[iii]
"Oops! Sorry!" Arisa 'accidentally' pushes Segumi forward, straight into Iwaizumi's chest. The unsuspecting spiky-haired teen manages to catch the brunette by her shoulders. Quickly after, the two broke apart, fumbling like idiots.
"A-Ah, sorry, Iwaizumi-kun!" Segumi stammered, face burning red.
"N-No, it's okay!" Iwaizumi assures, face equally red. Behind him – Matsukawa, Hanamaki, Oikawa – his teammates (and assholes he calls his friends) snicker at him, he sends them a glare. Clearing his throat, in an attempt to seem casual about the situation, he asks (while struggling to meet Segumi in the eye). "A-Are you okay, Tanaka?"
"Yes, I am. Thank you for the concern." She replies, righting her glasses. Iwaizumi works on a smile, cheeks still pink.
Inwardly, Arisa squealed. Really, these two lovebirds were so dense, yet so adorable to look at. If only they could just kiss already!
"Ah, Tanaka-chan, we were just talking about you!" Oikawa blurted, Iwaizumi tenses as he sends a (not-so-obvious) glare at the brunet.
Arisa and Segumi exchanged confused glances, before the latter smiles at the taller brunet. "Oh?"
Noticing his friend's scheme, the ace tries to smack Oikawa, to shut him up, when Hanamaki and Matsukawa restrain him, much to the confusion of Segumi.
"Yup! We were wondering," he started slow, to create tension, cheekily eyeing his best friend – who looked ready to murder him then and there. "if we could possibly share gyms?"
Segumi blinked, as did Arisa. Iwaizumi stopped squirming; Hanamaki and Matsukawa look like they were going to burst. "I mean, as captain of the girls' team, I have to ask your permission if we could since our gym is under maintenance as we speak."
"Is that so?" the brunette hums in thought. "You can, but I have to talk to coach about this though."
The brunet mock sighed. "That's a relief! Thank you, Tanaka-chan!" Oikawa smiled 'gratefully' at her. Segumi was too nice to notice that there were a few tricks up the setter's sleeve, but it was fun to see him jest at his best friend with the girl he likes.
"You're very welcome, Oikawa-kun." Segumi replied, mirroring his smile, except hers, was an innocent and true. "But why ask me though? I know I'm captain, but issues like this should be addressed to the coach."
"We'd love to and all," Hanamaki answered, wrapping an arm around Iwaizumi's shoulders. Matsukawa mirrors his friend, monotonously answering. "But we're scared of Coach Yoshizawa."
Arisa snorted at that. "Really? For guys over six feet, you're scared of a woman in a tracksuit standing just five feet seven?"
As if choreographed, they all stared at her incredulously, the silence speaking for itself.
"Well Yoshizawa, you're her cousin, so it's kind of biased coming from you." Iwaizumi answered, unable to break free from Matsukawa and Hanamaki's hold.
"Plus, we thought we'd let you know first. Coach Yoshizawa can be really intimidating. She isn't called the 'Seijoh's Tigress' for nothing." Oikawa said in a matter of factually. Suddenly, his face lights up. "By the way Tanaka-chan, we heard that you got Arisa-chan to help you during practice?"
At this, Arisa's brows furrowed. It's as if she wasn't there!
"She is, but only until preliminaries." Segumi supplied, nudging her shoulders with the raven-haired teen. "After all, she is busy with her duties in the Press Club." Wordlessly, Arisa lifts her thumb up. "And there are a lot of holes I wish to fill in before I retire."
"You're so cute, Gumi-chan!" cooed Hanamaki at his childhood friend, pinching her cheeks. "Ah, and your hair looks cute today!" he noted her side-bun "That's my Gumi-chan!" Behind him, red returned to the ace's face out of jealousy. Arisa would just love to stay and enjoy poking at the two idiots, but she had somewhere to be.
"Okay, that's enough of that," she swatted the light-haired teen's hands away, allowing Segumi to rub at her cheeks. Hooking her arm around Segumi's, she announced that they were taking their leave now. "It's nice running into you guys, but we have to go."
"Where're you girls off to?" Matsukawa asked.
"Nothing that concerns you, boys," Arisa called over her shoulder as she and Segumi walk away, giggling among themselves.
"Girls are such a handful," Matsukawa notes.
Hanamaki nods in agreement. "Tell me about it, I grew up with them – Gumi-chan included."
"Oi, what's the big idea ganging up on me like that?" Iwaizumi burst angrily at the trio, his glare fixed on Oikawa, who had the gall to act innocent.
Tilting his head cutely, Oikawa smiled. "Oh? But all I asked was for them to share the gym!"
"Technically, Yoshizawa shoved Gumi-chan into Iwaizumi." Hanamaki adds, snickering at Iwaizumi. "My, Hajime-kun, whatever is going through that head of yours?"
Red in the face, Iwaizumi sputtered, Matsukawa and Hanamaki laughing at him. Meanwhile, Oikawa subtly glanced towards the retreating frame of Arisa and Segumi, watching them disappear into a sea of students. Her smile imprinted in his mind, never missing to make his heart skip.
"On your mark, get set, go!"
Arisa dashed, feet padding against the ground, swiftly coursing through the lane, the rest of the girls slacking behind her. Reaching the end line, sweating profusely, she lifts her shirts to wipe the sweat off. Their PE professor looked at his stopwatch, nodding before jotting notes on his clipboard.
"Not a bad time, Yoshizawa."
Arisa nods, grabbing a towel, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
"Too bad you didn't join any sports club, eh?"
She shook her head, disinterested. "If I do that, then it'll eat my precious leisure time."
A few girls were slowly coming in, panting, some on their knees, catching their breath. Scribbling some notes on his clipboard, the professor says with a slight smile. "Didn't stop you before."
Arisa shrugged, walking off towards the sink as their professor calls for the next group. Seeing that Segumi at the starting line, she waved, the brunette waved back.
Turning the tap, cool water gushed out; she watched the water flow, splattering against the tiles, before scooping a handful and splashing it all over her face. She did this several times, allowing water to cool her body. Scooping another cup, she brought it her mouth, relishing in the cool water running down her throat.
Satisfied, she turned the tap off, drying her face with her towel.
Deciding to head back, despite the background noise of students and whistle rings, Arisa's ears perked at the sound of giggling and hushed whispering.
"Toru-kun, don't!" came a girlish voice.
Her feet paused on its steps, blood running cold.
"Ah, Yuriko-chan's ticklish?"
She didn't mean to, but she saw them behind the building, fooling off. The chocolate brown-haired volleyball captain with one of his fans, a voluptuous girl with luscious dyed hair. Thankfully, they were too busy with each other to even notice her.
"Toru-kun, you're such a naughty boy," she says, wrapping her arms around his neck, finely manicured fingers gripping unto his hair. "what if we get caught?" her gaze carnal, voice soothing.
Chuckling, Oikawa leaned in, pushing her body against the wall as he held her chin. "Didn't stop you before, Yuriko-chan~"
And then, the two kissed – heatedly, with a bit of tongue. Disgusted, Arisa walked away, the image burning in her head, hating how it kind of hurt. She didn't know why she even watched the whole thing, why she even bothered.
Honestly, it's not the first time she happened upon it. Since their break-up, Oikawa's become extremely flirty with his fans, entertaining them in any way.
Somehow, it was like a slap to her face. After all, she was one of the many girls he had – she was the first. And that hurt.
"Yo Arisa."
Seeing a familiar brunette in front of her, she forced her mind to forget the earlier scene and greeted her friend. "Yo back at you."
Sitting next to her, she noticed a group of boys huddling over. "What's up with them?" A loud cheer broke out, a few giving out high-fives while the rest focused on whatever they were looking at. Arisa could only pick up words like, 'let's go!' 'seconds left!' before coming to a conclusion. "Oh right, eastern conference finals."
"Hm?" Segumi tilts her head in confusion.
"NBA." Arisa tells her, picking up her water jug. "American basketball."
"Ah, so that's why. Oda-kun took out his phone the moment he finished his laps, and it should make sense since he's in the basketball team."
"Phones aren't allowed in class, right?" Arisa raised a brow, turning to the group. Beyond them, students were still running laps – she could see Iwaizumi outrunning Hanamaki and Matsukawa with ease. (The look on Hanamaki's face was priceless)
"That's true," Segumi agreed, pulling her heels towards her pelvis, pressing her soles together, back straight. "but boys will be boys."
Arisa shot her friend a look, before rolling her eyes at her good-naturedly. "Always the optimist." Segumi merely smiled.
"By the way, I wanted to ask, how's the assignment for the sports coverage?"
She bit her lip, crossing her outstretched legs, tapping at her shoes. "Well–"
"Hey Yoshizawa!" someone called, cutting her off. Arisa twisted her head, meeting a smiling Sagara Katsuo, captain of the basketball team. "Couldn't help but hear you mention the eastern conference."
"Just barely," she muttered under her breath, something he didn't catch on, settling to lean back on her arms. Her brunette friend gave her a look, as if telling her to play nice.
"So I was wondering who's your bet?"
"Warriors, only because they've got good plays this season." She answered directly.
Sagara nodded, still smiling at her. "Smart choice, y'know, with Curry, Love, playing."
Arisa nods politely, avoiding his eyes that seem to appraise her. "I know, but Cavalier looks like a tough team to beat." At that, the boys burst again into cheers. She didn't want to be rude to the guy but she had to. She had to shoot down his chances as much as she can, because she clearly wasn't interested.
It was no secret that the basketball captain likes her, and he wasn't exactly being discreet about it. But Arisa didn't feel the same way.
Thankfully, the professor yells for Sagara, who makes his excuse, as he runs towards the track. With Sagara gone, Arisa sighed in relief. Segumi gave her a sympathetic look.
"The usual," she tells Segumi, finally answering her question in the middle of stretching routine, her chest almost brushing against the ground. The brunette turns to her, glasses slipping off her nose, before breaking into a grin.
As much as she hated being around her ex, it couldn't be helped as she was a photojournalist and editor for the school newspaper specializing in sports.
Most of the time, her editor-in-chief and moderator assign her to the volleyball team, much to Arisa's chagrin. Not that it couldn't be helped, the volleyball club has quite the reputation as one of the top teams in the prefecture.
She'd like to blame her parents for her upbringing – her dad, who used to be athlete in his younger years, and her mom, for wanting her daughter to stay fit and healthy – for all those summer sports clinics she attended as a kid. She lived for the thrill of the game, the kick of adrenaline in her veins, for stories of victories to be shared and told, which is why she took up photography. She knew she shouldn't complain, but it still seemed like a tall order.
"Studying already?" a familiar voice asked. Looking up, she was met with a russet pair of eyes belonging to a familiar ace.
"Hajime," she greeted rather loudly, earning a warning from the librarian. "Sorry," she called, turning back to the male. "Ah, yeah. Physics." She said simply, showing her textbook. "I suck at it, apparently. Which is ironic, considering that I'm in a college prep class."
"You need any help?"
Not only was Iwaizumi athletic, but he was also smart, a fact many tend to overlook. He was in a college prep class as well and excelled greatly in science and mathematics.
"I'm good, Segumi's tutoring me. In turn, I have to help her with her English" Suddenly an idea struck her. "I don't see your usual cahoots."
He merely grunted. "Got away from them when an opportunity came. Plus, I need to work on my homework, Physics, too." Chance!
"Well, if that's the case, want to sit with us?"
Scratching the back of his neck, the tall teen gave it a thought.
Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes-
"Sure, why not."
There was no escaping the light tint of pink on his cheeks, or the twitch of his lips to prevent the smile on his face, instead, he tried to look nonchalant. Arisa couldn't fault him and lead the way.
As they turned a corner by the periodicals, Arisa could see her best friend. Sitting just by the window was Segumi, who took off and wiped her glasses before putting them back on. "Arisa, you made it!" the brunette greeted with a smile, noticing that she wasn't alone – and realizing who it was, her smile grew. "and you brought Iwaizumi-kun." She bowed slightly to him.
"H-Hi Tanaka," The ace fidgeted, shifting foot to foot, a small tinge of pink on his tanned skin. "H-Hope I'm not intruding."
"No, please join us."
Arisa takes her seat next to her best friend, Iwaizumi settling to sit across them.
As they settled into their seats, Arisa noted a swift change between the two. In a quick second, their awkwardness was gone as they both began to help Arisa with her homework and the lesson – Segumi explaining the problem and Iwaizumi supporting her. It was too much. They were being helpful, but they were just too cute!
Iwaizumi seemed more than happy around them, most especially around Segumi – he even complimented Segumi's braid bun, which fascinated him as a guy. Every once in a while, he was stealing glances at her best friend; Segumi was too focused on her work to notice. (He wasn't very discreet. But Arisa was polite enough not to disrupt him)
Seeing that the two were hitting off, and finished with her homework and tutoring, she excused herself that she was going to get a book, flashing a quick wink to Segumi.
Well, not really an excuse, since she's been meaning to look more into the library's amazing collection of traditional photography, but she wanted to give the two time.
Arisa frowned at the looming corner of the Social Sciences and Humanities section, where the books about photography were found, seeing how dust lingered. "What a waste," she muttered, shoulders slumped. Reading the backbones, she reached for Setting Sun: Writings by Japanese Photographers, wiping the dust on its cover. Flipping to the back page, she read the borrower's card, seeing names of previous borrowers in the past years, but one name stood out – Ibara Jigou.
She closes the book, bringing it to her chest. A soft smile crossed her features along with memories of her childhood. Arisa hugged the book even as she stood up, mentally noting that she should update her godfather/mentor on her progress.
Reaching their table, Arisa found that there were three more people at their table, a sour expression on Iwaizumi's face as if frustrated at the presence of the three newcomers. Segumi, on the other hand, seemed alright, helping Hanamaki and Matsukawa with their homework, while Oikawa was 'blissfully' listens. Annoyed with the presence of the three, ruining what good chance between her sweet best friend and the volleyball ace, she all but sighed, walking along to her seat.
"Yo Yoshizawa!" Hanamaki greeted, lifting a hand as a greeting. "Sorry for barging in like this, but I needed help with my homework! And Gumi-chan's the only person I know who can help me!"
"And Iwaizumi." Matsukawa added, shifting his eyes to the spiky-haired teen, who grunts in response.
"No problem at all," she forced a smile on. "but how did you know we were here?"
"Simple: this is Yoshizawa's favorite spot!"
Now that made her confused, she didn't really tell people about her preference sitting by the window.
"And where Arisa-chan is, Tanaka-chan is there as well!" Oikawa says cheerily.
A loud shush resounded, causing the teens to duck their heads, quieting down.
Seeing as Hanamaki stole her spot, and the only available seat was right next to Oikawa, almost made Arisa want to question their real motives. Both Hanamaki and Matsukawa were like foxes – sly and mischievous. They were the epitome of the phrase, 'double trouble'.
But instead of questioning, she quietly took her seat next to the brunet. She wasn't even surprised to find her things neatly set in front of her. Oikawa smiles at her, she simply nods.
"Oh? What's that you got there, Arisa-chan?" her seatmate asked curiously, peering over her shoulder.
"Just a photo book," she explained, putting her things in her bag. "and a bit of research."
Oikawa hummed, pulling back.
Sneaking a glance at Segumi, she looked unperturbed, but that was her default state, the girl had the patience of a saint. She patiently helped with Hanamaki and Matsukawa, Iwaizumi helping every once in a while. Oikawa would too, but not before explaining to it wrong that Iwaizumi had to smack him in the head.
Flipping her book open, Arisa lost herself to the photos – to the details, the lighting, and the story behind them. She took note of the techniques used – from lighting, camera angling, pose, and its composition. She was drawn to the photos, the smallest detail of the technique used.
"…Arisa was just telling me about Aoba Johsai's mascot." Segumi's sweet voice resounded, Arisa perked up at the sound of her name, momentarily forgetting her book.
"Mascot?" the ace tilts his head, the raven-haired teen shrugs.
"Do we even have a mascot?" asked Matsukawa.
"That's what I was thinking," Arisa couldn't help herself. "I know the school means 'west of Aoba castle', but it also means it's related to plants."
"Wow, Yoshizawa thought hard on this." Iwaizumi noted, leaning against his hand.
"Yeah, and with that in mind, I thought what if our school mascot could be Mother Earth or Poison Ivy from Batman. Then I got myself thinking, Segumi could be Poison Ivy and I could be Mother Earth."At that, Hanamaki and Matsukawa shared a look with Oikawa, erupting into snickers.
"W-Wha-?" Red colored Iwaizumi's face as inappropriate thoughts began to fill his head, of his crush donning Poison Ivy's skimpy attire, showing off too much skin and her good physique. Segumi's face burned red while the three were snickering in their seats.
Suddenly, Arisa's phone suddenly rang – the librarian angrily, loudly shushes – she quickly takes her phone from her pocket, surprised to see Tobio's mom calling. "Oh, excuse me, let me just take this call."
Walking away from their table, Arisa scurries to the nonfiction section. "Hello, Auntie?"
"Arisa-chan! Thank goodness!" came her Aunt's voice, sounding exasperated, breathless, enough to make her worry.
"Is everything alright?"
"Everything's fine, dear! It's just that," on the other line, the woman sighs, a heavy one at that. "we have a situation, dear. Toshio has a meeting to attend to over the weekend in Tokyo, and I have this big event to cater to." She sounded really stressed, something that wasn't good for her health.
Arisa could imagine the woman biting her nails; she always did that when she was nervous. Tobio's parents were busy people, and his mother was particularly clingy to her only son. His (over)doting mother refuses to leave her son alone.
"I know it's asking much, but can you please watch over him over the weekend?" she asked, practically begging.
"This weekend?" she asked, mentally checking her plans. Seeing that she had nothing planned, she tells her aunt, "Of course I will, auntie."
She hears her sigh in relief. "Thank you so much dear, I knew I could always count on you."
Arisa says with a short laugh. "You're welcome."
A few minutes later, she was back to their table.
The next day, Arisa and Segumi were at the mall. Because she promised to help out, Arisa had to buy some sports gear; she didn't want to borrow from Segumi all the time. And as much as she could use her stuff from middle school, they just couldn't fit her anymore.
Together, they entered a branded sports shop, browsing for a good few minutes – especially for shoes. Every once in a while, her face soured at the price of each item they came across with (thankfully, she has savings and her parents, grandfather and godfather love her).
"I'm so happy that you decided to help us, Arisa!" Segumi was practically bouncing, her Gundam keychain bouncing from her bag. "And on behalf of the team, I thank you!"
"You're lucky I do this for free," she skims through shirts, nudging the brunette's shoulder. "And because of the circumstances – Etsuko-nee's pregnant, you're the captain." She side-eyes her friend.
"Like I said, I didn't think I'd be captain!" she berates, playing with the ends of her hair of which she let loose after practice. "And for Coach to be pregnant, it's amazing! But…"
"But?" she repeats, putting back a neon bright shirt.
"I hear pregnant women can be cranky due to hormones and knowing Coach Yoshizawa's usual disposition…I'm worried for the team, especially the underclassmen." Segumi's voice was soft, trembling at the last bit.
Arisa's expression softened. "See, that's why you're fit to be captain," she looks at her, she looks back. "you put the team before yourself, their welfare is your topmost priority, which is also why you asked for my help."
"I guess…"
"Plus! the team trusts you, so that should speak plenty of why you were the best choice as captain."
Her brunette friend sighed. Letting her words sink, Segumi's lips slowly upturned, grateful.
"There's that smile!"
Eventually, they finish up shopping (Arisa, mostly), leaving the store the two began to exchange strategies and plays they could use during practice. As a middle blocker, Segumi was keen on working on the team's defense. Arisa second on that, stating that from the bottom-up, the receives should be worked on heavily.
"So long as you keep the ball from falling to the ground," she explained, plucking foundation from the display. "it's all that matters to keep the game playing."
"Now that I think about it, your strategy is similar to Nekoma's." Both Arisa and Segumi have never seen the said team in person, but have heard of their play style – solid receives and flexibility, both were Arisa's strongest suit. "Given the circumstances, you would've been perfect to attend that school."
Arisa's face scrunched a bit. "Meh, Tokyo's too far. Plus, city life's pretty suffocating if you ask me." She puts the foundation on the basket, watching as Segumi eyes the makeup on display. "And I quit playing, remember?"
"That's true," she hummed, tucking loose strands of chestnut hair behind her ear.
"By the way, won't Naoki and Haruki mind you coming home a bit late?"
"Don't worry, I've already told them ahead of time. Plus, I also told them I won't be home for dinner." Finally deciding on a light pink lip balm, she turns to her friend. "Also, they're old enough to cook for themselves. I can't always be the one they depend on."
"Well, aren't you big sister of the year?" they giggle before browsing to more make up. "Another reason you're fit to be captain."
On their way towards the exit, they happened upon a 50% off sale on makeup. Remembering that her stash was running low, she decided to do a bit more of shopping. Also, it was a sale.
"Well, if it isn't Gumi-chan and Arisa-chan!" a voice boomed behind them, wrapping an arm around their shoulders.
"Takahiro-kun!" Segumi turned to her childhood friend, surprised at the sight of him. Behind him were his usual cahoots – Matsukawa, Iwaizumi and Oikawa. Iwaizumi, in particular, was staring hard at Segumi. Oikawa has his eyes glued on to his phone.
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, breaking free from the wing spiker's hold, arms crossed.
"Eh, Oikawa said he had to buy something." He replies, offhandedly – earning a miffed reaction from his captain. Dropping his gaze on their basket, he notes their purchase. "Nice purchase, but you might want to consider buying a face mask while you're at it. Since you look like you need it, no offense."
"None taken." She replies, fetching for a face mask.
"Eyeliner's great and all, but if you really want your eyes to pop, you go for mascara." The teen furthers, taking a mascara brand, two of it, and drops it in the basket. "You're welcome."
The corner of her lips curling, staring at the light brown teen incredulously. "I'm surprised Hanamaki-san knows a thing or two about makeup and skincare."
"Heh, easy, my family owns a salon. And my big sis's a make-up artist; I pick up a thing or two."
"That must've worked on the ladies."
He shrugs, tightening his hold on his childhood friend. "Some and some think I'm gay for it." Matsukawa chortles. Turning to his captain, he tells him, "You're welcome, by the way."
Oikawa raises his thumb, humming happily. "I once tried to get Iwa-chan into it, but he thinks it's not manly enough and still, he ends up so flawless!" Iwaizumi rolls his eyes at his friend.
Discreetly, Hanamaki leans in to whisper, "Spoiler alert: Iwaizumi does face masks, just to humor his little sister. But don't tell him I told you!" Arisa laughs quietly, promising him with a wink.
After shopping, the group grabs ramen for dinner – Arisa salivating at the thought of beef ramyun. Hanamaki conveniently sandwiches his childhood friend and Iwaizumi, while Arisa sits between Matsukawa and Oikawa. The latter, she noticed, was no longer glued to his phone.
Standing in the gym, dressed in her new sports attire (from the bottom to the top), Arisa chewed her lower lip as her cousin explains the upcoming Inter-High Preliminaries. Much was to be expected, and a lot was at stake especially for third years. Coach Yoshizawa all but bluntly laid out that practice will be especially brutal (which is always, for the upperclassmen) if they want to make it to nationals. It might be the hormones speaking, but Arisa could be wrong.
Tilting her head back a bit, she eyed her cousin's stomach – flat. Figures, since she was just over four weeks when she announced her condition. Already, she was anticipating the crankiness from her usually stern cousin.
"Uh, some of you may have already known me, but for those who don't, I'm Yoshizawa Arisa, third year from class six. Yes, I'm related to coach." At this, the coach lifts her hand without looking her way. "And I'll be assisting the team for the practice games. I'll be in your care." She smiled that killer smile of hers (unknowingly), and already, more than half of the team loves her.
First order of business was fixing the team's sloppy receives. She had the regulars receive her serves. So far, it was Hinagiku, Segumi and Kaede who showed promise. The rest, not so much. The next few hours of practice were spent having them perfecting their receives.
For the following days, it was practice receives one day, and then practice serves the other. And like her cousin promised, practice was brutal. She only appeared thrice a week, having her own club activities to attend to, which in turn, wasn't that brutal.
She almost forgot how tiring it was to be in the sports club – having to attend both morning and afternoon practice – but at the same time, forgot how exhilarating it was. Hopefully, the practice will pay off during preliminaries. Arisa thanked the high heavens that they only asked her now to help them with the volleyball team.
Come Friday, Arisa couldn't be any happier; she had been looking forward to the weekend (as was every student)!
She decides to drop by Karasuno to pick Tobio up – who in turn, was overjoyed at the sight of his cousin – just as they were about to start their practice match with the Karasuno Neighborhood Association where she meets two other members of the team – Azumane and Nishinoya. She also met Coach Ukai – younger and a bit of a punk, a stark contrast to the fearless coach she was expecting and told from the stories of Tobio.
"Who's this?" Coach Ukai asked, pointing his thumb at her.
Bowing slightly, she introduced herself. "Good evening, my name is Arisa Yoshizawa, third year from Aoba Johsai and Kageyama Tobio's cousin. I apologize for intruding, but I hope you'll allow me to stay a while since I'll be watching my cousin for the weekend."
The blond man waved her off, telling her it was fine. Meeting their manager's gaze, she greeted her with a slight smile and bow – she received the gesture in turn. She did the same with Professor Takeda.
"Arisa-san!" she jumped as two second years – Tanaka, she knew, the other, Nishinoya – greeted her, her bag in their hands. "We'll take your bags for you!"
"A-Ah…thanks."
Sitting on the benches, Arisa could see that the two members – Azumane and Nishinoya, were definitely pieces that were missing in the team – extra offense and defense. She could definitely see them making at the preliminaries. They were a delight to watch.
Unsurprisingly, it was easy to be around with everyone – especially Sugawara. He was just so nice, and gentle, and warm.
The two second years – Tanaka and Nishinoya, fawned over her a bit too much, making her uncomfortable. Thankfully, their captain, Sawamura, warded them off and apologized. Over a short period of time, she got to know the team a little, picking from their little quirks and noisy streak.
From there, her friendship with the team grew, most especially with a particular vice-captain.
Everyone in Karasuno was welcoming, warm; it made her happy and relieved to know that Tobio was in good hands, that he was making friends.
Arisa woke up, realizing it was way too early as the skies were dark outside. In addition, as she took in her surroundings, she had to remind herself that she was in Torono, her childhood town, not Aoba-ku. Reading the time from the clock across her, she cursed – it was the wee hours before dawn.
Hopping out of bed, she heads towards the toilet, splashing cold water on her face. Going back to the room, her eyes shifted on the calendar next to the wall clock, staring at it for a good second.
She then decides to take a jog, thankful to have packed her sports attire. Just before she leaves, she picks her camera.
Quietly leaving the house, the purple sky above her that littered with leftover stars seemed like a fair home greeting. Limbering, she enjoyed the familiar burn of her muscles, the cool morning air in her lungs, more so as she began to run.
As a kid, she used to run around the streets of Torono with Tobio and Takeru. Although the latter was physically weak, he never slacked behind and was usually assisted either by her or Tobio. There were fond memories of each place she passed by.
She almost forgot how much she loved this part of town, the steep roads, the cool air – she missed it.
Reaching the top of the hill, she stopped and admired the view, just in time to see the sun rise. She takes her camera and captures the moment. A sigh breaks out of her lips, watching as the skies paint orange – the beginning to a new day.
A lot was going through her mind – all of them important to her being as a person, but right now, just seeing the sun rise, faintly feeling the warmth of a new day – she found that nothing mattered more than this moment.
A new dawn. A new day. A new life.
Taking a deep exhale, Arisa then takes her phone, snaps one last shot of the sunrise before turning to leave. But she slams into something hard, her camera slipping off hands. Thankfully, a large hand captures it.
"I'm sorry." A deep voice says.
"No, it's okay." She looks up, meeting hard amber orbs, a familiar pair of amber orbs from a sturdy, stoic-looking teen. Realization clicks. "Ushijima Wakatoshi."
Said teen cocks a brow, studying the female in front of her before familiarization dawns over him. "Yoshizawa Arisa."
She nods. "Fancy meeting you here." He was dressed in a track suit, something which shouldn't surprise her.
He hums, "My sentiments, exactly." Stiffly, he hands her camera back.
"Thank you, Ushijima-san." She takes her camera from him and tucks it in her bag. Arisa nods at him, taking her leave when Ushijima calls out to her.
"You've stopped playing volleyball?"
Ah, always the blunt one. "I have for three years now." She says, looking over her shoulder.
He fixes his stare at her; something flickers in those hardened eyes of his as if trying to decipher her. "That's a waste, especially when you had so much potential."
She shrugged, kicking the dust from her feet. "That's what everyone told me. If you're going to lecture me on how much volleyball could've done more for me, you're three years too late."
Silence. His amber orbs hard on her grey-blue ones. "You're not prideful, you never were. But it was a waste."
Those words, the last time she's heard it, it was in middle school. Many mourned over her early retirement, even tried to persuade her to stay. "It was." Kicking off dirt, she meets his gaze, smiling softly. "But I don't regret leaving."
His expression doesn't change, but his posture seems to relax. A slight nod and soft were all she got, meaning he understood, just barely.
"Well then, see you later, Ushijima-san."
A/N: Before anything else, yes, it's just been a week, but I've already written the outline and everything. All that's left is to fill in the holes. AND, this fic's been bugging me, and I sorta like this fic. So expect maybe quick updates.
For argument's sake: Arisa calls people by their first name if she's comfortable/really good friends with them. If not, she either adds -san or -kun. She's polite in her special way. (for more details about her, check my dA)
Yes, too much of the Seijoh dorks (that's what I call them) because I wanted to establish the kind of relationship Arisa has with them. And this is to prep up for the drama about to ensue. (Obviously, the prelim games)
Yes, Aoba-ku is a real place. I had to research on that (and was curious really). This fic took a lot of research, really. I haven't been writing for a while.
Thank you for all who liked, followed and reviewed! It means a lot to me, really.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT
