boys will be boys pt.2

Probably 9:05 PM.

"Uwah~ the night's so chilly!" Tsubasa cried with a stretch of her arms, her hair swishing behind her melodically. She held in one hand a plastic bag of extra clothes and shower accessories while her phone rested in the other hand. "I'm a bit sore..."

Behind her, Yukie and Kaori sweat-dropped. That's cause you've been receiving lots of balls.

Trotting closer to the girl, Yukie lifted her hand and patted the soft head of white. "Good job, Tsu-chan."

Ah. Tsubasa beamed up at the older manager. "Thank you!" She then looked over her shoulder to aim her smile at Kaori, who stiffened from its brightness. "Kaori too! Good work!"

The freckled girl nodded simply, her cheeks flushing just a bit at the praise. "O-osu…"

While the three of them were continuing down the sheltered walkway to the girls' shower house, a group of four males watched them from the corner. Semi, Tendou, Ushijima, and Shirabu peeked over the edge curiously as the backs of the managers got smaller and smaller, and after looking across the area to where the clubroom building was, they glared competitively at the opposing team. Oikawa slapped Iwaizumi's shoulder, and soon enough, the group of four was running along the clubroom building and diving into the grass.

"This is a bad idea," Semi muttered, taking the lead and running with crouched legs down the walkway.

Tendou, who followed his every step with frightening precision, grinned at the setter. "You say that, but you're leading, aren't you?"

"That's 'cause I know we'll lose if any of you lead."

Semi stepped off the walkway quickly and ducked into the cover of a bush against the building to their left, prompting Tendou and the other two to follow his lead. He peeked over the bush's leaves and watched as Yukie went to unlocking the building, before he blinked to himself in realization. Semi turned to Shirabu quickly, who stiffened.

"Hold on," the setter said, squinting at the second-year. "Why the hell did you decide to come along?"

Shirabu pursed his lips, before he held onto his typical deadpan expression. "I just… thought that Akaashi was too comfortable as vice-captain."

"And what does that mean?"

Tendou elbowed the third-year setter. "It means he's trying to spite owl vice."

"Oh. Alright then. Petty, but alright."

"It's not-"

"I am confused," Ushijima interrupted, just as Yukie got the door open and was leading her kouhai inside. "What are we doing?"

Semi stepped out of the cover quickly and took off down the walkway, with his teammates following. While they ran, Tendou turned to Ushijima.

"We're playing a game, Wakatoshi-kun."

"A game? What game?"

The lot of them crouched as they stepped off the walkway and into the grass, where they stealthily made their way to the left side of the shower house. Oikawa's team, on the other hand, was already pressed up against the right side of the building.

"We have to get one of the managers' set of clothing while they're showering without them finding out," Tendou said blatantly. "This is a very important game."

Ushijima tilted his head, just as they made it to the side of the building. "Is that so? It seems very inappropriate."

"Nah~ It's fine! Oikawa's playing it too, you know. We're competing!"

…ah. Ushijima made a noise of realization, before he nodded simply. "I see. Let's win then."

"Good~!"

"Alright, shut up you two," Semi said, interjecting with a wave of his hand. "This is the plan-"

A thump sounded above them. Semi's eyes widened as they fell upon a window right above them, and accompanied by a heart attack and a seizure, he was pushing his team towards the back of the building. The lot of them crouched in the darkness as the window flew open suddenly, with Yukie's head popping out. She gave her hands a clap as she sighed.

"These windows are hard to open as ever. Be careful opening the window on that side, Tsu-chan."

"Yes~!"

And the third-year was retreating into the shower house without a clue. Semi gave a relieved sigh before he pushed the other three to the back of the building. Somewhat safer, he finally looked to his teammates with an instructive finger.

"Alright, this is the plan…"

9:12 PM.

"And that's the plan!" Oikawa whisper-yelled proudly, crossing his arms and nodding to himself. "I know, I know. It's a really good plan, isn't it?"

Yahaba pressed his palms together in prayer. "God forgive me for I am currently sinning and about to sin even more."

Matsukawa narrowed his eyes at the captain. "You're the worst."

Iwaizumi shrugged. "But it secures victory. As long as we don't get caught, I don't-"

A thump echoed over their heads. The four blinked with tiny irises as the window above them shook, and quickly, Oikawa was grabbing Yahaba and Iwaizumi and pulling them towards the back of the building. Matsukawa, who was too slow to follow his lead, threw himself up against the side of the building and posed like a cactus. The window popped open abruptly. I am a plant.

Tsubasa gave a relieved sigh and slouched onto the windowsill. "Uwah~ I'm so sore..."

The girl's fingers, which were just about five inches from tangling themselves in Matsukawa's hair, had the male holding his breath. I am a plant I am a plant I am a plant.

"C'mon, Tsu-chan. You'll feel better after you shower, promise."

The girl perked up as she retreated from the window. "Okay~"

Hearing her footsteps pad deeper into the shower house, Matsukawa continued holding his breath. With a near-blue face, he shuffled meekly towards the end of the building, where he rejoined his comrades in the back. Iwaizumi gripped his shoulder and gave him a thumb's up.

"Good work."

"We are going to hell."

On the other end of the back, Tendou smirked amidst his team. "Did you guys get caught already~?"

Oikawa hissed in his direction before he pushed his teammates around the corner. "Anyway, the window's open, so let's wait until we hear the showers turn on. As soon as the water's on, Mattsun and I will boost you two up, got it?"

Iwaizumi and Yahaba nodded. "Got it."

The captain pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket and handed it to Iwaizumi, who stuffed it into his own pocket. "Mattsun and I will hoot if something's up. If you hear lots of panicked hooting, that means hide, okay?"

"Y-yes."

"Osu."

On the other side of the corner, Tendou smirked as he quietly slunk back to his team. Semi looked to him expectantly.

"They're going in as soon as they hear the water," Tendou said quietly. "That's dumb~ Girls are fickle even with their showers. It's not safe to go in until you see the steam coming out~"

Semi nodded and sat back in the grass. He checked the time on his phone. "We'll move at 9:20."

While those four sat back in the grass and commenced in casual chit-chat, the opposing team perked up as they heard a rush in the pipes worked inside and outside the walls of the shower house, and immediately they got to work. Matsukawa positioned himself beneath the window with his back pressed up against the wall, his legs bent at the knees and his palms outstretched. Oikawa slapped Yahaba forward.

"Yahaba, you're the lightest so you go first."

"E-eh?! O-okay..."

Hesitantly, Yahaba fitted his heel into Matsukawa's palms with his hands resting atop the third-year's broad shoulders.

"On three, got it?"

"Y-yeah."

"One... Two... Three!"

The poor second-year nearly screamed as Matsukawa rocketed him upwards. Yahaba's head popped over the windowsill and he found himself looking inside the changing room. His heart stopped upon seeing one of the managers, being the one with the freckles, still changing out of her clothes. The second-year ducked beneath the windowsill and dug his forehead into the wall.

"O-one of them's still there!" he hissed as quietly as his heart attack would allow him. "Mom, dad, forgive me, I'm so sorry..."

Matsukawa huffed as he tried to steady the boy. "Calm down. Your groin is literally in my face, and I don't wanna be in this position if you get too excited."

Ah. Yahaba's face exploded with red. "M-Matsukawa-san please don't say things like that!"

Oikawa tugged on the boy's sweatpants. "Calm down! Is she still in there?"

The second-year sniffled and carefully peeked over the edge. When he found that Kaori was gone, thus leaving the changing room empty, he shook his head. His ear perked upon hearing the light echo of girl chatter sound through the curtained hallway separating the changing room and the shower room. "A-all clear now."

"Can you see their clothes?"

Yahaba's eyes fell upon the opened cubbies and he nodded. "Yes. I-I'm going in now."

Matsukawa pushed the boy up even more, and when he quickly fitted through the window and landed on the inside with a soft thump, he nodded at Iwaizumi. The ace nodded back and - as if this sort of thing happened often - quickly pressed his heel into the male's palms. Iwaizumi smoothly pulled himself through the window as Matsukawa lifted him up, and soon enough, he and Yahaba were ducking inside the changing room. Oikawa's head popped over the windowsill.

"Make it fa-" Oikawa's eyes widened and he lowered himself below the windowsill quickly. "Hoot hoot hoot!"

...ah. The two males froze as they looked around wildly for a place to hide as the curtain rustled. They found cover beside a set of cubbies pushed up against the wall that helped create the separating hallway, and with pursed lips, they pressed themselves into the small space. Soon enough, Yukie came walking past them in only a towel and towards the center collection of cubbies. Iwaizumi covered Yahaba's eyes.

As the third-year went to removing some hair-ties from her wrist, she glanced over to the cubby just a few spaces to her right. She blinked, before looking over her shoulder and to the curtain. "Tsu-chan, did you forget your shampoo?"

A quick rustle sounded from the shower room, before the aforementioned girl cried out, "Ah! I did!"

Yukie smiled and grabbed the bottle, before walking back to the showers. "Don't worry, I got it~" She lifted the curtain and let it swish behind her.

"Thank you, senpai!"

"Yup, yup~"

And the sound of the shower stall closing had the two males releasing their breath. Iwaizumi (quietly) slapped Yahaba forward and soon enough, the ace was tying a full plastic bag and throwing it out the window. Mimicking Matsukawa's pose, he waved Yahaba over and quickly boosted him up and out of the changing room. Taking that as his cue, Matsukawa boosted Oikawa up to the windowsill where he managed to sit, and after offering his hand to his ace, he pulled the male out of the changing room. With a grunt, the two of them tumbled onto the safety of the moonlit grass.

"That could've gone better," Iwaizumi muttered as he sat up. "Let's hurry up and take the picture."

Oikawa grumbled as he pulled himself onto his feet, removing his phone from his pocket.

"I know, sheesh!"

9:18 PM.

Yukie pursed her lips as she thoughtfully stared at her bottle of body wash. She tilted her head up then, her lips parting to address her fellow managers.

"Hey..." she started. "Is it just me, or does something feel weird?"

In the stall next to her, Kaori frowned and crossed her arms. "Something feels weird. Didn't you hear that owl earlier? I'm not even sure if that was really an owl."

Yukie hummed suspiciously before she looked to her right. "What do you think, Tsu-chan? Do you think some of the guys are up to something?"

The girl perked up upon hearing her name. She gave some weak whine as she rubbed at her eyes. Her vision swam just a bit as the growing feelings of lightheadedness had her swaying. "H-huh...? What was that...?"

Yukie blinked. "Are you okay, Tsu-chan?"

The girl shook her head slowly as she moved to turn the water off. "N-no... It's too hot in here. I can't handle all the steam."

Yukie perked up as she set the bottle down. She let her water run as she pulled her towel off from the stall's hook and wrapped herself with it. "Hold on, I'll help you out."

"Yes..."

9:20 PM.

Tendou carefully dropped himself into the changing room, where Shirabu was already crouching about and looking around. Semi, who stood with Ushijima supporting him from beneath, crossed his arms atop the windowsill.

"Hurry up," the setter said quietly.

Shirabu squinted around the changing room, confusion spilling into his mind. "I don't see any clothes..." the male whispered back. "Tendou-san, do you see them?"

Tendou's eyes narrowed as he stood up straight. On the other side of the changing room, Oikawa and Iwaizumi poked their heads over the opposite window. While Iwaizumi held up a plastic bag - which contained all three managers' clothes - Oikawa tugged his lower eyelid down and stuck out his tongue. Both Semi and Shirabu gaped.

"Serves you right~!" Oikawa whisper-yelled. "Shoulda set up some more rules, Satori-chan~"

The redhead deadpanned. I'm going to kill him.

Just then, right as Shirabu was about to turn to the male questioningly, the curtain swished open. Oikawa and Iwaizumi disappeared from the window as Yukie and Tsubasa came slowly walking into the changing room, both of them dripping wet and clad in their short towels. Tendou, Semi, and Shirabu stiffened with wide eyes.

"Lay here for a while, alright, Tsu-chan?" Yukie instructed carefully, setting the white-haired girl down on the bench in the middle of the room. "I'll get your-"

The young woman froze. She and Tendou blinked at each other. The male, almost robotically, latched onto the back of Shirabu's shirt and pulled him over to the wall beneath the window, just as Yukie snapped out of it and tightened her towel around herself.

"What-"

"I-i-it's not what you're thinking!" Tendou said over her, quickly boosting Shirabu out of the changing room. "I mean- it probably is- but-"

Yukie reached into her cubby, which was thankfully nearby, and removed a thing of deodorant. She chucked it at the opposing redhead, just as he jumped and latched onto Semi's outstretched hand. When the thing rocketed into the back of his head, he fell through the window and pulled the third-year setter down with him. Ushijima gave a confused blink at the pile of athletes at his feet.

"What's going on?" the ace asked with a confused blink.

"Talk later-" Semi said, pulling Shirabu up and pushing the boy forward.

"-Run now!" Tendou finished, grabbing Ushijima by his shirt and following after the setters.

Yukie kicked a nearby stool beneath the window so she could fit her head through and yell at the males, "Can't some girls shower in peace?! You better not sleep tonight, Shiratorizawa!"

And those four were soon out of sight, but certainly not out of mind. Yukie huffed angrily and slammed the window close, before trotting to the other side of the room and closing that window as well. Tsubasa, who was more or less awake due to the surprising encounter, frowned to herself. She stood before her empty cubby.

"Um... my clothes are missing, senpai," the dizzy girl said softly, drawing Yukie's attention.

The young woman blinked rapidly at the girl, before running back to the window to punch it open. Throwing her head out the windowsill, she yelled once more into the night, "Whichever one of you has our clothes, you better prepare for hell tomorrow!"

And somehow, Yukie, who was usually lax and chilled beyond belief, was screaming profanities at the stars. Tsubasa could only blink in amazement at the spectacle, before Kaori quickly came shuffling out of the shower room with her own towel. She wore a look of confusion constructed by quirked brows and a jutted lip.

"What's Yuki screaming about?" the first-year asked Tsubasa, who was beginning to slink onto her side while hugging herself.

"Satori-san and them were in here," Tsubasa answered casually, her eyes closing as the dizziness continued to buzz inside her head. "I think they took our clothes."

Kaori gaped, before she rushed to her cubby to check. Seeing her clothes missing, her eye twitched and she turned to the older female. "Who took our clothes?!"

Ah. Yukie turned to the girl quickly. "Tendou and his stupid setters!"

And soon enough, Kaori was fuming on the spot and churning her own manifestation of hell. "Well what're we gonna do?!"

"Like I know! My phone's in my pants pocket!"

"So is mine!"

...ah. And the both of them gripped at their soaking locks and cursed in harmony, "Dammit!"

Tsubasa hummed as their curse echoed within the locker-rooms. With her phone also located in her sweatpants, thus crossing out the option to call for help, she stood slowly and secured her towel around her. Tsubasa gave a yawn and casually strode towards the door, easily slipping on a pair of slippers on the way. Yukie and Kaori blinked at her.

"I'll go ask if we can have our clothes back~" Tsubasa announced, opening the door and letting in the chilly night air. She pursed her lips at the cold, but continued anyway. "I'll be back~"

And Yukie and Kaori could only stare at her dumbfounded, their eyes blown wide and twitching at the corners while they gaped. Soon enough, the door was closing, leaving the two girls standing there, frozen in disbelief.

...eh?

word count: 3,080