Tsuki-Dayo

Thirty | 三十

Thirty

Tsukishima held onto the gray plastic handrail as the train started to move once more. The voice in the announcement was muffled up by light conversations in the moving train. He shifted to find a more comfortable place to stand but it was quite pointless as the train was packed. He couldn't decide which was worse: being stuck in the train with a whole bunch of strangers or being stuck with his teammates and the Nekoma players.

"We're getting off at the next stop." Kuroo raised his voice over the crowd, making sure that the Karasuno boys had gotten the message. Tsukishima groaned and squeezed his way through the crowd to the door. He swallowed the urge to click his tongue at the people who pressed themselves onto him as the train slowed down to the next station.

The boys quickly got down the train before the doors were closed and the train was gone. They counted everyone, making sure they all got off the train. Maybe I should have just stayed in the train... Tsukishima thought, pushing his hands deeper into his pockets.

"Oh! What about the other cute manager-chan?" Taketora asked, scanning around with his hand over shading his eyes.

"Ah, [Name]-chan has some things to do on her own, so she won't be joining us until after lunch." Sugawara explained with a smile.

"You mean she's travelling on her own in the city?" Yaku asked on behalf of his teammates whose brows were all raised. "Will she be okay?"

"Don't worry, she lived in Tokyo for a while. She should be fine..." Daichii said but couldn't help but to feel a little worried for the first year.

"We did offer to have someone accompany her but she insisted that she had something to do on her own and wanted us to enjoy the trip." Asahi chuckled lightly, scratching the back of his head.

"I see..." Kuroo nodded, thinking to himself quietly. He sighed before grinning at their rivals, putting his hand on his waists. "Well then, shall we get going?"

--

[Name] tugged onto the strap of her small bag, taking a deep breath. She questioned herself if she really was ready to do what she set out to do. Her palms started to turn sweaty and her heart raced. She didn't like the sinking feeling in her guts.

"Maybe I should just turn back..." She muttered to herself but her leg remained where they were, as heavy as led. She couldn't remove her gaze from the large white building before her. "But... I should pay my respects as well..." She contemplated, struggling with herself.

"Since I'm already here, let's just do this..." She grumbled before walking towards the automatic doors of the hospital. Instantly, the familiar smell of disinfectant and medicine tackles her nose. She could hear the soft distant murmurs of patient who were waiting for their turn and occasional coughs, even the cries of some children.

Her heart pressed itself against her chest. She held her hands into fists and bit on her lower lips to keep it from trembling. She was desperate to turn back as a wave of memories washed over her but her feet remained where they were, disobeying her.

"Oh my, isn't that [Name]-chan?" A soothing voice spoke behind her, breaking her away from her nauseating thoughts. She turned around, her pale face regaining some color when she realized who it was. Her lips pulled into a smile when the nurse standing before her called her name once more. "It really is you [Name]-chan!"

"Mishima-san!" [Name] greeted her nurse as the older woman rushed towards her and pulled her into a hug. [Name] returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around Mishima.

"Oh my! [Name]-chan! It's been too long!" Mishima squealed, squeezing the girl and twirling her around like a doll. [Name] let out an unexpected laugh. She had never thought she would be laughing in the hospital.