Spray-paint and Skateboards (SakuAtsu Dancer AU)

Chapter 52: Rising

Sakusa was about to follow Atsumu when one of the members from Fantasia stood up and went after him.

It was the one with short, shoulder-length blonde hair, Yachi Hitoka – a first-year graphic design student at their university. Yachi was small both in size and build, with pale skin and dark but warm brown eyes. She could probably pass as Atsumu's little sister if he fully bleached his hair.

Yachi walked up to the bathroom door and knocked lightly, "Tsumu-san?" She called, quietly enough to not be heard by anyone else.

Yachi frowned when no reply came, and hesitantly placed her hand on the door to push it open.

She opened the door, stepped through and closed it softly behind her. After that, she took a look around. It wasn't her first time at the Manic Hideout so she relatively knew the layout, but she'd never actually went to the bathroom at the Hideout before.

It was like a public bathroom that could be found in a shopping mall or just about anywhere, though it was a lot cleaner. She found Atsumu sitting on the floor against the wall all the way at the back of the bathroom.

He had his legs propped up and his face buried into arms which were wrapped around his legs.

"Atsumu..." Yachi sighed as she walked over to Atsumu and sat down next to him.

Atsumu didn't look up, so Yachi frowned and scooted closer until she bumped his shoulder with hers, "Come on, Tsumu-san. Tell me what's up."

Atsumu sighed deeply as he finally looked up at the ceiling, "Uprisin' was everythin' to me, Yachi... An' like Kawa said, it's gone now..."

Yachi furrowed her brows and let her head drop onto his shoulder, "What makes you say that it's gone?"

Atsumu blinked jn confusion, "The police found the club, there's literally no way we can perform anymore," he explained in a somber tone.

"That's such a dumb thing to say, Tsumu-san," Yachi commented with a shrug.

"What d'ya mean 'dumb'?" Atsumu asked, slightly offended, "It's true! Uprisin's been shut down."

Yachi sighed and shook her head, "You're forgetting that Uprising isn't just a club, Tsumu-san," She chastised.

Atsumu tilted his head in her direction, confused, "What does that mean?"

Yachi giggled at his response, "Let me ask you this, Tsumu-san: what is a dance club if it has no dancers to perform?"

Atsumu thought about it for a moment, "Nothin'. There's no point to havin' a dance club if ya don't got people to dance," he answered.

"Exactly!" Yachi agreed, "So that brings me to my next point: do you dance because you're a top performer at Uprising or because you love dancing?"

"Obviously 'cause I like dancin'," Atsumu replied, "Where are ya even goin' with this?"

Yachi rolled her eyes and and scooted away from the wall. She turned around to face Atsumu before leaned forward and taking both of his cheeks in the palms of her hands.

Without warning, she squished them together hard, "What I'm trying to say is that Uprising isn't just a club, Tsumu-san, it's a people. It's a community and a culture, and just because they took away our venue doesn't mean they took away the passion that's in our hearts," she explained before she let go of his face and settled back on her heels, "I'm sure Oikawa-san will figure something out, and, if not, Kunimi probably will."

Atsumu stared at her blankly, "Has anyone ever told ya that yer amazin', Yachi?"

Yachi laughed, "Yes," she answered, "Now, don't be so upset. I bet they're already working on a plan to get our stage back."

Atsumu smiled weakly, "I guess," he answered.

Yachi plopped back against the wall next to Atsumu and he draped his left arm over her shoulder while he fiddled with the hem of his skirt with his right hand.

Yachi reached up and took hold of Atsumu's left hand. She began to pick at the chipped black nail polish with her own well-manicured turquoise nails.

Yachi hummed, "You really need to remove this and get a fresh coat."

Atsumu snorted, "I can't do it by myself, I always manage to get nail polish everywhere but on my nails."

Yachi gasped, "You did not just lie to me like that, Tsumu-san!" She scolded, "You're an art student who's produced some of the finest works I've ever seen, yet you can't paint neat lines on your nails? Likely story."

Atsumu laughed, "Okay! Okay! Ya got me..."

Yachi smiled, and was quiet for a while, "So... Sakusa-san, huh?"

Atsumu blushed and looked away, "What 'bout him?"

Yachi grinned, and, even though Atsumu wasn't looking, he could hear it in her voice when she answered, "Nothing... Just wanted to say that it was about time."

Atsumu raised an eyebrow, "What's that s'pposed to mean?"

Yachi suppressed a laugh, "I saw how you two looked at each other at nationals in your third year, but it was like everytime you guys tried to communicate, it went badly."

Atsumu frowned and nodded slightly in understanding, "Yeah... Neither of us were goin' through a good time back then, y'know? I was...dealin' with things, an' Omi had his own adjustments to get used to, so we jus' struggled with communication 'cause he had no idea how to talk to me an' I wasn't the best at trustin' people," he explained blankly as he flailed his arms around.

Yachi was about to reply when a knock was heard on the bathroom door. The door opened to reveal Kindaichi who looked down at them blankly.

"Uh... Hey, Kumini has a plan and I was told to come grab you guys," he explained briefly.

Yachi gave him a sharp nod, "We'll be right out, Yuta-kun," she assured.

Kindaichi nodded and glanced over at Atsumu, "You doing okay, Atsumu-san?" He asked.

Atsumu managed to put a smile on and nodded, "Yeah, jus' got a little overwhelmed, that's all."

"That's good to hear," Kindaichi replied, "We'll be waiting for you guys in the main area."

With that, Kindaichi left Yachi and Atsumu alone in the bathroom to return to the common area once again.

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Things are about to get real

Anygays, bye!
-CrackshotReaper

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