"Atsumu, will you please open this door?" Kiyoomi begged as he tried turning the knob again.
Kiyoomi received nothing but silence and all he could do was sigh.
"How long are you going to keep doing this, Tsumu?" he asked calmly, pleadingly wishing that the setter would soon open up not only the door but himself as well.
~Earlier~
"Atsumu, I wonder why Osamu chose a different career from yours. You know, he got so much potential in him--" Inunaki just commented mindlessly. It was just a question out of curiosity, not malicious at all.
It was their usual break and cool down time, and he was sitting next to their official setter. He just asked since he saw Atsumu's tumbler with a sticker of the Onigiri Miya's logo.
But, it took a while before the blonde setter was able to respond.
Atsumu knew that Osamu was better than he is- better at everything. He just doesn't want other people to pity him for feeling inferior compared to his twin. Atsumu frowned a little realizing that this conversation will probably not be different from the rest of talks about him and Osamu. He smiled bitterly at himself. He's used to it.
(Personally as a person, it's painful when people say they are used to something-- like come what may, it's always like that, I'm used to it anyway... Like... who's getting used to pain? That's terrible! Sorry, just got personally involved. 😅 )
He may not be able to see it, but Kiyoomi, Bokuto, and Hinata realized the sudden change in the atmosphere around Atsumu when Osamu was mentioned.
Atsumu doesn't hate his brother. But somewhere inside him feels terrible about being second to him. It hurts to be compared to your siblings, it hurts to rank second for someone who has always been good at things they are doing. It hurts to be unappreciated by your parents, and it kills Atsumu inside when people around them make him feel unnecessary since Osamu was enough-- more than enough, to be a spiker or even as a setter.
What Atsumu learns from all these experiences is his defense mechanism. To smile-- fake it until his heart is screaming in pain--
"Atsumu?" Inunaki called him, breaking the trance in which the setter was completely engulfed.
"'Samu... loves what he is doing." he replied.
"Why look for someone who isn't even 'ere? It's annoyin'" he spoke loudly. It was supposed to be subconscious... It was supposed to stay inside his head.
Now that he spoke it out, everyone was staring at him.
"I... I'm s'rry! Izznot what it sounds like--"
"Someone's jealous of his twin!" Barnes commented teasingly with small chuckle.
Atsumu froze.
That's right. That's probably the right term.. Atsumu thought as he bit his bottom lip, trying his best not to cry.
I need a comeback... I need to say something.. I need to--
"Hey. Stop--" Kiyoomi tried to intervene but Bokuto held his arm stopping him. The owl head shook his head
"Sakkun... Let Tsumu handle this." he whispered
Hinata just looked away a little, sadness evident on his face.
"He clearly can't handle it--" he tried to oppose but fell silent when the setter replied with an ice cold tone.
