[April 22, 2016: Want to win a $50 Amazon gift card code? I am running a contest to receive criticism of my writing. See the end of chapter one for details, or my profile.]

[soundtrack for this one: Brand-new World, by Nishizawa Kōsō (西沢幸奏)]

"You'll see." He said with a small smile.
Nabiki grinned back at him. She loved getting surprises. "Well, let's go then." She said happily as she swung out to the side of him so he still had her right arm twined in his left arm, but her left was now free.
He nodded and started walking with her. The direction he chose was to the North end of the station. The crowds were typical Tokyo crowds, there were a lot of people, but they had no trouble moving through them. As they walked away the automatic gates that protected the train tracks closed, and the train pulled out of the station a moment later. People were rushing back and forth across their path. She looked around the little train station and smiled. It wasn't remarkable at all. There were the usual overhead fluorescent lights, the gleaming pillars set with marble wraps stood at regular intervals, and there were little sign posts with schedules and maps along with the occasional small rows of blue plastic chairs to sit in interspersed between the pillars. In short, it was an unremarkable train station. But she was in it with Ranma on her first date with him, and for some reason that made it seem magical.
"Where are we going?" She asked as they maneuvered towards the exit that would bring them to the street-level.
"You'll see." He repeated with a smile.
"How far away from here will I see?" She asked glibly. She was more worried about the hem of her dress dragging in the street than anything else, since she was wearing sensible shoes.
"About fifteen minutes." He said with a smile.
She nodded and reached down and pulled up the hem of her dress a bit and tucked her arm around it so that it wasn't obvious she was holding the hem up, and smiled back at him as they walked.
It wasn't very obvious, but if someone was really watching them, they would notice that the crowds were avoiding them. Whatever it was about him that caused people to not want to be in his way, was still in affect. The crowds were near them, but nobody came inside their space. She made a mental note to ask him about it later. Whatever it was he was doing, was something she absolutely wanted to master.
They emerged on the street level a moment later, and she looked around. She had never been to the area they were in before. But she was pretty sure they were heading to the Ginza. She had been there before, but not from the direction they were coming from. They were on a standard Tokyo street surrounded by tall narrow buildings. The Strip of sidewalk they were on actually had a road on both sides of it, and it was more of a little island. Ranma set out without hesitation towards the North-West and she walked easily next to him, surrounded by the lovely chaos of the city.
"You seem like you know where you're going. Have you been here before?" She asked.
He shook his head and smiled nervously while he looked around at the street signs. "Nope. I just studied some maps beforehand. That's something I had to do on the road with Pop a lot, so I'm pretty used to it." He said softly as he scanned the street for where he was taking them.
She noticed that his eyes were also drifting upwards sometimes, and he was staying very close to her. She wanted to believe that it was just because he wanted to be close to her, but she knew that wasn't the reason. Well, it at least wasn't the whole reason.
"Are you worried about the Amazons?"
"Nah. I think they were bluffin'. They aren't gonna attack you if I'm with you, and even if I wasn't with ya, Shampoo never seemed like the type of person who would attack someone who couldn't defend themselves."
"But ... what about what Shampoo said this morning?"
"I dunno, she may have been tellin' the truth, but if so ... where are they? Day's almost over, and they haven't done nothin'. It was probably just another one of her tricks." He said confidently.
"So you haven't seen any sign of them?" She asked hopefully. He was quiet for a moment after that which prompted her to look up at him quizzically.
"Actually...yeah, I think one of them is tryin' to follow us." He said quietly. She knew that the expression on her face had shifted to one of alarm. "It's probably just Shampoo though. She used to do that even before all this started, she'd just follow me around and watch me. It was kinda creepy, but I got used to it." He hurried to reassure her.
She opened her mouth to argue with him. Then slowly closed it. Even if he was wrong, there wasn't really much she could expect him to do about it. He couldn't go chase them down and leave her alone. Well he could, but she knew he wouldn't. So she just decided to let the matter be for now and to trust him.
They didn't say a lot to each other for a while as they made their way through the city. She could tell he was nervous, and if she was being honest with herself, she was nervous as well. This wasn't hanging out with her friends at lunch. This wasn't him guarding her. This was a romantic date, it was serious. The only reason for either of them to be with each other at the moment, instead of safe at home, was because they were trying to figure out if there was a future in their relationship or not. There was a nagging voice in the back of her head telling her that it wasn't going to work. She was ignoring that voice.
As they made their way to Ranma's secret destination, they had to cross one little street, then a while later a divided, much larger street. It was probably best that neither of them really knew what to say to each other at the moment, as the sounds of the city and the traffic were very loud.
Not that the cars were a problem. Whenever they crossed the street, even cars would shy away from them. She was sure it was him, and not her. They were walking through Tokyo in their own little tiny bubble that extended outward from them about a quarter of a meter. It wasn't much, but it was still weird to her. Usually when she was in Tokyo she ended up in the crush of the crowd along with everyone else. Normally the crowds didn't touch each other, but there were usually only centimeters to millimeters to spare between each person. She knew it was immature, but the sense of pride she had by being with him and the respect he seemed to command, was growing inside her.
Ranma was doing his very best to be polite and cultured with her. She knew that a lot of it was just stuff he had picked up from movies and television and comics. A lot of it he didn't do very well. But, it was still nice that he was trying. One of the things he was doing, was whenever they encountered less space on the sidewalk, and they had to walk single-file for a while, he always insisted she went first. And when they had gone through one of the pedestrian gates, he had insisted on holding it open for her. All of that was behavior that was very unlike him. Long term, she didn't want him acting fake like that around her. But, in the short term, but she didn't want to spoil the mood of the date by telling him to stop.
"We there yet?" She asked him, only semi-teasingly. Even in flats, she wasn't really dressed for long walks.
He looked over at her and smiled. "Actually, yes. It's just down the block." He said as he nodded down the street. She looked around and smiled. They were indeed entering the Ginza district. She was in her element. The neighborhood they were in had a Tiffany's, a Gucci, several Department Stores, and various classy boutiques. The clean slate stone square paved sidewalks were extra wide to accommodate all of the shoppers that visited the area. There were billboards up on the buildings, both digital and traditional. The smell of amazing food from the restaurants nearby carried on the wind. There were decorations up in some of the stores, and a sense of whimsy was all around them.
The Ginza businesses tried very hard to give shoppers the idea that all of their dreams could come true if they spent enough money there. There were even little trees planted in some sections of the sidewalk to make people feel more at ease and natural.
"We're here." He said softly next to her, and brought her out of her reverie.
She looked over at him and blinked. They were still standing on the sidewalk. He smiled and pointed across the street. The building he was pointing at was tall and narrow. It was covered in frosted glass, and had rectangles of different sizes and widths, made out of some sort of silvery material, spaced eclectically across the face of it. About a quarter of the way up the building in giant silver lettering was the word TASAKI.
She looked up at him and gasped. "Tasaki? You mean, the jewelry store?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yup. Address Five Chome Seven Five, this is the place." He said as he led her to the nearest crosswalk just down the street.
"But ... Ranma ... what are you...?" She tried to ask. She absolutely was not going to let him spend the little bit of money he had, to buy her jewelry. It was sweet, but it wasn't appropriate. Her old self might have accepted. Her new self wouldn't allow it.
"You'll see." He said softly.
"Ranma, you can't—"
"You'll see, don't worry." He said with a smile and a wink. She sighed and nodded. They crossed the street and made their way back down to where the Tasaki building was. Even the building was swanky. It made her dizzy just thinking of the money it represented.
He held the door open for her, and gestured for her to go inside with a large smile on his face. He seems awfully proud of himself. Does he know something I don't know? She thought as she cautiously walked into the lobby of the store while she looked back at him curiously. The store smelled lightly of wood polish, and a very subtle cherry scent. The lighting was typical diffused up-lighting around the jewelry, and a mixture of natural and pin-point LED lighting in recessed alcoves in the ceiling over the areas customers could walk.
There was a hollow glass column right in front of her with a display case inside showing the latest hot piece from the Tasaki line. The walls to her left and right had been designed to look like exploding puzzle pieces with accent lighting behind them to enhance the effect. There were more of the rectangles beside the door, now with glass filling the inside of the rectangles, and warm wood tone paint instead of metal. There was a store directory set into the marble column to the left, next to the courtesy counter. The directory had been carved into the stone, and then covered with a sheet of glass. It looked very modern and elegant.
The floor was a brilliantly polished wood that was reflecting the light from overhead, creating an optical illusion of light coming from the floor as well. There was an escalator leading to the next floor of the store to the immediate left of the main doorway.
Ranma came up behind her and stood to her side. She looked over at him nervously. She didn't know what he was planning, but she hoped he wasn't going to do something...embarrassing. He was smiling at her. He held his hand out to her. She took it gently and allowed him to pull her further into the store. He headed straight towards the back of the ground floor, like he knew where he was going.
As they walked, she continued her survey of the store. The wall to her left wasn't a wall, but sheets of glass that had been lit to make it seem like beams of light were criss-crossing inside of it. It had tables with glass cases on them showcasing more jewelry.
The wall to her right had insets every twenty meters or so with a mannequin bust showing off necklaces. In front of the wall were standard wood paneled cases with glass display cases atop them, showcasing the latest and greatest pieces of jewelry they sold. There was a deep red luxury carpet immediately in front of the counters. In short, the store looked both spartan and modern as well as luxurious. It was the kind of store she had spent a lot of time in over the years. The big question was ... why had he brought her to it?
It can't be ... that ... can it? She thought dizzily as she watched him out of the corner of her eye. Why did he bring me to a jewelry store? He doesn't have a lot of money, and I don't wear a lot of jewelry. The only reason most guys ever set foot into a jewelry store is— she gasped softly to herself. He noticed and looked over at her. She smiled shakily to reassure him. Is he ... is he going to propose? Is he going to ask me to marry him for real? So soon? Is he making his choice? No, there's no way that's what this is. Is he picking me? He isn't going to pick me, he's going to pick Akane. But ... I'm here with him, right? What other reason could we be here for? She thought rapidly to herself as her excitement and self-doubt crashed around in her mind.
He stopped near the back wall, in front of the left-side counter that was arranged in a graceful curve. There was a doorway in the rear left corner with a staircase curving up and down, and out of sight. Standing right past the doorway was a sign that read STAFF ONLY.
She just stood there next to him nervously. Her hands were shaking, as were her legs, and her stomach was sending her urgent signals to sit down, or it wouldn't be responsible for what it did.
Is this really happening? It can't be! He's not this brave ... is he? But ... I told him that he had to ask me for real, didn't I? And Akane didn't come back from her date with a ring on her finger... didn't he say something about having to pick up a surprise for me? She thought quickly as she watched him and tried very hard to control her breathing which she knew was coming faster and faster as the excitement and anticipation built up in her.
If he asks me, I'm saying yes! She thought resolutely to herself. She wasn't screwing around. If he offered to make the commitment to her, then she was going to take it, and do her best to make it work. She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to do that, but she would figure that out later.
A young woman wearing a skirt business-suit walked out of the staff-only doorway, smiled at them, and went to stand in front of them behind the counter. She could tell just by the knowing smile on the young woman's face that the staff member was thinking they didn't belong there, and were most likely kids playing at being adults.
The young woman stopped in front of Ranma and bowed politely as she greeted them and eyed them up and down. She could tell the young woman thought they made an unusual couple. She also wasn't entirely thrilled with the lingering looks the young woman kept sweeping over him. Ranma, of course, was oblivious to all of it. And guys wondered why women sometimes appeared to be cranky for no apparent reason. The reasons were out there, most of the guys just refused to watch for them. She gave the young woman a tight smile, and stepped closer to Ranma and hugged his arm. The young woman got the message and stopped leering at him.
"What can I do for you today?" She asked him sweetly.
"A friend of mine has something waiting for me here." Ranma said.
"Of course, sir. May I ask who your friend is?" The young woman purred at him in a silky voice.
"Tajima." Ranma said simply.
"Tajima ... who, sir?" The woman asked softly.
"Oh, um, I think he said it was, To... Toshi ... Toshikazu, yeah, that was it." Ranma said.
"Toshikazu Tajima?" The young woman asked with a noticeable dip in her voice.
"Yeah, that's him." Ranma said with a smile.
"D-director Toshikazu Tajima? As in, the owner of the building, and the CEO of Tasaki Global?" The young woman asked incredulously. She could tell the young woman was trying to fight it, but a smug smile of disbelief was forming on the young woman's lips.
Oh ... I hope Ranma isn't just trying to impress me. That would be ... embarrassing. She thought nervously as she watched him and stayed silent. She had absolutely nothing she could add to what was being said, she still didn't know what was going on.
"I guess. That's what he told me his name was anyway. He told me he would send something for me here, to the Ginza location of Tasaki. Told me to show you this to pick it up." Ranma said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slightly dingy looking business card with some writing on it.
The young woman looked at it, and her mouth fell open in shock as she almost tripped over herself trying to bow deeply to him at the same moment that she rushed away while she called out over her shoulder. "Please wait one moment, sir! I need to get my manager to handle this!" The young woman said in a panicked voice as she sprinted away from them, ran through the staff-door, and clattered up the stairs.
She looked at him with wide eyes. "Ranma, what are you—"
"You'll see." He said softly with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Yeah, but what—"
"You'll see." He repeated with a twinkle in his eyes.
Oh my God, it's really happening! He's going to propose! She thought excitedly to herself. It was a good thing she was holding on to him, she suddenly didn't trust her legs.
He smiled at her as they waited, and she smiled back at him weakly. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Since she was still hugging his arm, she was sure he felt it. All thoughts of the rest of their date had fled her mind. If he asks me to marry him, I am saying yes on the spot, to hell with the rest of the date, and we aren't going home tonight! She vowed to herself as she chewed on her lower lip gently in anticipation.
She was running through the various ways he might propose, and how she would say yes. Should she just smile and nod? Should she say yes loudly so other people could hear him succeed? Should she say nothing and just hug him and whisper that she loved him? It doesn't really matter I guess. He is definitely getting kissed, though. She vowed to herself. Promises or not, an engagement ring earned a kiss, and it was going to be even bigger than the one he had gotten in the hedge maze earlier. He's going to need an oxygen infusion when I'm done with him. She thought happily to herself as she squeezed his arm tightly and tried to contain her excitement.
A distinguished looking older gentleman came into view as he slowly descended the stairs and walked towards them regally, with a dignified gait. This was not a man who hurried, not for anyone like them anyway. He wasn't very tall, and he was going gray at his temples, and was dressed in a very expensive-looking suit. His noble bearing and demeanor, and the way the young woman they had first spoken to was meekly following behind him, told her everything she needed to know about him. He was the highest ranking person on the premises.
The older gentleman stopped in front of Ranma and looked him up and down dismissively. Even dressed in his nicer clothes, Ranma wasn't in a suit, and his appearance didn't scream money. The man, whom she assumed was the general manager, inclined his head to Ranma at the bare minimum angle of politeness, then fixed his eyes to a point on the wall behind Ranma, and spoke past him. "Yes, sir? How may I help you? My associate said something about your friend sending something here for you to pickup?"
Ranma grinned and nodded. She had a feeling he didn't know he was being spoken down to. She was getting ready to jump in and eviscerate the little man, when Ranma spoke again confidently. "Yup, Mister Tajima said he was gonna send it here."
"I ... see. And, your friend, Mister Tajima, my associate says you have an article of his to show me?" The manager said slowly, as if speaking to a child as he slid an almost bored gaze back on to Ranma.
"Sure, here you go." Ranma said as he held the business card up again.
She had been reading people for a long time, so she was ready for it when it happened. The manager betrayed no reaction at all anywhere ... except his eyes. They got just a little bit wider, for only a moment, as Ranma presented the card. She looked from the manager back to Ranma, and back again. Ranma was standing there easily with a soft smile on his face. The manager was mostly unreadable, but she could tell he was surprised. The young woman they had dealt with earlier was keeping her eyes on her shoes.
"May I ... may I see that, please ... sir?" The manager said in a much more respectful voice.
"I guess, but I want it back when you're done." Ranma said as he handed over the card.
She got a quick glimpse of it as he handed it over. There was something written on the back of it, and a signature. The front was a very sparse single line of text. It was the kind of simple and plain card that a very powerful person would carry.
The manager visibly paled as he turned the card over in his hands reverently then handed it back gently to Ranma. She could tell immediately that the manager's entire opinion of the encounter had just changed. He bowed deeply to Ranma, once Ranma had taken the card back. "Sir, if I may, can you tell me what he told you to say if asked about the card?" The manager said in a stiff, prideful voice that was also tinged with fear.
"Oh, yeah, um, he told me ta say, Shun—Shunsaki? No ... Shunsaku, Shunsaku one ten five four, yeah, that was it." Ranma said after a moment's pause.
The manager's mouth fell open. And he bowed again to cover his surprise. "Please wait one moment, sir, while we get your package." The manager said as his face was still hidden by his bow. The manager snapped his fingers and pointed urgently to the staff-only staircase as he rose from his bow. The young woman, who had been doing her best to try to be invisible, squeaked and dashed off in that direction, presumably to get the package.
"Sure." Ranma said as he looked over at her and smiled while he squeezed her hand. She smiled back. She couldn't believe this was happening. I guess Ranma has secrets too. She thought in wonder as she watched everything unfold in front of her. She couldn't imagine a more satisfying way for him to propose to her at the moment, than making that stuffy manager eat crow after his dismissive display earlier.
"Please ... please, sir ... please accept my most humble apologies, sir. Please tell Mister Tajima that we here at the Tasaki flagship location have nothing but respect for him and his friends." The manager said in what she was sure was a cold sweat.
Ranma, bless him, clearly had no idea what the man was talking about. I am going to have to teach him about subtext once we're were married. She thought happily as was watched Ranma eye the manager with a bit of surprise in his body language. "I ... uh ... sure, if I get a chance, I will." He replied slowly, with confusion evident in his voice.
The manager bobbed his head up and down rapidly at that as his hands flashed rapid hand signals to the staff behind them. Moments later, several additional young women were standing to either side of them, holding trays of various snacks and beverages. Two young men arrived a moment later, each of them carrying chairs that were clearly meant for VIP guests. They set the chairs behind each of them gently, right in the middle of the walkway. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed one of the men who had brought the chairs hurry to the front door, and close and lock it as he changed their sign to closed. Both of the men took up station by the door and escalator.
Wow, they are rolling out the red carpet treatment. She thought in approval as she helped herself to a small can of soda, and happily sat down in one of the chairs. Her shaking had stopped, but she wasn't going to ignore a VIP chair brought for her in the middle of the sales floor of a huge global jewelry company's flagship location. Ranma looked back at her, and around at all of the people suddenly willing to serve him based on nothing but his friendship with a man she was sure he'd had no idea was the CEO of the company. She smiled at him and gestured to the other chair.
He smiled back and shook his head slightly as he remained standing with his hands clasped easily behind his back in a military stance. She gazed up at him and imagined him standing next to her at her wedding in that stance, and grinned. She could picture it easily. Hell, all they needed to get married right here and now was someone with the official paperwork to make it happen. She was sure if she snapped her fingers and told the manager to send someone to run to the nearest courthouse to bring back a judge to marry them, the little man would find a way to make it happen. Probably shouldn't get ahead of myself, though. She thought happily as she gazed at Ranma and tried to contain her excitement. He hasn't actually proposed yet. She reminded herself to try to tamp down on her excitement as she waited.
The young woman, who had been sent to fetch the package, stumbled back around the corner then. In her shaking hands the young woman was carrying a fairly large metal box. It was almost as big as her torso. The nervous staff member ran up to the manager and handed it to him. He yanked it out of her hands like he was taking a weapon away from a child. He glared at the young woman, and she shrank away from him nervously and melted out of sight behind the rest of the staff standing around herself and Ranma.
Ranma perked up noticeably at the arrival of his package. He stepped forward towards the counter and raised his arm up to grab the box. The manager smiled nervously at him and stepped back to keep the box out of Ranma's reach. Ranma frowned at that.
"F-forgive me, sir. But, I am sure, someone like you, knows I have to ... h-have to verify who you are first." The manager said in a strangled voice. Ranma shrugged and nodded. The manager looked down at something written on the outside of the box then looked back up at Ranma. "Could you tell me, please, sir ... your name?"
"It's Ranma. Ranma Saotome." He said simply. The manager's eyes widened a bit as Ranma obviously confirmed what had been written down. She was sure the manager was having a hard time reconciling his first impression of Ranma, which happened to be correct, against who and what Ranma clearly knew.
"And, please sir ... just one more question, can you please verify what is in the package?" The manager whispered.
Ranma looked back at her with mild panic showing on his face. She smiled at him. She had known he wanted it to be a surprise, but she didn't care if it was a surprise. She smiled at him and nodded that it was all right.
He squinted at her and frowned, then smiled as his face lit up. He clearly had an idea. She watched with amusement as he beckoned the manager over. She had to stifle a laugh when Ranma coaxed the stuffy little man to lean over the counter, and then bent down to whisper in his ear.
Whatever he said to the manager seemed to satisfy him though. The manager straightened up and set the box on the counter, and reached into his pocket and pulled out an ornate key on a chain. With a soft, fluid motion, he slid the key into the lock on the box, and turned it. There was a small click. Then the manager swiftly turned the key back and hurriedly returned it to his pocket. She had a feeling that even knowing about the key was considered a company secret. She made a mental note about that for possible use later.
The manager reached into the box to pull something out. Ranma hurried up to the manager and took whatever it was the older gentleman handed to him. She couldn't see, as his body was blocking her view from the angle she was at in her chair. Just as she was thinking about getting up so she could see, he turned and smiled at her. In his hand was a small white box with the word Tasaki emblazoned across the top in silver lettering, and a silver bar was laid under the lettering to underscore it. There was a sea-green tint to the trim of the box. He smiled at her and slipped it into his pocket as he made his way back over to her.
I guess he isn't going to propose right here in the store. That makes sense, I doubt he thought he was going to get this kind of treatment, and he has somewhere in mind to do it. She thought as he walked back over to her. He stopped in front of her and held his hand out to her. She smiled at him widely and let him raise her gently to her feet. She rose as gracefully as she knew how. She was going to show these people that there was more to Ranma than his appearance, and just the fact that she was with him was proof of that.
She reached into herself and pulled out all of the tricks and tactics she had built up over the years dealing with the world of high finance, corporate politics, and cutthroat business. Most of it was very subtle, but people like that stuffy little manager would pick up on it instantly. She kept her eyes on the manager and skewered him with a stare she reserved for people who had double-crossed her. She held herself in a poise that screamed I am not someone to be questioned, I am someone to be obeyed.
She could tell the manager recognized that she knew how to play the game, and that she considered herself to be of a higher rank than him. He gulped and bowed to her deeply then rose abruptly and clapped his hands loudly and issued several additional orders to his people with silent hand signals. Even though she was annoyed with him, she had to respect him for that. Training his staff to know and respond to hand-signals was a very elegant way to handle issuing orders to staff without having to shout.
She eyed the staff benignly, they had nothing to do with their manager's behavior. That didn't stop her from holding her head at just the right angle to show her station, nor did it stop her subtle hand and body language that showed she wanted them to get out of her way. To their credit, the staff responded immediately and almost leaped out of the way. They lined up to either side of them as more young men rushed up to move the chairs out of their way.
Ranma looked over at her with wide eyes. She knew he was picking up on some of what was going on. She smiled happily to him. For him, she dropped all her masks briefly and allowed the joy in her heart to show in her eyes and on her face for a moment, then she looked away from him again and slammed her masks back into place. Once they were out of the store they could exchange secrets, but for now she wanted his exit to be dignified, and even feared. She wanted that small little man sweating for a week, waiting for a reprimanding phone call that was never going to come. She knew that even after she explained what had happened to Ranma, he wasn't the kind of guy who would seek out his friend just to get some manager in trouble for being rude. She loved that about him.
The staff followed a couple of paces behind them, and remained in their two lines. When they reached the front entrance, the young men who had been guarding the door rushed to open it for them. Then they bowed deeply to them and held the bows. The rest of the staff bowed as well. She smiled at them then sought out the manager with her eyes as well. She locked eyes with him and held his gaze for a moment, then tipped her chin up and looked away from him. She saw him, out of the corner of her eye, bow to them slowly and with a slight tremor, as Ranma gently led her through the door.
Then they were on the street alone together again. He pulled her to walk further up the street, and she happily went with him. As soon as they were out of the sight of the jewelry store she dropped her act and leaned into him and sighed happily.
He looked over at her and blinked. She smiled in response. She knew he had questions, but she had her own questions she wanted answered first. But before any of that, she wanted him to give her the ring, and ask her to marry him.
They paused at an intersection and she smiled eagerly at him. Across the street to the left was a nice little mini-park, the kind that showed up in Tokyo every couple of blocks or so. They were just little places with a few trees, and a fountain and some benches to give the office workers somewhere to experience nature occasionally. He seemed to be leading them to the park. It was a lovely choice for a proposal.
When the light changed, they crossed the street, but instead of heading left, he turned right. She looked at him in confusion. "Aren't we going to that little park?" She asked with a tilt of her head over her shoulder.
He looked back and then at her and shook his head. "Nah, fountain. Water. You know, me and water ... not a great mix." He said in an embarrassed tone.
Well, that made sense. "Well, then, where?" She asked, genuinely confused.
"Almost there, you'll see." He said calmly to her. She nodded, and willed herself to calm down. He was going to propose to her in his own way, in his own time. That was the big mistake that all of the girls except Akane had made. They'd all tried to force him on to their timetable. She had to be patient with him.
"Here we go." Ranma said to her with a smile as he stopped next to the building they had been walking along.
She looked around in surprise, then shrugged. If he wanted to propose to her randomly in the middle of the city next to an anonymous building on the sidewalk, she was fine with that. She looked at him expectantly and waited as calmly as she could. Meanwhile, the dragon inside her was climbing the walls with excitement. She hoped he would hurry up, she didn't know how long she was going to be able to pretend to be calm and detached.
He turned around and pressed a square on the frame of the building, and a door opened. She blinked and realized they were standing next to an elevator. It was one of the types that was built into the side of the building in a glass column. She had been so focused on him that she'd missed it.
He gestured into the elevator, and she nodded and walked into it. He followed her in and let the door close behind himself. They were alone in the elevator. He pressed the button for the roof then moved to stand behind her. She couldn't help herself. She reached back for his hands with both of her hands. As soon as he grasped them, she yanked him forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. He took the hint and pulled her into a hug from behind as they rose quickly into the sky. She looked out at the city as it dropped away from below them, and smiled. Now THIS is more like it. She thought to herself happily as she sank into his warmth and sighed happily as her heart rate increased as they rose into the sky.
They reached the roof moments later, and the elevator dinged. She tore her eyes away from the impressive vista of the city stretched out in front of her and spun around in his arms. The urge to kiss him rose up powerfully inside her, but she fought it back. First proposal, THEN kisses, SO MANY KISSES! She thought happily to herself. He smiled at her and started walking her backwards to the door. She was rapidly approaching the limits of what she could endure of her self control. She was standing at the top of the world with Ranma on a date, and he had planned surprises for her, and it was wonderful, and she never wanted it to end. She spun around in his arms again and looked out at the city for a while as she tried to calm down. The view was beautiful, the city was beautiful, the moment they were sharing ... was beautiful.
She pulled in a shuddering breath and waited for him to make his move. She didn't have to wait long. He loosened his arms around her and gently spun her back around to face him. Facing him, she could see that they were standing in a nice rooftop garden that had been setup for whatever company owned the building. There were trees, and benches, and tables, but no water — he had probably had to search for a while to find a garden with no water features. It was still lovely though. He smiled and walked backwards with her in his arms. He angled them towards a nearby cherry blossom tree. It wasn't in bloom, but it was still pretty. It had a lone lover's bench standing under it.
Once they were under the tree, he slid his arms from around her, and stepped back so he was just holding her hands. He smiled at her and let go of her left hand to reach into his pocket. Her heart immediately rose into her throat as her stomach dropped to her knees.
Oh my God, it's really happening! He's doing it! She thought in shock and joy at the same time. Her breath was coming in sharp little gasps, she was so excited. He grinned at her and pulled out the box from the store and held it out to her. He didn't make a speech, nor did he get down on one knee, he just handed it to her and smiled.
Her heart was racing. She took the box in her shaking hand and held it for a moment and gently examined it. She noticed that the Kanji 榊 and the number one were written lightly on the bottom in silver pen. She could only think of one reason why someone would have written sacred one on the box. She looked into his eyes and smiled, then quickly slid her other hand out of his and reached for the box to open it. She eagerly lifted the top of the box up, and gasped.