different (wakatoshi ushijima x OC)

Chapter 29: Always

Haru paced as she waited anxiously outside the court as the boy's team finishes their cool down. The rest of the girl's team were also with her as they all got ready to comfort the boy's team. Her eyes kept glancing over the open doors to see who would be the first to go out.

The awarding ceremony was also still on-going, the announcer's voice ringing through the court towards the hallways where they were currently waiting. Karasuno won and it made Haru proud of Kageyama and Hinata. God knows how hard those two worked, how hard all of their teammates had worked to get to where they are now. Despite being down because their school lost, she still can't help but a bit of happiness slip through as she thought of her juniors from the other school.

The first to go out the court were the second years with their bags swung on their shoulders. Their heads were bent down in dejection while their faces held their sullen expressions. Haru gave them a comforting pat on the back followed by a comforting smile. She would give them a motivational talk but she didn't want them to get any more sadder than they are now. The second years on the girl's team immediately went to the boy's team as they tried to cheer them up on the way to the busses, the Shoji twins immediately lifting up the mood by joking around.

The first years were next to leave the court but there was no sign of Tsutomu. Haru's eyes knitted in worry as she caught no sight of her younger brother. This wasn't Tsutomu's first loss but it was the first one for the longest time and this worried Haru a lot. Their parents weren't able to drive all the way to Miyagi from Tokyo because of work and because they were also expecting that they would probably see them again during the Nationals a few months from now.

Though these first years weren't able to play, Haru still patted their backs since this lost was still the whole team's lost. Haru gave them a comforting smiles while she asked, "have you seen Tsutomu?"

The first years nodded while one of them answered, "Yeah, he's still inside."

Haru kept her eyes peeled on whoever would go out the court next since it was possibly her brother.

"Hey, calm down. He'll be fine. Tsutomu's a big boy now." Aki comforted Haru as she squeezed Haru's shoulders comfortingly.

"He might be a big boy now but he's still my little brother and I know that this loss really affected him." Haru replied to Aki without even glancing at her as her eyes focused on the next players that would come out. "I know you saw his expression earlier, right? He's completely heartbroken about the loss."

Aki sighed knowing that no matter what she would say won't go through the girl.

Next to come out of the court were the third years without Wakatoshi and Tendou. Why are the people she's looking for not coming out at all? Haru thought worriedly.

Haru shrugged the thought out of her mind and turned her attention to her fellow third years, "you guys okay?" Haru asked with a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah." Reon smiled sadly. They're obviously not okay.

"It's not like we could always win, right?" Taichi joked humorlessly. All the girls flashed them a sympathetic smile as Haru turned to Semi. He wasn't able to play that much this game but he still played as a pinch server and managed to earn them some points. The boy looked extremely down, Haru didn't even know what to say to comfort him but thank the heavens above for Aki!

Aki had slapped Semi's back loudly and said, "Oi quit it with those faces, it's not like this is your last game of volleyball in your whole life!"

"Aki's right, there are still a lot of games and matches in the future!" Zumi added with an encouraging smile.