"You overdid it this time, Kageyama!"
"Are you saying it's my fault she got hit?!"
"Of course it is! You put too much strength into that one!"
"You g-guys…Daichi-san's going to get mad…!"
Muffled yells resounded throughout the place as Kumiko struggled to regain her consciousness. When she opened her eyes, an unfamiliar face of a black-haired girl with glasses stared down at her, offering her a relieved smile. "Ah, you're awake. Good."
"She's awake now." The girl called out to the others. Kumiko struggled to sit up, and a kind hand gently steadied her back, she turned to glance at who it is, and she found herself staring back at a taller male with silver hair and a warm, angelic face, crouching near her side.
"Ah, thank you—wah!"
Before she could thank the silver-haired male, two other males jumped in front of her: one with a clean-shaven head, and one with spiky hair. They were literally sparkling at the sight of her and Kumiko had to back away slightly from the sudden attention. "A-a-anou….!"
Tanaka and Nishinoya was starting to stare at her intensely, making Kumiko shrink back in fright every passing second.
"Control yourselves."
The other girl with the glasses slapped the two males at the back of their heads with a paper fan, but that didn't seem to anger them or snap them back to reality either. In fact the two males became happier.
"Ah~ Kiyoko-san hit us~!"
"Those two…sorry about them. Tanaka and Nishinoya are always like that whenever there's a girl around. The silver-haired male, remarks and offered Kumiko a smile. "Oh, I'm Sugawara Koushi, by the way."
Kumiko sheepishly returned the smile back and she only turned around to see Coach Ukai walk up to them along with who she presumed was the captain of the volleyball club.
"Are you okay? You took a really solid hit." Coach Ukai remarks as he crouches to assess her injuries. "Fortunately, you only blacked out for a few moments there."
He pulls back for a moment. "In a way, that's pretty sturdy of you, considering it was from Kageyama."
Kumiko stiffened at the contact with her injured face but Coach Ukai nods in satisfaction.
"Here."
A tall guy with his hair in a ponytail hands Kumiko her glasses, and it was indeed cracked and the frame was bent at a weird angle. The damage deemed her glasses unfit and she resisted the urge to sigh in depression that she has to buy another pair this time.
"A-ah. Sorry! It flew to the other side of the court and I got it for you." He remarks. "I'm Azumane Asahi, by the way."
"Oh, you didn't have to trouble yourself." Kumiko bows awkwardly and placed her glasses in her blazer pocket. "Thank you."
"Shimizu applied first-aid to that and the swelling reduced but visit the hospital just in case." The taller, dark-haired male remarked and smiled before motioning to Kiyoko, who in turn, responded with the briefest of nods. "I'm Sawamura Daichi, club captain. That's Kiyoko Shimizu, our manager."
"I'm Takigawa Kumiko." Kumiko bowed awkwardly as she stuttered over her next words. "Nice to meet you, s-senpai."
"Ah, that's right. Oi, Kageyama! Come over here!" Daichi calls out to the sulking first-year on the side, who immediately stiffened at the mere mention of his name.
Kumiko watched curiously as Kageyama Tobio made his way over to where they were and his eyes glared at Kumiko almost immediately when they made eye contact.
"Now, now. Don't be like that, Kageyama." Sugawara remarks as he noticed the atmosphere between the two of them. "You're scaring Takigawa-san."
"Come on, Kageyama. Apologize to her." Daichi reprimands the first-year setter who in turn reacted rather violently.
"Hah?! It wasn't my fault! She was in the way—gaah!"
Kageyama was unable to finish his rant when Daichi placed a warning hand on Kageyama's shoulder, squeezing it none too gently, all the while having a refreshing smile painted on his face.
"Apo-lo-gi-ze." Daichi says this with a happy smile, but his aura reeked of something more dangerous.
Kumiko gulps, happy she wasn't in Kageyama's position right now. Kageyama gulped before turning to face her once more.
"Oi, you."
"Y-y-yes!" Kumiko shivered and stuttered in fright.
Kageyama narrowed his eyes on her momentarily before turning his head to the side, avoiding Kumiko's gaze.
"So-sorry."
A splash of pink appeared on his face as he says this. Kumiko's head tilted to the side slightly, realizing the situation at hand. Is he…blushing?
"O-oh. It's fine. Kageyama-san. It was an accident." Kumiko replies, smiling at him a bit.
Kageyama's blush deepened at the sight of her smile.
"Uhm, Kageyama-san, are you okay? Your face is red—"
"Shut up! It has nothing to do with you!"
"Pfft. So the King has less experience when regards to women. How amusing."
Kumiko turned her head to see a tall blonde approach them, a jeering smirk on his face as he approached Kageyama.
"HAH?!" Kageyama retaliates none too lightly, standing up to Tsukishima's height.
"Are you looking for a fight, Tsukishima?!" He growls, aiming to grab the blonde's shirt collar, but Daichi stopped them, placing a warning hand on each of their shoulders.
"Okay, that's enough, you two. Back to practice." The captain muttered with a dark smile on his face, and the two immediately were reduced to obedient kouhais.
Sawamura-senpai is really something. How scary. Kumiko thought to herself and then finally remembered her initial purpose for coming to the club.
"Anou… Takeda-sensei asked me to hand these papers to the Coach…?" Kumiko says as she shuffles through her things, arranging the papers and handing it over to Coach Ukai who took it eagerly.
"Oh. Just what I needed. Thank you, Takigawa."
"Ah—it was no pro-problem." Kumiko says as she awkwardly stands up, gathering her things and bowing. "I shall be taking my leave, then. Thank you for treating my injuries."
"Careful on the way back, Takigawa-san. Remember to put ice on that to further reduce the swelling." Sugawara reminds her and Kumiko only nods.
"Should we escort you out, Kumi-chan~?" Tanaka and Nishinoya simultaneously offered but Kumiko politely declined.
"I'll be fine. Thanks for the offer." She remarks as she turned her back, sliding the gym doors open and disappearing into the night.