[Chapter 3]

Tsukishima was complicated. That had been one of the first things Nishinoya realized upon arriving about an hour too early to school and finding the blonde already in the gym, practicing.

She had made her way next to him, and started her warm ups alongside him.

"You say you don't particularly like playing volleyball?" she had said.

"I don't. I'm not a simpleton like Kageyama-san and Hinata-san." he had replied.

"I'm not either."

"I know."

"So why are you here so early?"

"No reason, I just felt like it?"

"Do you want to practice with me?"

"No. I'm fine on my own."

"Okay, thanks for offering, you can help me with block follows."

"Didn't you hear me say no-"

"Great. Just stand here and we'll start."

"Again, I'd really rather not."

"Good thing I don't care for your opinion."

"...You're not like how I'd imagined you'd be."

"Oh? So you dreamed about me before we even met? That sounds like some cheesy romance story."

"Are you really from Shiroyama?"

"You're not like how the magazines made you out to be."

"People change, Tsukishima-san."

"Or more likely, certain people are fakers?"

"Hmm? I almost think I can smell your true personality showing through at times."

"Oh really?"

"An insecure little brat that's rotten to the core."

Nishinoya had finally turned her head away, Tsukishima's pale eyes having gotten uncomfortably close to the truth. With a hand, she pushed the blonde away from her, and walked over to the cart full of striped volleyballs.

"Let's just start practice, please."

Nishinoya's first impression of the team advisor had been that 'Oh wow, he was clumsy'. Then, moments later it had instantly changed to 'Okay fine, maybe slightly useful.

After her oh so interesting talk with Tsukishima, they'd only practiced for a few minutes in tense silence before Hinata and Kageyama -thank kami for idiots like them- had barged in, Hinata demanding that she help him with improving his spiking. And then, about an hour later, when the entire team was in the middle of a practice game, Takeda had stumbled through the open door of the volleyball gym, tripping on the doorstep and implanting his face into the hard court.

For a moment there had been complete silence, before suddenly Takeda had announced that he had arranged a practice match for them. And with Aoba Johsai High, no less.

"Aoba Johsai?!" Surprisingly, it was Tanaka who first broke the silence, crying out in surprise.

Hinata bounced up and down on his feet. "A practice match! When?!"

Nishinoya frowned. Aoba Johsai… As if I'd be stupid enough to ever forget that name.

As Takeda cheerfully told them all that it was this afternoon, and suddenly everyone started freaking out, Tsukishima spoke up, addressing her for the first time since their odd conversation that very morning.

"Nishinoya-san… I'm quite sure you know someone at Aoba Johsai. You do, don't you?"

Suddenly everyone was staring at her, and Nishinoya gulped. "My teammate…"

Hinata yelled out suddenly. "Wait! I'll get my copy of the latest Volleyball Monthly!" And he raced out of the gym towards the club storage room.

Moments later, almost too fast for a human to possibly have run some 300 metres and back, Hinata had returned, the promised magazine in his grasp.

"Nice, Hinata-kun! Let's see it!" Tanaka said. Nishinoya tried to squirm out of the tight circle that her teammates had created around her as they all took a look at the magazine.

"It's page 6" she told them sullenly.

The captain of the team quickly took the magazine from Hinata, and flipped to the page.

"Aoba Johsai High: Although, currently being ranked as second in the Miyagi prefecture, Aoba Johsai has some quite interesting players." Daichi started to read out.

"Among them is Iwaizumi Hajime, third year ace; Kyoutani Kentarou, nicknamed the 'Mad Dog'; Watari Shinji, Libero; and of course, most noticeably, the recent addition from the Shiroyama Junior-High Volleyball Team…"

"Oikawa Toru. Position: Setter." Kageyama said, his eyes closed.

Daichi nodded as he kept reading the article. "Despite being a first year, Oikawa currently has the position of Captain, something almost never seen before. Previously a part of the team nicknamed the "Generation of Miracles", Oikawa is most famous for his incredible jump serves and setting."

Hinata clenched his hands in excitement. "I can't wait to face him! He must be strong!"

"Dumbass. You're not ready to play matches like these yet, as if they'll even let you on the court." Kageyama scoffed.

"Kageyama, if Hinata isn't going to play, you aren't either. The only use either of you have for the team as of now, is as a combo with your quick attack. Despite your pinpoint setting, you haven't played with the team long enough, Kageyama." Nishinoya responded coldly. "If any of the first years will be playing, it will be me and Tsukishima."

Nishinoya wasn't blind or oblivious to the increase of tension in the gym, but she didn't apologize for her words either.

Tanaka looked at her with a sideways glance. "Getting cocky now aren't we? Just because you're also from Shiroyama doesn't mean you're automatically going to be a regular. Karasuno isn't like Aoba Johsai, a team which decided to immediately made Oikawa captain just because he was part of the Generation of Miracles."

Nishinoya looked back at him, a bit of ice beginning to leak into her words which had previously been semi-playful. "I'm not being arrogant. I'm just stating a fact. Even just having someone in the position would help Karasuno a lot because of all the rules Liberos are exempt from, such as 'one switch per set'... not to mention that I'm the best Libero there is."

She proudly tilted her chin upwards, as if daring someone to challenge her.

Tanaka was about to fire something back, ready to launch into a fight with Nishinoya all too similar to the one with Kageyama the day before, when suddenly Sugawara spoke up.

"I think that since it's just a practice match, all the first years should play, and we can use this as an opportunity to try out both Hinata and Kageyama's super quick as well as Nishinoya's skills as a Libero." he said. "Daichi?"

"Sure. We'll do as Sugawara suggested, so Hinata, Kageyama, Nishinoya, and Tsukishima get a chance to try out their skills in a real match."

Nishinoya's eyes narrowed for a second, and she opened her mouth to speak as she realized the captain had skipped Yamaguchi, the fourth first year, before she shut quickly shut her mouth. It was intentional, of course. Yamaguchi had no true value to the team at the moment. If he wanted to make it, he would have to practice more.

Hinata started cheering, and shared a quick high five with Kageyama. "We're going to win against the Grand-king-san!"

"Grand-king-san?"

"If Kageyama-kun is the 'King' and Oikawa-san is better than him, then Oikawa-san must be the Grand-king!"

Hinata was instantly punched by Kageyama. "Dumbass."

This seemed to break the tenseness in the gym, which had increased when Daichi had been forced to choose the members who would be playing in the match against Aoba Johsai. All the second and third year members made their way back onto the court to keep practicing, and the first years -with the exception of Yamaguchi, who had not been chosen as a player- huddled together in a circle near the bench.

Tsukishima snickered. "I wonder how badly we're going to lose tomorrow."

Nishinoya looked at the tall blonde. His expression was weird. Despite having just laughed at his own team and mocked them, he seemed determined and his fingers were tapping rapidly on his thigh.

She laughed. "Hypocrite."

"Brat."

"Idiot."

"Jerkface."

"Moron."

Nishinoya's face had come alarmingly close to Tsukishima's at this point, her nose almost touching him as they flung insults at each other. Behind them, Kageyama and Hinata were casting odd glances, and Hinata seemed to be debating on whether to stop them.

"Asshole."

"Trash."

All of a sudden a shadow loomed over them both, grabbing Nishinoya by the collar of her volleyball uniform.

"Who's trash?"

For a moment, Nishinoya thought it was Daichi, and opened her mouth to explain, before suddenly she recognized the voice. Because of the strong hold on her uniform, she couldn't turn her head to see, but Tsukishima was gaping at the figure behind her.

Managing to slightly twist her body around, Nishinoya aimed a punch at Oikawa's face.

He caught it, chuckling and giving her a smile. "I still can't believe you choose to stay at Karasuno, after I invited you to join Aoba Johsai. I've been crying myself to sleep every night, ever since you rejected me."

By now, all of the team members seemed to have realized who had just entered the gym.

"Who are you?" Daichi demanded.

Oikawa simply picked up the Volleyball Monthly magazine, which had been discarded on the ground only minutes ago, and pointed to the blown-up picture of himself on the front. "This would be me, I believe. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Oikawa Toru."

Tanaka burst out. "Why the f*k are you here? Get out!"

Hinata also, had a strange look in his eyes. "We're gonna beat you, Grand King-san!"

Having ignored Tanaka's vulgar question, Oikawa finally turned around to face Hinata, still not letting go of Nishinoya's shirt collar. "Grand King?"

"Kageyama-kun is the King, and if you're the best setter in the nation, you must be better than him, which means you're Grand King-san" the orange-haired boy explained for the second time that day.

Oikawa chuckled. "Kageyama? I've heard that name before. Kageyama Tobio, right?"

Kageyama nodded. "My name is Kageyama Tobio, I'm going to defeat you and become the best setter in the country" he said monotonously.

Oikawa tilted his head at Kageyama in a mocking manner, running the hand that wasn't holding onto Nishinoya through his chestnut hair. "You really think you can defeat me, Tobio-chan?"

Kageyama looked away from the other setter's piercing gaze. "Of course."

Oikawa smiled condescendingly at the black-haired boy, using his slightly taller height to intimidate him. "Then I look forward, to crushing you, setter-on-setter, in an official match."

Nishinoya finally managed to get out of his death grip, pushing him away. "Get out" she said, through clenched teeth.

The brown-haired setter gasped, clutching dramatically at his chest. His arms dropped. "No" he said flatly. "I came here for a reason."

The court was silent, and tension filled the air as Nishinoya stared hotly back at Oikawa's cool gaze.

Tanaka made a menacing face, and Sugawara didn't stop the bald headed second year as he normally would.

"I came to see how strong Karasuno is. Nishi-chan replaced us with you guys, so I wonder if you'll live up to the spot we left behind."

Kageyama and Hinata, those hot-headed idiots, easily responded to his insult, with cries of "hey! I'll show that arrogant bastard who's boss!"

However Daichi quickly stepped in front of the two first years, and calmly held out his hand to Oikawa.

"Earlier you challenged Kageyama, setter-on-setter. In accordance, I promise you, captain-to-captain, that we'll show you just how strong Karasuno is at the practice match."

A soft wind blew into the gym through the door, and brown locks of hair rustled in the breeze. Oikawa seemed semi-surprised that Daichi had challenged him, but the two captains shook hands nevertheless.

"We'll be expecting you at the Aoba Johsai gym in a few days then. I look forwards to creaming Karasuno".

A final smirk from Oikawa, and then the famous setter vanished into the courtyard outside, already full of fake smiles and charm, busy signing autographs.