Neko Hanten, 10:35 P.M
« Aiyaaaaa », Shampoo squealed, pulling out a small woodbox from one of the drawers of the old buffet her great-grandmother had just received from China. « This probably very old item » she murmured, caressing the engraved Chinese signs, « Shampoo cannot read what written ». She tried to open it with both hands, but it seemed to be locked.
« What have you got there, Shampoo ? » Cologne asked, who had just appeared from behind the stove, holding a broom half-bigger than her in her right hand. Shampoo walked towards her ancestor and handed her the little box.
« Not open », Shampoo said, frowning.
She handed it to her great-grandmother who murmured : « The box only could be sold a little ten thousand yen... » Cologne gave a quick, delicate blow on it, so as to open it without causing too much damage. Inside of it were a pearl necklace, a 100 yen coin and a stack of tickets, all identical, showing a laughing chinese man washing his back with a golden backscratcher.
« That, Shampoo can read » the blue-haired Amazon gloated, then started to read out loud what was written next to the laughing man. When she was finished, a grin had emerged on both her and her great-grandmother's faces.
« Free tickets to go to any springs in China ! You know what that means Shampoo... ». Shampoo's smile grew broader as an image of herself, beautiful in her chinese-style wedding dress, holding Ranma's hand, appeared in her mind.
« Ranma never have to fear Shampoo transforming into cat again... Shampoo whole woman again ! ».
Uchhan's Okonomiyaki, 4:50 P.M
« Want another Ranchan, Ranchan ? » Ukyo chuckled, as a giant okonomiyaki suddenly appeared on Ranma's plate, even before he could answer her question.
Akane's heart pounded painfully in her chest, as she noticed Ranma's hungry eyes, and it almost broke her when he eagerly jabbed his fork into the japanese pizza. She had never seen him with that expression on his face when she would serve him her homemade meals. On the contrary, he would always make up a silly excuse in order not to have to taste her cooking.
Calling her special okonomiyaki "Ranchan" ! Can she get any foolisher ? Akane thought, fuming on the inside.
« You're sure you don't want one, Akane-chan ? » Ukyo asked with a smooth voice.
Akane simply shook her head and claimed that she was not hungry at all.
Ranma sniggered : « No wonder you're not hungry, you ate like a sow at lunchtime ».
Akane gave him a nasty look. She wasn't in the mood for joking, her head had been aching since early in the morning. She had had a gymnastics competition the day before, challenging the girls from St-Bacchus high school, and Kodachi's unforgettable laughter was still echoing through her brain.
At this moment, Ryoga entered the restaurant, gasping, holding onto his red umbrella, as if it was a cane.
« Ryoga-kun ! What are you doing here ? I thought you had left on a trip to Okinawa » Akane exclaimed.
Ukyo looked at him with a disappointed face : « I told you to be there on Monday, you're almost one week late » She then disappeared in the kitchen and came back, holding a blue uniform : « Ryoga is going to work for me for a while ».
Ranma almost choked : « Ryoga's gonna work for you ? Why's that ? He can't even cook ramen ».
Ryoga threw his umbrella at Ranma, who easily dodged it : « Shut up, you rude miscreant, all you do is talk nonsense ». He put on the uniform Ukyo was handing him and joined her behind the hot plate. « I need to settle down for a bit. And earning a little money won't hurt ».
Akane smiled : « It's good to see you here. Will you still be in town when my birthday comes up ? ».
Akane didn't notice anything, but Ryoga's cheeks slightly blushed as he answered : « Sure, you can count on me, Akane-san ».
Ranma immediately understood what the lost boy had in mind. He was gonna use the money to buy Akane a present, there was no doubt about it. But what was he gonna get her ? Ranma had thought of getting her something girlish like a dress or a purse, but he knew too well how Akane would always misunderstand his intentions. If he was to buy her this kinda things, she would probably throw them all back at him, thinking he wanted to tell her that she was too much of a tomboy, and should dress more like a girl. No, he definately had better come up with a better idea, and quick, because Akane's birthday happened to be in two weeks...
On the way to the Tendo House, 5:20 P.M
« So, Akane... how do you feel about turning 18 ? » Ranma asked, walking on the fence that ran along the street, hands behind his neck.
Akane sighed contently : « It feels nice. Leaving childhood... it's almost like starting a new life... »
She looked at Ranma, who seemed preoccupied : « But you know what it's like, don't you ? You've been there too, last summer... »
Memories of Ranma's 18th birthday appeared in her mind. It had been quite a disppointing day... Akane had only been able to see Ranma late at night, after he'd come back from an arduous training trip with his father, and both were way too wiped out to do anything else but drop dead on their beds afterwards. « My son has become a man... » Genma had asserted before collapsing, dead-tired.
« Guess so... » Ranma answered, also remembering the horrible day his 18th birthday had been. In fact, he had thought of confessing his love to Akane on that day... the last day of his childhood, his last chance to prove that he had become a man and wasn't scared of showing his true feelings anymore... But he hadn't had the chance to spend a single minute with her, his father waking him up at 5 in the morning and dragging him into the deep forrest to teach him the "ultimate Saotome school of Martial Arts' technique". When they'd come back from their trip, he was too damn exhausted to confess anything... And with all the sweat and dirty clothes... Akane deserved better than a disastrous declaration of love.
Ranma cleared his throat : « So uhm... What would you like me to get you ? » It was blunt, but at least he wouldn't have to get all worked up about what was good for a present and what wasn't...
« I don't know... Surprise me » Akane answered, a mysterious smile stretched on her face.
Damn it. He was gonna get all worked up.
« Akane-san ! » suddenly shouted a voice that Ranma knew too well.
Ryoga ran to catch up on them, still wearing his blue uniform.
« Hey Ryoga, weren't you supposed to work until 6 ? » Akane queried.
« Ukyo closed after you left. She didn't feel so well... something about P.M.S... guess I'm just gonna go home »
« By the way, where are you gonna crash while you're in Nerima ? » Ranma asked.
« That's a good question ».
Ranma almost fell off the fence.
« You mean... you came here without even knowing where you'd be staying ? »
Ryoga turned crimson as he stammered : « Well, I actually thought that... I mean, if it's not too much trouble... that I could... »
« You can stay at my house as long as you want, Ryoga-kun » Akane offered.
Ryoga sighed with relief : « Thank you very much Akane-san ».
Ranma felt anger's poison run through his veins. Not only did Ryoga take adventage of the situation by sleeping with Akane while in his pig form, but now he was gonna stick around in the Tendo house in his human form too... Ranma felt like he was about to explode. He longed for Akane to realize that Ryoga and P-chan were the same person, but he was loyal, and he took responsability for Ryoga's curse... he would never allow himself to let the information "slip"out of his mouth, even though he enjoyed teasing Ryoga about it.
Once they arrived at the Tendo house, Akane and Kasumi helped Ryoga settle in. Since there was no other room available in the house, he was to sleep with... Ranma and his father.
Ranma warned him on the spot : « You betta not splash any cold water on me while I'm sleeping Ryoga... I know you've been seduced by my female charms, but you betta keep your hands offa me if you don't wanna die »
« Knock it off Ranma, I wouldn't want to touch you even if I was paid for it ».
They had dinner all together, Akane's father not bothered a bit about Ryoga's presence : « The more , the merrier ! ». Then they played shogi.
« Ryoga, you play way better than Ranma » Soun cried out.
« That's right Ryoga-kun, Ranma always ends up broke when we play for money » Nabiki added.
Sick of all the disparagement about himself, Ranma isolated himself in the dojo.
« Dare he try and take my place... » he thought, punching the empty air.
He spent a few minutes fighting against an invisible opponent, when a high-pitched voice interrupted him.
« Nihao Ranma ! »
Shampoo was standing in the door-frame, a smile streteched on her lips. « Shampoo have big surprise for you... ».
« Shampoo what the hell are you doing here ? » Ranma asked, trying not to speak too loud.
The blue-haired Amazon gracefully leapt near Ranma and snuggled against his chest.
« Airen no happy that wife come see him ? » she simpered, snuggling closer.
« Shampoo, I am not your "airen", and you... are so not my wife ! You should go before anyone sees you here or they're gonna think we... »
« Raaaanma !!! »
Ryoga had just come inside the dojo, his fists clenched, his face red with fury. « How can you be doing things with some girl when you are engaged to Akane ?! »
« Ryoga you got it all wrong, Shampoo was just passing by, she was leaving when you... »
« Shut up ! I will punish you for humiliating dear Akane !!! »
In the meantime
Akane had just finished taking her bath when she noticed that the lights were still on in the dojo. « Ranma has been in there since dinner... I should go and check on him. »
Tendo Dojo, 10:45 P.M
Ryoga and Ranma were looking at each other defiantly.
« You wanted to fight, then fight ! » Ranma cried out.
Ryoga didn't need to be told twice. He jumped on his opponent and threw him against the wall. Ranma was surprised of the strength Ryoga had put in the blow, but quickly came back to his senses and responded by a series of fast-paced punches, that Ryoga managed to dodge.
« Stop it ! » a feminine voice shouted from the door. They both turned around to find Akane in her blue pajamas, standing in the door-frame with an angry look. « What are you two fighting over, at such a late hour ? ».
« That be right, why you two fighting ? Shampoo only come to see Ranma, Ryoga can have Akane »
« And what is SHE doing here ?! » Akane exclaimed, looking angrily at Ranma.
Ryoga grasped Ranma's head and forced him down : « Ranma, apologize to Akane »
Ranma freed himself from Ryoga's clasp, caught his arms and held him down with his foot.
« Akane, there's nothing to explain, I have no idea what Shampoo is doing here either »
« Oh yeah, you bet ! » Akane yelled, a fiery glow igniting in her eyes.
Ranma walked to the door : « Look, you guys won't listen to me then just believe whatever you want... »
« I'm not done with you yet !!! Come back here, you coward ! » Ryoga shouted, following Ranma outside.
« Airen wait ! Shampoo not give big surprise yet ! »
Ranma turned around, blasé : « Oh great another surprise, what could it be ? Bewitched mushrooms maybe ? Or could it be a bell haunted by a huge Ghost-Cat, or... a red thread that you're gonna tie around my finger ? Oh no wait, you've already done all those things, surely you must've come up with another way to make me marry you against my will »
Shampoo stood still, her eyes filled with tears : « Ranma no want tickets to cursed springs, then Shampoo offer tickets to Ryoga, zai jian ! »
She leapt over the gate and disappeared in the dark streets.
Ryoga, Akane and Ranma did not move for a while, their brains analyzing what their ears had just heard.
« Did she say... » Akane began.
« Cursed springs ? » Ranma finished off.
They all looked down at Ryoga's right hand, holding a little piece of paper, which was undulating in the soft wind.
Next thing Ryoga knew, the ticket had disappeared from his hand and Ranma was looking closely at it.
« Give it back, you thief ! ».
« C'mon Ryoga, be generous, b'sides, why would YOU wanna go to Jusenkyo ? » Ranma snickered.
« That's right Ryoga, what do you want to do at the cursed springs ? » Akane asked, with a curious look.
Ryoga flushed and gave a forced laugh « Well I... I just... ».
Ranma put a hand on his shoulder : « It's okay dude, it's a 2-persons ticket anyway... you wanna see me become a man again don't you ? »
Ryoga had no choice but to approve, despite himself : « Guess I wouldn't miss that »
« Oh Ryoga-kun you're always so nice, it's very sweet of you » Akane praised him, which caused Ranma to regret his generous gesture.
Later in the night – Ranma's room
« Damn you Ranma, I could have invited Akane-san to any hot springs in China if you hadn't butted in »
« ...Jeez you're so ungrateful, you should thank me for saving you earlier ! You had no good reason for wanting to go to Jusenkyo, Akane would've found out the truth about you if I hadn't helped you out... »
He thought for a moment, staring at the dark ceiling of the room, then asked : « You'd rather go to some hot springs with Akane than be a full man again ? »
Ryoga sighed contently as he answered : « Spending a moment alone with her (in his human form, he precised) is worth much better than getting back my real body... »
Ranma stayed quiet for a moment and realized that he pretty much felt the same. He had already compared his love for Akane to his desire of getting back his manhood... one was a thousand times stronger than the other... but the problem was, he had somehow convinced himself that he would only have the guts to tell her about his true feelings once he'd be a whole man again. Now that he was about to go to China, the moment when he'd get back his full masculinity was almost tangible, and so was the moment he'd man up and confess to Akane... Maybe he could even be back soon enough to be there when Akane's birthday showed up... « Surprise me » Akane had said. Well, thought Ranma, I think that's gonna be quite a surprise...
He felt a shiver run down his spine. It was now only a few days ahead...