STONE HEARTS ❨ ushijima wakatoshi ❩

「 ELEVEN 」

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Alright, everyone! Receiving practice!" Hara exclaimed, clapping her hands to get the attention of her teammates.

Some were groaning, but there were also some who looked determined to receive as many balls as they can. Sai, however, noticed a little smile that was ghosting over their captain's lips. She started wondering what happened, for her to be changing like that. Especially with the incident with Ushiwaka earlier, the vice captain was already itching to ask Hara a lot of questions.

The members all approached her when she gestured for them to come, so Hara folded her arms across her chest. The coach was with the boys' team, so she had full control over the team and their training for today. The coach trusted her anyway, so it was not an issue. The members did not doubt her skills as well, after all.

"First of all, I would like to challenge all of you. Except Sai, she's with me," Hara started, making the members furrow their brows in confusion.

"Challenge? About what, captain?" asked Akari, their libero.

"Sai will toss, and I will spike the balls to the other side of the net. If you all receive at least 20 of my spikes in an hour and a half, I will treat you all with meat buns after," Hara explained, so the members dropped their jaws to the floor.

It was such a rare sight for Hara to treat them after a challenge. They all got used to just getting praises and a phrase of motivation from the captain, after all. But still, they were content with those words. Praises don't really come out of Hara's lips that easily too. This change... what happened to their captain? The heavy aura she had also lightened up a bit, but none of them were brave enough to ask.

"Are you in, or not?" Hara asked, raising her brows while looking at the faces of her team.

They all looked at each other, determined smiles plastered across their lips.

"Let's get it on!"

"All for meat buns!"

Hara smirked, then called Sai so that they can both go to their side of the net. Everyone started warming up, including the captain and her vice. The training was livelier than usual, and Hara was starting to think that this kind of thing should happen more often. If they were more motivated to play, then that's a win win situation. Aside from that, she felt closer to them, even if it's just a bit.

Thoughts were running through Hara's head as she stretched, her brows slowly furrowing. Why didn't she start doing this earlier? She just realized how distant she really was with the team, if it wasn't a match.

Her thoughts then flew to the one and only Ushijima Wakatoshi. She wondered how he was managing the team. She figured that he was strict, since the coach was also strict. But, there was one thing that stuck in her thoughts at the moment. Is it really just him that turned her heart into stone, because of that time? She realized how strong Ushijima's words really affected her. An apology and understanding the real situation, after all, was all it took to make her heart feel more at ease. He had such an impact to her life, she just realized. Then that could only mean that he was important to her, right?

"Are you ready?" Hara asked everyone, making the team stand up straight as a habit whenever they heard her voice.

"Yes!"

The captain smirked to herself as she ate her meat buns in front of the team. The girl got permission to get out of the campus for training purposes, buying three bagful of meat buns. The team, however, watched as only Hara and Sai were happily munching. They were groaning and whining, some even whispering how juicy the inside of the bun looked like.

"Why are we being tortured like this?" one of the members asked, groaning and shoving her face into her hands.

"That's right, your spikes are extra hard to receive today and you seem... you seem inspired. How are we supposed to receive 20 in an hour and a half? From one of the best aces in Under 18 Japan?" another member complained, making Hara and Sai look at each other.

"Sai, do I look inspired in any way?" asked Hara, raising a brow, so the vice captain sighed before nodding.

"You do. You were kinda merciless as well. But can I ask you a question? You seem to have changed," Sai started, making Uehara widen her eyes and then stand up. "What happened?"

Hara took the three bags of meat buns, trying to walk away from them. However, the members weren't just gonna let her go.

"Oh, Captain, you're a tsundere, aren't you? Behind that cold exterior, you actually do care about us, right?" Akari asked, making Hara turn her head away and furrow her brows while her cheeks were heating up.

"Baseless accusations. Why would I? I'll eat all these meat buns in front of you, so sit down properly, and watch me. You only hit 15 of my spikes all together, after all. They say you guys are best at receiving among-"

"Oh, Hara, you're torturing the team again, aren't you?" said a voice behind her, so she blinked rapidly before facing the speaker.

There the speaker was, Coach Washijo with an intimidating Ushijima Wakatoshi beside him.

"Me, torturing them? I'm just eating in front of them," Hara answered, facing the team. Her eyes had a sparkle in them, evidently.

"You didn't give us any, captain! We're tired from receiving your continuous spikes!" one of the members complained, making Ushijima chuckle a bit before covering it by clearing his throat.

Hara, however, still heard it so she faced him and narrowed her eyes. Ushijima stared back at her, secretly thinking that she was actually trying to bond with her team. It was such a refreshing sight, after seeing her so tensed up all the time. He loved the change.

"So you've come to laugh at my feast, huh, Wakatoshi, Your Majesty?" Hara said, making the girls shut up and listen to the conversation. Coach Washijo kept a close eye on the two, not aware of the current situation regarding the two.

"No. I only came to criticize your off-the-course spikes, but it turns out-"

"Why, you... You never change, do you?!" Hara exclaimed, dropping the bags to hit Ushijima's arm.

"Huh?"

"Did she call him by his first name? They're on first name basis? What the hell happened?"

"Did we skip a year of our lives?"

"Are my eyes and ears fooling me or does it really seem like their words are kind of like friends who tease each other for fun now?"

"Why does it feel less chilly than before?"

"Did they actually...?"

"Let's bet. They were secretly dating-"

"WE'RE NOT!"

"We're just childhood friends,"

"CHILDHOOD FRIENDS?!"