━━━━━
Due to the lack of sleep the middle blocker got, he wasn't able to give his best during training. Although he was always apathetic when it comes to practicing ━ Maeko was pretty impressed he was even awake.
The two had stayed out until 5 in the morning, which led to the pair only getting a mere 3-hour sleep. During the early morning training Suna didn't look any different from his regular expression, whereas Maeko was a different story. The bags under her eyes were thankfully hidden behind her glasses, unlike Suna, Maeko wasn't one to stay up late ━ she had somewhat a consistent sleep schedule, as she grew up in a strict household where she slept at 11 pm at the latest, Maeko only ever stayed up when she has a lot on her mind.
Throughout the entire morning, Maeko was seen with her beloved camera taking a few snaps of the volleyball team that's going to be uploaded to the school's website. She seemed focused, but her thoughts were all over the place, and unknowingly to Maeko her camera kept coming back to a certain middle blocker.
She never had intentions to fall for her best friend but within the past few months Maeko found herself having a dilemma "do I, or do I not like Suna Rintarou?". She knew that falling for him wasn't the brightest idea when it comes to her feelings as she felt like she was most definitely in the friend zone, but how can she not?
"it's like every best friend to lovers trope I've ever read," she thought to herself as she continued walking around the gym taking pictures of the team.
Suna on the other hand was nearly distracted the entire time Maeko paced around the gym. He kept diverting his eyes towards the girl to the point where he nearly missed blocking Atsumu's spike.
"Oi Suna! Stop staring at your little girlfriend and start serving already!" Atsumu yelled from the opposite side of the court attracting the attention of everyone in the court, including Maeko whose cheeks had turned a bright red at his words.
The boy gripped the ball in his hands tighter and glared his eyes at Atsumu before taking a few steps back to serve. He threw the ball into the air before jumping into his serve position, "she is not my girlfriend" he said in a monotone voice as he pushed with all his might, smacking the ball landing a service ace.
He didn't yell his words but Atsumu could hear them clearly, "nice serve" he said as his teasing face grinned at Suna before walking back to get his bottle, as everyone in the court did the same.
Although Maeko cheeks were still quite flushed from Atsumu's earlier words she set her thoughts aside and approached Suna from her place near the benches to show him the pictures she had taken from his quite aggressive serve from earlier. Suna stared at the girl as she explained how the pictures turned out great and how his serve was so unexpected. A small grin appeared on Suna's face as the girl continued expressing her thoughts. That grin was only ever on his face when the girl was around, but apparently, she was too oblivious to notice it.
"you know Rintarou, it's weird for you to actually put effort into your serves" the girl said teasingly as Suna's tiny grin disappeared from his face replaced by an offended look.
"I am offended," he said jokingly before walking towards the benches to take his bottle, from behind him he could hear Maeko laugh her ass off at his response.
━━━━
That night, Maeko couldn't fall asleep ━ well, more like didn't want to sleep. She was sitting on the same bench that she and Suna had sat on the night before, admiring her photos from today. She couldn't help but come back to the photos she took of Suna. Specifically, one where she had captured him with a small grin on his face. It was rare for people to see Suna smile, he had always had a boring expression on his face.
Maeko let out a grin seeing Suna smile after from what she recalled was because he had blocked Atsumu's spike, to which Atsumu ended up scolding Osamu for tossing very poorly ━ they ended up fighting.
"Probably why he was smiling" Maeko thought to herself as her grin got wider.
Starring from a distance, Suna too couldn't sleep. Again. Here he was outside, with his skateboard in one hand and his other tucked into the pocket of his volleyball jacket. As Suna approached Maeko, she herself was startled at the sound of footsteps and immediately swiped her camera screen to showcase a picture of the sunrise she took earlier in the morning.
Maeko turned to her left, seeing Suna there before turning back to her camera. "Why aren't you asleep rintarou?" Maeko questioned, but later on felt dumb for asking Suna Rintarou that question as she shook her head and looked up from her camera on her lap, and faced the boy.
The girl diverted her eyes to the hand that was holding his skateboard. "why, and how did you bring that all the way to camp rin?" she asked.
"I figured I might not get much sleep so I brought it for times like these when I can't sleep or when I get bored. And to answer the other question: I stuffed it in my bag" Suna answered dryly.
Maeko merely shook her head in disbelief, the boy before her brought his skateboard to a volleyball training camp. "no more questions? Alright, let's go" He added before grabbing maeko's wrist as he walked towards the direction of a convenience store nearby, basically dragging maeko with him.
"Assuming we are going to a convenience store?" Maeko asked as she caught up with him and walked by his side, the palm of his hand still wrapped around her wrist, his fingers brushed against her own.
"Such a smart girl, even I didn't think of that" Suna replied sarcastically. Maeko scoffed at his words, "Does it have to be at 3 in the morning though".
Suna chuckled lightly before replying "it's not like you were doing anything important right" as his fingers threaded through her own.
The two reached the convenience store within 5 minutes as it was close to where the team was staying. Once inside, the two parted ways ━ Maeko immediately heads towards the instant ramen aisle, while Suna headed to the candy aisle to get his beloved chuupets.
The two found each other back at the cashier and bickered for a good 10 minutes since neither wants the other to pay for the goodies they were buying. Suna ended up handing Maeko his skateboard and forcing cash towards the cashier employee before maeko could take out her wallet. As Suna was paying, Maeko saw his eyes avert towards the packs of cigarettes.
"Don't you dare Rintarou, You said you'd try" Maeko said strictly. Suna changed his attention from the cigarettes to Maeko, he saw the stern yet worried look plastered on her face. Suna had heard her scold him far too many times but yesterday was the only time where he actually put effort to stop his bad habit.
"yes mako-chan, I am aware of your concern" he replied as he lightly pushed her aside to collect the change, the two went outside soon after as Maeko placed the plastic bag full of goodies and her ramen on the small table outside the store, she then handed Suna his skateboard.
Suna immediately took the board and started skating back and forth around Maeko as she sat down and ate her ramen. Maeko was scrolling through pictures in her camera until Suna skated past her and took the camera into his own hands.
He made a U-turn towards Maeko as he held the camera up to his eye and took a picture of Maeko, her face still in shock from Suna taking her camera with her cup noodle in one hand and her other was posed as if she questioning his entire existence.
Suna took a step down from his skateboard, picked it up, and stared at the picture he took. Maeko was confused, "why the fuck would he take my camera?? I will have you know, that is expensive".
Suna laughed as he thought the picture of Maeko was hysterical. She looked half confused and half pissed to the point where it's killing him as he clutched the camera onto his stomach as he laughed his ass off. He could see Maeko glare at him as she slurped her ramen aggressively.
When the sound of his laughter died down, he handed the camera back to Maeko, and his now free hand grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the table.
"Suna my... ramen.." Maeko said with a sad voice as she didn't want to leave her beloved food.
"c'mon up you go," Suna said as he gestured to his skateboard on the ground. Maeko's eyes went wide, her eyes glancing back and forth from Suna to the skateboard, "Rin, you know I can barely stand on that thing right. I can't even walk properly and you want me to stand on that" Maeko said.
"Hey, you won't fall Mako-chan, I'm here for a reason," he said trying to reassure her as her two feet stepped foot on the skateboard, her arm clung onto his shoulder for dear life, her wobbly legs made her feel like she might fall any second.
But as Suna guided her, she felt the small breeze push through her short hair. Maeko let out a small grin at the small success, however, the grin was interrupted as Suna accidentally tripped on a rock, resulting in Maeko's butt landing on the ground. Suna widened his eyes as his entire body tensed up worrying that Maeko was hurt, but his tense body relaxed once sounds of laughter came from the girl.
"Suna you suck," she said teasingly through her giggles. Suna's wide eyes stared at the girl who was still laughing her ass off, that laugh of hers was just something different, it made him feel all giddy and cheery.
∘◦ ﾐ ◦∘
"yuh rintarou I did it," Maeko said excitedly. "did what," Suna asked with his usual bored expression.
"I SENT HIM THE MEME" Maeko answered even more excited as a big smile plastered on her face. Although her brain had told her not to send the meme, she still sent it hoping for a change in her lonely relationship status.
Suna could only open his mouth in disbelief, eyebrows raised and both eyes wide open. It was really rare for him to widen his eyes that much. He didn't think she would actually send it. He thought she would chicken out like the last few times Maeko had a crush on someone.
Suna furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the grinning girl while she stared at her phone anticipating the answer from the boy she had liked for a long time. But as soon as the notification bell rang, Suna could see the color drain from her face, and her once big grin replaced with a disappointed smile as she typed something into her phone.
The boy peered over her shoulder as he saw the chat, Maeko had sent a 'help I'm falling for you' meme to which her crush replied with an "ok". Lucky for her, she had typed a "lol it was just a joke" to save her ass expecting her crush to reply to that. The only answer she got from her "confession" was two ok's from the guy.
Maeko locked her phone, feeling disappointed but not so surprised. Ever since she was a kid, she had confessed to people, and yet not once had she ever gotten her confession accepted. Maeko likes to jokingly say she is very lonely but when it hits her, it makes her feel like 'oh no one wants me'.
"Oi. Don't you fucking dare think that no one wants you" Suna said as if he just read her mind. "Even if you think so, there are many people out there you haven't met yet. Hell, if it makes it easier you always have me" he continued.
"I'm never chosen okay Rintarou, it's never me," the girl said through her cries as she turned her head facing the boy.
"I'll always choose you Maeko" he replied in a serious tone.
"Are you sure about that" she choked out giving a pained smile at her friend. Her family had always neglected her, one of the main reasons why she and Suna are close is because he was there when no one else was.
"I promise," he said before embracing the girl into his arms, her back pressed against his chest as she turned her head around and curl her legs towards her own chest and cried, bawling her eyes out. Sure, he had seen her cry since they were kids but this was a whole new type of sob. It was almost, painful. Her cries sounded like she was tired, tired of getting the same reaction over and over again.
Maeko sounded like she just wanted comfort. Comfort that apparently everyone around her had, except for her. Suna could only lean his head on top of Maeko's as he wraps his arms around her. At times like these, Suna was always her warmth. And she was always his peace.
Maeko had always tried to not cry much, she thinks it makes her seem weak. After having an entire childhood where she cries ever so easily, and since junior high school started maeko vowed to not cry so she doesn't have to look weak or childish. But with Suna, she can just sob and he wouldn't care if she looked terrible.
∘◦ ミ ◦∘
Suna recalled his promise to Maeko, "I wonder if she still remembers" Suna thought to himself as he grinned slightly at the girl before him, he always felt happy seeing Maeko laugh since they were kids, seeing Maeko happy just made suna feel at ease. Maeko had always helped everyone around her, even people that might not appreciate her kind gestures.
Throughout them all, Suna was the only person Maeko ever told her struggles too, all the times when she felt unworthy or useless; Suna would be there, he was always going to be her comfort place. He never wants to be the cause of her pain and sorrow. And if it made her laugh or smile he'd do something over and over again just for her.
%━━ 1:42a.m | 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 ✓
author's note!
quite an early update hehe but I hope you liked this chapter <3 just to clarify that the italic font is for thoughts and/or flashbacks ^^ ALSO, IT'S MY FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY TODAY SO UH IF UR READING THIS HAPPY BIRTHDAY 😩✋
(I tried skateboarding today because my friend MADE ME! and uh, yea no I suck at it lmao)
Stay safe and healthy everyone!
»———————–✄
Next chapter: hands intertwined