Distinguished

Ball 7. Minutes

A/N: Changing a lil' bit of the original plot to an idea of mine from 'Your Lie in April', as with the addition of HQ characters.

Tsukishima Kei

"Tell me again," I muttered as Shimizu tugged and fixed on my neck tie. "Why do I have to come?"

Shimizu peeked up at my tall stature from her long eyelashes. With a last tug, she patted on her handy work and buttoned on my black blazer.

"I don't know, Tsukki-kun," She flicked away some dust on my clothes after buttoning. "But you volunteered yourself after Kaori asked for a piano accompliment."

I grumbled and rubbed my face frustratingly. Shimizu took my hands away from my face, glaring at me as she did so.

"Don't do that," She scolded. "It was a last minute decision and she's in desperate need of a piano player. You and Suga are the only ones who can play but.."

She stopped and giggled, amused of what she was about to say. "I didn't think you'd be up for it and say 'I'll do it'."

I scrunched up my face as I reminisce on what had happened three days ago.

Kaori came rushing in the gym doors, both sweaty from running and a worried look on her face.

"In three days' time is my gala performance and I haven't found anyone who can accompany me to the stage." She explained.

"I can go with you, Miyazono-san!" Noya quickly volunteered himself, receiving a jealous glare from Tanaka, but Kaori shook her head.

"Not that kind of accompliment. I need someone who can play the piano with me." She said with a desperate tone in her voice.

I don't what had made me do it, but my hand shot up and my mouth spoke, "I'll do it."

All of them looked at me with a surprised look on their faces. I can't blame them either because I'm not one to volunteer myself so suddenly. I was surprised myself too.

But to Kaori, she was overwhelmed and thankful that it made her tear up.

"Thank you, thank you, Tsukki!!" She rushed to me for a teddy bear hug. Since she was shorter than me, she hugged most of my upper body where the chest is. I blushed momentarily before gently pushing her away from me.

When I turned away from her, I saw Suga staring at me blankly. But he forced a smile on his face and gave me a thumbs up.

After the volleyball practice, she immediately gave me the piano music scores for the song I'm accompanying her with. It wasn't hard but not easy either.

I haven't been playing the piano for a while and I was still a little rough on the smooth parts of the piece. But with Kaori's constant nagging for the next two days until the gala, I kind of mastered the whole piano music.

But I don't know if I can make it to the stage..

Shimizu pushed me from my back and out of the changing room to the gym where the other players were. They weren't wearing a suit like me, but they dressed rather simple but fashionably.

As they saw me, all of them grinned and complimented at how nice I look.

"Kaori's waiting for us at the venue," Shimizu read from her phone before offing it. "We have about thirty minutes to get there and another ten minutes for them to get ready."

"What number position are they in?" Suga asked while we walked out of the gym and into a van Takeda-sensei had booked for us.

"Number eight, just before a conffectionary break." Shimizu said.

'That's still a long way to go.' I thought reliefingly.

"Ahh!!" Noya jumped up and down in excitement. "I can't wait to see Miyazono-san play! I bet she's also wearing formaly like Tsukishima."

"Don't mess this up for her," Kageyama snickered behind me and Hinata slapped him by his arm. I ignored him for the first time today and just went over the memorized notes in my head.

Then, Shimizu's phone rang with an upbeat ringtone and she answered the caller immediately.

As the van took off, driving us to the performance venue, Shimizu whispered something to the driver. The van then increased its speed after whatever she had instructed the driver to.

"Kaori called and said that the gala started early and they're now on position number five. Each performance is about five minutes so we have to get there in fifteen minutes." She explained, then turned to face me. "I don't think there will be any time for the both of you to get ready."

'Holy shit.' I cursed in my head and my plams started to get clammy.

"Why did they start early?" Daichi asked two rows behind me.

"Apparently, the time given to the performers were fifteen minutes late instead of the time given to the judges. So they had to take a vote, but I guess the judges wanted the performance to start early." Shimizu checked her watch. "It must be postion number six who're playing right now.

"We only have about ten minutes to kill."

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Miyazono Kaori

I paced back and forth at the corridors of the back stage. I checked the clock every minute and I was anxious that they wouldn't get here on time.

Position number seven were already halfway through their piece and there was about two minutes left before they're finished.

Just when I was about to get nauseous, the entrance doors opened and in came the Karasuno members, running towards me.

"We got here just in time!" Tanaka cheered but I wasn't at his similar mood at the moment.

"Yes, but we only have-"

"Miss Miyazono?" A man walked to me with a clipboard on his hand. "You're next."

"We'll be there in a minute." I said to him. "Thanks, by the way." He nodded before turning away from us.

"Well," Asahi broke the dreading silence forming every second. "They have to go."

Yamagichi pushed Tsukki from the crowd until he was in front of me. He had a nervous expression on his face and he was balling his fists hard that his knuckles turned white.

He nodded at me, indicating that he was ready. I sighed, then nodded back at him.

Grabbing his hand, which were clammy, I led him to the doors of the stage where the man earlier was waiting for us. He gave me my violin which were newly polished and tuned.

With no words of encouragement, we walked in side by side and out to the stage.