Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Winds of Change ❯ A Kiss ( Chapter 8 )

Winds of Change

AN: This chapter turned out rather short, but even after much deliberation I find it perfect as it is.

Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Ranma ½ in any way I just like to play around in the sandpit created by Takahashi Sensei. I don’t make any money by writing this so keep your lawyers at bay!

Chapter 8: A kiss

The small café was bustling with patrons, bursting at the seams. Tables full. People coming and going. Talking, lounging, relaxing after a long day. The smell of roasted beans and some sort of freshener was thick in the air. Ranma sat at his table. Fidgetting. Nervous. The note he found in his shoe locker, still on his mind. The one from Akane. The one that invited him here. On a date.

His eyes were on a flower the one resting on the table in front of him. The florist had called it a ‘gardenia’. It was a rather pretty flower with snow-white blossoms that had a silky feel to them. The message they carried: “You are beautiful.' That message. It was perfect. And it was no rose. A definite benefit. The Kuno siblings and their obsession had spoiled that piece of flora for both him and Akane a long time ago. He sighed willing himself to calm down. No luck.

He glanced around. The place was nice enough. Comfortable furniture and a decoration that had a homey feeling to it. Despite this, he wished he could run for it. Usually, he was pretty outgoing, but this situation... It was way, way, way out of his comfort zone. He knew what to do in a fight. Here, now, he felt lost. Especially what had happened during the day. The fight that was not to be. What he had been called.

A loser.

It weighed heavily on his conscience even when he knew it really shouldn't. That single insult struck him more than he could have imagined. It cut into his pride like nothing else.

He was Ranma Saotome. Arguably the best martial artist of his generation. He was respected by his classmates, some even feared him. He was always in the thick of it when there was trouble. He was always there to protect the people around him. He was ready to take on people much stronger, experienced than himself and he always found a way out. Unless that is if it came to his numerous fiancés. If they entered the equation. Whenever that came to be he was stumped. Unable to react as necessary. Lost. Exposed. Unable to do anything about the situation.

Did that make him a loser? He was not sure. What he knew was that he didn’t want to hurt any of them. He respected… most of the girls vying for him. They were energetic, attractive. There was a certain raven-haired Kuno he’d love to be rid of. But for the rest? They were beautiful, capable girls. He did not want to lose them or their friendship. Even if they put him in bad situations he always ended up gritting his teeth. Unable to hurt the others by choosing one.

The waitress rushed across the floor carrying plates stacked full of hot brews, cakes, biscuits. She was smiling. Dodging tables and patrons alike. Moving with the grace of a feline in its natural habitat, agile, beautiful.

Ranma envied her. The girl was in her element. He wasn't.

There was a soft rattling sound. It was accompanied by the chime e of a bell. Another guest had arrived. Ranma turned and saw who he had been waiting for. Akane was at the entrance. The waiting was over. His heart sped up. It was time for the hard part. The actual date. He felt the spike of adrenalin in his system, coursing in his veins. There was another chime as the girl closed the door. She was glancing around in the spacious room, searching. Nervously, almost mechanically Ranma lifted a hand to win her attention. To his surprise, she smiled broadly upon noticing him. A shiver ran through him as she approached. This was it. His first real date.

Outside in the street, a rather peculiar sight managed to gain the attention of some of the locals. Two plants. Potted shrubs. They were moving. Walking on legs. There were whispers. Parents with their children made sure to keep their offspring away from the phenomenon. The plants came to a halt in front of the cafe's window where they settled down.

The leaves of the strange examples of vegetation rustled. Two heads popped out. One out of each brush. A pair of brunette girls. One with a ponytail, the other with loose hair. "I told you it's gonna work!" whispered one of them removing her, sunglasses.

"Don't you think this is a bit over the top Yuka?" asked the other. "The trenchcoat, I can understand, but sunglasses and the costumes... It's a bit over the top! No?"

"We can't draw attention to us. They can't know we have set them up!" replied the first girl.

"You call this not drawing attention?" asked the pony-tailed girl, perplexed, as she turned to the crowd staring at them.

Inside Akane had slipped out of her coat and was in the process of untangling her scarf. Ranma stood, waiting, unsure at what he should be doing in such a situation. He held the flower up to her, his hand felt unnaturally heavy. He managed to keep his limb from shaking too bad. Somehow.

The girl stopped. Gazed at the offering and smiled. It was a soft, warm smile. One that allowed the boy to relax ever so slightly. Assured that he did not mess up. She reached to accept the gift. Ranma felt relief. As she took the delicate flower from his hold their hands met by accident. The moment of skin upon skin contact. It had a sensual feeling to it. Ranma felt it, his cheeks heated up. His eyes were on the girl in front of him. She probed the flower. Sampling its scent, closing her eyes.

At that moment. She looked so, so cute. She looked at him. Smiling. He felt his heart race faster. He stood still. His body, refusing to move. This girl in front of him. She was so different from the tomboyish Akane he had come to know.

She draped her coat across the back of her chair and sank onto her seat. Ranma followed her example, relieved that his weight was finally off of his trembling feet. He stared at her feeling lost, both by her beauty and his inability to figure out what to say or do. What were people supposed to do on dates? He had no idea. They were both here. They were both seated. Now what? The way she sat across him, silent, obviously also nervous. It made it clear that she too was at a loss at what to do. "This dating thing. It's not as easy as the movies make it look," he concluded.

Just as panic was starting to set in, the couple was ambushed by the waitress. Both felt relief as she started to pester them about their orders and how cute they looked together.

Just outside the observers were silent. Everything was running smoothly. The mood. The atmosphere. The situation. Everything was perfect. There was no way the two within the café would not walk away from this date as a couple. Their ploy was going to be a success.

The two matchmakers made sure that there will be no interruptions. Ukyo's shop was swamped with customers at this hour. A few friends asked made double sure of that. The Cat Café just received a series of orders that would keep the Amazonian warrior doubling as a delivery girl on the other side of town for at least an hour.

The Kuno estate received mail during the afternoon. A challenge for a duel. It was in the name of a non-existent Kendo master. A challenge that led the older sibling on a wild-goose chase all the way to Kyoto. There was also an invitation to one of the best beauty salons in the area. The lengthy description and detailed praise of Kodachi’s beauty and skill ensured that the girl would 'grace' the establishment with her presence. Yuka knew well she would owe the salon more than one favour after this one.

The last problem, the Russian fiancé, she did not prove to be of the crazy kind. Yet. The two girls didn't want to risk things. A sudden last-minute order ensured that the lumberjack girl was all too occupied and would not go exploring in the city. It was lucky that one in Sayuri’s extensive network of friends was in the need of a wooden sculpture.

The girls made a thorough job. With this the most prominent troublemakers out of the picture. Things looked promising. In theory.

"I can't believe you organised all of this under a few hours," remarked Sayuri leaning close to the window. There was no response. She glanced at her friend for a moment, slightly concerned. She shook her head to clear the thoughts before directing her attention back to the couple inside. There was no way.

Within the establishment, Ranma gazed enviously at Akane’s order. The delicious-looking cake with generous amount of whipped cream. He sighed and grabbed his serving of coffee. He would have preferred a cake, but men were not supposed to eat such fluffy things. At least in his book. He took a sip of the drink and grimaced at the bitter taste. He was left wondering. Unable to understand what people liked about the black concoction. Once more he gazed at Akane wishing he could have also ordered what she had.

The girl sliced a piece off of her treat. To his surprise, she held it out for Ranma to have it. “Come on! Try it!” she offered. He hesitated. “I know you want it!” she insisted with a smile. Within moments his resolve was broken. No matter how much he denied the fact, he was a hopeless sweet tooth at heart and she knew it.

With some hesitation he leaned forwards and took the bite-sized piece from the fork, enjoying the texture, its taste. Akane shook her head at the sight. She cut another slice for herself and popped it into her mouth. Only then did it occur to her that the two of them had just shared a rather intimate form of an indirect kiss.

“Is it good?” she asked with a blush, banishing the thought.

He found himself nodding. “It really is!” he stated happily. "Too bad that it is meant for girls."

Akane stopped mid-cut of another slice of her treat. "Who told you that crap?” she asked, surprised. She continued, slicing another piece, holding it up for Ranma to have.

“My pop!” Ranma responded almost immediately. “And mom!” he added turning away from the treat in an effort to resist the temptation.

Akane almost slapped herself. With those two as role models, it was a minor miracle that the boy she was engaged to didn't turn out to be a complete disaster. "What the hell are you talking about? Cake is not something only for girls! Look around! There are a lot of guys who like to eat sweets. It doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with them."

Ranma seemed unsure. Years and years of being told something and then going against that. It was not easy.

For once he followed his fiancé's advice. He carefully scanned to room around him. He was surprised to see other men enjoying their sugary treats. There was even one particular male. An epitome of masculine. A man in his forties, a thick beard, his upper body, bulging with muscles. His head, leaning back, eyes closed, obviously relishing in the taste of a cake that was of the same make as Akane’s.

The sight utterly broke Ranma’s resolve. His head lunged forward, mouth snapping the tasty morsel from the end of Akane’s fork. The girl could only chuckle at the display as he chewed on the sweet with a smile. "There you go!" she thought to herself. "Destroying one stupid misconception at a time!" This dating thing was something she could get really used to.

Something suddenly came to the girl. An idea. A crazy one. She observed the fork in her hand. Then Ranma's lips and back again. Technically they've already shared two kisses that night without actually kissing each other. She remembered the time when she and her groom wanted to try it. Kissing.

She glanced around the café sheepishly. Searching for cameras and relatives. “Say, Ranma." she began. "You remember when we wanted to know what a kiss was like?” His cheeks reddened.

Hikaru Gosunkugi stealthily approached the building of the café. Smoke grenade in hand. He was determined to put an end to the farce. Akane's date. He had to if he wanted to have any chance with the girl. Challenging Ranma, a one-on-one fight, was out of the question. The result would have been terribly one-sided and obvious. He was not good at anything physical, neither was he the bravest of people. In short, he was a coward. An utter and complete coward. Yet he hoped and prayed that one day the girl of his dreams would notice him. If he didn't act now, he knew he would lose even that small margin of hope.

He reached the entrance of the café where the so-called date was supposed to take place. He saw her. Akane. She seemed to have a good time. She was laughing and smiling. Enjoying the time she was spending with that ruffian Saotome. What the girl saw in the man he did not understand. Ranma was crude, impolite. He had kept her in the dark about his feelings while there were others openly declaring their love. What did the girl like about Ranma? Why she would willingly go on a date with such a person? The boy couldn’t phantom.

The pin of the grenade was icy to the touch. He grabbed it. He was sure this would put things back on track. He glanced in through the window. Akane held out a piece of cake to Ranma who snatched it from the end of her fork. She was smiling as he munched on the dessert. She laughed at an unheard remark. Gosunkugi tightened his grip on the ring. He had to put an end to this before things got out of hand. Before Ranma defiled the angel within.

The angry boy willed himself to pull the safety. At least that was what he wanted to. He couldn’t. He wanted to cause a scene. To disrupt the date. He knew he would possibly get arrested in the process. To him, it would be worth it. All to maintain the sliver of hope he had harboured within. That she might one day notice him. However, he couldn’t do it. He couldn't pull it. Not because of his lack of physical prowess. It was because of the love he felt within. He couldn't ruin her happiness. With a long sigh, he gave up. If the girl of his dreams chose someone else... who was he to stand in the way.

"Hey, you!" came a powerful voice. It was angry, threatening. It was female. He glanced in its direction. There he saw one of Akane’s friends. Sayuri. The girl was glaring at him. Displeasure obvious. "Just what the hell do you think you are doing?" she yelled.

"N...nothing!" he stammered.

"Yeah, right!" snapped the girl. "And I'm a monkey's uncle!"

"I... I...."

"That thing!" Sayuri barked pointing at the smoke grenade. "Drop it!" she ordered.

Gosunkugi complied without hesitation. The container clattered harmlessly on the ground. "I would never hurt Akane!" he stammered appalled at the mere concept of the idea.

"You better not!" barked the girl.

He nodded. "I won't..." he replied, his voice failing him. "I would never..." he added going silent. Staring at the ground. Defeated. Miserable.

The pitiful display left the girl speechless. She saw the tears that were sure to be shed as soon as he found a secluded spot. Her heart went out to this poor fellow. He was not a bad person. Just... his lack of strength both mental and physical. Extraordinarily so. He was a complete and utter pushover with barely any form of drive.

"Hey, Gosunkugi!" she called out feeling sorry for him. "You know well that you don't even have a chance!?" she half asked, half stated. "Not with a girl of Akane’s calibre."

He nodded. First teardrops starting to fall.

"Here’s a little tip! Make use of it and I'm sure you'll find somebody!" she said leaning closer to the sickly boy. "There's no woman who would find you attractive the way you are. I'm going to be blunt about it for your sake. You are weak, you are a coward, you are a pushover, heck you are a creep!" Each sentence she spoke made the boy flinch, but he listened. The girl pressed on.

"Do something about your state!" she said, her voice ringing strong. "Go out into the world! Grow some balls! Get a spine! It will take time, but if you really work on yourself... I'm sure you'll find somebody. Most of us girls want a silent, powerful tiger on our side! A man that makes us respect him and gives us the same respect in return! You catch my drift? Be that man at least a little bit and I’m sure there will be someone for you!" She leaned forward, and as if to wish him good luck, she placed a chaste kiss, merely a peck on his cheek.

The boy stared at her. Seconds passed. She was starting to worry that the message had sailed past him. Or even worse. That he misunderstood her actions. His eyes. They seemed vacant, empty. Just as she was about to reach out to check there was a sudden change. His pupils. They widened as if coming to life. They became focused. His expression. It was different all of a sudden. It became firm.

His fist shot up into the air. "Yes! I'll do it!" he called out his voice uncharacteristically strong. Even powerful. "I'm tired of being a bitch!" screamed the boy. Then he raced off. Sayuri stared at the dust he had left behind. She couldn’t believe the profound effect her words had on him. She also felt strangely satisfied. With any luck, she may have made an actual impact on the boy.

She turned back to her colleague in crime and her face fell. Yuka. The girl who was behind and orchestrated the date that was going on within. She was staring into the café. One palm resting against the glass window. Eyes wishful. Tears running down her face. Sobbing silently.

Within the establishment. Ranma and Akane were in the middle of what could be best described as an innocent-looking kiss. Unaware of the drama unfolding outside.

“Oh, my Lord!” whispered Sayuri in dead shock. “Yuka! Don’t tell me that you...”