AN: The title of the fic came from a song of the same title by the band Oasis. The idea isn't entirely mine. I was inspired to write this story after I remembered the story behind the song my friend once told me. Is that plagiarism? Please don't sue me! DD:

Just kidding. I'm not sure if there really is a real life story behind the song. xD

Disclaimer: I do not own K-ON! or any of it's characters. I also don't own the song this fic was entitled after.

Title: Wonderwall
POV: Third person
Word Count: 1,834 words
Pairing(s): This is mostly a friendship story. There are hints of Mio x Ritsu; Ritsu x Mio, though.
Summary: Set in their middle school years; Mio is an achiever, her name and picture a constant on the school's Wonderwall... Ritsu starts thinking about the important things in life and wonders if the decisions she's made are right. Mitsu friendship. Hints of romance.

Wonderwall

The afternoon's sun casts a beautiful glow over the school buildings. The leaves of the huge and ancient oak filter the sunlight, leaving little spotlights shining on the ground. A young girl sporting a red band on her head to keep her bangs from falling to her face, wearing the school's flagship colors of gray and red, sits on one thick and bulging root with her back propped against the tree's wide trunk, hands resting behind her neck. Her sharp amber eyes stare up into the branches and leaves above her head.

Ritsu Tainaka has always been a carefree girl. It was in her nature to not put too much thought into the things she does, the things she says, and especially the things that she can't ever be really sure about, like her future. But right now, seeing that she is in her last year of middle school, she is getting one of her very rare moods where she ponders about what she really wants to do and who she really wants to be and if what she's doing and who she is right now were right.

Don't get her wrong, it's not that she doesn't know herself; she knows herself very well actually— loud, brash, hyperactive, and confident… but she can't just stay like that her whole life without growing as a person, right? She knows she has to mature at some point. So know she find herself wondering about her life and reevaluating everything. She questions whether the things she has been doing – putting off the stressful things, not trying nor thinking too hard, and not minding schoolwork so much – are right. She questions if who she chooses to be everyday was the right person to be.

She wonders if she should stop and make a real effort to act more mature. People probably won't be so irritated of her and her mother and father would be happier… Her best friend would be happier because she wouldn't be such a burden. She wouldn't have to copy her homework all the time and she would be pulling her own weight.

She realizes that it's almost sun set and that she's been going over and over these thoughts for more than an hour already. She scratches her head and groans. What's taking her so long?

"Sorry for making you wait!" The clear voice of another girl cuts through the air. The girl was panting lightly, apparently having run towards Ritsu.

"Geez, Mio, why do you have to be such a smart student? See, if you were like me you wouldn't always have to talk to teachers after class!" Ritsu gets up and dusts herself off. They start their daily trek home.

Mio Akiyama, the girl waling beside her, has been her best friend since the fourth grade. See, the funny thing about them is, one can say that these two girls have almost nothing in common, from their appearance to their personalities. Teachers often raise an eyebrow when they find out that the two hang out together and their eyes widen comically when they learn that the two are the closest of friends.

Mio has long raven hair that almost reaches her waist and bangs that cover her forehead but not her soft observant gray eyes. She is a consistent A student, and is responsible and mature for her age. She's timid and would rather read a book in a corner than approach her peers and play with them, thus Ritsu being the only real friend she has. She also gets scared so easily by almost anything. Ritsu would often tease her about skulls and barnacles until she's quivering like a leaf.

"You think I like talking to our teachers? I don't know them! I'm not exactly enjoying the conversations with them, you know. If anything, I'm having it harder than you are since you don't really study and you don't care anyway."

The short haired girl slows down in surprise, her earlier thoughts going back to the surface. She is quiet for a while and they continue walking.

After a few second's silence Mio turns to her sensing that there must be something wrong.

"Ritsu?"

"Huh?" The girl's revisited train of thought gets interrupted and she also turns to her best friend.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Huh?" Ritsu parrots herself.

"Are you alright?" Mio's tone now laced with concern for her friend thinking she might have said something wrong to her. She places a hand on Ritsu's arm.

"Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Ritsu looks down and watches one foot come into view while the other disappears. The hand on her arm stays and she realizes her best friend is unconvinced.

"I was just wondering what it feels like to be on the wonderwall, that's all... What does it feel like, Mio?"

"Huh?" Mio raises her eyebrow and then she looks up. She retracts the hand on her best friend's arm and instead loops it around Ritsu's so that they could walk closer together.

For some reason unkown to her, Ritsu is suddenly hyperaware of her best friend's actions, like she could feel Mio's muscles' slight contraction and relaxation at the small movement. She feels warm and a smile tugs at her lips.

"Oh… Why? Are you aiming to be on it?" The girl's gray eyes looks like they are shining and she pokes the arm she's clinging onto.

"The wonderwall? Psssh, of course not. I was just curious."

The wonderwall is where the pictures and names of the students who've gotten the highest GPAs in the school are posted. Whoever is recognized on the wall receives numerous incentives and privileges and their fame levels shoot to the skies. They are adored by the school's teachers and their schoolmates and even the school's guards and maintenance people. The wonderwall is really just a huge bulletin board that's at the school's main hallway.

Mio's picture and name never left it and Ritsu's never been on it.

"Well, you know I don't like the attention." A light blush colors the shy girls cheeks at the memory of her debut on the wonderwall. Boys and girls, students she did not even know from different year levels started talking to her, teachers started noticing her, the guards and maintenance personnel started greeting her whenever they see her, and she received a mountain of chocolates on Valentine's Day.

Ritsu sighed.

"I don't think you will ever change, Mio. Being on there is such a big honor. You should be proud of yourself! I know I would be, if I was there. I'd be telling everyone I know of how awesome I am."

Mio rolled her eyes. Of course.

"But that's because you're you, Ritsu."

Ritsu grinned at that.

And then the answers to all of her earlier questions come crashing down on her that she had to actually take a step back and audibly gasp.

"Ritsu?" Comes Mio's surprised voice. Her friend throws her a look of pure worry.

The amber eyed girl looks at her best friend and searches her face and the other girl stats to shrink back in embarrassment. She grips the shy girl's arm.

"I have something to tell you." Ritsu says the whole sentence in one breath.

"What?" Mio's curious, and it was her turn to search her best friend's face now. She looked like she had just discovered the secrets of the universe.

Ritsu knows she did.

"Come with me first." The girl starts to walk fast and pulls her protesting best friend with her.

Ritsu is now running and her best friend was struggling to keep up with her, but she never let go of Mio's arm.

They run past the street leading to their houses. The raven haired girl then finds out that they're headed to the park, their park. The park where Ritsu found her sitting on a swing and asked her what was wrong, the park that lead them to becoming the best of friends.

"The park? Why the park?" The tone that shows how incredulous her friend finds this idea could still be heard even while she was panting hard.

Ristu didn't even answer. They reach the swing and they stop running. She decides that if there was a right place to tell her best friends things like this then it would be in front of the swing, where it all started.

"While I was waiting for you, I was thinking about my life." Ritsu starts but she pants after the first sentence.

"Eh?" Mio wasn't sure if she heard right.

"I was thinking that maybe I have been living it in the wrong way, that maybe I should've been more like you, maybe I should study more and do my homework on time. Maybe then I would also be on the wonderwall and people would stop thinking that I'm a waste, that I'm another kid without dreams that would end up being a NEET. I thought maybe my parents would like me like that better, I thought you would like it if we were both smart and popular." Ritsu takes in a deep breath.

"Ritsu…"

The girl's gray eyes soften and she just wants to hug her best friend. She never knew Ritsu felt inferior compared to her. The girl was always confident and energetic afterall.

"You know I like you enough already. You don't have to change anything about yourself."

Mio looks down and blushes at her admission. She knows that no matter what her best friend does, no matter how much her best friend bullies her sometimes, no matter how annoying and stupid she can get, she will always love and accept her best friend. She knows that most of the time, she depends on the other girl for so many things. How can she ask her best friend to be anyone else when she's already the best by being herself?

Ritsu froze at what Mio said. She also blushes and smiles widely at the other girl and suddenly pulls her into a tight hug.

Mio squeaked from surprise but after realizing that she wasn't falling to death and that she was actually being pressed against Ritsu, she slowly wraps her arms around Ritsu's neck and settles into the embrace.

The headband sporting girl pulls back and gives her best friend the pleasure of seeing her most genuine and radiant smile ever.

"That's exactly what I realized, Mio! I don't have to be on the wonderwall. I already have all that I need here with you! You're my wonderwall, Mio." She places a hand on the back of her head and grins.

Mio gives her best friend the pleasure of seeing the warmest smile she's ever worn. Then it is like she dives back in to hug Ritsu for the second time that day.

Ritsu sighs contentedly, closes her eyes and returns her friend's hug.

"Mio…"

"Hmm?"

"You'll still let me copy your homework, right? And help me with exams?"

"Baka."

'Cause baby...

You're gonna be the one that saves me...

And after all...

You're my wonderwall...

AN: I have no idea why it took me so long to finish this considering how short it is. :| I think I have a harder time writing in the third person than when I write in the second. Happier Mitsu for you guys, yay! lol xD I love this song so much, by the way.

So, what do you guys think? Should I have added a little more romance in the end? Reviews are welcome! :) Oh, and suggestions for fic ideas would be great! I can't promise to be able to finish them all right away though, okay? But I promise to try my best!

PS. Can oaks grow in Japan even? o.o Oh well. xD Til next fic!

~pineappurus