CHAPTER EIGHT
The sound of birds chirping slowly slipped into her subconscious, stirring her awake. The room was bright with sunlight and she had to squint to adjust her eyes to the light. She usually woke up to the darkness of dawn.
Her muscles protested and she stretched her body as much as she could, a yawn breaking free. The fact that she had not heard any alarm nor she didn't have to jump off bed and get ready for work filled her with giddiness.
Ukyo peered at her roommate, still out cold, sprawled on the futon. She pressed her lips tightly to not laugh. The poor guy had been worn out, she would let him sleep as much as he needed.
Tiptoeing out of the room, she went to the bathroom, washed up, and changed into fresh clothes.
Ready for the day ahead, she bounced downstairs and beamed at her dad, who was having a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper in the kitchen.
"Morning, dad!"
"Good morning, sweetheart," he smiled at her enthusiasm.
"Did you wake up too early?" She asked while making fresh coffee.
"Nah..." Her dad finished his coffee and handed her the cup for a refill when it was ready. "I was kind of surprised to see your note, though."
"I know…" She filled the cups and sat in front of her father, giving him his. "Look, dad, I know you don't like this, but Ryoga has been working non-stop since he came here and we needed a break."
"No, no, honey, it's okay; I'm actually glad that you decided to take some time off to spend with your fiancé," Mr. Kuonji grinned encouragingly.
She frowned, "You are?"
"Of course!" Takeo waved his hand dismissively, then became serious. "Look, I know that I've always been a bit severe about how you should run this place…"
Ukyo lifted an eyebrow, "A bit?"
Mr. Kuonji smiled sheepishly, "Now I've come to realize I may have been somewhat excessive about my requirements. I've seen how hard you work, and how well you manage the restaurant with your own schedule. You're doing a great job, honey."
She had to swallow a few tears before she was able to speak, "Thank you, dad. That means a lot to me."
Takeo cleared his throat. "Besides, it's understandable that you would want to spend time with your fiancé off-work. As you said, he's going to be your husband, not your co-worker." Her father's smile became supportive. "You should dedicate time to him."
"Right…" She felt her cheeks warming up. Her father patted her hand across the table.
"So, what are the plans for today?"
"I actually don't have any," she shrugged, glad with the change of subject. "We just wanted to laze around and rest."
"That sounds fun," Mr. Kuonji chuckled. "I was planning on paying a visit to a friend in Sayama tomorrow, and I'll be gone all day, but maybe we can have a sparring session or something later today?"
"Sure, dad, that would be great," she beamed. Takeo nodded and went back to reading the newspaper, so she got up and started making pancakes for breakfast.
The man's words replayed in her mind over and over again. It was the closest thing to being proud that he had ever said to her, and it had taken all of her willpower not to start crying like a little girl in front of him. Knowing that her dad approved her way of doing things was a huge relief, and now she was sure he would give her the restaurant. She had earned it! All she had to do was to keep the fake engagement going until he went back home so she would meet his other request. Which led her to ask…
"So, dad, you're going to Sayama tomorrow?"
"Mm-hmm."
"And then you're coming back here, or…?"
Mr. Kuonji looked up from his reading, "Yes, I'm in no rush to go back home yet," he smiled, and then he became preoccupied, "unless you want me to go?"
"What?" Her face turned red, "of course not, daddy!" She waved her hand up and down frantically, laughing nervously. "You're welcomed to stay for as long as you want, you know that!"
Her dad grinned widely, "Yeah, I know."
She turned her attention back to the pancakes, trying to cool down. Not knowing when her dad was leaving was wrecking her nerves. Yes, it hadn't been so difficult to pretend Ryoga and she were engaged, but she didn't know for how long they would be able to keep it up. It had surprised her they had pulled it off for two weeks already! They had to watch everything they said and did in front of her father, they had to be very careful since the smallest slip in their façade could throw everything to hell and their effort would've been for naught, and she didn't know for how long they would be able to resist the pressure. Fortunately, Ryoga seemed to be doing fine, he had fallen into her rhythm smoothly and had stopped being a ball of nerves all the time—except when she randomly touched him and made him go into full blushing-and-stuttering-idiot mode, and yes, she loved to mess with him—, but he was probably tired of the situation and wanted to get back to his life. It amazed her that he hadn't snapped and thrown everything out of the window yet.
However, she knew he wouldn't risk getting her help to find the cure to his curse. It was so important to him that he was willing to put up with her working lifestyle, her enthusiastic and overwhelming father, and her chirpy-yet-bossy personality for two weeks…and probably a while longer, considering her dad wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. While stacking the pancakes on the plates, she promised herself she would do her best to find the place he was looking for and pay her debt as quickly as she could, because the boy certainly deserved it.
The sound of lazy footsteps coming down the stairs made her smile. Speaking of the devil.
"Good morning…" he mumbled in a groggy voice.
"Morning, kiddo. You look like you just fell off the bed." There was humor in her dad's tone.
"May have, Mr. Kuonji…" He grumbled dejectedly.
"Hey," she greeted when he reached her side at the kitchen counter and took a cup from the cupboard.
"Hi…" Sleep still clung to his features in an adorable way. The scowl he was sporting only made the adorableness more evident.
"Somebody's grumpy this morning…" she said with humor, pouring some coffee into his cup.
"Why did you let me sleep so much?" He admonished softly, then rubbed his face with his palms.
"Because you needed it, jackass." This statement was reinforced with a wide yawn on his part, and it made her chuckle. "Go sit down, breakfast's almost ready."
He mumbled something under his breath she couldn't quite catch and sat at the table.
"Here you go, honey," she placed the pancakes in front of him, earning a muttered 'thanks'.
Ryoga's morning grumpiness was rather cute. He was looking so adorable with his sleepy face and deep scowl that she couldn't help it—she kissed his cheek. Ryoga's spine went absolutely rigid and his eyes widened, blushing all the way. Ukyo bit her lip to stop from giggling, satisfied with his reaction; this boy's shyness was too intense sometimes. Luckily her father was busy with the newspaper and hadn't seen the way he'd overreacted.
After serving her dad and herself the rest of the pancakes and sitting at the table, she glanced at her fake fiancé. He was sitting straight, eating in a tense fashion and, of course, still resembling a tomato. She kicked his shin, making him jump. Wide green eyes settled on hers.
'Stop blushing, you idiot.' She mouthed, careful that her father wouldn't notice them.
The scowl returned, 'It's your fault', he mouthed back.
Ukyo shrugged carelessly and started eating, dismissing his nervousness. He seemed to relax somewhat and resumed his breakfast. His cheeks were still pinkish, though, and she wondered why had he gotten so worked up this time. She realized then that it was the first time she'd ever kissed him. Now it was her cheeks that reddened. One thing was any innocent touch necessary to make her dad believe there was intimacy between them, but a kiss? It hadn't seemed necessary before, and it surely didn't seem like now. Although, kissing her fiancé would be something normal if they were a real couple, and it had been just a peck on the cheek, so she shouldn't be making such a big deal out of it. She glanced at him—he was eating calmly now, his gaze fixed on the table, lost in thought. She shouldn't make a fuss over it. It'd been just to mess with him because he'd been looking all grumpy and cute and she hadn't been able to resist, that was all.
All grumpy and cute… She choked on a bit of pancake. She surely wasn't thinking Ryoga was cute… Yes, he had some adorable mannerisms, but that didn't mean she found him cute.
Pff, of course not, she thought and shook her head for good measure. Ryoga wasn't cute. He wasn't plain-looking either, admittedly, but definitely not cute. Nope. Not at all…
"Are we training today, son-in-law?" Her father's voice thankfully interrupted her train of thought.
Ryoga looked up, distracted, "Um…"
"Dad, we're taking the day off, that means no getting close to the grill."
Takeo chuckled sheepishly, "Right, right. We'll get on it next week."
"S-sure, Mr. Kuonji…" Ryoga looked at her questioningly and she shook her head dejectedly. They had hoped her father would want to go home that Sunday, but he was apparently staying for another week.
"I've been thinking of ways to help you control your strength," Takeo continued, oblivious to their exchange, "since you put too much power when flicking your wrists."
This seemed to perk the boy's interest, "You have?"
"Yes, I have some ideas… maybe we can try later, when we're sparring in the backyard."
"Sure!" Ryoga nodded with enthusiasm, making her father chuckle.
"Alright, it's settled then."
Ukyo shook her head in amusement. Why the boy was so eager to put himself under her father's training was beyond her, but if it helped him get through another week, she wasn't complaining…
Bubbles floated in the air, the scent of jasmine and the low murmur of music relaxing her senses.
It had been a long time since she had taken a bath, and now she had been in the tub for the last forty minutes. Her skin had started to wrinkle and water was getting cold, but she didn't mind, she felt so relaxed… She couldn't remember when was the last time she had felt such peace of mind. Her chest puffed with pride for her dad's approval, cherishing his words in her heart. Now that she had her father's blessing concerning her management of the restaurant, a huge weight had been taken off her shoulders. It was practically already hers. If it wasn't for the stupid engagement requirement… It didn't matter, she had faith in her plan and in her partner-in-crime, who was doing an excellent job—much to her pleasant surprise. She and Ryoga would succeed. They just had to hang on for another week.
After an hour had passed, she decided it was time to get out of the tub, so she took the plug out and opened the shower to rinse off the remaining soap, careful not to wet her hair.
It was when she was dressing in her room that she noticed the silence.
Her father had offered to make a late lunch so she could have some time for herself, but that had been over an hour ago, so it should be ready by now…
"Dad?" She called as she made her way down the stairs. "Ryoga?"
She looked over the immaculate kitchen with no signs of on-going cooking, dread settling in her stomach. Maybe they were outside? She opened the back door and looked around her backyard—it was empty.
Turning around, she found a note on the table.
'We went to the market. Be right back. Dad.'
"Oh my God…"
Ukyo sat down on a chair, pressing both hands to her chest. The realization of what had happened weighted on her—her father had gone out and taken Ryoga with him.
Her breathing became erratic. The fanged boy was probably already lost, and when her father returned, she would have to explain everything to him and all their efforts would've been for naught!
She could easily imagine her dad turning around to find the empty spot where the boy should had been, calling his name desperately, wondering where the hell he'd be.
She was going to kill him. What in the world had Ryoga been thinking to agree to go with her dad?
Ukyo started hyperventilating, who knew for how long they had been gone? The boy could be anywhere by now! And she'd been left alone to explain to her dad why her fiancé had apparently disappeared into thin air and why she hadn't told him about his 'problem' before and her father would know she'd lied and she would have to explain everything and—
"Finally!" Mr. Kuonji said while opening the front door, "that walk took forever!"
Relief washed over her as she watched her dad entering the kitchen, followed by a panicked-looking Lost Boy. The older man rested a few grocery bags on the table and sagged on a chair.
"Have you been gone for long, dad?" She asked tremulously.
"Nah, we just took a little detour," he chuckled, amused, "Ryoga wanted to show me around the neighborhood."
The aforementioned mumbled a lame excuse about needing to use the bathroom and darted up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. Yes, run for your life, coward!
"Honey, are you okay? You look upset."
"I'm fine, dad, I just need to talk to Ryoga about something…"
"Okay, I'll start making lunch, then," the eldest chef smiled reassuringly and she made her way upstairs. She was going to kick his ass so painfully that he would have to sit on a cushion for the whole next week!
All murderous rage diminished somewhat when she spotted him sitting on her bed, his head between his hands, a glooming aura around him.
"Hey," she called rather hastily, sliding the door closed. He didn't look up.
"I'm so, so sorry, Ukyo…" his voice was strained.
"What the hell were you thinking? You know what could've happened!"
His head ducked even more as he thrusted his fingers into his hair, "I know. I'm so sorry…"
"Honestly!" She crossed her arms on her chest to stop herself from hitting him. He was looking so miserable that she would feel bad about inflicting any physical pain on him, even though she still wanted to kick his ass. "What in the world made you think it was a good idea to go outside with my father?"
He shook his head, resting his elbows on his knees, his gaze fixed on his feet.
"I tried to refuse b-but he insisted so much, a-and since I had gone with you once and n-nothing had h-happened, I-I thought…I'm sorry…"
Brushing a hand across her face, she sighed impatiently.
"That was different, you jackass! My dad doesn't know he has to lead you!"
"I know! I'm sorry…I tried really hard not to get lost!"
"Well, at least you managed to come back," she conceded, "how'd you do?"
The tips of his ears reddened and, even though his face was hidden under his bangs, she knew he was blushing all the way.
"I kept walking a step behind, kept my eyes on him and…and c-clasped the b-back of his shirt when I thought I'd wander off…"
"And what about that walk around the neighborhood my dad was talking about?"
He visibly flinched, "I m-may have made him take a few wrong turns…"
"Oh, Ryoga…" she shook her head dejectedly, her anger deflating completely and leaving room for sympathy.
"Have I screw everything up?" He peered at her with reddening, tear-filled eyes, his face contorted in a shameful grimace.
The sudden need to comfort him made her arms tighten around her chest.
"No," she shook her head, "dad didn't seem to notice…" He sighed in relief, but hung his head once more. "This can't happen again."
"I-it won't, I promise!"
She knew he was being honest, but she couldn't count on that. What if her dad wanted the boy to join him on an errand again? The fanged boy couldn't keep refusing without getting suspicious, and there was no way to explain to her father why he shouldn't take her fiancé out of the house other than tell him about Ryoga's lack of sense of direction.
Maybe she couldn't tell her father the truth, but at least she could tell him some part of it.
The knife was almost invisible as it moved up and down at lightning speed while Mr. Kuonji chopped the vegetables. Ukyo approached the counter and leaned a hip on it, arms still crossed.
"Dad…can we have a word?"
The chopping slowed down and the man looked at her with a frown, probably concerned about the unsteadiness in her voice.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yes, it's just…there's something you need to know."
The chopping stopped. "Okay." Her father mimicked her posture and looked expectantly at her.
She took a deep breath, held it for about two seconds, and let it out slowly. There was no easy way to say this, so she just blurted it out.
"Ryoga has no sense of direction."
Takeo's eyebrows reached his hairline.
"Come again?"
"Yeah…he gets lost easily. I mean, really easily."
"Huh. I wasn't expecting that," he said with genuine surprise.
Ukyo frowned, "What were you expecting me to say?"
"Nothing," he waved it off with his hand, "tell me about this sense of direction thing."
"There's not much more to say; if you don't keep an eye on him, he can wander off anywhere and be lost for days, even weeks."
"Are you serious?"
"I'm afraid so."
The Kuonji patriarch pulled a chair out and sat down. He looked flabbergasted.
"You mean he can't go anywhere alone?"
"It's not so bad when he's familiar with the place…but, yeah."
"So, when he gets lost, that means you don't see him for days, or weeks?"
Uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach, "He always finds his way back, dad," she assured.
"Yes, but…" his eyes widened in realization, "all those times you'd said he was on a training trip…"
She remembered how her father had pointed out that Ryoga seemed to be away far too often for his liking when he first arrived.
"He does go on training trips, he's still a martial artist…it's just that sometimes it takes him a little longer to come back, that's all."
The older chef scratched the back of his head absentmindedly.
"I really don't know how to feel about this…"
The uneasiness intensified, "It's not a problem for us…"
"Isn't it? You're telling me that he can disappear just going out the sidewalk and leave you alone for who knows how long. He may not be here if you need him. I can't be okay with that."
She felt the urge to defend the fanged boy, "He doesn't do it on purpose!"
"I understand, but—"
"Dad, I've known him for four years. He is the most honorable, gentle, caring young man I've ever met. If I need him and he's not here, he'll find his way back as soon as he can." She recalled all the occasions he'd seemed to appear out of nowhere with accurate timing whenever she'd needed his help, his presence upstairs being the perfect example. "I can assure you that."
"You can?" Her father asked skeptically.
"Yes! He's always been there for me when I needed him!" She replied fervently. This seemed to satisfy her father somewhat.
"Okay, then. If this…condition of his doesn't bother you, it shouldn't bother me either."
"I'll admit it can be pretty annoying sometimes, but it doesn't downplay the good guy he is." She noticed how true her words were once they left her mouth. She really thought that way about the Lost Boy, go figure.
Her dad grinned contentedly for some reason, "He is a goodhearted young man, and I do like him. You shouldn't have kept this from me, though. Why didn't you tell me?"
She shrugged, because there hadn't been any real reason other than she hadn't wanted to explain Ryoga's uncanny trait back then and, admittedly, she hadn't thought that it would favor him in front of her dad. She'd been right, it seemed.
"I guess I wanted you to meet him first?"
Mr. Kuonji looked sheepish, "I see…" Then he chuckled. "I wonder why he didn't tell me today, though! No wonder he was acting a bit weird."
"It's not something he's proud of, even if he can't help it." She knew Ryoga hated his directional problem maybe even more than he hated the Jusenkyo curse.
"I understand. He probably didn't want to look bad in front of me, especially when he's trying so hard to get on my good side."
"What do you mean?"
"You know, he's working really hard to learn about our trade. He seems really committed!" Takeo observed with enthusiasm.
Ukyo raised her eyebrows. Ryoga was trying to get her old man's approval? Her father had already blessed their engagement from the beginning, so he didn't need to win his favor. Why was he putting that extra effort into their plan? She remembered how eager he'd been at her dad's suggestions of training during breakfast. She had thought he was just putting up with the man, but it seemed like it wasn't the case. She should ask him about it later…
"Look, honey, this is admittedly a surprise, but you know him way better than I do, and if you're sure about choosing him as your fiancé, then there's nothing more to say."
"I am."
She had kind of chosen him, hadn't she? From that moment his name had slipped past her lips, and she had been aware of his 'issues' all along. Of course, she couldn't tell her father she had just chosen him for a sham!
"Okay, then." Mr. Kuonji looked strangely satisfied, a grin splitting his face. "Although I would've liked to have known this beforehand, sweetheart. I should be aware of something as important as this…"
Her father had a point. She realized they had been lucky there hadn't been any other 'accidents'.
"You're right, dad… Therefore," she braced herself, taking a seat, "there's something else you need to know about Ryoga…"
Hi everyone! It's really good to be back. Thank you all for the reviews and PM's, I've missed this! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, please let me know if you did!
Svernoux: Ranma and Akane will be around sometime, but you'll have to keep reading to find out…Heheheh =D
Hugs to you all!