Chapter I: Ranma's Realizations
It was a quiet peaceful afternoon at Nerima. The sun is shining vibrantly outside and the birds are chirping, the warm wind is embedding the whole place. Everything is so serene...that is until...
"RANMA NO BAKA!"
WHACK
The furious Akane is standing in front of the pond, her fist raised. And from that, you can see Ranma dash through the fishpond...
"Ack!" the red haired Ranma-chan reacted as he spitted out water. "What do you expect me to do! Eat your horrible cooking! Oh please Akane, I don't wanna die yet!"
"H-How dare you insult me you baka!" Akane yelled back. "I've worked so hard in that cooking and this is what you'll do! Go at the Nekohanten and flirt with Shampoo while I'm here, patiently waiting for you to go home!"
"Oh for pete's sake! I'm not flirting with her1" answered Ranma-chan while going out the pond. "It's just that she's a better cook than you! Admit that to yourself Akane!"
Akane was silenced for almost a minute there...
"Y-you're an ignorant jerk Ranma!"
"Yes,I may be." Ranma-chan sarcastically answered, his back facing Akane. "At least I 'am admitting that to myself unlike you who can't accept that your an awful cook, a kawaii-kune onna and a tomboy! Sheesh Akane, you'll be doing everybody a really big favor especially me"
But Akane didn't say a single word anymore and moved her cooked food closer to Ranma-chan as if ordering him to eat it. Ranma-chan on the other hand, stared in terror at the utterly disgusting food. It was a seafood stew with the fish still moving and trying to get out of the bowl. In a whim (or maybe he meant it), Ranma accidentally shoves off Akane's food and it flew in the air and landed on her head.
"Wow Akane!" Ranma-chan laughed hysterically. "That is a good look for you. Now tell me, with the food on your head and apparently in your mouth, how does it taste?"
And he laughed more, teasing Akane. But Akane didn't reply nor make the usual things she does like pounding him with her mallet, she just stood there...
"R-Ranma..." Akane's voice cracked. "O-ok, I know you didn't like me or rather never liked me. And I also know , you never cared for me and my feelings. B-But it's ok...I-I just want you t-to k-know that I've worked almost t-two hours to cook this food. I kept on trying to get it right...for you..."
Ranma-chan turned to Akane and saw tears flowing down her face...
"A-Akane, I-I'm-"
And before Ranma-chan could apologize, she turned her heel on him...
"If you really want me out of your life, just tell me. Don't ridicule me and tell me my every imperfection...because I already know that so don't slap it on my face..."
And she walked away, up to her room. He wanted to follow Akane and ask for forgiveness but it's like his feet is pinned on the floor. And right at that moment, Nabiki entered...
"Tadaima!" she said. "Oh! Ranma, why are you standing there? Did you eat what Akane cooked for you? Well, try at least; she really did her best to make the food good."
"Yeah...I know..."
Ranma-chan went to the kitchen and poured hotwater over his head and with that, he turned back into a guy again...
"No one can ever hide anything from me!"
"H-huh?"
Nabiki shrugged and said...
"You know, you should apologize right away." Nabiki warned him. "Before things get out of hand..."
And she went up to her room...
Ranma shrugged. After minutes of deciding what to do, Ranma went out and climbed to the roof...
"You should be thankful Akane. It's not often a martial artist swallows his pride." He whispered to himself.
He peeped towards her window and saw her lying on her bed, she's wiping her head with a towel because of the food that is spilled over her a while ago but Ranma noticed it's not only that she's wiping. Ranma frowned; she still crying. When he was about to step in "Yo" (like what he always does), he heard her say...
"Why does he keep on doing this to me?" she asked in a sob. "I've really tried my best for him but it seems not enough. HE would always compare me with his other fiancees and God knows how that hurts!"
Ranma was petrified on what he's hearing. He mustered the courage and walked to her window...
"U-umm...A-Akane...?" he started.
Akane raised her head. Ranma saw her puffy, red eyes...
"What are you doing here!" A tone of anger on her voice. "You wanna throw your stupid insults to me again huh!"
"I-I...uh...I'm h-here t-to..." He scratched his head, he didn't know where to start. He's not really an expert when it comes to apoligizing.
"What! Spit it out!" Akane bellowed.
Ranma bowed his head...
"Know what? If you'll just stand and gag there, I'm gonna kick you out!" She stood up.
"No, wait!" He raised his two hands in surrender. "I-I'm here to a-apologize...:"
Akane didn't speak for a moment. Silence enveloped them. It was broken with a smirk from Akane...
"Apologize? The great Ranma Saotome apologizes to me? Why, I have to be honored!" She turned her back on him. Ranma frowned. "Ranma, I'm getting tired of this, tired of getting hurt from your stupid remarks. Tired of getting hurt with all your darn fiancees. I'm just tired being one of your fiancees."
"Akane, I-" But he was cut off.
"None of us really wanted this anyway. You don't want me because I'm an uncute, violent tomboy who can't even cook." Ranma opened his mouth for a protest but Akane stopped him. "And I don't want you becuase I know that..." Akane looked down, her bangs covering her eyes. "Becuase I know that you'll never be happy with me...:
"Akane, thats not-"
"I'm calling off the engagement." Akane turned to him. She's smiling but tears were falling down her eyes. Ranma's heart crashed into pieces seeing Akane cry because of him. "I'm letting you go now Ranma..." Then, she turned to leave the room. Ranma was dumbfounded. Is this what he really want? If Akane is gone, no one will spank him with a mallet anymore. If Akane's gone, no one will make him eat a horrible cooking that'll kill him. But then, the biggest question of all is, if Akane's gone, will h manage to live?
"Akane, no!" He ran to her. He reached for her and rashly pulled her in an embrace.
"Let go of me Ranma you pervert!" Akane shouted.
"No Akane, please don't leave me..." Akane heard his voice quivered. "Are you crying Ranma...?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry if I've hurt you so many times. But Akane please, don't leave me..."
"But your not happy with me Ranma. Your always saying that your so unlucky to have a violent tomboy of a fiancee. And-"
Ranma gently puts a finger in her lips to silence her. He brushed her tears away. He moved his face closer to Akane. Their foreheads touching each other...
"There is no word that can tell you how I really feel." His eyes were soft, his voice so tender. "But, I LOVE YOU is the only word that can express it..."
"Oh Ranma..."
"I'm so stupid not to admit it. I caused you so much pain. I'm very sorry Akane, I really am. But I just can't take the risk of you leaving me, I just can't."
Then, he raised her face. Their lips touched, their hands clasped. The kiss lasted for almost an eternity. After that, Ranma embraced Akane really tight...
"I love you Akane..."
"You don't knwo how happy you've made me Ranma...I love you too." She answered back.
"So, about our engagement. Are you still calling it off?" Ranma teased.
"Who told you I'm going to call it off anyway?" Akane giggled.
Ranma chuckled. He looked at Akane in the eyes, "Then, lets make it official..."
Akane's eyes widened. She smiled and hugged Ranma tight. "Oh Ranma!"
NOTE OF THE AUTHOR: Konnochiwa! A repost! Hm...I didn't get enough feedbacks from the readers. I really want a review, pleeeaassee! Hehehe. So, after reading, why don't you drop a review, that's not much work isn't it? So domo arigato for reading! This is snow winter, signing off!