The last few weeks had been… distressing. And Konatsu was nearly at the end of her rope. Her beloved Ukyo had been taken from her, engaged to two other women, while she was set to wed… Ranma. She had nothing against the boy, but, well… he was a boy. He looked like a girl sometimes, but she hadn't really been around him long enough to determine if he ever actually felt like one. Certainly no one else seemed to think so, and thus Konatsu was left to assume that she was in the worst-case scenario: she, a gigantic lesbian, was engaged to a man.

And now they were staying together in the same house, alone, for the weekend.

She sighed deeply. How had it come to this? It had all started when Mr. Saotome and Mr. Tendo came up with a devious scheme…

The two men had arranged a martial arts tournament between Shampoo, Akane and Konatsu's dear, beloved Ukyo. The rules were thus: whoever won the battle would become the only one engaged to Ranma; the other two would be forced to relinquish their claims. But Akane, tired of such schemes and assuming that the two fathers would attempt to cheat on her behalf, instead hatched a different set of rules for the contest, with the help of Shampoo, Ukyo, Ranma and Konatsu.

Their new rules were necessarily complicated. To whoever could beat her, Akane would offer Ranma, and rescind her engagement to him. Similarly, to whoever could beat Ukyo, she would offer Konatsu, and rescind her engagement to Ranma. Shampoo suggested offering Mousse to whoever beat her, but everyone else agreed that it'd be best if he wasn't involved. With his eyesight, he'd inevitably mess up the plan. What Shampoo did bring to the table was an ancient, no-longer-used rule from her tribe that said that if she entered into an official, refereed fight with people not from the tribe, and was defeated in that fight, she would be engaged to whoever it was that defeated her. She also agreed to rescind her engagement to Ranma if defeated. All these stipulations were written into an agreement that all three girls signed.

The plan from there was that the three girls would fight, Shampoo would be 'defeated' by Akane and Ukyo at the same time, and then Ranma and Konatsu would rush in to 'save' their loves, with Ranma 'defeating' Ukyo and Konatsu 'defeating' Akane. The end result would be that Ranma and Konatsu were engaged, and that Shampoo was engaged to both Akane and Ukyo. Given same-sex marriage had yet to be legalized in Japan, they were all working under the assumption that marriage claims to members of the same gender couldn't reasonably be enforced, and that everyone's parents would be forced to give up and let their children do what they wanted, with no more engagement committments.

Though it hurt Konatsu's heart to be considered a man for the sake of this plan, she hadn't actually managed to assert her gender to anyone since she left her stepfamily, and she wasn't able to make herself do it then either — it could ruin the plan. Though said plan seemed a bit convoluted to her, the other four people who came up with it seemed excited, and Konatsu didn't want to rain on their parade. So she agreed to it all, despite the warning feeling in her gut.

The plan went off without a hitch. The fighting part of it, anyway. But the one thing they hadn't counted on was Cologne insisting the agreement be upheld, regardless of the fact that it conflicted with Japanese law. Mr. Saotome and Mr. Tendo tried to argue with her, but she wouldn't hear it. "They've made a contract, and they must follow it. I won't have my great-granddaughter accused of not honoring her agreements."

Shampoo would later admit that she should have expected this.

And now it was a few weeks later, and Konatsu and Ranma were alone in the Tendo household. Everyone else had gone to an onsen for the weekend to discuss the details of the agreement, to see if there was any way to disentangle things to make everyone happy. Akane, Shampoo and Ukyo went, of course, along with Mr. and Mrs. Saotome, Mr. Tendo, and Cologne. Nabiki had refused to miss a good opportunity to visit an onsen, and she'd dragged Kasumi with her, insisting that her sister needed "a breather." Konatsu had to admit she was a little jealous of the dynamic Akane and her sisters seemed to have with one another.

Ranma had been left behind when it'd been pointed out that 'verbal conflict resolution' wasn't exactly a strong suit of his. Konatsu had been left behind by Ukyo so that she could check in on the restaurant while it was closed. Though she'd pleaded over and over to be allowed to run Ucchan's while Ukyo was gone, Konatsu's wishes had ultimately been denied.

"There's no way I'm letting that happen. Not after last time, sorry," Ukyo had said, shaking her head emphatically. "And if I ain't gonna be there making money, best you're not there either, using the lights, or making food for yourself, or accidentally burning the place down." Ignoring Konatsu's indignant pout, Ukyo had said, "Plus, you and Ran-chan might be permanently stuck together! Might as well see what living together is like. Just check in on Ucchan's a few times each day to make sure no one's robbing the place."

And now Ukyo was gone. Everyone was gone. And Konatsu was just sitting in the Tendo house, a little ways away from Ranma, the both of them awkwardly staring at the floor. Clearly, neither of them knew what to say. Thus far, the only sounds had been Konatsu's sighs. She sighed again, shifting her posture slightly. It was probably time to say something.

"I could, perhaps, start dinner?" she said. Ranma had yet to ask her to do something, so she might as well give a suggestion.

"What?" Ranma said, looking up in surprise. His face scrunched up, like Konatsu's suggestion had been ridiculous. "Nah, nah, you don't gotta. I'll do it! Mom's taught me some good recipes, so…"

Curses! Already Konatsu was failing. Balling her fist, a look of determination upon her face, she said, "Well then, perhaps I could do some laundry for you?"

"What!?" Ranma said, even more confused than before. "No, you don't gotta-"

"I could clean the floor?"

"No, really that's-"

"Well then, do you need anything sewn?"

"Konatsu!" Ranma practically shouted. "No, I don't need nothin' like that! Thanks, but I'm good, an' you're more or less a guest, so just… relax, okay?"

Blinking rapidly, Konatsu tried to process his words. "Relax?"

The look of confusion on Ranma's face became tinged with pity. "I, uh… how 'bout you just watch some tv?"

With a loud gasp, Konatsu clapped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "TV!? I've never before had the pleasure of watching it! I've been around while it was on, and my stepsisters or stepmother were watching… but I was always in the middle of doing some chore or another." Tapping a finger to her bottom lip as she cast her mind back, she said, "The closest I got to watching was this one time where Koeda needed a footrest and I served as one for her! But she insisted it was most comfortable for her when my face was pressed into the ground, so I mostly heard it."

Ranma looked utterly horrified. "I… wow. Um, well, yeah, please go for it."

Konatsu rushed to the television without anymore prompting. Akane had been gracious enough to give her a proper tour of the place before leaving, so she had little trouble finding the room the television had been set up in. It took her awhile to fiddle with it and get it turned on, but eventually she got it working, and plopped herself down in front of it, gazing at the pretty colors and prettier actresses. The actors were handsome too, she supposed.

Five minutes later, Konatsu's mind drifted away from the television. She felt restless. This was wrong. She'd been sitting in one place too long, and not really doing anything. That was fine if she was sleeping in an alley and had already procured food for the night, but when she was staying in someone's house? It just wasn't right. There was no need for her to be so lazy!

Hopping up to her feet, she moved swiftly toward the kitchen. There had to be something she could help Ranma with - perhaps washing dishes as soon as he was finished with them?

Tossing open the kitchen door, Konatsu froze when she heard a loud gasp. Ranma swiveled around, kitchen knife in one hand, an apron tied around the waist, and red hair atop his head. He looked adorable, and also very embarrassed.

"Don't laugh!" Ranma said, setting the knife down on the counter behind him. "I-I just… it feels less weird ta cook in this form, so… so don't judge me!"

"I would never!" Konatsu said, hands on her hips. The very idea that she would.

"Oh, right," Ranma said, eyebrows shooting up. "I kinda forget sometimes, but you're a guy too, huh? Even though ya dress like that all the time." He gestured at Konatsu's outfit — one of the kimonos she usually wore — for emphasis. "But don't, like… talk ta the others 'bout this, okay? Even Ukyo."

Despite her heart sinking, Konatsu smiled softly and put a finger to her lips. "I won't tell anyone if you won't."

Face lighting up in a stunning smile, Ranma laughed and said, "Heh, thanks, Konatsu! You're a good guy."

With the smallest of nods, Konatsu turned away and left, the smile slipping from her face the moment her back was turned.

Oh how she wished that everyone would stop calling her a guy. Ever since that accursed bomb had gone off, exposing her then-flat chest, Ukyo, Akane and Ranma had stopped calling her a girl and stuck with the idea that she was some sort of crossdresser. And while there was nothing wrong with being one, that wasn't what Konatsu was. Ukyo, at least, seemed to have gradually picked up on the fact that Konatsu didn't like masculine pronouns, and had recently started using 'they' pronouns instead, which was… a little better, Konatsu supposed. Those didn't sting quite as bad.

Sitting back in front of the television, Konatsu acknowledged that one good thing had come of that awful bare-chest experience, at least. Determined to never be seen with a flat bared chest again, Konatsu had found a medical clinic that had certain hormones she needed, and then stolen them. She didn't typically like to resort to thievery — outside of stolen garbage at least — but, well, she wasn't making enough money to buy the things. And she didn't know how else to get them. So she just… stole some every now and then. And the results, while less than she'd hoped, had most certainly been worth it.

And yet, no one seemed to have noticed! Konatsu now had bonafide breasts, but not a single person she interacted with had said a thing, or even looked at her chest questioningly! She'd considered maybe showing a little cleavage, but… oh, that would be too much! Flushing, she put her hands on her cheeks. What would her beloved Ukyo think if she did that?

Well, currently her beloved Ukyo thought she was a man. Or perhaps some sort of nonbinary gender, though Konatsu doubted that was a concept Ukyo was even aware of. And then there was Ranma and Akane… they both definitely thought Konatsu was a man. The more time that passed without correction, the more daunting that correcting them seemed to be.

"Food's ready!" Ranma called out a moment before entering the room. He still had that apron on, but the food wasn't with him - presumably he'd set it on the table in the other room. Konatsu switched the tv off, then scurried after Ranma, who had already turned around and headed back down the hallway. "I'd been plannin' on changin' back to my uncursed form before gettin' ya, but… well, you already saw me like this, so why bother."

Konatsu didn't really have a response for that. In truth, Ranma remaining in his cursed form made her feel a little more comfortable. She didn't have a lot of experience being around men, especially alone with them — her stepsisters were the ones who did that — so Ranma at least looking like a woman was nice. Not that she expected Ranma would try to do anything untoward. She hadn't known him that long, but he didn't seem the sort… and if he was, Konatsu felt quite confident that she could defeat him in combat.

The pair sat across from each other at the table where Ranma had set all the food and dishes, and began to eat. For what felt like hours, but could only have been minutes, neither spoke.

Finally, Ranma said, "So, um… how's workin' at Ucchan's been?"

Pushing away the sadness that name currently evoked in her, Konatsu said, "Oh, it's been heavenly! By far the loveliest place I've ever worked."

After a beat, Ranma said, "Of the… two places you've worked? …Didja even get paid at the Teahouse?"

"I did not."

Silence stretched out between them for another seeming eternity.

Taking another stab at conversation, Ranma said, "You, uh… like it here alright? The Tendo's have got a pretty big place."

"Yes, it's quite massive. Much larger than Ukyo's living space!" Konatsu said, nodding her head. "I confess, though… as lovely as it is, I'd rather be in Ukyo's cramped home with her than… without her, as I am now."

"Oh, yeah… with what ya had on that scroll an' all, that makes sense…" Ranma practically muttered, not looking Konatsu in the eye.

Neither him nor Akane seemed to be entirely sure how to handle Konatsu's crush. They didn't see her as a woman, and yet they clearly didn't quite view her liking women as 'normal'. If she were to guess, they'd find her less confusing if she were simply a gay man. Ah, if only they could realize the truth!

Trying not to huff in aggravation, Konatsu focused on her food, and silence took over once more. After five quiet minutes, Ranma finally broke.

"This sucks, doesn't it," Ranma said, tossing his chopsticks down. Most of his food was already gone anyway.

Tears welling in her eyes, Konatsu vigorously shook her head up and down. "Yes! It's—" She bit her tongue. Like Ukyo had said, Konatsu might be stuck with Ranma for a long time. If that were the case, it would be wise not to say anything that could be read as too disparaging of him, especially to his face. "…not what I would prefer."

Ranma immediately laughed at that, a sad note to the sound. Konatsu joined in a moment later. The two of them laughed — and in Konatsu's case also cried — for a full minute, before finally catching their breath.

"What…" Ranma frowned. "What do we do if they can't fix it?"

The answer came to Konatsu immediately, but took her a moment to say aloud. "…Learn to love each other, I suppose."

Grimacing, Ranma said, "But… don'tcha only like girls?" SIlently, Konatsu nodded. But it would hardly be the first time that her desires had been ignored and she'd been forced to go along with it. She knew her set-up with Ukyo had been too good to last.

"An' I'm not inta dudes, even really girly ones…" Ranma said, almost under his breath.

Konatsu's eye twitched, but Ranma didn't appear to notice.

After a few beats of silence, Ranma said, "Hey, so, um… since we might be stuck together an' all, can I ask…?" He was suddenly having a hard time looking her in the eye. "I mean, I was just — if you don't mind…"

"You wish to ask why I dress this way?" Konatsu said, keeping her expression neutral. Ranma nodded. "Because I want to! Because I like to!" she said, feelings welling up strong within her, though still not quite strong enough for her to admit the whole truth.

Eyes widening a bit, Ranma nodded as though he understood, though Konatsu knew he couldn't possibly. "Yeah, there was this guy I met a while back that was like that. He liked lookin' cute. He also liked ta dress up like inanimate objects, though… he was kinda strange." Hadn't Ukyo mentioned someone like that before? "But, uh… at one point that guy straight-up told me he was a guy. Was really insistent 'bout it, actually. But you…" He went silent. Before Konatsu could speak, Ranma continued, looking her in the eyes this time. "If that bomb hadn't damaged your outfit… Would you… Would you have told us? Any of us? …Ucchan, even?"

Really cutting right to the heart of the matter, wasn't he? Perhaps he was a tad more observant than Konatsu had realized. Looking down at the table, Konatsu made her face an unreadable mask, as though she were entering assassin mode. She knew the answer, of course. But it was hard to force out. She looked up at him.

"No."

It was quiet for a moment, as Ranma stared back at her, wheels clearly turning in his head. "S-so… d'you like…?"

"I'm a woman, Ranma!" Konatsu finally said, expression and tone steely. "A trans woman, to be precise. I was labelled a boy when I was born, but at heart… I have always been a woman." Utter shock upon his round, feminine face, Ranma's mouth hung open as though he might speak, but no words were forthcoming. "As awful as my stepfamily was, and they were truly awful to me… it's a small mercy that they never tried to force me to live as a man. If they hadn't run a place designed to entice men who like women, I wonder…"

"B-but like, you can just… choose ta be another gender?"

With a short, bitter laugh, Konatsu said, "Don't you get to do that already?" She'd been jealous of Ranma ever since she learned of his curse. That he even called it a curse…

"What!? No!" Ranma said, sitting up straight. "I didn't choose this! It's a curse! It's never my choice to be like this!"

"Oh?" Konatsu said, raising her eyebrows and cocking her head dramatically. "Did you not literally tell me otherwise just a little while ago?"

"I-I— well… The thing about—"

"And I do believe I've heard several stories to the contrary, now that I think about it. From my dear Ukyo, and Akane, and—"

"Okay, but it's diff—"

"And, of course, I've seen several other times to the contrary…"

"But! Listen!"

"Not to mention the many cute outfits you've obtained for this form…"

Leaping to his feet, a red-haired and red-faced Ranma shouted, "It's different, okay!? I'm just tryin' ta make tha best of a bad situation! I'm not a weirdo like—"

Ranma's eyes went wide, and Konatsu's expression went cold. "If you'll excuse me," she said, getting to her feet.

"W-wait, I meant— Well not— I'm sor—"

"That is enough!" Konatsu bellowed, just as she had so long ago when disowning her family. Ranma had the good sense to clamp his mouth shut. Without another word, Konatsu turned away and left the room, headed for the guest room that her bed had been set up in.

After closing the door behind her, Konatsu collapsed on her bed, tears streaming down her face. Curse her pitiable life! To be engaged to a man, and one who would say such hurtful things, at that! And the worst of it was that she, ever the trusting fool, had agreed to it! What sorrow she felt!

She sobbed a while longer, before letting out a long, low sigh. Clenching her fists, she attempted to pull herself together. If this was the person she was to spend the rest of her life with, then she needed to at least attempt to make peace with him. Afterall, this was a better situation than her life had been before she'd come to Nerima; despite his awful words, Ranma overall seemed to be much more kind than her stepfamily. It was, of course, still worse than living with her wondrous Ukyo, but still… She couldn't ruin it all right at the start with her stupid overblown feelings!

Still sniffling, she reflected on the fact that, though she'd always been a bit of a crier, that was even more true of late. Because of the hormones, she assumed. Lately they'd been making her emotions feel… different. More real, somehow? Like they'd been fuzzy before, but were now sharp and clear. Even if it resulted in her crying more often, she had to admit she liked the change.

Getting to her feet, Konatsu pushed her feelings down and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. Practically marching to the door, she tossed it open, only to give a small gasp as she realized that Ranma was standing right outside, still in his cursed form.

"Aah! S-sorry!" he said, scrambling backwards. Not able to meet her eyes, he said, "I was gonna come 'pologize, but I didn't wanna do it too soon, ya seemed like ya needed some space…"

Waving a hand, Konatsu forced a smile and said, "Not to worry! I just needed a moment, but now all is well!"

Finally glancing up at her, Ranma's eyes went wide. "Wait, were you cryin'!?"

Her makeup! It must have smudged. Curses, she should have realized! She truly must have been out of sorts to forget something so basic.

"I cry all the time!" she proclaimed, not untruthfully. "You needn't worry about it!"

Clearly confused, Ranma said, "But… But you… I haven't even apolo—"

"And you don't need to!"

"But it's just — Akane is always so clear about when she's upset…"

Forcing an even bigger smile, Konatsu said, "Consider it a perk of being with me, then!"

His reaction wasn't what she'd hoped. Frowning, he said, "I don't see it that way. I mean, it's not like I enjoy her angry yellin'... but it's better than this confusin' way that you're denyin' you're even hurt!"

The smile disappeared from Konatsu's face. Once again she proved a disappointment. If she was already failing again, might as well be honest. "I was hurt! It… it pierced my heart like a dagger to hear the way you really felt about me."

Falling to his knees and bowing down to the ground, Ranma said, "I'm sorry!" This bowing position… Konatsu had never seen Ranma take it before. As far as she knew, she was the only one to do that. Which meant Ranma was almost certainly imitating her… though seemingly not in a mocking way. That was… strangely sweet. "I didn't mean ta hurt your feelings! I stuck my foot in my mouth, ya don't deserve that. That trans stuff is just confusin', and I don't really…" He paused. "…get…it."

He sat up, worry and confusion written across his face. Konatsu gasped and put a hand to her mouth. Had Ranma just had a realization?

Slowly rising to his feet, and without looking at Konatsu, he said, "I, uh… think I need a minute."

Blinking in surprise, Konatsu nodded. "Of course."

Without another word Ranma turned and staggered back down the hallway. "I'll be here!" Konatsu called out, surprising herself. "If you need to talk, I mean! Even if our circumstances change after this weekend!" Without turning, Ranma nodded, and continued walking.

Konatsu returned to her room, leaving the door ajar this time, and laid on her bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she contemplated what had just occurred. She'd had her suspicions about Ranma for a while now… more or less since they'd met, really. Well, when they'd really met, after she stopped trying to enact vengeance upon him. And if he was trans… maybe she could learn to love him? Even if he just considered himself a girl part of the time… it might be enough. It wasn't as though she couldn't see the good in him that others had fallen for, afterall. Akane, that Shampoo woman, and of course her dear Ukyo… she could understand why they'd like him, at least in part. Though he had a tendency to say the wrong thing, the fact that he'd been so insistent about apologizing… It insinuated a good heart.

"Hey, um… can I come in?" Ranma said from the doorway, voice unusually soft.

"Certainly!" Konatsu said, sitting up and patting the bed next to her.

Hurrying over, Ranma plopped on the bed, eyes glued to the sheets. "When… when'd ya figure out you were a girl?"

Eyes lighting up, Konatsu did her best not to look too excited about that question. "Truthfully, I always knew! Even before I had a stepfamily." When Ranma started to visibly deflate, she hurriedly continued. "But my experience is hardly universal! From what I understand, many people figure it out much later in life." The hope that sprung to life in Ranma's eyes made Konatsu's heart soar.

Almost looking her in the eyes, but not quite managing it, Ranma said, "But so like, you're girly all the time. An' I wanna be like that sometimes, but other times I just wanna be able ta act like I do when I'm a guy."

"There's no reason you can't do both!" Konatsu said without skipping a beat. "Especially with that body…"

"…What'chu mean?"

"You don't… you don't really have to convince anyone." How to explain? "You have a body that's… naturally womanly."

Eyes glancing back and forth between their clothed bodies, Ranma still clearly seemed confused. "But… you look plenty womanly."

Ignoring the small flutter in her heart, Konatsu said, "Th-thank you… I just mean that, for trans women who can't change their bodies with magic, there's a sort of… unspoken expectation that we overperform femininity to be accepted as a woman. Though even then, many people won't accept it…"

"Well that's stupid," Ranma said, with an overdramatic huff.

Sharp, light laughter escaped Konatsu's mouth before she could cover it. Ranma wasn't wrong, but to say it so bluntly! It was adorable.

Cheeks going a little red, Ranma said, "For what it's worth, you have a, uh… a pretty laugh. And face."

It was worth quite a bit, apparently, since It was impossible to ignore the way her heart fluttered that time. Maybe this new engagement wouldn't be so bad afterall. Konatsu's feelings for Ukyo certainly hadn't disappeared, but… maybe she could eventually be happy, even if they couldn't be together.

After a moment of silence, Ranma finally looked Konatsu in the eyes. Though, admittedly, it was now a little difficult for her to maintain eye contact.

"'Natsu, do I…" A nickname! Konatsu had taken note of the way that Ranma used nicknames for those close to him, like Akane and dearest Ukyo. To be given one already… "When I look like this… I'm pretty, right? I mean, I know I am, but—"

Not bothering to stifle her giggling this time, Konatsu smiled wide. "You're beautiful, yes!"

A big grin overtook Ranma's face, but then it faltered. "Is it… i-is is weird that you sayin' that makes me happy, but also makes me kinda terrified?"

Shaking her head from side-to-side, Konatsu said, "No! That's perfectly understandable! Figuring yourself out can be exciting, but also terrifying! It took me a long time to become comfortable about my attraction to women."

Pointing a finger at her, Ranma said, "You can't tell anyone! That I was scared, I mean." She crossed her arms, pouting. "It's not like it's a regular thing anyway. I've always been proud'a how cute this form is, it's just… now I think I know why, an' well…"

Scooting a tiny bit closer, still grinning, Konatsu said, "Oh? You think you know? Care to share?"

Eye contact suddenly seemed to be difficult for Ranma again. "I-I mean… ya already figured it out, right? Why I've been askin' all this stuff…"

Konatsu's smile grew softer. "Perhaps. But I'd love to hear you say it, to leave no room for doubt."

Ranma's eyes danced around the room, but when they finally landed on Konatsu's, they didn't pull away. "I think I might… I might be a girl. Like you."

Face lighting up in utter joy, Konatsu threw her arms wide and pulled a surprised Ranma in for a hug. "How wonderful! I'm so happy for you!" A moment later, she pulled her arms off the blushing red-head and scooted away. Bowing down to the ground, face burning hot, she said, "Agh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Rubbing the back of her head, Ranma said, "I-it's fine! I just didn't expect, um… that reaction. Wait, are you cryin' again!?"

Indeed, tears were streaming down Konatsu's face once more. "I cry all the time! And I'm just so happy for you! It is always a cause for celebration when one is able to proclaim their true selves in the way that you just did!"

With a dopey grin, Ranma said, "Heh, uh, thanks… What was it like when you first did it?"

Her smile nearly faltered, but she managed to maintain it. "Well.. you were there when it happened, earlier tonight."

"What? You've never told anyone else?"

"Ah, well… I did tell my birth parents," Konatsu said, touching a finger to her lip. "And my stepfamily. I never entirely understood why they went along with it. But since starting my life anew… I hadn't found the courage until tonight."

Scooting closer to Konatsu, Ranma softly grabbed the other girl's face in her hands. "'Natsu, no matter what happens with this engagement stuff, I wanna be a better friend to you from now on, 'kay? An' that starts with me makin' sure the people in your life are seein' you as the beautiful lady that you are!"

Eyes wide, Konatsu could do little but stare back at Ranma, her mind reeling. After a few seconds, Ranma seemed to realize how intimate her hands on Konatsu's face was, and she pulled away, looking just as flustered as Konatsu felt.

"I-I… I'll do the same!" Konatsu said, eyes sparkling with determination. "Whenever you're ready for everyone else to see you as a woman, I'll make sure that they do! I swear it!"

Ranma's face broke out into a radiant smile; if Konatsu's heart hadn't already been completely stolen, it certainly was now.

"Thanks, 'Natsu, you're a good person. And a great woman."

Later, after taking care of the dishes and giggling like children the whole time, Konatsu retreated to her room and changed into her nightgown. Pulling out a scroll, she began to write.

This evening had been a roller coaster of emotion, but ultimately it had been wonderful. Though there was still a soft spot for Ukyo within Konatsu's heart, newfound feelings for Ranma had grown quite intense very quickly, and currently they felt like the dominant force within her. The red-head was just so kind, and genuine, and yes, she put her foot in her mouth sometimes, but, well… even that was starting to seem endearing. Oh no, Konatsu had it bad, didn't she? Her cheeks burned, which just reminded her of when Ranma's hands had been touching them. She squirmed in excitement, covering her face with her hands. It felt like her feelings were overflowing, like they were too big, too intense to be contained within her. And she loved it.

Konatsu didn't get a great deal of sleep that night. But when she did… she dreamt of Ranma.