3

The loud smashing sound of ball hitting wood could be heard even outside the gymnasium. It echoed repetitively like a sonata playing its deadly tune. This caught curious students to stop and watch. Several students went up the balcony to watch the team practice. Others were there for the purpose of journalism. Some wanted to fan girl or fan boy over their favorite guy.

Tendou smirked. He wiped the sweat of his brow and looked into the horizon. "I feel my strength pouring in now." His eyes sparkled, looking up at the girls at the balcony- giggling to themselves. He oofed when a hand slammed his head.

Semi smiled, a tick mark on his forehead. He bowed at the couch. "Oops, sorry about that, coach. I missed." Tendou crouched on the ground, holding his head in pain.

Coach Washijo glared at Semi. "Focus on your serves, Semi. They aren't the only thing you need to work on." Semi bowed and returned to serving.

Of course, he sent a smirk at Tendou's fallen form before doing so.

Tendou pointed at Semi with tears streaming down his face. "Coach, he did not miss!" Coach moved his glare to Tendou. Tendou felt chills down his spine at the cold glare. The red-haired teen laughed. "I'll return to serves too…" He held back his tears as he returned to serving.

Yoshikami stood in the balcony, watching the boys as they practiced. Though her sight focused mainly on Ushijima. Her red eyes sparkled whenever the 1st year did a magnificent serve. It would send chills down her spine. She looked down at her hands and smiled sadly to herself.

Tendou noticed the short girl and waved at her.

Yoshikami saw it, but ignored it altogether.

Tendou fell to the ground once more, a depressed aura floating above him. Tears streamed down his face at what had just happened.

"Coach, Tendou is slouching off again!" Ohira shouted.

Tendou cried out. "Why are you all ganging up on me?!"

After another powerful serve, Ushijima stretched his back and stared at the moping Tendou. "Leave. You're being a bother."

Tendou gasped and grabbed Ushijima's feet. "Wakatoshi! Not you too!" Ushijima tried, but failed, to walk away. He only managed to drag Tendou.

Semi sighed, passing the ball to Soekawa. "I'll help Ushijima-san." Soekawa nodded, accepting the ball gratefully and begun doing his serves.

A 3rd year laughed at what was happening. "Coach, this is the best. Where did you get these kids aside from Ushijima?" He wiped a tear for dramatic effect.

Coach looked at the third year. "Work on your serves, Nishida. Don't think I didn't notice you skipping practice last week." The 3rd year choked.

"Did Ishikawa tell you…?" He sent a glare to the 3rd year setter. The setter either ignored him or didn't notice- he just kept serving.

Coach glared at Nishida. "Back to serving or you'll join Tendou on cleaning up the gym."

Tendou cried out from the other end of the gym. "What did I do to deserve your hatred?!"

"Get off Ushijima-san already, you idiot!" Semi shouted, pulling his feet. Ohira helped the poor 1st year setter by grabbing the other leg. However, Tendou kept a strong hold on Ushijima's legs. Ushijima still continued to walk away, no matter how fruitless it seemed.

Suddenly, time paused for a moment. The tall 1st year blinked, wondering what had had just happened. It was like his heart just fluttered for that exact moment upon hearing a voice. A giggling voice. It was not irritating to the ears; it was like a melody that struck his very being to become still.

And because of this, he got pulled and fell face first onto the wooden floor. A loud thump echoed throughout the gym. This also caused the serving practices to come to a halt. A series of gasps echoed in the gym.

Tendou cried upon seeing Ushijima fallen on the ground. He dived for his fallen friend and held him close to his chest. "Wakatoshi, don't die please!��� He brushed the unconscious teen's cheek. A sad smile appeared on his face. His other hand was placed on the teen's chest. "Don't worry, Wakatoshi… I'll take care of everything. I will definitely avenge you! I will- Oof!" Semi hit him from behind.

"If you don't let him go, Tendou, it won't just be your head that you'll be worried about." Semi slammed his fist to his palm, a large tick mark on the side of his forehead.

Tendou shrank and stood up. Ushijima's unconscious body was dropped to the wooden floor like a sack of potatoes.

All the players stared blankly at Tendou.

His jaw dropped and pointed at Semi. "I just did what he said!" His exclamation fell on deaf ears.

Coach pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "We'll continue practice. Ri and Fukatsu bring Ushijima to the nurse." The 2nd years silently cheered hearing this. "You have 10 minutes to bring him there and 5 minutes to come back. If you aren't back by then, you will serve a hundred times." The boys were already gone before he even said the last sentence.

The coach turned to the rest of the players. "For the rest of you, get back to your serves!"

"Yes, Coach!" They yelled simultaneously and returned to serves.

Soekawa looked up at the balcony and blinked. Why did he feel as if someone was missing from there?

--

Ushijima groaned. How long was he out? He touched his forehead, the center, and flinched at the pain. He was sure there was a bruise. He opened his eyes, squinted at the bright light, but got used to it immediately. He was lying on a white bed, white curtains obstructing his view of the interior of the room.

He knew he was at the nurse's office after looking around. He sat up slowly, holding his aching head. His body felt stiff, most likely from resting after the strenuous practice. He moved his stiff leg to stretch it, but brushed on something. He looked down and saw a white-haired person lying on her arms.

He leaned close to see if the person was awake, but heard light snores so he stopped. He tilted his head, a frown on his face. It was most likely one of his teammates- though he didn't recall anyone with white hair and one wearing casual clothes at that. Did practice end already?

He reached to touch the person's head- to wake them up, but their head moved before he could do so. He leaned back when the person's head rose. His eyes locked onto the drowsy pools of red.

"You're awake?" Yoshikami yawned. Then she paused mid-yawn. She jumped. "Eh, you're awake!" Ushijima watched as the short girl rushed through the curtains and came back with a glass of water in one hand and in the other, a bunch of pills. "The nurse said to drink this. Also, you can keep practicing, but avoid hits on the head." Ushijima accepted the glass then drank the pills.

"Am I also not allowed to practice right now?" He asked.

Yoshikami blinked. "If you're fine, I guess its okay." She shrugged. Ushijima then noticed he was wearing his uniform.

"Who changed…?"

Yoshikami coughed, cutting him off. "Anyway, the nurse told me to stay until you wake up. And since you're awake, I'll take my leave now." She smiled at him and bid him farewell. "Your clothes from earlier are at the nurse's desk!" She yelled then Ushijima heard the door closing shut.

He looked down at his uniform then got off the bed. He shouldn't stay here. After changing back into his gym clothes, he heard the door sliding open. He turned his head and saw the nurse walking in holding a box of pills.

She gasped. "Oh, Ushijima-san, you're awake! I was just coming back from getting these pills for your head."

Ushijima's brows furrowed. "A classmate of mine gave me the pills already."

The nurse looked genuinely confused. "Oh, really? You mean, Yoshikami-san? I was sure that I had no more already though…"

The teen ignored it and walked past the nurse. "I'm feeling okay so I'm heading off now." He closed the door shut before he could hear her reply. Though he shouldn't be bothered by it, the last statement stayed in his mind. It just implied that Yoshikami had a set of her own- pills for headaches.

Ushijima stopped walking. He was confused for a moment. After that moment passed, the confusion diminished and the blank look in his eyes returned. He shook his head and returned to walking.