Three Days to Say I Love You
By Angela Jewell
Summary: At Jusendou, Akane came back to life... But at what cost?
Disclaimer: As most people know, I don’t own these characters (unfortunately!) and am merely borrowing them for this story. So, if you bother to sue me, you’ll lose and still be broke…
Reviewers comments are
following the Authors Notes...
(whispers) I hope you guys appreciate what I went through for you. (peeks over computer) I finished editing this at work, (minimizes screen while boss walks by), and all because I wanted you to have a nice, new chapter to read before I got home around 3:00. (ducks under desk). I’ll be starting Chapter 5 when I get home from work, so enjoy! (freezes my computer with my story). Oh! And I’m going to be going over it again thoroughly when I get home, so please forgive me if it changes slightly between then and now. (stops whispering to yell to my boss) Yeah! I’m getting those books right now! (returns to the wonderful world of work) Wish me luck!!!
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! All of you gave me the motivation I needed to write! ^_^
Chapter 4
The Third Day
The Hannya was inside her mind again, and this time there was nothing she could do to stop her. But it felt… different from before. The first time, the Oni had searched for happy memories and feelings—anything to help confront her feelings for Ranma. But now the images that invaded her mind seemed to be doing the exact opposite; this time he was yelling at her, calling her stupid.
Their childish names for each other echoed in her head as she relived past arguments, past fights—tomboy, dummy, uncute, sexless, pervert—and it didn’t take long until she felt the familiar anger, frustration, and sadness washing over her.
She tried to fight the cruel memories with pleasant, happy ones: to recall a time when he called her cute, or a moment when he had said something nice to her—but even those moments were too few and far between, and just as quickly more painful memories were coming to replace them…
She tried to shut them out of her mind, but nothing seemed to work.
And then without warning the memories disappeared and Ranma was there, standing before her. Akane slowly began to walk towards him, her heart pounding—only to quickly stop in her tracks. His eyes were narrowed in anger, and the sneer on his face made her hesitant to approach.
Then Shampoo and Ukyo were there as well, standing next to him. A fond smile came to his face as each girl clung possessively to his arms. “See, Akane,” he seemed to say as he began to laugh. “Why would I choose an uncute, stupid girl like you when I could have either of them?” And then he was leaning over to gently kiss each girl on the lips…
…And the memories were returning, now more insistent than ever.
Again she was reliving every moment Ranma had ever spent with his other fiancees—the several times he was kissed by Shampoo—all the times she’d seen him in a suspicious position with Kodachi or the Amazon…
… Ranma happily eating Ukyo’s food as the Okonomiyaki chef watched, sighing blissfully. And then, once again, the memories were gone, and Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi were looking at her, satisfied, gloating smiles on their faces.
And that’s when she heard the Hannya’s voice in her mind… taunting, laughing. And then she was surrounded in blackness.
* * *
Akane awoke from the dream; her heart pounding, her body, tense.
The Hannya’s words rang in her head, even as she fought back the sudden fear that gripped her. “Get a hold of yourself,” she firmly ordered, the blanket clutched tightly in her fists. “It’s just a dream. It wasn’t real.”
Sitting up in bed, Akane shook her head, willing the lingering memories away. She knew it was pointless to dwell on them; a feeling of urgency gripped her now more than ever.
Today was the last day.
Jumping out of bed, Akane grabbed her clothes as she quickly headed towards the bathroom. She knew she had a lot of time to make up. Yesterday she hadn’t been nearly as aggressive as she should have been…
And now, there was no time to spare.
* * *
Day 3
Attempt #3: Nabiki
(Playing the Jealousy Factor)
Akane watched her sister closely.
She knew she had to be careful about what she said. Borrowing the dress had been enough to raise Nabiki’s suspicions; she was sure she already knew something was wrong. And now, the fact that she was back again, asking for a favor, was probably only increasing her curiosity.
And the last thing Akane wanted was a curious Nabiki.
“So,” her sister began, smiling slightly. “What can I help you with this time? Are you ready to move on to lingerie?”
Akane scowled in reply, but ignored the comment. “I need some help,” she began hesitantly.
”With what?” Nabiki asked, leaning forward.
Akane swallowed nervously. “Ranma.”
Nabiki’s mouth fell open in surprise as she looked at her sister in amazement. “Wow,” she said at last, her eyes wide. She leaned back as she surveyed her sister with new found respect. “I must admit, I didn’t think you’d just come right out and say it: especially not so soon. Usually you feign ignorance or deny it—then storm out.”
“Nabiki!” Akane admonished, frowning. “This is serious. I really need your help.”
Nabiki leaned back on her bed, her expression turning somber. “Of course it is,” she replied, fighting back a grin. “What has he done this time?”
Akane blushed as she turned away from her sister, too embarrassed to meet her gaze. “It’s not so much what he has done than what he hasn’t.”
Nabiki’s eyes lit up. “Aww, I see,” she replied conspiratorially. “So you’re finally ready to move on to the next level, huh?” She looked at her sister approvingly, and then nodded her head. “Well, I can’t say it hasn’t been fun watching you two dance around your feelings for each other, but I guess enough’s enough. So,” she asked, a gleam coming to her eyes. “What can I do to help?”
Akane paused, deep in thought. This was the part she had been dreading. “I need some ideas,” she explained softly, blushing. “I want him to say he—to admit that he—” she stopped, frustrated. Why was it so hard to say the words? This was her sister—this was Nabiki! It wasn’t Ranma. Taking a deep breath, she gathered up her courage. “I want him to say that he loves me,” she blurted out. She could feel her face burning with embarrassment as she stared down at the floor.
Nabiki stared back.
“Akane,” she said, slowly, curiously. “What exactly happened at Jusendou?”
Akane looked up, startled. She couldn’t know about the bargain just from that, could she? “What do you mean?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
Nabiki looked at her strangely. “This can’t all be a coincidence,” she replied, her eyes narrowed. “When Ranma left, you guys were barely speaking to each other, and then suddenly after Jusendou, you’re willing to marry him?” Nabiki paused as she shook her head. “I know something must have happened there—and I’m sure it’s something big—something you’re not telling us. You wouldn’t agree to marry Ranma without a good reason.”
“I had a good reason,” she replied defensively, sitting up. “I had too, or he wouldn’t have gotten the Nanniichuan!”
Nabiki actually laughed. “Akane,” she said incredulously. “Do you really think I’d believe that was the only reason? You and I both know that daddy would have given it to him either way. You could have easily said no.”
“I already told you what happened,” she said uncomfortably, quickly changing the subject. “I don’t know what more you want me to say.”
Her sister raised an eyebrow. “I’m not asking about what you told us,” she explained, crossing her arms against her chest. “I’m asking about what you left out.”
Turning her eyes to the window, Akane sighed. Sometimes Nabiki was too perceptive for her own good. She knew she should have gone to Kasumi first…
“Well?” Nabiki asked impatiently.
Akane sighed in defeat as she finally caved in. It didn’t take her long to tell her sister everything that had transpired at Jusendou—mainly, her near-death experience. When they had first returned to Nerima, everyone had thought it best to leave out the fact that she had almost died: If for no other reason than to prevent Soun from worrying unnecessarily. When she had finished, Nabiki—her self-possessed, unshakable sister—looked slightly pale. It hadn’t taken her sister long, however, to regain her composure.
She shuddered to think how she would react if she knew the whole truth. But there was no way she could tell her about the Hannya and the bargain she had made...
“You really love him, don’t you?”
Akane looked up, startled to see the serious expression on Nabiki’s face. Her older sister was watching her with a mixture of awe and surprise, although there was another emotion there, something unreadable that was just beneath the surface. Was it envy? The expression had disappeared as quickly as it had come…
Akane, unable to form the words, simply nodded.
Sighing, Nabiki looked around the room. “Well, I can’t really say I understand what you see in him… but if it’s what you want, then I’ll help you.” She turned to her, a serious expression on her face. “And the answer is so simple, I won’t even charge you for it.”
Akane waited patiently, her heart pounding. If anyone could solve her problem, she knew Nabiki could…
“Akane,” her sister said slowly, firmly. “Just tell him.”
She felt her heart fall at those words. Shaking her head, she tried to keep her voice steady. “I can’t say it,” she finished lamely.
Nabiki groaned. “Think about it, Akane,” she told her, leaning forward. “This is Ranma we’re talking about. No offense, but let’s face it: the guy’s just way too dense to figure something like that out on his own. The only way he’ll ever say it, is if you say it first.”
“But I can’t,” Akane insisted, lowering her voice. “You’ve seen what happens with Shampoo and Ukyo... saying the words would only push him away.”
Nabiki laughed. “Akane,” she said, “you are such an idiot.”
Her head jerked up at those words. “What do you mean by that?” she demanded, glaring at her sister.
Nabiki sighed in frustration as she met Akane’s gaze. “What I mean,” she reiterated, “is that you can’t compare your situation to Shampoo and Ukyo’s. For one thing, you’ve never had to chase after him—you’ve always denied the engagement, and fought it tooth and nail.” She paused to smile. “That means that a confession from you will actually mean something. You’re the only one who hasn’t treated him like some trophy to be won—and two,” she continued, counting the points she was making off with her fingers, “the moron loves you. If he loved one of them he would have been gone by now.”
Akane turned away. “Even if he does love me,” she argued, “part of the reason is because he’s honor-bound too. And the last thing I want is for him to feel obligated to return my feelings.” She paused, surprised by the force of her words. It was only then that she realized that everything she was saying, she truly believed. She turned back to her sister, her eyes troubled. “That’s why I want him to say it first. Then I’ll know that he isn’t reciprocating purely because of our fathers, and his honor.”
Nabiki nodded in
understanding. “I’ll try to think of a different way,” she assured her.
Akane sighed, relieved. “Thanks,” she replied.
Nabiki was quiet for several minutes, deep in thought. “There is another way,” she said slowly, looking up. “You know how jealous Ranma can be—why don’t you play off that? If he feels like he might lose you, he may be more willing to say whatever it takes to keep you.”
“Jealous?” Akane let the word roll around on her tongue. It sounded like a good idea, “But how?” she asked.
Nabiki shrugged. “Just grab Ryoga, or Mousse or someone. Ranma,” she explained, winking, “will take care of the rest.”
Akane thought back to all the times Ranma had ever been jealous. She could still remember how angry and hurt he’d been with her when he thought she had chosen Shinnousuke over him... or how he went out of his way to sabotage her dates with Ryoga. With Shinnousuke, he had almost been willing to give her up…
But that was before Jusendou, she reminded herself.
She wondered what he’d do now. Would he quietly step aside like before? Or would be fight to keep her? Either way, she had to admit that the idea did sound intriguing...
“It’s a good idea,” she said slowly, voicing her concerns, “but I don’t think Ranma is capable of being jealous over Mousse—he’s too in love with Shampoo. And I’m not sure where Ryoga is. He disappeared right after the failed wedding.”
“Well, there’s always Kuno,” Nabiki replied with a smirk.
Akane looked at her as if she’d grown two heads. “No way,” she replied, bulking at the thought alone. “Besides,” she added, “Ranma would never believe I’m on a date with Kuno. And there’s no way he’d be jealous—disgusted, yeah—but not jealous.”
Nabiki looked contemplative for a moment. “Since Ranma knows you’d never willingly date Kuno, it could work to your advantage,” she replied thoughtfully. A small smile was forming on her face as the beginnings of an idea were taking shape. “He may naturally assume that you’re under some kind of spell or something,” she shrugged.
“But I won’t be,” said Akane, frowning.
Nabiki sighed in frustration as she looked at her sister. “You’re thinking about this all wrong, Akane,” she told her. “There’s nothing wrong with letting him think you’re under some kind of curse. Besides,” she went on. “You never know… that may be the extra push he needs.”
“But I don’t want to trick him into saying it,” she argued, remembering the Oni’s words.
Nabiki shook her head, looking slightly miffed. “I’m not saying to trick him exactly,” she said slowly. “Just… mislead him a little.”
Akane looked at her doubtfully. “How is that different from Shampoo using the reversal jewel?” she asked.
“Because,” Nabiki replied, coldly, “You wouldn’t be forcing him to admit anything—he’d be doing it on his own. It’s not like I’d be standing on the sidelines whispering, ‘Hey, Ranma! Tell her you love her—that’ll break the spell!’ Besides,” she continued, “it’s not a solid guarantee that it’ll work at all. But you never know,” she added with a shrug.
“But wouldn’t be just beat Kuno to a pulp instead?” Akane asked, remembering Ranma’s usual course of actual with the annoying Kendoist.
Nabiki paused. “If he tries, just throw yourself in front of Kuno to stop him. You know Ranma won’t do anything if you’re in the way. Just add a couple of tears and he’ll be putty in your hands.”
Akane looked thoughtful for a moment. There were a lot of things she liked about the idea—but just as many things that she didn’t. But, she hated to admit, the most promising part of the plan was the fact that it didn’t have any other ideas to contend with… and now was not the time to be choosy.
“Well, take it or leave it,” Nabiki said, suddenly looking uninterested and bored. “But that’s all I can come up with on such short notice. Ask me again tomorrow if it doesn’t work out. Maybe by then, I’ll have thought of something else.”
Akane absently nodded her head, her mind wandering. No matter what happened, she had to make it work—she may not have a tomorrow to come back too…
* * *
The meeting with Nabiki had gone surprisingly well. She hadn’t let anything slip about the Hannya, or about the bargain she had made. And the more she thought about her plan, the more she found herself actually liking it. Although she detested the thought of pretending to be in love with Kuno, she knew it might be just the thing Ranma needed in order to say the words…
After all, when she had swallowed the day time pill, Ranma had been willing to turn back into a guy just for her—and that had only been for one day! Her situation with Kuno wouldn’t be all that different, she tried to convince herself.
Akane steeled her resolve as she stood outside the door to the dojo, gathering up all of her courage. She knew Ranma was inside training—it was the one place she always knew she could find him when he wasn’t at the table, devouring Kasumi’s cooking.
With a steady, confident hand, Akane slid the door aside, only to be nearly knocked over for her trouble. Ranma was there, standing before her, a surprised expression on his face as he looked down at his fiancée. Akane pushed the memory of her dream aside as she smiled sheepishly up at him.
“Ah, hey, Akane,” he said, grinning. “What’s up?”
Akane blushed as she looked down at the floor. “Actually, I was looking for you,” she replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
Ranma’s eyes widened in fear as he looked at her. “Me?” he asked, swallowing nervously. “Look, Akane, I swear I didn’t do nothin’,” he said defensively. “When I woke up she was already—” he stopped as he noticed the blank look on her face. “Err, anyway, it was all just a misunderstanding,” he finished lamely.
Akane looked at him, taken aback. What in the world was he talking about, she wondered? “I know,” she replied, trying her best to sound unbothered by his comment. The last thing she wanted was to get into a fight with him. “I was just hoping that you could meet me in the park in a half-hour,” she said, trying to smile.
Ranma seemed to visibly relax at her words, as a hand slipping unnoticed to the back of his head. “Aw, yeah, sure,” he said, smiling. “But why do you want to meet there, Akane? I mean, can’t we just go together?”
It was just like Ranma to finally be nice to her just when she was in the process of lying to him, she thought dejectedly. Shaking her head, she frowned. “I have some things to take care of first,” she replied, even as she fought back a sudden surge of guilt. Chancing a quick glance at him, she smiled. “But I’ll be waiting at the fountain, okay? And don’t be late!” she added quickly, before turning to leave.
Ranma simply nodded.
Making her way through the outer gates, Akane began heading towards the Kuno estate. She knew convincing Kuno to come with her would be easy—it was just a matter of forcing herself to say the words, that she was dreading…
* * *
A half-hour later, Ranma was making his way to the park, balancing easily on the chain-link fence as he ran. He wondered why Akane wanted to meet him in the park in the first place... He had several ideas; he just hoped none of them were correct.
There was no denying that ever since returning from their trip, his fiancée had been acting strange. It wasn’t necessarily a bad change—in fact, he actually found himself secretly enjoying it. After all, it wasn’t everyday that his uncute, tomboy of a fiancée was bending over backwards in order to be nice to him. But despite all of this, he still couldn’t find himself comfortable with the change.
He wasn’t sure why or how, but he knew it had something to do with Jusendou.
Jusendou.
Even now, three days later, the mere mention of the place sent shivers down his spine. He had tried to rid himself of the memories--he had attempted meditation and immersing himself in the art—yet nothing seemed to work.
He still couldn’t get the image of Akane dying in his arms out of his mind.
Ever since their return, there had been this fear in the back of his mind. An irrational fear that something still wasn’t right. Which seemed completely unfair. After all, he had followed all of the rules--defeated the bad guy, saved the girl--so why did he still feel like something was out of place?
Ranma glanced up at the sky, annoyed to see rain clouds gathering above him. Just great, he thought angrily, just what I need--rain. Even before he had completed the thought, the rain drops had started to fall, and he soon found himself smaller, madder, and female.
Sighing in frustration, Ranma stopped running. He knew Ucchan’s was close by, and he couldn’t help longing for some hot water and an umbrella—and maybe even some warm food. Although he had just finished some of Kasumi’s meal, he knew he still had room for an Okonomiyaki or two. And he was already running late, so what were a few more minutes? At least when he showed up, he could say he stopped at a store to grab an umbrella for her.
Besides, he tried to convince himself, Akane wouldn’t be dumb enough to stand waiting for him in the rain. As soon as it had started, she probably decided to head back home instead. Nodding his head resolutely, Ranma quickly changed direction, headed towards Ukyo’s restaurant.
He could always talk to Akane later, he decided.
* * *
Akane silently fumed as she ran through the streets, looking for Ranma. The umbrella Kuno had lent her flew behind her as she ran, blown about by the wind. Although it was doing a good job of protecting her from most of the rain, the occasion small gusts of precipitation still managed to find its way through. Her face and her hands were cold as she clenched the handle, cursing her own stupidity for not changing clothes in the few minutes she had used to run home. She had learned the hard way that the light pink dress she had chosen specifically for this occasion was not one that utilized warmth. She was cold, wet and miserable.
And she knew that the time she had left was slowly slipping away....
Her fiancée had neglected to show up at the park like he had been told too, and as a result, she had been forced to fend off Kuno for an entire half-hour while waiting for him to arrive. The upperclassman had taken the coming rain as a sign from the Gods—claiming they were to go to a tea house where they would warm their bodies as well as their hearts, and had been annoyingly persistent since they had first reached their destination.
She should have known the plan wouldn’t work.
Standing next to Kuno for five minutes had been almost more than she could stand—pretending to like him she realized, would have been next to impossible—especially when she didn’t know if the end result would be the one she needed. And after the Kenodist had grabbed her for the hundredth time, she had finally decided enough was enough. With a well placed kick, she had sent him flying.
Now, her plan was ruined. She was out of ideas, her fiancée was missing, and she was running out of time.
And where could Ranma be? Akane glanced in another store window as she passed, looking for the familiar red Chinese shirt and pigtail, only to find nothing. And why did the jerk have to stand her up today of all days, she thought furiously. Glancing quickly at her watch, Akane felt her heart painfully tighten in her chest.
She had to find him soon.
Quickening her pace, she began heading towards Ucchan’s. She knew it was a long shot, but if he wasn’t at home, she knew there was a good chance that he was either with Shampoo or Ukyo. Remembering her dream, Akane tried her best to fight back the anger and jealousy that surfaced at the thought alone.
She prayed for his sake and her own, that he was somewhere else…
* * *
Ranma, meanwhile, was at Ucchan’s. The martial artist was sitting across from his ‘cute’ fiancée, fidgeting nervously. The words, “Ran-chan, we need to talk,” striking a fear in him that few other words could. He just hoped it wasn’t something overly serious. Akane was already going to be angry at him for being so late—the last thing he wanted was to have another angry female on his hands.
“So, what’s up Ucchan?” he asked. He tried to sound indifferent and unconcerned, but found himself failing miserably.
Ukyo sat tidily before him, her hands in her lap. Ranma watched her nervously, uncomfortable with the serious, determined girl that sat in front of him. Looking away momentarily, he tried to distract himself by glancing around her room—like always, it was mostly empty and bare. A small futon and dresser were the only furnishings: he couldn’t help but compare it to Akane’s, who’s bedroom always seemed to be filled with odds and ends—a barbell, a magazine, a school book. He had never realized how different the two girls truly were from each other... and he couldn’t believe two bedrooms could be so different.
“It must be fate,” Ukyo said at last, glancing up at him as she laughed good-naturedly. “You came right when I was thinking about you.”
“Err, sure,” Ranma said awkwardly, shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. “And thanks for getting me the hot water,” he added, motioning to his current gender. “I had no idea it was supposed to rain today.”
“It was nothing,” Ukyo replied, smiling.
“So, what’s up Ucchan? What did ya wanna talk to me about?”
His childhood friend looked up at him, only to quickly turn her gaze back down to the floor. “Well,” she said softly, her voice shaking slightly despite her best efforts to control it. “There’s something I need to know: something I’ve been wondering for a long time.” She paused as she turned to look at him, her jaw set with determination. “Ranma,” she asked. “Do you love Akane?”
Ranma’s mouth fell open in
surprise as he looked at her. Ukyo, however, didn’t even wait for him to answer.
“What I mean,” she went on, blushing furiously, “is that I heard about what
happened at Jusendou, and then with your wedding...” she trailed off, shaking
her head resolutely. “Ranma,” she repeated, her voice firm. “I need to know who
it is you’re in love with. If it’s not her, then that means it’s me, right?”
Ranma let out a deep breath as he glanced angrily out the window. “Jeez,” he complained, blushing slightly. “Why do people keep asking me this? First Akane, and now you?”
Ukyo’s eyes widened in surprise as she leaned forward. “So you don’t love her?” she confirmed, her voice hopeful. “I mean, I always thought that you didn’t but I wanted to make sure,” she added quickly. Her face was beaming with happiness as she looked at him.
Ranma glanced down at the ground, avoiding her eyes. Taking a deep breath, he glanced up at her. “Ukyo,” he said softly, apologetically. “I can’t marry you... You know that, right?” He watched, guilt ridden, as her face fell and tears began to gather in her eyes.
She shook her head, as she fought back the tears. “Sure you can,” she replied quietly, looking at her hands. “You don’t love her, so there’s nothing stopping you.”
“I didn’t say I—,” Ranma stopped and sighed. “Look, the truth is, me and Akane are gonna get married eventually whether we want too or not. It’s just a matter of time.” He paused as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “But I still want us to be friends, Ukyo—not matter what happens.”
Ukyo looked up, wide-eyed and angry. “Friends?” she asked in disbelief. She laughed bitterly as she bit her trembling lip, her body shaking despite her best efforts to control it. “Have you ever seen me as anything more?” she asked brokenly, resentfully.
Ranma remained silent.
“It’s not fair,” she continued angrily, wiping away the tears. “How did I even have a chance, when you refused to look past the fact that I was just your friend?”
“Ukyo…” Ranma looked at her helplessly, unsure what to say. He hated seeing her so heartbroken and sad.
Suddenly, Ukyo lifted her head and stared directly at him, an unreadable look in her eyes, as she seemed to come to some unknown decision. Then, before Ranma even realized what was happening, Ukyo had leaned forward and was pressing her lips firmly against his. Ranma stiffened, unsure how to react…
…And Akane dropped her umbrella as she watched through the window—not believing her eyes. Her body felt numb as she turned away, the umbrella completely forgotten as she walked blindly down the stairs.
In the bedroom, Ranma had finally pushed Ukyo away. He looked at his friend, a troubled expression on his face. “Ukyo,” he said, gently, quietly. “I’m sorry, I just don’t—”
Ukyo shook her head, cutting him off. Fresh tears pooled in her eyes as she looked away. “Just go,” she told him, pointing to the door.
Ranma stood up. “Are you gonna be okay?” he asked, worried.
Ukyo’s finger remained in the air, silently pointing. She remained quiet, and still refused to look at him.
Ranma, giving up, opened the door and stepped out of the room. Turning around once more, he glanced sadly at Ukyo. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her, but he knew he couldn’t keep letting her fool herself…
As silently as he could, the door was closed. And there, lying on the ground at his feet was a wet and abandoned umbrella.
Where did this come from? He wondered idly as he leaned down to pick it up.
Holding it in his hands, Ranma headed down the stairs, only to stop when he noticed Konatsu’s expression. “What’s wrong?” he asked, a sudden fear tugging at the back of his mind.
The Kunnoichi tilted his head as he looked at him. “I hope you don’t mind me asking,” he said timidly, “but may I enquire as to what happened up there? When Miss. Akane ran out of here, she was crying something awful.”
Ranma stopped dead. “Akane?” He looked down at the umbrella, and then back at Konatsu. “Akane was here?”
Konatsu nodded.
A look of horror passed over Ranma’s face as he stared down at the umbrella. And then, without another word, he sprinted from the restaurant.
End of Chapter 4
Authors Notes:
I’m sorry this was a couple of days late—but in my defense, it IS longer than
all of my past chapters, (those chapters were around 6-8 pages long, and this
was about 13!) so at least I have a great excuse! :D
And I hope none of you saw that coming! I never planned to make it THAT easy for them to be together. ;)
Oh! And don’t worry, you’ll find out what the Hannya said in Akane’s dream in the next chapter, so don’t think I threw that in for fun and then completely forgot about it. =)
Confession: For Konatsu, I
called him a Kunnoichi. To be honest, I have no idea what that means. I think it
means female ninja—or some form of that—but I’ve always associated it with his
name for some reason, so I figure somewhere deep in my mind, I must know what
I’m doing. So, until someone e-mails me and says it’s only a rare Japanese
dessert or something, I guess I’ll keep on using that term in my head… lol.
I hope you're enjoying this story so far... Only 1 or 2 chapters left to go! (I
might be able to finish it in chapter 5, but I won’t know until after it’s
written...) Of course, when I started this, I thought I could get it done in 3
chapters—so obviously I’ve never been good at judging this kind of thing...
J
Reviewers Comments:
Kuno-Baby:
I know, you’re right. I intended for that to be the case, but once I started
writing that chapter, it just seemed to take an unexpected turn that I hadn’t
been counting on. And by the time I finished, I didn’t have time to go back and
make it more urgent. And really, it was just a means of getting to the 3rd
day, which is when it really starts to get interesting. So I hope you didn’t
mind it too much…
marisha:
Ack! I’m REALLY sorry about your name! I went back and changed it immediately
after I read that. This time I got wiser, I relied on cut and paste, instead!
I’m glad you’re enjoying my story! =)
InuYashaFan77:
hehe. Thanks!
Minako-chan4:
I’m really glad you like my story so much! And don’t worry, Ranma wouldn’t lose
her to some evil demon! Or will he... **evil laughter**
Livvy22:
hehe. Now that you said that, I’ll go out of my way to make sure that doesn’t
happen. (just kidding.) =)
avolare:
lol. Don’t worry, I’m guilty of the same thing. ;)
pokey:
Darn, you’re on to me! Lol. Well, I try. It’s one of the reasons I love Ranma so
much. It wouldn’t be fun if he said it without a challenge, right?!
Gwen: Thanks! I’m really sorry I made you wait—but hopefully you found
it worth it!
RanmaslilAngel:
Thanks! I’m
really glad you liked it. I was a little afraid since I agreed with what
Kuno-Baby said: I did feel it needed to be a little more urgent... But thanks
for liking it how it is!
Email:
....for some reason it won't let me put the circly at symbol thingie... :(
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