"So today, we're fortunate enough to have both Shiratorizawa and Karasuno graduates. If you hear your name, please stay after practice." Leon said in front of every players waiting for instructions.
They were now at the 3rd day of camp out of 5. Some friendly games with other schools were involved in day 2 and overall, they all did well. But today, Shiratorizawa wanted to push the theory all little bit further.
"Feitan Oshijo, Sarutobi Osame, Gato Satori and Takashi Ren. Please stay at the end of practice."
Ushijima smiled at the boy he helped on the first day, Takashi Ren. He knew the reason why his name was called up and felt proud. Takashi looked lost, wondering why he had to stay after practice. Are they going to cut me off the team? He shivered at the thought.
"So today, I want you all to watch videos with a mentor. Pick a few games to watch and learn from everything you can see and understand. Your mentor's job will be to guide you and answer any questions you may have. At the end of the exercise, I want you all to tell me something new. Something you might wish to try at the next practice. You may pick you mentor." Leon added, before turning away. He still had some logistics to do in his office, but he knew the players in the gym would get the job done. There were 10 graduates in total. Semi, Goshiki, Tendo and Ushijima were the Shiratorizawa representatives. They were more on day 2, but some players had other responsibilities during the week. For Karasuno, Kageyama, Nishinoya, Hinata and Daichi were all present. It was hard to convince Nishinoya to leave his trip to Iceland to teach high schoolers, but he eventually caved in.
A lot of boys ran towards Ushijima to have him as mentor, but he kindly refused them all. He knew Tadashi would not ask away quickly like all the others, so he made his way to the boy and offered his help.
"Wanna watch the games with me?" He asked, confidently smiling away to the kid. Takashi nodded quickly with a big smile on his face. "Do you live on campus? They have TVs in the dorms, we can go there. Or in a classroom if you're more comfortable."
"My room is kind of embarrassing, to be honest." The boy said. He really didn't want to take down his volleball posters and anime figurines. Ushijima nodded, before hearing Satori talk with Feitan. He walked closer to him with Takashi on at his heels.
"Hey guys, wanna watch the games with us? Could be more helpful for the both of you." He said, looking at the other young player, who agreed instantly. Satori didn't say anything, not wanting to refuse such opportunity for the boy, who had stars in his eyes. "Great." Wakatoshi said, leading the way into the school. They choose a classroom and turned on the screen next to the board.
"So we have 3 games. Karasuno against Inarizaki, my last year. Shiratorizawa against Date Tech, this year. And Shiratorizawa against Karasuno, my last year." Satori said with the DVDs in his hands. Went he sat down on a chair, Ushijima quickly sat down next to him, leaving both boys sitting at both extremities. Satori held his breath for a few seconds, before whispering. "What do you think you're doing?" Ushijima looked at him with a smile.
"I like sitting next to you. It makes me happy." He said, happily taking the remote in his left hand. Feitan sat next to Satori, who suddenly looked pale. Takashi brought his chair next to Ushijima, while holding a bag of fruits. They started the first game right away.
Both teenagers stayed silent for the first set. Wakatoshi silently observed them as he took mental notes of the game. Satori just enjoyed the game, clearly needing a distraction. Back again with the compliments? He felt as if he had done something wrong by even listening to Ushijima compliment him. Why did it feel so wrong? Maybe because I waited all those years for him to compliment me. He thought.
"So, what did you guys think of the first half?" Ushijima asked after pressing pause. Both boys looked lost and a bit in over their heads.
"Uh… The miya twins are scary good." Feitan said, not believing his own eyes. "I didn't know Atsumu's brother was that good too. Karasuno are in over their heads." He said, trying to figure out how they ended up winning that game.
Takashi looked deep in thought for a few seconds, before shaking his head. "I think it's the other way around." He whispered, making Wakatoshi smile.
"How come?"
"Well…So far, only the twins really stood out for Inarizaki. But Karasuno kept showing different attacks. They keep the other team on theirs toes. I think It's the other team who's trying to keep up and figure out what Karasuno has up their sleeves." He explained, taking a bite of his apple. Satori smiled as well, liking that assessment very much.
"Oh wow. You have a good eye for this." He said. "But you'll see later in the game, that the crows end up putting all their cards on the table. Once they do that, the other team can calm down and get back in the game. But the court isn't the only place where you can operate." He said, looking at Feitan, who nodded.
"The other team isn't playing just on the field. Their cheering section is pretty massive."
"Right, do you get how that affected the servers during the game?" Wakatoshi asked the boy, who nodded.
"Yes. They changed the rhythm of the drums so Karasuno couldn't create a good pace to serve." He said, almost robotically.
Satori frowned, before pointing the boy with his finger. "You read that in an article, didn't you?" He asked, smirking. The boy laughed, before admitting to his actions. "Well, you're not wrong. But there's something else. See, Kageyama wasn't affected by that, but some others were. Why is that?" Satori questioned. This time, Takashi lifted his hand. Wakatoshi looked at him curiously. His demeanour was very different from the first encounter they had. The boy tried his best to participate and give his best to look good in front of his mentor, who he respected greatly.
"They battled on the court and in their opponents' heads. Like… It was psychologically draining. Because you know it's against you and you have to concentrate even more." He said, looking for support in Ushijima's eyes, who smiled softly.
"Right. You are both smart." He said, ready to watch the next set. "Tendo used to talk a lot on the court. I saw how that could affect the other teams. It was a good way to get on their nerves." He said, elbowing the man next to him, who chuckled a bit. It wasn't much, but that sound made Ushijima's tactics look like they were working a bit. Satori held back from laughing some more, feeling like it was a bad idea to let his walls down. He brought both hands to his red hair and ruffled through them gently, making sure they'd stayed as they were.
They kept analysing the game, until they saw the final point. Feitan commented lots of times on the physique aspect of the game and on the twins, while Takashi kept his sight on the strategic path both teams tried during the game. They were different in that way, but both boys really showed their love of the game during that single video. They choose to have a break of 10 minutes between games, to get out and move a little. Both Satori and Ushijima stayed in the classroom, eyes set on their phones.
"Did you like your honeymoon?" Wakatoshi asked, not daring to look up. Satori shifted on his seat, unsure how to answer.
"I guess." He answered, flipping his phone in his hands. "Did you enjoy Argentina?" He asked, looking up to the ace.
"It was ok."
A weird silence filled the room. They bought stopped moving, their phones on their laps. Ushijima couldn't really help feeling bad. He didn't like putting Satori in an awkward situation. He tried his best to make him feel supported and loved. But weird and uncomfortable weren't supposed to be in the picture. After all those years, he always thought of the red-haired boy as the one who could not stop talking and being happy. But if he simply took a closer look, he'd see how conflicted Satori was and how talking was he coping mechanism with almost everything.
"Shoyo helped with some… issues I had." He adds, feeling like he owed his friend more than a few words this time. Satori looked at him with a curious look in his eyes.
"The shrimp? Help with what?" He asked, turning slightly to his right to face the man.
"He… helped with my feelings and stuff. Helped me see from a new perspective." He answered, remembering how Hinata was practically shaking in the driver's seat. "I tried to talk a bit more with him but all he gave me was a simple phrase." Ushijima stated. He thought about telling Satori everything right ten and there, but his slow burn idea of a plan couldn't let him do so.
"What did he say?" Satori asked, a little bit more interested. He could imagine himself lean in slowly, hoping for something else than a phrase. But those times are over. He couldn't do that anymore. Not as he is now. So, he faked a shiver, then leaned back, turning away.
"Just to see things for what they trully are. Not as I'd want them to be. At first I didn't really get it. But then I thought about you and how I just like how you made me feel. I never really thought about how I could make you feel. That's why I never saw your feelings. Also that I should've seen you for who you were and not for who you could've been. It took me so long to do that, because I always thought you'd be better without me. I wasted so many years as a simple volleyball player, not as a friend. I'm sorry for that. You really tried your best. I see it now. So I want to try my best too."
Satori looked ahead, closing his eyes. He took deep breaths, letting Ushijima wait for any kind of answer, really. His shoulders fell to a more relaxed look. He started to feel like he could never have a fairy tale ending. The troubles just kept coming and he felt as though life was throwing him curve balls one after another.
"I'm tired of having to choose." He mumbled, unsure how to keep the conversation going. One thing Satori was really good at was start a conversation. Although it was his strength, today, he could not bring himself to do just that.
"Choose what?" Wakatoshi asked, smiling away like his confession wasn't just ignored by the red-haired boy.
"I couldn't go through with it." Tendo adds, getting shy about his own words. "She told me you weren't good enough for me. Like she thought I'd leave." He rambles on, now looking at the turned off TV. "See the thing is, if you wouldn't have said all those things at my wedding, the thought would've never crossed my mind." He said, voice low but somewhat clear and direct. "But you did, so all I could think of was how to not make it seem like it affected me during my honeymoon. But it did and she got angry at me. Saying how toxic you were and how I lied to her all this time. It isn't true but it's a lie both of us believe in. I didn't share enough with her, which must feel like lying, now that those things I should've shared came back to bite me in the ass." He chuckled at the end of his speech. Almost ironically. Wakatoshi couldn't help but to feel bad and at fault. Did they fight?
"Tendo, are you guys ok?" He asked with true concern in his tone. Satori shook his head no, his smile fading into nothing but a straight line he couldn't change.
"If she wanted us to fight and talk, she wouldn't have called a lawyer. I don't think she even thought about fighting it. She kept telling me how she was blind and stupid. It hurt me to hear her say those things. She's like my bestfriend." Satori added, wiping a single tear. Ushijima frowned, before hearing the two boys walk into the classroom again. He quickly squeezed Satori's hand, before smiling to the kids. They all got back into their movie session, all but Tendo, who couldn't believe how easily he fell back into his old habits. Talking to Wakatoshi about her or simply about his life in general always felt good. Ushijima always seemed to be his rock. Tendo never really face horrible events in his life. But every time he'd face a challenge, Wakatoshi would listen. No, he wasn't that much of a talker and Satori obviously knew that. But it always felt good for him to evacuate the negative energy and feelings stuck in his heart. It wasn't his duty to take the time to listen to Satori, but he did it anyway, which confused the man as to why the Ace said earlier that he wasn't a good friend. Maybe he never really opened his eyes to see Satori's heart, but he still listened and walked with him all the way through his problems and heartaches.
"So that game is pretty much guessing against read-blocking?" Feitan asked both men, who agreed.
"Yes. Do you guys know any other kind of blocks?" Ushijima asked, watching Satori for a few seconds.
"There is the one where you stay with the same player all game long." Takashi answered. Satori turned his head to him, before realising he was lost in his thoughts.
"Uh, yeah. That's called commit blocking. But it' not necessarily an all game type of play. If you just want to do it for a set or even one play, it's always a good defensive surprise." He answered, pointing to the TV. "Although in this game, I don't remember there being any commit blocks, right, Waka-kun?" He asked, eyes wide and mouth tightly shut. What the hell did I just say? I don't think I'm ready to use that nickname already! Both boys giggled, seeing his reaction. Wakatoshi simply nodded, trying not to move. His cheeks slowly turned red, but he didn't mind at all. When his eyes met Tendo's, he could clearly see his window getting wider and wider. There are getting back to where they were before. Slowly but surely. After weeks of not talking, suddenly always being close like that during camp felt like a crushing blow to his pride and ego. I do need him in my life after all.
The day went by smoothly. A short game at the end of the day to make the players move a bit, before sending them away.
"Today's schedule is done for. Now, the players we mentioned this morning, please stay on the court. The others, thank you for today, you may go." Leon said, holding a writing pad and a pen, scribbling on it. All the players who were called up stayed, until there were only them and the alumni on the court. "Today, you'll be separated in two teams. We'll play a game with the Shiratorizawa and Karasuno players. Team one, please go get the black jerseys on the bench. Team 2, just walk over to the left side of the court. Team One is : Kageyama, Takashi, Nishinoya, Gato, Daichi and Hinata. Team Two : Feitan, Goshiki, Semi, Satori and Ushijima, Sarutobi." After the game, the losers get to do 50 serves, one lap of flying drill and 50 push-ups." Leon explained, smiling all the way through. He could see the stress in the kids' faces and the annoyance in the allumi's faces. Not so long ago, he's be the one doing all those things. Not anymore.
Both teams talked a bit, figuring out who went where. Takashi wanted to play with Wakatoshi but felt incredibly lucky to be one the same court as Kageyama Tobio, who currently held the number one spot on the National Team as setter. Feitan felt a surge of confidence when he saw all the powerful players on his team.
"Takashi-kun, please be vocal about my sets." Tobio said seriously, while Hinata jumped up and down beside him, preparing to play. Takashi nodded quickly, before putting on his practice jersey. Ushijima smiled to him from afar, before walking to Feitan and Tendo, who were both stretching on the sideline.
"Feitan, as middle blocker, try to rely on your libero and defense players as much as you can. Work on your angles and watch carefully." He said, taking Feitan by surprise.
"Also have fun." Tendo adds, giggling. He went closer to Ushijima, who nodded slowly. "Don't be so up in his ass right at the beginning." He said, putting his right hand on Wakatoshi's shoulder.
"Right." That was a pretty bold thing to say to a gay guy. Ushijima thought. Satori's eyes widened, thinking about the same thing. His cheeks turned red and he quickly turned around, walking to the court.
First server was Semi, who did his usual preparations. The ball went up high, giving the signal to all the players on the court to be on high alert. A few steps in, then he jumped for the hit. The ball went flying to Nishinoya, who gracefully picked it up. Hinata didn't think twice before starting his approach. He jumped high, giving a "welcome to the game" look at the first kid he could see, which turned out to be Feitan. The ball hit his palm hard and went flying in Feitan's direction with such strength, unfortunately giving him no chance to react. The ref blew the whistle, signaling for the point. Feitan's eyes grew wide and his entire body froze. Tendo started to laugh hysterically, clutching at his abs.
"You could've waited a bit before throwing a freak quick, guys." Goshiki groaned, not impressed with the other team's play. Ushijima simply stared at Feitan, who had yet to move an inch. He walked closer to him, knowing the other team would wait for them to get ready again.
"If your eyes follow the ball and not the player, you might get a better chance. Don't be so scared of them. When you get ready to receive, place your legs like this, then your hands in a receiving position." He said, while placing his entire body in a basic receiving stance. He knew those players should've at least known this, but he felt like a good reminder wouldn't hurt. The boy copied his movements, nodding away shyly. "You started on the back line, so it's ok for your body to still be a bit stiff. But you can shake that off." He added, turning away and walking back to his position as Ace. Kageyama made the ball roll in his hand a few times, before throwing it carefully in the air. His approach was impeccable. The serve went directly to Sarutobi, who barely picked it up. Semi set the ball to Ushijima, who spiked it directly to Hinata, who easily protected his side of the court. Tobio smirked as he looked at Tendo, who tried to pick the best option in his head. Went Tobio pushed the ball to his left to a small player named Gato, Satori cursed himself as he stopped mid step. I chose wrong. Gato jumped and hit the ball for a line shot, getting the point against Goshiki.
The first set went to Karasuno's team. Takashi and Gato each got 3 points. Feitan got 6 points and Sarutobi 4, but in the end, The freak duo kept pilling up the points. Tendo gave Feitan a towel and a water bottle, before sitting next to him.
"Great job, dude. Keep fooling them with dinks and stuff." He said, smiling to the kid. Ushijima sat next to his friend, before leaning in on both of the guys.
"I thought you liked spiking the ball. Why all those tricks?" He asked the boy, who took a few gulps of water. He definitely felt intimidated by all those strong players.
"I didn't think my spikes would be strong enough. Nishinoya-san is so great!" He answered, half envious, half angry at himself.
"If you always take the easy route, you won't get better." Wakatoshi explained, before taking a bottle in his hands. "When I told you to work on your angle, I meant it in different ways. If you want to take him out of a play, hit the ball between him and another guy. See how he reacts. Some players will let others get the ball, some won't. But if you simply hit him directly, of course he'll pick it up. Make him move. He'll be tired as hell at the end of the game. That's when you'll get those satisfying kills." He explained, leaning back a bit. Satori listened to him and felt proud, in a way. I'm sure he'd make a good father. They locked eyes and both smiled softly. Satori wished he could make a good father too, but his marriage didn't really get the good start he wanted. It maybe won't even start at all. Maybe he should just-
"Tendo, you coming with me?"
His eyes followed the sound of Ushijima's voice. Everybody was back on the court. He blinked a few times, getting up from the bench.
"Yeah, I am."