A/N: I've always had a fascination with taking characters and putting them in different universes. The characters in this fic are mostly inspired by those portrayed in the EDs. They always seemed much more serious than the actual cast. I don't know if you guys have read Spiral by AdrenaVeris, but in a way, I guess this story was inspired by it. Not by much, but the basis of taking the projection I received from the Listen! ED specifically.

I hope you guys enjoy it. It's been hiding in my documents since freshman year of college (2 years ago now), but the idea has returned. Now, I'll shut up and let you get to it. Thanks again and sorry for the Singing! Wait, I'll talk more about that at the end, but for now, here is Young and Beautiful.

Prologue: What You Know

"…This is starting to feel like

It's right before my eyes

And I can taste it, it's my sweet beginning."

-Two Door Cinema Club

Her future was sealed.

Okay, maybe not yet. It could even happen next week if something went wrong, but that didn't stop Azusa from bolting out of school the second the bell had rung to signify the end of school.

It was that time of the year.

People were stressing and others were guessing what colleges would tell them in their letters.

As a senior nearing her final months of school, Azusa was no exception.

"I have to hurry," she muttered to herself as she ran.

Her garnet eyes shifted wildly as she glanced at the litter filled streets. Food vans covered every other block as merchants tried to sell hot dogs, shish kabobs, and honey-roasted peanuts to unsuspecting tourists.

Growing up in a place like New York City was not an easy adjustment. Especially since she had spent her early days in in a small town where everybody and their mother seemed to know about who's brother was engaged or what poor sap had dipped into their savings to try to win the lottery.

To this day Azusa wasn't used to the sights of the city that seemed to evolve everyday.

Though there was one thing that seemed to stay constant even through years of dealing with the city's constant fluctuations.

From a young age, Azusa had set her sights on one school.

The garnet-eyed girl stopped in front of the large pristine campus and sighed longingly.

Sakuragaoka was a private university that had a prestigious reputation which rivaled that of any other Ivy League school. A successful job was guaranteed if you attended.

That was the problem though.

When Azusa had found out the harsh reality of her parent's financial situation, she had just started high school.

How was a fourteen year old girl who came from the lower middle class supposed to enter an Ivy league?

From what she'd gathered, many of the University's populace had been enrolled in the school's education system starting from Pre-K. Not only that, but scholarships awarded to commoners were as rare as a blue moon.

It was once she had gathered all this that Azusa had promised herself that grades would be the one thing that she would rely on if she couldn't depend on her parents for money.

Since she was an only child, she had grown up lacking some social skills, but made up for this by investing her time in her one best friend, her guitar.

Knowing that dealing with her peers wasn't an issue, it became easier for Azusa to focus on her studies. Though being besties with an inanimate object did take a toll on her and made her question her sanity from time to time.

Azusa hadn't changed much appearance wise since she had hit puberty in seventh grade. She was still at a height of 4'11 and her long raven-hair was almost always tied in two twin-tails. To top it off, her round garnet eyes only served to emphasized her youth.

Azusa often found people staring at her in shock when she told them that she was eighteen. Being a young Japanese girl with a rather catlike appearance did not help with her maturity factor.

"I WILL make it in. I can feel it," Azusa whispered to herself.

She tightened her grip on her backpack straps and started to turn away from the school.

In the instant she turned, her shoulder collide into something soft, but firm. It didn't take a genius to figure out she had crashed into another person.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Azusa immediately apologized and stepped away.

She glanced up and took in the sight of the stranger she had bumped into.

The auburn-haired girl was scowling and rubbing her arm.

"It's fine," she grumbled and though she had an irritated look in her eyes, there was something about her that just emphasized her beauty.

A gentle breeze swept the area and Azusa couldn't help but remain fixed in her spot and mesmerized at the effect it had on the stranger. The girl's shoulder length hair seemed to dance along with the flow and when she went to turn away, the splash of lime green between her unzipped hoodie caught Azusa's eye.

She read the three jagged letters on the girl's green tee.

HTT.

Azusa stood there quietly for a minute before realizing that the girl had left and she was just standing awkwardly in front of the school's gates.

There was something about her that seemed so...familiar.

I feel like I've seen her somewhere...I must be imagining it though.

A church bell in the distance tolled three times. Azusa gasped before realizing that the mail was going to be there when she got home.

She quickly turned to face Sakuragaoka once more and smiled confidently.

Today was going to be a great day.

She could FEEL it.

"What? But- Mom, I was supposed hear about it today!"

Azusa stood there in disbelief as her mother gave her a sympathetic smile. The younger girl immediately thought up fifty worst-case scenarios as she paced the room.

What if she has been rejected so badly that they didn't want to send a letter?

What if they had a secret committee for extermination of worthless applicants so they'd never reveal what was on the entrance exams?

"I triple checked three times. They said it would definitely arrive today. It's all over now..." She muttered and immediately fell back onto the couch only to let out a resigned sigh.

Her eyes tore away from the stack of papers on the coffee table and moved over to look at a picture frame on the nearby dresser.

The picture had been taken before she was born. In it, her father had short cropped hair and wore a suit, meanwhile her mother looked elegant and full of poise. They looked so young... so full of energy!

This had been taken before her father had lost his job.

They had lived in New Jersey and had expected to stay there for a long time, but her father's job as a teacher had been terminated due to budget cuts made by the state's governor. Instead of trying to push his way through any neighboring districts, he had tried his luck in New York.

At the time, Azusa had been nine.

When they first moved to the city, her parents had tried to keep living their lives as if nothing had changed, but this proved to be difficult since they were always busy. They had taken up so many part time jobs along with full-time to meet the payments that their home required that even caring for her became a job itself.

Azusa groaned as she lay horizontally on the couch. She blankly looked up at the ceiling.

"Azusa, can you do me a favor and run to the store to buy eggs?"

She glanced at the doorway connecting the living room to the kitchen and narrowed her eyes.

Mom, you should know I'm being a sulky brooding teenager right now and I all I want to do is sulk and mope around. She glared at the doorway, but decided against whining in favor of not arguing with her mother.

"I'm just going to wait for a little bit longer and then go, okay?" Azusa yelled back.

"Unless you want dinner to be late, go now. If it's meant to come today, the letter arrive. If it doesn't then you can always hope for another school."

Her mother's tone sounded calm, but Azusa knew that she was growing impatient. She groaned in frustration and got off of the couch. She then walked over to the door and put her shoes on.

"I'll be back in twenty minutes. If it gets here, don't peek, mom!" Azusa shouted as she opened up the door and walked outside.

After hearing the click of the door as it shut behind her, Azusa took off into her neighborhood. The part of town that they lived in was pretty run down, but compared to other neighborhoods they were pretty well off.

If I get into SGU though, I'll be able to start paving my path for the future and leave this place!

Azusa put her hands in her pockets as another chilly breeze swept the area. It was rather cool for spring, but that only meant that summer was on its way.

Azusa softly bit her lip as she trudged down the street. The unknown was starting to gnaw at her. She had worked SO hard to try to get into SGU that if she didn't, she'd feel like a failure and that part of her life had gone to waste.

I mean they have a pretty low acceptance rate anyway...it's only 40%. Most of the kids who get in are extremely rich or have been in their system since they were little. It's not fair...I've been working for it ever since I could remember.

Azusa sighed and looked at her whereabouts. She had been enjoying a silent walk up until she reached the busy streets. Since her family lived close to the heart of NYC, it didn't take long for her to get around. This helped when she needed to do quick grocery shopping.

I wish we lived somewhere quieter though. The city is disgusting. She thought as she saw a sleeping man sitting against a wall surrounded by bulky bags of garbage. He did not seem disturbed by the fact that there were flies swarming around him. Azusa felt a mix of pity and disgust, the latter immediately overtaking her as a fly landed in his open mouth.

She quickly moved away from the slumbering man and toward the main street.

Azusa entered the Walmart that was around the block and narrowly avoided colliding into a quickly moving stranger. The tawny haired girl apologized as she jogged out of the store. The one thing that had stood out to Azusa about her was her large forehead since her bangs were held back by a yellow scrunchy.

Shortly after she ran out, a tall fashionable looking woman with her dark hair up in a ponytail and a just as immaculately dressed blonde ran out after her. Azusa could hear the blonde muttering something that sounded like "we're late, oh my gosh, we're late" while her companion had an impassive look on her face.

I guess everyone's in a hurry today.

Azusa recalled the memory of the other girl that she had crashed into and noted that many people were currently speeding about around her.

It shouldn't surprise me...these people always move as if they're running late to work.

Azusa made her way to the back of Walmart with her little blue hand basket. As she was on her way to the dairy aisle, she decided to make a detour and went to the entertainment section instead. Normally she skimmed through the music magazines there in peace, but today she found three girls giggling over the same magazine.

Azusa tried to hide her frustration as she heard the girls fawn over one of the growing bands that was recently hitting the scene.

Houkago Tea Time had been on the news a lot lately. This had all happened because the four girls in the band all happened to go to SGU and had connections which boosted their popularity.

If I was born rich then I'm sure I'd be just like them, but from what I've heard they're all brats. They haven't even played an official gig yet and they're just as popular as ...as Justin Bieber or something!

Azusa wrinkled her nose in distaste at the thought of the popstar.

...Well, it's not like I even like his "music", but still!

Azusa chuckled to herself as she picked up the newest edition of Rolling Stone and skimmed through it. She tried to keep a poker face as the girls near her babbled away.

"Ohmygosh, Tainaka is so hot!"

"Alice, you know that Ritsu is a girl, right?"

"W-well, then she's my girl crush!"

"Guys, Tsumugi and Mio are the best!"

Azusa tilted her head slightly to look at the three giggling girls. She slightly bit her lip as she fought the urge to grab a copy of the magazine they were reading.

"We can all agree that Yui is the coolest though right? I mean look at that face!"

"Haha, Kim you're drooling!"

"S-shut up, Ali!"

Azusa remained silent as the three girls each took a copy of the magazine and walked away from the section. Their laughter dissipated as they got farther away.

Letting curiosity take the best of her, Azusa reached out and grabbed a copy.

I mean...one peek couldn't hurt, right?

Azusa flipped the magazine open and skimmed past the various celebrity scandals. She didn't normally keep up with famous people and their lives, but the fact that the HTT girls were from SGU intrigued her.

Ah what page is that article on? I should have read the table of contents.

Azusa almost abandoned her search when she saw an article about Kim Kardashian's latest scandal and how Miley Cyrus had yet another twerking incident. She was about return the magazine back to its place on the shelf when the eyes of a person on a page she had carelessly flipped on caught her attention.

Wait a second...

She flipped back onto the page and smiled smugly. She had found the article!

When she looked in the auburn-haired girl's eyes, she was surprised by the lack of emotion in them. Upon comparing her to her band mates, Azusa saw that the blonde, tawny-haired girl, and dark haired girl beside her were smiling brightly.

Azusa glanced down at the article and read.

HTT - A Rise to Fame

Born in the prestigious Sakuragaoka University, Houkago Tea Time has presented skill and music knowledge that has not been seen in ages. Vocalists, Mio Akiyama and Yui Hirasawa (both pictured above) have captivated the hearts of thousands with their vocals in the hit single Light and Fluffy Time.

The unique blend of sound that is brought forth by this band is something truly spectacular. From the way that they play, one wouldn't know that Hirasawa picked up the guitar four years ago when the band was formed during their sophomore year in High School.

While each girl comes from their own unique background, this has not made their teamwork dysfunctional, but has benefited them. Their Japanese background has made them popular with the 'Otaku' community and their style is just fun for everyone. Much is expected from this upcoming group and we will keep following them as they grow. (More on next page for Biographies).

Azusa looked back up at the picture of the four girls and felt her jaw drop.

Is that...

She focused on the guitarist's face and examined her hair. She then examined the three bolded letters at the top of the article and felt her jaw drop.

She felt so dumb.

The image of three jagged black letters imprinted on a bright green shirt jumped out of Azusa's memory. Her stomach tightened as she realized that it was the girl she had crashed into earlier.

Oh god...I almost knocked Yui Hirasawa over.

Azusa closed the magazine and absentmindedly dropped it into her basket. She exhaled and scratched her head furiously.

I bet she hates me! Karma is going to make SGU reject me because I crashed into her!

Azusa tightened her grip on the basket and walked over to the cashier. She placed the contents on the conveyer belt and waited. As she stood on line, she tried to ignore the people conversing around her.

The more she listened, the more she saw that there was a group of guys talking about HTT.

They probably think that they're hot or something.

Azusa scoffed before walking in front of the cashier. She watched as the woman scanned her items. After she paid and bagged her things, Azusa left the store.

On her way home, she saw that people were gathering around one of the big screens outside of a shop. As Azusa approached, she saw that it was playing the Della* show and that there were four girls sitting by the hostess. The Live! Sign at the corner of the screen caught her attention and she watched intently.

"Welcome folks, I'm Della and today's special guests are the rising band, Houkago Tea Time!"

As the host spoke with the girls, Azusa took the time to examine each one.

The blonde with bushy eyebrows was wearing a pair of thick framed glasses and a grey beret, out of the four she seemed the most excited. The tawny-haired girl next to her had her bangs pulled back by a loose ponytail. As Azusa examined these two, she gasped.

I saw them at Walmart! That was Mugi and Ritsu? Wow, I'm bumping into celebrities left and right today- She thought to herself and frowned. Wait but that means the black haired girl was... And that also means that she should be there!

Her eyes roamed over to the last two girls.

The vocalists.

She immediately noted that both girls were disinterested in the conversation. In fact, Mio was picking at her nails absentmindedly while Yui had a blank expression on her face and her arms tightly crossed. The auburn-haired girl was wearing the same outfit she had on earlier.

Could it be she was leaving SGU to go to this? Azusa thought..

Once she felt a soft vibration against her thigh, she quickly reached in her pocket to take it out.

"Hello?" She mumbled, her eyes did not stray from the screen.

"Are you planning on coming home to open this letter or do you want me to do it?" Her mom asked.

Azusa felt her heart lodge itself into her throat as she gasped.

"I'll be over soon, don't open it."

"I don't know Azusa, it seems so tempting..." Her mother teased.

The younger girl quickly tore her eyes away from the screen.

"Mom, no! Just wait a bit!" Azusa said as she began running toward her house.

The raven-haired girl hung up and smiled nervously to herself. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears and she was now running on a rush of adrenaline.

Here it comes...the moment of truth.

[X~0~X~0 K-ON! 0~X~0~X]

The run back home seemed to go by much faster than her departure. When Azusa slammed the door open, her mother glared at her as she handed her the letter. She immediately ripped it open (as carefully as she could) and pulled out its contents.

She read it once, then twice, and then once more for good measure. Azusa narrowed her eyes and held the paper at a distance.

"M-Mom, what does this mean?"

"I don't know, read it again," her mother said.

Azusa glanced back down at the letter and bit her lip.

[Dear Ms. Nakano,

The University of Sakuragaoka is a prestigious school that only accepts the cream of the crop. In regards to the various applicants that applied to our University, it was widely conferred that their intellectual achievements were something that was expected for those wishing to attend an Ivy League. Among the candidates that advanced through rounds of meticulous scrutinization, there were many who were up to the challenge. One cannot forget that there are some candidates who have been around since they were infants. Though this must not deter the upcoming youth from trying to apply.

There is a reason for everything. Selection of worthy candidates for admittance is something that involves rigorous examinations when it comes to transcripts and applications. Scheduling an interview is something that also aids and adds experience for the future. This is all important, but what does it truly mean? Well, for one, the recipient of this letter is aware of the admission process and how time consuming it can be.

Overall, a powerful effort has been made to integrate any incoming students. As stated before, the reader may be wondering, "Why is this all being said?" Well, it is quite necessary in order to continue. In fact, in all cases, necessary maneuvers must be set into place.]

Azusa looked up at her mother and tilted her head.

"But that's it. It stops there," Azusa said before groaning in frustration.

Was this supposed to be someone's cruel idea of a joke?

Her mother chuckled as she folded her arms.

"I don't get it, mom, why would they send me a half-finished letter?"

"Azusa-"

"Seriously, what kind of stunt are they trying to pull?! I've taken at least nine AP classes! I don't know the results for three exams that I'll take, but I've been cramming my butt off for those!"

"Azusa-"

"Maybe this University wasn't worth it after all if they only send half-baked responses to people trying to -"

"AZUSA, BE QUIET AND LISTEN!"

Azusa froze up and glanced over at her mother. Once she saw the smirk on the older woman's face, she froze up.

"Don't tell me..." Azusa muttered as she glanced down at the envelope on the table.

"Check," her mother softly stated.

Azusa picked the torn envelope up and peeked in it. She bit her lip and closed her eyes when she saw another three pieces of folded papers in it.

"I...knew that," Azusa murmured.

"Right Snappy Pants, read it," her mother smirked.

Azusa's cheeks colored in embarrassment as her mother laughed at her impatient attitude. She carefully pulled the papers out of the envelope and continued reading.

[It has come to the attention of our admission attendants that you have many achievements that are noteworthy.

For this, you have been cordially nominated for the Kotobuki scholarship. The benefits of this scholarship include a gratuitous experience that requires much work on your part. As a recipient of the Kotobuki scholarship, Sakuragaoka University would like to congratulate you on being accepted-]

Azusa felt her jaw drop as she let the letter in her hands drop to the floor. Her vision began to blur as she stared blankly at her mother. When a tear ran down her cheek, her mom sprung into action.

"Azusa, it's okay! There are other universities! Don't worry!" she reassured her.

Azusa weakly smiled before quickly wiping away her tears. She sniffled and then tried to calm her now erratic breathing.

"...Azusa?"

She met her mother's garnet eyes and beamed.

"I made it in mom..." She whispered.

"Sweetie it's okay!" Her mother continued before pulling her into a tight hug. "You're smart! You can go for any other school better than that lame Sakuragao- wait what?"

Her mother's eyes peered into her own before the older woman stepped away. Azusa leaned down to retrieve the paper and recited the last lines. A smile as bright as the sun dawned on her mother's face.

"Oh my gosh, Azusa! An Ivy League! You! Your father is going to be so shocked!" Her mother laughed in relief and started pacing the room. "Oh my gosh! Why, I'm going to bake a cake!"

"Don't freak out too much, mom," Azusa blushed at her mother's reaction.

"How can I not?! Who cares about this month's house payment, let's go celebrate!" Her mother shouted as she grabbed the bag of groceries and left the room.

Some things never change.

Azusa smiled before sitting on the couch and reading the rest of the letter.

[As a recipient of the Kotobuki scholarship, Sakuragaoka University would like to congratulate you on being accepted to our University.

Now what does this mean for you?

The Kotobuki scholarship is awarded every other year to a hardworking student who has met highly set standards and done exemplary work for the community. A majority of the time, the scholarship is not awarded due to various applicants not meeting the requirements. Since the scholarship has many requisites, it guarantees a full-ride. The recipient will start a year ahead in classes and begin as a sophomore. Appointments to arrange summer classes in order to catch up on subjects for freshmen can be made at the following number: XXX-XXX-XXXX.

For further details of the Kotobuki scholarship, another letter will arrive in a few weeks. We congratulate you once more for your acceptance into Sakuragaoka, we hope to see you in the fall!

Sincerely,

Samuel N. Tainaka

President and director of Sakuragaoka University.]

Azusa placed the letter down on the table before sighing shakily. After a few seconds of remaining still, she burst into laughter.

To think that I got in! I can't believe it! It's a dream come true!

Azusa reached over and grabbed a pillow. She hugged it close and squealed into it. Immediately after doing so, she returned the pillow to its spot and looked around. An embarrassed blush crept onto her cheeks as she tried to dismiss what had just happened.

Garnet eyes stared down at a little box that had come in the envelope. The young girl reached over and took the box in her hand. She looked through the plastic and saw a small pin with the letters: SGU.

Azusa wrapped her fingers around the box and gently squeezed it.

One goal down. I know I can do this.

Azusa determinately pumped her first into the air and grinned. The pin inside the box glimmered in the light that permeated through the windows.

"Azusa...?"

She quickly brought her arm down and turned toward the kitchen.

"Yeah, mom?" she asked.

Her mother walked out of the kitchen with the grocery bag in her hands. Azusa watched her mother approach and froze up.

/Oh no, did I buy the wrong kind of milk?/

"Azusa...how was I supposed to cook dinner with this?" Her mother asked as she took a familiar looking magazine out of the bag.

Azusa froze once she realized her mistake.

I-I got so caught up with HTT that I forgot the eggs!

"I-I'm sorry, mom! I'll go buy the eggs now!" Azusa shouted as she quickly stood up and apologetically bowed to her mother.

"I'd rather you not. You might buy merchandise by accident in this delusion of grandeur that you're in. Just relax, I'll go buy it. Congrats, kiddo," her mother smiled before ruffling her hair.

Azusa met her mother's garnet eyes for a few seconds before the woman turned away. It was one of those moments that made Azusa forget the financial trouble that her parents were in. It was one where she could actually enjoy life.

A full ride, huh?

Azusa picked up the magazine and sat on the couch. She flipped open to the page with the HTT biographies and kept going until she stopped at the lead guitarist's.

Her eyes bored into the pictured girl's expressionless ones before she silently promised herself to do her best when it was finally time to go.

School's almost done and it's basically guaranteed that I'll be valedictorian at this rate since my opponent dropped those AP classes.

Azusa stretched her arms and dropped the magazine onto the coffee table in front of her.

It wasn't every day that someone from a relatively average background entered an extremely prestigious Ivy League University. She wouldn't be surprised if she was on the news.

She didn't worry much about that though, instead she indulged in her current state of happiness and continued reading about HTT's members.

A/N: I had tried to work on Singing! When I had said it. Meaning, I had the inspiration, but once it was time to write it, I immediately lost inspiration. Recently, I've been battling some real life problems. Now that I'm a junior in college, it's being a bit tricky since I'm approaching the real world. So, as an early Christmas present from me to whoever reads this, this is my promise to you that it's not over yet. I will overcome this and give you all the ending you deserve. I just don't want it to be forced, but now that my writing style has changed, I'm afraid it may not flow as easily.

Thank you for having patience with me. I hope to see you again soon upon the continuation of this, BAS, Singing!, Medieval AU, and the silly one-shots I could do.

In relation to the next chapter of Y&B, I leave this quote segment:

"Maybe next year I'll have no time
To think about the questions to address
Am I the one to try to stop the fire?"

Think of it what you will. This is Mei signing off. Ciao, friends.