Engaged to Ranma (Ranma x Reader)

34 - An Emotional Explosion

Ranma leaned his arms on the counter at Ucchan's Okonomiyaki and said to Ukyo, "Listen, Ukyo, you and I are friends."

She nodded at him with a close-eyed smile. "Of course we are."

"... We're friends."

"Mm-hmm." She gave him a plate with a heart-shaped okonomiyaki on it. The sauce and toppings spelled out 'Ranchan + Ucchan.'

He hesitated a moment before saying, "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I'm not ready for marriage and all that; I'm still only 16-years-old, y'know? So, let's just both put marriage out of our minds and just be friends."

Ukyo raised her eyebrow at him. "Why? Do you love someone else?"

Ranma blushed. "W-what kind of question is that?!"

"Ranma, don't you think that we'd be a better match than you and (Name) Tendo?" Ukyo asked, quirking her head and gazing at him. "We have history, you know. We were childhood friends."

"Well, yeah, but I thought you were a boy back then. If I knew you were a girl, I don't think we'd have gotten along as well as we did." He rubbed the back of his head and shrugged nervously.

Ukyo straightened her head, offended. "What? Why is that?!"

"Don't you remember how we used to play rough and fight and stuff?" Ranma put his hands up in a shrug. "I don't fight girls. Not even if it's just play-fighting or training. It just doesn't sit right with me for a guy to hit a girl, for any reason."

Ukyo frowned a bit before she grinned and leaned toward him a bit. "That's really admirable, Ranma. (Name)'s a lucky girl, I suppose."

He jumped a bit in his seat before blushing bright red and waving his hands in front of himself in denial. "Hey, hey! D-don't go makin' proclamations like that! Nothing's set in stone; you're acting like she and I are married already!"

She chuckled, crossing her arms. "Oh, Ranchan. If you ever make up your mind, let me know."

Meanwhile, at the Tendo house, Soun came into the training room to see his twin daughters. Akane was breaking wooden slabs on cinder blocks, and (Name) was balancing on her hands and exercising her legs. He smiled proudly at them. Then, he looked around in the room before asking, "Girls, d-do you know where Ranma is?"

Akane glanced over at her twin. (Name) pouted and huffed. "How should I know? I'm not his keeper."

"But, you are his fiance. He should've told you if he was going to be late as a good husband-to-be would." Because he had spoken with his eyes closed, imagining Ranma and (Name) as a happily married couple running the dojo, Soun didn't notice his daughter's pout deepen with jealousy and sadness.

(Name) rolled to her feet and dusted off her hands. "I have to go," she quickly ran off before her father could ask any more questions.

Akane frowned in worry and crossed her arms. "Dad, it might be best not to mention Ranma around her for a bit. I'll go check on her." She left, too.

Soun looked after her and questioned, "Hmm? Whyever not?" He left the training hall and went into the living room. Nabiki happened to be lounging there, sipping some sparkling water and reading a magazine. "Nabiki, do you happen to know why (Name) is upset? I asked her about Ranma and she just ran off."

"Mm." Nabiki waved for her father to lean closer. "Well, it's like this, Daddy. See, Ranma..." She whispered the rest of the explanation into her father's ear. As she went on, Soun's face got hard and red with anger. He stood up straight, taking a few deep breaths and clenching his fist.