Stitch By Stitch || Haikyuu!!

9

Third person

"Ah, yabe!" Cosette said under her breath, pausing as she fumbled around in her pocket.

Naomi turned to her, frowning a little. "What's wrong?"

"I... forgot my phone at the gym..."

"Huh?" Seira tilted her head as she looked back, cutting her conversation with Ayame. "Really?"

"You guys go ahead," Cosette mumbled. "I'll go get it."

"Okay~" Ayame called as the blonde walked away.

She hastily walked towards the gym she came from, then paused, surprised that the lights were still on. However, she heard no sound.

They left the lights on?

She pushed the door open, and a volleyball fell to the ground.

"Ken...ma?" Cosette frowned, her eyes falling on the pudding-haired boy. "--san."

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "...hi..."

"You're here alone?"

"...yeah..."

He looked as if he were to add something else, but closed his mouth and looked away.

There was a short pause.

"Ano, do you---have you seen a phone here anywhere?"

"Oh, that was yours..." Kenma pointed to a bench. "The one in the violet case?"

"Yeah, thanks..." Cosette went over to the bench her classmate had pointed to and picked up the said phone.

"You didn't tell anyone, did you?" Kenma said quietly.

The half-Japanese jerked her head up, frowning. "Wha-"

"It's your birthday tomorrow. I saw the thing on your phone."

Cosette paused, turning her phone over.

Ah, she thought, that's right, I never turned that off since my aunt had set it for me.

"How old are you turning?"

"...17..."

"Oh."

Cosette looked up, and Kenma tilted his head, a rare small smile visible on his face. "Early happy birthday, Konimi."

Went and done with all the honorifics... Cosette thought to herself, mildly amused.

"Thank you." She couldn't resist a smile.

It was the first time she had gotten a wish since her parents had died, and it meant a lot to her.

"I'll... I'll be going..." she said after a momentary silence.

"Konimi, do you, um, play?"

Cosette paused, turning around.

Yaku had asked me the exact same question...

"...no," she said quietly.

Kenma studied her, tilting his head a little through slightly narrowed eyes.

I don't believe her, he thought plainly.

Then, without warning, he picked up the ball and immediately tossed it to her.

Cosette, eyes wide with the sudden movement, had no time to think. As an immediate reflex, she put her hands up in a position she still remembered.