𝚂𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝙵𝚘𝚘𝚕 - 𝙺. 𝚂𝚊𝚔𝚞𝚜𝚊 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

Chapter Eleven - That Evil Temptress!

Chapter Eleven

When Sakusa woke up on Monday morning, he didn't grumble or groan — he actually felt okay. Not overly happy but not sad, angry, or filled with dread. Well, not until he made it to work, at least.

Sakusa went through his morning routine, a little confused as to why his mood had shifted overnight, but the more he ruminated on it, the more he realized that it hadn't happened overnight. Since he and Sajima snuck away on Saturday night, he felt a little lighter. Of course, seeing her the next day for an hour or so as he enjoyed his morning Red Eye also helped to maintain that little boost of serotonin he had been oblivious to until now. It was unusual for Sakusa to look forward to much of anything, especially something other than volleyball, but he was looking forward to stopping by Jump Start that morning. More than he thought he should have, but he ignored that rationale for the moment. He could overthink that later.

The bell above the door chimed as Sakusa walked into the coffee shop, his eyes wandering to the best seat in the house while he waited in line. Mornings were always their busiest time of day, so he had a little time to admire from afar while Sajima was preoccupied with this week's chapter of her manga. Her midnight sky hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun that wobbled every time she erased with a bit more pressure than needed. Her sweatshirt was baggy and hanging off her left shoulder, exposing the area that had caught his eye several days prior but with a thin black strap accidentally on display.

Once Sakusa received his drink, he walked over to her, and the sound of approaching footsteps brought Sajima's attention up and away from her paper. Her lips curled into a tired smile at the sight of Sakusa, his dark wavy hair was so perfectly styled. The way it hung over one side seemed cute, especially because it highlighted the two moles above his eyebrow, making him a little more unique in her eyes. As usual for him on a weekday morning, he donned a pair of black track pants with a gold stripe down the side, a matching zip-up jacket, and black sneakers, his duffle bag slung over his shoulder with the strap across his chest. "Morning, Sakusa."

While he was glad to see her, he wasn't pleased that the amber eyes that had always been lively and vibrant lacked their usual shine. Instead, they were bloodshot, accentuated by the circles underneath that had become worse compared to being hardly noticeable the day before. "What's wrong?"

Sajima tilted her head to the side. "Huh? Nothing's wrong. Is there something wrong?" She rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously. "Sorry, my hair is pretty unruly today...."

Something was definitely wrong. Sajima had never apologized for her appearance before, so why now? "You look like you haven't slept. Were you up all night?"

"Oh," Sajima breathed a laugh as she let go of her insecurity and waved away his concern. "Yeah, I've got a lot to do to make up for the time I've missed, but it's nothing to worry about. I function on only a few hours every night anyway. No big deal."

Sakusa frowned. He knew he was the reason she was now stuck playing catch-up, and guilt began to create heaviness in his chest. "You won't be as productive without sleep, Sajima."

"I'm not going to have a chapter to put out this week if I do," she smiled sadly. "I've got a lot of people counting on me, ones who will get reprimanded if I don't come through. I've gotta take one for the team, y'know?"

"And you think your team would approve of this?"

Sajima shrugged. "Probably not, but it needs to get done somehow. I can't let them down, and if that means pulling a few all-nighters, then it's worth it."

Sakusa's eyebrows pinched together. "A few?"

"If you keep worrying like this, I'm gonna get the wrong idea, Sakusa," Sajima teased. She wouldn't admit it to him anytime soon, but she appreciated his concern. It made her feel cared for in a way that created a comforting warmth within her. "I'll be okay, I promise."