Part 5

"Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou, Romeo!" Yui stood atop the makeshift stage, the spotlight centered on her as she delivered her lines dramatically, her hand outstretched to the heavens.

There was a deafening silence in the classroom as everyone stared at her with their mouths agape like dying fish.

The guitarist, knowing that her joke didn't seem very funny, looked out into the darkened room, blinking. "Ehe?" She didn't get her lines memorized in time even though she only had one or two important scenes to contend with.

Ritsu's palm hit her face harder than it ever had and she sighed along with the rest of the class.

"WRONG PLAY!" 30 of Yui's classmates chimed in at the same time, making the girl wince as the whole classroom erupted half in laughter and exasperation.

Ritsu shook her head, bounding onstage as she pulled the failed actress off raised platform. "Yui! Did you even learn your lines?"

The air-headed brunette laughed sheepishly, her nervous laughter making Ritsu feel on edge. Usually, that kind of awkward laughter stopped after a couple seconds, but Yui couldn't seem to turn it off.

"Yo! Snap out of it!" Ritsu shook the guitarist roughly, trying to shake out all of ridiculous out of the girl. They were done practice anyway, so it was a nice stress relief, but a whole new stress to deal with in terms of Yui's lack of lines.

"G-g-gomen, Ricchan! I was a little tied up this weekend. I was…helping Azu-nyan with something. Hehe…" Yui smiled sheepishly, trying to escape Ritsu's murderous grasp.

"Well….it's a good thing your part isn't too substantial. Just learn your lines by next week, okay?" Sighing again, the drummer, released her grip on the guitarist.

"Roger! Sir Ricchan sir!" Yui mock saluted, standing at attention before she ran off to help the others tear down their makeshift set.

"Good work, everyone! Especially Ritsu!"

"Yeah! Ritsu had her lines down so perfectly!"

"Thanks to Ritsu, we'll totally be a hit!"

"Definitely! Even with Yui's acting!" Everyone burst out again in laughter at that, the hallway resonating with the girls' voices.

"See you tomorrow!"

Waving goodbye to her classmates, Tainaka Ritsu exited the room, making her way down the hall. Ritsu sighed, relieved that today's rehearsal was finally over. She struggled so hard to recall all those pages she had committed to memory in a mere 48 hours. The drummer knew she couldn't have done it without the help of her very supportive secret weapon. Although Mio really was more of a distraction at times…a very pleasant distraction, but a distraction nonetheless.

Ritsu had a contemplative look on her face, wondering how she should act when she sees her best friend for the first time after what happened this weekend. Their whole setup was confusing to say the least. Was what they had purely physical?

Furrowing her brows in deep concentration, Ritsu abruptly snapped out of her thoughts as she found herself in front of the music room. Without realizing, her legs had carried her up that flight of stairs to a very familiar set of wooden doors. Standing there for a moment, Ritsu hesitated, her hand hovering over the handle. Her ears perked up at the faint sounds of a bass guitar playing some complicated technical riffs through the door.

Taking a deep breath, Ritsu walked into the club room and once again, she found herself alone with Akiyama Mio. The bassist was set up on the far side of the room by the window, her slender fingers plucking the thick metal strings of her bass. Mio looked up when the door opened, pausing slightly when she locked eyes with Ritsu. Her cheeks colored slightly, but she smiled and offered a quiet hi.

Ritsu smiled back shyly, but she diverted her attention from Mio as she spotted Azusa's bright red Mustang propped up against the wall beside the bassist. "Hey, Mio. Where's Azusa?"

This time, Mio didn't look up as she continued strumming quietly. "She was here earlier, but she just left a couple of minutes ago saying she needed to speak to Yui. I'm surprised you didn't see her on the way up here." Pausing, Mio hoisted her bass up, working the strap over her head as she set her guitar down, walking over to the door where Ritsu was standing.

"Oh. I guess we just missed each other." Ritsu was rather dazed, wondering if this past weekend at her house was all just a dream. It was just so surreal to talk to Mio at school like nothing happened between them. It was just so strange to talk to Mio without remembering how the girl practically knocked her down and had her way with her. It only lasted for ten long and blissful minutes, but Ritsu's mind was still fresh with the sensation of Mio's lips, her body and the way the bassist ran her hands across her skin. She wondered if it was at all normal for best friends to make out with their hands up each other's shirts…

"So…how was that practice, Ritsu?"

Ritsu was jarred out of her thoughts by Mio's question and the drummer was surprised to find that the bassist had moved closer than she expected.

"It was really good." Ritsu offered up a nervous smile, brushing past Mio as she threw her schoolbag onto the club couch, walking over to their tea table.

"Really now?" Mio raised an eyebrow, wondering if Ritsu's lack of enthusiasm in her response was evidence that something had gone wrong. The bassist bit her lip, feeling a sort of tension in the air between them.

"Mhmm. " Without turning to face Mio, Ritsu poured herself a cup of tea, replying with a noncommittal answer. She pretended to be looking at some scores that were laid out on the table, flipping through them half-heartedly.

Mio stood rooted to her spot near the door and after knowing Ritsu for most of her life, she knew when the drummer was giving her the cold shoulder.

What they were doing wasn't right. It wasn't healthy for them not to talk about it, but talking was exactly what neither of them wanted to do. Even after the steamy encounter they had over the weekend, they reverted back to normal right after, refusing to admit that anything was different.

Again, the two were back to square one as they stood meters apart in the room, an awkward silence settling in around them. Neither of them said anything more but both of them had questions and feelings they so desperately wanted to bring to light.

"I-"

"Ritsu-"

They both started at the same time and they had a sense of deja vu. They seemed to be rather off-sync recently and it wasn't the first time that they clashed like this.

Again, there was a brief silence before Ritsu finally turned, her hands trembling slightly.

"Mio, what are we doing?" The drummer's voice dripped with an edge of contempt, mixed together with a certain sadness. She avoided Mio's gaze, staring angrily at the floor.

"I…I don't know, Ritsu." Mio felt guilty, her chest tightening as she caught a glimpse of how utterly exhausted her friend looked. She knew that their relationship was the cause of it all, but it was confusing even to her. The bassist simply just didn't know what she wanted. What was Ritsu to her?

Taking another deep breath, Ritsu shut her eyes as she tried to think of a way to fix everything. There were a string of words that dangled on the tip of her tongue. The brunette so desperately wanted to let them out, but her conscience told her that it would be anything but beneficial to let Mio know the truth. However, completely disregarding reason, Ritsu steeled her nerves as she took yet another breath.

"I think I'm in love with you, Mio."

The words came out in one fluid breath, punctuating the silence between them.

At that moment, Mio felt like time had stopped. It was like she forgot to breathe as Ritsu said those words. It hit her like a wall and the bassist didn't know if she loved Ritsu or not. What was love anyway? What did it mean when her best friend said those words? What was going to change now? Mio's head was crammed with questions and she was beyond overwhelmed. All her favorite shoujo manga depicted girls and their princes and Mio wondered that if in this situation, she was the princess and Ritsu, her prince charming. It didn't fit though. Something was very different in this particular scenario.

They were both girls.

"You don't have to give me an answer now, but…will you please…say something?" Ritsu's voice was more timid than ever, making the girl more feminine and vulnerable than Mio had seen before.

Her breathing coming quite quickly, Mio didn't understand what she felt. She was completely speechless. Until recently, Ritsu had always just been her best friend and nothing more, but the line was now blurred.

"Mio…" Taking a step forward, Ritsu pleaded with the girl, her eyes starting to sting with the tears she was trying so hard to hold back.

"I-I…I need to think about it." Mio didn't know what else to say. She did need time to think about it and she didn't know what else to tell the other girl.

Smiling sadly, Ritsu shook her head. "I…I just don't get what you need to think about. We kissed. You kissed me the other night."

Swallowing hard, Mio knew that was true. There was nothing else she wanted to do in that moment in Ritsu's room other than kiss the girl silly, but what her body wanted didn't make sense. Mio knew that from previous experiences, physical contact was just that. Kissing was kissing. Feelings didn't need to be involved.

"I'm sorry. I just need to…sort things out. I told you before, Ritsu. Kissing…and dating…I just…I'm confused about where I stand right now." Mio turned away, walking over to her bass as she quickly packed her things away.

For a second, Ritsu just stood there, watching as Mio ran from her feelings. She was hurt, but Mio had said no. She didn't say yes either, but it wasn't a rejection.

Zipping up her nylon guitar case, Mio grabbed her schoolbag from its spot on the couch and she headed towards the door quickly, almost desperately.

"Mio, wait!"

At that, Mio stopped, hesitantly turning back to Ritsu.

Closing the distance between them in a few quick strides, Ritsu grabbed the bassist's free hand, gripping her wrist tightly as she stared down those blue eyes that were so clouded with turmoil. "Mio, I get it. I understand. I'll give you as much time as you want, but just make sure you think this through and make a decision you won't regret…I…I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything just because you're afraid to hurt my feelings. We're best friends first above anything else. Remember that."

Mio nodded wordlessly, taken aback by Ritsu's maturity. More than anything, she was touched by what the girl said, her heart was racing in a way that she knew wasn't normal. This sensation used to be unfamiliar, but now, it was usually just reserved for Ritsu. The sight of Ritsu made her heart flutter, made her breath catch in her throat and made her palms sweat. The way Ritsu was making her feel, the way her words were making her stomach do flip flops…it could've fooled Mio into thinking that maybe she really was in love with her best friend.

Azusa tried to swallow her nerves as she walked over to the second year's classroom. She could still hear the hustle and bustle of people inside, the last of the play equipment being packed away. Listening carefully, the young girl could pick out a certain voice, a voice that she could recognize anywhere. "Yui-sempai…"

Behind the closed doors, Azusa could hear Yui fooling around with her classmates, poking fun and teasing them like she did to her. It made the guitarist wonder if she was just another one of those girls that Yui liked to tease. Leaning against the wall, Azusa just listened to the chatter and banter for a while, growing increasingly more jealous as eavesdropped. She sulked, clenching her fists and crumpling a wrinkled piece of paper held tightly in her left hand.

"Azusa-chan?"

Azusa froze at the sound of her name. She turned to her right where a blonde head was poking out of the classroom door, looking curiously at her.

"What are you doing here? Are you waiting for us?" That gentle voice was confused, wondering why the twintail girl wasn't in the music room with the others.

"Mugi-sempai! I…I was just wondering…where Yui-sempai was. I wanted to talk to her about…this riff…in Pure Pure Heart. I was kind of stuck on it." Azusa lied through her teeth as she stared Mugi down, hoping that she wouldn't be found out.

"Oh! Okay!" Smiling kindly, Mugi's eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement as she heard Azusa's very poor excuse. "Let me get her for you!" The blonde disappeared into the classroom for a couple seconds before reappearing with a dazed Yui by her side.

No questions asked, no comments made. Mugi- sempai really was the best Azusa thought. However, little to Azusa's knowledge, it was just that Mugi knew so much that she didn't even need to ask questions. Such was the power of the rich girl's deductive skills and expertise in these types of relationships.

"Oh, you were looking for me, Azu-nyan?" Yui was her usual happy and clueless self, smiling widely at the sight of her favorite kouhai.

"Y-Yeah…I was. Can you come with me, Yui-sempai? I need to talk to you about something." Azusa blushed as she looked down at her feet, clenching her fists even tighter.

"Sure!" Yui exclaimed before she turned to Mugi who was watching the short exchange with a knowing smirk on her face. "Mugi, you go ahead to the music room. Azu-nyan and I will be back later~!"

"Roger!" Mugi mimicked Yui's earlier action as she saluted, returning to the classroom.

Left alone in the hallway, Azusa was trying to remember the next step in her plan of action, but with Yui staring at her, it was hard to recall her detailed five page scenario outline for this moment. All her planning seemed to be in vain as her mind was as blank as Yui's stare.

"So, Azu-nyan, how about we go somewhere a little more private? You needed to talk to me, right?" Yui smiled softly and Azusa noticed that the brunette was trying her best not to be so silly today. The young guitarist wondered why her sempai didn't show this more mature side of her more often.

"Let's…go to the roof." The words tumbled out of Azusa's mouth without a second thought. She just needed somewhere quiet and isolated and the roof of their school after the end of classes seemed so ideal.

"Good idea." Yui kept her distance behind Azusa as they made their trek up the stairs to the top floor.

They were both quiet as they walked there, a nervous energy flitting between them. Azusa was beside herself with worry, trying to organize her thoughts and feelings so she could somehow convey them in an articulate fashion.

As they climbed the final flight of stairs to the roof, a voice broke the silence.

"I had fun this weekend, Azu-nyan." Yui had a soft expression on her face, remembering the quiet night they spent watching movies after they had given up on practicing lines.

"I-I'm glad you did." Azusa smiled, loving how the older girl knew how to say the right things at the right times to make her feel better. She felt less uneasy now knowing that Yui was her friend first and her crush second. Her heart was still thudding hard against her chest, but she was determined to make things work. She knew that Yui wasn't graduating yet, but she didn't want to waste this time they had left together.

Reaching the metal door to the school's rooftop, Azusa took a deep breath as she opened the door. A crisp breeze whipped her hair back and forth once she stepped out into the open area, her cheeks turning red from the cold weather. It seemed that just seconds ago, neither of them found a problem with going up to the roof in the middle of winter. It was definitely deserted though.

"S-so cold!" Yui jumped up and down, trying to get warmer as she followed Azusa out onto the roof.

Turning abruptly, Azusa stuttered, the cold wind nipping her to the bone. "I-I-I'll make this quick! I-"

Yui interrupted at that moment, grabbing Azusa by the shoulders. "A-Azusa, as your sempai, let me go first."

The younger girl was taken aback, shocked by the fiery gaze in Yui's eyes as she said her name in a way she had never heard before.

"I'm completely in love with you!" Yui screamed the words from the top of her lungs, the cold winter air rushing into her throat. The guitarist started coughing violently at the exposure to the cold air, letting go of Azusa as she coughed into her hands.

"E-e-eeehh?! W-What do you mean b-b-by that?!" Azusa's mind was spinning, her ears ringing from the shock as she stood there, watching Yui hack and cough due to the cold air. Maybe she was dreaming, maybe she had fallen on her way up to the roof and hit her head. There was no way that what she was hearing was real. She had half expected Yui to tell her that she forgot her mittens today or forgot her house keys again for the fiftieth time.

She felt faint. The young girl with twintails was having a wonderful dream and she didn't want to wake up. That's it. It was all a dream. It had to be.

"Azusa." Again, Yui reverted back to her serious mode, clearing her throat as if she were about to make some kind of grand speech. "You're not only Azu-nyan to me. You're my kouhai, my Azusa. Don't tell the other club members this…but I like Azu-nyan the best. I like you the best out of everyone at school. I'm crazy about you. I don't want to graduate without you and the thought of Azusa getting a boyfriend just…makes me sad, so…would you go out with me?"

"Yui-sempai…" Azusa's cheeks grew warmer and redder not from the winter air that bit at her cheeks, but from the strange increase in her body temperature from the words that her beloved sempai had stolen right from her well-rehearsed speech. Azusa looked down at the piece of paper that had been scrunched up beyond recognition by her own sweaty hands and wondered what she was to do now.

"Azu-nyan?" Yui scratched her head sheepishly, waiting for a response. "I hope you heard that…because I might find it kind of hard to say all over again…" The brunette was blushing now, idly kicking the pebbles around her feet. Hirasawa Yui wasn't usually a shy girl, but there were some things that the flamboyant guitarist couldn't handle.

Her entire frame shaking, Azusa bit her bottom lip. Deciding her next step in a split second, she thrust the wrinkled note at Yui's chest, unable to say anything else before she turned and bolted down the stairs, her face burning with embarrassment. She didn't know what to do. She had everything planned out but it had gone south, so she ran.

Standing there, Yui's jaw dropped open as she watched Azusa's figure disappear down the dark stairwell. She thought it was nothing if not a perfect confession. She even practiced on Ui a couple of times and her younger sister told her that her plan was genius. Completely stumped, Yui wondered what she did wrong. She looked down at the crumpled paper in her hand, gingerly unfolded it and started reading what she knew for sure was Azusa's neat handwriting.

"Mio-chan? What are you doing here?" Mugi was puzzled, wondering why she was finding her light music club members in places she didn't expect them to be in today. The blonde had been making her way to the music room when she passed classroom 2-A, noticing that there was a figured seated at the back of the rom.

The tall and slender bassist was seated at her desk in her empty classroom, her bass propped up against the wall behind her. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her feet perched on the edge of her chair. Mio had an expression that Mugi had never seen. She seemed lost, unsure and just wallowing in her own misery.

"I'm just…thinking about something." Mio's voice was lacklustre and hollow, alarming her blonde friend.

"Tell me about it, Mio-chan. Maybe we can figure this out together." Taking a seat beside the girl, Mugi put her skills of logic to the test, knowing that this predicament probably had something to do with a certain Tainaka Ritsu.

"It's Ritsu."

Mugi smiled knowingly. She was right as always.

"She…told me that she was in love with me." Mio's voice shrunk as she said this, the words feeling foreign to her own ears. She needed someone to confide in and she knew Mugi wouldn't be one to spread rumors or make any unreserved judgements.

"How do you feel about Ritsu?" The blonde heiress struggled to contain her excitement. She saw hints of their drama behind the scenes, but now it was full blown. However, now, Mio was in a predicament and she needed to devote her time to helping her friend instead of relishing the juiciness of the drama that was just so common in these all girls' schools.

"I'm…not sure…I mean Ritsu's my best friend. I've known her since preschool. I don't know how I feel about her." Mio's thoughts wandered to all the times she hung out with Ritsu. They had been together for so long that she didn't think much of it.

"Well, girls always say to picture kissing a person to see whether you like them or not. If you can't even stand imaging kissing that person, then a romantic relationship isn't the answer." Mugi had a thoughtful look on her face, trying to figure out a way to help her friend.

"I…we've kissed already…a couple of times…" Mio sunk into her seat further as her cheeks started to turn red from embarrassment. Even though it was just Mugi, it was strange to talk about kissing Ritsu to anyone.

"Oh! Then…" Mugi blinked, not expecting such a turn of events from the innocent couple. Thinking again, the girl came up with something else. "Then how about putting some distance between you two? You might not know how you feel about someone close to you until they're not there anymore. You might be taking her for granted."

"Distance…?" Mio thought about the idea and it seemed to make sense. She had never been away from Ritsu for more than a week and that was only once when the drummer's family went on a vacation to Germany last year.

"Maybe this will finally make you realize how you really feel about Ritsu if you don't see her for a while."

Mio gave the idea some thought and for now, it seemed like the best thing to do in her situation."Thanks, Mugi." With that, Mio reached a new resolve. She knew what she needed to do.

A/N: Lolol I'm sooo sorry. I totally forgot to put in line dividers as some people have pointed out! My apologies. Lol cheesy drama plot too. Hope you enjoyed it anywway.

Please read and review! Thanks :)