Chapter 3:
The school marks for the end of the day and Yachi tried to change her uniform in the bathroom sneakily before she went back to her class and grab her bag before going to the gymnasium. However even though she tries to be quite about it, her seatmate notices the change of uniform when she spotted Yachi.
"Eh, why did you change into P.E uniform, Yacchan?"
Yachi falters at Mikoto's words as she sheepishly smiled back while she folds her uniform into her bag. "I…I'm going to gym later."
Mikoto furrowed her eyebrows. "Why?"
Yachi shyly played with her fingers as she replied. "I'm…I'm trying out for volleyball club as a candidate manager."
Mikoto widened her eyes, turning her body to face Yachi fully as she walks closer. "Really? I thought you said you weren't interested in joining any clubs recently. What changed your mind?"
Yachi rubs the back of her head, a nervous tick that she has ever since she was young. "Um…it just happened, I guess. The current volleyball's club manager reached out to me and told me that it's okay to try out first."
Mikoto nodded as she finally smiled in Yachi's direction. "That's great, Yacchan! I'm so happy for you! Then, please do your best later!" Mikoto pumps her fists up in the air to cheer Yachi up.
Yachi could only laugh lightly, thankful that her friend was supportive of her decision with this. Hopefully this uplifting energy can help her throughout the entire practice later on.
Yachi hops carefully towards the gymnasium where the current volleyball club was starting with their practice. She could hear the loud spikes and the several shouts within the gymnasium and Yachi can't help but feel her nervousness builds up again inside her stomach.
Since the door was opened halfway, Yachi sneakily hid behind the door and peeked her head in and inspect the area first. She sees several members were already spiking some balls up in the air and the rest were still stretching up on the other side of the court.
What Yachi needed to do right then is to enter the gym and announced her arrival but somehow she didn't have the confidence to make the move yet so she kept stuck on peeking behind the doors. That is until Hinata sees her blonde hair peeking in from the outside and he jumps at the sight of her.
"Yachi-san!"
Yachi falters at the sight of Hinata suddenly appearing right in front of her. He then pulls out a piece of paper which looked like a test answer sheet as he exclaimed loudly. "This afternoon's English quiz had some parts that you taught me and I got 1/3 of them right!"
Joy spread from Yachi's chest as she jumps along with Hinata's brimming happiness. "Woah, that's great! Looks like your hard work paid off."
"This is all thanks to your help too. Although sensei told me I should do better but this is an improvement! You are still up for tutoring me, right?"
"Of course." Yachi nodded enthusiastically. "You are serious about going to Tokyo so I'll do my best to help your studies as well."
Hinata smiles wavered with extra tint of joy as he bounces on his feet again. "You're so kind, Yachi-san! I'm glad we have you on our team."
Yachi could only smile sheepishly in response. Upon noticing that Yachi was still outside of the gym, Hinata reached out to Yachi's hand and pulled her in. "Come in, Yachi-san. There's no need to be so stiff in the club here. Everyone is pretty excited to have you here."
With Hinata's contact in holding her hand and pulling her in so easily, Yachi almost stumbled on her own feet but she managed to maintain her center of gravity after she enters inside. She was a little surprised at Hinata's gesture of reaching out to her easily without any second thoughts because Yachi isn't used to holding hands with people, especially boys.
Somehow she felt the warmth starting to flush her neck and cheeks for a bit before she manages to stand properly on her own feet and pulled her hand back from Hinata's as she timidly held it against her chest.
"Ah, have you met the rest of the members?" Hinata perked up.
Yachi shook her head, "Not really."
Then Hinata turned to the side and called out the closest member near them. "Yamaguchi! Come and meet Yachi-san properly, ah – Tsukishima, you too!"
Two tall boys entered her field of vision as Yachi stared upwards to them. 'T-tall! They do really look like people who play volleyball with that height.'
"Why do you have to shout, Hinata. You're too loud." The blonde haired glasses-san spoke when he came near with the other boy next to him. Yachi remembered that this glasses-san was Hinata's and Kageyama's previous tutor. Yachi did felt like glasses-san was a no-nonsense type of person from his expression.
"What'd you say?!" Hinata growled back towards glasses-san in annoyance. Although Yachi noticed that Hinata's glowering didn't really affect glasses-san too much.
Yachi puts a smile as she faced towards the two tall boys. "N-nice to meet you, my name is Yachi Hitoka."
"Tsukishima Kei." Glasses-san introduces himself as he gave her a small bow of his own.
The other tall boy, albeit shorter than Tsukishima, wore a friendly smile as he introduces himself. "I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi. It's nice to meet you too, Yachi-san."
There was a lot of comparison between Tsukishima and Yamaguchi but Yachi could tell that by their presence and aura, they weren't that intimidating after all. The only issue that made Yachi nervous about them was the fact that they were very tall, like Kageyama, and it made her feel a little too small for her own good. But despite Tsukishima's aloof expression and Yamaguchi's kind expression – Yachi finds herself being comfortable around them.
"Yamaguchi is the one who told me to get help from you, Yachi-san. If it weren't for his idea, we wouldn't be able to pass our finals properly in the future." Hinata added.
To Hinata's explanation, Yamaguchi's freckled cheeks was suddenly flushed with his own faint redness. "I-I merely suggested them to ask for help to you, Yachi-san. I hope it's fine with you."
'So he was the one who referred them to me.' Yachi nodded in understanding. "It's fine, Yamaguchi-san. I don't mind helping them at all. In fact, tutoring them helps me revise the materials as well."
"You should tell them to stop whenever it gets too much for you, Yachi-san. Speaking from personal experience, it's difficult to teach idiots like Hinata and Kageyama." Tsukishima sneered with a smirk.
'Wah…he's got that kind of personality, huh.' Yachi reacted to Tsukishima's wording as Hinata and Kegayama, who surprisingly appeared right besides Yachi while he held on a volleyball, glowered right to Tsukishima.
"Well, well – certainly it has been quite of a something but Yachi-san seemed incredibly helpful to your studies." Yamaguchi addressed to Hinata and Kageyama.
"If only he wouldn't be so stingy and mean when he taught us." Hinata grumbled but his words were caught with a sneering expression back from Tsukishima.
Glasses-san crossed his arms and looked down to the two (failing) boys. "It's too bad that your brain is just too full of volleyball that you can't even process your brain properly, it's obvious how tiring it is to teach you anything related to academics."
"Or maybe you're just not good at teaching people, bleh." Hinata stuck out his tongue in mockery.
Then Kageyama added. "That's right, it's not my fault that I can't keep up with you. Yachi-san is much better at teaching than you. She even taught us how to color code notes properly."
"That's right!" Hinata huffed alongside Kageyama.
Yachi blinked at Kageyama who is surprisingly avid about this matter. 'Was he always that energetic or he is just upset at Tsukishima-san?'
"Color…code?" Tsukishima muttered.
"It seems like Hinata and Kageyama-kun are visual learners so I helped them by marking their notes in different colors so that they'll be able to remember things easier." Yachi replied.
"Eh…you even had to teach them that way." Tsukishima spoke out in a monotone voice, as if he was amused yet not impressed by Hinata and Kageyama improve in their note-taking. "Don't spoil them too much, Yachi-san."
"Eh? Um…okay." She replied unsurely.
Hinata and Kageyama seemed to continue their bicker to Tsukishima as they kept on going about how Yachi's studying methods was better compared to the blonde haired boy who in turn merely rolled his eyes out of boredom. Meanwhile, Yamaguchi seemed like he could only listen from the side and laugh lightly at their bickering – perhaps this was also a common trope in their conversation between the four of them.
'They seem really close with each other' Yachi concluded from their conversation.
Afterwards Yachi was called by Kiyoko who started to tell her the ropes on how to manage the team from the sides and what they should do during practices. Yachi learned that she needed to make sure that the water bottles are kept full, the net of the volley is set in the appropriate height, and make sure the floor's not too wet or messy so she has to mop them frequently even during the games when sweat would drop to the floor.
Even by the instructions and rules told by the older manager, Yachi kept on being on attentive 100% while she writes down all the things she needed to remember by heart. What was most important that she needs to make sure the members and coaches as a team work cooperatively at best so that the games would ensure a good result.
"I guess that's all you need to know for now but I will tell you more on what we should do during the practices in the future. Ah, also one more thing – make sure you're careful of any stray balls coming to your way." Kiyoko explained.
"Yes, senpai." Yachi saluted before she looks around anxiously.
'Stray balls…are they dangerous after all?'
"Hello."
Yachi flinched when a deeper voice that seemed to come from an adult's man voice behind her. When she turns around, she was a baffled that there was a man in red jersey with wild blonde hair and piercings on his ears. 'Scary…who…who is this person?'
"I'm actually the coach so….if you need anything please let me know."
"I'm sorry!" The words already left out of Yachi's mouth because she almost mistook this man as a random stranger who appeared in the court. 'Did I misjudge another person based on their appearance again?! Hitoka you idiot!'.
"Calm down, girlie. It's fine. It seems like you're really nervous. Don't worry about handling any heavy matters. Just make sure if you have questions about the team or volleyball in general, you can come to me. Ah, my name is Ukai Keishin. You can call me coach too if you'd like."
Yachi stood up from her bow and saluted. "Y-yes, sir!"
Coach Ukai smiled, a little amused by her adorable reaction when she tries to puff up her chest and tried appeared bravely. "Don't worry. Just have fun, okay."
Once the coach left, Kiyoko came and tells Yachi to inspect the players as the practice starts. Ever so slowly, Yachi's world starts to widen as the balls that were being lifted up in the air and was constantly hit by the players.
It was like a dance. A strong powerful dance with the ball that kept flying in the air. Yachi flinched a few times when the balls were smacked by players strongly until she hears it slapped against the ground with a loud noise that screeched in her ears. But it wasn't an unpleasant sound in fact –
"Amazing." Yachi couldn't help but fell into a trance as she watches the game.
Several people were jumping to avoid the ball from entering their side of the court, some were keeping in constant check while they make sure the ball never touches the ground, the yells and shouts of the players as they encourage each other to connect to the ball, even everyone's expression changes differently each time they touched the ball.
Then in one second, a stray ball came hurling towards Yachi's direction and before she was able to cover herself in protection – Hinata came and smacked the ball away from Yachi's direction. Yachi was instantly astonished by the quick movement.
"Are you faring well?" Kiyoko came towards Yachi at the sides.
"Yes. This is the first time I watched volleyball match closely other than P.E classes. This is very different…everyone is amazing." Yachi sees a stray ball coming again but this time it was Kiyoko who easily taps the ball away from them effortlessly.
"Karasuno is actually pretty strong and we went to nationals too in the past." Kiyoko explained.
"Nationals?"
"But in the last few years we were called fallen powerhouse or flightless crows. This time we're going to the national stage." Kiyoko looked over to the players again.
With the seriousness in her eyes, Yachi began to understand why everyone was working hard in their practices. They had a big goal in their mind and that is the nationals.
"Amazing…. they're all so different from me." Me who has no direct goals in life.
Yachi has never been so serious in her entire life after all so joining an amazing club like this was a new world to her. She kept on staring at each members' play and how they were so into every spikes, every hit, every toss, everyone was putting their heart into it. This was a world where Yachi could tell that they were not playing around for a half-hearted goal.
They were serious about going to nationals. With everything they have.
And is she allowed to be a part of that?
The practice went on into the evening after the sunset when the sky was already dark. Yachi followed Kiyoko's as they were closing up the practice but in the meantime, the club's advisor, Takeda-sensei seemed like he had something to say before the they can end the practice.
There is going to be a practice match against another school, Ouginishi, in the next scheduled practice. Everyone was told to be prepared for that practice match and make sure everything goes accordingly. Yachi watches with anticipation as the team talked amongst themselves as they look forward to their practice match.
It didn't take long to change back into her regular uniform afterwards and Yachi checks the gym if there was anything else she could help with but found out that there isn't much to do besides finishing up and go back home. Kiyoko tells Yachi to wait for her as she needs to change back into her own clothes and so Yachi waits by the gymnasium door with her hands clutched to the straps of her bag as she looked down to her feet.
'There are so many things to think about when it comes to volleyball after all. It looks like there were some terms that I didn't recognize…maybe I should learn by myself more about the sport when I come back home – ah! Should I even do that?'
It was at that moment when she overhears the coach talking with the advisor teacher from the opened windows of the gym.
"What's wrong, sensei?"
"Apparently the bus we were supposed to take for the away games in Tokyo was booked by another club so I don't think we can get it. It looks like it's going to cost us more than expected so I've been wondering what to do."
'The team can't go to Tokyo without proper funding then. Maybe if there's another way…' Yachi wonders along their conversation before her train of thought was abruptly cut by a loud voice calling for her.
"Yachi-san! Are you going to join the club as the manager?" Hinata bounced to her.
'How does he have so much energy even after practice?' Yachi thought to herself as she struggles to find a proper response to his question. "U-um…"
"Hey, first year girl, hey." Another voices suddenly calls for her attention and Yachi looked aside to see two intense-looking-boys facing her.
'They were…Tanaka-san and Nishinoya-san if I'm not mistaken.' Yachi tries to familiarize their face in her mind.
"We hope you can join the team as our manager." Nishinoya speaks up first before Tanaka added.
"Because Shimizu-san seems to be talking a lot when you're here."
However, their silly words seemed to be disapproved by the captain, Daichi, as he fists his hands to their heads. "What kind of invitation is that, you idiots."
A grey haired boy came next as he stands in front of Yachi from the side. "I'm so sorry about these idiots, Yachi-san. Please don't mind them too much." Sugawara said.
Yachi shook her head in response. "It's fine…it's just…I'm a little bit flattered and overwhelmed."
"How so?" Sugawara asked, interested to hear the reason why.
"I've never done something on my own and I never had someone need me for anything so it's all very new for me. Even in dramas I've always been the extras like the Townsperson B or a tree. So when Shimizu-senpai came to recruit me, someone who has no knowledge or experience on volleyball, I was really happy but…" Yachi trails off unconfidently, "I'm not sure If not much – "
"I get what you mean." Tanaka cuts her off as he stares dramatically into the distance, "If Shimizu-senpai said 'I'm stealing money from you so follow me' I'll follow her anywhere."
"Huh?" Yachi was so surprised by his explanation so she doesn't really understand what he meant by that.
Then suddenly all of the boys starting to get excited about it and continue to mention about other things as well. It got off too side-tracked that even Yachi couldn't follow along their conversation.
"Sorry, they are so stupid that it's hard to keep a conversation about this." Dachi came around and apologized for his juniors as he looked back towards them and huffed tiredly. It was like watching a dad who was overwhelmed by their own children.
"But don't worry about it too much, Yachi-san. What is important is your choice so you don't have to force yourself to join the club if you want. But I'll be honest that it'll be extremely helpful to have someone like you in our team." Daichi added reassuringly.
Like a big brother comforting their younger siblings, Yachi felt exactly like that in that moment. "A-are you sure?"
"I can tell you get along with everyone too, Yachi-san. Managing a sports team like us might be shocking for you but I'm sure you'll find the better moments in spending more time with us. You already helped Hinata and Kageyama, that's already a big accomplishment for supporting our team." Daichi said.
Yachi nodded, her mind begins to wonder the advantages of her entering this team in the future. It wouldn't hurt her to learn a little bit from joining an extracurricular club plus, when will she ever get such fortunate opportunities like this?
She suddenly felt a big warm hand rubbing her head affectionately. Yachi looked up in surprise and sees Daichi smiled at her. "Like I said, don't worry too much. We will accept your choice either way, Yachi-san. I'll be here if you need anything."
Although it was a little bit embarrassing being patted like this, it didn't feel that bad being reassured like this. "Un!" Yachi beamed her own smile towards the captain.
Unknowingly her smile shines a bright twinkle towards the friendly captain who was caught off guard by her twinkling sweet smile. A flutter of butterflies appeared in his stomach momentarily before he pulls his hand away from her head.
When Kiyoko appeared again, Yachi immediately hops to the older girl's way. Daichi unconsciously clench and unclench his hand that patted Yachi's head earlier.
"She is small." Daichi muttered.
"I saw that, Daichi." Sugawara suddenly appeared beside him and smirked
"Geh!" Daichi choked on air, feeling embarrassed that he was being watched by the setter.
