Kasumi entered the main room after returning home and saw Akane 
staring at some papers. "Hello, Akane, how was your day?"

"All right, I guess," Akane replied sadly.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"No... yes... I don't know," Akane answered uncertainly.

"Can you tell me what's bothering you?" Kasumi asked with concern.

"Oneechan, when did it happen?"

"When did what happen?"

"When did I become a housewife?"

Kasumi blinked in confusion. 

"When did it become acceptible to me to tell my friends, 'I have to go 
home and cook diner?' When was it that I didn't think there was 
anything wrong or weird about buying underwear for Ranma?" 

"You bought underwear for Ranma?" Kasumi asked in surprise. "T-shirts 
or boxers?"

"Boxers."

"Oh, my."

"Where did my childhood go? I'm seventeen, damn it, I should be 
concerned about who I'm going out with to the next school dance, how 
to balance school work with clubs and my time with my friends, or just 
concerned with myself. But that's not me. I'm concerned about someone 
tricking Ranma to take them to school dance instead of me, how to 
balance time between school work and Ranma and his odd adventures, or 
just plain concerned about Ranma ABOVE my concerns for myself. This 
morning was one of the few times recently I've done something without 
Ranma and I still thought about him."

"I don't know what to say. I guess, in some ways, you are if it didn't 
bother you to buy boxers for him. But, you aren't one just yet. You've 
got until high school is over before you can be a houswife full-time."

Akane sighed. "That's all I'll be, huh? A full-time housewife."

"Akane, what's wrong with being a housewife?"

"I don't know. I wanted to be something more than just a housewife. My 
friends will likely be housewives, but I thought being the heir of the 
Tendo school of martial arts would mean that I'd be something better 
than them. I thought it'd mean more than being the wife to the Saotome 
heir."

"A housewife is one of the most important jobs there is. It is hard to 
be more than a housewife because those that try to be better than that 
will never have the rewards of a housewife. When their husband or 
children accomplish something, they wouldn't feel as happy or as proud 
as we would. When you got your report card with almost all As, I felt 
happy for you and myself. I felt satisfied I was doing a good job, 
since if I wasn't doing all the work to keep the meals ready on time 
and the house in order- you wouldn't be able to study as well and your 
grades would've been worse."

Akane listened with interest and realized more. "You also don't feel 
as disappointed if they did something wrong like Ranma's report card."

Kasumi nodded. "There are the bad points as well, but I don't regret 
being the 'housewife' of our home."




Who Am I?
by Tendo Akane

	I thought I knew who I am. Sunday, I realized I didn't. I 
thought I was: 

	Tendo Akane, heir to the Tendo school of Anything Goes Martial
	Arts, engaged to Saotome Ranma by giri, and have the dubious 
	honor of being one of the most popular girls at school.

A year ago I wasn't engaged to anyone, but otherwise the above was 
true then too. When I thought of the future then, it was with a 
child's eyes. My future was to be the heir of my martial art's school, 
find someone that would sweep me off my feet, romance me, and then 
marry me, and I would run my family's dojo while he would help me.

The notion of someone sweeping me off my feet got a whole new meaning. 
And while I guess that did happen (if a foot sweep counts), it wasn't 
the way I expected and it was hardly romantic.

Now when I look at the future, really look, I see either that I will 
be married to Ranma and that I will be helping him in the dojo or I 
will be a bitter old maid.