Pulchritudinous

4

"Alright, everyone! We'll be going to Tokyo next week. But before that, we have exams. You know what that means, right?" Chura announces.
Four of the boys look everywhere but at the girl Sugawara. Chura's eyes bore into their skins, making them look at her in fear.
"If you don't pass, you will be staying here to make up for the subjects you missed." Takeda reminds them.
"But I've never gotten higher than a single digit on any of my quizzes! Will I be okay?" Hinata looks at Koushi with wide, childlike eyes.
Koushi freezes with a shocked expression, making Hinata slightly panic from his reaction. Tanaka and Noya make Buddha faces, to which Koushi yells at them for.
"Kageyama isn't breathing!" Yamaguchi squeaks.
"Kags." Chura bends down in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Kageyama shakes his head, looking into the eyes of the grey haired manager.
"I'm sure I can help you study, along with Hinata." She smiles at the setter before looking at the ginger with a smirk, "And I thought you said if I ever needed help to ask you, Hinata~" she teases.
"H-hey, I meant like f-finding the bathroom or something!" Hinata chuckles nervously, making Chura give him a side hug as she continues her teasing.
"I feel like you would get lost trying to find the bathroom even though you've been here since the first day." Tsukishima blurts out.
"Tsukishima!" Hinata growls.
"All you have to do is get a passing grade. Study enough to at least get that and you're allowed to go to Tokyo with the team!" Chura exclaims.
"But what about Tsukki and Yamaguchi?! Aren't you worried about them?!" Hinata asks, pointing at the other two first years.
"My grades aren't that bad actually." Yamaguchi admits.
"And Tsukki is one of the smartest people in our year." Chura points out.
"Oh? Is that a compliment I hear?" Tsukishima smirks.
"Don't expect this to be a normal thing, Kei." Chura glares.
"Kei?!" The boys all scream, looking between the two.
"Y-you're not together, a-are you?!" Noya grips onto her arms with sad eyes.
Chura doubles over in laughter, holding her stomach. Tsukishima scoffs, giving a look of a mixture of disgust and irritation.
"Oh god m-my stomach h-hurts! I-I can't!" Chura tries to say between breaths.
"But you used his first name...?" Koushi raises an eyebrow, "You don't even call Daichi and Asahi by their names."
"It's to get on his nerves. I like messing with him just as much as he likes messing with pretty much everyone, isn't that right, beanstalk." Chura smirks at the boy in question.
"Is that a nickname hear?" Daichi smirks at the girl.
"Oh! I want a nickname! Please give me a nickname, Chura~" Hinata begs.
"I already have one for you, Hinata." She laughs, "But I'll only tell you if you pass your exams."
"What about me?!" Noya and Tanaka jump up and down excitedly.
"Same rules apply." She crosses her arms.
"We better get studying if we want a cute nickname from Chura!" The two second years starting chanting loudly.
"Beanstalk is supposed to be a cute nickname?" Tsukishima raises an eyebrow at them.
"Be quiet, all of you!" Ennoshita yells at them, "So loud." He groans.
"Kiyoko~." Chura walks over to the other manager.
"Yes?" Kiyoko blinks at her in surprise.
"Do you think they can pass? I didn't realize how bad Hinata's scores were." Chura sweat drops.
"It seems they're motivated enough." The corner of her lips rise slightly, making Chura giggle mischievously.
"I'm glad."
Practice starts soon after and Kiyoko and Chura talk over some plays that Coach Ukai had in mind. Kiyoko is grateful that Chura was part of the new set of managers. Chura has experience on the court and not just knowledge from textbooks or observing from the sidelines. She'll be a great addition to the team and maybe, just maybe, Chura can play with the boys during some practices to motivate them more, but who knows if she'll even agree.
"Good job today! Make sure to study, you know who I'm talking to." Coach eyes the four, "We'll see you tomorrow. You're free to go after you clean."
"Okay!" The boys immediately rush to get the mops from the storage room.
"Chura~ Will you stay with me and Kageyama so we can practice longer?" Hinata begs.
"I'm sorry, Hinata, but I have to get home and finish homework, something you both should be doing."
"We won't be here for long. We just want to work on something." Kageyama says matter-of-factly.
"Koushi?" Chura looks at her brother, making him stop what he's doing, "Do you mind if I stay with these two? They want extra practice." She jabs her thumb in the direction of the duo.
Koushi looks at the two boys, debating. Chura alone with those two isn't so hot to him. Koushi pokes his tongue on his cheek as he thinks. He sighs in defeat when he sees both boys and Chura looking at him with pleading eyes.
"She can stay only if one or both of you walk her home. It'll be darker when you leave and I'd rather her not walk alone."
"Fine by me! I get to stay with Chura longer!" Hinata smiles.
"Don't forget about me." Kageyama stares into the back of Hinata's head, making the ginger shiver in fear.
"Tsukki! Why don't we-"
"Pass." Tsukki immediately shuts Yamaguchi down.
"Ryu! Let's stay with Chura too!" Noya hits Tanaka on the back.
"Oh! That's a great idea!" They high five each other.
"You four are the ones who need to study the most." Daichi groans, crossing his arms.
"Starting tomorrow we'll study! Promise! From then on, I will study so I can join you in Tokyo!" Noya places his hands on his hips, his chin held high with confidence.
"I look forward to the four of you passing then." Chura smiles.
"Make sure to lock up when you leave and put everything away!" Daichi calls as he leaves the gym with Asahi and a few others.
"You sure you'll be okay with them, Chu?" Koushi glances at the four who're already practicing on their own.
"I'm fine. All I'm doing is supervising them. They won't be long. Hopefully." She yawns, rubbing her eyes.
"Make sure you're not alone when you go home then. Someone could take advantage of you if you're by yourself." Koushi warns.
"Okay, mom." She rolls her eyes but smiles as she looks him in the eyes, "Tell me when you get home safely."
"Okay, mom." He smiles, kissing the side of her head before catching up with the other third years.
"You and Suga are pretty close, huh?" A voice nearby makes her jump since she doesn't expect it.
Chura turns around to see Nishinoya there by himself. Her eyes quickly look around for Tanaka, only to see him with the first year duo, giving them advice on his spikes. She looks back at Noya and simply nods.
"Honestly, I feel like we could be closer if I would just open up to him and tell him everything I should have, but..." her voice trails off.
"Suga is a very understanding and chill dude. I'm pretty sure whatever you're keeping from him, he'll get why you did and help you however he can." Noya smiles at her.
"You're probably right. I just feel guilty for ignoring him for the past six months." She sighs.
Nishinoya's eyes widen in disbelief. They haven't talked in six months? And they act like they're glued to each other, as if they shouldn't be separated for too long. Chura's eyes widen when she realizes she told him a lot more than she should have.
"Sorry, that was kinda personal. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable in any way." She laughs nervously as she runs a hand through her hair, but she stops when another hand grabs it.
"I don't mind. If you want to talk more, I'm all ears, Chura. I'll listen to what you want to get off your chest, if you'll let me." Noya gives her a smile, but it's not his usual playfully smile, it's a soft, caring one.
"N-Noya..." she breathes, looking at him in surprise.
"Yo! Stop flirting and come practice with us, Noya!" Tanaka teases his friend.
"I'm not f-flirting!" Noya yells back, turning back to Chura with an apologetic look before running towards the boys.
Kageyama noticed how the close the two were getting right away, which is why he just stared until one of the other two yelled at them. Kageyama isn't the type to call something out like that to anyone other than maybe Hinata. For some reason, it took everything in him to not rip his senior away from her. His eyebrows furrow together. 

'Weird...' he thought.

"Alright, boys. Another ten minutes then we have to get going." Chura informs.
"Okay!" They yell.
"Chura~! Watch me receive!" Noya waves happily.
"Hinata!" Kageyama yells as he sets the ball to him.
Chura has never seen just how high that boy can jump, so seeing it now when nobody else is on the court with them is eye opening. Hinata slams the ball down on the court, to which Noya squats low to receive.
"Amazing." She breathes.
"Chura! Did you see that?! That's what I was talking about! Didn't I look so cool?!" Hinata jumps up and down happily.
"Stop jumping up and down, idiot!" Kageyama yells at the smaller boy.
"Ahh! Hinata!" Chura dashes at full speed and tackles him to the floor, making them roll a few times, "That was amazing! It was like whoop! And pow!"
"You guys have the same vocabulary for describing that move." Tanaka laughs, hovering over the two.
"Chura understands me! And she's nice, unlike Bakayama!" Hinata hugs her from the side, making her laugh.
"Kageyama! Your ears are super pink!" Noya points at the setter, making the said boy turn his head away.
"You're seeing things." He mutters.
"Do one more so we can leave." Chura covers her mouth as she yawns and sits up, "I'm getting tired."
"Chura, if you're tired we can leave now." Kageyama looks at her.
"Yeah! We didn't mean to keep you here for so long!" Hinata frowns.
"That's alright. I don't mind. You're my boys now, I'm here to help." She smiles, but they can see how tired she is.
"Y-your boys?" Noya blinks at her.
"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." She gets off the floor, helping the ginger up as well, "One more then let's clean up, yes?"
~
The second years wave goodbye to their juniors before they walk off in different directions. Chura shivers from the cold, gripping tighter on her backpack straps.
"Chura, are you cold?" Hinata asks, concern on his face.
"N-no. I'm just p-peachy." Her voice is shaky.
"You can-" Hinata starts rummaging in his duffle bag but is cut off by the taller boy.
"Here." Kageyama shoves his jacket in her face.
"B-but you'll be cold-" her eyes widen.
"You're in a skirt while we have our warm ups. At least take the jacket for an extra layer on top." He mutters.
"Oh, w-well, thank you very much, Kageyama." She slips it on and immediately a warmth surrounds her.
"Aww! My mom wants me to pick something up from the store before I head home. Sorry guys, I have to go. Is it okay if you only go with Kageyama?" Hinata looks at Chura after glancing at his phone.
"Yeah I'll be fine." She smiles, "Let me know when you get home."
"Okay! See you tomorrow!" Hinata hops on his bike and rides ahead.
It's silent between the two as they continue their walk. Chura looks up at the sky and exhales, watching the air escaping her mouth due to the low temperature outside.
"You... have his contact info...?" Kageyama suddenly asks.
Chura looks over at him to see he's looking straight ahead. Chura smiles slightly at his question, hugging the jacket tighter.
"Of course. He's in my class and we're seat mates. He's also in the boy's volleyball team which I signed up to be a manager for, so I figured it'd be good to have his info on hand."
"I see." He breathes, silence taking over them once again.
Another five minutes and Chura halts in her step, making Kageyama look at the house they stopped in front of. His eyes land on the sign that read 'Sugawara', indicating they've arrived at their destination.
"This is my stop." Chura smiles, taking off his jacket, "Thank you for letting me borrow your jacket. Put it on right away so you don't catch a cold."
"You're just like you're brother." The corner of his lip barely lifts up for a fraction of a second before he slips it back on.
"Well, we are blood." She jokes, walking up to the door and unlocking it.
"Wait." Kageyama calls.
Chura looks back at the boy, blinking as she waits for his question.
"I... nevermind."
She smiles softly, stepping towards him and cupping his cheek with her hand, causing him to look at her in surprise.
"Thank you. I appreciate you walking me all the way home." She quietly says.
"You're... welcome..."
"Tell me when you get home, okay?" She nods, walking inside after waving to him.
"But I don't have your info..." he mutters, scratching his head.
Kageyama turns on his heels, strolling down the street in the direction towards his own home. He doesn't realize how warm his jacket really is until he pulls the zipper up all the way. He closes his eyes for a moment as he takes in the scent of the girl Sugawara. She smells like... coconut and some kind of plant... eucalyptus? Kageyama shakes his head. What is he thinking?
His phone vibrates in his hand, making him look down at it with curiosity. A small smile spreads across his lips when he sees the message.

'Don't worry, I have your info :) -Chura'

He locks his phone, exhaling as he picks up his pace. He doesn't mind gaining a friend.