Merry Christmas (and Happy Holidays to you all who don't celebrate X-mas). Expect to see more fanfic before the 25th from me.

Disclaimer: K-ON belong to Kakifly and Kyoto Animation

Houkago Tea Time for Life

Azusa was the first to arrive, and she was early. Kind of ironic since her boyfriend informed her that she's running late. The youngest member of the former Houkago Tea Time band waited patiently inside the traditional restaurant's private room, fidgeting around and looking nervous as wreck. It's been years since she saw her band mates, though she was sometimes visited by Ritsu and Mio. She was grateful of Mugi to gather everyone for this specific day, she really did miss the Houkago Tea Time. And yet there's this lingering feeling that made her twitch now and then whenever she thought of one specific member of their ex-band.

"Ya-ho~" the sliding door slid open suddenly. And speak of the devil, here she is now.

"Yui," Azusa muttered. It was too sudden for her, she's not ready to face her other band mates just yet. Especially the woman she once had a relationship with.

Yui turned to the only girl present. Azusa froze, her mouth went dry leaving her speechless. Azusa is not afraid to admit that she was avoiding Yui ever since the two broke up, she wouldn't want some sort of weird lingering tension between them. But by the time she found out about Yui's music tour, she regretted that she never patched things over. And now, the two have finally meet face-to-face and alone. Azusa hoped that the next few words coming out of their mouth would be enough to amend their broken friendship.

"Mio-chan?"

"It's Azusa!"

The ditzy and the firm personalities clashed again, replaying the scene as if it was similar back in Sakuragaoka High. Azusa hopes that they can finally treat each other as friends again, just like it was before back then.

"Ah, sorry. Azusa," Yui apologized. Her tone is somewhat awkward and uneasy.

Unlike the old Yui that Azusa remembered, this Yui felt different. Not only that this Yui did not refer Azusa with her old nickname or jump on her, she seemed to lose that easygoing and cheery aura that Azusa remembered well. She had it a minute ago when she cheerfully slid the sliding door open, but just as Azusa feared for, Yui went tongue-tied when she saw her.

"It's good to see you again, Yui," Azusa tried to break in the awkwardness. She stood up off the tatami floor to give her old friend a hug, they manage to do so with great difficulties though. Azusa can see now that their weird tension is yet to be broken. "Have a seat," she indicated to one of the empty cushions by the table.

"Uh, yeah," Yui nervously replied. "Sure." She quickly grabbed the nearest empty slot. Azusa returned back to her seat, which is coincidentally, on the right opposite side of Yui's position of the table. The two looked at each other, exchanging nothing but flustered smiles and empty words.

"So how does it feel to be a celebrity now?" Azusa quickly asked the first question on her head.

"Oh, it's good," Yui replied. "I mean, I'm not as big as Risette. But, things are looking pretty good." Yui stopped to nod wondering what else to reply in return. Azusa nodded too re-creating the awkward tension back on.

"I saw your new Music PV the other day," Azusa started another conversation.

"Oh, really?" Yui asked. "Did you like it?"

"It's… different," Azusa tried to put her opinion into words. "Than your last album. Different, but good."

"Good," Yui nodded looking sideway, and downward. Azusa can guess that Yui is avoiding eye contacts with her. "As long as you like it, that's good." Azusa nodded too, but still locking onto Yui. She wanted to fix things straight and get the original Yui back, despite the occasion hugs and jumps. But she know she won't get anywhere with her if she won't take the initiative.

"Okay, you know what," Azusa approached in. "I'm going to stop beating around the bush. Why are we acting like this?"

"Like what?" Yui asked turning her head over to face her. But Azusa is staring Yui down. It is one of her best attribute, the cat-like stare that manage to weasel Mio of her childhood story and her boyfriend's confession. "Stop looking at me like that, Azusa," Yui turned away from her nervously.

"You said it again," Azusa finally talked. "What happened to my old nickname?"

"You told me not to call you that anymore," Yui replied. "So I stopped." Yui faked up a smile that will hopefully fool the younger woman.

Azusa felt sick over that plastic smile, she need to make a move fast to bring Yui down. "I know you, Yui," she retort back. "Even if I told you, you'd still call me that anyway. Even after all these years, I know you would still call me that." Yui is still not facing her, Azusa can guess that Yui is starting to crumble soon. "What's wrong with us, Yui? Is it because of that?"

"Come on, Azusa," Yui scratched her neck. "Let's not talk about this." Yui really didn't want to return back to that day. She knew that Azusa will bring that back up when they reunited; she never thought that it will be this soon.

"No!" Azusa insisted. "Let's talk about this." Azusa is really persistent of this matter, she never thought that their break-up could lead the two's fallen friendship. "We have to get over this or things will not be back to normal again."

"I can't get over this!" Yui raised her voice, in which cause Azusa a jolt. Yui faced Azusa, and was she surprised to see her looking so upset. Yui has always been smiling, full of energy and making the negative seems positive. It's a wonder to see this child of joy looking gloomy. "It's too much for me, and you too."

"Then we have to talk about this," Azusa pushed on further, switching role from an interrogating cop into a couples therapist. "Or else we can never go back to where we were before in The Light Music Club."

The name brought Yui's full attention. Back in The Light Music Club, it was all just music, teas and having fun. Before anyone gets serious into a relationship, before everyone became serious with their career, it was all just couple of girls playing their instruments and hanging out together. That's what Azusa wanted to relive.

"That was fun, huh," Yui smiled a little, she remembered it well too.

She was always leaping to Azusa, making excuses and eating cakes. And of course they would jam with their own tune too, hoping that one day to make it to Budokan. But as soon as the girls have a little taste of reality, they all had a change of heart. But Yui, being the musical prodigy she is, was offered a job by a music agent and became a hit. She was surprised, and worried too. Not at herself, but at her friends.

"Yes, it was fun," Azusa nodded feeling that they're making progress. "And we can go back to that. But first we have to talk about this. I believe we can fix this."

"But Azusa," Yui stopped. "I hurt you. I don't know if we can fix that."

Azusa stopped to wonder. If she remembered it correctly, it was Azusa who ended their relationship, thus making her the bad guy of their love story. "You… hurt me?" she asked feeling not too sure.

"I know how much it meant to you," Yui continued. "But I still did it anyway. Not only to you, but to everybody else."

"Every… body else?" Azusa asked with that similar hesitant tone.

"Yeah, everybody else in the Houkago Tea Time. I did it to them too." Yui looked away from Azusa, not wanting to see her in the eyes. Good thing she didn't, cause Azusa is pretty sure that the way her mouth gaped down and with her eyes bugged open, that would be enough to send Yui to a fit of laughter.

"You... you did it with them?" Azusa asked again feeling more shocked.

"Yeah, I'm ashamed to admit it but I did," Yui latched her hands on her face. She could never dare to show her face to anyone anymore, she felt like she robbed all of their friends' dreams and stuff it onto herself. "I could just say no, but I didn't. It's like my greed took over me and told me to do it."

"Oh my!" Azusa expressed in shock. She never thought that that Yui would be this bold. Even shocking, she never thought that Yui found comfort in her other band mates in such suggestive way. "Even to Mio?" Azusa just had to ask. She would never think that Mio would ever do such thing to Yui, seeing as how happy she was with Ritsu.

"Of course Mio-chan too," Yui lightly nodded. "She probably took it the hardest after you." Out of all the band members, Yui can guess that Mio is the most hardworking one. She's probably devastated when she finds out that all of those hard work didn't bring her up the stage. While Yui here, the laziest of them all, made it without even break a sweat.

"I can't believe this!" Azusa broke out. She was in shock, never had she ever heard the gossips, lies and secrets within their own band. She felt cheated, and angry over this shocking lies. "I thought she was happy with Ritsu!"

"I know!" Yui raised her voice back to Azusa with tones of sadness. "I'm horrible! I... wait, what?" Azusa was about to continue to rant out again, but seeing the disbelief and confused face of Yui stop her to do so. "Azusa," Yui looked at Azusa finally. "What are you talking about?"

"What are you talking about?" Azusa retaliated back. Judging from Yui's tone, Azusa can guess that the two were talking of two different contexts. Neither spoke anything afterwards, the two just stared each other off, one with a confused look and one with an embarrassed flush.

"We're not talking about the same thing are we?" Yui innocenty asked.

"Guess so," Azusa muttered.

Now it is Azusa's turn to avoid Yui's stare, she felt embarrassed for thinking such shameless acts of her friends. It can be pointed as how dirty her mind is for coming in with such ideas. But for Yui, she just laughed. She laughed her heart out. Her voice is so loud, Azusa worried that it might bother the other guests and the staff. But instead of telling her friend to cool off, she laughed along with her. And just like that, the uncomfortable tension that the two have left behind has disappeared. Azusa can feel the cheery Yui she missed, and the two felt like they are back at the Sakuragaoka High Music room. Exactly where they left off.

"Hey, Azu-nyan," Yui said once she finished laughing. "Can I sit next to you?"

Outside the private room

Ritsu and Mio stood outside the sliding door, both with a satisfaction smile on their face. Ritsu turned to her lover, who just happened to be wiping a teardrop from her eye. She smirked over Mio's emotional personality.

"Are you crying?" she asked Mio.

"A little," she nodded. "I'm just so glad that those two have finally made up." Unlike Ritsu, who isn't aware of Yui and Azusa's friendship struggle, Mio is very well aware of Azusa's problem. After all, she is the big sister figure Azusa turned to when in need of listening ears. And true to her sensitive personality, she too felt Azusa's emotional problem. She is very glad to know that Azusa and Yui can finally become friends again.

"Good thing we stopped and eavesdropped huh," Ritsu comforted the still sobbing Mio.

"Yeah," Mio agreed. "If we just barge in, those two will never made up." Mio usually would lecture Ritsu upon doing such rude misdeed, but for once, her action did left a good impression. "Good job, Ritsu." She rewarded her with a quick peck on the cheek.

"What can I say?" Ritsu looked up cockily. "I'm a miracle worker."

"Don't let it get over your head," Mio punched her shoulder lightly. Ritsu quietly laughed over her joke, while Mio returned it back with a smile.

"Oh my, this is a surprise!"

Ritsu and Mio recognized that voice from anywhere. Years may have passed by, but that did not stop their ex-keyboardist to look as beautiful as ever. Their thoughtful blonde friend, who did set this arrangement up, smiled over her two friends she missed to meet for so long. Ever since she moved out of the country to be with her partner, Mugi yearned to meet the people whom she dearly loved for so long.

That seems to be the case for Ritsu and Mio too. The two ladies waste no time to run up to their blonde friend and give her the tightest hug ever. No turns are needed either, the two squashed Mugi from both sides, trapping her like some kind of a meat in a sandwich. While this kind of behaviour may bother to some people like Mio and Azusa, but for Mugi this is what she had always wanted. To be the centre of a group hug, in which she missed in her teen years, and to be crushed by two beautiful girls.

"Mugi! It's so good to see you again!" Ritsu was the first to say.

"We missed you so much!" Mio expressed getting teary again.

"I missed you too, Mio-chan, Ricchan," Mugi just couldn't help herself either. Seeing Mio cried like that cause her that same emotional chain to cry along with her, similar to that time during their last school cultural festival concert. The three neither move nor break the hug, they just stood there enjoying each other's comforts.

"We should probably get inside," Ritsu suddenly suggested. "Yui and Azusa are waiting for us."

"They're there too?" Mugi looked up feeling delighted once again.

Mio, feeling embarrassed for losing in the moment, released first and nodded to Mugi. "Yeah, they just patch things up together. Finally."

"How wonderful!" Mugi clapped her hands tenderly. "Shall we?" she addressed ahead.

The two followed along, with Mugi sliding the screen door ahead. In exactly one second after Mugi entered, Yui's loud greeting is heard, followed along with Azusa's gentle greeting. Ritsu and Mio enter not long after, and as expected, Yui's voice is booming even louder in the restaurant. Finally, after many years since the band's disbandment, The Houkago Tea Time are reunited. Years may have passed by, and meetings have been delayed. But when your friendship is eternal and last forever, not even time can take that away from you.


This was in my drive for a long time, but i never got a chance to finish it. Well, here it is now. Big thanks to K-ON's newest album, a definite good music atmosphere for me to keep continuing this fic.

Okay notes,

If it's not obvious since last chapter, Azusa is with Satoshi (Ritsu's lil bro). Sorry, but like i said, I prefer Yui with Nodoka. Besides there was this Azusa/Satoshi doujin i read a few days ago and that only made me like the cute couple eve more. Maybe I'll start a new fanfic focusing on them one day.

And to you all who's still confused over Yui and Azusa's conversation, read again carefully and between the lines if you must. I can't summarize it for you guys here or else that defeats the whole purpose of this chapter.

Anyway thanks for reading, please don't forget to review. Next chapter might actually be the last.