Ok, this is my first attempt of writing a fanfiction,so be clement. The story will be in Ritsu POV (except future changes) and there will be shoujo ai in the later chapters,so be warned.
After high school, HTT attains a huge but short-lived success. Business, fame and inner turmoil causes the band to break up. After that, everyone goes their separate ways.
Years later, Ritsu,now employed in a small music shop, finds herself thinking about the past.
Will destiny bring together again the lazy worker, the international popstar, the rich heiress, the absent minded pastry-chef and the underground music guitarist?
"That's a Noble & Cooley SS Maple Classic Snare Drum . It's a very good product, and few drummers don't own at least one of these. I'm sure you would find it of your liking, especially if you are a beginner. What do you think of that, little one?." I said with a grin, barging in the little kid who was holding the piece. He glanced nervously at me, gulping ,before putting the snare drum back at its place. The next moment he was gone, hiding behind his mother legs.
I sighed in annoyance. If I was going to have a client today, he didn't seem to be the one: I was particularly bad at this kind of work, and many times over I wondered why the boss continued to keep me, against the odds. I didn't posses the natural courtesy nor the patience to deal with the clients, not to say that I lacked a qualification of any sort. Very frequently I cracked lame jokes and created antics that no one found funny beside me to attract the clients, with scarce success. The co-workers, a round music nerd and a part-time university student, endured with that and went on, most of the time...
"Ritsu, what the heck? It's not even noon and you already scared off two people! How many times do I have to tell you to shut your mouth? Damn, you have to help them, not to jump on them. If you note that they are lost in their thoughts, wait the right moment to make yourself seen, instead of assail them!" whispered Kaneda, the university student.
He was somewhat of a perfectionist, and a huge pain in the ass, if you understand what I mean. He sometimes reminded me of the most annoying part of Mio and Azusa, and so I acted accordingly. His stuck up, holier than thou attitude often get on my nerves, but I wasn't the type to throw a hissy fit about that. Whereas the majority of people would smack the moron on the head, I used others, more refined ways to deal with him.
With a sly smile, I threw my arm around his shoulders, and speaking boldly told him I said "Ka-chan doesn't have to be jealous of me because I pay attention to the clients, it's only work for me. I'm sure Ka-chan know better! I wait for the day he' ll stop being a grumpy bear and will find the courage to embrace his feelings!"
I concluded, mimicking the sound of a kiss. If it wasn't for the crimson that spreaded trough his cheeks, his physical reaction was enough to made me burst out laughing: he immediately jumped away from me ,as if he was bitten by a shark, and almost tripped in a bunch of boxes.
"D-dont call me Ka-chan, and stop acting like a idiot,we are have an image to defend!" He stuttered, losing completely his smug tone.
People were so easy to embarrass, especially men! I've only found it out in University, but with a bit of wit and sexual innuendo even the more restrained guy would practically lose himself. So I immediately learnt, and quickly added it to my repertoire. Being delectable wasn't something I usually was, but sometimes trying was worth it.
Since he noted that I was practically cracking up, with no signal of listening to him, he added, now more angry than embarassed "I-idiot, you never change, do you?"
Our power dynamic was this way, and I secretly enjoyed it. It reminded of times in which being smacked in the head and being happy about it was the norm, in which I thought nothing could change and everything would stay the same, no matter what.
Damn, if I miss them...
Slowly, I stopped laughing, assuming a pensive pose.
It wasn't very often that I allowed myself to think about the past: I was a person of action, and struggling with emotions, past emotion additionally, wasn't something I was used to, wasn't something that I permitted myself.
The times following HTT break-up were some of the darkest parts of my life, a portion of memories that I tried to bury away without being quite successful about it.
"Now what?"
He asked pointedly, noticing a shift in my emotions.
"Nothing, it's only that you've reminded me of something."
I said with a bitter smile.
Sharing cracks and funny tales was one thing, but when it came to introspection and personal feelings I was quite secluded. I hated being gloomy and speaking of myself in other therms other than those I was used to. It made me feel uncomfortable: I praised myself in being the enthusiastic and funny tool in the stock, not a angst-filled individual.
I unintentionally shrugged, walking my way past him.
Lets see if today I'll manage to find a purchaser without being constricted to threat someone.
I thought with a grin.
The most important thing is that I have learned to let it go with a smile.
I was and would forever be a trickster, a funny girl without hidden depths. The past didn't haunt me in the slighest.
Or so i liked to think.