All four of them couldn't believe that Aime would be as heartless as to let all of them lose. Clearly there had to be a winner. Since then, tension has been even higher. The teens were all avoiding each other.

Even Nabiki didn't have a plan to push Shuutaro and Shinobu closer together. She was too upset to think about it. She placed around the library where she was sure no one would find her. "What would Akane do..." she wondered aloud.

Akane would probably fight her way out of this, fighting her way to get home. Swim the whole ocean if she had to. Like her, Akane would be too stubborn to admit her romantic feelings. But everyone knew she loved Ranma— who even Nabiki missed as well.

She misses all of them.

At the very least she had Kuno, but at this rate Nabiki would rather be alone. Their loss yesterday put a rift between them. It was looking like they were going to be stuck here together more and more.

Nabiki sighed as she took a seat at a large wooden table.

Elsewhere, in the same library, Shinobu was weighing her options. Should she make a fool of herself once again and confess her feelings? How could she be so sure that Lum was out of the picture?

Fueled with anger Shinobu punched the wall, causing it to crack. "What do I do?!" she shouted.

The sudden noise made Nabiki whip her head around to find the source. She had thought she was alone. Rather than stay put, Nabiki slowly stood up to go find Shinobu.

She found the girl heaving with her fists beared.

Nabiki cleared her throat to announce her presence. "Hey."

Shinobu's eyes softened. Her breathe slowing down. "Hey."

"So..." Nabiki crossed her arms, leaning on a bookcase. Her brain was cooking up all kinds of ideas. The sight of the poor girl gave Nabiki her groove back "I see you're at a crossroads. I think I could help. Tell me what's up."

Shinobu unclenched her fists, rubbing her arm. She was unsure on whether or not she could trust Nabiki. But it would be nice to have a female friend on her side.

"I love him." Shinobu admits. "But there's this... Girl that he's obsessed with who doesn't even like him back."

Nabiki had to refrain from widening her eyes. Shinobu's situation was eerily similar to hers. "Tell me, does she happen to be your sister or a mysterious red headed girl?"

Shinobu furrowed her brows in confusion. "Um, no. But don't tell me..." Realization was starting to dawn on her.

"Yup." Nabiki threw her hands up into the air. "Kuno-baby's in love with my younger sister and I'm in love with him."

"Then who's the mysterious red headed girl?"

"Long story. Who's the girl Shuu-honey is in love with?"

"An alien."

The two girls stare at each other with their eyebrows raised before bursting out into laughter. Having shared that moment, they could feel an unspoken bond form between them.

"And look at us, two girls hopelessly in love stuck on an island with these boys and we still don't know what to do." Shinobu wiped a tear that formed from her laughter away. "No one is in the way. We're just sitting ducks."

Nabiki closed the distance between them, throwing an arm over Shinobu. "You know... I think I might have an idea."

Wanting to let off some steam, Kuno takes his bokken to the gym. The gym itself was one of the largest rooms in the resort. It at all sorts of equipment, including kendo gear.

As Kuno entered, he immediately wanted to leave. He spotted Shuutaro practicing his fencing on a dummy.

Pretending to not notice Kuno's arrival, Shuutaro decided to show off. He swiped at the dummy with his katana— the wrong kind of sword for fencing— and cut its head off. The head fell and rolled across the room.

He then turned around, digging the tip of his katana into the rubber mat beneath his feet. "We're both men," he said. "We can share the same space."

Kuno huffed. "Men don't need to show off."

The hair on the back of Shuutaro's neck stood up. "You're the one who has been showing off."

Kuno pointed at him with the end of his bokken. "Explain."

Shuutaro couldn't control his indoor voice, his blood coming to a boil. "You've been trying to make yourself seem like the bigger man with how you treat Tendo around Shinobu and I! What were you hoping to accomplish? To embarrass me? How dare you try and sully and Mendou's name?"

Kuno upturned his nose. "There's not much left to tarnish if you do not treat your woman with respect."

Shuutaro grit his teeth, ready for a comeback. His fist was tightly clenched around his katana. Surprisingly enough, he simply exhales and loosens up, hanging his head. "You're right."

The response caused Kuno's bravado to falter a bit. He tilted forward before regaining his composure. "Of course I am."

"However," Shuutaro lifted his gaze back up to look at Kuno. "If you treat Tendo so well, how come you are still here? Wouldn't you have confessed your feelings by now?"

"Feh!" Kuno scoffed. "I, Tatewaki 'Blue Thunder' Kuno is a man for many women. If I confess my feelings for Nabiki, I would break the hearts of Akane Tendo and the Pigtailed Girl."

Shuutaro's eyebrow twitched. He couldn't quite place it, but something about this statement rang familiar. "Perhaps we are more alike than we initially thought."

Kuno lowered his chin, warming up to the other boy. "Aye. Do tell, who are the other women in your life?"

At first, Shuutaro wanted to gloat that he had many girls at his behest. The whole of Tombiki High, heck, every school in the district! They would all be heartbroken. But there was one girl on his mind.

"Lum," he said. "An oni girl from outer space."

There was a long pause before either of them spoke again as Kuno mulled over this information. The Blue Thunder nearly keeled over with laughter, holding his stomach with his hand.

Shuutaro stayed silent, glaring at the other boy. Realizing that he was serious, Kuno composed himself, clearing his throat. "Continue."

"She has no interest in me," Shuutaro continued. "She's betrothed to another, but I can't seem to get her off my mind."

"Have you considered trying to kill her fiance?"

"Yes!" Shuutaro flexed his hands, just thinking about strangling Ataru. "But he never seems to die!"

"Like a pest!" Kuno added, thinking of Ranma.

"I hate him!" they said in tandem, saying their rivals' names in unison.

"Ranma Saotome!"

"Ataru Moroboshi!"

They both catch their breaths, looking at each other. Chests heaving with anger subsiding.

Kuno decided to test the waters. "Do you... Also happen to have a sister who tries to kill you?"

"Yes!" Shuutaro's eyes widened.

Overwhelmed with this revelation, the boys hug each other like they were long lost brothers. Whatever ill-will they had towards each other completely evaporated into the air. It was nice to have someone who understood them.

Shuutaro was the first one to pull away, holding Kuno by the shoulders. "We have to do something about Shinobu and Tendo."

Kuno pursed his lips. "I have a confession."

Shuutaro's curious expression prompted him to continue. "Nabiki and I have been trying to get Miyake and yourself to confess each other's feelings first."

"What?"

"It was her idea, though you have to admit it seemed like it was working."

Shuutaro would have to agree. "I say you continue as normal, don't tell her that you told me."

"And then what?" Kuno asked.

"If you truly like her, you take it up a notch." Shuutaro said. "Show her the Blue Thunder."