It was the following day at school, and Shampoo was already feeling the weight of her thoughts. As she walked through the halls, her mind kept drifting back to her strange feelings toward Ryoga. She was so preoccupied that she barely noticed Ukyo walking toward her until she was right in front of her.

"Hey, Shampoo," Ukyo said with a smile, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something Shampoo couldn't quite place. Ukyo's tone was casual, almost friendly, but Shampoo could sense the underlying tension.

Shampoo stopped in her tracks, glancing at Ukyo with a slightly confused expression. "What is it, Ukyo?" she asked, not bothering to hide the wariness in her voice.

Ukyo raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. "I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time with Ryoga recently." Her words were light, but her gaze was sharp, as if she was studying Shampoo for a reaction.

Shampoo spent the rest of the day with Ukyo's words echoing in her mind. The whole day, she couldn't shake the thought: "Ryoga is just Ryoga." She kept telling herself that, but deep down, something felt different now.

As she went through the motions of class, talking with other students, and smiling at the attention she received, her mind wandered back to that conversation. Ukyo's words had been sharp, yet oddly... protective. Shampoo wasn't used to hearing someone talk about Ryoga that way, and it unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

Why should I care? Shampoo thought, trying to brush off the nagging feeling. She had never been the type to second-guess herself. She had always acted on impulse, always been confident in her choices, and Ryoga was just a silly boy, wasn't he? Just Pig-boy.

But as the school day went on, Shampoo found her gaze drifting toward him more often. Ryoga wasn't acting any differently, but to Shampoo, he seemed... different. There was something in the way he carried himself now. Even the way the boys at school spoke about him now—how they called him the strongest boy in the school, how they looked up to him—didn't escape her notice.

She could tell he was strong, but what was it about his attitude that made him so... annoying? Yet, for some reason, the annoyance wasn't quite the same as before. It felt like... attraction.

During lunch, Shampoo was sitting outside, eating her meal when Sayuri and Yuka approached her. They were already talking about the latest gossip, but Shampoo wasn't really paying attention. Instead, she watched Ryoga from across the yard. He was talking to some of the other boys, laughing, and looking completely at ease.

"Shampoo, are you listening?" Yuka asked, snapping her fingers in front of her face.

Shampoo blinked, snapping out of her trance. "Ah, yes, Shampoo listens," she replied with a forced smile.

Sayuri narrowed her eyes, noticing the direction Shampoo had been staring. "You're looking at Ryoga again, aren't you?"

Shampoo didn't respond right away, unsure how to answer. She didn't want to admit it, even to herself. "Ryoga is nothing special," she said nonchalantly, but even she could hear the hesitation in her voice.

Yuka and Sayuri exchanged a look. "Really?" Yuka asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because you've been spending a lot of time looking at him lately."

Shampoo quickly dismissed it with a wave. "No! Shampoo has no interest in that Pig-boy. It's just... he's... nothing," she finished awkwardly.

Sayuri and Yuka exchanged another glance but didn't press her any further. They could see through Shampoo's act, but they also knew better than to call her out directly.

Later that afternoon, when school was over, Shampoo found herself walking out of the gates alone. She hadn't really been paying attention, but when she looked up, she saw Ryoga walking in the distance, heading toward the alleyway.

She wanted to ignore him, to pretend nothing had changed, but something inside her made her walk faster. No, Shampoo doesn't care about him. But her feet betrayed her, carrying her closer to where Ryoga was.

She stopped just a few feet away from him, catching him off guard. Ryoga turned, looking surprised to see her there.

"Pig-boy..." Shampoo started, her voice teasing, but there was a slight edge to it that even she didn't quite understand.

Ryoga frowned. "What do you want now, Shampoo?"

Shampoo crossed her arms, trying to act aloof, but her heart was beating a little faster than usual. "Nothing. Just... wondering what you were up to," she said, her voice softer than she meant it to be.

Ryoga raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled by her sudden shift in demeanor. "Huh. Are you... okay?"

Shampoo didn't answer immediately, her gaze drifting away for a second. "I'm fine," she said quickly, not wanting to dwell on it. "Just... don't be so full of yourself."

Ryoga smirked. "Don't act like you don't notice. You're not fooling anyone, Shampoo."

The words stung, but Shampoo refused to let it show. Instead, she huffed, turning to walk away. "You're just a pig."

Ryoga watched her walk off, confusion clouding his thoughts. Something about this encounter felt different, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Later that evening, as Shampoo was closing up the cat café, she replayed the conversation in her head. "Don't be so full of yourself." She could hear Ryoga's words clearly, and for some reason, it made her feel... something. Was it annoyance? Or something else?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Cologne appeared in the doorway. "Shampoo, you're late. You've been acting distracted lately. Is something on your mind?"

Shampoo hesitated before answering. "Nothing important," she muttered, though it didn't feel like nothing at all.

Cologne didn't press her further but raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. Well, if something is bothering you, don't hesitate to talk to me. I'm your grandmother, after all."

Shampoo gave a small smile, though her mind was still on Ryoga. What is it about him? She thought, as she finished cleaning up the café for the night.

Shampoo, never one to shy away from confrontation, smirked. "I don't know what you're talking about. He's just... Pig-boy, you know?" She chuckled, trying to deflect. But something about Ukyo's intensity made her feel a bit unsettled.

Ukyo's eyes narrowed slightly, but she maintained her composure. "I see. Just making sure," she said coolly. "You know, Ryoga and I have a history together. We're not strangers, and I won't let you treat him like some kind of toy." Her voice was low and firm, a subtle warning hidden beneath her words.

Shampoo frowned, her eyes hardening. "I treat no one like a toy. Ryoga is... Pig-boy, that's all," she said, but her tone was more defensive than usual.

Ukyo watched her for a moment, her expression unreadable. "If you say so, Shampoo." She stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. "But don't forget, I'm not going to back down if you try anything with him."

Shampoo could feel her temper rising. "Ryoga is my business. You stay out of it, Ukyo," she snapped, her voice low and dangerous.

Ukyo didn't flinch. "I think we both know Ryoga can take care of himself. But if you start messing with him too much, you might regret it," she said, her words colder now, before turning and walking away, her heels clicking against the floor with a finality that sent a chill through Shampoo.

Shampoo stood there for a moment, watching Ukyo leave. Her thoughts were jumbled, the tension between them adding another layer of complication to her already confusing feelings.

What's her deal? Shampoo thought, but a small part of her wondered if Ukyo was right about Ryoga—or if she was just too stubborn to admit what she was starting to feel.