Warning: Slight M18 content
Read at your own risk
--
ただいま
I'm home
-x-
The first match was an easy win. Date Tech wasn't necessarily a weak opponent. They're strong enough to keep the point-gap between the teams small and easy to catch up to. Unlike our team, their third year students didn't play in the court anymore. Maybe if they did, the results might've been different. Probably 2:1, in favor of Aoba Johsai.
In between matches, Yui and I decided to take a short walk to freshen up from the tension we felt from the match they had with Date Tech earlier on. I explored the venue with Yui while drinking milk in the small carton I got from the vending machine.
"夕っち！(Se-cchi!)" My head turned to every direction. The voice sounded familiar, yet my eyes couldn't seem to match it with anyone I knew. The voice called out again and finally, a girl showed up in front of me.
A sharp gasp escaped my mouth. It almost made me choke. I couldn't believe she was there! "シっち！(Shi-cchi!)" Yui automatically held my milk for me before I ran towards Shiro to give her a tight hug.
"久しぶり白ちゃん！(Long time no see Shiro-chan!)" Yui greeted, approaching us in a calmer manner. Shiro returned the greeting with some high-level energy like me.
Watanabe Shiro. Although she has a masculine name, she's very feminine except in the court. Shiro used to be in Aoba Johsai, she was even on the girls' volleyball team. However, her family moved to Tokyo halfway through our first year and we haven't heard of her since.
She looked really anxious and hesitant about the moving, but she seems fine now. Shiro looks better than she ever was.
"何故此処に？(Why are you here?)" I asked her. My cheeks already hurt from the smile that couldn't be wiped off.
Shiro was wearing casual clothes, so she probably just came to watch the match. But does she still play volleyball? There should be playoffs held in Tokyo too at this timing.
She placed one foot behind her and leaned back as she looked around pretending to think hard for her answer. "応援するだ！(To cheer for us!)"
"東京で試合いないの？(Are there no matches back in Tokyo?)" Yui asked, sipping on my precious milk.
"終わったぞ。俺たちは負けた、でも男子チームまだー (It's done. We lost, but our boys' team are still—)"
Sorry for cutting you off Shiro, but this question has been burning in my head since you told us about you're move to Tokyo. "君の学校は？(What's your school?)"
Shiro flashed a wide smile as she gave us a thumbs up. "音駒だ！知ってるか？(It's Nekoma! Do you know about it?)"
For the second time that day, the shocking news made my spirit leave my body for a few good seconds. It was enough to weaken my legs. It was embarrassing to make Yui and Shiro walk me back to our place in the audience seats because my legs couldn't stand.
The three of us continued to catch up with each other once we got back. However, when Aoba Johsai showed up as well as Karasuno, the air became heavy and it was difficult to stay calm.
Yui and Shiro were cheering for Aoba Johsai, yet I stayed quiet. My eyes got glued on Kageyama who had excellent tossing skills. It was strongly hated back in middle school for being so complicated, so I'm glad that he found good teammates who could utilize his ability rather than having him adjust to the low-level skills of his teammates.
My eyes shifted to our side of the court. Oikawa was standing behind the court when he gave the ball a quick spin between his palms.
Serve well Tooru.
Oikawa tossed the ball up and ran forward. Time stopped when he jumped. His position as he hit the ball played in slow-motion in my head. I swear I could see the ball squish into half its size from the strong impact of Oikawa's hit.
At that moment, I was mesmerized by him. It's like, he captivated me from that serve alone. The next thing I knew, the whistle echoed in the gym, and Aoba Johsai earned a point.
Yes! Service Ace!
The eyes of the audience kept moving with the ball. There was no second when my heart finally calmed. Even when we scored, I still felt dizzily anxious. In the end, we lost the first set. That finished me off.
"おい！夕暉！起きて！！ヤバイぞー (Oy! Sekki! Wake up! This is bad—)" Yui's voice broke my eardrums.
I didn't exactly faint. It was more like my body shut down for a second. The two of them forced me to stay seated until I felt better to stand up and cheer again.
The heavy feeling in my chest didn't go away. It scared me to the point that I didn't want to take a look at the game. I don't know who scored. I don't know who made the point. I don't know what's happening. Until our crowd went wild. Aoba Johsai won the second set.
Just before the third set started, my phone rang. I answered it too quick that I forgot to check the caller ID. However, the voice was distinct, and I knew exactly who he was. "及川さんいいな〜 (Oikawa-san is good~)" Shirabu's boyish laugh followed, but it died down afterwards. "でも(But.)" His tone turned serious. I could feel his sharp eyes on me already. "応援してないのか？(Aren't you going to cheer for him?)"
"俺を見えるか？変な奴 (Are you looking at me? You're creepy.)" I scanned at my surroundings for a small boy in a purple jersey with brown hair, but there was none. Or am I just not looking hard enough?
Shirabu's sigh from across the line made my hair jump, as if I could feel his breath on my neck. "聞いて、夕暉 (Listen, Sekki.)"
This time, my eyes found him across the gym. He was sitting alone with his white coat resting on the backrest of the seat next to his. Shirabu was wearing his school uniform with his tie loosened and the upper part of his shirt was left unbuttoned.
I was about to comment on his looks, but he spoke faster than me. And what he said made my condition worse. "君は。。(You are..)" He bent forward and rested his elbows on his thighs, looking at me seriously. The corner of his lips rose as he said, "俺の女だ (My woman.)"
With that, he ended the call. Shirabu stood up, taking his coat with him as he left. My mind drifted off from his surprise. I don't know.. what's going on.
The sound of the volleyball hitting the floor snapped me back to my senses. I stood next to the rail and looked at the direction of the scoreboard.
No way.
Aoba Johsai and Karasuno are on a deuce. 24-24. Don't tell me they're going to reach the 30s again.
From what our team looked like then, I felt as exhausted as them. The tension between the two teams got worse and I couldn't stay calm anymore. My mind is puzzled from the anxiety I'm feeling right now and what Shirabu just said earlier. Is it wrong for me to even feel this? Why do I feel like I'm betraying Tooru?
"クソガキども！(You damn brats!)" I can't be mistaken. That was Tooru's voice. He was lying down on his front on the floor with Kageyama looking down at him from the other side of the net.
This scene.. looks familiar.
"優衣 (Yui)," I called, but both her and Shiro looked at me. My voice was shaking, and their worry was etched on their faces. My eyes we stuck on the court while theirs were on mine.
The anxiety I'm feeling...
Watching the tension, frustrations. My heart fell when Oikawa landed on his bad knee. I hoped that it would be over, because he definitely cannot go on any longer.
But...
Despite all our efforts.
The game ended.
With a score of 24-26, in favor of Karasuno High.
--
Yui and Shiro were beside me when I woke up in the infirmary. My eyes searched for the clock and found that it was getting late. Tooru must be with the tram right now, like always. After their matches. I'll just meet him at his home, like yesterday.
"大丈夫？(You okay?)" Shiro asked worriedly. Her eyes were in the brink of tears, but there was really nothing to get so worked up on. Even Yui is worried!
But, I guess. It's understandable. I've always been strong whenever Aoba Johsai loses to Shiratorizawa. I guess I was just overwhelmed from what happened with Shirabu. Moreover, I didn't expect that we would lose to Karasuno. They are skilled alright, but it was really just unexpected.
"俺大丈夫。。御免、心配させた(I'm fine.. Sorry, I made you guys worry.)" I bowed a little, knowing that I couldn't do a proper bow since I was sitting on the infirmary bed. Yui helped me get on my feet. But really, I was fine. It didn't even feel like I fainted.
The three of us walked out of the venue together with me in the middle. Their heights are making it obvious for the public to perceive me as the short one.
"白ちゃん！東京に戻れをいつか？(Shiro-chan! When will you go back to Tokyo?)" Yui brought up.
A strong wind of gloom slapped me. I was trying to avoid that topic. It was already a sad day. Talking about Shiro leaving Miyagi again is the worst addition to the thoughts I already had in my head.
"えとー。。(Uhm—...)" she placed her index finger on her chin as her eyes looked up to the pastel-colored sky. "今よ (Right now.)" Shiro turned to us.
All three of us stopped walking, and it took a second before Yui and I expressed our shock with a loud "Eh?!". It really.. It really worsened my mood. Although, Shiro's stories about the volleyball club in her school made me feel a little lighter knowing that she's happy there. What really lit the fire though, was when she exchanged emails with us.
Finally. About time, idiot. You should've exchanged emails with us before you moved.
My day with the girls ended there. After splitting up with them at the bus stop, I headed to Oikawa's home alone.
--
Silent groans escaped my lips as my sleep got disturbed. However, I didn't need to open my eyes to know who joined me in bed. The scent alone, and his arms that pulled me close to him was enough to let me know that he's home.
"お帰り、徹君 (Welcome home, Tooru-kun)," I mumbled, scooting even closer to him.
His hand on my back moved up to my head, gently pushing it close to his chest. I was able to smell his scent better because of that. No doubt that Oikawa Tooru is a flower boy. "ただいま (I'm home.)"
I let out a faint giggle. It made me wonder what felt wrong. It's only been a few hours, yet I missed him.
"君は俺の女だ (You're my woman.)"
That line ruined the peace I felt in an instant. Why did it cross my mind? I didn't show any reaction to it, but it seemed like Tooru could tell that a certain thought bothered me.
He moved away a little and aligned his face with mine. His delicate fingers tucked the loose strands of my hair behind my ear. "大丈夫？(Are you okay?)" The tone of his voice was so gentle. Shiro asked me that earlier too, but.. as expected, when Tooru says it, it has a different effect on me.
It felt like the perfect moment to kiss him. I wanted to. Not because I wanted to cheer him up, or because I wanted to get my mind off of Shirabu. I wanted to kiss him because it felt right. Just like that one time, I could hear my heart screaming for me to do it. But what's stopping me is beyond my understanding.
"キス欲しいの？(You want a kiss?)" My eyes widened at his remark. He was smirking at me. Did I say it out loud? Was he able to read me? For the first time, I felt my face heat up, and I couldn't believe that it actually does.
"どうして。。(How..)"
"ただ知ってる(I just know.)"
Oikawa didn't let the moment pass. He closed the gap between us, his lips moving against mine. I didn't know how to kiss, and I know for sure that neither did he. But the way his lips moved felt like he was marking mine to be his.
I couldn't ignore the heat building up inside of me. I wanted him to stop so that the heat could go away, but at the same time, I didn't want him to.
Tooru positioned himself above me without his lips leaving mine. His hands travelled down my arms, and when it met mine, he interlocked our fingers. I didn't seem to get tired of him, so I felt slightly upset when his kisses left my lips. Tooru's lips continued to plant kisses on me, from my cheeks, down to my jaw. And then he stopped. I felt his hot breath on my neck. Unconsciously, I tilted my head to give him access. Instantly, I felt him suck on the side, and it weakened my whole system. Only then, did he stop, resting his body on top of mine.
"大好き (I love you)," he managed to whisper. Tooru pulled my hand near to his face so that he could kiss the back of my palm.
I smiled at him. Even though it was dark, the light from the moon seemed to highlight his features perfectly. That night, he had complete dominance over me.