Here's Chapter 5! Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Like Old Times

"See you guys later!" Mugi said, grabbing her carrier bag.

"Where are you going Mugi-chan?" Yui asked,"we aren't going to Ricchan and Mio-chan's house yet."

"Oh…" Mugi said,"I just thought you know, considering that all five of us are a band again, I might as well get some sweets! Like back in High School."

"You're so thoughtful Mugi-senpai," Azusa said,"let's go together then, I wanted to explore the area outside the school."

Azusa, Yui and Mugi exited the campus and walked along the roadside.

"I wonder what's Mugi-senpai's supply of sweets is," Azusa thought,"Must be some kind of shop an ojou-sama would frequently visit."

"We're here!" Mugi said.

The three bandmates were standing in front of a dingy old convenience shop that had many cheap snacks on display.

"Eh?" Azusa said out loud.

"Yup! This has been my supply since college life started," Mugi said, somewhat proudly.

The bandmates entered the shop. It was quite dark and pungent. Azusa looked at the contents on the shelves, an opened bottle of soda, an empty box of candies and a ball of fur?

"Yui-senpai," Azusa said, grabbing Yui's arm, "Can we go out of the shop?"

"It's okay Azunyan," Yui said, petting Azusa's head, "The shop owner is really nice and everything here is really cheap!"

Azusa looked at the ball of fur

and reached for it when suddenly, it hissed and jumped on Azusa.

"Eek!" Azusa screeched.

"Aww Azunyan, you found a twin!" Yui said lifting the attacker of Azusa.

"A-a cat!?" Azusa exclaimed.

"Oh it's the kitten," the shopkeeper Eri said, "this one was abandoned quite some time ago, so I'm looking for a person who could adopt it."

Yui's eyes lit up.

"Azunyan! Let's adopt this cat!" Yui said.

"Senpai, you can't even take care of your guitar properly," Azusa sighed.

"Please?" Yui said, putting her hands together.

"I can provide the cat food if you run out," the shopkeeper piped in.

"I guess I don't have a choice," Azusa said, trying to shake off Yui hanging onto her arm.

After Mugi purchased the sweets, she noticed the cat in Azusa's hands.

"Oh, who's this little fella?" Mugi said petting the feline.

"He's uh-" Azusa paused, trying to think of a name.

"Neko-chan!" Yui said proudly.

"That's not very creative is it?" Azusa said.

Mugi smiled and petted the creature,"I like it."

"Yui-senpai, this kitten isn't only mine to take care of, you have to pitch in to help me raise him too," Azusa lectured.

"Of course Azunyan!" Yui saluted,"We'll be the best parents to Neko-chan!"

The people in the area looked at the trio when they heard Yui's words

"Don't say it like that, it's embarrassing…" Azusa said, blushing, "Now, let's stray from schedule and little and go the the pet store."

Mugi looked at her two friends and giggled as her phone rang.

Mugi picked up the call:

"Hey Mugi!" Ritsu greeted.

"Ricchan," Mugi replied.

Ritsu replied, "I'm making miso for dinner when you guys come over later and Mio told me to tell you the unit number-"

"RITSU! We gotta go!" Mio's voice from Ritsu's end yelled.

"The unit number is 1809 okay? Right gotta go! YEAH GIMME A SEC MIO-" Ritsu finished before hanging up.

"Jeez, I told you to call them twenty minutes ago," Mio sighed

"Sorry milady," Ritsu grinned, "I was watching some TikToks."

Mio glared at Ritsu as the stepped into the elevator.

Mio and Ritsu strolled to the supermarket near their place, with Mio instructing Ritsu on what to buy.

Upon reaching the supermarket, the drummer and bassist went in separate routes to make the process more efficient.

Mio got her portion of the groceries pretty quickly, having navigated grocery stores many times, so she went to find Ritsu.

When Mio found Ritsu, Ritsu was placing a jug of milk, which was on the grocery list, into a shopping cart with a hefty amount of items.

"Ritsu, you've put the milk in the wrong cart," Mio said, taking the milk out.

"Oh, no it's the right cart," Ritsu said, taking the milk and placing it back inside.

Mio looked in Ritsu's cart, which contained a variety of snacks and sodas.

"Ritsu," Mio sighed,"we're only getting the essentials, put the snacks back please."

"What are you talking about Mio? These are essentials," Ritsu replied.

"We can get the snacks some other time, we have a budget you know," Mio said.

"I looked at the list, there should be enough cash for the snacks," Ritsu said.

"Ritsu," Mio said, losing some patience.

"Oh come on, snacks give me energy!" Ritsu tried to reason.

"Do you want to gain weight!?" Mio scolded.

"Maybe you're worried about getting fatter!" Ritsu retorted, with a slight giggle

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"So frickin' annoying," a familiar voice grumbled from the aisle in front of Ritsu and Mio.

Mio and Ritsu looked at each other and walked to the other aisle.

"Sawa-chan?!" "Sawako-sensei?!"

"Eek!" Sawako screeched looking at the two girls,"Oh! It's you two, what are you doing here?"

Ritsu and Mio explained how they were preparing a dinner for the other HTT members when they arrived at their apartment later.

"I see…" Sawako said,"You two live together now?"

"Yes," Mio said,"In fact, your friend Nagako is our landlady."

"Oh is that so?" Sawako said, "Perhaps I should join you girls for dinner, I should catch up with Nagako."

Ritsu and Mio looked at each other and thought, "She just wants to freeload on the dinner…"

"What about you Sawa-chan?" Ritsu asked,"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just to get myself a treat," Sawako said, pointing to the six pack of beer in her cart.

"I can only have this once every few months, thanks to my joke of a salary," Sawako thought, cursing the system.

"Were Ritsu and I that noisy?" Mio asked Sawako as they walked out of the supermarket, when some customers shot glares at Mio and Ritsu.

"Oh yes, you were arguing quite loudly," Sawako said, taking a sip from a can of Asahi.

"Well, our squabble was pointless, seeing as we bought the snacks in the end," Ritsu grinned.

"That was because Sawako-sensei's appearance distracted my previous train of thought," Mio scoffed.

"Don't worry Mio, you won't get fat! I'm here to eat the snacks for you!" Ritsu teased.

"Shut up you," Mio replied, smacking Ritsu's head.

"Some things never change huh," Sawako thought, looking at the drummer and bassist.

An hour later…

"My money…" Azusa said sadly, holding a bag of cat-care items.

"Come on Azunyan!" Yui said, "Dinner is waiting so let's hurry up!"

"Help me carry the bags then!" Azusa snapped.

"Oh right!" Yui said, grabbing two bags from Azusa and Mugi respectively.

"Thank you Yui-chan," Mugi smiled,"If I'm not wrong, Ricchan and Mio-chan's apartment is right up ahead."

Yui, Mugi and Azusa stood in front of the doorway, which had a keypad.

"I wanna enter the unit number!" Yui volunteered.

"Do you know the number?" Mugi smiled.

"Uh, no!" Yui said,"Do you know it Mugi-chan?"

"1809," Mugi said.

Yui keyed in the unit number, which rang Ritsu and Mio's apartment.

"Hello?" Mio's voice came from the keypad's speaker.

"Hi Mio-chan! We're here!" Yui spoke into the keypad.

"Alright, I'm letting you in," Mio said as the door made a beeping noice and opened.

Yui, Mugi and Azusa stepped into the apartment and into the elevator.

The trio found the bassist and drummer's apartment and knocked.

"Good evening everyone, please come in," Mio greeted.

The entrance door led right into kitchen, and when Azusa saw Ritsu with an apron an cooking, she couldnt help but laugh.

"What's so funny Nakano?!" Ritsu yelled at Azusa, pointing a ladle at her.

"Nothing Ritsu-senpai," Azusa giggled, "It's just that you.. look like a woman!"

Mio, Yui and Mugi joined in Azusa's fit of laughter.

"I made this dinner for you people, be grateful!" Ritsu shouted dramatically.

"Ricchan! It smells amazing," Yui said, sniffing the soup's aroma.

"Damn right it does!" Ritsu said proudly,"you can bow to Tainaka-sama after we eat-"

Mio scoffed,"Hey! I helped too, don't get carried away."

"Thank goodness you only helped, I find it hard to imagine what it's like if you made this yourself~" Ritsu teased the bassist.

"You're lucky you are cooking right now, or I would have smacked you into the pot," Mio said, bringing Mugi, Yui and Azusa to the couch.

"Is it okay if my cat can run around here?" Azusa asked.

"Sure," Mio said,"Try not to let it dirty the floor too much, I vacuumed and mopped it earlier."

"I won't," Azusa said, putting Neko-chan on the floor.

"Sorry our place is a bit small," Mio apologised, as Yui, Mugi and Azusa squeezed together on the couch.

"It's okay senpai!" Azusa smiled,"It's rather cosy."

Azusa then felt that she was sitting on something, and pulled out a sleeveless shirt from the place she was sitting.

Mio's face flushed as she took the clothing from Azusa and disappeared from the living room into the kitchen

"Ritsu! Your shirt is on the couch! Didn't I tell you not to leave your clothes lying around?!" Mio yelled.

"I was gonna clear it!" Ritsu defended herself loudly,"I'll clear it later!"

"I got it for you baka!" Mio shouted.

"Thank you milady!" Ritsu shouted back sarcastically.

"Sure is lovely here," Mugi laughed as Yui turned on the television.

"I pity their neighbours," Azusa sighed.

"Dinner's ready,!" Ritsu announced.

The band squeezed together on the dining table, with bowls of beef noodles with miso soup on their laps.

"Itadakimasu!" everyone said before eating.

"This is delicious!" Sawako said, shocking Mugi, Yui and Azusa.

"Sawa-chan-sensei!?" Yui cried.

"Why are you here!?" Azusa said, shocked.

"That's a little mean," Sawako pouted.

"We met her in the grocery store," Ritsu sighed.

"Want a can?" Nagako said, throwing a can to Sawako.

"Thanks Della," Sawako said, opening the can.

"You're the bassist from Death Devil?" Mugi said looking at Nagako.

"Yeah! Nagako's the name," Nagako greeted, shaking Mugi's hand, "thanks for the dinner kids, but I gotta go now!"

And with that, Nagako left her bowl in the sink and left.

"In some strange coincidence, she's our landlord," Mio said.

"It's a shame I don't see her more often," Sawako said sollemly.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you kids together," Sawako said, while slurping her noodles

Mugi giggled and wiped a tear from her eye.

"What is it Mugi-chan?" Yui asked curiously.

"I couldn't help but notice we are sitting in the same position we sat back in the old Light Music Club room," Mugi replied.

Everyone looked at each other's seats. Mugi was right. Yui and Ritsu' seats were facing Mugi and Mio's seats, while Azusa and Sawako sat on the left and right side of the table respectively.

Everyone laughed. Nostalgia filled the room, it was such a long time that everyone sat together like this.

"So you're still the club adviser then Sawa-chan?" Ritsu asked.

"Yesu," Sawako said proudly ,"Though, I don't know if Sumire and Nao are able to run the club as well as you did Azusa."

Azusa turned her head away, looking a little sad.

"I'm worried," Azusa said,"What if our High School Light Music Club disbands?"

"It won't!" Sawako assured, "I'm a homeroom teacher again, so I will force- I mean recruit some new faces into Wakaba Girls."

"Pfft Wakaba Girls?" Ritsu stifled a laugh

Azusa pouted,"Yeah, yeah laugh it out! Our band was really good!"

"Of course it was!" Yui said, with noodles in her mouth,"That's because Azunyan was the best buchou."

"How bout me?" Ritsu grinned, "Azusa couldn't have been better than me."

Sawako sipped her beer,"Oh, no she was way better than you."

Mio burst into laughter. Ritsu glared and kicked her under the table.

"Oww!" Mio cried.

"Oh come on!" Ritsu said, "In what way could she be a better club president than me?"

Mio cleared her throat,"I would say, she attended club president meetings, submitted forms on time, booked the auditorium early and initiated practise most of the time."

"True, true, true and also true," Sawako said, nodding.

"Uh, I'm still the better looking buchou!" Ritsu said.

SMACK*

"Stop speaking nonsense," Mio scolded Ritsu.

"Am I that bad of a president?" Ritsu frowned.

"Well one thing you did better than Azusa-chan was the fun aspect," Sawako said.

"Hah!" Ritsu said triumphantly.

"Huh?!" Azusa said in disbelief.

"That's true," Mio said," You did make sure we had fun, and you did help bring the club from bottom up."

Ritsu blushed.

"Ricchan may be forgetful, but she really is a fun friend and president," Mugi said.

"Yes!" Yui said,"Ricchan made sure we ate a lot of cake and drank of lot of tea!"

"That's not- what a president should do, but I must say, thank you Ritsu-senpai for making me feel included in the club," Azusa smiled at Ritsu.

Ritsu blushed at everyone's comments and shouted,"STOP COMPLIMENTING ME IT'S GETTING SAPPY."

After everyone finished dinner, they chatted a while more before Mugi brought out packet cakes and iced tea.

Sawako hesitantly received her share of the sweets.

"Mugi-chan, where's the usual cakes and tea sets," Sawako asked.

"Well, I thought I thought how fun it would be to try more common food items," Mugi said,"Aren't my old cakes and tea getting boring?"

"No," Ritsu, Yui and Sawako thought bitterly.

After "tea time", everyone got up to leave the apartment.

"I'm gonna miss you guys!" Sawako said, hugging the band, than looked directly at Ritsu and Mio,"I'll be back for more dinners though."

Ritsu and Mio laughed, a bit sadly.

"Bye everyone!" Ritsu and Mio said.

"Bye!" Mugi, Yui and Azusa said, setting off for their University dorms.

Sawako smiled to herself,"I miss this lazy bunch so much."

Sorry for the delay! I had to take the covid vaccine and my arm is killing me... Hopefully I can get chapters out every two days.Until then!