"It's been a while since I've seen him," Akane thought as she sighed holding a plush toy of p-chan in her arms.
Meanwhile, an exhausted Ryoga is returning to town from an horrendous journey. Barely able to keep his eyes open there is only one thing keeping him going, his love for Akane.
Akane, lies on her bed all alone unable to fall asleep. She decides to sneak out to go for a walk in hopes to clear her head. She soon spots Ryoga.
"Ryoga!" Akane calls out while the tired Ryoga believes it to be a dream. As she approaches calling his name, he hears her voice getting all the more sweeter. He smiles brightly on seeing the woman he loves as he collapses. Akane catches him before he falls and lets him rest on her lap.
"Akane…," Ryoga says lovingly. "It's always you, it's always been you."
"What?" Akane says unsure of what he means.
"I came back for you and now you're here for me. You feel so real," Ryoga says with a smile that said it all. The love in his smile was enough for anyone to understand, but Akane has been in denial.
'How can Ryoga ever fall for me?' she thought. She always cared for him, he always made her feel special but she never dared tell him how she felt. She never wanted to lose him as a friend, that warmth special feeling she only felt with him.
"I love you Akane," the tired Ryoga said. Akane's jaw dropped with these words as Ryoga continues having held it all in for too long.
"I always loved you. Just never got the courage to say it. I know this is all a dream but at least now, let me say how much I love you."
Akane's face turned red and a bright smile filled her face. As he reached out his hand to touch her face, she couldn't believe what was happening. His gentle touch made it all the more unbelievable, as she smiles Ryoga slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.
The next morning Ryoga wakes up with little memory of the previous night's events. As he looks around, he finds himself in Akane's house. As he gets up, he soon remembers the previous night and begins to wonder if it was a dream. As he walks around, he meets Akane's sister and father and soon Ranma himself. Ranma had noticed a change in Akane and was sure it was because of Ryoga. Skeptical he decides to follow him.
"Ryoga," Akane says as he notices him. Sweating from her morning training she, she blushes as he walks closer to her. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Akane," Ryoga blushes unable to forget what he thinks happened last night. "Last night…"
"Wait," Akane says. Before Ryoga can ask her anything Akane speaks after a small pause. "Come with me please."
"Ok."
Akane takes Ryoga to a park where the beauty of the cherry blossoms just adds to the mood.
"Is it true what you said last night?" Akane asks mustering up all the courage she can get. "Do you love me?"
In a moment Ryoga is in shock. Though now filled with fear, he knows it's now or never.
"Yes."
That one word was all Akane needed as she looks at him as he is too nervous to maintain eye contact. She holds his face in her hands and makes him look at her. Nervous about what he said he knows he can't take it back. The seconds felt like lifetimes as many scenarios play in his head.
'What if she says no? What if she laughs at me? What if…'
"I love you too."
Those four words he always dreamt of hearing were now said. Right in front of him Akane has now admitted her love for him. This was much better than dreams and before he can say anything else his worst nightmare follows.
SPLASH
Ranma pours a bucket of cold water on Ryoga who was standing in front of Akane. As she looks up to see Ranma smirking she shouts.
"Ranma! What do you think you're doing?"
"Take a good look at the guy you claim to love," Ranma said in a smug tone. "Or should I say pig."
Akane looked down and now sees Ryoga's clothes and a wet p-chan in its midst. She is stunned, this was something she never expected. This was why Ryoga had always fought Ranma, he knew his secret and today, Ranma took complete advantage of that.
"You still want to be with this guy?" Ranma asks as Ryoga tries to hide, Akane has now seen him for who he is.
'She's going to hate me isn't she. What else can I expect, I…'
Akane bends down and picks up Ryoga, she holds him close and looks at him as he can't look at her.
"P-chan…I mean Ryoga," Akane says a loving voice as Ryoga sees her. She pets him accepting him as he begins to cry. His greatest fear was now over, Akane accepts him completely.
As Ranma watches this his anger as he climbs down and says, "You got to be kidding me Akane! Even after seeing this, you like him? I knew your looks were bad but your taste…"
Before he can say further, Akane kicks him, sending him flying as Ryoga laughs. The two smile happy that they can now be a couple. But their happiness left little room to consider that Ranma is not the only one who will stand in their way.