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Hyoudou isn’t doing well.
He’s been messing up orders, training and his classes, as told by Shibata.
As much as they wouldn’t admit it, he team felt quite uneasy about Hyoudou forcing himself to train. The team cared for their team captain and everything he’s done for them over the past year. Though I couldn’t understand why for a while though.
Coach Kondou is very much aware of Hyoudou’s state but allowed him to train despite protest from a few members of the team. The coach was reluctant to let him train but Hyoudou would deny his state and still continue to push himself, though I knew it would catch up sooner or later.
It was the usual routine of training. Halfway through it, Hyoudou collapsed. No surprise there. With a sigh, Kondou jogs to Hyoudou, unconscious on the floor. He turns his body to let him lie on his back and in a few seconds, Hyoudou’s eyes fluttered open.
“Hyoudou?” Kondou said in a low tone. “Are you awake?” Hyoudou answers with a slow nod.
“I’m going to send you to your dorm room now and I ask you to get some sleep.” Kondou continues. He turns to Hachisuka and asked him to take Hyoudou there. Hachisuka nods and hooked Hyoudou’s arm around his shoulder; dragged him out of the field.
After that, I was made captain for the rest of the training.
…
I wiped the corners of my eyes to force my eyes to open. I hated waking up in the middle of the night, whenever it happens, I couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night and I’m left to do fuck all for hours.
I yawned instinctively as a walked through the empty halls of my school. It felt cold without crowds of students which gives me an uncomfortable shiver because of it.
“Geez, I’m going to regret this…” I groaned but nonetheless I kept walking despite the atmosphere.
I turned to the cafeteria door and opened it, slowly, in case there was anyone on the other side. I was right in the end as I saw a Hyoudou with his signature scraggy blue hair, who had his head down on the table, which I could only assume that he’s sleeping. I turned to quietly close the door though to may dismay the door made a loud click upon closing which echoed through out the cafeteria which made me cringe.
“Well shit…” I muttered.
“Minamisawa?” I heard Hyoudou muttered sleepily. “What are you doing here?”
I turned slowly, my face scrunched in embarrassment. I forced a smile and walked to the table he sat.
“Hey… could say the same thing to you.” I awkwardly joked which got a chuckle from Hyoudou who wiped his face with the sleeves of jacket.
“Can’t sleep.” He shrugged. “You?”
“Same, I guess.” I answered. “I thought going to the cafeteria to grab food would be a good idea.”
“Ha…unfortunately the chefs in this school have a lock on the fridge to prevent us from getting them.” Hyoudou commented becoming more relaxed.
“What? That’s not fair.” I complained to him.
“It is if you think about it.” Hyoudou said with a grin. “Besides… the locks aren’t that good quality so…” Hyoudou held up a cheap looking lock which made me confuse at first until I realised what he had done.
“How did you-“
“I get bored easily,” Hyoudou answered holding up his phone which had a page on picking locks. “I’ll get you something, wait here.” He said before standing up and disappearing into the kitchen.
Hyoudou comebacks with a plate of fluffy chocolate cake side with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
“Here, this is probably the best thing I could find.” Hyoudou slides the plate to Minamisawa’s side and gave him a spoon to use. I took the spoon and scooped part of the ice cream and the cake and slipped it in my mouth. “Mmm…”
He sat down and immediately hits his head on the table and groaned.
“Hyoudou?”
Hyoudou looked up begrudgingly. “Sorry…” he mumbled as messages his temple. “My headache is getting worst and I know it’s because of my lack of sleep.”
“Yeah but I really can’t blame you cause of…well, your insomnia.” I said sympathetically.
Hyoudou sighs, “Well, you were going to know sooner or later.” Hyoudou pinches the bridge of his nose. “Who told you?”
“Shibata and Ichimojii but I asked..” I said whilst poking the cake I was eating. “Besides, I wasn’t expecting you to be here at the middle of the night, much less you breaking school property.”
Hyoudou laughs at that comment. “I know I act like a total teacher’s pet or something like that but I promise you I’m not.” I tugged a smile at Hyoudou, who seemed more relaxed now.
“Really?” I asked, with a hint of sarcasm.
“Yes really.” He said, he took out his phone and swiped through something on what I assumed to be his photo album. “Here.” He stopped and turned his phone to give me a picture of him and what I assumed to be his brother, both covered in paint.
“It’s me and my twin, we do a lot of stupid stuff together, like throwing balloons filled with paint.” Hyoudou explained fondly about the memory. “The neighbours didn’t like it that much.”
“You have a twin?”I asked in a surprised tone.
“Yep.” He said popping the p. He turned his phone to look scroll for my pictures. “We used to be close when we were younger but…” Hyoudou’s smile turned into a frown as he seemed to recall a memory.
I didn’t say anything, I felt that it wasn’t my place to ask what happened, so I looked at him patiently.
Hyoudou sighs. “…we haven’t talked in almost three years…” he continued. He closes his phone and layed it down on the table. We both fell into silence.
I sighs as mentally prepared myself. “I haven’t talked to my dad in years…” I started, gaining Hyoudou’s attention. I gripped my arms as all the memories relating to my dad all flood in. “…I don’t know if that makes you feel better…”
Hyoudou looks at me sympathetically. “Sorry…” was what he said.
“Don’t be. It’s my problem.” I said, trying to hold back the tears. I sighed as picked up the fork again to eat the cake.
“Besides… he was an ass. I’m happy that he’s out of my life for a while.” I continued, slipped a fork full of cake into my mouth. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened between you and your brother?”
Hyoudou scratched the back of his head. “He’s studying in Italy, living with my aunt at some nice school. We would usually talk to each other online until… our mom… she…” Hyoudou stuttered, his eyes started to water. He wiped his eyes with the sleeves of his jacket. “…god, how do I explain this? Um…She’s a war photographer and she went to Afghanistan to take pictures a few years ago and then…” Hyoudou paused, he looked down on the table and covered his face. I heard Hyoudou sobbing.
“H-hey, Hyoudou.” I dropped my fork and stood up to sit next to Hyoudou. “I-uh… you don’t have to tell me the rest.” I stuttered out.
I saw his hand gripping his face, a terrible attempt at stopping him from crying. Hyoudou slowed down his cries with slow breathes but his sobs kept disrupting the rhythm, preventing him to calm himself down.
I didn’t know exactly what to do but to pat his back to help him calm down.
Eventually, Hyoudou calms down and ends with a shaky sigh and muttered “Thanks…”
I smiled softly at him. “No need to thank me.”
He sighs again, this time a more calmer sigh than his previous one. He opens his phone to check the time to see that it was almost 4am.
“Welp, let’s go back to the dorms before the janitor comes in. I don’t wanna get in trouble with our head teacher again.” Hyoudou says standing up.
“Learned that the hard way?” I said with a smirk.
Hyoudou snickers, “Yeah, wanna year why?” He shoved his hands at the pockets of his jacket and walked to the door to the cafeteria. I walked besides him, listening to the story of how he tried to break into the library on night.