ㄒ乇卂匚卄 爪乇 - 𝕄𝕚𝕪𝕒 𝔸.

¹³ ⍴rᥱᥣіmіᥒᥲrіᥱs ᥲrᥱ ᥱ᥎ᥱᥒ sᥴᥲrіᥱr

(I kinda made up some schools from the prefecture that they could play against in the preliminaries)

Monday

Only a few more days until the preliminaries. I was frightened to say the least. The events from Friday kept repeating in my head. What if I played horrible during the preliminaries as well?

Atsumu and I would review the plans and some footage in the second break today.

After talking to Mika during the first break and informing her of our plan, I went back to class. I couldn't concentrate at all. My teacher even asked if I wasn't feeling well and wanted to go to the nurse. Even though I told her I am fine she still gave me a pitying look and told me to ask her if I needed anything. I wasn't feeling ill, I was simply nervous as hell.

The bell rang. Unlike usual I stayed back in class today awaiting Atsumu's arrival. „Y/N, are you not leaving to see Mika?" A classmate asked me. „Nah, she's in PE." „Ah okay." How haven't they noticed that yet? I never leave class on Mondays during the second break.

I decided to rest my head on my desk until my amazing teacher came to bless me with his presence.

I was quietly dozing off until a hand softly brushed my hair. "Hey, Atsumu." "Sleeping in class are we?" "We literally have a break right now." "Still." He got himself a chair to sit opposite of me. "The plans are out." "If I'm being honest. I'm scared." I admitted. "Did you take a look at them already?" He told me no shaking his head. "Well then... let's take a look."
He opened up the laptop he got from his coach just for today and opened the email. There were two files attached. One for the guys and one for the girls. "Yours first?" He asked. "Sure. I guess." "Can't be that bad. Fewer teams are participating this year." "Why?" "Apparently the were some capacity problems and they're understaffed. Referees and stuff you know." I nodded. The file was downloading very slowly. "You're playing Katō first." "Huh? Who's that?" "Ask me something I know." "Then I literally can't ask you anything." "Remember, I'm the one you ASKED to teach you." I grimaced. "Let's look them up."

We put the name into Google and clicked on the first few pictures. It seemed like decent school. They even had a website on which we stalked the volleyball team. Thankfully, the names were put on the website. I used those to find their instagram pages if they had one. We went through some people's highlights for fun. There were few existing videos on their pages and we couldn't find anything else where.

"I hope that's not their starting line-up." "What do you mean?" "They're horrific." „They're not that horrible." I argued back. „Have you seen their setter?" „Yes, she's my level?" He stared at me with horror in his eyes. „Next time, I'm filming your performance..." „What do you mean?" „You will see."

We discussed a few strategies and the mistakes they made quite often. But to be honest, we couldn't find much on them. They didn't seem to be an elite school or anything similar. And since both Atsumu and I haven't heard their name before we guessed they haven't been very successful yet. That did not mean we should underestimate them tho. But I was glad we didn't have to play against a team that went to nationals. Not yet, at least.

Atsumu's opponent was similar. But it was an elite school from Kakogawa. Although they weren't known for their success in volleyball, the school had the means to buy players from anywhere. They could if they wanted. In addition, they did not have a website for their volleyball team which made stalking them a little harder but don't underestimate me... I went to their school's Instagram page and started looking through the posts and followers to maybe find a bio or a post related to volleyball. Unfortunately, due to nonexistent success, the page didn't really talk about volleyball at all. A few of the followers had a volleyball emoji in their bio so checked their profiles. Didn't help much tho because none of them were public.  Atsumu searched for things on google in the meantime.

„Have you found anything?" He asked. I looked up from my phone and shook my head. „Sadly no, all of them have private profiles and the school does not seem to be so proud of their team." I stopped and then said: „Maybe your coach will tell you guys more later." „He probably has better sources than Instagram." „Hey! I'm trying my best. I'm sorry that they don't aspire to be influencers." „By the way, since we're talking Instagram. Can I have your tag?" „Sure, gimme your phone." I reached for his phone. Atsumu's profile was opened. I took a quick look. Wait... 78k followers?! „Atsumu, are you secretly an idol or something?" He realized what I was getting at and shot back: „No, simply a handsome talented guy playing volleyball." He gave me the most arrogant smile he could. I chuckled. „I should get an autograph before it's too late." „Maybe someday if I'm like really really famous. Then you'll get my first autograph." „I take that as a promise?" „Whatever you want." „Promise it is then." I followed my account on his phone and gave it back. „You have lots of followers as well?" „But not nearly 80k." He went silent. „Are you stalking my profile now?" „Yes." „So blunt." „I'm watching your highlights to be exact." „Good to know." I followed his actions and viewed his profile. He had a few highlights. A few volleyball highlights for each season, one with friends and one with pictures of himself. Quite normal I guess. Not much different from. Except I had a highlight only for stories with Mika and one for the rest of my friends.

I followed Atsumu back and liked his post. „I'm now officially one of the 156 people that the great Atsumu Miya follows on Instagram. I have achieved everything in life." He rolled his eyes and chuckled at my comment.

The bell rang signalizing the end of the second break. „You coming later?" „Why shouldn't I?" „Well then, see you later. Tell me, if your coach told you guys something." He nodded and waved goodbye before leaving the classroom.

„I didn't know you guys were so close." I turned around. My classmate who sat behind me had made that comment. „Have been for a while actually." I commented before turning around again and focusing on putting my things for the next lesson on my desk.

———— small little time skip until practice ————

I entered the changing room. Emi was the only one there yet. „Hey Y/N, You're here." „Yeah, I survived the day." „Nice to know." Emi commented. „By the way, I reviewed the plans for the preliminaries." „And?" „Well, as my wonderful friend who provided me with the material had put it ‚I hope that's not their staring line-up' and ‚their setter is horrific'. But to be honest, we couldn't find a lot on them. Not enough footage to truly properly Analyse their play." „He really said that?" She laughed. „Who said what?" Yoko had entered the changing room. I explained to her what we were talking about leaving out the part that it was Atsumu who said that. „Oh well, if we play like last time, we will go to nationals!" „For sure."

The training was soooo much better than on Friday. „Glad to have you back in your old form." Coach said. Since I started practicing with Atsumu, she has become nicer and nicer to me. Could be because I didn't make as many mistakes as before.

We did some easy drills. She wanted us to look after our bodies as much as possible before the preliminaries and ordered us to stretch and eat enough. In Addition, she did in fact have more footage than Atsumu and I could find. What a surprise...

After everyone had left it suddenly hit me. We were going to play in a few days. Playing or more like fighting to go to Nationals... I was freaking scared. The feeling of fear was totally drowned by Atsumu blabbering about the plans and my Instagram. Now that he wasn't here... that no one was around I was intimidated by only the thought of playing there. It was not going to be at our school. We would be in Hyogo's main arena. There would be more people than at the practice match. They would be judging me. What if I disappoint them?? What if I fail to lead my team to nationals? What if—

„Hey Y/N, are you ready?" I looked up. There he stood in the entrance of the gym. As if he was my savior. I somewhat found comfort in his presence. „How about we practice that float serve of yours some more?" I smiled. „Of course." „Lovely. Don't think too much about the preliminaries. I've said it already and will say it again. You're gonna do great. We will both go to nationals."

Was he reading my mind?

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