Sorry for the delay guys; real life is pretty busy since it's the Christmas season. Here's the long overdue disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I do not own K-ON!, kakifly, Kyo Ani and Pony Canyon do.
x~~*~~x
Troisième partiè: Kimi no Mama de
"Um, Mio-senpai, Ritsu-senpai…," tried Azusa tentatively. "S-Shall we go back to Mugi-senpai and the others now?"
Ritsu looked up at Azusa while still cradling Mio in her arms, the bassist trying to wipe her tears while her arms were wrapped around her best friend.
"Mio, you heard Azusa. Let's go," said Ritsu encouragingly, surprising Azusa, who marveled at the maturity that Ritsu, the Tainaka Ritsu, could exude on certain occasions.
Ritsu gently nudged Mio, who stood up and dusted her t-shirt, which was caked with dirt from the fall.
"Ritsu, let me get your back," said Mio, reverting to neutrality, ignoring the maelstrom of thoughts that were circulating through her head.
As Ritsu turned and let Mio dust her back, Azusa watched the latter carefully shaking her head for some unknown reason.
"I don't know when I'll be able to be upfront with Ritsu about my feelings, but for now, I'll be a selfish liar and keep them to myself," thought the raven-haired girl, realizing that with what she had done, she would have to come clean eventually. "Am I really that afraid though, afraid enough to choose ambiguity over something concrete?"
She was no good at hiding her emotions; Akiyama Mio was more of a person who wore her heart on her sleeve. It was only a matter of time until this happened, and the test of courage was the perfect catalyst for it.
Ritsu put her arm around Mio's shoulders and affectionately gave them a reassuring squeeze. The latter looked at the drummer and Ritsu just flashed her usual grin.
"Hey Azusa! Let's head back and let everyone know that the test of courage is over," called Ritsu behind her at the kouhai who was standing in the middle of the clearing, vaguely looking up at the mannequin that so closely resembled Manabe Nodoka.
"O-Okay, Ritsu-senpai, I'll follow in a bit," called back Azusa, watching the two leave the clearing and head back towards the rest.
Azusa had decided to remain in the clearing to clear her thoughts. No one, not even Yui, Ui or Jun knew what Azusa was feeling deep down inside under the façade she had so carefully constructed for the occasion. She was, like so many other people before her and after her, simply putting up a front; appearing to look happy and cheerful so that people wouldn't worry about her.
Especially Yui.
"I really wouldn't want Yui-senpai to worry about me," whispered Azusa to herself. "I pride myself on being reliable, able to stand on my two feet and generally not being troubling to anyone. And so that is what I shall continue to do."
"I'd done my best not to let Yui-senpai get even so much as a whiff of what is really going on. Ui and Jun don't know either… Perhaps that's for the best. Who am I kidding, this is great!" exclaimed Azusa wildly, pacing in circles. "At least Mio-senpai's radical fan club members aren't doing anything to Jun and Ui. Yes, yes, I should really take on this burden by myself. It's what I do best."
x~~*~~x
"Ui, Jun, I'll go ahead while you guys talk to Sawako-sensei, alright?" said Azusa as she slung her Fender Mustang on her shoulder. "See you in a bit at the gates."
"Okay Azusa-chan, we won't be long," said Ui as Jun nodded at Azusa before turning to follow Ui out of the classroom.
Making her way towards the stairwell, Azusa walked with her hands in her pockets, sighing at the additional strain that the bullies were putting on her. She was worried that it would escalate to a point where her studies would be affected as well. Ui convinced her that it was high time that a formal complaint was filed with Sakura High's disciplinary committee and she had relented, with Ui filing the complaint for her: that was why Jun and Ui went to see Sawako, so that they could get an update on the status of the complaint.
She smiled though, taking solace in the fact that she would be going to Mugi's villa in two short days for the training camp and that she would be sleeping over at Yui's apartment tomorrow so that they could meet up with the rest together.
As she reached the entrance hallway where the shoe lockers were located, she made way to her locker quickly to change from her indoor shoes to her outdoor shoes. When she had done so, she heard a voice calling her name.
"Nakano-san, come quickly, we need your help," came the stolid voice.
Azusa turned and saw one of her classmates.
"Yes, what is it?"
"I need you to carry a table from the supply room to the audio-visual room for our presentation in Geography tomorrow. I thought that it'd be good if we went and did it now so that our presentation would go along smoothly tomorrow."
Azusa nodded and followed her classmate, who then raised her eyebrows and said, "Are you sure that you're going to lug your guitar around while lifting the table? Why do you even bring it anyway? The keionbu was disbanded, after all."
"I like to practice and play for myself every now and then," said Azusa, wisely deflecting attention from their upcoming concert at the Founder's Festival.
"I see," said her classmate thoughtfully.
When they had arrived at the supply room, Azusa entered the room idly thinking that she was probably holding Ui and Jun up.
That's why she didn't see it coming.
"Sorry," came the somber voice of her classmate.
"Huh?"
Azusa spun around to face her classmate right as the door was shut, and to her horror, she heard the lock click into place.
"Hey!" she screamed in consternation, rushing to the door to bang as loud as she could to attract the attention of any passerby. "Please unlock this door!"
She continued to bang on the door for a few minutes before giving up; no one had responded to her cries for help. She took her cellular phone out of her pocket and called Ui.
Unfortunately, the supply room had thick walls and as a result, the call couldn't go through due to the lack of reception. Sighing in defeat, Azusa decided that she might as well just sit down. Turning, she made her way towards a director's chair and suddenly, her feet gave way like butter against a hot knife, slipping on a sheet of paper that she didn't notice earlier.
*thump*
Azusa's insides ran cold and it was as though a roughshod staff had knocked the wind out of her when she heard the loud thump.
With a feeling of impending doom, she carefully placed her Mustang on her lap and removed it from its case. She immediately looked at its base and to her horror, there was a sizeable ding at the very bottom of the guitar.
Cursing her luck, she continued trying to call Ui or Jun up but alas, she wasn't able to get through to them. She was rescued about an hour later by Ui and Jun who had found out her last whereabouts from a student that had seen her enter the supply room.
She balefully showed the dent on her beloved Fender Mustang to Ui and Jun, who were both incensed that someone had gone so far as to have her locked in a room to languish until someone opened the door.
"I know a method that I could use to patch up the dent though, so I guess I'll be okay," said Azusa. Said method entailed wetting the dent, letting it dry then wetting it again to allow the water to sink into the wood. A cotton cloth is then dipped into water, and the wet area is pressed against the dent. The tip of a hot soldering iron is then pressed into the wet area while being rolled, thus inducing the dented area to expand outwards. The dent would still leave a mark, though it would now be even with the surface of the wood and it wouldn't be noticeable unless you were staring it in the face.
That's what Azusa did that night when she got home. The method worked, but to her dismay, part of her Mustang's finish was a bit stained due to the steam that was emitted by the soldering iron. Making a mental note to have her guitar sanded and repainted in the near future, she went to bed, hoping that no one would notice the stained finish at the base of her guitar at the training camp.
x~~*~~x
"Azu-nyan?"
Azusa was sitting at the base of a tree, her head on her knees when Yui had arrived, looking for her.
"Oh, hello Yui-senpai," said the kouhai weakly. What occurred next was something that she never saw coming.
"Azu-nyan, why didn't you come back with Mio-chan and Ricchan?" said Yui sternly. "Everyone was worried about you since you were the only one who hadn't gone back yet. That's why I volunteered to look for you and I find you here sitting under a tree?"
"I'm… sorry, Yui-senpai," said the raven-haired guitarist for lack of anything else to say.
The stern look on Yui's face dissolved into a warm smile and she held her hand out to Azusa. "Come, Azu-nyan. Make sure to apologize to everyone when we get back, alright?"
The twin-tailed guitarist nodded and took Yui's hand. Yui pulled her up and the two made their way through the brush and undergrowth that presented a stark contrast to the clearing they had just left.
"Yui-senpai, I have a question," said Azusa thoughtfully. "Remember the tea party that we held for Mio-senpai's fan club?"
Yui nodded and waited for her to continue.
"I really can't believe that some of those people are the very same people who're tormenting me now," she said with a note of sadness in her voice. "I really don't understand; Mio-senpai definitely wouldn't approve of this, and yet…"
Yui, who had her hands behind her back, took Azusa's left hand in her right and squeezed it gently in reassurance. "You know, I think it's high time we really put a stop to this. Sawa-chan did say that the complaints were useless because there were so many possible culprits and alibis to check that the disciplinary committee couldn't handle the workload. Therefore, the only thing we can do is to have important people to the club put a stop to this. Nodoka-chan, possibly Sokabe-senpai and Mio-chan herself."
"Yui-senpai," whispered Azusa in amazement. Was this really the airhead she had fallen in love with so long ago?
"It's like my dreams had really come true… I loved her despite the fact that she was so unreliable. Now… she's everything I could possibly want, and despite her improvement, she still is the Yui-senpai I know and love…," thought Azusa wistfully.
"Don't worry about it, Azu-nyan. I'll go talk to Mio-chan and Sawa-chan about it when we get back. I'll send Nodoka-chan mail too, so keep smiling, okay?" said Yui with a bright smile on her face.
Azusa grinned back and she decided that there would be no more secrets between herself and Yui.
No more secrets. "All I need to do is to tell her everything. How hard can it be?"
x~~*~~x
"Sorry for worrying you all," said Azusa, bowing in apology to the rest of the girls, sans Sawako and Sei, who were both found by Mugi snoozing in the side room where they spent the entire test of courage drinking with Motoka.
Mugi giggled like a little girl when she saw the three women fast asleep in the room. "Should I feel bad that I feel more secure when Sei-san is knocked out…?" she whispered to herself. "I think I should move them to the game room… Misa-chan, Yoriko-san, a little help if you please!" she called to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, the two women were now snoozing under blankets on inflatable air beds in the game room while Motoka was supported by her colleagues and brought to their own room.
"I'll get back to you two later," whispered Mugi as she closed the door to the game room and went back to the dining hall where everyone was seated, chatting animatedly. "I've got a few things to ask Ricchan."
When she arrived there, she saw that the girls and Satoshi were divided into three groups. One group was Okawari sans Azusa, another group was Yoshino, Yumi, Shimako and to her surprise, Yui, while the last group was Mio, Ritsu and Azusa, who was strangely content at observing the former two.
Mugi immediately noticed something between the drummer and bassist; Mio was avoiding Ritsu's eyes while the latter was cheerful as usual with her grin seeming to be much wider and more pronounced.
"Something good happened, maybe…," concluded the Kotobuki heiress. "Azusa-chan, could you come with me for a moment?"
Azusa blinked and snapped out of her reverie while Mio and Ritsu were engaging each other in what was overtly polite conversation. "Sorry, what did you require, Mugi-senpai?"
Mugi placed a finger on her lips and whispered, "Not here; follow me."
She beckoned the kouhai to follow her to another side room and as they left, Yui gave the two of them a funny look before shrugging and resuming her conversation with Yoshino about which side of a chocolate cornet should be eaten first.
"Why so cryptic and innocuous, Mugi-senpai?" asked Azusa as she sat down on the oak chair in the small guest room.
Mugi sat across her on the small twin-sized bed adorned with a velvet cover and replied, "Tell me everything that happened."
Azusa nodded and she recounted the events that had transpired at the three critical locations of the test of courage; how the Flying Dutchman projection had flopped badly, and how the Olmec replica directly engineered the trajectory, so to speak, of Mio's encounter with the Nodoka-corpse.
She ended with her thoughts on the kiss, while Mugi's eyes glittered and she placed her hands on her face in happiness.
"Mio-senpai really looked lost and afraid when she fell into Ritsu-senpai's arms," said Azusa thoughtfully. "I never really could believe that Ritsu-senpai could be a reliable figure, but then I guess I was proved wrong. I'd even say she was cool, with the way she handled the situation."
"Oh really Azusa? Thanks a lot!" came a voice as both Mugi and Azusa turned to the doorway, their eyes widening in fear.
"Oh Ricchan, it's just you," said Mugi, clutching her chest in nervousness, her voice exuding a tone of relief. "I was scared that Mio-chan might've overheard us."
"Please knock next time, Ritsu-senpai!" exclaimed Azusa indignantly as Ritsu laid down on the bed spread-eagled beside Mugi.
"Tell us about it, Ricchan," said Mugi as she stood up and locked the door, returning to her seat on the bed afterwards. "I'm not taking any chances."
Ritsu sat up on the bed and placed her hands on her knees, looking at her feet in silence, the blonde and raven-haired girl waiting in anticipation. "It felt… good. Really good," said the drummer finally. "I could feel something in the way Mio kissed me… I don't really know how to put it because I don't understand it, but it felt like she wanted to kiss me and yet didn't want to kiss me all at the same time. Some kind of barrier or restraint was there. I really don't know what that's all about but right now, due to that, I'm absolutely clueless as to where this leaves us."
"Ah ambiguity, the proverbial nemesis," said Mugi sagely. "I think you should wait for Mio-chan to make the move, Ricchan."
Ritsu scratched her chin thoughtfully and shrugged. "Please elaborate Mugi; why should I let her make the first move after this event?"
"Because one of two things will happen from this point onward," said Mugi thoughtfully, while Azusa listened intently. "Either the barrier you felt will get sturdier, or the barrier will dissolve and weaken. Only time will tell, to be honest, and at this point, it's dependent on Mio-chan's feelings, whatever they are."
"Okay Mugi, I trust you," said Ritsu. "For now, how should I act around Mio?"
"I think you should act the way you've always been," quipped Azusa. "Unless there's a better…" she trailed, shooting Mugi a look of deference.
Mugi smiled at the kouhai and she replied. "Azusa-chan's right; you should act like the way you've always been around Mio-chan. After all, you two are perfect as foil for each other's personalities."
Ritsu stood up and said, "Alright then Mugi, I'll take your advice to heart. I better head back to her now; she'll be getting a lot of ghost stories from me."
"Ricchan, please tell everyone to get ready for bed and to proceed to the game room," added Mugi as Ritsu was about to close the door. "I'll stay here with Azusa-chan for a while; I need to talk to her about something."
Ritsu just raised an eyebrow in inquiry before shrugging and waving a hand airily at them as she closed the door.
Mugi then turned to Azusa, who spoke. "Mugi-senpai, what do you need to talk to me about?"
"Well, for starters, it appears that something is troubling you," said Mugi. "It's true that I might be wrong, but when you and Yui-chan got back and when I saw a hard line across Yui-chan's face instead of her usual smile, I thought that something was probably up."
Azusa swallowed and replied. "For starters, Mugi-senpai… I haven't really told you guys this, but the bullying hasn't really stopped. I never brought it up because it would be a poor conversational topic, but that's how it stands. Something happened to me the other day that just made me feel extremely scared, sad and I just… wanted to cry in somebody's arms, if I'll be perfectly honest."
"Does Yui-chan know about this?"
The raven-haired girl shook her head. "No, not even Yui-senpai knows. Ui and Jun know part of it but not what I felt during the aftermath. It was two days ago when—"
She was cut off when Mugi placed a finger on her lips.
"I think Yui-chan should be the first to know, Azusa-chan. You are very important to her, and it would only be appropriate that you came to her with your problems," said Mugi. "Why didn't you tell Yui-chan about whatever happened?"
Azusa's shoulders slumped as she replied. "I didn't want to appear weak to Yui-senpai. You know, Mugi-senpai, that Yui-senpai sees me as a reliable kouhai that is her plaything and hug pillow, correct?"
Mugi nodded while the twin-tailed girl continued. "I didn't want to lose that image she had of me. If I showed any form of weakness, I feel as if something will give; I don't know what it is but I wouldn't want anything to change."
Mugi audibly sighed and replied, "We seem to have the same issue at hand, Azusa-chan. Both of us don't want to show signs of weakness, covering it up so as not to worry them. But you know, though I may be a hypocrite for not practicing what I preach, I think it's best for you to just be honest with Yui-chan. No matter what happens, I'm sure she'll be there for you. I mean, she actually let you sleep over at her apartment for the first time last night; surely that must be something significant."
Azusa wryly thought about that; her little secret with Yui was that she had a key to her apartment and that she could practically visit any time.
"In the end, just rely on Yui-chan. I'm sure she'll be glad that you relied on her when you do, Azusa-chan. Nothing makes a person happier than the person they like relying on them for anything," said Mugi.
"But we're not even sure if she romantically likes me; sure, she uses me as a dakimakura and stuff but there's nothing concrete," said Azusa skeptically.
Nothing could have prepared her for what she would witness next. Mugi got off the bed and laughed extremely hard; after a while, she was doubled over at the dresser, clutching her chest as she made her way towards the door.
Shooting Azusa one final look of amusement, Mugi said,
"You're so naïve, koneko-chan."
And then she left, leaving Azusa in the oak chair in front of the desk scratching her head in oblivious confusion.
x~~*~~x
"…so if it's not too much trouble, I want this to be done as soon as possible. Preferably right after we get back home from here, like say, tomorrow," finished Yui, who was seated on an air bed, talking to Mio.
Ritsu was on another airbed along with Yoshino, the two of them playing a series of competitive matches of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on the Playstation two. Sei and Sawako were out and down for the count, while Shimako, Jun and Yumi all decided to turn in early. Azusa was taking a shower while Mugi was brewing some tea for the few people who were still awake. Ui and Satoshi were out on the porch, enjoying the view of the night sky.
"Have you informed Nodoka already?" asked Mio. Unbeknownst to Yui, Mio was extremely grateful, to say the least, for this favor she was asking. It was a good distraction from the storm brewing in her mind; her denial of what she truly wanted to tell Ritsu, the kiss that had happened an hour ago, and everything else in the package.
"I sent her a mail earlier but seeing that it's past my bedtime, I won't be expecting a reply from her until tomor— uh, later," chuckled Yui, noting that it was already one-thirty in the morning. "In any case, if it's okay with you and her and hopefully, Sokabe-senpai, we can call a meeting to finally end this tomorrow."
"Specifics, Yui?" asked Mio, intrigued by this overtly protective and serious side of Yui that she rarely saw.
"Hmm," said the brunette thoughtfully. "We need to use bait-and-switch tactics here. The meeting will be for 'an important announcement from Mio-tan'. Of course, they have no idea that they'll be reprimanded by you, Nodoka-chan, and Sokabe-senpai. I remember the tea party we held for them, Mio-chan. You even composed Pure Pure Heart and Tokimeki Sugar for them, and this is the way they treat Houkago Tea Time's rhythm guitarist? They looked so sweet at the time, but it turns out some of them were bad apples."
Mio was aware of the increasing hardness and fury resonating through Yui's voice and she was so intrigued that she didn't even berate Yui for using the embarrassing nickname "Mio-tan" for her.
"Hello everyone, I'm back and I've got some freshly brewed jasmine tea for everyone still up," said Mugi bringing along a tray laden with teacups filled with the aforementioned jasmine tea, along with a teapot. Laying it on the floor between a few air beds, she began distributing the teacups to the people who were still awake.
"Oh yeah Mugi, what took you so long?" asked Mio, who had now mastered the art of "hiding emotional turmoil from everyone else".
"I checked up on Motoka-san in the maids' den; she drank too much again," said Mugi, sighing audibly. "I also caught Yuuichi-san as he was about to leave for Okinawa on his speedboat; I asked him if the security cameras in the house were all functional and he replied that they were so."
"Security cameras, Mugi?" asked Mio while Yui laid down on the air bed after draining her tea in a single gulp.
Mugi nodded. "Yup, Mio-chan. This villa, just like every other Kotobuki-owned building, is monitored by closed circuit televisions and security cameras. They're not in every single room though; we only have them monitoring the hallways, guest rooms, etc. Rooms such as my own or the master's bedroom aren't monitored for, uh, privacy."
Mugi blushed crimson red while Mio realized the implications of that statement. "Where are the cameras, Mugi-chan?" asked Yui who was still lying down on the air bed.
"I'm afraid it's a tad bit cliché, but…," trailed the ojou. "Do you see that portrait of Koizumi Junichiro on the wall by the entrance?"
Mugi pointed to a pastel portrait of the former prime minister on the wall. The bassist and guitarist nodded while the blonde continued. "His eye is where the camera lens is given a view of the room. My father was inspired by the omniscient eye of Alastor Moody, you see."
Yui stood up and left the game room, saying that she would be back shortly with Gitah, now leaving Mugi and Mio alone to talk in private – well, as private as it could possibly be, with Ritsu and Yoshino completely immersed in their gaming session.
"Mio-chan, how did you find the test of courage?" prompted the blonde, scooting a bit closer to Mio and giving her undivided attention.
"It was, uh, scary, obviously," said Mio, now feeling uncomfortable, not because of the scary things she had witnessed, but because of what had transpired between her and Ritsu. "In retrospect, the projection was pretty amazing though. It sounds like something from Star Wars, Mugi."
"Thanks a lot Mio-chan! Glad you appreciated the effects," said Mugi happily. "Can you imagine me as a tokusatsu director in the future?"
Mio chuckled and replied, "You're actually more suited to be an actress, I think. It'd be cool if we became successful as a band, and each of us had their own individual professions. Like say, Yui would be a master chef, Ritsu would be the owner of a restaurant or a hotel's general manager, I would be a doctor, you'd be a businesswoman-slash-actress, and Azusa… I actually don't know what she'd like to do. We never really asked."
"Getting to the point, Mio-chan," continued Mugi as Yui returned with Gitah in her arms with Azusa in tow, drying her hair off with a towel. "How were things with Ricchan back at the test of courage?"
Mio gulped and answered in a slightly nervous voice, her eyes darting to Ritsu who was still playing Yoshino over at the PS 2. "W-Why do you ask?"
Mugi frowned as Yui and Azusa sat down beside the two of them on the same airbed, discreetly listening to the conversation while Ritsu screamed in triumph as she pulled off an infinite air combo with Magneto to Yoshino's dismay.
"Mio-chan…," said Mugi with an uncharacteristic hint of impatience in her voice. "Are you really going to keep this up?"
The bassist blinked. "Huh?"
Mugi snuck a glance at Ritsu, who finally stood up along with Yoshino, the two of them stretching their arms and legs after a lengthy gaming session. "Hey guys, I think I'm headed off to bed," said Ritsu, yawning. "Night guys."
Her eyes lingered on Mio for a while, and when Mio returned the gaze, Ritsu smiled and winked at the raven-haired girl before turning away and dropping onto her air bed where she was snoring within seconds.
"I'll turn in as well. Good night Tsumugi-san, everyone," said Yoshino politely as she followed Ritsu's lead albeit doing it in a slightly more dignified manner.
The keyboardist whistled and said, "How convenient. Azusa-chan, could you turn the lights off for me?"
The kouhai nodded as she stood up and flicked the light switch, plunging the game room into semi-total darkness. The full moon was visible through the ornately decorated windows and it gave them enough light to see with.
"The moon's pretty tonight," said Yui wistfully, propping Gitah up on her knees. "Can I play a tune? I think everyone else is sleeping pretty soundly so I think it's okay… can I?"
Mugi, Mio and Azusa, who took her seat beside Yui on the air bed all nodded in unison as Yui began to strum a tune that exuded feelings of reassurance and relaxation. Mio, being the lyricist that she was, instinctively knew that the lyrics that accompanied this tune would be strong and powerful despite it being soft and relaxing.
Yui abruptly stopped strumming and put a hand behind her head in embarrassment. "Hehe, it's not done yet. Sorry guys," she said.
Mio shook her head. "It's okay, Yui. I'm sure Mugi and Azusa agree with me when I say that it's a beautiful song. Is this an original or a cover, because I don't think I've heard of it before."
"It's a cover, and I'm trying to do a guitar arrangement for it. The main melody is normally played with a keyboard, and I'm still trying to perfect it," said Yui.
"Who's the artist?" inquired Azusa.
Yui grinned a cat smile and pet Azusa gently on her head. "That's a secret for now, Azu-nyan~"
Azusa scratched her head, nonplussed as Mio stood up and bade the two of them good night, scooting over to the air bed beside Ritsu's. Despite what had happened, Mio found herself still craving the company of her best friend.
"I should go check on Satoshi-kun and Ui-chan," said Mugi, standing up and heading to the dining room towards the porch. "They might've fallen asleep out there and catch a cold as a result. I'll head back to sleep afterwards."
Yui and Azusa nodded as Mugi left. "Hey Azu-nyan," whispered Yui as she gently placed Gitah on the floor beside the air bed.
"What is it, Yui-senpai?" said the kouhai as she felt Yui's arms encircle around her in a warm embrace.
"Mio-chan said that it's a go. I'm just waiting for Nodoka-chan's mail and hopefully a reply from Sokabe-senpai as well. I'm going to put an end to this with their help," said Yui firmly, cradling the smaller girl in her arms.
"Yui-senpai… Thanks for everything," whispered Azusa into Yui's shoulders while the brunette caressed the loose tresses of her silky black hair. "You know… I didn't tell you this but…"
Azusa wriggled out of Yui's grip, earning a look of inquiry from the brunette. She stood up and left the room, returning five minutes later with her Fender Mustang and a flashlight. She sat down on the air bed beside Yui and trained the flashlight's beam at the base of her guitar where the dent was barely visible.
"How did that happen, Azu-nyan?" asked Yui in concern. "You take care of Muttan really really well… did something bad happen?"
Azusa lay down on the air bed, refusing to meet Yui's eyes. "Two days ago, I was locked in a supply room. I slipped on a sheet of paper and I fell on the floor, which was when Muttan got dented. I was up all night making the wood expand so that the dent would have an even depth with the rest of the wood. I'm going to have it resanded and repainted for it to look brand new. It's so inconvenient… Huh… Why are my eyes wet…?"
Before she knew it, she was sniffing and her eyes were brimming with tears. Yui got on all fours above her and gently came down onto her, hugging the raven-haired guitarist gently in her arms. "It's okay Azu-nyan, I'm here. I always will be here for you. I promised, remember?"
Azusa remembered the night of their graduation. It felt as though it had taken place so many years ago, in a far off time where life was much simpler for her. Things felt so different for her now, and yet Azusa knew that she could go on because of the one constant thing that bridged then and now: Hirasawa Yui, who had promised to be there for her.
Always.
"Yes, Azu-nyan, I will always be here for you. So it's okay, you can cry. It's okay to be weak at times too. Rely on your senpai more," whispered Yui as she rolled to the side off of Azusa, her left arm lazily draped over the kouhai's chest.
Yui could feel Azusa's chest gently heaving up and down in a rhythmic motion, her breathing calmly relaxing the brunette. "This is the time for me to assume the role of senpai for her, because this is when she needs me the most. I need to be there for her as a senpai and not a lover for now…"
Azusa gripped Yui's left arm in her right and sat up, eliciting a curious look from the brunette. When her eyes fell on Azusa's face, she saw how cute she really looked, the tears no longer streaming down her face. Her face was reddish, and she had a small smile on her face as the moonlight amplified her moe.
"Oh Azu-nyan, you're really cute," cooed Yui, sitting up and smiling warmly at her beloved kouhai.
Before she could process it, it happened. She felt a warm moist feeling on her cheek as the raven-haired girl kissed her quickly and gently. If she would judge the kiss, it was an embarrassed one. She turned to Azusa who refused to meet her eyes and she decided to test the waters to sate her curiosity.
"Azu-nyan, friendship kiss?" asked Yui softly, her brown orbs never leaving Azusa's form.
Silence, and then:
"…yes," came the soft reply.
The brunette smiled. "I don't really mind because I'm content with the way Azu-nyan and I are right now."
"Okay then. Good night, Azu-nyan. Sleep well. I promise things will be better soon," whispered Yui as she gently rolled over onto her belly, her right arm lying gently across Azusa's chest. To her surprise, Azusa rolled to her right and they were now face to face, their faces illuminated in the pale moonlight. The kouhai smiled warmly and replied,
"Good night, Yui-senpai."
x~~*~~x
The next day, Mugi woke everyone up at eight in the morning – Satoshi and Ui had fallen asleep at the porch, as she had predicted – and said that they would be leaving after lunch. They practiced until eleven in the morning and in between songs, Yui would always try strumming the tune she played for Mio, Mugi and Azusa a few hours ago in the early morning twilight. Sawako took note of this and recognized the song, but her eyes really widened when she realized who the song's artist was.
"Her namesake, huh…," the teacher had mused. She noted that Yui had already perfected the guitar arrangement of the song right before lunch was served. "Good for you, Yui-chan," the sensei said to herself. "If only I had the same courage you do…"
They all left after lunch, with Yumi, Yoshino, Shimako and Sei leaving separately from everyone else. Before they left, Sei discreetly shot Sawako a look that signified their understanding with each other. Both of them remembered everything that had transpired while they were inebriated.
Houkago Tea Time and Okawari left at the same time, by way of two limousines courtesy of Mugi. Ui, Jun and Satoshi would head over to the Hirasawa household while Mugi, Mio, Yui, Ritsu, Azusa and Sawako would head over to Sakura High School.
Nodoka had sent her favorable reply to Yui earlier and said that she would meet them at the same room they had used for the tea party last year. Sawako was able to pull some strings for them to be able to use the room, saying that it would ultimately lead to the resolution of the mass bullying of Sakura High senior Nakano Azusa. The administration heartily agreed and elsewhere, the disciplinary committee emitted a collective sigh of relief at finally having the cases taken away from them.
Sokabe-senpai's reply was not as favorable. She sent a mail to Nodoka saying that she wouldn't be able to make it, but she also attached a lengthy document to her message. She instructed them to read it out to the fan club members.
Two hours later, they were back in Shiga prefecture, at the gates of Sakura High. It was three in the afternoon when Houkago Tea Time, Yamanaka Sawako, and Manabe Nodoka had finished the preparations for the "tea party". All the fan club members were sent messages by both Mugi and Mio saying that there was an impromptu gathering called by Mio herself at the same room they used for the tea party last year.
When fifteen minutes past three struck, the doors opened and the members of Mio's fan club filed in and took their seats at the same tables that had been used before. As planned, Azusa would be backstage with Sawako and Mugi while Mio and Nodoka would mostly do the speaking. Yui and Ritsu would just stand beside them, providing support.
"It's nice to work with you guys again after so long, despite the unfortunate circumstances," whispered Nodoka to Mio as Ritsu called for the chatter to settle down.
"We appreciate it deeply, Nodoka," replied Mio. "We're doing this for Azusa after all."
Nodoka nodded and motioned for Mio to begin speaking. All of this would be adlibbed on Mio's end, and Ritsu just told her to "go with the flow and speak her mind".
"Good afternoon everyone, and thank you for coming to this impromptu meeting this afternoon," began Mio, standing beside Nodoka at the center of the stage, with Yui and Ritsu flanking on either of their sides. "I hope you have all been doing well and doing your best for your futures."
There were murmurs of gratitude from some of the members involving Mio's concern, while others noted that Mio seemed… changed. She didn't seem so unsure anymore as opposed to the time that they had the tea party.
She was surer of herself now, despite coming into this completely unprepared.
"Because I'm doing this for a friend, and because Ritsu is there to support me… I can do this," she thought.
Mio then moved in for the first strike. "Since I've graduated though, I still have some… ears here at Sakura. I've been hearing that some of you—" she shot a piercing look that swept across the room. "—have been giving our rhythm guitarist, Azusa, a… hard time."
She ended that sentence with a sweet tone that was an uncanny impersonation of Dolores Umbridge. Even Ritsu felt as though a wave of cold had swept over the entire present populace.
"I'll be frank," continued Mio, her tone turning businesslike. "Whatever the hell else you guys have planned, knock it off. I get another whiff of this, and I won't acknowledge any of you anymore."
There were loud and audible gasps amongst the audience.
"I mean it," she said evenly, looking over at Nodoka. "Nodoka, please read the message to them from Sokabe-senpai."
"Actually," cut in Yui. "Mio-chan, Nodoka-chan, I want to read the message from Sokabe-senpai to… them."
She pronounced the last word with clear distaste, and some of the fan club members flinched, now rattled that they had received the ire of two members of Houkago Tea Time.
Nodoka nodded and handed her cellular phone over to Yui, who began to crease her eyebrows in concentration.
"To all members of the Akiyama Mio-tan fanclub," began the brunette while the raven-haired bassist internally sighed at the embarrassing nickname bestowed upon her by Sokabe-senpai. "This is your former president, Sokabe Megumi. I've received word from Mio-san herself and my successor Manabe-san that most of you have been targeting the last remaining member of Houkago Tea Time, their rhythm guitarist Nakano Azusa-san."
Yui coughed, shooting the crowd a death glare that made some of the fan club members recede into their seats, the glare from Yui looking extremely at odds with her usual bubbly happy self.
"Now, I may not have known or met Nakano-san in person, but to be a member of Houkago Tea Time, she definitely must be a musician of the highest caliber. For any of you to insinuate that she was merely piggybacking on the talents of Mio-san, Yui-san, Ritsu-san and Tsumugi-san is sheer idiocy. Do you all sincerely believe that HTT would let a talentless guitarist into their band? No, surely not," continued Yui, feeling the anger rise in her, making her blood boil as she felt the disappointment being conveyed by Sokabe-senpai's message.
"To those of you who actively took part in bullying her, I am very displeased with you. To those of you who don't know me, you better listen to me because I started this entire damn club in the first place. To those of you who remained indifferent and didn't act to stop their fellow members from tormenting Nakano-san, I am ashamed of you. Mio-san would've wanted you to stop them. Mio-san wouldn't want any of this. I don't want any of this. So heed my words now: stop what you are doing to Nakano-san," finished Yui, handing Nodoka's phone back to her.
The room was deathly quiet; even Sawako was surprised at the degree of disappointment in the message that the former student council president had issued to the fan club members. What she saw next made her, Nodoka and Azusa shit bricks.
"And personally," began Yui, the anger within her at total odds with her normal demeanor. "I don't know why any of you would do this. Azu-nyan, leeching off of me and Mio-chan's talent?"
A beat and then:
"That's bullshit."
The crowd gasped, unaccustomed to seeing Yui speak and talk and generally act like this. Mugi, Mio and Ritsu had seen this side of Yui once before, but Nodoka, Sawako, and Azusa never saw this side of Yui before. Nodoka most especially was caught off guard. Having known Yui since their kindergarten years, she never would've thought that Yui would one day be able to launch a tirade like this.
"Please. Azu-nyan is a better guitarist than I am. She's been doing it longer than I have. I ask her for tips all the time. She's a very vital member of the club and it disgusts me that you guys treat her that way out of jealousy."
A few people mumbled until Yui silenced them by raising her hand.
"Jealousy. That's what it truly was. Don't even bother denying it. You guys were probably wannabes who wanted to join but didn't have the guts to approach our clubroom two years ago and last year. So none of you have any right to do this to her. What did Azu-nyan ever do to you?" seethed Yui. "I'll tell you what she did: she helped us bring good music to all of you! This is how you repay her— no, us? I'm disgusted."
With that, Yui grabbed Gitah then stormed out of the room leaving all the occupants in the room in stunned silence. Azusa was the first to recover and she dashed out of the room as fast as she could, shouting "Yui-senpai, wait up!" as soon as she exited the room.
"Uh, that's what we wanted to say anyway," began Mio tentatively. "All of you, please lay off Azusa."
The fan club members all nodded; half of them were scared shitless by Yui's anger.
x~~*~~x
"Yui-senpai! There you are," panted Azusa as she found Yui sitting under a tree in the school's grounds, Gitah propped on her legs.
"Hello Azu-nyan," said Yui sweetly. "I did good, didn't I?"
Wordlessly, Azusa knelt down beside the brunette and hugged her. "Yes, Yui-senpai. You did very well. I appreciate it very very much."
After a while, Azusa broke off from Yui who scratched her head embarrassedly. "I really felt mad when I read Sokabe-senpai's message. I shared her sentiments one-hundred percent, and then some."
"And then some?" repeated Azusa, raising an eyebrow in inquiry.
Yui smiled and replied. "Remember the tune I was strumming last night?"
Azusa nodded and Yui continued with a bright smile on her face.
"I perfected it. It's actually a song I've wanted to play for you for a long time."
Azusa smiled and said, "I'd like to hear it very much, Yui-senpai."
Yui nodded and she closed her eyes momentarily before opening them with a renewed vigor in them. "Here we go," she whispered.
x~~*~~x
kimi wa kimi no mama de boku wa boku no mama de subete wakariaetara / While you're who you are and I'm who I am, if we can fully understand each other-
x~~*~~x
nando mo kisetsu wo kasaneta ne ano hi kara kyou made doumoarigatou / We've passed through many seasons; from that day to today, thank you so much
semai roji uramezashi shiroi iki ga odoru / Aiming for a narrow back-alley, our white puffs of breaths dance
itai kurai nigitta te wo hiite kimi wa susunde yuku / Pulling along my hand, which you gripped so tightly that it hurt, you head forward
x~~*~~x
imasugu kiss shitakatta kakureta jihanki no ura / I wanted to kiss you right away as we hid behind the vending machine
hanikande mitsumeatta yasashii KIMOCHI afureta / We looked at each other shyly and tender feelings overflowed
x~~*~~x
kimi wa kimi no mama de boku wa boku no mama de subete wakariaeta nara / While you're who you are and I'm who I am, if we can fully understand each other
futari wa hitotsu da yo / Then the two of us will become one
donna chiisana shiawase mo mitsukedaseru kigasuru yo / No matter how small happiness is, I feel like I can find it
yasashiku nareta no wa kimi no okage / I was able to become kind, thanks to you
x~~*~~x
kami wo kitte mo MEIKU wo kaete mo kizuite kurenai kimi dakedo / Even if I cut my hair, even if I changed my make-up, you wouldn't take notice
nayandeiru kao wa sugu ni wakarunda ne / But you'd understand my troubled face immediately
"Doushita?" tte yasashiku sareru to naketekichau kara / Because you'd say "What's wrong?" kindly to me and it makes me cry
x~~*~~x
utsumuite hiza kakaeta tonari ni kimi ga iru kara / I hung my head and hugged my knees; because you're next to me
konna hi wa nakimushi de yokubari na watashi de ireru yo / On a day like this, I can be greedy and a crybaby
x~~*~~x
kimi wa kimi no mama de zutto kawaranai de toki wo koeta mirai demo / While you're who you are, please don't ever change, even in the future beyond time
futari wa hitotsu da yo / The two of us will become one
yakusoku nanka nakute mo shinjiaeru kigasuru yo / Even if there's no promise, I feel like we can believe in each other
tsuyoku nareta no wa kimi no okage / I was able to become strong, thanks to you
x~~*~~x
"Hey guys, what about Yui and Azusa?" inquired Ritsu as they headed to the gates of Sakura High.
Mugi glanced over at the tree where Yui was playing a song for Azusa, singing while she strummed.
"I think they'll be okay. Let's go!" she said.
x~~*~~x
imasugu dakishimetakute kogoesou na ashi wo tome / Wanting to embrace you right away, I halt my freezing feet
kasanatta mune no oku konna ni mo attakai yo / Deep in my chest pressed against yours, it's so warm even like this
x~~*~~x
kimi wa kimi no mama de boku wa boku no mama de subete uketomerareta / While you're who you are and I'm who I am, if we can accept everything
donna chiisana shiawase mo donna chiisana yorokobi mo / No matter how small happiness is, no matter how small joy is
kanjirareru no wa kimi no okage / I can feel them, thanks to you
x~~*~~x
As Yui finished, Azusa clapped and looked at Yui, her eyes brimming with tears. "I bet you're going to say that it's no good again," said Yui with a light chuckle.
Azusa shook her head and sniffed. "N-No, Yui-senpai… It's beautiful… What's the title of the song?"
"Kimi no Mama de," replied Yui simply. "The artist who sang this song shares your name, Azu-nyan."
Azusa felt like her heart had stopped. It was as if all the torment she had gone through was millennia behind her now. She was in heaven right now, bliss seeping through the entirety of her being.
"…Azusa?" asked the raven-haired girl, wiping her eyes with her arms.
Yui nodded simply and set Gitah on the grass beside her. She leaned towards Azusa and to her satisfaction and surprise, Azusa didn't shy away; she merely stared at Yui with a warm smile on her face, the tears beginning to pool once more.
"Azu-ny—no, Azusa…," whispered Yui softly. "I love you and want to be with you for as long as I live."
Wordlessly, Azusa's lips met Yui's and they kissed a warm and tender kiss. No, this was no friendship kiss. This was a kiss that exuded romantic love between the two of them. It was their first true kiss as a couple, and one that they would remember for the rest of their lives.
When they finally broke apart, Yui just chuckled and put a hand behind her head in embarrassment.
"You know what, Yui-senpai?" she whispered.
"What is it, Azusa?" came the reply.
"I've been waiting for you to say that to me for the longest time," said Azusa as she leaned in towards Yui and kissed her again, her arms encircling the brunette's body. Their tongues danced with one another, and when they finally broke apart, both of them were gasping for breath.
"We're not exactly good at this yet," said Azusa sheepishly as she leaned against Yui's chest.
"Don't worry. We've got a lot of time to practice," said Yui as she caressed the loose tresses on Azusa's face.
"I love you so much, Yui-senpai," whispered Azusa as she took Yui's right hand in her own.
"Me too, Azusa. Me too," said the brunette simply as they lay there and watched the wonderful afternoon sun charge across the sky, a simple reminder that the next time they would see it rising in the east, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.
x~~*~~x
So there you have the end of the training camp arc. Azusa being bullied is finally concretely resolved and YuiAzu has been consummated.
Kimi no Mama de (Stay Who You Are) is the second opening theme of the anime Amagami SS, sung by JPop artist azusa. Lyrics from animelyrics . com
1/3 pairings down. See you next time and Merry Christmas in advance! :)