Different Kind of Beautiful

Chapter 14

I held the volleyball between my palms with a sigh, taking a moment to glance at the clock that was hanging in the gym. A low whine reached my ears and I narrowed my eyes, reluctantly throwing it back at the setter who was almost frantic to keep practicing. I couldn't help but wonder if he was using the sport as a distraction from his breakup. 

"Oikawa, how much longer do you plan on staying?" I asked. "It's getting late and we have a test at the end of the week."

"Please? Just ten more minutes." He wasn't begging this time but seriously asking. It threw me off a bit, the sarcastic retort immediately dying on my lips. I looked at him for a moment longer and sighed again. 

"Fifteen minutes and then we're done. Seriously." I scratched the back of my neck, unsure of how long I could let him keep pushing me to allow him more time.

Oikawa immediately nodded and turned back to the next, spinning the ball in his hands. His work ethic was admirable, but I couldn't help but wonder if there would be any sort of strain on his body by adding longer practices like he was. Iwaizumi had told me that he normally took an extra hour regardless, making sure to rest on Mondays, but sports were tricky. Human bodies were tricky. I wished I had asked the vice-captain more questions about our friend before agreeing to watch over him. 

I would feel terrible if something happened to him because I let him push past his limits. Then again, I wasn't an athlete. I made a note a mental note to add that sort of material to my reading list. 

"Thank you for staying with me," Oikawa chirped when we began to walk home. 

"It's not a big deal," I replied, flipping through the pages of one of his old volleyball magazines. "We're friends, and friends do that kind of stuff, right?"

He laughed, and I glanced up at him. 

"I'm seriously asking, Oikawa," I stated, cutting his laughter off. "If I'm crossing any boundaries, let me know."

"Don't worry, you're not," he snickered. 

"Oh, okay. Quick question, is the cheering during matches distracting?"

"What do you mean?"

I sighed, scratching the back of my neck. "I just mean, you don't have anyone watching during practices, so when you go to a match with crowds cheering, isn't it pretty hard to focus?"

"Oh, yeah. Some players can get super nervous and distracted at first, so it takes the team a bit longer to adjust," Oikawa explained. "Not us though, we're too good!"

"Well, I would talk to the coach first, but I was wondering if it would help for Rinko and me to cheer and make noise in practices before a match to get you used to it- it wouldn't be nearly anything like the real thing but-"

He laughed, leaning back slightly. "I could play so much harder if Anzu-chan would cheer for me!"

I stared at him for a moment. "You get really nervous when people cheer before you serve, don't you?"

The setter flinched, eyes narrowing. "Of course not!"

"Yes, you do. Everyone always gets extra quiet during practice before you serve, aside from a quick 'nice serve' don't they?" I pressed.

He sighed, practically deflating as he confessed, "Yeah... A few people cheering doesn't bother me but when the entire student section starts up it's pretty nervewracking- especially as the captain. That's a lot of expectations to meet."

"Don't worry, I'll still cheer you on," I mused, leaning forward to get a better look at his face as I raised a fist in a small cheer. It was nice to know he could feel honest with me. "I might be silent but if you look over I'll be right there, I'll even give you a grin if it helps."

He stared at me for a moment before looking away. I blinked and straightened up only for the much taller boy to practically tackle me.

"You'd better! I'll be expecting a grin the first time I serve," he chirped, pulling away slightly to give me a bright grin. I couldn't help but shake my head as I grinned back.

"Yeah, sure. But no more long practices this week. We both have to study," I warned him. "You'll have to find someone else to stay with you if you insist on staying later."

"Aw, come on," he pouted. 

I sighed and looked away from the attempt at puppy-dog eyes he was giving me. "You should know better than to try that on me. Besides, all four of us are studying at my place on Friday, or did you already forget?"

"But that's Friday! What about the other days?" he pleaded. "Please, Anzu-chan? I-I'll... I'll buy you a drink from the vending machine?"

I laughed. "I think I can afford my own drinks, thank you very much."

His eyes narrowed as he continued walking, staring off in front of him. "How can I bribe you then..."

"Don't bother."

"Nope! Too late."

I gave him a small wave when we parted ways, mind occupied by his offer as I set up to finish off my school work. I could clearly see the stupid grin he'd wear if I had said yes. I did hope that he wouldn't end up trying to bribe me, as I would have no idea what to do with whatever he would push my way. I had told him I was helping because we were friends. I wanted to help, so there was no reason for him to try and persuade me like that. I'm sure he was aware that if he asked a few more times, I'd eventually give in. 

Oikawa always managed to get under my skin in that way. It always seemed to be much harder to say now as we spent more time together. I think he noticed as well. I rubbed my eyes and returned my focus to my work, wanting to get ahead on studying since I'd be using a bit of my free time helping the setter out. 

What a pain.