Crowns aren't made of rhinestones or diamonds. They are made of jewels of character; discipline, determination and the dedication to push through, even during the darkest days.
ooo
The stadium was packed to the brim as the audience cheered on their favored teams. The commentators kept up with the plays, explicitly describing the players as they rallied the volleyball. Everyone could feel the buzz of the court, even those sitting high in the stands. It was a 'edge-of-your-seat' moment. Families chatted amongst each other as they watched the female teams down on the court, friends looked at the ferocity with awe, and the various other volleyball teams that were watching couldn't help but mutter along with the game as it was played out. Purple banners streamed in the air, yellow signs being waved back and forth the cheering teams as both the student populations of Itachiyama and Shiratorizawa battled, both on the court and in the stands.
Down on the court though, oh, that was another story. If the audience was a buzz, the court was a blaze. In each female, a fire raged inside. Each of them was deep in their game, playing as if their life depended on it. Quite frankly, it looked like it did, for it was the last set of the game. The deciding set.
The four sets were grueling. Sure, Shiratorizawa's time at Itachiyama's training camp was hell, but this felt much worse. Training camp was a place to learn and improve. The official court, this court, was a place to put everything that had been practiced into play. Each set dragged on for what seemed forever, both teams growing weary from the long rallies that went back and forth.
Kagome's service aces helped the Shiratorizawa team, but Itachiyama's blockers were better than Shiratorizawa, giving them the opportunities to gain their lost points. The thuds against the ground as the ball managed to evade the blockers and libero, the pained looks when the other team couldn't stop a service ace.
It was hard to tell who would win the game, when both teams looked like they had a solid chance at taking the championship. But they were only four sets in, both teams having won two each; Shiratorizawa the first, then two consecutive wins from Itachiyama, followed by another from Shiratorizawa.
This meant that the winner of the Spring Interhigh Nationals depended on the team that took the last set - the hardest set of the match. Most people think the first set is the hardest as the players are testing their boundaries and learning to pick up on the other team's habits.
No, they'd be wrong. The last set is the hardest, for it is when the players are the most exhausted, both physically and mentally. It is the set that will define an important moment in their life, where they were either crowned champions or became the runner-up team. It is the set that requires the most dedication and strongest patience.
Despite all that, Kagome was losing her patience rather fast. Not at the game itself, more like the parasite attached to her wrist. If her eyes could shoot fire, the maximum wrist support brace would have long burned away. After having been forced to put it on yesterday, Kagome wasn't given much time to practice with the brace. She would have liked to have taken it off before the game started, but Sango threatened to have the Coach pull her out of the game. That couldn't happen. Not after everything she had gone through. She had poured her blood, sweat and tears into getting here on this court.
"Kagome, over here!" Snapping her head up, Kagome moved, adjusting to the ball's trajectory in the air and tossed it over to Rin. It was a beautiful spike, Kagome had to admit. Not that it did much good when Itachiyama's libero picked it right back up.
"Don't mind!" Sango slapped Rin's back as they prepared for the attack from the other side. It was really odd to see. From her position on the back line, Kagome had a perfect view of the court, so she was able to see her teammates interactions with each other. It was always odd to see Sango and Rin not arguing. They would try to keep their arguments out of the court, but the occasional one popped out during their breaks. But today was a different story. It was almost as if they were in complete sync, a set of twins. They may be spikers on opposite sides of the court, yet their ability to cover for each other was top notch.
"Brace!" Mirai yelled as the ball came spiking over, both her and another teammate jumping to block the spike. The ball careened into their arms, bouncing right off and into Itachiyama's court, landing Shiratorizawa at 10-12. Kagome panted, bracing her hands on her knees as she looked at the score board. It was close. Itachiyama only needed three points to win. Kagome looked down to the support brace that was on her wrist. It was getting in the way. It must have been a miracle or something that got them this far without having lost to Itachiyama. But Kagome knew that if she wanted to win, wanted her team to take the championship, she would need full flexibility of her wrist.
It was her turn to serve. Looking once more at her wrist, she knew that if she didn't do it now, she would regret this moment for the rest of her life. Grabbing the straps of the support brace, Kagome teared it off her wrist, doing the same with the medical tape.
ooo
"What is she doing?" Lev yelled in horror as he watched Kagome take off the only source of support for her fragile wrist, ignoring the questioning looks his teammates were giving him.
"Why is she taking that off? That's supposed to help her." Hinata whispered in a loud voice to Lev, who had been sitting next to him.
"Is that a support brace? I've seen one of those before." Kageyama asked, looking at the item. He had seen something like this before, only it was a knee injury, and the man was Oikawa himself.
"Look. Her wrist, it's purple!" Tanaka blurted out, dragging the teams' attention to the state of Kagome's wrist. They may not have the best vision, being in the stands, but they were in the front rows of the audience. With Shiratorizawa right in front of them and Kagome on the base line, her wrist was in their view.
"What's going on? Is Shirabu-san hurt?" Nishinoya asked, giving his senpai's a questioning look.
"I don't know. Hinata, do you know something?" Sugawara asked the young middle blocker. Hinata's face pinched into an indescribable look before turning away from his senpai, replying with a no.
"Shoyo, you obviously know something. What's going on?" Nishinoya tried again.
"I can't say. I promised." Hinata replied before curling into a ball in his chair.
"It has to be some sort of injury. Look at the purple swelling. She must have pushed herself to hard." Beside his teammate, Bokuto couldn't help but grimace, knowing that what Komi had said was true. It was an injury. An old injury that was flaring up again.
ooo
"What are you doing?" Kagome caught the ball that was sent her way before looking in the angry eyes of her vice-captain.
"Doing what it takes to get this set." Kagome replied as she spun the ball in her hand.
"It won't matter if you can't play anymore Kagome. Don't you see that!" If Sango could, she would have yelled, so she settled for snapping loudly.
"It won't matter if I don't play with everything I have." Kagome replied, giving Sango a look of anguish.
"Sango, look at my wrist. You know the reality of my volleyball career." Sango's face was pale. "I will not let this moment be one of my regrets. I don't want to regret not playing with full flexibility of my wrist." Sango couldn't argue with her. Kagome was stubborn to a fault.
"You'll never be able to play again. The team can always win at Nationals next year. Is winning here really worth that much?" Both of them knew the state of her wrist. With the training and constant playing during the tournament, Kagome's wrist didn't have enough time to heal from each growing pain. It had come to the point where they didn't know whether she would be able to use her hand properly after the match, seeing as Kagome wouldn't let herself get benched.
"It's worth more than you know." Kagome smiled. Sango went to argue but the referee blew the whistle, signaling for Kagome to serve. Kagome spun the ball in her hand, letting her wrists move elegantly with the ball it danced on her fingertips.
Volleyball may have been her sole goal in life before the accident. But now, it would be the last moments of that lifetime, in which she could honor everything the people around her had done for her during her darkest days.
Fulfilling her promise to Oikawa and Iwaizumi to take nationals. Thanking them for everything that they did for her after her surgery and accelerated high school life.
Making sure that her brother and his teammates knew that Shiratorizawa was strong and that all their efforts to get to Nationals weren't in vain. Thanking them for getting her to open out of her cold shell and becoming a close-knit family. Thanking her twin for being there, even when they argued and screamed terrible things at each other.
Showing her parents that she had done it. Thanking them for forgiving her after everything she had done to them.
To the friends on her team and the other teams in Tokyo that had managed to enter her personal bubble. Thanking them for reaching out, making sure that she was included in all their games such as truth or dare, which led to another set of nosy friends.
And most of all, showing her parents that she had done it, that she had overcome her fears and was taking a step forwards. Thanking them for forgiving her after everything she had done to them.
Kagome tossed the ball in the air and jumped, almost flying in the air before letting her hand slam against the ball. An echo of the ball dropping on the other side of the court rang through the stadium, sending the crowd into a roar of applause as she pulled off yet another service ace.
"You did it!" Mirai reached over and patted Kagome on the back, waiting while Itachiyama shifted positions. The scoreboard now read 11-12. Only three more points, Kagome thought as she took hold of another ball. Looking across the court, she saw the expressions on the Itachiyama players. Hunger.
"I can do this." Kagome thought, knowing that it was going to be a bitch to deal with until the game ended. She may have trained herself to serve with her right hand, but her strongest serves would always come from her left. Shaking her wrist, she tossed the ball in the with her left hand, letting it soar through the air. It was scary, running and jumping towards the ball, knowing the agony that would follow afterwards. Kagome felt like running. But a quick glace down at her teammates gave her the strength. She saw their hands behind the backs, each of them, holding a thumbs up to support her. From across the stands, she could see her friends from Seijou cheering her on, but the look on Oikawa's face was grim when he saw her left-hand swing back. He stood up and yelled, telling her not to do it, but it was too late.
The pain was immeasurable. But it was worth it. Amongst the ringing in her ears, she could faintly hear the crowd cheering. Kagome felt hands wrap around her as they spoke to her, but all she could hear was the pulsing of her blood. And then came the blinding stab. Kagome stumbled, clutching her wrist to her chest as she heaved in and out.
"Kagome. Kagome!" Sango yelled at her and Kagome nodded, showing that she could hear them just fine.
"Just a little more painful than I thought." Kagome replied. She could see the pained looks on her teammates faces.
"Do you need to sit out?" Mirai asked and Kagome shook her head. "I'm not leaving now. We'll take this set."
They could see the tremble in her arm, but it was the steel of her voice that brought them together. Itachiyama's libero was able to pick up Kagome's next serve, starting another long rally. Points were scored by both sides, dragging the final moments of the game on longer.
Kagome's wrist felt heavy, the pain constantly spiking as she used her hands to set the ball to her teammates, but she gritted her teeth and pushed through it. As subtly as they could, Kagome's teammates supported her to take the pressure off her wrist, making sure that she didn't collapse to the floor.
"Give it to me!" Kagome heard her teammate yell and tossed the ball in her way. The ball was blocked by Itachiyama but luckily Sango managed to slide her foot, propping the ball into the air, long enough for their libero to hit the ball high in the air. It was a high toss, giving the girls enough time to get into their positions. This was it, that final moment.
"Final formation!" Sango yelled and with that, all the players but the libero raced forwards. It was thrilling, using a formation that their school wasn't known for. Shiratorizawa was about strength and powering through, not using practical tactics such as Karasuno or long-spanned plans like Nekoma. But the girls knew that if they were going to beat Itachiyama, they would need a play that the other team wouldn't expect.
The stadium was silent as the girls jumped up one by one, some higher than others. It wasn't clear who was going to hit the ball, but when it was, it was too late. Kagome's left hand was already connecting with the ball's face, sending it spiraling to the other side. The ball collided with the corner of the court, and everyone waited for the whistle blow.
Two short shrills followed by a long triumphant one. Kagome dropped to her knees in shock. They had done it. They had actually done it. All of a sudden, she was tackled on all sides by her teammates as the stadium erupted with sound.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, our new champions of the Spring Interhigh Nationals, Shiratorizawa!" Purple and white confetti was shot into the air along with streamers, covering the air in the colors of the winning team.
"We won. We won!" Sango cried into Kagome's neck and Kagome nodded, a bright smile stretched on her lips. The pain was nothing compared to the burst of happiness in her chest. She had done it, Kagome thought, as a bittersweet smile momentarily flashed on her face.
This was it. Her last moments on the court. She wanted to cry, but it wasn't the place to. Knowing that she shouldn't dwell on her injury, she conjured a grin and hugged her teammates as they piled on top of each other.
ooo
Kagome felt drained. The award ceremony and the after party that her team had at a local restaurant had taken every bit of energy out of her. Upon her leaving the stadium with her team, they were accosted by many other teams all wishing them congratulations. Both Oikawa gave her in a hug, Iwaizumi with an arm around her shoulder seeing as Oikawa took up most of the room. Both thanked her for getting the championship for them. She cringed, remembering the feeling of the snot that Oikawa left on her shirt after crying.
Then she was smothered in a hug by Tendo and left to the warm congratulations of her brother and his team, who were leaving that night along with Seijou back to Miyagi. Both Bokuto and Akaashi came to give their good wishes before leaving early and Kagome didn't blame them. She may have won, but they lost their match. Hinata came along with a few of the Nekoma players, bright smile and teeth shining as he congratulated her on her win.
And then there was her doctor's appointment that Sango had taken her to. Many of her friends were getting ready for their trip back in a little while, knowing they would have to be up early tomorrow for classes. Some were napping, others horsing around with each other. Kagome, on the other hand, decided to take a walk, her head still echoing with what her doctor had said to her.
"You pushed yourself hard, didn't you Kagome-sama?" Saito-ishi said, giving her a stern look as he took her now dark purple wrist in his hand. Kagome winced at the contact, at which the doctor apologized, before gently touching it in various places where she had gotten surgery previously. Saito-ishi gave her a reprimanding look. He was used to her going above and beyond but sometimes that ended up at the cost of something to her. But this was nothing like he had imagined.
"Come with me. We'll have to get an MRI and X-ray." Sango waited in the office while Kagome went and got the MRI done. She sat with her arm in the machine, hearing the loud whirrs as it took pictures of her wrist. Once the results were up, Saito-ishi sent them to his computer before helping Kagome out of the machine, making sure that her arm was secure in a blanket before walking her back to his office.
"Would you like your friend to stay with you while I tell you the results." Kagome turned her head to look at Sango and the girl nodded. Bowing to the doctor, Sango stepped out of the room, leaving Kagome to hear her results.
"First let me explain the images." Saito-ishi turned his computer around so that Kagome could see black and white images of her wrist on the screen. "This right here is where you previously got your surgery. Now, that area, along with the areas surrounding it are currently inflamed from the stress that you have put it under."
Kagome watched as he clicked a few buttons, this time, a picture of her bones appearing. She may not be a doctor, but she could tell when something wasn't right. Once again, he explained to her what was going on, that the previously repaired bones had cracks that had formed in a few of them.
"Kagome-sama, may I be honest with you?" Kagome nodded. Saito-ishi took a breath, collecting his thoughts before folding his arms and laying them on his desk.
"You will need surgery again." Kagome's heart plummeted. "Your wrist is barely keeping itself together. We will have to implant thin metal rods in your wrist to keep the bone's stable."
"Metal rods? I didn't have that previously." Kagome replied.
"That was because it was your first injury to these bones." Saito-ishi said, pointing to the bones. "However, this time, it is a new injury on the repaired bones. Because your injury was so devastating, your wrist is in a fragile state right now. You will need metal rods permanently in your wrist to make sure that the bones are stable."
"Can I use my left wrist after this?" Kagome asked. The look on his face wasn't promising.
"After months of therapy, it may possible. However, it is also possible that the surgery might not give you back mobility." Saito-ishi said.
"I guess it's safe to assume that my volleyball career is over." Kagome replied in a hoarse voice. Saito-ishi nodded his head solemnly. She knew it was inevitable. But seeing her doctor nod nailed the fact into her head.
"When will I need the surgery done by?" Kagome asked.
"As soon as possible if you want the highest chance of using your wrist again." Saito-ishi replied. Kagome opened her phone to look at her calendar. Her schedule was busy, but now, she could scratch out practice seeing as she couldn't go anyways.
"Book it for next Friday evening." Saito-ishi gave her a concerned look.
"Are you sure you don't need to discuss it with your brother and grandmother?" Kagome shook her head.
"I'll inform them about it." Kagome replied.
"Very well. I will see you next week Kagome-sama." Saito-ishi handed her a few pamphlets, along with prescriptions of medication that she would need to pick up.
Kagome managed to stumble and reach a bench in a park, collapsing onto it. The place wasn't far from Nekoma or Fukurodani, being in between the two schools. After leaving her doctor's appointment, she told Sango that she was going to take a walk to clear her head. Sango let her go, only with the promise that she would be back thirty minutes before the bus had to leave.
Kagome knew she was going to tell the Coach what happened, and by doing so, the whole team would know that she would soon be undergoing surgery.
She managed to tell her brother about the appointment without breaking down in tears. She told him what the doctor said and the surgery the upcoming weekend. He consoled her, spoke softly with her, promising her that they would talk more when she came home. His team would know for sure as well as her childhood friends. They would be the first people that Shirabu told. Kagome didn't know if she could tell Oikawa and Iwaizumi without crying. They would blame it on themselves, when the real fault laid in her.
Everything hurt inside her. It hurt to breath, to think, to feel. Her left wrist was ruined. For now, it was secured in a soft brace, with a large plastic brace around it. After that, it was slid through and put in a sling that was tied around her neck.
Kagome wasn't sure when she had pulled out her phone, but she had ended up hitting the call button on one of her contacts. Her breaths were coming out rapidly, unable to control herself with deep breathing.
"Milaya?" Arisa. Oh, thank gods it was Arisa that she had called.
"Arisa… Arisa… I need you… can't breathe…" Kagome managed to stutter into the phone. She knew the elder could hear her hoarse, rapid breathing.
"Where are you?" Kagome looked around her, telling Arisa that she was in a park near China Town.
"Stay on the phone with me okay. I'm coming." Kagome heard Arisa talking to someone else but honestly, she couldn't care. She hunched over, phone still in hand. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest.
"Milaya, you still there?" Arisa's voice came through the phone, and Kagome replied with a yes.
"Okay, tell me five things that you can see in the park." Kagome looked up, her chest still heaving as she managed to point a few things out.
"Trees… People... A dog... Flowers… Grass…" Kagome replied.
"Now tell me four things that you can touch." Kagome set her phone in her lap and touched the bench.
"Uh a bench… my jacket… my phone…" Kagome choked, her breaths a little slower than they were before as Arisa coaxed her into saying the last one. "My leggings."
"Three things you can hear Milaya." Again, Kagome could hear shuffling and muttering on the other side of the phone, but she was more focused on her list.
"You… the wind… crickets." Kagome said, fisting her hand then releasing, gaining more control over her body.
"Two things you can smell." Kagome was breathing too fast for that. Arisa heard it and told her to think of things that one would smell in a park. Doing so, Kagome's breathing managed to slow down enough for her to take in the smell of pine and Chinese food.
"Now, this the last one. Tell me one thing that you can taste." Arisa told her.
"Sushi." Kagome said, inhaling and exhaling softly.
"Are you feeling better now?" Arisa asked and Kagome said yes.
"I'm almost there so just hang tight Milaya. Stay with me." Kagome leaned her head back on the bench, staring up at the bare tree above her. Small buds were blooming on its branches, hints of green leaves starting to branch out.
Kagome couldn't remember for how much time she had been sitting there. Arisa constantly talked to Kagome, talking about their old memories and times they shared when they were younger. Kagome didn't respond in full sentences, only letting out hums or grunts. It didn't matter, since it showed Arisa that she was still there and listening.
It wasn't long before she heard shouting. It was too quiet for shouting to be something normal in this park. Shifting her head to the side, she head a head of silver rushing down the path. Kagome stared, lifting her head off its resting place as Arisa finally made it to her side, huffing out of exertion. Looking up, Arisa was relieved to see Kagome safe and sound. And then, her eyes locked eyes on the sling.
"Milaya, what happened?" Arisa asked.
"I can't play anymore." Kagome said, tears welling in her eyes. Arisa crouched down in front of her, gently touching the sling.
"Lev said you would be going to the doctor today." Kagome nodded. "What did he say?"
"I need surgery again. He doesn't know if I will gain function of my hand. It may be impossible." A tear fell from her eye, tracing its way down her cheek.
"It hurts Arisa. It hurts.." Arisa gently pulled Kagome into a hug, muffling her last few words. "I won't be able to use my hand." The dam broke and tears fell on Arisa's shirt as Kagome cried. Arisa rubbed her head on Kagome's back, soothing her as she let out her frustration and sorrow. Kagome's hands were tightly clenched in Arisa's shirt, wrinkling the beautiful blouse.
"Hey hey. Everything is going to be okay." Arisa sung into Kagome's ear as she heard the other's breathing grow unsteady.
"How? What am I going to do? I need to be able to use my left hand." Kagome choked out. Arisa stroked Kagome's hair, the girl's light chocolate tresses blending in with her silvery strands, and she began to hum a song. The notes were choppy, Arisa not being the best singer, but it helped. Once Kagome was stable enough for Arisa to let out, she sat herself beside Kagome on the bench and tucked the younger girl into her embrace.
From her position now, Kagome could see who was standing a good couple yards away from them. Lev, Bokuto and Akaashi. How they had managed to allow Arisa to bring them here, Kagome truly wondered. Either that, or they followed her here. They didn't move from their spots and for that, Kagome was grateful. She would need a bit more time to feel closure before talking to them.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Arisa asked. Kagome stayed silent for a little while, letting her breathing puff against Arisa's shirt so the elder knew she was trying to put her thoughts together.
"I knew that I wouldn't be able to play after this match. Not after the strain I put my wrist through." Kagome finally managed to speak. "But hearing what the doctor had to say really nailed the coffin shut."
"He did say it was possible to gain function back right?" Arisa asked and Kagome nodded her head.
"It would be a close call, he said. There's the possibility that I may also lost all function of my wrist and hand." Kagome replied. Arisa shook her head.
"Don't think like that. It's never good to dwell on negative thoughts, Milaya." Arisa said.
"Do you think I did the right thing?" Kagome asked, seeking acceptance.
"You had to win. For your parents and for everyone else right?" Kagome nodded. "Then yes, you did the right thing. You did what you thought was right. And that is all that matters." Arisa replied.
"Is Lev mad? I know I promised that I would help him, but it seems unlikely." Arisa let out a small laugh.
"That boy will look up to you no matter what. Do not worry. He's not mad at all, only worried." Arisa explained. Kagome took a deep breath in and out.
"How did those three end up here?" Kagome moved her head in the direction of the three boys standing far from them. Lev and Bokuto were sitting the ground talking amongst themselves while Akaashi kept watch over them and her.
"Lev heard me on the phone and demanded to come to see you. Bokuto-kun joined along with him. A few others wanted to come, but Akaashi-kun made it clear that too many people would only cause you to have another panic attack." A small huff came from Kagome.
"Why would they come for me? I get Lev. I trained him a few times. But why Akaashi and Bokuto-san?" Kagome asked.
"Because they are your friends. They care about you." Kagome gave her a look. "Don't give me that look Milaya. All your friends care about you and want what's best for you. Even if they aren't as close as me and you."
"I barely know them." Kagome replied, but was cut off by Arisa clicking her tongue.
"No. You do. You just don't realize it. Think back on the hours you spent with them." And so, she did. She remembered the first time she met Lev, the time she snuck into deliver the fake love letter. She remembered the time that they were invited to the training camp after being outed for intruding on the other's schools grounds. She remembered the practice games and the late-night conversations she had with them while in Tokyo.
"They won't be my friends when they find out." Kagome said. Arisa gave her a small squeeze.
"They might get angry or upset that you didn't tell them. But in the end, they will stay you friends. Because they will know how much you tried to keep it from happening." Arisa replied. Kagome hummed and kept silent. Arisa waited until Kagome had calmed down before asking her if she felt alright to let the boys come closer. With Kagome's nod, Arisa waved her hand over to Akaashi, who saw and looked down at Lev and Bokuto. The three walked towards Kagome and Arisa slowly, giving Kagome time to slightly pull away from Arisa, but not too far that she was out of the elder's hold.
"Kagome-senpai?" Lev called out to her once the boys had reached the two girls. Kagome cracked a small grin to dispel the sorrowful situation.
ooo
The moment Kagome opened the door to her apartment, she was accosted by Oikawa.
"What are you doing here? You have school tomorrow Tooru." Kagome told Oikawa as she slipped her shoes off. She couldn't move with Oikawa holding her in a bear hug. Kagome could feel Oikawa's body shuddering against hers and realized that he was trying to hold back on his tears.
"Why did you do that? You might not be able to use your hand again." Oikawa mumbled between sniffles. He couldn't hug her as tight as he wanted to with her sling in the way. The sight of it upon seeing her enter the house broke the dam of tears that he was holding at bay.
"It's a thank you, Tooru." Kagome felt herself being gently pushed away from Oikawa's chest as he gave her a confused look.
"Thank you for standing beside me all these years. Thank you for being friends with me." Kagome gave him a small smile. Oikawa's lips wobbled and he pulled Kagome back into his grasp, holding her tightly as he apologized to her and thanked her for winning the championship.
"Come on. Let's not stand in the doorway." Kagome said, prying herself out of his hug and padding down the hallway into the kitchen to see the regulars of the Shiratorizawa team and the other third years from Seijou sitting around her dining room, playing card games. She could hear the shouts and screams from outside the house.
"Nee-san?" Shirabu stood up from his seat next to Tendo. By then, all the males in the room turned and stared at her, particularly taking notice of the sling around her neck.
"Tadaima." Kagome set her bag down on one of the dining table chairs. Oikawa left her side to go back to Iwaizumi when he saw her brother coming up to them.
"Does is hurt?" Shirabu asked. Kagome shrugged her shoulder.
"Not as bad as earlier. Saito-ishi has me on pain meds to keep the pain at a minimum." Kagome replied. Shirabu nodded, pulling his sister in a comforting hug. Shirabu knew he could trust their family doctor. Saito-ishi had been the one that helped Kagome with her therapy post-accident, making him the most knowledgeable about her wrist. Kagome wrapped her right arm around him, instantly wishing that she could have done the same with her left arm. It didn't feel right. Nothing felt right about this.
"I can't play volleyball anymore. It may not even be possible for me to use my hand after the surgery." Kagome replied.
"Don't think like that Kagome. Volleyball… that may not be an option, but don't think that you won't be able to use your hand." Shirabu said, pulling away from Kagome and giving her a good look in the eye.
"Once the surgery is done and your hand is ready to start therapy, we can take it nice and slow. Sure, it will take months before you can use it again, but I know you will be able to use your hand." Kagome nodded.
"Ushiwaka, how dare you cheat me!" Both Kagome and Shirabu were pulled out of their conversation when they heard Oikawa start yelling at Ushijima.
"I did not cheat you. I do not have a five." Ushijima replied. The look on Oikawa's face was pure anger.
"Nuh uh. I know you have a five." The setter growled to the ace.
"I'll be taking your five." Hanamaki said, pulling the five out of Oikawa's fan of cards, prompting him to let out a shrill.
"Are you alright to join us? We're going to play a few rounds before they have to get back to the dorms." Shiratorizawa's dorms had a curfew of midnight, meaning they had only an hour or so before they had to make their way to campus.
"Sure." And with that, Kagome joined the boys on the floor of the living room, sitting next to Tendo on the couch.
"Did you lose again?" Kagome asked Tendo, who stuck his tongue out at her.
"He did." Goshiki replied in between sips of water. Kagome gave Tendo an amused look, to which he gave Goshiki a glare.
"Why did you tell her that?" Tendo asked.
"Oh please Satori. It's not like I didn't pick it up." Kagome nudged him in the shoulder, Goshiki chuckling from his seat on the other side of Tendo. Looking ahead, she saw cards haphazardly placed all around the floor table along with a partially-eaten cake in the middle. Kagome asked Tendo what the cake was for.
"Ah, we brought cake for you. Though some people…" Tendo paused to let out a few incorrigible coughs. "started to it without you here." Goshiki blushed and looked away.
"I was taste testing."
ooo
"This feels weird." Kagome muttered to herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Before she even knew it, the week had blown by and here she was at the hospital right after classes ended for the day. The nurses had come in not a few moments before to hand her the gown to change into. It was weird, being in the same hospital that she had surgery in the first time, with the same surgeon doing the procedure on her.
"You look weird." Shirabu said, gesturing to the gown she was wearing. Her wrist had been drawn on with sharpies to show the surgeon that the left wrist was being operated on.
"None of that Kenjiro." Obaa-sama said as she walked up to her granddaughter and held her gently by the shoulders. Kagome had told all her friends not to come to the hospital, knowing that it was a long drive from Sendai down to Tokyo. So, to make up for not coming, they all promised to come over to her apartment the day before classes started to check up on her.
"You will be fine. We will be here when you wake up." Kagome nodded. Her grandmother smoothed the hair around Kagome's face, pushing stray hairs behind her ears. A cough interrupted the family and the three turned to see the doctor standing in the doorway with a few nurses behind him.
"We are ready to take you in." Kagome nodded. With quick reassurances from her grandmother and brother, Kagome got back on the bed and laid down. The nurse pulled up the handles on either side of the bed and began to wheel it out of the room while the doctor stayed behind to talk with her brother and grandmother.
"Nervous?" One of the nurses asked her as the passed through the automatic doors that led to the operating rooms.
"A little." Kagome admitted.
"Don't worry. We'll take good care of you in there." Kagome nodded. She watched as the ceiling changed from panels to a doorframe followed by a room with a higher ceiling. Around her stood some machines, some that would be used during her procedure, others not.
"I'm going to insert the needle Shirabu-san." The nurse said. She tied a band around Kagome's arm, grabbing a needle from the tray and inserted it into her arm. Once the needle was in place, she took the tubes that the anesthesia would come from and connected it to the needle.
"Starting anesthesia." Kagome heard someone from in the room with her speak out.
"Shirabu-san, just count from 10 to 0 in your head." Kagome nodded as the nurse placed a nasal canula on her face, the oxygen streaming into Kagome's nose.
"We'll see you when you wake up." Kagome didn't know whether she got to the end of counting. Frankly, she couldn't remember whether she even counted. Because before she even knew it, Kagome was groaning as she cracked her eyes open to see her room's lights streaming down upon her.
"Kagome, you're awake. Obaa-sama, Kagome's awake." Turning her head to the side, she saw her brother sitting at her bedside, their grandmother walking towards her on the other side. Shirabu pushed a button on the machines that Kagome was hooked up to for the nurses to come.
"Kagome, thank god, how are you feeling?" Her grandmother asked, picking Kagome's right hand in hers and gently brushing her hands over her knuckles.
"Tired. How long have I been asleep?" Kagome asked, stretching her neck as she sat up. In between Shirabu and herself laid her arm. It was surrounded by white gauze, a pale green cast over the wrist and hand portion.
"Just over five hours." Shirabu replied just as one of the nurses from before entered the room.
"Hello Shirabu-san, it is good to see you awake. How are you feeling?" The nurse asked as she stepped up to Kagome's bedside, Shirabu moving momentarily to the other side while the nurse checked on Kagome's vitals.
"Alright." Kagome replied. Once the nurse was done checking in on Kagome, she told the family that the doctor would be coming in any moment to inform them about the post-surgery care before leaving.
"Is Haru going to drive us back to the apartment?" Kagome asked her grandmother.
"You can spend the first day at home. Haru can take you there the following day." Her grandmother replied, taking out her phone to summon Haru back to the hospital.
"Hello there. Kagome, it is good to see you awake." The doctor said walking into the room.
"Thank you doctor." Kagome replied.
"Now, I'm sure you know how to take care of your wrist and hand after surgery, but just so that there isn't any miscommunication, I will briefly go over all the to-do's." The doctor helped Kagome slip her arm into a sling.
"Keep your arm elevated for the first twenty-four hours. Keep some ice loosely packed around the cast using a thin towel. Do not move your fingers. We just set the bones that are connecting your wrist to your hand, so they are still raw. Make sure that your cast doesn't get wet. If it does, please come back here so that we can get you fitted into another one." The doctor explained before going into the time frames of how long she would be in and out.
"You will need to keep the cast on for eight weeks, followed by another eight weeks to let your wrist get used to simple finger movements. After that, we will start your therapy. Until then, please do not do any heavy lifting with your left hand and try to open everything with your right hand." The doctor tacked on.
"Is that everything?" Kagome asked.
"The pain will wear off during the first twenty-four hours, so make sure to take the medication as prescribed. Ice will help keep the area numb." The doctor reached over and cut Kagome's hospital tag on the uninjured wrist.
"You can be discharged. Please come back to us if there is any complications." The doctor said and with that, Kagome was free to go home. Taking the extra clothing she had brought with her, she slipped into the track pants and sweater before leaving the hospital with her brother and grandmother. The whole way, Shirabu did everything for Kagome, from opening doors to helping serve her food once they got home.
Then it came to sleep. Kagome forgot just how uncomfortable it was the sleep without being able to roll around to get comfortable. Her left arm was out of its sling, propped up on a few pillows with ice loosely packed around it to keep it cold. Wriggling the rest of her body to get comfortable, she had just gotten into a nice position to sleep in when her phone started to ring. Immediately, she let out a few curses, wondering who would be calling her so early in the morning.
"Hello? Kagome-san? Wait, why is it black? I can't see anything. Oi Akaashi, come help me with this thing." Why was Bokuto awake? Kagome turned on her side, switching on her lamp. Once the room was lit up, Kagome pulled herself into a sitting position, her arm still elevated on the pillows as she grabbed her phone with the other hand.
"Ah it's fixed. Never mind Akaashi!" Bokuto yelled to Akaashi, who must have been somewhere in the same room as him, most likely having a study session that Bokuto wasn't enjoying.
"Kagome? How are you feeling?" Kagome gave him a small smile, telling him that she was fine, and that surgery went well. After they came to talk with her after hearing news of the wrist, Kagome had told them everything. The accident, leaving the courts, everything. Well, not everything. No one besides Arisa and Tendo knew of her arranged marriage, and she would keep it that way. Only after his 18th birthday would she be rid of the secrets she carried. She only had to wait until he was told on his 18th birthday.
"Aren't you supposed to be studying for your college entrance exams?" Kagome asked Bokuto. At one point, Bokuto had enough of her calling him with formalities and just told her to call him Bokuto, prompting her to call Akaashi by the same as well. Since they had let her do such a thing, she told them to drop the formalities for her as well.
"Maa Akaashi said I could take a break." Bokuto replied. All of a sudden, the camera on his end was flipped around to show Akaashi sitting at a floor table with books surrounding him. From the looks of the room, they must have been in Bokuto's house. Posters of volleyball players had been stuck up around the room, medals and trophies up on stands alike. From what she could see of the bed, the covers were rumpled, and a few papers were scattered on it, most likely from Bokuto.
"Don't interrupt Akaashi when he's studying." Kagome told Bokuto. The camera flipped around again and this time, it showed Bokuto. But the camera was still moving and not even seconds later, Akaashi's face appeared on the camera.
"Akaashi, it's Kagome." Akaashi's head lifted up to show gunmetal blue eyes staring back at her through the camera.
"Hi Kagome-san." Kagome sent him a smile, unable to wave with her hand. She saw the moment when he realized that she couldn't wave to them because her only free hand was occupied by holding the phone.
"How did the surgery go?" Akaashi asked her.
"It went fine. We only got back a little while ago." Kagome replied.
"Are you at your house Kagome?" Bokuto cut into the conversation.
"Yes." Kagome said.
"But I thought you live in Sendai? How can you live here and go to Shiratorizawa? I thought they had dorms." Bokuto asked.
"This is my parent's house Bokuto." Understanding lit in Bokuto's eyes.
"Why are you two still awake? It's midnight." Kagome asked them. Akaashi sighed and tilted his head in the direction of Bokuto.
"Bokuto-san is going through the material for college entrance exams while I study for my finals." Akaashi replied.
"Bokuto, why aren't you studying while Akaashi is studying?" Kagome asked the owl-haired boy. There was a bit of shaking on their end of the camera before Bokuto's face popped up on the camera next to Akaashi's.
"I am Kagome. I just wanted to call you and see how you were feeling. I'll let Kuroo and Kenma know how you're doing as well." The words made Kagome smile.
"I'm doing fine. The anesthesia is making my wrist numb for now, so until it wears off, I won't be in any pain." Kagome explained.
"You'll be okay after right?" Bokuto asked her, his eyes searching hers for an answer.
"I'll be fine after. Remember, I've had this surgery before." Kagome said, referring to the first time she went under the knife.
"Doesn't mean I have to be comfortable with it." Bokuto grumbled under his breath before showing Kagome what he had been working on.
"I've been going through all the math stuff again. Because I'm not good at math" Kagome looked over the papers, noticing two sets of handwriting, one messy, the other neat and crisp.
"Akaashi's been grading your work?" Kagome asked and Bokuto nodded.
"That's good. Make sure you study well Bokuto. You'll need it when they place into classes for the next four years." Kagome replied.
"Will do."
ooo
Kagome's welcome back to school was grand to say the least. Many of her classmates as well as her underclassmen came to wish her well and safe recoveries from her surgery. Other than that, everything was normal for Kagome. Maybe except for the fact that she couldn't do volleyball anymore. It had only hit her when she stepped onto the courts for the first practice back from surgery that she realized that she wouldn't be able to play on her team. The Coach told her that she didn't have to force herself to come to practice and watch, but Kagome told her that it was her job as Captain to finish the year off and hand the captain's spot down to the next person.
Classes went on as usual. Kagome ate with her friends from her volleyball team and few of those from the male team as well. Schoolwork was the same, with the increasing number of practice tests sent home in preparations for college entrance exams. Then, it came to the last day for the third years on the team. Practice had been a very somber event at first, until Kagome snapped all her players out of it and told them to enjoy their last day together as a team. Three-vs-three matches, full games, the girls played almost everything that they could during their time.
Finally, during the last ten minutes of practice, Kagome told the team to line up. The third years stood on either side of Kagome with their underclassmen opposite them. She went through the line, giving them small hints of advice and tips. And then, it was time for the captain and vice-captain positions to be passed down. Holding her signature number four jersey in her hands, Kagome strode over to where Sango stood apart from her and handed it to her.
"You'll do great, captain." Kagome told Sango, smiling at the tears that were falling down Sango's cheeks at a rapid pace. "Make sure to keep an eye on her." Rin nodded, knowing that it was up to her as the vice-captain to keep their captain in line.
"You girls have done us proud. We wouldn't have gotten the championship without you." Kagome said, gesturing to her fellow third-years who all felt the same way.
"Go grab that trophy next year as well, okay?" Cheers and cries from the underclassmen shook the gym as the all ran for the third-years and hugged them, those hugging Kagome making sure to keep her arm from being crushed underneath them.
Afterwards, the third-years stuck together both inside classes and outside. Not having to go to practice anymore, the girls joined the third-years on the boys' team to study for their college entrance exams that were coming up in two weeks, leaving their teams in the hands of their underclassmen. That's not to say that they had an easy time though, not Kagome at least. It was the last couple weeks together before they all separated for college. The idea of that was just absurd.
"Satori, sit down and finish this packet." Kagome said, pulling the lanky boy's arm until he plopped on the floor next to her, grumbling and cursing under his breath. Around them, many of their third-year friends had taken up the common room of the dorms to study. Papers were scattered on tables and the floor, pens and pens out of ink and lead. A few bodies were lying here and there, some taking a break, others passed out from exhaustion of studying.
"I don't want to do anymore." Tendo whined as he picked up his pen and stared at the packet of history in agony.
"Stop complaining Tendo." Ushijima said from his spot next to the red-head. He himself was going through one of the history books that they needed to know for the Toudai exam.
"Kagome, help me with this." Mirai leaned over and showed Kagome her book, gesturing to a question. Noticing that it was a math question, Kagome flipped a page in her notebook and began to go through the problem, showing Mirai the steps to solve the question.
"Thanks." Mirai grinned before turning back to her book, starting on the next question on the page. Kagome leaned back against the couch that Mirai was sitting on, letting her head rest against the other girl's knee.
"Do your results tailor to what major you pick?" Kagome asked Ushijima.
"Not necessarily." Ushijima looked up from his work at her. "My brother says that you want high scores overall, just to get into the university. You pick you major after that." Ushijima replied.
"We still have so much to cover." Kagome said, staring at the stack of books and papers on the table, work that they still hadn't gotten to covering yet.
The test was grueling. But that was to be expected from an entrance exam to one of the top universities in the country. Every subject was covered: math, science, history, English, Japanese. For all students at Shiratorizawa wanting to take this specific test, which was a requirement for Tokyo University, had to come for the weekend exam. The time allotted was four hours for both days, but that didn't necessarily mean you couldn't leave once you were finished. Kagome, having shown exactly why she was one of the top students in the school, finished with a little time left to spare.
Deciding to wait for her friends, she sat on the benches outside the main entrance and turned her phone on. Immediately, her phone lit up with unanswered calls from her Bokuto.
"Bokuto?" Kagome called out in the phone.
"Kagome, is that you? Why didn't you answer earlier?" Bokuto's voice came out in a whine.
"I was taking my college entrance exam." Kagome replied. She heard some muttering and whispering on the other side of the phone before a deafening smack echoed in her ear.
"Not so hard Kuroo." Bokuto grumbled.
"I told you that Shiratorizawa was having the placement test for TouDai today." Kuroo's voice came out quietly in the background.
"Sorry Kagome. I forgot that your exam was today." Bokuto apologized.
"Wasn't your exam today as well?" Kagome asked him.
"Yes, but we finished a lot earlier. How come yours ran so late?" Bokuto asked. Kagome told them how a few of the test booklets had been misplaced so the exam was put on hold until they could find them.
"Can I ask you something?" Bokuto's voice came out a lot quieter.
"You can ask me anything." Kagome replied.
"But this has to stay a secret. I don't want anyone else to know yet. Oh, but Kuroo and Kenma know apparently." Kagome's curiosity grew.
"What is it Bokuto?" Kagome asked. From his side of the phone, she could no longer hear any voices. Bokuto must have moved to another location so that no one could overhear him.
"How… how do you ask someone out?" The question left her gob smacked. Of all the questions she had thought Bokuto would ask, this wasn't it.
"As in on a date?" Kagome asked.
"Technically, I've been to their house. And they've been to mine. We've gone out to eat a lot together and hung out. Isn't that a date?" Bokuto asked.
"Bokuto, one question. Why are you asking me instead of Kuroo? If he knows, wouldn't it be better for you to ask him then?" Kagome asked.
"Because you remind me of this person a lot. Kuroo's loud and likes loud things, so that won't work out. So I need your advice." Bokuto explained.
"First of, a date is only technically a date if you personally ask a person to go somewhere or they ask you. You would have had to previously stated that you were romantically interested in them." Kagome replied.
"So me asking them to come over to study isn't a date?" Bokuto questioned.
"Does this person know that you like them?" Kagome asked.
"No." Bokuto replied.
"Then, in my opinion, it wouldn't be considered a date. It would be more of a hang out between friends." Kagome said.
"Okay, then I haven't gone on a date with them. Back to the original question. How do I ask someone out?" Bokuto reiterated.
"I'm not the best at this, but I'll try and explain how I would want it. Will that work?" Kagome asked. This was a rather awkward situation. Never in her life did she think she would be explaining to someone how she wanted to be asked out. But then again, she didn't really have that option anymore.
"I would want them to tell me things that they liked about me. Not something that everyone likes, such as my intelligence or looks. I would want them to tell me the small details that matter to them, why I stand out compared to others." Kagome explained.
"Oh. Okay. That shouldn't be too hard." Kagome could hear the depressed voice kicking in. Bokuto was probably falling into one of his emo modes once more.
"Bokuto, don't think of it as a bad thing. This is just how I would want to get asked out. That doesn't mean whoever you like will want the same thing. Maybe, all they want to hear is one nice thing about them before you pop the question." Kagome tried to bring his spirits up.
"I'll try. Wait, should I get flowers… no flowers are too bleh. I need fireworks." Bokuto piped out.
"No fireworks. No flowers Bokuto. Just be you. That's all the person you like will want." A few consolations later, Bokuto ended the call, leaving Kagome just in time for Ushijima to come out of the school. He saw her sitting on the bench under the tree and sat beside her, asking how it went.
"It was alright. How about you?" Kagome asked. Ushijima said the same thing.
"Does your wrist hurt?" Ushijima asked when he saw Kagome's face contort into something other than her usual gentle look.
"It's fine. I just remembered that we have to come back tomorrow for this again." Kagome replied.
"Might as well get it over with." Ushijima said.
"Congratulations on the scout by the way. Kenjiro and Satori told me about it." Ushijima already had a place at TouDai, having been scouted and given a sports scholarship to the university.
"Thank you. How about you?" Ushijima asked. Kagome shrugged her shoulders. With her level of injury, there was no way she could accept any of the sports scholarships. And so with a heavy heart, she had to reply to all of them informing them of the injury that she sustained.
"I had to tell them about my injury, so many backed off after that. Cambridge told me to send my report card, and so I did. They replied saying that if I can show an outstanding college entrance exam score, they may be able to give me a full scholarship." Kagome replied.
"Have you told Shirabu?" Ushijima asked and Kagome nodded. Chatter around them started to grow as the entrance exam time finished and the majority of the students were leaving.
"He thinks it's a good idea. It'll give me some time away to focus on my business career without worrying about volleyball. But at the same time, he's all I have left. Him and you guys. I want to spend as much time as I can with you all." Before my betrothal kicks in, Kagome thought, but she didn't dare say anything.
"It's a good offer. Cambridge is ranked high in the universities. You would do well there." Ushijima replied.
"I'd have to think about it more." Kagome said, though she knew that she wouldn't be accepting it. With her impending engagement, it would be unlikely that her grandmother would let her go abroad.
"Kagome!" Without even turning, Kagome felt a familiar pair of arms wrapped around her shoulder.
"How did it go Satori?" Kagome asked, tipping her head back to look up at a face surrounded by bright red hair.
"It could have gone better." One by one, their volleyball friends trickled into the circle, each asking how the other did.
"Let's go get udon!" Mirai asked, looking to the girl on her right who nodded in agreement. With the rest of the group joining in, they decided to go to a local restaurant to celebrate the end of their college entrance exams.
It was peaceful walking in between Tendo and Ushijima whilst Mirai ran ahead with their female teammate and Leon to the restaurant.
But Kagome should have known better. She should have known that the Gods didn't plan on letting her enjoy the moment. Not even seconds later, a ping drew her attention to the phone in her pocket. Pulling it open, she saw that Bokuto had sent her a text with an image. Unlocking her phone, she tapped on messages and pulled up what Bokuto sent her when she came to a halt. Bokuto had texted saying that the person said yes before having sent her a picture of them together.
She should have known something was going to happen. Something bad. She should have known. Kagome was happy for Bokuto, she truly was. But at the same time, anguish filled inside of her. Because the person next to Bokuto wasn't a girl like she had been assuming. It was a guy. She was fine with Bokuto liking guys. That wasn't the thing that got to her. It was who they were.
Because it wasn't just any guy.
It was Akaashi Keiji. The new captain of the Fukurodani Volleyball Team. One of Bokuto's best friends.
But that wasn't the only Akaashi she knew.
She knew Akaashi Keiji, the first born in his family, the heir to one of the largest law firms in the country, not that he knew of it.
Maybe, just maybe, her fiancé not knowing in this situation was worse than knowing the truth. But what was done was done.
Akaashi Keiji wasn't just any guy.
He was the guy that she was betrothed to.
And she had just helped her fiancé gain a boyfriend.