A gift for Mio's birthday. This story was difficult to write due to the amount of conversations in it and the mood of the story itself. I've never been fond of writing dialogue since it's quite difficult for me. Hopefully, I did an okay job with this one. Also, even though I said this story is set in Canon Verse, I took a lot of liberty in it.

Play

Summary: Now, let me explain some rules. You will have to do whatever I say. When I say pause, you will have to pause. Pressing Rewind is against the rules! Now, press play. Canon Verse. Oneshot.

Disclaimer: I do not own K-On! and any of its characters.

Note: Since this story contains a lot of dialogue, I suggest that readers pay close attention to conversations. You will understand why I say this as you read on. Be aware of quotation marks so you won't get confused. Moreover, aside from the two HTT songs that are blatantly mentioned in this story, a number of others are also referenced. Try and locate them as you read.

She was leaving you alone for two weeks.

Starting on your birthday.

How dare she?

"I'm sorry! I don't really have a choice on the matter." Ritsu held her arms up in an attempt to defend herself from your wrath.

"Hmph…" You scoffed.

Ever the angel of the club, Mugi intervened in an attempt to break the growing tension. "You shouldn't be so hard on Ricchan, Mio-chan."

"Yeah, yeah, Mio-chan, Ricchan just said she doesn't have a choice." Yui piped in after swallowing a mouthful of cake.

"Somehow, Yui defending me doesn't make me feel any safer." The club's drummer and president rubbed a finger on her forehead, her very own version of temple rubbing.

Your eyebrow twitched at Yui's automatic whine.

"But I swear I'll protect you, Buchou!"

"Hai, hai…"

"I-I think Mugi-senpai is right, Mi—"

The poor underclassman couldn't even finish her sentence when you looked at her.

"Uuuaaaaaah! Mio-chan, don't scare Azunyan! She might not recover!"

The fixed glare on your face softened. Did you, cool and collected Akiyama Mio, just glare at Azusa?

The twin-tailed girl looked quite mortified, so much so that she looked ready to cry.

"G-gomen, Azusa." You stuttered, feeling guilty about scaring your kouhai.

"Now you know what kind of glare I have to deal wi—"

"We're straying off topic again, Ritsu." You interjected and crossed your arms. You were more irritated than you have ever been since… last week. It was difficult not to find yourself with high blood pressure with both Tainaka Ritsu and Hirasawa Yui in your inner (only) circle of friends. "How long have you known that you're leaving?"

"Err… a little over a week?" Ritsu almost squeaked.

"And you didn't tell us?"

"I was busy!" The golden-eyed girl whined helplessly, dramatically ruffling her ochre hair in frustration.

Hmm…

You decided to grill her about it a bit more.

"Busy with what exactly? We've been letting you off club activities this past week even though you're the club president." You even placed an underlying growl in your words for effect.

The peanut gallery was silent. They knew this mode of yours and were wise enough not to intervene.

"I was… doing something." Ritsu suddenly became oddly silent, looking at anything but you.

"Doing something…?"

"Yeah. You'll find out soon enough so stop chewing me out!" Frustrated and out of gas, the drummer slumped down on the table with a dull thud.

You felt rather triumphant at her defeat but that didn't alleviate your exasperation.

Ritsu had never missed any of your birthdays since the two of you met.

"Fine." You scoffed once again and lifted the teacup in front of you to drink the invigorating liquid that vaguely smelled of honey. Hopefully, it would remedy your hypertension.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise, Mio-sama!"

You choked on the tea you were sipping. You returned your eyes on Ritsu only to see that she was wearing that devious smirk.

Oh, you are not turning this one on me…

"Oh, look what you did. You spilled your tea." Ritsu giggled as she pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket, "Let me wipe it away for you, Mio-sama."

Ritsu was reaching out to wipe your spilled tea when you decided to give her the finishing blow.

Your left fist landed on her head.

"Ow!"

"Baka!"

The peanut gallery carried on as if nothing ever happened.

Eyecatch: Two girls are sitting back to back on a pink plush carpet. One of them is playing a chirpy tune on a harmonica while the other accompanies her with the silent rumbles of her bass. "I've always liked it when you play a melody. It makes any gloomy day sunny."

You soon found yourself at the airport at 5:00 AM on the morning of your birthday.

Calling all passengers for Japan Airlines Flight 149. We will be boarding shortly.

"Ricchan~"

"Yui~"

The two dunderheads dramatically embraced each other, much to your and to the Tainaka family's embarrassment.

"I'm going to miss you, Buchou!" The brunette guitarist declared while still hugging and cuddling Ritsu.

"I'm gonna miss you too. Practice hard, okay~?"

You almost snorted at her humorous attempt to be the responsible club president.

"But you never do that, Buchou, why should I?" Yui purred innocently, hoping that she could get away from further practice since the band's drummer would be missing for two weeks.

"Because I ordered you to, Private!" Ritsu barked, obviously mimicking a drill sergeant.

Their conversation was becoming nonsensical very quickly.

Calling all passengers for Japan Airlines Flight 149. We will be boarding shortly.

"I think we should all say our goodbyes now, Mio-chan, they'll be boarding soon." Mugi finally spoke up after you caught her enjoying the show Ritsu and Yui were making right in the middle of the airport.

You just chose to ignore Mugi's peculiarity and nodded, agreeing to her suggestion even though you honestly didn't know how to do so. You have never said goodbye to Ritsu before, not really anyway. She had never gone away for more than a week.

You refused to acknowledge that you might miss her.

"Have a safe trip, Ritsu-senpai." Azusa bowed respectfully only to be caught in a chokehold.

"Don't pretend you respect me, Nakano!" Ritsu playfully accused the younger girl while poking her cheeks.

"Ricchan! Don't do that! Azunyan isn't completely awake yet!" Once again – as it has been happening quite often recently—Yui jumped at the chance to protect the younger girl from harm.

True to Yui's statement, your underclassman was barely there in terms of mental functions since she still yawned despite being in a chokehold. And the fact that Azusa didn't realize she had a pair nekomimi on her head ever since Yui placed it on her in the train ride was more than enough proof that Azusa was still somewhere in dreamland.

You mused about how Yui was so awake right now. The brunette was definitely not a morning person.

Must be the cat ears… She always liked those on her.

"Ricchan," Tsumugi started, walking up towards the ochre haired girl. She then gave her a small pouch that held a digital camera, "Take lots of pictures, okay?"

Ritsu grinned, "Of course! Just for ya, Mugi."

The blonde blinked and then smiled, "It's really for…"

She glanced at you.

Eh…?

Calling all passengers for Japan Airlines Flight 149. We will be boarding shortly.

"Hey, nee-chan, we gotta go!" Satoshi called out to his sister before picking his travel bag up and following his parents.

"Hai, hai…"

You suddenly felt everyone's eyes on you.

"Uhm, Ritsu…" You began but as every second passed, you found it more and more difficult to continue.

"Sorry. I tried convincing them. I really did."

You returned your eyes on her and saw her rubbing the back of her neck uncomfortably.

You couldn't help but smile because you knew, just by that familiar gesture, that Ritsu meant what she said. "It's alright, Ritsu."

"No, it's not. I've never missed one. I feel like this tarnishes my record!"

You stared at her, bewildered. "What record…?"

"So, I prepared something for you today!"

Clearly, she wasn't listening to you anymore. Sometimes you wondered why you even try to retain her attention for more than a few seconds.

Ritsu unzipped her bag and started rummaging through the items inside. A portion of your mind was alarmed; Ritsu had a knack for pulling random things out of nowhere to scare you after all, yet another portion was curious as to what exactly she had prepared for you. She could be very sweet and thoughtful when she really tried. Hopefully, she did try to be sweet this time or she would be leaving Japan with a bump on her head.

You watched Tainaka Ritsu pull a box out from her luggage.

"Here!" She offered to you, grinning.

You narrowed your eyes on the box but took it anyway.

"I hope this isn't another jack-in-the-box, Ritsu." You sighed.

"No, it isn't. Do you have that little trust in me?"

After all you've done to me…? Maybe…

"Nevermind, don't answer that." She waved it off and continued, grinning all the while, "Well, Happy Birthday, Mio!"

A silly little smile etched itself on your face. Her bright smiles always had an effect on you.

"Thank you, Ritsu. I—"

Final call for the passengers of Japan Airlines Flight 149. Please report to the boarding attendants.

The announcement cut off whatever you wanted to say. Realizing that she would have to go right then, you tried speak after the broadcast died down. However, you quickly found yourself enveloped in a hug.

"R-Ritsu…?"

"I'm really sorry that I'm leaving you on your birthday, Mio. I hope my gift can make up for it." Ritsu said. Her voice was mellow and utterly sincere.

You felt your face burn at the way she spoke to you. You often envied how transparent she was, how true she was to herself and to others. You envied her confidence. You wished that you could speak as openly as she could without reducing yourself into a blushing fool.

Never mind that your insides tingled at the tone of her voice.

"Aww, not gonna hug back?" She teased.

"W-what…?"

"Nee-chan!"

"I gotta go, Mio…"

And, at that, she pulled herself away from you.

You stood there, dumbfounded, holding your free arm up. You were about to return her hug too.

"Make sure you get ready by 7:30, Mio!" Ritsu said as she zipped her luggage back up.

You blinked. It was Saturday today. You were planning to go back to sleep when you get home.

"Why?"

"I'm taking you on a date."

"…huh?"

How…?

"You'll see when you open my present for you."

You truly hated it when she had that mischievous tone in her voice. It guaranteed a diabolic plan of hers was at play.

Before you could ask though, she was already making her way to her family while waving at you and your friends. "Goodbye, everyone! See you in two weeks!"

"Bye, Captain!"

"Have a safe trip, Ricchan!"

"See you soon, Ritsu-senpai!"

Ashamed that you haven't even said anything, you gathered the courage to raise your voice, "Bye! See you in two weeks, Ritsu, and thank you for the present!"

She gave you thumbs up and that wonderful grin of hers before she entered the portal that led to the plane, "I know you'll love it, Mio-chuan!"

You looked down at the wrapped present in your hands.

Blue and gold giftwrap, huh?

"YUI-SENPAI!"

You looked over towards Azusa. The shorter girl was frantically waving the nekomimi around while scolding her airheaded senpai, blushing all the while.

"Hehe~… goodmorning, Azunyan~" Not unlike her lively Buchou, Yui was not listening anymore and was enjoying the sight of her flustered and definitely adorable kouhai.

You counted to three and, right on cue, the airhead was airborne.

"Azu~nyan~!"

"Nya! Yui-senpai, get off me!"

Eyecatch: Akiyama Mio staring through a wire fence as an airplane lifts off into the lightening sky. Her hair billows westward like a dark silken curtain. "Until I see you again…"

You soon found yourself in your bedroom staring at the peculiar box Ritsu gave you. It was already 7:00 and, if you were going to play her little game, you must open it now and get ready for that 'date'.

Your inner scaredy cat refused to budge. What if something jumped out at you?

I'm going to trust you this once, Ritsu.

You pulled the frustratingly innocent box closer to yourself as you sat on your desk chair and carefully pulled the golden ribbon away. Underneath the thick ribbon, you found a card taped on the box.

"Mio, there's nothing scary in this box. Just open it."

"Baka…" You spoke to yourself while holding the card with a shaking hand. You refused to admit that her message was the sign you were waiting for. It took away some of your nervousness about the silly little box.

Quickly, you unwrapped the box. It was a simple cube about half the size of a shoebox, decorated with multicolored polka dots.

So far, so good. It looks harmless enough…

You felt silly at the thought that you probably looked like you were unwrapping a time bomb.

But this is from Ritsu… it might as well be.

Tentatively, you placed your left hand on the box's pink lid. Just in case something popped out, you leaned back as you opened it.

Nothing came out.

You sighed in relief.

Now that fear was the last of your worries, you finally managed to examine what was in the box. Inside, you found a Walkman cassette player with a paper note attached to it, two cassettes, a tiny bunny plushie, and a compact disc in its plastic shell. Unsure of what to do with the various type of media and the random toy, your logical brain automatically directed you to the folded piece of paper clipped by the cassette player.

"Prepare a duffel bag, and dress in comfortable clothes (stay warm, it must be cold outside). After you've done all that, grab a pair of earphones and listen to tape 1. ~Ritsu"

While you still have your suspicions, you felt oddly excited after reading the note. Just what did she plan? And what was this 'date' she told you about?

This is too elaborate to be a joke…

Since you didn't change out of your clothes after you saw Ritsu and her family off, you just reached to your left and took a pair of earphones off your mp3 player. Giddy for no apparent reason, you plugged the earphones into the Walkman and looked at the cassettes in search of the said tape 1.

In true Ritsu fashion, the tapes were all labeled "Play Me!" and denoted by numbers 1 and 2.

You placed "Play Me! #1" in the cassette player, making sure that it was on Side A, and pressed play.

"Hi, Mio! It's me!"

It was a miracle that you didn't fall off your chair at the sound of Ritsu's excited voice. It was even a bigger miracle that you didn't have a heart attack.

"You finally got the guts to open the box, huh? I was thinking of just handing it to you unwrapped but that's not much of a birthday present, is it? So I ended up wrapping it for you. I can just see your face trying to open it. Hahaha!"

Even though she was only a voice recorded in a cassette, Ritsu still had the capacity to irritate you.

"Since I can't physically be with you today, I spent the last week recording these tapes and preparing for the best birthday you will ever have."

Now all her absences made sense.

"Now, let me explain some rules. First and foremost, you will have to do whatever I say in these tapes or else it won't work out! When I say pause, you will have to pause the tape. Don't cheat and keep playing it! I made sure that you will get prompts to press play again as you go through this date of ours, okay?"

Your brain was still trying to get over the fact that Ritsu could arrange something so complex.

"Now… pause the tape and play it again once you're outside your house door. The fun will begin then. Remember to take the stuff I wrote on the note and that we're supposed to start this at 7:30 alrighty, Mio-chuan?"

Ritsu's voice disappeared and the tape ran silent.

You took it as a cue to press the pause button.

You stared at the cassette player, amazed, so incredibly amazed that you felt butterflies flying around in your stomach. Any doubts that this box and whatever was in it were a hoax was thrown out the window. Ritsu, despite being a baka most of the time, found a way to keep you company in her absence. Not only that, she also organized this so called date for you.

You looked at the wall clock.

It was 7:15 AM.

Hurriedly, you pulled your duffle bag from your closet, placed the box containing the tapes inside, ran out of your room, and made your way down your home's flights of stairs. You were so excited that you practically glowed.

"Mio, where are you going so early in the morning?" Your father poked his head out from the kitchen when he saw you run past.

"Out, Papa. Ritsu gave me these tapes and it's supposed to be a present and—"

"Oh," Your Dad chuckled at your enthusiastic jabber before taking a sip of his coffee, "I see. Can you do me a favor before you leave though? Please bring the newspaper and mail in for me."

You raised an eyebrow out of curiosity and mild suspicion. Usually, your more-than-slightly-protective father would question you further.

Does he know about this?

"I will."

"Thank you, Mio."

Wondering why your father had that knowing look on his face, you made your way towards your mailbox and took its contents out. Out of habit, you automatically folded the newspaper lengthwise and clipped it under your arm while you sift through the mail just in case some of them were yours. After fishing out a couple of greeting and birthday cards out of the pile and putting them in your duffle bag, you went into the kitchen to deliver the items to your father.

"I'll leave them on the table, Papa."

"Mio-chan, aren't you going to eat breakfast first?" Your mother said while cooking some tamagoyaki on the stove.

You shook your head, "I'm okay. I already ate some toast on my way to meet up with everyone earlier today."

"Let her go, dear," Your father said as he approached the table to look at the mail. "She has a fun day ahead of her."

"Papa…?"

"Go." He urged with that reserved yet gentle smile that you inherited, "Just be home before dinner. We also want to celebrate your birthday with you."

"Is it Ricchan?" Your mother wondered and at the small nod your father gave her, she continued, "Lively little sprite, isn't she?" Your mother smiled.

They know all about this… I just know it.

And what "lively little sprite"? Shouldn't it be devious little devil…?

"Uhm… I'll be going then." More than a little bit confused, you excused yourself from your parents and went out the door.

You almost forgot to press play on the cassette player.

After a few seconds of static, you heard Ritsu's voice once again, "Welcome back to 'My Awesome Birthday Date with Ricchan!'"

You nearly tripped down your own porch.

What the hell?

"Hahaha, I know you did something funny just now. Anyway, let's get this started, okay? Start walking towards the Ranroo's Café while I continue blabbing."

Funnily enough, you had no doubts that Ritsu could keep a conversation with herself.

You started your trek towards the said café a few blocks down your street. You and Ritsu frequented that café since it was built a year ago, often taking advantage of its ambience to complete homework without the distraction offered by shelves of manga and a computer full of songs in both of your rooms.

"I wonder what you're seeing Mio. Is it still dark? No, I doubt it. It's already 7:30, right? Heh, I'm recording this in the afternoon so I'm sure I'm seeing very different colors than you are."

If it weren't for the fact that you walked alone, you might have answered her question.

"Let's see if I can guess what you see… it's morning and it's probably cold… hmm."

You rubbed your gloved hands together to warm them, blowing warm air into them to help the process.

"Ah, I know! Ne, Mio, do you watch your breath rise up towards the sky? I always think about that when we're walking to school. I wonder if our breaths join the clouds."

Unconsciously, you smiled to yourself as you listened to her musings. Ritsu never truly gave herself enough credit when it came to insight. She always passed herself off as a brash girl without realizing that she had such a wonderful mind.

Yes, I watch them, Ritsu. I watched yours as well.

"Guh… thinking about this reminds me of that song you wrote. I still wanna know what's up with that song. It's a song about me being late to class all the time, isn't it? You just sapped it up with the… that… itchy chorus!"

Despite the insult aimed at your lyrics, you couldn't help but giggle at the image of her embarrassing herself as she recorded this tape.

Fuyu no Hi… huh?

"What am I saying? The whole thing was itchy."

You could almost see her fidget.

"I can't believe you made Yui sing it though…"

"…"

You found yourself listening intently, hoping that she would elaborate. Was she disappointed that you made Yui sing it? Why? She was the one who outwardly rejected the lyrics. It was only through democratic voting that Fuyu no Hi was even rendered into a song.

"But then again, it somehow ended up being lively so I guess Yui's voice fits it better. I can't imagine you singing that bouncing ball of a song, 'Fuwa Fuwa Time' is your max on my book. Haha!"

You would normally formulate a clever come back to that but why did you suddenly feel disappointed?

"When I first saw the lyrics, I thought it'd be a slow song, you know? But that would be depressing, wouldn't it?"

You hugged yourself when a chilly wind blew past you. A shuddering breath left your lips.

"Cold…"

"I actually arranged a drum track for a slower version of that song… It's in the CD that came with the cassettes. Track 4 I believe. I burned some of the drum tracks I was able to record on that CD. Go ahead. You can laugh. That stupid song messed with my head so much, I swear!"

Your eyes widened and you suddenly forgot the chill in your body. Ritsu actually arranged a slower track? You pulled the Walkman out of your jacket pocket to look at it, willing it to confirm what Ritsu just said.

You felt like the cassette player was staring at you mockingly despite its lack of eyes.

The recorded voice continued its rant while you pondered.

"I didn't know what to do with it when we decided that we're going to go through and make it into a song! Don't you write something like that again! Better yet, just email me the damn things! What were you thinking, leaving it in the mailbox? I thought it was from some random guy stalking me!"

You wondered why she made a big deal out of this but you didn't care. Dropping those lyrics in her mailbox did not feel wrong to you.

Writing songs about her didn't either…

You then heard her release a sigh of resignation. Apparently she got tired of ranting at you.

"Anyway, unless you're moving at the pace of a snail, I'm guessing you're near Ranroo's already, right?"

Ranroo's Café peered at you from around the corner.

If it wasn't for the fact that the café was situated as far from her house as it was from yours, you would have started wondering if the Walkman was really a walkie-talkie. Did she record this as if she's going through this 'date' of yours? Was she walking the same street as you are now while she spoke to this cassette player?

"When you arrive just go on inside. Someone is gonna meet up with you there, okay? Hehe, I know I said it's a date but I can't just keep you to myself on your birthday, you know? Heh."

You stared at the café's door as if it was a portal to another world. You knew nothing about Ritsu's plan so whenever she told you something, your self-preservation instincts goes into high gear. It had evolved through years of putting up with Ritsu's pranks after all.

"Side A is almost done so you don't need to actually pause. Just let the tape stop so you can flip it afterward. Pressing rewind is against rules!"

Of course it's against the rules…

The Walkman clicked, signaling the end of Side A of "Play Me! #1."

You sighed, "I might as well humor her…"

You opened the door to the café.

Eyecatch: Two high school girls are haphazardly piled all over each other on the slippery side walk during a snowy winter day. Around them, their bags, a bass, and a pair of drumsticks are scattered. The girl with golden eyes grins in mirth despite her sore back, "See? I'll always catch you when you fall down even if you're the one who made me slip in the first place."

"Ah, Akiyama-san!" One of the café's baristas greeted you as you came in.

You took your scarf off after you passed through the café's doors. "Good morning, Morita-san. Did you just open?"

"Hai, but we've been expecting you. Tainaka-san told us you'll be coming early today."

"Ritsu did?" You asked as you folded your scarf around your arms.

Morita Rin just smiled and nodded, "Come this way." She then led you to sit in the booth where you and Ritsu usually sat.

"Hello, Mio-chan." A soft voice greeted you.

"Mugi!"

The blonde keyboardist smiled sweetly. "Happy Birthday!"

Morita excused herself and left you with your friend. So Mugi was the person Ritsu said you would meet.

"Wait, Mugi, so you know about the cassettes…?"

Mugi chuckled, "Yes, Mio-chan, I do. Ricchan told me about it about a week ago and since it sounded so much fun I convinced her to let me join in." She patted the booth seat next to her, "Come, sit."

You sat down and settled the duffle bag you carried near your feet. "So, I'm the only one who didn't know…" You didn't even need Mugi to tell you that Yui and Azusa were involved as well. You were more concerned at the fact that you didn't sense this happening.

Your lack of future sight to Ritsu's antics might prove fatal to your already anxious heart.

"Maa…" Mugi hesitated but decided to talk. She knew that there was no use keeping it a secret now, "Yui-chan overheard us and Azusa-chan was with her."

"No wonder all of you kept defending her when she strayed off during club meetings."

Mugi only smiled and patted your hand, "Ricchan was only thinking of you."

"That baka…"

"Akiyama-san, here." Morita came back with a huge mug of Ranroo's special hot chocolate for you.

You watched as the barista placed the mug in front of you, "But I haven't ordered anything yet..."

Morita chuckled, "It's from Tainaka-san. She said it's a birthday treat. Ah, here's your tea Kotobuki-san." She then handed Mugi a cup of tea before excusing herself once again.

You must have had a funny expression on your face because Mugi lightly laughed, "She's so sweet, isn't she?"

"Morita-san…?"

"No, silly, I meant Ricchan."

"Oh…" Now you're certain you were blushing.

You closed your hands around the steaming mug of hot chocolate, sighing contently as pleasant heat passed through your palms. You lifted the heavy mug up to your lips. You then blew the hot liquid within to cool it down a bit before carefully sipping the sweet beverage. You smiled to yourself as the hot drink spread warmth inside your body.

"Mio-chan, here's your gift!" Mugi reached beside her and pulled out a present from her purse.

"Oh, thank you, Mugi." You replaced the mug on the table and took the offered gift. "May I open it?"

"Of course."

You carefully unwrapped the present, as you were never the type to tear through gift wrap, and found a colorful pastel photo album.

"I know you like photographs since you always carry a camera with you. Those are some of the pictures I've collected during our outings and club activities. I thought you would like them." Mugi giggled quietly. You assumed that even she was a bit embarrassed of some of the pictures in the album.

You opened the photo album and, as you expected, nostalgia washed over you.

You and Mugi spent the rest of your time in Ranroo's looking over, chatting, and laughing at the pictures she placed in the album. You were impressed by her attention to detail since not only were there pictures, Mugi actually made a wonderful collage out of them, cutesy stickers and all.

It made your inner little girl squeal in joy.

"Thank you for this, Mugi, really." You told your friend after you finally finished that monster of a drink Ritsu ordered for you.

"I'm just glad you liked it, Mio-chan." Mugi smiled and stood up. "Now, my time is up. It's time for you to move on in your little adventure."

"I guess so…" You smiled back, "But where am I suppose to go now?"

"Why don't you ask your date?" She giggled and continued before you can protest, "I'll see you again later, Mio-chan."

"Okay…" You could barely say as you watched Mugi saunter towards the exit of the café. However, within a few moments, she poked her head back in.

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

"What is it?"

"Press play."

And with that Kotobuki Tsumugi disappeared down the sidewalk waving happily.

Eyecatch: Akiyama Mio sitting inside Ranroo's café trailing her finger across the lip of a large mug. Her other hand is over a picture in the photo album showcasing five girls dressed in white t-shirts looking like they've just had the time of their lives. "Too bad I can't really remember what happened during that concert… everything happened so quickly."

After you have gathered your things and wrapped your scarf around your neck outside Ranroo's café, you flipped cassette 1 and pressed play.

"Yo! Welcome back, Mio! How was your time with Mugi? Did you like the chocolate? I told Morita-san not to skimp on the syrup since you have a serious case of sweet tooth. Haha!"

You chuckled to yourself, just relishing the sound of her voice. You truly wished you could share your day and your joy with her right now but even if you spoke, she wouldn't be able to hear you.

"It feels kinda weird saying that since I'm right in front of Ranroo's right now. Heh. Anyway… I'll make sure that sweet tooth of yours is completely satisfied in our next stop! Woo!"

You automatically rolled your eyes at her silly cheerfulness.

"Don't roll your eyes on me."

You blinked and stared at the cassette player. Was Ritsu psychic or something?

But then again…

You shook your head. She really did know you too well.

"If Mugi stuck with the schedule, it's about 10:00 already. Why don't you walk with me to the Hub, Mio."

Curious, you wondered what could be in the Hub that made it the second stop. The Hub is a small shopping complex not too far away from Ranroo's, sort of like a mid-way stop between the residential areas and the beginnings of downtown. The only place worth taking note of in the Hub is the fast food joint you and the rest of Keion Bu eat in and that small pastry shop where Yui tends to float into when everyone else weren't paying attention.

You chuckled to yourself. You could only guess who you might meet there.

You started walking down the sidewalk. Ritsu stopped talking for a few seconds now so you wondered if you should pause. You waited a bit longer though, comfortable that you could hear her breathing as she walked with you.

She may have recorded this tape a few days ago but that didn't matter. She was still with you. You could just feel her. And the thought that, despite the time difference, she still walked with you made you happy.

"I checked how the weather will be on your birthday and the forecast said it'd be sunny. Is it sunny, Mio? I hope so. I wouldn't want your birthday to be all gloomy when it's cold enough as it is. I think last year was like that. Yeah, it was because I remember that we just stayed at your house watching movies since it was too cold to go outside. Heh. I hope God will work with me this year and give you blue skies. Blue has always been your favorite color, yeah?"

It is, Ritsu. And, yes, the sky is very blue today.

"I'm looking up at my sky right now…"

You could almost see her fold her arms behind her head, smiling.

"…and it's orange. Haha! You never really see 'yellow' skies until Summer, huh? But, you know what? I don't mind the orange sky. It's close enough, don't you think?"

Since she was talking about the sky, you couldn't help but stare up at your own sky. It was a perfect pastel blue with clumps of cotton white clouds lazily drifting overhead. You closed your eyes as you tried to imagine what her sky was like in that afternoon she recorded this tape.

Brilliant and warm amber…

Just like her eyes.

"Hehe, sorry if I'm sounding weird, Mio." Her cheerful tone faltered for a moment, "It's kinda hard to talk to something that can't talk back you know? I mean, you're quiet too but at least you respond to me, even if it's a punch to my head. Hehe… That's still something."

"Did she just say I'm boring…?" You whispered to yourself with a bit of humor. However, you knew that wasn't the case. If you have been boring, she wouldn't have stayed by your side for this long.

You blinked when you heard the sound of slapping from the tape.

"Snap out of it, Ritsu! Happy, be happy for Mio-chuan's birthday!"

You couldn't help but giggle to yourself. She must have slapped herself to snap out of her slight melancholy. She might not look it but you knew that Ritsu also frequently slipped into melancholic phases when she didn't have anything to focus her energy on.

Baka, you don't have to act. Just the fact you did something like this already made me happy.

"I never knew it'll be so hard to talk to a gadget. Hahaha! Oh, we're almost here! Well… I'm almost here at the Hub. Listen carefully, okay? When you reach the intersection, you'll find a booth to your right. Don't cross the street. It's right around the corner. Now, pause."

Ever obedient to the rules, you paused the cassette.

You continued walking down the sidewalk until you reached the said intersection. You wondered why Ritsu was being so vague about her directions when you also knew your way around. You also grew up in this town after all and you knew, for certain, that the booth she referred to was a flower booth.

"Ah, Mio-chan, I was waiting for you."

"Good morning, Watanabe-san." You greeted the old woman who ran the booth. Even in winter, Watanabe Madoka still supplied the townspeople with wonderful blooms she grew in her greenhouses. Her colorful goods definitely gave winter life.

"It's your birthday today, isn't it?" The florist asked kindly yet she did not spare you a glance. She was busying herself with arranging a bouquet as she spoke to you.

"Hai." You answered as you curiously eyed her work.

"Ah, happy birthday then, Mio-chan, and here is a gift for you." Watanabe Madoka smiled and handed you the small bouquet she just finished.

You gratefully accepted the fragile gift.

"Thank you, Watanabe-san, this is really beautiful." You examined the bouquet made up of yellow gladioli and pink carnations. Fingering the soft petals, you smiled to yourself. You rarely received flowers after all. Amidst all the warm colors, however, you noticed a sparse sprinkling of blue.

Deciding not to assume what the small blue flowers were, you asked the florist, "Ano… Watanabe-san, what are these blue flowers?"

The kind old lady merely smiled, amused, "I'm surprised you don't know them, Mio-chan. They're Forget-Me-Nots."

"O-oh… I see." You blinked dumbly.

Of all the flowers to forget…

"I must say that Ricchan has a peculiar taste in flowers." The florist idly said before she handed you a small piece of paper.

"Ritsu…?" You unfolded the piece of paper Madoka gave you.

"Press play. ~Ricchan"

"Run along now, Mio-chan." The florist told you with that knowing look in her eyes. "Enjoy your youth for this old woman, ne?"

You bowed and thanked the old lady once again before putting your earphones back on. You couldn't take your eyes away from the bouquet as you pressed play.

"You're blushing aren't you?"

You blinked and felt blood rush to your face. Now that she asked if you were flattered, your body remembered that it should be flushing right now because you just randomly received flowers.

"Ehehe~ How I wish I can see you, Mio-chuan. You must be so kawaii right now, holding that fluffy pink bouquet."

You were so tempted to hit the Walkman but that wouldn't do. You were still on tape one after all. And, besides, the teasing was a small price to pay for that fuzzy feeling that warmed you in this cold day.

"I hope you know what those flowers mean but anyway… we're nearing the end of this tape as well. Your next hostess should be there somewhere. I told her to make herself visible but, knowing her, she probably got distracted. I assure you that she's there though, if not, she'll be in for some clobbering when I get back!"

Just from that, you knew for certain that she was talking about Yui.

Who else could it be…?

The cassette played clicked, signaling the end of "Play Me! #1".

Eyecatch: A vivid painted canvas hangs on a wall. It has two distinct sides, one blue the other vermillion. A black-haired girl walks farther into the background under azure skies while an ochre-haired girl walks in the same manner but she's under the warm glow of the evening sun. "No matter what hue, we still walk under the same sky."

You wandered around the Hub complex for ten minutes before you heard the voice of the person you were looking for.

"Ya-ho~ Mio-chan, over here!"

You turned around and saw Yui right in front of the Max Burger, practically jumping as she waved.

"Yui!"

"Huh…? You knew I was gonna be here?" Yui asked as you made your way towards her.

You carefully tucked the bouquet of flowers into your duffle bag. "After Mugi showed up, it's kind of easy to guess who will be next depending on the location."

"Aww~ and here I thought I'll be able to surprise you." She pouted.

"If it makes you feel better, I think this whole thing is a pleasant surprise."

The brunette gave you one of the brightest smiles you've ever seen. Hirasawa Yui was truly gifted at sharing her joy with everyone around her, just like Tainaka Ritsu.

It was no wonder that the two got along so well.

"Are you having fun, Mio-chan?"

"Hmm…"

Aren't you…?

"Yes, I am. I'm having fun so far." You attempted to smile just as brightly but you weren't gifted with such ability. Yui still beamed at you though, as if she was more than satisfied with your answer.

"Then let's eat cake!"

"…" For some reason, you knew she would say that.

"Let's celebrate your fun, Mio-chan!"

You stared at her. "Eh…?"

How was that different from the light music club's daily activities?

"Besides, it's your birthday. Cake is a must! C'mon, c'mon!"

Yui grabbed your hand and motioned towards the pastry shop she loves so much. Unlike Ritsu, however, Yui had more finesse with her impatience and excitement for she pulled you towards the shop with very little force. If Yui had been Ritsu, she would have dragged you so hard you'd be tripping on your own feet. But then again, Yui's gentle happiness was quite a contrast to Ritsu's fiery enthusiasm.

Not that Ritsu ever dragged you to go into a pastry shop. She was more liable to drag you into the music store when there was a clearance sale going on.

You soon found yourself seated at a table with numerous slices of cake, a couple of parfaits drenched in berry sauce, and a grinning Hirasawa Yui.

Definitely not the most conventional of lunches you have ever had.

She must have burned through her wallet to buy all these…

"Err… Yui, you didn't have to order so many." You told the brunette even though it was a bit too late to do so.

"Ehehe~" She scratched her cheek with a finger, "But don't you want to taste all of them?"

"Not… really…" You would have been more than happy with a slice of strawberry cake.

"You should, Mio-chan! What if they stop making them tomorrow? Then you'll never know how they taste like!" She gestured animatedly, as if cakes were the most important things in the world. Then you thought to yourself that, perhaps in Yui's world, cakes really were the most important things in the world.

"Even if doesn't taste good, at least you've tried it, ne?"

"I… I guess." It wasn't as if you had a proper retort to her question. More often than not, you felt like you were talking to a child when you speak with Yui. Not that you minded, of course, you just wished that she would speak and act her age more often.

"Let's eat!"

And, thus, your battle against all that sugar began.

By the time you finished that last piece molten caramel cake, you could just feel that you gained an unmentionable amount of kilograms. You groaned, defeated.

You then looked up at your companion who probably ate twice the amount you did and groaned again.

Yui didn't look like she just ate a table's worth of cake and ice cream.

"I think I ate too much…" Was all you could say.

"But it's good, right?" Yui responded, beaming. "You got to try them all! Now you know what to get next time, Mio-chan."

I'm not going to eat for a week…

"Oh yeah!" Yui chirped "Happy birthday, Mio-chan! Write us even more songs, okay?"

You blinked as Yui presented a wildly decorated notebook to you. Cute stickers, mini-pompoms and tiny picture frames littered the hard cover of the sky blue composition book. Different colored foam letters even spelled out your name on the front.

"A notebook?" You said as you took the gift from the brunette's hand.

"Ehehe~" Yui's chuckle held a little bit of embarrassment, "It's because Ricchan and I kept drawing on your old one so I thought you'd want a new notebook."

Curious, you opened the notebook.

There were already doodles in the inner cover…

"The bunnies are there to inspire you, Mio-chan!" Yui immediately exclaimed. "And it's the year of the bunny! May the bunny god give you even more ideas this year!"

"Hai, hai…" You couldn't help but smile despite your exasperation. This was Yui after all.

"Thank you, Yui. I'll try my best."

The brunette beamed.

"Oh, yeah, Mio-chan! Usa-chan—I mean Ricchan— said to press play when we're done eating cake."

Eyecatch: Akiyama Mio standing on a slightly shaded sidewalk smelling her bouquet of flowers with a serene smile on her face. "If only they were roses…"

"What took you so long?" Was the first sentence you heard after you changed tapes and played "Play Me! #2" Side A.

I was with Yui, baka…

"Haha! Sorry, I have a feeling that Yui will take her time eating so I wouldn't be surprised if you spent some extra time with her in that pastry shop. So, is your sweet tooth satisfied, Mio-chuan?"

You rolled your eyes out of habit as you shifted the duffle bag on your shoulder. You just parted with Yui because, after realizing what time it was, the brunette frantically pulled you out of the pastry shop, urged you to start walking towards downtown, and disappeared from your sight before you could even ask why.

"I'm going to make you walk a little farther. Just think of it as exercise for all the cake Yui made you eat."The voice in the cassette said cheekily. "We're heading to the music shop this time. And, yes, Mio, there will be a Lefty Fair on your birthday so you shouldn't be uncomfortable going in on your own."

"I guess that's where I'll be meeting Azusa then…" You said to yourself as you started your trek towards the said music shop.

"Considering it's Yui, I can't even guess what time it is for you now but I know it'll be a twenty minute walk from the pastry shop to the music store. Haha! Twenty minutes to talk to myself."

You looked at your phone to check the time.

1:30…

You pulled out the small pink rabbit plushie from your duffle bag as you listened. The toy was almost forgotten due to today's excitement. It was only noticed again when you had to get the second tape from the polka-dot box. You don't know where Ritsu got this plushie but it certainly looked identical to the bigger one you had at home.

Come to think of it, she gave me that one too.

"Ne, Mio… we haven't jammed for a while now, huh? Just the two of us. Do you remember when we didn't have a keyboardist and guitarists? Hehehe. We couldn't write songs but we still… played. It took a while but we managed to get in sync after a few months since we started learning the instruments."She chuckled as a faint sound of laughing children went past her, "Heh, I still remember when you kept nagging at me about counting. I did count, you know, it was just hard at first because everything else was distracting."

You poked and prodded the little rabbit as you took Ritsu's words in. You two haven't been able to just play for a long time. Sure, you two jammed, it was essential since you two were the bassist and the drummer of the band but those times of practice were for songs you were trying to flesh out, songs that you were trying to give life to.

You two have jammed but you haven't… playedfor the hell of it in a long time.

The last time we jammed was—

"…when you suddenly came over to my house all excited about this bassline you came up with while doing your homework last summer. You really shocked me, you know? It was pouring outside and there you were, soaked, panting, bass, amp, and all, in front of my doorstep. I thought you got kicked out of your house or something. Heh… fat chance of that actually happening; your parents baby you so much after all, Miss Only Child. Anyway, I remember you stuttering something about raindrops and summer rain. I thought you've lost it but the moment you played that bassline…"

You pinched the plushie's ear and softly chuckled to yourself. You remember that day clearly. It was one of those rare instances when you have let your impulses take over you. Inspiration could be so utterly overwhelming that logic just didn't have room to reason. The urge to express creativity overrode everything else, including your reservations and your shyness.

"Heh… I think I lost my head at that moment. It was amazing! Everything just clicked into place, didn't it? My hands and feet just moved you know? I didn't think at all, I just listened to you. I just listened to Elizabeth sing and the next I knew I was playing, I was following you. It was like I was hypnotized during the whole thing."

I was too…

"Hypnotized by two measures. Heh… that kinda sounds like a good title for a song, eh? Too bad you already gave it a title but, maa, Samidare20 Love fits just fine."

A song inspired by raindrops and brought to life by just playing from the heart.

"We played it for the others the next day, didn't we? Hah! I remember Azusa diving for her guitar after four or so measures to join us. That kid really should be a professional musician one day. She really feels her music…"

We do too, Ritsu. We do too…

We all do.

You hugged the small plushie.

"Mio, do you think we can go pro? Do you think we have what it takes? We've seen those bands in our first live, how dedicated they all were. Do you think we can be like them?"

You wondered about that as well, that New Year's night when you and your friends performed the year away. It felt wonderful, liberating. But did you have the courage to throw away a stable future in favor of a distant dream…?

I don't know…

"But hey, we don't have to go pro to continue playing, right? If I can keep playing my drums with your bass then I don't care if there's a spotlight aimed at my forehead or not. Hahaha!"

You smiled. That's right…

We don't need a stage to play our music.

"Hmm, I think this side is almost done as well. You should be near the music store now. I can see it from where I am. Azusa told me that she's prepared something special for you so it's all the matter of finding her. Hahaha! She can easily disappear behind all those stands and shelves. Good luck, Mio-chuan~"

The tape player clicked, ending "Play Me! #2" Side A.

Eyecatch: After school, three girls peer through the glass window of their club room's door. Through the glass, two musicians can be seen; a bassist and a drummer jamming through difficult key and tempo changes with their eyes closed. Droplets of sweat running down their faces display their concentration and how immersed they are in their own world. "Music is what feelings sound like." ~Anonymous.

You found Nakano Azusa standing next to an advertisement banner about twice her size.

"Mio-senpai!"

"Hey, Azusa, have you been waiting long?"

The pig-tailed girl shook her head, "I knew Yui-senpai would take her time so I accompanied Ui while we waited for you two."

"Ui was here?" Why didn't the younger Hirasawa say hi?

"Hai. We wanted to make sure that Yui-senpai wouldn't accidentally forget that she's supposed to meet you. You know how she is…"

It took a bit of will power not to giggle. Azusa and Ui really did spoil Yui too much.

"I see. Too bad I wasn't able to say hi to Ui since she was here."

"Oh, she's going celebrate with us later after your…date." The shorter girl averted her eyes as if she was uncomfortable with the word she just said, blushing all the while.

How cute…

"Celebrate with us?"

"H-hai! But…uhm, I can't say much more about that. You'll just have to wait, Mio-senpai."

"Today has already been full of surprises but… I guess one last one wouldn't hurt, ne? Did Ritsu plan that too?" You couldn't help but ask. Only the golden-eyed girl had the audacity to organize something like this.

Azusa nodded, "Partly, yes, but you'll see. Uhm…"

"Azusa… you don't have to be nervous around me." You said kindly. You knew that the younger girl looked up to you almost as much as she looked up to Yui. Unfortunately, she never became as comfortable with you as she was with the lead guitarist.

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Let's go inside? Ritsu said you prepared something and I'm looking forward to seeing what it is." You smiled as you rested a hand on the girl's shoulder.

You instantly felt her shoulder muscles relax under your touch.

"It's nothing special, Senpai."She said quietly, looking up at you.

Is it bad that I can't look at her without thinking of a cat…?

Pushing your thoughts away, you gave the younger girl a gentle but encouraging pat on the head before walking into the music store with her.

Guitars adorned the walls like a curtain. Gibson, Fender, ESP, Ibanez, Music Man; every brand you could possibly think of, had their labels and logos on every corner of the store. You felt as if you were a little child in a candy store, wanting to buy everything on display.

Well… perhaps not everything. I can't play right-handed instruments…

You spotted a row of left-handed basses from the corner of your eyes and it took every ounce of your will power not to go there. You didn't want to leave Azusa after she had waited for you. You could always return there later on.

This is painful…

"Mio-senpai." Azusa called. You walked over to where she was standing near the staff counter and she promptly held up a small transparent plastic case.

It contained a number of different colored guitar picks.

"A-ano… I couldn't really think of a gift for you so… I had these made instead." The pig-tailed girl refused to look at you, ashamed.

"Azusa…" You reached out and took the simple looking present.

Your eyes widened the moment you saw what was decorated on the picks. On one side was a silhouette of a left-handed bass guitar and your name in bold letters. The other side displayed the logo of your band, the teacup with steam coming off it, and the letters HTT.

You immediately wanted to adopt Nakano Azusa as your little sister.

"A-Azusa, these are amazing! Thank you so much!" You held the girl's tiny hands in your own.

Azusa flushed red. "You like them…?"

You nodded.

Whatever expression of embarrassment or doubt steadily melted away from Azusa's face as she said, "I'm glad."

You took a guitar pick out and felt it between your fingertips.

"Ne, Azusa…" You started, looking around the shop. "Do you want to try some guitars?"

"Eh…? Right now?"

You smiled then slightly cocked your head towards your surroundings.

"Don't you hear that?"

Puzzled, Azusa also looked around.

The music store was quite noisy with all the customers trying out different merchandise until they have found the right instrument for them. Some of the patrons were relatively amateur, just strumming basic chords, while others were far more advanced. A man not too far away you was playing a wonderful blues tune while somewhere else—you couldn't tell where but you could hear it—another musician was playing something funky.

What caught your attention though was not a stringed instrument but percussions. A drummer was trying a Pearl drumkit in the drums room and, from what you could tell just by listening to him, he had a very good sense of rhythm.

And, as a bassist, you instinctively tuned into that percussive beat.

"He's good…" Azusa said absently, watching the drummer.

You were already talking to a shop attendant, the very same person who had done maintenance on Gitah so long ago. "Ishida-san, can we try some of the guitars?"

"Oh, Akiyama-san, of course. Let me get you some cables."

"Mio-senpai, are you sure…?" Azusa tore her eyes away from all the sparkling guitars for a moment.

"Ritsu always plays around in here." You chuckled, "We always come here when we're out shopping and she'd try whatever new drumkit had just come in. It's embarrassing to say this but… we're quite well known by the staff already. And I suppose being friends with Mugi also has something to do with the hospitality."

How you said it might have sounded wrong but it was the truth. The staff didn't seem to mind Ritsu banging around their drumkits after all.

As long as she didn't damage them that is. Thankfully, Ritsu treats any drumkit like a shrine.

Ishida Hiro came back with a pair of guitar cables and picks if you needed them.

"Shall we?" You told Azusa as you gave her one of the guitar cables.

You didn't realize just how much time you and Azusa spent in the music store until you two finally exited into a reddening sky.

"That was amazing, Mio-senpai!" Your kouhai practically glowed in happiness. "We were just following that drummer and the next thing we knew a couple of other guitarists were playing along as well. It was one giant jam session!"

"It was fun wasn't it?" You chuckled and gave the overly-excited girl a pat on the head.

"Hai! I was surprised at that blues guitarist's solo. And, I didn't know you could play funk."

You scratched your cheek, "I'm still relatively new to that genre. I wanted to practice bass slap so I learned a few tunes but that's about it."

"You were still amazing!"

There was a light in your kouhai's eyes that was so bright you almost had to squint in order to keep looking at her. "Calm down, Azusa." You chuckled.

As if realizing that she was being quite childish, Azusa immediately stopped and became red a moment later. "S-sorry…"

Your expression softened. It was quite rare for you to really see the enthusiasm hidden under her mask of mature reservation.

Azusa then muttered, "If only we can have jam sessions like that in the club room more often."

"I know," You admitted, "But, don't you think it's still more fun to play with the club than with those musicians earlier?"

While the drummer was good, he didn't have Ritsu's flare and energy. Even though the guitarist's phrases were smooth, he didn't have Yui's sheer joy in playing. And there was no keyboardist to speak of. Despite the thrill of being able to play with other people, that jam session felt empty to you compared to when you played with Houkago Tea Time.

And from the look Azusa wore on her face, she wholly agreed with your sentiments.

"See? You think the same way." You chuckled.

Azusa frowned but nodded in agreement afterwards. "If only Yui-senpai and Ritsu-senpai would just stop being lazy all the time…" She finished her sentence with a sigh.

You sighed along with her. Those two dunderheads were quite hopeless after all.

The pig-tailed girl absently fished her cell phone from her pocket when it rang.

"Oh, no! How much time did we spend in there?"

Good question…

"You still have to finish the last tape!"

"Azusa…"

"Press play, Mio-senpai!"

Eyecatch: Akiyama Mio and Tainaka Ritsu stand back to back against a thick wall that separates them, holding walkie-talkies to speak to one another. Both of them are smiling. "Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies." ~Aristotle

"What did Azusa get you, Mio?" The recorded voice asked as you retraced your steps from this morning.

Azusa promptly left you after telling you to play the final track of the tapes, saying something along the lines of preparing for a party later on.

You shook your head.

Your friends definitely lacked a lot of things but the one thing they truly failed at was keeping secrets.

"Well, I guess it's useless to ask, ne? It's not like you can answer me right now. Heh, that's okay. I'll find out what they all gave you soon enough."

You shifted the duffle bag on your shoulder for the umpteenth time today. Ritsu instructed you to retrace your steps from the music store towards the park you two hung out in as children. She also instructed you to pause the tape and only play it when you were about a block away from the said park.

The journey to get there was done in silence but you were too happy to care. All your friends gave you wonderful gifts today and in such a way that tickled the giddy little girl inside you.

You giggled and nuzzled the scarf around your neck.

"So this is the last tape. I hope you had fun today even though I'm not there. I'm expecting utter adoration when I get back, Mio-chuan. I prepared everything for you after all~"

If you would just stop being annoying then maybe I will shower you with my adoration, baka.

You thought that but you knew you'd be crushing that golden-eyed girl in a hug the moment she returns.

This was the best birthday gift that you've ever had.

"What time is it for you, Mio? I know it's a long shot but just imagine if you're listening to this the exact same time I'm recording. It's 5:30 right now by the way and I'm recording this last bit the day before I leave. The sun is beginning to set and it's getting a tad bit cold out here."

You looked at your phone's clock.

5:00 PM

What do you know…? Your birthday gift just went quite well according your plan for once, Ritsu.

"Are you at the park now? I'm sitting on your favorite bench. Hehe."

You lifted your eyes from the street to look at the middle bench in the park where you two typically enjoyed your ice cream. You almost expected to see Ritsu's cheeky grin when you did. Despite not being able to hold a real conversation with her, you truly felt that she had been with you the whole day.

"Come sit with me, Mio." You heard her tap the wooden bench in the background.

You sat on the said bench and absently watched the remaining park visitors slowly make their way towards the exit to go home.

"I want you to tell me everything that happened to you today when I get back, okay? It really bugs me that I didn't get spend it with you. This is the second best thing I can think of."

You really are hopeless. You've been forgiven the moment you hugged me in the airport.

"Maa, so what do you look forward to in this new year of your life? Hehe, knowing you, you'd probably say good grades, less embarrassing things happening to you, breaking your record of how many times you'd hit me on the head… and maybe a boyfriend. You've always been the hopeless romantic."

Baka Ritsu…

"I mean, c'mon… all those itchy songs. I almost feel sorry for your future boyfriend, Mio. He'd have diabetes. Hahaha!"

"…" You tightened your grip on the cassette player in your hand, just like how an invisible hand harshly grasped your heart when you heard her talk about these things as if it didn't affect her.

"Hmm, come to think of it, you never told me what kind of guy you liked aside from the obvious that he must be romantic, sweet, and… uh… smart I guess, with you being an intellectual and all."

You… dense as lead… blockhead!

You wanted to cry as she continued attacking a very sensitive part of your heart. She kept describing all these wonderful men that supposedly fit her criteria of 'worthy of Mio' and it hurt you. It hurt you so much that she could speak about such a thing as if she could easily let you go if the 'right man' came.

I love you, you idiot… I wish you'd grow a brain and a pair of ears for once!

You pressed a hand to your lips to keep yourself from sobbing. You didn't even listen to her anymore, you blocked her voice out. You didn't want to hear it. You didn't want to hear her say that she'd let you go. You didn't want to hear her speak as if she didn't care about your feelings.

The voice sighed, "I should stop or else you'll probably hit me the moment I step onto Japanese soil fourteen days from now. That's not exactly the welcome I want to get. Heh. I want fanfares and lots of hugs! Haha! Ah, crap… the tape's about to end. This is my last cassette too."

Way to end this date, Ritsu… you're so stupid.

"Ah, I might as well tell you that Azusa, Mugi and Yui will pick you up from here and all of you will have a party at your place, courtesy of your Mom of course!"

How dare you bring my parents into this?

"She's was more than happy to oblige. Your mom's really nice."

Shut up…

"Party the night away, okay? It's Sunday tomorrow anyway so enjoy tonight. Enjoy it as much as you can, you hear me!"

Shut. Up.

"Enjoy it as if I'm with you!"

"Shut up!" You yelled aloud, unable to take her cheerfulness anymore.

For the briefest moment, you wished you didn't have to see her again, that she would just stay away from you if all she wanted to do was torture your poor heart.

Your heart nearly stopped when the cassette player suddenly became silent.

R-Ritsu…?

"Happy birthday again, Mio,"Her voice was soft, unsure, and almost afraid, "I love you..."

The cassette player clicked the very second after she said those last three words, ending "Play Me! #2" Side B.

Your eyes widened and your heart skipped a beat.

"Mio-chaaaaan~! Over here!"

"Mio-senpai!"

You found yourself frozen where you sat, staring at the inanimate object in your hand.

"Mio-chan…?" You heard Mugi's voice.

"M-Mugi…"

"Are you alright?" The blonde knelt in front of you.

You hastily wiped the tears that beaded in the corner of your eyes and nodded, "Yes… I'm… just happy is all."

Whatever ill feelings you had vanished because of a few simple words. Tainaka Ritsu was truly gifted at making your life a living hell then suddenly turning it into heaven a second later.

Yui, Mugi, and Azusa shared knowing looks and gently pulled you up from where you sat.

"Ne, let's go, Mio-chan. Your parents are waiting for you." Yui smiled at you and excitedly tugged at your hand.

You nodded, hugging the Walkman close to your heart. "Yeah… let's go."

You gathered your gifts, all precious, and let your friends take you home.

Thank you, Ritsu… for this wonderful gift.

Eyecatch: Carried by the winter wind, a rumpled ball of newspaper rolls behind the heels of a black-haired girl. It continues to roll until it hits the nearby lamp post. On it, written in big black font,"Japanese Airlines Flight 149 crashed today, January 15th 2011, at 6:00 AM. Possibly no survivors."

An ochre-haired, golden-eyed girl wearing a white sundress picks the littered newspaper up with pale hands and watches Akiyama Mio and her friends leave the park. She looks at the words on the newspaper and smiles sadly. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to say goodbye this way…"

If only there really was such a thing as a Pause button to life.

If only we could simply press Rewind when we make mistakes

Then we will all be able to live our lives with no regrets.

But, alas, all we have is the Play button.

So be prepared

To gain everything,

Or to lose everything

Because there is no turning back,

No Pause,

No Rewind.

Therefore gather the courage to brave these odds,

All or nothing,

Then press Play.

Fin.

Prompt: Missed Opportunities.

AN: Sorry.

This story was supposed to be a multi-chapter story. I've written its outline way back in November 2010 after the HTTII album came out and it consisted of five chapters that go more in-depth with the cassettes. However, a friend of mine killed my inspiration at the time so the plot was placed under indefinite hold. I just barely managed to revive this story so I apologize if it looked half-assed (which it probably does) because I crammed five chapters into a oneshot. Moreover, I had to completely reconstruct the story to fit Mio's birthday.

Mio did use picks. From listening to the HTT songs, I heard her use finger-style, pick-style, and even bass slap.

Ritsu did have a harmonica, although it was only shown once in Episode 1 Season 1.

Also, many elements of this oneshot are inspired by other authors here in FFN. I believe it's only right that I give them credit because I greatly admire them and their works.

Influences for this story:
DramaDelicacy
angel puppeteer
AdrenaVeris

Many, many thanks to Athyra for Beta-ing this oneshot!

Author Suggestion: AdrenaVeris also wrote a story very similar to this one, although a lot less cruel. Even though my story and hers do not overlap at all, I recommend that you read "Winter's Warmth" to heal your soul if "Play" damaged it. Similarities between the two stories were out of pure coincidence, much to our amusement.