Forty Winks | K. Shirabu

┗ 𝘚𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘏 𝘞𝘐𝘕𝘒

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𝘚𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘏 𝘞𝘐𝘕𝘒:
— you say mean things.

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Whatever practice, experience, or technique the opponent possessed, they were going to shut it down with brute force.

It was an inevitable force— a law that benefits the royalty more than the commoner; a law that allows them to rise higher and drags the inferior further beneath the depths of their feet.

"Stop it. The match is over."

"... I'm not even doing anything to you?"

Her eye twitched, completely perplexed with the warning he gave. She really had no clue what he was talking about. Having her arms crossed above her chest, she gave him a hypercritical look— judging the way he blankly glanced at her too.

"You're glaring at him."

"B—Because—" She pointed an incriminating finger against the setter of the opposing team, who was way too infuriated with their loss to bother placing a facade for everyone to glorify, "He started it!"

The mentioned male scoffed and turned around with a defiant huff of his breath. Gritting his teeth, he walked off the court along with the rest of the team as though the weight of the burden they carry was enough for them to force themselves to walk.

They don't exactly have what they'd call a relationship with each other; all interactions with Oikawa or anyone from Seijoh for that matter involved the court and volleyball. No conversations were exchanged between, aside from occasional nice game and good match. It would always start off with an affable approach from the male, but she knew better from the hate portrayed in his eyes; which he harbored for the team she was in.

It doesn't vex her in particular. She disregarded it most of the time, but who was he to stare daggers at her? So, she returned it.

Also, it reminded her of the crow's stare.

"That's childish, Otsuka-chan."

"I don't want to hear that from you, Tendou-kun."

Shirabu and the red haired male joining forces in order to make her concede is the least of her imaginative desires. Reaching her hand for the used towel that hung over Tendou's neck, she expressed her disapprovement by hastily taking it off of his hands and walking off to gather the rest.

He'd truly never understand women and their tendencies to alter emotional states in a matter of seconds. She was literally all smiles during the match.

She soon came back, holding a few sheets of papers and handed it to the assistant coach. They fell into a conversation soon after. Assuming that it was for the concluded game earlier, Shirabu stood by the sidelines as soon as they were dismissed off the court. There were still a few cameras not leaving their figures, Yui noted, even as they descended through the doors on their way to their assigned room. Not that she can do anything about it.

Purposely leaning towards the setter's direction, she tapped his arm to catch his attention.

"I'll meet up with Shunki-senpai." She muttered, dazing at the scene in front of them. Tendou, Semi, along with Reon, were talking about something— she'll presume it was about the match's conclusion or their afternoon feast for today's winning. "He kept pester— telling me to convince his beloved junior to come. A few minutes off of your precious time?"

"He's just going to brag about it to his team."

She chuckled, "Don't be like that, Kenjirou."

"You were the one who said pest—"

"You're hearing things."

He gave her a look and she merely shrugged.

"Fine. But if there's a whole ass team—"

"Are you secretly introverted?"

"I'll kill you before Washijo-sensei does."

"That," She paused as if mocking to think deeply about it; before actually coming to a realization. Suffering the coach's wrath was the worst. Since she got the mentioned male angry earlier, she might as well die by the hands of the setter instead. "Doesn't actually sound half-bad. Just make sure you don't get killed by him first. Hey, learn to wait, will you?"

"Where's he?"

"Oh, since you took the initiative to lead the way, wouldn't you have guessed by now?" Halting his steps, he gave her a plain stare— making her shudder in clear dislike as she gave up,"Kidding. The entrance."

"Why would he even want to see you anyway?"

"Us." She emphasized, knowing full well of Shirabu's antics to clear himself out of the subject whenever he wants to, "Maybe he missed you or something."

"I'm leaving you."

"You won't." Tucking her hands in her pockets, she fiddled with the device within one as she watched the people around.

The TV crews were in the process of setting up before the awardings, some audience left while some remained to watch through the end, and the staffs were occupied with the recognitions they were re-checking for confirmation.

At that sudden time, she remembered the word she was talking about to Goshiki that one time they were in the library. The realization that everyone's living complex lives of their own— sonder; perhaps she'll share that to him at another point.

Her fixation was then caught by her companion's hand as it naturally swayed as he walked.

If she had her own view, her own perspective and her own beliefs, she thought of his.

"Kenjirou."

He briefly scanned her gaze; trying to see if there was any ill intentions within her next words or if it would only contain stupidity as usual. When he saw the firmness in the way she didn't blink nor look away, he asked, "What?"

Yui paused, contemplating whether to ask the question lingering in her mind, staying in her dreams and playing with her life. His actions and words truly contrast one another; he'll say the meanest of things and take it back with complying with her wishes.

On second thought, maybe she just didn't know him enough— unlike his knowledge of her that crossed and shattered bounds. That simple thought hindered her from letting the question out of its cage.

Smiling softly; the sincerity reached the creases of her eyes.

"You did well."

She just wanted to know what she was in his eyes before.