stand back up (#2, Go Read The First One You Rotten Amimal)

7.

The mission wasn't anything too special, it's just to get some more lunch vouchers again.

That's when I remember the piece of paper that I found before. It's clearly followed me to this purgatory for a reason, I dont see any other explanation as to why there would be a random note in my pocket, especially considering I was in a different clothes.

"Permission to skip on today's raid?" I ask out of the blue. I look towards Tobio, "and him too."

Obviously, I got the typical response of "why"

"It's about my life, I'm still not done talking about it." I reply nonchalantly.

"Can't it wait until afterwards?" Yuri questions, though she doesn't seem too desperate to keep us.

"I'd rather it didn't."

She sighs, "okay, I'll let you guys off this once. But only because I don't know how badly that hypnosis affected your psyche."

I jump up and clap my hands excitedly, thanking her for being so lenient. I grab Tobio by the wrist and drag him into the canteen.

"What's this about?" He asks, "we were just speaking for 2 hours about your life, how is there more so urgently?"

The second I pull the the scrap paper he goes quiet, and his face gets plastered with shock with a hint of confusion.

"How did you get that?" He continues to ask.

"It was in my pocket when I ended up here, I completely forgot about it until now." I answer, "But I didn't want to open it alone."

When I unfold the note another piece of paper slipped out of it. I decide to look at that afterwards.

The note read:

Y/n

I don't have much time to write this as the surgery is about to start.

In middle school, when everyone I knew and trusted had completely left me in the middle of a game, I realised not to trust too much.

When I applied for Shiratorizawa, I was so sure that I would get in, but I didn't. I was devastated, and realised not to hope too much.

When I found out my parents died, I didn't know what to do. You helped me get through it. But I realised not to love too much.

Because that 'too much' can hurt you so much.

That's not all though.

I promised myself that I would never fall in love with you. But it was 4am and we were laughing way too hard. I felt happy for the first time in a long time, and I knew I was screwed.

I dont mind being hurt this time. So, please don't hate me for leaving you the same way I was terrified of you leaving me.

So, I guess the thing I'm trying to say is:

I

The last letter was unrecognisable, as the ink had been dragged across the whole page, so I assume that whoever wrote it had ran out of time.

I look up for a moment, completely amazed by what I just read.

This person cared for me so much, I wonder if I felt the same.

I then saw Kageyama's expression. I can't even begin to describe the look on his face. That's when it hit me.

"Did you," I begin, not really sure how to react, "write this?"

He doesn't say anything. Instead, he just nods, but is too scared to look me in the eyes.

"What was the surgery?" I ask a different question this time.

His head drops.

"Answer the question, Kageyama."

He doesn't move.

"What was the surgery, Tobio?" Getting irritated by his silence, I demand an answer.

"It was how I died," he replies.

He clearly doesn't want to explain, so I don't pry any further. In fact, I don't say anything at all. I look at the paper that had fallen, it's a picture.

In it is me and Kageyama, along with our siblings and two younger kids who I don't remember yet. There were two others there as well.

"Noda and Otonashi."

Just then, memories flow through me relentlessly. If I wasn't already sat down, I would've fallen to the ground.
I remember never seeing Otonashi again after Christmas day. I remember Kageyama giving his life to save me. I remember Miwa breaking down and me being the only one there to comfort her. I remember saving Noda's stupid life and him being clueless on how to comfort me, though he was so caring about everything he did. I need to thank him. I need to talk to Otonashi. What happened to the rest of the Volleyball club? Where is Hatsune now? What happened to Alphonse? What happened to my brother?