Haikyuu!! Tobio's Girl. Timeskip

Timeskip 3

Tobio led Reina into the apartment. He lit up the lights but then immediately dimmed them down when he saw she was trying to hide how upset her face was. And she was keeping a distance from him. He yearned for the right to wrap his arms around her and make it alright somehow.

How could he feel so horrible and yet so happy? The guilt he always had for leaving her was now a thousand times worse. At the same time, it was so good to see her again.

This is hard, but... It wasn't easy back then as well. He could never claim that he was a great boyfriend, but at some point, it was harder and harder to call it being in a relationship even. He wanted to play at the best level, but he was painfully aware he was neglecting her along the way. Although he kind of liked their "just crash at my place whenever you can" routine. There was nothing better than coming back home to her. But it was unfair to Reina. She deserved more, even if she didn't complain. That's why he let her go. Because it was the "right" thing to do—proper, responsible, considerate... It ended up being the worst thing he had ever done. For her... and for him. But what other choice did he have? Then it hit him.

I should've just married her back then.

He never fully grasped that whole concept of dating, but full-on commitment? That was something he understood. It would be easier to make it work. Together. Nineteen, married... People would probably think they were crazy. But he didn't care—most people couldn't even believe that he had a girlfriend when he told them. Like, "you want to be a pro, but you have a girlfriend? I thought you were serious about volleyball. You could have achieved so much more if you didn't concern yourself with romance at such a young age." He benefited from the advice of his senpais a lot when he was younger, so he started to have doubts. When he thought of it now, it seemed so senseless—none of those people even knew Reina or what was between them. As if other people were able to advise him anyway, in anything at that point—he was 19, a 1st league pro player, national team member, and an Olympian. How more serious could he be? If any other people could relate, it was maybe a few in the whole wide world. And yet... he let those insignificant voices make him waver and forget the most important thing, that he was the only person who knew what was right for him. That he should be concerned only with what he wanted... and what Reina wanted. Yeah, it would seem crazy to be married at nineteen, but he was certain that Reina would agree to marry him back then without a second thought. But now...

But now, this shivering kitten was looking around cautiously.

"You're staying in an apartment? Not a hotel?"

"Mhm... Oh, sorry about the mess. I was busy. I still haven't had time to unpack completely."

She just nodded and kept looking around. Tobio then remembered there were some things he hadn't told her yet. Because she would misunderstand. Or maybe she was just bent on convincing him—or herself—that he was a complete jerk. She was pretty successful with that too. That's why he didn't tell her yet. But she was smart enough to realize it on her own.

"Tobio, why are you in Rome? Why did you come here?"

"I told you I came here to find you..."

"And?"

"And I signed with Ali Roma."

"I should've known it wasn't truly about me. I'm just a signing bonus for you!"

"You're wrong! It was after! After I learned you're in Italy. I thought that if I was playing here, we would have a better chance—"

"Right, as if it wasn't because you always wanted to play in Europe."

"Well, I could have gone to France or Germany. Actually, I did have an offer from Poland," he said, getting defensive, "but I wanted to be where you are."