Courage
Chapter 2: Introduction
"I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out that it wasn't about you at all. It was just you."-Jamie Mcbuire
"Something about her smile gives me that fuzzy feeling and warmth. As long as I am by her side, I will not let anyone take that smile away..."-Anonymous
"Yeah, I'll be attending school next week and the ban from Club activities will be lifted by next month... I know I should have been more careful that time... Well it already happened so I can't complain... Again, I'm sorry for giving you the trouble... Really, I mean it! Thanks for understanding me though... I guess I'll see you again this weekend. I love you, Mom! Bye!"
Pressing the end call on his smartphone, Yuu Nishinoya sighed for the hundredth time of the day as he walked away from the subway station. Today is one of those days that the loud libero was not so loud at all, one of those days that he felt drained all of a sudden.
Ever since his mother was alerted about the recent trouble he got himself into, she had been constantly asking him to visit her in Yamagata twice every week throughout the whole spring vacation. This has been going on for a while now, but today was when she actually confronted him about the trouble he's into.
His mother Akino Nishinoya is the coach of a Powerhouse School in Yamagata. Apparently, her team have been constantly winning the Nationals due to the harsh training she had been giving them for the past 5 years. Akino had moved to Yamagata and stayed there when her son is already in his first year of high school.
On the other hand, his father, Haruto Nishinoya, has been working overseas for almost ten years already, owning one of the best selling restaurants in Athens, Greece. With both of his parents having such high salary jobs, Yuu had been living his life quite easily.
Though he may not have any problems regarding his school's tuition fees or monthly allowances, he pays for the price of his luxury by living alone for almost 2 years.
Akino always visits him during the weekends to check on him or to see if he was doing good by himself. During her visits, it's one of those opportunities for him to act like an actual fun-loving high schooler in his home by being laid back throughout the weekend while his mother just do all the chores for him, like a mother would do for her child.
During the holidays, his father would come back home with an uncanny grin and they would always have a family dinner until the end of holidays.
Other than having the usual family dinners, the Nishinoya family would go to various places such as Kyoto, Okinawa, and Hokkaido. Sometimes the family would spend the holidays outside the country. To Yuu, the best place that he and his family went to was when they watched the Volleyball nationals in Brazil.
With all the things that they've done while they were complete, Yuu never once felt that he was all alone. He knew that his parents were always there for him, supporting him in many ways and always made sure that he was doing fine alone.
With all this lingering thoughts crossing his mind several times already, he just realized how lucky he has been for having such supportive parents.
Remembering today's events is making him feel guilty all of a sudden. He is fully aware that his parents are working hard enough for his future volleyball career or college expenses. To think that he easily got suspended for losing his cool, he can't really imagine how worried his parents are for him.
Surely thoughts like these shouldn't have been lingering in the mind of the bohemian libero due to his wild personality but the way the situation brought itself upon him, this is one of those times that he can't help but to think deeply.
Snapping out his reverie, Yuu stopped in his tracks once he saw the bus stop.
Great, just what I need.
Yuu inwardly sighed in relief as he entered the nearly deserted bus. After paying the bus driver, he took a seat at the very back by the window. As soon as the bus started to move, Yuu went back to his thoughts.
He looked at his right arm then pulled his long sleeve up to his elbow. He inspected his right arm and flinched at the sight of many bruises almost covering his entire arm; the same could be said for the other.
The bruises are still here, fresh and swelling as they should be. Guess I might have to refrain for today.
Other than keeping an eye on him, the actual reason why Akino asked her son to visit Yamagata was that she could help him train.
Pushing his right sleeve to hide the bruises, Yuu leaned back to his chair to continue with thoughts once again.
Clicking his tongue, Yuu glared at the back of the vacant seat in front of him.
I will so go all out to tomorrow morning..!
Block - follow ups.
A type of dig that is not in favour with Yuu's high calibre skills. To be honest, this is the training that he had been given by his mother whenever one of them visits the other.
Yuu spent his whole entire spring vacation training and training to improve his block - follow ups. His mother had been strict towards him, giving him advice, correcting his basic mistakes, and making sure he takes things slow. After a few weeks, Yuu can definitely tell that he improved drastically with his new found skill. He is definitely proud with his progress, always yelling out triumphantly after every ball he saved.
The libero found himself smiling lightly at the vivid memory of his mother's dumbstruck expression at the sight of him saving the ball for the first time after a lot of failures.
But it's not enough yet...
The smile crumbled instantly at the thought.
Since the training that his mother gave him is very spartan, sometimes he would forget the reason behind his motivation to master Block - follow ups.
Training tomorrow morning is going to be difficult for him. Not only he needs to find a place to train at, but he also needs someone to practice with.
His best buddy, Ryunosuke Tanaka or 'Ryu' as he liked to call him, is definitely out of the question. Since it's the weekdays, it's likely that Ryu would be attending school.
Visiting Yamagata is not a good option ss well, or else he would spend all of his monthly allowance for the travelling expenses. Not only that, but his house arrest will be lifted by next week, so he wouldn't be able to visit Yamagata even if he wanted to.
Sneaking inside the school's gymnasium is not a good idea for him or else he would be digging his own grave if he did, especially the fact that he's banned from club activities.
Perhaps practicing with the girls' team may not be a bad idea, but he needs to wait until next week before he gets to attend school.
Massaging his temples to ease the building stress within him, Yuu groaned in frustration. To make things even worse, the bus suddenly came to a stop. Due to the sudden force, Yuu fell forward from his seat immediately, with his face planted on the platform.
He quickly stood up to his feet, shaking his head vigorously as he approached the exit. He gave the bus driver a small thanks before stepping out of the vehicle.
Once he's out in the open, Yuu gazed around his surroundings. Seeing the familiar streets of Torono made him to sigh in contentment. Being back home always calmed him down from the stress he builds whenever he visits Yamagata.
Yuu's face became blank once again as he gazed at the sky. It was no doubt afternoon, as the sun is already on the west. The air around him became all gloomy again. He would be training with Ryu and everyone else if he wasn't suspended in the first place, Daichi-san would be buying them meat buns on the way home, and he wouldn't be walking all alone.
What was he thinking in the first place? He shouldn't have let his anger get the better of him. He shouldn't have shoved the dean away. He should've been more quiet. He shouldn't have quarrelled with-!
"I kept the ball in the air... so it's not your place to give up! "
Gasping slightly, Yuu shook his head furiously at the sudden sound of his own voice echoing in his mind. The fight, it was something that he wanted to forget for so long. It was the day when they lost, it was the day when they have been cornered, it was the day when they argued, and it was the day when they broke apart.
Yuu winced at the memory, evident in the twitching of his eyes. He proceeded to go back home, scratching his head in frustration.
Ah, now he remembered why he wanted to improve his block follow ups.
A few minutes have passed and the libero is already halfway through home. The look he had in his eyes obviously shown that he hasn't calmed down one bit. Clicking his tongue once more, Yuu looked around and noticed the all too familiar street that he is about to pass by.
He smiled in relief and turned to the left.
Garigari-kun always helps me to calm down!
"Oi. Dude with the spiky hair." A female voice called out to him.
Yuu turned to face the girl who called him with his hairstyle reluctantly.
The girl is definitely the same age as him, he can clearly tell. Her unusual yet beautiful purple slanted eyes fringed with long and thick lashes met with his own coffee brown ones. Slightly thick and arched eyebrows, slightly pale and round face, well-proportioned nose, rosy cheeks, slightly prominent forehead, and soft light pink lips; she is definitely one hell of a beauty. Her lustrous straight raven hair was long enough to reach her hips; long bangs parted on the left side with ends reaching below her chest; and some of her hair were pulled in a side ponytail with a pink ribbon. In that ponytail, longer strands of hair were dyed light purple that blends well with the rest of her raven stresses.
Yuu found him self inwardly blushing at his description of the pretty girl looking at him. Snapping back to reality, he replied, "Uh... yes?"
He was nervous, of course. This is Yuu Nishinoya who we're talking about. The loud-mouthed libero who is unexpectedly shy towards girls he hasn't met before, especially the pretty ones, like this one looking at him.
Of course, who wouldn't be nervous if they were put in this situation? Have a beautiful girl staring at you with a straight face, literally leaning towards you the longer she pauses; wouldn't it be nerve - wrecking for a poor guy like Yuu?
The movement of the raven haired beauty's lips caught Yuu's attention. He was actually eager to know why this girl suddenly called out to him. It was really confusing, what could this beautiful goddess want from an idiot like him? He wanted to know-!
"How tall exactly are you?" The girl asked straightforwardly.
Wait... What?
Yuu felt an arrow striking him with immense force.
"Hah?" He looked at the girl with wide eyes, mouth agape in shock. He was not expecting that question to come out of her mouth, let alone to him. Was this how this girl talk to people she just met? If so, then how brave can this beauty be?
Noticing that he had been staring at her for too long, he quickly averted his gaze from her to the counter table. Reluctantly, he replied, "159.3 centimeters..."
Yuu never felt so embarrassed about mentioning his height at all, he would usually yell it out loud with great confidence. But this girl, whose name he doesn't even know yet, just took all of his confidence away with just her voice. How did she do it? He doesn't know. But one thing he found out about this girl was that she is incredibly friendly with strangers like him.
"No way!"
Suddenly the girl's face is in front of him again, but this time closer. The sudden invasion of personal space made him blush visibly. Not wanting the girl to see him flustered over such thing, he avoided her gaze by looking at the left.
This however only made the girl too lean closer to him. He may not be able to see her face with the way he's facing the other way, but he could clearly tell that she's pretty giddy with the way she's been trembling with excitement.
Why is she acting so familiar with me as if she knew me for a long time? So what now? Is she going to mock me for my-!
"Same!" The girl's enthusiastic voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He didn't catch what she was saying so he briefly casted a glance at her.
"C-come again?" Yuu asked, still avoiding her gaze.
The girl leaned even closer to him with her eyes shining in excitement.
"You're the same height as I am!"
Eyes widen slightly, Yuu quickly turned towards the girl with a slight look of relief.
"You're the same height as I am!"
It's almost the same...
"Really? You're not even a millimeter taller than I am?!"
All the nervousness were easily washed away.
The pretty girl eagerly shook her head. "Nope! Not at all!" She paused, she paused and chuckled a bit before she continued, "Though my mom is like 20 centimeters taller than I am..."
Yuu grinned at that. "Same goes for me! People thought that I was adopted or something since my parents are like HUGE!" Spreading his arms out widely, Yuu emphasized the word huge comically.
The girl, as if she was playing along, crossed her arms and nodded her head in agreement. "You should've seen my dad! He's like two METERS tall!"
Yuu doesn't know, but something about this girl made him to be strangely comfortable talking to her. He had no problems expressing his thoughts, and surely he doesn't need to sugarcoat his words to her. It was so weird and amazing at the same time that he felt that they could be really good friends in no time.
She's an incredibly friendly girl...
Yuu felt a smile coming out of his lips slightly at the thought.
She reminds me of someone too...
Comforting her playfully, Yuu leaned towards and placed his hand on her shoulder, patting it slowly.
"I know how you feel, my friend." He cited dramatically, maybe a bit too dramatic since the girl is giving him an incredulous look.
The girl then casted a glance at his hand and let out a small chuckle.
But it seems that their mini - role play has to end since one if the workers of the shop was already walking towards them with two similar popsicles in hand. "Here are your popsicles, you kids..." He called out as he handed the two their respective frozen treats (even though they're just the same).
At the same time, the duo pulled their money out and payed the worker in sync.
Just as the worker took their money, the two turned to each other in amusement. They blinked a few times in unison before letting out a few small laughs.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" The girl suddenly exclaimed, startling Yuu as he looked at her in confusion.
The girl reached her right fist out for him to bump with his own. "The name's Makoto! Makoto Murasakime! Let's be friends from now on!" The girl now named Makoto introduced herself to him enthusiastically.
Makoto... Murasakime? You have got to be kidding me. Is that why her eyes are purple? Or is that why she can be too honest?Yuu grinned roguishly at the thought of the origin of her name.
"Likewise! The name's Yuu. Yuu Nishinoya! Nice to meet you, pretty girl with beautiful purple eyes!" He introduced himself to Makoto with the same gesture, bumping his fist with hers like the way he does with Ryu.
Makoto felt a smile crawling on her face at the compliment. Tucking some of her loose hair behind her ear, she slightly laughed sheepishly and fought the urge to blush visibly.
"Aww~ Stop it, Nishinoya-kun! You're making ne blush all of a sudden with that compliment!"
Yuu chuckled at that, still grinning like there's no tomorrow. "If you say so... But it's true though! They're so vibrant and shiny it lifts my spirit up every time I stare at them!"
"Thanks..." The ravenette smiled at that, slowing her steps down before gazing at the orange tinged sky. Yuu, being the gentleman he is for now, walked at her pace, not his letting eyes wander off of her.
"Anyone who has my family name all had purple eyes..." Makoto stated while still looking above.
"Is that so?" The brunette asked, taking the last bite of his popsicles. He then shoved the stick into his pocket, not noticing that the ravenette was doing the same thing at the same time.
Makoto nodded her head before looking at the road again. "Although everyone has purple eyes, my Mom told me that mine were the only ones this colourful and that everyone else's, including hers, are in a different shade."
"I see..." Yuu trailed off, making the ravenette to face him this time while he stared aimlessly at the road. "I get told a lot that I got most of my facial features from my mom and that the only thing that I got from my dad is his hair colour and gender. You could have seen the look he has on his face whenever Mom points it out."
Makoto stared at him for a bit before letting out a small chuckle. Bit by bit, the chuckle turned into a laugh. A few moments later, Yuu joined in.
After they sobered up, the two slowly walk together in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence were they feel uneasy with each other, it was a comfortable silence that is calming and refreshing that puts the two in ease.
"Say, Nishinoya-kun," Makoto started aa she faced the brunette.
Yuu smiled a bit at her and said, "Just 'Noya' is fine, Murasakime-san."
Returning the same gesture, Makoto replied, "You can also call me 'Sakime' since my family name is too long."
"Then Sakime-chan it is!" He grinned and said, "So, you were saying?"
"Oh right!" Makoto went in front of him and started walking backwards. "I was wondering, actually, if you know someone named Akino Nishinoya?"
The spiky haired brunette blinked twice, then answered almost incredulously, "She's my Mom, of course."
"SHE'S YOUR MOM?!" The ravenette exclaimed, looking at him with her eyes widen and mouth opened.
"Well, of course she is. Why else would we share the same family name?"
"Oh." Makoto went back to the same pace as him quietly. As if out of habit, she pulled some of the purple strands of her hair and started twirling it with her fingers. "I didn't even know that she was married, let alone have a son who is at my age!"
"So that's how it is..." Yuu trailed off. He knew how his mother is the type to be unlikely in a relationship.
I remember when dad told me how scary Mom was when he first met her in high school. Come to think of it, Mom is usually scary when she's angry or in "Coach Mode". I kinda felt bad for Sakime-chan if she only saw that side of mom.
Wait...
Looking at Makoto almost accusingly, Yuu asked, "How come you knew my Mom, Sakime-chan?"
Makoto, a bit too honestly, answered almost immediately. "She was my coach during my golden times."
"She was your... coach? How?"
The ravenette let out a chuckle and glanced at the confused brunette. "Tell me, Noya-kun? Don't I look familiar to you? "
Yuu quirked an eyebrow at that. "Hah?"
Makoto stopped from her tracks and faced him sharply; the latter doing the same. The more she approaches him, the more he backs away. When Yuu was cornered at the nearby wall behind, Makoto leaned closer to him, looking at him deadly in the eye.
Yuu was horribly confused.
W-what's going on? Why is she suddenly so cautious around me? Did I make a mistake? Could this be the end of our newly formed friendship? Is she going to hate me for this? W-wait, why are her hands behind her back..? DON'T. TELL. ME. Is she planning to stab me with a KNIFE?! She's so scary..!
Something about this girl frightened Yuu the most; whether it's because of the emotionless stare she's giving him or the fact that her mood quickly went down to -15 degrees. Rays of the setting sun radiated from her vibrant eyes, giving them that threatening glint. Beads of sweat from his temples rolled down to his jaw. Yuu looked at the ravenette automatically.
Makoto closed her eyes, sighing exasperatedly as she leaned back and took a step away. Yuu let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding for a while so suddenly. He gave the ravenette a look, the latter slapped her forehead in irritation.
"You."
"Yes..?"
She took his hand and pulled him away from the wall. She ushered him to continue walking with her.
Yuu, who was slightly shaking from earlier, hesitantly complied. As they walked; the soothing silence soon became awkward for him and he would sometimes steal glances at her. Seeing her relax expression made him feel more uneasy, especially the fact that she hasn't said anything else yet. Here he was, blindly following her without knowing where she's taking him to.
Makoto suddenly took a turn to the right with Yuu following her, going straight to a deserted park. He gave the girl a questioning look, the latter rolled her eyes at that. She saw a bench near a vending machine and ran to it.
She looked at Yuu and patted the arm of the bench, gesturing him to take a seat there. Again, Yuu complied automatically, taking a seat with his eyes following Makoto's movements.
"I'll buy us some drinks over there so stay here and don't run away, okay?" She asked him, pointing at the nearby vending machine with her thumb.
Yuu nodded a bit in silence. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he jolted up from his seat. "Wait, shouldn't I be the one who buys the drinks? You're using your money after all!" He exclaimed.
Makoto her head in response before smiling lightly at him."No, it's my treat. You looked so stressed right now and I wanted to make it up to you..."
"Ah, I see..." Yuu went back to his seat with a sigh. He looked at her and asked, "Is it really that obvious?"
Makoto let out a chuckle at that and replied, "Yeah, it is."
Fishing out her wallet out from her bag, she asked, "So, do you like milk?"
"It's not my favorite but I often drink it." The spiky haired brunette replied, sheepishly scratching his head.
"Fresh or chocolate?" The ravenette asked, flashing him a very sweet grin.
The latter grinned back at her roguishly and replied, "Chocolate, of course!"
"Okay, then. I'll be right back and don't try to escape, alright?" Then she walked away.
"I won't!" He called out.
Damn... Her mood changes so fast..! Is this how being friends with girls actually like?
Yuu sighed tiredly as he slouched in the bench. Be blinked continuously before he started tapping his chin with his index finger.
Come to think of it, she said that my mom is her coach. Does that mean she also plays Volleyball? Man, this is like, my second time being friends with a GIRL who also plays volleyball. Wait, the only school that my mom is coaching is the female National champions! Hatoyama, was it? Does that mean she also goes to Hatoyama? She must be good then if it was my mom who coached her... What is she doing here in Miyagi? Shouldn't she be training with the other girls? Is she a regular?
Scratching his head in annoyance, Yuu then crossed his arms while sighing exasperatedly.
I knew I should've payed more attention to the girls' side but I was too busy lamenting at our loss...
"Here you go, Noya-kun." Suddenly, his field of view was blocked by a a small carton of chocolate milk. Yuu looked up to see Makoto smiling brightly at him.
"Ah, thanks." He gladly took the milk from her and poked the lid with its straw. Makoto, on the other hand, sat beside him. She took a little sip from her fresh milk before she faced him.
"You." She spoke in English almost automatically.
Yuu looked at her in confusion and asked, "Are you referring to me or my name?"
"Eh?" Was all Makoto could say as she tried to process what the spiky-haired guy replied to her. After a minute had passed, she face slowly glowed in bright red, nearly dropping her beloved cartom milk.
Yuu was definitely amused with this reaction. He wasn't expecting Makoto to blush at his remark, it makes her kinda cute to be honest.
Beginning to gain her composure, Makoto faked a cough before she faced Yuu once again. "O-of course, I'm referring to you!" Then she turned away slightly and grumbled under her breath, "I just completely forgot that outside Hatoyama, people hardly speak English..."
Yuu chuckled this time at that. "So... You were saying?" He reminded her. Makoto then slightly jolted up from her seat and quickly faced him intensively.
"Okay then. Since your mother is a coach, does that mean you somewhat played volleyball?" She started.
"Yep. Volleyball is my sport. I was a part of the team at our school." He answered honestly.
"For how long have you been playing?"
"Since kindergarten, I guess?"
"Really? Same here. What's your position then?"
"Is that so? That's great! Um... Uh, I'm the Libero!"
Makoto quirked an eyebrow, amused by the way he said his position with such confidence. Baffled, she asked.
"Why?"
"Why? It's be because I love receiving!" He replied enthusiastically, making the ravenette smile a bit.
"Which Junior High did you come from, Noya-kun?"
"Kara–! Oh, wait. Junior High? Chidoriyama!" Yuu corrected himself.
Kara– what? Wait a minute...
"CHIDORIYAMA?!" Wide eyed, Makoto exclaimed loudly.
Grinning, Yuu proudly confirmed it to her, "Yep!"
"Didn't they went to the nationals during the Spring Middle two years ago?!"
"Uh huh! By that time, I was still their official libero! Didn't retire like what the other third years!" He informed to her.
"Does that mean you're the super libero I kept hearing about who won the Best Libero Award here?!"
"You're right! Though I still have a long way to go, I'm an awesome Libero!" Yuu loudly exclaimed with unwavering pride.
"Is that so? Does that mean you're always updated in Volleyball Monthly?!"
"Mmm... Not much. It only depends on my mood."
"Eh..? Does that mean you barely pay any attention to the female side?" Makoto asked hopefully, crestfallen all of a sudden.
Laughing sheepishly, Yuu apologized, "I'm sorry, Sakime-chan. As of now, I'm too busy to pay attention to anything else."
"Guess I was hopeful for nothing, is that it?" Frowning a bit, Makoto mumbled under her breath.
Surprisingly, Yuu was able to pick up what she said. "Hey, at least you've gained more information about me, a total high school stranger you just met a while ago."
Makoto let out a small chuckle then nudged him with her shoulder. "Hey now, I just told you a while ago. We're friends now, so you're no stranger to me, Noya-kun."
"Thanks." Yuu gave her a sincere smile before taking a big sip from his chocolate milk, finishing it in an instance, he waved it around her and said, "Watch this."
With one arm, Yuu threw it at the nearby trash bin, shooting through the half-opened lid. At his success, he turned to her and flashed her a roguish grin. "How's that?"
Makoto's reaction was definitely amusing. Her eyes sparkled in fascination, like a kid seeing a magic show for the first time.
"That's so awesome!" She exclaimed then quickly looked at her half contained drink. She finished it all with one huge sip and passed it to Yuu which he caught it with ease.
"One more!" She ordered him playfully which he complied.
"Alrighty then."
Then the same result happened once again, he was able to shoot the empty milk carton inside the half-opened trash bin.
Amazed, Makoto poked Yuu's right shoulder several times. Once the spikey-haired brunette turned to her, she eagerly asked, "Teach me to do that one day!"
Yuu smiled in response. "I'd be glad to."
Pumping her fist in mid-air, Makoto inwardly made a victory dance. Once she calmed down, she leaned back to her seat with a contented smile and faced Yuu, who was sporting the same facial expression.
"Hey, since you honestly told me a lot about you, why don't I return the favour?" Calmly, she asked him.
Yuu blinked twice then shook his head in response. "What? You know, you don't have to do–!"
"You're probably wondering why I acted that way when you asked me about your mom being my coach, right?" Makoto cut him off with an apologetic smile.
"Tell me, Noya-kun. Don't I look familiar to you?"
Yes, he remembered what happened a while ago a bit too clearly. It wasn't a very pleasant reminder to him. The way she became so silent, the way she held that look void of emotion, and the way her bright eyes held a very dark glint, it frightening to him. As much as he wanted to say to her how scary she was back then, Yuu cannot find the courage to say it to her, especially when she's looking at him apologetically like that.
It makes him less manly if he hurt a girl's feelings, especially when that girl already claimed to be his friend.
"Yeah..."
Makoto sighed at his reluctant response, gesturing him to prepare for another round of Q and A. "Let's start then. You probably figured it out that I went to Hatoyama, right?"
"Well, yeah. You kinda mentioned it a while ago..."
"I did? Oh, never mind. But have you ever wondered why I'm here in Miyagi?"
"I was just thinking about that when you went to the vending machine."
"Is that so? Tell me, do you think that I'm a regular or not?"
"With the way you asked me that so sudden, you're definitely a regular."
"Take a guess. What's my position?"
"How am I suppose to know?"
"Come on. Just take a guess!"
"Fine. You're definitely not a libero, that I could tell from a distance. Considering that you're looking at me like that, I might have to take a guess that you're a Wing Spiker."
"BINGO! So, do you know anything about Hatoyama?"
"All I know about that school was that the female volleyball team was winning the nationals consecutively for almost 5 years."
"And..? And..?!" She leaned closer to him, all the while her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"And that their Ace was the Top 1 female Wing Spiker in the country..."
"Do you have any idea who that Ace was?"
"Uh... Sorry, but no."
"That was me." Makoto answered straightforwardly.
"Oh..." Yuu trailed off, gazing up at the orange tinged sky blankly.
Then it hit him.
Just as fast as lightning, Yuu quickly turned to her with wide eyes; the latter sweetly smiled at him in return.
"Really?!"
The smile flattened a bit at the question. Makoto nodded to him and said, "Yeah... I was."
Quirking an eyebrow at her solemn expression, Yuu incredulously asked her, "Then what are you doing here in Miyagi–!"
He stopped himself when he noticed her smile turning into a frown. Yuu furrowed his eyebrows while pursing his lips in concentration. Hesitantly, he asked, "I know it's not my place to ask but, I'm curious. Did you perhaps... quit?"
Makoto gave him a look the sighed exasperatedly. "It's not like I wanted to, actually. I was just placed in a situation that was not in favour in mine that time..."
Yuu blinked in disbelief, unconsciously clenching his fist at she said to him. He felt his protective self coming back at Makoto's saddening aura.
Furious at her vulnerable appearance, Yuu loudly asked, "You got injured?!"
Makoto jolted up from her seat in surprise, startled at Yuu's sudden outburst. She looked at him quizzically then light shook her head in response. "Nope, not at all. I think it was a rare medical condition that was so sudden. As much as I wanted to tell you about it, I have no idea what it's called. My mom never let me know about it." She carefully explained to him.
Her reply somewhat calmed Yuu down. He unclenched his fists in relief. He felt that his breath was even again and his gazed soften quickly. Slightly embarrassed at his petty outburst, he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Oh... Are you still allowed to play?"
Letting out a chuckle at his question, Makoto gave Yuu a mischievous grin. "HA! As if I'll let them forbid me from playing my favorite sport!"
Relieved, Yuu flashed her an uncanny grin then patted her on the head. "That's great then!"
"Though I won't be able to play in a team anymore..." She added, her shoulders dropping again.
Yuu, this time, patted her on the shoulder. "That's nonsense! The only sad thing that could happen to a passionate volleyball player is not being able to play again! Be happy that you still get to play!"
"Oi. That's too much skinship for today." Makoto brushed his hand off of her shoulder in embarrassment. "But you're right though."
"Then I'll save the next ones for tomorrow then, huh?" Yuu let out a few chuckles then suddenly calmed himslef down. Blinkling repeatedly, he realized something. He looked at her once again.
"You haven't told me why you're here in Miyagi, Sakime-chan."
Makoto gave him a blank look before she started to slap her forehead repeatedly, all the while continuously calling herself stupid. "Geez... What kind of idiot am I?! I was the one who mentioned it to you and yet I haven'ttold you anything about it! Damn it, I'm so stupid! BAKA MAKOTO!" She yelled, covering her face with her hands as she bent down to her knees.
The gesture made Yuu to laugh inwardly, not wanting to be rude around her. "Hey, it's okay. I also had my moments when I'm with my friends." He comforted, pulling her back up.
Gaining her composure once again, Makoto sighed for the hundredth time of the day. "My mom transfered me out of Hatoyama because I might have the temptation to sneak inside the gym to practice with the others." She told him, leaning at the back of the seat.
"And you're here in Miyagi because..?" Yuu asked again, raising his eyebrow this time.
Makoto scratched her head in embarrassment. "I'm pretty stupid when it comes to school work so she can't enroll me to closer schools. The normal ones are pretty much far away from home and I don't have a relative to live with. Since my aunt lives here, I decided to go here in Miyagi."
Yuu nodded his head in understanding. "That makes sense. And Miyagi is just next to Yamagata so you can visit your parents during the weekends."
"Yep. That's exactly what I told my mom, but she insisted me to hang out with my friends instead. Yet I only made two friends for the past two weeks, you're included in that short list, Noya-kun."
Grinning, Yuu felt his ego going up again. "Really? Then I'm honored, Sakime-chan."
Makoto slight shook her head at his prideful look. She noticed something about him again, and that was his clothes. "Say, what's with the get up anyways? You got dumped by your girlfriend or something?"
Yuu looked ather as if she grew two heads and laughed obnoxiously. Sobbering up, he replied in between chuckles, "Girlfriend? As if I'll get one so early! Nah... I went to Yamagata this morning 'cause my mom wants to talk to me."
"Eh... I see..." Makoto felt slightly crestfallen at her wrong guess but she also felt somewhat glad that the libero did not have a girlfriend.
He's actually too good-looking to not have a girlfriend... Maybe my eyes are playing tricks with me again... He said he went to Yamagata this morning and probably just came back. But isn't today a weekday?
"Today's a weekday, aren't you supposed to be in school when you went there?" Quirking an eyebrow, Makoto asked as she eyed him suspiciously.
Yuu sweatdropped at the look she giving her and reluctantly answered, "Uh... about that. I got suspended for a week."
"You did?"
Wait, wasn't that the same story as–?
"Yeah, I kinda lost my cool that I accidentally pushed the Vice Principal then broke a valuable vase." Yuu replied, sheepishly grinning.
With widen eyes, Makoto asked him once again, "Which school do you go now, Noya-kun?"
Could it be that he is–!
"Karasuno High School."
It's him all right.
"WHAAT?!"
Author's Note: And finally done! All right! I tried to multi-task this with 9 of my school projects and I failed miserably that it took me a whole month to finish this chapter! I'M SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY!
This chapter is a whole Nishinoya point of view with some bits of Makoto's. So there's that.
You might think that it's weird that they suddenly became so close despite meeting for the first time, but that is all in the two's personalities. Makoto has never been one to be shy when talking to unfamiliar people and Noya is probably the kind of person who would befriend the strangers he meets on the streets while out for a morning run. Even though Makoto's a girl, her personality somewhat made him comfortable around her.
Character Trivia #1: When a shy boy talks to her, Makoto's personality has the ability to make him forget that he is actually talking to a girl, thus making him act himself around her.
Anyways, the next chapter might be out in a few weeks. Sorry for that. The thing is that I actually had the whole chapter written on a 40 paged notebook. The problem is that I don't how I can properly begin this chapet without it being too cliché. So forgive me if this take too long.
Next Chapter: "Encounters"
Oooh~ I wonder what that title means? Is Sakime-chan going to meet some new people or will it be the opposite?
See you guys later! I'm out!
~松原文子ちゃん
