Chapter Text
“Ah, Akane… you’re not… coming to dinner like that, are you?” Dad asks.
“Why not?” Akane asks. She sits down at the table and tugs Ranma down with her. “Ranma went to so much work to find something that could actually fit me like this. Shouldn’t I show him I appreciate his gift? Or is it more convenient for you if I get a kettle so you can all forget what you did to me?”
“I would like the second option,” Genma says. Akane shoots him a glare so withering she’s upset it doesn’t freeze his tea.
“So sorry to be a hassle,” Akane hisses. “But I think I’m actually done having stupid old men decide everything in my life.”
“Ah, Akane, please don’t say anything you’ll regret—” Dad begins.
“Even at a time like this, you’re still worried about the engagement, aren’t you?” Akane laughs, then shakes her head. “Figures. Because who cares about how this all makes me feel, right? As long as my body’s still warm you can still get me married to Ranma and have me pop out a few kids for him!”
“This curse really is affecting your daughter’s mind,” Genma mutters to Dad. Akane’s eye twitches. He did not make enough of an attempt to make sure she didn’t hear that.
“Pops…” Ranma begins. She looks at Akane’s expression and winces.
“Gee, sorry I couldn’t turn into something nicer for you, like a doormat you could all step on,” Akane spits.
“Hey, sibling,” Nabiki says sharply. “Kasumi worked really hard to make a nice meal for us. Beat up Dad and Uncle Genma after we eat.”
Akane grips her chopstick so tight it breaks in two. Kasumi wordlessly stands to get another.
“Fine,” Akane mutters. “I’d rather enjoy Kasumi’s cooking than talk to them, anyway.”
“That’s very nice of you to say,” Kasumi says, handing Akane her new pair of chopsticks.
Dad opens his mouth to speak, then seems to think better of it, and goes for more rice instead.
“... Why is Uncle Genma here, anyway?” Akane asks. Ranma had been invited to stay for dinner because she’d already been around when Kasumi started cooking. Genma had just appeared in his usual spot, and Akane had forgotten there was another house he should be at instead.
“Er… Yes,” Genma says, suddenly hesitant. Akane narrows her eyes. Never a good sign when Genma of all people is at a loss for words. “That is, it occurred to me I may share some of the blame for what happened, so it seemed only proper that I do my part to fix things.”
“And what does that mean?” Akane asks.
“Well—” Ranma kicks her father, revealing a kettle that had been hiding behind his back. “That, mostly.”
“Seriously?” Akane throws up her hands.
“You just haven’t been yourself lately!” Dad protests. “Akane, please—you’ve always been such a good girl. Can’t you see this isn’t you?”
“That’s right.” Akane crosses her arms. “I’ve been a good girl, haven’t I? I let myself agree to get married off, because I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, anyway. I agreed to keep the nannichaun a secret from Ranma, because you told me it would make our marriage more memorable if we started things out as our ‘authentic selves.’ Why didn’t you just give him the water yourself? You know how many people we know who have a curse! We could have just as easily surprised them by just spraying Ranma in water at the end and showing that nothing happened! But you needed to make sure you gave it when we were surrounded by as many people as possible! And I didn’t question any of it! Because I was such a good girl.”
“Akane—” Dad says.
“Did it scare you that badly when we came back from China and Ranma wasn’t cured?” Akane demands. “We saved the springs, and Ranma saved my life, but the fact he didn’t have the chance to jump into the nannichuan before we left meant the whole thing was pointless, right?”
“Akane, we did it for the two of you!” Dad exclaims, slamming a hand down on the table. “Surely, you don’t want to be the kind of wife that shares a closet with her husband?”
Ranma flinches slightly. The gesture is small enough that neither of their fathers’ seem to notice. Akane puts her hand on top of her fiancee’s. She’s the only one still eating, despite Akane’s shouting, which would be amusing if Akane didn’t suspect it was a consequence of Genma’s parenting. There could be an earthquake happening, and Ranma would still find a way to finish her meal. But it’s pragmatism, not gluttony, and Akane feels a wave of protectiveness towards her fiance at the thought.
“That’s funny,” Akane says. “Because I seem to remember that the whole reason this engagement fell to me was because you thought I didn’t want a husband. Or were you hoping marriage would help me grow out of that, too?”
“N-now hold on!” Dad protests. “That was Nabiki’s joke, not mine!”
“Right,” Akane sneers. “Because no father wants to imagine his daughter might be a dyke.”
All eyes are on Akane now. She looks down, suddenly humiliated by her outburst, and her inability to regulate her emotions. She thought her curse had shaken her enough that she was past shame, but she still wishes she could swallow her words. Akane had never voiced her attraction to women out loud before. Especially not with such… an aggressive word. It makes her feel naked. Akane pushes her plate away and stands up.
“I’m not hungry,” Akane mutters. “I’m going to take a bath.”
For the first three days of her curse, Akane washed herself off after her family went to bed, using the cold water from the shower nozzle. Every time she did, she would look at the bath and wonder if she was finally brave enough to face the hot water. And every time, she would find herself turning around and locking herself back in her room.
Today, though, Akane practically flings herself into the tub, closing her eyes as she feels her skin shrink around her.
She doesn’t know how Ranma ever got used to something like this. All of her skin stings like a limb that’s fallen asleep. And then her body resets, and the feeling is gone. Akane clenches a fist, then relaxes her hand. It feels like there should be an extra step somewhere along the way here, instead of having her curse throw her back into womanhood like a mother bird tossing a chick from her nest.
Akane scrubs her skin as hard as she can and watches as it turns red. Akane’s not sure if she feels angry anymore. She feels something, but she’s not sure it’s anger. It might be sadness, but that doesn’t feel completely right, either. A part of her misses her maleness—both the masculinity and her additional appendage—but a part of her missed the body she’s in now, too. It feels a bit nostalgic to see it again, even if it had only been a few days. She’s never spent that much time without it before, after all. Even when she traded places with that doll, she was still able to see her body from the outside.
When she’s done cleaning herself off, Akane looks in the mirror. On the other side of the glass stands an angry girl with thick arms and a soft stomach. The hair on her legs is just starting to grow in. Akane can’t remember the last time she let that happen. Her razor is in the bathroom, but she has no desire to fix it.
The girl’s eyes look dead. Like she’s trapped somehow, despite the undeniable health of her body. Her wet hair clings to her cheeks and the nape of her neck. Despite how short it is, Akane can’t imagine anyone mistaking this girl for a boy.
The girl in the mirror doesn’t look like a stranger. It might be easier if she did. The problem is that she doesn’t look like Akane anymore, either. Or maybe, now that there’s an Akane spring somewhere out there, the thing that made Akane unique has been diluted now. The girl in the mirror will never be just Akane anymore. Akane is a thing anyone can be. Just as long as they’re ready to become a drowned girl.
Unable to stand it any longer, Akane splashes herself with cold water and watches as her breasts shrink and her hips disappear.
She’s not sure she’s happy about it. She’s not sure she’s sad about it, either.
Her father and Genma are both waiting outside when she leaves the bath, just far enough away for plausible deniability. Once they see what form she’s in, both of their faces fall.
“Seriously?” Akane shakes her head. “Get a hobby, you old creeps.”
“Do you hate being a girl?” Ranma asks. Genma had insisted she stay the night to “talk some sense into your foolish fiancee,” so the two of them had climbed onto the roof to look at the stars together.
“I don’t think so,” Akane says. She starts to curl her legs towards her chest, but Ranma’s lended pajamas are too tight. Ranma looks at Akane and blushes. It’s strange to see her bashful about the two of them sharing clothes. Or maybe she’s just distracted by what Akane’s packing now. Akane knows she should be more embarrassed about that than she actually is. “But maybe that’s because I put so much effort into it. It feels like a waste to give that up.”
Akane remembers she used to be very proud of being a tomboy, when she was young. Proud of the way the other girls in her class would go to her if a boy gave them too much trouble. Proud of the fact she was always stronger than them. Even if her mother was dead, she could still put the martial arts her family taught her to good use.
And then Kasumi had told her it was time she grew up. Akane hadn’t realized that meant she had to wear skirts. But she’d been shamed into it, in time.
“Everytime I see hot water, I think it’s probably about time I change back,” Akane continues. She leans her head back and sighs. “But then I ask myself, ‘who am I doing this for?’ And I don’t have an answer.”
“So you don’t do it?”
Akane nods. Ranma shakes her head and laughs.
“I think you’re a lot braver than me,” she says. “Only reason I got to stay a girl so often when I first transformed was because we didn’t have enough hot water.”
“You took a while to change back when we first met,” Akane reminds her. Ranma shakes her head.
“That’s different,” she says, but doesn’t elaborate. “You’re not—uncomfortable?”
“Oh, no, I am.” Akane laughs. “I was just more uncomfortable before. I guess I feel like this body fits my personality more. I guess it’s funny. All those times I called you a pervert, and as soon as I get a curse of my own, I flaunt it even more than you.”
Ranma lets the venom in Akane’s words hang in the air for a moment. Eventually, she says, “I don’t think your boobs contributed that much to your personality.”
Akane’s so shocked by her bluntness that she doesn’t know whether to gasp or laugh. She settles on a laugh.
“Maybe I just think I was meant to be an ugly girl,” Akane admits. “That’s why this form suits me.”
“You’re not ugly!” Ranma insists. “Both of your forms, you’re—”
Ranma cuts herself off. It’s still light enough out that Akane can see her blush.
“... Do you think I look like an ugly girl right now?” Ranma asks softly.
“No!” Akane gasps. “Of course not!”
“You answered faster than I thought.” Ranma chuckles. “Startin’ to think you might actually believe that.”
“I’ve been thinking of you like one since we got back from China,” Akane admits. “I’ve been feeling so guilty that I pushed you into that wedding. I should have known better. Once you told me you were a girl, everything clicked into place. I’d always been so angry at how easy you made it look because it never felt that easy for me. But… I liked seeing you as a girl. Once I got over myself and stopped being jealous I thought…”
Now Akane’s blushing.
“... I think you’re probably the prettiest girl I’ve met.”
Akane can’t look at Ranma anymore, but it doesn’t seem like Ranma’s looking her way, either. At least they’re on the same page there.
The thought makes Akane laugh.
“We almost got married,” she says. “And we can’t even compliment each other. How pathetic is that?”
The two look at each other. Ranma starts to laugh.
“We’re doing this all out of order,” Akane says.
“Not your fault,” Ranma says. “I mean—you said back there you wouldn’t even have married me if your pops hadn’t forced you to.”
“But that doesn’t mean I don’t like you!” Akane exclaims. She blushes harder. How is this still so difficult? She knows Ranma loves her. Akane knows she heard her say it in China. “It just means I should have asked you to be my girlfriend first.”
“You want me to be?” Ranma asks. There’s no mistaking the hope in her voice. “Really?”
Akane thinks about reminding Ranma that she saw everything that happened at Jusendo. Every moment Ranma held her close, and promised to protect her. The constant awareness of her own full-body paralysis was terrifying, but being so close to Ranma—Ranma, who begged her to hold on, who had been driven to tears at the thought of life without her—had almost made her feel safe, despite it all. She’d had faith Ranma would find a way to save her. Somehow, her fiancee always seemed to catch her when she fell. What was the knot of shame in Akane’s throat at the thought of loving Ranma as a woman compared to that? How had she allowed herself to stay so quiet on her feelings about a girl who would move heaven and earth to save her?
“I think I should have asked you a long time ago,” is what Akane settles on instead.
Akane takes a bath the next morning. She grimaces at her face, but suffers through the discomfort.
I’m a girl either way, she reminds herself. The thought doesn’t make her any happier.
Having boobs doesn’t change my personality, Akane tries again. She snorts and shakes her head. There’s still an itch to change forms, but she knows it won’t actually make that much of a difference. Having the option to change her look just makes her feel more in control. Still, being a girl is a choice, too.
That doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable, though.
Taking Ranma’s advice, she wears an undershirt instead of a bra, an oversized T-shirt, and a pair of shorts. It takes an uncomfortably long time to decide on underwear though. Eventually, Akane just decides to go with what feels the most comfortable, which turns out to be boxers. She decides today is not the day she’s going to examine what that means for herself.
“Playing hookey?” Nabiki asks. “Better make it count, because it’s your last day.”
“Actually,” Akane tells her sister. “I think I’m going to go to school like this.”
Her father is, predictably, too busy crying about Akane being out of her cursed form to comment.
“I suppose that might be the best,” Kasumi agrees. “Though you can always wear shorts under your uniform if they make you change back.”
“I’d have to probably go up a size just to be safe,” Akane muses. She takes a bite of her breakfast and chews thoughtfully. “It’d definitely make it easier to get it off. Probably the best thing to do in that situation. I don’t want to look like a man in a dress.”
“Oh, my poor Akane…” her father whimpers. Akane rolls her eyes.
“I’m going to leave early,” she says. “I want to go thank Shampoo.”
With that, Akane takes off and quickly makes her way to the Cat Cafe.
The restaurant instead isn’t open when she gets there—Shampoo’s family serves lunch and dinner only—but Shampoo lets Akane in when she knocks.
“Violent girl?” Shampoo asks. She looks up and down at Akane’s outfit and raises an eyebrow.
“Shut up.” Akane scowls. “I’m here to thank you. Nabiki told me that you lied to cover me. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Shampoo knows the shame of having a curse.” Shampoo shrugs, then sneaks another look at Akane’s outfit. “People might start putting pieces together if violent girl suddenly starts dressing like a boy, though.”
“Well, it’s better this than getting turned wearing a skirt and having someone hassle me because everyone thinks I’m a creep!” Akane protests.
“So? Violent girl can fight,” Shampoo says. She puts a hand on her hip. “Just fight for womanhood.”
Akane stares at her. She’d never considered looking at it like that. Though she supposes that’s a decision Ranma makes every time she dresses up in her spring form, considering how often she’d get splashed with hot water while in a dress. Jesus. How exhausting.
“So you wouldn’t change anything about how you dress? If this happened to you I mean,” Akane says. “Even if it got you into uncomfortable situations?”
“More uncomfortable would be shame as a warrior for hiding being a woman,” Shampoo replies. She shakes her head. “Great-Grandmother said, it would only be a matter of time before Airen turns to Shampoo. Said Ranma being half-girl is one thing, but no man would live with the shame of a lover that is half-man.”
“Is that right, huh?” Akane says, suddenly feeling her blood boiling.
“Shampoo doesn’t feel the same way,” Shampoo insists, holding up a hand. “She had some time to think it over, and Shampoo is not sure she likes what it would say about Airen if it was true. But, at the same time, Shampoo thinks maybe other elders in the village would agree with Great-Grandmother. Elders would probably not look very kindly on Shampoo losing in love now. So… violent girl stays quiet, and both violent girl and Shampoo don’t worry about shaming their families, ok?”
“You think—” Akane starts, but her anger disappears before she can finish the sentence. Why can’t anyone she knows ever actually say what they mean? “Don’t act like that makes us even. I still owe you. You lied for me, and we’re not even friends. I think you know that walking around with a curse like this isn’t just as simple as not bothering to change out of a skirt when it’s raining. You wouldn’t risk your reputation if you thought I could just tough this out.”
Shampoo scoffs and turns her face away.
“Shampoo knows the things violent girl says about Airen,” she says. “She could see violent girl would have a hard enough time dealing with curse on her own.”
Akane looks down. She doesn’t have to ask what she means, which just adds to the shame. It’s uncomfortable to know that her character flaws are so obvious, especially to Shampoo, who had called Akane a pervert for potentially liking Ranma more in her spring form. When had Shampoo stopped caring about that? Of course, even though Shampoo had said that, she’d never called Ranma a crossdresser. That had always been Akane.
“I shouldn’t have said any of it,” Akane says. “Ranma’s… a really good person.”
Shampoo nods, appraising this statement.
“If violent girl can admit to that,” Shampoo says. “Then maybe Shampoo losing won’t be so embarrassing after all.”
“Well, you’re still in the race.” Akane scowls and looks down. “Our dads say there’s not going to be another wedding for a while—they can’t handle another failure.”
“Shampoo is getting tired of fighting.” Shampoo shakes her head. “Shampoo never expected to stay so long in Japan without any progress. Wedding was… A failure, yes, but very eye-opening. Shampoo thinks it may be time to start thinking about the future.”
“Are you going to leave Nerima?” Akane asks. “Even though you can’t go home?”
“Violent girl does not know Shampoo well enough to ask that,” Shampoo says firmly.
“Right,” Akane says. Fair enough, really. “Sorry. I’ve got to get to school now, but—well, thanks. I know my curse will probably get revealed on its own… but I’m glad to have some time to figure out things on my own before everyone gets stupid about it.”
“Good luck,” Shampoo says, touching Akane’s arm. It sounds genuine. Akane isn’t sure how to deal with the thought that Shampoo might actually be worried for her, so she just nods and heads off.
When Hinako asks her what she’s wearing, Akane declares that she’s sworn off of dresses and won’t wear one, even if it’s the rules. A few of her male classmates break out into tears at the thought of Akane refusing to ever wear a dress again, declaring it a sad day for men everywhere. Akane briefly considers setting the school on fire.
“Saotome-kun, are you really going to let your fiancee say that?” someone asks.
“I don’t wear a uniform, so I don’t see why she would have to,” Ranma replies, unimpressed.
“Well, since you’re usually such a good girl, I guess it’s okay.” Hinako just shrugs. “Just don’t let finding a new style get in the way of your lessons, okay?”
And that’s all that’s said about that. Well, at least until lunch, when Sayuri and Yuka demand she eat with them.
“Nabiki invited us to your wedding, but by the time we got there, you were gone, and the whole place was a mess,” Sayuri says. “What happened?”
“Ah, yeah, that…” Akane glances at Ranma, who immediately bounces over.
“What’s up?” she asks. “Wanna eat lunch together?”
“Hey, we asked first!” Yuka protests.
“You can all eat lunch with me.” Akane rolls her eyes. “I’m just realizing we should have our stories straight about the wedding.”
“Nabiki didn’t tell ‘em anything, so you can go with whatever lie you want,” Ranma offers helpfully. Sayuri and Yuka glare at her.
“It’s true,” Yuka admits. “All we saw was your family shooing everyone away and your dad crying about what a disaster it all was. We did get some wedding cake, though.”
“It’s… complicated.” Akane sighs. “Let’s go to the roof.”
“Basically, everyone… thought I was going to get cursed,” Akane says a few minutes later. As much as she trusts her friends, she’d rather not risk news of her curse spreading if she doesn’t have to. “You know about Ranma’s curse? Well, there’s water that can stop that. The only problem is, if that water splashes a girl by accident, it’ll turn them into a boy.”
“Is that what the clothes are about?” Yuka asks. “You decided you’d rather be a Romeo than a Juliet?”
Ranma laughs at the metaphor.
“I think we’re still both Juliets,” Ranma says. Akane snorts in agreement, thinking about how accurate their adaptation of the play turned out to be. In the end, Ranma and Akane had always been two Juliets fighting off their fair Romeos. Though now that Akane could see how exhausting both parts could be, she’s starting to think she’d rather be Mercutio.
“There was supposed to be that water for Ranma at the wedding,” Akane says. “But it wasn’t real. It was just some of the fake stuff Shampoo—wait, did we tell you about the instant powder?”
“We kind of figured it out on our own,” Sayuri says. She looks at Yuka.
“Kind of hard not to, right?” Yuka agrees. “I still don’t know how it works, though…”
Akane looks at Ranma, who shrugs.
“It’s magic water,” she says.
“Eh, fair enough,” Sayuri says. “Makes as much sense as everything else in your life. So, your dad freaked out because he saw you looked like a boy?”
“Basically,” Akane agrees. “It… took me some time to sort out my feelings on everything. Sorry if I worried you.”
“Nabiki said you’d be fine if we gave you some space, so we tried not to jump to too many conclusions,” Yuka jokes. “Seeing you come to school like this, though, I kind of thought it was a sign you swore off men or something.”
“Pretty sure you did that before you even met me,” Ranma says. Akane shrugs, considering this.
“Maybe I renewed my vow,” she says.
“Well, you’re taking that well,” Sayuri tells Ranma.
“Not like it’s new information to me.” Ranma shrugs.
“I actually asked Ranma out after everything,” Akane admits. She’ll let her friends draw their own conclusion about what that means regarding both her and Ranma’s identities.
Sayuri and Yuka both raise an eyebrow.
“Well,” Yuka says. “Glad it wasn’t a complete waste!”
“We were kind of surprised you agreed to get married,” Sayuri admits. “No offense, but it’s pretty obvious neither of you would have decided to do that on your own, so we figured it had to be, well…”
“... I guess getting pushed into a marriage by our parents wouldn’t say great things about our future together,” Akane mumbles. “You’re right. I never wanted to get married as a teenager, but my dad—he convinced me that this would be best for—for Ranma.”
“Shoulda been your first red flag,” Ranma jokes. Akane sticks her tongue out.
“Well, now I know,” she says. “And I’m taking that lesson to heart. I’m only going to do things for me from now on. Not because someone else thinks it’s the right time.”
“Sounds like turning into a man made you a really mature woman,” Yuka says. She’s so genuine about it, it makes Ranma laugh.
“Yeah, having both perspectives really makes me feel like an adult,” Akane deadpans, thinking of every immature thing she’s ever seen her girlfriend do.
“Ranma’s more mature than other guys,” Yuka says, realizing what she’s implied. “At least in some ways.”
“I’ll take it,” Ranma says, satisfied at being complimented.
“Congradulations, though.” Sayuri laughs. “I can’t believe this is your life—sorry the wedding went terribly, but at least now you know you like each other?”
“How did that conversation go?” Yuka asks, inching closer.
“I just said it.” Akane shrugs, smiling at the memory. “I realized… Ranma’s already stuck his neck out for me plenty of times. It was my turn to be brave and close the gap between us.”
Both of Akane’s friends coo at that. Ranma turns red.
“Yer makin’ it sounds so romantic,” she mumbles.
“Well?” Akane challenges. “Don’t you think it should be romantic when you ask a girl out?”
Ranma’s blush deepens.
“I didn’t say I was complaining,” she mumbles.
When Akane’s father had told her it was time for her to get married, she had laughed in his face.
“Akane,” Dad said seriously. “Please. Consider this. I’ve spoken to the guide you all saved. He knows about the engagement—he even offered a cure as a wedding gift.”
“If Ranma wanted a cure, he could have gotten it while we were in China,” Akane replied, trying to wave off the statement. Dad caught her wrist and looked into her eyes.
“I can’t speak to your circumstances then,” Dad said. “But you know how much Ranma values his pride as a man. And… you know how much his mother values it as well.”
Akane twisted uncomfortably in his grip.
“Auntie Nodoka said she didn’t mind the curse,” Akane said, refusing to look her father in the eye. She knows she’s stretching the truth a bit describing Nodoka’s feelings in those words. “Ranma said it wasn’t a big deal, either.”
“Don’t you think there might have been a reason why a man might not want to admit weakness to his fiancee?” Dad asked gently. “Just because Ranma didn’t say anything doesn’t mean he’s not suffering.”
Akane thought about Ranma, smiling in the rain.
“Maybe it was never a curse to be cured to begin with,” she had said. Had there been tears in her eyes, or had Akane just imagined them? Maybe she was foolish to think Ranma would actually enjoy womanhood, just because Akane thought she looked better that way.
Maybe you’re afraid he won’t like someone like you once he’s normal.
No. That wasn’t it. It was that despite how wonderful Ranma was, despite how much Ranma cared, Akane would not—could not—love him if he was a man. Ranma had saved her twice, in Jusendo. Once, by giving the water to her, returning her to full health and then once again, by refusing it for himself.
It had seemed clear to her at the time what Akane had seen were tears of happiness, but with her father in front of her, she can’t help but wonder if there might have been another cause instead. The tears of a man putting aside his happiness for a woman.
… Just like a man among men should. Even if that woman was a strange, clumsy half-creature like Akane who didn’t have it in her to be a man’s wife.
“He doesn’t have to take it now,” Dad continued. “But doesn’t he at least deserve to have the option? Don’t you want Ranma happy?”
Akane tugged her wrist free half-heartedly.
“You won’t force it, will you?” she asked hesitantly. “Because he’ll hate you forever if you make this choice for him. He’ll hate me forever, too.”
“I would never do anything to jeopardize your relationship,” Dad promised and, like the fool she was, Akane took him at his word.
“... Okay,” she said. “If you think it’s for the best.”
“We can wait for the springs to fill back before going home?” Akane had offered, after Ranma’s confession. Ranma looked down and took a deep breath.
“Nah…” Ranma grinned. “Besides, you were kidnapped. You really think your family’s going to want to wait any longer than they have to to see your face again?”
“If you’re sure…”
“Trust me.” Ranma took Akane’s hand. Her hands were so soft in her spring form. So small, too. Akane couldn’t help but feel a small rush of affection. Even after everything, she thinks it’s Ranma’s gentleness that’s saved her the most. “Leaving now’s better for all of us.”
“We should go on a date,” Akane tells Ranma as they walk home. Ranma almost slips on the fence she’s balancing on. “I feel like we spend so much less time together now that we don’t live together.”
“A d-d-date—” Ranma cuts herself off. “Uh. Which form should we be dressing up for it?”
“If it’s a date, we should be dressed in a way that makes us most comfortable, right?” Akane frowns. She’s… actually not sure what that means her answer should be.
“Izzat how a date’s supposed to be?” Ranma asks. “Aren’t you supposed to dress to impress?”
“Well, that too,” Akane admits. “But you have to look good in a way that makes you confident. Right?”
“You think I have more experience on this than you do?” Ranma laughs. “Pretty sure I’ve never been asked out on a date I actually wanted to go on.”
“I don’t think I have, either,” Akane admits. “That’s kind of pathetic of us, huh?”
Ranma hops down from the fence.
“Just means we gotta make it extra special,” she says, flashing a blinding grin. “Call me when you get home so we can figure it all out, okay?”
“Kay,” Akane says, waving as her girlfriend heads off in the direction of the Saotome residence. She feels a small pain of loneliness watching her go. Maybe getting married wouldn’t have been so bad, if it meant they could live together again.
Akane sighs and continues her walk, stopping in surprise as she sees Konatsu on the other side of the street.
“Konatsu?” Akane calls.
“Oh!” Konatsu beams at her. “Akane-san! How are you?”
“I’m…” Akane frowns. Akane vaguely remembers Konatsu trying to hold Ukyo back at some point during her wedding, but can’t remember if the girl had been officially invited. It occurs to Akane no one actually showed her the guest list. Something to fix for next time. “I’m alright. What are you doing here?”
“Oh, I had a visit with Doctor Tofu!” Konatsu giggles. “Apparently, I am very vitamin-deficient!”
“Oh, wow, I’m… sorry?” It’s hard to know whether to give condolences when Konatsu herself doesn’t seem too bothered by it.
“Apparently, the diet my step-family had me on was barely fit for a human,” Konatsu continues cheerfully. “Ukyo-san said she expected I wasn’t as healthy as I could be when I called our meals together lavish, even her attempts at being frugal, but, well, to be honest, I haven’t been to a doctor in some time, so it took a bit for me to work up the courage to make an appointment.”
“I’m glad you did,” Akane tells her. “You deserve to be healthy.”
Konatsu’s smile suddenly looks a bit forced.
“He says I should be eating much more calories than I’m used to,” she says. “I’m sure you’ll say it isn’t very manly of me, but to be honest, I’m a bit worried about my figure.”
Akane winces.
“I shouldn’t have called you a boy,” she says. “If you say you’re a girl, then it’s not up to me to say you’re wrong.”
“Akane… san…?” Konatsu blinks in surprise.
“I—had some stuff happen.” Akane looks down. “I don’t want to tell anyone just what it was yet. But it made me. Reconsider how I’ve acted in the past. I don’t think anything good comes from forcing someone to be something they’re not. I’m sorry.”
Unsurprisingly, Konatsu starts sniffling.
“Please don’t say this is the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to you,” Akane begs.
“I know—” Konatsu rubs one of her eyes, taking care not to smudge her make-up. “I know my life before must seem very sad to you, but I truly thought I was living a good life for a woman like myself. My step-mother convinced me that no one would even consider hiring me, and that working for her was the best I could do for myself. She was cruel, yes, but at least I always knew what she would ask of me.”
“Konatsu…” Akane says. She’s starting to worry she might have been right. If only she could have realized how foolish it was to think of Konatsu as a man earlier. Then maybe the girl would have higher standards by now.
“I never thought anyone would ever apologize to me!” Konatsu cries. “Yes, dressing as a man for you made me a great deal uncomfortable, but I assumed that was the price of friendship!”
“It’s not!” Akane exclaims. “It shouldn’t be! If someone makes you do something that you really don’t want you to do, they’re not a good friend! So—if anyone makes you uncomfortable again, let me know! And I’ll make sure to stand by you as a good friend should!”
Akane grabs Kontasu’s hands to emphasize her point, which just makes the girl cry harder.
“Oh, dear,” Konatsu mumbles. “Is this the clarity of a married woman?”
“Weren’t you there?” Akane asks with a laugh. “The wedding got canceled.”
“I knew the party was, but I wasn’t sure if that meant the legal side of it had to be as well.” Konatsu frowns. Akane hadn’t thought of that. It’s a good point. Though she imagines confining herself to her room for so long afterwards made filling out any documents a bit more difficult.
“I think our parents saw all the fighting as a bad omen,” Akane says carefully. “And I—I didn’t exactly look like the bride they wanted me to be.”
“I’m sorry,” Konatsu says earnestly.
“It’s okay,” Akane replies. She looks down. “I think… I didn’t look like the bride I wanted to be, either.”
Akane lets go of Konatsu’s hands.
“Kasumi is really good at cooking,” Akane adds. “I’m sure she can give you some tips to increase your protein and everything without making you bulk up too much. But you’re not going to stop being cute just because you’re actually eating for once. You’ll probably gain at least as much happiness as pounds, and that will make you cuter!”
It’s something Akane thinks she remembers her sister saying once. Konatsu blushes and hides her face with her sleeve.
“I’d love to stop by sometime, if you’ll have me,” she says softly.
“Of course,” Akane says. “Friends visit each other's houses, don’t they?”
Akane wonders how Konatsu will react to seeing Akane getting splashed. She can’t help but feel that her womanhood is a gift she needs to apologize for giving up, but Konatsu—she wouldn’t say something cruel like that. Akane’s always been the one with the sharpest tongue when it came to those kinds of conversations. It was why Shampoo pitied her enough to lie for her. She must have assumed Akane would find her body disgusting now. Well, she doesn’t. Akane has always thought of herself as the disgusting one, and not her body.
“We should hang out more,” Akane says. Konatsu has always been a bit… over-eager, in Akane’s opinion—not that she can really blame the girl for that—but it’s clear she’s a good person, despite her quirks. Akane can’t keep letting her personal biases get in the way of enjoying Konatsu’s company.
“I’d like that,” Konatsu tells her.
Before Akane gets to the phone, she finds Nabiki.
“Where’s a good place to go on a date?” she asks.
“For you?” Nabiki replies. “Batting cage. Maybe a wrestling match. For Ranma? Probably something cutesy, like a petting zoo or a cafe.”
“Cutesy?” Akane repeats. “Ranma?”
Nabiki raises an eyebrow, looking unimpressed.
“I know Ranma’s cute,” Akane clarifies hotly. “But most people don’t see him like that.”
“Well, maybe I’m not the kind of person who judges a girl by the size of her muscles.” Nabiki shrugs. Akane stares at her sister, feeling the pieces to a puzzle finally come together.
“Nabiki,” Akane says slowly. “Did you sabotage my wedding?”
“I’d be a terrible sibling if I did something like that, wouldn’t I be?” Nabiki replies, as aloof as usual. “But… Maybe I did weigh the pros and cons of the scenario for you. And maybe I figured that if Kuno was all it took to stop a wedding, you probably didn’t want to get married that much after all.”
Akane snorts.
“Of course,” Nabiki adds. “It helps that he was willing to give a pretty expensive wedding present.”
“Oh, good, now you’re starting to sound like yourself again.” Akane rolls her eyes. “For a second, I was getting worried you might actually care. What did he get us?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Nabiki shrugs. “Already pawned it off. Along with most of the other gifts, too. Put the money towards your college fund. And your new clothing fund. I… didn’t consider that as a possibility.”
“If the money is really in my college fund, I’ll forgive you,” Akane says.
“Well.” Nabiki frowns. “I gave myself ten percent. But the rest went to you and Ranma.”
“For you, that’s still pretty generous.” Akane thinks for a moment. “Does that mean you can give me money for my date?”
“You’ve got about ¥40,000 left in the clothing funds,” Nabiki tells her, pulling out a few hundreds from her wallet. “Remember that. I’ll be keeping track.”
“Of course you will.” Akane scoffs and takes the money. “Thanks for not letting me get married, sis.”
“Don’t go around advertising that,” Nabiki retorts. “People might start asking for a refund.”
There’s a mall a town or so away that’s just opened up an arcade. Akane’s been there with Sayuri and Yuka before, so she knows there’s plenty of cute shops Ranma will love to stop by after. No petting zoos, but plenty of cafes. When she brings up the idea over the phone, Ranma agrees instantly.
“Good,” Akane says. She hesitates. “So, um… Nabiki told me she gave you a bunch of money after our wedding.”
“Oh, that?” Ranma laughs. “Yeah, she said it was compensation for emotional distress. Ma put most of it away in an account for me. Said we could use it to go on a honeymoon one day for real, or put it towards an apartment or something.”
“Oh.” Akane can’t keep the surprise out of her voice. “That sounds… reasonable.”
“Yeah, she has a good idea every once and a while,” Ranma agrees. “Figured it was probably the best way to keep Pops away from it, too—it’s all under my name, so he can’t get to it at all.”
“It’s awful that you have to worry about that.” Akane sighs. “Nabiki just put it in a college fund for me. And gave me some to use on clothes.”
“Weird having her be the one to give you money, huh?” Ranma jokes. Akane hums in agreement. “Any reason you’re bringing it up?”
“Well, since we’re clearly both owed compensation for our ‘emotional distress,’ I thought maybe it’d be fun to splurge a little,” Akane says. “Maybe… buy each other something nice while we’re there?”
“Oh yeah?”
“You don’t have a lot of jewelry, do you, Ranma?” Akane asks.
“Not really,” Ranma admits. “Clothes are—I mean, you gotta wear something, right? Not my fault if something girly fits right. But getting a ring is more of—it feels kind of indulgent, you know?”
“I can buy you a ring,” Akane declares. “I’ll find something that suits you.”
Akane can hear Ranma chuckle softly on the other line.
“Thanks, Akane,” she says. “I’ll see you soon.”