A/N: I don't know how many times I've said this already, but THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS EVERYONE!
And also, thanks to your get-well-soon wishes, this author is now completely back to business!
I apologize if there are errors in this chapter coz I posted this in a hurry. Will be gone to my friend's place for a bit after this.
But I hope you'll all like the chap.
Enjoy what came about after our two beloved lovebirds kissed :D
Chapter 14: Taking Risks {Part 1}
"Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom, there lived a beautiful princess. She was timid and shy, but she created a facade to hide her true self. Her true self she could show to nobody, because her people adored her as a princess who was tough and headstrong. She gave hopes to many people, and she was happy. However, she couldn't help but feel a little lonely.
Then through a series of events, she found a friend, a princess from another land who disguised herself as a young male warrior in order to flee from her nearly destroyed kingdom. The girl, who was only willing to be called by the name 'Aru Go', offered her servitude to the princess, and since her heart was moved by the poor girl's story she accepted her without further ado. Aru Go then worked in the castle and committed faithfully to the princess.
What the princess didn't know was that Aru Go could see through her with ease and found out of her true self in no time. The princess felt devastated at first because Aru Go would never stop teasing her with her newfound knowledge, but the girl proved that she could be an exceptionally good company. And ever since her new friend came to her life, the princess finally had someone who could accept her as who she truly was.
However, before taking refuge, Aru Go had already been put under a deadly curse by the ruthless devil who fell in love with her while invading her kingdom. If Aru Go refused to return to her kingdom and marry the devil in three months, the curse would kill her. The princess was soon torn between saving her precious friend's life and facing the risk of losing her kingdom by challenging the devil's unrivaled power..."
"..."
"...And then what happened?"
"The princess finally took her courage in both hands and faced the devil with the help of Aru Go and her friends..."
"...So this is a story about friendship. I don't see any romance from this summary... then how come there's the word 'love' on the title...?"
"That's something you have to figure out by yourself."
"...There's something I have to protest, though. Aru Go...? You totally stole this girl's name from me! Hey, Mio...? ...Mio...?"
Aoi Fujii turned to her with a furious expression on her face and muttered the sentence that had been repeated for countless times in her dreams...
"Let's make a final bet, Mio..."
At that time Mio had neither the intention nor confidence to give a reply.
But her heart had always had that everlasting, selfish determination from the very beginning...
I will never let you win.
I will never forgive someone like you for trying to steal her away from me.
I will do it your way...and I will show you...
...That we are always meant to be together.
Maybe that impulse was what had driven her to finally take the risk and do the unthinkable.
Maybe her feelings for Ritsu that ravaged her mind were what made her blind.
But whatever it was, hesitation was the last thing she had in her mind when she initiated her first kiss with the love of her life.
She didn't even realize it until she felt how unnaturally hot Ritsu's lips were from the fever. Their lips were only barely touching but they made a warm, curious feeling stir inside Mio's chest. Both her cheeks burned with passion, and she hoped the brunette didn't see the blush that colored her face. It might be because of the temperature of Ritsu's body...or Mio's own emotions...but Mio felt hot next to her, so hot that she felt like her body was about to burn up. The tantalizing romantic energy soon drove the little peck to grow into a full, long kiss.
This feeling...this wonderful feeling was what she had been waiting for ...and the intensity tickled her mind so pleasantly as she ran her tongue on Ritsu's lips. The kiss contained all her passion, all her love that she had been hiding.
Ritsu didn't pull away, and Mio figured she might be completely taken aback by her actions.
For a brief moment both of them were truly breathless, and Mio enjoyed every moment of the amazing kiss.
Then slowly, she pulled apart.
It left her with a lasting impression that she was surely never going to forget for the rest of her life.
She really wished she could have another.
Her face was warm...and her mind was empty.
Ritsu's lips were soft...like silk...like...
"Mi..." a small voice rang in her ears, "...Mio...?"
It was at that moment when Mio snapped back to reality.
She quickly put her hands on her mouth.
She just...Did she just...
Ritsu's eyes were filled with confusion as they locked with Mio's.
It's all over... Mio thought. She had just kissed Ritsu.
It's all over!
She slumped down and cried, "I'm sorry!"
She had screwed everything up. Now their friendship would never be the same anymore. She had destroyed her most precious thing with her own hands.
"N...no, don't worry, it is..." Ritsu said, obviously feeling awkward, "...an accident, right...?"
Ritsu stretched out her hand and touched Mio's cheek. The contact their skins made caused Mio to jump away from her, as if it sent a burst of electricity throughout her whole body.
Mio could catch a glimpse of disappointment in Ritsu's eyes before she lowered her head.
'Oh no...' Mio thought as she looked at her face, 'I made her sad...'
She had just kissed her and now she was backing away from her. What a terrible friend she was...
"Uh...uhm...just so you know," Ritsu spoke, "The kiss doesn't bother me at all..."
Mio didn't dare looking at her. "...That kiss means nothing, right...?" Ritsu said, laughing nervously, "...So...we can stay friends...right, Mio? It's obviously nothing but an accident, right? You just got too carried away with your role. Don't over think it..."
Despite her light-hearted tone, Ritsu's words were so painful for Mio that she felt like her aching heart was slashed with every word that came out of her mouth.
It was nothing...
For Ritsu, the kiss was nothing...
And yet, Mio had tried so hard to win this contest...practicing guitar...singing alone on the stage...just for her...
She didn't care even if it required a commitment of so much time and energy...
But for Ritsu...she was...
Only a friend.
Nothing more than a friend.
Before she knew it, her eyes welled up. Tears slowly came out, creating trails on her cheeks. At the sight of her crying best friend, Ritsu was almost at loss of words.
"...Mio? What's wrong...?"
No, Mio...you should be grateful that she's not angry...
Don't say anything...pretend that you got dust in your eyes or something... Forget the pain...just forget it!
"I've just kissed you..." Mio choked out, "And you said it's nothing..."
Enough...don't say it...
"No, Mio, it's not like that..."
"Doesn't it matter at all to you...?"
Because it matters so much to me...
"No, I mean, I don't want you to think I hate you..."
But do you love me...?
A look of surprise crossed Ritsu's face. Mio gasped.
She just said what she thought out loud again.
And worse, this time Ritsu was paying full attention.
"Mio...did you just say..."
"N-no! It's not like...I'm not...!"
Mio squirmed, unable to stop the pools of tears that bathed her eyes and face. Her inner mind was screaming ruthlessly at her,
...Stop talking...!
This is just not the right moment to make a big emotional confession...! she scolded herself, Not after you selfishly kissed your best friend, and backed off like a coward after that!
You're so worthless for her you don't have any right to love her...!
She never thinks of you...as a lover.
She never wants you... the one who is so madly in love with her...
As hopelessness filled her mind, she felt a shaking hand caressed her cheek gently, radiating such comforting warmth that it attracted Mio's gaze toward the kind affection right in front of her eyes...
No words could describe the amazement and sadness those loving eyes gave to Mio as her tears continued to flow out...
"Then why did you ask...?" Ritsu whispered with a smile.
Confusion and astonishment muted Mio.
What should she do now...?
She was never a person who was talented for making up a lie, especially in a situation like this.
"...Why did you cry?" Ritsu said, scooting closer.
Mio's breath caught in her throat.
"Why did you..." Ritsu said, reaching for Mio's hand and pressing it against her lips, "...kiss me?"
Mio's heart was throbbing painfully. "You will hate me."
"I'm not gonna hate you..."
The emotions inside her mind were overwhelming.
'Fate...why do you always make fun of me...?'
'First, you made me fall for my childhood friend. Second, you led me to such impossible depths of this love that I could no longer find a way out. And third, you provided me with a choice to lie...or tell her the truth and face the risk of losing my friendship with her forever...and finally, betray my new friend completely.'
Aoi was right.
She was a spoiled little girl.
She had betrayed her whole trust.
She had everything Aoi could dream of, and yet she still wanted more. Even going so far as to kiss Ritsu...
But Ritsu...She couldn't imagine how her life would be if Ritsu was not by her side.
She had given her so many precious things: undying friendship, music, the K-on club, this beautiful feeling that no words could describe...
...and Ritsu herself.
Ritsu had given her life.
She wanted to tell her...she could bear it no more...
She opened her mouth and said, "Because, Ritsu, I...!"
But Ritsu had beaten her to it.
"I love you."
The world stopped in front of Mio.
'I love you...'
...Did she just...
...hear that...?
She couldn't believe her ears...but Ritsu's innocent smile in front of her told her everything.
Her heart stopped beating.
Questions bounced inside her mind, filling her with perplexity.
Since when...?
How come was this possible...?
Why did she never tell her...?
Why did she never know that Ritsu was...
And as her feelings and confusion churned inside her stomach, she realized there was fear among them.
It was impossible to believe...
This was like a dream...
Ritsu, the small girl who greeted her in that classroom with curiosity in her eyes...
Ritsu, who tells her funny stories to see her smile...
Ritsu, whom she loved so dearly...
Ritsu...
Ritsu actually...
...Ritsu actually loved her back!
She couldn't speak...tears clogged her throat...and Ritsu's face went blurry as tears flooded her eyes...
But she had to speak...or else she felt like she could never say it anymore...
"I...I love you...!" Mio sobbed uncontrollably, trying to stop her tears from falling, "...You have...no idea...how much... I love you...you idiot...!"
Ritsu stretched out her arms and pulled her into an embrace.
Her hug was even more comfortable than Yui's...simply for the fact that it was Ritsu's. Mio hugged her back, still crying like a child.
"Before I fell..." Ritsu said. "You said you love me..."
Mio buried her head in Ritsu's shoulder.
"So that really is true huh...?"
Mio nodded. "Yes..."
"You should've told me earlier," she said with a chuckle.
Mio couldn't smile. There was something...something that was still bothering her.
It was not possible for Ritsu to love her back. For that to come about, it could only mean one thing...and it was just too absurd to be true.
No, it couldn't be...
"But, Ritsu..." she said, "What about the person you like...?"
You have one...you do have one...
...And I don't know whether the love you bear for that person is more than the one you bear for me...
Mio swallowed hard before saying, "Have you really given up on...him?"
Ritsu was silent for a while.
"No..." she said, kissing the tip of her nose, "I still love you."
Mio's tears fell on Ritsu's wet shirt.
A/N: Yes, this is not finished yet, there is still the next part which focuses more on the other events, and chapters about the conclusion of the popularity contest and more romance of our new couple. Also, the conclusion of Aoi's fate. Kudos to anyone who can guess that right XD
Do you enjoy this chapter? Please tell me through your reviews! XD *shot*
Little trivia: The name "Aru Go" in Mio's fairy tale is actually an obvious false name. "Aru" is how Japanese pronounced the letter "R". "Go" is Japanese for "five", which can be also translated as "Itsu(tsu)", therefore "Aru Go" is like a pseudonym for "R 5", "R Itsu". *shot*