Sawamura's day off

by Bernaze123

Hinata Shoyo invited Sawamura Eijun to come and watch his team's game in Tokyo against the Schweiden Adlers. Eijun was looking forward to it and used his day off from practice to come and watch the game. Due to his overexcitement, he forgot to tell it to the rest of the team that he's going to be out of the school that day.

7. Drop It Like It's Hot

Chapter 7: Drop It Like It's Hot

Let's turn back time to check out our baseball guys~

12:30 pm Seidou Fields

''Damnit, Sawamura," Miyuki muttered as he sat down by one of the benches in the dugout. He looked up the ceiling and groaned as he pulled his face into a scowl. The team was having a short break from their training. This is probably the first time they'd finish this early, and it's all because of their stubborn pitcher, Sawamura Eijun. The team was curious how he'd do well in the game with a team full of pros. Even coach Kataoka was interested enough to finish the practice so early.

It was something Miyuki would want to see but at the same time is concerned. So many things he's worried about for Eijun: his form, his body condition, and, what's worse, the possibility of an injury. These thoughts would often pop into Miyuki's mind that it was evident in his movements during practice.

Even Kuramochi noticed the captain's sudden restlessness during their practice.

"And here I thought it was too good to be true when you were so calm in the dining hall earlier." Kuramochi appeared and joined with Miyuki. It's a rare thing for Miyuki to be this agitated, and Kuramochi seems to be quite amused by it.

It's not like Miyuki to lose patience, but because of Eijun's personality, he can't seem to calm down. Added to that, he's still can't get over the fact Eijun never told him anything about volleyball or being a former ace. You think he would tell Miyuki about it for a person who likes to talk a lot and likes to show off.

Miyuki sighed. He knows Eijun probably has reasons why he never told it to him or anyone from the team. But he didn't realize how much it sucked when people assumed that he'd know about it since they are always together as a battery.

Ignoring his pestering friend beside him, he began to think about what he'd do to Eijun once he goes back here. Should he try the mean captain act just to make Eijun learned his lesson? Nah. Eijun won't focus his pitches if he thinks Miyuki is pissed at him, but he won't stay mad for too long anyway. Being the kind and understanding captain act might do well if he plays his cards right. But Eijun will eye him suspiciously if he does.

Tch, being captain sucks.

He kicked the dirt off the ground, and he buried himself on his lap as he let out a deep and low sound, and thinking how the heck he comes to fall for that idiot in the first place. Kuramochi was enjoying his despair and frustration as he let out his shrill laughter.

"Gyaha! You're hopeless, Miyuki. It's obvious you miss that guy already."

The first time Miyuki realized his feelings was when Kuramochi pointed it out to him when they were against the 2nd-string members, and Eijun was their pitcher last year. Kuramochi noticed Eijun in the opposite dugout throwing to Kariba while stealing glances at their side of the dugout. At the corner of his eye, he saw Miyuki's yearned gaze towards the pitcher and how much it looked like he wants to be there catching for him. He just put one and one together and grinned.

"What, you like him or something?" Kuramochi elbowed Miyuki just to make fun of him a little. Miyuki's flushed face slowly reaching until the tip of his ears was a clean giveaway, and Kuramochi just outed Miyuki right off the bat. No pun intended.

The moment Kuramochi told him that he probably likes that loud-mouth idiot, which was just a joke on Kuramochi's part, but who would have thunk? That's when he knew he's in deep trouble—having feelings with that guy, of all people.

Miyuki doesn't know how to handle this kind of feeling at all; he came here to play baseball for fuck's sake and falling for a teammate just like that? Amusing.

The only solution for Miyuki to find peace is waiting for these feelings to die down eventually, which might've worked if Eijun wasn't that cute in the first place. Or if only his face wasn't that alluring every time he's on the mound. Also, if it weren't for Eijun waking him up almost every morning, he wouldn't have to wake up earlier than Eijun just to see that idiot's face first thing in the morning. And yes, Miyuki is still upset that Eijun didn't wake him up a while ago.

No escaping from this 'unrequited' love, Miyuki Kazuya. You're in deep trouble.

"How many more practice do we have to finish till we're done here? That idiot's game will start earlier, I hear." Kuramochi leaned over and stretched his arms over the benches. Miyuki was still burying himself on his lap.

"10 running laps and one hour of field practice," Miyuki muffled between his thighs.

"Speak properly, Miyuki. People will think Sawamura rubbed his weirdness on you," Kuramochi pulled the captain's uniform, and he lazily sits back straight. His face had some redness from his pants.

"Gyaha!" Kuramochi is enjoying this restless and awkward Miyuki right now. "You look ridiculous right now, Miyuki."

"Shut up. I'm just feeling the summer heat." Miyuki pretended to clean off his hair from the dust to hide his embarrassment. He feels the slight heat of his face from the marks left by his pants. Not cool, Kazuya. Not cool.

"Uhuh, sure." Kuramochi hummed as he slowly went out of the dugout to go back to the field. Miyuki lazily followed.

The day was hot since summer is approaching. The laundry room was always packed with people because of the excessive sweat from their uniforms. The girl managers are preparing some onigiris for their players in the dining hall while the first-year managers, Kuroki Anna and Oda Akane, were called by their sensei, Takashima Rei, to help her carry some goods from the generous donors.

The members all lined up again one by one to start their drills. Though tired, their spirits were very much alive, and the first years were impressed by the strength their senpais have, which motivated them to follow suit.

"Be loud! I want to hear voices from every last one of you!" Coach Kataoka yelled to the team as they're now on their 2nd lap.

The spectators watched impressively at them, though some feel sorry that they have to endure this heat.

"Our players sure are going hard even today," Anna commented as she and Akane carried some boxes. Rei seemed like she's talking with an acquaintance amongst the crowd near the field.

"I know, right? We better put the donated drinks here right away for them," Akane put down the boxes near the dugout in preparation for the players' break after their laps. She noticed the donations for today are a lot than usual. "It's amazing how a lot of people donated these for them. I heard from Haruno-senpai that someone donated a truckload of drinks for the baseball team last year. The sender wanted to be anonymous, I hear."

"Ah, yes. I heard about that. It was so many the team had to give some for the other sports clubs as well." Anna then looked at their sensei. "Takashima-sensei looked like she's taking her time talking to that acquaintance of hers."

"Could you blame her, though? I took a good look at him, and let me tell you: he's handsome!" Akane clapped her hands. "And that mole of his added his charm."

"Eh? No fair you get to see him!" Anna pouted, obviously want to see this handsome guy that her friend is talking about. They have a lot more in common than they thought. One is that they like baseball, and they like to support the players. The second is that they both agree that their team has a lot of great guys. Their number one on the list is Shirasu Kenjiro because of how reliable and calm he is.

At a distance, they saw Rei calling them. Beside her, her acquaintance is smiling. They exchanged looks, and their faces lit up. They walked faster than usual, and they quickly fixed their hairs.

When they finally met up with Rei, they were both catching their breaths.

"You ladies looked like you were in a hurry." Rei smiled as she waited for the first years to calm down. They both shook their heads frantically. Rei chuckled at the sight of the two.

She then quickly turned her attention to her acquaintance.

"These are two of our managers, Akane-chan and Anna-chan. They're both first years. You guys, this person is my good friend, Sugawara Koushi. He and I knew each other from a common friend in college. He and his friends donated the drinks and snacks for the team."

Suga waved them a hello. Akane and Anna blushed at the sight of the man in front of them. A refreshing face and hair that looked so smooth it makes you want to rake it through your finger; A handsome young adult. Suga smiled as he extended his arm for a handshake, which the girls all shook right away.

"Nice to meet you both! Thank you for carrying these for us. My others friends will arrive for more packages, so we'll help you afterward." Suga smiled like an angel right in front of them, and they both are starstruck by him. Rei couldn't blame them. The first time she met Suga, she also thinks he's handsome. They both got close because they shared the same love for their respective sports, and they maintained a good platonic friendship even after college.

Suga afterward called out some people among the crowd behind them. They were watching the team's training when they heard Suga calling them. Carefully, they made their way to Suga.

The three saw a tall and intimidating-looking man, and a petite and cute woman emerged from the crowd. The first years don't know whether or not to be scared of the man or appreciate the cuteness of the woman.

"Sugawara-san, those players are soo cool! It's like you guys when you all ran up to the hills during the joint training camp." Hitoka Yachi hopped excitingly in her light blue blouse. Her eyes twinkled in awe, and her hands were in tight fists.

Azumane Asahi suddenly flinched by Yachi's recollection in their high school years. "Were we that tensed-looking like those guys? To think our little guy would do this every day for his training."

Suga chuckled as he took a glance at the players in the field. They were all drenched in sweat as they're yelling to hype everyone in the team. Seeing them like that made Suga miss his high school years with the Karasuno team. However, their training wasn't this intense as Eijun's team.

"Nice to meet you three. My name is Azumane Asahi, an apparel designer here in Tokyo. Ah, here's my card." Asahi's polite way of talking was taken aback by the first year. Rei gladly accepted his card and her eyebrows furrowed together as she read the card. The name Asahi was familiar, and Rei swore she heard Asahi from somewhere.

Then, it hit her.

"You're not the famous designer Azumane-san, are you?" Rei fixed her glasses.

"I don't know if I'm that famous yet," Asahi chuckled as Yachi and Suga gave him a suspicious look and were whispering something to one another. "Both of you stop looking at me like I'm a shady character. Especially you , Suga."

Both Suga and Yachi laughed as Asahi tried to defend himself while the first years asked something about Asahi to Rei. They were still hesitant to approach him because of his wild-like appearance.

"He's that famous designer here in Tokyo, Azumane Asahi-san. I've bought a lot of his clothes, and I'm sure you girls have heard about the Asahi Collection." Rei winked, and they both pondered for it for a while, and then it all came to them. Asahi Collection is a big hit to both the young and old, and people talked about it on social media over the past few months. The designs were simple yet comfortable and stylish. A lot of models have been advertising it nowadays. Notably, the famous model, Haiba Lev. To think such a person is here and is donating to their baseball team no less. They looked at the three friends in front of them, who continued making fun with one another.

They then turned their attention to the petite woman. Because of Suga and Asahi's height, she looked like a hamster between them. Yachi then noticed them staring at her and smiled.

"Hello! I'm Hitoka Yachi. Nice to meet you all. I heard your baseball team has five girl managers. Back when I was in high school, I used to be a manager myself in our volleyball club. These two are my senpais back then." Hitoka grinned proudly, and the first years were tongue-tied by her cute smile. Rei coughed out of nervousness for some reason as well. The power of Hitoka Yachi's cuteness has overpowered the three.

The six of them were then exchanging some pleasantries. The players are now doing their 8th lap of the day.

The girl managers were done making onigiris and are preparing to bring it in the fields. Yachi glanced at the players, and seeing their tired faces made her remember her days as the manager of the Karasuno team. She then remembered how much of a kid Eijun was before and how he used to be clingy to everyone in the team and how much they dote him. She always supported Eijun's decision to be a baseball player, and she and the team were ecstatic when a powerhouse in Tokyo scouted him. Suga was surprised that it was his dear friend Rei herself who scouted him. Small world indeed.

"That reminds me," Hitoka faced Rei and the first years with a smile on her face. "Sensei, how does Eijun-kun fare in the team?"

The three simultaneously tilted their head.

Who?

"Ah! Sorry. Force of habit," Hitoka stumbled in her words. "I mean, Sawamura-kun. We call him Eijun since he has the same family name as our senpai. Sawamura Eijun-kun, a second-year pitcher. That's the name. How is he in the team?"

"Sawamura-senpai? Well…." The first years exchanged looks, honestly don't know what to say about their senpai in front of these people. They turned to their sensei for an answer.

"You know Sawamura-kun, Hitoka-san?" Rei raised an eyebrow.

"Please, you can call me Yachi. I don't mind."

"I-I see, well then," Rei cleared her throat. "Yachi-san, you guys seem to be familiar with Sawamura-kun."

Hitoka nodded happily. Suga forgot to mention to his dear friend that he went here because he and the others were curious to see Eijun's team before heading to the arena.

"You could say that he's like our little brother of the group, Takashima. His cousin and the rest will arrive here in a few-"

"Suga!"

As if on cue, Daichi called out to him at a distance carrying three stacked boxes in his hands. Suga and Asahi quickly went to help him. Behind him were Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Kinoshita, and Nishinoya. They were carrying boxes and a whole lot of them too. Anna and Akane gulped.

"You could've called us when you guys got here, you know? You don't have to carry these all by yourself." Suga narrowed his eyes to Daichi.

"This is nothing," Daichi smiled as he shook his head. "Now, where should we put these?"

"Over there," Suga said as he gave a box to Asahi and another one for him out of Daichi's hands.

Nishinoya stopped his tracks and watched the players in the fields, and if only Daichi wasn't here with him, he would've jumped over the fence and join with the players in their training.

"Thanks for the helping hand, Sugawara-san. Appreciate the help." Tsukishima said in a grave voice as he carried three boxes in his hands.

"I keep telling you to hand me one more box, Tsukki, so that you won't have to carry them all." Yamaguchi eyed the 6'4ft fellow. Tsukishima pretended no to hear him and continued walking.

"Hey, Nishinoya! You could watch the players later once we're finished here." Kinoshita pushed Nishinoya against his box as the latter was distracted.

"Just a minute, Hisashi. They're almost done anyways!" Nishinoya's eyes twinkled in excitement. He watched the players from afar as they are on to their one last lap. However, Dachi called him as he eyed the former libero rather intensely. Nishinoya quickly headed to them right away.

Rei and the first years watched as they got closer. They noticed amongst them is a tall guy. For some reason, though, he's frowning and seemingly bored carrying the heavy boxes.

"Takashima, this is the person I was about to tell you earlier. This Sawamura Daichi. He's Eijun's cousin." Suga gestured his head to Daichi. Daichi bopped his head in a greeting.

The first years observed Daichi's appearance: muscular, slight eye bags from overworking, thick eyebrows, defined lips. And most importantly, he's good-looking. Scratch that. He's hot. Especially in that rolled sleeves of his.

'He looks nothing like Sawamura-kun/senpai!' The three all thought. Rei blinked. She then took notice of the others behind Daichi and Suga.

"Suga-kun, it's okay to put the boxes down for now. It's rather heavy, after all. I'll let my girls here handle the rest," Rei motioned her hand to the first years. "Call Yui-chan, Sachiko-chan, and Haruno-chan to help you guys carry these."

"Yes, sensei!" In an instant, they both ran to their senpais. They couldn't wait to tell them that there's a lot of handsome guys in the crowd. And what's more, Eijun's cousin is here.

Nishinoya joined the spectators after he put down the boxes. His eyes twinkled in excitement and awe. Asahi followed him as well.

Rei, Suga, and the others all watched the first years as they ran to the dugout.

"You know we want to be the ones to carry these instead of them," Suga sighed as he looked at Rei.

"We couldn't let the donors themselves carry these," Rei smirked as she fixed her glasses again. "Besides, I'm more curious to how you know Sawamura-kun, Suga-kun."

Suga let out a half-smile as he looked at Daichi.

"Well, then…"

The team finally finished their hellish ten laps. They were told the girl managers were already in the dugout preparing some snacks and beverages, and they all happily ran towards the glorious snacks.

"Some donors just donated these, so we'll prepare it right away for everyone." Haruno smiled as she and Sachiko opened the boxes left by the first years. They were surprised that the sports drink that was donated was an expensive brand. They exchanged looks and wondered who on earth would donate such expensive drinks just for a high school baseball team. This brand of sports drink was the same as the one from last year. Haruno remembered how happy the other sports club were when they received such high-quality sports drinks.

"Another anonymous rich donor, I guess." Sachiko placed the drinks on the table, and the players grabbed them right away and gulped it down.

"SENPAIIIIII!" Anna and Akane yelled as they made their way to them. They looked like they were in a hurry and their senpais suddenly got worried. The guys were surprised as well.

"Did something happened? Are you guys okay?" Haruno watched as they both caught their breaths.

"….give… us… a… sec…" Akane breathed heavily.

Haruno, Sachiko, and Natsukawa exchanged looks. Anna and Akane were rarely this excited, and it's odd seeing them like this after carrying some boxes.

"I wonder what's wrong with the first-year manager." Haruichi said in a concerning tone as he noticed how they look so tired from all that running.

"Might be because of the summer heat?" Kanemaru took a big bite on the onigiri.

"Heat…" Furuya sweated.

The three managers tried calming the first years first and offered them some refreshment. They happily accepted it.

"So? What's wrong, Anna-chan?" Haruno patted her kohai's head.

"Senpai!" She took a big gulp of her drink. "It's about Sawamura-senpai."

"What about Sawamura?"

Akane and Anna flinched when Miyuki suddenly spoke up behind them. His face was relaxed, but his eyes flared with emotions. He was with the rest of the third years when they all saw the first-year managers running towards them. When he heard Eijun's name, he instinctively went towards them. The other third years were curious as well. Kuramochi, however, scolded him for appearing behind the first years out of the blue.

"Did something happened to Sawamura-senpai, Oda?" Okumura heard his senpai's name and was concerned as well. Seeing as how Anna and Akane looked panicky, the team suddenly got worried. Perhaps something happened to Eijun?

"There," Anna pointed to where Rei and the others are as she breathed in and out. "Sawamura-senpai's cousin and his friends donated the sports drinks and snacks for the team. And… and…"

"And?" Everyone tilted their heads.

"And his cousin is HOT!" Akane's eyes were all burning in excitement. The senpais were all surprised by her way of words. "And senpai, sensei wants the rest of the managers to go and help carry the boxes since the cousin and his friends still have a lot to bring to us."

Honestly, everyone couldn't believe what Akane just said to them. Perhaps the heat is getting in her head. They all looked to the more relaxed one, Anna.

"Wait, let me get this clear," Natsukawa raised her eyebrow. "So you mean to tell us that these drinks are from Sawamura-kun's cousin and his friends?"

Anna and Akane nodded.

"And that they're all good-looking, you say?" Sachiko's eyes widened, and her mouth curved into a grin. She always liked handsome guys.

The first years nodded again and pointed to where Rei is.

"Uh-huh. And we need to go there now to carry the boxes for them."

"Good-looking, huh?" Haruno got curious. But she's more curious about what kind of person Eijun's cousin is. Is he a baseball player like Eijun? Kanemaru flinched upon seeing Haruno's sudden interest in the matter. His reaction amused Tojou, Haruichi, and Furuya.

"Sawamura's cousin…." Kuramochi sounded curious. Kuramochi could tell right away Miyuki wants to see this person as much as the team does. He then thought of something as his mouth turned into a lopsided grin.

"Hey, Umemoto, Natsukawa," Kuramochi faced them with an onigiri on his hand. "Since you guys are still preparing the drinks for the team, we could help carry the boxes for you. Right, guys?"

The team looked confused at first. Kuramochi wiggled his eyebrows at them, which they all find it creepy.

"Miyuki, you bastard. You, of all people, should understand what I'm doing." Kuramochi mouthed at the captain. Miyuki shrugged, but then he noticed Kuramochi motioned his head to Rei. His eyes widened and he smirked. Finally.

"Oh yes, that's right!" He nodded as he crossed his arms around his chest. "You managers have done so much for us, and we'd like to help you even just by a little. Furuya and the others, come help us." He gestured for Furuya and them to follow him and Kuramochi.

"Eh, well, isn't that a rare thing for the captain and the vice-captain themselves to volunteer to help us," Sachiko smirked. "As much as we're thankful for your offer, Miyuki-kyun, and Kuramochi-kyun, it's our duty to-"

"Uh, senpai? Miyuki-senpai and the others already left." Haruno pointed at them from afar. They were walking quite fast and are almost with Rei.

"What the? Those guys!"

"Easy now, Sacchin," Natsukawa stopped her friend from chasing them. "Knowing it has something to do with Sawamura-kun, I bet they're curious about his cousin. Just let them do whatever they want."

"B-but… those handsome guys…" Sachiko teared up. She was excited to see those handsome guys Akane and Anna mentioned.

"There's also a very cute girl with them." Anna just remembered.

"Miyuki, that bastard! I bet he's more interested in using his ikemen looks to get the cute girl" The guys all yelled, which unfortunately wasn't heard by their captain. If only they knew.

Okumura watched them from afar. He started to growl because he too wanted to see the cousin but was too shy to join with them.

12:55 pm

"Oh my, I thought the girl managers would go here?" Rei looked amused, seeing Miyuki went all the way here. She looked at the rest of the bunch who followed him: Kuramochi, Zono, Shirasu, Kawakami, Tojou, Haruichi, Furuya, and Kanemaru. The regular members.

They want to see the people Eijun has a special relationship with.

Rei was holding her laughter, seeing as how they all went all this way. It was apparent by the way they're catching their breaths after all.

"They're too busy, Rei-chan," Miyuki lied. "We're here for them instead."

Rei raised an eyebrow. The guys were faking a smile, and Furuya tried so hard even to move his lips upward. She shook her head as she hid her smile when she tried fixing up her glasses again. She moved at the side and introduced Suga and the others to Miyuki and them.

Miyuki and the others all blinked.

Now, where's the cousin?

"Daichi-san, allow me to introduce to you your cousin's teammates. They're the ones backing him up during their game," Rei motioned her hand to Miyuki. "and he's the team captain, Miyuki Kazuya-kun. Everyone, these people are Eijun's friends and his cousin. They went all the way here from Miyagi except Azumane-kun, who's already in Tokyo."

Miyuki suddenly felt nervous. Telling himself to calm down and whatnot.

Probably nervous since he's going to meet Eijun's cousin.

Probably excited because he's finally going to meet Eijun's cousin.

Probably afraid because it's Eijun's cousin.

He looked at the person Rei had introduced him to. The person gave him a smile, which resembled a lot like Eijun. Only more mature. He could feel his heart beating faster in an instant. The first-year managers were right; He IS hot.

Calm yourself, Kazuya. Of course, they resembled each other. They're cousins, for goodness sake.

"Hello. I'm Miyuki Kazuya," Miyuki gently smiled. The third years watched their captain quite intensely, especially Kuramochi since he's the only one who knows Miyuki's feelings toward Eijun. He swears to himself if Miyuki fucks up now, he's so going to make fun of him all week. "It's nice to meet you. Thank you for all of these donations. We appreciate it."

Oh, he managed to calm himself. Good job, Miyuki Kazuya.

"Likewise! Sorry for coming here unannounced." Daichi grinned. "Oh, by the way, I'm Sawamura Daichi. Eijun's cousin. Yeah, I couldn't believe it myself either."

"Heya! I'm Sugawara Koushi. You guys are Eijun's teammates, huh? You guys look pretty intense during that training of yours. Take it, easy youngsters."

"Hello, I'm Azumane Asahi. Thank you for taking care of our Eijun. He's a handful, isn't he? But that what makes him so lovable."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Hitoka Yachi, Eijun's beloved big sister!"

"Hi there! I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi, Ei-kun's beloved big brother!"

"Hey. I'm Tsukishima Kei."

"Greetings! I'm Kinoshita Hisashi. Eijun's trusty big ol' brother. There were supposed to be more of us here, but they are stuck in traffic, so they couldn't go here."

"YO! I'm Nishinoya Yuu! You guys were pretty good out there. It makes me want to stay and join you guys. I bet Eijun's the loudest amongst you bunch, right? That guy never changes."

They were quite the character. The guys honestly didn't expect them to be so carefree? Think that's the word they're going for. The team then realized how everyone of them is indeed good-looking and Zono keeps stealing glances on Yachi. Kuramochi stared at Nishinoya and can already tell that he and Eijun get along so well.

Miyuki eyed Rei, who again was talking with Suga and Daichi over something. They seemed close for Rei to speak so casually with them.

Miyuki looked at the Karasuno bunch and how their personality and vibe would mix well with Eijun's.

The guys were then introduced one by one from Kuramochi till Tojou.

Afterward, Tojou apologized to the Karasuno bunch on Eijun's behalf since he is absent at the moment even though Daichi and the others went all the way here.

"Oh, don't worry, Tojou-kun. They know." Rei smiled.

"What we didn't know is how that boke Eijun never told you he's out of school," Daichi glared as he left out a dark aura. "I've told that idiot numerous times that he should be wary of his actions. Hinata must've rubbed off his recklessness on Eijun."

Suga and Asahi calmed him down as the Seidou team were surprised and, at the same time, amused. It's the first time they heard someone called Eijun boke, and it's pretty funny. Though, they silently admit his cousin looks pretty scary when he's angry.

Miyuki glanced at Daichi, saw some slight resemblance of Eijun from him, and started imagining an older Eijun. He hid his blush underneath his sports glasses. It's a good thing that it's hot because people will just mistake it for a sunburn.

Tsukishima seemed bored and put his hands inside his pockets. He felt a vibration from his phone and opened it right away. It's a group message from Hinata.

Crow's Nest GC

Hinata

'Lunch is done, and we're on our way to the sub arena to practice with the star!
And lookie look. Cutie Eijun is sleeping T^T!
*photo attachment*.'

Kageyama

'send more of Eijun's pictures pls.'

Tsukishima looked at the photo Hinata sent, and it was Eijun sleeping on Bokuto's shoulder as the latter was also asleep in the bus. His and Bokuto's eyes were slightly opened, and it appears they're drooling in their sleep. In the background, Sakusa looked like he was judging them. And Atsumu looked like he's laughing.

Tsukishima cackled only for a few seconds and realized his mistake. He coughed and pretended nothing happened, but apparently, everyone heard it.

"Tsukki, your laugh just now…." Yamaguchi held himself not to laugh because he knows Tsukishima will kick his ass if he does.

"Not another word," Tsukishima glared. "Besides, Hinata sent a photo of Eijun just now."

"Really?"

The Karasuno bunch hurriedly opened their phone. Miyuki and the others wanted to watch as well, but perhaps it's rude for the visitors.

"Hey, Miyuki," Kuramochi said in a low voice as the Karasuno folks are looking at their messages. "I've noticed this since a while ago, but it sounds like they're familiar with Sawamura."

"Yeah," Miyuki nodded. He admits he feels a bit jealous of how they all sound so loving to Eijun. "But it's because they're his childhood friends. It's normal."

"Didn't they mentioned a certain Hinata has Sawamura? Care to share how you feel about that, captain?" Kuramochi smirked.

"Nice try. Hinata's a guy. I've heard that name when Natsukawa and Umemoto told us about the players Sawamura's going to play with." Miyuki pulled out a tongue. He knows Kuramochi would tease him when the playful shortstop heard Hinata's name. Good thing he remembered.

"Tch, you're no fun," His plan of making Miyuki jealous failed. Or did it? He twirled around his finger as he let out a teaseful smile. "But you know. Anything can happen. You like him even though you're a guy too. Have you seen his team's setter? Didn't Zono mention something about him being the favorite to the young and old? Maybe it also applies to guys." He saw Miyuki's hand twitched.

"Mochi," Miyuki said in almost a whisper. "Fuck you."

Kuramochi wanted to laugh if there weren't so many people. He just leaned to the side and held his stomach in.

They then heard Suga laughing as he showed his phone to Rei. She laughed a little and borrowed his phone to let the Seidou team have a look as well.

Miyuki was the first one to look when Rei approached them. His face went soft when he saw Eijun's sleeping face but suddenly got tensed again when he saw Eijun's sleeping on someone else's shoulder.

'That guy is so obvious,' Kuramochi stared at him dead-pan.

The rest of the team looked at the phone and saw how relaxed Eijun was sleeping on a pro's shoulder just like that. They know he knows no boundary, but surely he knows that sleeping on such a professional person is not appropriate. But they have to admit, Eijun looks funny.

"I get a feeling you guys are thinking that my cousin is rather rude to the pro by sleeping on his shoulder," Daichi approached them as their faces were so glued to the phone. He got it right. "He's a touchy person without himself knowing. But don't worry. He and that guy, Bokuto, are very close. As well as the team. Everyone in the Black Jackals knows him and has a close bond with them. Bokuto and Hinata are some of the closest people he knows since they taught him volleyball. So you guys have nothing to worry about."

The Seidou team was taken aback. How in the world did Eijun come to know them? It seems like since this morning, they found out a lot about Eijun through other people, and in a way, it frustrated them. They were with him throughout the seasons, but not once did Eijun ever mentioned anything about this. Kuramochi is somewhat annoyed because they were roommates, and he and Eijun are practically like brothers already. They share some stuff about their childhood with one another, but this is the first time he has heard about it.

Miyuki has a buzzing feeling on his chest, and he doesn't know what to call it. Eijun was always there in his room even when there's no meeting, and they'd mostly talk about anything. Learning this new piece of information about Eijun by someone else sucked.

Haruichi, Furuya, Tojou, and Kanemaru honestly don't know what to say. They've been with Eijun since they were in their first years. They thought he'd tell them right away about it. It sucked.

The team all stared at each other and looked down. Daichi noticed the change of aura suddenly.

The Karasuno bunch all huddled up together. Rei was just watching these two groups. She's wondering how come Miyuki and the others still haven't carried the boxes back to the dugout yet. She decided she will just let them do whatever they want. It looked pretty interesting to watch them, after all.

"Way to go, Daichi. You just broke those kids' spirit!" Suga eyed Daichi.

"I just reassured them that Eijun's familiar with Hinata and the team so that they won't scold him when he goes back in here. I didn't expect them to feel bad over that." Daichi suddenly panicked.

"And here I thought I was the one they'd be more scared of. It looks like Daichi has it all covered." Asahi teased.

"You guys, I get a feeling they didn't know about this part of Eijun. About him knowing the big shot players and how he used to be a volleyball player," Kinoshita looked back at the Seidou team. Rei was with them, trying to console them. "Didn't Eijun mentioned his teammates weren't noticing him? Looks to me like it's the complete opposite."

"I think Eijun never told them anything before he got here in Seidou," Nishinoya concluded and suddenly feels worried for them.

"Makes sense. Takashima-san did mention that the team just found out he's out of the school when they watched him on the news just this morning." Yachi shook her head. She knows Eijun is getting more like the first-year Hinata.

"Simpletons," Tsukishima sighed and exited the huddling meeting. He's tired just by looking at Eijun's teammates. And to think they're an elite powerhouse in West Tokyo.

"Hey, Tsukki! Where are you going?" Yamaguchi said in a concerning voice.

"Going to talk with Eijun's team, of course." Tsukishima looked at him as he dragged his feet to the Seidou team. They looked scared when he appeared right in front of them. Tsukishima noticed how bummed they look.

"Why are you guys looking so gloomy?" He raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms around his chest. "Scared that he might go back to volleyball or something? I hope not. It will be annoying to see another monster, and I've seen plenty."

The team flinched as their head moved upwards to look him in the eye. He's tall, and Furuya, being the tallest in the group, was also taken aback. Tsukishima stared at them straightly, and they all feel intimidated. They don't know why but they feel something different about this guy than the rest. Kuramochi was the one who answered first.

"As his teammates, it's quite surprising to hear this about Sawamura, how he's close with a lot of professional volleyball players. When I heard he used to be a volleyball player, I doubted it. About volleyball. About his past."

Kuramochi glanced at Miyuki. A while back, before they started their training back in the fields, they were discussing how they weren't so sure about Eijun's ability as a volleyball player. It's not because they're looking down on him as a player to another sport, but it's just that Eijun never mentioned it. Heck, they never even saw him play volleyball. Even if they heard an old article that he used to be an ace, it's still unbelievable. If he's really that much of a big shot back in middle school, how come no one recognized him right away? And that's why they want to watch him play later. They want to see how does Eijun plays in the court. They want to see the rumored ace.

"You guys are such simple-minded people," Tsukishima shook his head as he sighed. "Whether or not Eijun wants to tell you that he was once a volleyball player, that's all up to him. He's now a baseball player, for Pete's sake. So whatever he does in the past is now irrelevant. Surely you would know as simple as that, team captain?" He looked at Miyuki as the latter flinched, but he managed to calm down. Tsukishima is intimidating even if he's not even trying to.

"Yes. I've thought about that since a while ago. I wasn't that worried at first," Miyuki then clenched his fist. "But when the team and I heard about something new about him again, it made us realized how much we don't know Sawamura at all despite being with him after all this time, and we're frustrated about that."

Tsukishima looked at the team, who looked troubled that Eijun was a volleyball player. What right do they have to feel this troubled? It's not something to worry about since Eijun chose baseball over volleyball anyways. Tsukishima rubbed the back of his neck.

"This is why I don't like interacting with kids," he sighed. "Listen, you guys want to know something? We used to be in the volleyball club back in our high school. We taught that little idiot everything about volleyball. When he used to be a kid, he goes to Miyagi because of Sawamura-san, and he visits our gym every summer break to join our practice until we all graduated."

Miyuki and the team were stunned at the sudden new information all over again. They looked at Rei, who nodded. She knew about this when she asked Suga about their connection to Eijun a while ago. Tsukishima then continued.

"When we taught him volleyball, he immediately got the hang of it right away, and it surprised us. He reacted almost instantly when the ball is headed in his way, and he can calculate the game so well that it was almost scary for a kid to know all that. Kageyama and Hinata were all excited for him, though. I almost thought we created another volleyball monster, but in the end, he decided to choose baseball, and we supported him. I was surprised when he told us he joined his school's volleyball club when he was in middle school, though."

"He's a genius in volleyball," Daichi tapped Tsukishima's shoulder and mouthed him a thank you. It's now Daichi's turn to explain to Eijun's teammates. He felt a bit guilty for making Eijun's teammates feel bad. He heard from his little cousin how much he adore his teammates, especially his team captain.

Daichi then further explained that his little cousin might have been a prodigy of the sport. Even though he played volleyball earlier than his cousin, he admits that given the chance that Eijun continued his volleyball career in high school, he'd be more skillful than Daichi and would probably be known throughout the nation.

"Eijun may be shorter than the ones in the volleyball league, but they too recognized his ability as a volleyball player. And what's funny is when everyone acknowledges his skills in volleyball, he's the only one who doesn't see it. Once you tell him his position, his body automatically recognizes it, and he does it so well. I remembered he used to practice tossing with Kageyama, and he keeps spiking it. But when Kageyama told him to imagine himself as a setter, Eijun immediately tossed the ball right away. It's amazing."

A genius. A prodigy. Volleyball. All of these left the Seidou team more and more confused about Eijun. There's only one thing that bugs them, though. If he's a prodigy in volleyball, why choose baseball?

'Setter.' Miyuki remembered what Shirasu told everyone about what a setter is. It's like a catcher in volleyball. Does that mean Eijun can bring out the player's ability as well? Or does he catch the ball? The more he knows, the more confused he is about volleyball. He and the rest of the guys usually think about baseball so much that they didn't seem to care about other sports during their PE class.

Perhaps it's not just him who was confused by the sport as Haruichi gingerly approached Daichi and asked him to tell them about the positions and its role in volleyball.

"You guys sure?" Daichi arched an eyebrow. "I believe it's almost time for you guys to go back to your practice, and we don't want you all to be late. I'm sure my cousin will gladly explain everything about volleyball to you guys. He's knowledgeable about the sport, after all. Even his teammates back then would ask some pieces of advice of him during their practice."

"It's okay if it's short. We just want to know a bit more about Eijun-kun and the position that he's going to play later."

Daichi looked at the Karasuno team, and they all agreed. Nishinoya hopped excitingly in front of the Seidou bunch first.

"Okay, guys! I'll start," He let out a huge grin. "My position back then was the libero. It's a position in the back row of the court, and whenever the ball comes in my way, I have to dig it up for my team to try and attack again. It goes whoop and a hwapump every time I dig."

Whoop? Hwapump? Dig? The Seidou team tilted their heads as they imagined Nishinoya literally digging in the middle of the court.

"Nishinoya, I don't think they'd understand the term a gifted person would usually use. If it were Kageyama or Eijun, they'd get it right away, but these people are just ordinary folks like us." Suga pointed at the Seidou team and Rei, who looked so confused. Yachi stepped in to explain in the end. Zono's face lit up and the third years noticed it.

She carefully explained all the positions on the court to the team in terms that they might find it easy to understand than Nishinoya's creative explanation. Volleyball may look simple, but it isn't very easy for those who never get to play it fully. From the libero position up to the setter, the team was in awe by the unique positions, and Shirasu is the most attentive one among the Seidou team.

When she's finished the positions, Miyuki asked her if a setter is like a catcher. She happily explained that, in a way, it is but a setter is not allowed to hold the ball, and they must decide in under a second what to do with it.

"Setters are usually the ones providing the opportunity for the team to earn a point. They can fool the opponents, thinking which player to set to, calculating the height of the ball when they toss it, and the positions of the opponents so that it's easier for his team to spike," Suga explained further.

Miyuki found the position rather interesting since he likes to calculate a lot and tricking his opponents. Kuramochi, Tojou, and Shirasu found the libero pretty exciting. Furuya and Kanemaru were more fascinated by the position of a middle blocker, while Kawakami, Haruichi, and Zono like the sound of being a wing spiker.

"You used to be a setter, isn't that right, Suga-kun?" Rei said.

"Yep. And that fellow," he pointed at Asahi, who was slouching at the side. "used to be our ace. Don't let his looks fool you." Coming from behind, Nishinoya slapped him in the back, and the gentle giant stood up straight right away.

Furuya's face lit up when he heard the word ace. He then remembered from the old article awhile ago that Eijun used to be the ace in volleyball, and he emitted his competitive aura around everyone. He then asked the Karasauno team what it means to be an ace in a sport where almost everyone is hitting the ball.

"One could say that being an ace in volleyball means the best offensive player in the team," Asahi shyly scratched his chin. "They are responsible for spiking past the blockers with brute force. They have to be mentally strong to provide support for the team when they are in a pinch."

"Mentally strong…." Daichi and Suga eyed him conspicuously, which Asahi noticed and proceeded to argue with them about it.

"Oh, and by the way, Tsukishima here is a pro. His position is a middle blocker." Kinoshita pointed at Tsukishima. The team were all shocked. It's no wonder he gives off such a different aura. To think they were talking a pro. Now the third years feel more nervous talking to him.

"He's shy to admit it, though," Yamaguchi snickered. Tsukishima eyed his best friend, but Yamaguchi continued making fun of him.

As the Seidou team was planning what to ask the Karasuno folks more about volleyball and Eijun, the Karasuno bunch's phones rang. It's a photo sent by Hinata again. He took it when Eijun was about to spike the ball in the air despite wearing the tracksuit the team gave him.

Asahi showed the team the photo, and they saw the look on Eijun's face, and it was the same as when he's in the mound. What amazed them looking at the photo was how his form looked when he was about to spike. How he stretched his arm to the back with ease and how he managed to jump that high when he's wearing a tracksuit. Miyuki was twitching because it might affect Eijun's pitching.

"That guy is amazing," Daichi sighed happily. "How is he in the team, if you don't mind me asking?"

The team all looked at one another then eyed Miyuki.

"He's doing good," Miyuki answered, feeling a bit embarrassed talking about Eijun in front of his cousin. "Nowadays, he's getting more precise to his pitches, and the growth of his skill is developing fast. As his catcher, I still have to watch over him to ensure he's not getting ahead of himself. Though I'm worried that he might injure himself later."

"You don't have to worry about it," Yamaguchi reassured the worried captain. "Hinata is with him, and he'll make sure Ei-kun won't injure himself. Knowing Ei-kun, he won't let himself get injured so easily. Kageyama and Hinata kept on reminding him about his health like he's their child after all."

"Isn't he, though?" Asahi chuckled. "Although a lot of people are claiming Eijun theirs. Especially Bokuto and Ushiwaka. I feel bad to whoever wants to date him."

Kuramochi snorted, which led Miyuki to hit him in the side.

"Daichi-san and Suga-kun mentioned that these two people: Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun are the true teachers of Sawamura-kun. I trust you guys remember that he and Hinata-kun are in one team while Kageyama-kun is in the Adlers. " Rei explained to the Seidou team.

"Ohhh." They all mouthed. Now they want to see this Hinata and Kageyama that Rei and the others keep on mentioning.

Miyuki noticed the time and realized their break is about to be done. He told everyone to carry the boxes carefully as they made their way to where the boxes are. It was heavy, and they all secretly praised the girl managers for carrying these every time someone donates something for the team. You gotta hand it to them. Those girls are strong.

"We're sorry if these are heavy. It's just that we want to give Eijun our support and also to the team," Daichi smiled warmly to them, and everyone could see the resemblance between him and Eijun right away. Although, his face turned into a scowl when he mentioned that he would scold his little cousin for not telling the team he's absent today without them knowing.

"Sawamura-san, we should go now," Tsukishima opened his phone. "Kuroo-san is already waiting for us. Who knows what will happen if he ends up meeting Eijun first. Last time I remembered, Eijun hates that guy."

"Really? That's unfortunate since Kuroo seemed fond of him." Suga said.

"Hear that? Another guy who sounds close with Sawamura." Kuramochi snickered. Miyuki honestly wants to kick him in the groin right now.

"Ryou just texted me he and the others are already in the arena waiting for us as well," Nishinoya said as he jumped excitedly over Tsukishima's shoulders, who doesn't seem to mind since he's already used to it. The Seidou team was surprised at how he managed to jump so high despite his height difference with Tsukishima.

Hinata sent another message for the Karasuno bunch to see. It was another picture of Eijun, and this time he and the rest of the Black Jackals were doing their signature pose: Hands pawed in front, knees slightly bent, and they opened their mouths like that of a dog. There's a caption below the image: Puppy with the Jackals. I'll send another photo when he's going to wear our jersey! :D

They all melted at how adorable Eijun is posing like that with the Black Jackals that they made light squeal noise which surprised the Seidou team. Tsukishima just shrugged and closed his phone.

"He's an angel," Suga sniffled. "He's too precious. I can't believe he's related to Daichi."

"You guys are always like this when it comes to him," Daichi groaned. "So he's going to wear the team's jersey, huh? Now that is going to be interesting."

"Seeing Eijun's adorable face always makes my day. Now I can't wait to see him when he gets to play later." Kinoshita sighed as he went and saved the photo right away.

The team flinched when they heard what Kinoshita just said. And here they thought they just went here to donate.

"Rei-chan?" The team stared at their vice-president.

"Oh yes," Rei fixed up her glasses. "They're going to watch his game. That is why they went here in Tokyo in the first place, after all."

With a box in his hands, Miyuki approached Kinoshita with determination. The Seidou team was surprised by how Miyuki took the initiative to approach him.

"Uhm, this might be weird, but is it okay if you would send some photos of Sawamura to us when he's on the court?" He shyly looked away. It's the first time he's ever done this. "We just want to see him how he's doing and all. But I guess this is weird coming from a total stranger, but it would mean so much to me, uh, I mean to the team if you could."

Kinoshita was surprised by Miyuki's request. During Eijun's video call with the rest of the Karasuno team, he recalled how much Eijun enjoys being on his baseball team. Eijun admits that there were some setbacks from time to time, but he knows he is still not good enough for the team to trust him completely. And here Kinoshita thought the team didn't like Eijun. He looked at Miyuki and the rest of the team. Their faces were a bit sweaty from the training, but they're still worried about their fellow teammate. And Kinoshita would be an asshole if he'd say no to the captain after being so honest with him.

Out of the teammates that Eijun has mentioned to him and the Karasuno team, Eijun's expression changes when he starts talking about Miyuki. Seeing Miyuki's expression when talking about Eijun made him remember Kageyama's face when looking at Hinata back in high school.

Ah. So that's it. A light bulb lit up on Kinoshita's head as his lips slowly turned into an upward curve.

"Sure," he said. He has a weakness for romance. Miyuki's face instantly lit up.

"Kuramochi. Your LINE number, please," Miyuki gestured his hand as he turned to Kuramochi, who glared at him. "What? I don't have a LINE account."

" 'is it okay if you would send some photos of Sawamura to us when he's on the court,' " Kuramochi rolled his eyes as Kinoshita handed his phone to him and typed his LINE account. "You almost sound so cool saying that, but you blew it when you asked someone's phone than yours."

"Oh, come on," Miyuki grinned. "I know you guys wanted to see Sawamura up close and personal. Only a photo would do for now."

"That's right!" Zono pumped his fist. "Sawamura is our precious kohai, after all. So if he's hyped up for later, we should also get hyped up."

"Geh, here comes the noisy one again." Kuramochi covered his ears.

"Thank you Kinoshita-san," Kawakami said. "I know you guys will have to go by now, but there are so many things we wanted to ask about Sawamura."

"As much as we wanted to, I think it's better to go and ask the person himself. Communication is always important when it comes to the team." Kinoshita winked as he and the others are preparing to go.

Suga and Rei shared a goodbye hug as they are about to leave. Daichi and the rest all bid their farewell to everyone and started walking back to their cars.

"Uhm!" Kanemaru raised his voice. It was so sudden, the Karasuno team stopped walking. The Seidou team was also shocked since he's been quiet since a while ago. "We have a game the day after tomorrow here in our school. You could watch Sawamura play if you'd like. I'm sure it would mean a lot to him if you all could watch him play baseball."

"We'll see," Yachi smiled brightly. Rei cleared her throat. It was like looking at an angel, and Zono seemed entranced entirely by it. "See you, everyone!" Yachi then waved goodbye as they turned their backs on them. A murder of crows flocked above them as they leave.

"Karasuno High School," Rei said to the team. "They were called the Crows. Back then, they used to be a powerhouse, but during Suga-kun's time, they were nicknamed as the fallen champions. The flightless birds. Sawamura-kun witnessed this all when he was with them a while back. He holds deep respect to them and vice versa."

The team stared at the Karasuno team's backs until they were no more.

"Fallen champions," Miyuki muttered.

Afterward, the Seidou team all carried the boxes back into the dugout. Daichi and the others brought way too many donations that some of them had to take two boxes. The way back to the dugout was quiet. They've learned so much about Eijun from his childhood friends that they're getting more anxious to watch him play later. How good is Eijun? How intelligent is he in volleyball? Will he switched back to volleyball once he realized how much it's more fun than baseball? These thoughts were all on everyone's head.

When they arrived in the dugout, the managers thanked them and noticed that it was indeed a lot to carry, so Sachiko was relieved that Miyuki and the rest were the ones who volunteered to carry it. She then asked them if the cousin and the friends were indeed good-looking, and to Zono's annoyance, he admits that they were good-looking and one of them was so tall that even Furuya had to look up and is a pro to boot. Sachiko groaned in disappointment for not seeing those rare people while the rest of the managers comforted their troubled friend.

Asou was the first one who approached Miyuki and asked him about any information about Eijun from his cousin. Shirasu and Kuramochi told everyone what they know so far about Eijun and his cousin and his friends. Like them earlier, the team was shocked that Eijun was called a prodigy in volleyball and how he knew so many pro players. Some were interested to know about volleyball, while some are just don't care. Afterward, it was time for their field practice, and luckily Miyuki was focused during the training.

2:33 pm

"Is it starting already?" Miyuki hurriedly entered the dining hall. He changed to some fresh clothes as people are slowly heading inside the hall.

The dining hall was packed with members of the Seidou team that Umemoto and Sachiko had to get the wide television from the storage room so that everyone can watch with ease. Coach Kataoka, Rei, and Coach Ochiai were present as well. President Oota sadly couldn't make it because he has some matters to attend to.

"The game didn't start yet, but the Schweiden Adlers just entered the court," Shirasu opened up a seat for Miyuki between him and Kuramochi. "They looked pretty strong, and I'm already worried for Sawamura. Their chosen player named Hyuuga Haru seemed impressive as well."

Hyuuga Haru. Miyuki remembered that name all right. He used to be Eijun's former teammate, and they're known as the setter-hitter pair. He's looking forward to how they'll face one another in the court.

"That must be Kageyama-kun, the one that Suga-kun mentioned," Rei said as they all watched Kageyama Tobio entered the court with a stoic face.

"Hard to imagine he and Eijun-kun are close." Haruichi let out a soft laugh. He and everyone else can already feel his presence, even behind the screen. They all watched as each member of the Schweiden Adlers was called one by one.

"Kyaa! As expected. Hoshiumi-san, Ushijima-san, and Kageyama-san are absolutely eye-candy. And I got to admit, Hyuuga-kun looks handsome as well. But their captain and Romero-san aren't bad as well," Sachiko suddenly went into fangirl-mode.

"So those three are part of the monster generation." Umemoto watched as the team all headed to their side of the court.

"Eh? But isn't one of them too short for a volleyball player?" Miyuki said without any meaning behind it. "What did Hitoka-san said again about this certain position usually for the short people? Libero right? Yeah. Hoshiumi-san must be the team's libero."

"He's a wing-spiker," Shirasu corrected him. "He's an all-around player. I searched it up out of curiosity earlier. And Hinata-san, Sawamura's close friend, is also a short guy in their team and a wing-spiker. This game is going to be interesting."

The team was surprised by the fact Shirasu looked excited in watching the game all of a sudden. Should they start getting worried? Nah. Shirasu was known to be good at all types of sports anyways. But what surprised Miyuki, though, was how one with a disadvantage height could manage to fight against giants. Heck, he's getting more worried for Eijun since his height is considered 'too short' for a volleyball player.

Yui's face lit up when he heard about Hoshiumi and Hinata being a wing-spiker despite the height difference from their fellow teammates. Being a short person himself, he's now rooting for both of them and is getting more interested in watching the game. It's probably the first time everyone in the hall watches a pro volleyball game on live television. Coach Kataoka laughed at the though of it.

They watched as the Adlers are starting to warm up by their side of the court. And finally, they waited for Eijun's team to show up when the announcer called them. But nothing happened on the side of the Black Jackals. Few seconds go by but still nothing. The organizers looked a bit panicky.

It was then cut off into a commercial break.

"Eh?"

The team went quiet. What just happened? Kuramochi could feel Miyuki fidgeting from his feet again, and he couldn't blame him. Usually, after one team has been introduced, the next team would be out right away. Surely something must've happened in Eijun's team.

"It's normal to go into the commercial break after one team has been introduced," Coach Kataoka said after he noticed the uneasiness from everyone. "They normally just warm-up, and I'm sure we viewers don't have to watch it."

That made sense. But the coach, too, feels like something is wrong, but he doesn't want to show it.

It has been a few minutes, but the commercial break is still on. Seto and Okumura tried looking up the situation on the internet, but nothing relevant popped out.

Miyuki bit his lip as he looked at the time on the wall: 2:40 pm. The game is about to start. What happened to Eijun?

"It's back on," Yui yelled excitingly. Everyone's head jerked up as the camera is back on the court. They all can now feel at ease.

Sorry for the delay, everyone. And now, ladies and gentlemen! The team that we've all been waiting for: The MSBY Black Jackals.'

The Seidou team held their breathes as the organizers opened the door.

"I can't wait to see Bokuto-kun. They say his personality is beaming with energy when he enters the court that you can't help but feel it too." Sachiko giggled as she rubbed her hands together.

"I'm more excited to see Miya-kun." Umemoto winked as she anticipates the handsome setter.

"Moles. Sakusa-san. Curls!" The two first years were also waiting for their prince charming.

"I heard Hinata-san is known to smile when entering the court. I sure hope to see that." Haruno smiled as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. Kanemaru clenched his teeth. He's not jealous. He's definitely not jealous at all.

Tojou, Haruichi, and Furuya beg to differ.

The announcers called on the team's captain. The girl managers all swooned at the sight of Meian entering the court. But they noticed he looked rather pissed? Maybe they're imagining things. Then entered Inunaki, who was walking gracefully and confidently, then entered the adorable Thomas. The girls were admiring the Black Jackals' jacket they're wearing that they were tempted to ask Eijun to steal those jackets from the pros.

Finally, Hinata was called, and Haruno's face lit up.

Hinata entered the court. It looked like he was dragging his feet, and he looks tired and is frowning.

"Hinata…san?" Haruno tilted her head. Kanemaru secretly fist-bumped himself.

Then entered Bokuto, Sachiko's bias. He was walking with his hair slumped down and looked rather anxious over something. Sachiko looked surprised by Bokuto's pessimistic appearance. They noticed he kept looking at his back, but he keeps flinching when Sakusa appeared behind him. Anna and Akane were starstruck seeing him without a mask, and he looked better than they imagined him to be. The camera zoomed him in, and his face turned into a glare. Though it wasn't directed to them, Anna and Akane suddenly shuddered.

Atsumu entered and looked worst than Hinata and Bokuto. He was looking down, and it looked like he was muttering something under his breath. Uncool but Umemoto finds it cute.

"There go your girls' prince charmings," Asou smirked as the guys were laughing at them.

"Shut up, Asou! You guys are just jealous that they're hot!" Sachiko glared at him, and it looked like she's ready to kick him.

"Say what?" Asou stood up from his chair.

"Guys. It's Sawamura's turn!" Kawakami cut them off before Sachiko and Asou would start a brawl. The announcer then called Eijun's name.

Everyone went all sweaty—even the coaches and Rei.

"Knowing that idiot, he's going to look so nervous since all eyes are on him. Gyaha!" Kuramochi leaned forward and couldn't wait to see the look on Eijun's troubled face. Miyuki agreed and grinned. Eijun tends to overthink, so Miyuki already expected he'd slip during his walk, just like in Koshien. The team agreed as well.

'And our chosen player for the MSBY Black Jackals! Put your hands together for SAWAMURA EIJUN!'

And there he was. Their teammate. Their loud-mouth, obnoxious, annoying, idiot pitcher, Sawamura Eijun. They saw him entering the court and-

Their jaws opened wide.

Eijun entered the court like he owns the place. He walked confidently with the Black Jackals jacket on him. Even from the television, he allured a certain charm. It was way different than when he's on the field. This Eijun is different. He looked stoic, calm, dominant, focused, and confident. The camera zoomed closely on Eijun, and the look on his face was so profound that it made everyone in the dining hall doubted if this is the Sawamura Eijun they knew of in the field. Behind him was Barnes. Eijun looked like a guinea pig standing near him. Miyuki and Kuramochi found it so funny. They watched as Eijun continued walking, and perhaps due to overexcitement, he walked faster than usual.

"What the hell? Who told him to be that cool?" Kanemaru sounded like he's angry, but he can't help but be mesmerized by Eijun's presence.

"His legs are exposed," Furuya commented.

Miyuki eyed Eijun's thighs. His thighs. It was so well-toned. It's so thick.

And he looks so hot in his jersey.

Miyuki gulped. He could feel his heartbeat racing, and he could already feel the heat reaching across his body.

What the hell?

"His dedication to the lower body workouts paid off, right, Miyuki?" Kuramochi glanced at his friend beside him. "Miyuki?"

"Huh? What? Ah, yeah." Miyuki said between breaths. Kuramochi eyed him suspiciously.

Miyuki was panting. One look from Eijun's thighs, and it feels like a bomb just blew up inside Miyuki.

'This is bad. This is bad. This is bad.' Miyuki bit his lip as he clenched his hands in a tight fist. Heat rising between his legs.

The camera continued focusing on Eijun when he joined up with the Black Jackals. He took off his jacket, and the team was astonished to see Eijun wearing arm sleeves. Except for his muscles on his arms are a bit exposed. Now without a jacket, he looked more like a volleyball player.

"Woah. He looks…. different. In a good way, of course." Sachiko's eyes widened.

"It's my first time seeing him like that. And those arm sleeves of his looked pretty cool on him. Did you noticed he taped his fingers?" Umemoto pointed out. The team saw how he taped all his fingers, and Okumura sighed in relief. At least his senpai is aware of how important the fingers of a pitcher are.

Miyuki couldn't help but feel the heat rising once more. Eijun's thighs were only just the beginning. He looked at Eijun and can't help but admire his appearance. His jersey, those arm sleeves, the pads, the tapes, the exposed leg muscles. Everything about Eijun right now is enough to make him go mad right now. He let out a low groan. He licked his lips as he imagines licking every part of Eijun's body and placing his hand between Eijun's-

"Dammit, Miyuki!" Kuramochi kicked him so hard he fell off his chair. Everyone was shocked by Kuramochi's sudden kick and yelling to their captain. As Miyuki struggled from that low kick, Kuramochi crouched down beside him, and with a low voice that only Miyuki hear, he growled. "I don't know what riled you up so suddenly after watching Sawamira walking around the court but damn you, Miyuki! Do it in the bathroom. Now. Or I will kick you again where everyone could you see how pathetic you look right now."

Miyuki wasn't even mad at Kuramochi and was even thankful for kicking him to go back in his senses. The heat from his body was still there, though, and Miyuki rushed to the bathroom right away. Kuramochi stood up and went back to his chair and acted nothing happened.

"H-hey," Zono broke out a sweat. "What just happened between you and Miyuki, Kuramochi?" The team was shocked at how fast Miyuki ran outside.

"He's taking a shit. A big load. " Kuramochi grumbled as he clenched his fist.

Stupid Miyuki and his horniness.

2:50 pm

"Don't you EVER do that again," Kuramochi glared at Miyuki once the catcher managed to calm himself down. He returned with a new pair of pants, and Kuramochi was tempted to kick his ass again.

"I know, I know!" Miyuki looked embarrassed and ashamed that he had some weird fantasies in front of everyone just because he saw Eijun's thighs. Ugh. Damn those thighs. "I shouldn't have done that. He was just… you know?"

"No. I don't know. And I don't want to know," Kuramochi darted away as he cringed. "Miyuki. Just control yourself when you see him, okay? Damnit."

"I'll try." Miyuki let out a grin as he laughed. Kuramochi was about to kick him real this time when Zono patted Miyuki in the back.

"So Miyuki, how was your poop session?" Zono laughed. "You just missed the announcement, by the way."

"Announcement?" Miyuki arched an eyebrow. "And yeah. Wow. My poop session was great. Thanks for asking." He eyed Kuramochi, who was smirking. It serves him right.

"Sawamura's going to be the setter in the first set," Shirasu said. "Also, everyone's positions are mixed up, and according to the announcer, it's to spice things up and to excite the crowd. Sawamura as a setter? Now, this is getting interesting."

"And he's going to be the libero in the next set," Yui added. "The organizers planned this out for the audience, apparently."

Miyuki noticed someone left him a message when he was out. He opened his phone, and to his surprise, it was from Mei. He has a bad feeling about it as he read the message.

Narumiya Mei

Re: Your beloved pitcher is here?!

Oi Kazuya. I'm here in the Tokyo arena rn with Itsuki, Carlos, and Shirakawa, and wtf did u know ur pitcher is playing with the pros? I tried calling him, but he seemed preoccupied doing his creepy warm-ups with his team a while ago. I mean, I'm not worried for him, but I kinda feel bad to u. LMAO. Anyways. Upgrade ur phone already. Ur so old-fashioned that u still used that flipphone of yours. I wanted to send a photo to u but I remembered u dont have a LINE accnt. -_-'

"Mei? Watching a volleyball game?" Miyuki scoffed. "Hey, guys. Mei and some Inashiro guys are in the arena with Sawamura, but the idiot didn't see them."

"How the heck did they even got there? Don't they have training?" Ono raised a brow as Miyuki showed them the message.

"Who knows," Miyuki sighed. He then replied a simple text to Mei.

I know he's there. We're watching him live right now. More importantly, why are you guys even there? And btw, you can send the photo to Kuramochi's account. I'm beside him rn anyways.

Within seconds, Mei replied.

Narumiya Mei

Re: none

You sounded like ur pretty calm about it. Oh well. Not my fault if he's going to injure himself. LMAO. And we're here cuz Carlos got us some tickets. And that's all you need to know. :P btw I just sent the pic to Kuramochi. Go check it out. Fufufufu.

Miyuki gestured to Kuramochi, and the latter opened his phone. It was a photo of Eijun. He was concentrating on something with a weird look on his face, but his team members tried putting things on his head.

"Hey," Miyuki snorted. "Print that out for me, will you?"

"You're weird when it comes to him. You know that, right?" Kuramochi grinned as they continued watching the television.

Both teams are in the court as they now started warming up in the net. Their setters from each team all went near the court and started tossing the ball to the players.

"Hey, that looks pretty cool. Look at how high they jump." Asou looked rather impressed.

"I know, right? It makes me want to see how far Sawamura can keep up with his team." Zono leaned back to his seat.

The camera then shifted to the reporters while the players were still doing their warm-ups by the net.

The reporters highlighted every player's skills, and she mentioned how excited she is to watch Eijun and Haru go all out with the pros. She also said to her partner that she might have heard of the name Sawamura Eijun from somewhere, but she couldn't get the finger of it yet. Maybe she will remember once she saw him play. On the other hand, her partner is looking forward to watching the long-awaited game between the Adlers and the Black Jackals. He also mentioned Haru's skill as a setter, and rumors are spreading that he might participate in the U19 World Youth Team next year.

"So that guy is the chosen player for the Adlers, huh? What's his name again? Hyuuga Haru? Ain't he used to be Sawamura's former teammate in middle school?" Kuramochi asked everyone.

"Participated in the youth camp in his first year, his school is known to be the National champions, one of the new generation of monsters, awarded as the best setter, eyed by the pros already, oh and yeah. A former teammate of Sawamura." Kawakami counted his fingers about what he heard about Haru from Nabe. It's amazing how he knew about Haru when he just heard the guy just this morning. His scouting skills are almost scary as Chris'.

"Big shot guy with a team full of big shot," Miyuki tapped his foot. "Sawamura needs to step up his game if he wants to win against that guy."

"Sadly, we won't get to watch them in the position that they're best at. Hyuuga's going to be a wing spiker in the first set and a libero like Sawamura in the 2nd set," Shirasu said. "If each team wins each set, they might get to play in the 3rd set. Who knows. Knowing how Sawamura is competitive, he won't lose that easily."

Kuramochi's phone rang, and it was a LINE message from Kinoshita. It appears they're near the court but are on the Adlers' side, so the photo looked a bit far off, but Kinoshita managed to zoom in on Eijun. Kuramochi then called Miyuki and the others as they looked at the photo Kinoshita had sent them. Eijun was by himself, but it looked like he was examining the whole arena with such determination. Another photo message was sent, and this time Bokuto and Hinata are behind him, but he seemed preoccupied.

"Damn, that Hyuuga guy can manage with the pros so well," Kanemaru said as he watched Haru managed to mix well with the pros when he set the ball for them. It's hard to imagine that this is his first time playing with the pros since it looked like he's already used to them.

"So that's how a setter is, huh?" Okumura wiggled his hands and tried imitating what Haru did. It looked like Haru barely even touched the ball, such as the amazement of the first-year catcher. "Amazing."

"Ah! It's Sawamura-kun's turn to spike practice." Haruno jumped on her seat.

Everyone in the dining hall went quiet.

Here it is! Sawamura Eijun, a pitcher, the chosen player for the Black Jackals, is finally going to spike for the very first time. The reporter sound excited as the camera started to focus on Eijun.

Eijun gathered up his run-up speed. The team saw a hint of glimmer in his eyes as he gestured something to their team's setter, Atsumu. Miyuki and Kuramochi saw how their setter grinned excitingly. Eijun and Atsumu nodded, and Eijun took a big step as he runs towards the net so quickly.

Atsumu waited for the perfect timing before tossing the ball. Then Eijun jumps out of nowhere, and Atsumu smirked. He immediately reacted and tossed the ball, and Eijun smacked the ball on the other side almost in an instant. The impact was so loud. It could be heard by everyone watching right now.

The team were speechless as they slowly dropped their jaws in disbelief.

"Fast," Kuramochi said. Almost like in a whisper because he wasn't even sure if Eijun did manage to touch the ball.

"Could it be?"

The lady reporter from earlier furrowed her eyebrows on Eijun, and her lips slowly turned into a curve as she faced the camera once more.

''It IS him! I used to be the announcer back in my middle school days. He looked different now; I almost didn't recognize him. But I recognized that form anywhere. You saw that folks live here in Tokyo Arena. It's the return of one of the new Generation of Monsters, the forgotten ace, Acejun himself!"

"What just happened? Did Sawamura? Our Sawamura? Just did that?" Miyuki was finding the right words in his vocabulary but was still in a state of shock.

"Acejun?" Furuya tilted his head. "He's called Acejun?"

"That's such a cheesy nickname," Haruichi smiled. He was still surprised how Eijun managed to spike that in a blink of an eye. "I bet he likes that nickname."

"I got to hand it to that kid," Coach Ochiai had goosebumps watching that. "That was amazing."

Everyone was murmuring about Eijun. How did he manage to jump so high? How did he even manage to see where the ball is when the setter tossed it so fast to him.

Miyuki was still on his chair. It's the first time he's ever seen Eijun looked so focused other than in the mound. He clicked his tongue.

"You okay, Miyuki?" Shirasu tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yeah," He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "That idiot can sure jump, huh?"

Shirasu noticed it but didn't comment anything about it. He knows what the captain is feeling right now. Everyone on the team knew. The game is back on, and they went back to their seats.

The announcer informed everyone in the audience and the viewers about the special rules for the friendly match: First, in the 1st set, only the chosen players get to serve until the set is done. They will still follow the rotational system of the game except when it's their turn to serve. If one of the chosen players is a middle blocker, that player should not be substituted with the libero.

Second, every player needs to follow their role position on the court unless it's an emergency move. Failure to do this would give the opposing team a score.

Third, the score is up to 15 until a deuce has been called; Therefore, the teams must do whatever it takes to take the last winning score.

Lastly, should there be a 3rd set, all players' roles are now back to their usual positions and play like the regular game until one team managed to win, and the match is called.

"Isn't 15 for two sets a bit too long in volleyball?" Tojou asked Haruichi and the others. They forgot to ask the Karasuno bunch about the scoring and rotational system in volleyball.

"Rotational system like they're going to move around? Sounds tiring. And the heck? Does that mean Sawamura's going to serve for the team until the first set is done? Gyaha! Well, isn't that interesting." Kuramochi grinned. It sounds like Volleyball isn't that simple after all.

Game start!

The crowd cheered as the players from each side meet and shook each other's hands. Hirugami and Meian glared at one another, Hinata and Kageyama are reminding each other's wins and losses, and Eijun can see how fired up Haru is in front of him.

"I'm going to take this first set." Haru declared.

"Not if I'm the setter, you won't." Eijun grinned as he looked at Haru with sheer focus and determination. That's the kind of expression that Haru wants to see from Eijun.

"Let's see about that." He smirked as they both went back to their side of the court.

The Black Jackals will serve first. The ball boy gave the ball to Eijun as the team cheered for him. He gripped the ball tightly as he went out of the court. Hinata watched as Eijun took deep breathes, and he could his eyes are slowly turning into an intense golden brown. Hinata glanced at Kageyama on the other side of the net and saw him grinning like the idiot he is. He's excited to play against Eijun, all right.

"Do your best, Junei!" Bokuto cheered his fellow teammate as he steels himself for the upcoming attack of the Adlers.

'This sensation. This pressure of being a setter and serving the ball up until the set is done sure is a handful. It's no problem at all, though. I'm used to pressuring anyways when I was in Seidou. Ahh~ I can't wait to go back and pitch again. Volleyball is always fun, but nothing beats baseball.' Eijun closed his eyes as he enters the zone.

"Hey, Hinata," Meian spoke up beside Hinata in the front row.

Meanwhile, Eijun is preparing to serve the ball. He could feel the sound and people around him starting to disappear. It's like he's back on the mound. His territory. His place of dominance. Instead of the net, he imagines Miyuki crouching down and opened his mitt right in front of him. Eijun's heart started racing as he breathes in and out.

"Yes, Meian-san?" Hinata turned his head to the captain.

"We practiced spiking and digging with Sawamura, right?" For some reason, Meian has a bad feeling about something.

"Uh-huh. Why?"

"Well, I think we forgot something," Meian and Hinata looked at Eijun behind them, and their eyes widened in pure shock. Sakusa overheard them and looked behind as well. His usual straight-faced expression changed, and he went pale. Bokuto was surprised as well, and also Thomas.

"What the hell is that idiot doing?" Haru furrowed his eyebrows, and the Adlers looked confused as well as the audience.

"I can't believe we're related." Daichi shrank down, feeling the second-hand embarrassment. Meanwhile, Mei was laughing so hard while the three guys were also feeling second-hand embarrassment.

"That idiot!" The Seidou team yelled in the dining hall. Miyuki was holding his stomach from laughing too much.

Eyes still closed, Eijun tiptoed his left foot as he lifted his right leg and gripping the ball as if he's going to pitch it.

'Did the ball get bigger?'

Oh fuck.

"Ya, guys!" Atsumu yelled from the waiting box along with the other players as they watched in horror. "I think we forgot to practice his serve."

When Eijun opened his eyes, he realized his mistake. He pitched the volleyball with all the strength of his fingers. However, because of the size of the ball, he lost his grip the moment he threw the ball, and it rolled slowly across the floor. Everyone silently watched as the ball rolls away.

Schweiden Adlers 1- MSBY Black Jackals 0