with the prelims coming up soon and your recent suspension, you made it a commitment to practice volleyball every time you were free. in order to maintain your shape. it was a hard commitment but even a week without consecutive practice can affect your playing in a negative way.

it is currently 10 pm, you were still in the gym practicing serves. you couldn't exactly practice hits since emiko was fast asleep back in your dorm. most students are supposed to be back by this time, but you could care less if the dorm prefect catches you gone from your room. sports mattered more.

practicing non-stop and not taking the time to rest or even do homework did take a toll on your physical health but you were sent to this school for volleyball, one diminishing factor could get you sent back to another high school like that.

it was disgusting. you were sweaty and just overall so burnt out by practicing.

"oh? y/n?" a familiar voice called, "what are you doing here practicing? not to mention, this late?" it was shirabu returning a volleyball he presumably borrowed.

"i haven't practiced in a week."

"we all know that."

you rolled your eyes and grabbed your water bottle shirabu handed to you.

"you look disgusting."

the towel that was wrapped around your neck found its way to hit the blonde on the cheek. after that, you slapped his left shoulder as he tumbled backwards while laughing.

taking out your ponytail, you sat down on the bleachers, your head resting on the next set behind it. "thanks, i know, very disgusting... and very... tired."

shirabu sat down by you as he grabbed your hydroflask and poured some on his palm, sprinkling the cold water on you as an attempt to cool you down. "you okay? maybe you need to...sleep?"

"maybe but i have to make up for one week's worth of practice," you responded exasperatedly.

"how long have you been here?"

you asked, "what time is it?"

"10:20"

"eh... six hours, give or take."

the blonde sat up in a hurry as he grabbed a volleyball and threw it at your face. "six hours? are you insane?" shirabu walked over to the trash can to find no trash in it, "and there aren't even any food packets in here, which means, miss y/n, that you have not been eating in those six hours."

you snorted at his awareness. shirabu had always been smart.

shirabu took your right arm to help you stand up. in addition, he took your gym bag and slung it over his shoulder as he let you put your left arm around his shoulder as aid.

"alright, let's get you back to your dorm."

꩜

[10:46]

semi-san

excuse me

where are you??

they're checking dorms
in 10 minutes and all 2nd
years (you) are supposed
to be in bed at 11:00 pm

i know the rules fuck face

fuck you

where are you this
late at night

don't tell me you have
a sneaky link

that's gross kenjiro

what the hell

no

fuck no

i'm in y/n's room

oh

why????

SHE's your sneaky link?

i thought you could
do better tbh

wtf lmao

you're just jealous

no we're not hooking up

good

???

i mean good for you

what are you doing
there then

isn't emiko sleeping???

yes emiko-san is sleeping

but y/n isn't, she
can't sleep

and why??? are??? you???
giving me this info?????

bruh

i found her practicing at the
gym when you told me to
return the molten back in the

weird

she was practicing
for 6 hours to make up
for one week's worth of
practice

without food

because of the suspension
YOU put her in

i'm getting the message

i brought her back cause she
looked gross and

incapable to walk

💀

why'd you text me anyway

well i was hoping we
can switch places

ME?? GO OVER THERE??

i'd rather die

i can't get in trouble

you won't

are you kidding

like what you said

2nd years have to be back
by 11 pm

i'd get a mark on my
attendance sheet

so??

take care of y/n since
you guys are the best
of friends 😎

are you serious

i don't really need
your jealousy or
whatever the fuck you're
giving off right now

i'm not jealous what

mhm

just stay there until
she sleeps

semi-san i really can't

i can't get in trouble

3rd years can stay up until
12:30 but i can't

dude please

bruh

you don't HAVE to
stay there

but i feel bad

like she looks
like absolute shit

no offense

ah shirabu my sweet
young boy

is this what they call
teen romance 🥰

fuck off

you're fucking weird 💀

i'm sorry i'm concerned
about my friend?? who is
also part of our team?

and prelims are coming up?

she can take care of
herself i bet

why not just leave her
there seriously so no one
has to suffer

um

what about y/n???

what about her

i'm pretty sure she
has a fever

give her some water

omg does she have
COVID??????!!!!

we do weekly tests

oh

right

lol😂😂😂😂😂

semi-san seriously

wake up emiko then

are you kidding

that would put me to my
grave

dude please

hm

i'll buy you one bubble tea
of your choice

just one?

two

five

no

ok then i guess
you're getting a mark

three

hmmmm

fine

okay you can leave
her room i'll be there
in a bit

but you better
keep that promise 😒

thanks

i'll just say bye

and then fucking sprint
to our room since you're
so difficult

❤️

꩜

"y/n, i have to go, it's nearly eleven, i can't stay," shirabu explained as he stood up.

your head was resting on your arms on the little kitchen table you and emiko had. you lifted your head up as you flashed him a smile.

"alright, good night."

he shoved (quite forcefully) your head to the side and laughed. "don't worry, semi-san will come over and take care of you while you try to sleep."

you smiled, "okay, thanks."

the blonde was about to close the door behind him but you put his sentence together before he could.

"wait, wait, wait! semi? absolutely not! i can manage by myself!" you tried standing up but you were to dizzy to do it properly, "shirabu! tell him not to come!"

he rolled his eyes and just shut the door.

a man of few words.

"fucking... whore." you sighed with exasperation as you fell back down in your seat.

you and semi were...okay, but that doesn't mean you want him to spend the darkest hour of the day with you. not at all. but you didn't not want him there at the same time. it's conflicting. you want to spend time with him but not when you look like you're at your lowest.

the more time you and him spend together it became less clear why you guys didn't like each other in the first place. you both have the same sense of humor, same likes & dislikes, same music taste. it's just weird how you two didn't get along at first.

maybe your friends were right about "shipping" the two of you together but it didn't exactly click in your mind until semi and you "made amends".

it's been maybe 10 minutes since shirabu left when your heard a knock on your door. you opened it and saw semi in his loose white shirt and gray joggers.

"you look like shit."

"i feel like it, too."

he nudged your shoulder with his as he brought the back of his right hand to your forehead, wincing at the temperature.

"you're really hot."

you laughed dryly, "i know right, it's the gym rat in me."

semi gave you a bottle of tylenol as he gave you a sarcastic smile, "i fucking hate you, you know?"

"maybe just a bit."

you grabbed a glass and filled it with water and took two pills of tylenol to ease the pain in your temples. maybe six hours of volleyball isn't the best choice. now you might have risked yourself for a long week of fever before prelims, meaning more practice hours missed.

semi stared at you throughout this, "i heard you practiced since four today."

"you heard correctly."

"why?" he looked flabbergasted to say the least, "even wakatoshi doesn't go that hard."

you mentally rolled your eyes, "wakatoshi wasn't suspended for a week... and i don't know, i feel incomplete without practicing for a while... it just feels weird i guess."

the male grabbed your glass and filled it up with more water and handed it back to you, "yeah but you can take breaks and...eat?" he said, "have you eaten?"

"no."

"you should."

"i don't have an appetite," you walked to your couch as you turned on the tv, "wanna watch netflix?"

semi laughed, "and chill?"

you threw one of your throw pillows at his face but he obviously caught it, he's a volleyball player after all. "i'll kill you."

"oh please."

*

it was 12 am as you laughed with semi while watching the kissing booth. you two couldn't get over how cliché the story was. this is another factor that you both agreed on.

"that is literally the weirdest movie i've ever watched!" the boy laughed while wiping tears from his eyes.

"i know!"

"the skirt part was hilarious."

"the whole movie was just... something else," you grimaced, "definitely the most odd movie ever."

he kept laughing, "i about died at the part where elle was running home or whatever," he suddenly laughed super loud.

scared of disturbing emiko, you quickly put your palm on his mouth to stop him as you kept giggling (quietly of course. "shhh! you might wake up miko! we'll both be dead..."

you were slowly interrupted by the rustling of blankets and a shut up y/n! from the bed area. you looked at semi dead in the eye for a split second before you two bursted back into laughter.

semi took off your palm from his mouth with his left hand slowly and quietly. he didn't break eye contact once you stopped laughing. it was weird. holding eye contact with a boy you supposedly didn't like. it was weird. how he kept holding your hand and your eyes as he inched closer and closer to your face. it was weird. you didn't even move backwards or think twice about what was going to happen.

the moment was interrupted by the loud ding coming from semi's phone. he closed his eyes slowly and sighed as he let go of your right hand and checked his phone. semi rolled his eyes.

"it's shirabu, i have to go."

"oh okay, good night."

"good night y/n... sleep well."