HE COULD NOT BELIEVE HIS EYES. Finally, she was now beside him. Real and only an arm's length away.
They were leisurely strolling in the garden. Looking at the flowers that her grandmother had planted and grown.
Ushijima had came from a training camp himself with his team. It was held in Hyogo, a prefecture that was a several distance away from Miyagi. They had just finished it yesterday.
As the training camp had completed, their coach had given them a week long break to recuperate and make time for themselves. Hearing this, Ushijima then boarded the first flight back to Miyagi. What he did consequently confounded his teammates.
The Shiratorizawa team was supposedly planning to go sightseeing. They wanted Ushijima to go with them, but the latter then declined.
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"Hey, are you sure you don't want to join us, Wakatoshi-kun?"
His teammate, Tendō, had asked him. All of the Shiratorizawa players were sitting on the couch while some plopped on the floor. They were munching convenient store snacks as they watched a sci-fi movie.
The ace, on the other hand, was seen carrying his bags, preparing to go to the airport. He already had booked a flight and the boarding time was an hour later.
"Yeah, Ushijima-san." His underclassman, Goshiki, agreed. "All of us are gonna go around the place. I heard that there are a lot of sights here that we can visit." He continued.
Ushijima then shook his head. "Forgive me. I already had made a plan. Perhaps, we all can do them in some other time?" The ace told his teammates.
He then went ahead to the door. The taxi was waiting for him outside to drive him to the airport.
"Speaking of it, does this plan involved the person that called you earlier?"
Tendō nonchalantly queried as he ate a popcorn. It then made the latter halt on his tracks.
"Oh you mean the gi—?" Goshiki had not been able to continue his question when Semi began to cover his mouth with both of his hands. The ash blond setter did not want the ace to know that the whole team had been eavesdropping him all along.
"You should shut up, Bowl-Cut Brat!" Shirabu chastised the rookie player. The nickname then irritated the up and coming ace, thus giving him a wry look in return.
As they had squabbled, Ushijima gave them a brief response.
"Yeah."
He held the handle and opened the door, then exiting the room.
The remaining players were utterly stunned. Never expecting his reply. Tendō was the first to recover from the astonishment. He moved to go outside. The others then followed.
They saw Ushijima in the hallway.
"Well, you better go get her!"
Tendō shouted, a grin was prevalent on his face. His teammates concurred the latter's statement, also voicing their support.
"You can do it, Ushijima-san!"
"Good luck, ace!"
"We all are rooting for you!"
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"Toshi-kun."
Nao held his hand, breaking him from his reverie. He had missed hearing her say his name.
Ushijima then clutched hers back, entwining their fingers together.
They were now sitting on the bench surrounded with flowers. Both basking in the comfortable silence. And at the same time, taking in the beautiful view under the shade of the wisteria tree.
"You know, you should have told me that you're coming back." Nao said, changing her gaze to him. "I could've baked you a cake and prepared something like a banner that says 'Welcome Home, Toshi!', and then, throw over a confetti—"
Ushijima then shook his head, chuckling. "That's not needed." He reassured her. "Just as long as you are with me." The ace took out a stray petal that fell on her hair. Clutching it between his forefinger and thumb.
"It's more than I could ever ask."
The olive-haired wing spiker continued as he stared at her eyes. The wisteria petal he was holding then flew with the wind.
Nao shifted her attention back to the flowers that she was watching earlier. Arms crossed while pouting.
"But still—I want to do something for you. You've already done enough for me."
Ushijima then followed her gaze.
"I'm not asking for anything in return, Nao."
The ace said, trying to make her understand. She began to look at him once again, head slightly tilted upwards.
"Really, Wakatoshi?"
Ushijima tried to supress another chuckle. She only used his given name whenever she was near to being annoyed.
"Affirmative."
He then replied. His arm encircling her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.
"Fuji Nao."
The two remained like that for a while, enjoying each other's presence. Ushijima was caressing her hair with his fingertips while Nao was leaning on his shoulder. He thought that this moment could not get any more perfect.
"You should have come to Shiratorizawa."
Ushijima thought out-loud, muttering what he wanted to say to her. Nao then moved to look at him. Her expression pensive. The ace began to regret what he had said, not wanting to see her in such state.
"You know I can't, Toshi." The girl gave him a downcast smile.
"Why?" Ushijima began to tilt her face for her to look at him straight in the eyes. Nao tried to evade her gaze, but then sighed.
"Like what I have already told you before." She started to say. "I can't leave Obaasan and Ren."
Ushijima had heard that reason many times before. "I understand." His lips tugged upwards, letting her know that he had grasped what she had said to him.
"But still, how I wish you're there. I just want to see you every day. "
Nao was moved by his words. They were genuine. She could see that in his olive orbs that were staring back at her.
"Me too, Toshi." Nao felt the same way, grateful that she had an Ushijima Wakatoshi in her life.
"Thank you for understanding."
The girl smiled at him. Ushijima thought it was, without a doubt, lovely.
"And besides—" Nao began to snort upon realizing something. "You don't want to see this face all the time." She gestured at herself.
"You might get tired of this." Nao proceeded to puff her cheeks and bursted out laughing.
Ushijima then shook his head. A serious expression on his face.
"No, never." The ace disagreed, looking at her directly. "Not with you, Nao." He told her.
"I will never get tired of you. I will always look forward in seeing you—everyday."
Nao felt her emotions swirling within her. They were loud and perceptible. It became louder when he held her hand.
"Nao-chan." He spoke her name gently.
"Toshi-kun?" She asked, waiting on what he was about to say. The latter was staring at their entwined hands.
Ushijima then looked at her, his gaze steadfast and unyielding.
"I—I am in lo—"
"ONEE-CHAN!"
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