Chapter 61:
Mizuki spent the majority of the night awake and crying on her bed. Her mother knew something was wrong when Kei left their house without saying goodbye to her or to Jun. She entered her daughter's room to find her sobbing and that was when she realized that they had most likely broken up. Eventually, with her comforting embrace, Mizuki fell asleep, exhausted from the painful heartache that she felt.
At the same time, Kei laid down on his bed, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed quietly, not wanting to wake up his brother or his mother. He wanted to run back to her house and take it all back, and to ask her to stay. He wanted to be in her arms, to feel her warm body against his, and to see her smile. He wanted so many things, but he knew it was too late.
He had to face reality - it was over between them.
The next morning, Kei woke up, his eyes heavy from the night before, and stared at the ceiling. He grabbed his phone from the wooden nightstand to check what time it was. It was nearly 9 in the morning, and Mizuki's flight was at 5 in the afternoon. She would be leaving for the airport in Tokyo soon.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed, revealing a long text message from Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi: I heard what happened between you and Toma-san from Mina... You are my best friend, Tsukki, so I will be honest with you. What you did was awful. I know you were just thinking about Toma-san but you shouldn't have broken up with her the night before she had to leave. If you wanted to break up, you should have done it weeks or even months ago. That would have given you two time to heal even if it was just for a little bit. You were only thinking about your needs, which makes you selfish. I'm not angry... Just disappointed.
Kei shut his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows defeatedly - everything Yamaguchi said was true.
"Kei!" Akiteru barged into his room breathlessly, "Mizuki's mom said you and Mizuki-chan broke up! That's... That's not true, right?!"
"I broke up with her last night." Kei mumbled, pulling the blanket over his head.
"What... Why...?" Akiteru grimaced, walking over to his sulking brother, "I thought you wanted to marry her..."
"I do!" He answered sharply, "I want to be with her but..."
Kei trailed off, the gnawing pain he felt resurfacing from his stomach to his chest.
"You're going to Tokyo with her though, right?" Akiteru asked softly, "You have to..."
"I can't..." Kei shook his head, "I can't do it, nii-san..."
"Kei..."
"Just leave me alone..." He murmured quietly.
Akiteru reluctantly left his room, leaving Kei alone with his grim thoughts and tumultuous feelings. His phone buzzed again, and it was a text from Yamaguchi again.
Yamaguchi: We're all leaving for Tokyo in 30 minutes. Be here before it's too late to say goodbye.
Kei took a deep breath and sluggishly made his way to the bathroom. He quickly got ready and trudged downstairs to eat breakfast. His brother and mother didn't quite know what to say, so they ate in silence. After breakfast, they left their house to say goodbye to Mizuki.
As they approached her house, Kei couldn't help but feel immense pressure and anguish. He apologized to Mizuki so many times last night and that felt like it wasn't enough. He wasn't strong enough to face her.
He was weak.
Yamaguchi was the first one to spot Kei, as he was helping Mizuki's mother put the luggages in the van she had rented. Yamaguchi pursed his lips together and sighed, urging for Kei to come closer.
"She's inside..." Yamaguchi murmured tenderly, "She's just checking around the house to see if she missed packing anything."
Kei nodded as he swallowed apprehensively, not knowing what to do the second she stepped outside. Hinata exited her house along with Yachi and Mina, who stared at him with disappointment.
"What you did wasn't nice, Tsukishima." Hinata frowned, "I hope you made the right choice."
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Mizuki walked out of her house slowly. She was wearing a gray hoodie with black leggings, and her hair was tied up in a bun. Her fatigued, puffy face suggested that she had been crying all night, which Kei instantaneously felt responsible for. She had her blue backpack slumped over her shoulder as she approached the van with her head down. She hadn't noticed him there yet.
"Hey! Tsukishima-san!" Jun huffed angrily, causing Mizuki's head to jerk up at his name, "You made my sister cry!"
"Hey..." Kei murmured softly, moving towards her.
Mizuki stared at him haggardly, not knowing what to say. What was there to say?
"Today's the big day, huh?" He continued faintly.
She remained silent, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.
"I wanted to say-"
"You probably want this back, right?" Mizuki interrupted him abruptly, slipping the engagement ring he gave her off of her finger.
Kei stared at her, bewildered. She held the ring out for him to take away.
"No... You keep it," He murmured gently, "It was my gift to you."
"I don't want it," She asserted piercingly, "Take it. Please."
He paused for a few seconds before taking the ring from her grasp.
"Bye." Mizuki mumbled, entering the van without another word.
"Princess..." Kei refrained from reaching out to her as he stared at the ring which rested on the palm of his hand.
As some of their neighbors and friends said their farewells to Mizuki, Kei stood there, frozen, unable to fathom or accept, what was happening. She was truly leaving him again... Just like when they were kids. He couldn't even blame her because he was the one that pushed for her to leave.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Yamaguchi asked worriedly.
"No... I can't." Kei answered, his eyes travelling to Mizuki, who refused to look at him.
"Okay... If you're sure." His friend nodded gently.
After a few minutes, Mizuki's mother started up the van. Yamaguchi shut the door, and the van slowly made its way out of the driveway. Kei got one last look at Mizuki through the window, and he swore that she was looking at him too. They began to drive away, gradually speeding up, and for some reason, Kei's feet began moving on their own.
He was running after her.
Why was he running after her?
He panted tiredly, his legs aching from his unforeseen actions, and even though he knew it was futile, he was still running. Finally, when the van was out of sight, Kei collapsed on the sidewalk, trying to catch his breath. He shook his head as he pounded his fist on the ground, causing him to cry out in irritation.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" He cursed, his eyebrows knitting in frustration, "Damn it!"
After taking a few minutes to recollect himself and his garbled thoughts, he begrudgingly walked home. He trudged up the stairs and laid down on his bed, staring at the ring she had returned to him.
It wasn't supposed to end like this.
It wasn't supposed to end.
An hour and a half passed, and Kei stared at various pictures of him and Mizuki on his laptop. There was a picture of Mizuki smiling and him pouting from when they were kids, and he could still remember why.
She made him admit that volleyball was fun.
"What the hell are you still doing here?!" A voice boomed angrily.
Tanaka Saeko slammed his door wide open as Akiteru tried to calm her down. His old teammate and friend Tanaka Ryuunosuke, and Shimizu were behind them.
"Why aren't you at the airport with them?!" Saeko huffed heatedly.
"Calm down, honey..." Akiteru laughed nervously.
"No! Your brother is an idiot!" She shook her head, "Kei, the love of your life is about to leave and you're here, by yourself!"
"I already said my goodbyes to her." Kei mumbled as he shut his laptop.
"Listen, Tsukishima," Tanaka, his old teammate and friend, sighed, "You have to go to the airport..."
"Why? It's no use!" Kei muttered sharply, "I'm sure she doesn't want me there anyway! I broke her heart!"
Everyone remained motionless and silent as they listened to Kei pour his heart out without restraint.
"I don't want this! I don't want her to leave!" He continued fiercely, "I want her to stay here with me!"
They stared at one another as Kei panted wildly, attempting to catch his breath. Shimizu sauntered over and sat beside him on his bed. She placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, causing him to look up at her curiously.
"Tsukishima..." Shimizu murmured tenderly, "You let her go because you love her. Of course you don't want her to leave but sometimes, you can't control what happens..."
Kei felt his body tremble as he listened intently to her.
"What you can control is how you say your final goodbye to her," She continued warmly, "Don't let your breakup be the last thing she remembers. Remind her why she fell in love with you in the first place."
He blinked a few times before exhaling slowly. Without thinking, Kei stood up, confusing everyone in his room, as he grabbed his bag. He also took a piece of paper from his desk, an envelope, and a pen. Shimizu was right.
"Uh... Kei..." Akiteru swallowed apprehensively.
"I need a ride to the airport." He declared with conviction.
Akiteru's eyes widened in surprise as Tanaka and Shimizu smiled reassuringly.
"Say no more!" Saeko beamed, determined, "I'll give you a ride to Tokyo!"
"Uh... Tsukishima..." Tanaka mumbled worriedly, "I should tell you that my sister drives-"
"Let's go everyone!" Saeko yelled fiercely.
All 5 of them hurriedly sprinted to Saeko's truck and began to make their way to Tokyo. It was a five-hour drive, and they were cutting it close. Would they be able to make it before Mizuki was truly gone?
"Buckle your seatbelts!" Akiteru whimpered as he sat at the front with his tenacious girlfriend.
Kei, Tanaka, and Shimizu sat at the back as Kei began writing something on the piece of paper he had grabbed earlier.
"What are you doing Tsukishima?" Tanaka asked inquisitively.
"Writing my goodbye."
~
45 minutes before Mizuki's flight, Tokyo International Airport
"Are you sure you have everything?" Rina sniffled, wiping the tears away with her hand, "Passport? Plane ticket? Our friendship bracelet?"
"Yes, I do..." Mizuki smiled as she hugged her friend tightly, "Thank you for everything, Rina."
Mina joined their hug and mumbled, "We'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too. Mina, you're going to crush it at Princeton. Rina, I look forward to playing against you when the time comes," She squeezed them tenderly, "You are both the bestest friends that anyone could ever ask for."
"Don't say things like that if you don't want me to bawl!" Rina complained, "The next time I see Tsukishima, I swear I'm going to gut-"
"Toma-chan!" Sugawara exclaimed, interrupting Rina's train of thought, "We'll miss you so much!"
Rina, Mina, Yamaguchi, Yachi, Hinata, Kageyama, Sugawara, Atsumu, Osamu, Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kojima were there to say their goodbyes to her.
"Thank you, Sugawara-san," She replied softly, "I'll miss all of you..."
"I know Daichi and Asahi wanted to be here but they were caught up with work..." He grimaced disappointedly.
"It's alright," Mizuki reassured him, "They already called me earlier to say goodbye..."
"Toma-chan!!!" Bokuto ran up to her as he burst in tears, "I'm- I'm going to miss you so much! I can't believe you're leaving!"
Akaashi rubbed his boyfriend's back comfortingly and said, "Don't worry, Kou... She'll visit us from time to time, isn't that right, Toma-san?"
"Of course..." She smiled gently.
"My favorite girl!" Atsumu sauntered over to them as Osamu and Kojima trailed behind him, "Correction, my 2nd favorite girl."
Kojima rolled her eyes and hugged Mizuki comfortingly, "Be careful in Brazil, alright?"
"I will..."
"Don't forget about us, okay?" Osamu joked playfully.
"How could I forget you, Osamu-san?" Mizuki chuckled lightly.
"Uh... Hello?" Atsumu frowned irritatedly, "I'm here too?"
"Right..." She smiled at her ex-boyfriend, "Thank you for everything, Atsumu."
"Okay then..." He cleared his throat, accepting her acknowledgment of him.
"Take care of Kojima-san," Mizuki added casually, "Otherwise, I'll fly back from Brazil just to-"
"Yes, I will!" Atsumu nodded furiously, pulling Kojima into a loving embrace.
"Ugh... Gross..." Kojima smirked teasingly, causing him to pout.
Mizuki felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around to see Kageyama behind her.
"Kageyama..." She smiled tenderly.
"You know how you told me when we were first-years that when I became a professional volleyball player, you'd be there to cheer me on?" Kageyama brought up.
"Yeah..."
"I'll be there to cheer you on too," He declared confidently, "Brazil won't know what hit them."
Mizuki hugged him without warning and said, "Thank you, Kageyama."
"Of course..."
"Don't hurt Rina or I swear, I'm going to..." Mizuki whispered something in his ear, causing him to tremble in fear.
"I won't! I promise!" He yelped.
"Toma-chan!" Hinata walked over to them casually, his eyes gleaming with determination, "I'll see you in Brazil in one year!"
"Yeah..." She laughed faintly, "I'll see you then."
As they said their last-minute farewells, Mizuki approached Yamaguchi.
"Hey... Can you give this to Kei the next time you see him?" Mizuki murmured gently, handing him a handwritten letter she wrote for Kei the night before, "I wanted to say these things to him but he's not here so..."
"Of course," Yamaguchi nodded sympathetically, "We'll miss you, Toma-san."
"Thanks, Yamaguchi," She exhaled, "And for the record, I love the idea of you and Mina dating."
He blushed as he scratched his head shyly, "Thanks... Maybe in 4 years..."
Mizuki stood among everyone who went to the airport with her and took a deep breath.
"Thank you for taking the time to say goodbye to me today..." She smiled sadly, "I love every single one of you, and I will try my best to visit every now and then..."
Mizuki's mother started tearing up as Rina and Mina hugged her comfortingly. Although she and Jun were flying to Brazil in a few days (she had to sort out some things for work), she couldn't help but miss her daughter still. Mizuki walked towards the entrance of the terminal where she couldn't go back once she entered. She turned back one last time and noticed several of her friends crying and waving goodbye to her.
Except, Kei wasn't there.
She waved to them wistfully as she lined up behind a few people. Although Kei had broken up with her the night before, she would do anything to kiss him one last time. To feel his soft lips on hers, and to feel his warm, loving embrace.
Mizuki handed her plane ticket and passport to the attendant and he urged her to enter the terminal. She took a deep breath and took a step forward, only to be interrupted by a familiar, booming voice.
"Mizuki! WAIT!"
Mizuki slowly spun around and noticed Kei, out of breath, a few meters behind her. His hair was disheveled, his glasses were lopsided, and he seemed exhausted.
"I got you a goodbye gift!" He exclaimed breathlessly.
"Miss, please enter the terminal..." The attendant chimed in.
Mizuki stared at him in disbelief, wondering if she was hallucinating him. Was he really here, in front of her?
"Miss-"
"Okay! Just- Wait!" She shook her head, overwhelmed with turmoil and confusion, "Kei...? What..."
Kei nodded slowly, his eyebrows furrowed in misery, "I wanted to say goodbye properly..."
Then, without any warning, she sprinted towards him, dropping her bags and luggage in the process. Her heart was pounding furiously, and it felt like her entire body was burning with fire. She jumped in his arms and smashed her lips against his passionately, not caring who was watching them.
One last kiss.
One last embrace.
Kei looped his arms around her desperately, deepening their emotional kiss. He embraced her firmly, inhaling her strawberry scent one last time. They both pulled away breathlessly after what seemed like an eternity as tears streamed down their face.
"Someone once told me that writing letters are an effective way of saying things that are difficult to say out loud..." Kei murmured affectionately, handing her a letter that he had written on his way to the airport.
She gazed down at an envelope with a folded piece of paper and something small inside as she smiled sadly.
"This is horribly designed..." Mizuki mumbled sorrowfully.
"Don't open it until you're in Brazil, promise?" Kei whispered, touching her cheek gently.
"I promise."
She reluctantly pulled away from his embrace and picked up the bags she had dropped.
"Bye, Kei..." Mizuki bit her lip as she looked at her family, friends, and Kei for the final time.
"See you later, Mizuki."