𝐭𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 [𝐤.𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨 x 𝐨𝐜]

XXVII - Try Again

"But we were eliminated in the very first round. Because the team bailed on me.", I say, bitterly. I didn't mean to say it so sadly, and now it's bringing back weird memories. I close my eyes, blocking out the flashing scenes from that day. Oof, bad idea. When I open my eyes, a lone tear drips from my eye. Great, now I'm fucking crying. I must seem so weak right now. Kageyama was able to talk about his rough past without breaking down. I feel... so small. I just wish the earth would swallow me up. Luckily, I manage to stop more tears from falling.

"I didn't read about that...", he says, after a moment or two. I look up at him. "In the, uh, websites," he mumbles and looks away. I chuckle, "Which is how most people don't know about my failure. 'Oh, you went to Nationals? That's great!' It usually just ends there..." I nod, and chew on my lower lip. "I guess I still haven't learned from my mistakes, huh."

"You can still learn." This comment makes her look up at me. "What do you mean?", she asks. "I mean, you can still become nicer and respectful towards your team," I shrug. She scoffs, "They didn't turn up to practice today. Who knows, they might just stop coming everyday-" "Don't jump to conclusions. They can't avoid you forever." She nods slowly. "Thanks, Kageyama," she smiles at me. God, I missed that smile. I smile back, "You're welcome."

—————

"Hey guys," I start, carefully, "Uh, thanks for making it today. I've been- don't mind my language but- I've been a bitch lately. I want to apologize." The girls look at each other with wide eyes. "I realize why no one showed up to practice yesterday and, message received. I'm going to try to be a better person," I flash them a small smile. "I'm sorry. You don't have to forgive me right away but, I hope we can get to know each other better soon!" Whew, that took a lot of energy. Some of the girls smile at me, while others are still skeptical, but I don't blame them. I'm going to get my anger under control. This entire team has immense amount of talent, it would be a shame for it to break up. "I still stand by my first statement though, we're getting to Nationals!", I say, and some girls cheer. Lol, cliché. But it was worth it. Thanks, Kageyama.

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