Bet on the Ring!!

Bet on the Ring!! (リングにかけろ!!) is the 387th chapter of the manga it is also the second and final chapter of the Pill Box Arc.

Ranma tries to formulate a plan to give Akane the engagement ring without it seeming like a big deal. His brilliant plan is to make it look like he was beaten up by a gang who tortured him for the ring, and if Akane will take it off his hands it would save him from any further injuries. Ranma makes it look like he was roughed up and sets off to give Akane the ring, but before he can Nabiki tells Kuno, Kodachi, Shampoo and Ukyo that Ranma is going to give Akane an engagement ring. Upon hearing this Ranma really is beaten up and his farfetched plan actually comes true.

Continuing from the Previous Chapter
Akane is wandering around a high-street in Furinkan, wondering if Ranma even wants to make up with her. Just then Nodoka appears and greets Akane. The two of them then go into a café, where Nodoka tells Akane she hopes that she likes her gift as it's something she used to use. Akane says that she doesn't know what Nodoka is talking about, causing Nodoka to ask her if she hasn't got it yet. Akane then just sits in silent confusion, as Nodoka says that she told Ranma to give it to her.

Meanwhile, Ranma is outside the Saotome household and practicing with a pair of. At first Ranma seems confident with them, but suddenly begins beating himself up with them. Ranma then goes inside, where he puts fake lipstick marks all over his face. The reasoning behind this is then revealed, when Ranma imagines himself (pretending to have been beaten up) staggering up to Akane and giving her the ring and underplaying it's importance by saying the others mistook it for an engagement ring. Ranma believes that this will make him giving Akane the ring less of a "big deal".

Plan Foiled
As Ranma runs to find Akane, Akane herself is walking around and thinking about what Nodoka said to her. Akane begins to wonder what's taking Ranma so long to give her this gift, since it's just a gift from his mother. She then remembers Nodoka telling her to make sure she looks inside as she'll find it interesting, causing Akane to wonder what she meant.

Ranma finally catches up with Akane and prepares to initiate his plan. However, he suddenly senses something and Tatewaki Kuno appears and attacks him. When Ranma questions Kuno on what he's doing, Nabiki appears and explains that she told Kuno about the engagement ring. Kuno begins to cry at how fortuitous it was that Nabiki told him, before turning his attention back to Ranma and telling him that his heavenly sword shall destroy him and his accursed ring.

After quickly dealing with Kuno, Ranma tells him that it doesn't have any special meaning. Just then Akane appears in front of Ranma and asks him what he's talking about. Ranma kneels and tries to execute his plan, but Akane notices the lipstick on his face so slaps him for it. Ranma shouts at Akane, telling her to stop hitting him and listen, to which Akane tells Ranma to hurry up and start talking.

Nabiki, meanwhile, hears Kuno say something but can't make it out, so asks him to repeat. With the help of Nabiki's megaphone, Kuno nearly reveals that the box contains an engagement ring, but Ranma kicks Kuno skyward before he can finish.

Akane fortunately mishears what Kuno said, and then begins demanding Ranma just give her the gift already. This throws Ranma off slightly, so he asks Akane if she really wants it, to which Akane replies that she does. Akane's willingness to accept the gift relieves Ranma who's glad that although it isn't how he planned it, but after everything that's already happened...

Suddenly, both Kodachi and Ukyo appear and try to attack Ranma (both learned of the ring from Nabiki as well). The pair attack Ranma, but he manages to dodge. They then nearly reveal the gift to be an engagement ring as well, but Ranma screams that it isn't before they can finish and tries to run away.

Kodachi and Ukyo give chase, with Akane desperately trying to keep up. Kodachi uses her ribbon to get the box off Ranma, but the ribbon is in turn broken by one of Ukyo's spatulas. The box then falls into Akane's hands, who tries to look in it, but suddenly Shampoo appears as well by hitting her head. Then grabs it off Akane while riding away on her bike. She doesn't have for long though, as Ranma swoops in and grabs it back. The three girls then chase after Ranma across Furinkan, causing Ranma to say that he has to lose them somehow.

Ranma goes to the Saotome household, where he throws a pack of bandaids at Genma (who's lounging around in his panda form). This confuses Kodachi, Ukyo and Shampoo who all go in to attack Genma to get what they believe is the engagement ring.

Gotten Away
Back with Akane, she finally finds Ranma crawling out of an alleyway. Ranma collapses onto the floor and tells Akane to take the box. The two then go to a park, where Ranma tells Akane not to get the wrong idea. In a slightly angered tone, Akane tells Ranma that she never understands a thing he does. Ranma then proceeds to reinforce that this has absolutely no special significance, and it's just from his mother.

Akane opens the box and stares in silence at the ring inside. As Ranma looks on worryingly, Akane finally says that she loves it. She then turns to Ranma and asks if it's really okay for her to have it. Ranma replies that his mother wanted her to have it and he thought it would sorta look good on her. Akane then begins to wonder if it will fit.

However, when Akane goes to take the ring out, the casing comes out with it, revealing a large collection of pills hidden underneath. The two stare at it in shock and confusion.

Later on, Nodoka explains that the Saotome women go through a lot of trials and tribulations and that the box happens to be her favourite medicine box. Nodoka then asks Akane if she likes it, to which Akane tells Nodoka (with a look of annoyance in her eyes) that she thinks it's a very nice design. Nabiki is also surprised that it wasn't a ring after all. Ranma is just standing while shaking, almost about to cry. Soun, meanwhile, talks to a bruised Genma about how Kodachi, Ukyo and Shampoo destroyed their house (while Ranma and Akane were in the park, the trio inadvertently destroyed the Saotome household in search for the "ring", so the Saotomes have moved back in with the Tendos as a result).

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Akane Tendo
 * Nodoka Saotome
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Tatewaki Kuno
 * Nabiki Tendo
 * Kodachi Kuno
 * Ukyo Kuonji
 * Shampoo
 * Genma Saotome (panda)
 * Kasumi Tendo
 * Soun Tendo
 * Genma Saotome (human)