It was raining outside the coffee shop, sky gray and stormy. You looked outside the window, watching people pass by, sheltered under their umbrellas. You usually came to this cafe to study, as it was located conveniently next to your university library, and you could bring food and drinks inside. You were ready to go home, but you hadn't brought an umbrella, so you were waiting inside the cafe hoping for the rain to slow down. You looked up at the gray clouds again: no sign of stopping. You sighed and rested your chin on your hands, elbows comfortable on the tabletop.
On days like this, you couldn't help but reminisce.
You were remembering a particular day in high school, even rainier and stormer than today, when you had also forgotten an umbrella. It was a bad habit of yours. You had ducked into the gym to escape the gusts of cold wind and rain and stumbled upon a sports practice. You made your way to the bleachers and sat down, taking off your jacket. You looked up and after watching for a few moments, realized it was the boy's volleyball practice.
Aren't we supposed to have a really good team? you thought to yourself, watching, amused, as several of the players yelled at each other.
A tall black haired boy was yelling at a short ginger, who looked like he was scared but still defending himself. You smiled and looked down at your book bag, deciding to study while you waited for the rain to die down.
"Hey! Knock it off already!"
"You looked up again. That voice was surprising to you, in how it appealed to you and immediately grabbed your attention.
A fierce-looking guy with a shaved head marched up to the two arguing.
"You first years better knock it off already! We have an important match tomorrow!" he said, grabbing their collars. Another figure loomed behind him, grabbing the back of his shirt.
"All of you. Laps. Now," it ordered in a commanding voice. Definitely a third year.
"Yikes!" the bald one said, running away quickly to the sidelines of the court./
You watched as he ran around, the two original boys running behind him. On his fifth lap or so, he noticed you staring and waved, smiling at you widely. You smiled but looked down, embarrassed to have been caught.
When you next looked up again, he was passing the bottom of the bleachers, giving you another huge grin. You laughed a little despite the embarrassment.
By the time they were done with their practice, it was still raining hard, and it was getting late. You watched as they cleaned up the gym, working together to put everything away. You could feel a sense of dread coming over you as you realized you'd be forced to walk home in the rain now, since you had no other shelter and it was late as it was. You started to gather up your books so you could leave before everyone else started to.
As you walked towards the doors, you heard the squeaking of sneakers on the polished floor behind you.
"Oi!"
You turned around to see the shaved head jogging towards you.
"I've never seen you in here before," he said.
"Oh, I came in because it was too rainy to walk home," you explained sheepishly. He looked at your bags./
"You don't have an umbrella," he observed. You laughed shyly. He made you feel flustered, and you didn't know exactly why... but at the same time, you did.
"Yeah, I forgot it," you said, embarrassed.
"Wait here and I'll walk you home then. I have a big umbrella," he said without hesitating./
"What? No! Oh no I couldn't impose on you, I don't even know you, really, it's fine–" you stammered.
He cut you off. "Tanaka Ryunosuke," he said, smiling widely. "Now you know me!"
You smiled, flattered by his efforts. "I'm [Y/N]," you said./
"Now wait here for me, I'll just be a minute!" he said before jogging back to join his teammates in cleaning. You sat back down on the bleachers and checked your phone. A few minutes later he reappeared, wearing a Kurasuno sweatsuit and caring his gym bag and umbrella.
"Let's go [Y/N]-chan!" he said, brandishing the umbrella with a flourish. You giggled and walked towards the gym doors again, Tanaka following you close behind. You didn't see, but behind you he turned and have a thumbs up to a spiky haired Libero, who was beaming with pride.
"Now where are you headed?" he asked you gallantly, opening the umbrella.
"I live about a fifteen minute walk away from here," you answered. "You don't have to walk me, I'll be fine–"
He cut you off again. "No way! I already made you wait for me, it's my responsibility to make sure you get home dry," he said, puffing out his chest. You blushed and felt your stomach flutter and flop as he pressed close to you under the umbrella.
"Thank you so much," you said. He grinned down at you. "Tanaka-san."
"Just Tanaka is fine," he said airily, "Or Ryunosuke. Or Ryu. Or Ryu-kun." His flirting made your face heat up and you laughed again.
"What year are you?" you asked him.
"A second-year," he said. "You?"
"Ah, I'm a second year too," you said. You made small talk, gossiping a bit about other classmates, learning the names of his teammates.
All too soon, you arrived in front of your apartment building.
"This is it," you said, sad to have to part ways. He walked you up to your door though. The walk had gone by so quickly in Tanaka's company, eagerly chatting about any and all topics that came up, mostly regarding school and volleyball.
That was the start of your romance with the rough and tumble Tanaka Ryunosuke. After that you always waited for him after practice and he always walked you home. You began inviting him inside, and he began inviting you out on dates over the weekend. He was a great boyfriend, really thoughtful and dedicated, and you attended every game of his that you could, cheering for him and his teammates louder than anyone. You loved watching him get so loud and riled up at his opponents. Seeing him act so tough was a turn on, even though he was always sweet and gentle with you.
But that was all over a year ago. You went to different colleges, it couldn't be helped. Long distance wasn't working. You broke up. He was your first kiss and you lost your virginities to each other. He was so hard to get over. Ryu, always so tough and manly but a softie when it was just you. Ryu, who walked you home in the rain when you forgot your umbrella.
You looked down at the table in front of you in the coffee shop, studying the whorls in the wood, trying to take your mind off of him.
He was so hard to forget.
"Why is he so hard to forget?" you thought to yourself. His grinning face from the day you met, smiling cheekily at you while running laps, flashed in your mind. His bedroom face, eyes hooded and smile lazy, straddling you. His soft tiny hairs after he hadn't shaved his head in a few weeks. His triumphant yells when he did something great in volleyball. The way he smiled when he made you laugh.
You know exactly why he is so hard to forget.
A/N: this is soooooo aimless and kind of silly I am so sorry! Basically just sad fluff :c I hope that you enjoyed reading anyway. I tend to write without an end in mind haha.