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Chapter Two: Not a Farm Boy
"Is there something I can do for you?"
The deep tone of his voice nearly knocked me off my feet. His brown eyes, clear and serious, stared down at me and looking up at him made this uncomfortable knot tick at the back of my neck. My stomach did an anxious flip and I didn't know if it was because of the height difference or I was just sick with nerves. Maybe both.
"I'm Otonashi Chihiro... a second year," I introduced myself tentatively with a gulp. "I'm the-"
"Tendo isn't here."
"What?"
"He already left for class. If you want a picture with him you'll have to-"
I huffed then and the sound of it cut Ushijima's rather offensive assumption short. As though I'd carry any sort of interest for that fire hydrant haired loon. "Oh, please... I mean, no, no, I'm not here for... for him," I grumbled the last part. "Actually I came to talk to you. You see, I'm the one you helped on-"
"From class five," Ushijima interjected, as if recalling my face for the first time in his life, despite unintentionally creaming it with a volleyball. "I remember."
"You do? Then why would you think I'm for Tendo?"
Ushijima's eyebrows caved in a bit, like he was confused on why I wouldn't be here otherwise. "He has many friends and girls often come to our dorm asking for him. I don't have time for either of that."
I nodded in confirmation, a little surprised that he did remember, though he did literally sweep me up in his arms and carried me to the nurse's office when I blacked out. That would stick to anyone's memory... especially since he was the culprit. I felt my face flush with heat again but this time out of irritation. "Right, of course. I was lying there unconscious... guess that's hard to forget. I came here beca-"
"I'm sorry about your injury. Other teams aren't quick enough to receive my spikes. It can be dangerous."
I couldn't help but just gape for a moment at his frank apology, not expecting it to sound so sincere despite the all but clinical expression on his face like he just woke up from an induced coma. "Yes, so I've heard." I cleared my throat then, his eyes on me making me look down at my shoes. "Anyways... I just wanted to thank you for helping me to the nurse's office. It was very kind of you. I read somewhere... you know, in one of those sport magazines, that you like Hayashi rice so I had some made for you." With warm cheeks, I cut my rambling short by thrusting the plastic container in Ushijima's direction. "So... thank you very much."
Ushijima blinked once before reaching out with one hand and accepting the container. His expression, normally calm and demure, seemed even more wooden in the middle of that awkward silence; the long never ending white corridors trapping us in a loop of uncomfortable gifts of gratitude. Why did I let Itsuko leave me there alone? It would have been better to have her there hovering over my shoulder, grinning from ear to ear, whispering lines to me like a playwright and glowering at the volleyball captain if he didn't respond a certain way. I imagined that she was hiding away somewhere watching the whole scene, sputtering over the fact that I was ruining a simple task.
"Thank you," the volley captain said at last.
With an apprehensive smile, I gave a short bow of my head before turning toward the right side of the hall to leave.
"If there's something you need in return-" his voice rumbled again, making me freeze and I peered at him slyly to find his eyes focused on the area where the volleyball made contact with my head. "Please tell me."
My thoughts skidded off track, cheeks flushing at his sincere tone despite the his features being twisted in a rather unapproachable way "I... oh, uh. It's alright, Ushijima-san. I'm okay now. Thank you again."
I promptly turned and marched away after that, telling myself to walk at a sensible pace and not hightail it out of there like my hammering heart felt like doing. My back racked with shivers and something told me that Ushijima was watching me leave, so I held my breath until I rounded the corner, finally out of sight. I slumped against the wall then and let out a heavy exhale while other students passed me on their way to class.
It was surreal to officially meet him. Not only as the guy who sent a volleyball reeling for my head but as a celebrated member of the school's student body and athletes everywhere. Was this how Itsuko felt every time she saw Tendo? Starstruck?
Maybe not, I concluded to myself with a small head shake and made way for class. I was pretty sure I was just mortified.
A weight lifted from my shoulders as I entered the building of my classroom and walked to the numbered door. The small ridge at my head where the volley nearly pulverized my skull wasn't throbbing as much, I had positive thoughts about the new week's onslaught of homework and most importantly, I no longer felt stifled by the required gesture of gratitude brought upon me by the school nurse. I guess it wasn't anymore forced than it was necessary.
Deep down, I really did appreciate Ushijima's assistance that day. He could have turned a blind eye to it and went on polishing his white sneakers, or whatever athletes did in their spare time. It just wasn't easy for me to outright admit it since I generally steered clear from his kind. Now I had all the more reason to.
Clutching the strap of my book bag across my chest with both hands, I continued on to class, smiling at peers who waved at me before ducking in their class rooms. The second I stepped within the threshold of class five, the door wide open so all the seats inside were visible, a flash of blonde hair blurred across the room, followed by a barrel of rapid footsteps coming my way. I immediately knew who it was and physically braced for impact.
"What did he say?" Itsuko's face suddenly appeared in front of mine. Her hands clamped me on the shoulders. "Was he nice to you? Did he taste the food? Did he like it? He better have liked it! Your mom went through all that work and-"
Her inquiries made my forehead ache. "Itsu-chan, he isn't a barbarian. He didn't eat it out of the box with his hands. And yes, he was very... polite."
She sagged with relief and smiled. "See? All your worrying for nothing."
Yes, of course, I thought to myself. My worries. "Wait, why are you asking? Weren't you watching the whole time?"
Itsuko scratched the side of her head and laughed. "Oh, nah. I had to meet with my tutor before class started. I just told you I'd be watching so you wouldn't back out." Her happy, go-lucky grin fell once she took in my lifeless, buzzkilled expression. "Hey, hey, don't be like that! You didn't need me there after all. You did it by yourself and didn't make anymore of a fool of yourself... right?"
I exhaled and shrugged, feeling a little better at her words. She was right. I did get through it. Not with all my dignity, but I still made it nonetheless. "I suppose."
Itsuko sent me a reassuring smile and linked her arm through mine as I went over to my desk. She plopped into the chair in front of it despite it not belonging to her and gabbed about potential plans once the school day was over. I listened attentively as I got my book and notes out, voicing my opinions on the optional hangout spots where we could go. The class was filling up quickly and the teacher was one of the last few to enter before sliding the door shut. The whole time, a short brown haired boy stood silently behind Itsuko, holding his bag close at his side, growing paler by Itsuko's obliviousness that she was in his seat.
I poked at her shoulder with my pencil and pointed with it at the boy a few times, but it did no good. Once Itsuko started talking, there was no stopping her.
"Matsuzaki, please go to your assigned seat," the teacher ordered tersely. That seemed to snap her out of it.
She blinked quickly, whipping her head around to gape at the teacher before turning to look at me with a big smile. She hopped up, waving once while she moved over only a mere row away where we could still see each other. When the teacher started talking, I flipped open my notebook to a fresh page and listened to the beginning lecture. Getting back into a curriculum swing almost made it feel like the incident hadn't happened at all. I could get on with my high school life and Ushijima was free to do what he normally did.
And if that was anything like I imagined, many more students would be rushed to the nurse's office on a stretcher.
There was a vending machine Itsuko loved to visit for a drink everyday before our lunch hour. It wasn't very far from the tables where we usually sat with other students, so it didn't take long for her to pop in a few coins, hit the button of her favorite beverage and retrieve it from the tray before we headed to the cafeteria. I already waited in line to pay for my lunch so I couldn't wait to sit down to finally eat; I was so nervous waking up that morning that I didn't have breakfast. The whole thing made me feel pretty stupid now. Itsuko was right; I did get myself worked up over nothing.
Two other girls were already seated when we came up and they both looked up from their bentos with a smile. The one with dark red hair, Terumi, looked like she brought too much for one person and was frowning at the contents as if wondering where she went wrong in her planning. When she turned away to leaf through her bag, the girl sitting next to her grabbed a handful of cherry tomatoes from the box, popped them in her mouth and pretended that her cheeks weren't puffed out three inches. She picked idly at her own food, gnawing at the treats stuffed in her mouth as Terumi faced her bento box again with a water bottle in hand. Noticing something off about the meal, the crinkle between her brows deepened while she stared hard at it.
I was already halfway through my lunch tray, finishing the last morsels of curry when a stampede of shoes thundered past the cafeteria doors and made a smoking path for our table at the far end of the room. A group of at least a dozen girls crowded around my seat, eyes wide with shock and intrigue.
A student with shiny black hair slapped her hands down on the table and leaned in close to my face. "How long have you been dating Ushijima Wakatoshi?!"
"When were you gonna tell us?" Another chimed in.
"We're friends, we're supposed to tell each other everything!"
"Do you always cook for him?"
"My boyfriend dorms in the same wing as him and said it smelled amazing. How come you never bring us food?"
I dropped my chopsticks with a clatter, heart pumping faster with anxiety at their jumble of questions. A few other students looked over their shoulders, eyebrows raised at the comical scene, but for the most part the rest of the student body minded their own business and finished eating their lunch. I was more than happy to note the boys' volleyball team table was one of them.
"Wait, wait, who said I was dating Ushijima?" I demanded and glanced quickly at Itsuko, but she looked just as perplexed as I felt. The corners of her lips were turned down around the white bendy straw of her juice box.
"Everyone!" A girl answered. "My roommate's lab partner told me her best friend's dorm neighbor's girlfriend said they saw you at Ushijima's door this morning. How long has this clandestine affair been going on?"
"Since never," I told them. "Look, I only brought him lunch because he hit me in the head with a volleyball during his practice on Friday and carried me to the nurse after. It was to thank him, not a love confession. You know, for helping me to the nurse... not for hitting me-" I trailed off uneasily when their blank faces refused to be convinced and looked away. "And who says we're friends? I barely even talk to some of you."
That made them take a step back and glance around sheepishly. They were quiet for a second as Itsuko slurped through her juice, hitting the bottom of the package. She was being uncharacteristically quiet.
"Sorry, Chihiro-san," a girl formally apologized. "We were just thinking you'd guys be kind of nice together. You know not too many people talk to Ushijima except his teammates."
"Yeah, we didn't mean to pry," a second voice piped in from the back. "It just really came as a surprise. It was obvious when the popular couples liked each other, so when we heard about the possibility of a secret relationship, we got kind of carried away."
You don't say, I thought. "It's fine. It'd just appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone about this. The last thing I need is some stupid rumor getting spread around." When I saw there was a few minutes left on the wall clock to lunch, I pushed away my tray and stood up. "I mean, if we're being honest here, Ushijima is someone I'd think twice about before even being friends with."
The girls nodded, some of their eyes even widened as physically stunned if by what I just said. Given Ushijima's good looks (it was a little easier for me to admit that now), I wouldn't have been surprised if he had many admirers like his fire haired teammate. I supposed he deserved them too, if all the positive things the school nurse said about him turned out to be true. I just hoped that his and my path wouldn't intercept again as it apparently couldn't do so without being violently armed.
I grabbed a hold of my tray and dropped it into the disposal bin before walking with Itsuko back to class. She was still sucking the last few drops of her apple juice, the weight of her hand crunching the now empty box.
She threw it in a passing trash can as we crossed the hall, the noise from the cafeteria becoming quieter the farther we went. Since the lunch hour began, Itsuko hadn't spoke much about the girls' proclamation. She was never one that fed into gossip or start a rumor of her own, but sometimes she paid a silent ear to whatever was being said and always talked about it with me afterwards. The difference now was that she wasn't saying anything. It worried me.
"Hey, Itsuko?" I said fearfully.
"What's up?"
"Be honest... do I look like I have a crush on Ushijima?"
"Huh?" She cocked her head at me. "Of course not! Why? Do you- do you like him now?" Her eyes suddenly went big.
"No!" I rebuked just as passionately. "It's just that if all those people thought we were dating, it makes me wonder if I came off a little strong."
"Chihiro-chan, if those idiots don't understand that a girl being polite to boy doesn't always mean she's in love with him then that's their problem!"
I studied her for a moment, blinking once slowly like I was conversing with someone wearing a blonde Itsuko wig and the real one was still back in the lunch room, hiding in the corner and digging in her pockets for more coins she could use on the vending machine. Her words, as loyal, sincere and inconsistent as they sounded made me feel more assured about the situation. I didn't know which was wilder: the fact that students were so quick with their imagination and assumed Ushijima and I somehow liked each other, or that Itusko was acting the role of adviser.
In hindsight, I wasn't lying when I told Itsuko Ushijima was nice. He was. But his dryness gave the impression that he didn't like to socialize very much unless he could help it. Maybe he did and just preferred to stick within his athletic social pool. That'd be understandable. There were honestly a group of students I preferred interacting with over others anyway, but it didn't mean I disliked them.
"Some people are so absorbed with romance," Itsuko remarked with a sigh.
I shot her an incriminating leer from the corner of my eye that she was also oblivious to. The peaceful upturned corners of her mouth felt disarmingly opposite from the sudden rash need to ram my head against the wall a few times, both from worry about the Ushijima thing and her sudden intake of elderly wisdom that I could have used a week ago.
It was nice to see people turning over new leaves, I guess.
"Hey, Chihiro-san, is it true Ushijima grew up on a farm?"
My head snapped up at the curious inquiry. A crowd of at least ten people surrounded the table where I currently sat alone with extra homework laid out in front of me. Itsuko was busy taking a Math quiz and my other friends were occupied in different sections of the school, leaving me with nothing but the company of assignments to catch up with. At least that was my plan until a small herd of students from every class came flocking to my table.
"Do you think he has experience with gardening? My mom's tomato plant keeps dying."
"Is he free on weekends? My grandpa has a back problems and needs some help hoeing the fields."
"Can he bring one of his potted plants to my little sister's show and tell tomorrow?"
An additional dozen voices spoke over each other then, asking questions about the volleyball captain's life, requesting him to appear at random events and other things I didn't hear because the shock of the situation almost rendered me deaf. My eyes flickered from person to person, the volume of their voices growing louder and louder the more my head snapped around like a ragdoll's. Fear and panic built up in my chest like I was in protective custody and the darkness of the room prevented me from seeing everyone's face. Only I was sitting in broad daylight and these were my peers...
I snapped out of the daze then. "Stop!" I exclaimed, dropping my pencil with a frown. "Stop it!"
The noise switched off instantly. I took a deep breath, keeping perfectly still as a triad of birds flew overhead. No one said anything and it unnerved me because I was thoroughly expecting for them to crowd around closer, ignoring my pleas and just keep grilling for answers that I couldn't make up, even if I tried. I felt like an utter fool while they stood there gawking at me, their faces were blank, eyes wide with their arms hanging limp at their sides as if it were made of dish towel material. I took a deep breath and wiped my palms on my uniform skirt, hoping they wouldn't start talking at once again and cause another outburst. But they didn't say anything and just stared holes into my face.
"What are you guys talking about?" I asked at last. "Why would I ask Ushijima to do all this?"
"You're dating him, aren't you?" One of them said.
"What? No. Who told you that?"
A boy standing at the center glanced at the students at each side of him and shrugged. "Well... that's what everyone's saying."
My hands automatically curled into fists and a couple of faces flashed in my mind. "Like who?"
"This girl in my best friend's class said she overheard you telling someone at lunch that you wouldn't think twice about dating Ushijima."
That made my jaw drop. "Huh? I never said that."
"So you weren't talking to a group of girls in the cafeteria earlier?"
"Yeah, I was, but-"
"And you didn't bring Ushijima lunch?"
"No, I did that too-"
Then it hit me.
Oh, no... a misunderstanding. My conversation with those students hours ago about the Ushijima rumor evolved into another misconstruction and at that moment, I never wanted to dunk my into head the drinking fountain more. "I was telling them that I would think twice before befriending Ushijima, not that I would date him."
"Ohhhhhh," a couple students breathed at once. But the clarification broke before it could really set in. "But... but if you aren't together, why are you delivering him food?"
"Yeah, that's pretty hopelessly romantic of you," a girl piped in with a grin. "Did he like what you brought him?"
"Hey, can you bring some for us next time? It smelled great."
"Just admit it, Otonashi, you two are an item!"
"You don't have to carry on with this lie anymore, we're all happy for you, you know!"
The panic started building up again. The engrossing black shadows was now a blinding white light, filled with giddy young high schoolers with sparkles in their eyes, delirious off the prospect of a secret love on campus and the excitement of future events like wedding planning. And I was in the center of it. Me? That kind of role usually encased other girls like Itsuko and she handled them a lot better than me. Or maybe that was because it happened to her so many times she was used to it. I had to put an end to these ongoing strings of rumors once and for all, before a softball came for my forehead next.
I stood up abruptly and gathered my belongings in my school bag, ignoring everyone else. They resumed with their rapid fire questionnaires, not caring that I wasn't even answering them and just keeping asking one after another. Their voices trailed after me as I walked away from them, but their footsteps didn't follow.
One of their persistent inquiries echoed in my head and it made me stop in my tracks. "You'll have to find a bontanist or something," I said, looking back at the group. "I read his fact sheet. He's not a farm boy."
They all gaped at me, dumbfounded and stiff as paper dolls. I turned my back on them and marched away from the tables, growing angrier the farther I distanced myself away from the peanut gallery that somehow still found it in themselves to resume the conversation even after I walked away. I pondered waiting outside of Itsuko's class to tell her what happened, but that wouldn't be for another hour. Would she even be able to help me?
She was great to vent to when I needed her, but I wasn't sure if she'd be able to help me put a stop to the rumors. She might even inadvertently give them more reason to think Ushijima and I were together.
No...
I needed to talk to Ushijima himself.
Students and faculty members alike nearly jumped out of my path as I stormed a hot trail toward the place I knew any volleyball player would linger during the after hours of school. In retrospect, I supposed I didn't look like the picture of good graces since my feet stomped harder with each step and my curled fists swung stiffly at my sides. Frustration was an understatement to what I was feeling inside. I could have written an paper assignment about it and still had time to construct a new dictionary volume explaining how bad it was.
When I came up to the path that sectioned off toward the gymnasium and other complexes that housed belongings for the sport teams, no one was around except for a younger boy kneeling down in front of a black bag. He was filling it with empty water bottles.
"Excuse me?" I approached him. "Sorry for bothering you, but have you seen Ushijima Wakatoshi anywhere?"
"He's inside the gym," he replied, zipping up the bag and standing up. "He usually stays late after practice when everyone else has gone home."
I glanced over at the open door of the gymnasium and nodded back to the boy. "Thank you."
He slung the bag over his shoulder then and started off in the opposite direction, leaving me there to muster up courage and the right approach toward our escalating problem. It was very much his issue as it was mine. He might not have known about the rumors about or even cared... but as one half of this romantic fabrication, he was obligated to help me put a stop to it. His friends were majority of males; he had to have heard some trickle of gossip from time to time. Guys talked about those things too, didn't they? Just in a different manner from girls that made it seem forgettable. Maybe I should have spoken to a group of boys at lunch instead.
Sucking in a deep, steady breath, I walked calmly up the gym steps and peered inside. Ushijima was standing on the left side of the net, a large cart of volleyballs next to him as he readied one in his hands, tossed it up and smacked it at the other side of the net. I guessed he was working on his serve. From the way the ball smashed against the far side of the wall, he didn't need much practice. I thought I saw the ball deflate a little.
"Ushijima-san?"
His hands froze around another ball he was prepared to throw, elbows extended out a little and I realized how defined his arms were. I quickly looked up at his eyes and cleared my throat.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your practice," I added when he just stared at me. "But may I speak with you for a minute?"
"Of course," Ushijima said and placed the volleyball back inside the cart. Then he turned and gazed down at me.
I gulped under his full attention, hands squeezing around my book bag strap across my chest. "I won't keep you long. There was just something I, um... I wanted to discuss." I exhaled slowly as if it were my last one and started from the beginning. "So... do you remember the hayashi rice I gave you? Of course you remember, it was this morning- Anyways, someone saw me hand it to you and now apparently there's rumors spreading around about you... and me. They think we're... dating."
Ushijima was silent as a crypt throughout the whole explanation, his features calm and eyes gleaming with a sort of uninterest. Then slowly, he let out a prolonged breath. "I see."
"I know it sounds silly, but I just needed to talk to you. They keep asking me questions about you and I don't know what to tell them."
"Tell them the truth."
"I did, but they won't listen. I guess they think we're trying to keep it a secret or something." It dawned on me that if someone were to walk in right now it'd look like a couple of lovers quarreling over the fact that people were catching on to their affair. My face paled and I had the sudden need to flee the country.
Ushjima looked thoughtful for a moment, his brows pulled together slightly above the intensity of his light brown eyes. "That's fine."
"Huh?" I leaned back in astonishment. "It's... it's fine with you?"
"Yes."
"But why?"
"If they want to spend their time spreading mindless gossip, I don't care," his deep voice went. "It has no effect on me or how I play volleyball. It shouldn't for you either."
I stared down at the floor for a moment, near Ushijima's spotless white sneakers. "I suppose it doesn't."
"Is it really wise to listen to someone who has nothing better going on in their lives?"
Wow, I thought to myself. I hadn't even thought of it that way. Some guys had a nuanced perspective on friendships and the social scene in general, but he was the last person I expected to offer a piece of advice like that. "You're pretty smart for a volleyball player, Ushijima-san," I observed, breaking the silence.
"Hm?" Ushijima blinked once like he was stuck in a trance too. "Oh, thank you." He looked away then and I made a mental note of how cute he looked.
The thought made me almost twitch with shock. Was I really checking him out? I must have been sinking too low into those abyss of relationship rumors too. That or the heart Itsuko wore on her sleeve was starting to brush off on mine.
"Thank you very much for your time," I told him, readjusting the strap across my chest. "I think I better go now."
Ushijima nodded, still keeping polite eye contact and I turned away before he noticed the blush spreading on my cheeks.
And then I remembered something. "Oh, um, Ushijima-san?" I faced him again just in time to see him looking back at me, another volleyball gripped in his hand. I rummaged through the pockets of my school bag and took out a piece of paper and pencil, holding them close with mild hope. "May I have an autograph? For my little brother."
My heart skipped when Ushijima grabbed the pencil from my fingers, skin brushing against mine. The skinny stick of wood appeared ridiculously fragile under the weight of his large hand as he scribbled his name on the blank sheet of paper. They were nice looking, though. Big as baseball player's catchers mitt but not too rough at the pads of his fingers. I bet it felt even nicer to hold it.
The tiny smile that graced my lips fell dead when I realized I was ogling Ushijima again. I cleared my throat, hoping he wouldn't see my apparent discomfort and he didn't. He only finished writing his name and handed the paper back to me. I gave a small bow of my head before tucking it into my bag and returning to the school's main building.
My spirits were lifted and it wasn't because of the muscles in Ushijima's biceps.
That weekend when I returned home, I presented Koichi with Ushijima's signed autograph. His eyes lit up like a fire stove top and he practically floated around the house the rest of the day, on cloud nine. At the dinner table, he wouldn't stop gabbing to our parents about how jealous his school friends would be that he knew a volleyball superstar - or rather his older sister went to school with one. I didn't try to convince him that it wasn't true, that even though Ushijima was a peer we weren't bosom buddies and for the sake of my safety, it was better that way. His mood was more inflated than a birthday balloon and I didn't want to stick a pin in it.
I'd do that if he asked for a signed photo.
A/N: I hope I wrote Ushijima okay. He's kind of a stiff, but a good guy deep down so I hope it came out alright. Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this and I really appreciate the feedback everyone left. I think the next chapter will be a little longer and have more Ushijima in it.
I love you all
Thanks for reading! Hope everyone has a good start to the new year.
