Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Life Now ❯ Life Now ( One-Shot )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Lord Archive 
A chance meeting allows old friends to think back about how their lives have turned out.
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy | Type: Vignette | Uploaded On: 04.01.2024 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 333 | Status: Completed
A chance meeting allows old friends to think back about how their lives have turned out.
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy | Type: Vignette | Uploaded On: 04.01.2024 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 333 | Status: Completed
Life Now
By: Lord Archive
Ranma 1/2 belongs Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.
Yuka could not remember the last time she just walked around her hometown section of Nerima. It was disorientating to see businesses she remembered next to one that didn't exist when she was a teenager. Had it really been before she left for university over twenty years ago that she last walked down this street? Sure she had been in town to see her parents many times since then, but that was always just to visit them. She had lost touch with her high school friends. She had no idea if they still lived in this area of Tokyo or if they made their homes elsewhere as she had.
"Here you go, Saotome-san," the store clerk handed over a package.
"Thank you," replied a woman, accepting her purchase.
Yuka blinked hearing that exchange. The woman with short raven hair before certainly looked like... "Akane-chan?"
The woman looked over with initial confusion but then her eyes went wide recognizing someone she hadn't seen in many years. "Yuka-chan?"
The woman with long light-brown hair nodded. "It's been forever. Sorry I never stopped by to say 'hi' when I visited my parents."
"I certainly understand how busy things can get." Akane nodded in thought. "Do you have some free time? We could talk over some ice cream."
"That sounds great." Yuka pulled out her phone and fired off a text. It beeped announcing a reply only a few seconds later. "Yep. I'm good for a little while at least."
"Shall we go, then?" Akane motioned down the street.
"Yes," Yuka affirmed and followed her old friend.
"What have you been up to?" Akane wondered. "I haven't seen you since you left for university."
"Well, back in college I met a guy, got pregnant, then married him, managed to finish school, had another kid, moved to Kyoto, and now working a job with my husband that has nothing to do with our degrees," Yuka rattled off.
Akane giggled. "Well, trying to summarize my life... Well, you knew I was married and pregnant just before you left. I gave birth to a son, then I nearly got divorced, managed to work things out, had two daughters, never did go to university though Ranma did, but that was to get a teaching degree, and, as for work, doing the job I expected to have back in junior high: running the dojo with my husband."
Yuka's eyes widened in shock. "You almost got divorced? Why?"
"We weren't ready," Akane replied. "I thought getting married and starting a family would've ended the insanity, it didn't. We still had to deal with all sorts of things. While Shampoo was forced to acknowledge she lost, Ukyou... she was convinced that Ranma only married me because mother-Saotome forced him to and that she could be his 'true love mistress.'" She made a disgruntled sound. "It didn't help that mother-Saotome... supported her notion."
"Why would she ever encourage such a thing?" Yuka wondered.
"Having mistresses and lots of children is manly," Akane spat out.
Yuka blinked. "Oh, right... She was all about Ranma being a man amongst men."
"Did Kounji ever succeed?" Yuka asked nervously.
"No, but she came close a couple times." Akane sighed. "While Kodachi eventually found someone else to chase, Ranma managed to pick up another suitor who was persistent BECAUSE he was married. And having to deal with that on top of raising a baby AND having monster attacks, a pathetic ghost who wouldn't leave my house, having my son kidnapped TWICE before he was one, a god deciding he wanted to slum it up with Happousai... I _REALLY_ wanted to run away from everything."
"Geez, I thought I had it bad trying to attend classes while taking care of my daughter." Yuka shook her head, and then glanced over. "Don't get any thoughts of engaging our kids."
Akane laughed. "Not going to happen. I wouldn't force Souma on anyone. And my daughters have enough to deal with on their own, especially my youngest."
"Definitely understand you wanting to run away," Yuka agreed. "How did you get through that?"
"After a particularly bad day, when Ukyou came the closest to seducing Ranma, he grabbed Souma and me and we got out of town for a while. We still had some magical stuff on the 'training trip,' but getting away from the drama of home definitely helped. We still had issues, hell, we still have issues today," Akane explained.
"Any one who says they don't have issues with their marriage is either lying or still on their honeymoon," Yuka commented.
Akane giggled. "What sort of issues have you had?"
"Nothing of the monster of the week sort," Yuka joked. "Just the usual money, time, and the occasional worry that I've made the wrong choices. My life would've been very different had I dated Akira instead of Soichiro in college, and sometimes I wonder 'what if?'"
"Considering how my life has been a roller coaster, sometimes I don't think I've had much in the way of choices as it was more holding on for dear life and hoping I don't killed," Akane added with joking sarcasm. She then stopped. "Here we are."
Yuka gazed at the building and blinked at the store sign, 'CowwaIceCream.' "Wasn't this Ucchan's?"
Akane frowned. "It was. She... well... eventually she was forced to leave. I really don't want to talk about it."
"It ended that badly, huh?" Yuka surmised.
Akane looked away. "Yeah."
The two placed their orders for ice cream and moved to sit at one of the shop's outdoor tables.
Yuka almost moaned in delight after eating a large bite of her ice cream. "You know it almost feels like yesterday we were skipping school to have lunch at Nekohatten."
"We only did that a couple times," Akane corrected.
"Still, it doesn't feel like high school was that long ago and my daughter is now in her third year of university and my son will be going next year," Yuka related.
"I know what you mean. It doesn't feel like it was that long ago I was changing my children's diapers, and now I have at least two grandchildren," Akane agreed.
"Souma made you a grandmother already?" Yuka then blinked. "At least?"
Akane bit her lip. "You know how I made Ranma out to be a huge pervert back in high school?"
"When you were really the one with all the perverted thoughts," Yuka teased.
"That wasn't all me." Akane pouted. "But, well, Souma is very much the pervert I thought his father was and then some. He's... the true heir to Happousai."
"Sure you're not exaggerated again?" Yuka wondered.
"I do not want to know when he lost his virginity. It was certainly younger than I was," Akane started to explain.
"Half of Furinkan lost their virginity before you did. Only difference was you had to marry the boy you were with," Yuka retorted.
"Ha ha," Akane fake laughed. "Nor do I want to know how many people, girls and guys, he's been with. All I know is that one of his high school girl friends, Sachiko, would've been hell for me to compete with as she definitely is not the jealous type as she's all for sharing. And she's likely the mother of my first grandchild. As for the second grandchild, I don't know how my son did it, but he managed to get a guy pregnant. I could understand it if my son was the one who got pregnant due to Ranma's Jusenkyo curse affecting him, but no, Souma got a normal, every day guy pregnant. And of course he didn't realize why he was having stomach issues until the baby was more than ready to be born."
Yuka's eyes were wide in shock. "That would be one hell of a surprise."
"You should think about the poor guy's parents. They didn't know their son was gay," Akane pointed out.
"Do you have any pictures of your grandchildren?" Yuka questioned excitedly.
Akane pulled out her cell phone and pulled up her image gallery. "This is Sachiko's daughter, Michiko, who looks almost exactly like she did. Considering she's almost as perverted as my son, we can't be sure she's his baby or not. They still have orgies while I get look after her. Afraid I don't have any photos of my grandson with me. His other grandparents insist that Sachiko was his mother, declared her unfit, and largely took custody of him. I only got to see him shortly after he was born and give the warning that he's liable to bare the Saotome curse of having an interesting life. If Souma has any other children, he hasn't been told about them."
"I'd say your exaggerating about that curse, but going to college was extremely boring after being your friend in high school, and I still don't know half the crap you saw back then, let alone Ranma," Yuka commented while shaking her head.
"I'm definitely going to warn any of my grandchildren to not get involved with someone born April first of last year. I wouldn't want a third generation of love confusion to actually include incest," Akane added with a sigh.
"Would that love confusion be with Souma or one of your daughters?" Yuka wondered.
"While there was some confusion with Souma, it has more to do with Kirin, my youngest. Though she is honestly not confused, but other things are not making it easy for her. She's got Ukyou's son, Ryouga son, _NABIKI'S_ son, Shampoo's daughter, plus two other guys fighting for her attention. Even though she's perfectly willing to marry Ukyou's son right now, the age of marriage has been changed to twenty so she can't." Akane shook her head. "I'm not sure what's more upsetting about this mess: that she's going through the same sort of shit I did, that I can't be sure Ukyou's son isn't out for revenge for what happened with his mother, or that those laws weren't in effect when I was her age and couldn't be forced to marry before I was ready."
Yuka's face quirked. "So your next grandchild might not be from Souma."
"If Kirin ends up pregnant, we'll definitely find out if she's being used or not." Akane sighed. "And seeing how frustrated my elder daughter is getting is giving me more respect for Nabiki. I never thought about what it was like for her in high school when all the guys chased after me and practically ignored her, just as everyone wants Kirin and no one seems to notice Sora."
Yuka let out a dry laugh. "Here I worry my daughter might follow in my footsteps and start a family in college, you're dealing with your daughter copying your high school life too much for her own good."
"You said it," Akane agreed with a nod.
"Well, your kids are dealing with the same sort of relationship insanity, are they dealing with the other kinds of weirdness you did?" Yuka wondered.
Akane merely pointed down the street, directly at a horse that was running towards them before coming to a screeching stop.
A young woman from the ice cream shop stomped toward the horse. "You're late!"
The horse pulled out a sign from no where, which read, "Sorry."
"You've got two customers waiting for rides," the woman shot back. "Get to work."
"Yes, ma'am," the horse's sign read in reply.
Yuka blinked at the exchanged. "What's her deal?" she questioned motioning at the horse.
"That's Makoto, one of Souma's boyfriends," Akane replied.
"Huh? But that's a female horse," Yuka returned in confusion.
"Makoto heard about the Jusenkyo from Souma and wanted to find the spring of drowned girl, only he ended up in the 'not so tragic story of spring of drenched mare.' The female horse that fell in didn't die," Akane explained.
"Why would he want a Jusenkyo CURSE?" Yuka wondered.
Akane looked away. "It would've been cheaper than gender reassignment surgery. Apparently Makoto always wanted to be a woman."
Yuka's eyes crossed. "Um... if you say so. Has Souma... no, I don't think I want to know."
Akane let out a short chuckle. "If it's about sex and Souma, just assume that yes, yes he has."
Yuka pouted. "Didn't need that mental image confirmed."
Makoto was in the process of trotting around the block with a small red-haired girl doing her best to choke the horse with all the love she could give.
A tall buxom red-haired woman in sweat clothes that was walking down the street first glanced that the girl on the horse before looking at the ice cream parlor and who was sitting there. She immediately went to sit next to Akane. "Hey, 'Kane. She better not be one of Souma's kids."
Akane appraised the girl. "Considering she's what? Fifth or sixth grade. Souma would've been in junior high."
Ranma folded his female arms. "Maybe even sixth grade, your point? I wouldn't put anything past that deviant."
Akane shook her head not wanting to continue that line of thinking. She then motioned across the table. "Ranma, you remember Yuka-chan, don't you?"
Ranma blinked, head tilted, and hair scratched. "Um..."
"When you last saw me, I was always with Sayuri-chan, you know back at Furinkan," Yuka offered.
Ranma slammed one first into the other hand's open palm. "Ah! One of Akane's old normal friends. What happened to Hiroshi?"
"I dated Daisuke-kun, not Hiroshi-kun, and we broke up before I left for college," Yuka reminded. "But, yes, that was me. I was in town and was doing some catching up with your wife."
Ranma chuckled. "I'm sure she only gave you the highlights. You'd be here for months if she covered all the shit we've been through."
"It'd be great if I could get the full story." Yuka's phone began to beep, which she immediately checked. "But I have my own family issues to deal with. Maybe next time I'm in town I'll be able to make more time to spend with my old friends. See you later."
"Goodbye." Akane pouted as her old friend left. "How was school today?"
Ranma groaned. "The usual crap, having to dodge hot water a couple times, challenged by students for fights, especially Amazaki living up to Saint Hebereke's name and going full drunk-fu on me again."
"What about Daidouji and Akemi?" Akane pressed.
Ranma's eyes rolled. "Just flirting today. Know they're planning on trying to 'win my love.' I would rather they just date each other and leave me the fuck alone."
Akane nodded slowly. She still disliked her husband being the gym teacher at an all girl's, school but bills needed to be paid, and Ranma would have to deal with suitors regardless of where he taught.
Ranma stretched. "Better get back home before the students show up at the dojo."
Akane let out a forced laugh. "You know they're already there either to get Kirin's attention, fight each other, or planning to get your attention."
Ranma's head shook. "Don't remind me, and you are forgetting your own suitor."
"I'm sure Hidiyoshi would prefer you," Akare retorted.
"He's into MILF's and I never gave birth," Ranma countered.
Akane shook her head.
Ranma spared a glance in longing at the ice cream being served. Being forty five now, that sort of sugar did all sorts of wrong things to the body. Eating healthy would be the only way to keep up with the children.
Leaving with Akane, they returned home to see what misadventure had befallen their daughters today.
Author's Notes:
Been toying with this one-shot for far too long. If I didn't post this soon, it would've become too dated, because technically it should've come out almost a decade ago. The story of Ranma 1/2 took place in late 1980's to early 1990's, a time when past traditions were facing rapid changes because of many western influences and especially pressures concerning old laws, especially sex laws. The legality of Ranma and Akane's forced engagement was becoming questionable as changes in marriage laws became more restrictive on those under the age eighteen. The threat of immediate marriage would be impossible if the story occurred after 1990s due to changes in laws.
If taking the story of Ranma 1/2 ending in 1996 with the end of the manga and Ranma being only seventeen, that would mean Souma would've been born late 1997 or early 1998. Using Akane's estimation of the red haired girl being eleven or twelve and Souma's age being thirteen or fourteen at conception of said girl, that would put the date of these events occurring in 2024 at the latest.
For those with objection to the view that Nodoka would approve of Ranma having mistresses I would like to point out:
Traditional Japan has different views on sex than western countries, and having a mistress was seen as normal, especially as most marriages in the past were arranged by parents. Even as marriages today are increasingly chosen by the couple and not the parents, having a mistress is still part of their culture and is not considered unusual.
Nodoka is a character made by Rumiko Takahashi and is not the bastion of sanity many people want her to be. Her having extreme views of manliness is part of her character, and in Japan having a mistress wouldn't even qualify as being extreme. There are other traditional forms manliness she could conceivably endorse that are far more disturbing than having her accept Ranma or even Genma having a mistress.
Akane is not a reliable narrator and never has been. She would take Nodoka telling Ranma there is nothing wrong with having a mistress if he chooses as full endorsement and pushing him to have children with Ukyou as well.
Another note with Ranma 1/2 is that while Ranma is dealing with being male and female, Akane is also facing two clashing parts of herself. She has modern ideals of what women can do and achieve and yet was born to a traditional family with expectations she is expected to uphold. Akane wants to choose her own husband and she wants to be the one who runs the family dojo- not her husband. Yet because of tradition she still has to abide by her father's decision of who she has to marry and with Ranma- he's definitely the one who will run the dojo. While having a mistress, especially when in an arranged marriage is normal, Akane would certainly NOT be okay with that.
By: Lord Archive
Ranma 1/2 belongs Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.
Yuka could not remember the last time she just walked around her hometown section of Nerima. It was disorientating to see businesses she remembered next to one that didn't exist when she was a teenager. Had it really been before she left for university over twenty years ago that she last walked down this street? Sure she had been in town to see her parents many times since then, but that was always just to visit them. She had lost touch with her high school friends. She had no idea if they still lived in this area of Tokyo or if they made their homes elsewhere as she had.
"Here you go, Saotome-san," the store clerk handed over a package.
"Thank you," replied a woman, accepting her purchase.
Yuka blinked hearing that exchange. The woman with short raven hair before certainly looked like... "Akane-chan?"
The woman looked over with initial confusion but then her eyes went wide recognizing someone she hadn't seen in many years. "Yuka-chan?"
The woman with long light-brown hair nodded. "It's been forever. Sorry I never stopped by to say 'hi' when I visited my parents."
"I certainly understand how busy things can get." Akane nodded in thought. "Do you have some free time? We could talk over some ice cream."
"That sounds great." Yuka pulled out her phone and fired off a text. It beeped announcing a reply only a few seconds later. "Yep. I'm good for a little while at least."
"Shall we go, then?" Akane motioned down the street.
"Yes," Yuka affirmed and followed her old friend.
"What have you been up to?" Akane wondered. "I haven't seen you since you left for university."
"Well, back in college I met a guy, got pregnant, then married him, managed to finish school, had another kid, moved to Kyoto, and now working a job with my husband that has nothing to do with our degrees," Yuka rattled off.
Akane giggled. "Well, trying to summarize my life... Well, you knew I was married and pregnant just before you left. I gave birth to a son, then I nearly got divorced, managed to work things out, had two daughters, never did go to university though Ranma did, but that was to get a teaching degree, and, as for work, doing the job I expected to have back in junior high: running the dojo with my husband."
Yuka's eyes widened in shock. "You almost got divorced? Why?"
"We weren't ready," Akane replied. "I thought getting married and starting a family would've ended the insanity, it didn't. We still had to deal with all sorts of things. While Shampoo was forced to acknowledge she lost, Ukyou... she was convinced that Ranma only married me because mother-Saotome forced him to and that she could be his 'true love mistress.'" She made a disgruntled sound. "It didn't help that mother-Saotome... supported her notion."
"Why would she ever encourage such a thing?" Yuka wondered.
"Having mistresses and lots of children is manly," Akane spat out.
Yuka blinked. "Oh, right... She was all about Ranma being a man amongst men."
"Did Kounji ever succeed?" Yuka asked nervously.
"No, but she came close a couple times." Akane sighed. "While Kodachi eventually found someone else to chase, Ranma managed to pick up another suitor who was persistent BECAUSE he was married. And having to deal with that on top of raising a baby AND having monster attacks, a pathetic ghost who wouldn't leave my house, having my son kidnapped TWICE before he was one, a god deciding he wanted to slum it up with Happousai... I _REALLY_ wanted to run away from everything."
"Geez, I thought I had it bad trying to attend classes while taking care of my daughter." Yuka shook her head, and then glanced over. "Don't get any thoughts of engaging our kids."
Akane laughed. "Not going to happen. I wouldn't force Souma on anyone. And my daughters have enough to deal with on their own, especially my youngest."
"Definitely understand you wanting to run away," Yuka agreed. "How did you get through that?"
"After a particularly bad day, when Ukyou came the closest to seducing Ranma, he grabbed Souma and me and we got out of town for a while. We still had some magical stuff on the 'training trip,' but getting away from the drama of home definitely helped. We still had issues, hell, we still have issues today," Akane explained.
"Any one who says they don't have issues with their marriage is either lying or still on their honeymoon," Yuka commented.
Akane giggled. "What sort of issues have you had?"
"Nothing of the monster of the week sort," Yuka joked. "Just the usual money, time, and the occasional worry that I've made the wrong choices. My life would've been very different had I dated Akira instead of Soichiro in college, and sometimes I wonder 'what if?'"
"Considering how my life has been a roller coaster, sometimes I don't think I've had much in the way of choices as it was more holding on for dear life and hoping I don't killed," Akane added with joking sarcasm. She then stopped. "Here we are."
Yuka gazed at the building and blinked at the store sign, 'CowwaIceCream.' "Wasn't this Ucchan's?"
Akane frowned. "It was. She... well... eventually she was forced to leave. I really don't want to talk about it."
"It ended that badly, huh?" Yuka surmised.
Akane looked away. "Yeah."
The two placed their orders for ice cream and moved to sit at one of the shop's outdoor tables.
Yuka almost moaned in delight after eating a large bite of her ice cream. "You know it almost feels like yesterday we were skipping school to have lunch at Nekohatten."
"We only did that a couple times," Akane corrected.
"Still, it doesn't feel like high school was that long ago and my daughter is now in her third year of university and my son will be going next year," Yuka related.
"I know what you mean. It doesn't feel like it was that long ago I was changing my children's diapers, and now I have at least two grandchildren," Akane agreed.
"Souma made you a grandmother already?" Yuka then blinked. "At least?"
Akane bit her lip. "You know how I made Ranma out to be a huge pervert back in high school?"
"When you were really the one with all the perverted thoughts," Yuka teased.
"That wasn't all me." Akane pouted. "But, well, Souma is very much the pervert I thought his father was and then some. He's... the true heir to Happousai."
"Sure you're not exaggerated again?" Yuka wondered.
"I do not want to know when he lost his virginity. It was certainly younger than I was," Akane started to explain.
"Half of Furinkan lost their virginity before you did. Only difference was you had to marry the boy you were with," Yuka retorted.
"Ha ha," Akane fake laughed. "Nor do I want to know how many people, girls and guys, he's been with. All I know is that one of his high school girl friends, Sachiko, would've been hell for me to compete with as she definitely is not the jealous type as she's all for sharing. And she's likely the mother of my first grandchild. As for the second grandchild, I don't know how my son did it, but he managed to get a guy pregnant. I could understand it if my son was the one who got pregnant due to Ranma's Jusenkyo curse affecting him, but no, Souma got a normal, every day guy pregnant. And of course he didn't realize why he was having stomach issues until the baby was more than ready to be born."
Yuka's eyes were wide in shock. "That would be one hell of a surprise."
"You should think about the poor guy's parents. They didn't know their son was gay," Akane pointed out.
"Do you have any pictures of your grandchildren?" Yuka questioned excitedly.
Akane pulled out her cell phone and pulled up her image gallery. "This is Sachiko's daughter, Michiko, who looks almost exactly like she did. Considering she's almost as perverted as my son, we can't be sure she's his baby or not. They still have orgies while I get look after her. Afraid I don't have any photos of my grandson with me. His other grandparents insist that Sachiko was his mother, declared her unfit, and largely took custody of him. I only got to see him shortly after he was born and give the warning that he's liable to bare the Saotome curse of having an interesting life. If Souma has any other children, he hasn't been told about them."
"I'd say your exaggerating about that curse, but going to college was extremely boring after being your friend in high school, and I still don't know half the crap you saw back then, let alone Ranma," Yuka commented while shaking her head.
"I'm definitely going to warn any of my grandchildren to not get involved with someone born April first of last year. I wouldn't want a third generation of love confusion to actually include incest," Akane added with a sigh.
"Would that love confusion be with Souma or one of your daughters?" Yuka wondered.
"While there was some confusion with Souma, it has more to do with Kirin, my youngest. Though she is honestly not confused, but other things are not making it easy for her. She's got Ukyou's son, Ryouga son, _NABIKI'S_ son, Shampoo's daughter, plus two other guys fighting for her attention. Even though she's perfectly willing to marry Ukyou's son right now, the age of marriage has been changed to twenty so she can't." Akane shook her head. "I'm not sure what's more upsetting about this mess: that she's going through the same sort of shit I did, that I can't be sure Ukyou's son isn't out for revenge for what happened with his mother, or that those laws weren't in effect when I was her age and couldn't be forced to marry before I was ready."
Yuka's face quirked. "So your next grandchild might not be from Souma."
"If Kirin ends up pregnant, we'll definitely find out if she's being used or not." Akane sighed. "And seeing how frustrated my elder daughter is getting is giving me more respect for Nabiki. I never thought about what it was like for her in high school when all the guys chased after me and practically ignored her, just as everyone wants Kirin and no one seems to notice Sora."
Yuka let out a dry laugh. "Here I worry my daughter might follow in my footsteps and start a family in college, you're dealing with your daughter copying your high school life too much for her own good."
"You said it," Akane agreed with a nod.
"Well, your kids are dealing with the same sort of relationship insanity, are they dealing with the other kinds of weirdness you did?" Yuka wondered.
Akane merely pointed down the street, directly at a horse that was running towards them before coming to a screeching stop.
A young woman from the ice cream shop stomped toward the horse. "You're late!"
The horse pulled out a sign from no where, which read, "Sorry."
"You've got two customers waiting for rides," the woman shot back. "Get to work."
"Yes, ma'am," the horse's sign read in reply.
Yuka blinked at the exchanged. "What's her deal?" she questioned motioning at the horse.
"That's Makoto, one of Souma's boyfriends," Akane replied.
"Huh? But that's a female horse," Yuka returned in confusion.
"Makoto heard about the Jusenkyo from Souma and wanted to find the spring of drowned girl, only he ended up in the 'not so tragic story of spring of drenched mare.' The female horse that fell in didn't die," Akane explained.
"Why would he want a Jusenkyo CURSE?" Yuka wondered.
Akane looked away. "It would've been cheaper than gender reassignment surgery. Apparently Makoto always wanted to be a woman."
Yuka's eyes crossed. "Um... if you say so. Has Souma... no, I don't think I want to know."
Akane let out a short chuckle. "If it's about sex and Souma, just assume that yes, yes he has."
Yuka pouted. "Didn't need that mental image confirmed."
Makoto was in the process of trotting around the block with a small red-haired girl doing her best to choke the horse with all the love she could give.
A tall buxom red-haired woman in sweat clothes that was walking down the street first glanced that the girl on the horse before looking at the ice cream parlor and who was sitting there. She immediately went to sit next to Akane. "Hey, 'Kane. She better not be one of Souma's kids."
Akane appraised the girl. "Considering she's what? Fifth or sixth grade. Souma would've been in junior high."
Ranma folded his female arms. "Maybe even sixth grade, your point? I wouldn't put anything past that deviant."
Akane shook her head not wanting to continue that line of thinking. She then motioned across the table. "Ranma, you remember Yuka-chan, don't you?"
Ranma blinked, head tilted, and hair scratched. "Um..."
"When you last saw me, I was always with Sayuri-chan, you know back at Furinkan," Yuka offered.
Ranma slammed one first into the other hand's open palm. "Ah! One of Akane's old normal friends. What happened to Hiroshi?"
"I dated Daisuke-kun, not Hiroshi-kun, and we broke up before I left for college," Yuka reminded. "But, yes, that was me. I was in town and was doing some catching up with your wife."
Ranma chuckled. "I'm sure she only gave you the highlights. You'd be here for months if she covered all the shit we've been through."
"It'd be great if I could get the full story." Yuka's phone began to beep, which she immediately checked. "But I have my own family issues to deal with. Maybe next time I'm in town I'll be able to make more time to spend with my old friends. See you later."
"Goodbye." Akane pouted as her old friend left. "How was school today?"
Ranma groaned. "The usual crap, having to dodge hot water a couple times, challenged by students for fights, especially Amazaki living up to Saint Hebereke's name and going full drunk-fu on me again."
"What about Daidouji and Akemi?" Akane pressed.
Ranma's eyes rolled. "Just flirting today. Know they're planning on trying to 'win my love.' I would rather they just date each other and leave me the fuck alone."
Akane nodded slowly. She still disliked her husband being the gym teacher at an all girl's, school but bills needed to be paid, and Ranma would have to deal with suitors regardless of where he taught.
Ranma stretched. "Better get back home before the students show up at the dojo."
Akane let out a forced laugh. "You know they're already there either to get Kirin's attention, fight each other, or planning to get your attention."
Ranma's head shook. "Don't remind me, and you are forgetting your own suitor."
"I'm sure Hidiyoshi would prefer you," Akare retorted.
"He's into MILF's and I never gave birth," Ranma countered.
Akane shook her head.
Ranma spared a glance in longing at the ice cream being served. Being forty five now, that sort of sugar did all sorts of wrong things to the body. Eating healthy would be the only way to keep up with the children.
Leaving with Akane, they returned home to see what misadventure had befallen their daughters today.
Author's Notes:
Been toying with this one-shot for far too long. If I didn't post this soon, it would've become too dated, because technically it should've come out almost a decade ago. The story of Ranma 1/2 took place in late 1980's to early 1990's, a time when past traditions were facing rapid changes because of many western influences and especially pressures concerning old laws, especially sex laws. The legality of Ranma and Akane's forced engagement was becoming questionable as changes in marriage laws became more restrictive on those under the age eighteen. The threat of immediate marriage would be impossible if the story occurred after 1990s due to changes in laws.
If taking the story of Ranma 1/2 ending in 1996 with the end of the manga and Ranma being only seventeen, that would mean Souma would've been born late 1997 or early 1998. Using Akane's estimation of the red haired girl being eleven or twelve and Souma's age being thirteen or fourteen at conception of said girl, that would put the date of these events occurring in 2024 at the latest.
For those with objection to the view that Nodoka would approve of Ranma having mistresses I would like to point out:
Traditional Japan has different views on sex than western countries, and having a mistress was seen as normal, especially as most marriages in the past were arranged by parents. Even as marriages today are increasingly chosen by the couple and not the parents, having a mistress is still part of their culture and is not considered unusual.
Nodoka is a character made by Rumiko Takahashi and is not the bastion of sanity many people want her to be. Her having extreme views of manliness is part of her character, and in Japan having a mistress wouldn't even qualify as being extreme. There are other traditional forms manliness she could conceivably endorse that are far more disturbing than having her accept Ranma or even Genma having a mistress.
Akane is not a reliable narrator and never has been. She would take Nodoka telling Ranma there is nothing wrong with having a mistress if he chooses as full endorsement and pushing him to have children with Ukyou as well.
Another note with Ranma 1/2 is that while Ranma is dealing with being male and female, Akane is also facing two clashing parts of herself. She has modern ideals of what women can do and achieve and yet was born to a traditional family with expectations she is expected to uphold. Akane wants to choose her own husband and she wants to be the one who runs the family dojo- not her husband. Yet because of tradition she still has to abide by her father's decision of who she has to marry and with Ranma- he's definitely the one who will run the dojo. While having a mistress, especially when in an arranged marriage is normal, Akane would certainly NOT be okay with that.