Perfectionist ✺ Sakusa Kiyoomi

3

𝐂𝐡 𝟑 —— 𝐎𝐧 𝐌𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐲!

"That was fun," Chiharu commented sarcastically. The Opening Ceremony had finally ended. The Mujinazaka team was able to return by bus to their inn for the night. Finally, no more burning lightbulbs glaring them in the eyes. No more murmurs around them and fingers pointing at them. Chiharu let out a breath of relief. As he entered the team's shared room, he threw his jacket in the corner and lazily dropped to the ground.

"At least you got to stand sixth in the line." Kiryu said, "I had to look the crowd dead in the eyes and carry the sign that says our school name on it. That's a lot of pressure." As the captain and the bearer of the all-important number one jersey, Kiryu had the grand pleasure to stand in front and lead the team as they lined up for the Opening Ceremony.

Chiharu laughed loudly, the relief of being able to do that so openly and carelessly washed over his shoulders. Somehow, he felt the most relaxed he'd been this entire day. "Wearing the orange jersey felt weird. I'm used to the reversed one." He conversed casually, without much thought behind anything he was saying. Then, he looked around at the near-empty space except for the ace and himself. "Wait, where's the rest of the team?"

"In the other room. They're studying plays of the other teams on our side of the bracket: the ones we might end up playing soon."

"It's easy for them to get in the mood for competition. All they have to do is wait for the two of us to do something 'awesome'."

"That's terribly self-important of you," Kiryu said sternly.

"But it's true. I love our team, but it's true. They rely on us to make the good; rely on us to take on the bad." Chiharu drawled on, his right hand waving in the air carelessly as he spoke, "Besides, you're not self-important enough so I have to be that for the both of us."

The captain sighed. "Maybe you're right, but don't ever say that to their faces."

Chiharu sat and leaned against the soft yellow wall. "I'm always right, Waka-chan."

"You've been calling me that a lot recently."

"Well, it's an adorable nickname from Junior High, Waka-chan." He repeated.

There was then a moment of comfortable silence.

Chiharu had known Wakatsu for roughly six years now. Since Junior High, they'd been the impenetrable ace and libero duo. They'd played every game together. They'd carried crowns of the 'best in Japan' together. After this tournament, all of that could come to an end.

"Wow, it's been six whole years, huh." the libero sighed, eyes tracing the pattern of the clean tatami flooring.

"It'll be weird to play on a team without you eventually," Kiryu responded.

If, in the end, Chiharu didn't get selected for the youth national team, then their partnership would be over. Just like that. Indefinitely.

Six years. In the blink of an eye.

It'd all be the same.

"I'd like to say that we have nothing to lose this time around," Kiryu sighed, "but we both know that's not true."

The thought of that sent uneasy chills down the libero's back. All this time, he'd looked forward to his future, to accomplishing his dreams. But the world was a scary place. He wasn't so sure if he was ready to leave high school afterall.

Facing the world of intense volleyball players; looking into a sea of athletes with extraordinary abilities and the same hungry eyes as his; doing all of that without the comfort of his high school teammates by his side...