26

"What?!" It was the prolonged, kind of shocked question that would be yelled and the camera would be directed at the sky. Yoshikami would have found it funny if it weren't for the blunt guy beside her. They were currently at Aobayama Park, in the same spot from weeks ago before the boys' first match for Interhigh.

"We're engaged." Ushijima repeated, confused.

Ohira facepalmed. "We didn't mean it that way, Wakatoshi. We mean, like what?!"

He never understood. "We are engaged." Never mind, it was still funny. Yoshikami giggled.

Semi shook his head. "First, you guys were like dating. Then you guys decide to be friends. Now, you're engaged?!"

Ushijima nodded. "There were events that made it like that, yes."

Soekawa exclaimed, "That just doesn't make sense though!"

Tendou flailed his arms above his head behind Soekawa. "Mind blown." Then he whistled as he disappeared below.

Yamagata sweat dropped. "Satori, you do know we can still see you right?"

The red head snapped his head at the libero and gasped dramatically. "Don't break the fourth wall, Hayato-kun!"

Yoshikami furrowed her brows. "What do you mean by 'fourth wall', Satori-kun?" She got a loud shush and glare by yours truly. Then did the same thing earlier, shrinking down to the ground, despite everyone seeing him do so.

They all sweat dropped.

"Anyway…" Semi cleared his throat, returning his attention to the couple. "…so, what's going to happen? What about school and the like?" He motioned with his fingers.

Yoshikami nudged Ushijima who rolled his eyes. He said it anyway. "When we finish high school, we will sign a court order that will acknowledge our marriage…"

Tendou coughs. "That's boring…" Semi slapped him for the couple.

Ohira pursed his lips. "But…wasn't your mother against this, Wakatoshi?"

"Well, actually…" Yoshikami intervened. "…our parents never showed pictures of us…so it went off without a hitch, haha." She smiled up at Ushijima thankfully.

He looked down at her and placed his hand on her head. "Okaa-san can't do anything anymore after that engagement party."

"There was a party and we weren't invited?!" Tendou exclaimed, looking at the two flabbergasted. "And I'm your cousin, Hoshi! I can't believe you didn't even invite your own cousin…"

The short girl rolled her eyes. "Third degree cousin. My immediate family came as soon as possible to watch the failure of a daughter of the Yoshikami get married off for the family name to be restored." She meant it as a joke but the looks on their faces spoke of different volumes. She quickly shut her mouth realizing she revealed something she's been keeping secret.

"Hoshi…have you been dealing with that?" Semi asked. He reached out, but Tendou stopped him. He looked at the red head but he simply shook his head.

Ushijima patted the short girl's head and whispered, "Tell us when you can.��

"Yea…I'll be leaving for Tokyo soon so it should be right to trust you guys." She sighed, rubbing her arm with her left hand. "Honestly, I don't even know whether to trust you guys, yet."

Ohira opened his mouth to reject that, but the stares of his friends stopped him. He should listen.

"3 years ago, I went to a middle school that was far from my home because of my relatives. They'd show their pity by coming to visit my elementary school, so my parents decided that I had to be so far that they wouldn't do that anymore. But that didn't my peers from treating me like a freak." She smiled, looking at Tendou. "So, I joined a volleyball club in the guise of Tendou Suta to avoid my peers as much as possible- and they were great, friendly, and accepted me. I was neither tall nor short, but I had the skills then… And then I lost it all."

The memories morphed into reality before her eyes. She could still see it so clearly. The dreaded year.

"You're a freak." Her eyes widened as she took a step forward.

"What's that supposed to mean, Mitsuko… we're friends…" She reached out for her friend's hand, but she pushed her away.

"Ew, no! Stay away, freak! I heard from my mom that you're just a failure! A disease that shouldn't have been born." The snarl was vicious, disgusted.

Yoshikami felt her heart drop. "What…? But, we…I trusted you guys." Her eyes looked over to the girls behind Mitsuko. None of them met her gaze, but disgust was clear on their faces.

"We only became friends with you out of pity…"

"Yea…we never really accepted you as part of our group…"

"No one wants to be friends with a freak…"

Each statement, whisper, and mumble from them hit her like a wave. Her center of gravity crumbled and she found herself falling to the ground. Then everything was dark.

"We were friends for the first semester, just like you guys. I never made friends with girls because of this- and I never expected to hang out with you guys at all." Yoshikami didn't cry. She had come to terms with it. She was just glad that the burden she was carrying felt lighter. "Honestly, I'm just glad that you welcomed me as part of your group despite not hanging out that much."

She finally looked up to meet their gazes and was tackled into a hug.

"Hoshi, why didn't you tell your own cousin this?!" Tendou cried out, tightening his grip on her small form.

Oof, she can't breathe. She patted the red head's back. "S…Satori, ca…can't breathe…" The heavy weight disappeared and she turned to find her cousin on the ground, dead.

And standing before her was Semi and Ohira with their legs extended. She sweat dropped.

"That's why you tend to avoid us…" Soekawa sighed, scratching his head. "…well, you don't need to worry about that. We'll be here for you always, Hoshi." He grinned, helping her up.

Yamagata agreed. "If you need any tips to digging, you know who to call."

Semi sniffed. "I'm not that good at setting, but I can help you."

Yoshikami was getting confused as to why they were talking about volleyball.

Ohira shook his head, patting her head. "Look at you so dense. We're telling you not to give up on volleyball. Even if you're moving to Tokyo."

"Eh?" She oofed when she felt herself pulled away, landing softly on a hard wall.

"They're giving you reasons to visit Sendai." She blushed, realizing that it was not a wall that she just hit. "So, take care always, Hoshi."

She laughed. "Of course, I'd visit you all. You're my best friends."

"Fiancé." Ushijima corrected, causing a series of chokes and coughs from behind her.

"Get a room."

"Ugh, I'll have to get used to this."

"Don't forget about me, Hoshi!"

Yoshikami giggled and looked over at her friends. They were all standing there, smiling as well. Apart from Tendou who was still on the ground, pouting from being kicked off.

She never felt any better having these guys by her side.

"You guys really are the best thing I could ever ask for."