Aoi's POV
6:17 AM - Kaimei High Courts
The morning air smells like cut grass and impending rain. My fingers twitch at my sides,
counting imaginary strokes. One-two, one-two. Mirai used to say timing was everything.
Haru's shadow stretches long across the asphalt as he bounces a ball on his racket.
"Nervous?"
I press my palm against the chain-link fence. The metal is cool despite the summer heat.
"We shouldn't be doing this."
We. Already I've included myself.
Haru's grin is all teeth. "Too late. Coach already registered us." He tosses me a ball—it
arcs high, spinning just like—
Mirai's warm-up toss.
My body moves before my brain can protest. The impact sends a jolt up my arm,
familiar and foreign all at once.
Four years.
Four years since these muscles remembered.
Four years since I—
Haru's phone alarm blares. "Bus leaves in fifteen."
10:15 AM - Oe High Courts
The opposing team's whispers crawl over my skin like ants.
"—that's her? The one who—"
"—heard she hasn't played since—"
"—Saito's partner—"
I tighten my grip on my racket. The handle feels wrong without Mirai's stupid strawberry
charm dangling from the end.
Oe's captain—a girl with a razor-sharp ponytail—smirks during warm-ups. "Didn't think
Kaimei would stoop to recruiting has-beens."
Haru volleys hard at her feet. "Didn't think Oe would stoop to trash talk." The ball kicks
up chalk on her shoes.
The referee calls for coin toss.
Heads.
Tails.
We lose.
First Set - 0-3
My feet won't move.
Every serve is a cannonball. Every return slips past my racket like smoke. The scoreboard
mocks me in bright red numbers.
Let it go.
Let it go.
Just like you let—
"Minami!" Haru's voice cuts through the fog. He stands too close, sweat dripping off his
nose. "Look at me."
Behind him, the Oe girls whisper behind their hands. One mimes a car crash.
Haru doesn't flinch. "Next point, I'm serving to her backhand." His eyes burn. "Just like
we practiced."
We.
Practiced.
When did this become—
The serve comes fast. I'm moving before I think, my body remembering what my mind
wants to forget. The ball connects with a sweet thwack, painting the line.
"Out!" the umpire calls.
Laughter erupts. My stomach plummets.
Haru's at the net before I can blink. "That was in and you know it."
The umpire shrugs. "Line judge's call."
Oe's captain smirks. "Maybe stick to drawing, Minami."
Something in my chest snaps.
Second Set - 4-5
The world narrows to:
The ball.
The strings.
Haru's voice calling "Switch!"
We're down match point when it happens.
Haru serves wide—Mirai's signature twist. The return comes straight at me.
Time slows.
The ball hangs in the air, spinning.
Mirai's voice in my ear: "Now, partner!"
I swing.
The impact sings up my arms. The ball kisses the baseline before Oe's captain can blink.
"Game, Kaimei!"
The small crowd—mostly our team and a few parents—erupts. Tanaka nearly vaults the
fence. Natsuki actually smiles.
Haru's at my side in two strides. "Told you."
I'm breathing hard. My pulse thrums in my fingertips. "Told me what?"
"That you still got it." He bumps my shoulder with his. "Partner."
The word lodges in my throat.
Final Set - 5-7
We lose.
But not before we take them to deuce. Not before Haru dives for a shot and comes up
grinning, grass stains on his knees. Not before I land a drop shot so perfect even the line
judge cheers.
Oe's captain approaches at net. "Guess you're not completely washed up."
Haru opens his mouth, but I step forward first. "Rematch next month?"
Her eyebrows shoot up. Then she nods. "Looking forward to it."
The bus ride home is loud with Tanaka's play-by-play replay. Coach pretends to snore,
but I catch him smiling.
Haru slumps next to me, his shoulder warm against mine. "So. Tomorrow?"
Outside, the sunset paints the passing fields gold. Somewhere in my bag, my
sketchbook sits untouched.
I close my eyes.
"Six AM," I say. "Don't be late."
Haru's laugh is the last sound before I drift off—bright and alive and nothing like the
ghosts I've carried for so long.