Colours of the Snow | Yuki Ishikawa

7

Volleyball Nations League 2021

At 5 AM, I woke up. This event is taking all my energy. I've been really busy making sure everything goes smoothly and watching over the games that go on until late at night.

It's important to keep an eye out for everything that's happening. The people running the event are working hard to make sure everyone is safe. There are games happening almost every hour on both courts, and some of them don't finish until 9 PM. Because of this, I've been going to bed at midnight lately and haven't really been able to watch any of the games.

Even though we're in the same place, I haven't had the chance to meet up with Yuki yet. Looking back, maybe I should have just stayed in Milan and watched Japan's games online.

They won against the Netherlands yesterday, but I couldn't watch it. All I could do was call Yuki to say congrats.

The next morning, after getting ready at 6 AM, I saw a message from Yuki asking if I was up. I missed him a lot, so I called him right away.

He answered quickly, "That was fast, Eri,"

Hearing his voice made me happy and sad at the same time. "I miss you," I told him.

"I miss you too. How have you been? Can I come see you? I really want to," Yuki said.

"I have to report by 7 AM. If you come now, we can see each other for a bit. Hurry!" I exclaimed.

He had to go, so we ended the call. But that quick chat made me really look forward to seeing him.

I occupy this room alone. As coordinators, we constantly interact with different people in this bubble, so we need to be careful about preventing the spread of illness. That's why each of us has our own room for quick quarantine if needed.

Five minutes later, Yuki arrived. As I opened the door, he dashed towards me and enveloped me in a tight hug. We stood there, silently embracing each other before I finally spoke.

"How are you?" I asked, breathless and filled with anticipation.

"I'm good, but I've been worried about you," he said after I asked.

"I'm sorry. I've been really busy and we haven't talked much. But I've been following the news about you and your victory yesterday! Congratulations, Captain Ishikawa!" I greeted him enthusiastically.

He patted my head and smiled warmly. "Thank you, but I came here to check on you. Even though you might not see me, I'm always watching out for you."

I squinted my eyes at him, curious. "How? Were you stalking me?" I asked with a teasing tone. "What is Mr. Ishiwaka up to?"

He chuckled. "Mrs. Ishawaka, you didn't know you were all over the area—from the hotel's lobby, dining hall, and parking to the game venue courts."

"How did you manage to spot me?" I continued to ask.

"I just always find you. I guess my eyes are drawn to you," he said, winking mischievously.

"Elaborate, please," I insisted, curious about his tracking skills.

"Yesterday, I saw you at Rimini Fiera and at the hotel during dinner. You're always so easy to spot during mealtimes," he explained.

"I barely caught a glimpse of you once, and that's not fair," I playfully complained.

"I am indeed lucky." He hugged me again. "But please take care of yourself. You've been pushing yourself too hard, and I don't want anything wrong to happen to you—not when I cannot come to you immediately."