Chapter 2 Akiyama Mio- NO, thank you!
"What's wrong?" Mio didn't know then, but that sentence was the start of a long lasting friendship. Sure they'd spoken before, but the kid with the red headband was just too weird and rambuctious for her. When she had a problem though, she never hesitated to help Mio and ever since then, they'd just grown closer and closer.
[Beep beep beep beep beep]
The sound of her alarm woke her up. Today… she would officially be a high school student. It sounds scary, but luckily her best friend would be by her side. Ever since that day on the swings, she was always by her side. She would always protect Mio from boys and girls trying to tease Mio… and then… tease her herself… Mio popped a vein just thinking about it…
No, not now, Mio… it's too early to think about that idiot…
Mio proceeded with preparing to go to school and when it was about 7.45 her best friend came to pick her up.
"Mio! Are you ready? Let's do some window shopping before we head to school…" She gave that famous Cheshire grin.
"Yeah, coming, Ritsu!" Ritsu. That's right; her best friend's name is Ritsu. Tainaka Ritsu. She could be pretty annoying, but she is a great friend nonetheless. It was her outgoingness and determination of making Mio her friend that had intrigued the young Mio… this very determination is what made Mio fall for in her best friend. It was a secret though… Luckily Ritsu was thickheaded enough to not notice and Mio was capable of keeping secrets.
Through the years, she hadn't changed her ways and was still the annoying lovable Ritsu she got to know all those years ago. She loves to scare Mio… just because it's too easy… and the fact that her facial expressions are the cutest.
Excited, Mio ran out the door to go to their new school and see what it would have in store for them.
On the first day Ritsu wanted to push Mio into this weird club called "the light music club"? No, way. No freaking way! Mio had already decided on joining the literature club and there was absolutely no freaking way Ritsu was going to change her mind… until she tore up her club application form.
"What are you doing, Ritsu?" Angry and slightly annoyed, Mio stared at her best friend and the torn application.
"Come on, come on! Let's go check it out!"
Well, that's disappointing… Turns out, the club got banned due to its lack of members. So Ritsu decided to become the club president and wait for applicants…
She's so stubborn… Mio thought with a small smile…
And when they were about to leave, a blonde girl popped her head into the doorway.
"Ano… I'd like to have a look around…"
That's when Mio met Kotobuki Tsumugi, their keyboardist. A very nice girl… fairly quiet… and later on she learned… that she likes girls… as well. Mio also noticed she loves to make tea… and suspected she had some weird fetish with tea sets… Ooh well… to each their own thing…
In the end another girl joined their club. Hirasawa Yui, supposedly their guitarist. Mio tried to be formal with the girl, but she quickly shoved all the formalities and told Mio to just call her by her first name. Mio found out Yui was quite an airhead and was almost as hyped up as Ritsu… only… less eccentric… and more dramatic… way more…
Mio loved this club and the new friends she made. She was glad she let Ritsu persuade her to join this band, even though they didn't seem to be doing a lot…
[K-on]
The time came for their first show during the school festival. And Yui's voice was nowhere near normal, which scared Mio to no end, because it would mean she would have to sing those overly embarrassing songs she herself wrote…
On the day of the concert she was so scared, Ritsu gave her some time off to relax before they would play.
Ritsu…
Eventhough she loves to scare Mio, she hates it when Mio is sad, or scared (without her doing) or mad (without her doing). She tried to lighten the mood for mostly Mio right before the show and it seemed to help… Thankfully the show went off without a hitch… until she tripped, displaying her… Well, let's not mention what we saw, now shall we… causing one very strange senpai to start a fan club in her name… much to Mio's dismay...
After that incident, Mio was extra careful not to give any fan service to her fans… that would be annoying…
The rest of the school year was kind of uneventful and Mio was glad it was over. When the second year came, to her shock, she was the only one out of the four who was placed in another class…in which she knew NO ONE! Well, that's what she thought, until she saw Yui's childhood friend Nodoka…Thank goodness!
In their second year, a small kohai decided to join their club. Nakano Azusa. Despite her saying so, Azusa is a very, very good guitarist. Mio liked her from the start. She was shocked to see how Yui could calm her down just by petting her head though… O well…
With Azusa joining their little club, things got a little busier. As expected, Azusa loved to practice, as she loves routine. But Yui and Ritsu almost never gave in.
Well, that's the music club for you…
Slowly but surely, Azusa grew accustomed to the laziness infested in the club… and almost everything went back to normal… Well… I did say almost…
Mio noticed how Yui loved to randomly hug Azusa… which annoyed Mio… Or more likely… made Mio a little jealous. If only she could tell her best friend about her feelings and just randomly hug her like Yui does to Azusa. The only problem with telling her was… well, Mio had no idea as to how Ritsu would react. That and the fact that we're talking about Mio here… there's no way she could summon up the strength to tell her best friend such a secret.
It's okay though… she's fine with admiring from afar…
Mio tried her best to be a good friend, and she admitted she should've been more attentive to Ritsu when she noticed she was acting strange for a while… She almost kicked herself when Yui and Mugi told her she was sick. How could you neglect her? Baka Mio! That day, she asked permission to leave early, just so she could visit Ritsu. Mio was glad the Tainakas told her where they kept their spare key in case of emergencies… and heck this was one… She opened the door and walked to Ritsu's room.
"Mio?"
What is she? Psychic?
"What are you, psychic?'
"Don't be crazy… I recognize your footsteps…"
"So you were sick all along… We've been worried sick about you… why didn't you tell anyone…?"
"I thought you'd be mad at me… Are you mad at me?"
"Of course I'm not…"
"How 'bout the others?"
"Of course not… But you know… I've missed you… especially your drumming… it's those hyped up beats of yours that I love…" Ohh no… did I… confess?
Underneath the covers she could hear Ritsu sniggering. She didn't think of it that way…
After that, Mio didn't know whether to be happy or sad Ritsu didn't suspect that little confession. Mio knew now… Admiring from afar was now something she couldn't do anymore…
Mio was never close to any boys in her class in middle school. It was due to her shyness that she unintentionally pushed them away. She didn't mind though…As long as Ritsu is with me… And she was… Ritsu always was beside her. Almost every memory she had, Ritsu was in it… It annoyed Mio that she could be such a scaredy cat… Why couldn't she just tell Ritsu… It used to be enough just looking, but seeing Azusa and Yui… all huggy, huggy kissy, kissy… Mio was now determined. She would tell Ritsu! Uhm… eventually… some day… On her death bed… yeah that's right…
[sigh] Who am I kidding… I have to tell her soon… Or else I'm gonna die of annoyance! If that's even possible, Mio…
[K-on]
It was just before their final exams… Mio was just randomly walking down Ritsu's street and didn't even call to see if she was home… Mio just knew she would be… With every step closer to Ritsu's home, her heart was pounding louder, harder, faster…
She got to the door of the Tainaka residence and heard a radio blasting one of HTT's songs… and Ritsu singing louder than permitted.
Mio smiled. It's been a while since she's heard Ritsu this happy. She walked to the front door and waited… not for anything in particular… she just waited…
This is crazy! I… I should just knock on the door, go up to her room, tell her, then kiss her as if there's no tomorrow!
Yeah, that idea sounded good to Mio… if she even had the guts to… Mio began to have second thoughts and wanted to step off the porch to go home when the door opened.
"Mio-chan! Nice to see you here… Go on in… Ritsu's in her room… And could you please tell her to keep it down…I swear that girl…" Ritsu's Mom didn't wait for an answer and walked out the front door, smiling and waving goodbye to Mio. Still standing at the door she watched as Ritsu's mother walked over to the garage and step into the car where Ritsu's Dad and Satoshi were waiting. After they drove away, she went in.
She slowly walked up the stairs. Then descended again… She needed a glass of water… After a long dawdling in the kitchen she went back up to Ritsu's room.
She slowly opened the door to see Ritsu air drumming to the beat of one of her favorite songs. The music was so loud she couldn't even hear herself think.
"Ritsu!" No response.
"RITSU! TURN IT DOWN, BAKA!" Ritsu was still air drumming to the beat of 'don't say lazy!'; eyes closed to absorb the melody better and arms randomly flailing around to impersonate her drum set.
Mio sighed as she took in the sight of her best friend. Why do you do this to me Ritsu… Mio began walking towards her. When she was about six feet from where Ritsu was seated, Ritsu opened her eyes.
"MIO! COME ON! JAM WITH ME HERE! WE HAVEN'T RAVED IN AGES!"
"BAKA! WE'VE NEVER RAVED! NOW TURN DOWN THE MUSIC, THE NEIGHBORS ARE COMPLAINING!"
Complying to Mio's request, Ritsu turned down the music until she could hardly hear herself sing.
"Man, I love this song…" Ritsu fell long out on the floor. "So, what brings you here, Mio-chuan?" Ritsu grinned.
Great… Now Mio was feeling jittery… Excellent… I should just scold her and then go home… yes…
Instead Mio sat down and realized something. "Say Ritsu, why do you only listen to the songs I sing?" Mio realized she even heard her version of Fuwa Fuwa time when she was at the door.
"I don't know, I just like your version better…" She yawned and turned to her side.
God, she's so sexy… wait WHAT? Okay so I like her, but I've never thought about her like that! Mio was sweating a little bit.
"I uhh… I think I need to tell you something…" Mio was fidgeting… A movement Ritsu hated to no end.
"Okay… then spit it out…" Ritsu looked at her curiously.
"U-uhmm…" Okay, so there's no going back now… I… I…
"Mio… It's me you're talking to… relax…" Mio looked up into friendly sparkling amber eyes.
"I uhm… I can't…" Mio stood up and ran for the bathroom.
"Mio wait!" was the last thing she heard before she closed the bathroom door. She sat down on the floor, her back against the door. She could hear familiar footsteps walking towards the door and then stopping in front of it followed by what she could assume, Ritsu sitting down on the floor in front of the door as well.
"Mio… What's that all about?" Ritsu said in a calm tone even Mio didn't know she had. "Come on… I want to know… what did you want to tell me…? I'm listening…"
Mio couldn't take it anymore. She felt tears streaming her face and quietly sobbed. She didn't say a word.
Ritsu understood though… "I mostly only listen to songs you sing… because… I love your voice, Mio… I'm… addicted to it…" She heard Ritsu laugh. "Especially 'winter days'… That one was for me wasn't it…"
Baka, all of them are for you…
"Won't you open the door so I can tell you properly that I love you?"
Mio's eyes shot right open. She…what? It took Mio about two minutes to think about it and open the door. Sitting outside was a lightly blushing Ritsu in a lotus sitting. "You… do?"
"Of course I do… baka" Mio looked into her amber eyes full of honesty. She couldn't help but cry again.
"M-Mio! What's wrong? Did I say something stupid? I-I'm sorry, I-"
Mio laughed and pulled her best friend into a tight embrace. "No… You said all the right words… I love you too… Ritsu…"
[K-on]
"We made it!" After texting almost everyone in her list and talking to her parents on the phone for what seemed an eternity, Mio finally put her cell phone in her pocket with a sigh. She turned to her friends. They were going to go to college together! Her happiness was just barely contained. Now it was just smooth sailing until graduation. Mio couldn't complain. Her best friend, and now girlfriend, was going to be together with her in college. Of course her friends would be there also, but still… she was glad that Ritsu would be by her side…
After graduation, Mio and the others sang a song for Azusa. It took a lot for Mio to not just burst out into tears. After their last jam session at Sakuragaoka, she and Ritsu told the others they had plans. Luckily they, especially the ever so perceptive Mugi, understood and left.
"So where are we going, Ritsu?"
"Just trust me on this, Mio" Ritsu grinned.
They walked and talked, thinking about college and what to expect there… Mio was so wrapped up in the conversation about whether Ritsu should or should not change head band color, she didn't even notice they were passing their old elementary school.
"I'm telling you, Ritsu, you should just lose the headband and trim your bangs a little… you're much cuter that way…" Mio smiled.
"Well… I'll think about it… We're here, Mio…" Ritsu smiled.
Mio looked up to see the old swing set where Ritsu had confronted her all those years ago. She felt her eyes tearing up as nostalgia hit her. "You… remembered…"
"Of course… I couldn't forget our first normal conversation now could I…" She held Mio's hand and brought her to the same swing she had been sitting on and told her to sit down. Ritsu herself sat down on the one right beside it.
They fell into a very comfortable silence as they watched the sky slowly turn from a bright orange one to a beautiful starry night sky. Mio did a small recap on her life. She absolutely had no idea where she would be without Ritsu in it, that's for sure… If Ritsu wasn't there Mio would never have had the courage to pick up a bass guitar and learn to play it… She would never have the guts to talk to Yui and Mugi like she does now… it would never have crossed her mind to care that much about music…(She would also not have a fan club, but Mio's letting that one slide…)
It's because of Ritsu that my life is the way it is now… because she's always been there for me… and… hopefully… always will…
"Hey, Mio…"
"Yes, Ritsu?"
"Thanks for sticking with me…"
"… No… thank you… for always being here for me…"
I know I know! I'm totally sappy when it comes to Mitsu! I cannot help it! Totally cheesy I admit, but I couldn't help myself… I love Mitsu when they're all lovey dovey… ^^ Review if you want… See you in the next chapter… next up… Ricchan! V!
Extra note: If you want to check up on my story stats, just check my profile page... I'm not sure when I'm posting the next chap because my other fic has a higher priority... Thank u!