RAKANE ½

created by Jia Ri Meng & Paper Tiger

Special Thanks to Jenna Lee
Disclaimer at the Bottom

Prologue

When the sun sets and the sky turns a vivid orange, painting downtown Nerima in gentle pastels, it's the perfect time for couples to be out on a stroll.

Sadly, the couple we're focusing on at the moment is not romance based at all. A couple of Weirdoes is more like it.

Cue best friends Kuroshi and Spike, two buds heading home from the Arcade. Seemingly normal kids, but one or two things start to strike you as odd. Even for Nerima.

"Spike" 's real name is Daisuke Gusenkugi. He looks like about every other male student at Furinkan High, except for maybe his eyes. The thick lines under his eyes are dark enough to have been drawn with permanent marker. He also has a tendency to stare directly in front of him for long periods of time. The nickname "Spike" came from allegations of performing voodoo rituals; rumors he has neither confirmed nor denied. All in all, most people find him normal enough to be around, while the rest are too superstitious to wantonly aggravate him. He probably is the least abused student at school.

The exact opposite is true for Kuroshi, the Blue Blunder of Furinkan High. His shaggy hair sets him apart from most students, but his physical appearance is by no means conspicuous. What stands out about him is the wooden kendo blade he always carries with him...that and his tendency to quote poetry. Even though Kuroshi didn’t make the school Kendo team, they keep him around anyway, like a mascot. He’s good luck for the team. At least, the team members tell him they flush his head in the toilets for luck.

Only a block away from the park, with the shops closing around them, Kuroshi and Spike were about to part ways.

-But an errant gust of wind and a burning sixth-sense warned Kuroshi that something was amiss. He dived at his friend and forced him down to the pavement.

Quoth the Spike,

"What the *%$# was that for?!? "

But Kuroshi raised a finger to his lips at a painfully slow speed. Without a single word, he warned Spike against making any sudden movements. Kuroshi could hear it leaping nimbly from branch to branch within the park. Only when it had lost interest and darted away did Kuroshi help his friend up.

Spike stared at his friend dumbfounded for a moment before a memory floated back to him. A memory of absolute terror. His raccoon eyes widened.

"You mean, that was-"

Kuroshi nodded gravely. Neither said a word for a moment, but something troubled Spike.

"But aren’t you of all people safe from that…terror?"

"Not Hardly.

Evil is evil."

[Cue ominous chords]

Chapter 2: The Hyacinth!
By Jia Ri Meng

Guiseppe was wandering rather hopelessly around the streets of Nerima, Tokyo. Wasn’t Furinkan High around here somewhere? He had to hurry, school was about to start. Luckily he’d managed to leave his house at 5:30, so he could get to school on time. Finally Guiseppe saw the big Clock tower over the nearby houses. He was almost there! With fifteen minutes to spare, too!

Guiseppe ran light-hearted towards the school with a box of stone-cold pepperoni and extra-cheese pizza in his hand. He usually delivered pizza for his Dad’s ill-fated business, but today he had a different plan. He was going to present this pizza to her! Dribbled on the cheese in tomato sauce was the simple message "I Love You!" written in the best Kanji he could muster. Today he’d finally tell Rakane Saotendo how he really felt about her! Emotional tears filled his eyes as he melodramatically envisioned he and Rakane slowly advancing to kiss…

…Just before he was flattened beneath a ten-speed bicycle. He painfully looked up at the rider. A Chinese boy with short black hair and glasses, dressed in a traditional shirt and pants. The boy stopped only momentarily to look at his victim before jokingly ringing the bell on his handle-bar.

(ding-ding) "To your left!" he cried and then peddled away, laughing shrilly.

"Waaaaang Peeeeeng," was all Guiseppe could manage to reply.

Then he gasped in horror. On the back of Peng’s bicycle was a large brown paper bag with "Mao Fan Guan" printed on it. Guisseppe pried himself off the ground and chased after the miscreant on foot.

"So? (huff) What’s in the bag…h-huh?" He said between gasps.

"Food for my Ai de," replied Wang coolly. His hands weren’t even on the handles.

Guiseppe gulped. Wang had stolen his idea!....But then, Wang Peng’s family owned a restaurant too. He looked in the bag; cartons full of rice, chicken, noodles, soup, oranges…enough for ten people. And it was hot. Guiseppe looked wistfully at his cold, soggy pizza. He was crushed, he could never compete with a full-course Chinese feast! But then….Guiseppe was never one to take competition lightly.

"You’ll have to beat me to Rakane first!" he shouted and with a loud battle cry increased his speed ten-fold. Wang only gritted his teeth and peddled faster.

The two boys sped on at a phenomenal pace, their legs pumping like pistons. When one starting taking the lead, the other only matched his speed. Guiseppe’s shoes were beginning to wear out and Peng’s tires were starting to smoke.

Soon the bridge over the drainage canal was drawing closer. With only enough leeway for one person! Who would pass by? When suddenly, a third party stepped on to the bridge. The two boys gasped. IT WAS RAKANE! They were coming straight at her and they couldn’t stop! She was going to pay the price for their jealousy and pride! OH THE HUMANITYYYYYY!

SpLASH!

SPLOosh!

Rakane turned around. Had someone fallen into the canal? Looking into the water she saw a sopping wet Wang Peng, who was up to his waist in water, along with his bike and floating cartons of ruined Chinese food. He looked like he was going to cry.

"Peng! Are you okay?" she called. Before Peng could answer, Rakane heard a cough from the other side on the canal. Sitting there both soaked and upset was a girl her age with shoulder-length red hair and a boy’s school uniform on.

"Hey! You alright!?" cried Raniki, Rakane’s older brother. The girl only coughed and sputtered, "Yah."

"Hey Wang! You need to watch where you’re going, you knocked someone in!" chided Rakane angrily to him.

"Hang on, we’ll get you out!" Rakane shouted reassuringly to the girl.

"No need," the redhead said as she bounded up twelve feet back on to the bridge. "Thanks anyway." She turned bright red and started to walk away.

"WAIT!" called Rakane. "Wait don’t go! Wanna walk to school with me? You go to Furinkan, don’t you?" the stranger nodded, not even looking back.

"What’s your name?" asked Rakane gently.

The red-haired girl stopped and turned around.

"I’m Gi-….uh." She stopped short for some reason. "Gia…(yah, that’s it.) My name is Gia."

Rakane bowed. "Nice to meet you. My name is-."

"Rakane," finished Gia. "I know."

Rakane blinked. How did this girl know who she was…She did look kind of familiar, but Rak ane had never seen her before. She shrugged and they kept walking towards the school. She glanced at her brother, Raniki, who was on the other side of the street balancing on the high walls that surrounded the neighborhood houses. He looked vaguely uneasy about something. So did Gia for that matter. Rakane tried to strike up conversation again.

"So…uh I noticed you’re wearing a boy’s uniform," she casually commented, hoping at the same time that Gia wouldn’t be offended.

"Uh..yah," Gia mumbled. "I…don’t like wearing skirts. And, you gotta admit that those cardigans are pretty old-fasioned. "

"I know what you mean," giggled Rakane. Was it her imagination, or did Gia actually smile? "Feeling better?" she asked.

"Mmm!" Gia nodded cheerfully.

"I’m glad!" replied Rakane truthfully. "Hey, what’s that under your arm?"

"Huh?" Gia had forgotten all about what she was carrying, and withdrew from her arm, a squished, wet Pizza box.

"Hey!" cried Rakane. "This is from Guiseppe’s dad’s Pizza Parlor!"

"Um, yah. He asked me to give it to you!" said Gia with a catch in her voice.

"Oh! You know Guiseppe?" Rakane was starting to understand. "You must be his sister! I knew it! I knew you were familiar! You both talk with the same accent!"

"Uh! No-no-no! I’m uh not his sister! I’m not even Italian!….I’m…uh…Sicilian?" Gia looked unsure of this, which confused Rakane. But then, maybe she didn’t know how to say "Sicilian" in Japanese. Rakane decided to take her word for it."So you’re not related?"

"Nah…just good friends. My mom knows his dad…y’know, that kinda thing!" Gia then remembered the pizza and gave it to Rakane rather sheepishly.

"S-sorry its all ruined." She said with a sigh. Rakane only smiled. And opened the box courteously. Sure enough, it was completely ruined.

"Stupid Wang Peng. He’s such a block-head sometimes. " she muttered.

Waitaminnit. There was something in the sauce. She couldn’t make out one of the words. "I (smush) YOU." What could that smudge have meant? I got you? I like you?….I challenge you? THAT’S IT!

A challenge! It must be a challenge! Well, Rakane was up for that today and her face broke into a determined grin. She felt like asserting some authority today. It would be fun. Gia was watching her anxiously.

"What is it? Something about the pizza?" she said trying to sound as if she wasn’t in the know.

"Yah…Guiseppe told me something, and I kinda like the idea."

"Really?" Gia was looking pretty excited.

"Uh-hunh. If you see him today, tell him I accept, and will be waiting for him on the roof after school."

"GREAT! I’ll be there!-I mean! I’ll tell him to be there!" said Gia almost jumping up and down. They had just walked through Furinkan High’s gates and into the school yard.

"Oh! You don’t know what this will mean to him!" Gia said skipping merrily.

"Boy, you Mediterranians sure are funny," said Rakane. "Hey I just realized you’re still all soaked! We still have ten minutes before the first bell. Lets go to the girls room and dry you off!"

Gia stared at her horrified.

"Wha-WHAT!? The girls room!? I mean you and me?"

"Yah," answered Rakane, confused at her reaction. "Why, is there something wrong with that?"

Gia started to stammer, but was cut short by pounding footsteps and a voice calling RAKANE RAKANE! Everyone in the schoolyard turned to see Kuroshi, kendo sword in hand, racing across the courtyard. Eyes rolled and exasperated sighs abounded as he approached Rakane, his face white as a bar of soap.

"RA-KA-NE!" he screamed in her face.

"Um, okay, Kuro-kun, you can stop shouting now," said Rakane, trying to be patient. "What’s up?"

"There’s a new student in class today!" he managed to say, his voice tremulous.

Rakane shrugged.

"So what’s so terrifying about that, y’know?"

Rakane glanced back at Gia, but the redheaded girl was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Guiseppe was standing there earnestly, and steaming slightly. Rakane shrugged, but was drawn out of her thoughts when Kuroshi grabbed her by her cardigan, to convey his seriousness to her.

"You don’t understand!" he cried fearfully.

Rakane then decided to "convey" her fist to him. She marched off to class in a huff and was through the doorway before Kuroshi hit the ground.

Raniki and Guiseppe watched this all in reverent silence, they both knew better than to get in the way. Guiseppe was about to join Rakane for class when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Spinning around he discovered Raniki. Both boys knew each other as martial artists, and had respect for each other, but they had barely exchanged more than a few words. Thus Guiseppe was surprised to hear Raniki say anything, but he never expected him to say,

"You should be more careful, Gia."

A cold chill ran down Guiseppe’s back.

"You…saw me!?" he whispered, barely audible.

Raniki nodded and stared hard at the Italian.

"I think I was the only one," he replied. "I won’t tell anyone, but on the condition that you don’t take advantage of my sister, got it? No more of this gal-pal thing. Understand?"

Guiseppe was taken aback. Use his girl form to get close to Rakane? It had never occurred to him before! He was far too chivalrous for that!

"I promise," he said nobly. "And you promise you won’t tell her?" he asked nervously.

Raniki shook his hand. "By my honor as a martial artist." He said firmly.

Guiseppe sighed in relief and turned to go to class. He then felt Raniki’s hand on his shoulder again. He turned around to see the expressionless Raniki with his palm extended.

"…for ¥10,000 ."

As soon as Guiseppe entered the classroom (¥10,000 less in his wallet) with Kuroshi tailing him shouting, "evil I tells yah! EVIL!", the teacher cleared his throat.

"Class we have a new student today."

The entire class sat at attention. The last new students had been Rakane, Wang Peng, and Guiseppe. They were all curious who would be the newest addition to the "hall of freaks."

Rakane looked interested too.

I wonder who this new guy is that Kuroshi’s so scared of? She thought. Well if he gives Kuroshi any more problems I’ll just kick his…

"I would like to introduce Miss Kudasa Kuroshi."

Rakane fell out of her chair. At the front of the class stood a girl with long, curly, brown hair tied back in a bow, and dressed in a ridiculously frilly green dress, looking timid and shy. Hold on, Kudasa Kuroshi? Kuroshi was related to this girl? Maybe they weren’t too fond of each other? Maybe she had teased him as a child? However at first glance, Kudasa looked about as dangerous as silk throw pillow.

She bowed politely to the teacher and addressed the class.

"Hello, everyone! I’m Kudasa Kuroshi, but please call me ‘Hyacinth!’ I just transferred from the St. Dionysus School for Girls!"

Rakane blinked. That posh, rich-girl school? Hyacinth continued.

"I have decided to take my talents elsewhere, and thus enrolled in this quaint school, so I may expand my weltamschang, and be closer to my dear, dear twin brother!" Hyacinth then waved at Kuroshi who was puffing up to look more ferocious.

"Your twin sister???" hissed Rakane, "You’re afraid of your own sister?"

"Why not?" whispered Kuroshi defensively. "You’re afraid of your brother!!"

Rakane brushed this aside. "That is so totally different!"

"We’ll see," said Kuroshi with a melancholy little grin.

Hyacinth, having finished, flounced over to Kuroshi, gave him a really vicious noogie and sat down behind him…and began kicking his chair. It dawned on Rakane pretty soon what Kuro-kun had meant. Kuroshi bore the kicks like a hollow shell of a man, and his head was slightly smoking from the sheer friction of Hyacinth’s knuckles.

Rakane, shielded her nose form the smell of burnt hair, and tried to distract Hyacinth from her new game.

"So... I hear that St. Dionysus is a pretty nice school. Why did you transfer, exactly?"

"Well (kick) I was rather bored (kick) of the other girls (kick). Bunch of rich snobs, y’know (kick)? I wanted to know (kick) how you bourgeois (kick) lived (kick). Also (kick) there weren’t any boys (kick) in our school (kick). It was so terribly boring (kick). Besides…Tanpopo and me are (kick) inseparable!

Rakane burst out laughing! She had lost all her pity for Kuro-kun when she had heard his ridiculous pet name. She rudely pointed her finger at Kuroshi and through her braying laughter managed to say,

"She calls you DANDELION?"

At this, the entire class joined Rakane in explosive spasms of hooting and guffawing. Kuroshi tried to focus on some far away place where he still had dignity…and no one was laughing at him. It must have been very far away, because he didn’t manage to find it. After Hyacinth’s 487^th kick, he went off the deep end. He leaped on his chair, raised his bamboo blade over his head and smote Hyacinth on the head with it…at least…that’s what he had intended to do.

A silence of utter astonishment fell over the class as Hyacinth quietly pulled out a sparkly baton and deflected the blow, like it was an irritating fly. She then counter-attacked with her pink weapon of destruction. One good swish was enough to send Kuroshi flying out the window…looking very unhappy. All eyes currently staring at her grew to the size of hubcaps.

"At St. Dionysus, I was Drum Majorette of the school’s marching band and drill squad." She announced. Soon the class settled down again.

Rakane felt a twinge of consciousness for Kuroshi, but it passed when she remembered that Kuro-kun deserved it after trying to kill his sister! It never even crossed her mind that taunting him had contributed. Instead, she turned to Hyacinth and smiled cheerfully. Hyacinth answered in kind.

"Hey Hyacinth, we’re both kinda new and I’d really like to get to know you! Since its Friday, why don’t you sleep over at my house tonight?"

Hyacinth clapped her hands "How charmingly plebian! I’d be delighted!"

Rakane arched an eyebrow. Hyacinth was interesting.

"Shall we depart after school?" continued Hyacynth.

Rakane was about to nod, when she remembered the "challenge" from Guiseppe.

"Actually, I’m meeting someone then. How ‘bout I swing by your place around 5:00? Sound good?"

"Wonderful!" chimed Hyacinth, smiling.

The teacher then announced independent reading time (ie: faculty cigarette break) and the two girls fell silent with the rest of the class, except for a few of the boys who sat in the back. Hyacinth was having trouble concentrating…maybe it was that draft from the broken window. Her eyes started wandering around the class and its occupants. It had your usual high school collection. The jocks, the nerds, the delinquents, Spike, the exchange students…hmm. Hyacinth stopped here; not at Wang Peng, of course, but on the gorgeous boy with shoulder-length brown hair, olive skin, and sparkling green eyes. He seemed to be having a hard time with his book, and kept looking up words in…a Japanese-Italian Dictionary.

She pretended to drop her pencil, hoping he’d pick it up…unfortunately, he was an entire class-length away from her, so she just chucked it at him. It bounced off his head with a resounding "doink!" and his head shot up. He then caught sight of Hyacinth, looking shocked and mouthing…"I’m sorry!"

Hyacinth blushed scarlet, when Guiseppe actually got out of his seat and walked over to her to give her back her pencil.

"Thankyou," she whispered, her eyes wide and shimmering.

"You are welcome," said Guiseppe in his thick Italian accent, as he flashed a dazzling smile and went back to his seat.

"Chaaaaarge!" whispered Hyacinth under her breath.

To be continued…