MY MUSE, tooru oikawa

chapter eight

(chapter viii)

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰

Yuna lingered outside the gymnasium, reaching for her phone to contact her brother and inform him that she would be returning home late, due to some club activities. But the conversation quickly derailed as her brother fussed incessantly about who would accompany her home and whether he should leave practice prematurely to pick her up.

After a series of minutes of back-and-forth arguing, Yuna finally conceded and advised her brother to meet her at the train station if he was that concerned. Surprisingly, this turned out to be sufficient to quell his overprotectiveness.

With a swift flick of her finger, Yuna powered off her phone, determined to keep her concentration intact. She knew all too well that her brother had a habit of bombarding her phone with a flurry of messages, and the last thing she needed was the constant buzzing interrupting her rhythm.

With her concentration secured, Yuna rejoined the gym and made her way to the side where the non-practicing members were congregating. Given Hajime's warning, she chose to settle near the two first years, Shigeru Yahaba and Shinji Watari. Throughout the journey to the gym, Hajime had made it clear that the third years would likely pester her with unwanted questions, citing Tooru as the prime example despite him being a second year, which had earned a pout from said person.

She took Hajime's advice to heart and made a mental note to avoid the third years and one specific second year , thereby earning herself another pout from Tooru. Hajime and Yuna exchanged a sly, knowing look and bumped fists, silently celebrating their victory in shutting up Tooru, who had been persistently pestering her about her knowledge of volleyball, even daring to quiz her on the topic.

Shigeru, the first year, turned to Yuna, who had been intently watching the empty court as the team readied for a scrimmage. He suddenly posed a question to her, "Sugawara-senpai, forgive me for asking, but are you interested in volleyball?"

"Hmm...no," Yuna responded, her head shake gently shifting her focus back to the court. "Perhaps it's simply because I don't see its advantages, but there's still a slim possibility that my perspective could change."

"Do you understand it, at least?" Shinji, the other first-year, chimed in with a buzz cut, prompting Yuna to turn her attention toward him. He then coughed awkwardly, his face turning a slight shade of red as he hastily backtracked, "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to, by the way."

Yuna's eyes widened slightly, and she felt a sense of relief wash over her as she heard the words 'you don't have to answer.' It was as if a weight had been lifted; she constantly forgot that answering every question asked of her wasn't mandatory. It was a habit she had developed from her former piano instructor, who would get infuriated whenever she didn't reply.

"I understand it to an extent," Yuna responded thoughtfully, "mainly from observing my brother and watching various videos on the subject. Admittedly, my knowledge pales in comparison to those who actually participate in the sport itself."

Shigeru and Shinji exchanged glances, silently conveying their appreciation for her viewpoint. They could tell that she had gained some experience from watching her brother play volleyball and studying the game through videos, even though it wasn't firsthand experience. Still, they valued her honesty and the fact that she had a fundamental understanding of the sport, which was more than they could say about some of their upperclassmen.

Yuna seized the moment to return the favour and ask some questions of her own. It was simply logical to her that if someone inquired about something, she, in turn, should do the same. Even if it wasn't strictly necessary, she had a habit of feeling compelled to maintain the equilibrium.

"Yahaba," Yuna addressed, turning her attention to the younger male, "You're a setter, correct?" Yahaba looked at her, slightly taken aback, before nodding his head in affirmation. She had made the connection with ease, recognizing the similarities between his palms and those of her brother and Tooru, which gave away his role as a setter.

Yahaba's surprise slightly faded as Yuna pointed her finger towards his palm, and he obligingly turned his hand to reveal the callous areas.

"My brother is also a setter," she explained, "and he told me that it's quite straightforward to identify a setter just by looking at their hands."

Shigeru lifted his hands slightly, a surprised look on his face. "I've never really considered that before," he admitted, "but how do you differentiate between other positions? I mean, given the amount of ball contact we all have, wouldn't our hands all look the same?"

Yuna examined her own hands, knowing that they weren't the best example due to being meticulously cared for. "You make a good point," she conceded, "However, a setter's contact with the ball isn't as abrasive as it would be for other positions. If you were to compare your and Iwaizumi's hands, the difference would be obvious."

Sensing Shigeru's continued confusion, she graciously decided not to prolong the conversation, sparing him from peppering her with further questions.

Yuna then shifted her attention to Shinji, who was indeed a setter. However, she couldn't help but notice the state of his legs, which were covered in bruises.

"You're a setter," she observed, "but are you also trying to become a libero?"

Shinji chuckled and scratched his head sheepishly, admitting, "Yeah, since there are a lot of setters on the team, I figured I'd try for another position that would give me a better shot at being a regular. I know it might seem kinda silly and half-hearted," he confessed, "but I just want to enjoy the experience while I can."

Yuna offered him a comforting pat on the shoulder and responded, "I don't think it's silly to want to be a part of something. What matters most is enjoying the process. If you decide to switch things up, there's no harm in that. As long as you keep the same mentality from what you used to do to what you're doing now, I find it genuinely admirable."

With a bright smile, Shinji turned his gaze back to the court, his fist clenching with newfound motivation. "Thank you, Sugawara-senpai," he expressed gratitude, his voice filled with appreciation. "I think I really needed to hear that."

Yuna blinked, momentarily taken aback by the unfamiliar feeling of having said something meaningful. However, seeing the sparkle in his eyes provided her with the answer to his words. A sense of contentment washed over her as she realized she had the ability to bring about a positive impact, even in the smallest capacity.