Five minutes. Her patience had ended within five whole minutes. She began pacing throughout the foyer, her slender fingers combing through her auburn locks which were ripped from the elastic that was once containing them. Would he be okay? Would he be able to play at the semifinals – would they even make it to the semifinals?
At six minutes the brunette began hyperventilating, her entire face flushed in a crimson hue. The phone clutched in her trembling hand had activated with an incoming call from a certain captain. She had informed Kuroo about Daichi's predicament only a minute ago.
"Hi." Aligning her back with the wall for support, she pinched her eyelids closed with a whimper.
"Hey," The Nekoma captain seemed out of breath, his breathing was heavy and staggered. "Still no word?"
"It's been a minute, Tetsurou." Was she spinning or was it the world around her – she did not know.
"Right, sorry. Listen… He'll be okay. If it helps I'll stay on the phone with you until he comes out. Deal?" The fact his voice did not waver when he delivered his reassurance had eased a tad of the tension roaming her chest. Sniffling, she found herself nodding despite the fact he would be unable to see her response.
"Oi, if you're nodding right now, I can't see it."
A shaky laugh escaped her lips at his incredible precognition.
"Tell me about the game earlier. How did they do?" It was clear he was attempting to divert her attention from the concern weighing on her.
"The other team… They were so uncoordinated. It was like watching a circus." It was the first thought to pop into her mind when recalling the prior match.
"Wow. A circus, huh. Did you ask them if they needed a bunny?" When Mina had texted him earlier, Nekoma was in the middle of warming up for their own game, it was only a coincidence that he had checked his phone at the same time the message had arrived. Knowing her well enough, there was a significant chance that she would be heavily distraught after witnessing her friend get injured. There was no way he could ignore her. After notifying Kenma that he would be stepping away for a few minutes, he had taken a seat on the ground beside the water fountain.
"You're so mean!" Her words were squeezed out between a weak laugh and a whine.
"What? Did you get rejected? No bunnies at the circus?" The ends of his lips twitched into an impish simper, he knew that she would most likely be pouting by now.
"No, but they were looking for a kitten."
The retort was responded to with a loud and exaggerated laugh – she was truly his equal.
"Wait, I think he's being released. I gotta go. I'll text you." Mina was casually peaking through the small blurred window, within seconds she could see a figure approaching the door. "Also, thank you. You're the best, you big fat cat. But don't let it get to your head." Pressing end, she shoved her phone into her pocket and shuffled a step away from the door, careful not to collide with it once it opened.
"Mina?" The Karasuno captain's eyebrows were narrowed in confusion, but all Mina could focus on was the laceration painted over his cheek.
"Daichi!" The sound of her screech echoed within the corridor as she pounced on him, drawing the captain into a very tight embrace. "You idiot! Who dies in volleyball!"
"…I didn't die?" He gently patted her back, returning the hug cautiously. There were definitely some screws loose in that head of hers.
"Can you play again? What did the doctor say?" The brunette prolonged the hug yet had loosened her grip to blink her glazed eyes at him.
"It's nothing major. I can play again." The Karasuno captain beamed down at her, dismantling any of her lingering apprehension.
"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Daichi had originally planned on returning to the match against Wakutani South, but when he and Mina had witnessed how the team had created a new ambiance with Ennoshita, he decided against it. The Karasuno captain had faith in his team, and his faith was well-placed. Even without their supposed 'back-bone', they had secured their spot in the semifinals. The question that remained was who would Karasuno face – Date Tech or Aobajohsai.
"The game is still going; we should go watch." Sugawara proposed to the team who unanimously agreed.
"Hey, you can actually cheer for your boyfriend now." The sly comment had come from the energetic libero, who was secretly harbouring a grudge for her sulky mood the other day.
"Don't be like that, Yuu." Jutting out her bottom lip, the brunette tried to tug at the younger boy's heartstrings.
"Hey! Who will you be cheering for if Seijoh goes to the semifinals? HUH?" Suddenly Mina was ambushed by the second-year winged spiker who was staring at her skeptically. "You better not be betraying us, missy!"
"Calm down guys. Let's just go watch the match, okay?" Daichi had swept in to rescue Mina, but the question was valid. Was there not some way for her to cheer for them both?
Once they entered the stands and settled into some empty seats, the second set had just commenced, and Oikawa was preparing to serve. His signature smirk was set in place as the ball was thrown into the air. Mina absolutely loved watching him play.
"He's got one deadly serve." The Karasuno Ace admitted in awe.
"Hey, you're not so bad yourself." Sugawara playfully nudged his elbow against his friend's side to lift his spirits.
"I second that! I heard some of the guys from Ubugawa High talking about your serve at the training camp." The brunette added, removing her eyes from the court for a moment to smile at her friend.
"Damn really? That makes me feel kinda good." It was rare to see a hint of confidence in Asahi's demeanour, even though he was their Ace.
"Hey look! I think Oikawa's going in for a spike."
The second she heard Oikawa and spike, her eyes relocated to the court. The Seijoh captain seemed confident he would break through the iron wall, since there were only two blockers allocated to him. But what he nor the audience knew was that a third blocker was on their way. A string of gasps had circulated when the spike was completely shut down.
"That must have hurt." The Karasuno vice-captain mumbled under his breath, beside him the other third years nodded in agreement.
A sour expression had etched onto the mocha haired boy's visage, and Mina was compelled to do something to elevate his mood. The issue was that they were separated by a considerable distance, for now, all she could do was stare intently at him and hope he would find her in the crowd.
"Uh.. What are you doing?" Daichi blinked at her, once again questioning her sanity.
"I'm trying to communicate telepathically."
The joke did not register well, prompting him to release a sigh.
Regardless of the fact, her captain thought she was a lunatic, the plan had worked.
The second their eyes connected; an idea had originated inside of her head. Perhaps he had forgotten it, but hand signals were totally her thing. After she pointed at him, he nodded to indicate his understanding. She then lifted her hands into a fighting pose, causing him to stifle back laughter. Before she could gesture towards Date Tech, he completed the action for her then mouthed 'I know'. It was a simple act, one that would appear childish to any outsiders, yet it had given the Seijoh captain the boost he required.
A/N: kUROO IS BEST BOY :( also lolol deadchi, people don't usually die in volleyball.