Un-Moving Heart || Ushijima x Oc

Chapter 24

After Yui had seemed to finally calm down, Tooru decided that, for the time being, he would return to stay at the Kageyama residence.

So when Yui woke up on Monday, she found herself on the floor, looking up at a ceiling that wasn't hers, and became slightly puzzled. Her room definitely did not, and would not, have glow in the dark galaxy and alien themed stickers stuck up there.

Yui turned her head towards the mass of warmth beside her and saw a peaceful Tooru who's hair was perfectly messy. Not too ruffled and not set in places as if styled. She then turned to look towards her right, which just so happens to be the source of the arm that was placed lazily on top of her body along with a leg that had tangled itself between hers. Tobio had an expressionless— yet content look on his face. His eyes were softly shut and his mouth opened and closed slightly as he muttered incoherent words she couldn't make out, but she did hear something that sounded like volleyball, causing her to unknowingly grin.

When was the last time she had woken up like this? Tooru sneaking down from his room to hers, claiming that evil aliens were out to get him before tucking himself in beside her while Tobio would open the door without warning just to climb into her bed purely because Tooru had done so. He would then proceed to sleep on top of the twins and their mother would be frantically searching around the house for her sons the next morning, only to find them in her daughter's room. Yui missed when back then she could feel satisfied that even with just her siblings warmth next to hers. Has it been six years? No, maybe even longer.

Yui let out a soft sigh. Ah, what she would give to turn back time. But she can't. So she gives them a small pat on the head, as a small sigh of affection, before slowly and quietly untangling herself from the mess of long limbs she had been laying in and moving away from her two siblings.

Yui stood at the foot of the bed, stretching her limbs high and around, the sounds of pops from her back, along with the feeling, making her groan softly.

Yui makes sure to tread lightly as she leaves Tooru's bedroom, how she even got there in the first place was still a question she didn't know the answer to. Did she have a fit last night? Was that why Tobio was there too? But she brushes the questions away and focuses on her morning routine.

Yui looks into the bathroom mirror and staring back at her was her reflection, except that the Yui staring back at her doesn't look like how she usually does.

The Yui staring back at her looked even worse that ever before. With a toothbrush still hanging from her mouth, she analyzed the figure in the mirror. Yui internally groaned, wanting to face plant straight into the hard surface.

There, staring back her, was a tired-looking Yui with puffy bloodshot eyes, and an explosion of reds still evident around her eyes, neck, and cheeks while the rest of her complexion remained pale. The usual dark circles under her eyes were darker than before, making her look akin to a panda. Her lips were drastically chapped and had lost a bit of their color. Yui let her eyes travel down towards her fingertips which she raised up for a better look, and noticed the cuts on the ends. Malnutrition. It was a pain to feel the stings every so often.

Yui, not wanting to stare or see herself any longer, quickly tidies herself up, changing into her school uniform and grabbing her bag, before going downstairs for breakfast.

When she reached the dining room however, she came to a stop at the end of the stairs, an eyebrow raised in what could be surprise or confusion.

There, sitting in one of the seat at the dining table, was Iwaizumi, golfing down on what looked to be some grilled mackerel, miso soup, and some rice. Her mother, on the other hand, was chatting away at the kitchen counter, a phone squeezed right between her cheek and shoulder as to not drop down onto the floor.