"You two got back late yesterday," Nabiki casually said the next morning, as the two families sat at the table to eat breakfast.

Ranma nearly choked on his food. From across the table, Akane halted to a stop, her chopsticks hanging mid-air from her hand as her mouth dangled open. Nabiki nonchalantly continued to eat her breakfast.

A spoon clattered onto the table. "Late?" Soun repeated, the corners of his mouth twitching. A murderous aura began to emit from underneath his not-so geniuine smile as he turned to Ranma. "What were the two of you doing?"

"Oh come on Soun, just means the two of them are getting along," Genma said from beside him, placing a useless hand on his old friend's shoulder that went ignored.

"Wh-what?" Ranma sputtered, physically reeling backwards from the threatening presence looming over him. "No, no, no. It ain't like that at all!"

"Then what , my boy?"

"Dad, stop it!" Akane protested. "We just stopped by Dr. Tofu on our way back!"

"Oh, is that all?" her father replied simply. He deflated back into his seat and cleared his throat, the smile returning to his eyes once more. "Well, carry on then. Glad to see the two of you getting along."

"Jeez, Nabiki, would it hurt you to give more context?" Akane hissed.

The said sister just shrugged, dabbing her face delicately with a napkin. "I was just saying what I observed, dear sister."

"Dr. Tofu? Did something happen to you Akane?" Kasumi asked, popping into the room.

Akane seemed to freeze up for a second at the mention of the doc from her sister. "Oh, um," she said, rubbing her arm. "Just a little injury on my hand that he fixed up for me."

"Oh dear," Kasumi replied. "Well, I'm relieved that it wasn't anything serious. You really should be more careful, Akane. I'm sure Dr. Tofu is busy around this time of year."

"Yeah, I will! You know how I am, Kasumi. Can be a little clumsy sometimes," Akane said, adding a sheepish laugh at the end.

Kasumi gave her a soft smile. "Ah!" she exclaimed. "That reminds me." She ducked back into the kitchen, and came back out with a book in her hands. She placed it next to Akane at the dining table. "Would you mind handing this to him on your way back from school today? Dr. Tofu let me borrow it quite some time again and I've been forgetting to return it."

"Oh. Sure Kasumi."

"Mobilization of the nervous system volume 3?" Ranma muttered, skimming over at the cover. He was almost certain that doc had grabbed whatever book was on his bookshelf in a maniac craze to give something to Kasumi. Ranma then glanced over at Akane, who had a cloudy gaze as she looked down at the book on the table. He watched her for a second, then snapped his fingers. Akane blinked in surprise. "Hey, macho chick," he said, "you better finish your food if you're gonna fight off Kuno again today."

"Oh. Right," Akane replied, picking up her spoon again. Processing his words, she then glared at him. "Hey! Don't call me that!"

"What?" He smiled. "You're the one who responded."

"What–! Ugh, you're such a jerk!"

"Now now," Nabiki suddenly interrupted. "Why don't you two just announce the engagement to the school? That'll get Kuno-baby and co to give up on you, Akane."

Ranma perked up. She technically wasn't wrong, knowing that the engagement news was technically why the majority of the guys had stopped explicitly chasing after Akane. Maybe it really was for the best–

"Announce that I'm getting engaged to him?" Akane exclaimed, huffing. "No way!" As if to prove her distaste for the matter, she began to scarf the rest of her food down angrily. Noticing Ranma staring at her, she paused mid-bite. "What?"

"Nothin'. Just was thinkin' that you stole the words right out of my mouth," Ranma said, trying to sound nonchalant. Akane made a face at him, and continued to eat, not noticing the subtle glance he threw her way.

Nabiki shrugged. "Suit yourself. Kuno-baby is just going to pester me about the two of you, so it's just a matter of time before he eventually finds out. All dependent on the offer he gives, of course."

Glaring at her older sister, Akane slammed down her bowl, now finished clean. "I kid, I kid!" Nabiki quickly said, waving her hand in the air dismissively.

Akane continued glaring at her sister, seeming convinced. She then abruptly stood. "Well, I'll be heading out first then. I'll see you at school, Nabiki ." With that, Akane stormed off.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Nabiki said, turning to Ranma. He had already scrambled onto his feet, and he stopped, being caught off guard. Upon noticing this, Nabiki gave him a knowing smirk, an expression insidious enough to send him shudders. He gave her a wary look, before taking off after Akane.

Ranma didn't expect to be this bothered by all the attention that Akane got at school.

They started off the morning as he remembered it. The horde of hormonal teenage boys were waiting for Akane once again at the gates of the school, and let out a rowdy roar upon the sight of her. Ranma watched the spectacle from on top of the gate, wondering just how on earth Akane was able to deal with all of this before. Ranma watched as Akane readied herself, positioning her bag to be swung like a baseball bat. "Don't you get tired of fighting every morning?" he asked.

"Of course, it's annoying!" she yelled. "But these idiots won't stop no matter how many times I beat them! Seriously, all because of upperclassman Kuno–"

"Akane Tendo, be mine–!"

"Y'know, Nabiki is right," he said, watching her duck as she avoided a punch from a wrestler. "It's all because they think they got a shot with you."

She spun, slamming her book bag into several of the guys and knocking them high into the air. "Which is stupid! I can't believe the nerve of all these boys!"

"Well, why don't we–you, y'know, let them know the truth? So they stop?"

That got Akane to come to a halt. She gave him a puzzled expression. "Huh? What do you mean ? "

He scratched the side of his face nervously. "That, well, you and me, are y'know–hey, watch out!"

A fist then came flying out of nowhere, heading straight towards Akane from a flash, Ranma pulled her backwards and stepped to the side, blocking the punch with his other arm. He then extended his leg out, kicking the other dude in the chin, effectively knocking him backwards into another guy. Ranma let out a breath. "Akane are you–" he said, freezing mid-sentence when he looked down and saw Akane staring at him in surprise, practically wrapped up in his arm.

She was close, maybe a little too close. His brain felt like it was short-circuiting from the heat emitting from his face. "Uhh.."

Akane blinked up, surprised. Coming to her senses, she snapped her head to the side and pushed him away. "I-I told you, I can handle my own fights!"

"R-right!" he yelled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

" Saotome !" a voice bellowed. It was Kuno, arriving at the scene, with his sword held high above him. The crowd parted as he stepped in, his sword now lowered in a readied stance, pointed towards Ranma. "You heathen! How dare you touch Akane Tendo like that, you perverted scoundrel!"

Snapping out of it, Ranma scowled. "Pervert? Look who's talkin'!"

"Silence fiend!"

Akane stepped in, holding up her hands. "Upperclassman Kuno, he's just– eek !"

Kuno grabbed her hand, lowering himself on one knee. "Oh my beloved maiden. To think, such a fair creature like you has been tainted by the likes of him!" He caressed her hand, pursing out his lips as he brought his face closer. Right before he could kiss her hand, he was met with a double whammy of a slap from Akane and a kick from Ranma that sent him flying in the bushes once again.

"What a creep," Ranma muttered. He was just thankful that at least his other form didn't have to deal with Kuno this time around.

"Tell me about it," Akane replied wearily.

Despite knocking Kuno out, other guys continued to flock over to Akane throughout the day. She would get stopped in the hallway by boys as they tried to say hi to her. Akane would flash them a friendly smile, and Ranma couldn't help but feel bothered by all the interactions. Even during breaks in between classes, boys would hover around her desk amongst her friends, hoping for a chance to talk to her. And again, right before their next class, guys were prowling around outside the classroom as they eyed Akane from afar, who was too busy chatting with her friends at her desk. Ranma scowled, eyeing the commotion that was happening.

"Yo Saotome."

Ranma blinked, noticing that Hiroshi and Daisuke had pulled up their chairs next to him. "Yeah, what's up?"

The two of them looked at each other. "Mind if we ask you a favor?" Daisuke asked.

"Sure. Go ahead."

"You're Tendo's family friend, right?" Hiroshi said.

Ah right. That had been the excuse that Akane chalked up the other day regarding their relationship. He slowly nodded his head.

"Can you set us up with her?" Daisuke exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

"What?" Ranma blurted, incredulous. "Why would I do that?" He stared at them, his two closest buddies from school in the past, surprised that they would even make that request. But it hit him, no one in the school knew that he and Akane were engaged. Nabiki was right. That was why the guys had stopped bothering her before. Now? They knew him as Akane's family friend, and therefore, this meant that they all still had a shot with her in their minds.

The thought bothered him.

"C'mon, please!" Hiroshi begged. "You're the only shot we have! Unless…there's something going between you guys?"

"What–?!" Ranma blushed, waving his hands across. "Ha, don't be crazy! There's…."

"WHAT? No way!" Akane suddenly blurted out loud, her cheeks tinged pink. She glanced over at Ranma, and the two of them made eye contact, which made her quickly snap her head back to her group of friends. Ranma looked over in their direction blankly. What were they talking about?

"Hey…" Daisuke said, giving him a suspicious look. "What was that just now? And why'd you stop talking all of a sudden? What's going on between you and Akane? There is something, right?"

Before Ranma could respond, a familiar voice yet again bellowed throughout the halls, silencing the conversions amongst the other students. "SAOTOME!"

Ranma groaned. Not this guy again.

Kuno stepped into the room, his head once again bandaged. "Why on earth did I awake with your filthy footprint imprinted onto my once flawless face again? You may make a fool of me once, but twice is unforgivable!"

"I think it's been more than twice at this point…" someone whispered.

"Silence!" Kuno spat.

"Upperclassman Kuno, could you please leave our class alone?" Akane said tiredly.

Kuno rushed over, grabbing her hands. "Oh my sweet Tigress, today shall not be the day I sweep you off your feet. Today will be the day… that I get rid of that horrid fiend once and for all!"

Ranma rolled his eyes, getting up from his chair and walking over to where they were. "Get your hands off of her, Kuno."

"Oh?" Kuno sneered. "Pray tell, who do you think you are to be commanding me around?"

"You wanna know, Kuno? I'm…"

"Ranma?" Akane hissed. " What are you…"

He took a glance at her. She was watching him, her eyes widened, as with the rest of the class. Waiting. Waiting for him to finish his sentence. He took a deep inhale.

"I'm…I'm her fiancé ."

There. He said it.

A collective gasp broke out throughout the room. Then, commotion erupted. Akane's face was beet red, her mouth hung open in a daze, as her friends grabbed her, questioning and screaming all at once. "Wait, wait, wait! Our parents! Our parents decided on it!" she yelled, clamping her cheeks with her palms in embarrassment.

Kuno stared at Ranma, aghast. Then he threw his head, releasing a maniacal guffaw. "Engaged? The likes of you being engaged to Akane Tendo?! Don't make me laugh!"

"Oh, but Kuno-baby. It is true," Nabiki said, suddenly appearing from the doorway. Those two are an item now."

Kuno stared at her, shaking his head. "No…NO!" he yelled, grabbing his head in despair. "I forbid it! I shall never accept it!"

"Hey! All of you get out of my classroom!" the teacher shouted. "Go back to your class!"

With that, the commotion had cleared with a simple command, and class was back in session. Still, the impact of Ranma's announcement hung in the air, and he could feel the eyes of the other students in the class occasionally linger on him. His whole body felt aflame, and he could barely focus on anything that the teacher was lecturing on. He wondered how Akane felt with all this. He was certain that at the very least, she was mortified and embarrassed by what he had done. But there was admittedly, a childish part of him that hoped that maybe, just maybe, a part of her would feel swayed by his actions.