notes: #EndTheDrought #PensReadyMusicSteady #PLS MAKE MORE FICS FRIENDS IT'S FUN AND WE HAVE A PROMPT GENERATOR. this wrote itself tbh because i am in love with mio and mugi's friendship and the contrasts between them, or like mugi's gentle teaching mio to not take herself so seriously, to cherish the now. mio seemed to be in such a rush to grow up and mugi is just like 'naw' AND THEYRE GREAT
Prompt: Mio and Mugi on a children's playground.
Theme/ideas: Little Girl / Admiration
Optional considerations: Taking place in Summer at afternoon.
neverland
Mio liked to think of herself as a mature, responsible woman.
Those times when she can only sigh in frustration (exasperation) at the antics and meddling (shits and giggles) she has to constantly deal with in her friends, she especially places her obviously more composed, wise, 'adult' self above them.
If one of the constants of life is growing up, why not just accept it and embrace it?
While her eye is on studying hard, focusing on her books and notes-to be successful- her friends seem to have no problem with having cupcake stacking wars in the clubroom as she can only shake her head and try to ignore them.
She knew how to properly conduct herself in such a manner that gave off the air of a mature adult: scolding Yui and Ritsu when they act like elementary kids, be the only one to motivate the band to actually be a band, turn down the childish nagging of joining her bandmates flicking coins at each other in a rousing game of 10 Yen Soccer.
That's why she never quite understood Mugi.
Mugi embodied the kind of persona Mio strives for. Naturally as an heiress, when Mio first met the keyboardist, she felt as if she was in the presence of an actual princess. Tsumugi was graceful, kind, responsible, elegant; Mugi felt years more mature than Mio placed herself.
And yet, Mugi was such a contrast.
It was the beginning of the summer season, only a few days before their club was set to leave for their first training camp at the beach, a nice welcome heat for the seaside trip.
Practice had been cancelled via text from Yui and Ritsu. Mio and Mugi had been on after school cleaning duty that had taken longer than anticipated, and the other two hyperactive musicians had decided swimsuit shopping was the biggest priority at the moment.
Mio sighed and shook her head, an action she felt she had to do all too often, as her and Mugi walked home together, finding no use in practicing with only half the band.
"Those two sometimes, I swear…"
"Now, now, now, Mio-chan," Mugi consoled, an almost apologetic expression on her face in sympathy for her other friends, trying to displace the bassist's growing frustration.
Mio frowned at her companion, "Mugi, if you haven't noticed, out of our band, those two need this training camp the most: to train. Practice. Learn discipline. If they're going to be treating this as a vacation, what's the point of even being a band together anyways if they don't even want to practice? Don't they want to sound at least presentable at the festival?"
The previous light music club– she couldn't get that recording of them she found in the clubroom yesterday out of her head; if only their band could sound half as great as them.
"I think there's more to being a band than doing well."
"Huh?" Mio paused, confused at the content, wise smile Mugi had on her face. Brows furrowed, Mio stared at their keyboardist awaiting more of an explanation, instead seeing Mugi's face light up and a gasp escaping her lips, as the blonde's eyes strayed. The younger girl followed Mugi's gaze, seeing a playground across the street from them.
"Mugi?"
Being pulled out of her fascination, Mugi looked from the playground, to Mio, back to the structure, back to Mio; almost like a child asking permission from their mother to go play. As quick as the naivete came, it went, the same smile that seemed like it held so much wisdom and knowledge behind it returning to Mugi's lips.
Mugi was quite the puzzle that Mio longed to solve.
"It's still fairly early, Mio-chan; shall we pass some time before we return home for dinner at the playground?"
Not even waiting for the bassist to answer, Mugi looked both ways before crossing the street, her steps light and happy. Complying anyways, Mio trailed behind her friend, standing a distance away as Mugi all but threw her school back down and bounded for the swing-set.
Joyful, radiant, carefree, were the thoughts that ran through her head as Mio watched Mugi beam in happiness, kicking her legs together and pushing the swing higher, and higher, and higher each time.
"Mio-chan~! Join!"
The abandonment and glee Mugi had on her face led Mio, almost in a trance, as she nodded and took a seat in the swing next to her friend, kicking her legs much more hesitantly and slower, her feet still grazing the ground.
A giggle sounded in her ear as Mugi, still swinging back and forth, looked down at her.
"It's fun, isn't it?"
Mugi's chuckles turned into a much more unrestrained, full laugh as she looked up at the clear sky, savoring the feeling of the breeze amidst the heat.
Unconsciously, Mio started pumping her legs, lifting her feet off the ground, eventually gaining height on Mugi's swings and meeting her eyes in the air, breaking into jubilant laughter.
Minutes passed, the momentum of their swings calming down, eventually coming to a stop. Mio loosely hung onto the chains of the swing, a smile still on her face. Mugi next to her was chuckling into her hand, her other hand placed in her lap, knees pressed together inwardly.
Elegant, poised, dignified. On a swing-set, the epitome of a child's entertainment, and somehow Mugi still looked so mature in the contrast.
Mio at this point if it was still just not understanding Mugi, but possibly an envy for the way her friend naturally presented herself.
"I've always wanted to do this."
Mio broke out of her thoughts.
"To swing?"
Mugi nodded her head, looking up at the reddening sky.
"I've never had the opportunity to come to a public playground with a friend. Most of my playtime as a child was spent behind the piano, which I did love, but the feeling I get swinging like this is a bit different from the feeling I get playing the piano."
The bassist hummed in agreement (or maybe confusion, she wasn't sure). Cryptic Mugi was back and damned if Mio would figure out what she was alluding to.
"Joining this band has been an amazing decision, despite it only being a few months being together. I've experienced so much that I never would have if it weren't for you, Ricchan, and Yui-chan," Mugi mused, a soft expression gracing her features.
"I missed out on a lot when I was growing up. So to get the chance to be in the band with you all and have times like these, to be a little girl again– no, for the first time, to be free…"
Mio was taken back to the first day she met Mugi, at the burger joint, and the wonderment on the blonde's face as she exclaimed she had never been to a fast food establishment before. Times of Mugi indulging Ritsu and Yui in their games and drama flash through her mind, yet the heiress still managed to look so dignified. Mugi was far from the little girl she was talking about feeling like.
Inside her chest ached, for some reason.
"It's valuable time."
"Huh?"
Mugi stood up from the swing, her figure eclipsing over the setting sun behind her, its rays barely peering over her figure and shading Mio.
"I don't think you should worry too much."
The bassist sputtered, "Wha-what?"
That smile, it was back again.
Two ringtones went off, pulling both of them out of their conversation as they made moves to take their phones out of their bags.
'mio-chan , mugi-chan, me and ricchan are gonna get some tea since we didnt have any today in the clubroom, join us! ^u^'
"Cancelling practice yet still having tea? Geez…" mumbling to herself, Mio shoved her phone back into her bag, pushing Mugi's ambiguous words from earlier into the back of her mind.
"Shall we go, Mio-chan? After all, this is valuable time."
Valuable time. If it was so valuable, we wouldn't be wasting it like this. Can't they see we aren't getting anywhere fooling around like this?
Again, not waiting for the bassist to respond, Mugi brushed off her skirt of any dirt instinctively and picked up her bag from the ground, grasping it in her hands. She started to walk off, her blonde hair flowing in the evening breeze.
How was Mugi able to indulge in the two idiots' childish mindsets and antics, but was still able to be so mature at the same time- it was beyond her. Mio wasn't sure if she'd ever come to a conclusion, or if it was envy, or admiration she held for the way Mugi was so true to herself.
"M-Mugi, wait up!"
Valuable time, huh?
Mio looked wistfully at her junior as she approached her. She gripped her bass tight.
"Azusa."
The smaller girl looked up at the voice pulling her out of her thoughts and reflections after she listened to the light music club play just for her, tears lining the corners of her eyes.
"Not long ago you asked me why I didn't join another band, right?"
Wiping her eyes, trying to appear more composed in front of her senior she admired, Azusa nodded and affirmed Mio's recollection. Mio turned away from the guitarist, looking over at Yui, Ritsu, and Mugi chatting and joking with one another, still with their instruments.
"In the end, I think it's because it's because it's fun playing with these members."
"Eh?"
"I'm sure everyone else feels that way–"
Azusa tore her focus away from the rest of the band at hearing Mio's voice lower an octave with a hint of emotion, her expression softening as she watched her friends laugh together.
"–that's our performances are that good."
Gasping in realization, Azusa's eyes widened.
Mio bounded over to her bandmates, turning a heel and facing the girl with the rest of her friends.
"Now, let's perform together, Azusa!"
Sniffling one last time, the guitarist nodded at her new bandmates, happiness and relief shining in her eyes, "Yes! I really do want to perform with you all!"
Arms encircled her and embraced her tightly, warmly.
"Thank goodness!" Yui cried into the younger guitarist in joy.
"Well, I think we'll still be drinking tea and screwing around…"
Mio smiled affectionately at Azusa, as if staring at a version of herself from not even a year back.
"… since it's valuable time."
end
notes: I ALSO LOVE MIO KINDA TRYING TO TEACH AZUSA WHAT SHE LEARNED BUT IT TAKES AZUSA MUCH LONGER TO LEARN IT BUT I LOVE THE KINDA FOREWARNING MIO GIVE LOVE THESE GIRLS. also 10 yen soccer is basically coin soccer, but i used the first wording to sort of evoke the connotation it holds for those that have watched that scene in Nichijou because it is WILD LET ME TELL YOU
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