pens, paper, and a volleyball player | k. tobio

15

The closer the inter-high preliminaries arrived the more the team trained. I was actually really impressed and proud of the progress they all have been making. Throughout the practices I helped Kiyoko with the usual manager duties, and helped Ukai with team notes. Ever since he saw the notes I've been taking and the analyses I've made he realized I could help him point out things the team should work on. He knew what they should do and how they should fix it, and I knew how to point out strengths and weaknesses and put it all on paper. A strange new method that oddly worked well.

A day before the inter-high's started however, Kiyoko had a surprise for the team. I helped her get it ready and set it up but it was her idea and her gesture.

"Ah- Kiyoko has something to say to you all!" Takeda remembered just as the team was wrapping up practice.

The team followed her and I as we walked up to the stands. She had found the school's banner in the storage room. It needed to be cleaned and patched up a bit but it wasn't too hard of a job. Showing it to the team would have been enough to lift spirits.

"I'm not good at cheering but..."

We threw the banner over and tied it to the railings. It was black with the words "fly" written in white.

"Do..."

"Do?" The team replied, questioning her sudden stop.

"Do your best." She quickly hurried down the steps while I stayed up in the stands just to get an aerial view of the team's reaction. To my surprise all the upperclassmen bursted into tears.

"Shimizu...no one has ever done something like that before!" Daichi cried. I hurried down the steps confused and thrown off.

"Even the captain?" Hinata muttered.

"Those two...they're speechless..." Tsukishima pointed to Tanaka and Nishinoya who were both clearly in their feelings. "They usually can never shut up."

I turned my head towards Kiyoko with a raised eyebrow, "What's with the tears?"

"I haven't done something like that for them before." She explained, "I'm not really a gestures person."

"WE'LL DEFINITELY GET THROUGH THE FIRST ROUND TOMORROW!" The team captain yelled with the team yelling "Osu!" In response.

"Ah...I see" I say skeptically. The changes in energy was definitely...something.

—

"See you tomorrow Naka-san! You two Kageyama!" Hinata jumped up and down while turning down the corner to his house. I usually walked home with them after practice since we would walk down the same streets.

"Cya!" I waved.

"Nervous?" I asked Kageyama.

"Nah," He sighed. "I know we'll do fine...for the first match at least."

"That's the spirit...more or less..." I laughed. My turn was a block away from Hinata's so we got there shortly after.

I looked down my street to see if my lights were on and if my brother was home.

"You know-" Kageyama mentioned right before I walked away, "I never got your number."

"You never asked." I chuckled.

"I- well- It didn't cross my mind till now. You could've asked too." He scoffed.

"Honestly I spend so much time with you it slipped my mind as well," I pulled out my phone and handed it to him for him to put his contact in.
"I realize that sounds mean, I meant it in a good way."

"I know." He smirked, handing me my phone.

"Here I'll text you so you know it's me." I texted his number and saw his phone light up in his pocket.

"There." I start walking down my street.

"Bye Naka!" He exclaims.

"See you later Kags!"

Kags?....Kageyama Tobio I hope you know that's your new nickname.

"Yuki, I'm home!" I call out to my older brother.

"Hey Suzu, who was that kid you were talking to at the corner of the street?" He asks coming from the kitchen.

"I told you I walk home with a few of the volleyball boys, that was just one of them." I shrug.

"Huh." He sucked his teeth.

"Why are you making that face?"
"What face?"
"That one. The same one you made when I started talking to Ko, and Tooru, and Kenji, and any other guy I've ever mentioned...hell you even did that to Ena."

Yuki just looked at me, "I have no idea what youre talking about...dont you have homework to get to?"

"I'd tell you to do the same for your college classes but I guess you're too busy thinking about, what was her name, Tsu-chan~" I tease him running off to my room.

"Hey! We don't bring her up!"

"Nope you pull the face bullshit I bring up whatever I want!" I shut my door before he can get another word.

I open my laptop. I realize I should really reread through the email since I'm officially starting this essay. It's been long enough so I need to crack down. Apparently the due date is about a month before the end of school, which isn't the date I was expecting but oh well. It was a minimum of two full pages and a maximum of 2 and a half. They want work sited which I don't know how I'll do that. I would also have to present it myself in front of the whole school and other officials. It would however be broadcasted.

I outwardly sighed.

Considering I did the same thing last year I guess I should be used to it...but that doesn't mean I want to present it myself...plus with how many people remember the one I did on the average citizen I could only imagine what it would be like now...never mind that now.

—

"Oh, Naka, you're here early." Daichi pointed out since she was usually late.

"You look exhausted though." Suga beside him chipped in.

"Yeah, I set my alarm earlier than I had meant to...that and I stayed up later than I meant to as well." Suzuki laughed. She stayed up late catching up on some homework.

"Well it's nice to see you here on time." Daichi smiled.

Soon everyone had arrived on the bus. Suzuki was able to take the single seater in the back and fell asleep the entire ride.

"Daichi said she was up late and woke up early." Hinata told Kageyama who noticed him staring at the girl across the isle.

"Hm?" He asked the boy sitting next to him.

"I just saw you looking and thought you were wondering-"
"Well I wasn't." He ended the conversation quickly.