Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Don't you know it's love ❯ Chapter 4

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
AUTHOR'S NOTE: On the topic of Mint: (a) Yes, he is Chinese, and knows the language, but forgot it somewhat. He must know Japanese, because Herb and Lime must know it, because otherwise Ranma, Akane, etc. wouldn't understand what they were saying, and it wouldn't make any sense for Herb and Lime to know Japanese but Mint not to know. (b) Yes, he is acting a little out of character, but since he was only in two volumes as far as I know, and as an extremely minor person-that-fights-regular at that, he really doesn't have much known character to act out of, to be honest.
And yes, it takes place after Herb fights Ranma, as evidenced by Mint's recognizing Mousse and Shampoo.

Four
(POV: Saotome Ranma)

"Akane?"
"Yeah?"
"I need to tell you something."
We were in a spare room that was supposed to be my clothes room or something but I never got around to unpacking. I didn't see any objects that could be easily wielded as a weapon. All right. Here goes.
"Shampoo's getting married."
"YES!" Then she was wary. "To who? You?"
"According to Mousse, to some 'wolf-boy' called Mint. Did you every hear of anyone called Mint?"
"I might've. Come to think of it… so does this mean she won't be chasing you anymore?"
"Unless these Amazons are polygamous… no."
She hugged me then. And this time I didn't push her away.

***

(POV: Hibiki Ryouga)

I ran into Mint outside Ucchan's.
"Hello." He grinned and his smile was so big I thought it would pop out of his face and land on the pavement. "Guess what?" Like I was his old friend.
I managed to delay replying for about two seconds while I shifted the okonomiyaki case into my hand. Some might ask why I bothered replying at all. I'm not so sure myself. It's just that he bothered talking to me in the first place, I guess, and in the second place, I'm not the one that hates Mint, it's Mousse that hates him. And in the third place, he talked to me in the first place. "What?"
"I get to get married to Shampoo!"
I nearly dropped the okonomiyaki case. All right, I did drop the okonomiyaki case. He caught it and handed it back. And he exuded brightness while he did it. I finally found my voice. Good grief, I get lost looking for my voice now! It must get worse with age or something. "Really?"
"Really!"
Once again I wondered how old he was. He looked twelve or thirteen. But maybe he was just short. "What, she likes you now? She dumped Ranma?"
He flushed. "…not exactly."
"How could it not be…" Then I remembered why Shampoo was chasing after Ranma in the first place. "…oh."
"What's your address?"
"My address? What do you want my-"
"Well I need to send the invitation somewhere."
I didn't need to ask what invitation. "I'm not home a lot."
"What's the hotel address then?"
"I don't stay in hotels."
"You mean you live on the street?" And you live in the wilderness of China.
"Sometimes."

***

(POV: Mint)

Cologne said Shampoo could come live with us, though she'd still have to go to the Nekohanten until the wedding.
"What do you mean 'until?'" I told her. "Why wouldn't she go after the wedding?"
"Because Mousse might try to run off with her," she retorted, and laughed until I headed out.
She came angry, along with a trunk and a red silk rucksack full of things I could only guess at. She kabonged Lime with her bonbori whenever he got close by her standards, which was a lot of times. He had several impressive lumps by the time we went to bed.
Fortunately the house had two bedrooms. For the week we'd stayed before I'd gone to the Nekohanten, Lime and me had one and Herb had the other. Shampoo coming meant Lime had to move in with Herb. Herb wasn't happy and Shampoo wasn't either, but Herb wouldn't stand for Lime and me both sleeping in the same room with him (what did he think we were going to dump cold water on him while he was in bed?) and besides I was getting married to her after all so I stayed in the same room with her.
"I'm not going to sleep in the same bed with you," she said.
"There's no bed," I said. When did she start hating me? What did I do to her? Did she not like the candy bar or something?
She didn't talk to me the rest of the night.