The Queen of the Crows {Haikyuu!!}

23

After an emotionally and physically draining night, I retire to the girls' room with Shimizu and Yachi. I made them promise to not act different around me and they did. I held conversations with Yachi and Shimizu like I normally would.

I sleep soundly and wake up to the curtains getting ripped open, allowing the light to flood in. I change into my usual attire and meet up with everyone at breakfast. As I walk out of the food line and into the cafeteria, "Chihiro-chan!" I look over at Nishinoya waving his arm in the air vigorously. "Hm?" I ask.

"Come sit with us!" he beckons me. I pivot on my heels and head towards his table, seeing no issue with it. I place my tray down next to him and set my clipboard next to it. At the table also is all the second years, the freak duo, and our ace.

I shovel a chopstick full of rice in my mouth and flip to my list of techniques to try out with the team. X's and O's are scrawled on the paper with arrows and numbers. Plays range from decoy shots to synchronized attacks to back line attacks to defense formations. I did these in pencil so I could edit them.

I take my pencil off the clip and erase and few arrows and re position them. I change the names of the x's to different players. "What's LP stand for?" Tanaka hovers over my shoulder. "Lamp post," reply simply. The table looks at me in confusion. I sigh and begin explaining, "When I first started I gave everyone nicknames so I could put faces to names. Lamp post is Tsukishima,"

They blink a few times, "What's my nickname?!" Hinata asks excitedly. "Sunshine," he sits back in his seat beaming. "What about me?"

"Rooster," Nishinoya looks over at me, confused. "Your hair makes you look like a chicken," he looks up at his blond streak.

"Me?"

"Loud Baldie," (Tanaka)

"What's mine?" 

"Angsty," (Kageyama)

"Calm Baldie," (Narita)

"Worry Wart" (Kinoshita)

"Sleepy," (Ennoshita)

"Mine?"

"Sasquatch,"

Asahi looks down in defeat and I shrug. "It's pretty accurate," Nishinoya slaps him on the back with a grin.

"Why am I Sleepy?" Ennoshita questions. "You always look like you're tired, and you seem to always be tired of Karasuno's shenanigans," he nods in agreement.

~~~

At free practice, I notice Hinata has joined Bokuto and Kuroo. They play a 3 on 3 match that is in no way fair. On one team is Kuroo, Tsukishima, and Tokyo Tower while the other team is Bokuto, Akaashi, and Hinata. I sometimes forget how obnoxiously tall volleyball players are.

Every time Hinata spikes, he is met with an umbrella of blockers. The three-man block extend far over the net and looms over Hinata. However, this time Hinata hits it to the ceiling and barely misses the line.

My eyes widen at the block out he almost achieved. I add block out to the list of techniques to use in game. "Chi-chaaaaaan~" I pop my head up. "Hm?"

"Can you receive our spikes for us?" Kuroo asks. I nod and trot over to the empty side of the court. Kuroo glowers at me with raised eyebrows. I look around in confusion, "What?" I ask. He crosses his arms at me. "You're forgetting your pads," he reminds. Of course, I roll my eyes. "You're gonna make me go all the way to my room to get knee pads?"

"And elbow," I groan, "Says the one who never wears knee pads," and trudge to the girls' room to grab both pairs of pads. "And put your spandex on while your at it. Your baggy shirt and shorts with make you slow," I look back at his smirking face and roll my eyes again. I feel confused eyes on my retreating figure.   

I enter the room and grab a pair of black spandex and a gray dri-fit tee. I run over to the bathroom and change quickly before coming back to grab my pads. I grab a headband as well as I dig out my pads. "Wow! You look so good!"

I perk my head up and an elated Yachi and managers gathering around me."Huh?" I look down at my spandex with a tinge of pink on my cheeks. "Wha-? N-no not really" I say as I slip on both sets of pads and my back and white Nike's. I stand up and feel their eyes looking me over.

The Fukurodani manager puts her hand on her chin. "So this is what you have been hiding under those baggy shirts. I gotta say you look really great," she grins. I duck my head down trying to hide my blush and mutter a quick thanks.

I run back to the gym and slide the door open, "Sorry I took so long," I call out as I trot to the center of the court.

Third POV

The six teens watch her trot center court. Bright red blush flashes onto their cheeks. Kuroo claps his hands together in a praying manner and mutters, "Thank God for spandex," while she is tying her shoe. The other players look at Kuroo in disbelief and he just nods. "Wow! Chihiro-chan you look pretty!" Hinata's eyes sparkle. "Uh-," she glances around the as if looking for someone else he would be referring to. "Let's j-just start," she suggests.

Akaashi sets it. Her eyes dart towards the ball and uses the trajectory to determine that it's going to Bokuto. She locks her elbows and darts to the left and receives it flawlessly. Another ball is set, it goes to Lev. She runs and dives, narrowly saves the spike that slams close to the net.

She pops up onto her feet ready for the next. However she just misses Hinata's spike. The ball hits the ground by her head and she grumbles to herself. She pushes herself off the ground, "One more Hinata," she calls out.

It takes her two more spikes to receive it in bounds. Kuroo takes his turn spiking and he shows zero mercy. The poor girl had to dive across the court to reach it. After she does, she stands up and rests her hands on her knees. Her chest heaves with each breath. She then bends her back, stretching it before requesting another one.

Bokuto watches her excitedly when she grins after saving a quick. Akaashi watches her carefully, trying to figure out how she knows exactly who he'll toss to. He watches her eyes follow the ball before darting over to receive.

~~~

They all grab a water bottle and chug it down. Chihiro finishes hers in 5 seconds flat. Afterwards she plops down on the ground with her legs extended out. A bottle clatters onto the ground beside her, "Ah fuck me," she hears someone curse under their breath.

She smirks and grabs the bottle, "At least buy me dinner first," she shoots back sarcastically. She hands the bottle to a baffled blond middle blocker. She just smirks at him and cackles wickedly. She heaves herself off the ground and sets the bottle on the table. 

"Hinata, you need to practice different spikes. Can I get the rest of you on the other side of the court to block at receive?" She asks. "Hai," they say lazily.

Akaashi approaches Hinata's side to set but Chihiro stops him. "I'll toss for him," she assures. He seemed taken aback, "What position do you play?"

"All of them but setter and wing spiker mainly," she replies coolly. "HAH?!" Bokuto yelps. "You can do all of them?!" She nods again. "I didn't become one of the youngest U-18 players for nothing," she articulates. 

~~~

First POV

I walk down the hall to my room with a plastic bottle of water from dinner in my hand. "Chihiro-chan, you lived in America right?" Yachi asks. I nod, "Yeah, why?"

"Well the coaches have asked us to help plan the last day of camp barbecue," she adds. "If you need me to help barbecue I will," I adds. 

"Thank you so much!" the managers chorus. I take a few steps back, "I-it's fine, really,"