Hey, guys! Heads up, this chapter partially deals with the volleyball tournament, but mostly on other subjects. It's a mix of POVs!
Thoughts
unison
Like always, I don't own Haikyuu, only my OCs.
Yuko's POV
"I'm going to be late!" I scream as I run past the multitude of volleyball players. "Please~ wait!"
Today is Tobio's big match, but it's still a Saturday, meaning I have morning practice. Ever since our team lost, we've promised to meet every Saturday morning for practice. I arrived on time to participate with the team. As soon as training ended, I changed into my normal clothes and raced to the bus stop thinking I might have missed it.
It was actually the opposite. For some odd reason, the bus taking me to the stadium was a few minutes behind, meaning every stop would be late from here on out. What makes matters worse is the idiots who take forever to get on and off the bus are slower than usual today. Because of this, I took my chances running the rest of the way instead of waiting at my seat. Hopefully, I don't regret it.
Running inside, I search for my brother and his team. I get looks from a lot of players, and a few tried to stop me for a quick chat. Rather than entertaining them, I move past them to locate Tobio. I always make a point of it to say good luck or something along those lines before he competes. I'm not about to break that habit today of all days. Thankfully, I spot Karasuno's volleyball team at one of the court entrances. Slowing down to a walk, I overhear the last part of their conversation.
"Ashai's cowardly, too, but he doesn't seem nervous," Suga-san points out to the team.
"Cowardly?" Ashai repeats, looking dejected by the statement. The look doesn't stay for long as he turns the conversation. "I have a trick to calm my nerves. I try and remember the scariest experiences I've ever had. The scarier, the better. Then I think to myself, whatever happens, it can never be as scary as that. It pushes me to another level."
"Sounds exhausting," I mutter to the ace. "And a waste of time."
"I agree with Yuko-chan," Noya said without missing a beat. Tanaka tries to defend the ace, but his words fall on deaf ears.
"Yuko, when did you get here," my brother questions, and I shrug, not wanting to delve into details.
"Doesn't matter, let's focus on the present," I said, hugging my brother really quick. "Still, my curiosity would like to know why you guys are talking about how much of a coward Ashai-san is? Shouldn't you be focusing? Y'know, mentally preparing."
"We are, but Hinata is scared."
Angry, the tiny orange-haired teen jumps in between us to state otherwise. "I'm not scared!"
"Really, because it's okay if you're nervous," I tell him as I swing the boy around to face me. I place both hands on his shoulders as I continue. "There is nothing wrong with being anxious, so long as you don't forget you aren't the only one on the court, okay?"
"...Okay!"
"Great! Plus, if you guys start feeling down, just remember, your personal cheerleader will be here to hype you up!"
"Ah, that explains the get-up," Tsukki adds, looking me up and down with a teasing smirk.
For the competition, I decided to wear an orange v-neck short sleeve shirt with black shorts and black tennis shoes. My hair is in a high ponytail with two long strands on either side of my face. The ponytail itself is held by an orange scrunchy. In my opinion, I'm pretty tame today with my outfit.
"Whatever, hater," I smirk. "You're just jealous I look better in shorts than you do string bean."
As Tsukki is about to retort, Daichi pops up, gathering the team's attention. Not wanting to distract them any longer, I give Tobio one last hug before racing to my seat.
When I reach the stands, I look for our banner. It doesn't take long, considering we have the only black and white banner here. While I watch the boys do their warm-ups, I hear a group of footsteps coming toward me. I'm not surprised to see Aoba Johsai heading my way with some of their members gazing at me curiously.
"It seems your girlfriend did save us seats, Kunimi," the head coach states as the team places their belongings on the seats behind me. Akira, Kindaichi, Iwaizumi, and Oikawa come to greet me. They're barely a foot from me when a voice from below springs forth.
"Hey, it's turnip head."
"Pfft~" I can hardly hold my laughter back, especially when Kindachi looked confused about the comment.
"Turnip head? What's that?"
"Kindaichi-kun, have you ever looked in the mirror?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Kunimi slides up beside me with a smirk. "It means you have a Turnip head."
"Hey, Yuko-chan~!" Oikawa greets me, as does Iwa-chan. The attention doesn't stay on me for too long as Oikawa turns to face my brother and his team down below. "Yoohoo, Tobio-chan, Shrimp-chan. How's the freak duo doing?" Iwaizumi smacks his Captain for his antics and the peace sign covering his face. "Ow! That hurt, Iwa-chan."
"Wait! What are you guys doing near Yuko?" Hinata screams at the group. "Kageyama, your sister is in danger!"
"My sister is dating one of them."
"More importantly," I finally speak. "Your sister is embarrassed. If you two are going to act like this, go back to practicing."
The two do as they're told, just as Oikawa slips in between Akira and me. Kawa-kun places an arm around me while Iwazumi walks to my other side. I hear a faint, don't touch my girlfriend, but nothing more.
"Say, Yuko-chan, how come you didn't tell us about the new people on your brother's team?"
"Why on Earth would I do that?"
Acting dramatic as always, Oikawa pulls me closer as he clutches his heart. "After everything we've been through, you DARE betray us like this?! BeTrAy ME!"
"Oh, calm down. Don't be dramatic. I have to support my brother and his team."
"But you're going to cheer us on too, right," Kindaichi inquires from the other side of Iwa-chan. I smile as I nod to the boy agreeing I would do just that. Ever since Akira and I got back together, Kindaichi apologized for his behavior, as did I.
"Speaking of which, can we sit?" asked Akira, trying to pull me from a possessive Oikawa and Iwaizumi. "Away from him."
"Eh-!"
"Actually, I want to watch from here. If you want to sit down, that's fine."
He makes a noise but stays behind me. With Iwaizumi's help, Akira removes Oikawa's arm from my shoulders. Still, rather than asking the third year to move altogether, Akira stands behind me and wraps his arms around me while placing his head on my shoulder.
When the game begins, I do my best to tune out the conversations from the boys around me as they strategize. More or less so I won't accidentally give away any information for either team. I promised myself that I wouldn't choose sides… for the most part, that is. The good thing is that our team is very distracting, considering how lively they are. The first point goes to Tanaka, who proceeds to yell in victory. Nishinoya joins in, causing a disturbance, but when Daichi yells at the two to cut it off, the third year is the one reprimanded by the referee.
"Nice team," Akira comments, chuckling in my ear. His entire team laughs at the scene, causing my cheeks to turn a violent shade of red.
"You idiots," I yell at the two down below. "Nishinoya-kun, Tanaka-kun stop acting dumb!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
From beside me, Iwaizumi wryly smiles as Akira struggles to hold me back. "Your kind of scary sometimes, Yuko."
"Thanks!"
"THAT'S NOT A COMPLIMENT"
It doesn't take long to decide the winner of the match as it quickly goes to our team. Aoba Johsai considers this enough as they leave for warm-ups. Our team has a quick break before entering their second match of the day. Towards the middle of their match with Date Tech, the alumni from Karasuno arrive.
"You're late," I scold the two men, rolling my eyes at their out-of-breath state. They have the decency to apologize before asking me to regale the tales of our latest triumphs. "Well, the second match has started against Date Tech, so obviously they won the first match. Anywho, it's been a battle, honestly. We can't shake Date Tech off us, and their cheer is pretty catchy."
"Really, Yuko?"
"What? It is," I shrug at the two men as I take a second to listen to the catchy tune. "But if we keep up the momentum, we might win."
Suddenly a group of girls runs to our part of the bleachers. Noticing their uniform, it's safe to say they're from Karasuno as well. The more, the merrier, I suppose. I rather have a crowd around me to cheer on my boys, than be by myself.
As the game continues, everyone is wowed by our team's performance. More so by Hinata's speed. My pride grows as the audience is taken away by his ability to dodge the formidable iron wall. What they don't realize, similar to Date Tech, is they're being drawn in by our amazing decoy. Once your eyes are fixed on our decoy, you basically lost the match. A vicious smile spreads across my face at the mere thought.
"That was an ordinary quick," one of the females stated as we score another point.
"They can change the speed of their tosses?"
"Yeah," I add in loud enough for them to hear me. "Can't you? I mean, if you want to win you need a variety of tricks." the girls are a mix of shock and irritation by my comment, but I shrug it off. "Guess not since you lost. You did lose, right? I mean, since your here and not competing."
"Yuko-chan, that's mean," one of the older men, the one with glasses, points out. I shrug again as I turn my attention back to the game. Not long after, we win the first and second sets. I'm even glad to see my time with Nishinoya wasn't wasted. Earlier, he had kicked out his foot to save the ball, giving us more time to strick back.
When the team comes to greet us, I smile and wave from my place in the stands. "Nice job, guys. Not to mention Asahi's payback against Date Tech, almost thought he would chicken out mid-way through." Nishinoya laughs at my comment as Tanaka warns us about salt in wounds. "Still, the biggest props go to the hero of the day, Hinata-kun. Way to go, decoy! We couldn't have won without you."
Hinata smiles from ear to ear, and the sight warms my heart. I'm glad his first high school competition is going well. Hopefully, it doesn't stop here.
Twenty minutes later, Karasuno's male volleyball team joins me in the stands to watch Aoba Johsai literally rule the court. I sit beside Kyoko as the boys keep their eyes on Oikawa and his team. Apparently, Aoba Johsai is their first match tomorrow.
As Oikawa earns another point for his team while our side finally begins to feel the weight of tomorrow's game.
"AH, another point," Hinata wails.
Asahi joins him with his own commentary, "That's his fourth ace serve in a row."
With each point Akira's team gains, I cheer along with the crowd, much to my brother's irritation. "What?"
"Mind being loyal to your school."
"Don't be like that, Tobio. Not my fault I can get a boyfriend while every girl in school is afraid of you." The entire team laughs at my comment while Tobio attempts to sputter a reply. "Plus, he's not playing against you until tomorrow."
Oddly enough, it's Hinata who speaks up then. "Who will you cheer for then?"
The question took me off guard as some team members wait for my answer. Still, the choice is easy enough. "You guys, Tobio, that is."
"...then," I wait to hear a response and I'm shocked when Hinata turns to point at me with a blush covering his face. "THEN I'LL GIVE YOU A MATCH YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!"
"Okay…?"
"OKAY!"
I giggle at the nerves exuding the older teen, and chalk it up to the excitement for tomorrow's game. Nevertheless, I'm glad Hinata responded well to my and Kunimi's relationship. Oddly enough, he's a bit protective of me, but it's probably because of his friendship with Tobio he's like this. Still, not everyone on the team is so… well, how do I explain it.
I understand some of Karasuno's members are confused and even hurt by the relationship between Kunimi and me. Well, more like Nishinoya and Tanaka were hurt by the news as they called me a traitor for sleeping with the enemy. I got a good laugh out of that, especially when Daichi and Suga sempai yelled at them for saying such things. Kyoko simply wanted an explanation, and I was happy to give it when we were alone. Thankfully, the team was happy for me, but it feels stunted. I can't precisely put my finger on it, but I feel like something is wrong.
The feeling grows as I watch Karasuno's team lose the next day against Oikawa. I have enough sense to shoot a quick smile toward Aoba Johsai instead of cheering. Still, the pair of sapphire eyes on me almost makes me regret it.
He's in a mood, I note to myself. Better not say anything to Tobio for a while.
I don't speak much as they pass by the bleachers to cool down. I don't stand beside them when they come to watch the end of Johsai's game. I keep to myself, giving them time to process their loss.
When my brother and his team finally left, I ran to Akira with a huge smile as I kiss him on the cheek. "Congrats!"
He smiles in return, but the third years are the ones to tackle me in a group hug.
"Eh, Yuko, will you be at the game tomorrow?" Iwaizumi inquires, looking satisfied by his teams' performance.
"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
"Tobio-chan won't be upset?" Oikawa smirks, clearly enjoying his back-to-back wins, especially by proving he's the better setter between him and Tobio.
Rolling my eyes at the brunette, I respond. "He shouldn't. Honestly, he has matured a lot."
"Not enough. You saw him at the beginning of the match, Yuko."
"...Yeah, it's how I knew he was going to lose today, but by the end of the match he did recover quite nicely."
"If you say so," Kawa-kun shrugs, placing a hand on my head as he bends down slightly to look me in the eye. "But people don't change that fast. It's been two months, and I told you about the scene he pulled at your tournament."
"Yeah, I remember."
"Exactly, so don't give him too much praise. I don't want him to set your hopes up only to knock them down."
"Don't worry," I said, playfully smacking his hand from me. "Just focus on your victory! You deserve it Kawa-kun."
That night when I returned to my house, I expected the pouting, and the following morning too. What caught me off guard was the cold behavior that Monday afternoon.
I had just come home from the finals, Aoba Johsai versus Shiratorizawa. Sadly, we lost again. I went out with Akira and the rest to cheer them up. Truthfully, I hadn't stayed out too long, but the anger in Tobio's eyes makes it seem as if I'd been out the entire night.
"Tobio?"
"Where were you?"
"Huh? I could've sworn I told you I was at the game."
"I didn't have a game today!"
Rolling my eyes, I lock the door behind me and proceed to slip off my shoes to replace them with slippers. "I know. Akira did. Oikawa did. Iwazumi did. Kindachi did."
"So?!"
"So? I went to support them."
"WHY?!"
"Because," I slowly say, trying to keep my composure. "They're my friends."
"Whatever," he states, leaving me at the door. I hear stomps before a door slams in the distance.
"Geeze, he's like a period personified," I muttered. Not wanting the headache, I walk to my room in silence. I decided to call my sister for advice. "Miwa!"
"Hey, hun! I wasn't expecting your call."
"Well, Tobio is being a jerk, so I'm giving him some space."
"What happened."
"I went to my boyfriend's game, and he's jealous cause he lost against him."
"I forgot that was this week. The Tournament, I mean. Well, you know how Tobio is about volleyball. He hasn't been the same about it since gramps died."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Should I feel bad for going then?"
"NO! Don't let him walk over you, Yuko. Mother and Father ruined your big weekend while he stayed home to practice. Just like it wasn't his fault you had to forfeit, it's not your fault he lost."
"Okay, Miwa."
"Just give him some time. Try talking in the morning on your walk to school?"
"Right, I'll try that."
"Great, now get some sleep. You got school tomorrow."
"Geeze, are you my mom, now?"
"Shut it," Miwa laughed. "I'm too young to be a mom."
"Then don't act like one!"
"Whatever, darling, goodnight!"
"Goodnight," I sing, hanging up the phone. Plugging my phone to charge, I ready myself for bed and immediately head to sleep.
Morning comes, and I wake to find the house empty. Rushing, I gather my things to find Tobio halfway to the school.
"Why did you leave earlier than usual?"
"Take a guess," he bites, walking faster to leave me. I give him some space, but not enough to lose him.
"Listen, Tobio, I get your upset, but you don't have to take it out on me. I didn't do anything to you."
"No, just betray me."
"Betray? Going a bit far there, don't you think?" I joke, only to realize Tobio is serious. "Oh my gosh, you mean it, don't you?"
My brother rounds on me so fast that I have to take a step back so I won't bump into him. Times like this, I hate being the shorter twin as I'm forced to crane my neck to look at him. "You always talk about me messing up, but you never focus on your mistakes."
"What-"
"You broke up with Kunimi, and now your back together. Fine, I don't care, but don't stab me in the back while you're at it."
"I didn't!"
"Yes, you did! How else did they win?"
"Because they're a good team."
"We almost beat them, and yet they caught us! Why? Because you told them our secrets!"
"Tobio, I-"
"Then, to shove it in my face, you go to their games! What happened to us?!"
"Tobio," he doesn't listen as he spins around to walk away. "Tobio, wait!"
"No, I'm done listening to you."
"But if you only-"
"I don't want to hear it!"
"Tobio!"
"Tobio, wait!"
"TOBIO!"
3rd POV
"Takeda-san, do you have a moment," asked Hara Mina. Takeda stutters a yes as he allows the strict Sensei to direct their conversation. "Have you seen the Kageyama's today?"
The question is reasonable, considering one of the twins is on his team. What's peculiar is that Hara-san is having the same problem as him. Kageyama Tobio was present yesterday, but he was missing during morning practice. When he followed up with the boys' Senseis, they all said the same thing; the teen never arrived for class.
"No, I haven't, but it seems you haven't either."
"Yuko always attends practice. Yesterday, she only participated in the morning practice, which is fine since she went to support someone on the volleyball team. Heaven knows Yuko could use a break, but today, she never showed up for morning practice. Not just that, but she never arrived at school."
"Hm, so neither of the Kageyama's are here. Is it possible a family emergency came up?"
"I-"
"Hara Sensei, Takeda Sensei," Vice Principal greeted the two. "I need to have a word with you two. Please follow me." Nodding, the two followed their senior to his office. Once seated, they notice the grim look on the Vice Principal's face, alarming them.
"Sir," Hara Sensei spoke up, her nerves getting the better of her for once. "Is everything alright?"
"Sadly, there has been an accident."
As the two digests the information, the only thought crossing their mind is how they'll inform their respective teams of the news.
Takeda was sure the entire team will be upset by the news, so he and Hara-san worked out a way to help everyone. Hopefully, the teams will pull together for Kageyama.
As the team started their warm-ups, Takeda pulled Ukai aside to share the news about the Kageyama's. Even if the teams are being informed separately, they would have to work together at some point. Ukai agreed, knowing this will affect the team to a certain degree. So as he called them forward, he allowed Takeda to take the lead.
"I assume all of you have noticed an absence today," Takeda Sensei began. The boys looked amongst each other, everyone wondering where their genius setter had vanished. "There was an accident."
"Accident?!" Tanaka spoke, breaking the silence. "Is Kageyama okay?"
"Yes, and no. On the way to school, there was a hit and run. We don't know much, but Kageyama Yuko was hit. She's at the hospital receiving treatment as we speak. Tomorrow after school, it's been decided by Hara Sensei and I that we will send a few of the students to visit the Kageyama's to support the two during their time of need. Thankfully, we have a volunteer in Yuko's class to gather her homework until either she or Tobio return. Also, Tobio will not be attending practice until further notice. Any questions?"
Takeda expected or at least hoped the boys would hound him with questions. However, only the opposite is true. No one spoke, not even the loudest trio. Still, they needed to know the truth.
"Practice has been suspended until tomorrow morning. Please, take as much time as you need. If you wish to speak, please reach out to us. Our doors are always opened"
The team, dumbfounded by the news, remained at the school. Even after everyone changed out, no one left, not even Tsukishima. Everyone sat there wondering how everything went so wrong so fast for the twins.
Kiyoko was in tears, sitting beside Tanaka as he gave her his sweater to wipe her tears. Hinata, well, he hasn't spoken since the news came out. The boy looked pale, almost as if he had seen a ghost, but this is so much worse.
The pain is something new yet familiar to him. At this point, Hinata has felt enough emotional pain to not be a fan. The recent one is Yuko's relationship with Kunimi Akira. He was distraught when he saw the two together but decided to hide his feelings. It's not like Yuko remembered their promise, so it's not her fault. Also, he knew how much it hurt her to leave Aoba Johsai's player behind. Hinata determined the best thing to do was be happy for the two. It wouldn't be fair to force his feelings onto Yuko. However, the pain he feels now is unexplainable.
"We should do something," Nishinoya said, gathering everyone's attention. "Yuko is our friend. She supported us the entire tournament. She gave us advice, practiced with us... she did more than she should have. We should do something for her."
"Seems like we had the same idea," Fujioka said as she, Mori, and Higurashi stepped up to the team. "Tomorrow, the three of us, as the coaches said, are heading to the hospital. Three people from this team can come. We're making a get-well basket for Yuko."
"LET ME GO!" Hinata yelled, frightening the group. "I want to go."
Daichi shook his head, stopping the first year. "Hinata, you live farther than the rest of us. It's best if the third-years go. Suga, Shimizu, and I will go."
"But-"
"No, Hinata. We don't need any more accidents happening. If you want to help, you can bring something for the basket."
"But-!"
"That's final, Hinata," declared Daichi, forcing his kohai to remain silent. "Now, let's talk about the basket. What has the soccer team thought of thus far?"
As the day drifted to night, Shoyo didn't speak any further. He went as far as to shut himself in his room without having dinner. His family was worried, but he simply didn't have the appetite.
Nevertheless, he knew he would have to get over it. Because if he didn't, then he wouldn't see Yuko. Oh, he's going to see her Shoyo was just trying to figure out how. He didn't know what hospital they took her to, so he would have to follow his sempai's somehow.
The next day, he didn't go to school, giving the allusion he was in shock about the news. During the morning, he went to the store to pick up a gift, and when the time came, he waited for his sempais to emerge. It didn't take long to spot the six, but it was difficult not to be seen. When they had gotten on the bus, Shoyo had to pull up his hood and duck his head so no one would spot him. When they arrived at the drop-off point, Shoyo almost got carried to another destination since the teens didn't leave the bus stop at first. They were discussing the best way to get to the hospital. Finally, as the group reached the hospital, they were horrified to witness the scene in front of them. A few feet from the front doors, Iwaizumi-san is protecting Kunimi Akira, Kindaichi, and an irritated Oikawa from Kageyama Tobio. Iwaizumi stood in front of his friends as a woman, the shortest in the group, yelled at Kageyama.
Immediately the group from Karasuno runs forward to help. Daichi, being the voice of reason, speaks up. "What seems to be the problem?"
"Huh? Who are you," asked the woman, angry that strangers entered the dispute. "What do you want?"
"I'm sorry, but this boy is our friend and teammate. I'm sure whatever he did, Kageyama didn't mean it."
"Except, he did," Oikawa piped up from behind Iwaizumi. He strides forward to the other teen captain with an irritated expression. "You heard about Yuko?"
"Yes."
"Well, good luck trying to visit her. That idiot you call a friend won't allow anyone to visit her."
Several confused murmurs spring forth, but no one jumps forward. Although not knowing the bulk of people currently present, Fujioka steps forward to speak. "Why? We're her friends and teammates."
"Don't ask me, ask the moron?"
Since the group from Karasuno came up to the group, Kageyama remained silent. A mixture of shame and anxiety shone across his face.
"Just leave," he muttered, trying to walk away until the woman from before grabbed him by the arm. "Let go."
"Are you really that selfish? You haven't gone to see Yuko since the accident happened, but you'll deny her any company. What's worse is you think you can force them away-"
"I can! I'm the head of the family while father is away!"
"YOU'RE a pretentious brat! Not the head of the family. You're only fifteen, Tobio."
"The only person she has!"
"Then what the hell am I!"
"You aren't a part of our family," Tobio yells as he throws his arms in the air, finally losing his temper. "You're disowned! SO GET OUT-"
A smack rings through the air as the woman slaps Tobio across his face. Shocking everyone, the teary-eyed woman snarls at the taller boy. "Yes, I left. Throw it in my face as many times as you want, but I don't see you winning the sibling of the year award either. Or did you forget that it was your fault the car hit her!"
"I-"
"If you stopped caring only about yourself, this never would have happened! Yuko only wanted to talk to you, and you ignored her. Now she's in the hospital bed as you try to hide her from the world. HIDE WHAT YOU DID!"
Another smack goes through the air, but this one isn't done by Miwa; instead, it's done by Hinata Shoyo. In his rage, Shoyo runs through the group to punch Tobio in the jaw. Within seconds, Shoyo is on top of Kageyama, hitting him. The third years step forward to stop it before the authorities get called. Sugawara and Daichi hold back Kageyama while a puzzled Iwaizumi holds onto a wiggling Hinata with Oikawa by his side. Mori stands protectively in front of the remaining first years and the females.
"This is all your fault!" Shoyo screamed, tears running down his face. "You're her brother! You're supposed to protect her!"
"Hinata-kun, that's enough," Kiyoko tried to say as the woman from before steps in between the group.
"Hinata?" she breathlessly asked, walking to Shoyo and separating him from Iwazumi. "Are you Hinata Shoyo?"
"Yes," he murmurs, showing her the present he bought for Yuko. It had fallen to the ground during the fight, so Shoyo dusted it off before handing it over. The gift was a teddy bear with a sunflower bowtie. In the bears' arms is a letter for Yuko, wishing her a speedy recovery. "I know I'm not supposed to be here, but can you give her this."
Taking the bear in her hands, Miwa notes its design and admires the lengths Shoyo went for Yuko. A sniffle departs from the woman as she caresses the bear. "She loves sunflowers."
"I know. I'll leave now, but please, tell Yuko I was here. I'll come back whenever she wants a visitor. Oh, and if you need help taking her home or taking care of her, please let me know."
"Huh? Oh, you're not going anywhere, Shoyo."
"I'm not? Wait, how do you know my name? I never said my first name."
Wiping the last of her tears away, the short raven-haired woman smiles at the first year. "Does that mean you don't remember me? And here I was rooting for you," the woman chuckled, leaning down to look Shoyo in the eye. "Why don't you imagine me a bit younger with a middle school uniform. Oh, and longer hair."
Comprehension lit up Shoyo's eyes as he recognized the woman and where he had met her. "Miwa?!"
"So you do remember me. It's nice to meet you, Hinata Shoyo."
"What's going on?" asked Tobio, clearly annoyed with his sister. "I never introduced the two of you."
"No, but Shoyo said hello before," Miwa smirked, causing the older first year to blush. He wonders if Yuko will look like Miwa when she get older. "So, you came to visit my sister."
"They're not going up there!"
"I don't take orders from you," Miwa explained over her shoulder. "C'mon, sweetie. The rest of you can follow too." Grabbing Shoyo's hand, Miwa leads the group through the hospital with newfound confidence. "So, when did you find her."
"Uh, well, the first day of school after volleyball practice, but she saw me first at my middle school tournament."
"She doesn't remember, does she?"
"No..."
"Don't worry, give her some time."
"I'm sorry, but what's going on," inquired Kunimi, irritated by the closeness between Miwa, the shrimp, and apparently Yuko.
"Ah, yes, the boyfriend. Don't worry; it doesn't concern you," simpered Miwa. "And it seems like we don't have time 'cause here we are." The oldest Kageyama shows the room to the group but stops anyone from going forward. "Before my idiot brother interrupted, I was warning Toru, Hajime, and their kohai's the dos and don'ts."
"The dos and don'ts," repeated Fujioka. "What are those?"
Miwa's smile disappeared as she faced the entire group. "Yuko hasn't spoken to Tobio since the accident. More like Tobio has been avoiding her-"
"But she's hurt," growled Higurashi. "She saved his ungrateful butt!"
"I was hoping you lied when you said it earlier," Mori murmured. "Doesn't he realize she needs him?"
"He does. Listen, I know, and even if he doesn't show it, Tobio is sorry. He's terrible at these situations. He feels guilty, but instead of apologizing, he snaps at everyone and hides the problem. In this case, he's trying to force Yuko into a corner where no one will see what happened."
"That's still terrible," Mori adds as he shakes his head in disgust. "They're twins."
"No, don't blame him," Miwa asked as she brings her hands to her temples once more. "Our parents raised us this way. I didn't help by leaving when I got the chance, but please don't blame him. I know I yelled out there, but I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have raised a hand at my baby brother. Plus, Yuko doesn't blame him."
"Not surprising," Kunimi cuts into the conversation. "She's too good to him."
"Maybe," agreed Miwa. "My fault, again. She took the burden from us as kids. Became the golden child. Honestly, I think she just wanted someone to love her..."
"Don't diminish her to that," Shoyo states as he brings the attention to himself. "Maybe that's what she wanted at first, but Yuko only stays for you guys. Because she loves all of you. It's what siblings do. We sacrifice because we rather have our siblings happy than ourselves, even if it hurts."
"Did she tell you that?"
"She didn't have to," Shoyo explained. "She's my friend. All you have to do if you want to know the truth is pay attention."
Miwa was astounded that Shoyo seemed to know more about Yuko than she did. Or maybe Miwa was blind. Either way, she felt no better than her brother. Instead of hiding her problems, she ran away altogether. Now, she doesn't even recognize her own siblings. No wonder Tobio bit her head off. How can she expect him to listen to her when she was never there, to begin with.
"What was the other don't?" Fujioka asked for the group. "What we can't say or do?"
"Right, you shouldn't speak about soccer. Yuko is off the team for the rest of the season. It broke her heart when she found out."
"She can still help," Higurashi tried to add. "Mori could always use a hand."
"No, don't do that. If you do, Yuko will try to join in practice one way or another. It'll start off slow with mundane chores until she weasels her way to the field. She's surprisingly deceptive. Anyhow, the deal is she has to stay away from the soccer fields or stay home until she fully recovers."
"Oh..."
"Sorry, but she's benched for the season."
The entire group remains silent for a moment until a doctor interrupts, explaining the multiple details he and Miwa need to discuss in private. Miwa excuses herself but allows the group to go forward. At first, no one can move, but Shoyo stops hesitating as he walks toward the room with everyone close behind him. Bear in hand, Shoyo opens the door to a smiling Yuko.
"Huh? Guys, you made it?"
...
...
...?!
"YUKO?!"
At once, the group runs to see the female striker, clearly confused by her smiling state. All of them expected to see a depressed girl, not a smiling teen eating chocolate pudding.
"I don't get it," Iwaizumi grins, happy to see his friend is okay. "We thought you'd been seriously injured."
"Huh?"
Mori nods his head as he describes his vision of Yuko's state. "I thought your entire body was broken. Tubes poking out of every part of your body to keep you alive."
"Terrible!"
"But, you're just fine," Kindachi points out. "Mostly..."
Yuko narrowed her eyes as she shook her head in disappointment. "Honestly, this is why I can't allow those two to handle anything. Imma have to live forever considering Miwa is just as special and emotional as Kawa-kun -"
"Hey!"
"-and Tobio doesn't know how to express feelings. Geeze, I bet they described it like I was dying."
"Pretty much."
"SEE! UGH! Listen, it was all an accident. Tobio and I were walking to school when it happened. We had the right of way, but the driver wasn't paying attention, I guess. I ran forward to pull Tobio back, but I was going too fast myself. My momentum got the better of me in the end. I was able to partially stop, but not entirely, so the car clipped me. Broken arm, facture cheek bone, bruised side, a concussion, with some cuts and bruises." Yuko said, trying to shrug her good arm with a barely concealed wince. "Still, it could have been worse."
The group of teens agreed as they browsed the obvious wounds scattered across the raven-haired beauty. The broken left arm was the most apparent injury, but the other wounds were difficult to ignore. Cut lip, bruised eye, swollen cheek, and a bandage stretching across the right side of her chin to mid-cheek. Yuko's right arm doesn't look much better with the number of dressings covering the scraps she sustained. Only the doctors, nurses, Miwa, and Yuko, know the damage hiding beneath the hospital gown and blankets. Nonetheless, the important part is that Yuko is okay.
Everyone tries to pull up a chair or find a comfortable spot to sit. Rivals now turned to friends as they converse with Yuko.
"Aw, you remembered," Yuko smiled as she hugged Hinata's gift, as the boy blushed at the sight. "I think I'll name him... Sunshine."
"You never told me you like sunflowers," Kunimi points out to his girlfriend. "I could've bought that instead of roses."
"Well, you never asked."
"Do better~," Oikawa sang. "The shrimp might pull one over you."
"Over my dead body," Higurashi declared. "Yuko is my girlfriend! You guys need to back off!"
"Stop," the girl in question groans. Kunimi throws her a look, prompting Yuko to speak. "Her name is Akira."
"Yeah, apparently, she has a type."
"Stop~!"
Kiyoko tsked as she shook her head at Yuko. "That's disgusting, Yuko. Cheaters never win in life."
"I apologize in Yuko's stead," Iwaizumi piped up as he forces Oikawa to bow to the group. Iwaizumi looked disappointed in the striker after hearing the 'news'. "She must have learned it from our resident community boy."
"What," Oikawa yelled, shoving Kunimi out of the way to stand next to Yuko. "I'll have you know I'm as loyal as they come!"
"Don't lie."
"I'M NOT LYING!"
Suddenly, the door opens to disrupt the happy atmosphere. Tobio walks in looking lost but determined as he faces the group. Understanding what's going on, Daichi ushers everyone outside leaving the twins alone.
"Hey, Yuko," Tobio fidgets, trying to keep eye contact with his sister. To his surprise, Yuko greets him with a warm smile and open arms. Tobio doesn't hesitate to embrace his twin.
Yes, I intentionally played you guys for more own benefit. To be honest, I enjoyed it lol. Also, this is to force more interactions between the team and Yuko. Don't worry, we'll see the soccer team in the future.
Oh, and Yuko will not become a manager. That's an overused story plot that I won't entertain.
I hope you guys like the chapter, let me know in the comments.