June 16th 2001
After a fairly uneventful afternoon, Akane asked Tofu if she could head out a little early. Still shaken and heavy hearted over the interaction with Ranma in his office Tofu let her go for the afternoon. Changing into more casual clothes, she made the walk away from the dojo and instead over to Ukyou's.
It was a little before she'd be dealing with the dinner rush and the information weighing on her mind was getting to be too much for Akane. She slowly made her way into the restaurant.
"Ukyou? Are you around?"
"Ah Miss Tendou, shall I get a table for you and Mitsuda-san?" Konatsu smiled up at her earnestly, waving her to a small booth.
"Oh no, Konatsu that's fine no dinner for me tonight. Your kimono is lovely by the way." Konatsu beamed a pretty flash of pink across his face. How he is able to pull those off better than any girl I know, I'll never figure out. "I actually wanted to talk to Ukyou if she's around?" As she mentioned the girl, she came out from the back kitchen, smiling.
"Akane-chan! How goes it? Dinner to go?" She was wiping her hand on a small towel before she threw it into her apron.
"No, not tonight. I need to talk to you about... something. Important." She tried to emphasize the fact that it should be done with a bit of privacy.
"Konatsu, would you mind watching the front? Come get me if it's starts gettin' busy alright?" The ninja nodded and turned himself away from the two women as they made their way to the backroom. Ukyou took a seat first and Akane followed sitting on a tall stool, her knee bouncing constantly as she tried to figure out where to start. Ukyou pulled a spatula down to clean as she eyed her.
"Akane-chan, you okay? Wait! Is it Shingo, did he-?!" Her eyes beamed wide, Akane waved her hands in defense in front of her.
"No! No nothing like that at all actually." She got a chance to take a deep breath, reminding her of the eventual argument that she'd likely be having with Shingo, whenever he decided to talk to her that is. This conversation was going to be weird at best.
"No Ukyou, it's...Ranma came back yesterday."
Ukyou dropped the spatula out of her hands. Her eyes shot up.
"Ranma came back? To Nerima? To the dojo?" Akane nodded. "Well, what happened? What did he say? Why is he here?" Her face went white.
"I... don't know? I think to come back to his parents and the school?" Akane thought it best not to mention any kiss or how he had tried talking to her. Ukyou stared back at her trying to see if she could see anything else there.
"He didn't say anything? After all these years, he comes back and doesn't say shit to anyone?" She was getting mad, Akane remembered that same anger being directed at the wrong person nearly 2 years ago.
"He wanted to pay my dad back, I guess for the time he was there and that he was just...passing through the city and needed somewhere to stay since he figured...no one else was going to let him stay with them. Cause his parents are at home and everything." She was making things up on the fly and hoping that would work. Ukyou scoffed.
"Of course, he's coming back to pay off debts and wash his hands clean of everything. Just look at what he did to us."
Winter 1997
The first girl to get a letter was Kodachi. Akane remembered vividly when the Black Rose had shown up at the dojo, chewing her handkerchief to bits while accompanied by her older brother. Kasumi had answered the door and called for Akane to meet her. Caught off-guard at the figures at their door, Akane was stone solid. The past few months she hadn't been very active outside of the dojo and school. After Ranma had left, she was stuck processing what had happened. It wasn't long after he left that his parents received their first letter asking them to forgive him but saying he left for a good reason and he wasn't gone for good. His mother had assumed it was to become a man among men, a master of the art. Akane hadn't really cared all that much, deciding he was some macho jerk. At least at first, she couldn't let anyone onto the fact on just how devastated she actually was.
She approached the Kuno siblings, warming her arms underneath her house coat. Kasumi stood away from the door to allow her to speak to them privately.
"Kodachi. Kuno. What can I help with you?"
"YOU HUSSY!" Kodachi screeched as her brother held his arm back against her. Akane gave them both a questionable look.
"Please excuse my sister, Akane Tendou. She's a bit emotional over the letter that cad Saotome sent to her and our father. The brute." Her eyes lit up.
"Le-letter you got a letter from Ranma?" He held the paper up to her and allowed her to take it. She grabbed it slowly as Kodachi began sniffing again into her handkerchief. Her eyes scanned the letter, recognizing the handwriting as his.
"Saotome wrote to my sister, as well as my father proclaiming that she needed to end her pursuits of him on account of prior engagements that took precedent. That by trying to court him she was showing him and his family the utmost disrespect to wishes that had long been established before she met him. And that if she continued this...course of action it would bring dishonor unto our family and that he would never be with a woman like that." Akane peered over the paper to listen, going back down to confirm the words he'd written. Talking about dishonor upon her family, that he was not interested in her, her need to pursue someone new who would fit in her life. To be honest Akane was surprised with the seeming gentleness that he wrote her. She knew that before he left, he had been terrified of her, the one he seemed the absolute least interested in. She shook her head slightly, what was this? Kuno huffed a heavy breath.
"Saotome, what does he know about honor? Abandoning a beautiful girl to chase after whatever it is he's seeking." Akane's anger was growing but before she could do anything Kodachi again tried lashing out at her.
"YOU...YOU...TERRIBLE GIRL. WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY RANMA-SAMA THAT HE WOULD HATE ME SO MUCH?!" Kuno held her back as Akane watched on in horror, standing in a fighting stance. Kodachi's eyes were bloodshot and bubbling over in tears as her brother held her arms down. Akane had never seen her so unhinged. Kuno asked her for the letter back as he pushed his wailing sister away to cry at the gates of Akane's home.
"Our father already read the letter and has told Kodachi that she has no reason to continue this fruitless mission for Saotome. She'll be attending a university in France to repair the damage done to her heart." He moved in closer to her. "And while she's away I am more than happy to help tutor the fair Akane Tendou." Akane shoved the letter into his face as she wished them a nice trip home and slammed the door behind them. She turned around and saw Kasumi's face from the hallway, she smiled and left Akane alone with her thoughts.
Ranma's writing to more than his parents now? Who else did he write to? Will I get something like that? Will he send me a letter telling me to give up? She hit the back of her head on the door. No way he would, he's just run off for a bit and was looking to get rid of Kodachi or something right? Unless...no. He'll be home soon. He has to.
Present
"Shampoo was the first to get a letter, right? That spring after he left?" Ukyou bitterly reminisced, Akane shook her head.
"Kodachi was, they came by to tell me they were sending her to France to recoup I guess."
"Mmm" Ukyou stared into the floor.
"But you're right, Shampoo was next." She said the name like it was out of a dream.
Spring 1998
Coming up on nearly a year since he'd left, the girls didn't see much of one another. Focused more on their businesses or in Akane's case her studies, they didn't have time or much interest to keep tabs on what they were all doing. Occasionally the Tendous would order from Nekohanten, usually Kasumi's choice. Akane was coming up on finishing her second year in university and had been ecstatic with how it had gone, she'd been in another play at her school earlier in the year, had taken art classes for some extracurricular courses, learning painting and ceramics. Her pots and vases had been considerably sloppy but she was proud of what she'd produced from her hands. She had become so focused on her school and her life around university, she didn't think about him as much. It had felt sad and pathetic over the months that she should be so stuck on him, so instead she focused on herself. What else was there to do after all?
On no particular afternoon coming home from school, she'd run into Ukyou on a delivery. The two had struck up a conversation catching up on what they had been up to, it had been a few months since Ukyou had seen her and she looked a bit different, her hair was to her back something she recalled feeling looked so strange on Akane, she'd always known her to have such short hair. They immediately noticed how easily they got on without Ranma as a factor, no need to talk about him or fight over someone not even present. By the end of their chat Akane had invited her over for a homemade dinner (from Kasumi of course), insisting that Konatsu could handle a weekday night by himself.
As the girls entered through the gate and into the home, they both felt a strange energy. Looking at each other they headed into the family room where they walked in to see Cologne and Shampoo at her family table along with her father and Ranma's parents. The two girls stood frozen as Shampoo's eyes met theirs, angry, devastated.
"Ladies, why don't you take a seat and we'll catch you up with what's happening." Cologne drew out as her hand pointed to the end of the table. Shampoo's mouth was pulled back in a brutal snarl but she didn't speak. Cologne took a look at the two of them, took a big breath and released it.
"We received a message from Ranma this morning." The two girls nodded and listened in. "As well as a letter from our tribe." They both gasped lightly. "Seems son-in...seems Ranma has been quite busy while he's been away." They waited as Cologne packed her pipe, taking her time. Shampoo glared past both of their heads.
"Apparently back home, they ran into problems with a neighboring tribe and just so happened Ranma had found them around the same time. Some battles took place between the warring factions but our tribe came out victorious, no doubt due to his assistance. And when asked what they could do thank him for his help in their hour of need..." she took a few large drags off her pipe. "He asked to have the marriage arrangement with Shampoo dissolved, as well as the Kiss of Death on Akane Tendou and his female side. I understand they were apprehensive about it but after the assistance he provided in battle and afterwards, they couldn't refuse."
"Oh my god." Ukyou choked out first. Akane's eyes went to Shampoo's, they looked like Kodachi's when she had gotten her letter.
"I wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't sent the letter from the council along with it and while I am elder, I am still at the mercy of my council, especially when I am away from the tribe." She nodded solemnly. Akane ran her fingers through her hair nervously, her eyes racing around the table. She was in shock, but also so happy. Shampoo, the one who always shoved her body, her abilities in her face, she had lost. Finally, she lost at something and Akane was still standing. She could've laughed at the nonsense of it all but this was her life after all wasn't it? So instead, she stared back at the amazons with watering eyes, feeling so weak that she didn't know why she was nearly crying. Cologne continued after a last drag.
"Because of this we will be returning to China as soon as possible. There is no future for us in Nerima, Shampoo is already posed to join the council after she marries and will hold considerable power there. Better than being a waitress in a town with too many painful memories." Shampoo finally let a few tears drop from her eyes as she dropped her face to her hands in her lap. Cologne allowed her a few moments for her to gather her thoughts and Shampoo to pull herself together. She stared pointedly at Genma.
"Saotome-san, I would ask when you talk to your son to tell him I appreciate what he's down for our tribe but I wish to never see him again." She prepared to leave as Shampoo got up first and walked to the doorway of her home. Cologne turned to the other two girls as they sat speechless, unsure of what to say. Shampoo wasn't a terrible person; they didn't hate her even if she was a handful sometimes. At the very least they could see the same emotions reflected in her face that they would feel if they were in the same situation. They both looked at Cologne as she gave a thin smile to the both of them.
"Congratulations to one of you, I'm sure you'll make a lovely bride for him." Cologne lingered slightly longer on Akane's face before escorting Shampoo out of the home.
That night Akane felt the need to be alone after Ukyou left and her father, Kasumi and the Saotomes had gone to bed. Things had been considerably awkward after the amazons left and Akane couldn't blame anyone for leaving the room as fast as they possibly could to get away from that. Akane had decided to stay up and watch some show she couldn't even recall enjoying, let alone the name. On her mind was Shampoo's face, full of dark emotions and sadness. Even if it was due to her tribe's rules that she was supposed to love Ranma, Akane considered the fact that maybe after a while she had really fallen for him. Even if she had a rough way of showing that, she was capable of showing love much more than any of them.
Certainly, more than me. Chalk one more thing she's better at than me, actually showing how she feels. Being affectionate...being a loving woman who can cook, who can provide for her husband in any way he needs. She's better at the arts than me, prettier than me.
Akane squeezed the pillow she was holding, nearly tearing it when she thought back to her anger management classes. She'd seen a sign for them at the beginning of the year and they were free for students to take. Luckily for her, not many people had rage issues like herself so for nearly 6 months they had been one on one treatments and she had improved greatly. Telling herself to put herself in Shampoo's shoes, she could understand that even having everything another woman could be envious of didn't mean you got everything you wanted.
Even if you really wanted it.
She sighed and felt herself again sad for the other girl when she got a knock on the door of the shogi. Caught off guard she walked to it and opened the door, surprised at who she found.
"Mousse? What are you doing here so late?" He gave her a soft smile.
"Hello Akane Tendou. I hope I'm not bothering you?" She shook her head and offered him to come inside. "Oh no don't worry I just wanted to take a few minutes to say goodbye since we're leaving in the morning for home."
"Right, back to China. You must be excited; you get to leave this crazy place." She walked out onto the porch, offering him a seat next to her to look out onto the porch. He took it.
"Yes, I'm excited to return, I've missed my family dearly. It will be nice to see them again."
"I'm sure! I don't know how I would do without my dad and sisters for so long."
"You manage and mature; I hope they are pleased with the man I've grown into." He looked off wistfully, she put a hand on his arm.
"They will be, you're someone to be very proud of." She gave him an earnest smile. They sat quietly together watching the night sky, both afraid to bring up their significant others. He went first.
"When I return, I intend to propose to Shampoo, I'm hopeful that now that Ranma Saotome has ended the engagement that she will find me a suitable husband." He blushed slightly.
"I know she will Mousse; you've always been there for her. Always loyal, you've never looked at anyone the way you look at her. I'm sure that isn't lost on her." She pulled her knees to her body, resting her head on her knees. "Anyone would want a love like that." She gave him a small smile and blinked her eyes from his.
They sat in the quiet of her backyard, the spring breeze brushing over them. Mousse slowly stood up from his seat onto the lawn and held his hands out taking hers in his. She was surprised when he pulled her to stand up and face him, unable to make out his whole face in the starless night. Barefoot, she squeezed the grass beneath her toes to calm nerves as she looked at her hands compared to his, so small and delicate comparatively, calloused and scarred from years of weapon training. His hair blew behind his back, like threads of midnight silk.
"Of everyone here, I will miss you the most Akane Tendou." He gripped her hands lightly. "I feel you and I always walked a similar path, in our feelings and our lives. I hope you find the happiness you deserve." He then pulled her into a large hug, as she swam through the cloth of his robes, she held him back for a moment. Akane felt her lip quiver at the realization of their leaving and let her own tears fall. After a moment he released her and taking a sleeve wiped her tears away. "Sad eyes do not suit you."
"I'll miss you too Mousse." She gave him a smile. "Would you promise me something?"
"I will do what I can."
"Will you write me, even just occasionally? Just tell me what's happening in your life? I'll do the same. I just, don't want to lose anymore...friends." He nodded.
"I will write you updates on my life. I am happy to do so." He dropped his arms from her and moved towards the tree by them. "But I must leave now, I have to be up early to wake Cologne and Shampoo for our trip. I hope to see you again one day Akane T-"
"Just Akane, please." He nodded and smiled.
"Goodbye Akane." He leapt into the tree and headed back home. Nekohanten was closed the next morning.
The two girls sat quietly working out the memories in their own minds, having relied on the other during that time to process the changes occurring in their lives.
"The first day of fall I got mine." Ukyou smiled sadly as Akane watched her.
Fall 1999
The end of her second year in university had been exciting for Akane, she was set in her major, had made several new friends in and out of the school and in general found herself pretty happy with life. Taking up a job at Tofu's allowed her a chance to make her own money, she was being trained by Genma at home, under the watchful eye of Nodoka so as not to put her through the same ridiculous regiments that he'd put their son through. She was looking forward to starting her third year. She'd caught the eye of a few fellow students who she politely turned down for dates, her anger management classes showing her that not every man had bad intentions for her. Her sisters were happily in relationships and her father was healthy and had taken on a few students. In general, she could say she was happy.
Not completely happy, but happy.
She still had a hole in her heart, reminders that would occasionally pop up and put her in a sad mood, one that couldn't shake until she fell asleep that night. But they came less and less and when his parents would share what he was up to, she was relieved to hear he was okay. But the letters always spurred something in her, a feeling of dread.
On one of the hottest days she could remember, she was training alone in the hall when she heard rushing up from the lawn to the entrance. The door slammed open and a shaking Ukyou stepped inside. Her face was a terrible mixture of sadness and anger.
"Akane! Akane?" She stared at her not recognizing her. "You?"
Akane ran her nails through her long blonde hair. She'd been looking for something tremendously different this summer, something so unlike her that it would surprise everyone. Her father had been shocked to see her but he told him it was a very popular, fashionable look and that she just wanted something new.
To be someone new.
"Ukyou, what's wrong?" She pulled her hair into a bun, out of sight and out of the conversation. The taste of copper was in her mouth and she felt like her throat was closing, dread spilling throughout her body. Ukyou's mouth dropped into a deep frown.
"Did you get one?" She whispered, bitterly swallowing.
"Did I get one what?" Ukyou shook the paper in front of her and threw it at Akane.
"Did you get a letter from that jackass?!" She yelled as she watched Akane's face turn ghostly pale. She couldn't bring herself to move, over the last few months the two girls had gotten closer and felt a real friendship grow between them. They never talked about the past or him and that worked perfectly for them. This was probably a long time coming.
"He ended our engagement! Our engagement that came even before yours! And you want to know why?! Because he never loved me! He never loved me Akane! His longest friend. I was his best friend, like a sister. A fucking SISTER."
Akane watched as the tears started coming down her face, it was at this moment Akane realized she'd never seen her cry before.
"He just...writes me and tells me he loves me like a sister, but I'll never be...more than that. That he just doesn't feel...romantic feelings for me. That I deserve love like that and he's sorry he can't be that man." She sniffed loudly and shuddered as she gripped her own shoulders. "And then he sent me...sent me the money for my okonomiyaki cart. To replace it and buy a brand new one. He said he regrets how we came to be engaged but didn't regret that he met me." She lifted her eyes to see Akane's eyes watering up as well. She knew how devoted and in love Ukyou was to Ranma, she sometimes thought she may be more than she ever was. It hurt to see someone so strong as her succumb to such painful emotions.
"Akane...please. Please tell me it's not real. Tell me that you got a letter too." She spoke so lowly and desperately Akane didn't want to answer anything, afraid that anything would mean the end. Ukyou waited and chocked on a sob. "Of course not. Because he wants you Akane. He always wanted you. It was always going to be you. For all I know the two of you have been talking since he left."
"Ukyou, I-"
"Does he write to you? Tells you all his plans, but asks you not to share with others so that he doesn't seem like the bad guy? Does he tell you how much he misses you? How he wants to lay beneath a canopy of stars with you? That you're the only girl he'd ever love? That he dreams of the day he can take you in his arms and make love to you and show you what kind of man he actually is? Does he, does he AKANE?" She shrieked at the other girl, who stood silently. They waited for the other to speak.
"I... haven't heard from him since the day he left Ukyou, I swear it. On my mother's grave and my honor, I swear I have not spoken to or heard from him besides the letters he sends his parents. I promise you." The words clunkily fell out of Akane, her heart going out to Ukyou while trying to put out the flame of anger that was ignited at her pointed words. Ukyou's face fell and she allowed herself another sob.
"Why didn't he pick me? What's wrong with me? Aren't I enough?" She held herself as she bent over in pain. Akane moved closer to provide some kindness to the one-time rival when the girl stood up and smiled lightly.
"I'm sorry Akane but you're the last person I want to comfort me right now. I just...needed to know. Needed to see for myself. I'll be leaving."
"Ukyou, wait!" But the other girl ran off before she could stop her. Left alone in the dojo she took a moment to let it weigh on her, Ranma had finally ended all his other engagements besides hers. A day that she thought would never come had arrived and it was viciously bittersweet. She had won, the last one standing for him and yet, he wasn't here. His absence didn't make anything better or clearer, what's the use of winning when there's nothing to claim as your prize?
"And mine was a few months after that." Akane ran her hands in her hair, tugging at the short blue strands behind her neck. Ukyou nodded in agreement and sighed out.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know...I mean. I never thought I'd actually see him again, let alone live under the same roof as him. I should've moved in with Shingo when I had the chance."
"No way honey, you deserve your independence, you're out in a few months anyways, right?"
"Yeah, in September."
"So... maybe." She shook her head and released a deep sigh. "Maybe just try to make nice until then?" Akane stared at her questionably. She put a hand up to her forehead.
"You feeling okay Ukyou? YOU of all people telling me to make nice with him?"
"You made nice with Ryoga didn't you?"
"I made...civil with Ryoga." Ukyou quipped an eyebrow at her. "I made okay with Ryoga, but he didn't end our engagement."
"No just pretended to be a pet to get close to you. At least you'll notice if a grown man tries crawling in your bed." Akane laughed and rolled her eyes, stretching her body she groaned at the thought of the coming weeks.
"I'm just saying you were able to forgive something like Ryoga and obviously you don't have to forgive Ranma but with his parents in your house, it may be tough to constantly avoid him. So... maybe just try being civil with him. He probably doesn't have many friends left after all. His own doing of course, but you get my point."
"Ukyou." She reached out and grabbed her hand. "Why? Why are you being so..."
"Calm about this?" Akane nodded.
"I don't know...he was my first love but I'll always hate him just a little for not choosing me. But he was an important person in my life and he brought me here where I've found success and followed my own dreams. I have him to thank for that, even if I wonder if we could've done all this together." She smiled and shook her head. "He would've hated it, I'm sure."
"Do you, do you think you're ready to see him again?"
"Not yet, I need a little more time but I think I'll be ready to face him soon. Beat the ever-loving shit out of him." She laughed and Akane smiled back, almost ready to mention what happened to her last night when she was interrupted. "Akane, you deserve some closure too. He meant a lot to you, but you deserve answers and at the end of the day, he probably wants to give them to you. I know he cares about you, even if he's terrible at showing it."
"Ukyou..."
"This will all be alright. Before you know it, we can get back to our lives and he'll be back to what he was before, just a memory." She smiled brightly at the other girl. She nodded back. "Have you heard back from Mousse? How's Shampoo doing?"
"She's 3 months along now, they're hoping they're having a little girl. Cologne is excited for the female line to continue and all."
"Hopefully she won't be following that terrible engagement tradition, saddled with some guy who beat you."
"Nah, from what I heard Shampoo is making arguments to end that tradition. Saying it does nothing for the tribe when females aren't able to choose the strongest partner they want. I guess it's making headway."
"Shampoo as a political leader huh? I guess it kinda makes sense. She was good at getting her way, most of the time at least." Ukyou smirked and checked the time. "Listen sug, I've got to get back to the grill but if you need anything else, let me know. Why don't you and Shingo come by for dinner this week, my treat." Akane's smile faded slightly and nodded.
"Let me get a raincheck on that, yeah?" Ukyou for a moment saw the flash of sadness of across her eyes. Something must've happened, but she'd wait until Akane was ready. She walked her to the front as she watched her make her way back towards her own home, feeling sorry but also a small streak of envy rush through her body. She turned to Konatsu to prepare for dinner orders.
Akane walked back home, humming some pop song she'd heard the other day. She'd been meaning to buy some CD player or something to make her walks more interesting but she needed to save all the money she could for the move in the next couple months. She'd hinted at the move out to her father several times but he didn't seem to be picking it up. In the past she'd talked about leaving but her father had left her feeling guilty, Kasumi was already moved out and living with Tofu, Nabiki had moved out long ago though she returned throughout summer breaks when she wanted to save some money, but Akane was the heir, the house and dojo would be hers so why bother ever leaving? She argued for independence and she couldn't get that living here with him and the Saotomes but he assured her all the freedoms she wanted, including letting her take that month long abroad trip to America last year where she'd met Shingo, as long as she stayed at home.
Actually, besides the fight he'd put up for her whenever she'd talk about moving out, Soun hadn't been nearly as overbearing with her than when she'd been a teenager. He approved her additional training from Genma, he'd put up no fight on her dating Shingo, not even mentioning when she'd come home late. She knew deep down her father loved her dearly and wanted to see her happy but that deep down he was probably terrified to not have all his daughters under one roof with him. Afterall, they had been all he had since their mother died. On the other hand, he had the Saotomes with him now and they had worked out their dynamic, not matter how strange it was.
Akane stopped for a moment and thought about how strange a situation it was, the people who were intended to be her in-laws still living in her father's home, her home, even after her fiancée had ended the engagement.
She remembered being so angry seeing them during that time, being so confused why they didn't just leave, hating seeing the looks on their faces when she walked into a room, full of regret and embarrassment. It had taken Soun sitting down with her asking if she wanted them to leave, if it was all too much for her. She had considered it but Nodoka and Genma had really become like family to her, an uncle and mother figure she never had. And where would they go? Their home was still destroyed from when the other fiancées had gone looking for that engagement ring, they'd be out on the street and it's not like they had much money. It had taken feasting on the worst parts of herself to not hold what she felt against them and to let them stay. Her father would've been devastated as well and what's the use in both of them being of no use to the other due to their sadness.
Maybe it was then that she had started to forgive him, in the same room only days after the letter from their son. Nodoka's head held so low, Genma unable to look as his eyes welled up waiting to be thrown from the home.
He'd been the first to read Ranma's letter, unable to comprehend what he'd read, Soun tearing the letter from his hands shortly after. The two of them began tearing up as Nodoka clenched her hand over her heart, how her son could be so emotionless in his letter. He'd just written he was safe, fine and that he would be ending his engagement with Akane, straightforward, no remorse. Nothing for her, no regrets nor words of comfort. She remembered the nauseating pit of sadness in her stomach, that he hadn't left her anything, not so much as an afterthought. He must've grown to hate her so much that he would write to Shampoo, even Kodachi but for her nothing. Not a single word of acknowledgment or recognition of their relationship.
And it was in those days that followed, when she got up for school to pretend to be one of the living, as she walked around without a heart only to return to a home where everyone felt sorry for her, deep sadness permeated the walls like it had when her mother died. In those dark hours as tears stained her cheeks and pillow, as she questioned why he hadn't picked her in the end, why he had made her wait to be so cruel, when she thought she couldn't cry anymore to only break out in choking sobs she realized she only had herself. No one else could fix this, only her. And it was then she let him out of her heart and pulled the world back in.
The first step was allowing the Saotomes to stay, their faces painted in shock and gratitude as they thanked the pale, thin Akane who smiled back lightly, her blue roots peeking beneath the blonde on her head. Nodoka knew she hadn't been eating or sleeping much in the last few days, she hoped she'd start soon and this would be its catalyst.
Next Akane threw herself into studies, in her art and in school. With only a year and a half left it'd be the toughest portion of her schooling. Before the winter break one of her teachers suggested a month-long abroad program to California for business, that she'd be perfect for. She'd rejected it out right.
The first day of classes she turned in the form and was given the information for the trip in the coming weeks. Soun had given her his full blessing to go.
On the overnight flight, Akane watched the sea beneath her as other students slept around her. The blinking lights over the deep, black seas it was hard to see where the sky ended and ocean began. Sternly watching as she listened to the girl next to her snore away, she thought about the past weeks, how she pulled herself from the darkest place she'd been in nearly 15 years on her own. Her determination, her resilience, she had rediscovered her self-respect, re-established her own honor. Forehead against the window and looking into her own hazy amber eyes, she smiled softly and allowed herself a moment and quietly forgave him. Like pulling a stubborn splinter from her heel, she pulled out his last hook in her heart and let it go.
She met Shingo on the trip.
And at first, she'd been less than interested in starting something new with a guy, but he was well spoken and so smart. He attended her school as well but was with the biology department, studying in a wing of a university not too far from her own program. And they would meet up to discuss what'd they'd learned that day or talk about places they wanted to see. He had the warmest, honey brown eyes and dark chestnut hair that would hang low over his eyes, he was always pushing back as he would talk to her getting more and more excited by the subject matter. He had a loud, contagious laugh that she would always find herself getting warm over. She liked being around him, she liked it a lot.
And on their last day there, he kissed her and asked her to be his girlfriend.
And she said yes.
And in her heart, she hated that this had happened so soon. That she had found someone else so quickly, that she was relying on another boy to make her feel something, feel loved or wanted. But he was also a comforting presence in her life, someone stable and safe.
Safe and here and normal and he won't leave.
So here is where she was now, content in a relationship with someone she was...happy with. Happy is the same as content, isn't it? Happiness could be found in comfort? She sighed as she rubbed her neck and looked up at the fence ahead of her. She caught him right away looking over the side.
Ranma.
Even in the last day he was here, it didn't feel real that he could be back but there he was. The same eyes, same smile.
She walked quicker up to him.
"Ranma!" He looked up towards her, his eyebrow raised.
"Yo, what's up?"
"You wanna walk home together? I'm heading that way now, day's over." She offered up, trying.
Keep trying.
"Uh, I mean you don't-"
"C'mon it's not a big deal, besides how do I know you still remember how to get around?" She smiled lightly. He gave her a small grimace.
"I remember how to get around Akane." She rolled her eyes and laughed a little.
He noticed immediately how much more relaxed she was than earlier today. This morning she'd tried avoiding him as if just in his presence she'd get sick and now she was actually friendly? This was confusing and not helping him process the feelings of being at Tofu's only a few hours earlier.
"Your parents are really happy you're home. I can tell, your mom especially." She offered up. He nodded.
"It's good to see them."
They walked in silence a bit more before Akane took in a deep breath and felt familiar fluttering, only for her own sake to have that snatched before they could get wild inside her.
"Ranma, I'm happy to see you're safe and... home. And, I want you to know that...even though I'm not ready yet, I... I think I'll be ready to talk about anything you want to talk about soon. Everything right now is just a lot, you know? And... I hope we can be friends again, while you're still here." His eyebrows got sterner as he listened to her, focusing on the sidewalk in front of them as he walked alongside her. Her voice was light and airy, but he hated everything she was saying. He couldn't decide if this was better or worse than her just hating him outright and giving him the silent treatment. His mind was so focused on his anger, at himself, at her, at the whole situation that he felt he would've lashed out if someone even looked at him wrong in the moment.
He also felt tremendously pained and could've been on the verge of tears if he kept thinking about this.
"Ranma?"
"Hm?" He looked up at her, playing off his inattention.
"Would you be okay with that?"
"Yeah, sure Akane that's fine."
"And you're okay with talking soon?"
"Yeah, we can talk whenever you want." She smiled in the way that her the corners of her mouth tightly lifted up. They made their way to the front of the gate as he allowed her in first.
She knew he hadn't heard a god damn thing she had said.