That evening Akane helped Kasumi in the kitchen. Genma Saotome, Ranma's father, and Soun Tendo, Akane's father both worried a little. But grew peaceful when they didn't hear any loud noise coming from the kitchen. Usually when Akane was in there, it shook like a hurricane going through the place. Ranma wandered down into the sitting area and sat down at the table leaning on his right elbow, his cheek in his right palm.
"I just don't get it" Ranma thought as his father gazed at him and pushed his glasses up the ridge of his nose.
"Ranma my boy" Genma replied, "Did you say something to Akane?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Ranma said surprised as he looked at his father.
"Well she's in there helping Kasumi with dinner right now."
"She's what! How's that possible? I didn't even hear anything" Ranma replied in a panicked voice.
"That's just it."
"Yes son" Soun said, "What happened with you and Akane today?"
"As if I had any idea," Ranma grumbled slouching once more.
"Could this be?" Soun's eyes glistened with tears as he clasped Genma's hands.
"Yes Tendo" Genma added, "I think our children are finally coming together. Oh my son!" he ran to embrace Ranma.
"Get off of me Pop!!" Ranma shouted and in the next instant Genma flew out of the house and into the back yard pond.
He climbed out of the water and held up a sign that said:
"Now is that anyway to treat your father?"
"Oh be quiet" Ranma replied standing up and leaving the room, "I'll be down later" he stomped out of the room.
"Maybe you overdid it just a little too much Saotome" Soun said as the Panda entered the room.
"Do you think so?"
Soun nodded and picked up his paper to read while Genma plodded his way toward the bathroom to take a hot bath.
(Next Scene)
When dinner was served that night Akane offered her dish first to Ranma. He gulped real slowly as the rest of the family looked at him.
"What?" he said angrily, "I'm the only one who has to eat it?"
"No" Akane shook her head a bit confused, "Everyone else can try it too. But I wanted you to try it first. I worked really hard on it."
"Did you hear that boy?" Genma grinned at him.
"Isn't that wonderful" Kasumi smiled.
"Congratulations Ranma" Nabiki said drolly, "You win the booby prize."
"Yes son. Try it" Soun added.
Ranma stared at the dish before him as Akane placed the food on his plate. He picked up his chopsticks and gulped again, feeling sick already.
"Well it doesn't look as bad as it usually does" he thought, "It's Akane's cooking. How good can it be?"
"What's the matter Ranma?" Akane asked sweetly, "Don't you want to try it?"
"Mmm" he grumbled in his head, "I better swallow my damn pride and just eat it" he scooped some up with his chopsticks, "Here goes nothing" he placed it in his mouth, his eyes completely shut and began to chew.
But as soon as he had closed his eyes he opened them up again just as fast.
"Huh?"
"Well?" Akane asked, "Is it good?"
"It's actually good?" he thought, "That can't be right" he took another bite, "Mmm. It is good. It's really good" he began to stuff it in his mouth.
"I guess he likes it Akane" Kasumi smiled.
"Yea" Nabiki replied, "He's really shoveling it in."
"Great" Akane said relieved, "Now everyone can try some now" she handed a plate to Soun, "Here you go dad."
"Oh. Uh thank you Akane" Soun chuckled nervously as she began to hand them out to everyone else.
When Ranma has finished his plate everyone else began on theirs and realized the same thing that he did. The dish they were eating was really quite delicious.
"So did you enjoy that Ranma?" Akane asked as she began to eat herself.
"Uh yea. I actually did" he nodded slowly, "What happened? Why did it taste so good?"
"What do you mean?"
"Akane. You're not normally this good at that stuff. You know. It usually doesn't turn out like this."
"Ranma!" Genma shouted, "Show some respect! You shouldn't talk to your fiancée like that!"
"It's okay Mr. Saotome" Akane interrupted him sweetly, "Ranma's right."
"Huh?" everyone stared at her surprised, including Ranma.
"What is it?" she looked at them, "Did I say something wrong?"
"Did you just say, I was right?" Ranma asked her.
"Akane" Nabiki replied, "Ranma insulted your cooking. Aren't you angry at him?"
"Oh he didn't insult me Nabiki" Akane said, "He was just telling the truth."
"What?" everyone was now stunned.
"Akane" Nabiki reached over and touched her sister's forehead, "Are you feeling well?"
"I'm fine Nabiki" she giggled, "I'm gonna clean up now and start the dishes" she began to hum and collect the dishes from around the table, taking Ranma's last, "Are you done with that?" she asked politely.
"Uh yea" he said with wide eyes as she continued to hum and walk into the kitchen.
"All right" Nabiki replied, "Who was that girl? Because she sure as heck wasn't our sister."
"Personally I like this new Akane" Kasumi said, "She's so sweet and well-mannered. Not to mention well-tempered."
"Yes uh" Soun coughed, "We'll keep an eye on her just the same. Right Saotome?"
"Oh yes of course Tendo" Genma nodded, "Won't we Ranma?"
"Uh what? Yea" Ranma nodded also but with a slight frown, "We will."
(Next Scene)
Over the next couple of days Akane's behavior didn't change. She was polite to everyone she met, including Tatewaki Kuno an upperclassmen student who had been infatuated with her since he laid eyes on her, and who was one of Ranma's rivals. In fact Ranma had to do his best to keep Kuno away from her as well as Hikaru Gosunkugi another student interested in Akane. As they walked home on the final day of school that week, Ranma pondered all that had been happening.
"She didn't get mad at me when I insulted her cooking" he thought as he walked on top of the fence with Akane humming down below on the sidewalk as she walked, "And not only that she has helped with dinner every night this week, always making her own special dish. And every time I think it's gonna taste terrible, I find out I'm wrong. She's never been this good at cooking before. And then there was the other night" he thought back.
(Flashback)
"Oh darn it!" Ranma shouted in the dojo after he finished cleaning the floor.
"What's the matter Ranma?" Akane asked from the other side of the room as she was dusting.
"I got a hole in my shirt. In the back of it see?" he replied turning around as she came over.
"Well that should be no problem. I can mend it for you."
"No. No" he held up his hands, "That's okay."
"Come on Ranma, I can do it" she insisted, "Let me do it please."
"Oh all right" he conceded and then thought as he took off his shirt, "Did she just say please?"
"Oh" she blushed as she saw his top form, "I'll go do this right now" she dashed out of the room her cheeks turning ever redder.
"Huh?"
(Back)
"She was blushing" Ranma thought, "She was actually embarrassed by my chest. I wonder why? She's seen my chest before. Usually she tells me to cover up and stop being such a pervert. She's definitely acting weird. Humming all the time. Being in a good mood. And even being nice to Kuno, without even hitting him" he frowned a little, "Something's up. She's just not the same Akane that I used to know. I mean what happened that day? She was angry that day and then she wasn't. That's so unlike her."
"Ranma!" Akane called to him to get his attention.
"Huh?"
"What's the matter? You looked like you were in a daze just now."
"Oh uh. I must be hungry" he lied.
"You want to stop somewhere and get something to eat on the way home. Oh maybe we can go to Uchann's or the Nekohatten, what do you think?"
"Huh?" he said again and then thought seriously, "Now I know something's up. She willingly wants to go to see Ukyo or Shampoo?" he paused, "Are you sure Akane?" he asked.
"Sure. We can go to either one you want Ranma. It's up to you" she smiled.
"Okay" he thought as he jumped down and looked at her with a frown, "This is definitely weird. I need to find out what happened to Akane. If I don't I don't know how long I will be able to stand this. Wait a minute," he thought again as they began to walk to Uchann's, "Why do I care? She's changed for the better. She's a better cook. She mended my shirt" he looked at it, "And not only that she's much more cute. Definitely much more cute. But something about this bothers me. I don't what. But I got to get to the bottom of it."
(Till Next Time)
Authors Note: Okay. Another chapter for you. I might do a few more this weekend, I'm not sure. I changed the writing. The only thing that is initalics now will be when Genma is a panda and he is holding up a sign. The rest will be in bold print!! Thanks again for the review! See you later!!!
Next Chapter: Little Pink Book
Ranma discovers a small book in Akane's room that might be the key to finding out what happened to her. See what happens next time!!!
