Author's Notes: This version of Changed Overnight has been revised… thrice (yes, people, it's reached its third revision because of the spelling and grammatical errors I've missed during the second). If you don't like dramatic and mushy dialogue exchanges, then this one's not for you. Otherwise, enjoy. (",)
Disclaimer: Not mine, not yours, but hers. I know.
Changed Overnight
Chapter One: You Get What You Want
He woke up and slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in the comfort of a very beautiful girl's breasts, in her loving presence. He blushed, trying to remember how he ended up in this girl's room. Did something happen between the two of them?
He looked again and discovered the sad truth. He was a little black piglet, and the only way he found himself beside this girl is because she found him cute and decided to keep him as a pet.
I like to look at her when she sleeps.
I never know how it happens, but my eyes just turn to her whenever she's there. When I sleep beside her on her bed, I always wake up before her, and I never know how that happens, either. I rise early and the morning sleepiness goes away when I listen to her soft breathing and feel her tender breasts rise and fall beside me.
Then I find myself staring at her splendor. She's the most beautiful of Kami-sama's creations. He must have spent a little – no, a lot more time in making her. Those lips so pink, her little nose that looks so cute especially when she's confused because it scrunches up, her ebony eyes that sparkle so divinely that they seem dimly blue or magically brown, at present covered by her eyelids with long, gorgeous lashes – nobody else is as wonderful as her.
Sometimes I can't help thinking what would happen if she finds out I am Ryouga. And it scares me, giving me a reason why I couldn't tell her the truth. To discover that her pet piglet is actually human, and that she's been letting it sleep beside her and see her naked almost everyday could be very unbelievable at first, then it becomes a source of anger.
I don't want her to hate me.
I wish I could be in this same situation someday as a human being! When Akane wakes up, she'd say "Ohayou, Ryouga-kun," instead of "Ohayou, P-chan." She'd kiss me softly not on my snout but on my human lips. I want her to know me as Ryouga, the person who loves her so much that he's willing to risk his life for her, and not her piglet P-chan who is just a pet, an animal. But some wishes may not come true, and I'm afraid my wish is one of them.
This morning is no different from any other mornings I've awakened to find myself in the presence of an angel. Seeing her so calmly asleep and feeling her heavenly breasts on my tiny little body used to make everything peaceful. But suddenly staring at her doesn't seem enough for this feeling that's growing bigger and bigger in my chest. So I go near her and give her sweet lips a little kiss, and prepare to say something to her.
Of course I know she wouldn't understand what I'd be saying, because all that would come out from my mouth is a little "Bwee." But somehow, whenever I'm a piglet, she understands the sounds that I make. Sometimes we even have conversations and her words just make me feel tingly all over, that this curse seems to become a blessing.
I snuggle close, blushing, to whisper to her ear a secret.
"I love you."
Maybe someday I'd say those very words to her when she's awake, and she'll understand me.
Akane blinked and saw the rays of the morning sun peeking through her window. She smiled as the little black figure resting on her chest looked at her groggily.
"Ohayou, P-chan," she greeted the piglet. "Did you sleep well?"
"Bwee."
Akane kissed P-chan and went out of her room to take a bath. She went back twenty minutes later, wet and bare except for a white towel that covered her body. P-chan quickly turned away, his face tomato red.
I am never taking advantage of Akane being naked just because I'm her pet!
After dressing up for school, Akane carried P-chan in her arms, proceeding to breakfast.
"Ohayou, Akane," greeted Kasumi, the eldest of the Tendo sisters.
"Ohayou," Akane answered cheerfully.
By the breakfast table she saw her father Soun reading the newspaper, her uncle Genma and his son Ranma chowing down their breakfast, grandfather Happosai, and her two older sisters, Nabiki and Kasumi. She got her own bowl and started eating the delicious noodles Kasumi had cooked. She took time in occasionally feeding P-chan some noodle strands using her own chopsticks.
"You're feeding him from your own bowl!"
Akane threw Ranma a dirty look. "That's very observant of you, but it's none of your business. At least he's not a FREELOADER."
"Baka," he muttered. "Just wait 'til you get rabis…"
P-chan smiled contentedly after slurping another noodle.
When Ranma and Akane went home after school, nobody was in the house. There was a note posted on the fridge, though, informing them that Kasumi had gone to buy food and Mr. Saotome and Mr. Tendo went out with Happosai. Nabiki was probably doing business with some vulnerable people in the streets of Nerima.
"Well, it looks like we're the only ones at home, Ranma," Akane sighed. "Want to eat something?"
"Oh yeah, I'm starving. What's in the fridge?"
"Well, I was thinking of cooking."
"Aheheh…" Ranma laughed rather awkwardly. "No thanks, I ain't hungry after all. N-not… stomach… die…" he mumbled incoherently, quickly sliding out of the kitchen.
I'm not really feeling suicidal right now, Akane, sorry.
Akane stood there for a second until she heard the door close. She went out of the kitchen, continued to the dining room and dropped on her knees, waiting for Kasumi to arrive. She sat in silence, taking in the sight of the pink sunset and the koi in the pond splashing in anticipation of the night.
Then she heard the familiar ring of a bicycle. She listened closely, hearing the faint voices of Ranma and Shampoo by the front door, and felt the instinct to get up and go to them. Instead, she restrained herself and continued to listen.
"Nihao, Ranma! Dumplings and ramen!"
"Oh, good! I'm starving…"
"Why not get food from house?"
"Nah. Akane's the only one home with me. You know her cooking, it's horrible. Thanks," Ranma said gratefully as Shampoo handed him the food.
Akane felt her insides churning with anger as she balled her hands into fists. "Ranma no baka!" she grumbled through gritted teeth. She wanted to mallet him so badly! She got up and stomped her feet, preparing to give the pigtailed pig a piece of her mind, but she had stopped herself before she could get out of the room, not wanting to destroy the house that everybody had just repaired.
She didn't calm down, though, as she paced the room like a caged tiger.
How am I supposed to get better in cooking if I don't practice? He should have told me he wanted something else; I still have those potato chips in my room. But I don't care if he starves to death! Baka! Epitome of idiocy!
She marched, not to Ranma's direction so she could stuff her fist in his gut, but to her room where she plopped on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She was still so angry and she wanted very much to burst out several nasty words, but she had second thoughts and decided not to. She knew it could be positively heard from downstairs and they'd think she was jealous (Jealous, Akane snorted. Who would be jealous of a pervert and a Chinese bimbo making out over dumplings and ramen?). Instead, she opened her drawer, pulled out a book, and tried to read.
"The Wonders of Biology and Chemistry," she read uninterestedly.
My life isn't exactly hopeless, is it?
Akane twisted, turned, and shook her head in terror. Her blankets had fallen off her bed and her hands had nothing to get hold of, so she desperately flailing her arms about. Panicked moans escaped her throat, yet nobody was there to hear her cries as the horrible nightmare ran through her head.
"Akane!"
"Ranma?" Akane was glad when she heard him. No matter how she tried to run, she was alone in the inescapable darkness, and hearing Ranma's familiar voice certainly generated a ray of hope somewhere in her dark world. "Ranma! Where on earth are you?" She scuttled blindly until she heard a pair of feet besides hers running towards her direction.
"Akane!"
The voice came from right in front of her, and along with it came a spark of light that enabled her to see those brave, blue eyes of Ranma's. He grabbed her waist and pulled her close. "You okay?" he asked anxiously.
Akane flung her arms around him. "I'm fine," she replied weakly. "Where have you been? I was lost and scared… nobody was there to help me, and–"
"Sssh," he hushed her. "Don't cry… you'll be okay." He patted her head and flashed her a grin. "You're prettier when you're not crying."
But this made Akane cry harder. "Ranma, you care after all…"
Suddenly, there was a flash of blinding white light, and then everything went back to pitch black. Ranma was gone.
Where am I, the Twilight Zone? Wonderland, perhaps?
"Ranma!" Akane cried. "Ranma, where are you?"
Then she heard the voice of Shampoo somewhere from up above. "Hentai-girl stay away from Ranma! You not beautiful enough, not like me."
"Shut up, Shampoo, this isn't the time for that! And where are you people?"
Even the sight of Shampoo would comfort her. She never liked the Amazon, and she never would – but hellish instances such as this called for crucial decisions.
Before Akane could even hear Shampoo answer, she heard Ukyou. "Ran-chan's mine, Akane. Besides, you don't even know how to cook! You'll starve him to death if you get married!"
Not giving Akane a chance to snap back, Kodachi's voice rang throughout the milieu, preceded and proceeded by her usual deranged laughter. "Ranma-sama belongs to me. I could give him anything he wants! I doubt you can."
The three women's voices echoed through the vast, black space.
Akane ineffectually tried to find where they came from. She was sightless and scared. "Where the hell are you?" she called desperately. Everything was making her dizzy. The voices seemed to mock all the weaknesses she had – her unattractiveness, her atrocious cooking, her lack of wealth – every one of them. She and Ranma could never be together because of those reasons.
"Just QUIT IT!" she screamed into the space. "And Ranma couldn't be yours," she added softly, "because he's my… he's my fiancé."
"Akane," whispered Ranma's voice.
Finally, the voice she wanted to hear! In severe occurrences like this, he wouldn't insult her the way he usually did – he'd… he'd defend her. Right?
Right?
"Right," Ranma's voice responded as if he had heard her thinking.
Akane's heart jumped in joy – her hero was coming to her rescue! But what Ranma said afterwards indicated otherwise.
"They're right, Akane. You'll starve me to death with your awful cooking. And in the first place, I wouldn't want to marry an ugly tomboy like you!"
The voices of Ranma, Shampoo, Ukyou and Kodachi all laughed at her from the veil of darkness.
"Ranma," Akane called feebly, "how could you do this?" She began to weep on her knees, her face hot with tears.
The voices around her began to fade, and she felt the floor giving way from below her, letting her fall into a bottomless hole like Alice in Wonderland – just as she suspected.
It was time to go home. All the students of Furinkan High bade goodbye to each other. Ranma Saotome, however, was looking for someone. Akane Tendo was nowhere to be seen. He'd asked her friends already, and almost the whole class, but they all said they didn't see her after the bell rang for dismissal.
"Darn, where did she go?"
He passed by the gym – maybe another kidnap attempt by Sasuke? – the locker room, the library, and heck, he even peeked in the girls' comfort room. Pretty soon it seemed like he was window shopping in the malls, but the search for Akane was in vain.
Meanwhile, in a dance studio, Akane Tendo was having no trouble at all despite the fact that it was her first lesson. Sure, she had been clumsy with gymnastics before – she chuckled as she recalled the time when St. Hebereke had gone against Furinkan, when the female Ranma had to proxy for her on the day of the competition against Kodachi because she injured herself while rehearsing the night before. But when she was taught her first lesson that day, she took in every word like a hungry learner, and that just made things a whole lot easier for both teacher and student.
And besides, she needed something else to do in her life. Dancing might not be too far from martial arts, so she wasn't exactly abandoning her first sport. Hence, when one of her schoolteachers recommended her to take this class, she willingly agreed.
The dance instructors admired Akane so much; they haven't had a student like her in years. Since Akane was a starter, they first taught her the basic stretching and ballet moves as all beginners were taught. But in the first half hour she seemed to catch on very fast that they had begun teaching her the lessons designated for the fourth tutorial.
"Okay, then just raise your leg up high like that… good! Akane, you are splendid! Have you ever taken dance lessons before?"
Akane took the praise humbly. "Thanks Aiko-sensei, but no, this is still my first time," she huffed as she put down her leg and wiped the sweat off her neck. The pink tights she was wearing sure made it hot. "I've been practicing martial arts, if that's what you mean. It's somehow related to dancing, I guess."
"Why, of course it is," the dance instructor concurred as she helped Akane stretch her arms. "Martial arts and dancing both require grace, litheness, stamina and mastery."
"So that explains your flexibility!" remarked a tall boy in black. He had brown hair, damp with sweat from dancing, and blue eyes that shone as he beamed at Akane.
"Akane, this is Jiro of St. Hebereke. Jiro, Akane of Furinkan," Aiko-sensei stated fondly. "Jiro's our top student on the present course, Akane. He may actually help you out on some things… like now. I need to get a glass of water; I'm dehydrated. See you in a few minutes."
Jiro and Akane both smiled back at their sensei as she ambled towards the water fountain.
"Akane Tendo. So you're the new student, huh? I hear you're great."
She chuckled modestly. "I do martial arts, so maybe that's it."
"Aiko-sensei said you needed help. With ballet, I don't think so. But with this… do you mind?" he asked as he held both her hands and led her into the familiar waltz position one always sees in musical romance movies as the leading man and his lady dance in the finale.
"No, go ahead," Akane agreed gladly. The people in dance class were certainly being nice to her. She'd better enjoy her time here before she goes back to the dojo where the nightmare she had last night could seemingly come true any time of the day.
Stop thinking about it, Akane. You'll draw negative aura towards you. And besides, it was just one of the many bad dreams you've had. Not like this one…
She held her breath as she waltzed for the very first time. He led her smoothly across the dance floor until both of them were unmindful of the other dancers around them. The music seemed to be audible only to their ears as their eyes were locked in one steady gaze. Aiko-sensei observed them closely, a bright idea taking shape inside her head.
I might just get used to this, Akane thought as Jiro winked at her after they did a classic twirl.
"Tadaima," Akane called as she got off her shoes. She went to the dining room and hurriedly sat down to eat. All that dancing definitely made her hungry.
"Where have you been?" Kasumi asked worriedly as she poured tea into the youngest Tendo's cup.
"I… uh… did something. I'm sorry if I didn't tell you I was going to be late," she murmured, looking around. "Where's Ranma?"
"He went looking for you. He was very worried, Akane, and so were we," said Soun.
"Sorry, Dad," Akane apologized as she started eating Kasumi's famous chicken curry.
Ranma was worried about me? That's… different.
"Has he eaten already?"
"Not yet," answered Nabiki. "You should have waited until dismissal time and told him you weren't coming home early. He was all over the school looking for you like some upset kid who lost a toy. A pretty funny picture, if you ask me."
There was an aggravated yell from the front door. "I couldn't find Akane! I've looked everywh–" He stopped upon entering the dining room.
Aw, don't tell me she's been here all along…
"Hello, Ranma," Akane greeted more amusedly than intended, especially after hearing from Nabiki what Ranma had been doing in school when she had left.
Ranma was stunned. A few seconds later opened his mouth to say something, but closed it even before his voice was heard. After a while, he took a deep breath, and then his brow furrowed. "Where on earth have you been?"
"I was… out doing something," she replied, suppressing the fit of giggles trying to escape her mouth. Nabiki was right – everything was just funny, despite the fact that everybody was worried. She was sorry about that, but she couldn't help it.
And then Ranma started yapping.
"I've looked all over for you! Why dya leave all of a sudden when it was time to go home? Something bad could have happened to you, baka!"
The smiled on Akane's mouth disappeared because of what Ranma had said. "Baka? Now wait just a second, I didn't do anything wrong!"
"You went away without telling anybody and something could have happened to you, that's what's wrong!"
"You don't have to shout, Ranma!"
"I ain't shouting!"
"Yes, you are! Don't!"
"I'm not!"
"YEAH?" Akane stood up from her place and started leaving the dining room. "Well, shout or no shout, shout until your lungs flap impotently, because starting today I'm going home late! And don't worry, Dad," she assured, glancing at the long-haired man, "I'm not doing anything wrong."
Without a last look, she slid the door shut and marched to her room.
"Kawaiikune!" Ranma grumbled.
"They're really in love with each other, right, Saotome-kun?" Soun muttered over a cup of rice.
The panda's signboard said: "No doubt."
Oh, when are they going to get along?
It had been a month and Akane had always been busy after school. She always arrived home late but just in time for dinner. Ranma had thought of following her but even before the bell rang for dismissal, she was gone. Even Sayuri and Yuka didn't know where she'd been going.
Ranma inquired the teacher if it was considered cutting classes, but the teacher (who happened to be the one who recommended Akane to the dance class) said it was related to school. This made Ranma wonder so much what Akane was doing that it was driving him… well, nuts.
He's been trying to eavesdrop in every conversation Akane had with any animate being. A glance now and a glance then, a few double takes…
Kami, she's going to make me eat her cookies!
"Ranma!" Akane called, just as he foretold. It was lunchtime, and all the students were eating inside the classroom their homemade meals.
Ranma approached Akane and asked her what she wanted, though he knew what was coming. He wished she'd picked another day to be nice to him.
"I made them this morning. Want to taste them?"
The feeling of dread overcame Ranma as he saw the white cloth with little chocolate chip cookies on it. He quickly recalled the horrible indigestion he had when he had pretended that her cookies were delicious just to make her feel better – he ate every last bit of the batch and lost the ability to talk for days. He gulped and wanted to gag as he imagined the cookies landing on his sensitive tongue and poisoning his touchy tummy…
"N-not hungry," he stuttered. It wasn't even a sentence, but he didn't care.
"Oh please, come on, just a little bite," Akane implored.
"Oi, Ranma!" called Hiroshi from across the classroom. "Want to see the tarantula Daisuke brought?"
"Sure!" Ranma answered immediately. He hopped over to the guys and tried to lock his eyes on the tarantula, but he couldn't help stealing glances at Akane who seemed to have steam rushing out of her ears.
"Ranma no baka…" Akane muttered, both disappointedly and crossly at the same time. I was just being nice, you stup–
"Akane, can we taste your cookies?"
Sayuri and Yuka who were sitting just beside Akane had just finished their lunches and were looking forward to dessert. Obviously, Akane's best girlfriends have never tried any of Akane's cooking before. But maybe they picked the right day to start. Kami was not the punish freak everybody's been accusing him of being.
"Sure you can. I made them for everyone."
Akane beamed as her friends grabbed one each and took a bite. Ranma grimaced when he saw what they did.
Oh, they're going to be sick…
But the moment Ranma waited for didn't come. Sayuri's and Yuka's faces didn't turn into a nasty shade of green, or black, heaven forbid it. They just continued munching the rest of Akane's cookies.
"Girl," Yuka said, her mouth stuffed, "theesh are the BESHT."
Sayuri swallowed the sweet goodness down her stomach. "I've tried making these before, but yours are the greatest! All the recipe books I have state the same ingredients though, so can I have your recipe?"
"Oh, sure," Akane said. "Actually, I've been reading this cookbook from Nigella Lawson… an excellent read. I guess it brought out the cook in me. I started with the cookies, of course – it's in the basics – I'll work my way from simple to complex dishes."
"Why'd Ranma turn them down? I know him – if he says he's not hungry, he's waiting for dessert," said Sayuri, munching on another cookie.
Akane sighed. "I guess this time he really isn't hungry."
"Uh-oh. Now that's a falsity. Saotome Ranma is never not hungry."
"Oh, Yuka."
"But he's your fiancé! He's so unappreciative, you know that?"
"No, maybe he's really just full," Akane mumbled. She wasn't facing Ranma so she didn't know that he was observing her. But when she did look at him, he was eating one of Ukyou's okonomiyaki (that he happily chowed down), and it made her very angry.
"Fine food, Ucchan! American pancakes and Japanese okonomiyaki fusion?" she even heard him say.
The pig-tailed guy was totally annoying her.
Before the last afternoon subject ended, Akane had left the classroom without anyone noticing, courtesy of the history teacher who left the students half-asleep and hanging on to consciousness. When the clock showed five minutes before the time, Ranma glanced at Akane's seat but she wasn't there anymore.
Here we go again.
Ranma asked one of the teachers at dismissal time. And this time, he specifically asked him what Akane was doing after school.
"Miss Tendo? She's been having dance lessons! Furinkan High is sending her as a representative because all schools must have one. They're teaching her ballet and the recital's in less than two weeks! Are you coming, Saotome? Oh, what am I thinking, of course you're coming! Nothing better than a fiancé being up on stage, right?"
"Uh… sure," Ranma managed to say.
That night while eating dinner, Ranma asked Akane what she was into after school even though he already knew. A little asking wouldn't hurt.
"None of your business," she shot. "Gochiso-sama."
Oh, but it did.
Akane left the dining area, went to her room and tried to do her homework, but she couldn't even read the words. She was still mad at Ranma because of what happened during lunch. And when she thought of it more, she realized that there are actually many things she should be mad at Ranma for. She's done good things to him, even when it reached hurting him for his own sake. And he didn't even care. The first part of her nightmare was probably never going to come true.
Ranma no baka.
I never wanted all of this to happen in the first place. The fathers just told me I'm going to marry Ranma, and he was against it as well. Grownups. They think everything they do is for everybody's good!
Ranma and I didn't get along. We never did. We always shouted at each other and called each other names. I wonder why we could even live under one roof, go to the same school, or walk together. It's always war between us – morning, afternoon, evening.
This isn't my fault! I've tried to open up to him, but he's just so insensitive and tactless. He's always like that. It's always me reaching out, but he never accepts my hand. I think he knows, though, what I've been trying to do. But maybe he doesn't think much about it – especially with Shampoo, Ukyou, and Kodachi around.
Sometimes it irritates me so much when I see him flirting with them. He's supposed to be my fiancé! But when I think about it, I realize we never agreed to it in the first place. I think we just agreed for the sake of our fathers and of Anything Goes Martial Arts. So maybe we're just faking it. Yes, we probably are.
But when I look at the other side, there are things that I like. Our lives are full of… action, considering the fact that we do martial arts, Ranma and Uncle Genma are cursed, we go to a school with countless crazy people in it, and we live in a strange city. Sometimes he saves me from harm, and it oftentimes leads me to the conclusion that he actually likes me. But then I realize, even if it wasn't me, he'd still save the person in danger. Like when his kiss was the only thing that could set Shampoo free from that giant cat Mao-Mo-Rin, he agreed to kiss her!
We've been friends, I guess. We help each other when one of us needs help. There are times when he does me favors, like buying food when I have something else to do when Kasumi tells me to buy it. I remember him cheering me up with all those comforting words when I felt down. Like up there on that tall tree when I started sprouting hair in my face because of my newfound super strength – only Ranma could have made me climb down.
I hate to admit it, but I think I fell in love with him in the running. And maybe I was kind of hoping we'd get along together, but he's just too insensitive to be nice, so I fell out of it. Why can't he just try being kind to me?
When it was late at night, Akane headed to the dojo. She knew she was sacrificing her beauty sleep, if she had any, but her eyes didn't feel like closing and she felt like she had to move. She of course kept in mind that exercising right before sleeping is not advisable, since one would definitely have difficulty falling into slumber, but she didn't care. It was probably the recital jitters.
She took deep breaths and did some stretching. Little did she know, Ranma also went there to practice his stances and spar with the invisible partner, as was his routine every sleepless night. He stopped outside and curiously perched on the window when he saw her.
What's she up to in the middle of the night dressed in pink tights?
"Now how am I going to dance without music?" Akane mused. She did some slow dancing while humming to herself. Then she had an idea. She started singing her own music.
Ranma could only stare as he watched Akane dancing as gracefully as a swan in front of him. She hopped, spun many times in one spot, waved her arms softly around, closed her eyes and smiled. He listened to the beautiful voice he's never heard singing before.
"When I am down, and oh my soul so weary," Akane sang as she jumped high and landed on the floor. "When troubles come, and my heart burdened be," she hummed, spinning on one spot with only her right foot tiptoeing on the floor. "Then I am still, and wait here in the silence, until you come and sit a while with me…" Then after she stood on her left leg, she curled up into a ball and dropped to the floor.
"She's… good," Ranma mused.
I've always thought of her as rigid when it comes to dancing, like the way she did her gymnastics last time. It's like the Akane I'm seeing now isn't Akane at all!
Akane finished the whole song and bowed to an invisible audience elegantly. "Thank you, thank you," she said hailed warmly, her face pink but beaming nevertheless.
He saw the floor coming closer and closer to his sight, but before Ranma could realize what was happening to him, he fell right inside the dojo and made a loud thud on the wooden floor.
Why dya lose your balance? Idiot!
"Who's there?" Akane called. Her eyes scanned the dojo and stopped right on the spot under the window. "Ranma! What are you doing here?"
Ranma was still massaging his head when he got up. "Couldn't sleep."
"Me too," she said, twisting her neck once. "Are you okay? You've got a… uhm, bump." And it was growing faster than bacteria reproduction, too.
"Yeah, yeah. It's nothing. What were you doing a while ago, anyway?"
Uh-oh. His tongue just slipped.
"I was dancing, obviously," she chuckled rather derisively. "Recital's in less than two weeks and it's giving me jitters."
"Why didn't you tell anybody about your dance lessons?"
"Who told you I was taking lessons, anyway?" Akane asked curiously, realizing she just gave it away by saying there was a recital, but Ranma seemed to have first hand information nonetheless.
"The teacher told me. Why didn't you tell anybody about it?"
"I wanted to surprise Dad."
"You started voice lessons as well?"
"Why, you heard me singing, didn't you?" asked Akane, smiling. No, she didn't take any voice lessons, but the chores she's done all by herself gave her the opportunity to discover that she had a natural singing ability.
"Yeah," he answered. And that was damn good, he wanted to add. But he put on a smirk instead, which he did mechanically because it's what he has always been doing. "It sounded like a banshee singing."
Akane frowned.
There he goes again!
"For all I know, you were looking and listening the whole time, Ranma."
"No, I wasn't. Anyway, good night, I feel like sleeping now." He let out a big yawn from his mouth and left the dojo.
He walked away as simple as that, like he never realized he's been insulting me the moment he opened his mouth!
"You want it to be that way, Ranma? That's what you'll get."
Author's Notes: The lyrics of the song Akane sang are of Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up. To my avid readers, this chapter is revised – I added some new scenes and altered several dialogues. To the new readers, the first chapter's just the beginning, apparently, so keep on reading. Reviews are always welcome. (",)