The court was quite packed. You see familiar coaches and players on the visitors— and they were familiar in the sense that they've appeared on the personnel list you've looked up when you were just finding stuff out about volleyball. From what you've heard, a volleyball pro team will be having a match with the school's and Ushijima's volleyball team. So the number of people inside was rather explainable.
But strangely, You were getting quite a few glances when you entered the gym.
"What's up?" You asked Ushijima's team as you realized the commotion. They looked at you and sighed at the chill atmosphere surrounding you, realizing you weren't aware of anything.
"Someone took a video of the demo match."
"Oh?"
"The one you played in."
"Ohhh."
"They had everything on tape."
"Ahhhh." You said. You thought hard. Then what was the problem?
From what you remembered, you did everything normally that day so what was up? Was the question in your head.
And as if Ushijima Wakatoshi could tell what you were thinking from the way he narrows his eyes, he slapped you with reality.
"You were nowhere near normal." He says with a stoic expression in his face. You know what he meant. He probably meant that your performance wasn't on the level of what a "normal" should be, despite you feeling that it was no big deal. But you wanted to curse him for his unspecific words.
"Well said, Wakatoshi!" His teammates looked like they were proud of him.
...
You only look at them with a deadpan expression.
"So what's the fuss?" You said, hiding your irritation.
"Some of them are here to scout you, you idiot."
"Ohhh." You say again as a filler. But the look on your face says your demeanor about the whole thing. They didn't need for you to say it.
"You aren't interested?" They asked in unison.
"No." You gave them an honest answer.
They looked at you then to each other, with the same message in mind that you were rather all to familiar with. It was a message you've seen in multitudes of faces as well as something that will probably continue to haunt you.
It was a waste.
"Good luck. I'll be watching from there." You pointed at the seats up front and only walked away, casually whistling.
"It's no use. I've even asked her and she refused." The coach interjects among the dumbfounded volleyball players.
"You didn't convinced her Wakatoshi?" the other asked as they looked at the stoic man. He was someone who could probably convince you given the relationship between the two of you, was what the rest of them thought. But he knows.
He can't.
"She... should just do what she wants." the quiet man says.
"And we have a match to play." He adds as he looks at his teammates, reminding them what they were here for. Your business wasn't theirs. But it was your choice. And they all needed to respect that. His teammates shake their heads with a smile, "Look at you acting like a grown-up."
"I am a grown-up." Ushijima says, brows furrowing.
"Yes, Yes. But you still read all the ads in the magazine."
You grin as you watch Ushijima's team get all chummy. That was, until Norrie sat down next to you. "How was your date?" She immediately asked and you wanted to hit her.
"The dude's bothering me for Hayashi rice." You reply with a scowl. "Don't try to act all like it's a bother now. Especially when I saw you buying new ingredients in the grocery." She says as she leans her face to yours, with eyes lusting for a romantic development and you only awkwardly looked away.
You were no match for a pro stalker after all. You suddenly looked around. "Where's Ayaka?" Norrie froze upon hearing you and you could tell. "She's aiming for another dude already?" You ask and she nods with a pained expression. You only reply with a sigh. You got bigger problems right now anyway.
You just wanted to know where in the world did they get that video? And why where they even recording it in the first place?
And when you glanced at the other side of the court, you realized. Especially when a figure smirks when they caught you looking.
Andrei Williams had done it!
He sneered, knowing how to tick you off. You couldn't believe him. And as if things turned out for the worse, Ayaka suddenly appeared by his side.
Ha? "Ayaka is interested in Andrei Williams?" You asked Norrie and the girl only nods with a dreadful expression in her face. You inwardly groan as you slumped on your seat, a text suddenly appearing on your phone.
"Claire! Come here!" Ayaka chats.
Yeah no.
You watch the volleyball teams get destroyed. The whole thing wasn't rare in a match against pros. But it was quite fascinating seeing the smug-faced Andrei Williams get destroyed by another team.
The vibrations on your phone had been beeping nonstop and you look at Ayaka pouting on the other side of the gym as you continue to ignore her messages. You knew why she was being persistent. Andrei Williams must have asked her and yeah, you would obviously refuse.
You would obviously win against a match of persistence with Ayaka.
Until she came to fetch you.
It was the second half of the game. The pro team was having a match with the japanese volleyball team and you were quite invested in the game. You glanced at Ayaka for a second, then watched her suddenly standing up from her seat, going down and around the court.
Oh Jesus. And she just had to it while the match was so intense. Norrie elbowed you and you got the message. It was dangerous. You stood up, immediately going to her. You saw her obliviously look at you with a frustrated pout. You wanted her to hurry up. But she was as absent-minded as ever.
And as if the world was trying to play déjà vu on you, a pro player's spike was headed for Ayaka's direction. Or more like, she went directly to meet that spike.
Just your fucking rotten luck.
You ran for it, with a speed you rarely use and went to digging the ball straight up. You felt the impact on your hands as the force from the spiked ball stung your arms, a sensation you've both missed and haven't felt for months. You see the player who've spiked it look at you with wide eyes. And a grin erupts in your face.
Ushijima notices and approaches you. He was in the game and while the ball was obviously out, he caught you looking at how you stare at your arms in discomfort. It wasn't something he was used to seeing. "Are you alright?" he asks and he heard the first words you said loud and clear.
"That's a pro for you." You shake you head.
"Ahh. That stings." You say as you sat down on the player's bench. You wave your hands to get the discomfort off and he looks at you.
"Stop staring Goliath. You still have one more set." You glare at him. "What were you doing there?" He asked. You sighed. "The ball was heading for my persistent friend's direction and I have no choice."
You sighed before looking at Ayaka. She was seated on your seat and Ushijima Wakatoshi had strangely brought you to their team's bench. Not that you were complaining, you needed this view anyway.
"Quite unlucky." He comments. "You don't need to remind me." You said and suddenly glared at him.
"And stop holding back. I can see you reserving your strength. Don't. It's a match to see how far you've come for now. You don't need to win right now. You need to be at your limit." You say to him, from a trainer to her athlete.
You saw the confused look on his face before he erupts in a sigh and a small smile, "Fine."
—
You watch the pros talk to the players after the match. They were giving them a couple of pointers and were giving them an evaluation of their performance. You could tell from the happy smiles and the "fanboy-ing" going around that they were having the time of their lives even if they were just destroyed on the match.
You see one of them approach you from the corner of your eye. "That was a good receive." He said. You look at him.
Fortunately, you've done your research. Aiden Thomas was an up and coming spiker on the pro leagues. He was a dude known for being an efficient canon, having most liberos groveling with the types of nasty spins he gives on the ball.
So this conversation was expected. He must have been curious. And the team managers behind him tell you that they were also the same.
"Allow me to introduce myself then." You gave the lot of them your business smile. "My name is Claire Romero."
You see their eyes slowly widened. "Romero... As in Nicolas Romero?"
"Ahh yes, he's my uncle." You said with a small smile. They look at you with a dumbfounded expression before you proceeded to destroying their expectations. "And as you can see, I'm not a player."
—
You inwardly groan after talking to recruiters. "Ahh. That was painful." You say with a tired expression.
"How was it?" You asked your athlete. Ushijima Wakatoshi was in deep though, thinking about the things he had just experienced in the match. He clenches his fists and you realized. He didn't look like the type. But you could tell.
He doesn't like losing even if it was already given.
How was it? Your question rung inside his head. How was he supposed to answer that? Frustrating? because the gap was there. Eye-opening? He couldn't think of anything.
"It's fun, right?" You say to him.
The blaze in his eyes suddenly disappeared, as if it was washed ashore by a wave. A wave that assured him how his goals haven't changed. He looks at you and he smiled.
"Yeah. Volleyball is fun."
Your eyes widened, seeing him smile for the first time.
Whaaaaaa!
It was the trigger you needed. You suddenly stood up and pointed at his face with vigor.
"I'll make you Hayashi rice!"
And he suddenly looks at you before nodding eagerly.