Hey everyone,
I hope everyone is well and healthy and that this chapter brightens up your day, evening, morning, wherever you may be.
starrat: Thank you as always.
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Chapter 55 - A distance
The honking of a car ripped Ushijima out of his sleep. He grunted and sat upright, rubbing his temples and eyes. The darkness and silence of his small apartment was deafening. He could hear a few cars drive past his window but it was still a quiet part of town. He sat for one minute in silence when his alarm rang. He got up, had some cheap coffee and then got dressed for his jog. He still didn't like his jogging route in this city. There were far too many cars and people on the move even at that hour.
"Tch," he clicked his tongue as he dodged a man who was walking his dog.
This wasn't a normal scene back in Sendai. In Tokyo people seemed to be up much earlier than up north and most seemed to have a furry companion. It annoyed him a little more than he wanted. He made a mental note to re-evaluate his jogging route today. He had already lost count how often he had done that since he had moved here. After his jog he took a refreshing shower and headed to the Schweiden Adler's stadium for training. It wasn't far from his apartment with no need to take a train. Entering the stadium was like entering a world shielded from the bustling city and going to his locker to get changed lifted his mood a little. Yet no matter how much of a volleyball junky he was, he wasn't entirely happy with his current situation. But the reason he was here was worth all this.
"Alright guys," the coach called. "Time to hit some serves."
The team's training gym was one place where he could relax. Ushijima liked all of his teammates. They were all professionals, with him being the youngest and newest member. They had taken him under his wing and he was feeling very welcome. During the day he had a fire in his belly with training and working with the team. It was the mornings and evenings that were dragging. There was only one moment in the evening that he was looking forward to.
"Hey, Toshi-kun," came the familiar voice that he loved. "How was your day?"
"The usual," he told her. "I have to re-evaluate my jogging route. There are too many dog owners in my way."
"The problem is that you don't jog. You sprint," she noted. "Maybe try a route away from the park. I think dog owners prefer to walk their dogs there so you best avoid that area."
"I will try that. Thank you."
Ushijima couldn't help but smile. This was what he was longing and looking forward to every evening. Sadly it could only be done in the evening when both were at home. Tamiko always had something to tell him. Only a few days ago she told him about joining her old judo dojo again. Memories of their first meeting came flooding back to him after that.
He had been practicing spikes, getting acquainted with Semi as he was setting for him. Yamagata had tried his luck as a libero to catch his spikes when one ball veered off towards the opened fire exit door where two girls had been peeking into the gym. Ushijima, Semi and Yamagata could only watch on, as the brunette of the two got hit straight in the face.
Saito-sensei had immediately run after the boys, some of the other team members following. For Ushijima it had been the first time he ever injured someone while playing the sport he loves. He had watched as Saito-sensei had examined the girl that lay unconscious on the floor. The other girl on the other hand had been more than conscious.
Ushijima swallowed when he had heard her ask if she was bleeding. If she was bleeding then it was really bad. He knew he had a nasty and powerful spike that was difficult to be caught. It was his prideful skillset he had for this sport. He never wanted to injure anyone. At that moment he did and it hadn't even been an official game.
He remembered how Tamiko woke up from the accident. Ushijima had expected chocolate brown eyes but instead they were a deep ocean blue. It had mesmerised him at that moment and when she had asked who the culprit was, he immediately made himself known. Little did he expect for her to not accept his apology and throw her over his shoulder onto the floor.
It had hurt so bad, the impact pushing the air out of his lungs. The cough that followed had also been painful but as he had regained his breath he had watched Tamiko faint once again. Despite her response earlier he had made it his manly duty to at least bring her to the nurses office. Other couples probably had much sweeter first encounters.
'I can't complain,' he added to his train of thought.
Ushijima's days always seemed the same with training, eating and sleeping but with Tamiko she always had something to tell him. From the new things she learned, to how her search for a course was going and how the club was doing. Since she was now the full-time manager of the club she had taken the role more seriously. At first Ushijima feared that next to attending university running the club would be too much for her to handle. Yet she was more passionate than she used to be, more happy. He had forgotten about the fact that her mother was now running the household, leaving Tamiko with a lot of free time to study and see Izumi. Additionally, her life was now so balanced, that he could sense she was having fun.
"Goshiki is really embracing his new title as Shiratorizawa's ace," she giggled.
"Of course," he said. "I don't expect anything less."
"I know," she answered and paused for a moment. "I miss you."
"I miss you too," he said.
"Well, I need to get to bed," she said after a while. "I have a busy day tomorrow."
"Good night and sleep well," he said.
"You too," she answered. "Love you."
"I love you too."
The call ended and silence ruled over his apartment again. A sting in his heart forced him to swallow emotions that were trying to surface. Yes, he felt miserable without her or rather with her so far away. He couldn't visit her on her birthday either. It took a little bit of planning to organise the presents and their delivery but a call with Tamiko's mother made it fool proof. He was glad that Kageyama Shiyori was doing her part. Usually he had difficulty with it but with Tamiko he could hear the difference in her voice. She was much happier now. Sadly he couldn't be with her while her family life was finally sorting itself out.
He glanced at the photos on his table. There were a few more now. Next to his class and team photos, the photos of his mother and father he now had the graduation photo of the team and the photo of him and Tamiko under the cherry tree. He liked that photo. Unlike the class photo she was smiling in this one, standing next to him. It felt like hours had passed when he shifted his attention back to himself to get ready for bed.
His new bathroom was a lot smaller than the one at the school dorms. If he didn't know any better he would say it was one big piece of plastic. The sink was seamlessly joined with the bathroom walls, which all smoothly converted into ceiling, floor and even bathtub. Because of his height it gave him a rather claustrophobic feeling, standing in that right space.
The rest was all joined into one big room. He had a counter with a small sink and stove. A rice cooker stood next to the small cubic fridge and what wasn't the kitchen was the bedroom. Luckily his bed was big enough for him, the small table and single chair was enough to eat there while reading. He had a balcony too, but he rarely used it. There were a few smokers living in the same building and he detested the smell of cigarettes.
He could have a bigger home but deep down he wanted to wait. Save the money he was earning. Wait for a big opportunity, whenever it may come. In his eyes, this was just a temporary accommodation until the time was right to make the next step. Now he was waiting for his assessment to be over, to receive his number, position and jersey. When the day came he finally had something new to tell her.
"And for the national team I got the number 22," he told her one evening.
"That's amazing," she said. "I get to see you play on TV. How exciting. The Schweiden Adler's have a game in a few weeks too, don't they?"
"Yes, we are preparing for it," he said.
"I'm going to watch that game too," she announced. "Tobio will probably want to watch it with me."
"Okay."
They continued to talk about the methods of preparation. There certainly was a big difference between high school volleyball and professional volleyball, yet there were similarities too. Additionally, Ushijima was earning his money that way, through pure physical activity. Tamiko was glad she wasn't in his shoes. She wanted a proper job but first she had to learn more.
And so the weeks passed. Every evening they called each other. The calls after a match were especially long. It warmed his heart that she was so excited to see him play on TV. However it was a little painful to know that she had seen him but he couldn't see her. That was unfair in his eyes. He just had to wait a little longer. In a few months it was his birthday and since they were during the summer holidays she didn't have to go to any lectures. She could visit him and that excited him.
After a long day of training Ushijima checked his mailbox, like always. There was a letter from his dad. It was the first letter he had received from him in a while and he was excited to see what he had written. Since the tension in the Kageyama family had died down his father had returned to America, although he was still in a relationship with Tamiko's mother. He had befriended the idea of how complicated it could be if it became more serious.
"I told you to leave now," a female voice wailed through the corridor.
Ushijima looked up to see a man stand before the door next to his own. He was talking to a woman standing in the doorway and she was sobbing. From what Ushijima could tell
"I'm not leaving," he argued. "You still owe me for yesterday. Now be a good girl and let me in."
"No," she whimpered and then grew silent when she saw Ushijima approach him.
It wasn't like he wanted to save her. The man was blocking his way to his own door. Now his height was again of an advantage, not only in volleyball but also in intimidating others. And so he stood before the man, who was clearly a lot shorter than him.
"Leave the young lady alone," Ushijima said.
The smaller man turned to him, frowning. He looked a little older with his unshaved face and his breath smelled a little of alcohol. That worried him. He had heard that alcohol could make people aggressive.
"Oh yeah, and who are you supposed to be? Her Knight in shining armour?" the man grumbled.
"I'm her neighbour."
Ushijima was annoyed by the cummotion and squinted at the man. He was in no mood to argue with anyone. He just wanted to get home and eat something. Like a frightened animal the young man twitched and stepped back. He made the rather bold declaration to pay him back and then left, stumbling over his own feet in the process. Ushijima kept an eye on him until the man's back disappeared down the staircase and returned his attention to his keys. In the corner of his eye he noticed the young woman step towards him.
"Thank you so much," she said. "You really saved me there. What can I do to make it up to you?"
"Nothing," he said.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "You really saved me back there."
"I don't want anything," he insisted.
"Well, then you have my eternal gratitude," she said.
Ushijima just nodded and closed his door behind him. A heavy sigh escaped him and he hung up his jacket. His bag he dropped onto the porch with a heavy thud and he slendered to his kitchen, not bothering to put on his slippers. The water cooker quickly roared while Ushijima heated up his food in the microwave. After some tea and food he glanced at the clock on the wall and grabbed his phone.
"Hey Toshi-kun," came as an answer after he had dialed the number.
"Hey," he answered back.
"So how was your day?" she asked.
"Eventful," he said. "I saved my neighbour from a man."
"You did?" she wondered with a little laugh. "What did he do?"
"She wanted him to leave but he refused," he told her. "He was getting very loud so I told him to leave."
At the other end of the line Tamiko laughed.
"Oh, Toshi-kun," she sighed. "That was nice of you. I hope that guy doesn't come back."
Ushijima hummed. It would certainly be best if that man never returned. Ushijima may have been taller but didn't make you stronger. If he returned he could also have someone with him. Those thoughts were interrupted by Tamiko. She continued to report about her own day. The club soon had their first match for the interhigh tournament. She promised him to notify him that same evening what the outcome was.
The next morning Ushijima tried his new jogging route. Thanks to Tamiko's advice he didn't run into any dogs. It gave him a kick into a more upbeat mood. When he returned to his apartment he even went upstairs with a little jump in his steps. The shower felt more refreshing as well. When he got ready to head to training he bumped into the new face he met yesterday.
"Morning," his neighbour said.
He nodded into her direction and waited for her to get out of her own apartment to clear the corridor.
"You get up pretty early don't ya," she wondered.
"It's my morning jog," he said.
"I could tell," she laughed. "You're very sporty."
"It's for my job," he noted.
"You do sports?" she asked.
"I play volleyball professionally," he revealed.
"Oh, which team?"
"Schweiden Adler's."
"Never heard of them. Are they good?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered. "That's why I joined them."
The young woman laughed at the obvious answer.
"Okay," she said. "What's your name anyway?"
"Ushijima Wakatoshi."
"I'm Hamada Sumi." She introduced herself and smiled brightly, offering her hand. "Nice to meet you."
Ushijima glanced down at her and then at her hand. He didn't want to be rude so he reached for hers and lightly squeezed it with a small shake.
