Chapter Four
Ame is the school bus next to Misaki. She leans her head on the cold window and at her quiet friend who plays chess on her phone. Her lips tight in a thin line, her eyes are focused on the game.
"You're really smart, aren't you Misaki?" Ame notes with admiration. "Your strategic mind is impressive."
Misaki shakes her head slightly.
"I just like to play and I hate to lose. The easiest way to win is to think."
"Just like when you're playing volleyball. That makes you a good setter. You remind me of my friend, he's actually at Aoba Josai."
Misaki puts down her phone after winning the game.
"If you say so. You know, you seem like someone who's easily impressed by others."
"What- why do you think that?" Ame stutters.
"I just deduced it from your behavior. Sorry if I'm wrong" she replies seriously. "It isn't something bad, but just be careful. Some people might take advantage of that," she adds.
Ame shrugs sheepishly.
"Thanks, I guess."
Misaki nods and puts on her headphones. Ame grins softly. It must be the other girl's way to say that she cares for her as a friend. Misaki is always quiet so it means a lot coming from her.
The bus stops and the students climb off. Seijo is a huge private high school, way bigger than Ishihara. They have lots of buildings that contain the classrooms and many sports facilities. One of the teachers leads the students, boys and girls, to their biggest gym. They will all be playing there as there are enough courts for all of them.
Ame is stretching, prepared to play. After warm ups the girls are waiting for the coach to announce who is going to play first against Seijo. She opens her water bottle, when suddenly the girls on the grandstand who have come to watch start to squeal.
"Woah, why are all those girls screeching?" One of her teammates inquires.
"Probably for some douchebag with a pretty face who's playing," Ame suggests.
At the entrance, a boy walks in like he is the hero of the day.
"You were right Ame-chan!"
She nods vaguely and takes a sip of her water bottle. Then she spits everything out when she recognizes Oikawa.
"No way" she murmurs while her teammates make an irrevocable decision. From now on his nickname is the douche prince of Seijo, the princess for intimates.
She always knew he was popular, she had seen the looks of other girls towards him the few times they hung out - even though she ignored them - but she didn't know he was that popular. That makes her wonder how much she really knows him. She realizes maybe his behavior to her isn't exclusive, maybe he is flirty with every girl he meets. She doesn't know if she is upset. Or if she has the right to.
The coach claps his hand. He has decided. The first set will be played by the holders, mostly third years, while the others will observe and learn. As the newest recruits, the only first years in the team, Ame and Misaki only get to play at the second set. They stand aside the court to watch while Misaki occasionally comments the players technique.
Seijo's girls are strong. The players move like they're part of the same body. Their game is organized. But that doesn't mean Ame's teammates lose to them. She knows that after three years her seniors are closer to each other than ever. They trust each other to the point where everyone knows what they have to do without a doubt. Ishihara's girls win the first set.
They have some minutes of rest so they watch the boys' match. Oikawa is going to serve. He throws the ball in the air, take his impulse and hits. It's an ace. The ball goes so fast no one can touch it. Oikawa and his team cheer. Ame is impressed, but she feels like she has just lost to Oikawa. They started practicing that serve at the same time, but the setter is better at it than her. She doesn't know if it's just a lucky break but she knows one thing for sure: she won't let him distance her. She's even more determined to master her jump serve now. She can't help but feel some rivalry towards the boy.
The girls play the second set against Seijo. Even if they are not used to play together, Ishihara's first and second-years are doing pretty well, though their defeat is epic and quick. Aoba Josai's game is clearly superior. Ame doesn't fail to score some points, even if a lot of her hits are out. At least she's doing better than before.
Iwaizumi watches the girls play from the top of the platform. The boys have already finish their match, Seijo winning all sets. Oikawa joins him. They gaze at Ame who sends a forceful spike.
"Seems like her spikes are as powerful as ever," Iwaizumi notices.
"Must hurt to get slapped in the face by her," Oikawa muses.
Iwaizumi gives him a funny look.
"What the hell goes down in your head? Don't answer, I don't want to know."
Oikawa chuckles. Then he pouts.
"She didn't even come to greet me. How rude."
"You really are an egocentric piece of trash" Iwaizumi frowns.
At the end of the afternoon, the students are cleaning up the gym. Ame throws a volleyball into the cart Iwaizumi pushes. Then she starts to nag him with her questions, shining stars in her eyes.
"I saw your spikes earlier, why do they never hit out? They're powerful and yet you can direct them, how?"
Iwaizumi doesn't have time to utter a single word.
"Oh and since when are your receives this good? I never knew you were cool like that Iwaizumi!"
"Idiot, it's because I'm naturally talented and train a lot" he scowls, even though on the inside he feels flattered.
Ame nods in awe.
"You're amazing Iwaizumi!"
He smirks, a little bit surprised to get compliments. He isn't used to that.
"But less than me!" An obnoxious voice from behind replies.
Oikawa gets smacked on the back of his head by the both of them.
"What are you saying, Trashykawa?"
"Don't appear from nowhere like that. And it's rude to interrupt people's conversation."
"Sorry" he turns to Ame. "So are you going to congratulate me like you did to Iwa-chan?"
Iwaizumi mutters something under his breath about "a shitty personnality" and leaves with his cart.
"Not really," Ame muses "your game was okay I guess".
Oikawa feels betrayed. She laughs.
"I'm joking. You have your personnal team of fangirls to cheer for you anyway" she can't help but add.
Oikawa gives her a sweet smile.
"Are jealous Ame-chan?"
"I am" she says bluntly. "I would love to have cheerleaders just for me."
Oikawa is taken of guard but he chuckles.
"You really are a thing."
They have an hour left until they depart so most of Ishihara's student go for a hunt for food in the campus. True to his word, Oikawa offers Ame a visit of his school. She accepts then asks Misaki if she wants to come along. After a look at the two of the them, the tall girl declines. She would probably third wheel and the begging stare Oikawa gives her is enough to make her decision.
Walking beside him, Ame tries to ignore the disturbing looks a few girls send her. Some of them are even older than Oikawa and herself. It is quite overwhelming to have so many eyes on her, while all she does is… walking with her friend. She wonders if he has any other female friend in his school. It must be hard for them to undergo his fans' pressure.
After a tour of the campus, he leads her to a secluded area at the other end. It is a little garden well kept with colorful flowerbeds. Oikawa lies down on the fresh grass and she sits next to him, bringing her bare legs towards her chest.
"I like to come here after practice" he explains. "It's so peaceful and at night the view is clear enough to make out the stars."
His face is lit up with a serene expression. Ame swears he's not the same boy she has met a little less than two months ago. Behind his words, there is no hidden meaning or intention as she is used to perceive. He just seems incredibly simple. Like he has put off the mask to just be himself for a moment. She gazes at the sky. It is too early for the sky to present its night stars.
"Do you like astronomy?" She asks curiously.
"I love astronomy" he corrects. A pause. "Have you ever thought of the infinite world that lays behind this veil of air and cloud? There are so many possibilities."
She's surprised to meet this new Oikawa. He is so laid back. She has never imagined he could be at the same time serious and alluring like that. But she prefers him that way, she decides.
"You could say the same of our world. There are a lot of things that I, that we, have never seen."
"And to think that maybe in another part of the universe there are several worlds as huge as this one. Isn't that scary?"
She looks at him then lays down. Their arms brush, making her skin shiver. She blames it on the chilly breeze.
"I'm not scared of the new things I'll discover." She answers. "I'm terrified of the ones I won't have the chance to see."
She feels his hand move and stop with hesitation an inch from hers. Then he softly lays his fingers on her palm. She holds him slightly. Like hers, his hand is calloused, his fingers hardened by continually hitting volleyballs' leather, but it feels warm and comforting.
They talk like that about foreign cities and extraterrestrial life in the silence of the late afternoon, like no one besides them exists, as if they're the only living beings left in the world. She laughs when he exposes all his arguments and research to prove that aliens exist - they must exist! - and closes her eyes when he starts to describe what he thinks other liveable planets look like. They are so caught up in the peaceful atmosphere that she almost forgets she has to go home. When it is time to leave she feels a tingle at her heart. She realises she won't ever be able to live a moment like that with him again, as time flies by but nothing can be lived the same twice.
They go out of the garden and she takes a last look at the blissful view, when he gently catches her wrist. Their eyes lock and she can't, she doesn't want to look anywhere else. Slowly, he leans in and lodge a kiss on her cheek. She feels paralyzed until he steps away and walks in front of her.
Her face is burning and she tries to calm down. If only she had looked at his face, she would have seen that he was in the same hectic state as her.
They go back to the school bus in silence. The last students are climbing in. She turns towards him, and for once she doesn't know what to say, scared to stammer and make a fool of herself. One of the teachers motions impatiently for her to get in the bus. She is pulled away while he waves at her with a smile. Finally, quietly, she pronounces words that only he can read on her lips.
"I think you're enchanting me."
Author's note
Here's chapter four! It's longer than the usual, but I'm quite satisfied with how it turned out, even though a little bit nervous about what you guys will think of it haha. As you know, the main characters are still first years in this story right now, so I figured Oikawa would act a little more genuine towards a girl he likes, you know, while he's still young and innocent. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten his, well, usual demeanor, as we'll see in the next chapters.
Thank you everyone for reading and giving this story a chance, it makes me so happy! Until then, enjoy the end of the summer and see you next week!