K-On

On My Own

Chapter One

The Quiet Girl

She passed through the school like a wraith. Her eyes, stormy grey, kept to the floor. She wore her school uniform awkwardly as though it was as tight as leather though it fit perfectly on her boyish curves. Her blonde hair was spiked neatly but gave her a rebellious look; however, nothing else about her suggested she thought herself anything in particular other than a shadow that would fade into the background. It was clear by the way she avoided all other's eyes and her body trembled that she was no social butterfly and nor was she comfortable in this new school. Her hand kept rising to grip around the top of the hockey stick bag she wore on her back as though it gave her some comfort.

Yui watched her as she passed by on her way to her homeroom. She didn't know anything about the new girl yet. She had only found out in the last week that a new student was arriving. Her teacher, Mrs Sawa, had announced it to the entire class and asked them all to be welcoming to her. However, it didn't look like the girl wanted anyone to even approach her in the first place. Some girls stopped to talk to her, but she barely shared any words with them and hurried away.

She seems so awkward, Yui thought, watching her sadly. But I guess she's just really scared. She wished she could help her, but she doubted the girl would want to talk to her let alone anyone else. She was heading for the principle's office to collect the rest of her things and find out everything she needed to know including her class times and rooms, Yui assumed. She watched her near the corner at the end of the hall where she would turn and disappear. She wondered when she would be able to come to class. Homeroom time didn't start for another twenty minutes so she would have to wait until then to see the mysterious new girl. Once again she had misread the clock and had turned up very early so she had plenty of time until then.

"Yui." Nodoka waved through the thin crowd that walked the halls that morning.

"Hey, Nodoka!" Yui greeted her friend with a welcoming smile.

Nodoka glanced at her watch, an eyebrow raised. "Since when are you so early?"

Yui cheeks burned. "I… messed up again."

Nodoka clucked her tongue. "I would tell you to pay more attention in the mornings, but I guess it's better that you get here earlier than later."

Yui pouted. "I want to get here on time!"

"I don't think that's going to happen." Nodoka laughed and peered through the window to their classroom. "Mrs Sawa isn't here yet, so I guess we'll have to wait out here in the cold." She pulled her arms around herself. "This winter chill is terrible."

Yui didn't reply. Her mind was wondering as it so often did and Nodoka snapped her fingers in front of her face.

"Yui?"

"Did you see the new girl?" Yui asked, still looking in the direction where the girl had disappeared moments ago.

Nodoka followed her gaze. "She starts today, doesn't she? I didn't see her, but I heard other girls talking about her when walked down the hallway few minutes ago. Apparently she's really quiet and won't speak much to anyone."

"She must be really nervous," Yui said, her eyes glazing over for a moment. "I was so scared when I first had my first day of highschool. Imagine starting school for the first time ever!"

Nodoka nodded in agreement. "I know, it must be tough, especially seeing as she's come in for her final year of school."

Yui's eyes widened. "She's sixteen then?"

Nodoka shook her head.

"Seventeen?"

"Nope." Nodoka smiled. "Eighteen. One of the few eighteen year olds in this school. She missed a year of schooling at the old academy she used to attend."

"Wow. She's already an adult practically," Yui remarked, looking truly amazed. "I wonder why she missed a whole year."

Nodoka shrugged. "I don't know anymore than you do. It's not really any of our business, either. If she wants to tell people, she will."

"She didn't look like she wanted to talk when I saw her a moment ago," Yui said, pouting a little. "She looked so cool though! She had a hockey stick and everything! I want to get to know her already, Nodoka."

"Wait… A hockey stick?" Nodoka looked confused. "Has she already chosen her club, then?"

Yui shrugged, uninterested. "I don't know. She's going to be in our class, right? I can talk to her then!"

"Oh, Yui." Nodoka sighed. "Don't rush her, okay? Imagine how terrified she must be."

"I won't," Yui assured her. "I'll just be her very first friend!"

So in other words, Nodoka summed up, you're not going to leave her alone at all. She smiled weakly. "What am I going to do with you, Yui?"

Homeroom began and students began filing in. Nodoka and Yui had already taken their seats being the first there, and Yui waved the other Light Music Club members over as she shuffled inside, huddling close together from the cold.

As soon as Ritsu stepped into the room, she spread her arms out and let out along breath. "Oh man, that's so much better! The heater in here is great."

"Isn't it just?" Mrs Sawa pointed up to the ceiling with a sneaky smile. "And it's right above my desk. How wonderful."

Ritsu's shoulders slumped. "You just killed my mood for the entire day, you know."

"Come on, we'll warm up more at our desks," Mio said, pulling Ritsu along to her seat.

Mugi, half hidden behind a thick yellow scarf, smiled and waved as she saw Yui. She hurried over, her seat behind one across from Yui's.

"Good morning Yui, Nodoka," she greeted kindly as she took her seat.

They returned the greeting, but Yui immediately jumped onto the earlier subject she had focused on. "Have you seen the new girl, Mugi?"

Mugi's eyes widened. "That's right, a new girl starts today, doesn't she? And she's in our classroom, too."

Yui nodded enthusiastically. "So did you see her?"

Mugi pressed a finger delicately to her chin. "No, I didn't. I was almost late, actually. I slept in because it was so cold." She looked ashamed with herself.

"Tell me about it," Ritsu said from in front of her. She stretched out over her desk. "The only reason I came was because I knew it would be nice and warm in here."

Mio cleared her throat. "And you wanted to come to practice too… right?"

Ritsu pouted. "You'll hit me if I say no."

"So did either of you see her then?" Yui asked.

"See who, Yui?" asked Mio.

Nodoka cleared her throat. "Her."

All eyes looked up to see the new girl as she shuffled into the room. She held onto her single strapped bag tightly as she averted everyone's gaze. She stared at the floor instead, her knees buckling as she hovered near the doorway.

Mrs Sawa spared her another minute of fear. "Ah, you must be our new student." She strode over to the girl and rested her arm across her shoulders, steering her into the room slowly. "Everyone, this is the student I was telling you about the other day. It's her first day today, so I trust you will all be welcoming towards her." There was the slightest hint of a threat in her voice.

There were quiet, muttered voices around the room as the students started talking to one another about the new, mysterious girl that stood before them. The girl's cheeks flushed and Mrs Sawa cleared her throat, ending the murmurs amongst her students.

"Now then, would you like to introduce yourself?" she asked the girl.

The girl shuffled on the spot. "O-okay," she said softly, though it sounded as though she would rather do anything but that.

Mrs Sawa pat her on the shoulder lightly. "Take your time," she said encouragingly before stepping back to stand beside her desk.

The girl took a deep breath before she spoke, though it did little to calm her down. "I-I'm Ashlin," she said quietly, looking down at the floor. She said no more than that and the students began to speak quietly to each other again about this strange 'Ashlin' girl.

Mrs Sawa rose from the desk and came over to wrap an arm around Ashlin again as the girl pales. "Ashlin is a little shy, but that's to be expected. Would you like me to tell them a little about you?"

Ashlin nodded, though it looked like she hadn't even heard the question. She looked about ready to run from the room.

Yui felt terrible for her and wished she could go up there and hug her to calm her down. It worked wonders on Azusa.

"Ashlin is eighteen years old and is in her final year of school," Mrs Sawa explained, writing Ashlin's name on the board for the students to read. They noticed she did not add a last name and Mrs Sawa did not mention one, but no one said anything.

As the teacher explained where Ashlin used to live – a place that no one had heard of, and where she used to attend her studies – an academy very hard to get into, Ashlin began fiddling with her sleeves. She wore the long sleeved uniform because of the cold weather, but she wouldn't leave them alone, pulling them further up until they were practically covering her hands.

"As I said," the teacher went on. "I want you all taking care of Ashlin, though I am sure all of you will." She gave Ashlin's shoulder a squeeze. "I think you can take your seat now, Ashlin. Unfortunately there are only a few free places, so I'll put you beside Yui. I'm sure she would love to help you out through the day as well. She's right there, the one… waving her arm around."

Yui lowered her hand steadily and went red as all of the students turned to stare at her. Ashlin didn't waste any more time in front of the entire classroom. She hurried to take her seat beside Yui and sank into it, keeping her bag close to her side and placing her hockey stick beneath the table, resting the end of it on her lap so it wasn't poking out from beneath to trip anyone up.

"Alright, you all have some time before your first class, so you can talk amongst yourselves until then," Mrs Sawa said, sitting behind her desk again to scribble down on some papers. However, she looked up to make sure that Ashlin was alright and was delighted and not surprised to see Yui already dragging her into a conversation, making introductions.

"Hi, Ashlin!" she practically yelled, beaming. "I'm Yui, and this is Nodoka." Nodoka leaned forward in her chair behind Yui and smiled. "And that's Mugi." Yui then pointed to the blonde on the opposite side of Ashlin who, quite formally, extended her hand to shake Ashlin's.

Ritsu had turned around her seat and displayed the peace sign with her fingers. "I'm Ritsu, and this is Mio." She jerked her head at the black haired girl beside her who looked nervous for Ashlin.

Before anyone else could say anything, Yui started chattering away to Ashlin. "So do you play hockey, Ashlin? What's your last name? Do you live on your own?"

Ritsu tapped her fingers together. "Time out, Yui! Don't drown her with questions."

Mio leaned closer to Ashlin. "Don't worry about her. She's a little abrupt. You don't have to explain anything if you don't want to."

"Thank you," Ashlin said quietly, a slight smile on her lips. "I… I don't think I'm ready yet." She bowed her head, ashamed.

"Don't worry about it," Mugi said brightly. "In the meantime, do you need help getting around? We can help you if you'd like."

"Thank you," Ashlin said again. "But I have it all worked out. I took a look around before class and I think I'll be okay on my own."

Yui looked concerned – after all, it was a big school. "Are you sure?"

Ashlin nodded and said no more.

Sensing that she wanted some quiet time to herself, Ritsu launched into a conversation with Yui about a music programme that aired that night, and Mio scrambled through her bag to find homework that she was afraid she had left at home. Mugi was the only one still paying attention to Ashlin. She felt she should say something kind and encouraging to her, but the blonde girl had her head down and seemed to be deep in thought, blocking out the rest of the world.

Mugi turned away, but something caught the corner of her eyesight and she turned to look at Ashlin's arm.

A long, deep scar stretched out on the underside of her arm from her wrist along her skin deeply for about four inches.

Ashlin's eyes bored into hers for a moment and the pair stared at each other. Mugi's heart hammered in her chest at the discovery and being caught out, and Ashlin flicked her eyes away, cheeks burning. She pulled her sleeve over the scar to hide it, her earlier fascination with the sleeves now making sense, and remained silent.

Mugi wanted to say something, to ask where she had received such a wound for it looked to serious to have been self inflicted, but she didn't know what to say. The bell rung, indicating the first lesson, and she was out of time anyway.

Ashlin rose to her feet and rushed through the room to the door faster than any of the other students, leaving no opportunity for Mugi to question her or any others to ask her about her life.

It seemed she was not ready to open up.