Haikyuu!! Tobio's Girl. Chapter 16

Kageyama turned over the test sheet that teacher returned to him. He looked at the score...

51! Safe...

He sensed an anxious gaze on him. He looked at Reina and showed her thumbs up. She smiled with relief.

Tobio stretched his arms and relaxed in his chair. This was the last test. Somehow he managed to pass them all this time. So there are no make-up classes this semester. With a smile on his face, he started to think about where he should devote his time now. Serving is something one can always improve on. He hadn't yet reached the same power that Oikawa-san achieved. Also, more intense team training should begin now. He needed to figure out his current hitters. With Tanaka-san and Hinata, he knew what to do. But if Tsukishima actually tried, maybe he could do that broad hit he faked the other time. And he must get better in sync with Ennoshita-san as well.

When the lunch break started, he automatically took his lunch and chair and went to Reina's desk. He sat down to eat without breaking his train of thought.

"Tobio! Congrats on passing the exams!" Reina said while clapping her hands with glee.

"Oh, thanks. I'm glad it is all over," he said and went back to his thoughts.

"So... I was thinking..." Reina said while nervously twirling her fingers," We have more time now, and it's not like you have any tournaments soon... Maybe this Saturday we could meet and--"

"But why?!" Kageyama interrupted her with a scared expression on his face. "There is no more studying, right?"

For the last month or so, they did only that. Studying. And it was not just with Reina. Her friends tagged along. Other first-years from the team tagged along. Some random people, whose names he wasn't sure, tagged along. It became a weirdly popular study group. Some people actually had fun studying together, but he couldn't wait for it all to end.

"Right... We don't need to study... why meet then," Reina said in a barely audible voice.

"I so sick of studying. Now I just want to play volleyball, and then play some more. The team is rebuilding, and it needs a lot of work. And you know I was invited to another All-Japan training camp over spring break. I can't wait to go there. I need to train for that as well," he said excitedly.

"So you need to train before going to a training camp... What was I even hoping for?" Reina sighed.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, nothing" She didn't say anything more and just ate her food quietly.

Tobio happily threw himself into full-on training mode for the next few days. He played volleyball all weekend long, then every school day, he would stay in the gym till the evening. Things went back to normal. All was well in the world.

But... was it?

He had that annoying feeling, that something was amiss, but couldn't pinpoint what. He was now sitting at his desk after morning practice, skipping his usual nap and trying to figure it out.

VB club was going great. Everything was fine at home, the same as usual. What else? Out of habit, he looked towards Reina's seat, now yet empty.

Was it... about her?

He tried hard to remember something about Reina from the last few days but couldn't. He was quite sure she was there. But not much else. Well... yesterday, she wasn't. She said she had something to do at lunch break... or was it on Monday? It was Wednesday today... So they were definitely eating lunch together yesterday. He remembered talking a lot, explaining their new team strategy. But what about her? He couldn't remember if she commented on it. It was about volleyball, so he would remember. Did that mean she didn't say anything at all? That's unusual. What was going on?

Now worried, he waited for her arrival.

Reina walked in just before the bell. They didn't have time to talk. She just waved at him and smiled widely. She seemed to be in a good mood. He must have been imagining things before.

She was still smiling when they sat to eat lunch. He noticed, however, that there was something odd about her expression. Her eyes seemed kind of... hopeful? Kageyama had a weird sense of foreboding. She didn't say anything and kept looking at him expectantly.

"So... do you have any plans for the spring break?" he asked, trying to break that weird mood.

"Oh... I don't know yet. I'm staying home. You will be away for the whole of it, right?"

"Yes, it will be a longer camp. I can't wait to see who will come this time..." He started to talk about All-Japan Youth Camp. Reina's smile gradually disappeared.

"Reina, umm... did something happen?" he asked.

"Hmm? Nothing happened, I guess... Nothing at all." She gave him a quick, forced smile, and looked away.

Tobio felt in his gut that something was wrong.

"Takenaka. Do you have a moment?" someone called. They both turned to the door, where a serious-looking boy was standing. Kageyama didn't know who that was.

"Oh, senpai. I'm coming," Reina said. "Sorry, I need to talk with him," she excused herself to Kageyama and went to the visitor.

"So, here are competition requirements. We will review them at the next meeting," the boy said and gave Reina some documents.

"Okay, I'll read them through." Reina waved the senpai goodbye and went back to her desk.

"What was that about?" Kageyama asked.

"We're building a robot. For a high-school competition." Reina sighed heavily and kept on reviewing the print-out.

"Eee... What?! A robot? You... and that guy?" he asked.

"And some other people. A whole team. Although all of them are second-years... well, almost third-years now. The competition starts at the beginning of the school year. Our science teacher recommended that I join them. I've decided to do it just this Monday," she said while still avoiding his gaze and hiding behind the sheet of paper she was holding. "I figured I need to do something with my free time since--" Her voice suddenly broke.

"Sorry, I need to go check... something.... with that." She stood up and quickly left the classroom.

Kageyama watched her leaving, puzzled. He wished he could figure this out. Was she absent-minded because of that competition? No... She was clearly upset. Was it his fault or not? But he didn't do anything that he usually wouldn't do.

He looked around the classroom and saw Reina's friends. He heard their conversation.

"Will you stop gushing over this thing? It's just a corny bracelet." Sawako seemed irritated.

"It's the first time I got something like that from him. Of course, I'm happy." Miyako said while looking dreamily at her wrist. She did have a bracelet adorned with little hearts on it.

"It's not even your style. You wouldn't buy something like that yourself." Sawako kept teasing her.

"Shush... It's the thought that counts. Getting a gift on White Day means that he feels the same as you and that he cares. Is it not?"

"He's your boyfriend. It was obligatory in his case. If he didn't give you something on White Day for the chocolates you gave him, you would raise hell."

" Oh, shut up. You're just jealous."

White Day; chocolates; boyfriend; "feels the same" – Kageyama's brain was picking up the pieces until, with terror, he realized what this was about. His sister was telling him about it weeks ago. She told him to make sure to buy Reina a gift for White Day in return for Valentine's Day. That it would make her happy. There was something about Reina smiling happily that he wildly enjoyed. Well, she definitely wasn't happy now. How could he forget?!

He knew what was wrong with today, but wasn't something amiss even before?

Tired from trying to figure out the female psyche, he anxiously waited for his girlfriend to come back. He just needs to apologize and promise to make it up for her, right?

But Reina came back to class only after the bell sounded. He tried to catch her eye, but she wasn't glancing at him as she usually would. Instead, she sat straight up at her desk with eyes fixed on the blackboard. She wasn't taking any notes or moving at all. She didn't talk with him or anyone else for the rest of the day. He managed to catch her only after cleaning duty when she rushed to the cloakroom.

"Reina, wait!" he called, chasing after her.

She stopped and glanced back at him without turning around.

"Oh, sorry. I need to go home early today, and you have practice now, so..." she said and started walking again.

"Please, let's talk. Just for a moment." He overtook her so he could see her face to face.

"Okay then..." she reluctantly agreed.

"Come... somewhere..." he led her to stairs and up, where the hallway was getting empty.

There they stopped in a corner. He stood between her and the staircase, afraid she would run away again. She kept staring into the ground.

"So... I wanted to apologize to you," he started nervously," about that White Day thing. I knew about it before, but I just forgot, to be honest. I'm sorry. I will make it up to you. I'll definitely buy you something, you can even tell me what you want, so it will be something you like...."

"Don't worry about it," she responded, "I don't want to force you to do things. I mean, it's not supposed to be obligatory, so just forget it."

"No, even if I never cared about things like that, those traditions... You know... Christmas, Valentines, White Day... Well, you get upset about it, and if getting you a gift would make you get over it, then..." It didn't sound right. He didn't know what to say. "Recently, you've been weird, and I don't know why if you won't explain it. Oh, please, can you just look at me?"

Reina took a deep breath and looked at him. He couldn't stand seeing her eyes so sad. Damn, if they just weren't at school now, he wouldn't hesitate to lift up her mood the only way he knew was effective, instead of mumbling hurtful things he didn't mean to say.

"Tobio, the reason..." she started to speak, "the reason why I want to give you Valentine chocolates, why I'm happy to get things from you, why I want to go on dates with you, why I want to spend time with you in any way possible... is because I like you. Actually, I'm in love with you. I like you more than it makes sense. That is why I think those things are fun, and I care about them. But I can't make you care, I don't think I even have the right to... and I try not to be overbearing, but it's hard when it's so one-sided."

Tobio just stood there stupefied. What is he supposed to say now? He knew he should respond to this, but he felt too many things to put into coherent words.

"I don't think I'll be able to explain it to you any better, so I'll just go now." She went around him.

"No, Reina, wait." He tried to stop her. This conversation couldn't finish like that.

"Oi, Kageyama! Are you coming to the gym or what?!" Hinata shouted from the other end of the corridor. Damn his timing! Reina disappeared on the stairs before Tobio could do anything.

"Oi, Earth to Kageyama! Can you hear me?!"

"Yes, yes, I'm coming, you stupid runt," Kageyama said and marched to the gym. That's right. Playing will clear up his head. Volleyball, he knew and understood.

8i8

Karasuno Volleyball Team club room, same day, after training.

"Don't worry, Kageyama, everyone can have an off day."

"I never had an off day in my life." Kageyama was sitting on a bench hiding his face with a towel, feeling extremely frustrated. His teammates gather around to cheer him up or to mock him. Who knew?

"It wasn't that bad. You only missed half of your quick sets. The other half was well...OK. Focus on the positive," Hinata said with a smile. Kageyama gave him a look that scared him a few meters away.

"Well, if anything, it proves that you're a human too. Don't worry, it's just practice. Tomorrow will be a better day." Tanaka said and patted him on the back with force.

"Tanaka-san, aren't you in a good mood? And here I thought that you'd be upset after Shimizu-senpai got angry at you for going overboard with your White Day gift. Did I hear right it was a huge rose bouquet and a necklace? And you even thrown in a cake?" Tsukishima wouldn't miss a chance to tease someone.

"Wow, Ryuu, you stepped up your game," Nishinoya added.

Kageyama realized with relief that with that new scandal going on, concerning Tanaka-san and Shimizu-senpai, nobody was paying attention to him and Reina anymore. When he heard them talking about White Day, he started to think about all that had happened before. He struggled to push it out from his consciousness for the last few hours and concentrate on his performance on the court. Wait... was his poor performance caused by all that drama with his girlfriend?

"Well, I couldn't help myself," Tanaka was explaining. "I mean, who would expect that I'll get Valentine chocolates from my goddess. I had to give her a proper gift back. And now, just think... what if I have a chance to go on a date with her! Maybe I should ask her to go out on Saturday."

Something about what Tanaka said stirred Tobio's memory. Didn't Reina say something like that? That she wanted to meet last Saturday... to study, right? He thought it didn't make sense. Did she mean going on a date?! He didn't realize it back then. How did it end? He vaguely remembered that he dismissed her. Is that why she was so withdrawn this week? Why wouldn't she just clarify what she meant? It seemed that he, unknowingly, committed yet another blunder.

"The hell with that!" he shouted while throwing his towel on the floor. Everybody looked at him.

"Oh, please excuse me... I need to go now. See you tomorrow." He threw his things into a bag and quickly left the clubroom.