you can fly even higher

new friend (tendou)

Tendou Satori

Tendou Satori isn't used to friends. He is a weird and awkward dude that got satisfaction on things that weren't satisfactory for most people and that's why the only person that appeared to be his friend was Ushijima. The Shiratorizawa volleyball club didn't count when most of them look at him with some weird and tensed eyes the rest of the people did. But Ushijima was usually too naïve or too uninterested with him to even mind him or his weird behavior or his weird comments. And that's why they were friends, or at least, that's why Tendou considers him a friend.

But when he went to college to study pastry-making, to then travel to France, to then complete his secret dream of making chocolates for everyone to taste, he encountered himself being alone, with no friends again. Ushijima and he were going to different colleges and even if they texted and hanged out from time to time, it wasn't the same. People in his college talked to him and they interacted with him, but Tendou could see that look in their eyes, the look of uncomfortable people.

And at some point, it was satisfying, like when he played volleyball, but he wasn't playing volleyball anymore, so making people weird the hell out when he arrived with his "annoying" personality wasn't making him feel good, wasn't making him feel in control. If it was making him feel something, it was loneliness and that was another thing he hated with passion. He never sounded like he minded loneliness, but he did. At least, he just discovered it.

For the first year of his college career, he learned to be ignored or to people running away from him when he appeared. He even stopped trying to interact with people or even talk. He became a silent freak that answered in class and laughed maniacally when the least he should. And he told himself that he didn't mind feeling so lonely in the middle of a crowd, even when truth was that he did mind it. He was getting tired of it.

Until the day he had been waiting for, came, without him knowing.

It started like any other day. It was a Saturday actually and instead of staying in his little apartment (the one he was renting while he was in college) doing the much-needed homework he needed to do for his general classes, he accepted Ushijima's invitation to see him play. The stoic tall young man was playing volleyball in college, he was quite the sensation and it was a common thing of him to invite Tendou to his games. And Tendou was glad to go because 1) anything was better than staying at home doing homework and 2) he wanted to talk to someone who wasn't scared of him.

So, that Saturday, Tendou got up early, packed a few things he will need for the day, and then left his home to take a few buses and the metro to then arrive at Ushijima's college. It was pretty far away from where he was living, but Tendou said to himself that it was worth it.

It was, but not for the reason he was thinking at the beginning.

Tendou was taking the metro, the last vehicle he had to take to arrive at Ushijima's college on time to see his game when he spotted you. You didn't have anything outside the normal, you didn't have anything outstanding either. You were just a normal person taking the metro, but for some reason, you got Tendou's attention.

Maybe it was because you were wearing Ushijima's college jacket and you had a sports bag over your shoulder that reminds him of his paradise. Or maybe it was because you looked very uncomfortable between those two people. Whatever it was, Tendou suddenly felt the need to get you out of there. So, after a few seconds of thinking, he improvised. 

"Oi!", he said suddenly and too loudly. A few people around him look at him with annoyed faces. Tendou was used to that, and he ignored them like always. You, in the other way, looked at him confused, without understanding if he was talking to you or not. "I didn't recognize you for a moment or two", he extends a hand in your direction, but you stare, until you, for some reason or miracle, understand what he is trying to do. "Come, I save you a seat", he was glad that the seat next to him was empty.

"Oh, hi, I didn't recognize you there" you suddenly say, passing by the two harassing people. You take his hand and he guides you through the people in front of him until you're sitting beside him. "Did you had problems coming?", you ask, attempting to keep up the drama.

"No actually. I took a few buses and then arrive here. How about you?"

"I'm running late. One of the guys left his things in his house and I had to go to collect them", you point to the sports bag you're carrying. Tendou guesses that maybe you are the manager of the team to be so close to one of the players. Since he is 100% sure you're talking about the same volleyball team his friend is on.

Tendou and you keep talking like you know each other for a lifetime and no one around in the metro even suspects that you are two strangers. The conversation finally ends when both of you get off in the same station. That's when you let go a sigh and you look at him with grateful eyes.

"Thank you for saving me back there. I hate to take the metro because everyone is so close and is very uncomfortable but it was the only fast way to get this on time", you explain and Tendou is glad that he helped someone and is not being judged by it.

"You're welcome. Either way I think we are going to the same place".

"You're seeing the volleyball game?"

"Yeah Ushijima is my friend and he invited me to see it".

"Oh, really!", you looked surprised. And then you started to talk about volleyball and a lot of related stuff without stopping and it made him feel so comfortable since he always talked too much when they left him and that annoyed people.

You talked so much that you two arrived at Ushijima's college in the blink of an eye. Sadly, you had to say goodbye, but you promised to join him on the sidelines because you were the new manager's assistant and you weren't allowed in the court yet.

True to your word, you two watched, cheered, exchanged comments, and other things through out the game like you have been friends all your lives, like you weren't annoyed of how creepy he sounded analyzing the team's moves. In the end, you two went down to congratulate the team and to say that Ushijima was confused to see the two of you together, talking like you knew each other for years, wasn't confusing, it will be a lie. Since Ushijima was more than confused.

"Do you know Y/N-san?", he asked suddenly, going to the point as always, once you left the two of them alone to help the manager.

"We meet in the metro on our way here", Ushijima blinks a few times.

"You sound like you know each other since a long time ago".

"Is weird, but we just met. I think I made myself a new friend", and the smile Tendou gave Ushijima expressed how happy he was.

It was the truth that you were in a different college, but for some reason, that wasn't important for Tendou after a few months of talking with you. Since you were weird like him and he finally didn't feel that lonely.