|

||

Everyone was not as enthusiastic as the teacher hoped they'd be. Sure, they got their partners officialized by the teacher, even Kozume Kenma somehow managed thanks to Tetsurou's betrayal. The only reason why he took this class, despite his and Tetsurou's level difference is that his best friend begged him to take this extra subject. Of course, he said yes after all the begging the tall boy did. Hell, if he was going to just go after some girl what was the point in him taking the subject? He couldn't comprehend the level of desperation his friend had just to get the girl—

A girl he didn't have a genuine romantic interest in.

Kozume would have loved to rant to either Shoyo or Eru, but he didn't want to taint their image of Tetsurou and make them realize he was capable of toying with a girl because of a stupid bet.

No, those two people are too innocent for this shit.

The one he really felt sorry for at the moment was Shinju who looked like someone just told her she had cancer. Her soul seemed to have left her body, and Tetsurou didn't even seem to notice.

I should approach her one of these days, Kenma thought to himself. But he took that back quickly with: Nah, I don't have good people skills. Sorry, Shirai-san but you're on your own.

Meanwhile, the girl couldn't get over the whole fiasco. ". . am . . doomed. ." was all she kept muttering under her breath and her fingers played with her mechanical pencil. She couldn't even draw on the desk—like that was a good thing, to begin with. But she was dead frustrated.

To her, Tetsurou seemed a little blissful as if this was an accomplishment. But this was a breach of the white-haired chic's own standards. They were mere acquaintances, less than friends if she could say in her own words. He had his date for helping her, so why is he still bugging her? If this was about her clinging to him because of his obnoxious friend—whoever that was—she's going to kill him. Albeit, if it was, it wouldn't be surprising as humans "are all about give and take." Favors are meant to be paid with favors.

It made her sigh.

A small vibration in her pocket snapped the girl from the negativity brewing in her mind. Yet at the same time, a paradox whirled inside of her. Why is there somehow a tint of happiness bugging in her mind? Like she wasn't 100% upset. That made her frustrated with herself.

God help her.

Going back to the phone, Mitsuru dug it out from her back pocket and looked at the screen. It was a message from Amano-san her editor. Her fingers quickly swiped at the surface, revealing the message that read:

"Good morning, Shirai-san! Are you in class? Are you done with your latest volume?"

The girl set the phone on the desk (making sure, of course, that Tetsurou wouldn't see anything), because she wouldn't want the professor to notice her using a gadget in his class. Without bothering to use both her hands, the girl tapped her message in with just her index finger.

"Bringing manuscript after class." 

And she pressed 'send'.

"Alright, if you have questions about the project, you may ask now," the professor announced suddenly. "Confirmations, reactions, speak up now because we won't be meeting until the term is over. But, of course, I'm allowing you to visit me in my office."

Someone raised their hand and the teacher let the girl stand up.

"What's the purpose of this project, *sensei? Why do we need to learn about the sense of appreciation from other people? And is there a certain age bracket we should consider for this project? The number of people?" Her questions went out like bullets, and Mitsuru had noted her as one of those who took lessons seriously. Well, they are in a good university though it should be expected.

The teacher looked puzzled at first then smiled afterward. He seemed happy someone was taking the project seriously.

"Good question. Questions rather. So, the purpose was first, right?"

The girl nodded.

"I have the purpose in mind, but I think you all should discover that purpose yourselves. Why interrogate people about why they should feel appreciative of the things you have? Include that in your project. It would be interesting to see your answers. I don't want the answer so that you guys could learn to appreciate. It's the most plausible answer I'm sure. And I'm sure that this will be your answer if I didn't say the restrictions."

A silent groan hung in the air, and some shot nasty looks at the girl. But the teacher continued without notice.

"For the age bracket," he began, and he pondered for a moment. The answer came to him quickly, the snap of his fingers suggested it. "Look for seniors. They've lived long before us. Maybe we could learn a thing or two from them. Wouldn't it be cool? And maybe from the time I've given you, I think fifteen to twenty seniors would be a good number. I don't want even all of the twenty to be from Tokyo. Travel, youths!"

Now the groans were audible, but the professor didn't care. Professor Korizawa waved them all goodbye and wished them luck. It was going to be a long project for the students but a vacation for him.

Even if Tetsurou had the Mitsuru Shirai become his partners for the bet, he was someone who took his academics seriously. He tapped on Mitsuru's shoulder the moment Professor Korizawa dismissed them.

"When could we plan out the project?" The boy asked with serious intentions.

Mitsuru shrugged.

"I have somewhere to be at the moment, so definitely. . not. . right now and I don't know when I'll even finish," she replied rather nonchalantly, obviously not interested in the project. And as always, her words seemed uncertain.

"We'll have to find time to talk about it though, Shirai-chan," the boy nervously chuckled. "It would be great to get this project done well."

If Mitsuru was in a lighter mood she would've laughed or teased him for the first time. However, she was still peeved at the gall of him. So, the girl simply held out her hand.

"Just give me your email." Her words came out like a command rather than a request. "I'll give you mine." Her hand also held out her own smartphone.

The boy could see how bothered she was he almost regretted volunteering himself to be her partner. Did she not like him enough to at least be relieved she had a partner?

"Where will you be after this?" The girl asked.

"I'll probably be here the whole day. I have class and training."

"Your sched?"

"I-I guess until 7 pm?"

"Good. I'll just email you." She said this with a small glance at the boy, and his expression perplexed her.

It wasn't the usual carefree and cheerful expression he bore, but rather a sheepish one. It didn't matter to Mitsuru (or should at least); she picked up her belongings and walked out of the classroom without much of a goodbye. Don't get her wrong, she wanted to say goodbye, see ya later. But she couldn't exactly tolerate Tetsurou at the moment and thought of using the whole day to clear her head and accept her fate came to mind.

She should relax more.

He is just a boy.

* * * * * * * *

Fortunately for Mitsuru, meeting with Amano-san wasn't an issue. The publishing company she worked with, Mad Garden, was located within the parameters of Ikebukuro. Being a few blocks away made it easier for the mangaka to see her editor between her classes. But she often wished he'd call her less and just believe in her. The Mitsuru Kurosaki persona, or name rather, the girl took on was never late on her deadlines.

Again, and again, Mitsuru reminded Amano-san of this fact.

But it didn't really seem to register in his brain.

For today, the girl only had one class which was the psychology class she had taken with stupid Kuroo. Now the rest of the day was free of the academics, leaving the chic with her mangaka work. Not exactly free, but her work was her passion.

After walking from the university for a few minutes, she stopped at the corner to cross. Her blue eyes watched the pedestrian lights and the moment the go signal went on she traversed the street without much as a blink. Other people walked beside her, turning her into a small speck in a multitude of people. Hands lay dormant in her pockets, only clutching her phone and handkerchief in each hand.

She wished she had her headphones. But her stupid moments like forgetting them when it should be a habit of taking them with her caused her this distress. Now her ears are deafened by the city noise of bustling cars and people. She could hear feet shuffling on the pavement, asphalt cracking under those footsteps. With her mask on, Mitsuru could hear her breaths—the sound of inhaling and exhaling echoing into her ears.

She kept her eyes down, hoping that no one would recognize her. To blend in was her mission, especially when she traveled around the prefecture. Anxiety clung to her like a chain around her neck. The surroundings seemed to close in on her, making Mitsuru constantly shift her eyes.

Then her eyes fell upon a familiar face, and it stopped the girl at her tracks. Instantly, a wild series of thumps shook her ribcage, forcing out sweat out of the pores in her skin. Pink pieces of hair wave flashed in front of her vision, as though teasing her of a past she wanted to forget. Bangs dangled in front of his amethyst eyes which stared right into her wide blue ones. Mitsuru found her feet cemented into place—all the way to her knees—no, her whole body was cemented into place. The only thing she could do was stare, before finally finding the strength to look down.

The guy seemed to keep walking toward her, and Mitsuru couldn't run away like last time. Was it because their eyes met? Or was it because Tetsurou was there in the room last time? Mitsuru didn't know.

As she feared, the boy stopped walking as soon as he reached her side. But the girl still didn't dare to look up. The thought of seeing the expression on his face pained her to pure suffocation. There was no solace in the mere sight of him.

"After all this time you still pretend like nothing happened, huh, Shirai?" Shigeru's words sunk into her like daggers. She remained motionless, feeling her hands aquiver by her sides.

"Is. . this how you say hi?" Mitsuru managed to wryly spit her words out. "Well, we're not friends anyway."

"Still won't consider, huh?" And the boy snorted out a sheepish laugh. He looked upwards with his eyes gazing into the clouds before sharply bringing them back down to earth. His expression turned dark with hate; too bad Mitsuru couldn't see it. "I'm gonna make your life miserable. For what you've done."

Instead of responding, the girl shut her eyes and sighed before throwing all her strength into stepping forward. The strides became longer than usual and maybe faster even. The urge to cry came faster than she had expected, but Mitsuru had learned the art of fighting back tears. Don't look back, pretend Ueno-kun isn't there.

Forget!

Forget!

Forget!

Getting to the publishing house was a lot faster than Mitsuru thought it would be. She was practically dashing down through the glass, greeting the clerk at the desk first, of course. But Mitsuru hurried as if someone was chasing her, but no one was there behind her. Even by the time the elevator doors shut, Mitsuru's heart was racing. Her slender hand clutched her neck and before she realized it, big tears began to form and flow down her cheeks.

Sniffles came shortly after and memories of a recent past came to mind. The feeling of guilt and pain reminded her of the gaping void in her heart. Mitsuru backed to the corner, sank on her knees, and grabbed on her white hair. She let the tears flow for a while, just letting the pain flow through her soul. It'll come to pass, her voice echoed in her own head and took long deep breaths.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Mitsuru did this several times more until she calmed down. Fate seemed to be kind to her that morning. No one else walked inside the throughout her vertical travel to the floor she needed to be. Even when the doors opened, no one was around to see her pink in the face. She stepped out, fanned her face, and breathed more. A little powder touch did the trick for her face, but Mitsuru still hoped no one would suspect a thing.

"Ah, there you are, Shirai-chan!" Amano-cried as soon as the girl walked into the room and shut the door behind her.

"Yes, and I'm not late. . as always," she added and placed her bag on the table in the room. It was a mixed enigma; half of the room was a mess: a whirlwind had attacked and scattered sheets of paper in between piles of books and into other nooks and cranny possible. The other half seemed to belong to a person with OCD: even the figurines were aligned according to height.

The people in the room acknowledged Mitsuru's presence with a single nod or a cordial wave. Busy time and Mitsuru knew this. Maybe during lunchtime, she could strike a chat with one of the artists she vibed with, Mochika-san who waved the most wildly at her. And as always, the lady had her crazy green ponytails on the sides of her head. But as of the moment, Amano-san came with priority.

Opening her bag, Mitsuru took out an envelope with her latest manga volume in it and hands it to the blond. He took it excitedly and brought out a couple of pages to examine. Stars practically twinkled in his eyes. Amano-san may be excited to read through the latest volume, but Mitsuru had a surprise she had concocted a few days before.

"I'll be introducing a new character in the next volume, like the fifth one," said Mitsuru, opening her notebook and sliding it over to her editor across the table's surface. "His name will be—"

* * * * * * * *

Today, Tetsurou Kuroo felt ecstasy coursing through his veins.

After a nearly whole day of excruciating classes, he finally got the solace of being in the gym with his friends. Keiji and Kozume were on point with their setting as always, and Kotaro was the loud fool he was as always. He boasted about making a girl he like squeal at her seat when the games start. Now that Tetsurou thought about it, they will be having their first game soon—in three weeks' time. With the clock ticking, the boy could not help but feel nervous.

One year into university opened his eyes to a new kind of volleyball, one that was tiers higher than high school. His third year of the volleyball club was the best one he had yet. Fine, fine memories he thought to himself. Someday, he will beat them. But as of the moment, he needs to smash the ball into the other side of the net.

A grin flashed across his face and he threw the ball in his hands high up into the air. His teammates were waiting excitably, so he had to live up to that expectation. Giant footsteps marked his pathway before escaping gravity's grasp. He spread his wings and flew into the air. One arm was pulled back for the swing, and within milliseconds strength rushed all the way into his fingertips.

Then he plowed it in.

Bam!

The ball rocketed through the court, but it was easily caught by the team's libero.

"Tch!" That wasn't good enough. He had purposely targeted that spot thinking that the libero wouldn't be able to catch it. But Tetsurou realized too late about his wrong calculation. Or maybe their libero was just that good.

After a few minutes, the set was over, which was won by people opposite to Tetsurou's—Shigeru's team. Speaking of Shigeru, Tetsurou noticed that his senior never replied to his inquiry about the girl. Sure, maybe he was busy and all, but even before practice, Tetsurou tried to approach the pink-haired male about his possible history with the girl. Instead, he was avoided.

An unusual measure, but Tetsurou decided to give his captain some space.

"Ey, Kuro! You definitely messed up back there!" Kotaro screeched at his ear as they took a break. They were leaning against the side of the gym drinking water and towels hung around their necks. Tetsurou's towel though was over his head instead. "You need to go bam-boom when you spike! Not ka-plow!"

Ah, Tetsurou had spiked during the other team's match point but he got blocked. It felt rotten when you are the one who gets blocked.

"The only one who's gonna ask you is Shrimpy your disciple!" Tetsurou yelled back. He groaned right after, feeling the frustration envelop him quickly. "Maybe I'm not in my best game today."

"This is karma," said Kozume, actually sending chills up the boy's spine. As Tetsurou had noticed,

"Ehhh, are you still mad, Kenma?"

The blond frowned at him. "I had to partner up with some guy I don't know while you're with Shirai-san."

"I already apologized, didn't I?"

"Whatever."

The very brief exchanged perked up interest in their high school friends. Of course, Kotaro asked what the story was for Kozume's anger towards Tetsurou, and the blond didn't hesitate to share it. Even Akaashi began calling Tetsurou a traitor for this. But he quickly backed up Tetsurou, saying that, "idiots in love can't help but abandon their friends"—much to Tetesurou's dismay and Kozume's further annoyance.

Kozume couldn't exactly agree though. These two were left out of the bubble, thus were unaware of the stupid bet Tetsurou got himself into. Telling Keiji and Kotaro might not be a good idea either, knowing they were more sensible about relationships and girls. Well, they may never know. Maybe they're capable of doing dares like this as well.

It extremely annoyed him.

Tetsurou could only laugh sheepishly and scratched the back of his head at Keiji's words. But the thought of love finally came into mind. He hadn't thought about that before. It was a deep word that can't be flung around so easily. He loved volleyball, of course, but it wasn't like the sport was his wife or something. Kozume for sure treasured Eru, and Tetsurou could not the number of times he'd see his friend excited to see her. But to think he'd hear it from—

A sudden buzz interrupted stopped his train of thoughts, snatching all his attention away from the name of love. Who could it be?

"Where are you?" A message came without the name of the sender. But another message came almost instantly. "This is Shirai."

"Volleyball gym."

"When does your practice finish?"

"Later this evening. Miss me already? 😉"

"Gross. What time?"

"Aw, you're so mean, Shirai-chan."

"You're so fucking annoying."

While he was grinning from ear to ear talking to this chic, Tetsurou failed to see the cold eyes Shihgeru gave him.

~~~

Number of words: 3294

*sensei 先生 means "teacher" in Japanese most of the time. It can also mean "doctor," or refer to an artist or author, a "master" of arts. It's also an honorific, so it can come after the name of someone who's a teacher, doctor, artist, etc.

This chapter to animeswagg <3 Thank you for all the support, Kaachan ;u;

OKAY, I am not sure if the chapter is rushed. Please tell me if it is so I could edit it! But please tell me your thoughts:

1) Mitsuru and Shigeru definitely have a past, what do you think?

2) I've mentioned Eru a couple of times now, what do you think of Kenma having a girlfriend before Kuroo? xD

Thank you all so much for reading. It means the world to me, and I am not kidding. Hoping to hear form you guys, mwah!

- Rai