Afternoon of Examination Day, Nishinoya is First Year
Nishinoya's Point of View
"Phew! Finally!"
As the teacher finally exited the room, I began screaming in joy, arms flailing and feet stretched to the side every time I jumped.
Hell is finally dealt with!
I can worry about my grades some other time, but right now,
I rejoice!
After my sudden outburst, I reached for my bag and marched out of the room, but before I can even reach for the door, I noticed some of my classmates forming a circle with their seats. It got me curious, so I approached one of them who held a few draw sticks on his hand.
"What are you guys doing?"
"Yo, Noya!" Araki turned himself around to face me, his shoulder resting on the back of the seat.
"We're continuing the King Game we had last night." Said Suzaku, the one holding the draw sticks.
"King Game? But why here? And now?"
"We really want to give everyone the chance of being the king. That, and we won't be able to have free time for a while after this. Some of us have part-time jobs, after all," replied Niko who whispered the last part. "You're still suspended from sports activities, right? Relax for a while. Join us. We don't mind."
"Thanks for the offer guys, but, I think I'll head home and take a break. My head's throbbing from too much information," I reasoned.
It's not that I don't want to play.
I'm just too tired right now.
I think I'll be able to sleep peacefully like a log later.
"Okay," said Niko. "That exam was a pain in the neck. See you next week then, Noya-san." She chirped as their game slowly commenced.
On the other hand, I decided to leave them be and left the room through the nearest exit. On my way out of the school, I saw Ennoshita-san and said my hellos before walking out the gate.
Little did I know, [Male Name] was actually at school that day.
Looking for me.
Third Person Point of View
By the time [Male Name] arrived at the classroom, there were only five people left, all were quite busy playing.
"Oh my!" Said Suzaku who was facing directly at the door where the volleyball player entered from. "[Male Name]! You're back!" The others then quickly turned around towards the named teen while [Male Name], on the other hand, flinched at the sudden attention.
"Y-Yes. I took the exam at the clinic," [Male Name] took a few steps into the classroom. As the lad slowly approached the playing classmates, the other door at the back of the room slid open, a certain Ennoshita Chikara entering from the hallway.
"[M-Male Name]-kun!" He, too, was surprised. "You're already out of the hospital!"
"Y-Yes, Ennoshita-san," [Male Name] replied gently. "The doctors finally allowed me to leave the hospital."
"T-That's great!" The other athlete walked to the teammate. "So, can you play volleyball again?"
"The doctor and Naomi-san said that I should rest for at least a month first before doing something strenuous. The healed cracks may suddenly open up, they warned me."
"Is that so…" Ennoshita trailed off.
Not a moment sooner, a certain ashen-haired setter entered the room through the front door. Eyeing two of his juniors right off the bat, Sugawara called for their attention.
"[Male Name]! Ennoshita-kun!"
This surprised the two second years as they quickly turned around to face the upperclassman.
"What are you doing here, Ennoshita-kun? Aren't you going to practice?"
It took a few seconds before the questioned male responded with a short 'Ah!' as he then turned around to his desk and pulled out from its compartment a personal belonging of his. "I came back for my notes, senpai."
"Oh…" Mama Crow then turned his direction at [Male Name] who had his eyes on the setter as well. "Daichi was right. You are here." The third year entered the room and approached the shocked athlete. "Don't worry. He didn't exactly tell me about it. He just slipped."
"It's practically the same thing, senpai," [Male Name] deadpanned.
"Why you…" Big pair of then then messed up (M/N)'s hair, much to the other's chagrin. "S-Senpai! Cut that out!"
"Oh yeah!" Araki blurted out of nowhere and asked the classmate. "Did you and Yuu meet on your way here, (M/N)?" The questioned only earned a surprised look from (M/N).
"Guess not…" Araki returned to the sticks he was holding.
"I saw Yuu at the school gates. He's probably on his way home right now," Ennoshita added, approaching the two other athletes.
At the statement, [Male Name] just hang his head low in sadness. I was late. He already left, he thought to himself.
"Cheer up!" A sudden slap on his back pulled [Male Name] out of his melancholy. "How about you come visit us back at the gym, [Male Name]-kun?" Koushi asked with a smile. "You can stay with Kiyoko-chan if you still can't play."
"Uhm…" The teen slowly paced himself away from the others. "I guess I'll just go, senpai. Naomi-san asked me to meet with her at her favourite café."
"Oh…" Sugawara felt dejected. "In that case, be safe on your way, okay?"
"I-I will. Thanks, senpai." The teen bowed politely at the upperclassman. "I'm off."
"Have a safe trip," said the [Hair Colour]-haired teen's classmates. After a few seconds, [Male Name]'s footsteps faded from Sugawara's earshot.
"He's really attached with Nishinoya, isn't he…"
"That's quite obvious, senpai." Ennoshita responded. "Though Yuu is currently preoccupied with –Azumane-senpai that I heard he stopped visiting [Male Name] after our match with Dateko."
"We all were. It was only Daichi and Kiyoko-chan who got to see [Male Name] after the match."
"Do you think [Male Name] thinks negatively of us now because of that?" Ennoshita sounded worried.
"I can't say, to be honest. He's too hard to read."
"Everyone in the class knows of his trust issues, Sugawara-senpai," interrupted Niko while she was still playing with the others. "It's most probably that he never trusted anyone of us in the first place, aside from Noya-san."
"And Kiyoko-senpai," Ennoshita added. "[Male Name] acts differently with Kiyoko-senpai and Yuu than he does with us."
"Well, they're cousins, after all," Sugawara said to himself. "So you're saying that he never felt anything about it to begin with, huh… Don't you guys find it offensive though? That you think he doesn't trust anyone of you here?" The Mama Crow was becoming worried of one of his baby crows.
"We just try to understand him, senpai," Araki responded. "It doesn't affect with anyone of us here in the classroom, after all."
"He does try not to offend us or anything," Suzaku added. "And Noya-san's always there to back him up so there really no problem, to be honest."
"But still…"
"Suga-senpai," Ennoshita came out strong yet gentle. "There's no point talking about it, I guess. Well, at least for now. We don't know why he's like that after all. Once we find more about it, then I suppose we can think of something."
"I guess you're right. Thanks for the information, everyone." The setter was referring to the second years playing King Game. "Let's go to practice, Ennoshita-kun."
"You're welcome, senpai."
Meanwhile, on his way to his destination, [Male Name] had his mind preoccupied about something.
I guess I'll visit Yuu on-the-spot once we arrive home after dinner .
Nishinoya's Point of View
"Yuu! Dinner's ready! Get down already!"
Why can't they just call me with less shouting?
Pulled away from my peaceful slumber courtesy of my screaming mother, I decided to head down the stairs before I can hear another round of her loud voice.
"You heard? [Male Name]-kun finally got out of the hospital!" Mum said as she passed to my sibling the soy sauce.
"A-Ah. Yeah, I did," I lied.
He didn't tell me anything…
"It seems they're eating outside tonight. You can visit them later once they've arrived next door."
"I-I guess I can do that later…" I said absentmindedly, my hand reaching for a cup of water.
"What seems to be the matter, Yuu? You don't seem excited. Are you and [Male Name]-kun fighting?"
"W-What? N-No! We're not! Where did you get that idea?"
"I don't know. You're not as energetic as usual when it comes to [Male Name]." W-What is she talking about?
Why di d [Male Name] kee p it a secret from me that he's out of the hospital already?
D-Did I do something wrong?
I don't think I've done anything…
A few minutes after we finished our dinner and everyone in the Nishinoya household began to relax for the night, sounds of a steel gate being opened filled the air. It seemed our neighbours, the Mishimas, have just arrived. Peeking from my room window, I saw Mishima Naomi-san entering the house first, with Harumide-san following her from behind. Moving my eyes more to the left, I came to see a familiar figure locking the steel gates.
[Male Name]!
On impulse, I immediately banged my window open and quickly screamed the name of my [Hair Colour]-haired neighbour. Though the distance was quite far, I noticed [Male Name] jerk up at the mention of his name. The guy then frantically turned everywhere, his eyes searching for me, before he replied happily.
"Yuu!"
"Fix yourself first before I come and see you!"
Receiving a cheerful response, I then returned to my room and waited for a few minutes before jumping onto the balcony of his room. The gap between our two rooms were close enough that we both don't bother entering each other's houses through the main entrances.
By the time I opened the balcony door his room, he was already wearing his usual [Favourite Colour] pyjamas. The moment his eyes landed on me, he immediately called out my name in a cheerful tone and opened his arms as if inviting me for a hug.
Approaching his waiting figure, I simply decided to ruffle his hair which earned a pouting response, his face protruding resembling a duck's bill.
"Way to kill the moment, Yuu," commented [Male Name] as he positioned his legs to cross-sit on one side of his bed.
"I'm sulking at you, you know," I feigned seriousness after retracting my hand, my arm now folded in front of me.
"E-Eh? W-Why?" His [Eye Colour] eyes darted at me.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were discharged already?"
[Male Name] slowly turned to his left, avoiding my eyes. "I-I wanted to surprise you… Can't I do that?"
Surprise me, huh…
"So, that's why," The realisation then made me laugh a bit.
He wanted to surprise me, did he?
Should have thought of that.
"W-Why are you laughing, you short stuff!?"
"For a second there," I tried to contain the laughter. "I thought you were starting to hate me for some reason. What a conclusion I came up with."
[Male Name] just sat there on his bed, lips still puckered up in annoyance. "Can't I do something for you sometimes?"
There he is again…
"Come on," I said as I quickly snapped my fingers on his nose. "Stop moping. You look like a child."
"Says the 17-year-old standing at 5'2"."
"5'2.7", [Male Name]. 5'2.7". Respect the number."
"Doesn't make any difference really," his lips curled to an obvious smirk.
"Why you little…"
Let's just say we had a bit of fun after that. Since his hospitalization, we haven't really hung out much, so we wasted the entire night playing some of the video games we both have with his multiplayer gaming console, either of us winning against each other every other match.
Third Person Point of View
It was almost the last day of classes.
Luckily for Yuu, his grades were enough to spare him from repeating a grade. [Male Name], on the other hand, barely achieved his personal quota. But we still satisfied by it.
After Yuu convinced him otherwise, that is.
The two friends didn't have any conversation related to the ace of their club. [Male Name] took the initiative to always divert the topic elsewhere every time the male felt it was going to an emotional land mine. Fortunately for him, his friend didn't seem to take notice.
When they were at school one day, [Male Name] had to go to the library and read some books. Weird enough, his libero friend accompanied him into the sanctuary of silence.
Only for Yuu to groan out of boredom.
"[Male Name]," Yuu whined, his upper body lying on the table, "Come on. Let's go to your place and play some games already. It's almost dark." The then-first year said in between stretching his arms across the table.
The other male looked at his friend in slight amusement, a faint smile tucked on his lips. "I guess we better go, then."
Hearing music to his ears, Yuu instantly stood up, shouting a brief 'Yes' which earned him the glares of both the other male on the table and the librarian two tables across.
"Though what did you drink that you joined me here, anyway?" [Male Name] asked in pure confusion while one hand slipped back onto a shelf the book he was reading.
Playfully, Yuu arched his arm across [Male Name]'s shoulders and messed up the other's hair using his other hand.
"I haven't visited you for months. I just want to catch up with you. Is that bad?"
The other male turned away from Yuu, hiding his slightly warm cheeks from sight. "N-No, I don't. Why'd that be?"
"Oh, good! Come on, let's go."
As the two exited the hall of books, two pairs of feet marched across the already scarcely populated hallway of the second floor. As both males walked down the stairs, one of them came to a halt.
Mishima's Point of View
Ever since I came back, I have already seen my upperclassmen in the club. In fact, the next school day after the exam, I visited them in the gym while they were having their practice sessions.
So, that also meant I have not seen Azumane -senpai.
Ever since.
Until that day when I saw him a few feet away from me and Noya.
That was one of the last things I wanted to happen that day.
Before I knew it, from a few steps up the stairs, Noya plunged into the floor and jumped a bullet punch towards the unexpecting Azumane-senpai. Caught off-guard, of course, Senpai lost his footing and fell hard on the floor. With Noya quickly over his lying figure, two hands grabbed a hold on Azumane-senpai's collar.
I didn't want to further witness what was in front of, Noya shouting words at the frightened upperclassman, so I intervened.
"You're still not back in the club? How much of a coward are you?" Noya was red with rage, violently shaking the paling Azumane-senpai every other second.
I tried to pull Noya by an arm, but his grip on the collar was tight. Other passers-by stopped on their tracks and started to form a crowd near us. That only made me more tensed and continued to forcefully separate the two fighting high schoolers. I tried to pull Noya by his other arm, but with one strong push of his shoulder and elbow, I lost my grip and I, too, fell on the floor in an uncomfortable fashion.
Third Person Point of View
She was walking side-by-side with a classmate when Shimizu Kiyoko and her attention was attracted by a horde of gathering schoolmates.
Paying no mind to it, the manager of the Men's Volleyball Club almost flipped her hair and turned around when a familiar voice reached her ears.
"You're still not back in the club? How much of a coward are you?"
Noya-san?
After sticking one piece of the puzzle to another, the then-second year left her classmates and made her way through the crowd, excusing herself as she proceeded with caution. The moment she passed through the human barricade, her motherly instincts immediately stepped in.
She quickly asked several men behind her to pull away Noya while rushing towards her cousin. [Male Name] was sitting on one of his foot, the other leg stretched out and limp.
When Noya was successfully pulled back, the short male was still struggling, using brute strength to release himself from his restrains while his mouth turned into a machine gun of words. Asahi, on the other hand, was completely lost for words, his dilated eyes completely proof of his emotions. Some nearby classmates offered their hands at the harassed teen.
As for Kiyoko herself, she was focusing more on her cousin. Though she already asked whether her cousin was fine or not, her gut feeling was more powerful in telling that [Male Name] was unwell, even after the male himself denied it.
A teacher soon after arrived and dispersed the curious crowd. After receiving a stink eye from the faculty member, the previously agitated Noya slowly calmed down, his head still fuming with rage, however. He was then escorted to a separate location for the teacher to talk with him. On the one hand, Asahi got the strength to walk towards the clinic with several classmates surrounding him, a held handkerchief over a bruise he earned.
Meanwhile, with help from some schoolmates, Kiyoko acted as a walking cane and assisted her cousin to the clinic as well once [Male Name] gave in after several refusals.
In the clinic, since the nurse was out that time though still somewhere within the school grounds, Kiyoko took it upon herself to look after the minor bruises his classmate received. Meanwhile, her cousin was lying sideways on a nearby bed, facing a plain, white wall.
"Ts-Ouch," Asahi grunted in pain, a ball of brown cotton being dabbed onto his small wound by Kiyoko.
"Don't be such a baby. Come on, turn your head," responded Kiyoko monotonously. "Please tell me how these things happened."
"Noya-san just jumped at me while I was on my way to the Faculty Room. He started yelling and shaking me that I couldn't respond," Asahi twitched in pain afterwards after a new, brown cotton ball was applied near his left cheek. Kiyoko simply replied a sigh.
After being assisted, Asahi approached the resting underclassman, but as he walked to face [Male Name], he saw two closed eyes and heard incoherent mumbling. Not wanting to disturb the slumbering teen, Asahi slowly and carefully excused himself out of the clinic.
The bespectacled beauty tidied the used-up medical supplies, approached a nearby trash bin, and cleared his throat.
"You're lucky Azumane-san doesn't know your usual tell," Kiyoko paced to face her cousin who slowly opened his eyes, his expression monotonous.
"I'm too tired to talk to people."
"You're always tired if it's not me, Noya-san, or your parents."
"Irrelevant," the male tried to sit straight but felt a twinge of pain as his legs dragged across the bed. It was not unnoticed by the other person in the room.
"Are you sure your legs are fine? I'll call your parents to pick you up," Kiyoko looked at her cousin from head to toe and back to the legs.
"N-No need," [Male Name] flailed his hands in panic, "I'll just take a taxi home. No need for them to be disturbed at work."
"I can walk with you if you want. I'll just talk to Coach first."
"If it's not a bother."
[Male Name] and Kiyoko sluggishly paced themselves towards the gate. The male already had his things with him, but the other person didn't; Kiyoko left hers in the club room locker. Leaving her cousin for a while, Kiyoko turned back to the gym. Who came to see [Male Name] in a few minutes was someone else.