Chapter Fourteen
Ame smiles at Nao and Reika as she enters the gym, the coach on her tails. Holding the register papers the first years have completed, Misaki spots them and joins them to the side.
"Looks like you two are no longer the only idiots in the team" Amano comments.
Ame grins. "It hasn't been easy, but it was only a setback. I'm so happy so many people decided to join us. Including Misaki and I, that makes ten."
"It's just a trial for now, they can still choose another club."
"Don't jinx us!"
The coach claps his hands.
"Alright, come here!"
The girls gather in front of him, the two oldest on his side.
"Alright. I am Amano, the coach from now on. Let's be clear, I don't know what you are capable of, I don't even know if you really are volleyball players, but I'll train you. I can be strict and harsh, but keep in mind that I'll do everything to make you progress. Do your best and it'll be fine. I'll make you surpass yourselves, whether you have potential or not. Everything comes with hard work. And of course, don't forget the most important thing: enjoy the game. Girls, have a say."
Ame nods.
"Okay everyone, my name is Kozuki Ame and here's my friend, Fukuoka Misaki. She plays setter, I am a wing spiker. We are the only second years of the team. All the others are you, first years."
A whisper erupts between the girls.
"Maybe you've heard about it, but last year the club was dissolved after the Interhigh. It was a result of bad luck and lack of motivation. To be honest, I'm still pissed of about it."
"Hey, don't show them your terrible personnality yet," Misaki snorts.
The first year chuckle along.
"I'm not spiteful, I'm just passionate." Ame kindly signifies. "I don't know yet about your personal motives," she says more seriously to everyone, "but mine is sure and certain. We couldn't play at the spring Interhigh last year." And yes, after all those months she still feels bitter about it. "That won't happen again. This year, we're going to Nationals."
The girls are now completely focused on her, some look curious about what happened last year, others are mesmerized by her speech, burning at every words. That's good, Misaki thinks, we all want the same thing.
"I'm ready to commit myself to practice, and I hope you are as well. Sometimes it'll hurt, sometimes it'll be hard, but as long as we stick together it'll be fine."
They nod in agreement.
"Your turn, Misaki."
The setter clears her voice.
"You heard it, we're after the crown. That means we'll challenge Niiyama. Traditionally, our team is not bad, although not the strongest, only two levels under the queens. Here's what I say about it: screw traditions!"
Nao jumps at the sudden outburst. Ame holds a smirk back.
"We'll take everything we want, no matter which team is on the other side of the court. We'll make it to the top. It's just that simple."
"I hope we can all work together." Ame adds. "Thank you everyone for joining us. It'll be a blast. Any questions?"
A hand rises.
"Yes, Reika-chan?"
"Who's the captain of the team?"
Ame freezes. That's something she isn't prepared for. Misaki draps her arm around her shoulder.
"That's a good question. Ame is the captain." She smirks.
"What?" She gasps. "We didn't talk about that!"
"I have, with the coach." She turns to him and he just nods.
"Wait, I don't think I'm the best choice for that."
"You are." Misaki says, peremptory. "Maybe you have forgotten, but I didn't." She remembers that last match last year when everything was lost, and despite all odds, a girl managed to lift the team's spirit up. "I know what you can do. Trust me, you are the only one we can have as a captain."
"I-I don't know…"
Misaki looks at her and suddenly Ame feels there's nothing to discuss. Misaki trusts her. She wants her as a captain, not because she's her friend, but because she knows it's the most strategic decision. Misaki thinks she is fit for that. Ame almost cries. She bows before her new teammates.
"I'll do my best for you guys!"
They cheer loudly. Well, at least they are as noisy as true volleyball players, Amano thinks.
"Okay, only three more laps!" Ame shouts from the front of the queue. She keeps running at a regular pace not too fast but definetely not slowly either, while the others follow behind. Misaki is at the end.
"Shouldn't you set up the example, senpai?" Reika asks cheekily next to her.
"What are you talking about? I stay behind to make sure none of you get lost." She lies.
"From my point of view that looks a lot like slacking off" she snickers.
"My dear junior" Misaki smiles "please shut up or I'll make you run two laps more than the others."
"Eh?! That's not fair at all!"
"You're right, I'm abusing of my power, this is tyranny."
"That's not nice!" She whines.
"Reika, stop harassing Fukuoka-senpai" Nao says with her soft voice. Then she leaves the two girls behind and runs to the front without effort, like it's not a big deal.
Outstanding stamina, Misaki notes in awe.
"Thanks" Misaki takes the water bottle Ame holds out.
"How is it been going?" She watches the girls stretching before volleyball practice starts for real.
"Not bad. No one's dead yet."
"Let's hope it remains that way after the old man goes crazy." She snorts as she puts on her knee pads.
Misaki takes a ball and let's it bounce once. After three weeks of rest, she's more eager than ever to play.
"We start with five on five" Amano informs them. "Of course, the two second years split up. You can choose your positions as you want. Just do what you know how to do."
Ame looks at the tall girl from the other day who stands as middle blocker. She turns to the three others behind her then back at the net. Misaki, Reika and Nao are all in the opposing team.
"Go easy on Misaki-senpai" she grins to her teammates. "She just recovered, let's not beat her up too much."
"You speak a lot for someone who's going to lose, captain," the setter mocks. "Let's play and see."
The score is 13-15, in favor of Misaki's team. The girls took a while to get used, and a lot of set ups were off, but still the ball is kept in the air and that's the most important. Amano watches each player closely, already trying to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
"Nice serve captain!"
Ame focuses on the white line that marks the court, the line that garantees defeat or victory, depending on which side the ball falls.
She takes a breath, tosses the ball ahead. Three quick steps and she jumps, her eyes locked on the rotating ball. She hits her palm on it and it swings at high speed towards Misaki's ground.
Ace.
She's gotten better at it, Ame realizes with satisfaction. All that training didn't go to waste.
He was right. The key is to throw it higher than necessary to have the time to gather enough momentum. She would have to thank Oikawa for all his advices. Ame frowns when she remembers she can't, because they haven't seen each other for a while.
"Amazing!" A girl shouts.
"Nice serve." Misaki nods.
Ame puts away her gloomy thoughts, I don't have the time to be upset for him. She chuckles to clear her mind and prepares for the next serve.
It takes the third one for someone to actually touch the ball. The bullet flies towards the ground and out of luck or incredibly quick reflexes, Nao dives on the floor from the back of the court. She saves it closely and Misaki sets it for a girl to spike.
"I think we got ourselves a libero" the coach mutters while he scribbles on a notepad.
Ame folds the net while Misaki moves a pole to the side.
"Too bad that two girls left, uh?"
"After what the coach put us through I'm surprised only two of them left."
Ame snickers.
"You gotta start fast on the first day" she muses. "At least we're still eight!"
"Yeah. We'll have to think about which position which girl plays. The sooner it's decided, the better."
They are the only two left in the gym, as they stayed behind to practice a bit more. The others were dead after Amano's program.
In the locker room, Ame fishes out her phone and stares at the screen.
"Still no news from the princess?" Misaki asks cautiously.
The wing spiker sighs. "I told you, he stopped messaging me after three days because I ignored him. It's almost been a month now." She sighs again. "Do you think I was too harsh?"
"He's the one who's been harsh. Being salty about a lost game doesn't excuse anything. But if your question was: "do you think I am an idiot?" then the answer is yes."
"Hey!"
Misaki throws her towel in her bag.
"This situation is stupid. Just talk to him already."
"But I can't! I want him to make the first move. This is a matter of pride."
Ame receives Misaki's famous are you fucking kidding me stare.
She crosses her arms on her chest.
"Iwaizumi told me that he and Oikawa recovered from their defeat. They've been training hard for the last month. And we've done the same. It's not like Oikawa didn't have the time to think about me. He had. He just didn't give himself the trouble."
"How do you know?"
"I stalked his Instagram. He went out a lot during the holidays. And not just with the other Seijoh dorks. With girls too. He has forgotten about me."
The setter sighs.
"Then come back in the arena and win back his favor."
"Do you think I'm a gladiator?" Ame snorts. "Why do I have to fight for him anyway?"
"Because he's a princess, he plays hard to get. You like to run, then run after him."
"Your metaphors just get worse and worse. What happened to being independant women? I don't need anyone who doesn't care about me."
Misaki sighs deeply.
"This isn't about dependence or weakness. I'm not telling you to throw yourself at him, of course you're better than that. But do you think waiting for things to happen is better?"
Ame opens her mouth to answer but the setter beats her to it.
"If you want something, just go and get it. It doesn't matter whether you move on or you persist, the key is to actually move. Just decide for yourself."
Ame knows all this, but it still annoys her because she doesn't want to make that first move. Oikawa owes her, he is the one in the wrong and not the other way around.
"I thought you didn't like him?" She asks instead.
"I don't. But you clearly do."
Ame blushes and throws a shoe that Misaki dodges easily.
"You're embarrassing!"
"You and your boyfriend are embarassing. Stop ignoring each other and talk already."
"He's not my boyfriend." Ame pouts. But I would like him to be. She slaps herself mentally at the thought. I'm pathetic.
"He would be if your skull wasn't so thick."
Misaki shrugs and leaves her friend aghast.
Outside the gym, six first years gather around the two girls.
"We thought you might be hungry so we bought you a little something" Reika explains.
She hands two little paperbags with a huge waffle filled with chocolate inside.
"Oh my god" Ame exclaims. "That's so lovely!"
"Thanks" Misaki smiles.
"Our teammates are perfect. You're the best. Who needs a boyfriend when I have you guys?"