𝐕𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 | MIYA BROTHERS

01 | RISING TENSION

YOU CAN NEVER get used to the stares. Walking down the hallway shouldn't be so difficult, but when you're next to the Miya brothers, it's no surprise that you garner the attention of your peers. You three chat away about your plans for the day before someone suddenly interrupts. A pretty girl steps in front of Atsumu, her raven black hair in a tight ponytail. You recognize her. She's in a few of your classes and been to several of the school's volleyball games.

"Atsumu, please go out with me," the girl declares nervously, bowing her head, "I've liked you for the longest time now."

Whispers echo throughout the corridor. Your eyes widen. The twins are popular, but you didn't expect someone to confess in front of these many students. She has guts, and you admire her for that. You and Osamu exchange intrigued glances at each other, waiting for the blonde's response. There's something dangerous behind Atsumu's smile that you notice, and his eyes darken for a brief moment before his face returns to a normal expression. It's scary, but that is the one thing you've gotten used to: the complexity behind Atsumu Miya. He's not your ordinary teenager, and he's certainly not the carefree facade that he portrays.

"You're the one who cheered during our serving drills yesterday, right?" Atsumu asks in a sickly sweet tone. You tense up and bite your lower lip, knowing that nothing good will come out of this conversation. Osamu runs his fingers through his hair, letting out a sigh. The girl nods and admits, "That was me, but I noticed that it bothered you, and I won't do it again. I'm sorry that—"

"Don't worry about it," Atsumu utters smoothly, "In return, I can't accept your feelings. I like someone else, and even though she's annoying like you, she's way cuter."

Everyone in the hallway remains silent. Your heart sinks for the girl. Her eyes well up with tears, and she mumbles something inaudible before shoving Atsumu and racing off.

As if nothing happened, he simply pats down and dusts off the part of the uniform that she touched. With a lazy smile, Atsumu apologizes and announces at everyone to resume doing what they were doing. They comply, and you roll your eyes. It frustrates you how much influence the Miya brothers have over the entire school. Atsumu and Osamu can be as nasty as they want, but people still put them on a pedestal.

You glare at Atsumu for being so inconsiderate towards the girl, and you expect Osamu to do something, anything, but he simply stands there, deadpan. You assume he's holding in his thoughts, so you speak your own.

"How can you be so nonchalant about saying something so mean and hurting someone like that?" you ask Atsumu. You huff and cross your arms across your chest. He ignores your question.

"Aren't ya curious about the girl I like?" Atsumu inquires. He arches his back down to your height and peers at you tauntingly. You furrow your brows. Atsumu is so close to your face, you can feel the warmth of his breath, and it smells like spearmint. Heat rises to your cheeks. A few seconds pass before you recollect yourself and decide to flick his forehead.

"Honestly, I am, but I'm more taken aback by how you dealt with that situation."

Atsumu winces and pulls himself away from you. You stick out your tongue, knowing that he hates it when you talk to him like that. Atsumu scowls, but his twin has a different reaction towards your act of provocation. Osamu's lips curve into a slight smile, and he pats your head, taking you by surprise. You try to swat his hand away, but Osamu has the quicker reflexes, and he manages to sneak his arm away.

You groan, cursing your own lack of athletic ability, and Osamu snorts. Atsumu intently looks over at you two.

"You're treadin' on thin ice, 'Samu. Ya better watch it," Atsumu says sharply at his brother.

Although these words confused you, they seem to have aggravated Osamu. He scoffs, and you tilt your head to the side like a lost puppy. Atsumu strides away, roughly and intentionally bumping into Osamu's shoulder as he passes by. You want to yell at Atsumu, but you stop yourself from making even more of a scene. Osamu gazes at Atsumu with an intensity you've only seen while he's eating food or playing volleyball. There's a tension between the two of them that you can't quite comprehend, and you hate it.

"Lame," Osamu mutters under his breath, "I'm not some pushover."

Before you can ask what he meant by that, Osamu also walks away, in the opposite direction of his brother. You've seen them bicker and argue, but it's never been this malicious—it feels like a calm before the storm. You're left alone in the middle of the hallway, and you try to process what just happened, but the late bell rings. Panicked, you tighten your grip on the handles of your backpack as you scurry to homeroom, blissfully unaware of the havoc that the next few weeks will bring.