Haikyuu!
Higher
Chapter 17: Rival

Sugawara could see Kageyama running towards the bench, where Aika greeted him with a soft smile and a number card. Where Ukai nodded to him with crossed arms, telling him something probably similar to what he told Sugawara. Where Takeda looked on with pride, wishing Kageyama good luck with nothing but that smile on his face. Where Shimizu watched with her calm eyes and an offer to take the towel that was still around his neck.

In that moment, Sugawara knew that there was only one play left for him before his time on the court was over, and his part in the fight against Aoba Josai was no more.

But as Asahi turned to him and said, "Send the last one to me, and I'll definitely get a point," that didn't really matter.

What mattered was that Sugawara was standing on the court for this one last play, standing with Daichi and Asahi, with Noya and Tanaka, with Hinata and Tsukishima. These people were his teammates, and he'd been fortunate enough to be able to toss for them in the war against Aoba Josai.

As Daichi swiftly received the serve, sending it back to Sugawara, he thought back on the moment that Aika had smiled up at him and told him, "I know you'll do great. So, even if you can't save this one, just know that I believe you can help us take the next."

And he felt the ball fall into his fingers as he prepared to toss.

He could see Hinata leaping, drawing blockers to him as they prepared to defend against one of his quicks, but that wasn't where the ball was headed.

A high toss. One that curves the way that looks perfect in the air.

Asahi, from the back row, leapt with all his power, sheer determination running down his face in the form of sweat. The veins in his arm bulged as he spiked, slamming the ball far past the blockers before anyone could even think of returning it.

Sugawara smiled as the team convened around him celebrating the point.

He continued smiling, even as he heard the whistle that signaled a player change.

Even as he saw Kageyama with the number card reading "2" in his hand.

Sure, it was painful to have to leave the court, especially when it felt like he'd just returned to stand alongside his team for the first time in forever, but he knew that his time wouldn't have lasted.

Karasuno had needed him to bring their morale back up, and they'd needed him to help push their team back into the positions they knew so well. He'd done what he was assigned to do, and he'd helped start them down the road to a comeback.

Maybe Aoba Josai had taken the first set.

But maybe Karasuno could take the second.

As he grasped the sign holding his number, he didn't falter in his smile. Kageyama was expressionless, but he could see the light of understanding in the younger setter's eyes.

That was what really mattered.

Aika smiled up at Sugawara as he returned, looking at the four on the bench expectantly.

She exchanged a pleased look with Ukai as Shimizu and Takeda both congratulated Sugawara on fighting so hard, for working himself to the bone for the team when they'd needed him most. The coach nodded back at her, as if they'd come to an understanding, even though they hadn't discussed anything about Sugawara's future at all.

"You stood on the same court as Aoba Josai and fought a battle that ended in a tie." Ukai paused, listening as Sugawara praised his teammates. "Well, just so you know, you should be able to use your center more aggressively. Just a tip for next time."

She watched as Sugawara's face turned to shock, then to a pleased and grateful smile.

"Thank you very much!" he practically screamed as he bowed deeply, taking off to the sidelines before he could burst into tears.

Ukai's own eyes widened at the volume of Sugawara's voice. "W-what?"

"His biggest fear was never being able to play again." He looked towards her as she watched Sugawara return to the bench, his posture somehow even straighter than it had been before. "You just told him otherwise. That's enough to make anyone cry."

Takeda nodded in agreement. "You said 'next time.' I think those words meant a lot to him."

The air was definitely different when Sugawara was benched and Kageyama took his spot on the court. But for some reason, it definitely wasn't an unpleasant change.

It was just… different.

There were no more cheerful smiles or warm words of praise. There were no more textbook plays that were carefully constructed, no more sharp observations and pieces of advice, and no more proud congratulations when a point was gained or kind calls of "don't mind" when a point was lost.

The difference between the two was shockingly stark, but it was to be expected. Kageyama was not the same setter as Sugawara.

He wasn't the type to give wide smiles; he only looked scarier than usual when he tried to smile. He wasn't the type to make textbook plays that were safe; his risk-taking made him unpredictable and hard to follow. He wasn't the type to tell others what he was thinking, even if it could help them; he clearly thought about his observations a little too much, to the point where he didn't believe them. He wasn't the type to praise people when they did well or reassure them when they didn't; no one was expecting him to, especially since he nearly choked on his words when he tried.

But even with all of the things that he didn't have, the things that Sugawara had provided while on the court, none of them affected Karasuno negatively.

Perhaps it was because the Kageyama playing on the court was nothing like the Kageyama that had been benched. He was no longer playing like he was the only one on the court, like he had been when he'd been taken off the court. Instead, he was playing with the team, fully acknowledging the fact that there were five other people on the court with him.

He was truly playing as part of Karasuno, instead of playing on his own like he had been.

Maybe he was still awkward with the compliments he forced out of his mouth, or the way he struggled to make accommodations in his tossing for those who needed it. But that didn't matter to anyone else who was playing with him.

What mattered was that he was trying.

"Tsukishima." The tall blonde looked over to Yamada, the team's troublesome assistant coach who he'd barely even acknowledged over the course of the past two months, as she approached him, holding a water bottle. He saw her holding it out to him, but instead of taking it, he looked back out to the court, where Kageyama was serving for the third time.

He didn't notice how Yamada pouted and pushed the bottle into his hands until he squeezed it, feeling something beneath his fingertips. He looked back to her in surprise as she continued to watch him, an expectant look on her face.

Not meaning to, he felt his face settle into a glare as he saw the look in her eyes. "What," he demanded dryly, shifting his weight so he was towering over her, something he'd realized long ago was considered intimidating.

She simply shrugged, somehow not showing any fear, despite their large height difference. "Nothing. Just wanted to wish you luck out there." She paused, wincing as the ball hit Karasuno's side of the court. "And I wanted to remind you that you're out there with five other people, including Kageyama, whether you like it or not. And that those five people aren't mind readers, so they won't know what you want from them unless you tell them," she reminded him, smiling that annoying smile that she always aimed towards the others on the Karasuno team.

Tsukishima simply scoffed and turned away, staring back at where the Aoba Josai players were serving. "I don't need your advice," he grumbled. "Unless His Majesty wants to talk to me, what's the point of telling him what I want? He won't listen unless he wants to. And he's a King. He won't listen to a peasant like me." His tone was mocking, but his words almost hurt his own pride.

From where he was watching the court, he could, out of the corner of his eye, see Yamada smirking. "You two are so similar. You're both dark, brooding, and horrible with people." He glared at her for those words. "I suppose that's why you piss each other off so damn much. But if you two worked together, you'd make Karasuno even more unstoppable than we already are. Just remember to talk to people if you need something." She turned, her hair flowing as she whirled around, not once looking back at him, and returned to the bench.

He really wanted to disagree with her, but she was right in some ways.

He just hated that she was.

As he jogged onto the court, her words still rang in his head, as if they were haunting him. They bothered him a lot, even though his highly-trained facial expression showed otherwise. He had to appear unbothered, or everyone would know something was off. They'd ask him, and he would only tease them more, making everyone upset.

He entered the court, and immediately, the King's eyes were on him. Those eyes pissed Tsukishima off. Or at least, they used to.

Somehow, the King seemed different, even compared to the King that had been on the court only a set before. He wasn't the same person that was easy to tease, easy to rile up with a few words. He wasn't the same person who'd fall prey to an opponent's jibes at his character or setting skills. Instead, he seemed much more controlled.

Maybe that's what pissed him off even more.

He didn't have to think through the first play, the first serve from that annoying, orange-haired shrimp. It was a fumbled serve that one of Aoba Josai's players barely managed to return. It went right back to the captain, who returned it to the King, who tossed it to the ace, who spiked it against the blockers, who failed to stop the ball from going out.

However, there was something strange about that play.

It wasn't the play itself. That part was normal.

What was strange was the fact that instead of returning to his position, preparing for the next play, the King turned to the ace and asked, "Was that toss okay for you?" to which the ace asked, "Can you toss it a bit higher?"

Tsukishima huffed a little under his breath.

He really hated being wrong.

Kageyama hated the idea of having to accommodate for someone like Tsukishima.

That stupid beanpole had made life so much harder for him ever since the day they met. Starting off with revealing his past as "King of the Court," then following up by nearly breaking Hinata's spirit and mocking Kageyama's tosses. Even after they became teammates, Tsukishima consistently brought up Kageyama's time as the setter for Kitagawa Daiichi, as if it was something he could mock.

Sure, Kageyama always yelled back, but anyone would if they were faced with Tsukishima's ridiculously annoying smirk.

He didn't remember when it was, or what moment in specific caused it, but Kageyama realized at one point that he would never, not in a million years, get along with someone like Tsukishima. They were barely even teammates, so they could forget being friends.

Yet there was something gnawing in his stomach.

It was the memory of the way Sugawara had given Tsukishima blocking advice, the way that Sugawara had changed up his style of tossing for Tsukishima, the way that, because of those things, Tsukishima didn't argue with or tease the third-year even once. He was simply respectful, something that he never was to Kageyama.

Staring at Tsukishima, Kageyama went over every combination of words in his head.

He couldn't for the life of him, figure out what he should say to talk to the beanpole who'd made it clear that they would never be able to get along. He couldn't figure out how to make Tsukishima want to like him, even in the slightest.

After a moment, Tsukishima looked back, an almost nauseous expression on his face as he noticed Kageyama behind him. "What?" he practically demanded.

Kageyama continued to struggle for words for just a moment. He remembered how Tsukishima had told him to "read his expression," but he couldn't figure out what that entailed. It wasn't like Tsukishima was the most expressive person in the world. He wasn't Hinata, who was as easy to read as a neon sign with bright, bold characters.

Before he could even figure out his words, the whistle blew, signaling the end of Aoba Josai's time out.

"Kageyama." Sugawara appeared before him, looking at him with a kind, understanding smile. "You should really try to talk with him. A conversation is key to beginning communication, especially with someone like Tsukishima."

Letting those words sink in, Kageyama nodded. "Right."

Aika sighed heavily as Tsukishima spiked a lackluster spike, making that expression that looked like he'd eaten something sour.

That lackluster spike lead to a return, which lead to a point for Aoba Josai.

"I mean, I get that he and Kageyama aren't the best of friends, but they're acting like they aren't even on the same team," she murmured, running a hand through her hair. "Forget being on the same page, I don't think they're even reading the same genre."

Ukai looked at her, worry written on his face. "Should I call a time out to talk to them?" he asked quietly.

Running another hand through her hair, combing through her bangs, Aika simply nodded. She sighed again, seeing the bored look on Tsukishima's face. He looked like he was hating just being out there alongside Kageyama.

"They need to work as a team, and I think they both have very different ways of spelling that word."

As the whistle blew, signaling that a time out had been called for Karasuno, Aika stood sharply, grabbing a half-full water bottle. She quickly soaked two towels in ice cold water, knowing that dumping water onto the two stubborn boys wouldn't really help them, it'd only piss them off even further. She glared at the towels, like they'd offended her, she balled them up tightly, knotting them together to keep them from falling apart.

Ukai was loudly trying to rouse the boys, speaking to each of them individually. She watched as he practically held Tanaka's face in a vice grip, forcing his tense expression into one of hilarity, where the spiker was making fish lips, his eyes appearing as shocked as he must've felt.

Giggling from the sight, Aika pushed through the Karasuno boys, somehow feeling less tense after that scene. She looked for the two numbers that were giving her the biggest headache she'd had in a long time, 11 and 9.

She saw the two squared off, their two companions, Shoyo and Yamaguchi, watching from the side.

"To me, you're saying 'just shut up and hit the toss, peasant,' and it pisses me off," she heard Tsukishima admit bitterly, his glare aimed directly at Kageyama.

Although the look on Kageyama's face was nothing to laugh at either as he loudly demanded, "What?!"

Aika frowned, feeling as if they weren't really going to get anywhere at this point. They hadn't in two months, when everyone else had become accustomed to each other. It'd take more than just a single conversation to get them to fully trust each other as teammates.

Sighing, she lifted the two balled up, ice cold, soaking wet towels that she held. She walked forwards, towards them, an unamused look on her face and something akin to the aura an angry Kageyama exuded forming around her. The air around her caused the boys who'd gathered to back away, even Shoyo, who'd seen her this angry before, and hadn't enjoyed being on the receiving end.

The only two who didn't seem to notice were the two who were staring each other down, looking as if they were a couple going through a particularly nasty divorce.

"What do you mean by that?" came a sudden voice.