As her first day back at school wore on, Ranma became increasingly nervous. Turns out Genma’s tutoring left her with a somewhat uneven education, especially where math and science were concerned. Ranma wasn’t sure she’d score well enough to place with the junior class. She only had a few weeks to prepare for the placement exam, and if she didn’t do well enough to be placed with her age group she’d walk into school in April as a first year.

  Now, she didn’t particularly care about her academic progress for its own sake, that wasn’t the issue. The issue was that if she had to start high school over that’d be another year of pretending to be a girl. Almost as bad, Akio would be her upperclassman, and they probably wouldn’t have any classes together.

  N-not that she wanted to hang out with him more than she already did just by living with him, but it was nice to have a friend who knew about her curse, plus if they took the same classes they could work on homework and study together.

  Hopefully the swarm of attention would die down, but in the few classes she had without him she felt compelled to meet expectations of girlhood that she’d never learned or internalized, and she wasn’t sure how often she’d be able to deploy “I never knew my mother and was raised only by my father” as an excuse for her ignorance.

  There was also the matter of the uniform. Akio had changed into his after the brawl, and Ranma left hers in the bag in her locker, just in case, but meeting each new teacher came with a spike of anxiety that they’d tell her to get changed. If only she’d remembered to ask Kodachi about the uniforms earlier. Thinking about that reminded her about how frustrated she was by the situation, however, and she needed to focus on her last class of the day: Home Economics.

  Ranma expected cooking, hell she was excited about cooking, but no: at the end of the year home ec focused on budgeting and other household management topics, which was basically applied math, part of the stuff Ranma and Akio’s wives would handle one day. Ranma wouldn’t be able to pursue romance until after high school, which was a bummer, but at least she'd have inside knowledge about what girls liked in a guy by then.

  Plus she'd be able to help out around the house a little! Knowing she’d be able to lord that over Akio, who apparently couldn’t even cook instant ramen, brought a wide smile to her face. Even better, she'd be able to help Akio find a good future wife! And Katsumi, too, he wasn't dating anyone and probably needed some help talking to girls.

  On the bright side, all of her new friends — Sayuri, Yuka, Hiroko, and Asami — were in home ec with her, and that was as fun as it was loud . More than once Ranma was worried she’d get in trouble, but Sayuri seemed to be the problem student.

  Near the end of class, when even the teacher was exhausted and ready for the day to be over, the girls started softly chatting and Ranma quickly learned that girls were not more proper or chaste than boys.

  “So, Ranma, how’s Akio?” Hiroko sidled up beside her while she tried in vain to complete a practice budget spreadsheet.

  “Uh, he’s okay? Last I checked, anyway. Why? Did something happen?” Ranma looked up quizzically, she’d seen him in Science less than an hour ago. Should she be worried? Hiroko didn’t seem worried.

  Indeed, she was wearing a shit-eating grin and Ranma realized the other girls were leaning in to listen. “Heh, no I mean what’s he like?”

  Ranma still didn’t understand the question, and her confusion was evident. Sayuri and Asami started giggling. “What have you two, you know…done together so far?” Hiroko kept going, clearly enjoying Ranma’s cluelessness.

  “Uhhh…we’ve sparred a few times.” She dropped her pencil and tilted her head. Her friends were looking for the answer to a specific question but wouldn't just say it outright for some reason. “We were gonna show off our family styles this morning in front of the school so we’ve been practicin’ for that?” All four of her friends burst out laughing, earning the group a shush from their teacher.

  “Ranma you’re so…sheltered!” Yuka teased.

  Heat built up behind Ranma’s cheeks as Hiroko finally dropped the pretense and redirected all of Ranma’s blood to her face. “Has he taken you on dates? Gotten you any gifts or flowers? Have you kissed yet? You live at his house, do you sleep in his bed?”

  A pitiful “eep” squeaked out of Ranma’s mouth as she tried to melt through the floor to escape the conversation, and with each question she wished she could just turn into a drill and burrow down to the molten center of the Earth. (Or it was technically solid, heavy metal, according to her Science teacher, but she knew there was lava down there somewhere). Her heartrate skyrocketed due to how hard she wasn’t thinking about Akio carrying her to his bedroom, laying her down in his twin-sized bed, wrapping his broad shoulders around her like a suit of armor, and pulling her into a romantic salvo of soft, warm kisses.

  “N-no, w-w-we haven’t d-d-done anyth-thin-...kissing, no.” The girls giggled again, softer this time, though it was no less embarrassing. Hiroko at least recognized Ranma was uncomfortable and waved her hands to calm the other girls down.

  “Relax Ranma, we’re just teasing,” she said reassuringly. “But a lot of us are jealous; if it wasn’t for Kodachi, and now you, just about every girl in school would have put a letter in his locker.” Despite her embarrassment, for a brief moment Ranma was proud knowing she’d locked down the most dateable boy in school. With her good looks and inimitable skill, it only made sense.

  But that wasn't relevant since she and Akio weren't actually in a relationship. “Well, I just met him on Sunday,” Naoki's advice to keep their relationship boring flashed through her mind. “We didn’t get a lot of time to get to know each other. I picked him ‘cause he’s the only one of his brothers who still practices the Art. My dad and I sleep in the guest room.”

  Every now and then Ranma would say or do something and the way her friends responded told her it was Weird. Apparently sleeping in the same room as your dad was Weird.

  “You don’t have your own room? That sucks!” Sayuri righteously leapt to Ranma’s defense, provoking another shush from the teacher.

  “Yeah! Is that to keep you or Akio from going to each others’ rooms or something? That’s so controlling!” Yuka, quietly but no less indignant, joined Sayuri.

  Waving her arms defensively, Ranma quietly protested the sudden wave of anger directed at her dad. “No! No no, I kinda, uh…insisted on it.” Her conversation with her dad a few nights ago came back to her, and a new surge of guilt from playing the cat card. Coupled with the unintentional shaming from her friends all the confidence in her body leaked away.

  Hiroko tilted her head in confusion. “Why?”

  Ranma couldn’t throw her dad under the bus, she wanted her friends to like Pops, after all. But she also couldn’t say something silly like she was scared, they probably wouldn’t believe that!

  “Well it’s jus’ been the two of us since I was a baby, and we were on the road together for most of it.” She leaned into the mystique that surrounded her and the girls got closer, eager to hear details about the new girl. “I got used to pops bein’ around, yanno? Before I learned how to take care of myself he protected me.”

  Her friends’ expressions softened and she swore Sayuri let out a subtle “Aww…” Hopefully they didn't get the wrong idea or anything, she absolutely could sleep by herself if she had to. But if she didn't have to then why subject herself to it?

  “Still, that must suck not having your own space.” Asami insisted. Ranma didn't like that now her friends were siding with her dad and Mrs. Hana, but she couldn't explain all the reasons they were wrong.

  So she started fidgeting nervously with her pigtail and looked at the desk pensively. What would her new friends buy as an excuse that would be easy for her to remember long-term? That she could be vague about?

  “I've never really needed it,” she began, trusting her improvisational instincts to triumph. “We moved around a lot so I didn't own much. Slept in a tent most of the time.”

  One of the girls gasped and Ranma believed she'd convinced them, but instead it backfired. “Wait…so what's your wardrobe look like?” Sayuri asked.

  “My…wardrobe?” Ranma blinked. “Well you've seen my gi and my favorite tangzhuangs, I've got a few more, a tunic suit, and Naoki helped me pick out a lot of new stuff a couple days ago.”

  “Ooh, what kind of stuff?” Yuka exclaimed, and Ranma was glad to finally get to a topic she didn't have to dance around or be careful about.

  “Couple a’ sukajan, trousers and slacks that ain't as baggy as my normal pants, shirts,” she started rattling off the list, looking forward to showing off some of it tomorrow, and very grateful nobody got on her case about the uniform today. “Mostly plaid button ups and a few T-shirts.”

  None of the girls seemed particularly impressed, especially Asami. “Wow, you're really a tomboy, huh Ranma?”

  Ranma was prepared for this. She knew since she'd be presenting herself as a girl but not changing her behavior that's exactly what she was going to be perceived as. But it stung, albeit not as bad as when Akio said it.

  “Yeah, well, that's just how it's been, yanno?” She shrugged, hoping she could advance to the next topic.

  “Hey, do you wanna go on a shopping trip with us this weekend?” Yuka perked up, eyes trained on Ranma. “You could get some cute things to cheer on Akio at his fight next week!”

  As her eyes widened in fear, the final bell of the day rang and Ranma shot out of the classroom like a racehorse, desperate to escape her friends' well-meaning affection. The last thing she wanted was to be dragged around to pick out dresses and makeup and frilly things and shoes and…and who knows what else girls shopped for. They'd probably want to take her to a salon and get her hair and nails done, too, since they couldn't know how dangerous that would be for Ranma.

  Certainly her time with Mrs. Hana was fun, but trying on that dress proved to her that wearing stuff like that was asking for trouble.

  She ran into Akio and Naoki waiting for her at the gate, ready to get home. The sight of Akio brought her back to the embarrassing gauntlet of questions the other girls subjected her to, and she needed to focus on something else.

  “Oh thank goodness you guys are here,” she breathed a sigh of relief and slumped, much to the Tendos’ confusion as they started walking home. “The girls started talkin’ ‘bout shoppin’ for girly stuff.”

  Naoki nodded grimly while Akio had the gall to chuckle at Ranma’ predicament. Between the doting on him she'd done to keep up appearances and her conversation with her friends, she didn't care for his flippant attitude. More and more it was clear their arrangement was entirely good for him at Ranma's expense, especially considering it hadn't even kept boys from bothering her.

  “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up big guy,” she grumbled. “Yanno they'd make me drag you along to carry bags and pay for stuff.” A mischievous grin split her face open and she stood up straight. “In fact, maybe I do deserve a treat for everything I've been doing for the engagement.”

  If she expected to fluster him, her plan backfired as he turned it around on her. “Well you know how important it is for a girl to model new clothes for her boyfriend,” grinning and looking her up and down. “I think that'd be worth a few weeks’ allowance to buy you a few dresses.”

  Ranma and Naoki froze as he laughed at his own joke, which caused Ranma to blush and pout and Naoki to glower. “Th-that’s not funny, jerk!” How dare he make light of her predicament? How dare he pretend he was interested in Ranma like that? She was still reeling from how her friends talked to her and he was just making things more confusing and frustrating!

  Naoki came to her aid, and even though she hadn’t asked for his help she was grateful for it all the same. “Seriously Akio, what the hell?” Brotherly disapproval dripped from his words like venom and stung Akio, whose smile vanished as sweat gathered on his forehead. Then he put an arm over Ranma’s shoulders. Instead of the way Akio enveloped her and pulled her close, Naoki left space between them, and his touch was reassuring and peaceful. “You wouldn’t enjoy being dragged around being forced to wear girly stuff either.”

  As Akio hung his head, an infuriating thought crossed Ranma’s mind: did Akio forget she was actually a boy? Had her performance been so convincing that even he got confused? Or was he just that stupid? “Yeah, you remember I’m a guy, right?” She marched up to him to force him to look at her, thunder rolling from her in waves. “The last thing I wanna do is dress up all cute, especially not for an enormous idiot like you!”

  “Come on guys, don't—” Naoki realized they were about to start fighting again and tried to intervene, but he was too late. Akio’s sheepish expression flipped and fury blazed from his form.

  He straightened his back and loomed over Ranma, making sure to look straight down his nose at the diminutive temporary girl. “I’m the idiot? Who’s the one who decided to pretend to be a girl and get fake engaged to his only friend?” He crossed his arms and leaned down to rub in the height difference between them. “And now that you’re the school’s biggest tomboy you’re complaining that girls want to get to know you? You’re not just stupid, you don’t know how good you have it!”

  “Okay, you guys have this big fight in the middle of the street, I’m gonna head home…” Naoki shook his head and walked away without having to confirm he was being ignored. The last place he wanted to be was at ground zero for their next knuckle-dragging brawl.

  “How good I have it?” The piercing shrill of her own voice rang in her ears, but she could ignore the pain. “You went from being the school weirdo to being engaged to the hottest girl around, to the guy every girl wants to date, and whose fiancée makes him lunch and fawns over him in public.” She was getting ready to punch his stupid mouth, but it was such a relief to get all this out of her system. “Meanwhile I’m constantly asked stuff I don’t know how to answer, look like an idiot every time I say somethin’ weird, I still gotta put up with other dudes’ attention, and to top it off you only try when it gets in my way!”

  Silence surrounded them in the wake of Ranma’s tirade, though their faces were practically touching. Fortunately, nobody was around to notice them or their point-blank shouting match. They were so close that Ranma couldn’t see Akio’s lips quiver, and she was so angry that she didn’t notice the quiet voice urging her to get even closer or how her stomach had tied itself in knots.

  He leaned back just a bit and stopped looking directly at her eyes, instead glancing down slightly. “You just froze when he showed up, I had to do something.”He said plaintively. Obviously he realized he’d screwed up, and that was something, but it was too late to help her now. Especially since now she could properly appreciate those shoulders she’d been trying not to think of for the past thirty minutes.

  “Did your stupid shoulders eat your brain or something? I was gonna tell him to leave me alone.” To her surprise, Akio flinched at her words, and his retort, while venomous, lacked energy.

  “Yeah well you sure seemed like you liked those flowers, tomboy, better make sure your curse isn't eating your brain.” He started walking away, unaware of the enormity of what he’d just said.

  Not a second had passed since Ranma fell into the spring that she wasn’t worried about the curse. The guide told them about all sorts of mind-altering springs, and while he promised the Spring of Drowned Girl wasn’t one of those, just knowing that was a possibility filled Ranma with dread. Especially since she knew the curse could alter her mood and senses, maybe it could alter subtler things, like making Ranma consider being attracted to boys, like a girl would be.

  Worse, what if it affected other people too? Ranma was surprised that so many girls wanted to hang out with her and get to know her at school; was the curse firing some sort of signal that drew girls to her? That could also affect boys, maybe that’s why Akio got confused! The curse made it so that she couldn’t help but be seen as not just a girl, but girly .

  As confusingly giddy as the idea made her, Ranma refused to let anyone think of her like that. Him like that. School was over, he could be a boy again. He could be a boy again!

  That realization overwrote everything else and he flung himself toward the Tendo dojo.

  The Kuno estate loomed large over the surrounding homes, a reminder to all of the wealth and power of the family that dwelled within. Kodachi never considered it a home, that honor belonged to the comparatively frugal Tendo household, back when she and her brother were as close to Naoki and Akio as each other.

  It was where she ate, rested, and plotted, however, and she strode in with noble purpose as the servants welcomed her. “Lady Kodachi, welcome home,” a black-clad woman appeared at her side and walked with her. “Shall I draw a bath, or would you prefer to eat?”

  “Neither, is my brother home yet?” Kuno was on a mission, and would not be deterred. She and Tatewaki weren’t close, but they respected each other. Or should respect each other, at least. In addition to Ranma’s request, she had stern words prepared for her brother regarding his usurpation of the students at her school.

  “Yes milady, he arrived moments before you. He’s in the east wing training room.” The woman bowed and kept pace with Kuno.

  “Thank you, Yura, you are dismissed.”

  She opened the door to her brother’s Western-styled private gym, lined with antique suits of armor, helmets, and swords. If it weren’t for the undeniably Japanese architecture, one would assume it was a back room in a European museum.

  Tatewaki was still getting changed into his workout gear, doubtless removing his school’s audaciously impractical dress uniform had taken up most of his time. As a courteous guest, Kuno waited for him to acknowledge her presence, which he did only after tightening his weighted wrist bands.

  “Sister, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He picked up an épée from the tray of practice dueling swords held by his personal servant, Sasuke, and began lunging drills.

  “As a favor to Saotome-san, I promised to request that you withdraw your challenge against Akio Tendo.” Direct and to the point, no pleasantries. He’d refuse and she’d have done what she promised.

  “Then you shall let her know that unfortunately I cannot and will not honor her request, but that my love for her burns bright.” Once he’d reached the far wall he thrust his sword over a dozen times into the mounted, padded target, then turned and began advancing in the other direction.

  “Will you indulge my curiosity, brother? Why the interest in Saotome-san? Surely you don’t envy me my new apprentice?” Even if that was the case, he’d have to deny it, else that would count as interference in her business.

  “In truth I have little desire to conquer or possess Miss Saotome. While elegant and graceful in combat, she lacks the polish of nobility that I desire in a companion. To teach her such nobility would be far too grueling a project that I have not the patience for. I’m not a Chardin .” A servant in fencing garb interrupted Tatewaki in the middle of the floor, and the two clashed for a moment before the younger Kuno scored a hit against the servant’s face mask, then resumed his advance.

  If Tatewaki didn’t care about Ranma, then his motivation must have something to do with Akio. As far as Kuno was aware, the two of them weren’t on bad terms, and Tatewaki only stopped speaking with the latter because of her falling out.

  “So why challenge Akio at all then?”

  Her brother stopped, stood, pondered his response as he sipped the water bottle Sasuke brought him. “Revenge, dear sister.” His voice was soft, but when she looked into his eyes she saw a burning blaze.

  That, of course, only confused her further. She couldn’t think of any reason for her little brother to harbor such feelings for Akio. Was he like her friend Naoki, attracted to members of his own sex, and jealous of Saotome?

  “What could you possibly seek revenge against Tendo-san for? I believed the two of you to be fast friends.”

  “Ah, if it’s not clear then I’ll let you puzzle it out yourself.” He grinned and winked. “But fret not: once I’ve beaten Akio and broken his engagement you’ll be free to pursue him once again. Perhaps once he tastes the bitterness of loss he’ll finally appreciate your sweetness.”

  Tatewaki’s uncanny ability to find the most unsettling way to phrase something succeeded and made Kuno shudder. “Well, I’ll leave you to your drills. Please don’t take it personally if I attend your duel on the side of the defender.”

  “Not at all, dear sister.” Tatewaki politely waited for her to leave before he picked up his blade again.

  Akio stepped into the genkan and tossed off their shoes, and heard two voices from the kitchen welcome him home. Somehow Ranma beat him home and changed back into a boy by the sound of it.

  Despite the heavenly smells filling the air, Akio had no desire to talk to Ranma right now. As close as the boys had gotten in such a short time, Ranma somehow zeroed in on Akio’s biggest insecurity. He shambled up to his room to focus on schoolwork until Mr. Saotome got home, where hopefully he could get the older man to help him prepare for his duel.

  Of course, Mr. Saotome might wonder why he didn’t ask Ranma. The last thing Akio wanted to deal with today was explaining the stupid fake engagement to either of their parents, not to mention how embarrassed he’d feel admitting it was to another boy.

  It was a little shameful, thinking like that. Naoki was gay, so Akio knew there wasn’t anything wrong with it. So why did the idea scare Akio so much? Was he a hypocrite or did he secretly think his brother was lesser?

  No, that wasn’t it. Naoki came out years ago and had time to thicken his skin against the insults and bullying, but Akio was only two years away from graduating and was just now getting a taste of normal high school life. Of course it would be a problem if Akio was gay: he’d have to adjust to a whole new social dynamic and by the time he did, school would be over.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  So he couldn’t be gay, at least not right now. Maybe after he graduated he’d consider it, but that was an issue for later, after he and Ranma got through their stupid arrangement.

  Except, the way Ranma was acting, he kind of wanted to forfeit. His pride would sting but he was so mad at Ranma. No amount of cooking could fix the hurt and betrayal his new so-called friend subjected him to.

  Granted, he likely didn't know Akio was embarrassed by his shoulders. They'd practically exploded over the last year and a half and with the amount of muscle he put on them they were wider even than Katsumi's. The rest of his body refused to bulk up, leaving him feeling awkward and top heavy.

  And of course Ranma'd done it with a cute girl's voice. That was insult added to…well more insult. Akio knew girls were intimidated or put off by his weird body shape, Ranma's pointed insult confirmed that.

  With a frustrated sigh he scowled at the empty page of homework. Half an hour since he got home and nothing to show for it. He'd just have to forget about Ranma and Tatewaki for a bit and focus—

  An unfamiliar, heavy knock thudded against his bedroom door and Mr. Saotome's bassy voice rumbled through it. “Hello Akio, may I come in?”

  Akio was surprised. Did Ranma tell his dad something about their fight? Did he say Akio had been mean to him? “Uh, sure Mr. Saotome.” He beckoned the elder Saotome, still in scrubs, into his room.

  Fortunately, he didn't seem angry or upset. If anything he seemed as confused as Akio. Briefly, the Tendo boy blushed in embarrassment as Mr. Saotome’s gaze stopped at his small collection of plushies, but they just seemed to make him smile.

  “Ranma told me you might need help getting ready for a duel next Saturday. I'm more than happy to pass some of the Saotome School secrets down to Soun’s children.” Exuberance radiated from his wide grin, filling Akio with a newfound determination.

  “Oh! That'd be awesome, yeah!” Akio leapt to his feet, homework forgotten behind him. “I've got a duel with Tatewaki Kuno. He used to be one of my best friends but, uh…” Oh he couldn't tell Ranma's dad that the two were in a fake engagement and Akio answered a challenge for Ranma’s hand. “I guess he wants to be my rival now that Kodachi's not after me anymore.”

  Genma accepted that answer and clapped Akio on the shoulder. “Excellent! I'll get changed and see you in the dojo.”

  As he ran off, Akio knew he needed to talk to Ranma. They needed to come up with a plan to address how they were gonna talk to the parents.

  …Actually, he'd talk to Naoki. His brother would tell Ranma whatever they discussed, that way Akio wouldn't have to talk to his “fiancée”. He quickly threw on his gi and silently stepped into Naoki’s room without knocking, closing the door behind him just loudly enough to get his brother's attention.

  “What's up, bro?” Naoki didn't even look up from his work, unbothered by his younger brother's sudden and unexpected entrance.

  “I don't have a lot of time,” Akio whispered from inches away from Naoki's ear. “We need to figure out what we're gonna tell Mom and Mr. Saotome about the engagement.”

  Akio blushed as Naoki rolled his eyes. “Baby brother, we don't need to tell them anything.” He went back to his work. “What are they gonna do about it anyway?”

  Frowning, Akio grabbed his brother’s shoulder and spun his chair around, provoking a sarcastic glare. “They’re gonna find out sooner or later, don’t you think they’d appreciate being told?”

  “I’m sure they would, but it’s only the first day and you’re already freaking out?” Naoki crossed his arms and legs and somehow managed to look down at Akio while literally looking up at Akio. How was he so good at that?

  Glancing at the clock, Akio winced: he didn’t want Mr. Saotome to suspect anything. “We’re not done talking about this.” Akio warned Naoki before he hurried to the dojo.

  Dinner was tense. Hana knew something was up as soon as Ranma got home before her sons, and he'd been uncharacteristically quiet during dinner prep. When she asked him how his first day went, his answers were terse and vague. “Fine.” “Good.”

  It was the strongest evidence yet that he was, in fact, a teenage boy.

  The only piece of actual information she got was that home ec was boring since he wanted to cook, not learn how to balance a checkbook. She couldn't really argue with that.

  Then Akio and Naoki came home and Ranma got even colder, even quieter, and her sons never came into the kitchen. They must have had a fight. That wasn't too surprising, maybe after dinner they'd work it out with their fists like the first few nights and everything would go back to normal.

  Dinner was chilly thanks to their tension, however. As a good host and mother, she needed to lighten the mood somehow. “Akio, how was your day?” Hana hoped she'd get more out of her son than Genma’s.

  “Fine.” He shrugged.

  Ugh, now they were both doing it. She looked at Genma, and he met her gaze. They both rolled their eyes.

  “Did you have any classes with Ranma?” She'd force the two to acknowledge each other, even though Naoki was flashing warning eyes at her.

  “Yeah, a couple. Homeroom, math, history, P.E.” He glared at Ranma, who did his best to ignore Akio.

  “Well, now that Kodachi's not bothering you,” Naoki's eyes went wide as he glared, silently begging her to stop, not that she noticed. “Any girls make a move on you yet?”

  Naoki facepalmed, Akio blushed, and Ranma chuckled. “Oh yeah Akio, any girls ya got your eyes on?” Ranma leaned forward and put his chin in his hand. “Any ‘really cute’ girls make you lunch or anything lately?”

  So it was girl trouble. Hana figured something like this might happen. So many girls’ parents reached out to her over the past year asking if she could get a message to Akio without Kodachi finding out. It never worked out for them.

  “Oooh, do you have an admirer, Akio?” Hana was excited, relieved that she could shift the fantasies about grandchildren away from Ranma.

  Without breaking eye contact with Ranma, Akio practically threw down his chopsticks and leaned forward as well. “Oh yeah, she called me handsome, did a lot of nice stuff for me. But she's also stubborn, selfish, and an ungrateful tomboy so I doubt it'll work out.”

  Hana's middle son lowered his forehead until it hit the table with a soft thunk. “Oh gods they're going at it again…” he mumbled.

  She didn't notice Naoki, so excited she was that Akio was getting attention from people and not immediately turning them down. “Well you should give her a chance. You never know where things might go or if you have more in common.” Hana tried to pull Akio’s attention back to her and away from Ranma. Her youngest didn't need to let his romantic rival distract him.

  “Nah, she deserves better than Akio,” Ranma spat back and the two slowly started standing, their faces getting closer and closer. “He makes everything about him, gets in the way of her fights, and even gets into one-on-one duels where she's the prize without consulting her.”

  Definitely jealousy. Hana felt a little sympathy for Ranma but she'd warned him this sort of thing could happen. Naoki said there were plenty of girls who'd probably be very attracted to Ranma, he shouldn't be pining for Akio’s potential girlfriend.

  “A martial artist?” Genma sounded impressed. “Good job, boy. Between Miss Kuno and this girl Furinkan must be a great place to practice the Art.”

  Something Mr. Saotome said made the gears start turning in Hana's head, “martial artist” specifically. She didn't know of any other serious martial artists. Not unless…

  “Your school has another martial artist girl and we didn’t know her already? Is she new?” For the sake of their nascent friendship, Hana refused to consider that possibility. She scrutinized her youngest and Ranma’s faces closely, praying she wouldn’t see a connection.

  Akio’s eyes went wide, he looked around the table, and then started waving his hands in a panicked defense. “N-no! I mean, yeah! She’s…very new.” Ranma kept smirking at him, savoring how awkward Akio had suddenly become. Naoki had given up and was just silently finishing up his meal while Katsumi sat perfectly still with a confused look on his face.

  If there was something going on between Akio and Ranma, they weren’t gonna give it up that easily. Out of the corner of her eye, she met Genma’s gaze and the two nodded. Whatever their sons were hiding, they’d get to the bottom of it.

  “What’s her name?” Determination blazed within Hana; she would learn the true identity of Akio’s admirer.

  “R…rrrr…” Now focusing exclusively on Akio, she could only see Ranma cock an eyebrow as he leaned back and crossed his arms. It was Genma’s responsibility to watch his own son. “Ri…ka…?” Akio couldn’t even form the words without it sounding like a question. But he wasn’t even finished. Hana had to quietly stare him down for almost a minute before prompting him to continue, using her most polite, dainty voice.

  “What’s her family name, sweetie?” Eyes shining innocently, curiously. She was just a mother trying to get a simple answer out of her boy, nothing nefarious or paranoid about that!

  Beads of sweat raced down Akio’s cheeks, and he gulped. “...S...Tsu…noda? She’s…she’s a second year. Her birthday was in…January.”

  Naoki coughed, which snapped Hana’s attention away from Akio. His middle brother rolled his eyes and casually rested his chin on his wrist. “It’s Rei ka Tsuno ka , brother. You really do need me to do everything for you, don’t you?”

  That name sounded familiar to Hana. Tsunoka…”Oh, her parents run that café near the art museum, right?” Naoki nodded, unable to speak while he slurped the last dregs of his soup. Meanwhile, Ranma was clearly deriving too much fun from Akio’s discomfort and grinning like an imp.

  While Hana considered her next play, Genma took over. “What about you Ranma, did you meet anyone?” He stroked his chin, implacable face rebuffing Ranma’s attempts to read his intentions.

  The boy looked between Akio and Naoki, which raised Hana’s hackles again, but instead he sighed and lowered his head. “No, I actually had a really bad day.” Hana tilted her head. Was he trying to change the subject?

  “Some of it was nice, all my new friends are in home ec — not as fun as I thought it’d be, by the way — but…” His face slumped to the table and he laced his fingers into his hair. Everyone else leaned in, curious what could be causing him so much distress. “I’m way behind in class, pops!” Hana blinked and the boy was crouched on the table, shaking Genma in distress. “I’m gonna do bad on that stupid placement test and have to come back as a first year in April!”

  Akio snickered and Ranma glared at him, but Katsumi, quiet until now, spoke up. “What subjects?” He wondered aloud in a calm but stentorian voice. “And please get off the table.”

  Ranma flinched but did as he was asked. “Math and science, ‘n the math stuff in home ec…”

  Katsumi nodded. “I'll tutor you. When's the exam?” He didn’t deliver his question like a question, he delivered it like a prompt, expecting an immediate response.

  Ranma answered without thinking. “March 29, so in 16 days.”

  “Plenty of time, assuming you were doing acceptably in those subjects during junior high.” His glasses flickered as he pushed them up his nose. “I’ll help you through your homework and study material for an hour a day after dinner, and for three hours on Sunday 15.” Ranma and Genma both stared at Katsumi like he’d grown a second head, and Hana grinned at their astonishment. Neither had seen Katsumi like this before: confident and demanding. It frustrated her that he couldn’t express himself like that more often, he’d probably have a steady girlfriend by now.

  After that little outburst, Hana didn’t want to delve into the boys’ romantic issues at the table. So dinner moved on to less dramatically volatile topics such as upcoming festivals, her family’s plans for the school break, Naoki’s latest gossip, and the like. She was delighted that Mr. Saotome was able to contribute as he shared some of the stories he heard in Dr. Tofu’s waiting room.

  Despite the fuss when dinner started, it felt like family dinners used to, before her husband passed.

  In the morning, Ranma woke up early to go on a jog. He didn’t want to spar with his dad after the previous night. Their private conversation wasn’t horrible or anything, but it was unpleasant. Pops told him to talk to the teachers about how he could better prepare for the placement exam, ask around about other tutors beyond Katsumi, that sort of thing.

  Ranma couldn’t dwell on the discussion, however, preoccupied as he was with pops insisting on moving to his own room. When he brought that up, any negotiation was shut down instantly. “You’ve got to focus on your studies, not just for the next two weeks. You need a private space for that.”

  As he quickly got dressed in the dark, careful not to make enough noise to bother his dad, his traitorous brain acknowledged that, if he had his own room, it would be nice not to have to worry about waking anybody in the middle of the night. He wondered if Naoki would let him sleep on the floor if he got too nervous.

  When he quietly stepped into the hallway he ran into Akio exiting his room, also ready for a run in his t-shirt and shorts. Ranma smiled, missing that Akio was tired and jumpy. “Hey! Wanna go for a jog together?”

  Akio nervously hesitated before answering. “Uhh…no I don’t jog on Saturdays, I…do strength training in the dojo.” He scratched the back of his neck. Ranma’s excitement was tempered somewhat but he waved a hand dismissively.

  “Oh, cool! I’m in a joggin’ mood so maybe next time, yeah?” He gave a quick two-finger salute before he buzzed down the stairs and out the front door. When he got back he needed to figure out what Akio’s schedule was like, it’d be nice to have a regular running partner.

  Almost an hour later, when he returned to the smell of breakfast, he excitedly slid into the living room to his place across from Akio. “Itadakimasu!” he exclaimed to Mrs. Hana as he split his chopsticks and started filling his bowl.

  Suddenly Akio started shoveling natto and rice into his mouth and rocketed up. “Oh! Akio, how was your workout?” he tried to ask before the other boy was gone, but he shouted back over his shoulder.

  “It was fine!”

  That was oddly terse for Akio, but Ranma shrugged and started eating, savoring his food after the run.

  Ranma finally noticed Akio was acting strange when he went to take a bath. He peeled off his sweaty running clothes and stepped into the inner bath where Akio was showering. “Oh! Sorry, hah.” He sheepishly stepped in and set down his bath supply basket. “Shoulda knocked, though you’re still beating me two-to-one there.” Over his self-satisfied giggling, he didn’t notice that Akio didn’t chuckle or respond in any way beyond lightly tensing up. “Hey, you want me to scrub your back when I get in the furo?” Ranma offered.

  “Uhh…no, I’ve actually got to…get to school early today and talk to my…science teacher,” he spat between rivulets of water. Ranma tilted his head but nodded. That was one of the few classes they didn’t have together, so he didn’t know exactly what Akio’s relationship with that teacher was, but it was plausible. “So I’m not gonna use the furo this morning.” And he gestured at the full tub, steaming and full of crystal clear water. “All yours.” He quickly scooped up his full basket and towel and exited the room.

  It didn’t feel good, realizing Akio was avoiding him. Ranma kind of understood why, he got very upset about Tatewaki yesterday, but he didn’t want to lose his newest friend over it. Since he hadn’t slept much he had plenty of time to think about how he’d handled the duel and Akio’s behavior confirmed it. Well, he wasn’t gonna bother with the furo either since he was just gonna use the shower to turn back into a girl anyway. That way he’d be able to catch up with Akio.

  It took even less time to get dressed, since he had the foresight to set out his clothes last night. He had a bright red sukajan with a tiger on the back, which he thought was good branding with his whole “Fierce Tigress” moniker. Under that he wore a black, sleeveless turtleneck. It was a little tight and emphasized his boobs and curves, but he'd be wearing the jacket most of the day anyway and it still looked good in his guy form.

  His slacks were high waisted and straight cut. If they had been the proper size they would have made his hips pop and look weird with his boxers, but Naoki got him a size higher than they should have been, which had the added effect of making it easier to move, and if he accidentally turned back he wouldn’t rip them. His shoes were the same boy-sized martial arts sandals he'd been wearing, since they didn't make time to grab anything new.

  Unsurprisingly, neither Tendo boy was waiting for her as she sprinted out the front gate, but running at full speed she caught up to them before they'd even gotten halfway to school.

  “Akio!” Ranma cried out as soon as she saw the tall boy. He flinched when he heard her, which twisted her stomach out of guilt; she must have really upset him. Both brothers turned and regarded her darkly.

  “Hey! I, um…” Ranma skidded to a halt in front of the Tendos and froze, not because she was tired or out of breath, but because she hadn't figured out what she was going to say. She shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot, suddenly at a loss for words, and of course they glared at her impatiently.

  “Y-you, uhh, I-I’m…” Why was this so difficult? She logically knew she had to apologize, knew that she'd been the one to act irrationally. Was it pride? Something else? What if he was still mad, or didn’t forgive her? She hated the idea of Akio giving up on their relation…on their friendship so soon. If she wanted him — to stay friends! — she had to man up and apologize. Which she was going to do…

  She was gonna do it, for real.

  Akio scoffed and turned back around. “Whatever it is I don't have time, Ranma, I have to get to school.” Ranma blinked and tightened her fists as he walked away. That was fine, she was fine with that! She opened her mouth to yell at him, but Naoki held up a hand and wagged his finger back and forth and shook his head.

  Just apologize . He slowly spelled out with his lips without any sound coming through, and Ranma hung her head. She was trying, it was harder than it looked! Of course…was it really that important? He’d probably get over it in a few days, maybe she could do something for him tomorrow on Sunday, like cook chicken curry!

  Yeah, yeah she’d just let him wear himself out, like in a fight. She didn’t need to leave herself vulnerable by doing something as girly as apologizing. Shaking her head, she watched him walk away until Naoki stepped right in front of her, and jabbed a finger in her forehead. A torrent of anger surged through her but before she could punish him for his impertinence he cut her off with a hiss.

  “Look, I get why you’re upset, normally I’d be on your side about this kind of thing,” Ranma braced herself for whatever his point could be, but made sure to keep an open mind: Naoki- sensei hadn’t led her astray yet. “But he was just trying to help and you threw it back in his face in the meanest way possible.” He wasn’t trying to be quiet, but spoke softly enough Akio wouldn’t hear.

  Ranma understood though, she just didn’t need or want his help. She wasn’t a little girl! She wasn’t Akio’s girlfriend or fiancée, not for real! She didn’t want to feel his strong arms wrap around her when she felt bad or lonely, and she definitely didn’t have a dream last night where he came into the guest room and wrapped her up when her dad was gone.

  “If nothing else, listen to this,” Naoki switched to a different tactic, one that bypassed all of the feelings Ranma was not feeling. “While you’ve got his mind all twisted and frustrated he’s not gonna be in top form, got it? If he’s not in top form, he’ll lose to Tatewaki.” He leaned down, emphasizing his point while their noses were millimeters apart. “You may not have to honor the challenge, but you’ll have to put up with Tatewaki’s affections. He’s just as bad as Kodachi, if not worse. Plus every other punk boy who thinks you’re free game is gonna come after you.”

  For a very, very short time she considered that a good thing. Infinite fights? Getting to fight a horde every day before school like Akio did? Why would she hate that?

  None of those boys would be Akio…

  …

  …Because Kodachi would go right back to bothering him, of course! Suddenly her heart was pounding for some reason, accompanied by a sense of nausea. She couldn’t let that happen, not after winning Akio’s hand from her in the first place. Which wasn’t her goal but it was a happy — or at least useful — side-effect.

  Ranma just had to swallow her pride and say two words. Just two, and maybe answer any questions he had as a follow-up. She could do that.

  Groaning in frustration, she rushed to get in front of Akio, threw her hands out to the side like a goalie, and practically shouted right in his face. “I'm tryin’ to apologize ya jerk!”

  His eyes went wide and he stepped back in surprise, but he didn’t seem impressed by her attempt. “Oh yeah? What for?” He slung his bag over his shoulder and put a hand on his hip, looking down his nose at her. She fumed, but wouldn’t let his attitude get to her.

  “Look I shouldn't have yelled at you about Tatewaki! An’...an’ I ‘preciate that you, yanno…” A bright red blush lit up her cheeks and she started fidgeting with her pigtail as she trailed off into a mumble.

  “Actually I don't know Ranma, what do you appreciate?” A mischievous snicker escaped his lips, and her heart fluttered when she heard his cheeky tone. Naoki failed to contain a snort of laughter in response to his brother’s teasing, and Ranma took a quick peek at Akio’s face through her bangs. On anyone else his grin might seem petty and arrogant, but on him it looked self-assured and playful. Her cheeks burned as she looked away again.

  “I…I…appreciate th-that, you, uhhh…” Gods, she just wanted to punch his vainglorious, cocky, pretty face. She didn't like to be played with.

  He just grinned harder as she glared at him and stepped forward, doubling her embarrassment because now she had to tilt her head up just to look him in the eye. “Sorry, still not getting it.” His voice would be cruel if it wasn't so playful, and she pouted.

  “Thanks for stickin’ up for me, you stupid, tall, muscular jerk!” She finally spat out, crossing her arms in a fruitless attempt to seem intimidating and defiant, which just made him laugh .

  It wasn't a condescending or mocking laugh, but a genuine, sincere sound that cracked Naoki and Ranma’s faces into grins. “So we friends or rivals again?” She wished she'd done this as a boy to lessen the impact of Akio’s height, she felt so small compared to him and his brother.

  “Sure thing.” He waved his hand coolly and casually, but immediately resumed walking without further comment. Ranma hopped up on the nearest fence and followed quietly. Despite what he said, Akio still seemed preoccupied and distant, making Ranma think something else was going on, but she'd figure that out later without risking the tenuous progress she’d made.

  Ranma’s apology helped a little, but he didn’t apologize for the right thing. Akio was irritated by Ranma’s reaction to the duel but it wasn’t a huge deal, he understood why Ranma would be upset. The closer they got to school the more he tried to shrink himself, collapsing his shoulders, slumping forward, keeping his face as neutral and inoffensive as he could.

  He couldn’t keep that up once they passed through the front gate though, as Ranma came up beside him and threaded their fingers together. Before he could adjust to that, Ranma leaned against Akio’s arm and somehow matched his gait perfectly to Akio’s. His face turned beet red and he snapped to attention in surprised panic.

  Everybody else assumed he was doing it for perverted reasons however, as he heard more than a few giggles erupt out of some of the girls watching them. Even Ranma let out a couple chuckles’ worth of laughter, and responded by wrapping both his arms around Akio’s forearm. That just made it worse as he felt the softer parts of her- his body press up against him. He couldn’t throw him off without arousing suspicion, so he had to put up with it until they got to class.

  Was she intentionally making him feel awkward? Was this some sort of guilt trip? Was this a misguided attempt at cheering him up? It was probably simpler than all that: she was just acting to maintain the lie she’d got them both stuck in.

  Except Ranma and Naoki were cut from the same cloth: they were deceivers. They carefully considered every word and action to best manipulate the people around them. Ranma had to know, somehow, that Akio had trouble staying mad at girls, so Ranma would act extra girly and confuse Akio’s poor brain which was already having trouble figuring out how to handle Ranma.

  Especially Ranma, since she was gorgeous. He was self-aware enough to understand that the prettier a girl was the stupider he seemed to get around them, unless they were crazy or obsessive like Kodachi. Or at least how Kodachi used to be. But even Kodachi didn’t compare to Ranma, especially with her tan and muscles.

  So he put on the best smile he could muster, knowing that Ranma was just using him out of convenience, and they separated long enough to deposit their shoes. His traitorous, foolish body questioned why what it thought was a pretty girl pressed up against it was gone even for a moment, but he willed the shivers and shudders away before any embarrassing, autonomic bodily processes could occur.

  He didn’t need to bother, however, as an avalanche of envelopes poured out of his locker, colorful paper piling at his feet. As he stared, unsure what to do, he became aware that Ranma had come back and was standing next to him, gawking at the obvious pile of love letters.

  Flashbacks of Kodachi’s jealous wrath whenever a new letter made its way into his locker danced through his mind, and he couldn't help but step away from Ranma out of instinct, just in case. When he actually looked at his face, however, Ranma was grinning, holding back laughter.

  Ranma gave Akio an excited look and held up two similar looking letters, albeit with less flourish or color than the mountain around Akio's feet.

  “Love letters! I never got these in junior high,” Akio made sure not to point out that since he went to an all boys school letters probably weren't very common. “And today I get two and you get, like, 200! We've got to read these later.”

  Akio thought she was about to twirl and head to class without him, but she helped quickly stuff everything back in his locker so they could go together. While he appreciated the help, the fact that she wrapped his arm up again before opening the door told him it was just to keep up appearances, especially after they found all the letters.

  First period hadn't even started and he was already tired of being toyed with.

  For the rest of the half day Ranma was mercifully less attentive than he’d been that morning. Mostly that was due to his friends asking dozens of questions about his outfit. Akio felt a hint of Schadenfreude seeing Ranma sputter and blush when they brought up going to the mall.

  She turned to him for help, silently mouthing “Help me!” He remembered how he'd flustered her yesterday, and figured he'd have a little fun at her expense.

  “Ranma you know I'll take you to the mall,” he began with a vicious grin. Ranma's pleading expression morphed to betrayal and confusion as he continued. “You girls would probably appreciate a big guy like me around to hold your bags.” Hiroko and Asami nodded excitedly. “Plus a few weeks of allowance is worth buying you some cute dresses, I know you don't have any.” Now Ranma was angry, so angry Akio worried he'd pushed things too far and Ranma would retaliate violently.

  Until her friends spoke up, that is. “Tendo-san! That's so sweet of you!” Hiroko exclaimed. Akio felt a pang of guilt that the girls mistook his jab at Ranma for a nice gesture. “We could all do lunch too, get to know you guys better?” Her cheerful suggestion mollified Ranma, and the red in her face faded.

  “Aww gee Hiroko, that's awful nice a’ ya ta suggest,” Ranma drawled, giving Akio an ostensibly pouty face that he knew masked irritation, “but I still ain't got any allowance, father's only had a job for a few days ‘n all.”

  Akio knew what Ranma was hinting at, and he couldn't let either of the other girls say it first. “Don't worry Ranma, I've got you covered.” He couldn't stop there, though, he had to reassure his fiancée that he was a good, reliable guy who could pay for her to have a good time…

  That is, he knew it made Ranma uncomfortable and the way she pouted when she couldn't do anything about his teasing was cute.

  No! He meant that they needed to keep up appearances and that meant Akio had to be proactive and go above and beyond to sell everyone on how close they were already. So he leaned over, put a gentle hand on Ranma's shoulder, and gave him a big smile.

  “You won't have to worry about anything while you've got me.” His words were soft but firm, spoken with a conviction he didn't know he was capable of expressing. Maybe it really was his year to play Romeo.

  Hiroko and Asami squealed, which drew stares from their other classmates, but Akio was looking into Ranma’s eyes as they widened while her pupils shrank. He saw a tiny gasp slide out from her lips and her cheeks turn bright red as her mouth tried to form a smile.

  For a moment, he felt good, he'd clearly excited his girlfriend and impressed her friends. Then he remembered that she wasn't even a girl, and he was just pretending to be smitten. It bothered Akio how easy it was for Ranma when it was so difficult for him.

  “Th-thanks Akio…” he mumbled as crocodile tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

  Finally the bell rang and their final class of the day began. The time passed in awkward silence until Akio detected motion from Ranma’s seat. He was taking off his sukajan and…and…

  None of the things Akio hated about his own shoulders could be seen on Ranma’s. The sleeveless turtleneck she wore highlighted them, so even though he'd (accidentally) seen her naked they were never the focus , and from the angle and cut of her top he could clearly see her back muscles when she slouched forward to take notes.

  Whereas his shoulders were ungainly and wide, hers were lithe and graceful. Each movement was deliberate and measured, even the tiny twitches that accompanied the scribbling of her pencil.

  Time stopped for him as he stared, everything else completely forgotten. Her arms weren't any less covered than they were by the sleeveless tangzhuang she wore yesterday, why was he so enraptured by them today?

  Sculpted. That was the perfect description for her flawlessly smooth form. He needed to run his hands over her, savor the feeling of each curve under his fingers. Occasionally, when they were both in the furo, he'd grip Ranma's shoulder or arm while scrubbing his back, and despite it being impossible he couldn't help but imagine how she would feel, slick with hot, soapy water, pressed up against him, as he wrapped his arms around—

  “Mr. Tendo!” The teacher yelled. Akio jumped as he was ripped out of his lurid fantasy, prompting a chorus of giggling from his classmates. “I'm sorry if I've interrupted naptime, but you're needed in the hall with two buckets of water.”

  Walking gingerly so as not to call attention to his pants, he mumbled his apologies and spent the next few minutes just trying to get his heart rate to calm down. Even though thinking about her is what got him into this situation, all he could think was how embarrassing it was for Ranma to catch him staring, drooling according to the dampness on his chin, face probably as red as her favorite shirt.

  And Ranma was a straight guy, so far as Akio was aware, he knew what Akio was thinking, he was probably grossed out, and Akio wouldn't be surprised if he didn't want anything more to do with him, maybe even cancel their false engagement.

  Akio wouldn't blame him.

  By some miracle, however, Ranma strolled around the corner coming toward class, humming without a care in the world. A single eyebrow went up with a mischievous grin when she saw him. “What'd you do, boy scout?”

  How out of it was Akio that he hadn't even noticed her get up and leave the classroom? Keeping his cool, he played it cool. “Got bored, dozed off. Ready for the weekend.”

  Ranma nodded and casually leaned back against Akio’s stomach, looking straight up to maintain eye contact. This wasn't part of a bit, nobody else was in the hallway, so Akio was immediately confused. “Ugh, I know. Can you believe I was excited to come back to school? I miss the wilds of China already.”

  Something was wrong with this situation. “Where were you?” Akio wondered aloud, and Ranma snorted a single chuckle.

  “Bathroom, where else do you go in the middle of class?” He answered matter-of-factly.

  “Do you use—!” Calm, not too loud, Ranma was probably doing something wrong but he couldn't shout right outside class. “You're not going in the girls’, right?”

  Ranma glowered and used his elbows to push himself away from Akio, making him wheeze in sudden pain. “Of course I am, jerk, I'm not gonna go into the boys’ like this.” He jabbed an accusatory finger in Akio's face. “I'm just there to use the restroom. And it's not as glamorous as you think it is in there anyway, pervert.”

  And with that, Akio was once again alone in the hall, save for two full buckets and a bruised ego.

  All day Ranma had tried to be nice to Akio, just for the taller boy to throw everything back in her face. The worst part was that Ranma knew it was her fault, at least a little bit. Maybe Naoki knew why his younger brother was still upset.

  She didn't want to ask while the three of them walked home though, so it was a tense, awkward journey despite the pleasant spring weather. Naoki didn't comment on it at least, though he did occasionally glance from Ranma, balancing on fences whenever available, and Akio with an eyebrow raised.

  “We're home!” The middle Tendo son called out as they piled into the genkan.

  “In the living room!” Called Mrs. Hana, in a cheerful but commanding fashion. Ranma felt a cold shiver down her spine, and felt a burst of dread, but the sensation passed and she shrugged it off.

  Pops was home, and the two of them were playing shogi. It was nice, Ranma realized, watching his dad just hang out with his friend. Once he changed back into his guy form, he planned on doing just that.

  “How was school today?” Mrs. Hana asked, not specifying which boy she was asking. Something set off that sense of danger again, and the hairs on the back of Ranma’s neck stood up. He scanned the room with all his senses as Naoki spoke first.

  “A welcome reprieve after the drama of the week,” he said with exaggerated exasperation. “I only had five people ask me about Ranma today. By the end of next week I'm hoping it'll just be one or two a day.” His glare contained the barest hint of a grin, reassuring Ranma he wasn't serious.

  Unlike whatever had him on edge. The midday shadows seemed darker, more twisted, he couldn't pinpoint the source of dread ki. Akio was saying something, but Ranma had stopped listening and was wholly focused elsewhere. Was he the only one who noticed?

  “Pops, do you feel…that…?” Pops wasn't cheating. As soon as the boys came in not a single piece moved on the board, and Genma was focused on them , not the game. Worse, he was scrutinizing Ranma and Akio particularly closely. As soon as Ranma called it out, the parents looked at each other.

  Dread gave way to an icy chill. Even the Tendo boys could feel something was wrong. Ranma knew only one thing could make them act like this, and without realizing it he moved closer to Akio.

  “So,” Mrs. Hana began with unnerving calm. “When’s the wedding?”