Author's Note: Sorry again for the shortness, but the story continues. Please keep reviewing, thanks for your support!
"Mm, my shirt came untied." Ranma sighs, trying unsuccesfully to put it back up. "How did you do that?"
"Here," Ryoga turns to help him, his hand brushing against his friend's smooth stomach. "You have to loop it first."
Ukyou watches from behind her counter, overtaken by it. The scene was much like one of the romance novels she had been reading. Was this why Ranma broke it off with her? To be with -Ryoga-? "Um," She clears her throat. "I booked you tickets this morning."
"Thanks so much, Ucchan!" Ranma's usual cocky smile in place. "And we aint come'n back until we're cured!..wait, you're not coming?"
"No, I can't this time of the year because of business, but Ryoga is an excelent chef, don't worry."
The pigtailed boy shrugs. "Should we go then?"
"I need to pack all my things."
Ukyou sees them off, standing outside her resturaunt until their out of sight. She sighs. She wasn't sure is she should be happy that it wasn't Akane that won her Ranchan, or more upset that a boy had. 'I don't know for sure,' she told herself. 'and I shouldn't worry myself about it. I'll just pray they find what they're looking for.'
--
Akane entered Ucchan's around one, weary from covering the entire length of Nerima, and fuming after finding the lot empty on her return. Maybe Ukyou would know something, after all Ranma had talked to her the day before.
"Welcome!" The chef's expression changed from cheery to thoughtful, realizing who had walked in. "Hello Akane-chan, can I help you?"
"I hope." The young Tendou tried to be polite, sitting infront of the counter. "I'm looking for Ranma."
"Oh?" Ukyou busied herself with an okonomiyaki.
Akane bristled. It was -obvious- she knew something, just by the way she was avoiding her eyes. "Yes, I am. You know where he is, don't you?"
"Yes I do." 'I thought he'd tell you.' She thought to herself. 'Maybe I was right...' She smirked. 'Ryoga you dog.'
"I don't find this funny at all." Akane was saying. "I've looked all over for him! I'm just about to give up."
"Well," Ukyou looked up. "You wont find him anywhere around here."
"Where is he?"
"On his way to China to find a cure. I'd think it was for you..." 'But I'm not so sure anymore..'
Akane was appalled. "-WHAT-?? He just up and left without telling me? That idiot! And I was worried!"
"It was a last minute decision on his part."
"How does he expect to get there? It's not cheap!"
"Yes, about that.." Ukyou laughed. "I paid his way."
"Is he avoiding me?"
"I don't know...I was going to get myself a flight later. I'm very curious."
"You're going by yourself??" She asks agast. "You planned this to be by yourself with him, didn't you?"
"No, not at all. We're not engaged any more." 'Didn't he at least tell you that?'
Akane stared. "Is that why he visited you yesterday?"
"Yeah.."
'Oh my god, I'm such an idiot! That's probably why he visited Shampoo too!' She felt awful. "So why -are- you going?"
"I wanted to help Ranma as much as I could as a friend, and now, I want to help him again." 'I want to make sure Ranma has made the right decision.'
"Please, can I come with you? I need to see him."
"Yes.." 'I can't say no, but Akane, you may regret it.'
"Thank you."
--
Ranma sat in his plane seat, clutching his only bag. 'Am I doing the right thing? It feels so right. Who am I doing it for?' He glances to his side where Ryoga is busy untangling a pair of headphones. It had only been two days since..well, since he had seen the fanged boy a way he never thought possible. It was the only clear moment that stood out for what seemed an eternity of fuzzy events he hadn't been able to control. What did Ryoga think of it all? Ranma hadn't even thought to ask. Since though, they both acted like best friends, the roles they had lost years ago. But, could two people have...have...have whatever they had that night and still be just 'friends'? Ranma had jumped at the chance to go to China, but had it been for Akane; the fiancee he was always trying to please, or was it for something -else-?
Ryoga watched him, sure Ranma was thinking about him. Ranma's mind processed very slowly, but it wasn't his fault. He had been raised with martial arts for breakfast lunch and dinner, learning nothing about anything else. So, facing problems like who you liked was a giant task. 'This trip will hopefully clear him up.' "Headphones?"
"Sure."
"Mm, my shirt came untied." Ranma sighs, trying unsuccesfully to put it back up. "How did you do that?"
"Here," Ryoga turns to help him, his hand brushing against his friend's smooth stomach. "You have to loop it first."
Ukyou watches from behind her counter, overtaken by it. The scene was much like one of the romance novels she had been reading. Was this why Ranma broke it off with her? To be with -Ryoga-? "Um," She clears her throat. "I booked you tickets this morning."
"Thanks so much, Ucchan!" Ranma's usual cocky smile in place. "And we aint come'n back until we're cured!..wait, you're not coming?"
"No, I can't this time of the year because of business, but Ryoga is an excelent chef, don't worry."
The pigtailed boy shrugs. "Should we go then?"
"I need to pack all my things."
Ukyou sees them off, standing outside her resturaunt until their out of sight. She sighs. She wasn't sure is she should be happy that it wasn't Akane that won her Ranchan, or more upset that a boy had. 'I don't know for sure,' she told herself. 'and I shouldn't worry myself about it. I'll just pray they find what they're looking for.'
--
Akane entered Ucchan's around one, weary from covering the entire length of Nerima, and fuming after finding the lot empty on her return. Maybe Ukyou would know something, after all Ranma had talked to her the day before.
"Welcome!" The chef's expression changed from cheery to thoughtful, realizing who had walked in. "Hello Akane-chan, can I help you?"
"I hope." The young Tendou tried to be polite, sitting infront of the counter. "I'm looking for Ranma."
"Oh?" Ukyou busied herself with an okonomiyaki.
Akane bristled. It was -obvious- she knew something, just by the way she was avoiding her eyes. "Yes, I am. You know where he is, don't you?"
"Yes I do." 'I thought he'd tell you.' She thought to herself. 'Maybe I was right...' She smirked. 'Ryoga you dog.'
"I don't find this funny at all." Akane was saying. "I've looked all over for him! I'm just about to give up."
"Well," Ukyou looked up. "You wont find him anywhere around here."
"Where is he?"
"On his way to China to find a cure. I'd think it was for you..." 'But I'm not so sure anymore..'
Akane was appalled. "-WHAT-?? He just up and left without telling me? That idiot! And I was worried!"
"It was a last minute decision on his part."
"How does he expect to get there? It's not cheap!"
"Yes, about that.." Ukyou laughed. "I paid his way."
"Is he avoiding me?"
"I don't know...I was going to get myself a flight later. I'm very curious."
"You're going by yourself??" She asks agast. "You planned this to be by yourself with him, didn't you?"
"No, not at all. We're not engaged any more." 'Didn't he at least tell you that?'
Akane stared. "Is that why he visited you yesterday?"
"Yeah.."
'Oh my god, I'm such an idiot! That's probably why he visited Shampoo too!' She felt awful. "So why -are- you going?"
"I wanted to help Ranma as much as I could as a friend, and now, I want to help him again." 'I want to make sure Ranma has made the right decision.'
"Please, can I come with you? I need to see him."
"Yes.." 'I can't say no, but Akane, you may regret it.'
"Thank you."
--
Ranma sat in his plane seat, clutching his only bag. 'Am I doing the right thing? It feels so right. Who am I doing it for?' He glances to his side where Ryoga is busy untangling a pair of headphones. It had only been two days since..well, since he had seen the fanged boy a way he never thought possible. It was the only clear moment that stood out for what seemed an eternity of fuzzy events he hadn't been able to control. What did Ryoga think of it all? Ranma hadn't even thought to ask. Since though, they both acted like best friends, the roles they had lost years ago. But, could two people have...have...have whatever they had that night and still be just 'friends'? Ranma had jumped at the chance to go to China, but had it been for Akane; the fiancee he was always trying to please, or was it for something -else-?
Ryoga watched him, sure Ranma was thinking about him. Ranma's mind processed very slowly, but it wasn't his fault. He had been raised with martial arts for breakfast lunch and dinner, learning nothing about anything else. So, facing problems like who you liked was a giant task. 'This trip will hopefully clear him up.' "Headphones?"
"Sure."