The next day, Shampoo and Akari were sitting together during lunch, chatting casually. Shampoo couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance when Ryoga walked past. His posture had changed since the fight with Kuno, standing taller, with more confidence, and his popularity had grown, making him seem almost... untouchable.

Akari, however, wasn't paying much attention to Shampoo's mood. She was too busy glancing at Ryoga from across the yard, her heart skipping a beat when their eyes met. Ryoga waved shyly at her, causing Akari to blush.

Shampoo noticed the look in Akari's eyes immediately, narrowing her gaze. So that's it, Shampoo thought, recognizing the look of infatuation. She forced herself to keep her expression neutral.

"Akari," Shampoo began, her tone suddenly serious. "You like him, don't you?"

Akari, caught off guard, blinked rapidly and quickly looked away, a deep flush creeping up her neck. "W-What? Who?" she stammered, but there was no mistaking the way she was acting. Shampoo raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a slight smirk.

"Ryoga," Shampoo said bluntly. "You're looking at him like a... like a love-struck puppy."

Akari sputtered, her face turning a deep shade of red. "I-I don't know what you're talking about! I was just... I was just noticing how much he's changed lately. That's all!" she added quickly, but it was obvious to Shampoo that Akari was hiding her true feelings.

"Sure, sure," Shampoo replied, but her tone had softened. She wasn't sure how to feel about this—Akari had never shown much interest in Ryoga before, but now, with his new-found popularity, things were shifting.

Akari sighed, her gaze returning to Ryoga, who was talking with some other students. "I guess you could say I... like him. But I don't know if he feels the same way. He's always so distant."

Shampoo tilted her head. "You really like him?"

Akari nodded slowly. "Yeah... I do."

Shampoo thought for a moment, then gave Akari a sideways glance. "If you like him, then you should tell him. Don't wait for him to come to you. That's how things get messed up."

Akari looked at Shampoo, her eyes wide. "You think so?"

Shampoo leaned back, her expression unreadable. "Yeah, but..." She paused, watching Ryoga from a distance. "You might not want to get in the way of... other people." Her eyes flickered toward the direction where Kuno was still trying to challenge Ryoga for his place at the top.

Akari followed Shampoo's gaze and understood immediately. She took a deep breath, looking down at her food. "I'll figure it out," she muttered, her voice a mix of determination and uncertainty.

Shampoo said nothing, letting Akari process her feelings. Inside, Shampoo wasn't sure how to feel about Ryoga having the attention of both her and Akari. She had always thought of Ryoga as an annoyance, but now... there was something different about him. Something she couldn't ignore.

Later that afternoon, Ryoga crossed paths with Shampoo again, this time more directly. "Shampoo," he said, a little awkwardly. "I... I wanted to apologize for what happened with Akane. I didn't mean for things to get out of hand."

Shampoo paused, eyes narrowing for a moment as she thought back to their earlier interactions. Then, with a casual shrug, she replied, "It's fine. I don't need an apology."

Ryoga smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Right... I guess I'm just... trying to be better."

"Better?" Shampoo repeated, arching an eyebrow. "You don't need to change for anyone, Pig-boy."

He looked at her, his face softening. "Maybe, but I want to... for me."

Shampoo was about to say something when she noticed Akari walking toward them, a slight hesitation in her steps. Akari smiled nervously at Ryoga and Shampoo as she approached. Shampoo noticed the way Akari's eyes lingered on Ryoga, and something shifted in her gut.

Akari opened her mouth to speak but faltered for a moment, suddenly shy. "Ryoga... I, um..." she trailed off, unsure of how to approach him.

Shampoo, sensing the tension, stepped back slightly, her smile becoming more playful. "You should tell him, Akari," she said, with a teasing note in her voice. "He's standing right here."

Akari shot her a glare, but it was half-hearted, and Shampoo could tell that Akari was grateful for the push. With a deep breath, Akari finally spoke. "Ryoga, I just wanted to say that I think you're really strong. And I admire how much you've grown. I—"

Ryoga looked surprised but smiled warmly at her, his usual awkwardness gone. "Thanks, Akari. That means a lot to me."

Shampoo watched as Akari blushed, and Ryoga, though not fully aware of the depth of Akari's feelings, seemed pleased by her praise. Shampoo felt a flicker of something unfamiliar stirring inside her, but she quickly brushed it off.

The cafeteria buzzed with chatter, students moving in and out of groups. Ryoga sat at a table near the window, his bento unopened as he absentmindedly stared outside. Shampoo, walking past with her own tray, smirked but didn't approach, noticing Ukyo and Akari heading in Ryoga's direction.

Akari reached the table first, her soft voice catching Ryoga's attention. "Ryoga, mind if I sit with you?" she asked, holding her lunchbox tightly.

Ryoga blinked, startled from his thoughts. "Oh, uh, sure," he mumbled, gesturing to the seat across from him. Akari smiled and sat down, carefully placing her lunchbox on the table.

Before Akari could say anything, Ukyo appeared, her confident stride and spatula slung over her shoulder immediately drawing attention. "Well, well," Ukyo said with a teasing smile. "Didn't know this was a private lunch date, Akari."

Akari glanced up, her expression calm but her grip on her lunchbox tightening. "It's not. I just wanted to talk to Ryoga."

Ukyo pulled out a chair without asking, sitting down next to Ryoga. "Great, because I wanted to talk to him too," she said, leaning closer to him. "Ryoga, I've been working on a new okonomiyaki recipe. You should stop by after school and try it."

Ryoga scratched the back of his head, looking nervous. "Uh, sure, Ukyo... but I don't know if I'll have time—"

"Ryoga," Akari interrupted, her voice firmer than usual. "You promised to help me with the farm this weekend. Remember?"

Ukyo raised an eyebrow, her smile thinning. "Oh? Didn't know you were keeping him so busy, Akari."

Akari met Ukyo's gaze, her usual shyness replaced by quiet determination. "Ryoga's always been kind enough to help me. I appreciate him for that."

Ukyo leaned back, her arms crossed. "That's nice and all, but Ryoga's got a lot more going on than just your farm. Right, Ryoga?"

Ryoga, caught in the crossfire, looked between them with a panicked expression. "Uh, well—"

"Maybe, but Ryoga's also dependable," Akari said, her voice growing sharper. "Not everyone treats him like he's just another customer."

Ukyo's eyes narrowed. "At least I don't make him do chores like some kind of farmhand."

"I don't make him do anything," Akari shot back, her cheeks flushing. "He helps because he wants to."

"Maybe he just doesn't know how to say no," Ukyo replied, her tone dripping with fake sweetness. "Right, sugar?"

"Girls, I—" Ryoga began, but neither Akari nor Ukyo paid him any attention.

"Ryoga deserves someone who sees him for who he really is," Akari said, her voice rising slightly. "Not someone who just wants him around to promote their restaurant."

Ukyo stood up, her spatula hitting the table with a soft clang. "And he deserves someone who's not going to tie him down to a boring farm life. He's got more potential than that."

Akari stood as well, her hands trembling but her expression resolute. "Ryoga deserves someone who understands him, not someone who only sees him as a challenge to win."

The tension between the two was palpable, drawing the attention of nearby students. Shampoo, standing a few tables away, watched the scene unfold with an amused smirk. "This is getting interesting," she muttered to herself.

Finally, Ryoga slammed his hands on the table, standing up abruptly. "That's enough!" he said, his voice louder than anyone had ever heard it. Both Ukyo and Akari froze, their eyes snapping to him.

"I'm not some prize to fight over," Ryoga said, his face red with frustration. "I appreciate both of you, but this isn't the way to handle things." He grabbed his bento and stormed off, leaving the two girls standing there in stunned silence.

Shampoo ate her bento quietly, her eyes occasionally flicking over to the group a few tables away. Ukyo and Akari were bickering again, their voices carrying through the air. Ryoga sat in the middle, looking increasingly flustered and uncomfortable as the two girls argued over him.

Shampoo's chopsticks paused mid-air as an unfamiliar feeling bubbled in her chest. She felt... annoyed. But why? She didn't care about Ryoga's business. Still, her grip on her chopsticks tightened slightly as Akari leaned closer to Ryoga, trying to gain his attention.

"Shampoo, what's wrong?" a classmate asked, noticing her distant look.

"Nothing," Shampoo said quickly, snapping out of her thoughts. She popped a dumpling into her mouth and forced herself to shrug off the strange feeling. When Ryoga suddenly stood up, his expression tense and his movements hurried, Shampoo's lips curled into a small, hidden smile.

"Excuse Shampoo. I have to use the restroom," she said aloud, standing up and walking off with her bento box in hand. However, instead of heading towards the restroom, she took a different route. Her steps were quick but casual as she navigated around the school grounds.

It didn't take long for her to find him. Ryoga was sitting on the bleachers by the school's track, staring down at the ground with his fists clenched. He looked upset—more than she had expected.

"Pig-boy!" Shampoo called out, her voice breaking the silence.

Ryoga flinched at the sound, his head snapping up to look at her. "Shampoo? What are you doing here?"

Shampoo walked up the steps to sit beside him, setting her bento down on her lap. "Shampoo saw Pig-boy storm off. Look upset. Shampoo want to know why."

Ryoga sighed, leaning back against the bleachers. "It's nothing. I just… needed to get away from all that nonsense."

Shampoo raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by his answer.

Shampoo walked up the bleachers confidently and sat down next to him, her bento still in her lap. She shifted slightly, making herself comfortable before glancing sideways at Ryoga.

"Ukyo and Akari fight over Pig-boy," she said bluntly, her tone curious but not unkind.

Ryoga groaned, running a hand through his messy hair. "You think I don't know that? It's exhausting! They keep pulling me into their arguments like I'm some kind of prize to be won!"

Shampoo tilted her head, studying his frustrated expression. "Pig-boy not used to attention?" she teased lightly, taking another bite of her dumpling.

Ryoga shot her a glare but quickly deflated, sighing. "It's not like that... I just don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I don't even know how I feel about all this."

Shampoo chewed thoughtfully, her eyes scanning his face. "Pig-boy too nice for own good," she said matter-of-factly. "If no like situation, say something. Shampoo think maybe Pig-boy scared of hurting feelings but forget own feelings matter too."

Ryoga blinked at her, surprised by the blunt advice. "I didn't think you'd care," he admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Shampoo shrugged. "Shampoo not care about Ukyo or Akari. Shampoo care because Pig-boy look like lost puppy."

Ryoga's cheeks turned red at the comparison, and he looked away, grumbling. "I'm not a lost puppy…"

Shampoo chuckled softly, finishing her dumpling. "Then stop acting like one. Pig-boy strong. Show it."

The two sat in silence for a moment, the sounds of distant chatter and footsteps from the school grounds filling the air. Ryoga finally glanced at Shampoo, who was calmly eating her food as if she hadn't just lectured him.

"Thanks," he muttered, his tone begrudging but genuine.

"Shampoo always right," she said with a smirk, not missing a beat.

Ryoga shook his head, a small, reluctant smile forming on his lips. "You're impossible."

Shampoo grinned, standing up and brushing off her skirt. "Shampoo know. Now, Pig-boy, go tell Ukyo and Akari how Pig-boy feel. Or keep running away like lost puppy. Shampoo not care which."

With that, she waved casually and descended the bleachers, leaving Ryoga alone with his thoughts and a lot to consider.

Shampoo walked away, sticking out her tongue playfully as she did, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She didn't look back to see Ryoga's reaction, but she could already guess he was flustered. It was one of the many things she enjoyed about teasing him—watching him squirm.

As she walked, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction. Ryoga had always been the type to keep his emotions buried, and seeing him finally admit how he felt about Ukyo and Akari was a small victory. Shampoo didn't mind having her little moments of victory, especially when they involved someone like Ryoga, who, despite his gruff exterior, had a lot more to him than he let on.

With a contented sigh, Shampoo tucked a strand of her purple hair behind her ear and headed back to the school. She knew there was still a lot to sort out between her, Ryoga, and everyone else, but for now, she was just happy to have had this conversation.

She was still smiling to herself when she re-entered the school, her mind racing with thoughts about Ryoga, Akari, Ukyo, and how things were slowly becoming more complicated, but in a strangely satisfying way.