Getting to know You (Oikawa Tooru )

6.

I finished up practicing and I turned to wave to Junko who sat in the stands. She climbed down the steps and we began to talk of what we were going to do when we left. I went to finish packing my things until I saw one of my soccer teammates standing in the doorway to the school. "Hold on Junko." She nodded as I stepped around her and towards the small second year in the doorway.

"Hi Hachicko-senpai!" She said with a quick bow. "I'm sorry to bother you but we're to meet our new staff."

'New staff? I never heard about receiving new staff.'

"Alright. Give me one second and I'll come with you." She nodded enthusiastically before stepping out of the doorway and into the hallway to wait.

"Junko did you catch that?" I asked.

She nodded as she smiled. "I'll meet you at your locker. Go ahead to your meeting." She gave me a pat on the shoulder before stepping into the hallway and going into the opposite direction of the second year.

I followed, stepping out but instead walked over towards Yuki. "Alright, lead the way!" She nodded enthusiastically as she turned on her heel and we walked side by side down the hallway and towards the gym.

When I pushed open the door and the two of us stepped inside all second and third years from the year before and some new first years stood around. You could tell who had been on a team together because they were in one huddle off to the side.

"Hey Akino, where's sensei?" I asked as I stepped into the group of my team mates.

"I don't know." She shrugged as she leaned on the second year, Fitori, that I had walked down with before. "He just told people to let everyone else know we had a meeting today."

"Why didn't he tell me?" I asked as I looked around questioning my.

"Don't worry, he didn't tell me either." Akino was my cocaptain, along with Teshida who was talking to some of the first years to keep them calm. "He didn't tell her either if you're wondering. This is a surprise for all of us."

Suddenly the door opened and heavy footsteps were heard. "Huddle up!" Immediately the girls gathered around the man. He looked at all of us with his piercing eyes.

"I know that try outs are later then they were last year, right before the season starts. But that is because there will be a change on the team."

He looked around at all of us, taking a deep breath before continuing, "Now I have an announcement to make!" He yelled as he raised his ball cap a little off his forehead. "You will be getting a new coach."

Immediately everyone from last years team grew hectic. We all began to question one another, some calling out to him and asking him why he would leave. He said nothing, only put his hand up which immediately silenced us all.

"Now, to answer all of your questions I will be going to Shiritorizawa in order to become a head coach there. You will be reviving sensei Yendou as your new administrator."

All eyes turned to the women that he gestured to who stood behind him. Apparently she had been standing there the whole time and I had never even noticed her presence.

To be completely honest, she looked like a pompous woman. She looked like her back had never been bent in her entire life, like her shoulders were stapled so that they stayed pulled back and her arms tied so that they stayed behind her back.

She had long white hair which was pulled back into a fight bun so it looked like it pulled back the skin on her face, making me cringe. Her eyes were a piercing black as they scanned all of us. Her eyes lingered on me for a moment before continuing on.

'Whats her problem?'

"Try outs start in six days days, on Wednesday. Decisions will be made on Saturday so you can practice the week before school. Be there and do well or be kicked off the team. I only take the best." Then without any time for questioning the woman turned and left the gym, letting the door slam behind her, rolling the silent void in the gym.

Suddenly, voices swept among us.

'Well she sure is straight to be point.' I thought as I crossed my arms over my chest and glared towards the doorway. 'She needs a little bit of a stress reliever.'

Sensei our up a hand and silenced everyone. "That is all I had to speak with you about today. You are all dismissed, except for the captains, I would like to talk to you all one by one." Sensei called out as I watched people, slowly and in a daze, walk out of the gymnasium.

"Hachiko, please stay inside the gym first so I may have a word with you."

I stopped dead in my tracks of where I had started towards the door and turned around. I waited until the last set of footsteps were gone before turning around and letting my arms fall to my sides.

"Sensei why is-?" He raised a hand which immediately silenced my many questions that were to come tumbling out.

"Shiritorizawa offered me a coach position, same as here, but more money and more respect from the school board. Lately all they want is publicity. Thats why you have been planted across magazine covers lately."

'It's because of Aoba Joshai?'

"And now they want to put more girls faces on the covers." He shook his head as he took of his baseball cap and held it tightly in his fist before throwing it to the ground.

I didn't even flinch.

"I'm sick of them doing this!" He yelled, his voice echoing. "I don't even get a say in my own team anymore!" He began to tap his foot for a minute or two before he took a deep breath. His foot stopped and I could see the burning fire in his eyes start to calm.

"But, I'm telling you all this because I think you should also come to Shiritorizawa."

I had definitely not been expecting that. My mouth dropped open and my eyes went wide.

"Sensei-?"

"They have sought you out in the past. Have they not?"

"They have but-"

"Then I think you should go there. I have a feeling this coach will not like you very much. You're too much like me in her eyes. And she doesn't want that."

'Change schools in my third year? Thats insane!'

"I don't think I can do that Sensei. This team and I are like family. I can't just leave them, especially since you won't be here." He nodded.

"And I respect that. You know where to find me if you need me. Don't be afraid to ask."

He gave me a lightly pat on the shoulder then picked up his hat that had slid across the gym floor to a few feet behind me before walking out to bring the other girls down to his office to talk to them one on one.

So much as swirling through my head that as I stared down at my shoes I didn't hear the gym doors reopen.

"Oh, Miyumi-chan!" I jumped when I felt a hand placed on my shoulder and immediately spun around.

Oikawa jumped back in surprise but kept the smile on his face. "I called you like six times but you didn't answer. Is everything alright?"

I didn't say anything or even move to respond. Instead I stepped around him and sped walked towards the door. With all my might and pushed the door open the door and ran.

"Miyumi-Chan!" I heard him hell after me but he didn't follow. We weren't close enough for that.

I ran to the closest bathroom, which was not the locker room, and locked myself in the stall furthest from the door. I leaned against the wall, squeezing my eyes shut and clenching my fists.

'I have to be good enough. I have to.'