I have a minor announcement to make. I fucked up a minor part of the story regarding Suzuki Jun. I had completely forgotten she was a jazz bassist in canon (which should really be glaringly obvious because Mio's her idol), and instead mistakenly gave her the keyboard as an instrument.
So… I Orwellian retconned Jun being a keyboardist and changed her back into being a bassist for the sake of canon. You'll notice that Ui's talent with the keyboard is brought up, so basically she can play two instruments for "Okawari". You'll notice the change in minor details about the instruments they play in chapters 3, 4, and 7.
Again, I deeply apologize for fucking this detail up; many thanks to 11133322 once again for giving me advice on how I could've handled it.
That said, here's the beginning of the training camp story arc. I hope you all enjoy it!
x~~*~~x
Première partiè: Natsu no Hibi
Tsumugi looked at the wristwatch on her left arm. The hands pointed to four and three, and thus meant that they had fifteen minutes before the appointed time. Klaus was driving as fast as he could without compromising their safety, and it was had that the limousine contained the luggage of the five girls.
The only person awake was Mugi; Yumi was sleeping soundly, her head slightly lolling around before it had come to rest on Sei's shoulder. She had her arm wrapped around Yumi's chest and the latter didn't seem to mind; it was as though it was a usual thing between them. Yoshino was snoozing on the other side of the seat, her head leaning on the bulletproof glass windows of the limousine. Beside Mugi on the seat was Shimako, her eyes closed and her hands clasped together giving her a gentle aura; it was as though she was praying to Maria-sama. Of course, Mugi remembered that Shimako was a Buddhist and thus relinquished that mental image.
When they had first left the dorm, Mugi, with a feeling of trepidation, decided to drop the bomb and inform them that today, July second was her nineteenth birthday. The four girls excluding Sei all reacted with open surprise and shock.
"Why didn't you tell us, Mugi-san?" demanded Yoshino, whose face appeared to be a mixture of surprise, disappointment, and irritation.
Shimako and Yumi nodded balefully in agreement. "Why didn't you tell us?" echoed Yumi, her face showing a look of hurt. "It's like you've been feeling distant again…"
She glanced momentarily at Sei, seated beside her, and the woman in question pretended not to notice this, simply leaning comfortably on the leather upholstery, taking a can of beer out of the small fridge in the limousine. Mugi had asked Klaus to prepare the drinks earlier for her friends, and she decided to include two cans of alcohol for Sei.
"I'm really sorry everyone, but you see, I really intended to have the training camp fall on the same date as my birthday because I really wanted to bring you along so you guys could enjoy yourselves," said Mugi softly, gazing at the moon roof of the vehicle. "Had you known that it was my birthday today, I'm sure you would've planned something for me, most probably headed by Yoshino-san, right?"
Yoshino agreed grudgingly and Mugi continued. "Had that happened, your plans would've all been ruined had I invited you to come along, because this is basically my treat. Our training camps used to be just the five of us, but I insisted that you guys come along too. I hope that is enough to prove that I care about you…"
"Mugi-chan," whispered Yumi softly as Sei looked on with a smirk. "In that case, happy birthday; I hope we won't be too much trouble."
She bowed and Shimako followed, repeating the same words and corresponding action. Surprisingly, even Yoshino and Sei bowed and extended the same words to her.
"I'll try to tone things down," said Sei cheerfully.
Mugi gave her an awkward smile and said, "You'll get along just fine with Ricchan, our drummer. Plus, you'll get to meet Catherine."
Sei gave her a thumbs up and Yumi asked, "Who is this Catherine?"
Mugi's cheeks turned pinkish and she replied.
"It's Sawako-sensei."
"Ohhhhh," was all that Yumi could say. "Catherine was her stage name when she used to play for an indie metal band years ago, a band called DEATH DEVIL," explained Sei, downing the rest of her beer the way Katsuragi Misato would. "She was the lead guitarist and vocalist."
"Her wild side is quite amusing to watch too," quipped the blonde, recalling the night they were drafted by Norimi to play DEATH DEVIL's songs for one of their former member's wedding, only to have Sawako take over and bring the house down with her skills from the past. "She can even play her guitar with her teeth like Jimi Hendrix!"
Her eyes seemed to be glittering and drops of sweat cascaded down the faces of Yumi and Yoshino. Soon enough, they all bade each other good night, and they went to sleep some more in the limousine and entrusted their safety to Klaus.
x~~*~~x
"Tsumugi-ojou-sama, we have arrived at the train station," said Klaus.
Mugi glanced at her wristwatch again and noted that the time was four-forty in the morn. Only ten minutes late. Knowing Houkago Tea Time, she had enough time to spare despite being ten minutes late with respect to the appointed time.
"Yumi-san, Sei-san, Shimako-san, Yoshino-san, we're here," Mugi said, lightly shaking the four awake. Taking a small bottle from her purse, she took a swig of the espresso she had prepared beforehand, feeling the caffeine give her body a boost in energy.
The four stirred slowly and groggily, before stepping out of the vehicle, with Klaus distributing their luggage to their respective owners, as per Mugi's request.
"Tsumugi-ojou-sama, I shall wait here until your group is complete, then we can load the instruments. I will be taking a path parallel to the train, though I must apologize as I will probably arrive around two hours later than your group by my best estimate," said Klaus, bowing in apology.
"Oh, that's no problem at all, Klaus-san," said Mugi with a smile on her face, as she directed the four girls to where the toilet was, since they all said that they needed to go. "I'll leave our instruments with you, so please feel free to drive leisurely. I'm sure we'll all have fun at the beach before we do actually practice, anyway."
Klaus bowed and double checked that Mugi's Korg was safely tucked in the trunk in its protective case. He smiled when Mugi had left, headed towards the bathroom, while he watched over their luggage. Getting his release from the Sanzenin household was the best idea ever, because ever since that young butler had moved in, his talents were no longer needed and with Nagi and Maria's blessing, he had left, seeking employment with the Kotobuki family.
Getting into the limousine's driver's seat, he leaned back without letting his gaze leave the luggage of the girls until they had come to pick them up, upon which he leisurely took a nap, reveling in how good life was for him.
x~~*~~x
"This way to the platform, everyone!" said Mugi, pointing in the right direction while the other four girls followed in her wake.
Each of them were bringing their own luggage. Yumi brought along a large hiking backpack, saying that it belong to her brother Yuuki. Yoshino brought a large sports bag along while Shimako had two bags that appeared to be large shopping bags. Sei had the same duffel bag she had on that fateful day along with a large sports bag. Mugi of course had her large suitcase.
When they had arrived at the platform, it was completely deserted; people aren't usually up this early, more so because it was the first day of summer vacation in the prefecture.
"Sei-san, I forgot to ask you back then, but what was in your bag on the day we, uh, went out?" asked Mugi out of earshot from the others after beckoning Sei to come to her.
"Oh, you mean this?" she replied, raising the duffel bag.
Mugi nodded and Sei chuckled in reply.
"These were old DEATH DEVIL posters I was planning on having framed. It totally slipped my mind on that day."
She opened the bag and showed its contents to the keyboardist. Inside were numerous posters all neatly rolled up and bundled together. "I decided to bring them so I could have your sensei autograph them for me, heh." Sei chuckled and put an arm around her head.
In due course, the group of five made it to the platform and immediately, Mugi spotted a raven-haired girl sitting on a chair facing away from them.
"Mio-chan!" called Mugi.
The girl in the chair stiffened and nearly jumped, her cheeks flushed red when the group of five finally approached her… and noticed the person lying down on her lap, sleeping soundly.
It was Ritsu, and to Mugi's immense surprise, her headband wasn't on her head; instead it was discarded, lying on top of the case containing Elizabeth, Mio's Fender Jazz Bass.
"H-Hi, Mugi," said Mio nervously, twiddling her index fingers towards each other. "T-This baka just needed some rest; I was practically dragging her over here along with her drums when we walked over here. Yeah, that's right, this baka didn't even go to bed early because she said that she was planning something… b-baka Ritsu…"
Immediately, Yoshino and Shimako's eyebrows raised as their thoughts coherently came together at the exact same time, with Sei just smirking as though it was something that could be seen from a mile away.
Mio-san definitely likes Ritsu-san.
Mugi, swift as lightning, pulled out a pack of tissues from her purse and plugged her nostrils with tissue before she could lose any more blood. Surprisingly, her speech was completely unaffected by this. Such was the power of Kotobuki Tsumugi and her trademarked yuri goggles™.
"Good morning Mio-chan," said Mugi. "I'd like to introduce you to my friends. This is Yumi-san, Shimako-san, Yoshino-san, and S-Sei-san."
She gestured to the four girls in quick succession; Yumi and Shimako bowed, Yoshino flashed a "V" and Sei just winked at Mio.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Akiyama Mio and I'm Houkago Tea Time's bassist. This baka sleeping over here is Tainaka Ritsu, our drummer," said Mio casually; trying to deflect attention away from the fact that she was giving a lap pillow to Ritsu. "Oh right, happy birthday Mugi! Here's a present from me and Ritsu."
She handed over a long, thin package about a foot and a third long. "Can I open it, Mio-chan?"
The bassist nodded and Mugi devoured the brown paper, tearing it to shreds while the twilight wind blew the shreds away across the tracks into the distance. The package was a backscratcher made out of dark-brown wood.
"That's a teak backscratcher," said Mio. "It was actually Ritsu's idea, and for once I actually agreed with her; you're the type to like these knick-knacks, Mugi. Happy birthday once again."
Mugi hugged Mio while Yoshino, Yumi, and Sei walked to a nearby bench and sat down, setting their luggage on the floor beside them. Shimako remained as though she wanted to talk to Mio, and after a while, she did, after Mugi had egged her on subtly to do so.
Shimako and Mio immediately got off to a good start, mostly brought together by their mutual experiences in restraining their rowdy friends, Yoshino and Sei and Ritsu respectively. Yoshino sat with Yumi as they observed the two interacting animatedly, with Ritsu still sleeping on Mio's lap, oblivious to everything that was happening around them.
"Looks like Shimako-san's found a kindred soul in Mio-san," commented Yoshino, her fist propping her chin up in an imitation of The Thinker.
"Sei-san, it's been a while since we last saw each other," began Yumi, turning towards the woman on the other side of the back-to-back seats in the station. "Please, tell us what happened between you and Mugi-chan on that day. She's been really… off, ever since that day."
Sei looked over lazily and smirked, taking a pack of potato chips out of her sports bag. "Just as planned," she said in reply, opening the chip bag and dramatically consuming a few chips.
Even Yoshino had to facepalm at the obligatory Death Note parody, and she sighed. "Sei-sama, please take us seriously; Mugi-san appears to be really troubled by this," urged Yoshino in one of her rare moments of seriousness.
Mugi stood up along with Mio, who had finally woken Ritsu to greet two people who had entered the platform, a short-haired brunette and a twin-tailed raven-haired girl, both with guitar cases across their back. In their wake followed a short-haired ponytailed brunette, who was the spitting image of the first brunette, another brunette, this time her hair was arranged like a pair of dango, and both of them had guitar cases across their backs. Lastly, a boy with short, unruly hair followed in their wake and his physical distance from the ponytailed brunette was fluctuating in an awkward fashion.
"Hey Yui-chan, Azusa-chan," greeted Mugi as the two guitarists greeted in kind. "Mio-chan, Ricchan, good morning!" exclaimed Yui, giving the groggy drummer a hug.
"Y-Yui… what the—?" said Ritsu before she was cut-off midsentence by Yui squeezing her midsection. "Are you trying to kill me? Cut that out!"
The brunette relented and giggled awkwardly. "I didn't think you'd look great without your headband, Ricchan."
Ritsu paused and finally noticed that her bangs were strewn freely across her face, obscuring her forehead. "I, uh…" she trailed off into silence, dashing back to Mio's bass case and grabbing her headband, hastily putting it on her head. "Mio, why'd you take my headband off?"
At those words, the bassist froze and felt really minute compared to everyone around her, who seemed to be staring intently, waiting for her response. "I, uh, that's because I didn't, uh… Oh right! It's because I didn't want to see your ridiculously large forehead while you slept!"
"Ridiculously large forehead?" seethed the drummer. "You'll pay for that crack, Akiyama Mio-san!""
While the two chased each other comically around a few chairs, an empty train passed by without stopping at the station. Yui and Azusa looked at each other and nodded, extricating a package from Azusa's luggage and giving it to Mugi.
"Happy birthday Mugi-chan!" said Yui. "This is your gift from me and Azu-nyan. Homemade taiyaki!"
"Happy birthday, Mugi-senpai," echoed Azusa as Mugi opened the brown paper bag and took a taiyaki out. It was still steaming hot, and she took a bite and moaned in happiness.
"The warmth is perfect for a cool summer morning like this. Thanks, Yui-chan, Azusa-chan," said Mugi, as the two guitarists deposited their luggage along Mio's and Ritsu's. "By the way, Nodoka-chan sends you her greetings. Studying at Tokyo University's pretty hard, from what she's been telling me," said Yui.
"That's true," replied Mugi. She then momentarily recalled the train that had passed by earlier.
"Hey Ui-chan, why didn't the train stop for us?" asked Mugi.
While Jun sat on the bench and deposited her bass beside Mio's, Ui set down her own guitar beside Ritsu's drum set and put on a look of contemplation.
"Well, Tsumugi-senpai, I can only say that this is a guess, but I think that the train over there is going to head for the nearest track branch and it'll be headed towards a depot, where workmen can perform maintenance on it," replied Ui as she glanced at Satoshi, who was staying consciously away from her. "Satoshi-kun, relax… It's just me, after all."
Mugi could've sworn there was a knowing look in Ui's eyes when she made that statement and her thoughts took a different-than-usual-even-if-it-isn't-that-different train of thought when Satoshi obliged and moved nearer to Ui, more so when the younger Hirasawa rubbed Satoshi's shoulder in what appeared to be a fond way.
"Fascinating idea, Ui-chan. That probably explains why I've seen a set path of train tracks that seems to lead to nowhere. It must be the depot you're talking about," replied Mugi, keeping tabs on all the split up groups at the moment: Yui, Mio, Azusa, Ritsu and Shimako for one group, Sei, Yumi and Yoshino for another, and herself along with Ui, Satoshi and Jun.
Mugi was pleased to note that Shimako seemed to be blending in well after she had been befriended by Mio, and Yoshino finally strode over to them leaving Yumi and Sei alone on another bench after she heard her name being mentioned. Mugi noticed that Yumi looked a bit down and this worried her, so she left the snoozing Jun and Ui and Satoshi, who were now chatting animatedly when they noticed that no one was paying any attention to them and headed over to Sei and Yumi.
"Yumi-san, what's wrong?" asked the keyboardist as she approached the pigtailed brunette who was hunched over, staring at the floor. Yumi nearly jumped and just glanced over at Sei, who was munching the last of her potato chips.
"Sei-san, what did you do to upset Yumi-san?" asked Mugi in a voice that was a mixture of sounding gentle and stern; she felt that she could take this stance with someone older than her because of the… special circumstances surrounding them.
"She was probing about what happened on our last date and I didn't want to tell her. I said that I would only if you consent to it," replied Sei airily.
"Oh, go ahead and tell her Sei-san," replied Mugi after some deliberation; she felt that she owed Yumi especially one after not telling her about her own birthday. "I'll go organize the transportation of instruments now; I'll be back shortly."
While Sei and Yumi began to converse in low voices, Mugi went back to everyone else and asked Ui to wake Jun up, noting that Ritsu and Yoshino were getting along really well in teasing Mio, while Shimako looked on, amused. Yui and Azusa were off in their own world, discussing speed picking techniques with each other.
"Everyone with instruments, follow me!" called Mugi as another train passed, this time stopping for passengers. "We'll have to let this train go for the time being, because we need to bring all the instruments to Klaus and the limousine outside. Mio-chan, hand me Elizabeth, so you can help Ricchan carry the drums. Yui-chan, Azusa-chan, Jun-chan, Ui-chan, follow me please."
Everyone who was called followed her, while Yoshino, Shimako, Sei, and Yumi remained on the platform, watching over everyone's luggage. Mugi was pleased to note that, despite not being addressed by herself or Ritsu, Satoshi tagged along behind Ui and Azusa.
"My radar is picking up something out of the norm," whispered the ojou to herself as she led everyone off the platform towards Klaus, who was waiting by the corner of the station behind a large tree so that the limousine wouldn't draw any attention.
When they had reached the limousine, they were on their way back to the platform when Mugi glanced at her watch. Ten past five in the morning, forty minutes past the agreed upon time and the first passenger-carrying train had already come and gone a few minutes ago. She was feeling nervous, but she heard a voice that completely eroded her nervousness.
"Mugi-chan, everyone! Sorry for the wait!" called a voice that belonged to a glasses-wearing teacher who had a visor on her head and a sports bag slung across her shoulder.
x~~*~~x
The train was completely devoid of other people; this train was headed away from the urban areas of Shiga and headed towards the sea as it traveled westward, away from Tokyo. As the sun rose from its slumber, the group was mostly asleep, save for Mugi, Shimako, Yumi, Ui, Satoshi, Mio, and Azusa.
Yumi was mostly thinking about what she had heard from Sei earlier. She nearly screamed when Sei told her that she had kissed the blonde, and before she could lash out in anger at her senpai, Sei cut in and explained her intentions to Yumi. Yumi only replied with a clipped tone.
"Plausible that may be, but I can't trust you, Sei-sama. Not so easily."
Azusa glanced at Ui and Satoshi out of the corner of her eye while Mugi and Mio were talking about the latest fashion. Like Mugi, she noticed something subtly change between those two, but she couldn't confirm nor deny it for herself. All she knew was that Jun and Satoshi had slept over at the Hirasawa household to make the commute to the station much more organized. Since she was with Yui over at the apartment, she had no idea of what might have possibly gone down over at the Hirasawa residence. One thought entered her mind but then she immediately blushed and slapped herself.
"Ui and Satoshi doing this and that… No way!"
"What is it, Azusa-chan?" asked Mugi, who noticed the kouhai's strange actions. Mio had noticed too and looked on in concern.
"I, uh…," began Azusa. She looked over at Ui and Satoshi who sat in the row behind herself and Yui, talking about baseball, and she lowered her voice conspirationally and whispered.
"Mugi-senpai, do you think anything is going on between Ui and Satoshi?"
Mugi chuckled and replied, while Azusa felt Yui adjust her position on Azusa's shoulder while she slept, drool cascading down her chin.
"I got that feeling too; they actually look really cute together," replied Mugi.
"Finally, someone who isn't a les—" began Mio before she caught herself and clapped her hands over her mouth, blushing in embarrassment. Azusa blushed too and Mugi just giggled once more, enveloping the two raven-haired girls in a hug, crossing over Ritsu who was seated between herself and Mio.
"I missed you guys a lot," said Mugi. "A lot of things happened which is why I haven't gone over in the past month…"
"Things like what, Mugi-senpai?" asked Azusa as she wiped the drool off of Yui's face with a tissue. "Ick, Yui-senpai's always like this when she sleeps," said Azusa absentmindedly, not realizing the implications of her statement.
Mugi fell silent and both Mio and Azusa decided not to prod any further. "We should go get some rest. You too Mugi, you must be tired from organizing all this on your birthday, no less," said Mio. Azusa nodded and they both closed their eyes, falling asleep almost immediately. As she was in the aisle seat, Mugi had a clear view of Sawako, who was across the aisle in the row in front of her, seated beside Jun who was snoring loudly. She was also sleeping, her ample chest made much more obvious by the tight-fitting t-shirt she was wearing bobbing along with the rhythm of her breathing and Mugi felt a ripple of sadness go through her as she glanced behind her and saw Yumi staring off into space, Sei and Yoshino on either side of her sleeping, while Shimako was off by herself directly in front of her across the aisle from Sawako, reading a book.
She had seen Mio give Ritsu a lap pillow, Azusa casually mention Yui's regular mannerisms when asleep, and now the possibility of Ui and Satoshi being together felt like pouring salt onto her wounds. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to get away from Sei, cursing herself for inviting her to the training camp. She rationalized it though; this was something expected of someone who was brought up in the Kotobuki family. Cast away your feelings for business dealings that are advantageous to you, cast away your feelings in favor of courtesy.
"Courtesy hurts," thought Mugi blithely as she noticed that only Shimako and herself were still awake; Yumi had fallen asleep after zoning out, and she noticed that Ui and Satoshi were now asleep, their heads propped against each other.
It was the intertwined fingers between the two of them that sealed the deal. Tears began to cascade down her face as she willed herself to fall asleep, trying to shake off her emotions that were causing turbulence on this supposedly perfect training camp. She further recalled the plans that she helped Ritsu with for this training camp; the test of courage that was going to be conducted later in the evening past midnight.
"How come everyone except me gets to be with their special someone?" she thought sadly.
What the blonde didn't know was that this training camp would be more eventful than she had envisioned.
x~~*~~x
When they had arrived at the station of interest, another vehicle was there waiting for them. Instead of a limousine, however, it was a Hyundai Starex, a roomy van that was sold mainly in Indonesia and the Philippines. The driver rolled down the passenger side window and waved at them as the group of thirteen approached. It was a male brunette wearing sunglasses, his hand across his moustache as though he was in deep thought.
"Hello Yuuichi-san!" called out Mugi as she decided to put her feelings to rest for the time being. She had decided that she would try her best to keep herself in check, though she was unable to keep herself from avoiding Sei. Indeed, on the way off the platform, she had decided to walk beside Azusa and Yui while Sei chatted with Yoshino on the other end of the group. Thankfully, no one had noticed this, and the man disembarked from the van, helping the girls load their luggage into the van, placing the sports bags on the felt mat that shielded the passengers from the heat of the metallic chassis that was situated above the engine.
Mugi got in front and took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Sawako-sensei, over here beside me in front?"
Sawako smiled radiantly and nodded, obliging Mugi, her sports bag placed comfortably behind her feet on the floor. Mugi's suitcase had to be placed at the very rear of the vehicle, where Ritsu, Yui, Azusa and Mio were seated. The second row of seats from the back showcased Ui, Satoshi and Jun, while the front row of the passenger area had Shimako, Yumi, Sei and Yoshino. Their bags all in order, Yuuichi got into the van and drove off towards the third largest Kotobuki villa situated along a private beach front.
"Mugi-chan, who's this Yuuichi-san?" asked Sawako in inquiry, gesturing to her left towards their driver, who tipped his sunglasses downward and smiled.
"Yuuichi-san is a part-timer for us; he's normally stationed in Okinawa and he's got some contacts in the military underworld," replied Mugi nonchalantly.
"That explains why we've got an M4A1 semiauto carbine in the van," said Sawako ruefully, gesturing towards the rifle that was on the floor beside Yuuichi's legs.
"So sensei, how have you been lately? We haven't been messaging each other much, and I wasn't able to talk to you much on the train since you were sleeping…," said Mugi somewhat nervously.
Oblivious to Mugi's nervousness, Sawako replied, a frown creasing her face.
"It's been hell. Mio's rabid fans are still not quitting, despite the fact that some of their saner members are trying to restrain them. Reports have already been filed by Ui, but the culprits are nearly impossible to pinpoint since there's so many of them, and the disciplinary committee doesn't have the manpower to investigate every single fucking alibi they have. At some point, I think Mio herself will have to be involved for this crap to quit. Really, they're being pathetic; odds are they're just envious of Azusa-chan's skills."
"Azusa-chan seems to be okay though…," said Mugi uncertainly. "I'd attribute that to Yui-chan. They've been seeing each other pretty often, from what I can tell."
Mugi chose her words carefully, and decided to push things a bit. "Frankly, I'm envious. I wish I could have someone to go to when I have problems like that…"
Sawako smiled reassuringly and felt a faint urge from deep within her heart. For what she believed was the greater good, she resisted the faint urge and said, "Don't worry Mugi-chan, that someone will come along eventually, I'm sure."
Mugi nodded, feeling a slight twinge of disappointment. "By the way, I wasn't able to introduce my new friends since we were in such a hurry earlier. This is Shimako-san," she gestured to the curly-haired brunette by the window, who smiled and nodded her head in respect as a reply.
"This is Yumi-san, my roommate," said Mugi, gesturing towards the pigtailed brunette, who bowed in reply.
"I'm very pleased to meet you, Sawako-san; Mugi-chan has told me so much about you," said Yumi cheerfully.
Sawako nodded, thinking all of a sudden: What would Mugi be telling her friends about me, I wonder?
"And this is Sei-san. She's a big fan of yours from your DEATH DEVIL days, sensei," said Mugi, gesturing towards the woman with cropped short hair.
"It's an honor to meet you, Catherine, in more ways than one," said Sei, giving her a thumbs up. "I've got some of your old promotional posters; I'd be honored if you'd sign them for me."
"No problem, Sei-san," said Sawako. "I wonder what she meant by 'more ways than one' though…"
"Lastly, this is Yoshino-san. She's quite a lot like Ricchan," said Mugi.
"Pleased to meet you, Sawako-sensei," replied Yoshino, nodding respectfully.
"Mugi… I thought she was like Ricchan, so why the hell is she so polite?" asked Sawako.
"That's because everyone from Lillian Girl's Academy is polite, sensei. She's not as rowdy as Ricchan, though she is a whole lot more stubborn, I'd say."
"Now that's a force to be reckoned with," said Sawako with a knowing look in her eyes. "Pleased to meet you all as well; my name is Yamanaka Sawako and I was Houkago Tea Time's advisor back in their high school days. I take it Mugi-chan here told you about Houkago Tea Time?"
The four girls nodded and Sawako added, "Sei-san, if I sign those posters, you had better not fucking sell them. You're not supposed to do that to my signed shit, kapiche?"
"…you're freaking awesome, Catherine," said Sei in awe of Sawako's relapse into the lead vocalist and guitarist of DEATH DEVIL.
"I know," replied the bespectacled teacher, smirking. Beside Mugi, Yuuichi took out a two-way radio and pressed the talk button. "Klaus, ETA?"
A voice laced with crackling static replied, "ETA three hours. Your position?"
"A minute away from the villa," replied Yuuichi into the radio.
"Roger," came the crackling voice of Klaus and the radio fell silent. "Well there you have it; your instruments are still three hours away. Might I recommend enjoying the beach for the time being? The villa's already stocked up according to your specifications, Tsumugi-san."
Mugi nodded, "Thank you very much. Everyone, we've arrived!"
"Oh yeah, the beach! Awesome!" cried Ritsu in enjoyment, while Yui seconded the motion. "Osu!"
Azusa and Mio just sighed, resigning themselves to dealing with their respective charges. "By the way, Azusa-chan," called Mugi from the front seat. "I prepared a special sunblock for you so you don't get tanned like the usual. Its SPF is a whopping 80."
"T-Thank you very much, Mugi-senpai!" cried Azusa in relief; she was really afraid of getting tanned again, as she'd be the butt of all the 'who are you?' jokes once more.
Yuuichi deftly parked the Starex in front of the villa, which indeed, appeared to be around two-and-a-half times as large as the villa they used last time. Everyone looked on in awe, while maids began streaming from the front door as they disembarked, their luggage being taken by the maids.
"Yes yes, Chiharu-san, the second floor… Misa-chan, are the meals ready? Great, thank you very much. Motoka-san, the swimsuits are all ready? Wonderful! Ah, the cake already arrived from our bakers? Good work, Yoriko-san. Everyone, good work!" bellowed Mugi happily, her maids performing up to par regarding everyone's accommodations and luggage.
"What did you mean by swimsuits, Mugi?" asked Mio. "Don't tell me you have—"
"—a large room containing nothing but swimsuits," finished Mio lamely as she, along with the others, stepped into a large room that was exactly as she described, although there were curtains set up for modesty.
"Yes, Mio-chan. Everyone, go ahead and take your pick!" said Mugi, while the group happily began to choose from the wide array of swimsuits the room had to offer. "I can always show you around the villa later. For now, it's time to have fun at the beach! Klaus won't be here for a few more hours so we have a lot of time to enjoy ourselves before practicing."
Mio was being pushed by Ritsu into wearing a white-and-black polka dotted drawstring two-piece that perfectly accentuated her ample breasts, showing more creamy white cleavage than she was comfortable with. Azusa had already selected hers, a modest pink one-piece with frills at the lower end, Mio picked a midnight blue two-piece that didn't show as much cleavage as the polka dotted one Ritsu was forcing onto her. Ritsu picked a simple yellow two-piece, Yui picked an aqua two-piece, while Sawako was wearing a flaming orange bikini interspersed with red flowers, along with a matching sheet that she tied around her waist.
Yumi picked a red one-piece, while Yoshino wore a black one-piece. Sei went the extra mile and wore board shorts over her cobalt-blue bikini, and Shimako picked a white two-piece that hugged her hidden curves pretty well. Ui picked a green one-piece, while Jun went for a brown two-piece. Seeing that everyone had taken their pick, Mugi left the large room and went to the kitchen, looking for one of her maids. Along the way, she had encountered Satoshi, who had changed into a simple pair of black shorts in a nearby toilet, directing him towards the room where everyone else was at and she finally found the person she had been looking for.
"Chiharu-san! I need to make some adjustments to the lodging arrangements," said Mugi to a light-brown-haired bespectacled maid. "I've decided that everyone should sleep in one large room, though we'll have to discuss where Satoshi-kun is going to stay later. Please relocate everyone's luggage, including my own, to the game room. Please set out six mattresses as well, along with twelve pillows."
"I will see to it that it is done, Tsumugi-ojou-sama," replied Chiharu, bowing. "Misa-chan, Yoriko-san, Motoka-san, and Ilfa-san!" called Chiharu towards the kitchen. "Change in orders from Tsumugi-ojou-sama!"
Soon enough, a blonde, two brunettes and a blue-haired maid exited the kitchens and followed Chiharu as they proceeded upstairs.
Mugi smiled in satisfaction and headed back towards the changing room, where she found everyone waiting for her, even Satoshi.
She noted how stunning Sawako looked in her brightly colored swimsuit, and she said,
"Everyone, feel free to go ahead to the beachfront and play! There's even a jet ski all set up; feel free to use it but you must be with Yuuichi-san, alright? Try to be careful and have fun. I'll go change and catch up."
Without saying anything else, she entered the room and closed the door behind her, sifting through numerous racks of swimsuits until she found the one she wanted to wear. It was a periwinkle colored bikini that complimented her creamy-white skin very well. Satisfied with her choice, she was about to exit the room when she heard a voice.
"You look great, Mugi-chan."
It was Sei; Mugi didn't notice her enter because she was far too engrossed in finding the perfect swimsuit. Gulping, she just nodded curtly at Sei and left the room without saying anything.
Sei just stood there, nonplussed. "Seems like she's avoiding me now… Well, this could be a good thing…," she whispered to herself.
But if it was a good thing, then why did she feel sad inside?
x~~*~~x
They didn't fool around and enjoy themselves on the beach for the next three hours. They ended up spending the entire morning playing on the beach, even taking the jet ski for a spin under Yuuichi's supervision. Ritsu and Sei had taken to driving it pretty well, while Mio didn't even want to try riding it. Everyone else was content with letting Yuuichi do the driving while they clung onto his back for dear life. Yui hadn't felt anything that exhilarating in her entire life and she was all smiles and her eyes were practically glittering when she recounted the feeling to Azusa, Ui and Yumi, who were listening with great interest. Ritsu and Yoshino were building a huge sand castle themed after Castelgard in the Dordogne in France of medieval origin. Mio was sitting beside Shimako under an umbrella, talking about a new mythology series authored by Rick Riordan. Jun and Satoshi were tanning themselves under the sun, while Mugi decided to distract herself by supervising the sumptuous lunch she had tasked her maids to prepare for them in celebration of her nineteenth birthday.
While everyone was enjoying themselves, the two oldest women were lying prone on a mat spread over the sand under a beach umbrella, not too far off from Mio and Shimako who were now talking about Michael Crichton's book that underwent posthumous publication.
Sawako and Sei were silently resting; Sei had asked Sawako if it was alright that she join her and the latter had obliged, although no words were said between the two of them.
"I'll go get myself some juice; I'll be right back," said Sawako as Sei made no move to acknowledge her leaving. Headed towards the kitchens to pour herself a glass, she noticed the hustle and bustle going on and sensed that lunch was going to be a major production; Mugi had decided that they have lunch at around two in the afternoon so that they could have it outside by the porch where the heat wouldn't be so searing at that time.
Sidling into the kitchen, she asked the nearest maid, a blonde one named Motoka where she could find some cold juice. Instead of answering her, Motoka left and quickly arrived with a tumbler containing ice-cold orange juice with a bendy straw. "I hope you are satisfied, Yamanaka-san," said Motoka as she bowed and went back to preparing the marinade for the chicken.
Sipping her cool drink, Sawako decided to pass through the garage where the band's instruments had been deposited by Klaus, since they had decided to hold practice in the huge garage where acoustics was optimal. She heard a faint sound coming from the garage and when she opened the door, she saw Mugi, standing by her Korg, playing the piano arrangement of Honey Sweet Tea Time. Somehow, the sensei felt that something was off about Mugi's body language as she played the piece.
"Hey Mugi, why don't you join everyone else at the beach?" asked Sawako. The playing stopped, and Mugi turned to face Sawako, who was surprised by what she saw.
Tears were cascading down the blonde's face, and she immediately approached Mugi out of concern. "What's wrong, Mugi? You can tell your Sawako-sensei anything if it's bothering you."
Right then and there, Mugi decided to take her up on her offer, spilling everything that she had kept pent up for the past month. She told Sawako about her date with Sei, she told her how confused she had felt afterwards, how distant she had become to Yumi, Shimako and Yoshino, how her state of mind caused her to not visit Yui, Mio, and Ritsu for an entire month, and how she was feeling in general.
"I just really feel… rattled, by this whole matter," said Mugi, who had stopped crying. She was seated beside Sawako, leaning against the walls of the garage; the faint sounds of Ritsu shouting could be heard. "I don't know how to deal with Sei-san right now; I had to invite her out of courtesy, right? Well, I did invite Sachiko-neesan as well but she was busy so she couldn't go…"
She was beginning to spout incoherent things when she felt herself enveloped in a hug. "Shhh, Mugi, it's okay. I'm here, like I've always been for you and everyone," said Sawako softly, cradling Mugi's body beside her. "To be honest, I think for now you should pretend that nothing happened; I'd like to talk to her myself to find out why she did that. I could force her to 'fess up in exchange for me signing her DEATH DEVIL posters. You should rely on your sensei every now and then too."
Mugi sniffed, wiping her nose with her handkerchief. "Thank you, Sawako-sensei."
"I've been wondering about that though; why'd you stop calling me 'Sawa-chan' like everyone else?"
Mugi broke off from the hug and put a finger on her lips in thought. "I actually don't know, sensei. It's like a dynamic has to change before I can bring myself to call you that again. Once I had that epiphany, calling you 'Sawa-chan' as we are felt blasphemous to me."
Suddenly, a crackling was heard across the entire complex and the voice of the maid Mugi had addressed as "Misa-chan" crackled across the public announcement system. "To all guests of Tsumugi-ojou-sama, lunch is now ready to be served. Please proceed to the dining hall at your earliest convenience."
Sawako looked up at the arching roof of the garage. "Looks like it's time for lunch, Mugi-chan. Let's go."
Wiping her eyes one last time, Mugi nodded and got up with assistance from Sawako-sensei, who proffered her hand, a hand that the keyboardist accepted. Smiling at her, the bespectacled woman led the blonde on, and Mugi found herself unwilling to let go of Sawako's hand, wishing that this could go on.
x~~*~~x
Lunch was an extravagant affair. Gourmet dishes were served by the maids, to the shock of nearly everyone present, including the original Light Music Club. Despite the fact that they knew and experienced Mugi's wealth multiple times before, this marked the first time that she openly flaunted and displayed a large part of its capabilities.
When Mio asked Mugi why she decided to go all out this time, the blonde shrugged and replied.
"It's my nineteenth birthday, Mio-chan. We hadn't really gone anywhere my father owns on my previous birthdays, so I took this opportunity to make you all feel at home so that you can enjoy yourselves."
And enjoy they did. After the scrumptious lunch had been consumed, with Ritsu, Yui, Sawako and Sei taking the top four spots in terms of comestibles consumed, the huge strawberry shortcake was now served. Mugi had honorary first cut, but afterwards, the maids named Yoriko-san and Misa-chan sliced the cake for everyone, each slice being as large as three-fourths of a typical whole cake as sold in standard bakeshops.
Mio groaned at how fat she was going to get if she consumed it all, and asked the maids if it could be kept away in a fridge for her since she was going to take it home to her family.
"Oh come on Mio you spoilsport," said Ritsu, having already consumed one-quarter of her share. "A little more flesh wouldn't hurt your sexy curves."
Ritsu realized too late what she had said and she choked on the cake she was eating, gesturing wildly to Mio who was blushing in embarrassment. When that didn't work, Ritsu placed her hands on Mio's face, causing the bassist to blush even more when Mio's eyes grew as round as saucers when she realized Ritsu was choking.
"Water, water!" she screamed in fear. "Heimlich, Heimlich…"
Mio stood up and Ritsu did as well, then she performed the Heimlich maneuver like a trained nurse. The cake fell sloppily out of Ritsu's mouth onto the floor, and she gulped in air like a parched man offered spring water in Mordor.
"Guh… Thanks Mio," mumbled Ritsu as she sat back down quietly. "Sorry for the trouble."
Mio was surprised at how Ritsu was acting; she rarely apologized for things like this. The truth is, she was completely relieved. When she finally noticed Ritsu was choking, the first thing she realized was that she hadn't noticed immediately she was choking, which indicated that some time had elapsed. Her brain then panicked before what she had learned in school kicked in. "You baka… If anything happened to you under my watch, I'd never forgive myself."
Of course, the bassist didn't say that out loud. Sei excused herself from the table, and Sawako stood up, following her. "I wonder where Sei-sama and Sawako-san are going?" asked Yumi out loud.
"Perhaps onee-sama is going to have her posters signed?" offered Shimako.
"Yes, that must be it," said Yoshino as she ate a forkful of cake. "Mugi-san, this cake is wonderful!"
"Thank you very much, Yoshino-san!" replied Mugi happily. Of course, she was the only one who knew that Sawako had followed Sei to talk to her about things.
She hoped.
x~~*~~x
"So Catherine, how can I help you?" asked Sei, leaning against a door frame in a secluded room, far away from the dining hall.
Sawako, who was seated on the twin-sized bed, evidently this was a guest room, replied.
"Close the door first Sei-san."
Sei obliged and closed the door. "Again, how can I help you?"
One word.
"Mugi," said Sawako simply.
Sei smiled and clapped a hand to her forehead. "So you know everything that happened?"
Sawako nodded and continued, "Why did you do that? Do you like her?"
Sei shrugged and said as she paced across the room, tracing her fingertips over the oak desk in the corner.
"Yeah, I like Mugi-chan. A lot."
Sawako felt her heart palpitating, her heart rate increased drastically without warning. "Why am I panicking? Why am I so agitated just by those simple words?" thought Sawako.
"Please elaborate. What do you mean by 'a lot'?" pressed Sawako.
A few moments passed and neither said anything. Sei took a seat on the bed beside Sawako and turned to her, looking at her straight in the eye.
"Probably enough to make me want her to be my girlfriend," said Sei. "But, if there's one thing I can say with honesty, it's that I only want nothing but the best for Mugi-chan. I want her to be happy."
"And what you did qualifies as 'making her happy'? She's been troubled ever since that day!" Sawako replied, her voice rising. "How could you do that to her without giving her a proper goddamn statement? It's been tough on her; I'd already felt it when she was messaging me over the past month, like her spunk had gone out of her. Then I learned everything today and this…"
Sawako gestured her hands between the two of them and continued.
"I don't understand you. You seem to be a nice person, so why the fuck did you do that?" exclaimed Sawako. Luckily, they were far off from the group and they were confident that no one would overhear them, as large as the villa was.
"Again, Catherine, I will swear that all I want for Mugi-chan is the best for her. It's an end I want to achieve by any means," said Sei simply, as the two women stared at each other across the twin-sized bed.
Sawako looked on with a neutral look on her face that belied the state of her internal thoughts.
No… I can't accept that. Time to face the music, Sawako. You've been putting this off for far too long, using excuses like your job, distance, and age gap. But no, I realize that when push comes to shove… I will not allow any other man or woman to take Mugi from me. Kotobuki Tsumugi is mine because I love her, and I'll be damned before I lose to this Satou Sei.
x~~*~~x
Unbeknownst to the two of them, Fukuzawa Yumi had shadowed them on the way to the secluded room, excusing herself from the table under the guise of having to relieve herself at the toilet. When the door had closed, she quietly eavesdropped and thus, had heard everything.
"I think I'll have to have a small chat with Sawako-san soon, about Mugi-chan," whispered Yumi to herself. "I just can't trust Sei-sama right now… She hasn't given any thought to her own imouto, Shimako-san."
"Yes, I think it's time I gave Mugi-chan her birthday present," she whispered with a smile on her face.
x~~*~~x
Training camp continues next time! Please read and review and stay tuned!
As a footnote, all the names of the maids mentioned are actual maids from other anime. Go ahead and try to identify what shows they came from. :P