Engaged to Ranma (Ranma x Reader)

33 - Hint, Hint, Hint!

"If it has anything to do with my twin, then I have every right to interfere. Why are you picking a fight, anyway, Ukyo? Are you jealous or something?"

Ukyo ground her teeth angrily, "Of course I'm not jealous! I'm sizing up my rival for Ranma Honey's love and affection, and by her attitude about it, I'd say I already won!"

"Why, you..." Akane snarled. 

The two girls were in each other's faces by this point. (Name) pursed her lips nervously before standing up and shoving them apart. "Hey, hey! Calm down. Akane, you don't have to worry about this. I can handle it."

"Are you sure?"

Just then, the classroom door opened to reveal a scuffed-up Ranma. He was panting a bit from exhaustion and holding two packages in his hand. The three girls blinked in surprise at him for a moment before Ukyo ran over to him to help him to his seat. "Ranma Honey! What happened?"

"Lunchline... is... b-brutal." He huffed as he plopped into his chair with Ukyo kneeling beside him. Then, he blushed a bit as he held out of the packages to (Name). "I-I got one extra... D'you want it?"

She blushed, too, and shyly reached out to take the food. "T-thanks. I'll pay you back for it."

"Don't worry about it. Like I said, I got an extra." 

Ukyo hid a frown as she noticed how Ranma sat up straighter to seem less winded while he was talking to (Name). She huffed jealously before she put on a sweet smile and told Ranma, "You didn't have to go to all that trouble for a crummy packaged sandwich, silly~! You could have just asked me to make you something. My okonomiyaki is the best in the world, you know."

Ranma laughed a bit and shrugged. "I guess you're right. But, I wouldn't want to put you out like that."

"Oh, how sweet of you, Ranchan~ But, you know it's no trouble. I'd do anything for you."

(Name) looked down at the sandwich in her hand before she put it back in Ranma's hand. "Thanks, but no thanks. I can't accept it." She went back to her seat and started reading through one of her textbooks.

Ranma stared at her in confusion. Then, he looked down at the package and muttered, "Maybe she doesn't like this type of sandwich..."

Akane crossed her arms and glared at him. "Ranma, you dummy. It's no surprise to me that you don't know women, but I, at least, thought you could take a hint."

"What hint?"

Ukyo stood up and faced Akane. "If she's not woman enough to just say how she feels, then why is that Ranma's fault?"

"Listen, you!" The hotheaded girl snapped, turning to Ukyo. "If you insult my sister like that again, I'll--"

"How is it an insult if it's true? As far as I can tell, (Name) seems to be too shy to have much nerve or backbone."

Ranma ignored the feuding girls near him and focused on (Name) again. He leaned his head on his palm as he tossed the packaged sandwich up in the air a bit. 'This must be about... About Ukyo and our engagement! (Name) must be jealous or something.' He got up, catching Ukyo and Akane's attention.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Ranma Honey?"

(Name) stared down at her book, not really reading it, until she saw Ranma stand next to her desk. He leaned toward her a bit with a hesitant smile. "(Name)..."

"Ranma." She closed her book and gave him her full attention.

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Y-you're not jealous of Ukyo, are you? You don't have to be, y'know."

(Name) raised her eyebrow at him before turning back to her book. "Of course I don't have to be jealous of Ukyo. She doesn't have anything that I want."

Ranma made a noise of confusion. "Huh? But, then, why have you been acting so weird?"

"Weird? Like when?"

"Like when you came to my room this morning." He leaned his arm on her desk as he spoke. "You were stuttering all over your words and then, you just bailed! What's going on?"

(Name) scrunched up her nose with a pout. "Forget about it, Ranma. Why don't you worry about your real fiance back there instead of worrying over me?"

Ranma leaned toward her a bit more, a bit of a smug air about him as he said, "There! See, you are jealous. Admit it!"

(Name) blushed angrily and balled up her fists, glaring ahead. "I am not!"

"Aw, you're so stubborn sometimes, (Name). If you're mad about this whole engagement incident, then just tell me."

(Name) stood up and glared at him. "I'm not jealous! I just have enough sense not to ignore the fact that Ukyo is your real fiance because you've been engaged since childhood! Our engagement..." The fire and anger behind her words died down, "Our engagement isn't even valid now."

"Hm?" He crossed his arms and shrugged. "Well, shouldn't you be happy? You're a free girl again. I mean, unless you really want to be my fiance."

"Weren't you the one who said that? 'You're my fiance, you're gonna be a Saotome?'"

Ranma blushed and frowned at her. "Hey! We agreed not to talk about that! It's not very cute to bring up the past, y'know."

(Name) crossed her arms, raising her eyebrow at him. "Oh? You think Ukyo's cute, and the first thing she did when she got here was bring up your past engagement."

"Huh?" Ranma faltered a bit before looking at her. "W-when did I say that?!"

Ukyo, at this point, jumped over to them and stood at Ranma's side, wedging herself between the two. She glared up at him and shouted, "You said so just yesterday! Remember, Ranma? 'You're too cute to be a boy?'"

"That doesn't mean that I'm suddenly in love with you or anything! Ukyo, you and I are friends!"

"Then, why did you tell me not to give up on marriage in the future? Let go and forget, remember?" She grabbed his arm. "Didn't you say that because you wanted to start things over and be a good fiance?!"

(Name) threw her arms down angrily at her sides. Her face was red and pouting, which the other three teens could tell wasn't a good sign. However, before anything else happened, the other students began to come back to the classroom and take their seats. She turned away from Ranma and Ukyo and sat back down at her desk.

Ukyo let go of Ranma's arm and put up her okonomiyaki griddle. She sat down at her desk, which was to the left behind Ranma's, and hummed quietly in thought as she looked at (Name). 'Maybe she does love him. But, Ranma Honey can't possibly love her, can he? He told me himself that I was cute. Did he not mean it?' She reached up and tapped Ranma's shoulder. "Hey, Ranchan."

"Hm." He leaned back to hear her but didn't turn to look at her.

"Come by my shop later, okay? We need to talk."

"Uh, sure."

Meanwhile, Akane put her hand on her twin's shoulder and told her, "Don't worry. We'll deal with this later," before going to her seat. (Name) hummed in response, trying to distract herself from her feelings by pretending to pay attention as class started up again.