章 46: Striking Distance
Ranko blinked the shampoo from her eyes, shivering as she turned off the shower head. Normally she hated being forced to take ice-cold showers every day, but today, it worked out for the best. She hadn't slept much the night before.
After the flashback she experienced while playing with Akane, she'd been forced to tell her everything about Mei and Mikado and the fight in the alley. She was furious with herself for breaking like that in front of Akane, but to her great credit, Akane had listened and supported her through the entire thing. Afterward, they hadn't much felt like sleeping, so they went downstairs in their sleeping attire, cuddling in a booth and watching old movies on one of the televisions on the wall. She had woken up in bed, but didn't remember climbing the stairs. Either she'd been half-asleep by then, or she fell asleep downstairs and Akane carried her to bed. She blushed at the idea.
She looked herself in the eyes in the bathroom mirror, drying her hair with a fluffy lavender towel. She exhaled deeply, gathering her determination. Today wasn't going to be easy, she suspected, but she had to put the next step of her plan into motion.
A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, the lavender towel draped around her body modestly and her damp hair braided in a lone pigtail. Akane sat at the dinette table, sipping a cup of tea. She was already dressed in her school uniform. "Hey, you," Akane said with a smile. "Feel better?" Ranko nodded with a smile.
"What do you want to do today?" Akane respectfully turned to face the kitchen as she spoke, this time not peeking as Ranko uncovered herself and opened her closet.
Ranko grinned as she pulled on her pants. "Honestly? When's the last time you had a good spar? I don't really get a chance these days."
Akane laughed. "If that's what you want to do, that's what we'll do, but I don't suppose your karaoke bar has a dojo out back?"
Ranko shook her head, not that Akane could see it with her back turned. "I know a place."
Akane looked down at her school uniform dress. "I don't have a gi with me."
Ranko walked up behind her, putting her arms around Akane's neck and hugging her from behind, now dressed in a gray T-shirt with a heart printed on it and her old black pants. "It wouldn't be the first time you've fought dressed like that."
Slipping on their shoes, the pair descended the stairs, locking the front door of the bar and heading down the sidewalk, Ranko directing them. Akane debated holding her hand, but she wasn't sure it was a good idea to do in public. She didn't know who Ranko knew around here, and she didn't want to embarrass her.
"Are you sure you're okay, Ranko? After last night…"
The redhead nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. It happens, I move on. It's getting better. But it's easier if I don't talk about it."
Akane bobbed her head in response. "Forget I mentioned it then. Just know if you ever want to…"
"I know." Ranko managed a smile, turning a corner and leading Akane into a secluded little patch of a park. Most of it was obscured from the street by a wall, and the grass was still lush and healthy despite the recent cold, possibly due to the canopy of oak trees that shielded most of the ground from the snow.
"This place is super pretty! How did you find it?" Akane leaned on one of the tree trunks, sighing happily.
Ranko shrugged. "I stumbled onto it walking one day." She didn't have the heart to tell Akane that the little alcove had been her bedroom for the better part of a month before she had wandered into the Phoenix one day.
"So, you ready?" Ranko lifted her leg almost vertical to the ground, holding her hamstring and stretching it. Akane turned, setting down her bag. "Are you sure about this? I mean, you can't…"
Ranko waved her off. "Don't let the dresses and stuff fool you; I'm tougher than I look."
Akane nodded. "If you're sure, but promise you'll stop if you need to."
Ranko's response was to drop into a defensive stance. Come on, Akane, she thought to herself, I need to see that you can do this.
Akane swung forward with a tentative fist, and Ranko kicked at her wrist, blocking it with the sole of her shoe. "I know you can do better than that, Akane. What's the matter, don't want to hit a girl?"
Akane smiled and shook her head. "Not one I'm dating, no."
Ranko motioned her forward. "Come on, give me a workout here. I promise I won't hold it against ya."
"Okay, but you asked for it." With a loud kiai, Akane whipped her leg around, barely clearing Ranko's head as she ducked beneath the roundhouse kick. She followed up with a sweep from the left, but Ranko hopped over her leg. Akane righted herself. "You know, you don't have to do the whole no-hitting-girls thing anymore either."
Ranko nodded. "I know." She still didn't want to, but today she had her reasons. With a piercing kiai, she threw a high punch aiming for Akane's left shoulder, but Akane whirled out of its range, delivering a kick to the right side of Ranko's torso. It struck her in the ribs, and the redhead crumpled to the grass. Gods, she'd forgotten just how strong Akane was! It felt like she'd been shot in the kidney with a cannonball. Damn this stupid Cat's Tongue thing!
"Oh, no! Ranko, are you okay?" Akane bent down to check on her, and Ranko groaned a bit as she caught her breath. Ranko braced herself, knowing it would hurt to move, but it had to be done.
Ranko reached up suddenly and grabbed Akane's wrist, pulling her down onto the grass and assaulting her neck, legs and ribs with a flurry of tickles. She barely landed any before Akane matched her speed, swatting away her pinching fingers and even landing a few of her own. "Ha! Now who's too slow?"
Ranko beamed, giggling a little as she was tickled even though her ribs hurt to laugh. "Okay, okay! You win! I give up!"
Akane stood, offering her girlfriend a hand up. The redhead groaned as Akane pulled her to her feet. "Are you sure you're okay, Ran-chan?"
The shorter girl nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine in a minute." Akane shouldered her school bag, this time not being shy about taking Ranko's slender hand in her own. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Ranko blushed, but smiled contentedly despite her pain. She was ready. "Akane, I want to talk to you about something."
"Of course. Anything."
Ranko walked alongside her, her hand enveloped in Akane's. "So, I had this crazy idea…"
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