Chapter Text
Surprised would be an extremely understated way of explaining how Reona felt when she saw Chiyu at cheerleading try-outs. After all, cheer was a sport for people with smiles and explosive personalities, or the ‘cheer face’, as her last coach had told her, and Chiyu… well, it was safe to say that she had none of those things. Reona and Chiyu had shared classes for a couple of weeks since they started high school, and the girl was pretty sure she had a good grasp on who Chiyu was as a person already. She was stand-offish, introverted, and liked to keep to herself, the exact opposite of what cheerleaders were, and yet… here she was at try-outs. It was bizarre, to say the least!
But was she complaining about Chiyu’s presence? No, absolutely not! Her eyes drifted across the sportswear adorning her body; a salmon-pink matching gym set that Reona found adorable. It was exactly the kind of thing she would wear, but seeing it on Chiyu was… well, it seemed out-of-character, but to be fair that might be because she had only seen her in their school uniform up until this point. Chiyu also looked extremely pretty with her hair strung up in a high ponytail, and it made her wonder why she didn’t wear her hair up more often, it really suited her! Her overall appearance made Reona wish she’d put a little more effort into her own outfit. She was wearing just a plain white t-shirt and black leggings, and while it was practical she felt so plain…
“Can I help you?” Chiyu’s all-too-familiar voice snapped her out of her trance. Oh god, she must have been staring! The small girl looked at her with narrowed eyes, an accusatory expression plastered on her face.
“Oh, god no! Sorry!” Reona waved her hands frantically, ashamed to have been caught staring at the girl. She was such a creep! It would’ve at least been polite for her to say hello instead of just gawking! “I’m just surprised to see you here! I’m Reona Nyubara, by the way, we’re in the same class together!”
“I know who you are, Nyubara-san.” As she finished lacing her cheer shoes, she stood up, extending a hand. “But seeing as we’re doing introductions, I’m Chiyu Tamade.” Taking Reona’s hand, she shook it quickly and then dropped it, folding her arms. “Why are you surprised to see me here anyway? Do I seem unathletic or something?”
“No, no!” Reona’s face was bright red by now, flushed with embarrassment. “It’s just… well… you don’t act like a cheerleader, you know?” As Chiyu’s eyes narrowed even further, she gestured to her quickly with a flick of her hand. “I mean there you go, you’re not exactly, you know, smiley and upbeat… and stuff…” She trailed off, realising she probably sounded quite mean. “Not that I’m insulting you, or anything! I’m sure you’ll be great, apparently the coaches here are super good at teaching new starters! Who knows, with your height and build you could even be a flyer!”
“New starters!” Chiyu seemed genuinely enraged at that comment. “For your information, I started cheering in elementary school. I’ve been flying since I was six years old. I’m not a new starter at all! I bet I could cheer circles around you, Nyubara!”
Crap, she hadn’t meant to offend her! It was stupid to make that assumption! But when she opened her mouth to apologise, Chiyu huffed and walked off, her ponytail flicking when she turned and swishing behind her. It was mesmerising to watch, but it didn’t dislodge the weight in Reona’s chest, the crushing anxiety she felt over upsetting the girl.
But before she could wallow in it for too long, the head coach clapped her hands, signalling that try-outs were about to begin. Pushing the bobbles up her pigtails to make sure they were secure, she bounded over to the group, ready to start. When they walked in, everyone at try-outs had to give their name, their preferred position, and any tumbling tricks and jumps they could do. Reona could do a couple of tumbles; it had never been her strong suit though. She wondered if Chiyu could do any tumbles… if she’d been cheering as long as she claimed, surely she could do a few, right? As her mind wandered back to Chiyu, the knot in her stomach reared it’s ugly head again. How long would she stay mad at her? Was she one to hold a grudge? Reona had no idea, and considering she at least had to share classes with her for the rest of the year, it was nerve-wracking…
~~~
When try-outs ended, the head coach announced that they would receive an email within the week if they made the team. Reona’s heart was racing as she packed her things back into her sports bag. What if she didn’t make the team? When she started cheering in her last year of middle school, she had fallen in love with the sport, and the thought of not being able to continue it in high school was… heart breaking. She flung her bag onto her shoulder, holding the strap to make sure it didn’t fall off, and left the gymnasium, only to lock eyes with Chiyu again. She smiled nervously, afraid of making her angry again. “Tamade-san… you were amazing in there.” It wasn’t a lie, Chiyu was one of the best tumblers she’d ever seen. She was almost flawless, her skills and the years she’d poured into the sport were obvious. She was a shoo-in for the team. Reona just wished she could feel that same level of confidence in herself…
Chiyu didn’t smile back. She just nodded; the familiar stony expression Reona had grown used to plastered on her face. “Thanks. You weren’t too bad yourself, Nyubara-san.” The compliment made Reona feel warm inside. Her self-esteem had always been pretty low, and hearing someone genuinely compliment her skills did wonders for her. “See you in class tomorrow.” And with that, Chiyu was gone, leaving Reona Nyubara stood alone in the hall. She watched her walk away, and a sigh escaped her lips. She hoped she’d make the team, because she loved the sport, but now for another reason… she felt a flicker of something in her heart when talking to Chiyu, and this would be a perfect excuse for the pair to spend more time together…