BOOKS AND BALLS - SAKUSA.K

CHAPTER 1

Yasue walked to school with her nose tucked into a thick textbook. Their mock exams were around the corner and her parents were starting to pressure her even more to get the perfect grades that she regularly achieves. She had barely any acknowledgment for the world around her, making a very dangerous situation for herself. Luckily everyone in the neighborhood knew her and always looked out for the young girl.

This happens to be the one time that no one was there to help her as she crossed the road. Her brain was too absorbed with the subject to acknowledge the car driving towards her on the road. She finally heard the engine and looked up only to see the car close to her. Yasue was about to try and get out of the way but before she could there was a grip on the back of her cardigan. There was a tug and she jolted backward before turning round and looking at the person who had helped her. There she saw that she was helped by their aloof outside hitter and ace. 

Yasue looked up at the male silently before turning round and bowing. He slightly tilted his head back before continuing across the road on his way to the school. She quickly crossed the road behind him before looking back down at her book and making her way to the school. As she walked through the gates she heard the usual chatters amongst the students arriving for their club activities. She had picked up a habit of walking early for clubs from her previous years that she continued as it would help her get more studying in. She was walking towards her classroom when she bumped into someone. Looking up there was the tall frame of one of the regulars on the volleyball team.

He smiled at her before quickly apologising and moving to the side. Yasue smiled back at the tall male thanking him before continuing to walk with her nose dug into the book. The library was empty since people only ever came in this early for clubs, meaning that she had the whole place to herself.

Walking over to a table in the corner of the library that was surrounded by the shelves she put her bag onto the table and sat down. Pulling out her notepad she skipped to the next free page available before starting to copy out the passages on English literature. She was doing this for the better part of ten minutes before there was a sudden commotion at the front of the library. Normally she would have ignored the noise as ignorant people not respecting the library but for some reason, she felt compelled to check on who was making all of the noise. Akemi tried to do it as discreetly as possible. While peeking over her book she spotted a group of boys walking further into the library. She very quickly realised it was the volleyball club when she met the eyes of Sakusa.

Quickly dipping her head down she quickly went back to writing her notes, trying not to take another peak over at the ruckus boys. If Yasue had taken a peak over she would have seen a particular male also trying not to keep looking over at her, much to his friend's delight. The two of them just sat there awkwardly trying to accomplish what they were there for. He was there to try and relax since they had a canceled practice and she was trying to get even more ahead of the class. Silence would have suited them both, yet it was something unachievable with the other boys in the room. Sakusa just wanted to go home already, yet there was still a full day ahead of him.

Yasue stood up just before the bell went and started to gather her books. She quickly walked by the table the volleyball boys were sitting at, unknowingly grabbing their attention. After she left the room the boys turned round to Sakusa who still had his eyes glued to the door. They all looked at each other knowing that their quiet ace has gotten interested in someone. 

Yasue managed to make her way to class without bumping into anyone, seeing as she didn't have her face in a book this time. She managed to get to her seat before a bunch of girls walked over to her.

"Yasue! Do you have any notes we could borrow, we realised ours from yesterday weren't good enough!" One of the girls shrieked with her hand out, taking it for granted that Akemi would give her the notes.

All Yasue did was put her hand into her bag and handed the notes over, not even facing the poorly mannered-girl. The other just smacked her chewing gum and walked off, not even giving her a thank you. But Yasue already knew that she wasn't going to get those notes back, that being the reason why she was trying to memorise them earlier. The teacher soon came into the classroom and their lesson got underway.

It had gotten to lunchtime and she was still trying to finish writing her notes when she heard a bunch of her classmates walk back into the classroom. There were three of them, one of them having to be comforted by the other two. She seemed to be deeply upset by something which nearly made Akemi want to go over and help comfort her. But the girl's next sentence made Yasue lose all sense of sympathy for the girl.

"He never even looked at me. You know that I only became the manager so I could talk with him and he never even accepted the water bottles I gave him!" She wailed before falling back into her friend's arms.

All Yasue could think about was how pathetic this girl was for thinking that someone owed her their recognition just because she wanted it. Yasue wanted to go and tell the girl her thoughts but decided it would be better if she was to stand up and leave the classroom. So as Yasue got her stuff together and headed for the door the three girls finally realised they weren't alone and started to make their way towards her with scowls on their faces. Yasue's only thoughts were: please save me.