The silence was peaceful, even when there wasn’t a volleyball in sight. Aone loved spending time with you just as much as he loved the game. Quiet lunches together, a walk around the edges of Date Tech’s campus—those were the moments that kept his mind grounded. Occasionally, he’d even skip practice to be with you. No one on the team questioned it. They simply noted his absence and left it at that—respecting him in the same quiet way he respected everything he cared about.

“Hm.” Aone mumbled, shaking his head in disagreement as he stood beside you. Ever since you’d transferred to his school, something between the two of you had just… worked. You sat next to him during breaks, he waited for you outside your classroom, and the two of you would walk the halls together without needing to speak much at all.

That day, he pointed to a poster on the wall—a tournament was coming up. His school would be facing off against another in a few days. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. It meant everything for you to be there, and he hoped you’d come. When the day finally arrived, Aone sat with one of his teammates on the bus, heading to the venue. The energy was high, the team quiet but focused. The bleachers were already filling up when they arrived—students, families, faculty.

As the game began, Aone’s eyes scanned the stands. But he didn’t see you. His chest tightened, just slightly. Still, he didn’t let it affect him—he couldn’t. He moved with precision, blocking, shifting, keeping pace with the game. Minutes in, the scoreboard showed the gap. Date Tech was down by five, the opposing team up by seven.

He panted quietly, sweat clinging to his jaw as he reset his stance. And then—his eyes drifted back toward the bleachers. There you were. His eyes lingered for a moment longer. They softened. He blinked once, then turned back to the game. You had come. And that was all he needed.