10 years ago.
Inarizaki High.
"You have been dating Miya Atsumu for more than a year now. Why are you keeping it as a secret?" Kobayashi Ina asked her bestfriend Hirano Michiko.
"I just don't want to make it a big deal. What you see is what you get. Besides, we are fine being like this. We don't need to explain ourselves either." Michiko answered as she took another dress to fit from her bag.
"I never thought that you would be really dating him." Her friend sighed.
"Neither do I. Tsumu is nice, you just need to spend time with him." Michiko giggled that made her friend sighed loudly.
"Whatever makes you happy. How was your preparation for the pageant? Are you even eating? You tend to starve yourself each and every time you have a pageant to compete with."
"Everything's good. I have been reading a lot of current events for the question and answer portion. I think I'm gonna nail it. I eat just fine, don't you worry." She answered confidently.
"When will it be?"
"My pageant? Two days after our graduation. Imagine, your bestfriend is the reigning Ms. Inarazaki 20** and will be the next Ms. Hygo 20** in three days."
"Whatever. Let's go back—" Ina agreed and walked ahead but she turned around when she heard a loud thud. "Michiko!!"
***
At the nurse's clinic, Ina took care of her friend and cried silently.
"This is what you get from working hard! Stupid girl. Eat properly! You are thin already! You have the figure that anyone wants! You should eat!" As she continued to sob. Michiko smiled weakly and got up.
"You are awake. How are you feeling? Are you skipping meals?" The nurse asked calmly.
"I think I forgot to eat breakfast and I had green salad for lunch. I'm still dizzy but once I rest, I'll be fine for our graduation rites tomorrow. I'm really fine, Ms. Shoko." Michiko assured the nurse but Ina smacked her back. "What was that for?!"
"You made me worry, you fool! I did ask you if you had your breakfast!" Ina cried.
"I'm sorry, have you told Atsumu?"
"I forgot to tell your boyfriend. Should I call him?"
"Nope. I'm fine, it is just he will make a big deal out of it. Better to keep it from him."
The nurse sighed and gave something to Michiko. "Anyway, I'm still worried. I want to make sure everything's fine. Here, take this. Whatever it is that you're gonna see, inform me right away."
***
At the gym, Miya Atsumu was together with his teammates. After the long goodbye speech that he have prepared, the seniors bowed and thanked the whole team and coaches.
Atsumu, Osamu, Rintaro and Ginjima walked away and sighed. Surely, they will be missing all those hellish training and the enthusiasm playing in the court.
The players stayed later as they waited for Michiko and Ina. They found an empty room and decided to stay right there.
"I'll be going pro. I have received offers from different professional teams, all I need to do is to appear in the try-outs." Atsumu told to his friends his plan.
"So, two of us will be going to professional scene. I'd like to take up some courses regarding food. I finally found my passion. Should I open a restaurant? I think, I should." Osamu shrugged.
Ginjima leaned his back figuring out what to say to his friends. "I don't know what I should do as of the moment."
"It's fine, life isn't a race anyway. I heard Michiko's preparation for her pageant's going well. What crazy thing you're going to do to support your lover?" Suna opened up as he showed to the other three Michiko's latest post on the social media.
Atsumu flinched and bowed her head. "Hmm, will she hate me if I printed her face and waved it? What can I possibly do? Cheer, right?"
"That's a normal thing. Fans are even printing our faces. Do something unique since you are quite extreme when it comes to Michiko." Samu said.
"I haven't thought about it since I have been busy looking for the best team from the offers that I received." Atsumu answered.
"What are you thinking?" Osamu asked when he saw that it seems like Atsumu was in deep thought.
"Do I deserve Michiko?" The setter asked randomly.
"You guys looked happy and you guys understand each other. " Ginjima tried to console him, he also thought that Atsumu was a little bit down since last week.
"Honestly, I was thinking of breaking up with Michiko after her pageant." Atsumu said not knowing Michiko and Ina entered the room.
"What the hell?! Can you be more discreet?!" The four boys all jumped pit of their seats when they heard Ina's voice behind them together with Michiko's blank expression. "Why are guys are so jumpy?"
"Can you leave me and Atsumu? I think we have to settle this one privately." Michiko requested calmly and gave Ina a nod that she will be fine. After all, she just wanted to be sure that he heard him right.
She knew that they were too busy these past few weeks. She was preparing for her dream to become a beauty queen and Atsumu in becoming a professional volleyball player. She felt a pang in her chest when he heard that the setter wanted to break up with her. Is reaching your dream is a ground for break-up?
As soon as their friends went out of the room, Michiko's hands were trembling as it is, Atsumu tried to hold her hand but the girl shoved it away, not wanting any comfort from him.
"No need to concern yourself. Do you really want to break up with me?" She asked with deadpan and shaking voice.
"Michiko—" Atsumu looked down and contemplated to whether it is the right time or he just practically messed up.
"That was a question, Atsumu." He jumped when he heard her authoritative tone.
"I have been thinking about this and I swear, I want you to know that I do love you. I really do. But...I think it's better that we need to go our separate ways for now. We are still young, we have to prioritize what's more important today. I'll be pursuing professional volleyball and I think that during these times we need to focus on ourselves. I want to focus on my career. We can still be friends—"
Michiko's dead eyes only stared at the athlete. Her tears voluntarily fell down without a warning. She thought of her future and his. "Yeah. Why didn't I think of your career? I messed up. So Atsumu, I'll accept it, let's put an end to this relationship. I'm sorry but please understand that I don't think I can still be your friend."
The tears that escaped from her eyes continued to fall down. She turned around and ran as fast as she could with no place to go to, she thought that as long as she was far from him, she will be fine.
Their friends who were waiting outside saw her running and looked at Atsumu who was sitting on the floor bawling his eyes out. The three athletes together with Ina who was glaring at setter went with them first.
"I broke up with her. I don't — is she fine? I'll go to her. I'll find her." Atsumu stood up tried to calm his nerves but he was stopped by Ina.
Ina groaned at him. "Don't go anywhere. I'll take care of my friend. Be the bad man who broke up with her, you only gain something and she's the only one who lost everything. Remember that." And she ran after Michiko.
Ina was worriedly crying looking for her friend. She looked everywhere but it seemed like she can't find her. She then turned right to a small alley outside the school as soon as she heard someone crying and there she saw the helpless Michiko who was sitting on the ground curled up with her forehead leaning on her knees. She heard her bestfriend's footsteps and looked up.
"What will I do?" Michiko mindlessly asked while she clenched her chest and crying out loud. "It hurts. It freaking hurts. What will I do? What will I do now? How am I supposed to do now?"
***
AryllTales: Yep! huhu. Doing another fanfiction story. I missed Haikyuu btw. esp it is volleyball season in our region. Thank you for all the people who will be reading this! THIS IS A FANFICTION... don't mixed it up with the original story. Thanks fellas!