Battle Royale AU.
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This story is supposed to take place in the universe Takami Koushun creates for Battle Royale.
A word of caution: Expect the girls to be out of character. This is supposed to be a harsher world than the one K-on! is set in.
Disclaimer: K-On! belongs to Kakifly, and the Battle Royale universe belongs to Takami Koushun.
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"Listen!"
[We chose the same dream; that is the power that drives us for tomorrow]
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Arc One: Tsubasa wo Kudasai.
Chapter Two.
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Two figures spilled out of the backdoor and into an alley. The taller of the duo hesitated at the doors. She pulled a length of metal chain and looped it around the two hooks the teenagers had installed when they first began using the abandoned store as a clubhouse of sorts. Her friend quickly snapped the padlock on with a click, and tugged at the lock to make sure that it was securely in place. Satisfied by the resistance, she dashed off, heading for the other side of the street.
"And she agreed to grab some fries with us just like that – even after what you did?" Mio asked.
Ritsu nodded, walking backwards so that she could face Mio.
"I know. Pretty crazy, right? Come on! Hurry up, Mio!"
Mio shook her head; Ritsu was as enthusiastic as ever. Where did that girl store all that energy? She never seemed to tire, that one. It drove Mio insane sometimes but she'll (grudgingly) admit that it was sort of fun keeping up with her best friend.
Ritsu was right at the edge of the sidewalk, toeing the lip of it. If she lost her balance, she would have fallen right onto the narrow, one-way road cars hardly ever found themselves on in this maze of a town. It was obvious that she was waiting for Mio to catch up.
"Gosh, you're slow," Ritsu whined.
"Shut up," Mio snapped, long since having developed a backbone against her friend. "Must everything be so fast-paced with you? It's no wonder you always end up rushing."
Having had enough of Mio's dawdling, Ritsu backtracked and took her friend's hand. She pulled Mio along, the same way she had done countless times before in their juvenile days. Some things never change, do they?
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mugi," said Ritsu by way of greeting. "Mugi, this is Akiyama Mio – my best friend. Mio, this is Mugi; she's really kind-hearted. Oh, and gentle, too – a trait that you – Ouch! Hey!"
While Mio was cordially exchanging greetings with Mugi, Ritsu pouted. The noticeable bump on her head was throbbing ever so slightly, prompting Ritsu to rub at the sore spot. Mio, however, went about acting as if the random act of violence had never occurred. Mature, cool and responsible – that was Mio's image. But it was only a matter of time before Mio's true side would be exposed; that girl didn't take creepy or gory stories very well.
Mugi, on the other hand, was courteous with the greeting. She, however, reduced the formality of the atmosphere by addressing Mio as 'Mio-chan' instead of 'Akiyama-san', as was customary. Mugi went further, insisting that Mio refer to her as just 'Mugi'. Mio conceded, although a little timidly. It was kind of fun to watch; while most found a flustered Mio was impossibly cute, Ritsu found it downright hilarious. It was the opposite of how Mio would want to present herself.
"You two seem like a fun pair," Mugi commented as they made their way to the nearest Max Burger.
The journey towards the golden arches was filled with chitchat and laughter. Mio really did seem to click with Mugi. Or, at least, she seemed to be more than comfortable sharing embarrassing stories about Ritsu in their younger days. Ritsu proceeded to plug her ears and attempt to drown out Mio's voice. This earned her a giggle from Mugi.
The two best friends were just about to pass through the doors of Max Burger when they realised that Mugi lagged behind, standing still before the establishment.
"I've never been to a fast food restaurant before," whispered Mugi, almost reverently. Her eyes were all aglow; those baby blues were filled to the brim with wonder and excitement.
Mio sent a quizzical look Ritsu's way. Ritsu returned the look with one of her own and an added shrug. As far as Ritsu was concerned, it was just another fast food outlet – nothing special about it. It was kind of hard to believe than Mugi had never been to one. Which kid hasn't been to a fast food place? Ritsu's family were a little tight on money but they could still afford the occasional trip to Max Burger. It really wasn't all that big of a deal.
Mio and Ritsu made quick work of placing their orders and securing a table. It wasn't long before Mugi joined them with a tray of her own.
"I've always wanted to be asked if I would like fries with that," said Mugi, wistfully, sliding into the seat by Ritsu's side.
Glee was written all over the blonde's face. Once again, the two best friends exchanged looks. Huh… Maybe the blonde wasn't kidding when she said she had never been to a fast food restaurant before. It was a little hard for Ritsu to wrap her mind around but it sort of made sense. This girl has a chauffeur, after all; it wouldn't be too hard to imagine Mugi having butlers, maids and chefs at home as well. Okay, maybe that was a little too over the top. Shaking her head slightly, Ritsu went back to chomping on her fries. Man, did she love those fried potato sticks.
In spite of having always wanted to be asked if she would like fries with her order, Mugi hardly ate them at all. She was quick to insist that Mio and Ritsu share her food. Not that Ritsu was complaining, of course; she really was a fan of French fries. Mio had tried to avoid the greasy snack initially but gave in after a while, picking at a random stick now and then. Ritsu knew that Mio was conscious about her weight but had never understood why, though – it seemed like all the weight Mio gained went to her chest, anyway. The shortest of the trio held back a sigh, keeping her lamentations over her flat plane of a chest to herself.
Eventually, the snacks were gone and the drinks were drained dry. Mio went ahead and suggested they made a move; she wanted to get some school supplies before sundown. It wasn't too late out, and Mugi seemed enthusiastic to tag along when Mio asked the blonde if she would like to join them. And so, the trio left Max Burger in favour of the bookstore, with Ritsu complaining about how school was a drag and how the holidays seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye. It wasn't long before Mio shut her friend up with a blow to the head, thoroughly irked by the incessant whining.
"Aren't you getting anything, Mugi?" Mio asked, noting the blonde's empty arms. The raven-haired girl slipped a case of coloured pens into her shopping basket in the meantime.
Mugi shook her head, no. Mio was in awe when she heard that the girl had been home-schooled her entire academic life. Any and all stationery that she would need was already available at home. No, she didn't really need to get anything new – she just wanted to see the department store.
"That sounds nice," Mio sighed. "Ritsu and I go to the high school over at the next town. We live at the attached boarding school."
Mio very nearly regretted revealing that information for she was soon bombarded by a truckload of questions from the excited blonde. What was it like to live in a boarding school? Doesn't she miss her family? What does she do when she's feeling a little homesick? Was she in close contact with her parents back home? One after another, the questions came. Mio could hardly keep up with them. She could only hope that Ritsu would stop goofing off by the manga station and come save her from the barrage of questions…
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"Please, sensei, there has to be a way," the brunette pleaded, tears already brimming in her doe-like eyes.
The young woman, Yamanaka Sawako, shook her head; it could not be done. The girl she was dealing with was a new student, freshly-transferred to Sakuragaoka High School from a high school on the other side of the prefecture. Her grades weren't all that brilliant and she had missed half of the last schooling trimester. She had no clubs or societies to beef up her portfolio… No, her performance practically warranted the girl be forced to repeat first year of high school.
"I'm so sorry. It just cannot be done; especially so if you refuse to account for your truancy last year."
The brunette bit at her lip, deep in thought. Sawako was almost worried; the girl seemed to be struggling with herself quite a bit.
"Ne, sensei… Will you vouch for me if I told you what happened?"
Sawako nodded. "I will try my best."
The student sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. "Well, here goes…"
The appeal session closed with Sawako asking the girl to come back at the end of next week for a diagnostic test, just to make sure that she would be able to keep up with the rigorous syllabus for second-years. The girl nodded, thanking the teacher profusely for her help.
"I have to ask, though… How did you know to come to me?" asked Sawako, genuinely curious.
"Kawaguchi-san told me to, if you don't mind, sensei."
Sawako nearly snorted in amusement. She really must have a word with that woman soon. Sawako couldn't be helping every other teenage girl Kawaguchi Norimi sent her way, could she?
"I'll see you next week," Sawako dismissed the teenager. "Take care."
"I will," the girl affirmed chirpily as she let herself out of the classroom. "Thanks again, sensei!"
Before the door was shut fully, Sawako was pretty sure she heard another voice asking about how the appeal went. Sawako shook her head, smiling to herself. The other girl must have been waiting right outside the room all the while. It sort of reminded Sawako of her younger days – days spent with her dear band of friends.
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Mugi wasn't the kind of girl to ask for things from her father.
She had resolved to be independent from a young age and had been weaning herself off from relying on her family's wealth. Mugi sighed and clutched the papers to her chest; she had painstakingly filled out the forms. All that was left was her guardian or parent's signature. Mugi wasn't the kind of girl to ask for things from her father but there were just some things that she couldn't accomplish on her own.
And with her breath held, she mustered the courage to rap on the door to his study. She said a little, silent prayer before she ventured in with his permission.
"Tsumugi?" her father questioned, a little surprised.
The young Kotobuki hardly ever came by his study unless he requested for her. It really had been a long time since his little girl would wander into his office and climb into his lap, chatting with him in the squeaky voice of a child. She was small enough for him to pick her up and spin her around then. Yes, Mugi hasn't been to her father's office on her own accord for nearly a decade now. Goodness, he missed those times when Mugi still thought the world of him and his wife was still by his side.
The Eurasian man put his pen down, placing all his attention on his daughter.
"Otou-sama," Mugi greeted the man with a bow. He wished she would stop being so formal with him when they weren't dealing with business.
"Yes, Tsumugi?" he asked, not at all unkindly.
"I… I don't mean to trouble you but please have a look at these forms."
He picked up the forms that she left at the corner of his desk before pulling back to where she stood before. Mugi has her hands clasped and held towards her chest – she was nervous. He bit back his disappointment; what sort of a father was he if his only daughter was so anxious around him?
He placed his half-framed reading glasses upon his nose-bridge and set off to work, dark eyes quickly scanning across the page. He read quickly and with ease, accustomed to heavy paperwork and drawing out details from the fine print – by and by, Kotobuki-san was a brilliant businessman equipped with the tools of the trade.
Eventually, he placed the paper down and surveyed his daughter over the top of his glasses. He took a moment to organise his thoughts before inquiring in a firm tone:
"You wish to enrol in a boarding school?"
"Yes, otou-sama," Mugi confessed. "I have placed careful thought in it and I thought it would be for the best."
"Oh?" asked Kotobuki-san, genuinely interested in his daughter's opinion. "Is there anything about the current arrangement that I should be concerned about?"
Her father had picked up his pen and had begun twiddling with it. The action nearly had Mugi giving up; she knew her father well enough to know that he was challenging her.
'Bargain with me.' She could read it in his eyes.
While Mugi might be more familiar with trade and dealings than most of the peers her age, she was still a greenhorn against her father's vast reserve of experience. The man was good at what he did and he knew it. She couldn't push for a deal with him! Maybe she should just give up and…
No.
This was something she wanted more than anything else at the moment – and if she truly wanted it, she would fight for it.
"The tutors are excellent but I really think that I would benefit from studying away from home."
"Elaborate."
"Besides pushing me to be independent, I think I should at least be a little more familiar with what the education system in the Republic of Greater East Asia is like-"
"Then read a book about it."
"Such experiences call for a familiarity beyond vicarious living, I should think. It would be beneficial to have some semblance of the experience most, if not all, of the people here have gone through – even if it's just for the sake of socialising and building connections."
"And you think the benefits of this move, in the long run, would outweigh the costs of this sudden transfer?"
"I do," Mugi agreed, trying to hide her pounding heart. She had been grasping at straws and she knew that her father was aware of it – and the thought only worsened her anxiety.
Kotobuki-san leaned back in his chair, seriously contemplating things. The reasons Mugi gave him had been weak, probably conjured up right on the spot, but her willingness to push for it was what impressed him. Mugi has never been a forceful one – determined, yes, but she had never been one to try and sway other's opinions so directly. She often opted for more subtle means.
She must really want this.
He heard her release a breath of relief when he nodded, uncapping the pen in hand to place his signature on the dotted line (which Mugi has gone as far as to flag with a translucent yellow sticky note).
"Then go," he acceded, handing the form back to his daughter. "I'll have Saito-san help you prepare your things."
For the first time in a long while, his daughter shed that reserved front that she always carried around him. She let out what sounded like a small squeal of excitement and pulled him in for a tight hug.
And that made it all worth it.
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Fingers grazed across the sheet of print before reaching up to adjust the glasses on its owner's nose.
Manabe Nodoka sighed.
It was the weekend before the school year started and she was at school, putting up the class allocations on the various boards around the school. The other members of the student council were scattered around school, each busy with their assigned tasks.
Nodoka began with the notices for first-years.
She indulged in a small smile when she came across a familiar name; Ui would be glad when she found out that she had made it into the school. It was best for her to take a breather from the small hometown they shared. That smile was short-lived, however.
Nodoka couldn't honestly say that she wasn't worried when she was unable to spot another name amongst the list of freshmen. It looks like Ui wouldn't be able to celebrate properly after all…
After allowing herself that short pause, the dark-haired girl moved on the put up the second-years' class allocation on the indoor noticeboard. Sure, she was disappointed, but what could she do about it? She made a mental note to pick up some sweets after duties let up.
The mature and oftentimes-stoic girl would never admit it but her heart nearly missed a beat when she spotted a very familiar character amongst the many names.
Hirasawa.
She barely had enough time to glance at the student's given name before one of the seniors approached her with a juice box, thanking Nodoka for the hard work and letting her know that it was alright to take a break.
"Thank you, Sokabe-senpai," said Nodoka, accepting the drink after putting the stack of papers down.
As she sipped on the orange juice, Nodoka let her mind wander. There would be a celebration, after all – one that would be much grander than they had expected.
'Congratulations, Yui.'
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