☆★☆★☆★

In retrospect, it was a really bad idea to accept . Usually, Reina was all for Fridays. She would not have to wake up early for school the next day. But today was the day she would have to drop the bomb on Yuri, telling her friend that she would not be able to freelance for the lit club as often as she used to.

Facing the full body mirror right beside her desk, Reina took a deep breath. "You can do it, Reina. You're going to tell Yuri about the proposition and you're going to see how she reacts before making a decision."

Yuri was her first friend after going through two major friendship break-ups. Not that her first friendship with Sachiro ever ended so devastatingly like it did with Mai, but she certainly could not call him up and ask how he was doing with casual ease like nothing had happened. Point was, Reina did not want to hurt Yuri like she did to the people who mattered to her.

The lit club meant a lot to Yuri, who had dreams of making it flourish. Her friend scoured more than enough of her own time and energy to keep the club running afloat without having to rely on the Student Council's funds. Although at times Reina wondered if Yuri's habit to pour her soul into everything she did would run her dry in the end.

Reina had to admit it was a genius idea of Yuri's to monetize their student body's raging school spirit and jock worship towards their sports club by opening up a love letter writing service. Honestly, the raging school spirit in their school was only natural since Inarizaki High was a powerhouse of their sports. Not to mention the raging strong club culture that was so deeply ingrained in the school's society. Reina had a lot to say about that, but she still wanted to keep her head intact in its place, thank you very much.

"Nee-san!" Makoto's voice managed to knock Reina out of her inner monologue. It was followed with an obnoxiously loud series of knocking against Reina's bedroom door.

Another thing that differentiate Makoto and Reina, her younger sister was good at making herself heard. In the most annoying way possible.

"What?!" Reina snapped back.

At least during mornings like these, she and Makoto could still get a semblance of normalcy by snapping and bickering at each other. Just how sad her familial life that the only time they could be a normal family was during mornings, when everyone was just grumpy.

"Grandma is calling you up for breakfast!"

"Tell her I'll be downstairs in a minute!"

"You really need to get out more and live your life! You spend way too much time in your room!"

Apparently the devil had taken over her younger sister's body and spew some poison. But in all honesty, Reina could figure out that Makoto was having her usual pre menstruation syndrome that just got her extra grumpy.

"Jesus," Reina muttered as she adjusted her uniform's collar. It was already time to exchange into Inarizaki summer uniform. She'd never felt comfortable wearing the summer uniform. Her breasts were big enough and usually the school's blazer could hide it. But the summer uniform only seemed to flash her chest to the world and she even already got two sizes bigger than usual.

She took one last look on the mirror and nodded to boost herself through the day before walking out of her room. Although not before grabbing her school bag from her desk.

Trudging down the staircase, Reina was surprised at who was waiting for her in the living room.

"Yuri?" Reina asked. Well they had promised to walk to school together, but Reina was surprised that her grandmother invited Yuri in. "Sorry, did I make you wait?"

Yuri turned her head to face Reina and flashed her usual kind smile. At first glance, she was not as devastatingly beautiful like Mai was. Mai, whose beauty from first glance could probably start a war. However, Yuri's charm was the type that grew on people. Not visible at first glance, but grew more potent as one spent their time with her.

Honestly, if there was anyone in Inarizaki who was up for the manager position, it was Yuri. She was kind, diligent, patient, albeit a little bit too kind. Reina shook her head, nope the crazy boys, especially the twins would definitely run her over.

To be fair, Yuri probably could survive. She already managed to run her club with the barest minimum of help and only four first year students who helped her run the operations. Her club was also the reason why she couldn't focus on anything beyond what was already on her plate.

"Nah, don't worry," Yuri said as she waved it off. "Your grandmother is a very welcoming hostess here."

Reina raised her eyebrows, but did not comment any further. "Oba-san, I plan to grab breakfast and eat along the way to school. Not sure I can stay longer than necessary. My turn for class duties to set everything up in the classroom."

Translation: Reina was not ready for her grandmother to ask Yuri all about her school activities. Yuri was trusted to keep her mouth shut about Reina's side business, but she was not ready nonetheless. She was not ready to be all chummy with her father's family.

"You sure you're not eating omelette rice?" Makoto asked, nudging her head towards the dish laid on the middle of the dining table. "It tastes good. We both know it is your favorite."

Sometimes, younger siblings just did not know when to stop. Not that Reina was giving Makoto a subtle hint to cut it out, but maybe she had to. Jesus, how pathetic her familial bonds were, to the point she could not even communicate with Makoto implicitly.

"It's fine, I really had to go," Reina said as she bowed at her grandmother who wore a baffled look. Makoto, to her credit, did not say another word as she continued to chew her food while scrolling through her phone. "I need to get a life beyond this house."

From the corner of her eye, Reina could see a little sneer formed on Makoto's face. Yep, at least her younger sister knew that it was a jab at her.

"Okay, stay safe, Rei-chan," her grandmother said with a smile. "That goes to you too, Tsukikage-san. Are you sure that you're already full due to having breakfast in your home? There's going to be a lot of spare food here."

Yuri only shook her head. "It's fine, Shibazeki-san. Thank you for the offer."

Both of them silently walked out of the dining room and towards the front door where the shoe rack stood on the right corner. Reina took off her uwabaki and put on her outdoor shoes.

From the weight of the loaded silence between them, it was obvious that Yuri had a lot of questions to ask.

"Not now," Reina simply said, not once looking at Yuri's face. If she did, she would not be able to hold it in. There was something about Yuri that always compelled Reina to tell the truth. Not just the half truths, but the full and ugly truth. "It's better they don't hear whatever I need to say," she lowered her voice.

Yuri did not say a word, but then again she was better at handling silences and found comfort in it than Reina ever could.

As they walked out through the front door after Reina closed it behind them, they still managed to keep the silence. It was not until they were already five steps away from the Shibazeki home that Yuri finally asked.

"So, what's that about?"

"I'm just not comfortable at..." Reina trailed off, not so sure about how to pick her words. "If you ask me I never really fully integrate into living with my father's family."

Yuri stayed quiet, she knew better than to interrupt when Reina was talking. Once someone tried to put back the lid on the bottled feelings, it would take a long time before she would ever consider pouring them out again.

"The fact he's almost never around only helps to create the distance," Reina admitted. "It is easier like that. No one would get hurt."

Correction: she would not get hurt from having expectations about what a family should be like. Her parents' divorce was something Reina had seen as something that was long time coming. But it did not make the effect any less shocking.

"And it is also the reason why you easily gave up on the band club when it turns out they're not the kind of found family you're looking for," Yuri pointed out, her gaze was focused to the streets. "You're scared of letting yourself care for something, or rather, a system that you think would only disappoint you. Hence, you only pour your energy into your studies, an area in which you know you won't fail at."

"Whew, you never hesitate to pack a lot of punches into your words." The least Reina could do was not denying it.

Yuri let out a chuckle. "With most people, I'll definitely put more care to smooth everything over, but not you. You need to be slapped by reality."

"Ha, I should stay in America and probably see a grief counselor. "

"But then you won't meet Mai or me," Yuri continued. "And you can see a grief counselor here."

In retrospect, Reina's old friendship with Mai resembled those friendships in the middle grade novels she always read. The beautiful and popular yet also untouchable girl with the antisocial outcast who was too smart for her own good.

"I don't regret meeting you," Reina admitted, clutching her school bag tighter. At the very least, she knew she could say that without worrying about Yuri hurting her. "Not sure about Mai. I have a fishy feeling that..." Reina decided not to finish her train of thought.

Yuri also chose not to fill it in for her. Once again, silence set in between them. Yuri was used to silence and Reina wondered if her friend ever met someone who was not comfortable with silence like Reina was. And how Yuri would deal with that.

The road gradually became more crowded as they walked out of the suburban neighborhood towards the school district.

As they were approaching Inarizaki High, there was a crowd of girls forming in front of the school gates.

"Looks like you're going to bag even more money for the club," Reina commented towards Yuri, who only smiled.

"Ahh!! Did you see?! The Miya Twins just entered the school gates!"

Reina almost snickered. These girls should see just how much of a clown Atsumu could be. And the rude way he turned down female students who confessed to him.

"I'd rather go for Osamu though, strong and silent type!"

"Honestly, how can these girls basically map out their personalities while not even knowing an ounce about them?" Reina asked, mostly to herself. Although she would welcome an answer from Yuri.

Reina turned her head to face her best friend and found her eyes rounded in surprise. Yuri's eyes were trained to the Miya twins, or particularly the gray haired one. And not once Yuri had said a word about Osamu throughout their friendship that had been ongoing for a year and a half. The only thing Yuri mentioned about the Miya twins is that she was sick of getting paid for writing love letters for Atsumu. Understandable, honestly. But nothing other than that.

An idea clicked inside her head, but Reina would definitely be a nutcase to actually put it into motion.

Maybe there was a way to tell Yuri about the manager proposition without having to make it hurt for either of them after all. Although she had to confirm first of her suspicion.

***

"Yuri," Reina absentmindedly called as she twirled her favorite mechanical pencil.

Their last class before lunch break just finished and almost half of their class (the highest tier in the college prep class) were gone. Their classmates were either gone to do some extra studying in the library or eat in the cafeteria.

"Hm?" Yuri asked, her face was trained to the laptop screen right before her eyes as she was rapidly typing. Reina guessed that it was either for her love letter or the essay. Usually Yuri would go to her lit club room to spend her time, but she chose to stay here in class. "Gomen, Rei, but you're right. The demand for love letters just spiked up again. Right after Miya Atsumu was seen turning down a confession, rather rudely if you ask me."

Reina wanted to snicker. It was not often Yuri showed her indignance towards anyone, but Miya Atsumu really brought the worst out of even the best people. A"I...there is something I got to tell you. I... you are probably going to hate me."

"Rei-chan, I've seen the worst shit you can pull even though we just know each other for a year and a half," Yuri remarked, not once looking away from her laptop.

"Are you really bringing up the fact I left my club and brought out a load of others who disagree with the brass band club culture as a whole against me?" Reina asked in a mock hurt tone. "Although, it is a long time coming for them. I just simply pull the trigger that everyone is too scared to do it."

"Okay, but it seems to me that you want to ask something because right now I need all my focus to conjure up a believable letter that will get the basketball club captain to fall in love through words."

There was a hint of fatigue and tinge of bitterness that Reina did not fail to notice. Even for someone altruistic like Yuri, squeezing money out of lovesick girls slowly eroded the altruism that Yuri had. "Well, I'm curious, since you've been writing all these letters for other people, is there anyone in particular that attracted your attention?"

"Get to the point, Rei, I'm really THIS close to cry and smash my laptop."

Either Yuri was starting to have PMS or she really was on a deadline. Lit club letter deadlines always caused her best friend to literally morph from her usual calm self into a literal grinch. And there were times when they were studying together, Yuri would start to randomly scream as she covered her mouth and afterwards resume her studying like nothing was wrong.

"Nah, I'm letting you finish up the letter before you combust."

Yuri grunted as she rapidly typed, before heaving a sigh and closed down the laptop. She laid her head on top of her laptop and groaned. "Sometimes I don't know why I am signing up for the lit club in a friggin sports oriented school."

"I don't think now is the right time to cry over your life choices, but there is one thing I want to ask," Reina answered, not bothering to beat around the bush anymore. It was a split second from Yuri's end when she looked at Miya Osamu this morning when they were entering the school gates. "About whether you start to develop feelings for anyone you've written letters to in the name of others."

Yuri suddenly froze and Reina knew she hit a sore point.

"Is it Miya Osamu?" Reina asked softly.

Slowly, Yuri adjusted her body to sit up straight, her gaze not once turned to see Reina in the eyes. "Well...I don't exactly harbor any kind of good feelings towards his twin."

"We're not talking about his twin brother, but rather the gray haired one who is also one of the most popular boys in our school."

Yuri heaved a sigh as she put her head on her hands. "How did you figure it out?"

"To appease you, I only found out this morning. It is not hard to miss the look you gave him."

"I knew that if Osamu and I are in normal circumstances, he won't notice me," Yuri remarked, there was no bitterness in her tone this time. She spoke as if it was a matter of fact. "Well it is not like we're in the same classes, but anyways."

"Are you saying that you've known him before high school?" Reina asked, crossing her arms as she tried to figure out the scenario in which her best friend had a chance encounter with the other half of the famous Miya twins.

Reina recalled that Osamu was hanging out with Mai in the gym, causing her to wrinkle her nose. Mai represented everything that Reina had left behind (or lost) back in middle school, while Yuri represented the current chapters of her life in high school. If Osamu would one day become the red string that would cause both of Reina's past and present to collide, Reina did not even want to think about it. Hopefully she could play matchmaker to her friend without having to face her past.

"Well..." Yuri trailed off, finally morphing back to her usual normal self. "We were ten when I first met him. In a hospital ward as roommates."

Reina was stunned into silence, her fingers stopped twirling her pencil. "Whoa and...did you two get close?"

There was a solemn smile on Yuri's face, causing Reina to ponder about how their worlds could ever collide. "I'd like to think we were."

"Wait, but you don't go to Inarizaki for him right?" Reina asked.

"Oh God, no. Inarizaki is closest to my house and honestly as much as there are...feelings, I promised myself not to be that stupid," Yuri answered, reddish hues spread across her cheeks.

Reina watched her best friend, who already came to terms with her feelings for Miya Osamu. The idea to put an anonymous request for the lit club to write a love letter for Osamu only strengthened its roots in Reina's mind. Yes, there should've been a lot of cash involved in order for Yuri to take the job seriously.

And it would give Yuri something to occupy her mind with while Reina dropped the bomb about the offer to be the volleyball club manager.

First, she had to go to the library to type the request (so it wouldn't be traceable to her handwriting). And afterwards she had to drop by the gym after school hours ended. She had to do everything by today before the courage infused within her after the talk with her grandfather evaporated. And she really owed it to herself to start moving past the grief of losing Taka-nii and stop blaming the sports he used to love very much.

Standing up from her seat, Reina patted Yuri's shoulders. "Yuri, there's a place I have to be at. Catch you later."

Reina dashed out of class before leaving Yuri any chance to reply back. As she rushed through the corridor, Reina failed to notice that there was someone who was walking towards her direction.

Before she knew it, Reina clashed against the stranger, causing her to lose balance. But her fast reflexes developed from accompanying athletic practice with her older brother caused her to grab a hold of herself as she stumbled back.

"Hey, you gotta use your eyes when you're--"

Reina looked up, only to be greeted by none other than the setter of the boys' volleyball club himself, Miya Atsumu.

"Oh, it's you," Reina remarked as she examined Atsumu's face. In retrospect, it was a bad idea to engage him right now since he looked seconds away from exploding. "Gomen, I didn't see where I'm going, but anyway it's not like you care. Toodles!"

"Oi! I have not finished talking to you!"

Did she really just say that to him? Never mind, Reina was on a roll and she immediately dashed away to the library to type up the anonymous love letter request (but this time requesting Yuri to keep up a correspondence with Osamu). Facing Atsumu was pushed to the corner of her mind, just like how her decision to accept the manager position was.

At that time, Reina failed to realize that she had just unintentionally started to gain the blonde setter's attention.

"Shibazeki, huh," Atsumu said to himself. "If she becomes the manager, things might just get a little more interesting, especially after what went down in the gym several days ago.

☆★☆★☆★