REACHING BEYOND THE NET

A Night To Forget

I hadn't seen Suga, Tendou, or Terushima in months. With work piling up and my therapist suggesting I take more time for myself, I figured a night out with friends might be exactly what I needed. It was supposed to be a chance to unwind, to forget about the pressures of my job and the lingering thoughts that kept me up at night.

But as I walked into the dimly lit bar where we'd agreed to meet, I felt a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach. I hadn't really hung out with them since... well, since everything had happened with Atsumu. The thought of him sent a shiver down my spine, and I tried to push it away. Tonight wasn't about that. Tonight was about having fun, about letting loose.

"There he is!" Suga's voice cut through the low hum of conversation, and I spotted him waving me over from a booth near the back. He looked the same as ever—bright-eyed, with a mischievous grin that hinted at trouble. Tendou and Terushima were already there, deep in conversation, each with a drink in hand.

"Hey, guys," I greeted them, sliding into the booth. The smell of smoke was thick in the air, and I noticed the ashtray on the table was already half-full.

"Shoyo!" Tendou exclaimed, slapping me on the back. "Long time no see, man! What's been keeping you so busy?"

"Work," I replied with a shrug. "You know how it is."

"Yeah, well, you're here now," Terushima said, pushing a drink toward me. "So relax and have some fun."

I hesitated, eyeing the glass. It was filled with something dark and strong-smelling, the kind of drink that would hit hard and fast. I wasn't much of a drinker, but I didn't want to seem like a buzzkill.

"Come on, Shoyo," Suga encouraged, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag. "You deserve to let loose for once. We all do."

Before I could think too much about it, I picked up the glass and took a sip. The alcohol burned as it went down, but I forced a smile and tried to ignore the warmth spreading through my chest.

The night quickly turned into a blur of laughter, smoke, and more drinks. I lost count of how many glasses I'd emptied, each one dulling my senses a little more. Tendou and Terushima were chain-smoking, filling the air with a haze that made my head spin, while Suga kept refilling my drink every time I set it down.

I wasn't sure when I started to feel the effects, but at some point, the world around me became soft and fuzzy, the edges of reality blurring into a strange, dreamlike state. My thoughts, usually so clear and sharp, were now muddled, drifting in and out of focus.

"Shoyo, you okay?" Tendou asked, his voice sounding distant, like it was coming from underwater.

"Yeah," I slurred, leaning heavily against the back of the booth. "Just... tired, I guess."

Suga chuckled, blowing out a puff of smoke. "Lightweight."

I tried to protest, but the words got lost somewhere between my brain and my mouth. My head was spinning, and I felt like I was floating, detached from everything around me. It wasn't a bad feeling, exactly, but it was unsettling.

"Here, have another," Terushima said, pushing yet another drink into my hand.

I took a sip, not even tasting it anymore. Everything was spinning faster now, the lights, the sounds, my own thoughts. I knew I should stop, that I'd had too much, but I couldn't bring myself to care. For the first time in a long time, I wasn't thinking about Atsumu, or Kageyama, or my job, or my height. I wasn't thinking about anything.

"Let's get out of here," Suga suggested, stubbing out his cigarette. "This place is getting boring."

The next thing I knew, we were stumbling out of the bar and onto the street. The cool night air hit me like a slap in the face, but it did nothing to clear the fog in my head. I could barely walk straight, and I had to lean on Tendou to keep from falling over.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my words slurred and barely coherent.

"Back to my place," Terushima replied, his arm around my shoulders as he steered me down the sidewalk. "We'll keep the party going."

I nodded, though I wasn't sure I could handle much more. The alcohol was hitting me harder than I'd expected, and I felt like I was teetering on the edge of losing control completely. But I didn't want to be the one to ruin the night, so I kept my mouth shut and let them lead me.

By the time we reached Terushima's apartment, I was barely holding it together. Everything was spinning, and my thoughts were a jumbled mess. I couldn't even focus on what the others were saying, their voices blending into a cacophony of noise that made my head ache.

"Shoyo, you look like you're about to pass out," Suga said, his tone somewhere between amused and concerned.

"I'm fine," I insisted, though the room was spinning so fast I could barely see straight.

"Yeah, sure you are," Tendou said, helping me to the couch. "Just sit down before you fall over."

I collapsed onto the couch, my head falling back against the cushions. The room was still spinning, and I closed my eyes, hoping it would help. But instead of calming down, everything seemed to get worse. The alcohol was making me sick, the nausea creeping up on me like a tidal wave.

"I think... I need to go home," I mumbled, though I wasn't sure if anyone heard me.

"You're not going anywhere like this," Terushima said, handing me a glass of water. "Drink this. You'll feel better."

I took a sip, but it didn't help. The nausea was getting stronger, and I could feel the panic rising in my chest. I wasn't in control anymore, and it terrified me.

"I... I need to lie down," I said, my voice shaking.

"Yeah, okay," Tendou said, guiding me to a spare bedroom. "You can crash here for the night."

I barely made it to the bed before the world went black.

When I woke up the next morning, the headache was so intense it felt like my skull was splitting open. My mouth was dry, and my stomach churned with a sick, queasy feeling that made me groan. I had no idea where I was, and for a moment, panic set in.

But then the events of the previous night came rushing back, and I buried my face in the pillow, ashamed. What had I been thinking? I wasn't a heavy drinker, and now I was paying the price. Worse, I knew that my therapist would have a field day with this—if I even told her, which I wasn't sure I could bring myself to do.

I forced myself to sit up, the room spinning slightly as I did. I was still in Terushima's apartment, in the spare room he'd let me crash in. The place was a mess, clothes and random items strewn everywhere. The faint smell of smoke lingered in the air, and I could hear voices coming from the other room.

I needed to get out of here. I couldn't face the others, not after making such a fool of myself. The memories of the night were hazy, but I remembered enough to know that I'd been a mess.

I stumbled out of bed, grabbing my things and slipping out of the apartment as quietly as I could. The sunlight outside was harsh, and I winced as it hit my eyes. My head was pounding, and I felt like I was going to be sick again.

As I made my way home, I couldn't stop thinking about how badly I'd messed up. My therapist had been right—I wasn't dealing with things properly. I was running away, hiding behind bad decisions and temporary distractions.

And now I was paying the price.

I knew I needed to get my life together, to stop letting the past control me. But as I walked home, feeling like I was going to throw up with every step, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd ever really be able to move on.