The penultimate chapter! Please enjoy!

The setting sun cast its amber rays across brick walls and cobbled streets. The roads came alive with the sounds of traffic and crowds; the gravelly scraping of rubber on asphalt punching through the ever-present drone of chatter. People, adorned in a kaleidoscope of colours and attire, bustled amidst the after-work masses, their footsteps thudding across pavement and blending with the cacophony in the air. Amidst the throng of hurried pedestrians and harried drivers, a lone figure waited. Leaning against a wall in a show of nonchalance yet ostensibly tapping out a nervous staccato against concrete; a young, raven-haired woman stood in expectation.

The clock struck six. Eager eyes darted upwards and scanned the streets, watching the gaps as people weaved in and out of her line of sight. She was being ridiculous, she told herself in silence. There was nothing to get wrong, nor anything at stake. It was hardly anything outside the bounds of her experiences. There was simply no reason for her to fidget with the cuffs of her sleeves or shift from one leg to the other as she waited.

Then her gaze fell on a familiar silhouette, and what remained of her breath caught on her throat. The sight of that head of auburn hair peeking out from amongst the unfamiliar backdrop of a foreign city was enough to send conflicting waves of relief and jitters flooding through her. With every step taken the sense of urgency grew, until all she could hear was the pounding of her heart and the pulse of blood in her ears.

"Hey." The greeting that reached her was warm and soothing against the cold air. Together with it came a shy gaze and an equally sheepish grin. Alongside a stylish grey coat and tasteful teal boots, she found the bashful look to be nothing short of adorable. Flashing a small but giddy smile of her own, she pushed away from the wall she was leaning on. Then her brain caught up fully to what her eyes were seeing, and the sensation of butterflies in her gut intensified.

"You never said that you were going to bring that along." She pointed out quietly. The din of the city around them should have drowned out her voice, but her companion had no issue hearing her.

"I wanted it to be a surprise." A calloused hand reached up to pat a cream coloured scarf proudly. The last time the raven-haired girl had seen it, it had been bundled in gift wrap and held within nervous hands. "Did it work?"

She huffed, but there was no hiding the affection shining through her voice. "Yeah."

Familiar fingers slid between her own. "Ready?"

"Of course."

The two headed off, a single unit amidst a sea of strangers.

Her seniors were being weird again.

This wasn't their usual brand of weirdness, the one that led to mad-cap tangents, wacky shenanigans or poorly thought-out asides. No, they were being straight up shady with their constant changing of subjects, sudden redirections and secret meetings. They probably thought they were being slick about it too, judging by the little thumbs-ups and knowing glances they were giving each other when they thought she wasn't looking. The only one among them who was being remotely normal about it all had been Mio, but even then it had not been enough to stave off Azusa's suspicions. Not when the bassist was setting a new world record for number of eye-rolls thrown their way.

But of course, the one who practically had a neon sign hanging over their head saying "I am hiding something" was Yui. For someone who clearly had a secret to hide, she was doing a god-awful job at it. Whispering to herself, spacing out in the middle of conversations, panicking whenever Azusa came within three feet of that blasted notebook, disappearing in the middle of the night to the other hotel room when she thought Azusa had fallen asleep.

Like right now. The sound of the door shutting with a click could have passed for a gunshot within the quiet confines of their hotel room.

The younger guitarist resisted the urge to roll her own eyes as she shifted on her bed. Absently, she ran a hand across the smooth surface of her bedsheets. Yui really had not been subtle at all during the entirety of the trip. Still, knowing this time that she's going to be safe within the company of her other seniors and not, in fact, completely lost; the junior allowed herself to relax back into her mattress. She didn't feel like repeating her little ring-around-the-rosie incident from last night. Whatever it is they're planning, she's certain it won't be that bad. If there was any time more suited to plan a last hurrah, this final night in London would be it.

Though, she was not quite sure how to describe what she felt about it all. The past few days had been a blur of activity, leaving very little time for her to even acknowledge the strange mix of emotions building within her. But now that she was finally truly alone, Azusa quietly allowed the various thoughts and feelings she had been putting aside to surface.

She felt accomplished, for starters. She had spent days pouring over travel guides, language books and encyclopedias alike to assemble the itinerary for this trip. She had pushed through mind-numbing exhaustion after school looking up information and ensuring she had all necessary items on hand. This was her final gift to her seniors, and damn it, she had put in her all to make it nothing less than perfect. With how much they have laughed over the last few days, the myriads of photos taken, and the amount of food they have collectively consumed; she can safely say she has done a good job achieving that. The fact that her seniors seemed reluctant to let the night slip away in slumber lent further credence to it.

She was also exhausted. It was difficult to decide if she should be proud of her foresight or exasperated at her seniors' predictability. With the exception of their physical well-being, nearly every scenario she had prepared for had in some way or fashion occurred. Yui did indeed plug in a device recklessly, nearly shorting out the hair straightener Ui had packed for her. Mio had, predictably, freaked and bolted at the sight of a costumed busker while they were strolling down West End, leading them on a slightly wild chase to calm her down. Mugi had disappeared completely at one point, having wandered off to ask for directions while they were trying to locate a shop that had unfortunately moved from its original location. The extra umbrella she packed had been instrumental in shielding them as they walked from one place to the next. But if there had to be a champion among the various mishaps they've encountered on this trip, it would be Ritsu's language skills giving them all a collective heart attack.

They had entered a sushi restaurant on their first night, eager to fill their bellies and see if the English could compare when it came to their homeland's prized dish. Mugi had excused herself to attend to a phone call, while she and Mio attempted to speak with a member of staff to secure seating.

That was when the manager of the establishment came up to the remaining two who had wandered in.

She should have known that letting Ritsu and Yui - the two with possibly the worst command of the English language - out of her sight would be a bad idea. She should also have known that Ritsu, in her desperation, would attempt to speak on their behalf and cause a massive misunderstanding. Things got further out of hand when Mio, turning pale at the drummer's explanation, lost the presence of mind to act as a translator. All the while Azusa, with her barely-above-average fluency and first-time exposure to a thick English accent, was left floundering between calming her seniors down and trying her damndest to figure out what the manager was saying. The code-switching alone was enough to give her a headache.

When Mugi - bless her calm nature - finally came to their rescue, it brought a dizzying rush of relief. With the misunderstanding cleared and everyone's collective better sense restored, it suddenly sounded absurd that any restaurant would ask for a musical performance before they could dine there.

They ended up playing anyway.

It turned out that there had been two bands slated to play that night, and the first one had thrown in a last minute no-show. Love Crysis, the other band, was not due to be up on stage until later. And their club president was never one to back away from an opportunity.

I guess all's well that ends well?

At least the complimentary sushi had been decent.

Ritsu might claim vindication for gaining them free food and at least recognising the name of her friend's band, but no one was ever going to let the club president forget this incident. The drummer was, by overwhelmingly popular vote, no longer allowed to speak on their behalf for the remainder of the trip. Azusa chuckled at the memory of her sputtering with impunity.

Yet, as her mirth subsided, it was replaced with the feeling she has been struggling with the most.

There was no ignoring the gut-twisting sense of finality that came with the setting of today's sun, with the change into her pajamas and darkening of the room. It never got any easier to grapple with the sinking feeling that came as the last day of your holiday loomed over you. And while planning for their impromptu live performance tomorrow had been a welcome distraction, it did little to change the reality of her situation.

They were so close to the school's graduation ceremony now. Come sunrise, she will play together with her seniors on a stage for one last time. Then, she would go home, wake up, and wait for the end.

And she still hasn't spoken to Yui.

With an itinerary as packed as theirs, there had been no chance for her to get any sort of privacy with the girl in question. And what little time she did get was clouded by a haze of physical exhaustion and her own admittedly shameful hesitance - be it to open the topic or accept the girl's closeness, Yui's weird behaviour notwithstanding.

She was being stupid, going back on her decision on that night of the school festival like this. With everything she has been through, she should be past feeling uncertain about physical contact. Yet, between her feelings and the unresolved nature of it all, it seemed wrong to let things be without addressing the elephant in the room.

Come to think of it, how did she let such an issue go unresolved for this long?

Azusa sighed as old habits guided her thoughts. The answer was obvious, was it not? At her core, Nakano Azusa was a coward, plain and simple. A master of the mixed message.

But amidst the deluge of negativity and self-loathing she has come to expect, she was surprised to hear a single, novel thought spring up from within. One that bore Mugi's motherly warmth, Ritsu's sunny confidence, Mio's thoughtful care and Yui's enduring hopefulness.

That's too harsh, isn't it?

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

If her seniors could see the good in her, she should too. They, especially Yui, deserved nothing less than her best, including the way she treated herself. Otherwise, she would be dismissing everything they have spent the better part of two years imparting to her. Surely, four totally different people couldn't all come to the same conclusion if it had no truth in it, could they?

In the quiet confines of her hotel room, Azusa came to a decision.

Still, the details would probably have to wait. No matter what she felt about it right now, she was not going to risk screwing up their final live performance because she decided to stay awake.

It took a while, but Azusa eventually fell into a relatively peaceful sleep.

Something was still missing.

It was something big, Yui reckoned. So big that none of numerous things she wrote down seemed to be able to encompass it. Big enough that none of her ideas seemed to do it justice. Even her notions of "worldwide" and "international" weren't quite right - and those were already some of the largest things she was able to properly conceptualise. Of course she knew that there were other things infinitely more vast, but all those just dissolved into crazy numbers and incomprehensible measurements she could not wrap her head around. Akin to those contests kids would get into with one another by yelling out larger and larger numbers - sometimes even going into fictional ones - until the values themselves lost all meaning.

And this project before her, currently still encapsulated within the confines of her trusty notebook, was far too important to have such a thing happen.

This was very unlike any of the other times she had sat down to brainstorm lyrics. Most times, it was easy to simply pen down her thoughts. Granted they weren't always coherent, but lyrics could come from anywhere. Alongside Ui's power of rhyming and verse, it was never extremely hard to take her streams of consciousness and string them into something song worthy. Several of her ideas have translated into wonderful music that she had the great privilege to play and sing.

But this song was different.

She needed something else, something with far more oomph and awesomeness and… everything.

For what was Azusa if not the most amazing and awesome partner ever?

That wasn't to say that her other bandmates were any less amazing. Each brought their own greatness to the table, and a day without even a single one of them would always feel incomplete. Still, Azusa was special, even amongst this cozy little group that she has now come to call home.

So why was it so hard to put it into words?

Was it because the little junior had a bit of everyone's best traits within her? The musical prowess and down-to-earth sincerity of Mugi, the meticulousness and discipline of Mio, and the determination and fire of Ritsu? Or was it because the girl was the most unique combination of conscientious and cheeky, fiery and mellow, grit and gentleness she has ever seen since Ui? At least it was easy to say why her younger sister was special, for Ui was family.

But Azusa was, well…

"Should we call it a night?" Mugi's voice cut through her thoughts. She was brought back to the present with the sight of three of her closest friends splayed across the bed. "We've been at this for a while."

"But we're running out of time…" Mio answered glumly, her brows furrowed as she stared at the various pieces of paper before them. Each one bore a series of disjointed, haphazard scribbles. "We've just barely managed to get an idea for some of the melodies we might want to try. If we can't settle on a concept or theme, we can't write the full thing."

Ritsu yawned, her jaw cracking loudly in the process. "Hitting our heads against the wall like this isn't helping either." She flopped onto Mio's lap, causing the bassist to let out a tired but annoyed grunt. "I want this done as much as the rest of us, but there's only so many ways I can use the word 'awesome' before it gets old."

Yui remained silent, her gaze drifting to her captain who looked completely at home where she was. Despite the brief flash of embarrassment across the lefty's face the girl held still, and in a surprising twist, silently shifted to accommodate the fidgety drummer's presence.

It was a small gesture, but the grin that stretched across the club president's face in response was so giddy it seemed as if she had just been granted the world. They were the picture of cozy warmth in the moment, filling Yui with a heart-squeezing sensation she's only ever felt from observing her own parents.

She beamed.

"What if we try this from a different angle?" Mugi suggested. "Instead of thinking of a theme, how about we just write down what we want to say to Azusa-chan?"

"Like well wishes?" Mio asked.

Ritsu let out another yawn, her words beginning to slur from fatigue. "Or a farewell speech?"

The three continued their discussion, leaving Yui to ruminate in silence. Where could she even begin? There was simply too much to express.

She wanted to thank her, to tell her not to worry, to hang in there. She wanted to reassure her that she was the best thing that has ever happened to the band, that she could rest easy knowing that they would all take care of each other in college. That she was strong enough, intelligent enough, great enough to face her final year of highschool. And once it was all over, she promised to be the first person at the school gates to congratulate the girl for crossing one of the greatest milestones in life.

Yet, there was no shaking that heart sinking image of the twin-tailed girl coming back to an empty music room on the first day of school. Her heart ached at the thought of this dutiful girl stepping into the role of president for a club that would once again be in danger of disbandment. There was also no denying that at some point in the near future, she would be sitting alone in the room with Muttan in hand and a faraway look on her face. The thought alone was enough to make the guitarist's gut twist uncomfortably.

As carefree as she was, Yui was no stranger to separation. With every major transition across schools, she has had to leave friends behind. Only the knowledge that each one of them had their hopes and dreams to spur them on helped to take the edge off from their parting. Having constants in her life like Ui and Nodoka by her side also made that bittersweetness easier to manage.

But even with the promise of her closest friends moving forward with her, the thought of no longer having a "good morning" or "see you tomorrow" with the younger guitarist felt almost too much to bear. More than just being the best partner or the only one capable of recharging her, the junior was now a presence that Yui will miss fiercely; more so - she's just realising - than the tea, whiteboard doodles, cakes, music and amber skies she's come to associate with the brightest parts of her high school life.

But apart from chasing down that elusive something for this song, what else could she do with all these emotions and thoughts?

Her eyes drifted over her friends. Still engrossed in their task the brainstorming continued, at least for two of them. Try as she might, the club president's valiant fight against fatigue failed, her descent into slumber accelerated by the lefty absently carding her fingers through her hair. Soon, the drummer's eyes slid shut, and she dropped out of the conversation entirely. There was a peaceful homeliness about them in that moment, made more so with Ritsu now dozing serenely between them. She observed the hint of laughter in Mugi's eyes and the exasperation in Mio's voice as they finally took notice, followed by a knowing smile from the blonde and an affectionate shrug from the bassist.

With the drummer out for the count, they agreed to turn in for the night. Yui returned to her room with a mind full of questions and heart heavy with a flurry of emotions. Nonetheless, she remained determined.

Under the soft glow of her reading light and buried under the privacy of her blanket, Yui wrote.

School became noticeably quieter in the days that followed their arrival home.

It was not surprising, all things considered. A third of its students were not present and would not be so for at least another week. With the hallways suddenly less crowded and a crucial layer to the social pecking order soon-to-be permanently absent, a strange mood overtook the second years. Unsure with what to do with the sudden ascension up the social ranks, some turned to letting that energy out, becoming more boisterous in a bizarre attempt to fill and lay claim to the void. Others remained more measured in their responses, but none would deny that the atmosphere around the school had changed to a potent mix of melancholy and excitement.

Too bad it had no effect on classes.

Azusa stared at the clock in frustration as she waited for the second hand to make its next jump. It was as if her senses had both been dulled and dialed to eleven. What was something that only needed a second suddenly felt like it needed ages. Staring turned to glaring, and soon she was all but silently begging for the lesson to end as that strip of plastic moved agonizingly slowly, each sluggish tick seemingly mocking her dwindling patience.

When the bell finally rang to signal the end of the day, she had to consciously avoid sending her chair screeching along the floor. Waving a quick goodbye to Ui and Jun, she hurried down the corridors towards the stairs. She would apologize later, but right now all she could think of was to extricate herself and retreat to the clubroom.

Between the moodiness and fatigue that came with the end of a vacation, the twin-tailed junior found herself strangely restless since her return. Adjusting back to the daily tedium of school proved harder than ever, and the only place that gave her a semblance of solace was the music room at the top of the stairs. She still did not appreciate the vacant silence that greeted her as she entered, but this was the way things would be going forward. It was best she began accepting it, however much she did not wish to, however difficult it would be.

Taking a deep breath she slid her bag off her shoulder, doing a once-over of the space. The floor looked clean enough to not warrant another round of sweeping, while Ton-chan's tank appeared clear enough to be left alone for today. The only thing that she had not touched was the whiteboard; its last few doodles remaining proudly on display for no one to really see.

That was when she noticed the box perched on the desk.

Irritation flared. Was someone leaving things in their clubroom again? She had not forgotten that one time some inconsiderate senior had left their soaked uniform lying around the room to dry. And while she had no means of ever ever knowing who the culprit was, she was not about to let such disrespect happen again.

Stomping over, she reached to push the offending box aside when a note with an all too familiar penmanship caught her eye.

'For Azu-nyan. It's delicious!'

Warmth bloomed, pulling her lips into a smile while melting away her anger away her rising anger. It was impossible to stay sullen at the sight of such a thoughtful and tender gift. Silently, Azusa vowed to stay determined. She wanted no regrets, after all.

She was about to get to work when she caught a glimpse of a set of very familiar tufts of hair at the glass of the clubroom's door.

Now, she still considered herself to be a serious person, even if her time in the Light Music Club had influenced and softened her somewhat. But there was nothing that could stop the growing bubble of mischief within her as the idea took hold. Schooling her face into the sternest, most unimpressed expression she could, she threw open the doors.

"Crap! We've been spotted! Abort!"

"But - Captain-!"

"Hold the line Private!"

"Eh?! Wha-"

"S-sorry, Yui!"

"Your sacrifice will be remembered!"

"Fight hard Yui-chan! We will never forget you!"

And just like that the quartet of seniors scattered, leaving only one stumbling - sacrificial? - guitarist in their wake.

"Azu-nyan!" Yui stuttered, looking like a deer in the headlights. "Er- Hi?"

It took everything to not burst into laughter then and there. "Hello, Yui-senpai." She began dryly, masking the shaking of her shoulders by crossing her arms. "You're not supposed to be in school today."

Yui fiddled with her fingers as she pleaded her case. "Erm, we were in the neighbourhood, you know? Doing important things…"

"Uh huh."

"Then we just happened to pass by that cake shop..."

"Of course."

"Which had that special banana cake on sale…"

"And?"

"You said you wanted to try it before…"

"So you decided to sneak into school?"

"But we walked in through the front doors!"

Deciding she's messed with the poor girl enough, Azusa collapsed into a fit of giggles. Yui would probably never know just how much this has helped to bust her out of her funk today, but that was fine. Azusa had plans. And despite the slight derailment of her intended purpose for coming up here, the younger guitarist decided that now was as good a time as any to put the first step of that into action.

Waiting was merely an excuse at this point. And Azusa was done making excuses.

Steeling herself Azusa approached the brunette, drawing on every promise and decision she had made over the last several days. Even if her movements were stiff, awkward and screamed of nervousness; her only point of focus was that she moved intentionally. Everything else, be it her deep-seated notions of propriety or various uncertainties, did not matter in the moment. Gingerly she reached out, bridging the gap between them and eventually curling her arms around the elder girl in a hug.

Azusa poured all of her strength into keeping her mind on her goal. No more excuses, and no more regrets. "Thanks for thinking of me, Yui-senpai." She murmured against the fabric of Yui's coat, feeling the rising heat in her neck.

She felt the older girl's arms circle around her in answer, warm and inviting as it always was, but somehow gentler than usual. "Anything for Azu-nyan, remember?" Yui cooed, adding to the warmth beneath Azusa's cheeks. "And getting a recharge in return? Even better." The elder girl teased mildly.

Azusa huffed in amusement, if only to distract herself from the thundering staccato of her own heartbeat. Taking a moment to steel herself, she did her best to keep her next words as even as possible. "Hey, Yui-senpai…"

"Yeah?"

"I have… something I need to tell you. N-not right now of course, but maybe in a few more days." Swallowing thickly, she trudged on. "When that time comes… will you hear me out?"

For one long moment, the arms circling her seemed to slacken in surprise. Then slowly they settled back around her, pulling her further into the embrace. Azusa's nose was filled with the subtle scent of florals and strawberries. "Alright." She heard Yui say. Then, so softly she almost missed it, she heard the girl add. "Azu-nyan, you know I'll never hate you, right?"

Azusa felt her breath catch in her throat.

"So, don't worry." Yui continued as she nuzzled Azusa's hair, a gentle and almost knowing undertone to her words. "About whatever it is you need to tell me."

For a second, all the young guitarist could hear was the rush of blood in her ears and the thundering of her heart in her chest. Then, as if her neck were on rusty hinges, she nodded with great effort, nearly collapsing under the roaring inferno under her skin.

The fire did not abate even in the face of the cool air after they parted ways.

A distance away, three friends huddled closely together.

"Do you think it worked?"

"It better have. Otherwise I'm marching back up there myself."

"Learn some patience, would you? You can't rush these things."

"I must agree. Much as it may be tempting, it would be better to let them figure it out at their own pace."

"It's just driving me crazy, watching them dance around each other like that."

"Then it looks like we have something in common-"

"See?"

"Considering what I witnessed with the both of you as well."

…

…

…!

"OW! Why me?!"

The following days became an exercise in patience. Per the plan, Azusa set her sights on graduation day, once her seniors were ready to walk out the gates for the final time. Then, and only then, would she allow herself to take the plunge.

It was insipidly cliche, but she did not dare interrupt any time she had before the ceremony with her personal affairs. That day and the lead up to it was meant for them, and she wanted absolutely nothing that could burden or take attention away from any of them.

Plus, it would give her the perfect escape should things truly go sideways.

The possibIlity alone was enough to make her choke.

But she made a promise, and so Azusa resigned herself to enduring her nervous anticipation, all while her seniors persisted with their strange behaviour and Yui's words bounced around in her head.

Thus, when the opportunity for a final, final, performance came in the form of four seniors - who were on school grounds when they weren't supposed to be, again - giggling outside the window of her classroom she jumped at the chance, more than grateful for the distraction.

She shivered as she stepped onto the makeshift stage. It was quite possibly the smallest stage she has ever been on, but it brought with it a potent mix of giddiness and melancholy. It was hard to describe the swooping sensation she felt as she waited with bated breath.

Then Ritsu's ever enthusiastic countdown began, and all thoughts flew out the window.

Azusa committed everything to memory. It did not matter that her muscle memory practically ensured no mistakes, or that she has heard every possible part for their songs. All that mattered in each moment was that she etched every sensation into her mind. The weight of her Mustang on her shoulder, the dull graze of steel against her fingertips. The satisfaction from hearing harmonies blending in just the right way, the pride that swelled in response to joyful applause and chatter. The feeling of the cool tones of Mio's voice washing over her, contrasted with the lively energy of Yui's that charged her nerves. The aggressive buzz of the stage beneath her feet with every rumble of the bass and thunder of the drums. The utterly infectious grins on everyone's faces, carried by the playful brightness of the keyboard. She imprinted each and every one of them into her head, feeling the ghost of her tears welling up behind her eyes.

In a perfect world, she would never need to let this go. She could bottle these moments up as she pleased, and store them away to bask in them whenever she wanted. But the tempo of their music pushed on in an unyielding allegro, mercilessly sweeping her along until it was time for their last piece of the day.

Yui turned to her, a playful and determined glint in her eyes. The sight of it made Azusa's stomach flip, even as her lips pulled into a mirrored smile.

Both guitarists dove into the bridge of U with practiced movements, their fingers moving nimbly across the fretboards. The notes raced by, their guitars harmonising in perfect synchronisation as they seemingly traded the harmony and melody between each other. Their combined sound built steadily, eventually reaching a blinding crescendo as the highest note rang out with a punctuated crash of Ritsu's cymbals.

Then, with only Mugi's lilting piano in the air, time slowed to a crawl.

Hazel eyes, bright and shining with emotion, bore into hers. Familiar lyrics seared her ears.

"Don't laugh, okay? Please listen to me,"

"Cause I'm gonna put all my feelings into this song."

Azusa blinked dumbly in shock, nearly forgetting to start her riff into the final refrain.

Then with a wink and a megawatt smile, Yui leapt off the stage to the delight of the crowd, stealing the last of Azusa's breath away.

Joy was a wonderful thing.

It could transform even the most mundane of experiences into something truly special, and make the world around one come alive. It was a simple yet versatile emotion, able to come from many places and achieve many things.

The first Yui came to understand was the simple joy from having fun. It was the easiest form of joy to experience, and one that even young children would have no trouble grasping. It allowed her wonderful times at the playground and granted her numerous ways to pass the time. Only in hindsight, did she realise that it also would be the spark that granted her lifelong friends. Perhaps Nodoka would protest that a bathtub filled with crayfish was hardly fun, but it was the fun they had in school that brought them together in the same house to begin with. Without that, this memory wouldn't have been possible. Seeking this form of joy became something that influenced her greatly.

Then were the joys that came with sharing and serving others. Having a younger sibling meant that learning how to share in another's joy began early. Not that she ever knew what life was like without Ui, but having someone that looked up to you and would mimic your every move quickly earned her the experience of learning to act like a big sister. Big sisters shared while they played. They looked out for others. They loved their younger sisters. While she did not have the capacity to take in the full nuances of such instructions early on, she grew to understand her parents' meaning well enough. Making Ui smile and laugh was always gratifying, and the girl's intelligence leading her to try and do the same in kind helped things along. The fact that it earned her praise and encouragement from her parents was also extremely useful.

Of course, it did not always end well, if her ill-fated attempt to grant Ui a White Christmas all those years ago was any indication. Nor was it something she managed to master immediately, for what child never experienced bouts of selfishness or bickered with their sibling? It may not seem believable given how tightly knit they were now, but their bond with one another was born from years of trial and error; its development necessitated by their parent's absences due to work commitments or personal holidays in later years. And while Ui became the one to shoulder more overt responsibilities, her genuine adoration of and attachment to her sibling was all the evidence needed to determine the nature of Yui's contributions to their sisterhood.

That was the sort of joy that could fill the walls of their home to the brim even on the gloomiest of days. It was a joy that begot satisfaction and security, that taught Yui the importance of being a bringer of it herself.

But it was only in highschool that she would learn how joy, and the pursuit of it, could spur one to step outside their comfort zone. The admiration she felt from watching her would-be bandmates play together for the first time and the spark that it ignited within her to pick up an instrument of her own. The swell of giddy satisfaction that came when practice paid off in the form of wonderful music and infectious smiles all around. Gone was the version of her that was content to coast through life with such a discovery. There was satisfaction to be found in pursuing a dream, and fun to be found in the work itself.

Such as yesterday, when her heart swelled with a heady mix of pride and relief as the final notes of their most recent project echoed around the walls. Despite the odds, they had made it.

"We actually finished it…" Mio muttered in mild disbelief.

Mugi held a hand over her heart as she let out a relieved sigh. "I'm glad we made it in time."

"And it sounds good!" Ritsu chimed in with a grin, twirling her drumsticks.

Grey eyes darted to her own. "Yui, you made sure you didn't tell anyone about this, right?"

"Of course!" She puffed her chest outwards. "Not even Ui knows!"

Some distance away, tucked in a corner of the school library, a certain brunette sneezed.

"Relax Mio, Yui's gotten better at keeping secrets." Ritsu flashed a teasing grin. "Somewhat."

"Hey!"

The bubble of gleeful accomplishment she felt as they dissolved into laughter was just further proof that great things were worth the chase, and that when one has found a particular brand of happiness, it made sense to hold on to it for as long as possible. She was fortunate, she supposed, that she had managed a way to do so for her closest friends.

All save one, for whom even time itself seemed to be an obstacle.

What was she to do?

It's not like Yui knew of anything that could realistically bridge the gap in their ages or alter the systems that they were a part of. And while technology could keep them all connected no matter the distance, it would never be the same as sharing the same space with one another. She knew that there was little else that could be done, save for letting time pass and take its course.

So that left with her the question of how to make that less painful to bear. Something that could tie them both together even more than the memories they've shared, the sky above their heads, or the keychains that hung proudly on their bags. Something that could, hopefully, help preserve this special happiness that she's managed to find in the face of the onward, relentless march of time.

After bidding her friends farewell from another round of secret practice, Yui turned her attention to the hidden pages of her notebook.

Once more, in the privacy of her room illuminated by the golden rays of sunset, Yui wrote.

Azusa began graduation day by missing her alarm, falling out of bed and charging for the school gates as if hell were at her heels.

At least, that was what she thought.

Snapping awake with a start, she stared blearily at her alarm clock. Bemoaning the fact that she had no means of sleeping away the remaining hour to her alarm, the junior reluctantly slid out from her blanket.

In truth, graduation day began - disturbingly - like any other. Her commute was as it always was, the sounds of her footsteps amid the bustle of traffic and chatter. The shrieks of laughter that came with being teenage girls drifting out of the school gates. Her homeroom teacher droning out instructions for the ceremony like every lesson she has sat through. Graduation corsages being distributed to each person methodically like they were passing out homework assignments. Azusa stared blankly as she thumbed the papery petals in her hand, feeling its roughness between her fingertips.

It was jarring.

She was paired with a senior she did not know. The guitarist pinned the corsage and conveyed her congratulations as instructed, the senior's sincere answer of gratitude sounding distant to her ears. Azusa felt like she was underwater as she observed her surroundings. Smiles and laughter to be found everywhere, in stark contrast to the steadily growing feeling of dullness coursing through her. Her gaze eventually fell onto four familiar seniors standing a distance away. She noted the artful swirl of fallen leaves about them, the coolness of spring around her, and the dull ache on her forehead.

Then, with a gust of wind, the world reset. Everyone went back into neatly arranged lines, separated by year and class like every other outdoor assembly she's been a part of since she could read and write.

How could everything be so mundane?

She packed her bag like she always did once classes ended. She walked up familiar steps to the music room. She opened the doors to the sounds of chatter and the sight of tea and cakes. She saw the amps and drums and keyboard all in their rightful places.

Ordinary. Normal.

But it wasn't.

Not with those diplomas lying next to their bags.

Nor the purple corsages on their blazers.

Nor the letters they were reading, pieces of her heart, penned by her hand.

Days like this were supposed to have build ups. They were supposed to be different. Instead, the world seemed content to move along as per usual.

As if it didn't matter.

"Please don't graduate."

But it did.

"I promise I won't get mad if you goof around."

It meant everything.

"You don't even need to clean the clubroom."

It wasn't fair.

"So, please…"

The world could have at least shown some respect as she struggled to keep herself together.

"Don't graduate."

Warm, comforting hands were on her as she slumped to the ground. The world became a blur as the familiar floors of the clubroom appeared to melt beneath her, an ugly sob tearing its way out of her lips. She wiped her eyes furiously, desperate to regain some semblance control. But her efforts proved futile as hot tears continued to spill forth no matter how many times she attempted to dry her eyes.

Then, before she knew it, she was being gathered up tenderly towards the bench. A fresh bandage replaced the ugly one on her forehead, and soon she felt a variety of things pressed into her hands. A blurry, off-center photo with a cut-out of her face pasted on. A well-worn pick fashioned into a keychain. A small, five-petaled flower. A hand drawn card filled with various doodles she's seen on their whiteboard. And finally a stack of little letters, pieces of their own hearts, penned by four different hands.

A hand came to rest on her head, drawing her gaze forward to rest on four gentle smiles. "Azu-nyan." Yui's eyes shone. "Please listen to us, will you?"

She nodded, and the pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place. The tears that slid out of her eyes then were far less sorrowful.

It's most certainly not their most complex work. She could argue that it wasn't even their best. She would know - because she has both seen and been with them at theirs.

Still, she already knows it's the one song she will never tire of listening to.

Graduation day concluded with little to no fanfare. The members of the Light Music Club milled about the clubroom and packed their instruments like they always did. Yui placed her Les Paul into its bag like a mother lowering her child into a cradle. Ritsu dithered, groaning abouting having to tune her snare all over again. Mio wound up her amp cables in an orderly manner, going in sequence as was her habit. Mugi, impossibly, lifted her Triton from its stand with no visible effort. Floors were cleaned, bags were gathered, and soon the day came to its end.

It was to be expected. The broader world had to continue on, after all.

But not yet.

With a racing heart, she put the first step of her final agenda into motion.

She tensed as Yui's phone buzzed in her pocket, shattering the veneer of normalcy that had settled around them. With a casualness that Azusa silently thanked the gods for, Yui took one look and proceeded to excuse herself with a modest wave. "You guys go on ahead without me."

The answers she got were suspiciously smooth.

"Aye aye, Private."

"We'll see you soon, Yui-chan."

"Make sure you don't forget your things after, Yui."

The doors shut with a gentle click, plunging the remaining pair in silence.

Yui was the first to break the stillness. "I'm here, Azu-nyan." She said, her hands clasped behind her in expectation. Azusa tried not to buckle at the sheer openness radiating from the older girl, or at the terrifying thought of losing something so precious.

Come on.

This was ridiculous. She was a performer. Attention was nothing new to her. She has held fast in the face of crowds larger than most people her age were exposed to. She knew what it was like to weather the pressure of a hundred eyes upon her.

Yet, before this audience of one, Azusa has never felt more nervous in her life.

"Y-Yui-senpai." She croaked. "Thanks for staying."

The older girl hummed in acknowledgement, sending her a smile that was as gentle as it was warm. Strangely enough, she does not speak further, opting instead to shower Azusa with an encouraging look. The younger guitarist did not know whether she found it helpful or nerve wracking.

"It's just… well." Humiliation burned under her skin. Come on! You practiced for this! "I've been doing a lot of thinking and…" She drew in a shaky breath. Practicing alone and performing before an audience were vastly different things. She knew this, and yet there was no stopping the instinctual sense of dissatisfaction directed at herself.

But such was the experience of every debut, was it not? No regrets, she chanted silently, steeling herself against the rising tremor in her nerves. "I've come to realise that you're very important to me."

"If it were possible, I would have wished that today would never come." Tears threatened to spill over anew, but she held on with a shuddering breath. "Perhaps, in a perfect world, I would be able to graduate with you and we could keep playing music together." The thought of it sent a sliver of amusement through her. How odd it would be, if she were their actual peer.

"But that's not the way things are. And I guess I'm also responsible for not being honest with myself all this while." The tiny huff she let out was one tinged with regret. Had she been more perceptive, braver, or just a little less in denial; things would have played out very differently. Who knows, perhaps it could have made today far less bittersweet, or bolstered her more to weather the inevitable storm of today's sorrow. "But still, I would never trade the last two years I've had for anything." This was something she knew in her bones. "You have made my time here among the best I've ever had. Which is why I need to tell you this."

Azusa looked her senior squarely in the eyes. She was struck with equal parts of thrill and terror as the next words came. "I like you, Yui-senpai. I have for a while now."

For the second time that day, time slowed, and Azusa noted the pit of dread in her gut as they both fell into silence. Now that the words were out in the open, there was nothing left for her to do but to wait for the conclusion to come as she teetered on the edge of a precipice.

She sorely hoped that she would not need to flee home.

"You know, when I first met you, I thought you were the coolest person ever." Yui spoke, catching Azusa off guard. "I wondered how it was possible for someone to be this mature and this adorable at the same time." Azusa squirmed as the casual compliment made the heat under her skin intensify.

"But as we got to know each other, I started to realise that you weren't just the coolest. You were reliable. Wonderful to be around. Special." Yui chuckled lightly, and the young guitarist had to do a double take at the shyness in her tone. The girl was many things, but shy was not one of them. "Whenever you're around it makes me feel like I can do anything, you know?"

She knows. Even if she was often the one picking up the slack, Azusa knows that she wouldn't be half as confident or daring as she currently was were it not for Yui. Still, that knowledge did not stop the heat from creeping up her neck further in response.

"I didn't think much of it all, at first." Yui continued as Azusa remained silent, the latter sensing that the older girl had not quite gotten to her point. "After all, everyone is special in their own way. And Azu-nyan is very uniquely Azu-nyan. So I guess it made enough sense that you could always make my day, or that hugging you felt different from hugging anyone else." Heat continued to pool under her cheeks, while the stream of compliments fueled the racing of Azusa's heart.

"But recently, I've had a lot more to think about."

The younger girl stiffened.

"I tried writing it all down, like you always tell me to do for other things." The brunette pouted. "But between trying to organise my thoughts and thinking of lyrics for your song… the whole thing kind of ended up in a mess."

Mess? Is that what she was calling that one, embarrassing word Azusa had glimpsed in that blasted notebook of hers back in London? The very one that nearly sent her heart shooting out of her chest and almost cost her a proper night's sleep?

"Even so, it helped clear up one thing, at least." At that Yui affixed Azusa with a meaningful look, the act sending a jolt down the already rigid spine of the twin-tailed girl.

"If it were possible, I would want a dozen more summer camps with you. I want to be able to stay up late and practice with you again. I want to be able to play as YuiAzu for years to come. I want to be able to tell you 'good morning' and 'see you tomorrow' for as long as I can. You're special because no one else I've met can make me happy the way you do."

Azusa felt her mouth go dry.

"So..." Hazel eyes darted away and Azusa had to pinch herself to confirm that, yes, there truly was a growing flush under her senior's cheeks. "I think I like you too, Azusa."

She forgets how to breathe.

What should she do? Jump for joy? Cry? Clarify what she just heard? Yui understood the proper implications of what she was saying, right? Why had her nickname been dropped? Was this a dream? She felt the dizzying rush of a myriad thoughts and emotions clamouring for her attention, leaving her at a loss as to which to process. Somewhere in between, her better sense reminded her - rather unhelpfully - that her slack-jawed silence was approaching discomforting lengths.

"N-not just as guitar partners, right?" It was mortifying to even ask, but Azusa had to be sure.

She was floored by the steadiness in Yui's eyes as she received her answer. "No. I mean like how Mio-chan and Ricchan are."

Dear lord, it really was. Her mind reeled.

"Azu-nyan?" Oh, and her nickname had returned. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes?" Was she? It was hard to tell with her head feeling like it was both underwater and above the clouds at the same time. "Sorry. It's just that… it almost doesn't feel real."

She startled as Yui pulled her into a hug.

"Does this help?" Yui asked gently as she drew her in. Searing, solid heat soaked into her skin, electrifying and comforting all the same. "Or would you like me to do something else?"

She all but jumped out of the older girl's hold with an undignified squeak. "N-No need!" She doesn't know how much more her poor heart could take. "I-I'm fully convinced!"

"Huh? Did I say something wrong?"

Azusa gaped. This girl had absolutely no business sounding this oblivious.

"Oh!" Yui's eyes lit up. "Did you think I was offering to kiss you?" Just how was she able to say such things with a straight face?! "I mean, it's a little fast all things considered, but I guess I'm open to it as long as you are, Azu-nyan."

Shame, thy name is not Hirasawa Yui.

And what the hell did she mean by fast? Had she forgotten what she attempted as recompense for falling sick before their school festival concert during the Azusa's freshman year? Distantly, the younger guitarist wondered if she was going to explode from embarrassment before she could even finish the conversation.

"Azu-nyan?"

Groaning, the junior dropped gracelessly onto the bench behind her and buried her heated face into her palms.

"Er." Yui wavered, something akin to panic filling her eyes as she hovered over Azusa. "Um, I'm sorry? Should I take that back? But that would be weird, wouldn't it? It's not that I don't mean it, but-"

The sheer confusion in the girl's voice seemed to flip a switch in Azusa, and within moments hilarity overtook her mortification. The whole situation was utterly ridiculous, no doubt, but also completely on brand for them. In the face of it, it seemed silly to ever have been so worried. The tension drained out of her rapidly as she doubled over in laughter, her mirth easing the atmosphere of the room and drawing Yui in as well. The sound of their amusement bounced between them, enveloping them in warmth as the last rays of daylight faded. It was the warmest the bare, empty room has felt for the past several days.

"I have never heard of someone apologizing or trying to take something back right after confessing." Azusa giggled, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "You truly are something else, Yui-senpai." Having finally gathered herself, the rhythm guitarist left the bench and threw her arms around the elder girl. Given the exhausting rollercoaster of emotions she has been through today, she was relieved to feel the act bolstering her. Perhaps this was that 'recharge' Yui had been experiencing all this time. She tightened her hold. "But I guess I wouldn't have it any other way."

She could feel the grin through Yui's reply. "Well, then it looks like I will be in your care."

It was not going to be easy, what with the distance and separation between them. And while Yui's track record with traditional responsibilities may not have been the best, Azusa knew enough to have complete faith in her reply. "As will I."

Come what may, they would figure it out.

Please let me know what you think! And thank you for following this story! This will be the end of the main story, and any additional chapters that I might post for this will likely be small snippets. Little scenes of the future or in between this story where sensible.

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart, to all who have read and followed this story. Till the next one!