Zip!
That's the last zipper of the last supply bag of things on the volleyball court, we're packed up.
That's when Kiyo, the team members, and I start walking out onto the school campus.
"I'm excited for the tournament, to be honest!" Reon says.
"I am too!" Goshiki replies.
"I'm sure you'll crush it," Kiyo says. They are a very coordinated team. I don't know anything about this tournament. I'll ask Kiyo later.
We all start splitting up. Some first years went here, second years there. Kiyo, Tendo, Ushijima, and I are left.
Tendo heads towards the dorms saying, "I'll see you tomorrow!"
We wave him goodbye and walk out the gates.
"Oh, gosh! I just remembered my mom needs me to pick up a few things from the convenience store. I need to head there right now. I'll see you around!"
And she runs off before I could say anything. It's just me and Ushijima now, again. Funny how fate works.
"How's literature going for you?" I ask, hands clasped together behind my back.
"It's going very smoothly, it's gradually getting easier to understand."
"Really? I'm so glad I could be of help to you."
"Thank you."
"My pleasure."
He's silent, a bit frustrated. He seems stressed, his eyebrows scrunched together. "There's a test."
"Hm?" I hum.
"Mrs. Ito is giving me another chance with a test that'll be worth 50% of my graduating grade. I don't know what to do."
He looks at me, a worry soaking those olive eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll start bringing out more advanced work and you'll get through it." He needs hope.
"I hope so."
"You will," I insist.
"Let's look and see when the next lesson is." I take my phone out and open the schedule. The breeze causes my breath to come out in puffs of white, my nose's tip absolutely frozen.
"It's in two weeks." I squint.
"Is that bad?"
"Oh, no. It's a just coincidence that it's on my birthday. March 21st."
"It's okay if you want to cancel. I understand," he shoves his hands in his pockets.
"No, of course not. I don't have anything planned anyway. I'd love to."
I notice the sun setting, shouldn't he be home?
"Do you live anywhere near here?" He looks around and pauses before slowly saying, "I, I live down the street. Same direction as you." Weird, I don't usually see him walk by.
"Right. So, how about then, we extend the lesson by an hour to work even more?"
"That works for me." We keep walking, until we reach a bright cherry blossom tree. It's so beautiful, almost ready.
"It's blooming," I find myself smiling.
"What?" He speaks slowly. I look at him, at his perplexed expression, and explain.
"The cherry blossom tree. Usually it blooms a bit later in the spring." I clutch at my bag's strap as it swings down my side.
The current makes its way to the side walk we stand on. It plays around with my hair. What terrible timing.
Then, there's a steady moment. With a cold feeling, the current brings a slow pause of time between us. It's right, it feels good. Like a step back from my perspective and a period of time to breathe. It's like the sight that covers my eyes immediately changes towards him. I've never seen him from this direction before, from an angle of a friend. Like I've known him my whole life. I'm not sure what it is, but something's changing. He's not the same hard rock I've always seen
I push my face down into my red scarf. Gosh, it's cold.
He's looking at the cherry blossom's old branches, he feels this pause. I could melt, standing here in my shoes, watching this tree sway and the tones of my vision warm as the sun sets. He meets my gaze, the strands of hair sweeping across his forehead. There's something tender in his eyes. Piercing. Handsome, I think, as I notice his nose is also red.
We don't do anything to stop, not at all. Though the time stops, we don't move or breathe either. The two of us, just as it was.
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I lied. I don't live down the street.
I have no idea why there's a new inexplicable gravity pulling and pushing me to walk down that street beside her. I don't fight it. I like her company.
She's willing to spend two hours out of her own birthday to help me. But why? Wouldn't she have planned a party for her big eighteenth birthday? Isn't that what everyone our age does?
She leads me to the cherry blossom tree.
"The cherry blossom tree. Usually it blooms a bit later."
It catches my eye, it looks very old. There's an afternoon wind. I see her tucking her hair back nervously with the corner of my eye.
It messes around with my hair too. Seriously? I sneak a glance at her, she's already looking at me.
That moment is very unusual. The stress about the test leaves my body, my breath steadies, it all takes a halt.
I don't know what's happening, we aren't doing anything. Just enjoying the moment, or drowning in it. I don't know, I don't care. The brown in her eyes is gentle and so soft.
Her hair is shiny, warming her shoulders. But something about her eyes, her starry eyes that are almost hiding from me. Her red nose is tucked into her red scarf, that's wrapped around her neck, above the long sleeve of her uniform. Her eyes peek out, waiting. I wonder what she's thinking of. The cherry blossom lets some of its petals go. One of which reaches the top of her head.
"Wait," I say softly.
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Ushijima takes a step towards her, too close, reaching out.
What is he doing? Hana panics, only a little. He picks the petal off her hair, right off the top of her head, resting it in his palm.
"Thank you." She breathes with newfound relief. Closing the distance between them is scary for a reason she can't quite grasp.
The corners of his lips twist upwards, resembling a smile.
He's handling the petal so gently, she thinks. They make their way down the sidewalk.
"Can I ask you something?" She asks him.
"Go ahead," he adjusts his blazer.
"I walk home this way, would you like to join me since you live close by?"
"Of course. I wouldn't mind walking with you."
She smiles at her feet. Her sneakers patting the concrete.
"What is it?" He asks, curious as to why she's smiling so subtly.
"I don't see you smile or talk a lot. Today, you were the exact opposite. I like this version of you, Ushijima." She explains, elbowing his arm.
He feels a swirl on his skin, exactly where she touched him. They reach her gate, side-by-side, Ushijima closer to the road.
"Thank you for walking with me, Ushijima." She replies with a close-eyed smile.
"It's my pleasure," he says, waving. Then, he walks away.
Hana enters, saying her usual 'I'm home,' not expecting a reply. She always says it, it's a habit.
She slips off her shoes, walks into the kitchen, and finds her mother sitting in the living room.
"Mother?" Her throat empties, and her voice shakes.
She goes and takes a seat on the couch next to her.
"Your father is on his way home now."
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We say our goodbyes and I start walking down the street, to my supposed home. I stop short and spin on my heel to the opposite direction.
I'm now walking to my actual destination, the Shiratorizawa dorm rooms.
My phone buzzes in my blazer's pocket. An incoming call from my roommate, which I answer.
"Hey, hey! Where are you?" Tendo asks.
"I went for a walk. The store's on my way back, need anything?"
"Yeah," his voice drops.
"What is it? I'll stop by and get it."
"An explanation on why you now live down the street." His voice is now coming from a figure in front of me as he hangs up the phone. Tendo, the figure is waving with a Shonen Jump in hand. How weird.
"What are you doing here?" That's all that came out.
"I was heading to the store to get the latest Shonen Jump, when I saw you and Hana by the tree."
"Let me guess, you continued to spy after that?" I ask sarcastically.
"You sure seem to like her if you say that you live down the street to walk with her."
"No, I don't," I firmly reply.
He laughs in my face, swinging his arm around me as we walk back.
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Author: meh