Tomorrow [Tsukishima Kei x Reader]

35

Tsukishima Kei's POV

"So this is what happened three days ago?" I asked.

"Yeah."

I frowned as I pushed her wheelchair.

I knew that something was off from the moment she called me by my whole family name with that shaky voice. But I never imagined this.

I wasn't able to visit her for the last two days because of schoolwork. But since winter break had officially started yesterday, I decided that I'd spend more time with her.

We still had some practice training for the club but it was only thrice a week now. That'd go on until the week of Christmas so that's that. Coach said it's good to train every other day so our body wouldn't get used to too much rest. Training wasn't going to be as tiring though, thankfully.

"Hey, let's go there," [Surname] said, pointing to the basketball court outside.

Right now, we were on the ground floor of the hospital— in the lobby.

Beside the hospital was a mini basketball court open to everyone. The only thing separating the court from the hospital was a chain-link fence.

Right now, there was a group playing inside. It didn't look like they were professionals but they obviously weren't new to it.

"It's a little cold outside," I said.

"I can handle it," [Surname] said, turning towards me.

"Not in that state, idiot."

I grabbed the scarf I had tucked away in my coat earlier and placed it on her head.

"Wear it," I said.

"I think I like this way, you know?" [Surname] said, giggling.

"Dumbass. What's the purpose of the scarf if you're not gonna wear it properly?"

"Alright. Alright. On it goes," she said as she wrapped the scarf around her neck. "Look, Tsukki!"

I watched as [Surname] lifted the part of the scarf in front of her lips, covering her mouth.

"I'm a mysterious person," she said, narrowing her eyes. Her voice was muffled a little by the scarf but I could still understand what she said.

"Dumbass," I said, chuckling as I pushed her wheelchair. 

When I stopped her right in front of the chain-link fence, I watched as she observed the team playing beyond the fence. I stood beside her with my hands on my chest

"Amazing," [Surname] said, still staring at the court.

"What is?"

"How different basketball and volleyball is," she said. "In basketball, they keep it in their hands and try to protect the ball, keeping it in their team. In volleyball, we try our best to keep the ball off our court. It's almost as if it's some bacteria we don't want to be around too much. We even only touch it once."

[Surname] giggled once she compared the ball in our sport to a bacteria.

"But even if we don't get to hold the ball as long as them, I'd still choose to play volleyball."

"You really are a volleyball idiot, " I said as I placed my hand on her head.

"You're friends with a volleyball idiot, #11," she said, smiling at me.

I smirked at her as she scrunched her nose at me. [Surname] placed her hand over her head as well and looked up. 

"The sun's gonna set soon," she said. 

"You should get back to your room," I said, grabbing the handles in her wheelchair.

"Wait, Tsukki."

I raised my eyebrow at her as she leaned her head back to face me.

"I have a place in mind to go to before we go back," [Surname] said, smiling at me.

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The two of us were on the hospital's rooftop as we waited for the sun to set. There were benches drilled on the rooftop so I placed her wheelchair near the end of the benches and sat beside her.

We were both looking forward as the sun slowly lowered to the horizon and the clouds started to get its orange hue.

"Did you know I used to have mixed feelings about sunsets?" [Surname] said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I liked it because it was a beautiful sight to watch. But at the same time, I hated it because it meant another day was over and I never knew if tomorrow was something I could have another chance to take. But now, I love them. I love them because it meant I survived another day. And I'll keep surviving to see more sunsets. "

My eyes observed her own. I couldn't stop the smile appearing on my face as I saw her eyes filled with content and happiness. 

'You're finally looking forward and not just in front of you.'

"I'd like to say thank you, by the way." [Surname] said.

"For what?" I asked.

"For not pushing me to tell you what's wrong while we were in call. If you did, I would've panicked more and maybe even shouted at you that I didn't know. So thank you. It actually helped me calm down a little."

I only looked at her as I took in her words. I didn't realize that how I acted had helped her at all. To be honest, it made me feel really happy to know that even if I wasn't really there, I still had the capability to assist her.

"I'm really lucky that I got to be close with you, Tsukki," she said, smiling at me. "Without you, I'd probably just continue being the idiot you always say I am."

"Someone else could've done a much better job than a person like me."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I think what I really needed was someone like you. I didn't need people who tell me every day that things are okay as if it's a fact. I just need someone who'd sit with me and make me realize that things can be okay. I didn't need their confident lie that told me life will be smooth-sailing soon. I just needed someone to tell me I can get better if I try. Sometimes optimism from others can be a real downer."

I just watched her as she continued to talk. My heart raced as I listened to what she said.

"So, thank you for being by my side, Tsukki. I'm grateful you're the one next to me right now and not someone else," [Surname] said, smiling at me before looking away and enjoying the sunset.

I watched as the sunset's colors started to reflect itself on her pale skin. Despite everything, she's smiling again. And knowing how I was one of the reasons she still smiled, well, I couldn't describe how happy I was.

'I'm glad to be the one next to you as well.'