Choosing

e i g h t

I see white hair tips from the side and I can't help but blush at his hands around me. "Bokuto!"

I turn around and he smiles back. "Hey, hey, hey!"

Of course wherever Bokuto goes, not to far behind is... "Akaashi," I smile.

"Hey," He gives me a small wave from a few feet away.

Sara watches in confusion and I stumble out of Bokuto's grip. "Sara, this is-"

She cuts me off. "Kōtarō Bokuto and Keiji Akaashi."

Bokuto and Akaashi light up. "Sara Sato!" Bokuto exclaims and grabs her hand forcefully shaking it. "It is an honor!"

Akaashi is next and he shakes her hand normally. "I heard you like my sets." I swear I can see his cheeks heat up just a little.

Sara's face is the opposite — bright red. "You did? From who?"

"Y/N over here, of course." Bokuto smiles proudly. "We're old friends, her and us. We go all the way back to last week!"

Sara glances at me and I just shrug.

"We should find the rest of our team, Bokuto here got us lost. But it'd be cool if I could set for you sometime." Akaashi tells Sara who beams back.

"I'd love that!"

Akaashi nods and follows Bokuto who waves to us one last time before walking away. Before Sara can ask what that was, we hear the most annoying voice on the planet.

"We have to talk!" Oikawa yells from behind us.

I glance to Sara. "If I don't turn around, it's not happening."

She laughs but Oikawa spins me to face him. "What is this?!" He shouts holding a phone to my face.

"It's a phone, Kawa. I don't have time for your games." I nudge the phone away.

"I think he means the pictures." Sara replies. I glance at the pictures Oikawa is currently holding up. The first is of Ushijima and I on the floor last week, it's the picture that one of those three annoying guys took. The second picture is of us on the bus when I fell on him. Someone from the bus took a picture of themselves and someone else decided to zoom in on us. People can really manipulate photos.

"How'd you even get these?" I ask him, I can feel my face get all flustered just looking at them.

"Read the headline!" He demands and so I do.

The great Ushiwaka and his new girlfriend seen in compromising positions in public.

I groan at the embarrassment but thankfully you can barely see my face in both. Nobody knows it's me. I'm relieved until I move down to below the pictures and see that the caption reads:

Ushiwaka has been caught multiple times with this girl, L/N Y/N. Social media has been buzzing for days now wondering what the relationship status between the two are. L/N also happens to be friends with the Shiratorizawa's girls volleyball star, Sara Sato. Coincidence? I don't think so. Does L/N really have feelings for our beloved Ushiwaka? Or does she just like the fame it gets her? And is her friendship with Sato real? Or is she using her as well?

That pushes me over the edge and I huff out a breath. "That's stupid and you know it."

All the quiet whispers I've been receiving the past week was from that? I can't help but feel angry at people's ignorance. And what does Ushijima have to say about all this?

"So you and Ushiwaka aren't together?"

"Of course not! I tripped in both pictures!" I groan more than a little annoyed at the stupid news that could potentially ruin my life.

"Oh," Is all Oikawa decides to say. "Good."

I don't care to analyze what in the world he means. I stomp off with Sara at my heels.

"So last week was adventurous for you." She teases when we get to the girls room.

"Don't get me started."

"Why didn't you tell me about the Fukoradōni boys?"

I shrug and claim a futon nearest to the door. If I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I do not want to be climbing over people. Sara takes the one next to mine.

"It just doesn't make sense. We tell eachother everything." She adds placing her stuff on her futon.

"Don't think too hard on it." I tell her. "I was just mad about the trip and my mom. I totally blanked. I'm sorry."

"Oh," The mention of my mom makes her eye soften. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's whatever." I wave it off but inside it stings a bit. A part of me is happy to be here for a month. I'll be surrounded by noise and people. Not the dark and emptiness. "Let's hurry back. Lunch should be soon."

As I head out the door with Sara on my arm I push down all negative thoughts. This is going to be my month. Nothing is going to ruin it. Especially not some stupid tabloid.