AN: RATING MAY CHANGE
"This year, we are gonna get it for sure!" Hinata said, his pale face and rumbling stomach making his voice shake. The little ginger was gawking at the gathering crowd as the village filled the rusting stands of the amphitheater on a warm mid-April day. The bright blue sky above shone brightly in the afternoon sun, without a breeze to be felt. They could not ask for a better day to try out for the Court of Crows from Korusuki Village. Kageyama made a small noise of contempt as he crossed his arm over his chest. Unlike his ginger best friend he was not so sure about their supposed victory in this year's Games.
"If you didn't look so pathetic with your weak ass stomach right now, I would believe you." The dark-haired boy snapped at his hunched companion. The ginger glared at him before dashing off to one of the outhouses just outside of the test court. Kageyama snorted as Hinata simply proved his point. He then walked closer to the crowd of players that he would need to compete against this year. The number of players seemed to dwindle to only a dozen or so. With so many years without Blessings, fewer and fewer people were left in the village that still hopes to revive Blessing. Most of Kageyama's friends and rivals had moved years ago to try and escape the cloud of the misfortune of the town.
Still, fewer people I have to worry about getting between me and my spot on the team.
The village was still piling in along with his soon to be teammates. A small snicker piped up from one of the boys to his right, and Kageyama was met with one of his least favorite people in the village. A tall blond with horrible eyesight smirked down at him with a cocky glint in his eye.
"You know he is not gonna make it this year with that bundle of nerves he's got. Kid's just a jumble of energy and hops." Kei Tsukishima ridiculed. Before Kageyama could even open his mouth, a sharp slap was heard, given by a lovable grey-haired boy.
"Be nice to Hinata, Tsukishima. You are the first year just like he is." Kōshi Sugawara, or Suga, scolded. The taller blond glared down at his elder player before huffing to feign disinterest. Kageyama smirked at the Tsuki before looking back at the co-captain. Suga glanced at the bathroom nervously, looking as if the poor child were his own. It was silly because they were all over eighteen and about to enter a competition that was almost a right of passage for men. A steady hand clasped around the grey-haired boy's shoulder, and a reassuring smile relaxed the atmosphere.
"Suga, Hinata will be fine. It's the kids' first time at the Trial." Daichi Sawamura's warm smile turned into a bothersome glare as he regarded the Tsuki. "You lay off. With any luck, we will all be on the same team, and I don't need us having any infighting." A slight shiver ran up the back of every one of the current players as Daichi's expression became one of anger. After a moment, the smile returned, and Daichi walked away to greet the other competitors. Kageyama huffed.
"Easy for him to say. He is the Captain." He tugged at his bag's strings, trying to calm his own rising nerves. As a setter, he had to have a level head, but with the mounting pressure of all the years without Blessings weighing down on him, it was starting to make his own stomach turn. Suga smiled warmly at the first year and patted his head. They had all more or less grown up together, and while they were all different years, they had become family.
"He has been captain ever since he was the first year. He's a natural leader, and we've never been closer to winning." Tsukishima made a small tech sound as he put on his headphones and began entirely ignoring the world. While it wasn't very sportsmanlike to wear your headphones, Tsuki had a particular way of respecting the rules without outright breaking them. Kageyama glared jealously at the warm-hearted captain when a burst of loud noises caught his attention.
"Bring on the Trial, baby!" A loud, shaved, tough-looking delinquent burst through the locker room doors and puffed out his chest. His eyes gleamed with confidence and excitement as a second and much smaller body jumped forward to mimic the first. They both wore the Crow uniform, and their sneakers shone like stars.
"Those Blessings are as good as ours!" The little bi-colored haired boy laughed. The two high fived before hyping the other up. Kageyama briefly wondered if they had any brain cells in their head after all the screaming and headbutting. Daichi, who had returned after hearing the commotion, pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in exasperation.
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be a Trial with those two…" Daichi muttered under his breath. Suga laughed.
"Come on, Daichi, lighten up! Tanaka is the hype of this town, and Nishinoya isn't someone you can just leave sitting on the sidelines." The two spazzoid boys started their cheering again, yelling loudly enough to cause many heads to turn. "I mean, Tanaka is one of the hardest hitters, and Noya is the best defense we have seen in years. Noya also has a keen eye for Idles, and I've yet to see someone beat Tanaka in hand to hand fight." Daichi nodded. Kageyama glanced around, looking for someone else.
"Has anyone seen Asahi? I thought he was the Idle?" Daichi's face darkened.
"Bailed after last year..." Kageyama winced and looked down at his shoes. Last year had been almost the breaking point of the village. After more than twenty years between Blessings, people were really starting to suffer. Hunger, poor crops, and general hardships were taking a toll on them. It was unfair, but every village had to earn their Blessings. Kageyama couldn't imagine the guilty pressure Asahi was under after last year…
"Hey, captain?" A timid baritone piped up from behind them. The three boys turned to see Asahi, his beard slightly trimmed and hair tied back using a thin headband. He rubbed the back of his head, nervously. "I didn't come here to compete-"
"Asahi!" Noya's loud voice boomed over the crowd, causing the brown-haired Jesus to pale. His face scrunched up in an expression of silent terror as he turned to see a flash of yellow and brown hair sprinting at him. A small scream of shock and terror was the only thing Asahi could utter before the tiny player lept into the air and headbutted him in the midsection. The taller player flew back, clutching his stomach in agony as his face turned green. When Asahi stopped, rolling Noya jumped up with his fist raised as if to batter the already fallen Asahi.
"Where the Hell have you been? I haven't seen you in training for months! You think you can slink off after last year's Game and come crawling back without an apology? Think again!" The smaller spiky-haired boy yelled down at the gentle giant, who was covering his head, almost groveling into the ground. Tsuki raised an eyebrow as he watched the commotion.
"Noya, you sound like a Chihuahua on cocaine." Kageyama had to cover a snort of laughter. Tsuki's jokes were far from funny, Kageyama had to remind himself. Noya turned around, almost snarling like the poor dog he was alluded to.
"Shut up! I'm way bigger than any dog could ever hope to be!" The boy puffed out his chest and jammed his thumb just above his heart. "You are looking at a true Wolf! The biggest, baddest, bravest wolf that is gonna rule the Court!"
"I thought you were a crow? You know, because that is our team spirit animal?" Kageyama deadpanned, allowing the disgruntled and shamed Asahi to crawl from his fetal position to hide behind Daichi. The captain just glared at the soft-hearted giant. One look from his captain and Asahi straightened his back. They all watched as Tanaka and Noya argued with Kageyama over the idea of Crows and Wolves for the Court games.
Meanwhile, Hinata was creeping out of the bathroom when he bumped into two women.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" He blurted, jumping back with a deep bow. When he heard nothing, he risked a glanced up and gasped slightly. A woman with dark ebony locks with eyes like a storm cloud was looking down at him emotionlessly. Her perfume reminded Hinata of warm apples and cherry blossoms as a slight breeze drifted through the halls. Her dark blue shirt and tight-fitting blue leggings gave her an air of perfect femininity with subtle hints of unstoppable confidence. Her smile was enough to make Hinata's cheek grow warm and stare at her in a daze.
"It's ok." The woman offered gently, bowing ever so slightly before pulling her companion along. This girl was much smaller, blond, and had a nervous energy that Hinata just couldn't understand. She was also muttering like a woman possessed. This girl was staring at the taller one as if she were the sun, moon, and stars itself. Hinata watched them walk up to Daichi and Suga before he was snapped out of his trance. Forgetting his turning tummy, he bounded over to the group.
"Oh, Hinata. This is Shimizu Kiyoko, our Healer from last year." Kiyoko smiled at Hinata once more before bowing in greeting. Hinata hurriedly nodded back as Noya and Tanaka bounded in front of Kiyoko excitedly.
"Good afternoon, Kiyoko!" They both said, their eyes sparkling as they took in every centimeter of her beautiful form. "Who is this? Is she your trainee?" Tanaka asked, bending over to look the smaller girl in the eye. The blond yelped in fright and hid behind Kiyoko. Daichi and Suga grabbed the collars of the two perverts and held them up and away from the two girls.
"Would you give them some space? Kiyoko doesn't need you pestering her every five minutes!" Daichi snapped, dropping Tanaka on his ass with a loud thud.
"At least give the girls a chance to speak before you bombard them." Suga scolded in his soft voice. Noya, too, was dropped unceremoniously, and the two boys pouted at their captain and co captain's feet respectfully. Kiyoko just waved off the whole interaction with a smile, the smile that made every boy in front of her grow soft and mushy.
"This is Hitoka Yachi, and she is our new Healer. None of the other girls wanted to volunteer for the Court Games Support after they failed the test for the last three years. Since this is my last year, I figured that I needed to stretch the test a bit, and only she made it." She rubbed her knee, the scar there, acting as if just the memory brought back pain. All the boy's faces fell and darkened.
"You are still the best healer we have ever had," Daichi muttered, his shoulders slumping with the weight of his guilt. Kageyama looked between the group in dumbfounded confusion. Tsuki elbowed him.
"Kiyoko was the only one to get hurt to the point she had to be pulled out last year. She was running with them before tripping over something that supposed to end her career as a healer. That's why none of the other girls wanna do it. Kiyoko is the strongest girl in the village, and even she couldn't keep up with the raw power of a Blessed team. That and the fact the position of Support staff isn't as flashy nor as prestigious as Player is, so its hard to get people to fill those positions. They also have to test into the position, which no player has to do. If you did, I doubt you would make it, either." Kageyama glared at Tsuki, who smirked at how his little jab had affected the cranky King. There was a small moment of silence as the three veteran players stewed in the melancholy of their previous year's failure. Despite the warm day, it was almost as if an icy wind had blown the optimism right out of the young players. However, just like a cloud passes in the sky, the sun always makes a comeback.
"Hi! I'm Hinata Shoyo! This is my first Trail, so I'm gonna try my hardest to become the Idle of the team. Hey, you think they will have two Idles? Because you are the support, you might qualify for an Idle position. I mean, they are changing a lot of the other rules, so maybe they will make it even more of a challenge with two IDles, right? Wouldn't that be amazing!" Hinata was now hopping around the new, smaller blond. Yachi's face turned nearly purple with a blush as she nodded her head furiously. The other players watched the little ball of energy chase away the mood, seemingly oblivious to the moment he had interrupted. Not that any of them minded. This was not a day to dwell on the past, after all.
"Yes, so cool! I will try my best!" She began sputtering to try and keep up with Hinata before Kiyoko placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. This stopped Yachi in her tracks as she resumed staring up at the older girl in pure awe. Hinata, happy to make a new friend, bounced over to a still frozen Kageyama.
"Hey, Kageyama? You ok?" A few pokes later, the tall, dark-haired boy snapped out of his stupor and growled at the hyperactive ginger.
"Hey, dumbass, stop poking me!" He took a swing, which was easily dodged by Hinata and returned with an angry scowl.
"You weren't responding! What was I supposed to do?" The two boys started actually fighting, throwing kicks and punches at each other much to their teammates' annoyance. As the warning bell rang, they all sobered and lined up. The hot April sun shone on the players, melting away the anxiety and renewed a sense of hope. While they may not have had a large pool of talent to choose from, the talent they had this year was unmatched in decades. Each player glanced from left to right, sizing up their possible teammates and opposition. Tsuki, standing between Asahi and Daichi, glanced down the line as if looking for someone.
"Where is Yamaguchi?" Daichi frowned in confusion.
"Who?" The final bell rang out as the townspeople settled into their seats, and the bald Mayor stepped on stage. Each Player stood at attention in anxious excitement on the line before the rickety stage. The Mayor's wig sat crooked on his head, even though he attempted to fix it a few times before he got on stage. His large gut made the buttons on his dress shirt strain, and his voice was a lazy drool as he spoke into the cracking mic. The twenty years were weighing heavily on the man, and he obviously had little hope of seeing the day where the town would receive a Blessing.
"Good afternoon, my people. Today we choose who will represent us in this year's Court games…" The Mayor paused, looking down at the tiny line of players. "This year, as many of you know and have heard rumors of, things have changed. No longer will the Court games be held at the open field in the Court Fields. The field has been made unusable by wildfire and is unusable. Instead, the Council of Courts has chosen to adopt this year's Court Games to fit the upcoming Games. Instead of a straight battle in an open field, there will be a capture of the Idle gameplay of old." Whispers erupted from the town and the players alike. Losing the Court Fields was a significant blow to the Games, but there were always rumors of a backup plan in case something happens to the thirty acres of field. The backup plan, however, was from a barbaric time…
"I ask that you settle down. Yes, this is not ideal. Many years ago, we lost over half our players because of these games, but alas, it seems the Gods have grown bored of open Games and wish to raise the stakes. Now, I will not sugarcoat it. This year will be dangerous. Instead of simply being in an open field with the worst injuries being broken bones or a twisted ankle, you may, in fact, be faced with career-ending wounds. Players and Support Staff will be put into base camps and survive as long as they can in over three thousand acres of woodlands and mountain ranges. Once and Idle is captured, the Idleless team is sent to recover that idle with a game of Volleyball. If a team loses their Idle, they are removed from play. If the team manages to recover their Idle, they return to their base and will start over. The Court Games will last until one team keeps their Idle and receives their Blessing."
"Career ending…" Hinata's eyes grew dull, his stomach-turning. Kageyama's hands balled into fists at the mention of the risks. Everyone was feeling the sudden shift in this year's games. Court Games used to be a simple capture and play round-robin tournament that lasted maybe two weeks. This type of Court game... it could almost last a Year. However, everyone remembered that the last time they had played this type of Court Game, the Blessings from the winning team had endured over five years instead of a few months. The village buzzed with both skepticism and hope. The Mayor continued, but aware of the looks that had dawned the players' expressions.
"Now, because of this, they are allowing more support staff and more players to cover for the increased risk of injury. More training will need to be done, but I have no doubt about our wonderful Kiyoko." The girl's serious expression never changed as she bowed to the complement. The village erupted into cheering as the village favorite was pointed out. Kiyoko held Yachi's hand tightly, giving the girl something to keep in case she fainted in fright. Tsuki shook his head, turning to leave before Daichi caught his hand.
"Don't walk away now. You will regret it…" The seriousness in his voice gave Tsuki a moment's pause. He opened his mouth to say something before his eyes caught his brother looking down at him through the stands. Images of his brother crying because he was never able to make it through the Trials flashed behind his eyes, his parents shutting out his brother as if blaming him for the drought of Blessings. His brother's eyes pleaded with him in the stands, sending the same despite the message that Daichi had given him. Tsuki's expression steeled, and he returned to his place next to the captain. Tanaka and Noya leaned over to whisper to Kiyoko that they would protect her, despite their knees shaking. Kiyoko offered them a small smile that made the boy's knees stop shaking and bright, blissful smiles to grace their lips. Suga glanced worriedly up and down the line as he remembered just how many new players they would have this year. He was concerned that their inexperience would cause them to either bravely volunteer to their death or chicken out.
"I will now invite those who wish to back out of the Trial to walk now. There is no shame in walking away from this year's Trial after knowing just how taxing it will be. We have lasted this long without Blessing we can last one more year. Now… who will remain?" There was a moment of silence, not even a breeze blowing as the hot sun crept across the sky. Sweat dripped down everyone's forehead as eyes darted back and forth. Then, one person backed down with their head bowed. Then another. Then three more. Then over three dozen people backed out until only ten remained. These players, however, had a fire in their eyes, with only one thought coursing through their veins.
No matter the risk I have to face, I want to win! For the honor of Korasano and the Blessings!
"I see…" There was a deep disappointing sigh in the Mayor's voice as he spoke next. "Only ten… that isn't enough for a team." The town held their breath as terror crept into the remaining player's eyes. Ten was more than enough to play on a typical volleyball game. They only really needed six players in previous years, but the new games seemed to require double. Hinata's legs began to shake as his hands balled into fists. Kageyama bit his lip hard enough to almost break the skin. A single thought flashed through the two boy's minds.
No… we want to play and fight!
"I'm afraid, as mayor, I must withdraw from this year's Court Games-"
"Wait!" Someone yelled within the locker room loudly enough so everyone could hear the echo. The voice may not have sounded healthy, but it was the desperation and hope that drew everyone's ear like a moth to a flame. All heads turned as the door to the locker room burst open. An average-sized boy with greenish-black hair that brushed his shoulder. He looked scrawny like he hadn't been appropriately fed in weeks and did not seem like much of a player. Everyone watched his face screw up in fear as he dashed out to join his fellow players. However, the boy's jaw was set, and he pointed to himself with his thumb.
"Make that twelve players." Tsuki grinned back at his best friend.
"Stupid Tadashi. Late to the party as usual. So freaking lame..." The boy bounded to the line, standing between Daichi and Tsuki with a red face as he caught his breath. Daichi looked down at the new kid with a grin.
"Way to make an entrance, kid." Suga gave the boy a thumbs up, which only flustered the boy. The village buzzed with new excitement as they looked up expectantly to their mayor. The Mayor glanced down the line, seeing the renewed sense of hope and determination light up the queue before him. Glancing out at the town, the fire of the line had caught the spirit of the cities people as well. There might be hope for us yet, but...
"We need one more player or support because I only count eleven players. Anyone willing to change their minds and step forward?" The boys glanced at each other and then back at the players who already quit. None seemed too eager to change their minds and avoid the eyes of the crowd and their fellow players. Despite the desire to win flowing around the amphitheater, no one seemed keen to step up. "I can't say how sorry I am to do this, but we will not compete-"
"Oi! What about her?" Tadashi Yamaguchi pointed back to the locker room, where a girl was stepping out of the shadows. Everyone's head turned once again to regard the unknown savor. A pair of bi-colored eyes alight with an intense flame met everyone's gaze with a cool connectedness of a trained assassin. A crystal blue orb glinted in the sunlight like a snow-covered lake while a deep amber brown burned like coal. Their dark black hair was tied back in a braid that fell to the small of her back. She walked as if she were much taller than her actual height, which stood just about the same as Noya's when she stepped up to the line. Her shoulders back, her black t-shirt and black shorts mirroring the boys around her. Everyone stared in utter awe at the girl. The Mayor's face paled.
"Oh, by the god and Blessing above, not you…"
"My name is Aya Rain, daughter of Ikkei Ukai. I'm here to win the Court Games as a Player for the Korasano village." Her chin lifted, challenging the Mayor with her declaration. Daichi, Suga, Asahi, Tanaka, Kiyoko, and Noya all stared in absolute shock as a single phrase passed their lips.
"The Princess of the Crow's Court…"
"Who is that?" Hinata asked Kageyama as the boys and girls were separated after the Trial Initiation. The Initiation was mostly informal after the Mayor had stopped sputtering into the mic about the Aya girl. He had tried to have the girl removed, but no one seemed keen on kicking the only person brave enough to step in at the last minute to give the village some hope. After a while, the Mayor had given in and thrown his responsibilities to his secretary. The boys were given a number and signed their name before given three weeks to train together before they were sent to the group training camp with their allied villages. Kageyama glared down at Hinata as if he had come off the bottom of his shoe.
"How the heck am I supposed to know?" He snapped, taking a long drink from his water bottle as he wiped away the sweat from his forehead and neck. The little ginger just glanced around the taller boy, cocking his head to the side as the three girls stood around each other and talked. Well, it looked more like the strange new girl, and Yachi was doing most of the talking while Kiyoko was frowning at the new girl. They were all heading to the locker room to change into their regular clothes for the day.
"Hey, don't stare at her unless you wanna pick a fight…" Asashi warned, shivering as he hurried into the locker room. Suga laughed and patted the nervous giant's shoulder reassuringly.
"Wow, she really did a number on you last time, huh? come on, it wasn't that bad, and she did warn you." Daichi chuckled a little.
"She did, Asashi. You should have known being the daughter of the Crazy Crow King would give her a little leg up on us despite her size."
"Yeah! You gonna judge someone on how big they are? Huh!" Noya yelled, jumping up and down in front of the now appalled Asahi.
"No, no!" Asahi waved his hands wildly as he tried to backtrack as everyone piled into the locker room. Hinata caught one last glimpse of the girls before the door closed on them. It looked like the new girl was being yelled at by Kiyoko and was not taking it quietly. "I just mean that… she is like a little sister, and I didn't wanna hurt her. And when I hit her in the face, I just let it slip…" He shuddered again. Tanaka nodded a little nervously.
"Yeah… that Aya girl really got ya, dude. You said something about it being dangerous on the Court, and the little firecracker spiked a ball right into your crotch… Surprised, you have anything there anymore, dude."
"He probably never had anything in the first place. Still, even I felt that hit for a few days." Suga chimed in softly, snickering. Daichi rolled his eyes, and jokingly bumped his best friend's shoulder. Asahi, however, did not find this funny.
"Aw, come on!" Asahi yelled loudly, sputtering in such a way that sent Noya rolling on the floor with laughter. Tsuki snickered as Tadashi paled.
"Is she really that scary?" Tadashi asked, shaking as he changed back into his usual jeans and T-shirt. Daichi shrugged as he changed out of his own sweaty uniform. He placed his in the box where they would be taken to be given their numbers and names for the Court games. They each put their measurement as well, so their uniforms would be fitted appropriately.
"She is intense. She went into the Trial a year early and held out with the best of them. She only got caught after the old Crow snitched on her for being too young. Then they banned females from entering as players the next year, and she flipped. She tried out for the support staff but got kicked out because she kept getting in the way of the other players and not doing enough support work. She failed out of the support test anyway, but still." Suga winced.
"Yeah, then she chewed out Asahi for not giving the spikes everything he had and being a baby. I mean, she wasn't wrong about him being a baby, but he was still super new to the Court. It was kinda unfair and rude, and even I didn't really want her on the team that much." Asahi nodded solemnly.
"She kicked me in the face last year when I tried to lift her up so she could see over the net! The accused me of trying to look under her skirt, but that wasn't why I was lifting her up!" Tanaka said, huffing as if he had been wronged in some way.
"Yeah, and then she smacked me when I did a rolling thunder under her after she missed a spike. The view was worth it, though…" Noya almost purred in joy, his eyes glazing over as he seemed to replay the memory.
"Wait, you caught a glance!" Tanaka boomed, wrestling with Noya about how unfair it was. Daichi, growing annoyed with the two, kicked them both into the ice-cold showers to cool them off. Suga snickered and looked back at Hinata.
"But that was almost two years ago. Aya hasn't been heard from in almost a year and a half, so things might have changed. Either way, I doubt she lost her work ethic and drive to win." Suga began locking up his locker and making notes in his captain notebook, sitting with Daichi to go over the plans with him.
"So, is she good or is she just an angry ball of rage like Hinata is an annoying broken dumbass ball of energy?"
"What did you say, Kageyama!" Hinata yelled, throwing his shoes at the offending party. Kageyama dodged, and the boots hit Tsuki square in the face. A small trickle of blood dripped from the boy's nose as an evil glare twisted Tsuki's face. Hinata was then chased around the room by a murderous Tsuki, who was followed timidly by Tadashi, who only wanted the fighting to stop. Daichi paused in his work with Suga and looked at the calendar. They had three months before they started the Court Games, and he wasn't sure that it would be enough time to smooth out the teams' wrinkles, which seemed to be no shortage of.
"I haven't talked to her, but last I saw she was outstanding." There was a long pause as Daichi gave his question some more thought. The air in the room changed as everyone turned to listen to the next words out of the gentle captain's mouth. "I bet Aya was so angry because she feels like she has to prove something because she is a girl. Or that she is the only one who wants to win badly enough that she will push herself past the limit of what even she thinks is possible. That kind of drive and bitterness… it can really get away from people sometimes and blind them from reaching their true potential." He glanced at Kageyama, who glared at his shoes.
"Yeah, whatever…" Kageyama muttered, throwing his things into his designated locker. If anyone understood how toxic the drive to perfection and obsessing about being the best was, he would. He was reminded of that a lot growing up when he played with the other kids. Hinata watched the exchange, looking between Suga and Kageyama as if trying to read a secret message. Tsuki huffed.
"What if she hasn't changed? I'm not gonna protect or play with someone who is just gonna mess up the team for their own selfish gain. After all, it's not like she can win this on her own. The rule clearly states that a team must capture another team's Idle and Challenge the Idleless team to a volleyball match. Volleyball isn't a single person sport, and I doubt someone as short as she could block anything." Tsuki's words hung in the air as the team chewed on them.
"Hey!" Hinata piped up, leaping into the air angrily. "I'm gonna be the best blocker and spiker in the world! She's just as tall as I am so-"
"Dumbass, I'm not talking about your boundless energy having ass…" Tsuki sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and pushing up his glasses. "Not everything's about you, shorty." Hinata turned bright red and began to yell. Daichi was about to use his angry voice when a knock came on the locker room door.
"Hang on." Asahi called, throwing on his shirt and opening the door a crack. "Oh, Kiyoko. What's up?" the boy quickly finished changing and waited.
"Hey, can I have you all come out here really quickly? Just a quick team meeting." Kiyoko's voice drifted through the door, making almost everyone's heart flutter.
"Uh, sure thing. Give us a sec." Asahi closed the door and turned back to everyone. "You guys hear that?" Everyone nodded and gathered their belongings to head to the impromptu team meeting. A few minutes later, everyone was standing in the fresh evening air in the middle of the amphitheater. The sunset cast a warm glow across the open arena without blinding the players. Everyone stood in a half-circle about two meters away from Kiyoko and Yachi, who were both looking a little uncertain.
"As you know, Aya Rain is going to be on our team this year." Her words were met with only silence. Taking this as a cue to continue, she swallowed nervously. Yachi reached forward, shaking the other girl's hand on her own. Kiyoko smiled down at the younger girl, who blushed. "As most of the second and third years remember, she hasn't had the best relationship with this team and the Court Games. This year, however, I think we can all agree that even without the Blessings from the gods, we have the best chance of turning our losing streak around with this team. So, to reforge bonds, Aya had something to say." the boy's eyes lit up with interest as Aya walked out from the shadows. Instead of the Kurosano uniform, she wore a black tank top, a thin black zip-up jacket with white trim, black sneakers, and faded black jeans. She stalked forward slowly, dragging her feet through the dirt as if trying to prolong the inevitable. She stood in front of everyone, head bowed with her hands in her pockets. Her bi-colored eyes darted from side to side as if looking for something other than the players and support staff to look at. Everyone waited silently for a long time, a silence mostly filled by Aya shuffling her feet nervously. Daichi stepped forward and held out a hand.
"Welcome officially to the Crows, Aya Rain." Her head snapped up in surprise as she looked into the warm brown eyes of the team captain. Slowly, she turned her head to see the welcoming grin of Noya, the smirk of Tanaka, the sweet smile of Suga, and the nervous half-shrug of Asahi. The new players all watched with expectant eyes, their head tilted slightly to see what would happen next. Slowly, Aya swallowed and bowed at her waist.
"Um, let me apologize first." Daich's eyebrows shot up into his forehead before withdrawing his hand with a smile. This was not the same loud, angry, demanding little girl he had met a year and a half ago. His anxiety eased as hope began to grow warm in his chest.
"You don't have to-"
"Yes, I do!" She snapped, her head snapping up in horror. Daichi raised an eyebrow. Maybe not an entirely new person... "I mean… oh shit, I'm bad at this…" She began rubbing the back of her head, looking anywhere other than the captain in front of her. Dachi marveled at her sweet and shy she looked like that. In fact, most of the guys were shocked at his vulnerability.
"What I mean is, I'm sorry I was such an arrogant asshole in the past. I was selfish, stupid, and did not contribute anything to the team. I swear that it will never happen again, and I will strive to improve myself and help the team improve as a whole. Please forgive me!" She clenched her first at her side, body shaking as if she had run two marathons in just a few sentences. Daichi looked back at his team. Asahi looked shocked before grinning widely. Noya's eye glinted with excitement and nodded. Suga shrugged with his soft smile. Tsuki shrugged without much interest, and Hinata and Kageyama just tilted their head to the side. Turning back to Aya, Daichi held out his hand.
"Apology accepted, Aya. Welcome to the Crows." She slowly looked up at Daichi, her stern look fading into one of pure joy, and a brilliant smile broke across her lips. She clasped Daichi's hand with such force he worried that it would break. She jumped in the air, hips almost reaching above Daichi's head before falling back down to the ground with a loud 'yes!'. Daichi's eyes widened in surprise. She jumps just like Hinata...
"Wow… you can fly too!" Hinata's eyes widened before bouncing forward excitedly. Aya turned to him, grinning even more widely as the two little players began bouncing like tiny springs.
"Yep! I figured if I wanna make a killer serve, or do an awesome spike, or even block, I gotta be able to jump," Daichi rubbed his hand and chuckled.
"You certainly have been working out with the old Crow. When the hell did you get so strong?" Aya glanced at his hand before paling.
"Oh shit! Did I hurt you! I'm so sorry!" Her brilliant smile snapped into a terrier look of concern as she nervously hopped around Dahci like a tiny bird. Her face flushed as she touched his hand again and examined it for any injury she may have caused. Dachi smirked in amusement as the rapid change in the girl. He had seen her training around the village and saw her with Kiyoko a few times. Seeing her then was like looking at a totally different person compared to the person he had trained to go to the Court Games with. This might not work out so bad after all.
"Aya, he's fine. You just have to be careful. You are a lot stronger than you think you are." Kiyoko said, a smile spreading across her lips. Yachi grinned and lept into Aya's arms for a hug. Startled, Aya almost dropped Yachi but recovered just in time. Despite being only a little taller than Yachi, Aya held the girl without difficulty. She looked over the girl's shoulder at Kiyoko with a confused expression. Kiyoko smiled braided as she drew Aya into a hug as well, a small group hug ensues. Tanaka, Suga, Noya, and Asahi sobbed softly, wiping the tears from their eyes as they watched the sweet exchange.
"So… so touching…" Tanaka sobbed, tears streaming down his eyes in rivers. Noya nodded, silently crying as well.
"That… that is true art right there. Beautiful…" Suga nodded.
"Kiyoko always knows just what to say. She is the most beautiful person in the world." Dachi chuckled and slapped Asahi as he blubbered in agreement. Hinata, however, didn't stop at crying.
"I'm gonna do my best too!" Leaping into the air, he landed on the pile, wrapping his arms around the three girls in a hug. Kiyoko laughed at both Aya and Yachi blushed wildly.
"Hey, no fair!" Noya and Tanaka yelled, joining the pile in an attempt to get closer to the women they considered a goddess.
"Dumbass!" Kageyama yelled, trying to dig himself into the pile to grab Hinata. Aya's face was bright red with strain as the weight piled on. Knees shaking, she cast one despite glance at Daichi and Suga before collapsing under the pile of bodies. The two captains stared in awe.
"Did she just…" Daichi breathed in shock.
"Hold up the entire team? I think she did." Tsuki said, sounding ever so slightly impressed himself. Tadashi just stared, too shocked to even breathe.
"She could break me in half." Asahi squeaked in a very unmanly way.
"Dude, grow a fucking pair!" Dachi yelled, catching Asahi in a choke-hold.
Under the pile of bodies, a bright, hopeful smile was splitting a young woman's face. Aya burst out laughing as a warmth of a feelign she had never felt before bust inside her.
You might be right, Old Crow. Maybe this team might just have what I've been missing...
AN: First Fanfic with these angels so I don't mind any feedback. Yes, the OC is a little much but I need it for this story. The boys are a little aged up and between 18-22. There will be some pairings in the future, both MxM, FxM, and FxF. Every one of the boys will have a long shot in the limelight but I'm human and I do have my favorites that will get more attention. Hope to make this a long AU but not ruling out other possible fics(M and above rated) with these that might distract me. Hope to have you read more. Thank you for your time!