Sliding Doors
By: Lotusmoon
"Thanks for coming with me Ranma, I really appreciate it." Ukyo said with a smile.
Ranma knew something was wrong right after she came out behind the tree.
Ukyou's face was covered with sadness and disappointment that he just had to ask what was wrong.
"Ukyou, since when did you came back. It's so nice to see you again. How did the tournament go?" Ranma asked in a gleeful voice while he approached Ukyou.
Ukyou managed to give out a faint smile but she kept her face looking at the ground to avoid having Ranma see her.
"Huh?" Ranma stopped and tried to read Ukyou.
"Something wrong Ukyou?" Ranma asked.
Ukyou started to open her mouth to say something when she stopped.
"Ukyou if there's something wrong just tell me okay." Ranma gave Ukyo a reassuring smile to settle Ukyou calmly.
Ukyou gave out a sigh.
"Ranma…"
"Yeah what's up?"
"Will you come with me after school to my house?"
"Ugh, yah why?" Ranma asked.
"I just want to tell you what happened at the tournament. Don't you want to hear about it?" Ukyou said.
She was uneasy.
Ukyou, the confident and cute fiancee was uneasy in front of Ranma.
Hey, you can't blame a girl for losing her confidence.
What is wrong with me? Ukyou thought. I used to just blurt out what I want to say, now…
Ring! Ring! The school bell rang to announce that their lunchtime was over.
"Huh."
"Oh okay Ukyou. I'll meet you after school. See yah later!"
With that Ranma ran off to his next class.
Ukyou was left standing under the tree. What could happen if she tells him?
What else could happen but Ranma comforting her?
Ranma hasn't always been a real jackass, if there was anything a lot of people don't know about him it's that he's always there in times of crisis.
And yet again, Ranma is Ukyou's bestfriend.
The possibility of him being there as her friend will weigh the balance of how much a fiancee he will be to her at this moment.
The sizzling of the grill invited Ranma inside Ukyou's restaurant.
Ranma has been waiting a while to eat at Ukyou's and now he can't wait.
He could almost taste the mouthwatering okonomiyaki that Ukyou was preparing.
Ukyou gave him a smile to have him come in.
"Hey there Ranchan, come in and sit down." Ukyou prepared a plate for Ranma.
"Here you go sweetie, this one is on me."
"Hey thanks Ukyou." Ranma said while he started to grub on his tasty okonomiyaki.
"So Ukyou, where's the trophy?" Ranma asked.
"Huh?" Ukyou replied in a clouded voice.
"Uh, you won right, the tournament?"
"Ugh yeah of course, of course I did." Ukyou smiled.
"Good! I wanna see the trophy."
Ranma continued eating while Ukyou sighed heavily, which gave Ranma the hint that there was something out of place.
"You won Ukyou but not the grand prize, didn't you?" Ranma asked.
He stopped eating his okonomiyaki. He knew that at that moment, his friend was more important than food.
They have always been anyway. Ukyou couldn't help herself but sob.
Tears were streaking down her face. She dropped her spatula and covered her face.
She didn't want Ranma to see her cry.
"Ukyou, even if you didn't win the grand prize, I'm still proud of you." Ranma said.
Ukyou looked up at him.
"You are, Ranma?" Ukyou asked.
Her tears were rolling down her cheeks like an avalanche.
"Of course I am." Ranma replied.
"But Ranma, out of all people, you hate to lose. How come you're telling me it's fine. I have the same amount of pride that you do, it's not okay." Ukyou replied angrily.
She was right.
How can Ranma think that it's okay to be second best when he hated to lose to anyone?
He trained to be the best and yet his comforting Ukyou with ironic words.
"You're right Ukyou, I hate to lose." Ranma replied. Ukyou stopped sobbing for a while, they were quiet.
"So do I." Ukyou added.
"When I do something I do it with pride and it hurts to lose when I know I've worked hard and still become second best. But that doesn't mean you have to stop trying. It doesn't mean that you can't be better. There are a lot of things a lot of people wish they could be or wish they have, but the only thing they need is that, they believe they can do it and no ones can stop them." Ranma looked at Ukyou deeply.
"Ranma, I went to the tournament so I can win first prize and second. You've always told me, I am the best and I've always believed you. So how come I lost?" Ukyou asked with a heart breaking tone.
"I don't know Ukyou." Ranma replied silently.
True, Ukyou has always been the best when it comes to cooking okonomiyaki and it's true that he always tell her that.
It seems to Ranma that Ukyou probably becomes best when Ranma says so.
"Ukyou, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" Ukyou was trying to make another batch of okonomiyaki when she heard the question.
It stopped her on what she was doing.
How am I going to answer that question? Ukyou thought.
"Do you cook because I tell you you're the best, or because you know you are the best?" Ranma inquired.
"I…" Ukyou started.
She was having second thoughts and a whirlwind of emotions.
Of course she cooks because she has been doing it for a long time and it's their family business.
Her father didn't teach her to be a sloppy cook; her father wants to be proud of her. And yet, it was Ranma.
It was Ranma that keeps her waking up in the morning to educate herself at Furinkan High.
It was him that makes her wake up early in the morning for her business.
No man wants an irresponsible woman who can't do her duties to her husband.
Ranma is her fiancé and she has to train herself to become a responsible woman. But then again, something was tapping her mind that wouldn't leave her alone.
It's not only my duty that keeps me going but it's how I feel about Ranma. And yet, I can't stop shaking the thought that this is something I should be proud of for myself.
I'm a lonely girl in a place where I have no family or relatives, and the only people I know are Ranma and the friends I have made out of Nerima. I have to risk a lot of things to get where I am now.
Father told me that if I don't risk anything I don't grow. If I don't grow, I don't become the best.
That's it! I've been cooking all this time for him and not for me.
I want to hear him say I'm the best, so he can see me more than the other fiancees. I've been listening to him and not to my heart. I should really see myself.
It wasn't a bad thing that Ukyou realized what she did.
Ukyou is a good cook.
A confident young woman yet out of her confidence and responsibility, she needed someone to have her keep on going
It wasn't her but Ranma.
Now she knows that she should do things for herself, no one but herself.
"Ranma, you inspired me to become more than I can become. It's so sad that I have to realize this just now. I cook because I know that there is no other okonomiyaki chef than can beat me. I am the best in my own way. I win some, I lose some."
"Ukyou win or lose, you will always stay at the top of my list." Ranma assured her by finishing his last piece of okonomiyaki.
Ranma made a funny face of savoring his food that it made Ukyou laugh.
"Ranma, you don't have to fill me with compliments anymore. Just looking at you eat let's me know how much you appreciate what I do." Ukyou gave him a second serving.
It made Ukyou feel good that even though she didn't win, Ranma still believes she's the best.
I should be ashamed of myself for blaming him that I lost because he made me believe I'm the best. And yet all this time I knew it myself.
Ukyou turned off the grill and took out the certificate and a little trophy.
She then started telling Ranma who listened eagerly about the things that happened in the tournament.
It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.
It was a lot more like waking up and being refreshed of a new perspective about her.
It's a good thing to have friends like Ranma; it's a good thing.
"Ugh Ranma, why is your cheek red?"
Ukyou asked glaring at Ranma's cheek.
"You know what, I don't know either!"
Chapter * is done but I have a test tomorrow and it's already 1:30 in the morning. I have to wake up at 7:00 te get ready for school. I'll probably upload the next chapter by tomorrow. Until next time, bye bye!
Lotusmoon (^.^)