Chapter VII

Same Boat, Different Cabins

The therapy session felt like an eternity. It wasn't as effective either since the therapist only suggested her to 'start a journey of self-discovery' in the end. What did he mean by that? Did he mean that she wasn't being herself now?

Perhaps becoming an idol affected her in a way that made her forget who she truly was. Seeing that there was an image she had to project to appeal more to the public. Did that also mean her true self wasn't as appealing?

There were still too many questions she had to find the answers herself.

Her manager only dropped her off in the apartment before he departed to pick up another member somewhere. There were five of them, and they had to share one manager as a group. She never got the chance to ask Takagaki which he found the hardest to deal with, though. The least she could do was to wish it wasn't her, except that she pretended to be asleep in her room when in reality, she was taking a stroll along the riverside.

She wasn't as stupid to let herself be spotted by a fan in a peaceful afternoon. She had grabbed one of the black hoodies that was hooked onto the door without looking. As long as it was able to cover her striking-colored hair, she felt secured.

In a little while, she found herself staring into space by the riverside. Until she noticed a certain comet goldfish that jumped out of the river from time to time as if it was trying to draw her attention. She couldn't help but get closer to the river, finally aware that the goldfish was the sole breed among its school.

"Are you lonely, too?" She wondered.

But then, she recalled a well-known finding which stated that a goldfish could only remember things for three meaningful seconds. Isn't that great? She thought to herself. At least, it wouldn't feel lonely for a prolonged time. Be that as it may, it saddened her at the same time. She thought she'd seen herself in the goldfish for trying so hard to blend in the shoal of trout fish, who were of a different breed. Then again, had it been one of the trout fish from the start, Akari wouldn't have been able to discern it. The goldfish was discovered through its distinctiveness.

Suddenly, when the goldfish was pulling another stunt by leaping out of the water, a crow soared over the river and abruptly snatched the goldfish with its claws.

Her eyes widened in surprise. The goldfish was outclassing its school, and its action only led it to be caught by a crow. Would she end up like that? Would she get hurt too if she persisted in being determined to succeed?

"Hirose," called a familiar voice out of nowhere. "What are you doing? You're standing too close to the river."

Akari turned around her body in horror, only to find Tobio in his sports gear, his hair drenched in sweats. "How were you able to recognize me? I'm wearing a disguise."

"I can't recognize you from the back, but I can recognize the hoodie you're wearing. I lent it to you, remember?"

It only jogged her memory until now. She came across Tobio the other days ago just after Namie and her underlings got her uniform all soaked, leaving her with no choice but to go home with her wet clothes revealing her underwear and pressing against her curves. It wasn't a big deal for her at first. She had posed in a bikini for a magazine before, so what made it differ from walking around in underwear?

"Put this on." He tossed the hoodie carelessly, face turning away. "... you'll catch a cold."

She really didn't get him sometimes.

"Ah, you're right. So, you came to get your hoodie? Wait a minute—"

Just when she was about to take off the hoodie in front of him, he stopped her. "It's all right. Just give it back to me tomorrow or any other day."

The sun sank lower into the horizon, golden rays reflecting on the surface of the water. The night had begun to fall. As the cold air brushed against her uncovered skin, she pushed her hands into the pockets. "Why are you here, Kageyama-kun? What about practice?"

"The drama club was rehearsing at the gym today. I was surprised to find you here instead."

That was new to her. But what right did she have to acquire information on it sooner? She handed in her notice not on good terms, only letting one of the extras she met on the street know that she quitted, omitting the reasons why she left. The other cast was probably cursing at her right now, whereas Namie was celebrating her stepping down. She could've bet her life that it was her idea as well to run through in the gym when they already got their own practice room.

"I didn't even attend any of the classes today. The teachers would be disappointed if they found out I only showed up for the club rehearsal." She lied, a smile decorating her face.

There was a pause. "Actually, I quitted the drama club. I don't think I'm ready yet to play as the main character in my musical theatre debut."

"It doesn't add up," he frowned. "You lie so much, but how come you still consider yourself as a bad actress?"

"I'm a terrible liar. That's why I'm a bad actress." She turned to him, glaring. "I never said I was a bad actress! But maybe you're right... since I'm not a good actress either. Still, if you're gonna say something so brutally honest to me, give me a warning beforehand, so I've prepared my heart!"

He gave her a blank look before he got to react, "My bad."

"You don't sound so sincere."

"Are you on your period?"

"What?" She yelled; cheeks flushed with a tinge of pink. "What does it have to do with you?"

"... Don't girls nag a lot when they're on their period?"

Surprisingly, she broke into a smile. "What are you? A girl expert now?"

The corner of his lips twitched upward. If he were to call it by a name, her smile was somewhat contagious. Silently, he seated himself on the grass with his legs straightened, allowing them to relax. "Are you coming to school tomorrow?"

"I suppose so," she answered as she joined him in sitting down, knees bent. "Has Minaho-sensei said anything about our assignment?"

"There are a few revisions have to be made before presenting it to the whole class after the Golden Week. We still got time."

"Yeah..." She let out a long sigh as she took a seat beside him. "Hey, Kageyama-kun. Do you find me... greedy?"

He paused for a moment, trying to be careful with his words. "I can't say much, but you tend to do all the work on your own."

"It's not like I have any other options—"

"I'm a greedy person, too. What's wrong with being greedy?"

"Of course, it's not right!" She lowered her head as soon as she realized that she'd been raising her voice. She muttered, "Since people find fault with it."

"It doesn't matter what they think." He looked her in the eye, eyes reflecting disbelief. "Is that why you quitted the drama club?"

She nodded weakly. There was no use in hiding the truth anyway.

"It makes sense now... why there was no one behind me to catch my toss..."

Unable to make out what he voiced; she only tilted her head to the side. "Kageyama-kun, are you okay? I couldn't hear what you said earlier, but you look... unhappy, all of a sudden."

Abruptly, Tobio rose to his feet, shifting his gaze toward her. "After school tomorrow, come to the gym with me."

"What? Did Ken-san ask you to drag me into the rehearsal? Then, I don't want to!"

"Ken? Who? I don't know anyone named Ken on the volleyball team." He furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment. "You're going to watch me practice tomorrow."


By watching him practice, Akari imagined that she would at least sit comfortably on the bench while cheering for him and the other players by the court. Who would have thought that Tobio forgot to tell her that she wasn't allowed to enter the gym and the only possible way to make it happen was by peeking through a tiny hole?

"Kageyama-kun, are you sure this is the closest spot where I can see you practice? But the only thing I can see is their shoes!" Akari protested.

"Yes, because this isn't an open practice. Outsiders aren't allowed to watch it, let alone record it with a video camera. You can only observe it with the naked eye." He explained passionately. "I'm not good at it, but should I introduce everyone by their shoes?"

She looked briefly at the black shoes with streaks of gold that Tobio was wearing, and then back at her brown loafers, already comparing the size difference without knowing.

"It's fine... I'll learn all of the shoes by heart."

"Suit yourself." In a little while, the sound of a whistle was heard, notifying that the practice was about to begin. "I'll go inside then."

The players started warming up as soon as they were gathered. Similar to dancing, her dance coach never failed to remind her how essential warm-ups were. Having said that, the heads-up only came in handy once she had experienced a sprained ankle a couple of hours before the show started. It must be the same as sports.

What amazed her was they didn't appear like they had a coach to instruct them, yet they still managed to do all the routines progressively. In that case, they must have been led by an outstanding captain. Akari tried to sink lower so that she was able to catch sight of the captain's face, not expecting herself to be shouted at the attempt.

"Who's there?"

Never in her life, she pictured herself to be situated in this position. She is an idol. The center of Japan's hottest girl group! She was used to being stalked and getting her privacy invaded, but not when the role was reversed!

She had nowhere to go.

"Hirose Akari?!"

"A-Akari-ch-chan?"

"I'm being noticed by an idol? This thing only happens in dreams, right?"

"Everyone, be quiet!" Ordered one of the players who gave off a wise aura. His voice softened when he was addressing her, "Are you looking for someone, Hirose-san?"

But then, the other player with a shaved head and evil eyes chimed in. "Kageyama! It's you, right? How dare you make a lady wait outside and still call yourself a man?"

Spontaneously, everyone turned around at once, locating Tobio who was trying to keep his presence to a minimum by hiding behind a teammate who was much shorter than him. It was such a wrong movement, though. Even the player he used as a shield had ridiculously vibrant hair that one couldn't easily divert one's attention from.

One of the players looked back at her before the others followed suit. "Are you Kageyama's girlfriend?"

All eyes on her, waiting for an honest answer. On the other hand, Tobio was shaking his head helplessly. Akari threw a glance at the players and accidentally made eye contact with a familiar face.

"What? No! I'm an idol. I don't have time to date!" She laughed nervously. "Actually, I'm here for Kei-kun. Kei-kun! Why did you never come say hi to me when we go to the same school?"

"Kei-kun? As in Tsukishima Kei?" The rest of the players turned to the tallest boy in the room.

"Tsukishima, too? Damn it! Why am I the only one who got no connection to Hirose Akari?"

"I know how you feel, Hinata." The boy with freckles on his cheeks faced Tsukishima. "Tsukki! You never said you were friends with a famous person!"

"Because I really am not her friend," the blond denied as he cast a glance at Tobio. "Maybe the King has a good explanation to be made—"

"Enough, Tsukishima." The brunette who appeared to be the captain meddled. "I'm sorry, Hirose-san. Even if you came here with a good intention, we're in the middle of practice right now. It would be much more appreciated if you can come back again after we finish—"

"Don't be so strict, Sawamura. As you said, it's only practice!" Defended the silvery-haired boy. "She's a student at Karasuno as well, why don't we hold an open practice once in a while? Geez, this is why the volleyball team is the least popular among the other sports clubs!"

"I think Suga-san got a point, Daichi-san. We should let others watch our practice from now on. I'm confident it will help some of us deal with stage fright when we're faced with a real match one day." The droopy-eyed player commented.

The captain eyed the calm lady beside him, "What do you think, Shimizu?"

"I don't mind." She answered.

"Alright then, it's decided." A welcoming smile spread across his lips. "Hirose-san, have you watched a volleyball game before?"

"I haven't. This would be my first time." Akari replied cheerfully.

The captain dissolved into laughter, "I don't mean to disappoint you, but we still have to work on some drills before starting the game. Shimizu here is the manager. If you have some questions, don't hesitate to ask her."

"Okay, guys. Let's carry on with our—"

"Captain! Tanaka's nose is bleeding!"

Daichi approached the guy with a buzz cut, handing him tissues. "Tanaka! Are you all right? Can you continue?"

"I'm all right. No need to worry! This nosebleed is actually caused by excitement."

The other player looked at Tanaka in suspicion, "You're not having any dirty thoughts, are you?"

"Of course not!"

The players continued to bicker until their captain had to step in, fumed with anger. The practice resumed with the players ignoring the existence of the idol (or else, the captain would be even more furious). Starting with running around the neighborhood—at first, Akari hesitated whether to join them or not, but the thought of washing her uniform late at night discouraged her. Thankfully, it didn't take the team long to return to the gym after a round of running. One thing that she couldn't help but notice was how Tobio and his little friend always competed for the first place.

The competition still carried on throughout the whole practice session. Before Akari knew it, the team already formed two lines where they also had to stand behind the end line of the court. At the same time, Tobio and the silvery-haired senior stood close to the net and were expected to toss the ball up so that the other players could hit it to the other side of the court.

So, this is the role that he keeps bragging about... A setter. She wasn't quite familiar with it, but it seemed that the role wasn't less important just because they didn't directly score for the team. However, if the role was taken out, the team wouldn't be able to gain any point that being the case.

Seemingly, volleyball is all about teamwork.

"Kageyama! Can you try tossing a little bit higher after this?" Demanded one of the upperclassmen.

Surprisingly, Tobio was able to receive it well. "Sure, I'll give it a try."

Once the orange-haired boy reached the front line, he announced, "Attention, guys! Kageyama and I would like to awe you with a quick set we came up with! Please look forward to it!" He glanced at Tobio, "Make sure you don't mess up!"

Tobio smirked, "Speak for yourself, Dumbass."

The vertically challenged boy sprinted before he leaped. One thing that couldn't go unnoticed was the fact that the boy was closing his eyes when the ball got to his hand. As if all of his strength had been gathered on his palm, he pushed the ball forward as it broke through the other side at warp speed and fell to the ground.

"I didn't really get how it worked, but that was incredible, Hinata! Kageyama!"

Even the players couldn't tell how it did the trick, Akari who had only watched a volleyball game up close for the first time didn't bother to find out. However, she caught sight of the triumphant face Tobio was making as their quick-set attack pushed through the other side. It was an expression he'd never shown before. If truth be told, she only got to witness a new side of him when he was playing volleyball. The way he looked at the ball was different—his eyes burning somehow. Much to her surprise, he also put a decent effort into communicating with his teammates, which was a rare sight. Except for Tsukishima, Tobio seemed to be getting along with everyone just fine.

"We can win against Seijoh at this rate!" Exclaimed the other player.

"Hey, Kageyama. Some of the Seijoh players went to Kitagawa Daiichi, right? How do they play?"

"They're strong. We shouldn't let our guard down." Tobio answered.

"Kageyama's right. Seijoh is a formidable opponent. They're also strong individually—each of them could become the aces of other teams." Daichi explained. "Even so, the team couldn't be at where they are now without the command of their current captain, who plays as a setter, Oikawa Tooru."

"Oikawa-san is an all-around player. He is renowned for his powerful jump serves. I even learned how to do jump serves by watching him practice." Tobio added.

"Kageyama learning jump serves from Oikawa-san... Does it make him the Great King?" Responded Hinata without thinking.

"Shut up, Hinata dumbass!" Tobio barked.

"I heard Oikawa injured his leg during his last match. I don't think he'll be able to participate in the practice match..." One of the upperclassmen wondered. "But it's strange. Since Oikawa was the one requesting to make Kageyama the setter."

"Who cares? He has a horrible personality anyway. Even more horrible than that guy!" Tobio pointed at Tsukishima.

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself, King?" The guy in question defended himself.

"Kageyama, Tsukishima! Stop it before I make you run another round!" The captain gave a threatening look before facing the rest of the team. "That's it for today. Good job for today, everyone! You can go home after cleaning up the gym. Be sure to rest your body well!"

The boy named Hinata came forward, "Captain! Kageyama and I probably will stay here a bit late to practice more. Is that okay?"

Akari frowned at the sight of Tobio and his friend heading to the ball storage, about to pick up more. Are they not tired at all? Before her eyes got to follow them further, her vision was hindered by the sudden appearances of the rest of the volleyball team members.

"Akari-chan! Do you like our play?"

"Who do you think is the best player? It's me, right? I'm Tanaka Ryuunosuke, second-year! I'm your senpai. If you need anything, you know where to find me—"

"Akari-san! Can I shake your hand?"

"Guys, I can't hear you very clearly if you're talking at once..." Her attention riveted to a specific four-eyed blond who casually walked past her. "Kei-kun! Where are you going?"

"Ah, are you talking to me? Why would an idol talk to a commoner like me? Of course, I'm going home. It's too loud here." Tsukishima put on his headphones as he exited the gym.

"Tsukki! Wait for me!" The boy with freckles tailed him, leaving the crowd behind.

"Hinata to the rescue!" The orange-haired boy who introduced himself as Hinata squeezed in the crowd and raised his hand high to grab the attention. "Akari-san, mind joining us? We need a helping hand!"

She threw a glance at Tobio and found him nodding. "Sounds fun!"

"That's not fair, Hinata! Can't you see we're talking to her right now?"

"Why don't you guys join us as well? We can talk after we're done. Besides, the more the merrier!"

"I want to! But, man, I'm so beat..." Tanaka turned to Akari, "Akari-chan! Will you come again tomorrow?"

"Am I allowed to do that?"

"Well, we still need Daichi-san's approval." Tanaka scratched the back of his head before spinning his body around, facing the door. "I'll be going on ahead. Good work today, everybody!"

"Thanks for your hard work!" The team said in unison before going their separate ways.

"That's Karasuno for you." Hinata began as he stuck out his hand, suggesting a handshake. "Ah, I haven't really introduced myself. The name's Hinata Shouyou. I'm from class 1. You're in the same class as Kageyama, right?"

Akari took hold of his hand, "Hirose Akari. Yes, we're in the same class."

"It's getting late. Let's go home." Tobio suggested, which raised suspicion. Didn't he say he would practice a little bit more?

"We lied about asking you to practice with us. It's only a trick to get you off the crowd. Thought you might need it." Hinata whispered, "To tell you the truth, it was Kageyama's idea."

It didn't bother Akari at first. If truth be told, she didn't mind waiting until Tobio finished his second training since she enjoyed watching him play. Volleyball looked fascinating, but because she had no clue about the basic rules even, the only things she could tell were the dynamics among the players and the passion they shared for volleyball.

It brought her back to when she was still actively performing on the stage.

Their return trip was more enjoyable than she expected. Hinata had a very likable personality, which would entice anyone to adopt him as a pocket friend that you didn't wish to be separated from. He was talkative, but not nosy. Humorous, yet humble. The type of friend you never thought would get along with Tobio. Akari wouldn't regard them as best friends, though... seeing that all they did since the three of them departed from school was bicker... endless bickering. Sometimes, she was put in a position where she had to pick sides, and of course, she was indecisive.

The time had come when they had to part ways with Hinata. She heard that he still had to climb a few hills until he reached home.

The time when Hinata left was also known as the time when Akari had to come up with a topic to be brought up. Unless she was comfortable with the awkward silence that surrounded them.

"Kageyama-kun," she called him. "I'm still wondering what intention you had to get me to watch you practice. Did you just want to show off how good you are?"

"Don't be ridiculous. If I wanted to show off so bad, I should've brought you to a national scale game instead," he denied. "As you heard, we're having a practice match with Aobajohsai, a powerhouse school this weekend. I knew some of the players, in fact, we went to the same middle school, but we aren't on good terms now."

Akari clammed up, letting him state further. "I... I only wanted the best for the team, doing what I had to do as a setter. They didn't like it. They didn't like how I played. They didn't like me. When I set the ball up in the air during our last game, hoping that someone would catch it and score with it, nobody was there. The ball dropped to the floor and the sound of the whistle rang in my ear. The coach subbed me out in the middle of the game. Long story short, we failed to win and I still blamed myself for it because it was our last game in middle school."

She watched him in silence, reading the expression drawn on his face. It was sorrow.

"But it didn't stop me from playing volleyball. At first, I was afraid of the same thing happening again. That's why I turned down the invitation to come to Aobajohsai because I knew most of my former teammates would go there. It's only a matter of time for me to face them anyway. In our upcoming match, I want to show them how much I've improved, not only as a player but as an individual as well—and make them regret ever turning their backs on me."

"My point is, Hirose, if you're passionate enough about something, loving it so much to the point you can't live without doing it, you won't have time to listen to what others say about you. Just because they don't like what you're doing, it doesn't mean you should stop what you're doing. I hope you come to realize it someday."


Author's note: Hello, everyone! Sorry for the delay... I just got accepted for an internship program (while having to juggle my thesis at the same time). Only got time to write this while being quarantined. I hope everyone is safe and healthy! So yeah, to tell you the truth, I've been rewriting this chapter for quite some time now. It was rather hard to start a new chapter because you have to find the voice that suits the narrative, while struggling to maintain the current writing style. But I'm kinda proud of how it turns out now! At least, Akari finally got to meet the Karasuno team!
Ok, that's it from me. Thanks for reading and waiting for this update! I'd still like to know what you think about this story so far so leave comments if you feel like it! And don't forget to wash your hands and stay home, everyone! See you soon~