Spring Pines For Winter

Eden’s garden is anywhere you are.

[strawverites]

Wish You Well

(Part 1)

Every moment you wish for Ushijima, and each time the universe grants it.

── .✦

The First Snow

It was a cold day when you first saw him in the flesh, the elusive captain of the volleyball team. Well he wasn’t a captain yet, he was a first year. Just like you.

You had to stay in the school late as you were the one tasked with closing up the club room.

It’s not as if you’ve never seen him before, you’ve seen pictures, lots and lots of them. You can’t help but to as you’re from the art club. You often had to work on numerous posters about the stars of your school.

Still, the pictures don’t do him any justice. Not that you’ll ever admit that to the members of the photography club.

Looking at him now, with his hair a little messy, probably from how Tendou tackled him earlier, and chest heaving just a bit, he looked beautiful.

Mesmerizing even.

His features were sharp, and he looked intimidating, but you noticed the way he handled things gently.

It was by some coincidence that in that particularly chilly evening, the softest of snow started falling from the sky as if a gift from those above.

It didn’t feel real.

This beautiful moment was ruined by your friend, who decided that now, of all times, is the best time to leave.

You wished that you’d see him again.

── .✦

Wishing Fountains

Shiratorizawa has horses, so it’s no surprise that it has a fountain as elaborate as this.

It left you amazed the first time you’ve seen it. You’re not a scholarship student by all means, growing up from affluence yourself. But still, you aren’t that sheltered to recognize what a luxury a fountain that can fit perfectly in most high-end hotel lobbies is in a school. For highschoolers, not even a university.

Although you would argue that the structure in all its loud glory is hardly the most eye-catching thing you’ve ever seen in the campus.

No, the apple of your eye as an art student who could recognize what a real masterpiece is—is the student standing right across from you.

The intimidating, infuriatingly handsome, the Ushijima Wakatoshi.

You closed your eyes and thanked the universe as it granted your wish to see him again.

Not forgetting the reason why you came to the fountain in the first place, you fished out a coin from your pocket and prepared to toss it.

You came here to wish to be able to pass the math exam you’re having later. It’s not as if you didn’t study, it’s just better to have some luck, that’s all.

Before you even let go of the coin, a presence appeared from behind you, surprising you.

“Hello.”

You turned your head to the direction of the voice and there he was, the one and only Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Thankfully, you didn’t lose your coin. Nor did you make a fool of yourself.

Not so thankfully, he’s looking at you right now as if you’d committed a grave offense by looking in the same direction—even breathing the same air as him.

“H-hi?” You replied back, internally cursing yourself for possibly offending him. Did he notice you looking at him? Is he about to humiliate you? Right here?

“What are you doing?”

That wasn’t a bad question, wait what?

“What I was doing?”

“Yes. You were about to waste a perfectly good coin.”

So you weren’t going to die after all. But what does he even mean by that? Does he not know about wishing fountains?

“I was about to make a wish,” you replied curtly.

There was a pause, silent but it might as well have been loud with how much your brain was screaming at you.

Ushijima, who’d been previously silent, finally spoke after thinking long and hard. “Why is a coin needed to make a wish?”

His reply dumbfounded you. How can a person not know about wishing fountains? Is this some sort of secretly philosophical quote that you are not understanding?

Did the universe finally get tired of you pinning all your math tests and quizzes onto its existence and decided to send you your very own stop signal?

Still, you tried to gather whatever is left of your courage and get yourself out of this awkward conversation as fast as humanly possible.

“I was wishing on a fountain, Ushijima-san.”

“Why would you need to wish on a fountain?”

Ushijima looked confused, borderline frustrated now. As if he was currently trying to solve the world's greatest mystery, brows furrowed and mouth pressed together in a tight line.

First of all, why is he the one who looks like that when you’re the one who was just asked possibly the dumbest question on the planet?

Before you can even think of a response, the bell rang.

“Thank you for your time, I shall inquire about it more next time.”

Just like that, he left.

You sighed as you chucked your coin back into the fountain, wishing that hopefully ‘next time’ wouldn’t be as awkward.

You were already on the way back to your math class when you realized you forgot to wish for your exam.

── .✦

Dandelions

You always loved gardens, and you adored them especially on days such as this one. It’s now the start of your second year. Your first year ended rather uneventfully, with the last memorable interaction being the one with Ushijima.

You never saw him again after that.

You couldn’t help but wonder if you’d somehow driven him away.

You drowned out your thoughts by looking around the array of flowers in full bloom. There were so many of them but one in particular caught your eye.

A rare type of flower you didn’t expect to see here of all places.

Before you knew it, your body started taking you to the direction of the flowers, sprinting away in excitement, uncaring of who you might run into.

You were just about to reach your favorite kind of flower when you felt something bump into you, knocking you down from where you stood.

Running without care of your surroundings isn’t something you do often, but you do acknowledge the fault in it, so you profusely apologized.

It surprised you to see that it was Ushijima who was staring at you.

“I apologize. It was not my intention to hurt you.”

His apology was almost robotic if not for the way he gently helped you up.

“Do you need me to get you to the clinic?” He added.

“No I don’t, but thank you Ushijima-san.”

You could tell he wanted to tell you something based on the way he gazed upon you. It was reminiscent of that one time on the fountain.

You used up some of your courage and asked. “What is it? Do you need anything?”

“Yes,” you were genuinely surprised at how straightforward the man is.

“My previous question.”

Oh, the universe chose not to grant your wish after all.

You could just pretend you forgot what it was about, it’s been months since that interaction and a normal person would probably let it go.

However, something told you that this person in particular, would not.

“What about it Ushijima-san?”

“Could you tell me more about wishing on fountains and what benefits they could bring?”

…

Was this even a real question?

Are you even real?

He didn’t get hit in the head didn’t he?

Still, you suppose you can tolerate it. He seems sincere enough. So you string words together to hopefully make the most understandable explanation there is.

“There’s no particular reason for it, some people just think that wishing on them helps them become more real.”

“Then is a coin required to make a wish?

“If you’re wishing on a fountain, yes.”

“What did you wish for then?”

You paused before briefly remembering that you wished to not have this awkward conversation again. You decide to lie about it.

“My math exam.”

“What did you score then?”

“Seventy-six,” your answer was accompanied by a sigh.

“You passed by one point.”

“Yes I did, Ushijima-san.” By this point, your smile was as stiff as it could possibly be.

“It looks like your chosen method for wishing is not very effective then.” You wondered if he was this dense all the time. Did he not see that he was testing the limits of your patience? Why rub your math scores to your face?

Of course it wasn’t effective, definitely not if he’s talking to you about it right now.

He blinked.

You just stared.

A dandelion then flew by the both of you, and to your surprise, he caught it, holding it up to you.

Is he thinking of cursing you right now?

The air was filled with silence and then he spoke.

“I have done research.”

What could he possibly have researched about that he needed to inform you right now?

“There are other methods of wishing,” the man stiffly stuck out his hand holding the dandelion some more. “I heard this method is quite effective too. Please try it.”

It was a gesture that you found oddly sweet. You were still offended by his choice of words regarding your math, but you still took the dandelion regardless.

He replied to your actions by twisting his mouth into some sort of grimace.

Was that supposed to be a smile?

“Please inform me of your results next time, goodbye.”

Just like that, you were left alone again.

You decided to pass time blowing the dandelions away instead, this time with the thought of wanting to be able to thank the strange boy for the wish he had given you.

── .✦

Double Rainbows

It’s been a week since you’ve last seen Ushijima. Not that it matters. But you still couldn’t get the need to thank him off your mind.

Yes it’s a stupid thought. You didn’t even get to use the wish that well.

But he was sweet. Just a bit enough for you to not mind his weirdness.

Currently, there’s nothing you would’ve loved more than to immediately go home, however you’ve been given more responsibility in your respective club. So here you are now, heading back to your club room.

When you turned to the familiar hallway, one you’ve been in many times now, you saw a tall figure waiting by the door.

The figure, which you just registered is Ushijima Wakatoshi, approached you.

“Hello.” Is this his favorite conversation starter?

“Hi.”

“You did not meet me again about the results.”

You were supposed to meet him?

“I’m sorry I didn’t know you were serious Ushi-”

Before you could finish your sentence, a man with bright red-hair, one that is rather infamous across campus, starts sprinting towards the two of you.

“Hey! Ushiwaka, whatcha doing?” You could see that he was eyeing you. Eek! Maybe the universe really wants you to stop relying everything on wishes.

You inwardly sigh as you decide that you should do whatever you can as to not catch the wrath of the two people ahead of you.

“I was inquiring about a wish,” he said with a nonchalance you wish you were blessed with.

“Are you Ushijima’s friend?”

You didn’t even get to answer the question before he spoke again, “I think I’ve seen you before.” And again. “Why don’t you stop by the gym more often,” he stops to look at your name tag before continuing with your name.

“Is that why you decided to go to the arts club today Ushi- wait.” He paused as if he realized something just now.

“…What wish?” Tendou asked enthusiastically.

Ushijima quickly responded, “The wish I gave her.”

“WHAT? You gave her a wish Ushiwaka?” Judging from his tone alone, you can tell that he’s extremely amused by the situation you found yourself in.

But more importantly, why were they having a conversation about you when you’re right there? Are all volleyball players like this?

“Yes. I was asking her if it worked,” Ushijima said with significantly less energy.

“Did it work, L/n-san?” Ushijima added.

You thought about it, and then the realization hit you. The man called you by your name—your last name. How did this beautiful man even know you exist.

Sure you aren’t unpopular but- you catch a glimpse of him again as you got lost inside your own thoughts. You still haven’t given him an answer.

“Yeah, sorta.” Not exactly a lie this time.

Ushijima looked at you expectantly; did he want you to elaborate?

Now is the perfect time to thank him, you think. But infront of Tendou? Would you really do that with someone watching. Why are you even feeling shy. It’s just to say thank you.

As if the red-headed volleyball player knew what you were thinking, he decided to say goodbye, not forgetting to wink at you teasingly before finally leaving the two of you.

The silence stretched on for a bit.

‘It’s just a thank you, no need to be so nervous,’ is what you repeatedly told yourself.

“Thank you, I-“

“I do not believe in wishes.”

Huh?

“But you seem to have a fascination with them. Like I do with volleyball.”

Wait a minute, did he think that wishing is your passion?

You were just wishing for your future—also known as your math results. Who knew you’d be misunderstood like this?

He definitely didn’t sense your currently dumbfounded status, because he continued after that.

“You were very focused when you were wishing on the fountain, furthermore you were fine with wasting money just to make a wish.” He stated with the stiffest, straightest expression ever expressed.

You can’t even afford anything in this school with that amount of money, why is he fixating on it so much?

Like listing off related literatures, he continued to state the reasons why he came to such a conclusion. “And when I gave you the wishing instrument,” he paused to look you in your eyes, signifying how utterly genuine he is. “You seemed very flustered,” he said delivering the final blow.

You finally understand it now, Ushijima Wakatoshi—he’s as dumb as rocks. Who else in this planet would ever call dandelions, those cute flowers, ‘wishing instruments’?

“So if you’re going to thank me, there is no need for them. I am simply helping you discover better methods.”

“I hope to see you again, L/n-san.”

And you’re alone again. You don’t understand how the man manages to shock you everytime. Whether that is a good or bad thing, you don’t understand.

As you made your way back to the club, you passed by the window and saw the vast blue-fading-into-orange sky. Your eyes caught the color, a rare double rainbow. The sight was enough to make you smile.

When you were finally inside of the club room, lips still softly curved, you thought that as much as he leaves you slightly infuriated and amazed at the same time, it would be nice to see him again.

You would want that.

── .✦

Streetlights

It’s early, the sun isn’t even up yet. But here you are, walking with Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Today you woke up earlier than usual and just couldn’t sleep, so you decided to take a walk. That’s when you saw him, on his usual morning runs. You mutually decided to just walk together.

You and Ushijima are now close enough to be regarded as friends. After spending so much time with Ushijima, you’ve become accustomed to, and even a little fond of his blunt manner of speaking.

You are now also made aware of the additional context of knowing that Ushijima doesn’t think much outside of volleyball.

He has this cute habit of looking whenever he’s curious, something that scared you on the earlier days of your friendship. Because to put it bluntly, Ushijima doesn’t have a very approachable face.

It’s an intense gaze that not many understood, a gaze which you noticed is currently directed at you.

“Do you need anything Ushijima-kun?”

“I have consulted Tendou about your wishing rituals.”

“You did?” You asked the man back. Part of you was a bit embarrassed about someone else knowing about your nervous habit of wishing on things. But it didn’t seem so bad.

“I have tried the dandelions.”

You found it endearing how regardless of his non-belief, he tried wishing anyway, so you smiled at him.

“Despite its results with you, it does not prove to be effective.”

“Did you try other methods then?” You probed.

“Yes. I still did not receive my wish,” you weren’t sure what to make of his expression now but you think it’s somewhat pouty.

“You’re supposed to put in work Ushijima-kun, you can’t just wish and not do anything to make it come true,” you were rambling now. Strangely enough, you felt like a mother coaxing a child. “And you have to give it time.”

Ushijima looked confused now, “How is it supposed to work then?”

“I gave it time.” He added, trying to make his argument sound concrete.

“How long?”

“A day,” he looked upset at his answer. It seems as if he finally understood how little a day is when it comes to waiting for a wish.

You chuckled.

“I do not understand wishes.”

“Try something more simple next time,” you encouraged.

He gave you a reply almost immediately “No. Wishing is futile and gives false hope.”

“What did you even wish for Ushijima-kun?”

“I wanted you to address me by my given name.”

He can be quite the charmer.

“Call me by my name too then, Wakatoshi-kun.”

His lips formed a graceful curve that fit perfectly against his features. Suddenly you felt everything stop, your senses replaced by a fuzzy fidgety feeling within you.

When the campus street lights finally turned on and brightness enveloped the two of you, you coincidentally wished to see more of that smile.

── .✦

Eyelashes

You’re now in your third and final year of high school, with Ushijima naturally taking the role of volleyball team captain, and you as the secretary of your art club.

There’s currently an unfamiliar, dejected expression on a very bothered Ushijima Waktoshi seated next to you.

What was he thinking about?

“I do not want to wish again,” the volleyball captain said.

He frowned. “I wanted to win the nationals with my team this year,” he looked at you. "I was confident that we could do it, but I tried anyway because you always do it when you desire something."

“I wished on the fountain like you did.”

“I even put in work for it. So I believed you, that it would work,” he stated, very obviously upset.

Oh.

Without even thinking about it, you wrapped your arms around him, patting his back as you’re engulfed by his scent.

“I’m very sorry Toshi-kun,” those were the only words you could muster. You wonder what it must’ve felt for him, to lose like that. To people he’s never heard of no less.

You didn’t know your stupid habits affected him this much. He believed you. You can’t fail him now that his wish did, can you?

“Just like last time then. Ask me for a wish, I’ll grant it. I mean it’s not like I could give you something as grand as winning the nationals but-” it was a pathetic attempt at consoling him but you had to try at least.

“Thank you,” you could tell that he still wanted to say something but hes hesitating to say it.

You ask him, “Is there anything you want Wakatoshi-kun?”

No answer, he still seems very hesitant.

“If you want me to do anything, I’ll do it! It’s a promise,” you wonder if you sound convincing enough.

“Then,” there you go, he’s speaking now. “Could we stay like this for a while?”

…

“I quite like this position.”

You closed your eyes. This man might as well be the death of you.

When you opened them, still hugging Ushijima, you saw a singular, tiny eyelash. You winced. You didn’t blink that hard did you?

You picked it up anyway, blew on it, and for the very first time, wished for Ushijima with the full intention of doing so.

You wish to be like this with him more.

── .✦

Idk if I’m ever gonna layout the other half bcs this made me lazy as hell but the full fic is under @strawveryberrygood on both ao3 and tiktok.

Thanks for reading!

[writingdose]

being a writer is

50% daydreaming about plots and writing

50% procrastinating/suffering during the actual writing process

[bee2124]

How it genuinely feels to still be reading fan fictions from fandoms I’ve been in since I was 12

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

[kayleeeknee]

"x reader" then proceeds to add a name??? Like who the fuck is Sarah???

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

[strawverites]

What’s worse is not having it and you’re left imagining what could happen. You can’t sleep, and when you do it’s your first thought when you awake