A Package from Mother

A Package from Mother (母の贈り物) is the 386th chapter of the manga and the first chapter of the Pill Box Arc.

Synopsis
Nodoka realizes that her bringing Ranma home has caused some problems for her son's relationship with Akane, and wants to try to patch things up. With summer vacation over and school starting once again, Nodoka asks Ranma to take a small gift to Akane in hopes she will have some use for it. Ranma agrees, until he realizes what is inside the tiny box... a ring!

Plot Overview
Ranma tells Nodoka that he's leaving for school. Nodoka, however, tells Ranma to wait a minute. She then asks Ranma to try and fix things between him and Akane as she's getting a bit worried. Nodoka also adds that she feels like she's responsible for the two of them being separated like this.

After grumbling slightly, Ranma tells Nodoka that it'll be alright as it's better to be here like a dutiful son should be, as opposed to mooching off the Tendos. However, as Ranma looks to see what Nodoka's response is, he realises she's gone to get something, meaning she didn't hear a thing he just said. Nodoka then returns with a small box and tells Ranma to give it to Akane as it's something she used for a while, and hopes Akane will like it as well.

Hurrying for school, Ranma wonders just what the box is. Meanwhile, Nabiki is walking with Akane and saying about how rude Ranma is for not even writing a single letter since returning to his mother's house. Akane just notes that it's been quieter since Ranma left so she doesn't mind that much. In addition that (thinking to herself) she'll see Ranma in school everyday anyway.

Behind them, Ranma is hanging on a lamppost so he can spot Akane and begins to wonder if she's still mad with him. He soon decides there's only one way to find out, so walks up behind Nabiki and Akane and quietly asks Akane how she's doing. Unfortunately, Nabiki loudly says that Ranma doesn't even seem to care if something happens to her (Akane) at all. Ranma, with his eye closed, doesn't notice this and continues offering the box to Akane while the pair are still walking away.

Ranma finally notices the pair aren't paying any attention to him. Akane and Nabiki continue to talk to each other. Nabiki keeps saying that their relationship is over while Akane loudly says she doesn't care and that she should shut up, with her fingers in her ears. Ranma loudly shouts Akane's name so she actually hears him and turns around. Despite this, Kuno quickly appears, knocking Ranma into the air, and rushes over to Akane. When Kuno begins acting like his usual annoying self, Akane kicks him skyward.

After that Akane notes that the voice which called her name sounded like Ranma's. Ranma himself has ended up atop a roof thanks to Kuno and he quickly grabs the box before it falls off the roof. But when Ranma grabs the box it's opened, revealing the ring inside.

Having learned about the contents of the box, Ranma takes it to Nabiki for her opinion. Nabiki looks over the ring and identifies the ring as being gold plated. She then thinks it's for her but Ranma interjects. Ranma explains that he's giving to Akane on behalf of his mother. This information causes Nabiki to quickly decide that it must be an engagement ring. Ranma begins to sweat slightly at this news, but starts downplaying the situation by telling Nabiki that she's putting too much into this.

Nabiki then proceeds to just give the ring to Akane herself on Ranma's behalf, causing Ranma to panic more and tell Nabiki to wait a minute. Meanwhile Akane finally finds Ranma and happily goes to meet him. Causing Ranma to take the ring and flee, making her confused.

Later that day Ranma and Akane have gone to class. Akane is trying to get Ranma's attention, although Ranma is too deep in thought to notice her. Ranma then imagines himself giving Akane then-and-there but soon goes against the idea since the others will think the ring has a special meaning (i.e. an engagement ring). As Ranma panics at this idea, Akane uses a megaphone to finally get Ranma's attention. This causes Ranma to throw the ring case in Akane's direction, but he quickly grabs it and jumps out of the window. Making her shocked and confused again.

Outside, Ranma has hidden in a tree and begins to think that there's no way he can give this to Akane himself. He then thinks about how it was Nodoka who wanted him to give to Akane, so he can't just give up either. Just then Ranma thinks he's found a solution.

Ranma sneaks into the girls' locker room, hoping to put the ring case in Akane's locker (with a note attached saying it's from Nodoka) so she can find it herself. However, when Ranma opens Akane's locker he finds Happosai inside on one of his usual panty raids. Happosai questions Ranma about why he's here, before calling him a little pervert. Ranma then proceeds to kick Happosai out of a window, while telling Happosai to look who's talking. Returning to why he came here, Ranma is about to put the ring case in the locker, but Akane suddenly appears him and asks why he's here. Panicking, Ranma creates a smokescreen and leaves Akane a map to the ring case.

Akane follows the map and begins to dig at the base of the tree as instructed by the map. Ranma sneaks behind at a safe distance to watch, but Akane ends up digging out a wara ningyo, much to her confusion. Meanwhile, Gosunkugi is next to Ranma curiously looking at the box that he found while burying the cursed doll. In anger Ranma kicks Gosunkugi into the air, before being kicked by Akane for copying her act.

Seeing no other way to give Akane the ring, Ranma puts one more plan into action. Akane gets a letter telling her to go to the P.E. equipment room after school. Akane does as the letter says, but is surprised to find that instead of Ranma, Nodoka is hiding in a darkened corner of the room.

Nodoka explains that she wants to give her something, and has absolutely nothing to do with her son. Akane then begins by telling Nodoka that she doesn't even talk to Ranma at the moment and that although she appreciates what she's doing, she'd like to make up with Ranma first.

This angers Nodoka who turns to Akane and tells her that this is why she needs to take her gift, so things will get better. Akane quickly notices that "Nodoka's" face looks different, and just then a pigtail appears meaning that it was Ranma disguised in his female form the whole time.

The deceit of Ranma's greatly angers Akane, who changes Ranma back into a male, then asks him if he's trying to make a fool out of her. Ranma then worryingly puts his hands up expecting a fight with Akane. However, Akane just ends up sighing and tells Ranma that it isn't the same anymore as they only ever see each other at school. She continues by saying that it's not like she wants to forcefully make up with Ranma but... However, before Akane can finish Ranma asks whoever said that he wanted to make up with her. This insensitivity from Ranma greatly angers Akane, who kicks Ranma through the roof of the equipment room.

Ranma scurries home and as he gets inside he thinks about what Akane said and what she might have possibly meant by it. Nodoka hears Ranma come in and welcomes him home, but is shocked to see him wearing female clothes in his male form. Despite Ranma's protests that it isn't what it looks like, Nodoka yells at Ranma to come down when he scurries to the roof for his own sake. Ranma then opens the ring case and says that he'll make Akane say that she absolutely wants it.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Nodoka Saotome
 * Akane Tendo
 * Nabiki Tendo
 * Tatewaki Kuno
 * Yuka and Sayuri
 * Hiroshi and Daisuke
 * Happosai
 * Hikaru Gosunkugi
 * Ranma Saotome (female)

Quotes
To be added

Trivia

 * The image metaphor that appears behind Nabiki when she says Nodoka's gift is an engagement ring is meant to represent how the ring will pull Ranma down (to commitment) like the Earth's gravity. So no matter how much he tries to free himself he can't.