K-ON! - Spring Wondering
(#PensReadyMusicSteady)
Prompt: Azusa and Ritsu at a park.
Theme/ideas: Complications / Wonder
Optional considerations: Taking place in Spring at night.
"Ritsu-senpai, wait up!" Azusa panted, leaning against a nearby wall. It was pretty difficult for her to run very far with a guitar case strapped to her back.
"Better keep up, Azusa, otherwise I'll leave you behind!" shouted Ritsu from the opposite end of the playground. The two of them had to stay late at school and decided to walk home together. The rest of HTT was waiting for them at Yui's house.
"Just *hah* give me a minute to catch my breath . . ." said Azusa, gulping down as much air as she could.
"Guess you shouldn't have challenged me to that race, huh kiddo," smiled Ritsu, jogging back to where her kouhai was standing. Azusa managed to steady her breathing and straightened up.
"It's . . . your fault for saying I was . . . so slow, senpai . . ."
"Well, you're tiny. With my longer legs, I'm a shoe-in to win first place!" declared Ritsu. She jumped on top of a ledge and pretended to be a king.
"O-ho-ho-ho! I am the fastest person on this playground! What challenger dares to enter into my domain? Come, lass! We shall duel for my crown!"
Azusa giggled, and then hissed at her in her best cat impression.
"I'm 4' 11". Fear me! Rawr!" she growled. Ritsu snorted.
"Whoa there! That was . . . adorable," said Ritsu, hopping down from her perch.
"I'm not adorable. You should fear me!" Azusa said, attempting to swipe at Ritsu. The older girl put a hand on Azusa's head, holding her back at arm's length. After a fruitless struggle, Azusa's hands fell to her side.
"No fair, I'm too tiny . . ."
"Gee, I think I'm starting to see why Yui's so interested in you. I mean, you're adorable, you make funny noises when you're struggling, and you're just so darn cute that I can't help but tease you," said Ritsu, putting her hands in her jacket pockets.
"Mmm . . . I'm trying to establish myself as a dignified high schooler, but being around you guys has turned me into such a lazybones."
"Hey, slacking skeletons aside, you're actually the most organized and productive person in the club. Mio's dependable, and Mugi's enthusiastic, and I won't even mention Yui, but honestly we wouldn't have been able to keep our practice goals, and we even got some awesome music theory lessons out of you."
"Define 'awesome,' because as I recall, you and Yui-senpai completely ignored my lesson and decided to share popcicles outside the door. Mio had to drag you two into the club room and lecture you."
"Haha, oh yeah, I guess that did happen. Weird how you start to forget small stuff like that . . . " said Ritsu, leaning against the wall. The drumsticks sticking out of her schoolbag made a noise as her bag made contact with the wall.
"I remember those moments perfectly, mostly because things didn't go my way."
"Yeah, yeah, don't expect things to go perfectly the first time 'round. After all, unless you're Mugi, life won't exactly hand you everything on a silver platter. You gotta work for the things you're passionate about, even if things don't go your way. Just gotta keep on trying, and don't give up."
Azusa remained silent. Ritsu can give really solid life advice when she wants to.
"Man, it's been a while since I was out here last. Spring just makes everything seem more . . . I don't even know how to describe it. Remind me to ask Mio for some sappy way of describing spring."
Azusa looked up at where Ritsu was staring. A lone cherry tree stood at the edge of the park, its blossoms illuminated by the rising moon. A slight breeze began to blow, and several petals danced their way to the ground. It certainly was a majestic sight.
"You're right," sighed Azusa. "It really is beautiful."
"Sure is . . ." said Ritsu. Azusa looked over at her, only to find Ritsu staring.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing at all. Just thinking."
"About?" Azusa asked. Ritsu looked the other way.
"Just . . . Thinking you look pretty cute in the moonlight."
"Wha? No, wait, say that again!"
"Too bad! You get one chance to hear it and you just lost it, kitten!" Ritsu laughed, skipping to the foot of the slides.
"Oh no, you don't!" Azusa said. She quickly put her guitar on the ground and ran after Ritsu at top speed. Surprised by Azusa's sudden burst of energy, Ritsu clumsily tried to escape up the slides, only to lose footing and collide with Azusa at the bottom. The two of them began giggling.
"Geez, Azusa, where's all that energy coming from?"
"Admit it. This time, I'm the faster one."
"Kitty's got a hidden pair of claws, I see."
"Nyan-nyan, I didn't do anything. I'm an adorable kitty, remember?" Azusa said, posing like a cat. Ritsu chuckled, her cheeks suddenly flushed.
"Y-yeah, you're adorable, kid," she said, untangling herself from Azusa and standing up.
"What's that look for?"
"Nothing. Betcha can't beat me the rest of the way to Yui's place!" Ritsu said, sprinting to pick up her bag.
"You're on!" Azusa yelled, pulling on her guitar case and beginning to run.
"F-fudge, forgot *gasp* that it's hard t-to run with this . . . on!" she huffed. A few minutes later, she collapsed outside the entrance of the Hirasawa residence. Yui answered the door.
"Azu-nyan? Why are you all sweaty?" asked Yui. A couple of gasping sounds was all that Azusa could manage. Immediately, Ui appeared out of nowhere with a glass of water and a towel in hand. Ritsu watched on from the hallway, watching Ui care for Azusa while Yui worriedly looked on. She looked back down the hall, where Mio could be seen at the living room table. Replaying the night's events in her head, she cringed to herself as Mio's and Azusa's faces started to float around in her mind.
This . . . might get a bit complicated, she thought.