"Man, it's been a year, hasn't it?" Mio said, stretching out on the bed. Ritsu nodded silently, engrossed in the show she was watching on her phone. Mio reached over and tapped Ritsu on the leg.
"Heyy, pay attention to me," Mio said. Ritsu looked up.
"Huh? Oh, uh, sorry about that, Mio," Ritsu said, smiling. She put her phone down on the blanket and sat up straight.
"What should I wear for tomorrow?" the bassist asked. "I don't know if I should go with the pink one with frills or this blue one with the long sleeves, or…"
Ritsu slowly yawned, unintentionally tuning out the sound of Mio's voice. After a long night of gaming with Satoshi, she wasn't exactly thrilled when Mio called her and dragged her out of bed in the early morning for their anniversary date. Mio, being such a stickler for small details, wanted everything to be perfect, down to the cute clothes they would wear and how they would take photos. Mio was surprisingly picky about this sort of thing, and would often get mad when Ritsu would ignore her. Just like right now.
"Oy, Ritsu? Earth to Ritsu!" Mio said loudly. Ritsu snapped to attention, unaware that she had dozed off.
"Mm? Ah, geez, sorry, Mio. I'm listening."
"Alright. As I was saying, I think we should go with this outfit," Mio said, holding up a red long-sleeve top with a white collar and a black skirt. Ritsu looked down at her own outfit, which consisted of jeans and a dark red t-shirt.
"Mio, I've asked this a thousand times, and I'll ask again: How the heck are you able to match my outfit no matter what I wear? In fact, when in the world did you suddenly get obsessed with fashion?"
Mio blushed, hiding her face a little.
"I-I've been watching this new drama about fashion. It's…um… called Baby-Faced Beauty. It's this romantic comedy about a 34-year-old fashion designer who pretends to be 10 years younger to get a job in a fashion company. She's got a knack for transforming ordinary materials into exciting creations and also succeeds at getting two co-workers to fall in love with her."
Ritsu grabbed her phone and quickly began searching online. Sure enough, Baby-Faced Beauty was a fashion-based Korean drama that was pretty popular a couple of years ago. She stared at the description of the drama.
"…34-year-old fashion designer who pretends to be 10 years younger to get a job in a fashion company…Mio, you recited this summary almost word for word."
"I'm not obsessed…"
"Sure you're not. You're lucky this isn't an essay or something or I'd haul your butt to the administrative office for plagiarism."
"Heyy, don't mock me…it's a really good show, alright? It's not my fault they describe the summary of the show every time they start a new episode."
"Haha, yeah yeah, alright, I was just joking, geez!" Ritsu said, holding back her laughter. Mio puffed her cheeks out in mock anger.
"Dummy, Ritsu!" she said. Ritsu took her hand.
"Yeah, but I'm your dummy, you dummy," she said, kissing Mio's cheek.
"Fine, I accept your unsaid apology," Mio said, smiling. "Let's get ready soon, so we won't have to wait to get a seat."
"I'm already ready. You're the one that hasn't changed yet."
"F-Fine…just turn around and don't look, okay? I'm gonna undress…"
Ritsu put a hand on Mio's shoulder.
"Mio…first of all, I've seen you naked countless times. In the bathhouse, at Mugi's resort house, on the school trip. We're girls after all. Secondly, I'm your girlfriend. I think we're already past the point of being embarrassed about being naked in front of each other. Third, if you don't get changed soon, I'm going to go to sleep again."
"Fine…"
"Good. Let's get going, 'cuz I'm starving."
"Wait…Mio why exactly are we at a Mexican restaurant? In the middle of freaking Japan?"
"But this one has good reviews and I've never been to one before."
"Mio," Ritsu said, looking up at the rusting shop sign. "First of all, how do you even know this is a Mexican restaurant? The name of the place is 'Junkadelic', for Pete's sake…"
"Here, look," Mio said, pushing her phone screen in Ritsu's face. Sure enough, 'Junkadelic' is a Mexican restaurant, complete with an authentic looking spread of food on their website's menu page.
"Nachos, quesadillas, chimichangas, burritos…geez those look yummy…" Ritsu said, her stomach growling loudly.
"Told you so," said Mio proudly. She put her phone away and the two of them walked into the building.
The dining room was warmly lit. Overhead ceiling fans gently blew air, causing the hanging streamers and flags to sway to and fro. Several wooden tables were placed around the room, covered with Mexican-themed pictures.
"Welcome! Table for two? Right this way," said a very enthusiastic waitress with a huge smile plastered on her face. She led the couple to a corner booth and left them with a set of menus and glasses of water.
"What do you want to order?" Mio asked. Ritsu stared at the assortment of food on the menu. There was a lot of strange-sounding foods that looked tasty, as well as some Japanese twists on some of the classics, like squid tentacles in a taco or a burrito that seemed to use chicken katsu.
"I have absolutely no clue, but I want it all," said Ritsu, wiping a bit of drool off the corner of her mouth. Mio smiled, then called the waiter over and ordered the restaurant's party platter. Smaller portions, but one of everything on the menu.
"Mio, have I ever told you I love you?" Ritsu said.
"I just know you well enough, especially when it comes to food."
"Hey, at least I'm not as bad as Yui."
"True, that girl is a bottomless pit."
The conversation continued like this until their food arrived.
"Aw yeah! Bring on the grub!" Ritsu.
"Ritsu, manners," Mio said, staring around nervously at the other restaurant patrons. Nobody else seemed to be paying attention to them.
"Who cares, Mio, I want food-eh, Azusa?"
"What?"
"Shh, hide!" Ritsu whispered, ducking down. Mio followed suit, looking in the direction that Ritsu was pointing. Sure enough, the twin-tailed guitarist had just walked in the front door. A different waitress came up and led her to a booth directly across the restaurant from Ritsu and Mio. It didn't seem like Azusa had noticed that they were even there.
"What the heck is she doing here?" Ritsu asked. Mio shrugged.
"Who knows. She hasn't really been hanging out with us ever since you and I started dating. I thought she was just busy," Mio whispered back. Ritsu was about to respond when the restaurant door swung open again. A young man walked past the "Please Wait To Be Seated" sign, heading straight for Azusa's table.
"Who's…?" said Ritsu.
"I have no clue…" said Mio. The two of them stared as the young man walked over to Azusa, who stood up to greet him. What surprised them was when the guy planted a kiss on Azusa's cheek.
"Who the fu-" Ritsu exclaimed. Mio shushed her, but nobody else in the restaurant seemed to have heard Ritsu's outcry. Ritsu felt defensive all of a sudden. Sure, Azusa's business outside of the club was her own business, but seeing the dude kiss her on the cheek made Ritsu's blood boil. It was a feeling she couldn't explain, almost as if just the sight of it made her want to deck him across the face with both fists.
"She's probably dating him," said Mio. "Let's leave them be, it's none of our business…"
Ritsu didn't have anything to say. She begrudgingly began to pick at her food, but she couldn't help but overhear snippets of their conversation from across the restaurant.
"…let's get out of here, hun. We can hang out at the arcade or something!"
"I'm not in the mood for games right now," Azusa said. "I made reservations here, so it'd be a waste to just leave without buying anything."
"Yeah, well I said let's go to a good restaurant, not this dump," said the guy.
"It's not a dump. I actually like going here…"
"Tch. You're no fun. Seriously, why do we even bother? You spend more time on your stupid guitar than you do with me, and whenever we're on the phone, all you ever talk about is that stupid light music club! You're always home late so I have to wait a long time for you to call and all I hear about is endless tea parties and costumes and something about a sadistic teacher? C'mon, baby, just quit the club and we can have more fun-"
"I'm not quitting the club!" Azusa yelled.
"I don't care what you say!" the guy yelled back, grabbing her hard by the wrist. "If you want to stay in this relationship, then tomorrow you better march to that club room and tell that stupid club president of yours that you'll never hang out with them again."
It was at this point that Ritsu was finished listening. Before Mio or Azusa had realized what had happened, Ritsu stood up, ran across the length of the restaurant dining area and connected her fist with the guy's jaw. He went flying, smacking face-first into the wall, letting go of Azusa's wrist in the process.
"Ritsu senpai-"
"YOU WANNA SAY THAT TO MY FACE, YOU JERK!?" Ritsu yelled. The restaurant went silent. Mio was staring from across the room with a mix of fear and panic in her expression. Azusa clutched her wrist and stared up at Ritsu, who took a deep breath to steady herself.
"C'mon, Azusa," Ritsu said, walking back towards Mio. Azusa slowly stood up and followed suit, giving one last look to the cowering young man in the booth.
"We're through, Adam…" Azusa said, before turning and catching up to Ritsu. Mio was busy apologizing to the restaurant staff and quickly paid the check and rushed outside before anything else embarrassing could happen. Ritsu shuffled behind her, hands deep in her pocket, looking more pissed than Azusa had ever seen her look. Once they were a good way away from the restaurant, Mio stopped the group and turned to their kouhai.
"Azusa, I'm sorry for all that…we overheard your conversation and Ritsu just…"
"I'm not freaking sorry!" Ritsu snapped, kicking at a rock.
"Ritsu," Mio said sternly, glaring at her. She turned once more to Azusa, who was still clutching at her wrist.
"Azusa, let me see," she said, offering her hand. Azusa loosened her grip and rotated her arm so that the older girls could see her forearm. Her wrist and some of her upper arm were covered in slight bruises. Some seemed to be older bruises and looked faded, but the ones around her wrist were fresh, from when the jerk grabbed it back at the restaurant. Ritsu made an angry noise, looking back at the direction of the restaurant.
"That little…I've got half a mind to go right back there and give him a bigger piece of my mind and my fist!"
"Ritsu-senpai, please…don't!" Azusa cried. Tears began falling as the weight of what just happened finally sunk in, and she dropped to her knees, sobbing into Mio's jacket. Ritsu calmed down considerably, and joined in to help Mio comfort the poor girl.
"You guys were dating for ten months?!" Ritsu yelled. Azusa nodded sadly.
"Yeah…"
"Azusa, how did this happen?" asked Mio, putting her hands on Azusa's shoulders. "Why is your first boyfriend so controlling and abusive-"
"Fifth…"
"Pardon me?"
"Fifth," Azusa repeated. "He was my fifth boyfriend this year…"
Silence…and then…
"Azusa…" Mio said slowly. "What's going on -"
"Nothing!" Azusa suddenly yelled, causing Mio to jump. Azusa pushed Mio's hands off her shoulders and attempted to sprint off, but Ritsu caught her by the arm.
"Azu-"
"Leave me alone!" Azusa shouted. An old lady on the opposite side of the road stopped and looked in their direction. Mio began to panic, so Ritsu dragged the two of them to the nearby park, much to Azusa's protesting.
The sky was slowly turning orange, casting shadows on the playground. Ritsu pulled Azusa and sat Azusa on the park bench. Mio sat down next to her, while Ritsu stood in front of both of them.
"Okay, Azusa. You calm now?" Ritsu asked.
"You're one to talk," mumbled Mio. Ritsu shot her a glance, then turned back to the trembling Azusa.
"When exactly did this all start?"
"About a year ago…" Azusa said, sniffling a little. "I was interested in…someone…back then…"
"Interested as in…"
"As in I started to have a crush on them," Azusa said. "I didn't expect it to happen…we hung out like always, and something just…clicked. I dunno…"
"Yeah?" Ritsu said thoughtfully. She thought back a year ago, back when she and Azusa had been hanging out in the park before running to Yui's place. Azusa had indeed been acting different around her…maybe the person she liked was still in her life back then.
"What happened next?" Mio asked. Azusa wiped her cheeks with her handkerchief and continued.
"Not much else to talk about," she said, looking up at Ritsu with watery eyes.
"The more I fell in love with this person, the more I wanted to be with them and everything. By the time I decided that I was going to ask them out, I found them kissing someone else…I didn't know what else to do, so I ran home crying…I've been depressed ever since…"
Ritsu stopped listening by this point, Azusa's voice fading away in her ears. She remembered, very clearly, seeing Azusa running away from where Mio kissed her, from where she and Mio officially became a couple. She remembered that Azusa started to talk to her less and become more distant the next day. Even during the times where Ritsu would tease her, Azusa would put on what looked like a fake smile. It may have fooled the others, but Ritsu knew better than anyone how to fake a smile to hide your pain.
Ritsu felt wobbly, and sat down next to the others as Azusa laid her head on Mio's shoulder for comfort. She knew exactly who Azusa had fallen in love with, who caused Azusa to spiral down this path…it was
"…me…" Ritsu whispered. Mio looked at Ritsu, confused.
"Did you say something?"
"Eh? Oh, nothing, nothing! I was gonna say, um 'Mio.' Yeah, Mio, let's bring Azusa somewhere fun."
"Ritsu, now's not the time…"
"I'm not taking no for an answer! Today's been a depressing day, and we barely got to eat anything. Let's do something fun, something that doesn't involve money or food or jank restaurants that look like something out of Mad Max!"
"Like what, exactly?" Azusa said, looking skeptical. Ritsu chose her words carefully. The last thing she needed was Azusa finding out that she knew…or worse…Mio finding out who Azusa's mystery love was.
"Er…um…uh…AH! How about the cake shop that Mugi's working at part-time?!"
"She's taking another part-time job?" Mio asked.
"Something like that…I think she mentioned that she wanted to help out, but her father refused because he didn't want her overworking herself. She apparently gave her father one puppy-dog look and he gave in super quick."
"Ooh, that's…surprisingly like Mugi-senpai," Azusa said, cracking a smile for the first time all afternoon. Ritsu felt a rush of relief at seeing her kouhai smile. She placed a hand on Azusa's cheek.
"Glad to see you smile, kid. Welcome back, Lieutenant Azusa."
As soon as Ritsu's hand touched Azusa's cheek, Azusa immediately went a deep shade of red. Ritsu felt Azusa's cheek go warm, and turned a similar shade of red. They broke eye contact and turned toward Mio, who was busy looking up the address of Mugi's cake shop on her phone.
"I think…yeah this is the place. It's about a fifteen minute walk, so if we hurry, we can make it there before Mugi's shift ends and – hey, what's wrong? You guys alright?"
"Nothing, nothing at all, Mio-chwan!" Ritsu said in an over-the-top cutesy voice. Azusa giggled.
"Pico, pico…lycopene!"
At this, Mio couldn't help but burst out laughing. Ritsu and Azusa gave each other a hesitant look before laughing alongside Mio. Ritsu felt relieved again.
Hopefully things will get better from here.