It's like a week into July at this point so I definitely missed my one week window. Blame my computer hard drive for dying on me.

Well, it's out now. Enjoy if you can.


June 15, Night of Jun's birthday


7:07 PM


Conversation during dinner with the Suzuki family was strange — or at least strange for Azusa.

She was relatively used to boisterous voices being thrown across the table thanks to being part of the Light Music Club for over two years. Between dealing with two of her energetic senpai, Ritsu and Yui, and this year dealing with Jun, she felt right at home in such chaos. But when the other Suzuki were thrown into the mix, things became a bit different.

She wouldn't quite say that they were unruly — though an argument could certainly be made for that case. No. If Azusa were to describe them, she'd say they seemed… confrontational

They had a sort of air about them that made it seem like they wanted to argue about something. Jun displayed traces of such behavior so it wasn't a complete surprise but it was never at the same intensity as she was displaying at the moment.

"Well, excuse me for liking your cooking," Jun snapped. "If you don't want me eating so much then maybe you shouldn't make your food so delicious."

Mamiko responded to the strangely aggressive compliment in kind.

"I want to give the best to my daughter but there's always too much of a good thing. It might be your birthday but that doesn't give you free reign to gorge yourself. That food will be there tomorrow."

"No it won't," Atsushi said, reaching across the table for another bowl of rice. He smiled slyly. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Next to Azusa, Ui murmured, "I'm getting a lot of mixed messages here…"

Azusa shot her a small smile. Suffice it to say, Ui wasn't the only one confused by the situation.

"You'll want to pace yourself if you want desert," the man at the head of the table said, the first words he spoke since he was introduced.

The man was named Soujirou and he was Jun's father. He had the same messy, stringy hair and cheeky grin as Jun and looked surprisingly young. He was probably a man in his early forties based on Jun turning eighteen that day but looked no older than thirty. Mamiko looked really young too, now that Azusa thought about it, but Soujirou somehow looked younger.

Jun failed to suppress a laugh. "Pfft. Yeah right. C'mon Dad, you know we have a separate stomach for dessert."

"Yeah," Atsushi chimed in agreement.

The man stared with his ever present smile and shook his head. "Don't blame me if you end up getting a stomach ache," he muttered, returning to his meal.

"Come to think of it," Azusa found herself muttering. "Jun does have the biggest appetite out of the three of us. If this is her home environment, it kinda makes sense…"

Ui chewed her food thoughtfully, humming as she did so. "I don't disagree but… Mmm. Wouldn't that mean she's kinda holding back when she eats at our places?"

Azusa frowned and twirled her chopsticks unsurely. "Possibly…?" She shrugged. "I don't know… She's right here, though. Why don't we just ask? Hey, Jun."

Jun raised her head from her bowl if miso soup. "Hmm?"

"We were wondering why you don't eat this much while sleeping over at our houses."

Jun blinked and leaned back into her chair. She fidgeted. "Well… I didn't want to eat your pantries clean. It's not like you're gonna let me starve so I might as well hold back and save you the trouble…"

Azusa rolled her eyes. "Jun, we go grocery shopping together. If you wanted more, all you had to do was put more stuff in our shopping list."

"Yeah, but that'd cost money."

"Everything costs money."

"To be fair, Azusa," Ui chimed. "Jun usually spends most of her allowance money on snacks. I think it evens out."

"How are snacks equivalent to a balanced meal?"

Ui looked down at her almost empty rice bowl. "Well… They're not," she admitted.

Jun raised her hand. "Can I say something? Did you guys just not hear me when I said you guys weren't starving me?"

"That's beside the point, Jun," Ui insisted. "There'll come a time when you'll sleep over and you're hungrier than you usually are and eating the food I make won't satisfy you because it wasn't enough. I'll never be able figure out how much food to make for you if you keep holding back."

Jun looked at Ui in confusion. Azusa, too, had to admit that Ui lost her a little with that spiel. Somehow the subject changed from Jun not eating as much as she can to... whatever Ui was talking about…

Mamiko interjected. "She's right, dear. It's a point of pride in any self-respecting housewife to always be able to prepare a satisfying meal for her family."

Azusa's eyebrows rose and Jun and Ui's face flushed at the implication that Ui was their housewife. The three shot each other nervous glances. Did Mamiko know or…?

An awkward silence permeated the table for a few seconds before Soujirou broke it.

"So… Dessert is ice cream," he said casually, standing up from his seat. He walked to the fridge and pulled out three tubs of ice cream. "We've got mint chocolate chip, strawberry, and double dutch. I'm opening the mint one first."

Jun stood and slammed her palms dramatically on the table. "No fair! You're gonna clean out that tub before I get any!"

The man laughed as he scooped himself a large bowl. "Then don't take a third serving."

The earlier conversation was discarded as both Jun and Atsushi started shoveling food into their mouths. Mamiko giggled and Azusa and Ui could only sweat drop at the sight.

After dinner, Soujiro went back down to finish closing the bakery for the night. Jun and Atsushi went over by the TV, both with a bowl of ice cream in hand. Azusa and Ui stayed in the kitchen, offering to help Mamiko with the dishes.

"Oh, you don't need to do that," Mamiko said reassuringly. "And besides, you're both guests. I'd sooner step down as a housewife before I let either of you do the chores for me."

Azusa tilted her head with an unamused expression. "You'd divorce your husband for that?"

Mamiko winced. "Mmm. No, I wouldn't go that far. I'd probably just take over the bakery and let Souji do the housework. We're equally good at both."

As Mamiko got to work cleaning the dishes, Ui handed Azusa a bowl of strawberry ice cream. Ui herself had a bowl of double dutch.

"Didn't realize Jun was so into mint chocolate chip," Ui muttered. "I wonder if a cake of that flavor would taste good?"

Azusa shrugged. "I'm sure Sumire could bring one with that flavor some time. Shouldn't be too hard to convince her."

"I suppose you're right." Ui put a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth as she hummed thoughtfully.

"Has my daughter been giving you any trouble?" Mamiko asked offhandedly. "You seem to be worrying about her a lot."

"Well," Azusa began, "she's a bit of a handful, I'm not gonna lie. She's got an overactive imagination and ends up getting tripped up by the weirdest things. That's not exactly conducive to our peace of mind."

Mamiko looked back at them from the sink with the kindest of smiles. "Indeed, she is. How are you coping?"

"It's… trying… I can manage her well enough, I guess. Ui's got a more solid grasp of her than I do."

Ui seemed to eat her ice cream slowly for a moment, letting it melt in her mouth.

"Mmm. She's very honest, which helps a lot. It's never hard to figure out what she's feeling. She lies now and again but we can tell when that's the case so it really isn't a problem." She set her bowl down onto the table. "I don't know. We've known each other for well over two years and these sleepovers have been going for around three months. Jun's basically family to us now. Were just so… used to her. Calling it coping with her doesn't really fit — at least not anymore."

Mamiko's eyes seemed to twinkle as she watched them. "You care a lot about her," she said softly. "Soujirou and I were worried about Jun when she started living with you two. I see now that those worries were unfounded." She bowed slightly. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter. She is a very lucky girl to have you both. Keep making her happy."

Once again, Azusa and Ui shared a nervous glance. She had to have known. Why else would she have said that?

"Uhh… Thank you, Mrs. Suzuki…"

"We… we won't let you down…"

Mamiko's smile remained as she returned her attention to the dishes she was washing, shooting them a wink as she did so.

Yup, they both concluded. She definitely knew.

Seconds later, Jun and Atsushi arrived with their now empty bowls. "Seconds, please," she chimed, reaching for one of the scoopers. Atsushi reached for the other one.

"I'm hitting the double dutch," he said. "You gonna finish off the mint?"

"But of course," Jun said with a grin, already scraping the bottom of the mint chocolate chip ice cream tub.

She then noticed Azusa and Ui nursing their bowls. "You know, if you don't want any, you could give them to me. No use letting them melt."

Azusa felt her face heat up as she realized that she hadn't touched her bowl even once. She quickly brought a spoonful of half-melted strawberry ice cream to her mouth, cradling her bowl close to her chest to ward Jun taking it.

Jun chuckled. "Relax, there's still plenty to go around. Not gonna take yours yet."

Azusa eyed Jun dryly. "Yet?" she repeated.

Jun nodded with and even wider grin. "Yet."

Soujirou climbed back up the stairs and announce that he, too would like a second helping of ice cream.

At that, Azusa increased the pace she ate her bowl. Ui did the same.


9:39 PM


Ui sat idly on Jun's bed while she towel-dried her hair. She had just finished taking a bath and had changed into some comfortable pajamas.

Jun and Atsushi were talking animatedly to each other while sitting atop the two futons set across the floor and Azusa was still taking her bath. This left Ui alone simply watching the two siblings discuss the nuances of playing bass guitar.

The topic was interesting enough, though it wasn't what held Ui's attention.

Ui had realized early into their habitual sleepovers that she had become intimately familiar with Jun's smile and mood. The wide, mischievous grin on her face and aura of sheer happiness seeming to radiate out of her when she was talking to Atsushi made it plainly obvious that she enjoyed being with her brother. It was positively infectious as Ui couldn't help but smile herself.

Jun waved at Ui. "Hey, Ui you brought Caster, right? My brother's trying to help me with some parts of our new song I'm having trouble with. Need a second opinion."

Ui nodded and quickly took her guitar out of her case from the corner and sat with the siblings on the futon.

Jun explained what she was having trouble with and played the verse with Ui.

"Jazzy," Atsushi commented.

"Still trying to figure out a good way to do those parts. The way I'm doing it right now is straining my hand too much."

"Alright, maybe you can try this."

Jun handed Atsushi her bass and he showed a number of variations of hand movements for the part Jun was having trouble with. He then handed Jun the bass back and she tried to mimic his movements. This lasted a few minutes.

Eventually, Azusa arrived, her head and body wrapped in a towel — she had apparently brought the wrong set of clothes to the bathroom. This became Atsushi's cue to leave which he did with haste. He wished them good night and left, closing the door behind him before they could say good night in return.

"What's up with him?" Azusa asked, removing the towel and revealing that she had at least put some underwear on.

Jun cackled. "Oh, wow! If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought that was intentional!"

Ui suppressed a laugh of her own. "Wrong set of clothes? Really, Azusa?" she asked, turning away to hide her face of amusement.

Azusa blushed. "I was distracted, okay!? I brought my home clothes instead of my sleeping clothes. I didn't want them to get wet and wrinkly so I didn't wear them…"

Jun shook her head and set her bass on its stand, shoulders shaking from smothered laughter all the while.

"Intentional or not, that was the most embarrassed I've ever seen him in my entire life! The look on his face was an absolute treasure! That totally makes up for you not getting me a birthday present."

"Excuse me, what?" Azusa raised an eyebrow as she began buttoning up her pajama shirt.

"Shh, don't worry about it. I already forgive you."

Azusa rolled her eyes and continued putting on her pajamas, opting to just drop the conversation.

During the silence that followed, Ui returned her guitar to its case and offered to help Azusa brush her hair. In the background, Jun started pulling some clothes from her drawer announced that she'd be taking her bath and that she'd be right back.

As the door closed for the second time in as many minutes, Azusa asked what they were doing while she was in the bathroom. Ui explained curtly.

"Huh. So she gets the bass from her brother," Azusa muttered.

Ui continued brushing as she spoke. "He's actually a bit like Mio-senpai in a way. He just has this air about him whenever he talks to Jun. He reminds me of Mio-senpai when she's with Ritsu-senpai."

Azusa seemed to nod thoughtfully. "Like Mio-senpai and Ritsu-senpai, huh…?"

Ui stepped back to allow Azusa to put on her pajama pants. They then migrated to the bed and Ui continued brushing.

"Somehow, I don't like the mental image of them being like my two senpai…" Azusa's face scrunched.

Ui sighed. "Yeah, I think I know what you mean. They're so close. It kinda makes you jealous, doesn't it?"

Something tugged on the brush and Azusa gasped. "Ow–"

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

"No, no. It's okay. I think this is just Jun's shampoo. I couldn't find any conditioner in the bathroom. I think they ran out."

"Still, though, I hurt you. I'm really sorry Azusa."

Azusa chuckled. "I told you, it's fine." She leaned back towards Ui and they both toppled onto the bed. "Now continue what you were saying. What was that about feeling jealous?"

Ui giggled, shifting her position on the bed to make it more comfortable for Azusa whose head now rested on Ui's stomach.

"I don't know, Azusa. They're just so familiar and open with each other. She just seems so happy with him."

"You two are the same way, you know?" Azusa reminded. "And you're the one she's dating."

Ui sighed once more. "I know. I can't help it, alright? I'm jealous. It's just how I feel…"

Azusa didn't respond for a time but eventually spoke. "I… I don't really blame you… I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous myself." She shifted her weight, drawing her arms closed to her chest. "For the longest time, I've just been looking at how close you two have been getting and I've always been so happy for you two… but there's always something inside me that wanted… not more — though there's certainly something in there that wants that — but that something… wanted something else. Something that you two had… Does that make sense…? I don't think I'm making sense…"

Ui pursed her lips, wrapping her arms around Azusa. "This isn't about Jun and Atsushi," she said quietly. "It's about Jun and me…"

Again, Azusa didn't reply for some time. She eventually nodded her head.

Ui stared at the ceiling. "From the very start, Jun wanted both of us, remember?"

Azusa nodded again slowly.

"And I said I'd be open to it, right?"

Another nod.

"That hasn't changed, Azusa. The door is still open. Just say that word and we'll both welcome you with open arms."

Azusa put a hand on Ui's arm, hesitating with every word of her reply. "I… I'm sorry. I know. I just… I'm just not ready yet… Not emotionally ready, at least…"

Ui tightened her embrace. "It's nothing to be sorry for. We love you, Azusa. Just do what makes you comfortable. You don't have to push yourself."

The two laid there in a silent embrace for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the other.

"Alright, I'm back," Jun said as she entered the door in a black tank top and shorts. "Oh, hello, what's this?" she asked with a grin. "You two willing to scoot over and make it a group hug?"

Ui shared a laugh with Azusa and made room only for Jun to just dog pile them.

"Oof– I thought this was gonna be a group hug…!"

"Jun, you're heavy…"

With a laugh of her own, Jun grabbed them both and threw her weight, rolling them all to their sides. Azusa ended up sandwiched between Ui and Jun, though she did not seem overly bothered by that fact.

"So, what's got Azusa sad this time?" Jun asked Ui, nuzzling Azusa's hair.

Azusa made a reluctant noise of complaint. "Hey…!"

Ui smiled. Jun had immediately picked up on Azusa's mood. "Don't worry. Azusa just feels a little starved for affection."

"Am not!"

Jun leaned back and smirked at Azusa. "Oh? Then should we stop?"

Ui couldn't see Azusa's face but her ears were turning red so it was likely she was blushing.

"Okay, fine," Azusa relented. "I'm a little starved for affection…"

"Atta girl."

With that, the three cuddled until sleep took them.

Ui was the last one conscious and she quietly lamented the effort Jun and Atsushi went through to set up the futons when they were going to all sleep on the bed anyway.

Oh well…

She quietly succumbed to unconsciousness in Azusa and Jun's arms.


End of Chapter


And so ends the Birthday arc.

The idea that the Suzuki own a bakery is actually an idea I took from Discord and Tumblr user Mopen. He also helped with brainstorming and personalities for the parents and brother. I didn't end up using most of the discussed characterization but his input was appreciated.

The description of the Suzuki residence is loosely based on the home of one of my real life friends. Not the exact layout, of course — I made sure to be vague about it so you guys can just imagine it — but the feeling I got when I first went over to his place. I hope I translated it well into writing.

The scene in the previous chapter wherein Ui and Azusa were overwhelmed with a feeling of… let's call it 'excitement' at the smell of Jun's room is actually because of a discussion I had with a fellow writer, Discord user Trilicon. The exchange involved how smelling a person's clothes and noting the familiar scent can be written and read as some combination of cute and lewd. I tried to channel the idea of that into writing that scene.

I wrote the scene where Mamiko subtly gives her blessing towards Azusa, Jun, and Ui's relationship because of an idea given to me by a fellow writer, Discord user Crypt. The idea is for a scene in a future arc. It may not manifest in the same way as his suggestion.

And finally, the last scene in this chapter is set-up for the next arc of the story. The Azu-angst should be on it's way to ending. It's just across the horizon.

Thank you to asianpotter1 (PUM) for doing a second pass looking for spelling, grammar, and word choice issues. They're a big help on my peace of mind.

I'll end this note here. This has been a wonderful June Marathon. Until next chapter, guys.