"Will you be able to arrange a date for both of us!?"...
Akane gawked at Ukyo with her wide surprised eyes as Ukyo arrogantly smirked at her face. She still couldn't believe what she had just heard! Ukyo wants her to arrange a date for them! How could she even think that way and how could she ask her such a question? But….can she really arrange a date for them? Is it in her hands? Can she do it? What about what Ranma wants?! Why don't they understand that it's Ranma's decision whether he wants to date someone or not! How can they always pressure him?! How can she ask her to pressure him? Akane became totally speechless as she looked down and balled her hands in frustration. Then she hears as Ukyo smirked humorlessly and says slyly,
" What happened, Akane?! What about you helping me with my situation! You said you understand what I am going through right?! Then why have you suddenly become speechless? Answer me Akane, can you arrange a simple date for me and Ranma?"
Hearing her mocking tone, Akane angrily looks up at her and says in a hard tone,
"What is wrong with you, Ukyo?! Do you even understand what you asked me to do?! Why don't you guys understand that it's Ranma, who would decide who he wants to be with or not! I don't own Ranma! I never did, I never will! I never ever forced him to be with me and I can never force him to go on a date with anybody! If you really want a date with him, why don't you go and ask him? Who is stopping you?"
Ukyo started laughing hearing her say that as she said in a mocking tone,
"Oh really! My gosh, are you really this dumb or you act like one?!"
Akane fumed angrily and says,
" Of course I was dumb enough to come here to talk with you! I should have known you better! Don't ever ask me things like this.. If you want Ranma, then go and talk to him.."
Akane dismissed talking with her after this as she turned on her heels and started walking away..
"It's YOU who is stopping my Ranchan!"
"Excuse me!" Akane turns to face her again and whispers in disbelief.
Ukyo looked at her hard and says,
"You heard me right, Akane! It's only because of YOU that my Ranchan can't come to me.. I KNOW that he LOVES ME! And I also know that YOU are the ONE who is stopping him! YOU ARE THE ONLY REASON, AKANE!"
"You got to be kidding me, Ukyo!"
"Me! Kidding you! It's you who is kidding around in between our relationship, Akane! What do you think, I am an idiot or something? First you took Ranma to stay at your place and then when he finally settled down to his own house, you and your family came to live with him! What do you think, I don't know what your real motto is?!"
Akane sighed a deep breath as she says,
"You are saying as if I am the one who had created the earthquake!"
"NO YOU DIDN'T! But you sure did choose to live with him despite having multiple choices!"
"Ranma wanted us to.."
"WHY WON'T HE WANT! What do you think, huh? He took you guys because he has any feelings for you! No! You are wrong! He took you guys because he was honor bound with you. Because, you guys let him stay at the Tendo's and now he thinks that it's time for him to pay you guys back! And you shamelessly followed him!"
Akane just gawked at her in complete doubt and says,
"Do you even know what you are saying, Ukyo? I think you have completely lost your mind!"
"YES! YOU ARE RIGHT, AKANE! YES I DID LOSE MY MIND, DAMN IT!" Ukyo yelled as she again broke down into tears. Then looking up at her with misery filled eyes, she says in between her sobs,
"You said so boldly that you never forced him to go on a date with you or to be with you… But do you know why? Because, he had always stayed with you! At school or at home.. You never felt to be with him alone because he always stayed with you, Akane! You can talk to him wherever you want to and you can also see him if you feel like missing him, but me! I also miss him! He is my Goddamn fiance! But, I always have to wait for him to be able to see him, I always have to ask him for his permission to be with him! And you know what hurts the most, Akane? That we both share the same relationship with him..! I AM ALSO HIS FIANCE! But.. But because he is way too honor bond with you and your family, he never comes to me..! He is ignoring me! It sickens me how unfair this whole situation actually is! And I also know that he started doing this job only because he wants to support you financially… What do you think, I didn't know that!? Then what about me? Why am I getting so neglected from all the things that I should have gotten as his fiance as well?! It's not fair, Akane!
And what did you say? You understand my situation?! Then listen to me Akane, you can never understand my situation, you know why? Because you are a selfish woman! Who only thinks of her own happiness, that's all..! Don't play your innocent trick on me, woman! It won't work on me! Because I know, it's you who is blocking him from coming to me. I know my Ranchan very well, he is so innocent that he unknowingly got trapped into your hands.. Otherwise, I know, he would have come to me freely, he would have dated me and he would have bought me things with his money, I know because I am his cute fiance .. You have stolen everything from me, Akane! Every single thing!
You know what, keep him to yourself, steal him from me, I won't say anything anymore! Because I know it's no use.. I can't free him from the curse you have putted on him. So, be happy! Continue on making him your puppet! He can't be with me because you are with him.. This is the reality, Akane Tendo! MY RANCHAN WOULD HAVE CHOSE ME IF YOU HAD NOT EMOTIONALLY BLACKMAILED HIM! You ruined our future, Akane. You ruined everything for me and him. You are the most sneakiest selfish woman I have ever seen.. You have ruined our whole future for us..!"
Ukyo continued her sobbing as she said all this. Then after she finished her long speech, she slowly calmed down and started to leave that place while repeating only one word as she kept crying,
"I know my Ranchan loves me… I know Akane is stopping him.. I won't forgive her… Oh Ranchan…!"
Akane saw as Ukyo left the place while sobbing silently. Suddenly, this whole situation made her wordless as she stood on her spot completely shocked as she kept looking at Ukyo's retracting direction. She still couldn't believe what Ukyo had just accused her of being. She always thought that Ukyo is like her good friend, but now she knows that's not true! That it is fully one sided, Ukyo never saw her as her friend! But.. how could she think of her like this! This is not true, this is not true at all! But, her mind kept screaming at her that maybe Ukyo is right this time. She wanted to fight her inner self who was accusing her alongside Ukyo, but it was as if she was slowly losing the battle with herself..
*** You never felt to be with him alone because he always stays with you! You are a selfish woman! Who only thinks of her own happiness! I know my Ranchan loves me…You are the one who is blocking him from coming to me.*****
Ukyo's every word was hitting her just like stones over her heart. She started panting in frustration as she slowly made her way to sit in a nearby bench. Akane puts her trembling palm over her wildly beating heart as fresh tears suddenly blinded her vision. She started sobbing silently as the sun started to go down slowly on the horizon and darkness slowly started to settle on the sky…
"Geez! Why is it taking me so long to reach my house today!"
Ranma strode impatiently from his workplace, his pace was quick and hard as he tried to reach his home as soon as he could. He has been waiting for this day to come for so long! His tomboy finally would be free from all her exams today! And he was more than happy and excited about it! He was hoping to take her on a trip with him before Kasumi's wedding comes and before he has to face her Aunt Suki. He doesn't know why but, that night after he had comforted Akane, an uncomfortable feeling had settled down on his heart.
That feeling is so new to him and the way he saw Akane reacted to that news, it doubled up his uncertainty of his heart. After that night, he always tried to give his fair amount of time to her. He knows that this exam is very important for her, but the way she got upset he thought maybe it would have an impact on her exam too. That's why, he always kept showing up after his job to the library to pick her up after she had finished studying there, so that they could spend some quiet moments with each other.. At first he was nervous about what she might think of him, but when he saw her relieved face as she smiled elegantly at him, that broke down all the nervousness he felt and he kept showing up to spend time with her.
Their walk home always went calmly and soothingly. They would keep talking with each other, sometimes teasing each other, but never fought for real. In these few days he noticed something, and that is, she has a magical touch. For some unknown reason, whenever he clasped his hand with hers, he would feel a pleasant chill run over him which would spare over his whole body and mind, immediately taking all his worry and uncertainty away from him.. Not only that, her voice always acts like an ointment over his open wound, her smile contagious, her smell drives him pleasantly insane and her act of innocence always argues him to make her his own forever, so that no one can ever think of taking her away from him. Ranma stopped walking and started blinking his eyes in confusion,
"Where this thought came from?! Did I really just think that way for her? Oh man.. I am going completely insane..!"
He grumbled to himself and slowly started to walk back to his route. Suddenly, Akane's smiling image comes to his mind, making him blush as well as a small smile adorned his face. Then he thought to himself,
'Yes I think it's the right time! We have waited for a long time! Not anymore! I have to make her mine, I have to show all the people that this uncute tomboy only deserves an arrogant jerk like me! That this insensitive pervert is more than capable of taking care of his clumsy tomboy.. And no one can ever take her away from me..'
Satisfied with his thinking, he smirked to himself and slowly started to make his way towards his house, to meet the reason of his wildly beating heart and constant blushing…..
"Kasumi dear.."
"Yes, Obasama.." Kasumi turned to face her aunt who had called her in a worrying tone.
"What happened to Akane, dear? She kind of looked so depressed." Nodoka asked in a concerned tone as she came to stand beside Kasumi.
Kasumi sighs as she started cutting the veggies again as she replies her in a soft tone,
"I don't know, Obasama. To be honest, I am actually wondering the same thing now."
"You should go and ask her.." Nodoka suggested and saw Kasumi shaking her head,
"No, Obasama.. I am scared. What if she tells me that her exam went wrong? I know her very well, Obasama. She is usually stubborn and angry , but when she is really upset.." She sighed and turned to look at Nodoka, "It's better that we leave her alone.."
"But dear, it's really making me anxious to see her like this.. Do you want me to go and talk to her?"
"Talk to who?!"
Suddenly, Ranma enters the kitchen as he gives both the women a curious look. They both looked fully taken aback by his sudden appearance as they kept looking at him with wide eyes. Seeing their surprised state, Ranma clears his throat and asks them..
"Is there something on my face!? Did I grow a horn or somethin'?! Why are ya staring at me like this?"
Hearing Ranma, the both ladies soon come to their senses as they giggled slightly and turned to face him fully as Kasumi asked him,
"Oh my, Ranma! When did you come?"
"Oh yes! I didn't even hear you coming?!" Nodoka intervened.
Ranma rubbed the back of his head as he said,
"I announced though, but I guess ya guys were busy talking about someone.. Oh! By the way, Who ya guys were concerned for?"
Hearing him asking that, they both sighed simulately and told him everything that they knew.
*****MY RANCHAN WOULD HAVE CHOSE ME IF YOU HAD NOT EMOTIONALLY BLACKMAILED HIM! You can never understand my situation! You know what hurts the most, Akane? That we both share the same relationship with him..! I AM ALSO HIS FIANCE!******
'Please stop! Stop it!
Wrapping her both ears with her palms, Akane tries hard to stop the words to ran through her ears, which was constantly accusing her of being the most cruel woman…
"No.. That's not true! I am not what she had accused me of being! No, I am not selfish! No! She is wrong.."
"Why are ya talking ta yarself?!
A sudden chill ran through Akane's body when she suddenly hears Ranma talking behind her. She grabbed the window sill and turned her wandering face to find Ranma standing on the doorway. She turned her body fully and leans on the wall beside the window as she kept looking at him, not saying a word. And that made Ranma more anxious as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.
" Akane?! Ya kay?"
Akane released a sad sigh as she turned around and focused her attention back to gazing at the sky.
"I am fine, Ranma.. Please leave me alone.."
Ranma silently came to stand beside her as he also looks straight as he says in a low voice,
"Well, I was not hoping to find ya like this, Ya know.. I thought you would be happy and in a more relaxed mood! But, you look the complete opposite!" He turns to face her and makes her turn as well as he puts his hands over her shoulder.
"What is it? Tell me, you know ya can tell me anything, right!?"
Akane kept silent as she stares at him with an expression that is fully unknown to him. He got more panicked as he asked her in a haste,
"What happened, tomboy? Yea are freakin' me out ya know that..? What's bothering you?" She was still silent as Ranma continued asking her..
"Have yar exam gone bad?! I think that must be it! Look Kane, ya don't have to be upset 'bout it! I mean, if you can't make it then I will pay for yar studies, you don't have to worry about nothing! Let's not get upset about silly things like that!"
"And why are you going to pay for my studies? What gives you the right to do so, Ranma?"
Taken aback by her sudden words, he took a sharp breath and released her shoulder. Then giving her a honest look he says,
"We.. we are friends, Kane, best friends.."
"Is that all?" She asked boldly, looking hard into his eyes.
Turning red to see her forwardness he clears his throat and says while stammering,
"I I uh.. We uh.. Ya… me..we.. Geez Kane! We are not just friends! Ya are my fiancee.."
"I am not the only one though!" Akane says firmly.
Ranma blinks his eyes in confusion as he asked,
"What are ya trying to say?"
Suddenly Akane's eyes tears up as she keeps looking at him with a helpless expression..
"Akane!"
"I am so lost, Ranma.." She sobbed slightly as she looks down, "I don't know what to do anymore! I am so confused right now!"
Ranma instantly lays his palms over her cheeks to make her look at him as he says in a concerned tone,
"Hey, Ya know I am here for you… Don't ya trust me?" She nodded as she bits her lower lips.
Ranma sighs sadly, seeing her tears doubling up as he says in a hard serious tone,
"Tell me what is bothering ya... I promise ya I will try my level best ta help you out.."
"You really promise, Ranma?" She asked him, giving him a hopefully look as she lay her warm palm over his hand, which was spread on her cheeks.
"Yes, I promise.. " he said while giving her a warm smile.
"Oh Ranma.." She closes her eyes as she composed herself. Then sighing determined, she looks up at him and asked him firmly,
"Please, you have to take Ukyo on a date, Ranma.."
A/N: Am I late?! Sorry, but trust me I had reasons! Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter and please do let me know by your reviews! :) :)
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