Give Me a Little Hug

Ai no saba ori (愛のさば折り) is the 124th chapter of the manga it is also the fifth and final chapter of the Waterproof Soap Arc.

Synopsis
Shampoo keeps trying to make Ranma regurgitate the soap, but he is more concerned with Ryoga and Akane. Now that Akane has hugged Ryoga, he has lost all his shyness and is trying to return the favor and hug Akane. Akane doesn't even remember the hug Shampoo forced her to make, until it is revealed to her, but by that time, Ryoga has gotten out of control and is chasing Akane and not listening to reason.

Plot Overview
Infuriated at Akane's earlier actions, Ranma turns into his female form in an attempt to foil the date by pretending to be Ryoga's girlfriend. However, Shampoo soon derails this plan by demanding Ranma cough up the Waterproof Soap first. Akane then arrives with Ryoga and tells Ranma to just grow up as this date idea was all his doing anyway.

Hearing this, Ranma comments about he wasn't the one who hugged Ryoga like he was their one true love. Akane can't remember anything about hugging Ryoga and attempts to ask Ranma what he's talking about, but before she can, Ryoga thanks her for squeezing the fear from his timid heart. He continues by sweeping Akane up into his arms and declaring that he is now a man, prompting Shampoo to comment that the pair look like a real couple.

Ranma appears extremely aggravated by this situation at first, but soon calms herself done to tell the pair how lovely they are together. Ryoga is surprised at this, and thanks Ranma by over-excitedly punching him into the air whilst telling Ranma what a good man he is. Ryoga then proceeds to carry Akane off with him, as Shampoo wishes them a happy life together.

After carrying Akane off to the Water Obstacle course, Ryoga declares that they're finally alone and moves in to hug her. Akane swiftly avoids Ryoga's advance and is terrified at the sight of Ryoga crushing the wooden stack behind her with his embrace. Fearing that she could be killed, Akane attempts to run away, but Ryoga stops her by slamming his hands either side of her head and happily tell her that she needn't run away any more.

Unfortunately, Ryoga's strength causes the stacks behind Akane to break and the pair begin falling to the water below. Just before Akane hits the water, Ranma arrives and saves Akane whilst kicking Ryoga in the face so that he falls into the water. Ranma then proceeds to comment how stupid Ryoga is drowning over someone like Akane, prompting Akane to hit Ranma with a mallet and rhetorically ask him what he was saying.

Suddenly Shampoo returns and reveals to Akane and Ranma that she made Akane hug Ryoga through acupressure. Shampoo continues by commenting that if Ranma would just throw up and return the Soap, she can have a happy ending. This prompts Akane to throw a bucket of cold water over Shampoo in revenge for what she did, much to Ranma's horror.

As Ranma runs away with Shampoo still tightly stuck to his chest, Akane looks in the water as she realises that Ryoga's got the wrong idea. At that moment Ryoga emerges, still wanting to hug Akane in return for her hugging him. Akane tries to escape, but can't manage to lose Ryoga, even when Ranma appears and accidentally kicks Ryoga in the face again.

After Ryoga dispatches with Ranma (and, by extension, Shampoo), he returns his attention to hugging Akane. However, the still fearful Akane tries to fend Ryoga off by attempting to knock him unconscious with a heavy pillar, unfortunately, Ryoga is immune to all of Akane's hits and continues to pursuit her. As Akane runs, Ranma returns and comments how scary it must be when a lonely guy gets a taste of affection. Akane responds by turning to Ranma and demand he does something or else she'll get killed by Ryoga before she can tell him the truth.

Some time passes and Ryoga arrives at the Man-Made Waterfall, having lost all traces of Akane. Frustrated, Ryoga punches part of the Waterfall before noticing who he believes to be Akane hiding behind the Waterfall and only an inch from where he just punched. Akane shyly tells Ryoga to hold her gently, Ryoga does as instructed, all the time thinking about how Akane always loved him as a pet and not as a man, but now he finally holds Akane in his arms.

Meanwhile, Nabiki finds Akane sat wearing Ranma's clothes. Nabiki asks her what she's doing, to which Akane simply replies that it's a long story. Back at the Waterfall, and Ryoga hugs Ranma so intensely that the soap comes flying out of her mouth. Noticing something wrong, Ryoga asks "Akane" if she's alright, only to notice that it's Ranma in disguise. Just then the Soap lands on Ranma's head and she attempts to hop away in joy, but the infuriated Ryoga goes in to punch Ranma for her trickery.

However, as Ryoga moves towards Ranma, bubbles start coming from his body until he's left in his cursed form. Seeing what just happened to Ryoga, Ranma deduces that the Soap isn't very useful as it just washes off. Some time later, Akane thinks to herself that whoever ends up as Ryoga's girlfriend will have to be made of sterner stuff than her, as Ranma whispers to P-chan (who she's hiding behind her back) that he's lucky she took Akane's place. Shampoo, meanwhile, looks at the soap and grumbles that you just can't trust Jusenkyo Mail Order products anymore.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Ryoga Hibiki (human)
 * Ranma Saotome (female)
 * Shampoo (human)
 * Shampoo (cat)
 * Ryoga Hibiki (P-chan)
 * Nabiki Tendo

Quotes
To be added

Trivia
To be added