Chapter 10
Akaashi sighed and massaged his neck as he walked down the street after dropping off Tobio at school, his fingers digging into the muscles along the spine. He had been practicing so much that his neck had gone stiff, the muscles sore and inflamed.
Ever since his late night talk with Bokuto, he had been practicing almost nonstop. Bokuto had rejuvenated him with positive energy and motivation, giving him the push he needed to work hard for the upcoming audition. He felt that he could do it as long as Bokuto was by his side.
Akaashi walked to the familiar coffee shop that he and Bokuto had frequented and opened the door with a small hiss, a spark of pain shooting up his arm and making his neck spasm. He sighed as he reached up to knead the spot again. He wondered if he should lay off some of his practicing.
"Ah, hello, Akaashi-san!"
Akaashi tilted up his head to look see the regular barista working at the counter, her chipper smile bright on her face as usual. He stepped up to the counter, putting on a smile.
"Good morning," he greeted back.
"What can I get for you today?" she asked, ready to punch in the order on the register.
"Just the usual latte, please," Akaashi said.
"Coming right up!" she said, punching in the numbers. "You know, I was surprised to see you this morning. I thought Bokuto-san was bringing you a coffee or something."
Akaashi tilted his head at her as he handed her the money. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, he came by this morning to pick up a coffee," the barista said, looking thoughtful.
Akaashi blinked at her as he took the receipt. "A coffee…?"
The barista nodded. "Yeah. He doesn't drink coffee so I thought that maybe he had ordered one for you. But I guess it was for himself…"
Akaashi quirked a brow. "What kind of coffee was it?"
"Just a black coffee," the barista said as she put her hands on her hips.
Akaashi made a face. "That's way too bitter for him."
"That's what I tried to tell him! But he didn't listen to me," the barista said, pointing a finger up in the air. She folded her arms across her chest and sighed, her face falling slightly. "Although, he was looking a bit worn out, so I didn't press it."
"Worn out?" Akaashi asked, furrowing his brow.
"Mmn," she hummed sadly, turning away to grab a to-go cup. "I've seen these moods come and go with him sometimes. He must be in some sort of funk."
Akaashi furrowed his brows, trying to remember if he had even seen Bokuto that morning when he dropped off Tobio at Fukudoroni. Now that he thought about it, he was so preoccupied with his schedule that he did not stop by the gym.
He would have to call Bokuto during lunch.
"Akaashi-san! Your latte is ready!"
Akaashi snapped out of his thoughts and glanced up to see the barista holding up his latte in his to-go cup. He lurched forward and quickly grabbed it, bowing his head at her in thanks.
As he turned to leave, his distracted mind almost made him run into the customer coming in the door. He stuttered to a halt and backed up a step, eyeing his latte to make sure it did not fall out of his grasp. The customer was quick to spill out apologies.
"Ah, sorry, I wasn't—Akaashi?"
The familiar voice made Akaashi snap his head up from his cup. He blinked in surprise.
"Konoha-san?" Akaashi said, straightening his back.
Konoha smiled wide and reached out to clasp Akaashi on the shoulder.
"Whoa, man! It's been a while!" he greeted. "How've you been?"
Akaashi smiled, not having realized how much he had missed talking with this annoying chatterbox. Konoha was the only one who was nice to him at the music hall, after all.
"I've been okay. How about you, Konoha-san?" Akaashi asked.
Konoha's smile turned a bit sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head, his fingers ruffling his blond hair.
"Ah, it's been a little… strained… since you left," he said with a nervous laugh.
Akaashi felt his eyebrow twitch, a drop of sweat gliding down his neck.
"Oh, is that so?" Akaashi said, not really sure if he wanted to know any details. He was sure that his father was livid after he stormed out, especially since Bokuto was there to throw his arrogance back in his face.
"Yeah. We haven't gotten the parts for Act III of the opera because we still don't have an orchestra librarian," Konoha explained. He paled and gave Akaashi a tense smile. "Mori-san is…"
"Stressed?" Akaashi wondered.
"Pissed," Konoha corrected. "He even let us have the day off today so he could try to get the work done himself."
Akaashi winced, his face growing apologetic. Konoha laughed and clapped Akaashi's shoulder encouragingly.
"Don't look like that, Akaashi!" Konoha said, smiling widely. "You wanted to do something else so you did something else! Nothing to feel bad about."
Akaashi sighed and reached up with his free hand to rub his sore shoulder from Konoha's endless slapping. He glanced down at the ground sadly.
"While that's true, I didn't mean to make a mess of things," Akaashi said.
"Akaashi, it's not a big deal," Konoha said. He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. "I mean… it was sudden. But that doesn't mean it was a disaster."
Akaashi wasn't convinced.
"Right…" he mumbled.
"A-Anyway, what are you up to? Was there a better job out there for you, or something?" Konoha said, quickly changing the subject.
Akaashi perked up at that, lifting his gaze to meet Konoha's eyes.
"Oh, I'm actually practicing to audition for a violin spot in a different orchestra," Akaashi said, the words spilling out of him before he could even think.
Konoha's brows rose and his jaw dropped. "For real?! A violin spot?"
Akaashi smiled at his enthusiasm and nodded. "Mmn. I've been practicing for a while."
"Wow! That's impressive!" Konoha said, thoroughly impressed. "When's the audition?"
Akaashi fiddled with the edge of his coffee lid. "The first round is next month."
"That's great!" Konoha said. "Wow, I hope you do well, Akaashi!"
He slapped Akaashi's shoulder one last time, almost making him stumble. Akaashi smiled at him, thankful for his kind words. He felt his chest buzzing with excitement, sending tingles down to his fingers.
"Yeah. I really hope so, too," Akaashi agreed.
"Well, I won't hold you up. I'm sure you've got lots of practicing to do," Konoha said, moving inside the doorway to let Akaashi through. "But hey! Keep me updated on how the audition goes."
Akaashi nodded as he made his way out. "I will."
He waved off Konoha and walked out of the coffee shop, a spring in his step. He felt refreshed and motivated after hearing Konoha's words, and he was ready to get back to practicing at home.
As he turned the corner that led down the street towards his apartment complex, he took tentative sips of his latte. The steaming liquid hit his tongue and he winced at the heat, not expecting the latte to still be hot after his long conversation with Konoha. He glanced down at the cup, glaring at it as if it personally offended him, and the shop's logo caught his eye.
"Although, he was looking a bit worn out, so I didn't press it."
Akaashi twisted his lips, thinking back on the barista's comment. With his other hand, he dug into his pocket to grab his phone and he searched until he found Bokuto's number. He hit the green button and lifted the phone up to his ear, waiting patiently as he listened to the robotic ring.
"The person you have reached is currently unavailable or out of service…"
Akaashi took the phone from his ear and stared at with furrowed brows. It was unlike Bokuto to ignore a call. Maybe he was busy?
Akaashi sighed and ended the call, putting the phone back in his pocket.
He would have to try again later.
WHAP!
How long has he been hurting himself?
WHAP!
Has he been doing it since we've been friends?
WHAP!
…Have I been a reason he's hurt himself?
WHAP!
What if I have been a reason?
What if Akaashi is upset at me?
What if Akaashi tries to kill himself again?
WHAP!
"Bo?"
WHAP!
"Bokuto?"
WHAP!
"Oi, oi, Bokuto! Slow down!"
Bokuto stuttered to a halt, panting and huffing as he barely landed on his feet. He whipped his head around and made himself dizzy, stumbling backward.
"Bokuto!"
Two arms reached out and grabbed his shoulders, steadying him. The gym spun for a moment before settling, the ceiling lights and a mop of black, messy hair coming into view. He blinked and squinted at the man in front of him as his vision cleared.
"Kuroo?" Bokuto asked, standing on his own.
Kuroo still clung to his shoulders, his fingers digging into his sweaty practice shirt. Kuroo was wearing his normal dress shirt with a tie, his standard for teaching. Bokuto always made fun of him for having to wear it, but he always pulled it off so effortlessly.
"Dude, second period is already over. Don't tell me you've been in here since the morning practice," Kuroo said.
Bokuto blinked at him, and then he craned his head to look at the clock on the wall. Once he read the hands behind the protective bars, he glanced back to Kuroo.
"I, uh… Maybe?" Bokuto said, not even trying to smile.
Kuroo furrowed his brows, releasing one of Bokuto's shoulders but keeping his other hand on him.
"Bo, are you in one of your moods again?" Kuroo asked.
Bokuto stared at him, his face scrunching up. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean," Kuroo said, his brows lowering. "You're acting just like you did when our team lost in college."
Bokuto huffed, moving out of Kuroo's grip to grab one of the stray volleyballs on the ground.
"I'm fine," Bokuto said, facing him but not looking at him. "Just a little tired is all."
"Ah, so that's why you're wearing your hair down today?" Kuroo said, folding his arms across his chest.
Bokuto startled, his hands dropping the volleyball and reaching up to card through his loose locks. He felt all the blood drain out of his face as he realized he had put no gel in his hair that morning.
"Oh… Is that why the team was looking at me funny this morning?" Bokuto wondered aloud.
"It was probably because your mood is all over the place," Kuroo said, leaning over to pick up the volleyball that Bokuto had dropped.
Bokuto pouted a little and ruffled his two-toned hair, huffing like a child. Kuroo just leveled him with the same, stern look. He held the ball under his arm and placed his other hand on his hip.
"Now, are you gonna tell me what's going on? Or are you gonna pout for the rest of the day?" Kuroo asked.
Bokuto paused, lowering his gaze to the ground to ponder his options. He knew that the longer he put it off, the worse the mood he would be in later. Kuroo had always been there to help smooth his moods over, but it did not always work. And Bokuto knew that.
And Bokuto also knew that if he blabbed Akaashi's life story, Kuroo would know everything. And he did not want to break Akaashi's trust.
"It's… It's really personal," Bokuto said.
Kuroo's face softened. "Like how personal?"
Bokuto sighed, scratching his limp hair. He huffed in agitation at feeling his hair so loose and folded his arms across his chest.
"It's just… I have a friend who's sad. And I don't know how to make things better," Bokuto said. "I want to make them happy, but I… I'm nervous that I'm the reason he's sad."
Kuroo quirked a brow. "Why would you make him sad?"
Bokuto ran his hands down his face and groaned.
"I don't know! Because I'm annoying or something?" Bokuto said, exasperated.
Kuroo sighed softly and approached him. "Bo, you're not annoying. You're excitable. But not annoying."
Bokuto peeked in between his fingers, seeing Kuroo's smug face. He sighed and dropped his hands from his face.
"Then what am I supposed to do? I want to make things easier on him," Bokuto said.
Kuroo smiled softly, his eyes crinkling like they usually did when he was relaxed.
"Well, the first thing you can do is not wear yourself out," Kuroo said, walking close to him. He flung an arm around Bokuto's shoulder. "And, secondly, I think you know what makes Akaashi happy."
Bokuto startled, his shoulders jumping underneath Kuroo's arm.
"W-Wha— How did you know it was Akaashi?!" Bokuto asked.
"Bro, you've been following after him every day like a lost puppy for the past month," Kuroo said. He feigned a hurt face. "I feel like I've been replaced."
Bokuto straightened his back, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull.
"Never, dude! You're still my best bro!" Bokuto said. "B-But… Akaashi, he—"
"Oh, gimme a break! I'm just messing with you," Kuroo said. "I know you're good buds with him, too. I can share, I guess."
Kuroo took his arm from Bokuto's neck and placed the volleyball in the nearby cart. He placed a hand on his hip and faced Bokuto, a smile on his face but a crease folded in between his brows.
"Now, no more practicing this morning, all right?" Kuroo asked.
Bokuto sighed, his shoulders visibly sagging, and he nodded. Kuroo chuckled, the crease disappearing, and he saluted Bokuto before turning to leave the gym.
Bokuto watched him go, waiting until the click of the door to finally start moving. He picked up all of the stray volleyballs and put them all away, closing the storage room door with a dull thud. He sighed, hanging his head as he left the gym to wander to the teacher's lounge. He was starving since all he had to consume that morning was coffee. And he didn't even finish it.
It was a poor choice on his part, really. He never should have taken Kuroo's suggestion to try it.
He shuffled down the hallway, his hands in his pockets, and passed by the kindergarten classes. The classes were exceptionally noisy at this hour, and Bokuto stopped in front of Shouyou's class to see what the commotion was.
The students were gathered at their tables to eat their mid-morning snack. Several of the kids were grouped together, showing each other their crackers and drinks. Shouyou was talking animatedly to a group of students, his eyes sparkling and his mouth, of course, full of crackers. His nose was still bruised from the incident the other day, but he acted as if it did not bother him. He just continued to spit out crumbs with every word.
Bokuto shook his head fondly at the boy and couldn't help but smile. He was just so adorable when he was excited. Bokuto turned his head to the other tables, observing the kids, but stopped at a certain table in the corner.
Tobio was sitting by himself at a table. An empty milk box rested in front of him, but his crackers were left untouched.
Bokuto frowned, his brows scrunching up. What was wrong? Was Tobio still upset? He seemed fine by the time he left their apartment the other night…
"Oh! Hello, Bokuto!"
Bokuto jumped as Suga appeared out of nowhere. He put a hand to his chest and smiled softly.
"O-Oh, Suga-san! Good morning," Bokuto greeted.
Suga smiled brightly as he normally did and pointed to his hair. "Trying a new look?"
Bokuto reached up and tugged on a loose strand. "Oh, no. I just forgot to put gel in it today."
"Ah, I see. Well, are you here to see Shouyou? It's perfect timing since it's their snack time," Suga said.
Bokuto shook his head. "No, no. I don't want to rile him up."
He paused, his eyes gazing over to Tobio's seat. The boy was still sitting by himself, his eyes now glaring at his empty milk box.
"Actually… I was wondering if Tobio was in time-out or something?" Bokuto said, pointing to the boy in the corner.
Suga cast a glance back at Tobio and then faced Bokuto, a sad smile on his face.
"Ah. No, he's not in time-out," Suga said. "He usually hangs out with Shouyou, but it seems that they're not speaking today."
Bokuto frowned. "So, Tobio doesn't have anyone else to hang out with?"
Suga shrugged, his smile slipping. "None of the other kids want to talk to him. They tell me that his face is scary."
Bokuto rubbed the back of his neck. He could understand that, but if the kids would just talk to him, they would see that he's not scary at all. He was just a kid.
"That's… rough," Bokuto said.
"Mmn. I've been sitting with him during the play times so he doesn't feel lonely. But other than that, I don't know what to do," Suga said with a sigh. He folded his arms across his chest and glanced back into the classroom.
Bokuto twisted his lips, looking back to Tobio. He watched as the boy pushed his crackers to the side and glanced over to Shouyou, his blue eyes shiny and red.
"Um," Bokuto started, moving a few steps back from the doorway and grabbing Suga's attention. "Do you think I could talk to Tobio? Just for a minute."
Suga made a thoughtful face but nodded, turning back into the classroom. He called Tobio over, the boy startling at his seat. Tobio's lips wobbled as he walked to the door, looking a bit fearful, but his eyes softened into surprise when he saw Bokuto just outside the door.
"Bokuto-san wanted to talk to you," Suga said. He nodded to Bokuto and walked back inside the classroom to talk with the other students.
Bokuto smiled softly and crouched down next to Tobio.
"Hey, little man. What's going on? Why are you sitting by yourself?" Bokuto asked.
Tobio pouted and lowered his gaze to look at the floor. "No one wanted to sit with me."
"Not even Shouyou?" Bokuto asked with a wince.
Tobio's pout turned into a sad frown as he shook his head. His hands grabbed fistfuls of his pants, wrinkling the material.
"I don't think we're friends anymore," Tobio said, his voice small and squeaky.
Bokuto felt his chest squeeze, the pain radiating down to his sternum and gut. He remembered Akaashi telling him one day that Tobio had never had a friend before. It was something that had always concerned Akaashi, the poor man worrying over the state of his son's loneliness.
Bokuto frowned. He just wanted them both to be all right. They had been through so much in such a short amount of time.
"I think you know what makes Akaashi happy."
As Kuroo's voice echoed in Bokuto's mind, a thought came to mind.
He looked at Tobio, feeling a weird fluttering in his stomach.
"Hey, Tobio. Do you like meat buns?"
Akaashi set the ball up into the air for the student to spike and immediately felt a twinge of pain in his neck. He cringed as the ball wobbled a bit as it soared into the air, but the spiker managed to hit it, stuttering to a stop next to the net before he could touch it. The ball flew out of bounds and bounced against the back wall.
Akaashi lifted up a hand to him. "Sorry. That was my mistake."
The spiker smiled timidly and shook his head. "No, no! It's all right! I'm sure it was mine. My run-up wasn't timed right."
Akaashi cocked a brow at him, watching as he rushed to the back of the line with the rest of the team. The players were all uptight around him today, being extra polite yet jittery.
And Akaashi knew the exact reason why.
"Hey, hey! Akaashi is setting those perfectly! Make sure your form is right!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Bokuto was acting… strangely.
Akaashi had felt it the moment he had walked into the gym. Bokuto was already inside, practicing intense serves that ricocheted off of the far wall and sent balls flying. His hair was a mess and his eyes had bags under them, showing obvious signs of stress.
He had witnessed Bokuto's strange moods before, but it was nothing like this. It was as if Bokuto was a ball of stress that was ready to explode.
And his behavior only got worse as practice carried on—especially if a player even remotely disrespected Akaashi.
"C'mon! Do it again! And this time, make it a straight!" Bokuto hollered to a third year.
"Yes!"
Akaashi sighed, his limbs suddenly feeling heavy. He had no clue what was stressing Bokuto out, but he hoped he could find a way to resolve it soon.
He turned his head over to the side of the gym, where his other worries lied.
Shouyou was passing a volleyball back and forth with the team's manager, his eyes bright and his nose still bruised.
And Tobio stood by himself on the sidelines, a ball in his hands and a pitiful look on his face.
Akaashi sighed again and tried working out the kink in his neck. It seemed that Tobio and Shouyou were not on speaking terms. And seeing that hurt. Shouyou was Tobio's first friend.
There was just too much for Akaashi to handle right now. He wondered if talking to Tobio that night about his mother actually helped.
"So… where is she now?" Tobio had asked after Akaashi explained how they met.
"Ah. She went to go work in a different country," Akaashi answered truthfully.
Tobio stared at the picture in his hands, his blue eyes focused and razor sharp. He blinked a few times and bit his lip.
"She moved?" Tobio asked.
"Mmn," Akaashi hummed. "She couldn't take you with her, so I decided to take care of you."
"…Oh."
He was oddly quiet after that and did not bring it up again. And ever since then, he had been subdued and unenthusiastic. He did not even mention volleyball, which was a new hobby for him.
And now he was alone.
"Akaashi! What's wrong?"
Akaashi jumped, turning around to come face-to-face with golden eyes. He stumbled back a step, the crick in his neck worsening.
"Ah, Bokuto-san," he said. "What do you mean?"
Bokuto pointed to his neck. "Your neck. You've been rubbing it a lot. Are you okay?"
Akaashi stilled in his massage and rested his hand on his shoulder. He twisted his lips and stood up straighter.
"It's nothing much. Just stress, I think," Akaashi said.
Bokuto winced, frowning hard. "Oh. Sorry. Can I do anything to help?"
Akaashi sighed through his nose and shook his head. Bokuto's anxiety was only adding to his own.
"No, not really," Akaashi said, turning his gaze back to Tobio in the corner. "There's just… been a lot going on."
Bokuto hummed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you… worried about Tobio?"
Akaashi whipped his head around so fast that his neck twinged with pain again, and he lifted a hand to rub the same spot.
"Ah! S-Sorry!" Bokuto apologized, waving his hands around frantically.
"I'm fine, Bokuto-san," Akaashi said. He dropped his hand, unable to work out what felt like a massive lump on his cervical spine. "And I suppose I am a bit worried. He and Shouyou… Ever since their fight, they've been…"
"Not talking?" Bokuto finished.
"Yeah," Akaashi said.
They both turned at the sound of a stray volleyball bouncing along the sidelines, rolling to a stop at Tobio's feet. A mop of orange hair bounded to the ball, skidding to a halt in front of Tobio. The two boys met each other's eyes for a moment, their faces neutral, before Shouyou picked up the ball and rushed back to the team's manager without a word. Tobio's lip trembled as he squeezed his volleyball close to his chest, looking more lost than before.
"He seemed real close to Shouyou. And he feels bad for what happened between them," Akaashi explained, remembering the long conversation they had that evening. "But Tobio just doesn't know how to apologize. He doesn't know how to make it go back to how things were."
Akaashi watched as his son plopped down on the floor next to the wall and watched the team play, the volleyball still pressed to his stomach.
"I just… don't know how to make things better for him," Akaashi said.
Beside him, Bokuto folded his hands across his chest and paused, his teeth gnawing on his lip.
"I, uh… I may have an idea," Bokuto said, unusually timid.
Akaashi tore his gaze away from Tobio to stare at the quiet coach, his floppy two-toned hair falling into his eyes. He tilted his head at the man, wondering where this unsure behavior was coming from.
"What do you have in mind?" Akaashi asked, resting a hand on his hip.
Bokuto smiled, the first smile Akaashi had seen on him all day.
"Wanna go to the park?"
Bokuto twirled the volleyball in his hands, focusing on how the colors swirled together with each spin. The ball distracted him from the three silent bodies that followed behind him. Akaashi and Tobio were at their normal level of quietness, but even Shouyou was silent.
Bokuto breathed through his nose nervously, his breath stuttered and shallow. He could feel a drop of sweat glide down the back of his neck.
He hoped his idea worked.
And it didn't hurt that he had a bag of warm meat buns under his arm.
"So, Tobio, Shouyou," Bokuto started, turned his head to look back at the two boys. They were standing as far away from each other as they could. "Are you guys excited to learn how to set and spike with each other?"
Shouyou and Tobio exchanged glances, and then pointedly looked away from each other, neither one of them answering.
Akaashi's face pulled into a wince and Bokuto internally panicked. He just had to fix this problem, he just had to.
"I think they can do it, right, Akaashi?" Bokuto asked, looking to his friend.
Akaashi's face relaxed, his eyes locked on Bokuto's face.
"They've been practicing enough. I think they can do it if they work together," Akaashi said, a small smile on his face.
Bokuto stared at that smile, ready to smile back—
"I hate myself."
Bokuto released a shuddering breath, hearing Akaashi's words echoing in his mind. He wondered if Akaashi still felt that way, right now, as he walked towards the beautiful park.
Do you, Akaashi? Do you still think that way even with a smile on your face? Bokuto wondered.
"Bokuto-san," Akaashi called, ripping Bokuto from his spiraling panic. "Are we almost there?"
"O-Oh! Yeah, this way, this way!" Bokuto said, turning at the corner.
They walked one more block and then turned into the park where the grass began. Bokuto craned his neck to see Shouyou and Tobio looking around, their mouths open and their eyes sparkling. Akaashi even looked more relaxed. It brought a smile to Bokuto's face.
One little victory at a time. He could do this.
"Okay! This looks like a good spot!" Bokuto said, coming to a stop near a tree. He set down the bag next to the trunk of the tree and then turned around, holding up the volleyball in one hand. "Okay. So you guys are going to learn how to set and spike with each other!"
Shouyou and Tobio jumped, blinking up at Bokuto as they processed his words. Shouyou was the first to open his mouth.
"But I wanna spike with you!" Shouyou protested.
"And I can set and spike all by myself!" Tobio said.
Akaashi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, and Bokuto knew that he had to act fast if he wanted to take this stress from his friend's shoulders.
Bokuto tucked the ball under his arm and lowered his brow at them.
"Both of you are wrong!" Bokuto bellowed, making the two boys shut their mouths. He pointed to Shouyou. "You can spike with me all day long, but if you don't have a setter, you won't be able to spike at all!"
Shouyou frowned sadly, his hands gripping his shirt. Bokuto ignored the look on his face and turned to Tobio, pointing at him next.
"And you can't set and spike by yourself! The same person can't hit the ball twice in a row!" Bokuto said.
Tobio pouted, his brows pinching together out of frustration. But he didn't protest, and Bokuto knew that he had understood.
"So you guys are going to practice together. Starting now," Bokuto said. He pushed the ball into Tobio's hands. "Now, show us what you've learned about being a setter."
Tobio glanced down at the ball and then up to Akaashi, looking a bit worried. But Akaashi nodded at him encouragingly.
"Go ahead, Tobio," Akaashi said.
Tobio swallowed, but nodded. He lifted the ball up and above his head, and tried to set the ball into the air. The ball wobbled and went up in an uneven arc, falling to the ground a few steps away.
"Hey, that wasn't bad!" Bokuto said, smiling as he picked up the ball. "But can you make it go higher?"
Tobio nodded, taking the ball back from Bokuto's hands. He tried again, making the ball go high up in the air in a pretty arc, landing a few steps away. Bokuto smiled and grabbed the ball.
"That was good! Now don't forget what you just did, okay?" Bokuto said to Tobio, eliciting a silent nod from the boy. Bokuto then turned to Shouyou. "Now then. You show me a good spike."
Shouyou nodded, sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as he bent his knees, ready to run. Bokuto nodded at him and then tossed the ball into the air, about the same height as Tobio's toss. Shouyou ran up and, with his eyes closed, he swung in the air, missing the ball completely. The ball dropped and fell on his head, making him squeak.
"Oi, oi! What did I tell you about closing your eyes?" Bokuto said.
Shouyou rubbed the top of his head and looked up at Bokuto. "Um… don't do it?"
"Exactly!" Bokuto said, picking up the ball. "Here. Akaashi and I will show you how it's done."
He looked to Akaashi, his friend nodding back at him. Bokuto tossed the ball in the air and Akaashi moved underneath of it, moving his hands up in the air. The ball fell right onto his fingertips and he pushed the ball into the air.
Bokuto smirked. Akaashi's tosses were always perfect.
Bokuto leapt into the air, his back arching and his left arm going forward as he right arm reared back. As soon as the ball was in perfect position, Bokuto flung his right arm forward, hitting the ball at a steep angle and making it smack against the grass.
"Uwah!"
"Wow!"
The two boys were both in awe, their hands curled into excited fists and their jaws dropped.
Bokuto landed on his feet with ease and smiled at Akaashi, giving him a thumbs-up. Akaashi smiled back, returning the gesture.
"Okay!" Bokuto said, hurrying to grab the ball and rush back to the boys' sides. "Now it's your turn."
Shouyou and Tobio jolted and then looked at each other with worried glances.
"But what if we can't do it?" Shouyou asked.
"You will," Bokuto said, handing the redhead the ball. "Now, toss it to Tobio."
Shouyou hesitated for a moment, taking a few steps back and looking at Tobio with apprehension. But he took a deep breath and nodded to the other boy.
"Okay! Here it comes!" Shouyou said. Tobio bent his knees in response.
Shouyou tossed the ball into the air, and Tobio put his hands up to receive it. The ball connected with his fingertips and he pushed it into the air, the ball wobbling slightly. Shouyou jumped, his eyes still closed, and missed the ball.
"Do it again," Bokuto said, putting his hands on his hips.
The two boys took deep breaths, moving back into their positions to try again.
They repeated the process and received the same result.
"Again!" Bokuto said.
They tried again, Shouyou jumping too early this time.
"Again!" Bokuto called.
A third time, and Shouyou managed to touch the ball with his fingers, but it wasn't a solid spike.
"Again!"
They tried ten different times, each time getting closer and closer to the goal but not quite reaching that satisfying connection.
"Okay, I want you guys to think of something different," Bokuto said. "Tobio, I want you to imagine Shouyou before he even jumps. How high should the ball be? Where do you think the ball should go so that Shouyou can reach it?"
Tobio blinked at him, taking in his words. He looked and Shouyou and then up into the air, his brows furrowing in concentration.
"And Shouyou," Bokuto said, turning to the other boy. "This time, I need you to jump higher and keep your eyes open."
"But I forget sometimes," Shouyou said.
"I know you do. But I need you to picture that there is a net. And that there are people on the other side of that net," Bokuto said. "Can you do that?"
He saw the gears turning in Shouyou's mind as he nodded furiously. Bokuto hummed and gave Shouyou the ball.
"Now, do it again. And this time, concentrate!" Bokuto said.
Shouyou stuck his tongue out, staring at Tobio who was looking back at him with sharp, wide eyes. He tossed the ball into the air.
"Picture the spiker, Tobio! See where he needs to go!" Bokuto coached.
Tobio breathed out and then moved under the ball, his blue eyes wide as the ball landed perfectly against his fingers. He pushed the ball into the air, his hair flopping away from his forehead.
Bokuto's heart leapt. For a split second, Tobio looked just like Akaashi.
The ball flew into a nice arc in the air. It was high, and ready for Shouyou.
"Keep your eyes open!" Bokuto said. "See the net! See your opponents and beat them!"
Shouyou ran forward and jumped, higher than he ever had before, startling Bokuto a little. How could a five-year-old jump that high?
Shouyou had his eyes shut only for a second before he popped them open, his eyes wide as the ball started to descend. He reared his arm back, just as Bokuto had taught him, and he slammed his arm forward.
Ah. There it was.
That satisfying smack.
Shouyou landed on his feet but his momentum kept him going until he fell face-first into the grass. But he immediately popped his head up to watch the ball.
The ball flew to the ground and bounced towards the tree, rolling to a stop.
It was silent for a moment, the boys staring at the ball in awe.
Then, they turned to each other.
And screamed.
"Why didn't you do that sooner?!" Tobio asked, his blue eyes shining from excitement.
Shouyou jumped to his feet and pointed to Tobio. "How in the world can you toss like that? How are you so good at this?! You're so amazing! Amazing!"
"Ehh?! Y-You dummy! I… that's!"
Bokuto smiled, placing his hands firmly on his hips. He knew they could do it. And once they had it, he knew that the two could become friends again.
Then, he heard a sound. It was a small, sound that resembled a cough.
He turned his head to see Akaashi covering his mouth with his fist. A smile hid behind his hand.
Akaashi was laughing.
Laughing.
Bokuto's smile widened and he hurled himself at Akaashi, flinging an arm around Akaashi's neck.
"Akaashi! I told you they could do it!" Bokuto said.
Akaashi smiled, laughing at him. "Yeah. You were right, Bokuto-san."
Bokuto beamed.
"Hey, hey! Let's do it again!" Shouyou yelled.
"Okay, fine! But don't mess it up!" Tobio said.
"I won't! Just toss!"
Bokuto released Akaashi's neck and hurried over to the tree where the meat buns still sat.
"Hey, guys! Time for a break! Come get some meat buns!" Bokuto said.
The boys screamed again, rushing over to grab a wrapped bun from Bokuto's hands. They bit into the meat buns and hummed, Shouyou trying to speak with his mouth full. Tobio seemed to understand, his head nodding in agreement.
It was amazing how food and volleyball could bring these two knuckleheads together again.
"Bokuto-san."
Bokuto turned, a meat bun coming into view. He looked up to see Akaashi handing him a meat bun.
"Good work, Coach," Akaashi said.
His smile was genuine, and the crease in between his brows had smoothed out. His shoulders were relaxed and his hands weren't fidgeting.
He looked at peace.
Bokuto took the meat bun from him, smiling brightly.
"Thanks, Akaashi!"
"Huh? Akaashi is doing what?"
"He's auditioning! Auditioning for a spot in an orchestra!"
"What orchestra?"
Konoha twirled his mallets in his fingers and then pointed towards the back wall of the stage.
"I think it's that orchestra down the street," Konoha explained. "The other one based in Tokyo."
His fellow percussionists scratched their heads, their jaws going slack with shock.
"I can't believe he's trying out for that spot," one musician said.
"Yeah, doesn't his dad own this place?" the other said. "I bet he's not too happy about it."
Konoha shrugged. "All I know is that he said he's been practicing nonstop. I told him to keep me updated on how the audition goes."
"When is the audition?" one asked.
"Mmm… I think he said the first round is next month," Konoha answered.
"Next month? Wow, it's coming up really fast."
"Yeah, Konoha. You'll have to keep us updated on how he does, too!"
Konoha laughed. "Of course, of course!" He put up a hand. "But maybe we shouldn't spread it around. Especially to Mori-san."
"Yeah, sure. I won't say anything!"
"Yeah, same!"
"Thanks, guys. So, have you guys practiced the part for rehearsal today?"
"Huh? You mean Act III? Not yet, ha…"
"What? Guys, Mori-san…"
"…Guys, Mori-san is going to kill you!"
"Don't remind me, Konoha! I already know this!"
"Ha! Just grab your parts and I'll help you right now!"
Just outside the door to the stage, Akaashi Kyosuke leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest.
And he was livid.