Hello everybody.
I have looked at all the votes and Tamiko's past with Oikawa is in the lead.
I will close the votes on the 11.09.2012
Girlbook: Oh, when he is jelly you have to watch out
starrat: Thanks and here you have it
Estriella: Yeah; I haven't done anything from his view lately. But we will just have to wait and see how this will play out. I like your OC :D I dunno if Shiratorizawa has a female volleyball club but if she does they must be good as well.
KirikaAndo: Uh another sporty OC xD She sound really fun What school does she go to now?
mademoiselleee: I drew a few OCs, which one were you?
Guest: Thank you for liking it :)
RJ: I like the reason for your vote :3
O.T.: That depents on how my writing is going. Sometimes I have a spurt but sometimes real life takes over. I do try to post a chapter every month since that is all I can manage next to all the other stuff I have to do. Sorry if it isn't that often :/
WhereStoriesBegin: It is, isn't it?
Chapter 42 - A rehearsal
Tamiko's fingers were gliding effortlessly over the black and white keys. Her eyes glanced over to the conductor who lifted his hands to announce the holding of the last note. The piece came to an end and Tamiko took a deep breath, enjoying the silence that came after. They all had been playing for an hour already and now it was time for a well deserved break. Unlike the other students who went to stretch their legs or turned around to talk to the others, Tamiko stayed by herself at the grand piano. Like a fortress of solitude she hid behind the large black instrument. It wasn't like she didn't want to socialise, she just wasn't very chummy with any of them. Instead she checked her phone. The last message from Tendou was still open from this morning. She didn't really want to believe that a guy was planning to ask her out, but it made her feel at ease that Ushijima was looking out for her. It made her feel warm and fuzzy. Also remembering that peck on her cheek made her smile like an idiot. It was a good thing that nobody noticed her. At least that's what she thought.
"Kageyama-san," a voice spoke.
She looked up to see Fujimura Izanagi, one of the violin players. He sat to her right, his back always turned to her. An inconsiderable person, very average but skilled with the violin, this she knew. And now he was standing next to her.
"Yes?" she asked, rather reluctant to talk with him.
"I was wondering if we could talk somewhere in private," he muttered.
Her mind briefly paused. So Tendou was right after all. He wasn't one to lie so she didn't understand why she had doubted him. Now she had to deal with this situation.
"Sure," she shrugged.
She followed him out of the hall and noticed some of the boys stare and whisper. Those were probably his friends. Izanagi lead her outside into the main corridor and then turned to her. She could see how nervous he was, biting his lip, playing with his fingers. It made her feel bad for having to reject him.
"I have something to confess, Kageyama-san," he started before taking another deep breath and standing strong. "I really like you. Please go out with me!"
Tamiko looked down at him as he bowed. For her it was strange to watch. When this happened before it wasn't any different, in a kitchen with no bowing. But a certain similarity was present. All except the feeling. That feeling of surprise because of the situation, happiness because it was happening to her. And yet she admired him for his courage.
"I'm sorry, Fujimura-kun," she said with a sigh and a sad smile. "But I have to decline your offer."
It pained her a little, especially when she saw the disappointment and sadness in his eyes.
"Why?" was all he asked when fear replaced sadness.
He began to tremble a little and wasn't looking at her anymore but more behind her. Tamiko turned around and couldn't believe what she saw. Behind her stood Ohira Reon and Tendou Satori, both putting up the best death stare they could muster. Tendou's face was creepier though, since he was grinning like the Joker. He stepped forward, resting one arm on her shoulder.
"What do you think you are doing with our precious manager?" he asked in a sinister tone.
The poor boy. He was shivering with fear and stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet. Before scrambling away he apologised. Once he was gone, both of the boys returned to their normal demeanor.
"What are you two doing here?" she asked them.
"We just wanted to make sure that guy doesn't mess anything up," Tendou revealed. "You should have seen Wakatoshi-kun yesterday. Scary."
"Wakatoshi would have tried to stop the guy but then your relationship wouldn't be secret anymore. We wanted to make sure that this wouldn't happen." Ohira added.
Tamiko tried to picture an angry Ushijima sitting in his room. It wasn't that surprising, considering the text message she had received from Tendou. Now she was standing there, hand covering her mouth while she blushed heavily. The boys watched and smiled.
"Where is Ushijima," she asked.
"We send him to his room since practice is over," Ohira explained.
"Okay, thank you," she muttered before disappearing back into the hall.
Ohira and Tendou watched the door close behind her. They knew what they had to do. While the rehearsal continued time seemed to pass more slowly. It was annoying. She wanted to see him so badly, to tell him he didn't have to worry about anything. While her thoughts dwindled somewhere else she made a few mistakes on the piano. Luckily it was only a rehearsal. She had to practice more tonight anyway. All she wanted was to see him so it came as a salvation when the rehearsal was finally over. She was one of the first to leave the hall. It was handy playing the piano. She didn't have to pack her instrument away and there was no music stand either. With her bag she headed straight for the dormitory, hoping that nobody saw her knock on Ushijima's door. Tendou was the one who opened the door for her. That was something she expect.
"How was the rehearsal?" he asked.
"Made a few mistakes. Need to practice more." she answered.
Tendou stepped to the side to let her in. Ohira, who was sitting on Ushijima's bed, commented on how good she probably was and that she had the same motivation to be good as Ushijima. But that wasn't the case. Tamiko was a perfectionist, especially when it came to music. But to play the piano was a forced occupation. Ushijima was sitting by his desk reading over the many invitation letters he had received. The boys had already told him what had transpired and he felt ashamed. He didn't even want to look at her. How could he not trust her? She was more than trustworthy. But he had been too afraid to let that boy talk to her. And yet he should have. There was no possibility of her betraying him, so why did he not trust her? The sudden slam of the door pulled him back when he noticed that Ohira and Tendou had left. Now Tamiko stood in the room, arms crossed and expression stern. He looked up at her and was about to speak.
"Don't bother," she cut in.
He stayed silent but his eyes stayed glued to hers. He couldn't read her face, he always had a difficulty with it. But her eyes were another matter. He saw the disappointment, the anger, the sadness. That wasn't what he wanted to see. All he now wanted was to apologize, to hug and hear that everything was forgotten. Instead he heard her sigh.
"Do you trust me?" she demanded to know.
Did he? He trusted in her judgment when I she observed and analyzed. He trusted her to lead the team after he was gone. He trusted her, he was sure of it. He nodded.
"And I trust you," she concluded. "So don't worry about other boys."
Again, he nodded. It wouldn't be easy but he was going to try his beast. The situation was so alien to him. Trusting someone as a friend was one thing but entrusting your heart to someone that was something else. He remembered what happened between his parents and he didn't want to end up that way either. After a moment he allowed himself to glance up to her. This time she smiled.
"You know," she started. "I'm glad that you're worried about me but a little bit more trust would be really appreciated."
He nodded again, understanding her words. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. The fact that he let her do that assured her that he meant it. It was a little scary how quickly he had opened himself to her, although not completely. Since the day he had said those words it felt strange every time she was near him. Every time she touched him it felt strange. To touch his skin felt strange. It hadn't been the same since that barrier of friendship had been taken down. This new bond they shared was something new to both. Both were slowly getting used to it. Slowly strengthening it. Very slowly.
Tamiko started to understand her best friend. It was indeed a little agonising that he didn't make a move but she couldn't blame him. He was already hopeless in social situation so there was no point to expect a sudden smoothness from him. He was an idiot but he was her idiot now. The hand on his shoulder stayed while I with the other she forced his chin up with her hand. Their eyes met and then she all but grazed her lips against his. He stiffened under her gentle touch as her hands cupped his cheeks and held him in place as she prolonged the contact. When she pulled away, his eyes were wide with surprise and confusion. He nervously pressed his lips together and turned a little red when she started to giggle. From this he knew that he could relax.
When he did drop his shoulder she kissed him again. This time he tried to answer somehow. He pushed himself into her kiss, very carefully, trying not to do something wrong. It was difficult for him to resist this new sensation. Her lips were so soft and as the kiss deepened, he tasted her sweet essence. It overwhelmed him. While her fingers knotted into his hair, his own hands started to wrap around her waist and pulled her closer. He was overcome with greed. He wanted her, only for himself. But he stopped and gently pushed her away. And yet he held her, at a distance. Now he could breath easily, relaxing again including his grip but when he locked eyes with her again he froze.
"I-I'm sorry." she muttered.
His hands hovered next to her arms, afraid to touch them as tears began to swell in her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat and searched for a way to diffuse the situation. She had gone to far, she knew this. Now this big step forward had resulted in a big flop backwards.
"I'm sorry," she repeated.
With a pained expression she stood before him and didn't dare to walk away. Running from problems was never a solution but this time she really wanted to hide somewhere. Now she waited for his words. The silence was like a dagger to her heart.
"Tamiko." he said softly.
There was no answer. The words were stuck in her throat. She was having more difficulties than she had anticipated. Unbeknownst to her she had begun to slowly shuffle backwards. The door was right there. She could so easily escape this. Ushijima noticed what she was trying to do. He saw it in her eyes. But he wouldn't let her go.
"Tamiko, please don't go." he begged.
Tamiko stared at his one hand holding her firmly yet gently. Resisting was futile when she tried to push away. He stood and guided her to sit on the bed. It was difficult to look away from the eyes that have locked with her's. Then he crouched before her, his large hands resting on her thighs.
"I'm sorry for pushing you away. It was too new." he simply explained.
Of course it was. She had pushed this on him and it was totally new. And if anything she was so glad for his honesty even if it was brutal sometimes.
"I know." she muttered, wiping away a tear. "It's not your fault. It was just so...nice."
Ushijima smiled to himself. He wasn't alone. She was just as inexperienced as he was and that gave him a sense of security. He leaned forward and pushed her face upright with his forehead, placing a soft kiss on her lips. The corner of her lips curved upward as she smiled into the kiss. It felt like forever when they stopped. She still had to go home and practice and dinner to cook. Ushijima didn't want to keep her any longer either, since campus rules were strict. And so she got her bag, gave him one last hug and peck on the cheek and headed for the door. Before she could reach the handle he grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he whispered against her skin.
No sound came from her when her fuse blew but her face grew all shades of red. Smoke came out of her ears as her heart nearly burst out of her chest. Oikawa had always flirted her in the normal way but this was so old-school, she hadn't prepared for it.
'Damn you, Tendou,' she thought. 'What the hell did you teach him with those books?'
It was too wonderful and she left his room and walked down the corridor with the hand clutched to her chest, her head low. So this big step forward was a success and she waited until she was home, in her room, face stuffed into the pillow so that she could scream.
The Birthday chapter will be posted on my birthday
22.09
I'll turn 24...
HEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!
