"HARUKA..." Atsumu's obtrusive eyes scared the living hell out of her. "If I... ever see you or hear you again... I swear to Kami, I'LL BURN THE WHOLE PLACE DOWN!"
"A-Atsumu san!" She tried to approach him but he moved backwards "Don't come any closer. I really might kill you" he turned the other way and went back to the bus. He sat with the coach as Haruka silently sat in her seat by herself with tears in her eyes. Her hands were cold, her feet were numb and her ears were deaf to all the noise. She silently sat without a word all the way back looking at the back of his head just moments away from her reach but all she could hear echoing inside her skull was "I REALLY LOVED YOU, HARUKA! AND YOU TURNED OUT TO BE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE"
—————
Atsumu first looked at Haruka after his final toss. His teammates jumped on him in joy after beating Itachiyama in what had become a game of endurance.
"Congratulations" she sweetly smiled at him "Thank you"
"What for?" He asked trying to read her.
"For fulfilling your promise" she had tears in her eyes but for the first time in forever it was out of joy. "You did well" she softly said. Even though she didn't say much, he knew she was saying it with all her heart. Her small smile that tried to hide her tears, her soft angelic voice that rang in his ears every time she called his name, he knew she meant it with all her heart and he was the happiest person in the whole wide world.
He winked at her as soon as he got his best setter award and tried to take her away but was swarmed by the girls. The team was still in the air, their eyes still unable to believe the championship trophy in their hands.
Haruka looked at her phone.
Sakusa san (3)
I've been looking for you.
Where are you?
It's an emergency.
Everyone was still so engrossed in celebrating. She called to ask where he was.
"Still at the gymnasium. Right around the corner" he sounded rather low.
"Okay" she said walking out since she didn't want to disrupt their celebration or her boyfriend's photo sessions.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
He looked paler than usual as he took his mask off, his eyes were droopy like he was drunk but that was just how upset he was.
"How can I be alright after abandoning my only best friend?" What seemed like a scowl on his face dropped into a a guilty frown.
"It's okay. I've... forgiven you" she awkwardly said. Even though it was only a year apart she still felt weird.
"You forgive me?" He scowled again "What's the use of that if I don't forgive myself?"
She sweatdropped. "Mattaku..."
"Wait. What was so urgent?" She remembered his message.
"Oh... I wanted to see you before you left"
"Are you serious?"
"Haruka... c-come back" he figeted. He wasn't as good at it as he thought he was.
"You know I go to Inarizaki. How can I leave everything behind and-"
"I mean..." he swallowed the lump in his throat "Can it not be the way it used to be?"
"I don't know" she said in all honesty "I don't know if I can consider you as my best friend"
"Haruka, I messed up I'm sorry. If I knew-"
"If you knew?" She cut him off "You should've believed me first!"
"I know! I... I can't imagine what you've been through"
"Do me a favour, don't."
"Haruka you know I'm bad at this" he said "Don't go again"
"Why? You don't have friends in school?" She pouted
"Don't do that" he groaned.
"Do what?"
"Things you... did back in... Itachiyama. You haven't changed one bit"
"Of course I have!" She protested.
"Of course I have!" Now she was saying it for herself "Do you know how hard it is? To be someone you're not? To throw away everything and settle for things you don't like? To change every single thing about yourself? To leave everything behind and try so much to begin again and keep failing?" She had tears rolling down her face "Don't tell me I haven't changed. That's literally everything I tried to do all year" she broke down.
"Haru... Haru, I'm sorry" he hugged her without second thought. "I'm so sorry. I've been meaning to tell you this before you left." he cupped her face before wiping her tears away "I love you" recited his death wish before he kissed her.
Atsumu watched him kiss his girlfriend as she placed her hands on his chest. He turned right around and walked the other way, the anger surging through his system was something unbearable.
Haruka quickly placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away "What are you doing?" She barely managed a whispered "I'm with Atsumu san..."
"He's not serious about you" Sakusa said.
She looked back to see his fading figure and the colours on her face drained.
"ATSUMU SAN!" She ran towards him.
"Atsumu S-"
"Get AWAY FROM ME!!" He almost stumbled backwards while avoiding her "J-Just stay away"
"Atsumu san, it's-"
"WHAT I DO WRONG? WHERE DID I GO WRONG?" He yelled "TELL ME WHAT I DID WRONG THAT YOU HAD TO KISS HIM!"
"Atsumu san, I didn't-"
"USUSAI WA!" He bellowed, his icy glare sending shivers down her spine "I... I REALLY LOVED YOU, HARUKA! AND YOU TURNED OUT TO BE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE"
"Atsumu san..." she tried to hold him "That's not-"
He pushed her away "HARUKA!!!" Atsumu's obtrusive eyes scared the living hell out of her. "If I... ever see you or hear you again... I swear to Kami, I'LL BURN THE WHOLE PLACE DOWN!"
"A-Atsumu san!" She tried to approach him but he moved backwards "Don't come any closer. I really might kill you" he turned the other way and went back to the bus. He sat with the coach as Haruka silently sat in her seat by herself with tears in her eyes. Her hands were cold, her feet were numb and her ears were deaf to all the noise. She silently sat without a word all the way back looking at the back of his head just moments away from her reach but all she could hear echoing inside her skull was "I REALLY LOVED YOU, HARUKA! AND YOU TURNED OUT TO BE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE"
Haruka walked home by herself as soon as the bus came to a halt in Hyogo.
"Haruka chan, are you alright?" Kita asked.
"You don't look like you belong to the champions' team" even Suna saw something wrong.
"Ah, no..." she smiled "I'm just exhausted" she congratulated them again before she left. Osamu was skeptical all throughout. All his doubts cleared when he saw the team gathered in the gymnasium.
"Are you guys practising?" He blinked. Haruka was there too but her presence wasn't as significant as before. He instantly knew something was terribly off.
"It's only for the sports festival" Kita said before addressing everyone "Everyone is here so-"
Atsumu raised his hand. His dark semblance wasn't that of a champion. He looked at Kita and he froze. The setter's eyes were like that of a dead man's "I have an objection to make" he cockily said with his droopy eyes that screamed for some sleep.
"Atsumu, are you okay?"
"Hai..." he chanted in a low tone.
"What is it?"
"I ask for a different manager" he looked at her and smirked, the hatred seeping through the cracks of the smile that hid his agony. "Someone cuter"
"..."
"NANI???"
"Another manager?" Aran hoped for the most positive answer.
"No" he smiled wide "Either she goes or I go"