1Disclaimer: I own nothing but the Original Characters who are only there for the sake of the plot. K-On! is still undoubtedly a wonderful show.
Summary: Vulnerability was not her strong suit, but when her connections lead to something unusual, Ritsu must do whatever it takes to comply to her vow of silence. Except, while extroverted, she has never been a good liar. With rehearsals and graduation trip looming overhead, can she still do this alone? AU.
Genre: Friendship/ Hurt Comfort/ Romance
Author's Note Inspiration: Originally taken from my idea, "Fire In Her Veins". This is a lighter version after I made some modifications. Ironically, I never made it to the end.
Prologue
Extroverted and boisterous, Tainaka Ritsu had found it natural to make friends. Unlike her best friend Akiyama Mio, she was the exact opposite of shy and reserved, and never afraid to speak her mind. She still kept contact with her friends from junior high, one of them going on to become a musical band with a famous reputation. She was usually the person with connections in their band. And although she could be critiqued as being forgetful and rather irresponsible when it came to submitting important forms that a club President should not be, these connections had never gotten her into trouble.
Tainaka Ritsu was not insecure or uncertain about a lot of things, but if there was anything she prided herself on, it was her obvious confidence and her ability to play the drums. Someday, she and her band would reach their destined goal - Budokan.
"Enough daydreaming and get to work," her thoughts about what she could be doing right now vanished into surroundings of familiar white tiled walls, antique decorative pots and black office furniture, as a masculine hand enclosed her wrist before pushing her to the side.
Practice having finished hours ago, Ritsu glared after him heatedly, cheeks burning. "I wasn't daydreaming."
He didn't look back from where he was refilling a hot drink into a styrofoam cup. "Whatever. Just do your work or I'll change my mind about giving your pay this month."
She tried to resist the smell of coffee beans from wafting into her nose from where she was sitting on the edge of a table, her mouth watering, her stomach emitting a growl. She was supposed to be doing work at her "job", if it could even be called that. Ritsu scoffed. And what a unique job it was.
"I don't want your damn money." Regardless, she turned back to the laptop and continued typing. Two things kept her mind from slipping away: as the daughter of two hard-working office workers, Ritsu Tainaka knew a thing or two about what they did, not to brag. More or less. Secondly, exams were coming and Mio had been hammering into her how to write academic essays, letters and e-mails in a way that would guarantee her at least a passing grade.
But he was right that if she kept making excuses, he wouldn't get the money. Now that she was in her senior year, it would definitely be pretty useful to have money from a part-time job.
If any of her friends were doing the same. They occasionally did their own gigs and received their own share of money, but there was a difference between what she was doing right now. For one thing, she could be venting out her frustrations with this guy with her drums. For the last time, she wished her parents trusted her with money more. Would this have happened otherwise?
To her be fair, Ritsu did owe him. So she had no choice but to take the money and keep it secret from her family.
It was just ... This kind of job was suited to her parents. This wasn't her dream.
But the choice was out of her hands. And that was what got on her nerves. For Ritsu, she never not had a choice.
After what seemed like a painstakingly long time, he spoke up from behind his desk.
"Okay, that's enough work for today."
He sat on his office chair, the Big Boss, his dark hair shadowing his expression. She could never tell what was going on in his mind, despite the fact that he was a pretty expressive guy. That was a blow to her pride, because Ritsu liked to think she was good with people. For the most part, anyway.
As soon as he cleared her, her body relaxed from a tension she hadn't realized. Ignoring that fact, she made sure to close the browser and log out of her work mail before standing up. The chair dragged.
As she made her way to the door, her schoolbag slung over her shoulder, he followed her, assuming to see her off.
"I'm surprised," he said. "I know I was the one who picked you for the task, but you're doing a pretty good job if I do say so myself,"
Ritsu averted her gaze, unsure of what to make of that statement, compliment. That feeling surging to the surface; it wasn't pride or joy, it was something else she hadn't felt before. She wasn't an academic person, nor was she a bookworm. In fact, there had been a few semester where she had scraped by with only passes.
"Thanks," she said, turning to leave. Her hand was on the door handle when she felt his hand, larger than her petite hands - something she was teased about - touch his. Her heart rate sped up, and it took her a few seconds to realize he had given her something: a piece of paper, to be exact.
Ritsu looked at him, expecting an explanation but he only smiled that unsettling, frankly creepy smile at her. His body language gave nothing away. "Well, good work today. See you next time, same time as usual."
She just stared, trying to read the hidden message in his face, but it remained unchanging. It unnerved her. Finally, she sighed. "Whatever," she said, just for the sake of being contrary, and walked into the hallway, ready to get the hell out of this stiff place.