Chapter Text
(there was a secret he did not want anyone to know)
(1)
“Amusement park!”
“No! Beach! Summer without beach is not a summer!”
“Each other’s house,” Kuguri murmured, low and slow. His upperclassmen whipped their heads to him, most of them shouting, “That won’t do, Kuguri!” indignantly. Kuguri winced. Their voices were too loud; they were talking inside gym yet using their outside voice. If this were going to happen every summer, Kuguri would gladly run away before they could force him joining their ‘meeting’ on deciding where to go for club’s retreat.
Sakijima patted Kuguri’s shoulder pityingly. “Don’t worry; this only happen at summer. No one will be this fired up at winter.”
Suddenly, Kuguri longed for the snowy winter he used to hate.
Sakijima cleared his throat, gaining his teammates’ attention. “Those who want to go to beach, raise your hand!”
To no one’s surprise, most of them raised their hands.
Kuguri buried his head on his arms, hiding his almost teary eyes from everyone’s sight. He heard someone walked toward him, but he was not interested in finding out who that was. The answer came by itself in form of Daishou’s voice, regretful and guilt-stricken. “Sorry, Kuguri. I’ve tried to prevent this from happening, but…”
Still not raising his head, Kuguri shook his head solemnly. “It’s okay, Daishou-san, I’ll survive,” he mumbled, which only made Daishou felt guiltier than before. Sakijima eyed them curiously, raising an eyebrow at Daishou, asking “What’s wrong?” silently. The captain rubbed his neck. “Well, you see…”
Kuguri really wanted to cry right away.
(2)
They ended up going to beach for real.
Kuguri refused their invitation to swim together. He insisted to be left alone, sitting under an umbrella and reading something on his phone. Most of them were okay with it, but a certain one person (coughNumaicough) was not having it.
“You ought to swim when you’re at a beach, Kuguri,” he insisted, pulling Kuguri’s wrist stubbornly. Kuguri shook his head furiously, face showing the same degree of stubbornness as Numai for once. “Thanks, but no, thanks, Numai-san, I’ll be okay when you leave me alone here…” was said through gritted teeth as he tried not to let himself be pulled toward the sea. Numai rolled his eyes, turning his head around to find a certain someone that would help him dragging this underclassman of his. When he saw who he was looking for, he shouted, “Hey, Hiroo! Help me make this big baby join us in the sea, will you?!”
Kuguri’s horror went unnoticed.
.
“Say, Suguru,” Mika said, looking at something far from where they were eating shaved ice. Suguru moved his attention from his bowl of shaved ice, blinking as he chewed the ice in his mouth. “Those guys are your friends, aren’t they?” Mika pointed at two people ready to do something suspicious; two guys who looked like Numai and Hiroo with their hands holding Kuguri’s limbs, lifting him and ready to throw him into the sea…
Wait. WHAT.
“Sorry, Mika-chan! There’s something I have to do!” he said, unconsciously shouting as he bolted toward his teammates. Mika nodded awkwardly, waving her hand at her boyfriend’s slowly disappearing back.
She could only hope nothing disastrous would happen today.
(3)
“Excuse me—no—DAMN IT KAZUMA! HIROO! KUGURI CAN’T SWIM, YOU BLOCKHEADS!”
(4)
Numai and Hiroo were now prostrating before the scared and drenched Kuguri, Daishou standing beside the heavily trembling underclassman with arms crossed over his bare chest. Mika was tasked with calming down the traumatized boy, whispering something while drying his flattened spikes. The rest of their team was watching the scene from a far, with Sakijima face-palming and apologizing to Kuguri silently.
“Do you want to say something?” Daishou’s voice was cold and low, for once.
There was a collective muffled voices of “We’re sorry.”
Daishou inhaled deeply. “Now, who the hell started this first?”
Hiroo raised his head and pointed at Numai, face showing a bit of guilt. Numai, also wet and drenched from head to toe as Kuguri was, prostrated deeper than before.
Daishou clicked his tongue. “Good thing you’re quick to save him. Anyway, raise your head already, Kazuma. People are looking.”
Reluctantly, Numai raised his head. Seeing the face Kuguri made, he winced and averted his gaze, fists clenched on his knees. “Nobody told me you can’t swim,” he said, “I thought you’re just being your usual self, so…”
Kuguri nodded slightly, understanding what Numai meant. He sniffled, frowned, and then sneezed.
Mika blinked. “Um, don’t tell me you…”
“No, Mika-san, I’m okay, I won’t get sick that easi—ACHOO!” And he sneezed again. Again. And again.
Oh boy.
Hiroo patted his guilt-ridden friend’s shoulder. “Take good care of him tonight, Kazuma.”
Ooh boy…