Tomorrow [Tsukishima Kei x Reader]

14

Tsukishima Kei's POV

"[Surname]-chan!" Hinata shouted as soon as he saw her walk in the gym. "You're out of the hospital now!"

"Yeah, I am I just got discharged last night!" she said, smiling at the shrimp.

"But, you're in the wrong gym. The other team is in the other gym," Hinata said.

I looked at [Surname] who only smiled at the shrimp.

"No, I'm in the right gym," she told him. "Oh! Sawamura-san!"

"What is it, [Surname]?" Daichi-san asked.

"I'd like to apply as a manager for the club for now!"

[Surname] bowed a little as she held a piece of paper towards our captain. Everyone stared at her for a second as they took in what she just said. Soon enough, once it was processed, different reactions came.

"We're gonna have two managers?! We're gonna look like an actual strong team!!"

"We're gonna have two pretty managers!!"

"W-Wait [Surname]! Are you sure about this?"

"Aren't you one of the best players the girls' team has right now?"

"Also, why for our team and not the girls?"

I clicked my tongue. I myself had questions like why she suddenly decided to stop playing when she obviously felt the opposite days ago. But I didn't want to add anymore to the questions piling up

"How is she gonna answer if you keep bombarding her?" I said.

[Surname] smiled at me before facing the team again.

"Um. I decided to take a break from participating in volleyball teams for now. Still, I can't push myself to stay away from the sport so I want to stay in the scene without having to participate in the games. If I became the manager for the girls' team, I'm afraid I'd be tempted to go back to playing."

"What's wrong with playing volleyball?" Hinata asked.

"I need to face my issues first before I start playing competitively again," [Surname] said, lightly scratching her left cheek with her finger as she talked.

"Issues?" the annoying shrimp asked.

"L-Like my stamina and anemia."

"But don't you get more stamina by training?"

"If you keep using your brain, you might end up frying it," I said to Hinata to stop him from asking any more questions.

I could see [Surname] obviously getting bothered by the questions. Once again she looked at me and smiled to thank me but I only gave her a look that told her I wanted some of my questions to be answered as well. She nodded, understanding what I was trying to say with just my expression.

"W-Well, Sawamura-san, am I accepted?" [Surname] asked.

"Sure! Why not! I'm sure Kiyoko would be pleased to have another manager around."

"Thank you! I promise to do my best!" she said, bowing at us.

"Yay! We have two managers now!" Hinata exclaimed.

"I can't wait to show Yamamoto the real power of Karasuno!" Tanaka-san shouted.

"W-What?" [Surname] asked, confused.

I watched them as they welcomed our new manager. I observed [Surname] a little. She looked like how she did before the whole fainting incident, which was a good thing.

"Seems like [Surname]-chan's gonna be around us more often now," Yamaguchi said with a smile.

I looked at him then at [Surname] as I remembered why we even started talking in the first place. Was Yamaguchi happy that she'd be around more often?

"You seem happy about that," I said.

"Aren't you as well, Tsukki?"

I clicked my tongue.

"As if I want to spend more time with her when all she does is annoy the heck out of me," I said.

"Well," Yamaguchi started. "I hope I can get closer to her. She seems like a very fun person to be around."

'I'm pretty sure that's what she wants as well.'

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"So," I started. "Why did you actually give up playing?"

[Surname] stared at me, a little surprised with my question.

"I'm not giving up playing," she said as she picked up another ball. "I'm just taking a break from competing in volleyball tournaments."

"I thought you wanted to get back and get a win over your loss?"

"Sure," she said. "But I don't think that's possible. Not right now."

I knew I wasn't imagining it when I heard how hurt she was when she said that.

"How isn't it possible?" I asked.

"If I continue to do what I did, I might end up giving out in exhaustion before the next competition arrives." [Surname] sighed as she carried all the balls she was able to collect in her arms. "I stopped trying for now so I can continue trying later, does that make sense?"

"Sure," I said. "You thought of this up all alone? I'm actually surprised."

"H-Hey! I'm not being forced to give up volleyball or something!"

"I know," I said with a smirk. "Because if you were, you'd fight them rather than give up volleyball."

"Right!" [Surname] said with a smile.

"You'll miss it though, wouldn't you?" I asked.

"Sure, but it's not like I'm completely stopping myself from playing casual volleyball. I just can't participate in training."

I looked at her as she glanced at the volleyball net with sad eyes. From that alone, I knew how much she wanted to go back to the court and how much she wanted to try to improve everything she knew.

'Maybe a break is what she needs to break all her unhealthy habits she does while trying to get stronger?'

I understood what she was trying to do. Still, she looked so conflicted herself and it was a little hard to watch when people like me who don't care much have the chance to continue smoothly while she has to decide to stop for now for her sake.

"Oh right. I remembered something."

"What is it Tsukki?" she asked.

"Yamaguchi seems to be happy that you're becoming our manager," I teased.

"W-What?"

"He said and I quote, I hope I can get closer to her."

"Oh? Oh. Oh?!"

"If you became our manager to actually be closer to him, you shouldn't be afraid to say so," I said, still teasing her.

"H-Hey! You know it's not like that!"

"Sure," I said with the teasing tone still present.

"T-Tsukki you're being cruel!"