one step further // haikyuu x OC

the vice principal's toupee // 18

"Here." Shouyou plopped down in his usual spot in front of me for lunch period. He presented a bento in cute cat wrapping, blushing when I pointed it out and asked if it was his. "It's my little sister's! Anyway... I hope this makes you feel better. When I got home last night I asked my mom to make a bento for you. Gives you a break from that junk food you eat all the time." His smile was so bright and warming that it was contagious. With his help from last night and now this, I was actually feeling loads better than I had been that week.

So he has a little sister... no wonder he was good at comforting a crying girl.

"Shouyou... that's really nice. Thank you. I'm sorry you ended up being home so late, were your parents mad?"

"Mom wasn't mad after I explained what happened. Oh! Open it and let's eat! Mom says to make sure you eat all of it for your first round of the tournament today. You need the energy! Are you nervous for the games? You guys are gonna win right?"

"Shouyou slow down!" I laughed as I unwrapped the bento box and said a small thanks before peeking inside. There was an array of fresh vegetables, fruit, fried rice with eggs in the shape of a bear. Even little hot dogs cut to look like octopus. It looked as cute as it did delicious - my mouth even watered as I took my first bite. Hinata looked at me with excited expectancy.

"So?! How do you like it??" He asked. I offered him a closed-mouth smile with a cheek full of food. I finished a few quick bites before continuing the conversation.

"I want your blessed mother to show me how to make this so I can have it for the rest of my life. It was so nice of her to make this for me, please tell her I said thank you!" I giggled at myself. "Anyway, I'm not exactly nervous yet. I'll probably feel some nerves right as the first game starts. That's how it worked my last season anyway."

"Last season?" Shouyou raised an eyebrow while eating more of his lunch.

"Ah - Well, uh, you know how American school systems are a lot different than here?" He nodded as he listened. "Well, I was already a 1st year in high school there. So when I moved I ended up being a 1st year again because that's my correct age group here. You know- instead of a 4 year high school like back home. Sorry I'm rambling about unimportant stuff!" I took some more bites to alleviate some of the embarrassment from babbling.

"Well, I was lucky enough to be the only 1st year on the starting line up of the varsity team at my old school."

"Uwah! Seriously? You were that good at 14?!" His amazement made me blush a little, And after the week I had, I allowed his compliments to feed my ego a bit.

"Well, I don't know about that. We weren't a powerhouse school or anything, I think I just got lucky. And I worked really hard to keep my position. At the end of the season, I was even awarded 'Best Passer' of the team because I had more digs and saves than our own Libero." When he fawned over and praised me for that, I couldn't stay as humble. I was very prideful of the fact that I beat my team's Libero in passes.

"Anyway, I guess I do feel a little weird about the tournament today. Last year, my team went undefeated the whole volleyball season. Never lost a single game! But, when the tournament came, my team just... didn't play like we had been. I don't know what it was, but my team choked and we didn't win any games in the tournament. It was very unsatisfactory... So, I guess I am a little nervous because of that. It sucked to play my hardest like I always did and watch as the rest of my team didn't try to win."

He pondered for a moment while chewing his food, before speaking in garbled mush that I didn't understand. When Hinata noticed the confused look on my face he swallowed and smiled at me.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about!" He said enthusiastically. "Your team has been working really hard in practice with us. And they all seem motivated to win! Especially you Toshiko. And you always give it all when you play. You'll do awesome today!" His words made my chest puff up with gratitude, I nodded at him with a big smile. He was beginning to ask me more questions about my old team before a male teacher at the front of the classroom called for me.