𝐁𝐎𝐊𝐔𝐓𝐎-𝐒𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐓 | 𝐤. 𝐛𝐨𝐤𝐮𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭

㋡𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆

This chapter dedicated to : McD_Wifi because she helped me through my writers block 🫶.

Krystal - Matt Maltese

——

you didn't get suspended, nor did akaashi.

still, everyone who heard of it knew something happened terrible enough to have the both of you sent to the principal's office.

Not many knew the details of what happened nor what caused it but akaashi offered some evidence as he paraded around the school daily with a bandaid on his lip. As if he had gotten jumped.

Keiji already had his suspicions that you wouldn't show for their first preliminary match, especially since the miniature brawl. It was even more evident as the start time drew nearer and he saw shūichi bringing out the water cooler and everything else for the game.

it was no surprise that you hadn't shown up since he had also heard murmurs that you missed your classes and you had a heavily graded assignment due that day.

yet you skipped.

the terrible weather that came about that day could easily be blamed but he knew that wasn't the only reason.

Whatever reason it was, was the same reason why everyone on the team now behaved so awkwardly near him and gave him more space than usual.

the same reason why he was not in the starting rotation, nor any rotation to begin with.

the coach benched him. akaashi almost thought he misheard but the murmurs from his teammates questioning the absence of his name ensured him that he was not mistaken.

"Takayuki-San...you didn't say my name" always freely speaking, he struggled to find the words. the silence that followed his question as his teammates eyes fell on him was unnerving. the tying up in his gut as for once in his life, keiji was being punished.

"Keiji, you're not playing" the words came after a sigh of disappointment.

"I'm not? That doesn't make any sense. I-" he recalled asking the coach in the changing room only to have the much senior man walk in front of him and look up in his face. shrunken with age but with a stare that made him look dozens of feet taller.

So blank and uninterested, it made the captain feel small.

"The girl hit it on tha head. The fact that ya thought this would never happen makes ya cocky enough. And frankly I don't feel like seeing ya on court until you seem even a bit remorseful. Go home"

the small confrontation seemed to merit no consequence, but of course...there was no such thing as no consequence. Just delayed consequence.

so as the ball thudded softly on the volleyball court while the team warmed up, Akashi keiji found himself walking towards the exit.

Passing all his cheering schoolmates heading to the match in the rain.

passing your ominous figure sitting alone under the bus stop in the rain.

it took him a minute to make out if it was you since you weren't dressed in uniform and unintentionally he stood there for a full minute just staring at you as you stared ahead at nothing at all.

at first he walked by, heading to his bus stop to go home. yet minutes after he found himself sat beside you in silence, offering you an umbrella he went to buy at a convenience store a few blocks down.

but you flinched. it was evident even more that you knew he was there since your chest rose and fell more often with anxious breaths.

yet his umbrella hung in the air in wait of your grasp, even as you got up and walked in the rain to the bus as soon as it came.