The Moon's Redamancy In Fall [Tsukishima x Yamaguchi]

fourty-seven.

Yamaguchi

"Hinata, Yamaguchi, Sugawara, Asahi! Diving drills, three sets!" Coach Ukai commands, with his arms crossed.

Hinata-kun lets out an exasperated sigh, throwing his hands in the air, "Again?" A frown automatically fell on his face, jutting his lips forward.

It's the third time since Tsukki, Kageyama-kun, Tanaka-san and Daichi-san defeated us on our four-on-four game and I'm tired as hell, I feel like my legs would shortly give up. Coach Ukai separated us on four to play against each other and it's not going easy.

Sugawara-san lets out a low chuckle, scratching the back of his head, "That's okay, we'll beat them on our next game,"

Asahi-san was gripping both his knees and breathing hard, everyone looked weary, "It's impossible. Tsukki's blocks are getting too hard to break through," He sighed, closing his eyes.

Observing Tsukki's blocks, it had became more accurate and difficult to get through. He seemed to be on the game when his plays became more hostile adept and it's killing me every time I hear the ball slamming on his palms all the time.

Hinata-kun, Asahi-san, Sugawara-san and I formed a queue to do diving drills for the third time and my chest hurts. I've never seen Tsukki in a curious off-beat during a game, his crucial blocks are getting in my nerves and it's getting annoying. Coach Ukai told us that we won't be stopping until we get a set. But we haven't.

For the next set, I was up to serve, everybody was quiet and tensed, I held the ball up to do a jump float serve, the ball went to Daichi-san but he didn't receive the ball, landing on his arms and out their court, a wash of relief pours over me.

"Yes! Good job Yamaguchi!" Asahi-san held up his thumbs, I gave him a weak smile.

God, I'm so tired, my entire legs were already throbbing, I surprisingly could still do jump float serve despite my focus, drifting. We were shuffling steps that scuff the floor in each passing minute.

"One more time!" Hinata-kun exclaimed, giving me a glimpse of smile.

I took a deep breath and peered over the other side of the court before lifting the ball from my hand, I could see Tsukki's eyes, focused, even by this far and it's scaring me. Passion is Tsukki's rocket fuel, but it is only when combined with determination that lift-off occurs, and Tsukki's at that point.

When I'm triggered it is so very hard to have self control, I'm doing the actions, it is my behaviour but it's as if the gas peddle got stuck down and in that acceleration, in that momentum, the steering wheel gets all jammed up too. It's all fight or fight and it's so disappointingly primitive but I can't override it.

What is Tsukki trying to say?

Kiyoko-senpai blew the whistle making my nerves jangle as if the whistle was registered to my brain, I heave a sigh before hitting the ball by my palm, I heaved my legs against the gale, against the pressure building on my chest and hitting the ball like it intended to go right through.

With eyes squinted to let in only enough light in to navigate, Tsukki never slackened his pace. Daichi-san was the one to receive my serve going back to the same rhythym like before, controlled and dominant.

I ran to my posistion just as the ball went in our court, Hinata-kun was first to receive, passing it to Sugawara-san for setting, setting it to Asahi-san for spiking. When Asahi-san was about to jump, I took a quick glance on Tsukki and instinctively yelled, "Tsukki!"

Tsukki's focus on Asahi-san drastically changed to mine, caught off guard by how I called his name, I could witness the way his focus strips one by one from his expression making him forget to jump, his tensed up expression melting into a soft, perplexed look, keeping his gaze on me. Asahi-san took the opportunity and spiking the ball with a clean strike, landing the ball behind Tsukki.

My head became fuzzy by how intense Tsukki's stare was, his expression was pensive, but his eyes were soft, his eyes had an unfocused look, as though they were made of glass, through his glasses were two brown orbs, with its depths so deep as if it was going to swallow me.

Kiyoko-senpai blew her whistle shortly, pointing her hand towards our court for scoring, I peered over the score board where Yacchan stood, she clapped her hands in glee, grinning and mouthed a "Yay" towards me.

After we scored, the rotation moved me in the front row, in front of the net where Tsukki stood from the other side of the court, his cheeks were flushed red, sweat dripping from his face down to his neck and eyed me with scrutiny as if he was a predator ready to take its prey.

I was the prey.

He became absorbed, oblivious to the passage of time, my breathing was constricted and shallow, behind that icy stare was a mountain of pain, yet extracting it would bring pain and instability. Either it would be born and his soul reborn, or he would lash out and it would be forever over. Yet, come what may, he was worth a real attempt.

I stood in front of him with the net separating just between us, he scoffed, "Good distraction," He muttered, his voice cold and breathy, sending shivers down my spine. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic but at the same time, his lips were curled into a small smirk.