Your Lie in April || Haikyuu

10 || Cowards With Admirable Talent

  Loud and rowdy teenage boys conversed with one another while they tidied up the gym. The first-year manager mopped the area near the storage room. She couldn't help but wonder about Azumane Asahi, the boy catching her interest. He has a big, well-built figure, yet he has a gentle, timid soul. His soft way of speaking contradicted the way he smashes the volleyball into the ground when he's on the court. Her curiosity lead to the current conversation she held with her upperclassman.

"Hello, Azumane-se-" Y/N was cut off when the older boy voiced out a shrilled scream. He didn't notice or hear the girl walk up to him, giving him quite a fright when he turned around. Y/N, not long after him, let out a surprised scream.

  "I'm sorry!!" Y/N shouted as she intensely folded herself into a ninety-degree bow.

  "No! I'm sorry!!" Asahi intensely bowed back in apology.

  "What's wrong with these two?" Daichi sweatdropped while looking at the two high-schoolers continuously apologizing and bowing, one after the other.

  "Eheh, I'm not quite sure either.." Sugawara laughed awkwardly, coming up to stand next to his friend.

Y/N looked up at Asahi with a slightly flushed face at their awkward first encounter– also with a slightly aching back from all the bowing. Sensing the weird air between them, Sugawara spoke up.

"That's right! You haven't properly met him, have you, Iwasaki-chan?" He slapped Asahi on the back. "This is Azumane Asahi, a third-year like me."

Y/N shyly stepped forward, politely bowing once more. "Nice to meet you, I'm Iwasaki Y/N, first-year."

  "Ah," Asahi bowed back at her. "I'm Azumane Asahi, third-year." Sugawara smiled contently to himself, getting the two oddballs to properly say hello to each other. Quietly slipping away, he let the two talk to each other.

  "So," Y/N started. She didn't really know what to say, nor did she feel like she was in the position to question him about his feelings towards coming back to the team. Careful with her words, she continued her sentence, not knowing what else to say to break the ice. "Are you the team's ace?"

Asahi let out a small breathy laugh, almost sigh-like.

"I used to. I don't think I'm worthy of being called the ace anymore."

"Why not?" She was genuinely curious about her upperclassman's story.

"I-" he started. "I don't have the guts to stand on the court again. It's only been awhile since you joined, but you've seen how amazing the rest of the players on this team are, right? They wouldn't need me; I'd just get in their way." So this was how he felt? Asahi scratched the back of his neck seeing Y/N in a silent state, eyes slightly wide. "Ah, sorry. That was a bit heavy, wasn't it? And even after we just met, haha. If you'll excuse me–" He started to turn around to go back to cleaning.

"But," Y/N started, making him pause and turn back around. "You still like volleyball, right?"

"Yes, but–"

"Then why would you abandon it?" Asahi's eyes widened for a brief second, then drooping once more.

  "It's just..." Asahi paused; he collected the words scrambling in his head to form a legit reason, but it seems as though there weren't any. "I don't know...."

  Y/N stared at him. It was like looking at a reflection, a reflection of herself if she were a six-foot tall man with a beard. He was somewhat... pitiable. Oh, how she hated that word, but she couldn't help but think it. Asahi was a fool in love with the sport just as she was to the piano, but look at where their poisonous love took them.

  "You can't just give up now." Y/N stated firmly. "The team needs you back. I know I'm just a newcomer, but even I can tell how much they miss you. Please come back, Asahi. I know you still love playing volleyball. They need you." She took a step forward, gaining the sudden courage to do so. "We need you."

  He inhaled sharply at her words. As per usual, he struggled to find the right words to say. A hand weighed down on his right shoulder, giving him a slight shock.

  "She's right, you know? We need our ace back." Sugawara smiled. Asahi sighed and looked back down at the ground. His heart swelled knowing that his team was waiting for him, but the humiliating thoughts of the other teams blocking his spikes instilled fear into his body. Still, he wanted to be on court again no matter how many times he said he didn't deserve to be there. Was he selfish to think this way?

  "Hey," Sugawara tapped the back of Asahi's neck with two fingers. "Don't you dare think you don't deserve to stand on court with us. And if you do, then none of us deserve to stand on court with you."

  Y/N looked at Sugawara, mentally nodding and cheering at his cool words.

  "I," Asahi looked up, first at Y/N then around at the rest of the volleyball team. He nodded after finally landing his eyes on one of his best friends that stood right next to him. "I'm coming back."

  "That's what I like to hear!" Sugawara cheered. He grabbed Asahi's arm and started running off in the direction where most of the boys were gathered to announce the news of Asahi's return. He turned his head back and shouted out to Y/N "Please bring the nets and the posts to the storage!" in which she held up an 'ok' sign with her hand. She watched the two run off, glad that she was able to be part of convincing Asahi to return. However, her own words lingered in her mind.

  'Why would you abandon something you love?'

  Her hands reached out to the net posts, a small scoff escaping her lips.

  'What a hypocrite, I am.'