Credit: @ui536 (Twitter)

-----

Soft sunlight peeks through the window. Wind still blowing on the curtains, but it's a lot warmer than the chills from last night.

Tobio's no longer on the floor, but safely tucked in his warm bed, covered by a blanket like a comfy burrito. It's schooling days but he didn't set his alarm last night.

Guess he's being excused from school for today.

Tobio snuggles under his warm blanket. His parents found him on he floor after returning from late night work. Witnessing their son laying unconsciously on the floor in a pile of mess triggers their parental instinct. They picked him up nervously, assuming he might have fell over and knocked out cold, or maybe he fainted from hunger. His dinner, which his mother told him to heat up from last night, was still on the table, cold and untouched.

They noticed the traces of wet stream rolling down Tobio's face when they picked him up. His hair wet soaked and wrapped in his dirty laundry. His hands were still holding on to that volleyball.

Perhaps that was the moment when his parent begun to realise how absent they were in their children's childhood. They had left their kids under Ji-chan's care the whole time as they pursue their goals in society. Now that Ji-chan is gone, their elder daughter busy with university. Tobio is the only family member with them now.

Perhaps that's why, they shifted to a new goal, one where they finally decided to cut down their work, to make themselves more available for Tobio.

Tobio gradually notices it, how he's seeing his parents around much more often now. At first the simpleton thought his parents were losing their jobs, and he actually confronted his parents with his doubts. His parents had a good laugh.

Now Tobio gets to see his parents almost everyday, especially on Friday nights. If he's lucky, his mom would pack him more food for his volleyball practice.
Tobio misses his mom's onigiri a lot.

For months, Tobio has struggled with loneliness and grief on his own. This was perhaps the turning point of something new.

-----

Volleyball practice has ended, Tobio stays back a little longer, to make up for the few times he missed practice for the past weeks. His teammates notice the couple of times their King had missed school and training sessions, and honestly it's unusual that the King would disappear from his beloved training and position without a reason.

No one botter to ask further about it though. Even the coach assumes that the prodigy just needs a break.

Tobio stands at the end of the court, ball in his hand, gently tossing it up in air. He moves forward step by step, gradually lifting himself up as he pulls back his arms. He swings his arms, aligning his palms on the ball and smashes it down.

The ball shoots forward, but the acceleration stops when it got caught in the net.

Tobio tsks, the dissatisfication clearly paste on his face. The ball didn't even make it over the net. Tobio pictures Oikawa's serve in his mind as he walks over to the basket to take another ball. There are times where Tobio wishes he could sneak over to Aoba Johsai, just to take a peak at Oikawa and Iwaizumi, and maybe he'll spot some other good volleyball players. He needs to refresh himself on Oikawa's serves.

Oikawa had taught a few other Kouhai his serving techniques, but not Tobio.

Tobio doesn't complain about it though. Oikawa was, and still is, a worthy senpai and rival to him. The idea of playing against Oikawa someday in the future both excites and triggers Tobio.

That future might come quicker than he expects.

But now he is no way close to Oikawa's standards, at least, the standards Tobio sets for himself. Sometimes Tobio gets mad about the irony, how he sets his standards and expectations so high, but still unable to achieve.

Such a sad perfectionists.

Tobio couldn't remember since when he had become so hard on himself, and hard on his teammates. It's just straight forward logic for him, if you are about to loss, then just push hard. If you spot their weakness, then just tell them off.

If you see them slacking off in the match, then make them go all out.

Tobio did not intent to refer to Kunimi.

He definitely didn't.

He just wished Kunimi could just put in more effort. Not just him, but everyone on the team. He's pretty sure he got his message over to his teammates brief and simple

Too brief and too simple.

But enough for the King of the Court.

His mocking nickname has been roaming around not just in the volleyball club, but throughout the whole school. Heck, it probably has made it's way to the other powerhouse schools. Tobio's reputation is in ruin, maybe he acknowledges it, maybe he doesn't. But he definitely gets really pissed off when someone calls him that way.

King, your majesty, your highness, whatever.

Tobio doesn't want to give a damn about that kingly reputation, at least not that much. The coach won't kick him off the team because of it, right?

Right?

Tobio does keeps his mouth shut more often now, if it pleases his coach and his teammates, to maintain himself of the team. The trust between him and his teammates has completely dissolved after that final tournament. But he's in his third year now, that was the final tournament. He won't be playing with this team any longer, and he has no intention of going to Aoba Johsai like the others. Maybe he'll put his bets on Shiratorizawa, another powerhou-- no, the best powerhouse school volleyball in the prefecture.

After all, his Ji-chan is an alumni, at Shiratorizawa.

Amazing, his Ji-chan had graduated from the best volleyball powerhouse school in Miyagi. Tobio thought it would be an honour to follow in his Ji-chan footsteps, that is, if he can make it in Shiratorizawa. Tobio has plans for himself already, if not Shiratorizawa, he'll find somewhere else. As long as he can keeps playing in volleyball matches, it doesn't really matters to him what school he'll end up in.

Except, Aoba Johsai.

The anothers don't matter.

Tobio gently places the ball against his forehead as he closes his eyes. Another wave emotion begins to stir inside him. Unlike before, this one doesn't feel stuffy, but it conflicts between Tobio confidence and focus.

Anxiety.

It's light, but it's there, perhaps that incident, the final tournament where he was subbed out from has made an impact on Tobio, a sense of guilt and trauma. He struggles between his anxiety and his focus, inhaling in deep and exhaling slowly.

Tobio opens his eyes again, thankfully, his focus has override the anxiety, for now.

Tobio tosses the ball boldy in the air. Picking up his pace, he makes his first step, second step, then his legs springs his body upwards. His hands pull to the back and swing forward with all his might. His palm perfectly lines with the ball in the air, giving it a good smack. The ball shoots over the net and across the court, landing precisely where Tobio had pinpointed. The elastic energy send the ball flying off, after the impact on the floor.

"Yes!" Tobio pumps his fist in the air. If he visualises that serve in a match, it would have likely been a service ace. How satisfying Tobio feels to make a perfect, anticipated serve. But he didn't celebrate for too long, he eagerly grabs another ball.

-----

'I want to keep playing, keep standing here on the court. Whatever they call me, whatever they think and say. All I know is one day, I'll polish my serve and sets to perfection.

One day, I'll play for a powerhouse school.

One day, I'll go up against Oikawa-san.

One day, I'll meet new teammates.

One day, I'll make amends to my past.

One day, I'll stand on the national court.

Maybe one day, I'll play for a league.

And maybe there's going to be a day where I've pursued all my dreams and goals, where I'll see the outcome of my hardwork, the summit of this lifelong mountain I've strided. When all my sweat, tears and pain have paid off......

One day I'll look back and wonder, if Ji-chan would be proud of me.'
.
.
.
Ji-chan would definitely be proud of him.

-----