14

Once arriving at Higashimatsushima, the girls waited outside the building for Yoshikami's arrival. It was late afternoon, a quarter before four, when they stood there waiting. Coach Haruto was on the phone with the short girl's parents, reassuring over and over that their daughter is fine and that the people she's with are people they 'know'. The last part was a lie, but they were people the boys' group knows. And bringing that up would only result to more panic.

The building they were staying at was a small, but high-class hotel reserved for solely the volleyball girls and boys. It had the necessary gyms and training equipment for the teams to use and practice for their liking. There was also a large field behind the hotel for jogging. It led to the local beach that was open to any tourists and visitors.

Coach Haruto sighed in relief seeing the white bus. It had Aoba Jhosai's mark on the side and she could see the white-haired girl waving at them along with the boys.

"Yes, she's here now." She reassured the worried parents.

"Oh, please put her on the phone. I told you we should've let her taken the plane!" Coach Haruto sweat-dropped hearing the father shout.

"Yoshi-chan!"

"Yoshikami-chan!"

"Yoshi!"

"Yoshikami!"

Her teammates shouted in glee upon seeing the short girl running towards them. She was swallowed up by the group hug. They pestered the short girl with all their worries. Akira patted her, apologizing before blaming her shortness.

Yoshikami hit her, of course.

"Bye-bye, Yoshi-chan!" Oikawa shouted, bidding her farewell as he and his team went into the hotel. The boys waved at her with smiles.

Yoshikami grinned back. "Bye-bye! Thank you! See you guys later!"

Coach Haruto approached her and shoved her the phone. It was her phone. She mouthed 'Your parents are insane'. Yoshikami bowed in apology and took the phone.

"Okaa-san?"

"Hoshi! Where were you?! Where did they leave you? Did you call the police? Did you talk to strangers?!" Came the voices of her parents overlapping one another.

"I'm fine, Okaa-san, Otou-san. Nothing happened. The 'girls' of another school helped me. It was a good thing they were heading to the same place." Yoshikami looked and saw that her teammates were slowly going into the hotel. "I gotta go. We're going to start unpacking and stuff. Bye! Love you!" She ended the call and shoved the phone into her jersey. She grabbed her bag before Akari could pick it up. "I'll take this." The tall first year shrugged and chatted with her as they walked in.

The girls were split into the rooms by two. So, it was obvious that Akari and Yoshikami went together- not.

"Sorry, Yoshi. Coach said you have to stay with her." Yoshikami silently cried hearing this. It would be her first sleep over with others, and she had to stay with the coach! She grumbled as she stomped her way over there. She looked like a hunched dwarf at that moment with puffy cheeks.

She looked down at the paper then at the door. 304. This was it. She knocked.

"Come in." Came her coach's voice. She opened the door and her eyes widened. Woah. It was just like the other rooms, of course, except there were two separate beds. Two separate queen beds. She closed the door and dropped her bag. The coach was settling in the bed by the window. She began to explore. Awed at everything she saw. Their bathroom had a freaking bathtub! Her exploration to the darkness beneath the bed was interrupted by a cough.

Yoshikami looked up and met the gaze of her coach. "Yes, Coach?" She stood up and sat on her bed.

"I think its time for you to explain your illness." Coach narrowed her eyes at the flinch. "We have all the time." Her eyes flickered to the electronic clock between them. "Now, explain."

Tendou stretched happily and enjoyed the softness of the blankets beneath him. He sighed wistfully. "I'm so happy right now. I can sleep in this forever."

His roommate stared at him. "You should unpack, Tendou. We have a meeting in ten minutes."

The red pouted. "Oh, come on, loosen up a bit! I mean, just look at me…" He posed on the bed, matching with sparkly eyes and his fingers running through his hair. "…aren't I irresistible?"

His roommate stared at him then returned to unpacking. "I'll take the shower first."

Tendou immediately sprung up. "Let's bathe together, Wakatoshi!" He was responded by a slam of the door and loud, audible lock. He pouted.

Everyone was bustling in the cafeteria in their respective schools. They were currently eating dinner- a feast anyone would say if they see it. There was meat, meat, and more meat. Different types of meat that was fried, grilled, and baked to perfection. It would make any mouth water at the sight and smell of it.

It all soon came to a silence when Coach Washijo walked to the front. He bowed. "I'm very thankful for your acceptance to our invitation. Please enjoy to your hearts��� content. However, tomorrow will be the real deal. Never forget that." He walked away soon after.

The younger coach laughed, clapping. "Okay, everyone, return to eating!"

The boys happily chowed down their food. Well, some took their precious time. Same was done with the girls.

Oikawa's head sprung up seeing a tall girl enter. "Ai-chan! Sit here!" He waved at her. The tall girl waved at her team and jogged over to Oikawa.

"Hey, Tooru." She kissed him on the head before taking a seat beside him. Iwaizumi glared at the two before returning to his food.

Oikawa whispered, "He's just jealous that he doesn't have a girlfriend."

Iwaizumi threw his bowl at his face. Bowl filled with warm rice.

"Iwa-chan!"

Yoshikami picked at her food. It was delicious, but after the talk, she just didn't feel like eating. She stood up. "I'll go take a walk outside."

"Be careful, Yoshi."

"Don't talk to strangers!"

"I'm not a kid!"

Yoshikami found herself lying on the grass. She was staring at the millions of stares in the sky. They were twinkling at her. She wondered if that's why her parents named her that way. To show that she was no different from the millions up in the sky.

She sighed. It doesn't change much anyway. Her view of the sky was soon blocked by a person. He was kneeling over her.

She smiled at him. "Hey, Ushijima-kun." The person grunted in response. "What are you doing out here? Too much in there?"

"No, I just came to see you." His eyes were gentle, just like his voice was.

Yoshikami blushed. "You should lay down beside me. The stars are pretty." Ushijima kept staring at her though. She scrunched her nose. "I said lay down, you giant!"

Ushijima smiled at her. "I'm already staring at a star." Her face burned at his words.

She sat up and eyed him. "Did you just…flirted?" She laughed. "The King of Bluntness just flirted!" The teen didn't seem to understand her joke.

His brows furrowed. "I'm just being honest. Hoshi means star. So…" The short girl gulped as he leaned close. The space between them shrunk. Their noses were nearly touching. However, they never noticed for they were too busy gazing into each other's orbs.

"So…?" Yoshikami whispered. She was absorbed in the moment; everything else seemed to disappear before her. All she could see was Ushijima.

Ushijima raise his hand and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'd rather stare at you."

Their hearts were beating in unison, though it remained unknown to them. Underneath the darkness of the night sky, the stars twinkled at them, watching them with a starry gaze. Their secret kept in the quiet, dark night.

"Yoshikami? Coach is looking for you! Yoshikami!" They looked away hearing voices. Ushijima sighed, covering his face with his palm. Yoshikami struggled to pace her breathing.

"Wakatoshi?! Wakatoshi, don't die!"

"Shut up, idiot! Yoshikami? Ushijima?"

The short girl tugged at the tall boy's sleeve. "We should go." Their eyes locked again, but the shouts made them both sigh at the same time.

He nodded. "Okay." They both stood up and walked over to their teammates. Ushijima found himself rolling down the field with Tendou. Like literally rolling down even against the flat surface of the field. Semi chased them wondering why he was always dragged into this. Yoshikami and another 1st year, Sano Yuko, laughed at them and bid them good night.