Chapter 8:  Ukyo Kuonji
Third Step


"No," she broke off, looking down at the ground. "I'll wait," she said 
quietly.

Nabiki blinked.  Well, she herself wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. 
Besides, she wouldn't encroach on something that could very well be a 
life-altering decision. Perhaps this wasn't exactly the best setting to 
contemplate such a thing, she thought.

"Patience is the jewel in the crown of wisdom," the raven haired women 
next to Mousse said, her voice sounding like a gentle breeze blowing over a 
field. Ukyou looked up to her calm face. "Think carefully when searching 
for your heart's desire." 

Ukyou nodded, and as she looked up a second time, both Mousse and the 
woman faded from view in a most ethereal fashion. She looked back at 
Nabiki, who was wearing that smug look she always did, then down at the 
locket. With a deep breath, she placed it around her neck. "I need to 
think," she declared, with a swing of her hair. "Let's go back. I have a 
store to keep."

"And you owe me another soda."

________________________


At the Tendo Dojo, Mrs. Tendo and Mrs. Saotome sat at the living room 
table drinking tea, each looking to the other's mate as they played shogi 
on the outside walk, the doors to the garden wide open.

"Much mischief is in the air," Mrs. Tendo said suddenly as she watched the 
Panda reach for an extra piece from nowhere. She sipped lightly, closing 
her eyes as she did.

"Perhaps, dear, we are getting old. It doesn't seem to phase our 
children." Nodoka sipped as well, watching Soun swipe a piece from the 
board and stuff it in his mouth. "A sign of the times?"

"I think not. There is something in the air that I can almost feel." She 
set her ceramic cup down. "It greatly joys me that I can be with my 
daughters and my husband more, but I feel a sense of impending crisis 
everywhere. My memory was never terribly accurate, Nodoka, but only more-so 
now..."

"Oh?"

"I can't remember what we had for breakfast," Mrs. Tendo said calmly, 
looking at the table. "I forgot that I sent Ranma to the grocer the day 
before... and when he returned, the kitchen was a mess. It took a great deal 
of time to... put everything away, and I can't remember what I was fixing 
for dinner."

"My goodness." Nodoka knew that there would be something falling out in 
the days to come, but certainly the sequence of events was startling. That...
thing the Master had summoned must've been the starting point. It 
always started with him, didn't it? Then Mrs. Tendo's resurgence. Her 
memory wasn't exactly clear on why it was a 'resurgence' for her, and when 
she tried to force a memory, she would completely blank. Then that school 
boy's death, and the book that Chinese boy had given her and the Tendos, 
and then the sudden marriage to the Chinese girl, and divorce. . .Yet Ranma 
seemed unfazed, as did Akane. "Perhaps you should see the good Doctor?"

"I've thought that as well, but... would  you accompany me?" she asked 
diminutively, releasing her hold on the table.

"Of course! It would be the least I could do," Nodoka replied. Hearing an 
uproar of laughter from her left, she looked to see Soun and Genma, two of 
them trying to keep straight faces while their mouths bulged with shogi 
pieces.

__________________________

Ranma and Akane knelt in front of each other in the Dojo, the evening just 
beginning to roll around. Akane's eyes hid a calm anger in them, and 
Ranma's were nervous. "Okay," Ranma began. "The game is called 'twenty 
questions.' We ask fifteen yes or no questions, and five other questions," he 
explained, trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about. 

"And this is supposed to be fun?" she barked suddenly.

"No! Now that we've gotta. . .hear our thoughts, we can ask questions and 
get real answers! Nabiki said this would be somethin` you'd -want- to do."

Akane thought about it for a moment. This -would- be a great opportunity 
to pin him down and get an answer out of him. She smiled menacingly. "Okay, 
Ranma. I go first."

(Oh no,) he thought.

Ranma sat back on his heels and took a big breath. "Okay, Akane. I got 
nuthin` to hide from you."

"Uh huh," she said. "Okay, do you really love me?"

Ranma blinked twice, letting a silence hang.

(Why you stinking, no good, jerk. . ,) she began, when Ranma sat up and 
scooted in front of her.

Not a 'yes', not a 'no'; Ranma said, "Ore, omae ga suki, Akane."

Akane's face flushed suddenly, a heat rising through her chest. This was 
not at all what she expected from him, and he was really pouring on the 
emotion behind his words. Her animosity melted away quickly, her entire 
posture relaxing.

Ranma leaned back once more. "19 to go."

_____________

Nabiki sipped on her soda while Ukyou 'thought.' Ukyou's thinking 
consisted of an insanely immaculate cleaning process of her grill. "So, 
have any clue yet?"

Ukyou shook her head, scraping the grill for the fourth time.

"You still want Ranma, don't you?" Nabiki said frankly, taking note of the 
woodwork of the store.

She nodded, her scraping rhythm breaking for a moment.

"You...." Nabiki stopped to sip again. "You're not going to go after him, 
are you?"

Ukyou stopped altogether, her hands shaking as she held the scraper blade 
by the handles. "I really don't want to hurt anyone..."

"But?"

"BUT I WANT MY RAN-CHAN!!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, causing 
Nabiki's soda to fizzle a bit. She dropped the scraper on the grill, 
resting her elbows and head on the counter top. "Why can't I have him?"

"I bet he still wants you," Nabiki said, gauging her reaction.

"I know he does, but he. .wants Akane more...." She sniffed loudly, 
propping her head on her hands. "That's why he was taking that
beating...."

Nabiki nodded as she finished off the rest of the soda, noticing that the 
day was darkening. "So, what else is there?"

"I... I can't think," she stuttered as she reached for her scraper and 
resumed her ministrations of the grill.

Nabiki sighed, and Ukyou continued.
______________________________

Ranma sighed heavily, now sitting Indian-style. "Okay that's sixteen."

Akane, her mood clearly lighter than before, thought of the next query for 
Ranma. "Hmmm...."

Ranma looked towards the doorway, noticing the day coming to a close. 
(Yeesh.) He looked over to Akane, kneeling there in a long sundress with 
sleeves, her hand on her head, apparently trying to draw an idea forth from 
it.

"Ranma? Why do you hate my cooking?"

"Because it tastes bad," he answered simply. "...and that's it."

Akane's annoyance started to shine through again. "Do you even want to 
marry me?"

"Not yet."

"And why is that?"

"Because I want to get to know more aboutcha."

"Like what?"

"Like how you feel now that that was your last question."

"Huh?"

Ranma grinned widely. "That all twenty. It's my turn now," he said, 
sitting up.

Akane's eyes went wide as she realized how open she was now. She visibly 
swallowed as she watched Ranma try to brew something up, realizing that she 
now owed him for the last two hours.

"Why do you always cook that stuff for me?"

"Cause I want you to like me," she said, not even thinking about the 
words. As if in shock, she threw her hands to cover her mouth, her eyes 
flaring.

Ranma blinked a few times, when Akane began to stutter further.

"I- I- I- I mean a want you to like it so... that you'll like me," her 
eyes went wide again. "I- I- I- mean...."

"Exactly what you said?" Ranma asked calmly.

Akane was hopelessly cherry-faced as she looked down in embarrassment.

Ranma dug in. The questions he was about to ask would probably embarrass 
him too.

"Um, why do you always call me a pervert?"

Akane gulped again. "Uhm... because... you... never... looame...."

"What was that?

"Nevlooka...."

"I couldn't hear ya, Akane."

"Cause you never looked at me!" she shouted, very angry all of a sudden.

"What's that supposed to have to do with it?"

"Cause you're always lookin` at Shampoo, or Ukyou, or Kodachi and you 
never looked at me!" she roared. "I was angry, you jerk!"

Ranma gulped, not expecting that kind of a reply. Apparently she had been 
avoiding him as much as he had her. Without thinking, he followed up.

"Do you ever want to kiss?"

Akane's face matched her name again as she nodded slowly. Ranma was softly 
prodding her thoughts the entire time, as was she his.

"Why didn't you want me to have an okonomiyaki?"

Akane fidgeted, looking away. "cause... I thought... if you loved her 
cooking so much, I'd... lose you."

"Even though we're sittin' here trading thoughts like baseball cards?"

Akane nodded, somewhat ashamed at how immature it now seemed to her. 
(Masaka... I just lost count!) she realized.

(I guess we'll have to start over,) Ranma thought to her, smiling brightly.

(Oh no. This is going to be a long night.)

(You got that right.)

___________________________
 
Nabiki was getting bored as she watched Ukyou put the finishing touches on 
what could now pass as a brand new, showroom grill. 

It -glistened-. 

Nabiki, however, was unimpressed. "Look Ukyou-san, I don't -have- to be 
here for your wish, so I'm going to go home. You just take your time, and 
don't lose that locket." She wasn't ready to find out what happened if the 
locket was lost.

"You're leaving?" she said, not looking up.

"I'm tired. Plus I think you need some time to yourself, ne?" Nabiki stood 
up. "Good night, Ukyou."

Ukyou still didn't look up, even as she heard the sliding door slam. She 
held her laxing focus on the shining metal which reflected her face. 
Looking at her worn features, she touched a hand to her face. "Shower," she 
said to no one in particular, setting the polishing materials aside. She 
walked from behind the grill and surveyed her store. Nabiki had gone 
through four more sodas before she announced her departure. Ukyou couldn't 
really blame her. She doubted that she would prove good company for anyone. 
She walked to the sliding doors and locked them with the chain as she usually 
did, and headed to the back where her living quarters were.

After a half-hour's shower, Ukyou emerged from the small stall with two 
towels around her, for hair and body. Sitting on the bed, she decided that 
now was as good a time as any to sit and think.

(What do I want?)

(Ran-chan,) came her answer without delay. (But I can't have him, because 
he doesn't want me.)

(Would I die without him?)

(I can't imagine living without him....) She sighed deeply. her life had 
centered around him affectionately for about 2 years. Him and this store. 
She was so happy to open this store, so happy to find someone trying to 
close the lot quickly, overjoyed at the interest rate for the time of year, 
and thrilled with the proximity to Ran-chan after she had caught up to him. 
(He's... all I've had... all I've ever had.)

She thought of the memories she had drawn while in the upper part of Tokyo 
in her pursuit of Ranma. She came to the conclusion that Ranma was her only 
real friend, and now she was losing that. Tsubasa and Konatsu were both 
infatuations, too young to realize the concept. Akane only tolerated her 
because of Ranma. Mousse and Ryouga were more like casual
acquaintances... much like her immediate family. And now Mousse apparently 
was some kind of ghost.

Okonomiyaki Ucchan had no friends in Tokyo. 

She curled up on the bed, feeling very, very alone at that moment. "Oh, 
Ran-chan... if you only knew... if I could just..." she said aloud, her 
voice squeaking in pain. "I... have nobody...." Her shoulder began to shake 
as her tears came to her. "I wish I had somebody...."

She sat up suddenly as the locket began to glow. (Oh no!)

She began to speak as quickly as she could think. "I wish I had someone 
nice like Ran-chan for my friend!" she exclaimed, rapidly wiping her eyes 
while trying to look at the pendant. (Oh god, I hope I didn't blow it,) she 
thought as the pendant grew warm. She suspected she already had, as the 
pendant cooled down and ceased its kaleidoscope. (oh, great. Now what else 
could go wrong....)

And a sudden crash came from the front of the store.

(Ask....) Ukyou reached for the Kick-ass spatula.

_________________________

Kasumi padded past the bedrooms, noting that both Ranma and Akane were not 
in their rooms. (Oh my, it's past 9 o clock, and they have school 
tomorrow.) Suspecting the usual of Ranma, she closed the doors and walked 
downstairs towards the Dojo.

Her duties done for the day, she was now making her rounds on the house. 
As she went to step outside, she changed into her outside slippers. (My, 
the wind has picked up tonight,) she thought as she opened the sliding 
door, a breeze picking up her low skirt. The light inside the Dojo was 
still on, and apparently they were inside, their slippers still at the 
stone steps leading into the Dojo. (They've been in there since dinner....)

In her typical soft-footed fashion, she made the short walk over to the 
Dojo. (What could they be doing?) As she stepped up the stone step, noting 
the neat, side by side placement of Akane's slippers and the pile of 
Ranma's much larger slippers. (Oh my,) she thought, withholding the impulse 
to straighten them. Instead, she stepped all the way to the door frame of 
the Dojo.

(Oh my!) she thought, raising her hand to her mouth.

Ranma and Akane were sitting side by side, facing each other, freely 
necking and petting at a slow pace. She gaped for a few seconds in sheer 
stupefaction before shaking off her haze. (Oh, dear. Nabiki shouldn't catch 
them like this, or Father for that matter.)  Taking a deep breath, she 
spoke. "Ranma-kun, Akane-chan, don't forget school tomorrow," she said 
softly.

Both froze, and at the same time, slowly rotated their heads to view 
Kasumi. There they sat, like deer caught in headlights. "H-hai, Oneechan," 
Akane answered. Satisfied, Kasumi turned back towards the house.

 __________

Nabiki sat up from her bed suddenly, taking in a deep breath as she did. 
(So this is what it feels like,) she thought detached, cursing the buzzing 
noise... no... signal issuing inside her head. (She must have made it. 
Now, what did she want?) Nabiki pushed the covers off and pulled her knees 
to her shoulders and folded her arms. (Hm... oh well... nothing 
really harmful in that, I guess. Who wouldn't want someone?)

After a moment of wiggling on her bed, she smiled to herself, as if 
satisfied by some change around her. A moment later she pulled the covers 
over herself and was asleep once more.

_________

Ranma and Akane gulped noisily from their embraced position. "That was 
close."

"You ain't kiddin'. I'd hate for that to have been Pop."

(Good thing it was only Oneechan,) Akane thought as she rested her head on 
Ranma's shoulder.

"Yeah," Ranma agreed, "And ya know? I think Nabiki was right."

Akane turned her head to face Ranma. "Yeah," she breathed, "this was a 
good idea. I thought I knew about you, and maybe I did, a little, but I 
sure didn't -know- you."

"Me neither," he answered, looking back into her eyes. 

After a bit of tight lidded thought that Akane didn't bother to read, 
Ranma sheepishly spoke again. "Um... you wanna... sleep together?"

Akane's eyes went wide, as they had done many times during the course of 
the evening. After another noisy gulp, she nodded wordlessly, and leaned 
towards Ranma's face again. 

Ranma moved towards her as well, but stopped. "Um... whose bed?"

"Mine," she said without hesitation, ending the matter with a kiss.

_____________________

Ukyou calmly prowled back into her restaurant, dressed in the Gi top of 
her okonomiyaki outfit. Only three people had ever tried to break into her 
restaurant. All of them were cat-burglars from out of town, and all of them 
were begging for cops by the time she got done with them. (I'm in no mood, 
you...) she thought nastily as she peered across the bar.

A large, somewhat misshapen figure was outlined by the front door and the 
door itself rattled violently and noisily. (Got a lot of nerve,) she 
thought, slinking across the floor, ready to make her move.

(Not even gonna letcha break my lock.) She lunged, intending to go through 
the door to get to the intruder.

"Hello?" a voice said just as she lunged.

CRASH.

"Augh!"

"Die! Trespasser!"

"Ukyou, its me!" a beaten voice squeaked from underneath the business side 
of Ukyou's spatula.

"Ryouga!?" she quailed, getting up quickly. Taking a look from the poorly 
lit street, she remembered why she didn't look on the other side of the 
spatula very often. Ryouga's face was somewhat related to the sidewalk 
pavement now. "Oh my god. Are you okay?" she said, kneeling down to him, 
concern washing over her face.

"Never better," he said in his nervous laugh, pushing off of the sidewalk.

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought you didn't get lost anymore!" 
she yelled, her anger coming back to her quickly.

"Keep your voice down, dummy!" Ryouga said, hushing at Ukyou, looking away 
from her. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Answer me!"

"Can we go inside? I don't want people to call the police!"

Ukyou, defeated by logic, nodded softly. "C'mon," she said, offering a 
hand to Ryouga.

"That's okay," he said, looking away again.

"What? Too good to take my help, jack-ass?" she said hotly at Ryouga, 
still on the sidewalk.

He looked up at her skeptically, then took her offered hand.

________

A cup of water and tea later, they were sitting at her bar, back in their 
usual positions whenever he stumbled back into her restaurant. Ukyou had 
only turned on one of the lights, leaving the restaurant with a dreary 
ambiance. It matched her mood well enough. Ryouga shifted in his seat 
uncomfortably, well aware that Ukyou was still reeling from earlier events, 
but another reason he didn't address immediately.

"So, why are you here? I thought you were going home." She muddled over 
her cup as she waited for his reply.

"I was," he said quietly, reserved in his tone.

"And?"

"I found out, just cause I don't get lost doesn't mean I can find my way." 
He sipped the water.

"Huh?" Ukyou said, her curiosity cutting through her depression.

"I mean, I know where I live, I just forgot how to get there."

"Oh, brother," she sighed, holding her sinuses and hanging her head in 
disbelief. "That's really somethin else, Sugar. But why are you... no 
lemme guess, you want me to show you the way home."

"Well, I'm sorry... but the police booth was empty, and this was the only 
place I've been since the...."

"Yeah, I know," she said cutting him off, caring not to remember the 
forest earlier. "What's your address?"

"Huh?" he sputtered, setting his cup on the bar. "You mean, now? No! I 
couldn't."  He began to flail his arms wildly. "It's too late, I couldn't 
ask you to do this. I don't want to put you out, I wouldn't think of 
troubling you...."

"So you stay here tonight and have me take you back in the morning, on a 
school -and- business day? Oh yeah." She shrugged. "That's a lot more 
convenient."

Ryouga ran out of material. After a moment of uncomfortable silence in the 
poorly lit restaurant, he reached for his gear. "Sorry to be a bother," he 
said dejectedly, standing up.

"Wait, Ryouga!" She stood from her stool. "I didn't mean it like that. 
Really." (Plus I really don't want to be alone right now,) she admitted to 
herself, looking at her reflection in the grill.

Ryouga turned to face her. "You can sleep in the booth," she continued. 
"Sorry, but I don't need a futon when I'm by myself."

"That's okay," he said softly. "I carry my own usually. . ." he said, 
stroking his umbrella on the trail pack. "Never had a reason to think about 
it."

"Am I green?"

Ryouga looked up at her face. She held no signs of humor in her 
expression. "Uhm... no?" he said nervously, setting his pack down again.

"Then why are you working so hard to look away from me?" she asked, a bit 
of tension in her voice.

"Aheh! What makes you think that!? Heh heh!" He rubbed the back of his 
head and regarded the light fixtures.

She walked out from behind the counter and began moving a table away from 
a booth, to clear space for Ryouga. "I dunno, sugar. Maybe that stupid 
laugh of yours set me off...."

"Yeah? Heh heh."

"Seriously. I'm sick'a you and Ran-chan dancin` around me like some kinda 
bonfire, afraid I'll burn ya," she said, her speech slipping into rough 
form.

Ryouga heard her words. They sounded different, tired almost. He let his 
hand drop to his side and cleared his throat.

"Out with it, boy," she ordered, finishing with the table.

Ryouga was about to do something he'd never thought he'd do. "Well, you're 
only wearing a Gi top, and not very tightly."

She gasped and held her arms over her chest in response, but Ryouga wasn't 
finished. 

"You kinda stood -over- me when you helped me up off the sidewalk; leaning 
forward on the counter at me like that," he gulped loudly, "and bendin` 
forward like that to move that table...." Ukyou sat down in the booth 
hard, but then decided to sit sideways, her face brightening to crimson. "I 
mean, not that I'm lookin`!" Ryouga squealed, arms flailing again, his face 
matching hers.

"Jack-ass," she said under her breath, staring at the floor with a fury. 

"I'm sorry, but you asked," he said, his voice sounding defeated.

"No, you're right," she said, standing up and walking quickly, and 
carefully, back behind the grill. "I'm not really used to thinkin` about 
this modesty stuff all the time."

 "Muh... modesty?" he asked, still averting his eyes. 

"Get to sleep," she commanded. Once she saw him moving to spread his bed 
out, she scurried upstairs and slammed her room door. (That freaky jerk. 
What is he thinkin`?) She paced around the room. (What nerve! That messed 
up... pig!!)

_____________

[That Monday....]
____________

Akane slowly awoke to Ranma on her floor stretching vigorously. She sat up 
and stretched greatly, much to Ranma's interest. Akane blinked, catching 
Ranma's line of thought, and looked down. Her yellow nightie was quite thin 
in the morning light. Her dropped her arms quickly and stuck her tongue out 
at Ranma. "Pervert."

Ranma's brow furrowed, but rather than answer, he changed stretches.

Akane went to stretch and yawn again, but decided just to yawn. "You know...
we should probably move some of your stuff in here."

Ranma thought a lot, somewhat quickly for Akane to read, and then said, 
"What stuff? I just got clothes, and my pack."

Akane looked at her room. "Gee... I never thought about it, but I guess 
you don't."

"Don't what?"

"Have much," she explained, pushing the covers off and standing. "A lot of 
this stuff is just collected from when I was little." She began making her 
bed as she continued. "Like this... desk. This desk Daddy got Nabiki when 
she was thirteen, and when Nabiki got her own last year, she gave it to 
me." She reached to straighten the sheets, and Ranma came to the far end of 
the bed to help.

"Well, I still got my first Obi, I use it as a headband sometimes... but 
I don't think I kept much else."

"That's too bad," she sighed without much thought, tucking the comforter 
in.

"It is?" he asked, a bit confused. "If I had more stuff, that'd mean I'd 
have to carry it."

(It's kinda funny for me to think like that. Like you had a hard
life,) she thought to him, catching his eyes.

"Well, crazy... but hard? Nah... I got Pop, and as much as I yell, I'm 
still glad he's around."

"That's nice," she said smiling brightly. "Let's go to breakfast," she 
said, stepping into her closet. "You go on, I'll catch up."

"Okay."

______

Ukyou grumbled as she adjusted her black pants and chest bindings.
(Ugh... I can't believe I need another size up.) She grabbed the jacket 
and began buttoning it, but stopped at the top two. (Well, I'll get some 
new stuff on the way back from dropping him off.) That line of thought made 
her grumble again. (That's right, I almost forgot.)

With a renewed disgust, she set off downstairs. "All-right! Get up you, 
you lousy bum! You've mooched off one night... too..."

Ukyou's rampage died out as she reached the bottom of the stairs. The 
floor was shining. The glass was clean all the way to the ceiling and the 
cob-webs in the fixtures were gone. "This...." She saw her mop stood up in 
the corner and Ryouga, in full gear, save shoes, standing and brushing his 
teeth.

He turned, widening his eyes a bit. "Ohayo," he sputtered through 
toothpaste with a wave.

"What'd you..." she began, unable to finish.

"Oh, I just thought I'd clean a little to say thank you," he said 
energetically.

"How?" she asked, stupefaction on her features. Using her sneakers she 
tested the floor.

*SQUEAK*

"How did you get it this way? I don't even have wax!"

Ryouga went over to the sink behind the grill and rinsed his mouth. After 
a bit of gargling, he reached for something around her grill. "Your grill 
polish is made from the same stuff, just less liquid," he explained, 
dangling the packet in her direction. 

"Shouldn't we go if you're going to get back in time?" he asked.

Ukyou shook, her expression changing. "Yeah... let's... go." She grabbed 
her bandolier and a hair ribbon, cinching the shoulder strap first, then 
her hair. Ryouga opened the door and slipped on his shoes. "What's your 
address again?" she asked.

______

Akane and Ranma ate, Ranma under much mental berating on his eating habits. 
Others, of course, didn't notice. Nabiki glanced back and forth between 
them as Kasumi brought the last of breakfast in.

(Oh my, the table has become crowded with all our guests.) Kasumi had well 
economized the table space. Fortunately during Mrs. Saotome's stay, Mr. 
Saotome had remained a human most of the time. Ranma and Akane were sitting 
extremely close together, as were Mother and Father, so it almost made up 
for the space. It was nice that Ranma-kun and Akane-chan were... getting 
along well, but she hoped that their relationship wouldn't advance to the 
levels Nabiki had suggested.

_____

Nabiki, as usual, finished early, and headed on before the 'lower 
classmen' did. Out the door and walking the usual route to school, Nabiki's 
thoughts wandered. (Well, the last couple days of anger seem to be behind 
them,) she thought, remembering Akane's attitude the past few days. (She 
sure seemed affectionate today.)

(I wonder if Ukyou is satisfied with her wish?) she thought, her menacing 
smile playing across her face. Though she didn't notice it, several 
classmates scurried from her path when they saw her expression.

_______

"Are we there yet?" 

"NO!" Ukyou yelled. "You live in southeast bumble- you moron! You're 
almost in the next prefecture!"

Ryouga rubbed the back of this head, his weak smile playing on his face. 
"Sorry."

"No. It's all right. I just don't like walking... reminds me of the 
yatai."

They continued to walk down the sidewalk, silence filling the space 
between them. Ukyou had not recognized the School Fuku of the two girls she  saw passing them. (God.) She checked a local store with a clock hanging in  the window. (8:07. Yeesh, I'll never get back in time.) "Hey, I hope you're  payin` attention so you'll know the way."

"Yeah. I'm tryin'...." Ryouga's eyes wandered around again. After a 
moment he cleared his throat. "You know...."

"What?"

"About what you said last night? About modesty?"

"Yeah?"

"You might want to button up the jacket to the top," he said, looking 
anywhere but at her.

Giving a small 'kya', she dutifully buttoned the rest of the uniform, 
covering her bonds. "Why didn't you say something sooner?" she hissed.

"I was gonna, but... Hey! I remember that ice cream place. I passed 
by it when I went after Ranma."

"Which time?" she asked sarcastically, not expecting an answer.

Ryouga looked down as they stopped at a cross walk. "The first time."

"Oh, sorry."

"S`okay. This just means I'm almost home!" he said, raising his arms 
triumphantly.

Unceremoniously, a few minutes later, they arrived at a nice, if vertical,  house with 'HIBIKI' on the outer wall. 

"This must be it," she declared, sounding unimpressed. Looking around a 
moment, she asked, "Don't you have a dog?"

"Several, but I bet they're looking for us."

"'Us?'"

"Yeah. everyday, they patrol the area, and whenever we get near home, they  lead us back to the house... until we got lost again."

"Oh.... Well, I better head back."

"Thanks a lot Ukyou." Ryouga bowed deeply. "Sincerely."

"Oh, Ryouga." Her face flushed. "Stop it. It's okay. I'm just glad you 
could find your way. Just don't lose it, dope."

"I... guess I'll see you around."

"I guess." She stretched her arms and began walking back north toward 
Furinkan. 

"Hey! How do I find my way to your restaurant?"

"You remember the way here?" she asked without turning to face him.

"Yeah?"

"Just walk it backwards," she supplied, turning a corner.

"Oh... right." Ryouga watched her turn the corner, feeling as though 
he should have invited her in or something. "Oh well." He turned his head to the front door, dutifully walked towards it, and as he usually did, opened the door and yelled.

"TADAIMA!"

After all... a Hibiki homecoming was something to take notice of.

________________

Ranma and Akane said their goodbyes quickly, then took off running as they usually did, each with one of Kasumi's lunches in hand. 

Kasumi returned to the living room as the seniors of the family also 
concluded their breakfast. "Kasumi dear, that was wonderful. You've 
developed quite an aptitude."

"Thank you, Mother," Kasumi said as she unplugged the rice steamer and 
gathered it. Mrs. Tendo moved and began clearing the table with her 
daughter. Nodoka, having tried unsuccessfully several days in a row to 
assist in domestic work, satisfied herself by taking her husband to the 
garden and Dojo, and straightening up from there. She decided to do the 
same for today, beckoning her husband with a turn of the sleeve on her 
kimono.

"Kasumi, let have something a bit more exotic tonight," her mother began 
as they cleaned in the kitchen. 

"Did you have something in mind?"

"Yes, I did. Are you familiar with Okonomiyaki?"

Kasumi's hand rubbed her neck very softly. "Somewhat... however, one of 
Ranma-kun and Akane-chan friend is quite the expert on the dish."

"Oh?"

"And her own restaurant as well."

"Perhaps we should ask her advice for the evening?"

Kasumi, no fool to what Ukyou may be feeling with Akane having becoming 
much more open to Ranma and vice versa, showed reluctance. "She may be busy  with her schooling."

"She still schools? Well, then, she must be a driven young woman."

"Oh yes, very much so. She reminds of Nabiki-chan sometimes."

"Well, I would like to meet a friend of Akane's. Shall we go after 
school?"

Kasumi was not good at hiding her body language as she placed the rice 
bowls aside.

"Is something wrong, dear?"

"This girl, had quite an affection for Ranma."

"I see...."

They resumed the cleaning, silence settling around them.

"Still... I would like to meet her," she slipped in.

"And I think you should, Mother. She's a wonderful girl."

"Then I will!" she declared, raising a wet wood plate, causing Kasumi to 
lean away. Then, much more quietly, she set it down. "...eventually," she  said, a silly grin on her face.

"Oh Mother!" Kasumi laughed.