It was a normal day in Nerima. What ever nonsense that wrecking crew got into was centered at the school, as usual. Though unfortunately, Ringo had a job to do there. He had to get this brand new sword stored away.
"Hup two three four, HUP!" he jogged through the chaos so casually, over a flock of spatulas in a small hop, under a few chains with a slight bow, a wild Kuno flung past, skipped around a few girls beating on an old man, the harmful harem chased the pigtailed boy. What ever life that Ranma got himself into, was all a life he was glad to be out of. No random fights, or strange deathmatches with his enemies -if he had any-.
Shishi Hokodan!
The ball of energy whizzed past, crashing through walls and buildings in the distance. The explosions in the courtyard increased like a storm.
"Aaaaugh!!"
"Kyaaaaa!!"
"Heeeelp!"
It's... raining... students? luckily they seem to be prepared, as if it happens often enough. But one of these students seemed to fly past the safety nets with a scream louder than most.
"Reminder, don't take jobs at the school-" *aaahhh* "-huh?" the faintes scream only got louder.
"aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!" It was a shriek like no other
*Plop*
*Skid*
Whatever Ringo caught had a lot of momentum behind it, so he spun to dissipate the energy. Though he went way faster than expected, he managed to stop spinning.
Yukue peeks from between her hands before preforming a sweeping motion with her arms "S-Safe!"
"How are you?" Ringo stared forward, blankly.
"Oh I'm fine." She stared at the sky till Ringo's head loomed over, With a "Really now?" look to his face.
"when did you get so tall?" She squinted her eyes like they were out of focus.
"Just now. catching a person can do strange things, huh?" he shook her slightly.
"Catch?" Her eyes finally looked around at her "net in shining armor" "Wha-?!"
*pow* She punched him in the cheek.
Pushing her fist back with his face, he raises an eyebrow. "Ow-"
*Bam* She kicked the side of his head.
Exhaling, he, without hesitation, drops his damsel and let her fall to her back.
she fell with a dust kicking thud "Ow... You know its a reflex!" She rubbed her butt "That hurt..."
"You hit me twice, so it doesn't matter." he crossed his arms but slightly winced at the pain.
Yukue sat up "It is a Re, Flex! I can't help it." She growled, before trying to compose herself.
"I should've dropped you sooner." Ringo leaned down so his words would hit sooner.
*Pak* Ringo catches a jab. It had commendable, purposeful force.
"Reflex?"
"Yea..." She stood up and patted her uniform down.
"Kiai!!" she unleashed another punch that struck the wind and prepared a stance. "I challenge you!"
"I don't have time for this.." He jangled the neatly wrapped sword in front of him "I have a job to get to."
"What? You would rather do something you hate then fight me?" She got a bit more aggravated by the thought.
"You do high kicks too much." He points at her uniform as he walks by.
Yukue was left to put the pieces together. She would've gone to school, if i didn't get torn down...And her shop isn't going to open anytime soon, she was off today.
out in the shopping district, "It really is kinda nice" Ringo was walking slowly, enjoying the scenery quietly (He saw Yukue looking at the sky and tried it). The Idle chatter of friend groups around him and paired footsteps sounded nice, but he would've preferred silence, and lack of that lingering feeling in his head.
The sudden flame on his hair silenced the area, replacing it with murmurs. Ringo snapped around and began approaching the street light behind him "Yukue? is it normal to stalk people?" he peeked around the pole but she wasn't there to his surprise "Maybe I'm becoming delusional. . . Nah." The pole above him began creaking before springing back in place.
Ringo was hunched over because Yukue has landed on his back, but not for long. *oof* Ringo dropped her on her back quicker than before "What the heck! cant you put someone down gently?"
"Reflex."
Yukue narrowed her eyes skeptically and sighed deeply. Standing up she spread her arms "Is this outfit good enough to fight me in?" She managed to borrow someone's all white gi, save for the black belt.
"Well?" Her eyes were closed with what ever confidence she could muster even if she tried her best to hide it with that professional tone of hers. Sadly, Ringo had already walked off to his shop.
She hastily chased "As my rival, you and I fight. did i do something wrong?"
"Rivalry is more than fighting. and your declaration wasn't official."
"How? You accepted it."
Ringo snapped his finger "I did didn't I."
"How did you forget! you melted my ice cream as you left. Two, days ago."
"We don't do do much rival stuff, You were working all day yesterday and I'm working now."
She pointed in an exposing and reprimanding way "Well you usually slack off. Even when you work..."
"When you put it like that..."
"So fight me!" she raised her arms.
"What's got you all amped up?" Ringo pushed her arms down.
"The other martial artists were fighting so vigorously, and I don't have work today."
"Oh so you'll be bored without-"
"RINGO KONOTORI!" A hastened voice called, "Sorry to interrupt your work but i require that sword now!" Kuno was already in the process of taking out a heap of cash "Thank you for holding this safely. Fare well!" He was cursing Ranma's name while jogging back to the battle.
There was an confused silence that was broken by yukue. "Well?"
"Yea sure... after i eat." His eyes locked on to a small restaurant with an alluring smell to it.
"Really. Are you just avoiding me?" She followed closely behind, fist on her hips in that nagging way.
"If you are that bored you can challenge me in an eating competition." He sat down at the stool in front of the kitchen.
"I'm paying for my own meal." Yukue sat next to him "You have plenty of money anyway" she pouted
"Oh yea. such a shame. Well, it was fun while it lasted, but now I have no excuse."
"What do you mean by that?"
"...Oh! you want me to pay for you?"
"Exactly"
"You are terrible you know." She chuckled slightly before noticing Ringo whisper something to the owner.
"What are you doing?"
"Surprise."
"What do you mean, surprise?"
A shadow loomed over the two. "Our battle is about to start."
To massive bowls of rice fall down with heavy thuds "Rice eating competition?" Yukue almost scoffed at the simplicity of this, "battle".
"There's more" Ringo and The old man chuckle knowingly as the old man put on his face shield and walked to the back. There was a loud rustling and an assumedly thick glass clinking on some other things on the way out. The old man walked out with a, radiant looking vial filled to the brim with a black liquid that stained the walls of the glass with a vibrant yellow.
"Stand back kiddos!" He attached the vial to a six foot pole before he poured it into the rice. *Fwoosh* It sizzled on the way to the bottom of the bowl, staining the grains of rice with an ominous presence.
"Is that Healthy?!"
The old man spoke in unison "No." a single word that sent a shudder down Yukue's gut, and a flinch in her tongue.
The way that sizzling seeped from between the rice made it seem like the rice was screaming. That black death stained the peak of the rice mountain like some ricey image of Yin and yang "Y-you go first Ringo..." She chuckled nervously.
"Very well" He playfully shrugged, "here i go.." He made sure to slowly scoop the rice and inch it to his mouth. Yukue passed nervous glances at her bowl, and his spoonful "No techniques!" she hastily closed his mouth as soon as the spoon entered his mouth. He was wide eyed for a moment mostly because yukue did that but his eyes narrowed as slyly as the grin on his face that held the spoon in his mouth.
He considered putting on an act of pain but he wanted to inspire her. He chewed joyfully and swallowed all the same like it was plain rice "Delicious." He was chuckling along with his flame "Your turn."
She jolted, considering yielding "If he handled it... So can I..." She shuddered before working up her mind "He did it no problem! I can! I, CAN! DO IT!-" She... could not. Yukue sat on her stool, passed out, face flat on the counter. Ringo had filled up on half of the rice and just sat there chuckling at Yukue's demise.
He patted her back "Come on... you can do it! just Thirteen thousand nine hundred and ninety nine grains left. Here." He held a small scoop of rice in front of her "Come on." he had that motherly tone as he force fed the rice to her in a obvious but sly act of revenge, Holding that kind smile Kasumi or Nodoka usually had.
The moment the rice touched her mouth she gave out. All the fight in her body just vanished in a slump. "Think i went to far?" he turned to the shop keeper
"Just a bit." He lifted the rice bowls with a grunt "Now take your missus somewhere she can sleep" he joked
"Too soon to assume that." the flame on his head flickered
"Woah woah, no need to get feisty. I was just joking." he chuckled nervously.
Ringo tossed Yukue over his shoulder as he was halfway out the door, relenting with a sigh. "Have a nice day sir."
"You too kid." The man silently chuckled "Oh-and. Come by any time! You are the only other person who can taste my spices!" He shouted through the door.
"Sure I will."
Ringo continued to look up at the sky. The clouds and warm looking sun, long past noon. But say it were the fragrance she had, or the weight she put on his shoulder, He couldn't help but glance at her. That brown hair of hers, so simple yet, so nice. "This is weird..." he thought, but quieter thoughts chained. "What's weird? The thoughts? Or the feeling?"
"Hey Ring-oh... am i interrupting something?" Thankfully Ranma -in girl form- interrupted his thoughts.
"Nothing important. What is it?"
"I cant find- sorry why are you carrying her?"
"She couldn't do it"
"What? That doesn't matter." *Ahem* "I need the extra hidden "outfit." " she was so cautious with her words.
"Oh the bridal-"
"Shut up!"
"Fine, lets go."
"What about her?"
"She lives nearby. And I'm not bringing her home unconscious."
-At the shop-
Ringo stopped at the counter "Pull on the hanging light in the closet, its in the third cubby to the right." He dropped Yukue like she was some bag -stomach first-. Shortly after, he kicked a bucket underneath Yukue's face and shortly after she began puking. Ranma peeked around the doorway with a small tiara on her head "Is she... going to be-"
*Hurl*
"Its for the best."
*Gak-Cough-Hurg*
"For the best..." he whispered, trying to stop himself from gagging.
Ranma was halfway out of the shop, in a full bridal gown, till Ringo called her "You do seem to wear a lot of girlish outfits. Are you a certified cross-"
"NO!" she stormed off, heels clacking in frustration.
"They definitely are."
The last splatter hit the bucket. Yukue weakly managed to say. "Where am I...?"
"In my shop. Can you stand?"
"Totally..." She could barely slide off the counter, let alone stand. which garnered an audible sigh from Ringo. "I...I got it!" She mumbled but fell as soon as there was enough space to fall.
He lifted her up and supported her by her arm "Your home or your shop?"
"H-home"
The moment they tried to walk forward Yukue fell over. "Does your stomach still hurt?"
"...Yea?" *oop* she was suddenly lifted in some- cradle carry as she so effectively convinced herself it was. She would tell him to put her down, but not only can she not walk on her own, but he would probably drop her again, which would hurt.
"You better pay for the next meal."
"What?... Why?"
"I've carried you four times now, technically three."
"Fine..."
"But since you mustered the courage to eat that rice, I'll accept your next challenge."
"Very well" She sunk deeper to hide her excitement. It had been so long since she found someone who would fight her that wasn't the, always busy wrecking crew. But the sudden warmth on her cheek caught her attention.
"Were walking into your home, do you think its necessary to snuggle into my chest? I mean, I don't want any rumors being passed around a whole apartment"
Yukue wished she had Ringo's feather and she was still too weak to punch him. The best she could do was jerk her arm violently when they reached the door. "Since this is a bit embarrassing for me. Which room is yours."
"room number six, its on the right side of the second floor." The tiny apartment only had six rooms, the sixth being the furthest.
Ringo hastily opened the door. The room was filled with customers and Yukue's family, Rush hour. But it seems the rush stopped when they walked in, any discussion was replaced with hushed gasps. Yukue hid in her shirt While Ringo walked up the stairs quickly
"I should've turned into a stork" he thought regretfully "No one questions a stork!" the flame on his head flickered wildly. He dropped Yukue on her bed and stormed out. But no matter how fast he walked the stares he felt made it agonizingly slow "N-n-i-c....d-a...y" The feather was working overtime, to the point of restricting him from talking properly.
"You felt that heat in the air hon? Hon? Hon....HONEY!" she roared
"WHAT!?!"
"Did you not feel the heat in the air? DUMBASS!!"
"Ah it brings me back...WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A DUMBASS!?"
"Mom, dad, the jar is over there but first, we gotta check on yukue!"
-Inside the safest place the apartment had-
Rumbling wormed its way to the outside of her door. Knocking was a luxury in this house, so was gently opening the door. Luckily she had one, knocking... the door down "YUKUE! was that your lover?" her father called out thoughtlessly.
"Wh-"
"HOW FAR HAVE YOU GOTTEN?!-" the loudest parent -her mother- questioned.
"What?" she blushed slightly
"Is that Ringo?" Omoide brought the peace to the commotion
"Yes?"
"Who is he to you?"
"My rival."
"Nothing... More?"
Her face flushed red "HELL-" she covered her mouth to hush her self "No! we met three days ago!"
"Well you stood outside the door for a bit, he took you to his shop... You waited for year-"
"I did not! It is nothing more than a normal, rivalry."
"The dinner dates too..?"
"Eating competitions!" the thought of which, made her stomach gag.
"Did he poison you daughter?" the father cut in.
"No, she's love sick!" The mother chimed.
"I had spicy rice!" Yukue shouted through the stomach pains. That explained everything. except when "You were snuggling into Ringo's shirt" One of the tenants called out which made everyone look her way.
-Outside the room-
"All of you! GET OUT!" everyone was sent flying into the next room with a shove from a red hand, that slammed the door harshly. The desk in Yukue's room scraped against the floor blocking the door off.
-Outside of the apartment-
On the streets, A man in a black suit, had long, dark green hair and held a bouquet of flowers in his hands. "My love, I have found someone who can help find you. His name is Kincho Mebuki. We shall be reunited! My dear Shido!"