Un-Moving Heart || Ushijima x Oc

Chapter 27

Second grade of middle school was not something Yui would call a nice memory.

Ushijima made a noise, something between a grunt and a hum of agreement. It seems that Yui isn't the only one who wishes second grade never happened. She isn't the only one who wishes her life didn't have to flip itself over its head and told her that she was now fucked and on her own.

Sighing at the thought and pushing it to the back of her mind, Yui spun around on soft white bedsheets to face Ushijima yet her eyes avoided meeting olive green ones, putting up a wall of false bravado.

"Well, I have finally accepted my fate that maybe I haven't fully recovered from my past trauma and injuries and that, maybe, I should finally stop pushing myself and rest." she turns to meet Ushijima's eyes, "So, I'm taking a break from playing volleyball and I'm going to focus on Tobio until I graduate."

Yui gets up from her seat on the bed and spins around to face Ushijima, a determined look on her face before breaking into a smile, yet her gaze remains locked onto the window behind the boy's head.

Ushijima could feel his heartbeat against his rib cage, so loud that he's sure he could hear it resonate within the quiet room, reminding him of the still burning feelings he holds for the girl in front of him.

"Well, see you later, Wakatoshi."

Yui smiles softly, and maybe it's just him, but the smile was hiding a torrent of emotions behind the sweet mask, and yet, he doesn't get up and hold onto her wrist nor does he try and call out to her to stop her from leaving, he does nothing.

Yui turns on her heels, almost in slow motion in Ushijima's eyes, her long hair panning out behind her gracefully, and leaves the room, her retreating figure as it disappears behind closing doors, imprinting itself into his mind.

...

Yui wakes up to the sound of birds chirping and the comfortable soft warmth of her blankets as the first day of the year's sun shines down through the gaps of her blinds. A dull palpable eerieness had made itself comfortable in her room, making Yui wish to not get up and face whatever god has in store for her today.

However, it seems her god wishes to annoy her first thing in the morning as thundering footsteps could be heard briefly before her bedroom door swung open with a loud bang.

A head of messy brown hair and a pair of dark blue alien pajamas stood in her doorway, an arm still hugging a body pillow decorated with more cartoonish extraterrestrial beings and a bright smile on their face. Tooru grinned as he thundered towards the now blanket-covered Yui who wished her brother would get the hint and leave her alone.

Despite knowing his sister's thoughts, Tooru chooses to ignore it and yanks the covers down whilst simultaneously exclaiming a loud "Hatsumode. Let's go."

A tug of war over the blanket ensues as Yui tries to pretend her brother has ceased to exist but eventually gives in, Tooru having the upper hand in terms of strength due to Yui being too tired to actually emit any energy.

After changing into proper clothes that consist of three layers of fabric, boots, and a beanie, Yui heads downstairs to find Tooru talking animatedly to a clearly sleep-deprived Iwaizumi who simply hums with each word that spews from his childhood friend. Iwaizumi, noticing her presence, gives Yui a gruff "Good morning." before the three head out into the freezing air and down the path to the shrine.

The Hatsumode trip was uneventful and nothing out of the ordinary, but maybe it's because Yui hadn't gone in three years because as the trio walk back home, Iwaizumi trying to feed Tooru oden as the latter dodges to sneak a bite out of a milk bread bun and Yui laughing with fresh groceries in hand, she's starting to feel nostalgic.