A follow-up of sorts to Promise, but it can be read alone.
God, damn it! Ikejiri cursed. After he had gone and said those cool words about crushing their opponents…
His face flushed with shame, and tears ran down his face. He clutched his bag and jacket desperately. He’d wanted to win. He hunched over the sink of the boys’ bathroom, splashing cool water onto his sweaty face. He still felt hot tears tickling his cheeks, though. He just wanted to play volleyball more. Once more. He didn’t want to hear the words “Thank you for the game” echoing in his mind anymore.
He was happy for Daichi; he really was. It just hurt.
He wandered out of the bathroom in a daze. With his clouded mind, it was easy to get lost. He aimlessly strolled through the hallways, still thinking about what could have been if he had just tried harder sooner.
He heard the quiet sobs of another player, some poor sod who’d lost, too. He paid it no mind, but saw a glimpse of a familiar face. “Yui?”
“Yeah?” She whirled around, with a bright smile despite the tear tracks on her face. “Oh, Hayato! It’s nice to see you again!”
“Yeah,” he murmured. Ikejiri took two large strides and gathered her in his arms. Her face immediately crumbled. “You lost, too, huh?”
Michimiya let out a wail, burrowing her face into Ikejiri’s jacket. “We tried,” she babbled. “We tried, Ikejiri. We did, we really did.”
“I know, Yui. I know more than anyone.” He stroked her head. “I mean, I lost to Sawamura of all people!” He shakily laughed. She looked up, momentarily pausing her stream of words.
“I lost to Sawamura,” he repeated.
“Oh, that promise you made with each other. I’m sorry, Hayato,” she whispered. “Don’t tell Sawamura, but I was really hoping you’d win.” She cracked a wobbly grin.
Ikejiri chuckled. “Thanks, Yui. You feeling better?”
Michimiya nodded decisively. “Let’s go cheer for Sawamura! Afterward, we can catch up!” She started to tug on his hand. “I mean, that’s okay, right?”
Ikejiri laughed. “Yeah, let’s go.” He laced their fingers together, and they chatted the entire way to the stands.
Ikejiri smiled. You won this time, Sawamura. Next time will be different.
