Monochromatic: Haikyuu Fanfic

Chapter: 32: Wait

[I'll be there by nine. At the square, right?]

[Yep! I'll be waiting!]

Umeko was already at the bench of the meet up place, thirty minutes early to her mother's arrival. Her gloved hands fumble to reply to her text message, smiling down on the screen before pressing send.

Town square in Miyagi was bright in the chilly night of christmas eve: children strolling with their family, some throwing snowballs, and there were certainly couples. Couples of all ages - some are in awkward puppy love, some shy ones, and most certainly elderly ones.

It was this only time in the year where people are at their happiest, from the way their eyes light up to their smiles. Goofy children, closest friends, loving family, warm couples - everyone was happy. And so is she.

She huffed, and her breath fogged the cool air in swirls. Her neck strained up at the park clocktower above her tick to nine.

It was then she began to look for her mother's face in the crowd, but it was hard. Brown hair, average height - the only thing to tell her apart is her face. Her features is delicate, soft and gentle. Fukui's eyes began to sting with sleepiness - she couldn't sleep last night because of this. She blinked hard and propped her elbow on the bench's arm rest, leaning her cheek against her hand. She checked the tower again. It's ten minutes past nine.

She must be running late, Umeko thought.

And so she stares blankly into the crowd of people passing by, searching.

She waited,

and waited,

...and waited.

Eventually, the colors of the around her - the white of snow, black coats, red and green lights - blurred at the corners of her vision and blobs, hazy. And then it slowly fades to black. The chattering of passerbys ceased and the world goes silent.

And so here we are now.

She feels a hard nudge on her shoulder, and hears a muffled voice - familliar and stubborn.

"...Ume-chan! Ume-chan! Ume-chaaaaaaaaaaan!" The voice drags on.

Fukui groans, eyes squinting to focus in the bright lights, and everything is noisy again, She blinks dumbly at the boy before her before wiping the dried (and frozen) drool that trailed down the side of her cheek.

The blurry figure before her is familliar - those curly hair tufts, coffee brown eyes and... And then she realizes who it is with a ding.

"Oikawa," she rasps weakly, and she's surprised at how raw and ragged her throat is, "w... what are you doing here...?"

"What am I doing here?" Oikawa says a but increduously, and he's almost mad, and Fukui seems taken aback by his tone.

"What are you doing here? Falling alseep while you wait for your mom in the cold? Look at you, you're sick! I thought you were kidnapped by a creepy old man!"

Fukui's still mildly shocked to see Oikawa so stern - to think someone carefree like Oikawa would worry ... and to her...She would never think anyone would be riled up at her recklessness except for her mother - it was oddly comforting, but still she sighs.

"Look Oikawa," Fukui says calmly, "you should go home. I have to meet my mom - she should be here in a couple minutes, I bet."

"It's almost eleven thirty." Oikawa deadpans, and Fukui thinks he's out of his mind.