The Deer & The Owl [Haikyuu x OC]

April - I

It was late April now, and the colors of the trees were turning greener and greener every day, while the pink petals of the cherry trees were beginning to fade.

The Fukurodani Academy was still dark and sleepy when Nori arrived, which made her shiver under her thick coat: she had never been a fan of morning training, especially when the mornings were still so dark and cold, and the bed so warm and inviting.

She took the last sip of the now lukewarm cappuccino she had picked up on the way and walked to Gym 3, chattering her teeth theatrically.

The lights were already on: Nori had learned that it was almost impossible to get to practice first, because it was unthinkable to beat that workaholic of Bokuto Kotaro, so much so that she had often wondered if he didn't sleep in there, since it seemed he never left the gym.

"Ohi Shikako-san! Good morning!" Bokuto turned and smiled festively at her, missing the ball thrown by Akaashi, which landed on the wall next to her, a few inches from her face

She sighed, then picked up the ball and threw it at him, ignoring his excuses: she was still too tired to indulge him.

Bokuto looked at her sigh and started to think about it.

"Akaaashiii, do you think Shikako doesn't like me?" he asked, sulking dramatically as he often did.

Akaashi studied Bokuto before answering: it was rare but not impossible for him to go into emo-mode for non-volleyball related things, so it made him suspicious. Then he remembered the time Bokuto had locked himself in the locker room, desperate because they had taken his favorite brand of green tea out of the school's vending machines, and had only come out after Yukie had promised to go to the konbini to buy more.

Maybe there was nothing to worry about then.

"She's nice to you and you always chat with her, but when I talk to her... she listens to me, but she doesn't seem to care much about what I say..." Looking down and pouting, Kotaro went on.

"Maybe it's because she and I are in the same class and have more opportunities to talk. And maybe it's because she's not interested in hearing you talk about volleyball all the time, since she sees you play every day at practice." Keiji concluded without much ado.

But when he saw that Bokuto seemed to be on the verge of depression, he tried to save the situation before the worst happened.

"Anyway, I don't think she dislikes you. In my opinion, Shikako-san is a kind and helpful girl to everyone, she's just a bit on her own and less expansive than you. You just have to give her time to get used to your character and your way of doing things..."

"Are you saying I'm a person with a difficult character?" he snorted, then turning away from the field with a dejected expression.

Keiji sighed: starting the day with a depressed Bokuto wasn't really the best.

*

The bench was empty, probably Yukie and Kaori had gone to pick up the new uniforms since we had been waiting for them for days.

I took a pencil out of my folder and tried to gather some of my unruly curls into a bun. I knew that it would probably come loose in 2 milliseconds, but it was just too hot in this gym. I still didn't understand how Bokuto kept his compression knee pads on under his shorts, it was crazy humid!

I saw that the court had emptied: strange, it wasn't like them to give up so early.

Then I noticed that the boys were lying on one side, stretching, but the captain was missing: Where had he gone? Looking around, I noticed that the funny head had hidden in the opposite corner, as if he had been grounded. What was he up to?