There's hope for you
by Rhodes
Ranma 1/2 is not mine.
Chapter 2: I knew something like that was coming
Ucchan's Okonomiyaki restaurant, night
"They are what?", a very astonished Ryouga asked, already knowing his answer.
"They are... going... to marry...", Ukyo said. She almost whispered the words.
Ryouga thought about it. He was lost in the last two months, tried his best to come
back and when he finally manage to find Nerima he has to deal with the news that Ranma
Saotome and his beloved Akane Tendo are going to marry. Pathetic. But he somehow knew
he wasn't coming to Nerima to try to win Akane's heart. He came to make sure Ranma
would take good care of it.
Ukyo was still crying and holding Ryouga. 'Well', Ryouga thought, 'I can't let her in
this state'.
"Ukyo... I'm hungry. Could you do one of your specials, please?", he forced a smile.
"Huh?", 'Why is he smiling?', "Oh... sure...", Ukyo said and went to the grill. Ryouga
sat on the other side and stared at his friend.
'Well, I'll get depressed later', he got the okonomiyaki she made.
"Eat while it's hot", she said and began to cook another for herself. Both were in
silence.
'You have to help her', Ryouga thought.
"Er...", he began, "Do you think the moon will show up?", he asked, 'Not that,
stupid!'
Ukyo looked at him with a blank look, "Don't need to try cheering me, sugar", she
said.
"Okay... well, can't say I didn't try", he ate more of his okonomiyaki, "You know,
sometimes I wish I could have someone like you around. This okonomiyaki is delicious".
Ukyo felt her cheeks heat, 'This is Ryouga, the guy who can't even find the bathroom
without being lost, calm down, he's just trying to be nice', "Th... Thanks", she
managed to say and began to eat.
Ryouga found this interesting, 'She blushed? Funny, never thought a girl would blush
for something I said'. He finished his meal and watched Ukyo sit down and bite another
piece of okonomiyaki.
'He's looking at me again, what does he want? It's strange, I said that Akane and Ranma
were going to marry and all he said was that he was hungry. I don't believe he doesn't
feel nothing for Akane. At least I still love Ranchan... Ranchan...'
"Ukyo, is there anything wrong?"
"Huh? No, sugar, why do you ask?"
"Nothing, it's just that you stopped to eat. I thought you were feeling bad"
"No, it's nothing", she said. After a few seconds, "Just wondering..."
"About what?", Ryouga asked even if he knew the answer. 'I bet she wants to talk about
Ranma'
"You know, when I said that Ranma and Akane decided to marry, you acted like it was
nothing..."
"Don't need to finish, Ukyo", Ryouga interrupted her. He looked at the window, outside
was dark and probably cold too. "I... I don't know... today in the morning I found a
fortune-teller that said this would happen. And for some reason I believed him, and,
deep inside me, I knew that Akane loves and always loved Ranma. I came here thinking
about it", he paused. It was still hard for him to accept these things, "And then you
said that they were getting married. I knew something like that was coming. I could see
in your eyes", at this moment he looked at her eyes. Ukyo broke the contact and Ryouga
looked at the empty plate in front of him.
"Why did you come back to Nerima? To try to beat Ranma and get Akane?", Ukyo asked.
"Actually... I came here to say goodbye to everyone and now that you told me, to
congratulate the new couple in Nerima", sadness was written all over his face, but he
knew that against some forces you can't fight. Love was one of these.
"Ry... Ryouga", Ukyo was sobbing, "I can't believe... did you... give up? Is it this
that you are saying?"
"If you put in that way...", he looked at his watch, "It's getting late", looked back at
Ukyo and sttod up, "I... thank you for the bath and the meal, Ukyo. I will not stay here,
don't want to bother and..."
"Stay", she said dryly.
"What?", he said showing some surprise in his voice.
"Stay, I didn't tell you my side in this mess and you don't bother me. Sit down and shut
up"
'Same old Ukyo', Ryouga thought, but kept it to himself, 'I want to live', "Sorry, Ukyo",
he sat, "I'll hear you"
Ukyo breathed and looked at Ryouga. "One day Ranma entered here like he always do and we
talked. I thought he was kind of nervous, but said nothing. Then he started to say
things like, 'Ucchan, you know you are my best friend, don't you?'. After some time he
got the guts to say that he had chosen Akane", Ukyo cried more, "I felt so... so... bad?
I don't now, I felt like Ranma took a big piece of me. You know, he put me, Akane and
the chinese bimbo in this competition for him and I lost. But I didn't lose only Ranma.
I lost my pleasure of living and many other things that... that... sorry, I'm too
confused...", she felt a hand move the tears away.
"Don't need to cry", he said and handed her a handkerchief.
"Th... thanks", she paused and dried some tears, "And then, my world stopped. Since
that day I couldn't do nothing right. Even my okonomiyaki had better days and...
and..."
"I think it's better you sleep. If you want, we can talk about this tomorrow. I'll not let
Nerima until you get better", he said, "Now, go to sleep"
"Tha... thanks, Ryouga", she said wiping more tears, "You are a good friend", Ukyo went
upstairs, "Good night, Ryouga"
"Good night, Ukyo", he said as she disappeared. He looked around and let one tear fell
from his face. 'Didn't want her to see this', he thought, 'But I should have asked where
I was going to sleep', and went to the couch.
***
Ukyo stared at the ceiling. She thought about what she and Ryouga talked moments ago and
about her life since she went to Nerima until that moment. 'I can't believe everything
was a waste of time. Well, sometimes this place surprises me. Or better, some people
surprise me. Didn't know Ryouga was so kind. But he is leaving...', this made her feel
sad, 'I... I don't want him to...', then she fell asleep.
***
'Not the best place to sleep, but still a place', Ryouga thought about the couch, 'At
least there's a roof protecting me, not like a week ago when it rained while the sun was
shining and there were no clouds in the sky. Well, this is Nerima', Ryouga thought. He
was trying to keep Ukyo away from his thoughts, but couldn't. 'She is very pretty, never
noticed that before, maybe I was too fascinated with Akane... now I remember that old man
saying something about a woman in Nerima... could it be Ukyo?', he paused thinking, 'Nah,
I don't think she'll ever fall for me, but would be good if...', and fell asleep.
End of chapter 2
by Rhodes
Ranma 1/2 is not mine.
Chapter 2: I knew something like that was coming
Ucchan's Okonomiyaki restaurant, night
"They are what?", a very astonished Ryouga asked, already knowing his answer.
"They are... going... to marry...", Ukyo said. She almost whispered the words.
Ryouga thought about it. He was lost in the last two months, tried his best to come
back and when he finally manage to find Nerima he has to deal with the news that Ranma
Saotome and his beloved Akane Tendo are going to marry. Pathetic. But he somehow knew
he wasn't coming to Nerima to try to win Akane's heart. He came to make sure Ranma
would take good care of it.
Ukyo was still crying and holding Ryouga. 'Well', Ryouga thought, 'I can't let her in
this state'.
"Ukyo... I'm hungry. Could you do one of your specials, please?", he forced a smile.
"Huh?", 'Why is he smiling?', "Oh... sure...", Ukyo said and went to the grill. Ryouga
sat on the other side and stared at his friend.
'Well, I'll get depressed later', he got the okonomiyaki she made.
"Eat while it's hot", she said and began to cook another for herself. Both were in
silence.
'You have to help her', Ryouga thought.
"Er...", he began, "Do you think the moon will show up?", he asked, 'Not that,
stupid!'
Ukyo looked at him with a blank look, "Don't need to try cheering me, sugar", she
said.
"Okay... well, can't say I didn't try", he ate more of his okonomiyaki, "You know,
sometimes I wish I could have someone like you around. This okonomiyaki is delicious".
Ukyo felt her cheeks heat, 'This is Ryouga, the guy who can't even find the bathroom
without being lost, calm down, he's just trying to be nice', "Th... Thanks", she
managed to say and began to eat.
Ryouga found this interesting, 'She blushed? Funny, never thought a girl would blush
for something I said'. He finished his meal and watched Ukyo sit down and bite another
piece of okonomiyaki.
'He's looking at me again, what does he want? It's strange, I said that Akane and Ranma
were going to marry and all he said was that he was hungry. I don't believe he doesn't
feel nothing for Akane. At least I still love Ranchan... Ranchan...'
"Ukyo, is there anything wrong?"
"Huh? No, sugar, why do you ask?"
"Nothing, it's just that you stopped to eat. I thought you were feeling bad"
"No, it's nothing", she said. After a few seconds, "Just wondering..."
"About what?", Ryouga asked even if he knew the answer. 'I bet she wants to talk about
Ranma'
"You know, when I said that Ranma and Akane decided to marry, you acted like it was
nothing..."
"Don't need to finish, Ukyo", Ryouga interrupted her. He looked at the window, outside
was dark and probably cold too. "I... I don't know... today in the morning I found a
fortune-teller that said this would happen. And for some reason I believed him, and,
deep inside me, I knew that Akane loves and always loved Ranma. I came here thinking
about it", he paused. It was still hard for him to accept these things, "And then you
said that they were getting married. I knew something like that was coming. I could see
in your eyes", at this moment he looked at her eyes. Ukyo broke the contact and Ryouga
looked at the empty plate in front of him.
"Why did you come back to Nerima? To try to beat Ranma and get Akane?", Ukyo asked.
"Actually... I came here to say goodbye to everyone and now that you told me, to
congratulate the new couple in Nerima", sadness was written all over his face, but he
knew that against some forces you can't fight. Love was one of these.
"Ry... Ryouga", Ukyo was sobbing, "I can't believe... did you... give up? Is it this
that you are saying?"
"If you put in that way...", he looked at his watch, "It's getting late", looked back at
Ukyo and sttod up, "I... thank you for the bath and the meal, Ukyo. I will not stay here,
don't want to bother and..."
"Stay", she said dryly.
"What?", he said showing some surprise in his voice.
"Stay, I didn't tell you my side in this mess and you don't bother me. Sit down and shut
up"
'Same old Ukyo', Ryouga thought, but kept it to himself, 'I want to live', "Sorry, Ukyo",
he sat, "I'll hear you"
Ukyo breathed and looked at Ryouga. "One day Ranma entered here like he always do and we
talked. I thought he was kind of nervous, but said nothing. Then he started to say
things like, 'Ucchan, you know you are my best friend, don't you?'. After some time he
got the guts to say that he had chosen Akane", Ukyo cried more, "I felt so... so... bad?
I don't now, I felt like Ranma took a big piece of me. You know, he put me, Akane and
the chinese bimbo in this competition for him and I lost. But I didn't lose only Ranma.
I lost my pleasure of living and many other things that... that... sorry, I'm too
confused...", she felt a hand move the tears away.
"Don't need to cry", he said and handed her a handkerchief.
"Th... thanks", she paused and dried some tears, "And then, my world stopped. Since
that day I couldn't do nothing right. Even my okonomiyaki had better days and...
and..."
"I think it's better you sleep. If you want, we can talk about this tomorrow. I'll not let
Nerima until you get better", he said, "Now, go to sleep"
"Tha... thanks, Ryouga", she said wiping more tears, "You are a good friend", Ukyo went
upstairs, "Good night, Ryouga"
"Good night, Ukyo", he said as she disappeared. He looked around and let one tear fell
from his face. 'Didn't want her to see this', he thought, 'But I should have asked where
I was going to sleep', and went to the couch.
***
Ukyo stared at the ceiling. She thought about what she and Ryouga talked moments ago and
about her life since she went to Nerima until that moment. 'I can't believe everything
was a waste of time. Well, sometimes this place surprises me. Or better, some people
surprise me. Didn't know Ryouga was so kind. But he is leaving...', this made her feel
sad, 'I... I don't want him to...', then she fell asleep.
***
'Not the best place to sleep, but still a place', Ryouga thought about the couch, 'At
least there's a roof protecting me, not like a week ago when it rained while the sun was
shining and there were no clouds in the sky. Well, this is Nerima', Ryouga thought. He
was trying to keep Ukyo away from his thoughts, but couldn't. 'She is very pretty, never
noticed that before, maybe I was too fascinated with Akane... now I remember that old man
saying something about a woman in Nerima... could it be Ukyo?', he paused thinking, 'Nah,
I don't think she'll ever fall for me, but would be good if...', and fell asleep.
End of chapter 2