Hello! Here I am, writing a new story of our favorite couple. Yes, I'm engaging them again (well, kind of), but this time it's their own choice... well, kind of.
Enjoy!
SHOOTING STAR.
CHAPTER ONE.
Kuonji Ukyo sat on her rooftop with a cup of lukewarm cocoa in her hands, stargazing.
The sky was clear that night, even though it had been raining all day long.
It was as quiet as any night in Nerima could be, and she was enjoying the silence, for once.
Her mind was too much of a jumble to worry about anything else but her thoughts.
That morning, her father had called and happily announced that he was coming for the weekend to meet her fiancé.
A fiancé whom, unfortunately, did not exist. Well, kind of.
Ukyo sighed, taking a sip of her cocoa and wishing she would be far, far away.
She had been lying to her dad for the last year. It hadn't been her fault; actually, it had been just a misunderstanding that got way out of hand… well, kind of. And she wouldn't have had to lie if it wasn't for the stupid, ridiculous condition her dad had set on her inheritance; otherwise she wouldn't have gotten into this mess. It was all her father's fault, actually.
It had all started two years ago, when Ranma finally choose a bride: Akane. No surprises there. She accepted defeat with honor (after having a fit, almost destroying the whole restaurant, siding up with Shampoo to hurt Akane, and so on…), and became friends with the shorthaired girl (after begging for forgiveness, of course, but Akane had shown herself surprisingly understanding); but her father had been another matter.
She had failed to restore the family honor; therefore, the Kuonji patriarch had imposed that she had to get engaged again before becoming an adult and claiming her title as a Kuonji Okonomiyaki Chef; that meant: before she turned twenty.
She was only six months away from her twentieth birthday, and she had really thought she could have pulled it off if her father hadn't wanted to come.
The plan had been simple: she would stay engaged until a few days after her birthday, and then she would call her father and tell him they had broken up. It would have been extremely suspicious, but she would already have her title, something her dad couldn't take away once he'd given it to her.
She should have been prepared, though; it had been a year since he last visited her; but she'd hoped that he would've wanted to wait for another six months to spend her birthday with her, and she would've been fine.
Ukyo rested her back on the cool tiles, the stars twinkling above her. She cracked a smile when she remembered who she had mentioned when her father had asked her fiancé's name.
It had made some kind of sense back then, actually, since she had told her father that her fiancé was never around since he was a martial artist and went on a lot of training trips…
A chuckle escaped her; what on Earth she'd been thinking? She had just blurted out his name after trying to make one up. She had come to the conclusion that it had been because she was used to drag him into those ridiculous plans of hers, so it was only natural that his name would come so easily when making up a new scheme… even if he wasn't aware that he was a part of it.
At least it was true that he was never around. After Ranma's decision, he had practically disappeared, coming back to town for a brief visit every now and then; or so Ranchan had told her. She hadn't seen him in almost two years. He was probably now lost in Alaska or something of the like.
Not that it matters, anyway…
She looked at the stars, twinkling brightly in the clear night, when a shooting star crossed the sky and she made a desperate wish…
She snorted at herself; those things only happened in movies.
The market was bustling with people that morning, making it difficult to walk. She should have come earlier, but she had slept in and she had to open for the breakfast rush later than usual.
She wondered what her mornings would be like once her father kicked her out of the family's trade and she found herself homeless and unemployed.
She sighed as she bought some cabbage; she'd been on the road before; she'd manage somehow.
Ukyo stuffed the last bag into her cart and started rolling it behind her, leisurely walking the streets full of stalls. It was a normal thing for her, but this time she would take her time, absorb every little detail of the place, since she didn't know what would come for her after the weekend.
She was deciding on whether or not to buy some strawberries for a pie when a glint of red caught her eye.
Turning her head around, there was an all too familiar backpack with a red bamboo umbrella strapped on top of it, and a dark haired head with a yellow and black bandanna looking around a few feet away.
It couldn't be. It wasn't even possible that the lost boy would appear in Nerima the day after her father had called, when he hadn't been around in ages…, and exactly the same day that she had come to the market later than usual…, right after she made that silly wish…
She hurried down the sidewalk, the cart's wheels making a creaking sound. It didn't matter how bizarre it was, he was there!
The boy started walking and she accelerated her pace, not wanting to lose him in the crowd. She was about to catch up with him when he suddenly stopped.
"Eeep!" She planted her feet mere inches away from his backpack, avoiding bumping into it, dropping the cart, which made a scattering sound.
He turned around with a map in his hands, looking curiously at her, until he seemed to recognize her.
"Ukyo?" She hated the uncertainty in his voice, and when she looked at him, hated the incredulity in his eyes even more.
She had stopped dressing as a boy some time ago, but there were still times like this when someone noticed the change in her, making her feel extremely self-conscious.
She noticed she had to lift her head up to look at his face, and his frame was wider. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who had changed.
"Hi Ryoga, I thought it was you." She smiled when he retrieved the cart from the street and gave it back to her. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said, scratching the back of his head.
"So, what are you doing in the market?"
He cleared his throat, "I was trying to find the way to the Saotome-Tendo Dojo;" he said solemnly, making her smile. After two years, she still was getting used to the new name.
"Oh, I can take you there; we just have to make a quick stop by my restaurant…"
…long enough for me to convince you to play as my fiancé this weekend.
"If it's not too much bother…" He doubted.
"Of course not! Come on."
She was surprised when he took the cart from her hands and started rolling it behind him.
"Always a gentleman, huh?" She teased, a bit disappointed when the usual blush didn't exploded on his cheeks; he just offered a little smile. "What brings you back to Nerima? Are you visiting Akane and Ranchan?"
He shrugged, "I was planning on coming back sometime around this year, but I was heading for the mountains. I heard there was a cursed hot spring in a hidden temple and I wanted to give it a try…" He suddenly pressed his lips together, as if he wasn't supposed to share that little piece of information with her.
"A cure for your curse?"
"I was hoping so."
He shook his head.
"What?" She prodded, suddenly curious. He looked at her.
"I was sure I was on the right track…"
She sweat-dropped; could it be that he was there because of her wish? Or was it just because of his terrible sense of direction and it was all a coincidence?
She laughed nervously; "maybe you're here for a reason…"
"Well, you know me, always turning up in the most unexpected times…"
She blurted a laugh, surprised by the humor in his voice. In other times, that sentence would have come heavy with irony and disdain.
They reached her restaurant and she entered through the back door that led straight to her apartment. Ryoga left the cart beside the door, still outside.
"Hey, come in;" she invited, hiding a smile when he looked confused.
"Aren't we going to the Dojo?"
"I've been walking all morning, I'm hungry." She made a fuss of rolling her eyes, taking a pot of leftover takoyaki from the fridge. "Want some?" She waggled the pot in front of her before turning on the oven.
"I wouldn't want to…" He was cut off by the loud noise coming from his stomach. Aaand there it was, the cute blush. She burst into a laugh.
"Come on, let's eat first."
He nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly, and stepped inside, leaving his heavy backpack on the floor next to the door. She motioned for him to sit down, setting the table.
"What have you been doing all this time?" She started conversationally, the question she needed to ask was heaving on her tongue, but she couldn't sum up the courage yet.
"I've been around…"
"Care to elaborate?"
"Why are you being so nice to me?" He asked suspiciously, taking her by surprise.
"W-what do you mean?"
He narrowed his eyes at her, tapping his chopsticks on the table. Ukyo nibbled her thumbnail nervously.
"You're never this nice… You want something from me, don't you?"
His face suddenly changed from suspicion to resignation, and she wondered when he had become so wary.
She doubted a little before relenting, "Yes…"
"What do you want?"
She blushed from head to toe, unbelieving she was actually going to ask him for this…
"I want you to be my fiancé."
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