"She did not want him to see her cry. She was such a proud flower..."

That was an excerpt from one of her mother's favorite book, The Little Prince. The context of the quote was about this flower that one day sprouted in the little prince's small planet. The flower loved the little prince dearly but she wasn't good with words and in the end, despite of how much she showed her love through her actions, she ended up driving him away, and she was left lonely and forgotten in that small planet.

Seiko called her her prince but as she stood there in front of the crying girl, she felt more like the flower in that lonely planet.

Her eyes prickled as her best friend broke down. She wanted to cry but she didn't allowed herself to. Her pride just couldn't let her because that's simply what type of person she was. Even though the other party had decided to fully bare their weakness in front of her, be the most vulnerable they could, she couldn't do the same.

She just don't know how to. And also there's a part of her that tells her it's never good to be vulnerable in front of anyone, and that she don't have the right to. She never did.

An apology left her lips and she was glad she even managed to utter those two simple words. Even more so when she walked to where Seiko was standing and embraced the crying girl. The way the words of reassurance left her mouth, saying "I'm not going anywhere," and "Please don't cry anymore. I'll always be here." Were both practiced and at the same time sincere.

She'd said them before.

Hugging Seiko like this was like a flashback to when she was ten and she's embracing her mother as she broke down inside an empty apartment. When Seiko's action of hugging her back mirrored the way the older woman did back then, that voice in her head grew stronger and screamed at her to keep her vulnerabilities in and not burden the other party even further.

She shouldn't cry. She should just hold the other girl close and continue to reassure her because that's what a good friend does, right? And with that thought, her mind goes back to the things the adults around her had constantly drilled into her head.

"That's what a good daughter does," she remembered the words clear as day. "Don't cry when your mother is crying," they would continue. "Don't throw any tantrums—she's already going through too much," or "A good girl will just quietly sit and not cause any troubles. Do that and you'll do us all a favor." And ah—she wasn't able to do that, didn't she?

Seiko was crying because she didn't sit around and held her emotions in. She did caused troubles, she burdened everyone, she didn't even tried to be good. She just straight up decided to be selfish and do whatever she wanted and not think about how that would affect those who are around her.

She was really the worst, wasn't she?

The girl couldn't tell how long she stood there with Seiko in her arms but by the time the petite girl had calmed down, the sun had completely set and the classroom had been painted in darkness. She managed to smile weakly at her friend's puffy face before wiping the rest of her tears with her thumbs. She wasn't sure if the problem at hand had been fixed. Frankly, she was too tired to even think about it.

Her phone had buzzed nonstop in her pocket. She had a vague idea of who they're from (read: her manager) but she decided she'll deal with it later.

She wasn't even surprised when she saw Kaito leaning on the wall when they finally got out of the classroom. He doesn't say anything. He merely walked up to them and ruffled their hairs before enveloping them in a bone crushing hug.

The walk to the bus stop was a quiet one. Seiko held both of their hands and even after the girl had boarded the bus, the two of them kept their eyes on her until they eventually disappeared as the vehicle took a turn.

This was the part where the heavy weight on her back is lifted, right? Then why do it feel like nothing was resolved? Why was that uncomfortable feeling still there and clinging onto her?

Usui was gone.

Well, not in a permanent type of way. No, not like that. She hasn't been to school for nearly the entirety of the week but thanks to her consistent exchange of messages with Seiko, they were assured that she was alive and well. Although she didn't gave a slight clue of where she was staying because apparently she ran away from home.

That wasn't anything new. She had run away multiple times in the past and if she and her hadn't got into that fight, Usui would have crashed into her place. Her mother was really fond of her friends and their house was always open to those who needed a place to stay.

"There's nothing mature about you," those words still loudly rings into her ears. They were like a slap to her face and she couldn't even refute it.

It was the biggest insult anyone could give to her. She knows it wasn't deliberate and Usui probably don't have the slightest idea how much those words affected her. How was she supposed to know? The girl never tells anyone anything about her, save for the superficial things. It wasn't Usui's fault that those words cut deeper than they should because unlike the redhead, and Nishinoya, or everyone else around her, she doesn't wear her heart on her sleeves.

Sometimes she wished she could but it wasn't as easy as how people make it seems. At least not for her.

And she could only watch the days pass by until it was finally the time for the Karasuno volleyball team to play in the preliminaries. She knows the venue and time, Kaito messaged her the night before. His text was left on read but he didn't comment on it, only adding a little "we hope to see you there." at the end after not receiving any response.

At this point, any logical person would say to just give it up. After all, it's not that serious, right? She was just being stubborn for no clear reasons. And maybe to most people it isn't. Maybe to them, letting someone into their lives was as easy as breathing itself but with her, that wasn't the case.

Because what if everything was just a front?

What if, while she was right about the intensity of his colors and Nishinoya could easily break through her defenses, he wasn't as bright and as good like she had initially thought? What if that whole 'wearing his heart on his sleeves' thing was just a façade. That underneath that bright smile was someone dark and twisted?

What if, what if, what if—she had to take a deep breath and calm her thoughts down.

Now was not the time for her to act like this. Not when she was out on public and her mother was chattering to her about this young adult book she recently read. The ambiance inside the coffee shop was comforting even though the place was full. Hushed whispers drifted through the air and conversations between each patrons flowed smoothly. In front of her, her mother continued to talk about how she swooned over the main love interest and how the book's world building was just spectacular.

She would sometimes take a pause and sip on her cup of americano before chattering her daughter's ears off once more. The girl doesn't mind. She was never the person who fills in the silence. She was more used to listening to people ramble on while she think of the most random stuffs, like how the waitress accidentally placed her mother's bitter drink in front of her and her order of caramel macchiato in front of the woman. The elder merely giggled and exchanged their drinks once the waitress left.

Maybe it was because she looked more like the type who would drink that bitter cup than her mother who was all smiles.

And she can't fault the waitress for mixing things up. She wanted to look mature. She wanted to be that person who everyone would think "I can relay on them." Because that's how adults are, right? Nobody looks down on an adult and say "You don't understand anything. You're just a kid." She wasn't a kid. She tried hard not to be. Yet when Usui told her otherwise she felt like the mask she's been wearing was slapped off her face.

She wasn't an adult. She was nothing but a little kid who was trying too hard to be one. Just how she couldn't even muster to give Nishinoya a chance was enough proof.

But what was she supposed to do when she was so terrified of the possible consequences of her actions?

The girl saw her phone light up from its spot near her cup. It was a message from Seiko telling her Karasuno had won their first game before another notification pops up. Kaito's name flashes on top of the message that was informing her the next game was going to be at 1:30 that afternoon; an hour from now. Then another message comes from the least person she expected: Usui. "We're still waiting for you, you big dumb baby." It said.

Unknowingly, a small smile spread across her face.

"Hey, mom." She called out, which made the woman stop her rambling half-way. When she was sure that she fully have the elder woman's attention, the girl swallowed thickly and asked her the question that's been clouding her mind. "How can you be sure that a person will not hurt you?"

The woman looked taken aback at first, clearly not expecting to get asked such a deep question when she was just talking about how hot the main antagonist was, but then she slowly eased up and smiled at her daughter. She hummed. "Does this have anything to do with how down you've been lately?" She asked and upon not getting any reply she opted to take a sip of her coffee.

"Trusting someone is a scary thing, isn't it?" she started. "A person might promise you that they'll be nothing but good, that they'll cherish you, and will never let any harm come your way and then break those same promises when you finally decide to believe them."

She had her slim fingers wrapped around her cup. The woman was smiling as she voiced out the things that's been bugging her daughter's mind. Yet despite the negativity of her words, she was relaxed and appeared to be at peace; highly contrasting the younger's current disposition.

"In life you will meet a lot of people." She resumed. "Not all of them are going to be good... some will hurt you, to the point that you start to think that everyone is going to be the same." The woman paused to take a drink of her coffee and gather her thoughts. "You'll start to think 'ah, he's just going to be the same,' or 'I bet he isn't really sincere with his words,' and so on... You start to doubt everyone's intention. You wonder why this person is so kind to you, wonder what their real motives are."

The smile on her face doesn't change and she simply tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "And next thing you know you're in a very miserable state. Happiness will start to feel like a long by-gone dream that everyone but you seems to be in."

"You doubt so much that you've completely forgotten that kind, honest, and sincere people do exist." The woman smiled once more, but it seemed to be laced with sadness. "That, not everyone is going to break your heart. That, it's alright to let go of your doubt for once and hold on to the hand reaching out to you."

"But what if you make a mistake and that person ended up as bad as what your doubt had told you?" The girl couldn't help but ask.

The response she got was one big smile and a shrug. "Then you learn from it. That's how you grow as a person." Her mother propped her elbows on top of the table and rest her chin on her open palms.

"There's never a definitive answer if a person will hurt you or not from the get go," she said. "The best thing you can do is to give them a chance and if they do end up hurting you then don't tell yourself that it's your fault or you should've known better. Learn from it, but never shut yourself off from everyone because if you do, you'll be missing out on a lot of things."

Her phone lights up again. A message from Seiko that reads "We will be here," four words that made her heart ache. She balled her fist on her lap and stared at her mother in the eyes.

"Is it really okay?" She asked hoarsely. "To give people a chance?"

The woman reached out to her with one hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears before cupping her cheek. "Yes," She said with a gentle smile. "You'll never know, they could be the one who will make you the happiest person alive." The warmth of her touch lingered as she drew her hand back and leaned to her seat.

"I took the chance with your papa, you know." She said, a gentle nostalgia reflecting in her eyes. "And even though it was short-lived, I was the happiest back then and if I could go back in time and redo all of it, I wouldn't. Because those memories are the ones that got me through that painful nightmare after his death."

The girl doesn't say anything. But even though there was a silence that had enveloped them, it wasn't uncomfortable. It was almost as warm as the older woman's touch and as sweet as the caramel macchiato in front of her. Her eyes shifted to watch on her wrist and when she replayed her mother's words inside her head, she finally comes into a decision.

"I'm sorry," She said as she stood up from her seat and grabbed her purse. "I actually need to be somewhere else today. I'll make it up to you when I get home. I'll watch any movies that you want and I, umm, I..." her ramblings was cut off by her mother giggling.

"It's fine," The woman beamed and waved one hand. "Go but be ready to cook some curry for dinner, alright?" She added.

Maybe it was due to how understanding she was being or how she didn't asked anymore question, that the girl felt her heart swell. She wordlessly pulled the woman into a hug, whispered "I'll see you later," and turned around to catch the bus that will take the route to the Sendai City Gymnasium.

The sudden rush of air attacks her as she hurriedly got out of the cafe but she didn't let it deter her. She ordered her legs to move, to run, to catch that bus that would take her to where Seiko and the rest were waiting for her. The girl bumped into multiple people in her haste but she only exclaimed an apology and kept her eyes forward. She have half an hour to get there but knowing the traffic around this area, she doubt that would be enough.

She felt her heart drop when she saw the bus leaving just as she rounded the corner. The girl even exclaimed at it to stop but the distance between her and the vehicle was far too big for the driver to see her. She was heavily catching her breath when she finally reached the bus stop. "Just my luck," she grumbled in between her labored breathing. To make matters worse, the second bus was not gonna arrive not after fifteen minutes. She couldn't wait for that long.

There was the option of running but if her memory serves her right, the gymnasium was literally on the other side of the city. Not only would she be wasting her energy, she was also going to waste time. That means there's only one option left, and that is to take a cab.

It was going to put a dent on her wallet for sure but money can be earned back, right? With a ding of her phone informing her of a notification, she called a taxi. "To the Sendai Gymnasium, please!" She told the driver the moment she entered the vehicle. She must've looked deranged because he gives her a weirded look before starting up the engine.

Her heart was pounding still as the city's sceneries flashed through the car's window. There was a series of question running through her head like "Will I make it?", "Will they still be there?", "Will they forgive me?", and lastly "Am I doing the right thing? Is it really okay for me to take this risk?"

The girl could only bite her lower lip as to try to calm her nerves down. Time seemed to be running way too fast and the longer she sits inside that vehicle the farther her friends seemed to get away from her. She'd send them a short "I'm coming!" text but she wonders just how much of that they'll believe.

No, she shouldn't be thinking this way. Just the fact that her friends still texted her was enough proof that they haven't given up on her yet, and she shouldn't too.

But it seemed like fate itself was against her.

She lurched forward when the taxi made a sudden stop. The girl hears the driver say an apology and tell her of the traffic in front of them. Apparently, there was some type of accident that occurred. She felt her heart drop for the second time that day. How much time does she have left? Five minutes? She wasn't gonna make it during the start of the game, wasn't she? But then, how long was she going to be stuck here?

Maybe she should've just ran. The girl thought as she opted to bite her thumb instead of her lip. The traffic was not moving and that five minutes flew by fast. Inhaling a breath, she leaned forward.

"Hey mister," she started. "How far is the gymnasium from here?" The girl asked which earned her an incredulous look from the old man.

"About ten minutes but with this traffic it might take an ho—hey, where are you going?" He asked in panic as she unbuckled her belt and takes a couple of yen from her wallet.

"I'm sorry but I'm in a hurry," was the only explanation she gave before she got out of the car.

She ignored the vehicles honking at her as she ran toward the pedestrian lane. The girl managed to ask a woman for the direction of the gymnasium before she was on her feet again. She was trying her hardest not to bump into anyone and would only stop every time she needed another set of direction.

She was late. The tiny glimpse she had on the digital clock in a shop's window tells her the game had started. Her feet were starting to hurt and the constant stop she need to take to take a breather was prolonging her delay. She doesn't even bother to check her phone knowing it's most likely being bombarded by her friends' messages. There was just one thing on her mind; that was to get there as soon as possible.

The ten minutes that was going to take her had turned longer. How long? She doesn't bother checking anymore. Deep inside she knew she was never gonna get there on time. The best she could do was to move and get there at all cost. Even if her feet start to give in on her, or her lungs couldn't pump in anymore oxygen in her system, she was gonna get there.

An immense feeling of relief.

That's what it felt like when she saw the gym's entrance. This time she finally decided to check on her phone and sure enough, there was a dozen of text from her friends. Not only that, she missed the first set of the game and they were now on the second set. A curse loudly left her mouth with the amount of time she wasted. It attracted a few bystanders but she couldn't really care less anymore.

Wiping the sweat on her forehead, she rushes toward the building. She earned even more bewildered looks when she came up to a couple of boys and asked where the Karasuno and Date Tech were having their game. Offering them a simple thanks and a smile, she willed her feet to once again move toward the direction they've given.

The cheering was loud even behind closed doors. It gave her a sense of relief knowing the game hasn't ended yet and even though her body was near on giving up on her, she pushed the doors open and runs toward the railing.

Her hands flew straight to her mouth as she watched the two teams push the ball to the opposite side of the court. It only lasted for a mere second but it felt longer until eventually the ball was pushed to their side of the court. Despite her lack of understanding of the game's mechanic, she knows that was lost on Karasuno's side. She was so sure; there was no way that ball could stay in the air.

And then time seemed to stop.

It was that moment when you feel your heart skip a beat, your chest tightening as anxiousness rapidly eats it away, and then in a blink of an eye, that feeling is quickly blown away.

"Leave it to me!" She remembered. The confidence that shone through his eyes as he proudly stated that. The way light reflected on them, he looked as much as a hero inside a story book. The one whom you could always trust to keep their words. The context might be different, that he might be not convincing anyone that volleyball was a great sport, and he wasn't rambling something bizarre like dreaming about a person, but as he moved his foot and stopped that ball from hitting the ground, he seemed to be screaming those words.

And she couldn't think of anything more amazing than seeing that ball rise up to the air once again.

She heard him scream "One more time!" And the ball was thrown toward the same player from earlier. He jumped high, swung his arm and hit the ball with such vigor that it could probably break someone's arms if they were inexperienced in this game. The opposing team managed to block it but instead of the ball bouncing back to Karasuno's court, it goes straight on top of the net. If it was even possible, everyone seemed to have stopped breathing as they watched the ball balance itself and roll to the side.

And eventually, it falls down to the opposing court. They tried to chase after it but it was already too late. Unlike how it was with Karasuno they don't have anyone with a fast reflex like Nishinoya.

Just like that, with the sound of the ball hitting the floor, the underdog wasn't an underdog anymore.

It almost felt like a thorn was pulled out of her chest when the team screamed in victory. She felt their joy reverberate inside her and she doesn't stop the relieved exhale that comes out of her mouth. Her clutch on the railing tightened when the weight of all the running she did comes crashing into her. She don't think she even have the strength to stand as her legs shake under her.

But then her eyes locked in with the reason she was there to begin with. He looked surprised, eyes blown completely wide and he appeared to be frozen on his spot. His gaze made her nervous. For the first time she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he glad that he saw her here? Or was it the opposite? The anxious feeling in her gut was eating her. That's until he broke into a large grin and flashed two peace sign toward her, as if saying, "didn't I tell you? We're gonna win!" And she couldn't even stop herself when a smile of her own formed on her face.

"You really are amazing, aren't you? Nishinoya?" She said under her breath. So amazing, she wanted to add.

She regretted thinking how much she hated his smile. It was a foolish thought to even think of it as destructive. It was fiery, yes. It was bright and blinding but at the same time she could now feel it wasn't going to break her than she initially thought it would. There was just something about it that made her feel warm and secure, and maybe, just maybe, he wasn't going to be part of those people who made her build her walls.

The girl sees her friends after that short exchanged and approached them. Seiko was full on crying as she tackled her to the ground, Kaito lightly laughed and pulled his girlfriend and her back to their feet, and Usui was behind him with an unreadable expression.

Of course, that didn't last long as the redhead full on grinned and punched her on the arm.

Words could not explain how relieved she felt to see that her friends has no ill feelings toward her. It made her think that 'Ah, she really did the right decision this time.' All those running that she did, those apologies she had to say then, everything was worth it. Smiling back, she greeted her friends and said:

"I'm sorry I'm late."

She meets Nishinoya outside of the gymnasium half an hour later when they were done packing their stuffs. The team was waiting for the bus to take them back to Karasuno and he was energetically chattering with his underclassman. She wondered where was he even getting all his energy from.

He noticed her approaching, of course. He always do. The smug look on his face almost made her want to turn around but she knows she owes him this much at least. And it's not like she could go back to her friends without talking to him. They will not allow it. Huffing, she stopped a good distance from him.

"You look quite proud of yourself," she commented.

Instead of taking offense, Nishinoya's smirk turned into a full-blown grin. "Do I?" He asked. "So how was it? I was really cool, right?"

The girl hummed as a response and shrugged. "You were so-so," she said and mimicked his smirk earlier after earning a "Hey!" From the boy. It was kind of fun teasing him. Maybe she can get used to this, the girl thought. "Just kidding!" She laughed and completely missed how the boy froze and how a small tint of pink dusted his cheeks. "You were amazing... I guess." She added the last bit teasingly.

She was waiting for a response, some type of retort, but she didn't get any as the boy was looking at her with an unreadable expression. It's only when one of his teammates called out to him, saying something about the bus arriving, that he finally woke up from his trance. She watched as he rapidly blinked and then he said something she never expected and left her a flustered mess.

"You really are beautiful." He said in a matter of factly.

The way her blood rushed to her face nearly made her dizzy and she took a couple of step backs when Nishinoya decided to get closer.

"W-what?!" She managed to stutter and goes completely mute when he got way too close. Their noses were almost touching and while he was at disadvantage because he had to tilt his head upwards, he doesn't seemed to mind nor do he even realize how close they were.

The girl could only swallow thickly when he stared up on her with his big doe eyes. They seemed to shine in some type of emotion—that she hoped was not mischief, please God no—and she waited with bated breath with whatever it was that he's planning. But he merely leaned back and gave her space.

"Cute," was the only thing he said before grinning.

That infuriated her. God knows how much it did but she also couldn't ignore how rapid her heart was beating. It also didn't help how she was hyper aware of how hot her face has gotten. She was usually good at handling these types of advances but the way he stared up to her, smiled at her, made the girl tongue-tied.

Once again, a teammate of his called out for him. Nishinoya screamed back that he's coming then turned his attention to the girl. "So," he started and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I take this as a sign that you're fine with having me around?" Nishinoya questioned with a smile.

This time she really couldn't look at him in the eyes. "Yeah," she replied and nervously hold her left arm. "I realized how unreasonable I was being. And well," she paused and exhaled a breath. "I'm sorry for being an ass toward you."

Her language earned her a hearty laugh followed by a "yeah, you really were." Nishinoya grinned widely and stuck his hand forward. "Friends?" He questioned to which the girl simply shrugged and accepted.

"Friends." She said with a firm grip and a small smile on her face.

Part I: End.