18

Fifth day on Golden Week. Nothing else happened apart from Tendou trying to sneak into Yoshikami's room. He faced the cold wrath of Coach Haruto. Turns out, she was staying in the same room as Yoshikami.

He received the most disgusted stares from then on by the girls and his friends.

"Stop that! It was an accident…" The red head cried.

Soekawa rolled his eyes. "What were you even trying to do?"

"Well, I wanted to play cards with Hoshi…" He pouted.

"Yoshikami doesn't play with cards. It makes her dizzy." Ushijima interjects, narrowing his eyes at Tendou.

Semi coughs. "Since when did you know about that?"

"I guess our Ace has a liking to our short friend." Ohira meant it as a joke, but Ushijima stared at him like he was a deer in the headlights. Since there was nothing in his mouth, he spit out his saliva in shock. "You do?!"

The table was silent at the revelation. However, one's shock turned into a mischievous grin.

"Neh, Neh, Wakatoshi…" Tendou purred, appearing by Ushijima's side. His fingers traced his friend's arm, giving a chilling effect. "…since when were you and our Hoshi planning to tell us, hm? We're friends, aren't we?"

There was a blush on Ushijima's cheeks. He tried to push off Tendou. "I don't think I am liable to tell any of you that." He bluntly stated, but his rosy cheeks gave him off.

Yamagata grinned, joining Tendou and appearing on the other side of Ushijima. "I wonder how far both of you have gone, hm?"

Ushjjima could only cover his face at this point, not wanting to show them his face or his emotions.

Semi sighed. "Hey, leave him alone. We're asking the wrong person here." He grinned, appearing behind Ushijima. "Shouldn't we be asking someone who is painfully obvious?"

Ushijima's eyes widened, but it was better than them pestering him. He shrugged, still covering his face.

Ohira narrowed his eyes at the trio. "You should just leave it alone, guys." He facepalmed seeing Soekawa joined the trio as they creeped over to Yoshikami. He was curious too, so he left the table and followed after them.

Ushijima, sensing they left, continued eating his food.

Yoshikami was joking with her teammates when she was suddenly ambushed by her friends and dragged to who knows where. She was dizzy, confused at most, but still dizzy from them passing her from one to the other.

"What's this about, guys?!" She asked, after finally being put to the ground. Her eyes were still were swirling from the throwing around.

"So, my dear cousin…" She froze at the mischievous tone from a very troublesome person. "…when were you going to open to us that you and Ushijima became a thing?"

She looked up in confusion. "We're a thing?" She giddily jumped around. "Did Ushijima-kun say that?!" The boys looked at each other in confusion.

"Uh, no, actually he refused to say anything." Soekawa pointed out. Yoshikami stopped her jumping around and dropped her shoulders.

"Oh, right… Ugh, I can't really tell what's in his mind though…" She pouted. Then she looked at all of them. "…oh yea, I was planning to tell all of you when he actually confirms that we are together. But he's not really saying anything."

Ohira rubbed his chin. "That's a problem… Ushijima is like that though."

Semi scratched his head. "That's true. If he does want something, he just exudes this aura."

Tendou shook his head at them. "You guys should be disappointed to even be called his friends. Wakatoshi always tells what's on his mind!" Everyone else stared at him blankly hearing that from the pestering red head. "What?! It's the truth." They ignored him.

Yoshikami sighed. "Well, was that why you dragged me out here? Ushijima should have just said something though. I mean, he usually does that. He just says what he thinks it is."

Soekawa snapped his fingers. "That's true… Then why didn't he just say it?"

Yamagata pursed his lips. "Maybe…he's unsure?" Yoshikami's heart crushed hearing that.

Semi scoffed. "Ushijima? Unsure? That's not Ushijima."

The boys continued to argue about it. They didn't realize what they had said was the truth, and it hurt her. She slowly exited the group and went back to the dining area. Ushijima waved at her, but she looked away and returned to her teammates.

Was everything that happened before and during Golden Week a lie then? Was he just doing it for the sake of it? Yoshikami shook her head. No, that wasn't Ushijima. She knew him- She thought she knew him. They only know each other for a month- truthfully, Yoshikami realized she didn't really know Ushijima.

She opened her heart to him, but he never opened his heart to her. Maybe it was only her.

She avoided Ushijima up to the end of Golden Week. She even avoided her friends; she stayed with her teammates, though they could only offer so much. They were also her friends, but not like the guys.

"Hey, Akari. Can you come with me to the beach?" She asked her tall friend. She needed to go there one last time, but not with him.

Akari shrugged. "Sure. Hey, Sano, Hatsume, wanna come with?" Yoshikami froze hearing that.

"A…Actually, never mind. I think I'll go to bed first."

Akari looked at her worried. She was the same height as Yoshikami when sitting down. "Oh, okay. I'll head there with Sano and Hatsume then. Take care, Yoshi."

The short girl waved back and walked away. She left the dining room and walked off to the front of the small hotel. She'd rather be alone right now. She'd prefer the beach, but her teammates were going to be there.

She sighed, sitting down at the front stairs. Tomorrow, all this was going to be over. She had fun for the first three days; she learned a lot, gained muscle from the training. But then the coach found out. Her hands clenched into fists. She hugged her knees and covered her face with her arms.

Not to mention, what Yamagata said was rooted in her mind. Like a poison, it spread from her mind down to her very heart. It hurt. She frowned, feeling the tears build up.

Did he pity her? Played her feelings so their friendship wouldn't be destroyed? Then why kiss her? Just so she could calm down? It made sense in a way- she became delusional in her own make up world.

Then why kiss her again?

She looked up and watched the cars drive by. In her tear-filled eyes, the lights flashed by in a blur. She shouldn't question it. She sighed, wiping off her tears. She'd rather go to sleep now. She'd forget in her sleep even though it was just a moment. A moment of ignorant bliss.

"Yoshikami." His voice whispered into her mind like a tempting apple waiting to be bitten.

Just like he was, she was going to be that way as well. She stood up. "I'm heading to bed, Ushijima-san." She sighed. "I don't want to talk to anyone."

She hoped though that he'd do something. But he didn't call out to her nor did he stop her. And so, she proceeded to her room without looking back.

That was how her first Golden Week ended. The warmth seeping out of the cracks of her heart were soon sealed by the icy coldness.