Disclaimer: I don't own Haikyuu.
..
Hisagi Karen was never been this delighted to hear the ring of the bell signaling the class was over this day. Unlike her bestfriend Miki, she was not in a club so she just directly went home after school.
This morning after returning a forced smile at that mocking greeting "Ohayou Miss Stripes" from the jerk Tsukishima, she was harassed by the said blond athlete throughout the morning.
From time to time he would ask her if she had an extra pen or if he could barrow her book or if he could see her notes and whatsoever crap. She swear that he was only saying those to mock her, and when she answered a "none or a no" to him, he would just say "Oh really, what's the use your acrobatic reflex diving skills you showed in the park yesterday if you don't even have a spare pen…"he continued on spouting rude sarcastic retorts, and it took her a lot of patience not to explode at him again. Not inside their classroom.
But the worst thing that happened that day so far was when it was the time of the third period of the class, it was math subject. Their math teacher was sick and a new teacher came to substitute temporarily. And during the class, the said new young teacher wrote some complex mathematic equations in the board and asked his students if anyone of them knew the answer in order to assess the class. But obviously nobody raised, the question was very difficult to answer. When suddenly a voice was heard, "Sensei!" someone from the rear seat raised a hand, all the students in the room turned to Tsukishima Kei, the sarcastic blond boy pointed his thumb to his black-haired seatmate "the class representative says she knows the answer" he continued in a deadpanned tone acting like an elementary student bully.
"Poor representative, the question was difficult, stupid Tsukishima." Karen thought instantly sympathizing at the class rep. But wait! Why were all her classmates looking at her. OH MY GOD! How idiot she was, forgetting that she herself was the class representative. DAMN THAT JERK-SHIMA!
To her side, she saw that Tsukishima Kei was smirking triumphantly at her. Such a kid!
Their teacher pushed the side of his glasses upward acknowledging her.
Hisagi Karen felt like crying. Did anyone mention that she was not very good in mathematics? But hey, she wanted to preserve her so-called "cool and composed image", so she chose to walk in the aisle of humiliation in the form of the blackboard with mathematical equations. She was desperately praying inwardly to the Goddess of wisdom hoping that she would provide her the right answer. But she knew that it's only a wishful thinking of an idiot like her. But you know, at least if she tried to solve the equation, it would make her look less shameful.
Well, she was aware how idiotic her thoughts were.
When she reached the chalk and looked at the equation properly, she realized that definitely she didn't know even just what's the correct formula needed to answer the complex derivatives in the board. She cracked the insides of her brain. What was the formula? What Integrals? Derivatives? Ohm's Law? No that was physics or chemistry, whatever it is she wasn't sure. Yeah she was good at literature and history but she was very poor at math or anything related to quantities.
A minute had passed, she gave up, turning her head to the teacher she said "Sensei…I don't know the answer.." rather meekly.
Oh my god, why hadn't she said that before coming in front class? And now, she looked more shameful. "Stupid Karen, stupid!" She shouted inwardly. While her classmates giggled and laugh at her embarrassing exhibit. Her ever so-called "cool and composed" image was crumbling or maybe, it's just only her illusion that she has this said image.
The very strict-looking teacher coughed awkwardly. After her stupid antics, he looked like he was about to laugh at her but clearly restraining himself. "Okay, you may sit down" the rather good looking math teacher spoke.
She could see that jerk Tsukishima Kei was chuckling at the corner. What's wrong with him acting like a brat.
..
After arriving in their small apartment, Hisagi Karen cursed that Jerk-Shima for humiliating her but she dreaded herself more for not being able to save herself from the humiliation. She sighed putting her bag and she changed her clothes after to get ready for her part-time job.
Before leaving the house she glanced at the beautiful woman in the portrait on top of her desk and caressed it with her slim fingers. "Mom, goodbye I'll see you later" she mumbled letting a longing smile tugged at her face.
Her mother died when she was ten years old after suffering in a chronic disease for many years. When her mother was confined in the hospital, they spent a lot of money to pay the bills to the extent that there family were heavily in debt but money doesn't matter as long as her mother was cured, but unfortunately her mother's life ended after three years of her struggle. And the time when her mother passed away, his father went to work abroad to pay their debts. But somewhere deep inside her, she knew that her father went abroad to escape the pain of losing his dear wife. Karen could remember the cries and the loneliness that what painted in her father's face at her mother's lost.
Karen had one sibling, a brother which was five years older than her. Her brother doesn't always stay home. He was in college right now and he stayed in dormitories but from time to time he would visit her to check her out. They were the only siblings after all.
She always thought the every people have their own fair share of drama in their own life. Maybe some people have traumatic and bad experiences in their past or maybe some just hadn't those but eventually as life goes on, there were always be an obstacles and challenges along the way. Life is not only composed of happiness and joy. Sadness, miseries and tragedies happened. But people just need to live the best out of it. People have to move on and face forward to a brighter path of life. People are just humans living in a life, not in a total perfection. It's a person's own choice what to take and do to make things better at their own regard.
She was working in an early night shift nearby her apartment. The owner of the convenient store she was employed was a kind old lady. She was very thankful that she had a nice boss who always consider her short-comings and who would also give her bonus sometimes. Karen was very thankful of that.
"Good evening, Mikami-san" Karen addressed her boss politely as she entered the store.
"Oh, Karen-chan there you are!" the old lady said to her and she was seemingly delighted at her arrival.
"Can you please help me move these boxes? You know Erika-chan was sick today and she couldn't come" she continued as Karen hurriedly complied. The said Erika-chan was her co-worker, so without her presence, Karen have to double her work, not that she minded it. She always wanted to give her best all the time after all.
..
Within ten minutes the clock would hit at nine-thirty and her four hours shift was over and the store would close. Karen had started arranging the shop to prepare to go home. She moved at the counter to check the receipts, looking down as a bundle of music discs suddenly appeared at the top of the counter table.
"Miss, do you have a.." the costumer didn't had the chance to continue.
Noticing her last minute costumer, she looked up and to her horror, she saw the very jerk that humiliated her earlier in the school
She was shocked as well as Tsukishima Kei. Their gaze locked.
A few seconds passed, the tall blond first spoke.
"Are you stalking me?" that was the only words that came out to his sarcastic mouth coolly.
She glared at him. Here he was again, mocking. "Of course not! Obviously I'm working here Jerk-Shima!" she said defensively. What was he doing here of all places? She rarely encountered any schoolmate in this store.
"So.." tilting his head he continued, "you're…poor?" it wasn't a question but she could see that this time he's not mocking her though his statement was clearly very rude. But whatever was that, she didn't let it bother her.
Instead of answering, she let out an exhale.
"So what was you're going to ask again? Hurry we we're closing this shop any minute now." she grabbed the discs in the counter and placed it in a plastic bag. Better not let his rudeness get her skin. She was tired already. She needed a rest.
..
As Hisagi Karen walked heading back home, she noticed that the tall blond was also walking beside her, "Why are you following me?" she inquired as she turned her head to look at the boy. He was so tall that she barely reached his shoulders.
"I should be the one asking you that, my way home is in this direction also Miss Stripes" she made a sour face at his remark, even though she didn't know the direction of his house she knew that he was definitely following her. He could've gone home after he had already bought his discs as she closed the store but instead she noticed that he was standing in the nearby post outside and as soon as she began to walk home, she just found him beside her moving also. What was this jerk plotting now?
Is he scared at night or something? Or is he concerned to a girl walking at night? Worried? She raised an eyebrow. NO, NO, Tsukishima Kei? Concerned? Oh, hell would froze before that miracle even occur.
They continued to walk. The wind was getting chilly but she liked it. The sky was full of sparking stars and the moon, yes the moonlight was best thing the night sky has to offer. She relaxed herself. It was a very serene moment not an awkward one as she initially thought. Slowly, she sneaked a glance to the boy beside her. His ever so trademark earphones was hanging loosely at his slender neck. His face was calm and he's some kinda looked.. well, handsome with the light gush of wind around him, his beautiful eyes looking ahead. Hey, did she just say the words handsome and beautiful? She wanted to choke herself at her insane thoughts.
Not even a single sarcastic snide remarks coming at Tsukishima Kei's mouth until they reached the front of her apartment building.
"Oh, your home looked even more run-down than I imagined!" he spoke mockingly in a bored tone
Yeah, he just came all the way to her house just to ridicule her home. She wanted to whack that big head of his. There she was thinking that he might've had a heart. Idiot Jerk-Shima!
"It's that so, well I hope that a falling meteor would strike your stupid face before you could reach to your house of a mansion, Tsukishima Kei-kun" her tone was deadly and sarcastic as she smiled sweetly to the blond jerk.
"Well, see you tomorrow at school, Miss Stripes" he waved smirking. How he liked name calling at every person that amused him.
She cursed herself for even thinking that this jerk have a bit of concern to her. It was all just damn stupid crap of a thought. Definitely that Tsukishima Kei was just a form of a big ball of an ass. A spawn of satan himself.
-to be continued