Lavender | Wakatoshi Ushijima

54 | Pages

"It's your turn to pick tonight," Hana tells her father.

Summer has finally arrived. Final exams have concluded a while ago, and the season has arrived to bless their nights.

High school is over. Shiratorizawa Academy is now a piece of the past.

There was a little graduation ceremony for the third years, nothing remarkable. It ended with the third years snapping photos together. The volleyball team took a dozen photos too.

She had helped them all improve with their skills, helped refill water bottles, and grabbed snacks secretly. Motivating those who had felt low, she was missed dearly when she was away. They considered her like a co-manager with Kiyo, who loved having her best friend on the job with her.

Hana spent the last few weeks with the team before the third years all waved the underclassmen an emotional goodbye, tears running down their faces as they held their certificates.

Goshiki and Suzuki, her personal favorites, were holding back their tears as she wished them the best, and made them promise not to fight so gruesomely over the captain position when their turns would arrive. Also making them promise they'd never forget her. She herself had to laugh off the tears. They had grown so much. She ruffled through their hair at the same time, a gesture of endearment. They bowed to her and made the promises, looking at her like she's an older sister.

Wakatoshi entrusted the team to Goshiki with a brotherly pat on the back. Internally, he was gloomy. This chapter in his life, the one that has given him the head start to his dreams, has come to a close. Shiratorizawa's history-making ace is ready to embark on his journey with education and joining an external team, no longer bound to practices after school.

He has to retire his position and his nickname that echoed off the walls of the auditorium, 'ace.' His face and name were on photos and trophies in the school's award closet. He was still around, somehow. He hoped the name would stick around, but it won't be the same. He'll be hitting tosses from a new setter, he'll have new teammates.

But he had Hana, the girl who took his hand and led him through the dark stage of this journey. The girl who saved him. She was more than enough, all that he could ever desire.

An element of his past, and certainly, an element of his future.

All of those practices, talks with Coach Washijo about colleges and programs, breaking up fights (wars, really) between the first and second years, out-of-town tournaments when the underclassmen would stay up snacking and watching matches, midnight group chat texts, nationals, and that trip to the beach. They're all on pages, now folded into the book of school memories.

The trip that was so independent, outgoing, and so much fun. Freedom, that's what it was. Teenagers exploring freedom and naïvety. Carelessness. The trip he suggested to repeat again before the third years all take off for college.

The third years went down to the city that same day and strolled around, certificates and scrolls in hand, eating lots of food and having some well-earned fun. They bought matching Sanrio keychains, the epitome of childhood. College acceptances would come out soon, their paths still undetermined. But, that night, that carefree night, they went all out. Hyotan-Age, ramen, Suzume Manju, mochi, Sankaku Jogi, matcha soft serve, Taiyaki. They bought snacks to share and ate them all at a little pond. Memorable and hilarious.

Hana is taking it easy now, making up for lost time with her parents. Reminiscing about school, nostalgia everywhere. Cleaning her uniform for the final time.

"Let's stay in and cook tonight," her father replies calmly.

As they begin preparing, Hana updates her mother. It's odd at first, but she listens wholeheartedly to her smitten teenage daughter describing her fairy tale relationship happily. She tells her about the stunning bouquet Wakatoshi made for her when she won the poetry competition, and the fun she had with her friends upon trying the new bubble tea place. Yusho had accidentally dropped his cup, flat on the sidewalk.