The Enduring Libero

Chapter 6

I was shaken awake the next day by Kyoko. She kindly informed me that I had ten minutes to get to breakfast before it was cleaned up, and that they were sorry they had forgotten to get me. I jumped out of bed faster than she was probably expecting, and dashed to a bathroom. It took me two minutes to pull on sweatpants and a hoodie, and another two to get down the stairs. My curly hair puffed out and flew wildly around as I leapt down three steps and skirted around a few guys walking down the stairs. I must have looked silly, because I heard one of them snicker as I passed.

As my sneakers hit the ground I decided to ignore them, food was more important. I didn't pass many more people as I ran, eventually making it to the cafeteria with three minutes to spare. Inside there were only a few people sitting at the tables, and, thank goodness, there was still food. I hurriedly grabbed some of the meal and turned, scanning the tables to find a spot to sit. Most of the players were into the game enough to already be in the gym, but a few guys who enjoyed a little something called sleep, were still at the tables eating. I spotted one member of my own team surprisingly still at a table. After a moment of thought I went over and sat across from him.

He looked a bit bedraggled, which probably meant he had overslept. Nishinoya's hair was pointed as usual, but there were a few clumps sticking out in different areas. He definitely didn't look as bad as I probably did. When I sat down he jumped.

"Sorry." I greeted, trying to push aside my puffed hair. It was useless, so I just gave up and started eating my rice. I was suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I'm surprised you're here."

He blinked and then shrugged. "S-slept in."

I politely ignored the stuttering, feeling fairly certain that I had bothered him. "Uh sorry again." I mumbled, shoveling the food in faster. Yes, it was not pretty, but I felt too uncomfortable to care. I should have sat somewhere else. My misgivings deepened as my mind flashed to the previous day, staring up into his eyes. I choked on the rice. My breakfast partner jumped again, but I hardly noticed due to the slow death I was experiencing. All might not have been well if I hadn't grabbed my cup of water. I downed the liquid quickly, and put both hands on the table, trying to support myself.

"Are you okay?" Nishinoya asked, looking both panicked and unsure.

I waved my hand, trying to catch my breath. "No, no I'm fine." I exhaled and pushed aside my hair. At least the choking had taken away the possibility of blushing. "I'm sorry about that."

He smiled uneasily. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault for choking. But maybe you should be a little slower while eating."

I glanced at the rest of my food. "Um, maybe." I carefully stacked the dropped chopped sticks on the tray. "I think I'll save that advice for lunch." Hurriedly I stood up. Thankfully he still had food. I bowed slightly, speaking quickly. "Thanks for keeping me company."

"Uh, sure?" He blinked but I quickly swung around and darted forward. I basically ran out of the cafeteria, dropping the unfinished food in a trashcan as I exited. What was it about that guy that made my confidence slip through the drain? It was like all I could do was blush when I was around him. Pull yourself together! I thought as I climbed the stairs back up to the dorms. It was probably just leftover uneasiness from the coach's offer, right? That was the only explanation I could come up with as I entered the sleeping area. I mean, why else? He was a friendly guy, from what I had seen. But in truth, I really didn't know him that well.

"Let's just focus on volleyball," I muttered under my breath as I began to braid the untamed hair. "That will take my mind off everything."

The rest of the day was the same as the first, with only one difference. I sat on the bench next to Coach the entire time, writing down my notes and trying my best to be unnoticed. At first I was a little uncomfortable, because I had turned down the Coach's offer, but he didn't seem offended. The day was so much the same that I almost felt like I could be bored if I wanted to be. Of course, that changed when our team started playing Nekoma.