The sound of chopsticks hitting ceramic plates filled the dinning room. Laughs erupted as Ranma fought Ukyo for the last pickle. Akane and Nabiki talked of college and funds. Kuno and Mousse deep in a conversation about a trip they were planning for next week to the beach. It was 2 months since they had graduated school and spent summer together. It had been a month since the maze.
"Honey, you want some more rice?"
Kasumi smiled at Tofu Ono.
"Sure thing."
Kasumi got a scoop of rice and put it in his empty bowl smiling at him, he kissed her arm and she blushed.
"Ranma, I cant believe you took the last piece of pork. I called it!"
Akane poked him in the stomach with her chopsticks, he smiled.
"Speaking of pork. I wonder where Ryoga has gone to. I haven't seen him in like 6 months."
He couldn't help but miss him a tiny bit. Ukyo's heart raced, she stayed quiet. Akane turned to Ranma.
"Well, he sent me a postcard from Ryugenzawa. He was training and went to go visit Shinnosuke. His grandfather has been getting really sick lately. That was probably a month ago. He said he was going to leave the next day. He should be getting here any time now."
Ranma scratched his head. Nabiki sighed.
"Have you guys noticed something? Ever since like a few years he's been in Nerima less and less. He's been more serious, well...more serious than he already is."
Mousse nodded. "I have a feeling it wasn't the wedding---"
He looked around and whispered.
"The last time I spoke to him he kind of spilled the beans about why he wasn't going to be around here a lot."
Ukyo gulped, she knew it was because of her. Frustration took on Nabiki.
"Well?!"
Mousse whispered even lower, everyone leaned their heads closer to him.
"Well---he just told me that something happened with a special someone. Something turned for the worse and being away from Nerima kept his memories at bay." They all nodded, Ukyo's hands were sweating.
Ryoga.
The dining room went silent.
"Okay, enough of an awkward silence. Are we still on for the beach next week or what?" Ranma spoke through a mouth full of rice.
"YEAH!"
Fists flew in the air.
Ukyo dipped her fingers into the koi pond, Akane sat Indian-style next to her with her hands behind her holding her up. The sun was going down, the sky bled. The door to the dining area lay wide open, the light cast down to where they were sitting. Ranma and Mousse sat in the table watching TV. The spotted koi fish nibbled playfully at her finger, she sighed. Akane looked at her,
"What's wrong?"
Ukyo didn't look back. She hugged her knees with her other arm.
"Nothing."
Akane raised an eyebrow.
"Ukyo, you've been happy all day. In dinner you were fine until we mentioned Ryoga."
Ukyo's stomach gave a lurch, her face burned up.
"I don't give a damn about him!"
Her voice shook, Akane noticed.
"Dont give a damn?"
Ukyo looked at her trying to fight back the tears.
"That's right. I don't give a damn about that jackass! Good thing he never comes around!"
Akane looked at her calmly, "Ukyo---"
She touched her arm.
"---when Mousse said about that special someone...Ryoga was talking about you, wasn't he?" Ukyo placed her hand in her stomach, feeling the urge to scream.
"Ryoga! You just got in!"
Ranma and Mousse got up to greet Ryoga who walked into the dining room. His eyes found a familiar face, Ukyo looked up at him, pain smeared across her face. She stood and ran into the dojo, Akane got the her feet quickly and smiled looking guilty at Ryoga.
"Welcome back."
She ran after Ukyo. Ranma and Mousse stared at each other with wonderment.
"Where do you suppose those girls went?"
Ranma scratched his head. Ryoga stared at the patch of grass where Ukyo sat and frowned.
He stared at his bowl of rice and poked at it with his chopsticks. His ears hummed at the conversation that Ranma and Mousse were having, he wasn't paying attention. He put his hand under his chin and looked over to them half dazed. Ranma looked at him and frowned.
"Ryoga...eat something! You haven't touched your food. You're never here and when you do decide to show up you're all depressed and stuff."
Ryoga looked at him with a bored expression.
"Cant help it."
Mousse stared at him and scratched his nose.
"I guess someone isn't happy to see you."
He gestured towards the garden with his eyes. Ryoga shrugged and looked down at his rice pretending that it was saying something interesting. It was Ukyo that occupied his mind every time that he was Nerima. He hadn't seen her in 3 years and her face only brought painful memories.
Ranma looked at him with a serious face and scratched his chin, thinking.
Why was he acting so weird? He never acted THAT weird. At least not that he could remember. What's up with Ukyo and him? They cant stand looking at each other, they get all quiet when they mention them.
What's going on here?
The floor of the dojo lay dark and smooth, Akane's eyes followed the cracks of the boards. The wood whined under her feet, she saw something shine from far away. Ukyo wiped her face with the neck of her shirt and sniffled.
"Go away Akane!"
Akane frowned and stepped closer to her. Ukyo closed her eyes infuriated and swang her arms towards Akane. She caught them and stared at her. Ukyo's face softened and tears came rolling down her face, Akane wrapped her arms around her. She rubbed her back.
"Talk to me."
Ukyo shook, "I cant be around him. I cant see him anymore."
Akane frowned and hugged her tighter.
*Tell me what ya'll think. Its my 1st try in writing a fanfiction. I'm still in the progress of finishing it. It'll be interesting in the end. I promise.
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