The Deer & The Owl [Haikyuu x OC]

August - II

The days were getting shorter again, Bokuto thought as he entered the gym and saw that they had already started to turn on the lights early in the morning.

He removed his gym bag from his forehead and went to greet the coach and the managers before heading to the locker room.

"Yukippe! Kaorin! Good morning!" he exclaimed cheerfully despite the hour "Oya? Hasn't

Nori-chin arrived yet? She's always on time lately!"

"Baka, it's her birthday today, don't you know that?" Yukie replied, holding back a yawn and leaning back over the notebook she was holding in her hand.

Kotaro's silence made her suspicious so she looked up curiously.

"Yes, that's right, today Nori is only coming to the afternoon training because the coach suggested that she take it easy and celebrate with her family." Kaori continued, noticing the lost look on their captain's face.

"Wait, don't tell me you forgot!" Yukie shouted, amused by the situation.

He was always the same idiot, not even remembering the birthday of the girl he liked, what an airhead, she thought, trying not to burst into laughter.

"Oh, good morning."

Keiji's voice seemed to shake Bokuto out of the cathartic state he had fallen into after the shock of that revelation.

"Akaaashiii!" he ranted, turning to face him "Why didn't you remind me that today is Nori-chan's birthday?"

"Bokuto-san, I tried to talk to you about it last week, but you stopped me immediately by saying that you couldn't forget it..." he replied, sighing at his surprised and guilty look.

Kotaro grabbed the gym bag left on the floor and shuffled down to the locker room, sighing disconsolately and cursing his bad memory.

He felt his cell phone vibrating in his pocket and forced himself to answer it.

"Oi, oi, oi, guess what I just did!"

"Kuroo, I'm not in the mood today..."

"Huh? What do you mean? Isn't today Nori-chan's birthday? Don't tell me you gave her a horrible present!"

Those words made Bokuto feel even more guilty and he sighed heavily in despair.

"Ah, so there's worse... you haven't forgotten that, have you?" Tetsuro exclaimed in surprise and then burst into a wild laugh.

"I'm going to hang up!" threatened Kotaro, not at all amused.

"No, no, okay, I'll stop!" he said, trying to compose himself "Come on, no need to make a big deal out of it, there's still time to wish her a happy birthday and make it up to her somehow. I just did, by the way..." he added with a provocative tone.

But he could tell from Bokuto's silence that this time, it was really serious.

"Okay, I understand. I'll give you a hand."

"Huh? And why do you want to help me?" Kotaro asked suspiciously.

"Don't you know? I've always been a nice person!"

*

Luckily I was almost there, I thought, relieved: between the cooler and the gym bag I felt really uncomfortable, and in my hurry I had forgotten to tie my hair, and now I felt my back wet and hot from the heat.

From the gym came the usual bustle, though strangely quieter than usual, I noticed as I crossed the threshold.

"Hello everyone!"