Haikyu!! Another Spring: The Girl Oikawa Tooru Never Chose - The North Star Was Always Right Beside Me

The cherry blossoms fall. 　The bicycle wheels rolled along the school route, pressing over petals that carpeted the path in pink. Sasaki Hinata breathed in the morning air until her chest was full. A slightly chilly breeze lifted her black hair, which reached her shoulders, with a soft flutter. 　Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai City, Izumi Ward. A quiet residential neighborhood a short distance from the subway station. This town, where I've lived since the day I was born, always fills with cherry blossoms come April. Branches stretching from gardens here and there bloom as if to hide the sky. 　(Again this year, I'm riding down this road.) 　Hinata let out a small breath. The lunchbox in her front basket rattled. She'd made its contents after waking at five in the morning. Tamagoyaki, mini tomatoes, and a bit of yesterday's leftover nikujaga. All of it, nothing but Oikawa's favorites. 　Aoba Johsai High School. One of Miyagi's top academic schools, and a powerhouse volleyball school. On the way to that school, where she worked as manager, Hinata naturally quickened her pedaling. 　—Oikawa's aiming for number one again today. 　Then, I want to be at his side, to be even a little bit of help. 　That feeling hasn't changed in eleven years. 　Aoba Johsai High School's first gymnasium. Morning practice starts at seven. When Hinata parked her bicycle and headed for the gym, she could already hear the sound of balls bouncing from inside. A regular, rhythmic bounce echoing off the high ceiling. Just that alone made something deep in her chest grow a little warm. 　"Good morning." 　When she opened the door and called out, several club members turned around from across the court. Among them, she spotted a particularly tall figure. Chestnut-colored, fluffy hair. His bangs were parted in the center, and slightly long, curly strands swayed. 　"Ooh, Hinata. Morning." 　Oikawa Tooru. A third-year at Aoba Johsai High School, and the volleyball team's captain. Called the best setter in the prefecture, he was the face of this school. A hundred and eighty-four centimeters tall, with large brown eyes. Those eyes, which narrowed to threads when he smiled, were now half-closed as if still sleepy. 　Hinata couldn't help but let her lips soften. 　"Good morning, Tooru-kun. You've got bedhead." 　"Eh, seriously? Where, where?" 　Oikawa hurriedly touched his hair. The gesture was funny, and Hinata gave a small laugh. 　"The right side. Toward the back." 　"Yikes. Iwa-chan, you got anything to fix bedhead?" 　Iwaizumi Hajime, who had been stretching in the corner of the court, turned his sharp black eyes toward them. His short black hair was messily spiked up, and he stood a hundred and seventy-nine centimeters tall. Aoba Johsai's vice-captain, and Oikawa's best friend. 　"Like hell I do. Just wet it and fix it already." 　"So cold. Hinata, lend me a little water." 　"Yeah, yeah." 　Laughing, Hinata poured a little water from her bottle into her palm. Oikawa bent down. Hinata stretched up on her toes and reached for those curly strands. The chestnut hair was softer than she'd expected, and her fingertips grew just a little warm where they touched. 　(This kind of distance is only allowed because we're childhood friends.) 　She told herself that in her heart, and quickly fixed his bedhead. 　The volleyball team's morning practice proceeded as usual. About twenty members. Two managers, including Hinata. Practice six days a week: four to seven PM on weekdays, and nine AM to one PM on Saturdays. Today was Wednesday, so there'd be practice after school too. 　Hinata stood in the corner of the gym, following the movement of the balls with her eyes. In her manager's uniform—a white shirt and green vest—with a towel and water bottle in hand. Timing the water breaks, she checked on each of the members one by one. 　—Tooru-kun's fingers are trembling a little. 　Every time Oikawa set the ball, his fingertips trembled faintly, and Hinata noticed. Faster than anyone, more accurate than anyone. She'd watched him since they were little, so she knew. That was a sign of fatigue. 　Hinata quietly walked over near Oikawa. 　"Tooru-kun, take a short break. Drink some water." 　"Ehh, I can still go." 　"Your fingers are shaking. Don't push yourself." 　Oikawa stared at his own hand for a moment. Then he gave a soft laugh. 　"Hinata, you really know everything about my condition. As expected of a childhood friend." 　At those words, Hinata's chest pricked with pain. 　(Childhood friend. Yes, I'm Tooru-kun's childhood friend.) 　Nothing more, nothing less. 　"I'm your manager. Of course I do." 　She answered with a smile. A dimple formed on her left cheek. She'd practiced this smile for years now. So that no matter how tightly her heart clenched, her face alone could keep smiling. 　Oikawa took the bottle from Hinata and drank in big gulps. His throat moved. Sweat traced down his neck. Just watching that made Hinata's heart beat a little faster. 　(I love him.) 　For eleven years now, always. 　After practice ended, the members began cleaning up. Hinata mopped too, put away the balls, and organized the record notebook. Manager work was plain, but she loved all of it. Because it made her feel like she was useful to this team. 　"Hinata—show me today's records later." 　"Yeah, got it. I'll bring them at lunch." 　"Thanks." 　Oikawa waved his hand lightly and left the gym with the other members. Hinata watched his back for just a little too long. 　"Sasaki." 　A voice came from behind her. When she turned, Iwaizumi was standing there. 　"That guy was overdoing it again today, wasn't he. Don't let him push himself." 　"Yeah. But Tooru-kun doesn't listen to what I say." 　"It's not that he won't listen. It's that he doesn't want to. He's embarrassed to be worried about by you." 　Hinata tilted her head. 　"Is that so?" 　"It is. He doesn't want to show weakness to you, of all people." 　Having said only that, Iwaizumi resumed cleaning up. Hinata mulled his words over in her heart. 　(Tooru-kun doesn't want to show weakness to me, of all people?) 　If that were true, maybe she was a little special. She thought so—and immediately shook her head. 　(No, that's not it. He's just being considerate because we're childhood friends.) 　As if convincing herself, Hinata moved the mop. 　After school, before practice began. Hinata went to the staff room to deliver the record notebook, and on her way back, she happened to pass behind the school building. 　"—That's why I want to beat Aoba Johsai's Oikawa-san." 　It was a young boy's voice. Hinata stopped without thinking. From the shadow of the school building, she quietly looked toward the voice. 　Standing there was a tall boy in a uniform she didn't recognize. A black gakuran. On his chest, the words "Karasuno High School." And most striking of all were his eyes. 　Straight, sharp, and somehow terrifyingly serious. 　"I'm Kageyama Tobio. I came to tell Oikawa-san directly." 　Hinata caught her breath. Kageyama Tobio. She'd heard that name from Oikawa many times. 　—The summer of his third year of middle school. The final match against Kitagawa Daiichi Middle School. 　In that match, Oikawa lost to a single genius setter. Kageyama Tobio. Back then, a third-year in middle school, he was called the "King of the Court." A solitary existence who set the most accurate tosses of anyone, and pursued victory more coldly than anyone. 　That Kageyama was now, behind the Aoba Johsai school building, about to slap down a challenge to Oikawa. 　"I want to surpass you, Oikawa-san. At Karasuno, I will definitely beat you." 　Hinata couldn't move from that spot. There was not a trace of hesitation in Kageyama's voice. A pure, single-minded obsession with winning. Those were the same eyes as Tooru-kun's. 　"—Heeh." 　From behind Hinata came a voice she knew well. When she turned, Oikawa was standing there before she knew it. No—perhaps he'd noticed Hinata peeking behind the school building and followed her. 　The usual easygoing smile had vanished from Oikawa's face. 　"Kageyama Tobio-kun, was it. You came all this way to greet me." 　"Oikawa-san." 　Kageyama stared straight at Oikawa. A tense air flowed between them. Hinata forgot even to breathe, watching the scene. 　Oikawa's eyes changed. 　Not the usual soft eyes that teased people. Sharper, hotter, more terrifying. As if his obsession with winning had become eyes themselves. 　(Ah, these eyes.) 　Hinata knew them. She'd known these eyes for a long time. The eyes Oikawa had when he was trying to become number one. She'd watched them from beside him for years. 　(This heat isn't directed at me.) 　Deep in her chest grew cold. 　"Haa, I see. You want to win. Against me." 　Oikawa laughed. But that smile was different from his usual one. A thin, surface-level smile, patched together on the outside only. 　"Yes. At the prefectural qualifiers, without fail." 　"The prefectural qualifiers, huh. That's if you guys from Karasuno can even make it that far." 　"We'll make it. I'll make Karasuno strong." 　Kageyama didn't look away for even an instant. His directness, conversely, came through painfully. 　Oikawa gazed at Kageyama for a while. Then he let out a soft breath. 　"Fine. I'll play with you. Let's see just how strong you've become." 　"Thank you very much." 　Kageyama bowed deeply and turned to leave. Oikawa watched him go without moving until he was out of sight. 　"...Tooru-kun." 　When Hinata called out, Oikawa slowly turned around. His face had already returned to the usual Oikawa. 　"Oh, Hinata. How long have you been there?" 　"A while now. I saw Kageyama-kun come." 　"Whaaat. You were watching. Well, whatever." 　Oikawa laughed. Those sharp eyes from before had vanished as if they'd been a lie. 　"Kageyama-kun was really serious, wasn't he." 　"You think? Well, I don't dislike kids like that." 　"But you had a serious face too, Tooru-kun." 　Oikawa was at a loss for words for a moment. Then he shrugged exaggeratedly. 　"Of course I did. He slapped a challenge down in front of me. I'm the type who gets fired up by that kind of thing." 　"Fufu, I know." 　Hinata laughed. But her heart wouldn't clear. 　(Tooru-kun's eyes were so hot.) 　The heat he aimed at volleyball. The heat he aimed at Kageyama. The heat for becoming number one. 　(The heat aimed at me isn't anywhere.) 　That night. Hinata sat at her desk in her room at home. From outside the window, she could hear the distant sound of a train running. Izumi Ward's nights were quiet. 　On the desk was a single well-worn diary. Hinata picked up her pen and began writing today's events. 　'April 9th. Today, I met Tooru-kun's challenger, Kageyama-kun. A first-year at Karasuno High School. He had such straight eyes. When Tooru-kun sees those eyes, his face always changes. It becomes his volleyball face. A face he'll absolutely never show me, no matter how long I stay by his side.' 　Her hand stopped. 　'Today too, I couldn't become Oikawa-kun's number one.' 　After writing it, Hinata let out a deep breath. 　(Eleven years. That's long.) 　The spring of first grade. Under the cherry tree in Izumi Central Park, she met Oikawa for the first time. Since then, Oikawa had always been at the center of Hinata's world. 　Every time Oikawa said, "I'm going to become number one in volleyball," Hinata shouted, "You can do it!" Louder than anyone, more earnestly than anyone. 　That feeling hasn't changed even now. 　But some things have changed. 　(At some point, just cheering for him stopped being enough.) 　She'd started to think she loved him in the summer of her second year of middle school. Oikawa had once, just once, shown weakness and said he might quit volleyball. At that time, Hinata grabbed Oikawa's hand and said, 　"Tooru-kun, you can definitely become number one. I guarantee it." 　At that moment, Oikawa smiled as if about to cry. 　(The instant I saw that smile, I fell in love.) 　And since

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Name: Haikyu!! Another Spring: The Girl Oikawa Tooru Never Chose
Author: Novelia

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