𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 {𝐔𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐦𝐚 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫}

Chapter 6: After Hours

*Your POV*

Ukai eventually emerged from his office to tell everyone that practice was over. There was a collective sigh of relief, and the movement slowed. The players all headed to the locker room, and Uchida began collecting the balls and taking down the nets. I went to the office to see what it looked like.

"Hey, uncle." I greeted him warmly.

"Hey, Sweetie. What did you think of the practice?"

"I liked it. There's so much energy. It really rubs off on you. Would you be okay with me coming around more often?"

"Yeah, of course! I'm glad that I'm suddenly getting to spend more time with you now that you and your mom moved in."

There was a knock on the doorframe from behind.

"Coach, you wanted to talk to me." Ushijima prompted.

"Oh, right. I wanted to review your form."

"I'll be outside." You said.

On my way out, I made eye contact with Ushijima. He had beads of sweat dripping down his temples, and his hair was a little messy. I could've gotten used to that.

I waited by the door until they finished talking. Within two minutes, Ushijima came out and began walking to the locker room.

His upper body twisted with each strong step. He led with his shoulders and kept his eyes forward until he disappeared behind the corner when I could sneak back into the office.

"Are you leaving too?" I asked.

"No, I'm going to stay here and finish some equipment orders."

"How late do you think you'll stay?"

"Not too long, but you shouldn't wait up for me. Go home and tell your mom about your first day of school. I'm sure she'd like to know. Come to think of it, so would I."

"It was pretty boring, but that's to be expected. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better, but it'll probably be just as slow."

"Did you make any friends? Do you need your old man to walk you from class to class and sit with you at lunch?" He kidded.

"Please, no." I flung my hands up as if to physically stop him.

"Surprisingly enough, I sat with the team." I added.

"Oh?" He questioned with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, Tendou invited me and they asked me about myself until my brain turned to mush."

"Well, can you blame them? A girl like you doesn't stay lonely for long. I think you inherited my good looks."

"Let's hope that's all I get from you."

He gasped dramatically.

"How offensive!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll see you at home."

"Drive safely." He called out before I shut the door behind me.

*Ushijima's POV*

I slid a shirt over my head and closed my locker before exiting the changing room. I thought the gym was empty until I my eyes caught movement. Y/n was leaving. She stopped to tie her shoe which gave me enough time to catch up, but by the time I was a few feet away, I realized I didn't have anything to say. My shoe squeaked after one of my steps, and she yelped and lost the balance on her knee.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I told her.

"It's okay." She said, still on the ground.

I offered her my hand, and she took it. Hers were soft but strong, fingers, long and graceful. The heat from her body transferred into mine. I lifted her, and she brushed herself off.

"Are you leaving?" I asked.

"Yeah, my car's outside."

"It's dark. I'll walk you."

"Oh... okay." She replied.

It wasn't far, just a short stroll.

"Well, this is me." She said after fully turning.

She was fiddling with her thumbs, and her feet wouldn't stay still.

"A gentleman would wait for you to drive away to make sure you leave safely."

"Right, have a good night." She smiled shyly.

I watched her climb into the driver's side, buckle, start the ignition, and reverse. She gave a small wave through the window, and I imitated her.

*Your POV*

"That was interesting." I talked out loud.

I didn't take him for the well-mannered type. He comes across as hollow and mundane, but I'd be a fool to think that anyone is as their appearance leads to believe.

Thoughts of the encounter played in my mind even after I reached the house. Other boys on the team had been showing interest in me, but I hadn't been taking it seriously. They were definitely attractive, but I just wasn't intrigued. It was too easy, and I preferred something that required more effort. I wanted the mystery and the excitement that came with being unsure of what would happen.

It was already 10:00, and I realized that it was ridiculous to be thinking about such a brief exchange for this long. I guess it didn't really matter though. After all, I don't care much for boys. I've got better things to focus on, and it would take more than an escort to my car to change that.

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