The Heart of the Ace (Iwaizumi x Reader)

Chapter 1

The first day of senior year at Aoba Johsai High School buzzed with excitement. Students roamed the hallways, catching up after summer vacation and gearing up for the new school year. Y/N, a third-year student, stood in front of her locker, trying to calm the flutter of nerves that had settled in her stomach. 

She had spent the summer balancing volunteer work with some much-needed relaxation. Now, the prospect of her final year at high school was both thrilling and a little overwhelming. As she opened her locker, the familiar scent of old textbooks and minty freshness greeted her, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, Y/N!" Aiko, Y/N's best friend since first year in high school and a player in the girls volleyball team, greeted her. Y/N turned to see her, waving excitedly.

"Hey, Aiko!" Y/N replied, her smile widening. "How was your summer?"

"It was awesome! I managed to take some break from practicing!" Aiko told her.

"That's great, but you'll have to continue again since the school had already started," Y/N responded, chuckling.

"Yeah Yeah, I know," she replied, rolling her eyes.

As they chatted, the school bell rang signaling the start of the first period. The duo then waved goodbye to each other since they were not going to be in the same class that year. 

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The first day of senior year at Aoba Johsai had come to an end, but for Y/N, the day felt far from over. As she packed up her things, Aiko appeared at her side, a determined look in her eyes.

"Come on, Y/N! We're heading to the gym," Aiko declared, grabbing her arm.

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "Why? You don't have practice today, right?"

Aiko grinned. "Exactly. Girls' practice starts tomorrow, so I thought we'd go watch the boys' team today. You could use a break from the music club, and besides, you'll get to learn more about volleyball."

Y/N smiled but still wasn't convinced. She was more comfortable in the music club, where she spent her time singing and perfecting her craft. "You know I don't know much about volleyball, right? My little brother plays, but that's about it."

"Which is exactly why you should come! It'll be fun, I promise," Aiko insisted, dragging Y/N towards the gym before she could protest further.

When they reached the gym, the sounds of volleyball practice echoes through the space—sneakers squeaking on the floor, the solid smack of the ball hitting the ground, and the occasional burst of laughter. A small crowd had gathered to watch, including a group of girls who were fixated on one player in particular: Oikawa Tooru, the team captain and heartthrob of Aoba Johsai. 

"Oikawa's fangirls," Aiko muttered, rolling her eyes as they found seats on the bleachers. "They're always here, but I'm more interested in the game."

Y/N laughed softly. "I'm definitely not here for Oikawa."

Aiko nodded in agreement. "Same here. I just want to watch some good volleyball."

As the practice continued, Y/N found herself watching the players closely. Despite not knowing much about the sport, she was drawn to the intensity of the game. But more than that, she was mesmerized by Iwaizumi Hajime. He moved with such power and precision, dominating the court as the team's ace. Every spike and block was executed with perfect form, and Y/N couldn't take her eyes off him.

"You're staring," Aiko teased, nudging her lightly.

Y/N blushed and quickly looked away. "What? No, I'm not."

"Uh-huh," Aiko said, smirking. "That number 4, Iwaizumi Hajime. He's the ace on the team, and I must admit that he's pretty impressive to watch."

Y/N bit her lip, feeling embarrassed. "Okay, maybe I was watching him a little. He's just...really good."

Aiko grinned knowingly. "I saw that look in your eyes. You were more than impressed."

Y/N laughed softly, shaking her head. "Alright, maybe I was."

The practice ended soon after, and as expected, Oikawa was immediately swarmed by his fangirls. Iwaizumi, standing off to the side, sighed as he watched the scene unfold around his teammate.

"Go talk to him," Aiko whispered, giving Y/N a playful nudge. "You never know—he might appreciate a compliment that's not from his mom or sister."

Y/N hesitated for a moment but decided to take Aiko's advice. Gathering her courage, she walked over to where Iwaizumi was standing.

"Hey, Iwaizumi," she called out softly.

He turned, slightly surprised to see someone who wasn't an Oikawa fan. "Oh, hey. Can I help you?"

Y/N smiled shyly. "I just wanted to say you were really impressive out there. I don't know much about volleyball, but even I could tell how good you are."

Iwaizumi blinked, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. Compliments like this were rare for him, especially from girls who weren't focused on Oikawa. "Uh, thanks. I appreciate it."

Y/N chuckled softly. "You don't get a lot of compliments, do you?"

"Not really," he admitted with a sheepish laugh. "Especially not from someone I don't know."

"Well, I'm L/N F/N. You can just call me Y/N," she said, extending her hand.

"Iwaizumi Hajime," he replied, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you, Y/N."

Before the conversation could go further, Aiko called her and approached her. "Y/N! We've gotta go—it's getting late! And well, you've met my best friend, Iwaizumi," placing her hand on her shoulders. 

"Oh hey, Aiko. Yeah, we just met since I never seen her around," Iwaizumi replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

Aiko grinned, looking at both of them. "Well, we gotta go. Bye!" 

Y/N smiled apologetically. "Uh yeah. It was nice meeting you, Iwaizumi."

"Yeah, same here," Iwaizumi said, still a bit flustered as he watched her wave goodbye and leave the gym with Aiko.

As Y/N walked out with her friend, Aiko grinned. "So... how'd it go with Iwaizumi?"

Y/N laughed and blushed. "I just gave him a compliment. Nothing more."

"Yeah, but you made him blush," Aiko teased. "Looks like this year might be interesting for you."

Y/N just smiled to herself, thinking that Aiko might be right.