Never the Same

Chapter 2

Sitting on the school's travel bus, the team was on their way back to their school. Kaito had been stuck thinking about what the trainer had said. He was concerned with the state of his knee, the excessive swelling, and comments about potentially needing to see a doctor for X-rays.

What makes things worse is that since he took so long to get on the bus to get home in the first place, his coach had gone to find him. He had stomped on his way over and made a huge scene in front of the team that stayed with him while waiting for the trainer to finish.

His coach's face had been puffy and flushed, anger oozing out of their entire being. Nobody deserved to be waited for, an idea instilled in the players since their first year. Kaito making the team wait, furthered by the loss because of him, fueled the coach in his screaming.

Mortified when it happened, Kaito shrunk further to the ground the more his coach yelled about his performance and attitude. His eyebrows creased together, trying to ignore the humiliation that burned in his throat as his coach forced the trainer to stop looking at him. It was like he was being punished, for seeking assistance.

Overall, the day had been a complete fail, and Kaito wanted it to all be over. With plans of getting his brother to buy take-out someplace and then spending the rest of the day on the couch watching movies, Kaito was prepared for the day to end.

Hearing the bus signal, Kaito looked outside and watched as the school grounds passed by slowly. The bus was driving in the direction of the gymnasium, being ordered to drop the students off there, rather than the school entrance. A few seconds later, the bus came to a jerking stop. It had parked between the doorway and the sidewalk that led to the rest of the school.

Nobody said anything as they stood up and gathered their things. Kaito held tightly onto the seat in front of him, using it as a crutch. He didn't have much with him, only the sports bag that held limited gear.

~~~

Two weeks have passed since the game, and Kaito is stuck waiting for MRI reports of what is happening with his knee. Kaito had tried to get in touch with his parents, needing a guardian to receive medical treatment. Though, every time he called the call went straight to voicemail. Texting wasn't any better, being left on delivered for days on end.

He had eventually given up, deciding to try his luck with his older sister, Miwa. Luckily, she had picked up the second phone call and came relatively quickly. It is because of Miwa that Kaito is allowed to schedule and go to appointments by himself. All she needed to do was sign off on some papers and then she could head back to Tokyo.

Now that he has done these things, all he is supposed to do is wait for the reports and prep for physical therapy. He is supposed to start in two weeks, giving his knee time to get the swelling down.

As if these changes can't stop occurring rapidly, Kaito has also realized that throughout the day of the game, he managed to meet his soulmate. Through these two weeks, his emotions have gone haywire, feeling emotions that he knew were not his own. He had concluded that the person had to have been in the gym when he was looking for the trainer.

They had to have been one of the people he managed to bump into in the short period, needing to have one of them say something for the bond to have formed. Also, he had strange bruises show up that day, indicating that they were in some type of game setting, knowing very well that bruises are caused by playing volleyball.

Kaito is almost positive that he met his soulmate during the inter-high qualifiers. Unless it was their bus driver, there was no reason for it not to be.

If Kaito is being honest, he would prefer if the bus driver was his soulmate, because it would be easier to avoid him. If his soulmate was someone at the qualifiers, there is a possibility of running into the other during the spring tournament or next year. It is a possibility he doesn't want to think about. He feels guilty for the injuries that the other must have had in the past.

Kaito knows he is prone to injuries and bruises that come with the territory of the sport. But it always seemed he gets more bruises and serious injuries compared to the other person in the soul bond. More properly, persons.

He wasn't stupid. It was not a coincidence for Suga and Daichi to have pain in the same knee, at the same time. Based on how the two acted around each other, it is clear they are soulmates.

Plus, it seemed as if Suga knew as well when Kaito had started to hold his knee. That was the reason the boy had come up to him, wanting to know if he was injured. It is plausible that Suga had put everything together, especially since he had been about to ask for his phone number before Kaito's coach interrupted.

Shaking himself out of his spiraling thoughts, Kaito slung his backpack over his shoulder and made his way to the door.

"Tobio! I left food for you in the microwave! Don't be late for school," he shouted down the hall into the rest of the house. His brother was in the bathroom, getting ready for his practice and school day.

Not waiting for a response, Kaito made his way out the door and started his slow trek to the bus station. Morning practices were never fun with how early he needed to leave to be on time. A fact that has worsened is now that he does nothing the entire practice besides getting in trouble with the coach for not being useful enough.

Playing music on his phone, Kaito taps his leg to the beat trying not to think about what the doctor is going to say to him tomorrow. Either he is getting cleared within another week or two, or the injury is just as they thought. A meniscus tear, a possibility that makes Kaito anxious even thinking about it.

As the bus rolls up, Kaito gives an apology to his soulmates. It wasn't as if they would hear the apology, but it still makes Kaito feel better.

'Sorry for the anxious feeling so early in the morning.'

Quickly getting on the bus, and scanning his ticket, Kaito finds the first open seat and sits down, waiting for his destination.