Perfectionist ✺ Sakusa Kiyoomi

5

Okay

Good night, Kiyoomi

That's a good closing
statement for me. Good
night, Haru-san.

But wait! 😱

There's more:

I love you, and I'm
proud of you

Was... that condescending
or genuine?

What tone should
I read that in?

Uhhhhh

/srs?

Oh alr thanks.

Love you too,
see you at Finals.

See you

⌜ • ° + ° • ⌝

At the end of every round, half of the teams were hurriedly crossed off from the public bracket with a thick black marker. The teams that advanced were just as carelessly connected with wonky lines to match up with another team that had advanced to the next round. Each player's hours of dedicated and unfaltering hard work earned them a single black line connecting their team to the rest of the greats. Although it all seemed minuscule at that point, Chiharu would still have put in every bit of that work all over again if it meant he could ensure that a line didn't strike through the bold letters of "Mujinazaka".

The third-year libero had been to Nationals enough times to build a routine for himself. From the second he opened his eyes in the morning, his mind was fully focused on training. He'd wolf down his breakfast despite his teammates and coach's warnings not to, and he would hold his head high, chest out, and power-walk to the Tokyo streets with the same intensity.

Chiharu regularly jogged outdoors when he was home in Oita, but he was used to maintaining or even adding to the distance of his morning runs during Nationals week. That was mainly because the practice gyms were always full and the space would somehow be packed with reservations for the next 48 hours. He needed his regularly scheduled work-out, and he was dead set on getting it in whichever form it came.

He had been told several times that resting was the way to go during such an intensive and exhausting week, but Chiharu chose to believe that he needed to polish his skills to be second nature, especially now.

Chiharu had just returned from his daily run. He planted himself on the ground and stretched to cool down. In doing so, gave him time to think about the best way to get some more practice as well as nag at Kiryu to practice with him.

"Come on, it doesn't hurt to get in a bit of extra touches before the games," Chiharu pressed a hand to his flexed calf as he stretched and used the other to repeatedly shove at Kiryu, as if that would somehow make him get his way. "We can be in the corner of the gym— just the two of us— and we won't bother anyone else."

Kiryu shook his head, his decision unfaltering despite Chiharu's shrill nagging. "We shouldn't train too hard today," Kiryu said, "It's the third day, so saving energy is the most important."

"You're no fun."

The third-year libero had been to Nationals enough times to absolutely dread Day Three of the Spring Tournament, also dubbed as the "Third day Hell". On this horrid Third Day, two rounds of elimination would be held back to back: round 3 and quarter-finals.