Machi spent ten minutes leaning against the gym waiting for Tadashi, and the entire time her mind kept wandering back to that gray-haired boy. Why had he been so insistent after the whole incident? It's not like this was the first time she'd been hit in the face by a volleyball; she used to get beaned at least a few times when helping her cousin and his friend practice. And they had never done more than apologize and forget about it, Tsukki never even apologized period. So why was this complete stranger acting like he had made the most egregious error with his misplaced spike? Machi furrowed her brow as she tried to figure out the motive behind his behavior; there had to be one, no one was that polite. But as the minutes ticked by without an answer she let out an annoyed sigh and gave up. Maybe he really was that nice. How annoying. Closing her eyes, Machi pictured the scene again, the way he had stared at her with his dove-gray eyes so full of genuity, the soft smile that so effortlessly adorned his face even when she rebuffed him with her harsh words. The warm hand that had rested on her shoulder had been so gentle even if it had just been a moment. How could anyone be so kind to someone they just met? Machi was never even that friendly to Nakagawa, and they'd known each other for years.
The more she thought about the boy and his overly gregarious nature, something similar to anxiety began to form in the pit of her stomach. Unfamiliar and unexpected it fluttered in her stomach like a fragile butterfly, but before she could put a name to it someone was calling out to her.
"Hey, Machi, there you are!"
Glancing over her shoulder Machi spotted the one person she had been hoping to see and she quickly pushed away her conflicted thoughts to greet him in a somewhat normal manner. "Finally Tadashi, what took you so long?" She tried to give him a stern glare for making her wait, but the excitement that shone on his freckled face was too much and she cracked a smile.
"I'm sorry! I was talking with some of the others on the team and they invited Tsukki and I to grab something to eat. I know you don't know them yet, but the upperclassman are really cool and I bet if I asked they'd be ok with you joining too!" Before she had the chance to respond that she had already turned down one such invitation tonight, her cousin had grabbed her hand and was dragging her around the corner to where most of the Karasuno volleyball team stood waiting. The conversation abruptly ended as Tadashi, grinning from ear to ear, gently nudged his cousin forward a bit and said, "This is my cousin I was telling you about, Machi Harada! She and I normally walk home together, so would it be alright if she joined us at Sakanosita Market?" Tadashi clearly was too excited to notice the looks of terror on most of his teammate's faces at finding out the 'super cool' cousin he had been talking nonstop about turned out to be that scary fighter girl from 2-B. When no one responded at first Machi could see his smile deflate slightly and she was about to make up an excuse to go home early when a now familiar voice broke the silence.
"Glad to see you changed your mind Harada-San, you're more than welcome to come!" Sugawara spoke with the same welcoming tone as before as he gave Machi an encouraging smile that made that anxiety-like feeling sprout in her stomach again. Instead of responding she gave a small nod, which seemed to be response enough for the vice-captain. "Great, let's go before all the meat buns are taken!" Grabbing the back of Ennoshita's jacket to keep him from sprinting away in terror and using his other hand to push Tanaka forward, Suga led the group of volleyball players down the road to Sakanoshita Market.
As they walked Machi filled Tadashi and Tsukki in on why she already knew some of their team. When she got to the part about Suga spiking a ball at her face Tadashi laughed so loud it made a few of his teammates glance back at them in worry. They were sure Tadashi was about to be murdered for openly laughing at the frightening second year, but when all she did was shove his shoulder hard and laugh with him they were more than a little surprised. Suga had glanced back at just the right moment to see a dazzling smile on Machi's face as she laughed and he couldn't hold back his own smile from forming. The Machi Harada he had met earlier today was not the same one that was walking behind him now. This Machi seemed more open than her counterpart, and much less intimidating. So she's not as cold as she makes herself out to be. He thought happily, busying himself with thinking of ways he could make her smile like that again.
YOU ARE READING
Guarded (Sugawara x OC)
Fanfiction'Pain is just weakness leaving the body.' Or so that's what they say at least. Machi Harada is however, skeptical. Her life has been nothing but pain, and yet she doesn't feel any stronger for it. Closed off, she's seen as the "scary fighter chick"...
