Electric Hearts! [Hoshiumi Kourai]

The Party

November, 2018

Mikura Oriental Hotel, one of Japan's largest and most highly regarded establishments. The HNN Foundation situation from last year had drummed up a lot of controversy. and the stock prices of most of their subsidiaries had dropped as a result, but the global chain hotel had managed to deflect most of the heat, the hotel president pulling out all stops to keep the reputation and service of the hotel in tip-top shape.

"The President is a fan of volleyball?!" Hoshiumi first heard the news from one of the assistant coaches, Coach Kiyama. He was a little high-strung compared to Head Coach Suzaku, who was known to be rather laid back. "And he wants to host a party?! For us and MSBY?!"

It was impossible to have missed how Kiyama's voice pitched in excitement, even from the other side of the room. The Adlers were eating dinner in their compound's dining quarters, having wrapped up a practice match with VC Kanagawa a few hours ago. Despite Kiyama's attempt at whispering, his words were like a nuclear bomb dropped in the room.

Hoshiumi studied Ushijima's face—his taller teammate was seated directly opposite him—and found that he reacted exactly like how Hoshiumi had expected to react. That is, to say, he did not react at all. Merely paused in chewing his peas before resuming and swallowing. Adjacent to Ushijima was Romero, who was glancing between the two of them, waiting for them to translate what they'd just heard.

"Well?" Romero prompted in English when neither of them said anything, unable to hide his grin completely. "It's good news, right?! Is event? I bring my son, Rubens?"

"Ah," Hoshiumi said, finally, in his half-assed English. "I don't think so. Not a child event."

Ushijima opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. He looked rather constipated, as if he didn't have the words to express what he wanted to say. Hoshiumi and Romero both leaned in, eager to hear his wisdom. In the end, Ushijima just said: "Beer."

"There's alcohol at the event!" surmised Romero. "Adults only!"

Ushijima nodded, firmly. "Adults only."

"I just got an email!" Kiyama yelled, rice stuck to his chin. "Everyone gather around!"

"This ought to be good," chuckled Suzaku as all the players, eyes round with intrigue, shuffled into a tightly packed huddle around the coaches' table to read the message off Kiyama's padlet.

"Everyone is given one ticket and two plus-one invitations," Kiyama paraphrased, scanning the screen with his hawk-like gaze. "That means you can bring your wives and girlfriends along!"

Two plus-ones... Well, one of them would go to Yumika. That was a given.

Ah, shit, Yumika.

Hoshiumi exhaled sharply, air hissing between his teeth. He hadn't checked his phone all day, too busy with training for the upcoming start of the season—she was sure to be upset at him for ignoring her.

"You okay?" asked Romero, using one of the few Japanese phrases he knew.

"Fine. Girlfriend stuff."

They hit the showers after dinner, Hoshiumi one of the first to wash up. Some teammates were still hitting a ball around in the courts when Hoshiumi emerged from the showers, water dripping off the ends of his downy, feather-like hair and a large white tee hanging off his frame. His eyes were glued to his phone, a long-suffering sigh escaping from him. Several messages—not just from Yumika, but from nosy tabloid reporters and rabid fans on his Picstagram DMs. I should really turn my notifications off, it's draining my battery. He always thought that, but never did—not when Yumika's primary form of messaging him was through Picstagram. He decided to read his girlfriend's first.