Katharine blinked slowly and inhaled deeply. Sounds and movements were blurred and all she could hear was the sound of her own breathing, of her own heartbeat in her chest. She zoned everything else out of her mind. The boy that stood before her on the other side of the net was tall and lanky, the perfect build for a middle blocker. She could see a growing smirk on his face as he evidently was trying to intimidate her with his impressive stature. Her grey eyes were fixed on him, but her ears paid attention to the sounds that emanated from behind her. She could hear Elizabeth dribbling the volleyball on the ground, preparing to serve. That was the moment that Katharine loved the most during a game. It was the moment that made her blood pump, which made her whole body tense with anticipation. It was the moment of the whistle blow to start the game. And it blew. Nothing else mattered. Only the ball.
With a moderate swing, Elizabeth hit the ball across the net and it dove straight into the opposite middle court. 'Nice serve!' he heard Maria shout. She saw their libero plunge for the ball. Katharine's grin grew bigger.
The time had come. The game had begun.
Tobio Kageyama was always nervous when the first serve of the game was played. He knew the rounds would be shorter because of the lack of players to complete the rotations. He saw Fuki Habarida prepare the points board, indicating 0-0 for both the practice teams. Only fifteen points per round. It knew it was a decisive move and he could determine from a simple serve how the game would ensue. His teammate's serve was an underhanded strike. Already, he knew the trajectory of the ball and had predicted where it landed, right across the opposite court in the middle. They're playing safe, he thought as he groaned in frustration. He was used to a much more aggressive gameplay. He knew she could hit harder than this, she had to. This is not the time to play safe, this is the time to hit hard, from the first point to the last. He saw their libero dive to dig the ball and he did, sending the ball straight and upwards. Kageyama's gaze went straight to Sakusa, who had slowly begun to move backward, preparing his approach for a left-sided spike as their setter Atsumu Miya sent the ball his way.
'Sakusa, it's yours!'
Sakusa moved so well it even took Kageyama by surprise. He was an experienced player. That Kageyama knew of. But the way he flowed on the court, the way he covered the ground so efficiently… He took a look on his left and noticed that Katharine, the captain of his team, had also taken a few steps back to gain momentum for a high block. This is not enough, thought Kageyama. Not enough to block one of the best spikers in the country. She's not tall enough to follow with a block-
As Sakusa jumped in the air to cross-shoot the ball on their court, Kageyama saw Katharine and Zofia run in the same direction and without uttering a single sound, without making a single hand motion to tell the back row of their switch play. He could only look as they switched places on the vanguard, placing themselves at the last minute so that Katharine, the shortest player, would be supported by the tall blue-eyed spiker named Zofia and jump side by side, predicting the Itachiyama's ace's straight shot. The way they reacted right out of the gate was impressive enough. Predicting the Itachiyama ace's spike trajectory was indeed jaw-droppingly lucky- or was it? Had they not moved in such a swift and calculated way, it would have been over already. They had moved so the tallest of the two girls were at the left of their front play, all arms in the air to create a double barricade of a block to stop the ace from coming through with his spike.
As the girls both jumped, delicate fingers stopped the violent spike, Zofia's digits connecting with the ball, sending it upwards towards the back.
'One-touch!' screamed Zofia. Kageyama's eyes widened. There's no way…! How did they know…?! Kageyama looked back at Sakusa. His face was livid. The first spike of the game was decisive, everyone and their grandmothers knew that. It would determine the flow of the game, the intensity at which the players would play. Kageyama knew that their strongest spiker was Sakusa and he had himself predicted him to be the first striker of the game. But this… How could they have known? He thought. His spike was so fast… There was no time to think about that blocker switch…
Maria's gentle push of the palm sent the ball high and slow towards Kageyama, who appreciated the small frame of time she had given him to breathe and think of who to send the ball to. His first and most natural receiver was Zofia, who stood at the left side of the court, ready to jump, out of the way of the three opposing incoming middle blockers. But his eye caught glimpse of black-haired, grey-eyed spiker that jumped high again, on minus tempo, faster than his own rhythm. She's jumping as a decoy! His thoughts went berserk, but his senses lined up perfectly with his brain. He was ready for his toss. Let's just hope I read this right...
With a strong vertical push, Kageyama sent the ball towards Katharine, whose dominant right hand rose over the tall net, the ball almost grazing her fingers. Kageyama smirked when he saw three blockers from the opposing practice team jumping to meet her spike to finally notice that the ball flew over her hand to be crushed downwards by Zofia's left side spike, hitting the opposite court's backline loudly as their defense stood immobile with wide eyes, unable to stop the Polish-American's spike as it crashed against the ground, ending the turn.
'Oh yeah!' he heard the small Mexican libero scream. Kageyama stood there, as puzzled as to their opponents while Zofia, Katharine and Maria high fived, obviously more in the loop about what had just happened than he was. An unannounced blocker switch, a high jump decoy and a sniper precise long shot in the deep court… And this is just the first point. Who are these girls? Kageyama's thoughts ran wild as he thought of the months of practice he had with the Karasuno team to achieve such plays and just how easy and effortless playing with these foreigners was.
1-0.
Kageyama felt Katharine's hand on his shoulder, handing him over the ball.
'Your turn to serve, Kageyama.' she said as he took the ball in his hands, still quite confused about their last play.
'What happened-'
'What happened is that the foreign little girls you teamed up with had a lucky turn. Not going to happen again, King.' He heard Komori Motoya snicker across the net.
Katharine and Zofia's eyes narrowed slowly as they glanced at one another. Katharine turned around and made sure that her teammates were aware of the slightly annoyed yet resolved expression on her face. Non-verbal communication. And then she turned back to Kageyama and handed him the ball.
'It's like I said earlier, Tobio. Trust us. We know what to do.' she replied with an enigmatic look in her eye. Maria switched out with Elia, who advanced to the vanguard, joining Zofia and Katharine, who stood far on the right side, while Kageyama placed himself behind the backcourt line, inhaling deeply as he dribbled the ball in front of him. He felt a pair of eyes stare at him and he rose his head to meet the intense gaze of Elizabeth.
'Is there something you have to say?' whispered Kageyama to the green-eyed setter. She nodded.
'Don't be upset about the next turns. It's all about calculated risks.'
'Calculated risks? What the hell are you on about-' but he couldn't finish his sentence. The whistle blew before he could make sense of what the tall curly-haired girl had said to him. Kageyama inhaled again and threw the ball in the air, his body jumping forward as he hit an overhead serve so ferociously across the net that it took the opposing back row blocker by surprise, who received it too short to send it directly to the front.
'Sorry, that was short! Cover me!'
As the opposite setter pushed the ball towards a small yet agile looking white-haired opposite hitter and immediately, Kageyama knew from the strange-looking white-haired boy's relentless footwork that he would be a terribly talented spiker.
'Get it, Hoshiumi!'
'Watch him!' exclaimed Kageyama, but the moment the words escaped his mouth, he knew that something was about to happen, he just didn't know what. As the white-haired spiker hand connected with the ball, Kageyama saw what he thought was one of the best direct spikes of his life. The ball that Hoshiumi Korai hit towards Zofia, who stood calmly in the front middle position, hit her straight on the shoulder and it savagely flew to the other side of the gym, ending the turn.
'Don't worry about it.' Kageyama heard Elia say to Zofia. The tall Polish-American player simply nodded and placed herself into position again without saying a word.
Kageyama groaned in frustration. That was a direct shot. She was perfectly lined up with his spike. Even Hinata would have attempted to stop that ball. Why didn't she try to stop it? Why? He knew he shouldn't complain but something about the girls' sudden drop in enthusiasm bothered him. They seemed completely calm, not taken aback by the lack of initiative that their blond-haired player just demonstrated. They were silent yet focused. Even the exuberant and loud libero player, Maria, had stopped talking. He heard the other team's voices and snickers as he placed himself into position, at the back of the court.
'All this hype and no heart. What a joke.' he heard Sakusa say as he moved towards the right side of the opposite court, pushing his dark locks of hair out of his face as his gaze fell upon the blond-haired girl.
'They could at the very least try to block the ball, instead of just looking at it fly in their faces.' Another one said, their words reaching Katharine's ears. But she said nothing, she stayed silent and focused along with her teammates. Those words frustrated Tobio Kageyama beyond his known limits. He could feel his fists balling and his teeth clenching. Crossing over to punch this turd in the face would cost us the match, but I'm tempted. He would have to bite his tongue and endure his situation for now.
And he did.
For a while.
9-11.
Tobio Kageyama knew he had a short fuse most of the time. He was aware of his shortcomings. Hinata qualified him as being generally 'moody' . The red-headed player would know all about Kageyama's temper since he was the usual instigator of the Karasuno High's setter's temper tantrums. But not today. No, today, Tobio Kageyama was ready to swear off women altogether.
Never in his life had he ever wanted to punch a wall this much. He knew his practice team was good- no, better than good with impressive technique and he most definitely knew that his tosses were almost perfect. He felt it in his bones, his own technique was superb, there was no doubt about it. But the reality of his situation was making his teeth grind. The other team had almost dragged them to the match point. The girls followed the opponent's move very well and received most of their hits and yet…
He felt no aggression, no drive, no grit coming from the North American Women's Youth volleyball team. A full complete rotation had passed since their brilliant first spike but since then, nothing. They just flowed with the pace of the game, passively playing as if they were only there to pass the ball to the other team. They played nothing but a series of dinks and mild spikes. Yes, they scored good points, mainly due to their flawless on-court non-verbal communication and ball drops to the net, but these point gains felt empty to Kageyama, like there was no spirit behind their efforts. It was just as if the girls from the North American Women's Youth volleyball team were waiting for something to happen. As passively as they played, their eyes never left the opponent's movements, growing fatigue,
and insufferable arrogance as they gained advantage and momentum during the match- an erratic pace they were now starting to feel. And then a switch turned on in Kageyama's brain.
What had they been waiting for, exactly?
He remembered his early words with Elizabeth, the team's official setter as she stood by him in the early game in the back row, poised and focused.
'Don't be upset about the next turns. It's all about calculated risks.' Kageyama's steely blue eyes turned to have a look at his opponents and he saw, as clear as day, what the girls had been waiting for all along during those grueling turns. He saw Sakusa and his teammates' chests' heaving, their skin and hair wet with sweat from the efforts they were bringing to the game. Some of the players were even holding their sides and rubbing their skin, trying to dissipate the lactic acid build-up in their muscles, causing some to cramp. Sakusa exhaled loudly, visibly growing tired from the strain of the pace he had set during the match. Kageyama replayed the match in his head as he switched into position, at the back row. All those great powerful spikes and flashy high jump blocks … They were taking a physical toll on the other team.
Kageyama heard himself chuckle at the sudden realization that these girls were not amateur players. Far from it. His gaze went back to his team and he noticed just how calm and collected they all were. And evidently, the girls had not depleted their energy reserves, unlike their opponents who looked exhausted from their earlier combination moves. After all, this was a professional standard of play. Even Kageyama found himself under pressure to perform. Stress, exhaustion…
He blinked again in the realization of his other mistake when he saw a small smile on Katharine's face when she dribbled the ball behind the line of the backcourt, ready to serve as he stood next to her, incredulous. Her sharp grey eyes met his.
And he then felt it. The fire. The slow burn of anticipation. The spark that he had seen at the beginning of the game. He remembered all the insults and mockery that Sakusa and his team had thrown at her and the other girls during the match. And like the masterminds that they were, they just took it silently, letting these toxic words fuel them, letting their words stoke the embers burning deep within.
Kageyama was now internally laughing as a small grin also appeared on his lips, realizing that the girls from the North American Women's Youth volleyball team had not only exhausted the other players and outplayed them in endurance while saving their energy for the last leg of the match but also had outrageously bluffed their way to the inevitable upcoming match point, making Sakusa and his team believe that the young women were not up to the young men's caliber and that they were being carried throughout the match.
No way, Kageyama thought, feeling a sudden rush of exhilaration run throughout his body. Tobio Kageyama never thought he would wind up playing with girls. Ever. This was different than playing with boys. The boys he was used to playing with were hard-hitting and straightforward. These girls were cunning, analytical and very aware of their environment and other players' conditions, emotional and physical. To put it bluntly, this was a whole other ballgame and Kageyama found it refreshing. And now he found himself utterly enjoying this experience, foreseeing the desperation in Sakusa's face when he would realize of his own mistake in forgetting the one truth he should not have pushed aside during this match. They were not just girls. They were some of the best young players in the world. And they used reverse psychology against these dumb, green boys. They had used their toxic arrogance and their lack of endurance and stamina to their advantage. Because any advantage is fair play.
They even played me, damn it! Kageyama's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the whistle. As he slowly bent down in preparation for the captain's service, he couldn't help but notice that the other girls on the court, Zofia, Elizabeth, Elia, and Arissa, were all wearing the same expression, the same look in their eyes. They were ready for the real game to begin.
As Katharine threw the ball in the air, her body swiftly followed as she jumped to her service, all of her muscles on display. Kageyama couldn't remove his gaze from the sheer power in her jump. That was nothing holding her back now, not even gravity. Kageyama had only seen one other player that could jump as powerfully for serve as she had just done. Wakatoshi Ushijima. Not even Toru Oikawa, the best at serving in all of Miyagi prefecture could compare when it came to the perfection of her technique. And then he heard the small libero scream from the sideline of the court, her high-pitched voice piercing the air.
'FIREBALL!'
With one raw, powerful, precise, and dominating swing, Katharine hit the ball with a snarl, her face distorted with pent up anger as a throaty grunt escaped her lips. The ball flew so swiftly and so violently in the other direction that Kageyama's eyes missed the impact. Kageyama heard the ball slice the air as it crossed down over the net with utter might. Not a sound could be heard from the court, only a whimper of surprise and pain from Komori Motoya as the ball grazed his ear before landing inches away from crossing the backline, ending the turn. Sakusa's face became so pale Kageyama thought he was going to be sick. Even Fuki Habarida, who stood on the sidelines of the court, couldn't phrase a sentence. Only the muted expression of shock was plastered across his face as the girls on the court high fived each other, leaving Kageyama dumbfounded and wide-eyed.
'That's it! That's my girl!' Exclaimed Arissa.
'Puta madre, Katharine! That ace serve was dope! Una vez más!' Continued Maria as she gently slapped her captain's back. Katherine turned her head to look at Kageyama and she raised an eyebrow.
'Are you alright, Tobio?' she asked. 'Tired yet?' Kageyama shook his head.
'No.' He couldn't be tired. Not in front of them.
She showed him her pearly white teeth. 'Alright. Then get ready.'
10-11.
Kageyama chuckled again when he saw Motoya's confused face. You heard her, dumbass. Get ready.
14-11.
There were two things Kageyama did not expect at the trailing end of this short practice match when he witnessed Katharine, the captain of the North American Women's Youth volleyball team, serve for the first time.
Firstly, there was the following four consecutive meteor-like ace serves that hit the ground of the opposite court.
Secondly, there were six concerned teenagers on the other side of the net that had been unable to stop a single one of them.
With her pinpointed and savage serves, Katharine had not only turned the match around for her team but had also converted her skeptic opponents to her own personal brand of religion called sweet revenge. As she moved to the position of back row middle, Arissa and Elia moved to the front of the net, their long braids gently whipping their lower backs as they performed a personal and yet flash hand clap that made Katharine smile.
'Let's show them our last trick of the match.' she whispered to the Nigerian-American twins. She got approving nods from the middle blockers.
'You got it, captain.'
Kageyama's raised eyebrow caught Katherine's attention. Her intense grey eyes met his blue ones.
'They're not the strongest spikers if that's what you were curious about.' Kageyama frowned, making the Canadian player giggle.
'When Arissa and Elia are on the vanguard side by side, it's not their spikes that would scare me if I were on the other side of the net- let us hope that never happens for my sake. It's the wall they create that becomes the opponent's nightmare. Just watch and learn.' she said to him as the whistle blew.
With a well-balanced serve, Zofia sent the ball across the net straight at their back-row player, who received it quickly. Kageyama exhaled sharply, his senses in overdrive. He knew that in order to regain the momentum of the game, the opposite setter would have to toss it to Sakusa to even remotely have a chance at winning. His prediction was correct as Sakusa jumped in the air, ready to cross-shot the ball right across the net and steadying himself to bypass the two 6'3 American players who had already assembled together in the same exact angle he was aiming, reading his every movement, his every intention.
'Shit! Too late!' Sakusa exclaimed as he already engaged in a shot, sending the ball directly towards the twins. In one single motion, the tallest players on the North American Women Youth's volleyball team jumped, fully synchronized as Arissa's hands viciously blocked the ball and it fell to the ground, the opposing libero unable to reach and dig it in time. Kageyama couldn't believe his eyes and cursed Tsukishima for sucking at jumping as much as he did and being almost as tall as these girls. With one single swift block and perfect non-verbal communication, the turn ended as well as the match. Fuki Habarida's whistle blew and with that, Kageyama's shoulders relaxed as he watched the girls scream in joy, savoring their victory as their team hugged it out, leaving Tobio baffled, unaware of the silly grin he wore on his sweaty face.
'Yes!' he heard Elia say.
'He just got canceled~. Ended his whole career. Done.' chanted Arissa as she kissed her captain's forehead, this one giggling as she pushed the Nigerian-American player away. 'Don't do that!'
Kageyama slowly approached the North American Women Youth's volleyball team and Katharine grabbed his arm, pulling him into their team's victory circle.
'That's one of the most well-executed synchronized blocks I've ever seen in my entire life.' he stated. Tsukishima is a damn dweeb compared to these two. Not even Date Tech could rival that synchronicity.
Zofia nudged his shoulder and chuckled. 'That, my friend, is what we call 'round here the African Fortress.' she said as she grabbed her water bottle from the sideline of the court and drank deeply.
'It's one of our best defensive strategies.' continued Maria. 'It makes the other team panic when they see nothing but this tall wall with no possibility of finding a spot to send the ball to. Not when they're jumping. No one can break through that.' she continued. Arissa and Elia snickered.
'Oh, please. Don't stop, Maria, continue. I love it when you worship us.' Maria groaned and rolled her eyes.
'Never again will I compliment you bitc-' Maria could feel Katharine's glare burning her back.
'Watch your language, chikita.' she warned the Mexican libero.
Tobio Kageyama stood there, amongst the North American Women's Youth volleyball team and for the first time since he arrived in Tokyo, he felt like he was home again.
'Hey, Katharine.' a voice called out to the captain. She turned around and saw Sakusa waiting for her across the net, his eyes directly looking into her grey ones. She hurried towards him, her long braid falling snuggly in the middle of her back.
For a moment, they stood there, silent. But Sakusa awkwardly cleared his throat and offered his hand (a gasp of shock escaped Komori Motoya's mouth - Sakusa was a known germaphobe after all) to the foreign player and offered her a rare, genuine smile.
'Thank you for the game.' he said. Katharine nodded and grabbed his hand, shaking it slowly.
'That was fun.' she simply replied. As she let go of his hand and slowly began to turn around to walk back to her team, Sakusa reached out to her again.
'Also…' he said, his voice quiet. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said about you or your team. Please accept my apology for my rudeness.' he said, his voice deep and sincere. Kageyama blinked and his mouth almost dropped to the ground, floored by what he had just witnessed. Katharine raised an eyebrow in surprise but gave Sakusa a bright smile in return.
'Apology accepted, Sakusa. Oh, should I call you Sakusa-kun? I wondered about that earlier. Is that alright with you?' she asked. Mocking laughter erupted behind Sakusa from his team's members and a blush appeared on his face, colors that one couldn't usually find on the Itachiyama's ace's complexion. He looked down and sighed, trying to hide the apparent traces of pink on his cheeks.
'Whatever makes you happy, Princess.' he said nonchalantly as he walked away, pulling a medical mask from his shorts' pocket. Katharine slowly walked back to her team and Maria pulled her aside, her warm brown eyes contacting Katharine's grey ones.
'What did he want? Do we have to go hood on him?' she asked, punching her left palm as if she was ready to start a fight. Katharine giggled and shook her head.
'No, it's ok. He's really not so bad.' She said as she joined her team again.
It had gotten pretty dark outside and after a good day's practice, Tobio Kageyama was downright exhausted. He sat outside on the gymnasium's front stairs, hair still wet from his warm shower, and took out his phone. He noticed the various notifications of text messages from the Karasuno High volleyball club and unlocked his phone to answer. When he saw Hinata's name on the group conversation in his messaging app, he groaned.
Hinata (happy dumbass)
Hey Kageyama! How's the camp?
Tanaka (THE man)
Yeah, beat some chumps butt yet?
Kageyama smirked at the memory of Sakusa's defeated face.
Kageyama (His Majesty)
Kind of. Grouped with a girls team for the week.
Whooped Sakusa Kiyoomi's butt.
Daichi (Boss)
You beat Sakusa Kiyoomi? Are you lying?
You wouldn't dare lie to your captain, would you?
Tanaka (THE man)
YOU GOT TEAMED UP WITH GIRLS? YOU SWINE
Nishinoya (CHICK MAGNET)
TELL US EVERYTHING.
ARE THEY PRETTIER THAN KIYOKO
Tanaka (THE man)
No one is prettier than Kiyoko, douche
Kageyama (His Majesty)
They're good. Really good.
Their captain is a monster.
And their blockers are like 6'3.
Tsukishima (no nickname)
You must make them look really good since you suck so bad at life.
Kageyama's forehead vein popped in anger.
Kageyama (His Majesty)
Shut your face, Tsukishima.
I don't even know who invited you in this group.
Hinata (happy dumbass)
I did!
Kageyama groaned again.
Kageyama (His Majesty)
Of course you did, dunce. What's up with you guys?
Tsukishima (no nickname)
Hinata snuck in the prefecture camp.
He's a ball boy now.
Perfect position for him.
Kageyama (His Majesty)
Are you serious? Hinata, you can't have. That's not ok.
Hinata (happy dumbass)
I have no regrets. IM LEARNING SO MUCH ^^
Tsukishima (no nickname)
Learning how to be a good ball boy is not good, idiot
Tanaka (THE man)
Who cares about this stupid camp
WHAT ABOUT THE GIRLS, KAGEYAMA
WE WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE GIRLS
Nishinoya (CHICK MAGNET)
YEAH WHAT ABOUT THE BABES
Kageyama (His Majesty)
I SAID THEY WERE GOOD
And who cares if they're pretty or not
As long as they can play
Tanaka (THE man)
Dude are you even serious
Nishinoya (CHICK MAGNET)
You're such a player (NOT)
WHAT ARE YOU DOING
Get in there and mingle
Sugawara (Ray of Sunshine)
Leave him alone, guys.
If Kageyama's into dudes, we must not judge him for it.
Asahi (Gentle Bearded Giant)
I second that. Also, these notifications are getting annoying.
Kageyama's face twisted in annoyance, his steel-blue eyes narrowing with growing frustration.
Kageyama (His Majesty)
I'M NOT INTO DUDES SUGA
They're just… scary.
All of them.
Especially their captain.
Behind that smile hides a demon. I'm telling you.
Tsukishima (no nickname)
You would be afraid of girls.
Tsukishima's messages made Kageyama want to throw his phone on the pavement. Instead, he smirked devilishly.
Tsukishima's (no nickname) nickname was changed to ultimate twat
by Kageyama (His Majesty)
Kageyama (His Majesty)
That was for your insolence, peasant.
Tsukishima (ultimate twat)
You're so immature. I'm out.
Kageyama heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see the girls from the North American Women's Youth volleyball team walk down the concrete stairs of the gymnasium, passing him by. Their hair was still wet from the showers and the hint of floral scents infiltrated his nostrils. He then felt a presence next to him and he turned his head around to see the smaller libero player, Maria, bend down next to him, wearing a noticeable blush on her caramel-colored cheeks.
'Hey, Tobio. That's your name, right? Tobio Kageyama?' she asked. He simply nodded.
'Wanna come have dinner with us? It's a team dinner. And it just so happens that it's sushi night. Katharine's paying but don't tell her I told you. She'll have my head.' she said, uttering the last part of her sentence in whispers.
I love sushi, he thought. But I should stay here too and practice some more… He shrugged his indecisiveness off and nodded politely. 'Yeah, ok. Thank you for inviting me.'
They're pretty cool I guess, he thought to himself.
He looked at his phone one last time before getting up.
Kageyama (His Majesty)
I'm going out to dinner with the girls.
Talk to you guys later.
Tanaka (THE man)
You're going out with them?!
I knew it
KAGEYAMA'S GOT GAME
Kageyama closed his phone and as his tall figure basked in the creeping purple colors of the setting sun, he put his hands in his pockets and walked towards the North American Women's Youth volleyball team with a very, very empty stomach and with the tiniest of smiles on his lips.