REACHING BEYOND THE NET

Unfinished Thoughts

The sound of my shoes against the pavement echoed in the quiet night as I walked away from the gym. Practice had gone well, better than expected, but my mind wasn't where it should've been. It wasn't on the game, the drills, or even the upcoming Olympic trials. No, it was somewhere else—stuck on someone else.

That boy... the one with the bright orange hair.

I couldn't stop thinking about him. It was strange, really. I had only seen him once, during that brief moment when he had measured me, yet his image was seared into my mind. His eyes, the way they lit up when he looked at the court, were filled with something I couldn't quite place. Admiration? Longing? There was a spark in them, something that caught me off guard.

I usually didn't get distracted like this. My focus had always been singular, sharp—volleyball was everything to me. It was what I was good at, what I was meant to do. But ever since I'd seen him, I couldn't help but wonder who he was, what his story was. There was something about him that intrigued me, something that pulled at me in a way I couldn't ignore.

As I reached the corner, I slowed down, lost in my thoughts. I had to snap out of this. I couldn't let some random guy mess with my head. I had bigger things to worry about—the Olympics were looming, and this was my chance to prove myself on the world stage. I couldn't afford to be distracted by... what? A crush? That's what it felt like, and it was ridiculous.

Still, the image of him lingered, his small frame standing out among the towering players he had been measuring. The way his hands had moved so carefully, so precisely, as if he knew exactly what he was doing. There was a sadness in his eyes, though, something that didn't quite match the enthusiasm he seemed to have for the sport. It was like he wanted to be on the court, but something was holding him back.

I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts. I needed to focus. Tomorrow's practice was going to be even more intense, and I couldn't let myself get distracted. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept circling back to him. I didn't even know his name, and yet...

"Hey, Kageyama!"

The voice snapped me out of my reverie. I looked up to see Bokuto jogging toward me, his usual wide grin plastered across his face. "You heading back to the dorms?"

"Yeah," I replied, forcing myself to sound more engaged. "You?"

"Same here. Mind if I walk with you?"

"Sure."

We fell into step together, Bokuto's cheerful presence a stark contrast to the quiet tension that had been gnawing at me all evening. I tried to focus on what he was saying—something about a new move he was working on—but my mind kept drifting back to the orange-haired boy.

"...and then I was like, 'Bokuto, you've gotta go all out!' You know what I mean?"

I blinked, realizing I hadn't been listening at all. "Uh, yeah. Definitely."

Bokuto laughed, clearly not noticing my distraction. "Man, I can't wait for tomorrow's scrimmage. We're gonna crush it!"

"Yeah," I muttered, my voice lacking the usual enthusiasm. "Should be good."

Bokuto paused, glancing at me sideways. "You okay, Kageyama? You seem kinda... off."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, trying to shake the unease that had settled over me. "Just tired, I guess."

He nodded, accepting the answer without further question. "Yeah, I get that. We've all been pushing pretty hard lately. But it's worth it, right? The Olympics, man! It's gonna be epic!"

"Yeah... epic."

Bokuto continued to talk, but his words were background noise, my thoughts once again drifting. I needed to see that boy again, if only to get him out of my head. Maybe if I talked to him, learned a bit more about him, this strange fixation would go away. It had to, because I couldn't afford to be distracted like this.

When we finally reached the dorms, I said a quick goodnight to Bokuto and headed to my room. As I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, I knew sleep wouldn't come easily. My mind was too restless, too full of unfinished thoughts.

Who was he? And why did he have such an effect on me?

Tomorrow, I told myself. Tomorrow, I'll find out more about him. Maybe then I'll be able to focus again.

But as I closed my eyes, his image was still there, bright and vivid, and I knew that until I saw him again, he wouldn't be leaving my thoughts anytime soon.