she was an ocean of sunsets and riptides
THE PRACTICE MATCH WENT BETTER than Mizuki expected. The third-year stood to the side, leaning against the wall with a notebook in her hand, eyes trained firmly on each player, analysing every spike they preformed, every block they executed, and every receive they made. She was glad to see that none of the players were panicking. They were all on in their zone, moving as one — the flow constant and the intensity apparent. It suffocated the whole gymnasium, coiling around their opponent's throats, beckoning fear into their souls.
Mizuki noted how Nishinoya slowly incorporated the different receives he was perfecting into the match. When he managed to pick up the feint, Mizuki cracked a smile, jotting down her thoughts on a new training idea. She also noticed how Kageyama's sets with the others, especially Asahi, were becoming more and more on point. She was glad to see their Ace was adjusting and becoming more comfortable with using different spikes. All in all, she was quite proud.
But there was only one problem.
Shōyō Hinata.
She circled his name in her book, the corner of her lip pulled between her teeth. Mizuki witnessed his quick quite a lot, and while she was proud of how the two were developing and improving, she just knew that they would become a formidable duo if the little crow could open his eyes and see the court before him.
Until then, Mizuki would have him work on his jumps and his spikes.
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"
When the other team departed, Mizuki went with them; however, she didn't return home. She sauntered into their school, heading towards the staff breakroom. The lavenderette had dropped off the box of treats in the fridge earlier in the afternoon, deciding to give it to the boys after their match as a reward.
"It's still here," she sighed —thankfully— once she opened the fridge and spotted the large box. She grabbed ahold of it and closed the door with her foot, returning back to the gymnasium, mindful of her steps. Mizuki didn't want to ruin any of the treats her aunt had made specifically for the team. She put in a lot of effort — for what reason? Mizuki wasn't sure.
Shuffling the box onto one arm, Mizuki reached around and slid open the gigantic metal door, the screeching sound gathering everyone's attention. The boys all stared at the lavenderette in curiosity. She headed towards the stage area, the younger (and shorter) ones following after her with intrigued glints in their eyes.
"Uh, Sayeko-san, what's in the box?" Tanaka asked, pointing at the object. He and Nishinoya trailed behind her like eager puppies, brows furrowed and heads tilted to the side. The said girl placed the white box on the stage, releasing a puff of air as she brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, the strain on her arms lifting.
Mizuki turned around to see the boys all crowding around her, keen to know what was in the box. "My aunt prepared these sweets for all of you," she answered, reaching for the ribbons and releasing them of their box.
She lifted the lid, pushing it back and revealing the various treats inside, each placed in individual squares.
A sweet aroma escaped off the treats, filling the gymnasium and, thankfully, overpowering the stench of sweat. It floated through the air, seducing the people in the area with a tantalising grin. The treats glistened under the bright artificial lights, silently beckoning those that bestowed their gaze upon the various desserts to consume them. The jaws of most of the volleyball players dropped open, drool pooling within their mouths, eyes gleaming with delight.
"Please," she began, amused at their antics, "help yourselves."
The three wild children immediately dove into the box, grabbing a treat they each fancied. They savagely tore through the sweet, squealing like children at the explosion of flavours that occurred in their mouths, a charmingly rare sensation.
"THESE ARE AMAZING!" Hinata exclaimed, jumping up and down from sheer excitement. Mizuki's lips quirked upwards, her eyes softening as the others came around and took a piece, all of them humming in delight, agreeing with their orange-haired player.
"How come?" Sugawara asked, holding a strawberry tart in his hands. He had taken a bite into it, silently moaning at the burst of flavour and the way it melted in his mouth, even though the treat was slightly cold. Mizuki shrugged, eyes observing the way the boys reacted to the different sweets.
The more hyper ones were very vocal with their opinions, none of them having any critics. They managed to shove a handful into their mouths which only led to their soulmates whacking the back of their heads, yelling at them to leave some for the others. Surprisingly, Tsukishima lightened up as well — even if the way his eyes lit up was infinitesimal.
Daichi and Sugawara stood beside her, kind smiles spread across their faces. The three all watched their teammates before the two glanced towards the lavenderette, noticing how her eyes shone a little brighter, the gaps in their icy exposure slowly brought in warmth.
"Please give her our thanks."
Mizuki nodded.
"Will do," she said, ripping her gaze away from the group and glancing up at the captain. "Now, I'll be leaving if that's alright."
With a nod from Daichi, Mizuki grabbed her bags and left school for the day, her lips curving into a soft smile as the loud yells of the boys (all of which were fighting to devour their favoured treat) reached her ears, wrapping her body in a blanket of warmth, one that followed her on her walk home.
She rose her gaze to the firmament above, watching the stars shine like sugar spilt over black marble, a blazing contrast. The night sky was such a welcoming sight, appearing like magic at each sunset, promising to return as it faded in dawn's first light. There were times in the daytime, under skies of blue, where Mizuki would ruminate of those faraway stars. Would she ever be able to reach them, those scattered embers of dying fires? They would return only after the shadows blended into the dark, and she loved them too fondly to be fearful of the night.
Mizuki halted in her steps, taking in the time to memorise the serenade of the black. The moon encompassed by stars seemed to lighten the night, bringing them forth. They appeared as a choir, lights that sing in infinite patterns.
Her mother once told her that eyes needed music, to see what they could not hear.
"The darker the night," she whispered, her mother's voice resonating through her head, "the sweeter the song."
It echoed, refusing to be silent as it brought forth evocative memories. Images flashed before her eyes, scenes of a past she wished to forget.
A woman flitted across her mind. Her body was an abstract sculpture of bones, thinly wrapped in parchment skin, so often torn and tapered that once could see the seams sewn along her flesh. Her eyes stained yellow from the lack of exposure to the sun, sunken into her face with large dark bags hanging underneath them. Mizuki could recall patently the dull shade of blue that merged with a faint lilac colour. They reflected tiredness. Long had it been since she saw a smile grace her features or the flickers of joy —once present— in those mystical orbs.
Sudden pain struck through the lavender-haired beauty, engulfing the happiness that momentarily visited her. She shut her eyes, bringing a hand to her chest and fisting the material of her shirt. Mizuki was quick to push the memories away, shoving them into a bottle and screwing the cap on tightly. She didn't want to remember the nights where she begged the stars in the sky for answers to questions she could never understand.
A comforting warmth began to tenderly emit off a particular spot on her chest, soothing her nerves. Mizuki released a heavy sigh, softly deflating. It was as if a tension had lifted, though it left her with melancholy instead of relief. The lavenderette took a moment to calm herself, straightening her appearance before resuming her trek back home where she knew she'd spend the night studying.
The stars watched solemnly as she walked, a sad expression adorning their flaming faces. They watched as she shrugged off the feeling she experienced many times with nothing but a blank expression. She enveloped her heart with ice walls, raising their heights and keeping all unwanted people out, protecting the fragile organ that had been torn and shredded many times.
Mizuki shielded herself away from the ones she was connected too, trying her best to loosen the bonds that tied themselves around her soul. She didn't want nor need her soulmates.
Not now, not ever.