“ you’re slow today. ” oikawa points out with a raised eyebrow as he grabs another of the volleyballs from the small cart. “ are you sure you’re feeling okay, makki ? i mean, i know we all have off days, but this feels more like. . . an off week. ” despite appearances, tooru truly did care for his teammates, especially the other third years. he shifts his weight, a hand on his hip as he surveys the wing spiker from head to toe. // give me more seijoh third years or else (sovercign)
it's not an off week. he would know if it were an off week. irritation isn't enough to slow him, though it's enough to nag him ( with the unrepentant buzz of a mosquito in his ear ) - but irritation simmers against his throat & slows his muscles. it's frustrating when his play isn't what he wants it to be. too many serves in the practice find themselves caught at the net or else find themselves on the boundary of the court. he keeps a tally internalized : his growing failures of today's practice against his dwindling successes.
it's not an off week, but if he keeps with his tally & if people keep pointing out that are you sure you're feeling okay ? then it might become an off week. he feels a little as though he were watching a boulder roll down a hill, & it's a hazard.
he thumbs over the fabric of the volleyball & studies the blaring white light of gymnasium ceiling.
it’s not an off week, but maybe it's seasonal allergies.
oikawa ( @sovercign ) still is here. it’s not surprising; he's been working on accuracy on his serves, & it usually wraps him in a haze of focus enough that any conversations between them would be absent until hanamaki, trying to clean up & go home, would hover at the corner of the court & try to catch oikawa’s serves in the basket. he had some success, but inevitably one serve would bounce out of the basket & leave a red mark against hanamaki’s cheek.
but today, oikawa abandons his routine. & or else, he has concluded his independent practice earlier than expected. he comments are you sure you’re feeling okay, makki ? i mean, i know we all have off days, but this feels more like. . . an off week.
yeah. he's sure he's feeling okay. he's irritable, but it's not enough to make it an off week.
hanamaki tries to spin the ball against his knuckle.
it loses its momentum & drops lamely to the floor. he snorts & scoops it up, pockets it against the corner of his hip.
' nothing is wrong. maybe my sinuses are acting up - '
he waves a hand. follows through on an old habit to make things casual , dismissive. he handles himself in a sleepy kind of lethargy, dismisses the importance of things before they can build up into more.
but he sobers himself & sets the ball into the basket. he pushes the cart towards oikawa to collect stray volleyballs too.
' just getting fed up of people asking me if i'm excited for finishing here is all. probably. or just seasonal allergies - like i said. '
future studies don't sound all that exciting, & he has a tendency towards indecision. he's not good enough to go forward in sport. he's not bad enough to leave it behind.
so it's not an off week. it's irritating - an accumulation of failures & successes that leave him with some undecided promise. & that's just how things are.
