❝RED❞

THIRTEEN

THIRTEEN

VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE TODAY was exhausting, was what Miya Atsumu thought as he tugged off his sweaty jersey, exhaling deeply as he wiped the collective sweat at the nape of his neck. The low murmur of conversation was present throughout the locker room, a faint buzz that evicted the silence that was sure to settle after a long day.

Well, okay. Practice is always tiring. I guess today was just the one day I realized how weary I was, he found himself thinking. Shrugging his body bag across his shoulders, the blonde setter briefly turned and told his teammates goodbye. He pulled out his earbuds as he stepped across the threshold that separated the gym from the outside world, settling them into his ears and pressing play.

Whatever he was really listening to didn't register to Atsumu. He, really, only played music for the sake of preventing his overwhelming thoughts from crowding his mind. Taking a deep breath, Miya began his way toward the train station.

It was clear to him and every other single passing pedestrian (at least the ones that let the matter cross their minds) that this clear breath of autumn this year was drawing to a close, and the exhale of winter was coming in soon. The chill that hung in the air had taken on a heavier burden, and Atsumu understood that very soon, he would be needing a new coat.

The train station itself was nothing to speak of. An average, day-to-day station the citizens of Tokyo would pass through on a daily basis.

With that said, it was a curious situation Atsumu found himself in when he realized there was a child lost at the station, crying for its parents.

What kind of parent loses their child at a train station? he thought as he walked up to the young girl. She must've been extremely young–only three or four. So, with good intent, he stepped towards her and knelt down on one knee. "Ya lost?" he smiled, catching the toddler's attention.

Obviously, she wasn't expecting to find such a good-looking adult to consult her. Struck dumb by her shock, it took a moment for the girl to reply. "I-I can't find my auntie," she sniffled and wiped away the tears in her eyes.

"Really?" Another man stepped in. Dressed in a gray hoodie that was pulled up over his head, Miya immediately had a bad impression. "I know where your auntie is. Come with me," he smiled and reached out a hand, which the little girl began to accept.

Atsumu snorted in disgust and rolled his eyes. He reached forward and, hand on her back, pushed the girl away from the stranger. "Come with me," he murmured kindly. He let her hold onto him by his shirt as they walked over to the security booth, where the blonde setter explained the situation. Shortly after security announced into the microphone where the lost girl was, a blonde woman came rushing in, obviously out of breath.

"Auntie!" cried the now-found girl, and burst into tears. "There you are," sighed the adult woman in relief. Patting her niece's head, she looked up at the guards and Atsumu. "Thank you so much," her voice was silky and breathless. The setter blinked in surprise when he realized who it was.

"Eh? Fuyuko-san?"

The Chanel CEO turned sharply towards Atsumu. It took her a moment to recognize her former classmate– "Miya!" she laughed and stepped forward to briefly embrace him. Fuyuko stepped back and looked over him. "Thank God it was you who found her, and not some random creep!"

To this, Atsumu merely smiled, neglecting to tell the CEO about the gray hoodie man. It'd only worry her, and there would be no point in mentioning it, he decided. Instead, he opted to take another good look at his friend's niece and crouched down. "She's your brother's, right?" he asked in confirmation, lifting his eyes just enough to capture the sight of Miyuki's face within his line of sight.