A Libero's Duty {Nishinoya x Reader}

1

The cold night air breeze passes me as I walk out the 1st Karasuno Gymnasium - usually reserved for the Karasuno High School Girls Volleyball Team. I feel myself shiver as I made my way to the 2nd gym - where the Boys Volleyball Team practice. Days like these where we have a practice I would stay a bit later just to wait for the popular female manager, Kiyoko Shimizu, to finish up and we would walk home together. Kiyoko and I go way back. She's my childhood friend and neighbor, I can't remember a time where Kiyoko wasn't with me in my life.

I'm a second-year libero for the girls' volleyball team and I was only interested after seeing how happy Kiyoko was being the manager for the boys' volleyball team. It's been two years since I've been on the team and so far, I enjoy it. The adrenaline of being able to score a point, the cries after winning. I wanted more of that, so I never quit when things got hard. As the libero, I couldn't think about giving up, I had to be everyone's hope of a second chance at winning.

I yawned, waiting in front of the gym door. I've never met the boys' team properly even though the captains talk to each other, often exchanging pieces of advice. The boys always practice so late, I wonder how they have the energy to continue for hours on end. With that thought, I'm only motivated to increase my stamina. Maybe I should do more morning jogs.

Not thinking much of it, I opened the door to the 2nd gym.

"Kiyoko! When are you-" I stop mid-question, as I noticed most of the boys were still inside and was cleaning up.

They all stopped doing what they were doing when I called out to their manager and looked at my direction.

Usually, Kiyoko would be alone by now, doing the last cleanup herself and I'd offer my help. Ahh, I should have been more careful...

"Ah (y/n)! I'm about to finish up, can you wait a bit more?" she asked with her calm demeanor, not noticing how flustered I was to see the boys' team still here.

I nodded and decided to wait outside the gym, not wanting to embarrass myself in front of the strangers any more than I have.

I leaned against the outside wall of the gym thinking about my childhood friend. It was easy being her friend, I never felt I had to be someone else or fit in a standard. Even so, high-school had made it difficult. As Kiyoko grew prettier by the years, I spent more time rejecting all the guys' offers for her phone numbers or special gifts for her. I grew tired of it at one point and I was envious but I grew accustomed to it, Kiyoko's friendship was worth all the effort.

My thoughts came to an end when the boys rush out of the gym one by one. All of them indeed... taller than me. The tallest one made me feel miniature and I shrunk into my jacket to somehow make myself disappear.

"You cold, (y/n)?"

"Oh. Daichi-san! Looks like you guys were working hard. Good luck for the next matches!

"Thanks, you too," he smiled. Daichi-san's smile can make any volleyball player be filled with confidence and his sincerity made it hard not to trust him.

"Uuu, who's this Daichi-san?" a buzzcut guy from behind him appears, curious.

"Tell us..," a shorter but still taller than me person appears on Daichi's right, insisting on an answer.

He had black spiky hair with blond locks covering a part of his forehead.

"She's (y/n). The girl team's libero,"

"AH! I'm a libero too! My name's Yū Nishinoya!" he stepped forward, giving a confident smile towards me.

I only fell deeper into his hazel eyes.

"Nice to meet you—"

"I'm done, (y/n), let's go." she slipped into another pair of shoes and walked ahead of me, ignoring both the buzzcut guy and Nishinoya fawning over her.

"R-right," I said, following suit.

"Kiyoko-san, have a safe trip home!" he called out.