Magic Mirror | hq!!

Magic Mirror

          "Do it like this." Small gentle hands guided his knees and waist to bend a little lower. "Use your whole body to send the ball back, not just your arms. Got it?" The black-haired boy nodded, concentration never leaving his mind. He recalled everything that his golden-eyed companion taught him, from the gap between the legs to the right position of the arms.

          "Here it goes!" Once the ball left the other's hands, he put everything into action. Unlike his past attempts, the impact of the ball on his arms felt perfect. It hurt a little as he is not used to playing this sport yet, but the sound his recieve produced was satisfying. It was the first time he heard that sound coming from his own arms. It felt great!

          His usually dull blue eyes brightened a few shades as the corner of his lips curved upward. A comfortable warmth made its way from his head down to the tips of his toes. This was one of the few moments when he felt genuinely happy.

          "That's amazing, Keiji-kun! We're pros now!" Keiji was sure that's not how that works, but he cannot help the silent laugh that escaped his lips. This boy sure is something. It takes a lot of skill and practice in order to become a pro and the duo was still far from entering that league. Even so, he wants to play in a huge court where thousands of people are watching someday.

          While his friend was busy ranting about amazing volleyball players, he noticed his mom leaving their frontyard, probably looking for him. He knows it was rude to interrupt someone talking, but the sun is setting already, signalling that their playtime is over. He nudged the still blabbering boy's forearm using his pointer finger to get his attention then pointed to the direction of his mom to relay his message. Having been friends for a long time, the boy instantly understood what he's trying to say.

          "Let's walk home together, shall we?" Keiji accepted the speaker's outstretched hand and nodded. Hand in hand, the two made their way to the two similar houses where both their mothers are waiting.

          "Bye, Keiji-kun! Let's do spikes next time!"

          The said boy raised two fingers pointing to his two eyes, lowered it and formed a good job sign then flicked it back and forth, the signal for 'see you tomorrow'. The gesture earned a wide grin from the older boy.

          "Thanks for taking care of Keiji, Koutaro-kun," his mother added before they entered the small but comforting house.

          Keiji was born mute, so interacting with the other kids on the neighborhood is almost impossible. Everytime someone tries to talk to him, they end up showing sympathy then leaving with an apology. The cycle continued until he met Koutaro, who asked him to teach him how to communicate using the Japanese sign language because it looked so cool. The said boy still isn't confident in expressing himself in the said language, but he can understand most of what Keiji is signing. Ever since that day, he developed the habbit of waiting for his new-found friend at their front porch. Koutaro never failed to show up even once. He still came just to tell Akaashi that he can't play with him.

          The next day, it wasn't Koutaro who came.

          "Sorry, Kei-kun, Kou-chan is sick today, so he cannot play with you. However, he wants to give you this." He was handed a paper bag that contained a fluffy round owl plushie. It looked... oddly just like him. "He was saving it for your birthday, but he said that you need it right now so you won't feel lonely while he's stuck in his room."

          Keiji took the stuffed toy out of the bag then hugged it tightly as a sign of gratitude. The kind woman gave him a hug and a pat on his head in return. "There's a plague going around the city. You should stay inside for a while. Kou-chan will be sad if you get sick too. I'll call you when he gets better, okay?" He nodded in reply.