"Daichi-senpai," he heard himself say in a small voice. Mamoru swallowed the anxiety. "I'll be outside."
The surrounding members within earshot gave him a surprised look at his meek voice. It didn't fit his stoic face, which was constantly smooth of emotions.
Without waiting for a response, Mamoru slipped outside the gym, entering the less populated area of the hallway. Slowly, he sat down on the bench, feeling numb.
》𝙰𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚞
》𝙰𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎: 𝙰𝚗𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚗 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎
As composed as Mamoru was, he was still human. He was still young, still learning about social life.
He was honestly nervous.
Mamoru had left without a word. He'd avoided everyone up until graduation with the sole exception of Satsuki and Kuroko.
And now Aomine just wanted to talk to him?
He blew out a breath and closed his eyes, trying to regain some semblance of flat ground. Maybe he could igno-
𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝙸𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐
𝙳𝚊𝚒𝚔𝚒 𝙰𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎
𝙰𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝙳𝚎𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎
Mamoru didn't say anything as he held the phone to his ear. Strangely, his hand was shaking.
"You finally picked up." Aomine's voice was a low drawl, almost angry under the disguise of tranquility. "I debated on ignoring you like you did, but I needed answers."
"What do you want me to say, Aomine-kun?" Mamoru asked thinly. "I don't have a specific answer for you."
"Why?"
"I don't understand your question," Mamoru answered quietly.
"Why did you leave?"
"It was not my choice," Mamoru replied. It was mostly the truth.
"Was avoiding us 'not your choice' too?" He asked, his voice lowering dangerously. "You and Tetsu, you both did."
"Kuroko-kun's actions did not influence me," Mamoru said tersely, hand tightening around his phone at the subtle implication. "They were my own choice, just as his was."
"Why didn't you tell us, Moru? Why were you avoiding us?" Aomine's voice had dropped to a softer tone, almost gentle. For a split second, Mamoru could almost imagine this Aomine as the Aomine he first met, who said anyone who played basketball couldn't possibly be a bad person. "What did we do wrong?"
What did we do wrong?
What did we do wrong?
Mamoru's knuckles were white with how hard he was clenching his phone. How could they just act like they did nothing wrong after tearing down their opponents' morale? How could Aomine pretend like he didn't just leave Kuroko behind because of his "greatness"?
"I have to go," he said abruptly, interrupting whatever Aomine was going to say. "I'm busy."
"Moru, don't you dare-"
He hung up and held his breath, trying to contain his anger. He wished he wasn't here. Mamoru wished he was back in Tokyo with Aomine and Kuroko, playing basketball. Even better if Tatsuya and Taiga were here too.
"I heard about what happened in Teiko." Mamoru's eyes flickered towards a certain short blond. Yori took a seat next to him, leaning against the wall. "In the match against Meiko in the championships."
His chest tightened at the memory of Ogiwara and Kuroko's horrified face. He hadn't seen someone look like that other than Maiko before, but he never wanted to see it on anyone again.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he replied automatically.
Yori didn't look convinced, but let it go. "Your team's going to leave soon, by the way."
Mamoru stood up, slipping his phone into his pockets and ignoring the barrage of texts. He didn't want to answer them, but he didn't want to delete/block Aomine's number. At one point, Mamoru could consider him a brother, but...
"Have a nice day, Yori-kun," Mamoru murmured, walking past him. He passed by Kindaichi and his friend, Kunimi, on the way out.
There was a little bit of hostility, probably from the stance from earlier. Mamoru stopped and bowed politely. "It was a good game."
And he meant it.
They blinked in surprise, hostility vanishing. "Er, thanks...You too," Kunimi echoed, sleepy eyes wide.
Now looking at him again, Mamoru was certainly attractive. And those eyes.
Kunimi swallowed nervously, choosing to scurry away, ears burning. Kindaichi squawked before following him, a little stunned at the abrupt motion.
Mamoru blinked, wondering about their unusual behavior. He shrugged it off and stormed outside, feeling a heavy weight in his chest. When he got to the rest of the group in front of the school, Daichi glanced at him.
"Was everything okay?" A little confused, Daichi clarified. "I mean, you looked pretty worried earlier."
"Oh." Mamoru shook his head. "Everything's fine now."
He wished it was.
"That's good," Daichi nodded, smiling warmly. There was something interesting about Mamoru that made him stand out from others (no, it wasn't his hair), but drew Daichi closer out of curiosity. He addressed the group next as they walked back to the bus.
"Takeda-sensei complimented us, but frankly, if we were in an all-out match against Seijoh and Oikawa, we'd be lacking."
Mamoru had a feeling he'd say that. Oikawa hadn't come in until later during the last set and even then, they were struggling to widen the point gap.
"Oh? Spoken like a true captain." Mamoru's gaze lifted from the floor and pointed towards a certain brunette leaning against the gate. "You know your stuff."
Oikawa lifted his face towards them with a sultry look.
"The Great King makes his appearance," Hinata screeched as Tanaka reverted to "delinquent" mode.
"You got a problem, dude?" Tanaka growled, approaching the captain with his hands in his pocket. Hinata followed right behind him, a hand pinching the back of Tanaka's track jacket.
"What do you want?" Hinata parroted, hiding behind Tanaka.
"Wanna fight, huh?"
"Wanna fight, huh?" Hinata echoed. He'd come off genuinely aggressive if he wasn't shaking like a leaf.
"Don't be so hostile." Oikawa stopped leaning on the brick pillar—he was wearing a white jacket, why would he do that—and waved a hand flippantly. He glanced at Hinata. "You, little one."
"Huh?!"
"Your last one-touch and broad attack were amazing," Oikawa smiled, genuinely praising him.
"Huh? Oh..." Hinata rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.
"Let's give it all we got from the beginning next time, from the start. You didn't get to see our set up." Mamoru watched Oikawa's face change. This seemed more like him. His eyes were narrowed with determination, face set with conviction. His face lightened and he looked at Tsukishima. "Oh, yes, we'll be improving our serves too."
Oikawa's serves were legendary. They were right up there with Ushijima's, though it was powerful in accuracy more than actual force (not to say it wasn't powerful). If those kinds of serves would come from the start...
"It's true, your offense was amazing," Oikawa said suddenly, slipping his hands in his pockets. "But your receives aren't polished. You'll reach your limit very quickly."
"I'm not the only one who hits powerful serves." He started walking towards them, talking as if he were wondering what the weather would be tomorrow. "The Inter-High Preliminaries are coming up. Don't get eliminated, okay?"
He stopped right in front of Kageyama and pointed a finger at him. "Because I want to pulverize my dear underclassman, setter-on-setter, in an official match."
Hinata flashed by Tsukishima, grabbing his sleeves, and spluttered, "The receivers will train!"
"Hey, let go."
"Receivers don't improve overnight." Oikawa gave him a disdainful look. "Ask the captain. He should know."
Mamoru stiffened slightly when Oikawa stopped in front of him, an odd smile on his face. What could he possibly say to him?
"Don't hold back next time."
He said nothing as Oikawa continued walking. Don't hold back? How would he know?
Was he holding back?
"There's not much time until the tournaments," he announced, smiling lightly, not turning around. "I look forward to seeing you there!"
Mamoru watched him go. Oikawa certainly was an interesting character. He was cunning, but he didn't seem too bad of a character.
"Don't let him get to you," Kageyama said nervously. "He likes to razz people like that."
Mamoru glanced at Daichi, who chuckled. It was the kind of chuckle that made you think ohshit and wonder who was in trouble now.
"It's true. We don't have much time before the preliminaries," he murmured, smiling. "But he should be coming back."
He?
Tanaka let out a noise of recognition, a bright smile slipping on his face. Hinata tilted his head curiously. "Who's coming back?"
Daichi grinned.
"The Guardian Deity of Karasuno."
"Ah," Ennoshita exclaimed suddenly, slamming a fist into an open palm. He looked back at Mamoru. "Where's your bag?"
Mamoru blinked, surprised.
Oh.
"Please excuse me while I get my bag." He bowed and sprinted away from the group, feeling stupid. He had completely forgotten after the run in with Kunimi, Kindaichi, and Oikawa.
Mamoru walked into the gym just in time to see Iwaizumi chuck a volleyball at Oikawa's head. He flushed under the gaze of the Seijoh members cleaning up their equipment, choosing to scan the room for his bag. He had taken it out of the locker room, but left it in the gym when Aomine called.
"Mamoru-kun!~" Yori jumped on his back happily, his clipboard almost hitting his face. "Have you thought about the offer yet?!"
"Yori-kun, it's been two hours," Mamoru murmured, flustered. Really, too many unprecedented events were happening. "Please give me some time to think about it."
"I've given you several months," Yori wailed, crying comically. "Please please please please please please please please please-ACK!"
Iwaizumi, bless him, smacked Yori and yanked him off Mamoru. "I'm sorry about him."
"It's alright," Mamoru said, dipping his head. "I understand I've been stalling."
"Here's your bag," Oikawa chirped, appearing behind Iwaizumi and Yori. It was like seeing Oikawa in a different light. He was kind of dorky, not as intimidating as before.
After handing it back to the boy, he squinted and leaned in closer. Mamoru leaned backwards, Oikawa's face too close for comfort. "You know, you look a little familiar. Aren't you that boy from Tei-"
"Thank you for my bag," he nearly shouted and booked it out of the gym. He sprinted back to the bus, barely out of breath and hastily took a seat, ignoring the odd looks he got from the team.
He really just wanted to go try to take a nap.
──── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────
"All right, let's clean up quickly. Then we're done." Daichi smiled at them, standing in front of the line. "Good job today."
The team shouted back. Mamoru glanced to his right. Hinata was practically falling asleep on his feet. Could someone actually sleep on their feet?
He panicked for a second when Hinata stumbled into his arm. He placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder, shaking him gently. He managed to rouse the boy, but he looked like he was functioning on autopilot.
"I'll do this," Mamoru said, plucking the mop from Hinata's hands. His eyes were closing every thirty seconds and he was literally stumbling everywhere from fatigue. "Please go home and get some sleep."
He mopped quickly and made his way into the storage room to put away the mop. Mamoru was about to leave the storage room when he tripped over something.
A pained hiss escaped his lips and he scooted away from the offending object.
Mamoru stood up and picked up the broken mop, holding both pieces in each hand. Yamaguchi peered over his shoulder. "This mop looks dangerous. Can we throw it away?"
Sugawara, the recipient of the question, turned around. Panic flitted through his face as he hurried over to take the pieces from Mamoru. "Oh, don't worry about that. It's alright."
Mamoru handed him the pieces, but Sugawara didn't take them. He held them in place, his hands right over Mamoru's.
His hands are warm, he noted idly.
"We can fix it, and still use it," Sugawara murmured, looking nostalgic. Mamoru didn't understand the emotion running through Sugawara's face, but it must have been something sentimental. And then- "Ah, Mamoru, let's get your leg treated."
Mamoru made a confused noise before looking down. Oh, he was bleeding. "It's alright, Sugawara-san. It doesn't hu-"
"Your legs are important to you," Sugawara interrupted, setting the broken mop down. "You're a runner, therefore you should be mindful of your legs."
Not sure what to say, he let Sugawara steer him to the stage, where he'd grabbed a first aid kit on the way. "I can take care of it," Mamoru said weakly, reaching for the gauze.
"Put the cream on the Band-Aid. I'll take care of the splinters," Sugawara instructed, handing him the Band-Aid and antibiotic cream.
Watching him focus on pulling the splinters from his leg was awkward. Mamoru had never had someone care for him this closely. He usually did everything himself. Having someone care for him like this was foreign.
But it wasn't bad.
Sugawara applied pressure on the small wound, a blank look on his face. What was he thinking about so hard?
"Sugawara-san," Mamoru said suddenly. "I don't think I'm bleeding anymore."
"Oh, sorry!" He removed his hand and set the bloody cloth in a small plastic bag. "All done."
He would make a good teacher, Mamoru thought to himself. Preschool or kindergarten, most likely.
"Thank you," he said, not sure what else he was supposed to do.
"Let's head out," he grinned. Ah, that's right. They went the same way.
Hinata, Tanaka, Kageyama, and Daichi went with them. They waited for a moment for Hinata to grab his bike and they all stopped by the Sakanoshita Shop because Tanaka, Hinata, and Kageyama wanted meat buns.
"You didn't want one?" Daichi asked curiously.
The three came back holding granola bars instead of meat buns, but they didn't look too disappointed. They must be too hungry to care.
As they were walking back, Tanaka stopped and brought up a good question.
"Wait a second. Why are you at Karasuno, Kageyama?"
Mamoru watched the boy cram the entire granola bar in his mouth and wondered faintly if he'd choke.
"The strongest school in the prefecture is Shiratorizawa," Tanaka added, still confused. Mamoru was stuck watching Kageyama chew through the bar. He was kind of cute when he wasn't yelling at someone (Hinata).
"Shiratori?" Hinata mumbled around his granola bar.
"Shiratorizawa," Tanaka corrected, holding up a finger. "They're top in the prefecture. They're a powerhouse school ranked top eight in the country."
"Oh," Hinata murmured, looking at Kageyama.
Did he mention he got rejected? Kageyama swallowed, blinking languidly like he wasn't just asked a question by an upperclassman.
I hate when people ask questions when I'm eating, Mamoru remembered idly. He was sure others disliked it too.
"I didn't make Shiratorizawa," he said with a straight face.
"You didn't make it?!"
"I never got a recommendation from them so I took the entrance exam," Kageyama continued as if Tanaka wasn't staring at him like a purple pigeon. "I didn't understand the entrance exam at all."
Sugawara and Daichi shuffled a little bit closer. "The school is super hard to get into by conventional means," Daichi noted, a hand on his chin.
"Eh?" Mamoru's face soured. Tsukishima wasn't his favorite human. "I guess the King isn't very good at his studies."
To Kageyama's credit though, he just grit his teeth.
"But why did you come to Karasuno?" Hinata reminded, looking curious. "Are you an admirer of the Little Giant too?"
The Little Giant again. Who was he?
"I heard Coach Ukai is coming out of retirement."
"Ukai?"
"An outstanding who took unknown Karasuno to the spring nationals!" Tanaka exclaimed. "The name 'Ukai of Karasuno' is famous. They called him the coach in charge of vicious crows."
Sugawara paled as he reflected on his own experience. "The second and third years got some coaching from him. He was pretty Spartan."
Mamoru took notice of this. How "Spartan" was this Ukai?
Shirogane Spartan?
Hinata and Kageyama were the complete opposite of Sugawara and Daichi. Sugawara looked at them, baffled. "Why do you two look so envious?"
He rubbed the back of his head. "Coach Ukai was going to officially come out of retirement, but collapsed."
Kageyama looked down, seemingly resolute. "But I figured, no matter what school I attended, I'd be up against high school students like me. There's no reason why I couldn't win."
Mamoru hated arrogance.
He didn't mind if someone was confident in themselves, but to disregard their opponents' strength was absurd.
Obviously, Mamoru experienced it in Teiko.
He missed the scuffle between Kageyama and Hinata, but was brought back to earth when Tanaka directed his next question at Mamoru.
"How was your debut match?"
Ah, that's right. That was his first official match, though a practice one. His first volleyball match.
"It was...nice," Mamoru concluded, looking at his hand. If he thought back to it, he could almost feel the sting in his palms from the spikes and serves. He looked back up at the group.
"Volleyball is interesting."
𝄥𝄞─────────────── 𝄇
I thought the GIF (I hope it works) was kind of cute and I just had to include it. Thank you for reading, commenting, and voting! I made a playlist with a list of Mamoru's songs, but I won't release it just yet until I can get some more in.
𝄥𝄞─────────────── 𝄇