Somehow I ended up writing more for my secondary ship than my first ships. O.o Oh well.
Dreaming of an Advertiser
SI Foote
Ennoshita Chikara laid back on his bed and stared across the room at the large Karasuno poster that Yachi Hitoka had designed for their club. It had a large portion of their club members jumping for a spike with Kageyama in the background as their setter. It took a good hour and a half for Yachi to find a few shots that she would be happy with. It was her present for the team before the third years retired. Their spiking forms were mirrored with large crows taking flight into the clear blue sky she had edited at the top of the frame.
Yachi was a talented high schooler. Ennoshita was glad that Kiyoko had found her to be the new manager, even by a small mix-up. The first year had put her heart and soul into the club; she was excited to continue her position into her second year. Ennoshita threw an arm over his eyes and rolled over on his bed. Thinking about Yachi always put him on edge. There was the possibility that she had something going with Yamaguchi among the first year bunch. Kageyama and Hinata were inseparable and everyone was certain that the two were together. Kuroo, Nekoma's captain, had announced his relationship with Tsukishima. The blond didn't talk to his boyfriend for about a week after the announcement. The action sparked Kuroo to show up at their school for the weekend from Tokyo.
Yamaguchi was the only first year without a significant other for the time being. Ennoshita was certain that the pinch server had a thing for the blonde, which left him in the background with feelings he couldn't deal with. He pushed his face into his pillow and messed up his dark brown hair in frustration. Ennoshita decided sleep was the best option for now.
-oOo-
"Ennoshita-san," Yachi called to him the next day during a break.
"Ah Yachi," he snapped out of his musings about the team and turned to face her. "What can I do for you?"
"I have the first year applicants for the club." She held out a stack of papers.
"Thank you," he took the applications from her and leafed through them. "Quite a few from Kitagawa Daiichi."
"I was a bit surprised too since most of them didn't like Kageyama during middle school." She nodded. "Perhaps they saw how he changed during the tournaments last year and wanted to come here."
"I won't pretend to guess their motives." Ennoshita chuckled. "You're coming to practice today, right?"
"Of course! I wouldn't miss it. I was just curious to see when you wanted to introduce the first years to the club, so I can let them know."
"Next week, on Monday." Ennoshita decided. "We'll start fresh with the newbies and have a week to get into the rhythm with the returning players."
"Thank you." Yachi made to turn away and then thought better of it. "I want to make another poster to drive donations for the club, could we maybe take a bit of time today to take a picture."
"You don't want the first years?"
"I really want it to be a memorial for us, the returning second and third years who are determined to go to nationals again." She explained.
"It shouldn't be a problem." Ennoshita gave her a smile. He glanced at the clock on the wall of the classroom he was occupying for his third year. "Yachi, you'd better go or you'll be late for class."
"That's right!" She jumped. "I'll see you at practice, Ennoshita-san."
"See you," the captain agreed. Narita poked his head out the door.
"So, are you going to confess to our kōhai?" He teased.
"Shut up." Ennoshita pushed him back into the classroom.
-oOo-
"Kageyama-san, can you step down just one step?" Yachi asked.
The club members found themselves posing on the stairs to the clubrooms that afternoon. The blonde apparently had plans for editing the photo to portray a different story about Karasuno. Her current position as the photographer led her to laying on her stomach and angling the shot up. Every player wore their Karasuno black jackets and uniform shorts for the photo.
Hinata was on the top stair and Kageyama a few behind him. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi weren't far behind them, positioned on opposite sides of the staircase. The third years were placed near the bottom so that their faces could be seen clearer than the others. Tanaka and Nishinoya stood near each other on the right five steps up. Ennoshita, Narita, and Kinoshita were on the first three steps on the left side.
"Got it." Yachi said after seven clicks of the camera. "Thank you."
"No problem Yachi-san. I can't wait to see what you do with it." Hinata jumped down the staircase in one bound and startled the girl.
"Hinata, you're going to injure yourself and others doing that." Ennoshita chided.
"Sorry Captain, Yachi." He put his hands together and gave a short bow.
"If you need any input on the photo, don't hesitate to contact me, yeah?" The captain turned back to the blonde. Narita nudged Kinoshita and snickered, pointing at the captain.
"I'll keep that in mind." She agreed. "Maybe I should show it to the club before I get it approved by Takeda-sensei."
"You can do whatever you'd like." Narita grinned over Ennoshita's shoulder. "Let's practice, captain."
"Right." The teen agreed. They pulled away from the stairs and headed for the gym.
Narita and Ennoshita had stepped in to fill the two empty holes in Karasuno's seven man first string, at least until they had a chance to evaluate the new third years. Tanaka had stepped up as Karasuno's ace. Hinata was disappointed that he didn't yet claim the title. Yamaguchi was mad that he was still the only one from his grade not on the team. They were calmed by Ennoshita's placating response to their demands.
Kinoshita still wasn't in the seven starters and he was a third year. Sugawara from the previous year had also given up his place on the team so Kageyama could play setter because he matched with Hinata's quick reflexes. Tanaka was in his third year and had more strength than Hinata to hit the ball past blockers. They would have more opportunities when they were third years since there was only four of them advancing instead of five.
"You're growing your hair out Yamaguchi." Yachi commented. Ennoshita turned his head to look at them.
"Yeah, I thought I might try something like Asahi. My bangs are already pretty annoying and if I had a ponytail then I could get rid of this cowlick." He pointed at the strands of hair sticking straight up.
"That'd look good on you." She grinned and the captain's shoulders dropped.
"That's why you won't confess." Narita whispered suddenly in his ear. Ennoshita looked at the vice-captain.
"Yeah." He nodded.
-oOo-
Ennoshita was studying in his room after practice for a test the next day when a phone call interrupted him. He stared at the smart phone that was squirming its way off the desk with every vibrating ring. When he caught sight of the name, he tried to grab the phone and successfully launched himself out of his chair and onto the floor. He managed to answer the call before it went to voicemail.
"Hello?"
"Ennoshita-senpai," Yachi's excited voice broke through the static and he flinched at the sound. "I'm sorry to be calling you so late."
Ennoshita looked at the clock hanging on his wall upside down. He managed to figure out that it was a little after eight. "No, not at all. What can I help you with?"
"I finished the poster, I was wondering if it was possible to ask you to come over and look at it before I print it out." Her voice faded into a mumble as she finished her sentence.
"Yeah, I can come over, if it's not too late on your side." His heart performed a one-sided tango in his chest and he had to remind himself not to look too deep into the invitation.
"It's not. I'll text you my address. See you in a bit," Yachi hung up and Ennoshita stayed on the floor of his room until the promised text came through.
"Mom, I'm going out for a bit. Club duties." Ennoshita yelled as he dashed down the stairs. He grabbed his wallet and keys from the table in the entryway and quickly tied on his shoes.
"What time will you be back?" His mother asked.
"Don't know, probably not more than an hour and a half."
"You have school in the morning." She reminded.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." He waved. "Bye."
Ennoshita darted through the winding streets until he found the one that Yachi's apartment complex was located on. He swallowed hard and tried to steady his breathing. He couldn't let her know that he'd run all the way to her house.
On the third floor, he found himself frozen in front of her door.
"You can do this Chikara." He whispered to himself before he forcefully shoved his fingers into the doorbell. Ennoshita could hear people moving around inside before the door was pulled open.
"Hey," Yachi greeted. "Thanks for coming over on short notice."
"No problem, I wasn't doing anything." He politely removed his shoes as he stepped into the house.
"My room is just down here." She pointed at the hall that separated from the spacious living area.
Her room, he screamed in his head. Ennoshita tried to quell the rush of color to his face and the fast pace of his heart, but it was impossible.
"This is what I designed." She pointed to the large computer screen in the corner of her room. It was situated on her large desk. The room was bare, which surprised the captain. He turned his head to glance at the room and found that she had decorated the wall by her bed with all of the posters she had created for Karasuno. Ennoshita's jaw dropped in surprise.
He turned back to the computer and stared at the design. No part of the clubroom staircase existed in the photo she'd edited. Yachi stared at him, watching his reaction. The team stood on a mountain with Hinata at the top, his jacket flared out behind him. Ennoshita could make out the details on the third year's faces the clearest. The words on the advertisement read, Karasuno to Nationals Once More!
"It's amazing." A crow was perched on the caption and another was soaring through the air.
"Really?" Yachi's face changed from worry into a smile.
"There's no way Takeda-sensei won't approve it right away."
"I was kind of worried about it since there's no action in the photo."
"That's what makes it so attractive." Ennoshita smiled. "It's the best work you've done so far."
"Thank you, Ennoshita-san." Her cheeks were red and Ennoshita stepped back from the computer. "Sorry again for calling you out so late."
"Really it's no problem Yachi."
They walked through the empty hall and Ennoshita pulled on his shoes.
"I'm glad you invited me over to see the poster." The captain smiled.
"I actually have a confession to make about tonight, Ennoshita-senpai." Yachi's voice was quiet and the third year nearly missed it.
"What is it?" He turned to look at her, one hand lingered on the doorknob.
"I like you." She forced out in a rush. Her face turned red and her gaze dropped to the floor. Without thinking, Ennoshita pulled the second year into his chest and hugged her.
"I like you too." He whispered. Yachi's hands curled into fists in the back of his shirt and she breathed deeply.
"That makes me happy."
