Chapter 5
Ranma sat on the porch of the Tendos house and was watching the stars.
They all got out of the house in time and nobody was hurt. Well, except Ranmas father, but he didn't really count. His mother said he deserved what he got.
'Whatever.'
'You let your guard down.', stated Ranmas little voice.
'Don't I know that? Do you really think I don't know that? Hell, because of my foolishness mother or Akane could have gotten hurt!', Ranma replied furiously.
'But you saved them'
'Shut up! If you hadn't started that damn conversation with me, I would have noticed the Amazons sooner. I could have prevented the whole thing!'
The voice didn't say anything, and Ranma was glad. It wasn't very healthy to shout at yourself, and he was too furious at the moment.
Well, at least he had now one more thing that made him want to proceed with his plan...
Just then the door slid open, and Akane stepped out.
She hadn't talked during the whole meal and wouldn't look anyone in the eyes.
She sat down beside Ranma and watched the stars. Ranma who had observed her arrival, slid his gaze back to the stars.
"I... I just wanted to apologize, Ranma. I'm... sorry.", Akane said hesitantly, as if she would expect him to shout at her.
Ranma just looked at her in shock. Why was she apologizing? Akane never apologizes!
Akane, who couldn't take the silence, rushed with her next sentence.
"It...it was my fault. I must have done a mistake, or my soup wouldn't have exploded. I...I tried, but it wasn't enough, huh?"
Ranma still didn't say anything, and Akane, in an attempt to lighten the mood, said:
"I'm probably the only one, who is capable to turn a normal soup into an atomic bomb."
She lightly laughed, but Ranma knew that that wasn't her normal laugh. She was just doing this for him, so he wouldn't feel bad.
Akane watched the stars a while longer, while Ranma still stared at her.
Then she averted her gaze to the ground and sighed softly.
She stood slowly up, and went to the door. But before she opened it, she once again repeated,
"I'm sorry, Ranma. I really am."
She slid the door open, and before she could step into the house, she heard Ranma say,
"Where are you going?"
Akane looked at him. He had said it so softly. Why? Was he feeling pity for her? Somehow, deep down, she knew that this wasn't it. But what then?
His gaze drifted back to the stars. He had hoped that she would have said something, but that was probably wishful thinking.
'Then why is she still here?'
Yes, why was she still here?
"I'm going to apologize to your mother."
She had said it so softly.
Ranma needn't to look at her.
He knew that she was smiling when she said it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½. It does belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
A/N: I know, very, very short, but I think that Akanes feelings regarding this accident deserved an own chapter.