Hitomi had just gotten out of the bath, a towel draped over her shoulders, when her phone rang. She smiled, already knowing who it was. "Hello?" She answered.
"Hitomi-chan! I made it back home safely, so don't worry!" Nishinoya's loud voice blasted through the speakers. The girl had made a habit of holding the phone a bit away from her ear whenever he called.
"I wasn't, but that's good." She replied nonchalantly. It was true, she never worried about whether he made it back safely or not. With his energy, she was sure that he'd be able to fend off any criminal. Or perhaps, he would alert the entirety of the neighborhood with that absurd volume of his. Nonetheless, she always appreciated his courtesy calls.
"I can't wait for you to come see me practice, Hitomi-chan! I can show you just how cool I am, and I'll teach you all about volleyball!" The libero was brimming with joy. She couldn't see him, but she could tell that he was probably bouncing with excitement just from the sound of his voice.
Hitomi furrowed her brows slightly, a bit of hesitation seeping into her voice. "I do want to see, but is it even alright for me to be there?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" The boy asked, genuinely confused.
"Well, for one, I don't even attend Karasuno. Somebody could think I'm trespassing, or that I'm spying. You guys are preparing for the Spring High, after all. Second, wouldn't I be considered a distraction or a nuisance to the rest of your team if I were to just suddenly show up to a practice?" She listed off the reasons, holding up her fingers as she stated them.
"What!? Of course not! You wouldn't be a bother at all! The guys would love to have you there! You came to see the preliminary matches, so they already know who you are! Besides, Tsukiko-chan comes to see Ryu all the time, so you can definitely come! If you're worried about trespassing, call me when you get to my school! I'll meet you at the gates and walk you! Then, the teachers will know you're with me!" Nishinoya reassured her.
He was offering up perfectly valid points. It showed Hitomi just how much he wanted her to be there and just how eager he was. "Okay, but you have practice tomorrow, right? Could you ask your team and coach if I can visit the next day? Just in case?" The girl requested, still a bit unsure.
She sincerely didn't want to be a bother, unlike the last time. Previously, she was more worried about receiving some unwelcome attention from his teammates. However, given the short interactions she had with them after their Spring High preliminary matches, they didn't seem to be too much cause for worry.
She had a feeling that his friends were just as kindhearted as he was. Sure, she might get some stares, but she could at least deal with that much.
Especially if it was for him.
Now, her only concern was if she would be intruding or not. Despite his reassurances, she still wanted to be sure it was okay.
"I'll be sure to ask tomorrow! As soon as I do, I'll let you know! But you don't need to worry! They'll definitely say yes!" Nishinoya told her.
The girl smiled, a bit of relief mixed in. "Okay, I'll be waiting then. Anyways, I need to study for a bit and then head to bed. It's a school night." She reminded him.
"Uwahh! Hitomi-chan, you're so diligent! Even studying on the weekends! No wonder you're so smart!" The libero replied in awe.
"You've already told me that before." She chuckled, imagining the sparkle of admiration in his eyes.
"Because it's true! You work so hard and you're so smart!" He repeated.
Hitomi chuckled again, shaking her head. "Okay, okay, that's enough. You should get some sleep too. You have to wake up early for morning practice." She diverted his attention, feeling a little too flattered by his constant praise.
"I really want to keep talking to you, but you're right! I hope you have sweet dreams tonight, Hitomi-chan!" Nishinoya wished.
"Likewise. Goodnight, Nishinoya-kun." Hitomi ended the call, smiling to herself. She took the towel off her shoulders and hung it up, leaving the bathroom for her study. Plopping into her chair and stacking her textbooks to one side, she flipped open her notebook to review the material.
She was only able to do so for a short while before her mind wandered back to Nishinoya and his upcoming practice. Her eyes drifted towards her stack of books, particularly one of the ones that she had borrowed from the library.
Volleyball Fundamentals: A Better Way to Learn the Basics
It was the same book that she had found all that time ago when she had first met Nishinoya. Before seeing his match against Ohgi Minami High School and Kakugawa Academy, she had skimmed through the book. She learned the basic rules of the sport so she wouldn't be utterly confused when she came to watch him, but she hadn't really read it thoroughly. She had only read the section about the libero position properly.
Hitomi stared at the title along the book's spine. Now that she might be going to his practice, she would be watching from much closer. Surely it would be better for her to know more about the sport so that she wouldn't have to ask questions and bother those around her.
She closed her notebook, forgetting about reviewing her notes. She had prep school tomorrow anyways. She'll go over her notes then.
Flipping open the volleyball book, the girl took her time in reading through it carefully. She pulled out her phone as well, remembering that although the book's title implied that it would be suitable for beginners, the author still wrote it assuming that the reader would have at least a little more knowledge about the sport than a complete novice like Hitomi. She looked up anything that she wanted more clarification on.
She had reminded Nishinoya earlier that it was a school night, but she herself was accidentally staying up later than usual to learn about the boy's favorite sport.
All with a small smile and a twinkle of fascination in her eyes.
Two days later, Hitomi stood at the front of Karasuno High School's gates. She fidgeted in place, pulling her layered hair more towards the front of her face and pulling down in hopes of covering it like a curtain.
There weren't as many people since it was after regular school hours, but there were still students roaming around for after-school club activities. As such, Hitomi was visually very out of place in her Tohoku High School uniform compared to the other teens who were mostly donning sportswear.
Her uniform consisted of a white dress shirt, black blazer, black and grey plaid skirt with a matching tie. It wasn't much different from Karasuno's, but it was enough. At the stares of awe from several Karasuno students, Hitomi suddenly felt rather uncomfortable in clothes she normally wore almost every day. She shifted her bag by pulling the strap over her shoulder, hoping to use the strap to cover the Tohoku High School crest on her blazer.
She was never more relieved to hear the familiar excited shouts of Nishinoya. "Hitomi-chaaaan!" He ran towards her, nearly kicking up dust behind him. She smiled at him, but not without noticing the surprised gazes of the other students. She ignored them for now.
"I'm so glad you're here! Come on! Let's go to the gym! The other guys are excited to see you!" The libero beamed at her, pulling at her wrist and tugging her along behind him. Hitomi didn't even have time to protest.
Not that she would have, of course, when she was simply focusing on his broad back and the warmth emanating from his hand.
Soon enough, they were at the doors of the gym. Nishinoya quickly slammed them open, announcing their arrival. "Guys! Hitomi-chan is here!" He shouted, prompting his teammates to pause practice.
The girl's eyes widened as her eyes darted towards her feet, not expecting this sudden entrance. She thought that they wouldn't pay her any attention like a fly on the wall! She didn't think she'd have to greet them formally like this!
As they gathered around the two of them, she bowed respectfully. Mostly to hide her surprise and collect herself. "M-My name is Fukumoto Hitomi. I apologize for the intrusion." As she looked back up, she was met with various gazes. Some with recognition, a few astonished stares, and some with indifference.
"That uniform…That's Tohoku's uniform isn't it?" Ennoshita mused aloud. The other boys swiveled their heads to him.
"T-Tohoku!? You mean that super elite school?" Sugawara asked, causing Hitomi's eyes to look towards the wall with unease.
"Amazing…I heard their entrance exams are even harder than Shiratorizawa's!" Asahi commented.
"Shiratorizawa!? The school Kageyama couldn't get into!" Hinata shouted, earning him an immediate vice-like grip on the top of his head from the setter.
After releasing himself from Kageyama's grip, the orange-haired boy stepped closer to her. "Hang on! You're that girl that came to watch our matches for the Spring High Preliminaries, right!?" He asked with a bright smile, reminding her again of Nishinoya just like during the tournament.
"Ah, yes, that was me." She gave an awkward, soft smile back as she answered, causing Hinata and some of the other boys to blush.
"Uwah! Her beauty is even on par with Kiyoko-san's!" She heard one of the boys say. 'Kiyoko-san?' That name was oddly familiar. Hitomi recognized it as the name that Nishinoya occasionally said during one of his weird reveries. Her eyes traveled to the side where three girls stood, two in more sports-like wear and the third in Karasuno's uniform.
The two shorter girls almost seemed to be timidly hiding behind the taller one with glasses. Hitomi recognized her to be the team's manager from the time she went to the Spring High Preliminaries. So that was Kiyoko-san…
Before her thoughts could wander, the team's captain brought everyone's attention back. Hitomi was directed towards the bench with the other girls. She bowed to them, saying, "Thank you. I'll be in your care."
As she sat with the girls on the bench, she vaguely heard a few conversations as the boys returned to practice.
"How did Nishinoya get to know someone from Tohoku?" Sugawara asked.
"Apparently, they met at the convenience store near his place." Ennoshita explained.
Once again, before Hitomi's thoughts could wander, she became restless at the feeling of two hyper-fixated stares. "Umm…Is my presence…a bother?" She asked, gradually turning to the two girls next to her.
They jumped, holding each other's hands and furiously shaking their heads. If Hitomi wasn't so concerned, she might have laughed at their antics. "N-No, no, no! Not at all! W-We were just admiring your beauty! I-Isn't that right, Tsukiko-chan!?" Yachi hurriedly shouted, turning to her friend in hopes of getting her support. The other girl nodded her head frantically.
"Oh…um…Thank you…?" Hitomi responded hesitantly, not exactly knowing what to make of their reactions. They were genuinely intimated, yet…equally enthralled? The girl glanced up as she heard a small giggle from Kiyoko.
"We're flanked on both sides by absolute beauties, Tsukiko-chan! What if she has some crazed fans that will come after us!? What do we do?" Yachi whisper-shouted at the girl, although Hitomi could still hear her, seeing as they were sitting right next to each other.
This time, Hitomi really did laugh, joining the other manager in her giggling. The two shorter girls flinched, wildly flipping their heads back and forth between the two beautiful girls. They laughed along with them, albeit much more nervously.
"Uuoohh! Heaven! We're in heaven! Noya-san! You're amazing!" Tanaka complimented the fellow second-year with tears in the corners of his eyes as he watched the four girls on the bench. "Even my Tsukiko-chan is laughing!"
"I told you Hitomi-chan is amazing!" The libero laughed triumphantly.
"Alright, alright. Enough ogling your girlfriends." Ennoshita chided, pushing them both back to the court. The energetic duo let out yells that almost seemed like a battle cry, mixed in with some comments about pretty girls.
The boys continued their practice, eventually coming to a few 3-on-3 matches. Hitomi watched Nishinoya eagerly taking his place on one side with his teammates. The other half of the team not involved in the current 3-on-3 took a well-earned break, receiving water bottles and towels from the two managers.
Tanaka was one of the members on break, as he walked up to Tsukiko. Although she didn't seem to be a manager, she held out a water bottle and towel for him. The second-year received them gratefully, smiling at his beloved. "Tsukiko-chan! Thank you! How was I? Cool, right?" He gloated, clearly trying to impress the girl.
The shy girl nodded her head furiously, an equally furious blush adorning her cheeks as she looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "Y-Yes! You were the c-c-coolest!" She stammered out.
Hitomi blinked once and looked away from them, as if a blinding light was surrounding them with their flowery aura.
"Don't mind them. They're always like that." The girl turned to Ennoshita who instantly disregarded them.
"…I see. It seems nice, I suppose." She replied. It seemed a bit much, but they did look happy.
"You sound like that doesn't happen with you and Nishinoya. Him and Tanaka are pretty similar, so I thought that he'd be all over you like that." Sugawara chuckled.
Hitomi felt a slight heat on her cheeks. "We're just…friends." She corrected. For some reason, she felt strange saying that.
"And not by choice it sounded like." Ennoshita remarked, giving her a look of what seemed like sympathy.
At Sugawara's confused face, Kinoshita elaborated. "From what he said, apparently he went to the convenience store near his place every day to see her."
"Eehhh?!" Sugawara's shocked expression turned to Hitomi for confirmation. She nodded sheepishly, confirming the story. The vice-captain sighed. "Somehow, I feel like I should apologize to you about his behavior."
The girl chuckled, waving her hands in dismissal. "It's fine. I'm grateful, even." She blinked, a thought coming to her. "Ah, but don't tell him I said that. Otherwise, I'll never hear the end of it."
The boys laughed. "That sounds like something he would do!"
Sugawara put his hand to his chin as he looked up in thought. "But I guess for guys like Tanaka and Nishinoya, they're probably thinking that with enough perseverance, you can get through to any girl."
"With enough perseverance, you can get through to even a girl like Hitomi!"
Those familiar words struck Hitomi, instantly ridding her of the previous jovial mood. The boys were still continuing the conversation, but she wasn't registering anything. All the sounds were garbled together as she only heard that one sentence.
That one from three years ago…
She was jolted out of her trance when Kiyoko laid a hand on her shoulder. Hitomi looked at the other girl, seeing the manager's concerned gaze along with the reflection of her frightened self in her glasses. "Are you okay? You seem pale." Kiyoko asked.
Hitomi shrugged her hand off, panting ever so slightly. She realized that she was in a cold sweat. Her own hand came up to her forehead, feeling that it was damp. She glanced around, seeing Ennoshita, Sugawara, and Kinoshita looking at her with worry.
"I…I don't feel well. I need to go." She softly said, frantically grabbing her bag and almost making a run for the door amidst their surprised protests.
Nishinoya had just made a rolling thunder receive, turning his head towards the benches where Hitomi was to show off, only to be met with her retreating back as she escaped through the door. He saw his teammates extend their hands out, shock etched on their faces, but she was already long gone.
Sugawara turned to the libero. "Nishinoya! I don't know what happened, but I think I might have said something to upset her. I'm sorry!" He clapped his hands together in apology.
That was all the boy needed to abandon the 3-on-3 and chase after her. He quickly caught up, seeing her back as she was on the phone. "Hitomi-chan!" He called after her, grabbing her wrist and stopping her just before the front gates.
The girl swung around, immediately pulling her arm out of his grasp with force. He saw her panic-stricken face and a single tear dropping from her eyes. He froze, never seeing that kind of expression on her, let alone her crying.
It seemed like even she was surprised, her fingers coming up to touch her cheeks. She rubbed the tear away like it was something disgusting.
"H-Hitomi-chan? What's wrong?" Nishinoya asked, taking a step closer to her. She instantly took a step back.
She stared at the ground in anguish. "I shouldn't have come here…" She spoke quietly, seemingly to herself rather than as a reply to him.
"What do you mean? If Suga-san said anything to you, he didn't mean it in a bad way. I promise! He's not like that!" Nishinoya tried reassuring her, remembering his senior's words before he rushed out.
"And how do I know you're not like that!?" She nearly shouted at him. Once again, she surprised herself, her hand coming up to hover over her mouth as if she couldn't believe she said that aloud.
Hitomi turned as she heard the tires of a car slowly pull up to the gates. She got in before Nishinoya could stop her, slamming the door just as his hands came up to the windows. "Hitomi-chan!? Hitomi-chan! Hitomi-chan!" His muffled shouts were heard even through the thick glass, but the girl just ordered the chauffeur to drive.
"H-Hitomi-sama…?" The man hesitantly questioned.
"I said drive!" She ordered more forcefully this time. The driver didn't need any more confirmation as he rode off, leaving Nishinoya behind.
The man nervously looked into the rearview mirror to see the young lady of the house. She was curled up, leaning against the door as she loosely crossed her arms around herself.
"Don't look at me."
The driver flinched, his eyes darting back to the road. He pushed a button, causing a partition to roll up, separating the front of the car from the back to give the girl privacy.
Hitomi released a heavy, yet shaky sigh. She closed her eyes, seeing his image.
It wasn't him. He had nothing to do with it. She had no reason to believe that he was like that, but separating emotional trauma from reality was much more difficult than she thought.
It was almost like she could have seen this coming. Like everything was too good to be true. That there was no way she could be this happy without something happening. Without something to bring her back to the cruel world that she knew existed. That she knew was how things really were.
She hugged her arms closer to herself.