Chapter Text
this chapter was inspired by:
i <3 you - boy pablo.
𝗜 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀.
𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼?
"I... like you."
How was one supposed to react to a confession?
'Yes! I like you too.' 'Who are you again?' 'Sorry, I can't return your feelings.'
It's not like you didn't know the boy. He was a popular guy that was well known- you know, since he was good looking and on the volleyball team. What else could a girl want? You should mention that his twin brother was in your class - he was always complaining about the blond-haired boy.
It was a surprise to see the Miya Atsumu at the back of the school with a love letter in his hand. But it also came as a shocker to you, when you noticed he had a light blush on his cheeks.
At first, you had thought it was a prank... you know, to confess to you - a not very popular girl at school; but after seeing your best friend, Kaiya behind the nearby bushes shaking her head; you realised that it was a real confession.
"L-Look, [name]-chan..." He just stuttered. "I really do like you." He ruffled his bleach blond-hair with his two hands - scrunching the paper along with it. "After seeing you play your trumpet solo at our volleyball game a few months ago; I couldn't stop thinking about you. It might seem weird that I fell in love with you because you were playing music... but it- for some reason, touched me."
"Atsumu-kun... I appreciate it- and I'm glad that my playing can connect with you on a personal level... but I don't... well-" Even a seventeen-year-old boy would cry if he was rejected; which was what Atsumu was on a verge of doing.
"It's not only that!" He ushered. "I fell in love with you because of your confidence on stage! I love your laid-back attitude whenever you talk to the first-years in your band club! I love your presence! Most importantly, I love you!"
"A-Atsu-Atsumu-kun..." Great, now you were stuttering. It's hard to believe but not many people compliment you on a daily basis. Not even your parents, they just give you weirded looks. "Love is a strong word... I don't know-"
"Please just let me try and woo you!"
"Woo me? What is this, the Sims?" You licked your dry lips and opened your mouth to reply. However, you closed it since you didn't even know what to say. Glancing over at Kaiya, she had both her hands over her mouth - seems like she was as shocked as you.
Quickly, you widened your eyes and tilted your head towards Atsumu - indirectly asking Kaiya how you should answer. The girl in the bushes pointed to herself and began to panic. Looks like you weren't going to get a clear answer from her anytime soon.
"I guess it wouldn't be too bad... Atsumu-kun, I'll give you the chance to make me fall in love with you. I hope it won't get in the way of your volleyball practice though. I've heard rumours that Kita-senpai is a very strict captain that doesn't like slack."
"...Ya hoo!" He raised his arms in the air and jumped. "I can't wait to tell 'Samu! He's going to be- Thank you, [name]-chan. I won't let you down."
"Uh... yeah."
𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁? 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗻.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.
As the trumpet leader for the band club, it was your job to make sure that they were fine and all ready to go for each performance. It was hard to get the boys and girls to concentrate - brass instruments were loud.
"Everyone! The Inarizaki volleyball club has another prefecture game tomorrow and we need to be ready to cheer them on." The club president shouted. "And remember, don't play-"
"When Miya Atsumu is setting. We get it president." Everyone looked over to your direction out of surprise. What was so weird about stating the rules that were enforced long ago?
"Woah! [name]-san, you're rearing to go, aren't you? Usually, you'd be rolling your eyes! I guess those rumours about you and Atsumu-san weren't wrong."
Ah, bloody rumours.
What were they? You might be wondering. Allegedly, someone was at the scene of the confession and had spread the news; it went around like a wildfire. It had been said yourself and Atsumu were going to marry each other right after high school as well as... you secretly liking Osamu and using Atsumu. The world of rumours works in weird ways.
"[name]-san." Speak of the devil... or should you say the devil's twin? Osamu had opened the door to the club room with his stoic look. "'Sumu's waiting for you outside."
"Osamu-kun. I thought I told Atsumu-kun to not wait for me... No matter, I will see you two outside."
"Osu..." He gave you one last glance before shutting the door behind him.
The club went silent - majority of them were looking at you as if you were a saint, the minority didn't care and wanted to go home. "Okay! Dismissed. We'll meet here in the morning to do one last run through."
"'Samu! 'Samu! It's [name]-chan!"
"I can see that. Be quiet or else the teachers will kick you out of the halls again. I'm not going to be your messenger."
"Ah... I understand why you came and Atsumu-kun didn't. Sorry for the inconvenience, Osamu-kun."
"Don't apologise, [name]-san. He's not your probl-"
"Stop that! I want to talk to [name]-chan. I heard you playing before and it was great!"
"Thanks... but that wasn't me playing."
"...Where's your friend? Kaiya, right?" He attempted to divert the conversation.
Sighing, you didn't really care if you continued the conversation. "She hasn't been here all week because of a cold. I thought you would've noticed, Atsumu-kun. You seem to be the observant type, no?"
His eyes went from their usual shine to a dull colour. However, that didn't mean that the adoration in his eyes disappeared. "[name]-chan, I love you."
"O-Oh- Out of the blue like that..." There was seriously something messed up with this boy's head.
"Stop flirting and get a move on." Osamu had kicked his brother's ass forward.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆.
"Have you fallen in love with me yet?" Atsumu gleed like a little school girl. "I've taken you home almost every day... I've bought you lunch... I've been giving you love letters every day-"
"Those were from you?"
"...You would've seen my name on them if you opened them..." He put his two index fingers together.
The tenth sigh of the day escaped your lips. "Sorry, Atsumu-kun. I've been stressing lately since I have a concert and an exam next week. I don't really have time to look at all the paper in my locker. They're really getting me annoyed- Sorry, you probably spent your precious time on them. I'll read them tonight if I get the chance."
"[name]-chan, don't apologise." He reached for your hands that were fixed in front of you. "I didn't realise that you were so busy around this time. If you would've told me I could've helped you with something. I'm here for you, you know that? You don't have to read the letters... they're kind of embarrassing now that I think about it."
"Atsumu-kun, I know you most likely wrote them when you were supposed to be doing your homework. So, the words you wrote must've came from your heart, right? I'll spend my time reading them. Don't worry about it." You unconsciously squeezed his hands. "Keep this up and I'll really fall for you."
Atsumu could've sworn his heart had stopped.
𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.
It was a wonder how Atsumu had persuaded you to attend one of Inarizaki's volleyball practices. So, there you were, sitting on a seat by the entrance of the gym with a book in hand and an occasional glance to the blond-haired boy. Sports never interested you - what was so fun about playing with balls?
But... it probably disinterested you due to the fact that you've never had experience with ball- You weren't going to finish that sentence.
"[last name]-chan." Kita-senpai had approached. "Atsumu seems to have been in a good mood lately. I suppose... it's because of you, isn't it? Those twins haven't been fighting for the past week."
"Maybe I should come visit often." You joked. The captain looked over at you with serious look.
"Please do."
"...Right."
"Captain! You're getting in the way of [name]-chan's view of me. I want her to watch me."
"Atsumu-kun, don't talk to Kita-senpai like that. He was just praising you."
"...Only for you [name]-chan. After all-"
❝ 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.
𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂. ❞
Kaiya strolled into the school gates with a plain look on her face. Usually, she would have a smile but lately, that wasn't the case for her. She glanced beside her, where you used to stand when you two walked to school together.
It became frustrating for her when she realised that Atsumu had become your priority. She was tossed away like a rag doll after you found a boyfriend - she hated it. She had other friends - yes, but they were more so acquaintances than anything else. What was she to do? Find a boyfriend herself so she can make [name] feel the same?
"That won't work, [name] probably won't even notice."
Kaiya was in a bind. She didn't want to lose her best friend to someone else - especially not to a boy. But at this rate, anything she could do wouldn't have an impact.
This was the just the beginning to a growing hatred. Kaiya's respect for [name] turned into resentment.
𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁, 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.
"Atsumu-kun, when you asked me to tutor you in English, I thought you'd be actually looking at your notebook, not at me."
"I can't help it! You're in front of me... so I have to look at you. After all, you're so pretty."
"I know I am. I'll send you a picture of me later if you'd like. But right now, please read the sentence."
The boy squealed on the inside; he had scored some brownie points. "Pu...resu... teru me... wa...whe-where da bus is-su?"
"At least I know you can read English. What does it mean?"
"Please marry me?"
"...I will see you tomorrow."
"Wait! I didn't mean it now! I saw it in a movie yesterday. Don't leave me!"
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲.
𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲.
"𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲" 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱.
"I can see why 'Sumu likes you." Is what Osamu stated. Who knew that he was as blunt as your pencil? The boy had opened the door to the music room where you were currently polishing your trumpet.
"Is that an insult or a compliment? I can't seem to tell."
"Who knows? Atsumu has weird taste in women. You're probably the weirdest one yet." He took a seat a desk away from you. "Usually... he's into energetic track girls who have a smile on their face all the time."
"I know I'm not that athletic... but I wouldn't say I have a frown on my face all the time. See, I'm smiling right now."
"Sure you are." He smirked.
"What did you need from me today, Osamu-kun? You're not the one who usually comes to see me, it's your brother."
"He's banned from coming near the music room for the week. Earlier today, he was screaming like a yankee to go see you. I only came to tell you that he's waiting outside now."
"...Didn't you say you didn't want to be our messenger? Why the change in heart?" You placed your instrument into its case.
"I like to see him riled up. He's probably throwing a tantrum since it's been over five minutes since I left him."
"What a sadist, Osamu-kun..." You stood up from your seat, but didn't take any steps. "Say, what do you think about your brother liking me? Other than the fact that I'm weird."
"...I don't think you need my opinion for his love for you. It's not my right to butt into it. I'll only do so if either of you get heartbroken... after all-" Osamu stopped in his sentence; seemingly stopping himself before he revealed something she shouldn't.
"What were you going-"
"Nothing. Nothing at all. Atsumu's waiting, let's go."
𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸.
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲.
Everyone has off days. And so, here you were - sitting on the outskirts of the school with your face buried in sheet music and math notes. You weren't the best with the latter, and so, instead of opting for help like a normal student - you chose to study the content yourself.
"I don't get this at all... Maybe I should've brought my trumpet. It would've helped to get my mind off math. Why couldn't I have been born with more brain cells?" A sigh left your lips as you placed the papers on the dirt ground.
Coincidentally, a huge gust of wind had rushed past your area; lifting up the specs of dirt into your eyes and the paper off in another direction. "Just my luck."
"I got them!" A familiar voice shouted. "Hey, are these- [name]-chan?!"
You didn't know how to react. Was it happiness you were feeling? No, it was probably the relief that your notes were still in perfect condition- You spoke too soon. He had just crushed them in his hands; presumably out of excitement.
He ran up to your sitting figure and passed the papers to you, all the while taking a seat beside you. "Are... you okay?"
"It's fine. Everything is fine." You ruffled your hair and leaned back onto the wall behind you. "Why are you over here?"
Atsumu grinned. "I was out running around for punishment. Captain is too strict sometimes." His smile faltered before looking at your saddened eyes. "Why are you trying to act like this?" He stoically inquired. "Anyone can see through this mask you put on. It's not very hard to realise what kind of personality you have behind your iron walls."
"Since when were you this condescending?" You rebutted, lightly smacking his cheek. "It's my test so I have to handle it myself. Saying I'm not okay isn't going to solve anything. Might as well save the trouble for other people by fixing my own problems instead of passing them along to them."
"But... you can pass them to me. I'm a setter so I can catch it."
"I don't think you can catch in volleyball, Atsumu-kun."
"I meant metaphorically catch your problems if you throw them onto me. I'm here for you no matter what - since you've taken my heart, I have to do anything to take yours too!"
"Atsumu-kun." Your lips curved at his determination. "You- You're pretty cute."
𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.
𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂.
"'Samu... how do I get [name]-chan to like me?"
"Don't ask me that, 'Sumu. Besides, you should probably stop being so clingy - it might be uncomfortable for her."
"You're just jealous. She would tell me if she doesn't like it - so I'm assuming she doesn't mind." Atsumu raised his hand up in front of his face. "You know... I never knew how soft a girls hand was. Don't look at me like that!"
"What a creep. I'm walking home without you."
"Good! That means I get [name]-chan to myself."
"I don't like her, 'Sumu; you can have her." Osamu turned around to face his back to Atsumu - despite the statement Osamu had just spoke, he would never let his brother see the look on his face. The look of pure frustration.
"Oh, right." The blond-haired boy watched as his brother packed up his gear and left the gym. "I should go see if [name]-chan's still practicing." His heart bounced at the anticipation.
When he reached the doors of the music room, he opened it a slight bit so he could peek one eye in. The clear tone of the trumpet made its way into his ears, playing a sweet nostalgic melody. His eyes widened at the sight of your slightly sweaty face - you were working hard, and he admired it.
"Pretty..." The cold wind from an open window had hit his face. When he opened his eyes, he saw your hair moving along with it - it made you look like an angel. To capture this moment, he had taken a picture. However, the click of the lens had revealed his hiding spot.
"Who's there?"
"[na]-[name]-chan! It's just me! Atsumu. Sorry I didn't tell you I was here... you were playing so well I didn't want to interrupt."
"Thanks for not bothering me... that is, up until now." He tensed up. "Come in, I guess. What did you need?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to see you."
"I feel as if you say that every time you come visit. Not that I mind..."
"But I'm telling the truth! I'm here to walk you home. The sun has almost set and I don't want you to walk home alone."
"I shouldn't keep you waiting then."
As you were cleaning your trumpet and packing up the music sheets, Atsumu spoke up. "...Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" You responded, not looking up at him.
"Why do you talk so... formally? I mean... I confessed to you three months ago. I thought that you would at least be comfortable to casually talk with me now."
"I talk like this to everyone though. Should I make an exception for you?"
"Y-Yeah!"
"But don't you love me for me? If I did change, I'm not sure if you'd still- not that I'm worried... but-"
Atsumu panicked, he didn't realise that your formal talk was your daily talk. He assumed that you spoke like that at school. He just wanted to be the first person you actually chatted to without restraint. "No, I'm sorry! I don't want to force you. This is just a request from me... I guess. If you want to rant or talk in slang, just tell me!"
"Uh-huh." Atsumu is a wild one. "Hey... let's walk home." He grabbed your outstretched hand with no hesitation.
"Ah." His heart fluttered. "Her hand is as soft as the last time."
𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁, 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.
Atsumu was so glad for your existence. There was no doubt in his mind about that. He was happily humming on his way to the gym thinking about you. His brother was busy with classroom duty so he went ahead.
"Yes, exactly like that." He heard Kita say. "Your thumb needs to be on the outside. If you put it behind your others fingers, you might break it while playing. Just like this."
Who was he teaching volleyball to? Atsumu was wondering that as well. The blond boy pursed his lips as he peeked his head though the entrance of the gym. It was quiet, besides the occasional noise from his captain's voice. The team hadn't arrived yet - so the question popped up again. Who was captain teaching?
"If my fingers get bruised, I swear I'll kill him." He heard a girl's voice this time. Atsumu's eyes widened at the fact that he might catch Kita at a secret rendezvous with a girl.
"I'm the one teaching you, shouldn't you kill me instead?"
"So, you're an M? I never would've thought that, Kita-senpai."
"Please keep your tendencies to yourself."
"Yes, yes."
What was going on? Atsumu's eyes turned dull after he heard the casual conversation between his captain and soon-to-be lover. How ironic was it that he brought up formal talk last week, and here you were doing the complete opposite.
"[name]-chan!" Atsumu stormed into the building with slight tears in his eyes. "What are you-"
"There you are, Atsumu-kun. Kita-senpai has been teaching me how to do an underhand serve while waiting for you."
"...Waiting for me?"
"Well, I thought that you're always with me when I play my trumpet, I should endorse myself in the sport of volleyball as... repayment. It hurts my hands though."
"You're making me love you even more."
"Of course I am, I'm irresistible. Right, Kita-senpai?"
Atsumu whined. "Why are you so... respondent today? You never talk back this much."
"I heard that Kita-senpai likes jokes. So I'm trying to say some funny stuff."
"But why is the fact that you're irresistible, funny?"
"I thought he'd scoff and laugh at the fact that I said that-" You suddenly were robbed of the air you had in your lungs. Your face had been pushed right into Atsumu's chest; his arms tightly wrapped around your upper back and around your waist. "What are you doing?"
"Don't make self-deprecating jokes like that. It makes me sad. I love you so much."
"I know you do, Atsumu-kun."
Kita sighed and turned around towards the storage room, hoping to get away from the aura yourself and Atsumu were radiating.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗱𝗼.
It wasn't as if you were emotionless. There was just no need to show any emotion around certain types of people - as in, they weren't funny. Take for instance, Miya Atsumu.
He wasn't that funny. In fact, he was quite bothersome. You recalled the time where the day after he had confessed, he tried to tell you jokes and pickup lines one after the other. Even with your pleads for him to be quiet, he wouldn't stop. His brother had to come in and smack him senseless.
See, now Miya Osamu was certainly the better twin. Anyone who knew the two would agree. There was something about Osamu that made him... quite attractive. Most girls, although have an obvious crush on Atsumu, would secretly be looking at the grey-haired boy instead.
It was clear to anyone. With Atsumu being a setter, he had noticed this occurrence often at Inarizaki games. It blew a hole into his confidence. He wasn't one to be jealous of his brother... but he was scared that you, [last name] [name] would fall for him.
It made him petrified at the thought.
He was insecure. He was supposed to make you fall in love with him. He was meant to get your attention. However, in the back of his mind he had a feeling that it won't work.
And so, there he was; sitting in the courtyard alone with his head in his hands. He was on the verge of crying once again for the fear of rejection. It wasn't like Atsumu to have a mental breakdown during school, but after seeing his brother hanging around you in the morning - something in him awoke.
"Um... Miya-kun? Are you alright?"
He quickly coughed into his fist and stretched his back out. He didn't want anyone seeing his disheartened figure. "Oh! You're [name]-chan's friend. Kaiya-san... Did you need something?"
"I was just asking if you were okay? You looked like you were sad, I guess." She took a seat beside him - of course, leaving an appropriate amount of space between them.
"Oh, I was just tired. Volleyball practice this morning was quite tough."
"I see... Well, I'm off..." Kaiya pressed her lips together after smelling the awkward air around them.
"Can I ask you something?" Atsumu spoke; he continued after she nodded. "Do you know... if [name]-chan likes me? Or am I bother to her?"
Kaiya raised her eyebrows. Was this the chance she could ruin [name]'s love life? Or should she be a good friend and tell the truth? She hesitated in giving an answer. [name] would surely find out if she told Atsumu the wrong answer... but at the same time, she could plant seeds in his mind.
Atsumu wasn't the type to prance around telling insider information. Kaiya knew her next move. "Miya-san... I don't know if you want to hear this though. I'm sure it'll hurt you."
The boy clenched his fist, making indents in his palm from his nails. He released them before looking up at the girl. "It's okay, I'm ready."
"She doesn't like you at all. In fact, she finds you annoying and is really only hanging out with you because she feels bad. Besides, Miya-san- oh um, I should say your brother Osamu-san actually told her to just go along with your feelings. I'm sorry for this, Miya-san. [name]-chan told me not to tell anyone... but it hurt me as well. I just had to tell you."
Was everything you said a lie?
𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂.
It was a melancholic day; it wasn't all that special from the past week. Small droplets of rain pelted the ground and your skin, but it wasn't enough to soak your uniform. Although it was a darkened day without the sun, it was calming to witness such a dulled morning.
However, despite being somewhat relaxed under the cloud's cries, there was a problem distracting you - not even the spectacular view of the Inarizaki rooftop could get your mind off the issue.
Of course the problem had to be related to the boy named Miya Atsumu. Unlike his usual tendencies, he had stopped coming to the music room after practices, stopped approaching you in the classroom- hell, he even stopped flirting with you.
There was a little strain in your heart- even though you wouldn't admit that. It had become an unspoken ritual for him to come talk to you whenever he wanted. It pained you to even regard the fact that he hadn't done so.
You were sure it wasn't because he was busy with volleyball; Kita even informed you that they had a break this week to recharge their energy.
Now there was really only a clear-cut answer from a loner with no love experience like you - he fell out of love. Your heart just pulsed in distress; not the type of stress that would hurt you physically, but the sort of pain you would feel when experiencing a distasteful emotion.
Something such as a heartache.
It quite definitely affected you... after all, it didn't stop. Your bottom lip trembled as your fingers grappled the triangular holes of the tall metal fence of the rooftop. Your high school life had revolved around the boy for the past few months.
Forgetting about him would almost be impossible. Before you knew it, a small cut had appeared on your index finger - a large nasty gash had left its mark. It was as if the fence was telling you to get over it and quite literally, put a band aid over the issue.
There it was again, the pulsing pain of your delicate heart. He really didn't care for you, huh? After a few months of not getting any reaction, he just gave up. Like any other boy.
Who were you to think that the Miya Atsumu actually wanted you? He had played you like a volleyball. Like a setter would, he just wanted to pass you to someone else since. He held onto the ball for too long. It hurt - that is, to compare yourself to a volleyball, of all inanimate objects.
The rain really was calming; it was masking your fallen tears. At least you didn't have to worry about someone finding you crying. That would be completely embarrassing.
At the thought of that, it struck you; no matter what the situation would be - no one would be there to find you anyways.
Your eyes drifted to your worn-out indoor shoes. "That's right. I'm all alone. It's how I've always been."
A water droplet made a wet trail down your cheek. At this point, you weren't sure if it was rain or your tears - you couldn't tell the difference. Having the knowledge that no one is waiting for you made your heart quiver.
"I get it." You whispered to yourself. "My feelings for Atsumu-kun... I-"
"Man... I hate it when it rains!" A boy had opened the door to the rooftop whining. For some odd reason, even though he revealed his dislike for the weather, he still came up to this place. He had finally looked up to glance at the person a few metres away from his figure - it was you.
Atsumu's eyes widened and he dropped his Inarizaki Volleyball Club jacket that he held, to the floor. What were you doing up here? He asked himself. More importantly, were you crying?
You quickly realised who had stormed up to your crying session. Swallowing your saliva, you had attempted to wipe away the tears and rain off your face with your blazer sleeve - however, it didn't do much since your emotions wouldn't stop revealing itself.
"D-D-D-Don't..." You hiccupped. "look at me..." Your knees couldn't handle the pressure anymore. They had suddenly collapsed and now you were kneeling on the cold, wet concrete. Burying your face into your sleeves, you once again tried to stop your tears.
"[name]-chan...?" Atsumu didn't know how to react. He was just looking at your figure on the floor. Although he was quite the confident teenager, he had never experienced the feeling of a loved one crying before him. "Why-"
"I- said..." Another silent sob interrupted your speech. "don't l- look... please."
Atsumu did the next best thing he thought of- He had run up to you, fell onto the ground in front of you and embraced you in the largest hug he could form. His eyes were still widened like a fish - he couldn't believe that you were crying.
This strong, confident and talented girl who never dared to display an ounce of her vulnerable emotion... was doing so now. He knew you were human; he knew you were bound to break. But what had set you off?
His large hand stroked your head as the other rubbed your back. "Just let it all out. I don't want you hurting anymore. I'm here for you no matter what. I care for you so much; you don't understand."
The words you had been longing to hear made your heart swell - whether it was in happiness or sadness, you weren't sure. "At-Atsumu... 'Sumu... 'Sumu..."
"[name]-chan. Don't worry, I'm here. I'm not gonna be leaving anytime soon." Atsumu knew that no matter what you thought or felt about him, there was absolutely no mistake in his own feelings. It was pure and utter love for you.
"What happened? Did someone make you cry?" He slowly pulled back and used his thumbs to wipe off any new tears decorating your pretty face.
"...I thought... you didn't love me anymore."
Atsumu's heart had paused for a moment. "After everything I've done, you think I would give up now? ...Why did you nod? I thought you knew better than anyone else that I'm in love with you."
"Even after you stopped talking to me for days on end? ...It really made me feel like I was a toy."
The boy didn't want to admit that the thing that Kaiya had discussed with him affected him in a way that he didn't want to see you for a bit. It would hurt you even more if he did. "I'm... really sorry. I've just been busy with some... personal problems. I didn't want my mood to affect yours."
"A text would've sufficed."
"...I didn't think of that." Luckily, he had always acted stupid like this - otherwise he wouldn't think his lies would go pass you.
"I'm sorry for doubting you, Atsumu-kun... I should've known better than to cry over you."
"You can cry over me whenever you want. But I'll punch myself if I make you sad again... Wait, so don't cry over me!"
What he heard was an angelic laughter - to you, it was a broken chuckle. "...You're dumb."
"I know, but you love me anyway... Also, let's get your finger cleaned up."
𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.
𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂.
"[name]-chan... it really hurts that we haven't hung out much in the past four months." Kaiya had approached you right after school had ended in the empty classroom. "I mean, we still talk at school, but it doesn't feel the same. It's like Miya-san has taken up all your time."
"...Kaiya-chan, I'm really sorry." You clenched your fists. "I didn't realise you felt this way. I- I should've notice it sooner." Your heart clenched at the feeling of abandoning your friend. How bad a person were you?
"I just want to hang out with you again. Are you free now? How about we go to walk around town?"
"...Sure." Skipping one day of practice was fine, right? You needed a break from everything.
And so, that short conversation with your friend led you to have a little café date in the local shopping centre. You had informed her of everything that happened - from the confession to recent events.
It warmed your heart that you were finally able to come clean about all the things that had happened - however, you failed to notice that your friend was never listening in the first place. She was just nodding along with everything you said.
If you had realised, perhaps you would've seen the slight crack in the empty tea cup she held.
Kaiya continued to listen to your nonsense. It was her own fault that she didn't tell you to shut up. Why was it your fault that you didn't know she was annoyed?
The talk about yourself and Atsumu didn't last very long however. You had asked her what had been going on in her life, but Kaiya was reluctant to mention anything. Deciding that she was just tired, you brushed it off.
By the time it hit seven o'clock in the evening, you two were already heading home through the secluded pathway down to the nearest street. When you had mentioned something about your own life once again, Kaiya's annoyance quickly turned into animosity.
You stopped just by the stairs and waited for her to catch up. "Kaiya-chan? It's going to get darker if we don't hurry-"
"Why is it always you? God sure has his favourites."
"If you're insinuating that I'm his favourite, then you're surely mistaken." You stated as a matter of fact.
"It's always '[name], [name], [name].' It's like I never existed in the first place."
A sudden realisation made its way to your face. "...Was I talking about myself too much today? If so-"
"I don't want your stupid pity! The world just revolves around you, huh?! You're perfect, you get the attention of so many people... And you let that go to your head!" There wasn't much you had to say at this moment. Letting your friend express her emotions would probably be best if you wanted to fully understand her.
"Do you want to know something, [name]-chan? I never really liked you. I only hung out with you because you knew the volleyball members. I thought that if I could make friends, I could date one of them and introduce them to my other friends..."
Honestly, you had no words. There wasn't much you could feel. Was empty the right word? Why did you feel so much relief after she had admitted to hating you? Did you also not like her either?
"I wish you would disappear. Then maybe Miya-san would pay attention to me." You took a step forward towards Kaiya, but she had made the first move. It must have been out of anger, but she had forcefully pushed you down.
Down the stairs, that is.
The last thing you saw was her mortified face after she had understood what she had done.
𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁, 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.