"Ne, ne, c'mon, stop whining already. You've got an ice pack, what more could you want?" A girl with short, dyed-blue hair glanced behind her with a roll of her eyes. Trailing not-so-closely behind, a girl with long, silver-grey hair pouted and pressed an ice pack to her face. "We're gonna miss the whole thing, which I'm not okay with!"
Exasperated with her companion, the blue-haired girl took a quick step back and grabbed onto the other girl's wrist. Pulling her forward, she ignored the half-hearted complaints that rose up behind her as they wove around the crowd and into one of the gymnasiums.
Inside, they were quick to move to the front of the stands - or at least, the blue-haired girl was. Her companion was less excited as she whined. They found themselves standing adjacent to a crowd of people she assumed were there to cheer on one of the teams - they all wore similar black and orange clothing. "Shush, Kiharu. Let me see it."
With an exaggerated sigh, the silver-haired girl - Kiharu - begrudgingly moved her hand and the ice pack away from her face. "Does it look bad? It feels bad. Kinda like I got punched in the face. Or at least, I assume that's what it feels like. I've never been punched in the face before…" Pursing her lips a little, she watched her blue-haired companion closely as she examined her face.
Snorting, the girl patted Kiharu's shoulder. "You'll be fine. Doesn't look that bad - some bruising, though. Kinda does look like you got punched in the face."
"Nari-chan! You're not supposed to agree with me!"
"Eh shut up. Blame your soulmate for getting punched in the face. Maybe I'll punch them in the face, too, when we meet them." Nari grinned a bit devilishly, ducking out of the way as Kiharu swiped at her.
"Hey, hey, hey, absolutely not! And stop making me laugh! Your punches feel like a fly landed on me. You'd do no harm." Moments after she said that, the silver-haired girl's eyes widened and then a moment later she whimpered and closed her eyes as she moaned in distress. "Kaa-nee is gonna totally make fun of me for this when we get back…."
Nari lifted a brow, turning towards the court. "Uh you sure that's not one of your fantasies? Can't say I've ever seen that boy make fun of anyone. He doesn't seem like the type." Shaking her head, the girl pushed her companion playfully and looked at the court. "Now shut up and watch the game."
"You're so mean to me, why are we even friends?" Kiharu's lower lip slid out as she pouted again. The act was momentary, as she quickly became distracted by the court. "Hey, hey, hey, is that the shorty you were talking about? Ko-nee mentioned someone like that. Is that him?" Nari followed the girl's finger out to a short, orange-haired player standing on the sidelines.
A cough drew their attention away for a moment, and the duo peered up at the blond man and his glasses-wearing companion as they stepped up to the railing beside them. "The shorty's name is Hinata Shouyo, by the way. Number ten, right?" The blond chuckled as both girls nodded. "He's one of the middle blockers. Maybe you'll get to see his quick spike with number nine this game."
Something in the way he said it made the duo look at one another and then him with concern. "What do you mean, maybe?" Nari leaned towards him a bit, eyes wide. Kiharu peered around her friend to watch him curiously as he frowned.
"Well, ah…" He shot his companion a glance, and the man straightened up and coughed.
"Well, the game was going well, but a little while back, their captain was injured while on the court and had to be taken out of the game. We're hoping that doesn't affect their play." Kiharu and Nari's mouths parted and both breathed out soft 'Ohhh's in sync. "I'm sure they'll pull themselves together, though."
Kiharu let her gaze move back to the court, and she rested her elbows on the railing as she kept the ice pack on her face. Beside her, Nari thanked the man for his information and then turned towards the game again. It seemed like Karasuno was struggling a bit at first, but slowly, they got their groove back. The duo were totally invested in the game after that - with Nari only reminding Kiharu once to thank her when the match was over for dragging her to watch, since it was such a good match.
They were well into their second set with Shiratorizawa and Niko was tired. They'd managed to scrape by with a win in the first set, the score ending with 29-27. Now, they were at 23-24 and boy was it a little rough. It was very clear why the opposing team was so popular. They were strong.
It was wild - like all of their spikers were either incredibly physically powerful, or just super flexible. Their libero was amazing to watch, too. So fast and incredibly solid with all of her receives. They had a pinch server with an incredibly annoying ceiling serve, and their setter was purposely trying to rile Tora up by copying her style.
It was amazing, and exhilarating. Niko missed playing in matches like this. Everything was on the line. With a wide grin on her lips, she waited on the sidelines in the box until she could go back out onto the court. Rubbing her wrist lightly, she kept her eyes on the court, observing all of the players. Just one more point, and then they'd be at deuce.
If only it was that easy. From her spot on the side of the court, Niko watched as her teammates rallied the ball back and forth with the opposing team over and over again. It was incredible how both teams managed to keep the ball in the air for so long. Until one of the wing spikers on Shiratorizawa managed to spike the ball at an extremely tight angle and sent it soaring through the blockers and straight into the floor just in front of the attack line.
Groaning in defeat, Niko helped hand out towels and drinks to her teammates as they made their way off of the court. One set to them, one to Shiratorizawa. It was inevitable, she supposed. At some point, they'd have had to play a match that went three sets. Just before they moved back onto the court and into the box on the sidelines, Niko's coach checked in with her.
"All good?" The woman eyed her hand, where it stilled on her wrist as she had been massaging it lightly. The concern was warranted - it was a three-set game, after all. She'd only just been cleared to be back on the court, so her coach was keeping a close eye on her to ensure she didn't further injure herself. Knowing this,Niko smiled and nodded.
"Yeah! My wrist is a tiny bit sore, but no more than yesterday. I'm fine. I promise." As her eyes met coach Takahashi's, she almost expected the woman to tell her to send in Kisuke instead. Instead, she narrowed her eyes for a moment and then gave a curt nod.
"Okay. I trust you. Let me know if you need anything."
What a relief that was. Not that she should've been surprised. She knew that if, for even a second, her coach doubted her that she'd pull her out of the game. It shouldn't be necessary, though. Yes, her wrist was sore, but nothing she couldn't handle. Niko was well aware of the fact that if she pushed herself too hard, put too much strain on her wrist, that she'd just end up making things worse for herself. She'd be the first to say something if she felt that she was jeopardizing her wrist and ask to take a break for a while. Kisuke was more than capable of covering for her.
The final set began with a long rally right out of the gate. Much to her relief, though, Niko was able to watch as her team made the first point. When she got back out onto the court, she sucked in a deep breath, grinning to herself.
To the surprise of the crowd - and Shiratorizawa, the coach subbed in Kami Ayeka before the rally began this time. The last set, she'd only served once before it was cut off. This time, Niko knew she'd get in more. She'd been too cautious last time - hit the ball too softly, hadn't pushed it far enough. She'd been trying to play it safe. Now, though, Ayeka had a look of determination on her face.
Ayeka walked up and bounced the ball a few times after swapping out Michi and then glanced up and winked at the other team's libero. She tossed the ball, following up with her standard jump serve. It sped across the court, right for the libero, who… ducked out of the way. The corner of Niko's lips curled up.
"Out!" The girl lifted her arms, leaning away from the ball with a small smirk. As the ball smacked into the floor, the libero found Ayeka's gaze and lifted a brow, unimpressed. Until the referee called it in. Her face dropped, and Ayeka grinned widely.
The next time, she aimed for one of the first years. The girl hesitated a moment too long before going after the ball. It scored them another point as the referee called it in. It took them two more points before the opposing team caught onto her strategy and dove for the ball. Unfortunately, they either didn't get to in time or sent it out of bounds, scoring Aoba Johsai another point. Shiratorizawa's coach called for a timeout, trying to stop Ayeka's momentum. It was somewhat ineffective. Another point was lost, and then finally the libero picked up the ball after hesitating briefly.
It was definitely not the best receive - and it sailed right back over to Aoba Johsai's side of the court. That point was scored by Hitomu with an incredibly exuberant back attack. The next time Ayeka served, the libero managed to lift up the ball properly and Shiratorizawa's ace scored with a straight. Niko had dove for the ball, but was too slow to react. It hit the floor as she was still midair. Niko was sure it was exciting for the other team, but for her it was a little disappointing to see Ayeka cut off. She'd been so close to her record of eight points in a row with her serve.
Of course, this was incredible for her team as a whole, though. It was just the start that they needed, after the roughness of the previous set. Eight to zero was a pretty scary score, though, so their opponents were surely intending on hitting them back just as hard. To no one's surprise - that was exactly what the powerhouse school did.
That set was tough and exciting. Shiratorizawa hit them back with just as much force - between powerful jump serves and incredible spikes, they managed to get the point gap to just four points within a short time. Although somewhat disappointing, by the time Niko's team hit twenty-four points, the opposing team was right behind them at twenty-three.
Her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. It was this high that Niko loved about volleyball. As one of the spikers hit the ball, glancing it off of Nanami's hand, Niko raced after it. She leapt for the ball, stretching one hand out to get between the ball and the floor.
It hit the floor and bounced up as Niko's body slid towards it, her arms outstretched. Damnit. Leaping up, she cursed under her breath and raced back to the court. Now they were at deuce. She rubbed her wrist, frowning as she mulled over what she knew about the opposing players. What were their habits, their idiosyncrasies, little tells. All of it was being processed quickly and efficiently.
Back and forth, the points went up evenly on both sides. One point to Aoba Johsai, then one to their opponent, and back again. Over and over, both teams scored one brutal point at a time. It was exhausting players from both teams. Swiping her forearm across her sweaty forehead, Niko licked her lips and glanced at the scoreboard.
32-31. Just one more point. Always just one more point. She was grinning, enjoying the grueling pace.
The ball went up again. The bright lights of the gym did little to distract Niko as she followed it, moving to dive and lift it back up. She called for cover, rolling back to her feet as her teammates rushed forward. Michi bounced the ball more cleanly to Tora, while someone called for the left.
Hitomu, Michi, and Sakura all began the run up. The ball passed from Tora's fingertips in a fluid motion, sailing right into Hitomu's waiting palm. She smacked it across the net, sending the ball at a sharp angle behind the blockers who had been moments too late.
Their libero raced forward, diving to send the ball back up. One of their middle blockers bumped it back to the setter, and then the ball was sailing towards the floor. Niko shifted forward, stretching her arms out. It hit her hand, flying back up. Then she was moving again, fingertips briefly touching her wrapped wrist as she began moving to defend again.
This time, Tora accounted for the odd receive on her own and when the ball came flying towards her, she set it right to Hitomu again. Another sharply angled spike, and another messy receive. Again, Niko was running and guiding the ball back towards their setter and captain.
Four attempts to spike it later, Hitomu finally succeeded on scoring the final point - with another cross spike that surprised the opposing team. They'd assumed she would give up trying to hit cross spikes after being thwarted three times. They didn't know Hitomu very well. Her hand was wrapped around her wrist, massaging the inner portion of it lightly with her thumb.
Relief and euphoria flooded through Niko as she celebrated with her team briefly. They had won their second match!
The break between matches would be short, but it was enough to send a couple messages and rest for a while. With her wrist snugly wrapped in the cooling pack, Niko rehydrated and let her body rest alongside her teammates.
Niko hadn't been surprised to hear that both boys' teams had won their first matches that day. She had been surprised, however, to hear about Daichi's injury. That resulted in a mildly panicked call to Asahi, who was quick to assure her that the crow captain would be fine - if not a little sore. It wasn't until a few minutes after she hung up from the call that Niko remembered what the wins meant for the boys' teams.
Aoba Johsai and Karasuno would be facing off against each other once the break between matches was over. The sheer thought both excited and terrified Niko, honestly. How desperately she wished that she could be watching their match. She was rooting for both teams - despite knowing that one of them would inevitably lose. She sent both teams good luck messages, wishing them well no matter the result.
Some people liked to say you could only root for any one team, but that seemed dumb to her. Each of the teams was important to her, in different ways. She adored Karasuno and Aoba Johsai, and knew that they were both incredibly strong. Whoever came out on top wasn't going to have an easy time of it. It would be deserved, either way.
That's also how she managed to push away her own mild anxieties about her upcoming match. No matter what happened, both teams were going to be giving their all. It wouldn't be an easy win. Of that, she was sure.
After Karasuno won their match against Wakutani, Kiharu and Nari bid the two men goodbye and left the gym. "Awh, you sure we can't stay longer?" The blue-haired teen nudged her companion, looking at her hopefully. Kiharu frowned a bit, shaking her head.
"I want to, especially since we were so late after the whole fiasco with the train and then me needing to stop for an ice pack, but I gotta get back. You know I have practice later tonight. The coach would eat me alive if I'm late." She looked at her friend apologetically. Nari sighed dramatically, wrapping her arms around Kiharu's midsection.
"I guess all I can really do is forgive you. But this means that you owe me. Next time we have the chance to watch them play, you are required by law to come with me." When the silver-haired girl laughed and nodded, Nari released her. "Good, it's a deal then. Let's at least wander a bit check out the rest of the building for a bit before we leave, then. Pleeaaseee?"
It took Kiharu only a moment to laugh and nod in agreement. "Fine, fine. But make it quick! I dunno why you're so obsessed with this sport. I've never been able to wrap my head around it all that much."
Nari snorted, rolling her eyes. "Which is truly ironic, given your brother." The duo exchanged a look, then burst into laughter as they made it into the hallway. For the next thirty minutes, they wandered around the giant building. Nari was having the time of her life, introducing herself to so many different players Kiharu wondered how she'd remember their names - if she could remember them at all.
When questioned about it, Nari simply sent her a sly grin and shrugged, saying, "I don't need to know their names, just remember their faces… and shirtless torsos." which sent Kiharu into a of laughter that had her doubling over. Trust her best friend to make the most innocent of things into something far less innocent.
"Oooh, ooooh, look!" Nari pulled Kiharu's attention towards a group of players who were resting in one of the little alcoves. "I want to go-"
"They literally just got out of a game less than twenty minutes ago, let them rest."
For a moment, Nari looked dejected, then suddenly bounced right back from it and was grinning. "Well yeah but I'll only take a minute or two of their time!" Before she could stop her friend, Nari bounded forward and called out to the black-clad players.
"Ne, ne, Karasuno, right?!" As she called out to them, the entire team turned towards the duo.
He didn't recognize either of the girls - and a quick glance at his teammates made him realize that no one else did either. Standing up, Suga smiled calmly and nodded. "That's us. Did you need something?" Not that he was suspicious of the two, but it was pretty abnormal for someone to approach them out of nowhere.
The shorter of the two girls, the one who'd spoken, stepped a little closer. Her bobbed, blue hair bounced when she gave a nod and moved towards him. Behind her, the taller girl pursed her lips and pressed what looked like an ice pack to her cheek. Something about her silver hair and amber eyes reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite pinpoint who or why.
"Hi! We're huge fans. I just wanted to say that I loved watching your match!" The blue-haired girl pulled his attention to her again, and he looked at her in surprise. After a moment of being unsure how to respond, Suga grinned and rubbed the back of his head.
"Thanks, we appreciate your support…" He trailed off, gaze moving between the two girls. Daichi, who'd been wrangling Tanaka and Nishinoya alongside Ennoshita, appeared next to him with his hands on his hips.
"Thank you! We're glad to have your support. Do you go to Karasuno?" He smiled warmly at the two, and Suga wondered the same thing. He didn't recognize either of them, but that didn't mean they didn't attend their school.
The silver-haired girl snorted, making her companion reach around to smack her arm. "Shut up, Kiharu. It's a legitimate question!" Just as quickly as she turned to face her friend, the girl did an about face back to Daichi and Suga, a huge grin on her lips. "Nah! We're from-" Kiharu slid up right behind the girl, and she jerked in surprise before continuing. "Tokyo."
The two girls' gazes clashed for a moment, before Kiharu smirked and straightened up. "Nariko, you're pretty rude. Not even gonna introduce yourself?"
"Honestly you're a menace." Nariko grumbled, before focusing on Suga and Daichi, who both stood there grinning in amusement. "Sorry, Kiharu's soulmate got punched in the face so she's a little," She lifted a finger, twirling it next to her head with a roll of her eyes, "crazy right now. It scrambled the few brain cells she has too much. Forgive her."
Elbowing her friend, Nariko shoved the other girl a few steps back from her. "Anyway. We were gonna be in the area today, and when I heard you guys were gonna be playing, I just had to come and watch you in person. I've heard a ton about you from our friends." Behind her, Kiharu meandered a few steps away to lean against the wall. Suga glanced her way, but she paid him no mind as she pulled out her phone.
"No worries." Daichi laughed, waving a hand as he shook his head with a grin. The two girls were amusing, they had to admit. "Friends? Anyone that we know?" Undoubtedly, he was thinking the same thing as Suga - Nekomata, or someone from the training camp they'd attended with several schools this past summer. "Oh, sorry, I'm Sawamura Daichi. Captain of the team."
Suga grinned, cheeks turning pink as he realized he'd yet to introduce himself, either. He quickly bowed his head to the duo. "Sugawara Kōshi. Vice captain." Nariko grinned brightly, bowing in return to them both.
She twisted to look at Kiharu, glaring at her silver-haired companion until she pouted and slid up next to her and bowed lightly. "Hanabi Noriko. Nice to meet you both! Ah, I heard about you guys from Kiharu's brother, actually! More specifically, the orange-haired middle blocker, umm… Hin- Hina- Hinata? I think it was?" Her brows furrowed for a moment, and Kiharu opened her mouth to retort something when she was cut off.
"Hey guys, let's start heading down to the court. We're just about up for our final match of the day. Everyone ready?" Ukai unintentionally cut in, before chuckling and bowing his head. "Sorry, ladies."
"Ooh, no, no, it's okay! You guys have to go warm up! It was nice meeting you both, Sugawara-san and Sawamura-san!" Nariko smiled brightly and bowed to them both. "Good luck! We can't watch the game, but we will still be cheering you on nonetheless!"
Kiharu hummed, an arm slipping around Noriko's shoulders, as she locked gazes with Suga. Her eyes were like liquid gold, and her gaze was surprisingly intense. "Ohoho, good luck~ I've got no doubts that you'll win. See ya around." Something about that sent a shiver up his spine. Why couldn't he shake the feeling that he knew her, or that she was somehow familiar?
The taller girl smirked at he and Daichi before she pulled Noriko around and led her away. Needless to say, she was leaving Suga with quite a few questions. Daichi watched the two walk away before he turned to Suga with a grin. "Well, we can't very well disappoint our fans. Let's go win this." At least the captain didn't seem phased by the interaction, he supposed. Shaking it off, Suga grinned and slapped Daichi on the back none-too-lightly.
And so, they did go and win it - for their fans, of course. At least, that's what a certain someone would say, years down the line when they were recounting the story, a teasing grin on their lips as their arms wrapped around a familiar figure.
A/N: Ohohoho, what is this? ;) Who could she be? Needless to say, this chapter was really fun to write. Something a little outside of the box, and more of a filler than anything with incredible sustenance, but still fun to take a glimpse into the future, no? ;)
Ranighastly - Thank you! I'm so happy that you think so. It means the world to me! I wholeheartedly agree - Asahi is such a sweetheart, and I would absolutely be more intimidated by Dadchi if I had to pick between the two of them. The ace really is glass-hearted :p
eunoiapaint - Yesss! Things are on the up, slowly but surely :) Thank you!
Coolfire30 - Honestly, same. I tried to write a bit more into that in this chapter, but I promise things are on the up for her!
Chocogirl24 - Ahhh, thank you, thank you! I'm happy you think so! I appreciate your support!