A/N: There's so much drama going on in the last chapters, but I promise it will be over soon. After that, everything will be full of fluffly stuff. Okay. That's not true, but everything will be happier ;)
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Disclaimer: I do not own Haikyuu or its characters

CHAPTER NINE
Geeks and creeps

"Wait, Tsukki!"

Tsukishima sat down on his desk while Yamaguchi followed him. Although everything seemed normal that morning, he felt something was wrong. As usual, they waited for Furihata Noa and, then, they walked to high school together as he listened to some music while Yamaguchi and Furihata talked.

He didn't feel well about what had happened the night before. There was something he didn't like about Furihata, but he realized that he had crossed the line. At first, Tsukishima thought that she was going to tell Yamaguchi about it because, let's face it, those two got along well, but his best friend was acting normal that day. She didn't tell him anything about their argument. And it annoyed him because he couldn't help but feel a certain guilt.

"Hey, Yamaguchi", he took off his headphones, "Why didn't you tell me that Furihata-san got a perfect score in Math?"

Yamaguchi blinked in confusion. Tsukishima always acted weird around her, so he was taken aback by the sudden question. "Well…" he hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should be honest with him. "I told her that I thought the Math exam was hard. She told me then that it was easy and she got a perfect score. I was surprised, especially because the last exercise was extremely difficult, so she explained it to me. At the end, it was much easier than I thought". Yamaguchi stared at his friend who clicked his tongue. "I didn't tell you anything because you are very intelligent, Tsukki!" he smiled, trying to comfort his best friend.

"Don't say that", Tsukishima frowned. That wasn't true at all.

"Okay…" Yamaguchi sighed. "It's obvious that you don't feel comfortable around her. You two have some kind of unspoken rivalry and I don't want to be stuck in the middle. You are my best friend and I'm getting to know Furihata-san more and more every day and I like that. We are becoming good friends. She's nice and funny and I don't want to lose any opportunity of making new friends, but I don't want to lose you either"

Tsukishima rubbed the back of his neck. More or less, Yamaguchi remarked the same things Furihata had told him the night before. When he heard her, he thought she was being silly, but at that moment he thought the opposite.

He closed his eyes. He was feeling confused. After talking to Yamaguchi he was willing to give Furihata Noa a chance, although he was completely sure that they weren't going to become friends. They were too different. "I've been thinking about the Math problem. We haven't studied functions yet"

Yamaguchi shrugged, "I know"

"Can you explain me the exercise?"

Yamugichi's eyes widened. Tsukishima wasn't the type of person who'd ask something like that. "I think you should ask Furihata-san". Tsukishima seethed and looked away. "Come on, Tsukki! I think it's a good opportunity to try to know her better! I know she'll help you"

"She'll want something in return"

"So what? That's not so bad!" Tsukishima looked daggers at his friend and Yamaguchi giggled. "Don't look at me like that. She didn't ask me for something in return. I don't think she would do that. She might seem rude, but she's nicer than you think. Besides, she'll explain it better than me"

As the first class started, Tsukishima tried to pay attention to what the teacher was saying as much as he could. Yet, he couldn't stop thinking about Furihata Noa. Yamaguchi was right.

As usual, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima had lunch together. His best friend used to talk all the time while he mumbled some monosyllables. However, when they finished, Tsukishima got up. Yamaguchi stared at him and chuckled when he saw the blond leaving the classroom without saying a word. He didn't need to, though, because Yamaguchi knew him too well. He was going to talk to Furihata-san.

Tsukishima stood in front of the class 5 door. After a few seconds, he clicked his tongue and turned around, but it was too late.

"Tsukishima-kun, what are you doing here?"

Tsukishima glanced over his shoulder. Yachi blushed and fiddled with her fingers. He sighed and turned around again to talk to her. "Is Furihata-san inside?"

"Y-Yes! Do you want to talk to her?" her eyes widened.

Tsukishima frowned. She seemed too excited about that. "Yes. I need to talk to her"

Yachi nodded and went into the classroom. He crossed his arms and waited patiently as Furihata Noa was taking too much time. What the hell was that girl doing? He clenched his teeth. She was doing it on purpose. He was sure about that.

Finally, she appeared, still chewing something. When she swallowed what she was eating, she spoke, "Sorry. I was finishing my lunch"

"You're too slow"

Noa put her hands on her hips, "Did you come here only to tell me that? Or are you going to remark how simple I am?"

Tsukishima's expression didn't change. He wasn't going to answer that. She was being childish. As always. "I was wondering if you'd like to explain me the last exercise of the Math exam"

Noa raised an eyebrow, "Are you still thinking about that? It's just an exercise, you know"

"I know. But I'd appreciate if you helped me. I'd like to know the answer. That's something the people who want to learn do. They ask questions in order to improve", he hissed. Noa opened her mouth, but he spoke again. "If you explain me how I can solve the Math problem, I'll give you some advice, so you can improve in Modern Literature"

Noa didn't answer immediately. She seemed absentminded, so Tsukishima sighed. It wasn't so complicated. She only had to say 'yes' or 'no'.

"Okay", she answered finally.

"Good. We'll meet at the library after classes. We have almost two hours until practice starts"

And before she could say anything else, he turned around and walked towards his class.

…

Noa saw Tsukishima who was already waiting for her in front of the school library. She waved at him and smiled while he stared at her with his indifferent expression. "How are you?" she asked.

"Don't try to be nice with me", he spat as he entered into the library.

Noa clicked her tongue, "I'm just trying to be polite", she responded almost whispering. Many of the tables were already taken by third-years, so she didn't want to bother them.

Tsukishima pointed at a table next to one of the windows and they took a seat side by side.

"Okay", Tsukishima took from his backpack his Math exam and a notebook. "You start"

Noa leaned forward in order to have a better look. Tsukishima's exam was almost perfect, apart from the last exercise. Noa grinned. That's why he was obsessed with knowing the answer. She took the exam from his hands and read the formulation carefully. She frowned, trying to remember everything. "Well… I knew how to solve it because I've already studied Quadratic Functions in high school and, besides, I'm interested in the subject", Noa took the paper and a pencil. "Listen carefully", Tsukishima nodded. "We'll use the vertical motion model which is already given. We have to substitute vt for 32, because the initial velocity is 32 feet per second, and s for 0, because the starting high is 0 feet in order to figure out the amount of time the ball is in the air"

Noa started writing some equations as she kept explaining the procedure and, at the same time, she drew the diagram of the problem. Tsukishima only nodded, so she supposed he was understanding everything she was telling him. When she finished, half of the paper was full of numbers. "And that's all"

Tsukishima took the paper and looked at it again. "Well. I'm impressed. This is algebra, but now it sounds easier"

"In fact, it is. Math can be beautiful!" Noa's cheeks turned a slight pink. "Most people understand the beauty of a painting or a piece of music. We call great works of art 'beautiful' if they are aesthetically pleasing or express fundamental ideas in a profound way, and mathematicians feel the same way about particularly elegant proofs. Many say the most beautiful result of all is Euler's equation. He was a Swiss mathematician in the 18th century, and is considered to be one of the greatest of all time". Noa's eyes sparkled. "Euler's equation expresses a universal truth, valid in any language or culture. It contains five of the most important numbers in Math: 0, 1, e, i, and pi, along with the fundamental concepts of addition, multiplication, and exponentiation"

Tsukishima stared at her. As she explained everything, she seemed to be glowing. He chuckled, so she looked daggers at him. He waved his hands, trying to comfort her until he was able to speak, "You are a geek"

Noa frowned, "No, I'm not!" She raised her voice more than necessary, so one of the third-years shut her up. "Sorry", she mumbled smiling sheepishly at his senpai and, then, she twirled to whisper to Tsukishima again. "I only like Math. That's all"

"I'm not judging you", he admitted, "but you don't look like the type of girl who would love Math"

"Well that's enough", Noa shrugged, "It's your turn"

Tsukishima glanced at her and couldn't help but smirk. "First of all, I need to have a look on your Modern Literature exam. Have you brought it?"

Noa nodded. After a few seconds, she took it out of her backpack and handed it to Tsukishima. He looked at it carefully before speaking again. "Your score in Kanji is good, but the problem is obviously in the reading comprehension. You seem to have the same problem Kageyama has. The answer is already in the question", Tsukishima sighed. "I'll give you some advice".

He waited patiently while Noa took a notebook to take some notes. "Sometimes the answers are already in the questions, so read them first. After that, you can read the text. It is not unusual for any person to wander somewhere while reading something uninteresting. So, when you find the comprehension dull, difficult and uninteresting, your eyes run through the sentences, but your mind wanders somewhere else", Noa nodded. That was her main problem. "Focus on the content. Don't let your mind go away from there. If you start daydreaming, tell yourself that you have plenty of time to dream after the exam"

Noa raised an eyebrow. He had to be kidding her.

"You don't need to understand each and every word of the comprehension", he continued. "At the same time, you should find the summary of it. Both these points may appear contradictory, but the crucial thing is, you need to eliminate the words, phrases, sentences from the reading comprehension that are not useful and you need to focus on keywords. Underline them. It'll be easier"

Noa sighed and she put her hands in the back of her neck. "You know; this is so boring. I hate reading". Tsukishima opened his mouth, but he didn't say anything, so she continued. "That's the main problem"

"Then, why did you want some help?" he furrowed his brow.

"I appreciate your advice and I'll take it into account, but I can like reading all of a sudden"

"So… You don't read books…"

"Nope", Noa put her elbow on the table and she rested her head on her palm. "I only read magazines or stuff full of nice pictures". Tsukishima's expression went blank and Noa grinned. "Surprised?"

"A little bit"

Noa chuckled and checked her watch. "We should be moving. Our practice starts in a few minutes"

Tsukishima nodded and they started to pick their things up. They didn't speak about themselves, but time had passed faster than he expected. Although he would never tell Yamaguchi, his friend was right. Noa wasn't as obnoxious as he thought and he had the feeling that Noa's opinion of him had also changed.

"Oi", he stopped before leaving the school building. Noa turned around and watched him carefully. "Sorry about last night. I shou-"

"Don't apologize", Noa smirked. "It doesn't suit you". She kept walking. "I didn't tell Yamaguchi because it's none of his business", she added frankly, although she would never admit it out loud, that Tsukishima was right in the first place.

As Tsukishima's legs were longer than hers, he easily started to walk next to her. Although they weren't friends and, probably, they wpuld have more arguments during the year, at that moment, everything seemed normal between them.

"Did you tell Yamaguchi?"

"About what?" Tsukishima glanced sideways at Noa.

"About Daichi and me. That we are going to become family". Tsukishima didn't say anything. Noa looked up and clicked her tongue. "Okay… So you didn't know about it"

"Actually, I do" Noa stared curiously at Tsukishima and he sighed. He needed to explain himself and he hated that. "My mum works in the morning and Daichi-san's mum works in the afternoon, even in the evening, so my mum is helping with the move until your father arrives when Daichi's mum has to work"

"Oh", Noa didn't know what to respond, so she scratched her head uncomfortable. Now she was curious about Tsukishima's mum and how she was. "Why didn't you tell him? Yamaguchi, I mean"

"Why would I do that?"

Noa shrugged, "I don't know. He's your friend"

"I'm not a nosy", he spat.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean that"

In the distance, Noa spotted Hinata, Kageyama, Yamaguchi and Yachi who were walking to the gym too. Hinata was the first one to notice their presence and he waved at them eagerly. Noa smiled while she and Tsukishima joined them. She liked Hinata's enthusiasm in everything. It was contagious.

"Where do you come from?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Tsukki and Furihata-san went to the library. They've been studying together"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi"

"Sorry, Tsukki"

Noa giggled, "What have you been doing, guys?"

"We've been reviewing the last lessons", Yachi explained.

"You should have stayed with us, Noa-san!" Hinata claimed.

"Sorry", Noa rubbed the back of her neck. "I've been busy these days. I'm still working on my project which involves the girls' volleyball team. Do you remember, guys?"

"Sure!" Hinata jumped excited as Kageyama nodded eagerly.

"I'm searching for a coach, but everything is being much complicated than I expected". Noa's expression saddened, but she tried to look as happy as she could. "Yesterday I visited Shiratorizawa. The campus is amazing!" a broad grin appeared on her face.

"Yes! Kageyama and I, we have been there!"

"When?" Tsukishima demanded.

"Oh!" Noa snapped her fingers before Hinata or Kageyama could say something. "I almost forget! I met a tall guy. I don't know if you know him. He's in the volleyball team. His name is Ushijima or something like that"

"JAPAN!" Hinata stopped in his tracks while he clenched his fists. His eyes were sparkling.

"Have you said Ushijima?" Kageyama got so close that their noses were almost touching, so Noa blushed uncomfortable.

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"Of course we do!" Kageyama shouted. "He's one of the best players in Japan! He's Shiratorizawa's captain and ace!"

"We went to Shiratorizawa and challenged him! We won't lose against him! He'll remember our names!" Hinata added pointing at Noa.

"That's stupid", Tsukishima remarked. "What would you do if we have to face them in the preliminaries?"

"We'll beat them, Tsukishima! We'll do it!"

Tsukishima and Hinata kept arguing all the way to the gym. Yamaguchi and Yachi looked at them hopeless, but Noa couldn't help but smile. She liked Hinata's resolve and how he defended himself, although Tsukishima's words were too harsh sometimes. She didn't know Shiratorizawa, she didn't know what kind of power its team had, but she was convinced that the trip to Tokyo was going to help Karasuno in order to keep improving their skills. They would achieve their goal; they would beat any team which was willing to stand in their way to Nationals.

Noa strayed from the path towards the gym where the girls had practice. She was jealous of the boys' volleyball team. They didn't qualify for the Interhigh, but nobody had quit, not even the third-years. That was the kind of spirit she wanted to rub off on her teammates. But she was finding it almost impossible. She could have asked Daichi again for some help, due to the fact that he knew the third-years, but Noa thought that, if she did, she would be taking advantage of the captain's trust.

"Hello", she said as she opened the changing room door. Noa noticed that the girls exchanged glances. "What?"

"We have something for you", Oka Chizuko, the captain, stepped forward. She handed a box to Noa. The first-year glanced at her teammates with suspicious eyes.

"Just open it! Damn it!" Harada Ayako ordered, putting her hands on her hips.

Noa opened the box and her eyes widened. Inside there was a girls' volleyball tracksuit. She jumped, her eyes full of excitement, and looked at it carefully. It was black, very similar to the tracksuit the boys' volleyball team wore, but she found it special anyway. She was part of the Karasuno's female volleyball team.

"Thank you!"

"Don't", Oka Chizuko rubbed the back of her neck. "You have joined the team and you needed one. That's all"

Noa nodded, but she wanted to thank the team anyway.

"Now, hurry up and change!" Harada Ayako pointed at her while her twin sister smirked.

Noa couldn't help but giggle. The twins were very tough, but Noa guessed they were doing it for her own good. She promised them that they were going to compete again and, at that moment, Noa thought that they were telling her those things because they truly wanted to encourage her.

Noa blushed when she saw herself in a mirror. She liked her new tracksuit. Although the process wasn't complete, Noa felt that she was starting to be part of something.

They started practice warming up following the captain's instructions. Oka Chizuko was a cheerful girl, but maybe too innocent to be the captain. She was too kind. But she had the twins to help her, specially Harada Ayako, who didn't hesitate when it came to yelling at Noa if it was necessary. Her sister, Ayaka, otherwise, was as rude as her twin sister, however, she was shyer.

After warming up, they set up the court to play some one-set matches. They were only five, so they split into teams of two members and they switched places when one of the teams won. In that way, everyone would have a different partner. Meanwhile, the remaining player would be the referee.

On the other hand, everyone played in different positions. That didn't bother Noa, but it was clear that she wasn't able to control her strength. She wasn't especially good at receives, but set ups weren't her thing either. She tossed sometimes the ball too high and her teammate couldn't spike it properly. Noa, however, was lucky enough not to lose any match during practice. She had to improve a lot, but she still managed to read the matches well, although they were mere practice.

"I'm exhausted", Shiraiwa Mayu, the libero, mumbled while she sat down on the bench.

"It isn't a big deal", Noa took one of the bottles.

"Well… You say that because you have too much energy. You're impossible to beat"

Noa chuckled, "That's not true". She sipped some water. "The main problem is that you lack a certain experience. I mean, if we played some matches, everything would be different. Your body will get used to it"

"If you say so…"

"Why don't we play a match? A real practice match?" Noa's eyes sparkled.

"Hold your horses, American girl!" Apparently, Ayaka and the rest of the team heard the conversation.

"We are five members!" Ayako raised an eyebrow. "We can't compete. Don't you remember?"

"I don't think that's important. We can play against the Housewives' Association, for example. Hinata told me t-"

"You don't surrender easily, do you?"

"Why would I do that?" Noa furrowed her brow. "I made a promise"

"To whom? Don't you see that we don't care about your stupid plans?"

Noa's eyes widened. Well, she didn't ask them for their opinion, but she was expecting they were believing in her. They were there when she gave Fujibashi-sensei the application form, they explained her the indoor volleyball rules, they had practice with her and they gave her her new Karasuno tracksuit. Was everything a lie?

Then, she was able to see things clearly. Harada Ayako wasn't trying to encourage her; she was mocking her.

"Ayako…" the captain muttered as she put her hand on the setter's shoulder.

"Stop it, Chizuko! Let's make things clear right now!" Ayako stepped aside and faced Noa. "We only accepted you in the team because you're like a pain in the ass! We thought that if we let you join in, you'd stop whatever you are trying to do. We don't want to compete again because we failed! Game over!" Ayako clenched her fists. "Let us enjoy our last days in the team for God's sake!"

Harada Ayako turned around and left the gym followed by the rest of the team. Noa wished she could have said something, but she was speechless. She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. Was it really what people thought about her? Did Hinata, Yamaguchi, Yachi and especially Daichi think that?

Noa felt a lump in her throat and she screamed. She felt the anger and the rage running through her veins. Why weren't they honest? Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why weren't things going according to plan?

She took the volleyballs, already in the metal carts, and she tossed them in the air, hitting them once and again, harder and harder, until she laid on the court, feeling exhausted. She sighed, holding back her tears. She was an idiot. She was an idiot for believing that everything was going to turn out well.

"What are you doing, Furi-chan?"

Aoyama Jiro was staring at her, standing. Noa blinked, whishing his presence was a nightmare, but the boy didn't disappear. She finally sat on the floor and she scratched her head, a little bit confused. Balls were spread all around the gym, so she stood up in order to tidy up the mess.

"Let me help you"

Noa didn't oppose. Together, they could finish and go home sooner. At that moment, it was the only thing on Noa's mind. She wanted to get into her bed and disappear from the world. Maybe, the girls had been sending her signals, but she had been blind. She had been so selfish that she didn't have her teammates in mind. Noa felt terrible. She was a horrible person.

"I wanted to talk to you", Jiro watched how she closed the gym door.

"I'm not in the mood"

Jiro chuckled, "Maybe you'll be if I introduce you to Watanabe Nagisa, for example"

Noa raised an eyebrow, "Who is she?"

He burst into laughter, "Nagi-chan isn't a girl! He's a boy! And a very good-looking one! Every girl in this high school knows him! He is my best friend!"

Noa's expression went blank. So that freak, after all, had friends. What a surprise…

"By the way, I've talked to the captain like you told me yesterday". And that's how he managed to catch all her attention. "But she told me that I was a weird guy. The twins are tough girls. They protect their captain really well", he laughed innocently while he rubbed the back of his neck.

That explained everything. Noa then could understand why Ayako had behaved like that. She was sure that the girls thought that Jiro's actions were planned by her. Noa clenched her fists.

"But I know you'll cheer up! I have good news!" Jiro got closer to Noa and smiled. "I've arranged a practice match in Tokyo this weekend!" Noa's face changed, but it wasn't for good. Jiro, however, jumped excited. "I wanted to show you that I was being serious about becoming your manager, so I've been calling a lot of teams in order to search for a good rival. Most of them told me that they were aware of the girls' volleyball team current situation. But, when I spoke with Itachiyama Academy and I told them that you were on the team, Furi-chan, they knew you! That was glorious! So they agreed. Although there's one condition: you have to play. They didn't ask anything else!"

"You have done what!?" Noa couldn't believe it. Why did he do something like that without even asking? She already had so many problems. She couldn't handle that creepy boy's insanity.

"You are going to play a real practice match! It'll take place this weekend and…!"

"Have you gone mad!?" Noa stepped forward and she grabbed his shirt "How are we going to get there, huh!? Have you thought about that!? How on Earth are we going to play if we only have five members!?" Noa's face reddened due to the anger. "Who do you think you are to make such an important decision!? You know nothing about the team! You know nothing about me! And you don't know that I'm sick of trying!"

"Furi-chan…"

"Shut up!" Noa shook him. "Don't you dare talk to me again! I don't want to know anything from you! Have you heard me!?"

Noa went silent. Her jaw was hurting due to the fact that she had been clenching her teeth. Suddenly, she noticed the terrified expression on Jiro's face and she realized what she had done. Noa released his shirt and stepped back. "I… I…" She felt her heart beating fast. What had she just done? She had yelled at a stranger, a boy a year older than her. "I-I'm sorry", she finally mumbled before running away.

Noa got into the changing room and locked the door. She tried to calm down. She felt her heart beating faster and faster and the only thing she wanted to do was scream and make a fuss like a child. She had lost control.

Almost in the dark, she picked up her things and, a few minutes later, she opened the door again. She was expecting to find Jiro on the other side of the door, but he wasn't. She ran towards the gym, but, again, the boy wasn't there anymore. He was gone. Noa felt her eyes filling up with tears and, during all her way home, she cried inconsolably. That was the end of her short adventure in indoor volleyball. She was going to quit.

~See you next time!