The Deer & The Owl [Haikyuu x OC]

September - II

Coach Yamiji's whistle echoed across the court, followed by a chorus of tired sighs and exclamations, soon joined by Bokuto's protests that he wanted to go on a little longer.

"Huh? Another set?! But it's so late and I'm starving!" cried Konoha, lying on the floor, trying to catch his breath from the friendly match that had just ended.

"Doesn't he ever get tired?" grumbled Komi, catching the water bottle thrown by Kaori.

"Ah, leave him alone, you know he stays high for days after playing with Nekoma!" Sarukui said, taking the towel I handed him.

I looked at Kotaro, who was busy stretching and torturing Akaashi, and felt a twinge in my chest.

Two weeks had passed since I had fallen ill: the day after my absence, Bokuto had returned to his normal behavior, so much so that I thought I had dreamed it all, including the words with which I had tried to apologize and make it up to him.

"Hey, you guys look really tired today, did I overdo it?" exclaimed Kotaro, trotting up to the rest of the team who were looking at him with a scowl "Oh Yukippe! Are there any more of those delicious taiyaki you bought the other day?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Are you kidding me?! You ate them all yesterday morning! And you even dared to say it wasn't true, with your face all smeared with anko!" she ranted, slamming her notebook down on his head "I couldn't even taste one!"

"Me neither!"

"Bokuto-san, you're always the same!!!"

Komi and Konoha added, looking at him grimly and resentfully.

"If you want, I'll just pop in and grab a few.... " I suggested, trying to lift the team's spirits a bit.

"Nori-chan! Are you serious?"

Yukie looked at me with a twinkle in her eye: when it came to food, she was easy to buy, I thought with a smile.

I put on my sweatshirt and grabbed my school bag, but when I was almost out of the gym, I heard myself called.

"Wait! Take Bokuto with you, so you don't have to carry too much!" Kaori shouted, while behind her, Akaashi and Sarukui pushed an annoyed Kotaro, who was grumbling in despair about being removed from the court.

During the short walk to the konbini, I tried to make conversation to break the unbearable silence that had recently fallen between us. I realized that the roles had been comically reversed, and I had become the one who was now babbling nonsense, while Bokuto would simply reply, but without the emphasis and liveliness that had always characterized him.

It seemed as if he was holding back, so much so that he would sometimes interrupt himself for no reason, as if he realized he had said too much or gone too far.

"Oya? Nori-chin, these yakisoba sandwiches are on sale! And check out this big pack of soy sauce senbei! Waah, these grape gummies are so good! Anahori-kun made me try them a while ago!" exclaimed Kotaro, who came towards me like a tornado, his arms full of snacks.

"Can I have them?" he asked me with a pleading look.

I looked at him, holding back a laugh, wondering if the boy in front of me was really a six-foot-two high school student and not a child in disguise.

"We can't take them all! Just pick one, the one you like best!" I replied, playing along and acting like a strict mother.

"Only one?!" he protested and then stood there staring at all the products in his hands, his face focused and tense from the difficult decision he had to make.