Hello once again! Now, I've noticed that people haven't been reviewing much, and that leaves me confused as to how well I've been doing. If you guys don't speak up and leave criticism and suggestions, I wouldn't know how to improve my work, right? That being said, I'm hopeful to get a few more reviews this time around, since I know you all have been reading my fic in one way or another. Hopefully, the reviews will benefit everyone.

For the time being, I've decided to alter my writing style just a tiny bit and see how well it complements things.

x~~*~~x

By Your Side

Excitement brimming in her blood, Hirasawa Yui set about to preparing dinner for herself and Azusa, who was coming over for the evening. The kouhai had obtained permission from her parents to sleep over at Yui's apartment, and the Nakanos had consented easily, with both of them having their own individual gigs that evening. Better to be with a friend than home alone, the Nakanos thought as they saw their daughter off with a sports bag slung over her shoulder, along with her red-white Fender Mustang. The kouhai had dressed lightly for the evening, wearing a tank-top and shorts, all ready and set to go with her sleepover at Yui's.

In the meantime, Yui had finished letting the miso ramen boil on the stovetop, as she thought how she could entertain Azusa that evening. She had taken Gitah out of its case and gently placed her on her bed, with her guitar amplifier sitting quietly in its corner, ready for use.

The brunette had finished dividing the miso ramen into two huge bowls for the two of them to eat when Azusa had arrived. She knew that the twin-tailed kouhai was no big eater, but she was more than enough to cover her own food as well as Azusa's leftovers in the event that she failed to finish her share of the meal.

The previous evening, Azusa had texted her to inform her of some… weird things she had been noticing in her up-and-coming band, though of course Azusa was still a member of Houkago Tea Time first and foremost. For starters, Azusa had noticed how Ritsu's little brother Satoshi was acting. He wasn't used to being around so many girls at a given time, but Azusa had noticed that one girl in particular had unsettled the boy the most, and it was a certain ponytailed brunette.

Now, Yui didn't know much about Satoshi, but Ritsu occasionally brought him up in conversation, saying how well he was taking after her on the drums, and how he was currently saving up for his own used drum set. Ritsu had allowed him to share her drum set for the time being, as Houkago Tea Time wouldn't be having any performances anytime soon anyway, so better to let him get better to do his future drum set justice.

In any case, the impression that Yui got from Satoshi was he was pretty nice guy, a bit rash and headstrong, like her older sister. He was also chivalrous to girls, except her older sister, as was the standard relationship between male and female siblings.

As Yui was setting the two large bowls down onto her traditional-style table, the doorbell rang and Yui called in reply, "Who is it?"

"It's me, senpai," came a voice Yui knew far too well.

Having set the dinner table, Yui bounded over energetically to the door and unlocked it, letting Azusa in with her guitar and her sports bag containing her clothing for the night's stay.

"Excuse me for intruding," said Azusa, who set her guitar and bag down in the anteroom leading to the rest of Yui's room.

"Head on over to the table, Azu-nyan, dinner's ready," said Yui happily as she locked up and closed the blinds so as not to let them be visible from the outside.

"Good evening, Yui-senpai. How has university been this week?" asked Azusa, taking her seat at the table while Yui handed her a soup-spoon and a pair of chopsticks. "Thank you," the kouhai said, taking the proffered utensils from the brunette.

"It was great; I'm learning more and more about culinary arts, though we're only doing an in-depth study of local cuisine for the time being, since we're only freshmen. At this rate, I might even be able to surpass Ui's ramen at home."

Yui giggled at that thought as she placed a teapot and two cups of oolong tea on the table. "Here, Azu-nyan, it's your own personal cup."

She indicated the pink mug that had the semblance of a kitten in front of her. A masterwork item of the Kotobuki household, Mugi had this cup crafted by one of the porcelain companies her father owned around a year and a half ago, when Azusa had first joined the club. Azusa remembered those times fondly, how uptight she had been back then, and how she had learned to relax and enjoy life with the Light Music Club.

"Itadakimasu! How did you get my cup, Yui-senpai?" asked Azusa, as she began to eat Yui's miso ramen. "Wow, this is delicious, senpai!"

"Thanks, Azu-nyan," said Yui as she echoed Azusa's thanksgiving for the food, spooning some soup up and blowing on it gently to cool it down. "I asked Mugi for your cup way back when we graduated since you didn't seem to want it. Then I thought, 'I should keep this in case Azu-nyan comes over to my future apartment!' And here we are."

The raven-haired girl was astounded at how far ahead Yui thought. Outwardly, Yui appeared to be nothing more than a classic airhead, but Azusa was now having second thoughts about that assumption. Any more signs of sense and planning from her senpai would inevitably result in her classifying Yui as "someone who trolls by obfuscating stupidity." This and why she didn't see Gitah the last time she was over completely took over the wandering thoughts of the kouhai as she and Yui ate in silence.

"Yui-senpai, remember what I was mailing you about last night?" prompted Azusa, who was eating at a slow pace.

"Satoshi-kun?" asked Yui in confirmation, spooning the last of her soup into her mouth.

"Yeah… I have a feeling that Satoshi-kun was unsettled the most by Ui. He didn't mind me and Jun as much, in the sense that he kept his cool and composure throughout the time either of us talked to him. But when it was Ui, it's like his drumming suddenly felt off-rhythm, and when she tried to engage him in conversation, he seemed to be so nervous that any more and it would be completely palpable," recounted Azusa. "What do you think about him, senpai? I think he's a gentleman who's unsure how to behave around a few girls. Totally unlike Ritsu-senpai."

Yui gave it some thought for a moment and replied,

"I think Ricchan should be the one to ask for something like this, although she's not going to like that last crack. Although I don't mind him; he seems to be a nice guy after all. But girls are so much cooler! Like Mio-chan, and you!"

Without warning, Yui scuttled over beside Azusa and hugged her, her left arm behind the raven-haired girl's upper back and her right arm gently cradling her neck, causing Azusa to drop the spoon she was holding with a clatter into the plastic bowl.

"Y-Yui-senpai, what brought this on?" asked Azusa nervously; as she felt pleasure steeping through her nerves at the physical intimacy Yui was showing at the moment.

"Nothing, Azu-nyan. You know how much I love doing this to you," replied Yui, who rested her head in the crook of Azusa's neck.

"Indeed," thought Azusa. "Let's try something different… Something to show appreciation for all senpai has done."

The brunette was surprised when she felt soft, gentle arms wrap around her waist, albeit slightly clumsily. "Oh Azu-nyan, how adorable you are when you do that," cooed Yui happily as she gave one last pulse and let go, surprising the kouhai who let go in surprise. "I think you should finish your meal now, so I can clean up and so we can play a few songs."

Azusa nodded and finished her meal with much more gusto than earlier, still blushing slightly from Yui's hug. She felt that she'd been more affected by her senpai's hugs easily these days; as if some balance between the two of them had shifted ever so slightly. Thinking hard while her outward appearance belied the deep thought she was currently doing, she decided that things had changed subtly between herself and Yui since the night that her back was injured.

Given how intimate they had been since then, given how Yui had practically told her to come and go into her apartment room as she pleased, she didn't even know what to make of thing between them anymore. One thing was for sure; she had to find out soon enough to alleviate all the confusion she was feeling.

"Hey Azu-nyan, have people still being bullying you in school?" asked Yui in a hard voice, her eyes not looking at Azusa for fear that she would be afraid of the primal rage Yui felt when she thought of the bastards that had bullied her beloved kitten.

Azusa shrugged and replied, "The bullying died down a lot after club recruitment came and went. No one else knows Jun, Ui, Satoshi and I are practicing after school at your house, though we need to find a better place to practice in. Like, a studio or a conservatory, but we don't really have the money for that. I'd like to ask Mugi-senpai, but I don't know how I can contact her or how I can even ask more from her, after all she's done."

Yui gently placed a hand on Azusa's head and said simply, "Azu-nyan, you worry too much. Take it easy; things will come when they come. What songs have you guys been playing?"

At this Azusa blushed and said,

"We're covering Houkago Tea Time's songs. Of course, it's different from when we're the ones doing it, since we're the original, but none of us can really compose things at the moment. Well, Ui's got some talent for composing tunes, while Satoshi-kun could probably handle the lyrics, as chivalrous as he is."

After Azusa had finished the meal and Yui the dishes, the two of them sat on Yui's bed and decided to practice their guitar sectionals. Losing themselves in the music, they sat back to back as they gently strummed and plucked to Fuwa Fuwa Time, Watashi no Koi wa Hotchikiss, Fude Pen Ballpen, U&I, and Utauyo!MIRACLE, alternating and sharing the guitar amplifier between the two of them.

An hour later, Azusa proposed that they break for the evening. Looking at the time, Yui saw that it was already ten in the evening, seeing as they both had a late dinner. The ambience of the evening was only building up, and Yui half-thought of asking Azusa to take a shower with her. However, in a rare fit of practicality, her rational side took over and said that her shower room was far too cramped for two people.

"Azu-nyan, you go shower, while I prepare the bed and clean up, okay? Can't go let Ui down now…," said Yui enthusiastically as she handed the same towel decorated with the Dango Daikazoku that Azusa had used the last time she was over.

Azusa nodded and took the towel from Yui, collecting her nightwear from her bag that she had left in the small anteroom. While her senpai was wiping the table with a cloth, Azusa looked over at the corner of the room nearest the bed and saw Gitah and Mu propped side-by-side, as though they were brothers, with the amplifier beside them. Satisfied, she called to Yui that she'd be entering the bathroom and did so.

Azusa took a short shower, since she wasn't that dirty anyway, having come straight from home, and did nothing but ponder on the ambiguity of her relationship with Yui. Idly, she thought of what her parents would think about how she was into girls. The two were jazz musicians who played mostly 80's music, and hopefully, she thought that their inclinations towards homosexuality would be of the liberal persuasion.

After drying herself off and brushing her teeth, she put her pink pajamas on and exited the bathroom, where she saw Yui sitting on the bed with Gitah in her arms, patting the space on the bed beside her. The overhead lighting had been extinguished, leaving only the desk lamp on, giving the night the ambience of serenity and relaxation. "Yui-senpai, it's your turn to shower!"

However, Yui just said simply, "I already showered," and continued to pat the space beside her on the bed.

Azusa obliged and scurried over to beside Yui, sitting down as she looked inquiringly at her. The brunette just smiled and said,

"I have a song I want to play for you. It's not yet finished, neither did I compose it; I'm just trying to do a guitar arrangement for it."

Azusa nodded as her senpai began to gently play a soft and gentle tune, as she began to sing softly,

kyou koko de deatta
takusan no hoshizuku
kira kira to mabushii
taisetsu na kirameki

Moshimo kimi ga hitori kiri de
namida afure sou ni natte mo
daijoubu dato omoeru you ni
uta wo todokeru yo

Subete ga mienakute mo
subete wo wakachiawatakute mo
boku wa itsu made mo
kimi no soba ni..

Oooh..

The melody stopped gently as Yui put Gitah down on the floor. Yui looked at Azusa sheepishly and said,

"It's not yet finished… I don't think I ever told you that I was a fan of Horie Yui-sama, Azu-nyan. She shares the same first name with me too! And she's such a nice singer! Isn't that cool?"

Azusa smiled and leaned into her senpai and hugged her gently, not caring about the ambiguity of things but deciding to live in the moment, as her senpai had said earlier.

"A-Azu-nyan…?" sputtered Yui, at a loss for words. She didn't expect that Azusa would be that moved by her half-assed guitar arrangement for Kimi no Soba ni [1].

"Oh Yui-senpai… You're really cool, you know that?" said Azusa as she broke away from Yui, all smiles as she was.

Yui could only smile sheepishly and rub her head at that. Azusa leaned towards her conspirationally and whispered,

"Now, about Ui and Satoshi-kun…"

x~~*~~x

Mugi once again had the feeling that she was in a temporary heaven. Being with Yumi's friends was a totally different experience, when compared to staying with Houkago Tea Time. They were much more ladylike, even the brash Yoshino, and at a glance, would be much more matched to her upbringing as a super rich ojou-sama. Nevertheless, she still knew that nothing would be able to replace the first true friends she had in her entire life.

Lately, Mugi realized that all she was thinking about subconsciously was her friends and her crush, Sawako-sensei. Oddly, out of nowhere, she reflected on how she addressed Sawako. Sawa-chan-sensei seemed too informal, now that she thought of it. It fit Ritsu perfectly, not her, and she resolved to return to the more formal and appropriate "Sawako-sensei" whenever she addressed Sawako from hereon out.

"Tsumugi-san? Tsumugi-san? Are you alright?" came a voice that shook Mugi from her reverie.

The blonde shook her head and smiled at Yoshino, who was close enough for her to kiss.

"I'm alright Yoshino-san, I just spaced out a bit, is all…"

Yoshino turned to Yumi and Shimako and exchanged significant looks. The three had noticed how off Mugi seemed lately, how out of things she seemed to be. It was like her body was here but her heart wasn't, and Yumi had picked up on this early on, but was simply confused about what to do.

After Mugi had gone to bed a few days ago, when she played Honey Sweet Tea Time for Yumi, the former Rosa Chinensis en bouton messaged her onee-sama, inquiring as to what she could do to alleviate the feelings of loneliness she could feel that Mugi was feeling.

Make her feel that she's loved and wanted. Do anything to get her to open up and talk about things. It would be helpful if you included Yoshino and Shimako in this.

That being the reply, Yumi conferred with the other two and they unanimously agreed that they had to do something to cheer Mugi up. As a result, they were having another tea party at eleven in the evening on a Friday; they had convinced Mugi not to go home for the time being and to spend the day with them tomorrow in the nearby shopping district.

Mugi had agreed, deciding that she should at least appreciate what her friends were doing. Although she gave off the vibe of "talented slightly-airheaded ojou-sama", she knew exactly what Yumi and the others were trying to do for her, and she truthfully felt happy that they cared enough about her.

"A family away from home away from home twice over," thought Mugi as she giggled.

"What's so funny?" asked Yoshino, with a worried look on her face. "Tsumugi-san, did you eat anything weird this evening?"

The dam broke and Mugi laughed a clear powerful laugh, a laugh that seemed that it could resonate perfectly off of crystal. Shimako thought that such a laugh full of pure mirth wouldn't be out of place in an opera, while Yoshino idly wondered if Mugi placing one of her hands to her mouth would make the laugh a proper approximation of Houshakuji Renge's[2].

"That felt really nice," said Mugi happily. "I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud like that."

And indeed, even at the graduation party, she wasn't like that; she was busy being comforted by the woman she loved, comforted due to the fear of separation, a fear that ultimately manifested itself and got the better of the keyboardist.

"That's the spirit Mugi-chan!" said Yumi happily, taking her cellular phone out and composing a quick email to Sachiko that said "Onee-sama, looks like Mugi-chan is feeling better now! :)"

"Are you sure you're available tomorrow, Tsumugi-san?" asked Shimako politely as she sipped some of the Kotobuki stock of Earl Grey. "It's alright if you want to go out with your friends tomorrow; the fact that you finally smiled properly and laughed is good enough for us."

Yoshino nodded in agreement when Mugi smiled and said,

"It's the least I could do, Toudou-san," replied Mugi. "After all, you are my friends as well."

Shimako replied, "Then, please do call me Shimako-san instead."

Mugi smirked and replied, "Only if you call me Mugi."

Everyone nodded, happy that the blonde was in high spirits. The twin-tailed brunette's phone vibrated in her pocket, and she took it out, reading the incoming mail from Sachiko that said,

Good work Yumi. Make sure she has fun tomorrow; she looked really worn out in today's Economics lecture.

Indeed, the Ogasawara heir felt that Mugi was feeling under the weather earlier that day during their lecture class, and wished she could help her friend. However, she knew that seven years was a long time and she realized with regret that she barely knew the blonde anymore. At that point, she had decided to leave it to Yumi, Shimako, and Yoshino, who were all in her year and who were much closer to her now than she was.

"So about tomorrow, there's a posh mall a ways from here. I think we should go there," said Yoshino. "Mugi-san should find it appropriate enough, I suppose."

Once again, Mugi felt a short bout of melancholy relating to whenever people decided to treat her based on her affluence. She had always felt that way, at her father's corporate meetings, she would always be coddled, forced to play the role of the daughter of a corporate overlord, when all she really wanted was to be happy in her own way. That was one thing she would have to let her new set of friends see clearly or else she would feel left out and misunderstood once again.

"Umm, I'm actually perfectly fine with the nearby open-air plaza mall," interjected the blonde. "Please, don't treat me like an ojou-sama; just treat me as you normally would any friend, alright?"

Yoshino, Shimako, and Yumi had nodded. Message received, loud and clear. "In that case, would you be up for some karaoke, Mugi-san?" challenged Yoshino, pointing a finger at her while Shimako smiled and sipped her tea.

"That's rude, Yoshino-san," mumbled Yumi, but not in a low enough voice as Yoshino had heard her.

"No one asked you, Sachi—er, Yumi-san," jested Yoshino, sticking her tongue out at the former Rosa Chinensis.

"I'll have you know, you heard Mugi-chan sing the other night. You wouldn't stand a chance against her," said Yumi confidently, while Mugi blushed at the praise she was receiving from her roommate.

"Say, why don't we ask Sei-sama to come along tomorrow?" proposed Yumi. "Mugi-chan should certainly have fun with Sei-sama involved," thought the twin-tailed brunette.

Yoshino shook her head and said, "Are you mad, Yumi-san? You know how much trouble Sei-sama can be; it's a miracle that Youko-sama could keep her on a leash back then… sort of. Eriko-sama was more of the type to just sit back and pass the popcorn around."

"Oh come on, it'll make things more fun, Yoshino-san," argued back Yumi. "Isn't that right, Shimako-san?"

Shimako sipped her tea and said, "I suppose, though all of us here, save Mugi-san, know how… random onee-sama can get."

"So this Sei-sama is your onee-sama, Shimako-san?" asked Mugi, interested once again in the soeur relationship that Lillian Girls' Academy had going.

Shimako nodded, and Yumi and Yoshino continued to argue over whether or not Sei's presence would benefit Mugi.

While the two bickered, with Shimako observing calmly as always, Mugi took her cellphone out of her pocket and she began to compose a message to Sawako.

Hello Sawako-sensei! I guess I'll be alright for a little while longer. See you soon! ^^

x~~*~~x

Tainaka Ritsu sat in her bedroom, the lights shut off and the venetian blinds open, letting the soft glow of the setting sun into her room, keeping it well lit despite the slightly melancholic feeling Ritsu was going for. The computer screen seemed to be staring at her, mocking the drummer with the information that was laid out before her very eyes.

She was still brooding about how the teasing came from people she barely knew, but what hit her home the most was a Psychology major in their Philosophy class offhandedly mentioning that she was suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The term seemed legit to her, and as soon as she had arrived at her home, she decided to Google what the term had meant.

What she had found was devastating to her, to say the least. Her confidence shattered, it was as though she could read her entire personality off of a medical manual. How she was talkative, outgoing, easily distracted, couldn't keep herself still for a moment, among others. Even her love of the drums could be extrapolated from this; she didn't have the attention span to learn chords for the guitar, as she had discovered back in their senior year when she tried jumping from instrument to instrument in a bid to be in the spotlight more. Hell, the reason she had for swapping instruments back then could easily be traced back to ADHD. She was severely disturbed, and right now she was scared that she would lose herself.

Add to that the way she secretly felt for Mio and it was just a recipe for a complete emotional disaster. Never before had she been the scared, embarrassed, and teased one, it was always Mio. The sandy-haired drummer took solace in the fact that at least she was indirectly protecting Mio by taking all the insults in her stead, but she felt that she wouldn't be able to endure it without Mio's help.

With that, she had called Mio, whom she had split up with just a short half-hour ago and invited her over to her house. No one else was home, since Satoshi was over at Yui's house for some reason and her parents had gone out on a date to keep their marriage youthful.

In due course, the doorbell rang and Ritsu made her way downstairs to let Mio in. She decided that she'd keep a straight face for now until Mio picked up on what she was feeling, and knowing Mio, she would do that almost immediately. An exercise in futility, and the drummer decided to just come clean at the most appropriate moment.

With a feeling of trepidation, Ritsu opened the door and there stood Mio, wearing a short tank top that revealed her belly button and a pair of shorts that showcased her curves and long legs.

Ritsu's head jerked back beyond her control and she felt her hand cover her nose to prevent the unwanted leakage of blood from her nasal cavity. Mio only looked on in worry as she said, "Ritsu, are you okay?" to which Ritsu just nodded and motioned for her to enter.

The drummer proceeded to the kitchen in haste to wash her face and plug her nostrils with tissue until the nosebleed had subsided. Still thinking about Mio's creamy legs, she reappeared in the hallway only to find Mio missing. Suddenly, she felt her heart stop; she had left the computer running in her room and if Mio wasn't in the hallway, there could only one place where Mio was…

She rushed up the stairs with the urgency of a thousand dying souls, as though she was granted a boon by Hermes, the Greek messenger god. Unfortunately, when she reached her room, she saw Mio standing beside her computer, tracing a finger on the cathode-ray-tube monitor screen as she scrutinized the Wikipedia article.

"Ritsu…," softly breathed the bassist. "Is this what's been troubling you…?"

The raven-haired girl turned to the drummer with a look of sincere worry on her face. Ritsu had no choice but to nod as she entered the room and sat on her bed, bowing towards the floor in embarrassment as she began to speak in a low voice without looking at Mio.

"When I heard the Psych major utter those words, they sounded legit enough for me to look them up. And that's what I saw, Mio. Do you know how it feels like to see almost your entire personality being factually presented as symptoms of a fucking disorder? It really blew my confidence away, man."

Mio could only listen in silence as her best friend began to unload all the insecurities she'd been feeling over the past weeks.

"It's like every facet of my being, every part of what makes me who I am… even my love for the drums… they can be traced to this one psychological disorder," said Ritsu somberly, still not willing to look at Mio in dejection and shame. "I still felt that I could gain something positive from all of this; that it was me being teased and not you Mio. Through and through, I'm still your knight. Though some knight I am…"

Ritsu chuckled bitterly at her own statement, she thought how pathetic she was to be Mio's knight. A knight was a fierce warrior who braved incoming onslaughts with bravery and determination, so as not to let any harm come to the princess, not someone who crumbled easily the way she did.

Breathing deeply, Ritsu looked at Mio with a dull look in her eyes. "I feel so worthless, so ridiculous, so facetious as to even claim I have my own personali—"

*thwack*

Ritsu was stunned as she brought a hand up to her stinging face. Mio had always given her a bump on the head when she went too far with her jokes, but never before had she been slapped by her best friend.

"Ricchan, that's enough!"exclaimed Mio, tears running down her face as she sat on the bed beside Ritsu and hugged her as tight as she could. "I don't give a fuck about what the science says; to me, you're still Ritsu, my special Ritsu, my best friend!"

"And the one I love," thought the raven-haired bassist but didn't say. "I don't care what anyone thinks, but you'll always be Ritsu. Ritsu is Ritsu and that fact will never change. So please, don't feel that way."

"Heh, Mio…" mumbled Ritsu as she returned the embrace. "Now I know how it feels to be the one being teased… It's not great at all, Mio. It's okay if it was you, but it's people I hardly know, people I wouldn't even give a second thought about. Not until they did this…"

Mio decided to take the initiative as she cradled her best friend in her arms while she looked on with a fervent look on her face. "You know Ricchan, I promised you on the night we graduated. Remember? I said that I'd do my best to stand alone for your sake, and to protect you as well."

Come to me, was what Mio's eyes silently implored upon Ritsu as the latter looked at Mio straight in the eye. Ritsu's resolve buckled as she buried her head in the crook of Mio's neck as she began to cry like she hadn't cried before.

Someday Ritsu… my feelings will reach you.

x~~*~~x

[1] – Kimi no Soba ni is a song from Horie Yui's album HONEY JET! Translated, it means… you guessed it! By Your Side.

[2] – Renge from Ouran High School Host Club.

This was mostly a contemplative chapter involving Mio, Ritsu, and Mugi's individual feelings, while Azusa and Yui are further progressing along. That's not to say that the road will be smooth for everyone, after all; I'd like to just hint that trials will be coming along in the near future for some of our cast members. Especially for Mio and Ritsu; things are just getting started.

I'm also debating as to whether or not to consummate Ui/Satoshi. Hmmm... :)

And with that, my fic has broken the 40000 word mark, the thirteenth on the site in the K-ON! category to do so. It's nowhere near finished, and I sincerely hope that some of you will stick around for the entire ride. :)