EIGHT ━━━ THE GIRL
WHO KEPT IT TO HERSELF

AFTER YOUR LITTLE HANGOUT WITH HIROSHI, the sudden realization of your feelings dawned upon you.

You like him; with your interactions over the past number of weeks, you gradually fell for him. Was it the dark blueberry eyes that left you breathless and helpless? Was it the way he escorts you back home even after his exhausting Volleyball training? Or was it the time when he said his first words back then at the school's rooftop?

You have been deep in your thoughts for the past few days. You weren't able to hang out with Kageyama that much either due to the volleyball team's preparation for the well-known Interhigh Tournament. Even if you could only watch from the sidelines during practice, you enjoyed it. You even met the whole gang, though that experience was rather entertaining from the commotion going on between a certain ginger-head and an energetic libero.

You pouted your lips in introspection as you twisted the doorknob of your apartment door, pulling it open and immediately noticing the bags of luggage by the shoe racks. You cocked your brow in suspicion and walked inside the apartment, seeing the lights of the living room turned on even before you go inside.

You didn't bother taking off your shoes and quickly crept up to the family room of your apartment. 'It can't be.' You thought to yourself as you walked through the narrow hallway of your apartment.

The sound of your heavy footsteps echoed around the complex until it abruptly stopped by the time you were at the doorframe that leads to your living room.

"D...Dad?" You called out.

A man in his 40s stood by the couch, his cold eyes scanning around the slightly messy room. His attention soon drifted to your petite form as they scrutinized the bags under your eyes up to your hunched-back stature. He cringed from the sight. "I've been giving you the support you need, and this is what happens?" His hands gestured around the room while the H/C-haired female stayed silent, unable to speak up to the man she called father.

"It's a mess! The school contacted me about your poor performance, is this how you'll repay me? By not caring at all?"

The girl had her mouth shut like a zipper stuck through the fabric of tattered jeans. Thoughts jumbled around her mind like a hurricane in the pacific.

You were only an obligation. Something that he needed to provide because he has to. Just a sack of coal that a nobleman has been dragging with him onto the fireplace back at his own abode.

What more does he need from you?

Your head hung low as strands of your H/C hair fell and covered your face. Your shaking hands balled into fists while your chest twisted in an ill at ease manner. You had enough. You raced through the living room, walking past your father as you try to ignore his calls.

"Y/N-" You slammed the bedroom door behind you, creating a thundering sound that erupted throughout the halls of the apartment.

You leaned your back against the door, hearing the voice of your father muffling through the wooden door as your ears tried to block off the distinct sounds of his knocking. By the time the knocks slowly dispersed, silence filled your bedroom like the suffocating atmospheric air that drifts around a post-war site.

You drew a deep breath and walked over to your bed. Such as an anchor, your legs continued to drag your feet with every step you take. You collapsed on your mattress, letting your back sink into the linen blankets of your comforter while the springs screaked from the impact of your sudden vaulting.

Like an empty bucket full of holes, you had nothing left. You're tired of crying yourself to sleep. You're tired of getting your emotions buried in the ground every damn time. You're tired of ruining your smooth canvas by ripping its seams until it's all painted with red. In all honesty, You're already tired of everything.

But why didn't you end it all back then?

'It's fine if you can't watch me play.' A gruff voice spoke out in the back of your mind.

That's right. You couldn't leave him, especially now that you've realized your blossoming feelings over the volleyball setter.

Even after everything that happened, you ironically thought of the future ahead of you. The perfect reality where it would be just you and Kageyama, living in a small cozy cabin by the quiet province as the male continued on his dreams. It may seem fictitious to think of such an implausible setting, but that's the only thing that kept you going.

Dreaming about what would have happened if everything is just at peace.

You turned your head to the side and caught the sight of the stationary materials propped on the white-painted study desk. Your right hand slid over your chest area, digging into your collar shirt and holding out the dark keychain that turned into a pendant for a necklace."Should I?" You mumbled, eyeing the plastic pack of pink envelopes as you contemplated to yourself, thoughts spitting debatable statements to each other in regards to the minor dilemma you're facing.

Your heartstrings were tugging in many places as you start biting the bottom of your dry-cracked lips, the pit of your stomach stirring your insides uncomfortably.

'I'll surely regret this...'

You propped both of your elbows on the soft mattress and moved your legs out, shuddering lightly once your bare feet soon met the cold marble-tiled floor.

Your legs dragged you as they took little steps towards the study table. The skirt you're wearing swept side to side from your slight movement until you pulled the wooden chair away from the study desk, acquainting yourself on the hard-wood seat.

You took your ball-point pen and parchment with both of your hands, then started your own Shakespeare piece of endearment, care, and teenage affection.

Days passed by like a flash of lightning in a monsoon; you've been trying to avoid your father whenever you'd come back to the apartment, although it was difficult since your room is in the same hallway as his.

As the sands of time quickly go by, your basin of a heart fills with adoration every time you're with the other. The sickening feeling of butterflies fluttering their wings of love inside your stomach has been gnawing your heart like a reminder of your attachment to the setter. If this was an illness, you would have been dead by now.

"We lost, Y/N."

The young lady paused for a moment as she was about to take the teriyaki chicken into her mouth. Your chopsticks stayed still between your nimble fingers while the decorated bento owned by Kageyama lays on your lap.

Right now, you two are at your common 'picnic' place by the tulip garden.

Kageyama had 'coincidentally' brought in an extra bento and decided to lend the lunchbox to you, saying that it was a waste of ingredients. Knowing the male for a few months, you immediately knew that it wasn't a coincidence at all.

You lowered your chopsticks along with the small piece of teriyaki chicken, carefully setting it on top of the open bento box. Your head turned to the side as H/C filaments of your hair swept through the calm wind, allowing you to raise your hand and began tucking a few strands behind your right ear. Your eyes softened as your mind gluts with worry from his frustrated expression before you spoke out of the blue.

"Meet me in front of the school gate."

The male's head perked up in interest. "Aren't we always together whenever we'd walk home?" His eyes stared back at the female beside him as his brows wrinkled in tumult from the second year's words.

Though why does it seem like this situation was different. Are his expectations starting to get ahead of him all because of that incident between Hiroshi last week? The latter seemed a bit disappointed the day after. Maybe it was because his feelings were crushed into the depths of rejection when the two of them hang out in private?

A contained chuckle interrupted his chaos of thoughts, which made Kageyama more confused. "I'm treating you out, Tobio-kun. Even if your team lost the tournament, I'm sure you all did your best! So I'm treating you out even if we aren't keeping our deal. You don't have practice today, right?" Your smile and reassuring words comforted the male as heat crept up to the blood vessels of his fair cheeks.

The blueberry-haired first year cleared his throat, trying to hide the shade of roses decorating his cheeks with his left hand, and gave a nod of agreement. "Well, uh... Yeah, Coach gave us a few days to take a break." He replied quietly and felt the gentle stare of the young lady beside him.

"Then our plan is ready to set sail!" You clasped your hands together and grabbed your chopsticks, finally delving into the flavors of the sweet teriyaki chicken.

"Are you ready?" You questioned Kageyama once you situated yourself beside him. Your eyes squinted from the glinting light that bounced off of a metallic object as you quickly noticed the white dreamcatcher dangling at a zipper hole of the male's duffle bag.

Your E/C-colored orbs grew more open from the sight. "I didn't know you'd really keep that keychain, Tobio-kun." You pointed out, nudging your head down to the zipper ornament.

The karasuno setter followed your gaze until his eyes landed on the keychain you gave him. "Why did you even think I'd throw this away? You gave this to me, Y/N-san." He scoffed, shaking his head in disapproval from the other's assumption.

"Don't tell me you threw yours?"

"Oh, I didn't! I actually made mine into a necklace, see?" You lifted your hand to tug your collar down, but a large, calloused hand held your wrist firmly.

Kageyama's face morphed into uncertainty as his jaw clenched out of his tensed frame. "Idiot! Are you crazy?" He whispered through his pearly-whites, sputtering sounds that even your brain can't comprehend what the alienated sort of mumbling meant.

The corner of your lips twitched upward, confounded on why the first year was making a fuss until a lightbulb flickered above your head. Your complexion became a tundra of the ashen palette; your heart dropped from a tower of stability- as you had come to the realization that you were about to show your brassiere to the person you adore the most. "Ah, Ah! I'm, I'm sorry!" You faltered with your words and got out of the other's hold by taking a few steps back.

Kageyama breathed out through his nose, scratching the scalp of his head and dismissing what happened moments ago with a wave of his other hand. "It's fine. We should get going now. You might be already hungry." As soon as he finished his statement, a loud growl came from the former's stomach- leaving the two young students to chuckle from the sudden motion.

"Is your stomach now satisfied, Tobio-kun? It was taunting me to treat you out at that takoyaki stand instead while we're on our way to our usual cafe." You larked on, teasing the high schooler in front of you after a fun meal full of laughs and chatters.

Kageyama scoffed lightly, "I only ate a little because you've been asking for my share of teriyaki chicken, Y/N-san..." He trailed off, trying to come up with excuses for his famished state an hour ago, though from your cast of amusement, it seemed that his reason for that lion of a stomach wasn't plausible.

"Well, my favorite food is teriyaki chicken!"

"Oh really?"

His eyes unwittingly scanned around the homey cafe, his view passing through other customers enjoying their drinks and meals and soon stopping at the wall clock above the checkout. "Hey, isn't it getting late already? It's dangerous for you to stay out in the evening." He indicated, visibly expressing his concern over your safety.

You gulped down the last amounts of your cup of iced tea and felt the tiny hairs on your arms stand up from Kageyama's worried expression. "Uh, yeah. We should get going." You agreed, pushing the metal chair you were sitting on away from the mahogany table with your legs, resulting in a slight squeak from the created friction between the floors. Kageyama followed after, and the two of you left the coffee shop side by side.

The two youngins soon find themselves walking in comforting silence through the streets of Miyagi. The heat of the summer air had slowly melded in with the cold wind of the starry evening. The house lanterns act as angel lights floating through the mauve-tinted blanket of the sky. No lion roars for food; no staff ushers them over to their food stalls; it was just him and you.

"Tobio-kun, you don't have to accompany me in going home for today." Kageyama raised a brow from your decision to walk alone at the brink of dusk. "I don't have great stamina for nothing, Y/N-san." He replied curtly, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his school pants as he continues walking on the ceramic pavement.

He felt your warm presence falter beside him and stopped, glancing back to see you face the male with a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry about me, Tobio-kun." You tried to convince the other as your words were not hiding a sense of doubt through it.

'But I worry about you every single day.' Kageyama pursed his lips in thought as his eyebrows furrowed together. "Fine." He sighed out in defeat, grumbling to himself as he began turning in the opposite direction.

Kageyama headed towards your standing form. The soles of his school shoes emitted a clicking sound from the welded pathway until it abruptly stopped once his body was inches away from yours. Your eyes gazed up at his soft-sharpened eyes and felt something warm on top of your head.

"Thanks for today, Y/N-san." The blueberry-haired male gave a light pat on your H/C hair with his right hand, his slight frowning lips altering into a soft smile as he voiced out his utmost gratitude.

A soft blush of scarlet dusted your cheeks under the yellow light of the lamp post of the street. Lips parted slightly; your breath hitched from the physical contact as the genuine smile fixated on Kageyama made your chest tighten in bliss.

Confess.

"Tobio-kun, I..." Your voice trembled, trying to find that small piece of courage you have left only to admit the blooming sensations you felt for the other.

Confess, Y/N.

Your left hand slowly drifted inside the front pocket of your school bag. "I..." Your fingers began to hold on to the white envelope with the letter you had worked on for days after a few crumpled and rolled up papyri. The temple of your head started to squeeze lightly while the pace of your heart sped up in hyper rhythmic beats. The sensation of nausea built up within your stomach. You felt it was going to burst out as the seconds of time go by.

Kageyama tilted his head to the side, confused from your unusual behavior, and called out your name. "Y/N-san, is something wrong?" He asked the nervous female in front of him and drew back his hand away from your head.

Confess to him.

"Well..." You cleared your throat before letting go of the letter. "I... Thank you as well, Tobio-kun. For everything." You chuckled, rubbing the back of your neck as you took a step back. "We should do this always! But it's your treat next time, okay?" You raised your pinky finger and winked with your left eye, hiding your disappointment from the volleyball setter.

Kageyama stayed silent and squinted his eyes, surveying your features as if you're hiding something behind that smile of yours. 'Why do your eyes look so displeased?' He thought to himself; although his doubts were whispering behind his ears, Kageyama bid no mind to it and presumed it was just his imagination.

You then walked past the taller male, giving him one last small smile before waving him goodbye. "See you tomorrow, Tobio-kun!" You didn't look back at him anymore as you felt his eyes watching your back.

By the time you were far away from Kageyama, you stood by the end of the bridge that was built just before the apartment complex. You took out the envelope from your bag and stared at its creases with frustration. "You coward." You whispered to yourself.

"Why are you always like this, Y/N..."

"Done with your playdate with your volleyball boyfriend?" A familiar voice spoke out behind you, which made your body stoic cold, frozen in place before mouthing out the name you've never wanted to mention.

"S...Sakarai-san?"

yup. i purposely
made this chapter long
as a sorry gift for
keeping you guys
waiting for months ;-;
BUT IM BACK! I
FINALLY GOTTEN
BACK MY INSPO TO
WRITE AND I WILL
UPDATE WEEKLY!!

and apologies for
this sloppy writing! i
lost my touch but i'll
get that again >:DDD

ps: i also recommend
you guys to backtrack
the chaps just to refresh
your minds! :>