𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆

The Game

The stadium was a little cold, even though it was packed with people. Yachi could barely breathe as the crowd waited in anticipation for the ball to hit the ground. But it never really did, the rally was long and all the players seemed exhausted. The crowd was unlike any football match or baseball game she had watched.

In football, the crowd usually cheers during goals or unexpected and sudden changes in gameplay. Volleyball crowds were a completely different breed. They all continued cheering, even though it was nearing the one-hour mark. It was the third set as well, so she understood the excitement and anticipation.

Still, it was quite cramped and she could start to hear her stomach grumble. Her father must've noticed, as he gave her a small tap on her shoulder.

"I'm going to get some snacks. Stay where you are and don't move, alright?" 

Yachi nodded absentmindedly, her eyes still glued to the game. Her father had never really been a huge fan of volleyball, but he was an avid sports fan. He had mistakenly put on a volleyball match on the television, and when Yachi made the mistake of taking an interest in it, he immediately bought them both tickets for an upcoming match not far from their town.

She feared that he thought she had found an interest in sports, but in reality, it was mostly the determination the players seemed to have that made her interested. They all fought so hard to keep the ball afloat, and seeing that made Yachi's heart flutter. She wanted to witness that feeling again, but this match had failed to do so. Instead of being able to enjoy the match, she was distracted by the large crowd, the cheering and shouting. It was also hard to watch any of the players when the second someone scored a point, everyone stood up, blocking her view.

Nice hair, Yachi thought as the man with spiky hair blocked her view once again. Should she move closer to the frontlines maybe?

With that thought in mind, she slowly pushed through the crowd, making her way to the front. It wasn't too hard, as most were polite enough to let a little girl pass, but some people were more stubborn.

"Excuse me?" Yachi said as she tapped the shoulder of a boy. He didn't seem to be much older than her, considering that he was only a little taller than her.

The boy turned around, and Yachi met his penetrating brown eyes. Wow. Never had she thought that brown eyes could ever be so captivating, but maybe it was because of the piercing look he gave her. His lips were slightly parted and quite supple. His hair was a boring shade of brown, and unlike his eyes, there was nothing about it that stood out to her. Still, he radiated a type of bewitching energy that Yachi was unfamiliar with. And oddly enough, he also seemed to be studying her face.

With a small turn of her lips, she found the courage to exclaim, "Hello! I'm Yachi. Could I please pass through?"

The boy looked a little dumbfounded, but eventually nodded, letting her pass. She could still feel his sharp gaze on her as she continued walking forward, only stopping once she stood before the cold railing. 

And what a sight it was. She could see everything more clearly, the players' faces, the leaps they took, and all of their attacks. The team her father was cheering for wore orange and black, while the opposite team wore blue and took a defending stance as another ball was thrown up in the air.

Yachi didn't know much about volleyball rules except that you shouldn't let the ball fall on the ground, so most of the moves they made were unfamiliar to her. Still, there was something admirable about the sheer force of the attacks and the amazing counterattacks the other team made. She could hear the loud booming sound the ball made every time a player connected the ball to his hand. It was thrilling, incredible, but also so terrifying.