Ritsu was feeling sad for some reason. She couldn't get motivated enough to pick up her drumsticks. The weather wasn't helping either. Decembers were always grey and dull. What was this empty feeling that was putting a damper on Ritsu's normally glowing enthusiasm?
"Want more tea, Azu-nyan?"
Ritsu vaguely heard as she glumly stared into the corner of the room, unphased by her friends daily banter. The heavy feeling in her chest was too hard to ignore. Ritsu was too far gone in her own world to care about what was around her. She blushed at the thought of the touchy couple she saw on her way to school that morning. If only she could open up that way to someone special to her. She chuckled cynically. She realised that this was the cause of her gloom. It was undeniable.
"Ritsu!"
Ritsu jumped at the alarming voice. She looked up and she met the grey eyes of her childhood friend. She cared for a moment, it seemed, but she eventually looked away ignoring the sense of purpose in Mio's voice.
"What Mio?"
"What's wrong Ritsu? Why are you so quiet today?"
"I dunno…Just been thinking lately."
Ritsu shook her head in a cute way and looked back off into the empty part of the room. Mio was somewhat surprised. She'd never seen Ritsu so bashful. It was kind of endearing.
"Well whatever you're thinking about, if it's gonna keep you from practicing, you should've sorted it out before coming to practice."
Mio was trying to sound serious while holding back a blush at the thought of this Ritsu without her headband. Her words must have done something because Ritsu looked a little guilty.
"You're right, I guess… Look! Moustache!"
Just like that, Ritsu was back to her old self.
-End of Practice-
"What a fun day!" Yui exclaimed. The others agreed with smiles. Before long, Mio and Ritsu were alone, sitting together in the orange haze of the evening. Mio noticed Ritsu had the same look of gloom on her face. She thought about ways to ask her best friend why she was so down, but before she could, Ritsu coily looked her in the eyes. Mio was silenced by the cuteness in the way Ritsu was looking up at her. Mio was blushing. Ritsu didn't notice due to the color of of the sunset painting their faces a ubiquitous shade of orange. Ritsu shyly asked,
"M-Mio… w-would you mind walking home with me today~."
Mio was flushed pink. Ritsu's voice sounded so warm. Her request to be with her was so genuine that she'd feel guilty if she said no.
"Sure, Ritsu."
Mio said with a smile.
"Jeez you sure are acting weird you know. I'm starting to think you've fallen in love or something."
Mio joked. Ritsu broke eye contact and timidly looked away.
"Ritsu! Don't tell me…"
"Of course I haven't fallen in love! Hahahah! You know, we should get going, Mio."
'Something's definitely up with her... Maybe she has fallen in love with someone. A boy!?'
She thought. This made her fidgety and uncomfortable for some reason.
"Hey, Mio, how are those lyrics coming along?"
Mio snapped out of her jealous haze for the moment.
"They're coming along great! I just need to do a little revising and I'll show all of you guys!"
Ritsu didn't seem interested in those lyrics.
"Mio… remember those lyrics you sent me last year?"
"Oh… Yeah."
Mio hid her blush.
"Did you mean what you wrote? You know... about getting excited to see me run towards you puffing hot clouds of breath and how my hair suits me well?"
Mio was lost for words. Mostly due to embarrassment.
"...and you'd like to see me with my bangs hanging down."
Mio was pink from blush and there was no hiding it this time. Ritsu made a sinister smile.
"You did mean it. Didn't you?"
Ritsu seized the opportunity to flirt with Mio and she poked her softly in the ribs making her squirm.
"Stopp~!"
Mio's pleas only encouraged Ritsu's behavior. Surprisingly Mio liked being the center of Ritsu's attention. The two played with each other all the way home and everyone on the way looked at them almost envious of their relationship.
Ritsu took off her headband. She always took it off close to home. It was muscle memory. Finally they arrived at Ritsu's door. Ritsu turned and faced her childhood friend and hugged her tightly, eventually releasing after a few seconds or so. Ritsu felt the weight in her heart lifted when she was around Mio. In fact, she felt content, almost as if the void had been filled.
"Thanks for walking home with me Mio. You really made my day!"
Mio warmly smiled at her and patted her head.
'She looks so cute like this'
Mio thought. Her feelings got the best of her and she hugged Ritsu again without thinking. Ritsu was taken aback by her friends outward expression, but she was receptive. Mio let go and returned to the walkway. She looked at Ritsu before continuing on. Her heart melted at her friend's expression.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Mio."
Ritsu said with a slight smile, her face still a little pink from Mio's embrace. When Ritsu said this, she wasn't just fulfilling a social courtesy. She was really earnest and charming in the way she said it. Her attitude was serious and Mio was shocked by it.
Mio was flustered. She felt reassured and cared for by someone she already deemed special to her. She blushed a little and smiled shyly. She returned the farewell with the same serious tone.
"Goodnight, Ritsu."
She was confused a little as to how Ritsu was able to make her feel so warm inside. She thought about it for awhile on her way home and a little more in the shower when she got home. She had come across the conclusion that she was in love a couple times but she felt embarrassed about it and denied it.
Laying in bed, she couldn't stop thinking about Ritsu and the way she looked at her with her pink cheeks and bangs hanging down saying
"I'll see you tomorrow, Mio."
Every time she did, her heart would melt and her face would grow warm. She wanted to deny being in love. She wanted to discount it as just being a sucker for cute things, but her thoughts would conflict.
'Ritsu wasn't being cute when she said that… she was serious.'
She smiled to herself.
'No. Im in love with her… I'm in love with Ritsu.'