Monochromatic: Haikyuu Fanfic

Chapter 1: Puzzle

Oikawa Tooru - you may all be familiar with this boy, especially because he will a well known subject amongst girls in Aobajousai High. Well, it can't be helped. The boy had a gift for volleyball as well as his looks: his chocolate brown hair, the almond-shaped eyes to his build... No wonder a lot of girls fawned over him.

One thing that took a while for people to find out about him is his keen eye. Ironically, this boy may be light hearted and amiable, but that is not to be confused with naivety. With heavy dedication to volleyball, every ounce of sweat, he learned to make use of his abilities. Of course, not as flashy as Tobio's, but with his strong observance skills paired with his strategical brain, he is to be feared by other school teams.

He easily sees patterns in one's behavior and makes inferences out of them - a simple gesture can give him a quick conclusion of what their weaknesses as well as strengths. His eyes were fixed to every flex of their fingers for calculations, signals. He reads, inferences, and adapts. Though his skills are mostly prominent during matches, he also uses this to read other people's behavior outside of court as well. Not that he ever really used it for gain - he had performed this skill so well that he subconsciously does it - whether he was curious or not...

To him, everyone is a puzzle.

This girl had only been a fleeting memory of his - and it is not one to be remembered so pleasantly. He vaguely remembers her back in his young age of five, the hot summer heat beating down on the streets, but she, along with a huge group of kids, would play hide and seek nonetheless.

You see, she was a champion of hiding - no one could find her every time she does, whether it may be behind a seemingly normal bush or up at the branches of a tree. Perhaps it was her overall lack of presence and silent trait that had added to the difficulty, and it sends Oikawa to the roof. He, as expected, acted like a baby in times of her victory, snot drooping down his nose as he pointed accusingly at her.

"I-It's not fair!! Don't get cocky just because you won three times!!"

He scooped the snot and wiped it on his worn alien shirt. She wordlessly rolled her eyes at his behavior. It's her natural talent, she supposes. Oikawa isn't so happy with natural talents - he wants hard earned work and skills, no geniuses of that type - even if it's just something as simple as a game of hide and seek. Nevertheless, they grew to share same street, so they were practically stuck with each other to relief some boredom whether they liked it or not.

Her name? If it weren't for Iwaizumi to repeat her name three times a couple days ago, he wouldn't have recognized her at all. Not that she was someone whom he disliked up until now, but she had never really stood out in front of a crowd. Heck, Oikawa didn't know that she moved into the vacant house in front of his street once again - that same house in which she lived in before temporarily moving to Tokyo. The only time he ever see her cry was before she messily sobbed goodbye to Iwaizumi and Oikawa on that day- and she was a mere five year old parting with her only friends.

Umeko Fukui - one of his closest, best friends.

At least, that's how it was back then.

Now however, the girl stood in front of him - well, he stood in front of her because technically, he was on her doorstep. He hasn't given time to approach her yet in since she moved in a couple weeks ago along with her mom - he heard the latter from his mom, but he had never seen her around. To be honest, he finds this all too awkward, seeing a friend from long ago again, but at the moment, he is cornered and has nowhere else to go. The following are Oikawa's steps to getting what he want, most effective on ladies around his age - so he was quite lucky that the one who answered the door was her.

Step 1: Pull a good first impression.

Oikawa pulled a charming smile and faked to sheepishly rub the back of his neck for a likeable effect. Her expression did not falter, only looking at him with eyes glinting of confusion of his actions before he spoke.

Step 2: Speak warmly and cheerfully - remember to smile.

"Umeko-chan, sorry for bothering you at this time in the day and all, but can I stay here for a while?" He jabbed his thumb back at his home from across the street. "I lost my keys and my parents aren't coming home until nine... You wouldn't mind me just waiting here until they come, right?"

She only looked at him blankly with those eyes of hers - a darker shade of brown- before she replied, her tone laced with confusion and completely creeped out.

"Huh? Why would I let a stranger come in to my house?" She pointed accusingly at him with her pointer finger. "For all I know, you might be a burglar. And how did you know my name?"

Oikawa had never looked so positively offended in his life. How can she forget?! Oikawa in the least should've stood out in her memories due to his crybaby nature - but seriously? Is thirteen years really enough to make someone forget about everything they've done together? Jump on huge piles of leaves, climb trees, and catch bugs together with Iwa-chan? Do any of those things even ring a bell to her?

He makes a mental note to write her name down in his Puzzles-To-Solve list.

Little does he know, he just signed his own death sentence.