"So cute…"

Tadashi Yamaguchi stared slack-jawed at the trembling girl who had introduced herself as Hitoka Yachi. She was a bundle of nerves, and she seemed to be frightened by the slightest sound or movement. Her stuttering made Yamaguchi wonder why such a person would want to try being their team's manager. The wild nature of the Karasuno Boys Volleyball Club didn't exactly line up with the levels of Yachi's nervousness.

There was something about her that made Yamaguchi feel off. Maybe it was her single, side ponytail. Or maybe it was her failing attempt at hiding her obvious fear. Whatever it was, Yamaguchi felt a desperate urge to figure it out. Until then, he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Hey, what are you smiling about?"

Kei Tsukishima, Yamaguchi's closest friend, had an eyebrow raised. But just as Yamaguchi was about to answer him, Yachi was out the gym door almost as soon as she had come. Yamaguchi's smile quickly followed suit.

"What do you think of Yachi-san, Tsukki?"

After evening practice, the Karasuno team sometimes walked to the Sakanoshita Market to get snacks. Whether or not the team gathered outside the market to eat, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi always walked home together afterwards. Since everyone had gone their separate ways after today's practice, the pair headed straight home.

"What do you mean, what do I think of her?" Tsukishima asked. "I barely know her." He slid an ear cup of his headphones off his ear closest to Yamaguchi. "But she said she's in Class 1-5. That's a college prep class like ours, so she's sure to be studious, at the very least. And Shimizu-san isn't stupid - she must see something in that manager candidate that other people don't."

"Something that other people don't see…" Yamaguchi whispered. He wondered if that was what he was sensing earlier when Yachi first walked into the gym. The urge to figure out that "something" was suddenly revived in his mind. "Hey Tsukki, why don't we go see her during lunch tomorrow? She seemed really nice, but really nervous. We should introduce ourselves and help her feel more welcome!"

"No way, I don't wanna." Tsukishima swatted the air, as if the discussion had materialized into a persistent fly.

"Huh? Why not?"

"I'm not gonna waste my time getting to know someone who might not even end up being part of the team. But that's beside the point," he said. "After what happened last Sunday, should you really be worried about your social life right now? If I were you, I'd be thinking about practicing some more."

"Oh… I guess so…" Yamaguchi muttered.

About a week ago, in the Summer Interhigh Tournament, Karasuno played against Aoba Johsai - a powerhouse school with a well-known, strong volleyball team. Aoba Johsai, or Seijoh, had backed Karasuno into a corner, and Yamaguchi was called onto the court to be a pinch server. It was his first serve at his first official high school volleyball game. With his jump float serve as his only weapon, Yamaguchi gave it his all, but still botched the serve. Despite Karasuno's best efforts, they lost the match.

Tsukishima's words were blunt, and to anyone else, they would've been considered hurtful, but that was just who he was. Yamaguchi had been friends with him long enough to know that Tsukishima had Yamaguchi's best interests in mind, and that there was no intentional malice. They never talked about it, but Tsukishima most likely knew that Yamaguchi was still brooding over his fatal mistake.

"You're probably right, Tsukki!"