It was the quiet of the early afternoon. There was still time to travel a fair distance before evening, but he would need to depart soon to accomplish that. If he left much later, the pavements would be filled with commuters going home and children returning from school.

If he really did want to leave today, he'd need to go before she came back-before they came back.

And if he saw her face, he might lose the will to leave.

It was the quiet of the early afternoon. Lunch had been concluded and cleaned up after, dinner preparation had not yet begun.

As the laundry had already been brought in, Kasumi took the moment of respite to read.

When Ryoga found her, he spoke. "Ah, pardon me?"

Kasumi looked up from her book. "Ryoga-kun? Goodness, you're so quiet I almost forgot you were still here. Did you get something to eat earlier?"

He bowed sharply. "Thank you as always for your hospitality. I was just heading out." Kasumi noticed the backpack at his side.

"Not at all. I know Ranma and Akane enjoy it very much when you visit. Didn't you want to wait until they get back from school before you leave?"

"No, I'm sure they have their own plans. I really ought to be going."

"That's too bad. Are you planning on going anywhere in particular?"

"The plan is to do some training. I need to improve my skills. I'm thinking about going to Hokkaido, since it's so warm at the moment. Or possibly Kagoshima. There are some nice forests in Gifu. I really haven't made my mind up."

"Hmm. Well, never having visited any of those places, I can't help you with that."

"You haven't been?"

"I haven't really travelled, I'm afraid. When I was your and Ranma's age, I went to Kyoto and Nara for my school trip and enjoyed that very much. When I was a little girl, I remember going to Hakone, but it was cloudy most of the time, so we couldn't see Mount Fuji much. My sisters and I usually go to the beach at least once each summer. Near Fujisawa. It's quite close so the travel isn't much hassle."

"That's a shame. There's a lot to see in Japan. There are a lot of trips you could take that you'd enjoy."

"I'm sure it would be nice. But there's so much work to do here around the house that I can't ever really get away."

"Ah." Ryoga could barely conceive of being so tied down to a single place, when he himself barely spent more than a week in any one place for as long as he could remember.

"We certainly do appreciate the souvenirs you bring us. It's very polite of you."

"Oh." He blushed slightly. "You're welcome. I'll be certain to get something nice-from wherever I end up."

"Send us a postcard if you have a chance. Ranma and Akane will be happy to hear from you."

"Sure." Ryoga looked down. "So, I guess I'll be going now."

"Wait, just a minute." Kasumi paused for a moment, then looked straight at Ryoga. "If you aren't in too big of a rush, would you mind walking with me to the supermarket?"

"I guess not. My schedule is pretty much open."

"Wonderful. Could you wait right here? I just need to fetch the list and my shopping bags. It will just be a minute or two. Please don't move."

"Ah, okay?"

Kasumi quickly padded out of the room. Ryoga didn't think that Kasumi really needed anyone to walk with her, but given how often he took advantage of the Tendo dojo's hospitality, accompanying her in this errand was almost the least he could do.

He sighed. Maybe he should wait until Akane got back from school before he left, but if she came back with Ranma, and if she were smiling and laughing…

Ryoga reflected that sometimes it hurt to see her happy. And feeling sad at another person's happiness was almost the most miserable thing he could think of.

"Ryoga-kun? I'm ready."

He was shaken out of his reverie by the reappearance of Kasumi. She had traded her dress for a short-sleeved button-up shirt and capri pants. "Oh, okay." He stood up and slipped his backpack on. "You changed clothes?"

"Yes. It's rather warm out, and this is more comfortable to walk in."

He followed her to the genkan, but stopped as she paused to put on a backpack of her own.

"Ah, Kasumi-san? Why do you have a backpack?"

"Just a normal precaution. If I were to get lost, it would be nice to have the necessities with me."

"Oh." Something about this felt odd. "Do you get lost... often?" He stopped himself before adding 'as well?'.

Kasumi smiled. "No. But there's always the chance that I could go astray, and I think that's certainly worth preparing for, don't you think?"

Ryoga nodded in bewildered agreement.

"Let's be off, shall we?"

Outside the supermarket, Ryoga sat on his backpack, Kasumi's sitting beside him. He had once again been given instructions to not go anywhere. Over the years people had told him to do that a lot. On recollection, he observed that he was much more likely to strictly obey that instruction if it came from a woman.

"Thank you for waiting, Ryoga-kun! I'll just get this in my backpack, and we can be on our way again."

"I can carry the shopping bag for you if you like, Kasumi-san."

"Such a gentleman! It's good of you to offer, but I think I'd rather simply transfer everything into my backpack."

"That's going to be a rather heavy lift-are you sure?"

"I should be able to manage."

"Please-at least let me carry the rice."

Kasumi hummed. "Since you offered, it would be impolite of me to say no."

It was a large sack: 10 kilos worth. Together, they strapped it to the top of Ryoga's backpack, just underneath the umbrella.

"Now, are you certain that it won't be too heavy for you, Ryoga-kun?" Kasumi asked as they set off from the supermarket.

Ryoga smirked slightly. "I don't want to sound immodest, but I don't think you could overload me."

Kasumi smiled. "I suppose not. Akane has told me some of the feats of strength of yours that she's seen with her own eyes, so I know you aren't bragging."

"Oh." Ryoga blushed at the notion that Akane spoke about him in a complimentary manner. "That's nice."

"Have you always been so strong?"

"I suppose. It's hard for me to tell-being able to do what I do feels natural to me, so it doesn't feel like I'm especially strong. I do know that I was able to carry my mother when I was young."

"How old were you?"

"Five, I think."

"Five? Oh my, your mother must have been so surprised."

"I don't think so? She's quite strong herself. I think the strength might come from her side of the family from stories she's told."

Ryoga was so distracted by the conversation that he failed to notice that their positions had reversed.

Kasumi was no longer leading him. It was the other way round.

"...and when my dad looked at what happened, he just looked at me, and sighed and said 'time to get a new fence.'" Ryoga chuckled at the reminiscence.

Kasumi smiled, but winced slightly. "Ryoga-kun-could we stop for a moment? I'm getting a little tired."

"Oh, certainly. Funny that it's taking so long. We must be getting close to the dojo by now, shouldn't we?"

Ryoga's smile faded as he noticed they were walking through a moderately hilly deciduous forest. Not a single building in view. "Oh no. Oh no no no no no. Oh no."

"Is there a problem, Ryoga-kun?"

"Um." Ryoga, ashen-faced, turned to face Kasumi and bowed. "I deeply apologize but I'm afraid we might have gotten a bit off the path."

"Oh my." Kasumi didn't look the least bit perturbed. "It's a good thing I brought the backpack then, isn't it?"

Ryoga bowed again. "If you'll permit me, I will take us back the way we came immediately. We should be back in no time at all!"

"Ryoga-kun," she spoke softly. "While, I appreciate what you want to do, the truth is, we've been walking for five hours. If we left right now we wouldn't be back by nearly midnight, assuming we didn't get lost."

"I've delayed you that badly?" Ryoga had a pained look on his face. "Oh, no, everybody's going to be so worried when you're gone."

"Ryoga-kun, it's all right. I left a note saying where I've gone. Everyone will be fine."

"The food you bought in the supermarket! It's going to spoil!"

"Don't worry about that. I didn't buy anything that needs refrigeration. Rice, dried noodles, consomme cubes, dried fish, smoked meat."

Ryoga looked distraught. "Akane will never forgive me… you'll never forgive me!"

Kasumi put a hand on his shoulder. "Ryoga-kun, please don't worry about it. It really is all right. I prepared for this possibility. It's all going to be okay. Everyone at home will be just fine with me not there. They should all be old enough to take care of themselves. I'm certainly not angry at you, you've done nothing wrong. All right?"

Ryoga's shoulders were still slumped. "All right."

"Good! Anyway, it looks like I'm going to see some of Japan after all. Where are we, by the way?"

Ryoga took a considered glance at the landscape. "Based on the terrain and the local vegetation, I think it might be Aichi prefecture?"

"Oh, lovely! I've never been there before."

"Or it might be Tasmania."

"Did… did you say Tasmania?"

"Yes?"

"Tasmania, as in the island off Australia?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"But… Australia is several thousand kilometers away. It's south of the equator."

Ryoga furrowed his brow. "Isn't Australia a prefecture in Shikoku?"

"I'm fairly certain Australia is English-speaking."

"Oh, that explains it. I always thought it was strange that there was an English-speaking prefecture in this country, but you do run across some strange things travelling. Like the Hindi-speaking prefecture in Kyushu. Japan is a lot more culturally diverse that most people think."

Kasumi smiled worriedly. "Oh my, that is surprising." Someday she'd like to hear-and attempt to decode-all of Ryoga's adventures. "In any case, I think we should find a place where we can make camp. As I mentioned, I am getting a bit tired. You are certainly the person with more experience than I in finding campsites."

"Oh, sure. We just need to find a flat bit of land, hopefully a little higher up than the surrounding area, and not too far from water." Ryoga paused. "Are you certain your family is going to be okay?"

"They'll be fine. As I mentioned, I did leave them a note."

Soun Tendo read aloud to his ursine friend Genma. "'Dear father, I'm out on an errand at the moment. I'm not exactly certain when I'll be back-it will be between three o'clock this afternoon at the earliest, or by the end of June at latest. Please don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Love, Kasumi.'"

The panda held up a sign: "That sounds very odd." He turned it around. "Should we send a search party?"

Soun held out a hand. "The note continues. 'P.S., Do not under any circumstances try and find me, or I swear I'll never cook for you or Mr. Saotome ever again.'"

Soun and Genma imagined a future without Kasumi's home-cooked meals looming before then. "S-Saotome, I'm inclined to trust in Kasumi's judgment this once."

"I concur" read the panda's sign. He turned it around. "So, cup noodles tonight?"

With Kasumi away, Akane was certain to volunteer to cook dinner for everyone. While Soun Tendo dearly treasured his youngest daughter, still… "I don't really like cup noodles very much, but they easily beat the alternative."

From the diary of Ryoga Hibiki:

Journal of May 14th - After having spent the night at Tendo dojo, intended to leave around midday. Accompanied Kasumi to the supermarket, but seem to have taken the wrong trail. Not precisely sure of location.

Not the first time that I've traveled around with another person, but it is the first time that I've traveled around with another person and they weren't angry at me for getting them lost. As I've known her to be until now, Kasumi is a very even-tempered, patient, and forgiving person.

Also, she was prepared. I thought it a bid odd that she left the house wearing a backpack, as most people don't need to do that, but it turns out to have been a very prudent decision.

Made camp before dusk. Her tent is quite small, so I offered to let her use mine, but she insisted I use it.

It feels a bit strange-I don't think I've ever talked so much with Kasumi before. She reminds me a lot of Akane, but she's a bit easier to talk to.

I'll try to get us back tomorrow. I hate to cause Kasumi too much inconvenience.

From the diary of Kasumi Tendo:

May 14th. I decided to play hooky.