Chapter Three
Friday returned, and just as Satsuki portended, Coach Washijo sent them up the slope.
It was just their luck too. The temperature spiked that afternoon, rendering the air muggy, the grassy sidewalks dry with heat. A rippling mirage could be seen above the paving stones, distorting their view of the horizon. Even the shade was lukewarm as they picked their way through the quiet neighborhood.
"C'est la vie," said Tendou, gasping for air. His windbreaker had slid off his shoulder and he crumpled onto a patch of grass, spread-eagle. "I have conquered the mountain and now I shall die upon it. Tell them how bravely I fought, Wakatoshi. Bring word of my passing to Tanji."
Ushijima was jogging in place, looking irritatingly refreshed. "We've only been running for thirty minutes," he said, glancing at his wristwatch. "And this hardly passes as a mountain."
Tendou sank deeper into the grass.
"Up, up, up! Keep those bodies moving," ordered their captain as he peeled Shirabu off a nearby lamppost. "Your bodies need to cool down properly or you'll faint."
"Too late, Captain," Yamagata called out, fanning Yunohama with his jacket.
"Again? Cripes, that's twice in one week," said Jin. "Anyone have a banana?"
Yunohama snapped wide awake, clawing his way to safety. "NO! Not that again!"
The rest of the team gathered in the alcove of the nearby park in various displays of exhaustion. They leaned against the shallow rock wall, peeling off their jackets in the hot sun. Children on the playground stopped to ogle the athletes.
"Why doesn't this get any easier?" Reon panted, trying to maintain his composure.
Tendou forced himself back onto his feet. A powerful headrush overtook him and he reached out to Ushijima for balance. The ace steadied him.
"Come on, I know someone who can help." Tendou motioned for them to follow as he staggered to the oasis at the top of the hill.
The convenience store stood in the full afternoon sun, its roof a bright salmon pink. The flowerpots lining the sidewalk were bursting with marigolds, and the sign above the shop read Swan Mart in faded white characters. Underneath the awning stood Satsuki in her favorite cat-eye sunglasses as she fanned herself with a gardening magazine.
"Well hello boys," she called out. "What can I do for you?"
Tendou pressed his hands together, devout.
"Oh divine proprietress of this sacred establishment," he hailed, "might you entreat us to some of your cold refreshments?"
The volleyball team glanced from Tendou to the matron with open disbelief. There was a sharp sigh. Their captain worked his way through the group intent on curtailing their rogue blocker from embarrassing them further when, to his surprise, Satsuki flipped open an ice chest full of pastel-colored ice pops.
They were suddenly parched.
"Don't be shy," she coaxed them. "Help yourself. My treat."
Shirabu knelt before the chest.
"I've never seen so many flavors! Mandarin, Lychee, Strawberry, Banana, Melon, Kiwi, Apple, Starfruit–"
"I just want this," Kawanishi scooped a handful of ice and placed it right on his neck.
"Papaya, Raspberry, Lemon, Orange, Apricot, Blueberry, Blackberry, Rhubarb, Grape–"
"Here handsome, try this," Satsuki handed Ushijima a peach pop. Tendou glowered at his teammate.
"Boysenberry, Honey Dew, Dragon Fruit, Nectarine, Passionflower, Elderberry, Cucumber–"
"Shirabu, just pick one already!" Their captain exclaimed, rapping knuckles against his head.
The setter took one petulantly.
Armed with refreshments, the team congregated underneath the large shade tree next to the store. Its velvet leaves broke up the sun, the dark carpet of grass underneath a welcome escape. The wind blew strongly this far uphill, and they had a fantastic view of the uninterrupted blue sky. Nothing had ever felt so refreshing. Even Yunohama seemed restored to health.
"Tanji has you boys running up this hill a lot," Satsuki said, keeping an eye on the storefront. "Big plans this year, Ushiwaka?"
She was standing like a schoolgirl with her nails done. She was fawning.
"We have a scrimmage coming up," Ushijima answered her, chewing his popsicle. "Coach Washijo has doubled our training schedule. We're playing against three universities before tournament season starts."
"Oh my," said Satsuki, fanning herself once more as she looked him up and down. "You don't say?"
Tendou cleared his throat, overcome with the need to protect his unsuspecting friend. He slurped the last dregs of his passionflower pop before crinkling the plastic in his palm.
"Speaking of which, we should probably head back. Tanji will think we've all abandoned ship."
Satsuki patted the Great Ace. "Go get 'em, Tiger!"
The captain urged everyone back on their feet and called for a lineup. Together, they bowed.
"THANK YOU, MA'AM!" They shouted in unison.
Satsuki split into a girlish grin, waving her magazine in the air as they hustled down the hill.
"Toodleloo! Work hard, boys! Let me see you take Nationals this year!"
Tendou winked at her, but the old woman held him back.
"Don't look now, Satori, but you've got an audience," she whispered into his ear, filling his nose with the scent of her coconut sunscreen. "Those girls have been eyeing you for the past two minutes!"
"Huh?" He exhaled in disbelief, cutting his gaze to the opposite side of the street.
Sure enough, five girls in Shiratorizawa tracksuits had slowed down into a casual walk, their leader holding her hand up like a visor to shade her eyes from the sun. She was looking straight at him.
Satsuki slapped his arm. "You didn't tell me you had admirers, Ken Watanabe."
He peered at her as if she had said the most ridiculous thing. "I don't. That's the cheer squad."
"Tendou!" The girl called out, waving as she crossed the street with her crew.
"Hullo Kazane," he waved back. "You got sent up Dead Man's Hill too?"
"Can you believe it? On a day like this?" The cheer captain said, sounding irate. "Hello, Mrs. Matsushida."
"Hello dear," said Satsuki, cutting a sharp eye at Tendou. "It aggrieves me to hear you young people call my hill such a sad name. I thought Shiratorizawa's athletes were made of stronger grit."
Both Tendou and Kazane flinched.
"Oh Satsuki, you know our spirits are broken during the first week," said Tendou. "How else are the coaches to derive pleasure if not from the suffering of their athletes?"
The old woman scoffed.
"Come on, girls. I've got something nice for you." She waved them over.
They looked to Kazane who in turn gave them a solemn nod of permission much like that of a commander. Only then did they break formation. The shortest one, a girl Tendou had in his writing class, peered at him with wide eyes. She was the one who sat at the front of the classroom and always had a nervous expression on her face. Tendou couldn't blame her. Mr. Harada had a propensity to stalk the room, reciting stories with the fervor of an overzealous actor. She sat in what they had all taken to calling the 'Splash Zone.'
"Isami," Tendou greeted her with a small nod. "I didn't know you joined the cheer squad."
The second year immediately went purple and hid behind her curtain of honey-brown hair.
"T-T-To help w-with my s-stage fright," she explained in a small voice.
Kazane patted her on the shoulder. "The best way to overcome fear is to confront it head-on. Right?"
"R-right," she smiled. She waved to Tendou before traipsing off after the other cheerleaders who were all gasping from shock. Satsuki had just opened the chest of ice-pops, causing one of the girls to kneel over and recite all the flavors just as Shirabu had. It occurred to Tendou that the old woman had a soft spot for high schoolers. Who else received her preferential treatment?
"Tendou, I was wondering if you could relay a message to Ushijima," Kazane asked him directly. "The school is hosting the Sports Benefit in the park like we did last year. I've been put in charge of organizing delegates from Shiratorizawa's teams. It would be good if you and Ushijima participated."
This news caught Tendou slightly by surprise. He had participated in the event as a spectator along with the rest of the first years. A large crowd had gathered in the park. If he remembered correctly, it had ended up being a pretty big deal.
"I don't know, Kazane. Shouldn't our captain be a representative? We're just second years."
Kazane grinned, shaking her head. The motion sent her dark braid swinging against her shoulder.
"You two were a real crowd-pleaser at the tournament last year. Not to mention, you seem to really complement each other," she said in her deep voice, keeping an eye on her squad. "Ushijima is twice as approachable with you as his translator, Tendou. It would be wonderful PR for the boys' volleyball team and for the school. He's our top MVP."
Tendou recalled Kazane Fujiwara wanting to pursue marketing in university. She was one of the most tenacious third-year students he had ever met, last year's Sports Benefit being her first major success. It wasn't enough for her to serve as Cheer Captain. She also served as a member of the Student Government Council, as well as the chief sports contributor to the school newspaper. She had her finger on the pulse of the different sports divisions at Shiratorizawa, thus, she spoke the truth when declaring Ushijima their crowning glory.
Tendou retracted from her zealous look.
He wasn't so keen on having his friendship with the ace reduced to that of a PR stunt. Vying for the limelight in a match was one thing, serving as a social translator another. Still, the event had been fun last year and not a whole lot was expected of the athletes who participated. There was also copious amounts of free food.
The food, he thought with a terrible hunger. That settled it.
"I'll talk to him," he agreed.
Kazane clapped her hands together, triumphant.
"TENDOU! CHIP-CHOP-CHIP, MAN! ON THE DOUBLE!" His captain bellowed from down the hill. "COACH WILL FLAY US ALIVE IF WE DON'T MOVE IT!"
Tendou bowed to Kazane with a flourish.
"YES SIR!"
. . . . . . . . .
When they returned to the gym, they were paired off this time, two against two, with the rest of the team observing from the sidelines. Coaches Washijo and Saito stalked the court, the latter frantically taking notes while the former dispensed his version of 'constructive criticism.'
"YOU CALL THAT A SPIKE?"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? CATCHING BUTTERFLIES?"
"YUNOHAMA - IF YOU HOLD ONTO THAT BALL ONE MORE TIME - I'LL HAVE YOU DEMOTED TO BASEBALL!"
Tendou and Semi were facing down Ushijima and Shirabu in a quick 15-count match. The air in the gym was stifling, the players anxious under such intense scrutiny. Every shortcoming was notated – loudly – as they forced the ball back and forth across the net. It was during one of these sudden death matches that Tendou caught the full force of Ushijima's spike, his hand erupting with pain.
Tendou landed roughly, folding onto one knee. He saw a flash of red and quickly balled his fingers into a fist. This pain was familiar. There was always the distinct taste of burnt hair in his mouth. It filled his nose, bringing fresh tears to his eyes. He stayed like that for a moment, holding his fist until the smarting subsided. But the others had rushed over, including the coaches.
"Off to the nurse with you," said Washijo, jutting his chin to the exit.
"It's fine, Tanji. I'll just tape it," said Tendou through clenched teeth.
"I'll have none of that. You're of no use to me injured."
"Alright, alright."
Ushijima shot Tendou an apologetic look, but he waved it off.
"Don't let the festivities stop on my account," he rang out to the team. "Be back in a flash!"
Tendou quickly reached for his towel to mop up the sweat before striking out into the late afternoon sun. By now, the campus was mostly vacant except for a few club activities. He could see students in the arena lunging their horses. Across campus, the tennis courts were dotted with students practicing their backhand volleys. A white golf cart trundled past, bearing four caddies on their way to the driving range. They shot him terrified looks before the driver laid down on the gas pedal.
Tendou watched them make their slow getaway, bemused.
He took a breath.
His hand was throbbing, the muscles in his finger strained all the way down to his palm. He had read Ushijima's spike correctly but underestimated the sheer force behind the attack. He had tried stopping a meteor with his bare hands. A vocational risk whenever playing against the legendary Ushiwaka.
He picked up the pace, jogging across campus toward the main building.
As far as amenities went at Shiratorizawa, the board of directors spared no expense when it came to the school infirmary. The corner suite on the top floor was a handsome room with white oak walls and cream cabinetry. Its bright incandescent lighting spilled out into the hallway, and as he approached the glass door, he saw that the nurse had changed the flower arrangement on her desk from irises to French lavender. In fact, there were touches of French decor throughout the room, especially near the twin hospital beds which were draped in macaroon pink curtains. But that was entirely due to the person who inhabited the space, not the particular tastes of the directors themselves. They had had no say in the matter whatsoever.
As Tendou entered the room, he waited anxiously for the curator herself.
Nurse Hino emerged from the storage room looking polished as ever with her neatly coiffed hair. She always had an eager expression whenever a student appeared, wondering if she might suture a puncture wound or brace a broken bone, but as she lifted her gaze to Tendou, she sighed.
"Oh, it's you again," she said by way of greeting. Her eyes narrowed. "Come on then."
Tendou followed the petite, older woman to her desk, suppressing the urge to sneeze from her sharp perfume. The gold bangles on her wrist chimed as she motioned for him to take a seat on the small stool opposite her desk. He humored her, lowering himself comically unto the short seat – a seat better suited for a child at the pediatrics office for his annual checkup than a six-foot-tall athlete. His knees practically touched his ears.
Nurse Hino donned her reading glasses.
"Hands," she ordered.
Tendou placed his hands into her small, manicured ones. His were still taped and badly swollen. Pulling a pair of scissors from her coat pocket, she cut the tape, freeing his fingers. "Rinse them in the sink," she ordered next, depositing the wrappings into a metal waste bin. Tendou did as he was told, washing with soap and water with minor difficulty. His left hand was sore, but mostly when bending his fingers. Returning to his seat, he offered his hands once more.
"You're pushing yourself too hard, Satori," she scowled. "You've only just healed from the last time."
"I've been taping them every day just as you instructed," he said, wincing as she inspected the offending digit.
"You boys from the volleyball club," she said with disapproval, "always the same."
Tendou was unsure what she meant by that comment but chose to remain silent as he was very much at the mercy of her care. She reached into the small fridge beside her desk and pulled out a square gel pack. It was cold and malleable like slush. She stabilized it in his hand using gauze, forcing his fingers into a claw position. Once secured with a bit of medical tape, she leaned back to assess her work.
"That should do for now," she said, satisfied.
There was a small rap at the door.
"Hi Mrs. Hino," said a silvery voice. It slipped through the air like a ribbon.
The nurse looked up from her ministrations.
"Ah, Miss Hanamura," she greeted warmly, surprising him. "I was wondering if you were going to stop by this afternoon."
Tendou glanced at the door. The girl, the one who had bamboozled him all these weeks, was standing at the threshold in a shaft of red sunlight. She was wearing her gray sweater with the sleeves pushed up. Her hair was still mussed, her bangs cut at an odd angle.
"Sorry, I'm late. I had to prep and–," she stopped mid-sentence, seeing Nurse Hino holding hands with him in what must have appeared to be a deeply touching and private conference. Her eyes lingered on him the longest, her expression clearly marked by shock. "Oh! You're busy! I'll just...I can come back later."
She turned around prepared to leave, but the nurse stopped her.
"There's no need, dear. I'm nearly finished."
The girl turned slowly on the balls of her feet.
"Another emergency?" She asked him, her shock gone and replaced by that peculiar smile again. There was a note of irony in her voice.
Tendou lifted his chin. Of all the times to be grateful for a little mishap in practice, this was almost too good to be true. He studied her closely, his lip curling with triumph.
Hanamura. The scavenger girl had a name now and it elicited a quaint vision of a field spotted with wildflowers. Tendou considered her, thinking that she was more of a thistle than a foxglove. She was lean and angular and sharply-hewn in the face. Her eyes were hooded underneath dark brows, her expression open and tentative. Her mannerism was not so unlike an animal that had been caught unawares and was ready to flee at any given moment.
It stirred something within him.
"Just a minor finger strain. He'll live," said Mrs. Hino, squeezing his hand.
Tendou winced.
"Alright, you know the drill. I'm prescribing you–"
"–Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation," he said, nodding. "I know the drill."
"And no more practice for today," she added much to his dismay. "I'm sending you with a note for Coach Washijo."
"But–"
"–No buts! Your hand needs to ice for a few hours."
Tendou dropped his shoulders into a pout. He had been attempting to bolster Semi's chances at making team setter for the year, maximizing his efforts against Ushijima and Shirabu, but the match had ended prematurely. He hoped Semi had been paired off with Kawanishi in his absence. The first-year blocker was lightning-fast whenever he was motivated enough. Tendou ground his feet into the floor.
"What are you on the hunt for today?" Mrs. Hino addressed the first year as she scrawled a note.
"Rubbing alcohol," said the girl. "Fukuhara suggested you might have some I could borrow. That is if you have any to spare?"
"I keep the near-empty bottles in the cabinet there," Nurse Hino pointed with a quizzical look on her face. "Help yourself to whatever you need."
"Thank you."
The girl, Hanamura as he had come to learn, smoothed her skirt as she crouched down by the cabinets to collect the bottles that sloshed the loudest. She paused to straighten her sock, yanking at it with a huff. Tendou kept his gaze trained on her movements, searching for any 'tells' that might give her purpose away. His intense observation must have been misconstrued on the part of Nurse Hino for she fixed him with a glittering eye.
"There's also a box of things I've been meaning to clear out that you might be interested in." She gestured to the corner of her desk. "Satori, why don't you be a good chap and help Miss Hanamura with the box, hmm?"
The first-year girl stood, throwing her hands up in protest.
"Oh, there's no need. I should be able–"
Tendou swiveled on the tiny stool, lifting himself up in one elegant swoop.
"I'll help," he said, retrieving the box from the desk. Surprisingly, it was light, but to keep face, he acted as if it were quite heavy. One brief glance at the contents inside revealed a potpourri of unused cotton swaps, surgical tape still wrapped in cellophane, and wooden tongue depressors. Why would the school nurse want to fork over this stuff to a first year? Was Hanamura planning to field-dress someone?
Mrs. Hino flashed him a crafty look, thinking she was ever so clever.
He flashed her one of his own.
Joke's on you, Hino, Tendou thought with private amusement. Little did she know that he had been vying for an opportunity such as this to solve the mystery of the magpie. Finally, he would have his chance.
Holding his hand out, he grinned at the first year.
"Consider this a debt repaid," he said in his most charming voice.
Hesitant, Hanamura handed over the bottles, her eyes the color of jadeite.
"Thank you," she said.
A/N: Ah yes, the quintessential "nurse's office" scene – very near and dear to my heart. One of the Holy Grails of Shoujo Romance. In this version, the nurse is fully present and entirely meddlesome. But how else is Nurse Hino to spend her afternoon if there are no emergency surgeries to be had? Matchmaking is her side hustle. I should also note she endorses the French Club, and her lectures on reproductive health have been described by the students as 'shockingly eye-opening.'
"Playful Pizzicato" - Benjamin Britten & The English Chamber Orchestra
"Runner" - Sunparlour Players
Thank you so much for reading!
lavendermoonmilk