The next morning was brutal for the North American Women's Youth volleyball team. There was no other way to describe the feeling of utter fatigue the girls felt when Katharine's alarm went off. Before leaving the western continent, the team's coaches had booked a six-bed room in a Tokyo youth hostel for the girls and although space was limited inside the small room, Katharine and her teammates had found relative comfort in the plush bump beds and had fallen asleep almost immediately when they got to the hostel the night before. Katharine looked at her phone and groaned, realizing the difficulty the girls would encounter relating to the bathroom use logistics.
'Elia, Arissa. To the bathroom, now. Let's not waste any time.' she said as the twins ran to the bathroom, fighting over who would get to shower first. Katharine heard Elizabeth groaned sleepily as she hid her face with her pillow. Zofia sat up, her long blond hair knotted messily on her head.
'Waking up this early should be a criminal offense, captain. Really. I'm not ok with this.' she complained, only to receive a pillow across her lightly freckled face.
'You can send a formal complaint about your horrible working conditions to our client services department. I should be able to give a damn and answer back in about two weeks. Sorry for the delay, it's the changing of the time zones. Terribly inconvenient, I know.' replied Katharine with an unphased expression on her face. Giggles could be heard from Maria's bunk as Zofia's eyes narrowed passively.
'Oh, you went looking for that one, Zofia. You got canceled.' said a giggling Maria as she rose up, untangling her brown curly locks with her fingers.
'Zofia, when Arissa and Elia are done, you'll share the bathroom with Elizabeth. And she gets to shower first.' said Katharine, earning another annoyed groaned from Zofia. 'And why is that?' Elizabeth removed the pillow that hid her face.
'Because I'm not an asshole like you.' Maria laughed again much to Zofia's growing annoyance.
'It's the first time that you're tolerable since we got here, Elizabeth. And you were asleep. I wouldn't brag about it.' replied Zofia as the twins exited the bathroom. Katherine gestured to the Texan setter and the Polish-American spiker to hurry up and both walked lazily to the bathroom, Zofia clearly sulking as she closed the doors behind them.
'I can't believe we're going to train with boys. Big and tall boys. I hate playing with guys, they make me feel so damn short.' stated Maria as she brushed her hair, rolling her eyes. She was visibly anxious. 'I bet I won't even be able to play at all. They'll think I'm a preschooler who got lost on the way to kindergarten.' she said with a loud sigh. Katharine went to sit next to her on her bed and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder.
'I'll make sure they let you play. You're probably the best libero of this entire camp, man or woman.' said Katharine, trying to cheer up her Mexican libero teammate and friend. She smirked and gently nudged her shoulder. 'And I promise I'll let you sit on my shoulders if you feel too small.' Maria chuckled.
'Says the girl who's only four inches taller than me.' Katharine shrugged. Maria was right. The Canadian player was the second smallest member of the Women's Youth volleyball team. But for the height that Katharine did not possess, she made up for in horsepower in her serves and spikes, earning nicknames from her teammates for her hits such as 'fireballs' and 'nukes'. Katharine laughed again. Maria always had an answer for everything.
But there was some truth to what she said. She wasn't tall, but she was strong. She always had a more muscular disposition than the rest of the girls on her team and often found herself in the mornings either running or lifting weights on her regular schedule. She had to compensate in raw power for the inches she lacked to be an effective middle blocker, she told herself. And since they would be training with young men, she expected the net to be raised higher than what she was used to. In a sense, she was glad she had tall players such as Zofia, Elizabeth, Arissa, and Elia on her team. They would cover for the smaller girls' disadvantage.
Before long, the North American Women's Youth volleyball team was ready to move out equipped with their gear, clothes, and train tickets to the stadium where the training camp was held. Katharine led her team through the busy streets of downtown Tokyo, where she found the prying eyes of hundreds of Japanese locals on her and on her teammates as they walked through the crowded streets and underground paths. She knew they were foreigners, but did they look so different? She tried to shrug off the feeling of uneasiness as they got on the train at the nearest subway station. Katharine sat next to Arissa and Elia and shyly looked around as the train started to move. She could feel the intense gaze of the woman who sat next to the doors of the train, her tiny beady eyes staring straight at her. She could feel her palms sweating as the older woman 's eyes narrowed judgingly as she mumbled something in Japanese that completely eluded the Canadian spiker.
'Why do I get the feeling that we're being watched? I feel like I look so different compared to the average Japanese girl. Is it the piercings?' she asked them, pointing at her multiple helix piercings on her ears. She got a sharp grin from Arissa.
'Honey. Don't even start with me. You are not a six-foot-three Nigerian volleyball player in Japan. You have no idea what being stared at feels like right now.' she replied and rolled her eyes. Katharine always admired the twins for their honesty and their humor.
'I'm thankful I got you girls to come here with us. I don't know what we would have done without you. Thank you.' replied Katharine. Elia grinned, put a warm hand on her captain's shoulder.
'Arissa and I made room for you guys in our busy modeling career schedules, you're right. But it was the right thing to do. You're lucky I'm not a fan of the stupid editor of Teenage magazine or you would be without middle blockers. You can buy us dinner later to show your gratitude, captain. I like sushi. The fancy and expensive kind.' she said with a large grin. Katharine laughed at Elia's comment, only to be shushed by the old man across her, whose sleep they had interrupted. Katharine quickly apologized and sighed. Different public transport customs, she reminded herself.
When the girls reached the stadium, they couldn't be any more surprised to see the size of the gym facilities, even for American standards. She could see the training camp coaches, dressed in the Japanese Olympic official tracksuit as they climbed the stairs leading to the inside courts. Katharine inhaled deeply and turned around to face her amazed teammates, who were still taking in their surroundings. Katharine expected the outside part of downtown Tokyo to be louder, but it was surprisingly quiet. She had been apprehensive about the loud and sudden noises of the city since it was one of the many things that triggered Elizabeth's occasional meltdowns. But as she looked at her green-eyed setter, she knew that the Texan native was doing alright, taking in the new stimuli rather positively as she kneaded the plush volleyball she had brought with her. It was almost as if she tried to calm her own nerves down.
As the captain of her team, Katharine felt it was her responsibility to take care of each and every one of her teammates and when she saw Elizabeth's eyes filled with a childlike joy when she saw the volleyball plush at the Dubai airport's sports shop. Katharine had bought it for her as a comfort item. Elizabeth couldn't express her gratitude with words as verbal communication was sometimes harder for her and so to thank her captain, she braided Katharine's hair while they waited for their next flight during their long layover. All the girls of the team knew what this meant. It meant that Elizabeth now felt comfortable enough with them to express her feelings through touch, something she rarely did even with members of her own family and for Katharine that was a great victory in itself.
Pride made her heart swell when she noticed just how sharp they all looked in their North American Women's Youth Volleyball team uniforms, each of them wearing their respective country's flag woven patch on their shoulder. She was glad at that very moment that she was chosen to be the team's captain. She doubted herself at first, but when she saw the trust in her teammates' eyes, she knew she had made the right decision to accept the position. She smiled and gave them reassuring thumbs up.
'Let's show these boys what real volleyball is all about.' With that said, the North American Women's Youth Volleyball team walked towards the gym facility with renewed confidence and with the promise of expensive sushi paid for by the team's captain after their long day.
Tobio Kageyama was sitting against the gym's far sidewall, his Pocari Sweat bottle lying on the ground next to him. He had arrived quite a bit earlier than he thought deemed necessary to prepare for today's training but seeing as he got lost about six times in Tokyo's intricate subway system, he was content with his situation. Being late was not an excuse for him. He needed to stay sharp and focused if he was going to demonstrate his skills to the best of his category in the land. All had slowly assembled in the main gymnasium as the participants started talking to one another. Kageyama sighed and rose up to join the rest, who had assembled for the morning briefing.
'Hey there. Heard you were the genius first-year setter from Karasuno High School.' said a tall figure approaching him. The yellow and green of his school tracksuit immediately alerted Kageyama that the person facing him was from the reputed Itachiyama Institute. Tobio quickly bowed low and inhaled sharply.
'Thank you for taking notice of me. My name is Tobio Kageyama. I hope we can train together and learn a lot from one another.' he said awkwardly and robotically, almost too politely. He felt his throat tighten as he said the words. He heard a chuckle and he raised his head to look at the tall teenager facing him. His eyes were dark and his hair was darker still. He had a vacant expression on his face and a lazy look in his eyes. He seemed bored, thought Kageyama. He gestured to Kageyama to stop bowing very nonchalantly.
'There's no need for that. I just wanted to check if it really was you. I didn't think the King of the Court would actually show up here.' The arrogance of this guy almost made Kageyama's scowl too apparent. He hated that nickname.
'Who are you?' Kageyama asked, his voice low and stern as he tried to reason with himself not to punch the stranger in front of him. The older boy shrugged, unphased by Kageyama's inquisitive mind.
'Sakusa Kiyoomi. Second-year at Itachiyama. But you probably know that already since we'll be facing off in the Spring Nationals soon.' Kageyama swallowed dryly. Of course, he knew who this kid was when he heard his name. He was one of the three best young players in Japan and the ace of his team. His spikes, if rumors were true, were almost as terrible as his… Kageyama tried to shake off the horrible memories of their more recent match with Shiratorizawa and the sting of Wakatoshi Ushijima's spike when it hit his forearms. Before he could continue his train thoughts, he saw the other players beginning to assemble at the right side of the gym and followed Sakusa towards the rest of the group. Tobio's short black bangs began to stick to his forehead. He wiped the sweat off his brow. There was no doubt about it. He was very nervous.
'Line up, boys!' a voice called in the distance. A tall figure appeared before the players. Kageyama smiled excitedly because he knew that the man standing before him was a legend. Fuki Habarida had been named Olympic coach to Japan's Men's volleyball team for the next Summer Olympics and had been a brilliant player ever since he picked up a volleyball in his first year of high school. Fuki Habarida stood tall, taller than even the tallest players of the camp, and smiled to the teenage participants, who all politely bowed to him.
'Good morning to all. My name is Fuki Habarida and I'll be supervising your training during this volleyball camp. I'm sure you know this is quite the privilege to be able to play together this week and learn from one another. From the bottom of my heart, I can say that I'm very pleased to have been chosen to guide your talents during this training camp.' he started. Kageyama stood tall and attentive but his ear caught on to faint whispers from his fellow players as one said something along the lines of 'This is so cool!' Kageyama's sharp blue eyes returned to the Olympic coach as he tried to steady his breathing. He definitely was nervous. But mostly, he was excited to be there, his hands slightly shaking in anticipation.
'The Japanese Team crumbles before height and strength.' Habarida stated boldly. 'That was what they said about our national men's team during my times in the Olympics. No more. We now have a strong, powerful, and adaptable youth line up that will be groomed to play hard and smart against any other team in the world. Together, we will hone your skills and make you learn to adapt to any situation on a court. Speaking of which…' he said, scratching the back of his head. Puzzled looks from the participants made Fuki Habarida chuckle uncomfortably.
'There is a minor situation I have to talk to you guys about before starting the warm-ups. Um, how can I explain this…' he said. Before the Olympic coach knew, he heard the gymnasium door open at the other end of the room, the creaking door catching Kageyama's attention.
'We have another team that will train with us this week exceptionally- I guess they're here after all. And on time too.' said Habarida. Kageyama squinted his eyes to better see the silhouettes in the distance and almost choked when he noticed just who they would be training with. Gasps of surprise and excited squeals could be heard from the boys' group as the six upcoming figures walked towards them. Tobio Kageyama was hard to take by surprise in general. But at that time when he saw exactly who was joining them, he was surprised.
'Is this really happening? My dreams have come true.' one of the boys said.
'You can't be serious.' replied Atsumu Miya, Inarizaki High's setter, another volleyball star in the making. Tobio Kageyama could clearly see their new training partners now as the feminine figures walked towards them, bare-legged except for protective kneepads, hips covered only by small bodycon shorts that made Kageyama blush slightly. They were volleyball players, yes. It was an all-girls team. A foreign all-girls team. Kageyama couldn't believe his eyes.
This was very, very different from the kind of practice sessions Kageyama was used to.
He heard Sakusa chuckle in the distance. 'Looks like this week will be interesting after all...' he said. Kageyama swallowed again. Before his very eyes stood some of the tallest girls he's ever seen in his entire life. Even the smallest of the two girls was imposing just but the aura she projected, her deep brown eyes intense with anticipation. Kageyama took notice of the front leading young woman. Must be their captain, he thought. She sported a very long braid of dark hair and had pale grey eyes. She clumsily bowed before Fuki Habarida and he shook her hand with vigor.
'Thank you ladies for coming to help us train this week. I know this might not be the ideal situation for you, but I hope these boys will give you a run for your money.' he said, beaming. The team captain smiled and nodded.
'Thank you for having us.' she simply said as she bowed again. Kageyama sighed. She didn't need to bow again, but she did anyway. Obviously, this team of girls was fresh off the plane and had no clue about any Japanese customs whatsoever. He glanced at the smallest of the girls of the foreign team again, noticing just how small her little frame was compared to the rest of the players at the camp. She was so short. She's even shorter than Nishinoya if that's ever possible, he thought. She was wearing a pair of red shorts and a red sleeveless sports jersey. Kageyama deduced she was the libero of their team as the rest of the female players wore a black uniform with red and white stripes on its sides. But most importantly, Kageyama noticed the color of her skin and just how beautiful it was. A blush crept on his face and he suddenly felt his cheeks burn. It was the color of warm caramel, his favorite dessert. It matched perfectly with her curly brown hair. I don't know what country she's from, but I want to visit it, he thought.
He removed his glance from the quirky looking libero and moved on to the two tall American girls behind her. One had a more timid disposition and vivid green eyes that nervously looked at the ground and the other one had very pale blond hair pulled up in a bun and sharp icy blues that could intimidate anyone. Probably the setter and a spiker, he thought. Finally, Kageyama took a glance at the tallest players of their team, who were definitely twins. They were seemingly the team's middle blockers and their long braided hair that reached their lower backs and gave them a regal appearance that he had never seen before in women. Kageyama sighed and took a look at his peers, who were as silently impressed as he was. Fuki Habarida noticed the shocked gazes of his camp pupils and laughed heartily.
'Boys, may I have the honor of introducing the newly formed North American Women's Youth volleyball team. Captain, would you like to introduce your team?' he asked. The captain of the North American Women's Youth volleyball team smiled shyly and waved at her audience.
'I'm afraid my Japanese is not the best, Habarida-san. Do you mind translating what I say?' she asked timidly. The coach winked at her.
'They all understand English fairly well. I'm sure they'll understand everything you say.' he said. Kageyama internally panicked. The coach was wrong: his English was horrible, or at least that's what his grades said. The captain of the North American Women's Youth volleyball team turned back to them and looked a little nervous before speaking out.
'Ohayōgozaimasu, everybody.' she started. Little chuckles of laughter were heard from the training camp participants. Kageyama groaned. Already, they were mocking them. He was ashamed of his peers at that moment. Laughing at a foreigner's Japanese is considered rude, even for rowdy teenage boys. Kageyama straightened up when he saw the angry look the Olympic coach gave his training partners. The silence was now heavy, but the female captain kept on going, pretending she didn't hear the disrespectful giggles.
'My name is Katharine and I'm the captain of the North American Women's Youth volleyball team. It is with great pleasure and excitement that I bring my team to play with you this week and we're grateful that you'll give us a chance to better ourselves. This is Maria.' she said, pointing at the bubbly-looking and beaming shorter female player. The Mexican libero bowed at the boys.
'She's the best libero player I've ever met. Have fun getting your hopes destroyed when you spike against her. She'll just dig it right up.' continued the black-haired captain. Kageyama smiled as he heard another behind him say 'She's never going to last a week here. Look at her! I bet I could lift her up with one arm. Best libero my ass, she'll get destroyed.' Kageyama groaned disapprovingly and gave the boy behind him a sharp glare, silencing him. She then pointed to Elizabeth, who once again averted her gaze to the ground, obviously very nervous and shy at the attention she was getting.
'This is Elizabeth, our team's setter. She makes my job as a wing spiker so much easier during games.' Kageyama's hands balled in excitement. He's finally going to be able to witness a foreigner's setting techniques, something he wanted to see and study for a while now! Kageyama knew just by looking at the setter that she was nervous and uncomfortable with larger crowds and knew that some of the other boys would use that to their advantage when facing her on the court.
'This is Zofia. She's our outside hitter and may I say the best on our team at cross-shots. Precision is her forte.' Kageyama noticed Sakusa's gaze on the blond-haired spiker. He's ready to test her out, he thought. The captain cleared her throat and inhaled deeply, trying to shake off the nerves.
'And this is Arissa and Elia, our famed middle blockers, also best in their category in America.' she said as the twins waved to the other participants. Kageyama sighed. They were even taller than Tsukishima, he thought. Taller than most guys in the gymnasium, the Olympic coach included. That's when Kageyama noticed the utter terror in the eyes of his fellow players. I guess they've never seen girls this tall either, he thought. The captain clapped her hands and smiled.
'I know we don't look like the guys you normally will be facing off with in practice matches, but I'm still glad that my team and I will be able to share this experience with you.' she said as she looked back at the coach. Sakusa smugly stepped up and his voice resonated throughout the gymnasium, calling out to the Canadian spiker.
'Don't ask us to lower the net for you, Princess. We won't play nice just because you're girls.'
Shock.
His arrogance even took Fuki Habarida by surprise, but the captain kept a smile on her face nonetheless. Only the light in her eyes changed. Kageyama knew this look. It was the look of someone who had been directly provoked.
'I wouldn't worry about that. We'll adapt.' Sharp glares coming from all the players on the North American Women's Youth volleyball team made Kageyama sweat with unease. Her response was not ordinary, thought Kageyama. It was an answer to Sakusa's challenge. Fuki Habarida uncomfortably cleared his throat and a nervous chuckle escaped his lips. 'Well, that went rather well.' he started.
'Alright, enough talking. Let's start the warmups. I want ten laps around the gym. Now.' he ordered.
Before Kageyama even had the chance to walk to the sides of the court to drop his Pocari Sweat bottle on the ground and stretch, he heard the captain's voice loud and clear as her teammates lined up behind her, already lightly jogging in place. 'Let's go!' screamed the smaller libero player and like a special operations army commando unit, their legs started moving up and down at the same time as they began to run at the same rhythm, leaving some of the boys on the sidelines of the gymnasium either dumbfounded or amazed at their synchronicity. Kageyama's blood started pumping in excitement. They didn't operate like the Karasuno's girls team. Hell, they didn't operate like any other girls teams he's ever encountered. They were organized, focused, totally in sync with one another. A phenomenon.
Even during laps, they worked like a well-oiled machine. These girls were not six players running around a gym, thought Kageyama, awestruck. They were one. And if they played the same way jogged, he knew the male participants of the camp were in for a bloody week. Sakusa's challenge had not been taken lightly by the foreign girls. They didn't take this as a simple exchange of words. They took it as a declaration of war.
And they would win.