𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 {𝐔𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐦𝐚 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫}

Chapter 13: Garden Seclusion

*Your POV*

We walked over the stepping stones. On either side of them were bluebells and azaleas that were in full bloom. The last stone was different. There was an imprint on it.

I sank to one knee to get a closer look and made out the shape of a hand. There was thick, engraving next to it that said, "Wakatoshi, 6"

"Is this from when you were a child?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Aww, it's so small!" I said, appreciating it.

I stood and took his wrist, dragging it to the ground with me, and placed his hand on top of it to compare the current size.

"Look at that! Who knew this little ol' thing would turn into a giant one day."

He looked at me for a second before tilting his head away.

I pulled us both to our feet again and continued to explore the property.

It was dark out now, so all of the solar-powered lamps were visible. Lanterns hung from metal posts. The trees were adorned in thin garlands of lights. The whole area was illuminated like a dream.

Every direction was filled with greenery, flowers scattered in between the leaves. It felt like I was in some kind of fairy garden.

I gasped with delight when I noticed a miniature waterfall flowing into a koi pond. I crouched near the edge and leaned forward to observe the graceful movement of the fish' fins.

*Ushijima's POV*

I watched y/n. She took delight in the pond. This felt like a special moment for her, and I wanted to make it better.

"Would you like to feed them?"

She turned to me with twinkles in her eyes.

"Can I?"

I lifted the lid of a rectangular woven basket lying next to one of the rocks and withdrew a small bottle of pellets to hand to her. She received it gratefully and unscrewed the cap, sprinkling a small amount over the surface of the water.

I didn't want her to feel rushed, so I sat down adjacent to her.

We stayed like that, side by side, enjoying the serenity. The only sound was that of the trickling fountain.

It was odd. I felt relaxed. My teammates weren't calling for a ball. There was no cheering crowd. I wasn't being scrutinized. I had nowhere I needed to be, nothing I needed to handle. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt this way.

I was completely at ease.

I glanced at her and saw that her eyes had closed. It appeared she was experiencing the same thing. I couldn't help but allow my gaze to linger.

"Thank you." She said, and though she didn't explain why, I knew.

*Narrator's POV* *Back inside*

"Hey, y/n and Ushijima have been gone for a while. What do you think they're doing?" Shirabu voiced to the group.

Tendou smirked and said, "What do you think?"

"That's ridiculous, and you know it. He's probably just boring her to death explaining some volleyball move."

"Maybe at first, but how long could that have lasted? They must've found some other activity."

"Eww, I'd prefer not to think about it. Plus, he's too dense to get anywhere with a girl."

They all thought about it for a moment.

"We should go check on them." Yamagata declared.

They all got up and began searching the house for the pair.

"Where the hell are they?" Kawanishi asked rhetorically.

"Outside?" Goshiki proposed.

"Why would they be out there?"

"I don't know. It's the only place we haven't checked. Let's go see."

They navigated their way to the patio door and peered out.

"Wait, I think I see them." Semi said, pointing.

Everyone pressed up against the glass.

"What are they doing?" Ohira asked.

"It looks like they're just sitting there."

"Ugh, how boring. We should leave them to be. Maybe Ushiwaka can finally learn some social skills or how to French kiss." Tendou suggested.

Yamagata punched him in the arm.

*Your POV*

Ushijima and I had been settled for several minutes. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to get something, anything out of him.

"Can I ask you something?"

He nodded.

"What would you do if you didn't play volleyball?"

"I've never thought about it because I do."

"Think about it now."

"Why would I entertain the idea of doing something else when I'm already doing what I want?"

I pondered.

"I suppose it's a comforting safety net, knowing that if you lost what you have, it wouldn't be the end."

He was quiet.

"I don't want a safety net. I decide when it's the end."

His answer seemed premature, but I pressed.

"So you'd give everything for something that could be taken away at any time?"

He made eye contact with me.

"Of course."

I considered his words. Though I thought it unwise, I had to respect him for his devotion.

"What's your everything?" He asked me.

I didn't expect him to return the conversation, but I surely wasn't going to pass it up.

"I don't have a hobby or a planned career like you. I'm not sure of my direction or what my future holds. I've never been so fortunate as to find something that I'm truly passionate about. I must say, I am jealous of you."

"I think you should give it time. Passion isn't something you plan, and expecting it to adhere to your vision of timing is ridiculous. You're going to disappoint yourself that way."

I frowned at my shoes.

"What if I don't find it? What if I never experience that spark?"

"You will."

"How do you know?"

"It's already in you. It's in everyone. You just need the endurance to persevere until it presents itself."

It was a reassuring notion, and it made sense. I felt a little better.

"Who knew that stone-cold shell of yours housed such a softy."

"I am not a softy."

I chuckled at his seriousness.

"I'm going to break through that shell." I told him.

I figured he'd say something bland in return. I turned to him and was surprised to find that a smile had snuck its way onto his face.

"I'll be waiting on the inside." He said.

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