gravity | r. suna ✓

one

- Monday, 7:33pm -

"Ayano? What are you doing here?" Atsumu Miya, dripping with sweat, addresses me in the doorway of the gym. He leans, one hand hanging onto the top of the doorway, the breeze sweeping his sweat-soaked fringe to one side. "It's late. Thought you would have been home by now."

I hold up his textbook from science. "You left this in the library. Has your name on it. Thought I'd return it before going home."

He takes it slowly. "Thanks. It's cold out here, wanna come inside?" His eyes travel over my clothes, which are minimal considering the weather. It's freezing right now. I suppress a shiver - I don't want to lose to Tsumu, no matter how trivial the competition.

"I'm fine." I turn to leave, but feel his hand around my wrist.

I whip around angrily to see Atsumu's smirking face. Snatching my wrist out of his grasp, I raise my chin, glaring at him.

"Come on, Ayano, don't you want to see how men do things around here?"

He's referring to the volleyball club. I'm the 2nd year setter for Inarizaki's female team, and Atsumu is the male team's setter. Of course, his comment provokes me to reluctantly step into the gym.

"Good choice," Atsumu taunts, leading me around the volleyball court. "Why are you here so late, anyway?"

I glare at him. "I was studying. I'm watching for one minute and then I'm going, got it?"

He smirks at me again, and I fold my arms, turning my attention to the court.

Of the players on the court, I only recognize Atsumu, his twin Osamu, Ojiro Aran, and one other 2nd year who I've seen around but don't know the name of. They notice me watching and crouch extra low for the serve.

I don't recognize the team they're playing. I don't care, either.

I wrap my sweatshirt closer to my body as a gust of wind blows into the gym. The ball is served by the other team, the Inarizaki libero receives it, Atsumu sets the middle and the 2nd year guy who is oddly familiar goes in for the spike - except, something weird happens.

The block is up, the timing is perfect, the odds are against him... But a second later the ball makes contact with the ground, on the opposition's side.

What is this guy? How did he manage to make the ball go around the block?

It hits me where I know him from. I saw him in the principal's office not long ago, sitting on the uncomfortable red chairs, waiting to see him. I only saw his face for a second as I passed. He looked pretty scratched up. His hands were bruised and his face was scratched. He had cuts on his knees. His uniform was messy, as was his hair. I didn't think much of him, just that he must have gotten into a fight. The second ended, and I went in for my appointment with the principal to talk about my role in the student council.

He didn't seem like the type to play volleyball, and even if he did, he didn't seem like the type to be especially good at it.

A couple more points pass. It's pretty even, but the opposition's blockers can't seem to keep up. Ojiro Aran and this ridiculous middle blocker are too much for them. They must not be used to weirdly talented volleyball players with odd skills, like twisting and bending their body to maneuver the ball around the blockers' hands.

The promised minute ends. I wave to Atsumu, pick up my bag, and leave the gym. As I walk home in the cold, blowing on my hands to keep them from freezing off, I think about the troublemaking middle blocker. How angry he looked in the principal's office. How calm he looked on court today.

I don't even know his name.

- Tuesday, 7:56am -

"What'd you think of practice yesterday?" Tsumu catches up to me as I walk into the school gates.

I give him the side-eye. "Don't walk with me."

He ignores me. "What did you think?"

"You have some weird players," I shrug. "What do you want me to say?"

He looks confused, maybe offended. "What do you mean by weird?" he huffs. "You're so mean, Aya. You could have said something nice."

"I mean they have weird talents. They're good. I guess. That other team's blockers couldn't handle it. What else do you want from me?" I sigh, adjusting my backpack straps. We're nearing the blocks of classrooms.

He thinks about this for a while. "I think, by 'weird talents', you must mean Suna...?"

"I guess. I don't know who that is."

"Middle blocker. Black hair. 2nd year."

I arrive at my classroom, stopping outside the door. Atsumu does the same. "That's him, yeah. I'm going to class now. Don't miss me too much."

I push the door open, rolling my eyes at Atsumu's annoying persistence. Sometimes I wish he'd leave me alone, but when I do that, it feels weird, like something huge is missing. He's one of my best friends, despite how much he pisses me off.

I know his name now, though. Suna. I wonder what's up with him, why he was at the principal's office that day. Why his hands were bruised.

It's not a big deal. I just can't suppress my curiosity when I know there must be a story.

- Suna, Tuesday, 8:02am -

Do you believe in fate?

I don't really believe in anything except maybe the whistle being blown, the ball in the air, off someone's forearms, the setter, glancing right; is it to throw me off or is it to check someone is there. I know what the setter thinks. They're thinking, can I trust my spikers to be there at the same time as the ball?

I don't believe I'm capable of trust.

- Ayano, Tuesday, 8:04am -

The name Ayano means colour, or design. I believe name meanings are significant because I believe, even though when you have a baby you have no idea what kind of person they'll become, people may reflect their name meanings.

It's a cool concept. I guess it's a form of fate, or something.

I'm not sure how I will reflect my name's meaning. Maybe literally. Maybe I'll become a designer or an artist. Or maybe I'll metaphorically add colour to someone's life.

I don't know who I'm going to be, let alone who I am at the moment. I just know that I am a naturally curious person to a fault. I know that my investigation into Suna's life and why he was in that office that day will either ruin me or make me who I'm supposed to be. Probably the first option. But despite this knowledge, I know I will end up doing whatever I can to solve this mystery.

Even if it kills me.

a/n ++

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