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If Daichi is sure about one thing these past days, it's that things are happening too fast. Decisions of which university to go or whether to visit one at all, choosing the field of study and wondering how far volleyball will take him. All of this is accompanied by subtle nagging of his parents to tell them about his thoughts, teachers' counselling and their coach's words which implied a great university volleyball career.
They won against Seijou, shouldn't this tell him something?
And then there is another thought he normally pushes away, surfacing since a meeting during the Inter high, his soulmate's face showing up in the back of his mind whenever he has a quiet moment to himself. Your mark is often enough a rather common topic to chat about within the group of your closest friends, but with him, Suga and Asahi it's one you rather avoid talking about and he knows that this is his fault. Sugawara would scold him if he knew about this thought. Of course Asahi having no tattoo plays a big part in this, not wanting to upset his friend, but when it comes to himself, he remains silent, just told them that he knows who it is.
He sighs, turning to Suga who sits next to him at the dining table. His parents aren't home, but his mother left him something to eat and when Suga found out after their match against Seijou, he accompanied him, staying over and making sure that he would rest instead of mulling over stupid things – he doesn't really do a good job, remaining silent as well.
“Suga?”
Daichi eventually breaks the silence, deciding on telling his friend about it as soon as he looks in his direction; he hesitated long enough, and while there is no obligation to tell anyone, he has the feeling that he owes him nevertheless, for being his friend for so long, staying with them up until now.
“Yes?”
He smiles, probably to calm him down because he realises how nervous Daichi is. It works, always does.
“Do you remember the player we meet at the beginning of the Inter high preliminaries?”
Suga thinks about it, remembers the guy with his freckles and how Karasuno played against him, trying his best despite of the gap in skills between their teams and how he made Daichi promise to win the next matches. He nods.
“We went together to middle school with Michimiya”, Daichi goes on, something he or Yui might have mentioned already, he doesn't really remember, and, more like an afterthought, almost hesitant, he adds, “he is my soulmate.”
Daichi tries to sound casual but Suga can tell that there is more behind it, the way he averts his eyes and he wants to ask, to know the reason behind it, but in the end it comes all down to one question.
“You didn't keep contact. Why?”
Why exactly? He doesn't know. Maybe because high school had been exciting, meeting all these new people, and he was just embarrassed to call him after a month. Or because volleyball took so much time or... or because he is a coward who feared that Ikejiri wouldn't want to talk to him anymore after finding a better team in high school, players who would help him to win, a captain who wouldn't hide his emotions, sharing his feelings with his team. But he couldn't say that, these thoughts hard to admit, so he shrugs.
“I don't know. We went our own way.”
“You should call him. Invite him to the final”, Suga says, voice soft and a gentle hand on his shoulder, no scolding Daich would have expected, after all he hadn't found his own soulmate yet and he could tell that Suga is itching to meet said person.
“Maybe...”
“I mean if you can't even invite Michimiya-san then at least him”, Suga says, words to ease the tension, followed by a grin and it works, or at least it takes his friend by surprise, a statment which doesn't make sense to him.
“Huh? What does Michimiya have to -”
Suga interrupts him immediately, hand covering Daichi's mouth to stop him from talking, nipping his protest in the bud.
“Shush, shush, shush, we won't have this discussion today. I need you focused tomorrow, captain.”
Daichi nods, not that he really has any choice to disagree, though he doesn't mind, after all Suga is not just his vice but also best friend, his pillar, often knows what's better for him.
“See, not too hard, right? But it's getting late, we should get some sleep.”
Suga is pretty satisfied with whatever he thinks to have achieved, pulls his hand away and grins.
(Daichi tries to act annoyed but he can't hide the smile, is relived to have told his friend.)
They lose.
They are not going to advance, have no battle. It had been close but they still lost to Shiratorizawa and Dachi can't bring himself to regret anything because they have played to their fullest ability. Still, he feels numb when they bow, the applause – louder than any of them would have expected – echoing in his head even after it stops.
They meet with their friends, Hinata's middle school friend's trying to cheer him up, Saeko and Akiteru trying to do the same. Yui comes up to him, throwing her arm around him like his teammates have done to lift his spirit, but it feels different, the sudden urge to lean against her because it was okay to be vulnerable around her and – oh. Looks like he figured it out. He wonders how long Suga had known. He notes that he has to tell her later because now the loss is overwhelming and the tiredness catches up with him.
“Tomorrow, let's study”, he tells her before she leaves, decides that this is a good way to distract himself and since it is the end of his last year, he won't have any luxes of a pause; he needs to get into a good university.
“Okay?”
Yui seems surprised but doesn't seem to mind, sends him a smile and makes him promise to rest well, won't allow anything less than a 'yes'.
(Both ignore how Yui's teammate snickers and Daichi wonder who else had suspected this.)
~
On their way out, they see Shiratori's third years by the vending machines and he doesn't know why but Daichi walks over, ignoring his teammates confused expression.
“I'll continue in university, don't worry, we'll get you soon enough”, he promises Ushijima just when he stops in front of him, a deceleration he expect to be dismissed or causing him to laugh, but instead Ushijima looks surprised for a moment, though then there is something akin to amusement on his features.
“Oikawa said the same.”
“Then you should watch out.”
The middle blocker seems like he wants to add something however the glance of the older setter keeps him quiet. But just for a moment and then he steps forward, extending his hand.
“You know, it's a pity we didn't bet before the match. You know, like the loser has to show their marks.”
Tendou is provoking them, it's rather obvious despite or especially because of his smile. After all while it can for some people mean nothing, to other it's the most vulnerable aspect of their life. Daichi reaches for Tendou's hand, shaking it like he did with Ushijima but this time with a bit more force and a smile which sends shivers down his spine.
“What a pity indeed. But most of us hide them behind concealers during matches, you know, can't get distracted by audience or reporters exclamation that way when the change shirts, you know? Finding out about your soulmate like that isn't nice”, he finally lets go of the hand and Tendou tries his best not to whine; Semi can already see that he is going to complain about a supposedly broken hand so he rolls with his eyes.
“Its a good idea”, Ushijima suddenly agrees and the honesty catches Daichi off guard.
“Ah, sure?”
“Well, when we meet again, let's do this bet. Who knows, maybe something nice will be revealed”, Reon interferes, like a final word, but it sounds less hostile or provoking; Daich doesn't reply and maybe it is better that way.
~
Just before they enter the bus, Suga taps him on the shoulder, pointing in the direction of the building again. Daichi turns around to see Ikejiri leaning against the wall, waiting for him; Suga gently pushes him, and Daichi isn't really sure but he thinks that he heard a 'you can do it'.
If he is honest with himself, he expected Ikejiri to be disappointed so he is surprised that he showed up now, especially because he didn't tell him about the match despite of exchanging numbers during the preliminaries. But when he is almost standing in front of him, Daichi can see that he is far from looking dissatisfied, grinning, looking proud, as if Karasuno won and didn't lose.
“You made it really far”, are his first words and the only intelligent thing Daichi can do is to reply with a simple “yeah”.
It's not like the comforting phrase they are used to hear of the others who also know the pain of losing and didn't know what else to say since there is nothing to make it feel better and maybe that's due to the way Ikejiri is looking at him. Because for the first time since they saw each other's mark he allows himself to do what he hasn't done back then, hiding his emotions.
He cries in front of his soulmate.
Yui is rather hesitant as she enters the Sawamura household, even when they are sitting in his room which is familiar to her from middle school days. Daichi assumes she looks nervous because Suga, Asahi as well as Shimizu didn't join like she thought they would but after focusing on their work and eventually taking a break, she is far more relaxed.
That's why he asks what has been on his mind.
“Have you thought about your future yet?”
Yui looks at him, wondering why he asks that, can't really imagine why the question comes up now and not during lunch or any other time at school, is still a bit surprised by his invitation and almost forgets that he asked her a question.
“I don't know. I think I stay in Miyagi. I still don't really know what I am good at though. What about you?”, she starts after she realises that he is on edge, fidgets, an unusual sight.
“Maybe I will be studying Business? Probably. I don't know.”
“Suga thought about becoming a teacher or coach. Maybe I should aim at something like that as well?”, she hesitantly replies, not so sure about all of this as well, her future career, even though she should, how her parents liked to see her studying something like medicine, not becoming a teacher, though hopefully accepting any choice she would make.
He can see that she is unsure just like the rest of them who cant decide which path to choose, and it's good to know that he isn't the only one, that he is normal.
“Where is this suddenly coming from?”, she finally has the courage to ask with a nervous laugh, pen gripping too hard and Daichi wonders if she'll break it if he waits too long.
“I probably aim for a school at Tokyo. I don't know if I'll be good enough but I don't want to have any regrets.”
She tilts her head, can't seem to guess what he is hinting at, an unspoken question hanging in the air.
“And because I really don't want to regret anything... Yui, will you go out with me?”
She looks at him, blinks and from zero to one her face lits up and she is speechless, trying to hide the expression she makes behind her hands.
“W-what, why, how – you...”, she stammers, overwhelmed by a simple question like that and Daichi wonders what she would have looked like if he had said that he liked her; he is kind of looking forward to do this if she allows him that.
“It's okay if you want to think about it.”
But maybe he did read the signs wrong? He isn't really that good at reading feelings directed at him, never really had been, one of the reasons why it took so much time for him to show how vulnerable he is around his soulmate, thinking that he had to be strong.
“Yes?”, she brings out, still hiding her face behind her hands, peeking between her fingers to see what he thinks of her now.
“Is that a question or an answer?”
He tries to give her his usual amused smile, but the faint blush on his skin gives away how nervous he is and Yui realises that this is new to both of them, the insecurity and embarrassment, so she lowers her hands, folding them in her lap.
“Yes, of course.”
He laughs because it's still not a real answer but there is no need to because her laughter speaks for itself and while she sobs he can tell that it is from happiness, relief flooding her.
“Do I have to wait after our first date to kiss you or can I do it now”, he wants to ask but she seems happy and he can't stop starring; he shouldn't have waited so long to realise his feelings for her.
“Is something wrong?”
Yui tilts her head when she sees him starring after she wiped away the few tears she had shed from being overwhelmed by his question; she couldn't help it, around Daichi it was hard to control her true feelings, though she doubts that this should be a problem from now on.
“Can I kiss you?”, he blurts out, biting his lips as if he said something he shouldn't have.
“Isn't this why you invited me over?”
He turns red, embarrassed, wants to deny this accusation, would never dare to do something like this, but when he sees how she tries to hold back the laughter behind her hand, he realises that she was just poking fun at him.
“Really?”, he groans, but in the next second he feels her hands on his, pretty soft skin against his rough one.
“Of course you can”, she says, leaning in and waiting for Daichi to close the gap.
He doesn't wait too long, slowly closes his eyes when he leans in, a gesture which makes her heart skip a beat, being able to see the otherwise stern captain almost melting under her touch – she is so taken in by this that she misses his lips, their noses knocking together.
There is a short moment of disbelief until he laughs, as embarrassed as she is, but they don't let this stop them. He is gently taking her face in his hands, guiding them together and this time both of them close their eyes when their lips meet, moving against each other. Not knowing what to do with her hands, whether to keep them in her lap or not, gripping the fabric of her skirt, she hesitantly rests her right hand against his shoulder and her left against his right chest which causes him to flinch and her to withdraw.
“Ah, I'm sorry, I just...”
He had no intention to react that way, but before he can feel guilty, he feels Yui's fingertips against his cheek, urging him to look at her.
“Your tattoo, I know, I'm sorry.”
She still remembers Ikejiri and Daichi telling her about the colourless conch seashell gracing the right side of their chest during middle school, how happy she had been for them. They never had talked about it afterwards though and Yui had felt guilty for allowing them to drift apart during high school, wanted to believe in the strength of their bond and hoped that they would meet again (later that day he would tell her about meeting Ikejiri and she would feel how a weight was lifted from her heart).
“Okay.”
Daichi reaches for the hand which is by now, unbeknownst to Yui herself, caressing his cheek. When she doesn't withdraw, he starts moving his thumb in circles on the back of it, still a bit surprised how soft it feels.
“I, uh... I got told that my thighs are sturdy so I thought that having soft skin would at least help?”, she blurts out, not used to this kind of silence nor his treatment, not sure what to do now, to stay or remove herself from the situation.
“I think you look good. Pretty like your butterfly.”
Yui reddens upon hearing this, didn't think that he would remember the orange butterfly on her right shoulder blade he had seen only once, being one of the few people aside from her team, even before her soulmate who she hadn't even meet yet but couldn't wait to.
“Thank you. You're not looking too bad yourself.”
They look at each other, each taking in the words of the other one, and instead of blushing, they break out into laughter. And while they sit there, their work forgotten, he has made up his mind.
If Daichi is sure about one thing these past days, it's that the bonds he has are important to him and he won't allow the thought of his past to hold him back any more. He made his decision. He would study in Tokyo, continue playing and keep contact. With Suga. With Asahi. With the rest of Karasuno.
With Ikejiri.
And he wouldn't let the distance stop him from keeping in contact with Yui either, it's a mistake he once made with his soulmate, but never again. Especially not with Yui.
“What are you smiling about?”
She looks at him curiously, even more so when he simply shakes his head.
“I'm just happy, that is all.”
(Yui doesn't ask any more questions because kissing Daichi right now seems like a better idea.)