Here it is, as promised.
I just wanted to thank everyone who has pushed this FF to be the most popular one with Ushijima xD
And I didn't realise that this story has reached 300 followers!
Thank you all so much guys!
I also had some time to think up of some exciting developments for this :)
Yunrii: Hahaha I couldn't resist! I had to be in there! IwaOi is one of my favourite ships (although I secretly adore UshiOi as well!)
Houshikun001: ah Thank you :D there is some fanart of her on my tumblr as well. There is a lot in store for our young couple!
curlystruggle: THAT...that is actually...wow I feel honored that you would consider me to write that! I might actually consider that! Might be a little spin-off though, if you don't mind that
Chapter 36 - A damage
Tamiko stretched as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror. The short escape to the toilet had bestowed her a few precious minutes of quiet while most people were watching the matches. Now she was staring at her reflection. Her wavy brown hair was tied up and she was dressed in her favourite colour blue. A sigh escaped her. That girl in the mirror had become friends with Oikawa and she wasn't sure if she should regret it or not. At least all tension was over now and she gave her reflection a smile before adjusting her glasses. Her brothers team had won their first match, she was here with Ushijima and that tension was finally gone. Finally. Nothing could ruin this day. She opened the door of the female rest room and bumped into something solid. The collision caused her to lose her glasses and she held the bridge of her nose from the pain.
"I'm sorry," she winced.
She gave a quick apologetic bow and looked for her glasses when the sudden sound of shattering glass made her flinch. After a short desperate search she saw them, the frame twisted, the glass crushed underneath a stranger's foot. She wanted to just scream. These glasses had been bought from great saving and now they were broken. A boy, the one she had bumped into, suddenly leaned down and picked up the frame.
"I'm sorry about that," he apologized.
He handed her the frame and crouched again to pick up the glass pieces. Tamiko was frozen, paralyzed from the current situation. She watched him as he carefully picked up the glass and them put it in the bin.
"How much were they?" he asked once he was done.
She scanned him for a moment. He was towering over her, seemingly everyone did. He wore a black tracksuit, like Karasuno but she had never seen him before. Needless to say that he had to be from a different school. A few seconds passed until she realized that he had asked her something.
"What?"
"It's my fault that they broke so I might as well pay for a replacement." he shrugged.
He looked tired, his eyes hooded and dropped. But he was watching her with great attention. It made her feel a little uncomfortable, especially since her glasses were now gone.
"Uhm, I don't remember." she finally admitted. "But you don't have to pay."
"At least let me pay a part of it." he offered.
"No, really," she insisted. "It's fine."
Although it wasn't fine. It would take many hours of work to be able to afford them again. The contact lenses were already expensive in the long run and the glasses were a comfort. Her worry seemed to be dominant her expression since he proceeded to write something on a piece of paper.
"This is my name and phone number. Just call when you know the price." he explained. "Sorry, again."
Tamiko nodded and looked at the paper. Miya Osamu, it said. The name rang a bell but she wasn't entirely sure. She repeated the name out loud.
"You can read it?" he asked surprised.
She looked up to him again. This time he looked more awake. A sigh escaped her and she half smiled.
"Those weren't prescription glasses." she admitted.
That fact seemed to confuse him a little. Nonprescription glasses weren't usually expensive but those sadly had been just that.
"I see," he muttered. "Nevertheless, I'll pay for it."
"Thank you." she whispered.
She shyly twirled the piece of paper in her hand and put it in her pocket. To her surprise, Osamu was still standing before her, his eyes seeming to reflect interested.
"Are you watching the games?" he asked. "Shall I bring you to your seat?"
She had to blink a few times after he had voiced his offer but shook her head.
"No, thank you. I can find it myself."
He nodded. It had only been a few minutes but she could already tell that he seemed worried about her and was plagued with a sense of guilt.
"But thank you for your concern." she assured him.
He nodded again but still didn't seem to be satisfied with talking to her.
"Which team are you supporting?" he asked.
"I'm watching the Karasuno team," she explained. "My brother is their setter."
He nodded while he twirled the pen between his fingers. It was a mystery to her why he still wasn't leaving. She had to admit he looked like the good-looking shy guy and he probably had a fanclub of his own. In that case it must be a rare occasion since he had given away his number. He should count himself lucky, since she had no idea who he was and that she was already taken. His number was safe from being distributed.
"Do you always take a pen and paper with you?" she wondered.
"I always have things to write down." he shrugged.
"Like phone numbers?" she laughed.
This time he looked away to the side. Maybe he was even blushing but she couldn't tell, as much as that frustrated her.
"That is actually a first." he admitted.
"Thought so." she smirked.
This caught him off guard as his eyes grew a little larger. An awkward silence followed. Tamiko hated this situation. She couldn't even read his face probably. To avoid further awkwardness she promised to contact him because of the glasses and excused herself. She didn't look back as she walked away but she did clutch the broken frame. When she reached the seats, the boys all second glanced at her.
"What happened to your glasses?" Iwaizumi asked.
To answer his questions she lifted the broken frame into his view. Oikawa hissed in imitated pain. Tamiko stayed silent as she sat down between Oikawa and Ushijima. Her boyfriend kept his eyes on her.
"Weren't they expensive?" Iwaizumi asked.
"Yeah, but the guy promised that he would pay for them. He even gave me his contact details."
To that she pulled the piece of paper she had received out of her pocket.
"Show me," Oikawa blurted before Ushijima could react.
He snatched it out of her hand and read the name out loud as they all listened. The boys all grew quiet.
"That name sounds familiar." Iwaizumi mumbled.
"It does," Oikawa agreed.
Even Ushijima was pondering but he seemed to know who Osamu was. He squeezed Tamiko's hand and then spoke.
"Miya Osamu is the twin of Miya Atsumu." Ushijima revealed. "They both play for Inarizaki High."
The two Seijou players glanced over to the grand ace.
"How do you know that?" Oikawa asked.
"I played against them in the inter-high tournament." he explained. "Both of them are starting players, Atsumu being the setter."
Tamiko watched Ushijima curiously. She had witnessed him talk about other teams occasionally but this was the first time she had seen him frown like that, except during his match against Karasuno.
"Are they good?" Iwaizumi asked him.
The three of them watched Ushijima. He was the only one among them who had been on this stage before. The national stage. His team had most likely played against a few of these teams who were present here. The frown he made confirmed that train of thought.
"Very," he answered gazing ahead onto the courts.
A big cheer thundered as Nekoma won the second set. Tamiko looked at the leaflet of the tournament. Since Karasuno won their next opponent, as luck would have it, was in fact Inarizaki high school. A strange play of fate. Oikawa, who had looked over her shoulder, also saw who the next opponent was.
"Well, it wouldn't be the spring tournament if there weren't any challenges." Oikawa grinned.
Tamiko couldn't agree more and looked at the piece of paper with Osamu's name on it. Then her mood dropped again in realisation that her glasses were gone. She frowned slightly as she continued to watch the game. It was awful, watching the outside world without her glasses. She missed her black and white room, the colours. While she moped, Ushijima watched her. He was confused. She had lost her glasses and yet she had found her way back to get seat. Maybe she had asked others for the way but she was still watching the game. He knew one classmate with glasses and when he lost them he was very disoriented and couldn't see anything clearly. She wasn't displaying any of those reactions he was familiar with and that worried him a little.
