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

27

Kuroo and his group had me playing for longer than I was anticipating. Truthfully I wasn't expecting myself to be playing this much volleyball at all since I was only helping and not really on any team, I wasn't a player.

I passed by a gym and saw Kageyama still there, which made sense but he seemed to have been alone cleaning up.

"Need some help there?" I asked leaning against the door.

He turned around slightly startled, clearly not expecting anyone to have been standing there. "Uh- yeah. If you don't mind it..."

"I don't mind at all actually." I smiled. I walked in and helped him put the rest of his equipment away. When we were done we grabbed our stuff and sat there, not rushing to go to sleep.

"How have you been?" I asked trying to spark up a conversation.

"Fine. You?" He answered dryly.

"Alright, I guess." I stiffened.

"You can loosen up a little. It's just me." He said noticing my shift in energy.

"You're telling me to loosen up? I was just matching your energy." I laughed.

"Just because I'm in a mood doesn't mean you need to be." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"You sat down with this weird energy, I was just confused." I admitted.

"You're weird." He laughed. "And you're blushing."

"I am not." I huffed. I admit I felt myself heating up a bit but I didn't think it was noticeable. "I was just running, I'm fine, I feel great." I laughed it off with him.

We sat in silence for a little longer listening to the silence around us before I realized it was getting late.

"Look, I'm tired and you're definitely exhausted after today. We should probably get some rest." I said getting up.

"Exhausted? I can keep going." The setter yawned, clearly tired with his eyes dropping.

"I don't care how long you can keep going, you need rest. Goodnight Kageyama." I smiled.

"Goodnight Nakamura."

Maybe it was the fact that we were both deliriously tired, but that small interaction seemed to have loosened something in him up, at least I hope so. He's been acting weird ever since his fight with Hinata. I don't want to pester him about it so I'm avoiding questions, but I just don't know how to get him out of it.

—

Another day, another set of losses. Usually that phrase would be for dollars but instead we get another 8 hill dashes and no money.

"Ah Naka, some parents came with some watermelon if you would come help cut them up." Kiyoko asked me.

"Oh yeah of course."

I walk into the kitchen with her and the other managers as we begin to cut up all the watermelons. We were able to get it done in a timely manner compared to how many there were.

We brought everyone outside to the tables that were full of sliced watermelon.

"Can I have another?" Tanaka asked me.

"Isn't this like your third?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Maybe..."

"I want another too!" Noya jumped from behind him followed by mowhawk.

"You're all lucky we have enough." I sigh as I give them each another one.

"I-S-tch-um-Naka" Kageyama comes up next to me.