"We're what?" You ask again, for the third time you grudgingly note.
Tan-tan turns around, giving you an annoyed narrow of their eyes. They had already explained what was going on a handful of times now, but you were beyond confused. Still. Even if you both were walking into the event after a half hour drive and searching for seats.
"Like I said," They seethed, eyes rolling so hard they almost toppled right out of their head. "We're repaying Kiyoko-chan by going to the game of the team she's managing."
"But why" You start in response like after every time they explained so far, "are we repaying her by me getting out of school to watch a game? Shouldn't we, like, buy her something? Or say she doesn't have to take care of you after school for once?" You're sent another look by your sibling. Normally, this is when you'd break into a grin because you've officially succeeded in annoying the shit out of Tan-tan, but you were actually being quite honest. For once. They seemed to see it in your eyes and, instead of snapping at you, sits themselves down in one of the seats you both were standing in front of.
It makes you aware that the two of you are in the stands of a gym, overlooking a court that had been set up some time before people began making their way inside of the school. You can't quite remember the school's name, as you had just seemed to realize that Tan-tan had lead you into a school.
Honestly. You were getting worse and worse at noticing your surroundings.
That'd be a problem on the field, you mentally note as you sit yourself down next to your sibling.
"She really wanted us to come watch." Tan-tan says. Quieter now. Or at a normal volume.
"She wanted you to come watch," You edit, sinking a bit further down into the seat. You didn't mind watching Kiyoko's team, though you were struggling to remember what sport she managed, exactly. It was just...that...well…
You didn't care about any sport other than soccer?
Hell, you didn't really care about any extra thing run by schools other than your sport.
Why should you? Soccer was your...everything. After the shit show of your many junior highs, and thinking you really honestly did not belong anywhere, you had been handed a soccer ball.
So if it was not being touched by feet, why should you waste practice time to watch it?
You click you tongue, frowning at your own thoughts. Tan-tan would probably hit you if they heard what you were thinking.
"She said that this was probably the biggest game of the year."
"Really? It's not their last one though…" You're a sent a look and you sink further down on yourself, trying to ignore the glare. You knew what it meant. He was annoyed that you were being a hypocrite.
You had many games that, because the specific team contained a rival of yours, you pushed yourself harder during those than some of your others.
But instead of voicing the understanding you'd made a childish quip about it.
You reminded yourself that you were here for Kiyoko.
Remembering the girl, your eyes go to the court that held the two teams warming up. Both were keeping to themselves, going through, what you assumed, the normal routine. Someone threw a ball up, another member then hit it over the net. You didn't know much about volleyball, if anything at all, but you knew simple drills when you saw them.
"Where's Kiyoko-san?" You ask, nudging your sibling. They blink, eyes scanning, and then their finger raises.
Kiyoko is sitting on the bench on the side with the players with black and orange themed uniforms.
Oh right. She managed the boys volleyball team. For some reason it just clicked in your mind, even when you knew you were there for the girl and you had been staring at volley nets. With a jolt, you lean forward to try and spot if the short boy was apart of the team.
There are bench warmers, like any sport team, but none of them resemble the short boy. They looked relatively normal height and were about the same as Kiyoko, who sat with them on the other side of the young looking coach.
That must mean the short boy was a first stringer. Wasn't volleyball a height centered sport? Like Basketball? You brush the idea away. You knew people who battled height favored sports with skill.
You see an orange head fly through the air, and you feel a vague familiarity seeing the wild scene. That short kid was probably close to the height of your short boy. When he land he sends a bright smile to his teammates before jogging to the back of the line. He had a skip to his step, like an overexcited child knowing they'd get to go get a treat after school or something. When he's in the back he's hit over the head by a tall black haired boy and the two seem to start bickering. You're too far to hear any of the traded words.
Farther up in the line, you finally find him. The short boy. He's in an orange jersey that stands out from the rest of them - you're not sure how you hadn't spotted him earlier. He's bouncing in his spot, looking excited and ready for the game as he rambles on to a bald student next to him. You're sure it's just a close shave, but you can't quite tell with how you and Tan-tan are seated.
You move to point the shorter boy out to your sibling, but decide against it. It wasn't like you were going to introduce them or something. The guy was just someone you needed to return a jacket to. Not friends. It was even a stretch in saying acquaintances.
Plus, you didn't even bring the jacket with you. It was in your gym bag back home. You knew if you put it there, you'd always have it with you. Or, that was the thought you had when deciding to put it there and not your school bag.
You had a habit of misplacing your school bag. Another series of mistakes to add to your many volumes.
"They're starting," Tan-tan says, as if you didn't eyes. Maybe it didn't seem like you did since you had zoned out and weren't using them. You hadn't even registered his words until you hear the slap of a volleyball ricocheting off of the gym floor and up into the air. Shoes squeak as players move to retaliate and your eyes are drawn to the orange jersey.
The ball flies back and forth. It's hypnotizing until it is grounded by one of the hitters. Almost as if the goal of the game wasn't to keep the ball up, but to bring it down from it's flight. You thought of a bird, then. A flying bird that, because of the people below it, is brought back down to earth.
The short boy bouncing the ball up into the air by sliding his foot under it stops you from thinking of such a weird metaphor.
Instead, you're floored.
The guy just popped the ball back up with his foot. You didn't do volleyball, but you were pretty sure they couldn't use their feet? That was left for soccer. Hell, that looked like a save you'd do while in front of your goal.
"Tan-tan," You say, without dragging your eyes away. They grumble something before leaning in. "Can he do that?"
"Do what?"
"With his foot- he used his foot to save the ball."
"Sure, they didn't call it."
"But..but isn't-"
"He's a libero." The unknown word stops your complaining. Finally you look at your sibling instead of the quickly progressing game.
"Libero?" Tan-tan looks at you too.
"He's...Well you could compare him to a goalie." He nudges you. "You know how your job is to make sure the game keeps going by protecting the ball?" You nod. "His job is to keep the game alive too. He just has to make sure the ball stays up and in play."
Oh, you think, he's the one that makes sure that the people don't stop the birds flight. He's like the wind, propelling the bird on.
You've definitely been absorbing too much from your literature class.
The short boy does multiple amazing saves while you watch. In fact, the more you become aware of the orange flash of his jersey, the more you realize that he's definitely the one moving the most. He's practically everywhere. He's the only one freely moving between the front and back lines and doesn't, as Tan-tan tells you, spike the ball.
He's panting by the time he's switched out to be replaced by the orange haired boy. Seeing the short one sit on the bench, guzzling water and wiping sweat from his features, you curse not bringing the jacket. You should've been more aware of what sport team Kiyoko managed and where Tan-tan had been taking you.
For the rest of the game, which Karasuno prevailed in, in the end, your eyes are following that orange jersey. You were entranced by his plays.
So what if he didn't do any of the crowd loving spikes, or the crazy sets (from the setter Tan-tan also informed) or the quick set that had the students in the bleachers screaming in excitement? He saved the ball, kept it flying, kept the team going, kept the hope alive even when they had lost the first set. You had a similar job on your team. The one who kept the ball rolling and the team going when they could rely on you to, even if they couldn't, stop the opposing team at the goal. Sometime you'd get recognition, but a lot of the time you didn't. The striker, whose main purpose was to make the goals, was the crowned player.
And you didn't mind.
And, when the short boy was cheering with his team, you were sure he didn't either.
"Ready to go?" Tan-tan asks, standing. You were so wrapped up in the game you almost forgot they were present. "I wanna see Kiyoko-chan before we head on home." You nod, letting them pass by before you stand and follow.
The watchers clear out quickly. The faster ones, you note, are definitely from Karasuno. Meaning they had a long drive ahead of them, just like you and Tan-tan. The ones who had stayed a bit longer were either residents who didn't need to rush themselves, or fans who wanted to catch a glimpse of the teams before they headed out.
Before the room was cleared, but when the majority had left, Tan-tan leads the way towards the locker rooms.
You hear voices from the closed doors. One of the rooms much louder than the other. You assume the winning team is celebrating verbally while the others just quietly changed.
Unfamiliar players exit the rooms. Immediately, their eyes fall to you and Tan-tan, two people obviously having nothing to do with the sport. You both seemed to be presumed fans. Some bow their heads in brief passing, others completely ignore you. You don't mind either action.
"Excuse me," A soft voice says from your side. "But no one is allowed back here that isn't…(Y/n)? Tan-tan?" You had already turned to see who was trying to boot you and Tan-tan out before you two could see Kiyoko, but your name and the familiar voices has your eyes in seconds.
In front of you stands one of your few friends. You're surprised to see them in a volleyball uniform, but even more guilty since you hadn't noticed them the entire game.
"Suga?" You ask if you didn't recognize the beauty marked third year. He chuckles, stepping closer to you both with a big smile on his lips.
Though he was a third-year, you had met him when you first had entered high school. Nothing crazy like your introduction with short boy, or through short connections as with Kiyoko, and obviously nothing to do with your team, but something much more tame. You both had the same gym period. Though he was a third year and you a second, the times were in the same slot. You guys quickly got to talking when he was the first person to willingly speak to you, since it was right after junior high when you were used to ignoring others and no one wanting to go out of their way to be nice. Sugawara was, as the girls in your gym class would scream, a cinnamon roll. He was kind of brotherly towards you, which was very much welcomed after being alone all throughout junior high.
"You came all the way out here to watch us?" He asks, grinning from ear to ear. You laugh.
"You wish."
"What? I go to all of your games and-"
"You do not!" You gasp loudly, playfully. Sugawara snorts, his shoulder jostling.
"In spirit," he says with a straight face and this get's Tan-tan joining the laughter.
"What ever. You're too busy being vice to come."
"Says the vice." he retaliates with an eye roll. You shrug, smiling.
"We actually came cause Kiyoko invited us." Sugawara then mumbles something about how you come to his game only when a pretty girls asks you. You whole heatedly agree. It gets you a few hits in the gut.
"I'm surprised you got out of practice to come-" Sugawara says, his eyes drifting a bit from you to watch his team come out of their locker room. Most are rough housing, one of them practically picking up the orange haired kid to throw in their elation. "Put Hinata down Tanaka!" The tall and semi-bald teen sets the other kid down almost immediately. Suga sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose like a burdened mother and you snicker. He sends a deathly glare and you start laughing harder.
Like a pissed off mother hen.
"You had practice?" Tan-tan finally pipes up, cutting your laughter with a knife. You immediately fall silent, panic ensuing when you can feel your sibling's terrifying glare on the side of your head.
"No…" You say slowly.
"(Y/n)-" They begin threateningly, but they're stopped by the beautiful manager sweeping into the small ring with a heaven sent flourish.
"Kiyoko-san!" You burst, glad to quickly flee from the conversation you knew you'd get hit with as soon as you and Tan-tan entered their car.
"I'm so glad you and Tan-san could make it, (Y/n)-kun." You nod, smiling. Kiyoko holds up a small bag, handing it to Sugawara.
"This is Tsukishima's bag. He left it inside." She gestures over her shoulder to the locker room. The bag she passed over was small, probably only big enough for a phone. Suga gives the bag a look and then "oh"s out verbally, seeming to understand what it was for. He then bows to Tan-tan and punches your arm before jogging off to a tall blond wearing glasses. You put two and two together and assume it was a bag for his glasses' case.
"Did you enjoy the game?" Kiyoko asks, eyes snapping back to you. You can see the overjoyed expression trying to push through her shy exterior and it just makes you grin.
"It was amazing!" You all but yell, fists clenching in front of your chest. "It got me pumped! If I wasn't playing soccer I'd be playing-"
"You'd be what?" Tan-tan asks with a deceiving smile and sickly sweet tone.
"I-I'd, uh, be cheering for them more often!" You quickly say, laughing nervously. Kiyoko giggled at the sight of Tan-tan brow beating you into submission. You didn't find it amusing in the slightest, but it was nice to hear the woman's rare titter.
"Kiyoko-san!" A man called. He stood next to Sugawara, both amongst their volleyball team. His eyes met yours and he seemed to realize she had been in the middle of a conversation. "We'll be at the bus!" He edits, nodding in her general direction before helping Sugawara coral their team outside. Like tired parents with too many rambunctious toddlers, you think.
"Will you be riding back with us?" Kiyoko asks, and you mumble heaven sent under your breath.
"Oh no, we would never assume that kind of imposing." Tan-tan giggled, shaking their head. "I drove us here. No worries." They pull at the keys in their pocket to provide some kind of evidence. Kiyoko gives a simple nod.
"Oh," She begins, eyes going to the doors as she was well aware of the time that was slowly ticking by before departure of the sport bus. "By the way, do you need any more help with your math, (Y/n)-kun?" You blink.
"Don't I always?" You spout jokingly.
"Then…" Kiyoko's cheeks turn a soft pink and she avoids Tan-tan eyes even though she turns directly towards them. "Will it be alright if I come over then after school tomorrow?" Tan-tan smiles, oblivious to her nervousness.
"Of course! You don't have to ask every time Kiyoko-chan." The girl nods slowly, smiling. "I mean, i gave you a set of the house keys for a reason." They chuckle.
"Right. Thank you. Well i'll be off. See you both later." She bows to you two, which you both return, before scurrying off.
If you didn't know better, she was acting oddly shy around your sibling. Who, of course, wasn't aware of shit as they waved for you to follow them to the place where they had parked their car.
Usually Kiyoko would ask, of course, if it was okay if she came over, but never had she asked so...timidly? Hell, sometimes, for dinner, she'd just come over with food in tupperware knowing how much you hated Tan-tan's take-out obsession. It seemed that, lately, she was practically living at your place. Which neither you nor Tan-tan was bothered by. Though it made you wonder why the sudden increase in visits. You weren't that stupid that you couldn't survive homework by yourself. You only needed help once in awhile so...Why?
When you get home you pull short boy's jersey out of the depths of your gym bag and pull it up to the top. You zipped it half way up just enough that nothing would spill out but so the jacket could still peak out at you. This way you were sure you wouldn't forget it.
"(Y/n)," Tan-tan calls, and you can feel a bit of dread dribble down inside of your chest. You look up to find them standing in the hallways, having just exited their room, glaring at you. You swallow.
"I didn't-"
"You said you were free," Tan-tan hisses, quickly cutting you off. The fight has started but you only had a sentence as your sword and your sibling with a browbeating brigade. "That's the only reason why I took you!"
"I didn't really skip" You start with little courage. "It wasn't a mandatory practice!"
"Every practice is mandatory." Tan-tan clips, officially ending the argument, but not relieving any of the tension, and storms off. You roll your eyes, used to the conclusion.
Tan-tan seemed to care for soccer even more than you did. To the point they forced you to go to all the practices that were set up during the off season. You loved the sport, but with no games because, once again, you currently weren't in season, you didn't find the point to going to each and every one. Only a handful of players showed up each time to run through small drills and mini games. You and the captain were the only common denominators, but even then once in awhile the captain wouldn't show - and his life was soccer. Tan-tan had this odd idea that you'd fall apart without the sport.
As if it was less of an outlet and more of a life line for you.
You looked down to your gym bag.
You...Weren't quite sure exactly which one it was for you either.
