ため野矢の: Because of Noya

何？ What?

Currently, it's 8:00 A.M. on a calm and foggy Saturday morning. Why am I up this early? Well, surprisingly enough, I was apparently supposed to be up earlier.

Yesterday, when I got home from my long and dirty escapade, I happened to find a crumpled up piece of notebook paper with kanji written on it. It was basically directions as of where to meet tomorrow (in this case, today), and what to bring. But, it never said what time. Even if I did know the person who put the note in my bag, I wouldn't have any method of contacting her/him. So, I let it be and started on with my daily household chores and studying, along with the hassle of washing the once clean and pure white stockings I owned.

Anyways, today I figured I should get up early to go to the Karasuno High gym (typical meeting place for a sports team). Besides, in my volleyball playing experience, the team always had to get up on weekends before 8 to head to the gym anyway. I'm sure high school volleyball would be the same, right?

I ate a quick and light breakfast before heading out the door to a train station. A bike would be too slow, and I figured I definitely shouldn't get there by 9:30.

Nothing very enticing happened on my journey to the high school, so I can exclude that part of the day. But when I did arrive, a very attractive woman came to open the gymnasium door. And boy, was I intimidated.

She was beautiful. Too beautiful. I felt absolutely..... Envious of her presence. She had short black hair, but nothing like mine. It was wavy and thick, suiting her way more than it would me. Her eyes overwhelmed me the most. They were such a charming, icy blue that was especially rare in Japan. She seemed so... Goddess-like, to put shortly.

"Good evening. Please come in."

She muttered with the utmost soothing voice. I could have sworn if honey had a voice, it would have been exactly like that.

"T-thank you. Um..."

I looked around the gym and saw the typical sight of sweaty and tired volleyball players. I would have said this was normal and moved on, but they all looked like they practiced for an awfully long time. Therefore, I checked my watch quickly.
9:15

"Excuse me, what time did they start practice?"

I asked the beautiful girl standing next to me.

"Around.... 6:30? Although, a few members got around here earlier than that.."

WHAT?! I was so unacceptably late! By almost 3 hours?! What kind of manager would I be to make such an insufferable first impression?

"Nakemura-san.. Oh, I'm sorry if you weren't aware I knew your name.. Coach Ukai-kun told me."

"No, it's fine. What's wrong?"

"Did I happen to write down the time you were supposed to arrive on the piece of paper?"

Ooooh, so it was her who put it in there! It makes sense now that I think about it. The writing was too feminine for a guy, and the kanji seemed to fit her delicate demeanor.

"So it was you? And yes, there was no time written..."

"Yes. I'm sorry for not putting my name and contact information down, it was very irresponsible of me. I'm sorry you were unaware, I'll try to be more careful in the future. By the way, my name is Shimizu Kiyoko. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The alluring high school girl then bowed to me. To be honest, I was utterly flustered by the gesture. Shouldn't this situation be the other way around? No way would a girl like me have so much respect shown from this dignified, polite, mature woman! This was too unnatural.