High School, Chapter 3

High School, Chapter 3 is a chapter of the sixth volume of the K-ON! Manga by Kakifly.

Summary
A few months into the school year, Sumire is starting to feel right at home with the Light Music Club, even if she hasn't improved much as a drummer. However, she suddenly remembers the reason she ever came anywhere near the club in the first place - to take back Mugi's tea sets. As much as she doesn't want to disobey the Kotobuki family, she can't bring herself to take the tea sets away from the rest of club, especially when they're enjoying her tea and sweets so much.

The girls start to talk about how much Sumire reminds them of Mugi, that perhaps they're somehow related. Jun even goes as far to suggest that Sumire may even be working at the Kotobuki family's house. Sawako Yamanaka nonchalantly confirms it, and Sumire completely flips out, since no one should possible know that. Except for the one little fact that as a teacher, Sawako can look over student records, and she found that Sumire and Mugi share the same address.

Sumire finally decides to tell the truth. She was asked by Mugi to take back the tea sets in the club room that were left there. Sumire feels extremely guilty that not only has she not been able to get the tea sets back, she's actually been supplying more tea for the club to drink, and she's scared that Mugi will get mad at her. Her new friends band together, promising that they've got her back if she ever does get in trouble.

Sumire then explains that her family have been serving the Kotobuki family well before she was even born, and that's she's lived with them her whole life. Even though the relationship between the families was formal and professional, Sumire couldn't help but see see Mugi as her older sister. She also explains that her family was originally from Austria, but the Kotobukis insisted they change their surname to something more Japanese.

Mugi and Sumire had become very close growing up. Mugi was home tutored and had no time to play with children her own age. Since Sumire was the only other girl around her age in the household, they often played together. As a child, Mugi was very curious about how 'normal' girls live, so Sumire would also buy her manga and sneakily give it to Mugi. However, some of it was yuri manga, hence Mugi's fascination with girls' relationships.

When Sumire was twelve, she learned about the relationship between the Kotobuki and Saitou families, and that it was no longer appropriate to call Mugi her onee-chan anymore. When Sumire and Mugi talked over it, Mugi revealed a rebellious side to her. Not only was she going to oppose the rules, she was also going to oppose the choice of high school her parents recommended. Then Mugi whips up some wild dreams about running away from home to be truly free. Sumire shuts her down quickly, and they reach the compromise that Sumire will call Mugi 'Ojou-sama' in public, as she's meant to.

Sumire resolves to find a way to keep the tea sets in the club room, since she loves the club and her new friends too much. And even in this powerful moment, Sawako finds a way to ruin the mood, and buts in with a small revelation. It turns out that Mugi deliberately left the tea sets in the club room so that Sumire would find her way to the Light Music Club. In the end, nothing has to change, and the club can keep their tea sets anyway.