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Hey guys! I'm back with the second chapter. Hopefully, y'all like it as much as you did the first. I don't own Haikyuu, I only own my OC.
Thankfully school had just ended for the day as I began to pack my belongings. Tobio and I agreed that whoever ended practice first would go and wait for the other twin at their designated area, so we can walk home together. Luckily the soccer field is not far from the gym the volleyball team uses, so that's great.
I'm suddenly startled out of my thoughts when I hear a crash right behind me. Turning around to examine what the problem was I noticed the girl behind me had dropped her school supplies. She was panicking and apologizing repeatedly, and it was only then did I realize she was speaking to me. Immediately I jumped forward to speak, but this only worsened that situation.
"Hey, listen," I said, grabbing the shorter girls' attention (finally). "There's no need to freak out, it was by accident after all, right?"
"YES, OF COURSE!"
"Okay, then, so no harm was done," I pointed out to her bowing a little. "By the way, my name is Kageyama, Yuko. It's nice to meet you."
"Hello, I'm Yachi, Hitoka," the young blonde introduced herself. Quickly examining her I noticed how tiny she is and her skittish personality.
Just as someone walked past us on their way out of the classroom, she freaked out and started to apologize for no reason. For the second time in only five minutes, I had to calm down the smaller girl. It was only my first day at school, and I'm already a mother. Yet, the longer I looked at the girl, the more I realized I had to protect her.
"Listen, it's okay, so how about we become friends. I mean, you do sit behind me all day, so if either one of us needs help with an assignment, we'll have each other's back." I offered as I extended my arm out to shake her hand. Typically, I wouldn't be so formal when making friends, but I have the feeling that Yachi would need to be the exception.
After another minute of freakouts from the smaller girl, she finally took my hand with a smile and agreed. Together we walked out of the building until we went our separate ways. Yachi started her trek home while I began walking towards the practice fields and the bathrooms near them.
Inside the bathroom, I changed into a pair of shorts and a white T-shirt. This particular P.E. uniform is one of the two that the school has provided, and since I'm going to be outside all afternoon, I might as well wear it. After that, I slipped on my shin guards, soccer socks, and cleats. As soon as I finished changing, I began walking to the fields again.
When I arrived, I noticed a large group of girls. I wasn't surprised since soccer is the most desired sport in all of Japan. The only problem is that not all of us can be on the field at once. Only a maximum of eleven players can be on the field at once. Three forwards (that's where I want to be), three midfielders, four defenders, and one goalkeeper. The number of players in each position can change, but not the number of players on the field. So unless you're really good, there's almost no chance you'll be put out on the field to play. Plus, first years usually don't play since the positions tend to go to the second and third years. That means the majority of us won't see any action for a very long time. However, I refuse to be one of the girls who stay on the sidelines forever.
As I line up with the rest of the ten other first years, I see two older girls and a boy leave the larger group to come to us. The taller of the two girls is wearing a goalie shirt and gloves. She has short brown hair that barely reached her chin, large brown eyes, and pale skin. One look at her and you would think that she's a pushover, but on closer inspection, you can see the subtle tell of authority she carries. She must be the captain of the team.
The girl next to her was reasonably tall, although shorter than me by an inch, but the muscular build she had made up for it. She had long red hair tied back in a tight braid and tan skin. She must be the second in command, and if I had to guess, she might be a defender.
The boy, on the other hand, is wearing a tracksuit that has white for the base with black sleeves (for the jacket) and hem. The pants had black lines going down the side instead. The boy himself is probably taller than my brother with a lean yet athletic build. He has dark skin, short black hair, and hazel eyes.
"Hi everyone, thank you for showing up today. My name is Fujioka Rio, and I'm the captain of the team. This is my vice-captain Higurashi Akari and our manager Mori Katashi. Now before we get started, I feel it's necessary to explain a few things. First off our practice time. We have morning and after-school practice. Get here at 6:00 am sharp if you want to be a part of the club. After school, get changed and make your way to the field. Practice customarily ends at 6:30 pm or 7. Next, I want to tell you about the team itself."
Behind her, the group of girls stopped speaking to hear what she had to say. I'm assuming they might be in the dark as much as we are.
"Most of the positions are open to try out. We will also be preparing certain girls to take the mantle from their senpais, given that this is the last year for our third years. The only thing is that behind me, you see twenty-five other girls who want the same spot as you do. This means not all of you get to play unless you show us that you're worth putting on the field."
"Lastly," Our captain said sternly. "There will be no fighting with anyone on the team. I understand that we all want the same spots, and I know that there are times we may get frustrated, but I refuse to waste my time and referee a bunch of little girls. If I wanted to do that, I would have joined the cheer squad. In other words, let's try and get along. This is the year we make it to nationals. Our team has never gone before, and I'm hoping to change that this year."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," a woman said, coming up from behind us. She, along with another woman, came to stand with the captains. "Hello ladies, I'm Coach Noguchi. I'll be the lead coach for you young ladies, and this is our assistant coach Hara Sensei. You might recognize her as one of the librarians for the school."
All of us bowed to our seniors and greeted them. One by one, we introduced ourselves and our preferred positions."Kitagawa Daiichi Junior High," I announced to my peers. "Kageyama Yuko, I play forward."
"Kageyama?" Coach Noguchi asked me. "No wonder I recognized you, I've seen you play before."
Suddenly whispers began to spread across the group as all eyes focused on me. Instead, I ignored them and focused on my new coach.
"Hey, Rio, isn't that the girl who forced the other teams into mercy?" Higurashi asked as she sized me up, looking at me from head to two.
"Yeah, she is," Fujioka senpai smirked at me.
"Well, it seems we have a fascinating group of first-years this year," The assistant coach, Hara Sensei, added. "Fujioka, why don't you get started. I want to observe what these young ladies can do."
Immediately Fujioka told us to warm up and stretch. She also informed us that during our first week of practice, we're going to focus on drills and 3 vs. 3 exercises. On Friday, we'll join the rest of the team for an entire 11 vs.11 practice game to see who makes the cut.
As practice progressed, I noticed that many of the girls were staring at me. Even the coaches kept a close eye on me as I did the drills. It meant that I was the main competition to beat here. Still, it could also be the fact that I'm here at Karasuno and not some private school like most would assume, so it was best that I squash that arrogant attitude of mine. If only they knew the truth behind why I'm here.
When Coach Noguchi told us it was time for a water break, most of the first years collapsed. I, on the other hand, did my best to keep my muscles going by doing simple stretches as I drank water. While drinking, I noticed one girl looking all over for something, so I called out to her inquiring what it was she's searching for and if I could help.
"It's my water bottle; I think I forgot to bring one," she said in distress. Stopping my stretches, I began looking through my bag until I found my spare bottle. Calling out to her again, I tossed the bottle to her. "Is this for me?"
"Yeah, I always bring an extra bottle, so I don't mind sharing. Plus, it's really hot today, so I would hate it if you got a heat stroke." I said as I got back to what I was doing. A minute later, I saw her coming my way, but I said nothing as I continued what I was doing.
"Why are you doing that?" she finally asked me. Looking at her, I could tell she felt a little out of her place. A lot of the other girls were in groups already speaking to one another except the two of us.
I was alone by choice. I make friends rather quickly, but I don't mind solitude either. This girl, however, looked nervous. Shrugging to myself, I explained why I was doing my simple stretches.
"Well, for one, I don't want my muscles to get sore later. I may exercise regularly, but we've been doing a lot today. Stretching helps ease that, and I also want to keep my muscles moving. The worst thing you can do is sit down immediately after a tough workout. It's better to settle down bit by bit."
"Oh, um... do you mind if I join you?"
Smiling at her, I waved the girl over and began chatting with her. "By the way, I'm Kageyama Yuko; it's nice to meet you."
"Hi, I'm Endo Minako," The girl said as we got ready to head back into the field. "It's nice to meet you."
The rest of the practice progressed smoothly as more girls opened up to me. I guess they were just intimidated by my presence. Once seven rolled around, we were dismissed. I left the group of girls I was speaking with to find my brother. It took some time because I forgot which gym was the one for the volleyball team. That is until I heard a scream that sounded a lot like Tobio.
Taking off in the general direction of the noise, I found my brother and a smaller boy challenging the volleyball team to a match. The more I overheard what was going on, the angrier I became. This is why we came to Karasuno, and the reason no other elite school with a volleyball team is willing to accept him. He doesn't know how to get along with his teammates. Now, on the first day, he got kicked out of the gym and has to resort to challenging the captain of the team just to get back in. Geez, I want to punch him so hard in the face.
"So let me get this straight," I interrupted my brother. He was complaining to the captain about how he wants to be a setter, even if they lost their stupid bet. "It's the first day of school, and you have already been kicked off of the volleyball team."
Suddenly everyone froze and turned to look at me. I paid no mind to any of the extras since my main and only concern is my brother. Tobio, though, refused to look at me. So I marched forward and spun him around to face me. Since he was too much of a coward to look me in the eye, I started speaking again.
"You didn't even last a single day," I spoke quietly, but I'm sure everyone could hear me.
"Wait, I-"
"Who are you?" The shaved head asked me. Pushing my idiot twin to the side, I bowed to the three upperclassmen.
"Kageyama, Yuko," I announced as I straightened up again pointing my thumb at Tobio. "I'm his twin sister."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," a high pitch yell erupted from my left side. Turning to look at who made the noise, I saw a small boy with orange hair. Remembering that he's the other boy who made the challenge with my brother. "You're too pretty to be his sister! This can't be true!"
I heard three voices laughing while another sounded like a yell of anger. That last one had to be my brother. I, myself, couldn't help but smile at the small boy.
"Um... thank you?"
"Well, it does make sense that their twins. They do look alike," The silver-haired boy stated. "By the way, I'm Sugawara. This is Tanaka and our captain Daichi."
"Nice to meet all of you, and I'm sorry for the terrible manners my brother has displayed today. Honestly, this boy is a mess, but is there any way we can resolve this without a challenge?"
"Sorry, but no," Daichi responded. "Your brother challenged us, so as his senpai's, it would only be fair to accept it. Also, it will hopefully teach Kageyama a lesson when it comes to teamwork. He's not the only one on the court."
"I see... when is the game?" I asked on behalf of my brother. Daichi explained that it would be Saturday morning. After that, he left to go back inside the gym with his fellow teammates.
Quickly I spun around to face my brother. I suppose the face I was sporting is terrifying since he took two steps back. I quickly closed the space between us until I was at least one inch from his face. Tobio may be taller than me, but that has never stopped me from scaring the crap out of him.
"I'm going home," I stated, before turning from him and walking away. "It was nice meeting you... uh?" I stopped walking to look over my shoulder to the small orange-haired boy. "I'm sorry I never did catch your name."
"Hinata Shoyo," the boy said with a strange look in his eyes. It was a bit concerning, but I guess it had to do with the upcoming game.
"Well, good luck on Saturday Hinata-kun."
Leaving the two boys behind, I started my trek back home. About five minutes into the walk, I could hear someone walking behind me. Already knowing who it was, I decided to ignore him in favor of keeping the peace I longed for.
Another ten minutes and I was entering my home and walking to the kitchen to get some food. My brother followed me and even sat beside me as we ate. Nevertheless, he remained quiet throughout our meal until we finished eating. Only then did he ask me if he could explain the situation to me through his point of view. Nodding to indicate he could speak, Tobio started to recount the days' events. I never spoke, not even when he told me about knocking the toupee off of the vice-principal. Although I almost started laughing when he said that. Once he was finished speaking, only then did I begin.
"Hmmm, so he's the shrimp from last year's tournament?"
"Yeah, and he was the one who started the argument-"
"Tobio, I don't care! We made a deal, and on the first day you did, well, you did all of this. I'm tired of all of the fighting. I'm tired of dealing with your terrible attitude on the court. I'm tired of being the middle person between you and your teammates because you don't try to communicate with them. I refuse to go through all of that again. So no Tobio; I'm not going to any of your games this year."
Getting up from my seat, I made my way to my room, but before I could enter the room my twin jumped in front of me screaming. "WAIT!"
"Now what?" I huffed, coming to a stop.
"What if I prove to you that I can work with a team?"
"You mean...?"
"Yes!"
"Well... UGH fine, okay, if you can prove to me on Saturday that you can work with people on a team without freaking out on them, then I guess I'll give you one more chance. BUT ONLY ONE!"
He pumped his fist in the air before hugging me. My brother may be awkward with the rest of the world, but with me, he's incredibly at ease. Bidding me goodnight, he left to his room as I entered mine.
The next day I walked to school by myself since my brother had to leave early to use the gym. I didn't see my brother until lunchtime. Usually, we always use lunchtime to hang out with each other. During the other breaks, I would spend time with my friends. Although now that I think about it, we still stuck by each other.
As we walked to the vending machine, I could hear two people talking in the distance. It was Sugawara and Hinata. The two were practicing volleyball together and talking about my brother.
"Hey, Tobio, isn't that the cute third year from the volleyball team with the shrimp," I asked him with a smile. He only grunted at me as he went to take a look. We stayed there listening in on the conversation between the two until my brother decided he heard enough.
Once we made it inside the building, my brother started speaking again. "Don't do it again."
"Do what?" I asked, a bit confused as to what my brother meant by that.
"Date someone on my team. Don't do it."
"Tobio-"
"No, Yuko, just don't do it. Just like you don't want a repeat of last year, neither do I."
"I know," I muttered more to myself than to him. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault,"
But it sure felt like it was.
The volleyball season was now over since our school lost at the last tournament. The team still held practice occasionally, but I tried to stay clear of it. I was no longer on good terms with anyone on the team after what they did to my brother. The only reason I'm heading there now is that I wanted to meet up with Tobio.
He's still taking the loss pretty hard, and it didn't help that the others were making practice difficult for him. So, I decided to cheer him up and surprise him by showing up early.
I was just about to turn the corner to head inside the gym when I heard a loud noise. Then shouts started coming through, but this didn't sound like the typical ones that come from playing. It was that of an argument.
Running the rest of the way, I saw a huddle in the middle of the court. I started pushing people aside until I got to the front. What I saw not only confused me but also infuriated me. I saw the captain of the team shielding Kindaichi and Kunimi, while two boys were holding my brother back.
Before I could step in, my brother broke free and lunged at Kunimi, bringing them both down. The two started fighting each, with Tobio on top and Kunimi on the bottom trying to fight back. The others attempted to step in, but I acted first.
I ran forward and kicked Kindaichi on the side and elbowed the captain in the stomach to remove them from my path. The next thing I did was try to pull my brother off of Kunimi.
"Tobio, let go of him!" I yelled. That must have snapped my brother out of it since he allowed me to pull him away. Looking at the boys, I saw that my brother was fine, but Kunimi was sporting a bruised cheek and a split lip.
"You're really going to be on his side when he started this?" I heard Kindaichi scream at me. I gave the boy a glare that made him shudder before me.
"I don't care who started this!" I yelled at the team in front of me. "The only thing that matters is that it ends here. Now I don't understand what happened and quite frankly, I don't care anymore. These stupid fights have gone on long enough. This will be the last time I catch you guys doing this understand?"
Not waiting for an answer, Yuko grabbed Tobio's hand and led him away. If the girl turned around, she would have seen the heartbroken expression on the face of a certain boy. Someone she once held feeling for, and perhaps, still does.
Once the two were far enough, Yuko let go of her brother and rounded on him. "Did they hurt you?"
"No, I'm fine," Tobio replied quietly. "I'm sorry you had to see that..."
"Tobio, I'm your twin. I rather be there with you than anywhere else. Besides, I'm glad I got there when I did, who knows what might have happened if the coaches had seen that."
Instead of replying to what I said, Tobio mentioned he was going to grab his things so we could leave. Agreeing to wait for him where I stood, he left.
Standing there, I began to wonder how the fight started. Was it the same issues as always, or was it something new? Did Kunimi say something to offend Tobio? I know my brother has a temper, but Kunimi has never said anything bad enough to anger my brother to warrant violence. So how did the fight start?
Later that day, when we were home alone, I decided to go and speak to my brother about what happened. Usually, Tobio is open and honest to me about any situation he's in. However, when I asked him about what happened today, he refused to look me in the eye. Tobio has never kept anything from me before, so I didn't understand why today of all day's he would start.
"Look, just drop it," Tobio demanded as he started to mess with the volleyball in his hand. Striding forward, I smacked the ball out of his hand and across his room. "Why'd you do that?"
"Tobio, tell me the truth. What happened today?"
"You looked sad..."
"What?" I asked him as I took a seat on his bed. "I'm not sad. What made you think I was sad?"
"Because you and Kunimi aren't together anymore."
"Oh, yeah, that..." I whispered to no one in particular. I didn't know how to respond so I stayed silent. I wasn't aware I looked upset.
"We were at practice, and everything was fine at first. I mean, yeah, they were still ignoring me, but I was used to that," Tobio explained to me, finally turning his head to face me. "Then I heard Kindaichi say your name to Kunimi. He said; that Kunimi was better off without you, and that he could do better. And I lost it."
After Tobio said that, we stayed silent for a while. I didn't even consider the probability of the argument being about me. And here I thought I was doing everyone a favor by separating myself from the volleyball team. In the end, I caused this.
"He wouldn't have dumped you if I hadn't ruined everything," my brother added quietly, looking guilty about the situation. "I'm sorry, Yuko."
"Tobio, no, it's not your fault-"
"Don't lie, Yuko. It's because of me that he broke up with you-"
"No, it's not," I sighed, before turning away from my brother. Now I was the one avoiding eye contact. "I broke up with him."
"What? Why? I thought-"
"No," I replied, cutting him off. "I left him because of his attitude. He just didn't care anymore. I ended the relationship, Tobio. There's nothing more to it."
"So... it wasn't because of me?" he asked with an uncertain voice. I had two options. I could tell him one thing or another. The choice was so easy that I didn't even hesitate to respond to him.
"No," I lied, smiling at my twin. "It had nothing to do with you, so let's forget him. All of them, for that matter."
"Okay."
I hung out with my brother for a while after that. I helped him with his homework, we played a game, and by the end, we started to watch funny videos. There's this hilarious set of youtube videos about Scott Sterling that had us laughing for thirty minutes straight. One is about soccer and the other about volleyball, so we kept clicking back and forth between the two until it was time for me to make dinner.
Getting up to leave the room, I hear a small voice speak up behind me. "You deserve better."
"Thanks, Tobio," I said as I grabbed the doorknob.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Promise me you won't date anyone on my team again, okay," My brother said to me. Although, if I was being honest, it sounded more like a demand. Nevertheless, I agreed to his request. I learned my lesson, and I don't wish to repeat this mistake. I never want to be put in the position where I have to choose between my brother and his teammate.
"Hey, you aren't even on the team yet," I joked, but my brother only glared at me in retaliation. "Geez, I was only kidding, no need to bite my head off."
As we neared the end of lunch, a thought came across my mind. "Hey, Tobio, you said that this Hinata kid doesn't have much technical skill when it comes to volleyball, right?"
"Yeah," he answered. "I mean you saw him during the competition last year."
"But you two have to work together and win to not only stay on the team but to have a chance at being setter."
"Yes..."
"How can you win if you only train in the morning together? That won't nearly be enough, and you can't use the gym after school, so then what?" I asked him. It took me a couple of steps to realize that my twin is no longer following me and instead is frozen to the spot. "Oh, you didn't think of that, did you?"
Swiftly my brother came to stand in front of me, hands on my shoulders, shaking me like a rag doll. "Yuko, what am I going to do? That moron is useless!"
"Then train together-"
"WHERE YUKO? WE CAN'T USE THE GYM AND I'M NOT BRINGING HIM HOME! AND DON'T EVEN SUGGEST THAT I GO TO HIS HOUSE!" my brother continued to yell. The louder he became, the more he freaked out and shook me. Finally, I had enough and slapped him. Suddenly the world stopped for both of us. I was no longer being shooked like an alcoholic drink, and my brother stopped screaming. I'm so glad no one saw this scene because that was embarrassing.
"Are you good now?" I asked the moron.
"Yeah, sorry, had a moment there."
"No dip sherlock. Now hands off, I don't want you manhandling me again." I demanded. Knowing that I was serious, my brother took two steps back. "Alright, now that you are off your period, do you want some help?"
"YES!"
"Calm down, moron! Listen, it's simple; just ask Hinata during the next break if he can stay after school. If he says yes, then hurry and tell me. After school, I'll have a place for you two to practice. Sound good?"
"Yeah, but where are you going to find a place for us to practice on such short notice?"
"You trust me?" I asked the setter. Nodding at me in agreement, I continued speaking. "Then leave that to me, you big dummy."
Tobio lunged forward, hugging me tightly to his chest before letting go. "Thanks!"
"Gosh, what would you do without me?"
"Pfft, be perfectly fine."
"Says the boy who just had a freakout."
"That doesn't mean anything..." The raven-haired boy muttered. Well, if he wants to play that game.
"Really? What about that one time you ran into my room claiming you broke your dick-"
"SHUT UP!" he screamed, covering my mouth with his hand as he looked around. Luckily we were still the only ones in this particular hallway. "We agreed to never talk about that again! Come on, let's go to class."
After school, I took my time packing up my belongings. When Tobio confirmed that Hinata agreed to more practice time, I went ahead and told him to meet up with the boy before coming to my classroom. Lucky for them, I found a place for them to practice as long as they behaved.
When I finally left my class, waving goodbye to Yachi as I left, I encountered the two troublemakers. Tobio is scowling like always, but Hinata still had that strange look in his eyes. He must have noticed that he was staring because he started to stammer out an apology with a blush dusting his face.
"So, where are we going?" my brother asked me, his frown deepening at Hinata's behavior.
"Just follow me, and don't worry, we'll head to the bathroom first so we can change."
"Are you gonna help us practice Kageyama-san?"
"Of course I am, moron!"
"I meant your sister, you idiot!
"You're the moron who can't play!"
"I can too play! I only need to practice more!"
"Both of you shut up!" I yelled rounding on the two. "Listen, you two need to stop arguing. That's how you got into this mess, and it most certainly will not help you get out of it. If you guys keep arguing, then I'm not going to help you find a place to practice, got it?"
Both boys nodded to my question as they cowered away from me. "Good. By the way, Hinata, I don't play volleyball, so I can't help you two. Now, let's get going."
The place where the two were going to practice is near the girl's soccer field. It's a patch of grass right beside us; no one goes near it, so why not. I already asked the captain if she would mind, and she said it was fine so long as the two don't get in the way.
That's basically how the week went. We would all meet up and head to the field together. The boys playing volleyball together while I focused on soccer tryouts. I never spoke to Hinata. Tobio made it clear that he didn't want me near anyone on his team. Still, I couldn't shake this feeling like something was up. It didn't matter in the end, so I always brushed it off.
It's Friday afternoon, and I'm getting ready to play in a scrimmage with the other girls. This will help determine who makes the team and who warms the benches for the season. I'm pumped and ready to go. I haven't felt this excited in a long time.
As soon as they split the teams up, we were told to decide amongst ourselves who will play what position. It didn't take long for us to choose where each of us will be. My friend Endo is playing attacking midfield, which is perfect. Their main job is to assist the striker who is a forward. Thankfully everyone on our team agreed that I should have the position of forward striker. We also had the vice-captain Higurashi with us playing as our center-back defender.
Once our teams were ready, all of us took our spots. Since the captain was on the opposing side of the field, her team would start with the ball. Honestly, I never cared who got the ball first. What matters is who has it last, and I'll make sure that it'll be me.
Hinata's POV
"Hinata-boke, pay attention!" Bakayama yelled at me, but I couldn't help it as I stared at the game before us. The girls were about to play their practice match, and I'm excited to see how good Kageyama-san is. I should probably ask her if it's okay to call her something else because this is getting confusing calling both her and the idiot, Kageyama.
"Yeah, hold on," I tell him as I walk forward to get a better look at the game.
"Idiot, we're playing volleyball, not soccer! You need to focus; we have a game tomorrow!"
"I know that!" I yelled at him. "I'm just curious..."
"About what?" he asked me as he walked forward to stand beside me.
"How good is your sister?" I asked the setter. He stayed silent for a while, so I thought he wasn't going to answer me. I was right about to ask again when he started talking.
"Just watch and see," he smirked at me. That only hyped me up even more.
Every time we came to the field to practice, I never got to watch the girls play. Kageyama-san was always on the other side of the field, out of view. So when I heard that the girls are going to play against each other, I couldn't help but get excited.
As soon as the whistle blew, everything went crazy. The girls were going everywhere, and I couldn't even keep track of the ball. That's until I saw Kageyama-san. It's like she just came out of nowhere. No one could keep up with her as she races down the field with the soccer ball. As soon as she came close enough to the goal, she kicked it inside, gaining the first point for her team.
"Way to go, Kageyama-san!" I cheered from the sidelines. She must have heard me cheering for her because she waved in my direction. "Bakayama, did you see that?"
"Stop calling me that," the taller boy muttered. "But yeah, I saw. She's been playing since we were seven years old. She's probably the toughest girl I know."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Look right there," he said, pointing at the field. I watched as one of the players tried to kick the ball across the field only for Kageyama-san to stop it with... WITH HER FOREHEAD! Then she passed the ball to one of her teammates who tried to score the next point but was stopped by the goalie.
"Doesn't that hurt?" I asked him as I rubbed my forehead. I can't imagine taking a soccer ball to the head, yet Kageyama-san could do it and keep playing.
"Of course it does moron, but my sister can handle it," Kageyama said before he smacked me on the back of the head. "Let's get back to volleyball."
"You didn't have to hit me!"
Yuko's POV
By the time the scrimmage was over, my team had won by seven points. After that, we mixed the teams and started again. Around six o'clock, our captain decided to call it a day and sent us to cool down and stretch. Once everyone started to leave, I glanced at Tobio and Hinata to see if they were ready to go. As I suspected, the two just kept practicing, so instead of bothering the two, I decided to work on goal kicks.
"Hey, practice is over, you should go home and rest," I heard a voice say from behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed it was the captain of our team.
"I would, but my brother and his friend are practicing, and I rather not interrupt. They have a game tomorrow, and their kind of nervous about it."
"I see, well then, I might as well stay awhile longer then," she said as she put her gloves and goalie shirt back on. "I could use the practice apparently since you made me look like a newbie today," she added with a laugh. Taking her post in the goal, she waved me forward. "Any day now."
Smirking, I took a few steps back, before running forward and kicking the ball into the goal. We kept going like that for a while before we took a break. Both of us grabbing our water bottles and sitting beside each other inside the goal.
"You're good," I pointed out, taking another swing from my drink.
"Yeah, right," She laughed again. "You scored most of the goals. I was only able to stop a few."
"Better than nothing."
"Heh, good point," she muttered. "By the way, I'm sure you already know that you made the team."
"I didn't, but thanks for letting me know."
"Don't be a kiss-up, of course, you knew. Most of the goals made today were because of you."
"True, which is why I hoped that you guys would choose me. However, that doesn't mean I knew anything," I explained to my senpai, smirking towards the end. "Oh, and before I forget, I'm a smart mouth, not a kiss-up."
It took a few seconds but, soon enough, a smirk of her own appeared on the captain's face. "I'll keep that in mind next time, hot-shot. By the way, do you want to know your position while I'm at it."
"No, I rather find out with the rest of the team."
"Fine by me," she replied. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"Um, sure Fujioka-sempai."
"You don't have to say sempai. I've never liked being called sempai by any of my kohai's."
"What about Fuji-san?"
"Sounds good," she smiled at me. "So why did you choose Karasuno? I doubt this place was your top pick."
"Well, if we're going to be honest, it was because of my brother," I answered, a bit embarrassed to explain the reason as to why I'm here. "He can't play volleyball at any of the larger schools in the prefecture, and Karasuno was his only chance."
"Huh, so I have your brother to thank for such an amazing player."
"I guess..."
"Kageyama-chan, how far do you want to go in soccer?"
"It's my dream to go pro one day, but for now, I'll settle for going to nationals."
"That's you settling?" she deadpanned, not believing what I just said to her.
"Well, in the grand scheme of things, yes. I mean sure it's hard to get to nationals, I mean the girls' soccer team has never gone, but it's not impossible. However, my dreams are too big to only settle for one thing. You can have multiple goals, and so long as you prioritize it correctly, the list can be accomplished. My current goal for the near future is to do well in the upcoming tournaments and go to nationals."
"Now I understand why you're so good," the older girl said more to herself than to me. "It goes beyond mere dedication. The drive you have is something most kids our age lack. You don't see an end just another level to beat, no matter the circumstance."
"Hmm... I guess that's one way to put it."
"Well, in any case, it's late, and both you and your brother need to rest," Fuji-san pointed out as she stood to gather her belongings. "Plus, I think your brother might be done practicing since he's just standing there talking to his friends."
Friends? I thought to myself. Tobio doesn't have any friends except me. He's always been too awkward and stiff around people our age, so he never made any friends. Yet when I turn around, I find my brother speaking to two other boys. One of which is remarkably tall for someone in our age group.
Waving goodbye to my captain after gathering my stuff, I made my way to Tobio. The closer I got, the more I could hear, and it didn't sound like a conversation between friends. I just hope the moron doesn't blow a fuse before I get there to defuse the situation.
Despite speed walking to the group of boys, I didn't make it in time to stop my brother from getting angry and grabbing the beanstalk by the collar of his shirt. Dear Lord, I can never catch a break. One of these days, I'm going to pass out from all the stress my idiot twin puts me through.
"Tobio!" I yelled, hauling him off the taller boy. "Stop, it's not worth it."
The look in his eyes spoke volumes about what he wanted to do right now. Thankfully, he listened to me and walked away, claiming they finished for the night. The blond kept talking, but we ignored him in favor of picking up my brother's belongings so we could leave. Well, we were in the middle of doing that until another voice interrupted four-eyes over there.
"Shut up with all that king and your highness stuff," Hinata shouted to the other boy after taking the ball from him. "I'M HERE TOO!"
Wait a minute, did this shrimp get upset simply because he wasn't involved in this poor excuse of a verbal beatdown? Please tell me I'm wrong.
"I'm gonna hit the ball above that head of yours in tomorrow's match!" Hinata yelled some more. Great, it seems as though my idiot brother might have found someone to match that stupidity of his. You know what, that's not my problem. I'll let Daichi handle that sense he's the captain of the volleyball team.
The conversation ended not too long after that, with the blond introducing himself and my brother storming off. Hinata tried to run after him, but I grabbed him by the shoulder, keeping him in place. Turning to face me, I finally realized how short Hinata is compared to me. The top of his head barely reaching my chin. It's quite humorous if I'm being honest, but I doubt he would be happy with me laughing at him.
"Listen Hinata, thanks for taking the attention off of my brother," I started saying before motioning for the volleyball. Handing it over to me, I started bouncing it in my hands as I continued speaking. "He has a temper, but my brother is just awkward. Also, he can let his passion for volleyball get ahead of him, which is why he's in the current situation he's in now."
"You mean being called king of the court?"
"...yeah, being called king," I muttered, but it was loud enough for Hinata to hear me.
"Why is he called King?"
"I understand you're confused, but if my brother isn't willing to say anything, then neither am I," after announcing this I stopped bouncing the ball and gave it back to him. " Anyway, thanks again, and good luck tomorrow."
"Wait," Hinata called out to me when I began to walk away. "Aren't you coming to the match tomorrow?"
"No, I'm not, I only go to the official matches."
"Oh," the orange-haired boy mumbled. "Well, I guess I'll see you around school then. By the way, do you mind if I call you something other than your last name? It gets kind of confusing trying to call out to one of you when both you and Bakayama have the same name."
Bakayama... well, he isn't wrong considering my brother's grades.
"That won't be necessary. I don't intend to familiarizing myself with anyone on the volleyball team."
"Why not?"
"Let's just say the last time I got too comfortable with someone on my brother's team; it had ended badly. The two got into a fight, and I rather not get myself into the same situation again."
"Did Kageyama start the fight?"
"Well..."
"If he did, then it wasn't your fault. If he didn't, then it still isn't your fault. If the argument was about you, then it still isn't something you should blame yourself for because you had no control over it. All you did was care for the wrong person, right?"
"Right," I agreed quietly. To be honest, I wasn't expecting Hinata to say any of that, so it left me speechless. Plus, he did make a good point about the situation. Technically it's not my fault since I didn't start it, but I still feel guilty because it was about me.
"Listen, you don't have to be my friend if you don't want to, it's not like I'm going to force you. But if it's because of Kageyama, then I don't see a problem. Whatever problem I might have with your brother is between us. I won't involve you in it," Hinata claimed, coming closer to me until he was barely standing a foot from me.
"Promise?" I joked, but the moment I said that the same strange look from before passed through his eyes once again. It left far too quickly to analyze it, but he still looked me right in the eye. Never wavering or shrinking back. The look he has right now is so intense for such a small request like this. To be my friend and to never involve me in future disputes. I was just joking when I said promise.
"I pinky promise," he said a moment later.
"YUKO LETS GO," I heard my brother scream a moment later.
Turning, I started to run to my twin before stopping in my tracks. Looking over my shoulder, I softly said, "Yuko."
Not bothering to stay a moment longer, I ran the rest of the way to my brother. I didn't bother telling him what Hinata and I spoke about, but he didn't seem to notice that I even talked to the boy. That, however, worked in my favor. The last thing I want right now is for Tobio to get annoyed over something as stupid as someone calling me by my first name. I mean, it's just a name, right.
Still, if I'm being honest, I don't know why I decided to give Hinata permission to call me Yuko. I mean, the kid is weird, loud, and on Tobio's team. But the look in his eyes as he made that promise unnerved me. Not in a terrible way, I guess. I just didn't expect it to come from a munchkin like him.
In the end, it doesn't matter. This doesn't make us friends, and soon enough, he'll be out of my life.
I know thus far I haven't given a description of Yuko but don't worry I will have it out soon. I just rather focus on who she is personality wise right now. Also, I want to make sure that I set up the beginning correctly in order to follow through with the story. Also, this will be a slow burn story. If you're expecting the two to fall in love within the first 10 chapters you will be disappointed. Also, I will try my best not to make her a Mary-Sue, but if she starts to come across like that feel free to let me know. I welcome any feedback whats so ever. Just don't be rude.
Hint for next chapter- Two matches within one chapter. Yuko making Tobio uncomfortable, and Hinata's restroom dilemma.