Behind a strong man [Ushiwaka /Oc]

Chapter 39 - A return

Tamiko gazed out of the window as the train sped past the coast of east Japan. Despite the wintery weather, the beaches still tempted for a swim. While Ushijima was reading a book about orchids, Tamiko thought back to the matches of the spring tournament. Karasuno had managed to get into the semifinals but then they lost the match. They had been broken but received great applause from everyone in the stadium. So much applause. Even the opposing team had shown their respect. The fallen powerhouse had regained it's former glory and they also declared that they would stand on this stage again. It had been a prideful moment for her when she had seen her brother lift his fist into the sky when he had spotted her in the crowd. She had done the same and the others had followed suit. Even the people in the crowd lifted their fists.

Now the elevation had subsided and they were on their way home. She had promised to pick up Tobio from school and Ushijima had expressed interest in tagging along. Soon enough, the surroundings grew familiar. Tamiko's eyes wandered around the interior of the train. All faces were unfamiliar and busy with themselves. There was a family of four, an elderly couple, a man in a suit and a few more people. Next to her, Ushijima closed his book and readjusted himself. Their eyes met and both smiled. Outside the green scenery turned to gray concrete.

"Next stop, Sendai main station." the announcement informed. "Please mind your step."

Ushijima got their luggage and both got off the train. Tamiko stretched after the long train ride and both made their way to the car. The fee was a reasonable price of which Ushijima paid half. From the train station they drove straight to Karasuno high school. For Ushijima it was the first time seeing the premises but he followed her to the gym where the volleyball team was receiving some parting words. The players did notice them but didn't let themselves get distracted. After the speech was over everyone clapped and got ready to go home. Tobio yawned when he approached his sister.

"We still need to get some food for tonight but I can drop you off at home." she offered.

Tobio nodded in agreement when Hinata approached. The little middle blocker looked tired, his eyes red from tears. But determination was dominating. But from what she had observed, he had changed the most. He had profited greatly from that new stage.

"Did you see all of our matches?" he asked.

"Yes, all of them." she confirmed with a smile.

"And what do you think?"

Tamiko gazed at him as he stared at her. Was he really expecting her to give a feedback? What a strange boy. But she had to grin.

"Depending on who you get as first years, it might get really interesting," she told him.

Hinata cocked his head to the side, not understanding what she meant. Then her gaze shifted from Hinata to the third years. This had been their last battle with the Karasuno team and they had never gotten this far. All thanks to those first years. They also looked at her, fully appreciating her words. Ushijima and Daichi exchanged a few words from captain to captain while Shimizu approached her.

"Is your team easy to handle?" she asked her.

"Depends," she shrugged. "There are days when they do what they are told."

Shimizu smiled at her. The two managers exchanged a few more words when the group split up. Tobio yawned again before he asked his sister for the car keys. The Shiratorizawa third years held a long conversation with their Karasuno counterparts, talking about the matches, school and the future. They all got to know each other much better. Tamiko came to the conclusion that despite his strong exterior, Daichi was immature in some way and Sugawara enjoyed making fun of his friends. Asahi was as timid as she expected. After a while they said their farewells and headed to the car. When they reached the red car, Tobio was already sleeping in the back. He stirred when they got in but the drive was spent in silence.

"You go and get some rest, Tobio-kun," Tamiko told him when they got home. "I have to take Toshi-kun back to the campus."

The young setter nodded and went inside while Tamiko got back into the car. This ride was also silent until she had parked the car near the school. Ushijima took his luggage out of the trunk and turned to Tamiko, who was smiling at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said and hugged him.

He hummed in agreement and pulled her a little closer with one arm before placing a kiss on her head. It was a warm and tender affection she was receiving and she enjoyed it. They pulled apart quickly. It was still too early for them to let anyone knew about their relationship. It was attention that neither of them wanted. When he headed back to the dormitory she gazed after him for a while.before getting back into the car. Tobio was still sleeping when she got home so she decided to settle the matter with her glasses. She unpacked her bag, took out the piece of paper and entered the number on her phone.

From: Tami

To: Miya Osamu

Hello, this is Kageyama Tamiko. I wondered if you are still willing to compensate for half my glasses.

Satisfied she nodded to herself and decided to clean the house. She spend a good hour cleaning and doing the shopping. But it was a chore she enjoyed. She felt like an adult every time. When she was done she watched the news with a warm cup of coffee. Then her phone chimed. Osamu had spoken with his mother about the situation and was even willing to pay the full price. In the end she even had a phonecall with the mother of the Miya twins. A nice lady. Despite the price she offered full compensation and Tamiko couldn't deny. After exchanging the adresse, the mother promised to send the glasses to the Kageyama residence. Elated about the news she phoned Ushijima to tell him the news. But he wasn't interested in it.

"You need to tell you brother about your mother," he reminded her.

She couldn't disagree. Once Tobio would wake up she would tell him. Tomorrow would be the first school day of the new year and until then she decided to sort out her school material. Soon the exams would start. A scary time. But it had to be faced so she tried to look over topics she was still struggling with. Soon enough there was a knock on her door and her brother walked in. He apologized for having slept so much but Tamiko insisted that it didn't bother her. Instead she eagerly motivated him to help her with dinner. He had gotten better in the kitchen. They quickly had prepared dinner together and sat in silence as they ate. Tobio was still yawning and Tamiko was trying to formulate words in her head. They had never talked about mother. She didn't know what his thoughts were about that woman who was finally coming home.

"Tobio-kun," she started.

He looked up from his food but kept chewing. Her heart twisted. She didn't even remember how Tobio had acted the last time mother was home. All she knew was how she had shielded him. Tobio was in their mother's eyes the little angel and Tamiko was the eldest and therefore had to work hard. Although Tamiko was the one who has supported Tobio throughout his love for volleyball their mother had never voiced any interest in his interests. As long as he was happy. That was the most important thing. Even so, she had never been jealous of her little brother. Never.

"Mum called me a few days ago," she said before taking a drink. "And she is coming home."

Silence.