A/N: I was personally pestered to write this update. LMAO. This chapter was a little rushed, hence the subpar quality. But i will edit it later.
Updated A/N: Now edited!
—
"It's hard to believe Tendo isn't suspecting anything though." Reon leans near the door as he stands watch with Semi.
"Someone's keeping him busy. He's been fighting with someone over the chat for a couple of minutes now." The latter explains as he closes his eyes.
"Ohhhh so that's why." Reon nods with a knowing look.
The two of them were just standing nearby, keeping watch. They had stated an alibi that they have things to talk with Ushijima, so they could be here, unsuspected. Good thing some of their classmates were starting to get drunk to not question it.
"But isn't Wakatoshi's first girlfriend supposed to be here at this time though?" Reon brings the topic up.
Semi thinks about it for a while before answering. "I heard she couldn't come."
"Ohh."
The two of them sighed in relief. "Hanako-san couldn't make it, huh." Reon thought about it.
"Yeah. I don't really disapprove of the idea." The former setter confesses. "And I could understand why Tendo is pushing it." he shrugs.
"But I've never seen the captain like this." Semi adds with a relieved expression. Reon only laughs.
"That's true. He's always been passive. So it was a good change."
"So this is where you guys were." Tendo suddenly said to them, unannounced, opening the blinds almost immediately.
"How did your fight go on?" Semi asks him. The red head clicks his tongue. That was new.
"Who were you fighting?" Reon asks him.
Tendo groans, "Some chic Wakatoshi knew overseas added me online... and I accepted cause I want to know stuff about Wakatoshi's mystery girl. Aaaand we kinda clashed." He explained.
"So did you win?" Semi eyed him. The former blocker pauses for a while before looking away, "Not gonna say."
"So you didn't?" Semi asks, quite surprised.
"What are you guys on to about, anyway?" Tendo suddenly asks, popping the question out of nowhere. It was an attempt to change the topic but they couldn't blame him. He must have not want to talk about it to that extent.
"Comparing ships." Reon eyes him.
"Oh? What makes you think mine would lose?" Tendo challenges him.
"I mean. Hanako-san couldn't come here, right?" Reon reminds him and the red head immediately frowns.
"Fine. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of chances later." Tendo frowns at them.
"Plus, why are you suddenly shipping someone else with him? I can't believe you guys got done in with just a photo." He adds with ridicule. Leon and Semi looks at each other then nods.
They suddenly presented their ship to him.
Tendo's eyes widened as he saw you and Ushijima.
He instantly covered his eyes.
"IT'S BRIGHT." It feels like his eyes were gonna burn.
But he paused and stared at the site after a while. "WAIT A MINUTE. She's here?" He asked upon recovering. Reon and Semi only nodded.
"When we were just talking about her?" He further asks and they nod again.
He suddenly eyed the two of them sharply, as if he had just made a decision that might cost him life and death or worse, his reputation.
"I'm taking a closer look."
Reon and Semi looked at each other. Yes, it was shameless. But they couldn't blame Tendo. They sighed then nod before doing the same.
The three of them suddenly looked at the girl in Ushijima's lap quite intently.
...
"She's quite tiny, isn't she."
"But Wakatoshi's pictures sure didn't lie." Tendo commented.
"As expected of our ace."
"A lolicon, huh. Who would've known." Tendo says with a hum and Semi immediately almost spewed his drink out.
"Deep down, I've always had the feeling." Tendo closes his eyes as he starts his monologue.
"Wakatoshi-kun is a man of culture as well." Tendo nods at it.
"TENDO."
—
Ushijima Wakatoshi groans. His head was haxy, his throat parched and yet, he feels his nose twitch at the familiar scent.
It was hard to believe that he dozed off in a bench. Even more so when he realized that he had slept so comfortably too.
He looks like a puzzled child as he feels something on his lap. He looks to the left then to the right, trying to confirm if he was still in the right place before his eyes land in on you. He leans down to see if he was seeing it right.
You were sleeping comfortably. You bumped into his shoulder and he immediately becomes stiff.
His memory was rather hazy but he was remembering stuff bit by bit.
To start, he had just found out that his hands were wrapped around your waist and holding you still.
It was quite clear how this happened. Their were no mistakes in his memories.
Beads of sweat suddenly glided down the sides of his face.
And when he looked in front of him, Tendo, Semi and Reon was already watching intently.
...
There was a strange pause in the air.
How was he supposed to explain this?
Tendo suddenly given him a weird smile and a thumbs up before he was dragged by Reon and Semi, the three of them suddenly going back inside the pub, as if nothing happened.
He could only blink.
—
Ushijima Wakatoshi was not an ideal pillow. His muscles were toned, efficient and hard, as you expected any athlete to be. You normally complain about these kinds of stuff. But you've made an exception since he was a dude whose smell you liked.
But you were wondering why it feels like he's moving a little too much. And you feel your hard pillow move once again.
You groaned at the interruption. But the cold breeze that flew by made you realize. It was getting late based on the cold air and you had stuff to do.
You forced your eyes open as you glanced at him.
You woke up to him drinking a bottle of water. He was almost drinking the whole thing and you knew what that means.
"Are you finally sober?" You asked him. You see him stop short.
Your eyes immediately looked at him suspiciously. You watch as he put his bottle down and you noticed it.
He was trying hard to not look at you.
"Goliath?" You asked him but he was really stiff.
Might as well do your usual trusty trick.
"Wakatoshi?" You tilted your head.
He froze again before looking at you.
He was quite nervous for a guy that was so needy a while ago.
And it looks like he was stiff as a pole since he had realized what he's done.
To be short, he was acting pretty guilty for a stoic guy. He must have remembered everything he did earlier.
What the hell.
You giggled.
"Long time no see." You greeted him and he only nods. You looked at the slight tinge of red on his face.
It was unusual.
But you kind of liked this unusual him.
"Are you sober now?" You asked again. And he nods.
"You drank a lot pretty early too." You tilted your head. But to think he could sober up this quick.
"...It is was from a game." He sighs as he runs his hand on his hair to calm himself.
Even Norrie's drinking games didn't do him in that easily. So how formidable was this drinking game? Japan really was something else.
"Are you still gonna drink?" You ask him and he shakes his head.
"Yeah, I wouldn't suggest that. You were quite a handful." You laughed.
"My bad." He says.
"But... how'd you know?" He suddenly asks, the thought popping up in his head. You understood the question. He was asking how'd you know he was drinking.
"How would I not know? You smell like alcohol!" You laughed.
That and the fact that he was acting pretty cute and needy. But of course you wouldn't tell him that.
If only you knew he was like that. Then maybe you would have tricked him to getting drunk when he was at your country, and then videotape everything for future blackmail. But of course, he doesn't get drunk very easily and you've experienced it first hand.
You thought hard, thinking of a reason. Perhaps it was the alcohol here then? You thought.
But you were no alcohol expert. And come to think of it. You have never known how alcohol was in Japan nor how strong it was.
"I want one too." you suddenly declared and he looks at you, puzzled, wondering what you were talking about.
You clarified, "I... want to drink alcohol here too."
"I'm taking you home." He deadpan says with a sharp gaze that caught you by surprise.
"Ehhhhhh..." You complained like a child as he drags you by holding your hand.
And along with it, your stomach suddenly growled.
You looked at each other before you laughed and he gives you a sigh.
—
"Where do you plan on eating?" He asks.
You brought out your phone, looking for something on it. "I want to eat outside. I got a couple of recommendations from my friends." You say and you showed it to him.
To think you had a list.
He sees you looking at it quite excitedly. You were totally acting like a tourist.
"Is it your first time here?" He asks and you repeatedly nod. He peeked at the clock inside real quick before resting his hand at the back of his neck.
"I'll go with you." He offers.
"You're in a party though." You pouted and reminded him.
"It could wait." He says before going inside to ask for permission.
"I'm going somewhere for a while." You overhear him say. You waited for him outside. His friends do sound quite oblivious and energetic when they agreed to his request.
You smiled at the thought. To think he'd be part of a loud class, and still be that quiet. It was very like him.
"Let's go." He says upon exiting the door and you got up.
"Where are we going?" He asks.
You thought hard before giving him a wide grin.
"You're going in all of them?" He was hesitant to ask. But you casually nod.
"Of course. Then if I need to be there again, i know where they are!" You declared.
He didn't want to argue with your logic. But if it meant moving around, he was up for it since he needed to get some of the alcohol out of his system.
To think he really did accompany you in your mini food trip. And you realized that it really was convenient to bring someone who knows real stuff.
He looks at you gulp down the ramen in front of you. The light from inside the stall landing on you and your hair.
"Is it fine?" He says as he touches your hair. It was quite unusual to see you with your platinum blonde hair outside. But it would be a lie to say he didn't like seeing you with your natural hair color. In fact, it has been a while since he had last seen you. And to think, he would meet you in Japan of all things.
You slurped the noodles before answering him. "Ah yes. I haven't done any modelling here in Japan anyway."
"Plus, Norrie didn't put the wigs in my luggage." You say with a deadpan expression.
"Was it hard?" He says. And you nod. "It was! Even some of my classmates were surprised." You told him the story. You see him smile a little in between as you keep talking.
"It was kind of a hassle in volleyball too." You say nonchalantly as you stepped out of the ramen shop.
"You've been playing?" He was rather surprised to hear that. You nod and raised an eyebrow. "How else would I come up with new stuff?" You pouted.
"Where did you play here?" He asked, rather curious. "Around. I've been playing with some random players."
Random pros that is.
He narrows his eyes as he looks at you, quite skeptical. But he was giving you a look you knew all too well.
If you were here and you were playing, then why didn't you just played with him?
And you remember the reason why— why you haven't told Ushijima you were in Japan earlier on.
He wouldn't probably let you off. With your limited time schedule and the new things you're bound to show him since you practiced plenty with different pros, you knew he would be too eager to play and might even not let you off until he was satisfied with training. You had that gut feeling.
You shake the gazes off as you gobbled up food after another. And you feel the strange gaze he was giving you yet again.
"Are you not eating well?" He suddenly asks. To think he was so observant for a guy you haven't seen in two months. You smiled apologetically. "I haven't eaten anything today so it was fine."
He blinked. He found it oddly surprising. You, who was quite strict in training and even food was suddenly saying you haven't eaten anything for the day. "Why?" He asks, clearly confused.
"I can't cook my own food here." You scratched your head.
"Andddd I've been here for a month now." You started saying.
You could instantly see his brows furrow.
You feel a little guilty. "But I've been busy with school work here! So I couldn't tell you." You panicked. You weren't lying. It was a summer program that was piled with academic work. With that and volleyball, of course, you didn't have time to tell him.
"The program ended yesterday though so I'm quite free right now." You say and he nods.
"But enough about me. Don't you have people waiting for you? Should we head back?" You asked continuously.
"What do you mean?" He asks, wondering about the suddenness as well as the series of questions.
You sighed. To think you were the only one that realized.
"Isn't that your team from your highschool?" You say pointing out to the boys peeking behind the trees.
Ushijima Wakatoshi looks at them and blinks.
"What are you doing?" He asks them.
"Eek."