Descending |Haikyuu!! Reader x Various|

.12.

Okay, so maybe I found having another Tsukishima on my case worrisome. The thought of two mouths spewing sadistic comments was not exactly something I was looking forward to.

Soon enough, however, I realized that their similarities ended at height and good looks. Akiteru was as if Tsukishima were kind, charming, and significantly less intimidating. The only time I made the connection between them was when Akiteru smirked teasingly at his brother.

"Hey, (Boy Name)! Are you gonna take your head out of your--"

"Language!" Ennoshita interupted Tanaka, and I jumped as I was brought back to the spiking drills we were supposed to be doing.

"Oh, sorry! Go ahead, Kageyama." I approached for the spike, listening for Ukai's block.

"3, straight, closed, and even." He called a little late, causing my feint to go a little higher than usual.

"Cutting it close, eh?" I questioned, turning to him for an explanation. He looked a little preoccupied, absorbed in his conversation with Akiteru.

Akiteru, however, no longer looked like he was paying attention to our coach. He was looking at me with a vaguely curious expression on his face. He simply smiled kindly when I noticed his stare, completely unabashed.

I turned back to the court, hiding my blush as inconspicuously as possible as I walked to the back of the line. The only person who seemed to notice was the last person I wanted to see me even a little flustered.

"Aw, don't worry, (Boy Name). He has that effect on quite a few people." Tsukishima murmured, holding a laugh behind his fingers as he turned around to speak to me.

"You shut up." I hissed, trying to seem relaxed.

"Hey, no need to lash out. I think it's adorable." He said condescendingly, still snickering.

I ended that interaction with my tongue sticking out, which caused an approaching Yamaguchi to titter a little.

"Don't you start!" I snapped, and he went red.

"S-sorry, (Boy Name)." He went stiff, and jerked into a shallow bow. I jumped, shocked at his gesture.

"Ah!" I flinched a little, glaring at him as he straightened up. "Yamaguchi, why do you insist?" I sighed.

"S-sorry." He laughed at my reaction, running a hand through his hair and sending me a flushed grin.

Cute.

Please, shut up. I reminded myself mentally that I was here to play volleyball, not to swoon over the boys.

The Neighborhood Association team was to arrive in about an hour, so we did mild drills to stay warm. Tsukishima was showing Aoki and Kokowa how he taped his fingers, so I was left alone with Hinata to practice receives.

"(Boy Name)! Is Coach Ukai good?" He said, sending the ball back at me.

"Eh, he's alright. He knows his team." I answered, mostly truthfully. Honestly, Ukai was an excellent player. He knew what each player on his team needed to perform well, and he had the well-developed technique to bring out their best.

"Can he block you?" He questioned as I dug the ball from my extreme right. My expression turned sour.

"Sometimes, but he won't try that too often today." I answered as I stood up in time to receive a direct ball to me.

"Why's that?" He asked, catching the ball to listen to me.

"Well, they're too good at receives to try and block too desperately. Just don't forget about their libero." I warned, remembering the first time I watched them play.

"Libero? He wasn't there the last time we played them. Is he that good?" We walked over to the bench, and he tossed me a water bottle.

"I'd say. He went professional for a bit, apparently. He's their best player." I nodded.

"Really? That good?"

"Yup. He's probably one of the best liberos I've seen."

"Better than Noya-san?!" He gasped, looking up at me flabbergasted.

"Probably. Just avoid hitting very much into his area." I warned. Hinata's mouth contracted for a moment, pondering, before it settled into an awed smile.

"Awesome." He sighed, which made me wonder just what was going through his head.

I didn't know any of the Neighborhood association Team by name besides Takinoue, who'd been to Ukai's home more than once since I'd arrived, but their libero was the most memorable. He was actually pretty tall for a libero, about the same height as Ukai if he wasn't a little taller. If he was like anyone on Karasuno's team, it wasn't Nishinoya.

His reflexes and speed put me in the mind of Hinata, though he seemed a little more level-headed than him. Considering it, I knew he'd prove an issue for me especially. Perhaps I understood Hinata a little more than I thought.

I grinned as I thought of the challenge.

"Should I come back later?" Tsukishima was suddenly beside me, watching me smiling to myself.

"Shut up. Aren't you at least a little excited?" I asked, turning away from him as my smile morphed into a frown.

"We have played them before." He shrugged, watching me pull on an elbow support as I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, but don't you think you've gotten a little better since the beginning of your first year?" I asked, and, for once, he didn't have a snarky comment.

"I guess." He shrugged again, but he seemed much less decided on being indifferent.

"They'll also have a full team when you play this time. You guys really didn't see their libero?" I asked even though I already knew the answer.

"No. He good?" He took a swig of his water, completely nonchalant.

"He nearly went to the Olympics, apparently." I felt that answered enough.

"Oh. Why does he play on a neighborhood team?"

"No idea. Lives around here, I guess." I flashed him a taunting grin. "Still think it'll be boring?"

"Eh, it's possible." I knew he was just being difficult now.

"Oh, shut up." I rolled my eyes and bumped an elbow against his.

Ukai had to go pick up one of his team members who needs a ride, I suspected Shimada, so our only supervision was Takeda.

"Sensei! You get to be coach since Ukai is our opponent!" Tanaka called excitedly, which seemed to make Takeda nervous.

"Uh, yeah. Yachi and I will do our best." He seemed to pass his nerves onto the already anxious manager.

"Y-yes! I'll help if I can!" She yelled a little loudly, much to Tanaka's and Nishinoya's amusement.

"Stop being jerks." I scolded lightly, bumping into Tanaka with my shoulder as I caught a stray ball flying at my face. I shot Yachi an apologetic look, and she smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks, (Boy Name)." She said, sending the two upperclassmen a weak glare.

"I ship it!" Nishinoya announced after looking between Yachi and me. The two of us shot two identical scowls at him, embarrassed.

"Agreed." Tanaka said, and I threw the ball in my hands at his head.

"No one asked you!" He easily knocked away the ball, and he and Nishinoya laughed at my flushing face.

"This is why you don't speak directly with them. It makes you look like an idiot as well." Tsukishima muttered, and the three of us glared.

"Tsukishima, you bastard!"