Mio

"Stupid. I'm glad it was from you. Good night."

I said a lot of embarrassing things tonight, but my last words to Ritsu were probably the most embarrassing of all. How and why did I say such things? Did I really mean everything I said? And why did I make such intimate contact with him? Wait, why can't I stop thinking of all these in the first place? I shook my head a little, as if I could get rid of such thoughts by doing so.

I narrowed my eyes to get a better view of the time displayed on Ritsu's wall clock. Although the lights were turned off, the beams of the full moon that came through the window illuminated the room just enough for me to get a rather clear picture of my surroundings. I sighed. It was already two o'clock. Somehow, I just couldn't sleep although my body was filled with weariness. Those unrelenting thoughts definitely weren't helping too.

Just then, I felt Ritsu shift his position. I turned to look at him and nearly gasped. His face was right next to mine! I quickly backed away from him a bit. It was enough to have him so close tonight, but to have his face next to mine was just too much! Then, I felt myself blush a little. Wait, this is Ritsu I'm dealing with, so why am I reacting this way? Maybe because he's a boy now? After all, I don't have much experience when it comes to dealing with boys. This is a whole new thing. But it's still Ritsu! Aaagh! These thoughts again!

"Mio…"

"Huh?"

Surprised, I fixed my eyes on Ritsu. Did he just call my name? Before I could answer my own question, Ritsu started to mumble something again. My curiosity got the better of me, so I moved closer to him to understand what he was saying.

"You really should do a better job on me next time… At this rate, I won't allow you to be…my personal maid..."

"As if I want to!" I whispered angrily. I instinctively clenched my fist, ready to attack. He's probably just pretending to be asleep! I was just about to hit him when he started to snore lightly. I looked at him carefully again. I then realized that he really was sleeping.

"Geez, Ritsu. Annoying me even when you're asleep? What sort of dream are you having anyway?" I said softly with a little smile.

"Don't worry Mio," he suddenly mumbled again. Now I'm really starting to doubt if he IS asleep.

"Everything…will be fine. We're all here for you..."

"Ritsu?" I continued to listen to him carefully.

"I'm here…always," he finished. Ritsu was sleeping; his breathing low and steady, his face filled with calm. I wore a bigger smile this time.

"And even when you're asleep," I told him softly as if he were listening, "you still reassure me."

Somehow, Ritsu's words felt like they were just what I needed to hear. I guess I was still bothered by everything that happened today. It was probably what kept me awake all this time. As I gazed at the curtain of light gently emanating from the moon, I gave a small yawn and felt my eyelids grow heavy. Finally, I slowly fell asleep as I listened to Ritsu's rhythmic breathing.

I woke up at six this morning, rather early considering the time I slept. Beside me, Ritsu was still sleeping peacefully. Careful not to wake him, I slowly got up from bed.

"Looks like we're both skipping school today," I told myself while looking at the figure before me. Ritsu wasn't in the condition to return yet, and someone had to look after him. I wanted to be that someone.

Alright! First things first. I must prepare our breakfast. As I went down the stairs on my way to the kitchen, I wondered what I could cook for all of us. I couldn't match with Ritsu's cooking skills, but I'm not that bad either. When I got to the kitchen, I was surprised to find Satoshi already there.

"Good morning, Mio-san," greeted Satoshi as I entered the kitchen. He was pouring some milk into a glass for himself.

"Good morning to you too. You're up early," I remarked as I approached the table and grabbed a chair underneath it.

"Well, I'm supposed to go to school today, but I'm having second thoughts about it. Nii-chan isn't well yet, right?" he asked with concern.

"I'm afraid so. But don't worry; I'll stay to look after him. You should go to school. Can't have all three of us skipping class, can we?" I said with a smile.

"I was sort of expecting you to say that…" said Satoshi before he sighed.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Ehehe. I was sorta looking forward to not going today," he said while scratching his head. Well, I guess that's just one of the things he has in common with his sister. Or should I say brother? This is starting to get confusing. I also let out a sigh.

"Anyway, you should get going, Satoshi. I'll prepare our breakfast," I told him. "By the way, what do you have for me to cook?"

After showing me the contents of their fridge, I decided to make omelet rice. I immediately started my task and managed to cook enough servings for us in a relatively short period of time. As soon I finished cooking, Satoshi ate his share and left for school. Along with two glasses of milk, I put our food on a tray I found and cautiously made my way back to Ritsu's room. I just hope I've prepared enough to satisfy Ritsu's appetite. He's capable of consuming surprising amounts of food sometimes.

"Mioooooo! Hurry up. I'm starving again."

Ritsu was already awake, whining as soon as I entered the room.

"What are you, a kid? Quit making so much noise in the morning," I said irritably. Really! Even when he's injured, he still has enough energy to bug people.

"You knew I had food with me?" I asked as I settled the tray on the study table.

"Nope! If you returned without any, I would've commanded you to cook for me," he said cheerfully.

"Goodbye," I said as I got up and headed for the door.

"It was a joke! A joke! Please don't leave me, Mio-sama!" pleaded the idiot on the bed.

I sighed before returning to his side.

"How many times do I have to tell to learn how to show some gratitude?" I said as I handed him his plate of omelet rice.

"Thank you Mio-sama! I truly appreciate your gracious offering," he said with a bow.

"Now you're overdoing it. Anyway, the omelet's not as good as yours, but I hope you'll like it," I said sheepishly.

"It's fine, it's fine! I'm so hungry, I can eat anything! Even this."

"Did you just praise me? Or did I hear something else?" I said dangerously, while cracking my knuckles.

"You-You've really out done yourself this time, Mio! This is the b-best omelet rice I've ever tasted," was Ritsu's immediate, yet nervous reply.

Though annoyed, I couldn't keep myself from smiling inwardly. He was right. The only thing that has changed in him is his ability to shift his gender. He's still the same Ritsu I grew up with. He's even retained some physical traits that appear to complement the female Ritsu's personality. His eyes still held that golden hue that seemed to reflect the radiance of autumn. His voice, although lower, still had that distinct playful and optimistic tone. And his bangs…they seem to be longer than ever! As a girl, she seldom lets them down. But when she does, I think the look suits her. And as a guy, even more so. In fact, he doesn't look that bad. Maybe even a bit good-looking…

"Mio, why are you staring at me like that? Look, I'm really sorry for what I said earlier. So please spare me from any more damage."

"I-I wasn't going to do anything to you!" I said, and to my surprise, quite defensively. "Anyway, you'd better hurry up. We're going to the doctor afterwards. We still need to have your arm checked."

I only applied first-aid treatment on his stab wound, so it was necessary to have it checked lest it gets worse. We agreed that he should stay in his present form to avoid any unwanted questions the doctor might raise.

Our entire visit to the doctor, including travel time, lasted for two and a half hours. As expected, it was best for Ritsu to stay in his male form since the doctor asked how he got to his current condition. Boy getting into a fight? Nothing unusual. Girl getting into a fight with men that involved thrashing and stabbing? That's different. With that said, it wasn't very difficult to make up a story about the whole thing, all thanks to Ritsu's colorful imagination. After his treatment, we ate at Max Burger before heading straight to his house. Thankfully, the trip back was uneventful too.

When we finally got home, we spent most of the afternoon watching a movie and telling stories to each other. We even had some sort of jam session together. While playing Elizabeth, Ritsu used his makeshift drums to complement me. Spending our time together like that made me realize just how much I missed his company.

Then,

"Hey, Mio. What if Yui and everyone else decided to visit us after school? I mean, you guys visited me before when you found out that I got sick, right? Hehe, imagine the mess we'd be in if they actually arrive right-"

"Mio-chan! Ricchan! I'm coming up to your room now, okay?"

"Great."

Yui

I sighed. I glanced around the classroom and sighed again. No fair! Ricchan just came back from her three-week vacation, but she gets to skip school again today. Even Mio-chan didn't come. Oh well. At least Mugi-chan's here. It only means that the rest of us can still have some sweets! I still kinda miss them though. Anyway, since Mugi-chan took Mio-chan's place for cleaning duty, it took a while longer before we started tea time. I decided to wait for her in our classroom until she finished.

"Looks like they really won't be coming today," said Mugi-chan as we were heading to our club room. She sounded worried and disappointed at the same time.

"Don't worry Mugi-chan! They'll come tomorrow for sure. And if they don't, we'll force them to!" I said with determination.

"Yes!" Mugi-chan nodded with a smile. She looked a bit happier, and that made me feel good. I smiled back at her.

When we got to the club room, Azunyan was already there. Eager to recharge my Azunyan energy, I ran to her and gave her a big hug!

"Yui-senpai, what took you?" asked Azunyan as she struggled for release. Like I'm letting her go!

"Sorry for making you wait Azusa-chan. I did cleaning duty in Mio-chan's place, and Yui-chan decided to wait for me, so we got a little delayed," explained Mugi-chan.

"Ah, you don't need to be sorry Mugi-senpai. I don't mind waiting at all. I just thought no one was coming, so I got a bit worried. Wait, why did you do cleaning duty for Mio-senpai?"

"Mio-chan didn't come to school today. Ricchan too," I said as I released Azunyan. "It's unfair for Ricchan to miss school again right after coming back, right Azunyan?"

"Yui-senpai, you should be more worried you know…" said Azunyan with a sigh.

Pretty soon, we were both seated while Mugi-chan served us some tea. Then, she brought out a really yummy-looking cake from its box. I took a quick bite from my slice as soon as it was served.

"Mmmmm! Mugi-chan, this cake is really delicious!" I said happily after swallowing my first bite. I mean, all of Mugi-chan's sweets taste great, but somehow this one tastes better than usual.

"She's right, Mugi-senpai. All your sweets your are delicious, but this tastes different. In a good way, of course," added Azunyan.

Mugi-chan suddenly looked really happy after hearing our compliments.

"Re-really? Actually, I baked that myself. I planned to serve it during Ricchan's welcome back party, but failed to do so because she returned earlier than expected," said Mugi-chan shyly.

"Wooow. You baked this all by yourself? Mugi-chan, you're great!" I said, both surprised and impressed.

"Mugi-senpai, I didn't know you liked to bake," said Azunyan as she took another bite from her slice.

"Um, I don't really bake as often as you may think. I only started to learn a few weeks ago. This is the very first cake I baked without any help, so I was really happy and relieved to hear you say it's good," said Mugi-chan modestly.

"Ah, no wonder it tastes so good. I can taste Mugi-chan's love!" I exclaimed. Mugi-chan smiled at me warmly when I did.

It was the first time Mugi-chan served us something she baked herself, her very first cake. And she baked it to celebrate Ricchan's return. She really must've put a lot of effort into it. No wonder she looked sad when Ricchan didn't show up.

"Mugi-chan, what do you call this cake?" I asked.

"It's called Dobos cake, I believe," answered Mugi-chan.

"Alright! Let's take Dobo-chan to Ricchan's house so she can taste it!" I said eagerly.

"That's a great idea, but I won't be able to come with you. I already promised Ui and Jun that I'd be hanging out with them today," said Azunyan sadly.

"I'm afraid I can't join you either," Mugi-chan also said sadly. "I have something scheduled with my family right after school. I'll be leaving soon enough."

"Oh, that's too bad." Now I was starting to feel sad too. Should I still go, even by myself?

Yes, I should! I must deliver the cake Mugi-chan put so much effort to bake.

"Mugi-chan!" I said as I raised my hand.

"Ye-yes?" Whoops. Looks like I surprised Mugi-chan a bit. Azunyan too. She was frowning at me.

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to deliver Dobo-chan safely to Ricchan's place," I said, again with determination.

"Stop naming things, will you?" mumbled Azunyan.

"It's very okay with me," said Mugi-chan, "but are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?"

"Yes! I am very sure," I replied.

"Mugi-senpai may be more worried about the cake," I heard Azunyan mumble again.

"Then by all means, please deliver Dobo-chan safely to Ricchan," said Mugi-chan cheerfully.

"Understood," I said as I prepared to leave. I already finished my slice so I was o-kay! I may even get another one at Ricchan's place. Hehe, that would be great! So,

"Operation Dobo-chan Delivery, begin!"

I saluted to Mugi-chan before I left. She saluted back.

"Do your best, Agent Hirasawa."

"I shall not fail you, Captain Mugi-chan! Azunyan, see you later!"

I grabbed Gitah and my bag as I headed for the door. As for the cake, Mugi-chan placed it a pink box that I was now holding carefully, just like the way you'd hold a priceless treasure that could break at any moment. Hmmm…does that make any sense?

Before closing the door behind me, I took one more glance at my friends. They both smiled at me. Azunyan looked kinda worried though.

"Taka care Yui-senpai! And try not to trip on your way there!" Azunyan called out as I went down the stairs.

"O-"

Whoa!

"…kay."

Phew. That was close. I nearly tripped. Anyway, I'll make sure nothing happens to Dobo-chan on our trip. So don't worry, Dobo-chan!

When I finally arrived at Ricchan's house, I felt a little tired. I went around in circles in her neighborhood 'cause I forget the house she lived in. It took a lot of walking and asking before I got to the right house. Just as I was about to press the doorbell, I felt someone walk up to me.

"Yui-san?"

"Ah, Satoshi-kun, it's you!" It was Ricchan's younger brother, Satoshi-kun. Looks like he just arrived from school because he still had his uniform on.

"Nice timing! I was just about to ring the doorbell when you arrived. Is Ricchan home? I brought some delicious cake for her from school," I said happily as I showed him the pink box I was holding.

"Yeah. She's stayed home all day, I think," he replied. Suddenly, Satoshi-kun looked alarmed.

"What's the matter, Satoshi-kun? Anything wrong?"

"Ah, no-nothing. Nothing at all," he said quite hesitantly.

"Um, can we go in now?" I asked while he seemed to be thinking. I was really excited to show Dobo-chan to Ricchan, and wanted another slice too, so I was getting a bit fidgety.

"Uh, sure. Please come in," he said as he opened the door for me.

"Would you like to have a snack before going to nee-chan's room, Yui-san?" Satoshi asked as he led me into their house. He seemed quite fidgety too.

"No thanks. I already had a snack before coming here," I told him. I wonder what's wrong with Satoshi-kun. He seems so worried about something. Just when I was about to ask him if he was sure he was alright, I heard a faint, yet familiar sound coming from above. As I listened carefully to it, I realized why it sounded so familiar. It was Fuwa Fuwa time being played on the bass, and someone seemed to be drumming to provide the rhythm. I smiled happily. Looks like Mio-chan's here too. I followed the sound and it led me to a flight of stairs.

"Satoshi-kun, these stairs go up to Ricchan's room right?" I asked as I pointed at them.

"Yeah…are you sure you don't want any more snacks? We've got a really delicious cake in the fridge. I think…" said Satoshi-kun. Wow, I didn't know he was a huge fan of treats too. It looks like he really wants me to taste their cake.

"Don't worry, okay? I'll eat some with you after I see Ricchan and Mio-chan," I said to him sweetly.

As I was about to make my way up the stairs, I thought I heard Satoshi-kun mumble "Oh no." Hmm, maybe it was just my imagination. Anyway, I couldn't hold my excitement any longer, so I called out to them.

"Mio-chan! Ricchan! I'm coming up to your room now, okay?"

I can't wait to see the look on their faces with my surprise.

Read Me!

I wasn't able to describe Dobo-chan in the story, so here's a little info about him:

He's actually a five-layer sponge cake , layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with thin caramel slices. His sides are sometimes coated with ground hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts or almonds but the original cake is without coat since it was a slice of a big cake. Not bad for Mugi's first cake, huh?

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think about it too, if you don't mind. Thank you very much!