The Storyteller (Oikawa Tooru x reader)

20. blinding lights

Standing outside the entrance to a massive volleyball centre was not where you thought you'd be. Then again, life was full of twists and turns, so what were you supposed to say? Rin was with you, albeit more cold than usual, after the little incident before; it was the third day of the tournament, and you had been coming to all of Oikawa's matches to support him.

(Which is why you were trying to think about mop buckets instead of the whole dramatic situation that was surrounding you right now.)

Today they were supposed to be going against that team (Karasuno if you remembered correctly) with the prodigy that Oikawa seemed to resent so much, so you were bracing yourself either to see a mind shattering defeat or a resounding victory.

"Let's cheer for Oikawa-kun as much as we can, alright (Y/n)?" Rin questioned calmly. 

"Yup," you replied quickly, staring at your scuffed shoes. 

She took a step forward, before she suddenly spoke. "You may be Oikawa-kun's friend," she stated, "but I'm his girlfriend. There is a clear difference, and I am best suited to comfort him. I think you should know that."

You didn't answer, glancing up at her, a scowl occupying your face at her words. When she entered the venue, you followed, although you stuffed your hands into your pockets and glared at her back.

Volleyball was kind of weird to you. It wasn't as… fast as tennis. Of course, it was quick paced, with all of those passes, but there were three touches on each side, courtesy of the six players. In tennis, it was completely different; one touch each or nothing.

Maybe it made it easier. Maybe it made it harder. You couldn't tell. But that didn't mean the sport was entertaining. Seeing Oikawa bring out 100% of his teammates was a heartwarming scene, as they all trusted each other to a degree that you hadn't had the pleasure of feeling yet.

Either way, Oikawa was a fantastic player. So no wonder loads of people had flocked to the stands merely to see the young man.

But amount of people here never failed to amaze you; and the blinding lights in the rafters only added to the intense atmosphere, sending scattered shines across the arena, causing the wooden floorboards to almost glow like a group of fireflies.

Distant thuds from people hitting volleyball echoed throughout the hall, coupled with the somewhat irritating yet exciting, sharp squeak of shoe soles sliding across the sparkling court caused your brow to crinkle with interest. The cataphony of sound seemed to perfectly capture the intensity of this sport.

"There he is!" Rin crowed joyfully, and eagerly waved to him, where he was standing at a bench, with his fellow players.

"Excuse me, could you not get in the way?" a girl huffed, as Rin stood next to her, cranking her neck to see her boyfriend. "We're trying to see Oikawa-senpai."

Rin took offence. "Are you dating him? No, I didn't think so, because I am. So please move so I can say hello to him."

"Go somewhere else," the younger girl snapped, and soon an argument was in session.

Another student, a friend of the other female, squirmed uncomfortably, and made her way over to you, seeing as you weren't wailing over Oikawa. "Can I stand with you?" she asked quietly.

You surveyed her for a brief moment, before holding up an ok sign with you fingers, and smiling awkwardly. "Absolutely," you chuckled, fiddling with the corner of your jacket.

"Thank you," she answered, with a laugh.

(It made you embarrassed that a girl who was clearly younger than you could talk to others without making a fool out of herself.)

"I-I'm not here for Oikawa," she confirmed shakily. "I didn't want to come to be honest. I wanted to go on a date with my girlfriend, but my friend really didn't want to go alone."

"Sorry you're here," you replied, "I'm sure it must be boring for you."

"It is," the girl agreed, pouting. "I suck at sports. I don't see the problem with me just staying at home and building an army base with Lego."

A smile made it's way across your face. "That's a very valid reason to not go out."

"I know," the girl giggled, a mischievous look on her face.

(You loved her already.)

-

You watched every single move Oikawa made, every single jump, block, pass, every serve that silenced the hall with it's overpowering noise.

You watched every single look in his eyes, desperation, satisfaction, anger, frustration, acceptance, sadness. 

You watched him trip, hit the bench, land on his bad knee, and rush forwards to continue playing; to continue playing this sport that he adored so fiercely.

You watched him dive, in a last minute attempt to save the point, only for the the ball to bounce off his outstretched arms, and hit the floor with a heart crushing bang behind him, signalling the end of the match.

Aoba Johsai lost; and it felt like the end of a story.

All you could do was look on in disbelief as the team lined up, shook hands, bowed, then ran off court. Was it all over that quickly for them? Oikawa didn't deserve this. The team didn't deserve this.

They'd practiced so hard. Oikawa had worked so hard, to practically the point of exhaustion. 

And yet… somehow…

It had all ended just like that, and now Oikawa would never be able to have the opportunity to go to Nationals ever again.

Rin's loud sobs were only half registering in your ears, as you watched the team leave through the exit; and you barely noticed her rush off to go see him.

All you could do was stand there, a sense of dread in your gut.

"Was that his last tournament?" the girl next to you questioned softly. You jolted, as you recalled her presence. She looked up at you, eyes somehow damp and sympathetic. "Oikawa won't get to play again… right?"

You were silent for a moment, before forcing a laugh. "Yeah. Oikawa Tooru is a tragedy that I wish people cared more about."