J U L Y
...A Few Days Later...
Atsumu and Suzume were lying on the field together after school. Volleyball was starting later tonight due to an inspection in both gyms, so they were killing time.
They had their break on Wednesday like she had promised, so it was going to be a hard hit out tonight.
She had her head resting on the setter's lap while he lay down with his head on his backpack. The two were setting to each other, like their regular occurrence.
The blonde setter still got butterflies every time they touched, it was something he now craved.
"Would you rather eat a raw onion or raw garlic?" She asked and Atsumu scrunched his face at the horrid thought.
"Ew, garlic I guess."
"Favourite chip flavour?"
"Hmm... Don't have one."
"Pocky or mochi?"
"Pocky."
"Just kidding, I already knew that one considering you always steal mine. Is your room clean or messy?"
"I could show ya if you'd like?" He offered slyly and she rolled her eyes lightly pinching his leg before setting the ball back up and he flinched.
"Ah! Okay fine... Clean." Atsumu said almost breaking his concentration and Suzume snorted.
"Liar."
"I'm not lyin'!"
"If you lie then you owe me brown sugar milk tea for a year-"
"Ok! Ok fine! I'm messy. Not as messy as 'Samu though." He sassed and she giggled at his childishness.
"Knew it."
"Why do ya always ask these questions?" Atsumu let his curiosity take over.
"You don't like them?" She quipped a brow.
He chuckles lightly shaking his head even though she couldn't see him.
"I love em', they just always come outta nowhere." He hummed.
"It's just something I like to do with you, I guess." She loved learning new things about Atsumu, hence why she always asked him the questions. She also loved his quick answers and how he usually answered them honestly. Usually.
"Awww, Zume-chan's my best friend!" He exclaims loudly and she chuckles setting an extra low ball that almost hits him in the face and he shrieks.
"Ah best friend! That was mean."
She chuckles lightly. Although she can't see him, she knew he was pouting right now.
"Hey Zume-chan?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did you leave Shiratorizawa?"
She caught the ball as she hadn't been prepared for such a question. Her mind instantly began thinking back to that day...
- Flashback -
"Girls gather round! I would like to introduce you to the newest member of your team." The coach said with an unfamiliar presence at his side.
The team all gathered around the new girl, there was a cocky smirk that rested on her face. She was pretty tall too, at least 6 ft, maybe even taller? 'I wonder if she's a middle blocker?' Suzume thought.
"Nice to meet you all! My name is Akira Saki, first year. My position is opposite hitter." She stated confidently.
'Same as me...' Suzume thought.
"Nice to meet you Akira-san, welcome to the team. Were just about to have a practice game, how about you join the B team-"
"Actually, Akira-san will be stepping in as right side for the A team." The coach announced which caused everyone to look at him in confusion.
"But coach, I play that position?" I speak up letting out an uneasy laugh. The coach gives me an apologetic look.
"Yes I know Ushijima-san, however, Akira-san here is a prodigy and we would like to put her right into the starting line-up." He says nonchalantly and she feels her stomach drop.
'How could he say that with such ease? As if he hasn't known me for years' she thought.
"Y- You're not even going to let me fight for my spot?" she asks as tears well up in her eyes, but she blink them away quickly.
"I'm sorry Ushijima-san, it's already been decided."
"But-"
"But that's not fair!" Before Suzume could even say the words herself she look to her side to see her best friend and captain Hito standing up for her.
The other girls seemed to nod their heads in agreement, but coach pinched the bridge of his nose, and she knew what that meant. There was no changing his mind.
"I'm sorry girls, but Akira-san is showing amazing promise, she's what we need to progress, to win nationals."
"I can't believe this." Suzume whispers before storming out of the gym, her teammates calling her name in protest.
- End of Flashback -
"Well, just after we missed out on nationals in my first year, the coach introduced a new first year who would be taking my spot. He didn't even give me the chance to fight for it, just took it out from under me like it was nothing." Suzume snuck a look at Atsumu who was propping himself up on his elbows looking at her in shock.
She looked away hastily. That's exactly how they all looked' she thought as she remembered her teammates faces.
"Everyone was shocked, including me. I felt betrayed. She was a lot taller than me, and coach said that she showed promise, so I guess that's why they chose her. No one really agreed with the decision, but there was nothing I could do." She said lowly as she gripped the ball tightly to bring her comfort.
Atsumu felt bad for the dark haired girl, that must've sucked for her coach to do that to her after knowing her for so long. He couldn't even imagine what it must've felt like.
"I'm not trying to be cocky or anything, but I just couldn't see why they replaced me. I wasn't even given a shot to prove myself. I guess maybe it was because at a first glance, I don't look good enough, not compared to her." Atsumu noticed her deflating mood, but her words hit him and he swallowed hard. He felt angry that she felt that way.
This must be part of the reason why she never judges people, because she knows how bad it can be' he thought.
"So, I left because I knew I was better than that. I crave winning nationals so badly, and I wasn't about to sit on the side line's when I knew I could do something about it. So, I kicked my training into overdrive and chose a new school." Her mood shifted a little and his lips tugged up into a weak smile.
'Amazing mentality' he thought. He was impressed with her. It made him feel like he could do better just by seeing how driven she was.
"Yer amazing ya know that Zume-chan?" He sits up pulling her face into his hands as he stares at her with a bright smile which causes her to blush.
"Tsu-"
"Yer going to make it to nationals and beat their asses. Show them exactly what they're missing... little fox." Her face turns as red as a tomato at Atsumu's words, especially with the nickname and she smiles gratefully at him.
"Thank you, Tsumi." She leans forward, resting her forehead against his and they both smile. His thumb gently caresses her cheek before brushing over her lip.
'She smells so good' he thought. 'She's so beautiful.'
His eyes fluttered closed, all he could think about was how badly he wanted to kiss her right now.
"Yo! Gyms ready!" They heard someone shout and they quickly pulled away.
"Oh um, let's go." Suzume suggested while Atsumu was still frozen in place.
"Y-yeah."
After that day on the field, Atsumu became even more touchier with Suzume. He simply could no longer resist and he hadn't realised it, however everyone else around him did.
He would make sure they always sat next to each other at lunch, practiced together when they could, hugged her every morning and evening before parting ways...
It went both ways thought, it was also getting harder to be apart from one and other.
Atsumu had been walking down the hall in the afternoon looking for Suzume when he bumped into an all too familiar candy haired girl.
"Atsumu-kun! Wait up!" She called but he didn't stop walking, acting as if she wasn't there.
"Atsumu-kun!" She whined, her small sweaty hand latching on to his and he quickly recoiled from the touch.
"What do ya want Seki?" His voice was harsh and filled with annoyance, although the girl pretended not to notice.
"Go out with me!"
"No!" He all but scoffed at her confession and turned to carry on walking. It wasn't the first time.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't like ya." He admitted honestly. His patience was basically non-existent at this point.
"Atsumu-kun!-"
"What?! I've got training to get too?" He lied, all he wanted to do was find the olive eyed girl that made his heart race.
"Why do you even train so hard anyway? It's only a game." Her bitchy voice whined and Atsumu swore his ears were about to bleed.
"Only a game?" He said in disbelief. "Are ya serious?"
"Come on, you don't seriously think you'll ever be good enough to go on any further do you?" She patronised him.
Atsumu's jaw clenched at her words. 'If she wasn't a girl I would beat her ass.' He thought.
"There are hundreds all over Japan who want exactly what you want, what makes you think you'll be the one to make it?"
"Oi, watch your mouth!" A loud voice sounded from behind them, and they both flinched looking in the dark haired girls direction.
"What do you think-"
"You have no right to say that. Atsumu is the top high school setter in Japan! Hell! He's one of the best players I've ever seen." Suzume spoke with pure honesty as she always did and Atsumu felt his heart flutter. 'Is she serous?'
"This isn't any of your business!"
"Uh, girls?-" Atsumu tried.
"The hell it isn't! Have you even seen him play before?" Suzume questioned and Seki scrunched her nose.
"Of course, I have!"
"Okay what position does he play then?" The olive eyed girl asked as her hands rested on her hips. She looked sassy as hell and the tall boy was loving it. 'Damn she's hot when she's feisty'. He had figured out that 'sassy-Suzume' was his weakness.
"Why would that matter?!" Seki fired back, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Uh, girls?-" Atsumu tried to interrupt but he couldn't get a word in.
"You don't even know do you! I literally just said it a minute ago and you can't even remember? You mark my words one day hell be representing Japan on the international stage, and you'll be eating your words."
The girls continued to bicker, their fighting luckily not causing too much attention due to how late it was however Atsumu eventually broke it up.
"Alright! Alright! That's enough! Come on Zume-chan let's go!" He said putting his hands on her shoulders and pushing her so they could leave this train wreck.
"Atsumu!" He flinched at his full name leaving her lips but carried on pushing her. When they were finally far enough away, he stopped, and she turned to face him.
"Thanks." The blonde said.
"Oh um... No worries. I can't stand hearing her talk like that about you, especially when you're so amazing-"
Realising what she said her eyes widen in shock while an egotistical smirk tugs at his lips.
"I- I mean-"
"Aw, Zume-chan! How sweet of you to admit I'm amazing!" He teased the shorter girl causing her to get flustered. 'Damn I fed straight into his ego.'
He smirks at the reaction he was able to get and takes advantage teasing her further.
"Yer hot when yer feisty little fox." He licked his lips and she cringed even though her face was getting hot. And that she found it extremely attractive.
"I am not! You... you perv!"
"Hey! I'm not a perv!" It was his turn to flush in embarrassment.
"Hey, why don't ya stand up for yourself about yer own rumours, but ya did for me?" He asked and the girl thought for a moment.
"Well, when it's me I don't really care, but I hate to see other people insulted when I know it's not true. What Seki said was ridiculous, we both know that." She took a step closer to the blushing boy, her hand gently tracing his cheek before falling to lay flat against his chest.
"You'll be representing Japan one day, and I can't wait for that day to come so I can cheer you on." Her eyes scanned his honey ones and they glowed with something she couldn't decipher. They glazed over slightly and his gaze fell to the floor so she wouldn't notice.
No one had ever said anything like that to him before. He never knew how desperately he had needed to hear it until it came out of her mouth.
"T- thank you, Zume-chan." He quickly planted a kiss on her cheek, tingles spreading throughout her body as he did so, and just like that, he turned away as they began their walk home leaving her cheeks a burning mess.
...
Super long chapter, also not proof read yet. Are you guys enjoying the story? Is it progressing too fast? Slow? Is it too boring? Let me know!
And don't forget to like and comment!