The Enduring Libero

Chapter 3

*Hello! So the song Kuho plays is from a Korean drama called, Crash Landing on You. The song is absolutely beautiful, so I had to add it in here. If you want, you can start the song at the beginning of the chapter, but I will warn you that I did not set up the chapter to follow the song length. Also, I do not own the song or anything connected to it.*

The next day was a half day at school, and Mr. Takeda told me I didn't need to go to the club. Apparently he didn't have the paperwork he'd promised me, and felt that I should just go home and have my mom sign the permission slip for the trip to Tokyo. Despite my disappointment, I knew that the teacher was right. I had forgotten to have my mom sign it, and the deadline was getting closer. Kamiko walked with me for most of the way, chattering about her boyfriend, Yuki, until I finally got her to stop.

"I'm friends with him too, you know!" I reminded her, as we stopped at her street. "I want to be able to stay friends with him, which I won't be capable of doing if you tell me how pretty his eyes are one more time!"

She waved away my threats with a taunting smirk. "You're just jealous."

I made a gagging noise in the back of my throat. "Only of the squirrels, because they don't have to listen to your praises."

"Hmph!" She crossed her arms. "You're in poor humor today. What, did they kick you out of the club?"

"No!" I tugged on my braid. "I'm just hoping my exams went well. Did yours?"

She blushed. "You know what, I think my dad is waiting for me at home. He mentioned something about bringing me to one of his photo shoots." She started scooting away from me, looking guilty.

I laughed. "See you!" She waved and scurried away. A breeze blew across the street, pressing against my back as I turned. My hands tingled and I shoved them in my pockets. I bit the side of my cheek as I hurried to my own street, not four blocks away. My family lived in a small house, not too big or fancy, with no front yard but instead a backyard that equaled the same amount of space as the house. The outside didn't exactly look shabby, but it wasn't as extravagant as other houses I had seen.

When I made it to my home, I went straight inside, not bothering to look in the back. Inside there was a main living room, a kitchen, three bedrooms, and one bathroom. Not much extra space, but it was cozy for the three of us. The living room was in the very front of the house, and a piano sat mixed in with the furniture. I didn't see my mom anywhere, which either meant she was working, or she was in the kitchen. Brushing aside my hair, I set down the backpack from my shoulder and went over to the instrument. I sat in the rolling chair in front of it, pressing one foot down on the sustain pedal and flexing my fingers. I ran the tips of my fingers along the keys until they came to the precise location of the chords I wanted. Taking a breath, I pressed down the keys, moving my hands back and forth in a practiced manner.

A soft melody floated through the air as I played, gently rocking back and forth. It was called, A Song for my Brother, and every time I played it it made me smile. The peaceful tune was somehow comforting, and I knew it was one of my mother's favorites. It was because of those reasons that I knew it by heart. It wasn't until I finished the song that someone cleared their throat behind me. I turned with the rolling chair, facing my short mother. She was smiling, her brown hair pulled loosely back. The brown sweater she wore gave off a tired appearance, but it actually was just her comfy clothing.

"You're home early." She said, sitting on our couch. "Both you and your brother."

"Hi Mom." I peeked at the door leading to the kitchen. "It was exams, so I was able to come home quickly."

"Oh, I see." I turned back to look at her. "But what about your club?"

My eyes dropped to the floor. "Well, they didn't have something for me today, and I actually have to ask something of you." I kept my eyes down, hoping she would say yes. "They have a trip to Tokyo this weekend, just for a day. Could you sign the slip and let me go?"