Sunshine...?

111

Yachi and Yamaguchi walk up to you as everyone gets ready to board the bus. They both have concerned looks on their faces, having been worried about you since the time you all went to the shrine together. You hadn't said much to anyone since then, and you tended to look down often. Everyone noticed a change, but the majority of them assumed it was because you were nervous about this upcoming tournament. Only those that went to the shrine with you knew what was bothering you.

Yamaguchi spoke first, being as gentle as possible. "Are you ok, L/n?"

Yachi furrowed her brows, keeping her voice quiet. "Is the fortune slip still bothering you?"

You slowly nod, looking at their faces. "I'm just worried something is going to happen. I've never felt such an intense feeling of fear before. And it just gets worse with each passing moment. I think something bad is gonna happen while we're in Tokyo."

"Like what?" Yachi looked about ready to have a heart attack.

You shrug. "I don't know, but it's just a feeling I'm having. Maybe everything will be fine, and I'm just worrying over nothing."

Yamaguchi hums. "It might not be nothing though. You shouldn't push aside your thoughts or feelings just because you don't want to concern anyone. Have you talked about this with Hinata?"

"Of course I have. He said it might not be much to worry about. Maybe I'm just letting one bad slip get to me. It could've just been an unlucky draw. Who knows, maybe I won't have anything bad happen at all." Without saying another word to them, you turn to the bus and start getting in.

Kiyoko stops you from getting on the steps. "Everything alright?"

"It'll be fine. I probably just need to sleep on the way to Tokyo."

The older girl sighs, shaking her head. "I know you're not the type to share everything that's going on with you, but just know that everyone in the club is here for you. You can always come to any of us if you have any concerns, or even a personal problem. Trust us a little. You never know when you're gonna need help." Without saying another word, she gets on the bus and settles into one of the seats.

You sigh, going up the stairs and finding a seat near the back of the bus. You lean your head against the window once you sit down. You glance outside, seeing the still dark sky. Even though you thought you had gotten plenty of sleep, you felt exhausted. Maybe you were stressing yourself out too much lately. You take a deep breath, closing your eyes. You decide it would be best to sleep for a while since it'll be a few hours before you arrive in Tokyo.

***

"Y/n, are you feeling alright? You still look really tired, even though you slept during the whole ride."

You look at the girl. "Hitoka, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. There's nothing to worry about."

Yachi sighs, looking at the ground. "I'll trust what you say. But if you ever feel like you can't deal with things anymore, you can always tell someone. We're all here for you, we can help as long as you talk to us."

You nod. "I know. If it's something  I feel should be brought up with everyone, I would do it. I just think I need to calm myself down. If I think negatively, then it's going to affect the team. I'm just gonna try to get myself back to normal. I promise that everything will be fine." You wished that you could believe those words, but a bad feeling settled deep within you and wasn't going to be going away any time soon.

With a heavy heart, you follow everyone else while carrying your belongings. You step into the inn you were all staying at for the duration of the tournament. You had been able to settle yourself into the room with the other managers, all of you occupying a certain space for yourselves while not getting in the way of the others. When everything had been done, you just wanted to lay down and rest for a while. But that wasn't an option you had been given.

Kiyoko looks over at you. "The guys want to make a quick trip to the stadium we'll be playing in. Even coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei are going. They want us to go as well, so we can get familiar with our surroundings."

Yachi hums, finishing up with organizing her things. "Ok. I'm ready to go. Are you all good to go, Y/n?"

You stretch, raising your arms high above your head. "As good as I'm going to be. How long is this trip gonna take?"

The black haired girl shrugs. "As long as everyone thinks is needed to get used to the area. We'll be taking a bus to get there and come back, then we need to be able to navigate around the stadium - both inside and out. It could take the rest of the day. I'm fairly sure that the adults are planning on having dinner once we get back."

You walk to the door of the room. "Then let's get going. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can bathe and go to sleep." You open the door and walk out, the others following close behind you.

"Oh, there you girls are. I was wondering if you were going to show up." Coach Ukai offers a small smile to you three, then turns back to the group of boys standing in front of him. "You all need to stay together. We can't afford to let any of you get lost since we're in the city. And don't wander off on your own, no matter what. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. You've got something to add onto that, teach?"

Takeda shakes his head. "No, I think that's just about everything. The only other thing I'd ask of you all is to be careful. Now is a sensitive time for us. The last thing any of us need or want right now is for anyone to get sick or hurt. Make sure to properly take care of yourselves. Your health always comes first, and we'll be careful in making decisions if there's a chance it'll affect your health."

Daichi smiled at the adults. "There's no need to worry about anyone here. We're excited to finally be taking part in the nationals, and there's no way we'd risk anything. We want to win, and we'll do whatever it takes to make sure we win."