Little Bird (Miya Atsumu x OC)

INTER-HIGH PRELIMS

J U N E

The boy's and girl's volleyball teams were currently on a bus heading to the gym where the Inter-high prelims were being held. Atsumu was sitting next to Suzume on the bus after pushing Suzuya, Suna and Chiki out of the way, ignoring the murderous looks the girls were sending him.

He couldn't help but notice the bouncing of her knee and the way she was biting her lip. 'Adorable', he thought, but he knew by now that it meant something was on her mind.

"Are ya nervous?" He asked, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"I'm excited..." Her voice came out excitedly, but her smile slowly fell. "A- actually, I'm kinda... worried."

Atsumu's lips downturned and he shifted in his seat to face her better.

"Eh? What do you of all people have to be worried about?" He asked the shorter girl, and she looked hesitant to reply.

"Not being good enough?" She laughed nervously. It came out as more of a question, like she felt stupid for even saying it. But it was how she felt, it was what she feared.

"Really? But why? Yer pretty amazing if ya ask me." Atsumu said sincerely with his closed eye smile, and she felt giddy at the compliment, but it couldn't meet her eyes.

"When I was little, I wanted to be just like my big brother. I wanted to be as strong as he was, and I still do, I guess. But people would always tell me that I was never going to be as good as him. When I would ask why, they simply told me "men are simply better than women, especially when it comes to sports." I always hated those words, but for some reason, I believed them. They've continued to stick with me and are always in the back of my mind." The girl looked at her hands as if they somehow held the answers.

Atsumu couldn't stop the frown from creasing his brows. 'How could people say such things? To a child no less.'

"It's one of my biggest fears Tsumi..."

He hadn't seen this side of her, the side that was insecure. She always put on such a strong façade but maybe deep down there is this vulnerable and lonely girl who feels like no one can quite relate in the same way.

"My brother told me not to listen, and that I can be as great as I want to be, all I have to do is work for it." Her saddened state slowly started to lift when she thought of her brother.

"Why don't ya want to be like you?" He asked seriously and her eyes lifted to meet his warm honey ones, a questioning look on her face and he softly smiled.

"Yer amazing as you are Zume-chan. Ya don't need to match anyone else, work towards making you better, not towards being someone else. Being someone else is unobtainable, you can only ever be one person, and that's you."

It felt like something had clicked inside the olive eyed girl. His words somehow resonated her, filling her with a warm feeling that spread over her entire body.

Atsumu didn't realise how Suzume felt on the inside, about volleyball no less. He saw how much it meant to her, how hard she's had to work to get to where she was, and yet she still didn't feel good enough. She was so vulnerable about it and all he wanted to do was shower her with compliments and show her just how truly special and amazing she is.

He rested his hands on her shoulders and looked at her seriously.

"How about this instead, be yerself, and work towards surpassing him."

They arrived at the tournament that would decide who would be at the top for the Spring prelims in October. Everyone was now buzzing with excitement, especially Suzume and Atsumu.