Here is the new chapter! Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed! :D
xxXsilverXxx : I'm impatient to post Aliens as well! :) Ahah, yes, with Shiori, we'll get to see Ushijima, Tendou, Semi for the most part, but I'll try to add the other Shiratorizawa boys (but these threea re my favrotie, so~) Tooru just needs to wait a little longer to have his happy ending, but he'll have it as well! :D
Aquafin : Thank you! I'm glad you found it cute!
FANFICTION
HAIKYUU! : QUIET VOICE
CHAPTER LI : Mad Dog's Return
"I like how sleeping next to someone means more than sex sometimes, the body's way of saying 'I trust you to be by my side at my most vulnerable time,' you have no defenses when you are asleep, you tell no lies."
— Eric Shaw
"People only bring up your past when they are intimidated by your present."
— Unknown
"You teach me again what it is. To be human…"
— Paul Éluard, Liberty
"Love someone who is kinder to you than you are to yourself."
— Nikita Gill
"There is nothing more seductive—and dangerous—than being listened to."
— Donald Antrim, The Verificationist
"Paradoxically, the ability to be alone is the condition for the ability to love."
— Erich Fromm
"I never realized that we need to talk with other people just to know that we exist. That we matter. Loneliness is a howling, empty cavern inside of me that just keeps growing."
— Cheryl Rainfield, Stained
"I have survived. I am here. Confused, screwed up, but here."
— Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak
"Some people can't believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first."
— Good Will Hunting (1997), Dir. Gus Van Sant
"I shower you with kisses every day and night because I know your body has yet to feel the power of an unending love."
— Malcolm Moon
"Is it really that bad if someone sees who you are? Why is it humans have a problem with letting someone else see that they are human?"
— Joseph Gogler
Laying on his stomach, Tooru was trying to read his favorite space magazine but he couldn't focus on it. He couldn't stop thinking on what had happened a few days ago at the Tanabata Festival. Meeting his unknown, Shiratorizawa girl…
"But we'll meet again." She had said.
Suddenly flushing, his mind going wild, he hid his face against his pillow to muffle his whines while his legs kicked the air annoyingly. Finally getting tired to be on his own, mind full of unwelcome thoughts, he stood up and went directly to the Iwaizumi apartment. Taking off his shoes, he noticed that Iwa-chan's parents weren't here, but Kiku was. Considering the lack of screams and giggles, they weren't making out which meant he was free to go. Smiling because it meant he could spend time with both his friends, Tooru went directly, excitedly, into his best friend's bedroom but before he could call him, he stopped there.
Hajime and Kiku were tightly embraced, sleeping deeply enough to not have been woken up by Oikawa's sudden arrival. They were still clothed, but they were holding onto each other tightly, sleeping with more peaceful expressions than Oikawa ever saw on their faces, and especially Iwaizumi's.
They were cute but right now Tooru wanted his friends.
He quietly closed the door again, going away in silence. He went back into his own bedroom and sat down, grabbing a volley ball and wondering what he should do with his free time when he was all alone.
The days went by, Hajime and Kiku spending most of their summer holiday together. They would go at each other's places, mostly at Hajime's because they were more likely to be left alone at some point in the day, doing some homework, watching movies, taking care of their pets, making-out whenever they felt like it… It was a nice time spent together, getting closer and more intimate.
Kiku grinned happily when she received a message from Hajime, telling her his mother was gone for the rest of the day. She finished getting dressed then happily hopped down the stairs to the bakery, grabbing a few muffins to bring him.
"I'm off!" She exclaimed, saluting her parents.
She was already at the door when her father called her:
"Kiku, a moment, please!" He called her.
She turned around curiously while her parents shared worried looks:
"We wanted to talk to you," Nanami said.
"Right now? I-I have to go, I have to see Hajime and…"
"We know, it's about him we want to talk to you."
Curious and worried, Kiku nodded, following them in the back of the bakery.
"We've been thinking that lately you spend a lot of time with him, and we're glad you're happy and get to spend time with your boyfriend…" Nanami started, a little awkwardly.
Shouta gave her a look, his silent way of saying he wasn't that glad his daughter was spending so much time at her boyfriend's house.
"But we don't want it to have any consequences on your grades. It's your last year so you have to work really hard – especially if you want to follow the path you told us about. I'm not even sure this is the right choice but–"
"We're in holiday! And we've been studying, we're not just having fun! What are you trying to tell me, exactly?" Kiku interrupted.
"We don't want you to get your hopes too high." Nanami finally said.
Kiku stared at them in confusion, not understanding why they would think such a thing. She knew exactly what she and Hajime wanted in their relationship, they were very serious about each other. They had gone through "high hopes" phase already, they had almost broken up because of the lack of balance, but now everything was fine.
"I saw the way you two acted during the training camp, you didn't seem to be very close and you avoided each other." Shouta continued.
Kiku's lips fell open, realizing what had given so much doubts to her parents… If her father had seen them act this way because they were taking a break, of course he'd worry.
"Oh… we had, a few disagreements back then but, Hajime and I are fine now. We're serious about each other and we don't want to mess it up. We're fine." She said with a smile.
"I don't want you to be hurt, Kiku." Shouta added.
She stopped moving, her shoulders dropping and a sigh escaping her lips.
"…No, you don't want me to get depressed and try to kill myself again." She corrected.
They both tried to talk but she cut them before they could:
"But it's okay. I won't. Even if Hajime ripped by heart apart and broke up with me, I wouldn't try to kill myself. I'm stronger now." She said confidently.
Nanami and Shouta glanced at each other worriedly despite her words. Kiku was about to leave but hugged her parents before disappearing from their view, hurrying to join Hajime as fast as possible.
Half-way there, though, she slowed down, thinking back on her parents' words. She understood their worry but she wished they would trust her, and Hajime, a little more. Now that Hajime trusted her with her life and didn't seem as afraid as he used to be to make their relationship serious, her parents were worrying about the same thing. Did they all really think she was this fragile that she'd break at the slightest sad thing happening in her life?
When she hugged Hajime, he immediately noticed something wrong in her smile.
"Hey, you're okay, cupcake?" He asked worriedly, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers, brows furrowed at her expression.
"Better now that you're here." She admitted.
He let her in and took her into his room, letting her sit down and patiently waiting for her to open up to him.
"…My parents talked to me before I left, about us…" She started, looking down.
"Ah…"
He kept his lips thin, waiting for her to elaborate:
"They're worrying about me, they think you're going to break my heart and I'm going to…"
His lips fell open as her voice trailed off, unable to say outloud what they had both understood. Hajime took a deep breath then reached for her hands, taking them in his:
"I… suppose they're right to worry about you. About us. I mean, we're dating someone for the first time, obviously we're going to make mistake, and maybe have our hearts broken a little in the process but… it doesn't mean that we won't stay together." He started calmly, understanding her parents' point of view and why Kiku felt down.
"I know, but they're so scared I'll get weak again… I hate worrying them, but I also hate that they even worry about me to begin with."
Hajime put his fingers under her chin, lifting up her face so her eyes could meet his:
"You're the strongest person I know, Kiku." He said with a smile.
Her eyes sparkled when she heard these words and he continued with a reassuring voice:
"If someone can survive, it's you. It's normal for parents to worry for their child, but… I know you can make it through, no matter what comes your way."
He kissed her forehead and she smiled, her eyes laughing again. She pulled him for a kiss on the lips, both chuckling when he fell on top of her on the bed. He pulled away, looking down at his beautiful girlfriend and smiling:
"Talking about parents who worry…"
"Don't tell me… yours too?" She asked, wondering if they had talked to their respective children on the same day on purpose.
Hajime sighed, rolling on his side and playing with her hair while he explained with a flushed, sheepish expression on his face:
"You remember the other day when my mom caught us doing… stuff?" He asked, glancing away in embarrassment.
Kiku blushed, she couldn't face his mother after being caught naked, her son's head between her legs. She hadn't seemed that surprised, probably too shocked to really take it in, but…
"I… do…"
"Well, she told my dad. And asked him to give me um, the talk."
"…The talk, as in, the talk-talk? The talk?" She repeated, blushing even more.
"Along with a box of… condoms." He answered with a nod.
"Oh…"
Kiku glanced away from him, staring at his ceiling. He didn't dare meet her gaze yet as well, both blushing and taking in the information. Kiku's heart was beating fast, trying not to get her hopes too high but if Hajime was mentioning it to her, it meant he had thought about it, right? And not just because his parents had given him the "talk" (that he definitely didn't need considering all three of their friends were sexually active and they had had sex ed in high-school).
"So…" Hajime continued awkwardly after the silence became too long, "…If you had thought of it, what you thought of it… I mean– I'm just, just curious about your opinion on the… um, matter…"
"…I-if we do i-it… u-um, I can't take the pill so…"
He glanced at her, finally, his green eyes burning into her blue eyes. She blushed even more, avoiding his gaze.
"What do you mean?" He asked, practically all the girls took the pill nowadays (or so it seemed according to his friends who always checked several times with their sexual companions).
"I-I can't with all of my other medicine… it makes me sick…" She explained sheepishly, "S-so, if we have to do it… we could only use condoms as contraceptive and it's… it's not a hundred percent effective so we have to be certain a-and careful…"
"…Do you… want to do it…?" He asked, cheeks turning red.
She glanced at him very quickly before looking away, hesitant.
"I-I t-think so… eventually, someday… m-maybe not right now, right now but… but it also depends on whether or not you want to do it…"
"I do."
Surprised by his lack of hesitation or embarrassment, that he had answered so quickly, she looked up at him. Hajime looked down at her with confidence, his green eyes shining, his cheeks were red but… but he seemed certain.
"Y-you do…?" She hesitated, blinking in disbelief, "E-even if… even after everything that happened? Even if it's me? E-even if you didn't want to touch me not long ago?"
"What do you mean 'even if it's you'? There's no one else I'd want to do it with but you!" He grumbled, frowning a little she'd think so little of herself before answering her other questions, "And… as for everything that happened… I got over it. That's why we started being intimate, right? D-doing it… um, making love is… just the next step… I'm ready. I'm not saying I want to do it right now within minutes, but… eventually, when you'll feel ready, I'll be up for it." He explained rather calmly.
She realized that it wasn't just his parents giving him the talk that had given him ideas, but that he had really pondered the question. The "talk" was just an excuse for them to discuss it.
"…Do you… um, do you want to do it soon…?" Kiku asked in a nervous voice.
He looked down at her, still blushing but a soft smile appearing on his face:
"I'm not asking you to do it if you don't want to, Kiku. Whenever you feel ready, just say so. Even if it's in two days, or two months… or two years… that'll be a little long but, my point is– I'll wait for you as long as you need time."
Kiku observed his soft expression and tender gaze, sighing softly at the sight. She smiled, reassured and happy to have found such an amazing man to love and who loved her back. She leaned up, kissing his lips softly before falling back on the bed.
"Thank you…" She said with a smile, "And don't worry, you definitely won't have to wait two years… or even two months… maybe not even two weeks…" She said, a little teasingly.
He blushed but grinned, a little excitedly at the perspective that soon, very soon, they might reach the most intimate act of their relationship.
The rest of the holiday went by quickly, between studying, practicing here and there, a few days spent with their friends, spending time just the two of them, they were back to Aoba Jousai before they could realize it. There was one thing different from before the holiday though, and Hajime realized it only once they were back to school and to their usual rhythm.
"Is something wrong, Oikawa?" He asked his friend after a few days of observing him closely.
Oikawa looked up at him, eyes slightly widened in surprise.
"No, everything is fine," he answered with his usual smile.
Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes at him. Ever since they had been back to school – no, ever since they had gone to the Tanabata Festival, Oikawa had been acting strange. Hajime had been so happy with Kiku that he hadn't noticed it with the little time he spent with his childhood friend but now, it was obvious. He was smiling a little less often than usual, he was a little less cheerful – not that he seemed unhappy, but Oikawa constantly seemed to have something on his mind.
He opened his lips to talk but then, Hanamaki opened the door of the changing-room:
"Oi, you two, hurry up or you're gonna be late at practice! Mizoguchi is in a good mood for once, don't fuck this up!" He exclaimed, already leaving to join the rest in the gymnasium.
"We're coming, we're coming~!" Oikawa hummed, checking another time that his knee was held up correctly and grabbing his single kneepad and shoes to leave.
Iwaizumi grabbed his arm, forcing him to look back at him:
"Oi, if there was something wrong, you'd tell me, right?" He asked in a hard voice, but his frown was only out of worry.
Eyes slightly widened, Oikawa stared at him, stunned by the sudden and unexpected behavior of Iwaizumi.
"Of course, but nothing's wrong, Iwa-chan!" He exclaimed cheerfully.
Iwaizumi still wasn't convinced though. He took his kneepads and shoes and followed him to the gymnasium.
He fully intended on confronting Oikawa about it without having the risk of being interrupted, but it would not be today as an unexpected event took everyone by surprise.
Around the end of practice, they were taking a break, Iwaizumi and Oikawa discussing what the training camp had done to the team – overall more stamina and more power. Which was what they had aimed for. It was quiet so it was a surprise when they heard Yahaba crying out suddenly:
"Oi! Now that you've finally decided to show up, you should at least announce yourself!"
Everyone glanced around, and was stunned to see someone at the entrance. Most knew him but for the others, they worried a little upon seeing a dangerous-looking guy. Short blond-cropped hair with two stripes on the sides, a nasty gaze and eating food – even the way he was munching seemed dangerous.
Oikawa grinned widely, which wasn't surprising Iwaizumi as he held back a sigh.
"Now, now, now," Oikawa intervened calmly, approaching the wild boy, "Calm down, Yahaba. It's been a while, I've been waiting for you. Welcome back, Kyouken-chan!" He greeted with open arms (literally).
The rest of the team didn't seem quite as glad, though. Kiku stared at the boy from behind Iwaizumi's back, wondering where she had seen him because he looked familiar…
"Ah! I remember! You're that boy from the other day!" She exclaimed, stepping forward with a smile.
"You know him?" Iwaizumi asked, frowning lightly, arms crossed over his chest.
"Yes! He… um, he helped me out…"
She glanced quickly at Kyouken-chan who was glaring at her just for addressing him, she hadn't told anyone about the bullying so she hoped he wouldn't say anything.
"He helped me bringing papers to the teachers' room," she explained sheepishly.
Iwaizumi frowned even more, not believing it one bit – it didn't sound like Kyoutani, at all. He didn't think he was a bad guy, but he wouldn't be the type to go help out a lady in difficulty. Especially not when Kiku didn't have any trouble carrying the papers – or he would be helping her out.
"I was wondering where I had seen you before, it's because I saw you on the volleyball team, isn't it?" Kiku continued.
Kyouken-chan stared at her for a long moment, understanding she didn't want the bullying to be known. He swallowed the last bits of his food just as Kindaichi glanced at his senpais:
"W-wait, who is this Kyouken?" He asked.
"A second-year named Kyoutani Kentarou, Oikawa-san just decided to call him 'Kyouken'. He was pretty famous in Junior High, remember?" Yahaba started, frowning in disapproval at the return of Kyouken-chan after dropping out of the team for so long.
"Ah, yeah, I remember. Minamisan Junior High was strong just that year."
"He was never a team player, but his abilities were superb for our grade. As soon as he joined the club, he had a chance to be in a practice match… But he suddenly butted heads with the third-years… What he said might have been accurate but the way he said it…"
Yahaba paused for a sigh, reminiscing the previous year.
"His attitude towards the third-years didn't change, and he eventually stopped showing up." He concluded.
Kiku, who had listened as well, turned back towards Kyouken-chan. Sure, he seemed to be a little rough around the edges, but he had helped her out and he couldn't be that bad.
As if on cue, Kyoutani spoke up, voice low and hard and immediately proving her wrong:
"What the hell? There are still third-years around? I thought all of you would have retired after losing at the Inter-High prelims."
The third-years all showed annoyed expression, angry veins popping at their foreheads while the second and first-years startled in shame that a kouhai would dare speak this way to their respectable senpais. Even Kiku, who wasn't nearly as touched by these words as her boyfriend and friends, felt bad for the lack of respect.
"And who's that chick?" He continued, giving a sharp nod towards Kiku.
"Oi, a little respect here, will ya?" Iwaizumi grumbled, putting a hand on Kiku's shoulder and ready to step in front of her protectively.
She glanced up at him thankfully as Kyoutani huffed annoyingly.
"I didn't think girlfriends were allowed in here." He added.
Kiku flushed as being recognized as Iwaizumi's girlfriend – did Kyoutani know beforehand? Or was it her boyfriend's gesture just now that revealed it all?
"She's not just Iwaizumi's girlfriend, she's also our manager and part of the team! You owe her respect as much as the rest of us!" Makki exclaimed.
Kyoutani raised an eyebrow, not impressed by the wing-spiker's defense towards their manager. A chuckle made everyone turn towards Oikawa:
"You're as funny as usual, Kyouken-chan~!" He hummed, looking happy for some strange reason.
"I wish you'd stop calling me that," he said with a glare.
"'Ah! I'm so happy I got to play on the team while Oikawa-san was still here!' – I'll make you feel that way." Oikawa said, going from a happy-go-lucky voice to such a serious expression it sent shivers down everyone's back.
Kyoutani jumped away warily and Kiku flushed, using her notebook to vent her cheeks. Iwaizumi glanced down at her curiously.
"Lucky no fangirl of his heard that or we'd have to call the hospital…" She murmured with a little, embarrassed smile.
"Do you need to go to the hospital because you're really red!" Makki teased.
"Don't tell me you're one of his fangirl?" Iwaizumi grumbled, brows furrowed, starting to feel irked.
"I wouldn't consider myself one of his fangirl but when a handsome man says these words with such an expression and such a voice, any girl would need some air." She answered seriously.
Iwaizumi huffed, rolling his eyes. Kiku glanced at him worriedly, hoping she didn't hurt his feelings but while the Ace didn't look her way, Makki elbowed her and winked with a grin, silently telling her she had said what was needed. Even if it worried her more than anything. Hajime and her's relationship was good and stable, she didn't want him to get annoyed or be hurt because of what she had just said…
Discreetly, while Kiku was worrying about her words and whether or not she should apologize to Hajime, Hanamaki surrounded the Ace's shoulders with a teasing grin:
"Jealous?"
"As if!" He exclaimed, huffing annoyingly and shrugging him off, walking away.
Matsukawa approached Hanamaki, glancing between the two:
"Are you sure it's a good idea to rile him off?"
"I didn't annoy him, Kiku did! Which means that every bit of attention turned to another man will lead Iwaizumi to get more possessive, and you know what possessiveness can make of young men like us."
"Idiots?"
"Pff, why do I keep talking to you?"
"You do know that now that they're actively making out, we don't have to make more plans for these two."
"Who said I was doing it for them? I'm just teasing them for my own fun."
"You're a terrible person," Matsukawa concludd but knowing he would probably tease and help out anyway.
With the return of Kyoutani, the coaches asked for a three-on-three but the regular players sat it out to watch what their mad dog could do on his return, commenting on his good form despite months without practice with the team – communication would be the first priority for this powerful player that could be a good chance to kick the team's overall power.
By the time practice ended, and without quite knowing what to do about Kyoutani, most of the team went off while Iwaizumi and Oikawa remained behind to talk about Kyoutani's return with the coaches.
"Let's add him to the regulars!" Oikawa exclaimed.
"Oi, he missed practice for almost a year. It wouldn't be fair for the ones who remained here all this time." Mizoguchi answered, raising an eyebrow, "Without mentioning that he really needs to get over his personal grudges if he wants to play without disturbing the team's dynamic."
"It's not personal grudges, it's his personality-short he needs to get over. But we're used to guys who are difficult to handle," Iwaizumi answered.
"Are you okay with this as well? That's what you're saying?" Mizoguchi asked, brows furrowed.
Iwaizumi seemed hesitant, glancing at Oikawa then turning back towards the coaches:
"If you decide to keep him on the team, make him a regular or not, then… we'll be able to handle him, that's what I'm saying. It all depends on why you want him among the regulars, Oikawa." He continued, turning towards the Captain.
"The team as it is lacks power – we have Iwa-chan as Ace and main power players, the others are all powerful but we need someone who could overthrow the balance in our favor. We need a push to get stronger – mere strength is what makes us lose against Shiratorizawa every years, we just need to get stronger." Oikawa explained.
"Which is why the training camp was so intense – to get stronger. But I'm not sure that Kyoutani would be a strong card to play, if anything he'd throw off balance the team. His presence on the court might reduce all of your progress and advancements to nothing." Mizoguchi answered.
"Might," Irihata added, attracting the attention on him, "But he might also prove to be an effective player to use. With more power, the team would have more powerful attacks. Oikawa, do you think you can use him to his fullest capacity?" He asked.
"Of course, I can," he answered without hesitation, "I wouldn't take such a risk otherwise. I know what might happen if Kyouken-chan isn't used properly."
"I still think that's risky, with his bad personality, he could put at risk the entire team's balance and–"
"I'll make sure it doesn't happen," Iwaizumi intervened, "If Oikawa will be the one to use him, I'll be the one to keep him in line."
Oikawa smiled proudly of his Ace's confidence – if any of their teammates would have been here, they would have probably awed at how cool he sounded.
"Oikawa… isn't usually wrong about a player's skills and possibilities. If he thinks he can use Kyoutani to give our team more power, then he'll be able to do it. A little more power can't hurt us." Iwaizumi continued.
He glanced at his friend, giving him a long, hard stare and silently, Oikawa understood everything Iwaizumi intended to say with this gaze: "I trust you to use him to his fullest, you'd better not ruin this, it's our last chance." Oikawa nodded firmly then both Captain and Vice-Captain turned, determined, towards their coaches.
Mizoguchi hesitated, still unsure but Irihata chuckled, glad of their confidence.
"If you think you can handle him, then let's try it out. I'll prepare a practice match for next Tuesday. We'll put Kyoutani in, and if you can handle him well, Oikawa, we'll put him among the regulars. So that he can be used as a supplementary source of power."
"Thank you!" Oikawa and Iwaizumi exclaimed, bowing down politely.
The coaches left and after closing everything, the two friends went to the changing-room just as the last ones were leaving. Everyone was too tired to talk much about what had been discussed, but it would definitely be the first topic the following morning. Iwaizumi and Oikawa changed and gathered their stuff but when Oikawa remained silent for a long moment, his friend turned towards him, reminded of his strange behavior.
"How is your knee?" He asked.
"Fine, fine, don't worry about me, Iwa-chan~!" He answered, exiting the changing-room just as Iwaizumi locked it.
"We didn't have time to talk about it, but you're acting really weird, Oikawa. If you need to talk about something, just do it! I'm here, you know?" He mumbled.
Tooru remained silent, pondering these words. Looking down as they walked, he wondered whether or not he could talk about his mystery girl he had met at the Tanabata Festival to his best friend. He had never talked about her with anyone. Sharing this secret felt like it might destroy everything, even if nothing had actually happened.
"I… I think I–"
Tooru's voice was cut short when Hajime suddenly went to a stop next to him. Looking up at him, he saw him staring at something further away. Following his gaze, he saw Kiku and Kyouken-chan talking.
"Sorry, you'll tell me tomorrow, okay?" Iwaizumi said quickly, patting his shoulder.
Oikawa opened his lips but before he could say anything, Iwaizumi was quickly going to protect his girl even if she wasn't in danger. His jealousy had pushed him to go into over-protective mode with his girlfriend. He cared more about Kiku than he cared to listen to his friend's heart trouble. Tooru wasn't really surprised by this… after all, Hajime had spent more time with Kiku than with him lately… and when they had spent time together, he had always been frowning because he was missing Kiku. Now he was smiling.
But… but Tooru wished he wouldn't have had to keep these encounters with the Tanabata girl a secret for so long, he wished his best friend would have noticed before that something was wrong with him, that he would have understood he needed to talk of something to him…
"…See you tomorrow…" He mumbled, hands in his pockets and looking down as he walked back home, alone, because Hajime was accompanying his lovely girlfriend home.
A few moments ago, Kiku was waiting for Hajime at the school entrance, saluting all of the team boys as they passed by to go to their respective homes. Suddenly, she recognized Kyoutani and she jumped after him:
"U-um, Kyouken–" She started shakily.
"Don't call me that!" He said, frowning at her.
She startled, swallowing hard before forcing herself to speak:
"U-um, s-sorry…"
She hesitated, watching him walk away before she ran after him:
"Kyoutani-kun!" She called, making him stop and look over his shoulder suspiciously, "T-thank you for the other day… helping me out with these girls… and not saying anything when you came at practice. I-I'd prefer to keep it that way if you don't mind…"
He huffed, looking away from her but before he could answer, the imposing figure of Iwaizumi Hajime arrived, putting a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. He frowned down at Kyoutani, even if he wasn't looking down from very high.
"Is everything okay?" He asked in a hard voice.
Kiku's heart missed a beat, praying he hadn't heard her words but from the way he was acting, it didn't seem like it was the case. Kyoutani looked back harshly at Iwaizumi then turned away.
"Yeah." He mumbled, walking off before he could be interrogated any more.
Kiku looked up at her boyfriend as he slid his hand in hers and they started walking back to the Bakery.
"T-thank you… but there was no reason for you to show up like that and ask him it this way…"
"What were you talking about?" Hajime asked, confirming he hadn't heard.
"I-I was trying to give him advices on how to get along better with the others on the team…" She mumbled, glancing away.
Hajime felt a little guilty, ruining her efforts by making Kyoutani think he wasn't welcome by the way he had talked to him. Not that many would welcome him anyway, especially among the second-years.
"S-so, what was decided?" Kiku asked.
"He'll try to play for a practice match, then if it works out, he'll be a regular." He explained quickly.
"O-oh… it's sad for whoever will be benched for his place…"
"Yeah… but Oikawa might use him right, and we could have more power. You've seen that spike of his? The swing of his arm and his back muscles are a force to reckon with." He continued with a confident nod, "Shiratorizawa won't know what's coming their way!"
"…They practice with Ushijima-san all the time, don't you think we'd need more than just a powerful second-year with a vicious glare to throw them off?" Kiku asked, afraid they might get too confident about Kyoutani's arrival on the team.
"What will throw them off won't be his power, but the fact we're having such a guy on our team."
Kiku seemed unconvinced but he squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"Don't worry, it'll be good for the team. If Oikawa thinks–"
"Oikawa-this, Oikawa-that! He can make mistakes as well!" Kiku exclaimed, rolling her eyes.
"Not when it comes to volleyball," he answered without blinking.
"And his knee?" She continued, turning towards him.
Hajime didn't answer. Of course what had happened to his knee had been a mistake. Oikawa himself knew it better than anyone, which was why he wouldn't make the same mistake again.
"He learned from it."
"Did he? Y-you've seen how he was during the entire training camp, how he's been lately… he's been practicing like hell for his jump serve and whatever he does, you always go along with it. I know you keep an eye on him, b-but… don't forget to keep an eye on yourself as well… Hajime. I… I don't want you to get hurt… or to get your hopes broken…" She murmured, looking down as they went to a stop.
"Hey…"
He tilted her head up with his fingers under her chin. Kiku stared back into his eyes and he smiled:
"You don't have to worry about me… I know what I'm doing, okay? And even if he seems so unreliable most of the time, so does Oikawa. The Spring-High is coming up, what we need from our manager is her encouragements, not her doubts. What I need from my girlfriend is… support… okay?" He said in a tender voice, sounding almost shy about what he needed.
Kiku's lips opened and closed then she sighed.
"I'll always support you, Hajime. Unless what you do is dangerously reckless. Then, I'll have no choice but to hit you hard on the head, so you can get your ass back in the game."
He chuckled and nodded.
"Sounds like a deal to me!"
She smiled back and went on her tiptoes, quickly kissing him. She was about to continue walking when his hands grabbed her waist, pulling her to him and kissing her again, deepening it a little more. They kissed for a while, under the stars, feeling blessed to have each other…
On his way back home, a silly grin on his face, Hajime's thoughts trailed back to Oikawa. What was it he had wanted to talk about? It had seemed pretty important. He felt a little bad about walking out on him so suddenly but… surely, he would understand that he had needed to be with Kiku.
Right, he never felt this way about anyone before, there's no way he'd understand… I hope he won't get childish again… He thought, thinking back on his strange behavior and what Marika had asked him before breaking up with Oikawa… He never felt this way about anyone before, right?
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I think you might like next chapter becasue ~someone~ appears! :D
NEXT CHAPTER : DETERMINATION FOR THE FUTURE
Yours Truly,
May