A Kiss in the Rink

A Kiss in the Rink (リンクにくちづけ) is the 24th chapter of the manga and the second chapter of the Martial Arts Figure Skating Arc.

Synopsis
Akane takes Ranma to the skating rink in hopes of teaching him how to stand up on the ice. P-chan dashes out to see Akane, and Azusa quickly skates over and locks a "Charlotte" collar around his neck. She tells Akane if she wants the collar off, she'll have to win the match.

Plot Overview
Akane criticises Ranma's skating posture (Ranma has her legs bent and shacking while also waving her arm up and down). Akane then comments on how Ranma tried to compete on skates when she can't even skate. Ranma asks what she's meant to do now and Akane tells her to stand up straight she then continues to ask Ranma if she's a man or not. Ranma (slightly teary-eyed) tells Akane that right now she's a woman.

Akane then tries to help Ranma stand up, while doing so Ranma tells Akane that a man who can't skate looks ridiculous, to which Akane retorts that a woman doing the same looks pretty ridiculous too. Just then Azusa hits Akane in the back and knocks her to the floor. Akane gets back up and accuses Azusa of doing that purposefully, Azusa just tells Akane that is no time for quarrelling. Akane then turns to see what Azusa's looking at, she then sees that Ranma has been sent flying across the skating rink and is unable to stop.

While Ranma panics at being unable to stop, Mikado catches Ranma and asks her is she's alright. Ranma then says Mikado's name which confuses Mikado slightly and asks if they've met before since he's sure he wouldn't have forgotten a girl as cute as her. Azusa then skates up and hits Mikado's face with the top of her skates, she then tells Mikado to do his girl-chasing later as they need to practice the "Assault of a Hundred Foes". Akane wonders how Mikado and Azusa are going to do this while skating.

A large group dressed up in Ice Hokey gear surround Mikado and Azusa. Mikado passes Ranma to Akane and tells them both to stay out of the way since he doesn't want them to get hurt. The Hundred foes are then told to strike, but are quickly dispatched by Mikado and Azusa (much to the shock of Ranma and Akane). One of the Hundread foes tells Mikado and Azusa that they got a new record, since they defeated the Hundred foes in nine seconds flat, he then says that they are really the "Golden Pair" of Martial Arts Figure Skating.

Ranma hears this and gains confidence saying that if it's got the word "Martial" in it they can win. Akane looks down at Ranma (who's holding onto her to try and stand up) and tells her that's fine all she has to do now is learn to skate. Ranma and Akane then hear a commotion coming from behind them and turn to see what's going on.

The commotion turns out to be coming from a group of girls who are all chasing after P-chan, to the surprise of Akane, Ranma and the delight of Azusa. Akane then tries to grab P-chan before anyone else can (sending Ranma flying uncontrollably in the opposite direction again), however, just as Akane is about to get P-chan, Azusa matches to skate ahead of Akane and get P-chan for herself.

Azusa then tells her "Charlotte" she has a present for it and then places a collar around P-chan (causing P-chan's bandana to fall off in the process). While Azusa admires how cute the collar looks, Akane takes P-chan away from Azusa and tells her that's a horrible thing to do. However, when Akane tries to take the collar off it won't move and Azusa tells her that to get the collar off she'll have to she'll have to get the key, which she'll only get by winning the match.

This angers Akane who tells Azusa that it doesn't matter if she part of the "Golden Pair" when her and Ranma team up they'll win. However, before Akane can finish telling Azusa this, Ranma shouts to her telling Akane that she'll fall if she doesn't hurry up (much to Akane's annoyance). Just then Mikado catches Ranma and tells her he'll teach her how to skate. Ranma declines the invitation and tells Mikado to let go of her. Mikado says that this a disappointment but tells Ranma that she could at least thanks him for the rescue earlier.

Mikado then kisses Ranma, much to her and Akane's shock (Azusa just looks on uninterested). After a few moments for the shock to kick in some more, Ranma runs off crying. Mikado says that the girl must be a pure innocent to be moved to tears by his kiss. Akane hears this and thinks to herself that Mikado would do the same if he knew he'd just kissed a boy.

Meanwhile, Ranma (still crying) runs into the male section of the public bathes (much to the shock of the bath patriots). Ranma then jumps in the hot water bathes saying to herself how dare Mikado do that, and to make it worse he did it in front of Akane. Ranma then re-emerges in his male form (to the confusion of the bath patriots) saying that Mikado won't get away with this.

Mikado talks to himself about he's ashamed with himself about how he made a girl weep with his kiss. Ranma then arrives and shouts Mikado's name to get his attention. When Mikado looks he sees Ranma (who's lodged his skates into the rink floor so he can stand) shouting at him, telling him that he'll fight right here and now, and that he can't allow him to live.

Akane looks on as Mikado asks Ranma what this is about as he just came out of nowhere. Ranma tells Mikado that for the first time in his life he's really mad. Ranma then punches the rink and creates a large crack in the ice. Mikado calmly tells Ranma that he doesn't know he's angry about, but for the sin of damaging the rink he cannot be forgiven and tells Ranma to lead on. Ranma then tells Mikado that he'll make him pay with his life.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Akane Tendo
 * Ranma Saotome (female)
 * Azusa Shiratori
 * Mikado Sanzenin
 * Ryoga Hibiki (P-chan)
 * Ranma Saotome (male)

Quotes

 * Stand up straight! You're a man aren't you? R-Right at the moment, I'm a woman! - Akane trying to get Ranma to stand up while they skate and Ranma's response.
 * A... A... A man who can't can't skate... Looks... Looks ridiculous! - Ranma explaining why she's in her female form while trying to learn to skate.
 * For your information... it looks pretty ridiculous when you're a woman, too! - Akane's response to the above comment by Ranma.
 * M-Mikado Sanzenin... Eh...? Have we met? That's odd. I'm sure if I'd met a girl as cute as you... I'd never forgotten it! - Ranma when Mikado catches her and Mikado's response.
 * Martial...? You mean... this is going to be combat skating? We can win! If it's got the word "Martial" in it, we can win! - Ranma when she hears that the Golden Pair are masters of Martial Arts Figure Skating.
 * Sure we can. All you have to do is learn to skate. - Akane's response to Ranma's above comment.
 * Hmph! I don't care if you are the "Golden Pair"... when Ranma and I pair up... - Akane shouting at Azusa just before Ranma interrupts.
 * YEEOW!! AKANE!! IF YOU DON'T CATCH ME I'M GONNA FALL DOWN! - Ranma interrupting Akane when she's shouting at Azusa.
 * Ah, to weep like that! What a pure, innocent girl! I guess he would feel like crying... after being kissed by a boy. - Mikado after Ranma runs off crying after being kissed and Akane's thought to herself about what Mikado just said.
 * That lousy-- How dare he? How dare he? How dare he how dare he how dare he how dare! And in front of Akane, yet! - Ranma's thoughts to himself about being kissed by Mikado.
 * For the first time... in my whole life... I'M REALLY MAD!! - Ranma just before he punches the Skating Rink.
 * I don't know what you're angry about... but for the damage sin of damaging the scared rink... you must die! Lead on!! - Mikado accepting Ranma's challenge.

Trivia

 * In the chapter features Ranma's first kiss of the series (from Mikado Sanzenin).