Unpolished Gems

Chapter 48

"Alright, it's time to change sides!"

Everyone was quick on their feet to move spots but despite that, the obvious tension between them was quite obvious. Considering how they've been winning in straight sets until now, Seijoh couldn't help but give dirty looks to the team in black that broke their streak.

Both teams lined up on their new side before bowing politely. The crowd cheered at the sight, eager to support their respective teams, before settling down when the players took a quick break before the second set.

[Name] strolled towards the bench and grabbed a towel to wipe off any sweat he accumulated during the game. The other players around him did something similar as Takeda and Kiyoko both handed out water to the members that played on the court.

"You did great," Sugawara spoke calmly as he handed [Name]'s bottle over to him. The genius stared at him curiously before grabbing the bottle gratefully. He uncapped the item and started to drink slowly but as he did so, he couldn't help but notice something in Sugawara's expression.

"You want to play too, don't you?" He mumbled after gulping down his final sip.

"Was it that obvious?" He asked, not even bothering to deny it. His eyes seemed to express something melancholic, something filled with regret that he thinks he shouldn't have.

"...Not really." He responded, his eyes looking away and onto the crowd. While there wasn't anything wrong with their situation right now, he felt as though witnessing the exact emotions transpiring within his senior's face would be a bit too intruding. "I've seen a few people make the same expression as you before, that's all."

"This is the formation for the second set!" Keishin yelled out, immediately gathering the attention of all the teenagers around him. [Name] and Sugawara followed the others to stand in front of the coach, neither of them glancing back at each other.

"Okay!"

"It's Oikawa's serve that's causing the most trouble." [Name]'s mood immediately plummeted at the reminder of when he was targeted by that specific serve. The people around him seemed to sweatdrop as he radiated the aura of a glowering cat. "I'm reducing defense to the bare minimum."

"Sugawara-san," Kageyama called out to the other setter. "How do you manage to keep a calm mind on the court?" He asked timidly. "You always seem so level-headed during our practices and..."

Sugawara gave a soft laugh as he turned to face his junior. "Well," He started, a small bemused smile on his face as he humored and answered the question based on his own experiences on the court.

Keishin watched the interaction with a contemplative look as Takeda stood beside him curiously.

"Sugawara-san's a good setter, isn't he?" [Name] popped in randomly beside the coaches. Takeda seemed to jump a bit as his hands flailed in shock while Keishin's expression remained as cool as stone.

Unknown to anyone, however, the blonde's heart seemed to have stopped for a moment, hence the lack of reaction. "What...do you want." He spoke slowly, trying to calm down all the while looking composed on the outside.

"Kageyama's a great setter, he is a genius and all, but Sugawara-san's good too." He stated, his eyes trailing off to stare at the light and dark-haired setters that were conversing. "I'm not asking you to switch him in or anything, I just wanted to say that if the situation calls for it, I think it'd be nice to let him show off his skills too."

He didn't know why he was saying stuff like this. Sugawara probably wouldn't like it if he found out that he was only switched in due to a request from him but he wasn't exactly requesting that, was he? He only wants Keishin to entertain the thought of letting him play.