After promising to reunite later in the evening, Mina and Oikawa had gone their separate ways, one to celebrate and the other to drown their sorrows with ramen. While proceeding down the empty hallways, she delivered the news of Seijoh's defeat to Bokuto and Kuroo, once again reigniting their old group chat. Fukurodani's captain had responded with dozens of emojis to communicate his excitement, the brunette was unable to see the relevance of half of them but decided to dismiss her curiosity. Nekoma's captain added his own news to the chat – they had just secured their own ticket to nationals. A little squeal had crawled up her throat as excitement surged to life within her. It was likely that Kenma had informed Hinata of the news already, but she could not wait to alert the others.
"MINA-SENPAI" The booming voice belonged to Karasuno's libero who was jumping up in the form a starfish. "DID YOU SEE US?!" Within seconds the shorter male had tackled her into a hug, with Hinata following close behind. Sandwiched in a tight embrace by two the younger boys, Mina broke into a laugh.
"You guys were amazing! I was seriously impressed. I swear, I had to ask myself if you guys were professionals rather than high-schoolers!" The flattery had left a sweet taste on her tongue, seeing her friends in a state of bliss had elevated her own mood. It was a hard-earned win after-all.
"Did you see their faces when I landed the final hit!?" The first-year winged spiker squirmed on the spot as he waited for her approval.
"You and Kageyama are a force to be reckoned with, and I think everyone knows that now."
Despite not having a recognized title, Mina was an essential part of their team. She had watched them grow and helped them in their journey to reach their potential. Outside of being their unofficial groupie, she was their mentor and friend.
"Guys, you're going to suffocate her. Come on now." The Karasuno vice-captain had a hand positioned over his hip as he scolded his two team-mates who remained snug against her sides.
"We need to go now. We're done loading our equipment on the bus." Daichi had stepped out from behind Sugawara, emanating a vibe that screamed – listen to me or get punished.
The orange haired boy shivered and obediently jumped onto his feet, mumbling apologies as he slid around the captain and ran towards the exit. Noya, on the other hand, smiled innocently, unphased by the older male's uncommunicated threat.
"Come on, Yuu." Mina pressed her palms against the ground, gently laughing as she shifted her weight back onto her feet. "Let's not get kicked out, hm?"
On the bus Mina was cuddled into her best friend's side, sharing with him her favourite moments of the game along with offering some minor critiques. He was receptive to the advice that followed each critique – it was not everyday you had a volleyball prodigy blessing you with their knowledge. Well, for him it was almost everyday. It was a perk of having her as his best friend.
"How did Oikawa take the loss?" Gently he nudged her shoulder with his.
"He's putting on a brave face, but he's hurt. Losing a match is never fun. You and I know that…" Inhaling a sharp breath, the brunette scrunched up her features then blew out a sigh. Her latest technique to battle anxiety. "I'm going to head to Seijoh when you guys start practice. I can't believe we're going up against the giraffe tomorrow. Or maybe he's more of a gorilla."
"You really don't like Ushijima, huh. I'm starting to wonder who dislikes him more, you or Hinata." Resting an arm against the windowsill, he leaned his cheek against his hand.
"We should start an anti-Ushijima club. I'm sure I could find some other members!" Mina snickered, deviousness sparking in her irises.
"No," Daichi shot down the idea, his face peaking from behind the seat. "Stop being a troublemaker, or we won't bring you tomorrow."
"So harsh! But you can't stop me. I can take the bus myself." As she stuck out her tongue, Sugawara stifled his laughter, wondering how in the world she was a third year.
They were in the middle of a debrief when Mina had received a text from Iwaizumi alerting her that Oikawa was refusing to leave the gym, despite the other players exhaustion. Swallowing the groan that threatened to spill, Mina excused herself from the group, guilt weighing on her. But before she left, Sugawara had reassured her with a smile. On the bus-ride to Aoba Johsai, she received occasional updates from their Ace on her boyfriend's state of mind. Within the span of half an hour he had already reached the fourth stage of grief – depression. In the latest text message, Iwa had attached an image of the captain laying on the court in defeat. Mina had to beg the winged spiker to not explode at Oikawa, violence was not going to help the situation.
The second she exited the bus, Mina secured her ponytail, preparing it for the sprint of a lifetime. When she finally reached the entrance of the court, a string of sighs were exhaled by the Seijoh third years.
"He's all yours." Matsukawa commented with a shake of his head. They all adored their captain but right now, they lacked the energy to deal with him.
The foreign prodigy nodded in response as she proceeded closer to where her boyfriend was laying.
"Toru, what are you doing?" Settling down beside him, Mina waved a hand over his face to catch his attention.
"Mina-chan? Am I hallucinating?" The dramatic response had Hanamaki mouthing an apology to the brunette.
"Yes, Toru. I'm not real. I'm a product of your imagination and I'm here to remind you that you will be okay. You're only in high school, you have your whole life ahead of you." Mina had not intended to slip from a teasing comment into an inspirational speech – it sort of just happened. "If you're not ready to say goodbye, that's okay. I'll stay and hit every single set until you are."
The mocha haired captain blinked at his girlfriend, questioning internally why he was blessed with someone like her. Propping himself on his elbows, he huffed and turned his face away from her.
"Toru! What did I say wrong?" Mina shot a frazzled glance at the captain's best friend who was also wearing a puzzled expression, he saw no fault in her words.
"You're being too cute in front of everyone, Mina-chan." The captain huffed once again childishly, but this time Mina had pounced onto him, capturing his cheeks with her fingers before providing a harsh tug.
"You are a brat, pretty boy!"
In the end, Oikawa had convinced the third years to remain for one final two-on-two game. When he attempted to commence a second match, Iwa spiked a volleyball in his face to silence him. Mina had the unfortunate duty to ice her boyfriend's nose on the walk to the bus stop.
"You didn't need to hit it that hard, Hajime." Beside her, Oikawa grunted in agreement until he realized that she had neglected to call the Ace by his last name.
"Stop calling him by his first name!" The whiny response was muffled as Mina pressed the ice pack against his lips rather than his nose. Why was everyone trying to silence him!?
"Why are you so jealous today?" The brunette raised an eyebrow, returning the plastic bag to his nose.
"He gets clingy when upset." Iwaizumi snickered, unbothered by the death glares he was receiving from his friend.
"Adorable. I mean, kind of." She teased once more, at least now he was focused on something other than today's loss.
"Minaa. Stop being mean to me." Stealing the pack from her grip, he paused on the side-walk, refusing to continue until she returned to his 'side'.
"This is your fault, Toru. You said you didn't want me to be cute in front of your friends, remember?" A mischievous smile had claimed her coloured lips, but when she saw how upset he had become, she found herself apologizing and pressing a kiss to his cheek.
"You guys are seriously so gross. Get a room." The Seijoh Ace despised how he always ended up as a third wheel. Oikawa responded by sticking out his tongue and tugging on his skin, his own version of 'payback' as Mina laughed.
"Hey, maybe it's time to find you a girlfriend."
"No."
A/n: Honestly we love a healthy ass couple. I'm debating on skimming over the next match & going straight to her trip to Tokyo. WE WILL SEE.