Disclaimer: I do not own K-On! BUT I own a red guitar I recently named Gitah, after Yui's guitar. And Sweet Bitter Beauty is a name of a K-On song.
Author's Notes: First time writing a K-On fic. Please be kind and do review. Not really OOC but since this is set in the future, do expect that some of them have changed their personalities a bit.
o o o
Sweet, Bitter, Beautiful
It was the first day of winter and Tainaka Ritsu was about to close her restaurant when a woman dressed in what she recognized as New York fashion knocked on the glass door.
"We're closed!" she said as she turned around to signal the five bus boys to hurry putting the chairs up.
The knocks were persistent.
"I said we're closed! Geez, can't you read the sign or something?" she said louder, this time.
As more knocks battered the glass door of her precious restaurant, she noticed that her bus boys were all gaping at the relentless late visitor.
"Doko?" she said as she turned around and saw the face of a friend she hasn't seen for almost nine years.
"It's the singer Mio! It's her! She's actually here in our store! She's knocking on our door!" said one of the bus boys before starting squealing like a girl.
"So it's true that she is in Japan!" said another store attendant who looked pale and nervous.
Ritsu shook her head as she opened the door and took the coat of world-famous singer Akiyama Mio.
"Arigatou, Ricchan," she said with a smile. "I thought you weren't going to let an old friend in. It's freezing out there."
Ritsu made a face. "Whatever, your heart's still colder," she said then glanced at the bus boys. "What are you all looking at? Can't you see I have a guest? Go prepare a table and cook or something."
The bus boys were more than willing to follow their manager's command as three of them disappeared into the kitchen and two started preparing the table. As the two friends waited for the table to be set, neither of them spoke.
It took an awkward, silent four minutes before the table was ready.
"Best seats in the house, Tainaka-san," said the bus boy, who recognized Mio. "And Akiyama-sama, please enjoy your meal. It's our specialty, American steak. In fact, most of our customers come back every day to have it. We'll add extra of the sauce just for you and we'll also serve desserts because I read you like cake and we have strawberry and chocolate with – "
Ritsu glared at the bus boy whose name tag says "Kinamoto Satoshi is happy to serve you".
"Uhm, the meals will be ready in a while. I'll leave you for some privacy," said the boy who grabbed the other boy who helped him prepare the table – this particular boy started drooling – and rushed to the kitchen.
As the two friends sat down, neither looked at each other. Once comfortably seated, finally, Mio spoke.
"So, you're still mad, huh?" she said.
Ritsu pretended not to hear the question.
"It's been six years, Ricchan," Mio continued.
"Five years, eleven months and two days, actually" said Ritsu.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Nothing."
Mio sighed. "I thought you would have forgiven me."
"You never apologized. What's there to forgive?" asked Ritsu, the tone of her voice getting a bit higher than usual.
There was a bit of silence before Mio said, "But I explained in the letter that – "
"An explanation in a letter you find in your mailbox is still different than an actual explanation when there's still time to say goodbye and stuff," said Ritsu.
"The others have forgiven me," Mio said.
Ritsu was still not looking at Mio.
"We have actually kept correspondence these past years," continued Mio. "And Mugi often visits me, especially when she has book signings in New York."
"So she's your new best friend now? I'm not surprised. World-famous singer Mio and international bestseller of suspense novels Mugi," said Ritsu.
Mio tried hard not to show any pain in her voice. "Well Mugi and the others were the ones who actually encouraged me to continue singing even if I'm all alone in the US, finishing college. I had to repeat a year, you know. And I hear from Yui that you're not doing bad yourself here in the local scene. She said a while ago that you'll be recording for a major label next week and of course I know all about the new band with Ui-chan and Jun-chan. I think it's nice that you agreed to still play – "
"You talked to Yui a while ago?"
"Yeah I went to their place because I asked where you were," Mio said. "She also told me that you have bought and transformed this restaurant from all the savings you got from your gigs all over Japan."
"My, you've grown talkative," Ritsu said, still in a cold tone.
Mio blushed. "It's really a different culture there. You learn to speak up. It's not easy at first but I just try to remember what you said when we were younger… Do you remember?"
"Nah and please, save the sob success story for the journalists. I'm not gonna write you a press release or whatever it is you want these days," Ritsu said.
"Well I just assumed you want to know what's been happening to me since you never read nor responded to my e-mails," Mio said. "I really would have appreciated some words of comfort from you especially when I was just doing gigs in those dingy bars."
"And your fateful discovery by a talent scout when you were performing in Central Park, yeah, yeah," said Ritsu in a mocking tone.
"Oh so you do read my mails," said Mio whose voice hinted a spark of happiness.
"Well all I actually read is 'Blah blah blah I left my four best friends in Japan and kept the secret that I was moving to New York with my family blah blah and I was such a scaredy cat to tell them in person so I just wrote them all a letter I sent the day of my flight blah blah blah," said Ritsu.
Another awkward pause, which was fortunately broken by another waiter who served them soup.
"I hope you don't think I'm being nice to you," said Ritsu. "It would just very un-hospitable and un-Japanese of me to refuse letting you with a blizzard in the making outside. And we have leftovers."
"I understand. I'll leave when the snow has calmed," said Mio.
The two finished their soup without saying another word and there was more silence as they waited for their main dish. It was served with mashed potatoes and another side dish of buttered carrots and corn.
"I missed your cooking," suddenly said Mio. "And your business is doing well. I'm glad."
Ritsu tried hard not to smile. "It's no big deal but I'm planning to open another branch in Kyoto, hopefully when I get my share in the record sales."
"Jun-chan said she'll be investing her money in this new electronic gadget company and Ui-chan said she wants to save up to take a Masters degree in Special Education. Azu-nyan is managing young bands said she'll be building a rental recording studio and Yui, well you know Yui, she'll probably just buy another guitar," said Mio with a giggle.
"I seriously don't get why you're telling me things I already know," said Ritsu.
"I'm just really excited for all of you and I can remember when I was starting in the entertainment industry in the US. Sometimes all it takes is a good manager, you know but since Nodoka-chan is managing your band, I'm confident that you'll be more famous. If you want my contacts in the US, I can also help you with – "
"No thanks but I prefer that we make it without any help from you."
"Oh," Mio said. "I understand. Still, I'm glad."
"Hmm," was all that Ritsu said as she took the last bite of her steak.
"Do you remember our last gig? In Sawa-chan's wedding? In our senior year in college?"asked Mio.
"Not really," said Ritsu.
"We were wearing the maid outfits again and Yui put on hers backwards and she was really sleepy because she had final exams that day and – "
Ritsu slammed her fist on the table. "Why are you here? Why did you come back? Do you want to rub in my face how successful you've become without us?"
Mio bit her lip to hold back tears. "I just really wanted to see you guys again."
"If you wanted to see us so bad then you should have visited us but you never did these past six years," said Ritsu.
"I was planning to but my schedule has been – "
"Oh, oh, I'm sorry I forgot you became such a big star in such a short time and you left us all hanging!" said Ritsu. "We were one gig away from the Summer Fest, Mio! We had to start from scratch and then Mugi left, too, and then it was like we never happened."
There was silence, again. This time, the waiters took their empty plates and served them tea and chocolate and strawberry cake.
"It's best you leave after dessert and please don't ever show your face in here again," said Ritsu.
Mio kept quiet.
Halfway with her cake, Mio said, "I really went here to Japan to come looking for all of you to tell you first that I'll be getting married next month."
"It's not in the papers yet but it will probably be when I return to the US," continued Mio. "I requested my manager and my publicist to keep it quiet because I wanted to tell you guys personally first and well, to invite all of you."
Ritsu didn't say anything. She just kept eating her cake.
"I wanted my best friend to be my maid of honor. I was hoping that it would be you," said Mio. "But from the looks of it, my offer would definitely be rejected."
Ritsu kept her head down. "Who is he?"
"Oh… Well, he's… He's actually the drummer in my new band. He's half Japanese so I talk to him in Nihonggo sometimes," said Mio. "He's… actually a lot like you. He reminds me of you."
Ritsu stood up. "You're right. I won't be going to any wedding. Please leave. I'll have them pack your cake. The snow storm has died and you can finish the rest of your cake at home."
With that, Ritsu stood and walked to the kitchen. Mio was too depressed and can only stare at her half-eaten cake. She didn't know how long she was staring at her cake before the five bus boys came out with a big, pink box.
"It's a cake, Ma'am," said Satoshi-is-happy-to-serve-you. "From all of us."
Mio said a swift goodbye after signing some autographs. She exited the restaurant with a heavy box of cake and a heavy heart. The snow storm hasn't completely died but she was glad it wasn't because she can let her tears fall as hard as they could without anyone noticing.
She decided not to take a cab to her hotel in Shibuya but to just walk and let all of what happened that afternoon sink in. She wasn't done crying. She was about to turn to the corner of the street when someone tapped her shoulder.
She turned around and saw a skull.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"!"
She tried to run away but slipped and landed on her ass with a big thud. In the commotion, she also let go of her box of cake but fortunately, the person wearing the skull mask caught it.
"This cake costs your old bass guitar you dummy!" said the person in the skull mask. It was Ritsu.
She took off the mask and flung it to the nearest trash bin. "I can't believe that crap still works on you."
Shaking from the cold and fear, Mio got up. Once she regained composure, she hit Ritsu hard in the head.
"DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN YOU IMMATURE, ANNOYING, SELF-CENTERED BRAT!"
Ritsu rubbed the part of her head where Mio hit it. She handed Mio the cake as she opened the lid.
"If you haven't noticed," said Ritsu. "This cake has a note in icing and it says – "
Mio read the note quietly. It said "You should have been my bride."
Before she can ask Ritsu what it meant, Ritsu was already running back to the store.
"Ricchan! Baka! Come back here!"
"I'm still not going to your wedding!" shouted Ritsu as she waved goodbye.
Mio smiled. "Baka. I know."
"And Mio?" shouted Ritsu before entering the restaurant.
"Hmm?"
"You'd make a beautiful bride," shouted Ritsu then smirked. "Jaa!"
Ritsu entered the store, leaving a dumbfounded Mio still sitting on the snow-covered pavement at the corner of the street.
"Baka, Ricchan," said Mio as tears started streaming down her face again. "I love you, too."