Ryoga sat slumped on the edge of the futon, his head drooping forward as exhaustion seeped into his bones. No matter how many turns he took, the men's side of the onsen eluded him, leaving him disoriented and frustrated. Directions only made things worse for him, tangling his sense of navigation further. Giving up, he had finally stumbled back his way back to his room, grateful for the small mercy of finding it again. He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing deeply as he stared at the sparse interior of the room. He exhaled deeply, his annoyance building. The thought of 'this is worse than being a pig' came in times like this; he truly believed he was not cursed once but twice.
His thoughts drifted to Akane. Her smile shone in his mind's eye, warm and comforting, but it was quickly overshadowed by the looming shadow of a pig-tailed man. Ranma Saotome came into view, his expression sly and teasing, daunting him, a constant reminder of his rival and his own inadequacies. He clenched his fists, determination welling up despite his fatigue.
"I can't stay here long," he muttered, closing his eyes.
A sudden knock on the door jolted him from his thoughts. He sat frozen for a moment, the faint echo of knuckles against wood breaking the stillness of the room. Slowly, he stood, his legs stiff from weariness, and shuffled toward the door. When he opened it, the sight before him made him pause. A young woman stood there, her chestnut-brown hair tied with a ribbon he vaguely recognised. Her large brown eyes were bright yet tinged with something he couldn't quite place- amusement? Relief? The tray she held was adorned with a glass of water, a small bowl of soup and a bowl of rice with pleasing looking meat on top.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other. One was smiling, the other confused.
"C- can I help you?" Ryoga croaked, his voice cracking from dryness. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and tried again.
The girl's lips twitched into a sly smile. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you don't recognise me."
Ryoga blinked, his brows knitting together. The ribbon…why did it feel so familiar? He squinted, scanning her features as if piecing together a half-forgotten puzzle.
"You're… uh.. " He attempted to say.
"Ukyo," she prompted, exasperation creeping into her tone. "Ukyo Kuonji ."
The mention of the name struck like a gong. Ryoga's eyes immediately widened, and he took a sharp step back, his hand instinctively brushing the doorway for balance. "Ukyo! You're—you're Ranma's —-!"
"Bingo." Her grin widened, the playful edge to her voice doing little to mask the sharpness beneath. "Wow. This is the welcome I get? Didn't think you'd forget me so easily. After all those times I helped you with Akane."
Before he could respond, she breezed past him into the room, her movements quick and purposeful.
"H-hey!" Ryoga stammered, turning to follow her.
Ukyo moved with practiced ease, ignoring his protests as she set the tray down on the table. Her gaze swept over the sparse room. Finally, she turned back to him, one hand resting casually on her hip. "Relax, Ryoga. You look like you're about to drop dead. Someone's got to make sure you don't keel over before you stumble your way back to Nerima."
"How do you know I'm heading back to Nerima?" he asked.
Ukyo's lips curved into a faint, playful smile, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Call it intuition, or maybe you're just an open book, sugar. Either way, you're not exactly hard to figure out."
"What are you even doing here anyway?" Ryoga demanded, his voice harsher than he intended. "Shouldn't you be busy chasing after Ranma?"
The name hit Ukyo like a sudden jab, a fleeting but sharp ache blooming in her chest as though a needle had pierced her heart. She stiffened, her breath catching for a moment before she forced herself to recover. Clearing her throat, she turned her gaze away, her arms crossing tightly over her chest ina feeble attempt to seem unaffected.
"I work here. Miss Haruko— she's the owner—has been kind enough to let me stay. And you? What's your excuse?" Her eyes flickered toward him, the question laced with curiosity—- and something else he couldn't quite name.
"I am just passing through," Ryoga muttered.
Ukyo crossed her arms, her brow arching in that infuriatingly knowing way. "Passing through, huh?"
"You look worse than I thought, sugar," Ukyo commented. She sighed, reaching for the glass of water. "Here, take this. It'll help."
Ryoga hesitated, his eyes darting between her outstretched hand to her face. He took the glass and gulped down the water, sending a refreshing sensation to his body. He placed the glass back down, eyeing her warily. "I brought you some food from the leftovers we had today."
"Thanks," he took it gratefully, splitting his chopsticks to take a mouthful of rice into his mouth. There wasa brief pause before Ryoga asked, "Why are you being so nice anyway?"
Ukyo's expression faltered just for a moment, but long enough for Ryoga to notice. She shrugged again, though this time the motion seemed forced. "Can't I be nice without you questioning my motives?"
"Not really," Ryoga replied bluntly.
Her laugh was light, but there was a sharpness to it. "Fair enough." Considering their history, she understood the hesitation.
"I don't really plan to stay long," Ryoga mumbled as he leaned heavily against the doorframe, crossing his arms.
Ukyo turned to face him. "Yeah, about that. I think you should reconsider."
Ryoga blinked at her, confusion written all over his face. "Reconsider? What do you mean?"
"Stay, " she said simply, her tone casual, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "For a few more days. You look like you need time to rest, and honestly, with your sense of direction, I'm surprised you even made it this far."
His frown deepened, and his arms crossed defensively. "I don't need your pity!"
She let out a short laugh. "Oh, please. Don't flatter yourself. I'm just saying it'd be easier —mostly for your sake—if we traveled to Nerima together. You're lucky Miss Haruko's got a soft spot for strays, or you'd probably still be wandering the mountains somewhere."
Ryoga's brows furrowed, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. "I didn't ask for anyone's help."
"No, you didn't. But here you are. Stay here a few more days. Rest. Eat something that isn't scraps from the wilderness. Then we'll head to Nerima together."
Ryoga stared at her, suspicion flickering across his face. "Together? "
Ukyo hesitated, the question catching her off guard. She'd anticipated resistance, maybe even his usual self-deprecating banter, but this was different. The lack of trust and suspicion he has for her somehow irritates her. Here, she was trying to be civil and instead felt interrogated.
His gaze was steady, searching, and for a brief moment, she felt exposed.
Ukyo rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Because, genius, with your sense of direction, you'd probably end up in Kyoto instead of Nerima. And because…" She hesitated, searching for the right words. "Let's just say I've got my own reasons." she said lightly, but the words felt thin even to her. "Besides, don't act like you're too good for some company. You need it."
Ryoga's suspicion deepened, and he crossed his arms defensively. "What's in it for you?"
Ukyo's gaze hardened, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced by something colder, sharper. "Don't flatter yourself, Ryoga. Do you want to get back to Akane or not?"
Ryoga flinched at the mention of Akane, his blush returning in full force. He opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out.
Ukyo sighed, softening slightly. "Look, you can do what you want. If you'd rather stumble off and get yourself lost again, be my guest. But the offer's there. Take it or leave it."
As she moved toward the door, she hesitated, her hand resting on the frame. "Try to act like you belong somewhere, even if it's just for a little while. It won't kill you to stay."
He didn't respond, and when she glanced over her shoulder, he was staring at the floor, his expression contemplative.
Se left before he could say anything, closing the door quietly behind her. As she walked back down the hall, her thoughts became a tangled mess. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt twist in her chest. She told herself she was doing the right thing, helping someone who clearly needed it even when he is oblivious to it. But a small voice in the back of her mind whispered that wasn't the whole truth. Maybe she wasn't ready to face Nerima—or Ranma— just yet. And maybe, just maybe, having someone familiar like Ryoga around would make her feel a little less pathetic about herself.