--

Trisha Sebastian <sebast5228@theonramp.net>

--

	I looked up from the plates I was carrying and called out,
"Irrashimase!"  Working in Akie's ain't all that bad.  It's a nice change
from carrying all them bowls of ramen, each of them scalding hot.

	I dropped off the order at my table, slapped off their hands
when they got too friendly, and turned to see where the new customer
was sitting.  The customer looked up at me at the same time
and he froze.  Then he got up from his seat, and approached me.

	I froze.  I looked around, to see if I could use the Saotome
School Secret Technique, but Ataru was leering from the kitchen, and 
Nuku-Nuku was cheerfully engaged in combat in front of the restaurant.

	Suddenly, I felt strong arms surrounding me, holding me in a 
big bear hug.  I was trapped.  Then I heard a familiar male voice crying 
out, "Ranma!  I've finally found you!"  I did the next thing any other 
person would have done.

	I broke free from the embrace, and punched him squarely in the nose,
shouting, "Get offa me, ya pervert!"  The pervert stumbled back, and
fell to the floor, clutching his nose.  He was bleeding all over the 
floor.  "Radma," he moaned, "Dodn't you rebember be?"

	I took a good look at him, and froze.  He is the last person I
had ever wanted to meet.  I put on a huge smile on my face and said,
"Oh, gosh, no!  I have no idea who you are!"  I batted my eyes, and 
tried to look cute.  The chem. club look-a-likes started drooling, 
and readied themselves for action.  "But, Radma!" he protested, "You 
left towd without tellig be where you were goig!  I had no idea where 
you could be until I saw the dews show on dis restaruant!  Den, I dew 
that it was you!"

	He struggled to get up and still keep his nose from bleeding 
all over the floor.  He lurched to his feet and stood tall in front of
me.  He reached into his shirt, and I instinctively booted him over into
Ataru's direction.  They both crashed through the Ataru-shaped hole
in the wall, but now, it was an Ataru-meets-strange-pervert-shaped hole in
the wall.  I rushed outside and cutesily gushed, "Oh, gee, did I do that?"

	Ataru was out cold, but the stranger sat up, and now he was
sporting a nasty bruise on his temple from where I kicked him.  He 
started to laugh, wincing from his bruises, but laughed nonetheless.

	The way was laughing raised the hair on the back of my neck.
I whipped my head around to see if Kodachi was near, then turned back
towards the stranger.  He was laughing heartily and shook his head.
"Sabe ol' Radma," he grinned.  "Alwayds hittig people for do reason."

	Suddenly, I remembered where I'd met him before.  It happened 
when Pop and I were on our way to the Tendou's from China.  We were 
hungry, and stopped in to one of those little stores near the beach 
that sells most everything.  I was going to get some hot water so I 
could change back, but then Pop had gotten himself into trouble by 
snarfing down on all the food in the place.  The owner came out to see 
what all the trouble was and made me work at the place for about two 
weeks to pay off all the food Pop ate.  The owner had a son named 
Kintaro who also worked at the place.  We got along pretty well.  And 
now, Kintaro was laughing like a loon, slumped on top of Ataru.

	"Kintaro?" I asked, helping him up.

	"You fidally rebembered," he grinned, lurching to his feet.

	"It took me a while," I said.  I helped him back into the rest-
aurant, dodging the shrapenel from Nuku-Nuku's "friend" and sat him down
at the counter.  Then, I tended to his nose and fixed up the bruise
near his temple.  He talked of the old times as I tended to him, and 
I couldn't help but laugh at some of the mischief we'd gotten into.
Of course, I couldn't let him know then that I was really a guy, because
then he would have hated me, and I couldn't bear that.  That time
at the beach was the first time I had to relax and not worry about anything
like crazed Amazons.  We talked and talked about everything, and had
gotten really, really close.  That closeness scared me.

	I turned by mind back to what he was saying.  "I kept thinking 
about you all this time," he said. "Honestly, Ranma.  I've been
thinking about all we went through together, and I have to say that I've
no one else in the world quite like you."  Kintaro took my hand in
his and I squirmed.  "That's why what I have to tell you is so important
to me..."

	I put a halt to whatever it was he was going to say next.  
"Well, it was great seeing you Kintaro, but you have to leave now."

	"But why?"

	I thought quickly.  "Because I have a life threatening illness,
and I have only four days to live.  It's highly contagious, and direct
contact with me spreads the disease."

	"If that's true," he countered, "then you shouldn't be working
in a restaurant with all these people around, should you?"

	I was amazed at how quickly he saw through my ruse.  I opened my
mouth to speak, but he shut it quickly with his fingertip.  "Silly 
Ranma," he murmured, as he leaned in close.  "I have something I want
to share with you."

	Ataru started wolf-whistling from the wall and even Nuku-
Nuku had stopped in the middle of her fight to watch.  I could hear the
chemistry geeks' heartss breaking and my own heart pounding wildly.

	DA-THUMP!  I'll hit him.  DA-THUMP!  I'll kill him.  DA-THUMP!
I'll kill Ataru, and then I'll kill him.  DA-THUMP!  I'll let him kiss me.
DA-THUMP!  I'll let him fondle my breasts and lick them all over with his
tongue as I fondle his mem---

	With a sudden snap, I jerked my head away, brought my hand up
and slapped him resoundingly across the face.  Kintaro's head jerked off
to the side, and he fell off of the stool.  He landed on the floor, and
glared up at me.  "What the hell did you do that for?"

	I glared back at him.  "That was for trying to kiss me!"

	"Listen, Ranma, I don't have time to play those stupid
games you used to play," he growled.  "It was funny then, but it's not
anymore.  Of course I wasn't going to kiss you, you're not my type!
You never were!"

	My mouth dropped open, but Kintaro continued on his rant.
"Damnit, I was just going to tell you that I'm getting married!  I want you
to come to the wedding!  If you don't believe me, here!"  He reached
into his shirt and pulled out an envelope.  My name was inscribed 
on the front.  "Here's the invitiation, baka."  He ripped open
the envelope and pulled open the card.  "You can invite anyone you
want, just don't bring that panda of yours, okay?"

	Kintaro leaned back and sighed, "Listen, I didn't mean
to get upset at you just now.  I've just been so nervous about the 
wedding and all.  And when you started up with the games again, I just
got fed up."  He grunted as he pulled himself up off of the floor
and shuffled off towards the door.  "Come if you want to, okay?"

	I watched him go in silence.  I looked down at the invitation
and all it represented.  Then I stuffed it in my shirt.

	Of course, Ataru *had* to ask to see it.  So, I gave him the 
pummeling he deserved.  As I pummeled and punched and pounded, I thought
about Kintaro's wedding.  And I smiled.

	Maybe I can get Akane to go with me.

Foxtrot the Furryous, CBTFH, ret.