Chapter 5

After the match was over, Kazue could see both teams were tired. She passed a towel to them as did Kiyoko. Kiyoko was talking to Daichi and Sugawara when Kageyama came up.

"Saori-san."

"Yes, is there any problems with the measurements?" Kazue asked. They had given the first years their jackets, even Kazue got one.

"I wanted to ask a question I was curious about." Kageyama genuinely asked. "You were a very talented musician, right? Why didn't you join the music club? It's much larger and better than the volleyball club."

Kazue was stunned at the question.

"How straightforward." She commented without thinking which made Kageyama flinch. She continued as if it was only natural, "I got into a car accident while returning home from a competition last year." Everyone became silent all of a sudden.

"My right shoulder's bone was almost crushed and the tissues of my right arm were torn, some beyond repair. It was the arm with which I held the bow of the violin which I played. The doctors advised me to not play the violin anymore, so I stopped." Kazue explained coolly.

"I'm...sorry." Kageyama apologized.

"It's fine, it wasn't your fault any way." Kazue answered flatly.

'I killed the happy atmosphere, didn't I?' Kazue thought to herself glumly.

"Anyway, I'll get going then." Kazue went up to Kiyoko after that.

"I think we should start packing up, should we?" Kazue asked Kiyoko who was staring at her with an inexplicable look in her eyes. Kazue could feel her heart fall into her stomach.

'I really hate that look.' Kazue clenched her jaw. She could feel disgust come from the bottom of her stomach as the old memories resurfacing.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." She smiled as if nothing and went on outside the gymnasium but it was clear her eyes weren't smiling. 'I need a drink.' She went near the vending machine to cool herself down.

---

"Kageyama, dumbass!" Tanaka exclaimed hitting Kageyama on the head. Hinata nodded. They were all listening in.

"Why would you talk about that? She looks upset now." Even Yamaguchi criticized.

"What could we have expected from the 'dictator king'?" Tsukishima smirked malevolently.

Kageyama was down in the dumps. "Sorry..." He weakly answered. Anybody could read his thoughts through his current expression.

'I am terrible. I did a terrible thing.' Kageyama was murmuring to himself. Others could see he didn't mean bad.

"What's said is said! What you need to do now is beg for forgiveness." Sugawara encouraged Kageyama while others watched in a distance.

"Beg?" Kageyama looked like he lost hope.

That's when Ittetsu Takeda came in.

"Just mention the word and he's here. How scary." Sugawara mumbled to himself.

Takeda introduced himself and also gave the news about Karasuno having a practice match against Aoba Josai, otherwise known as Seijoh. They're in the top 4 teams of the Prefecture.

Kazue had come back and listened to the details of the match. It was going to be held on the coming Tuesday and Aoba Josai had specifically requested Kageyama to be the Setter in the entire game. This condition was agreed to by the current starting line Setter, Sugawara. They all would be traveling after the homeroom ends.

---

Soon the day was over, Kazue changed to her regular uniform and was leaving when Kageyama caught to her. He seemed nervous, awkward and depressed.

"Saori-san, can we talk?" Kageyama called.

"Sure." Kazue didn't really want to but she agreed. They talked while going down the slope.

"I'm sor-sorry. Really. I-I didn't think before speaking." Kageyama looked down while speaking.

"It's quite fine really." Kazue assured but her cool tone made the statement hard to believe. Kageyama was left speechless.

"I just wanted to know why someone who seemed as if they loved what they did would leave it for something else." Kageyama tried to explain his motive.

"I had seen you once in a store's television before. It was when I was in middle school. I didn't know who you were but I could see that playing violin made you happy."

Kazue looked at Kageyama, who had stopped walking, behind her.

"So when I remembered you, I was confused why you were here in this school in a volleyball club as a manager. I should've known better than to ask such a straight forward question before. I am truly sorry." Kageyama bowed 90° apologizing.

Kazue didn't know how to respond to this sincerity. She could remember the days when reporters used to run around and follow her to get a scoop for their news and everything. It was infuriating and disgusting.

They didn't know about her life, her passion, her loss or anything. They couldn't relate and asked questions insensitively. But this person in front had seen her play. Could he even relate?

"I don't like it when people snoop around bringing up my past. In fact, I hate it." She said. She could see Kageyama flinch.

"A lot of time has passed but even now when someone brings it up, it feels hurting. Before you many have done the same thing." Kazue coolly replied.

"I'm sorr-" Kageyama was about to apologize again.

"But." Kazue cut him off and continued. "I don't think anybody ever apologized to me so sincerely afterwards like this before." Kazue wasn't mad but she wasn't happy either. This person was very sincere, she could see it.

At that moment she remembered what someone had said to her before, 'You don't forgive someone for them, you forgive them for yourself.'

'Who said such an idiotic thing even?' She thought to herself, but her actions said otherwise.

Kageyama lifted his head as if he heard something wrong.

"I'm sure, you know how it feels. When someone who doesn't know anything about you, insensitively bringing up things which may hurt you." She remembered Tsukishima and his verbal fights. "So I'll forgive you this once. This is only out of pity-"

"Thank you so much!" Kageyama genuinely felt great.

'What a simple-minded guy.' Kazue thought, not knowing whether to be impressed or disappointed.

"It's nothing. I'll get going then. See you on Monday, Kageyama-san." Kazue had a small but noticeable smile on her face. She got on her cycle and took off.

---

'She accepted my apologies!' Kageyama thought to himself after Kazue left. He was in a very great mood now.

'Things which may hurt you, huh?' Kageyama could remember his previous teammates and his bad experience with them. Feeling hollow inside, he realized something.

'She must have had it way worse if she was famous enough to get on TV.' Suddenly Kazue seemed like a way bigger and stronger person to Kageyama despite her smaller stature.

He continued to go down the slope, thinking, realizing and questioning. It might have been the first time he gave so much thought to something other than volleyball or studying.

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