A/N: Y'all really out to kill a character just because he wasn't on the MC's side ☠️ b r uh i wheezed. Still confused at whether some of y'all actually read. I was—
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Ushijima Wakatoshi glances at her, realizing how her body language was screaming discomfort and he could only blink. She was very awkward with just him around, pausing in between her sentences.
Though he understands that and he understands why.
Like mustering up her courage, she gulps and she still forced herself to go on. "Should we go?" She asks as she takes a deep breath and he could only nod.
Though he also finds himself a little uncomfortable with the atmosphere. But he has to go through this. He isn't the type to back off this easily. Plus, something was urging him to go on and he needed to see where all this would lead to.
He lets out a small sigh before he walks alongside her as they sightsee, the tension making it hard for any of them to utter a word. He easily distracts himself with the festive atmosphere, the crowd easily drowning out the silence between the two of them.
Should he ask her something to remove this tense atmosphere? They didn't seem like good friends from this tension. But he knew he needed to trust time and wait.
And it really did wore off.
While the crowd and the bustling people momentarily distracted them, there busied themselves with looking at sites — sites that were both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, like fabric of memories just waiting to be woven together.
"Remember when Goshiki first attended the festival with us and wanted to be the top at every game in the stalls?"
He hums and nods at the memory, finding an image of the scenario in this crowd. It was as if they could see it— how they in their youth, filled this place with warmth and memories.
"I thought he was only competing with you but to think he really did compete with everyone. And everyone knew why he did... because he finally has a chance to be #1."
He closes his eyes and gives a small smile at the memory, noticing the way her eyes land in on the stalls as if she could see familiar people, familiar memories.
"Toshi, you still don't like playing in the stall games?" She asks and he nods.
She complains with a pout as she mumbles it. "Still the same I see."
Ushijima Wakatoshi finds himself satisfied at this scenario— pieces of memories were being collected as they continued walking and talking, the nostalgia easing up the tension.
She was suddenly smiling again, as time took off the awkwardness bit by bit, as if it was the usual. as if nothing had changed, as if they were still good friends.
...Even if they had been lovers.
But like a reminder, her phone suddenly rang, and she picked it up. Suddenly she seemed a little different, a little brighter, as she answered using a tone he was all too familiar with.
It was a tone of someone in love.
Was she dating someone else? He ponders about it.
But she must have been. It has been few years since they last saw each other so it was possible.
He used to lament over it— that when they went on their separate ways, their experiences, the people they would meet, and who would they be... were things they could never ask each other again. And he used to lament over it. He used to.
So he found it surprising.
How the question didn't interest him as much as he expected.
"I'm sorry that was... someone I made prior plans with. I was supposed to meet him here after I catch up with you guys."
"...but yeah, you were the only one that showed up." She adds, sighing but he only nods.
"That's Tendo's fault." He says truthfully and her expression stiffens. She puts two and two together, finally realizing why they were the only ones in this meetup.
"I knew it." she scratches the back of her head. She suddenly sighs, knowing why this ended up happening.
"I'm sorry, Toshi. I think this is my fault. I could've told Satori but I didn't have a chance to. I couldn't join the reunion... or the training camp." she says and he looks at her in question.
"Ahh. I've kinda been overtraining and yeah, he wouldn't let me go there." she explains.
"He?" he asks but she doesn't reply.
There was a moment of silence before he catches that sense of panic and worry in her eyes. And he understands.
The way she had been going around her words, threading carefully was enough to confirm it. This was some unknown ground they haven't stepped on yet.
She doesn't know how he'll react and she must have been worried of his reaction. And he couldn't help but look at her.
This... was very like her.
So he answers with a response that was very like him too.
"Is it the guy you're dating?" he asks and she's suddenly taken aback.
But that look in his eyes says it all and she nods. "Yeah. I was supposed to talk about him to you guys, and well, introduce him."
"I haven't told anyone about him yet. I wanted the guys to be the first to know. And I thought today would be perfect, but then..." she sighs and he could only nod.
He understands her eagerness. They were the closest company she used to spend time with. Those days of volleyball practice were all moments she had also been a part of. They were one of the people who made her who she was today. And she must have wanted them to know what or where she was in now.
"Would you like to talk about him?" He asks and she immediately beams.
"Will it be fine?"
Ushijima Wakatoshi looks at her as he replies, his voice firm and clear.
"Yes, it's fine."
She stays still for a moment as she gives him a genuine smile, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. "Thanks, Toshi."
—
"OMFG TENDO DID YOU JUST SET UP WAKATOSHI WITH A GIRL THAT'S ALREADY DATING SOMEONE ELSE." Semi Eita immediately hits the former blocker on the head.
Reon immediately stops him from beating the red head up and Tendo Satori steps back.
The three of them had been spying over the two former lovers like some highschool girls and all because of one thing— because Tendo couldn't help his curiousity. And this was now their current dilemma.
Though they initially heard her talking with someone on the phone, they didn't think much of it. That was until they really heard their conversation. It was hard to eavesdrop when there was literally a crowd all around them but it took them a while to finally put the clues together.
When they immediately overheard her confirming that she really was dating someone else, they stopped on their tracks and altogether looked at Tendo, who was immediately hit by the former setter.
"I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS DATING SOMEONE ELSE." The red head says in his defense.
Ahhh. Though that's probably why she wants to meet with all of them, Tendo realizes. She wanted to introduce the guy he's dating.
He clearly didn't take this into mind.
He feels a pang in his chest since this was one of those moments where his gut instincts were totally off.
And he remembers what usually happens when his guesses were off. He knows he'll get called out for this. Big time. So he looks away nervously.
He likes to pretend he didn't have anything to do with this epic fail plan. He wants nothing to do with this. Wow, who's the guy who messed up? He doesn't know him. Oh wow, look at the time.
"Don't go running off now." The former setter grabs the back of his collar and he groans.
"Semi semi, you have to understand." He says, using a tone as if he was trying to con someone.
"Though Tendo does has a point. None of us knows she's already taken." Reon calms the fuming setter and the latter only raises an eyebrow.
"Fine." He says in defeat as he temporarily let go of the red head. And uncharacteristically, a moment of silence settles in their group.
Semi Eita sees the way Tendo glances at the two of them from a distance.
He could see the way the red head's gaze softens as if he's looking for something.
"I was worried with what you're up to." Semi says to the former blocker. "I knew you were up to something." He adds before he inhales sharply.
"You always do like to follow your instincts." Semi sighs and he looks at the former blocker.
"So, how is it?" He couldn't help but ask.
"How is what?"
"The view. This is what you wanted to see, right?" Semi asks him.
Tendo Satori doesn't immediately answer. He couldn't help but look at the two of them.
But that's right.
This was the view he was looking for.
This was something he have always wanted to see since that all started. He likes to compare that memory to a view as striking and as painful as that fire in the setting skies.
So whenever he looks at the setting sun, he is always reminded. So he'll always remember all of it. And he does. He remembers all of it.
It was something he didn't expect the athlete to be in. When Ushijima Wakatoshi agreed to break up, he thought everything was fine. The circumstances were not kind to them. Something bloomed in the wrong place and in the wrong time and that something had to be cut off.
It was a mutual decision. It was inevitable, something they couldn't do anything about. But their captain was a man whose foundations were firm, his roots held him up in a podium where he would stand and tower over anyone else. So Tendo Satori thought the former ace would be fine. He thought he'd be fine.
He was wrong.
And he remembers all of it.
He remembers the days when Ushijima Wakatoshi would just sit there silently in his apartment, refusing to even talk, that distraught look on the athlete's face— all of those bottled up expression he hid, refusing to let go of even a single drop.
He remembers how their former ace had to go through all of that when he was just starting to go professional— how he had to let go of one more support system in a time where he needed it most.
He remembers how Ushijima Wakatoshi refused to utter even a single thing. But his actions screamed, as if he was asking for help, from spiraling into a continuous cycle where he might forever spin.
Tendo Satori remembers all of that.
He isn't asking for anyone to understand. And while he used to get advice to just let Ushijima be when the athlete was beginning to regret his decisions and suffer for it, he wanted to say it.
He wanted to say it.
He can't do that.
He wanted to say it to them.
He can't do that. He can't just leave him alone and let him be. He...
He wanted to scream.
It isn't as simple as that. They wouldn't know...
They wouldn't know what it feels to watch your friend spiral into self destruction.
They wouldn't.
They don't know what it feels to watch him in pain... to watch your friend be in pain... and not be able to do a single thing.
He dares call himself his friend when he can't even help?
His inability mocks him.
He can give every advice to him that he's ever thought of, do anything to momentarily distract him. But would that really matter? Would that really help? Would that remove that expression in his face?
No.
It would not.
And Tendo Satori remembers all of that.
Because Tendo Satori was Ushijima Wakatoshi's friend. And he was there.
He was there even before their relationship started. He was there when it bloomed in the summer heat. And he was there when it also ended.
He was there when Ushijima Wakatoshi spiraled into a never ending cycle his words could not save him from.
He was there.
When the athlete's silence drew a line that became something he could never breach, he was still there.
He was always there.
But even if he was...
He couldn't do anything.
He... couldn't do a single thing.
And this was the view he was looking for.
"It's nice." He says, looking at that expression on Ushijima Wakatoshi's face, how there was not a single remnant of that boy he used to be— of that boy he could not help.
This was the view he was looking for.
He wanted the two of them to meet. Because he wanted to be sure.
He wanted to be sure.
Because he was his friend.
"It's nice." He repeats again as he looks at them.
"It's nice to see that Wakatoshi's fine now."