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Description

As the Interhigh Preliminaries had gotten closer, Oikawa found he and his team were able to steadily lose themselves into the unusually high flow of practices. It wasn’t long until they made it to their last official practice: the Friday before Interhigh. They originally had planned another practice day for Saturday, but because their practice hours had taken up the entire week, the coach wanted them to take the time to rest before the start of the games on Sunday instead.

With his exhaustion growing more and more apparent from the aching of his muscles, Oikawa didn’t think it was a bad plan at all. Rest days were just as important, after all. Though, he would more than likely still spend the majority of that day studying footage of the rival teams instead.

The gym currently held a stern overcast, with everyone seeming to have their concentration amped to the max. The usual playful banter that came with most practices was basically non-existent. Oikawa knew it was partly due to growing nerves for some, but the serious atmosphere truly allowed the members’ talents to shine through.

The practice ended up lasting even longer than the already extended times that had been implemented throughout the week. Everyone seemed to come to a natural, unspoken agreement to stay longer. For Oikawa personally, he was grateful for the extra time because staying busy kept his own nerves at bay. Being a third year and the captain didn’t alleviate him from the anxieties of approaching game days, unfortunately. He couldn’t help but feel the pressure of the upcoming tournament creeping on him with every day that came and went, and it seemed at an all-time high tonight.

Sunday would be the start of his last Interhigh—one of his last chances to get to nationals. One of his last chances to beat Shiratorizawa. Of course, Seijoh would continue strong long after him, but his time there was limited. He didn’t want to rely on second chances that would come later in the year—that type of careless thinking wouldn’t relax him regardless.

He needed to put his all into this practice because he of all people understood that results were directly correlated with the work put in leading up to game day. So, though he couldn’t help the nerves, he also knew there was no point in dwelling on them.

But it was always easier said than done…

“Oi, Tooru.” A pat on his shoulder pulled his attention back. Oikawa turned to Iwaizumi who stood over him, still sweating from the short scrimmage they had just finished. “You good?”

“Getting there,” Oikawa stretched his arms out and stood, letting out a light chuckle. “You know how it can be.”

His friend nodded. “But don’t get too into your head about it. Remember you got all of us too.”

“Of course I know that, Iwa-chan. You're preaching to the choir.” Oikawa grinned teasingly, and Iwaizumi nudged him a little harder.

“Ready?” he asked.

Oikawa nodded. “Let’s go,” and they both jogged back to the bustling court.

. . .

Oikawa sat at his desk, clicking through various videos of teams they would be facing in the prelims to get an idea of their playstyle. His eyes meticulously studied the movement of the opposing teams, and it was only between changing the videos where he found time to think back toward the end of practice that night.

He felt off. Not abnormally, but the nerves were getting to him a little. It may have been the finality of it all starting to set in. It wasn’t detrimental to his actual game, though. Only Iwaizumi seemed to notice, commenting on their way home that Oikawa should try to sleep early.

That was about two hours ago now. And he knew he really should be getting to bed, but he also knew that going to bed now would just lead to his tossing and turning around on the old mattress and staring aimlessly toward a dark ceiling. So, he decided to keep busy instead. But…

He glanced at the time again and sighed. He really didn’t want to screw up his sleep schedule with the prelims being on Sunday, so he really should just bite the bullet and try to sleep. Plus, there was something else he was looking forward to before Sunday.

Oikawa took his headphones off and placed them on top of his desk as he walked to his bed with his phone in hand. He sat on the edge and turned on his phone, smiling at the image that displayed. (Y/n)’s familiar, flushed face squished against his own.

He let out a sigh. Though he was looking forward to seeing her tomorrow, he also knew his nerves were getting the better of his emotions overall. He didn’t want to worry her.

He stared at his lock screen picture again before making a frustrated huff and moving his phone away.

He would try his best to get out of his anxious feelings for tomorrow, at least while he was with her. He had been looking forward to seeing her for so long anyway, so it would be a waste to be in a weird mood.

With that, he reached from his bed for the light and switched it off. He lay face down into his pillow and willed himself to sleep, slowly, but surely, slipping into slumber.

. . .

The echoing sound of a bouncing volleyball resonated throughout the dark room. Oikawa stood in the center, effortlessly ceasing the movement of the ball as he gripped it between his hands. He let out a shaky breath and stared determinedly at the familiar object before him.

This was it. It was all on him now.

He started to raise his arm, preparing to toss the ball up, but a sudden weight in the air kept him still. He grimaced at the unbelievable pressure suddenly surrounding him. The heavy sensation threatened to push him down on the spot—it was impossible to move and just as difficult to remain standing. He almost couldn’t bear it. The only demanding thought in his head ordered him to fall.

It was then he heard a shout. First just one, and then another. It soon became a chorus of familiar noise—the anticipation of the crowd, the monotonous cheering of his classmates, the encouraging calls of his team. It slowly enclosed around him, quickly fusing into a single roar of unfathomable noise. He attempted to look up to find the source, but the surrounding pressure prevented him from doing so. He was instead forced to endlessly stare down at the ball in hand.

The roaring around him quickly transformed into the piercing sound of a blowing whistle, only it wouldn’t stop. It simply rang out—thoroughly piercing Oikawa until all he knew was that noise. That deafening, unbearable sound.

He fell to his knees in pain, desperate for relief. A curse escaped from his grimacing lips, and he fought with rigid determination to remain up.

He couldn’t give up now. This was it. This was all he had.

But he just as soon found his hand slapping to the ground as he crippled from the pressure.

Get up, he thought furiously. Get up, damn it.

The loud shrill abruptly ceased from ringing, and it was in that moment of silence his hand slipped, completely knocking him to the floor. His face slapped against it with a resonating bang, the throbbing pain spreading over his body in the moment. The crushing weight over him continued to press him down. A quiet sound of agony barely managed to slip from him as he attempted to call out.

His desperation was fruitless, and just as quickly as his struggle began, he found himself drifting again, until there was not much to feel at all.

. . .

He had woken up that morning in a jolt, drenched in sweat. A great start that followed with his morning trip to the bathroom, where he found the added bonus of his dream: dark creases beneath his eyes. Where did the term eye bags even come from? Oikawa wasn’t sure, but what he was positive of was the fact that he definitely had them. Now that he thought about it, “bags” was an accurate description for the extra accessories that came along with the restless night.

The dream was not one that was completely out of the blue for him. He had experienced variations of that dream before, but he definitely felt as though the severity of the one from last night was a result of the higher stakes that the Interhigh Prelims brought with it. That, plus the fact that this was his last year, making limited time another added stressor.

He let out a deep breath.

There was no point in continuing to worry about things he could not control. Oikawa had spent countless hours preparing with his team. As long as he knew that he did his absolute best to prepare, it was pointless continuing to fret over it. It took a shake of his head, and the release of another deep breath to feel the tension start to leave his body.

Tomorrow was game day regardless, and he knew he and his team were more than ready. And they would need him at his best, so he didn’t have time to overthink. Instead, he could focus on making it to today. Saturday.

Finally, after what had felt much more than just two weeks, he had made it.

The day before the start of Interhighs, the day he could rest, and the day he could finally see (y/n) again. It was a day full of many things—including a heavy, heavy tiredness that pulled at every part of his body—but, again, concentrating on the good here.

Oikawa leaned back in the bench he sat in and exhaled a deep breath. He was currently waiting in the familiar park he had spent part of the night with (y/n) not too long ago. They had occupied the park’s swing set during that time as Oikawa ate a generous amount of milk bread, courtesy of the shorter girl. That was one of the first nights he really started to see his tutor as more than just that, and it felt like the gap between then and now was much, much longer than only a few weeks.

“Oikawa-kun...”

He snapped his attention toward the direction of the voice.

Seeing her in her casual everyday wear would still take some getting used to, Oikawa thought, as he took in the girl before him. His staring eyes didn’t seem to go unnoticed. She fretted with her outfit and avoided his gaze for a second before hesitantly deciding to meet his stare.

“Uh, hey,” she spoke again, the uncertainty still thick in her tone.

Oikawa blinked once, twice, and his blank expression slowly but surely melted into one of joy. “(Y/n)-chan,” he smiled. “I missed you.”

She returned the warm look, an unquestionable tint filling her cheeks. “I missed you too.”

Comfortable silence floated between them as they both seemed to take a moment to simply enjoy the reunion. And maybe it was a bit dramatic to even call it that, but he would be lying if he said that the bliss he felt in seeing her again wasn’t an overwhelming one.

Oikawa patted at the empty spot beside him. “Saved it especially for you.”

She laughed and closed the distance between them. As she confidently plopped beside the setter, the girl continued to smile up at him. “Thanks, it’s perfect.”

Oikawa fought the urge to shift his arm behind her, despite the almost magnetic pull that begged him to do just that. He opted to lean forward in the seat instead, lacing his fingers together and resting his elbows on his legs as he looked over her.

She turned and seemed to do the same to him, only, their close proximity seemed to make other things more obvious to her.

She started with a look of concern. “Oikawa-kun, are you okay?”

“Ah,” he rubbed the top of his lip with his finger, an instinctual urge to attempt to cover the blatant exhaustion on his face. “Despite what my face may be telling you, I’m fine.”

Her unfazed expression was response enough.

“No, really. I was fighting some nerves throughout the week, and last night I had terrible sleep because of it, but I really am fine now.” He met her unfaltering, worried stare and held up his pinky in response. “Promise. I’m good now.”

Her mouth puckered uncertainly, but she gave in with a sigh and hooked his pinky with her own. “Okay, I believe you. But is there anything that’s still bothering you? You can talk to me about it if you want to...”

Neither of them seemed to be in a hurry to break the contact made with their interlaced finger, so Oikawa kept his hand propped as he broke their shared gaze and shifted into a more thoughtful expression. “Well, nothing is bothering me particularly now...”

She sat silent, prompting more from him.

“But what had been on my mind was just the pressure that comes before big games,” he admitted. “It’s like stage fright, I guess.”

“I understand how there’s probably a lot of pressure on you,” she started softly. “But you work your butt off. Do you feel like you’re not ready?”

Oikawa shook his head. “It’s not that, I know the team and I have been working hard. I think it’s mostly the fact that I’m in my last year, y’know?”

He unraveled his pinky from hers and shifted to simply holding his hand on top of her own, gently resting it on the bench but still refusing to break the contact.

“It’s my last year, so these big games are starting to hold a little more pressure to them. I know there’s still the Spring Tournament as well, but...” He frowned to himself, considering the teams he knew he would be facing soon. Understanding the challenges he and his team would have to overcome together. “I don’t want to rely on second chances.”

Oikawa broke free from his momentary trance at the soft touch of his tutor shifting her hand beneath his and lacing their fingers together. His face warmed at the contact.

“Oikawa-kun.” There was a pause that continued until his eyes met hers again. He looked surprised to see her stare wide with a glowing sincerity. “You’re really cool.”

He blinked once, assessing her firm look of certainty for a second longer before he let out a puff of laughter. “Seriously?” he chuckled, using his free hand to lightly pinch at her cheek. “You don’t think I know that already, (y/n)-chan~?”

Light laughter broke free from her lips and the sounds of their delight mixed together softly until dying back into a new, more comfortable quiet. He lightly caressed his thumb over her hand as they continued to sit peacefully together, watching the scenery around them.

It was later in the day, but the sun was still out, so the park before them was bustling with life. Children occupied the swings that they sat in weeks before. Parents stood sprinkled around the area, either patrolling their own kids or having conversations with one another. Couples wandered hand-in-hand, passing Oikawa and his tutor frequently.

Oikawa’s face glowed with the understanding of how others would think the same of him and (y/n). Well, what else would they think? He didn’t really want to let the idea bother him today, though. He didn’t want to overthink it. He knew it was selfish of him, but today...

He glanced back over to the girl beside him, who held a soft expression on her face as she similarly observed the movement around them. Her lips turned into a small smile that still managed to reach her glowing eyes, and it held the power to have him mirroring a similar expression.

Yeah, Oikawa decided. For today, he would choose to be a little selfish.

Description

As the Interhigh Preliminaries had gotten closer, Oikawa found he and his team were able to steadily lose themselves into the unusually high flow of practices. It wasn’t long until they made it to their last official practice: the Friday before Interhigh. They originally had planned another practice day for Saturday, but because their practice hours had taken up the entire week, the coach wanted them to take the time to rest before the start of the games on Sunday instead.

With his exhaustion growing more and more apparent from the aching of his muscles, Oikawa didn’t think it was a bad plan at all. Rest days were just as important, after all. Though, he would more than likely still spend the majority of that day studying footage of the rival teams instead.

The gym currently held a stern overcast, with everyone seeming to have their concentration amped to the max. The usual playful banter that came with most practices was basically non-existent. Oikawa knew it was partly due to growing nerves for some, but the serious atmosphere truly allowed the members’ talents to shine through.

The practice ended up lasting even longer than the already extended times that had been implemented throughout the week. Everyone seemed to come to a natural, unspoken agreement to stay longer. For Oikawa personally, he was grateful for the extra time because staying busy kept his own nerves at bay. Being a third year and the captain didn’t alleviate him from the anxieties of approaching game days, unfortunately. He couldn’t help but feel the pressure of the upcoming tournament creeping on him with every day that came and went, and it seemed at an all-time high tonight.

Sunday would be the start of his last Interhigh—one of his last chances to get to nationals. One of his last chances to beat Shiratorizawa. Of course, Seijoh would continue strong long after him, but his time there was limited. He didn’t want to rely on second chances that would come later in the year—that type of careless thinking wouldn’t relax him regardless.

He needed to put his all into this practice because he of all people understood that results were directly correlated with the work put in leading up to game day. So, though he couldn’t help the nerves, he also knew there was no point in dwelling on them.

But it was always easier said than done…

“Oi, Tooru.” A pat on his shoulder pulled his attention back. Oikawa turned to Iwaizumi who stood over him, still sweating from the short scrimmage they had just finished. “You good?”

“Getting there,” Oikawa stretched his arms out and stood, letting out a light chuckle. “You know how it can be.”

His friend nodded. “But don’t get too into your head about it. Remember you got all of us too.”

“Of course I know that, Iwa-chan. You're preaching to the choir.” Oikawa grinned teasingly, and Iwaizumi nudged him a little harder.

“Ready?” he asked.

Oikawa nodded. “Let’s go,” and they both jogged back to the bustling court.

. . .

Oikawa sat at his desk, clicking through various videos of teams they would be facing in the prelims to get an idea of their playstyle. His eyes meticulously studied the movement of the opposing teams, and it was only between changing the videos where he found time to think back toward the end of practice that night.

He felt off. Not abnormally, but the nerves were getting to him a little. It may have been the finality of it all starting to set in. It wasn’t detrimental to his actual game, though. Only Iwaizumi seemed to notice, commenting on their way home that Oikawa should try to sleep early.

That was about two hours ago now. And he knew he really should be getting to bed, but he also knew that going to bed now would just lead to his tossing and turning around on the old mattress and staring aimlessly toward a dark ceiling. So, he decided to keep busy instead. But…

He glanced at the time again and sighed. He really didn’t want to screw up his sleep schedule with the prelims being on Sunday, so he really should just bite the bullet and try to sleep. Plus, there was something else he was looking forward to before Sunday.

Oikawa took his headphones off and placed them on top of his desk as he walked to his bed with his phone in hand. He sat on the edge and turned on his phone, smiling at the image that displayed. (Y/n)’s familiar, flushed face squished against his own.

He let out a sigh. Though he was looking forward to seeing her tomorrow, he also knew his nerves were getting the better of his emotions overall. He didn’t want to worry her.

He stared at his lock screen picture again before making a frustrated huff and moving his phone away.

He would try his best to get out of his anxious feelings for tomorrow, at least while he was with her. He had been looking forward to seeing her for so long anyway, so it would be a waste to be in a weird mood.

With that, he reached from his bed for the light and switched it off. He lay face down into his pillow and willed himself to sleep, slowly, but surely, slipping into slumber.

. . .

The echoing sound of a bouncing volleyball resonated throughout the dark room. Oikawa stood in the center, effortlessly ceasing the movement of the ball as he gripped it between his hands. He let out a shaky breath and stared determinedly at the familiar object before him.

This was it. It was all on him now.

He started to raise his arm, preparing to toss the ball up, but a sudden weight in the air kept him still. He grimaced at the unbelievable pressure suddenly surrounding him. The heavy sensation threatened to push him down on the spot—it was impossible to move and just as difficult to remain standing. He almost couldn’t bear it. The only demanding thought in his head ordered him to fall.

It was then he heard a shout. First just one, and then another. It soon became a chorus of familiar noise—the anticipation of the crowd, the monotonous cheering of his classmates, the encouraging calls of his team. It slowly enclosed around him, quickly fusing into a single roar of unfathomable noise. He attempted to look up to find the source, but the surrounding pressure prevented him from doing so. He was instead forced to endlessly stare down at the ball in hand.

The roaring around him quickly transformed into the piercing sound of a blowing whistle, only it wouldn’t stop. It simply rang out—thoroughly piercing Oikawa until all he knew was that noise. That deafening, unbearable sound.

He fell to his knees in pain, desperate for relief. A curse escaped from his grimacing lips, and he fought with rigid determination to remain up.

He couldn’t give up now. This was it. This was all he had.

But he just as soon found his hand slapping to the ground as he crippled from the pressure.

Get up, he thought furiously. Get up, damn it.

The loud shrill abruptly ceased from ringing, and it was in that moment of silence his hand slipped, completely knocking him to the floor. His face slapped against it with a resonating bang, the throbbing pain spreading over his body in the moment. The crushing weight over him continued to press him down. A quiet sound of agony barely managed to slip from him as he attempted to call out.

His desperation was fruitless, and just as quickly as his struggle began, he found himself drifting again, until there was not much to feel at all.

. . .

He had woken up that morning in a jolt, drenched in sweat. A great start that followed with his morning trip to the bathroom, where he found the added bonus of his dream: dark creases beneath his eyes. Where did the term eye bags even come from? Oikawa wasn’t sure, but what he was positive of was the fact that he definitely had them. Now that he thought about it, “bags” was an accurate description for the extra accessories that came along with the restless night.

The dream was not one that was completely out of the blue for him. He had experienced variations of that dream before, but he definitely felt as though the severity of the one from last night was a result of the higher stakes that the Interhigh Prelims brought with it. That, plus the fact that this was his last year, making limited time another added stressor.

He let out a deep breath.

There was no point in continuing to worry about things he could not control. Oikawa had spent countless hours preparing with his team. As long as he knew that he did his absolute best to prepare, it was pointless continuing to fret over it. It took a shake of his head, and the release of another deep breath to feel the tension start to leave his body.

Tomorrow was game day regardless, and he knew he and his team were more than ready. And they would need him at his best, so he didn’t have time to overthink. Instead, he could focus on making it to today. Saturday.

Finally, after what had felt much more than just two weeks, he had made it.

The day before the start of Interhighs, the day he could rest, and the day he could finally see (y/n) again. It was a day full of many things—including a heavy, heavy tiredness that pulled at every part of his body—but, again, concentrating on the good here.

Oikawa leaned back in the bench he sat in and exhaled a deep breath. He was currently waiting in the familiar park he had spent part of the night with (y/n) not too long ago. They had occupied the park’s swing set during that time as Oikawa ate a generous amount of milk bread, courtesy of the shorter girl. That was one of the first nights he really started to see his tutor as more than just that, and it felt like the gap between then and now was much, much longer than only a few weeks.

“Oikawa-kun...”

He snapped his attention toward the direction of the voice.

Seeing her in her casual everyday wear would still take some getting used to, Oikawa thought, as he took in the girl before him. His staring eyes didn’t seem to go unnoticed. She fretted with her outfit and avoided his gaze for a second before hesitantly deciding to meet his stare.

“Uh, hey,” she spoke again, the uncertainty still thick in her tone.

Oikawa blinked once, twice, and his blank expression slowly but surely melted into one of joy. “(Y/n)-chan,” he smiled. “I missed you.”

She returned the warm look, an unquestionable tint filling her cheeks. “I missed you too.”

Comfortable silence floated between them as they both seemed to take a moment to simply enjoy the reunion. And maybe it was a bit dramatic to even call it that, but he would be lying if he said that the bliss he felt in seeing her again wasn’t an overwhelming one.

Oikawa patted at the empty spot beside him. “Saved it especially for you.”

She laughed and closed the distance between them. As she confidently plopped beside the setter, the girl continued to smile up at him. “Thanks, it’s perfect.”

Oikawa fought the urge to shift his arm behind her, despite the almost magnetic pull that begged him to do just that. He opted to lean forward in the seat instead, lacing his fingers together and resting his elbows on his legs as he looked over her.

She turned and seemed to do the same to him, only, their close proximity seemed to make other things more obvious to her.

She started with a look of concern. “Oikawa-kun, are you okay?”

“Ah,” he rubbed the top of his lip with his finger, an instinctual urge to attempt to cover the blatant exhaustion on his face. “Despite what my face may be telling you, I’m fine.”

Her unfazed expression was response enough.

“No, really. I was fighting some nerves throughout the week, and last night I had terrible sleep because of it, but I really am fine now.” He met her unfaltering, worried stare and held up his pinky in response. “Promise. I’m good now.”

Her mouth puckered uncertainly, but she gave in with a sigh and hooked his pinky with her own. “Okay, I believe you. But is there anything that’s still bothering you? You can talk to me about it if you want to...”

Neither of them seemed to be in a hurry to break the contact made with their interlaced finger, so Oikawa kept his hand propped as he broke their shared gaze and shifted into a more thoughtful expression. “Well, nothing is bothering me particularly now...”

She sat silent, prompting more from him.

“But what had been on my mind was just the pressure that comes before big games,” he admitted. “It’s like stage fright, I guess.”

“I understand how there’s probably a lot of pressure on you,” she started softly. “But you work your butt off. Do you feel like you’re not ready?”

Oikawa shook his head. “It’s not that, I know the team and I have been working hard. I think it’s mostly the fact that I’m in my last year, y’know?”

He unraveled his pinky from hers and shifted to simply holding his hand on top of her own, gently resting it on the bench but still refusing to break the contact.

“It’s my last year, so these big games are starting to hold a little more pressure to them. I know there’s still the Spring Tournament as well, but...” He frowned to himself, considering the teams he knew he would be facing soon. Understanding the challenges he and his team would have to overcome together. “I don’t want to rely on second chances.”

Oikawa broke free from his momentary trance at the soft touch of his tutor shifting her hand beneath his and lacing their fingers together. His face warmed at the contact.

“Oikawa-kun.” There was a pause that continued until his eyes met hers again. He looked surprised to see her stare wide with a glowing sincerity. “You’re really cool.”

He blinked once, assessing her firm look of certainty for a second longer before he let out a puff of laughter. “Seriously?” he chuckled, using his free hand to lightly pinch at her cheek. “You don’t think I know that already, (y/n)-chan~?”

Light laughter broke free from her lips and the sounds of their delight mixed together softly until dying back into a new, more comfortable quiet. He lightly caressed his thumb over her hand as they continued to sit peacefully together, watching the scenery around them.

It was later in the day, but the sun was still out, so the park before them was bustling with life. Children occupied the swings that they sat in weeks before. Parents stood sprinkled around the area, either patrolling their own kids or having conversations with one another. Couples wandered hand-in-hand, passing Oikawa and his tutor frequently.

Oikawa’s face glowed with the understanding of how others would think the same of him and (y/n). Well, what else would they think? He didn’t really want to let the idea bother him today, though. He didn’t want to overthink it. He knew it was selfish of him, but today...

He glanced back over to the girl beside him, who held a soft expression on her face as she similarly observed the movement around them. Her lips turned into a small smile that still managed to reach her glowing eyes, and it held the power to have him mirroring a similar expression.

Yeah, Oikawa decided. For today, he would choose to be a little selfish.