The Miya Triplets | Komori Motoya (On Pause)

Chapter 2

Three years later, in April the triplets found themselves outside attending the entrance ceremony of their new school, Yako Junior High. All around them cherry blossoms were in full bloom, petals constantly falling, covering the ground pink. For the next three years this will be where they lay the foundation for future athletic achievements.

After the entrance ceremony finished the triplets went to the school's genkan. Exchanging their outside shoes for uwabaki, they walked down the hallway to their homerooms. Atsumu and Osamu were in the same class, while Atsuko was alone in the class next door.

Inside each of their homerooms they encountered a few familiar faces from elementary school, but most were unknown. Once all the students were settled down in their seats, chatting with their desk neighbors or staring out the windows, the homeroom teachers entered, grabbing all their attention.

The teachers introduced themselves and gave an overview of what a typical school day would look compared to elementary school. When the teacher in each room was done with their introduction, they took attendance by having every student one by one stand up from their seat, say their name and a fun fact or junior high goal.

In homeroom one, although separated from her brothers, Atsuko confidently introduced herself.

Atsuko: Hello, my name is Miya Atsuko. I plan on joining the basketball team.

In homeroom two, Atsumu was the first to introduce himself full of enthusiasm.

Atsumu: Hello, my name is Miya Atsumu. I'm his triplet and plan on joining the volleyball team.

After Atsumu spoke, Osamu introduced himself calmly with a deadpan expression.

Osamu: Hello, my name is Miya Osamu. I plan on joining the volleyball team as well.

As soon as attendance was taken the first of four morning classes began. Each class was fifty minutes with a five-to-ten-minute break in between. During the short breaks the triplets stayed within their respective classes to converse with classmates.

Once lunchtime came around students dispersed to other classrooms, hallways, courtyards, or stayed in their own room to eat. Atsuko, being the only one in a different homeroom, walked over to her brothers, bento in hand, because it's easier for one person to move around than two. Entering the room, she glanced around seeing her brothers seated around an empty chair waiting for her. Only after she walked towards them, sat down, and placed her bento on the table did the triplets unwrap their bento.

When each bento was opened, they all took a glimpse at each other's meal.

Atsumu: Hey! Samu, why do you have more fatty tuna than me?

Osamu: What! I do not and besides why do you have more rice than me? Huh.

Atsuko: You're both idiots. Mama made the bento with the same amount of food.

Atsumu: If Mama made each bento the same, why do you clearly have more rice and fatty tuna than Samu and I?

Atsuko: I said, "Mama made the bento the same." I didn't say, "Mama made all the bento the same." There's a difference and besides I'm her favorite anyways.

Atsumu and Osamu: Are not!

Atsuko: How do you know that, did you ask Mama yourselves?... Mm-hmm, that's what I thought. Now shut your trap and eat your food because lunch doesn't last all day. We still have to clean our homerooms before afternoon classes begin.

Osamu: Say Tsumu. Atsu. This morning I noticed the different clubs posted on the board and during the entrance ceremony they said later this week all first years will gather in the gym for club speeches. Are y'all still planning on joining the volleyball and basketball teams?

Atsumu and Atsuko: Of course.

Atsumu: Samu, don't tell me you're already chickening out of joining the team.

Osamu: I'm not... I'm just making sure you two aren't chickening out.

Atsuko: Sure, keep telling yourself that.

The triplets continued to finish their lunch the best they could despite getting distracted by bickering and nearly having a full out brawl. Atsuko lost count of how many times she had to stop her brothers from throwing hands. Atsumu would try to sneakily steal Osamu's tuna and Osamu sneakily steal scoops of Atsumu's rice, but only Osamu was successful. Whenever Atsumu asked her for witness of Osamu's stealing she would glance towards Osamu and back acting as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

Not long before the end of lunch Atsuko wrapped her bento, got out of the chair, and said goodbye to her brothers heading back to her classroom to help clean. After all the students helped with cleaning they sat back in their seats and the last two classes of the day commenced.

Dismissed from their last class around 3:00 P.M., students were seen everywhere packing up, cleaning, chatting, waiting for friends, or heading home. Since it's only the first day and club activities haven't started, the triplets helped clean the classrooms and waited for each other in the hallway.

Once they were all packed and finished, they went to the genkan, changed out of their uwabaki for outside shoes, and placed them in the getabako. Leaving the school grounds, the triplets walked home in a comfortable silence all lost in thought about the gym gathering later this week and what sort of teammates and friends they'll have over the next three years.

Arriving home around 3:30 P.M., the triplets had time to spare before dinner time, so they went to their shared room getting started on homework. They all finished within an hour as it was only a review of elementary school content. Putting away their homework, they organized their school bags for the next day.

When they all felt content and prepared for tomorrow, they left their room to go to the living room where they took turns playing a soccer video game against one another. There was a lot of yelling, cheating accusations, and being sore losers. The sore losers were Atsumu and Osamu but if you asked Atsumu, he would keep denying until you started to believe you were the one being a sore loser.

Around 5:00 P.M., Mama Miya called for all of them to come into the kitchen to help prepare dinner. In the Miya household everyone must learn and be competent at cooking. Mama Miya refused to allow her kids to live off of take out once they live on their own.

However, learning and helping to cook didn't bother the triplets because it allowed them to spend quality time as a family and allowed for many opportunities to prove who was the best triplet around Mama Miya.

Many remarks and spilled ingredients later, dinner was finished and served. As they do for every meal the Miya household spoke about their day and the days to come.

When everyone was done eating, they each performed the after-meal tasks they've been doing for years: Osamu cleared the table while Atsuko helped Mama Miya dry the washed dishes and Atsumu threw out the trash. For a while they all spent time together watching whatever appeared on the TV then got ready for bed.