Monochromatic: Haikyuu Fanfic

Chapter 7: Crybaby

That memory feels so long ago...

A heated summer day in Miyagi could not get any more hotter. Besides the rhythmic chirping of the crickets, or basking in glory of the absence of gradeschool, Oikawa and his friend, Iwaizumi, wasted time outdoors. They were mere five year olds, recklessly playing tag or bug-catching. Adventures filled with wild imagination - the loud whirring of cicadas, the musky smell of sweat, and the crunching sound of pebbles - those added up to yet another exciting summer for Oikawa and Iwaizumi.

The abandoned park was their place of hideout - tiny caves made of plastic large enough to serve as their bases. Slides were made of metal - it's a slide down to hell because it stood there, baking under the hot sun. The swings' chains were rusted, but still sturdy and unbreakable. It's another perfect day of their typical shennanigans.

This time however, they've found a new hobby other than just bug-catching.

"Iwa-chan!" Oikawa held up a white ball above his head. "Let's play volleyball!"

Iwaizumi frowned at the suggestion, obviously more interested in the bug-catching net in his grasp. "You don't even know how to play volleyball!"

"That's why we're gonna play!" Oikawa only grinned goofily, showcasing his missing front tooth. He took his stance, feet planted apart and tossed the ball with both of his hands upwards. The ball flew upwards, then fell into Oikawa's shaky recieve. "See? It's not that hard, Iwa-chan!"

Oikawa caught the ball this time and tossed it with less force, so it reached back down with a faster time. As expected, he overestimated his reflexes and receives the ball in a bad angle and with an uncontrolled force - it spun wildly in the direction of a neighboring tree, whizzing past dense leaves. No sound of the volleyball ever hit the ground. Oikawa gaped.

"It's - !! It's stuck!" Oikawa pointed. "It must be stuck in the branches!"

"What else could it be, idiot?" Iwaizumi hits him in the back of the head.

Oikawa and Iwaizumi headed for the said tree, and it's much taller than they thought. Oikawa looked up at the braches, eyes squinting as he searched among the clustered leaves and branches. He saw a speck of white amongst the green tiny gaps.

"There it - !"

Smack!

The volleyball hits bullseye straight in Oikawa Tooru's face, hard.

Iwaizumi couldn't hold back his laughter even if he tried - but it was stopped briefly. Out of nowhere, a girl's head popped out from the dense leaves, one hand clutching a shounen manga. She dangled upside down, her knees locked on the sturdy branches for stability. She blows the stray long frizzy hair out of her face - swollen red with a familiar imprint of a pattern prominent on her cheeks - is that... is that the volleyball's ....?

"That's what you get for hitting me in the face." She narrowed her eyes on him, expression clearly unamused with a small pout.

She must've thrown the ball with a great deal of force because Oikawa still held a hand up on his face, wincing and tears gathering on the corners of his eyes. It feels shameful somehow, to cry when he's a big boy - but none of that mattered when he felt something warm and wet on his palm. He pulls it back to see it covered in crimson - thick and gooey warm.

"Wah! Blood! Gross! Iwa-chan help me!" He wailed - he lost complete control because heck - the little boy can't handle blood. He began to sob childishly and obnoxiously loud, snot mixing with the blood that oozed out of his nose. Iwaizumi only shoved him back in disgust.

The little girl winced at the loud cries - annoyed because this boy was a such a crybaby. However, she was suddenly aware of how much trouble she could get from this. "Hey! Calm down it's just blood -"

"Umeko Fukui!"

She immediately froze. Knees locked on the tree branch weakened and fell face flat on the ground. So much for Karma. She looked up to see her mom's scolding look, mouth pulled into a frown. Umeko smiled nervously.

"Hahaha... About whatever's happening here..." She got up and waved her hands dismissively at her mother, "it had nothing to do with me..."

"Umeko," Her mom said in a warning tone. Umeko knew to stop playing dumb now, swallowing nervously and giving her an award winning smile - smile that will make her mom couldn't possibly go against her.

She overestimated her abillities this time.

Her mom raised an eyebrow, unamused. "It's not going to work. Go apologize to that little boy you hurt."

Umeko frowned but followed her mother's orders. She walked back to Oikawa, who's reduced into a hiccuping mess at this point, blood had ceased and his nose was red - inflamed and smudged with dried blood. Umeko grimaces in digust.

"I'm sorry, I guess. Even though you're the one that hit me first."

"Umeko! Seriously... You're just like your cousin. " Her mom scolded. "He keeps picking fights and finding ways to get in trouble."

Umeko was silent now, still wearing a stubborn, indignant pout.

Her mother sighs, crouching down on Oikawa's line of sight with an apologetic look. "Sorry about my daughter - she doesn't know what she's doing. Here, wipe yourself up. Is your house far away from here?"

"We're alright. We'll be heading home now." Iwaizumi interrupted, grabbing Oikawa's wrist rather roughly.
Oikawa wipes tears off his sleeve and blinked clear of the rest gathering in the corners of his eyes. He nodded wordlessly and followed Iwaizumi, volleyball in hand.

After the two disappeared, Umeko's mother turned to her with a disappointed frown.

"Now, Umeko. About what you did, that's not what a good person is supposed to do. I expect you to get along with those two next time you see them."

Umeko remained quiet.

Her mother sighs yet again. "Who knows, they might end up sharing a lot of things in common with you. It's nice that you like to read, but you should try making friends for a change."

It was Umeko's turn to sigh exasperatingly. "Yes, mom..."