Moonlight

Chapter 23

The afternoon sun was setting, giving a beautiful glow to the trees. The chirping of the birds perching on their branches accompanied the rustles from the wind. Akane and Keishin were both busy preparing their things for the away games. The team have considered Akane to be a junior manager despite her unofficial announcement to be one. With this, she was given the privilege to join them on their away games under Kiyoko's wings.

"All set?" Keishin asked as both of them emerged from their rooms at the same time. Akane just gave him a nod and rushed to the kitchen. 

Keishin shook his head in amusement. She was just like his younger sister. Every time they were to have a trip to their grandfather's rural home, she would finish preparing her stuff quickly and will be more than excited to do her chores. Akane just showed the same behavior unconsciously.

'You would be proud of how strong she's turning to be, onee-san.'

---

The following day, as they were going to meet with the others in school, Akane suddenly cried out in dismay.

'I left my phone!' She frantically thought to herself. She hurriedly got off the bus and dropped her duffle bag to the ground along with the other bags.

With time ticking close to departure, Akane sprinted down the hill. Her sneakers gave heavy thudding sounds as she pushed herself more over her limit. When she reached the store, she wasted no time and quickly went in to grab her phone. As she closed the door behind her, she bumped into a man's chest.

"Well, well, well, look who's here!"

Akane looked up fearfully, confirming her nightmare. On the other hand, the volleyball team have long been complete. Unbeknownst to them, she was facing her shadow men and was cemented on the ground. Keishin had fallen asleep and quite frankly, everyone else was feeling drowsy from having an early call time. 

Nobody has noticed Akane to be missing.

*TW: S.A*

"P-please leave." She tried to say in an even tone. But Maiko and Leyd only gave her a mocking smile and cornered her further.

"Or what?" Maiko whispered into her ear and pulled away to observe his prey, "Too bad uncle ain't here to help you out now..."

"Or mom and dad!" Leyd laughed knowing the damage he had inflicted. His eyes held an evil glint as if daring Akane to bite back.

But her anger was overpowered with fear as she felt Leyd grab her wrists and pinned her against the door, "Not so brave now, are we?"

Maiko saw fear flash before her eyes and a silent message telling them to stop. But he paid no heed. He always paid no heed.

"Look at this skin, just like your mother's..." Maiko ran his knuckles across her cheeks down to her neck, "I could only imagine how heavenly your cups in there could be, right Leyd-san?"

Leyd licked his lips disgustingly and nodded, "If we could consider her mother's body to be our basis---"

"Stop talking about her!" Akane found her voice at the mention of her mother, "You don't know the whole story!"

Maiko's eyes widened in disbelief. She has learned to talk back. 

'Well it's time she submits back again.' He thought as he grabbed a handful of her hair and tilted her head back.

"What else is there to know?" Maiko growled and leaned close to whisper, "She was found almost naked beside an almost-naked old man. It was raining, there was no reason to be hot and take off their clothes, right?"

Leyd nodded and rubbed in the story, "Besides, your father died recently at the time and your mother's been working hard alone because she would not accept your rich uncle's help. Surely she's been clawing at old men money just to support you both."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Akane ended up kicking Maiko in the crotch and gave Leyd a fair punch in the gut. Then she ran away as fast as she can, willing herself to be lighter against the heavy load in her chest. When she reached the school and found the bus to have left, fat tears clouded her vision as she tried to open her phone with her shaking hands. Her breathing shuddered as she kept looking over her shoulder to see if somebody else was following her.

I'm still at the school, uncle.

As she sent the first message, her phone died. It turned out that it wasn't charged throughout the night. She was left with two options: wait for Hinata and Kageyama or go alone. Between the two, she would rather leave the place otherwise they would catch up to her. She approached a teacher to ask for directions and was relieved to see that her spare money was enough for the fare.

The train ride was not pleasant at all as every bump with a stranger makes her flinch, the memory of Maiko's touch still lingering on her skin. Their words clung like fishing hooks on her skin. They were painful but so difficult to remove. The passengers would spare her a glance every now and then as fresh batch of tears would leak out of her already swollen eyes. She looked as pathetic as pathetic can be in the eyes of these strangers. 

Thankfully, she arrived to her destination with no problems and the strangers she approached were helpful enough to help her with the directions. When she arrived on the gates of Metropolitan Nekoma High School, she let out a sigh of relief. 

'Finally!' She fixed herself and went inside. 

After a while of walking to and fro the corridors, she slumped against the walls, 'I don't know where's the gym around...'

Feeling hungry, tired, and drained out, she took a rest on the staircase. Her ears perked up upon hearing footsteps from the stairs above her. When the group of lads turned the corner, she found them to be players from the uniform jerseys they were wearing. 

There was one with black and white hair with a face that uncannily resembles an owl. He was Bokuto. There was another who looked like Kageyama but taller and more serious looking. His name was Akaashi. Then there were two who shared the same jersey color, one who was shorter (named Kenma) and was busy with his phone and another who was too tall for her liking (this is Lev). 

"Are you lost?" Akaashi spoke to her first and as they neared her, her breathing picked up. Fear suddenly grabbed body in a paralyzing way and breathing became difficult to do.

Her vision started to have dark spots dancing around as she tried to reach out to the most familiar person within her sight, "Suga---".