"Okay, first thing's first." Coach Ukai said, loud enough for all the boys in the cafeteria to hear. "You need to know the objective of the game and how points work. To win this exercise, you'll need a least one captain and more points than all the other teams.
Plucking a thick black marker out of his back pocket, he began at the top of the list and tapped the board.
"Each person will have a Velcro belt with a single flag attached. You obtain points by taking another player prisoner, you do that by stealing flags. If your flag is taken, you're now the prisoner of the team who stole your flag and will hold both your hands up in surrender as you make your way to their prison. Captains are worth five points, vice-captains three, and everyone else is worth one."
Jumping to his feet, Nishinoya clenched his fists. "What about liberos, Coach? Those have to be worth more than one, right?"
"Sit down and don't interrupt! Only captains and vice-captains have a different value than the rest of the players, you'll figure out the reason for that when the game starts. Well, some of you will." He acquiesced.
Jutting his chin out in disappointment, Noya glared at Tsukishima for snickering and flopped back down into his chair.
There was a great deal left to cover and being forced to stop every ten seconds would drag on the explanation. He spent plenty of his time yelling at a bunch of teenage boys smacking a volleyball around, the evenings were his and he had no intention of giving them up. Especially when there was the chance he could persuade someone else to pay for his drinks. Turning his attention to the rest of the players, Ukai crossed his hands over his chest, his stare sweeping across the room.
"I'm only saying all this once, so pay attention. If you've got a question, raise your hand and I'll get to it eventually." He turned and read over the list, trying to remember where he left off, and then pointed to the next thing. "Alright, so it isn't the end of the world if you manage to get captured. Each team will have a reserved area where prisoners will be kept, and the way to get your teammate back is by tagging their hand. It sounds easy enough, but you'll have to breach enemy territory and risk getting your flag taken to do so. That being said… The only person who may free a captain is a vice-captain."
A murmur went around the room, a couple of chuckles, and a few side glances. Suga winked at Daichi with a nudge to his arm and Daichi let out a weary sigh. Sugawara was one of the most reliable teammates and friend, but he liked to tease. Knowing his fate was in the hands of the grinning boy beside him was both reassuring and worrisome.
"The team captain is typically the foundation of any team, so it makes sense they'll be the most valuable player to lose and gain in this exercise. For the capture of another team's captain, you will earn five points, but if their vice-captain frees them, you will lose those points again. If your own team's captain is captured, you will continue to play with a five-point deficit. You'll have to get five more points to make up for it or rescue your captain. You won't lose points for any of your other players, but obviously, it would be in your best interest to avoid that."
A hand raised at the long table surrounded by guys in aqua t-shirts and it drew Keishin's attention. Pointing his marker at the player, he called out to him.
"You, what's your question?"
Pushing to his feet in a smooth motion, Oikawa rested a hand on his hip as he gave Karasuno's coach the most pleasant of smiles.
"Sorry for the interruption, sir, I promise to make it super quick." He said, eyes drawing toward Shiratorizawa's table for only a moment, then shifting back to Keishin. "Now if I heard you correctly, you said we need both a captain and the most points to win this little game, right? Does that mean you automatically lose if the game ends and you don't have your captain?"
"I was getting to that, but… Yes and no. There can only be one winner, but there will be first through sixth place. You can't place first if you don't have a captain, but it doesn't have to be your own. If you have more points accumulated than any other team and have someone's captain, you'll place first. That answer your question?"
Connecting his thumb and index finger in a circle, Oikawa smiled cheerfully and nodded his head. Despite his innocent appearance, his tone was low and calculating.
"Perfectly."
As Oikawa took his seat, another hand flung up and began to wave back and forth in a strange jerky motion. This time it was Satori Tendou from Shiratorizawa's table.
Keishin turned toward their table and nodded his head.
"Kid with the spikey red hair."
Instead of getting to his feet as Oikawa had, Tendou tipped back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head. When he spoke, the corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk.
"Oh goody, you noticed me," He sang, then narrowed his already heavy-lidded eyes. "So, what are we allowed to do to retrieve these oh-so coveted flags? Chase, tackle, trap… Bludgeon?"
Keishin's nose flared and his brows scrunched as he stared the weird teen down, shaking his head and throwing a hand up to stop him before he could go any further.
"I was getting to that too, there won't be any physical contact, you are not permitted to hurt another player under any circumstances. Touching an opponent, aside from brushing against them while attempting to grab their flag, is prohibited and will disqualify the offender. That means no grabbing someone's clothes or holding on to restrain them. If your able to trap another player by other means such as cornering them or using the terrain or environment to your advantage, that's fine. You can get creative so long as you keep your hands to yourself."
"Boo, guess we'll have to get creative then, Wakatoshi-Kun." He said, lifting a hand from behind his head to twiddle his fingers at the disturbed coach, then rocking forward as the front legs of his chair connected with the floor. "That's all for me."
More than happy to move on from the eerie teen, Keishin let his eyes scan the room. "Anyone else?"
"Over here." Said a low voice and he turned his head to see the captain from Nekoma getting to his feet, hands stuffed into his pockets and shoulders slumped in a relaxed posture.
"Alright, what's your question?"
"Where exactly will we be doing this? Are we just running around in the woods? Sounds very… Outdoorsy."
Yaku, whose seat was beside Kuroo at their table, gave a little snort of laughter and muttered under his breath. "No wonder they kept confusing the Tokyo Skytree, they spend all their time getting lost in the woods."
Kuroo tittered as Karasuno's third years sent them unamused glares, but their coach wasn't close enough to hear.
"Sheesh, you kids gotta beat me to the punch with everything? That's what I was just about to show you. Everyone, get up and follow me outside, we'll finish up the rest of the explanation out there."
The group of men who'd gathered around the board of rules, migrated toward the exit as Ukai Sr. sidled up to his grandson and jabbed two fingers into his side. Keishin let out a grunt and skittered a few steps away, snarling as he clutched his ribs.
"What the hell was that for, you crotchety bastard!"
"You haven't told them about the penalties, you're more forgetful than me and I have an excuse."
"I didn't forget anything, I said I would explain the rest outside, didn't I? Why don't you go find some tapioca pudding or an activity better suited for old people?"
Ukai Sr. didn't respond, but he did lunge toward Keishin and with surprising flexibility, kicked him roughly in the lower back. An all-out brawl was avoided as Takeda appeared to grab Keishin from behind, he slipped his arms beneath the coach's biceps and towed the furious blond outside as his hands stretched to throttle the sneering old man.
Behind them, the scrape of chairs echoed through the cafeteria as the teams got to their feet and followed, Nekoma and Karasuno intermingling as everyone slowly filed out into the waning light.
"It's hard to believe that old guy has health problems with all the energy he has to terrorize his grandson. Not to mention he's got a tongue as sharp as a knife, wouldn't you say, Sawamura?" Kuroo teeth glinted in a smirk as he nudged Karasuno's captain.
Letting out a sigh, Daichi sent him an irritated side-eye as he retorted. "Everyone is afraid of something."
Piping up beside him, Sugawara used a fist to cover his laughter.
"But clowns? Come on, Daichi, that's just kinda sad."
The group of boys began to chortle again as Daichi flushed, and he elbowed Suga in the stomach before crossing his arms.
"Don't think you're off the hook, you can run laps with the rest of the team when we get back home."
Grunting, Suga gripped his stomach and whined.
"What? No way, you can't do that! I'm a third year, and the vice-captain!"
"And I'm the captain, so shut up before I give you more than the rest of them."
Huffing indignantly, Suga screwed his lips up in a pout as Kuroo chuckled beside them.
"Betrayed by your own captain, I don't envy you, Suga-chan."
"He's the one that did the betraying, now he can run until he pukes for all I care."
"Mean, Daichiii." Suga muttered.
The evening had turned the sky a soft blend of creamy peach and pink as they ate dinner, the summer breeze cooler now that the sun was no longer directly above. The large group of teens followed the coaches as they led the way down the sidewalk from the cafeteria, passing by the parking lot, and then turning down a path none of them had noticed prior. This path wasn't paved and appeared just before the massive gymnasium they had been practicing in for the past four days. As they made their way along, the smell of decaying leaves filled their noses, tall ancient trees rising before them and presenting a formidable wall of woods that emitted the noise of birds and other creatures within.
Keishin continued toward the trees as if he were going to follow the dirt path into the woods but came to a halt before a large park sign in a wooden frame. The board was double-sided, the front and back protecting what looked to be a map behind plexiglass. He waited patiently for the players to come close enough to see and hear him as he pressed his hands deep into the pockets of his black Karasuno jacket, itching to tug a cigarette from the pack he wrapped his fingers around. He didn't care what anyone else said, there was such a thing as too much fresh air, especially when you shared that air with roughly 60 loud, sweaty, teenage boys and your Grandpa who nagged you continuously.
When everyone had finally settled around him, he called their chatting to an end and directed their attention to him as he turned at an angle to include the wooden board. Tugging a hand from his pocket, he placed his palm over the map and looked at his audience.
"Lil'Tykes acres is more than farmland, it's a volleyball camp for youth and the local Boy Scout headquarters. What you see here is a map of the ten acres of woods in front of us. If you look closely, you can see there are six structures in different locations throughout, and each is numbered." Using his index finger, Keishin pointed to each number and then traced the circle near number one. "This is where we are right now."
Eyes glittering excitement, Hinata peeked around Kageyama and clenched his fists. "What are the structures, Coach, do we get to check them out? I wanna explore; this is so cool!"
Keishin's eyebrow spasmed as his speech was disrupted yet again, and he raised his voice to lecture his overzealous player.
"What did I say about interrupting! If you keep your mouth shut for five minutes, you'll get an answer to most of your questions! If you're still confused, save it for the end and raise your hand."
Thoroughly scolded, Hinata clasped his hands behind his back and bowed sheepishly. "Right, Sir. Sorry, Sir."
Not far away, Tsukishima muttered; "What are you, a child?" To which Hinata sputtered and made a face as he stuck his tongue out.
"Anyway," Keishin went on, pretending he didn't see the immature display. "These structures are simple forts used by the Boy Scouts to mark different terrains, they use these to learn how each has its downsides and benefits. Tomorrow, you will use them as a team base, your prisoners will be kept here, and it will be up to you to prevent them from being rescued. While we're on that note, I should mention it's important to not get too close to a prisoner. If they manage to yank your flag off, you will have to go to their team's prison, though this does not mean that they themselves are free. A player must tag hands with one of their own teammates to reenter the game, no exceptions."
A low murmur of voices went around, but most of the players were nodding their heads in intrigued excitement, an air of anticipation energizing their spirits after a long four days of intense training.
Although he did grin at their eagerness for the exercise, he wasn't done just yet, and he waved a hand for them to follow once again as he weaved his way through the throng of boys to make it back to the dirt trail.
"Come on, I'm gonna show you one last thing."
The murmurs continued as Keishin led the way into the woods, the evening sky still giving enough light to turn the lush green leaves a pleasant warm color and allowing them to see between the trees. As they walked a little further, the foliage surrounding them became denser, the ground growing uneven with roots, branches, and rocks. He maneuvered around these as he made his way down the path, and then he stepped off it entirely as they came upon a wooden structure.
Raising his voice above the crunching steps behind him, he spoke as he continued forward.
"This here is fort number one! You can see here," He gestured to a large white square that had been spray-painted on the ground beside the fort, "That there is a marked off area. This is where the prisoners for this team will go, and there are similar squares painted at each base. No fort will look the same as another, and they are all surrounded by various protections and challenges such as shallow caves, bridges, ponds, the river, or rock formations."
This structure was made of wood and looked like a playset you'd find in someone's backyard, but without the swing set. It wasn't a big fort, consisting of four main posts that held it up, a studded rock wall to climb to the top, and a latter with a thick plastic slide on the other side. A simple wooden railing surrounded the platform on top, and it stood about ten feet high, enough to comfortably walk on the thick layer of black mulch beneath it.
Approaching the slanted wall with fake rocks jutting from its surface, Keishin made quick work of climbing to the top and then pulled himself up onto the structure with a huff. He could see everyone much better from this height, and he put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the crowd of boys peering around and examining their surroundings.
"Okay," He said, drawing eyes to him as he stood above. "Now that you know the rules, we're going to go over penalties. First and foremost, this is private property. Surveillance cameras are all over these woods, even if you don't see them, and someone will always be watching. Coaches and managers will be patrolling the ten acres as the game goes on too, so think about that before you try to cheat or bend the rules, because if you get caught…" Keishin paused to make eye contact with as many of them as he could. "You'll run laps around the property until the game ends."
Another bout of murmuring went around so he wasn't sure who it was, but someone shouted, "How long does the game go on?"
"We'll start at 10 AM and end at sunset, approximately 7 pm."
"Wait- Nine hours?"
He saw where the voice came from this time, a boy in Shiratorizawa purple with jet black hair and severe bangs cut in an arc across his forehead. The weird redhead from before stood near him, and he leaned around another player to drape himself over the younger boy's shoulders as he spoke abashedly.
"What's wrong, Tsutomu-Kun? If you haven't got the stamina to play with your friends in the woods, how will you ever replace our superstar ace?"
Brow furrowing, Goshiki's posture went rigid but didn't move to shrug out of Tendou's grip.
"Nine hours is nothing! I could play for ten, eleven, Ushijima-san will grow tired far before I will!" He declared, eyes flaming as he clenched his fists and his upperclassman snickered.
It was a good tactic to get someone motivated and Keishin chuckled as he watched, but it certainly would be a long and grueling day, he expected all of them to be utterly exhausted by the end of it. Disregarding the outburst, he went on with the last of his spiel.
"It won't be a full nine hours; an hour lunch break will divide the day and water bottles will be available anytime at each team's fort. There will also be first aid kits in case of minor injuries, but try to use your brains a little, will ya? The ground is hard, and rocks and branches aren't forgiving, think before you do something stupid and reckless. Another thing, every coach and manager will have a whistle. When lunch comes around, you'll hear it, and the same goes for the end of the game."
Taking in a deep breath, Keishin let it out in a relieved sigh and looked over everyone as he settled his hands in his pockets once more.
"I think that's everything, although anyone patrolling can revise or add to the rules if they find it necessary. Now, this is the time to ask questions, so raise your hand if you've got one."
A new person raised their hand this time, and the young coach was intrigued to see it was a player in white and dark teal, his hand shooting up and his eyes bright with anticipation.
"You, Date Tech blondie, what's your question?"
Quirking his head to the side like a confused dog, Koganegawa blinked for a few seconds until his teammate slapped him on the back and he snapped out of his stupor.
"Oh, me! Right, so what do we get for winning? Do we get a trophy or some kind of prize?"
"Really, Kogane? You're making the rest of the team look dumb." Futakuchi muttered, shaking his head at the thoughtless first year.
Slapping the back of Futakuchi's head, Kamasaki sniffed indignantly.
"Says the guy who's usually the one making an ass of himself. Shut up and pay attention."
Clutching the back of his head with a yelp, the second year glared for a brief second before it turned into a smirk and he gave his upperclassman a wink.
"Aww, you're so intimidating when you're angry, Kama-Senpai."
Growling under his breath, Kamasaki fisted a hand in Futakuchi's shirt and snarled.
"I'll give you intimidating-"
"Ahem," Keishin interrupted, watching as the tall white-haired boy with a lack of eyebrows intervened, pushing the two apart. "The winning team gets first dibs on the barbecue after the game, oh, and then, of course, there are bragging rights. It doesn't seem like a lot, but trust me… You'll be hungry by the end of this. Is that it for the questions?"
He scanned the group for anymore raised hands, giving them a few moments to think as they conversed lightly, and then turned his gaze toward the well-tanned hand that rose. Keishin couldn't honestly say he recognized or knew most of the names of the players that weren't on his team, but this person would likely be recognizable to just about anyone. Hands still resting on his hips, he nodded his head to the stern-faced teen in purple.
"Go ahead, Wakatoshi."
Lowering his hand, Ushijima spoke in a deep but clear voice, the crowd around him ceasing their discussion as soon as he was called upon.
"Is this one of the forts that will be used in tomorrow's exercise?"
Keishin gave a confirmation nod. "Yes, six teams are participating, and this is one of the six forts available to choose from."
"I see. Will that not put the team that chooses this base at a disadvantage? Will we be viewing the others?"
A wry grin settled on the coach's lips as he admired Ushijima's observation, and he was quiet for a few short seconds before he let out a soft laugh. He lowered himself onto the edge and dangled his legs over the ladder.
"That's a sharp eye you've got there. Yes, the team that ends up at this base would technically be at a disadvantage, but only because everyone will know where it is. It's up to the players to use this fort to its full potential, it has its own perks. That leads us to our last task of the night, everyone follow me back outside."
Using the ladder, Keishin skipped the last few rungs as he jumped to the ground, and wasted no time leading the group back to the map just outside the woods, taking his place beside it. Once everyone had gathered around again, he pulled out his marker and tapped against the plexiglass.
"Take a good look, captains, you'll be choosing your team's base in just a minute, but first I'll give a brief overview of the terrain starting with fort number one, the base we just visited. As you saw, number one is easy to locate but it also has a deep valley just behind it with an impressive bridge to cross. It's got plenty of trees for coverage, but that's pretty much it as far as highlights go. Across the bridge is fort number two, located at the corner of the property, hidden behind a stretch of trees, and butted up against a small rocky cave with a tunnel that passes through it."
Moving to stand on the other side of the board, Keishin pointed to a square on the left side of the map and continued.
"This here is number three. You can see that it's surrounded by both the river and near a pond. The trees aren't as thick here, but it's more secluded than the first two. Number four is pretty much the opposite, it's located in the center of everything but surrounded more densely by trees than any other base. Not only are there more trees, but a wooden boardwalk weaves between them." He moved his marker to the top right corner. "This is number five, cut off from the rest of the woods and only accessible by crossing the one bridge over this part of the river, it's protected by a small grove of trees and has a few ledges with steps to climb. Finally, we have fort number six."
Moving to the top left this time, he tapped the map and pointed at a few grey blobs around it.
"Arguably the best location, fort six is separated from the others by the river as well, but there are two bridges that can be used to get to it. Not only is there a good number of trees in this section of the woods, but there are also multiple rocky areas, a gravelly beach, and plenty of space."
Turning back to the crowd of teens who were listening intently, Keishin pocketed his marker and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I know what you're all wondering, who gets to pick first, right? Well, this is how it's going to go. The team who won the most sets these past four days will get first dibs, and then we'll move down the list to the team who won the least."
Cheers went around, but then there were sullen sighs from others.
"The order will be…" Reaching into his pocket, he tugged out a piece of notebook paper and unfolded it to read. "Shiratorizawa, then Aoba Johsai, Fukurodani, Nekoma, Date Tech, and last is Karasuno." He said, eyes shifting momentarily to his team as he finished, an admonishing look in his eyes that had them ducking their heads.
Stuffing the paperback into his pocket, he withdrew his dry erase marker again and uncapped it.
"We've gone over the terrain so it's time to pick a base. Captains will speak for the team, but once they've chosen, the decision is final." Looking over the many faces, he located the team in purple and pointed. "Wakatoshi, you're up first. What base does your team want?"
Popping up behind the unflappable player, Tendou bent himself at an odd angle as he leaned around Ushijima and held his hands to his eyes like binoculars.
"Ohooo, which fort does our royal knight wish to claim?"
Turning his head to look at Tendou, he blinked and then glanced at the board from the corner of his eye.
"I'm inclined to choose number six, although I will wait for the team's opinion."
"What a gentleman." Tendou purred, letting his head fall back and then craning it to stare at the map upside down. "I think we should choose number one!"
Ushijima's forehead creased and his left brow pulled up just slightly.
"That is the fort everyone saw, Tendou, that does not seem wise."
"Yeah, everyone will know exactly where we are, why the heck would we choose that?" Semi said, face pinched with exasperation as he questioned his fellow third year.
"Why? Whhhhy? To make things interesting of course, who wants to sit in the woods waiting for people to show up?" He asked, looking to Semi and pointing at him with both index fingers. "If everyone knows where we are, we'll be flooded with challengers. Theeen we can crush them into itty bitty teeny tiny pieces." He said, straightening so he could fold his long slim arms behind his head and flashed twinkling eyes at his teammates.
They were quiet for a moment, and then they all looked to Ushijima, Ohira speaking up.
"Choose number six."
Tendou scrunched his face up and leaned forward to boo in his face. "How boring you are, Ohira-Kun."
"Choose number six." The rest of the team echoed, further souring the teen's sneer.
Meeting the eyes of his other teammates, Ushijima shifted his gaze to the sulking redhead and blinked once more.
"I must agree with the majority, Tendou." Head lifting, he looked to Keishin. "Shiratorizawa will claim base number six."
Keishin nodded his head and turned around to write 'Shiratorizawa' beside the base in the back left corner near the rocky beach. Throwing his arm over his face dramatically, Tendou clutched at the fabric of his shirt and gave a wail.
"Betrayed by my best friend, how could you, Wakatoshi-Kun? Now I'll die of boredom, speak well of me at my funeral!"
Ushijima reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, his face still impassive. "I will."
"Wah? Don't accept my death so easily!"
The other players from Shiritorizawa snickered as their captain was reprimanded, his one word 'sorry' only making Tendou cross his arms and mutter about half-assed apologies.
Keishin didn't linger as the one-sided bickering went on, so after he turned around and located the team in aqua, he pointed to the fluffy-haired brunette.
"Oikawa, you're up, one through five."
Giving a narrow-eyed grin, he touched a finger to his chin and hummed lightly in contemplation.
"Fort two near that rock tunnel might be good." Iwaizumi murmured at his shoulder. "I bet it would be pretty useful."
"What about number three?" Hanamaki said. "It's protected by the river and that pond so we'd pretty much know what direction people would come from."
"I agree with number three." Kunimi said.
"I'm cool with either." Kindaichi added.
The others murmured their agreement to these suggestions, but then Oikawa spoke above them, a cheery smile on his face.
"We'll go with number five, please and thank you."
"Five? Alright."
An angry chatter erupted from the players of Aoba Johsai as Keishin turned to write their name on the map, followed by a thwack!
"OUCH, Iwa! What was that for?" Oikawa demanded, clutching at the back of his head with both hands as he turned a glare on the seething teen behind him.
"You know what it was for, Shittykawa." Iwaizumi said, taking a menacing step toward him. "Self-centered jackass, I should kick you too."
Jumping away with a yelp, Oikawa screwed his face up into a frown and continued to rub his head.
"Calm down, I was only making the best decision for our team. Number five is protected by the river too, not to mention we'll be able to catch anyone scaling the steps to get to our base." Oikawa pointed out, releasing his head to place a hand on his hip and give a cocky smirk. "We'll have the highest vantage point of any fort, it was the second-best choice."
Iwaizumi grunted in response, refusing to acknowledge the logic behind his decision.
"Whatever, Loserkawa, if this ends up screwing us over, you'll have hell to pay."
Oikawa gulped as he took in his threatening glare, but then he cleared his throat and delicately folded his arms over his chest.
"Don't worry your pretty little head, Iwa-chan, have I ever steered us wrong?"
"Tch."
Oikawa grinned.
"Okay, next. Bokuto, what's your choice?"
Face lighting with excitement, Bokuto threw a fist into the air and leaned forward to stare at the board intently. "Hey hey, that cave tunnel is pretty sweet! Oh oh and check out the one in the middle with the wooden bridges everywhere, that looks like fun!"
As he went over the remaining four options, his brow scrunched over his eyes, his face growing troubled as he focused. His stare jumped back and forth as his teammates offered suggestions, a full two minutes passing before Keishin lost his patience, and then he let out a sigh as he waved a 'hurry up' motion.
"Let's go, I don't wanna be here all night."
Growing frantic, Bokuto looked between the options even quicker but then gave up entirely and turned to his vice.
"Akaashi!" He yelled, the black-haired second year cringing as he put a hand over Bokuto's face and pushed him away.
"Why are you screaming, I'm right in front of you."
Pulling his hand away but keeping it in his grip, Bokuto's eyes bore into Akaashi's.
"What should I choose, you're better at this kind of thing! Tell me where we should go!"
Remaining quiet, Akaashi paused to peer around him at his teammates and found them nodding their agreement. He took this cue to share his thoughts and gently tugged his hand free of the ace's hold, his eyes shifting to the board and then gliding back to his teammates.
"Four and two have their advantages, but of the remaining options… I believe three has the most potential. We'll keep the river at our back and lower the chance of a surprise attack. If we're trying to prevent others from retrieving their teammates, it's our best choice."
With no hesitation, Bokuto spun around and jabbed a finger at the map behind Keishin.
"We're taking LUCKY NUMBER THREE!"
"Number seven is lucky, not three," Akaashi said.
"I was trying to sound cool, Akaashi, do you have to ruin it?"
Akaashi rolled his eyes, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
"Sorry, Bokuto-san."
"I don't think you are."
"Number three it is," Keishin announced, his back turned to the crowd again as he began to write 'Fukurodani', calling out the next captain as he did so.
"Kuroo from Nekoma, choose your base."
There were only three options left, the fort smack dab in the middle of everything and riddled with boardwalks, number one which everyone had toured, and the base with the cave tunnel. Kuroo took note of this as he crossed his arms and stared at the board, his posture relaxed but his eyes full of mischief.
"It's pretty obvious what we should choose, don't you think?" Kuroo said, his voice low and his eyes drawn down to the frowning blond beside him.
"If it's obvious, why are you asking me?" Kenma muttered, his hands sinking deeper into the pockets of his jacket, his brow dipping with annoyance.
Yaku sniffed. "Enlighten the rest of us."
Kuroo chuckled and turned his hands up in a flourish to elaborate. "We'll take number two with the cave tunnel, of course. Our brain can do his job best from there."
"Woah, is it because Kenma-san can see in the dark?" Lev chimed, his emerald eyes bright with curiosity.
Yamamoto slapped him on the back.
"People can't see in the dark, idiot." He said as Kenma irritably muttered, "No."
Shibiyama tilted his head to the side as he tried to understand. "What makes number two better than the others, then?"
A finger went up beside him and the other teens were intrigued to see it was Fukunaga, his wide eyes blinking and a little smile on his lips.
"A fort in the middle means opponents from every side. Choose number one and we'll be targeted. If we want to minimize exhaustion, we must become one with the dark." Fukunaga cocked his head like a bird and turned his gaze on Kenma. "Right, Boss?"
He may not have agreed with the phrasing, but the reasoning was accurate.
"…Mmhm…"
"Number two it is." Kuroo said, raising his hand and voice high enough for Karasuno's coach to take notice.
"Okay." He agreed. "Number two goes to Nekoma."
After writing the name down, he gave his attention to the next team. "Date Tech, your up. Kaname, right?"
Date Tech's captain was smaller than most of his teammates, but he stood with his shoulders pulled back and his head held high.
"That's right, sir. What do you think guys, we'll go with the one in the middle, right? Number four?"
Putting his hands on his hips, Futakuchi shrugged.
"Considering it's that or the base everyone's seen, we don't have much of a choice, do we?"
"Number four still has a lot to offer, stop moping," Kamasaki said, to which the second year pushed his nose up and made a face.
Aone stepped up to place a hand atop Futakuchi's head, squashing it down and ceasing his classmate's antics. Moniwa looked to the white-haired boy with amusement and gave a grin.
"What do you think, Aone, should we go with four?"
The large boy was quiet, but then he gave a single nod.
Moniwa laughed. "You got it, big guy." Turning to Keishin who was waiting for an answer, the captain raised his voice.
"Date Tech wants number four!"
"Alright." Keishin turned his back to the crowd for the last time, writing Date Tech aside four and then moving to write beside number one. "That means Karasuno gets the first base, you got that, Sawamura?"
Nodding his head, Daichi crossed his arms and kept his chin up.
"Yes, Coach."
"Last place must suck." Kuroo muttered a grin plastered on his face as he looked at the brunette not far from him. "We wouldn't know."
Gritting his teeth, Daichi gave a forced smile in return.
"You'll know soon enough."
"Doubt it."
"Finally." Keishin sighed loudly. He snapped the cap back on his marker and tucked it behind his ear before bracing his hands on his hips. "Everyone knows the rules and each team has a base. If you have any more questions bug your coach or managers, they can give you the same information I can. One last thing."
Keishin had appeared apathetic through the duration of the explanation, but now his face became a bone-chilling mask of eerie calm. His eyes roamed the teenage boys before him, and his low even voice drew their attention.
"Some of you might be thinking, 'What does a stupid game of Capture the Flag have to do with volleyball?'. The answer is everything. If there is one thing the two have in common, it's teamwork, the single most important concept in volleyball. Many of you would argue against that, but none of us are as smart as all of us, and a team can only be as strong as its largest fault."
In the darkening woods behind them, crickets had begun chirping, the soft hoot of a barn owl announcing the approach of nightfall. Everyone was listening intently.
"Maybe you feel like you can do everything on your own." He murmured. "Or maybe you just don't want to put in all the effort it takes to get along with your peers. Be it pride or laziness, neither is an excuse. You're here to play volleyball and the only way you get to keep playing is by winning. I'll leave you with this quote and I suggest you commit it to memory."
Tugging his cigarettes from his pocket, he flipped open the lid and selected a long white tube.
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. Don't let your unwillingness to work as part of the team drive you to failure." He said, then placed the cigarette in his mouth and began his walk back toward the dorms.
"That's all, get some rest before tomorrow morning, you're gonna need it. Oh, and my team?"
"Yes, Coach!" They all replied immediately.
"If you come in last place, don't bother showing up to practice on Monday."
They stiffened, not a hint of a joke in his tone. The whole of Karasuno was frozen with fear, but Daichi elbowed Suga and they managed to stutter a response.
"Y-Yes, Coach!"
…
A few minutes later, teams were milling about the park map-making observations of the terrain, and loose plans to work around obstacles. Some were whispering strategies or giving speeches while others yawned and eyed the path back to the dorms.
"No, Tanaka. He said touching other players was prohibited. If you go tackling someone and get disqualified, I'm personally going to strangle you." Daichi warned.
"Man, they took all the damn fun out of this!"
Tsukishima blinked apathetically. "Maybe you should have joined the football team if you wanted to mindlessly smash into people like a cave man."
"No way, volleyball runs like the blood through my veins! There's no other sport for me."
"Well, if we don't manage to take something other than last place, that's going to be a problem," Daichi said, face grim.
The players from Karasuno stood in a loose circle near the map, their captain looking worse for wear as he tried to get his team on the same page. If he didn't have a few sparkling gray hairs before graduation, he'd be astounded. Sugawara stood beside him and he rested a hand on the other teen's shoulder.
"Relax, Daichi, he wouldn't really kick us off the team…I mean… I don't think he even could… Could he?" He scratched his chin and then blinked unfocused at the ground. "Crap, maybe he can."
Groaning, Daichi slapped his hands to his face and rubbed it wearily.
"It's fine, it's fine. We just have to not come in last place, we can manage that, right?"
The group was quiet in response to their captain's question, and he looked up with an irritable tone to his voice.
"Right?"
A handful of affirmations went around the circle, but it was hardly enough to give him hope.
"Hey, Karasuno, want a little more motivation?"
All he needed was to hear that sly voice filled with mischief, and Daichi knew he did not want more motivation. Tempted to ignore the rooster-haired bastard, he took in a long deep breath and let it out slowly before looking over his shoulder.
"Not really, I think we've got plenty."
A chuckle escaped Nekoma's captain and it was another blow his nearly depleted sanity.
"Aww, don't be like that, Sawamura-san. We can all use a little more motivation." Raising his voice, he looked around at all the players still discussing plans and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "I suggest a contest."
"HEY HEY HEY, I like the sound of that!" Bokuto said, Akaashi beside him unamused.
"It's already a contest, winners get to eat before everyone else."
Grinning, Kuroo placed his hand on his hip and waved a finger at Akaashi. "Ahh, but see here… I meant the losers. First place might get dibs on the barbeque, but last place gets a punishment. How bout it, anyone else wanna play?"
Daichi did not like this idea, especially with the evil glint shining in Kuroo's eye. Shaking his head, he folded his arms over his chest and declined the offer.
"Thanks, but no thanks. We have enough at stake without tacking on your demented idea of fun."
"Do my ears deceive me, or is Karasuno admitting they'll take last place?"
The question came from Oikawa and he sent the team in black a silky smile as he wandered closer to Kuroo.
"I thought they'd at least pretend they stood a chance, maybe all those penalties are finally getting to them."
A growl echoed through the group, but they said nothing as Kuroo turned his attention to the smirking setter.
"So, are you down or what, pretty boy?"
"Me? Oh, I don't know… I could be convinced… Will Ushiwaka's team be joining the festivities?"
Eyes turned to the ace watching with his usual stoic expression, the others surprised when he nodded his acceptance.
"We do not intend to take anything less than first, therefore the punishment would not apply. We will participate in your contest since it will not affect us either way."
A scornful grin took up residence on Kuroo's face and he whistled as he tilted his head back to observe Ushijima through slitted eyes.
"Now that's cockiness if I've ever heard it."
"I am being honest, not cocky."
Kuroo coughed a laugh. "What's weird is I feel like you really mean that. But the thing is…" His eyes flashed predatorial, his pupils resembling that of a cat. "We don't intend to take anything less than first place either."
Tension crackled in the air between the captains, Bokuto running his tongue along his upper lip, Oikawa sobering as his eyes slid to Ushijima, and the others looking to one another with silent scrutiny. The moment drug on, and it was only broken as Kuroo spoke up again, his eyes still fixated on the captains closest to him.
"Date Tech, what do you say?"
Moniwa had been watching the interaction just as everyone else had, but he hummed in contemplation as he gripped his elbow in one hand, and his chin in the other.
"That depends, what's this punishment? We won't bother if it isn't something good."
"And by good, you mean bad."
"Obviously."
"Hmm, that's a good question. Anyone got an idea?"
Bokuto shot up like a jack in the box.
"Oh-oh! I say losers eat a handful of dirt!"
Making a noise of offense, Oikawa shook his head at the other captain. "What are you, five? I propose the losing team has to do three laps around the property."
"If his was childish, yours is just boring," Kuroo said, yawning for effect.
"It's rude to interrupt. I was going to say three laps around the property…" He paused, his eyes growing shrewd and the corner of his mouth pulling up in a smirk. "In their undergarments. Arms linked."
The grin on Kuroo's face stretched to a full-blown smile, and it radiated amusement.
"Now that's what I'm talking about. What do you think, Moniwa, are you and your boys brave enough?"
Giving a surprisingly devious snicker, Date Tech's captain nodded his head. "We're in."
Kuroo grinned. "Glad to hear it. That just leaves…" The attention turned back to Karasuno, and Daichi was thrown into the hot seat once again.
He spoke before the sentence could be finished.
"Hell no."
Bokuto let out a whine and crossed his arms in a pout. "What! What are you, a chicken? You've gotta play! It won't be fun if we don't get to crush everyone."
Daichi sighed, his poor head beginning the familiar throb of a headache as he massaged his temple.
"As much as name-calling makes me want to participate, I think we'll sit this one out." He muttered.
"Now hold on just a minute, this camp is home turf for you country bumpkin crows. You're telling me you don't think you can manage at least fifth place? This should be a walk in the park for you lot- walk in the woods." Kuroo amended.
"Honestly, do you think we spend all our free time running through the forest and rolling in the dirt?" Sugawara demanded, brow dipping low with annoyance.
"Don't you?"
"No," Daichi said, tone final.
A musical laugh interrupted Kuroo's response, Aoba Johsai's snarky setter unfolding his arms to point at Daichi.
"Wow, Captain, could you doubt your team's ability to succeed a little louder? If you don't think you can win with a group like this… Why are you even here?"
Daichi stiffened, his hands clenching into fists as he frowned at the other teen. His voice was quiet as he responded, but firm.
"I don't doubt my team."
Oikawa held a hand to his ear and leaned forward. "Hmm, what was that?"
Daichi spoke louder this time, his words clear. "I said, I don't doubt my team."
"Well, if that's the case, you shouldn't have any problem participating. After all,… You just can't come in last place. That isn't so hard, is it?"
Daichi glowered at Oikawa as he grinned back at him easily. He really didn't like this guy; he was cornered and didn't see a way out of playing their stupid game. Not unless he wanted his team to think he had zero faith in them. He was trying so hard to get them to work together, that was the absolute last thing he needed.
Taking in a deep breath, he let it out slowly and looked briefly to Sugawara at his shoulder. The silver-haired vice gave a minuscule nod, and he knew immediately he'd regret what he was about to say next.
"Fine, have it your way. We're in."
Oikawa stuffed his hands in his pockets, his grin as haughty as ever.
"Excellent."