Today is not a good day to write. I'm being as impatient as usual, without the calmness of a writer, or the brightness of a writer in trance. Moreover, there's just a whole lot of stuff I have to say about Mio that I just had to cramp inside this chapter, making Nodoka say it for me. Hence, her character (Nodoka) might still seem out-of-character for you guys - but that doesn't matter now.
Why? Because I officially declare that this would be like an 'Ultimate' universe of K-On. AU (Alternate Universe), if you will. The characters would resemble the mainstream ones, but they are altered to fit the writer's vision.
For those Marvel Comics fans out there: I had always preferred the mainstreamed ASM, but that doesn't mean the 'Ultimate' universe was a bad idea for Marvel.
Enjoy. Seems like this arc will take long than I expect. Next up: Mio reveals her horrid past.
Chapter Nine: Kindness!
Akiyama Mio, 16 years old Sakura High School student, had just finished listening to a tale of ironic twists. how her genuinely innocent actions were mistaken to be Machiavellian methods crafted to raise her status.
"And that's what happened," Nodoka finished with a sigh. "I'm sorry you heard our conversation yesterday."
Ironically, knowing the truth left Mio pondering more than ever. It left her questioning her subconsciousness, the lies she had used to protect herself all these years. Was it a really sinful act of hypocrisy for her not to be honest to people about herself?
The only confirmation she had was that Nodoka was innocent, just as she had wanted to believe it.
"I wasn't…" she stuttered, unsure of her genuineness. "I wasn't trying to manipulate anyone… I was just…"
"Scared, I know."
"Eh?" muttered Mio, pivoting her body around to look at her classmate's face.
"I never believed Aniya's words from the start. Her hypothesis was flawed from the start, lacking of knowledge about your true character."
"Nodoka…" Mio blurted her name, confounded by the artlessness of her statement.
"Like I said, it's just like you to be the kind-hearted girl of genuine sincerity that I know."
A blush of heat came to Mio's face, though it wasn't as discomforting as her fever. "I'm… not really that kind-hearted…"
Nodoka chuckled. "By saying that, you have already let me confirm that you are."
The mood was nice, cheery for once in what felt like a long period of time. But then, the remembrance of the
other remark ceased her smile.
"But why did you say that I am childish?"
Nodoka's smile faded away as well.
"…What?"
"There were two voices. One of them was remarking about my hypocrisy, and according to your explanation, it was Aniya."
Nodoka looked away. She knew exactly where Mio was heading with this. A sense of sorrow appeared on her face.
"The other voice claimed that I was shallow, that I was "the most childish member of the band". Why?"
"Because you are," snapped Nodoka instantly, her head pivoted towards her.
Mio stared at her, taken aback by the disheartening answer.
"But… why?"
Nodoka sighed, nudging the rim of her glasses. "You are a sweet girl, Mio, but you just lack focus on your future. Though I know the reason you chose to be with your friends was because you love them, succumbing to your emotions and desires, and forgoing your scholastic future wasn't a bright choice at all, let alone mature."
Mio cringed back into the comforts of her blanket. "I know…" she muttered.
"The Literature Club was a great opportunity for you. Your band just recently had two new members to more than meet the quota, one of whom is capable of playing all of the four instruments of the band, albeit not smoothly. Furthermore, you claimed to me yourself that all the prep works for the culture festival had been completed, so why is it so difficult to leave behind a band that doesn't even participate in serious music? I just… want you to grow, Mio. You can't be stuck with your friends forever."
Mio loosened her grip on her blanket. "Maybe not forever. Maybe choosing the casual Keion Club over the Literature Club is not the most beneficial move I made for my education…"
Then, Mio looked sharply at Nodoka, an unexpected confidence in her eyes.
"But I have other principles! I… want to be more true to myself. I want to enjoy life as it is, with the friends I love so very, very much… to continue loving them by their side, especially…"
"Flare?" Nodoka guessed with a smile, to which Mio returned with a grin on her roseate cheeks.
"Him, too… but it is Ritsu I really owe my life to. If not for her… I would have probably been the wrist-cutter you guys had almost pictured me to be."
Nodoka placed her warm hand on Mio's blanketed body. "You want to tell me what happened?"
And that was when she sensed a different kind of vibe pulsating from Mio's body, one out of extreme fear.
"I… I… there was this…"
Nodoka removed her hand, smiling with a nod, as if displaying perspicacity. "It's alright. I don't have to be the one you tell."
Relieved from having to relive her chilling memories again, Mio's throbbing came to a halt. She took a careful look at Nodoka's compassionate face, trying to perceive the meaning of her last sentence.
"But you'll have to tell someone soon," Nodoka said with a wink. "You will only become more miserable as time goes on, if you continue to run from your fears."
"I know that… I've been fighting it for years…"
"Then maybe it's time you fight it with those friends you love."
Mio smiled. She had someone in mind she wanted to fight those demons with her. However, her gut feeling alone had also left her uncertainty of his trustworthiness.
"Or maybe your boyfriend. He seems to be quite the sensible guy."
"Huh?" Mio muttered, surprised about Nodoka's perception of her thoughts.
"He talked to me yesterday, told me he was your boyfriend. And instead of chewing me out, he asked me to explain myself."
"He did…? Flare… did that?"
It was the confirmation Mio needed, that Flare had that little humanity that she had sensed in him, that he, too, had his own demons to battle.
"Yes. And when I finished telling him about Aniya, about my intentions at that time…"
"But you know, she really isn't as helpless as we pictured her to be."
"Eh?"
"I might not know her for a long time, but whatever nightmarish past she had, I feel that, rather than escaping it, she is trying her might to battle it. Otherwise, she would've accepted our help, instead of insisting on fending on her own. I have faith that she has a good grasp on her future. She won't go down that easily."
Mio tightly wrapped the blanket around her again. Rather than fear, her cringing this time was out of the love she felt for Flare's words. If not for her fever, she might even have squealed with happiness.
Though she did not quite understand it, Nodoka smiled at Mio's sudden shift in emotions. "From your expression, I take it that it was the answer you were hoping for."
"Kind of," answered Mio with a dreamy look.
"Either way, I guess I now understand a little bit better as to why Tenjiru, along with the rest of your friends, looked up to you as much as they did. Because if there's anything you would never let your cowardice get the better of it, it is probably your love for those treasured people in your life, right?"
"I guess…" replied Mio softly. She blushed at Nodoka's compliment, clutching her blanket against her chest once again while trying to hide her face away from her classmate. To her, it was far too noble a veneration for her worth.
Mio's denial had only served to increase Nodoka's fondness for her.
"Seems like I was wrong, Mio. You are far from being the most childish member of the band. You are the strongest. You endured your worst fears just to help out your friends. But it's time to help yourself as well. Your friends deserve that much from you."
With that, Nodoka stood up from Mio's bed, leaving an enlightened Mio to ponder. She had done all she could to help Mio stand up. The rest was up to her, but Nodoka knew she would walk just fine.
"By the way," Nodoka remarked before she left, it's not too late if you wish to visit Tenjiru."
Upon the click of her bedroom door, Mio let out a smile. She could almost see the egression of that helpless little girl now.