A/N: Anyone up for a MiTsuGi? ? XD *shot*
Episode 14 of season 2 rocked half of the K-on yuri fandom in such an amusing way I was practically laughing all through the sudden "who-suits-Ritsu-better-Mugi-or-Mio" pairing war around the net, while the other half...drooled all over Ritsu and or MiTsu in the new ED.
...I think I'm the latter half of the fandom XD
And now...bring out the new chapter!
Chapter 10: Dissension
The first time Mio knew that Ritsu valued their club much more than she thought was in the middle of one of their boring study sessions when she asked her that silly question with a terribly weird expression...
"Mio...do you know that I love Yui...?"
Mio's pencil slipped from her left hand.
"...Excuse me?"
Ritsu snorted as she saw Mio's face and said, "I mean, not just Yui, I love everyone! I love everyone in our club, it's just like one big family, don't you think...?"
Mio stared at her for a minute. Did she really have to interrupt her work just to ask her that question...? "Ritsu, you totally sound like one of those cartoon characters on TV who..."
Ritsu, obviously pissed when Mio didn't give her the reaction she wanted, frowned at her and grunted, "Aw, shut up. I bet you're gonna cry when we separate!"
Mio looked startled. "Don't say that! I...I don't want us to separate...I really don't..."
"Haha, see? I want to hang around with you guys..." she said pleasantly, "Forever and ever!"
Mio observed her peaceful expression and smiled. "We're not gonna separate...right...?"
Ritsu grinned and said, "...Like hell we will!"
No sooner had Mio entered the clubroom than four crackers welcomed her arrival with a loud pop, and Yui gave her a big hug while shouting, "Congratulations, Mio-chan! You made it!"
Mio was shaking, but very pleased with their surprise. "T-t-t-t-t-thank you."
"Three cheers for Mio!" Ritsu said, grinning as she raised her glass of soda, "As expected from our celebrated bassist! Chalking up a win is a piece of cake!"
"E-everyone..." Mio looked as she was about to cry, "Thank you...thank you for everything."
The four girls gave her a wide, sincere smile. "Aww...Mio."
"Where's Ao-chan?" Mugi asked, setting some cups on the table, "She made it to the finals, too, didn't she?"
"She said she had something to do today," Ritsu said, sitting cross-legged on her chair while reading her manga, "I met Sawa-chan, too, just now. She's off to buy something on sale today..."
Yui suddenly snapped to attention when she heard that. "Then, Ricchan, you don't have plans with Ao-chan?" she asked excitedly.
"No, why d'ya ask?" Ritsu asked, peering curiously at her.
Yui threw a playful glance toward Mio and Ritsu and said, "Then why don't you have lunch together, just the two of you?"
"Y-Yui!" Mio gushed, blushing.
"Why just the two of us?" Ritsu asked, raising her eyebrows, "It'll be boring...And we'll look like a pair of lesbian couple, you know..."
Azusa was amazed. She initially thought it was an outside chance she could find a loud-mouthed person like Ritsu who could keep her feelings and emotions at bay, but she made certain that Ritsu could definitely meet the challenge of expressing opinions which were the opposite of what she really wanted to say.
Too busy admiring Ritsu for actually somethingfor the first time in her life, Azusa missed her chance to see the most suspicious expression Mio had had the whole day...
"Why not, Ricchan? It's not like you're gonna get pushed without ceremony out of the cafe or anything..."
"But it's still no fun," Ritsu said, pouting, "We should go together, right, Mio?"
"Eh? O-of course!" she blurted out.
"Aw, Mio-chan," Yui made a puppy face which Mio could only perceive as, 'Why didn't you take this big chance...?'
"Yui, please..." Mio said to her under her breath.
Yui had made a good job so far in keeping Mio's crush on Ritsu a secret. Mio had never thought she could entrust her secret to Yui, but it seemed that she could be in her confidence much better than she had previously thought. Mio was really grateful of that.
"In that case, why don't we visit Bogus Cafe again to celebrate? You haven't gone there, yet, right, Mio-chan?" Mugi asked.
Mio looked interested, but Ritsu didn't seem to think it was a good idea. "B-Bogus...? The problem is, I'm financially challenged right now, Mugi..." Ritsu said.
"You must have channeled your whole money this month into mangas, right?" Mio said, jabbing a finger in the direction of the manga she was holding.
She quickly dropped it on her lap as if she were caught stealing something red-handed. "S-shut up! Actually, mangas almost came second," Ritsu said, "I mean, the food in that cafe's delicious alright, but the price makes it like a delicacy for people of a certain age who can lightly treat their friends while saying 'I'll charge it!'!"
"You're babbling nonsense."
"Ricchan, you don't own credit cards?"
"Like hell my mom will let me!"
"Ui won't let me, either."
"Don't tell me Ui has one and you don't."
"She has two."
"Is Ui your Mom? !"
"Anyways, the price of the food in that hellish cafe is still too much for my wallet!"
"Uhm, guys," Mugi piped up, "I'll charge it."
Problem solved.
"You should've said that way earlier, Mugi-senpai..." Azusa remarked.
The station was packed with people when they arrived. Busy-looking men and women carrying heavy suitcases walked briskly past the girls as they were buying tickets before waiting for the train on the platform. The people waiting there were a little different. There were schoolgirls like them, families, and young teenagers wearing thick jackets. Ritsu and Yui, soon become bored of waiting, began to walk around looking for something interesting to see. Ritsu's gaze wandered from the people around them to the ceiling.
"You see this part of this station here? My mom said it's just renovated, and it's terrible. It's not in character with the rest of the building," Ritsu complained.
Yui raised her head and looked up. "Oh, you're right! The ceiling looks off."
Ritsu cocked her head and said, "I wonder if the architect was drunk when he..."
"C'mon, guys, stop wandering around, the train's coming!" Mio called. She felt a fresh wave of distress as she looked at the two girls. Does she always have to look after them wherever they go...? Or maybe...Mio felt slightly irritated because Ritsu showed no signs of remembering what she had done...and almost done... to Mio in this station after she saved her from a bunch of hoodlums...while Mio... had been having a hard time looking at her direction ever since they stepped into the station.
"Yes, Sensei," Ritsu huffed.
...Yeah, she certainly didn't remember it at all...
"Gee, look what time it is already..." Mio took a glance at her cell and saw a message in her inbox.
She opened it. It was from Aoi.
'3.00 PM. Outside Bogus Cafe. Don't tell the others.'
Mio stared at the message.
...What did she want her to do? Did this mean she wanted to see her at this time and place...? If that was true...how on earth did she know they were going to the Cafe...?
She typed back, 'What for?'...but received no reply even during the whole train ride.
Azusa never really likes it when she hangs out with a bunch of school kids. And it is even worse when she has to hang out with high schoolers who act like a bunch of school kids.
"Look, look, Yui, it's all black outside!"
"We're in a tunnel!" Yui cried, prancing up to the window.
"Woohoo!"
Azusa sighed. At least Aoi was not here to worsen her mood. She thought she could spend her time this afternoon with no Aoi included.
She was very, very wrong.
"...It's big," Mio commented.
It was indeed a luxurious cafe. Located inside a huge two-level building with its violet-painted wall, the flickering little lights by the window sills, and the eye-catching sign of its name right above the majestic entrance, the cafe was a perfect combination of a clubhouse and an elitist cafe from the outside.
"C'mon, let's go inside! Maybe we're lucky and we're the one thousandth guests or something, and we can get something for free!"
"Osh, Ricchan!"
"Are you guys living on charity? !"
"Senpai, don't run too fast!"
Mio was about to chase after Azusa, but she stopped. She stared at the alley beside the cafe. She swore she had just seen someone there.
"Mio-chan?" Mugi asked, following Mio's gaze, "...Is there something in that place?"
There was definitely someone... a slender figure... wearing a blazer...school uniform...?
Aoi...?
She quickly peeked at her cell. It was already 3.00 PM.
"Mugi, tell the others, I'll be right back!"
"Eh...? Mio-chan!" But before Mugi could ask anything, Mio had disappeared into the narrow alley.
"We have a lucky program this week. If you can get a gold ball in this Lucky Draw you can eat our special sundae as much as you want," the well-dressed waiter explained.
"Whoa..." Yui said in awe as she touched the little lottery machine.
Ritsu thought for a while before saying, "Yui, you try it."
"Eh? Me?" Yui said, her eyes shifting between Ritsu and the machine.
"I've never been living a charmed life, so... I suck in lottery," Ritsu said, pushing Yui forward.
"...O-okay! Here I go!" Yui said, punching her fist to the air.
"Everyone, let's cheer for Yui!" Ritsu said, turning to Mugi and Azusa.
"Go Yui! Go Yui! Go Yui!"
"Ohh! My energy is rising!" Yui cried, clenching the handle in her hand, "Here I come, gold ball!"
She turned the handle and the girls held their breath as a single ball rolled down in front of them.
It was a small, glittering white ball.
"Ahh...a pity."
"Does this mean I'm living an unlucky life like Ricchan? !"
"Hey!"
"Mister, let me try one more time!"
"Sorry, Miss, we only allow one chance per customer."
"Ehh? ? Why?"
Ritsu and Yui kept on whining and begging for another chance before the waiter finally asked them to sit down on the table nearest to the entrance with an unusually clipped tone and shot them an annoyed look while he was taking their orders. No sooner had he walked away from their table with a brisk 'please wait' than Ritsu started calling him names under her breath which made her companions giggle silently.
However, it didn't change the fact that they didn't win even a single scoop of ice cream.
"Aah, this sucks," Ritsu slumped down on her chair beside Mugi as Azusa and Yui sat opposite of them, "Aoi's an expert in this. She should've brought her here so we can win a lot of ice cream."
Just hearing the name mentioned by Ritsu ticked Azusa off.
"...Everyone," she said suddenly, "I want to talk with you about something."
The other girls stared curiously at her.
"Don't you realize Aoi's not that nice a girl?" Azusa was sure she was the only one who had been keeping a close eye on her list of crimes...but they might all had noticed the fakeness in her actions and sweet smiles...after all these weeks.
"Azu-nyan..." Yui barely whispered her name, but Azusa knew from her expression that she was not going to approve what she was about to tell them.
"Uhm...Lately...I think about that, too," Mugi said, hesitantly raising her hand.
"Mugi-chan!" Yui said, surprised.
Azusa, feeling more confident now that she had someone that supported her opinion, immediately said, "See? You know what, she hid Mio-senpai's guitar before the contest!"
Ritsu looked quite clueless that this topic arose. "Can you prove-"
"She's hiding her true self. Actually, she hates us all," Azusa interrupted.
"You mean, she wants to ruin our club?" Ritsu asked bemusedly, "You're making rash accusa-"
"I'm not making it up!" Azusa said, "Don't you know she injured someone in her club before she came here?"
Nobody said anything. Azusa soon got carried away...
"...And she's so stubborn! She never cares of anybody but herself. She keeps on doing what she wants without thinking of other people's feelings. Doesn't she know that Ritsu-senpai likes- - !"
"AZUSA...! ! !"
Azusa flinched. Ritsu had cried her name so loudly that several people in the cafe were now looking at them.
Azusa looked at her, startled. Ritsu's eyes now awfully resembled her eyes when she ran away from Takahashi last time. There was a small glint of madness in her eyes...
"...If you just want to babble whatever's inside your mind...I have to ask you something," she said slowly, "Yui, Azusa..."
Her tone of voice changed. "...Why don't you tell me anything about Mio's problem...?"
Azusa's eyes widened. Why was she still thinking about that...? "Ritsu-senpai, I've told you that she was crying because of..."
All of a sudden Yui wrapped her arms around Azusa's shoulders. "Sorry, Ricchan, I can't tell you," Yui broke in.
Azusa turned at her, astonished. "Yui-senpai?"
"Azu-nyan, be quiet," Yui whispered to her before turning to Ritsu, "I've promised Mio-chan I will always keep it a secret."
Ritsu didn't quite expect this. "What? But you ought to tell me! I'm her..."
"I promised to keep it a secret just between the two of us."
All of the other visitors of the cafe, with the exception of the couples, and even the waiters and waitresses, were now glancing at them, obviously listening to their conversation.
"The two of 'you'...?" she said. Her tone of voice clearly showed her surging anger.
"No, Senpai...!" Azusa said frantically. She had no idea of what Yui was about to say, but she had a bad feeling it would only worsen the tension between them.
"Ricchan, I'm sorry," Yui said, "It's about...love and such...it's our secret, that's why I can't tell you."
For awhile Ritsu kept silent, but even Azusa could feel that she was trying as hard as she could to suppress her emotions, as the fact that Yui was being close about something related to love and Mio began to sink in. But Ritsu was not someone who could keep herself centered for long when she was in an extremely vulnerable situation like now. She would eventually lose it, just like when she came out to Azusa in tears...
And if there is one thing in this whole world that could make even Ritsu Tainaka forgets all about her friendship with Yui Hirasawa...it is her feelings for Mio Akiyama. And Azusa knew...that Ritsu didn't realize this at all as jealousy and disappointment flooded her mind, driving her senseless...
"...So you and Mio have been hiding something from me all this time! I thought we're friends! Big deal! !" she spat, losing her temper.
"Ritsu-senpai!" Azusa called.
"Ricchan, calm down!" Mugi said, but Ritsu ignored her.
'No...' Azusa thought as she looked at Ritsu's flushed face, 'She's jealous...she's so jealous of Yui-senpai that she can't think properly anymore...'
Even if she didn't know Yui's sexual orientation, she certainly thought Yui had betrayed her, her anger multiplied by her sadness and jealousy as she slowly lost her mind. It was an even worse shock for her that it was Yui who she thought had done it, because Yui was someone whom she trusted completely, someone who she thought was a true friend...
Azusa realized she had made a terrible mistake by setting up the worst possible situation for Ritsu to keep her common sense...
And although Azusa didn't know it...it was even more painful for Ritsu that Mio didn't tell her the "truth"...that Mio came running to Yui instead of her...that Mio didn't seem to confide in her anymore...
Mugi's eyes shifted back and forth from Ritsu's agonized expression to Yui's worried, sorrowful one.
She was flustered. Why were her friends fighting like this...? ...Could something like this conversation change her friends...?
Mugi suddenly remembered Aoi, and she felt a terrible feeling inside her stomach...
"Just tell me what you two have done..." Ritsu said.
But Yui seemed to disagree with her. "I can't," Yui muttered, "Mio-chan will be very sad when I do...and she will, too, if she sees you like this, Ricchan..."
Azusa could almost see fire blazing in Ritsu's eyes. She stood up from her chair in rage. "What do you know about Mio! ?" she shouted, "I know more...I've known her longer than you...she's my...my..."
She looked as if she was trying to endure the agony of accepting what she was about to say with her whole heart. "...my childhood friend! !"
Everything in her voice screamed desperately, 'Don't take Mio away from me...!'
Yui and Ritsu...they had always been connected by a close bond and therefore not used to keeping secrets from each other. 'In this rate...' Azusa thought, 'The bond they share will break apart.'
...Just like Aoi wanted.
After a moment of painful silence, Ritsu walked away and cleared out of their table, leaving her three companions without saying anything else.
"Ricchan!" Mugi called, giving chase.
Azusa realized a fatal mistake had just been made. "Yui-senpai!" Azusa said angrily.
"Azu-nyan..."
Azusa knew, as she looked at that pair of sad eyes, that Yui never meant to cause any fights. But at that moment, Ritsu was not the only one overcome by temper.
"I don't know if Mio-senpai did tell you something or not, but you've just caused a misunderstanding!" she said loudly, not caring of the watching eyes around her, "And don't you see? This is all because of that Aoi! If she hadn't come here, none of this would have happened!"
"No, Azu-nyan, don't..."
Yui held out her arms to hug her, but Azusa moved away swiftly from her.
"I won't stop!" Azusa said, "I won't stop until you believe everything I said about her, and I won't stop until you realize that I'm right!"
"Aoi...is that you...?" Mio called out. Her voice echoed through the deserted alley, and she was getting frightened and unsure with her decision. The alley was dirty and dark, and there were pieces of junk scattered randomly along the way. Mio shivered as she noticed some charred remains of a burnt-out car near her feet. She had to get out of this place as fast as she could or she wouldn't be able to sleep at all that night.
"Yeah...it's me," a voice came from the shadows not far from her, "Mio-senpai."
Mio swore her voice almost made her jump in fright, but she pretended to remain calm.
"Uhm...what's wrong?" Mio said, not really knowing what she should say, "The others are eating at the cafe, why don't we go there?"
Aoi kept silent, ignoring her offer. Instead of replying, she said, "...I heard you."
"Eh?" Mio didn't understand.
"...I heard you..." she said coldly, "...coming out to Yui-senpai."
Mio's heart felt heavy. Somebody other than Yui had actually found out her secret...? "...You...heard...?"
"Yes, I heard," she said, her voice shaking, "And now I know everything... I've been so ignorant and stupid...telling all my feelings to you, while all this time you've been lying to me..."
Mio felt how terrible it was when she realized she had made Aoi feel fooled and betrayed, and how everything she said was painfully close to home...
"You've been making fun of my feelings..." she choked out, "Encouraging me with your cloying sweet words...You even dared to join the contest and hinder me..."
"No, Aoi, it's not..."
"I've TRUSTED you...! ! !"
Pieces of roughly torn paper with the names "Mio" and "Ritsu" written on them were thrown in front of Mio's eyes, while Aoi's shout echoed multiple times in the alley as crows flew over their heads with their eerie shrieks to the cloudless sky.
"What are these you wrote then...?" she said, "I've felt it since the beginning...but for once...I want to trust somebody...because Ritsu-senpai...Ritsu-senpai said you're straight so I thought it's gonna be alright...but you have betrayed me..."
"I didn't betray you!" Mio said without thinking.
Aoi didn't look in the least assured. "You did! If I beg you to stop loving her, will you do it? !"
The question had a very clear-cut answer. "I...I can't."
"...You're a cheater, Mio Akiyama," she said dangerously, "We must settle this once and for all. Let's make a final bet, Mio."
It was the moment when Mio seriously felt the need to run as fast as she could. She had never seen Aoi so furious, so horrifying...as her eyes slowly turned like those of a wild animal...
"...final bet...?"
"If I win the contest, you will not, ever, to be near Ritsu-senpai for the rest of your life," she said, "And vice versa."
Aoi was looking at her with such a terrifying gaze that Mio could feel her fury and hatred boring deep into her flesh. She almost didn't dare to return that evil gaze... but she still managed to speak...
"...If I refuse this bet...?"
It was like the small girl in front of her had suddenly transformed herself into a beast with no mercy...
"I'll kill you...!"
A/N: Bittersweet. Now you know what this chapter's title all about...although I like this chap, I feel terrible writing this...because K-on is always all about friendship (T_T). But this is part of the plot...and no worries, I guarantee that there will be no bad end.
What do you think about this chapter? Please give me your opinions ^^
Stay tuned, everyone! And thanks for reading!