Ryoga examined his reflection. His hair was neatly brushed, he was closely shaved (not that it made a huge amount of difference-he didn't really have much facial hair yet), and his clothes looked immaculate.

He had been nervous that he wouldn't be able to make it to the coming-of-age ceremony-either the one nearest his home, or the one in Nerima, or the one here, nearest the farm. But, as it sometimes did, Ryoga's serendipity got him to one of the locations on time-the one he most wanted to go to.

Okay, to be perfectly honest, he was a little sad not being in Nerima. It'd be funny to see if Ranma ended up going in a furisode . And, of course, Akane would be lovely in hers.

Not that he still had a thing for her. She was just a friend. If you don't believe it, just ask her.

Besides, he was with Akari now. They weren't married yet-or engaged, for that matter-but there was a certain unspoken understanding. The best kind of understanding.

They had managed a long-distance relationship for nearly four years now. At some point, they'd move to a more permanent status. When they were older. When they were-Ryoga smiled-adults. Because that's what coming-of-age is all about, right?

He heard a soft tapping at the door, so he slid it open. Akari stood there. She smiled and took a good long look at him. "Oh my… Ryoga-kun looks so handsome in hakama . I'm glad you decided not to wear the suit."

'More like you decided that I wouldn't wear a suit,' Ryoga thought. Over time he found that Akari was making more and more executive sartorial decisions. That's not to say he minded. Clothes were clothes, as far as he was concerned, as long as he was able to fight. And stay dry.

"But what are you going to be wearing, Akari-chan? You know we have to leave soon to go to the ceremony."

"Me? Oh, I'm just wearing this dress. After all, it's not my coming-of-age year."

"It isn't? Oh, I guess I just assumed. Then, next year?"

"No, Ryoga-kun, I've already had mine."

"What? Why didn't you tell me? I would have liked to have gone to your ceremony last year."

"But it wasn't last year-Ryoga-kun, I had my coming-of-age before we met."

WHAT.

"Akari-chan… you're 24?"

"Now, Ryoga-kun, you know you shouldn't ask a lady her age. But for the record, I'm 35."

There are moments of shock that are never forgotten. The one Ryoga was experiencing ranked below "Getting tossed into boiling hot water by a Chinese guide" but above "Finding out it was Ranma's fault." His mouth hung open, which was just as well, as words failed him utterly.

Eventually, his main, unspoken (unspeakable?) thought become, 'Akari-chan is just five years younger than my mom?'

"H-how? That can't be! Are you joking with me? You definitely look younger than me!"

Akari smiled and hugged him. "That's very sweet of you to say, Ryoga-kun. The women in my family have always looked younger than their actual age. You should see the pictures of me and Mother and Grandmother together."

The maelstrom that was Ryoga's mind began to calm down. 'Should I feel angry? Why? Akari never lied to me, I just never asked her before. Should I feel disappointed? Akari is still Akari after all. I guess I just always assumed that I was older and the fact that I'm not makes me feel a little weird. Maybe I'll get used to it.' Ryoga returned the hug. "Y-yeah. maybe you should show me those pictures sometime."

He had a sudden thought.

"Akari-chan?"

"Yes?"

"So you were 31 when we met?"

"Yes."

"...if you were in your thirties, why were you having Katsunishiki attack high school students?"

"..."

Notes: I had been toying with the idea of writing a story where Akari is younger than Ryoga, but it just wouldn't come together. Then I realized that there's more potential in a story where Akari is older.