EXCEPTIONAL ༉ haikyū!! [RV/OG]

23

chapter twenty-three: ganbatte
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the day of the most-awaited event had already come. plenty of volleyball teams from different high schools in tokyo prefecture were present, and the variety of volleyball players ranging from the smallest to the tallest heights filled the entire venue of sumida city gymnasium.

to the neko boys, they weren't that nervous before d-day, but right now, they could strongly feel the mixture of excitement and nervousness running through their veins, causing an unexplainable rush of adrenaline to them.

"kii-chan, do you want me to hide you?" kuroo asked, curiously watching their manager fidgeting by the stairs of the bus.

the boys had a worried look while watching kiiro hesitate to even take a step out of the vehicle. they are well aware of the reason for her behavior - the crowd.

kenma slightly frowned before he took away his game console and approached his younger sister. reaching out to her hands and carefully helping her down the stairs.

"are you okay? you can stay here if you'd like," he whispered, taking off his red jacket in the process and placing it over her head.

kiiro bit her lip and nodded, "i'm fine, nii-chan."

"we'll do fine by ourselves, kii-chan. don't force yourself." yaku reassured.

everyone else agreed with yaku's statement, sharing their own words with her. sadly, their efforts didn't really help her completely because of her severe fear, but kiiro knew that she needed to face the situation right here and right now to eventually overcome it because she's no longer alone.

the raven-haired manager finally looked up from the ground and met their worried gazes. "i'll be fine. i'm your manager, and this team is my responsibility," she said with a small smile.

however, no one was convinced with her words of assurance, and kiiro was well aware of it. she confidently grabbed the bags and made her way towards the entrance. the tormenting presence of the crowd around her. their towering heights and deep gazes bore into her. it wasn't even helping her lingering anxiety-not a single bit.

as her golden eyes lingered on her black sneakers, the bright surroundings suddenly dimmed down by the shadows around her. instantly, kiiro raised her head in confusion and saw how her team surrounded her as if they were the iron wall of date tech, but in a neko version.

her eyebrows furrowed, staring at their scowling faces toward the others. "just wha-"

"shh!" yaku glanced at her. "we're protecting our dear manager." he said with a smile, which disappeared immediately when he caught someone peeking to see who was behind the wall.

"protecting? from what?" kiiro thought, mumbling incoherent words to herself as she tried to comprehend the situation. others find the behavior of the nekoma team amusing, while some mumble to one another about who knows what.