𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 ⇒ sugawara koushi

⇒ chapter twenty-two

SUGAWARA WAS AT
loss for words, and even if he had something to say, he wouldn't have been able to say it thanks to Shiori continuing to speak.

"I know right now is probably the worst timing to say something like that. I know my sister confessed to you too and I know you've been studying plays every night for the past week and that you're working hard to be able to play. I know all of that, I know it was dumb-"

Taking her shaky hands in his, Koushi gently squeezed them in such a delicate way that it made her feel like she was more fragile than glass. Like perhaps, she wasn't as tough as everybody made her out to be. The thought of it filled her with strength and caused her to fall silent.

Koushi took a deep breath and then exhaled, taking his time to avoid any red-faced disasters that could come if he was not prepared. He was just as serious as she was, and there was nothing he wanted more than for her to know that. After all, he had secretly been waiting for this moment for quite some time. On nights he couldn't sleep, the thought of her put him at ease and gave him rest and other days, she was exactly the reason he couldn't.

The setter pulled her closer to him, letting go of one of her hands to gently caress her hair, her face facing his covered collarbones at a four inch distance.

"How you feel for me isn't dumb, Shiori. It's not dumb to me," he muttered, moving even closer to her and taking her in his arms- his body heat instantly wrapping around her in the midst of the chilly night air. "I like you a lot, Shiori. I would've never imagined you felt the same way..."

Kawamoto furrowed her eyebrows, looking up at him curiously- to see the sight of his face as he grinned down at her sheepishly- his cheeks flushed pink.

"Why?"

He hummed for a few seconds before chuckling a bit and replying to her one word question.

"I guess because I'm your senpai and everything I thought maybe you wouldn't be interested, and I never do anything on the court."

"You don't have as much play time as everybody else, that's true, but you're more present then them. You're present on the court giving advice and watching and you're present in our day to day lives outside of volleyball," Shiori said to him, honest in her encouraging words. "You're present in my life."

"I'm sorry I couldn't confess first, but I'm also glad you did..."

Shiori nodded and pulled away from him, still staring up into his sweet hazel brown orbs.

"Of course. I know this is sudden and I know you still have to reply to my sister so we can talk things through a bit more when things get... Less busy," the ravenette told him, her eyes twinkling- blending in with the stars above them.

"Then... I'll get you home now, it's getting late."

She nodded and took his hand in hers, looking away as she blushed in a bashful manner, still a bit taken aback by everything.