A Second Chance at Love

Chapter 4 Possibilities

<Flashback Nerima>

After the love potion incident, Ukyou was still determined to split Ranma 
and Akane up. However, she would not use anything like a love potion again. 
'Using a love potion is wrong; thank god that plan did not work. I want 
Ranma to love me for me not because of a potion. Shampoo and Kodachi would 
use love potions but Kodachi is insane and Shampoo is weird.'

In the next two months, Ukyou and Ryoga tried a few more schemes but they 
failed. Ukyou was starting to wonder if any of the schemes would ever work. 
She wanted to tell Ranma that she loved him but he thought of her as a 
friend. That was why she had to scheme, so that he would see her 
differently.

Ukyou was working one day when Akane walked into the restaurant. Ukyou did 
not hate Akane and if Akane had not been engaged to Ranma, Ukyou and Akane 
might have been friends. Slowly Ukyou approached Akane and asked, "What can 
I get you?"

"One special of the day." Akane said.

Ukyou started to make the special when Akane asked, "How are you and Ryoga 
doing?"

Ukyou did something strange for her; she lost her concentration and slighted 
burned Akane's food. As a professional chef, this was embarrassing. "What do 
you mean?" Ukyou asked.

"You are dating him, aren�t you?" Akane asked.

'Is she playing some sort of game?' "I am not dating that jackass." Ukyou 
said as she quickly made Akane another special and threw away the burned 
one.

Akane seemed to ignore that comment, "You make such a cute couple."

Ukyou tried to ignore that comment and gave Akane the food and Akane started 
to eat it. "This is good." Akane said after a few bites.

'My food is always good, unlike yours. I can't say that, she'll attack me 
and we will wreck my restaurant.' "Thank you, Akane."

After a few more moments, Akane said "Are you sure that you aren't dating 
Ryoga? He is kind of cute."

'Maybe she's interested in him after all.' "He is not." Ukyou protested. 
'Actually those fangs are kind of cute and he is kind of cute when he's 
blushing.' "He's nowhere near as cute as Ranma."

Akane smiled and said "That's true but who is?"

Akane just admitted that Ranma is cute, this is not good. Maybe she really 
does care for him. Ukyou tried to think of something to say but Akane paid 
for her food and left.

'What the heck was that about? Is she trying to set me up with Ryoga? That 
is not like her at all. Wait a minute, what if she really believes that I am 
dating Ryoga? Does Ranma believe it?'

Ukyou laughed. 'Ryoga and I do spend a lot of time together. At the movies 
we looked like we were on a date. He walked me home from the movies and a 
few days later there were rumors that we were dating.'

An hour later Ranma dropped by Ucchans and asked for a special. Ukyou, as 
always, was happy to see him. "Hi Ranchan." 'Ranma looks really handsome 
today.'

"Hi Ucchan." Ranma started to eat his special. "How did your talk with Akane 
go?"

"Do you two really think that I am dating Ryoga?"

"Yes."

"I am not dating him! Why on earth would I want to date him?" Ukyou 
protested. 'He really thinks I am dating Ryoga, how do I convince him that I 
am not?'

"Too bad. I've seen you together and he looks relaxed, which is not like 
him. The two of you seemed to be having fun at the movie."

"We were but that was not a date." Ukyou protested. 'That sounds weak even 
to me.'

"So you're sticking to the 'we met outside the theatre story'?"

"That's what happened." 'He seems interested, is he jealous?'

Ranma looked unconvinced and said "If you say so." Ranma ate the special and 
then left.

Ukyou was not happy. Both Akane and Ranma had been convinced that she was 
dating Ryoga and worse both of them had been happy about. Ukyou could 
understand Akane being happy about it. Ukyou had hoped that Ranma would be 
jealous if he thought she was dating someone else. If Ranma was even a 
little jealous, he was hiding it very well.

Ukyou thought about Ryoga some more. He was cute, even if he was not as cute 
as Ranma. He was also brave. He tried very hard to be helpful in their 
schemes and he never seemed to give up. It was nice of him to walk her home 
after the movie. All in all, there was a lot to admire about Ryoga.

The date at the movies had been sort of fun and it was her first date in a 
way. Ukyou had liked it a lot when Ryoga said she was beautiful. Maybe 
dating Ryoga is not such a bad idea.

Ukyou was not yet ready to give up on Ranma completely. 'Perhaps I can make 
Ranma jealous. Sure he doesn't seem jealous but I can give him something to 
be jealous about. Yeah dating Ryoga can be rewarding.'

Ukyou found Ryoga a few days later and explained the new plan. "Okay, I 
guess we could try it." Ryoga said.

"You don't sound terribly enthusiastic."

Ryoga said nothing and wore a blank expression. After a pause, he said, "I'm 
willing to give it a shot."

Their first date was at the movies. They went to see Iceman Cometh with Yuen 
Biao. Ukyou knew that Ranma and Akane would go to see that movie too. Ranma, 
like Ryoga, would not go to a more romantic movie.

They went for popcorn together and again Ryoga said "I'm going to get lost 
in a movie theatre, it's impossible."

Ukyou sighed and said,"Not for you."

Ryoga was about to say something in return when she smiled. She's cute. As 
she smiled at him part of his mind started to wander and think more thoughts 
about cute she was. He found himself unable to say anything and followed her 
to the popcorn stand.

Ukyou and Ryoga enjoyed the movie and Ryoga again insisted that he do some 
of Yuen Biao's moves, like the backflip. Ukyou smiled and said "No way, 
Ryoga." Ryoga knew Ukyou a little better now and accepted her teasing 
without comment.

Ranma saw Ukyou and waved. Ranma also waved to Ryoga. He whispered to Akane, 
"See I told you they were dating."

Akane said "That's great." She waved to them and thought that they were a 
cute couple.

'I am glad that Akane is waving at me but she's not jealous. She looks happy 
for me; even Ranma looks happy for me. Maybe I should beat him up. Nah, it�s 
a nice movie and I don't go to many movies. This is sort of fun.'

Ryoga waved back to Akane and Ranma and noticed that they looked happy 
together. He tried to push that thought aside but he could not. 'Akane looks 
happy; maybe she cares for that jerk Ranma.'

Ukyou had also noticed that Ranma and Akane looked happy for them. 'This is 
not working at all. I want to make Ranma jealous. How do I do that?'

Ukyou slipped her arm around Ryoga and put her hand on Ryoga's shoulder and 
hoped that Ranma noticed. Ranma did not seem to notice but Ryoga started to 
blush. 'He does look kind of cute.' Ukyou kept her arm around Ryoga for a 
little while longer before she removed it.

Ryoga, still blushing, slipped his arm around her in the meantime. 'This 
feels really nice. She removed her arm; I'd better remove mine. It's a 
shame.'

Ryoga also checked his nose to make sure he wasn't bleeding. He wasn't yet 
but suddenly he felt that his nose was going to start bleeding. He quickly 
removed his arm from Ukyou's shoulder and wiped his nose with one of his 
many bandanas.

Ukyou noticed that Ryoga had removed his arm and quickly checked to see if 
Ranma noticed. Much to her disgust, Ranma seemed totally engrossed in the 
movie. What do I have to do to get his attention away from the movie?

Ranma and Akane met Ukyou and Ryoga after the movie. "Did you have a good 
time?" Akane asked Ryoga.

"Yes, it was a good movie."

"The company wasn't bad either, right Ryoga?" Ranma asked.

Ryoga tried to say something but he said nothing. Ukyou said "We met inside 
the theatre, we didn't come together."

Ranma looked at her like he did not believe her but said nothing. Akane 
pulled Ryoga aside and said something that made him blush. Akane and Ranma 
then left.

"What did Akane say?"
"She said that we made a cute couple."

Ukyou was not surprised but she was not happy either.

Ryoga walked Ukyou home. 'I had a good time but Akane is not jealous of 
Ukyou and me. She looked so happy with Ranma. Will Akane ever feel anything 
but friendship for me?'

"You don't have to walk me home, if you don't want to Ryoga." Ukyou said.

"It's no trouble, you're a friend."

Ukyou looked at Ryoga and worried. He looks depressed; I'd better encourage 
him. "Ranma and Akane noticed that we were together. That's a start."

"They weren't jealous."

Ukyou lied "I thought Akane looked a little jealous when I put my arm around 
you."

Ryoga smiled brightly and then stuttered "R..eally?"

I might have overdone it. "Yes. Would you like to try again?"

"Yes." They had finally arrived at Ukyou's home and restaurant. 'Should I 
kiss her goodnight, that would make Akane jealous. Wait, a minute, Akane's 
not here, she won't know if I kiss Ukyou good night.'

After another moment, he realized that he probably could not kiss her 
goodnight yet. 'If I tried to kiss her goodnight, my nose would become a 
fountain. I'm lucky that my nose did not bleed too much when she put her arm 
around me.'

If Ranma were here, I'd let Ryoga kiss me good night. At least, I think I 
would. After more thought on the subject, Ukyou was still undecided but she 
would not let Ryoga kiss her where Ranma could not see it.

They said goodnight and awkwardly parted. Ukyou thought that she would never 
be able to split up Akane and Ranma. The two of them seemed more like a 
couple each time she saw them. Ukyou still wasn't ready to give up yet.

<End Flashback>


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