"Man, oh man, I can't believe Kei got married before me and now he's a dad all of a sudden; to think I've been dating your sister for four years, (F/N), and I haven't even dared to ask her hand in marriage yet!" Akiteru grumbled.
"It's okay, nii-chan. I'm sure you and Ellie-nee will get there eventually," you chuckled.
"Whoa, hold up! Tsukishima brothers dating (L/N) sisters? You really are siblings! You've got excellent taste. Damn, I'm so jealous. Say, (F/N), do you have another sister around my age? Hook me up!"
"Oh, (F/N)'s sister, Ellie, she's one of a kind, really charming with a good sense of humor," Himiko said.
"Yeah, she's really charming and funny," you remarked sarcastically, rolling your eyes.
"Long distance relationships stink; I miss her!" Akiteru wailed from his seat.
"No, it's not. Being so close, yet so far away from someone you love sucks. Hurts like hell. You're right there beside that person, but his or her attention is on someone else," Kuroo said, gazing over to you, but you didn't appear to notice.
"Honey!" Tsukishima's mother called out.
You three came to a halt in the middle of your talk when you noticed a man standing outside the coffee shop's door. He was tall and blonde, and he resembled an older Akiteru with a Tsukishima-like frown on his face. He walks over to your table.
"Oh, it's dad," Akiteru mumbled.
You had finally identified the man approaching you. Of course you recall him. Tsukishima Akihiko is the father of Akiteru and Kei. You just met him once, at your wedding.
He was always gone because of his job, which sometimes required him to travel outside of the country. You haven't seen him since the wedding.
He noticed you looking at him, and his gaze was drawn to you. You averted your gaze elsewhere, your cheeks flushing.
"Hon, do you remember (F/N)?" Himiko took her husband's arm and drew him towards you.
"Hello," he replied quietly, but you were shocked when he eventually smiled at you. "It's good to see you again, my beautiful daughter-in-law."
"Hello, dad. It's been a long time," you said with a smile.
"So, what do you want to discuss with me?" Akihiko asked, looking at each of them.
"Honey, do you see that baby?" the man nodded. "Tell me who you see in her?"
Akihiko began examining Keiko's characteristics. You glanced at him as he examined every aspect of Keiko. A startling realization struck the man's face. He groaned gently as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"That son of yours needs to sort out his priorities. First, he did something stupid and destroyed his own marriage, and now he got his wife pregnant and left her to face the responsibility all on her own. He doesn't even know that his daughter exists!"
"I didn't regret having her, dad; I never see my daughter as a responsibility, but rather as a gift from God, the one who changed my life," you explained with a smile.
"Dear, please tell me how this happened," Akihiko asked.
You summarized everything that had happened between you and Kei. There were no interruptions, and everyone's attention was on you as you tried not to forget any facts while not seeming like it was all their son's fault.
There was silence on the table after your explanation. Mrs. Tsukishima looked down at her teacup, while her husband sat back in his chair, trying to digest everything.
"Kei needs to accept his role as a father to your daughter, dear," he said as you gazed at him. "Do you plan on telling him about Keiko?"
"I want to, but...things haven't been good between us for a while now, and I sometimes can't read what's on his mind anymore. Kei, he's changed since the last time I talked to him."
"To be honest, we're also at fault here; if only we could have been good parents to him, he wouldn't have done something stupid like cheating on you," Himiko admitted, feeling awful.
"You're not to blame for what he became, Ma'am, Sir," Kuroo said.
"Thank you, Kuroo," Himiko said with a smile. "Kei's been away from us ever since he started university; he lives alone in his apartment and rarely visits us; he's too busy working and studying at the same time; we don't know what's going on with that child's life anymore."
"We can still fix this, honey," Akihiko replied, "but when are you going to tell him? I know we're not in the right position to tell you what to do or tell him about this, but he will need to know eventually, you know?"
"I know, dad. I'm planning to tell him soon, but things aren't going well between us right now. I don't want to rush everything. I know Keiko needs her father to know she exists. Kei needs time to fix his situation. After that, I will tell him. We just need time."
"I respect your decision. Let us help you by talking to Kei and helping him solve his problem. We have lapses as parents because we always thought that child is independent. He never asked for any help. He was always reassuring us that he's fine and that he can handle everything," Akihiko complained.
You giggled lightly, "I know what you mean, nii-chan. He's always been like that. He's always owning up to his problems because he doesn't want to bother anyone. He was always alone in facing them, even though he has us."
Kuroo patted your head, saying, "You know how stubborn that kid is."
"It's time for us to step in and help Kei," Akiteru said, "he'll need to accept his responsibility as Keiko's father; I can't leave my niece fatherless."
You smiled, looking at your daughter, who enjoys the people around her while being naive and too young to understand what was going on.
You gently caressed her head. "Everything will be just fine, love."
"May I carry our granddaughter?" Akihiko inquired, a soft smile on his face.
— V O L L E Y B A L L —
P R A C T I C E
Kuroo has been keeping his distance from you recently, you've noticed. Since he discovered the truth that no one else does. What he was doing shouldn't have surprised you. This was to be expected after everything. After that day, you didn't have time to speak with him.
"Did you get into a fight?" Kenma appears out of nowhere. "He's been unusually quiet, and it's frightening us."
"Eh? Why?"
"If Kuroo is silent, it can only mean one thing," Kenma said, turning to face you. "He's mad about something."
You gulped as you listened to what Kenma stated. He was not only avoiding you, but he was also upset with you. You're too terrified to approach him right now. You intended to respond.
"KUROO! LET'S PRACTICE!" exclaimed Bokuto, as usual.
"All right," Kuroo said, not in the mood.
"Kuroo-senpai has been sending out negative vibes since this morning," Hinata trembled, chills going down his spine.
"Oi, are you done with your summer assignments?" Kageyama asked as he approached Hinata.
"Yeah, I'm motivated to finish them all so I can play volleyball without worrying," Hinata said triumphantly, holding his nose high up.
"Dumbass," Kageyama muttered as he walked away.
Tsukshima enters the gym and puts on his sneakers. You spotted the two rings dangling from his neck.
You couldn't take your gaze away from his necklace. Kuroo's gaze was fixed on you, observing your every move. He wasn't trying to be distant; he was simply unprepared for your rejection. He had anticipated it, but he needed time to process everything that had occurred thus far. He resisted the urge to welcome you as you went by each other at the start of practice.
He couldn't believe you were married to the man you're looking at right now. Tsukishima moved in their direction while Bokuto forced him to practice blocking to improve the precision of his super straights. Others practicing with them noticed the mischievous middle blocker's silence. His head was somewhere out there.
"ACK!" Bokuto exclaimed as he rose to his feet after spiking directly into Kuroo's face. "K—Kuroo, don't die!" He knelt beside Kuroo, who stumbled back as the impact hit him.
A distinct mark from the ball appeared across his forehead and down to the bridge of his nose. Kuroo's eyes were tightly shut when he felt the sting of the ball around his face.
"Dammit, Bokuto," Kuroo grumbled, slowly rising. Something dropped down his white gym short. A smidgeon of crimson. He felt his nose to see whether it was bleeding.
The hair on the back of Hinata's neck sprang up as he watched the blood flowing from Kuroo's nose. It reminded him of Kageyama, who once deflected a spike with his face.
"He's beauty. He's grace. He took it to the face."
"Are you all right?" Tsukishima extended Kuroo his hand, but he just patted the megane's palm and thanked him. He stood up and covered his nose. "Let's get you to the clinic quickly."
Kuroo said nothing and followed his junior towards the clinic, catching a glimpse of you in the corner watching them leave the gym. It was pretty awkward when they made their way to the clinic. When they arrived, the doctor had just left. Tsukishima proceeded to get the cotton to staunch the bleeding, while Kuroo sat on the stool.
"So, why the clinic, Tsukki?" Kuroo chose not to say anything while everyone was watching. They are now alone. Tsukishima had some business with him, he knew.
Tsukishima sat across from him on the other stool. His eyes locked with Kuroo's, and neither of them dared to look away. But then something shines in Kuroo's eyes, as if the sun is bouncing off of them. His gaze was drawn to Tsukishima's necklace, which was hanging around his neck. Two similar rings are connected by thick black cords. Kuroo grasped it with his fingertips.
"So, is this your wedding ring?" Tsukishima flinched slightly, but it was noticeable. "I may be unaware of my surroundings, but I am not stupid."
Tsukishima kept his lips pursed. He's not sure where this talk is headed, but he'd want to hear Kuroo's intentions.
Kuroo chuckled as he asked, "Seriously? A silent treatment? I met your brother and mother a few days ago while I was with (F/N)," he secretly glances at the megane to see his reaction, but the man remains stoic. "I'm giving up on, (F/N)," Kuroo groaned. Tsukishima scowled. "Finally, some reaction from you."
"I thought you're dating (F/N)?" Tsukishima asked, his voice firm, as if he was certain of it.
"I take it back, I'm not the oblivious one here," Tsukishima said, puzzled by Kuroo's words. "I have a feeling (F/N) will reject me today."
"You did something unpleasant, didn't you?"
"I wish that were the case, but it isn't. She'll reject me because she's still tied to a relationship with someone who doesn't want to let her go, but that someone was stupid enough to hurt her. That person have guts, huh?" An irk mark appears in the corner of Tsukishima's skull. "Oya, why are you so angry?"
"I'm not stupid; I know you meant those words to me; no one was stupid enough to hurt (F/N) except me."
Kuroo's mouth formed a "O" in surprise at Tsukishima's honesty. This man has transformed since you entered the picture. He was courageous enough to stand up to Sakamoto, even if it meant jeopardizing his scholarship.
"Why do I feel like the world is against me all of a sudden?" Tsukishima pondered aloud.
Kuroo responded, "It's your karma, Tsukishima Kei." "Hurting the person who is willing to be there for you through thick and thin can be the worst thing you could possibly do; she did not ask for her feelings to be hurt, but you gave her one reason to be." Kuroo paused, letting Tsukishima drown in his own guilt at the time. "After exchanging lifetime vows to each other, you broke it before everything fell into its rightful place. You really had to cheat on her, huh? How do you think she was able to keep herself standing after her world crumbled down before her? How do you think she was able to look you in the eye without breaking down just like the nights she has cried her eyes and heart out because the pain you left was unbearable for someone like her?"
Tsukishima shakes his head, "I can't believe I'm being scolded by someone like you."
Kuroo's knuckle landed on his kouhai head as if he was knocking on it. "How can you be smart and a dumbass all at the same time? I can't believe I'm entrusting (F/N) to you."
"You're babbling, senpai," Tsukishima said flatly.
"How is (F/N) nonsense!? I can't believe you're denying your marriage with her with that expression; I want to strangle you so bad right now, Tsukki!" Kuroo said.
"Wait a minute," Tsukishima interjected. "How did you find out I married her?"
"Unlike you, dumbass, your wife was honest with me the entire time I was trying to get to know her better; she openly told me about certain aspects of her life. Jeez," Kuroo scratched the back of his head, "you can learn a thing or two if you hang out with her too much."
"And what did she say to you?"
"Not much, about you and not signing the divorce papers; why do you keep holding her back? She deserves to be happy."
"I know that—" Tsukishima responded curtly. "Can't you see how frustrated I've been up until now? I want to ask for her forgiveness, but every time I look at her, I remember that night and how I treated her; I wish I could go back in time and treat her better."
"Finally, some sensible words from you," Kuroo said, slapping Tsukishima on the shoulder.
"Stop that," Tsukishima said, pushing Kuroo's hand away from him. He bit his bottom lips while clutching his ring necklace.
"Well, it's up to you to figure out how to make things right." Kuroo rose up, "Meanwhile, I'm going back to the gym. I've got a rejection to face," he smiled carelessly.
"You're the only person I know who seems to enjoy rejection."
"I'm as frustrated as you are, you know! But sulking in the corner, growing mushrooms, won't help me either. In order to move forward for a better tomorrow, you must first accept the reality of the present." Kuroo took a deep breath, exhaled sharply. "FIGHTING!"
Tsukishima winced, "Ah, so noisy."