When you took the entrance exam to a College in Tokyo, you have made a decision. If you pass the exam, you'll leave Hyogo and live in Tokyo, if you don't then you'll have to postpone your dream and help your parents in Hyogo. You managed to pass the entrance exam and left the small town you grew up in.
It's been years since then, high school seems to be a distant memory that you'd seldom reminisce nowadays. Those people you have spent your high school with the most have a life of their own now, a job and career and it's rare to see them these days. So you were somewhat surprised to see one of the Miya twins here, selling onigiri.
"Senpai," Osamu said before his eyes travelled to the little girl with her big eyes staring at the menu before Osamu took the card and handed it to the little girl so she doesn't have to tiptoe to see it.
"I didn't know you have a food stall here."
"I was here last year too," Osamu said. "You know, it's a good opportunity to sell as many onigiri as I can."
Of course, you thought, even back then in high school, among the twins you've always thought Osamu would go down this kind of path. He's always been rational, business-minded even.
"I must have missed you last year, I came to watch Atsumu-kun's game back then too."
"Ah, that game when they won? He never stopped braggin' 'bout it."
And between the two, Atsumu had always been the one who never gives up, who loves volleyball a tad bit more than his twin.
You felt a tug on your hand and when you looked down, you saw Suki pointing at the onigiri she wanted. "Suki wants this." She looked back to where Kenma stood. "What about daddy?"
You looked at Kenma who tore his gaze from the floor to look up at you. "It's fine, I'm not hungry."
"Then, can I have two orders of tuna-mayo?"
Suki handed the menu back to Osamu before he prepared your order. It didn't take long until you got your order and you paid before Kenma can take his wallet out and pay for you and Suki's food. After that short conversation with Osamu, you three headed inside and found yourselves seats before the game begins.
Kenma was unsurprisingly quiet the whole time, since you really didn't expect him to talk that much, he would make occasional comments when the Black Jackals score and you realized you and him are supporting the same team. After all you know Atsumu while he said he knows someone there too.
"Woah, daddy look at that guy, he's flying!" Suki said when the orange haired guy spike a quick set from Atsumu.
"Of course," Kenma spoke and when you glance at him you saw the faint smile lingering on his lips. "He used to be a baby crow back then, he's still as interesting now."
"Daddy, do you know him?"
"Back in high school, we played each other a few times, only once during an official match. That's—"
"Another powerful quick set from Jackals' Miya Atsumu and Hinata Shouyou!" the announcer yelled, prompting Kenma to cut himself off before he continued.
"Shouyou," he said.
"Shouyou," Suki repeated.
Even as the game continues, you couldn't tear your gaze from Kenma whose eyes held a small amount of longing as he watch the match in front, perhaps reminiscing the times he played in a court swirling with the same amount of emotion and excitement, the time when he finally realized that after all, he did enjoy volleyball.
The match dragged on until the fifth set, and in the end the Adlers won. They say it's a payback for last year's loss against the Black Jackals, but then the players don't seem to take it personally. Who knows, maybe those who were playing against each other today used to be in the same team back in the day?
"Mommy, mommy," Suki called as she tug your hand to get your attention while you three are exiting the gym. "The Onigiri Miya was really delish, Suki wants another tuna-mayo."
"Alright, let's see if they still have some left," you said since you noticed the onigiri stand quickly became crowded earlier.
Fortunately when you got there, there are still some left.
"Can we have another order of tuna-mayo?"
"Ah, senpai, the tuna-mayo flavor is already sold-out."
You slightly bent down to look at the little girl. "Suki-chan, the tuna-mayo is already sold-out."
"Then..." she started, her finger under her chin as she thought of another replacement for tuna-mayo. "Bonito flakes?"
"We still have that," Osamu said and you straightened up, ordering the rest of the bonito flakes onigiri.
"Mister," Suki suddenly said, calling the attention of Osamu. "The onigiri you made is really delish."
"Really?" Osamu smiled before he continued. "It's because the rice I used to make it is quite special."
You looked at Osamu to see that he's giving you a look which made you frown a bit.
"It's from Kita-san's family farm."
"Oh..." you muttered, looking down. "Shinsuke, huh?"
"Shinsuke?" Suki asked, and you thought she didn't hear but apparently she did. "Who's that, mommy?"
"Mommy?" Osamu suddenly asked and for a second you froze, as if time stood to a halt. "Senpai you're—"
"Y/n! Kenma!" a voice that you recognized belong to Kuroo came from behind and you turned to look at him. "You both came."
"Uncle Kuroo!" Suki said, running up to him.
"Suki-chan came along too."
You turned around to look at Osamu and you were about to open your mouth, but no sound came. You closed it and took a deep breath.
"I—"
"Y/n, let's go," Kenma spoke and you involuntarily flinch before you were pulled back to reality.
"I'll see you around, Osamu-kun. Tell Atsumu-kun he did well in today's match," you said instead, waving at him as you followed Kenma who picked Suki up and you three walk outside with Kuroo.
Osamu watch your retreating figure until you vanished among the crowds before he gave out a sigh.
"Kita-san, it seems he's late for the first time in his life," he said.
Kuroo asked to take you three out for lunch, the plan was to go straight back to Tokyo and just grab lunch on the way but Kuroo insisted along with Suki, and Kenma couldn't help but give in. In the end all of you had your lunch at a ramen restaurant, one of the most famous in Sendai.
"And have I mentioned how Kenma here almost quit volleyball when he was in first year?" Kuroo said in the middle of telling Kenma's high school volleyball life story that you are hearing for the first time. "But I talked him into staying and he wouldn't admit it, but he did enjoy volleyball."
"Not really," Kenma said, his voice lower than Kuroo's otherwise loud one. "It was only a little bit interesting because of Shouyou."
"Just admit you enjoyed it," Kuroo said before laughing and then he turned to you. "By the way, it turns out you were an alumna from Inarizaki High."
"Well...yeah," you muttered.
After that Kuroo started to talk again, it seems he never runs out of things to say until lunch was over and he decided to leave.
While Kenma started driving back to Tokyo, you noticed the dark clouds hovering above. Just earlier that morning before you left the Metropolitan, the sky showed no sign of any dark clouds, in fact even when you arrived at Sendai, the weather was clear.
But you knew the weather can be unpredictable sometimes. It didn't take long until the droplets of rain started to fall from the heavens.
"Will you be alright driving while it's raining?" you asked, glancing at Kenma who kept his eyes focused on the road.
"It's fine."
At least to him it's fine. But when the dark clouds have hidden the sun, making the surrounding look as though it's almost close to dusk and the rain poured heavily, Suki started to tremble.
"Mommy, daddy," she said, hugging her blanket. "I'm scared."
"We'll get home soon," Kenma said, as if his words can assure his daughter. And you know you three wouldn't get home any time soon, at least not for the next three hours.
"Why don't we stop by a guesthouse until the rain stops?" you suggested.
Kenma look briefly on the tablet before he stopped the car on the side of the freeway. There weren't much cars passing by either since it looks like it will be quite a heavy downpour.
Kenma searched for nearby lodgings and found one that's only fifteen minutes away so he started driving again. You thought it would be a small guesthouse, but it turns out it's a hotel suite.
"Wait, isn't this a bit expensive? We'll just stay for a few hours," you said as the car halted and Kenma unbuckled his seatbelt.
"It's fine, we can spend the night here. It doesn't look like the rain will stop any time soon."
True enough, even if the rain did stop, it'll be dangerous to drive on wet pavements in a freeway. Unbuckling your seatbelt, you headed outside and took Suki's bag and blanket while Kenma helped the little girl out of the car. You three headed inside the lobby and while Kenma went to the reception desk, you and Suki sat on the couch.
It didn't take long until Kenma came back and you took Suki's hand as you two followed him to the lift up to the floor where the unit is.
When you got inside, Suki run up to the bed immediately. The hotel suite isn't exactly as spacious as other expensive hotels in Tokyo Metropolitan, but for a cheap amount that Kenma paid, he thinks this suite is good enough for one night.
You headed to the window and when you drew the curtain to the side you saw that the sky only darkened, though you thought it would be a nice view when it's sunny. Suki on the other hand had fallen asleep on the bed right away, and you realized there is only one bed so you three have to share, and it's not like the bed isn't big enough for the three of you.
Before long night had fallen, you couldn't really tell that it's already night if not for the dinner that came to the room and Suki woke up an hour ago and she's now watching television. After dinner, you settled on the bed, with Suki in the middle.
"I enjoyed today," the little girl said as she stare up the ceiling and you rolled to your side to see that Kenma had done the same and your eyes met his. "Thank you. Next time, let's have another family date!"
You wonder if this was what mothers feel towards their child, if this was what your mother felt as well. The feeling was a foreign concept to you. You have seen other kids smiling, laughing, you've seen them happy with their lives, and it made you happy.
But for some reason, seeing Suki happy makes you happy in a way unlike before. It's akin to drinking warm cocoa on a winter morn, you thought.