"Suki…... I see, you haven't changed that much, my dear imouto.."
Soun said in a deep voice as he eyed his sister with hidden emotions in his eyes.. They were sitting in a fancy Chinese style restaurant.. They sat facing each other as the slow music played in the background. Suki takes a sip from her hot tea as she finally looked up at her brother and chuckled as she hears him,
"I am glad that you haven't forgotten that you have an imouto.. Umm, I think this is the first time you have called me your imouto.."
Soun gulped as he hastily replied,
"Why are you saying this, Suki? Why would I forget about you!!!"
Suki smirked as she shook her head at him, then she said in a more serious tone,
"And by the way, your observations are still lacking in awareness, big brother, I did change in this past few years.. So, I would like to remind you that you are not talking with the Suki you used to know, I am a different person now.."
Soun simply nodded at her with a grim expression on his face. Then he said in a shaky voice,
"Why have you called me here, Suki? This place.. this place looks so expensive! And I don't think I can afford to pay any bills here! Yes, I can see that you have changed, but your brother is still the same as you left him.."
"Please don't think that I have called you here to prove my supremacy to you! I am not that evil, trust me! And to be honest, if I had to meet you, I would rather meet you at any parks or open fields. I am not used to sitting with you like this! I am kind of feeling awkward, you know.."
"Then why have you called me here then?"
"Of course, there is some reason behind it brother!" She stopped talking as she heard some other people approaching, "And I think, the reason has already arrived.."
Soun tried to look behind him but stopped, when he heard Suki giving him a warning,
"Don't look behind! Please put your hat a little bit down, brother. I don't want them to recognize you.."
Suki said in a low serious tone as she looked up at the server, who was standing beside the entrance. That server also looked at her and nodded back at her. He slowly went to the new customers and approached them politely. Suki saw as he began to convince them to sit beside their table, which only had a small Chinese boxwood Sculpture folding screen as a partition between the two tables. When she saw them nearing the spot, she adjusted her big sunglass over her eyes and looked down, then she heard the lady asking the server,
"I don't understand! Why are you asking us to sit in here when we have so many options to choose from!"
"I am sorry mam, actually today that area of this place is booked for another occasion and that's why that part is closed now.." The server replied politely.
"Anyways, it doesn't matter where we sit, Ukyo. As long as the food tastes good and ya pay for it!"
Soun's eyes went wide with surprise as he hastily looked up at Suki. She immediately laid one finger over her lips as she shook her head, to indicate to him to keep quiet. He got her massage, he gulped hard and looked down as they both began to hear what they were saying, loud and clear..
..
Genma sat facing Ukyo as he observed the adornment of the restaurant. He smirked and rested his back over the red velvet sofa as he eyed her meaningfully.
"This place looks expensive!!! Heh, that means ya really have to discuss a very important matter with me. Am I right, Miss Kuonji!?"
Ukyo politely smiled up at him and said in a gentle tone,
"I just can't bring my future father-in-law to any restaurant, right? It has to be fancy, of course!"
He smirked again and said,
"Father-in-law! Heh! Wher's that came from?"
Ukyo tightened her grip over her skirt as she greeted her teeth in frustration. Then swallowing her curses, she said with a tightly controlled tone,
"I don't understand why you look so surprised to hear that in the first place!? If I think about it, I am the ONLY VALID fiance of Ranma!"
"Huh! And why's that?"
"For one thing.. You already took my cart as the dowry to marry your son.."
Genma smirked as he replied in a hard tone,
"Do ya mean by that little piece of wood! And ya think, that's the cost of my manly son?! You have to be crazy, young lady..!"
"Well, it's certainly better than a broken Dojo!"
" Excuse me!" Genma said in a hard tone.
Ukyo chuckled as she said,
"Oh Mr Saotome, let's talk about the fact here! Just think about it, you wanted Ranma to marry that Tendo girl only because you wanted that Dojo. But, now, that dojo is completely demolished! And if by any chance, you get fooled by those Tendos and Ranma do gets married to Akane, then it will be totally a disaster for you.."
"Such as?"
"Such as.. My poor Ranma honey have to work day and night to provide for not only the family, but for fixing the Dojo as well!! The Tendo's are so sneaky, they would surely use my Ranchan and would tell him to work hard to repair that dojo! So, there is no win-win situation there! I mean if Ranma would spend whatever he earns only to repair an old property, then what's the point of owning one!! That would be so foolish!"
Genma remained paused for some moment, then he said in a deep voice,
"But at least he would get a land! It's better than a shattered cart!".
" And if I say that, if the land you want, I can give you more than you are wishing for.."
"Like!!"
"Like, my own strong dojo. Not only that, I have my own restaurant to offer to you as well! And if you agree, I promise you that I will give my fifty percent profit share to you. My father also had agreed that, if Ranma agrees to marry me then he will hand over our family house to him and he won't even ask about the stolen cart anymore. So, tell me Mr Saotome, a cart, a successful business, a house to live and a Dojo, don't you think it's a fair enough deal, Mr Saotome?"
Genma grumbled as he began thinking. Then after some moment he said in a serious manner,
"Hmm.. I like it when ya call me your father in law, Miss Kuonji! It sounds more enchanting!!"
"Really!" She asked him excitedly as she saw him nodding at her, "So, that's a deal, then?"
"No doubt!"
"But, what about the Tendos?"
"What about them?" He asked grumbling in annoyance..
"I mean they are still at your place… If this continues like this, Ranma will never agree to marry me.."
"Ya don't hafta think 'bout them.."
"Huh! But…"
"Look, I am a one-word man. I have given ya my word so now my son only belongs ta you. And about those freeloaders, I am getting fed up with them as well. I am gonna get rid of them soon anyways. I am just waiting for them to finish with this wedding drama of Kasumi's. After this all finishes, I won't allow Soun or any of his daughters to stay at our house anymore. They are nothing but trouble for me! You have my word, young lady.. After they are gone then you can have Ranma all to yourself.."
"But what if Mr Tendo disagrees and argues Ranma to marry Akane?!"
"I won't let that happen!! No dojo, no marriage! I warned him though, but he didn't listen ta me.. So it's his fault that Ranma won't marry his daughter.."
"But father, if he doesn't agrees to marry me then?"
Genma grumbles and said, "He will do whatever I tell him to do.. Whatever he did until now is what I wished him to do.. It has always been like this and it will always be like this! So, do not worry about anything.. Uhhhh... shall we order our food then?"
Ukyo giggled and smiled brightly at him, then replied cheerfully,
"Anything you want, father dear..!!
Suki puts the cup back in the dish as she slowly stands up. She eyes Soun with emotionless eyes as she whispers to him,
"I have heard enough ,brother.. But if you still want to sit and listen then.."
She couldn't finish her talking as she saw him standing up from his seat as he began to leave the restaurant in haste. She followed him outside and upon noticing his swollen mood, decided to follow him. They ended up under the bridge as they stood by the canal side. Soun was still facing the canal and the way his shoulder was shaking, Suki could guess that he was crying. She sighed deeply and waited for him to say something. After some moment has passed she saw as he slowly turned to her with a sorrow filled expression on his tear streak face..
"Suki… My imouto.."
Saying that with a shaky tone, he turned to face her but couldn't manage to stand up strength as he flopped down on his knees. He looked down and gripped his thighs tightly as he said,
"Every single day, you have warned me numerous times that this will happen! But I never listened to you. I have blindly trusted Genma while I chose to ignore you! My whole life… I have done whatever he suggested to me, whatever he wanted me to do, I did.. I never took responsibilities of my own family, I ignored my daughters, I ignored you and I … I .. I never gave Natsumi the life she deserved.. I only gave her blames and sorrow in her life! I left her alone in her time of need! Oh Suki, my imouto, please … please forgive me.. Please forgive your clueless brother.. I beg you.. please.."
Suki looked at him with her emotionless eyes as she asked him,
"Can you bring back my Natsumi Oneechan for me, brother?"
Soun looked up at her with tears in his eyes as he whispers,
"Suki… please.."
"If the answer is no, then don't expect anything from me.. Me forgiving you or not, it is not a big deal at all.. The main thing which matters is if your daughters forgive you or not.. The much I know you brother, I am sure you are thinking about not attending the wedding anymore.."
Soun looked up at her with surprise filled eyes as Suki sighs and said,
"Don't even think about running away like a coward again. Be a man and face this situation bravely. I could be careless if you attend the wedding or not. But you are so blessed to get daughters like them. Because despite whatever you have did with your daughters, they still loves you and cares for you. And I know, if Kasumi doesn't see you at her wedding, she would be really heartbroken."
"But.. I .. I don't deserve to be in there.."
"For me, there are lots of things that you don't deserve, brother.. Now as a mother of my daughters, I won't let your selfishness ruin my daughter's happiness.."
Soun sighs as he stood up and said,
"Fine.. I will come then…" He looked up at Suki with determination on his eyes as he said in a hard tone,
"But I promise you , Suki, I won't repeat my mistakes again! I will never let my daughter marry Ranma! I WON'T let that happen!"
Suki smirked humorlessly as she shook her head at him, then she said,
"Sorry, but that's not your decision to make..."
"What! But I was the one who forced this engagement on Akane, then why can't I stop it.."
"Well, for one thing, that's what we were doing for the last few years, to prevent Ranma and Akane to being together. But, now, things have gotten out of hand.. It's neither you nor me who would decide what my Akane should do, it will only be her decision to make.. And if you really don't want to repeat you mistakes again then, don't interfere on Akane's matters now. She is old enough to make her own decision.. The error has been made, now all we have to do is wait and watch and stay away from their business.. That's all…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Days have passed by way too quickly for all of them. It's already been a week since Ranma had left for his training trip. Akane was expecting that Ranma might change his mind at the last minute and decide to stay. But she was wrong, he left the very next day. Not even thinking once about her and what his action might cost them. Every night she dreams of him, of how he promised her that night that he will try his best to make her aunt understand, but her dreams always turned into nightmares by the way he so carelessly broke his promise and left her to deal with this issue alone. Her days were filled with pretend happiness and nights sleepless. But whatever she does, wherever she went, her mind always kept occupied with the thought of Ranma.
After he left, on the third day, her aunt suddenly decided that they would leave for Okinawa… Akane actually felt relieved to hear that, because without Ranma she was feeling so uncomfortable.. So when her aunt suggested that, she immediately agreed. But things got complicated when her aunt refused to take Nodoka with them. After long whining, crying and fighting, Akane finally managed to convince her aunt and now they all are spending a pre-wedding vacation on their all-time favourite place Okinawa.
The new environment, the beautiful ocean, didn't do much magic to cure her sour mood as she thought it would. In fact, she began to miss Ranma even more badly. But, the good thing that came out from this vacation is that Nodoka and her mom suddenly became very close to each other…! Now seeing both of them hanging out with each other or chit-chatting amongst themselves, has become a common thing to witness.
Everything seems so perfect. Her Oneechan was enjoying every day of her special day with her soon to be husband. Nabiki and Akio was also chilling, not with each other but they always finds a way to make themselves occupied. It's only her that's only pretending to have fun. Only she knows, how her heart was yearning to see Ranma, her ears craving to hear Ranma talk to her.
She was missing him so much, this feeling of loneliness was killing her. As the time passed by, she could also feel that her time was tickling by too. She has to make her decision quickly. In her heart she had already made her decision.. But, if she couldn't convince her mom and her sisters that this risk she wants to take is worth everything, then she can't do things that her heart wants to do. She needed Ranma this time so badly to convince her mom that he is not like his father. But, after he decides to take a trip, it ruined every chance of explanation for her.
And when she heard the way Genma is behaving, it made this situation even more problematic for her. If Ranma doesn't understand, if he kept behaving this carelessly, how can she assure them? How can she convince herself?! This is becoming way more dangerous for her, because after what she heard Genma had said to Ukyo, now neither she have her own house as a shelter and nor can she go back to live in the Saotomes as well. If Ranma doesn't come back soon and if he doesn't support her, then what will she do? Where will she go?
Nabiki will soon return with aunt Su, Kasumi will start living with Dr Tofu.. Her father is acting like he has lost all his addresses. But what about her? What will she do? If Ranma doesn't come back on time, where will she go? Who she is going to live with? And why and for whom she is going to take this big risk and sacrifice her life!?
With all this uncertainty running through her heart day and night, it was making her more and more nervous. She only knows one thing for sure. That she loves Ranma. And for him, she is ready to take any risks. If for this, if she has to become a selfish and break her elder's heart, then so be it. She will do it, just because she wants to be with her baka. With newfound courage, she looked up at the mirror of her washroom and observed her condition on the mirror as she thought to herself.
'Whatever happens, today I will declare openly to my mom and to my sisters that, I won't leave Ranma. Either he comes back from his trip or not, I will wait for him. I just can't think of living my life without him. And for this decision, if they gets offensive or I hurt their feelings, I won't think about it that much either. I have to focus on one aspect only. And that is spending my life with Ranma. And for that, if I have to fight with my mom, my father, Genma, whoever tries to get in my way, I will do it.. And today, I will make this thing clear to my mom that, no one can separate me from him. No one…!!!
A/N: I am sorry for any mistakes in this chapter. I wrote this one in a haste, because if I couldn't post it today , it would have taken me one more week to post this… And I am way too impatient to make everything right between our couple :p.
Thank you all so much for giving so much love to my " Oopsie" fic.. I am so glad that I got so many reviews there:D.. Please always keep supporting me, so that I keep on writing. Your reviews always makes my day wonderful and motivate me to write fast. Hope to see you soon!! Take care!!!