Monochromatic: Haikyuu Fanfic

Chapter 56: Acceptance and Accidents

After some research, Fukui found that Todai University's English department is phenomenal.

That only meant two things:

A. The English education there is top-notch. This served as fuel for Fukui to get in.

B. Difficult chances of acceptance. Smart classes include smart students, so it would be no surprise that it'll be a highly competitive challenge to earn a spot.

Along the test results, she also has to send in an art portfolio for them to consider her to take art classes as well. That is what she's nervous about. Her portfolio is still empty. None of the things she ever drew satisfied her.

-*-

By the end of the week, her mother came to pick up Takumi and Haru. The house reduces to a quiet old house again.

Exams approached faster, and from time to time, Fukui would sketch as Oikawa studied something else. It continued on for days on end, and the heaping Mt. Everest of wadded paper mocks her at the corner.

One of these days, Oikawa finally spoke up about it. Fukui stared at the ceiling with blank eyes, exhausted. Frustrated. But just not enough to give up yet.

Oikawa puts down the book on the table. "Is there a way that I can help?"

Fukui frowned. "Unless you can draw for me."

Sighing, Oikawa picks up a stray piece of trash from her drawings and straightens it. He takes another one and unfolds it again. Then another one. Then another. Then another.

"They're all flowers..." Oikawa says, his finger tracing along the delicate lines. No doubt are each one beautiful with articulate shading, but there's something missing... The color.

"Have you tried coloring before?" Oikawa asks.

Fukui's eyebrows raise, "No, it's too risky at this point to start learning a new medium."

Ah. There it is. Playing safe again. What else would one expect?

The air is suddenly heavy, and Oikawa felt that it was his doing.

"Okay! I got an idea!" Oikawa grins and strikes a pose boldly. "You can draw me!"

Fukui scoffs, "Why would I do that?"

"Because...!" Oikawa flashes her one of the drawings, "You draw pretty things - what could go wrong if you mess up drawing me?"

"You're not pretty." Stone cold.

Oikawa deflates. He mumbles to himself, "That's not what you said when you were drunk..."

"What?"

"Nothing!"

-*-

Weeks passed. Exams came and as expected, her English marks are out of the scale - only missing two questions out of a hundred and twenty. However, her sciences and math scores... She barely passed by a 74%.

On the other hand, Oikawa performed well enough - scoring best at a 93% and lowest at 87% in all of his subjects. Believe him, he was no genius. It took some rigorous studying to earn his place, and Fukui made sure to congratulate him.

She decided that a retest for the math and science test wouldn't hurt that much. It should give her two weeks to prepare.

-*-

Oikawa's letter from the university was immediate, three days after the test results came out.

When he saw the letter, adressed to him in a clean typed font, he ran back to Fukui's house to tell. Fukui congratulated him happily, then checked her own mailbox. It was empty.