Chapter 54, Bittersweet Comfort

THIRD POV

In a blink of an eye, Nationals was finished.

Fukurodani was quiet as they retreated back to the lobby.

"I'm sorry...," Bokuto mumbled with his eyes teary.

Akaashi inaudibly sighed, "Bokuto-san.."

The team was quiet and so was the coaches. Who could blame them? They had an intense week.

The captain was about to breakdown when a soft voice rang.

"Hey, hey, hey.."

The human owl whipped his head to the side to see Shirome smiling softly at a near distance, hands in the pocket of her school jacket.

She walked over to him, "You did amazing."

Fukurodani looked away when Bokuto hugged her mixed with his small sobs. The girl just smiled and rubbed his back caringly while whispering comforting words. Akaashi secretly wiped a tear that fell with a finger.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Bokuto was feeling sleepy on Shirome's shoulder.

Their eyes widened when they heard soft breathing instead of cries, they looked over to their captain who was half asleep while still clinging on to the smaller captain. Akaashi sighed in exhaustion as he tried to pry the owl off of the silver head— but she shook her head softly.

"It's okay. Do you mind if you help me get him to your hotel? I'll watch over him until he had enough rest," She asked Fukurodani to which they just agreed to. Akaashi nodded and guided her outside, waiting for a taxi that the coaches had booked.

Yukie and Kaori giggled at her, "Sorry about him. He's mostly a baby."

"Right," Shirome laughed along with them, Bokuto still half asleep on her shoulder. It was awkward and hard to get him moving when he wanted to stay in front of the girl but it's all good now that they finally got him to move to another area.

"Well, we'll get going. The rest of the team still needs us," Kaori waved along with Yukie, disappearing from their sight until they were merely small dots and dust to their eyes.

Akaashi helped Bokuto up as they waited for the transportation, "Shirome, it's really fine if it's just me and Bokuto-san staying at the hotel. I'm pretty sure you have more important things to do."

Important things to do?

Wait–

"Ah!-," Her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered the load of work waiting for her at home. She frowned as her bangs droop.

The ravenette chuckled softly, "See? I promise it's fine— I'll take care of him."

She pursed her lips and looked down. Leaving Bokuto without any support other than Akaashi might be sufficient but at the same time, she wanted to be there for him. Though she strongly doubt she'd even be a big help— the girl still wanted to be there for her friend that she treated as an older brother when her biological one is away.

This is the worst–

"It's alright, she can go."

Both of their eyes widened when Kaguya appeared, smiling with her eyes closed as she classically had her hands hidden behind her. She was wearing her school's tracksuit that's colored gold, black, and green. It was a strange mixture of color but it was surprisingly designed well to fit with each other. Their school's symbol is a dragon, after all.

They just noticed how some people stopped to stare at her but no one could blame them– the taller girl was captivating with her height and looks. Same situation for Shirome but instead, it was Bokuto who they stared at weirdly who was still somewhat clung to the small silver head.

"How is it alright?" Shirome blandly asked her.

The taller girl grinned bigger, "They're away, right? You can leave the work load to me. I can finish them in a day."

Akaashi awkwardly looked away as he felt tension from Shirome's gaze. Even though it was not directed at him— he had the feeling he shouldn't look.

"Do you think I easily trust you for me to share the business's access, Kaguya?" At this point, mild anger was bubbling from the small girl's chest to her head.

Kaguya dropped her smile and sighed, propping one side of her hip up and tilted her head as she looked at Shirome with a slight frown, "My dear little sister, you need to trust me on this one. Plus— I'm even trying to help you."

Little sister?! Akaashi's eyes visibly widened. He did not expect that.

But it makes sense now. They look so much alike— except Kaguya had white eyes, longer hair that's whiter, redder lips, taller, and sharper features that she still managed to make it look soft.

The meetings are under my name..

Shirome sighed. I suppose letting her handle the paper works are fine enough.

"Keiji, please hold him for a bit," She said as she firmly handed a half sleeping Bokuto to Akaashi's warm arms.

"....'Kaashi..," The owl quietly mumbled and seemed a bit subconscious.

The ravenette casually pats the half asleep boy's back gently as Shirome and Kaguya discussed business near them.

The silver head was discussing to her older sister about important things and handing her the 2nd phone she owns for business purposes. Kaguya was really professional and she gets everything Shirome says, but it was no surprise to her.

To this day she's still unfamiliar about what happens in the house of the Furumis, and only Kaguya was the only one fully determined to protect her little sister from the burden that waits.

"U-Um, excuse me!"

Their heads turned to a group of journalists, mixed with people who looked like fashion promoters, and camera men.

"Yes...?" Shirome asked as Kaguya stood still, examining information in the phone the girl handed to her.

"Furumi-senshu! I was wondering if you could tell us about..."

The journalists went on and on for 5 minutes, asking Shirome about sports stuff. They wanted to put it on magazines, online news, and newspapers. Kaguya declined some who asked her because she wanted to focus on shortly analyzing their business. Some promoters wanted the small girl to model for some products and some wanted her to model outfits. Even some hairstylists wanted to engage with her hair.

"Furumi-chan, would you like to train in modelling? I have the best mentors that could tend to you," A formal man grinned at her.

She blinked, looked at the sky, and back to him, "Sorry.."

"I'm next in line as Japan's most powerful person, not a model."

The man sweatdropped and got embarrassed, "O-Oh... is that so? Ahaha, my bad...," He nervously laughed it off, "Well, I'll get going then."

They all snickered at him and dispersed, finally satisfied with enough information to share in public. The silver head lightly rolled her eyes.

"Annoying," Kaguya and Shirome simultaneously muttered under their breath. The smaller girl awkwardly looked away as the taller one gave a hearty laugh.

"Alright, I think I got it," Kaguya lightly cleared her throat, "Scan and sign 38 files, answer 11 surveys, and manage 1 business proposal with a big studio company. Oh and uh, ask the staff to gather samples from the Philippines business industry and see if they got their tourist's spots upgraded. Did I get them all?"

"Mhm. The meetings are under my control," Shirome hummed and turned to the boys who still stood idle as they wait for the taxi.

Kaguya chuckled, "Alright, go on now. You told the house I'm coming over, right?"

"Yeah, go and use my office or something," The younger muttered and was about to walk over to the pair when the older called her.

"?" She raised a brow when Kaguya smiled with her eyes closed.

"Now that I'm here, I'm really glad I could ease your stress from work. I've accepted my defeat."

Like that would erase the past where you couldn't be there when I needed someone the most just because of your own actions. The girl bitterly thought.

Shirome just sighed and continued to move forward, "Right," She dismissed and left her for the boys, and the taxi that just arrived.

•

"Oumpf!"

Shirome lost her balance when she and Akaashi let Bokuto plop on the hotel bed, resulting her trajectory to fall on the sleeping owl.

"HNG—!" Bokuto's eyes grew large when he felt Shirome's elbow stab his stomach.

She panicked and hurriedly got off to bow in 90°, "I'm sorry!"

"N-No it's f-fine," Bokuto grunted and sat up, eyes slightly hooded because he just woke up.

Akaashi gently pushed him to the bed with his hand on the owl's chest, "Bokuto-san, rest."

"Akaashi??" His brows furrowed at his strange actions.

Shirome quietly laughed to herself and playfully hugged him like a teddy bear, "Sleeeeeeep. You need rest."

The ravenette smiled and sat on the other side of Bokuto's.

"That's right Bokuto-san. You need to rest so we can return back to the school with no problem when you wake up," He said and pulled the blanket to cover the half of his body.

The boy smiled and did what they suggested. He began to doze off and succumb to dreamland.

—

we're nearing the end of the story :O

3 official love interests are:

Kozume Kenma (18)

Sakusa Kiyoomi (16)

Kuroo Tetsurou (12)

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