Shoyo looked over at the TV screen his friend who stood just slightly taller than him examined the TV screen his blue eyes noticing the gleam within his friend's eyes.
"he's nailed it and with that pint he's made five in a row that's the little Giant!"
"this is the spring high-school national volleyball tournament, crowded by people nearly 190 cm in height, the little Giants going around strutting his stuff!" the announcer said with enthusiasm.
"Karasuno, that's from the next town over?" a man said.
"that's impressive!" another said with pride at the teams accomplishment.
"Shou-chan, Itsuki-San hurry. We'll lose our spots" Yukitaka said smashing down on the breaks off his bycicle. Itsuki turned to him nodding but stopped once he saw Shoyo fascination in the team.
"Karasuno..." Shoyo muttered.
"the little Giant is so cool, right Itsuki?" the boy said with a smile, his face now a pink hue due to the freezing temperatures they were experiencing. "we gotta go" Itsuki calmly reminded to which his red headed friend panicked much to the amusement of Yukitaka.
3 year timeskip
"Shou-chan wait up" Yukitaka and the others called out as the boy hurried down the stair in excitement ignoring his friends pleas.
"it's huge..." he said in awe of the gym they currently stood at Itsuki calmly dropping his gym bag.
"it smells like air salonpas" Shoyo said nervously.
"your to nervous" Yukitaka said awkwardly. "what are you a hick?" Koji quickly interrupted Hinatas sightseeing.
"b-but this is my first real match" he said calmly his eyes lighting up once more as he turned back to the gym tears seemingly coming out of his eyes.
"finally for the first time in three years" Koji calmly said sighing as he did so. "still it's impressive to say the least" Itsuki quickly interrupted his eyes examining their competition.
"just like we practiced, remember?" the silver haired boy said looking down at his shorter friend.
Currently standing at 180cm Itsuki was currently the tallest on their team and though he was the setter he adjusted to any position based off how bad or well the play seems to go.
"right!" Hinata said pumping his fist up in excitement.
"Itsuki, Koji and Izumin thanks for coming to help out our club" Hinata said a serious expression on his face as he did so.
"that's what friend are for" Itsuki said calmly his face still holding a nonchalant expression like usual.
"stop that..." Kouji said in embarrassment and Izumin awkwardly scratched his head. "our tournaments ended" he said slightly happy at Hinatas praise towards them.
"thank you first years its a miracle that you even joined" Hinata said already prepared to burst into tears.
"oh yeah were still total amateurs though"
"you guys shouldn't downplay what your doing thanks a lot." Itsuki said putting his hand out for a fist bump.
"don't cry Shoyo" Kouji teased.
"I'm not crying" the boy responded with tears already falling out of his eyes.
"your practically a waterfall" Yukitaka stated.
"Hinata let's warm up" Itsuki said poking at the boys cheek. The boy wiped away his tears looking towards his friends.
"come on captain take charge you dragged us into this and can't even do that" Kouji said once again.
"I-I know that!" Hinata said with an awkward yell.
"we barely made it in and we're in it to win it" Hinata said a smile on his face as he said those words and though Itsuki didn't say anything against it he inwardly cringed already seeing what their opponents rosters were to be.
"What!? You're going to out in our ramshackle amateur team to win!?" one of the first years said in surprise with Itsuki only sighing not surprised at Shoyo antics.
"of course!" Hinata said almost expecting the boy to have expected the words he was saying. "what's our first opponents Kitagawa like?" Kouji said and Itsuki pointed over at the group of boys approaching, causing Koujis mouth to gape as they soon passed by their eyes locking on to Itsuki and then the others that were part of the team.
Soon enough cheering began and the entire gym broke into murmurs as people discussed all about Kitagawa. "their all about my height" he said turning back to the shocked expressions on his friend's faces.
"wait!? We're playing against them?" Kouji quickly complained. "what's this king crap!?" he yelled out expecting an explanation from Hinata.
"don't worry!" Hinata said quickly not wanting to worry his friend's. "ill blast through them no matter how gangly they are" he said holding his hands up in a fist.
"yes cause you can really jump!" Yukitaka encouraged.
"and their really tall" Itsuki added his eyes still focused on Kitagawa. "it takes longer for you to reach your highest point and by then they'll have you locked down" Itsuki stated quickly killing the teams morale.
"but with what we've been working on I doubt they'll get they hang on what we're gonna do" Itsuki said with a sly grin, a rare occasion as to most of the others their friend rarely did such a thing mostly donning a calm expression.
"yea!" Hinata said happily at his friend change of heart.
"were counting on you two!" Kouji said excitedly
"I need to use the can first" Hinata said holding his stomach earning a shocked expressions from every team member but Itsuki.
000
"damn their good" Hinata muttered watching Kageyama perform sets after sets. "that's Kageyama Tobio King of the court right?" Kouji asked his head turning towards their opponents.
"so he's their setter" Izumi watched in amazement.
Itsuki bounced the ball up and down practicing spikes against the gym wall each one with more power than the last. His sets were already good but just from watching Kageyama with such natural talent he could tell he wasnt at that level. Yet.
000
The match was underway and the whistle blew with everyone bowing their heads at the other team.
"the opposing teams really small... Except for number 11" one of Kitagawa noted.
"Kouji show them the number on the back of your shirt" Hinata said quickly earning a confused look from his friend.
The whistle blew and the match began.
A simple set was all it took to scramble up Kouji who was situated at the back. Hinata still smiled at his friend supportive despite making an easily avoidable mistake.
Itsuki glanced over at Kageyama who seemed to glance back. The two stared at each other sizing the other up before the whistle blew again.
A mistake once again made due to lack of communication caused the ball to hit the floor once more.
"shake it off shake it off" Hinata said supportively.
000
"What I'm the only member?" Hinata said a shocked expression upon his face.
"yeah. The numbers Been dropping over the years" the teacher says turning back the young middleschooler.
"boys volleyball is more like a fan club than an actual team" the teacher says much to the boys disappointment."
oh" Hinata said looking over towards a still stoic Itsuki."what do ya wanna do? Join another club?" the man asked then dug through the files once more."or join the girls team?" he asked.
"uh I'd rather not" Hinata said his cheeks tinted pink as he said so."I don't think that's allowed sensei" Itsuki said inputting his opinion on the matter."
ill do it alone! I'll become the little Giant!" Hinata said still reminiscent of Karasuno."
huh? What?" the teacher said confused at the boys words.
000
The ball pounded against the floor once more abd the whistle blew again.
000
"Itsuki your on a break set me a toss!" Hinata asked with excitement
"will you be able to hit it?" Itsuki asked rememberung the failed sets performed in Hinatas back yard.
000
Another stuff performed on Izumi caused a sigh of frustration from their white haired teammate and soon after another spike that came soon after.
It was clear they were avoiding shooting over at Itsuki and that fact alone was frustrating to him.
After a few frustrating spikes and goals Kouji saved one sacrificing his face for the cause.
"SHOYO!" Itsuki yelled out to his orange haired friend. While he himself was quite athletic due to spending time up in the mountains with Hinata...
A quick serve was performed by the boy... One that shouldn't have been humanly possible to hit but Hinata was always there.
Itsuki had already assessed Kitagawa and knew that between their spiker and setter was the weakest point and with Hinatas athleticism he was open within a matter of seconds.
BAM!
The gym went silent as clapping could be heard at the teams first point.
"what the hell..." one of the score board changer said witnessing the whole ordeal and Hinatas jump must've caught him off guard.
"good job" he said highfiving a now grinning Hinata. "and its my lucky day... I'm serving" Itsuki face reverted back to his usual.
Bouncing the ball up and down a couple times he eyed the playing field his eyes landing on their libero and Kageyama several times before meeting one of Kitagawas player's who'd done the least amount of work.
He backed from the end line throwing the ball up.
'is that a...' Kageyamas eyes widened as the spike serve flew right passed his face his jet black eyes meeting Itsukis sky blue ones.
Despite the boy not eliciting any celebratory excitement like his teammates Kageyama could tell that their was satisfaction in the boys eyes.
Was he smirking...?
Kageyama thought his narrowed eyes made his scowl even scarier to Hinata and the others.
"did you see that serve...?" the viewers of the match quickly broke out into murmurs still registering Hinata and Itsukis quick attack.
"first that quick attack and now this?" one of Kitagawas teammates said though he quickly stopped talking as Kageyamas shot a glance at him.
"his eyes were closed..." a person from Kitagawa stated in disbelief. "that's impossible!" one with onion shaped hair quickly denied.
"get back on defense we still have to focus on his Spike serves!" Kageyama yelled angrily much to the frustration of his teammates. "were already up by a million poin--"
"it doesn't matter!" Kageyama yelled his eyes darting from one teammate to the next. "this match isnt over till we've won it" the boy once again finished.
"that's not very good sportsmanship I can understand wanting to win but a good friendship with your teammate would help a lot... King of the court" Itsuki said dragging out the last bit of words.
"the hell did you just say" Kageyama yelled out grabbing against the volleyball nets that separated the two teams. "oi Itsuki what the heck are you doing angering someone so scary...!" Shoyo whispered to his white-haired friend but despite his efforts those words reached Kageyama who's eyes moved over to the boy.
"Kageyama let's just play" Onion head said trying to calm his hot headed teammate down only to receive a scowl from their landmine of a teammate.
This isn't over just yet...