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ineedhaikyu · 1 month

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Chapter Two

Summary: Inarizaki vs Karasuno. Foxes vs Crows. A match between two powerhouses competing for the next slot in Nationals and while tensions were high, Karasuno’s ace couldn’t help but look forward to the upcoming match. Or rather he was looking forward to seeing her.

Word Count: 8.9K

Warnings: A long fic with a huge amount of fluff! Once again Asahi's anxiety will be mentioned. Conversations are prolonged between reader and Asahi in order to establish a well-meaning relationship. Brief description of reader's hair.

A/N: PART 2 to Glass-Hearted Ace!! A lot of people wanted a continuation so here it is!! I had so much fun writing this because I absolutely love the adorable craziness that goes on in Haikyu as well as spreading more love to our gentle giant. Let's keep spreading our Asahi love!!

Part 1

3rd POV

Day 2 of Nationals. The second round has already begun with the first match of the day. It wouldn't be long for the next match to start. Karasuno vs Inarizaki. The atmosphere was filled with the same energy of anticipation and eagerness just as it was the other day though multiplied by a hundred.

As this was her third and final year in participating in the Spring Tournament, (L/N) (Y/N) felt confident enough to say she was calm and collected. (Y/N) smiled to herself when she compared her younger first-year self to now. Back then, she was such a nervous wreck. Always getting lost on her way to the restroom or the time she followed the wrong team to the WRONG gym. (It wasn’t her fault that the team wore the same maroon jackets. Good thing that happened in her first year otherwise Suna and the Miya twins would never live it down.)

(Y/N) shook those thoughts away and continued her way to the gym where her team was preparing for their match. She was only gone for a few minutes as she had to fill up the water bottles, but knowing the second-years (Y/N) knew it was only a matter of time before something happened. Luckily, the Karasuno volleyball team hadn't arrived yet when she left but perhaps they have already.

The familiar warm feeling returned at the thought of seeing Karasuno’s team. More specifically the team’s ace. Azumane Asahi. The same guy that caught her eye when he played volleyball. The same guy she met yesterday who saved her from getting hurt. The same guy that made her believe in the lyrics of all those love songs.

(Y/N) wanted to say she was a good judge of character and she had a good feeling about Asahi.

A sweet guy, every bit of a gentleman. Very cute too. Every time his soft brown eyes met with hers, she swore it reminded her of a cute puppy. His smile didn’t bring a few butterflies in her stomach… No. They brought a swarm. Each flap of their metaphorical wings gave her the shivers but the grin on her lips never left when she was with him. Even his hair played a part of her enchantment on him. It’s not often to see guys with long hair, but Asahi pulled it off amazingly well especially when he has it in a man bun. Despite his tough guy appearance, Asahi was a gentle giant with a glass heart. In the little time she knew him, (Y/N) hoped she was able to help him realize his self-worth.

God. It hasn’t been 24 hours and not once has Asahi left her mind. They texted each other last night for almost two hours. The conversation between them flowed so easily. Just like before, (Y/N) enjoyed talking to him. Not once had he made her uncomfortable. Quite the opposite actually.

The next morning she woke up early enough to do research on Karasuno’s team. While Inarizaki’s motto was: we don’t need the memories, (Y/N) couldn’t help but see how Karasuno was like from their past matches. They’re different from any other teams they’ve competed against. Besides, it was nice matching names with faces. Luckily, someone made ‘I’m Awesome’ videos of Karasuno’s starting lineup. She’ll admit whoever made these videos was good as they depicted amazing receives to jaw-dropping spikes.

She recognized Daichi, Suga, and Asahi immediately. Their libero, Nishinoya Yū, looked high caliber and so was their setter. She’ll keep her opinions to herself on Kageyama; she didn’t need Atsumu hearing her say that. They’ll have to keep a lookout on Karasuno’s #10, Hinata Shoyo. He’s on the short side considering he’s a middle blocker but judging by the video, the first-year is full of surprises.

Then again, the Inarizaki volleyball team has a few tricks up their sleeves too.

“Ah. Look, it's her!”

“(Y/N)- senpai!”

“Over here!”

The said manager snapped back to reality and was confronted by the usual crowd of fans in front of her. Inarizaki always show their pride with each event but with volleyball, they took it to another level. Then it doubled with the arrival of the Miya twins. Their popularity soared to new heights and as a result the marching band, cheerleaders, and several students took part in Nationals. Both a blessing and a curse.

The curse part? Well, as much as she loved her school’s support, the fangirls… Well…

“(Y/N)-senpai! Can you give this to Atsumu?!”

“Oh, please give these chocolates to Osamu! I made them last night!”

“(Y/N), is there any way I can get a picture with Suna? Please!”

Yeah… This was pretty much the usual for her but this time it was going too far. Girls ranging from first-years to third-years were blocking the entrance to the gym. She recognized some as fellow classmates but others she was almost positive they came from other schools. And they were all trying to catch a glimpse of their favorite player.

Despite the hectic scene in front of her, there were two girls that caught her attention.

One of them looked the same age as her with beautiful black hair that reached her shoulders and fair skin complexion except for the beauty mark underneath her lower lip. Her gray eyes seemed to sparkle behind her thin framed glasses. The other girl looked visibly younger with her petite frame and blonde hair that was styled with a star hair clip. Right away (Y/N) knew that the girl was a first-year. She could see the way the girl was trembling at the sight of the crowd.

They didn’t look like they were a part of the crowd, but they did look troubled. That’s when she noticed they were carrying water bottle carriers just like her. They must be the Karasuno team’s managers. In the spirit of good sportsmanship, (Y/N) decided to go talk to them.

The older girl noticed her first. She stepped in front of the blonde girl as if shielding her. (Y/N) didn’t let that get to her. Instead, she smiled and introduced herself.

“Hi. I’m (L/N) (Y/N). I’m the manager for the Inarizaki team. Are you two the managers for Karasuno?”

The two girls glanced at one another before nodding in unison.

“My name is Shimizu Kiyoko. Third-year.”

“I-I’m Y-Yachi H-Hitoka! F-First-year m-manager! I-It’s very n-nice t-to m-meet y-you!”

“Hey, there. No need to be scared of me. I’m just a manager, just like you.” (Y/N) tried her best to console the first-year’s anxious nature. It was almost like deja-vu with Asahi. “Are you excited for today?”

Kiyoko nodded, finally feeling at ease with her. “The team has worked hard to get to this point.”

“I couldn’t sleep last night because I was so nervous!” Hitoka added while trying to fan herself in order to cool down her face. “But the team is excited to play against the team that placed second place in the last Interhigh!”

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow. “You’ve done your research. I’m impressed. But don’t worry, we still have some tricks under our sleeves. We know we’re up against a great team.”

The Karasuno managers felt the same warm feeling coursing underneath their skin at the compliment.

“Does that mean you’ve done research on our team?” Kiyoko asked.

(Y/N) nodded. “Of course. I like to be prepared.” Her cheeks began to warm up when she thought of Karasuno’s ace. “You two have impressive players on the team. Are they in the gym?”

“Yes. They’re practicing right now. We went to get some water for the match when this happened.” Kiyoko gestured to the sea of girls in front of them.

“We tried to get through but they’re scary!” Hitoka was practically shaking in her shoes. “The first match is already playing their second set.”

“Man! I swear time flies around here. Come on, I’ll help you through.” (Y/N) gestured to the girls to follow her. “We can’t let our teams forget us.”

“Are you sure?” Kiyoko asked her. “We can find another way.”

(Y/N) shook her head and gave them a carefree grin. “This is the best way into the gym. Trust me, I’ll get us in there.”

“W-Why a-are you h-helping us?” Hitoka stuttered out. “A-Aren’t you scared of them?”

“Well us managers have to stick together, right? And trust me, after dealing with the Miya twins for a year, these girls don’t scare me.”

Taking her word for it, the pair of Karasuno managers followed her. As expected the crowd of girls showed no sign of parting, in fact, it has grown in number. Kiyoko and Hitoka were waiting for (Y/N) to politely ask the girls to move aside, like they did before, but the Inarizaki manager did something quite unexpected.

(Y/N) looked over her shoulder and smiled, “Cover your ears.”

The girls obeyed. Lucky for them. Unlucky for the fangirls.

Because (Y/N) let out the loudest whistle anyone had ever heard. A series of groans and shrieks were heard from the fangirls. Then they all had turned to face the managers.

“(Y/N)-senpai? What was that for?!” One of the fangirls that she recognized as an underclassman.

“Oh, come on guys. I warned everyone last time this would happen.” The manager told them, not an ounce of fear in her voice as she addressed the crowd.

“B-But we just want to see the twins practice!” A girl holding a hand fan with the words ‘Miya Twins’ on it. “We aren’t doing anything wrong.”

“The boys need to warm up. You’ll see them on the court. Do yourselves a favor and find good seats to watch and cheer from.”

“Aww but (Y/N)!” They complained.

“You guys know the rules. Now, please, let me and my friends,” She stepped aside to reveal her new manager friends, “get into the gym. We need to do our jobs as managers. Don’t make me tell Kita-san and have him ban all of you from watching practice matches in the future.”

At the mention of the serious captain and under the threat of closed practices, the fangirls dispersed quickly. Some had the sense to apologize and others wished them good fortune on the upcoming match.

“W-Wow.” Hitoka said in awe. “You knew exactly what to do. That’s amazing.”

Kiyoko agreed before asking, “Does this happen a lot?”

(Y/N) let out an embarrassed chuckle. “Yeah… They’re big fans of the team and they mean well but sometimes their excitement can take it too far. As Inarizaki’s manager, sometimes I feel responsible for their behavior.” She bowed her head and continued on. “I apologize on their behalf for any trouble they may have caused you two.”

The youngest manager out of the three was speechless at the older girl’s sincere words in her apology. They’ve only known the Inarizaki manager for like ten minutes but she proved herself to them that she’s a kindhearted yet self-assured person. One look at her senpai and Yachi knew that they were thinking the same thing.

What Yachi didn’t know, Shimizu was smiling for a different reason. Yesterday, she accidentally overheard her fellow third-years talking. She didn’t mean to listen in and she was about to leave when the topic of the conversation caught her attention. Apparently, a girl caught her friend Asahi’s eye. A girl from the Inarizaki team that, according to Suga, sounded like the perfect girl for her anxious friend. So when the girl’s name came up, (Y/N), Shimizu wanted to see for herself what the girl was like.

Now that she has, Shimizu can see how and why Asahi would fall for her.

“Don’t apologize,” Kiyoko finally spoke up and offered the girl a kind smile. “Sometimes, these things happen.”

“You sure? I mean, this might happen again when we have to go into the main gym. There are some fans of the Miya twins that can be a bit… Fierce. If you want, I can help out. It’s no trouble at all.”

Kiyoko shook her head. “It’s okay, (Y/N). We can handle it. Right, Hitoka-chan?”

The first-year nodded eagerly. “Yeah! We’ll be okay. The guys on our team can be scary too. Ah! I need to tell the team that the first match is already in the second set. It was very nice to meet you!”

The third-year managers watched in amusement as she scurried into the gym. (Y/N) smiled before facing Kiyoko. She offered her hand for a handshake and said, “I know it’s customary for players to shake hands before and after the match, but I do it too with the managers. Let’s have a good game.”

Kiyoko took her hand and squeezed. “May the best team win. No hard feelings, right?”

(Y/N) laughed and nodded. “I like you, Shimizu, but yeah, no hard feelings at all.”

“Please call me Kiyoko.”

~Meanwhile inside the gym, ten minutes earlier~

‘Where is she?’ Asahi thought as his eyes searched the other side of the court. ‘Is she hiding from me? Did he say something that scared her away? What if he creeped her out last night when they texted each other?’

“Yo Asahi!” Suga’s energetic voice scared him back to reality. “Are you looking for someone?”

He didn’t miss his friend’s teasing tone that laced his words nor the way his eyes shined in amusement. Leave it to Suga to tease the hell out of him. Last night, for example, was too much. Even after he told his friends about his time with the Inarizaki manager, Suga still wanted to know everything, down to the last detail. Luckily, Daichi took pity on him and reeled Suga back on a somewhat normal level of interrogation.

But that didn’t mean he was going to drop the subject completely.

“I can’t find (Y/N).” He admitted to his friend. “Have you seen her?”

“Hmm. Not yet. But I wouldn’t worry too much. Her team’s here so I’m sure she’s somewhere around here. She’s their manager after all.” Suga clapped his shoulder. “But if you really want to know where (Y/N) is, why don’t you go ask her teammates?”

Suga pointed to the nearby Inarizaki members that were practicing their spikes. He recognized the Miya twins and Inarizaki’s ace, Ojiro Aran. And while he saw how they played from previous matches last night, it didn’t ease the anxiety clawing its way around his heart. It also didn’t help when one of the wing spikers turned the set into a powerful spike. The impact of the ball being slammed to the floor echoed throughout the gym.

Just the very action scared Suga’s suggestion out the window. There was no way he was going over there and ask about their manager! If they were anything like Tanaka or Nishinoya, then he’ll be ripped to shreds.

“N-No way!” He stuttered out a reply and waved his hands in front of him. The slight blush on his face was becoming more visible by each second. “But I’m worried. What if something happened to her?”

“Her who?” Daichi asked as he came up from behind them. “What’s going on?”

Suga answered before he could. “Well, our dear old ace here, is worried that his crush is somewhere out there dying without him knowing. And he’s too scared to ask her friends where she is.”

Karasuno’s captain chuckled and patted Asahi on the back. “Quit worrying. I know you saved her yesterday, but this isn’t a little girl you’re talking about. She can hold her own. After all, this isn’t her first time here in Nationals.”

“See, Asahi?” Suga, clearly amused by this whole conversation, told him. “There’s nothing to worry about. I wouldn’t be surprised if she walked through those gym doors right now.”

He pointed to the entrance and they followed it only to see a swarm of girls trying to catch a glimpse inside the gym.

“You mean those doors?” He asked his friend. “They look ready to burst in here.”

“Who are they?” Daichi asking the question everyone was wondering.

“Judging by the hand fans, I think they’re fans of the Miya twins. They must be really popular to have this many. That’s annoying.” Suga muttered the last part with a pout.

“Can anyone get through?” Asahi wondered as he avoided eye contact with the girls. Something about them unnerved him somehow even if they wore bright smiles and loud cheers. “They look vicious.”

“They’re fans, not witches.” Daichi stated. “I’m sure they’re nice. After all, they're showing their support to their team.”

“Let it go, Daichi. Asahi is only like this because he misses his dream girl.” Suga jested. “He’s going into withdrawal.”

“I was just hoping to see her. She texted me-”

“Woah! Woah! Texted?! When did this happen?” asked Suga, his eyes wide with this new information. “You’re at the texting-each-other stage?!”

“Was that who you were texting last night?” Daichi asked him.

“What?!” Suga exclaimed. “Daichi, why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were asleep and I was tired.” The captain defended. “And it isn’t my business who Asahi texts. He’s old enough to make his own decisions… That being said, what did you guys talk about?”

“You didn’t tell her our secret weapons, did you?” Suga whispered his question, referring to all the tricks they perfected in the past few months.

“(Y/N) isn’t like that, Suga. She didn’t squeeze any information out of me. We picked up where we left off and talked about normal stuff. We thought it was better than to talk about the match between our schools.”

“And what did you guys text about?” The vice captain pressed, eager to know more.

For some reason, Asahi couldn’t help but recall how he initiated the conversation with the pretty manager from Inarizaki. Actually it was more like he couldn’t believe he was texting with (Y/N) last night. It felt unreal, like a dream. After reading her note, he remembered how hard his heart was beating and how warm his cheeks grew.

Ever since she mentioned it in her note, admitting how he made her nervous, Asahi took some comfort that he can do the same to her and vice versa.

Though, she did prove herself to be bravely spontaneous when she wrote the note and after texting with her last night, he hoped he could do the same. One of his many concerns since starting high school was that girls in his class were always disappointed after finding out his timid personality didn’t match his physical appearance. He’ll never forget the time when one of the girls called him a wuss. It was years ago but the girl’s remark was like a stab wound in the back. It healed over time but it still made its mark on his self-image.

Luckily, (Y/N) wasn’t like any of the girls in his class. She’s so kind when she bought him a shirt as a gift. She’s so understanding when she patiently listened to his problems. She showed compassion when she offered some advice to help ease the anxiety that almost suffocated him. Then there was that beautiful confidence she had in herself. He liked that about her and while he just met (Y/N) yesterday, he wanted to prove to her that he can be confident too.

That’s why he’s been looking for her. He wanted to be the first to greet her. It might not seem like a big deal to others, but it was to him.

‘Baby steps,’ He thought when he was second-guessing himself. ‘What was that saying? Rome wasn’t built in a day. Well, that applies here too. Bit by bit, confidence will grow.’

“Asahi? Earth to ace?”

“Huh?”

“You zoned out there for a second.” A smirk appeared on Suga’s face. “Must be quite a conversation you had with her. Wouldn’t you say Daichi?”

It was always nerve-wracking to have both Daichi and Suga tease him. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if the captain joined in on the teasing. But to his surprise, Daichi clapped him on the back causing him to huff a bit under his breath.

“Well, I think (Y/N) is the kind of girl that can make our dear ace invincible. Make sure to show what you’re made of during this match.”

“Yeah!” Suga encouraged, his hand clapping the ace’s free shoulder. “Let her see how awesome you are on the court.”

“No pressure or anything.” Daichi added, his smile matching Suga’s teasing grin.

“None at all!” Suga piped in. “Just remember she’ll be watching you when it’s your turn to serve. Don’t mess up!”

“You guys aren’t helping!” He yelled at his friends. His face burned in embarrassment.

Daichi and Suga laughed but before anyone could say another word that could cause further humiliation for the ace, Asahi’s saving grace came in the form of their first-year manager running into the gym. He thanked whatever deity who was watching over this episode that spared him from further teasing from his friends.

“The first match is in the middle of their second set.” Hitoka informed them.

Daichi nodded and clapped his hands together. In a loud voice, he announced, “Alright, guys. Let’s get into our uniforms.”

Following the captain's orders, Asahi grabbed his alternate orange jersey and placed it over a nearby chair. He looked across the gym and saw the Inarizaki players putting on their uniforms as well. Still no sign of (Y/N).

“Hitoka-chan, wasn’t Shimizu with you?” Suga asked.

The first-year nodded. “We made a new friend just now. She helped us out when we couldn’t get into the gym. I think she’s still talking to her by the doors.”

Asahi tuned out their conversation as he took off his shirt. In his head, he had to concentrate on calming down his nerves. The scariest moments of his life played like an endless nightmare. Like the time when he was a kid and he had to show his parents the bad grade on his report card. Or the time he wanted to pet the neighbor’s puppy but ended up getting chased by the puppy’s mother. Or how Date Tech’s iron wall blocked every single spike; shaking him to the core so much that he temporarily stopped playing volleyball.

The whirlpool of anxiety and dread arrived on schedule in his stomach. Was it getting harder to breathe? Was the air getting warmer? Or was he getting colder? Yeah, no. He was definitely getting colder. His hands felt like a block of ice. Was he this nervous during the Shiratorizawa match? Probably. He made a mental note to trace 人 on his hand, hoping it was enough to settle down his nerves.

He threw his jersey on and was just about to fix his loose hair strands when he heard a familiar laugh coming from the entrance. He looked up to see Kiyoko laughing along with another girl. It was only a glance, a quick one, when he did a double take. He couldn’t believe it.

(L/N) (Y/N), the girl that caused his brain cells to go on a roller coaster ride, was standing there in all her beauty.

She was having a conversation with Kiyoko and by the looks of it, she must have said something funny because it made his usual shy and quiet manager laugh a little. Now he was 100% convinced that (Y/N) had a natural aura that eased people on friendly terms if she was able to hold an amiable conversation with Kiyoko.

Not to mention her smile that complimented her eyes that seemed to shine in excitement. Or how her hair was styled a bit different from yesterday. This time her hair was pinned back from her face with two small side braids connected together where it fell in rhythm with the rest of her hair. It looked cute on her, lovely even. Should he mention that to her or would that be too weird?

SLAP!

“Ow!” Asahi turned around to find the culprit who slapped the (for lack of a better word) living shit onto his back. Nishinoya didn’t have an ounce of shame or regret in his eyes. Quite the opposite actually as the libero was smiling ear to ear. “Nishinoya? What was that for?”

With no remorse, the second-year player ignored the question and asked several of his own. “That’s her, right? The Inarizaki manager? The one who’s talking to Kiyoko-san? The girl you like?”

He could feel his ears begin to burn. “H-How did you know?”

“That’s not important.”

Asahi begged to differ as he thought it made a world of difference now that Nishinoya knows about his crush.

With his arms crossed in front of his chest, the libero continued, “What are you doing standing here? Go over there and talk to her! Be a man!”

“I-It’s not that simple. I need to build myself up before I talk to her. And then I need to think of a topic that we can talk about. Then what type of questions I should ask-”

“Oh come on Asahi! You have to stop acting like a cowardly wimp. Man up and go! She’s right there!”

“J-Just give me a second and I will.”

Nishinoya was just about to retort back when he realized something. This was the first time Asahi was nervous, visibly and mentally, for a girl. Well, scratch that. Asahi was always nervous around girls but this was the first time he seemed to actively try to impress someone. Like the way he repeatedly made sure his jersey was tucked in, double-knotted his shoelaces, and double-checked his hair was safely tied in his usual bun.

So he did what any good friend would do. “You look great, Asahi.”

With a glimmer of hope in his eyes, the ace stood up straight. “You think so?”

“Personally, I don’t care about what other people think about my looks.”

Asahi physically deflated at those words. If only he could borrow some of his friend’s confidence.

“But then again I’m awesome.”

The ace couldn’t argue with that one. But before he could wallow in a pool of anxiety and dread, the libero’s next words saved him from drowning. Along with a strong slap on the shoulder that could echo throughout the gym.

“You’re awesome too. You’re the ace of our team. Take pride in that.”

Asahi took his friend’s words to heart as he stood up a bit straighter. He glanced up to look at (Y/N) who looked breathtaking while wearing her maroon Inarizaki jacket. If only she wore a black Karasuno jacket… He could just imagine the alternate dimension where she could have been a classmate, a close friend, or even something more.

“I… I don’t want to mess this up, Noya.”

Concerned, Nishinoya asked, “How would you mess up?”

“I don’t know! Anything could happen. With my luck, I could trip over myself in front of her. I want to be confident and go over to her and say hi-””

“Alright. Then let’s go.”

Asahi’s mind froze. “What?”

“You heard me. Let’s do what you said and walk up to your girlfriend-”

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

Nishinoya rolled his eyes but the grin on his face showed no sign of leaving. “Fine. The girl you wish to be your girlfriend. We’ll go together. You’ll say hi and introduce me to her because I want to know what kind of girl makes you act this way.”

Asahi could feel his face turning red. “Okay, let’s go. But please don’t say anything embarrassing. Daichi and Suga did enough of that yesterday.”

His friend laughed loudly before slapping his shoulder. “You really need to grow a backbone off the court, especially if you want to impress your crush. But don’t worry, I have your back.”

(Y/N) felt as if she met her long-lost sister through Karasuno’s manager. Kiyoko definitely could relate to the ups and downs that comes with managing a group of boys (especially rowdy second-years). But she admired her commitment. Being a third-year, specifically attending Nationals, it was their last chance to help their respective team to make it to the top.

“So, how are you feeling about being here?” She asked as they sat down on a nearby bench. They still had time before the ongoing match ended. Why not take the opportunity and spend time with her new friend?

“It’s unreal. Sometimes it feels like a dream. A lot of people doubted us since we were a forgotten powerhouse. We were devastated when we lost in the third round of the Interhigh to Aoba Johsai. Our only chance to get to Nationals was to win all our matches.”

“Woah, I can only imagine the pressure your team had on their shoulders. More so on the third-years.” She took a chance to look for Asahi. Her eyes automatically found him and she couldn’t help but smile. It looked like he was having a conversation with the libero. “How did you guys manage all that?”

Kiyoko shrugged her shoulders but she had a faint smile before answering, “It was rough. But we didn’t want to give up on volleyball. Not when there was a chance to make it here. It was a risk. Our advisor warned us third-years to take our future into account before we made our decision.”

“And now you guys are here! I have to give you and your team respect, Kiyoko.”

Kiyoko laughed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thanks. It’s been a journey and we’re ready to play against the best.”

“Trust me the feeling is mutual.”

“Speaking of feelings,” Kiyoko began with a teasing tone. “I’ve heard there’s a guy on my team that caught your eye.”

(Y/N) let out a nervous laugh as she looked away. “He told you?”

“Not directly but Daichi and Suga weren’t exactly keeping it down about it. Asahi is usually quiet. But he sounded happy when he talked about you. I think you helped him in more ways than one because I’ve never heard him sound so confident.”

“Really?” She couldn’t help but smile widely. “You're not just saying that, are you?”

Kiyoko shook her head. “I don’t know what you told him but it looks like he took it to heart.”

“I just spoke the truth. He helped me so it’s only fair that I helped him too. He’s a gentle giant that needs a boost in confidence.”

“Do you like him?”

“Well… It’s too soon to tell but I think so. Asahi is not like any other guy I’ve met. I just want a chance to get to know him more and vice versa.”

“So like a date before the actual date?”

“Exactly!” It was like Kiyoko and her were on the same wavelength. “Is that too weird? Or is it stupid? I mean, I just met him yesterday and so far he seems like a great guy but like… I’m nervous. He makes me nervous and… Shoot. I’m sorry for rambling.”

“Hey, it’s reasonable to think and feel that way. Take it from me, Asahi really is a good guy. He can be a scaredy-cat sometimes and can be insecure about a lot of stuff but he really means well.”

“I saw that side of him yesterday. He’s the type to shoulder all the blame, isn’t he?” (Y/N) asked.

Kiyoko nodded. “He’s still our ace and he’s been working harder than ever to prove it.”

(Y/N) remained silent, taking in all the information Kiyoko told her. She looked for Asahi again and smiled when she saw him getting clapped on the shoulder by the libero.

“Does that bother you?” Kiyoko asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Confused, (Y/N) furrowed her brow before asking, “What do you mean?”

“Does it bother you that Asahi is the ace but he doesn’t have an ace-like presence?”

While Kiyoko hated asking the question she believed it was an important one. Girls can be ruthless. She heard the gossip from other girls and how they talk about Asahi behind his back. Calling him a wimp or how he was a part of a gang. As Asahi’s friend, she felt it was her responsibility to see if the girl he has a crush for is actually genuine in her feelings towards him. Because as much as she enjoyed (Y/N)’s company, Kiyoko will choose to defend Asahi over her.

“Should that be important? If anything, it goes to show how different Asahi is. When I saw him play yesterday, I knew he was an amazing ace but when I talked to him and got to know him… I saw a guy who’s not ashamed to admit his insecurities and who’s not scared to admit his feelings. I respect that. And after what you told me of what you guys have gone through, I know Asahi will show his self-worth on the court and show everyone why he’s the ace. So who cares that he doesn’t have the traditional personality of an ace? I think he’s already brave.”

Kiyoko smiled at her. That was the answer she’s been hoping for and (Y/N) delivered it. Her (E/C) eyes matched the conviction in her voice and Kiyoko loved it. Not to mention, the timing was absolutely perfect and she thanked the gods that (Y/N) didn’t notice the two people behind her.

“(Y-Y/N)-san?”

Oh god. She could feel her heart falling to her stomach when she heard her name in that deep voice that made her feel everything all at once. Her face became warm in seconds and she didn’t dare move an inch. It wasn’t until Kiyoko let out a small cough that brought her from cloud nine back to the gym.

(Y/N) took a moment to center herself before turning around to see Asahi. His chocolate brown eyes met hers and she swore the butterflies from her stomach danced between her ribs.

“A-Asahi-san! Hey!”

She quickly stood up, a bit too fast as she accidentally knocked her team’s water bottles out of the carrier. Embarrassed, (Y/N) fell to her knees and grabbed the nearest bottle.

“S-Sorry about this.” (Y/N) didn’t dare look up as she already embarrassed herself in front of her crush and his friends.

“N-No! Don’t apologize. It was an accident.” Asahi kneeled, grabbing the last bottle before handing it to her. His breath hitched ever so softly when her fingertips touched his hand. It was as if the rest of the gym faded away. Being so close to (Y/N), he saw how her eyes were beautiful as he remembered. He swore it was no trick of the light that her eyes seemed to shine like stars in the night sky.

(Y/N) felt so self-conscious about how close she was to Asahi. She hoped she looked okay in his eyes. Usually she wouldn’t care so much on how she looked, but the idea was thrown out the window when she met Karasuno’s ace. His long hair was once again in a bun but this time it was neatly in place, a perfect bun any woman or man could be jealous of. The small scruff of facial hair on his chin suited him very well, giving him a sort of wild, intimidating appearance.

But she knew better because Asahi was an adorable giant with a large and gentle heart. If she was being honest, his presence was like springtime coming to wash away winter’s snow. His warmth was… Indescribable.

How was it possible for him to be that handsome yet so adorable at the same time?

The moment was interrupted when someone cleared their throat. Loudly. (Y/n) looked up to see the libero, Nishinoya, with a large grin. His eyes were bright with excitement and amusement. She can immediately tell that this guy was the mischievous and energetic type. As they stood up, she could have sworn she saw Asahi blush.

“(Y/N), this is my friend Nishinoya Yū. He’s a second-year and the libero of our team.”

While he maintained a normal composure, Asahi was mentally beating himself up. ‘Why would you say that?! She’s a volleyball manager!! Of course, she knows that Nishinoya is a libero! She has eyes. She can see that he’s wearing a different color jersey! Asahi, you’re such an IDIOT!’

While the ace was mentally berating himself, (Y/N) formally introduced herself to his friend. During her introduction, Nishinoya could only gawk. When he heard from Suga and Daichi about his friend Asahi finally having a lucky break encounter with a girl, he couldn’t be happier for the ace. And it didn’t take a genius to see how hard Asahi fell for her.

“By the way, I’ve watched those ‘I’m Awesome’ videos.” (Y/N) brought up and immediately caught the attention from both boys. “That match with Shiratorizawa when you made a double save against Ushijima was so cool. It was so amazing that I had to replay it like five times. I even showed it to our own libero and he literally took my phone out of my hands.”

Nishinoya beamed. “Really?”

His chest swelled up with pride and the thought of another libero studying his techniques was just the icing on the cake, but to have a pretty girl, like (Y/N), praise his skills… Well that’s the cherry on top. He liked her already.

“And Asahi, you were amazing too. The way you were able to smash through Shiratorizawa’s defenses was unreal!”

The warm and fuzzy feeling from his chest exploded and it was as if all the heat rushed to his face. Asahi was sure his whole face was red. He tried to stammer out a reply but Nishinoya beat him to it.

“I know right!” He slapped Asahi’s shoulder repeatedly. “He went head to head against one of the best aces in the country and helped lead our team to victory. We wouldn’t be here without him.”

“T-That’s not t-true-”

“Of course it is!” Nishinoya looked back at the girl who was chuckling at their interaction. “Ignore that. He’s so humble whenever someone compliments him.”

Her eyes met Asahi’s and gave him a knowing smile. Although this was her second encounter with Karasuno’s ace, (Y/N) noticed the trend of Asahi’s friends building him up and teasing him at the same time. She had to stop herself from laughing at the lack of subtlety amongst them. Still, it was cute to see Asahi this way.

“Well,” (Y/N) began, her hand casually tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Asahi was listening intently. “Then I bet this next compliment is going to be unbearable because I thought you looked great during that match. It makes me wish I was there to see you guys play live.”

Nishinoya grinned. “Don’t worry, (Y/N)-san. You won’t be disappointed with our match. Asahi, here, will make sure of that. Right, Asahi? Oh, did I mention how-”

Kiyoko, who was silently watching the entire interaction, noticed the slight panic in Asahi’s eyes. She knew the libero means well but there were times he can take things a bit too far.

“Nishinoya, can you help carry this for me?”

“Anything for you, Kiyoko-san! I’ll follow you forever!”

Asahi was about to stutter out his friend’s name when he saw Kiyoko give a little head gesture towards (Y/N), subtle enough so she wouldn’t see it.

‘This is your chance, Asahi.’ That was the message she was telling him as Kiyoko led Nishinoya away. ‘Don’t mess up.’

“So, um, (Y/N)? H-How are you? You know, with everything?” Asahi could feel the goosebumps traveling up and down his arms at how cringy he felt.

The dark cloud of self-doubt and worry that plagued Asahi this morning has evaporated into thin air the moment she smiled at him. How was she able to put him at ease like that?

“So far, so good. I'm a bit nervous for today. Not the bad kind of nervous but the excited kind, you know?”

Asahi nodded as he knew exactly the feeling (Y/N) was talking about. He was feeling it right now! “I know that feeling very well. I feel it almost everyday.”

(Y/N) chuckled before replying, “At least, you’re honest, Asahi. Most guys usually lie about their feelings.” She glanced back at her own team where she saw Atsumu arguing with his twin, probably over something stupid.

“Well someone did tell me that it wasn’t a bad thing to express my feelings. I’m just following her good advice.”

The smile she gave him was like no other to know that Asahi was really taking her words to heart. Words can’t describe how happy this made her nor the warm feeling she felt stir in her chest.

“So, are you ready to play against us?” (Y/N) asked the ace in an effort to keep the conversation going. “Because we’ve been looking forward to this match.”

“It’s a bit nerve-racking that we’re playing against the team that placed second in the Inter-High. You have great players on your team.”

(Y/N) waved her hand in dismal with a shake of her head. “Oh don’t let that rattle you, that was yesterday.” Her school’s motto rings true in her words. “Besides, I’ve done my research. Karasuno isn’t like it was before. Your team has cool players too and that includes you. All you can do today is challenge yourself.”

Asahi couldn’t help but smile at her. “You’re just full of good advice, aren’t you?”

She beamed while tossing her hair over her shoulder in a joking manner. “I’d like to think so. But seriously, Asahi,” Her hand gently touched his bicep and Asahi didn’t shrink away. “How are you really feeling?”

“H-Honestly?”

(Y/N) nodded, her eyes looking up to him, patiently waiting for his response.

“I haven’t told anyone so d-don’t make fun of me but… I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“I’m scared of failing. I’m scared to drag the team down. I’m scared to lose the trust my team has in me as the ace. I mean, I’ve watched the Inarizaki clip last night and I can’t help to compare-”

Asahi stopped talking when he felt a pair of warm hands wrap around his cold ones. The blush from before came back in full force. (Y/N)’s hands were small and so soft compared to his yet it was enough to calm his fast beating heart. With her holding his hands, it reminded Asahi of the time when Kiyoko held Suga’s hands during the fifth set of the Shiratorizawa match. He remembered how he, Daichi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka became jealous towards the vice captain. Now he was in Suga’s position and with (Y/N) holding his hands, Asahi understood the feelings Suga went through that day.

“Listen to me, Asahi, what you’re feeling right now… That’s normal, okay? You’re not the first ace to feel this way and even if you are the first that just goes to show how considerate you are to your teammates. I can tell you worked hard and you have skilled, trustworthy teammates. That’s why you’re here in Nationals, remember? You earned your spot on the team as the ace and I understand you carry a burden on your shoulders, but you’re not alone. You have your team with you.”

Asahi opened his mouth but no words came out. It was as if (Y/N) took his ability to talk. He felt enlightened in a way. He was pushed so much in the darkness by his own self-doubt, anxiety, and worry that he almost missed the ray of light that gave him hope.

“You with me, Asahi? I didn’t lose you, did I?” (Y/N) questioned, giving his hands a small squeeze. “Or did I say something wrong?”

“Oh! Sorry! No! I mean- Yes! I mean-”

(Y/N) chuckled. “Breathe, Asahi. There’s no need to be nervous. It’s just me. No one special.”

He shook his head. “That’s not true. At least, not to me.”

She blinked. Then blinked twice. Three times. When she realized that she hadn’t misheard him, she swore those butterflies in her stomach made their way to her chest and danced around her heart. The feeling never went away when he met her eyes. His brown eyes took her breath away while melting her heart at the same time.

Still, she wasn’t expecting Asahi to say that and judging by the obvious blush on his cheeks Asahi wasn’t either. Well, two can play at that game.

“Oh? I’m someone special to you? When we only met yesterday? If I didn’t know better, I would say you’re falling for me.”

Asahi felt his Adam's apple bob up and down. He was used to teasing by his friends and the second-years but never before has he felt like this. Wait a minute… Was this teasing or flirting? He hoped for the latter because he didn’t want it to stop.

“What if I am?” He asked, his confidence growing with every word. “Would it be a bad thing?”

(Y/N) smiled widely. “I… I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

Asahi felt his heart soar to new heights at this. Any anxiety he had began to slowly fade away. His hands were no longer cold but he wasn’t going to stray away from (Y/N)’s touch.

However, the universe thought differently.

“Hey. Do you mind not holding hands with my manager?”

(Y/N) grunted when she felt a strong arm swing over her shoulders. Even without looking, she could tell who it was. The same person who had no problem starting a confrontation with anyone. Not even his twin brother.

“Atsumu.” She warned, letting go of Asahi’s hands, hoping this action would relieve the tension her setter placed around them.

The blond-haired twin kept the same annoying smirk as he met his manager’s eyes. He knew that look very well as he was always on the receiving end of it.

“What?” He asked innocently. “I’m just looking out for you, (Y/N)-senpai. You’re our precious manager after all. Now, is this guy messing with you?”

(Y/N) sighed, closing her eyes while counting to ten in order to calm down. She could only imagine how this must look.

“He’s not. This is Asahi and he’s my friend. We were just talking before the match began. Asahi, this is Miya Atsumu. He’s the setter-”

“Star setter.” Atsumu interrupted as he shook Asahi’s hand, gripping it hard. “An All-Japan Training Camp setter.”

Confused but feeling bold, Asahi matched the twin’s grip strength. He took a tiny bit of satisfaction when Atsumu grimaced the tiniest bit.

(Y/N) raised her brow at them but shook it off. “Sorry about him. He can be a bit much. Anyways, Atsumu, Asahi is Karasuno’s ace. We watched their match yesterday, remember?”

Atsumu gave him an unimpressed look before shaking his head. “Not really. He must have not made a good impression for me to remember. I don’t remember players who suck-”

He was cut off by (Y/N)’s sharp elbow to his stomach. “What was that for, (Y/N)-san?!”

“That’s for lying!”

“I wasn’t lying!”

“Just yesterday you told me he made a lot of great plays. Not to mention, you praised his service ace.”

Atsumu could feel himself blush a little when his manager caught him in his lie. “I… I don’t remember.” When lying doesn’t work, denying is the second best option.

She rolled her eyes while pushing the setter’s head down, forcing him to bow with her. “Sorry about him. He can be incredibly insensitive at times.”

Atsumu twisted his head to look at his manager, quietly struggling underneath her surprisingly strong grip. “No, I’m not!”

(Y/N) sighed before letting go and ignored the glare Atsumu gave her. Instead, she focused on Karasuno’s ace. “I wish we can talk more, Asahi but I need to get the team ready before the match. But I’m glad we had the chance to catch up.”

“Yeah, me too.” He smiled at her, much to Atsumu’s displeasure. “Can we talk later?”

The manager grinned and was just about to answer when she felt a strong tug on her arm before getting dragged away. “Hey, Atsumu! What the he-”

“You said it yourself.” Atsumu pointed out. “You need to help get the team, our team, ready. Let’s go.”

(Y/N) yanked her hand back and gave Atsumu a glare before he could utter a complaint. “Atsumu, be a dear and take this,” She placed the water bottle carrier in his hands. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“But- I, er, we need you. Remember, there’s that thing… That important thing…” His eyes gestured to his hands.

To anyone who didn’t know the Inarizaki setter very well, it may have sounded like there was something urgent she, as the manager, had to do. But (Y/N) knew Atsumu and she almost wanted to laugh at the desperation in his voice. This happened every single time before a match. It was obvious that Atsumu didn’t want to admit his problem in front of Asahi, who had a confused look on his face.

“The stuff is in my bag, inside the small pocket. Just don’t use too much like last time.”

“Yes!” Atsumu fist-pumped before running back to the rest of the Inarizaki team, forgetting the reason he came over in the first place.

(Y/N) chuckled as she watched her friend dig into her bag before turning back to Asahi. “Again, sorry about that. He can be a bit much. But he does have a point, the match is going to start soon.” She offered up her hand for a shake. “Best of luck to you, Asahi.”

He wasted no time in shaking her hand. “You too. Good luck to your team.”

“And whatever happens, win or lose, we’ll be cool, right?” (Y/N) asked, hoping Asahi wasn’t one of those players that completely shuts down and shuns people when they lose. She really liked him so she hoped that wasn’t the case.

“Of course we will.” Asahi promised. “No matter what happens, we’ll give it our best.”

“Good. See you later, ace.”

With one final encouraging squeeze, (Y/N)’s hand slipped away before making her way towards her team. Asahi seemed frozen to the laminate gym floor as his eyes were fixed on her maroon Inarizaki team. His hand was still in the air where he could still feel her fingertips.

“ASAHI!”

He flinched when he heard Nishinoya yell out his name and he almost fell over when he felt the libero hoist himself to do a handstand on his shoulders. It always amazes him how Nishinoya was able to do that effortlessly.

“H-Hey careful!” Asahi warned him. “And what happened to having my back?”

“You were amazing Asahi-san!” Nishinoya praised, stars in his eyes. “And I did have your back. We all had your back. We were watching the whole thing! You looked so cool talking to the girl you like!”

Was it just him or did that last sentence sound so loud?

“Don’t make it so obvious, Nishinoya.” Suga chuckled.

“Yeah, we don’t need Miya Atsumu to come back over here and scare Asahi again.” Daichi joked. “We had to pull Nishinoya back so he wouldn’t go feral on him.”

“I-I wasn’t scared! He just surprised me.” Asahi defended though he wasn’t going to admit that there was a tiny moment of fear when the Inarizaki setter confronted him. “He’s intense though.”

Kiyoko stepped forward. “You didn’t run away. I think that speaks louder than words.”

Asahi swallowed hard. “You think so?”

“Trust Kiyoko on this, Asahi.” Daichi said. “And trust all of us when we say, don’t give up. I know I give you a hard time with you being a coward and all-”

“Thanks.” He said sarcastically.

“Let me finish.” Daichi laughed. “I was trying to say… (Y/N) brings out the best in you. So keep going. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Alright, let’s go win!”

“YEAH!!”

~Meanwhile on the other side of the gym~

“You done flirting with the enemy?”

“Does that bother you, Suna?” (Y/N) countered as she checked her bag, looking to see if Atsumu used all her hand lotion. (He’s always complaining about his fingertips being dry.) “I thought that’s what you guys wanted? For me to find someone?”

“At least give us a warning. Atsumu said it was that scary samurai-looking guy.”

“Atsumu’s dramatic.”

“Am not!”

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

“He literally was squeezing my hand off! Trying to ruin my perfect setter hands!” The blond complained. “I call sabotage!”

“Maybe you’re just that weak, ‘Tsumu.”

“Shut up, ‘Samu!”

“So,” Suna interrupted before the twins could start another infinite argument. “You like this Azumane guy?”

“Is he Lucky Schmuck #1?” Osamu followed up.

“Or Unlucky Schmuck #6?” Atsumu mumbled with his arms crossed.

“I think… He’s the one.”

71 notes · View notes

calqlate · 4 months

Text

LOVE, MAYBE | TWO

— LOVE, PERHAPS

SERIES MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER

PAIRING: crown prince! kageyama tobio x f! crown princess! reader

SUMMARY: after taking your younger sister's place in a political marriage involving the crown prince of the neighboring kingdom of karasuno, you resigned yourself to a loveless marriage. little did you know, the prince has loved you for a while now and plans to win you over.

GENRE(S): arranged marriage au + royal au + fluff + one-sided pining (which later becomes mutual)

WC: 3128

TAGLIST: @deeomi

A/N: i forgot i had already written this and i just needed to edit it LMAO (clown emoji). n e ways, enjoy!

"your ladyship, his highness the crown prince is here to see you."

you were still keeping your gaze focused on the words on the thick management textbook in front of you. as you wrote down some notes on the margin of the textbook, you replied, "he may enter."

the large double doors swung open and in walked the prince, in all his glory, except... he had arrived with a huge bouquet of flowers clasped in his gloved hands. this was very out-of-character for the stoic prince, and this shocked the maids and butlers, who had (definitely) not expected to see the bloodthirsty prince with flowers in his hands. all the servants held back their breath as prince tobio walked right up to you, brows furrowed and eyes fixated on his fiancée who had not yet looked up to see him. he stopped short in front of your desk and you placed your pen down carefully before looking up at him. upon spying the grand bouquet in his hands, you raised your eyebrows, "what—"

"these are for you, my lady," he choked out, thrusting the bouquet into your face, "i thought these flowers suit you very well."

all eyes were on you as you awkwardly accepted the flowers, pretty much using your arms to wrap themselves around the lower half where the stems were. you eyed the pink arrangement of roses, asters, and lilies before looking up at the prince, "thank you, your highness. i appreciate your gift."

"do you..." his cheeks turned pink as his voice dropped drastically in volume and he averted his gaze to the side, "do you like them?"

"well..." you paused, watching his facial expressions carefully, "do you want me to be honest?"

he nodded, still avoiding your gaze.

"i appreciate the thought behind this, but..." you paused, then decided to take a leap of faith and be truthful (as he had said), "actually, i don't really like flowers."

an awkward and tense silence soon followed after the words left your mouth. prince tobio was pretty much frozen in sheer shock, she doesn't like flowers?! then again, never did he once thought of considering the possibility that you did not have a liking for flowers.

"i... i see," he coughed. feeling the embarrassment creep in, he said, "i have some matters to attend to, so i'll leave first. enjoy the rest of your day."

with that, he turned and exited your study, leaving you with a bunch of flowers in your hands and deathly silent servants.

"call the two hostlers in," prince tobio said with a sigh once he was safely in his own study, massaging his temples with furrowed brows. is courting girls supposed to be this difficult?

a few minutes later, hinata brought the hostlers in, who were both starry-eyed and were definitely expecting good news out of the advice that they had given to the prince.

"so, was her ladyship completely starstruck? lovestruck, even?" tanaka asked, grinning from ear to ear as he looked at the prince with hopeful eyes.

"did it go as planned, your highness?" nishinoya asked, his smile mirroring that of tanaka's.

the day that hinata had led prince tobio to tanaka and nishinoya, the two hostlers had given the prince some advice on the day itself.

"your highness, do you know what ladies really like?" tanaka said with a sly grin.

prince tobio shook his head, completely clueless. that itself was a given, since the prince had never gotten into a relationship before as he had dedicated his life to protecting the kingdom and learning how to be a good king to his subjects. to the prince, there was no space in his tightly packed schedule for romance.

"flowers," nishinoya piped up, "especially roses."

"why roses, specifically?" prince tobio asked, cocking his head to the side. was there a particular reason why roses were so popular among the ladies?

tanaka and nishinoya would have made a snide comment on how the prince was pretty much doomed to a life of being chronically single if his parents had not intervened to find a bride for him, but refrained from doing so lest they wanted their heads to roll off the guillotine. after all, he was the crown prince, and he was therefore the second-most powerful after the king himself. lopping off anyone else's head would be easy enough for him as long as he willed it to happen.

"that's because roses are a symbol of love in the language of flowers, your highness," tanaka explained, "if you give her ladyship roses, i'm certain that she will be able to see your feelings and accept them quickly!"

"no," prince tobio replied sharply, glaring at the two hostlers so harshly that shivers went up their spines, "she doesn't even like flowers."

tanaka's and nishinoya's eyes widened. this was the first time that they have ever heard of a lady not liking flowers at all. they glanced over at each other with an incredulous look on their faces, is her ladyship some sort of weird recluse?!

"is something the matter?" prince tobio asked, eyeing the two's non-verbal communication in front of him.

"n-no! nothing's wrong at all, your highness!" nishinoya said and shook his head vigorously.

"we're just surprised at how... unique her ladyship is!" tanaka said, faking a laugh, "there's no one quite as extraordinary as she is! am i right, nishinoya?"

he elbowed his friend, to which the latter laughed along with tanaka.

"well, what else do ladies like?" prince tobio asked, a frustrated crease appearing between his brows as he closed his eyes to think of something to remedy that day's situation as well.

"quality time!" nishinoya piped up, and prince tobio flung his eyes open to look at the shorter hostler, "if you spend more time around her ladyship, i'm sure she'll come to notice your affections a lot more!"

"spend time with her..." prince tobio muttered under his breath, then asked, "you mean, i have to set up a date with her or something?"

"not necessarily, your highness," tanaka said, "you can review documents together. you know, you just have to be by her side." he grinned, then continued, "it doesn't matter what you're doing. your presence is all that matters."

initially, you paid no mind when prince tobio said that he would be reviewing his documents while seated in your study. however, after a couple of minutes, you got rather concerned and, honestly, a little disturbed when you could feel the intensity of his gaze on your face. whenever you turned to look at him, he would immediately look back at his paperwork, pretending he had not been staring at you before. after what seemed like the twentieth time of doing so, you sighed and placed your pen down on your desk and looked at the prince, "your highness, please, just tell me what you want instead of staring at me like that."

he turned pink as he turned his head to the side, not wanting to make any sort of eye contact at all, "t-there's nothing in particular. i was simply... resting my eyes."

"your highness, looking at the greenery is a better solution to resting your eyes than staring at my face," you said, pushing your chair back as you stood up, "that being said, do you want to go on a walk with me?"

he whirled his head around and met your gaze with wide, confused eyes. he had never expected you to ask him to go on a walk together, but he was by no means disappointed, nor was he going to complain. instead, the corners of his lips curled upwards just very slightly as he, too, stood up, abandoning his paperwork, "sure. it's about time for me to take a break from reviewing these documents, anyway."

and so that was how the both of you exited the crown prince's palace to take a leisurely walk in the gardens. the air was fresh and the weather was rather cool, and it was all in all a perfect day to go on a walk. the both of you were not linking arms whatsoever and were maintaining a respectable distance between each other. an awkward silence hung in the air as you strolled about with the crown prince, looking anywhere else but each other: prince tobio was doing such so that he would not meet your gaze, and you were doing such because you thought that staring at him for a beat too long would be considered rude and improper.

"um, your highness, about that day," you were the first to break the ice, "i can explain."

"it's alright, it was my fault," prince tobio said, "i should've asked you about your preferences beforehand. i didn't know that you didn't like flowers."

"it's not that i don't like them," you said, "i simply think that they're kind of a waste. i mean, they die after a while, so i'd have to throw them out anyway and it'd be pointless." you then realised how your words could have been misinterpreted as you disregarding the prince's good intentions, so you added hastily, "i mean, i like things that last long. i don't like throwing my gifts away."

"oh, i see," prince tobio said, furrowing his brows together, so she likes things that can be kept and maintained.

"thank you for the flowers, though," you said. he turned to face you, only to see a small smile on your face as you said, "i liked them. really."

he felt his own cheeks begin to burn and he turned his head away before you could catch a glimpse of his red cheeks. he coughed, "i-i can get more for you if you'd like — ah, wait, you don't like flowers."

you laughed, "you learn fast, don't you, your highness?"

"s-shut up, dumbass," he muttered before trudging ahead of you, dying to bury his crimson face somewhere before anyone could catch sight of it and make fun of him for it. rumours of the prince turning red at a mere compliment would overwrite his image of having a cold exterior, which would not be good for him in court.

you watched as he walked on ahead and you picked up your pace to catch up, amusement seeping into your being. this side of the prince was a stark contrast to what you had heard about him.

perhaps he was not so bad of a person after all.

"so, how did it go, your highness?" the two hostlers looked at the prince with bated breath, hoping with all of their hearts that something positive happened this time, or it would really be off with their heads.

"she smiled at me," prince tobio said with an excited look in his eyes, but then frowned shortly afterwards after recalling your subsequent teasing, "oh, but she seemed to be making fun of me."

"t-that's okay, your highness! it's a positive step forward!" nishinoya said and held up two thumbs-up, smiling, "her ladyship is warming up to you!"

"really?" prince tobio looked at the two hostlers with wide, hopeful eyes that resembled those of an anticipating puppy waiting for praise.

"yes!" tanaka said, "so don't fret, your highness! you're doing really well!"

prince tobio's eyes were sparkling again, and tanaka and nishinoya looked at each other. They did not have the heart to not tell him that it could possibly be a negative sign as well, because lady qq might have actually been making fun of him.

"anyway! your highness, there's this last method you should try," tanaka said with a wink, "it'll be sure to catch her ladyship's heart—" — he snapped his fingers — "in an instant! just like that!"

"what is it?" prince tobio was more than intrigued to hear what tanaka had to offer.

"well," tanaka said, a proud grin on his face, "it's..."

"your ladyship, his highness the crown prince requests you to go to the greenhouse for tea with him."

you rubbed your temples. you were fatigued from the lessons from the past few weeks: you had been receiving supplemental crash courses on the additional aspects of ruling that you had not learnt while you were receiving classes as the heir to your father's duchy. a kingdom was far larger than a dukedom, so of course there were more things that rulers of kingdoms were subjected to know compared to those of dukedoms. you had barely been able to keep up, but miraculously, you were still functioning and capable of sitting in your study to absorb more material. maybe it was the studies that your parents had subjected you to that allowed your brain to absorb a little more information.

"alright, i'll go over to him now," you said, standing up.

you sucked in a breath and headed straight to the greenhouse with some maids accompanying you. truth to be told, you would love nothing more than to catch a couple of z's in your bedroom than be drinking tea with the prince. sure, he was your fiancé-to-be, but you prioritised your rest above all. you could not believe you still had the energy to smile and sit there with the prince despite all of your body’s cells screaming at you to get some sleep.

"you're here," prince tobio said as soon as you approached the table.

"thank you for preparing the tea," you said as you curtseyed before sitting down.

"the maids said that you like milk tea, so i've prepared that for today's tea session," he said, "and i heard that you like sweet foods, so i've prepared more sweet snacks."

you noted the milk tea in your cup, as well as the assortment of cakes and scones on the table before you turned to him, "thank you, your highness. i appreciate it."

slowly, you picked up your teacup and took a sip out of it, letting the sweet taste of the drink bloom across your tongue. you could hear the prince talking, but you could not bring your focus onto any of his words at all. it was as though you were stuck in some sort of container made of thick glass and you could barely hear what the people on the other end were saying. you closed your eyes for a second before opening them again, just before you felt something trickling down your nose. you lifted a hand up towards your face to wipe your nose and pulled away before looking down at your fingers, only to see red liquid smudging your fingertips. you looked back up at the prince and made eye contact before you felt all of your remaining strength leave your body and your eyes roll back into your skull.

your vision was coming back, little by little.

it was a little hazy at first when you first cracked your eyes open. however, the more you cranked them open by sheer force and determination, the fog started to clear up as clarity crept back into your eyesight.

"my lady!"

you felt someone grab your hand firmly and warmly, and you slowly turned your head to the side to see who it was. it was prince tobio, who was seated by your bedside with both of his hands clasped around your hand. concern was evident in his blue eyes as he locked eyes with you. you immediately tried to sit up, and he assisted you in doing so, until you were seated up properly with a pillow safely supporting your back.

"how are you feeling?" he asked, his brows creased together in concern.

"i feel fine," you muttered, your voice raspy. honestly, you felt as though you were in a confused daze, as though you had been asleep for an extensive period of time. you asked, "how long was i asleep for?"

"two days," he replied, then his frown deepening as he said, "you've been over-working yourself, haven't you?"

"i..." you were at a loss for words. you, too, were not sure how much or far you had pushed yourself because every single day had passed in one indistinct blur.

"you did," he answered in your stead, "and that's how your body finally crashed."

you stayed mute as he breathed out a sigh from his nose as he squeezed your hand gently, "studying is good, but don't push yourself too hard."

you looked at him with a confused look on your face, why would you care? i'm just someone you're forced to marry, anyway.

as if he could read your thoughts, he answered, "i worry because i'm your husband." he paused, then corrected himself, "well, husband-to-be, but that's not the point."

he cast his gaze down at your hands as he picked both of them up and held them gently, as if they were fragile glass pieces that could shatter with one wrong move, "please take care of yourself."

he looked back up at you to observe your facial expressions: your face was completely neutral and seemingly guarded as you met his gaze. disappointment filled his lungs as he said, "i'll leave you to rest."

gingerly, he let go of her hands (that he had placed on her lap) before getting up from the chair and leaving your room, not before taking some extra precautions with your maids and butler. as the door swung shut behind him, he sighed, looks like that didn't work, either.

"what is it?" prince tobio was more than intrigued to hear what tanaka had to offer, leaning forward and hanging onto his every word as if he were preaching the holy word.

"well," tanaka said, a proud grin on his face, "it's... to be a gentleman towards her! nothing else beats a guy who treats her well."

"what on earth, ryuu!" nishinoya smacked tanaka's bicep, "what if her ladyship likes guys that degrade her and stuff? you know, the mean types!"

"i don't think she does," tanaka retorted with a frown, "what kind of crazy psycho—" — then, upon remembering that he was talking about the future crown princess here, he quickly stopped himself mid-sentence and changed his words — "i mean, person would reject flowers?" he added, "my guess is that she's not the innocent sort that would love a bad boy to sweep her off her feet." he grinned, "wanna bet, noya?"

i suppose it's another fail today, then, prince tobio sighed as he walked down the hallway.

however, if he had chosen to turn around and take a sneak peek into the room, he would have seen the telltale blush rising on your cheeks.

#💫—love maybe #💫—qq writes #writeblr #writing #kageyama x reader #kageyama x y/n #kageyama x yn #kageyama x you #kageyama #kageyama tobio x reader #kageyama tobio x y/n #kageyama tobio x yn #kageyama tobio x you #kageyama tobio #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x y/n #haikyuu x yn #haikyuu x you #haikyuu

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astra-ella · 2 months

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𝐙𝐎𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

fandom: haikyuu ship: nishinoya yuu x oc/reader status: complete ao3 link

"I think you're really pretty. Will you go out with me?" That was the first thing he's ever said to her. And needless to say, Amari Chiyo was not impressed. So as promised, Nishinoya Yuu will get to know her better and confess again. And again. And again. And again. It'll take 6 years and 9 confessions, but he'll get there. Eventually.

⌦ content: fluff, light angst, love at first sight, friends to lover, slice of life, haikyuu manga spoilers

⌦ note: you are free to insert yourself into Chiyo, just keep in mind she has her own character/backstory. i know some people don't like that, so just a heads-up.

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The eighth time he confessed was during the summer of their third year — at the firework festival.

It was ironic. Chiyo remembered turning Nishinoya down relatively harshly when he asked her to go almost three summers ago. But when he asked her out during one of their summer homework cram sessions at a local cafe this year, for some reason she felt compelled to say yes.

Her father teased her, asking if the outing was a date – to which Chiyo vehemently denied. Though deep down, she wasn’t quite sure. Nishinoya had gotten so excited and cheered so loudly when she agreed to his invitation, she didn’t have the time to ask for his intentions.

Or perhaps she did but simply lacked the nerves.

Either way, she took the day off work and got all dolled up in the red and gold floral-print yukata she received from her aunt and uncle as a birthday gift earlier that year. She even called up Honoka and asked her to come over to do her hair, to which the aspiring hairstylist agreed on the condition that she got all the details about this ‘date-but-not-a-date.’

She couldn’t help but feel a little nervous as she made her way toward the temple. She wondered if she looked nearly as pretty as the group of teenage girls walking not far in front of her. Perhaps she looked weird in the yukata, perhaps her hair had somehow gotten messy on the walk over, or perhaps her lip gloss had accidentally smudged due to how many times she pressed her lips together.

But all those worries melted away when she locked eyes with Nishinoya at their meet-up spot. Maybe it was just the festival lights, but his cheeks seemed to grow a little redder at the sight of her.

“Hey,” he pushed off the sidewalk pole he was leaning against. He too wore a cream-coloured yukata, decorated with dragon prints outlined in maroon. He eyed her from head to toe, looking like he was at a loss for words for the first time in his life. “Wow, you look… great.”

“You think?” Chiyo murmured and Nishinoya nodded vigorously.

“Yeah! I mean you always look great, but the traditional clothes are a nice touch.”

Tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, Chiyo smiled. “Thanks.”

Nishinoya stared for a few seconds longer. It wasn’t long enough to be considered rude or creepy, but just long enough to let Chiyo know that he genuinely appreciated her outfit. Eventually, he clapped his hands together and turned towards the lines of festival stands. “Alright, let’s get going,” he said. “The festival isn’t gonna last all night.”

“Mhm,” holding her kimono purse with both hands, Chiyo was about to follow him down the path when Nishinoya suddenly paused.

“Oh, right!” He turned back towards her and extended his hand. “Here!”

Chiyo blinked.

“So we don't get separated, you know?” Nishinoya said.

That was a lie. Karasuno was a relatively small town, even by Miyagi’s standards. And while the firework festival was a hot gathering spot for most of its citizens, it was still difficult to get lost or separated that easily.

Chiyo knew that. She did, but she still chose to gently place her hand in Nishinoya’s open palm. She could feel her face burning as her blue eyes flickered between the ground and his wide-eyed expression.

“It’s…” She pressed her lips together. “It’s just so we don’t get separated… Okay?”

Nishinoya was flabbergasted for a moment. Perhaps he had expected her to turn him down, to swat his hand away like she always did. But when the initial shock wore off, an eager grin spread across his cheeks.

“Of course,” Nishinoya laughed, tugging her along. “Come on, I wanna get some yakisoba.”

Usually, the main temple of Karasuno city was relatively quiet, save for the occasional wedding. But for one night each summer, the area would truly come to life as families and friends gathered to celebrate the local shrine’s deity. Various food stands and game stations lined the sides of the path and traditional music played through the mini speakers.

Underneath the strung-up wax paper lanterns, Chiyo walked alongside Nishinoya, peering down at the bite she took out of her crimson candied apple.

“Is it good?” He asked, now wearing a white kitsune mask over his forehead.

“Yeah,” Chiyo nodded. “It’s just been a while since I’ve had one. Hotaru used to love these when she was little.”

“Really? I’m more of a chocolate banana guy myself,” Nishinoya hummed. “Hey, what time do the fireworks start again?”

“Seven-thirty, I think,” she checked her phone. “We still have a little more time. Is there something you want to do?”

“I wanna go to the shooting gallery!”

Chiyo raised an eyebrow. She looked around, trying her best to spot one with no avail. “I think I saw one a little further back there,” she said, pointing her sweet treat behind herself. “Do you wanna go?”

“Perfect!” Nishinoya’s grip on her hand tightened. “Let’s go!”

Chiyo’s eyes crinkled a little at his enthusiasm. They made a quick turn and set off in the direction they came from.

“By the way, where is your grandpa tonight?” She asked as she took another bite of her candied apple.

“He’s on a date with that uhh…” He twirled his finger in the air. “Flight attendant, I think.”

“Ah, Kasumi-san?” Chiyo said after a moment of thought, barely remembering the woman’s name from her last visit to the Nishinoya residence. “I thought she left for Thailand already.”

Nishinoya shook his head. “Nah, that’s tomorrow,” he glanced up at the velvet sky for a bit before turning his attention back to Chiyo. “What about Hotaru and Kaito? What are they doing tonight?”

“They’re with dad.”

“Oh, nice!” Nishinoya smiled. “Did Amari-san manage to get the day off?”

“Yeah, I think he took them to the library and rented a movie for the night,” Chiyo looked down at her outfit. “Honestly, it feels a little weird being here without them.”

He cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

Chiyo met his gaze. “It’s just…” She began after a moment of thought. “Every summer, I would take Hotaru and Kaito to the firework festival. You know, just the three of us.”

The realization dawned on Nishinoya and he immediately stopped in his tracks. “Wait, don’t tell me I dragged you away from them or something?!”

Chiyo shook her head. “I was the one who wanted to come, Yuu. Don’t worry about it,” she looked straight ahead. “I just feel a little bad. Like I’m breaking family tradition,” she sighed. “I need to do better as their older sister.”

Nishinoya hummed. “I think you do a lot already though."

“I do?”

He nodded. “I mean you’re way more responsible than my sisters, that’s for sure.”

Chiyo blinked a few times before looking away.

“Thanks.”

After a little more walking, the shooting gallery booth came into view right as Chiyo finished her candied apple. Nishinoya’s face brightened.

“Hey! Hattori-san!” He waved at the old man sitting behind the table who wore a white tank top and straw hat.

“Well!” The old man’s eyes widened and he laughed. “If it isn’t my favorite customer. How are you, Yuu?”

“Same as always! Pretty good!”

“Good, good,” he fanned himself with a Japanese fixed fan printed with the festival logo. “And ol’ Mineo? Where’s he tonight?”

“Grandpa’s out on a date tonight, so it’s just me,” Nishinoya grinned. “Oh, but I brought a date with me too!”

He gestured to Chiyo and the redhead took it as a cue to introduce herself. “Hello,” she lowered her head, albeit a little awkwardly. “My name is Amari Chiyo.”

She couldn’t help but feel her face warm at the fact that Nishinoya referred to her as his date.

“Ain’t that nice? Yuu’s got himself a girlfriend,” the old man chuckled. “Nice to meetcha, little lady. I’m Hattori. Yuu and I go way back.”

Chiyo gave him a small nod and Nishinoya slapped a few coins down on the table.

“Hattori-san, gimme two tries.”

“You got it!”

As Hattori turned around, Chiyo leaned in.

“How did you manage to get all chummy with the shooting gallery guy?” She whispered.

“Gramps used to bring me here every summer,” Nishinoya wasn’t nearly as discreet. “He’s big into town festivals.”

“Yuu was just a little boy when we first met,” Hattori said as he handed Nishinoya an air gun “Wouldn’t stop crying til he won something.”

“I was like three, Hattori-san,” Nishinoya frowned. “And for the record, I still have that Ultraman figure. It’s on my desk at home.”

“I’m honored!”

“Ever since then, gramps always made sure to stop by whenever we come to the firework festival,” Nishinoya then turned to Chiyo. “We’d each take two turns and see who can get the most prizes. It’s kinda a tradition of ours,” he then winked. “So don’t worry ‘bout it. You’re not the only one breaking family tradition tonight.”

Chiyo’s eyes widened. She felt her heart flutter a little as Nishinoya turned to face the shooting gallery. He readied his air gun, aiming down the scope and lining it up with an action figure on the top shelf.

The first and second shots just barely missed the action figure, but the third one managed to hit the masked superhero right in the chest. It fell off the shelf and hit the ground.

“Whoo!” Nishinoya cheered.

Hattori whistled. “Nice job! You have five bullets left.”

Nishinoya then lined his scope up with a box of strawberry chocolate cones. The cork flew out and clipped the side of the box, knocking it down with a light rattle.

“You’re pretty good at this,” the redhead hummed.

“I had a lot of practice,” Nishinoya beamed proudly. “Hey, do you want something?”

Chiyo shook her head. “No, I’m good. Just get something for yourself.”

Nishinoya’s gaze lingered on her for a little longer. “Okay,” he murmured before squatting down, lowering his stance just enough to line his scope with a large cat plush toy on the bottom row.

The first shot whizzed past its ear, but the second one hit it in the left eye. The cat plush rocked back a little and Nishinoya was just about to cheer, but it quickly swayed forward and returned to an upright position.

“I hit that thing!” Nishinoya shouted. “Hey, Hattori-san! You saw it right?”

Hattori let out a hearty laugh. “You know how it goes, Yuu. Gotta knock it over for it to count. You got one shot left.”

Nishinoya frowned. He narrowed his eyes at the ginger cat plush that stood defiantly on the dark brown shelves of the shooting gallery booth. Chiyo watched as he turned back and crouched down into his previous position. He was so focused, even she began to feel a little nervous from the sidelines. It reminded her of his behavior whenever he stood on the volleyball court - calm and quiet.

He blinked a few times and shook out his hand before lining the scope up with the cat plushie once more. Nishinoya took a deep breath and finally pulled the trigger.

The cork flew out of the muzzle of the air gun, hitting the plushie on the forehead with just enough force to knock it backwards. It fell off the shelf and landed on the grass below with a soft thump.

“Alright!” Nishinoya threw his arms up in celebratory victory and Chiyo clapped.

“Good job,” she chuckled as Hattori bent down to pick up the plushie, action figure and box of chocolates.

“Gotta say, you’ve improved Yuu,” Hattori wore a big smile as he handed Nishinoya all of his prizes. “Seems like little Yuu from all those years ago ain’t that little anymore,” he teased, ruffling Nishinoya’s hair.

“You say that every year, Hattori-san,” Nishinoya laughed, accepting the brief yet affectionate gesture. “Thanks as always.”

He then turned to Chiyo and presented the stuffed animal.

“Here ya go!”

“Wait, for me?” She asked and Nishinoya nodded. “Yuu, I told you to get something for yourself.”

“And what I wanted for myself is to get something for you,” Nishinoya replied cheekily. “Come on, just take it!”

Chiyo blinked a few times before glancing down at the cat plushie in her arms. The fur was surprisingly soft, made of some kind of synthetic fibre with ginger and white stripes. Its eyes were large and green, staring at her with an expression that practically begged her to bring it home with her. She pursed her lips and cleared her throat.

“Fine,” she averted her gaze, trying to hide the redness that threatened to set her cheeks aflame. “Only because you went out of your way to win it for me.”

Nishinoya grinned. “Of course, of course.”

“Noya-san!”

Chiyo glanced over her shoulder at the voice, spotting a few familiar faces approaching from the nearby takoyaki stand.

“Oh, Ryuu!” Nishinoya waved at the boy with a shaved head and sharp eyes. “Chikara and Kazuhito too!”

Chiyo quickly recognized them as members of the volleyball team, as well as Ennoshita Chikara, who was a classmate of hers.

She gave him a small neck bow. “Good evening, Ennoshita-san.”

“Amari-san,” Ennoshita shot her a polite smile. “Nice seeing you here.”

“You too. How’s your summer been so far?”

“Pretty good,” he went along with the small talk, ignoring Nishinoya and the bald-headed boy as they made a ruckus only a few feet away. “Are you here for the taiko drum performance too?”

“The taiko drum performance?” Chiyo was a little confused.

“Tanaka’s sister performs at this festival every summer,” Ennoshita explained, briefly eyeing the bald boy. “So Narita and I came along to support them today. It’s the least we can do.”

“Saeko-neesan is super cool,” the boy with short black hair, presumably Narita, said. “She’s brought along her taiko crew to cheer us on at every competition since Spring High last year.”

“Saeko…?” Resting a hand on her chin, Chiyo thought for a moment. “Wait, is she the one with blonde hair that goes up to here?” She held her free hand just above her shoulder and both Ennoshita and Narita nodded.

“Yeah. Do you know her?”

“I don’t know her personally, but I saw her at the interhigh preliminaries this year,” Chiyo explained. “She was yelling at us to cheer louder during your match against Date Tech.”

“Speaking of which, where’s Kinnoshita?” Dropping whatever he was doing with Tanaka, Nishinoya turned to Ennoshita.

“He couldn’t make it,” Narita replied. “I think he’s in Kamakura visiting family.”

“Ah, that’s too bad.”

Ennoshita then noticed the ginger cat plushie Chiyo was carrying. He glanced at the shooting gallery they were standing by, now servicing a mother and her two children and quickly put two and two together.

“Hey, Amari-san,” he called out to her. “Are you here with Nishinoya tonight?”

“Huh?” Chiyo blinked a few times, squishing the cat plushie’s doe-eyed face further into her chest. “Erm… yeah. We’re here to watch the fireworks together.”

“Wait, seriously?!” That quickly derailed their previous conversation as Tanaka’s eyes grew wide. “You’re gonna watch the fireworks together? Like together, together? Did you finally ask her out, Noya-san?”

“Hey, that’s rude,” Nishinoya pouted. “For the record, this is our second date. We already went on our first date like a year ago,” he puffed out his chest proudly. “But yeah, I asked her out.”

“No way!” Narita’s jaw dropped.

Tanaka’s lips tightened into a thin smile that teetered the line of being scary to Chiyo. He stiffly grabbed Ennoshita and Narita by the shoulder and spun them around back towards the Takoyaki stand. “Well, if that’s the case. We won’t bother you anymore,” he said in a sing-song voice. “Come on boys, let’s go.”

Following Tanaka’s very obvious attempt to leave them alone, Ennoshita gave an awkward laugh. He then glanced back at Chiyo.

“The fireworks should be starting soon,” he told her. “You guys should go find a spot for that.”

“Ah, okay,” not knowing what else to say, Chiyo could only nod.

“See you guys!” Nishinoya waved, watching as his friends’ silhouettes disappeared into the crowd before turning to the redhead. “Alright,” he extended a hand outwards. “Let’s go! I know a spot with the best view!”

Chiyo stilled for a moment but she quickly took his hand with a sweet yet bashful smile.

“Yeah,” she chuckled. “Let’s go.”

“Thank you for waiting. The firework show will start momentarily.”

As the announcement played through the speakers, Nishinoya and Chiyo arrived at a riverbank just outside the temple. A crowd of people began to gather alongside them – families, couples and large groups of teenagers, presumably still in the early stage of high school. Chiyo watched as a group of girls much younger looking than her chatted away by the black railings.

“Yuu,” she murmured just loud enough for him to hear. “We’re gonna be graduating soon, huh?”

Nishinoya glanced at her. “Yeah,” he hummed. “How is exam prep going?”

Chiyo shrugged. “The same as always.”

“Have you decided what you wanna do?”

“I… I have a general idea but,” she met his gaze for a brief moment before looking away. “I don’t know.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Nishinoya assured her. “You still have your entire life to figure it out.”

“I know…” Chiyo’s expression gave way to a half-hearted smile. “I know that. But it’s just… scary. I thought I had my entire life figured out. I wanted to set a good example for Hotaru and Kaito,” she let out a half-hearted laugh. “But turns out I didn’t and I feel like I’ve let everyone down.”

It was subtle, but Nishinoya’s grip on her hand tightened ever-so-slightly. “There’s nothing wrong with not knowing,” he said. “Not everyone’s gonna know what they wanna do the second they graduate high school. If anything, I think not knowing and pushing forward makes you even more admirable.”

Though there was still a lingering sourness in her expression, Chiyo smiled. “Thanks,” she whispered. “For everything.”

“Of course! I’m always in your corner, no matter what,” he grinned cheekily. “Even if you’re a baby-eater.”

“A baby-eater?” Chiyo raised an eyebrow. “Where did that come from?”

“You! It came from you,” Nishinoya laughed. “You said that when we first met!”

“Did I?” She gave him an appalled look and Nishinoya nodded.

Chiyo was about to argue when a loud boom echoed across the riverbank. The water beneath them rippled and she turned her head just in time to see a blossom of red and orange bloom against the dark velvet sky.

Then one after another, sparkling trails continued to launch into the sky and erupt in a flashing light. There was blue, purple, green, yellow and pink. The colors shone so brightly they almost felt like daylight reflecting in her eyes.

Chiyo stood there, entranced by the magical view before her. The flickering lights were mirrored in the river below, smelling faintly of gunpowder and smoke as the sound resonated through her entire body like a drum. She felt a light squeeze on her hand and tore her eyes away to meet Nishinoya’s gaze, finding that he was staring at her rather than the brilliance before them.

With that same goofy, love-struck grin, came those familiar words.

“I like you.”

Her eyes widened.

Amari Chiyo was stubborn, but she wasn’t stupid. She realized what her feelings were long before she cared to admit it.

At first, it seemed absurd and Chiyo wondered if Nishinoya’s stupidity rubbed off on her, resulting in such a disturbing revelation. But she soon realized that she did not, in fact, have any loose screws in the head.

At some point in time, she fell for Nishinoya.

Clutching the cat plushie closer to her thumping chest, Chiyo felt her face heat up. She swallowed hard, then opened her mouth. Riding on a certain high, the words began to tumble out of her mouth.

“Yuu, I-!”

A familiar ringtone suddenly blared out, overtaking the booming fireworks in the background as Chiyo suddenly came to her senses and held her tongue. Nishinoya stumbled and began digging through his yukata.

“Shoot, that’s me!” He mumbled, quickly finding his cell phone and checking the caller ID. “Ah, crap. Sorry, I gotta take this.”

“Oh,” Chiyo blinked. “No, go ahead.”

Nishinoya gave an apologetic smile before answering the call.

“Hello? Sato-san?”

Chiyo recognized that name. Sato Akari - one of Nishinoya’s classmates and his assigned partner for the summer history project.

“Sorry, now really isn’t a good time… Yes, I know we need to look over our notes…” Nishinoya sighed. “Look, we’ll set up a time later, ‘kay? I’m on a date right now… Yeah, it’s fine… I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Nishinoya quickly ended the call and shoved his phone back into his belt. “Sorry ‘bout that,” he rubbed his neck awkwardly. “What were you gonna say?”

Chiyo’s lips parted but her voice fell short on the tip of her tongue. She was suddenly reminded of the day when he first confessed to her. He had asked her out so suddenly and with little to no context, she didn’t take him very seriously. Granted, his reasons at the time were as shallow as they could get. But even as he continuously pursued her, she brushed him off with the same mindset, thinking he would eventually get bored and move on.

Yet he never did.

Instead, he faced her head-on with nothing but patience and sincerity.

And now after hearing that brief exchange, a thought sank into Chiyo’s mind.

Do I even deserve to accept his confession?

“I…” Chiyo’s eyes flickered down to her yukata as her drumming heartbeat echoed in her ears. “The fireworks,” she blurted out, meeting his gaze once more with a wistful smile. “They’re really pretty. Thanks for coming out with me today.”

Nishinoya’s face lightened and he grinned as brightly as the fireworks behind him.

“Yeah, no problem!”

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#haikyuu #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu imagine #hq #haikyuu x oc #nishinoya #nishinoya x oc #nishinoya yuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x y/n #haikyuu x you #nishinoya x y/n #nishinoya x reader #nishinoya x you #hq x reader #haikyuu fluff

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owlyflufff · 1 year

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Flowers became a love language between Bokuto and Akaashi, somehow.

To pull back the strings of time to when it started means to draw all the way back to Bokuto Koutarou’s third year, his last Summer Camp.

Over at the horizon of the hill where the players (mostly Karasuno) ran up and down for every loss, there Akaashi had stayed, watching as the last rays of sun sputtered out.

A little moment of peace as one would say. Although as most things, they don’t quite last forever.

“Akaashi look at this!” Footsteps thud along the incline of the hill and Akaashi doesn’t need to raise his head to know who it is.

He looks up all the same.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says, the faintest sigh passing him by, “perhaps you should look at yourself first?”

For a moment, Akaashi watches as Bokuto swerves around like a dog chasing after it’s tail. Laughter spills from Bokuto’s lips not long after and punctures the air, the confidence sauntering into hesitance.

Whatever front Bokuto had attempted to put up was futile in the face of Akaashi Keiji, literally. There’s dirt everywhere, stuck onto every portion of Bokuto’s clothes, reaching to his arms and legs.

“Okay, I’ll admit…maybe I didn’t think this one through,” Bokuto says as his hair animatedly sags for a brief moment only to spike up again in the next.

To this day, Akaashi doesn’t quite know how it happens. It just does.

Accepting Bokuto’s defeat, Akaashi stands up and pulls the towel from his neck. He pats it on Bokuto’s arms to dust some chunks off, careful not too knock Bokuto’s hands, for there’s something being held so closed and kept within them. Akaashi can only bear witness to its mystery.

“And I take it, this was all for a good reason?”

“Exactly, see Akaashi, the end does justify the means!”

The amount of nonchalance in Akaashi’s movements as he continues to brush of portions of dirt were enough to conceal whatever silent war was raging in his mind. Of instances, and of cliches and of many many stories where,

“That’s debatable.” Akaashi counters.

“Then, I’ll debate against your debate!” Bokuto announces, the brightest grin on his face. There can only be so many instances where Bokuto and Akaashi are in synch with each other. Even then when they weren’t, Akaashi had always needed someone to balance his constant sense of practicality and allow it to descend into something nonsensical, pluck away that part of him that was always so logical and morph it into something fun.

For what is life without being able to enjoy it?

And for all of Bokuto’s ridiculousness right now, covered in dirt and looking like a hopeless mess, Akaashi smiles.

“I wouldn’t hold back,” the smile spreads a little more, fondness blossoming in the summer. “So, what is it that you wanted to show me Bokuto-san?”

“Oh, right! Here Akaashi look, look, look. Look at this!”

For someone who’s hands Akaashi has known so well for creating the most thunderous booms across a stadium when sending a mere volleyball down to the ground, this time those hands craddled. It feels gentle. He sees why.

Hues of blue and pink sprout out as Bokuto lowers his fingers one after the other until finally, Akaashi saw being held with utmost care, were flowers. A flurry of blue and pink flowers unfolded before him.

“They’re hydrangea flowers.” Bokuto says with a smile full of glee. “Are you looking Akaashi?”

If Akaashi’s silence and soft breathes as he peers down at the sight before him isn’t enough proof of his own mesmerized state, then he doesn’t quite know what must be spilled or what proof is there for his heart to give.

He’s still learning what it means to open it after all.

“I am Bokuto-san,” Akaashi whispers. “They’re lovely.”

“They really are!” Bokuto exclaims. “I found them over there, just up ahead near those pile of rocks.”

“I remember seeing you bringing Hinata and Lev over to a pile of flowers yesterday,” Akaashi says.

“Tsuki seemed to like the ones I showed him as well!”

“Shoved, Bokuto-san. You shoved flowers on Tsukishima’s face.”

“Well, how else was he going to witness them in all their glory Akaashi?!”

Akaashi allows that conversation to settle, peering down at the flowers once more before looking up. “I don’t remember you being so enthusiastic about flowers before Bokuto-san.”

“I’ve always loved flowers! I just-how do I say this? Hmmm...” Bokuto swings himself a bit to the side in contemplation. “I guess I find it pretty cool when there’s more to something.”

“You mean, when you associate things with other meanings?”

“That!” Bokuto sends a pointing gesture at Akaashi. “It’s like learning that a super duper difficult word has two definitions. As for these...”

Now, here’s something that Akaashi Keiji knows about Bokuto Koutarou: that he has other interests outside of volleyball. That not every conversation they’ve had has been solely on the sport, he’s been on the receiving end of Bokuto’s many interests and listens to them with careful appreciation.

Now here’s something Akaashi Keiji doesn’t know about Bokuto Koutarou: that he can talk about something without yelling every three seconds.

There’s a lilt in Bokuto’s voice that leaves Akaashi stunned at the mere gentleness. The usual sharpness in his gaze, a far cry from it as it mellowed into something fond as he looked down at the flowers. And for a moment, for a second, Akaashi wonders what it would be like to have Bokuto look at him in that very same manner.

“...did you know that flowers have a language to them Akaashi?” Bokuto prods.

Akaashi offers a nod, “I’m aware of it, how each flower represents an emotion or virtue.”

“It also sends out a message!” Bokuto chimes in.

One moment the flowers are still under Bokuto’s careful hold, the next moment they’re practically shoved in front of Akaashi’s face.

“Here,” Bokuto says with the brightest smile on his face. “They’re for you actually.”

Akaashi is left at the mercy of his own frozen state. He looks down at the flowers being presented before him, then at Bokuto who, Akaashi fears his eyes are deceiving him surely, are tinted with the slightest pinkish red along his cheeks.

“I mean-they’ve always been for you!” Any ounce of composure Bokuto has had was diminished by the way his arms moved about. “I just didn’t give them to you immediately cause I thought I should find other flowers cause you deserve better but I mean they’re pretty but um-!”

Gestures, words, and actions have always been difficult for Akaashi to receive, any attempt at reciprocation resulted in short circuiting. He thinks this is the hardest of them all.

“Thank you Bokuto-san,” Slowly, Akaashi takes the hydrangea flowers from Bokuto’s hold. It effectively calms whatever worry Bokuto has down in one fell swoop.

“I’ll- I’ll make sure to take care of them.” Akaashi says as he fixes some of the petals before bringing it close. It smells of something new and sweet.

“Oh!” Bokuto has always been good at retaliation when it comes to volleyball, but not in conversations it seems. “Of course! Don’t sweat it, I’m sure you’ll do amazing at taking care of them cause you’re THE Akaashi and you’ve always been attentive of things...”

Then there’s that smile. That rare smile that’s nothing like those grins Bokuto has, for it’s something more intimate. More personal.

“You’ve always been attentive of me.”

If Akaashi looks at Bokuto for much longer, he swears he sees the sun, he sees hope and he sees every little good thing the world has to offer all in the form of a single human being.

“So! Consider it payback for all of it!” The gentlesness in Bokuto’s voice disappears, but the color in his cheeks is far from doing so.

Akaashi thinks that flowers don’t particularly equal to the hours he’s spent giving Bokuto tosses, or chasing after him in the rain with an umbrella, or plucking a solution to pick him up from one of his dejected modes, but he’ll take it. He’ll take it wholeheartedly.

He’ll gladly take anything from Bokuto Koutarou.

And if this is what Bokuto gives to Akaashi in return, he wonders if he has, somewhere in this point of time, in fact opened his heart. Or perhaps it’s been pried open unexpectedly, all it took was a enigma to shake his world around.

He’s not quite sure.

What he’s sure of in the very least is the smile forming on his lips as he gives a simple and soft, “thank you Bokuto-san.”

Fortunately enough the flowers stay alive by the time that Fukurodani arrive back at the campus and all of their members safely arrive back in their home.

Akaashi is careful with the hydrangeas Bokuto has given to him, placing it inside of a vase and letting them rest.

He sits down on his desk, not doing anything in particular save for mindlessly tapping on the surface to form some incoherent beat.

Thump.

“ ...did you know that flowers have a language to them Akaashi?”

Thump thump thump.

“I’m aware of it, how each flower represents an emotion or virtue.”

Thump thump.

“It also sends out a message!”

There is a loud thumping ringing along the walls however it’s no longer from Akaashi’s mindless tapping along the desk, it comes from the tapping of his keyboard.

Akaashi looks towards the vace, taking note of the color of the hydrangeas. Pink and blue. He notes it as he swiftly types on the keyboard: hydrangea meaning.

The first thing that appears is an image of four different hydrangea colors, below it are meanings, words that said flowers wish to convey.

Under the blue hydrangea it reads: “apology, gratitude, understanding.”

Under the pink hydrangea it reads: “true feelings, sincere emotions...”

Akaashi pauses on the last word,

“love”

Somewhere on a calendar, a phone screen even, the date would read “April 5″

Somewhere Bokuto paces around his room, looking at his phone, wondering if the message got across.

Somewhere Akaashi is already planning, thinking of booking his way straight to the nearest flower shop as he types on the keyboard:

“flowers that represent love” Flowers that say “I love you.”

Akaashi thinks, no he’s sure, he knows what it means to open his heart now.

And it all starts on April 5.

#happy bokuaka day <33!#hope you like it and I'm terribly sorry again for the delay TvT!#bokuaka #bokuaka fluff #bokuto #akaashi #bokuto koutarou #akaashi keiji #haikyu!!#haikyu #haikyuu #haikyuu!!#hq

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mr-telephoneman · 1 year

Text

PETALS | Yachi Hitoka/Kiyoko Shimizu

ଘ PETALS | in which unrequited love leads to death

ଘ warning/s: mentions of blood, vomit and death

ଘ please don't steal my work

The first petal of pink laced with blood should've rang alarm bells through her brain. Yachi had heard of the infamous flower disease known as Hanahaki spreading amongst young people not confessing soon enough to their crushes but she didn't expect herself to receive the disease as well. Perhaps it was the way she looked at Yachi that cause her heart to quicken, or just the little things like being near each other caused Yachi to forget how to breath. Or the way Kiyoko Shimizu would just find comfort in Yachi being around her. However she didn't expect herself to fall in love with the Karasuno Goddess herself.

Yachi remembered the day she threw up vibrant yellow flower's known as daffodil's. It was in the school bathrooms immediately after Kiyoko told her about her crush on her under classmen Tanaka Ryūnosuke. It was the way Yachi felt her heart shutter as Kiyoko tugged a piece of her hair behind her ear blushing underneath her glasses explaining how she fell for such a person. It was the way Yachi kept listening to her friend talk about her feelings as Yachi practically choked on her own. It was the way she made up an excuse scrambling to the bathroom vomiting out blood stained daffodil petals. She remembered how after she washed her hands she went into a coughing fit and spat out a perfect flower. No loose petals or just the petals on its own. Just one vibrant yellow daffodil sitting in her palm standing strong, and for some reason she kept it. Not in a vas but hard-pressed until it was flat enough to fit in her notebook. She thought writing was the cure, surely it wasn't.

After the daffodil's were yellow carnations. The way they taunted Yachi reminding her of her failures, reminding her that Kiyoko will never love her the way she loves Kiyoko. The carnations appeared the same day Kiyoko announced her relationship with Tanaka to her. The way Kiyoko was practically glowing yet it wasn't Yachi's doing. She felt the flower bloom in her throat as Kiyoko rambled about her relationship to Yachi. The way her smile widened at every recount made Yachi's knees weak. Carnations were harder to spit out compared to daffodil's, they would get stuck in her throat the same way Yachi voicing her feelings towards Kiyoko would do the same.

Yachi never cared for the night sky, until she was lying in hospital looking out to it. It reminded her of Kiyoko's long hair, it made her knuckles whiten. Not only did she have flowers growing in her lungs but now the night sky teased her endlessly. Daytime never helped either because there Kiyoko was in all her glory next to Yachi's bed worried for her friend as she is bedridden and on the verge of death. Kiyoko's heart pinched for her friend possibly not being with her 'til they were old but Yachi's heart was on it's last beats whenever she saw Kiyoko's beautiful ocean eyes wrinkle in worry. She cut her beautiful blue hair off for Yachi's was falling off from how weak her body was. Yachi remembered the tears that came with it as she watched Kiyoko chop it all off in front of her. Yachi's heart panged greatly, why did Kiyoko have to be so good to her? Their were nights she wished she resented her, but oh how Yachi's love for her was as great as Houyi's love for Chang'e the Moon Goddess. She found herself relating to the Mid-Autumn Festival Chinese legend. How Houyi's lover accidentally drank the elixir causing her to be immortal and live on forever as his time will soon come up. It was similar to how Yachi's time was nearly up and the Pink Tulips would sprout from her lungs and staring back at her in her palms.

To most people death was a scary thing. For Yachi, she would rather die with a disease that would kill her from accidentally falling in love than loose her best friend for her stupid feelings. White flowers usually appear at weddings, yet here were white Lilium's in her toilet bowl staining with dark blood starring back up at her. The way the petals were blown so wide welcoming the warmth of death to take her away into forever slumber comforted her.

The idea she would never wake up again and have to suffer watching the one she fell so hard for walk down towards the alter with baby breaths bouquet together, walking towards someone that isn't Yachi Hitoka. In loving memory may her afterlife be as peaceful as the way the Lillium twirled out of her throat. The way the petals would dance in the wind.

ଘ I wrote this instead of doing my pdhpe assessment LMAO

ଘ ALSO if your cool like me you would realise the flowers Yachi coughs up have meanings behind them *giggles*

#kiyoko shimizu #haikyuu kiyoko #kiyoko x yachi #yachi hitoka #haikyuu yachi #angst #haikyuu #haikyuu angst #im silly #hanahaki #unrequited feelings #unrequited love #tanaka x kiyoko #i love angst #fanfic #one shot #hq angst #hq

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haikyuusbookclub · 2 years

Text

#HaikyuuBookClubWeek1 is open!

Let's set the scene! Season 4 of the Haikyuu anime has just ended. Karasuno has won against the proclaimed favourites, Inarizaki. "I'm going to set for you one day", Atsumu has just exclaimed. Against all odds, Karasuno has won their second match at Nationals. "We've still got a long way ahead of us." Says Akaashi. Bokuto replies: "We're gonna win 'em all." Day two is finally over. The tension is high. We all know what's coming next. The infamous battle of the garbage dump!

"I will defeat Kenma" - Hinata Shouyou

Week 1 (12/9 - 18/9): Chapters 292 - 297

What we’ve read about:

The origins of the battle of the garbage dump between Nekomata and Ukai, and how the 'new kids' have their own rivalry going on now

Kenma usually not feeling much about winning or losing, foreshadowing perhaps??? wink wink

The beginning of the match! It's immediately apparent that this won't be an easy game -- for either team!

We see how Nekoma adapts to Karasuno's more vicious, more advanced attacks since the last time they played together, and don't forget they themselves have a few new tricks up their sleeves

It's blockers vs blockers in the final chapter of this week

Let’s discuss!

#admin E #HaikyuuBookClubWeek1 #HaikyuuBookClub #I will be tagging for attention thank you very much #Haikyuu #Haikyuu!!#hq #kenhina #kuroken #kagehina #bokuaka #admin post

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eurydicees · 11 months

Note

hi eury!! i was wondering if i could perhaps entice you to please write some iwasuga? o: maybe with number 22 from that touching prompts list you reblogged earlier? if not, bokuaka would be fantastic too tbh. your bokuaka is always really good 🫶

i hope you're having a good day!! and thank you in advance if you do take this request!!

kennedy it would be my HONOR to take this request from you!! have some iwasuga for the heart. also there's a lot of oikawa thrown in because i'm incapable of resisting. sorry about that part.

in the hallway, after the game

summary: there, in the hallway, standing around the corner, oikawa sees the two of them as they are when they're alone. (or, iwaizumi and suga, after the game.) prompt: #22: falling asleep on the other’s shoulder pairings: hajime iwaizumi/koushi sugawara words: 1611 warnings: none

After the Shiratorizawa versus Karasuno game ends, Oikawa loses Iwaizumi in the crowd. They get separated only a few moments after exiting the gymnasium: one second Oikawa is tugging on Iwaizumi’s sleeve to pull him towards the exit and the next second, Iwaizumi is slipping out of his grasp. He gets swallowed up by the crowd, and Oikawa doesn’t notice until he’s far too gone.

He decides to wait by the door, thinking that, if he stays in one place, Iwaizumi will be more likely to be able to find him again. Besides, Iwaizumi has to leave the building eventually, and the easiest path to the train station is through this exit. So he leans up against the wall and takes out his phone, sending him a text letting him know where he is, and then pulls up the most recent gacha game he’s become obsessed with.

But the longer that he waits—the more impatient he gets; the more levels he fails—for Iwaizumi to either text him back or to show up in front of him, the more suspicious Oikawa gets. It’s been too long for him to have simply gotten lost in a building they’ve been in dozens of times before and too long for him to have simply gotten swept up in the crowd. He must have gone somewhere. Somewhere without telling Oikawa.

Oikawa is well aware that Iwaizumi doesn’t actually need to tell him where he went—it’s not like they came together to this game; they can leave at different times if Iwaizumi so chooses—but he’s still slightly annoyed by his disappearance. He could have at the very least said goodbye. They have limited time left together in high school—and in the same country, at that—and Oikawa figures he at least deserves to know if Iwaizumi is telling him to go home alone.

So he decides to go looking for him, because the crowd has thinned out now that the award ceremony is probably over and because he has always been too curious for his own good. He wanders around the building for a little while, just going through the hallways that he knows have benches to sit on.

It’s the last place he thinks to check, but, really, it’s the first one he should have looked in. It’s out of the way, nearby where the actual courts are but out of the way enough that no one really ever thinks to stop by there. If you’re trying to disappear, this is a good place to go. Oikawa would know. He’s sat here with Iwaizumi plenty of times before, head in hands, sweat dripping from his hairline, tears stinging at his eyes, after another defeat by Shiratorizawa. He turns the corner and can almost feel the weight of Iwaizumi’s hand heavy and comforting on his shoulder.

He spots Iwaizumi immediately; everything about the outline of him is familiar, everything about the shadow of him is recognizable without effort. He’s about to call out to him, ask why he disappeared, when he sees the other figure sitting next to Iwaizumi.

It takes a second longer to place the other figure, but then he’s unmistakable: the silver hair, the way he’s holding his body tight against Iwaizumi’s side but without compromising his posture, the blue and orange jersey he wears; and then Oikawa hears him laugh and the name comes to mind unbidden. It leaves a strange taste on his tongue. Sugawara. From Karasuno.

The first thing he feels is betrayal. How could Iwaizumi—how—when—

Then Iwaizumi laughs, too, and that sound is as sacred as anything, something that he gifts only to so many people, something private, something secret. Something Oikawa and the rest of Seijoh hold tight to their chests.

Oikawa sees it now: Iwaizumi has his hand around his shoulders, but it’s not as if in comfort so much as just in familiarity, as an affectionate gesture, something simple in its warmth. Anyone else might not think much of it, but Oikawa knows Iwaizumi, knows that he dislikes physical touch with most people, knows that he isn’t familiar like this with very many people, knows that his arm around another person’s shoulders is a brave, bold, intimate statement.

The feeling of invasion is beginning to roll over his shoulders. This is not something he was meant to see. This is something private, something for just Iwaizumi and Sugawara.

But curiosity wins over every instinct telling him to leave, and he leans against the wall, head craned around the corner to watch them.

“You played really well,” Iwaizumi is saying, with that gruff gentleness that he gets when being honest, being soft. There’s a note of embarrassment when he speaks, like he’s flustered just by being so close.

Sugawara hums, resting his head on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. Iwaizumi’s hand on his shoulder shifts slightly to pull him closer. “Thanks. I’m fucking exhausted now, and I didn’t even play the whole game.”

“You can rest now,” Iwaizumi tells him, and Oikawa can hear the softness of his Sugarawa’s sigh even from where he stands around the corner. “You’re going to Nationals though. Can’t rest long.”

“True.” Sugawara yawns loudly. “I’m just gonna sleep until Nationals, I think. Right here.”

“On me?” Iwaizumi teases.

Sugawara laughs quietly, and Oikawa doesn’t know him well but even he can hear the tenderness in it. Even he can tell how hallowed this moment is. Oikawa shifts uncomfortably, itching in his skin, knowing he’s watching something he shouldn’t be, when Sugawara speaks again. “I’m glad you came to watch.”

“Me too.” Iwaizumi kisses the top of his head and Oikawa flinches back behind the corner, pressing his head tight against the wall and staring out into the space in front of him.

Iwaizumi just kissed the setter from Karasuno. Kissed him. Gently. Softly. Delicately. None of those are words he has ever before used to describe Iwaizumi, but then again, he has never known him in the way that Sugawara clearly knows him. He’s never wanted to, not really, and seeing him like this feels wrong. Oikawa is out of place here, past his depth, beyond the boundaries he’s set with his best friend.

“You should probably get back to your team now, though,” Iwaizumi is saying, “and I should probably track down Oikawa before he starts leading a manhunt.”

“I know,” Sugawara says. Oikawa looks around the corner again to see as he presses his forehead against Iwaizumi’s shoulder, then leans up to kiss the side of his neck. “Just five more minutes.”

Iwaizumi hums, pretending to debate it. His hand moves to Sugawara’s hair, moving through it slowly. “You can have three.”

“Deal.”

Oikawa swallows, then turns around the corner. He should give them their privacy, probably. He starts walking away, trying to keep his footsteps quiet on the tiled floor. If Iwaizumi didn’t want him to know about his relationship with Sugawara—which, Oikawa can admit, was maybe fair of him; if he had found out any other way, he probably wouldn’t have reacted very well to the news, especially in light of their recent loss to Karasuno—then Oikawa will just pretend that he doesn’t know. He’s sure Iwaizumi has his reasons for not saying anything, and Oikawa respects him enough to not bring it up.

Iwaizumi, after all, has always been a deeply private person. He doesn’t like talking about his feelings if he doesn’t have to, and even with Oikawa, who considers himself his best friend, it can sometimes be like pulling teeth to get anything out of him. Other times, when they’re alone and he gets talking, Oikawa can’t get him to shut up.

But with this, with whatever he feels towards Sugawara, Oikawa gets the sense that Iwaizumi doesn’t want to share it just yet. He will eventually, because the two of them don’t keep secrets between each other and this is a pretty big one, but for now, it seems like something he wants to keep private, between just him and Sugawara.

Oikawa makes it back to the front exit before texting Iwaizumi again: Still waitingggggggggggggggg…

This time, the response comes only a minute later, with Iwaizumi telling him that he’s on his way and just had to go do something really quickly. Oikawa almost says that it’s been almost half an hour and that he’s well aware that Iwaizumi is off cuddling with the enemy—

Then he deletes the entire message and pockets his phone. This is why Iwaizumi didn’t tell him about his relationship—if that’s what this is—with Sugawara. He takes a deep breath. He needs to be more supportive than this.

There had been something sweet about it anyways, about Karasuno’s setter falling asleep on Iwaizumi. There was something soft in every motion and in every word; soft in a way that Iwaizumi usually refuses to be with anyone. There was an intimacy in it that Oikawa is almost jealous of. The way Iwaizumi’s hand had threaded through Sugawara’s hair in the final moments as Sugawara was probably closing his eyes. The way Sugawara had sighed into his touch. The way Iwaizumi had laughed, the way Sugawara had made him laugh.

Oikawa leans against the wall, putting his hands in his pockets and staring down at his feet. He’s happy for Iwaizumi, he thinks. Sugawara seems to make him happy, seems to make him comfortable, makes him feel at peace. That much is going to be enough for Oikawa.

He’s still going to crush anyone from Karasuno if they ever meet again in a volleyball match, though. Loving Iwaizumi—which is as easy as breathing—is not enough to keep Oikawa from wanting to beat all of them.

#my writing #summer 2023 prompts #haikyuu #iwasuga #hajime iwaizumi #koushi sugawara #haikyuu iwaizumi #haikyuu sugawara #haikyuu fanfiction #iwaizumi fanfic #iwaizumi hajime #sugawara koushi #iwasuga fic

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moonchild-things · 4 months

Text

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Stepping Stone

Summary: Shōyō Hinata loves volleyball! There is no doubt that all he really thinks about is volleyball. His sister, however, isn’t the same way. Sakura is ready to start her first year of high school at Karasuno with her twin brother and doesn’t really want to do anything, unlike Shōyō. Though she can’t help it when she gets dragged into the antics of the volleyball club.

Word Count: 3738

Blog Masterlist | Red Herring Masterlist | Last Chapter | Next Chapter

A/n: HAPPY NEW YEAR WELCOME TO 2024! I got back from a family vacation to Aruba so my mind is still on vacation mode lol I finished a chapter tho!

---

THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD WAS HAPPENING in the Karasuno photography club. Wada Katski and Ito Miki were arguing, not surprising. It had started with Shimada telling the club about the finishing touches for the set up and layout for the gallery that was about an hour away from starting. Then Wada had made a suggestion, one that Ito disagreed with, and then the bickering ensued.

Sakura had already tuned the pair out as she’s gotten used to it by now. Besides she had her own internal debate to deal with right now. When she had first been given the topic for this gallery, there was an instant idea that popped into her head. Who did she really find inspiration? Who did she see as her hero? That was obviously her brother. People might think that it was cute for her to think of her twin brother as her hero and looked up(more like down) to him and his passions. Though after their fight, after her own realization, she found herself seeing that her constant need to have him a part of every aspect of her life and vice versa was not too healthy.

It left quite a bit of a bitter taste in her mouth, if she were to be honest. She was obviously going to keep this topic for her entry into the gallery. It was too late for her to change it. Though it wasn’t like she really wanted to. Even if they had this fight, it didn't mean she didn't value him any less.

If anything, she was using this moment as a stepping stone, at least in her eyes. One of the last odes to her brother before she finally goes all in on finding who she is as a person. A dedication to him, going to the Tokyo practice camp as her one last volleyball adventure for them both also being a part of that. Perhaps she should have said that she wasn’t going to go. Just like the last training camp, she didn’t really think that there was a need for her to be there. Getting a few photos would be nice, but she didn’t have to be there the entire time.

That was something she usually wondered about. Why Ukai and Takeda let her tag along for so long. It wasn’t like she was a manager or anything. She didn’t provide all too much, in her eyes, to the team besides helping Yachi and Kiyoko with some managerial stuff. Perhaps she made some comments about the guys and how they played, but nothing more. Maybe they had her there because she was a good way to reign in her brother and Kageyama sometimes. Whatever the reason is, she didn’t really care. She got the opportunity to be with her brother, and she was grateful for that. Though she certainly wouldn’t be asking to go along after this one. Doubt she’d really be missed, she might miss getting to see Kiyoko and the others she tolerated most days, but it would have to happen. The real question was whether she would miss it herself.

Just as Sakura was going to continue over-thinking things about her and her brother, it seemed like the bickering that had been happening in the background had suddenly become nonexistent. Looming over the once arguing pair, the angelic Mori was giving them a closed-eyed smile. Quite a menacing aura surrounding her and stealing the breath from the others in the room.

“I think that the layout would look better with Yokoyama placed here, Ito, Shimada, Wada, Hinata and myself.” She gave them all an angelic smile that had an edge to it. Despite giving them a pleasant expression, they all knew that she was daring any of them to speak up again. A silent threat that no one wanted to see her make a promise. It caused them all to shiver, even Sakura who never really gets scared by anything.

Shimada clapped her hands loudly, causing the others to jump, “well, with that settled, we should get these to the art club too. Wada take these to them, please.”

The boy pouted, “Oh, why me?” Though he did just take the papers from her without saying anything else.

“Because you annoyed me the most, now let’s go!” Wada, sulking just a little bit, but doing as he was told. As he left, Ito stuck her tongue out at him, just being as childish as possible. Shimada then spun to scold her, “Ito! Stop antagonizing him! Now you and Yokoyama make sure that the displays are all set.”

Yokoyama stood up and saluted, “yes, ma’am.” So they grabbed Ito and started to drag her away to do as they were told. All the while, the mousy second-year was complaining about Wada as they went. Though after the two start going, it’s normal for Ito to start whining about him.

So that left Shimada, Mori and Sakura in the club room. With most of the preparations more or less done, besides some odds and ends that have to be taken care of, things were going smoothly as usual. That meant that the president and vice-president could relax. So while the others were tying up those loose ends, Shimada took this as an opportunity to slide over to Sakura.

“So are you excited?” She asked the younger girl, “Last time you were obviously quite anxious about it, so you must have gotten over your nerves this time!”

Sakura pursed her lips, “That’s not entirely how it works. But I am less nervous this time.” The initial fear of showing others her work was more or less overcome last time. She had grown confident enough in herself and her photography to be in the gallery. So it certainly wasn’t like she was going to be nervous about it this time.

“Great!” Shimada smiled, nearly jumping for joy. Obviously, she was happy for her underclassmen and her getting over her nerves. The last thing that she would want is for Sakura to end up as nervous as she was last time. “You’ll definitely enjoy this one more, I think.”

She shrugged her shoulders, “maybe.” Though she knew that Shimada was right. However, she wouldn’t want to admit that Shimada was right to her face, that would just cause the older girl’s ego to grow bigger. Sakura definitely doesn't need that, in her opinion.

Shimada nodded her head, content with her underclassmen’s lack of nerves over this. “I’m gonna finish up anything and make sure the set up is the right way.” With a short pat on Sakura’s head, Shimada skipped out of the room to supervise anything that she could find to keep herself occupied.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mori’s angelic voice asked, now that it was just her and Sakura in the room. She sat down on the chair in front of Sakura with a slightly apprehensive, yet encouraging, expression on her porcelain face. “I know that your subject is probably going to be a bit… awkward to talk about.”

Sakura thought for a moment, really trying to think about this. Yes, the subject of her photos, her hero, really was going to be awkward to talk about. Even more so if he did actually show up to the gallery. It certainly was a thought that had crossed her mind. More like it hadn’t really left her mind all too much. She cleared her throat, “I’m more than happy with who I chose as my hero. It's not like I could lie to myself about who I have viewed as my hero for basically my entire life, you know.” She drummed her fingers on the table in front of her. “My hero has always been my brother. He’s resilient and stubborn, determined and certainly never one to back down from a challenge. He’s also quite an idiot, but he has his moments.”

Mori gave her a sweet smile, “having a brother you admire is adorable, you know.” There are times that Mori wished that she had siblings. Younger or older, brother or sister, it didn’t matter to her. Though she then hears some stories about her friends and their siblings that makes her glad to not have one. Still doesn’t stop her from thinking about what it would be like.

She supposed that she could see her closest friends as siblings. Shimada was very much a sister to her, since they had joined the photography club in their first-year. The others who have come and gone in their little club held a place in her heart. She values her friends as much as she would family. Sakura certainly was a part of that sentiment too, even if they weren’t that close with each other. Mori was more than aware that Sakura liked to keep to herself, only opening up every once in a while. Shimada had really taken the younger girl under her wing, and Sakura really confided in her the most. So attempting to have a bit of a heart-to-heart with her, Mori figured that it was going to be a bit more difficult than with others. Though it was going pretty well for the time being.

Sakura blushed at her words, “Well, it’s not like he’s actually going to come to see it.”

There was a bitter undertone to her words. One that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to admit to. Either way she could still taste how sour her mood and words were. It definitely wasn’t pleasant. She did want her brother to be there for her, to support her in the same way that she has supported him. He has encouraged her and been to the first gallery, but who knew if he was going to be at this one. They hadn’t been talking to each other, at least the way that they usually have. So there was no telling if he would come to this. Sakura really hoped he did, even if she was still a bit annoyed with him.

Mori nodded her head, “Still, whether he’s there or not, you’re going to do amazing. He should be proud of you regardless.”

It wasn’t necessarily about if Sakura thought her brother was going to be proud of her or not. She is more than assured in the idea that no matter what argument or disagreement that the two could be in they would never stop supporting each other. No matter what he might say to her, or vice-versa, they would help each other achieve their goal. This misunderstanding wasn’t going to stop them from being family. They really just needed a moment. Though that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt any less.

So this was that moment, a stepping-stone for both of the teens to skip their way onto a new chapter of their lives. A time where they could develop themselves in the right way as individuals. It could be hard right now, however, it certainly would have some happy outcomes at some point.

Sakura let out a heavy sigh, “I just figured… This is a point that we can move onto a new point in our life. After this and the Tokyo camp, I think it’s best that Shōyō and I… do our own things. Actually, do our own things.”

“A good step forward.” Mori cheered her on. While she didn’t completely know how Sakura was feeling about this or her brother, she really hoped that this was a good thing for the both of them. The last thing that they would need is for something like this to just hurt them further. Mori didn’t want to see her good friend hurt or worse because of the relationship with her brother deteriorating further.

---

Tsukishima shouldn’t be here. Really he shouldn’t. Whatever had possessed him to walk towards the commotion by the art club, was completely unknown to him. He already knew what was going on there, since he had been here for the last gallery that they had. Though that time he didn’t really have a choice. The entire team had wanted to go, and Yamaguchi had asked him to come with. Of course, he went.

Perhaps that was due to his own curiosity. He had wanted to see what Sakura had done, and how he could bully her for it. Then again, his mind flashed to the last gallery when he tried to do the same thing.

He wasn’t exactly expecting her to stand up for herself. It kind of annoyed him. He couldn’t really get too much of a good gauge on what she was about. Yes, he knew that she was protective of her brother, that she would stand up for him no matter what. However, after having her stare him down and tell him that she was confident in herself and her work definitely threw a wrench in his mind. He thought that she would be an easy target, much like her brother, and he hates that she’s quite the enigma.

So maybe it was his curiosity gnawing at him again, or some sadistic part of his mind that wanted to try and bully her again. Still there was a smarter part of his mind yelling that it really wasn’t going to work. So why the hell was he peaking at the exhibits that people were gushing about?

As usual, there weren’t all too many people at the gallery, but that didn’t mean any of the students were less than excited. Art students were explaining their work to others, enthusiastic to show off their work. Just about everyone was more than happy to explain their work and process to anyone who was willing to listen. The only one who seemed to be not as enthusiastic was Sakura.

He watched as she talked a bit to an eccentric third-year next to her. If he remembered correctly, that was Shimada-senpai, the president of the photography club. He doesn’t know much about the older girl, never really caring to know about anyone in this club. Then again, he could care less to know about anyone else that he didn’t deem necessary. Hell, if he didn’t have to know most of his team, he knows his life would be easier.

He did his best to spy into the room and see her work. Not wanting to be seen by her and questioned why he was there, he needed to make sure that she wouldn't see him. The last thing he needs is her smug face looking up at him because he was caught.

He rolled his eyes when he saw the few shots that she was displaying. Her brother. Of course they were of him. Who else would they be about? Apparently there was something about Heroes for this gallery's theme. Not that he was really paying too much attention. Though it didn't surprise him that it was her brother that she used for her hero. Everything in her life was about him, so why would this be any different?

“Why don’t you go in?”

Tsukishima jumped a bit at the sudden voice next to him. He certainly wouldn’t admit it but it nearly gave him a heart attack. Perhaps he was too stuck in his own head to realize anyone could walk up on him. He turned to see that it was Yamaguchi.

The green-haired boy smiled at him and asked again, “Do you want to go in?”

Tsukishima grunted and turned away from his friend, “No.” He could see Yamaguchi’s expression and didn't like it all too much. It seemed like he was going to tease him about something, and it bothered him.

“I'm sure Sakura would be glad to see people she knows coming to see her work!”

Tsukishima scoffed, “I'm not here to see whatever she's done.”

Yamaguchi blinked, a tad bit confused, “so why are you standing out here like a creep?”

“I'm not being a creep!”

“So you’re just watching Sakura from afar for…?” He raised an eyebrow, proving his point that Tsukishima was being a bit creepy.

“She’s annoying,” Tsukishima clicked his tongue.

His friend gave him a look, one that frustrated Tsukishima. Yamaguchi pursed his lips, “That isn’t an answer.”

He huffed harshly trying to say the right thing. “I don’t get how she’s able to annoy me so much. Her idiotic brother is easy to read… But I can’t understand her.” Even after being around her for a few months, he still hasn't come up with exactly how she worked. She got into

Yamaguchi tilted his head, “So you came here to understand her?”

Had he come here because of that? Then again what was he going to understand from her by watching her from outside? “It just felt strange that she wasn’t at the practices.”

His friend’s eyes widened, “Have you been missing her?”

Tsukishima glared at him though he didn’t say anything. No. He wasn’t missing her. What was there to miss?! Though if he did go in, she would undoubtedly pester him about him showing up. Tsukishima didn’t want to have to explain himself since he wasn’t even sure why he was there. Sakura got under his skin in a way that no one else has. Tsukishima sees most people as idiots, especially the likes on his team. However, Sakura wasn’t really an idiot. He could admit that she was smart, perhaps as smart as him, though he couldn’t pinpoint why she was just… different.

“Well,” Yamaguchi said, breaking Tsukishima from his thoughts, “I’m going to go and say hi to her. If you want to keep admiring her from afar, you can.”

Tsukishima jumped at the implication, “Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki.” Though with the tone of voice and teasing smile on his lips, Yamaguchi didn’t seem to actually be apologizing. He seemed to be happy in this moment to tease his friend, which he rarely ever gets to do. Though he knows just how funny Tsukishima can get sometimes about Sakura. There was an inkling that Yamaguchi had a feeling as to why. Though he was going to leave it alone for the time being, since he isn’t even sure.

Tsukishima was then left to stew with his own thoughts. He watched as Yamaguchi walked up to Sakura, and the two shared some smiles as they talked about the gallery. The way that Sakura’s face brightened at the sight of her friend didn’t sit right in Tsukishima’s head, and he wasn’t sure why.

Perhaps he was envious. Sakura had a great relationship with her brother, if not a bit too good. Was that something he wanted? Was that why his chest was tight when he thought about her smirk and narrowed eyes? Not that he should care. He gritted his teeth before marching off. Tsuikishima didn't need to worry about this. It would just annoy him further. Though it wasn't like she left his mind right away. She lingered behind in his mind and he hated that. She really was annoying him.

While on the court, Tsukishima knew that he couldn’t compare himself to Shōyō. That little ball of sunshine was the star of the court, while Tsukishima was just a stand in until Shōyō was needed again. However, when he found out about Sakura, he had thought that he could say that he was better than her. She wasn’t athletic, so he could say that he had that over her. Academic-wise, they were more or less on the same level. However, after at least figuring out that she was insecure about her photography, he felt gratification to know he could bully her for it. Maybe it was wrong of him, he only ever really did it to take his frustrations about her brother out on her. Though he didn’t care. Why would he? Though after time has passed and he’s had a moment of time without her snarky remarks in the gym… he missed it. And he couldn’t put his finger on why…

Elsewhere, also doing his best to go unnoticed, a certain decoy was hiding amongst the small crowd in the gallery. He thanked his height at this moment as he was able to keep himself from being spotted by his sister. He had wanted to come here to see what she did since she had been excited the last time they properly talked.

Shōyō knew the theme of the gallery. How serious Sakura took these topics to heart and how important they were. He wasn't going to miss out on it, even if they weren't exactly on talking terms. He is always excited to see her happy about her work, so why would he miss out on this? Though it certainly warmed his heart, yet struck his chest with a wave of guilt, as he saw the photos that she had taken of him.

He knew that Sakura looked up to him. As she should, in his mind. He’s the big brother, so he wants to be a hero for both of his sisters. To make sure that they are safe and happy was one of his greatest goals in life. Of course, he had his personal journey to become the next Little Giant, however, his family also came first.

Their argument was taking a toll on him. Shōyō had been reflecting on their childhood most of the time. Wrapping his head around what Sakura had said about wanting to be her own person seemed to be a bit more difficult than he thought. Their whole life, he thought that Sakura was happy. He thought that she was content with how they were never really apart. How bad of a brother is he to not have seen that?

Though after this, he was going to try. He wanted to try to completely understand what Sakura was feeling, how he could help her, and what they would do going forward. Sure, he doesn’t really see her issue all too much, but he wants to. Shōyō wants to listen to her and see where things went wrong. Maybe then she wouldn’t want to abandon him. So with the last fleeting look at his sister as she talked happily with Yamaguchi, Shōyō headed to find his bike. He had to head home to get ready for their trip for the camp. After tomorrow, he definitely was going to do what he could to make sure that Sakura really was okay.

---

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A/n: Ngl the chapter feels disjointed. I had something, then rewrote it entirely because it just felt wrong, and then I tried again but I wrote some of it a different times. So this chapter isn't that good. Has to be one of my worst lmao Either way next chapter is finally the Tokyo camp arc!! WOOO! Really my favorite arcs from the anime! I'm so excited! Let me know what you thought. Until the next chapter, my friends!

#ocs #fanfiction #multiple ocs #fanfic #oc #female oc #female!oc #male oc #male!oc #anime fanfiction #haikyū!!#haikyuu!!#haikyu #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyu oc #haikyuu #anime

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kaibashadow · 7 months

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Hinata and Tsukishima – The Moment

“Today, I’m pretty sure I witnessed someone having that moment. Day two of Spring Nationals. The day this shrimp got even more hooked and fell deeper in love with volleyball.” -Tsukishima Kei

- - -

There is something going on with Hinata Shoyo lately. You did not have to know the guy to see that he is not acting how he normally should be on this particular day. His name means “sunshine,” but he does not appear to be happy, smiley, bubbly, or active at this time. It is like he is not living up to that name right now. You make it your mission to determine the root cause of his recent mood and behavior.

“Are you lost? Are you lonely? Are you missing the one and only? Have you started to write the end of your story?” you ask, although, you did not expect to have any kind of answers to these questions. Hinata just did not want to talk about it after all. It is not easy to admit these kinds of feelings.

However, it was clear that there is something that was bothering him lately. Was it related to volleyball? This was his sport after all. He gave everything into this game like it was his lifeline. For something that immense to affect his very own core in such a way to where he could not express himself to anyone meant that it was an important aspect that could either help him build himself up again or tear him right back down. Was it a mistake that he made? Or is it something else entirely? What caused him to be like this? Is this something that he can learn from and try to overcome it? Or will this ultimately be the end for him?

Is he alive? Is he breathing? You cannot help but wonder if something had happened to make him react in such a way and feel like someone he does not recognize. “Have you lost all the feeling in his fingers and toes, body and soul?” you ask, but again, you are met with silence.

No matter how hard you try to get him to open up, nothing seems to be working. So, it’s up to you to figure how what exactly happened and find out the breaking point of when it all falls down.

Perhaps the answers lie within that last game he played. Which match was it? It was the one against Aoba Johsai, correct? That was the game that they lost.

That day, the whole team felt defeated. It must have affected number 10 of the Karasuno Boys Volleyball team a lot considering the fact that he rarely ever played during his middle school years and that this was his first time playing on a real team.

But it was not like they were out from playing volleyball altogether. Did they have future games coming up for this next tournament? Surely, he can look forward to those, right? He cannot just give up now. He has to keep going! He has to keep fighting and believing that he will get over this and be back to his normal self soon.

Eventually, your encouragement and your reminders finally help Hinata get over his loss and frustrations and move onto his conditioning and training. During this time, he takes his time to reflect back to the past and jog his memory of why he wanted to play volleyball in the first place. He is very quick, agile, determined, and proud of his skills. He may be short, but he will defy the laws of nature and gravity, like a certain Tiny Giant he saw long ago on television. That specific moment propelled him to be bold and move forward.

- - -

Hinata faces many challenges along with way, and one of his first plights he uncovers is his encounter against the tall middle blocker, Tsukishima Kei. Tsukishima is rock, a mountain, an unmovable strength. Scoring against him proves to be quite a difficult task to do by himself. His sheer height was already a force to be reckoned with along with the fact that he has exceptional observational skills and is a quick thinker. He sure was not going to go easy on anyone, and Hinata was no exception.

However, this middle blocker has his own set of problems that he deals with on a daily basis. He is even worse about opening up his feelings than the other middle blocker. After all, he is not the type of person who would ask for help. He wound try to do one of these things:

Try to solve them himself.

Ignore the topics and pretend that they do not even exist.

Bury them until they become an issue at a later time.

Be surrounded and influenced by something and take one drink, then it’s all forgotten.

Tsukishima is usually the cool, calm, clever, levelheaded person on the volleyball team. He is the wave. He is the ocean. Different tide with every morning, but this guy can usually adjust to whatever situation that life throws at him and let it fall with the current.

Of course, he also hates losing as well. No one really likes to lose. It is not a great feeling after all, but it is an experience that most people have gone through with each passing time.

But that moment when it all falls down and where his team lost against Aoba Johsai, he had mixed emotions. Sure, he was down, but was there a reason to keep trying? It is not like he is planning on doing this forever. Maybe it was better if he quit volleyball after all.

“Don’t be an idiot! It’s our sense of pride! What more do you need?” his best friend, Yamaguchi, yells at him with conviction. Yamaguchi was not going to let Tsukki walk out on this, not when he knows that he can do a lot better than his current skill level. He figured that if he is able to help change Tsukki’s state of mind, then he would be able to change his tune and give him that urge to keep going and push forward despite what his obtrusive thoughts keep telling him to do or what other people are saying around and about him.

That same night, he cannot help but commend Yamaguchi for his actions. Maybe that was his wakeup call. Maybe that could be a drive to help motivate him. When there is a cause, there will be an effect.

Even if that were the case, he definitely needs more reasons than just pride to back this theory up. After all, he is a practical person, not an idealist. So, he does the next best thing that one can do when searching for answers, and that is to seek out more information from other sources.

Tsukishima talks to Akaashi, Bokuto, and Kuroo about their reasons for volleyball. He is determined to find out if he can analyze any other causes he can come across and see if they make help achieve a desirable effect.

Out of all of them, Bokuto seems to be the most eager to answer Tsukishima’s question.

“If that moment ever does come to you… That’s the moment you’ll fall in love with volleyball.”

This specific quote is what Kei kept in his mind. He recalls his older brother, Akiteru, also telling him about his own moment and how he felt at that time that impels him to keep moving forward with the sport.

Eventually, the match against Shiratorizawa gives that opportunity for Tsukishima Kei. The moment he is able to achieve his own victory and successfully block one of the top three aces of the nation. Being able to block Ushijima’s spike meant everything for him at that time. That is an unforgettable moment for him and everyone who has seen this happen in real time.

- - -

If volleyball was easy, then everybody would be playing this sport. Everyone would be winning. There would not be any challenges in the game. It would always be fun to win.

Of course, that is never the case.

During that same game, both Hinata and Tsukishima are struggling against the strong team, specifically by one person, Ushijima. Both players are working overtime, but the more time that is being spent on this match, it seems like it is getting so hard that they can barely breathe. After all, they feel like Ushijima was holding the both of them down onto the court to the point where they can no longer fight back. It was nerve-racking, time-consuming, and an infuriating experience. If it was not for the rest of the Karasuno team to help them out and break them free from the ace’s powerful grips, they might have been defeated and fallen into despair at that point.

While Hinata is the type who tends to not dwell on the past, Tsukishima is quite the opposite. He is a critical thinker after all, but he can also be pessimistic as well. Shoyo is an optimist who can easily bounce back from being down and will try to use his infectious positive influence to bring others back up.

With the taller guy’s case, however, it takes time for him to get over things. For him, it’s getting so hard for him to understand certain aspects to these issues and a lot harder for him to believe that things will just work out in the end. He is not like the shorter volleyball player after all.

However, despite how he normally is, Tsukishima did make a promise to Hinata that he would back him up even if it was indirectly with a low five. And because of that, he had to at least give it his all and try his best to overcome the problems over time.

But even when everything is becoming increasingly strenuous to the point where even sheer willpower is failing, it was getting to be so difficult to try to keep that promise. it’s getting so tiring for Kei that he is barely able to see what is the purpose anymore. Why keep trying to strive for a win if it will take just about everything from his mind, body, and soul just to achieve that goal? Even Shoyo can see that his taller teammate may find that giving up is the effortless option and it would be easy to admit defeat.

So, Hinata continues to talk to Tsukishima and remind him of everything good that has happened to them to this day. He does not want Tsukki to quit. He has come so far already to just give up now. He can keep going. Shoyo clutches his chest and hopes that Kei could hear him. He cannot bear the thought of losing him. He would not know what to do without him.

Just when things look bleak and everything is out from their control, Tsukki finally snaps out of his mental anguish and pays attention to what is happening on the court. He can do this. He has to do this. There is no doubt about it. He can conquer anything if he puts his mind to it.

By doing so, this makes the sun smile at the moon. Hinata never gave up on Tsukishima, and Tsukki was able to deliver and keep his promise to his teammate.

- - -

As time passes on, both middle blockers were drifting far apart from each other. Hinata seems oblivious to notice, but Tsukishima is quite observant. He knows how important this next game is and one slip-up or miscommunication is all it would take to bring the whole team down. They need to be able to understand each other and sync up once again. They have to because neither one of them can face their next match alone. They need each other to do this.

Kei decides to initiate the conversation first. He tells Hinata about the other team and what he is capable of doing and what he thinks he could try to do. But instead of letting his pride get the best of him, Tsukki knows that he needs to be realistic and truthful with his words.

“But… I can’t do that.” This really means a lot to Kei. He knows his limitations, and he is not going to pretend that everything is and will be okay. He will not be able to defend and block out all the hits, attacks, and spikes. He knows that. No one can ever reach that impossible feat. But he does not want to face this problem alone and be left and lost at sea.

He reminds Hinata, “If so, you’d better be there.” This is important for Kei. He is putting all of his trust onto Shoyo, which is something that he rarely ever does for anyone. He knows that he cannot rely on just himself to be able to achieve the best possible outcomes and have positive results for him and his team. If they want to win, then they have to work together to achieve a victory that will be and already is arduous and time-consuming to do.

With the game reaching a critical point and emotions running high into these sets, Hinata continues to support and have Tsukishima’s back in all of this. He knows that it took his tall teammate a lot to be able to give that trust onto him. He was not going to let him down. He will be there for him. They cannot exist without the other. They will be able to defeat the odds and beat this game.

Even at certain plays, Shoyo cannot help but gaze at Kei in awe. “Wow! Tsukki is an incredible blocker.” He looks up to him. They can respect one another and continue to teach each other a lot. Even when it was hard for either of them to admit how well they work together, they are able to get the job done.

Both middle blockers prove their skills and their teamwork on the court. They make an incredible team. They overpower the obstacles and have their plays and moments. Even when it was to the point where the team was tired and everything was turning too dark for them like the night sky about to envelop and enclose each of them under the shroud of darkness, the sun comes out and brightens their hope, giving them all that opportunity to get back to the moment, recollect and regroup themselves, give them a breather, and to try again and execute the plan to succeed.

Hinata Shoyo and Tsukishima Kei have been through a lot with each other. They continue to work and play hard, do their best, and have each other’s backs going into things. They both respect one another despite their contrasting personalities. They continue to train against one another to improve their games and put their skill levels to the test. They point out their flaws and weaknesses and help each other become better.

And it all started back at that one night. The night where they met each other. The moment where they both discover their opposite. The moment where they met as rivals before becoming teammates who will constantly push each other to their limits. The moment where their challenges become their realities. The moment where the sun and the moon finally meet. The moment where it all began.

- KᴀɪʙᴀSʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ ♥

Edited: April 2023, June 2023, and September 2023 Uploaded: September 27, 2023 Hinata and Tsukishima - The Moment

#hinata #tsukishima #tsukki #amv #short story #haikyuu #hinata shoyo #tsukishima kei #yamaguchi #bokuto #kuroo #akaashi #akiteru #ushijima #story #2023 edit #KaibaShadow #happy birthday tsukki

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iwaoiincorrectquotes · 2 years

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the bottle turns slowly. so slowly that everything inside freezes, waiting for it to stop, like snow waiting for the sunrise in spring to finally melt.

they're all pretty drunk already. as much as teenagers should not be drunk, and even more so athletes. their heads are spinning, and if they close their eyes and sway from side to side, an unpleasant lump will immediately come to their throats. there are remnants of plum wine and snacks in the form of sweet marmalades on their lips — everything that Iwaizumi found at home — and they are stretched so unnaturally wide that their cheeks already hurt from stupid jokes that make them laugh louder than usual today. their legs are wadded up, and any of the students is sure that they will not be able to get up without help.

will they get home by themselves? how will they justify themselves to their parents? what will they do tomorrow? will they be able to go for a run? already a couple of glasses ago, this became not an urgent problem, but something like philosophy, which you can speculate about as soon as the bottle stops. and when the third bottle is over, they will decide to stay overnight in the empty house of the former ace of Seijo.

this evening was planned differently. completely different.

they lost to karasuno and had to just sit back, remember the last year that they spent together with all the training, stupid jokes, flirting Oikawa, Iwaizumi's anger, Matsukawa and Hanamaki's remarks, first-year laziness, mad dog fights, and much more. and suddenly Oikawa burst into the room with the bottles of wine he had just bought very late and was smiling the same way as always — slyly and happily.

how did Iwaizumi even agree to this adventure? he won't remember now. the first two glasses he was angry, the next three were accompanied by a disapproving look, and after seven glasses he was already laughing with everyone, forgetting to hide his amorous gaze at the smile of his best friend. it's a good thing everyone was too drunk to notice it.

the bottle continues to spin until it slows down, stopping the neck on the figure of the former ace. Oikawa, who gave it the direction, looks at her best friend with frightened eyes, and he just grins, taking a sip of a sweet drink. the room is covered with laughter, but iwaizumi does not hear anything, blushing with his ears alone. maybe it's a good thing. does Hajime have a chance to kiss Oikawa, and tomorrow pretend that it didn't mean anything and stay friends? sounds like a great plan.

only Oikawa fundamentally disagrees with this.

“no," the setter whispers, turning his head negatively and squinting, as if he saw a terrible monster.

"those are the rules, Oikawa!” matsukawa shouts, perhaps too loudly.

“I won't do it!”

“come on, Oikawa! we've been waiting for this for several years!” Hanamaki laughs and accidentally spills wine on the carpet. “damn it!” he whispers and tries to hide the mistake.

If Iwaizumi had been in a different state, he would have been angry by now.

"you can't make me!" tooru hands napkins to his friend. “and in general, this game is nonsense! It's time to finish!”

"come on, Oikawa, are you really that skittish? Do you think iwaizumi-san will kill you?” kindaichi is sitting in the corner with his glass in his arms.

"I won't kill you, it's just a game," Hajime snorts. actually, he's offended. "you've kissed everyone in this room several times, but not me. not to mention the fact that we've been listening to your sexual adventures every morning for a year. and this is just a kiss. What's wrong, stupidkawa?!”

“because if it's going to be with you, it should be different!” he screams so that his voice breaks from the pain inside.

“and how?” Iwaizumi grins. he's too drunk to notice the pain of the setter. “after a date in the park, somewhere under the lights before we go home? or at home, surrounded by candles to the mournful song of Taylor Swift?”

Oikawa pouts resentfully and crosses his arms over his chest. “maybe,” he whispers, obviously unhappy that his friend didn't take his words seriously.

“okay,” iwaizumi agrees, and then abruptly pulls his friend by the collar to him and kisses him. oikawa tastes like wine and marmalade, smells like vanilla and cologne, and is soft and pleasant to the touch. hajime didn't even think it would happen like this, but he couldn't imagine a better one. the kiss is quick, iwaizumi quickly pulls away, and then grins. “tomorrow at seven we'll go to the park, sober up by this time and take a shower.”

#iwaoi #oikawa tooru #iwaizumi hajime #oikawa x iwaizumi #haikyuu!!#haikyuu oikawa #haikyuu iwaizumi #iwaizumi x oikawa #aoba jōsai #haikyuu matsukawa #haikyuu hanamaki #iwaoi fanfiction

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spencerrxids · 2 years

Text

peace means i love you

moonlight ( chapter 6 )

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series summary : in which izumi akari was supposed to be the star player in women’s volleyball history. she was a prodigy. she had her future set in the stone or so she thought. the once player from kitagawa daiichi ended up being a manager for the team she have found family in, karasuno. just when she thought her story was ending, a certain orange-haired boy appears along with a very familiar face as the new addition to the team. or in which akari meet faces that once was a part of her past along with the ones that would become a part of her future. the story of the second year manager of karasuno.

pairing : oikawa tooru x izumi akari (oc), kuroo tetsuro x izumi akari (oc)

chapter summary : a late night quite angsty interaction between the two past lovers

based on : set on during season 1, episode 14 [ a formidable opponent ]

tags : angst, oikawa confusing akari with his feelings cause man changes mood in a blink of an eye

wordcount : 2.1k

a/n : short chapter here. sorry for the late update. but this one is kinda angsty. although it is short, this chapter is kind of important to akari’s and oikawa’s complex relationship that we will get into later on in the storyline. also I recommend listening to sign of the times by harry styles when you read this

Akari found herself roaming around the familiar scenery of a park. A sigh comes out of her mouth, tired of the fact that she couldn’t get herself to sleep, no matter how hard she had tried to. She sat on one of the benches, dressed in her pajama pants, an oversized shirt along with a black unzipped hoodie to cover her arms from the chilly wind of the night. She looks up to the sky to find it completely dark with no sight of the moon at all, hidden behind those dark clouds. Or perhaps, it's getting itself a nice rest of the night. If that's the case, then Akari is jealous of the moon.

It's only days behind The Inter-High Preliminaries. Time does pass without her noticing at all, it’s been almost a month since their practice game with the Nekoma team. A month has passed since the last time she saw Nekoma's captain. Inter-High Preliminaries are right in front of their eyes now. The day that all of them have been dreading to come. The day they all have been preparing to face with all of their strength. Akari found herself to be busier than usual because Michimiya, the captain of Karasuno’s girl volleyball team, had asked for her help with the team.

She still remembers the day when they first met. The older girl recognized her almost immediately and was surprised to see her in Karasuno instead of other schools. She practically begs her to join the team. However, of course, Akari refuses her offer. In the end, she revealed the reason why she had decided to stop her career. It was quite uncomfortable to reveal for her but thankfully, Michimiya understood the situation.

Sometimes she found it sad how half of the girls’ team could instantly recognize who she was and yet none of the boys’ team did. It’s not about them not recognizing her, she couldn’t care any less about that. But the fact it happened shows how girls are less to be spotlighted in the world of sports. No matter how hard they work, they would always be overshadowed by the men. She supposed some of those men do deserve the attention, however that doesn’t mean for the media to lessen their attention on the women who deserve those too.

Earlier that day, the lineup for Inter-high Preliminaries had been revealed. Karasuno would be facing Date Tech once again if they won in the first round and if they won against them. The team would face Aoba Johsai. There’s a part of her that immediately worried about the ace of the team, knowing what happened the last time they went against the Iron Wall team.

She zoned out a little bit, covering her face with her palm as she leaned her elbow to her thigh—thinking about the team and herself. To say that she is nervous for the team is an understanding. This will be their first official match. During her first year in Karasuno, the team wasn't exactly the best or as serious as they are right now. It felt more like a gathering of friends who enjoyed volleyball occasionally during their free time. That was until the original coach Ukai came back to the team.

Some of the members resigned, not completely comfortable with the thought of going to matches and others. The atmosphere changed into something far more serious than before. It was supposed to be what a sports club was supposed to be but everyone seems to be so tense at the idea during that time.

The elder guy recognized her after some time, the question of why she didn’t join the female team instead came out of his mouth. I can’t, she said that day. She never explained why but he was more than welcome to her in those days. There was a part of Akari that considered the idea of stepping down as a manager. She couldn’t get herself to actually do it. Didn’t have the heart to.

"Huh? It seems that the fates want us to be together. What a coincidence." Akari immediately opened her eyes—head snapped towards the voice direction. To the boy who was standing in front of her. An innocent smile on his face as he greeted her.

Why? Out of all the people in this world, why would you send Oikawa Tooru here? Her eyes stole a glance at the dark sky before falling back to him, who still stood tall in his place.

Both of them held a gaze for some seconds—neither said anything. "Hello, Ri-chan." He said, a grin adorned his face as he waved his hand to him—a form of greeting.

***

The next thing she knows, both of them are seated on the outside of a minimarket, facing each other. Oikawa opened a can of coke and put it in front of her before he took a sip of his own can of coke. "So how is Karasuno’s preparation for the preliminaries?" Taking a look at the girl seated in front of him.

She raised her eyebrow slightly, not making any move to drink the coke anytime soon. “So this is your plan? Getting all of your opponent's information from me? It’s not going to work, Oikawa-san.” She looks to the street beside her, looking everywhere but him. She could feel his eyes burning holes on the side of her face as he refused to look away.

He puts down his can. ”Okay, then how's Kage-"

"Oikawa," The boy stopped in the middle of the sentence. His gaze stays on her. "Stop it." She knows that he's just trying to avoid the obvious tension between them. As if, she, herself, was any better than him and not trying to do the same. If anything, Oikawa was the better one for trying to break the unbreakable ice. Akari leaned her head on the table, closing her eyes as she did so.

Silence

What used to be a comforting silence between them has now become something heavy that weighs both of their hearts, it was so heavy that the two can’t hold their feelings steady around each other. Akari felt a weight on top of her head. She was about to tell him to get his hand off when he opened his mouth.

"Do you know how late it is right now?” He said, then paused for a second. “Were you having a nightmare? You should be sleeping in your room instead of wandering around at such an hour.” He runs his hand through her hair, she can’t seem to reply to him. He said those words so softly with what sounded like sincerity flowing in his tone. As if they were still something. As if he cares for her. As if he ever cares for her. As if she still meant anything to him.

His hand untangled itself from her hair as she looked up at him, a look of tiredness filled her eyes. She has no time for any Oikawa Tooru games tonight. “What do you want?” She asked him. Memories of them together flashed in front of them as their eyes connected once more.

“I just want to spend the night here with you. Is that a sin?”

“Of course not. I just need to know why?”

“You know why.”

Oikawa turned his gaze to look at the can of coke in front of him as his finger trailed on the top of it. Akari looked at him with her mouth slightly opened, not wanting to reply to his words but at the same time she thought of that—the words rolled out of her mouth. “No. I don’t. I don’t know why.”

“Do I really need a reason to be here with you? I missed you, that's all.” He answered.

She scoffed, “I found that very hard to believe.”

Her hand hovered above the can that he put in front of her, silently debating whether to grab it or not. Lowering her gaze away from him, she stands up, the can is now in her hand. “I should go back home now.” Oikawa’s gaze stays on the now empty seat in front of him, not sparing any glance at her. “Is there anything you would like to say while I’m still here? Any truth that you want to throw out there in the meantime, Oikawa-san?” She stood there, waiting for his response.

She could’ve just walked away from him. Walk away from reality at that moment. But instead, she stood there, foolishly waiting for him to answer her. Her feet were glued to the ground, refusing to move despite the screams in her brain, telling her to go.

“Tooru.” He looked up at her. “Why won’t you call me Tooru?” That voice. That tone. Oikawa has ditched his cocky setter persona. For a split second, during that moment, he sounded helpless as he asked that question to her. “Does my name disgust you so much that you refuse to even say it?”

“You make me sound like a mere stranger to you.” He continued, once again.

“Isn’t that what we are?” She questioned. “I never actually knew you, right? If that doesn’t make us strangers, I don’t know what would.”

He knows what she is referring to. Both of them knew that day all too well. Akari put her tongue on the roof of her mouth, tearing her gaze away from him as she tries to suppress her emotion, not letting it out for she refuses to look ‘weak’ in front of him, not again. While Oikawa just sat there, she hated the fact that she couldn't read what he was thinking about at that moment. Hated the fact that she can’t trust the words that went out of his mouth. Can’t decide if it’s a lie or the truth.

Seconds later, she looks back up at him as he suddenly stood up, eyes still downcasted to the ground. Was it a smile on his face? She can’t really tell. He said nothing but walked past her. Akari could swear a scene from their past flashed right in front of her eyes as he did so, a memory of him doing the same thing, on that wretched day. The fates love to put them in the same scenarios all the time, each time with differences inside their heart. They’ve been here before. Yet, somehow never learn to escape from the ill-fated ending.

She felt him stop a few steps behind her. “Akari.” He called out her name, making her turn around to face him. His eyes went up to look at hers, however, her gaze was stuck on the two fingers he held up in the air. To say that she wanted him to vanish into the air at that moment seems to be an understanding. A look of disbelief went up to her face as her gaze fell back onto him. Her mouth opened, trying to utter any words. “You’re being cruel.” She said, finally.

“I’m being true.”

Then he left. Leaving her with nothing but the aftermath of his actions. Teardrops fell down to the ground as she looked down, a shaky breath escaped her mouth. Somehow him hating her would’ve been far less painful than this. It would’ve been easier for her to accept.

“Let this be our sign language then.” said a younger Oikawa Tooru, holding his index and middle finger in the air, a grin forming on his face. Akari had just explained that it is not the right gesture to proclaim love in sign language. He had been doing it wrong. Mistaking the peace sign as the ‘I love you’ sign this whole time. Which means every time he held up his two fingers to her who was watching him from the audience, this whole time she just thought about it as a peace sign rather than a form of how he shows his love to her. I love you, that’s what he was saying every time his eyes fell onto her during each of his game.

Akari could never decide if the words that fell out of Oikawa’s mouth were lies or truth. She said that before and now she said it again. However he did not actually say the words, did he? I still love you, he didn’t say that, not directly. Instead, he holds his two fingers up in the air, practically forcing her to swallow what he called as the truth. If there was a part of her heart that beat for him then why does it hurt so bad? If there was a part of Akari who still feels deeply about him, then why does it hurt to see him returning those feelings.

“I hate you.”

She lied at the end of the night. Saying it as if it’s a spell that would make it come true. That would actually make her hate him. Convincing herself that there are no longer space for him in her life.

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#oikawa tooru x reader #oikawa tooru angst #kuroo tetsuro x original character #oikawa tooru x fem!reader #oikawa tooru x oc #kuroo tetsuro #kuroo tetsuro x fem!reader #kuroo tetsuro x reader #kuroo tetsuro fanfiction #oikawa tooru fanfiction #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fluff #kuroo imagine #kuroo x you #haikyuu fanfiction #moonlight by spencerrxids

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astra-ella · 2 months

Text

𝐙𝐎𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

fandom: haikyuu ship: nishinoya yuu x oc/reader status: complete ao3 link

⌦ content: fluff, light angst, love at first sight, friends to lover, slice of life, haikyuu manga spoilers

⌦ note: you are free to insert yourself into Chiyo, just keep in mind she has her own character/backstory. i know some people don't like that, so just a heads-up.

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The seventh time he confessed was near the end of their second year — during their overnight school trip to Tokyo.

Nishinoya had already been to Tokyo once. Due to the Karasuno volleyball team somehow coming in first during the Spring Tournament preliminaries, securing their spot as representatives of the Miyagi prefecture. Alongside the rest of the school, Chiyo went to the final qualifiers match to cheer them on. She wanted to do the same when they headed off to Tokyo but had to stay back because of school. So the only thing she could do was watch the live broadcast at home, sending the occasional encouraging text message to Nishinoya right before a match.

They did surprisingly well, losing in the quarterfinals and ranking Top 8 in the country. Chiyo made sure to congratulate Nishinoya by making him a feast of his favorite foods once he got back to Miyagi. And as he sat at the table, telling stories upon stories of the rivals he faced at the large-scale national tournament, Chiyo could tell that Kaito was becoming more and more intrigued.

Maybe to some extent due to Nishinoya's influence, Kaito began to demonstrate great interest and talent in volleyball. He even joined a youth volleyball class at the local community center and became a star member after two years of playing. Perhaps one day, he would go on to play at a national tournament just like Nishinoya did.

Regardless, spring was right around the corner. The current third-years would be graduating in three weeks while Chiyo and Nishinoya would be moving into their final year of high school. So before their students can get too wrapped up in another wave of examination hell, the school sent them off on their final school trip — the last chance to truly let loose before exam prep starts.

“Hey, Amari-san!” A girl from her activity group called out, waving as she descended the staircase to the subway platforms. “What’d you get for lunch?”

It was the second day of the school trip, and they were on their way to visit the Tokyo Skytree when the teachers decided to stop in the metro station to let everyone take a quick lunch break.

“Just an onigiri from the convenient store,” she swung the little plastic bag in her hand. “I’m not that hungry.”

Her classmate peered into the plastic bag. “Really? I’m absolutely starving.”

“That’s because you skipped breakfast, Kikuchi-san,” Chiyo pointed out. She was about to say more when she heard a familiar voice call out.

“Oh, it’s Chiyo!”

She turned around to see Nishinoya standing at the top of the stairway, waving at her with one arm while carrying a large collection of snacks in the other. Chiyo smiled a little and waved back.

A train pulled into the station and the metal tracks let out an ear-piercing screech. Chiyo held a hand up to her hair, holding back the long red wisps that threatened to get caught up in the heated gush.

“Nishinoya-kun from Class 2-2, right?” Kikuchi said, just loud enough for Chiyo to hear over the ensemble of footsteps of white-collar workers making their way onto the platform and up the stairs. She eyed him from head to toe. “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you, Amari-san. There’s a rumor going around that you two are dating. Is that true?”

“N-No!” Chiyo immediately shook her head. “We’re not! We are not dating!”

“Really?” Kikuchi hummed, eyes wandering back to Nishinoya. She watched as he did his best to weave his way against the flood of people heading upstairs.

“Then, can I have him?”

Chiyo’s eyes widened.

“Have him?” She repeated under her breath. “What do you…?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Kikuchi met her gaze pointedly. “He’s good-looking, has a cute personality, and he’s part of a sports team which is totally up my alley. Unless… he secretly has a girlfriend?”

Chiyo looked down, her grip tightening on the convenience store bag. “N-Not that I know of…”

“Then that’s perfect!” Clasping her hands together, Kikuchi’s face brightened. “Hey, will you help me put in a good word with him? I wanna try getting some alone time during the school trip.”

Chiyo’s lips parted. Suddenly, all she could see were flashes of the rest of the trip. And whenever she looked in Nishinoya’s direction, Kikuchi was somewhere nearby. She sucked in a harsh breath.

“No,” the words came out harsher than she would’ve liked, but her tone was resolute.

“Hm?”

“You can’t have him.”

“Wha-?” Kikuchi looked confused. “But you’re not even his girlfriend. He’s not yours to give-”

“He’s not anyone’s to give,” Chiyo cut her off, her free hand clutching onto the hem of her jacket sleeve. “But even so… To me, Yuu is… special. Which is why I won’t give him to you!”

Her words were simple, but it felt as if it took all her energy to speak them.

After what felt like forever, Kikuchi finally broke the silence with a hum. “So you do like him,” she mused and by the time Chiyo looked up she was met with a smug grin.

“I figured.”

Chiyo’s face flushed a bright red. “T-That’s not what I was trying to say!”

“You know, Amari-san, you shouldn’t patronize your romantic rival like this.”

“But-!”

Kikuchi held up a hand. “A maiden with a broken heart doesn’t need your pity,” she said with a wink.

“Hey!” By that point, Nishinoya had finally made it past the crowd and stepped onto the platform. “You wouldn’t believe what I found,” as he approached, he shifted his backpack around and began rummaging through it. “There’s this little store just a few blocks outside the station, and they were selling Calpico! I know you love this stuff so I bought two. A regular one and a peach one-” As he plucked one of the two bottles out, his brown eyes darted between the two girls, finally picking up on the awkward tension that loomed between them.

“Did something happen?” He asked.

“Nah,” Kikuchi waved nonchalantly before gently patting Chiyo on the shoulder. “Nice to meet you, by the way. My name is Kikuchi Sora. I’m part of Amari-san’s activity group.”

“Nishinoya Yuu, Class 2-2,” Nishinoya returned her greeting with a cheerful one of his own as he secured his backpack over his shoulders once more. “Thanks for taking care of Chiyo.”

“Why are you the one saying that?” The redhead raised an eyebrow and Nishinoya gave her a thumbs-up.

“Because I can!”

A loud chime echoed underground, followed by a cool female voice telling passengers that the subway doors will soon close.

“Oh,” Nishinoya glanced up at the fluorescent lights. “Let’s get on. Don’t wanna be late,” he said as he readjusted his backpack and stepped into the subway cart.

“Wait, Yuu,” Chiyo reached out after him, subconsciously taking a few steps forward. “We’re supposed to meet the teachers on the platforms, not at-”

“Doors will now be closing.”

“Amari-san!”

“Huh?” Chiyo’s eyes widened at Kikuchi’s voice. She spun around just in time to see the subway doors shut behind her. She could see her classmate staring through the glass with panicked eyes. Quickly, she pulled out her phone and mouthed ‘text me’ as the vehicle began to move.

“I can’t believe you,” Chiyo grumbled as she and Nishinoya stood by a telephone pole on the bustling streets of Tokyo. “Were you even listening to the teachers before they let us out? We were supposed to meet on the platform! Not the skytree!”

“Honestly, no,” Nishinoya admitted bluntly as he took another sip of his energy drink. “I was so hungry I could barely think about anything besides food.”

“You-!” Chiyo tried to find the words to scold him but ultimately settled for a sigh of resignation. There was no use scolding someone for a genuine mistake or someone who’s already apologized a million times. “We’re just told to meet them at the Skytree for real this time,” she scrolled through Kikuchi’s messages with an awkward laugh. “Apparently, we’re in a lot of trouble.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Nishinoya hummed. “I’ll just tell them that you only came after me 'cause I was being stupid.”

“Won’t your punishment be worse if you do that?” Chiyo pointed out and he shrugged.

“It’s the truth anyways and we have Kikuchi to back you up,” he then glanced back with a reassuring smile. “Besides, you’ve never been to Tokyo before, right? I want you to enjoy your time while you’re here.”

“But-”

“I was literally just here,” Nishinoya cut her off with a cheeky grin. “And I’ll be back this fall and the spring after that,” he paused for a second to examine Chiyo’s troubled expression. “My point is, I’ll have plenty of time to explore this city. But you only have this trip until you’re swamped with exam prep. So let me try and take the blame for this, yeah?”

Chiyo’s brows furrowed, she was about to open her mouth to protest but held her tongue. “Alright, alright,” she relented, figuring that even if she were to resist, Nishinoya would still somehow find a way to direct the teachers’ indisputably harsh punishment towards himself. “Let’s try to find a way to get to Tokyo Skytree first.”

“Yeah,” remembering their current predicament, Nishinoya rubbed the back of his neck and looked around. “Uhh, I honestly have no idea where we are right now.”

“Really? I thought you were the expert on Tokyo, considering you’ve been here once already,” Chiyo teased with a small smile tugging at her lips.

“I’ve never been in this area before, that’s all,” he retorted with a laugh. He briefly skimmed the crowd. “Want me to ask around?”

Chiyo nodded. “You do that. I’ll try to look up some directions.”

“Alright, go team!” He gave a small cheer before hurrying off, quickly finding someone to ask for directions.

“Hey, excuse me! Do you know how we can get to the Tokyo Skytree?”

Chiyo narrowed her eyes at the options her phone presented. She was about to pick the route with the fastest travel time when a familiar voice stopped her short.

“Take the Ginza line towards Asakusa and get off at Ueno station. It’s a five minute walk from there.”

“I see. Thanks!”

Chiyo looked up, easily spotting Nishinoya’s bleached tuft of hair in the crowd. And sure enough, before him stood a very familiar woman.

Chiyo felt her entire world stutter to a halt. She couldn’t move, nor could she think. All she could do was stare blankly as the woman pointed to various spots on Nishinoya’s phone.

Sure enough, the woman soon noticed her gaze and glanced up. Her bright blue eyes widened with recognition.

“...Chiyo?”

The world began to move again and Chiyo suddenly became acutely aware of the sea of people that crossed the little distance that separated them. She soon found her voice again and the words came out in a choked squeak.

“Mom…”

“Here’s your Sprite,” a waitress set down a tall glass on the table before him.

Nishinoya didn’t know what to do. One minute he was asking some random stranger on the street for directions, and the next he was sitting in a cafe with said stranger and Chiyo, neither of whom said a single word since they’ve sat down.

He had no clue the woman who sat before them was Harada Yuuka, the mother of the Amari siblings. But upon closer inspection, the similarities became more apparent. She had the same brown hair as her children, and her brilliant blue eyes hidden behind her metal-rimmed glasses shone with intelligence. In terms of the way they carried themselves and their overall presence, Chiyo probably resembled her the most.

“You dyed your hair red,” her voice was even, perhaps a bit robotic.

“Yes,” Chiyo replied quietly as she poured some milk into her tea. “I did it last year.”

“You should get rid of it. Universities and businesses won’t accept a delinquent with colorful hair.”

Chiyo didn’t say anything. Instead, she picked up the small, provided spoon and began to stir.

“How have you been?” Yuuka glanced at her. “Everything alright?”

Chiyo nodded as she set the spoon down and took a sip. “Yeah.”

“And your siblings? How are they doing?”

Chiyo nodded again.

“That’s good then,” Yuuka took a sip of her coffee. “As long as you’re all doing well, that’s good.”

Nishinoya shuffled in his seat. He took a sip of his drink, trying to find something to do amongst the awkward tension.

“Chiyo,” Yuuka set her cup back down onto her saucer, effectively shattering the momentary silence with the light clink of porcelain meeting porcelain. “I’ve been meaning to contact you soon, but this is perfect timing,” she set her hands down on her black pencil skirt and looked her daughter dead in the eyes. “I’ll be leaving for Iceland soon. I want you to come with me.”

Nishinoya’s eyes widened.

“Huh?”

“I’ve built some pretty strong connections there through my company. A position opened up at the main branch and I accepted it,” her eyes were clear. “Iceland is ranked second in the world in terms of education. With your exceptional academic performance, I can secure you a better future than you’ll ever get rotting away here.”

“You ran back to your father once, but I trust you see now how that was a mistake. Taking the easy path and staying in Miyagi will do nothing to help your future-”

“Hold on now-!”

Nishinoya was about to interject but Chiyo held him back with an arm over his chest.

“I still don’t think you understand,” her voice was almost as sharp as her mother’s. “I didn’t go back to dad because I was scared of going to school in Tokyo.”

Yuuka remained silent, as if asking her daughter to elaborate.

“Mom, why didn’t you ever come back to visit Hotaru and Kaito?”

Yuuka blinked a few times. Her eyes then trailed out to the large cafe window, watching as a group of rowdy schoolchildren ran past.

“I figured if I came back to visit, I’d just disrupt their adjustment to living with a single parent.”

“Then why didn’t you at least take Hotaru or Kaito?” Chiyo’s voice cracked. “I would’ve been fine. Why out of the three of us, you chose to take me?”

“When your father and I separated, I realized I couldn’t advance my career while taking care of three children. I took you with me because I didn’t want to uproot Hotaru and Kaito’s lives while they were still so young. And besides,” Yuuka turned her attention back to her daughter. “I saw the most potential in you .”

Nishinoya felt a chill run down his spine. He briefly glanced at Chiyo, whose eyes only widened.

“Hotaru is too naive and Kaito is too blunt. Neither of them would survive well in a business setting,” she interlaced her fingers. “I wanted to be sure I was making an investment that would pay off. Besides, I figured you would use your success to support your siblings anyways. So I didn’t need to worry.”

Nishinoya took it back. Chiyo was nothing like her mother after all. Throughout the years he’s gotten to know Chiyo, no matter how much she’d scold either him or her siblings there was always an underlying sense of love that accompanied her harsh words. But when Yuuka spoke, there was no tone in her voice. There was no scolding, no love. Only a cold calculating chill. It was as if she were staring at pieces on a chessboard rather than her own flesh and blood.

He figured Chiyo must’ve come to the same conclusion because he saw her lips quiver as they pressed together. Under the table, he instinctively reached out, placing a hand over her trembling one. To his surprise, she immediately latched on like he was her lifeline.

“So take your future into account and-”

“No,” Chiyo said after taking a deep breath and Yuuka’s expression soured. “I’m not going with you, mom.”

The shock was only momentary however, as a tinge of annoyance soon reflected within Yuuka’s deep blue eyes.

“Be rational, Chiyo,” she tilted her head a little. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. An exceptional secondary education will get you into a good university. And graduating from a good university will secure you a good job that pays lots of money.”

Those words rang familiar in Nishinoya’s ears. Those were almost the exact same words Chiyo repeated to him every single time the topic of the future came up. Sometimes she said it with so little enthusiasm that Nishinoya even wondered if she truly meant what she said.

As if to confirm his longtime suspicions, Chiyo gently shook her head.

“But… What if that’s not a life I want to live?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Yuuka’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“What if that kind of life scares me, mom?” Chiyo replied, a little louder this time. “What if I don’t want to be trapped in an office for eight hours a day, working a job I don’t even care about?”

“What do you want to do then?”

“I-I don’t know,” Chiyo shrank a little under her mother’s sharp gaze. “Maybe I’ll travel or do something creative,” for the first time while talking about the future, Nishinoya saw a small smile playing on her lips. “Maybe I’ll open a small restaurant or bakery-”

“You do realize none of those options will make you happy, right?” Yuuka cut her off. “I’ve told you this before. Money makes the world go round. In order to be happy, you need to be successful and make money.”

“Who says?” At that point, Nishinoya had enough. He felt a light squeeze on his hand and soon he found the words tumbling out of his mouth without a second thought. “Who says you need to make money to be happy? My gramps and I aren’t loaded, but I’d say we’re doing pretty well.”

“Doing well is very different from succeeding ,” though she looked a little annoyed at his interruption, Yuuka turned towards him with a pointed look. “Doing well is being able to put food on the table, meeting the bare minimum of a person’s needs. Happiness and success is to be able to live in the lap of luxury. Do you and your grandfather have the luxury to eat out at expensive restaurants? Can you buy name-brand clothes or bags? Can you buy whatever you want, whenever you want?”

“But that’s just your idea of happiness, isn’t it?” Nishinoya retorted. He could see Chiyo watching him from the side, but he didn’t want to break eye contact with the older woman. Now that he was looking straight into them, they came off as a little empty. In comparison to Chiyo’s which were filled with warmth.

“Each person has their own idea of what happiness looks like. Even if you’re Chiyo’s mom, hers can be completely different from yours,” he said, absent-mindedly tracing his thumb over Chiyo’s knuckles as if to soothe her. “I don’t think it’s right for you to force your ideals onto your daughter like they’re facts.”

Yuuka opened her mouth to say something, but Chiyo beat her to it.

“Mom,” she took a moment to study her mother’s neutral expression. “Our family… what we want in our lives isn’t success… or a perfectly planned out future,” her voice choked a little and Nishinoya held onto her hand even tighter as if to encourage her. “What we really needed… was a normal mother who would love and accept us for who we are.”

Yuuka’s eyes widened. They wandered to the side, as if she were in deep thought.

“I do love you though. All three of you,” she said in an even tone. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t care if you three were sweeping the bathroom or the streets.”

Nishinoya frowned, he glanced over at Chiyo who took a long stare at her mother before pressing her lips together.

“Let’s talk about this when I’m older,” she sounded defeated. “Thank you for the drinks, mom.”

Nishinoya watched the back of Chiyo’s head as she focused on her phone, trying to follow the directions they received from her mother towards the Tokyo Skytree. They had since parted ways with her, apparently she had a meeting to attend soon.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, not sparing him a glance.

Nishinoya didn’t sense a lie in her voice, nor did he hear it quivering. But for some reason, he was met with an intense desire to see her face. So he grabbed her wrist to stop her in her tracks. Chiyo spun around, her face reflecting a sense of exhaustion that squeezed at his heart.

“Are you okay?” He asked again.

“I’m fine, really,” Chiyo said. “That’s just how she operates.”

“For the record,” Nishinoya took a step forward and looked straight in her eyes. “I think your plans for the future are great.”

“Thanks,” she gave a half-hearted laugh.

“No, I’m serious,” his grip tightened on her wrist, as if to convey his sincerity. “You should do what you wanna do. Not what your parents or siblings, or whatever anyone else wants. Not even me.”

Chiyo’s eyes widened.

“Be it a restaurant or bakery, or hell, even a lemonade stand on the side of the street. Whatever makes you happy,” he gave her a warmest smile he could muster on that chilly, early spring afternoon. “And you know what? If you ever get lost and don’t know what to do, I’ll be there to support you.”

He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her knuckles. “Because that’s the least I can do for the kind and capable girl I fell in love with.”

Chiyo’s cheeks were dusted bright pink as he made that final statement. She averted her eyes downwards, but the corners of her lips soon curled upwards. “Thanks, Yuu,” she murmured before meeting his gaze with a weary smile. “That means a lot to me.”

Nishinoya hummed. She didn’t look happier, per se. But it seemed like some of the worries she’s been carrying for years had finally been relieved from her shoulders.

“Now let’s go,” releasing his grip on her arm, he nudged his head as if telling her to keep up. “We’re already late.”

Chuckling a little, Chiyo nodded.

“Okay.”

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