness she once felt had
vanished...
...Then it returned like unwanted relatives quickly.
'No matter if it's right or wrong, I must...' She cleared her throat, and
wrung her hands in front of her. "Ranma?"
He looked in her direction. "Yes, Kasumi?"
"Well, you see...something has been...bothering me. For some time now."
'The advice sounds so good, when you're not forced to take it yourself, that
is.'
"Oh?"
"Yes." 'So far, so good.'
"Ka-Kasumi...?"
"...I... I... Ranma-" 'Can't be nervous now. I've already started; I must
finish it.' "Well, you see, Ranma, I..."
I have to tell you something-"
MEOW
"...oh my..."
* * * * *
'Man, I could get use to this. No stupid oyaji, no pressure, no rivals, no
fiancee problems...' His gaze slipped up to the eldest Tendo daughter as he
took in the scene around him. Inwardly, he sighed. 'Though I really have no
idea what to do about Kasumi. She's the only one who has ever been so nice
to me since I can remember. Never hits me for some stupid mistake. Always
willing to listen. Such beautiful eyes. A wonderful cook. A kind-Gah!
What was I saying? I don't want another fiancee!'
For the last few days, the conversation he overheard has been weighing on his
mind. For the first time in a long while, he had time to actually think
about lots of things, namely the engagement. In the past, he sometimes felt
that he really wanted the engagement to Akane, no matter how much he would
deny it. She had wanted to be friends when he first arrived at the Tendo
home. Her smile made him feel good, and she was cute whenever she did smile
at him. She was always quick to help him out, even when he didn't want it.
Of course, Akane had her bad points, too. She was violent, always hitting
him with an array of objects (mallets seemed to be her tool of choice, though
he still had no idea where they came from). Sometimes, he conceded that he
deserved an occasional lump for being a little _too_ honest in his speech,
but most of the poundings he had to endure were not his fault. He didn't
have much control over his fiancees, or Kodachi. He certainly didn't control
Akane's inability to put two and two together and figure out that P-Chan, her
pet pig who she takes to bed with her every night whenever she finds him
wandering about, is really the Eternally Lost Boy Ryouga with a Jusenkyou
curse. And he sure didn't have any control over the poison Akane calls her
cooking (the curry she makes was decent, but everything else was unfit for
any kind of consumption). If she only tasted what she made, she would
understand just how awful it was and why he refused to eat it.
'Why exactly do I put up with Akane and her temper to begin with?'
It wasn't the first time he asked himself that question. 'I don't know. I
guess it's because I really needed the friendship after getting cursed...even
if I had to go through hell for it. Nabiki just sees me as a source of
income. Always have, always will. Kasumi, I thought it was because I was
too young for her taste. But now...now...'
He felt her hand lay on his shoulder, and a tingling sensation ran through
his arm and chest. Then her soft, sweet voice began to speak. "Perhaps we
should return home, Ranma."
He blinked. 'K-Kasumi? Being this forward? I-I-I! What do I-!' Panic was
beginning to take hold until he realized where he was. After the panic
quickly subsided, he replied, "Y-yeah, I...guess we better." They began
walking back to the entrance of the park.
'Man, I thought I just said I don't want another fiancee. What's wrong with
you, Ranma? Get yourself together. Don't try to think about it, all right?
That's just it, don't try to think about it. It's probably just a silly
crush anyway....
'Mmm, that's strange. I just feel good about her all of a sudden...ARGH!
Why me?'
He was so preoccupied with his thoughts, he failed to register that his hand
touched Kasumi's when he made to put it into his pocket.
"Ranma?"
He looked in her direction. "Yes, Kasumi?"
"Well, you see...something has been...bothering me. For some time now."
'Uh oh...is this...?' "Oh?"
"Yes."
"Ka-Kasumi...?" His mind was growing blank.
"...I... I... Ranma, I have to tell you something-"
MEOW
* * * * *
Ranma froze. Solid. He didn't see or hear anything other than the nightmare
reenacting itself. Again. Frantically, he looked around, gibbering
"C-c-c-c-ca-ca-cat...! W-w-where...?"
Almost on command, a small, cream-colored kitten rubbed against Kasumi's leg,
purring as if trying to persuade her to take it home and feed it milk and
fish. Had she been a little bit younger or if she was Akane, she might have
obliged it just that. Under any other circumstances, she would have at least
fed it something instead of trying to shoo it away as fast and best as she
could before Ranma reached nekoken stage.
No sooner the cat was out of Ranma's sight, he sped far away from his
fear-given-tangible form. Disbelief written on her face, Kasumi observed the
dust trail he had kicked up in his run. Then her attention returned to the
little kitten.
"Stupid cat," she spoke with quiet venom under her breath. Immediately, she
felt guilty. "I'm sorry, little kitten; I shouldn't be angry with you. It
isn't as if you knew Ranma's an ailurophobic." She looked down the lane
where the dust was settling back to the ground. 'Ranma...'
She walked down the path, hoping that Ranma hadn't went farther than the
entrance of the park...or ran into any more cats. Akane had been the only
one who could coax him without worry when he was in the nekoken mode, and...
Kasumi bit her lower lip. An idea formed, but she hastily put it out of
mind; she was too afraid of getting an answer from Ranma that way. A
no-doubt confirmation may be more than she could bear.
'Sometimes, I wish I wasn't so passive...' she thought morosely as she could
make Ranma's shillouette near the entrance to the park. A cab was coming
into view as well, apparently slowing down to pick her and Ranma up. Kasumi
sighed softly, then picked up her pace.