Ranma couldn't help but wake early the next morning, his dreams had just been too fitful. They were filled with images that he liked but didn't want to see and sounds that made him happy but immeasurably depressed. Of course most of this ebbed away as the light streamed in through the window, purging his mind of the dreams. All he was left with was the feeling that he didn't want to go back to sleep and face it all again. Instead he found himself determined to make sure everything was alright with Kasumi, to assure her that everything could still be the same between them.
He crept through the house, admiring how everything looked ever so slightly different bathed in the twilight light of the early morning. He was able to think for a while and surprisingly found his thoughts turn to the more mundane for once. Today he would be going back to school; the vacation had been perfectly booked so that they would come back just before school started again. He didn't mind all that much, it could sometimes be a bore but he honestly found that he learnt the occasional interesting thing.
He would never say it out loud but he was also glad for school because it was a chance to see Ukyo without Akane having any real reason to be jealous. He had come to miss his long-time friend recently now that he had been avoiding her more than usual. An errant thought popped into his head that he had promised himself to check up on Ukyo at some point but never actually did. He smiled and decided that he might as well today, Akane would still be highly strung from everything that happened yesterday and he hoped to avoid the worst of it.
His thoughts turned sour when he began remembering the night. He couldn't believe his mother would do something like that without at least asking him about it first. He sighed lightly, it just wasn't fair for Akane or Kasumi; Ranma knew that it didn't really affect Nabiki, the girl was too strong willed and they both knew Ranma wouldn't have chosen her. He had nothing against Nabiki personally and he knew that the time she had been his fiancée briefly she had Akane's interests at heart but he just couldn't see a future with her.
His thoughts once again took a turn for the better as he remembered the latter aspect of the evening. His hand subconsciously moved to the phantom feeling of Kasumi's lips on his own, it was a sensation he wasn't going to forget any time soon. He sighed again and wondered why it couldn't be that simple with Akane. Why couldn't a simple hug or a kiss put everything right between them? He of course knew the answer but didn't want to really admit it to himself.
He remembered Yuhi's passing words on Akane. 'Probably due to paranoia and self-esteem issues'. With a wince he remembered all of the names and insults he had thrown at her over the years. 'Tomboy' 'uncute' 'flat-chested', he realised that they were all about her appearance and tiredly shook his head. Akane obviously had issues before his arrival but Ranma could never take the partial blame off of himself for making them worse. At the time he just couldn't have risked nice words, what with the father's so trigger-happy on the wedding bells.
He knew that was no excuse. At one point he really had loved Akane, more than anything in the world and he had admitted it to himself at Jusendo. If he truly had been happy then what difference did being married to her really make? He dreaded the answer because it was far simpler than anything he had tried to bluff or fumble over in the past. If anything it would have solved more than a few problems in his life, the fiancée issue for one, as well as the worst of his father's nagging.
Again, his mind flipped to the alternative, the fact that neither he nor Akane were ready for marriage, at any time in the last two years. It wasn't that they were too young, that was a tired excuse that had lost all its meaning over the years. He just knew that both of them had various issues that needed dealt with before either of them could have committed to a long term relationship. Akane had her anger and intimacy issues and Ranma wasn't Mr Perfect when it came to dealing with emotion.
Maybe if the father's had backed off and let the relationship run smoothly. Maybe if Ranma had thought more clearly before engaging in a fight when he knew nothing of the village's customs. Maybe if he had realised his childhood friend had been a girl. Maybe if he had waited one more day in that lot behind Ryoga's house. Maybe if his own father hadn't been such a lazy, greedy, selfish ass. Maybe if Ranma wasn't the focal point for all the chaos in Tokyo.
He sighed as Kasumi's words drifted through his mind. 'Never look to the past Ranma, all you find is pain'. The brighter light now streaming in through the windows alerted him to the fact it was almost the time that Kasumi would be getting up. He stood up, feeling less tired now that he had a chance to think about things. He wasn't any closer to a resolution, on anything, but he at least believed it was a start. Ranma knew better than most that even a single step is an important one on a long journey.
He prepared the kitchen, marvelling at how clean it already was. When he and Kasumi had arrived back she had immediately noticed the slight layer of dirt in the kitchen and had gone about setting things straight. It seemed that at least Ranma had been right and the remaining residents were able to care for themselves in Kasumi's absence, although he wondered how they might have fared if Nodoka hadn't been around to pick up the slack.
He started preparing the breakfast and soon enough everything he had learnt from Kasumi came rushing back, even after three days without practice. Arms moved without him really needing to tell them what to do and quickly he was in the thick of it, the same state he was in when Kasumi finally rounded the doorframe into the kitchen. She paused momentarily at the sight of him and his heart shuddered but she pushed past it, smiling serenely at him before beginning her own morning routine of cleaning and preparation for the rest of the day.
This continued in awkward silence that neither participant was quite ready to relieve, even as they both finished up and Ranma set the table. It was his first day back and he couldn't help but notice and remember the different conditions of each resident as they drearily shuffled to the table. He especially smiled at Nabiki's completely unaware state that could only be solved by her traditional cup of coffee. He was also pleasantly surprised to find that his mother had stayed over tonight; he had heard something about the re-construction being delayed due to a large fight breaking out in the neighbourhood.
He waited on the last member of the house to finally trickle in and after a few more moments with the smell of food slowly saturating the air Akane entered. He expected anger, frustration, annoyance, and at least a few glares but instead the girl that walked in the room was hardly the Akane Tendo he knew. Instead of the fiery girl that he had come to call friend over the last year, an inward, meek, sad-looking girl shuffled into the room before sitting down at her spot without a word. He wanted to ask what was going on but he started to notice subtle differences in the others as well.
Genma wasn't making his usual effort to steal Ranma's food, making a half-assed attempt at even the easiest of targets. Soun had abandoned his morning newspaper, instead glancing sullenly between his eldest and youngest daughters. Once Nabiki was free of her early morning fogginess Ranma could see she lacked the normal smirk she wore in the morning as she waited for something to occur that she could take advantage of.
All in all the entire mood of the table was sombre and down-cast, with nobody able to bring themselves to speak. Ranma also saw that Kasumi obviously shared his confusion at the turn of events. She knew her family better than anyone so there were even more subtle hints that told her something was severely off about this morning. Even Nodoka seemed affected, a surprisingly grim and determined look set upon her normally warm features. However far from the depressed mood shared by the others the older woman had a glint in her eye that told of victory, a look Ranma knew from his own eyes all too often.
Ranma began to fidget, moods at the table were hardly uncommon and he was usually the one to set them off. It was just the fact that he had no idea what was or could be causing such a massive change in the behaviour of the house. The only noticeable change he could think of was the events of last night, however he had made no decision so surely at least the fathers should be elated. Finally it was Nodoka who broke the quiet that had befallen the breakfast table.
"This food is really quite excellent Kasumi, a little different to your usual style but still very good." Despite the oppressive mood at the table Ranma couldn't help a smile forming on the edges of his mouth. Nodoka was still ignorant of his new hobby and it just made him smirk to think about. He smirk vanished when he started realising the consequences of his mother knowing about his outlet; his decidedly unmanly outlet. He was about to shoot a warning look at Kasumi but it was too late and the older girl was already speaking.
"Actually Auntie Nodoka, Ranma was the one to cook breakfast this morning." Both Genma and Ranma involuntarily flinched and looked warily at Nodoka who only seemed to mull this fact over with a muted interest.
"Well Ranma, it's very kind of you to help out your fiancée in this way."
Ranma stared at her a moment, completely incredulous to the logic his mother had managed to use to come to that conclusion. "What are ya talking about mom? I didn't do this for Akane." He flinched again, realising he had once again acted without first thinking through his words. He looked at Akane but surprisingly he wasn't met with a scathing look or equally scathing remark, instead the girl continued looking at her food, picking at it without any real interest in the same way she had since sitting down.
Nodoka looked at him only slightly bemused. "And what are you talking about son? I was referring to your fiancée, not Akane." It was the younger girl's turn to flinch but it went unnoticed by everybody as Ranma and even Kasumi looked curiously and highly suspiciously at his mother.
"Mom, Akane is my fiancée. Who else would I be talking about?" It was said slowly and deliberately as Ranma tried to listen out for whatever it was in his words that seemed to be making his mother come to the wrong conclusion.
"Why Kasumi of course." It was said nonchalantly as if the woman had merely been stating an obvious fact that anybody should know. Even so, two sets of chopsticks fell with an audible clatter to the table as both Kasumi and Ranma lost interest in everything but the woman before them. The two of them were just too shocked to even attempt speaking, even a simple 'what?' was beyond them. Nodoka's nonchalant demeanour dropped and the warmer, more motherly attitude returned.
"Last night I changed the arrangement between the Saotome and Tendo clan by moving the fiancée responsibilities over to Kasumi." She moved her gaze from her son to her new future daughter-in-law. "Who I hoped would prove to be a better match with Ranma." A third set of chopsticks clattered t the table and all eyes turned to Akane. The girl stood, a little shakily, and Ranma believed she would finally become the person he knew her to be with some kind of violent outburst. Instead she merely walked away from the table, her food barely eaten, grabbed her bag and left the house without a word. Nodoka watched, once again trying to gauge the seemingly unreadable girl.
"Well Ranma, enough of this, I believe you have school to attend." His mouth opened as if he was going to say something and Nodoka raised a single eyebrow. Nothing came out of his mouth; his mind still hadn't quite caught up enough yet. His body just worked on autopilot instead, standing him up and walking him towards the door. His face still managed to show the incredulity, shock and confusion his entire being was permeated with. "Oh Ranma?" Nodoka called before he left, and he turned to face her again. "I know you're probably confused, so let me give you a little advice. The future may be confusing and at times frightening, but you shouldn't make yourself cling to the past just because it's familiar."
Ranma of course had no idea what to say in response. "Umm... thanks?"
His mother nodded. "Just think it over a little. You'll understand what I mean if you give it some thought."
Kasumi watched him leave, as did Nodoka and both women remained quiet until Ranma left. Everybody else had finished their breakfast as the small exchange took place and hurriedly left. Kasumi was left alone with her future mother-in-law and turned to face her.
"Kasumi dear, I believe it's time we talked." Her voice was now one of complete understanding and compassion and Kasumi could do nothing but resign and nod her head.
One would have been hard-pressed not to notice the change in the pigtailed martial artist that day. In class everybody was used to him not paying attention or even sleeping, at least until recently. However today Ranma didn't just seem disinterested, which he guessed he probably would have been, but distracted as well. Ukyo could barely keep her eyes off of her Ranchan all morning, always giving him furtive glances or longer analysing looks when the teachers' attention were elsewhere.
Ranma barely noticed the extra attention; his mind was on other things, or more specifically one thing. The same thought glued it all together in his mind 'Kasumi is my fiancée?' usually followed by 'I'm not engaged to Akane?' before repeating in an endless loop. The cycle would only occasionally break when he looked across at said ex-fiancée. Once again he expected evil looks or venomous words but she continued to surprise him by sadly staring at the wood of her desk as if she could turn it back into the tree it once was.
She worried him, her depression, or at least what seemed like a depression as Ranma wasn't the best judge of such things, seemed able to match one of Ryoga's. Ranma knew from that case study how vicious a cycle such a depression could be, the training of the Shishi Hokoudan was case and point. Yet on another level he too felt that sadness, and not just it radiating off of the girl. He realised that it was because of him, her sadness was his fault and that thought managed to mesh in horribly with the current vortex of muddled thoughts already crammed in his mind.
Ukyo tried to talk to Ranma between classes, mainly just to see what was wrong, firstly with him and then with Akane. He wasn't the only one noticing the change in the normally spunky blue-haired girl. Usually the two's problems were so intertwined that one's was the other's in most cases. In this case it seemed big, monumentally so and Ukyo just wanted to know so she could find a way to help her Ranchan. However she could never catch up to the distracted teen as he would flit straight from one class to the other where he would sit down, unmoving and almost unblinking, until the next lesson began.
She stopped trying after the second lesson; she knew she could always get him at lunch. If Ukyo knew one thing to always be constant in her life it was Ranma's infamous stomach. Food had always been the quickest way past the boy's carefully maintained defences and while Shampoo held that same advantage she knew that the added bonus of their friendship was enough to tip the scales her way. She shook her head, briefly sickened by her own thoughts; her best friend, the boy she loved, was obviously in some kind of trouble and all she could think about was the silly fiancée competition.
Unfortunately the brunette okonomiyaki chef found she couldn't help but feel her thoughts slip onto such things. Even though Akane was her friend the young woman was already thinking of ways she could somehow put herself at an advantage with the girl's newfound depression. The main though of course was that if Akane was this uncaring towards Ranma right now then Ukyo had a chance for some alone time, something she was desperately lacking in her interactions with Ranma.
She would also have to act fast; it was an unfortunate fact that Shampoo had the most uncanny sense of timing for such matters. Just as one girl found herself in an advantageous position the lavender-haired Amazon would come along and find some way to reset the scales, intentionally or not. Ukyo finally rid herself of the less than honourable thoughts as her gaze once again drifted onto the pigtailed teen her life had practically revolved around in the last two years.
Ranma left the classroom in the same semi-blind state; it was only out of routine and his growling stomach that he managed to walk his usual route out the window to drop to the ground floor. It was a much less graceful manoeuvre than usual and a few people looked him over oddly at his less-than-prideful display. It was only after his feet touched the ground did he realise that he in fact had no lunch, having failed to grab one this morning. He looked around wearily, usually by now Shampoo or Ukyo would have shown up by now, offering him some of their food.
Instead he was slightly more surprised to find Kasumi waiting not too far from his landing zone from the third story window. She didn't look all that happy that he had jumped from such a height and he might have realised it was out of concern as opposed to judgement if he wasn't so rattled today. To be honest he wasn't even sure if he wanted to see her right now, there were just too many conflicting emotions and thoughts to deal with it.
She did come over though and Ranma wasn't the type to be impolite. Even through his foggy vision he noticed that Kasumi's neutral, ever-present smile was gone today, instead she wore a much more serious look that Ranma thought just felt wrong to look at. The look just didn't suit the gentle girl's features and Ranma felt the normal urge to do something to make her feel anything other than what was causing this negative emotion.
"Hello Ranma." Her voice was rather quiet and subdued, also making Ranma uncomfortable at the sheer alien quality in Kasumi's throat. "I would like to talk if that's okay." He weakly nodded and the two of them walked away from the busy schoolyard to a more secluded section of the grounds. Normally Ranma would have been highly inquisitive about such an appearance at the school however today was a day of exceptions and he knew there could only be one reason Kasumi would want to talk with him.
Shampoo had awoken with a strangely ominous feeling that day, it was almost confirmed when the tea cup she was holding at breakfast cracked in two. Cologne also noticed and decided today would be a good day for her Great-Granddaughter to give her Airen a visit. Cologne was just as wary, if not more so, of the omen than her kin; too many years of life had taught her not to ignore such things. Something important was happening and in Nerima that meant something was happening with Ranma; her Great-Granddaughter wasn't going to be left out of it.
Shampoo took off in her usual way, making deliveries of Ramen and the other food the Nekohanten ordered out. The small Chinese restaurant they had opened had originally just been a thing to do while they were there getting Ranma back. They had never expected the place to become so popular; Shampoo herself wasn't particularly happy with the change. She enjoyed working at the restaurant itself as it was a good test of her flexibility and the many male customers staring at her gave her an ego boost. However with the increase in popularity there came an increase in demand and recently Cologne had been running her ragged with deliveries.
Shampoo had originally questioned the logic in this as it only detracted time that she could spend pursuing Ranma. The elder Amazon only countered that Ranma was unavailable during the day anyway with school so they may as well use the time productively to earn some money. Shampoo also wondered why they didn't get Mousse to do the deliveries but had been quickly reminded that a good delivery person needed to be able to see the person they were delivering to. She cursed the myopic boy and his vanity; she actually thought if he just bit the bullet and wore his glasses then he would be a much more competent adversary.
While the line of enquiry had been less than fruitful Cologne couldn't deny that lunch was the perfect time to go for Ranma. It wasn't just the okonomiyaki chef that had found out Ranma's weakness in his stomach, not that it wasn't obvious. So Shampoo decided that she would visit him at school today, she hadn't in the last few days and thought she would make it up to her love. She flew across rooftops on her bike smiling, she felt like today just might be a good day, a day of change.
She crested the roof of the school and landed in the middle of the yard, but not before announcing her presence with a cheerful ring of her bell. Shampoo never understood how her Airen always managed to get under her bike; she would announce her presence and she had seen just how fast he could move so it just made no sense to her. Briefly she thought it may be something that she was doing but quickly dismissed such unproductive thoughts.
She looked around the schoolyard, completely ignoring the multitude of teenage boys that stopped to gawk at her. It was strange she couldn't find Ranma; usually she would have the luck of landing right on the pigtailed teen, quite literally. As it was it wasn't her only option, she saw her rival Ukyo walking off in a direction with some pace and that only meant she would find Ranma in that direction.
Deciding on a change of tack for once she opted for a bit more stealth she abandoned the bike with a small clatter that went unheard by the brunette chef and silently followed her. Ukyo also appeared to be employing some kind of stealth which struck Shampoo as odd, it wasn't the clumsier girl's style, preferring open displays like Shampoo than more subtle approaches. Shampoo followed with some intrigue before she saw Ukyo quietly enter a group of bushes. Following the girl's now hidden gaze Shampoo saw Ranma talking alone with Kasumi. It was another thing that both struck her as strange and worried her at the same time, especially after the talk she had with the eldest Tendo.
Shampoo also concealed her presence in the same group of bushes but with more skill that the less experienced chef. Even the other occupant didn't notice her as she was far too intently watching the conversation. Happily hidden from sight and sound the lavender-haired girl turned her attention to the proceedings that had so enraptured her rival.
"Ranma, I need to talk to you about this whole engagement situation." Ranma, having finally come out of his semi-daze nodded intently, he too thought that would be for the best. "I wanted you to know that I had no idea about any of this before breakfast this morning. Auntie Nodoka told me that she changed the agreement in our absence, but apparently failed to inform us, the ones most deserving of such knowledge." Once again Ranma nodded, more slowly this time, it made sense for him; his mother must have done it when the two of them were talking of the roof. He noticed a slight tone of bitterness in Kasumi's words near the end and couldn't fault her, they did deserve to know if this happened behind their backs.
"Kasumi, did you mean what you said on the roof? About your feelings having changed?" He asked, addressing the biggest concern he had at the moment.
She smiled faintly as she remembered the exchange on the roof and more specifically how it ended. "Every word Ranma." She took one of his hands and squeezed it gently. "Before a few weeks ago I couldn't have even imagined any of this being possible but I feel like I've gotten to see a side of you that has opened my eyes." He looked at her with curiosity. "In all honesty Ranma before then I believed you to be a kind hearted but ultimately foolish and irresponsible boy." Again he regarded her with intrigue and more than a bit of pain but she quickly continued.
"But since then I was allowed to see your compassionate side, I was able to come to understand just what your life entails. I was able to see how perfectly you had managed to balance your life around obligation, honour, and friendship. Most of all I was able to see just how much you were able to care about the people around you". Her smile grew larger momentarily. "You changed the way I will forever see younger men." Ranma blushed furiously.
"I see you differently as well Kasumi. I always knew you were caring and kind, gentle and peaceful, but it was only after I saw your pain, the slow and quiet suffering you go through as you suppress your own life for your family, that I really started to see you in a different light." Kasumi looked down, unsure of what to make of Ranma's insight of her life. She knew it was at least partially true, her own life really had ended the day she had taken her role as the surrogate matriarch of the family.
"Ranma, it's important to me that you know that I will take this engagement seriously. However I will not push you into it. I would only feel right if we both wanted the same thing." Ranma reached across and took the hand Kasumi had let limply hang at her side until now.
"And I promise not to make the same mistakes as I did with Akane." He looked away but it was only for a second before his eyes held hers in an unbreakable gaze. "I don't love you Kasumi." He felt her hands tense in his own. "But I care for you deeply, I want there to be more and I believe there can be. Maybe one day, but right now there is too much confusion in my life for love." She didn't look away but he felt her relax in his grasp.
"You're right Ranma, I don't love you either. I'm not entirely sure what I feel but like you said I hope there can be more." Their faces were practical mirrors of one another, smiling warmly but with the same hint of forlornness. Kasumi's eyes suddenly perked up. "I also brought you this." She suddenly pulled a packed lunch out of seemingly nowhere and Ranma's eyes lit up even more as he suddenly pulled Kasumi into a brief but tight hug. He had meant it when he said he wouldn't make the same mistakes as he had with Akane, one of them being his own issues with intimacy.
"Thanks Kasumi, once again you're a life saver." She smiled with her eyes closed in a way that made him want to chuckle; it was just the epitome of innocence and kindness contained in a single facial expression.
"Don't worry Ranma, it's the least I can do as your fiancée." Saying it finally made her giggle before her eyes took on a sadly more downcast look. Ranma knew she was thinking about Akane so he had to do something to cheer her up.
'Fiancée?' The word rung in both of the listening girls' minds. Ukyo had watched on in increasing confusion and apprehension at the conversation. She began to get worried when Ranma had started acting strangely but that one word, spoken by Kasumi herself, was the clincher. She nearly fell to the ground in despair, almost giving away her position in the bushes in the process. She couldn't believe it, Kasumi was Ranma's fiancée and somehow the engagement had been moved from Akane.
This was terrible, how was Ukyo possibly supposed to compete with such a woman? To her Kasumi was perfect; kind, polite, caring, warm, peaceful and not to mention absolutely gorgeous. Ranma may not have remembered the specifics but Ukyo could remember the miss beachside pageant vividly, specifically the memories of just how amazing Kasumi looked in a bikini. With Akane she at least felt she held the advantage in most ways including looks, friendship, and her cooking ability. All of those advantages just vanished before her eyes.
Shampoo was equally shocked, with her less than masterful grasp of Japanese it had taken her longer to figure out what was happening but like Ukyo that one word sealed it for her. Unlike Ukyo the strong Amazon did slump to the ground, slightly less caring about being found than her unaware accomplice. She could help but think about all the few times she had met Kasumi, even then it was enough to paint a picture. She called her 'too too nice girl' for a reason.
Akane was different, in Shampoo's mind the homely blue-haired girl could only hope to compare to Shampoo. The Amazon was stronger, faster, more beautiful, a better cook, and she even had a curse, who else could possibly understand Ranma more than her? Akane also knew martial arts, or so she so often claimed, but Kasumi did not. While she was now an obstacle between Shampoo and Ranma the lavender-haired teen couldn't bring herself to physically harm the young woman. Ukyo had noticed Shampoo's unintentional admittance of her position and turned quite shocked to see the comely Amazon so close to her without her even realising.
"Shampoo what are you doing here?" She whispered only loud enough for Shampoo to hear as Ranma and Kasumi were still talking outside.
"Same as Spatula girl, wanting to see why Airen talk with too too nice girl" Ukyo hung her head and looked back around to where they were still talking.
"This is bad, isn't it?" Shampoo surprised her by quite firmly nodding her head, slight sadness in her eyes as she too watched her love so openly express his feelings with another woman.
"Is very bad, too too... Kasumi not like violent girl she-" She trailed off as both girls listened intently to an interesting part of the conversation. The both gasped involuntarily at what they heard; Ranma was actually making plans with Kasumi to go on a date. "Is too too bad, Ranma never agree to date before." She briefly appraised the chef before her. "Shampoo think it good idea for truce between Spatu... Ukyo and Shampoo."
Actually quite impressed by Shampoo using her name the brunette nodded grimly. Neither one of them could compare to Kasumi so they would have to work together until the status quo was returned to normal. The first thing they needed to do was to find out where they were going on their date; from there it became more difficult.