MONSOON, ushijima wakatoshi

001

'Ushijima Has A Girlfriend??'

It was late in the afternoon when the Shiratorizawa volleyball team finished their training, faint chatter and baritone laughter echoing around the sweeping building as the sounds bounced off the polished hardwood floors, where fleeting shoe marks and shadowed chips of powerful serves ingrained themselves as memories. The boys were splayed out near the exit of the gym, certainly ready to go back to the comforts of their beds after a long, laborious day of practice.

They were all absentmindedly lost in their own conversations when the door let out a gentle creak, a blur of jet black greeting their visions.

Behind the entryway, a figure stopped in her tracks for a split second, realizing they might have caused a bit of a disruption by their entrance. Taking in the image, it was clear the person was a girl. Her sable hair fell down by pleats, lusters of umber peeking through the contexture; they were like waves painted by the heavens that delicately deduced to saccharine wisps. She had a fresh and kind face, hatched with traces of lines that venerated all kinds of emotions: joy, indignation, despair, benevolence.

A quiet, slightly awkward tension made itself known as she crookedly smiled, a genuinely apologetic sheen in her russet eyes. There was something about the way she carried herself, how she wore her heart on her sleeves that displayed the flaws and realness of human nature. But the atmosphere was gone in a second when something—or rather someone, caught her attention.

"Toshi!"

...Toshi??

The figure turned her head and ran towards the unsuspecting captain, tackling him into an embrace that would've knocked him down if it weren't for his monstrous strength.

Ushijima's eyebrows rose, twisting his body on instinct to catch the familiar woman that called his name. He had a small smile playing at his face and if you looked closely, you would notice how it lit up the moment her voice resonated and the tender gaze blooming in his olive eyes. The girl tightened her arms around his waist, nuzzling her cheek onto his chest and Ushijima took that as a cue to lift his hand up to caress her head, smiling when she expressed a visible approval of the gesture.

The team had confused and slightly alarmed looks on their faces wondering why their captain was hugging a random girl and smiling about it no less. It was clear that she attended Shiratorizawa; her purple accented blazer and skirt confirmed it.

Within seconds, the team's middleblocker had made his way towards the two, leisure clear in his steps while his hands were spread behind his neck. "Who's this pretty lady Waka-kun~?" Tendō questioned. He had a smug but curious smirk simmering on his lips, all the same wondering who the mystery girl was that had the guts to run up to the ace and hug him.

Although, not even he—who humbly considered himself as Ushijima's best friend—could be prepared to hear what was about to come out of the captain's mouth.