── :: 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄♡ ︵ .
▸徹. . . ❀︵︵ ↴
[Yuna Sugawara had earned the nickname of the 'ice princess,' known for her stoic demeanor. She never smiled, never showed anger or sadness, leaving people to assume she possessed no emotions. However, the tr...
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Despite the past few weeks having been filled with a lot of unexpected changes, Yuna couldn't help but feel a sense of peculiarity wash over her.
The entire experience felt so unreal to her that it occasionally left her feeling terrified. She had become accustomed to being alone and independent for an entire year—the shift from solitary isolation to having friends surrounding her felt incredibly strange.
The doubts about Hajime's decision to approach her often crossed her mind. She couldn't help but question if it was just due to her dozing off in class that one day. The thoughts were relentless, but Yuna refused to let them consume her thoughts completely.
As she tried to keep her mind focused, she reminded herself not to let those negative thoughts take control.
Yes, she had friends now—and she was allowing people to get close to her again. There was only one significant barrier remaining, though: Yuna was still petrified of revealing her true emotions.
In her mind, she saw showing emotions as a sign of weakness that would leave her vulnerable and exposed. She had shut herself off from feeling for so long, and the weight on her shoulders became increasingly crushing because of it.
The following morning, Yuna arrived at school much earlier than usual. She was aware of the boys' typical arrival time, so she took the opportunity to get there ahead of them. Her aim was to seek out the coaches and have a much-needed conversation with them.
Tooru's relentless messaging continued, but despite Hajime's warnings for him to stop, he showed no signs of slowing down. This constant barrage of messages was starting to make Yuna feel anxious, as she worried that her prolonged silence might lead to tension and awkwardness in their friendship.
She knew she wasn't doing anything wrong—she was well aware of this fact. However, considering her unfamiliarity with friendship, this was a habit that she couldn't simply shake off just because she'd changed internally.
Yuna lowered her hand from her lip and cast a grimace at her fingernails. They looked unkempt and unappealing, reflecting the internal dissatisfaction she felt. The memories of her piano teacher's incessant criticisms about her hands' gracelessness echoed in her mind, recalling moments from years past.
"As a pianist in training, you should practice etiquette and grace," the voice of her former piano teacher echoed in her mind, a ghostly reminder of the relentless scolding she used to receive.
She had never managed to fully exhibit those two important qualities, and this held her back from progressing at the pace she should have achieved long ago. Or rather, at the pace that her former teacher would have relentlessly pushed her to maintain.
"Sugawara?" His voice caught her attention, causing her to flinch and turn around to face the coach.
"C-Coach Irihata," she stuttered, hastily hiding her hands behind her back. Her hands trembled involuntarily, and despite her attempts to hide them, the coach still noticed, his eyes narrowing as he tapped his chin.
"Would you mind accompanying me?" Coach Irihata's voice was calm, and Yuna, albeit shy, gave a small nod in response. She walked silently behind him, following his lead as he led her toward their destination.
The journey to their destination was mostly silent, and the coach's lack of conversation only heightened her already fraught nerves and unease. She was overwhelmed by her own thoughts, but she managed to compose herself and keep her emotions relatively grounded.
In situations like these, it was abundantly clear to her that she was still an inexperienced novice when it came to interacting with and being around other people.
"You remind me a lot of Oikawa," Coach Irihata's voice broke her out of her thoughts. Yuna looked at him in confusion, but before she could question his statement, he stepped aside, revealing the sight of the gym's large entrance.
As Coach Irihata moved to the side, Yuna finally registered the location—they were standing in front of one of the gymnasiums. With a clear view of the gym, she noticed Tooru, who was there practicing on his own. Coach Irihata's next words drew her attention back to him.
"I am not entirely sure what it is you're dealing with. In fact, I admit I have a hard time understanding it even for the boys," the older man confessed.
"It's probably not the most ideal way to present the offer, but the reason I ended up choosing you was because of the way you spoke to the first-years and even managed to convince our stubborn and hardheaded Oikawa," Coach Irihata said, gesturing with his head towards the gym.
"That kid carries the misconception that he needs to be the best, and no matter how much I try to tell him otherwise, he doesn't seem to understand that nobody expects him to push himself beyond his own limits without ever thinking about himself," the coach added.
Coach Irihata watched silently as a ball rolled near them and Yuna bent down to pick it up. She looked up at the coach and spoke, saying, "I don't think he needs anyone to say anything to him."
"Oikawa probably just wants to reach his goal quickly and efficiently, but it'll likely take him a while to grasp that there's no need to rush," Yuna continued thoughtfully, her eyes returning to the gym.
Coach Irihata's words caught her off guard, and she found herself fiddling with the ball in her hand, rolling it back and forth.
"In the way you convey this, it seems that you have personal experience," the coach commented straightforwardly, his statement lingering in the air like a heavy weight.
"I suppose you could say that," Yuna admitted softly, looking up at the coach, "I really want to be there by Tooru's side to see how far he can go. I want to understand the world through his perspective. Of course, I know that it won't always be like that. I'm prepared to make an effort for everyone else too, because I'm tired of hiding away and not experiencing what it's like to be a part of something."
Coach Irihata's response was brief, but his firm head nod indicated his agreement. He spoke with a tone that was both firm and determined, "If you feel you can handle it, then I have no objections. However, I do expect you to take this position seriously and do your best."
"I already knew that accepting the responsibility meant understanding what it entails," Yuna responded, a faint smile curving her lips. Her tone was sincere and resolute as she added, "I may be a novice in many aspects, but when I'm determined to achieve something, I refuse to back down."
Coach Irihata nodded in agreement, an expression of satisfaction settling on his face. A hint of a smile formed on his lips as he voiced his approval, "That's precisely what I wanted to hear. We're truly fortunate to have you on board."
