pens, paper, and a volleyball player | k. tobio

22

"Hey, do you want to study together at some point?" I asked Ena as we walked out of class together.

"Define 'studying' because every time you say that you really just mean an excuse for us to go hang out somewhere." She raises her eyebrows.

"You say yes every time so I don't see the issue" I shrugged.

"Ooo I say we stop at the new place that just opened up by your house." Kono jumps into the conversation from behind us.

"Great to see you too I guess. Do you mean the cafe?"

"Yeah! Have you been there?"

"Yeah actually I have." I stop by my locker to drop off some books.

"You've been there already?" Ena asked, "With who? It's only been open for so long."

"I went with two people from the volleyball club." I shut my locker and saw someone turn around the corner.

"Well speak of the devil—"

—

"You mean the cafe?" I heard Naka from around the corner talking to someone. I went to go find her to ask her a question but something stopped me before I turned to see who she was talking to.

"Yeah! Have you been there?" An unfamiliar voice appears. Sounds like a guy.

"Yeah actually I have."

"You've been there already?" Another sort of unfamiliar voice. Its a little more recognizable but I wouldn't be able to put a face on it. "With who? It's only been open for so long."

"I went with two people from the volleyball club."

I'm one of two people..

I had already turned the corner when I saw Naka standing next to the people she was talking to.

"Speak of the devil." She says when I come into eyesight. "Kags, what are you doing here?" She asked me with her signature smile.

"Oh uh-"
"Who' s this?" The guy standing to the side of her spoke up. He's shorter than me yet taller than Naka.

"Oh right. Kageyama, the loud one is Akoi Kono and his is Saki Ena. Guys this is Kageyama Tobio, he's the setter from the team and also went to Kitagawa." She introduced us to each other.

"Oh I recognize you!" Ena points out. She's shorter than all of us. I can confirm I remember her from the elections.

"You do?" I asked.

"Yeah, I keep track of our graduating class..." She awkwardly laughs, "I also remember seeing you at Kitagawa."

"I specifically remember you in the sports issue." Akoi crosses his arms, "what was that about anyway?"

Great.

Before I could get a word out Naka stomps on his foot. "The only reason he ever read those things was because he wanted to see his own name next to the winning score."

"You play a sport?" I asked inspecting his build to try and guess.

"Soccer...I also read it because I like supporting Suzuki." He said through his teeth massaging his foot slightly.

"Ignore him." Saki rolled her eyes. He put his hand on Naka's shoulder to use as a crutch to keep his balance. It annoyed me a bit.

"Anyways, what did you need?" Naka asked me paying no mind to the boy next to her.

"I uh- I'll talk to you later today at practice." I brushed it off. "It was nice meeting you."

I walked away slightly pissed and annoyed.