Presenting, Chapter 10! As usual, thoughts, Japanese words, flashbacks and other people on a phone line are in italics.

Once again, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! Anonymous reviews have now been turned on for those who're too lazy to login; just please don't flame me since I'll just delete it anyway.

x~~*~~x

Following Sea

A few days had passed since the band had a practice session in the Hirasawa residence. It was a lovely day; the weather was fair and the temperature warm. Summer was fast approaching, and Ritsu thought of what had already been a ritual for the Light Music Club: a summer training camp at one of Mugi's villas.

She brought the topic up with Mio on the Friday of the week after while they were eating in Max Burger after classes; Yui wasn't with them today as she had to stay late for a practical exam in one of her classes.

"So Mio, what do you think? I think we should continue the tradition of having a training camp this summer too," said Ritsu between bites of a cheeseburger. Akiyama Mio nodded in reply.

"Best that we contact Mugi first; she might be having plans with her family or with her new friends… Hey Ritsu…"

The drummer looked up and said, "What?"

Mio looked awkwardly at her fries, prodding one of them with her fingers when she replied.

"Do you think Mugi's new friends are going to replace us?"

Ritsu looked at her as though she had grown an extra head and was pregnant. "What on earth are you going on about Mio? Do you have that little faith in Mugi?"

Ritsu set her burger down on her tray and continued after a small ahem.

"Look, remember the day she decided to join the club? I hate to say it, but I honestly believe that we were the first true friends she really had in her entire life. I think that she became a happier person when she felt that she belonged with us. Mugi has always hated being treated differently due to her wealth; it's part of the reason why she likes to take the train, why she would tell her servants to prepare the villas for us as normally as possible, and hell, why she decided to work as a cashier in this very restaurant!" exclaimed the sandy-haired brunette.

Mio was just stunned by Ritsu's lengthy speech. She didn't think Ritsu was this perceptive, and for a moment, she felt a chill go down her spine when she recalled the obvious tells she had shown six days ago in this same restaurant. However, the bassist took solace in the fact that, even in the event that Ritsu picked up on those signs, her reply was actually pretty favorable to her cause.

She had an inkling that Ritsu didn't care about girls being into other girls, and that alone boosted a part of Mio's confidence. She would look back on this revelation many years later and note that this was the beginning of forever in her eyes.

"Besides, we could also bring Ui, Jun, and my brother along," continued Ritsu. "Though Azusa will have her work cut out for her, this is an ample opportunity for her to hone her skills even more, since she'll practically be working with two bands. They're kinda different from us though, since they don't have a bassist. Of course, I don't think anyone they'd get would be better than you."

She flashed a "V" towards Mio's face while the raven-haired girl just gaped and felt the blood rushing towards the capillaries in her face.

"R-Ritsu, toilet," she muttered in haste as she stood up and quickly made her way to the bathroom.

As the sages say, haste makes waste. That was indeed the case today, as that proverb bit Mio in the ass, or more appropriately, exposed her ass. The bassist hadn't noticed a small packet of ketchup that was on the floor, which had just been mopped as evidenced by the nearby "Slippery When Wet" sign. To her utmost misfortune, she had stepped cleanly on the packet and she had fallen forward when she lost her footing, bracing her impact with her forearms so that there would be little risk of a fracture.

It was really the wrong day for Mio to be wearing a relatively short skirt. It was shorter than the ones Mugi usually wore, and when she had fallen over, the exact same thing that had happened at Houkago Tea Time's first Founder's Festival concert in Sakura High School had a repeat performance.

This time however, Tainaka Ritsu had a full view of Mio's panties, and while she involuntarily pinched her nose bridge to prevent the leakage of blood from her nostrils, she noticed Mio's underwear was not the usual blue and white striped ones that closely resembled the rice bowls the Akiyamas used.

To her utmost surprise, she was wearing black lacy lingerie. It only took one more second for Ritsu's head to cock backwards involuntarily like a pistol being loaded, a few drops of crimson liquid beginning to force their way through her nasal cavity

"Goddamn Mio, that is so hot. Since when have you been wearing those things?" thought the drummer. "I'd definitely tap that."

Mio recovered quickly and blushed in embarrassment; the debacle had attracted the looks of a few customers. Some had looked on in concern, while others had glared at her backside with impunity, the blood rising to their faces as they did. Exactly like one Tainaka Ritsu, who was currently absentmindedly stuffing tissue paper into her nostrils.

Rubbing her arms which ached due to the impact with the floor, Mio headed to the bathroom to wash her arms and face, not daring to look back at Ritsu. "Why oh why did I decide to wear these today?" she thought miserably, indicating her underwear. "What a perfect day to try wearing more mature lingerie," she thought sarcastically, cursing her luck.

"I just hope Ritsu enjoyed that; so that some good would've come out of this situation," she muttered to no one in particular.

"Enjoyed what?" came a voice from the door.

The bassist yelped in surprise and turned around to see Ritsu, who had just entered the washroom as well. Feeling concerned for her best friend, Ritsu had asked one of the clerks to not clear their table while she went to the washroom to help Mio out in any way. Mio had idly noted that tissue paper was protruding from her nostrils.

"Uh, uh, enjoy the food, of course," said Mio nervously. "I mean, I did treat you today…"

"Yeah, thanks for that Mio, can't help it if you're broke," chuckled Ritsu.

"That's because you spent your money on getting a copy of the latest volume of Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga nai," quipped the bassist as she rolled her sleeves back and washed her hands.

Ritsu shrugged and said, "Hey, it's a pretty interesting manga after all. Besides, the main character's sister reminds me of Azusa for some unknown reason. It doesn't make sense, but eh."

x~~*~~x

In her final period physics class in Sakura High School, Nakano Azusa sneezed.

x~~*~~x

"In any case Mio, I think we should let Mugi know by the end of the day. If things go according to plan, we've got around a month until school breaks for summer vacation," said Ritsu, taking the tissue paper stuffed in her nostrils out and throwing them in the wastebasket. "Who's gonna do the honors? I don't feel like talking about this kind of planning would be appropriate if done through mail."

"I think you should do it, miss buchou," said Mio, smirking at the drummer. "Live up to your role, make up for all those forms that you passed late, inconveniencing Nodoka."

"Speaking of," interjected Ritsu. "Where's Nodoka now? I haven't heard a peep from her and Yui doesn't talk about her much."

Mio immediately replied, "Oh, Nodoka went to Tokyo U. She told me before college started that she had taken the entrance exam upon recommendation by Sakura High School, and she passed. I don't think she would've told you because I'd say that the people she was closest to in the club would've been Yui, obviously, and me."

"As expected of the seitokaichou," said Ritsu. "And the Mio-chan fan club president."

Mio's eyes furrowed in displeasure.

"Don't remind me about that. I don't even want to know if they're still active."

Consuming the last of her burger, Ritsu stood up and said,

"We better get going; I'll still have to call Mugi up. Gimme a moment; toilet."

Mio nodded as the drummer went to the washroom while she sat in silence, waving a bus boy over to clear their table out of courtesy for the next customers. She then remembered an important decision she had made so many months ago.

x~~*~~x

"Good luck, Mio-chan," called out Mugi as Mio entered the staff room, leaving Yui, herself, and Ritsu waiting outside. The door closed gently, although it resonated with finality.

"Well, here's the big one," said Ritsu quietly. "She's good enough for Tokyo U, and I heard a rumor that she got recommended for it from her fan club. She can totally make it, honestly."

Mugi could practically feel what Ritsu was feeling; the potential impending loss of her best friend, and perhaps not only that…

"I wish the four of us could all go to the same university!" exclaimed Yui. "Then, we could go practice more often; Azu-nyan's good enough so she can easily catch up to things. Going to the same university is going to be fun."

"Sorry Yui-chan, my father wants me to attend Lillian University over in Tokyo," replied Mugi. "I think I already mentioned it once or twice but there you go..."

Yui smiled softly and suddenly, the keyboardist felt arms encircle her waist; Yui's head nestling her upper back.

"Don't worry Mugi-chan, you'll be okay. Come back and visit so we can have more tea and cake, like we always do, okay?"

While this was all taking place outside the staff room, Mio was inside, seated across Sawako in her small section in the room. Sawako was holding two sets of papers in her hands and Mio obviously looked indecisive.

Sawako broke the silence, raising the sheaf of papers in her left hand.

"So Mio-ch— uh, Akiyama-san. What'll it be? Red pill?"

She then raised the sheaf of papers in her right hand. "Or blue pill?"

Mio giggled and replied, "One Keanu, please."

Sawako giggled in reply and said, "Great to see a smile on your face, Akiyama-san. All I can say now is that you should decide which is best for you. Sure, you can take both examinations, but if you suddenly decide to study in the University of Shiga prefecture along with Hirasawa-san and Tainaka-san, if you pass Tokyo U's exam, I'm sure your parents will make a big case for you to attend that place."

Mio nodded and Sawako continued. "Of course, if you want to go to Tokyo U, then by all means do it."

She raised the sheaf of papers in her right hand again. "However… I apologize for being presumptuous, but if you truly wanted to go to Tokyo U, then we wouldn't be having this discussion, would we?"

Mio nodded again in silence, when she felt a hand on her head.

"Follow your heart, Mio-chan," said Sawako quietly. "Follow your heart and you'll know what to do."

"Follow my heart…," echoed the bassist, taking in this rare occasion when Sawako was a reliable teacher.

As though granted a boon by the gods, her face brightened and she now knew what to do.

x~~*~~x

"Oi, Mio. Ro-mio!" echoed Ritsu's voice in her ears. She didn't respond, and Ritsu decided to prank Mio in a relatively gentle way, nibbling gently on her left ear.

Mio was jolted to attention and she instinctively jerked away due to the extreme invasion of her personal space. Seeing Ritsu beside her smiling a very wide and gentle smile, Mio's irritation evaporated, replaced with slight interest in the action her best friend had taken.

"What was that for, Ritsu? Seen too many reruns of Haruhi?" teased Mio, poking Ritsu in the ribs.

Ritsu's knees buckled, replying as Mio stood up.

"Amagami. Let's go; I still have some homework in accounting to take care of. Stupid numbers…"

"At least you're better at math now; I told you that you could get better at stuff as long as you put your mind to it. Even stuff that isn't drumming. Yui's the most notable example of this," said Mio as they exited the establishment.

"Someday, I'm so going to be general manager of a hotel. And then when you have conventions for the Asian Medical Doctors Association, then I can let you stay over for free," said Ritsu thoughtfully, rubbing her chin.

"Maybe even our personal room."

x~~*~~x

After her physics class had ended, Azusa excused herself from both Ui and Jun and said that she was going to visit Yui at school today. That led to Azusa uncertainly padding around the campus of the University of Shiga prefecture, trying to recall the directions Yui had given her last night when she had come over for dinner. The Nakanos had been pretty liberal with where their daughter was going when they discovered that it was Yui's pad; they were okay with her and privately hoped that Azusa would pick up odds and ends that would improve her guitar playing skills.

Thus, they were more than happy to send her off with a sports bag in her hand when she said that she was going over for a study session, her parents conveniently forgetting that Yui was probably studying different subjects due to the degree she had taken.

Last night however, she hadn't brought her Fender Mustang at all; she decided to spend the night with Yui while both of them studied their own individual subjects. Thusly, it was had that Azusa was reviewing for a quiz in physics involving impulse-momentum analysis of rigid bodies, while Yui was busy whipping up a salad, as that was what they were going to do for tomorrow's practical.

x~~*~~x

She expertly sliced the tomatoes and cucumbers evenly, having dried the lettuce prior to that. She added a few other ingredients like grapes and croutons afterwards. Smiling when she thought of how proud Ui would be right now if she could see her, she called to Azusa.

"Azu-nyan, the salad's almost done. Eat it up and honestly tell me what you think, okay?"

"Roger, Yui-senpai," replied the twin-tailed girl who flipped another page on the legal pad she was solving problems on.

Five minutes later, the two of them sat at the table with Yui looking on expectantly, a bowl of fresh greens in front of Azusa, alongside two bottles of Caesar salad dressing and ranch dressing.

"Douzo, Azu-nyan," said Yui with a smile on her face, the apron decorated with the Dango Daikazoku that she had been wearing discarded and hanging on the chair in front of her study desk.

"Itadakimasu!" said Azusa as she decided to take the ranch dressing, pouring an ample amount of it on the salad that Yui had prepared. "Senpai, this dressing is going to make me fat."

Yui pat her pouting kouhai on the head gently and said, "It doesn't matter; you're still cute even if you gain some weight, and realistically, you're not going to gain any weight from something like this."

Azusa speared a bit of lettuce and tomato with her fork and ate it. "Mmm, Yui-senpai, nicely done. You might need to further dry the lettuce though."

"Thanks for the comments, Azu-nyan! Make sure to come tomorrow to my practical exam, since our sensei allows spectators. She told us how she'd always let her boyfriend sit in her practical exams with permission from her own sensei when she was still a student."

Yui furiously began to scribble directions down on a piece of Hello Kitty stationery she had while Azusa continued to eat the salad she had made.

x~~*~~x

Azusa finally found the room and knocked gently on the door; people easily noticed her since she was wearing the school uniform of Sakura High School. After a beat, the door opened and a beautiful young woman who had the left side of her lime-green hair tied up with a brown ribbon stood in the doorway, wearing an apron over a t-shirt and jeans.

"Ah, you must be Hirasawa-san's guest," said the woman immediately. "Come in, come in."

Azusa bowed and replied, "Thank you for allowing me to visit today. My name is Nakano Azusa and I'm a senior at Sakura High School."

"Nice to meet you, Nakano-san. I'm Shigure Asa, associate professor of Culinary Arts," replied the woman, smiling as she stepped aside to let Azusa into the classroom.

Azusa stepped into the classroom and saw that Yui was the only student in the classroom. "Shigure-sensei, you're pretty young for an associate professor," blurted out the kouhai. "Oh, I apologize for the rudeness!"

Asa chuckled and replied, "Oh don't worry, I love it when people compliment me on my age. Hirasawa-san! Nakano-san is already here; let's get started, shall we?"

Yui turned to Asa and Azusa and her lips curved up into a bright smile when she saw Azusa raising a hand timidly to greet her.

Dropping the tongs she was holding into the sink, she ran towards Azusa and gave her a very intense hug.

"Y-Yui-senpai, you're crushing me," choked out Azusa as Asa chuckled behind them.

"Hey, are you two dating or anything?" asked Asa in a conspirational tone. "Don't worry; I'm okay with that since two of my best girlfriends are dating. To think one of them is a princess and the other was my best friend from middle school. Ironically, that friend of mine and myself kind of fought over the same guy. He's my boyfriend now."

Asa giggled after that.

"That's uh, really fascinating, Shigure-sensei," muttered Azusa, a drop of sweat cascading down her face as she wriggled out of Yui's grip. "Yui-senpai, shouldn't you be starting now?"

"Oh right!" exclaimed both Yui and Asa in unison.

Wordlessly, the two set about to their business and Azusa felt the aura in the room change to one of seriousness and dedication. It was evident while Yui set about to preparing the gourmet-style salad, lavishing attention on aesthetics as well as technique, while Asa looked on in approval.

A short while later, the deed was done and Asa had sampled Yui's preparation of salad with Asian dressing.

"I'd give it a 10/10, Hirasawa-san. I could feel the love that you put into your salad's preparation. Could it possibly be for… Nakano-san over here?" said Asa gleefully, giggling as she pulled Azusa beside her.

"Yup!" said Yui happily as she cleaned up after herself. "It's for my Azu-nyan alright!"

"Nakano-san, you're really lucky to have Hirasawa-san," whispered Asa into Azusa's ear.

"She is not my girlfriend!" exclaimed Azusa in surprise.

Yui looked back towards the two of them and said, "But I'm a girl and we're friends, aren't we, Azu-nyan?"

Azusa nearly fell over in exasperation while Asa chuckled. "All done!" exclaimed Yui happily. "Are the two of us excused now, Asa-sensei?"

"Good work, Hirasawa-san. See you next week! Nice to meet you, Nakano-san," said Asa as she led them towards the door.

"Likewise, Shigure-sensei," replied Azusa, bowing politely the way her parents had taught her. "Come, Yui-senpai, let's head home."

The two left, with Yui giggling internally. She had known exactly what "girlfriend" meant in that context, but Yui felt like the time wasn't right yet, especially after a few things Azusa had told her the previous night.

Apparently, word had gotten out that they were going to play as a band at the Founder's Festival, with special permission from the headmaster of the school who was a major supporter of the arts and music departments in Sakura High School. Special permission was necessary because the Light Music Club had been abolished some time ago, and because Satoshi was not a student of the school.

Everything would've been okay, except that the up and coming band were going to cover most of Houkago Tea Time's songs, due to Azusa's expertise in the matter. All they had to do was to adjust to the lack of a bassist and it could still fly. Therein lay the problem. They didn't have a bassist, and that was the least of their worries. They could probably get Mio to stand in for them if push came to shove, although that would be a very bad idea for two reasons.

The first was that their band, which they had decided to name "Okawari", wanted to stand on its own feet. The second problem tied in to Azusa's current worry, the Mio fan club. Azusa had told Yui the previous night that the bullying was returning again with a vengeance. The guitarist had taken to bringing her Fender Mustang with her wherever she went, even to the bathroom, provided that either Ui or Jun weren't around to look after it. She was not going to take any chances with the pride of her life and career being tampered with or worse, destroyed by the haters.

It had started Monday of that very week. They had visited Sawako that morning to ask if they could perform at the Founder's Festival and she had replied that they had to ask the headmaster's permission first, because they weren't an official organization and because one of their members wasn't even a student of Sakura High School.

Taking her words to heart, the trio had gone to the headmaster and begged him to let them have their debut at their alma mater. They had been surprised when the man had agreed immediately without any protest.

"Music is what makes life flow through our school. I pride myself in upholding the standards of fine arts in our beloved school, and the bust of the founder outside should be proud of us right now. One condition though: your male bandmate must conduct himself as a gentleman at all times within the campus, since majority of the population will still be girls. Is that clear?" the headmaster said.

Ui nodded quickly and replied.

"Tainaka Satoshi is definitely a gentleman, sensei! Whenever we would practice, he'd always place priority on us first before himself. He'd hold doors open for us when we'd go out, and he'd always compliment my compositions with a sincere smile on his face. Satoshi-kun is—"

Ui was cut off by Jun who had clamped her hand over Ui's mouth.

"Sorry about that sensei, Ui here got a bit carried away, heh." Azusa was trying her hardest to not giggle at Ui right now; if her instincts were spot on she'd say that she was enamored with the younger Tainaka.

"Excuse us then, sensei," said Azusa while bowing. "We deeply appreciate what you have done for us."

As the trio exited the office, the headmaster just smiled and muttered to himself, "Ah, the wonders of youth. To think Hirasawa Ui, currently leading the academic race for batch valedictorian, would act that way over a boy."

x~~*~~x

"Hey, Yui-senpai," said Azusa, breaking the silence between them as they headed home. "Yui-senpai? You've been spacing out for the past few minutes now."

"More than the usual," added the twin-tailed girl under her breath.

Yui perked up and turned to Azusa with a smile on her face. "Oh nothing Azu-nyan, just wondering how things will go in school for you from now on. Stay strong, okay? If you need anything, you know where to go…"

Azusa nodded and grinned, her right hand going into her uniform's left pocket, feeling for the iron key that she kept in there. To be honest, Azusa never left home without the key to Yui's apartment with her. She felt that she was closer to her beloved senpai just because of the key's presence on her person. The key gave her a feeling of security, which was how she had just turned away the recent upsurge of bullying in school.

It was as though at any given time, she could just waltz into Yui's apartment and she would feel safety, comfort, security, and maybe even…

"…love," breathed out Azusa quietly.

"What did you say, Azu-nyan?" asked Yui, turning to Azusa with an inquisitive look on her face.

"O-Oh nothing at all, Yui-senpai," replied Azusa, flustered how she had let her guard down. "I don't know when the time will be right for me to come clean about my feelings. But for the time being…," the kouhai thought as she leaned into Yui's side, taking the brunette by surprise. Yui recovered though, and placed a hand on top of Azusa's head, patting her gently.

"I'm content with what I have right now."

x~~*~~x

"Hello Ricchan, good evening!" chirped Mugi happily as she spoke into her cellphone. She was surprised that her phone was actually ringing and that the caller was Ritsu; people outside her servants rarely called her and even her servants rarely did call her. A phone call on Kotobuki Tsumugi's cellphone was indeed, a rare occurrence.

"Oh hey Mugi, evenin' to ya. I've got a question: are we going to hold a training camp this year as well?" came Ritsu's voice through the phone.

The blonde put a finger on her lips and thought and replied, "A moment, Ricchan," covering the mouthpiece of her cellphone as she did so. Turning to Yumi, who was idly reading through her Biology textbook on her bed, she asked,

"Yumi-san, do we have any plans for summer vacation in about a month's time?"

Yumi thought about it for a moment and replied, "Well, I'm spending the entire vacation at onee-sama's summer villa. I believe Yoshino-san is going to be busy with Rei-sama and Shimako-san is going to be helping out at their Buddhist shrine at home."

Mugi did a double take. "Wait, Shimako-san is Buddhist? But I thought she went to Lillian Girl's Academy with you…"

Yumi chuckled and replied, "Yes, it was quite a long story that eventually got resolved when she got her petite soeur, the current Rosa Gigantea Nijou Noriko-chan. In any case, we as a group don't have any plans for the summer break."

Mugi nodded and uncovered the mouthpiece on her cellphone. "Hello Ricchan? Yes, I'm quite free. According to my schedule as well, we can use the third largest villa we own this time."

"Great Mugi! By the way, can Jun, Ui, and my brother come along? They have a gig at Sakura's Founder's Festival this year and they could use a training camp."

"No problem. The more the merrier, as the wise say!" giggled Mugi happily, euphoric at the thought of spending a three-day-two-night training camp with Houkago Tea Time and the kouhai. "I'll let my servants know when I go home tomorrow. Good night, Ricchan!"

Mugi ended the call and immediately turned to Yumi. To the former Rosa Chinensis, it was as though the blonde's eyes were sparkling.

"Guess what Yumi-san? We're going on another training camp this summer! It's become a ritual for Houkago Tea Time, and we're continuing now even after we've graduated from high school."

Yumi smiled, happy for her roommate. Rarely had she seen Mugi this happy in Lillian University; most of the time, her face held a neutral expression and when she laughed and smiled, she felt as though something was missing. Yumi was a perceptive person, and she knew that even now, Mugi longed for her high school friends. Making mental notes to make her enjoy her time here even more with Yoshino, Shimako and herself, Yumi lay back down on the bed, closing her Biology textbook.

"It's a pleasure to see you happy Mugi-chan, but I wish you'd also feel happier spending time with us. It's true that we can't replace your bandmates, but Yoshino-san, Shimako-san, and myself are trying our best. Onee-sama is no good at this stuff, so it's left to me. I just hope that someday, you would hold us at the same level that you do Akiyama-san, Tainaka-san, Hirasawa-san, and Nakano-san," said Yumi as she rolled away from Mugi's eyes. She didn't want to look at the blonde while she voiced her feelings; she really was trying her best after all.

She froze when she felt arms encircle around her, linking beneath her breasts. She felt the tenderness that the keyboardist radiated through her hug, and she felt guilty at the words she had said earlier.

"Yumi-san, please don't feel that way. It's true that I'm really attached to them, since they're my bandmates and my first true friends, people whom I've grown to love… That doesn't mean that I don't love you, Shimako-san, and Yoshino-san as well. I know how you all want to make me feel at home here, and I can feel and appreciate it. To me, I don't hold any of my friends at different levels from each other; all of you are my precious friends whom I love," whispered Mugi.

The tune of Honey Sweet Tea Time broke the silence and Mugi unclasped her arms from around Yumi, while the latter just shed a few tears of happiness upon hearing Mugi's words. Padding over to her bed, she saw that she had another phone call, and she picked it up, noting that the number was not in her contact list.

"A pleasant evening to you; Kotobuki Tsumugi speaking," she answered the way her father had taught her.

"Jeez Mugi-chan, no need to be formal with me," came a cheerful voice.

"Sei-san, it's you! Hello, what brings you to have this conversation with me?" asked Mugi. Yumi's ears perked upon hearing it was Sei on the line and she listened discreetly to the conversation.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to head out to town with me tomorrow, if you're free."

Mugi thought about it momentarily and replied without hesitation.

"I'm free tomorrow; I'd love to hang out with you."

The alarm bells began ringing in Yumi's mind as though they were as urgent as a nuclear warning. "Sei-sama is far too capricious to be trusted with Mugi-chan all alone. Who knows what things she will pull? I mean, Mugi-chan misses her sensei; what if Sei-sama turns those feelings to her advantage?"

"That's great Mugi-chan! I'll drop by the dorms after lunch. See you then," said Sei as she ended the phone call.

"Well, that was unexpected, I must say," Mugi said to Yumi, who was looking at Mugi with a fearful look on her face. "Is there something on my face Yumi-san?"

Yumi shook her head.

"Mugi-chan… Be careful with Sei-sama if you're going to be alone with her. She's quite a capricious woman, trust me. Be on your guard at all times. Remember Sawako-sensei, no matter what."

Mugi chuckled and said, "Don't worry Yumi-san; Sei-san wouldn't hurt a fly."

"That's not the problem!" thought Yumi in exasperation. "In any case, I'll just have to trust your judgement. It's getting late; I'd best turn in since I'm leaving for home tomorrow morning. Don't forget to lock up while you're out, Mugi-chan."

Mugi bid Yumi good night as the twin-tailed brunette curled up on her bed. The blonde was left to muse why Yumi had felt so… apprehensive about Sei.

x~~*~~x

The lights were out, the evening quiet, save for the sound of a continuously running electric fan in Tainaka Ritsu's bedroom. She was half-asleep, dreaming about her consultation with the psychologist nearly one week prior.

"Good morning Tainaka-san. As you may have seen on the door, my name is Aozaki Touko," said the beautiful redhead as she took a legal pad out of her briefcase. "So tell me, you came here today to have yourself professionally diagnosed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, correct?"

Ritsu nodded quietly and the doctor continued.

"I will make a formal diagnosis based on today's consultation. You can trust me; I'm very good in this field."

"Thank you, sensei," replied Ritsu formally, as the situation requested.

"So to begin with, what gave you the idea that you could possibly suffer from this disorder?" asked Touko, tapping her legal pad thoughtfully with her fountain pen.

Ritsu then recounted everything that had happened, how she had heard the psychology major blurt out the disorder, how she had researched it on Wikipedia, and how she had quantified most of what she was as symptoms of the disorder. She also recounted a few things that Mio said; after all, she was taking a class in psychology as well and decided to throw her two yen in.

While the drummer talked, Touko just took down notes on the legal pad, as well as writing a few things on an official looking prescription or document. When Ritsu had finished, Touko just looked at her thoughtfully and laughed a clear laugh full of mirth; Ritsu wouldn't have been surprised if the people outside had heard her laughing.

"My dear Tainaka-san, there is absolutely no way you can be suffering from ADHD," said Touko with a rare smile on her face. "From what you've told me, I can already see a lot of things that contradict the symptoms of the disorder. You promised your best friend you'd form a band and followed through with it. The drums take a lot of practice and dedication to get good at, as you have done. Even with just those two, I can say confidently that you are not suffering from ADHD."

Touko slammed her hands on the desk in emphasis and Ritsu jerked involuntarily, her eyes straying to the doctor's nails that had been painted orange. She also noticed the ashtray behind her by the window, and saw that it was littered with cigarette butts. To her mild surprise, she realized that she didn't even smell a single whiff of tobacco in the room.

"Let me sign this document off; just pay up at the counter, okay?" said Touko as she scribbled.

"Um, Aozaki-sensei…," started Ritsu tentatively. Touko looked up at her with a questioning look on her face and Ritsu continued.

"Since we're here, I'd like to ask you another questions. Private questions."

When Touko didn't reply except for a nod, Ritsu said,

"I'm in love with my best friend. I know that homosexuality isn't weird, but… okay to put it bluntly, I need love advice. Life counseling, or whatever you call it."

For the second time that morning, Touko laughed a loud clear laugh, and the drummer was completely surprised as to why nobody had opened the door asking what the hell was going on in there. Of course, she didn't know that Touko had used a rune to dampen the sound; no one else within fifty miles knew she was a magus.

"Well, unless Mikiya happens to be wandering around here in Shiga prefecture…," thought Touko. "Or Shiki, but eh…"

"So, you want love advice huh. Alright, give me what you've got, squirt," said Touko amusedly.

Ritsu began to describe everything about Mio: how she was easily scared, a girly-girl, easily embarrassed, short-tempered, and occasionally stubborn. She also told her that she had received fairly good responses regarding her probing about whether or not Mio was into girls as well.

Touko had this to say after she had heard everything.

"Play it cool. Wait for her to come to you for something, then use the context of the situation to your advantage. Do it subtly or else she will know something's up. Be there for her; that's the most important thing. For example, if you're alone with her, make her feel loved without exactly defining what love means. Change how you love her subtly through your actions."

She coughed, and continued. "Subtlety is your best friend. If you're with her in a room where you're both sleeping, show physical affection but not too much physical affection. Don't unsettle her by overdoing it. Again, play it cool and use the situation to your advantage. You look smart enough to do that, Tainaka-san. Try removing your hair band more often."

Touko reached over the desk and gently removed Ritsu's hair band. "The way your bangs falls in front of your face give your appearance a completely different appeal. Determine whether or not she likes this. That's all I have to say right now."

"You seem to be quite experienced, sensei," quipped the drummer as she stood up and shook Touko's hand. "Thanks for everything."

Touko handed her the document signifying her diagnosis and added one last crack as Ritsu turned the doorknob.

"You know you're an expert if you get a murderer to fall in love with the person she had been targeting."

x~~*~~x

Saturday was coming to an end, and so was Mugi's time with Sei. She had a lot of fun today, talking about things they had in common, like their sexual orientation for one, and going around seeing places in the city, went to the arcade and ate at a McDonald's and shopped for clothes at a department store.

As they were nearing the corner where Klaus was waiting in one of the Kotobukis' many limousines, Mugi was taken by surprise when seemingly out of nowhere, Sei pulled her close to her side.

When the keyboardist looked up, she felt a warm, moist feeling on her lips. Just as soon as it began, the kiss ended, and Mugi looked at Sei with a stunned look on her face.

"I like you a lot Mugi-chan. See ya," said the older woman as she let go of the keyboardist and ran in the direction they had come from as fast as she could, leaving the blonde just standing in her wake holding a finger to her lips.

x~~*~~x

Umm…

Yeah…

By the way, the chapter title refers to a wave direction that matches the current heading of your boat. For example, if you're heading north, and the waves are also heading north, then the waves are called a following sea. I read in a book once where a character named his boat after this phenomenon because his father had always told him to watch out for the following sea, since it strikes when you least expect it. Given what has happened this chapter, I think it's very appropriate.

I know exactly what I'm planning here, so I hope you guys will continue to follow, read, and review to see how this turns out.