As Shampoo walked down the hallway, the sound of her footsteps echoed softly through the quiet space. She noticed Ryoga up ahead, heading in the opposite direction, his gaze down as usual, lost in his own thoughts. There was something different about him today. Maybe it was the way he carried himself or the fact that he seemed even more distant than usual.
Shampoo's lips curved into a genuine smile—nothing teasing, nothing playful. Just a simple, almost fond smile as she watched him. For a moment, she thought about calling out to him, but instead, she just let the smile linger, something soft and unspoken passing between them. Ryoga, caught off guard by the sudden warmth in her expression, hesitated for a brief moment, as if wondering whether he'd imagined it.
Without a word, Shampoo continued walking, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction in the moment. There was a lot she didn't understand about her feelings toward him, but for once, she didn't feel the need to overthink it. She knew she'd figure it out eventually.
As she made her way to her art class, Shampoo couldn't help but feel like something had shifted—just a little bit—but enough to make the rest of the day feel different. It was almost as if the tension between them had loosened, replaced with something that felt oddly... peaceful.