The familiar sound of a Suzuki impulse revved itself in the driveway of the Hamada household, before speeding off to school.
"Bye Bodhi-bear!" Sayaka yelled to her son, only receiving a wave goodbye as he drove off, as the engine drowned out his reply.
It had been a week since Bodhi started up at Aoba Johsai and it had been a tumultuous one week. After the hectic first day that involved a near scuffle with a ruffian, joining the Volleyball club, going hungry all day due to said scuffle, the coach all but throwing the current team for a loop; something Bodhi totally got behind, it all coalesced into his bank account taking a serious hit and meeting his once upon a time childhood friend, that he just so happened to have a major crush on back then.
Eventful to say the least. And the next day wasn't all sunshine and rainbows either.
It turned out there was a whole proceeding he had to go through, but because he had arrived late his 'first' day, meaning he didn't show up an hour before, he got all the necessary information. Including but not limited to, mandatory club participation in the first and second year of school, optional in your third depending on university entrance exams, class rundown and what was expected to happen the first year, which involved some class grade trips to Kyoto or Hokkaido depending on the year it was, they alternated apparently. He was also vehemently told to park his bike in the proper area, seeing as how a parking lot wasn't.
Bodhi was still scratching his head on that one.
But apparently, there was a place for motorbikes to be parked near the bike shelter which housed numerous bikes from students of all grades. (Think the bike parking lot from A Silent Voice. GOATED Movie…and I daresay BETTER than Your Name…I said it and that is a hill I'm willing to die on). The, at the time principal of the school, Principal Owanada, built said bike shelter noticing the many students who rode to school, he too rode but it was a motorbike. So he built it for the students (read: Himself), and that may or may not have been a factor in him being let go, but the shelter is still used to this day. So, his bike was one of two parked at the school every day, he had yet to find said rider of the bike, seeing as how they were always here before Bodhi got to school. Something he was hoping to rectify today, having left earlier than normal in order to pick up lunch at a convenience store on the way because the ole Hamada house refrigerator went caput overnight and spoiled all the food.
He and his mother really had to update some of the appliances in the Hamada house.
The rest of his first week was spent playing catch-up on subjects he hadn't yet finished catching up to or trying and failing to get a better grasp on Japanese Literature. Bodhi could tell it would become the bane of his existence, seeing as how he already contemplated 'losing' his textbooks, but that would only make a bad situation worse. The other subjects he had thankfully studied up for, since despite being a national athlete back in Australia, his parents, namely his mother, had stressed the fact that he was a student-athlete, with emphasis on student. She would be damned if her Bodhi-bear didn't get a good education!
So while his studies were sorting themselves and Bodhi out, the practice had been another story altogether. It seemed all the players had taken what the coach said to heart and started to develop new weapons or refine ones that weren't particularly game-ready.
And it worked spectacularly!
Spectacularly bad that is.
The third years mainly opted to improve upon their already solid bases and in his spikey-haired senior's case, develop a deadly jump serve. The other mainstays Hanamaki and Matsukawa worked on refining their technique, those two had reached their plateau in high school and would not improve drastically enough by the time Spring qualifiers began. So alongside their refinement, the opted to help the coach devise new team strategies that would incorporate the new strengths and weapons others created.
Oikawa was another story entirely.
His serve, which was already deadly enough and probably the best in the prefecture was deemed inadequate. So, he decided to add more power to it, but his control suffered, and he was still trying to reign it in. His main practice came in the form of trying to understand just what Bodhi Hamada was, nay, what the Maverick was. He truly lived up to his epithet, just when Oikawa thought he figured out his favoured sets, Bodhi would unexpectedly use his other arm, without notifying Oikawa, making it harder to hit. It was normally picked up easily when this miscommunication happened.
The maestro of Aoba Johsai had his work cut out for him. He and Bodhi had to get on the same wavelength. Something that would only happen with time.
Bodhi turned off his engine as he came to a stop outside of Sakanoshita Market, the one that was the closest to his house. But when Bodhi approached, he was left dumbfounded as the store wasn't open yet.
"The hell!? Online it said they opened at 7:30!" Bodhi said to himself, looking at his phone, it reading, 7:54. Not having any of it, Bodhi proceeded to knock (read: Pound) on the door. "HEY OPEN UP YA BLUDGER!"
Bodhi gently knocked for the next minute before a loud sound came from above the store like somebody had just fallen out of bed. And Bodhi could only smirk as he would now be able to get his breakfast and lunch for the day.
"I SWEAR HINATA IF IT'S YOU YOU'RE GONNA DO FLYING LAPS TILL YOU DIE!!" they yelled, slamming the door open, almost breaking the lock off.
"Yeah I ain't Hinata, I just want some food mate, G' Day by the way," Bodhi said casually as if it wasn't him causing such a ruckus.
"Huh? What do you want brat? The store doesn't open until 7-" he was cut off as Bodhi showed him his phone screen now reading 7:56. "SHIT!"
Like a man possessed he changed quicker than any man should be able to and set up behind the register like nothing was wrong, even having time to light a cigarette and look as if he had actually opened on time.
"Stop letting the cold air out! Buy what ya need and leave," he said, opening the morning paper.
Bodhi looked at the scene before him flabbergasted by what just happened. But decided not to comment on it, as he needed to get going as he still had to find the other rider. Picking up a shopping basket as he moved in, Bodhi did something nobody should ever do.
Shop on an empty stomach.
That was almost a guarantee that you'd A) get more than you need, and B) Spend way more than you intended.
And Bodhi's bank account was still suffering from his first day, it didn't know if it would survive this endeavour!
By the time he reached the till, the basket was overflowing with food and drinks. Pre-made bento for lunch, milk bread for snacks, milk to drink for breakfast along with a breakfast sandwich, which Bodhi was surprised they had, and more. The total bill came to ¥3,285 (Roughly 29 CAD).
Bodhi's bank account took a Critical hit!
"You gonna eat all that kid?" the man asked, skeptical that the kid would.
"Better believe it geezer," Bodhi clapped back, annoyed he had to wait for this guy to open the store.
"What!? I'm only 26 brat!" the man complained.
"Coulda fooled me, mate," Bodhi said without missing a beat.
The man's face turned bright red at such a brazen attitude. "Listen here brat! You-" he began, actually looking at the 'kid' he had been conversing with, taking in his actual appearance now, meaning he finally realized just how tall Bodhi was.
"The hell are people feedin' ya!" he said.
"Wouldn't you like to now shrimp," Bodhi said once more, a tick mark appeared on the man's forehead.
"THAT'S IT! PAY FOR YOUR STUFF AND LEAVE!" he yelled, to which Bodhi happily did, just wanting to leave the store.
"See ya, ya bloody bloke," Bodhi said waving as he exited the store. He made it to his bike not before downing the milk he bought and taking the first few bites of his breakfast sangy, savouring the simple flavours. It was hard to mess it up, but not impossible.
Throwing away the wrapper and carton, Bodhi started up his bike again and sped off, hoping to catch his target. But as he rounded the corner, a ginger comet sped into his peripherals, squeezing the breaks as far as they could go, he came to a stop, just as they passed by.
"OI! Watch it ya dickhead!" Bodhi said, before turning the corner not bothering with talking to the ginger-haired wanker.
"What a rude guy!" the ginger-haired boy said, before walking into his coach's store. "Coach! I just met the rudest guy!"
"Hinata don't start, I just dealt with the biggest pain in the ass customer I've ever had!" Coach Keishin Ukai said to his player.
Hinata was about to continue talking but was cut off as another one walked into the store. "Hey coach, think I could get more game tapes on our match against Seijo?" the black-haired youth said, completely unaware of the anger radiating from his Coach and decoy middle blocker.
"…"
"Coach?"
"…"
"COACH!" Kageyama yelled, pissing off his coach some more, who had been stewing his thoughts, hoping that brat would never come back.
"20 FLYING LAPS FOR YOU!" he yelled, shocking Kageyama. "THAT GOES DOUBLE FOR YOU SHORTY!"
"I didn't do anything!" Hinata complained, before shutting up the dark aura wafting off his coach promising worse should he utter another word.
"OUT! AND GET TO SCHOOL!" was all the two heard as they hustled out, fearing more flying laps or something worse.
Bodhi had unknowingly made two enemies that day.
And to top it all off, Bodhi didn't make it in time to see who the rider was.
"THAT DAMNED GEEZER!" he roared at the top of his lungs. He really hoped he wouldn't see the old dude again. Sighing Bodhi locked his bikes column but not before noticing a scratch on the front wheel fender.
"…THAT BLOODY GINGER!!!"
Author Note:
Okay! I hope all of you are enjoying my story so far. As of this chapter, I'll be going on vacation for a week meaning I won't be able to write and this was the last of my backlog of chapters. So that means there won't be another chapter for a week or so.
Hopefully, that is okay if it isn't well momma raised a baby-back bitch than.
But in all seriousness, it'll be about a week before the next chapter is released.
Until then peace out peeps!
Wilderness here I come!