effervescent (nishinoya yū)

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE / the invitation

When you got home from Tokyo that night, your mom was still awake, much to your surprise. She was usually asleep by ten at the latest. Maybe the summer hours were messing up her sleeping schedule?

"I'm home," you said as you dropped your bag on the ground and took your shoes off. Your mom looked over, but she merely acknowledged your presence before turning back to the coffee table. She ran her finger around the rim of her glass of water, elbows propped up on her knees and her gaze clouded. "What's wrong?"

You came over to her and sat down. A pile of papers sat on the table in front of you. For a moment, your mom looked like she was going to brush your concern aside. Her lips parted and closed within the same second, and she sighed. Instead of saying anything, she pushed the topmost paper over to you and bowed her head.

You picked the paper up and read what it said in the dim lighting. The top portion mainly held your basic school information--your name, your age, etc.--so you thought it was merely a college letter for a second. You were about to put the letter down, but the second portion immediately caught your attention.

"Due to your above-average grades and incredible potential as a libero, we offer you a full-ride scholarship to Niiyama Girls' High for your third and final year in high school. We hope you will consider this, as Niiyama has attended Nationals for years and having you with us will..."

The rest of the letter followed that train of thought, and you set the letter down on the table with a slow sigh. "That's a really big opportunity," you murmured. "How far away is Niiyama?"

"It's about an hour from here." You hummed and pinched the bridge of your nose. "Do you want to go?"

"It's a really big opportunity," you repeated, more to yourself than to your mom. You looked over and flinched when you saw the look on her face; you couldn't put a finger on the emotion, but she almost looked...distressed. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "It's a selfish thing."

"Tell me," you wheedled, and she finally caved in.

"I don't want you to go," she admitted. "I finally have the opportunity to reconnect with you as my daughter and since the school is an hour away, you'd need to move into an apartment there instead of staying here. I would come with you, but it would be too expensive to buy a two-bedroom apartment and keep up with my medical bills as well."

You crossed your arms and leaned your head back against the couch. "I don't want to leave my friends at Karasuno either," you murmured, taking your lip in between your teeth. "Not to mention, I really do think the girls are on the right track to get to Nationals if they put in enough work, and I don't want to ditch them."

Your mom reached over and put her hand on your knee. "Think about it, alright?" she said, although it sounded like she was having a hard time putting the words out. "As much as I want to keep you here, it's ultimately your decision. Just know that your father and I will try our best to support you no matter what."

"Okay." You pulled her into a side hug and she reciprocated it tightly, burying her face into your shoulder. "Are you doing better?"

She looked at you with a lopsided grin. "Definitely. I have a check-up tomorrow afternoon with my doctor, but I've been feeling more like my old self recently."

"...If your sickness goes away, will you still need me to stay with you? Will I have to go back to Aoba Johsai and stay with Dad?"

"Oh, sweetheart..." She took both of your hands and squeezed them tight. "As much as I try not to be, I'm a selfish woman. As long as you want to stay here, I'll never let your father take you away from me again. He's had you for the past eleven years. I think I can stand to keep you around for a little while longer, right?"