𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐈𝐊𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐙

⌦𝐀 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐒

➪𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐒
➪𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃
➪𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃

━━━━━━♕━━━━━━

Thump.

There was complete silence except for the blow of the whistle from the referee.

The teams were frozen in place, processing what had just happened.

After a few moments of utter silence, the crowd burst out in loud cheers, cheering on the team that had just won the game.

The bodies of a ravenette, a brunette with hair so long he puts it up in a bun, and another, smaller, brunette with a bleached streak of hair in the front, were on the floor from their previous actions, hoping to keep the ball in the air, even if it was just for a few more seconds.

The score was 31-33.

They had lost the third and final match against Aoba Johsai.

Aoba Johsai was cheering and hugging each other tightly across the net from Karasuno, who was laying on the floor, their sweat dripping onto the court floor, leaving small puddles underneath them.

Eventually, they found the strength to stand up and face the other team, Daichi the first to break the silence, telling Tobio and Hinata to stand up. another blow of a whistle and the teams met up at the net, bringing their hands together and repeating the same phrase, "Good game," over and over.

They parted at the net and they went their separate ways. Karasuno thanking their scattered crowd of supporters, sullen and tears threatening to spill in some of the player's eyes, while Aoba johsai thanked their audience, smiles from eye to eye, the atmosphere light and happy.

The teams packed up their things and left the court.

The air was heavy and quiet as Karasuno walked back to their bus.

"Okay, let's go eat." Their coach broke the silence and the team was taken aback.

"Eat? But-" Daichi was cut off by their coach, "Just do as I say and eat." He continued to the bus, the team following behind.

[Tobio's POV]

The next day at school, their moods weren't lighter.

The need to become stronger, better, than before was coursing through their veins.

"Dammit." Tobio cursed to himself. His grip on the frame of the bathroom sink got tighter. He didn't want to see his reflection, it wasn't like he could anymore.

The mirror was shattered. Broken right where Tobio's fist met it.

The blood dripping from his hand onto the sink, then to the floor was ignored by Tobio.

His mind was in a completely different place.

I should have been better.

If I had paid more attention to them, their moves, their thoughts.

If I had made a better call at that last point.

Tobio gripped the sink until his knuckles went white, this, of course, ended up with more blood spewing out of his fist.

The pain was shielded by his anger at himself. that he couldn't do better. He couldn't improve.

He lifted his head, looking at his broken reflection in the mirror. His eyes darted to the tall figure leaning against the wall, his eyes locked on Tobio, "So you finally noticed."