Disclaimer: I don't own K-On. Neither do I own SAO. That is all.:D
KingofBeasts Productions Presents:
K-Online: A Sword Art Online and K-On Crossover
Chapter 4: Don't Say Lazy
December 16, 2022. 2nd Floor: Urbus
"So, how do you and Mio-san know each other in real life, Taiga-san?"
Asuna had been meaning to ask Taiga that question for awhile now. She had been with them a full two weeks since they've cleared the Floor 1, and she really wanted to get to know her new comrades.
"We're childhood friends, her and I." Taiga laughed as she reclined on her chair. They've been fortunate enough to get a good room in the town they were staying in "She was always such a scaredy cat. Even up to college she still gets scared at horror movies and blood."
"Oh..." Asuna said thoughtfully "That explains a lot." She thought of what happened over the week; the black-haired beauty being unable to move when they faced that slime monster (note, she wasn't in paralysis), the time she passed out when a jack-in-the-box kind of monster burst from a treasure chest she opened, and not to mention that incident with when they wandered through that graveyard by themselves. Mio as still clinging to her for dear life after they passed through.
"It does. I usually scare her for kicks." Taiga chuckled, shifting her weight slightly to relax in her chair. On the table before her were a teapot, three teacups, and assorted treats arranged on a plate.
"That's not very nice, Taiga." Asuna said as she shook her head. The girl with the long, flowing chestnut brown hair sighed, finding her new companions a bit strange.
"Seriously though," Taiga said thoughtfully, her body relaxing a little as she grabbed a cookie and took a bite"She may be terribly shy, but when it counts, Mio really comes through."
"Oh?" Asuna smiled as he sat beside Taiga, interested in her story.
"Yeah," Taiga continued "There was that one time, during our High School festival, we were going to perform with our band and she had to take lead vocals. She was so terrified that she was shaking like a leaf all the way. Still, she did great...Though something funny happened afterward." She giggled.
"Why? What happened?" Asuna asked, her curiosity piqued "Wait, you guys are in a band?"
"I'll let Mio herself answer the first question." Taiga chuckled "And yes, she and I are in the same band."
"What instrument did you play?" Asuna asked, waiting for the other girl's answer.
"Drums." Taiga grinned. "While Mio played bass."
"Ah, I see!" Asuna put a finger on her chin in thought, then smiled at Taiga "You're fortunate that you have such a close friend from real life with you in this death game. Not many people are that lucky." She smiled sadly at the other girl.
"Yeah, I am lucky." Taiga looked thoughtful, then beamed at Asuna "But you're lucky too."
"Eh?" Asuna raised an eyebrow, cocking her slightly to the left, upon hearing that statement "How so?"
"'Cause we're your friends too." Taiga simply stated without any underlying motive. Her grin was huge and goofy, much like a certain scatterbrained guitarist she knew. I wonder how Yui's doing? She thought.
Asuna stayed silent at first, her brain registering Taiga's words. Finally, she let a a small smile at the other girl's direction. "Thank you, Taiga." She said, her smile radiant and glowing "I really needed that."
"No biggie, Asuna-chan." Taiga smiled softly at the rapier wielder "I'm sure Mio would tell you the same thing. Speaking of which..."
Asuna looked puzzled, then nodded in understanding, finishing Taiga's sentence for her with three words: "Where is she?"
~0~
The bassist in question was sitting by herself on a hill over looking the town. In her grasp was a [Guitar] she bought from town last week. Once she saw it being sold by one of the NPC vendors, she made a beeline for it and used whatever Col she could spare to buy the said item.
"Just because we're stuck here doesn't mean I'll give up playing music." She explained to Taiga once she bought the instrument, and that was the truth. The fact that there is a [Musical Instrument] skill mastery present made Mio even happier. Yet, she could not explain why she was so bent on improving this skill. Could it be because she doesn't want to forget the life she left behind, or perhaps more?
These thoughts were not present on her head as she strummed the [Guitar], her fingers moving dexterously as she played the instrument. "Amazing..." Mio said quietly, impressed that even delicate movements from the fingers and the telltale twang from the guitar strings were captured and rendered perfectly into this virtual world. Like it or not, she had to give Kayaba Akihiko credit for having captured such complex motions into a game such as this.
Taking a deep breath, Mio took out a recording crystal and, upon activating it, began playing one of the songs she performed with Hokago Tea Time. She lost track of time; the seconds became minutes and the minutes became hours. Soon enough, the sun began to set.
"Wow, it's almost night time..." Mio said thoughtfully, then her face suddenly paled. She immediately realized that once nightfall hits, more aggressive monsters would come out. Not to mention that she was alone and it will soon be dark; a bad combination for the easily frightened Mio.
"Oh crap!" Mio hastily kept the instrument in her inventory and ran back to town as fast as her legs would carry her. Sure, she had her new sword [Curved Saber] with her, but it would prove to be of little use to her if she got surrounded.
So she kept running, her long black hair trailing behind her, until she was nearing the town gates. "I'm almost there..." She thought happily to herself. Unfortunately, those thoughts distracted her, unaware that she was about to collide with someone until it was too late. She bumped into the person with a thud and land on her butt.
"Owowow..." Mio whined as she rubbed her backside.
"Sorry about that, miss." The stranger offered his hand to her in order to help her up "I hope you're not hurt or anything."
"I-I'm okay." Mio stammered, obviously happy that it wasn't a monster. She looked up as she took his hand and her eyes widened in recognition. He had a little more armor than when they first met, but that roguish face and the red bandanna on around his brown hair were a dead giveaway.
"Klein-san, is that you?" Mio asked as she he helped her to her feet.
"Well, if it isn't Mio-san!" Klein grinned at her feet "What are you doing here at this time of day? Were you farming?"
"Farming?" Mio asked, curious as she had never heard the term before.
"It means fighting monsters for experience and Col." Klein grinned at the young girl "Is this your first MMO?"
"Mhmm..." Mio nodded, looking sheepish.
"Hey, hey. It's fine. I didn't start so well myself." Klein laughed as he patted the girl's head reassuringly, causing her to blush slightly. "Howabout I walk you back to your inn?" He asked after awhile, to which Mio answered with a nod. They walked through the town gate and began making their way to the inn Mio was staying in.
"Hey, where's your friend. Taiga was her name, right?" Klein asked.
"It is." Mio responded, walking side by side with the guy "And she's staying at the inn along with a friend we met along the way. How about you? Kirito-san told us that you were with your friends."
"You ran into Kirito?" Klein inquired, looking slightly shocked. Mio simply responded with a nod. Damn, missed him again...the brown-haired warrior shook himself out of his reverie and turned back to Mio
"Anyway, my friends are resting at another inn nearby. They should be fine without me. So..." Klein paused to take a questioning look at Mio "You never told me what you were doing by the gate."
"I was just doing some strolling." Mio said after a while.
"Outside of town?" Klein asked her with a raised eyebrow "You do know how dangerous it is, right?"
"Hey, I can take care of myself!" Mio retorted, the fighting spirit she awakened during the battle with the first boss brimming through the surface.
"Says the girl who got chased by a wild boar!" Klein shot back, his grin wide as he teased the raven-haired bassist.
"Is that so?" Klein's goofy grin instantly vanished when, in blink of an eye, he found Mio's curved blade pointed at his throat, the tip barely touching the skin as he felt the cold steel pressed against it. When he nervously looked at her face, she saw a glint in her eye, accompanied by a mischievous smirk.
"I-I see your point. S-sorry..." He stammered nervously, his hands raised in surrender as he did not want to get gutted by the angry raven-haired bassist. He sighed in relief when she grinned contentedly and, after pulling her sword away in one swift motion, sheathed the blade.
"Good." Mio smirked, satisfied with the results "You can make it up to me by taking me to that restaurant." She pointed to the place nearby "I hear that the chocolate cakes are good." She paused before a mischievous smile emerged from her delicate features "And expensive."
"Eeeh?!" Klein gasped in disbelief "B-but Mio-san..." He stopped when he saw Mio walk towards the restaurant before he could finish. He sighed, utterly defeated, as he went to follow the girl.
"Geez, when did she get so strong-willed?" he muttered under his breath as he submitted to her will. Little did they know that they were being followed by a hooded individual.
~0~
"Ahh!" Taiga sighed happily the moment she exited the bathroom, her hair and body wrapped in a towel "That bath felt great!"
Asuna simply nodded her head in agreement. She was clad in a white nightgown, having already taken a bath earlier. "Any word from Mio-san yet?" She asked, concern etching her features.
"Nope." Taiga answered when she checked her messages. Moments later, she received a notification and immediately checked her messages. Sure enough, it was from Mio.
Mio: Out with Klein-san. Will be back as soon as possible ;)
Klein-san, huh? There will be much grilling later on. Taiga smirked after reading the message. She opened her equipment menu and, after some presses of a button, put on beige pajamas and her signature headband.
"That was Mio." Taiga explained, flopping herself on the bed "She's out with a friend in town, so we don't have to worry about her getting jumped by mobs or anything."
"That's a relief." Asuna smiled, seating herself down on the bed beside Taiga's. "So, tell me more about your band, Taiga-san."
Seeing that she was eager to hear more about HTT, Taiga grinned "Well, you already know me, the ever lovable drummer, and our moe princess Mio..."
"Moe?" The chestnut brown-haired girl looked puzzled at Taiga's description of her friend.
"I'll show you when we get out of here." Taiga grinned. Asuna's emotions, however, shifted upon hearing those words. Her expression softened, a hint of sadness could be found in her eyes, complimenting the slight frown on her face perftectly.
"Ne, Taiga?"
"What is it?" The other girl responded
"We are getting out of here, right?" Asuna asked, looking very unsure as she spoke the words.
"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" Taiga turned to the other girl, surprised by her sudden melancholy.
"I-it's nothing." Asuna lied, smiling sweetly to hide her fears.
"Sorry, I'm not buying it." Taiga sat up and turned to Asuna with a stern look in her hazel eyes. "I can tell that something's eating you faster than a friend of mine eats cakes. Though if you don't feel like telling me, that's fine. I don't wanna force you to do something you don't want to do."
Asuna giggled slightly at the analogy, which Taiga took as took as a good sign. She quickly returned to her crestfallen expression afterwards. "Fine, I'll tell you." Turning to her friend with a sad smile, she began to tell her what's on her mind.
"When this game- no, this nightmare started, I was so scared. For a week, cried myself to sleep inside the inn at the beginner's town, thinking that my life was over. After that, I decided that if I'm going to die, I'll do so with my head held high. Even if I die fighting, I will not lose to this world!"
At this point, Taiga can only stare as Asuna, her light brown eyes narrowing dangerously, took a deep breath before continuing. "So I decided to fight. It came to the point that I almost killed myself more than once, but I didn't care. I was so fixated on fighting that I didn't bother to think about whether I was going to survive the next day, and yet..." those brown eyes softened, showing a hint of sadness "I'm still wondering why I'm here."
Taiga felt sorry for this girl who, before meeting her and Mio, had to wander this game alone. Sure, she made a friend in Kirito, but Taiga could see the sadness in her eyes. If I didn't have Mio with me, I'd probably be the same way...
Taiga rose from her bed, then sat down beside Asuna. Without any hesitation, she put an arm around the younger girl. "Oy, oy. You're not alone. Not anymore."
Asuna turned to Taiga, who had her signature grin plastered on her face "You're with us now. Me and Mio, we'll be there if you need us. As for the reason why you're here..." She paused, thinking hard on her next words, before continuing "I'm not sure why I'm in this game either. But don't worry, we'll figure it out together. So, please; try to live until we finish this game, alright?"
There was no denying that the rapier wielder had her doubts. Still, what Taiga said did give Asuna some hope. She smiled at the her and gave the brunette a slight nod. "Okay. I'll try."
"That's the spirit!" Taiga grinned as she slapped Asuna hard on the back, causing her to wince in pain.
"Yeowch! Watch it!" She whimpered, glaring at the brunette.
"Whoops, my bad!" Taiga chuckled. Relieved that her new comrade was feeling much better, she decided to change the subject.
"Anyway, about my band..."
~0~
"Now isn't this nice?"
Nice my ass. Klein wisely kept that thought to himself as he sat with Mio inside the local restaurant. He didn't appreciate being forced to pay for a chocolate cake that cost 200 Col. 200 Col! Do you know how much health potions I can buy with that?
As much as he wanted to grumble, Klein couldn't deny that he enjoyed the company. Despite the bother she put him through, he found that he enjoyed talking with Mio. She was smart, graceful and kind, if you can get past her new-found snarkiness. Not to mention; with those grey orbs, long jet-black hair that flows with the wind, and those delicate features, she was pretty easy on the eyes...
"Uhm...are you okay, Klein-san?" He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Mio's voice "Your face just turned red."
Damn it, Klein! Keep it together! He shook his head, his voice stammering as he talked "I-I'm fine! N-nothing to worry about!" He laughed nervously, hoping that the girl in front of him didn't see his nervousness.
Mio, on the other hand, just shrugged her shoulders and casually scooped up a piece of chocolate cake, her expression slightly bewildered. "Okay, if you say so..."
He sighed in relief, glad that she didn't seem to notice his earlier shyness. That, or she noticed but didn't seem to care much. That, however, is besides the point.
He then began to notice something; While she was slowly savoring her cake, Mio stole glances around the room, each time with a somber expression on her face. Curious, he began to look around as well, and realized why Mio looked troubled.
She was taking a look at the others in the restaurant. Each person a player like they are. After a few moments of observation, he saw what the gray-eyed bassist saw; many of them were slouched over the seats, their faces gaunt and aged, their movements sluggish. What caught his attention the most, however, were their eyes: they were dulled and lifeless, as if a dense fog descended over them. They were devoid of any hope or peace of mind. If anything, it looked like something in them died.
"So, you see it too?" Mio asked him when she saw him glancing at the players as well.
"Yeah..." Klein, with a frown on his face, looked thoughtful when he turned to Mio. After some thought, a sad smile encroached on his face "I guess this what this game does to you. No, this isn't a game anymore, isn't it?"
"You're right there. I wish we could do something for them." Mio said, scooping up a piece of rich, dark brown chocolate pastry as she observed the people around them "It's been the same story everywhere I went; people becoming so desperate that they do..." She was unable to finish her sentence, the memory of people jumping off the floating castle in desperation still fresh on her mind.
"I hear you." Klein nodded, understanding what she was trying to say. "I've seen people lose their minds in this place. Still, all that does is make you lose all hope. And hope is very important, especially now." His face broke out into a wide grin "It's the thing that keeps the ones still fighting going."
Mio laughed at his simple, yet concise answer. She admired this man's ability to look at the bright side, even in the darkest of situations "How do you do it?" her dainty lips curved into a smile as she asked him the question. "How do you keep going even if everyone around you lost hope?"
"Good question." Klein answered back, rubbing his chin in thought. "Hmm...I guess it's 'cause I think of more important things."
"Like friends and family?"
"True, but it's not just that." He continued to explain "I think about the things I love; things that are important and make me happy, which in my case, is video games and getting a girlfriend."
While Mio could definitely see his point, she could still feel an eye twitch as she gave him a questioning glare "...You're not saying this to hit on me, are you?"
"N-no, of course not!" He stammered, completely caught off guard and, flustered, said what was on his mind "T-though I-I wouldn't mind d-dating someone as pretty as you!"
"Baka!"
This earned a Klein one bonk on the head usually reserved for Taiga. As much as she enjoyed watching Klein nurse his head, Mio had to admit that Klein had a strong point. Think about the things you love, huh?
Suddenly, an idea came to her. It was something she could do that will not only lift her own spirits, but of those around her as well. She managed to take a glance at a couple of boxes in the corner; their shape eerily similar to a cajon. This is perfect! With that thought in mind, she opened her Private Messages tab and began typing.
"You're planning something."
"Yup."
"Mind telling me about it?" Klein asked out of curiousity.
"You'll just have to wait and see." Mio gave a him a knowing smile, her gray eyes twinkling in anticipation. In response, he shrugged and just took her word for it. Little did they know that the hooded figure sat a few chairs behind them, watching the raven-haired bassist intently.
"No way...it's really her."
~0~
"Ehh? You know Tsumugi-san?"
Asuna could not believe her ears when she listened to Taiga's stories about HTT. In turn, Taiga was genuinely shocked to find that Asuna knew their resident keyboardist.
"Wait, how do YOU know Mugi?"
"Our fathers happen to be good friends and occasional business partners." Asuna explained "Every so often, our families would get together for brunch. And I have to say, Tsumugi-san makes very good tea.
"That I'll have to agree with." Taiga chuckled. It was comforting to see that she and Asuna found common ground. "Mugi-chan's also one kick-ass keyboardist."
"I know. I've heard her play a couple of times." Asuna began to look thoughful "Now that you mentioned it, she did mention her band a couple of times. I can't believe you're the drummer she calls 'Ricchan'!"
"Believe it. That's just how awesome I am." Taiga grinned. She was about to say something else when the telltale chime of getting a message sounded.
"Eh, what's this?" She opened her inbox and found another message from Mio.
Mio: Meet me at the restaurant a few blocks from here. I'll explain everything when you arrive.
"Was that from Mio-san?" Asuna inquired.
"Yup. She wants us to meet us at that restaurant nearby. Wanna come?"
Asuna contemplated on the brunette's invitation. Moments later, a grin was on her face. Her answer, clear.
"Sure, why not?"
~0~
Taiga and Asuna had to change to change from their pajamas into more casual wear before making their way to the restaurant. While Taiga wore a loose white shirt and brown trousers with boots, Asuna had a yellow sweater with a brown skirt and long boots on. As soon as they got changed, they headed for the restaurant.
"We're here!"
They saw that Mio was sitting on a stool in the middle of a makeshift stage, tuning the [Guitar] while Klein was helping her by carrying a cajon to the stage. All while everyone else present didn't even notice.
"So," Taiga asked as she and Asuna came closer, a little surprised by these turn of events "What's all this?"
"Just acting on something I learned today." Mio smiled as she invited her friend to come up on stage. "I was just thinking of the things I love, and I remembered why I bought this guitar in the first place: To make music and to make people happy with it; something I know that makes me happy. So is performing with you, Ricchan."
Seeing that the Taiga was listening intently, she continued away "I want these people to have hope, the same kind of hope you've instilled in me this past month. So, how about we liven up this place, HTT style?"
For a few brief moments, Taiga gave it some thought. Once she made up her mind, she turned to her longtime friend with a huge grin. "Like you have to ask!"
She climbed up the stage while Asuna took a seat, eager to watch the performance.
"I gotta say," Taiga grinned as she sat atop the cajon, tapping it lightly to test it "You've become more confident in yourself, Mio. Maybe it's time to find yourself a boyfriend. One's a lot close than you think..." She glanced knowingly at Klein, who took a seat near Asuna.
This in turn, caused Mio to blush profusely. "B-baka Ritsu!"
"At least that hasn't changed." Taiga chuckled while waiting for her friend to finish tuning. "What are we singing, by the way?"
"Don't Say Lazy."
"Good choice, though it's gonna sound different from how we usually do it. You ready?"
As an answer, Mio nodded with determination.
"One, two, three, four." At the end of Taiga's countdown, she began to slap the cajon to an easy, yet powerful rhythm. At the same time, Mio sang as she strummed the guitar with ease. She was no Yui, but she could hold her own with the instrument. This time, the song was done in a smooth and easy tune, not with the usual rock vibes it had.
Please don't say "You are lazy"
datte hontou wa Crazy
hakuchoutachi wa sou
mienai toko de BATAashi suru n desu
honnou ni juujun chuujitsu honrou mo juujuu shouchi
zentoyouyou dashi...
dakara tama ni kyuukei shichau n desu
People began to to turn their heads after hearing the first verse. While some people weren't as responsive, the fact that they were all listening intently, especially the hooded figure in the back, was a positive sign.
kono me de shikkari misadamete
yukisaki chizujou MAAKU shite
chikamichi areba sore ga oudou
hashoreru tsubasa mo areba joutou
..
YABA tsume wareta GURUU de hoshuu shita
sore dake de nanka tasseikan
daiji na no wa jibun kawaigaru koto
jibun wo aisanakya hito mo aisenai
..
Please don't say "You are lazy"
datte hontou wa Crazy
nou aru taka wa sou
mienai toko ni PIKKU kakusu n desu
souzou ni isshoukenmei genjitsu wa zettaizetsumei
hattentochuu dashi...
dakara fui ni PICCHI hazureru n desu
By the second chorus, people were already clapping their hands and/or tapping their feet to the rhythm, Asuna and Klein especially. What really got to Mio was the smiles on their faces. Genuine smiles of people with revived hope, that they could beat this game no matter what. That's what Mio had hoped to accomplished today through their music.
"Mio, let's take it home!" Taiga called as she continued slap the cajon with all the might she could muster.
"Right!" Mio replied as she began the last stretch, strumming the guitar with precision.
YABA masaka REDDO POINTO!? iya GIRI KURIA!
sore dake de nante zennoukan
daiji na no wa jibun mitometeku koto
jibun wo yurusanakya hito mo yurusenai
..
Please don't say "You are lazy"
datte hontou wa Crazy
hakuchoutachi wa sou
mienai toko de BATAashi suru n desu
honnou ni juujun chuujitsu honrou mo juujuu shouchi
zentoyouyou dashi...
dakara tama ni kyuukei shichau n desu
The moment they finished the final instrumental, the small crowd was on it's feet. They applauded the two musicians (Klein and Asuna especially) who livened up their evening by giving these wayward players the hope they so desperately needed.
Needless to say, Mio and Taiga were elated to hear such applause. They knew that they have accomplished their mission, and had a hell lot of fun doing it.
"Just like old times, eh?" Taiga turned to Mio with a grin.
"Indeed." She replied with a smile, then turned to the crowd for her MC "We are Hokago Tea Time, and thank you for being such a wonderful audience!"
The cheers increased in volume, the crowd much happier after hearing such a performance.
"So it really is you..." Both Mio and Taiga turned to see the hooded figure approach the stage slowly. The stranger had an airy, squeaky voice that seemed very, very familiar to both of them.
"Eh?" The both cocked their heads to the side, looking warily at the newcomer. Asuna and Klein watched intently as well, ready to jump in should the stranger prove to be trouble.
"I've finally found you..." The hooded figure trembled, then ran straight at them like a bullet train. "RICCHAN, MIO-CHAN I'VE FINALLY FOUND YOU!"
Before either of the could react, they were glomped by this strange individual. As the stranger tackled them in a hug, the hood flew back, revealing a girl around their age with brown hair. She had yellow hair clips on the front and big, brown eyes that were very, very teary right now.
Once they saw her face, Mio and Taiga were able to deduce who this girl was. Their eyes widened in shock, their thoughts basically scrambled by this turn of events.
"I-it can't be..." Mio stammered, unable to believe her eyes.
"Y-Yui?!" Taiga finally managed to blurt out.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen. Yui Hirasawa has entered the death game.
End Chapter 4
A/N: Sorry for the delay, dear readers! Been busy with real life and one other projects. But hey! Writing this chapter was definitely a fun experience. Now with the ditzy guitarist Yui Hirasawa on board, who knows what will happen?
Oh yeah, just one thing: This takes place after K-On! Season 2, where the seniors are already in college. Just making it clear in case anyone is confused. I also might make a side-story featuring Yui's first month on SAO. We'll just see what happens...
That's all from me for now. Until next chapter, this is kingofbeasts signing off!
Next time on K-Online: Where have you been, Yui?!