Tsuki-Dayo

Twelve | 十二

Twelve

Yuno opened her lunch box and revealed the hearty homemade meal to her teammates who sat around her. Erika and Yuki leaned closer with wide eyes, their mouths opened in amazement. "Yuno-chan! You made that?" Yuki asked, pointing at the delicious looking meal.

"Yup." Yuno nodded and stick out her chest a little bit, letting a little of her cockiness show.

"You'll be such a great wife! With that body and talent to make food!" Erika said, pointing her chopsticks at Yuno's chest. Yuno's cheeks flared up and she crossed her arms on her chest.

"Geez! You're such a pervert, Erika!" The girls broke into a fit of laughter, leaving only [Name] who stared at her own food. She didn't seem to be paying any attention to the conversation, or, in fact, any of her surroundings. The lunch her mom prepared was suddenly not so appetizing to her anymore. Yuki took notice of it and her laughter faded.

"[Name]-chan?" Yuki asked gently. Erika and Yuno had turned their attention to the said girl too. [Name] blinked herself back into reality and looked up to find all three of her friends, looking at her with concerned faces. She managed a smile but that only intensified their looks. "Are you thinking about Aoba Jousei's condition?"

[Name] looked down at her thighs as she couldn't look at her friends in the eyes. She hated how she was suddenly so easy to read. "[Name]! You don't have to do it if you don't want to!" Erika said, slamming her hands on the table, nearly dropping all their lunches on the floor. Thankfully, they were all alert enough, including [Name], to save their food from falling. "Sorry..."

"What even gave them the idea for a condition like that?" Yuno groaned.

"...They had a certain condition." Hitomi's onyx eye fell on [Name], sending shivers down her spine. Her palms turned sweaty and a lump formed in her throat.

"[Last Name] [First Name] has to be in the game, full time."

"What?!" Many of the girls gasped, starting a small commotion in the hall. The grin on Yui's face faded and turned into a grimace. Miyuki sighed and shook her head. Yuki glanced over to her friend worriedly.

[Name] just sat there, trying to register what she had just heard. Her [Eye Color] orbs seemed almost blank as she stared at the advisor, who remained silent. [Name]'s lips were slightly parted and as much as she wanted to close them, she couldn't.

"They just want to belittle [Name], don't they?! They don't really want a match with Karasuno. All they want is to play against [Name]!" Misaki growled. Iwari put a hand on her arm and told her to calm down.

Hitomi was silent at her words. The advisor had a feeling that she was telling the truth. When she was on the phone with Aoba Jousei's coach, she could very well hear the unwillingness of the coach as they spoke. Apparently it was a request from Aoba Jousei's Girls' Captain, Mamiko Akari to play against Karasuno Girls'. She made it very clear that [Name] should be in the game the entire time. Hitomi wasn't quite happy with that idea but they needed a match to find out where they currently were.

"It's up to you, whether you're up for it." Hitomi said to [Name]. "Nobody would force you if you don't want to do it."

"Forget it! We don't need the - "

"I'll do it." [Name] cut Misaki off, causing the entire team to fall silent and lay their eyes on her. Her eyes had a certain fire in them as she stared at her advisor with complete confidence.

"[Name]!" Misaki protested.

"I'll do it." [Name] repeated with a firmer voice.

"It's her decision." Miyuki reminded everyone. "And she has decided." [Name] gave the vice-captain a grateful look but Miyuki seemed a little upset at her answer too.