A/N: I'm all fired up! Now that's familiar…anyways…here's the next chapter…
By the way, the four friends were in their second year in high school this time and Azusa was in her first year in high school. So…that's it…
I was kinda thinking just the day after I submitted this story here, it's gonna be a long story… =_= indeed…
Who is he anyway?
"I'm so sorry!" a loud cry echoed throughout the halls greeted some of the few students. The group of friends plus a mentor and a guy was hiding in the Light Music room.
"You know it's nothing serious Ritsu" the mystery guy interjected.
"Shut up already!" a very frustrated Ritsu exclaimed trying hard not to punch the blonde right next to her very foolish friend, who happened to be caught in a trap cause by the blonde himself, their friends intently watching them.
"Geez, give her a break already. I told you didn't I? I'm harmless." said he looking smug as always.
"Oh yeah? Then why is she crying then huh?" She argued back.
"Probably because she misses me" he confidently answered, in which Ritsu turned red from anger.
"You!" she grabbed a fistful of his school collar wanting desperately to punch him.
"Stop it Ritsu!" a hand shot out to grab Ritsu's right hand. "He…I…W-we…a-ano…" Mio can't formulate a proper excuse though.
"Save it Mio, she won't accept it anyway." The random guy freed himself from Ritsu's grasp and then turned to Mio, who was still crying heavily, an audience silently watching them interact from behind.
"B-b-but…" her words stopped dead track when she looked up to see him towering over her small frame, green eyes calculating her, her breath hitched.
"I'll see you later." He whispered. She nodded, shying away. And then, he was gone, echoing footsteps decreasing along the hallways. Silence filled the room.
"Ano…um, who was that guy?" Yui finally broke the ice, her innocent question reduce some of Ritsu's anger.
"He's just someone from the past, we weren't that close with him though…" Ritsu said, but stopped when something came to her, and she slowly turn around to stare at Mio, eyes dangerously turned into slits. "…but I think it wasn't a 'we', but an 'I' wasn't close with him."
Mio was startled by the remark. It was almost true though. She did that in the past, she hid secrets and lied to Ritsu, her friend who never left her, unlike someone.
"Ahem! Ahem~…Cough, cough…Ahem! Hm! Hm!...cough cough…A-"
"Stop it already Sawa-chan! I'm all ears now." Ritsu was fuming again.
"Oh, sorry. Anyway…about that guy…"
"I told you he's from our past. That's all and I'm not talking anymore!" Ritsu huffed and crossed her arms being all stubborn now.
"If you make it that way then…" their teacher fixed her glasses as it shone through the light. She clapped her hands once and ordered.
"Everyone! Tickle her!"
"Huh? Wait! Wha-!" all the girls, with the exception of Azusa and a still dazed Mio, jumped at Ritsu and tickled her all over. She was laughing so hard, she couldn't catch her breath. With all this happening before them, Mio and Azusa giggled at their friends' childishness.
"Ok hahaha, stop hahaha…I'll talk! Hahaha I'll talk I'll talk!...hahaha.!" Ritsu had tears in her eyes and was still giggling when Yui, Mugi and Sawa-chan stopped.
"You will?" the three had those puppy looks in their eyes.
"Yeah yeah" Ritsu replied as she sat up. "Ok…where do I start?"
"Everything!" the three said in unison.
"Everything? How can I do that?" asked Ritsu, a confused look on her face. Mio stifled a giggle while Azusa sweat dropped.
"Well duh! You start with the beginning of course!" Sawa-chan suggested indignantly.
"Yeah! When did you guys met him?" Mugi also advised while clapping her hands, in which Yui nodded.
"Oh-kay!...it all started…when a big blue dragon came and eat up Mio while she-" she was cut off by a book hitting her square on the head.
"Ow! What's the big idea?" Ritsu gently rubbed her slightly swollen head.
"That was not how it happened you idiot!" Mio huffily reminded.
"Sheesh, just adding some enchantment on your lousy love story" she commented jadedly.
"If you'll say it that way, then I'll tell the story instead!" as if on cue, all their clueless friends turned all their attention towards her. She blushed.
"E-e-e-eh? W-w-why a-are y-you g-guys staring at m-me?" yep the usual Mio
"The story! We wanna hear now." Mugi plead, seriousness evident on her pretty face.
"Eh? B-but…" "Just tell us the story!" they all said in unison.
"Eepp! A-alright!" she cleared her throat and looked away. "It all started back then on a winter day, when we were ten, six years ago…"
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.\\Flash Back/~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"Ritsu! Wait up!" a young Mio was trying hard to catch up with her friend, who was about three meters far ahead. They just heard that there was a new music shop near the old bakery where they used to hang out was having a sale today, 50% off!; the reason for their haste.
"Ritsu!"
"Hurry up Mio! Or else we're gonna miss the sale!" Ritsu answered back as she rounded up a corner.
"Ritsu! Wai-! AAh!" she inelegantly fall down the slippery trail, her face meeting the cold snow.
"Ow…" she mumbled as she tried to sit up.
"Are you alright?" a male voice questioned her. She turned her head around, her grey eyes clashing with green eyes. Those eyes were soft and full of concern yet it held a slightly amused look. But with all the staring, she forgot to answer.
"Hey, you alright?" he asked again, frowning this time.
"Eh? O-oh! Y-yes! Th-thank you." She bowed still in a sitting position. He held out a hand. Hesitantly, she grabbed it and he helped her stood up.
"Th-thanks…" mumbled she, very red from the frost and embarrassment.
"It's fine, you should be careful next time." He said as he walked away, towards the destination she and Ritsu were supposed to be going.
"Uhn!" she nodded. She watched him go, silently asking herself of that stranger.
'He's going towards my destination…' she thought. Then she remembered. 'Oh no! Ritsu! She must be looking for me!' She quickly ran to chase after her friend. She was nearing the corner when she yet again slip and fell forward. This time, she bumped heads with Ritsu, who came back to look for her when she found out that Mio was gone.
"OW!" they said in unison.
"Ritsu!"
"Mio! Where the heck were you? The store's about to close in 15 minutes! Hurry!" Ritsu grabbed her friend hastily.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.\\ Back to present…/~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Wait!" Mio stopped her storytelling when Yui asked her to. "Sorry Mio-chan but…what's the guys name?" Silence. Then chaos.
"Yeah! What's the guy's name Mio-chan?"
"That's not fair! You kept him a secret, now we found it out; you should tell his name also!"
"Mio-sempai, can you tell us his name?"
"Just tell them that dork's stupid name already."
"Shut up!" Mio silenced them with a cold glare. She cleared her throat. "His name is…"
They all leaned closer. "Its…" Closer. "I-it's…" Closer. "You guys are too close! I can't breathe!" she protested due to their proximity.
"The closer the clearer!" said Sawa-chan as she learned even closer, her eyes glinting evilly as she said. "Or is it because you're only more comfortable with your boyfriend than with us leaning closely to you, Mio-chan~" she purred, a hint of wickedness in her voice.
"I-I do not! I don't e-even let him t-touch me!" said a very red Mio.
"Oh-ho? I hope that's true." Sawa-chan leaned back to her seat and watch Mio critically.
"What?" Mio asked, an elegant brow rising.
"Continue with the story, I'm more interested with this mystery guy. He seems quite the character to make this a great deal for you." Sawa-chan crossed her arms as she readied herself for a good and romantic explanation.
"Ok then…so-" she was cut off again by Yui. "Don't forget to mention his name first!"
"Alright fine…anyway…"she trailed off…
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.\\Flash Back/~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
It has been a week since she first and last saw him. She could still remember his green eyes piercing through her soul, as if he could see the way her heart beats for him.
'Wait! What? My heart does not beat for him! And besides…I've just met him…' she mingled with herself.
"Oi, Mio, you alright? You're all red." Ritsu stated out. They were walking on a path that leads them to the new music shop. It was near, their products were high quality and they could afford some too.
"Oh, sorry Ritsu. I'm fine. I was just thinking of something…" her voice inaudible.
"Something? Like what?" Ritsu asked, she was starting to get piqued.
"Uh, n-nothing important really! J-just thinking if I have enough money to buy my own instruments now! Yeah! That's right! Ehehehe!" Mio nervously scratched her right cheek wishing Ritsu would just buy it.
"Really?" Ritsu, still curious, didn't buy it but played along. She would definitely find it out, Sherlock style, if she can.
As they entered the music shop, a middle aged man greeted them. He was kind and wears spectacles. His hair was white making him look even older and a bit rough. He was not the owner of the shop though, his wife was. Suddenly, a very nice looking lady came in through a curtained door from behind the counter.
"Ah, Akiyama-san, Tainaka-san, how have you been? Do you need something?" she smiled warmly at them.
"Oh, we're fine Minami-san. Well, we're actually looking for instruments of our field. Do you have some left-handed bass guitars?" Mio asked, her eyes held a glint of hope in them.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry Akiyama-san, but we don't have left-handed bass guitars yet." She replied sadly.
"Oh…" Mio looked deflated.
"But we do have left-handed guitars though!" Minami-san chirped. Her husband took out a very exquisite guitar case and placed it above the counter. "Here ya go." He said, opening the guitar case for them to see.
"Wow! It's beautiful Mio! You should buy it!" Ritsu suggested.
"W-what? N-no way!" Mio refused as she flailed her arms, almost hitting Ritsu.
"Why not?" asked Ritsu, one elegant brow rising.
"I-it's because…I'll get more attention with playing the guitar a-and, didn't we promise that you'll be the drummer and I'll be bass?" her cheeks turning red in every word, thinking about getting much attention already embarrassed her.
"Oh right, I remember! But it wouldn't hurt if you knew a little bit on the guitar right?" Ritsu said with a wink.
"But Ritsu, I have to save money to buy a bass guitar not a l-lead or rhythm guitar."
"What about guitars?" an unknown voice asked.
Immediately, Mio and Ritsu wheeled their heads to see this person. And Mio's eyes grew wide like saucers. 'I-it's him!' she mentally screamed to the heavens. As quickly as her eyes widen, she turned her head back just in time to see Ritsu's confused face, staring intently at her.
"Oh! Takeru-kun! How are you? Spying for young ladies this time?" Minami-san chirped, obviously amused at how the boy's cheeks grew red.
"O-of course not Minami-san. I'm here to buy a new set of guitar strings. They've gotten a little bit rusty." He added the last part shyly, he was really too engrossed in learning and perfecting his guitar skills that he failed to notice its unhealthy condition.
"A new set of guitar strings coming up!" Minami-san placed his purchased next in front of Mio, thus he inched closer to her to inspect them. Mio blushed at his nearness, which was not even that lewd. Trying to compose herself, she silently inched closer to Ritsu and away from the boy named Takeru. Ritsu, who was baffled by Mio's actions, asked her. "You okay?" Mio nodded in the positive, still lowering her head.
"Ne, Akiyama-san, do you like the guitar somehow?" Minami-san's husband asked her.
"Eh? O-oh! Um, ano, eto…" she spared a glance at the guy next to her, their eyes met, she quickly turned back to the guitar in front of her, her face growing hotter. Not quite trusting her voice, she nodded a yes.
"You play guitar?" his voice resounding through her ears, her ribcage, her heart. 'Oh no! H-he's talking to me! What should I do?' she silently raked her brain for any solution to her problems, anything just to save her from embarrassment.
"Well actually, she plays bass, but we're still learning. I play drum though." Her confident friend, Ritsu, saved her this time, mentally noting to give her a token of reward later for her superiority to her problem.
"Really? Drums are a bit tricky for me but I like 'em. The bass are cool too, but I stick with the guitar. They're awesome for me." He smiled tenderly for them, more of, smirked at them. He was the kind of guy who would show his tough exterior and still has a weakness, his soft interior of a heart.
"Ne, what's your name again?" Ristu asked, still exchanging eye contact with Mio's tensed ones.
"It's Takeru, Takeru Shimizuki." He held out a hand, and Ritsu shook it.
"The name's Ritsu Tainaka." She smiled boyishly.
"Oh! And this here is my friend. She's the shy-type of girl, so be gentle with her." She pushed Mio so that they would be facing each other.
Still lowering her head down, she muttered her name. "I-I-I'm M-Mio Akiyama. N-nice to meet you." She bit her lip afterwards, her hands clencingh her skirt.
"Hey, I'm Takeru." He smiled at her coyness. "You don't have to be scared of me you know. I don't bite, but I bark though." He chuckled, just so he could enlighten the tensed atmosphere.
"O-oh! I'm sorry! That's rude of me." She finally lifted her head and then their eyes met. Dark grey meeting green ones. They stared for a moment, until she blinked and felt her visions going blurry.
'My heart's hammering too loudly, I think I'm gonna melt.' She turned around to face Ritsu and smiled at her.
"Ritsu, I think I need to see a doctor. My heart's beating so fast. It might have fallen already Ritsu."
"Huh? Why?" her question was answered with Mio collapsing and nearly falling over her. Two arms shot out and grabbed Mio's waist and elbow. All she could see was darkness while warmth was engulfing her.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.\\ Back to present…/~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
"Sorry guys…that's all I could remember." Mio ducked her head as an apology for letting the story end there. Silence. She looked up again, curious of why they were just silent after that. They stared back at her with neutral expressions.
"What?" she asked. Silence again.
"What?" a bit irritated at their lost of speech this time. Not even a cough.
Yui blinked, raised her hand, and asked "Who caught you Mio-chan?"
That caught her off-guard. "I-I, I uh…I really don't know." She muttered under her breath.
"It was Takeru obviously." Ritsu puffed out, remembering how Takeru just simply took Mio in his arms and brought her to a nearby clinic. She began to think that time if those two met before, and practically, she was right, horribly right.
"R-really?" Mio blushed, stuttering over her next words. "B-but, h-how? I-I-I m-mean there was n-no way h-he could c-c-carry me…I was really…heavy back then." Her last words were inaudible, but Ritsu and the others heard it.
"Pft! He actually said that you were heavy." Ritsu laughed hard and was also punched hard by an irritated Mio. "Ow!"
"Anyway, you guys…you won't tell anybody right? About him that is…" she bit her lower lip while starting at her toes, wishing that the floor would just swallow her up. Her friends and even her teacher found out about her secret childhood crush! And they didn't even know what's to happen next.
=_= / +_+ \\ =_=
On the way home, it was still the usual walks. But this time, their teacher, Sawa-chan came along. She said that her car was on repair and she'll have to commute by bus today. Their discussion, however, was focused on one person alone.
"Mio-chan?" Tsumugi started "Could you tell us more about um…"
"Takeru Shimizuki " Ritsu provided.
"Oh yes! Shimizuki-san! " Mugi nodded.
"Well…he's nice…" the other girls leaned near her and listened intently.
"He…taught me…how to play the guitar…" an evident blush on her face. They leaned more.
"He's very smart too…and understanding…and…he…" she trailed off when they all stopped and leaned in to hear more.
"Ano…you guys are too close…"
"Mio-chan!"
"Mio-sempai"
"Mio!
"Akiyama-san!"
"Continue the story already!" they all shouted in unison.
"Alright, alright!" she defended as she took two steps backward. "Um, where do I start? I've already told you guys how we met, so?" They all made a thinking face, then a light bulb appeared on Yui's head.
"I know!" Yui squealed. "Remember when Rit-chan asked Mio-chan about the 'deal' thing?" the other girls nodded. "Weeellll…how about you start with the real reason for that deal thing and…what is the deal all about anyway?" Yui tilted her head to the side as she stared at Mio, asking for an answer.
"H-how? W-why? W-when?" she shrieked, not wanting to answer those questions given.
"Please Mio-chan!" they all pleaded.
"Mou~…just…oh stop making puppy eyes on me!"
"Aw~" "Mio's so mean!" "That's so unfair Mio-chan!"
"What? Hey! Oh alright! I guess I could tell you guys…everything…"
"Yay! Let's go to that restaurant!"
"Fear not my girls! Your ever so loyal and very cool teacher is here! Everything you order is on the house!"
"Yes!" "Thank you Sawa-chan!" "C'mon Mio-chan! We'll talk inside!"
"W-wait up guys!"
And so…to be continued…
Gomen minna-san! It's just so long that I have to cut it there…well, next week will be all the flashbacks! I hope this chapters not that bad…I really hope…see ya next time then!
