Determination: Chapter Four “The Girl From His Past”
“Ryouga, when is this shortcut of yours going to pay off?”
“Soon, we’re almost there.”
Ryuu looked from side to side examining the path around him. Everything was starting to look the same. He was exhausted and his vision blurred. They came to a fork in the road and Ryuu stopped dead in his tracks. He wasn’t delirious after all.
“Ryuu, you coming? We just turn left here.”
“Ahhh! Ryouga no baka!! We’re going in circles!”
Ryouga scratched his head confused.
“No we’re not I’ve been here before. Just a few more left turns. Look we just follow the footprints, someone else has been coming through this way too.”
Ryuu slapped his forehead and twitched nervously. He had just now realized that Ryouga had been following their own footprints and was making all left turns. With an annoyed look on his face, Ryuu slowly took his backpack off and then swung it directly into Ryouga’s skull, who dropped like a fly with a dazed and confused look on his face.
“We’re turning right this time, any objections? Thought not!”
Ryuu turned right at the fork dragging Ryouga behind him by the straps of his backpack. Lucky for Ryuu, Ryouga stayed unconscious until they reached another clearing.
“Wh…where am I now? Ahh! We’re lost!”
Ryuu just sat there eating his instant udon noodles and lowered his eyes when Ryouga mentioned being lost again.
“Hey it’s okay Ryouga we’re on the right path.”
“How do you know? I don’t know how I even ended up here!”
“You passed out and I dragged you here.”
“What about my shortcut!?”
Ryuu grumbled and turned red in the face like he wanted to choke Ryouga to death. He collected himself then calmly said. “We’re still on it…”
Satisfied, Ryouga poured some water from the kettle into his noodles and calmly ate.
Ryuu thought to himself still annoyed, “Well that’s the last time we trust him with directions.”
****
“Ooh look Ranchan, a town! Stop so I can make some money!”
“Ucchan we’re trying to find my mom, we can’t just stop every town we see!” Ranma groaned as he heard his stomach growling.
Ukyou flashed a smile. “Well I was going to make you a special okonomiyaki, but if we don’t have time…”
She didn’t even have time to finish her sentence before Ranma had stopped the yatai and was already sitting at one of the fold out stools drooling.
“That’s more like it Ranchan,” She said with a smile as she served him a heart-shaped pancake.
He gulped it down almost as soon as it hit his plate.
“Honestly Ranma, is food all you can think about?”
“Hey Akane, lets see you drag this thing halfway across Japan and not be hungry. And with all the extra weight from some uncute tomboy it’s a wonder I’m not more exhausted than I already am!”
“Ranma! You jerk!” she said as she pulled him off the stool by his pony-tail. Akane sat down where Ranma had been a moment ago almost like nothing had happened.
“I’ll take a seafood one, please”
“Coming right up!”
A man sat down at the counter.
“Shrimp with bonito shavings, please.”
“Sure thing sugar!”
Ukyou finished Akane’s and quickly started on the stranger’s food. Ranma just sat a few feet away from the cart pouting.
“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, have you seen a lady carrying a katana come through here?” Akane asked.
He sat there and thought as he took the first few bites of his okonomiyaki.
“Hmm…come to think of it, I believe she passed this way early yesterday morning. She seemed in a hurry, didn’t stay much longer than a meal. You know, a boy and his pet pig were here just last night asking the same question and left in a hurry when I told them the same.”
He picked up his plate and took a few bites. As he went to set it down the cart was gone, Ranma dragging it off at top speed down the hill as Akane and Ukyou sat on top, Ukyou yelling at Ranma.
“How am I supposed to make a living like this!?”
The man just shrugged and finished his now free meal.
“Strange kids.”
****
“Mmm! That was good! I feel like I haven’t had that good of a meal in days.”
“Ryouga, that’s nice. Let’s go.”
“Sure.”
Ryouga stretched out his joints cracking after going stiff the night before. He leapt to his feet with new found energy then lumped his backpack on his shoulders. He headed towards the eastern path almost immediately. Watching him, Ryuu’s eyes went wide and then started to twitch.
“Baka! Can’t you go the correct way at least once!?”
Ryuu put his hand on his forehead then stood up putting his own backpack on, then grabbed Ryouga by his bandana.
“This way! China is west of Japan!”
“Hey, let go!”
Ryuu let go of his grasp and pushed Ryouga away by his bandana then headed towards the western trail. Ryouga reluctantly followed and muttered under his breath, “Kamisama! This guy has a bigger temper than Ranma.”
****
“Finally! A town!” Ryuu shouted out seeing the trail come out on a road. He also muttered something under his breath, “now we can find out where we are, since you got us lost…”
Ryouga sneezed. They kept walking passing by the many homes in the village, then all of a sudden Ryuu turned and headed towards a store.
“I’ll be right out, I’m going to find out where we are.”
Inside the store a beautiful young girl with long black hair was working. She looked maybe a year younger than Ryuu. She turned and looked as Ryuu walked in the store.
“Ryuu-chan!”
Ryuu turned in her direction hearing his name called out, but before he could speak she was out from behind the counter and had her arms tightly wrapped around his torso.
“Wh…what are you doing?”
“It’s been so long Ryuu-chan, we didn’t think you’d be back.”
“Back? I’ve never been here before, and I’ve never met you.”
“Oh Ryuu-chan, how could you have forgotten your childhood friend and your hometown?”
Ryuu’s eyes went wide with surprise and confusion.
“That’s not possible, my hometown was poor and run-down.”
“Boy, you really have forgotten a lot Ryuu-chan, of course it has been ten years. This place has changed a lot. Now let me refresh your memory, my name is Takeshi Kaoru.”
“Ka…ka…ka-chan?”
“You do remember me!”
“Um yeah…of course, you look so different though, you’ve grown up.”
“Well so do you Ryuu-chan, we were only seven at the time. I’m just happy you’re back.”
“Ka-chan…I’m just passing through. I have something I need to do. In fact, if it weren’t for Ryouga getting lost I would not have found this place again.”
Kaoru sighed and looked into his eyes. “I understand Ryuu-chan, but stay at least till I get off work. I have something I need to give you that your father left in our trust long before his passing.”
“My father…?” Ryuu nodded his head then walked out.
“What took you so long?”
“It’s not important…we’re going to stop and rest a little while though.”
****
“Ka-chan? I’m here…”
“Oh Ryuu, I’m in Otousan’s study.”
The room was filled with books of all types, sizes and colors. The room has changed a lot since his childhood. In those days there were only a few shelves with medical books on them, and a shabby looking desk. The desk that sat in the center of the room was now an extravagant piece of art. He realized though that her entire home had been redecorated and looked like royalty lived there.
“Ka-chan? How’d your family get all this? You didn’t steal it, did you? I know your family was hard up for money, but so were we all…you didn’t have to…”
He was cut off, “baka…a lot has changed since you left, Otousan quit working at the clinic and got a high paying job at a major hospital.”
“Wow…”
She looked up at him with hope in her eyes. “Ryuu, we have more than enough money, I’m sure Otousan would loan you the money to rebuild your dojo if you stay…”
“Ka-chan! I can’t!” Ryuu looked away disappointed in himself, “I’d love to be able to rebuild my family’s dojo…but I have a duty to fulfill, and when the dojo is returned to its greatness, I want to be the one that was responsible.”
“Ryuu-chan…”
Kaoru’s eyes started to water and she once again threw her arms around Ryuu. He sighed and looked down at her. “I’m sorry…”
She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, “Ryuu…I…I…I understand,” she sighed.
“Thank you Ka-chan…”
Ryuu started to walk out before Kaoru ran to him and placed a small chain and pendant in his hand.
“This is what I wanted to give you…there’s something you’ve been seeking inside.”
“Arigatou Ka-chan.”
Ryuu walked out as Kaoru stood at the door watching him leave.
“C’mon Ryouga, let’s go…”
As Ryuu and Ryouga walked away Kaoru stood crying softly and whispered, “I never got to tell you…that…that I love you.”
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