From the Concrete (Ushijima Wakatoshi x Reader)

Chapter 2: Study Buddies

Class had just ended and you collected your bag and instrument to head to the next period. "(L/N)-san, wait!" Makoto came running after you, "I meant to tell you that the guy you're sitting next to, Tendou, is on the volleyball team with Goshiki." Your eyes widened a bit at the comment. Tendou certainly didn't seem like a sports person to you. He was strange, but in a way he still commanded respect. "I didn't see that coming," you said as you shuffled through the halls, "but I guess that's pretty cool if Goshiki knows him."

"Haha, yeah, he says his nickname is Guess Monster because of his blocking abilities." Though there was much to the game you weren't aware of, the basics of volleyball were fairly simple. "Well, I'll see you later, I have advanced physics next."

"Bye Makoto-san," you said, turning away slowly.

Advanced marine science was next on your schedule and to your surprise you had Tendou in your class again. He wasn't sitting next to you though, there was a rather sturdy looking boy next to him. Olive hair with matching eyes, he seemed intense. Quickly diverting your gaze to the board at the front, the seating chart showed that your desk was in the first row.

 After another hour of lecture, you were dismissed and headed to the dining hall for lunch. Students had the option of bringing food themselves, or eating at the buffet line provided by the school. More often than not, you brought something to eat. The buffet line had a lot of choices, but interacting with everyone was something you had wanted to avoid. Picking up your belongings again, you headed for the door when Tendou called out to you.

"Hey (L/N)-san, looks like we're in the same class again. Want to study together? We could finish the homework way faster." Your gaze shifted over to the person towering next to him. He really was intimidating and you still had no idea who he was.

 "Um, yeah, that would be a good idea. Where do you want to meet? I have a free period right after lunch if you're not doing anything." 

"I'm definitely not doing anything, I'm gonna skip class since English is boring! Perhaps Ushiwaka can come too?" he asked, looking to his right. 

Oh, that's who Ushiwaka is.

You shrugged, "Yeah, I don't see why not. I'll just meet you both at the library after lunch." It seemed strange to you that even though they were both in your year you had never seen them before. The names sounded somewhat familiar but it was still difficult to place. Maybe you did need to stop practicing so hard and actually interact with some of your classmates once in a while.

Walking away from the pair, you were able to catch a bit of their conversation. 

"Say Ushijima, she's really pretty, right?"

"Hm."

"Are you agreeing with me?"

"I don't think anything of her."

"Aw, you're no fun Ushijima."

Wow, this guy really is blunt.

Though his comment made you falter slightly, it was nothing to get hung up over. You hadn't even spoken to this guy, yet his immense confidence was frightening. Plopping down at a table in the corner of the dining hall, you took the bento box out of your bag. Makoto and Goshiki would be here soon and you could all eat together.

Goshiki's voice snapped you out of your thoughts. "Hey (L/N)! Long time no see!" He sat down across from you with a tray of food, Makoto doing the same.

You chuckled a bit at his enthusiasm, "Hi Goshiki-san, nice to see you too." He was quite the ambitious type, something you could admire. "Makoto-san told me that you have Tendou-san in your calculus class, that will definitely be interesting." That was something you had no doubt about. You almost rolled your eyes at how accurate his statement was. "Hah, yeah, he's also in my marine science class too. There's another guy that sits next to him that looks really scary, Tendou-san called him Ushiwaka."

Goshiki and Makoto stopped shoveling food in their mouths and almost choked. "Y-you have Ushijima-san in your class? The ace of Shiratorizawa?" Suddenly everything clicked, no wonder Tendou was sitting next to him and wanted you all to study together. They were teammates, friends even. That is, if Ushijima was capable of having friends with his stern demeanor.

You chewed thoughtfully before answering, "Mmm, well yeah I guess he is in my class, what of it?" It seemed that everyone was in awe of his abilities on the court, but that wasn't enough for him to earn your respect. Goshiki's eyes seemed to bug out of his head at your response, "(L/N)-san, you do know that Ushijima-san is ranked among the country's top three aces, right?" 

You blinked twice, considering his words, "Well that I didn't know. So he's good at what he does, I'd like to learn more about him so I can make judgements for myself. What good is he as a person if the only time he shines is on the court?" 

The two boys were still gaping at you and this time you couldn't help but let out a scoff. "I'm studying with him and Tendou-san next period and I'll see how it goes. Maybe he'll actually say something." This seemed to be acceptable for Goshiki to hear and he just nodded. Makoto was still engrossed in his food when he began telling you about his physics class. It did seem like an enjoyable class, but you had already taken concepts in physics last year. 

Goshiki was pretty excited about his classes too and as he said who his teachers were, you and Makoto exchanged glances, reliving memories from your first year. The two of you had been quite the duo in advanced biology with Ishimoto Sensei and Goshiki would definitely fit in well there. 

Soon enough, the lunch bell rang, signaling the next period would be starting soon. You said goodbye to Goshiki and Makoto before heading to the library.

 It was a grand building in between the dining hall and the music department. Having three floors allowed for many classes to be held there. The bottom floor, often called the basement, held the digital media and yearbook classes while the ground floor had an extensive collection of books and other resources. The top floor overlooked the entire school, though there were fewer rooms, it was quite spacious and many students used the area for quiet studying. 

After passing the study cubicles on the third floor, you chose a round table with a few chairs to sit at. That way when Tendou and Ushijima showed up they would have a place to sit as well. The second bell rang and you were still sitting by yourself.

Hmmm, maybe I should have asked Tendou for his contact information.

Taking another look at the time on your phone, you decided it would be okay to take a short nap until they showed up. You were planning on staying after school to practice, which meant a short snooze wasn't a bad idea. Closing your eyes, you slowly drifted off, letting tiredness consume you.

A/N: I am super excited to be writing this and I will try to update at least 3 or 4 times a week! I just started school as well and I also have a part-time job to manage too. As always, please leave feedback! Love you! <3