A/N: Thank you for all your encouragements! It really kept my muse going!

Hmm, seems only a few commented on the 'unfamiliar girl' from last chapter...well, don't be surprised when you read on. Be ready for a load of information.

And in case people ask about how the chapter title is misleading, I'll warn you guys now - this is nothing like last chapter *stabbed*

Warning: crude language, violence ahead.

Disclaimer: I do not own K-on, which is a good thing.


With composure I look down on it, wow
Idealism that goes over my head.
Believing that I could I try the impossible

Chapter 8 Love

"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?"

Ritsu snarled, clenching her fist and ready to punch. A blade flashed under the moonlight and stopped inches from Ritsu's throat. The drummer's furious expression morphed into grudging respect. Surprised flickered in her eyes when the blade punctured her skin and drew a line of bright crimson blood.

"You've gotten better, Ichigo."

The girl with placid expression remained quiet, but she withdrew the blade. Ritsu wiped away the blood, chuckling darkly, "To think you'd turn blade against me… must be because of your brother. I shouldn't have let him become the leader."

"No, you'll always be Ookami's leader, Tainaka-sama," Ichigo said coolly.

"I'm not the leader anymore!" Ritsu growled angrily, "Just go back to the city, Ichigo. I like it here and I'm not going back."

"Running away? Are you ashamed of us?"The expressionless girl played with the blade in her hand, seemingly bored, "Ashamed of your own creation? Abandoning your former gang?"

"Stop it."

"Tainaka, are you just afraid to let your affiliation with us being discovered by your new friends?" There was a cold glint in Ichigo's eyes, "Are you going to pretend you're an 'innocent, good high school girl' now?"

"No! That's... that's not what I mean..."

"Then come back to us. My brother is not a suitable leader."

"Stop," Ritsu sighed irritably, running a hand through her bangs, "Look, Ichigo, I thought I made it clear years ago. There's something I need to do-"

"You are close to Akiyama Mio, are you not?"

"Wha-"

"Tainaka, you are getting too friendly with a former member of Hayabusa, the gang who once wiped out our branch here in this town. Akiyama was the one who did it, you know," Ichigo, even as she was saying these words, were still as monotonous as ever, like she was rehearsing lines from a play.

"Mio would never do something like that!"

"Don't you remember what happened to Mika?"

Ritsu swallowed her retort, clenching her fists. Saeki Mika was the girl who had modified the bike for her, one of her close friends...and one of the members of the branch gang.

"I heard Akiyama did all that. It's only recently that Mika completely recovered - the physical therapy took a long time," Ichigo turned away, her dark brown eyes glancing at Ritsu one more time. "It's up to you to decide, Tainaka. You of all the people should know you can't erase your past, just like that. You'll come back to us in the end, once you know who Akiyama really is. We'll be expecting you."

After the girl left, Ritsu smashed her fist through the wooden fence, ignoring the stings from the splinters.

"Heh, to think I'd actually believed I could just spend time peacefully with my band… just when I've become friends with Mugi and reconnect with the others, just when I could talk to Mio again… I really don't need this shit right now! Goddammit!"

The content feeling from her day with out with Mugi...all of it was gone, doused by anger and restlessness.

It was time to wake up from the dream.

Pulling her fist out, Ritsu stared at the long scratches indifferently. "Eliminated the branch gang…I had heard about that before. I hadn't paid much attention to it then. Hayabusa is it… if I remember correctly, the leader was 'Taka'… from Onigaoka, I believe."

Stuffing her hands back into her pockets, Ritsu walked back to her apartment. Her amber eyes glinted ferally. "I'll give you a visit later, Taka. Seems that you're the one who sent us all those wannabe-punks."

Mika, Ichigo and many others - Ookami, Ritsu's own creation. A motorcycle gang that was originally created for people who had lost their goals and had no other place to go. A haven for people who were just like her. A gathering of wandering, lonesome wolves. Yet, as the pack grew larger and larger, their innate predatory nature emerged...howling for blood.

Ritsu clenched her fists. She had no idea her gang would turn into something so atrocious - not that she had ever tried to stop them. Ichigo is right, I'm ashamed of my own creation...and myself. I guess you really can't erase your past after all.

If she hadn't met Azusa, who knew what else she would have done. Her affiliation with Ookami was something she vowed to never reveal to anyone. Not to Azusa, not to Yui, not to Mugi... and especially not to Mio. It was a secret she vowed to keep from her friends at all cost.

Mio...what Ichigo said, is it true?

She could barely feel the pain from the wound on her neck, yet the hot blood scorched her senses more than it should have. Ritsu was uneasy. Yet instead of feeling uneasy about Ichigo's visit or the fact Ookami wanted their former leader back, Ritsu's heart was pounding thunderously for a completely different matter.

She found that she could no longer think of Mio as just a simple high school girl - she was someone capable of defeating an entire gang...and cold enough to break Mika's arm. She wanted to trust Mio, she really did...but there were too many lies, too many masks - they were suffocating her. Half of her just wanted to drop the whole subject, pretending it never existed and urging her to just continue treating Mio the way she used to - this was the Ritsu from long ago, naive, ignorant Ritsu. The other half her, the vicious fighter who single-handedly formed one of the largest gangs ever existed, was overpowering the other half, telling her to find out the truth, regardless of the method. And deal with the enemy of her gang accordingly.

Conflicted between the two sides, Ritsu's guards were already forming. Unstoppable.

And that scared her more than anything else.


Unknown to Ritsu, earlier the day during her outing with Mugi, a certain bassist had already gone to Onigaoka with one goal in mind.

Like Sakuragaoka, there was an abandoned garage, conveniently used by the gang as a hideout.

Hayabusa – the gang Mio once belonged to.

Taka's gang.

Even as she walked on the unfamiliar turf, Mio felt strangely calm. There was only cold rage bubbling in her mind, ready to lash out at any provocation.

Kicking the door of the warehouse open, Mio took in a deep breath and yelled.

"SOKABE TATSUYA!"

Chuckling in amusement, a tall man walked out from the shadows, smoking profusely. He had dyed cadmium hair done in buzz cut, with a large hawk tattoo visible on his chest. He was wearing an unbuttoned gakuran with the pants slightly ripped.

"Finally decided to call me by my name, eh, Akiyama? You could've just called me 'Sokabe-senpai', you know."

Mio laughed distastefully, "No, Taka, as far as I'm concerned, there is only one Sokabe-senpai, and there is only one true leader to Hayabusa."

Taka dropped his easy-going façade at the jab. He threw the cigarette onto the ground, stomping it. "Megumi? My cousin? Cheh, you call her a leader? She was nothing. That coward abandoned us and went to study abroad, just because she listened to the suggestion of a certain bitch."

Shrugging, Mio walked forward until she was only a step away from the towering man. "It was a wise-choice. Sokabe-senpai should have never formed Hayabusa, especially with trash like you."

Taka gave her an ugly sneer and closed their distance. Mio frowned at the tangy scent of cigarette but was otherwise unaffected by the intimidating tactic. "Don't talk about my gang as if you own it, Akiyama. You were never really part of us anyways. You never got our tattoo, yet my cousin still let you in. You were nothing but a pathetic weakling, Akiyama. You should be grateful you were allowed to join us."

"You want revenge, Akiyama-san? We can help you with that."

Something dark flickered in Mio's eyes, making Taka smirk.

"I've always hated you, Akiyama, a little whore who thought she was all that."

"I assure you the feeling is mutual, Taka, a little dipshit who thought he was all that," Mio smiled dangerously.

The man clenched his teeth, as if ready to attack. He then masked his expression abruptly, his tone neutral again. "Why are you here, Akiyama?"

"Why are you after Ritsu," Mio asked directly, glaring deep into Taka's eyes.

He did not blink; he laughed.

"I didn't actually believe it until I just heard you… to think, Akiyama is actually buddy-buddy with that Tainaka Ritsu! Did you hear that, everyone?"

Mio did not move when several thugs moved out from the shadows. Her body did tense, however, when she recognized most of the faces. These people were not those weak new members she had fought most of the time; they were all part of the upper ring of Hayabusa - people she hadn't seen since she'd left the gang. Mio's eyebrow rose when her gaze fell on one particular person.

"You're still here? I thought you'd left long ago, Tachibana."

A girl with curly and stylish sandy-brown hair that reached her shoulders merely shrugged. "It's fun. Whenever I don't have any softball matches, it's a good way to vent stress, Akiyama. Surely you remember that."

Sighing exasperatedly, Mio looked away. "Your choice."

Tachibana Himeko was probably the only one Mio could tolerate within the vast gang of Hayabusa. While not really her ally, the outwardly reserved and graceful girl was never really her enemy either. After all, while never lending a hand, Tachibana had never done anything to antagonize her either.

That might change soon, though. Mio glanced at her girl warily before turning her glare back to Taka.

"Leave my band alone, Taka."

The man only signaled for his gang to back away. Tachibana rolled her eyes but followed his orders. Taka then turned his attention back to Mio.

"What if I don't, Akiyama? This is a good opportunity – with my gang watching and everything, why don't we finally have our delayed fight?"

Scowling, Mio swept her leg instead of answering. Taka jumped backwards, easily avoiding the blow. Mio frowned, the gears spinning fast in her mind. It would be difficult fighting the leader of Hayabusa – after all, he was the one who taught Mio kickboxing, under the orders of the former leader Sokabe Megumi.

Then Taka dove forward with a straight punch, forcing Mio to slip beneath it and counter with a hook. Smirking after seeing Mio using her hands, Taka parried the attack and countered with an uppercut. Mio quickly held up her arms, blocking the unexpected punch head-on. Wincing, she leaped backwards to create distance.

Not giving his opponent a rest, Taka aimed a roundhouse kick at her head, forcing her to block once again with her hands. Cursing in frustration, Mio wrapped her arm around his leg, locking it there. Taka tried to shake free, but she was faster; using their close distance, she lifted her knee, snapping it left and right, striking the sensitive knee joints.

Taka's legs gave away and Mio immediately followed up with an axe kick, her heel clouting his skull. The leader of Hayabusa face-planted onto the dirty floor with a dull thud, seemingly unconscious.

But Mio knew this wasn't over. She shook her hands, trying to get rid of the stinging sensation – there will most likely be bruises later - and kept her guard up. Sure enough, Taka's hand shot out, trying to grab her ankle. Scowling, Mio backed away out of reach; she knew better than kicking the hand in case of a trap. She knew Taka would not just stick to kickboxing, but seeing it with her own eyes only made her distaste for the man stronger than ever.

Rolling to his side, Taka quickly sprang up. Mio predicted the path of his kick and promptly rotated her body to avoid the blow. What she did not expect though, was a handful of dirt suddenly thrown in her face.

Blinded, Mio shook her head frantically, trying to clear her vision. She had barely managed to wipe off the dirt when pain erupted from her stomach, forcing the wind out of her lungs. Coughing and gasping, she tried to regain her balance from the force of the direct, heavy kick. Muscular arms looped through hers and pin them in place. Mio cringed at Taka's cigarette-filled breath from behind her.

"Your loss, Akiyama."

Struggling furiously, the black-haired girl used all strength to try to loosen the grapple. Taka laughed and pushed down hard, forcing her to kneel.

"Just give up, Akiyama. That's the way Tatsuya fights, and you know that," Tachibana crouched down in front of her with a bored expression. The rest of the gang also converged, forming a circle around them.

Mio gritted her teeth, furious and humiliated by her defeat. Even though Taka had used a dirty tactic, she should have predicted it. She should not be in this predicament! The left side of her stomach throbbed in pain, making her wince whenever she drew in a breath.

Sweat dripped down her cheek as she assessed her situation; with all the taunting faces and the death lock Taka had on her arm, she was trapped and helpless.

A feeling she despised more than anything.

She could feel her heart thumping wildly in rising panic.

No. No. Don't think. Don't remember.

Her attention was snapped back to the girl in front of her when Tachibana lifted her chin with a manicured finger, "Well, Akiyama, normally I wouldn't care what you do. But now that I know you're friends with Tainaka Ritsu…"

"So what? What's that got to do with anything?" Mio suppressed her grimace, not wanting her weakness shown, for her injury was becoming more and more unbearable.

Taka laughed. "See? She really doesn't know who Tainaka Ritsu really is!"

"O-o-ka-mi," Tachibana tapped the side of Mio's cheek at every syllable. "Remember them, Akiyama? Ookami, the largest gang in the city, large and influential enough that a branch gang formed in our town here. But of course," Tachibana smiled coolly, "We got rid of that branch – with your help, don't you remember? The branch gang...your former tormentors."

Taka chuckled when he felt Mio flinching in his hold. "I definitely remember that, Akiyama. That was the best time, wasn't it? There was so much hate and vengeance in you! I have to admit that was the only time I don't quite hate you. You were so efficient, so heartless-" He broke off into laughter again when Mio recoiled. "Ah yes, you were very good at torturing, weren't you? I still remember the way you kicked the captives into the river-"

"Shut up. Shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP!" Mio began to struggle again. Stop it, I don't want to remember...don't make me remember. No... The gang roared in amusement, and Taka tightened his clasp, stilling the black-haired girl's movement.

"Too bad you left us after that, huh? Simply couldn't handle how a real gang does things, huh? What coward you were, running away, like that dear cousin of mine. We could have celebrated the elimination of that gang together! And you would've found out about Tainaka Ritsu."

"She's quite famous, that one," Tachibana spoke slowly, "We found out that she is an important member of Ookami. That's right, 'is', present tense. We think she's quite close to the current leader. Getting rid of her would be quite an accomplishment, no? Akiyama, if you disapprove of us Hayabusa, don't you remember what Ookami did? I remembered they were even mentioned on the news, weren't they?"

"Remember how much shit they gave us, Akiyama?" Taka growled, "Yet you're friends with someone who is a part of the gang who tormented you."

"Lies. Ritsu is not associated with them," Mio refuted through clenched teeth. Her arms were starting to ache and the pain on her stomach was smashing her sensory system in destructive waves.

"You don't believe us?" Taka smirked, "Why don't you check her tattoo then?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Mio lowered her head, her bangs covering her face. That tattoo. She clenched her eyes shut futilely, but the emblem of Ookami kept flashing in her mind, tauntingly. Terror was re-surfacing from the depth of her mind, broken out of its lock. What that branch gang did - they did everything on their own, they didn't have anything to do with the main gang...or did it? That meant Ritsu had - No, she would never- Mio tried to stand up, but Taka forced her down again.

"Ha, what nonsense? Why would we lie to you, Akiyama? Didn't you come here to find answers? Well, we just gave you one, didn't we? Be grateful."

"Akiyama," Tachibana's voice was serious, "Tainaka Ritsu is not a simple person. One of us claimed that he saw Tainaka speaking to Ookami's current leader's sister. It is possible that she became close to you... and your friends for some sort of reason."

"I came back to this town to find out my family's killer, Mio." "No. That's not why Ritsu...she was only..."

"You seem to believe her, Akiyama," Taka shook his head condescendingly, "The Akiyama Mio, trusting someone? Ha, what's happened to you, huh?"

Mio started struggling again. "Ritsu doesn't have any ulterior motive!"

"The truth is right before your eyes, Akiyama," Taka twisted her arm warningly, "Just give up – there's no way you can escape us now."

"Don't. Underestimate. Me!"

Mio snapped her head back, hitting a surprised Taka. He quickly let go of her, clutching his face in agony. Blood leaked out form between his fingers as he stumbled backwards.

Using the momentary distraction, Mio shoved her way through the surprised crowd, running out of the warehouse.

With her blood roaring in her ears, she made her escape, breathing harshly and holding the side of her stomach, ignoring spasms of pain.

"Let her go. No need to chase after her. She'll come back to us sooner or later." Tachibana's words indistinctly reached Mio's ears.

"Fuck no. That little bitch almost broke my nose. Don't you remember the plan, Tachibana? We need to get her-" Taka's garbled voice was too far, but Mio could care lesss.

As she staggered and attempted to make her way back to Sakuragaoka's warehouse, her thoughts were on rampage. She could not think clearly, her mind was still in shock from what she had just learned about Ritsu. And Ookami.

Mio could not completely disagree with Taka's words - really, she knew next to nothing about Ritsu after all these years. No, I need to believe in Ritsu, I have to.

Yet, she couldn't. After everything that had happened to her, even though she was really weary of of it all, it was difficult for her to trust people. Ritsu was no exception.

And that scared Mio more than anything else.


Yui was in a good mood. She had managed to drag Azunyan over to her house and introduce her favorite kouhai to her parents! Mom took an instant liking to the girl, and both Dad and Ui were smiling the whole time! Life was good!

And it might just be her imagination, but Azunyan did not resist her hugs at all. At first Yui thought it was because of the presence of her parents, but even when they were alone, Azunyan had let Yui hug her! Ever since Ricchan came back to them, forming the band, life had been filled with nothing but joy. And Azusa was more lenient towards her too!

Sometimes she wondered if this was just a dream - she even pinched her own cheeks on many occasions, only to smile when her cheeks did hurt. Probably no one can understand the magnitude of her sheer joy - Ricchan, the band, everything. She didn't have to paste a smile on her face just to lift up the atmosphere anymore.

No, her smiles had been genuine ever since Ricchan came back. Nothing will ever tear us apart! We're a band, a unity!

Also, this morning, she was greeted by a smiling Mugi-chan. Yui had noticed something different about Mugi-chan – it was as if something had finally lifted off the blonde's chest. And so the brunette had congratulated their keyboardist, even though she had no idea what had happened. You don't need a reason to be happy, do you?

Mugi only laughed warmly, and explained briefly how she was out with Ricchan yesterday and was able to get her father a present. Seeing how cheerful Mugi was, Yui felt happy for her friend too.

Wanting to pass on the joy, Yui left to find her favorite kouhai, telling Mugi to go ahead to the warehouse for their morning practice.

Azusa only sighed when the brunette attached herself to the younger girl's back.

"Yes yes, I'm going to the warehouse too, Yui-senpai."

"Guess what, Mugi-chan and Ricchan went on a date yesterday!"

"D-d-d-d-date?" Azusa blushed, staring at her senpai in surprise.

Nodding and folding her arms dramatically, "Yup! Mugi-chan just told me Ricchan helped her pick out the present for her father!"

Rolling her eyes, the usual annoyed look was back on the smaller girl's face. "That's not a date, Yui-senpai. Stop making stuff up."

"But it could be~ It sounds much cuter that way! We should go on a date too!"

The blush returned instantly. Azusa was about to retort when she noticed something. "…is that Mio-senpai?"

Yui felt her smile slip away when she took in the appearance of their bassist. Mio was sitting against the tree with her eyes closed. Her face was dirty, her knees were scratched, and her arms were red. She seemed to be breathing heavier than usual.

Before the brunette could approach her, Mio had already opened her eyes. "Time for practice, I see. We should go then," she stood up, holding her left side. Her face betrayed no emotion.

Azusa and Yui followed silently, both of knew better than asking the bassist questions. Yui's heart thumped with dread. That Mio-chan is back. What happened? You are hurt, Mio-chan! It's the first time I've seen you like this! Who hurt you? Please tell us and don't shut us out again.

"Morning." Yui frowned at the sound of a certain drummer's flat voice.

When they arrived at the warehouse, both Mugi and Ritsu were already there. Mugi was standing worriedly next to the drummer, who some bandaids on her neck and hand.

And Ritsu was not smiling.

An alarm ran in Yui's head. Please don't tell me Mio-chan and Ricchan fought…?

However, that did not seem to be the case; both Mio and Ritsu regarded each other silently, both looking as if they wanted to say something. The tension between them was not pleasant, but it was not filled with animosity either; it was as if both were trying to hide something and gouge each others' reactions.

"L-let's practice then," uncomfortable with the silence, Azusa quickly took out her guitar. Her action broke the spell as the members all went to their respective positions.

It was obvious that Mio's mind was elsewhere though. Unlike usual, it wasn't Ritsu's rushed rhythm or Yui's forgotten verses that disrupted the song – this time, it was Mio's erratic bass lines.

After the third attempt at the song, they finally stopped trying. The cymbals and guitar strums faded into heavy silence.

"Are you okay, Mio-chan?" At last, Mugi spoke up tentatively. Both Yui and Azusa also glanced at the black-haired girl, whose face was paler than usual.

Ritsu raised an eyebrow at their worried faces. She chuckled forcefully, trying to break the tension. "Come on Mio, it's not like you. Are you having inappropriate thoughts or something?"

Mio's voice was cold. "Shut up, Tainaka. Even I make mistakes."

Yui shivered, and Mugi was already trying to diffuse the frigid atmosphere, asking Azusa to help her set up the snacks. Ritsu's unexpected response, however, made everyone freeze.

"Yea? Did the perfect Akiyama just admit she can make mistakes?"

The temperature dropped even lower.

Azusa looked back and forth between Ritsu and Mio, her eyes wide in disbelief. Yui felt her jaw drop. Even though it wasn't nice at all, at least I've seen Mio-chan treating people this way... but Ricchan?

The bassist was glaring at the drummer, and the latter had an appraising look, as if she was suspicious about something. Ritsu's characteristic smile was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an aloof expression.

"What do you really want to say, Tainaka?" Mio whispered menacingly, setting down her bass on the side while her cold grey eyes were still trained on Ritsu.

"What's with the interrogation, Akiyama?" The amber-eyed girl only stood up, setting her drumsticks down in a deliberately slow manner, her piercing amber eyes also fixed on Mio.

"I don't know, maybe there's something you'd like to share with us, rather than hiding it?" One step forward.

"Hiding? Heh, aren't you the one hiding something from us instead?" Two steps forward.

Yui and Azusa quickly set down their respective guitars and stood beside Mugi anxiously; the blonde looked so lost, not knowing what to do.

"Avoiding the question?" Three-step distance.

"Avoid? Why would I do that?" Two-step distance.

"I'm tired of this exchange, Tainaka." One-step distance.

"Alright, why don't I break the stalemate then?"

Ritsu and Mio were standing right in front of each other. The black-haired girl was using her height to stare down at the amber-eyed girl, who put her hands in her pockets nonchalantly. Mio bristled at the lack of fear emitting from Ritsu, who only smirked.

"Why don't you tell us something about Taka, Mio-chan?"

Mio's mask slipped momentarily, stunned. The other three band members looked at each other quizzically.

Ritsu's face darkened after seeing Mio's reaction. "So you really were part of Hayabusa. I didn't actually want to believe it."

Hayabusa! The name rang a bell in Yui's mind. She remembered, the year before Azusa came, Mio used to fight against a particular gang a lot. I used to fight along side her too... and 'Taka'...is he the leader? Is he the guy with the hawk tattoo? So Mio-chan was part of their gang once? But it shouldn't matter, does it? Mio-chan not with them anymore, Ricchan! Please just drop it!

"Oh? So what if I was once a part of that gang? I'd left them years ago. They meant absolutely nothing to me," Mio narrowed her eyes, "What were you doing yesterday, then, Ritsu? Didn't you meet up with someone?"

"Someone?" Uncertainty flickered in those amber orbs. "What's that got to do with anything? I was out all day with Mugi actually..."

If possible, the tension grew heavier. Yui gulped, glancing at Mugi, whose was staring at the ground, and her face paled. Ricchan, even I know not to mention something like that...

There was an undecipherable glint in Mio's eyes. "...is that so?"

Ritsu folded her arms casually. "I can't just stay home all day you know. Gotta relax sometimes."

"Relax?" There was a dangerous edge in Mio's soft voice. "So, you were relaxing, with my best friend, while I was..." She broke off into dry laughs. "I see. I was foolish then."

"What are you talking about now, Mio?" The skepticism was back in Ritsu's eyes.

"What are you planning? Just what do you plan to do with Mugi and the others?"

Ritsu narrowed her eyes. "I thought I've already told you I'm not planning anything."

The black-haired girl was silent, but the cold glare spoke volumes. Ritsu smiled lightly, mockingly.

"Still can't trust me, Mio?" She laughed, "Well, what were you doing then? Meeting up with those Hayabusa buddies of yours?"

"Buddies? Why, wasn't that what you were doing yesterday? Maybe it was before or after your... hanging out with Mugi, but didn't you meet up with some of your old friends? Unlike me," Mio growled, "aren't you still a part of Ookami, Ritsu?"

Ritsu's detached demeanor crumbled; her amber eyes blazed and her shoulders tensed. "...where did you hear about that?"

Mugi, Yui and Azusa all gasped, having heard about the notorious gang from the news years ago. The gang wasn't as active as before, so did that mean Ricchan really-? Azusa looked especially shocked. And Azunyan didn't know about it either...

Ritsu clenched her fists, glaring at Mio.

Something flashed in the taller girl's eyes before it was swallowed by suspicion again. "...Taka had informed me."

Laughing humorlessly, Ritsu folded her arms. "And you believed him? Just like that? You said that they meant nothing to you, yet you still trust the leader's words. What a hypocrite you are, Mio-chan."

Mio's hand shot out suddenly, gripping Ritsu's collar. The black-haired girl then paused, as if uncertain of her own action. But during her indecisiveness, Ritsu had already reacted in reflex - she flung away Mio's arm and pulled back her fist, ready to punch.

Instinctively, Mio bobbed under the punch and followed up by a right hook. Ritsu blocked the blow head-on, clinching the taller girl's arm. Mio thrust her knee forward sharply, forcing Ritsu to let go of her arm. The shorter girl immediately rammed her elbow forward. Mio barely dodged it in time, but she used the momentum to spin and deliver a heavy kick.

No no no no no this can't be happening. This can't be happening! Yui can only watch in horror as the two fought, neither holding back. From the way Mio dodged and countered, it was clear that she was waiting for the right moment to strike a finishing blow; Ritsu, while blocking direct attacks, was obviously trying to score as many hits as possible. Why aren't they holding back? Why are they fighting each other? Why why why? Stop it, stop it please!

Azusa looked like she wanted to intervene, but both Yui and Mugi kept a firm grasp on the younger girl - knowing that none of them could stop the fight and Azusa would only get caught in between.

Ritsu and Mio were completely immersed in the fight, grey locked with amber. Neither was gaining the upper hand. Whereas Mio had the agility to avoid hits, Ritsu had the endurance to take hits.

The stalemate was finally broken when Mio rushed in for a side kick. Yet, in the middle of her stance, she flinched, stumbling and holding her left side.

Yui was so sure that Ritsu's fist was going to connect with Mio's stomach then, but it stopped a few centimeters from the purple hoodie. Just barely. Using this momentary lapse, Mio swept her leg, successfully tripping Ritsu, who fell forward heavily. The black-haired girl then half sat on her fallen opponent, gripping the back of Ritsu's collar.

The tense silence was deafening, blocking out any other noise except for the two fighters' pants.

"...Ritsu, just tell me. Are you, or are you not, a member of Ookami?" Mio whispered tentatively, as if afraid to know the answer.

The drummer did not reply. She did not even struggle. She just laid there, exhausted and silent.

Mio was about to speak one more time, but then her eyes went wide, noticing something on the base of Ritsu's neck. With a trembling hand, Mio pulled down the collar, revealing a small tattoo between her shoulder blades. It was a tattoo of a wolf swallowing a crescent moon; it was unmistakable, the mark of Ookami.

Something seemed to have snapped in Ritsu - the girl used all her strength to push herself up, forcing Mio off her back. Still in shock at the revelation, Mio barely managed to regain her balance.

"So you found your proof - you happy now, Akiyama?" Yelling, Ritsu ran forward with her fist reared back. Though clearly shaken at what she just saw, Mio took her stance, ready deliver a fatal kick at the right moment.

Yui had never seen Ritsu so angry - the brunette feared Ritsu would not stop herself this time. Both Yui and Azusa rushed forward and held onto each of Ritsu's arm with all their strength. Mugi had also wrapped her arms around Mio's shoulders, locking the girl's arms at her sides.

"Yui, Nakano! Let me go, NOW!"

Cringing at the sheer fury from her normally cheerful friend's voice, Yui only tightened her hold. Ritsu glared at them, and Azusa trembled under such ferocious gaze.

Mio, on the other hand, had ceased struggling and was leaning against Mugi, panting lightly. The black-haired girl was staring at the ground, lost in thoughts.

"Why don't you say something, Mio? So you found my tattoo. Congratulations then," Ritsu laughed derisively, "Poking around other people's secrets must have been fun, huh? Well, what did I expect from someone like you? I heard about the things you did when you were part of Hayabusa. Why don't you tell us about your heroic exploits then? Like deliberately breaking someone's arms into many pieces?"

"What-?" Mio sounded so confused, which made Ritsu pause uncertainly.

"Ritsu...I just wanted..." The black-haired girl began wearily, but Ritsu cut her off, the glare back in her eyes. Laughing darkly, Ritsu would not give the other girl a chance to explain herself, "Just wanted to what? Don't try to make some sad attempt of an excuse now. Stop playing the victim here."

"I admit I did terrible things back then, Ritsu!" Mio shouted desperately, "I know what I did was wrong - but that was why I left that gang years ago! I only joined them b-because...because..."

"Because of what? That you can't do anything by yourself? That you felt the need to join something like that just because you can't stand being alone? You really haven't changed, have you? You want people to trust you yet you don't trust anyone! Cheh, I guess you're still that weak little girl who couldn't even-"

"Ricchan!" "Ritsu-senpai!"

Yui couldn't believe her ears. For Ricchan to say such things…she was angry, yes, but to go that far, to say such hurtful things...

The drummer's face was drained of its color, as if she just heard her own words. Horrified.

"M-Mio, I-I..."

They all watched helplessly as tears pooled and slid down the black-haired girl's cheeks. Mio was expressionless, but the raw pain in her eyes could not be disguised. Her shoulders were slumped, as if all the energy was sapped out of her body.

The black-haired girl then slowly smiled, a sad, pained smile.

"You're right. I can't...I couldn't..."

She shook off Mugi's hold and ran out of the warehouse with her bangs covering her face.

"Wait, Mio. MIO!"

Ritsu easily retrieved her arms from Yui and Azusa's slackened grips.

"Damn it. Goddamit! What the hell was I...how could I..."

Clenching her fists with her face twisted in guilt and regret, Ritsu ran after the fleeing girl.

Azusa was covering her mouth, staring at the distant figures with teary eyes. Mugi seemed to have frozen in place. Yui held her head in disbelief, chanting a broken mantra inwardly. No no no no no this can't be happening somebody wake me up from this nightmare...


A/N:...*runs*

Thanks for reading! I hope you...somewhat enjoyed this unexpected chapter...

I try to keep both of them in characters, but keep in mind that both Mio and Ritsu had a lot on their minds - neither of them were viewing the matter rationally. The stress practically caused them to lash out at the nearest outlet - each other. After reaching a certain point, even the calmest person would act OOC, let alone Mio and Ritsu, who are both hot-headed in spite of their composed masks. Especially after Mio found out about the 'date' and Ritsu having her secret discovered. However, even then, none of Ritsu's punches reached Mio. So I hope overall, neither of them are too OOC.

And just a side note, even though Mio did defeat the rival gang, it didn't mean she killed them or anything...it only meant that gang was thoroughly beaten that they had to evacuate and basically disappear from the 'underground world'.

Flames, criticisms, and knives(?) are welcome...I guess.

People who just wants some fluff after my abuse(?) should rewatch the entire series in preparation of the upcoming movie...

(Long) Background information: you don't really have to read it, it's only for people who's interested :)

Ookami (wolf), the name of Ritsu's gang. She was one who started the gang. The current leader is Wakaouji Shinichirou (named after a member of The Pillows), who is Ichigo's brother. It was originally a motorbike gang until it grew larger and gained more members. There were many branch gang who pledged loyalty to Ookami but did things very differently from the main one, such as the branch one Hayabusa had fought and defeated. The emblem is a wolf swallowing a crescent moon. Not many people knew Ritsu was the leader and creator, since she usually stayed behind the scenes.

Hayabusa (falcon), the name of Taka's gang. Sokabe Megumi was the leader, but she went to high school abroad not long after Mio joined. Her cousin, Sokabe Tatsuya (named after a member of P-Model), became the leader and completely changed the gang. Himeko is like a vice-leader. The emblem is a hawk with its wings spread and its talons gripping a serpent.

I'm sure most of you know who Wakaouji Ichigo (若王子いちご) and Tachibana Himeko (立花姫子) are. Since both of them weren't shown a lot, they might seem OOC. But Himeko's role in this story was long decided ever since I saw her loose socks...you know, signature of a kogal. Of course, no offence to any kogals. I mean, I used to be one too xD. As for Ichigo, she was supposed to appear earlier but I couldn't find a right spot. I need an emotionless character and she's perfect for it.

As for Saeki Mika(佐伯ミカ)... she seemed to be quite friendly with Ritsu in the anime. I just needed a non-main character who was close to Ritsu, and I dislike using OCs if avoidable.

Needless to say, Ookami and Hayabusa are sort of rivals, even though strictly speaking, it was only the branch gang that had fought Hayabusa - which was why Mio and Ritsu had never heard about each other before.