Monochromatic: Haikyuu Fanfic

Chapter 18: Advice

Fukui couldn't stand still. Not after Oikawa calling her in the middle of the night, she tossed-and-turned-and-tossed-and-turned in the bed as if she is trying to find the correct sequence and beat of her movements.

She tosses to the left. Then turns to the right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

In the end, the drowsiness that pulled her eyelids heavy completely wore off, so she spent the rest of her night by her bookshelf. She searched and flipped through the pages of different shoujos, placing the books in two piles that grow taller little by little... The darkness of the morning drones on.

The research started three, and the shuffling noise of worn, creased pages slowly came to a halt by seven.

***

Maybe this is a bad idea, asking Fukui for advice.

Oikawa is over at her house now, it is the afternoon after the phone call. A beautiful Sunday, it would've been perfect for jogging, he thinks. But even with the perfect weather, he doesn't plan on doing such things - not when he's this tired. The boy wasn't able to sleep last night until he told someone about his predicament - that someone being Fukui in 2:43 in the morning - and after a few blinks and turns in his bed, he finally falls asleep.His head feels heavy and light at some places, and every blink he makes stings his eyes. His arms feel limp, and he leans forward on the kotatsu weakly to search for some resting space.

He, however, is not the only one suffering. In fact, Fukui's disposition wins by a landslide. Her condition is worrying: hair tied to a messy bun, deep eyebags, and down to her tea stained sweatshirt. Fukui looks like she is ready to be confused with a corpse - however corpses manage to smile this eagerly when they're dead.

Nevertheless a towering stack of novels is locked around her arms, reaching up to cover nearly half of her face. She releases them on the kotatsu.

Thud!

Oikawa's head shoots up, startled. He looks at Fukui in confusion.

"Here's some books where the character is the prince type." She says.

Oikawa glances at the huge stack of books and back at her incredulously, "please don't tell me I have to read all of that..."

"Oh no! Don't worry about that!" She reassures immediately. With a determined smile, she slaps her hand down the stack of books, "we just need to narrow down Ayame-chan's personality, and we can match it to the closest manga I have."

"I don't know about this..." Oikawa says unsurely, looking down, "Aya-chan doesn't look like she likes me like that. I don't really think it's worth the chance."

Fukui picks up the book on top and flips through it, "...wait a second, Oikawa. It's not very like you to doubt yourself like this." She pounds her fist on the table dramatically, "have you lost your mind?! You're Oikawa Tooru! You know, you're always surrounded by girls and a team captain of a volleyball team! It would be dumb for someone not to choose you!"

Oikawa looks at her in mild surprise at her outbust, blinking a couple of times. The clock ticks quietly in the space of silence. Then - it gets interrupted by a snort, a chuckle. At first quietly but then the volume grows.

And before you know it, Oikawa is laughing so hard tears beaded on the corners of his eyes, he is cackling like an old geezer, unrestrained as he clutches on his aching stomach for his dear life, wheezing, while his other one slaps the wooden top of the kotatsu.

"HAHAHAHAHA- !! OW - WAIT - AH - AHAAH -OUCH - AH - HAHAH!!"

Fukui hits him with the book in her grasp repeatedly, aiming for Oikawa's head, but he merely uses his hands to lessen the impact. She huffs.

"Why you little- !! Hey don't laugh...!"

"Hahah..." Oikawa's laugh slows down, but still present, and he wheezes, reasoning as he continues to defend her attacks. "But I'm not laughing at you, Umeko-chan! I swear!"

Fukui freezes, the hands hitting Oikawa coming to a halt. She then tilts her head, "what?"

"I said - I'm not laughing at you," he clarifies, "I'm laughing at myself."

"You were right, it was really unlike of me to be unconfident! Sure she may be Ayame Yamamoto - a first year that not only goes to another school but also supports our rivaling team in our prefecture - but what's that got to do with it? I can still win her over if I try hard enough. It shouldn't really take that much, since - as you said - I'm Oikawa Tooru! Am I right, Ume-chan?"

It takes her brain to process all that. Then her mind fixes only on two words. Her brain lights up, and you hear a tiny ding of a pre-heated oven:

Ayame Yamamoto.

"Eh?!"