The day was simple. Clear skies, pretty hot outside, and... Boring. Ringo was bored, into his mind.
Since yesterday he had been working blindly for two days. His job was simple enough so he had time to think, which was impossible yesterday, but its easier today. "I don't know...Do I...like..." his half muttering turned into pacing around the shop.
He was blindly tending to all of the items in the shop as he was thinking. Girl-Ranma whispered "It's a miracle..." while she and Ukyo watched Ringo actually care for his shop (They were there to try a new sauce Ukyo worked on and Ranma got splashed along the way, by Akane).
This productivity was a foreign thing to Ringo, or so they believed "What happened to him?" whispered a mutually awestricken Ukyo.
"Don't know..." They both continued to watch him work. Enjoy the rare things they say... Does this count?
As he worked he had a pensive look in his eyes and pursed his lips. "What do I do..?" He thought, walking past his two customers and going further in the back to sort out the 'Fireworks'. "I can't decide." he muttered.
Ringo turns back to the two. "I need your opinions." his sudden acknowledgement of their presence threw them off.
"Oh, uh. go ahead..." Ranma said. Blinking curiously as to what wisdom she would be passing.
With a seriously deadpan expression he asks the question to his problem. "Is spicy better than sweet?" It was indeed a genuinely curious question.
There was the sound of wind flowing through the silent room before Ranma spoke up. "Seriously?" she nearly whispered, a bead of sweat dropping down her face, taking all suspense with it.
Ringo nodded, still deadpan as he spoke "Dead serious."
*Thud*
There goes Ranma. Leaving Ukyo standing there, also sweating, surprisingly deep in thought. "I cant say... The right amount of spice is nice... but the same goes for sweet..." Now she was tossed into the dilemma.
what was better? spicy or sweet? "Well... More people like sweet... But.. they probably didn't have the right amount of spice..." She placed her hand on her forehead, trying to rub out her vast okonomiyaki knowledge.
Okonomiyaki... "That's it!" her eureka moment has arrived! "No one can out cook me, and okonomiyaki is on the sweeter side so, sweet!" Was that good reasoning?
There was a pause. Ringo considered Ukyo's thought process... nodding his head and shrugging his shoulders, he concluded. "Seems reasonable!" He hadn't even tried her food before, not saying its bad but, trusting only her word? Whatever.
Ukyo pumped her fist victoriously "See that Ran-Chan! I can answer the impossible! which is why I believe you should run away with-" yea... Ranma was still out of it.
Shortly after Ringo walked out of the shop going god knows where.
Kincho was in the middle of an hour long search for this red headed girl. "That Ochiba guy isn't to be trusted. I must warn this girl first!" he stood on top of a plastic box stoically.
"Now where is she..." he remembered the golden feather in her hair and picked up a trail. "I'm coming!" he started to wisely walk with his eyes closed since it somehow works out.
Ringo finally arrived to his destination. His favorite shop in all of Nerima... was closed. Ringo stood in absolute disbelief and he would express it but the reaction was too strong for the feather to allow to happen.
Slowly, as the flame faded his expression returned to show disappointment. By far his favorite shop in Nerima would be closed for today. "Okay. Ice cream is impossible now..." he continued to walk down the street and past other ice cream shops as he contemplated his next move.
"Maybe I should get ice cream later..." said Kincho, who was on the other end of the street. "I can't waver now! she is getting closer. I must warn her a creep is after her!" Ignoring his new title for Ochiba, this mystery girl and her feather were indeed getting closer. In fact, he felt he just bumped into her *oof* he did bump into someone.
As Kincho fell Ringo sighed remembering that little 'magic trick' a while back. But that was more than two days ago he couldn't still be bitter about that. "Do you ever pay attention, Half brat?" Guess not.
"Sorry about that..." Kincho sincerely apologized, looking up at Ringo and chuckled slightly.
"Its fine." Guess all of that bitterness was gone. He still wasn't going to help the child to his feet though.
Kincho was still staring up at Ringo. The faintest feeling emanating on the feather he had. That's when something clicked! "Do you have a sister?"…well it is absurd for a person to grow one feather in their head so maybe it was a gift.
Ringo's eyes narrowed. He lowered down to Kincho's height before asking "You trying to hook up with her?" He does?!
Kincho raised an eyebrow "No?"
there was a slight chuckle "A shame." he stood straight again "I don't have one." Oh... -is what went through Kincho's mind as he now had more questions.
"Is your hair red?"
Ringo chuckled for a moment "Huh?" now Ringo was confused I mean how would a person come up with a question like that? His hair was jet black and he was clearly a boy.
Then why was he messing with his hair at the moment. "Do you see any red?" He lowered his head for Kincho to see.
"N-No? I don't see any red hair." It was indeed strange. How did Kincho get the idea Ringo was a red head? To be known, to be known...
"Alright kid. Where are your parents? This is the second day I've seen you wander these streets on your own." Three times to be exact. But he wasn't used the kid wandering alone like the others were.
He sat there for a moment. "Mom is working most of the day in the big part of the city"
"And your dad?"
"Over seas." Kincho confesses
Ringo was a bit surprised by that confession and a bit familiar with the absence of parents. Sitting down, he started to think of his parents.
It was at the end of one of their rare dinners together when they first arrived in japan so they only knew how to speak in mandarin. "Why did we leave? I can't go anywhere without getting stared at, and I'm not allowed to hit them?" He was a violent little kid even with the feather.
"Well its because of your hair that they stare. Its not a normal color here." His mother was busy washing the ash out of Ringo's head after stocking the home with instant foods.
His father chimed in, coming back to the table after leaving an assortment of books on self-sufficiency. "Don't you remember the Konotori way?"
Ringo sighed. "Free from the tree that grows you." he recalled "As if I could forget, you said that when we landed."
"Well did you know that's why we named you?"
"No?"
"Ringo means Píngguǒ (apple) The very thing that grows in a tree. And storks, Konotori, nest in trees! just as we made a nest in japan!" The man laughed heartily at his logic.
Back in the current time he reflected on that memory "Should've told me parent storks leave the nest too." he rested his chin on his hand and looked bitter.
"Where are your parents?" Kincho asked unknowingly an unhealed wound.
Ringo's expression worsened "Alaska." he said, in a way that shut down any need to ask further. "Well kid, be glad your parents have good reasons to be away."
That was an answer Kincho needed. He was a bit sour about his parents being away for so long but they were gone for a good purpose. He would hold on to that way of thinking.
Ringo started to snack on some candy still sitting. "here" Ringo handed four pieces to Kincho all with different colors.
Kincho tried a piece. there was a crunch of the hard shell and then the soft, sweet core. When he was about to stuff another in his mouth Ringo stopped him. Ringo plucks one piece and ate it gesturing toward Kincho The kid swallowed his first piece and followed suit.
They just sat and ate for a few seconds, ignoring Kincho's new age. Ringo gave Kincho four more pieces when he finished the ones he had. The second time Kincho sheepishly held up his hand for more, none came.
Ringo pointed at Kincho in a reprimanding manner "Sugar is bad for little kids." he jokingly scolded. He only chuckled more when Kincho turned his head in disappointment.
Ringo was the first to stand "You know your way home." He started to walk away till a small hand tugged at his pants.
Looking away sheepishly, Kincho asks. "Can you get me some salt?" It was partly Ringo's fault he turned into a kid again. Luckily Kincho had caught Ringo at a perfect time since Ringo had a kinder mood today.
"Fine, but no piggy back rides. you're old enough to walk."
"Well I am four right now..."
"And yet your old enough to know you're younger." Kincho couldn't argue with that, so he just had to settle for following closely behind. They walked into the nearest restaurant "Do you have spare clothes and some salt?
Thankfully they did. Though it was a size too big for Kincho, but since he was so liked around town, he kept the outfit for free. "Thank you Ringo-" before Kincho could thank him, Ringo had left. And Kincho forgot to ask about the feather.
Out in the middle of the sea, a sail boat rocked wildly on its way to japan. "Kincho my boy. It be me, yer father. I be bringing treasure along me voyage. But these bitter women give me the gooses (Goose bumps). I feel a great sorrow for whoever be named Ochiba. So it were, Ohama Kincho." Ohama closed his note book and walked out.
"Warriors of Vengeance! We nearin' the land of the rising sun!" Ohama announced to the forty-nine other girls crammed on the small boat burst into battle cries
The leader of the group pulled out a microphone. "We shall get our revenge on Banbusa Ochiba!" declared Lee Yin, as vengeful as ever.
Ringo finally arrived to his shop casting a short glance at Yukue as she left hers. They hadn't forgotten that morning but that would continue to be brushed under the rug as Ringo got back to work thinking, "Birds have weird dances..."