different (wakatoshi ushijima x OC)

𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚.𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚

" Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 3.5: Lɪᴋᴇ Wʜᴏ? "

wakatoshi ushijima's point of view

A chair from across the cafeteria squeaked loudly making me look towards the noise. I saw Haruka abruptly stand up and leave her teammates and went outside the cafeteria with her eyebrows furrowed and hands on the pocket of her blazer looking at the ground.

"She might be pressured for the practice match later." Hayato said as he took a spoonful of rice from his bento box. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Why would she be nervous? It's just a practice match." I said expressionlessly to my teammates. Only the third years of the boy's team are here at the table, usually the second years and first years would join us but I guess they're looking around the campus since it was the first day of school after all.

"Wakatoshi, even if it's just a practice match, it's still a match. That's what's going in her mind right now." Semi reasoned out to me.

"Plus, we haven't played with her since she was first year, right?" Reon voiced out his realization us.

"Ohhh! You're right! We just had training with them two weeks ago but she wasn't there." Tendo said while biting into a custard bun.

"I don't get it. She's skilled. What does she have to worry about?" I thought out loud.

"She's not strong-willed, Wakatoshi. She might look like this tough and unbeatable ace but under that she's probably the softest and most harmless member of the team." Semi said to us which not only mildly surprised me but it also surprised the others too.

"How did you even know this?" Hayato asked as he looked Semi.

"Aki told me. She mentioned that they rely on Haruka a lot even the senpais ever since Haruka joined the high school team. This placed pressure on Haruka and it affected the way she played which then affected the whole team. That's why they try not to pressure her with the littlest of things." Semi explained to us. "If she knows that her mood would affect her team, she would immediately distance herself. It has been like that since they were in middle school Aki told me. That's maybe why she was a bit protective earlier."

Oh, now it makes sense. Aki was getting irritated when I started asking about the captain continuously, she was just simple overprotective of her best friend.

All this time I thought that this girl was this fierce ace that every school is terrified of, but this girl who is the backbone of her team, is just this soft and shy girl. Her killer serves and spikes are really deceiving. It was one of the things I was envious about. Haruka is considered the 'Jack of all Trades' but that is not how I know her. She's the girl who has a sharp eye.

I noticed this when she was still playing in junior high. At the start of the match she was eyeing the other team as they played and after the other team scored 3 points she would signal for a timeout. After that timeout the other team couldn't even score consecutively, that's when I noticed their strategy changed. Haruka changed it by just spectating.

To have sharp eyes like that in a sport like volleyball is amazing. Having sharp eyes like that means her aim is also precise. Oh, to have a skill like that. I thought.

"You okay, Wakatoshi?" Tendo asked as he noticed that I stopped eating. He might also noticed that my expression is a bit indifferent.

"I just thought, to have a sharp eye like Haruka would be nice right?" I told the middle blocker.

"Oh! To be her! She really is a god sent to the volleyball world!" Tendo said with dreamy eyes.

"Oi! Be careful her fanboys might hear you." Hayato teased as he jokingly looked around.

"You're right! Her fanboys are quite aggressive too! She has a lots of fans in this prefecture alone. What more in other parts of Japan?" Reon said amazed at how much fans Haruka has.

"Wait! I remembered something!" Tendo said excitedly as he stared at me with a suspicious glint in his eyes.

"What." I stoically asked the middle blocker.

"Didn't you come to almost every game of Haruka in junior high?" Tendo inquired at me while smirking slightly.

"I did. What's wrong with that?" I said, finding no wrong with it.

"Ohhhhhh! You're not denying it?" Tendo asked me surprised that I didn't deny it at all. I shook my head to answer him as I continued to eat my lunch.

"Woww! You really went to all her games?" Semi asked surprised as well. I nodded at him.

"I can't even let that new information sink in!" Hayato also said shocked as Reon nodded in shock too.

"Sayyy Wakatoshi, do you like Haruka? Or even just a crush?" Tendo asked curiosly. I looked around the table to see that the others were also expecting my answer.

"I actually developed a liking towards her during junior high but it doesn't matter."

"WHATTTT?" All of them exclaimed in disbelief making everyone look at our table. I slightly glared at their surprised faces making them all look away.

"During junior high, I liked her. But, after junior high it went away."

"Didn't know you were capable of liking other people, Wakatoshi! A girl even!" Semi exclaimed, surprised.

"Well if I didn't like all of you, I wouldn't even be seating here." I told them seriously making chuckle slightly.

"Does this has something to do with her having a relationship with that Kitagawa Daichi dude?" Tendo asked with curiosity in his eyes. Yes, it does.

"Maybe or maybe I just liked the way she played volleyball. Honestly, I don't really know." I lied to my teamates as I gazed at the scenery beyond the window of the cafeteria.

edited: 05/12/2021