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

36

"I'm home!" I announced walking through the door.

"This early?" Yuki asked.

"Yeah we were let out a bit early to get some rest so I just took my time coming home." I explained as I put my stuff down and flopped on the couch.

"Too bad, you just barely missed mom leaving." He shrugged, "which reminds me, you guys are probably going to be back in Tokyo so dad said he might stop by for a few games."

"Really?!" I lit up and sat straight up. "I mean we haven't gotten there yet but-"

"Yeah, he said he's been going all over Japan and one of his final stops is back in Tokyo. Since it lines up with when you'll be there he said he wanted...." Yuki suddenly stopped talking, clapping his hand over his mouth.

"He wanted to surprise me?" I asked. "And you just spoiled it?"

He just slowly nodded.

"It's fine, I'll just act like I'm surprised." I laughed.

"I...I'm not going to say anything else I know about this." He lifted his hands to his shoulders and walked away.

Jeez I haven't seen him in months.  I think he left like right before school started, maybe about a week before? I knew he'd be coming back soon but if Tokyo is his final stop then does that mean he's coming back with us?

You know...I know he does this a lot and it's just a part of his profession but sometimes he's gone for so long I just feel like I don't even have a dad. But he loves traveling and we were all so excited for his promotion, just- on most of the weekdays it's just me and Yuki since I'm gone for the day. The other time it's just Yuki, mom and I. It's been weird obviously but it has been weird in general recently.

But I do feel like keeping myself busy has made it easier. A little harder for time management but easier than being stuck in the house.

—

"Uhhh Suzu?" Ena asked me at lunch, waving her hand in front of my face. "Are you doing alright?"

I didn't realize I had been staring into the distance looking at nothing. "Nope, yeah, I'm great! Peachy actually!" I nodded.

"You have been zoning out looking at your notes and computer for 5 minutes now just...not moving..." Kono questioned me.

"Uh- yeah haha that's. Yup!" I barely formed a full sentence.

"Suzuki." Ena said sternly as if she were my mother.

"I just have a lot on my plate, that's all." I waved them off.

"Oh...is it about..." Ena looked at Kono then looked back at me and made a face. I assumed she meant Kageyama.

"No no no! Not that." I shook my hands. "Although...oh I'll get to that later. No, I'm just trying to get all my notes together for pretty much every team we're about to go against and work on this essay at the same time so I have something to show at newspaper."

They both looked at me, then each other, then back at me. "Suzuki...what?" They both asked me.

"Usually my job is to find out information on the teams we're going up against and then making a general plan of action. With the qualifiers coming up, everybody is panicking...which is making me panic...which is making me overthink." I started staring again. "But then also because always relied on for writing things and it's kinda a my passion I feel like I can only focus on this right now."

"You're over preparing?" Kono asked.

"Yes?" I sighed, "I just need to get my mind off things. I need a distraction so please, how have you guys been?"