The Deer & The Owl [Haikyuu x OC]

August - II

The days had slowly started getting shorter again, and when Bokuto entered the gym he saw that they had already started turning on the lights early in the morning as well. He took off his gym bag from his forehead and before heading to the locker room he went to greet the coach and the managers.

"Yukippe! Kaorin! Good morning!" he exclaimed pimply despite the hour "Oya? Hasn't

Nori-chin arrived yet? She's always on time lately!"

"Baka, it's his birthday today don't you know?" replied Yukie holding back a yawn, leaning over the notebook she held in her hand

Kotaro's silence made her suspicious so she looked up, curious.

"Yes that's right, today Nori is only coming to afternoon practice since the coach suggested she take it easy and celebrate with her family" Kaori continued, noticing the lost look on their captain's face

"Wait, don't tell me you forgot!" exclaimed Yukie, amused by the situation

He was always the same idiot, not even remembering the birthday of the girl he liked, what an airhead, she thought trying not to burst out laughing.

"Oh, good morning"

Keiji's voice seemed to shake Bokuto out of the cathartic state he had fallen into after the shock of that revelation.

"Akaaashiii" he ranted, turning to face him "Why didn't you remind me that today is Nori-chan's birthday??"

"Bokuto-san, I tried to talk to you about it last week but you immediately stopped me by saying that you certainly couldn't forget it..." he answered him, sighing in the face of his astonished and guilty gaze

Kotaro grabbed the gym bag abandoned on the ground and shuffled down towards the locker room, sighing disconsolately and cursing his bad memory. He felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket and forced himself to answer it.

"Oi, oi, oi, guess what I just did!"

"Kuroo I'm not in the mood today..."

"Huh? What do you mean by that? Isn't today Nori-chan's birthday? Don't tell me you gave her a horrible present!"

Those words made Bokuto feel even more guilty and he sighed heavily, distraught.

"Ah, so there's worse... you haven't forgotten about that, have you?" exclaimed Tetsuro in surprise, and then burst out in a boisterous laugh

"I'm going to hang up!" threatened Kotaro, not at all amused

"No, no, okay I'll stop" he said trying to compose himself "Come on, no need to make a big deal out of it, there's still time to wish her a happy birthday and make it up to her somehow.

I just did it by the way..." he added with a provocative tone

But he could tell from Bokuto's silence that this time it was really serious.

"Okay, I get it. I'll give you a hand"

"Uhm? And why would you want to help me?" asked Kotaro suspiciously

"You know that, right? I've always been a nice person!"

*

Luckily I was almost there, I thought relieved: between the cooler bag and the gym bag I felt really awkward and in addition to the haste I had forgotten to tie my hair, and now I felt my back wet and hot for the heat. From the gym came the usual hubbub, though quieter than usual strangely, I noticed as I crossed the threshold.

"Hello ever-"

"Oh, Nori-chan! Happy Birthday!" greeted Yukie, coming towards me and throwing her arms around me