Ranma 1/2, Volume 17, Chapter 7 English translation by Robert DeLoura (deloura@noaapmel.gov) - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - "Oneechan's feelings" (Page 102) Akane is laying in her bed the next morning, remembering what she heard Nabiki say the night before. Nabiki: (imagined) I've been in love with you for a long time, Ranma-kun. Akane: .... Akane gets up, looking a bit tired and 'down'. Akane: (thinking) I didn't know... the way oneechan feels.... Akane: (thinking) What about Ranma, though...? (Page 103) Ranma is outside, practicing his skills by kicking (and breaking) a large wooden post that's stuck in the ground. Ranma: Destroy! Akane peeks around the corner of the building at him, and he spots her. Ranma: What do you want, Akane? Akane crosses her arms and puts on a forced smile. Akane: Oh, nothing... nothing at all. Akane puts her hands behind her back. Akane: Isn't it great? Nabiki-oneechan saying such nice things about you? Ranma is unimpressed, leaning on the stump leftover from his practicing. Ranma: Hmph. (Page 104) Ranma: Training is all that matters to me. Ranma: I couldn't care less who becomes my iinazuke. Akane looks disinterested. Akane: Oh? Akane flashes back to Ranma and Nabiki's conversation again. Nabiki: (imagined) I love you. Akane: (thinking) Able to admit it like that.... Akane: (thinking) Oneechan... and I never even suspected it? Nabiki shows up, with a towel in her hand and a smile on her face. She waves to Ranma. Nabiki: Ah, you're here! Good morning, Ranma-kun! Ranma is rather...surprised. Ranma: Ack! (Page 105) Ranma stutters, a bit embarrased, while Nabiki wipes him down with the towel. Nabiki: Here, you're all sweaty. Ranma: Um...uh...th...thanks.... Nabiki "suddenly" notices that Akane is here. Ranma remembers it as well, and looks worried. Nabiki: Hm? You're here, Akane? Akane looks pissed off. Akane: .... Akane storms off, and runs to school, angry at Ranma the whole way. Akane: (thinking, over and over) Hmph, jerks like Ranma...! (Page 106) Akane arrives at school, only to find that all the guys at school figure she's fair game again, and want to fight her for a date. She's had enough of guys for one day already. Student: Tendou Akane has arrived! Student: Now that Ranma has a new iinazuke, Akane must be available! The students all run at her, ready to take her on. Student: Tendou Akane, let's fight! Student: If I win, go out with me! Akane boots them all into the air with one swift kick. Akane: SHUT UP!!!! Ranma and Nabiki are just now arriving at school. Nabiki shades her eyes as she watches Akane. Nabiki: Wonder what's with her.... (Page 107) Nabiki: As soon as she's rid of her iinazuke, too. She's popular! Ranma: Hmph, don't see what's so great about that ferocious girl. Nabiki wasn't quite *thinking* the word 'iinazuke', rather something a bit more insulting. Later, in Ranma and Akane's classroom, 1-F, they seem to be studying English. The teacher reads from the class reader, while the students sit around looking bored (or sleeping). Teacher: "When you look closer, it's only his BALD HEAD shining." Ranma writes a note to Akane, and flicks it over two intervening desks, bonking her in the head with it. She glares back at him while she unfolds it, and he looks on, bored. Note (R): Make up with Nabiki. Akane writes another note and tosses it back to Ranma, who deftly catches it. (Page 108) Ranma looks at the note. It has a face with its lips stretched wide and its tongue sticking out, and a one-word message. Note (A): Idiot. Ranma throws another note to her, hitting her in the back of the head. Note (R): Who's the idiot, idiot? Akane throws an entire notebook back at him, hitting him square in the face. The notebook has nothing but "Idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot" scribbled throughout. Ranma decides he's had enough, and stands up, slamming his hand down on his desk and yells at Akane. Ranma: Quit being so damned stubborn about this! Akane stands up too, glaring and yelling back at him. Akane: What, you want to fight about it!? Teacher: Stand in the hall! Ranma and Akane stand out in the hall, holding a pail of water in each hand, mad at each other. Ranma points out what's got him so angry about all this. Ranma: Damned annoying! You two jerks trade me back and forth whenever you damn well feel like it! Akane: What's the matter, don't you like Nabiki? (Page 109) Akane looks off down the hallway, and Ranma glares at the back of her head. Ranma: .... Akane: .... Ranma gets a "maybe THIS will bother her!" expression on his face. Ranma: Well, I suppose that's true, too. Ranma: At least she's not a violent woman, always trying to pound me. Akane continues to look down the hallway, ignoring him, so Ranma tries a little harder. Ranma: It's really a nice change, and she's pretty good-looking, too. Akane clenches her hands tightly around the handles of the water buckets, and Ranma backs off a bit to defend himself. Ranma: Gonna fight about it? Akane just stands there, holding onto the water pails, staring down the hall. Ranmma is surprised that she hasn't attacked him yet, and takes a closer look. Ranma: Hm? Akane faces forward again, and there are tears in her eyes. Akane: Now that I've heard you say it, have fun with oneechan. This isn't turning out quite how Ranma thought it would. Ranma: Ehh!? (Page 110) At around lunchtime, Ranma has Nabiki meet him under some flowering trees in the schoolyard. Ranma looks uncomfortable. Nabiki: What do you want, Ranma-kun? Why did you ask me to come here? Ranma: Um, well.... Ranma: That bit yesterday.... Nabiki gives him a small smile. Nabiki: When I said "I love you"? Ranma gives her a forced smile back. Ranma: You were just kidding with me, right? Nabiki's smile vanishes. (Page 111) Nabiki looks away from him, and brings a finger to her lips. Nabiki: You hate older women? Ranma: Eh? Nabiki buries her face in her hands, as if she were about to cry. Ranma gets worried. Nabiki: You hate me, don't you!? Ranma hurriedly tries to keep Nabiki from crying, succeeding in getting himself deeper into trouble at the same time. Ranma: Er, um... your age is no big deal.... Nabiki clenches her hands into fists, and holds them below her chin. [Standard Anime 'Cute' Behavior #12345] She looks into Ranma's eyes from about 4 inches away. Nabiki: Really!? Ranma tries to back away from her a little. Ranma: Your age is... just fine.... Nabiki closes her eyes and smiles. Nabiki: Great! I'm so happy!! Ranma: .... That wasn't quite the point he was trying to get across. (Page 112) Ranma turns away from her and puts a hand up against a nearby tree to steady himself. Ranma: I... I'm sorry, Nabiki. I... can't become your iinazuke. There's just no way. Nabiki looks shocked, and begins to cry. Nabiki: Ranma-kun! Nabiki: After finally deciding to tell you.... I'll be too embarrassed to live in the same house with you.... Nabiki: I'll run away from home! Nabiki runs away, crying. Ranma waves his hands at her, in panic, trying to get her to come back. Ranma: Nabiki! But it's no use. She's gone. Ranma: This is bad. I've accidentally hurt her feelings.... Ranma sits there with his head in his hands, confused. Nabiki's standing behind him, selling pictures to his classmates. They must be pretty good pictures, because the students look excited about them. Nabiki: A set of five photos for 3,000 yen. Ranma: Aaaaaah.... what should I do.... Ranma suddenly realizes that Nabiki is behind him, though he didn't hear what she just said. He looks up, still facing away from her. Nabiki hides her hands (and pictures) behind her back, and faces his back. (Page 113) Ranma stands up, and turns around to face her, a suspicious look on his face. Ranma: Hey, just now.... Nabiki: Hm? Nabiki acts innocent, but accidentally drops a few of the pictures. Nabiki: Oops! Ranma looks at them, and they turn out to be pictures of his girl form, with her chest bare. Ranma: Ack! Ranma: And just WHAT are these? Nabiki tries to cover up her latest money-making scheme. Nabiki: But... Nabiki: How would it look if I didn't carry pictures of the one I love? Ranma puts two and two together, and unfortunately for Nabiki, gets four. He crushes the pictures in his hand, and look at her angrily, while she puts on her "innocent" look again. Ranma: You were SELLING them!! Nabiki: But I couldn't SELL them.... Their "discussion" is cut short by another voice. They look towards it. Voice: You even make a business out of your love.... What a sinful woman you are.... (Page 114) The voice is Ukyou's. She leaps in, hurling a small sharpened spatula at Nabiki. There's something tied to the spatula, though. They look up at her in surprise. Ukyou: Tendou Nabiki, payment! Ranma: Ucchan! Nabiki tries to hide behind Ranma, who catches the spatula. Ranma: Are you still going after Nabiki.... Ranma notices that there's something tied to the spatula. Ranma: Hm? He unties it, and it turns out to be a 1000-yen note. Ranma: HUH? Ukyou looks at the ground while she explains. Ukyou: Ran-chan's rental fee. Ranma glares at Nabiki, catching on. Ranma: Hey! Nabiki takes the 1000-yen note, and fills Ranma in on things. Nabiki: One hour, 1000 yen. Several students with sports equipment show up, to rent Ranma for their games. Judo student: You're loaning out Ranma!? Soccer student: OK, come join our game. Nabiki waves to them, as Ukyou drags the protesting Ranma away. Nabiki: Over here! Ranma: Hey! Ukyou: You're MINE for an hour. (Page 115) Akane is downtown, staring forlornly into a shop window, holding her school briefcase in her hands. Akane: (thinking) I don't want to go back. Akane: (thinking) A house that Ranma and oneechan live together in... Akane closes her eyes and leans her head against the glass, depressed. Akane: (thinking) ...I just can't go back to. A voice calls out from behind Akane, startling her. Voice: Akane! Akane turns around and sees Nabiki standing there, munching on something. Nabiki: What's wrong? Your face looks like the world is coming to an end. Akane: Oneechan.... Nabiki closes her eyes and laughs. Nabiki: Ha ha, you must regret having given Ranma-kun to me. (Page 116) Nabiki: I'll sell him back to you for 2,000 yen. Akane stares blankly at Nabiki, and then looks at the ground, not answering. Nabiki's a bit disappointed that Akane didn't jump at the offer. Nabiki: What, don't you want him? They walk together down the road, Akane staring at the ground, and Nabiki giving her a piece of her mind. Nabiki: You're sure stubborn. If you love him, you should say so. Akane: I'm not like you, oneechan. Nabiki's not sure what she meant by that, and looks puzzled. Nabiki: Hm? Akane: I.... Akane turns around, tearfully, to face Nabiki. Akane: I can't say things like you do, oneechan! Just leave me alone about it, ok? Nabiki: Akane.... ***EOF***