Ryouga and Akane were walking arm and arm down the street.  Akane was
wearing a bandanna similar to Ryouga's except it was a light, sky blue,
color.  Ryouga was *extremely* cheerful, which was very 
rare for him, as they walked into the Utchan.  The place was almost
empty as it was not quite time for lunch yet.   Ukyou was busy cleaning
the grill when she heard them and turned around to greet her latest
customers.

	"Welcome to the Utch.....Oh Akane....Ryouga....How are you?"  Ukyou
asked after a moment of surprise.

	"We're just fine."  Akane replied.  Ryouga just gave Ukyou a goofy
smile.  "I was surprised to see you open, Ukyou.  Don't you usually open
after school hours?"

	"Yeah, well, this morning I didn't feel so great so I stayed home and
then when I woke up a little while ago I felt better so I figured I'd
open the restaurant now and catch the lunch crowd."  Ukyou replied while
giving curious looks to Ryouga.

	"Oh, I see."  Akane took a seat on the stool, Ryouga sitting next to
her after a little prodding.   

	Ukyou was cleaning the grill when she noticed that Akane was wearing a
bandanna similar to Ryouga's.  She was about to inquire about it when
she also noticed Ryouga and Akane were holding hands.  She looked at
them and then finally realized what the goofy smile plastered on
Ryouga's face meant.  After making these silent observations, Ukyou
decided to confirm her suspicions.

	"Uh.....Akane?"  Ukyou cautiously inquired.

	"Hai?"  Akane looked up.

	"Are you and Ryouga....um...."  Ukyou faltered.
	
	Akane smiled at Ukyou.  "Yes.  We're in love."

	"Ah.  Pardon me for a moment."

	Ukyou went into the back room leaving a confused Akane alone with
Ryouga.  There was the muffled sounds of someone cheering and whooping
it up.  Then silence again.  Ukyou reappeared a few moments  later, her
face slightly flushed, and a big smile of her own.

	"Sorry about that."  Ukyou apologized as she clasped her hands and
rubbed them together.  "Soooooo....When did this happen?"

	"About two weeks ago."  Akane replied.  

	"Go on."  Ukyou said, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. 

	"I finally realized that Ranma wasn't the man for me."  Akane replied
as her eyes went cloudy for a moment.  

	"For a while....I really did care for him but he never returned my
love.  Sure, he saved me a few times, but I wasn't going to spend the
rest of my life waiting for him to say he loved me and I couldn't face
him again if I told him first and he didn't feel the same way.  Ryouga,
on the other hand...."  Akane flashed Ryouga a smile.  "Ryouga has
always looked out for me.  He was shy in saying he loved me because he
was scared that I cared for Ranma, which I did and that his
transformation into P-Chan would ruin any chance for us to be together."

	Ukyou's eyes bugged out.  "You mean you know about....?!?

	Akane sighed.  "I've known for a while now.  I was angry at first but
then I understood why he never told me."

	"But....he slept with you as a pig."  Ukyou pointed out, not believing
Akane would forgive him so easily.

	"P-Chan NEVER did anything perverted to me in bed and he always walked
out of the room whenever I was getting changed."  Akane giggled out
loud.  I used to wonder why P-Chan was such a modest pig."

	"So then....You're not mad at him?"  Ukyou said, hope glittering in her
eyes.

	"Not at all.  It doesn't bother me one bit.  In fact I'd be sad if
P-Chan were to disappear forever.  We have a lot more in common
now...."  Akane replied in a wistful tone. 

	"What do you mean?"

	"Oh....nothing."  Akane replied, suddenly flustered as if she had let
the cat out of the bag.  Fortunately for her, Ukyou turned her attention
to her new love.  

	"Well Ryouga?  Are you just going to stand there or are you going to
say something?"  Ukyou said in a joking tone of voice.

	"Hmmmmm?"  Ryouga was still out of it.

	"Snap out of it!"  Ukyou raised her voice slightly.

	"Oh!  Sorry!  I've just been so happy lately...."  Ryouga laughed
nervously with his hand behind his head.

	"So does this mean you've given up on your revenge for Ranma?"  Ukyou
asked with a smile on her face.

	"Yeah.  I'm still mad about being knocked into the spring of the
drowned pig but now that I have Akane, it really isn't that important to
me anymore.  I mean, I'm not saying I LIKE the guy now...."

	"Oh no!"  Ukyou assured him.  "That's understandable Ryouga.  As long
as you don't try to kill him anymore."

	"Well....maybe kick him around a little once in a while...."  Ryouga
replied with a grin.

	"Silly!"  Akane hugged Ryouga close to her causing him to resume his
trance-like state.

	"All kidding aside, I want to personally wish you two the best. From
this moment on, anything you want here is on the house."  Ukyou said,
not bothering to keep the joy out of her voice this time.

	"Oh, you don't have to...."  Akane began.  

	"I insist!  I've got two of my best okonomiyaki plates just for you!" 
Ukyou said as she turned her attention to the grill and began preparing
their food, her thoughts racing a mile a minute....

	"I can't believe it!  Ran-Chan is finally free to marry me!  Oh
Ryouga....if you weren't engaged to Akane I would kiss you!"  

	Ukyou settled for blowing a subtle kiss in his direction.  He is too
spaced out to notice.  She quickly finishes up and placed the
okonomiyaki on two plates, placing them in front of Ryouga and Akane.	

	"Here you are!  On the house!"  Ukyou exclaimed with pride.

	"Thank you.  Here, let me help you Ryouga...."



....FROM THE DESK OF MEGANE 6.7.....